SusieQ

Ah, shelf reading! I was the unlucky one who got to "read" the 700s. Putting that section in order was a bi##h. 732.7654 comes before 732.77, etc, etc. And the spines were so narrow, making the numbers hard to read. I always wished my section was the 800s😊😊

Just an FYI for the Richard Osman fans-- he appeared on the second series of Taskmaster (link below). Taskmaster is a fabulous British competition show with Greg Davies as the "Taskmaster" and five comedians who vie for "prizes" . Sorry my explanation is so bad, but the show is great. And it has GREG DAVIES (anyone who watches Graham Norton will understand my excitement over Greg!) (I wound up actually embedding the video, hope it works)

Glad you liked it. My favorite John Dortmunder books are "Good Behavior" and "Drowned Hopes". I love the whole gang of thieves. I'm sort of like Stan, but instead of talking about car routes I figure out the best NYC subway lines to take :)

That's probably it. Pretty cold. But then again Roy was not your warm and fuzzy gangster😊😊

Fun show. Glad Max got what he deserved, but Shelia needs to be punished, too. Let's hope the autopsy shows the excess drugs in Walt's body. One loose thread for me -- what happened to Tina? I can't believe Roy just let her go after she was caught stealing the money. I know she texted Claire "sorry". I guess Roy felt he could always catch up with her and finish her off but he didn't seem the type who was so forgiving.

A million times yes -- it was terrible (but I wouldn't go as far as tormenting the author). So incredibly farfetched. And it had so many great reviews. I've been bitten quite a few times lately with authors I respect giving great blurbs to mediocre or just plain lousy books.

Oh, that was fun! Thanks. Best trivia moment, finding out that Linwood played Mary's husband in "Little House on the prairie "

Do you have a link? TIA

"Finishing the Hat" and "Look I Made a Hat" both by Sondheim might give you more info.

Yes!!! Dark Adapted Eye! Those are my top three also. I usually resist buying fiction because I just don't have anymore shelf space (already too full of non fiction and art and architecture books) but for BV I've made an exception and bought many of them. I should do a reread now that I know the endings and see how they piece together. How lucky to get to meet her.

Happy to help. The first Vine book I read was Brimstone Wedding. And was I hooked! There are 15 Vine books and all but the last two were great (not that those two were terrible, but just not that great). Ruth Rendall books are also good and there are a lot more of them. I'm so happy to turn someone on to her.

Love both sets of her mysteries. The Vine ones are more psychological rather then a regular "who done it". I've read all the authors you mentioned above and Rendall is my number one. I think I've read everything she's written (she's passed away so no more books) and her very last few books did disappoint me, but otherwise she's wonderful. Asta's Book (also called Anna's Book) is great. Her books are not gory or creepy but they usually involve a murder, but then most mysteries do, yes?

https://lawrenceblock.com/books/so-willing-collection-of-classic-erotica-book-23/ Block talks about them becoming friends back in 1959 and writing together. Fun read.

Yeah, Westlake books are hard to get from my library, too. I bought up lots of them from Better World Books. BWB if you're not aware buys up "discarded" library books and sells most for under $5, with free shipping. All the books that libraries used to sell at their used book sales now seem to go to BWB. I've got books from libraries across the country. Kind of fun. With Westlake be aware that these were written in the 70s and 80s so you know the drill. And in my mind John Dortmunder is nothing like Robert Redford! But that's Hollywood for you.

Love Block's Bernie series. Also have read most of the Scudder books but they are darker. For comedic mystery/caper books, no one beats Donald Westlake. His John Dortmunder books are wonderful. They've been made into movies (The Hot Rock with Robert Redford(!!!) as Dortmunder) I remember reading Good Behavior and laughing out loud while riding the subway, thinking my fellow riders would think I'm nuts! Sadly, Donald has passed on so no new books. And he and Block were well acquainted -- in their early days they wrote erotica together!!!

How is Ally still with this guy? There must be some redeeming qualities that happen off screen because what I've seen of him would make me throw him out. I'm no prude. "Fuck" comes out of mouth lots of times. But never calling out my kid with that word. Verbal abuse is abuse. And while I don't condone violence Luke punching Paul was very satisfying.

So glad you liked BB. I, too came to it late and watched it all two years ago. Just wanted to tell you to definitely watch Better Call Saul. As much as I loved BB, I loved BCS even more. At little less dark, much funnier. Bob Odenkirk is fabulous. Characters from BB show up. And one new wonderful character is introduced. It's killing me that I have to wait a year for the final season.

PBS will feature an "American Experience" episode on LIW. https://www.twincities.com. Twin Cities PBS takes a look at the woman behind the “Little House on the Prairie” books in a new documentary, “Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page.” The documentary, which focuses on the pioneer and author, will premiere Dec. 29 on PBS. In NYC it's listed for next Tuesday.

I love, love, love Heart's Invisible Furies. Ladder to the Sky was an interesting read, almost like a train wreck you couldn't turn away from. Probably the most horrible protagonist I've ever come across.

Ruth Rendell (Barbara Vine) was a wonderful writer. I've read all her books (Rendell and Vine). Loved them all, some more than others. For me her last books weren't as good but overall a great body of work. Her Vine books are more psychological and are some of my all time favorite books. I envy you getting to read them for the first time.

OMG, I loved this book! Also read by Boyne "A Ladder to the Sky". The protagonist in that one was HORRIBLE! But you couldn't stop reading.

I think you mean Richard Kline was in Three's Company.I Richard Kiley wasn't in that show. He was a great stage actor and was in the Broadway production of Man of La Mancha (sang "The Impossible Dream!!!) He also did tv and film but not TC.

Just a correction, it's not the "405", rather the "4 or 5" meaning the NYC subway Lexington ave trains which are numbered 4, 5, and 6.

Just had to tell you guys-- went to dinner this past Sunday and the restaurant had a poster that said "as seen in The Americans" . Turns out it the place where Philip kills the Afghan fellow, wounds his companion and then has to kill the busboy because the kid sees Philip without his wig. Gruesome episode (season 2, episode 1) that I've never forgotten. Kind of weird that the restaurant is hyping it since it was so violent. But I guess any advertising is good. I even checked IMDB and the restaurant is listed. Ps, the food was great!

I didn't realize there was a sequel to ALiHH. I read A Lantern when I was in 4th grade, too.Bought it from the book club (and I wasn't able to buy many book, alas) and I still have it somewhere. I still remember them living in a sod house, lots of natural disasters, etc. Crs97 please let me know if the sequel is worth reading. Oh, and what's the name? Please see my post above. I put it in the wrong box.