PGMCC explores the Biblioverse in 2023: Chapter 1

Dies ist die Fortführung des Themas 2022 Series of PGMCC's reading: Episode Six - THE SEASON FINALE.

Dieses Thema wurde unter PGMCC explores the Biblioverse in 2023: Chapter 2 weitergeführt.

ForumThe Green Dragon

Melde dich bei LibraryThing an, um Nachrichten zu schreiben.

PGMCC explores the Biblioverse in 2023: Chapter 1

1pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Feb. 13, 2023, 5:04 pm

Books completed in 2023

Title; Author; Status; Start/end date; Number of pages
The Family Jewels by Caimh McDonnell 28/12/2022 - 02/01/2023 276 pages
Novelist as Vocation by Haruki Murakami 02/01/2023-12/01/2023 208 pages
The Tattoo Murder by Akimitsu Takagi 12/01/2023- 20/01/2023 377 pages
Once Upon A Tome by Oliver Darkshire 21/01/2023 - 23/01/2023 247 pages
Stranger Times by C. K. McDonnell 23/01/2023 - 31/01/2023 441 pages
The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas 01/02/2023 - 05/02/2023 304 pages
Under The Duvet by Marian Keyes 03/02/2023 - 674 pages
The Charming Man by C. K. McDonnell 06/02/2023 - 13/02/2023 498 pages

My next read list: https://www.librarything.com/topic/345713#8000096

2pgmcc
Dez. 31, 2022, 7:20 pm



I am starting the year with a comfort read; a Dublin Trilogy book called, The Family Jewels. 2022 was a good reading year and I hope 2023 maintains the standard.

3MrsLee
Dez. 31, 2022, 10:04 pm

Excellent choice!

4clamairy
Bearbeitet: Dez. 31, 2022, 11:02 pm

Happy New Year and happy new thread, Peter!

5haydninvienna
Jan. 1, 2023, 4:50 am

What >4 clamairy: said.

6Narilka
Jan. 1, 2023, 8:30 am

Happy New Year and happy reading!

7hfglen
Jan. 1, 2023, 8:32 am

Hippo Gnu Ear; happy reading; happy new thread!

8jillmwo
Jan. 1, 2023, 10:00 am

I'm looking forward to following all of your new reading experiences of 2023. Go forth and seek out all the good bookshops and libraries!!!

9libraryperilous
Jan. 1, 2023, 1:45 pm

Happy reading in 2023!

10catzteach
Jan. 1, 2023, 2:16 pm

Happy new year!

11Bookmarque
Jan. 1, 2023, 2:30 pm

12Meredy
Jan. 2, 2023, 3:37 am

>2 pgmcc: We're starting off in 2023 with the same author. I'm 2/3 of the way through the first book and enjoying it.

I know you wrote elsewhere how to pronounce his first name, but please remind me.

13pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Jan. 2, 2023, 7:38 am

>12 Meredy:
Keev is probably the best phonetic pronunciation. I think I may have got it wrong before by putting Qweev as the pronunciation.

“mh” and “bh” have a “v” sound in Irish. “C” is always hard, i.e. more like in “cat”, rather than soft as in “mice”.

E.T.A. I finished The Family Jewels about fifteen minutes ago.

I am glad you are enjoying A Man With One Of Those Faces.

14pgmcc
Jan. 2, 2023, 8:09 am



The first book I finished in 2023 is The Family Jewels by Caimh McDonnell. As MrsLee said, it was a slightly slow start, but it soon got into the action and the characters lived up to their tradition of providing entertainment as well as a crime to be investigated.

Would I read another book by this author?
Definitely.

Would I recommend this book to anyone?
Yes.

Who would I recommend this book to?
Anyone who likes some humour mixed in with their crime investigation.

15pgmcc
Jan. 2, 2023, 8:15 am



Novelist as a Vocation is the next book I am going to read. Haruki Murakami books have always had an impact on my. I find he presents thoughts that provoke reaction and contemplation. He always has something to say that resonates with me.

16Sakerfalcon
Jan. 3, 2023, 11:41 am

A belated Happy New Year to you! I look forward to following your reading adventures again!

17pgmcc
Jan. 3, 2023, 11:52 am

>16 Sakerfalcon:
Happy New Year, Claire. I anticipate a number of BBs coming from your direction in 2023.

18fuzzi
Jan. 3, 2023, 1:56 pm

>1 pgmcc: found and starred!

I'm hoping to keep up better with my friends' threads in 2023.

19pgmcc
Jan. 3, 2023, 2:14 pm

>18 fuzzi:
You are welcome here any time, whether regularly of occasionally.

20Jim53
Jan. 3, 2023, 8:03 pm

Best wishes for a wonderful 2023, in reading, in retirement, and everywhere else too!

21pgmcc
Jan. 6, 2023, 1:20 am

>20 Jim53:
Thank you, Jim.

22pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Jan. 6, 2023, 1:44 am

I am about a third of the way through Haruki Murakami's non-fiction book, Novelist as Vocation. It is a collection of articles/papers he wrote since 2015 on the topic of being a writer. These papers contain his thoughts on such topics as getting started as a writer, literary prizes, the Japanese literati, and his own relationship with writing.

These articles are very much his personal views and I would suggest he is being very honest in his statements.

While I am enjoying the collection of articles it has not sparked me in the same way as his fiction does. This is probably a book for his fans, or people who are serious about becoming novelists, to read rather than something that will provide great insight into writing. Having said that, the book is supposed to be what it is, i.e. Murakami's personal views on various aspects of being a novelist, and, as he is a very successful novelist, his personal views are worth listening to. As stated above, I am only a third of the way through the book, so there may be much value waiting for me in the rest of the pages.

Two things that come across strongly in the articles I have read so far are, the role of having a bit of luck, and also the need to have stamina to make the grade.

Murakami says he was inspired to try his hand at writing novels when he was at a local baseball game. Based on that inspiration, or epiphany, he wrote two novels, one of which won a prize for best novel from a new writer. He regards this as the bit of luck he had. Winning that prize reassured him that, even though he has had no writing training or prior novel writing experience, he was capable of writing a novel. He states that if he had not won that reaffirming prize he would probably not have had the staying power to carry on and write the novels that followed. I for one am glad he won.

In terms of the Japanese literati, he considers himself to be an outsider. He puts this down to his success has come having followed a path that was not part of the structured approach in Japan to becoming a successful novelist. Apparently the Japanese publishing industry can be quite rigid in terms of what it considers literature and what can be done in a novel. He considers his unconventional approach to writing has irked members of the literati.

It has struck me that his commentary would have been very at home in Howdunit, the book of contributions from members of the Detection club about writing. By this I mean it is a contribution of Murakami's views in the same manner as the contributions in Howdunit. They are presented as his views and how he works, and there is no implication that his views are gospel and that his way of working is the only way of working. As I stated in my comments about Howdunit, the commentary and advice provided is mostly of general application to writing rather than being only relevant to crime writing.

23Sakerfalcon
Jan. 6, 2023, 8:34 am

>22 pgmcc: Based on your comments about Novelist as vocation I shall order it for work. We have a small collection of books on creative writing and it sounds as though it will fit well there. We already have his What I talk about when I talk about running so it's only right to add this new one.

24pgmcc
Jan. 6, 2023, 10:43 am

>23 Sakerfalcon:
I have heard of transference, but transferring a book bullet to a library is a novel (pun purely accidental) twist on the concept. I applaud your creativity. :-)

25Sakerfalcon
Jan. 9, 2023, 6:59 am

>24 pgmcc: I have been practising and refining the technique for some years now!

26pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Jan. 12, 2023, 12:09 pm



I enjoyed reading Novelist as a Vocation. The essays came across as sincerely written. By his own admission, Murakami is not 100% comfortable at public events, and he tends to do very little, if any, public appearances in Japan. His argument is that he is not good at public gatherings, and that he should spend his time doing what he is good at, and that is writing. He would also stated clearly that he is not claim to be a great writer, but that the readership he has would indicate that some, in fact quite a few, people feel he is good at writing.

Outside of Japan he does attend public events. His justification for doing this is that he feels a degree of obligation as a Japanese writer to promote Japanese writing, and to, by his attendance and interaction, promote the reputation of Japan and Japanese authors.

This book of essays on Murakami's personal experiences and views relating to being a novelist comes across as an honest account, and his descriptions of his feelings, attitudes and actions feel sincere. I do not agree with several of the attitudes he presented, but they are his attitudes and he has articulated them where people can see them and agree or otherwise.

His comments on writing are interesting in the same way any author's approach to writing is interesting.

Throughout this book, Haruki Murakami makes it clear that the thoughts and ideas presented are his own, and that not everyone will agree with them.

I have given this book three-and-a-half stars. It is always good to get a writer's views on matters relating to writing. As with the contributors to Howdunit, Murakami presented his own ideas and tactics while highlighting that his thoughts and approach are not necessarily the best, but that they suit him; everybody will have their own views on his work.

This books fits very well with the other books I have been reading about books and how writers write them.

27pgmcc
Jan. 13, 2023, 2:50 am



The Tattoo Murder by Akimitsu Takagi is my second read of 2023. I am about 20 pages in and am hooked.

It is set in Tokyo in 1947 amidst the post-war chaos of the day.

28haydninvienna
Jan. 13, 2023, 2:57 am

>27 pgmcc: where did you get hold of this, Peter?

29pgmcc
Jan. 13, 2023, 3:06 am

>28 haydninvienna:
I found it in Books Upstairs. This is one of the things I love about Books Upstairs; I have found books there that do not appear in other bookshops. Authors I have found there and gone on to love include, Arturo Perez Reverte and Daniel Pennac. Their stock is quite eclectic and one thing you will not find is a wall of bestsellers. It is a great browsing experience. If my memory serves me well you did not manage a visit to Books Upstairs. If I am correct, then you have a treat in store for your next visit to Dublin.

30haydninvienna
Jan. 13, 2023, 3:43 am

>29 pgmcc: Sorry Peter, but your memory has led you astray. I did indeed visit Books Upstairs and bought three books there, and I know exactly what you mean.

31pgmcc
Jan. 13, 2023, 4:09 am

>30 haydninvienna:
"... your memory has led you astray."

I am sure it is not the first time, or am I?

32pgmcc
Jan. 14, 2023, 6:01 pm

My plans for Saturday were fulfilled, but the objectives were not fully achieved.

1. Went to town to meet my friend for a meal. It was our first time meeting since 13th March 2020 when our COVID lockdown started. This part of the plan was executed with great success. We had a great chat. He had gifts for me from his trip home to Hong Kong at the end ot 2022. The gifts were two sets of very fancy chopsticks and chopstick rests for my wife and me, and some Chinese tea. Apparently he went to a specialist tea shop and asked for their best tea. They identified there best tea as a product with the name, "The Best Tea". :-)

2. Visit to a cheese shop with the intention of buying some Brugge Comptesse cheese, as per the Cheese Bullet from clamairy. I did get to the cheese shop but they no longer stock any Belgian cheeses.

In terms of my premonition about visiting this particular cheese shop and the service I might receive, I was not totally wrong. In fact, I will never be going near that cheese shop again, nor will I go to any of its sister shops.

I entered the premises. It is quite a narrow shop. A lady entered the shop just ahead of me. As I entered there was an attendant coming to meet the lady and he started attending to her in a very friendly and helpful fashion. He appeared to be a junior assistant. I would give him full marks for customer service.

Apart from the other customer, her attentive shop assistant and myself, there were two other people in the shop. Two men of approximately thirty years of age were standing half way into the shop and standing on either side of the narrow aisle that runs from the front to the back of the premises having a conversation. They appeared to be talking about some social event. They were dressed in rather well to do fashionable clothes. I was not sure if they worked in the shop or were other customers.

I started looking around at the cheeses for the Brugge brand and did not see any. Neither of the two men made to communicate with me, so I concluded they must be customers waiting for something. Just in case one or both of them were shop attendants I positioned myself beside them taking a stance and holding an expression that would convey I was looking for assistance. They had both seen me, but did not acknowledge my presences, but carried on with their non-cheese related conversation.

Given their lack of response I was inclined to think they were both customers.

Now, lest they were attendants I thought I should make my need of assistance even more obvious. To this end, after two minutes waiting to be asked if I needed any assistance, I went further into the shop necessitating my walking between them. I turned around and stood beside them with expectation. After about a minute I took the bull by the horns and asked, "Do either of you work here?"

At that point one of them said, "Oh, sorry! I am keeping him back from his work." The other man then turned to me and apologised and asked me if he could help me. My seeking service had taken about three minutes in total, so at this stage I was hoping they did not have any Brugge Comptesse. It had been my intention that if there was no Brugge Comptesse I would still buy a piece of Gruyere. Even if they did have the cheese I was in for I was going to get some Gruyere. I like Gruyere.

Once I had his attention the attendant was all very nice and asked what he could do for me. I told him what I was looking for and he apologised that they no longer stocked any Belgian cheeses, but he knew the style of the Brugge Comptesse and said he could suggest a similar cheese. I, by this stage disgusted with the lack of service, said I was looking for that particular cheese, so a substitute would not do. He then suggested I try another expensive cheese shop and gave me the name of someone there who might be able to bring some of it into the country for me.

Needless to say I did not buy any Gruyere and was quite happy to be able to leave that establishment without giving them any of my money.

This may appear trivial, but the shop attendant's actions were unacceptable. It was very obvious I was looking for attention. The conversation with his friend was very casual, had nothing to do with the business of the shop, and could easily have been interrupted by the attendant excusing himself to serve a customer.

3. Visit to Books Upstairs to purchase a copy of In Praise of Good Bookstores, a Book Bullet from jillmwo.



As you might guess, I did manage to find my way into Books Upstairs. The owner was in today so I was able to tell him that this book had been recommended to my and that given its subject matter I could not possibly buy it anywhere else other than his bookshop as Books Upstairs is my favourite independent bookshop. He was very pleased with this, and commented that he read the book and loved it.

Of course I bought more than one book. Is it even possible to enter a bookshop and come out with only one book? I do not recall ever having been able to do this.



Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales caught my attention. It is a very attractive hardback and it almost grabbed me by the arm when I spotted it on the shelves.

You might say I had quite the successful Saturday in town. I hope the rest of you have had, or are having, a great Saturday.

33pgmcc
Jan. 14, 2023, 6:07 pm



I am 77 pages into this almost 400 page murder mystery and it has captured my interest.

34Bookmarque
Jan. 14, 2023, 6:45 pm

Oh pox on the paltry cheesemongers. Buncha jerks.

35Jim53
Jan. 14, 2023, 9:14 pm

>32 pgmcc: The book of fairy tales has definitely punched a hole through my resistance. i will be searching it out before too long!

36catzteach
Jan. 14, 2023, 9:16 pm

Sorry the cheese shop was less than ideal. But glad you were able to find some books!

37Karlstar
Bearbeitet: Jan. 15, 2023, 9:44 pm

Sorry the cheese shop was as snooty as you expected. That is unfortunate.

38clamairy
Jan. 15, 2023, 4:27 pm

>32 pgmcc: Ouch. I'm sorry it turned out to be as bad as you were expecting. At least the meeting with your friend and the visit to the bookstore worked out well.

39pgmcc
Jan. 16, 2023, 2:47 am

>35 Jim53: I am looking forward to reading it.

40pgmcc
Jan. 16, 2023, 2:50 am

>34 Bookmarque:, >36 catzteach:, >37 Karlstar:, >38 clamairy:

Saturday was a great day as far as I am concerned. As Clare said, meeting up with my friend and visiting Books Upstairs worked out and made it a great day. The cheese shop simply confirmed what I suspected. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, then it's probably...

41Sakerfalcon
Jan. 16, 2023, 11:05 am

>40 pgmcc: I'm glad you had a good day in spite of the cheese shop experience.

42pgmcc
Jan. 17, 2023, 3:55 am

>33 pgmcc:
I am definitely hooked. At 1am this morning I came to the end of a chapter, checked the time and decided, "Time for one more chapter!"

43jillmwo
Jan. 17, 2023, 1:51 pm

I realize you've not yet posted a review, but I'm going to ask. How gory is The Tattoo Murder? I'd be tempted, given how it has seized your attention and kept you up past reasonable hours, but I'm not into graphic gore as part of my selected murder mysteries.

44pgmcc
Jan. 17, 2023, 5:10 pm

>43 jillmwo:
I am just about half-way through The Tattoo Murder. There is a murder, but the story does not dwell on gore. The story is about character, social norms and prejudices, and it is very much laying the clues out for the reader to try to solve the case, as well as following the police enquiry. The murder mystery is the focus. It is not a book that uses gore to shock, and it does not contain gruesome detail. I cannot stand gore.

45pgmcc
Jan. 18, 2023, 8:52 am

A little bit of non-book news. My youngest son has been searching for a job since he graduated last June with his MSc in Computer Science. He has been interviewed by all the big tech companies and has progressed through all the recruitment stages only to fall at the last hurdle. These have been companies directly involved in tech or heavily using tech, e.g. Fin.Tech., Software, ERP systems, etc... His dream job is a bit pie-in-the-sky. He would love to be employed by one of the computer games developing companies.

GUESS WHAT! HE HAS JUST BEEN OFFERED A JOB WITH A COMPUTER GAMES DEVELOPING COMPANY!

Do you believe it, goes from depths of depression from being turned down by all his job applications, to heights of happiness at being offered his dream job.

I had to share the good news. He is running around the house with a big smile on his face and does not seem to be able to get rid of it. :-)

46hfglen
Jan. 18, 2023, 9:10 am

Congratulations to your youngest! That's great news!

47jillmwo
Jan. 18, 2023, 9:18 am

What marvelous news!! Congratulations to the young man and to you. Your post clearly expresses the massive relief of releasing the tightly held breath and unseen on these screens the joyous capering about, the hugs, and the shaking of hands with all and sundry. I'm glad things are going well so well for you and yours. (Is it roughly just 56 days until retirement? There will be parades here in the Pub!!)

48libraryperilous
Jan. 18, 2023, 9:29 am

Congrats!

49Bookmarque
Jan. 18, 2023, 10:10 am

Woo hoo! Glad something positive has turned up!

50pgmcc
Jan. 18, 2023, 11:25 am

>46 hfglen:; >47 jillmwo:; >48 libraryperilous:; >49 Bookmarque:
Thank you all for the congratulations. The house does have a celebratory feel about it at the moment. While my son is twenty-five, he behaves like a teenager, so it is much better having a smiling, cheerful son about the house, rather than a silent, down-at-the-mouth teenagers hanging around.

>47 jillmwo: 34 days, 0 hours, 34 minutes, 5 seconds to be precise.

51pgmcc
Jan. 18, 2023, 11:28 am

>47 jillmwo:
the massive relief of releasing the tightly held breath and unseen on these screens the joyous capering about, the hugs, and the shaking of hands with all and sundry.

You parsed my post perfectly, especially with regards to the massive relief.

52Karlstar
Jan. 18, 2023, 2:44 pm

>45 pgmcc: Congrats to him, that's great news, I hope it is a good company to work for!

53pgmcc
Jan. 18, 2023, 3:24 pm

>52 Karlstar:
Thank you, Jim. He seems to think it is a good company. He was familiar with their games. Apparently it is behind some of the biggest games around.
His knowledge of, nay, familiarity with their products obviously did not hurt him during the recruitment process.

54haydninvienna
Jan. 18, 2023, 4:01 pm

Well done indeed to him from me too!

55pgmcc
Jan. 18, 2023, 4:07 pm

>54 haydninvienna: Thank you, Richard.

56Jim53
Jan. 18, 2023, 5:06 pm

Delighted to hear your son's good news, although I suspect I'm not quite as delighted as you and he are ;-)

57pgmcc
Jan. 18, 2023, 5:13 pm

>56 Jim53:
Thank you, Jim. I think your suspicion is correct, understandably. :-)

58MrsLee
Jan. 18, 2023, 6:55 pm

>45 pgmcc: That is terrific! *Big grin for him in California as well.*

59catzteach
Jan. 18, 2023, 9:22 pm

>45 pgmcc: Doing the happy dance for your son here in Oregon! Congrats to him (and you!)

And only 34 days! How are you containing your own excitement? :)

60NorthernStar
Jan. 18, 2023, 10:05 pm

>45 pgmcc: Congrats to your son - I hope the job is everything he hopes, or better. And congrats to you on your upcoming non-employment. I hope you thoroughly enjoy your retirement!

61pgmcc
Jan. 19, 2023, 2:44 am

>58 MrsLee:; >59 catzteach:; >60 NorthernStar:
Thank you for all the congratulations, Big grins, happy dances, and good wishes.

>60 NorthernStar: I hope you thoroughly enjoy your retirement!

That is the objective I am aiming for. :-)

33 days 9 hours 15 minutes 10 seconds.

62Sakerfalcon
Jan. 19, 2023, 9:34 am

>45 pgmcc: That's wonderful news for your son! I bet he's glad now he didn't get chosen for any of the other jobs. I'm sure he will be able to keep you in your retirement in the style to which you wish to become accustomed.

63pgmcc
Jan. 19, 2023, 12:59 pm

>62 Sakerfalcon: ... he will be able to keep you in your retirement in the style to which you wish to become accustomed.

Here's hoping?

:-)

We are delighted. He is delighted. You might say we are all quite happy at the moment.

64Meredy
Bearbeitet: Jan. 20, 2023, 6:57 pm

>32 pgmcc: Have you read Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber?

65pgmcc
Jan. 20, 2023, 2:20 am

>64 Meredy:
No. Are you recommending it?

66Sakerfalcon
Jan. 20, 2023, 9:53 am

>65 pgmcc: I recommend it!

67Meredy
Jan. 20, 2023, 6:53 pm

>65 pgmcc: Yes. You have to have a taste for that sort of thing, but if you're already looking at one of her books, I'd expect you to like that one.

68pgmcc
Jan. 20, 2023, 7:08 pm

>67 Meredy: & >66 Sakerfalcon:
I have looked at the contents of both The Bloody Chamber and Angela Carter's Book of Fairy Tales and can see there is no overlap. I think I will read the book I have in my possession first to see if, as Meredy says, I like that sort of thing, before heading towards The Bloody Chamber.

69pgmcc
Jan. 20, 2023, 7:26 pm



Would I read another book by this author?
Yes.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes.

Who would I recommend this book to?
Anyone who enjoys golden age murder mysteries.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
I have a handful of other Japanese murder mystery books and I am now likely to read them sooner that later as a result of this book.

This is a locked-room murder mystery set in Japan in 1947. The book is interesting not simply because of its murder mystery nature, but also because it is set in post WWII Japan and gives a glimpse of life in Post-war Japan. It was interesting to read about the cultural norms in Japan in relation to greeting people, visiting their homes, and general politeness.

In terms of culture, the position of women in Japanese homes was highlighted. One quote that brought it home to me is:

The three men shared a light meal of rice, miso soup with tofu and straw mushrooms, grilled butterfish, and various savory side dishes. (Daiyu's wife Mariko, as was customary, served them in silence, the ante later by herself in the kitchen.)

The approach to murder mystery involved setting the scene, describing the scene, setting out the evidence as gleaned from various interviews and investigations, and then the build up to the big reveal.

I found the characters engaging and the story held my interest and attention. There was a slight slowing of pace in the third quarter of the book and that has led me to give the book 3.5 stars rather than 4.

70pgmcc
Jan. 20, 2023, 7:35 pm



My next read is Once Upon A Tome by Oliver Darkshire, a return to my reading books about books.

71pgmcc
Jan. 21, 2023, 7:30 am

Having read the first few pages of Once Upon A Tome I am happy to find it is full of gentle humour and descriptions of the type of retail outlet that has mostly disappeared. Oliver Darkshire holds up the quirks and characters of an antiquarian Antiquarian Bookshop to humorous effect, but does it in a reverential fashion rather than as a cynic or to earn cheap laughs. His descriptions bring to mind shops that, thankfully, are within my living memory. These shops, like their stock, are becoming more rare.

I anticipate that I am going to enjoy reading the rest of this book.

Now to get off the computer and back to Once Upon A Tome.

72pgmcc
Jan. 21, 2023, 7:50 am

A quick recap on my existing book pre-order. 2023 is shaping up to be a great reading year.

Title; Author; Release date

Love Will Tear Us Apart; C. K. McDonnell; 09/02/2023

Hopeland; Ian McDonald; 16/02/2023

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafti; Shannon Chakraborty; 02/03/2023

Beyond the Reach of Earth; Ken MacLeod; 23/03/2023

Titanium Noir; Nick Harkaway; 04/05/2023

73libraryperilous
Jan. 21, 2023, 11:02 am

>72 pgmcc: I'm especially excited for the McDonald and the Chakraborty. Have you read the Daevabad trilogy? I'm also interested in reading something by MacLeod soon. I hope all of your preorders live up to your expectations!

74pgmcc
Jan. 21, 2023, 11:26 am

>73 libraryperilous:
I have read the Daevabad trilogy. I really enjoyed it, especially The City of Brass. It was a book bullet from jillmwo. It is on the strength of my enjoying the Daevabad trilogy that I pre-ordered The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafti.

I was talking to Ian McDonald at the Octocon convention last year; he said he thinks Hopeland is he best work to date. If that proves to be the case it is going to be one hell of a book.

MacLeod's books always work for me.

75Narilka
Jan. 21, 2023, 4:39 pm

>45 pgmcc: Playing catch up. Congratulations to your youngest son! That sounds like an amazing job.

76pgmcc
Jan. 21, 2023, 8:09 pm

>75 Narilka:
Thank you. He is very pleased about it.

77clamairy
Jan. 21, 2023, 10:21 pm

>45 pgmcc: This is fabulous news. You must all be thrilled.

78pgmcc
Jan. 22, 2023, 4:28 am

>77 clamairy:
Thank you, Clare. We are over the moon.

79Jim53
Jan. 22, 2023, 5:00 pm

>70 pgmcc: It might be fun to write about books of this type. A book about books about books.

80pgmcc
Jan. 22, 2023, 5:30 pm

>79 Jim53: I think you are correct. Knowing my recent reading tendencies I would probably read a book about books about books.

81jillmwo
Jan. 22, 2023, 8:04 pm

>70 pgmcc: and >79 Jim53: I would swear that Oliver's handling of the Sotheran's Twitter account was what got me through the pandemic. The humor and the elements of fantasy were just what I needed and I am so eager to read Once Upon a Tome when it arrives here in March. It was an immediate pre-order for me. I am on tenterhooks awaiting your literary assessment, Peter.

82pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Jan. 23, 2023, 5:05 am

I finished reading Once Upon a Tome at 00:05 hrs this morning. I read it over the weekend with not difficulty.

By description in >71 pgmcc: still stands now that I have read the whole book.

It occurred to me that this book could be viewed as a marketing tool for Sotherans. The limited footfall in Sackville Street is mentioned many times, and I cannot get away from the thought that the people running Sotherans would rather the shop was located in a more vibrant location where many other bookshops of its nature reside, such as Cecil Court. It strikes me that this book is an attempt to counter the disadvantages associated with Sotherans physical location. Linked to Sotherans recent adoption of The Internet (it will never catch on) for reaching a wider potential customer base and selling books, this book can be seen an astute marketing initiative. People are, in effect, buying Sotherans' marketing material.

There is one gripe I have about this book and the author's attitudes. He has written an excellent chapter about how he and his colleagues do not tolerate fascism, homophobia and racism, and will refuse to serve people who demonstrate such tendencies. This I find commendable, but his earnest statements lose some of their credibility when you read in the previous chapter how he associates Irish accents with violence, and in a subsequent chapter describes one of his former colleagues leaving the job and, "...moving to a remote village in Ireland without electricity or clean water..." There has not been a remote village in Ireland without electricity since the early 1960s. These lapses are evidence of unconscious bias that would probably (hopefully) embarrass the author if brought to his attention.

Would I read another book by this author?
Possibly. I do not get the impression he will write more books.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes.

Who would I recommend this book to?
Anyone interesting in books and bookshops.

Has this book inspired me to do anything?
It inspired me to look up the location of the shop in Google maps and view the shop front in Google Streetview. If I happen to be in that part of London I will have a look at the shop, and may even venture into the premises to become one of those people who wander through the place without buying a book.

83haydninvienna
Jan. 23, 2023, 5:43 am

>82 pgmcc: Just looked at the location myself. It's only a few metres from Piccadilly, and near to Hatchards (supposed to be the oldest bookshop in London) and not far from the Waterstones mothership. The general area looks pretty high-class, entirely right for a high-class rare book shop.

Having looked at the website, I doubt if I'll go in there. £300 for a modern first of Jurassic Park is too rich for my blood, and I don't care for Michael Crichton anyway. However amusing their description may be:
Let us all be thankful that the tyrannosaurus rex has tiny arms and cannot read, or it would all be over for us. In addition to being a seminal prehistoric disaster classic, the book makes some eccentric choices in layout which make it entertaining to read. Of course, under all the lighthearted carnage is a warning about the dangers of overcommercialisation, the dangers of playing god, and the hubris of man. But mostly it's about dinosaurs.

84pgmcc
Jan. 23, 2023, 6:57 am

>83 haydninvienna:
I see Hatchards is just around the corner. Darkshire complains many times about how quiet Sackville Street is. The road Hatchards is on does appear a lot busier.

Sotherans would fit perfectly with the shops located in Cecil Court.

85haydninvienna
Jan. 23, 2023, 7:23 am

>84 pgmcc: Hatchards is on Piccadilly, which is one of the busiest streets in London, and has a number of high-class establishments, like Fortnum & Mason’s. The Burlington Arcade, which I’ve never dared even go into, is nearly opposite the Piccadilly end of Sackville Street. The area is expensive and even if Darkshire really did want more footfall, I suspect that anyone who is prepared to pay £45,000 for an association copy of George Orwell’s Homage to Catalonia (https://sotherans.co.uk/collections/modern-first-editions/products/orwell-george-homage-to-catalonia) already knows where Sotheran’s is.

86pgmcc
Jan. 23, 2023, 8:43 am

>85 haydninvienna:
Only £45,000? Cheap at twice the price.

87haydninvienna
Bearbeitet: Jan. 23, 2023, 8:53 am

>86 pgmcc: I think I took a BB from their somewhat eccentrically organised catalogue though:A History of Dangerous Assumptions. £20 from them, or get it new from Amazon for £9.40.

ETA only 1 copy on LT, and no reviews.

88pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Jan. 23, 2023, 9:01 am

>87 haydninvienna:
We all know what happens when we assume. Very hazardous.

I grabbed a few minutes over lunch to dip into my new read, Stranger Times.



This is the first Caimh McDonnel book I have read as a real, physical book. I came across it by accident in Hodges Figgis and snatched it up.

At this stage I have read 26 pages. My initial reaction is good. If has a different feel from his Dublin Trilogy books. I am enjoying the humour.

89MrsLee
Jan. 23, 2023, 8:33 pm

>88 pgmcc: That series does have its own pace and feel, and when you get far enough that you aren't comparing anymore, it is a good feel.

90pgmcc
Jan. 24, 2023, 4:44 am

>89 MrsLee:
I stopped comparing as soon as I started reading. The different pace and feel that you mention came across at once. I was admiring how McDonnell could write something quite different in style from The Dublin Trillogy books. This is going to be one of those books I will be picking up at every opportunity.

91jillmwo
Jan. 24, 2023, 9:58 am

>82 pgmcc: I am a tad distressed because your review of Once Upon a Tome does not sound as if you loved it. I am worried that perhaps I should cancel my pre-order for it before the book shows up on my door in March...

92pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Jan. 24, 2023, 11:10 am

>91 jillmwo:
I would not cancel the pre-order if I were you. You have to take into consideration the effect on me of the unconscious bias that came to light. Apart from that it was an entertaining read with plenty of gentle humour. The fact that I thought if part of a marketing campaign does not mean it is not entertaining. The author is quite erudite and I learned a few new words. The latter point probably says more about my vocabulary than anything else.

The author made a point that I thought was interesting and that lines up well with comments made by one or two of my book-dealer friends. It was a warning actually, which I did not think served the book-selling world well. He made the point that collectors should not look on books as an investment. They will deteriorate physically with time and cannot be relied upon to retain their value. This sounded strange coming from someone who works in a shop that is not shy about putting a price of £14,900 on a book. Still, I thought it was a particularly honest thing for him to write.

E.T.A.
The 3.5 star rating I gave the book means I considered if a very good book. For me 3 stars is a good book. I finished the book in a very short period of time, so I was captivated by it, but it did not leave me feeling, "WOW! THAT WAS A THING." It left me, "That was an interesting read. Pity about the unconscious bias, but hey, looking at it as someone who was not affected by that, it is a very good book worth 3.5 stars." It would have to have been in the "WOW!" category to get the four star treatment. It is a book I am glad to have read, and it is a book that captures the atmosphere of the type of shop I would like to spend time.

93suitable1
Jan. 25, 2023, 1:00 pm

So, I heard that you are losing your job. Will you be homeless then? Do we need to start a go-fund-me? Or will your undercover work expand to meet the shortfall?

94pgmcc
Jan. 25, 2023, 1:08 pm

>93 suitable1:
That information is Classified.

95jillmwo
Bearbeitet: Jan. 25, 2023, 4:02 pm

>92 pgmcc: He made the point that collectors should not look on books as an investment. They will deteriorate physically with time and cannot be relied upon to retain their value. This sounded strange coming from someone who works in a shop that is not shy about putting a price of £14,900 on a book. Still, I thought it was a particularly honest thing for him to write.

This is why you encounter different perspectives about the book as object. I assume you saw this opinion piece in the Guardian this week? https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/23/reading-is-precious-but-th...

I happen to believe in re-homing books, but if anything contributes to the idea of book ownership as making one part of an elite, it would be the idea of being a serious book collector. The rest of us just believe in sharing.

96clamairy
Jan. 25, 2023, 4:17 pm

>82 pgmcc: "...his earnest statements lose some of their credibility when you read in the previous chapter how he associates Irish accents with violence, and in a subsequent chapter describes one of his former colleagues leaving the job and, "...moving to a remote village in Ireland without electricity or clean water..." There has not been a remote village in Ireland without electricity since the early 1960s. These lapses are evidence of unconscious bias that would probably (hopefully) embarrass the author if brought to his attention."

Bring it to his attention. Seriously. Even if he never reads the email/or letter you will feel better.

97Karlstar
Jan. 25, 2023, 4:48 pm

>95 jillmwo: I am happy to share and lend my books. I know some won't come back, so if the book has extra meaning (those 9 or 10 rated ones) I'll have a loaner copy. I'm also happy to purchase used books, but I have a mix of used and new.

98pgmcc
Jan. 25, 2023, 5:21 pm

>95 jillmwo: I saw The Guardian article as Johnny Geller tweeted a very good response to it. I have sent the tweet to you in Messenger.

My own interpretation of the article is that its writer was being very judgemental of people who have a book collection. Her comments do not sit with the concept that a collection of books should be looked upon in the same way as a good wine cellar, not just a TBR stack. The books are there to be read at the right time, not guzzled down as soon as they acquired.

99Karlstar
Jan. 25, 2023, 10:23 pm

>98 pgmcc: I like the wine cellar comparison.

100haydninvienna
Jan. 26, 2023, 3:15 am

>98 pgmcc: The article is basically a piece of Guardian snark at the middle class and anyone who is not Buddhist. The only reason Marie Kondo didn’t appear is that Marie is now so terribly last year, dahling.

101pgmcc
Jan. 26, 2023, 3:46 am

>100 haydninvienna:
:-)

I thought The Gaurdian* was middle class. Did I get that wrong? Is it middle class wanting to believe itself working class?

*...or is it Graduian or Gudarian?

102pgmcc
Jan. 26, 2023, 3:47 am

>99 Karlstar:

I am torn between the wine cellar and the gold mine comparisons. I might be forced to like them both equally.

103haydninvienna
Jan. 26, 2023, 4:24 am

>101 pgmcc: The Grauniad is irretrievably middle-class, but for the more advanced thinkers among its writers and readers, “middle-class” is used only as an insult. Just so you know, I am a Guardian subscriber (only because I think it a good idea that there should be at least one newspaper that isn’t controlled by a plutocrat) but I seldom read it.

104pgmcc
Jan. 26, 2023, 4:50 am

>103 haydninvienna:
The Guardian is the only UK paper that I consider reliable with respect to its content. I say "reliable" but must add the caveat that with any newspaper reliability is a relative thing. Having grown up in a relatively news-active environment and read/heard the journalist reports about events I had witnessed, I have developed a healthy regard for news reports. That regard involves several salt containers.

105UncleMort
Jan. 26, 2023, 6:10 am

>104 pgmcc: I agree, with any event that I have personally witnessed or have knowledge of, then I find the media have made errors. Some are genuine mistakes, but there is always a "spin" from the political stance. The Guardian is notorious for both.

106haydninvienna
Jan. 26, 2023, 7:37 am

>104 pgmcc: >105 UncleMort: I agree with both of you, except that I think that, within its more limited scope, the best reporting among British newspapers is in the Financial Times. I wouldn’t trust the Times or the Telegraph as far as I could throw a rolled-up copy. As for the likes of the Daily Mail, the paper is too coarse for its only proper use.

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, I worked in a government department in Australia that was involved in a long running lawsuit. Since I spent a lot of time sitting in court, I knew exactly what was going on, and how sloppy the reporting of it was. Not so much because of spin, but just sloppy. Most newspapers have some sort of editorial slant, and “spin” adds another layer.

107MrsLee
Jan. 26, 2023, 10:13 am

I consider myself a book companion. I don't "collect" or aquire them for any purpose other than pleasing myself. If that makes me middle class, it is a place I am comfortable living in.

108ScoLgo
Jan. 26, 2023, 12:02 pm

>106 haydninvienna: "As for the likes of the Daily Mail, the paper is too coarse for its only proper use."

*snort* ;-)

109haydninvienna
Jan. 26, 2023, 1:22 pm

>107 MrsLee: I think most Pub denizens would agree with you.

>108 ScoLgo: I actually thought of another use, but we don’t have a puppy that needs to be house-trained.

110jillmwo
Jan. 26, 2023, 1:31 pm

I dunno. I think I blame the boyfriend she mentions in the column who seems to feel that however many books she owns, she should not have that many. I mean, talk about intolerance of a partner's foibles. I can only hope she has a friend who will take her aside for a talk about toxic relationships.

As for the newspaper itself, I read the Guardian because it doesn't have an artificial constraint on how many articles I'm allowed to read for free. (They claim that I'm one of their top global readers which I find implausible at best if I've only read 117 items over the course of a twelve-month period. Their count, not mine.)

111MrsLee
Jan. 26, 2023, 2:29 pm

>110 jillmwo: I agree. I don't see a reason to think more or less of anyone for their choices in this matter. I think that is what rubs wrong with this article, is the judgy tone. Keep books, don't keep them, it shouldn't matter to anyone but yourself. I can see a point in considering the spouse's opinion, hopefully their love is such that she is ok adjusting herself to his beliefs. But that can backfire later in life when one gets tired of being someone else to please others.

112nonil
Jan. 27, 2023, 9:29 am

>95 jillmwo: I didn't mind the column, but that may be because I assume that any opinion piece is framed as provocatively as possible in order to attract more attention. I assume a lot fewer people would care if it was a piece saying "my boyfriend doesn't tend to have many books around, so I decided to re-home some I didn't particularly care for and it turns out I enjoyed that process and will continue".

113pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Jan. 27, 2023, 7:48 pm

>112 nonil:
I agree with your point relating to the provocative framing of the opinion piece*. I would, however, ask what true book lover could every find themselves enjoying the process of re-homing their precious books. :-)

* As was pointed out to me on a media training programme I attended, journalists, be they radio, TV, newspaper, on-line news channel, blogger or pod-caster, are looking to generate sensationalism and will deliberately say things in a fashion that will generate controversy and attract attention. While all the people I have interacted with about this Guardian article, over several media channels, have all been opposed to the views put forward in the article, we have all been spending time talking about it and posting about it. Regardless of whether the article's author believed in what she wrote or not, it has been a very successful article in terms of the attention and reaction it has garnered. As the old saying goes, "There is no such thing as bad publicity!"

114fuzzi
Jan. 27, 2023, 6:04 pm

>45 pgmcc: happy for your son, and you!

Now I'm all caught up...

1152wonderY
Bearbeitet: Jan. 27, 2023, 10:17 pm

>95 jillmwo: My eyes lit at the third paragraph in that article:

“ Some people treat books like totemic, magical objects.”

That is exactly Emma Smith’s premise in her new book Portable Magic, which I grabbed from the library.

116Karlstar
Jan. 27, 2023, 10:29 pm

>113 pgmcc: Very true, we've already given the darn article more interest than it deserved. However, I think we're having fun talking about it and the author most likely will never be aware that we are!

1172wonderY
Jan. 28, 2023, 9:39 am

>113 pgmcc:
“I would, however, ask what true book lover could every find themselves enjoying the process of re-homing their precious books.”

I tried putting a Little Free Library out by the street. But it only acquired more books!

It’s probably a matter of finding the right set of donees. I have a difficult time with getting rid of clothing as well as books. But I culled my closet of stuff that didn’t really fit, but was still pretty - embroideries, velvets, botanicals - and brought them to class (I’m auditing college classes) and offered them to classmates. It was so much fun watching them try on and claim items. Even the guys took embroidered vests.

Hmm. I have 4 boxes of books still looking for the right set of takers.

118jillmwo
Jan. 28, 2023, 10:47 am

>117 2wonderY: Of course, it is a case of finding the right place to deposit the books one is willing to pass on. I have sent good quality content to a local Little Free Library hosted by our church. I have sent other stuff to Goodwill in the hopes that someone who might not otherwise feel s/he could afford books might find something that amuses or thrills. However, there are always those books that don't seem to fit ANYWHERE when trying to rehome them.

119Jim53
Jan. 29, 2023, 2:51 pm

>113 pgmcc: I was going to type an impassioned rebuttal of the idea that no true book lover would enjoy rehoming books, but I decided you didn't really mean it ;-)

120pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Jan. 29, 2023, 5:27 pm



We dropped into Hodges Figgis after dinner and I picked up the above Maigret. We like Maigret.

121fuzzi
Jan. 31, 2023, 9:39 am

>117 2wonderY: my coworkers are no longer accepting my discards, and I've got about $150 worth of credit at the local used book store, so my books are now rehomed to a thrift store, which is also a ministry.

122pgmcc
Feb. 1, 2023, 3:58 am

I finished The Stranger Times which was thoroughly enjoyable.

I have not started The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas. This is our Lockdown Book Club read for February/March. It is a detective novel set in Paris. The first two chapters have hooked. This is one of those rare creatures, a book club read that could be good. :-)

123AHS-Wolfy
Feb. 1, 2023, 7:10 am

>122 pgmcc: I'm on the second Stranger Times book and loving the series.

The Three Evangelists was just an okay read for me. Glad it wasn't the first of hers I'd read as I much prefer the Adamsberg series which I thought was terrific.

124pgmcc
Feb. 1, 2023, 8:19 am

>123 AHS-Wolfy:
Thanks for the pointer on Vargas. So far so good. I will let you know how I get on with the rest of the book.

I hope to start The Stranger Times sequel soon.

125jillmwo
Feb. 1, 2023, 12:29 pm

>122 pgmcc: I've read Fred Vargas (although not that particular title). She's good!

126pgmcc
Feb. 2, 2023, 3:02 am

>117 2wonderY:
I tried putting a Little Free Library out by the street. But it only acquired more books!

Book Karma. :-)

127pgmcc
Feb. 2, 2023, 3:04 am

>118 jillmwo:
in the hopes that someone who might not otherwise feel s/he could afford books might find something that amuses or thrills.

That strikes me as a most admirable way to re-home books.

128pgmcc
Feb. 2, 2023, 3:05 am

129pgmcc
Feb. 2, 2023, 3:06 am

>121 fuzzi:
Thrift stores would be a worthy channel for re-homing books, however, the majority of charity shops here have stopped accepting books as they have had so many donations and do not have space to keep them on display.

130pgmcc
Feb. 2, 2023, 3:10 am

>125 jillmwo: I am enjoying The Three Evangelists. I believe I will be looking out for more Vargas books when I have finished this one.

131Sakerfalcon
Feb. 2, 2023, 5:13 am

I love Fred Vargas's books! I'm not a big mystery fan but something about her characters and the slightly surreal nature of the stories appeals to me.

132AHS-Wolfy
Feb. 2, 2023, 6:55 am

>131 Sakerfalcon: It's definitely her characters that draw me back to her books rather than the actual mysteries involved. Some of the Evangelists characters do make cameo appearances in her other series too.

133pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Feb. 3, 2023, 4:47 pm

I am about 40% through The Three Evangelists and am enjoying it. I have had to stop because my Kindle needed charging. I do not like it that books run out of power.

In the meantime I am going to update you all on this momentous day.

Firstly, this morning I received a letter from the Department of Social Protection informing me that I was going to receive a free-travel card which will activate on my next birthday. Some people choose to see this as a miserable reminder that they are getting old. I prefer to think of it as my just desserts after working for several decades and contributing to the wealth of the nation. Well, no, that is not exactly how I think about it. What I really think is, "Yay! I do not have to bother about buying travel credit anymore. Yay!"

I took today off work to use up some of the leave I have left before I retire. I chose today for leave as Monday is a bank holiday, St. Brigid's Day. It is a new bank holiday and was introduced as a acknowledgement of the burden of COVID and the great effort put in during the pandemic by all the essential workers. This will now be a permanent bank holiday on the first Monday of February. My taking Friday off gives me a four day weekend. Yay! On this day three weeks I will be starting a 365 day weekend. I will have one of those every year from here on. :-)

On my day off I decided to go to the local library and get a membership card. My previous one has lapsed. I had to provide two pieces of identification and I used 1. my Public Services Card that has my picture and identifies me as me. 2. My free travel card notification letter that confirms I live at the address I live at. :-)

I got the library ticket as a pre-emptive act so I will have access to the books I want after I retire. I had not planned to take a book out, but after getting my card I spotted a book called Under The Duvet by Marian Keyes. Marian Keyes is an Irish author who I was aware of but had never given her work much attention. About six months ago I happened to catch her being interviewed on TV and she came across as very funny and astute. Self-deprecating and sharp. I decided I needed to give her work a closer look. When I picked up Under The Duvet I decided it was for me. This book is a collection of articles she was written for various publications on a range of different topics. It is quite autobiographical, but mostly humorous. Her writing is very easy to read and the flow is well paced. Her sense of humour is very rewarding. I plan to give some of her novels a go. I have seen a couple more Marian Keyes interviews and they have reinforced my eagerness to delve further into this author's work.



E.T.A. I am reading Under The Duvet while Kindle is on the charger.

134haydninvienna
Feb. 3, 2023, 4:54 pm

>133 pgmcc: Nice birthday present, Peter! Enjoy your holiday and your permanent long weeend—but I have a distinct feeling that you are going to be busier than ever

135pgmcc
Feb. 3, 2023, 5:15 pm

>134 haydninvienna:
I think you could be correct.

136catzteach
Feb. 4, 2023, 12:30 pm

>133 pgmcc: I’ve read a few Marian Keyes. It was years ago, but I really enjoyed her books. Thanks for the reminder that she is someone I like. I’ll have to pick up her books again.

137jillmwo
Feb. 4, 2023, 12:52 pm

>133 pgmcc: There is always the concern over battery life when it comes to these devices. Sometimes everything is calm and other times you're trying desperately to coax just another fifteen minutes out of the wretched thing.

138MrsLee
Feb. 4, 2023, 5:17 pm

Please may I know what travel credit is and where one would use it? Is it for public transportation?

139pgmcc
Feb. 4, 2023, 6:08 pm

>138 MrsLee:
We have what is called a Leap card. You can charge it up with credit to use on public transport. You swipe it when getting on a bus or a tram. The charging can be done on-line or at certain retail shops.

When one reaches the age of 66 one gets a free travel card. It works the same as a Leap card but you do not have to charge it. We can us it to book train tickets as well.

140MrsLee
Feb. 4, 2023, 6:44 pm

>139 pgmcc: Thank you, that sounds like a very useful birthday/retirement gift!

141pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Feb. 6, 2023, 12:52 pm

I have finished The Three Evangelists. It is a solid crime novel with the added attraction of being set in France. This book is a translation and one would not know , hence the translator did a good job. Fred Vargas was the author, and Siân Reynolds was the translator.

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes.

Who would I recommend this book to?
Anyone who likes crime novels.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
It inspired me to look up what other books have been written by this author. I will be reading of Fred Vargas's novels.



I enjoyed the setting, characters and storyline. The early chapters caught my attention and held me captive. In the middle of the book I felt there were a few character interactions that were a bit dragged out, but in general the story was entertaining and enjoyable. Clues and red-herrings were flying everywhere, and I enjoyed the French setting and atmosphere.

While I will still dip into Under The Duvet, I am starting a new novel, namely, This Charming Man. This is the second c. K. McDonnell book in his urban fantasy series, The Stranger Times. His books have become a bit of an addiction for me.

142AHS-Wolfy
Feb. 6, 2023, 6:41 am

>141 pgmcc: It's never the mystery element of the Fred Vargas books that drag me back but her characters are always fascinating. Hope you continue to enjoy her work. Sian Reynolds does do a fantastic job with the translations too.

Hopefully I'll get my review for This Charming Man up soon. (you might want to check your touchstone on this one)

143Sakerfalcon
Feb. 6, 2023, 10:57 am

I enjoyed both The three evangelists and This charming man. I'm looking forward to next Stranger Times book which has just been published.

144pgmcc
Feb. 6, 2023, 12:45 pm

>143 Sakerfalcon:
Love Will Tear Us Apart, due to arrive on my Kindle this coming Thursday. :-)

145pgmcc
Feb. 6, 2023, 12:56 pm

>142 AHS-Wolfy:

Thank you for bringing the touchstone error to my attention. It was pointing towards a book with the same title written by Marian Keyes, which is a coincidence since I am reading a Marian Keyes book at the moment, Under The Duvet. And as if that were not enough of a coincidence, my facebook presented me with an article about character development written by Marian Keyes (see link below). Marian Keyes must have some strong power at the moment.

https://www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/blog/marian-keyes-inside-story-author-inte...

146AHS-Wolfy
Feb. 6, 2023, 2:24 pm

>145 pgmcc: Ah yes, the famous facebook tracking algorithm in operation right there.

147pgmcc
Feb. 9, 2023, 4:30 pm

I arrived into my office today and had started work some twenty minutes when I received a telephone call from my daughter, the one that lives in Ireland. She had to come into Dublin this morning for work, but due to a series of unfortunate events, namely several people who were to let her into the workplace all getting sick, she had to wait over an hour for another person to come into town to sign her in. With spare time to kill she suggested I join her for a coffee.

At first I thought, "Oh! I have work to do. I can't really go off for a coffee at 9am."

Then I thought, "I am retiring next week. I have basically handed over the important processes and duties. Why the blazes shouldn't I meet my daughter for a cup of coffee?" So, I went for coffee. Well, a hot chocolate and croissant to be precise.

This was a long explanation for why I found myself dropping into Books Upstairs on my way back to the office where I bought five folio edition books in their secondhand book section. All but one of them still has its slipcase.

I have been intending to read more Anthony Trollope and four of the books are Trollopes. They are:

The Warden, the first book the Barset series.

The Last Chronicles of Barset, the last book in the Barset series.

The Two Heroines of Plumplington and Other Stories

The Eustace Diamonds

The fifth book is Crime Stories From the Strand, a selection of crime stories from The Strand Magazine.

I was very chuffed with finding these beautiful books and am looking forward to reading them. My first Trollope was Barchester Towers which I enjoyed immensely. At the time I was not aware it was the second book of the Barset series. To be fair, I was not even aware there was a Barset series.

Having realised I had not read the first book in the series I purchased a cheap copy of The Warden, but now I can look forward to reading a lovely Folio edition.

The Crime Stories From The Strand is also a book I am looking forward to.

The rest of my day was spent preparing handover documents, coffee breaks with colleagues I will be leaving next week, and having my last programme steering committee meeting for a programme I have been managing. I got the handover and programme status details finished quickly in the meeting and the rest of the meeting was my thanking the committee members for their support and their wishing me well in my retirement. Yes, they are all jealous. :-)

Next week will be interesting. On Wednesday my team is having a lunch for me. You may get an idea of the type of lunch it will be when you hear it starts at 2pm.

On Friday I have arranged drinks and finger food for colleagues in a pub near work. That starts at 5pm to accommodate people who want to get off home early. It will also accommodate people who will stay much longer. I have a designated driver. :-)

148jillmwo
Feb. 9, 2023, 4:42 pm

What a great day you've had!! And some excellent selections there by Trollope!

149pgmcc
Feb. 9, 2023, 4:54 pm

>148 jillmwo:
Yes, I really enjoyed today.

Of course, while the books were lower than new prices, there was still a number on the credit card that required explanation. When I arrived home I informed my wife that she had bought my birthday present today. I appear to have gotten away with it on that basis.

150pgmcc
Feb. 9, 2023, 5:02 pm

I have just received an e-mail informing me that Love Will Tear Us Apart has been delivered to my Kindle.



151clamairy
Feb. 9, 2023, 5:50 pm

>147 pgmcc: Oh, how wonderful. What a pleasant surprise.

Let me know when you start a Trollope and I will join you. I've never read any, and he's been on my bucket list for decades. (I bought a whole series back in the day.)

152jillmwo
Feb. 9, 2023, 5:53 pm

>151 clamairy: Ooooh, let's do a group read of Trollope this year. I do enjoy Trollope.

153clamairy
Feb. 9, 2023, 5:55 pm

>152 jillmwo: This sounds like a wonderful idea!

154Narilka
Feb. 9, 2023, 8:08 pm

>147 pgmcc: That sounds lovely, both your day today and your plans for next week. Live it up!

155MrsLee
Feb. 9, 2023, 11:42 pm

>147 pgmcc: Next week already! Good for you! We'll done on the book acquisition. I also would read a Trollope, I have a couple kicking around here and there. I may not be able to read in a group, but would enjoy hearing about it. I've enjoyed the one or two books of his that I have read.

156suitable1
Feb. 10, 2023, 12:50 am

>147 pgmcc: That was a pricy coffee!

157pgmcc
Feb. 10, 2023, 3:41 am

>151 clamairy:, >152 jillmwo:

A group Trollope read would be great. Not having to work after next Friday might mean I can even keep up with the group.

It is dawning on me that next Friday will be my last "End-of-the-working-week" Friday. Does this mean that every subsequent Friday will have been devalued? Will I not greet every future Friday with the TGIF feeling?

As it happens, I am dining with a friend in the TGIF restaurant on Thursday 23rd.

158pgmcc
Feb. 10, 2023, 3:41 am

>154 Narilka:
I have to admit that I am looking forward to next week.

159pgmcc
Feb. 10, 2023, 3:43 am

>155 MrsLee:
I am looking forward to reading the Trollopes, and now that I have nice copies to read I will have additional joy in reading them.

160pgmcc
Feb. 10, 2023, 3:45 am

>156 suitable1:
As I was crossing O'Connell Bridge on my way back to the office and carrying my bag of books, I was thinking of sending my daughter a text message telling her just how expensive the coffee turned out to be. You and I obviously think the same way.

161Sakerfalcon
Feb. 10, 2023, 9:48 am

>147 pgmcc: Books, coffee and croissant! What an excellent way to spend the morning!

162pgmcc
Feb. 10, 2023, 9:52 am

>161 Sakerfalcon: It was indeed.

163ScoLgo
Feb. 10, 2023, 10:53 am

>157 pgmcc: "Will I not greet every future Friday with the TGIF feeling?"

After he retired, my father-in-law had a favorite saying, "Every day is Saturday!"

And yes, you could definitely hear the exclamation point.

164jillmwo
Feb. 10, 2023, 10:59 am

>157 pgmcc: With regard to your concerns over the de-valuing of Friday, in my status of semi-retirement, the regular occurrence of Fridays has translated to a vaguely pleasant distancing from what used to be a day of staff meetings and the dejected recognition of the week's failed productivity based on the to-do list. At the moment, the to-do list -- if not shorter -- is composed of the things that I want to do and deem as a priority vs all the things that colleagues felt should be a priority. (There are still vast stretches of procrastination in the week, but I'll get to the priority stuff eventually.)

165Karlstar
Feb. 10, 2023, 2:29 pm

i was recently surprised to see on a Cooking Channel show, that they mentioned a restaurant in Dublin, I believe called 'Wing It', which apparently makes super spicy chicken wings. Are you familiar with it? Do you eat chicken wings?

Not that I was surprised that they included a Dublin restaurant, but that it was known for chicken wings and even more so for extremely spicy ones.

166haydninvienna
Feb. 10, 2023, 2:37 pm

Heh. I’ve had Fridays off since 2011. Something to be said for working in a Muslim country. Of course the downside was working on Sundays.

>147 pgmcc: Peter, you are incorrigible and irrepressible.

Looking at the time—I hope enjoyed your lunch, and are now enjoying your drinks and finger food.

167hfglen
Feb. 10, 2023, 2:42 pm

>166 haydninvienna: It sounds like Peter's daughter knows exactly how to incorrige him.

168suitable1
Feb. 11, 2023, 12:21 am

>157 pgmcc: One of the downsides of retirement is the difficulty of keeping track of the day of the week.

169pgmcc
Feb. 11, 2023, 2:49 am

>163 ScoLgo:
And yes, you could definitely hear the exclamation point.

I can relate to this. :-)

By the way, have you ever seen Victor Borge's act in which he presents phonetic punctuation? You can find it HERE.

170pgmcc
Feb. 11, 2023, 3:22 am

>164 jillmwo:
(There are still vast stretches of procrastination in the week, but I'll get to the priority stuff eventually.)

You reminded me of the saying, "When a man says he is going to do something he will do it. There is no need to nag him about it every six months."

In relation to your Friday meetings. The day of the week to have such meetings has always been a point of debate for project teams I have worked on over the week. Some argue the meetings should be on Monday with a forward looking focus, i.e. what are we going to do this week? Of course they end up highlighting what we didn't do last week. Some people argue that Monday meetings give people the opportunity to put in some weekend work to finish off the work of last week. That is not really a good idea as it is impinging on people's private time and family time, however, it is probably a solution we have all used.

There are arguments about Friday meetings too. As you state in relation to your meetings, the focus is depressingly on the unfinished jobs, thus depressing people before they go into their weekend, a time when people should be relaxing and rebuilding their energy so that they can tackle their work with gusto on Monday morning. There is also the idea that a Friday meeting for planning next week is to far away from next week and that people will have to spend some time on Monday morning digging out their notes to remind them what the new week's tasks are, whereas the Monday planning meeting is immediate and everyone just gets to it.

Also, Friday is a day for optimism and joy at the prospect of having two days to spend as you, or your partner, wish. Why ruin those feelings. Friday is also a day that many people might take as a day's leave to give themselves a long weekend. Why have a meeting on Friday with the potential for key staff absences.

I hold held my project meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesday gave people time to catch up on last week's work without necessarily interfering with their weekend activities. Thursdays meant that the angst of unfinished tasks could be addressed before Friday and that Friday would then become the optimistic start to the week's work, thus supporting the optimism that comes from the approach of the weekend. Also, getting some work done on the week's work on Friday means that Monday is simply a continuation of Friday's success rather than a total ramp up to get into the work schedule.

My work has involved me in looking at different approaches to planning and scheduling and getting things done. The modern approach, and it must have been modern for over twenty years, is having weekly planning meetings, but also having daily fifteen minute operations meetings focused on, the following questions:
Did we get everything done yesterday?
If not, what can we do to catch up?
What are we going to do today?

These meetings maintain focus and prevent any major slippage. They also provide support and assistance on tasks that might be proving more difficult.

In a week's time I can forget all this, so I am using this opportunity to pour it out of my brain. :-)

171pgmcc
Feb. 11, 2023, 3:34 am

>165 Karlstar:
I was not aware of "Wing It" until you mentioned it. It appears, according to their website, they started in 2012 in a tent at festivals in Ireland, moved on to a van and now have three restaurants in Dublin.

Wings have been popular here for decades. Buffalo Wings would have been the initial name used. They are delicious.

I recently noticed cauliflower wings on a menu in a different restaurant. I see Wing It offer these as their vegan option.

Thanks for letting me know. I will check out Wing It at some stage and report back. Their first two restaurants are in places I do not usually find myself, but I see they mention a location on George's Street and that is somewhere I am more likely to find myself. It is a place with a wide range of restaurants and coffee shops.

172pgmcc
Feb. 11, 2023, 3:41 am

>166 haydninvienna:
I spent a week working in Saudi Arabia and noted the appropriately adjusted weekend.

Peter, you are incorrigible and irrepressible.
:-)

The drinks and finger food are next Friday, but it is funny you should mention it. Yesterday, Friday 10th, I received a number of Whatsapp messages from a former colleague who has been invited to the retirement drinks. I hear from him occasionally so I was a bit surprised to have so many messages from him during the day.

When I was a home in the evening I received a message that stated:
"Oh! It's the 17th. No, I did not make a mistake. I was coming into The Grand Central Bar anyway to meet someone else." :-)

I looked back over our Whatsapp conversation and my invitation clearly states "17th".

173pgmcc
Feb. 11, 2023, 3:42 am

>167 hfglen:
Yes, it was all her fault.

174pgmcc
Feb. 11, 2023, 3:44 am

>168 suitable1:
That is something I am going to try to address. I might work out a weekly schedule for some key chores to ensure I keep track of the day of the week. Otherwise I might adopt >163 ScoLgo:'s father-in-law's approach of defining every day as Saturday.

175pgmcc
Feb. 11, 2023, 3:49 am

Some of you may recall that I am constantly woken up early by our cat. If I am getting up at 7am he will wake me around 5am, or 4am, and has been known to wake me at 3am. Once he wakes me he insists on my bringing him downstairs and feeding him. On occasion I close the bedroom door to keep him out, but not always. Once the cat wakes me I seldom get back to sleep.

This morning I woke at 6:45am, with no cat. The absence of the cat, especially with the bedroom door open, had me worried. Where is the cat? Was he left out all night? Oh, the poor cat? I was so worried about the cat I got up to see where he was. It turns out he was out all night. I thought it very ironic that when there was no cat I still couldn't sleep on.

176pgmcc
Feb. 11, 2023, 4:22 am

>165 Karlstar:
You have me wanting some chicken wings now.

177haydninvienna
Feb. 11, 2023, 6:25 am

>175 pgmcc: I’ve often wondered why you seem to post quite frequently at about 4 am. Now I know—the furry but unreliable alarm clock.

1782wonderY
Feb. 11, 2023, 9:13 am

>167 hfglen: I lost my tea reading your post! Permission to borrow, sir!

>174 pgmcc: The lack of a calendar schedule is a glorious feeling, but it can contribute to confusion; something we elders don’t like the feel of. I grabbed the opportunity to audit a college class. It gives just the right amount of structure and the chance to meet more lovely people.
Wow! Your last day is just zooming toward you. Celebrate!!

179pgmcc
Bearbeitet: Feb. 11, 2023, 10:32 am

>178 2wonderY:
My employer organised a two-day retirement course. It was a worthwhile event. One of the topics covered was the importance of purpose and structure. The presenter emphasised the dangers of falling into a state of not knowing what day of the week it is. He said the key to our productive life during retirement lay in our hobbies and interests, be they volunteering for charity work, walking hills or reading books. My wife, who attended the course with me found this changed her view on hobbies. She viewed hobbies as simply a way of passing time and therefore they were unimportant. Now she sees the importance of all my books. :-)

180jillmwo
Feb. 11, 2023, 12:02 pm

>170 pgmcc: First of all, I'm rolling on the floor, laughing!
>179 pgmcc: I am in absolute agreement with the presenter's point of view.

181Karlstar
Bearbeitet: Feb. 11, 2023, 1:25 pm

>176 pgmcc: I await the report! How do you like your food on the heat scale? I used to enjoy dabbling (dabbing?) in really hot hot sauces, but just for fun. I prefer to enjoy my food, not be assaulted by it, so 'hot' is usually ok, but super hot is just a waste of food to me.

182tardis
Feb. 11, 2023, 1:39 pm

Retirement is when garbage day is more important that Friday. I have an app on my phone (WasteWise, provided by the city) that reminds me the night before to put the bins out, otherwise many weeks I wouldn't remember :) The app has other functions or I'd just use a reminder on my calendar.

>175 pgmcc: Our cat does that, too. Usually my husband is the one who gets up with him. It's very frustrating, though.

183hfglen
Feb. 11, 2023, 3:26 pm

>178 2wonderY: Go for it!

184suitable1
Feb. 11, 2023, 6:15 pm

>182 tardis: Absolutely agree about garbage day. Our recycle pickup is every other week; there is often a discussion if it has been two weeks already.

185MrsLee
Feb. 11, 2023, 10:00 pm

>174 pgmcc: Although my retirement is 5 years away, I have been thinking about what life might be like then. I think I will have to make some sort of routine. Not necessarily with times, but something like my schedule now where I get up, make coffee, work on whatever family history/computer project I have going for a couple of hours, then the fun part, I can cook or garden or maybe clean something in the morning instead of going to work, then lunch, some reading and mapping and making dinner. I could be happy with that. Of course there will be days I have to leave my house, but only because I want to.

186pgmcc
Feb. 12, 2023, 3:44 am

>180 jillmwo: There was a lot to agree with. The presenter is actually a retiree who started giving retirement advice and now has business employing several people giving retirement programmes and advising on diet, finance, wellness, social welfare payments, etc... This business is what he uses to give himself structure and purpose.

187pgmcc
Feb. 12, 2023, 4:04 am

>181 Karlstar:
I am not too keen on very hot, although I used to be. The following story is one that others will have heard before, but I think I told it before you joined the group.

In my consulting days I spent a lot of time in other towns around the country so ended up having dinner in restaurants. (That is how I developed my exceedingly not trim waistline.) One place I spent a lot of time in is Waterford city. One evening a colleague and I had dinner in a restaurant attached to a pub. I had a peppered steak and it was delicious. Whatever the chef had done the pepper sauce was hotter than on normally gets on a peppered steak.

The following night we discovered an Indian restaurant that we had not noticed before because its sign was not very obvious and the establishment was on the upper floor rather than ground level.

"Well", we thought, "let's have some Indian food." In those days I was into vindaloo. I ordered the vindaloo.

When I got the vindaloo I was disappointed. The peppered steak of the night before was so much hotter than the vindaloo. I told the waiter that the vindaloo was very mild and could he have it spiced up a bit. I know this is a risky approach in an Indian restaurant, but the vindaloo came back perfect. I really enjoyed the meal.

It was possibly six months later when we revisited that restaurant. I suspect the waiter remembered me because when my vindaloo arrived this time it cured me of eating vindaloo. The waiter had his revenge.

I wonder if "loo" is at the end of "vindaloo" deliberately or if it is just a happenstance.

188pgmcc
Feb. 12, 2023, 4:06 am

>182 tardis:
I receive a text from our waste disposal firm, Greyhound, informing me which bin to put out for the following day. Thursday is our bin day and the regular bin and recycle bin alternate week on week.

189pgmcc
Feb. 12, 2023, 4:07 am

>183 hfglen:
I have to admit, I liked your wording.

190pgmcc
Feb. 12, 2023, 4:08 am

>184 suitable1: Our debate is, was it the regular bin or the recycle bin last week. Then I have to check if the text message has come in.

191pgmcc
Feb. 12, 2023, 4:12 am

Apropos the discussion about bin day there is a song by "Flight of the Concords" that addresses the issue of putting out the recycling bin. You can view the video and listen to the song HERE!.

192haydninvienna
Feb. 12, 2023, 9:19 am

>187 pgmcc: I hope you avoided Les Murray’s dubious apotheosis:
Vindaloo In Merthyr Tydfil by Les Murray

The first night of my second voyage to Wales,
tired as rag from ascending the left cheek of Earth,
I nevertheless went to Merthyr in good company
and warm in neckclothing and speech in the Butcher's Arms
till Time struck us pintless, and Eddie Rees steamed in brick lanes
and under the dark of the White Tip we repaired shouting

to I think the Bengal. I called for curry, the hottest,
vain of my nation, proud of my hard mouth from childhood,
the kindly brown waiter wringing the hands of dissuasion
O vindaloo, sir! You sure you want vindaloo, sir?
But I cried Yes please, being too far in to go back,
the bright bells of Rhymney moreover sang in my brains.

Fair play, it was frightful. I spooned the chicken of Hell
in a sauce of rich yellow brimstone. The valley boys with me
tasting it, croaked to white Jesus. And only pride drove me,
forkful by forkful, observed by hot mangosteen eyes,
by all the carnivorous castes and gurus from Cardiff
my brilliant tears washing the unbelief of the Welsh.

Oh it was a ride on Watneys plunging red barrel
through all the burning ghats of most carnal ambition
and never again will I want such illumination
for three days on end concerning my own mortal coil
but I signed my plate in the end with a licked knife and fork
and green-and-gold spotted, I sang for my pains like the free
before I passed out among all the stars of Cilfynydd.

193pgmcc
Feb. 12, 2023, 10:06 am

>192 haydninvienna:
😂😂😂
I did not suffer quite as much as that.

:-)

194haydninvienna
Feb. 12, 2023, 10:12 am

>193 pgmcc: I hope not. But isn’t it fascinating how a great poet (and Les was certainly that) can build such verbal ingenuity into a disreputable story like that. “the kindly brown waiter wringing the hands of dissuasion”! “Hot mangosteen eyes” (have you ever seen a mangosteen)?

195Karlstar
Feb. 12, 2023, 11:17 am

>187 pgmcc: >192 haydninvienna: Both good tales.

Trish and I went to a restaurant a few years ago that I believe no longer exists, Voodoo Grill in Mystic Connecticut. We'd been there before, can't remember what I had the previous visit, but I decided I'd try their hot Creole crawfish tails over pasta. It was really, really hot. We were eating outside in the summer and I was already warm, but it was so hot I sweating a bit. Partway through I realized all I had was super hot sauce over pasta, they'd 'forgotten' the crawfish tails. I mentioned it to the waiter and he brought some in a bowl, that actually helped cool it down, a little. By then I'd already used every napkin at the table. Trish was quite amused.

196Silversi
Feb. 12, 2023, 11:20 am

>195 Karlstar: That place was great, but watching Jim eat that dish was a lot of fun. Though it was kind of weird to bring out a big bowl of crawfish, it did seem to help. They also had some really hot, but delicious jalapeno hushpuppies.

197pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 3:43 am

I am in the office for the start of my final working week. A lunch has been arranged for me for Wednesday and I see one of the directors is invited along. I suspect this will involve a corporate presentation and that is why the director is attending. Someone dropped me the hint that I will be called on to give a speech. This has prompted me to start thinking about the past fifteen years with this employer.

This morning when I entered the building the security guard on the door was the first person I met on my first day working here all those years ago. On my starting day I entered the reception and the security guard was sitting at his desk with his head down focused on that day's Irish Times Crossword. My first words were, "Are you stuck?" Without raising his head to see who was speaking he responded, "Yes! Have you a tenner?"

It was a great start to my my job.

198pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 3:50 am

>194 haydninvienna:
As I may have mentioned, I am not a great reader of poetry, but that poem certainly captured my attention and entertained me.

I have just looked up mangosteen and can say that I do not recall ever seeing a mangosteen.

I live and learn; a new poem to like and poet to look up, and a new plant/fruit.

199pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 3:59 am

>195 Karlstar:


You reminded me of a dinner we had with a couple of friends. The four of us enjoyed our meal and then went into the living room where we were going to serve Irish coffees. My wife told me to stay with our guests while she prepared the coffees.

The four Irish coffees came in looking beautiful, just like the one in the image. We all started to sip our coffees. I sensed something was not quite right, as did our guests.

After a second sip my wife said, "Oh dear! I forgot to add the whiskey." :-)

By the way, regardless of what you see on-line, or what is served to you, an Irish coffee is traditionally served in the type of glass shown in the image. All other shaped glasses are just attempts to impress. The important thing is that it contains whiskey.

200pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 4:01 am

>196 Silversi:
My son and his fiancée have named one of their cats jalapeno. They like people to believe they like hot food. :-)

When that son was 18months, we took him to a Chinese restaurant. The staff were amazed to see him tucking into a curry.

201haydninvienna
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:47 am

>198 pgmcc: I used to see mangosteens from time to time in the supermarkets in Doha, but have never eaten one.

Much other of Les's poetry is rather more shall we say intense than that one. I have a kind of proprietorial interest in him because he comes from a small town in coastal New South Wales called Nabiac (he was a farmer there). Mrs H and I used to hang out in Nabiac from time to time and i once asked a friend of ours who was a schoolteacher there how she felt about having a great poet living just up the road. She had never heard of him. Such is fame.

202pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:58 am

>201 haydninvienna:
A prophet in their own land...is just the guy that lives down the road. It's a bit like family really.

203hfglen
Feb. 13, 2023, 6:16 am

>198 pgmcc: I have only once seen a cultivated mangosteen, and that was on an exhibit at Kew. But one of my happiest food memories was visiting the campus of Universidade Eduardo Mondlane in Maputo, with three colleagues, in the rain. We spotted a tree of the wild African Mangosteen in full fruit. Stefan and I leapt out of the vehicle and made hogs of ourselves; the ladies were prepared to disown us as insane. But the rain was warm and the fruit delicious.

204clamairy
Feb. 13, 2023, 9:44 am

Happy last week of work!

I think I've had Irish Coffees mainly served in glass mugs, with no stem. I haven't had one in years. (Because of the caffeine, not the whiskey!)

205jillmwo
Feb. 13, 2023, 11:37 am

Let me reiterate here what's already been established. Mangosteens are a wonderful and delicious fruit. Coffee by itself is equally good, but can be made better with certain additives (whiskey, etc.). And glassware is fungible.

And good luck with the "off-the-cuff" speech to be delivered on Wednesday, pgmcc.

206haydninvienna
Feb. 13, 2023, 11:45 am

>205 jillmwo: Re additives to coffee: Italian-fashion, espresso with some sugar and then grappa or sambuca.

Peter: remember the stirring example of Gussie Fink-Nottle at Market Snodsbury Grammar School. If you haven’t read Right Ho, Jeeves go and find it and read that chapter.

207Bookmarque
Feb. 13, 2023, 1:56 pm

Be optimists, boys!

Oh congrats on the retirement thing. Routines are good, but overrated. I've been retired since 2015 and other than a rough outline of what needs to be cleaned and when, I do basically whatever I want, whenever I want. There's plenty to keep me occupied between books and photography, kayaking and snowshoeing, editing photos and video, random Amazon Prime shows, podcasts, You Tube, cleaning up after barfing cats and just lazing on my deck listening to the birds. And yes, I do forget what day it is now and then. Weekends barely matter except, to paraphrase Les Claypool and Primus, I get to hang out with my workin' friends. Come on in, the water's fine.

208pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:06 pm



I have enjoyed This Charming Man. McDonnell has created good characters and their interplay is well woven into the story.

209pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:16 pm

>206 haydninvienna:
I have not read the book, but I have seen a screen adaptation with Gussie Fink-Nottle in full flow handing out the prizes. :-)

210pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:16 pm

>207 Bookmarque:
Thank you for the congrats.

211pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:18 pm

>205 jillmwo:
Thank you, Jill. "Off-the-cuff" speeches take a lot of effort in their preparation and rehearsal if they are to come off the cuff effortlessly.

212pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:19 pm

>204 clamairy:

Have you tried Irish Coffee sans Coffee?

213pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:20 pm

>203 hfglen:
If I ever come to have an opportunity of eating a mangosteen I must take advantage of it.

214pgmcc
Feb. 13, 2023, 5:28 pm

In terms of my next read, I should dip back into Under The Duvet. It is a book designed for dipping into and out of, so I do not feel bad about not reading straight through it.

Tomorrow I may put my mind toward my next read. I have referred to the list of books linked to at the bottom of the opening post above, but there are other books jostling for pole position. I am spoiled for choice and am delighted with that fact. There are dozens of books I feel I must read next, but that is a bit like giving everything priority. What a beautiful predicament.

215clamairy
Feb. 13, 2023, 6:16 pm

>212 pgmcc: Yes! I have! :o)

216Karlstar
Feb. 13, 2023, 10:36 pm

>197 pgmcc: Congrats on the upcoming retirement, again and good luck with the speech, though I'm sure you do not need it.

217Karlstar
Feb. 13, 2023, 10:36 pm

By the way, just how long are you going to let this thread go on? :)

218clamairy
Bearbeitet: Feb. 14, 2023, 10:05 am

>217 Karlstar: It's not photo-packed. So it can go a while yet!

219pgmcc
Feb. 14, 2023, 12:21 pm

>216 Karlstar:
Thank you! Speech is in hand. Currently having it encrytped.

>217 Karlstar:
I was thinking it was coming near that time.

>218 clamairy:
I hear you. There will be more photographs in the next thread.
:-)

220pgmcc
Feb. 14, 2023, 12:30 pm

I have dipped into Under the Duvet again. It is described as a collection of the author's magazine articles plus a few unpublished articles. It is definitely a book you can dip into and read a bit here and a bit there. I do not, however, feel like reading 674 pages of magazine articles in one go. The articles are good waiting-room time-passers, but I do not see myself reading the book in long reading sessions. If I owned the book I would leave it in a handy place and read an article or two when I have a few minutes spare, but it is a library book so it will be going back on its due date without having been totally read by me.

Her writing is humorous and entertaining, but not sufficiently so that I will keep reading article after article on diverse subjects. I will try one of her books as I can imagine a novel being a good place for her writing to capture me for a continuous read.



By the way, the title is a reference to where she writes. I know some of you would have been wondering.

One track minds the lot of you!

221pgmcc
Feb. 15, 2023, 4:06 am

At 221 posts I am starting a second thread for 2023.

222fuzzi
Feb. 15, 2023, 9:26 am

>149 pgmcc: bwahahahaha! Love it.
Dieses Thema wurde unter PGMCC explores the Biblioverse in 2023: Chapter 2 weitergeführt.