Starling Darling: Book II of the Westover Family Series (The Westover Series 2)

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I like the narrator. It might be one that you could listen to while ou work. Hi Mark, I have been away from LT for a few days. It doesn't take long to get behind here as well as in RL. Yesterday it rained and it is raining today as well. We haven't had any real rain since June or July the days of sunshine blend into each other at this point. It seems like the drought is creeping up from California. And no, wildfire seasons like this were not normal but this has been our new reality for the last two years. Looks like you are enjoying your reads. I am trying to finish a bunch of library holds why do they all come in at the same time and work on my library.

Seems like I will have to move in the next few years so I am rearranging and culling my book stash. The Egan collection sounds really interesting, Benita. Some food for thought, about the front range. I never realized the business end of it. It makes sense, when you think about it. I will look for the MurderBot books. It sounds like a good diversion. I really like Kurson. I have loved 3 of his books. I have Rocket Men on the list. Glad you are enjoying it. Glad to hear about the rain, sorry to hear about the fires. I hope it is over for the season. Good luck with catching up with the those library books.

It can be daunting.

Starling Darling: Book II of the Westover Family Series (The Westover Series 2)

Believe it or not, I'm working today - I coauthor a textbook, and we're doing the newest edition. I'd procrastinate, but we're traveling a lot soon, so I need to get my part done. It's a good day to be in air conditioning. Great comments on The Mars Room , Mark. I'm waiting for my turn at the library. I think I'm 5. I love the "Migration" poem and have requested the collection, that it is featured in. Sorry, to hear about the work assignment. Opinion on the Kushner has been mixed. I hope it is a winner for you. I climbed lots of trees when I was a kid. Glad to see we are on the same page with The Mars Room.

There seems to be similarities in style, with my current read Eileen , another very divisive book over here. Have you read it? I am really enjoying it. I liked climbing around on trees as a kid too, but, mostly, just the little stuff. One early memory of mine is that I climbed a fairly easy, but high tree, and I didn't dare to go down, my brother had to come to the rescue.

I think I was 4. It didn't scare me off, have been climbing trees all through my youth: I love the photo of you on top of Rabbit Mountain. Clearly you had a great vacation in Colorado. Great comments about The Mars Room. It's one of the Booker long list books that I haven't ordered or purchased yet so now I will take care of that. That is a beautiful and heartbreaking poem. That is the sign of a wonderful poem: I know that Eileen was controversial around here but I really liked it. His essay was about the lack of top predators in Yellowstone and other wilderness areas of Montana and Idaho, as well as Colorado and Wyoming.

Whew, I am finally cooled off. I think I got somewhat dehyrdrated sitting out at Wrigley today. Met a friend for dinner and drank about 5 or 6 glasses of iced tea and just had a big bottle of Gatorade when I got home. Plus the AC was on in the restaurant, in my car, and at home, so I am definitely feeling better. I knew it was going to be hot but it was also one of the more humid days this year, I'd say. Anyway, I saw the movie on Netflix last night. Thanks for reminding me about that movie. I need to put it on my Netflix list so I don't pass it by. I also really enjoyed the book and it's good to hear the movie was good.

Early on, it sounded like it was to be a theater release but then in spring, I think they said Netflix only. There was at least one other Downton Abbey actress in it. Can't remember the character's name but she was Matthew's mother, I think it was, who stayed on and became Maggie Smith's friend. Thanks for sharing your childhood tree climbing experience. And I am glad it did not prevent you from continuing to climb trees.

Glad you like the Rabbit Mountain topper! It was a nice hiking spot. I hope you enjoy The Mars Room as much as I did. And I am so glad to hear you are a fellow-lover of Eileen. There doesn't seem to be a lot of us around here. Isn't that a great poem? I requested the collection, it was included in. I would like to hear what Egan had to say about Of Wolves and Men. I hope to draw up a review of it this week. And you know I am big fan of TTW too! Glad you survived the game and saw a win and a sweep.

Always keep hydrated, my friend. It seems like you drank plenty afterwards. Sadly, I have yet to read The Guernsey Literary. I have no excuse either, especially since I have it in print and on audio. Maybe, I will bookhorn it in, and catch the film. That looks like one I will have to find--thanks! We finally got a little rain today and the air quality is back to normal. And we are back to normal summer temperatures.

I am a happy camper. There's no crime in reading too much: I hardly ever sink my teeth into a new, or old, recording artist, but Courtney Barnett just grabbed me. Also, I got The Road to Jonestown from the library based on your recommendation, and the lovely other is powering through it! You may recall, its pretty dense. He is loving it though. That one looks a bit grim for me, but I'm glad it worked for you!

It sure looks like Guernsey Literary will only be released on Netflix, Shelley. I highly recommend The Mars Room , but keep in mind she is a divisive author. Glad it is cooling off for you. We have a couple more HOT days to struggle through and then it gets more moderate on Wednesday. I think Courtney Barnett grabbed a lot of folks, Megan. I am proud of that badge of honor. I wish I could stay right here, for the rest of the day.

It looks like a rough one. I adore epistolary novels, this one is quite excellent. HOT one here in Chicagoland. Low 90s, high humidity. Send cool thoughts for the Warbler I am prepared for the heat, but there is only so much one can do You will be glad to know I added Guernsey Literary to my audio queue and will start it soon. I hope you do okay in this heat! How about them Cubs? I guess it helps that Cincinnati is pathetic right now - some friends went to yesterday's game and said the Reds' defense was terrible.

Not to mention getting shut out. Yep, it is steamy out here. I hope my books keep me distracted. Our Cubbies are on a nice roll. I hope it continues. Linda P was at the game yesterday too. It was a HOT one, but at least she witnessed the joy of a sweep. I hope you had a pleasant weekend. Mine was good but rather quiet.

I got some new shelving units to hold my pulp magazines and shifted them onto shelves yesterday, but I've yet to tackle the more challenging task of cataloging them all. You must not have been the only reader who liked it. I worked Saturday but had a fine Sunday. I stayed inside with the books and avoided the heat. Good luck with your cataloging. Sounds like quite a task. I rarely go to our locations.

Good to hear about the Bearskin award. Jim is also enjoying the book. I hope our warbling gets more attention. Send me cool thoughts for the day Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. I have had it on shelf for years. I know many of my LT pals have adored it. Well, I am finally getting on board and starting the audio today.

I heard the Netflix adaptation is pretty darn good too. Anyone see it yet? Desperate to fend off starvation and predatory neighbors, she cuts off her hair, binds her chest, saddles her beloved mare, and sets off across the mountains to find her outlaw brother Noah and bring him home. This sounds a bit like True Grit. Not a bad thing, right? I've also had a copy for ages Look forward to your thoughts on it. I read this when it first came out and loved it. I am bummed that the film is only on Netflix as I don't get Netflix.

Maybe someday, I will somehow find it elsewhere. I have always loved epistolary books. Let me know how the audio is. I would imagine that there might be more than one narrator?

Starling Darling

Good morning, Mark and happy Tuesday to you. Stay as cool as you can. Looks like your heat index of 98F is going to be nasty. When's the cool-off supposed to arrive? You're not the last one to read Guernsey Literary , as I haven't read it either. I look forward to hearing what you think. Six in a row for them Cubbies! They're sure picking a good time for a win streak. Finished up Bearskin last night.

It deserves plenty of awards! Guernsey is working well on audio, too, in the early going. I am hoping Whiskey will be a good western. I am enjoying Guernsey. I hope you can see the film version on a different platform. Heavily overcast at the moment, so it actually feels pretty good. I am sure it won't last Another steamy one out here but I appreciate the cloud cover. Actually, it was 6 in a row, for our Cubbies. Nice, little stretch and we have Hamels going tonight.

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I am enjoying Guernsey, in the early going. Glad you enjoyed Bearskin, Jim. Hope you warble a bit, about it, on your thread. Hamels has been amazing. I hope he keeps it up. Lovely pics of your Colorado adventure up top. So glad you had a good time while here and sorry I couldn't be here to join the meetup. Glad you were able to get together with Joanne and John - they're the best!! So, I took some pics while in NYC of things that made me think of you specifically.

Here are a couple. I just read the first one All Systems Red on Kindle. It was a fun read, just giving a taste of a larger world that I want to read more about. Got to get the others. Secondly, I too haven't read Guernsey. I only heard about it when I saw the trailer on Netflix.

The warbling has struck home. I just read Guernsey this month too, Mark, so you're not the only one who was slow to join this one. I have watched the Netflix adaptation and it's almost as lovely as the book. I liked The Guernsey Literary book when I read it and have just added the film to my Netflix playlist. Hey Mark, didja notice the Northern Flicker on the bird calendar today? I loooove those birds, possibly even more than the Pileated Woodpecker.

We are up against a very tough pitcher tonight, Joe. Curious to see how we handle them. And I am glad we have Hamels starting. Hi, Mary, Great to see you. Yes, it was a very nice visit with Joanne and John. Even, Sue connected with them right away. I just wish we could have visited with Anne for a bit longer.

Glad you thought of me, while in NY. I like the Fresco and the poem. Sorry, about the BBs. That is the price, for stopping by. No worries, I catch plenty of BBs myself. Glad to see I am not the only procrastinator.

Now, I am looking forward to the Netflix movie. I just snagged a copy of All Systems Red , so I am set there. I know you like your westerns, so Whiskey When We're Dry should be a perfect fit for you. Funny, just a little while ago, I was getting ready to start dinner and I checked my feeders, like usual, before heading into the kitchen and there were a pair of Northern Flickers feeding on the ground, just outside my window.

One flew away immediately, but the other stuck around. I tried taking a photo, but nothing was clear enough. I like flickers too, but I see them much more than Pileated or Red-Heads, so they are slightly behind those two. That's a great bird story, Mark. We used to see Flickers all the time at our old house, but they don't hang out in the city unfortunately. I thought it was really good. Hi Mark, I recently reread Guernsey and liked it just as much the second time around. The Netflix movie is also very good - John and I both loved it.

It seems like such a forgotten story of WWII. I hope you do, too. A storm knocked our power out last night, just before 10pm. Luckily it came back on, just before 5 this morning. I did not want to get ready for work in the dark and not have coffee at hand. Behind this front, is much cooler weather too. Never see the flickers at the feeders, I think they prefer insects, but I am glad they stop by now and then, anyway. I am having a good time with Guernsey and look forward to the Netflix movie. Glad I finally got to it. I will also keep a lookout for Lasso the Wind.

You know I love Egan. It is supposed to move out early. I've heard good things about the Netflix version of Guerney but my dilemma is I haven't read the book which I own and probs won't be able to squeeze it in soooooo in this instance I may have to see the movie first. We will get those storms later today and hopefully bring an end to this oppressive humidity. Sometimes we'd see them flying around during the summer, but fall and winter brought them to our feeders, presumably because other food sources became more scarce.

I hope your week is going well. Nice to see the flickers; I don't think I've ever seen them in or about our yard though I may have done so just once. I hope the stormy weather goes easy on you today. It's supposed to be cooler, thank goodness. What a pitching battle for the Cubs. I think they resume mid-day today. I'm closing in on the end of the longish The Overstory. He's such a good writer. I wish his characters came to life for me more; there are a couple that are pretty 3D, but it's one of those with many characters and no main character.

He does a remarkable job of weaving lots of tree lore and science seamlessly into the narrative. Did I ask you before about whether you'd read any of the Bullets GNs? Very noir, very good. It takes place right near where I live, and goes into the textile mill union busting of the s. Present day action is a riot, and the s action is informative and sad. I am enjoying Guernsey, much more than I thought I would. Looking forward to the film. Let me know what you think. I am pretty sure flickers migrate.

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I do not think I have seen them here in the winter. I am still learning all the migration stuff. There is a lot to it. Seeing any special birds? The temps ar low but the humidity is still high. I am hoping that moves out soon. Yep, quite a pitching duel last night. I hope we can come back and win that first game. The Overstory sounds very interesting. I appreciate your observations. I will have to check it out. I have read the first one or two volumes of Bullets. I don't remember much of it. The Bridge sounds interesting. Like Shelley I read Guernsey soon after it was published and just recently saw the movie on Netflix.

From my memory the book has more a leaning as a war story and the movie more of a love story but both were good! I loved that it took place in Guernsey as a wonderful woman who was a babysitter but really was more a "gramma" to our children grew up there so the book helped me picture the island.

I hope all is going well. It sounds fascinating and you lay to rest one concerns which would potential dryness. I've hear a lot about Guernsey, but have not read it or seen in the film yet either. It looks to be a good one. Whiskey, when we're dry sounds good. I may have to look into that one sooner than later. The Lonely Men getting good. There is something about L'Amour's style that does not lend itself to fluidity; at least, for me.

That is not to say that the story isn't good. The style just isn't as accessible as others. I should wrap it up tomorrow. I am enjoying it and learning some things about the Channel Islands and the occupation. All is well here. One more work day and then I have a 4 day weekend.

Glad my warbling paid off. New, worthy, westerns are hard to come by these days. I have not read The Lonely Men in decades, so it is hard for me to comment on it, but I am glad you are coming around to it and I hope it continues. There have been many reports of nighthawks migrating south through our area, mainly in the evening hours. So, last night I sat out on my patio, for about 40 minutes and ended up seeing 5 or 6, mostly solo. This was a lifer for me. It turns out dragonflies are also on the move, and I saw a lot of activity with them too.

The nighthawks feed on the dragonflies too, so this is a bonus for them. I am taking my book, binocs and a beer, out on the patio again and see what I can drum up It was a beautiful evening here, but the bird activity was quiet. I did spot 2 more nighthawks though. Stop by and let us know what you are reading: I'll say Sweet Thursday a little early, buddy. We have an early plane to LA tomorrow morning.

The wedding's on Saturday, and we'll fly back on Sunday. You'll be glad to hear I just started Hell's Bottom Colorado ; I'm pretty sure that's one you liked a lot. Have you read The Killer Inside Me? I wasn't really to my taste, but I do think you'd enjoy its dark nature.

Have a great trip to LA, my friend. I am so glad you picked up Hell's Bottom Colorado. I did love that one and I have been meaning to read more of her. The story of my bookish life. I did read The Killer Inside Me. Yep, he is more my cuppa. I have not read him in many years though. A definite congrats on the nighthawks!

I've yet to knowingly see one. We haven't spotted any unusual birds around here, but next month we may be able to fit in a trip to the Cape May Hawk Watch, or perhaps up to the Hawk Mountain preserve northwest of Allentown, to catch a look at migrating raptors. It was cool to see the nighthawks, but there were only a couple last night. It is on my birding bucket list. The hawk watch sounds fantastic. Can't wait to hear your report. Yay for Nighthawks and Dragonflys. I'm with Harry - I've yet to knowingly see one.

I believe nighthawks are very hard to see perched, so spotting them in the air, seems to be the best bet. I loved all your Alberta photos. I have not read Bearskin yet, but just to add to Mark's and others warbling about this book - Howard Pyle was one of the authors I got to hear speak at the Denver ALA conference back in February. He is a very impressive speaker. He is about 6'5" and he had trouble with the microphone because he is so tall and soft-spoken. Most authors at these conferences are shorter and at this panel discussion there were 5 authors, one of whom was a very short woman.

The microphone didn't handle the difference between them very well. Pyle told about how the idea for the book came to him when he was reading about the ginseng hunters in the Appalachians. He assured the audience that the book wasn't about ginseng, but that was how he got the idea. He did not talk about it being his first novel when I heard him, so it was a surprise to see this book on the shelves with the other "New Authors Award" titles.

It appears that there are other readers of this is a novel that think it deserves some more warbling. Good to hear that you are finding the history of the German occupation of Guernsey interesting. I knew about the occupation of the Channel Islands before I read the book because that is one of the areas that I research for family history.

Some of my maternal ancestors lived on Jersey for a while and a couple are buried there, so I guess they are permanent residents. He had to make his way back home to London tout suite. I hope you are enjoying cooler weather. Our weather is back to normal temperatures and drizzly at the moment. Thanks for the info on Howard Pyle and Bearskin. Sounds like an interesting guy.

It is good book and I hope it reaches a wide audience. I am also really enjoying Whiskey When We're Dry , another of your perfect picks. You are on a roll. Glad to know you have a Channel Islands family connection. Sounds like a beautiful place. I finished Guernsey today.

Nice here today but it will heat back up, for the weekend. Do you have to work any of the weekend in the heat? While my bird feeders have been pretty ignored here north of Madison, further south, my daughter has had many lively and friendly visits from Cardinals, Nuthatches, Mourning Doves, some tiny birds, and, last night, two owls hoot-hooting nearly all night. She sent a 60 second recording from her phone! Thanks to your Cubs for beating the Cobb County Braves last night; the Phillies are trying to regain first place after an awful month of August.

The Cubbies come to Philadelphia for the weekend. Be gentle with us, wouldja? Now, I know what " "tout suite" is! Thanks for the bird feeder report, Marianne. Our feeders have been hopping, but mostly house sparrows, with a few of the other usual visitors. I can't keep up with my suet feeder and I am currently out of suet. I want to hear owls " hoot-hooting" all night! Where does your daughter live? We are heading up your way for the weekend. We are visiting my cousin in Monroe. Our Cubbies came through last night and against a very tough pitcher.

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This is going to be a grueling road trip, with many of those teams in the hunt, so it is nice to start off with a win. The series against the Phillies should be a good one. I am glad we don't have to face Arrieta but I think we face another one or two of your aces. We are heading up to Monroe WI, early afternoon and spend the weekend with my cousin. Your old stomping grounds. It should be a good time. I'm glad you liked Guernsey. I didn't realize until just now that Mary Shaffer died before the book was finished and her niece Annie Barrows finished it. I thought they wrote it together.

Huh, I didn't know that either. I'm glad her niece was able to finish it! My daughter is a little further north of Monroe in Fitchburg. The owl pairs are infrequent back woods visitors - very welcome as long as they stay away from her feeder and bird bath in front. I think I remember hearing about Shaffer's death, when the book came out, but I had forgotten about it. Thanks for the reminder. Looking forward to it. Thanks for the details, Marianne. We sure love our owls! We are heading up to WI for the weekend and will be back late Sunday afternoon. I will check in when I can Glad you liked Guernsey , Mark.

The Netflix movie is the one we watched the other day. Had a nice lunch with LauraBrook today. It was good to see her!! Enjoy your long weekend. I'll be down in your neck of the woods next Saturday, hoping to squeeze in a visit to the Home Run Inn while there. I haven't read it either! But I did see the film I rarely go against my protocol of book first, movie second: Happy Sunday and long weekend.

We've had a hawks nest in our backyard all summer. Yesterday, for the first time, one landed on our patio. I think he may have been hunting chipmunks. I was so shocked, so impressed by its size that I froze to my spot and didn't even think about snapping a pic. But what an experience! I hope you've been having a good time in WI.

We had a great time in Wisconsin. We are home now and getting the house in order, so we can have friends over for our Labor Day holiday, tomorrow. Glad to hear you were able to visit with Laura. I have not been in touch with her, in more than six months, maybe longer. I hope she is doing well. They are on a roll. Glad you enjoyed the film version of Guernsey. I hope to see it soon.

It has been great. And Happy Sunday to you. I am assuming this was a red-tailed hawk? Glad you got to enjoy it so close. Like all raptors, I love these guys. We have been home for a couple of hours. It was a terrific visit. I wouldn't like doing all the work, involved in running a farm, but I sure like watching and learning all about it. I am glad I can enjoy another day off tomorrow. I did not get much reading in, the past 3 days, we were busy, but I hope to read some tonight. The bottom photo are my cousin's 2 ATVs. Sue and I rode the red, larger one. This is at one of our pit-stops, to have a snack and quick beer.

This is the Cheese Country Recreation Trail, which was built on an old railroad bed and runs 47 miles. It begins in Monroe WI, a few miles from where we were staying. We ended up riding nearly 65 miles, round-trip. I never knew this was such a big thing. There were even ATV campgrounds, along the way. In the winter, they snowmobile the same trails. This was a blast. Not bad for an old birder and Warbler, right? You got me again, Mark.

I don't plan on climbing any trees, either, but it does sound like a fun read. Good luck bookhorning The Overstory in. It is a doorstopper so I suggest a heavy duty bh. I chose to stay at the cabin and read my book by the river. I got Bird Bingo for my birthday. I'm looking forward to playing it with the grandkids.

The pictures are awesome. Yes, The Overstory is high on my list.

And yes, no birding on the ATV trails but there was plenty at my cousin's place. A very bucolic setting, with great views. Hooray for Bird Bingo! Let me know how it goes. Boy, you really were close to where we used to live! Did you seriously have to wait until we had moved?! I hope you have fun with your friends today. Happy Labor Day to you, Mark. That looks like fun. We had not been up there in 12 years, which is ridiculous.

We are planning on visiting, at least a couple times a year, from now on, and if you had still lived there, we would definitely meet. I want to attend the Cheese Days Festival, in Monroe, which is next weekend and we can't go, so hoping to make it there next year. Morning, Karen and thanks. We are hustling to get the house in order before our friends arrive this afternoon. I sure would like to bookhorn in some reading too. I am woefully behind.

Morning, Beth and thanks. Happy Labor Day, Mark. What a long stretch of miserable weather. A nice day to stay in and read. Good thing the Cubs are playing under the roof in Milwaukee today. Mark--Glad to hear you are having fun on the ATV trails! Enjoy your day off today as well. I am headed to the internet library to see if I can find a Pat Conroy to read. The Great Santini it is!! And, like you, I would enjoy reading about it, but not actually doing it. It has been awhile since I visited. I hope all is well with you. I see you are still hiking, reading and birding.

I think the lesson to be learned is "don't tick off the ump" because he won't call a strike in your favor the rest of the way. It was a hot muggy day. Glad I spent most of it, indoors. We had friends over for dinner. I did not see much of the final innings of the Cubs game, due to company being over. Sounded a bit frustrating. We had a fun trip to WI. We do not own or ever plan on buying ATVs but it is sure fun when friends or family own them.

Glad you are joining us on a Conroy read. Great to see you. And you know I read at every opportunity.

That is, until an agent from the US Army approaches them. Will they travel to an African desert and track down the source of a mysterious and malevolent sound? His latest, Black Mad Wheel has received mixed reviews but I have to at least give it a shot and see if he is just a one trick pony.

I will kick off my work week, with this one on audio. I am also still reading Whiskey When We're Dry , which continues to be an excellent western. Good morning, Mark, and happy Tuesday to you! Very hot and sultry out here. I think My Reading Life is a perfect choice.

I hope you get to it. I have Bird Box on my shelves and will mostly likely pull it down for a Halloween read this year. If my memory serves me right, you are a fan of Donald Ray Pollock. Being in the mood for a western, I picked up The Heavenly Table by him the other day. Have you read this one? I am sure Black Mad Wheel will not interest everyone. It is a creepy, oddball little book but I am enjoying it. I highly recommend Bird Box though. A perfect October read. I think you will love The Heavenly Table.

A good solid western, it reminds me a bit of my current read, Whiskey When We're Dry , which has been excellent. I haven't been around in a while and need to catch up with your thread. For the moment I am stopping by to post the September poetry recommendations: Fifty Poems for Our Time looks interesting. I have yet to finish the Donald Hall - sorry! But am captivated by What the Eyes Don't See , my audio. And because I know you love a good memoir, here are 10 to look forward to this fall: Hope all goes well for you.

Thanks for the texts. I'm sure you'll enjoy the Limon and Hoagland collections. I've got vacation reading with me - the new Camilleri , in Death , Longmire , and October Daye , and I'm reading Deepak Chopra 's Buddha at the recommendation of a friend. Plus we'll of course be stopping in at some of those wonderful London bookstores we brought duffel bags for the book loot. I'll try to touch base while we're gone. Make sure those Cubbies win and then keep winning.

My work week is going fine, but I could do without this heat and humidity. Thanks so much for the bookish links. They both sound great. One more HOT one to deal with and then we get relief tomorrow. Please try your request again later. Are you an author? Help us improve our Author Pages by updating your bibliography and submitting a new or current image and biography. Learn more at Author Central.

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