Ffortsa is still fancy free in 23

Hi everyone! Back for more as the smoke fills the city.

I got immensely behind on reading threads last year, and I'm afraid that will happen again. Some of you have such splendid activity, I'll never keep up. So please don't be miffed if I miss your doings along the way. There's just not enough time, you know, with reading and all. And music. And exercise. And theater. And all the usual chores of life. I promise to read at least some posts as a reward for washing the kitchen floor.

Reserved for tickers, book titles as I read them, and technical explanations.



1. @Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo
2. @The Treacherous Net by Helene Tursten
3. @Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker
4. @Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
5. @The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths
6. @Semicolon by Cecelia Watson
7. Do Less: A Minimalist Guide to a Simplified, Organized, and Happy Life
8. @An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine
9. ♬The Silver Pig by Lindsey Davis
10. On Rereading by Patricia Myer Spacks
11. @Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
12. @The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
13. @The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker
14. ✔The Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham
15. @The Marx Sisters: A Brock and Kolla Mystery
16. @A Hero of Our Time by Michail Lermontov
17. @Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis
18. @Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss by Rajeev Balasubramanyam
19. @Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
20. @The Sacred and Profane Love Machine by Iris Murdoch
21. @Bryant and May on the Loose by Christopher Fowler
22. @The White Hotel by D. M. Thomas
23. @The House Sitter by Peter Lovesy
24. @Home by Toni Morrison
25. @Jar City by Arnaldur Indradison
26. @Silence of the Grave by Arnaldur Indradison
27. The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths
28. Mess by Barry Yourgrau
29. @Bryant and May off the Rails by Christopher Fowler
30. @The Big Cat Nap by Rita Mae Brown
31. @Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse
32. @The Cat Who Played Brahms by Lilian Jackson Braun
33. @Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
34. @Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon
35. The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lilian Jackson Braun
36. @Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry
37. ↩♬At the Existentialist Cafe by Susan Bakewell
38. ♬The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
39. @American Gods by Neil Gaiman
40. @City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong
41. @The Torso by Helene Tursten
42. @The Glass Devil by Helene Tursten
43. @Julian by Gore Vidal
44. @The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig
45. Closed Circles by Viveca Sten
46. @The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon
47. @the Carter of La Providence by Georges Simenon
49. @The Grand Banks Cafe by Georges Simenon
50. @Chess Story by Stefan Zweig
51. ♬Venus in Copper by Lindsay David
52. @On Java Road by Lawrence Osborne
53. @Guiltless by Viveca Sten
54. @Lake Success by Gary Shteyngardt
55. @A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
56. @Black Diamond by Martin Walker
57. @✔The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penney
58. @When We Cease To Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut
59. @Some Lie and Some Die by Ruth Rendell
60. @The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason
61. @Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald
62. @Riccardino by Andrea Camilleri
63. @Montalbano's First Case and other stories by Andrea Camilleri
64. @Lonely Hearts by John Harvey
65. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
66. @Rough Treatment by John Harvey
67. @The Promise by Damon Galgut
68. @Cutting Edge by John Harvey
69. @Off Minor by John Harvey
70. @The Call of Stories: Teaching and the Moral Imagination by Robert Coles
71. ♬The Iron Hand of Mars by Lindsey Davis
72. @The Wasted Years by John Harvey
73. @Gunpowder Green by Laura Childs
74. @Poseidon's Gold by Lindsey Davis
75. @Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

DNF
A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill (DNF)

Deaccessioned



Oof. Lost my deaccessioned counter. Oh well. The process continues, slower this time, but still on.

Icons modified from Bianca's list
♬ audiobook
✔ off the shelf
@ e-book
✿ TIOLI
↩ reread
✗ Never-ending.

31. Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse

We had a decent turnout on Tuesday for this short novel.

After two pages, I said to Jim, "Oh, he's OCD". Not the guts of the story, but a complicating factor. It's England in the hinterlands, in 1959, and Billy, 19, is struggling in a job he detests, a social life he can't cope with, a depressed economy and a depressing family, but he can't seem to get out. His every action and inaction lead to more complications, with his employer, with women, with family. Some of it is very funny (I'm sure it reads well on audio), but the cage is closing in on him and he knows it. How will he escape?

Very nicely written, with some terrific sentences and images:

the fat women rolling along on their bad feet like toy clowns in pudding basins

or Frowning women, their black, scratched handbags crammed with half-digested grievances..

or I was amazed and intrigued that they should all be content to be nobody but themselves.

In all, a vivid portrait of that part of England in that year between the war and the artistic explosion of the 60s, as well as that of a young man adrift.

32. The Cat Who Played Brahms by Lilian Jackson Braun

Yes, ok, another cat mystery, but a better strain of brain candy.

Happy new thread, Judy!

>4 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Did you hear my gnashing teeth? The sequel to The Cat Who Played Brahms is nowhere to be found, unless I pay an exhorbitant price to Amazon. My library has failed me (sob).

Happy new thread, Judy!

Happy new thread, Judy. Hope the smoke isn't too bad where you are.

Happy new thread, Judy. x

HAppy new one!

Happy new thread, Judy!

Happy new thread, Judy - and a wonderful Weekend!

Happy new one, Judy!

Oh, hello everyone! How nice of you to visit my new digs.

The weather continues smoky, alas. It was ok this morning but coming back from an early concert, it was eye-scratchy again. Not as bad as Wednesday, but not nice.

Jim and I took ourselves to an unusually early NY Philharmonic concert - 11AM! It was very worth it. I had wanted to be there to hear a piece by John Luther Adams, a modern composer who specializes in nature-related work, but the program also included the Peter Grimes suite by Benjamin Britten, and a concerto for flute and orchestra by a Japanese composer, Takemitsu. The Britten was wonderful - I tend to steer clear of most modern music, but this will change my attitude. The Takemitsu was a little more contemplative. Then after intermission, they played Adams' new piece 'Become Desert', which filled the concert hall from five directions and put you down in the desert at sunrise and after. Maybe a little long, but so inventive!

This was my first foray into the newly redesigned Philharmonic hall, now named the David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. I think it's fabulous. They have finally gotten a valid acoustic design, and I felt like the music just filled me up.

33. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson

I bookhorned in another mystery and it went pretty fast! Longmire travels to Philadelphia to see his daughter Cody, and of course all sorts of awful things happen. Corruption in high places leads Walt on a long and convoluted chase through a city he doesn't know, but, you know, he's Longmire. So it works out in the end. There are even some horses.

I decided to read my 2023 New Yorkers, as well as other magazines, so I started yet another thread to chronicle my venture. here, if anyone is interested

34. Drawing Conclusions by Donna Leon

Another mystery, but definitely not a cozy. Commissario Brunetti's world is riddled with corruption of one kind or another, and Brunetti himself is beginning to see where he fits. The death of a woman in her apartment looks natural, but something does not seem right. And the more he wonders about it, the more he finds, of course. The solution is riddled with fraud and love.

The books are getting darker, or I am getting less able to ward off the depressing aspects, which Leon herself tries to ward off by lyrical descriptions of Venice. There are many more books in the series, although how Brunetti hasn't left the force by now is astonishing.

35. The Cat Who Played Post Office by Lilian Jackson Braun

I actually paid good money (well, about $4.50) to get this title, since it was not available from my library. It filled in some gaps in Mr. Q's history, and didn't take more than a few hours to read.

Next up is Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry. I started it last night, but either I was sleepy already or the book didn't hold me. Nevertheless, I'll read it for a book circle discussion on Monday.

Oof. I am having a hard time with the Lowry. The first three chapters almost did me in, but after that things have gotten a little better. Nevertheless, I think it will be a race to finish by Monday evening.

>19 ffortsa: Hope you make it Judy and sorry it's being such a slog. I haven't run across it but now I think I'll pass if I do.

>20 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. It's getting better. I have about 3/4 hour of reading to go.

36. Under the Volcano by Malcolm Lowry

Whew. I expect tonight's discussion to be rather full of controversy. More later.

ETA: Well, I think we all agreed, more or less, on the difficulty of this text. Lowry writes partly from experience about an alcoholic ex-diplomat in 1937 Mexico, his ex-wife and half-brother, among others. The stream of consciousness style, especially in the first few chapters, is made more difficult by being the internal incoherence of a confirmed and despairing alcoholic. Lowry makes frequent references to classical literature, especially Dante, tropes on death, and the convulsive state of the world at the time.

When Bukowski reviewed it, he said it caused him to yawn, and I'm afraid I kept falling asleep and dreaming before the end of Lowry's complex sentences. In spite of its reputation as great mid-century fiction, I'm not sure it's worth the effort.

>22 ffortsa: Hi Judy - your touchstone is wrong for Under the Volcano (although my son would approve... he LOVED the Magic Treehouse books when he was little... 🙂).

>23 PlatinumWarlock: Thanks! That's some divergence. I've fixed it now.

Last night, Jim and I saw the NTLIve production of 'Good', C.P. Taylor's imaginative examination of one German's gradual involvement with the Nazi Party. I've been listening to Sarah Bakewell's book At the Existentialist Cafe, which covers much of the same time period as she discusses Heisenberg's reaction to and collaboration with the Reich. The protagonist of the play is also a professor at a university (although not in philosophy), and thus starts out in a somewhat lofty position in society. The play demonstrates his mostly self-seduction.

David Tennant plays the lead, but in my opinion the whole thing is stolen by Elliot Levey, who plays his best friend, a Jewish psychiatrist, as well as various Nazis. A tremendous tour-de-force with nothing but his own body and face to represent the differences.

I remember the original Broadway production with Alan Howard in the lead. Whether the arc of that production was more subtle, or I was more resistant to it, I'm not sure, but I recall Howard's stricken face each step of the way, even 42 years later.

>25 ffortsa: Sounds great; check out the film version of this. The Jewish psychiatrist is played by the brother of a friend of mine, Jason Isaacs.

Btw, I have a book from ALA for you!

>26 Chatterbox: I just looked up the cast - Mortensen is a very interesting choice.

A book? Oooo.

We may be up near Boston this summer. I'll let you know the dates - maybe we can touch base.

>27 ffortsa: That would be super! My neurologist's office just called to reschedule my July 12 appointment, so don't know when I'll be back in NYC. STILL waiting for news from Reuters. Oy vey.

I suddenly find myself in the middle of at least three books: American Gods, You Made Me Love You, and The Well of Lost Plots on audio. Yikes.

It's not a walking day - too much smoke - so the audio may have to wait, although it's the easiest to finish. Wideman's stories of generations of a family is very captivating so far. And the Gaiman is due for discussion a week from Tuesday. I'd better hurry.

Sorry to hear smoke is keeping you from walking. We're heading to Chautauqua in 2 1/2 weeks and I'm worried what it's going to be like there

>25 ffortsa: This sounds fabulous, Judy.

>22 ffortsa: I haven't read this, but it sounds like an interesting choice for a book discussion.

>31 BLBera: The Lowry didn't generate as much discussion as I had thought it would - too many of us in agreement, I think. But other cohorts may have more to say.

I had a great phone call with my cousin in Portland, Oregon yesterday, and it got me thinking about my habit of not traveling, when now I have no reason not to go wherever I want whenever I want to. So I'm thinking of flying out some time in the fall, and also visiting my friend in Pocatello, which we have talked about endlessly. No reason why not, aside from inertia. I'm feeling more and more housebound anyway, with summer heat keeping me in more than I like.

Oh, the sun just came out, although thunderstorms are predicted. I may take the Jasper Fforde out on a walk anyway.

>32 ffortsa: That is a problem when everyone agrees on a book, either liking or disliking it, Judy. Luckily, that doesn't happen to my group very often.

>33 ffortsa: Hope we'll get a chance to see you when/if you come out :)

>35 RebaRelishesReading: definitely

38. The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

The Didius Falco series was so entertaining on audio that I thought I'd try a Thursday Next. Not so wonderful to listen to. Part of the problem was that I left the speed on neutral; when I turned it up just to 110% it went much better, but still it wasn't the right book for the medium. Oh well. Lots of cute names, a serious threat to reading averted (very like the restrictions on ebooks instituted by publishers for libraries, as it happens), but it took too long to listen to. I'm sure I could have read it in text in a third the time.

Jim and I just finished watching 'Turn Every Page', the extraordinary documentary about Robert Caro and Robert Gottleib and the relationship of writer, editor and subject. For someone who loves books, it is a must. Gottleib has just died, and I hope Caro can hang on to finish his last volume, and that he finds a good editor to help him polish it. It has been an extraordinary relationship, and a publishing journey that may never be repeated in today's book economy.

>38 ffortsa: Available on Amazon Prime and other streaming services

>38 ffortsa: and >39 magicians_nephew: I knew that the documentary existed, but I didn't know that I had access to it. Thank you both for the reminder and the information! I think that Caro's *LBJ* is the world's best biography, at least in English. I do so wish Caro well as he finishes the last entry.

HM. We are going to Baltimore tomorrow for the weekend, to a conference that might not be as interesting as we hoped. Anyone from Baltimore interested in meeting up?

Oh, forgot to mention that, in an effort to fill in the gaps in my movie history, Jim and I rented 'Bringing Up Baby' a few nights ago. I had asked for a silly movie, but after about a half hour, I couldn't watch anymore. Whether it was Katharine Hepburn's shrill, manic character, Cary Grant's stereotypical scientist fool, all the other stereotypes, or just the ridiculous premise, I couldn't stand it. Well, at least I know the basics.

Sometimes I think my sense of humor is a little awry. Then sometimes I think everyone else's sense of humor is a little awry. I'll stick with mine.

>38 ffortsa: Thanks for the tip, Judy. This sounds great.

>42 ffortsa: Have a safe and fun trip to Baltimore, Judy. I hope to get to meet up with you and Jim one of these days.

We will make it happen, preferably on a cooler weekend, in DC or NYC.

Well, the Baltimore conference was a yawn, and the city was scorching. SO glad to be home.

39. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Jim has been urging me to read this for a long time now, and as our book meetup will be talking about it on Tuesday, I finally did. He was right; I loved it. I still have to look up some annotations in his paper copy, but I really could not put it down. I'll add some more comments (probably) after the discussion, but I will say that the conceit of the old pagan gods lost in the unworshipful America is terrific.

40. City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong

Peggy (LizzyD) recommended this series and I started from the beginning. Aside from a few rather unbelievable plot elements, I enjoyed it very much, staying up past midnight to finish. It has all the elements of a good detective series: emotionally scarred law enforcement folks, mysterious town, hidden backstories, unreliable relationships - what else could anyone want? Oh, and a few murders, of course. Nice start - I look forward to the next one.

>46 ffortsa: - I thought of the two of you in Baltimore when I saw my friend, Trevor, who is head of American Mensa, post photos on Facebook. I won't tell him you thought the conference was boring :)

ETA: Baltimore was never one of my favorite conference cities...

Hope you get to Portland, and we can have a meet-up!

And I also loved American Gods

I'm glad that you enjoyed the first Armstrong, Judy. You know I am enthusiastically entertained. I know that I can forgive a lot for a good page-turner. I said I was going to let the series rest, but I had to start #4, so I'll be reading it instead of other things.
I'm a fan of American Gods too. I also delight in *Bringing Up Baby*, maybe less when I watched it earlier this year than the last time. It's just so silly. HaHaHaHaHaHaHa.

>48 banjo123: One more vote for Portland!

American Gods -- oh dear, I don't need another BB, really I don't!!

so, about American Gods, the consensus of the group was that if the person read the 10th Edition with the stuff Gaiman added back in, it was too long. I didn't know any differently, so I must say I liked it as I read it (the updated version).

The various versions of the old gods, dealing as they must with current culture and economics, is both humorous and somehow sad. But there are bigger thoughts in this book: immigration, how people come here and eventually abandon the ancient, transactional gods; monotheistic religions that Gaiman can't bring into this book, of course, as many of those same ancient gods were superceded well before the related populations came to the U.S. Then the comparisons - all our technological gods: money, TV, cars, electronic communication, bigness, power, worshipped more and more in spite of, or with the connivance of, current leaders. What does it mean to keep your word, have a sense of personal honor? What would you sacrifice for what you want? And what do life and death mean, however many times you go through them?

The novel is eminently readable, even in the long version, which seemed to fly by. I could almost cast the movie in my head as it went - Brian Cox, perhaps, as Mr. Wednesday? Any other suggestions?

Happy New thread, Judy! Sorry about the smoke in your area. I hope it improves soon.

>52 ffortsa: Did you see the “American Gods” series (3 seasons, now on Starz)? I really liked it. Ian McShane played Mr. Wednesday.

I read an annotated version of American Gods as a reread, and it provided a lot of the info behind the different characters.

I loved your write-up! Good job!

Karen O

>54 klobrien2: Thanks for the praise! Always nice to know when I write something that strikes a chord.

McShane is an interesting choice. Who played Shadow?

We were without air conditioning yesterday, due to necessary repairs in the building, so Jim and I took off to the movies. We saw a documentary titles 'Near to Vermeer', which explores the efforts to assemble the now-famous Vermeer exhibition in the Netherlands. Various institutions were coaxed, some not successfully, into lending the Vermeers they had - since there are only 37 in all.

It was very interesting to hear and see Vermeer paintings in detail. As a non-painter, I'm not good at 'seeing' the things that amaze artists, but these close readings of the various works were fascinating. And one controversy over a painting lent by the Smithsonian was quite suspenseful. Then we saw the paintings as they were installed in the gallery - breathtaking.

I've had American Gods on my shelf for a long time, Judy. I guess it's time to finally read it! It sounds like one I would like, and generally I have liked all of Gaiman's work.

"Near to Vermeer" sounds good. I hope your AC is back.

>57 BLBera: thanks. The air conditioning was back yesterday after 5pm, and so far it's OK. 93 degrees here today. I don't know how my sister stands it in San Antonio.

And I got to the gym, which is of course air conditioned. Boy, do I need the exercise. I feel very virtuous.

>56 ffortsa: I would have loved the documentary regarding VerMeer's paintings. I've read a lot about his works, and still can never get enough. What you and Jim saw in this movie is simply amazing!!!

Glad your air conditioning is back!

>55 ffortsa: “McShane is an interesting choice. Who played Shadow?” (In the TV series American Gods)



An English actor (does a very fine American accent!), Ricky Whittle. He was really good, I thought. The entire cast was good.

Karen O

I'm glad that you can stay cool at home today, but the Vermeer docu. sounds well worth your time and attention even if the AC had been on!

41. The Torso by Helene Tursten

According to my original entry, I read this book first in 2014, but had NO memory of it. Hm. I liked it fine this time, gruesome though it was. And it was.

42. The Glass Devil by Helene Tursten

My appetite for Scandi was only whetted by The Torso so I continued along the series.

Three members of a family are found shot dead. The father, a highly regarded pastor, is killed beside his depressive wive; their son is killed at their summer cottage some distance away. Why? No one can find a motive, and the only surviving member of the family, a daughter working in London, is unable to help, as she is herself in a deep and anxiety-ridden depression. But Irene feels she holds the key to this tragedy.

Scandi police novels being what they are, I had an inkling of the solution, but it was still a surprising ending.

This week's trip to visit friends near Boston was very relaxing. We more or less sat on their patio overlooking the lake and watched the birds all weekend. We did manage to get into the city to meet Marianne (MichiganTrumpet) and her husband John, eat some fine food and hear the outdoor concert at the bandshell on the Charles. Train both ways again.

I'm currently reading Julian by Gore Vidal, for a book circle meeting on July 31st, and eventually Stefan Zwieg's Chess Story for our other book group the day after. Busy.

And I attended an information session for tutoring reading at the Brooklyn Public Library last evening. I had high hopes, but their weekly schedules don't coordinate with mine, and mine are hard to move. Sigh. I was hoping for the 20 hours of training they offer. I'll have to look for other groups. In the meantime, I found my way to the very start of Linden Blvd. My mom would have been proud.

We had dinner and played Chronology at a friend's apartment last night, on her balcony which overlooks Washington Square Park. There was a very nice duo playing music under the Arch while we were there, and when we left we put some lucre in their music case. They added a lot to a lovely evening.

>65 ffortsa: Sounds delightful, Judy.

>22 ffortsa: I had to read Under the Volcano for a class on the Modern Novel in college close to 60 years ago. The professor was some kind of Lowry expert--I think his thesis was on Lowry. I absolutely hated the book, but then I was only 18. Wonder if it's one I should revisit?

>38 ffortsa: I'm another keeping fingers crossed that we'll see the final volume of Caro's LBJ biography.

>56 ffortsa: The Vermeer documentary sounds fascinating. If you go to the website for the Amsterdam museum with the exhibit, there's an excellent walk-thru of the included paintings narrated by (name escapes me--will check and add it in). ETA Stephen Fry.

Caution. NSFW. Yesterday, I was sitting in Union Square Park when this happened Turns out it was the last bodypainting walk of the summer. The film is from the final destination, Washington Square Park, about 6 blocks south.

>68 ffortsa: Wow! Colorful weekend in New York. 😀 It was kind of amusing to see some parents watching with their kids and other parents turning their kids' heads away... "let's not look at the body parts, kids!".

I always wonder how body paint impacts nudity laws (if, in fact, it does)... in Seattle, we have a naked bike ride at our local Fremont Solstice Festival every year (NSFW link if you're interested) - always entertaining. Here, it's legal to be naked anywhere, anytime... but not if you flaunt it. Under municipal code now, prosecutors must prove a naked person knows "that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm." Hard to pin that one down!

"naked bike ride" sounds VERY uncomfortable to me!!

>69 PlatinumWarlock:, >70 RebaRelishesReading: Ha. I was interested to see that the essential naked parts seemed mostly 'groomed' - i.e. shaved. Nice smooth surfaces to paint. My own reaction was that the paint did seem to ameliorate the impact of nakedness. Or maybe it was the joyousness of the participants, so comfortable in their own skin.

>70 RebaRelishesReading: RIGHT???!!!

>71 ffortsa: I very much admire the sense of freedom being naked that they're all obviously enjoying. I don't happen to share it... but I do admire it.

A little change of pace. Last night Jim and I ventured out in the heat to see Pilobolus, a very acrobatic dance troupe that always presents amazing pieces, and we weren't disappointed. The six dancers performed six different pieces varied from intensely serious to funny to silly, in costumes and sometimes without. Sometimes it was like seeing Greek sculpture come to life. A wonderful show.

Then, on the walk home, we saw five people, one woman and four men, sleeping rough in doorways in the heat. Bleak.

The heat broke today! What a glory. We had planned to go to the Museum of Modern Art to see an exhibit on new architectural people-friendly spaces, real and imagined, in the city. It was a members' last look day, and it was quite nice. Glad we got there. Afterward I spent a little time in Central Park reading the introduction, by Maxine Cumin, to the collected works of Anne Sexton, a poet I seem to have skipped in my college days. Read few of the early poems too. Very interesting. But I'd left my phone home, and eventually I headed home to run errands and work on my violin technique. Some surprises there, but unless you are a violinist, of no interest to others.

All the windows open this afternoon, and a little time in our local park in the evening.

>74 ffortsa: Your day sounds lovely, Judy. Glad you heat has broken. Here isn the opposite corner of NY it was cool enough that I put on a sweatshirt for the outdoor concert this evening. Borderline too cool for just a tee-shirt all day but do-able.

43. @Julian by Gore Vidal

We had an unexpectedly lively discussion about this book in one of our reading groups. At least it was unexpected by me, although I liked (didn't love) the novel. But the portrait of a man whose attempts to stay alive in the poisonous Roman Empire of the 4th Century CE, and how he was seduced, or perhaps revealed, as a leader and warrior, was very persuasive. Vidal gives us a very real man faced with the decrepitude of Rome's religious past and the growing power of Christianity. Ultimately his need to believe in the old gods traps him in a kind of vanity that leads to his destruction. Note this is not a spoiler - the Wikipedia page gives the clear history. Vidal gives us a man.

44. @The Royal Game by Stefan Zweig

This novella, also found under the title Chess Story is classic Zweig, a story within a story, in which two men, a chess savant of peasant origins and an educated man with a difficult past, face off across the chess board. Each is in some way trapped within his mental abilities and traumas, one as an orphan with an unusual gift, the other as a refugee from Nazi torture whose mechanisms of survival left their own damage. Highly recommended.

This was Zweig's last book before he and his wife took their own lives in 1942, in despair over exile and its causes.

45. Closed Circles by Viveca Sten

The second in this Swedish police procedural series Sandhamm Murders sets the action at a yachting race sponsored by a high-class yatch club. When a prominent lawyer is murdered at the exact start of the race, the question is as much how as why. Another murder with the same weapon raises the stakes and confuses the possible motives.

The author is a little too dedicated to descriptive details, which slows the book down, but the police work is interesting, the characters distinct. The murderer was a bit obvious.

Hm. There used to be a fun feature where you could see what books of yours you might 'lend' (metaphorically) to a member and what the member might lend to you, based on your combined reading. Is that still around?

If you go to someone's profile page, there is an item Books To Borrow.
There you click on See all ___ Recommendations.
This could be what you are looking for...

>79 SirThomas: thanks. Yes, eventually my mind recognized the link!

Some of you may have seen the news about a 'riot' at Union Square in NYC, which is half a block from our apartment. 'Riot' is a little overblown, thanks in part to some smart if somewhat delayed police crowd control. An 'influencer' with 6.5 followers on Twitch promised a tech giveaway at the site, but failed to arrange a permit or alert the city to this, so the police were not prepared for the 2000 young people who showed up.

The first I heard was an incredible roar that came through our apartment, and I think that's when this guy Kai Cenat finally showed. Needless to say, he didn't back up a semi with gifts for all and sundry, and he split as soon as he could, leaving a lot of frustrated people. They did some damage, breaking into a park repair project shed and throwing paint around, for instance, and climbing onto the station canopy. Mainly it was noisy. When we left for dinner and a play about 6:20, we were able to walk west, which was where we were going anyway.

I thought ABC News had a good contemporaneous report, if you are interested in a ground-level view. I was upset at the reports of young kids, middle school age, separated from whoever brought them and frightened by the crowd. Police made some arrests of, I assume, the most menacing attendees. I hope everyone got home ok.

My library is frustrating me. Last week I borrowed and read a Scandi mystery as an e-book, and returned it. Now when I look for the next in the series, the only titles I see are in Spanish. Even the book I read isn't showing up. Maybe I should volunteer my database experience to clean up this mess.

Wow, sounds like some excitement in your neighborhood. Glad it didn't get totally out of control. Sorry about your library problem too. Hope you get it straightened out for them.

>82 ffortsa: Maybe you should promise them a giveaway?😉
>81 ffortsa: I'm glad you were able to spend a (hopefully) pleasant evening afterwards and that the 'riot' turned out fairly smoothly.

46. The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon
47. the Carter of La Providence by Georges Simenon

Amazon was offering the first volume of a compendium reissue of the Maigret stories on sale, and as I had read the first Maigret, Peitr the Latvian, earlier this year, I thought I'd continue my reread. As it happens, I don't recall either of these titles, both of which occur outside Paris and both published in French in 1931. The first of these shows Maigret as initially mischevious, with disastrous results. The second is more traditional, as a murder has already occurred, but the setting is fascinating, a series of closely spaced locks on the Marne and a series of canals used for commercial freight.

HM. Not seeing any pictures in the threads, just empty boxes or thumbnails. The galleries connected to the profiles are ok, though.

>86 ffortsa: - I noticed that too. Even pictures I posted on my own thread from my own gallery are only showing as blank squares today. Much be an LT hiccup, site wide, I am guessing

Sitting in Union Square Park today, I was near a family (parents, two children) when the daughter, I think about 4 years old, began screaming 'NO' as she marched around the grass. NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. No one was near her and nothing was happening to her. I think it was the combination of meltdown and the joy of the word.

I read your reply to my photo post, and Sandy's as well, and put the photo in my Junk Drawer (instead of Google Photos) and linked from the post to the JD. Shelley then commented that she could see it. Now I read the fault may reside in the LT system. It's a mystery. But you should be able to see it now. I mean...if you want to.

>89 weird_O: Merci. Looks great. And it's a perfect fit.

There have been problems with pictures showing on LT. I think a lot of people link to Facebook or Google and the permission expires. I always put mine in my gallery, or sometimes junk drawer, here on LT. But for a few days there nothing was showing up.

This past weekend we caught up with two art exhibits we had neglected. The first, at the Whitney, was by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith, a university-trained Native American artist who took her academic education back to her roots to produce some really wonderful work.





The second was a 'last look' for members of MOMA of the Georgia O'Keefe exhibit of her early charcoals and watercolors (some oils, but not much), and without the crowds that was really stunning.

Hey, I managed to check in without being hundreds of posts behind!

>91 ffortsa: Very much looking forward to the photos, Judy.

>91 ffortsa: I'd not heard of Jane Quick-to-See Smith before. I'll keep an eye out now. Love O'Keefe. If you're ever in Santa Fe (which is very nice all on its own), the Georgia O'Keefe Museum there is excellent. Love her!

photos have arrived. see previous post. Many more wonderful things. You should be able to see more of both on the museum websites.

And so nice to hear from you, Stasia! I lurk a lot too, and should make a comment every once in a while to let people know I'm browsing.

Thank you for the beautiful pictures, Judy.
And for the reminder to go to a museum again...

>91 ffortsa: Love those works by Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. A new name to me, thanks for posting about her!

Wasn't that O'Keeffe exhibit great? I thought it was very well done.

>97 katiekrug: About the O'Keeffe, I was glad to be able to go back on a day that was members only, because the crowds that were there the first time didn't give me a chance to appreciate it.

>96 ursula: I hadn't heard of her either, but the Whitney comes up with very interesting exhibits, and it's only about a mile from home, so we went.

>95 SirThomas: We are always racing to see an exhibit that is about to close because we don't keep things on our early radar. Next up is the Cypresses (Van Gogh) exhibit at the Met. Not sure when it will be least crowded though.

Thanks for sharing the images of the art. I knew I love O'Keefe but those by Jane Quick-to-see Smith are stunning.

I am hundreds of posts behind, but I am here! Love the recent artwork by Jane Quick-to-see Smith and I am an O'Keefe and Van Gogh fan. Nice!!

So nice to hear from you all, Kim and Reba and Ursula and Katie and Thomas. I would advise going to the museum websites for a larger look at these fine artists.

I'll post something from the Cypresses exhibit if I manage to go when it's not overrun with other art-lovers (how dare they!).

We are off to the theater tonight to see "The Half-God of Rain". Intriguing title, isn't it.

etfix: The Half-God of Rainfall.

49. The Grand Banks Cafe by Georges Simenon

This is the last of the Maigret in the compendium I bought. Again, Maigret is not in Paris. It will be interesting to see when Simenon anchors him more at home.

50. Chess Story by Stefan Zweig

A chess savant is present on a ship bound for South America, and no one on board can beat him, or even draw, until one man advises the challenger not to take the bait the savant has provided. The narrator pursues this man, who tells him he will never play chess again, because his knowledge of it is the result of torment by the Nazis. The captors essentially isolated him entirely with no mental stimulation, until he managed to acquire a chess book, and saved his sanity by studying it until the captors decided he was of no use to them and released him. His intense preoccupation with the game led to him mentally playing against himself, in multiple simultaneous games.

But the temptation of a chess match is too much for him. He begs the narrator to make sure he only plays the one game.

This is a deeply involving novella that Zweig wrote while on his way to South America himself in 1941, where, in despair over the state of the world, he and his wife committed suicide.

51. Venus in Copper by Lindsay David

Next in the adventures of Marcus Didius Falco, in Vespasian's Rome. Hired by a family (of sorts) to prevent a gold-digger from marrying their leader, Falco also needs to avoid a vengeful administrator who wants him clapped in irons permanently. Who is the real villain here? It takes a while to work out.

I listened to this, because the narration of these books is so good.

"The Half-God of Rainfall" turned out to be a 'story theater' style presentation of a new myth-inspired Nigerian epic by Inua Ellams. In the fashion of lordly interference, the gods, especially Zeus (not even native!), mess up peoples' lives in contemporary Nigeria and the U.S. Some of the acted narrative is heart-breaking, some very funny (god-like basketball players, anyone?), and the resolution is both sad and satisfying. The actors embody multiple characters and events are staged with dance-like moves and physicality, to wonderful effect. If it comes your way, I encourage you to make time for it.

eta: for those of you in range of A.R.T in Massachusetts, the production is coming for two weeks in early September.

Oy. Jim is sick with Covid again. This time it's mostly congestion and fever, but dang, we were going to get the next booster in September. Too late.

Speaking of boosters, the Times Magazine section had a very gloomy article about PFAS chemicals (dubbed 'forever') and what they can do to us, including interfering with immune response. Not easy to avoid, even with organically grown food, etc. Stay well, everyone.

52. On Java Road by Lawrence Osborne

Hong Kong after the handover, friendship, trust, struggle, exile, how to know other people. We will discuss this next Monday in our Book Circle.

The discussion went well, led by Chatterbox. A lot of the talk focused on the status of the narrator, Adrian, as an English reporter who quite deliberately exiled himself in Hong Kong just after the handover, because, he states, he couldn't see a future for himself in England. Of course, as the status of non-Chinese withers, he doesn't have much of a future in Hong Kong either, but he is drawn there by his very privileged friend Jimmy and the chance to observe the change.

Navigating the distances between the rich upper layer of Hong Kong society, the increasing control of the Chinese mainland, and the rebellion of the (mostly) student population, Adrian watches as his world becomes more dangerous for himself and others, the lies more overt, the ghosts multiplying. What does he really see?

Well-written, with references to both Chinese and European culture, noir but not a mystery. It would support a second read.

>104 ffortsa: I am sorry to hear this.
I hope he gets better soon - All good wishes for you and Jim!

Dang, Covid again! So sorry to hear that but glad Jim's not terribly sick. We got another booster a couple of months ago -- just before they announced the new one targeting current versions...so we'll have to wait on that one too. Stay well Judy!

>107 RebaRelishesReading: I couldn't obey your last injunction. Sick since Wednesday, and this is a nasty. According to most reports, it doesn't kill you, but as my father used to say about the flu, there comes a point where you are afraid you die. (Maybe that joke is in bad taste these days.) I did manage to lose 5 lbs., but now that I can get food past my throat, that may moderate. Bone tired too.

>102 ffortsa: I need to read Chess Story one of these days. It is one of those books I have owned for a while now (like 13 years) but just not gotten to.

>104 ffortsa: Oh, man. I hope Jim is on the upswing soon!

>108 ffortsa: You get better soon too!!

53. Guiltless by Viveca Sten

I couldn't find this anywhere to borrow, but it was on sale with audio from Amazon, so I caved. As long as it doesn't take up shelf space. But I don't it was worth it. Sten overwrites, describing everything, never trusting the reader to follow a dialog without adjectives. That, on top of the bleakness of this Swedish mystery, made me impatient. I may continue this series, but not right away. Warning, child abuse.

54. Lake Success by Gary Shteyngardt

This story reminds me of A Personal Matter by Kenzaburō Ōe, but amid the wolves of Wall Street. A road trip set in 2016, with a clueless hedge-fund protagonist only a mother could love. For some reason I was thoroughly absorbed in this man's flight from reality and into his past. There's a lot of money-hunger in the 1%, and those who feel they must crawl up there. Bad fathers, immigrant dreams, insider trading, how to be friendly when you really want to hide in the corner, failing up - ah, the American dream.

Hope you are both on the mend soon!

So sorry you were sick, Judy. Hope your recovery goes smoothly and quickly.

I am a little behind here.

Hope you get better soon!

Thanks, all. I finally got my voice back yesterday, and this morning it looks like I'm finally testing negative. Talks with my pcp will ensue.

In the meantime, I succumbed and read

55. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

The hagiography continues. I'm not sure why I subjected myself, except that I always think I might miss something if I stop a series. Penny sets up a horrific backstory, an improbably prisoner escape, and, of course, mayhem at Three Pines. Did I properly identify the villain? Yeah. Did Gamache triumph? Of course. Will I read another? More and more doubtful.

My apologies to those whose opinions differ.

Lots of busy threads while I was out of touch. I may not (probably will not) be able to catch up, so I'll start where I can.

Is it good to hear your doctor say 'Yeah, you had a pretty severe case'?

Going out for a little bit of food shopping and other stuff this afternoon. That will be a relief.

56. Black Diamond by Martin Walker

I decided to listen to this one to give my eyes a break, but I don't like it on audio as much as I liked the Didias Falco ones. Different styles, different degrees of description, etc. Still, it was a nice listen. Bruno is a bit more physically active in this one, beaten up, rescuing people in a fire, etc. And there's woman trouble. But it's mostly about truffles. I don't think I've ever had real truffles. Must add that to my list.

It's bee 11 days and I'm still testing negative, but I feel like %#!. A low grade fever, stomach discomfort, exhaustion. Not fair. It's a gorgeous day outside, and I might go sit in the park near my house anyway. Trees and squirrels and sunshine can't hurt.

>116 ffortsa: When we were doing more cross-country driving we used to listen to the Bruno books. I still have one on my phone. I really enjoy them including the food part but can't say I'm tempted to eat that kind of truffle.

Did you mean testing positive? Even if so, I would think you could safely sit outside -- just maybe be sure to occupy the whole bench. If you really are negative I'd say "get out there girl". (and hope you feel better really soon)

>118 RebaRelishesReading: Oh sure, I would have sat outside if I hadn't wanted to crawl under the covers first. Anyway, I woke up today feeling better, and went for my usual Saturday walk in Central Park. I did leave a little early, but still, 8000 steps. The fatigue still gets me.

Yeah the Bruno books are full of cooking! This one has a step by step explanation of his venison stew, complete with duck fat and other items. He really is a gentleman farmer in a way, isn't he? A nice way to live, although I'd skip the aforementioned fat. And of course the Vietnamese and Algerian sins that come back to haunt everyone are very reminiscent of our own history, aren't they?

I will certainly read more of the Bruno books, just on Kindle or paper instead of audio.

These last few days, i haven't wanted to start a new book,and I've been reading my (new) backlog of New Yorkers. The font, which I love, and the color and sheen of the paper are not kind to old eyes. I may have to start reading the magazine online with a larger font. This last one I read was from the end of April. If I read them when they come in, I may even have some conversation material!

I hope you're still feeling better and that you've made some progress with your NewYorker's. Enjoy your day!

I hope you feel better soon, Judy. I agree A World of Curiosities was not one of Penny's best. I did like the first Bruno book. I need to get back to the series.

>120 RebaRelishesReading: feeling a little better each day, thanks. It's hot here today, but I ran some errands, including buying freezer labels in support of my intention to find what is there. Bought veggies at TJ, peaches in the greenmarket. Sometimes it's important to exit the climate controlled cave and feel what the season is, you know?

So sorry to hear that you and Jim have been hit with COVID. I hope you continue to feel better---do let yourself get lots of rest.

>123 banjo123: That seems to be the requirement. I get impatient and think I'm 30 years old again. But we are doing better. Thanks. And watch out for this one. It's traveling fast.

I'm sorry to hear you had a bad time with covid, I was flattened for weeks every time I (probably) got it. Hopefully you continue on the upswing and get back to feeling good soon.

>125 ursula: Thanks, Ursula. I'm better now, almost back to where I was. I might even go to my exercise class tomorrow.

I hope you are continuing to do better. It does really knock you out for a long time. After having it in June, we thought we were fairly protected, and wanted to wait til the new boosters came out. We were also being a bit daring an not wearing masks (even though we really don't go out much). But with the upswing we're starting to put on the masks again. Our Brooklyn son who was just in Israel for 3 weeks had it for the 3rd time while he was there.

>127 arubabookwoman: ouch! Three times. We have also become more pro-active about masks. I'm not so worried about outside, but subways, theaters, etc - yeah.

Can't wait for this heat dome to get the heck out of here. We are due for several days of rain, which is ok with me, as long as things COOL OFF.

My sympathy for you with that nasty heat dome over you. I really don't like heat and tend to just stay in my lovely a/c space when it's like that. Fortunately, we've been having an especially lovely time the week -- 50/60 overnight, 70's in the day (actually high yesterday was 80 but not for long). Please, please may it stay this way until fall really sets in and temps drop to 60/70 range :)!

Glad to hear you're feeling a bit better - hopefully the rain will cool things down.

Dropping in to wish you a great weekend! I hope you continue to feel better :)

>127 arubabookwoman: My friends who are contracting COVID seem to be the ones who are traveling. One was visiting the US from Japan; the other was visiting Canada from the US. The latter actually developed long COVID. I despise mask-wearing because I'm hard of hearing and lip read. I know I need to wear a mask at times and allow others to do so as well. I tried wearing one at a musical show this past Wednesday, but I kept on taking it off and putting it back on throughout the night. It was as good as not wearing one at all.

>126 ffortsa: Glad you're feeling better, Judy.

>133 SqueakyChu: mask wearing must be very frustrating to you. It's a pity we are not quite ready to consider this virus 'domesticated' like the flu (not that people don't get very sick from the flu, of course).

Even though we caught this bug again, we aren't masking all the time. Crowded subways, yes. Theater and concerts, probably. Anywhere there's a crowd. I'm going to a demonstration on Sept. 17th, and I may wear one there, even though it will be outside. Finding a comfortable one that still does some good is a dreary search.

Thanks for your comment. I'm back to myself, and hope to stay that way. Hoping the same for you and all my current and potential visitors! And everyone else.

>134 ffortsa: >135 SqueakyChu:. About that musical show I just attended, my friend (an anti-vaxxer!) sang and danced in the show…and came down with COVID (a mild case of it) yesterday!!

>135 SqueakyChu: Glad you escaped. Sigh. I don't understand anti-vaxxers, except that they have never seen people struck down with polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, etc. The success of vaccines has blinded people to their effectiveness.

>136 ffortsa: People still have all kinds of weird ideas of what the vaccines do. Yesterday a friend told me about the adverse effects of the vaccine. Well, maybe, but we need to weigh the costs/benefits not only to ourselves, but to others. Another thing I've been seeing this week are people with newly diagnosed, active covid going out with masks right away for whatever reason. That is so selfish and mean. Just doing that could cost an extremely vulnerable person a dangerous, ongoing health problem or even a life.

>136 ffortsa: & >137 SqueakyChu: Anti-vaxxers in general terms, I don't quite understand and the eradication of certain diseases proves that when there is an actual immunisation due to injection it has to be welcomed.

The COVID-19 situation is not quite the same as it has never purported to provide full immunisation or stop the spread of the disease (despite some of the politicians claiming otherwise) and those not in the danger group should not, in my view, be forced to take it. Having said that, and being in that danger group, I took it and the boosters myself and am still here! I do think that in general terms it did do what it said it would do and greatly eased the impact of the virus if contracted. Some of the meds are now apparently also super effective if taken early enough.

On people contracting the disease and not isolating, well that is simply irresponsible and appallingly selfish. To do that knowingly is at least in moral terms, criminal.

>133 SqueakyChu: - Barbara?! She caught covid? Oh no!

I still mask when I go on public transit as well as whenever I go into a mall or store. Among my friends, in small get-togethers, I don't. But I know that the friends I get together with are all vaccinated and boosted and I am comfortable with that, even though I know they have travelled and could potentially be carriers. I always have a mask in my purse or car, though, just in case. I also don't like wearing them because I find it difficult to breathe when wearing a mask, especially in the heat of the summer, but I just try to make sure I am distancing as much as possible. So far, I have managed to avoid contracting covid, and I'd like to keep it that way.

>139 jessibud2: I'm glad to hear you are so far covid-free. We don't really know where we picked it up, but the Thursday before the weekend we got sick, we had dinner with friends of ours in their home, and all of us came down with the virus. No idea who picked it up first, or where. Oh well. Stay safe.

>139 jessibud2: Barbara did have COVID in the past, but she has not had it recently. She was on that trip to Canada a few weeks ago where fully half of those on her trip contracted COVID including her friend who went with her, but Barbara did not get it this time. Oddlly enough, she contracted COVID in the past on a day that we spent entirely together. Why she got it and I did not is a total mystery to me.

I feel the same way you do. I always keep a mask handy, but I sure do hate using it, but occasionally I will do so.

57. The Tenderness of Wolves by Stef Penny

I'd been eyeing this volume on my shelf for some time, but when I finally started to read it, I realized the color of the paper and the size of the type were going to do me in. My library was no help, but Amazon had the ebook for $3.99. So the paper book is on its way to a better (younger) place.

In the 1860s, English, Scottish and Norwegian settlers found their way to Canada, still under the control of the 'Company' - the Hudson's Bay Company. Furs in that area were already scarce, but Toronto was established and farming communities in the harsh climate had sprung up. When a French fur trader is found dead in his farmhouse, and a young man goes missing on the same day, several different people start searching for the boy, presumed a murderer, each with different agendas.

Add to this a general skepticism about what we now call First Peoples, the onset of winter in an inhospitable climate, a curious bone relic that might demonstrate written aboriginal language, a compromised widow in a religious community, and a haunting mystery of two young women lost in the woods 15 years ago. Penny weaves points of view, points in time, and the harshness of the place into a fine historical mystery and romance that drew me in and kept me reading late into the night.

eta: When I went to register these comments, it turns out that I had read and commented on the book in 2011. Oh dear. At least I could relish it all over again. And the physical book is off my shelf!

>142 ffortsa: I'm so glad to hear I'm not the only one. It's happened more than once that I bought a book, started reading and realized I had read it. I go looking and find I already had a audio or ebook version...once or twice even a paper copy still on the shelf :(

>143 RebaRelishesReading: This time, I'm embarrassed to say, I never did realize I'd read it. Granted that 2011 is 12 years ago, but I remember a lot of books I read way before that. And it feels so distinctive this time around, I can't figure out why I didn't remember it.

>142 ffortsa: I really liked this one as well, Judy. I'm glad you hear you are feeling well again. Take care.

I've been a little crazed lately, probably an artifact of my well-treated bipolar tendency. So I'm a little overscheduled. Art class followed by Pilates on Tuesday, exercise class at the gym on Wednesday, violin lesson on Thursday (except this month, but that doesn't mean I don't have to practice), exercise class on Friday, morning walk in the park on Saturday, followed this week by a lesson in how to use Nordic Walking sticks. Exercise seems to be the only thing that calms me down, not that I don't need it for a host of reasons.

For one of my f2f groups, I've begun reading When We Cease To Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut. More later. For my other f2f book I am about to read Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

>146 ffortsa: Would, impressively active week! I was planning to go to aqua aerobics today but I just noticed that it started 6 minutes ago...maybe a walk later.

Hi Judy. I'm very much in the minority of folks who just don't understand the love for Louise Penny. I read the first three (I think), shrugged, and have never returned. Sometimes I worry that I'm missing something wonderful -- so many people whose book opinions I trust love her, including my sister. Oh well, there are so many other wonderful things to read.

>148 EBT1002: ah, don't worry. It requires a certain suspension of distrust of perfection, I think. As I said, I hope the series is over!

>149 ffortsa: Sorry, Judy, it isn't. She's editing the second draft of the next one already (and, since she's my guilty pleasure I'm delighted that she is 😁)

Well, I finally pulled out our Instant Pot to make another batch of hard-boiled eggs. I don't really use the device - I think it's because of the electronic menu and controls. I'm more used to an old-fashioned pressure cooker, but I gave that away to make room for the IP.

About reading: I finished When We Cease to Understand the World (in English), and will try to reread it before Monday when we are scheduled to discuss it. It's more than a little weird. I'm currently reading Tender is the Night for our Tuesday group. Sigh. I hate when these meeting collide like this, but there were the holidays, and people traveling...

58. When We Cease To Understand the World by Benjamin Labatut

Well, our book circle spent most of the time complaining that there was too much science in this quasi-novel, so I'll just put my remarks here.

Labatut structures this book around several critical scientific and mathematical advances that led to both good and bad (really bad) outcomes, and the men (yes, all men) that created them. The first chapter, based entirely on historical fact, concerns
fritz Haber's discovery of chlorine gas and hydrogen cyanide from Prussian Blue, a dye that started the synthesis of dyes to replace expensive and rare natural substances. But he also developed the capture of nitrogen, revolutionizing farm yields to feed the world. So, crop yields, gas warfare in World War I, cyanide poison, Zyklon B - what should he be remembered for? The descriptions of gassed trench soldiers is particularly harrowing, and his indifference equally so.

The remainder of the book is more concerned with the advances in physics and mathematics, particularly centered on Heisenberg. Without a single equation, Labatut shows the reader the conundrums that deeply disturbed the atomic physics community and created quantum mechanics. His portraits of the mental states of Heisenberg, Einstein, Bohr, Schroedinger, Alexander Grothendieck and Shinichi Mochizuki, the latter two mathematical geniuses who ultimately gave up mathematics and, some would say, went mad, are more and more imagined as the narrative proceeds, grotesque, sometimes mystical, but always leading to both benefit and destruction, real and in the future.

Is science dangerous? Should we abandon mathematics because we are unable to comprehend its implications? Should we avoid the attempt to understand the atom? Can we really hide from these advances? The ending fantasy is almost, but not quite, sweet.

Here's a New Yorker review that is quite a bit more detailed.

59. Some Lie and Some Die by Ruth Rendell

A typical hippie-ish music festival and a girl found beaten to death lead to a lot of questions for inhabitants of the village. The usual cranky older people comment on the goings-on, but they are not central to the questions.

60. The Draining Lake by Arnaldur Indridason

An earthquake causes a lake to drain, revealing, among other things, a skeleton chained to a piece of outdated Russian spy equipment. Who was this man, who killed him, when and why make for a rather interesting book.

61. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald's tale of rich Americans in Europe between the two world wars is also a tale of Dick Diver, a psychiatrist in the early years of the profession, perhaps too weak to refuse temptation, or too eager to be 'good' to protect himself and others from their obsessions. The writing itself can be exquisite, and the story loops back and forth between the central present and the events that make it what it is. There's a lot of Fitzgerald and Zelda in this, but it's not actually their story. Money, alcohol, the recent destruction, all weigh on these sometimes beautiful people.

62. Riccardino by Andrea Camilleri

I read this last Montalbano out of order, almost by accident. It's a typical confusing murder mystery, but Montalbano is tired of it all, and has to be goosed to participate. Naturally the Mafia, the Church, and this time, the Author (!) keep interfering, the last the funniest part of all. The ending is genius.

I've had The Tenderness of Wolves on the shelf for years. Sounds like I need to get to it!

delurking to say hello and wish you a wonderful weekend!

>155 figsfromthistle: Thanks! So far it's been quiet, which is good, and cool, which is great. Hope yours was good too.

64. Lonely Hearts by John Harvey

Someone was praising this series (Chatterbox, was that you?) so I started with the first. Certainly ok, but I found it a little too much like many other books to really enjoy it. Or maybe it was one police procedural too many for me this year.

The MOST aggravating day.

- I hadn't heard from my ophthalmologist's office, but had an appointment on my calendar. When I called, I was told the appointment had been cancelled! It was too late to go to my art class, so I missed that as well.
- I was all set to book a really cheap fare from New York to Salt Lake City, only to discover that Delta is a #%#@$@ lying corporation, and every possible return flight just about doubled my cost
- I said ok, I'll fly American, but it turns out American has no direct flights!
- So I said, ok, I'll fly United - I have lots of points. The only direct flight I could buy with points lands just before midnight, and I still have to get to Pocatello. Another #%#@$@ lying corporation.
- Then it took me the better part of an hour online to find bus schedules for the shuttle to Pocatello from Salt Lake airport
- Then I bombed on Connections
- Then the handyman came up to check the leak under my bathroom sink, and we couldn't get it to happen again.

There was more, but I've blocked everything else out.

I think I need a drink. And a book, of course.

>158 ffortsa: OMG!! Judy!! What a day! Hope you got that drink (or several) and are having a better evening.

>159 RebaRelishesReading: a very nice woman called and arranged an appointment for me net week without interfering with my classes. Yay. And we took a
broken dining room chair to a wonderful furniture restorer who was quite optimistic about fixing it. More yay.

"Yay's" are always good :) I have a couple of dining room chairs that need help. They have slatted backs and the wood in some of the slats has shrunk to the extent that they barely reach the whole at the bottom. As a result, if you life the chair that slat pops out. I went to the hardware store the other day and got some paste/glue/putty stuff that I'm going to try putting in the hole and then pushing the slat as far as I can in the hope it will stick and not pop out anymore. Otherwise I'm going to have to find a restorer myself (actually there was someone who helped us with some repairs after our move and did a great job so I'll see if they're still in business)

>158 ffortsa: That's really hard.
I hope the situation improves and book and drink have helped a little....

>158 ffortsa: Ouch! Hope today is a better one for you

Well, I skipped the drink, and yesterday put my money down for a trip to Pocatello via Salt Lake City. After all my aggravations, when I booked with JetBlue, they invited me to credit my cost with the 7200 skymiles points, and I saved myself about $100. Found money! So I'm pretty happy. I'll get back to New York near midnight, but before Thanksgiving.

The airlines are using a deeply deceitful fare system, whereby they hook you to look at very low fares on a round trip, then charge you a varying but not insignificant addition based on the return flight you choose. I plan to do a good bit of flying this coming year - siblings, a friends Feb. 29th birthday party, a cousin in Portland, Or. I will need to be clever about booking.

My sister surprised us be announcing that she was booked last minute for a trip to Europe in December, to see the Christmas markets and decoration in Prague, and two other cities. And I heard on the radio today that while the Spanish Mediterranean coast was terribly hot this summer, the so-called off-season is becoming the season. So maybe we will get out of town and country next year. We are not casual travelers, but there is too much to see to stay home.

Glad to hear you may be coming to Portland this year! A meet-up would be lovely.

>165 RebaRelishesReading: Probably next year, as things go, but soon.

TOO BUSY. I keep cancelling things I'm only lukewarm about attending, and I'm still jammed up. All my medical stuff seems to have come due all at once, and I haven't even finished scheduling them. And we will be out of town the weekend of Nov. 11, and I'll be out of town Nov. 15-22. I'm starting pt tomorrow for whatever is going on with my hip, and I've got exercise classes at the gym ( badly needed ), art class, some one-off appointments. I will be so glad when all the extraneous stuff is done!

And of course it's not like I can grab some down time to clear some stuff out. Everything has to be pre-scheduled. My calendar looks like it has the pox.

Where are the good old days when you saw your GP, got all your vaccinations in the office, didn't need to see a half-dozen specialists and labs. How did I do this when I was working?

Oh well. Flu and Covid vaccine appointments scheduled, which is a relief. Just a couple more items to fit in. And of course, I'll bring a book to cushion any waiting.

I did read another book - that's the good news. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson. We will be discussing it at the end of the month. I may have to read it again by that time.

>166 ffortsa: I keep forgetting how close to the end of the year we are lol. Would love to see you no matter which year it is :)

In spite of my remarks about Lonely Hearts, above, I picked up the next in the series, Rough Treatment, which so far, I'm enjoying more. That's what happens when the next two chapters are an addendum to the first book - just when you think you're out, they pull you back.

I loved Train Dreams when I read it a few years ago.

66. Rough Treatment by John Harvey

Well, Harvey has hit his stride. I guess introductory books, complete with egg stains on ties, can be a little ponderous, but this second foray was excellent. It kept me up until midnight! Not my usual thing these days. Burglaries, cocaine, teenagers off the skids, patterns .

One of my doctors help my schedule a bit by becoming too ill to see patients. Not good - I hope he recovers - he runs a very efficient ophthalmic practice. Maybe I'll need to find another practitioner.

A word to anyone visiting NYC: DO NOT TAKE CROSSTOWN BUSSES IN MIDTOWN AT MIDDAY! What was I thinking? I got some blood drawn on the east side and said, oh, I can take the crosstown bus to the 7tn Ave. subway to get to my art class. Idiocy.

Reading The Promise by Damon Galgut. A Boer family before and after the fall of apartheid. So far, quite compelling.

Hi Judy!

… skippety-skip skip…

>46 ffortsa: I loved American Gods. I have only read 4 by Gaiman, but have rated them all 4*.

>46 ffortsa: Well, another push, even if it was from July, to read Kelley Armstrong. I discovered that I bought this one for my Kindle in July, have found it, and might actually start it. Your comments are encouraging.

>104 ffortsa: I’m sorry to belatedly read that Jim had Covid in August. I’m going to get the new booster as soon as my local pharmacy has it – in fact, I’m going there after some first-thing errands.

>108 ffortsa: Sorry you got sick, too.

>114 ffortsa: I had to look up hagiography, and smirked when I read the definition. I gave up on Penny after book 14, so have spared myself 4 unhappy reads. You and I seem to be in a minority. I gave up because of her.ridiculous.use.of.punctuation and have said that I think she’s getting paid by the punctuation mark. I do admit that listening to her books would probably mask the idiotic punctuation, but I actually got bored with the characters and plots, too.

>128 ffortsa: I’ve started masking almost everywhere again, sigh. I just got the new booster yesterday, and so far it’s only a slightly sore arm.

>134 ffortsa: I’ve been wearing these recently: KN95 Fish Mouth Masks Not N95 but almost as effective. This might jinx it, but I haven’t had Covid yet, ever.

>146 ffortsa: I hate being overscheduled, too. This week’s way too busy for me.

>158 ffortsa: Ugh. Especially the not getting the problem to show up for the handyman. I hope the book and the drink helped.

>160 ffortsa: I have 6 cane chairs I’d like to get re-caned, but the last time I priced it it was going to be $600, and that was almost 2 decades ago. There are more important things to do around here first, I’m afraid.

>167 ffortsa: I’m sorry, but My calendar looks like it has the pox. actually made me chuff out a laugh. I hope things settle down.

>173 karenmarie: oh, so many answers all at once. I love it.

The chair is at the fixers and she is optimistic about it,said she'd check it for extra weight too. One of these days I'll have to reuphoster the seats. I might even try it myself. I imagine cane would be very expensive.

The masks I prefer these days go around my head, not behind my ears. But I ad it identical wear them too often. The next covid shot will be at the end of thus month. Flu shot a week before.

Good luck with the schedule. I'm still all booked up,but I've planned a vacation out of town for mid November. That should give me a little break.

"...to get to my art class."
How is said art class going????

>175 EBT1002: Not bad. Everyone is very open and sometimes I even manage to create a reasonable picture. We generally are copying or responding to something the teacher brings in, and this past session was about perspective, which I managed to recreate pretty well, after quite a number of trials. What is the name of the course you are working through? I might do that next.

And thanks for asking!

Hooray for a Portland meet-up!

>177 banjo123: I really should get to Portland more often. Between my cousin and my LT friends, it's always fun to be there. I'll have to watch the air fares and jump on whatever temporary price drops I can.

68. Cutting Edge by John Harvey

As you can see, I'm really engaged now with this series.

An up and coming surgeon is attacked and badly injured leaving his hospital, and Resnick's team is pressed hard to find the attacker. But, of course, there are other attacks, badly injuring others connected in some way to the hospital. What is the common thread? And, at the same time, someone is raping young women in their homes. Investigating both puts a strain on the team.

And we finally meet Resnick's ex-wife, not in a pretty way.

eta: It's a good think the Brooklyn Public Library encourages out-of-borough memberships, because once again the NYPL has failed me. But I have the next in the series from Brooklyn. Whew.

Judy, you sound incredibly busy. I am lucky enough to be going to Portland next week. I always have fun there, good people and good books!

>180 BLBera: Today has been very peaceful - I fetched my cousin from her cataract surgery and she is sacked out on the couch, so it's blissfully quiet. Tomorrow I don't think I have anything scheduled! Yay!

Is the book festival in Portland this weekend?

I took a look at my profile page and was reminded of a whole host of books I had marked as 'currently reading' even though I had put them aside. They were mostly long, mostly non-fiction, and definitely not on my nightstand. Maybe I should make a category of 'long haul reading' so I don't lose track of them completely - I'll think of a better name.

65. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson

One of our reading groups discussed this novella (under 100 pages) last night. Results were mixed: some people were not sure what the author's point was, but I had no trouble with that. In fact, I read it twice. Most agreed that it presented both a time and a character poignant and occasionally funny.

An orphan is taken in by his uncle in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1800s, even taking his name, but has little memory of his origin. As he grows, a striking incident turns him from a layabout life to one of utility, if not purpose. As he goes through his adult life, he finds love and disaster, hard work and its joys; industry and culture grow around him, past the essential rural 19th century on into the machines and entertainments of a more modern era.

Highly recommended.

70. The Call of Stories: Teaching and the Moral Imagination by Robert Coles

This is a compendium of essays that Robert Coles wrote while and after teaching at Harvard. He is both a child psychiatrist and a professor of Social Ethics, and in this latter role he has had many discussions with college students regarding their reading and its impact on their own ethical thought. It illustrates how reading the classics can influence people's thinking about themselves, their families, the decisions they may have to make, their opinions of others - in short, the lessons fiction can impart to us all. Lovely writing and thoughtfulness.

I've been reading this for quite a while, an essay here and there as I go. It is one of those books that bears rereading, as much as the classic texts it cites.

>183 ffortsa: I keep meaning to read Train Dreams ...

>183 ffortsa:...and another BB - Train Dreams has been on my virtual shelf for a while now, so it will bei time to read.
Have a wonderful day!

I really loved Train Dreams, and you've reminded me it's due a re-read (so much easier with those short works!).

In response to the recent spate of opinions about standard vs daylight time, I decided to try to use my dawn/sunset lamp to cue me to wake up at about sunrise. So far, it's working (no sound to the alarm, it's just light), and maybe that's helping my mood, which has been pretty positive lately.

We've scheduled Trust for one of our F2F reading groups. It's 416 pages in paperback, but we have a little more time than usual to read it. I've been on a real mystery tear lately, and I'll have time to shoehorn (or as Mark says, bookhorn) a few in before I need to finish the Diaz.

71. The Iron Hand of Mars by Lindsey Davis

As usual, I listened to the Simon Prebble recording, which was great. But I wished I'd had the text version with maps (I would hope) and the various names. Not quite as confusing as a Russian novel, but I had to pay close attention.

Nevertheless, a terrific book. I loved the quotes from Tacitus at the start of each section. It reinforced the historical foundation of the story. Falco and others spend a lot of harrowing time across the Rhine in free Germany, and the history of the Roman defeat is always on their minds.

Side note: I'm having a lot of trouble with what may or may not be true sciatica, the focus of which is a very sore spot where my butt meets my thigh. Sitting is not fun. It's amazing how much I sit, and have always sat, at work and at home, and how much I am reminded of it now. Saturday night I ended up standing for the second half of a chamber concert with the Julliard String Quartet because I couldn't bear the seats even with an extra cushion. PT is not ameliorating the situation, and I'll talk to my physiatrist again next week. I've got several trips planned in the next two weeks, and transportation is, of course, sitting.

And I'm gaining weight. damn.

>181 ffortsa: Yes, the book festival was Saturday. It was really fun. I hope to be able to go again.

>189 ffortsa: Sorry to hear about your sciatica. Any back-related pain is not fun.

Thanks for stopping by my new thread, Judy. I am sorry to read about your sciatica. Not fun at all. I hope you are soon feeling better. I hope you vacation helps re- energize you . I am also struggling with my weight, @#$%&!

>191 vancouverdeb: @#$%& indeed

67. The Promise by Damon Galgut

Reviewing this out of order as we had a meetup session to discuss it last night.

What an extraordinary novel. Using the story of a disfunctional Africaner family, Galgut traces the history of South Africa from apartheid to full democracy. The story opens with the death of Rachel, mother of three, and a promise she has extracted from her husband that her youngest, Amor, age 13, is witness to. Each decade, this promise is raised at the funeral of one of the family, coincident with major events in the country itself. At the end, we are left to realize that time has destroyed the value of the promise, the family, and in some ways, the dream of South Africa. Each member of the family is in a way contaminated by the promise, apartheid and the subsequent changes.

Galgut uses what we might call an omniscient narrator, but the voice is very close to us, practically whispering the stories in our ears. Each family member's history, character and trauma is revealed through an ironic South African Afrikaner lens. The writing is wonderful, lush, pointed - it brings you in close to this story and situation.
This novel certainly deserves its Booker award, and will bear rereading (as I have partially done) again and again.

Note: The touchstone is a little weird. sometimes it takes me to the Potok novel.

And another BB, thanks for that - I loved Train Dreams, I'm looking forward to The Promise. My public library has it available....
All the best to you and your health, Judy!

>194 SirThomas: Thanks, Thomas! All the best for you also.

So glad you liked Train Dreams.

Not even trying to catch up, Judy, just swinging by to say "Hello!"

Okay, I caught up a little. Sorry about the sciatica -- glad the books have been treating you well. I have a few books that I started and they just didn't grab me. They have been demoted from the Reading Now list to the Ideas for Later list and we'll see if I get back to them. And next year...Portland definitely! : )

>197 Berly: My cousin Bonnie is having another show at the Jewish Museum in April, May, June of next year, and I plan to attend somewhere in there. Timing may depend on what commitments I make (if any) to playing music with a group in the spring. I've just bought a violin bow, quite an extraordinary change, so I have to show it off some time!

We spent the weekend at Mohonk Mountain House, at the Wonderful World of Words weekend of puzzles and talks. It was very enjoyable, in spite of the fact that I came down with such a bad cold I took a covid test, just to make sure. The leaves were mostly down already, except for the very golden ones that seem to hang on longer. The food was delicious, the company fascinating. We go up each year, and this time there were new people as well as old friends. We are already looking forward to next year.

Your weekend in the mountains sounds wonderful! (all except the cold, of course) Our leaves are pretty much gone too but they look nice on the ground as well as on the trees.

I'm hoping your Portland trip is late May or June because we'll be gone from April 1 until mid-May and I would love to see you!!

>200 RebaRelishesReading: Another incentive for the schedule!

Well, I was supposed to be traveling to Pocatello tomorrow,
but I've been feeling so sick I postponed the trip to December.
Jetblue made it incredibly easy to rebook; they get my applause.
There is a nasty bug going around, not quite flu, but it comes with
Sore throat, fever and congestion. I hope any readers here stay out of its path.

Bummer about being sick especially since it required rebooking a trip. Hope the recovery is quick and you trip easy to rebook.

I'm sorry to hear that All the best and get well soon!

Thanks, >203 RebaRelishesReading:, >204 SirThomas:. As of now it's just the congested aftermath. Can't wait until my ears clear.

That said, we finally got to the movies yesterday to see 'Oppenheimer', and it just blew me away. Nolan has a fantastic visual sense that adds layer on layer to the excellent acting. It's the first film I can say I would want as a DVD, because of the images he has created.

I was a bit handicapped by not knowing the full list of historical players in the Mahattan Project drama. Sometimes it was hard for me to keep the characters straight when there were so many, almost all male. But not a bad performance anywhere. I don't know how it would play on a 40" home screen. Glad we saw it in a moviehouse with a really sharp print.

>205 ffortsa: I liked 'Oppenheimer' too and agree it needs to be seen in a theater -- I just wish the one we saw it in had had more comfortable seats!!

Hi Judy!

>193 ffortsa: You got me with this one, book ordered and due on the 25th.

Ugh to sciatica, weight gain, the cold, and the bug. I hope you're doing much better.

>207 karenmarie: Oh, pleased that my review hit you. I hope you like it as much as I did.

My ears are still blocked and I'm still coughing, but that is aftermath. Weight gain will take some discipline, of course. Sciatica - well, I did walk 4.6 miles this morning, so I probably will need ice tonight. But I managed the uphills with limited complaint.

Heal emphatically, Judy. My DiL daughter Tara apparently has Covid. It's a repeat of last year. We shared Thanksgiving at her parents' place, and Tara kind of drifted around on the periphery, eating at her own "sickie's" table in a separate room. I recall everyone surviving.

Hope you are feeling better soon, Judy. And looking forward to seeing you in Portland this Spring.

I hope you feel better soon, Judy.

"Oppenheimer" was the first movie I have seen in the theater for ages! And it was well worth it. The acting was fabulous. I am interested in reading the book it was based on.

The Promise is on my WL -- too many books.

Thanks, everyone. I seem to be back to normal, whatever that is. And I did fit in two more mystery novels, which I will note in a bit. Next up I need to get a copy of Trust by Herman Diaz for our next meetup.

72. Wasted Years by John Harvey

John Harvey has certainly caught my attention. In this entry, Charlie Resnick is charged with stopping a string of increasingly violent but very well-planned bank robberies. At the same time, we see a young man try to get into the same line of criminal endeavor, becoming increasingly dangerous himself. Charlie is thrown back to similar cases ten years before, and the circumstances of his life at that time. The change of timeline is pretty well handled, as is Charlie's personal life.

73. Gunpowder Green by Laura Childs

The first in this series didn't grab me, but I thought I'd try another. The first few chapters were too slow for my liking, but after the mystery set in, it was ok. Not my favorite cozy series, but it will serve.

>212 ffortsa: Here's to getting back to normal, Judy! Glad to hear it.

>213 ffortsa: I do not think I have read any of John Harvey's books, so I will have to give him a try sometime.

Regarding the Childs' books, I feel the same as you - not my favorite cozy mysteries, but they will serve.

Have a marvelous Monday, Judy!

Glad you're feeling better, Judy.

>208 ffortsa: I hope this cold of yours/ear problems goes away soon. Not fun.

>212 ffortsa: Glad to see you are feeling better :)

Dear Judy,



Happy Thanksgiving from an appreciative non-celebrator.

>193 ffortsa: I also liked this book a lot.
All the best for you!

We had a grand time today at the Museum of Modern Art, which runs a movie series titled 'The Contenders' where museum members can see Oscar prospects for free. Today the show was 'Asteroid City', Wes Anderson's latest deadpan exploration of life, death and absurdity.His usual cast of the best actors in Hoĺlywood did their usual astonishing turn amidst a desert set with alien life, science nerds and love, requited and otherwise. Terrific.

74. Poseidon's Gold by Lindsey Davis

An excellent entry in this series featuring Marcus Didius Falco. We meet his father, finally, and learn about him and about Marcus's brother Festus, late of the Judean wars and not always the golden-haired boy everyone seems to think he was. The plot is complex but comprehensible, involving imports from Greece, the terrors of slavery, and with a few delightful twists at the end.

Good for you, walking 4. 6 miles with sciatica. I'm just heading out shortly to walk my dog for a couple of miles. Glad you enjoyed Oppenheimer. I hope to borrow the DVD from my sister in a week or two. She just purchased it Friday night. I feel fairly certain you will enjoy The Creak on the Stairs. I already own the second in the series, and look forward to reading it, and I'll borrow the third in the series from the library , when I get to it. Glad you feeling better. Just got text from my adult son that he and his wife and two young children all have covid. They all had it in September 2022. Too bad. We were planning to get together this Saturday, but I guess we'll have to see how they are feeling and also , are they still contagious?

>221 vancouverdeb: Oh, too bad about the Covid, ruining your plans. I hope parents and kids get over it with ease.

Yeah, we've changed our approach to the hip thing. More strength training and less stretching, which only seemed to exacerbate the problem. I like the challenge of this approach. Friday's walk was excellent, and I'll probably join the group again this Saturday. In the meantime, home exercises and a walk when I can fit it in.

I was getting edgy about my storage locker fee, and so when the company offered lower rates, I jumped at the chance. As it happens, I got a great deal on a locker no different from the one I had, but on the first floor. It gave me the chance to go through what I had stored away, and make a catalog of it. Lots of sewing stuff - fabric and patterns and instructions. My dad's old cameras and negatives - not ready to give them up yet. My parents' china and some glassware.

I stuffed all the hanging clothing into the empty suitcase already in the locker, and dragged it all home. I'm determined to go through my wardrobe and get rid of anything that no longer fits, no longer suits my activities and style, etc. No sense in paying for stuff I'll never wear. So this is the first salvo.

Oh, and I found some natural fiber yarn, which I forgot to take home. Rats. Well, after the clothing review, I'll head back to see what yarn I might like to use. My appetite for fabric and yarn doesn't match my rate of use at all, but I'm going to try to change that.

(It's like books)

>223 ffortsa: Good for you, Judy. I have several drawers and cupboards that desperately need to be "gone through" but it doesn't seem to happen. We have more space here than we had in San Diego (including a three-car garage but only one car) so it's too easy to ignore the "stuff" that isn't used. I did go through my yarn stash a couple of weeks ago and donated a box full of left-overs to a friend who used those partial skeins in her projects. It felt really good I will admit.

>224 RebaRelishesReading: If I hadn't had to move to a new locker, it wouldn't have happened. I still have to go back and evaluate all the fabric I've stockpiled from earlier, more ambitious thoughts of sewing.

>223 ffortsa: You are inspiring, Judy. Good luck!

Happy to say I continued my clearout by delivering a bag of clothes to my favorite thrift shop, bringing some dental hygiene supplies to the community fridge and cabinet, and getting the composting detritus out of my freezer and into the compost bins. (The mayor is proposing to stop funding of the composting program, but I don't see how $7 million dollars is going to balance the NYC budget!).

That required a fair amount of walking, and that plus my Saturday walking hour, my Sunday visit to the Ed Rascha exhibit at MOMA, and other sundry walks have done my hamstring efforts no good, alas. Back to the icepacks.

I'm reading Sing, Unburied, Sing for tomorrow's reading group meetup. Hard to wedge that in with all this activity going on.

It just occurred to me that Sing, Unburied, Sing will be book #75 this year. I haven't hit that number for a while, and there's still most of December left. That said, I so envy those of you whose count is far greater than mine. There are so many books to read, so much music to listen to, so many movies to see. I guess I'll just have to live to 120 or so to catch up.

Congratulations on reaching 75, Judy. Also sounds like you had a most productive weekend. Hope the ice packs do their work! You are a great example and you may yet get me out moving more!

>228 ffortsa: Congratulations on reaching 75, Judy!

And by the time you are 120, there are way more books (movies, music) you need to read (see, listen) ;-)

>220 ffortsa: That is a series that I have never even dipped my toe into yet. My local library does not have the books, which has certainly not helped.

>228 ffortsa: I keep telling everyone that I can never die due to the number of books that I still have yet to read. . .Congratulations on hitting 75!

>229 RebaRelishesReading: >230 FAMeulstee: >231 alcottacre: Thanks, each of you.

The weekend of walking and errands did me in, even with ice packs. Oh well. I think I might get one of those inflatable donut hole cushions for my trip to Idaho, and even for other hard-seated places, just to keep the pressure off what might be that bursitis.

>230 FAMeulstee: I know, I know. So many books, recordings, movies, museum shows, theater projects. It's important to at least try to realize one can never keep up. Just read, listen, what what you love.

>231 alcottacre: If only our book stacks could serve that purpose, we'd never die!

>227 ffortsa: What an awful idea to stop funding the composting program. Whatever he "thinks" he will save will just go towards transportation for the extra garbage pick up and truck delivering to the dump or to penalty fees for not sticking to the contract......

>228 ffortsa: That book has been on my shelf for a while. Congrats on reading 75 books!

Congratulations on hitting 75, Judy!