Mamie's 2019 Madness (Page 7)

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Completed in July:
62. The Lost Detective: Becoming Dashiell Hammett by Nathan Ward, 2018 acquired ebook, biography
63. The Taming of the Duke by Eloisa James (reread), 2010 acquired ebook, historical romance (Essex Sisters, book 3)
64. The Machine Stops by E. M. Forster, 2019 acquired ebook, dystopian

Completed in January:
1. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran, 2018 acquired audiobook, non-fiction/essays/feminism - Katie's Dirty Dozen
2. Nerve by Dick Francis, 2018 acquired mass market paperback, mystery - recommended by Julia and read for the Dick Francis GR
3. Dead Beat by Jim Butcher, 2009 acquired ebook, urban fantasy (Dresden Files, book 7)
4. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal, 2018 acquired ebook, science fiction/alternate history (Lady Astronaut, book 1)
5. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, 2009(?) acquired paperback, classic
6. Mouse House by Rumer Godden, 2018 hardback purchased for my great-niece, juvenile fiction
7. Fox 8 by George Saunders, library hardback, contemporary fiction/short story
8. The Mousewife by Rumer Godden, library hardback, juvenile fiction
9. Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher, FLP audiobook, urban fantasy (Dresden Files, book 8)
10. Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett, 2008 acquired paperback, crime fiction/noir (The Continental Op, book 1)
11. White Night by Jim Butcher, 2019 acquired audiobook, urban fantasy (Dresden Files, book 9)
12. Total Chaos by Jean-Claude Izzo, 2014 acquired paperback (Europa World Noir), crime fiction, translation



Completed in February:
13. The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendahl, 2018 acquired hardback, classic/literary fiction, translation
14. Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount, library hardback, non-fiction/books about books
15. Small Favor by Jim Butcher, 2019 acquired audiobook, narrated by James Marsters, urban fantasy (Dresden Files, book 10)
16. Eucalyptus by Murray Bail, 2019 acquired ebook, fairy tale, Katie's Dirty Dozen
17. Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James, 2019 acquired ebook/audiobook, fantasy (Dark Star Trilogy, book 1)


Completed in March:
18. Turn Coat by Jim Butcher, 2019 acquired audiobook narrated by James Marsters, urban fantasy (Dresden Files, book 11)
19. The Confession by Jo Spain, 2018 acquired paperback, thriller - recommended by Susan
20. Gun Street Girl by Adrain McKinty, 2018 acquired audiobook narrated by Gerard Doyle, police procedural (Sean Duffy, book 4)
21. Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King, 2018 acquired paperback, non-fiction/racism/true crime
22. The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock by Imogene Hermes Gowar, FLP ebook, historical fiction - recommended by Susan
23. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach, library hardback, non-fiction/space exploration/popular science
24. Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty, 2018 acquired audiobook narrated by Gerard Doyle, crime fiction/police procedural
25. Wish I Was here by Jackie Kay, 2018 acquired audiobook, fiction/short stories - recommended by Helen
26. Old Filth by Jane Gardam, 2013 acquired paperback, historical fiction - recommended by Donna
27. Night Broken by Patricia Briggs (reread), 2014 acquired ebook, urban fantasy (Mercy Thompson, book 8)
28. How to Be Famous by Caitlin Moran, 2018 acquired audiobook narrated by Louise Brealey, fiction/humor/feminism (How to Build a Girl, book 2)
29. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin, 2015 acquired audiobook narrated by Rosamund Pike, classic
30. The Dry by Jane Harper, 2019 acquired paperback, police procedural (Aaron Falk, book 1) - recommended by Charlotte
31. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, library hardback, non-fiction/true crime - recommended by Susan
32. The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley, 2017 acquired ebook, crime fiction/detective (C. W. Sughrue, book 1) - recommended by Joe

Completed in April:
33. The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam, library paperback, historical fiction
34. Names For the Sea: Strangers in Iceland by Sarah Moss, 2019 acquired ebook, travel writing/Iceland
35. The Lost by Claire McGowan, 2018 acquired ebook, crime fiction/police procedural - recommended by Charlotte
36. The Handmaid's Tale: Graphic Novel by Margaret Atwood, illustrated by Renee Nault, library hardback, GN/dystopian
37. The Long Take by Robin Robertason, library hardback, novel in verse/noir/post WWII - recommended by Susan
38. The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy, 2018 acquired ebook, memoir
39. Becoming by Michelle Obama, 2019 acquired audiobook, memoir
40. Unbelievable by Katy Tur, narrated by Katy Tur, 2019 acquired audiobook, memoir/politics/2016 election - recommended by Susan
41. Circe by Madeline Miller, 2018 acquired hardback/2019 acquired audiobook narrated by Perdita Weeks, literary fiction/mythology
42. Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas, 2019 acquired ebook, historical romance, (The Ravenels, book 1)
43. Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon, 2017 acquired paperback, non-fiction/biography - recommended by Suzanne
44. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, FLP ebook, YA/coming of age/novel in verse - recommended by Mark
45. Prague Pictures: Portraits of a City by John Banville, 2017 acquired hardback, non-fiction/travel writing (Writer in the City series) - recommended by Suzanne

COMPLETED in May:
46. Last Friends by Jane Gardam, library paperback, literary fiction (Old Filth Trilogy, book 3)
47. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths, 2018 acquired hardback, mystery - recommended by Susan
48. Changes by Jim Butcher, 2019 acquired audiobook, urban fantasy (Dresden Files, book 12)
49. Ghost Story by Jim Butcher, 2019 acquired audiobook, urban fantasy (Dresden Files, book 13)
50. The Histories by Herodotus, 2015 acquired paperback, non-fiction
51. The Real-Town Murders by Adam Roberts, 2019 acquired ebook, mystery/futuristic - recommended by Heather
52. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker, library ebook, mythology retelling - recommended by Susan
53. Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs (reread), 2011 acquired ebook, police procedural/forensic anthropology (Temperance Brennan, book 1)
54. Nineteen Eighty-four by George Orwell, 2018 acquired hardback, dystopian
55. River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey, 2019 acquired ebook, alternate history - recommended by Jim

Completed in June:
56. The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood, 2018 acquired ebook, short stories
57. Alys, Always by Harriet Lane, library hardback, suspense - recommended by Katie back in 2012
58. Blindsighted by Karin Slaughter, FLP ebook, police procedural (Sara Linton, book; Grant County, book 1) - recommended by Susan
59. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (reread), 2016 acquired audiobook, crime fiction/private investigator (Jackson Brodie, book 1)
60. Much Ado About You by Eloisa James (reread), 2010 acquired ebook, historical romance (Essex Sisters, book 1)
61. Kiss Me, Annabel by Eloisa James (reread), 2010 acquired ebook, historical romance (Essex Sisters, book 2)

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

From 2019:
1. What Girls Learn by Karin Cook
2. Partitions by Amit Majmudar
3. Here and Nowhere Else: Late Seasons of a Farm and It's Family by Jane Brox
4. The Governess Game by Tessa Dare
5. Blood on the Forge by William Attaway - "A searing and brutal story of three brothers who travel from rural Kentucky to the steel mills of Pennsylvania in 1919, during the Great Migration."
6. Eucalyptus by Murray Bail COMPLETED 2/8/19 3 stars
7. The Garden Party by Grace Dane Mazur
8. Pride, Prejudice and Jasmin Field by Melissa Nathan
9. Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz
10. The Shore by Sarah Taylor
11. Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
12. Paragon hotel by Lyndsey Faye

From 2018:
1. The North Water by Ian McGuire - Mark and Judy loved this one, too. And also Richard, though a weentsy tidge less.
2. How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran - go with the audio COMPLETED 1/3/19 4 stars
3. Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
4. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan - Katie says for when I'm in the mood for something light and recommends the audio
5. When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman - Katie mentioned on Joanne's thread that she loved this one COMPLETED 10/29/18 4.5 stars
6. Matilda by Roald Dahl - the audio narrated by Kate Winslet COMPLETED 4.5 stars
7. Come Hell or Highball by Mala Chance - saw this first on Katie's thread and then Meg's enthusiasm sold it to me
8. The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif - Katie says,"...one of my very favorite books - easily in my top 10."
9. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
10. How to be Safe by Tom McAllister
11. Georgia: A Novel by Dawn Tripp
12. Sunburn by Laura Lippman
13. The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor - she mentioned on Karen's thread that this is one of her all time favorite books
14. West by Carys Davies

From 2017:
1. Everyday people by Stewart O'Nan (linked short stories)
2. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
3. Wait Till Next Year by Doris Kearns Goodwin (memoir) COMPLETED 11/1/18
4. The Golden Legend by Nadeem Aslam
5. Personal History by Katherine Graham
6. Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
7. Taft by Ann Patchett
8. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
9. Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
10. The Lost Book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett
11. Snow in August by Pete Hamill - Katie mentioned how much she loved this one over on the AAC thread after Mark had posted the list for next year

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

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

The Chosen Ones - my 2019 list of book bullets:
1. The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker - recommended by Susan COMPLETED 5/19/19 4 stars
2. Well-Read Black Girl by Gloria Edim - recommended by Beth
3. The Murder of Harriet Monckton by Elizabeth Haynes - recommended by Susan
4. Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher - Heather
5. The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai - Bonnie
6. Rain: Four Walks in English Weather by Melissa Harrison - Carrie
7. Snapshot by Gary Disher - series recommended by Richard
8. An Unwanted Guest by Shari La Pena - Susan again
9. In Her Blood by Annie Hauxwell - Charlotte by way of Susan who says, "The series that is not about nuns is by Annie Hauxwell and it's the "Catherine Berlin" series. Charlotte just finished "A Morbid Habit", which totally sounds like it should be nun-related, but it's not. The *first* one is In Her Blood."
10. Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift - Beth
11. The Ravenmaster by Christopher Skaife - Susan. Again.
12. How to be Both by Ali Smith - Helen
13. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo - Mark COMPLETED 4/26/19
14. The Strangler Vine by M. J. Carter - Barbara. Charlotte also loved this one.
15. Murder on Millionaires Row by Erin Lindsay - Meg
16. A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw - Meg, who got hit by Deborah
17. Secondhand Time by Svetlana Alexievich - Stasia
18. Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson - Faith
19. Fire in the Lake by Frances FitzGerald - Gail says, "Her book on Vietnam and the Vietnam War, Fire in the Lake, made a lasting impact on my political thinking."
20. Tom's Midnight Garden by Phillipa Pearce - Joe
21. Sum by David Eagleman - Joe again.
22. Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan - Susan again.
23. The Horseman by Tim Pears - Ahem. Susan.
24. Great Dream of Heaven by Sam Shepard - Mark
25. The Real-Town Murders by Adam Roberts - Heather - "The Real-Town Murders seems to be his take on a science-fiction/noir thriller with lots of Hitchcock references thrown in (the famous H even makes a guest-appearance)." COMPLETED 5/18/19 3 stars

Overflow for book bullets...

26. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds - because Mark said so
27. Europe in Autumn by Dave Hutchinson - Heather says this series is "a science-fictional Le Carre mash up"
28. Unbelievable by Katy Tur - Susan - COMPLETED 4/20/19 4 stars
29. The Wife by Meg Wolitzer - Beth
30. The Long Take by Robin Robertson - Susan - COMPLETED 4/11/19 5 stars
31. Root and Branch by Rawn James Jr. - digs into the years of preliminary legal cases by Marshall and the NAACP that all led up to Brown v Board of Education - Julia
32. Riot Days by Maria Alyokhina - Charlotte
33. The Guilty Party by Mel McGrath - Susan
34. Silvertown by Melanie McGrath - Susan again.
35. Murder in Thrall by Anne Cleeland - Joe
36. Pineapple by Joe Taylor - Richard says, "It's a terrific crime novel. It's told in verse. It's worthy of your eyeblinks."
37. The Crocodile by Maurizio De Giovanni - Jim says, "Great mystery/police procedural set in a gritty Naples."
38. River of Teeth by Sarah Galley - Jim says, "...part caper story, part wild West, part over the top steampunkishness. And a hippo-load of fun!"
39. Good Talk by Mira Jacobs - Beth

My 2019 Data:

Physical Books (Acquired before 2019) Read From My Stacks: 15/50

Books read: 68
Group/Shared Read: 2 (Nerve, The Scarlet Letter)

Books that are part of a series: 33
In Translation: 4
Rereads: 6
GNs: 1

Format:
hardback: 14
paperback: 13
ebook: 23
audio: 15
audio/print or ebook combo: 3

Borrowed: 11 (local public library), 5 (FLP)
Acquired in 2018 or earlier: 35
Acquired in 2019: 16
Purchased to gift: 1

Authors:
Living: 55
Dead: 13

Male: 30
Female: 38

American: 31
Australian: 2
Canadian: 1
English: 20
French: 2
German: 1
Greek: 1
Irish: 5
Jamaican: 1
Scottish: 3
Welsh: 1

New to me authors: 33

fiction: 54
non-fiction: 14

Genres/category:

non-fiction/biography: 2
non-fiction/memoir: 3
non-fiction/essays:
non-fiction/books about books: 1
non-fiction/ cultural history: 1
non-fiction/film history:
non-fiction/history: 2
non-fiction/politics: 1
non-fiction/popular science: 1
non-fiction/travel writing: 2
non-fiction/true crime: 1

classic: 3
literary fiction/contemporary fiction:
literary fiction/espionage
literary fiction/historical fiction: 5
literary fiction/feminism/humor: 1
literary fiction/Greek mythology: 2

crime fiction/espionage:
crime fiction/mystery: 4
crime fiction/noir: 3
crime fiction/police procedural: 8
crime fiction/psychological thriller: 1
suspense: 2

romance: 4
fairy tale/retelling: 1

weird fiction:
alternate history: 1
dystopian: 3
fantasy: 1
urban fantasy: 8
sci fi: 1

juvenile fiction: 2
YA: 1

play:
short stories: 3


LT Recommendations Read:

Katie's Dirty Dozen - 3
Donna - 1
Charlotte - 2
Heather - 1
Helen - 1
Jim - 1
Julia - 1
Joe - 1
Mark: 1
Susan: 8
Suzanne: 2

Reading 50 Print Books From my Own Shelves (acquired before 2019):


Penguin Clothbound Classics:


Penguin Deluxe Classics (with deckled edge pages!!!):
1. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
12. The Histories by Herodotus


Everyman's Library Editions:
4. The Charterhouse of Parma by Stendahl
13. Nineteen Eighty-four by George orwell


Europa Editions:
3. Total Chaos by Jean-Claude Izzo
7. Old Filth by Jane Gardam


Virago Modern Classics:


Penguin Orange Collection (totally Charlotte's fault):


Pedestrian Books (or Everything Else):
2. Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
5. The Confession by Jo Spain
6. Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King (Olive edition)
8. Circe by Madeline Miller
9. Romantic Outlaws by Charlotte Gordon
10. Prague Pictures: Portraits of a City by John Banville
11. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
14. The Templar's Last Secret by Martin Walker
15. The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

This should do it - next one's yours!

Happy new one, Mamie. I always love your toppers.

#1 is totes adorbs! Happy new thread. I've asked Thor to intimidate the Internet Goddess into leaving your service alone.

>11 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>12 richardderus: Thanks, BigDaddy! I fell in love with the topper as soon as I saw it. And a huge blessing upon you for your conversation with Thor regarding our internet. *smooch and a bear hug*

Good morning and smoochers and a big bear hug!

Happy new thread, Mamie! Nice going with Mount TBR. I've read eight from mine, but I bought some of them this year...

Ha! Great topper.

Happy New Thread, Mamie!

I’m praying to the internet gods that your pc shall remain wonkless. 😄

Happy new thread, Mamie!

Happy new thread, Mamie!

I finished Bird Box last night and should have a review up Monday. It is a compelling story. Well written and suspenseful. I'm not sure if I want to watch the film. We'll see.

>14 Morphidae: Lovely to see you here, Morphy! Smooches and a big bear hug back to you!

>15 susanj67: Thank you, Susan! I am doing great with mount TBR if I count all the audios and ebooks acquired before this year, too - a total of 24. Sadly, only 11 of those have been physical books, so I am worried that I am not going to make my goal of 50 before the year is out. I do have several more on the go, though.

>16 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Well, it's already wonked since I started this thread. It really is MOST annoying. Please continue to pray - perhaps the LT whammy can work its magic.

>17 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie!

>18 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie! I have that one in the stacks. I think I will probably watch the film after I read it just because I am curious.

>19 Crazymamie: THOR!! Get busy!

>21 richardderus: Hello! And yes, let's get a move on already.

Happy new thread, Mamie. And good luck with your TBR goals. Every time I think I'm making some progress I find a reason to go crazy.

>23 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! And I hear you!

Happy new one, Crazy!! Boo on the wonky internet. Hope is starts behaving. God luck on the TBR pile. I am doing my best to make a dent as well. Middling progress thus far. ; )

>21 richardderus: Um...yes!!!

Hiya, Mamie. I too like that topper. I don't think I ever encountered a pooch that enjoyed reading comics (or is that a GN?). But there is this shot:

>26 weird_O: LOVE it :)

>22 Crazymamie:, >25 Berly: I know, right? No matter what the question is, the answer is YES with that smile pointed at you.

Happy new one!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mamie! Love your picture topper and Harry Potter gif selections :)

>26 weird_O: Okay, that dog is ADORABLE.

Happy new thread, Mamie.

Lovely to see you back and the threads humming.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mamie. Welcome back!

Great topper! Our retriever would rather get between us and whatever we were reading, especially when my mother was reading the newspaper just like that, on the floor.

Happy new thread, Mamie!

LOVE the topper and >26 weird_O: Bill's response :-)

>25 Berly: Thank you, Kim! The internet is still misbehaving. *sigh* I don't know that I am making a dent in Mount TBR since I am adding books faster than I am reading them, but it does feel good t be getting to some of the books that have been waiting awhile.

>26 weird_O: I love that image, Bill!! SO great! And it is definitely comics in the topper - I had a great love of comics when I was younger and had quite the collection.

>27 RebaRelishesReading: Me, too, Reba!

>28 richardderus: Truth.

>29 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>30 quondame: Thank you, Susan!

>31 bell7: Thanks, Mary! Those Harry Potter gifs make me smile every time I see them.

>32 Morphidae: Agreed, Morphy.

>33 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

>34 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>35 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley!

>36 ffortsa: Thanks, Judy! Too funny.

>37 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita! Bill's response is fabulous, isn't it?!

Happy new thread, Mamie! Hoping t'internet remains intact for the foreseeable future. Although if it does go wonky, does that increase or decrease your book reading? hmm.

>42 Helenliz: Thank you, Helen! Good point - it probably does increase my reading, although I don't spend much time on the internet as a whole. I just want it to work when I do want to use it.

I hope you have a fabulous mother's day weekend, Mamie.

I haven't hosted a series or an author for a while. I'd like to do so this summer, during a month when the most interested folk have the time to do at least the targeted book, which is only 200 pp. long. I'd like to expose as many people as possible to the works of James H. Schmitz, a science fiction author who wrote from the late '40s through the 1970s. He is best known for The Witches of Karres, but imho has written much better works. Here is my bookshelf.


Many of his works, especially his shorter ones, were very hard to find for quite a while, but in 2000 and 2001, Baen published almost all of his oeuvre in a collection of 6 books, seen to the right of the shelf above. The book I would like to feature is Demon Breed, also found in the Baen collection The Hub: Dangerous Territory. Schmitz is known for his kick-ass female protagonists long before they became the current ubiquitous status quo in his stories about Telzey Amberdon, Trigger Argee, and the hero of Demon Breed, Nile Etland.

See my thread for more info if interested!

Morning, Mamie. Sweet Thursday! I miss seeing you around. I hope all is well in the Pecan Paradiso and I hope you are keeping cool. We are finally enjoying some warmer temps.

>44 BLBera: Thank you, Beth - it was full of fabulous! Hoping yours was, too.

>45 ronincats: Roni, thanks so much for that! I already stopped by your thread to say that I am in. Sounds like fun.

>46 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sweet Thursday to you! Thanks for missing me - life has been busy but in a good way. Also, the internet continues to be wonky - they are working on it or so they say.

The Pecan Paradisio is in fine form except for the internet woes. We had storms and high humidity over the weekend, but it has been lovely and cooler (humidity wise) these past few days. Still in the 80s and 90s, but the lower humidity makes all the difference. Our screened-in porch and our pool have been getting a workout. Hooray for your weather being more to your liking.

Thursday orisons from 65° sunshiney breezy seaside Long Island!

*skedaddles before the brick Mamie tossed hits*

Hey Mamie! It's been a good few days here, temps in the 20s, clear blue skies. However we're reverting to type for the weekend.

Oppsie! how did I miss your new thread?! Pulling up my lounge chair to the Paradisio Pool with my book and iced tea.

Hi Mamie and happy new thread. Sorry you've got wonky internet.

Happy today!!! May it hold great things. : )

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mamie. How are your steps going? Susan and I did really well today walking around London.

Hope your weekend was good, Mamie. Mine was quite excellent. Saturday I finished a two-day spree of library book-sales, buying an obscene number of books for very little money. Spent today loafing on the deck, alternating reading with short naps. Now we're having a doozie of a thunderstorm. But it'll pass.

We have internet in the morning! Amazing! And on a Pre-Tuesday. Whoa. Lovely but hot weekend, and we are going into the 100s by the week's end, so...yeah. I have not posted about books in a very long time, and if my internet holds, I will try to post some mini-reviews today. I still need to finish commenting on April's books, and I have read seven so far this month; I am feeling slightly intimidated by how behind I am. "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get."

On the reading front, I am currently working on:
The Long Ships - Viking era saga recommended by Lucy. She was right - it's very good.
Nineteen Eighty-Four - yep, finally getting around to this classic
Reflex - the current pick for Julia's Dick Francis read
River of Teeth - recommended by Jim, and I am liking it so far
Berlin Stories - set in 1931 Berlin, these stories are the inspiration behind Cabaret
Bad Blood: A Walk Along the Irish Border - Colm Tóibín walked the border between Northern and Southern Ireland in the 1980s and shares his journey and conversations with the locals from all walks of life

>48 richardderus: I am SO jealous of your weather. Since I dote on you, I was able top refrain from throwing the brick. This time.

>49 Helenliz: Hello there, Helen! I am not looking forward to our climbing temps. The Deep South in the summer is truly awful.

>50 Carmenere: Welcome, Lynda! The pool has been very popular lately - we are happy to refresh your drink as often as needed.

>51 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen! The internet is actually working this morning, which is a good sign. *crosses fingers*

>52 Berly: Thanks, Kim!

>53 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle!

>54 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! I have fallen off the stepping just in the last few days - I need to get back to it. I am jealous that you and Susan got to meet-up - lucky both of you!! And hooray for the stepping - my jaw dropped when I read about the steppage over on Susan's thread. Nicely done!

>55 weird_O: Thanks, Bill - it was! Sounds like I need to drop by and see your haul. Our pool got a workout this weekend, and I spent some time on the screened-in porch. And last night Craig grilled, so it was a most excellent couple of days for us as well.

Morning, Mamie. Can you believe we are back in the 50s, for the next 2 days? WTH? I have the day off, but I will mostly stay close to home. I could use more time with the books.

>60 msf59: Morning, Mark! The 50s!!! *sob* I want the 50s! Hoping your day off is full of fabulous.

>57 Crazymamie: It's probably suicidal to say this on a Baja Tuesday, but here goes: It's going to get hot here by the end of the week, too. Almost but not quite up to 75°!

I wanted to blog 200 reviews this year. I'm 40 behind schedule. *sigh*

Glad to see you have connection again, hope it persists.
I have washing on the line - saving the world one load of washing at a time. But I do keep looking out the window, it was bright this morning and has clouded over. I accept full responsibility for that, I did put the washing out...
Hopefully post-sunday is treating you well.

Hi Mamie! Glad to see you're connected again. I hope it stays that way because we miss you when you aren't around.

100's!!! OMG! We're leaving for Florida on Friday. Now I'm afraid!!

Glad your Internet's back and you've got some good books going. *whispers* I've never read 1984...

Yay for River of Teeth!

Hi Mamie! I hope you're doing well.

It's a lovely 66F right now and I've got a window open, but will get to a nasty 87F. Blech.

>59 Crazymamie: After your post about the heat, I can see why you aren't energetically stepping, Mamie. My steps have diminished after the epic day with Susan as I have been sitting in a classroom for much of the week. Maybe my feet needed a rest.

Wishing you a good weekend, Mamie. We've got a long weekend in the UK, so the weather is due to be dull and overcast on Monday. Nothing like conforming to stereotype.

Crazy--Happy that tomorrow is MONDAY (yes, I said the dreaded day) because it is a holiday and I have no plans except LT and books. Yay! Hope all is well at the PP.

>9 Crazymamie: too. pretty. can't. look.
>56 Crazymamie: I don't believe I have ever read Nineteen Eight-Four, although I did chose the film version of it from the DVD library at a travel hostel in Ecuador one time (in the year 1999, I think). It was my choice, as it was my birthday :)

*Waving* hello and hope all is well in your world. Have a great weekend!

Jenn has posted a link for free online copies of all of Schmitz' work in those Baen compilations on the group read thread!
https://www.librarything.com/topic/307199#6833006

Hope you are doing well, my friend. We miss you around these parts when we don't "see" your lovely "face."

And now I'll torture you with our forecast - 74 (today), 80, 84, 81, 81, 82, 80, 74. Only one day with a larger chance of rain (40%.) Still a bit warm for me (except the 70s) but certainly better than 90s!

Morning, Mamie! You popped into my mind just now so thought I'd check in and see how things are at the Paradisio. Wishing you a sunny, low humidity kind of day :0)

Hi Mamie! I hope things are good on the home front.

Hi Mamie, hope things are good with you and your family.

Mamie darling, in case you're lurking, please come home! Which ISP do we need to DDS?

Many thanks for having set the fitbit group up for us, Mamie. It was fun while it lasted and I will miss trying to get to the top of the leader board.

Hello, Everyone. I remain undead. BUT this year feels like the year of the Pecan Paradisio Plague - we just cannot seem to get well and stay there. Some years are like that, but we haven't really experienced one since the kids were little. I guess it is our turn again. Oh, well...life happens.

I have been in a bit of a reading funk this month, only completing three books so far. I keep starting things and then setting them aside unfinished. Mostly I have been binge watching Netflix and Amazon Prime. *blinks*

For those of you who are in our Fitbit group, Meg recently brought to my attention that our LT group had disappeared. After much investigation, I found out that Fitbit deleted the groups and we can no longer access them - not sure why they didn't give us a head's up so that group administrators could at least make a note of key data such us member names and contact info. Anyway, we can create a new closed group through the app, and I have done this. I will be sending out the invitations to join the group today, so don't be confused when you get an invite to join a group you thought you already belonged to. Also, because I was not "friends" with everyone in the group, I might need help tracking down individuals. Before, I could invite people as long as I had an email, and now it seems that I can only invite people I am friends with - still figuring it all out, but anyway, I think anyone that is a group member can invite friends in, so I am hoping we can get everyone back that way. I guess we'll find out. Heh.

>62 richardderus: I hear you about being behind - I wanted to read 50 print books off my shelves this year, and I am at a whopping 13. *Ahem*

And the weather. Don't get me started - the Deep South is like a giant armpit. So gross right now - very soupy. AND the upstairs AC is out again - we are getting a new part (I forget what it's called - the compressor?) free of charge since it is still under warranty and it keeps failing. At least the downstairs AC is on the job, and the master bedroom is downstairs. *happy dance*

>63 Helenliz: Well, the internet is working, but the upstairs AC is out, Helen. It never rains but it pours, heh? I'm so thankful we have two units and only one of them is on the fritz.

I envy you the washing on the line - you could never do that down here because it would all be coated in pollen in about two seconds.

>64 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba. As I am sure you discovered, I was not joking about the temps. We are still in the 90s every day with lows at night in the 70s. Most yuck.

>65 bell7: Thanks, Mary. I was happy to have finally read Nineteen Eighty-Four - it was Orwell's final book, and my timing was great because a new book just came out about it called The Ministry of Truth: the biography of George Orwell's 1984. I got it for my birthday, and I am looking forward to digging into it.

>66 drneutron: It was a fun read, Jim, so thanks!

>67 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! I'm doing okay - can't seem to get over this cold. We are in the 90s all week, and I am SO over summer already.

>68 Familyhistorian: My stepping has been really hit or miss lately, Meg. I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things when it cools down a bit. So, probably somewhere around December. *blinks* I am totally jealous that you and Susan got to meet up - very cool.

>69 Helenliz: Thank you, Helen. Funny how the weather seems to know when you have an extended weekend, isn't it?!

>70 Berly: Kim! How are you, my friend? I'm hoping you are feeling better.

>71 LovingLit: Hey, Megan! I have not yet watched the film version, but I want to, so I need to track it down.

>72 bell7: Thank you, Mary!

>73 ronincats: Roni, thanks for that!

>74 Morphidae: Morphy, thanks so much. It's lovely to be missed. This is the year of sickness at the Pecan Paradisio, so I have not been around as much as I would have liked eve after we got the internet woes fixed.

I would love to have that forecast. The 90s weather is very draining for me - too hot even before you factor in the humidity.

>75 Carmenere: Hello, Lynda! Thanks for thinking of me. Very sunny here currently, but it is also VERY humid. It's like soup out there.

>76 karenmarie: Hey, Karen! Thank you for those good wishes.

>77 Familyhistorian: Hello, Meg! We are all fine here - just having trouble escaping the sickness. Hopefully we will kick it to the curb very soon.

>78 richardderus: Richard, darling, thanks so much for missing me. Your posts always make me smile. I have just been under the weather - so lots of napping and watching tv, and not much socializing. I have missed you so.

>79 Familyhistorian: Hopefully we will get it all set up again in the app, Meg. Such a pain, and I wish they would have let us know they were going to close the groups out. I sent you an invite to the new group - let me know if you don't get it.

MAMIE'S BACK!!!

>87 richardderus: Aw, shucks. Thank you, BigDaddy! The golf clapping made me laugh out loud.

>87 richardderus: - That's certainly how I feel!

Hi Mamie!

>89 katiekrug: *grin* Thank you, Katie - it's good to be back.

Hurrah, glad you're still around. And I say "away" pesky plague.

>91 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen!

Hi Mamie! Sorry to hear you're all lurgificated at the Paradisio. I got the invitation, which has motivated me to keep up the steps :-)

The Long Take won the Walter Scott historical fiction prize on Saturday - I thought you'd like to know :-)

>93 susanj67: Hello, Susan! Thank you. So far we have gotten you, Katie, Amber and Mary back. Looks like we can only compare steps for seven days and not for the entire month right now. Hopefully, they will change that because it was fun to see the longer range data.

Hooray for The Long Take!! Most exciting.

Sorry to hear about your plague, Mamie. I was wondering what happened to our FitBit group. It disappeared while I was on vacation. I would love to be a member again, so let me know what I have to do.

Your weather sounds horrible. It is in the 70s with low humidity here, and I am loving it. I know we'll get the soupy stuff eventually.

Welcome back, Mamie!

Sorry to hear the plagues have visited the Pecan Paradisio. Fingers crossed you all get clear of them.

Thank goodness your upstairs A/C was still under warranty. Sounds like working A/C is essential right now where you are.

I'm a big fan of The Long Take. Glad to hear it won that Walter Scott prize.

I hope you have all kicked the sickness to the curb and that you're back for the foreseeable future, Mamie. Good to see you here and thanks for getting on the Fitbit issue so quickly. I miss my monthly stats even if I never could quite catch up to the leaders.

Welcome back, Mamie, you are greatly missed when you are not around. :)

So sorry you've not been well and also that your A/C is on the fritz again!! That thing is a real pain, is it not?! We did find out how much you need it during our brief trip to Florida and through Georgia earlier this month. It was terrible!! So stay in the pool, or downstairs where the A/C works, take care of yourself and get better soon please.

>95 BLBera: Beth, I will send you a PM.

The weather is typical for the Deep South - I just don't do well with it. And honestly, summer is like six months long down here. Ugh.

>96 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe! I appreciate those good wishes.

A/C makes life so much more bearable in Georgia - I would be completely miserable without it. And mean. Just saying...

Birdy got me my very own copy of The Long Take for my birthday - so full of fabulous.

Hi Mamie! It's so good to see you back. I'm sorry about the plague conditions and the Deep South Summer Nastiness. Central NC isn't quite as bad, but bad enough for this SoCal semi-arid-desert-raised girl. I ran errands yesterday and every jaunt between car and AC was draining.

Your AC problems are just insult to injury, so hoping that this time the condenser (or whatever) fixes it for good.

Bill's had a terrible cold since last Saturday but I have avoided him like the er... plague... and so far I'm sick free. He went back to work today. We'll see how long he lasts. US women play Sweden today at 3, after all... *smile*

>97 Familyhistorian: We're working on it, Meg - Birdy and I still have lingering lurgy, but we are traveling in the right direction.

I did not even know our group was missing until you told me. Ha! What a great administrator I make - thanks for the head's up. I am hoping they improve the in app group features so that we get that monthly leaderboard back - that was my favorite part.

>98 DeltaQueen50: Thanks so much for that, Judy.

>99 RebaRelishesReading: It is a pain, Reba - the Deep South is very tough on air conditioners. I am so thankful that it has been the upstairs A/C with the problems and not the downstairs unit. This summer has been especially miserable. And it's only June. YIKES!

>101 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! Thank you. I try to run my errands early in the morning because I do not do well in this heat. Draining is exactly the right word.

The compressor has a weak spot in it that keeps reopening and leaking, so they are getting us a new one. Crossing my fingers that the part comes in this week.

Hoping Bill's return to work goes well - and good work avoiding the lurgy! So, you're thinking he might be home by 3?! Too funny - we love watching soccer, too!

Morning Mamie! Thanks for the invite. My doc doesn't want me to pound the pavement for awhile as I've got some knee thing going on Ugh! but there are other ways to acquire steps like thru gentle aerobics. Being in a group will certainly inspire me.

>104 Carmenere: Morning, Lynda! You're welcome. Sorry about the knee - not fun. I like the group because it makes me feel inspired without feeling pressured.

Sorry to see your family has had the plague this spring. My family had it bad all winter but we are finally all healthy at the same time (knock on wood!)

I no longer use my fitbit. Nate got me an apple watch and I wear that now instead. Weird that they deleted the group though.

Too hot to eat "healthy" so let's skip straight to dessert:

Mamie, you're back! Sorry to hear about the lurgy-ness, the a/c, etc. I hope everything and everyone is back to health soon.

I could not live in the South - much too hot and sticky. We are having a stellar June in NYC, but I don't look forward to the next two months. Maybe I can sleep until September.

>106 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle. So much harder when little ones are sick - glad you are finally all healthy at the same time. *knocks on wood*

It is weird - they deleted all the groups, so not just ours. I don't really see the point of creating groups in the app if all you can do is compare results for the week - you can do that with just the regular friends leaderboard. Hopefully they will give us back the monthly leaderboard. You will be missed, but congrats on the apple watch - how are you liking that?

>107 richardderus: So true, BigDaddy! That spread looks most yum! Thank you.

>108 ffortsa: Thank you, Judy.

I am not loving the Deep South and its weather. We moved here for Craig's job, and while I still love looking at the pecan grove that runs behind our property, I am SO sick of the heat and the lack of actual seasons. I miss the Fall, and I miss the snow. *sigh*

Morning, Mamie!

I don't think I could live in the South, either. The heat, and also the higher chance for snake encounters. I'd be trapped inside all the time for fear of seeing one.

>110 scaifea: Morning, Amber! Right, the snakes are indeed more prevalent than I would like. Of course, what I would like would be none. Zip. Zero....

>111 Crazymamie: Agreed! I can't handle the sight of them at all. Total fear paralysis. *shudders*

Same.

Glad to see you back, Mamie, and hope all at the PP are feeling 100% v soon.

You've reminded me about the Orwell book, I will see if my library has a copy.

>114 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte!

The Orwell book is most excellent so far - very in depth and interesting. And perfect timing for me since I just finished reading Nineteen Eighty-Four last month.

They did have a copy, but other borrowers have got there before me: I shall have to be patient (because I am so good at that!)

Hi, Mamie.

Many years ago I lived in S. California (Santa Barbara), where it was beautiful weather virtually every day. I couldn't take it! I missed the seasons too much. I moved from there to New York City, and eventually Chicago - much better.

>109 Crazymamie: I know what you mean about southern weather. I spent a year in Texas and while I loved the sun, the thing I missed most about the weather was the lack of drizzle. Yup, I'm just very odd. >:-)

>102 Crazymamie: I wasn't exactly on top of the fitbit thing, Mamie. It was a weekly email from fitbit where my stats were low as my phone wasn't syching for days on end that got me to update stuff. Once my dashboard updated I went to look at the group leaderboard and it was gone!

Wishing for a cool spell for you while you wait for the AC fix.

Mamie, how long have you been living at the PP? and where did you live before that?

Just stopping by to say hello... and apparently to gaze at rd style goodies. Hope y'all are better soon. I often wonder about you and yours.

Very good to see you checking in, Mamie. I'm glad everyone is feeling better now and hope the trend continues. My fitbit stopped syncing and now I've lost it somewhere, so hadn't been having any stats since this winter. May try to find it...

>109 Crazymamie: Four times I refused to move to the south when my husband's job or my job moved. I don't regret staying in S. Calif. But at the time one of us of always had a local job. When neither of us did we were just about set up to move to Illinois, at least temporarily. But the job proved much more temporary.

>116 charl08: Bummer, Charlote. I am SO not good with patience.

>117 jnwelch: Hey there, Joe! I love Chicago- so much to do and see, and you definitely get all four seasons there. I am not missing Indiana, but I would like Fall back. *sob* I would like some color that is not green. And some snow. I love not having to deal with frozen pipes, warming up the car, shoveling snow...but I miss feeling a true cold. My winter coat that I wore from Indiana when we moved is hanging in the closet and has not been worn since. We will move again when Craig retires, but until then there will be eternal summer.

>118 Helenliz: Helen, I don't think you're odd. Luckily, Georgia gets plenty of rain. I love rain. And sometimes it falls straight down for hours on end. Days on end. And I love that. Truly. It keeps me sane amidst all this heat and humidity. Today I woke up, and without my glasses the view from the windows looked like a dense fog was blanketing everything. Nope. Just the windows completely steamed up from the humidity outside. It is already 78F (26C) with a humidity of 87%, and we are going to 97F (36F).

>119 Familyhistorian: Well, Meg, you were more on top of it than I. From what I could find, it looks like they took all the groups down around the 13th.

Thank you for those cool wishes. The forecast is for 90s weather all week long, so...

>120 ffortsa: Hello, Judy! We moved down here in the Fall of 2012, so it will be seven years in October. Before that we lived in Indiana.

>121 mckait: Sis!! Most exciting to see you here! Thanks for thinking of us. Richard is very good with the food porn, isn't he?!

>122 ronincats: Thank you, Roni. I hope your Fitbit turns up soon. And that you can get it to sync - I hate when technology doesn't work the way it's supposed to.

I finally started Demon Breed yesterday, so as soon as I finish it, I will drop by the GR thread.

>123 quondame: Good thinking, Susan. Moving this far south was not what I would have chosen, but it was a great opportunity for Craig, and we were all really ready for a big change. It has been good for us, but the heat is getting on my nerves. I love the house and the view, and our three rescue cats found us here, so I should not be complaining, but this heat makes me grumpy.

On the reading front, I finished another book - a reread, actually. I decided to reread through the Jackson Brodie series before reading the new one that is coming out here tomorrow. *squee!* I really love this series which is more of a character study with the mysteries taking second place. This is my third time reading through Case Histories, which is the first book in the series. My very first year here on LT, I received the book for Christmas from Stasia, who was my Secret Santa in the gift swap organized by Mark at the time. I love how Atkinson writes, taking the reader back and forth along the timeline as we follow storylines that intersect with Jackon Brodie, private detective, at the heart of them. Jackson himself is a delight - his personal life is always a bit of a mess, but somehow he manages to unravel the mysteries he takes on, following his own moral compass and taking us along for the ride.

For some reason, the audiobooks are each narrated by a different person. Susan Jameson narrates this first book, and she does a brilliant job of it for all the voices except for Marlee, Jackson's eight year old daughter - she makes Marlee come off as kind of a brat, where I read her more as snarky and precocious. A small quibble. Book two, One Good Turn is only available as an abridged audio - WHAT?! I have no idea what's up with that. BUT, guess who's narrating the newest installment...JASON ISAACS!! I am so excited!

Of course, after rereading the first book, I had to rewatch the series featuring Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie - a perfect fit for the role. If you haven't checked it out yet, what are you waiting for? Amazon Prime has it currently - highly recommended. The series adds characters and changes some of the storylines, but it is true to the heart of the books. And did I mention it stars Jason Isaacs?

Hi Mamie!

Thanks for the reminder about Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie. I'll mention it to Bill.

>128 karenmarie: Hello, Karen! You're welcome - I think you would love the series.

Hey Mamie! I totally relate about the unending summertime wearing you down. I didn't like it either.

Hoping all your this-week's reads are Jason-Isaacs-level toothsome.

We loved Jason Isaacs as Jackson Brodie in that series, Mamie. I completely missed the beefcake nuances - thanks for pointing them out. :-)

Well, I don't have Amazon Prime but I had to go and look at Acorn TV, which I do have. No Jason Brodie/Isaacs but there looks to be some pretty good stuff in there that I should check out. So thanks for that, I think.

>130 richardderus: Hello, Richard! I need to just get over my weather woes because my grumping about it is not going to change anything. That being said, it's SO HOT.



I love what you wised for me! Thank you, BigDaddy. *smooch*

>131 jnwelch: It was well done, wasn't it, Joe?! And I am thrilled that I could point out some of the subtler undercurrents that you missed. *grin*

>132 Familyhistorian: Maybe Acorn TV will eventually get it, Meg. I keep looking at Acorn - they have a great lineup of shows available. Let me know what you do decide to watch - inquiring minds and all that. And you're welcome - I'm here for you.

Hi Mamie!

Autumn has always been my favorite season, but since moving to NC 28 years ago and experiencing mid-Atlantic summers, I yearn for it as soon as winter's over because spring means summer. And summer here is the shits. You're that much further south (and west) than I am, and I grumble, so I think you're more entitled than I am. Perhaps you could treat your summer-grumbling like sweets - don't deny completely because that leads to binges. Just grumble a bit under your breath occasionally so you don't explode. *smile*

>134 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! Sage advice. I intend to take it. And it's good to know that I am not alone in wishing the summer away.

On the upside, we are expecting the A/C guy to be here today to fix the upstairs unit. *happy dance*

>133 Crazymamie: I'm regularly tempted to get Acorn as a Prime add-on. $60 a year...manymany good shows...but $60 a year is silly to spend on TV.

*smoochyTuesday*

>136 richardderus: Oh, I don't know, Richard. I mean, $60 for the year and you can watch as much as you want - seems like a bargain if it is happy making. I thought about just doing it for one year and binging. I might ask for it for Christmas. And YES! Tuesday! *smooch back*

A big Philly YO MAMIE! To the Crazy Lady from that weird guy. I kept noticing the upticks in unread messages here and deciding on the basis of no evidence whatsoever that all were posted by LTers wondering where, oh where, had you gone.

It is so hard to keep up.

On the other hand, I had a one-on-one meetup with none other than the famed Postal Warbler, Mark. It was yesterday in Gettysburg. We talked a lot about the Civil War, about books, etc. I think his ears were looking a bit crispy when the meet broke up, but at least I hadn't talked 'em completely off. Heh heh.

Also. I bought three CW books—at retail—and a pair of President Lincoln socks from the book store at the visit center.

hi Mamie. I hope all is well with you. *waves*

Our daughter is pestering me to get Acorn, figuring she can get access. Periodically she'll read me the list of delights available on it, while making puppy eyes. It's tempting to just give in.

>127 Crazymamie: Oooooh! Another good thing to watch. Thank you, Crazy. And welcome back, from one MIA LTer to another. I just posted again today for the first time in a while. June has been a rough month. Looking forward to July!!

>133 Crazymamie: I watched a show right away. It was A Stitch in Time, only half an hour or so long and it was about Charles II clothes. They actually made up a suit they saw him wearing in a painting. I was busy (as usual) so I didn't have time to watch anything longer but will have to go back to watch Midsomer Murders and some of the other intriguing new shows that caught my eye.

>142 Familyhistorian: that's a series of 6, (I think) and it's a good watch. I like the dress in the Arnolfi wedding by van Eyck the best, love the picture and the dress itself ends up being amazing.

'Morning, Mamie!

I hope your upstairs AC is now cranking out the cool.

I’m back in the Fitbit Fold. Now if I can just remember to sync it on a more regular basis. Mamie, I’m with you on the summer heat. I just can’t take it like I used to.

>145 Donna828: Reminds me that I'll have to get SWMBO to pick up my fitbit from my brother's office. I miss clocking the steps.

Hi, Mamie! Happy 4th of July!

Morning, Mamie! I hope you had a nice 4th, with the family. I hope you are doing well. Miss seeing you around.

Hi Mamie!

What Mark said.

>148 msf59:, >149 karenmarie: +1

*waves to Mamie*

>143 Helenliz: I've only watched that one episode of A Stitch in Time so far but it was good, so I should get back to them.

Hi Mamie, hope things are going well. I think you were one of the people who got me with a BB for the Slow Horses series. I just cracked the covers for a novella in the series called The List. Looks like it is going to be a good one.

Missing you and the Pecan Paradisio, Mamie.

Hope all is well. xx

Hi, Mamie.

We are well into the mid-Summer freeze when it comes to posting in the group, Mamie and it is more sluggish than usual this year.
Hope all is well and that you'll be back to us soon.

Man, I thought I was MIA! Where are you? Hope you are just having too much fun to be here. : )

*waves to Mamie*

I'm poking my head out from behind the others to wave hello!

Also waving hello!

Just dropping by to say hi. Hope all is well with you :)

Miss you, Mamie!

Hi Mamie, hope your absence from the threads is just a sign that you're having one heck of a fabulous summer and nothing else. See you in the autumn, maybe?

Hoping all is well, Mamie.

Missing you lots.
Do come and update us all soon.

>137 Crazymamie: Have you been binge watching on Acorn and not reading, you naughty girl? Hope it's that simple. :0)

Hi Mamie!

Sending hugs and good wishes to you.

Hola!! From one MIA to another. Hope you are back soon. : )

Mamie! I stopped by to visit, thinking I haven't "seen" you in a while. It turns out you are MIA! I hope you and yours are well, my friend. I know when life gets hectic LT sometimes just has to fall to the wayside. Certainly my activity hereabouts has been affected by this new job of mine (34 months to retirement but who's counting?).

Take good care.

*sniff* Where shall I send flowers for to commemorate Mamie's untimely demise? Because I know she'd supermegauber dig this article on the history and sociology of deckle edges in book publishing if only she were around.

No Mamie sightings - Hope everything's ok!

*sings*

*caterwauls more like*

Oh where, oh where has our lil' Mamie gone?
Oh where, oh where can she be?

So, am I the only one worried about our friend Mamie? Does anyone have other contacts with her? FB? etc. Anyone?

No, not the only one, Ellen. Mamie has mentioned she doesn't Facebook and I don't see any new achievements on Fitbit. Hopefully, a PM here will get a response.

I don't have much info, but was contacted by Abbigail last week - she was asking for advice on recovering her account password. Hopefully, I'm not causing a stir with this, but she mentioned

I bet she'll be back in the 75ers next year, I'll also be participating, as the rest of this year is going to remain crazy. It hasn't been a great year at the pecan paradisio, but we are getting through it.

So sound like thoughts and prayers are warranted, and Mamie will be back when she's up for it.

Thanks for the update, Jim. Thoughts and prayers it is for our dear Mamie.

I'm prayin' like a human that all smoothes down and calm descends soon.

Sending lots of positive thoughts to Mamie and the clan🐥

>175 drneutron: Thanks for sharing what you know, Jim. I'm sorry Mamie is having a tough year at pecan paradisio but glad to know she may be rejoining us next year.

To Mamie: xoxoxox

>175 drneutron: Thanks for the update Jim. Sending love and thoughts to our favourite Pecan Paridiso family.

Warm thoughts for Crazy (your name is supposed to indicated fun not out of control, dang it!!) and the crew at the Pecan Paridiso. Hugs.

Good to hear that Mamie will be back.

Happy Thanksgiving, Crazy. Hope all is well with you and yours. : )

Thinking about you, Mamie, and you're in my thoughts and prayers.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mamie!

Hope you had a great Thanksgiving and that you're enjoying the holiday weekend, Mamie. You're missed here!

Thinking of you, Mamie, and wishing you well.

Mamie!

Missing you and all at the Pecan Paradisio.

Wishing you well as we approach the end of the year, and hoping you're able to be more present in 2020.

Just wanted to say have been thinking of you- have been reading The Ministry of Truth and it was just brilliant (as you said!)

Have to leave you a December wish -- wish you were here!!! And also that all is well with you and yours at the Pecan Paradisio.

Happy holidays to Pecan Paradiso. Hope you're well and will be back soon.

Soviet Santa says "Happy Yule!" Solstice Greetings to all. Read more here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/soviet-santa

Happy Holidays to you and your family, Mamie. I hope we see you back in 2020!

Happiest end-of-year wishes to you and yours, Mamie. Also hoping to see you in 2020 :)

Happy Holidays, Mamie!

Here’s looking forward to a better 2020!

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Or in other words, Happy Christmas! And have a great New Year as well.

Happy holidays, Mamie. You are missed!

Happy Holidays and the best for 2020. And I hope we hear from you soon!

Have a comfy, caring, and very

Merry Christmas!

Mamie, I hope things are getting better from whatever has happened this year. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Mamie. May it be filled with good books and love.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, some other tradition or none at all, this is what I wish for you!

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019 (sometimes Mamie!).......onward to 2020.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Best wishes this holiday season!! Hope to see more of you in 2020!

Happy holidays! You are missed!

Wishing you and yours a happy new year. I hope 2020 is better in every way.

Happy New Year, Mamie!

Can you join us for 2020? Fingers crossed.

Happy new year, Mamie! ditto what Joe said :0)