The book is on its way to you Jee and should get there Friday. I liked this book a lot, although I was a bit disappointed in the ending, which seems to call for a sequel. Still, highly recommended. #LMPBC @Jee_HookedOnBookz @lele1432 @CSeydel

Do you think the dialogue in this otherwise enjoyable Japanese crime novel is a bit stilted?

Report on April Reading: Quantity is up, but I mostly read crime novels and nonfiction. Standouts which I can highly recommend are North of Dawn by Nuruddin Farrah and Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.

So when my oldest son told us he was moving to Florida last year, my 1st thought (in re my 2 young grandsons) was “Eek—Alligators!” Of course, my son ended up buying a house on a pond, which of course is inhabited by an ALLIGATOR! I took this pic when we visited in Feb, and I‘d estimate the alligator to be at least 6 feet long.

The window at the Hutch where my husband was receiving an infusion overlooks the Space Needle. Most days the sea planes land on Lake Union from the opposite direction, but today they came in over the city past the Space Needle.

Got my Round 4 #lmpbc book back, and spent a lovely afternoon reading all the great comments from @sprainedbrain @jmofo and @Butterfinger . Thank you so much ladies, and I am thrilled that you seemed to like this book as much as I did. Anytime you want to do another 20th Century Classics read, count me in!

#lmpbc My book is on its way to Jee-sorry for the delay in sending it. Unfortunately, I didn‘t care for it. I think it‘s meant to be an anti-war satirical novel, but it fell utterly flat for me. Wish I had picked a different book. Hopefully, one of the other participants in #GroupW will find something of redeeming value in it. @Jee_HookedOnBookz @lele1432 @CSeydel

Well I‘ve been in the hospital since Sunday with blood clots in both lungs, but hopefully going home today. I also have a torn meniscus, arthritis and other knee issues that have been keeping me immobile for several weeks. The house we‘ve lived in 30+ years sold last week and we have to be out by 3/20. To say the least I continue to be too stressed to read.

Current Libby library books I have checked out. I try to read in order of due date, because I have lots of stress in my life now, so only easy reads are calling me. In particular I want to read Joe Victim next. It‘s the sequel to New Zealand crime novel The Cleaner, narrated largely by Joe, the cleaner, a psychopathic serial killer, which I just finished, and couldn‘t put down. Checked out Joe Victim minutes after finishing The Cleaner.

#loveyourpetday Our dog Dante turned 16 on Valentines Day. This was taken a couple of weeks ago. He still looks and acts like a puppy.

I‘ve been interested in books about D-Day since we visited the Normandy beaches a few years ago. Just started this nonfiction about the five double agents whose efforts prevented the Nazis from learning the location of the landing. These spies sound stranger than fiction. “A bisexual Peruvian playgirl, a tiny Polish fighter pilot, a mercurial French-woman, a Serbian seducer, and a deeply eccentric Spaniard with a diploma in chicken farming.”

The polar vortex hit Seattle last night. It rarely snows here, but we woke up to this, and it‘s still snowing.

The mountain was out earlier this week when we went into the city to the hospital. Another thing I will miss about this beautiful city.

The mountain was out earlier this week when we went into the city to the hospital. Another thing I will miss about this beautiful city.

Librarything provided free passes to the ALA convention here in Seattle last weekend. I went, not intending to get any of the free books there would allegedly be available. Although I was fairly restrained, I still picked up the books pictured. Did I say they were FREE?

This memoir is organized around a year of the Existential Crisis Reading Group, which gathers monthly in New Orleans to discuss readings, books, and the various existential crises of its members. The author is from a New Orleans Catholic family, and suffers through major events like Katrina, the suicides of twin sisters and the death of her father. While sometimes a bit pretentious, I loved reliving the places, food and ambience of New Orleans.

Four of my kids got together this week in NYC (actually Brooklyn) for a meal at world-famous Peter Lugar‘s Steak House. The daughter in Houston couldn‘t make it, and neither could we in Seattle.

Well that‘s honest.

Oh my! Look what came in the mail: The #LMPBC book from #sprainedbrain along with some book-related goodies. Thanks so much Jenni.
I read the first story last night, and all I can say is I‘m puzzled...
#Butterfinger #Buddenbrooks was sent to you last week and I hope you ‘ve received it by now.

@jmofo @Butterfinger @sprainedbrain

I started keeping a list of books I read in 1977. These pages show the books I read thru 2008. From 1-1-09 I have tracked my reading on LT. The first books listed in 1977 were Humbolt‘s Gift, What I‘m Going To Do I Think, Tristram Shandy, The Confessions of Nat Turner, Japanese Stories, Pickwick Papers, Auto-de-Fe, Riders in the Chariot, The Painted Bird, African Stories, & Middlemarch. I think I read more seriously then.

2 of 2 Here is the second batch of old TBRs I ‘m trying to decide whether to keep or purge. Has anyone read any of these or otherwise have an opinion as to whether they‘re good reads?

1 of 2 The great book purge in preparation for the move to the east coast continues. Unfortunately I‘m now having to make decisions about my TBR books. Pictured here and in an accompanying post are some of my older TBRs. Does anyone have an opinion on the merit of these?

A Peanuts strip commenting on using our imaginations reprinted in the tagged book.

I'm in Houston at the International Quilt Festival, seeing the show and taking classes, and this is what I made in my class today.

So relieved we will have at least one sane house in Congress, and hope to see some oversight. So disappointed that the wave didn't carry over to the senate, and too many states elected Repub governors. Don't understand why people keep voting agaimst their own best interests, and how so many support an evil, corrupt, racist, criminal liar. Sorry to be so emotional. Will try to (mostly) avoid politics here from now on.

Hope everyone voted.

Love the fall #color, #gratitude30, but last week I looked at just a few days of leaves in my driveway and sighed!

Started this, I guess you'd call it a humorous thriller, with super-sleuthes Joe Biden and Barack Obama, on the plane down to Houston. But it does make a few serious political points, as evidenced by the quote above.

I‘m in Houston visiting my daughter and grandkids and will attend the Quilt Show next week. I love that the house abutting her backyard is painted a la Starry, starry night.

Thanks to @jmofo for the tag.
1. To read a bit more-I‘ve been a bit distracted and in a slump the past few months.
2. No to NaNoWriMo. I journal occasionally.
3. International Quilt Festival in Houston. I‘m off tomorrow!
4. Happy November to all Littens, esp. Group F!

#Gratitude39 #Home I haven‘t had a lot of geographical homes, 16 years in Aruba, 1 year in London, 18 years in New Orleans, and the past 33 years in this house in the Seattle area. Within the next few months we will be pulling up roots here to move somewhere on the east coast to be closer to our kids, who have all moved cross country. Very bittersweet. I will miss the color of this smoke bush every fall.

Well, unless I hear any protests today or tomorrow about the length of this book it‘s my choice for the #lmpbc. @jmofo @Butterfinger @sprainedbrain . My cat Dinah has given her paw of approval.

Thanks for the tag @tournevis
@JenlovesJT47
1. Hand out candy-love to see the little kids in their costumes!
2. Had an issue with a bat when I was a kid, and I‘ve had several lovely black cats over the years (most recently Mamacat who we lost to cancer in May), so black cats it is.
3. Don‘t care for spooky either in books or movies, but in general books do it better so I‘ll go with books.

Thanks for the tag @tournevis
@JenlovesJT47
1. Hand out candy-love to see the little kids in their costumes!
2. Had an issue with a bat when I was a kid, and I‘ve had several lovely black cats over the years (most recently Mamacat who we lost to cancer in May), so black cats it is.
3. Don‘t care for spooky either in books or movies, but in general books do it better so I‘ll go with books.

I enjoyed this book narrated by Elvis, a young girl, as she attempts to come to terms with her mother‘s death. Elvis‘s voice is precocious, yet not annoying, and the story is scattered with intriguing factoids about animals, sleepwalking, and the Guinness Book of World Records. While some of the quirky references occasionally strained credibility, I learned you can, indeed, purchase coyote urine on Amazon!

Sorry—You don‘t “knit” a quilt. You piece it, or stitch it, or sew it. This grated, but I am otherwise moved by this very readable novel about a young couple battling cancer.

A big thank you to the other members of the first #lmpbc I participated in. I received my book back and I loved the thoughtful comments you all made! This was a wonderful experience for me. @Laura317 @suvata @collegecatlady

Visiting NYC this week we stayed a few days we stayed a few days at my younger daughter‘s. While perusing her bookshelves I came across her bound copy of her Ph.D thesis.

My grandson has a great costume too. Wish our current president was more in tune with the ideals and aspirations of the U.S.

My granddaughter has a great costume this year!

Off to NYC for a week or so to meet new grandchild, Milo Paul. Left cloudy Seattle early this morning, but once we were above the clouds, the Cascades were beautiful.

@jmofo @Butterfinger @sprainedbrain I think I have narrowed it down to 4: 1. Sons and Lovers by DH Lawrence-the only Lawrence I want to reread. Read it when I was about 16. About the relationship between a son and his mother, and now that I have grown sons I want to reread. 2. Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann-family saga one of my favorite books ever. I‘m really leaning towards this, but it‘s long (700+pp) and I don‘t want to burden anyone.

Another Kate Atkinson winner. Builds slowly to an impeccable climax and resolution, and along the way we learn how morally ambiguous spying in both WW II and the Cold War is. Lots of fascinating details about BBC educational broadcasting too. I loved Atkinson‘s afterword (see quote above) about the confluence of fact and fiction in the novel, and the depth of her sources.

I now have a new word to describe people I don‘t like—vespine.
Continue to enjoy Kate Atkinson, although I would not describe it as “fast-paced”. (It‘s been described as a spy thriller.)

Back in 1982 my 2 oldest kids didn‘t go for kid lit—they went for the heavy stuff! Not sure what book my daughter was opening, but my son, age 4 is going for V. S. Naipaul.

Say hello to our newest grandchild born earlier today in NYC. We are heading there next week to meet him. Can‘t wait.

I love Kate Atkinson, and the passage above from her new book is an example of why. I have a feeling this relationship is not going to work out.

In these trying times, I find myself only able to read books not requiring a lot of concentration or effort to read. I‘ve never read anything by Elmore Leonard, and this is on the #1001 list so I picked it up. It took a few pages to get into the rhythm of Leonard‘s prose and the story he‘s telling, but once I was in it was all forward flow. A brutal story full of low-life‘s, but also lots of humor. He is a great prose stylist. I‘ll be readingmore.

#FeministFriday So once this book was in my hand, I had to open it, and this was the first paragraph of the introduction. So apropos of the whole issue of feminism.

#FeministFriday I bought this about a year ago for my scientist daughter, but decided to read it myself first. A year later it‘s still on the TBR shelf. She‘s visiting from NYC this coming week. Maybe I can squeeze it in this weekend?