Mamie's 2018 Madness (Page 13)

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Books Read in June:
61. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton, 2018 acquired hardback, crime fiction/mystery/time travel - recommended by Heather
62. The Purple Diaries: Mary Astor and the Most Sensational Hollywood Scandal of the 1930s by Joseph Egan (3.75 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/Hollywood history

Books Read in May:
52. Still Waters by Viveca Sten, translation (3.75 stars), 2018 acquired Kindle Book, crime fiction/police procedural (The Sandhamn series, book 1)
53. Closed Circles by Viveca Sten, translation (3.25 stars), ebook borrowed from the Kindle lending library, crime fiction/police procedural (The Sandhamn series, book 2)
54. Guiltless by Viveca Sten, translation (3.25 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (The Sandhamn series, book 3)
55. The Quiet American by Graham Greene (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, literary fiction/espionage - recommended by Bill
56. Echo Park by Michael Connelly (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Harry Bosch series, book 12)
57. The Terror by Dan Simmons (5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, literary faction/horror - recommended by Susan
58. The Overlook by Michael Connelly (3.5 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Harry Bosch, book 13)
59. The Duke's Tattoo by Miranda Davis (4 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, romance (The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, book 1) - recommended by Charlotte
60. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, narrated by Dan Stevens (4 stars - reread), 2018 acquired audiobook, mystery

I am planning on walking the cat again this year. That is, I am just going to go where my reading takes me. I am not committing to any challenges except for Katie’s PopReadHarderSugarEtc.Challenges 2018

Books Read in January:
1. Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker (4 stars), library hardback, YA non-fiction/history - mentioned on Julia's thread last year in reference to the 100 year anniversary of the incident
2. March: Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell (5 stars), library paperback, GN non-fiction/memoir/Civil Rights Movement
3. Artemis by Andy Weir (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, sci-fi
4. You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams by Alan Cumming, narrated by Alan Cumming (4.5 stars), 2018 purchased audiobook, non-fiction/vignettes with selfies
5. The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher, narrated by Carrie Fisher and Billy Lourd (4 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook - recommended by Mark
6. The White Album by Joan Didion (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, non-fiction/essays
7. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (3.8 stars), 2012 or earlier acquired paperback, gothic fiction/classic
8. Ties by Domenico Starnone (4 stars), library paperback, literary fiction/relationships - recommended by Lynda, translation
9. God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, fantasy - recommended by Roni and read for her GR of it
10. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant (4.5 stars), library hardback, contemporary fiction/illegal immigration - recommended by Katie
11. Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson (3 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Dark Iceland series, book 2), translation

Books Read in February:
12. The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson (4 stars), library hardback, crime fiction/police procedural (Johansson and Jarnebring series, book 8) - recommended by Charlotte, translation
13. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (4.5 stars), library hardback, non-fiction/grief
14. The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey, narrated by Finty Williams (5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, dystopian/zombies - recommended by Mark
15. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire (4 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, urban fantasy (October Daye series, book seven)
16. March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (5 stars), library hardback, non-fiction/The Civil Rights Movement
17. A World Gone Mad: The Diaries of Astrid Lindgren 1939-45 by Astrid Lindgren (4.25 stars), 2016 acquired hardback, non-fiction/diary/WWII, translation
18. Greenglass House by Kate Milford (4 stars), library hardback, juvenile fiction/mystery - recommended by Amber
19. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft, narrated by Fiona Shaw with Jonathan Keeble (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, non-fiction/feminism
20. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/democracy - recommended by Joanne
21. The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/police procedural - recommended by Charlotte
22. My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris (4.5 stars), library paperback, GN - recommended by Mark and Joe

Books Read in March:
23. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming, narrated by Alan Cumming (4.5 stars) 2017 acquired audiobook. non-fiction/memoir/abuse - Katie's Dirty Dozen
24. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Fiona Griffiths series, book 3)
25. Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood by Mark Harris (4.5 stars), 2014 acquired paperback, non-ficiton/film history
26. Slow Horses by Mick Heron, narrated by Gerard Doyle (5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/espionage (Slough House, book 1) - recommended by Charlotte and Deborah
27. The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White (3.5 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, crime fiction/mystery - recommended by Heather
28. How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran, narrated by Louise Brealey (5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, contemporary fiction/coming of age
29. Binti by Nnedi Okorafor (4 stars), 2016 acquired ebook, sci-fi/space opera (Binti, book 1) - recommended by Joe
30. Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer (4 stars), 2017 acquired paperback, weird fiction (Southern Reach, book 3)
31. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery, narrated by Rachel McAdams (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, juvenile fiction/classic (Anne of Green Gables, book 1)
32. MI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham (3 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, non-fiction/memoir - saw this mentioned on Charlotte's thread and loved the quotes she posted from it
33. Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagleu (5 stars), paperback borrowed from Birdy, GN/non-fiction/history, translated - recommended by Charlotte
34. Octopussy and The Living Daylights by Ian Fleming, narrated by Tom Hiddleston (4 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, short stories/crime fiction/espionage (James Bond, book 14)
35. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming, narrated by David Tennant (3 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, juvenile fiction
36. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré (5 stars), 2013 acquired paperback (also listened to the 2017 acquired audiobook), crime fiction/espionage (George Smiley novels, book 5)
37. A Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes, narrated by Samuel Jackson (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/noir (Harlem Cycle, book 1)
38. How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse by Cressida Cowell, narrated by David Tennant (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, juvenile fiction (How to Train Your Dragon, book 4)
39. The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel by Kate Westbrook (4 stars), 2015 acquired ebook, crime fiction/espionage (The Moneypenny Diaries, book 1)

Books Read in April:
40. Women & Power: A Manifesto by Mary Beard (4 stars), 2018 acquired hardback, non-fiction/essays/feminism - recommended by Charlotte
41. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, narrated by Juliet Stevenson (5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, non-fiction/essays/feminism - recommended by Joe
42. The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin (5 stars), 2018 acquired paperback, contemporary fiction/utterly delightful
43. The Wendy Project by Melissa Jane Osborne, Illustrated by Veronica Fish (3.5 stars), paperback borrowed from Abby, GN/grief/fairy tale retelling
44. The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths (4 stars), traveling paperback sent by Katie and going to Beth next, crime fiction/mystery (Ruth Galloway, book 10)
45. Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi, translation, (4.5 stars), 2018 acquired paperback, contemporary fiction/horror
46. The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas (3.5 stars), library paperback, crime fiction/police procedural (Chief Inspector Adamsberg, book 1)
47. Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes (4 stars), 2013 acquired ebook, espionage/WWII
48. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (3 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, humor - recommended by Lucy
49. The Chessmen by Peter May, narrated by Peter May (4 stars), 2017 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/mystery (The Lewis Trilogy, book three)
50. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle (3 stars - reread), paperback borrowed from Birdy, YA science fiction/time travel (The Time Quintet, book 1)
51. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (4 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, science fiction/AI (The Murderbot Diaries, book 1)

Katie’s Dirty Dozen - That’s right, folks, KAK’s reserved spot is back for a fourth year, let’s see what she hits me with this time

1. The North Water by Ian McGuire - Mark and Judy loved this one, too. And also Richard, though a weentsy tidge less.
2. Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
3. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - Katie says for when I'm in the mood for something light and recommends the audio
4. When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman - Katie mentioned on Joanne's thread that she loved this one

From 2017:
1. Everyday people by Stewart O'Nan (linked short stories)
2. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
3. Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin (memoir)
4. The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam
5. Personal History by Katherine Graham
6. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
7. Taft by Ann Patchett
8. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
9. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
10. The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
11. Snow in August by Pete Hamill - Katie mentioned how much she loved this one over on the AAC thread after Mark had posted the list for next year

From 2016:
1. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
2. Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard
3. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez - seconded by Charlotte and Susan
4. In the Walled City by Stewart O'Nan COMPLETED 8/12/16 3.8 stars
5. My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - she recommended the audio, and don't speed it up
6. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo COMPLETED 7/21/16 5 stars
7. Ruby by Cynthia Bond - seconded by Charlotte
8. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming - she recommends the audio read by Cummings himself COMPLETED 3/01/18 4.5 stars
9. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
10. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye - Roberta also loved this, Katie says the audio is great, purchased 5/15/16
11. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant COMPLETED 1/2018 4.5 stars
12. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi COMPLETED 10/2/16 5 stars
13. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat - she pointed out that this was only $1.99 on Kindle and that it was one of her very favorites, purchased 7/13/16
14. Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America by Diane Roberts
15. Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon
16. Nutshell by Ian McEwan COMPLETED 1/2017 5 stars
17. Black River by S. M. Hulse

AND, from 2015:
1. The Mermaids Singing by Lisa Carey ($1.99 on Kindle), purchase on 2/18/15 COMPLETED 8/19/16 5 stars
2. Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter (2.99 on Kindle), purchased on 2/23/15
3. The Tilted World by Tom Franklin and Beth Ann Fennelly ($3.79 on Kindle), purchased on 3/31/15 COMPLETED 11/7/15 4.2 stars
4. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler ($12.77 trade paperback), purchased on 4/1/15, COMPLETED read for Mark's AAC in January 2016, 4.25 stars
5. Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker ($.99 on Kindle), purchased on 4/9/15 - second book in a series, first book Dreamland was recommended by Katie and purchased last year
6. Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing - used an Audible credit COMPLETED 6/16/15 4.9 stars
7. Academy Street by Mary Costello ($9.99 on Kindle), purchased on 6/12/15 COMPLETED 7/2/16 5 stars
8. Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn ($5.99 on Kindle), purchased on 8/28/15
9. Sweetland by Michael Crummey ($.99 on Kindle), purchased 9/5/15 COMPLETED 11/19/15 4.5 stars
10. If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins ($7.99 on Kindle), purchased on 10/26/15

Susan’s Summer Shivers - Susan’s suggestions for some cold reading during the hot summer, which lasts about 9 months in Georgia

1. The Terror by Dan Simmons LOVED this!
2. The Abominable by Dan Simmons
3. The Disappeared by C J Box "...there is an atmosphere of absolutely freezing throughout the book." (#18 in the series, so please don't mention that I'm thinking of reading this out of order)

Every year, LT is an embarrassment of riches for me. I like to keep track of who recommends what and any other pertinent info that lands a book on The List.

1. Curse of the Narrows by Laura m. MacDonald - about the Halifax explosion of 1917. Recommended by Bonnie, Meg, and Susan
2. Greenglass House by Kate Milford - recommended by Amber (she gave it an A!) COMPLETED 4 stars
3. In America: Travels With John Steinbeck by Geert Mak - recommended by Anita
4. The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton - recommended by Barbara
5. Darktown by Thomas Mullen - Jim, and he says the second book Lightning Men is just as good
6. The Book of Dust by Philip Pullman, audio narrated by Michael Sheen - recommended by Traci
7. Number 17 by Jefferson Farjeon - Harry recommended this series on his thread
8. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney - recommended by Lisa (jonesli)
9. Slow Horses by Mick Herron - recommended by Deborah and Charlotte COMPLETED 5 stars
10. The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt - recommended by Carrie
11. Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley - recommended by Caro
12. For the Time Being: A Christmas Oratorio by W.H. Auden - recommended by Christina
13. Under Another Sky: Journeys in Roman Britain by Charlotte Higgins - recommended by Beth
14. The Good People by Hannah Kent - recommended by Bonnie
15. Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton - recommended by Shannon
16. How to Build an Android The True Story of Philip K Dick's Robotic Resurrection by David F. Dufty - recommended by Victoria
17. The Confession by Jo Spain - recommended by Susan (Irish noir, she says!!)
18. Four-Day Planet by H. Beam Piper - recommended by Richard
19. Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire - recommended by Jim (GN)
20. Hedy's Folly by Richard Rhodes - Jim again (the doctor is IN)
21. The Wandering Falcon by Pakistani author Jamil Ahmad - recommended by Judy - interlinked short stories
22. Exposure by Helen Dunmore - recommended by Anne
23. Silent Days, Silent Dreams by Allen Say - recommended by Richard
24. Dead Wake by Erik Larson - recommended by Karen
25. The Passage by Justin Cronin - recommended by Lori (ikernagh)
26. Drawing From Memory by Allen Say - recommended by Richard
27. A Catalog of Birds by Laura Harrington - recommended by Beth
28. The Largesse of the Sea Maiden: Stories by Denis Johnson - recommended by Mark
29. The Twelve-Mile Straight by Eleanor Henderson - recommended by Susan, it's Southern Gothic
30. Autonomous by Annalee Newitz - recommended by pammab
31. Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu - recommended by Charlotte (GN) COMPLETED 5 stars
32. Women and Power by Mary Beard - recommended by Charlotte COMPLETED 4 stars
33. Go Down Together: The True Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn - recommended by Mark and Jim
34. Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky by Patrick Hamilton - recommended by Susan
35. 1939: The Making of Six Great Films from Hollywood's Greatest Year by Charles F. Adams - recommended by LittleTaiko
36. MI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham - saw this mentioned on Charlotte's thread, and I loved the quotes she posted from it COMPLETED
37. Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend - recommended by Chelle
38. A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor - recommended by Megan (evilmoose)
39. The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood - recommended by Vivienne (VivienneR)
40. Conclave by Robert Harris - recommended by Vivienne (VivienneR)
41 The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn - recommended by Meg, she says it's a prequel to The Bridgertons series! *happy dance*
42. The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell - recommended by Shannon (sturlington) - zombies!
43. Lonely Hearts by John Harvey - series recommended by Charlotte (she reviewed book 12 on her thread)
44. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend - recommended by Anne
45. Time After Time by Jack Finney - recommended by Richard (time travel)
46. Time on My Hands by Peter Delacourt - Richard again (time travel)
47. The Grass Dancer by Susan Power - recommended by Charlotte
48. The Dry by Jane Harper - recommended by Charlotte
49. The Last Man in Europe by Dennis Glover - saw this mentioned on Charlotte's thread - "April, 1947. In a run-down farmhouse on a remote Scottish island, George Orwell begins his last and greatest work: Nineteen Eighty-Four"
50. Miss Burma by Charmaine Craig - recommended by Deborah and Charlotte
51. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee - recommended by Meg
52. Road to the Isles: Travellers in the Hebrides 1770-1914 by Derek Cooper - Meg again!
53. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome - recommended by Lucy, and Reba also loved it
54. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong - recommended by Chelle
55. The lost by Claire McGowan - recommended by Charlotte for those who like Ruth Galloway
56. Astrid Lindgren: The Woman Behind Pippi Longstocking by Jens Andersen - saw this on Charlotte's thread in the Guardian reviews
57. Euphoria by Lily King - recommended by Karen
58. Happiness by Aminatta Forna - recommended by Beth
59. Paradise in Chains: The Bounty Mutiny and the Founding of Australia by Diana Preston - recommended by Susan
60. Assignment in Brittany by Helen MacInnes - recommended by Paul
61. The Shadow Killer by Arnaldur Indriðason - recommended by Chelle
62. Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng - recommended by Heather
63. E. B. White on Dogs by E. B. White - recommended by Lucy
64. Less: A Novel by Andrew Sean Greer - recommended by Joe and Richard
65. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turon - recommended by Heather
66. Almost No Memory by Lydia Davis - recommended by Lucy

2018 PopSugar Reading Challenge

1. A book made into a movie you've already seen Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
2. True crime
3. The next book in a series you started The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths
4. A book involving a heist Greenglass House by Kate Milford
5. Nordic noir Nightblind by Ragnar Jonasson
6. A novel based on a real person The Terror by Dan Simmons
7. A book set in a country that fascinates you - The Chessmen by Peter May
8. A book with a time of day in the title - Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire
9. A book about a villain or antihero - The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
10. A book about death or grief - The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym - The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas
12. A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang by Ian Fleming
14. A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you - March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
15. A book about feminism A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft
16. A book about mental health
17. A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift
18. A book by two authors
19. A book about or involving a sport
20. A book by a local author - March: Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
21. A book with your favorite color in the title All Systems Red by Martha Wells
22. A book with alliteration in the title - The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson
23. A book about time travel - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea
26. A book with an animal in the title The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant
27. A book set on a different planet
28. A book with song lyrics in the title The Cold, Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
29. A book about or set on Halloween
30. A book with characters who are twins God Stalk by P. C. Hodgell
31. A book mentioned in another book Above Suspicion by Helen MacInnes (mentioned in A World Gone Mad)
32. A book from a celebrity book club
33. A childhood classic you've never read Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
34. A book that's published in 2018 MI5 and Me: A Coronet Among the Spooks by Charlotte Bingham
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner Artemis by Andy Weir
36. A book set in the decade you were born - The White Album by Joan Didion
37. A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to - The Girl With All the Gifts by M. R. Carey
38. A book with an ugly cover The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges (you can easily Google these)

Advanced Reading Challenge

1. A bestseller from the year you graduated high school
2. A cyberpunk book
3. A book that was being read by a stranger in a public place
4. A book tied to your ancestry
5. A book with a fruit or vegetable in the title
6. An allegory Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi
7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you Binti by Nnedi Okorafor
8. A microhistory - Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker
9. A book about a problem facing society today On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
10. A book recommended by someone else taking the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge Slow Horses by Mick Herron (Charlotte)

My 2018 Data:

Books read: 61
Group Read: 1
Formatted Challenge: 1
PopSugar Challenge: 31

Books that are part of a series: 31
In Translation: 10
Rereads: 1
GNs: 5

Format:
hardback: 9
paperback: 13
ebook: 18
audio: 19
audio/print or ebook combo: 2

Borrowed: 10 (public library), 2 (Birdy's library), 1 (Abby's library), 1 (traveling LT book), 1 (Kindle Lending Library)
Archive (Purchased in 2012 or earlier): 1
Purchased in 2013: 2
Purchased in 2014: 1
Purchased in 2015: 1
Purchased in 2016: 4
Purchased in 2017: 15
Purchased in 2018: 22

Authors:
Living: 46
Dead: 15

Male: 29
Female: 32

American: 24
Canadian: 2
English: 19
French: 2
Icelandic: 1
Iraqi: 1
Irish: 2
Italian: 1
Scottish: 4
Swedish: 5

New to me authors: 35

fiction: 44
non-fiction: 16

Genres/category:
non-fiction/memoir: 8
non-fiction/essays: 4
non-fiction/film history: 1
non-fiction/history: 2
non-fiction/politics: 1
classic: 2
literary fiction/contemporary fiction: 4
literary fiction/espionage 1
literary fiction/historical fiction: 2
crime fiction/espionage: 5
crime fiction/mystery: 5
crime fiction/noir: 1
crime fiction/police procedural: 10
romance: 1
weird fiction: 1
dystopian: 1
fantasy: 2
urban fantasy: 1
sci fi: 4
juvenile fiction: 5

LT Recommendations Read:
Amber: 1
Bill: 1
Birdy: 1
Charlotte: 8
Deborah: 1
Heather: 2
Katie: 2
Lucy: 1
Lynda: 1
Mark: 3
Joanne: 1
Joe: 3
Roni: 1
Susan: 1

Time Travel Book Recommendations:

1. Time And Again by Jack Finney - Richard (ask Richard if he meant the Time and Again book or if this is different), Shelley, Joe and Debbi also loved this
2. Time on My Hands by Peter Delacorte - Richard
3. If I Never Get Back by Darryl Brock - Shelley, but it involves Mark Twain AND baseball, so maybe not
4. Replay by Kevin Grimwood - Shelley and a BIIIIG second from Richard
5. A Time to Remember by Stanley Shapiro, about the Kennedy assassination - Shelley
6. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - Julia
7. Murder in Time by Julie McElwain (they are good but not spectacular) - Julia
8. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneggar - Beth (and Helen says DO NOT read the coda) and Chelle
9. Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach by Kelly Robson - Susan (quondame)
10. The Dechronization of Sam Magruder by George Gaylord Simpson - Karen
11. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier - Karen
12. 11,000 Years Lost by Peni R. Griffin - Karen
13. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes - Karen
14. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler - Karen
15. Household Gods by Judith Parr and Harry Turtledove - Richard loathed it but Susan says yes
16. How To Stop Time by Matt Haig - Chelle
17. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis - Lucy says, "Helps (but not at all essential) to have read Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. Highly recommended. A hoot! I actually listened to it on Audible."

This should do it - next one's yours!

Boom! I'm here :)

Happy new one!

Me, too! Happy New Thread, Mamie!

>11 katiekrug: Katie, you are first! You win the Quick Draw McGraw board game. Sure to be a hit at all of your parties:

>12 ronincats: Hello, Roni! It's May, so look what's back:

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie!
I love Snoopy, so I love your topper :-D

Happy New Thread, Mamie!

That topper is a hoot.

Looking forward to lots more cross-posting on this thread.

Hey, Howdy and Happy new thread, Mamie!

>13 Crazymamie: - Ok, so it says how old I am but I remember watching Quick Draw on tv. Loved him and his buddies!

Happy new thread, Mamie! :-)

>15 susanj67: Thank you, Susan!

>16 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Me, too, with the Snoopy love.

>17 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe! Glad you like the topper. We'll have to see what kind of mischief we can get into on this thread. *grin*

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Snoopy might be among my favorite authors — especially Toodle-Oo, Caribou! A Tale of the Frozen North.

>13 Crazymamie: >19 jessibud2: I'm with Shelley in liking Quick Draw McGraw and friends.

>18 Carmenere: Howdy, Lynda! And thanks!

>19 jessibud2: I saw it in reruns, Shelley - it was just barely before my time, but I remember having a coloring book of him that I loved. And thank you!

>21 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry! Your post made me laugh - I love the strips where he is trying to write his great novel.

Hooray for the Quick Draw love!!

I don't know, you turn your back for an instant and a new thread appears! With another excellent thread topper. Happy new thread, Mamie.

Happy new thread, Mamie. Love the topper - reminds me of what I am reading right now...

Hooray for return of wine.

Happy new thread!

I was reading along on your last thread and by the time I got to the end you had started a new one. Happy new thread. You had a great month stepping in April, Mamie, and it looks like you are off to a good start again this month. The Fitbit group stats are a bit off so I am a day behind and struggling to catch up. I always knew I was in a time zone behind most everyone else on LT but not a whole day behind anyone except maybe Paul.

Your last thread reminded me that I had seen someone in public reading a book but it was a Danielle Steel and I didn't remember the title. Do you know how many Danielle Steel books there are? I think I have finally tracked it down. I may not have a good memory for titles but colours I can remember so Past Perfect it is.

Happy new one Mamie. The Snoopy book sounds intriguing. I haven't read about a cow person in ages...

Happy New Thread, Mamie! Love that Peanuts topper. Brings to mind The Jump-Off Creek, which I just finished and would highly recommend.

Happy New Thread!!
Love the topper.

I remember seeing Quick Draw on Saturday mornings

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread! Yep, Quick Draw and Huckleberry Hound.

Happy new thread! Looking forward to seeing what your May reading brings.

Hi Mamie! Happy new thread, and more than laughing out loud, Snoopy got a belly laugh out of me!

When are you going to try the Asian Turkey Meatballs? *smile*

Happy new one, Mamie.

Happy Friday, Mamie. So far, it's looking nice here. However, I have just got my sunglasses out, so I'd like to apologise for any change in the weather! I still have my umbrella in my handbag, so I haven't completely lost my marbles!!

Happy new thread Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Happy Friday, Mamie! What's on tap for the weekend?

Apologies for starting a new thread and then disappearing - our upstairs AC is on the fritz and life has been busy lately. Luckily the AC guy is coming by this afternoon to take a look at it. Georgia is very hard on air conditioners.



On the reading front, I finished up April with a total of 12 books read - my final read of the month was All Systems Red, which I loved, and it fit into the PopSugar challenge for the favorite color prompt. *Grin* I already have two under my belt for May - Still Lake and Closed Circles. Books one and two in a police procedural series written by Viveca Stein. These are translated from Swedish, and the books are set on Sandhamn. According to Wikipedia, "Sandhamn (Swedish for "Sand Harbour") is a small settlement in the central-peripheral part of the Stockholm Archipelago in central-eastern Sweden, approximately 50 km (30 mi) east of Stockholm. Sandhamn is located on the island Sandön ("Sand Island"), which is, however, colloquially referred to as Sandhamn."



These books are fun and well written, although waiting for Nora to get a backbone was an exercise in patience for me. There are flaws in the plot, and the author likes a dramatic ending, but the characters and the setting make up for that. Definitely a cozy mystery, which is not usually my thing, but I make exceptions for interesting diversions. These would make great beach reads.

>24 Helenliz: I'm tricky that way, Helen. Glad you like the topper, and I thank you for those good wishes.

>25 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Oh dear that the topper reminds you of your current read. And yes, HOORAY for the return of wine. I missed it so.

>26 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

>27 Familyhistorian: Sounds like perfect timing, Meg! And thank you! I was very pleased with my April stepping - I passed both my stepping and my stair climbing goals. I finished with:

520,284 steps 425 floors 211.19 miles

So far, so good with the stepping for May, but I am feeling lazy today, so we'll see if I get my steps in or not.

Hooray for a sighting of a stranger reading in public! I'm laughing about you remember the author and trying to figure it out from there - Danielle Steele is as bad as trying to figure out a James Patterson or Stephen King book. Good work tracking it down.

>28 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte! you made me laugh - I also have not read about a cow person in ages.

>29 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Glad you love the topper. I have not heard of the book you recommend - I will have to check it out.

>30 SuziQoregon: Thank you, Juli! More Snoopy and Quick Draw love! *grin*

>31 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>32 mstrust: Thank you, Jennifer! Gotta love Saturday morning cartoons!

>33 bell7: Thanks, Mary! I am going to predict a lot of murder and mayhem reads for May.

>34 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! Thank you - I am so thrilled that Snoopy got a belly laugh out of you.

I was going to make the Asian meatballs tonight, but Craig and Rae came home this afternoon with bags containing copious amounts of Chinese food, so I will probably make them tomorrow instead.

>35 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

>36 Helenliz: Happy Friday, Helen! Glad you haven't completely thrown caution to the wind. The weather here is still gorgeous, so no change as of yet. I would not mind some cold or some rainy one little bit, so feel free to weather whammy me.

What with arriving home, going to doctor, etc. I didn't make it to LT yesterday but am wishing you a happy new thread a day late anyway :)

>37 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather!

>38 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>39 jnwelch: Hello, Joe! Happy Friday! Let's see.. we're hoping that the AC gets repaired very soon. Other than that yard work and some household chores, probably some grilling and some reading. Craig and the kids are going to see Infinity Wars in the theater while I snag an empty house. *happy dance* Also the drinking of much wine. Good times.

>46 RebaRelishesReading: It's still plenty new, Reba! Thank you, and welcome home!

Thank you, Mamie!

Re: your return to the wine... We went out to dinner last night, and I indulged in two glasses of wine. The cutting back has made me appreciate it more when I do have it. It seems to taste better, even old familiar kinds - I think my palette was dulled when it was a regular thing for me.

I'm making turkey meatballs for dinner, with whole wheat pasta. The Wayne made his (not really) famous red sauce over the weekend, so we have something like six quarts of it in the fridge and freezer, and we need to get cracking on it!

Happy new-ish thread! Hope your AC got fixed! We went from chilly winter temps to wanting the AC on. I refuse! It's only May and I need some Spring! :)

Woot! Happy Saturday! How'd the gang like Infinity Wars? Will plans on seeing it with his buds soon. Hope AC is Actually Cooling soon!!

Hi Mamie!

Sorry about the AC problems. I hope your house is now cool and not humid. Bill endured 90+ temps in the office Thursday and Friday because their AC is out - he came home absolutely whupped. And it's not even summer yet!

>47 Crazymamie: I snag an empty house Good for you. I hope it was book- and wine-infused.

Good morning, Mamie! Sorry to hear about the air conditioning issue, and I hope it is resolved soon. Enjoy your weekend!

>49 RebaRelishesReading: You're welcome, Reba!

>50 katiekrug: I completely agree, Katie - for me, too.

I will be making the Asian meatballs tonight - still not sure what I will serve them with. I forgot to look in the produce section for the spiralized zucchini, so I either have to go to the market or use something I already have. I am such a goof.

If we live closer, you could hook me up with some of that famous red sauce!

>51 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. The AC is all fixed - we had a leak in the compressor. Covered by warranty, so it didn't cost us a thing.

I love being able to have the windows open, too, but it is a very tricky thing in Georgia - you have to soak up that magic moment when it happens.

>52 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! Happy Saturday to you! The gang has not yet seen Infinity Wars - they will go this weekend, probably on Sunday. AC is all fixed, so hooray for that!

>53 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! How's that foot doing?

Luckily for us, the fix was a quick and easy one and covered by warranty. Poor Bill trying to work in those temps - that's pretty miserable.

My snagging of the empty house (empty of humans anyway) will probably be on Sunday. It will definitely be book and wine infused. *grin*

>54 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! The AC is good to go, I am happy to report. The AC guy had it fixed in record time.

Thanks for those weekend wishes - hoping yours is full of fabulous!

Hooray for working A/C. I wouldn't last 10 minutes in a southern summer with full-blast A/C.

>57 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba - me, either. It was just the upstairs unit, so the downstairs was still working just fine. Craig and I were very comfy, but the kids were all sweating it out.

>42 Crazymamie: That is a totally amazing amount of steps for a month, Mamie. Do you think you will be able to keep it up now that warmer weather has hit?

It is very difficult to see what a stranger is reading in public. Mostly they have their hands over the title on the cover. With a Danielle Steel, the authors name is in such big bold letters that they are hard to miss. I remembered that the cover had a white background. You would not believe how many book covers with white backgrounds she has.

Have a great weekend, especially your time with the books and wine on Sunday.

>59 Familyhistorian: In a word, Meg - no. But thank you for being amazed along with with me - I was so thrilled with myself.

Agreed - I am having trouble even catching someone with an actual book in public. Heh. I have Abby in the lookout, as she works in a coffeehouse, but she says, Trust me, Mom, you do not want to read what they are reading. Okay then.

Thank you regarding my Sunday plans - I am SO looking forward to it. Hoping your weekend is full of fabulous!

Happy Sunday Mamie, and happy reading/ wine drinking! :)
The sun is finally out again here after a couple of rainy and cool days, so I'll do a little hike first, and then in the afternoon follow your example.

Happy new thread, Mamie. xx

Wishing all at the Pecan Paradisio a wonderful Sunday.

Hi Mamie, and happy book-and-wine-infused Sunday!

To answer your foot question - better but I overdid it a bit on Friday by power washing the front porch (40' x 10'), the steps leading to it from the side of the house, and all the furniture on it (swing, 4 chairs, 2 tables, hammock stand.) I'm keeping the wedge insert shoes on at all times when I'm not actually sleeping or reclining in the hammock and they make a stunning difference. The diagnosis is bilateral posterior tibial tendonitis of the right ankle. I've got a PT evaluation appointment next Wednesday. The orthotics should be ready in 2 weeks. I will probably need to get a wider and possibly bigger shoe, still Sketchers, possibly New Balance. As long as they don't look like old-lady shoes, I'll be content.

>60 Crazymamie: Now I'm intrigued: what are they reading at Abby's coffee place?!

Hope you have a lovely day . Tomorrow will be a public holiday: bliss!

Happy Sunday, Mamie.

Ha! I love Abby saying, trust me, you don't want to read what the people in her cafe are reading. That, of course, has me curious. Our nearest cafe fills up with theater people, and for the most part I wouldn't be reading what they do. On occasion, there are some who get too loud - as Debbi says, they want everyone to notice them.

Happy almost-new thread, Mamie! I'm glad you got your AC fixed.

I love the Snoopy thread topper!

>61 Deern: Thank you, Nathalie! It was a lovely and very relaxing day. I'm hoping that you also got to enjoy one.

>62 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! It was indeed a wonderful Sunday, so your wishes worked!

>63 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen! And that's exactly what it was, too!

WOw - that is a mouthful of a diagnosis! Please be careful and take it easy. Crossing my fingers for you and keeping you in my thoughts.

>64 charl08: You made me laugh, Charlotte! The coffee shop offers free wifi, so they get a lot of students and business type people in there working on stuff for work or school - so textbooks and work-related books, not novels or interesting non-fiction.

A public holiday sounds just the thing for starting off a week - unfortunately we don't have one here. *sob* Hoping you enjoyed yours to the fullest.

>65 jnwelch: My Sunday was indeed full of happy, Joe. Thanks! See my response to Charlotte - nothing exciting. *sigh*

>66 tymfos: Hello, Terri! SO lovely to see you here! And thank you. The AC was fixed just in time - going into the high 90s this week. Hello, Summer!

Glad you love the Snoopy topper - I have bog love for that dog!

Hi, Mamie. Glad to hear the A/C issues were taken care of quickly. We are enjoying a great stretch of weather, here in the Midwest. This is what we were waiting for.

Hope your week is off to a good start.

Happy Tuesday, Mamie.

>69 msf59: Morning, Mark! I'm so happy that you are finally experiencing some Spring - we are about to dive headlong into Summer, but Spring was nice while it lasted. I cannot complain.

So far so good with the week - I always sigh with relief when we get to Tuesday, so it's all good from here. Wishing for you a week full of fabulous weather!

>70 Ameise1: Happy Tuesday, Barbara! I have been enjoying the beautiful food photos you have been sharing on your thread.

'Morning, Mamie, and happy Tuesday to you.

>67 Crazymamie: Thank you.

Oh, business books. Yikes. Poor them, no wonder they need nice cakes and coffee.

Hi, Mamie! I hope your week is going well!

>74 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! Thank you - it has been lovely so far. Here's hoping yours is full of fabulous!

>72 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! Happy Tuesday! And you're welcome.

>73 charl08: Hello, Charlotte! Exactly. And sadly there is no cake on offer at the coffee house.

Happy Tuesday! I am now wondering what people are reading at Abby's cafe??? I am enjoying the first day in ages when both kids are actually at school and I don't have to work and nowhere in particular to go. Sigh of happiness.

We are enjoying what may be the last gasp of spring. 77 and sunny. 90's by the weekend. We had to turn on the AC though. As the temperatures creep toward 80 it gets pretty stuffy inside. Oh how I wish we could open the windows at night. Dratted pollen.

>77 nittnut: Hello, Jenn! Happy Tuesday!

I am now wondering what people are reading at Abby's cafe??? School and work related stuff - so think textbooks and technical stuff.

Hooray for your day of freedom! I always love when I get the entire house to myself.

We are already experiencing the 90s, although today is only supposed to go to 88F, which would be lovely. Agreed that the pollen is crazy making - I have been leaving just one bedroom window open at night. A sort of compromise.

Hey, so what did you think of those Asian meatballs?

(Sorry to be stalking you about them :) )

>79 katiekrug: You made me laugh, Katie! I have not made them yet - Craig was hungry for specific things this weekend, so we indulged in takeout several times. Back to reality now, so perhaps I will get them made this week. "The best laid plans..."

Hmph. Tell Craig to stop messing with me!

Ha! Will do!

Hello Mamie! I hope all is well with you.

Have you seen any good movies or TV of late?

I dabbled with a show called Into the Badlands completed a short season 1 and a couple of Season 2 episodes. Stylistically, it is compelling in a post apocalyptic samurai tradition, but the brutality of it began to wear on me. I might got back to it another time.

>83 brodiew2: Brodie! Where have you been?! All is well here.

Let's see...I am enjoying Expanse season 1, and just finished up Bosch season 3. Last movies I watched were probably Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy and Crooked House, both of which I loved.

I've been drifting in the ether of inactive reading. It's been a pretty poor year so far on that front. Not the mention that 2 of the 3 audios this year are mega tome biographies. Bonhoeffer an, now, Grant Chernow.

I have been a long time an of Titus Welliver so it is sad that I have yet to see any Bosch.

I quite enjoyed 'Darkest Hour', the Churchill film with Gary Oldman and, more recently, Avengers: Infinity War. Avengers was good as well.

You have been stepping up a storm, Mamie. You're keeping us all on our toes.

Wow, that's some impressive stepping there, Mamie. Keeping that up would be very impressive.
I like Abby's view on the books at her coffeehouse. But if it's mostly technical stuff, maybe that's not the most enjoyable to someone not in depth in that particular field. I like a good geeky non-fiction book, but I acknowledge that's not necessarily the same as reading a text book in the same area.
And glad the AC issues are resolved. We had unusually warm weather for the bank holiday. I did some walking (nutter) and caught the sun (unsurprisingly) and even had the AC on in the car on the way home. As I'm one of those people who is vary rarely too hot, that is quite an unusual occurrence. At least it worked!

Hi Mamie,
Love the talk of cafe patrons, what they're like, what they're reading etc. My most-frequented cafe is the university one. Whenever I am on campus I take some reading there to digest with my coffee. Most often this is a research paper, and I always outstay my welcome well after my coffee has finished. They don't seem to mind, some pretty much use it as their office!

>85 brodiew2: Sorry your reading year is in a bit of a slump, Brodie. Titus Welliver is very good as Bosch - it took a little getting used to for me because he does not look anything like how I pictured Bosch, but I have adapted, and I like him now.

The gang just went to see Infinity War this past Sunday, and they all loved it.

>86 BLBera: Well, I stepped up a storm last month, anyway, Beth. But thank you. I am off to a much slower start this month, but luckily we have Meg to keep us on our toes.

>87 Helenliz: Thank you, Helen! Not sure I will be keeping it up - it takes time, and also it will continue to heat up outside here until it reaches "hot as Hades" and then it will hang there for months on end.

I also like me some geeky non-fiction, but textbooks not so much.

We are very thankful for the AC repair - just in the knick of time as we head into the 90s. Your bank holiday sounds full of fabulous even if you did have to indulge in the AC. And hooray for it working!

>88 LovingLit: Hello, Megan! Can you really outstay your welcome at a cafe? I think that is the nature of a cafe for guests to linger and enjoy the atmosphere. Personally, I love me a coffee house.

So we finally made the Asian Turkey Meatballs with Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce from the Skinnytaste blog. They were full of fabulous! We all loved them. The sauce, I think, is not so much of a dipping sauce as a sauce to drizzle over the meatballs before eating. We served it with squash and zucchini zoodles, which I found in the produce section of my grocery store. (THANK YOU, KATIE!) We heated the zoodles, added a little olive oil and threw in some cherry tomatoes at the very end to heat through but not get mushy. Delicious.

Catching up here although I confess to speeding through them instead of carefully reading each. Hopefully I can do better now that I'm back in town.

>92 thornton37814: No worries, Lori. Welcome home!

'Morning, Mamie!

Yay for the Asian Turkey Meatballs. We drizzled the sauce over the fried rice and meatballs after plating.

Morning, Mamie. Sounds like you are having a good week. The meatballs do look good!

>94 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! That's what we did, too - drizzled it after plating. Birdy and Rae had it with jasmine rice, and they loved how the sauce tasted with the rice. The rest of us went crazy over the zoodles, so we will be having those again. They make a spiralizer attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer, so that's something to keep in mind.

>95 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle! SO far so good with the week - it's been kind to me. Those meatballs are truly fabulous - you should give them a try.

Morning, Mamie :0)

>98 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda!

Morning, Mamie! Rainy here today. I hope it's a good one at the Pecan Paradisio.

>100 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! No rain in sight here, although we could use some. Abby and Daniel are both off today, so it could be a fun one here at the Pecan Paradisio.

Yay for the meatballs! I will have to try them when we get back from vacation.

ETA: And I'm glad you found - and liked - the zoodles.

>102 katiekrug: Hello, Katie! The meatballs were winners - and so easy and quick to make. The zoodles were really good, and I love that you can substitute them for pasta or rice, and that they are SO much healthier for you.

Good morning, Mamie! I don't know whether you care for beets, but if so, you might look for beet noodles ("boodles"?); we saw some at a local grocery store recently but haven't tried them.

>104 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! Interesting - I'll have to look for them. Thanks!

Book #54: Guiltless by Viveca Sten, translation (3.25 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (The Sandhamn series, book 3)

This is the third entry in Swedish author Viveca Sten's Sandhamn series - police procedural set in the Stockholm Archipelago. The first two books were set in summer, but this one shows us what winter is like there - cold and harsh, and much less populated. I liked the part that old diary entries played into revealing some darker island history. Still not great writing - it feels a bit clunky, but I am wondering if that is due to translation. The characters are coming into their own, which I was happy to see. These are interesting and cozy mysteries, and even when you figure it out ahead of time, they compensate you with a well done sense of place. Recommended if you are looking for lighter fare in your mystery.



Book #55: The Quiet American by Graham Greene (4.5 stars), 2016 acquired paperback, literary fiction/espionage - recommended by Bill

"I stopped our Trishaw outside the Chalet and said to Phoung, 'Go inside and find a table. I had better look after Pyle.' That was my first instinct - to protect him. It never occurred to me that there was greater need to protect myself. Innocence always calls mutely for protection when we would be so much wiser to guard ourselves against it: innocence is like a dumb leper who has lost his bell, wandering the world, meaning no harm."

This is so good. A huge thanks to Bill who recommended it to me. I like Greene's writing. I have now read five by him, and I think this might be my favorite. Set in Vietnam when it was still French Indochina during the first French Indochina War - Greene was a reporter then, and he knows what we writes about. Published in 1955, it is a very prescient novel - I can see why this book was disliked in America at the time, but it rings true, and that alone is heartbreaking. Highly recommended, and it is available in this gorgeous Penguin Deluxe Classics edition with deckled edge pages.

Mornin' Mamie! My BFF came for dinner last night and I finally made your iron skillet chicken dish. We all three just loved it. I made it with brown rice so it took a little longer to cook. Also, my Hubby doesn't like drumsticks so I used 6 thighs instead of the 4 thighs 4 drumsticks asked for in the recipe. We have half of it left for another night and I can't wait. Thanks so much for sharing that one!!

>107 RebaRelishesReading: Hello, there, Reba! I am so thrilled that you all liked the skillet chicken recipe. I prefer the thighs myownself, but Rae and Birdy love drumsticks, so it worked out. YOu will be happy to know that it reheats nicely - Craig and Daniel both gobbled it up leftover and said it was still really good. And you are welcome - thanks for reporting back!

>91 Crazymamie: Yah, for the meatballs! They look fantastic!

Happy Wednesday, Mamie. I have not yet read The Quiet American. I really need to read more Greene.

So, if I am struck by a recipe, is it an FB? I will have to try the Asian meatballs.

I do have to give a warble for the Inspiralizer. I have one, and it's worth every Penny. It doesn't cost an awful lot of pennies, either.

https://inspiralized.com/the-inspiralizer/
https://inspiralized.com/product/the-inspiralizer-pro/

I use zoodles or sweet potato noodles almost all the time now instead of pasta. I Love it.

Hi Mamie, I swooping in for the Asian Meatball recipe as they look so delicious! I too, need to read more Graham Greene - so far I have only read Brighton Rock which I really liked.

Okay, better late than never, I made it here! Loving all the recipes and books. Heaven! Also, Snoopy is wonderful in your topper. : )

>109 msf59: They were really good, Mark! Craig and I ate the leftovers last night for dinner as all the kids had gone to a movie.

And yes, get to Greene, would you - he deserves some love.

>110 nittnut: FB? And yes, do try the meatballs - we loved them. Thanks for those links - I will check them out. I do think I will get some type of device so I can make them myself, as the ready-made ones are pricey in the stores. There is one that would attach to my Kitchen Aid mixer, but it is over $100 - if I could find it on sale with free shipping, I would go for it, I think.

Oh! Sweet potato noodles!! How does that work - do you cook the potatoes first?

>111 DeltaQueen50: Hello, Judy! I am so happy you are going to try the meatball recipe!

Let's see, I have read The End of the Affair, The Captain and the Commander, Our Man in Havana and The Third Man. Really, I think you would enjoy all of them. And I remember when you read Brighton Rock, as your review of it made me add it to my list. AND there is a Penguin Deluxe Classics of it as well, so really I should put that one on my birthday list.

>112 Berly: Kim!! Hello there, my friend! I have missed you. Glad you are enjoying the Snoopy topper and the recipes and books - three of my very favorite things.

SO last night, the kids went to see a movie, and Craig and I got the house all to ourselves - amazing! We had the leftover Asian Turkey Meatballs with a fresh batch of zoodles for dinner - most yum, and it was lovely having a healthy dinner that was already pretty much prepared. Then we sat on the screened-in porch together and read and enjoyed a few glasses of wine. Delightful! I finally got him to read Ready Player One, and he LOVED it.

Tonight for dinner, I am trying a new recipe:


SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SKILLET from the Skinnytaste blog

'Morning, Mamie!

Yay for leftovers, wine, and reading on the porch.

>110 nittnut: The Inspiralizer is on Amazon. The 7-blade one is about $35..... I may ask for that for my June birthday present from my husband. Thanks, Jenn!

>116 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! It was a lovely evening.

I went ahead and ordered one from Amazon, and I am very excited about it. My birthday is also in June - when is yours?

Hi, Mamie. Just passing through, but leaving with a smile. Keep on chooglin.

>115 Crazymamie: - That looks great! The Wayne is not a fan of zucchini or corn, but I would totally make a batch of it for lunches during the week. Be sure to report back!

>119 katiekrug: Zucchini I can understand but "not a fan of corn" -- how can that be?

Sweet Thursday, Mamie.

I'm glad to hear (but not surprised!) that Craig loved Ready Player One. The movie is fun, too.

>118 weird_O: Hello, Bill! Good to see you leaving with a smile.

>119 katiekrug: Rae does not like zucchini, either, but she LOVES corn. I think it would be perfect for lunches. I will report back with my thoughts after dinner.

>120 RebaRelishesReading: Ha! We love corn here, too, Reba.

>121 jnwelch: Sweet Thursday, Joe! I knew he would love it - it was just getting him to read it. And I do want to see the movie.

>120 RebaRelishesReading: - "how can that be?"

He's weird.

I love corn myself.

>123 katiekrug: *belly laugh* Well, Craig doesn't like chocolate, so he's weirder.

Ok, you win.

>124 Crazymamie: that really is weird.
>119 katiekrug: my hubs is a bit weird that way too. Likes peas, which I will tolerate although I like almost any other vege.

>125 katiekrug: I know, right?!

>126 Helenliz: Yes, I know. It boggles the mind.

I love peas, but Rae, my oldest, insists that really they are not meant to be eaten. They are more of a garnish, she says. This always cracks me up.

>127 Crazymamie: peas: little round green balls of snot, imo.

>128 Helenliz: Ha! Rae would completely agree with you.

I like peas.

The Wayne does not. He mostly doesn't like cooked vegetables in general. Except green beans. For the longest time, all we ever had as a side veg was green beans, which I don't love. He's branching out a bit - will eat cauliflower if it's well-seasoned but still won't touch broccoli. Strangely, he'll eat almost anything raw, so I think it's a texture thing and his mother probably overcooked vegetables.

>130 katiekrug: That is so interesting, Katie. I am guessing you are right about the overcooked veggies - they are very big down here in the Deep South. I want them to still have some crispness to them. Overcooked is gross - so limp and lifeless.

The latest recipe, by the way, was a huge hit. Really good, and I bet you won't think it's bland. I really liked the seasoning, and it would be an excellent way to cook chicken for tacos or quesadillas. I served it with quinoa that I cooked in chicken broth - really delicious pairing.

I started to ask you about the recipe, but I see you made a report.

>131 Crazymamie: - Good to hear that was a winner. I showed it to The Wayne and he said he'd try it. *shocked face*

Hi, Mamie! I hope the tail end of the week is going well for you. Enjoy your Friday!

'Morning, Mamie!

>117 Crazymamie: My birthday is June 26. When's yours? This year I'll be spending it in Montana, visiting friend Karen.

I love this talk of what foods people like and don't like. My husband could be the poster child for liking soggy, occasionally pork-infused vegetables - green beans, field peas, corn. Won't touch peas, broccoli, cauliflower, squash, raw tomatoes, green/yellow/orange/red peppers. Doesn't use salad dressing. Oh, and he won't eat pickles or olives. 27 years of marriage has worn me down on figuring out new things to cook, but surprisingly he did like the Asian Turkey Meatballs, and I made turkey meatloaf last night - he wasn't home for dinner but we'll have it tonight with some new potatoes and sliced cucumbers for him and a small Greek salad for me.

>115 Crazymamie: There'd be no sense in my making that recipe - Bill wouldn't eat the zucchini or peppers. Sigh.

>7 Crazymamie: Hmmm, I need to get crackin' and get my name back on that list!

I like food. That about covers it.

>115 Crazymamie: That looks wonderful and I'm going to send the link to P. Having been on restaurant food (except the yogurt-and-muesli breakfasts in my room) this whole week, I am craving some home-cooked food with vegetables!!!
Of course, P's birthday is tomorrow and today is her first day of retirement so I promised to take her out for dinner tomorrow night. It will be okay. It's an opportunity to check off an item on the "restaurants to eat at before we leave Seattle" list!

Oooh, I rather love Graham Greene too, I should get around to reading some more of his. On a double-check, I've read The Quiet American, The Power and the Glory, The End of the Affair, and The Third Man - and really enjoyed all of them.

It's interesting the veggies that people will not eat. I shouldn't talk though as I have a lot of food no nos. >115 Crazymamie: The Southwest Chicken Skillet looks good. I love zucchini. I think my steps are slowing down a bit but tomorrow I get to walk in a parade, so that should help. Have a great weekend, Mamie.

Hi Mamie! I should wish you happy new thread, but I’m skimming through as I’m 3 threads behind.

When we got married, my husband thought eggs and potatoes counted as vegetables (since they’re ‘not meat’ I suppose). These days he’s a bit better at eating his veg, mainly to set an example for the boys since I insist we try and get some nutrients into them.

Once his mother suggested tinned asparagus rolled in white bread as a party food. Why tinned, when you can get gorgeous fresh baby asparagus? Where I grew up, it was hard to get fresh vegetables, but we didn’t really eat soft tinned vegetables - they were usually mushy and yellow. I was delighted when we discovered flash frozen baby peas which actually had some taste and texture. And now, fresh vegetables are so easy to get (though I confess, I do tend to buy the imported western vegetables I grew up with, instead of local ones. Baby steps.) - I wonder why my kids make such a fuss.

>113 Crazymamie: FB - food bullet? Here's a link to the same site where I got my spiralizer - https://inspiralized.com/the-best-ways-to-cook-spiralized-sweet-potato-noodles/. I haven't made them into rice, but the other methods all work great. If you over cook them, they turn to mash.

>131 Crazymamie: One of my biggest shocks, moving to the South, was the mushy overcooked veggies. Blech!

>139 humouress: Is it a sort of Australia/NZ thing? I had the asparagus roll thingies in NZ at a party. The bread was buttered and the asparagus was more paste-like due to having been tinned, I suppose. Not deadly awful, but I didn't ask for more.

Happy Mother's Day!

It was like soup here today - 95F and very humid. We were busy cleaning house and doing pool prep as the kids are having some friends over tomorrow in the late afternoon to make use of the pool. Should be a great day for it. It's supposed to rain all next week from Tuesday on, and I sure hope we get it. We have an excellent menu planned for Mother's Day - Craig is grilling his famous wings, which are delicious, and just for me he is also doing some thighs. Abby has made brownies, I am making smashed red potatoes with bacon - I found the recipe in my Southern Cast Iron magazine:



Should be fun!

>40 Crazymamie: Really glad you enjoyed All Systems Red Mamie - I reread it last week as a comfort read and then went straight on to the new one, Artificial Condition which is excellent. I think I enjoyed ASR even more the second time around.

>141 Crazymamie: Happy Mother's Day! Sounds like a very nice meal.

>141 Crazymamie: I would have to use beef or turkey bacon (believe it or not both are delicious) but I am sorely tempted by your photo, Mamie.

A great Sunday to all at the Pecan Paradisio and wishing its Matriarch (you are too young actually to be called so) a very Happy Mother's Day.

>132 thornton37814: Hello, Lori! The recipe was a keeper, and it reheats well.

>133 katiekrug: The Wayne gets bonus points for being willing to try it. Hooray!

>134 harrygbutler: Hello, Harry! We went sailing through the week and into the weekend - hard to believe it is Sunday already. Yesterday was very busy, but today should be all about the relaxing. Whew!

>135 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! My birthday is June 1st. Craig took a few days off around mine, and we are planning to do a couple of day trips just the two of us - the kids have to work. Heh.

I guess if you grow up with the soggy, limp veggies that is what you expect them to taste like. And that is a lot of veggies that he won't touch - yowza! I am glad he liked the turkey meatballs. How was the turkey meatloaf?

You could make just the chicken for that recipe, and it would be great in fajitas or tacos or on nachos. It was very flavorful and tender.

>136 EBT1002: I'll be waiting to see what you come up with that lands you on The List, Ellen. *grin*

Your food comment cracked me up!

The recipe was most YUM, so I hope P does make it. I cooked the veggies less because I like them to still be slightly crisp to bite into. Did P retire early - I thought she was retiring June1st? Hoping that her birthday was full of happy!

>137 evilmoose: Hello, Megan! I listened to his The Captain and the Enemy on audio, and it was very good in that format. And I am wanting to read The Power and the Glory.

Morning, Mamie! Happy Mother's Day. I hope you have a queenly day, at the Pecan Paradiso. You have done a lovely job with your kids.

>138 Familyhistorian: The older I get, the more I love veggies, Meg. I was not exposed to a lot of different ones growing up, and what we ate mostly came out of cans, so I really love fresh produce. And there is so much more available at the market these days, which is wonderful.

You are doing awesome with the stepping! Very good work. I walked extra yesterday so that I could take it easy today.

Hoping that your Sunday is full of fabulous!

>139 humouress: Hello, Nina! Skimming is perfectly fine. Laughing at the "not meat" that make it a vegetable. Too funny. Craig will eat almost anything. He is not big on pasta, casseroles, or grilled cheese. I have never heard of asparagus and white bread! Interesting.

My kids loved veggies when they were little - they were delighted when we had no meat night with four veggies served instead. Weird.

>140 nittnut: Food bullet! Too funny! I ended up getting the spiralizer attachment for my KitchenAid mixer - it was on sale, and I had a $10 off card for any one item and a 30% discount coupon, and the store let me use both, so I got a great deal. I have carpal tunnel, so I was worried about not always being able to turn the handle - the KitchenAid one used the motor, so you don't have to crank it.

Yep. The veggies down here are truly terrible.

Interesting about the tinned asparagus and white bread. It sounds awful.

>142 souloftherose: I was just telling Abby that she would love it, Heather. I am excited there are going to be more. I'm not sure the second one is out here yet - I 'll have to check on that.

And thank you! I am very much looking forward to a relaxing day - and it's a perfect day for a pool party!

>143 PaulCranswick: I do like turkey bacon, Paul. We use it a lot. I will report back once we have tried the new recipe - hard to go wrong with potatoes and bacon.

Thank you ever so much for those good wishes. Your Sunday is almost over, so I will wish for you a week full of fabulous!

>146 msf59: Morning, Mark! Thank you so much for those kind words and good wishes. There will be wine and laughter and the company of my favorite people, so it should be a most excellent day.

Catching up! 95 degrees is sort of unimaginable but I know real warmth will come our way soon enough. It's been a cool slow spring. I'm at the Cape where it was 47 at one point yesterday. What's nice about it is that the flowers last.

Got me with the Viveca Stein. I'd like to read a scandi mystery that isn't totally grim.

>149 sibylline: It's SO yuck when the humidity joins in, and of course, Deep South, so that's pretty much a given. I would love 47! Those are my kind of temperatures. And being at the Cape sounds truly lovely.

Right - scadi setting but not grim or grisly. So perfect for reading poolside or on the beach.

Happy Mother's Day, Mamie! It sounds like a wonderful day planned at Pecan Paradisio for all of you.

The turkey meatloaf is quite wonderful, frankly - it's a recipe my sister found years and years ago and it comes out moist and flavorful. I'll post it on my thread.

>151 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen! Happy Mother's Day to you!

Hooray for excellent meatloaf - I am excited to see the recipe!

Soggy veggies sound terrible. We grew up with fresh or frozen, not canned. I was not impressed the first time I tasted canned peas. There was less variety in veggies where I grew up in the east. Here we have all kinds of stuff - probably because the population comes from many different cultures.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day, Mamie!

Happy Mother's Day :)
I bet your kids were good to you on the special day. Mine tried in their own way....which resulted in a lovely card from #2 and not much at all from #1!!

Morning Mamie, welcome to the-day-that-shall-not-be-named.
Hope the pool party was a success, it sounds great fun.
Dawning bright and clear with lots of promise here.

Good morning, Mamie! I hope you had an enjoyable Mother's Day.

Happy Mmphmumbleday, Mamie.

That was a great tip from Heather about the second Murderbot being available. I checked, and it just came out here, so I snapped it up.

A belated Happy Mother's Day. I'm sure your crew treated you well, and you must feel awfully good about raising such wonderful kids.

Morning, Mamie! Sorry to hear the weather is hot/gross. It was so chilly here this past weekend that we had to turn the heat back on for the girls. Sweater weather, ugh. Hoping to get some warmth this week as it gets back to about 20c.
Hope yours cools down!

Crock Pot Picadillo

We tried a new recipe tonight - the Crock Pot Picadillo from the Skinnytaste blog, and it was very bland. We served it over rice for the girls and quinoa for Craig and I, with a spinach salad on the side. Another problem was that everything was the same texture - I think it would be much better spiced up with black beans added and maybe corn. And maybe use it for nachos or wraps instead of over rice.

>153 Familyhistorian: They are really disgusting, Meg. I love the abundance of choices in the produce section these days in the market, and some of the frozen stuff is also very good.

My Mother's Day was wonderful, thank you - hoping yours was, too.

>154 LovingLit: Thank you, Megan! You are right - the kids were very good to me, and it was fabulous. Perhaps Wilbur will be more into making you a card next year. Kids are funny that way - you know it comes from the heart when they decide for themselves what to do about these things.

>155 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! Thank you for not naming the day. The pool party went off without any snags, and we had perfect weather for it. And the food was FABULOUS! It was another hot one today, but more overcast, so it felt cooler at least.

>156 harrygbutler: Hello there, Harry! I did have a very good Mother's Day, thank you.

>157 jnwelch: Hey, Joe! Oh! Good to know - I meant to check and then it got away from me. I think I will snag myownsef a copy as soon as I finish here.

Thank you for those kind words and good wishes -we had a lovely day, and I am thrilled to report that I don't just love all my kids - I actually really like them, too.

>158 ChelleBearss: Good evening, Chelle! I am getting here late today. We are supposed to have rain coming in tomorrow, and I really hope we get it.

Sorry you had to turn your heat back on. Bummer. Crossing my fingers that you get the warm temps you are craving. And thanks for those cool wishes!

Morning, Mamie!

Hi Mamie! Happy Tuesday to you. Glad to hear that you had a good Mother's Day.

The turkey meatballs were a huge success at our house. Delicious! Even picky Mr. E ate them. :)

>162 scaifea: Morning, Amber!

>163 karenmarie: Hey, Karen! Happy Tuesday! How was your Mother's Day - I need to come catch up with you.

>164 nittnut: Hooray, Jenn! I am so glad you all loved the turkey meatballs. Really, all of her meatballs we have tried have been good. Tonight we are making her Chicken and White Bean Enchiladas, which we love.

Oh, those enchiladas sure look good, Mamie.

Happy Tuesday. Kinda blah weather here, but I guess it's better than snow. I know what you mean about liking your kids as well as loving them; ditto re us and ours. I missed most of Mother's Day with Madame MBH (out of town), but our daughter took good care of her, and they had a grand time together.

Happy Tuesday. I shouldn't visit your thread just before going to the gym, my sandwich at lunch is feeling a long time ago and I'm now hungry...

>166 jnwelch: They are most excellent, Joe.

Happy Tuesday to you, my friend! I am sure Debbi was in excellent hands with Becca. That's so lovely that all of you are close. Weather? It's rainy here but still plenty steamy. We needed the rain, so I am very happy to see it.

>167 Helenliz: Happy Tuesday, Helen! Sorry about the hunger pains.

>115 Crazymamie: So I totally stole that recipe and added it to my onetsp.com file! Thanks.

Craig doesn't like chocolate?! What is wrong with the man? Well, at least he likes Ready Player One.

Glad you family treated you right for Mother's Day. : )

Happy Wednesday, Mamie.

I had a great time with the second Murderbot book, Artificial Condition. It was over almost before I knew it! Can't wait to read the next one.

Hello Mamie! Just for kicks I recast Star Wars as if released in the late 1930s

Luke Skywalker: Mickey Rooney
Princess Leia: Katherine Hepburn
Han Solo: Clark Gable
Obi Wan-Kenobi: John Barrymore.
Darth Vader (voice) : Vincent Price
Grand Moff Tarkin: Peter Cushing face_skull

What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions?

>171 brodiew2: is this the point I say I've never seen Star Wars?

>172 Helenliz: Hello Helenliz. Uh...what's the hold up? Seeing the first should be required in school. :-P

>165 Crazymamie: Looks good Mamie! I had dinner last night in a great Mexican restaurant. I'm trying to eat my way through their whole menu.

So, Mamie, are you avoiding me or have you just lost my thread? Haven't seen you for the last week on my new thread and you are missing all sorts of kitten pictures as a result!

>169 Berly: Oh, I hope you like it, Kim!

Craig also doesn't like grilled cheese. I know, I know...

Hoping that your Mother's Day was also full of fabulous.

>170 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe! And now Wednesday is gone completely - this week is running away with me, and I have hardly been on LT at all.

I also snagged that second novella, but I have not had time to get to it yet. I can't wait.

>171 brodiew2: Yikes, Brodie, that is quite the task. I really CAN NOT STAND Mickey Rooney, so he would be out. And I think Edward G. Robinson would make a better Darth Vader, although we would have to build him a ramp.

>172 Helenliz: Yes, it is, Helen. I am shocked, Shocked, I tell you!

>173 brodiew2: *Grin*

>174 charl08: Oh! I could totally get behind that, Charlotte! I love Mexican food. Good luck on your mission.

>175 ronincats: Oh, dear, Roni! I an not avoiding you, I have just barely been on the threads lately - life has been fun but bust lately, and I have not gotten in much computer time. I'll come find you straight away.

Morning, Mamie. Sweet Thursday. I have not see my pal around much lately. I hope everything is going well and you are keeping cool.

Hello Mamie!

> 176 'I find you lack of faith disturbing, see?'

'You and me, see? We could rule the galaxy as father and son, see?'

>178 msf59: Sweet Thursday, Mark! All is well here, we have just been a busy household. The weather is definitely NOT cool - it dropped into the mid 80s, but the humidity has climbed, so it is pretty much like soup out there lately. No porching for me the past few days. Thanks for checking on me - I hope to start making the rounds tomorrow to see what everyone's been up to.

>179 brodiew2: Hello, Brodie! Haha. He could tap into his Johnny Rocco character.

Happy Saturday, Mamie!

Sorry it's already Summer at the Pecan Paradisio. Thank goodness for air conditioning.

>181 karenmarie: Happy Saturday, Karen! No worries - that's what I get for living in the Deep South. And yes, thank goodness for air conditioning.

Morning, Mamie. Happy Saturday. Just about done with The Boy on the Bridge. Not as strong as the first one but still one I recommend and it is good on audio.

Another damp cool weekend here. Just can't quote turn that corner...

Made it to the weekend! I'm enjoying 20°c here on my new deckchair.

Happy Saturday! It's delicious here, I've done loads of gardening & filled the garden bin and we've taken the toy car out for a spin. And I had a 99 when the ice cream van came round.

Happy Weekend, Mamie. Too bad we can't give you some of our chilly weather and take a bit of your heat. No need for air conditioning in Chicago this weekend; we just climbed all the way up to 61 degrees here.

Have a wonderful weekend, Mamie. Looks like you have been keeping your Fitbit busy lately. Keep up the good work!

>183 msf59: Afternoon, Mark! Happy Saturday! I might do that as my next audio - trying to decide what I am in the mood for.

Sorry about the damp - I would happily trade you.

>184 charl08: We did, indeed, Charlotte! It is currently 87F here with 51% humidity, so very soupish. And hooray for the new deck chair - photo, please.

>185 Helenliz: Happy Saturday, Helen! Your day sounds full of fabulous! I had to goggle 99 as I had no idea what that was - looks YUM. Birdy and I have been to the market to restock the pantry and refill our fresh fruits and veggies. Tonight we are trying a new steak recipe, so I am looking forward to that. I'm serving a spinach salad on the side. This afternoon I am going to make my own salsa and taco seasoning, so that should be fun.

>186 jnwelch: Happy Weekend, Joe! I like how you think - that would be ideal. If we could meet in the middle of our two temperature zones, we could both be very happy.

>187 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg - hoping your weekend is also full of wonder! I have been squeezing in the extra steps whenever I can, and I have even started strength training again. My arms are sore, so Daniel said I am sure I am doing it right. Heh. I will probably take it easier with the stepping today and tomorrow, so you can probably catch me - you are doing some mighty fine stepping yourownself.

Morning, Y'all! The weekend ran away with us, so I did not get caught up on LT as I had hoped. The good news is that I tried some new recipes, and they were awesome. This is the first one:


You can find the recipe here: Iowa Girl Eats. Really easy and it's delicious - everyone here loved it!

The second recipe is this:


Recipe is here: Iowa Girl Eats. Oh. MY. Word. This is SO good, and you can add whatever toppings you want. I did add a dash of Kosher salt to the oatmeal when the brown sugar and vanilla went in. Again, fast and easy to make, and it's decadent.

We also made these, which we have had before and really love:


Skinny Garlic Parmesan Fries Recipe is here: Skinnytaste blog. These are a little more effort, but totally worth it.

And finally, I made my own salsa! This is so good, and I love that you can control the heat:


Recipe is here: Iowa Girl Eats

On the reading front, I finished up:


Book #56: Echo Park by Michael Connelly (4.5 stars), 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Harry Bosch series, book 12) - This was very good and very twisty. One of my favorite entries in the series so far.


Book #57: The Terror by Dan Simmons (5 stars), 2018 acquired audiobook, literary faction/horror - recommended by Susan - Excellent! I really loved this, and the audio is superb. A meld of fact and fiction that is so well spun; it was a prefect read for me. Thank you so much, Susan for recommending this one!


Book #58: The Overlook by Michael Connelly (3.5 stars), 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural (Harry Bosch, book 13) - not nearly as good as the previous entry. It probably suffered since I read the books back to back, but this one felt rushed.

'Morning Mamie!

The garlic parmesan fries sound fantastic - I might make them this week. The salsa sounds good, too - her 'secret' ingredient is interesting.

>192 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! The fries are totally delish. I was also surprised by the secret salsa ingredient, but she was right - it tastes just like restaurant salsa. And it made a nice amount - ours is already more than half gone.

Morning, Mamie! I'm back from vacation, with one more day off, and trying to get back into my routine. So far I have managed coffee and a shower and some LT time... Thank goodness there's a long weekend coming up!

Morning, Mamie!

Those vittles look yummy. I'd take some of those parmesan garlic fries for breakfast.

Good morning, Mamie! I hope you had a good weekend; it certainly looks like you got a fair amount of reading done.

Hands-down, our favorite restaurant salsa was that which was available at Chi-Chi's before the restaurants all closed. Sadly, the stuff sold under that name in grocery stores isn't much like it, as it was more of a pico de gallo, and we've yet to find a true taste replacement, despite years of trying other restaurants and elsewhere.

>194 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! Welcome home! I can't wait to see photos from the vacation. Coffee and a shower and LT - all the essentials. Good work! I am also excited about the long weekend coming up - Craig and Rae will be off, so it should be fun.

>195 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! The fries would be fabulous any time of day - most yum, and Rae really loves them. She is completely addicted to French fries, and this is a much healthier version.

>196 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! The weekend was good, but it went flying by. Those Harry Bosch books are like candy to me, so they always go fast. I have been working on The Terror for a while, as it is over 27 hours on audio, but oh, so good.

It has been a LONG time since I have been to Chi-Chi's - that was a very popular hang out spot in my college days. I can't remember exactly what their salsa tasted like, but you should seriously give that recipe a try - it truly tastes like restaurant salsa.

Happy day before Tuesday!! Glad to see you enjoying Harry Bosch. I am impressed with your audio book, or at least the length of it. I tend to max out at about 12 hours or so on audio. 27 is a beast!!

Glad everyone is home for the long weekend. Any plans or just chilling at home?

>198 Berly: Thank you, Kim - Happy day before Tuesday to you! I actually don't mind longer audios, and this one was completely entertaining the whole way through. My longest audio ever was War and Peace, which comes in two parts and is over 60 hours all together. Now that is a beast!

Well, not everyone - Abby and Daniel still have to work. We will be chilling it at home - my favorite vacation spot.

>190 Crazymamie: We try to limit our intake of red meat but that steak with caramelized onions and goat cheese looks fantastic!! It's been printed and is now in the stack to try.

>200 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, it is worth the red meat calories. I try to limit my red meat as well, but this was a perfect combination.

>191 Crazymamie: Food and books. Yes. I'm going to have to meet Harry Bosch soon as he's one of the few literary characters people I know are actually talking about.

Morning, Mamie! Hope your weather is less soup-ish today!

>191 Crazymamie: Two of my favourite authors! Yay! I have two new books by each of them that I need to get to soon.

Morning, Mamie.i hope your week is off to a good start and you are keeping cool.

War and Peace on audio--60 hours--you win!!

>202 quondame: You made me laugh, Susan! Harry Bosch is a great character. I need to get back to talking about some fantasy or science fiction, heh?

>203 ChelleBearss: Morning, Chelle! Nope, but thank you. Summer is just kind of like that in Georgia - the heat and the humidity are pretty constant.

What else have you read by Dan Simmons?

>204 msf59: Morning, Mark! Not too bad so far - I have a killer headache today which is making me grumpy, but yesterday was fun.

>205 Berly: Ha! How's it going, Kim?

>206 Crazymamie: Only if you want to. I have to go put together the two remaining medieval smocks that have been in pieces since October, so I feel guilty adding books to my lists.

>207 quondame: I like to do Murder and Mayhem May, but June will see a return of fantasy and sci fi. Medieval smocks? Are you sewing these?

>208 Crazymamie: Yes, sewing - we go on camping trips called wars in the SCA and period clothing is required. I imagine all sorts of gorgeous medieval and renaissance clothing and end up making more white smocks.

Interesting! And too funny about the more white smocks. How long do the trips last?

Hi, Mamie.

Dan Simmons: for sci-fi fans, his four book Hyperion series, starting with the book of that name, is really good.

>210 Crazymamie: Most wars are Thur-Sun of a holiday weekend, but the big one in Pennsylvania - I haven't been - is 2 weeks. Sometimes there are shorter 1-2 night camping events, but it's hardly worth the effort to me to put up a tent. My favorite is at a lodge where no tents are required and it's all about the food from Thurs. night to Mon. morning.

>211 jnwelch: Thanks for that, Joe! I'll check it out.

>212 quondame: Wow to the 2 week one - that is commitment. My favorite one would be the lodge one, too - I am SO not a camper. Plus food.

>206 Crazymamie: It's going great! I have avoided the hospital for almost three weeks! I think I am on a roll. : ) And I have managed to do touch up painting on all of the main floor. Just need two more walls upstairs and then the downstairs kid cave, which is a mess. But I have already spackled.

So last night we tried a new recipe, and we all loved it except for Rae - she made a quesadilla with leftover steak, caramelized onions and cheese and pronounced it superior.


Recipe is here: Iowa Girl Eats blog

I used a whole wheat tortilla for mine, and it was fabulous.

Good morning, Mamie!

I hope you're headache-free today.

>215 Crazymamie: They sound yummy. Printed out, and if I can get to the store today, maybe doable for dinner.

>215 Crazymamie: I like the sound of both quesadilla options. Please put me down for (mumble mumble several) next time they're on the menu :-)

>216 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! No headache so far, so I am hopeful.

They are most yum, so I hope you make it to the store today.

>217 charl08: I know, right?! We will make extras next time just for you, Charlotte!

Morning Mamie. Happy Humpday.
I do like me some Mexican inspired food. Part of the fun is getting into a mess twice - when making and then eating them. Or is that just me?

>219 Helenliz: Morning, Helen! Happy Humpday to you! Ha! I love Mexican inspired food, and yep the messy prep is half the fun. Of course, the messy eating...

Good morning, Mamie! I think I'd join Rae — I'd rather have steak than chicken any day of the week. Although I like a simple cheese quesadilla, too.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

>221 harrygbutler: Morning, Harry! I do love steak, but I try to eat more chicken and turkey. I also just love cheese on a quesadilla.

Thanks for those Wednesday wishes - hoping yours is full of fabulous!

All the food pictures are making me hungry but I just had breakfast! Have a great Wednesday, Mamie. It's shorts weather here.

>223 Familyhistorian: Oh, dear, Meg! Thanks for those Wednesday wishes - it's pouring cats and dogs here and has been pretty much all week so far.

>224 Crazymamie: And here too. But it's ok because it's Friday!

>225 charl08: Indeed! Hooray for Friday, Charlotte!

>225 charl08:.>226 Crazymamie: Friday does make everything feel better. Happy Friday to you and hoping the weekend is a good one.

Happy Your Favorite Day, Mamie!

>227 Helenliz: Agreed, Helen. Happy Friday and happy weekending to you!

>228 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Hoping yours is full of fabulous!

Hope that ache departs your head, Mamie.

>230 weird_O: Thanks, Bill. No headache today, I am happy to report.

Look at you, flying through those Bosch books! Next up for me is Echo Park. I'm looking forward to it, of course!

Have a good weekend!

>232 Copperskye: Hello, Joanne! Echo Park is really good - one of my favorites in the series so far.

Happy Weekending to you, too!

Hi Mamie! Happy Memorial Day weekend to you. I hope y'all have a wonderful three days.

>234 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! Thank you - we are planning to combine some work with some fun, so it should be a good one. The humidity has eased up just a bit, and it makes a big difference - I am hoping it lasts.

Happy Memorial Day weekend to you - hoping it is full of fabulous!

Hope you are having a good weekend!

>206 Crazymamie: I've read the Terror, Winter Haunting and Carrion Comfort. He is one creepy dude! I have two of his in my stacks Song of Kali and The Fifth Heart.

>236 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! So far so good with the weekending. And thanks for getting back to me on Simmons - I am wanting to read more by him.

Hi Mamie!

Are you in any of the parts of Georgia that are supposed to get rain/etc. from Alberto? We're supposed to get 1-3 inches and thunderstorms today.

Happy Birthday, Mamie!

Happy Birthday!!! Wishing you a wonderful year ahead!

Happy birthday, Mamie! Hope you are celebrating

Oh goodness -- Happy Birthday!! Hope you're having a great day.

Happy birthday, Mamie, I wish you a fabletastic day!

A Friday and a birthday - hope both are great!

And from me: hope you've got lots of books on hand :-)

Happy Birthday, Mamie!

I didn't know it was your birthday, Mamie, but I'm happy to join with the rest to say I hope you are having a splendid day that is — YES! — full of fabulous.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mamie!!!! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful day.

Happy birthday, Mamie!

Happy Birthday, Mamie! Live long and prosper!

So GLAD I stopped by -- Happy slightly late birthday!

Happy belated birthday!! Hope you were spoiled!

I hope it was a great day!

Happy belated birthday!
Any book-ish presents?

Happy belated birthday! Hope you're having a wonderful weekend

Belated birthday greetings, Mamie! I hope you've had a fabulous weekend.

^It was my pal's birthday and I missed it? Bummer! I hope you had a wonderful time, Mamie! Miss, seeing you around.

Happy belated birthday from me too, Mamie.

Hope all is well at the Pecan Paradisio.

Happy belated birthday, Mamie. Hope you had a fabulous day!

A very happy belated birthday Mamie!

Hi Mamie, I, too, missed your birthday but I hope your absence means that you are still celebrating your special day!

Happy belated birthday, Mamie. I hope it was fabulous. Lots of good food here. Wait a minute while I wipe the drool off my keyboard. I hope all is well with you.

Good Morning, Y'all! I did not mean to be away from the threads for so long, but life has been very full lately. Craig and Rae took the week of my birthday off, so we used that time to enjoy some lazy moments but also to get some work done both inside and outside around the Pecan Paradisio. Now the house is sparkling like a little gem, and Craig's garden is growing like crazy. The day before my birthday, Craig and I took a day trip together to Thomasville, which has a truly gorgeous downtown area alive with eateries and eclectic shops - there is even a very small independently owned bookstore called The Bookshelf. They also had an awesome kitchen store with all kinds of gadgetry and gorgeous items - I bought a marble mortar and pestle, a marble cheese slicer and several gadgets that I am thrilled with. We even found a tiny duck for Birdy which holds an individual portion of syrup (its really for creamer, but Birdy LOVES syrup) and you pour it out of its mouth - SO cute:



My birthday was full of fabulous, and I am pretty sure all of you had something to do with that - all those good wishes, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for thinking of me. My favorite gift was new photos of the kids together, and there was a very funny moment. Daniel said that they wanted to give me a new photo of all of them, and when I unwrapped it, there was a framed photo of Daniel holding a framed photo of Kaitlyn (his girlfriend), holding a framed photo of the girls - so the girls were very tiny. Made me laugh! I'll have to see if I can post it here - they took it with Kaitlyn's camera, so I don't have access to the digital photo right now. Anyway, they also gave me framed photos of the girls, all four of the kids together, and one of Daniel and Kaitlyn together. They have achieved honor status on the living room mantle.

The Monday and Tuesday after my birthday, Craig's mom and sister were here for a visit - very stressful, but we survived. Daniel was so sweet and gave me a prize after making it through each day - he found a two book installment of Blade Runner in comic form from the 1980s, so I got the first one Monday night, and the second one on Tuesday night.



The rest of the week has been lost in a flurry of trying new recipes, and I have found some excellent ones which I will share when I set up a new thread. I also managed to lose ten pounds since joining that weight loss app that Katie mentioned on her thread, so a huge thanks to Katie for bringing it to my attention - JUST what I needed.

Here's hoping all of you have Fridays that are full of fabulous!

>238 karenmarie: We just got rain and some wind here, Karen. LOTS of rain, and so everything is so very green right now.

>239 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen!

>240 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! I am looking forward to what my year of being 51 holds.

>241 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! We did celebrate, and it was lovely.

>242 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba - it was a most awesome day.

>243 katiekrug: I love that, Katie! There were definitely shenanigans.

>244 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita!

>245 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen - they were both great!

>246 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte! There were definitely books.

>247 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe!

>248 rosalita: Ha! Thank you, Julia!

>249 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

Hey, it's Mamie!
Glad to see you back and that you had a fantabulous birthday week. Just in time to wish you another happy weekend. >:-)

>250 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda! It was a lovely day.

>251 harrygbutler: Thanks, Harry!

>252 ronincats: Thank you, Roni - I very much hope to live long and prosper!!

>253 sibylline: Thank you, Lucy! I am also glad that you stopped by!

>254 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle - they did a very good job of spoiling me.

>255 nittnut: Ha! Thanks, Jenn - Mary Poppins is one of my favorite books from childhood, so that made me smile BIG. And also laugh at the thought of me being called a little spoonful of sugar.

>256 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer - I got several new books, including a really great cookbook. I'll have to post a photo or a list.

>257 bell7: Thanks, Mary. The weekend was a bit stressful as we were preparing for the arrival of MILfH (mother-in-law from hell).

>258 tymfos: Thanks, Terri!

>259 msf59: Thank you, Mark! Belated wishes are just as nice. And thanks for missing me - hoping to be around more now.

>260 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Everything here is full of fabulous now that the visitors are gone.

>261 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg - it was most excellent.

>262 souloftherose: Thanks, Heather!

>263 DeltaQueen50: Thank you, Judy. We have just been very busy with the vacation days then my birthday then the visitors - hoping to settle back into normal now.

>264 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! There will be even more good food in the next thread, as I have been on a new recipe kick. And I got a new cookbook for my birthday, so of course, I have to put it through its paces.

All is well - hoping things are full of happy in your neck of the woods.

>269 Helenliz: Hello, Helen! You snuck in there while I was catching up with my thread! This weekend should be much better than the previous one - hoping to just relax and get some poolside reading in.

Happy Friday, Mamie :0)

ETA: Happy belated birthday

Yay for Noom!

I had a bit of a rough week, as the content wasn't very interesting, and I was "celebrating my womanhood" as a crazy friend once put it, so I wanted to eat everything in sight. But it's all good and I'm thrilled with my progress.

Glad you had such a great birthday, and I can't wait to hear about your new recipes!

>275 Carmenere: Happy Friday, Lynda!

>276 katiekrug: Indeed, Katie! Ha! I was also celebrating my womanhood this week, and with Craig's mom and sister here, I felt like I should be able to just eat and drink everything that I wanted to simply for putting up with them. I managed to hold it together, but it was very stressful. I am SO happy they are gone.

And thank you - it was a lovely birthday. And the recipes!!!

Glad to see you had a great birthday! Sounds like a great week!

>278 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle. It was a very fun week leading into my birthday, which was a treat since we had that MIL visit looming in the week directly after. But she is on her way to Minnesota, where she will stay with Craig's brother and his wife for MONTHS, so really, I cannot complain.

Yay for the awesome birthday week, and yay for surviving the MIL visit! Solidarity, sister!

Thanks, Amber! I know you feel my pain. And congratulations on your successful house hunting!! I have been lurking, and I was so happy for you that you found just what you wanted and snagged it.

I hear you on the MiL thing. My husband merrily admits he got the better end of that lollipop. My mum was much better as a MiL than his is (actually she was much better as a mother too, but that's a completely different story about which it is best not to get me started.) He once said about his mother coming to live with us - my immediate response was it was me or her - and that still stands.

Maybe we should all try swopping MiL sometime. Trust me, y'all can have mine, I'd throw in much love and bribery!

>282 Helenliz: Sounds like our MILs are two peas in a pod - the MIL was also not a great mother to Craig. Very strict, very demanding, and very harsh. And she is the same way with her grandchildren - not an ounce of softness in her. My mother was no peach, either, but she is dead so there is no ongoing drama. Good for you for being firm about the possibility if her living with you - we have that same policy in place. Heh.
I would never want to swap because a known commodity is safer than an unknown one, and besides, I like you too much to ever put you through that. *grin*

I have these goofy cow paintings on the wall in the living room - I love them because they always make me laugh when I see them. So the MIL says this visit - I don't know about those cows, Mamie. I feel like they are staring at me, and they creep me out. Now I love those cows even more and would never part with them! The one thing (besides Craig) that I am truly thankful for with her is that she has taught me how NOT to be MIL.

Thanks for the update on your birthday week. Glad you had such a good one.

Oh, I missed it! Happy belated birthday! I see it was a good one.

I managed not to skim through this time, although I had a lot of catching up to do - your thread moves so fast, it’s a bit scary :0)

I see you use a lot of Iowa Girl Eats recipes; I’ll have to look out for that. And a weight loss app that works? I think I need that for my ‘not meat’ eating husband. As for MIL stories, been there, done that.

Stay well and happy. :0)

>284 RebaRelishesReading: You're welcome, Reba. And thank you - it poured the entire week except the day that we went to Thomasville, so we lucked out.

>285 humouress: Thank you, Nina! The threads have slowed down quite a bit, but I still can't keep up.

The Iowa Girl Eats blog is an excellent one - she has Celiac's Disease and her son cannot eat dairy, so she has a lot of gluten free and dairy free recipes as well as regular ones - just type it in as all one word.

The weight loss app has a free two week trial period, and I ended up staying on after the trial. It works for me, and I like the way it is set up. It's called Noom.

Yeah, the MIL...UGH.

I thank you for those good wishes - hoping you also keep well and happy.

Hi Mamie! I'm glad to hear that you had a fabulous birthday week with the exception of MiL/SiL. Neat photos within photos, glad your place is sparkling inside and out. Have a lovely weekend.

>287 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! Planing on doing some tidying up today, but other than that I plan to relax. Well, and get my steps in. I am also wanting to try a new banana bread recipe with a streusel topping, so that should be fun. I'm hoping your weekend is full of fabulous!