Thanks for starting the thread, boo fae! I’m constantly reading - on good days, it’s literature and on bad days it’s Reddit AITA threads. I used to be a literature snob (no doubt from the insecurity of being the only one in the family who didn’t finish college), but nowadays it’s almost anything.
Coppertone, I always intend to read nonfiction, but half the time, I get about two chapters in and then abandon it. I check out almost all my books from the library and read them on Kindle, so I don’t have them laying around chastising me.
Right now, I’m alternating between mysteries and literary fiction. I’m not snobby about genre fiction anymore, but a lot of it, especially series, has way too much bald exposition in it for my taste (“Her meticulously kept apartment, which she had inherited after she solved her Aunt Ginny’s mysterious death the previous year and which she shared with her on-and-off boyfriend Hal, a gifted detective on the Murder Squad…”). I’ll read a few of those and then dive into a better-written book as a palate cleanser. Some of the genre ones are really well-written, of course. Tana French’s books are great, and I’ve just finished “The Hunter.”
Hippie, I first read “The Godfather” as a Reader’s Digest Condensed Book when I was probably too young. I remember how surprised I was by all the graphic sex when I read the unabridged original book! The same thing happened with “Jaws.”
Nettie, are you giving Buddy a treat every time he responds to the Tile? It sure sounds like you have him mostly trained!
Cookie, I was very sorry to hear about Q’itih. It’s utterly unfair that our little guys don’t have longer lifespans, and knowing you gave her a great life doesn’t make it hurt any less. Maybe a neighbor could use the supplies, although I’m sure neither you nor the missus is in a mood to go around asking.
On the subject of “The Milagro Beanfield War,” since John Nichols was a New Mexican, we read it in high school and I’ve read it again since. One of the principals I worked for was Nichols’ son-in-law, and when I found that out and he realized what a fan I was, he mentioned that to his father-in-law, who inscribed several paperbacks for me, so I’ve also read many of his other books now.
WetOne, when my brother and I cleared out my mom’s house, I let go of an entire box of worn Christie paperbacks, all of which I’d read at least once. Now, 14 years on, I find myself regretting that.
Sticky_Buns, have you read Joanna Fluke’s mysteries? They won’t win any literary awards, but they’re fun light reads.
Flyboy, I’m glad Wifey, RN is following up on the lesions. Fingers crossed that she’ll decide her gut deserves a little attention as well!
FCM, you’re a saint for hanging in there. I cleaned puddles off the bathroom floor for four years because no one was up to asking a very old man to sit to pee, so I have absolutely no advice about dealing with pee pads in kitchen trash.
We had an exceptionally tough week. Mr. Legend’s oldest friend died from a heart attack on Monday. Mr. L texted him to say happy birthday and ask him to lunch, and his daughter called with the news after she saw the text on his phone. They became friends in junior high, he was the best man at our wedding, we were godparents to each other’s kids, and we were there when he went into liver failure and had a transplant decades ago. We didn’t see him all that often, especially since covid hit, but when he found out about Mr. L’s cancer, he got into the habit of calling him periodically and taking him out for lunch to cheer him up now and then. It’s hitting us very hard. I got out some old photos, but Mr. L isn’t ready to reminisce quite yet.
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