Speaking of Matt Cain… I’ve been listening to Albert Entwhistle at bedtime for the last week. I’m about halfway through, I think. It’s lovely and charming and oh so English, which is perfect. I had a vague recollection of you telling us about his cat Gracie, but that still hit very hard given my history with my cats, but the book did move on quickly from that, thankfully. It also stings a bit with all his thoughts about his lonely life. But again, the author is moving quickly into Albert’s resolution to take back his life and make connections, so it seems to be staying more in the positive territory than in the melancholy. I am definitely enjoying it. I just got The Reformatory by Tananarive Due late yesterday. I only got a few pages in before falling asleep last night, but I’m hoping this is a great book. The reviews are excellent and I was so excited when you mentioned it in your ALA video that it didn’t even matter it was almost 600 pages. Fits in very well with Black History Month as the author has a familial connection with one of these facilities in Florida. (Why is it always Florida?) So more of that book this weekend for certain. I’ve got Mean Spirit waiting at the library for me to pickup. Glad to see you are feeling better slowly but surely. And Happy Birthday to Joel for Sunday! 🎉🎂🎈🎁💜
Good question: why IS it always Florida? 🤣😂🤪 The Reformatory got some great feedback on the ALA video so I may have to think about it at some point. I’m so glad you are enjoying Albert Entwhistle. I do think the book does a great job keeping the tone light while dealing with heavy subjects.
Great to see you back on camera. Looking good. I understand, my husband had the same surgery due to a broken nose in jr high. It’s rough. Happy Birthday to Joel!!!🎉
Wishing you lots of continued healing. I absolutely loved Open Throat and found it so innovative and beautiful, but too short. And also loves Absolution.
This is a separate comment for Joel….Happy Birthday to you! I’m singing it out loud…..it’s in tune… 29 candles? You are a dear man…you deserve the best birthday! 🎉❤🎉
Yes, to One Love! Can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I am so glad I found your channel because I have you and Joel to thank for leading me to find Matt Cain. I read The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle last month and literally just finished The Madonna of Bolton. Loved them both! Next up is Becoming Ted. Continued good luck with your recovery and Happy Birthday Joel.
I am almost to House Made of Dawn in my chronological Pulitzer sweep, as well! Wishing you the best with recovery. I had knee surgery years ago and recovery can be an uphill battle. Cheers & keep on keepin' on, John
Hopefully you'll feel much better in a few weeks. January is the perfect time for this surgery, so you're well by spring. Just bought Matrix and Overground Railroad based on your prior recommendations, and they look fabulous. ❤
Given the nature of nasal surgery It is no wonder you don't feel much up to reading. I'm glad you're giving yourself some extra time to get back on track. And as for content, perfect timing for the book prize list announcements for you to delve into. We could always deem Joel an honorary nurse as I am sure he has done a wonderful job caring for you. We as nurses learn how to take care of patients that are PIA 😁 on that note happy happy birthday to you Joel!🎉. Continue to take good care of yourself and to give yourself permission to just heal.❤
Slowly but surely, glad you are being gentle with yourself after surgery! 🧡 HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEL!!! 🍰🎂🎁🎈🎉 I love digital graphic novels and manga because I can zoom in - my eyesight can't always see the background action/jokes even with glasses. Everything else I definitely want on paper.
I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through. I hope you feel better soon and improve so much that you're glad in the end that you had the operation.
Healing after surgery is the reason you are tired. Sometimes that's the worst part of the process. I had sinus and jaw surgery, and the aftermath was scary. Rest up and take care!
I keep hearing about Open Throat but it sounds so weird! Absolution is on my book cart and of course I'm team McBride. I did read Witness last week for BookTube prize judging so I can't comment on it right now. The Matt Cain sounds like a good choice. Happy Birthday to Joel!
Witness and Heaven & Earth Grocery Store are also on the longlist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize -- you would probably enjoy many of those books, actually.
Hopefully the surgery will feel well worth it once your recovery is complete. Gay Is The World is really lovely. I've only been there once, but I immediately ended up in a long conversation with the guy behind the counter. It's a lot smaller than I expected, just a narrow strip of a room. I suspect they must have books stacked to the ceiling in the back. I can't begin to guess what will be on the women's prize non-fiction longlist, but there are interesting prediction videos from "Gem and Books", "Alice And The Giant Bookshelf" and "Charlie Brooks Reads". Happy Birthday to Joel! (According to the other comments) Hope you (Greg) feel well enough to enjoy some of his birthday cake.
Witnesses has already captured my biggest disappointment of the year so far placemarker. I found them clunky and just seemingly trying too hard and it was a chore to start the next one each story. There have been such great multicultural (for lack of a better term) story collections the last few years that that a new one has to work pretty hard and be quite special to equal and surpass them. Doppelgänger! Doppelgänger! Doppelgänger! For North American representation on the NF Women’s Prize longlist. It was my number one NF book last year and it deals with big, dense ideas in an incredibly accessible and personal way and touches on so many things going on today, especially regarding opposing viewpoints and the divide that it has left us all with. EKA talked about the Writers award and it was on it as was my number four book Thunderclap from Scotland/UK. It’s really a book all the Tarttheads should read if they loved The Goldfinch. I read some exceptional new memoirs by female writers if that qualifies as NF for the award. Don’t Call Me Home, The Critic’s Daughter and Everything/Nothing/Someone were all about daughters of eccentric NYC artists, which could easily become hit jobs in the form of Mommy Dearest about their complicated and complex artistic parents, but didn’t. Instead they were in-depth journeys and deep emotional explorations, beautifully crafted in words and images. Among the Groves and Liliana’s Endless Summer were deep excavations of family trauma, as was the off the rails Maria Branford’s Sure! I’ll Join Your Cult! Necessary Trouble was exceptional about the first female president of Harvard who grew up as a progressive and outcast of her conservative family and found community and purpose in the radicalization and enlightened of the 1960s. Two coming of age graphic novel memoirs In Limbo and Monsterous were quite good as well. The book 272 about the selling off of the Georgetown slaves deserved more recognition as an exemplary dive and reconstruction of a historical event by a tenacious writer.
Dear Greg, I think you may have dipped into a depression. I struggle with that when I have grief or illness. Disappointment doesn’t help. You went into this surgery with lots of hope, but it has been much more traumatic and long than you anticipated. You will be fine…try to get into nature when you can…I find that water helps me…..oceans, streams, waterfalls, or little fountains. Sunlight in the house….i open every blind, give extra love to the dog and Joel…..
Dude, I work in surgery, and it is violent. You are right to feel messed up, and that you are on a journey with your recovery. BTW, loving Hello Beautiful 🤌🏽 Hang in there ❤ You WILL get better♥️
Get well soon and Birthday Wishes to Joel. Hang in there, you guys are awesome ❤
Thank you!
Happy birthday Joel!!!;🎉🎉🎉
Thanks, Greg, I hope you’ll fully recover soon!💐And… Happy Birthday, Joel!!🎂🎈🎉
You look fabulous :). Missed your face. ❤. Welcome to the world of the breathing!
Thank you! I have a feeling it will be great when I’m through recovery.
Happy birthday, Joel!!! 🎂 Kudos to Nurse Teddy and Nurse Joel! 💚 Glad to see you back, Greg.
Speaking of Matt Cain… I’ve been listening to Albert Entwhistle at bedtime for the last week. I’m about halfway through, I think. It’s lovely and charming and oh so English, which is perfect. I had a vague recollection of you telling us about his cat Gracie, but that still hit very hard given my history with my cats, but the book did move on quickly from that, thankfully. It also stings a bit with all his thoughts about his lonely life. But again, the author is moving quickly into Albert’s resolution to take back his life and make connections, so it seems to be staying more in the positive territory than in the melancholy. I am definitely enjoying it.
I just got The Reformatory by Tananarive Due late yesterday. I only got a few pages in before falling asleep last night, but I’m hoping this is a great book. The reviews are excellent and I was so excited when you mentioned it in your ALA video that it didn’t even matter it was almost 600 pages. Fits in very well with Black History Month as the author has a familial connection with one of these facilities in Florida. (Why is it always Florida?) So more of that book this weekend for certain.
I’ve got Mean Spirit waiting at the library for me to pickup.
Glad to see you are feeling better slowly but surely.
And Happy Birthday to Joel for Sunday! 🎉🎂🎈🎁💜
Good question: why IS it always Florida? 🤣😂🤪
The Reformatory got some great feedback on the ALA video so I may have to think about it at some point.
I’m so glad you are enjoying Albert Entwhistle. I do think the book does a great job keeping the tone light while dealing with heavy subjects.
Great to see you back on camera. Looking good. I understand, my husband had the same surgery due to a broken nose in jr high. It’s rough.
Happy Birthday to Joel!!!🎉
It definitely is a rough process.
Happy Birthday, Joel!
Glad you are starting to feel better.
Happy reading and healing, Greg. Happy b-day, Joel! 🎂🎉
🎂🥂
🎉 HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Joel! May your next trip around the sun be joyful! ❤
Wishing you lots of continued healing.
I absolutely loved Open Throat and found it so innovative and beautiful, but too short. And also loves Absolution.
I’m looking forward to trying Open Throat.
This is a separate comment for Joel….Happy Birthday to you! I’m singing it out loud…..it’s in tune… 29 candles? You are a dear man…you deserve the best birthday! 🎉❤🎉
Yes, to One Love! Can't wait to get my hands on a copy. I am so glad I found your channel because I have you and Joel to thank for leading me to find Matt Cain. I read The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle last month and literally just finished The Madonna of Bolton. Loved them both! Next up is Becoming Ted. Continued good luck with your recovery and Happy Birthday Joel.
I’m so glad you have been loving Matt Cain! I still need to read The Madonna of Bolton.
I am almost to House Made of Dawn in my chronological Pulitzer sweep, as well! Wishing you the best with recovery. I had knee surgery years ago and recovery can be an uphill battle. Cheers & keep on keepin' on, John
I look forward to your thoughts on House Made of Dawn when you get to it. I still love the at you’re doing them chronologically.
A lovely postcard bookmark is a special treat. ❤️😀
Happy Birthday Joel 🎁🎉!
My brother shares his birthday with you 😊
Missed Teddy in today's Friday reads...
So many people have that birthday, it’s really astonishing.
Hopefully you'll feel much better in a few weeks. January is the perfect time for this surgery, so you're well by spring. Just bought Matrix and Overground Railroad based on your prior recommendations, and they look fabulous. ❤
I hope you like both books! I’m a big fan of both. And you’re right, being laid low any other time of year would be even more miserable.
Happy Birthday Joel, wishing you a great day.
🎂🥂
Nice to see you again! 📚
Nice to be seen again!
Given the nature of nasal surgery It is no wonder you don't feel much up to reading. I'm glad you're giving yourself some extra time to get back on track. And as for content, perfect timing for the book prize list announcements for you to delve into. We could always deem Joel an honorary nurse as I am sure he has done a wonderful job caring for you. We as nurses learn how to take care of patients that are PIA 😁 on that note happy happy birthday to you Joel!🎉. Continue to take good care of yourself and to give yourself permission to just heal.❤
Joel and Teddy are excellent natural caretakers, so I am very lucky!
Happy Birthday Joel!! 🥳🎂🎁 Thanks for looking after our favorite Booktuber!!
Slowly but surely, glad you are being gentle with yourself after surgery! 🧡 HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOEL!!! 🍰🎂🎁🎈🎉 I love digital graphic novels and manga because I can zoom in - my eyesight can't always see the background action/jokes even with glasses. Everything else I definitely want on paper.
Slowly but surely is right!
Happy Birthday, Joel! 🎉
🎂🥂
I'm sorry to hear about what you're going through. I hope you feel better soon and improve so much that you're glad in the end that you had the operation.
I think I’ll be glad for it when recovery is over. Just gotta get to that point!
Absolution is on my TBR.
I hope you like it.
Happy Birthday to Joel! It's great to see you back on camera.
Thanks!
It sounds like Matt Cain might be just the ticket right now. Nice Powell’s t-shirt. Happy birthday, Joel!🎂🥳
I think Matt Cain will be perfect right now.
Happy Birthday Joel
🎂🥂
I hope you feel better soon!
Healing after surgery is the reason you are tired. Sometimes that's the worst part of the process. I had sinus and jaw surgery, and the aftermath was scary. Rest up and take care!
That must have been a long and painful recovery! Thank you.
I keep hearing about Open Throat but it sounds so weird! Absolution is on my book cart and of course I'm team McBride. I did read Witness last week for BookTube prize judging so I can't comment on it right now. The Matt Cain sounds like a good choice. Happy Birthday to Joel!
Open Throat does sound bizarre, but the short page count makes it seem doable. I look forward to eventually hearing your thoughts on Witness!
Pen/Faulkner has some outstanding winners. Snow Falling On Cedars is my favourite
Witness and Heaven & Earth Grocery Store are also on the longlist for the Aspen Words Literary Prize -- you would probably enjoy many of those books, actually.
happy birthday joel and hope your partner starts to be healthier and happier each day!
Happy Birthday, Joel!
If you are feeling up to Forbidden Notebook it is jourmal entries which means it is very readable with short chapters
and Ruthy Ramirez too!
Hopefully the surgery will feel well worth it once your recovery is complete.
Gay Is The World is really lovely. I've only been there once, but I immediately ended up in a long conversation with the guy behind the counter. It's a lot smaller than I expected, just a narrow strip of a room. I suspect they must have books stacked to the ceiling in the back.
I can't begin to guess what will be on the women's prize non-fiction longlist, but there are interesting prediction videos from "Gem and Books", "Alice And The Giant Bookshelf" and "Charlie Brooks Reads".
Happy Birthday to Joel! (According to the other comments) Hope you (Greg) feel well enough to enjoy some of his birthday cake.
Witnesses has already captured my biggest disappointment of the year so far placemarker. I found them clunky and just seemingly trying too hard and it was a chore to start the next one each story. There have been such great multicultural (for lack of a better term) story collections the last few years that that a new one has to work pretty hard and be quite special to equal and surpass them.
Doppelgänger! Doppelgänger! Doppelgänger! For North American representation on the NF Women’s Prize longlist. It was my number one NF book last year and it deals with big, dense ideas in an incredibly accessible and personal way and touches on so many things going on today, especially regarding opposing viewpoints and the divide that it has left us all with. EKA talked about the Writers award and it was on it as was my number four book Thunderclap from Scotland/UK. It’s really a book all the Tarttheads should read if they loved The Goldfinch.
I read some exceptional new memoirs by female writers if that qualifies as NF for the award. Don’t Call Me Home, The Critic’s Daughter and Everything/Nothing/Someone were all about daughters of eccentric NYC artists, which could easily become hit jobs in the form of Mommy Dearest about their complicated and complex artistic parents, but didn’t. Instead they were in-depth journeys and deep emotional explorations, beautifully crafted in words and images.
Among the Groves and Liliana’s Endless Summer were deep excavations of family trauma, as was the off the rails Maria Branford’s Sure! I’ll Join Your Cult!
Necessary Trouble was exceptional about the first female president of Harvard who grew up as a progressive and outcast of her conservative family and found community and purpose in the radicalization and enlightened of the 1960s.
Two coming of age graphic novel memoirs In Limbo and Monsterous were quite good as well. The book 272 about the selling off of the Georgetown slaves deserved more recognition as an exemplary dive and reconstruction of a historical event by a tenacious writer.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy Witness. You have some great ideas for nonfiction contenders! Can’t wait to see which ones make the list.
Dear Greg, I think you may have dipped into a depression. I struggle with that when I have grief or illness. Disappointment doesn’t help. You went into this surgery with lots of hope, but it has been much more traumatic and long than you anticipated. You will be fine…try to get into nature when you can…I find that water helps me…..oceans, streams, waterfalls, or little fountains. Sunlight in the house….i open every blind, give extra love to the dog and Joel…..
Dude, I work in surgery, and it is violent. You are right to feel messed up, and that you are on a journey with your recovery.
BTW, loving Hello Beautiful 🤌🏽
Hang in there ❤ You WILL get better♥️
Happy birthday Joel