Mark's Reading Place: Chapter Seventeen

^"White Christmas" by ZZ Wei





“We need the tonic of wildness... At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

"I go to NATURE to be SOOTHED and HEALED, and to have my SENSES put in order."

--John Burroughs

Audiobook:



Graphic/Comic:



August:

86- The Caricaturist (The American Novels) by Norman Lock 4.2 stars ER
87- The Man in the McIntosh Suit by Rina Ayuyang 3.5 stars GN
88- The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason 4.5 stars
89- This Is the Honey: Poems by Kwame Alexander 4.6 stars P
90- The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson 4 stars (audio)
91- Going to Meet the Man: Stories by James Baldwin 4.4 stars
92- The Meadow by James Galvin 5 stars
93- Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell 4.2 stars
94- The Rose Code by Kate Quinn 4 stars (audio)
95- Haruki Murakami Manga Stories 2 by Jc Deveney 3.7 stars GN
96- Zoli by Colum McCann 3.7 stars
97- The Summer We Crossed Europe in the Rain: Lyrics for Stacey Kent by Kazuo Ishiguro 3.6 stars
98- Gumption by Nick Offerman 3.8 stars (audio)

September:

99- Birding to Change the World by Trish O Kane 4 stars (audio)
100- California Bear by Duane Swierczynski 4 stars (audio)
101- I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger 3.8 stars (audio)
102- The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin 5 stars
103- Rowing the Northwest Passage by Kevin Vallely 4 stars
104- Symphony for the City of the Dead by M. T. Anderson 4.6 stars (audio)
105- Beautiful Days: Stories by Zach Williams 4.3 stars
106- The House of Wolfe by James Carlos Blake 4 stars
107- Is This How You See Me? by Jaime Hernandez 3.5 stars GN

October:

108- Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton 4.2 stars E
109- Final Cut by Charles Burns 3.6 stars GN
110- Wellness by Nathan Hill 4.4 stars (audio)
111- Lunar Boy by Jes and Cin Wibowo 4 stars GN
112- The God of the Woods by Liz Moore 4.5 stars
113- The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides 4.8 stars (audio)
114- Ride with Me, Mariah Montana (Montana Trilogy) by Ivan Doig 4 stars
115- Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon by Noé Álvarez 3.7 stars (audio)
116- Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner 4 stars
117- Brownstone by Samuel Teer 4 stars GN
118- Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin 4.2 stars (audio)
119- The Sentence by Louise Erdrich 3.7 stars
120- Homegrown: Timothy McVeigh by Jeffrey Toobin 4.8 stars (audio)

November:

121- Playground: A Novel by Richard Powers 5 stars
122- Big Jim and the White Boy: An American Classic Reimagined by David F. Walker 4.3 stars GN
123- The Zero by Jess Walter 4 stars (audio)
124- White Crosses by Larry Watson 3.6 stars
125- Bluff: Poems by Danez Smith 4 stars P
126- The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai 3.7 stars (audio)
127- The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham 4.7 stars
128- The Radiant Lives of Animals by Linda Hogan 4.4 stars
129- What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman 4 stars (audio)
130- The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer 3.6 stars E
131- The Turning: Stories by Tim Winton 4.6 stars
132- Lit: A Memoir by Mary Karr 3.8 stars (audio)
133- The Life of the Skies by Jonathan Rosen 3.5 stars E

December:

134- Conclave by Robert Harris 4.2 stars (audio)
135- The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese 4.8 stars
136- Paying For It by Chester Brown 3.7 stars GN
137- Long Island by Colm Tóibín 4.2 stars (audio)
138- The Way by Cary Groner 3.8 stars E
139- The North Line by Matt Riordan 3.7 stars (audio)
140- Great House by Nicole Krauss 3.5 stars
141- Through Fences by Frederick Luis Aldama 4.3 stars GN
142- Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout 4.6 stars
143- Rare Flavours by Ram V, Filipe Andrade 4 stars GN
144- The Barn: Murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompson 4.5 stars (audio)
145- Red Hook Road by Ayelet Waldman 4.2 stars

P: Poetry
GN: Graphic Novel
E: e-reader

^ I have really enjoyed doing our shared reads in 2023 and I would like this to continue through 2024 and beyond. Primarily, I would like to read books off shelf, but I am still catching up with a few titles that I missed in the past year. I also would like to do a few rereads. I will list some titles and if you are interested, we will set a firm date.

2024

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich Joe, Joanne, Linda L Oct
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham w/Judy, Cindy, Stasia, Bill, Meg Nov

2025

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas w/Mary, Jim, Irene, Kathy, Ellen, Linda P Katie, Ella January
The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning Ellen, Katie, Paul- Jan, Feb, Mar
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins Deb, Benita, Irene, Ellen, Janet, Linda P February
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber Benita, Stasia, Katie, Meg April

Watching Over

This land I watch over
is a place with old stories
and plant medicine.
It is earth a mountain lion walks,
looking into the light of my life
in this little cabin made of stone laid on stone
love labored over love,
and happiness here a hundred years ago
when the fireplace was first made of this quartz,
a baby tooth pushed into the mortar.

It was the year my father was born
when people came from afar to see the new infant,
some walked long distances
from Paul’s Valley.

All were silent in his presence.
It’s the way we lived and live with the newly born.

The bison that lives here now went down the next valley
to hide in great trees.

For a time, that bison has watched over all of us.
Something often does.
Some call it god.
Some call it our ancestors, but the ones I see
in this small cabin are the lion,
the bear in spring
when ghostly wolves, not hungry,
pass by the herd of deer in silence this morning

and even the fox looks in my door
for no other reason
than to watch how I live, to be sure
it is the right way.

-Linda Hogan From The Radiant Lives of Animals

Hello?? Great Horned Owl chicks.

^Thanks to Janet for reminding me to do this. I had a great year of reading and these five were the cream of the crop:

James by Percival Everett
Playground by Richard Powers
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
The Meadow by James Galvin

I will share my complete Best of 2024 list in a week or so. Looking forward to seeing everyone's list.

Once again here is the link to add your top 5:

https://www.librarything.com/list/46058/Top-Five-Books-of-2024

138- The Way: A Novel by Cary Groner 3.8 stars E

Who doesn’t like a good postapocalyptic road trip? I certainly do. Once again, a lethal virus has decimated the world, wiping out most of the population over thirty years of age. I would be a goner, along with most of my friends. Will is an exception, at the ripe old age of 52 and he is sent on a mission from Colorado to California, carrying a possible antidote for the deadly virus. His means of transportation is a Ford F150, pulled by a pair of trusty mules. He is accompanied by a cat and a raven, who he is able to verbally communicate with. Of course, many adventures ensue, as they are also being pursued by The Forge, a wacky militant group.
This is a fun ride. Not too dark and serious but enough to satisfy me. The writing is quite serviceable too. If you would like a mash-up of Mad Max, The Road and I am Legend give this novel a try.

*Thanks to Netgalley for supplying me with an advanced copy. It was published on Dec 3rd.

Am I the first?

Yes! 'Morning, Mark! Excellent topper. Very cute pic of Jackson, of course.

I did fill my bird feeders yesterday and have quite a few of the usual suspects feasting right now.

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Mark!

I love the image in your topper - I have a soft spot for moose. It was my first word as a baby :)

Monday orisons and a happy new thread...may a California condor (bound to be one confused birb!) show up on your chimney for Yule...that moose up there oughta be able to handle it.

Happy new thread, Mark. Love the toppers and of course, >6 msf59:

Happy times, Bird E. Dude. Happy times.

Happy new one, Mark!

>9 karenmarie: You were first, Karen. Fine job. Hooray for Jackson and those topped off feeders. I also just did mine.

>10 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita.

>11 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. I am not sure I heard your "moose" tale, before. Sweet. Was there a particular reason that you choose "moose" as your first word?😜

>12 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. The good news is- if I don't see a California condor in my backyard (highly improbable) I may get a much better chance on our birding trip to California next September. 😀🤞

>13 jessibud2: >14 weird_O: >15 drneutron: Thanks, Shelley, Bill & Jim. Much appreciated.

Happy New Thread!

>16 msf59: - I had a stuffed moose as a baby (still have it!), and one day I reached for it and said, "Moose!" At least that's the story I was told :)

Happy new thread Mark!

>6 msf59: Jackson has a handle on it, that's for sure!

Happy new one, buddy.

>3 msf59: Count me in on the Balkan Trilogy

>6 msf59: I love that photo!

Happy new thread, Mark!

Happy New Thread!

>18 elorin: Thank you, Robin. Good to see you.

>19 katiekrug: That is adorable, Katie.

>20 quondame: Thanks, Susan. Hooray for Jackson!

>21 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I will add you to the Balkan Trilogy read. Glad to have you along. It will be a nice group.

>22 Familyhistorian: >23 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Meg & Silver.

Happy new thread, Mark! Hard to believe the best of’s will be coming out soon. I have to begin thinking about that.🤔

>25 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. Looking forward to seeing your "Best of List"! I am just about done with my full report.

-Clay Bennett

"A shocking and revelatory account of the murder of Emmett Till that lays bare how forces from around the world converged on the Mississippi Delta in the long lead-up to the crime, and how the truth was erased for so long."

I read "a strong review of The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi a couple of months ago (it was published in September) and immediately added it to my audio TBR. I started it yesterday and was quickly drawn into this intense story.

“while darkness and denialism can hide much, they erase nothing. They can hide, but they erase nothing.” - President Joe Biden

'Morning, Mark! Happy Tuesday to you.

I've got a Downy on the suet feeder, a male Cardinal on the wild bird seed feeder, and a female Cardinal on the sunflower seed feeder. Various finches are zooming by.

>28 msf59: I've always wanted to read about Emmett Till. I'm anxious to know what you think about this book.

>28 msf59: People run into things in the dark, often causing great pain, but causing the urgent need to bring in light to make the obstacles obvious. It keeps needing to hurt, though. Depressing but true.

>29 karenmarie: Happy Tuesday, Karen. Sounds like the usual visitors at the feeders. Same here. Expect more warbling about The Barn. It has been very good.

>30 richardderus: Good point about the darkness, Richard. The age we live in.

-Harry Bliss

Hi Mark!

I loved seeing The Meadow on your favorites list.

Here are my top five:
James by Percival Everett
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
Clear by Carys Davies
Table for Two by Amor Towles
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

From your previous thread, Say Nothing was great but so harrowing. I found watching it to be much more disturbing than the book was to read.

Jackson is going to have so much fun this Christmas! Such a perfect age.

>33 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne. Great to see you. Thanks for sharing your Top 5. Terrific list. I will start Tell Me Everything very soon. Clear & Table for Two were also in the running for me. Both just missed the cut.

I agree that the TV adaptation of Say Nothing was harrowing.

Hooray for Jackson and his joy for Christmas!

Happy New Thread , Mark. Great toppers!

Happy new thread, Mark!

>28 msf59: Somebody recently had a story about the book, and went to the barn itself with the author. I was thinking maybe 60 Minutes, but couldn't find a mention in the episode guide. It was chilling.

>35 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah.

>36 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene. I would like to see that 60 Minute segment. The book has been very good. Chilling and horrifying.

"With her remarkable insight into the human condition and silences that contain multitudes, Elizabeth Strout returns to the town of Crosby, Maine, and to her beloved cast of characters—Lucy Barton, Olive Kitteridge, Bob Burgess, and more..."

I could be president of the Elizabeth Strout Fan Club or at least VP or Treasurer. This will be the ninth novel I have read of hers. There are not many working authors that are this remarkably consistent at delivering high quality fiction, like Strout. Only Ann Patchett comes to mind, at the moment. Her latest has been getting rave reviews and has already popped up on Best of the Year lists. Of course, I love the chickadee cover too. I will start the novel today.

**Big shout-out to Karen for lending me her copy. There was a very long waiting list at the library. My savior.

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Wednesday.

>38 msf59: So glad I could provide Tell Me Everything to you.

All the usual suspects at the feeders.

>8 msf59: Sounds interesting.

>19 katiekrug: My daughter's first word was octopus (oc'pus) and then purple, because of these foam bath toys we had. My niece's first word was book. :-)

>38 msf59: NINTH!! Great Goddess below us. You're deffo the President she wants in charge of her fan club. ::impressed::

Happy Wednesday!

Hi Mark. I am getting out a little more these days and today was grocery shopping. I am now exhusted and will cerrainly nap my afternoon away!

>39 karenmarie: Happy Wednesday, Karen. Yep, I am LOVING Tell Me Everything.

>40 labfs39: I think you might like The Way: A Novel, Lisa. Thanks for sharing your daughter's "first word" memory. Cute. Go oc'pus!

>41 richardderus: Thanks for the presidential nomination, RD. I think there is only one or 2 of her earlier novels that I have not read.

>42 DeltaQueen50: Happy Wednesday, Judy. Great to see you. I hope you got a nice nap in after your grocery shopping excursion. 🤞🤞

"Olive, sitting in her wingback chair, saw two chickadees and a titmouse at her feeder. She leaned forward and spotted a squirrel...She hated squirrels. They ate her flowers, and they were always bothering the birds."

-Tell Me Everything

Love that Olive!



-Titmouse (NMP)

'Morning, Mark, and sweet Thursday to you. Congrats on being off work for 2 1/2 weeks.

I've got a Red-Bellied Woodpecker chowing down on the wild bird seed food, various Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, and finches. A Tufted Titmouse is visiting, too, and there was a Mockingbird at the bird bath earlier.

Morning, Karen and thanks. I have not checked my feeders yet. Bad Mark. Hooray for the titmouse and the mockingbird.

Funny thing happened yesterday. I took The Painted Veil with me to a medical appointment. Both the doctor and the checkout clerk inquired about the book. The lady behind the glass and two computer screens was interested enough to ask questions about the setting and plot and characters, and asked me to hold it up so she could see the cover image and the author's name. I was so impressed I read a few chapters before turning out the light at midnight. Gosh! Might I finish it!?!

>6 msf59: Jackson’s getting to be stuck a big boy! Love this age! Thumbs up!

>47 weird_O:
I have had similar experiences when I take a book with me to read. There is something about people seeing a hardcopy book that elicits comment and curiosity. It is a very effective and unobtrusive way to advertise reading.

>36 atozgrl:
It was PBS News Hour. Here is the YouTube link to that interview with Wright Thompson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1ljgRPy0f8

I watched it and immediately put that book on my TBR list.

There was also this piece in CBS Sunday Morning. It is very good. It is mostly about the Black man who blew the whistle on the murder. And about the place where Wright Thompson gew up. It is very interesting as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXqC9I48SHM

>47 weird_O: Sweet Thursday, Bill. What an inspirational book story. What surprised me most was that this was a classic novel, published nearly a hundred years ago. Hope this inspires one of these people to actually read it and it sounds like it might inspire you to finish it. It could be a WIN WIN!

>48 Storeetllr: We are loving every minute with Jackson, Mary- even the snotty bits. The 2025 Jackson calendar looks great.

>49 benitastrnad: That hasn't happened to me very often. Usually I am the one to comment on a book someone else is carrying or reading. It is in my blood.

>50 benitastrnad: I will tell you right now, Benita- you will love The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi. It is just your cuppa. I will tag both of these links and check them out.

The two previous comments seem to have been made by the same person with newly opened accounts. Maybe some sort of bot invasion?

>54 RidgewayGirl: Flag early, flag often.

>54 RidgewayGirl: Thanks, Kay. Good to see you. Are you a "bot" monitor? Inquiring minds...

>55 richardderus: Amen, RD. That sure was a oddball post. Not sure what the objective is?

-Chip Bok

^Anyone up for joining me on a shared read of The Crimson Petal and the White in 2025? This one has been on shelf for years and I am a big fan of Faber too. Keep in mind- this is a Chunkster! Looking at April but I can be flexible.

>58 msf59:
I have wanted to read that one for a long time. I would join you in April.

I've yet to read Tell Me Everything, Mark. Enjoy!Glad you have your new Jackson calendar!

‘Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you.

>57 msf59: Ugh. Just, ugh.

I’ve got a female Cardinal and a Carolina Chickadee and a finch on the suet feeder. Or, perhaps a finch.

>59 benitastrnad: I am glad you are up for Crimson Petal, Benita. I will add it to the shared list.

>60 vancouverdeb: I think you would love Tell Me Everything, Deborah. Are you a Strout fan? It is not necassary to have read the earlier connected books but it is an added bonus.

>61 karenmarie: Happy Friday, Karen. Just darkness and snow out in my yard at the moment.

139- The North Line by Matt Riordan 3.8 stars

Adam is a college student who gets arrested, during a botched drug deal. He loses his scholarship, with one year left before graduation. He does not tell his parents and decides to join an Alaskan fishing crew to earn the money for his remaining tuition.
Of course, he has zero experience and takes on an extremely challenging and dangerous job. Adam sets out to prove himself and to see if he can stand up against the unforgiving Bering Sea, in a wickedly competitive business.
I decided to give this audiobook a try and I am glad I did. It is a good, solid adventure tale and there is no question that the author has had first hand knowledge of the hardships of the fishing world.

>58 msf59: I have read the book but it has been years! If I can track down my copy, I am in, Mark!

Have a fantastic Friday!

I'll tentatively jump in for The Crimson Petal and the White, Mark. I've had it on my shelf since... gulp... 2003.

Too much to read, so little time. The Barn is tempting, but...but... I first have to get to the end of The Painted Veil to establish that I still can actually read a whole book. Say now.

>66 weird_O: Too much to read, so little time. Ain't it the truth.

>64 alcottacre: Happy Friday, Stasia. I will pencil you in for The Crimson Pedal. You know I enjoy having you along on these shared reads.

>65 katiekrug: I will also pencil you in on The Crimson Pedal, Katie. Once again, absolutely NO Pressure! 😜

>66 weird_O: Sorry to hear about the lack of reading time, Bill. I am blessed, in not having that problem, on most days. I think you would love The Barn. Just sayin'...

^I always enjoy checking out President Obama's Favorite Books of the Year list. Sadly, I have only read one off the list and that was Orbital which I thought was excellent. I have still not read Sally Rooney. Bad Mark? I have Stolen Pride on my TBR. In Ascension sounds interesting too. Any thoughts on any of these other titles?

>69 msf59: I gave Mengestu's book a 4.5 back in August. I've got Navalny on the Kindle but who the hell knows when I'll crack it...so many from the past five years to turn into reviews. Doubt I'll bother with Orbital, doesn't sound like I'd like it. Non-specialists think SF is easy...it's not...they get basics so wrong.

Anyway, have a look at this utterly aptly named "spectacular fairywren"

Solstice cheer, Birddude!

>37 msf59: >50 benitastrnad: I was going to respond to Mark that I wasn't certain it was 60 Minutes, just thought that it might have been. I had checked the episode listings of both 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning and had not found it in either one. Thank you, Benita, for finding the video from CBS Sunday Morning! That's exactly it.

>70 richardderus: >71 richardderus: I will add Someone Like Us to the TBR, RD. I have only read How to Read the Air and that was many years ago. I love the fairywren. What a beauty.

Happy Solstice to you too, my friend.

>72 atozgrl: I will try to watch this segment as soon as I finish the book. Happy Saturday, Irene.

>70 richardderus: - I think that bird is from Australia. I've heard it called the superb fairywren. They sure are gorgeous!

>74 jessibud2: Well that is good news, Shelley, since we are finally going to Australia in March. Yeah, baby!

^The Jackson 2025 calendars have arrived and I think they turned out pretty darn good but when you have such a perfect subject that is not at all surprising.

>75 msf59:, >74 jessibud2: Another reason to visit the great Down Under, then. They're spectacular!

‘Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday.

>69 msf59: I’ve made a note of these. Haven’t heard of any of them except Orbital and own none. Sigh.

>76 msf59: Congrats on the Jackson Calendar. Love the photo.

Darned birds are tapping me out. Only finches are visiting right now. I need to work on all four of them, but probably not today.

>77 richardderus: I have not started my Bird Target list for Australia & NZ but the fairywren will be on there. 🤞🤞

>78 karenmarie: Morning, Karen. Hooray for the Jackson Calendar. The birds have definitely been industrious lately, at the feeders. I just wish the darn house sparrows would take a lengthy break.

>73 msf59: I'm sure you will enjoy the video, Mark. It was a good piece.

>76 msf59: Nice! I know you will get great enjoyment out of the calendar. I expect we'll see some of those pictures on your thread.

Since we will be leaving town early Monday, and I don't expect that I will be on LT again until after the new year, I thought I would go ahead and send my holiday greetings. I wish you a wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year. Have a great time with your family!

>76 msf59: Hurray for the Jackson calendar! I’m hoping I get a Ruby and Rowan calendar for Christmas again this year too. Happy Winter Solstice!

>76 msf59: Yes indeed, the subject being Jackson, it is bound to be a hit! Boy, that kid looks tall!

>80 atozgrl: Happy Sunday, Irene. We enjoy the Jackson calendar throughout the year. Have a wonderful holiday with the family.

>81 Storeetllr: Happy Sunday, Mary. I am so glad your daughter also does a calendar. They bring joy throughout the year and it also a lovely document of those special months.

>82 quondame: Happy Sunday, Susan. I think it was just the right angle in that photo. He is not particularly tall...yet.

'Morning, Mark! I hope books and football treat you right today.

Happy Holidays, Mark.

Celebrate with me, my friend, as I happily acknowledge finishing The Painted Veil. Yes it was well done. I rated it Very Good, but upon reflection, I'm going add the Plus.

>69 msf59: Thanks for Mr. Obama's Favorite Books list. I have one of the books (The Work of Art) and have actually sampled it. I think it's going to percolate right up to the top of 2025's RL (reading list).

Cheers for booking a trip to Australia. Are you going to fit a meetup or two into your adventures? Taking the truck and trailer?

Sunday! Sunday!

Mark - Great Fun Calendar!

Five Books:

1. Just released & one everyone might want to read soon! = WRITTEN IN THE WATERS

2. HERETIC another revealing Ayaan Hirsi Ali signal for Reformation

3. ULYSSES S. GRANT: Life and Character = one of the first very complete biographies

4. AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 PLANTS = part of a Super Series

5. EVERYTHING WE NEVER HAD = finely tuned

>7 msf59: Hi Mark! Off work for the week, so I decided to spend some time with books and book friends!

I am glad you liked Covenant of Water so much. One of my favorite reads of last year.

Hope you and the family are well. Merry Christmas. Love to see you again in 2025!

>69 msf59: Reading Anthropologists now.

>85 weird_O: Happy Holidays, Bill. I am so glad you ended up really enjoying The Painted Veil. It is probably my favorite Maugham. In regards to the Australia/NZ trip- I plan on meeting our LT Megan in NZ. I will be doing my best to make sure that one happens.

>86 m.belljackson: Happy Sunday, Marianne. Thank for sharing your Top 5 with us. Both Written in the Waters and Everything We Never Had sound really good. On the list they go.

>87 alphaorder: >88 alphaorder: Happy Holidays, Nancy. So glad to see you stop by. I am glad we can at least touch base on FB now and then. I would sure like another Meet Up in 2025. We are way OVERDUE.

I will watch for your final thoughts on The Anthropologists. Have a wonderful holiday with the family.

>75 msf59: This is terrific!

Another fabulous Jackson calendar, Mark! Merry Christmas, if I am not on LT before the 25th. We had Miles and Melissa over today to open presents. Had a fun time. Muffin , our new dog , has separation anxiety, so had planned to go their place for dinner today, but since we cannot leave Muffin alone, they came over here. One of our previous dogs had separation anxiety, and it took about 9 months of short leave and come home's until she could cope on her own. I hope it will a be bit shorter this time, but we'll see. I have checked out a doggie day care, and I will try her there for 4 hours January 15th. If she does okay, and I think she will, we leave her there for maybe 1/2 day each week so we can both leave the house together. We had a short meet and greet with the owner of the doggie daycare, and 5 other dogs and Muffin seemed to love it, and the owner said " Muffin is a party girl". She loves every dog and person and wants to play endlessly. There more dogs, I am not sure how many , but I hope it will work out for her. It's almost as hard as deciding on daycare for your child. My sister used the same dog daycare in previous years, so fingers crossed.

>91 alphaorder: We have been planning on this Australia/NZ trip for awhile and we are very glad it is going to happen. This will be epic.

>92 vancouverdeb: Merry Christmas, Deborah. Hooray for the Jackson calendar. It brings us a lot of joy. I am so glad you got to see Miles and Melissa yesterday. I bet that was a lot of fun. Sorry to hear about Muffin and her separation anxiety. We had to deal with that a bit with Juno. Do you use a dog crate? That worked very well with Juno. I hope the day care option works and I am glad to hear that you have that planned.

Howdy Mark! What an awesome Jackson calendar! I know he brings an incredible amount of joy to you and your family.

I read In Ascension when it was first published, I loved it. At that time I read it on my Kindle which is not my favorite medium so I'm anticipating a reread with a pulp version. I'm sure I'll get even more out of it then.

I'm happy to read you're headed to Australia next year. That will be an awesome trip! Oh my, all the new varieties of birds you'll see. Awesome.

"In the aftermath of a devastating wedding day, two families, the Tetherlys and the Copakens, find their lives unraveled by unthinkable loss. Over the course of the next four summers in Red Hook, Maine, they struggle to bridge differences of class and background to honor the memory of the couple, Becca and John."

I must have read a couple of good reviews of Red Hook Road quite a few years ago, because I acquired a copy and of course it has been sitting on shelf ever since. Katie recently read and liked it so I decided to pull it off shelf. I dipped into it yesterday and it turns out to be another big family drama set in Maine, which was also where Tell Me Everything is set. I just finished that one.

I rarely hear any mention of Ayelet Waldman here on LT. Any other fans out there? I had forgotten that she has been married to Michael Chabon for over 20 years.

>94 Carmenere: Howdy, Lynda. We love our Jackson calendar. I hope to continue this tradition. Thanks for mentioning In Ascension. It does sound good and on the list it goes. Yep, we are pumped about our Australia/NZ trip.

>96 msf59: Oh! I am so happy to read you're also going to New Zealand. Many years ago, before we were married, my husband went to both counties and, of the two, was particularly smitten with New Zealand.

>97 Carmenere: I think we are more excited about NZ, although I am sure Australia will be wonderful too. Glad to hear you got to visit both places.

'Morning, Mark! Missed me up there...

Yay for your NZ/Australia trip.

Glad you had a lazy day with books, TV, and football. I'm sorry about your hamstring. I hope it heals up fast. I’m going to brave the cold and refill the feeders and bird bath later this morning. Right now the birds are giving me the stink eye. Lots of Cardinals right now, a Carolina Chickadee, and, a Downy just showed up on the wild bird seed feeder.

>95 msf59: I haven’t heard of her, but I do have several by Chabon.

>84 karenmarie: >99 karenmarie: Good morning, Karen. Sorry- I read your post from yesterday and when I came back to reply I promptly skipped you. Thanks in regard to my hamstring. I know they take a long time to heal, so I hope I can restrain myself that long. Probably not. I always like hearing your feeder report.

I love Chabon and highly recommend him.

2020 A Year to Forget

Earth put a roaring halt
to our empty rabid existence
ceasing marathon plastic productions
disintegrating worldwide stock markets
shuttering ubiquitous greed

Earth put a roaring halt
to our multimillion-dollar-games
sunk crude oil markets to asunder
stopped our titillating trophy hunts
our eating bloody meat in hoards
our cruel trampling of the land
put an end to our soiling of the skies
our tarnishing the homes where water-beasts are born

In one thunderous clap the Planet hurled
an instant standstill to our haywire
to our decapitation of mountain tops
our butchering of tree-communities
to our murdering sprees of elephant
and whale, tiger infants
and elders, mothers and girls

Throughout passing days of sirens
our existence is halted
a new plague set into motion
our mass die-off
launched.

-Nancy Mercado From Poem-A-Day

^A perfect holiday poem, right? 😜

Gads. Being a lover of poetry (not), I don't always read the poems you post, but this one's title got my attention and I read it. It's too bad that we're in the same fix 4 years later, isn't it?

>102 karenmarie: Yep, it is a brutal poem. It was recently published but she thought 2020 was the perfect choice.

I'll be interested in your final thoughts on the Waldman novel!

Hi!! Hopelessly behind, but love the calendar and I'm excited for you and your upcoming trips!!

I've been so busy reading your thread, I forgot to wish you Happy New One. Have a lovely holiday and let's hope for a stable New Year, although that might be too much to ask.

At any rate, your Aussie/Kiwi trip sounds fantastic! Hurry up and go so we can drool over the pics!

>69 msf59: It's been a minute since I visited and I am quite behind!

Thanks for posting that list. I have read a few from his lists in the past and was never let down. 2024 list, I have only read one so far.

>76 msf59: Love the idea of Jackson calendars. It will be interesting when he is a grown adult to peruse through and see the growth.

If I don't make it over before, I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas!

>104 katiekrug: I am about a 100 pages in and enjoying it quite a bit. Curious where the story takes me.

>105 Berly: Happy Holidays, Kimmers. Always good to see you. Miss your visits.

>106 kac522: Happy Holidays, Kathy. Hopefully our Aussie/Kiwi trip somewhat offsets the incoming new administration. At least for a short period.

>107 figsfromthistle: Happy Holidays, Anita. Good to see you. I enjoy Obama's reading lists and we really enjoy our Jackson calendars. Lots of joy being spread there.

It's been very cold here today. I'm glad I don't have to go out! How it can happen that we don't even break freezing after weeks in the 50s...no, climate change is not real.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Christmas Eve to you.

I can hear the hunters across the state road and down a mile or so. Probably dove.

We've had quite a few deer visiting. Yesterday the same herd of 5 came twice, and I also saw one at the treeline yesterday afternoon.

Feeders will get filled today. Still too dark to see if I have bird visitors.

Morning, Karen. Happy Christmas Eve. I sure like the sights and sounds of your country life. I see deer occasionally on my forest preserve walks but that is about it. I will tend to my feeders too.

^Need I say more? 🌳❤️

>112 msf59: What a great photo! Happy Christmas Eve!

>113 elorin: Thanks, Robyn. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

142- Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout 4.6 stars

“The day was sunny, and Bob put his sunglasses on. And then off they went for their walk. Lucy said, ‘Tell me everything. Tell me every single thing. And don’t leave anything out.’”

Once again, Ms. Strout returns to Crosby, Maine and her beloved cast of characters- Olive Kitteridge, Bob Burgess and Lucy Barton, along with their families. What a perfect holiday read. They are all aging now and still asking themselves and each other the big questions in life. At the capable hands of Strout, still at the top of her craft, she lets this lovely narrative unfold in such an intoxicating manner, that I did not want it to end.

“And then to Olive’s amazement, Lucy said, ‘And I feel that way about you. A connection. Love. So thank you. ‘ she moved toward the door.

Olive said, ‘ Wait’ As Lucy turned , Olive said. “Well, phooey, I feel connected to you too. So there.’ She stuck out her tongue.”

^Boy, I love Olive. ❤️

*A big thank you to Karen for lending me her copy, so I could get to this one before the end of the year. She is the best.

I wish you and your loved ones a happy and blessed festive season.

Nadolig Llawen, Happy Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Hey, buddy. I can’t believe we’re on the eve of Hanukkah and Christmas already. Happy Holidays!

All is well in our neck of the woods. Becca joins us today for a couple of days with the athletic Indy; jesse and family are down in Baranquilla, Colombia with Adrianna’s family. Debbi’s doing well, and this is a grateful Chrismukkah for us.

Merry Christmas to you and the rest of the Freeburg clan!

>116 Ameise1: Thank you, Barb. Merry Christmas!

>117 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian. Merry Christmas!

>118 jnwelch: Happy Chrismukkah, Joe and thank you. I hope the family has a safe and healthy holiday. Safe travels to Jesse and Adriana!

-Walt Handelsman

>112 msf59: Total adorability! Happy eve-of, Mark.

>120 msf59: 🫣

>112 msf59: Definitely one of the nice ones! That smile does show that naughtiness is a real potential, though!

Winslow and all of us wish you a very happy holidays!

I have Crimson Petal and the White somewhere around here, Mark, so I'll join you on the group read and see if I can keep up this time. Your trip for 2025 sounds fabulous! I hope the rest of the year keeps up.

Have a Merry Christmas!

>115 msf59: I am looking forward to reading this :) Always a comfort read is, Strout.

Merry Christmas Mark and family! Are you hoping for a white Christmas (or is that standard fare in your neck of the woods!??).

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Mark!

>121 richardderus: Merry Christmas, Richard.

>123 quondame: Jack was more sweet than naughty at yesterday's Christmas festivities. He sure liked his presents.

>124 AMQS: Thanks, Anne and Merry Christmas. Winslow is sure a beauty.

>125 Whisper1: Merry Christmas, Linda.

>126 Familyhistorian: Merry Christmas, Meg. I will add you to the Crimson Petal list. Love to have you along.

>127 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan and Merry Christmas to you too. We did not get a white Christmas, which seems to become the new standard here in our part of the Midwest. I am sure it is something to do with climate change. Having a couple of inches of fresh snow really enhances the holiday.

Yep- Strout Rocks! Yep- the perfect read!

>128 Carmenere: Merry Christmas, Lynda.

^Great Gray Owl. One of my favorites. (NMP)

‘Morning, Mark, and Merry Christmas to you! I hope your visit with family was wonderful.

>115 msf59: Wow, you devoured that one. I’m so glad it rated 4.6 stars for you. I’m glad I was able to get you a copy sooner than you would have gotten otherwise.

>120 msf59: Crap. Looming on the horizon, excrescence and trouble and danger. The chaos demon makes me sick.

>131 msf59: Love the pic, even if it’s not yours.

>132 karenmarie: Good morning, Karen. Merry Christmas. I knew I would love the new Strout and once again she did not let me down. I will get the book back to you soon. Glad you like the owl pic. I do have a decent pic of a GGO but finding it and sharing it would take time. 😀

Thinking of you at this time, Mark.

Happy Celebrating!

Today's Atlas Obscura has an unusual feature on "Pavlova"

that, among other food oddities, both Australia and New Zealand have claimed.

Happy Holidays, Mark! No snow, but then easy driving if you're traveling...love the new calendar!

>134 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. I hope you are enjoying the holidays too.

>135 m.belljackson: Merry Christmas, Marianne. I will have to look up pavlova. I am assuming we are both not having a white Christmas?

>136 kac522: Merry Christmas, Kathy. An inch or two would have been nice, especially for last night and today but I am sure we will get over it. Do you stay near home for the holiday?

>137 msf59: The snow has thankfully lasted and through the night all the tall trees were white-frosted,

sheltering the Five White tailed Deer not far from our kitchen window, from buck to fawn.

^^^^^

I read you are supposed to pay special attention to the first bird you see in the New Year,
yet can't remember why...

>137 msf59: Yep we stay in the area. Just my husband & me on Christmas, then we go to my in-laws in Elk Grove tomorrow (always on the 26th--St Stephen's Day in Ireland and we sing The Wren song) and we're going to my brother's on Saturday in Volo (west of Grayslake). My sister comes in from Florida and my youngest brother comes in from Iowa City. My son & his family, who live in England, always go back to her parents in Italy for Christmas.

>138 m.belljackson: Glad you had some snow for the holiday, Marianne. We have rain right now. Yes, spotting your FOY bird is a fun geeky thing to do. I should have kept a record of FOY birds but never thought of it. On New Year's Day my birding club is going to the Morton Arboretum. I will try not to look out at my feeders before I leave. 😜

>139 kac522: Wow, your family is really spread out. Have a good time at the in-laws and at your brother's place. I bet you miss your son and his family. Have you considered going to Europe for the holidays?

^This was my Christmas Swap bounty from Thanesh, who I do not know. Anyone friends with him? I had added The History of Sound to my WL after reading a glowing review of this newish story collection. Funny, my January is booked pretty solid already and February is not much better but I will try to bookhorn this one in at some point.

>140 msf59: Mark - just hope you don't miss the FOY Condor hovering near your feeders!

Good afternoon, Mark, and happy Boxing Day to you.

I hope your Christmas was good and that you're having a relaxing day today.

I just found @Thanesh's 75ers thread, and discovered that he's reading the Myron Bolitar books by Harlan Coben. One of my favorite series ever, and I posted on his thread.

Cardinals, Downy and Red-Bellied Woodpeckers, Carolina Chickadees, a Tufted Titmouse, and various and sundry finches. Squirrels, too, but they left after they couldn't get to anything. Made me happy to see them leave.

>143 m.belljackson: I would hate to miss a FOY condor, which would also be a Lifer but I am willing to take that risk. I should have a much better chance seeing one on our California birding trip next fall. 🤞

>144 karenmarie: Happy Boxing Day, Karen. We did have a nice, relaxing Christmas. Thanks. It was nice that you stopped by Thanesh's thread. I may have to follow suit. I also enjoyed a few Myron Bolitar mysteries in my time.

Sounds like your feeders have been busy. Sweet.

Poetry is a Trestle

poetry is a trestle
spanning the distance between
what i feel
and what i say

like a locomotive
i rush full speed ahead
trusting your strength
to carry me over

sometimes we share a poem
because people are near
and they would notice me
noticing you
so i write X and you write O
and we both win

sometimes we share a poem
because i’m washing the dishes
and you’re looking at your news

or sometimes we make a poem
because it’s Sunday and you want
ice cream while i want cookies

but always we share a poem
because belief predates action
and i believe
the most beautiful poem
ever heard is your heart
racing

-Nikki Giovanni

^I learned that this poem is a "metapoem", a term I was not familiar with. "Metapoetry is poetry about poetry, poetry that looks into the inner workings of a genre as it participates in that genre. The poem thinks about the advantages and limitations of expressing emotions through verse."

I'm kinda lonely over here....

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24622/75-Books-Challenge-for-2025

>147 drneutron: Thank you, Jim. I wasn't sure when you would get to this, since you are out of town. Once again, we appreciate all you do. I won't set up my new thread until Monday or Tuesday. Less chaotic that way.

'Morning, Mark, and happy Friday to you.

My feeders have been very busy and are so right now, too. I see at least 15 birds, most of them Cardinals. I need to replenish the sunflower seed feeder today.

Morning, Karen. Just stopped by your thread. I am finishing my bowl of oatmeal before heading out to play PB. My feeders continue to be busy as well. All the regulars, with cardinals and blue jays adding a splash of color.

One for you - along with the herd of 20 wild turkeys in the far distance along Portage Road -

"I go to NATURE to be SOOTHED and HEALED, and to have my SENSES put in order."

--John Burroughs

>142 msf59: That sounds like a great read! Hoping Thanesh will come join us sometime soon to hear about your take on it.

>151 m.belljackson: Thanks for the quote, Marianne. I am going to add that one to my topper. Hooray for the wild turkeys!

>152 richardderus: It does sound very good, RD. Now I NEED to find time to fit it in. 🤞

I hope you enjoyed your pickleball this am, Mark. Glad you had a good holiday. Muffin is keeping us busy, in good way.

Hiya Mark!! Hope you had fun playing PB. : )

>154 vancouverdeb: >155 Berly: Happy Saturday, Deborah & Kim. I had a great time playing PB. Thanks. 3-plus hours. This Warbler is hooked.

Just a reminder- we have 2 big shared reads coming our way in January, which of course is only a few days away, if you can believe it. I decided to read The Great Fortune first, which I will start early next week. Then I can leave the rest of the month for the massive The Count of Monte Cristo. Of course, you can read them in any order that you please. Looking forward to kicking off another fine year with the books and my book buddies.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Saturday. Have fun with your birding buddies and the Jackson overnighter.

I've got a frenzy of bird activity - Downys, Cardinals, sparrows, finches, a Carolina Chickadee. There's a pair of Mourning Dove in the Crepe Myrtle, and a mockingbird on the concrete.

I need to put out my new suet feeder and replenish the sunflower seed feeder.

>157 msf59: Hey Mark!

The Count of Monte Cristo is my all-time most favorite book. I hope you enjoy it!

>142 msf59: My sister got this collection too based on a shared wishlist I put together for us. I am looking forward to it as well! Maybe we read the same review.

>76 msf59: I love it when you post pictures from those calendars, Mark, so I am looking forward to seeing them throughout 2025.

>112 msf59: What a great picture of Jackson! Thanks for sharing!

>142 msf59: Nice!!

Heya, Mark, nice to see you got some Jackson time over the holidays and are enjoying pickleball. My dad is a fan of the sport, too.

I'm planning on starting The Count of Monte Cristo right on January 1, but anticipate having a fairly deliberate pace to start with since I also need to read South to America for my work book club. Maybe we'll manage to finish around the same time?

Mark, did you see this: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/canada/it-s-striking-michigan-woman-finds-ultra-r...

So cool!

Happy holidays to you and yours. And into the new year we go!

Saturday orisons, Grandpa!

>158 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. I had a good walk with my birding buddies, despite not seeing large numbers. Jackson has arrived. It looks like you are enjoying some activity at your feeders.

>159 scaifea: Happy New Year, Amber. Great to see you. Glad to hear from another fan of Monte Cristo. I am hoping to be one of those.

>160 alphaorder: Hi, Nancy. Let me know what your sister thinks of The History of Sound, if she gets to it before I do.

>161 alcottacre: Happy New Year, Stasia. Good to see you. We all enjoy the Jackson calendar. I am glad my online friends do too.

>162 bell7: Happy New Year, Mary. Glad to hear that your Dad is a pickleballer too. We are an obsessive group. Looking forward to our shared read of Monte Cristo. Glad to hear you will be starting it right away.

>163 jessibud2: Happy New Year, Shelley. Very cool sighting on the yellow cardinal. Thanks for sharing. There was another one a couple years ago, in a southern state.

>164 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. Jackson has arrived. Goofing around with Grandma at the moment. It will be my turn soon.

"Rigorously reported and deeply personal, The Exvangelicals is the story of the people who make up this generational tipping point, including McCammon herself. Part memoir, part investigative journalism, this is the first definitive book that names and describes the post-evangelical movement--identifying its origins, telling the stories of its members, and examining its vast cultural, social, and political impact."

Several months back, Janet raved about The Exvangelicals and it even landed on her Top 5 Books of 2024. Of course, I immediately requested it from Libby and it recently came in. This topic is endlessly fascinating to me. I started the audiobook and can tell it will be a winner.