Ellen reads freely in 2018 - Thread 10

Photograph by NITIN VAYAS, 2017 National Geographic

In honor of the Earth, and in acknowledgement of my fear for its demise, my 2018 threads will be topped with nature photos. This regal lion gets to stick around.

another photo

My Rating Scale:

= Breathtaking. This book touched me in a way that only a perfect book can do.
= A wonderful read, among my favorites of the year.
= A great read; truly enjoyable.
= Not quite great but I'm absolutely glad I read this.
= A solid read, with a few things done particularly well.
= Average. Remember, most of us are, by definition, average.
= Pretty much a waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

Honestly, I'm rarely going to complete any book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
2. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
3. Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
4. The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan
5. Negroland: A Memoir by Margo Jefferson
6. Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions by Valeria Luiselli
7. God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
8. Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
9. Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott audiobook

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

10. Winter by Ali Smith
11. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff audiobook
12. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
13. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
14. The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie
15. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
16. The Way I Found Her by Rose Tremain

COMPLETED IN MARCH

17. The Power by Naomi Alderman
18. Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
19. An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones
20. Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
21. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
22. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson
23. Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
24. How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall

COMPLETED IN APRIL

25. The Birth House by Ami McKay
26. Alpha: Abidjan to Paris by Bessora (Author), Barroux (Illustrator), Sarah Ardizzone (Translator)
27. Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
28. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo audiobook
29. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
30. For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu
31. The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
32. Saving Mozart by Raphaël Jerusalmy

COMPLETED IN MAY

33. The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
34. The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide
35. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
36. Halsey Street by Naima Coster
37. Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
38. Sunburn by Laura Lippman
39. Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
40. A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw

COMPLETED IN JUNE

41. Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn
42. A Purple Place for Dying by John D MacDonald
43. Blind Goddess by Anne Holt
44. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John Le Carré
45. Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu
46. Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
47. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

COMPLETED IN JULY

48. Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
49. Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley
50. So Lucky by Nicola Griffith audiobook
51. The Overstory by Richard Powers
52. The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan
53. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

54. Florida by Lauren Groff
55. Above All Things by Tanis Rideout
56. Evensong by Kate Southwood
57. We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
58. Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER

59. From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan
60. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
61. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
62. Blind Justice by Bruce Alexander
63. What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
64. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (reread)
65. Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
66. Sugar Money by Jane Harris

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

67. The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón
68. Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson
69. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
70. The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
71. Milkman by Anna Burns
72. The Death's Head Chess Club by John Donoghue

I will be reading African American Autobiographies. I won't create individual threads for these because I just can't keep up with more than one thread, but I certainly welcome co-readers as I make my way through the list (and the order of the reads will be random rather than predetermined).

Here is the reading list that inspired this personal challenge; it's from a course being taught at the Asheville OLLI. I'm not saying these are exactly the books I will choose but this is the list from which I'm starting.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass √√
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
The Souls of Black Folks by W.E.B. DuBois
Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
A Voice from the South By a Black Woman of the South by Anna Julia Cooper
Crusade for Justice by Ida B. Wells
Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neal Hurston - read in 2017
Black Boy by Richard Wright
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody
Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin - read in 2013
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - read twice already
Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family by Pauli Murray
Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

COMPLETED
Negroland by Margo Jefferson
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

ColorCAT

January/Black - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
February/Brown - The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie Jr
March/Green - Turtles All the Way Down by John Green and Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
April/Yellow - The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
May/Blue - The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald and Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
June/Purple - A Purple Place for Dying by John D. MacDonald
July/Pink - Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
August/Grey - Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
September/Metallic - Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
October/Orange - Milkman by Anna Burns
November/Red - The Red Collar by Jean-Christophe Rufin

December/White -

RandomCAT

✅January="Ack! I've been hit!" ~ Negroland by Margo Jefferson (BB by kidzdoc)
✅February="Laissez les bons temps rouler" ~ The Way I Found Her by Rose Tremain
✅March="Ripped From the Headlines" ~ The Power by Naomi Alderman
✅April="April Loves Books!" ~ Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
✅May="a flower ... in the title ..." ~ The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
✅June="Unusual Narrators" ~ Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spenser Quinn
✅July="Getting to Know You" (reading from/about a different generation) ~ The Overstory (multigenerational!)
✅August="Let's Go to the Mountains" ~ Above All Things by Tanis Rideout
✅September="Happy Birthday" ~ Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
✅October="Playing Cards" ~ The Death's Head Chess Club by John Donoghue

November="It's all about money"
Possibilities:
American Tabloid by James Ellroy
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
Native Son by Richard Wright

December

BingoDOG Completed

1. Title contains name of a famous person, real or fictional ~ Saving Mozart by Raphaël Jérusalmy
2. Published more than 100 years ago ~ Nicholas Nickleby
3. Originally in a different language ~ Go, Went, Gone (German)
4. New-to-you author ~ God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
5. Relative name in title ~ Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
6. Money in title ~ Sugar Money by Jane Harris
7. Published in 2018 ~ An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones
9. Fat book - 500 plus pages ~ The Overstory by Richard Powers (502 pp.)
10. Set during a holiday ~ Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
11. LGBTQ central character ~ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
12. Book on the 1001 list ~ The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré
13. Read a CAT (middle square) ~ Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions by Valeria Luiselli
14. Number in title ~ We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
15. Book that is humorous ~ Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
16. Book bought in 2017 that hasn’t been read yet ~ Bad Feminist
17. Title contains something you would see in the sky ~ Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
19. Book that fits at least 2 KIT’s/CAT’s ~ Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
20. Book with a beautiful cover (in your opinion) ~ Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
21. Autobiography/memoir ~ Negroland by Margo Jefferson
22. Poetry or plays ~ Heartbeat by Sharon Creech (novel in verse)
24. Story involves travel ~ The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie
25. Title contains a person’s rank, real or fictional ~ Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw

BingoDOG ideas

8. X somewhere in the title ~ Autobiography of Malcolm X
18. Related to the Pacific Ocean ~ The People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara
23. A long-time TBR

PopSugar Challenge 2018

1. A book made into a movie you've already seen ~ Tales of the City
2. True crime
The next book in a series you started ~ Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
4. A book involving a heist
5. Nordic noir ~ Snare (Reykjavik Noir) by Lilja Sigurdardóttir
6. A novel based on a real person
A book set in a country that fascinates you ~ Blind Goddess by Anne Holt (Norway)
8. A book with a time of day in the title
9. A book about a villain or antihero
A book about death or grief ~ How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym ~ James Tiptree Jr?
A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist ~ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical
A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you ~ Negroland: A Memoir
A book about feminism ~ Bad Feminist
A book about mental health ~ Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift ~ Sugar Money (Mark)
18. A book by two authors ~ Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman ??
19. A book about or involving a sport
A book by a local author ~ So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
A book with your favorite color in the title ~ A Purple Place for Dying
22. A book with alliteration in the title
23. A book about time travel
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea
A book with an animal in the title ~ Magpie Murders
27. A book set on a different planet
A book with song lyrics in the title ~ So Lucky by Nicola Griffith
A book about or set on Halloween ~ Something Wicked This Way Comes
A book with characters who are twins ~ Godstalk
A book mentioned in another book ~ Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson (The Mars Room)
32. A book from a celebrity book club
A childhood classic you've never read ~ A Wrinkle in Time
A book that's published in 2018 ~ An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
36. A book set in the decade you were born
A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to ~ The Death's Head Chess Club by John Donoghue
38. A book with an ugly cover
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges ~ A book set in your home state (2016)

2018 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge

1. A book published posthumously
2. A book of true crime
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
A comic written and illustrated by the same person ~ Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
A book about nature ~ The Overstory by Richard Powers
A western ~ The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie
A comic graphic novel written or illustrated by a person of color ~ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
A romance novel by or about a person of color ~ The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
A children’s classic published before 1980 ~ A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
12. A celebrity memoir
An Oprah Book Club selection ~ An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
14. A book of social science
A one-sitting book ~ Alpha: Abidjan to Paris
16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author ~ The Power by Naomi Alderman
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19. A book of genre fiction in translation
20. A book with a cover you hate
A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author ~ Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
22. An essay anthology
A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 ~ Evensong by Kate Southwood
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished) Just no.

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty - I may pass on this one.
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman

Here is a list of 46 books by women of color, to be published in 2018. I'm not saying I'm going to read them all but I want to keep an eye out for them.

Electric Literature 46 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2018

January:
When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and asha bandele
This Will Be My Undoing by Morgan Jerkins
Halsey Street by Naima Coster ~ COMPLETED
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo ~ COMPLETED
Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee
The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory ~ COMPLETED

February:
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones COMPLETED
The Lost Girls of Camp Forevermore by Kim Fu
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
Call Me Zebra by Azareen Van der Vliet Oloomi
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Song of a Captive Bird by Jasmin Darznik
Secrets We Kept: Three Women of Trinidad by Krystal Sital
Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith
Heart Berries by Terese Mailhot
The House of Erzulie by Kirsten Imani Kasai

March:
Bury What We Cannot Take by Kirstin Chen
The Parking Lot Attendant by Nafkote Tamirat (I was supposed to get this as an ER)
Everyone Knows You Go Home by Natalia Sylvester
Go Home!, edited by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
My Old Faithful by Yang Huang
The Beekeeper by Dunya Mikhail
Happiness by Aminatta Forna
Whiskey & Ribbons by Leesa Cross-Smith

April:
Poignant Song: The Life and Music of Lakshmi Shankar by Kavita Das
Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Disoriental by Négar Djavadi, translated by Tina Kover (I purchased this one)

May:
The Ensemble by Aja Gabel
Not that Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture, edited by Roxane Gay

June:
Sick by Porochista Khakpour
Number One Chinese Restaurant by Lillian Li
Tiny Crimes, edited by Lincoln Michel and Nadxieli Nieto
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Old in Art School by Nell Irvin Painter

July:
Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras
How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs
Love War Stories by Ivelisse Rodriguez
What We Were Promised by Lucy Tan

Currently reading:

.

2018 Booker Prize Longlist
Richard Powers (USA), The Overstory ~ COMPLETED - 5 stars
Esi Edugyan (Canada), Washington Black ~ COMPLETED - 4.5 stars
Donal Ryan (Ireland), From a Low and Quiet Sea ~ COMPLETED - 4 stars
Michael Ondaatje (Canada), Warlight ~ COMPLETED - 3.5 stars
Belinda Bauer (UK), Snap
Anna Burns (UK), Milkman
Nick Drnaso (USA), Sabrina
Guy Gunaratne (UK), In Our Mad and Furious City
Daisy Johnson (UK), Everything Under
Rachel Kushner (USA), The Mars Room
Sophie Mackintosh (Wales, UK), The Water Cure
Robin Robertson (Scotland, UK), The Long Take
Sally Rooney (Ireland), Normal People

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2018 Booker Prize Short List
Anna Burns (UK), Milkman ~COMPLETED - 4 stars
Esi Edugyan (Canada), Washington Black ~ COMPLETED - 4.5 stars
Daisy Johnson (UK), Everything Under ~ COMPLETED - 4.5 stars
Rachel Kushner (USA), The Mars Room ~ COMPLETED - 4 stars
Richard Powers (USA), The Overstory ~ COMPLETED - 5 stars
Robin Robertson (Scotland, UK), The Long Take

The Giller Prize Long List:

Zolitude by Paige Cooper
French Exit by Patrick deWitt
Songs for the Cold of Heart by Eric Dupont, translated by Peter McCambridge
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - COMPLETED
Beirut Hellfire Society by Rawi Hage
Motherhood by Sheila Heti
Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper
An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
Something for Everyone by Lisa Moore
Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq
Vi by Kim Thúy, translated by Sheila Fischman
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

Happy new one, Ellen. You did some great reading.

Hey, a new thread! About time. : ) Happy weekend!

>17 EBT1002: I have The Overstory by Richard Powers on hold at the library, I am 6th in line for the 3 copies they have. Shouldn't take too long. You are doing well on the shortlist already!! I hear Darryl's longlist reading comprises only ones that didn't make the shortlist! Luckily so far as "having" to read more books goes, there are no losers, right?!

Happy new thread, Ellen. I am so impressed with your reading, especially with how busy and jam-packed your year has been!!

Happy new thread, Ellen.

You are doing some great reading. And as I scroll through the top, you look so organized! I do want to read The Overstory, but I think I might save it for when I have a break, so I can give it my full attention. My reading these days is really fragmented.

Have a great weekend.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread and Happy Fall Equinox!

Enjoy your weekend and good thoughts for the upcoming work week.

Happy new thead!

Happy new thread!

Hi Ellen--Heard you are having some frustration with work. Sorry about that. : ( Hope you can have some dialogue and fix that. Your reading seems to be going well though!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

Happy New Thread, Ellen!

Happy new thread, Ellen! Happy reading!

Here is my Little Free Library on the retaining wall in front of our house. You can also see our front porch on which I have enjoyed early morning reading in the summer.

And here is my new desk in my home office. I love it! And I still need a chair. :-)

2018 Booker Prize Short List
Anna Burns (UK), Milkman ~ COMPLETED - 4 stars
Esi Edugyan (Canada), Washington Black ~ COMPLETED - 4.5 stars
Daisy Johnson (UK), Everything Under ~ COMPLETED - 4.5 stars
Rachel Kushner (USA), The Mars Room ~ COMPLETED - 4 stars
Richard Powers (USA), The Overstory ~ COMPLETED - 5 stars
Robin Robertson (Scotland, UK), The Long Take

Up next:



Sugar Money by Jane Harris
This ARC was a gift from Mark. :-)
I loved Gillespie and I by the same author.

>20 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara!

>21 Berly: "About time." Ha. xo

>22 LovingLit: I hope you love The Overstory as much as I did, Megan.
I feel pleased that the books I started reading from the long list made it to the short list (with a couple of exceptions -- Warlight and From a Low and Quiet Sea). I have Milkman waiting and I ordered The Mars Room, but I'm taking a break from the list and reading Sugar Money next. Then I'll return to the short list.

>23 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. I slowed down a bit during the most intense weeks of the transition but I'm figuring out ways to integrate reading back into my routine. Along with running, it's my best self-care and coping activity so that should help. I've started getting up at the same time every weekday morning (5:45am) and reading for 15-20 minutes if I'm going for a run and longer if I'm not. It feels good to be developing a routine for myself. I got so much reading done on the light rail in Seattle!

>24 BLBera: I don't know how organized I am, Beth, but I'm having a good reading year even with all the transition. Last week was SO stressful at work. I fantasized about winning the lottery....

I think The Overstory deserves some close attention. I thought it was so brilliant.

>25 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>26 streamsong: Thanks Janet. It feels like the days are getting shorter at such a fast pace, as always happens this time of year. I think tonight's full/harvest moon is supposed to be pretty amazing.

>27 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle!

>28 figsfromthistle: Thanks figsfromthistle!

>29 Berly: Kim, last week was really tough. I knew intellectually that this transition would be difficult; going through it is another matter altogether. I have to remember that the first year at UW was very difficult, too. And I came to love that job. So. I'm just trying to take the best care of myself that I can.

>30 scaifea: Thanks Amber!

>31 ronincats: Thanks Roni!

>32 tymfos: Thanks Terri!

Ellen--I want that beautiful red bush in front of your house! Okay, and the Little Free Library. I am glad you are developing a routine and taking care of yourself. And that you remember your first year at UW had its challenges. Breath deeply and relax! Let me know when you get The Mars Room. I have it lying around here somewhere. Hugs.

I love your office!

I hope your work-life gets better. I am glad you are doing lots of self-care!

Yay for the LFL!! And I love your new desk! It looks a lot like Tomm's new one, which he absolutely loves.

I love your LFL. Sorry you had a rough week at work. I hope you were able to recharge your batteries over the weekend.

Happy new thread, Ellen! Cudo's for planting a free library in your yard. Your deck looks like a delightful place to spend some reading time. I bet some days you have to be peeled away from it to go to work. Very nice desk! Enjoy!
I'll be picking up Washington Black today and I'll start it sometime this week.

I know Kim asked first, but I would like the tree as well. It is lovely. Your desk looks very neat. :) Maybe not having a chair will keep it that way.

I hope this week is better for you. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to make this work. Hooray for a routine that includes reading and running. I know that you will soon leave me in the dust, if you haven't already!

What a gorgeous tree! (And library!)

I'm curious how you'll feel about Sugar Money so soon after reading Washington Black. I'm about halfway through the latter and not as enthused as I had hoped. The whole Artic section seems to have catapulted the story into fantasy. But I'm reserving judgement and plan to finish soon.

Great progress in settling in to your new place, job, life, and environment. I can see concrete evidence of your making this your home, in many ways. And I think that if you have few, or no, hard weeks/days you would wonder why you had taken this new job. Stretches only work when they hurt a little bit.

I'm reading both Fun Home and The Hidden Life of Trees. The latter is for our "book group" here at Silver Glen. I am only about 7% into The Overstory but if I keep reading your thread I am pretty sure I'll get back to it. Your thread is the only one I'm currently following on LT, there is just so damn much to do, it is hard to find the time.

I know you will continue to take good care of yourself and your kitty. Happy Autumnal Equinox!

I love the LFL and that amazing tree Ellen.

Shame about the tough week, but hooefully it will get better going forward. Your self-care system will help I'm sure.

I love that desk.

How is P settling into retirement?

Happy relatively new thread Ellen!

Love your LFL.

Sorry to hear last week was a rough one at work. Hope things settle in better soon.

Hope Abby is improving and that the injection routine is going OK for both of you.

Ellen, is that a Japanese Maple? They are so stunning! And the LFL is terrific! Has it seen any traffic and *business* yet? Do you check it daily? I would be! Is it actually sitting on the wall or is it secured to the ground; I can't tell in this pic but I would hate for it to be easy for someone to pick it up and walk off with it!

Wishing you an easier week ahead.

Happy New Thread, Ellen. Love the LFL photo. Keep us updated on the progress. This could be fun.

Are you still loving The Carrying: Poems? I finished it last week. Another knockout, by one of my very favorite poets.

And I hope you enjoy Sugar Money as much as I did. Fingers crossed.

Happy New thread, Ellen! Work stress - sorry to hear it. I love your LFL! Perfect! I wish we had one near to us. I've read Warlight and was too impressed. I have Washington Black in my TBR pile, but I've had some family issues that have been troubling me. I think my husband and I have done all we can to that end, and we'll have to see how things shake out over the next couple of months. Take it easy, if you can. Hugs!

Oh, yeah, on the happy front, A Sorrowful Sanctuary by Iona Whishaw is out today and I've got my copy arriving from amazon Canada today! Yes! I think you had read the first in the series, - a nice cozy series that takes place here in B.C.

Happy Newish Thread, Ellen! (We just got back from a trip, so I'm behind).

I caught up on your last thread - like you, I liked Blind Justice and loved Fun Home. I have to ask - have you seen the Fun Home musical? Different, of course, but awfully good.

Debbi LOVED Educated, and I'd like to get to it myself.

I'm pulling for The Overstory for the Booker; you got me to read it, so thanks again. I thought it was terrific.

OOooo. I love that desk, Ellen! Just exactly my taste! May you do good, inspired work there!
I hope this week has been easier for you and that you're settling into an energizing but relaxing weekend.

Happy weekend, Ellen!

I have been too long MIA.
I hope to be back for good.

Have a lovely weekend, dear lady.

Happy newish thread, Ellen. Love the pic of your LFL and reading porch.

66. Sugar Money by Jane Harris




Based on true events that occurred in 1765 on the islands of Martinique and Grenada, this is the story of Emile and Lucién, two enslaved brothers who are sent to Grenada on a harrowing mission: round up and return some forty slaves back to their "rightful owners" in Martinique. Told from the perspective of Lucién, the 13-year-old younger brother, but via a manuscript discovered decades later and written when Lucién was an adult, the novel is rich in detail and unflinching in its imagination of the craziness of this impossible mission. Lucién's voice is charming and believable; though told from a years-later vantage point and based on the memories of a young boy, his narration feels reliable and honest. His development as a character parallels the transformation one can imagine a young boy going through something like this would indeed experience. The tensions between the French and English colonizers serve as both historical background and novelistic material. Nicely done.

Thank you, Mark, for sharing this ARC with me.

I have Sugar Money on my shelf as well, Ellen. Who knows when I'll get to it.

I hope this week was better for you than last week.

Have an enjoyable Sunday.

I spent a month on Grenada when in Peace Corps training. It is a charming island but of course had many problems stemming from colonial behavior of Europeans. I would love to read this book, I'll go looking for it.

>62 maggie1944: Karen! I will send my copy to you! Mark sent it to me and I'm happy to pass it along. Just PM/remind me of your mailing address.

>41 Berly: Hi Kim. This past week was much better than the one before for a variety of reasons. And I did receive my copy of The Mars Room. I'm mucking about, trying to decide what to read next. I have Milkman and The Heart's Invisible Furies sitting on the table next to me here. The Mars Room is on my shelf at work (the bad habit of having books delivered to me at work has continued in my new town).

>42 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. I still need a chair for that home office and I need to put some art on the wall. I have the art but I haven't gotten around to putting it up yet. I think the room will have a sort of birds theme. Once I get those pieces on the wall, I'll take another photo.

>43 scaifea: I'm rather enjoying the LFL, Amber. Folks have added to it and I believe they have taken some items, as well. It doesn't get as much traffic as the LFLs in my old neighborhood in Seattle. Oh well.

>44 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I recharged last weekend and last week was better at work. I will share a couple of stories in a moment.

>45 Carmenere: I do love our front porch, Lynda. It's too chilly to sit out there now but I will return to it next summer. And I hope you enjoy Washington Black. I thought it was excellent.

>46 BLBera: Hi Beth. This past week was better at work although I only got to run twice. All that is still developing and I'm adjusting to a new climate. I have plenty of cold-weather running gear but I'm just having to adjust.

I love your idea that if I don't get a chair my desk will stay tidy! My desk at work is absolutely NOT tidy so maybe that is indeed the trick.

The bush that is so red in >33 EBT1002: is an Euonymus Alatus, also known as a Burning Bush. We have three of them out front and they are bright crimson this time of year!

>47 vivians: The arctic bit of Washington Black is what dropped it down a half-star, Vivian. I still loved it and gave it 4.5 stars but that section required a bit of suspension of disbelief, and after the first part which was so compellingly and brutally real! And, although I liked Sugar Money and still recommend it, I think it suffered for my reading it so quickly on the heels of Washington Black.

>65 EBT1002: - Oh, I have a burning bush in my backyard but it hasn't yet started to turn red. I also have a euonymous that is green and white and never turns red. I hadn't realized there were those! I wonder if it needs sun. My euonymous is in the back, where I get very little sun

>48 maggie1944: Thanks so much for that kind post, Karen.

I'm definitely finding my way and I suppose you are right -- I wanted a "stretch" and I am being stretched. This past week was better due to a few things, one being that my schedule was more manageable, one being that I found my voice pretty clearly with my boss. I told her that she just can't "change the rules" in the middle of a process. She was pretty adamant that she has consistently said that X needed to be done and I held my ground, saying "no, I have never heard you say that." She backed down some. She also said she knew I was frustrated and I simply said back, "yes, I am." This is all so interesting. She was a champion debater in college and she is downright brilliant. I hate debating and, while I am smart enough, I'm not a quick thinker. In thinking things through, I'm like I am in running: I'm good at a steady pace, not a sprinter. So, while I refuse to debate her (especially just for the sake of debate), I do need to call her out (respectfully and in one-on-one setting) when she contradicts herself or moves too impulsively on something. So. I am learning.

The third reason it was a better week is that I started seeing evidence that I'm developing trust and credibility with the directors who report to me and others in the organization. One director called me "Obi-wan Kenobi." That may be the best compliment I've ever received!

>49 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline. I'm glad you like the LFL, the red bush, and the desk. I love all three but especially the desk. It is made sustainably from Eucalyptus with acacia-veneer drawer fronts. I just need a lamp and a chair. Ha.

Prudence is loving her retirement. She is reading like crazy, going to water exercise class, exploring new recipes, and taking care of errands and such around the house. She has been for a few hikes in the area, as well. I think she'll eventually need/want to get involved in some kind of volunteer work that brings more social contact to her day-to-day but for now I think she is enjoying her solitude.

>50 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli! Things are settling in a bit better now. I am so proud of myself regarding Abby's hydration! I've been able to give her the subcutaneous fluids every night except one. I've had to take a second try a couple of times but she is getting more trusting and I'm getting more confident. Tonight I settled in next to her in her little heated bed and she was immediately suspicious. I soothed her and petted her but she still got up and walked away. I just sat there and she did a loop around the chair and then let me coax her back into the heated bed. After a couple of minutes she settled back down and let me do the injection. Amazing.

Oh, and regarding Abby's hydration: she still gets disoriented and is still an old cat with arthritis, etc., but she is clearly less thirsty and her coat looks so much better! Yay!

>51 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. As noted above, the red shrub is an Euonymus. We had Japanese Maples in our yard back in Seattle and I did love them. We may have to see how they would do here....

I seem to be checking the LFL on the weekends. P keeps an eye on it during the week to be sure nothing untoward has been added to the collection (we're not censoring content -- a copy of the Book of Mormon showed up the first week we had the LFL and we've left it there -- but if something was just inappropriate or torn up and junky, we would remove that). There are a few books that we got from the library sale that don't seem to be of interest so I'll probably pull them if they are still there next weekend. I wasn't interested in them, I don't know why I thought someone else would be! LOL.

It is sitting on the wall but secured to two very sturdy and deeply sunk stakes in the ground. It would be difficult for anyone to walk off with it. :-)

>52 msf59: Hiya Mark! I am still reading and loving The Carrying: Poems. She is indeed a wonderful poet. I think this collection will warrant at least a couple of reads.

I finished Sugar Money and liked it a lot. I think it suffered a bit for being read so quickly on the heels of Washington Black, which I thought was superior, but it was still a worthwhile and memorable read! Thank you again for sending it to me. xo

>53 vancouverdeb: Deb, I'm sorry to hear about the family troubles. I hope they ease enough for you to be able to dig into reading and find enjoyment in it. I definitely recommend Washington Black along with The Overstory, my top two picks (so far) for the Booker Prize. But neither of them qualifies as escape reading. :-)

Very glad to hear that Abby is tolerating the hydration and looking better. Also that you are finding your feet at the new job. Mutual respect will go a long way. The only problem with the desk for me is not enough storage! It's lovely, though.

>54 vancouverdeb: You are right, I read the first in the Iona Wishaw and very much enjoyed it. Our nephew lives in Nelson, BC so I know that part of the world and could so picture the setting she uses. I need to get a copy of the second in the series and keep it going. Enjoy A Sorrowful Sanctuary -- it sounds like just what you need!

>55 jnwelch: Hi Joe and welcome back to the States. I followed along a bit via FB and your trip seems to have been absolutely lovely. I'm so glad.

I have seen Fun Home, the musical. It was part of last season's lineup at the 5th Avenue Theater in Seattle and we quite enjoyed it. It was kind of fun going back and rereading the book, noticing the differences (of course) and the threads that got embellished for the musical.

I still need to get around to reading Educated. I keep choosing other things to read first. And The Overstory is also my first choice for the Booker with Washington Black in second place. I also think Everything Under is pretty remarkable and perhaps more experimental than some. I have not yet read Milkman, The Mars Room, or The Long Take so I'm not in an great position to have a strong opinion.

>56 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy! I'm glad you like the desk. I love love love it. I don't know how much time I will spend sitting at it and working but I love having it and I love how nice it makes that room, my home office, feel. Who knows? Once I have a chair maybe I'll sit there to "do" LibraryThing.

This weekend has been pretty good. More about that in a moment.

>57 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda!

>58 PaulCranswick: Paul! So good to see you! I haven't been MIA, exactly, but scarcer than I like. I keep thinking I'll figure out how to spend just 20-30 minutes each day on LT. But then I read instead. Heh.

>59 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg! I've long wanted a Little Free Library and I hope this one gets lots of good activity.

>61 BLBera: Hi Beth. I do recommend Sugar Money when you can get to it. I certainly well understand the issue of too many books on the shelves!

This past week was indeed better. My comments in >68 EBT1002: capture much of what has been happening. I'm finding my way....

>67 jessibud2: Hmm, I don't know about different varieties of euonymus, Shelley. Ours are definitely in full sun.

>72 ronincats: Thanks Roni. As a sister cat-lover, I know you understand the emotions associated with caring for our dear aging Abby. I'm so glad she is tolerating the injections. I just don't know what I'd do if she and I weren't able to do this. A few years ago I tried to pill her on a daily basis and I had to stop after about 3 days. She lost all trust in me and would depart the room whenever I entered, even when I had no intention at all of giving her a pill! This is going much better.

Hmm, what would you put in the drawers if you had more storage space than that desk provides? I still haven't filled them and I admit that I'm hoping not to. Of course, I have a desk at work that has many drawers so that may satisfy my need for pens, post-it notes, etc. I will say that I like having the drawers into which I can hide away my Fitbit connectors, Gear Ties, etc. It's a little hard to see in the picture but on top of the desk, behind the laptop you can see sitting there, is a ceramic piece I made in about 1986 (graduate school) and it holds most of my book mark collection. I still need more space for bookmarks, though.

I am a pack rat, admittedly. I have pens, pencils, notepads, stationery, stamps, address labels, screwdrivers, ink bottles, tape, markers, scissors, stress balls, battery chargers, pencil leads and ink cartridges, and one deep drawer reserved for dropping in all the year's receipts until tax time. And too much of each of those! ;-)

>76 ronincats: Loving it. I have all those things but in drawers in other places in the house. It helps that P also has a study with a desk in which we keep theater tickets, postage stamps, etc. The scissors and tape and screwdrivers live in kitchen drawers. Cracking up. Have I mentioned that we have more space in this house than we know what to do with?? :-)

>69 EBT1002: hey there Obi-wan! I loved reading about how you're finding your voice and learning how to manage your boss. It sounds like you're well on your way to having a respectful rapport with her and I agree, the "Obi-wan" moniker is a wonderful compliment.

>78 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura. I'm feeling better as things progress.
And I'm still totally fantasizing about when I can retire. That is escalated by the fact that Prudence is retired. I want to read as much as she's getting to read these days!
I think I need to talk with a financial advisor so I can think about retirement more strategically than I have done. The only thing I really know now is that covering the cost of medical insurance until Medicare age is a big deal.

Part of my new routine: I read every morning while enjoying my cup of coffee. Prudence and Abby are still in bed, the house is quiet, and these days it's still dark outside. I read for 20 minutes or longer, depending on whether I'm going for a run that morning.

This morning I read from The Carrying: Poems. Wow. I just love this collection.

Last night I started Milkman by Anna Burns and it caught my attention more convincingly than I expected.

I'm also sort of reading the short story collection, Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson. I've only read the first two but so far I'm not enjoying it much.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Time to get some work done! Have a great Monday everyone!

Good to hear your schedule is more manageable and yay for finding your voice with your boss. And Obi-Wan is definitely a nice compliment.

So glad you and Abby are handline the injections so well. Excellent that you're seeing the difference it's making.

>81 SuziQoregon: Thanks for the encouragement and kind words, Juli.

I still miss my reading time on the light rail in Seattle. It's so funny that in the first couple of years I lived there I grieved the hours per week dedicated to commuting but I ended up making it work for me! In any case, finding dedicated time in my busy schedule for reading is, of course, critical to my happiness. So I'm glad to be figuring that out!

Good morning, Ellen!

I thought I would drop in and get you thoughts on the Seahawks win and the loss of Earl Thomas. It seems the LOB has self destructed over the last couple of years.

I'm glad you're finding your way with your new boss, Ellen -- I knew you would. :)

I'm pretty hands off with my LFL as well. I have removed some torn and damaged books, but otherwise I let it take care of itself. I do rotate books through. If a lot of things are sitting there for a while, I switch them and maybe try again another time. It is fun, though.

I'm glad you've figured out Abby's shots.

One of my next reads will be Washington Black! I finally got my copy from the library.

And, BAD Ellen - due to your influence I ordered Milkman and one other from the Book Depository. And I was doing so well!

Have a great week.

>65 EBT1002:

Three adult fire bushes are coming into bloom on our 3.3 acres and a baby one thinking about it - they really are head-turners for folks on my greenish-brown country roadside.

Last week, I won a copy of WASHINGTON BLACK on Susan Beecher's online book site!

Hi, Ellen. Good review of Sugar Money. I am glad you liked it. I hope to read one of her earlier novels, in the coming months. I also hope to get my mitts on a copy of Washington Black. That looks like my cuppa.

I really enjoyed Jesus' Son, but it is definitely not for all tastes.

Happy "new" thread, Ellen! I'm glad that you also loved Washington Black; I gave it 4.5 stars as well. I'll start reading Everything Under later this week, but I plan to stretch out my Booker shortlist reading over the remainder of the year, as there is no way that I'll read five novels in two weeks and several of my recent nonfiction books are far more compelling, including Minority Leader by Stacey Abrams, who will hopefully be elected as the next Governor of the state of Georgia early next month.

I loved Gillespie and I and nearly purchased Sugar Money during my visit to London last month, but I decided to wait for the time being. The reviews I've read haven't been highly encouraging, so I'll probably pass on it.

Hi Ellen, I see that you are loving your Booker nominee reads, Washington Black has been added to my wish list and now you have me thinking perhaps I need to add a few more.

Love the picture of the front of your house, your Little Free Library fits right in and looks very inviting - as does your front porch!

I’m on page 69 of Milkman. This book is a struggle.

>89 EBT1002: Oof. Sorry to hear that.

All this talk of LFLs is really tempting me. I'd have to make sure it's waterproof, looking at the weather outside!

Hi Ellen - I was so interested to read your comments about Sugar Money and how you felt your reaction had been by impacted your reading of Washington Black. I had the same thought in reverse: I read Sugar Money recently and think I would have appreciated Wash far more had I let some time elapse in between.

ReMilkman: I listened to this on audio and can't begin to imagine how difficult it would be to read. The stream of consciousness, the lack of proper names and the repetition must all be hard to plow through. I thought the audio was terrific and at times very funny (as well as being dark and tragic) and the narrator hit just the right notes.

I have now finished and reviewed The Mars Room on my thread. I plan on reading The Overstory next, and then Washington Black but, like Darryl, I'm not in a rush since I know I won't finish any more of them before the award is announced.

Echoing >87 kidzdoc:, happy *new* thread, Ellen.

I love the pic of the LFL and the gorgeous flaming bush. Glad you were able to be able to inject fluids into Abby successfully, 17 is such a senior kitty.

>82 EBT1002: - I didn't realize how much I enjoyed audiobooks on my commute 'til I retired. I don't listen to audiobooks in the house, only in the car, so getting one or two in a year is a challenge now.

I'm happy to catch up, Ellen, and very happy to see that you're working your way into your job and making things easier for yourself and your people. Obi Wan for sure! AND I'm happy as can be that Abby is now tolerating her shots and benefiting from them. I do love our cats at every age, but I dread for them to get old.

>83 brodiew2: Hey Brodie. Nice to see you. I think it's going to be a tough year for the Hawks with injuries, etc.

>84 BLBera: I did a bit of tidying in the LFL this morning, Beth. Removed a few books that have just been sitting, will take them to the local thrift shop. My understanding is that it takes a bit of attention to keep the selection "fresh" and maintain whatever interest there is in the LFL.

I'm sorry I influenced you to order Milkman from Book Depository. Don't get me wrong: I love BD. But I have set Milkman aside. I may return to it but I just wasn't in the mood for that narrative style. I'm sure some of it is my concentration at present. I am walking around (and losing sleep) in a state of rage these days.

>85 m.belljackson: Congratulations for winning a copy of Washington Black! I hope you enjoy it.

>86 msf59: Mark, I do indeed believe you would like Washington Black. And I highly recommend Gillespie and I by Jane Harris. I haven't read The Observations but I am now interested in doing so.

>87 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl. It turns out that I'm stretching out my short list reading, as well. I liked Everything Under a lot; I think it's one of the more memorable novels I've read in a while. I have set Milkman aside, not in the mood for that narrative style at present. I'll probably return to it, though.

I'm currently reading Something Wicked This Way Comes and I'm underwhelmed (I seem to be hard to please these days). Then I will read The Mars Room next, I think.

>88 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy. Thanks for stopping by! I love our Burning Bush (actually, there are three of them out front but only one shows in that photo). And I'm already looking forward to next summer when I can read on my front porch or in the hammock in our back yard!

>90 charl08: Our LFL seems to be pretty waterproof, Charlotte. It has been raining some this week and the books are fine. Of course, all the LFLs we had in our neighborhood in Seattle were also weatherproof!

I think I will return to Milkman but I was not in that mood at present.

>91 vivians: Oh, that is so interesting, Vivian. I kind of love that each of us read Washington Black and Sugar Money in close proximity, but in opposite order, and that we each found that the second read suffered for it. Perhaps they are more on par with one another than one might otherwise think.

I saw your comments about having listened to Milkman after I had acquired the book. I do think I'll return to it; I'm intrigued by where she is going. But I have to have a bit more focus and patience than I currently have. Honestly, current events have soured my mood significantly in the past week or so.

>92 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel. I'll go read your review of The Mars Room. I plan to read it next after Something Wicked This Way Comes, which I'm reading for a couple of my challenges and just for October.

>93 karenmarie: Hi Karen. Yes, 17 is a geriatric kitty. I recently talked with the vet and she shared something she learned at a recent conference: when they are in kidney failure (Abby is in the early stages and has been for quite a while) their overall systemic acid level increases and they are dehydrated. Poor Abby has been drinking a lot, even with the subcutaneous fluids. Well, the interesting thing is that these two states -- high systemic acid levels and dehydration -- are exactly what humans experience when they have a hangover. Poor Abby is basically feeling hungover all the time! No wonder she cries so plaintively.

And yes, with a much shorter commute audiobooks have fallen from my experience. I keep thinking I may have to join the Student Rec Center for winter exercise and I would certainly listen to audiobooks while I work out on the stair-master or elliptical machine. We'll see.

>94 LizzieD: Hi Peggy and thanks for the kind words. It feels good to be settling in. I know there will still be challenges ahead, perhaps especially for the whole first year. But at least I'm figuring things out some. My boss is about to be out for surgery and I have been designated her acting (not in title but in function). There will be all sorts of things I'm not authorized to do in her absence but it will be interesting to be on point for student issues for at least a couple of weeks and perhaps longer than that.

Reading update

As noted in some comments above, I set aside Milkman. The narrative style is challenging and I wasn't in the mood. I do plan to return to it.

I finished reading The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón and I love, love, loved it!!

I also finished Jesus' Son, a collection of sort-of related short stories by Denis Johnson. It wasn't my cuppa. I can appreciate what he was doing (serious addiction is a primary theme throughout) but the men were just too hateful and I am not in a space where I want to spend my reading time with hateful men right now. I guess that isn't Denis Johnson's fault, but....

I'm reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. It's a long-time TBR and is set around Halloween so it will satisfy a couple of my challenges for this month and year. I'm not loving it, either, though.

I'm just hard to please these days!

>98 EBT1002:

Maybe part of the reason you were chosen for this job is that people believed you would not be a pushover to your new boss...
and now that you will prove capable of handling, and likely improving, her work.

>99 EBT1002: - Hi Ellen. Oh, I read that Bradbury book eons ago! I don't actually have any memory of it but the only other Bradbury I have ever read was Dandelion Wine and did love that one. Also, eons ago!

I have just started a new audiobook and am already hooked, from the first disc (of 9). It is also by a new-to-me Canadian author. The book is called The Lightkeeper's Daughters and is told in the voices of 3 characters. Very atmospheric, and just different from my other current reads. In the best possible way. Given the current state of real life, this is just the ticket for a little bit of excellent escapism.

Ellen - I know exactly what you mean. I have been pissed off since a week ago Thursday. It's very disheartening to be made so aware that one does not have equal protection under the law. This has really driven home for me the need for an Equal Rights Amendment.

i'm reading a mystery now that contains a rape, and I can hardly stand to read it.

One bright spot - the new Dr. Who is a woman!

Have a great weekend.

I’m a bit behind on threads - the LFL looks great!

Ellen--I have to get a chunk of Enrique's Journey done for my RL bookclub next week, but then I can start on the Mars Room. Glad you are finding your way with the boss, Obi Wan. : )

Well, I was chiming in earlier and my computer decided to start reading the page aloud to me. I couldn't figure out how to make it stop!

>100 m.belljackson: I think your assessment is pretty spot-on. I don't enjoy conflict or debate, especially just for the sake of debate, but I am standing my ground and expressing my opinion. We'll see how it unfolds.

>101 jessibud2: My other Ray Bradbury was The Martian Chronicles, Shelley. I read and loved it at age 13. I reread it a few years ago and was less impressed. With Something Wicked This Way Comes I can see the brilliance but it's a hard sell nonetheless. He does like to hear himself talk.

The Lightkeeper's Daughters sounds delightful and like just the ticket for these days of distraction....

I can gauge how angry I am by how fast I'm doing my runs in the morning. I've been running pretty fast lately!

>102 BLBera: I feel like The Handmaid's Tale is less and less speculative fiction....

I haven't been a follower of Dr. Who, though I assume and suspect that I would appreciate it. And if she is a woman....

>103 drneutron: Hey Jim! Glad you like the LFL.

>104 Berly: Sounds good, Kim. I brought The Mars Room with me to start after I finish Something Wicked This Way Comes but with all the meeting stuff happening, it may take me a few days to finish that. I'm in the last 60 pages or so but I've got lots of distractions around me. Including good wine to drink.... :-)

I'm using a new-to-me laptop/surface over the next couple of days. I hope I can get used to it!

>108 EBT1002: Practice makes perfect. I think you should keep posting here to make sure you truly understand your new technology. ; )

I'm with Kim! (Have been doing the same thing over the past week - new things keep appearing when I accidentally swipe. Slightly disconcerting.)

>101 jessibud2: >106 EBT1002: I really enjoyed The Lightkeeper's Daughters.

>111 Caroline_McElwee: - Thanks, Caroline. I see that it gets pretty high reviews here on LT so that is encouraging.

Happy Monday, Ellen.

I recently read Red Clocks, which you would like, although maybe it would be too depressing to read now. It tells about how abortion became illegal after the Supreme Court got a conservative majority. It follows the lives of various women and how they were affected. It is one of my favorite reads this year.

>109 Berly: What Kim said. :)

>36 EBT1002: this cover looked so familiar to me. Turns out it simply reminds me of this one:

Know Your Place: Essays on the Working Class by the Working Class.

Re: cat talk from further up, I read a spectacular phrase today about how cats "decant" themselves from window sill to floor. It stuck me as such an accurate description of their movement.

>109 Berly: I have to be careful. Last night I was trying to post something and I don't know what the heck I did but my laptop (this is my work laptop -- it's a Surface) started reading the webpage to me. I couldn't get it to stop! I closed it and when I reopened it, the darn thing just picked up where it had left off. Crazy. Today it didn't continue, though, so....

>110 charl08: I can see that you and Kim truly have my professional and personal growth foremost in your minds. I will duly post as much as possible. ;-) What is your new laptop? What did you have before? My personal laptop is a MacBook Air, this is a Microsoft Surface. Very different from one another.

>111 Caroline_McElwee: That's two reliable recommenders for The Lightkeeper's Daughters.

>112 jessibud2: I'll be interested in how you like it as the audio proceeds for you, Shelley.

>113 BLBera: Oh, that sounds like a good read, Beth. I'm adding it to my wish list!

>114 LovingLit: I guess I can kind of see how those two covers would remind you of one another, Megan. And I LOVE that metaphor (is that a metaphor) for a cat moving from a windowsill. Perfect use of language.

I was worried about you being in a rage that it might have to do with work, and then Beth made her comment and of course, it makes perfect sense. What I want to know is, where is my money since we are all paid rabble-rousers and not constituents? I alternate between rage and depression.

In times like these, I wear red and black. Red for rage and black for mourning (the loss of decency, honesty, common sense, respect, among other things). Even here in Canada, I have had cause to break out this *uniform* from time to time.

>117 ronincats: I have no words, Roni. Rage. Depression. Fear. I honestly believe I am watching our imperfect democracy being destroyed. I'm not saying everyone who voted to confirm this man wants to or believes they are undermining our democracy. But it is what I believe is happening. I believe they are hell-bent enough on protecting and consolidating straight white male supremacy, power, and privilege that they are willing to risk all that we (and I include them in this) hold most dear.

>118 jessibud2: I may have to start wearing red and black every day, Shelley! Mostly, I have to be sure I get up in the morning and go for my run. It doesn't change a damn thing except my ability to cope.

Okay, I'm going to try to finish Something Wicked This Way Comes before lights out.

69. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury


"Is Death important? No. Everything that happens before Death is what counts."

I know this is a classic and by the end I had some appreciation for Bradbury's profound message. But I hated this book. I forced myself to finish it. Vivid images, a wild story of the fight between good and evil, a sort of horrific story of two young boy's coming of age, and reading it was sheer torture.

>121 EBT1002: - Maybe that's why I have absolutely no memory of it, I know I read it though it was likely when I was in my teens. But no memory of the (clearly awful) contents. If it were today, I'd have ditched it long before the end. ;-)

>122 jessibud2: I forced myself to finish it because it was going to fulfill items on a couple of different challenges. Otherwise, I'd have absolutely ditched it. In the end, I appreciated some aspects of it but it was a painful reading experience.

I hate insomnia.

It's four in the morning and I have yet to fall asleep. Sigh. My alarm will go off at 6:15 so I can go for a run before my day of sitting, sitting, and more sitting gets started. We'll just see how this goes.

In reading, I started The Mars Room and I think it's going to be a good one. Kim, if you see this, I know you had a couple of books to finish before you could start this one. It's what I brought with me so I wanted to go ahead and dig into it. I won't get much reading done tomorrow (today) so I don't think you'll be far behind.

Okay, I'm going to try to fall asleep now.

>124 EBT1002: I hate that Ellen. I can deal with it if the next day is non-working, but on a working day it is very stressful.

My dear friend, perhaps it will help to know that I'm experiencing several friends having catastrophic events happen in their families... and I began to wonder if "the fault is in the stars".

I too am so discouraged, but am reading a Early Release book about carrier pigeons used in WW II to communicate between Europe and Great Britain, in anticipation of Germany planning on invading England. Reminds me that for centuries people have lived with resistance to an unacceptable government, and that we can continue to resist in all ways possible. March, give money to good candidates, encourage young women (give courage to them)... read books from history to remind us we are not alone.

And remember to use the oxygen first, to gather strength to help others.

love, and hugs, K.

Hi, Ellen.

>122 jessibud2: Yikes! I wonder whether I'd feel that way now about Something Wicked This Way Comes. Maybe so! As a teen boy I thought it was another good one from him, but sheer torture to read doesn't sound good at all.

I hate insomnia, too. I know you're a ways away from it, but retirement sure made a difference for me. I'd be flopping around awake worrying about work way too much.

>124 EBT1002: So sorry about the insomnia. I have mild bouts, usually accompanied by anxiety dreams. I feel as though I'm awake all night, looking at the clock hourly, and yet I have memories of these stupid dreams when morning comes. I have been known to get up, go to the spare room with a book, and read for a spell before turning the light out again. Sometimes it helps, but not always. At least in there I don't worry that my tossing and turning is keeping Someone Else awake as well.

Burning bush is gorgeous, but did you know it's considered an invasive species in North America, and it cannot be imported or sold in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire? Supposedly it spreads wildly, through suckers along the ground, and through seeding from its berries, and needs to be carefully maintained to prevent this. I find this a bit odd, though, since I know of two eye-catching individual bushes that are each in a spot that I don't think anyone is paying an awful lot of attention to (certainly not picking the berries as soon as they appear to prevent seeding, as recommended). I've admired them both every fall for years and years, and neither one seems to be spreading. So enjoy!

I woke up at 3:15, Ellen, and was tempted to text you. My sleep has been terrible lately, mostly waking up at 3 and being unable to go back to sleep.

I'll put the Something Wicked This Way Comes on the not-in-this-lifetime pile. :)

I hope your next read is stellar!

>125 Caroline_McElwee: I can go one day with very little or no sleep, Caroline, but if it runs to two days in a row, I'm in trouble. This morning I still managed to get up at 6:30 and went for a run in old familiar Seattle neighborhoods. That should help me sleep tonight. Luckily, I have to get up early tomorrow but I'm just off to the airport (reading time -- yay!) and home where I have the afternoon off with Prudence. Thursday I'm back to work and starting Friday I am essentially acting as VP for at least two weeks. This should be interesting.

>126 maggie1944: "...for centuries people have lived with resistance to an unacceptable government, and that we can continue to resist in all ways possible." And YES to putting on one's own oxygen mask before trying to help others. All good reminders, Karen. I was so discouraged to read about global warming/climate change in the Seattle Times this morning. We are in big trouble.

Humans: the smartest species on Earth and absolutely the most stupid.

Hugs back your way, my friend. One foot in front of the other.

>127 jnwelch: Hiya Joe. I imagine my insomnia will ease when I am able to retire, or at least I won't care as much since I won't have to get up to run before work, or just to get to work. I have at least 4 years of work yet ahead of me and possibly 7 years, depending on how things go. I look forward to easier sleep and lots more reading time. :-)

>128 laytonwoman3rd: My insomnia is definitely connected with anxiety and stress, Linda. Once I get to sleep I'm usually good until morning but these nights when I don't go to sleep until 3 or 4 in the morning are really hard. I do sit up and read (sometimes with m kindle if I'm home, although P's status as a retiree reduces her entitlement to sleep considerations, at least relatively speaking). As you say, sometimes it helps. Sometimes it doesn't.

I did not know that about Burning Bushes but we'll keep an eye on ours. We have three in the front yard but we also have pretty intense weed control cloth under the rock landscaping in their area. The people from whom we bought the house were serious yard and lawn, um, arrangers.

>129 BLBera: Beth, we have talked about texting one another when we're experiencing insomnia but it's impossible to know whether the other is also experiencing it! I guess if one of us is on LT, that's a giveaway. Sorry you were also experiencing the sleeplessness. We both need to retire!

My current read is The Mars Room and I can already tell it's going to be stellar! Yay!

Sometimes when I travel and I'm sitting up in my hotel bed, I do serous catching up on LT. Having logged only 2.5 hours of sleep last night, I'm bailing early this evening. I'm going to go pack, read The Mars Room until I fall asleep, and then, well, sleep.

Happy Wednesday to you all.

>128 laytonwoman3rd:, >132 EBT1002: - I didn't know that about the Burning Bushes, either. The one I have hasn't seemed to me to be spreading at all. But I think the birds eat the berries and therefore, the seeds can be spread that way, and over that, we certainly have no control. I had no idea they were considered invasive. I will ask at my garden centre what they know about that.

Hope you got some more sleep.Ellen. Glad you are enjoying The Mars Room: I liked that one a lot. (Although I still hope another book wins). Re the gadget question above - it's a phone upgrade, not a tablet, but is proving sufficiently confusing to put me off a new laptop!

I feel for you re insomnia, Ellen. Something that really has made a difference for me is listening to podcasts. When I wake up in the middle of the night (almost every night, usually around 3AM), I just put my earbuds in and listen to a (non-political - that would just get my blood boiling) podcast. It prevents me from having swirling, anxious thoughts about work, the world, etc. It's not foolproof but it helps!

I have been having trouble with panic attacks that wake me up between 3 - 4 in the morning. Reading has been my go to method of dealing with them. However, it has been taking me longer and longer to relax even with a good book. I also have to be careful with the book. It can't be something with which I am going to be emotionally involved, so I keep a BIG nonfiction or biography by the bed for this purpose. I know that my panic attacks are connected with work and the pressures that come with that. I also think that retirement might cure them, but, like you, retirement is at least 4 years in the future.

I also believe that exercise is a great antidote for insomnia caused by all sorts of things. I have been a real slacker about getting to yoga and workouts in the last two years and it is showing in both my mental and physical health. I need to become more disciplined and get back to work on my own health and let work go. It is never going to get any better, so I need to let that go and work on myself.

Maybe a great deal of our insomnia can be traced to the last presidential election.

When I now wake up between 1 and 3 AM, depressive thoughts, fears, and horror
of what the next day's news will bring often will interfere and prevent any kind of good meditation,
visualization, or relaxation techniques from working.

Previously, yes, work, health, and family concerns would arise,
but most often could be handled (at least in the middle of the night)
by considering the options and choosing decent solutions.

What keeps many of us awake now is completely out of our mental or physical control.

>132 EBT1002: >137 benitastrnad: >138 m.belljackson: Helllo Ellen, et al. I know that insomnia is serious thing to deal with. I have not had to suffer from it thankfully. my problem is choosing to go to sleep when I should. I tend to make bad sleep choices, getting into the habit of staying up watching TV and then dragging my wagon to work on a regular basis. Given the seriousness of insomnia, I hesitate to make this suggestion, but I will. My wife is distributor of Doterra Essential oils. I know it is not a cure and have no personal experience of oils assisting with insomnia. however, I do have direct experience with oils assisting with mood. Whether it is aromatherapy or topical application, relaxing after a panic attack is something oils can assist with. I'm not pitching anything for myself. I am just offering an option which might be able to help.

Lavender and Roman Chamomile are great sleep aids in general, as is Vetiver.

>139 brodiew2: I've been lightly scenting my pillow with lavender lately; I think it's generally a soothing scent. I haven't had a bad night recently, but it's too soon to say there's a connection. My problem usually isn't with falling asleep, but with waking around 2 or 3 a.m. and having trouble going back to sleep.

>139 brodiew2:

Many of us are familiar with these oils. Thank you for the reminder.

Unfortunately, oils will not do much unless there is a Blue Wave on November 6th.

How's The Mars Room coming along?

>119 EBT1002: I have no words, Roni. Rage. Depression. Fear. I honestly believe I am watching our imperfect democracy being destroyed. I'm not saying everyone who voted to confirm this man wants to or believes they are undermining our democracy. But it is what I believe is happening. I believe they are hell-bent enough on protecting and consolidating straight white male supremacy, power, and privilege that they are willing to risk all that we (and I include them in this) hold most dear.

I couldn't agree with you more, Ellen. trump will eventually have to leave office, in 2020, 2024, or hopefully sooner, but the hatred and intolerance he has unleashed, and the damaging effects of his policies and Supreme Court nominations, won't disappear for at least a generation. I've given up hope for this sick, immature and terminally racist "democracy", and as I've said multiple times I look forward to retiring abroad in the next few years.

#139
I have used lavender oil in the past and find it soothing. I should find some and start using it again.

Sorry to see you've been having trouble sleeping. Hope you found some restful nights this week!

ESPN College GameDay is coming to Pullman!!!!!!

My trip to Seattle is likely to be canceled. Sigh. But it will be exciting. My VP/boss is out post-surgery; I'm acting VP in her absence. This will be a huge deal and all-consuming.

And The Mars Room is a terrific read so far.

I am SO glad it is your campus burdened with ESPN GameDay. For once it is not mine.

They set up their tents, with all those noisy generators, and huge travel semi-tractors with their 80 foot long trailers, right across the street from my building and they are a major source of noise pollution. I have often wondered how they manage to broadcast their game day stuff without all that noise in the background. I have come to the conclusion that they must filter it out somehow. Without some kind of filter it would be impossible to hear the commentators.

And the noise goes one all day Friday prior to the game.

What is also astounding is that it takes them two to three days to set up and less than 12 hours to tear it all down and go on to imposed themselves on some other campus.

>147 benitastrnad: Well, Benita, I have to disagree on this one. I'm super excited. GameDay came to UW once when I was there and it was very exciting and fun. I fully acknowledge that it's the ugly underbelly of our out-of-whack culture, but I love seeing how fun it is for the students.

And this one is pretty special: The Coug flag (Ol' Crimson) has been flown at every episode of College GameDay for 15 years. The motto was "GameDay will never come to Pullman so we will go to GameDay!" It's incredible to finally have them coming to our very small, rural college town. And I'm sure those of you who have had them visit time after time after time are happy to have them go elsewhere. :-)

>134 jessibud2: I'll be interested in what you learn, Shelley.

>135 charl08: Hi Charlotte. I am very much enjoying The Mars Room but it won't knock off my top two choices for the Booker Prize: The Overstory and Washington Black. But I'm happy that the nominees this year are feeling, well, nomination-worthy.

>136 vivians: Vivian, I'm very interested in this suggestion. Do you use earbuds? Do you fall asleep before the end of the podcast, and if yes, what happens to the earbuds? Do you re-listen to the end of the podcast the next day? Sorry to be so in-the-weeds but I'm honestly curious about how to make this work. Also, are there specific podcasts that you find to be suitable for this sleeplessness situation?

>137 benitastrnad: Oh yes, Benita, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Last night I had another sleepless night and, while I'm not having full-blown panic attacks, it's awfully damn close. "I know that my panic attacks are connected with work and the pressures that come with that." Uh huh. Retirement is clearly the solution but, as you say, I have 4-7 years to go. And it turns out that (at least for now) I'm enjoying my work.I'm confident that I would love retirement more, but this is pretty good for having to work!

Like you, reading is my go-to response to sleeplessness but it doesn't always work. And, even though Prudence is retired, I worry about keeping her from sleeping. I bought the Kindle for just this circumstance, but sometimes I just want to read my real book. Right now I'm caught up in The Mars Room. I have Death in a Darkening Mist by Iona Whishaw queued up on my Kindle but I get into my one-book compulsiveness....

I also agree about the exercise as antidote, or at least ameliorating factor, in insomnia. When I can get my morning runs in, I sleep better.

>138 m.belljackson: National politics definitely contributes to my middle-of-the-night anxiety and insomnia! Work is part of it. Last night it was exacerbated by the fact that P and I had purchased a trailer!

Oh, wait, I may not have mentioned the trailer. We bought one! It's a used RPod. It's just little and we got a good deal (and it was $35K less than the Airstream we were looking at!!). It looks like this:

And this is the floor plan:

>139 brodiew2: Brodie, thanks for offering that up. I have heard that Lavender oil can help relax one into sleep. I just might try it!

>140 laytonwoman3rd: I'm wondering how (in the weeds again, worried about the mechanics of it) you have been lightly scenting your pillow with lavender oil? Diffuser?

>141 m.belljackson: I also appreciate the reminder about oils (and other things) to help with sleep. I wholly agree about the need for a blue wave (we need a HUGE wave, imho) in November but I know that not everyone loses sleep about that. It certainly contributes to my anxiety and unrest.

>142 The_Hibernator: Rachel, I'm reading more slowly these days than I used to (work, time, retired spouse who wants to spend time with me...) but I am quite enjoying The Mars Room. I'm about 2/3 through it and I think it's excellent.

>143 kidzdoc: Are you pretty close to being able to retire abroad, Darryl? How many years? I agree with you in despair for this "democracy." It has long been an illusion, a free society only for the few, but I believe it had the potential to live up to its promise. We have now squandered that potential and it's heartbreaking to witness.

>144 benitastrnad: Just sprinkle a few drops on your pillow?

>145 ChelleBearss: Thanks Chelle. I have been a lifelong insomniac but it has been worse over the past month or so. Work stress. Buying a new trailer (what were we thinking??). Struggling to give my cat nightly injections of subcutaneous fluids (she has been struggling and I've been losing confidence, although the second effort this afternoon went well).

Shelley posted this on Joe's thread and I wanted to share here. The inimitable Barbra Streisand singing "Don't Lie to Me." Very powerful.

Don't Lie to Me

I feel for you with the sleep issues. I, too, have nights where sleep just is tough. I wake up and do jig saw puzzles on my kindle, and listen to public radio. Sometimes that does not help because the listening part gets me to thinking, reacting, etc. And of course, I can rationalize that I can take naps.

My acupuncturist told me that in India mothers make a bed time drink for kids using turmeric, and then I found something called "Golden Milk" at the PCC. It is a numeric mixture, kind of like chocolate milk powder. I mix it with warmed milk, soy milk, or coconut milk and drink it before I go to bed. It seems to result in my sleeping straight through the night for at least 6-7 hours. Better than waking at midnight, or 1 am. I don't know if you have an outlet for "exotic groceries" in Pullman, but maybe over in Moscow, Idaho? If you cannot find the Golden Milk, maybe use powdered turmeric with a little cinnamon, or other favored spice, and some honey.

Good luck. And remember regarding work, even though what you do is very important, and does affect many people, in 10 years you will have a hard time remembering just what was so important.

>149 EBT1002: re podcasts: I listen to a lot of podcasts which I love and look forward to, such as the New York Time Book review, Guardian books, Pod Save America, etc. I don't use these at night because I'm too interested and wouldn't want to miss any of them. I choose soothing voices and less compelling topics for my 3AM listening, such as David Axelrod's interviews or one called Waking Up with Sam Harris - ones I don't mind missing. I use the sleep timer so the podcast automatically turns off in 30 or 45 minutes. I use one earbud and it just stays in my ear. I usually fall asleep during the podcast. This technique really helps me - it quiets down all the noise in my head that woke me in the first place.

I love the camper! We had an RV for many years and did some terrific cross-country and Canadian trips. Great way to travel.

Good morning, Ellen!

Seahawks win! Handily.

>153 EBT1002: Diffusers are fantastic. we have three.

I love your camper, Ellen!

My sleep has not been good lately, either. I might try the podcast idea - I don't know about the earbuds, though. I might just put one on my clock dock and set the timer.

Or, maybe I should just get up and update my LT stuff...

Have fun with the ESPN visit; I imagine students on a small campus are excited -- and staff!

Nice camper! Looks like you will have plenty of space inside

Sorry to hear about all the insomnia. I often wake up in the middle of the night, but usually just to make a trip down the hall and go back to sleep. However, I do take Rx to help me get to sleep in the first place. It seems to work pretty well, with no acceleration in the dosage. When I forget it, my jumpy mind eventually reminds me.

The camper looks great for traveling around. Just a little turtle home away from home. Have fun with it!

Hi Ellen. Sorry to hear about the insomnia. No advice from me as actual insomnia is not something I've experienced. I do sometimes having trouble falling asleep, though. I sometimes use melatonin to help with that. I also try to use the breathing exercises I learned in yoga. One other thing I think I invented, myself, is a sort-of countdown of items. In other words, I allow myself to *list* the 3 most important things I have to get done the next day, then I visualize sort-of turning off (like turning off the radio or tv; otherwise my mind just doesn't turn off). This allows me to not ignore that part of my mind that keeps going even after I turn off the light, but I try to limit it. Silly games we play with each other. Sometimes it actually works! I also leave at least an hour between shutting down the computer, and turning off the light. I read in bed before sleep too, and sometimes, that's enough! The worst part is when my eyes droop while reading but the minute the light is out, I am no longer sleepy.

Forgot to add that the camper is adorable!!

I did ask my garden centre about the Burning Bush being invasive and they had not heard that at all. Maybe the strain we have here, isn't. Anyhow, my Burning Bush is just starting to turn red! :-)

Sorry to hear about the issues with the cat. I remember, when I had to do it with my late great Buddy, I only had to do it every other day. And my friend did it for me as I never managed to succeed when I tried it on my own. I am sincerely hoping not to have to get to that point with Mia. At the moment, she is getting a pill that will hopefully help slow down the kidney disease. It's called Fortekor.

I really like the camper! I hope you two have some great adventures in it. We want pictures, of course... 😀

>151 EBT1002: Hooray for RPod, Ellen! Looks like it will be a lot of fun. We are also co-owners of a used pop-up camper, which we went in with, with my daughter. They took it out this past weekend, (to damn cold for us) and it all worked out fine.

I am only 130 pages into The Overstory but I am very impressed with it, in the early going. Brimming with ambition and vision...

That camper looks perfect for you and Prudence, Ellen! I hope that you are soon pleased enough with it that your anxieties on that account will cease. I'm sorry about your insomnia. When I was teaching, I used to wake up regularly at 4:00 and stew about school. I never learned any way to avoid it although I sometimes tried my childhood technique for getting back to sleep after a bad dream (picture a drive-in movie screen with nothing on it. When images appeared, wipe them off again and again until seeing nothing put me to sleep). Mostly I had to wait until the habit broke itself and I could sleep through again. I think that's nothing to compare with what you're suffering at the moment.
My other comment is a smile at our compulsions. >150 EBT1002: your one-book compulsiveness vs. my too many books compulsiveness.
Wishing you some good nights soon!

Glad you're enjoying The Mars Room!

>153 EBT1002: I have a spritzer of "linen spray" made with lavender essential oil. I spray the pillow itself, not the pillowcase. Someone gave this stuff to me, so I can't tell you where it came from, but I have seen similar products in catalogs. I also keep dried lavender sachets in my linen closet.

Love the rPod. I remember you were looking at the ones with the exterior kitchens a few years back ... I think having hard sides between yourselves and whatever is out there is (whether 2 or 4 legged) gives much better options.

Maybe one day your sleek new girl will meet up with my vintage 'Ida'. Lots of good camping between here and there.

And I love Barbra's new anthem.

I tried to post earlier, LT seemed to be glitchy.

I finished The Mars Room this morning and it was very good! I'll likely give it four stars. Maybe 4.5 stars.

Next up, I will either dig back into Milkman or start The Heart's Invisible Furies. I'd like to finish both of them this month but it's a tough reading month: work is crazy busy and I'm totally caught up in the BBC series, "Unforgotten." Has anyone seen that? It's like Lay's potato chips, I can't watch just one episode.

Hi Ellen! Sorry about the insomnia. Have you tried the sleep stories on Calm? (it's an app, you can get one week free and see how it works for you.) I am not sure about it, but two different friends recently recommended it, so definitely worth a try. That would be kind of Podcast like.

This is copied and pasted directly from Darryl's thread and I don't know if the non-book links will work but it is mostly a reminder for myself to find these reads....

Barack Obama is droppin' knowledge once again:

"I wanted to share a handful of books and articles that speak to the current political moment and something I’ve been talking about around the country this fall. Throughout our history, each time that Americans have pulled ourselves closer to our founding ideals – that all of us are created equal – the status quo pushes back. The powerful and the privileged work to keep us divided, afraid, and cynical, because it helps them keep their power. And we’re living through one of those moments of backlash right now.

"When we turn away, when we take our rights for granted, when we don’t vote – then other voices fill the void. But here’s the good news: On November 6th, we have the chance to restore some sanity to our politics. I hope you’ll consider reading some or all of these, and then go out and vote. Our democracy depends on it.

"The Broken Ladder: How Inequality Affects the Way We Think, Live, and Die by Keith Payne is a persuasive and highly readable account of how rising inequality, and not just absolute poverty, is undermining our politics, social cohesion, long term prosperity, and general well-being.

"How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt is a useful primer on the importance of norms, institutional restraints and civic participation in maintaining a democracy - and how quickly those things can erode when we’re not paying attention.

"In the New York Times Magazine, Matthew Desmond offers a powerful account of the challenges facing the working poor even in a strong economy, and the political and policy choices we’ve made as a country that help make it so hard: https://nyti.ms/2MkTNLc.

"An excellent series of articles appeared in the October issue of The Atlantic; these two examine the threat that democracies currently face, both at home and abroad. Yoni Appelbaum writes about Americans losing the habit of democracy: https://bit.ly/2xbh4KP". And Anne Applebaum on polarization in Poland: https://bit.ly/2N6Sll5."

>172 EBT1002: I just this minute finished reading that post myself! And the comments...missing an intelligent, articulate, compassionate President who can talk and talk without insulting anyone or tooting his own horn.

I hope you are able to get a good night's sleep, Ellen, and that things are going well while you are in charge.

I want to catch up on responding to posts, will try to fit that in later today.

For now, I wanted to say that I dug back into Milkman by Anna Burns last night and again this morning with my mug of coffee. It's weird but very good. It helped for me to have read that the author was inspired by The Troubles....

Ellen, I've started a project to read deliberately from my shelves, selecting a book from the 'A' fiction section. It is Sherman Alexie's Ten Little Indians and the very first story starts in Pullman, Washington at the university. Fancy that.

I loved the stories, swallowed them whole one after the other. I know Alexie is looked at askance in the me-too era, but the stories are wonderful. And a little reprieve from the thoughtful but painful political news, of course. I'm a little afraid to read the books you cite above in post 172. As good as I'm sure they are, I don't want to get any more discouraged than I am already.

>172 EBT1002: I miss him so much.

>151 EBT1002: >152 EBT1002: I keep looking at RVs and travel trailers, but I haven't purchased. I'll need to upgrade my RAV 4 to something with more towing power if I get something to pull. I'd prefer to get a small motor home and tow a vehicle behind it. One of these days!

I have lavender oil in a lotion. Sort of like a lip balm. I rub it into my temples and on my pulse points of my wrists.

I also have a homemade lavender spritz. There are recipes for making it on the Internet. Mine is simple 10-15 drops of lavender oil (I get mine at the health food store), 6 Tablespoons of Vodka or Witchhazel (you need the alcohol to keep the oil suspended in the liquid), and 2 cups distilled water. I put this in a plastic spray bottle (like you use to mist plants) and spray it on the pillow. Don’t soak it, just lightly spray it. I re-spray when I wash the pillowcases - about once a week. You can add more or less lavender oil depending on how strong you like it. I don’t like it really strong, but I do want to smell it on the pillow.

I am not sure that it works but it makes me feel better and my bedroom smells nice. Faintly of lavender, but nice.

Well, for any of you wondering what happened to me, College GameDay decided to come to Pullman!! It has been a fun and crazy week on campus and I'll be back here tomorrow at 4:45 am to be present for the live production of the show. If you get ESPN, you can tune in (6am Pacific, 9am Eastern) to see my new home town and campus. Or you can check out my Twitter feed @ebt60 for some fun images and to see how our campus has been lit since Wednesday.

Reading? Oh, I'm doing a little bit of that, as well. I'm not yet halfway through Milkman but I'm working my way through it. Challenging and wonderful.

Oooh, Ellen is on Twitter! *runs off to follow her*

It sounds like fun, Ellen. Enjoy.

We set the DVR Afor GameDay so we could watch it from the beginning without having to make sure we were up in time. Watching it now and had to pop in here. I figured it’s been a crazy week on campus for you this week!

Wow, Ellen you have been so busy. Congrats to Pullman for being featured on "GameDay". I think you and P made a great purchase with the trailer and I am sure you will really appreciate the ease of "getting away" when you need some quiet nature time.

Your home team crowd is doing a great job imitating the Seahawks 12s. Good on them!

Sounds like a fun time, Ellen.

I read in the Tuscaloosa News this morning that this is the first time that Washington State University has hosted GameDay. I am sure that is half of why there is so much excitement. It will bring lots of dollars into Pullman. It should be a good Christmas for the area with all that extra money to spend. Plus, it will be something for everybody to put into their Christmas letters.

Ah, football. I really don't like the game, and worry about these young men's health, but like many of us here in Washington State, we watch. Your new favorite team played very well, and won the day! I hope Game Day was lots of fun for you in your new community.

>156 maggie1944: Ooh, thanks for the turmeric drink suggestion, Karen. I will investigate. There is a great co-op in Moscow; I bet they carry it.

"...even though what you do is very important, and does affect many people, in 10 years you will have a hard time remembering just what was so important."
SO true. That isn't really what keeps me up at night; it's more short-term focused (and admittedly irrational) anxiety. Or frustration. I admit to being a middle-of-the-night stewer.

>157 vivians: Thanks for the tips about sleep-supportive podcasts, Vivian. I'll give that a try next time I wake in the night. I'm making note of "David Axelrod's interviews or one called Waking Up with Sam Harris" for this. I recently downloaded the book-related podcasts you mentioned and I hope to figure out a way to start listening to them even without a significant commute.

I'm looking forward to our first trip with the trailer. I hope it's relaxing. :-)

>158 brodiew2: Hi Brodie. Last week's Seahawks game was great! I hope today's bye is coming at a good time in the season for them to keep up their momentum.

>159 BLBera: I'm excited about the trailer, Beth. We want to keep "camping" but without the tent....

I would probably do what you describe and just listen to a podcast through my blue tooth speaker but, even though she is retired, I want to try not to disturb P's sleep. I will try the one-earbud podcast idea but I also want to do a better job of having something loaded up on my kindle for late-night reading. Maybe a collection of short stories....

>160 figsfromthistle: Thanks figsfromthistle. It's a wee trailer but has all the interior space we think we'll need.

>161 ffortsa: Hi Judy! I used to use Ambien for sleep but got a bit freaked out about it at some point. Every now and then I wish I still had it around the house. Luckily, I have been dealing with insomnia my entire life so at least I'm familiar with it. Heh.

>162 jessibud2: Hey Shelley! I think your idea of turning off the computer and all other technologies about an hour before bedtime is very smart. I need to be better about that. And ... "The worst part is when my eyes droop while reading but the minute the light is out, I am no longer sleepy." Oh yeah, that is the worst. At least with that, though, I'm very good about turning the light back on and reading a bit longer. :-D

>163 jessibud2: I'm glad you like the little trailer we bought, Shelley. I'm looking forward to our first adventure in it!

The nightly fluids for Abby have been going better the past week or so. I'm learning some of the nuances that make it go better. We also had one bag that had a bit of air in it and I think that was uncomfortable for her (although the vet assures me it was not dangerous). Sweet little old cat. I also hope things go well with your Mia with the medicine by pill. Odd as it sounds, Abby is more amenable to subcutaneous fluids than to a pill!

Oh, exciting - a new trailer! Congratulations ! A lot of changes going on in your life. Best wishes with the turmeric. My husband is keen on turmeric just for its anti inflammatory properties. He eats it sprinkled on his spinach sandwiches! And at night he drinks a mixture of raw ginger steeped in hot water and some sort of Roobios ( sp?) tea. He's planning to live forever, I take it. I can attest to the fact that The Heart's Invisible Furies is a very enjoyable read and the pages go by very quickly. I read it last year and really enjoyed it. I can't wait for my library to get Milkman in, though I understand it's a difficult read. Take care of yourself. Best wishes with sleeping.

>164 drneutron: I'll have P take a photo of me reading in my camping chair with the trailer in the background, Jim! Once it's a bit warmer....

>165 msf59: Hi Mark. We're excited about the rPod. And you're probably done with The Overstory by now. I will have to visit your thread to see what you think. "Brimming with ambition and vision..." Indeed!

>166 LizzieD: Peggy, that movie screen technique sounds very interesting. I may give that a try.

Regarding my one-book compulsion, I'm breaking out of that for now, at least. I am reading Milkman which is both wonderful and challenging. I also started A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee on my Kindle because it came in from the (Seattle) library. If I have trouble sleeping tonight, I will read some in the latter. I think a collection of short stories on the kindle may be something I need to try, as well.

>167 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! I liked The Mars Room a lot. I would like to read Kushner's other works.

>168 laytonwoman3rd: I'm going to keep my eye out for lavender spritzers, Linda. Thanks for the tip about spritzing it on my pillow, not the case. It seems like it would be very soothing.

>169 streamsong: Hi Janet. Yeah, it seems like having the option of cooking inside the trailer will be good in cold or inclement weather. We can still take our "camping box" of gear that includes a Coleman stove so most meals can be cooked outside. :-)

>171 banjo123: "...sleep stories on Calm." Ooh, that sounds promising, Rhonda. I will investigate.

>173 laytonwoman3rd: "...missing an intelligent, articulate, compassionate President who can talk and talk without insulting anyone or tooting his own horn." Me too, Linda. Me too. Big time.

>174 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. It has been a busy week but at least we have not yet had any big disasters or tragedies. May that continue....

>176 ffortsa: Judy! I will download Alexie's Ten Little Indians collection. It would be great to read a story that starts in this small town where I am now living.

>177 BLBera: Yes, I miss Obama too, Beth. Every dang day.

>178 thornton37814: Lori, we had to get a small pick-up to pull the rPod. Our Subaru Outback would have pulled a T@B. My CRV won't really pull anything. But our new/used Nissan Frontier can pull the rPod. I like your idea of an RV and pulling a small vehicle behind it. That would also work for us. We didn't want just an RV because we didn't want to have to take our whole "home"with us from the campsite to trailheads. When we camp, we hike. So a vehicle for getting us to the trailhead is necessary.

>179 benitastrnad: That sounds really nice, Benita. Even if the lavender oil doesn't "cure" my insomnia, it will be nice to have the light scent of lavender to sleep by.

>181 katiekrug: Twitter has sort of become my work-related social media outlet, Katie. I post to promote student engagement opportunities and things happening on campus. And occasional book-related posts (I figure encouraging students to read is part of my job, too). On FB I let more of my political perspectives show through.

>182 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

>183 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli! Thanks for setting your DVR to watch a bit of GameDay. It was so fun! And we beat the Ducks! (sorry)

>184 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy. This town had a terrific weekend. It was really rather fun and helped me feel a sense of connection to the community.

Regarding our trailer: "I am sure you will really appreciate the ease of "getting away" when you need some quiet nature time." Even reading that made me smile and made me long for spring. We may take one weekend trip this fall but otherwise I figure it will be spring and "quiet nature time" sounds lovely. Of course, living in this small town makes such escapes a bit less urgent, but still needed and beloved.

>185 maggie1944: Karen, this scene was reminiscent of the Superbowl champion Seahawks year in Seattle. It was so fun!

>186 Familyhistorian: It was a great community-wise party, Meg!

>187 benitastrnad: Benita, it was indeed the first time that College GameDay had come to Pullman but the excitement was about more than that. Fifteen years ago a Washington State University alum took a WSU Cougs flag to GameDay. A couple week after that, he did it again. The thinking was along the lines of "College GameDay is never coming to Pullman so we'll go to College GameDay." And a streak was born. The WSU flag has been flown in the crowd at College GameDay very single week since then. 218 Saturdays (the show only airs during fall football season). Every single week. P and I would look for the Cougar flag when we would watch the show. It's a thing. SO - not only was this the first time GameDay has ever come to Pullman but WSU has this special relationship with the show. It sounds silly but if you're a Coug, this is a thing.

20,000 people showed up for the 6am live broadcast of the show in this small town, population approximately 33,500. WSU's Pullman enrollment is about 21,000.

"Wave the Flag" is a common saying in WSU culture.

Partly because of the story of the Cougar flag at College GameDay, fans brought flags. Lots of flags. It was a forest of flags. It was SO. COOL.

That banner on the building in the back was found in surplus. Talk about recycling....

>188 maggie1944: Thank you so much, Karen. It was a huge weekend. Honestly, the whole week was consumed by preparing for College GameDay's arrival. Students tried to get classes canceled on Friday but our president (whom I like a lot) wisely declined. I also got to attend the game on Saturday night, after riding around in a Gem Cart giving out swag (t-shirts, lib balm, stickers...) at the various tailgating venues. I had a great spot, had to stand the whole time but could see every play and was among the students. Since my job is all about the students, it was pretty cool. And what a great game it was.

>192 vancouverdeb: Deb! Your husband and turmeric: "He eats it sprinkled on his spinach sandwiches!" Um, what's a spinach sandwich? I mean, spinach between two pieces of bread, but... condiments? Other additions?

Time for bed.

Ellen, I didn't get to see any of College Game Day live because I had a hair appointment, but I enjoyed the obvious excitement and wonderful environment it seemed to be through your Twitter :) I can see how being involved would help you feel more connected to the community. I hope you can get some rest now!

I would have been disappointed if there hadn't been a ton of WSU flags waving on the show on Saturday. It was great. I liked that they had the section of flags from all the schools that had hosted GameDay during the streak of having the WSU flag at GameDay. That was a nice touch.

Too bad the Ducks played so awful.

It sounds like you had fun, Ellen. I hope that carries over into this week.

Glad you had so much fun!

So sad to read about the tragedy at WSU and thinking of you as you are dealing with the community there. Sending strength and courage!

>151 EBT1002: Ellen--Congrats on the trailer! How fun. You should test drive it to Portland.

Sorry you have been fighting insomnia and anxiety. Hopefully now that your fun game is over (!) and your VP will be back soon, you can chill out a little.

Glad you liked The Mars Room. I am still only about 1/3 in, then I switched to some spooky Halloween stuff. I will get back to it. I am glad you rated it so highly--I usually agree with your assessments.

I'm sorry for your sleeplessness, Ellen. But as a fellow insomniac I loved the conversation about it, sorry.

I have a tip to add, when it's really bad and I just can't get asleep at all I will try getting up and doing some stretching. Relaxing tense muscles at least helps me feel calmer, and physically more at ease. And that can help with getting some sleep at last.

Loved the turmeric idea. My health food store sells herbal teas, they have several other mixtures that are nice and relaxing.

I finished Milkman by Anna Burns last night. I'm giving it four stars. It was at times brilliant and engaging, at times just boring. Our first-person narrating protagonist is Middle Sister, a young adult living at home with her ma and several wee sisters (I loved the wee sisters!). As she tries to decide where her relationship with Maybe Boyfriend is heading, she finds herself embroiled in the political undercurrent of the community. Milkman has started showing up, indicating that he wants her for his own. The rumor mill activated by his intrusion in her life is itself a rich weave of sub-communities with fear-driven rules and contorted dynamics. Drawing from the author's experiences growing up during the Troubles, but not of or about the Troubles, the novel explores the shifting sands of a community at war with itself. Timely, humorous, insightful, honest, and challenging, it's a novel deserving of attention.

I'm still reading A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee and next up will be either The Heart's Invisible Furies or The Death's Head Chess Club either of which will fulfill my RandomCAT for October.

Great comments on Milkman, Ellen. I'll get to it one of these days. I've been really interested in fiction set in Northern Ireland since we were there.

>209 EBT1002: I heard Anna Burns read from her novel (along with the other five shortlisted novels) recently Ellen, and I wanted to read it, and all the others. Although I wanted The Overstory to win, as like you I loved it, I also accept that one of the reasons The Booker should exist, is to bring fine lesser known writers to the fore.

>210 EBT1002: Oh I loved that book. Despite the dubious title!

Hi, Ellen. Congrats on the trailer - you two will have fun adventures with that, no doubt.

I'm glad Milkman turned out to be a solid read. Would you have crowned it with the Booker over The Overstory?

I'm having a good ride in the whopper-size new Murakami, Killing Commendatore. Yes, it's filled with weirdness. :-)

It must have been an even better celebration with your team winning, Ellen. Milkman sounds interesting (except for the boring parts). Do you have a chair for your desk yet? Enjoy your weekend.

I can recommend The Heart's Invisible Furies Ellen. When my library finally gets Milkman, I'll give a try. As for my husband's turmeric and spinach sandwiches, that's it, Ellen! A hearty bread full of seeds and stuff like flax etc ( which I eat too ) but no condiments or meat! Argh! He used to eat deli meat in his sandwiches, but decided that the salt and nitrates in the deli meats was too unhealthy. He does take some nuts and soybeans, and eats such a big bowl of oats, blueberries, and yes, cinnamon , and protein whey powder , I think horse would be satisfied with his breakfast. He eats egg whites too.

>202 katiekrug: I'm glad my frenetic Twitter feed communicated the excitement of the environment, Katie!

>203 SuziQoregon: Yes, Juli, the flag thing is, well, a thing. On the other hand, I was pleased that the Ducks played so poorly, at least in the first half. Honestly, they looked much better in the second half. And you have to give some credit to the great play of the Cougs (except that third quarter!) and the impact of the crowd. :-)

>204 BLBera: Thanks Beth. This past week was much more normal and was pretty good with a couple of challenging elements. I won't bother with detail but let me just say that students' parents can be a pain in the butt. And the campus mood was sobered by the murder of the daughter of two of our faculty members. Their daughter was a student at University of Utah but attended Pullman High School and both her parents work here. Incredibly tragic. And one's boss can be problematic now and then, as well, even when she is on leave. But mostly I had a good week. I feel like I'm having a positive impact and that feels good!

>205 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel!

>206 vivians: Vivian, thank you for thinking of me and for your kind words. I assume you refer to the murder of Lauren McCluskey, a student at University of Utah who was a Pullman native. Both her parents are on faculty at WSU and she was well known in the community. It was a horrible tragedy. I know my colleagues at Utah were bearing the greatest burden of supporting their campus community.

>207 Berly: Hey Kimmers. We picked the trailer up today, drove it back from Spokane. It does major damage to the gas mileage! But it's not bad to drive (I think our truck is just barely strong enough) and we're excited to have it. We didn't think they were going to have it ready but they did and we don't yet have a storage place for it. At present it's just parked in front of our house. Our driveway is way to steep for it! And I like your idea of a test drive to Portland. Heh.

Thanks for the kind words about the insomnia. It has been better but it seems to be a pretty steady presence for me. Honestly, I will experience some relief when my VP returns but it has also been kind of fun to have her out, to be on point for addressing some issues that arose this past week. So it was me texting and phoning with the president. I feel like I handled things pretty well.

I hope you enjoy The Mars Room when you get back to it.

>208 EllaTim: Hi Ella. Thanks for the idea about getting up and stretching some. I can actually imagine myself giving that a try!

>211 BLBera: Milkman is a challenging read, Beth, and I think you would find it interesting.

>212 Caroline_McElwee: Caroline, I saw that there was a series of the short list authors reading from their works and I wanted to listen to them. I may try to find that and listen even though I have now read all but one of the short-listed novels. As you know, I gave The Overstory five stars and it was my pick for the prize but none of the five novels I've read earned fewer than four stars so it was a good year for the Booker in my mind. I agree with you that introducing new authors to the world is a great outcome of the prize process and Anna Burns' book was certainly the most unconventional.

>213 charl08: Which of the three that I mentioned did you love, Charlotte? I assume you mean A Rising Man based on your comment.... In any case, I am quite enjoying it although I am also enjoying The Death's Head Chess Club which I want to finish before the end of the month.

>214 jnwelch: Hiya Joe. We're excited about the trailer and looking forward to some fun trips (and hours of reading!) with/in it.

Milkman was a solid read but The Overstory would have gotten my vote for the Booker. Here is how things fell out for me:

2018 Booker Prize Short List
Richard Powers (USA), The Overstory ~ COMPLETED - 5 stars
Esi Edugyan (Canada), Washington Black ~ COMPLETED - 4.5 stars
Daisy Johnson (UK), Everything Under ~ COMPLETED - 4.5 stars
Anna Burns (UK), Milkman ~ COMPLETED - 4 stars
Rachel Kushner (USA), The Mars Room ~ COMPLETED - 4 stars
Robin Robertson (Scotland, UK), The Long Take

I've thought of you every time I have seen the new Murakami on the shelves or tables in bookshops. I'm glad you're enjoying it!

>215 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg and thanks for stopping by! I don't have a chair for my desk yet, LOL. It seems not to be a high priority. Maybe I'm worried I would have to work more at home. That, and I have a laptop so mostly I sit in a comfortable chair in the living room or, as I am doing at present, a comfortable chair in the tv room (aka Prudence's study). We're flipping back and forth between the UW Huskies and the WSU Cougars playing football. It's a good time to catch up on LT.

>216 vancouverdeb: I'm definitely going to read The Heart's Invisible Furies, Deb, but I opted for The Death's Head Chess Club at this moment in time. I figured I would be more likely to finish it before the end of the month so it can count for my October RandomCAT. Silly, I know.

Hmm, just good bread with spinach leaves and turmeric. That sounds interesting. I pretty much stay away from deli meats, as well, because of the sodium, although I am less good about that than I was closer in time (and memory) to my stroke. And I love your description of his breakfast! I made Overnight Oats again Thursday night and I was reminded how much I love them. Oats, mashed banana, peanut butter, almond milk, and a bit of maple syrup. YUM. Sometimes I add chia seeds.

Your game day events sound fun, despite the standing!

>221 EBT1002: I can honestly say it would never have crossed my mind to eat just spinach on bread, even yummy seed bread, I would feel like it was missing something the rest if the sandwich lol

Ellen - You did well with the Booker list this year. The only one from the short list that I've read is Washington Black. I will get to the others eventually; they do sound like good ones. My reading time has been cut lately -- not that I'm not reading -- due to class work.

It sounds like you are working your way into your new position, as I knew you would.

Hi, Ellen. Good to see you'd put The Overstory at the top, having read all but one of them. I was sure impressed by it.

The new Murakami is one of his best, and for me a real mind-stretcher. While as usual telling a page-turning story with plenty of weirdness, he brings in some big ideas that grabbed me and I'm still sorting. I can already see re-reading this one.

>222 ChelleBearss: It was fun indeed, Chelle. I think my legs and feet have finally recovered enough that I hope to go for a run this afternoon.

I admit that I had the same reaction as you about the spinach sandwich. I would at least want condiments, I think. But I'm willing to try almost anything once. :-)

>223 BLBera: Hi Beth. I certainly understand work cutting into reading time. In 2018 I won't get anywhere near my number of books completed for the past two years. I'll still make it to 75 with a bit of gravy but 100 is out of reach with this new job. In any case, I hope you get around to reading The Overstory and The Mars Room and Everything Under and Milkman (Vivian suggests the latter in audio format). It's a good collection of novels this time around.

I am indeed settling into my new job but it certainly has some challenges associated with it. I know that is to be expected.

>224 jnwelch: Morning Joe! (Afternoon for you.) This was my most complete read of the short list ever, at least by this point in the process. The Long Take is supposed to be available in the US in early 2019, I think, so I'll get a copy and read it just for completist satisfaction.

As you know, I have an ambivalent relationship with Murakami's works. I think he is mind-stretching (good phrase, thank you for that) and brilliant but I also find reading his work to require a certain mindset. In my current situation, with a job I'm enjoying but that I'm finding to be emotionally more draining than my former job, I don't know whether I'll be able to tackle him much. It may have to wait for retirement. That said, if you do a reread and are willing to engage in discussion, I just might change my mind! :-D

Currently reading:

. .

I'm hoping to get to some of these books on winter break, Ellen. I enjoyed A Rising Man but don't know that I want to read others in the series. Why does everything have to be a series? This was a perfectly good stand alone book.

Go Seahawks! They seem to be doing well, today.

Hi Ellen, I hope you are having a great weekend. A Rising Man sounds interesting, but another series?? Oh well, what's one more - I am adding this book to my library list.

Hi Ellen, hope you are enjoying the weekend. I definitely need to get to Overstory

I have a Rising Man. Just purchased it a month ago. I really want to read it but suspect it will be a few years before I get to it. I am in the middle of the tenure season and since I work in a small department I am on the committee every year. We have some real problems that are showing up and since I am on the downhill slide to retirement (in five years) I don’st want to deal with them. Fortunately, since I am not an administrator I won’t have to. However, all of this is part of the reason for the nighttime panic attacks. I do have to admit that the soothing smell of lavender helps - as does a good work of fiction. Usually science fiction. As President Obama said - science fiction is a good way to get totally out of your head. Most of the time it works for me. I reach for that book on the nightstand and it is so far from my reality that it helps me forget all the stuff that is going on. Right now that book is a YA fantasy series Throne of Glass.

>227 BLBera: I'm enjoying A Rising Man, as well, Beth but don't know yet whether I will continue the series. I cracked up at "why does everything have to be a series?" I'm actually pretty bad about finishing series. I was much "better" when I was younger, completing the Travis McGee, 87th Precinct, and V.I. Warshawski series. I thought I would finish the Kinsey Milhone series but I lost interest around M. I think my reading interest has become so much more diverse that it's harder for me to spend as much time as most series require.

The Seahawks had a good day today. It was fun to watch!

>228 DeltaQueen50: LOL Judy! I think of you as very good at finishing series so, yes, what's one more? I will let you know what I think after I finish this first in the series.

>229 banjo123: Rhonda, I absolutely recommend The Overstory. As a Pacific Northwesterner, I think you'll particularly like the setting and themes.

>230 benitastrnad: Sorry to hear about all the work-related stress, Benita. You know I can relate although the issues themselves are perhaps different. I do need to seek out some Lavender spray for my pillow. On the other hand, science fiction isn't my thing although I can see that it would be different enough from real life to provide some relief. I just read whatever I'm reading. Or lie there and stew (not good, I know).

ETA: I think you and I are on somewhat similar timelines for retirement. I figure I have 4-7 years to go.

This evening I have to have dinner with a finalist for our Dean of Students position. It's at a restaurant that I haven't yet tried and I checked out the menu on line. It looks wonderful!! It's a Peruvian place with all kinds of yummy menu items and I hear they make pretty good Sangria, too. Both white and red. P is excited that we may be finding another good and interesting restaurant in town.

We picked up our trailer yesterday and it's now parked out in front of our house. We haven't yet found a storage place but P will work on that this week.

We carved a couple of jack o'lanterns since we hear this is a great neighborhood for trick-or-treaters. Our candy stash is in. So far I've kept myself from raiding the huge bag we bought.

Happy Sunday, Ellen. It might take me awhile to get to the remaining Booker nominees, but I will be starting Washington Black this week. I recently read and enjoyed California Dreamin'. I hope you feel the same way.

Lucky you to have trick-or-treaters. For some reason, I've never had many. I am, however, prepared. And anything that is left over goes to school the next day.

Peruvian sounds good.

You might want to find a space for your trailer before Halloween...

I hope that you enjoy California Dreamin', Ellen. I really liked that one. Congrats on your new trailer and enjoy the novelty of having trick or treaters. I have always been inundated by them so don't really look forward to it as I can't do much but answer the door for about 3 hours - the novelty wore off years ago.

>234 msf59: Hi Mark! I am quite liking California Dreamin'. Pénélope Bagieu is an author/artist whose works I think I will regularly seek out as I also loved Brazen.

I predict that you'll enjoy Washington Black. I hope I'm right. :-)

>235 BLBera: We got hardly any trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood in Seattle, Beth, but we're expecting a good turnout here. And I agree with your concern about the trailer but P is in Seattle until Wednesday so we won't be able to move the trailer until Thursday. We do have a space reserved for us now, though, so that is good. I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed that no mischief-makers try anything with our cute little trailer!

The Peruvian restaurant was indeed wonderful! I'm excited to go back with P after she returns. There were at least a dozen things on the menu that I want to try and what I chose Sunday evening was delicious.

>236 Familyhistorian: Hey Meg. I'm enjoying California Dreamin' so far. Bagieu is such a great storyteller. I can certainly imagine the fun of trick-or-treaters wearing off after a few years, or even a couple of hours. In Seattle we got so few that it was kind of fun.

Hi, Ellen!

We're expecting lots of trick-or-treaters in our new neighborhood, too, and we're pretty excited about it. Charlie's already got his T-or-T-ing in at the zoo, and he wants to stay home and help hand out candy. Should be fun! I hope you and P get a good turnout, too.

>237 EBT1002:

Maybe get a friend to hand out treats from the trailer?

>238 scaifea: Amber, I love that Charlie wants to give out candy, having collected his own loot already at the zoo. He will have fun with the little ones!

>239 m.belljackson: LOL -- that is actually a really excellent idea.

All caught up with you. Seems like life is going "real good" for you. I'm glad. The trailer does sound just wonderful.

I am finishing up the joy of packing to go to Hawaii. We are only going over for one week on Kauai and part of the reason is that my friend Robin found a good sounding private place. Should be able to walk to the beach. Then we will go back in January to Maui. That is an unusual "two-fer" for us but I had to use both a credit and points with Hawaiian Air, and they will not let you use them both on one ticket. No flying for free, I guess. So we were forced to go twice! OH, what a shame, eh?

I look forward to finishing a book I received from Early Reviewers; I have another one coming soon. Can't let those pile up. I'm debating how many books to take, plus the Kindle. I'm trying hard to talk myself into taking just the Kindle and the Early Reviewer paperback.

Talk about First World problems!

Fingers crossed for your trailer and Happy Halloween!

I just finished my breakfast. Overnight oats. I know I warbled about them a long time ago but I've been starting to eat them again and I just have to say: YUM.

One banana, mashed
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup almond milk
generous tablespoon crunchy natural unsalted peanut butter
generous teaspoon maple syrup

Blend well in a jar with a lid, refrigerate, stir, and enjoy!

>241 maggie1944: Things are going well, Karen. Up and down but I'm finding my way. I went for a lovely run in very light rain this morning; it felt like Seattle!

TWO trips to Hawaii! Yay! And if you take the kindle and the ER paperback, and you find yourself at loose ends re reading, you can always go to that bookshop on Kauai. I can't remember the name of it but it was a pretty good little bookshop. Southwest side of the island, I think?

I'd be interested in where on Kauai you're staying. We had a pretty awesome place in Poipu that we loved but it's now been long enough since our last time there that I'm not sure it's still running or what it's like. It was not right on the water but we could walk to Breneke's beach.

And yes, first world problems. ;-)

Have FUN!

>242 BLBera: Thanks Beth!

I am not a peanut butter or banana fan, but I do like my oats with blueberries. I also prefer the version with quinoa instead of oats.

>243 EBT1002: Must try that. I was intrigued when you mentioned it before, but then, y'know...

>245 BLBera: Yeah, peanut butter and almond milk are both out for me, but I should get some oatmeal of some kind into the kitchen before the cold weather sets in. And blueberries are delish.

We are staying at Waikomo Stream Villas which is just next to the Sheridan on Poipu beach area. It is a vacation rental by a local family and is very nice. Basic, "old" Hawaii. No air conditioning, no elevators, lots of cool breeze off the beach. It is not exactly walking distance from the beach but it is near a local public park, and also a couple of very nice shopping areas with local products and restaurants. Interior is just nice! Good place for a vacation for sure. Reasonable price.

I eat oatmeal for breakfast all the time, bananas some of the time, blueberries some other times. Sometime I throw in a handful of "trail mix" in for some extra taste and protein.

I'm trying to get myself to read the Early Reviewers book but the condo owners have stacked the place with good books. Ah, sigh!

Ellen--Glad to hear the trailer made it home safe and sound. And that you are enjoying your Overnight Oats again. I have officially put The Overstory on my Christmas WL. Hope your insomnia is behaving itself again. ; )

>245 BLBera: Neither bananas nor peanut butter? Hmm. We agree on so many other things, my friend.... But blueberries are okay by me, too. :-)

>246 laytonwoman3rd: I hope you enjoy, Linda! It's one of my favorite breakfasts. I eat them cold but one could also nuke them for 30 seconds or so to make a warm breakfast.

>247 ffortsa: However we eat our oats, it's all good, Judy. I believe in them as a good, healthy staple. And pulses*, which we grow in this region.

*aka legumes. Lentils and garbanzo beans are among the crops grown on the Palouse along with a LOT of wheat!

>248 maggie1944: That sounds perfect, Karen! Very much like the family-owned Poipu Plantation at which we have stayed. I can sort of picture where your place probably is. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. Remember shave ice in Kaloa town. :-)

I like the idea of throwing a handful of trail mix into oatmeal. I also like Trader Joe's Triple Berry Blend -- dried fruit including strawberries. Sometimes I do oats, that berry blend, water, and microwave it for 2 minutes. Add a bit of milk and it's a wholesome and yummy breakfast!

>249 Berly: Ah, Kim, you just answered a question I asked over on your thread re: The Overstory. You'll enjoy it, I think.

Not only did the trailer make it home safe and sound but P got it hooked back up to the truck and hauled it to our storage place all by herself while I was at work this week. I was so impressed. :-)

Still reading A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee