Yeah, I just don't like him. Didn't know he is in fact a big pot smoker. Huh. You learn something every day. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/11/elon-musks-totally-awful-batshit-crazy-most-excellent-year?utm_source=pocket-newtab Also, he's a real shithead to whistleblowers:https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-03-13/when-elon-musk-tried-to-destroy-tesla-whistleblower-martin-tripp

But would he smoke a joint with you? He doesn't really seem like the laidback type. I don't know, I just don't like him. I don't like the way we reward these tech "geniuses" with all our money and adulation. I don't even understand the basic appeal of the Tesla brand. For one thing, I think it's un-democratic that they can only ever go to Tesla-approved repair shops (with stories like this one, https://www.sfgate.com/cars/article/tesla-repair-wait-time-complaints-electric-car-13796037.php). Ugh. Born rich, came up with a stupid car to sell other rich people, will die rich. What an absolute zero.

DREW!! So glad you picked up "Fist Stick Knife Gun." Was that a mindblower or what? Talk about a book that should be required high school reading--equal parts honest, realistic, scary, yet hopeful, and all in a not-too-many pages package. Well, I have two modes of book recommendation. "I loved this," which doesn't happen real often, and "I didn't get any dumber reading it," which, with nonfiction, luckily happens quite a bit. That's actually one of the highest compliments I can give--I hate small talk encounters and (sadly, because I'm an introvert) meeting new people, but if I come away feeling like I picked up an interesting tidbit/s to think about, then I feel better about how I spent the time. If that makes any sense. I had to use it here because I get the feeling I wouldn't actually care much for this guy in person but WOW...what a story.

Jenny, I'm not gonna lie. This book is deeply, deeply unsettling. It also makes you think about unsavory topics: torture, corrections officers who are COs because they don't have any other good choices and are therefore unpleasant people, the truly appalling number of criminal pedophiles around, and what the "drug war" has wrought on jail and society. Whether or not you want to think about that stuff might be a different story.

LAURA! Always glad to meet a fellow CD fan. I just re-watched the movie and it's so gorgeous, New York looks dirty (but not scary dirty, just kinda of old infrastructure dirty) and cityish and in the 90s people still sold book first editions on the sidewalk (and other people bought them) and I wish I could BE THERE. I adore rom coms and often I don't even care if they're terrible, I still enjoy them. It doesn't get any worse than "Leap Year" and yet still I enjoyed it, mainly because who couldn't listen to Matthew Goode speak all year long (not to mention he's extremely easy on the eyes). Now---list me some more of your favorites? Let's see where else we converge. I would add these to the list: When Harry Met Sally (for Carrie Fisher alone); the John Cusack triumvirate of very strange teen rom coms, Better Off Dead, Hot Pursuit, and The Sure Thing; Return to Me; Ten Things I Hate About You.

VIVIAN! I like your post-it idea...very uplifting...especially seeing as how any post-its I currently have stuck up say things like "buy can opener" and "call re: Mom's pills" or "el reloj" (we're trying to learn Spanish because Korean is beyond us). And thank you for recognizing the understated romance of the golden raisin. I'd like to be the kind of renegade who could put kiwi in our oatmeal, but we're from the Midwest.

Oh, thank you, Drew, you are always so supportive, which this (actually not very resilient, but I'm trying) person thanks you! I'll say this for health issues, they make you recalibrate your definition of a great day. Am I, or anyone I love, in the hospital today? No? GREAT DAY!

Janet, John Prine does kind of get under your skin like that. I hope you and yours are healthy and stay that way.

Kacey, Very nice to meet you and thanks for stopping by! Actually, I can never quite decide on Glennon Doyle. I think she's very, VERY good at catchy phrases and excellent, even sometimes very funny prose. On the other hand, I believe very strongly that nobody should be warriors (even "love warriors"--very clever co-opting, that, but still not a deeper sentiment with which I agree)--that we should aim higher. I haven't tried "Untamed" yet but will probably try it--I've been through "Carry On, Warrior," a couple of times because honestly, I'd like to learn how to replicate her (inarguably very successful) style. Let us know what fiction you're reading too! I just finished Edward Snowden's memoir "Permanent Record" and enjoyed the hell out of it--mainly because he is one weird dude in a completely enjoyable (to me, anyway) way, and it was a pleasure to feel like I was spending time with him. I don't often do "deep dives"--reading on one subject obsessively--but I seem to be on a whistleblower kick and am reading all sorts of strange stuff connected with that. No fiction holds my interest whatsoever right now. Don't know if it's something wrong with me or something wrong with the fiction I'm trying. The test would be to see if I have any patience for Agatha Christie, which is usually my go-to comfort reading.

Drew, Nice to be sharing anything with friends these days, even if it is pleasure/pain and an ever-so-slightly pissy attitude! Hope you are doing well and taking care of yourself!

Vivian--totally agree on changing POV, by the way. I enjoyed the whole production.

Well, you never know about hobbit-seed, this book is so tiny and so cute, if you plant it, you might actually grow little Hobbitses. Mean little hobbitses, if they take after dear Maud. I totally enjoyed the stories in the book, and I really prefer fiction that I can blow through in a couple of hours and be done with. Fiction is my flighty mistress that I mainly need to look good and make me feel good. Nonfiction is my workhorse life partner for whom I save most of my energy and deep love. Is she mean? Well, usually, if she is, there's a reason. I can respect that. She is emphatically not Miss Marple, who believed in justice but still always had a twinkle. There is no twinkle to Maud. Don't get in Maud's way. Period. Maybe that's my hope for all us women as we age. Something between Miss Marple and Maud, only with fewer outright criminal acts.

BookerTalk--There have been a ton of pretty successful farm and "back to the land" books. I should get my act together and make a list. I'm interested in the subject but I struggle to find books I like--can't remember enjoying any since Michael Perry's "Coop" or Jeanne Marie Laskas's "Fifty Acres and a Poodle."

You're not doing any plundering, Brandon? Get on that. It's the warrior way. How are you doing, buddy?

Shannon, dear heart--we're not actually managing to manage anything over here. Could be a problem eventually. But for now? Let the reading and Lego playing commence! Always glad to find someone else who appreciates a dusty house. :)

Exhilarating is the perfect word for it! Tapestry is a good one too. I love it when I hear something on the radio or hear/see it elsewhere and I finally have context thanks to something I read. There's not enough time in the day to read all the books I need to, to get the context I want for life! Glad others feel the same way.

Fixed it! Yeah, I know (re: Lego fights). It'll take about two hours of summer vacay next year and I'll be yelling "For the love of all that's holy you have a MILLION Lego pieces! You do not both need THAT PARTICULAR ONE RIGHT NOW. You're ridiculous!" Actually, wait, me yelling that only took them being at home for five minutes this afternoon after school. Yeah, I know, that Stacy Horn book. People who have read it either love it or hate it, seemingly because of the structure. I still think it is such a lovely work of scholarship, highlighting not only the victims but also the investigators who really wanted to solve the crimes just because crimes should be solved. Stacy's tenacity in getting that book just right, I think, is why it ties in with the rest. Or something.

Vivian, keeper of the Taffy for whom my heart swoons-- So sorry about the email coming back to you--I would say I don't know why that happened but I know now you are not fond of that. Did you send it to realstory@tds.net? That's the first piece of info I need, and then I will look into it. Of course, of course, of course--is all I can say to the above. There are as many ways to run a Friends group as there are libraries--and all I can say is I kinda wish I worked in your library. The Friends I worked with previously were not giving us gifts or funding scholarships--and that was okay. I was paid adequately and I enjoyed the benefits and frankly I've really never thought anyone else should have to pay for my schooling. So I get it. My thanks to you from afar for doing anything to help libraries and bookstores and the world in general, which is the category I put you in when you make adorable little Peter Rabbits playing mini-golf. BOOM. World better. And for the record? If someone wanted to give me $9750 I'd take it in nickels. Or credit card, whatever. That reminds me to put a PayPal button on this site. Ha! Congrats. I've never tried doing it mainly because I KNOW I would be the world's worst fundraiser. I salute you.

Unruly! You'd think we would know this, being librarian type people, but by all means, label your decorations in a way that makes sense to you! It will work. My house doesn't make sense to anyone else (people always seem stymied by where my silverware drawer is) but I pretty much know where everything is. So have it. My only rule for decorations is that they don't outgrow our four boxes (one for Mr. CR, one for me, one for the lil CRs, one for the nativity scene), so in past years I've had to give away/recycle some decorations that were okay and I'd had a while but that I just didn't love. This allows me to keep my traditional favorites (you know, the little ceramic mouse popping out of a present that I've had since I was ten) but every year still have the fun of purchasing one or two little things at holiday sales. I'd recommend the method to everyone! (Although Marie Kondo beat me to it--guess I'm only keeping the things that absolutely "spark joy.") Happy New Year, Unruly, and enjoy Year Two (when it starts) in your new palace!

I did! And I can totally see why Tyler's doing it, it takes a lot less time.

Unruly! So glad you are reading it! WOW. What a book. What a woman. And congrats on your new house--should get over there and comment that on your blog instead--hope you are settling in cozy-like!

Bybee, Yes, I was surprised. I've read Schechter before, and while he's not my favorite True Crime author, I usually find him much more skillful than this. But the problem could also be me: I'm very disjointed and tired lately, and that makes it hard to follow nonfiction as easily (I've found).

Brandon, I'm guessing there's some things in your comment that will make many female readers indulge in some revenge fantasies of their own...but I'm going to give you a pass because I think you've actually nailed a lot of what I didn't like or didn't understand about "Gone, Girl." I'm always depressed when the only picture given for female empowerment seems to be to out-violent, or "beat" the men. But I probably shouldn't say. I can't even remember how the book ended. Interesting that you found it enjoyable at all even if you thought it was nothing but shiny surface? I could say something about that being a typical male response--liking something pretty without really liking its substance--but I want to keep this above the belt. Literally.

Laura--So sorry I didn't see this comment until July 19!! (It got dumped in spam. Silly Typepad.) That book looks fascinating and I'm going to try and get it, although I'll probably have to do so through ILL--I can't imagine my public library is going to get it. Thanks! You never have to worry about going off-topic if the topic you're going to is BRIT TV! Loverly.

Hi! Yes, Ted Rall is an interesting writer, and although I'm not a huge fan of the graphic novel format, I found his bio of Snowden to be a good starting point. Thanks for the suggestion of "In the Plex"...I'm going to look into it! What did you think of "Future Crimes"? I think a lot of people thought it was too dense but I really thought it was an eye-opening read.