Ellen reads freely in 2018 - Thread 12

Photograph by NITIN VAYAS, 2017 National Geographic

In honor of the Earth, and in acknowledgement of my fear for its demise, my 2018 threads will be topped with nature photos. This regal lion gets to stick around.

Palouse Winter Afternoon by Chip Phillips

My Rating Scale:

= Breathtaking. This book touched me in a way that only a perfect book can do.
= Among my favorites of the year.
= A great read; truly enjoyable.
= I'm absolutely glad I read this.
= A solid read, with a few things done particularly well.
= Average. Remember, most of us are, by definition, average.
= Pretty much a waste of time.
= Nearly no redeeming qualities. Really rather bad.
= Among the worst books I've ever read.

Honestly, I'm rarely going to complete any book earning fewer than two stars but I reserve the right to rate them based on my experience.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
2. A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline
3. Any Other Name by Craig Johnson
4. The Singing Bones by Shaun Tan
5. Negroland: A Memoir by Margo Jefferson
6. Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions by Valeria Luiselli
7. God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
8. Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright
9. Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Scott audiobook

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

10. Winter by Ali Smith
11. The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff audiobook
12. The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
13. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
14. The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie
15. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
16. The Way I Found Her by Rose Tremain

COMPLETED IN MARCH

17. The Power by Naomi Alderman
18. Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
19. An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones
20. Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
21. Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
22. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell, illustrated by Christian Robinson
23. Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
24. How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall

COMPLETED IN APRIL

25. The Birth House by Ami McKay
26. Alpha: Abidjan to Paris by Bessora (Author), Barroux (Illustrator), Sarah Ardizzone (Translator)
27. Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
28. So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo audiobook
29. Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
30. For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu
31. The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
32. Saving Mozart by Raphaël Jerusalmy

COMPLETED IN MAY

33. The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
34. The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide
35. Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
36. Halsey Street by Naima Coster
37. Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
38. Sunburn by Laura Lippman
39. Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
40. A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw

COMPLETED IN JUNE

41. Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spencer Quinn
42. A Purple Place for Dying by John D MacDonald
43. Blind Goddess by Anne Holt
44. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John Le Carré
45. Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu
46. Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
47. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

COMPLETED IN JULY

48. Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
49. Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by Walter Mosley
50. So Lucky by Nicola Griffith audiobook
51. The Overstory by Richard Powers
52. The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan
53. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

54. Florida by Lauren Groff
55. Above All Things by Tanis Rideout
56. Evensong by Kate Southwood
57. We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
58. Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER

59. From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan
60. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
61. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
62. Blind Justice by Bruce Alexander
63. What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
64. Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (reread)
65. Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
66. Sugar Money by Jane Harris

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

67. The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón
68. Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson
69. Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
70. The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
71. Milkman by Anna Burns
72. The Death's Head Chess Club by John Donoghue

COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER

73. A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
74. All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg
75. The Red Collar by Jean-Christophe Rufin
76. The Long Song by Andrea Levy
77. California Dreamin' by Pénélope Bagieu
78. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
79. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin

COMPLETED IN DECEMBER

80. When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
81. Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot
82. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
83. The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
84. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
85. The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
86. Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers by Simon Winchester audiobook

I've actually done a lousy job of reading African American Autobiographies but I'm going to keep this mini-thread alive. I'll try to sprinkle in a few more of these in 2019.

Here is the reading list that inspired this personal challenge; it's from a course being taught at the Asheville OLLI. I'm not saying these are exactly the books I will choose but this is the list from which I'm starting.

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass √√
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
The Souls of Black Folks by W.E.B. DuBois
Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington
A Voice from the South By a Black Woman of the South by Anna Julia Cooper
Crusade for Justice by Ida B. Wells
Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neal Hurston - read in 2017
Black Boy by Richard Wright
The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody
Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin - read in 2013
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - read twice already
Proud Shoes: The Story of an American Family by Pauli Murray
Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama

COMPLETED
Negroland by Margo Jefferson
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass

ColorCAT

January/Black - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
February/Brown - The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie Jr
March/Green - Turtles All the Way Down by John Green and Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
April/Yellow - The Yellow Birds by Kevin Powers
May/Blue - The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald and Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
June/Purple - A Purple Place for Dying by John D. MacDonald
July/Pink - Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
August/Grey - Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
September/Metallic - Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
October/Orange - Milkman by Anna Burns
November/Red - The Red Collar by Jean-Christophe Rufin
December/White - Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot

CHALLENGE COMPLETED

RandomCAT

January="Ack! I've been hit!" ~ Negroland by Margo Jefferson (BB by kidzdoc)
February="Laissez les bons temps rouler" ~ The Way I Found Her by Rose Tremain
March="Ripped From the Headlines" ~ The Power by Naomi Alderman
April="April Loves Books!" ~ Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
May="a flower ... in the title ..." ~ The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald
June="Unusual Narrators" ~ Thereby Hangs a Tail by Spenser Quinn
July="Getting to Know You" (reading from/about a different generation) ~ The Overstory (multigenerational!)
August="Let's Go to the Mountains" ~ Above All Things by Tanis Rideout
September="Happy Birthday" ~ Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
October="Playing Cards" ~ The Death's Head Chess Club by John Donoghue
November="It's all about money" ~ Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
December="Secret Santa" (book received as gift) ~ Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

CHALLENGE COMPLETED

BingoDOG Completed!!!

1. Title contains name of a famous person, real or fictional ~ Saving Mozart by Raphaël Jérusalmy
2. Published more than 100 years ago ~ Nicholas Nickleby
3. Originally in a different language ~ Go, Went, Gone (German)
4. New-to-you author ~ God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell
5. Relative name in title ~ Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat
6. Money in title ~ Sugar Money by Jane Harris
7. Published in 2018 ~ An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones
8. X somewhere in the title ~ The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
9. Fat book - 500 plus pages ~ The Overstory by Richard Powers (502 pp.)
10. Set during a holiday ~ Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
11. LGBTQ central character ~ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
12. Book on the 1001 list ~ The Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré
13. Read a CAT (middle square) ~ Tell Me How it Ends: An Essay in 40 Questions by Valeria Luiselli
14. Number in title ~ We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
15. Book that is humorous ~ Quesadillas by Juan Pablo Villalobos
16. Book bought in 2017 that hasn’t been read yet ~ Bad Feminist
17. Title contains something you would see in the sky ~ Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
18. Related to Pacific Ocean ~ Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers by Simon Winchester
19. Book that fits at least 2 KIT’s/CAT’s ~ Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
20. Book with a beautiful cover (in your opinion) ~ Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin
21. Autobiography/memoir ~ Negroland by Margo Jefferson
22. Poetry or plays ~ Heartbeat by Sharon Creech (novel in verse)
23. A long-time TBR ~ The Long Song by Andrea Levy
24. Story involves travel ~ The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie
25. Title contains a person’s rank, real or fictional ~ Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw

PopSugar Challenge 2018 ~~ Neglected Challenge

1. A book made into a movie you've already seen ~ Tales of the City
2. True crime
The next book in a series you started ~ Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
4. A book involving a heist
5. Nordic noir ~ Snare (Reykjavik Noir) by Lilja Sigurdardóttir
6. A novel based on a real person
A book set in a country that fascinates you ~ Blind Goddess by Anne Holt (Norway)
8. A book with a time of day in the title
9. A book about a villain or antihero
A book about death or grief ~ How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall
11. A book with a female author who uses a male pseudonym ~ James Tiptree Jr?
A book with an LGBTQ+ protagonist ~ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
13. A book that is also a stage play or musical
A book by an author of a different ethnicity than you ~ Negroland: A Memoir
A book about feminism ~ Bad Feminist
A book about mental health ~ Turtles All the Way Down by John Green
A book you borrowed or that was given to you as a gift ~ Sugar Money (Mark)
18. A book by two authors ~ Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman ??
19. A book about or involving a sport
A book by a local author ~ So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo
A book with your favorite color in the title ~ A Purple Place for Dying
22. A book with alliteration in the title
23. A book about time travel
24. A book with a weather element in the title
25. A book set at sea
A book with an animal in the title ~ Magpie Murders
27. A book set on a different planet
A book with song lyrics in the title ~ So Lucky by Nicola Griffith
A book about or set on Halloween ~ Something Wicked This Way Comes
A book with characters who are twins ~ Godstalk
A book mentioned in another book ~ Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson (The Mars Room)
32. A book from a celebrity book club
A childhood classic you've never read ~ A Wrinkle in Time
A book that's published in 2018 ~ An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
35. A past Goodreads Choice Awards winner
A book set in the decade you were born ~ California Dreamin' by Pénélope Bagieu
A book you meant to read in 2017 but didn't get to ~ The Death's Head Chess Club by John Donoghue
38. A book with an ugly cover
39. A book that involves a bookstore or library
40. Your favorite prompt from the 2015, 2016, or 2017 POPSUGAR Reading Challenges ~ A book set in your home state (2016)

2018 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge ~~ Another Neglected Challenge

1. A book published posthumously
2. A book of true crime
3. A classic of genre fiction (i.e. mystery, sci fi/fantasy, romance)
A comic written and illustrated by the same person ~ Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu
5. A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, or South Africa)
A book about nature ~ The Overstory by Richard Powers
A western ~ The Big Sky by A.B. Guthrie
A comic graphic novel written or illustrated by a person of color ~ Bingo Love by Tee Franklin
9. A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
A romance novel by or about a person of color ~ The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
A children’s classic published before 1980 ~ A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle
12. A celebrity memoir
An Oprah Book Club selection ~ An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
14. A book of social science
A one-sitting book ~ Alpha: Abidjan to Paris
16. The first book in a new-to-you YA or middle grade series
A sci fi novel with a female protagonist by a female author ~ The Power by Naomi Alderman
18. A comic that isn’t published by Marvel, DC, or Image
19. A book of genre fiction in translation
20. A book with a cover you hate
A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author ~ Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
22. An essay anthology
A book with a female protagonist over the age of 60 ~ Evensong by Kate Southwood
24. An assigned book you hated (or never finished) Just no.

Personal Reading Challenge: Every winner of the Booker Prize since its inception in 1969

1969: P. H. Newby, Something to Answer For
1970: Bernice Rubens, The Elected Member
1970: J. G. Farrell, Troubles (awarded in 2010 as the Lost Man Booker Prize)
1971: V. S. Naipaul, In a Free State
1972: John Berger, G.
1973: J. G. Farrell, The Siege of Krishnapur
1974: Nadine Gordimer, The Conservationist and Stanley Middleton, Holiday
1975: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Heat and Dust
1976: David Storey, Saville
1977: Paul Scott, Staying On
1978: Iris Murdoch, The Sea, The Sea
1979: Penelope Fitzgerald, Offshore
1980: William Golding, Rites of Passage
1981: Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children
1982: Thomas Keneally, Schindler's Ark
1983: J. M. Coetzee, Life & Times of Michael K
1984: Anita Brookner, Hotel du Lac
1985: Keri Hulme, The Bone People
1986: Kingsley Amis, The Old Devils
1987: Penelope Lively, Moon Tiger
1988: Peter Carey, Oscar and Lucinda
1989: Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day
1990: A. S. Byatt, Possession: A Romance
1991: Ben Okri, The Famished Road
1992: Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient ... and Barry Unsworth, Sacred Hunger
1993: Roddy Doyle, Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
1994: James Kelman, How late it was, how late
1995: Pat Barker, The Ghost Road
1996: Graham Swift, Last Orders
1997: Arundhati Roy, The God of Small Things
1998: Ian McEwan, Amsterdam
1999: J. M. Coetzee, Disgrace
2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty - I may pass on this one.
2005: John Banville, The Sea
2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
2008: Aravind Adiga, The White Tiger
2009: Hilary Mantel, Wolf Hall
2010: Howard Jacobson, The Finkler Question
2011: Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending
2012: Hilary Mantel, Bring Up the Bodies
2013: Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries
2014: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep North
2015: Marlon James, A Brief History of Seven Killings
2016: Paul Beatty, The Sellout
2017: George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo
2018: Anna Burns, Milkman

Plans for 2019

January - April
These Truths: A History of the United States by Jill Lepore with Kim and others.

January
Last Friends with Karen (karenmarie), Bill, and others?

Year-long
I'm hosting the June edition of RandomCAT.

I'm hosting the August edition of SeriesCAT (Series set in a country/region where you do not live)

Other
I'm not sure what else I will do but I'll be hoping to break the century mark (100 books completed).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

More about January:

SeriesCAT: Series in Translation: Blind Goddess: Hanne Wilhelmsen Book One by Anne Holt (Author), Tom Geddes (Translator)

RandomCAT: Your Name In Print (something by James Baldwin?)

Currently reading:

.

Currently listening:

The Giller Prize Long List:

Zolitude by Paige Cooper
French Exit by Patrick deWitt
Songs for the Cold of Heart by Eric Dupont, translated by Peter McCambridge
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan - COMPLETED
Beirut Hellfire Society by Rawi Hage
Motherhood by Sheila Heti
Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper
An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim
Something for Everyone by Lisa Moore
Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq
Vi by Kim Thúy, translated by Sheila Fischman
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead

...to my last thread of 2018!

>17 EBT1002: Not much to look at, Ellen. But I see a lot of potential here. Happy decorating. And all that. Needs some books. Yeah...

ETA: That topper. Just finished reading Beryl Markham's West with the Night, in which a not-quite-tame lion on a neighbor's farm in Kenya chomped her adolescent thigh and nearly ended her life, and in which a not-quite-dead lion chomped the two hunters who shot him when they tried to photograph him in his agony. (One hunter was flown to Nairobi swaddled in blankets, the other made the trip in a biscuit tin. Well, his ashes did.)

>19 weird_O: It takes a while to decorate the new digs, Bill. :-)
I assume this will be my last thread for 2018. How the year has flown!

I think I used to have West with the Night on my shelves, but I think I lost it somewhere along the way. I would have been totally rooting for the lions. Just sayin'.

Happy new one, Ellen. It sounds like you had a nice trip to Seattle.

I just finished Evensong, which brought tears to my eyes at the end. Right now I am loving Michelle Obama's book.

>20 EBT1002: Hi Beth. Yes, our time in Seattle was fun. It made me wistful.

Which Evensong did you just finish? Your touchstone takes you to one by Mike Carey....

I don't know when I'll get to Michelle Obama's book but I won't wait too long!

I'm watching the #3 evil Oregon Ducks in basketball (women's) against unranked Michigan State. 34 seconds left in the game and the Spartans are up by 6 points. Go Sparty!

ETA: I know I should be rooting for the Pac-12 team but I just cannot bring myself to cheer for the Ducks.

Happy new thread, Ellen. Love that toper of the snow (better there than here, ;-) It's quite peaceful

Happy new thread!

The Evil Ducks...oookaaayyy...well, happy new thread, my friend.

Happy New Thread, Ellen!

I'm taking a break from Heart's Invisible Furies; the quality is high, but I'm a bit under the weather and can only handle football and basketball on tv right now.

One of the highlights of my visit to Seattle was a trip to the gift shop in the main branch of the Seattle Public Library. I lived there for a decade and didn't know this little shop existed!!! I bought a few note cards, a book mark, and a "READ" bumper sticker for my new CR-V. I had one of these on the old Subaru but this one is particularly special because it says "Seattle Public Library" in small print. I love it.



This one doesn't show the fine print but you get the idea.

>24 jessibud2: We don't actually have snow like that on the ground at present, Shelley, but I admit that I'm hoping for some before the winter is over. Heh.

>25 figsfromthistle: Thank you!

>26 richardderus: Yes, I know, Richard. But after working at Oregon State for 13 years and University of Washington for 11 years, and now being ambivalently ensconced here at Washington State, I just do. not. like. the. ducks. (sorry Kim and Juli and Rhonda)

>27 jnwelch: I had forgotten that you are currently (or were currently) reading The Heart's Invisible Furies, Joe. I'm only about 30 pages in but I like the writing so far. I'm initially reminded of John Irving's narrative style and pacing (think The World According to Garp).

I'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling well. I'm glad there are sports on telly to take your mind off feeling miserable! I hope you feel better soon.

From my prior thread:

82. Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover




I heard Tara Westover speak a couple months ago and she was brilliant. I loved reading this account of her childhood in the mountains of Idaho, growing up in a survivalist family. Her father, an apparently bipolar Mormon who believed (believes?) the end of the world is near, ran a junkyard and kept is family as isolated from the rest of the world as he could manage. Tara was not sent to school; that she managed to gain acceptance to BYU and go on to earn a doctorate in history at Harvard University is truly remarkable. The stories of abuse at the hands of her older brother and the associated neglect by her parents are hard to read, but Westover shares her memories without rancor or self-pity. Near the end I lost interest in her psychological insights which are delivered without depth or nuance. But overall this was a worthwhile read and definitely recommended.

>28 EBT1002: - Fun stuff! When I visited my brother last June, we went into the closest town to where he lives: Woodstock, Vermont. There I discovered the BEST little bookshop, called The Yankee Bookshop, Vermont's oldest independent bookshop. If we hadn't been on our way to dinner, I could have spent hours there. As it is, I made them leave me there and come back for me in half an hour and it wasn't nearly enough. And even though I have never put anything on my car, I bought a bumper sticker that says: "BOOKS - no batteries required". :-)

>32 jessibud2: I love it, Shelley. Aren't discoveries like that little bookshop just the best?

I don't put much on my car in the way of bumper stickers but I plan to put these two on my car. It's by way of declaring myself to myself, making Pullman home while holding onto Seattle as "my city," and balancing out all the sports-related bumper stickers I usually see around town.

.....

Happy Sunday, Ellen. Happy New Thread! Hooray for starting Invisible Furies! Joe is reading it too. I loved that book and his latest has been getting HOT reviews, as well. Cool!

Your weekend in Seattle sounds great, Ellen. I like your taste in bumper stickers too!

>34 msf59: Hmm, I didn't know Boyne had another novel out on the shelves, Mark. I will keep track.

>35 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura!

I've been catching up on threads and watching football on the telly. I'm down to 36% on my battery so I'll have to close up shop soon. Then I'll read The Heart's Invisible Furies some.

Happy last thread of the year, Ellen!

i just finished Boyne's new book and I loved it. The Ladder to the Sky: A Novel. Hope you're enjoying The Heart's Invisible Furies.
Happy new thread!

>38 kidzdoc: Thanks Darryl!

>39 mdoris: I'm already adding The Ladder to the Sky to my wish list, Mary!

I've stayed up late watching the Bears and the LA Rams (like I care!) and messing about on LT. It is now time for bed because tomorrow is Monday and, contrary to all my fantasies, I am not yet retired.

Have a great week everyone!

Happy new thread, Ellen. I have 28 of the Booker winners done so far and hopefully will add to that this month.

happy new thread! and looking forward to a great reading year, 2019.

I read Educated quite some time ago, don't really remember when, but when you summarized it above, I went "oh! I've read that book". I picked it up because it was set near where I spent my summers as a kid. A remarkable story, and at least for me it seem incredible. I'm sure it happened, I just think it is fascinating how some people are just able to rise above their beginnings and deep roots.

Hi Ellen, and happy new thread.

From your previous thread – I have Becoming and will probably wait until January to read it too.

>31 EBT1002: Waiting for a library copy of Educated. Good review. I usually don’t read reviews before reading the book but daughter Jenna talked about it for about 6 weeks prior to writing a paper on it for college English this fall so there are no spoilers. *smile*

Hi Ellen - sounds like you had a nice few days off!

I haven't read Educated and am not likely to, despite the wonderful reviews from LTers and my reading group, to say nothing of the glowing words from the NYTimes book review and others. I'm not a huge fan of memoirs in general, and this one just doesn't grab me. But I'm glad you liked it!

On the other hand, John Boyne is one of my recent favorites. Mark's raves about The Heart's Invisible Furies was the catalyst, and I then read A History of Loneliness, a searing indictment of the Irish Catholic Church that was beautifully written and totally gripping. I also read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which I did not like at all (apparently there is a lot of controversy about that one) and just last night started A Ladder to the Sky.

>29 EBT1002: It's the name...the Ducks...that slays me. Like the NYU Violets or the UCSC Banana Slugs. In high school we routinely laughed at the Hutto Hippos and a few other laughable names. Of course my high school's team got hell for being the Trojans, adolescent boys being what they are.

Happy new thread, Ellen. I see you have the Giller long list up in >17 EBT1002: and the only book you mark as read was the winner. Did you read it because it was the winner or before it was the winner? I was really surprised that I had read two of the books when I watched the prize being awarded.

Have a great week, Ellen. Go Vikes! :)

Will there be some trash texting later?

Ah, the re-entry silence has descended. Well, it's not a surprise is it.

Sending hugs.

>2 EBT1002: oooooo, is that cool or what?!
Happy new thread, Ellen!
I'm contemplating Educated being my selection for the neighborhood book swap. Do you think it might be a good choice for a group of women of various ages, mainly college educated who are either employed, retired or stay at home moms?

>48 BLBera: Not sure if anyone watched the miserable Monday Night Football between the Vikings and Seahawks. I think the score was 3-0 or 6-0 going into the fourth quarter. Utterly boring football game (and yes, the Vikings are terrible).

>52 Oberon: I did watch the end, Erik. It ended up 14-0. Pretty rare for an NFL team to get shut out!

I got a little bored in the middle of The Heart's Invisible Furies, and took a break, Ellen. I feel bad about not liking it more, since so many LTers have. I'll get back to it eventually, but for now I'm reading some sci-fi (A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe).

>42 PaulCranswick: I'm going to try to make more headway on the Booker challenge in 2019, Paul.

>43 maggie1944: Thanks Karen. I think Westover's story is incredible (and I also believe it). She is a remarkable person to have come so far from that difficult beginning. I was also struck, though, that there were reasonable adults sprinkled throughout her childhood that may have helped plant a seed of possibility other than what she saw around her.

>44 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I hope you enjoy Educated when you get to it. I tried to keep my review spoiler-free, only including information that is pretty well broadcast already (and may be on the inside flap of the cover - ha). I need to start a list of books I'm thinking of for January. Becoming will certainly be one of them.

>45 vivians: Hi Vivian. If you're not a fan of memoirs, I think it makes sense to give Educated a pass. I found it fascinating but it does read like a memoir. :-)

I'm enjoying The Heart's Invisible Furies so far. It's a long one so I hope he keeps up the momentum for the full 580 pages. I'm glad I've already reached the 75 goal and that the 100 goal is so far out of sight; I'm not focusing as much as I'd like so I feel like it's going to take me a while to complete it.

>46 richardderus: Oh yeah, I get that, Richard. I remember when I first heard that the two teams in the state of Oregon are the Ducks and the Beavers. Really? I had always thought sports mascots were supposed to be, you know, fierce and ferocious. Of course, my college was the Mad Hatters so go figure.

>47 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg. I read Washington Black before it won the Giller Prize. I admit that this is not a prize I have followed closely but I may sprinkle another few of them into my 2019 reading.

>48 BLBera: Thanks Beth. I believe the Seahawks beat your Vikes.... It was a nail biter for most of the game, though! xo

>49 BLBera: I wish I had seen this at the time! I would have had my phone next to me and engaged in healthy trash texting for sure!

>50 richardderus: I hate going so quiet, Richard! I've got to figure out how to get both LT and regular exercise back into my daily life!

Thanks for the hugs, my friend.

>51 Carmenere: I live in an under-appreciated beautiful place, Lynda. This morning I went for a pre-sunrise run in light snow. It was a bit slick so I had to tread carefully but it was also lovely and good for my soul (and presumably my body).

I think Educated would be a good pick for your group. It may depend more on political leaning than other identities. Westover is clear and firm in her stance that her memoir is NOT an indictment of Mormonism. Her father's mental illness is a key element in her chaotic childhood and she focuses more on that. As Karen and I were remarking above, Westover's "escape" and success in higher education is truly remarkable and would provide great material for discussion.

>52 Oberon: It was a frustrating game, Erik, but I was quite pleased with the outcome. :-)

>53 jnwelch: Actually, Joe, the game ended 21-7. The Vikes were almost shut out but the Hawks let them score very late in the game.

I hope The Heart's Invisible Furies keeps my attention. I'm about a third into it and I have found myself both enjoying it tremendously and wondering if he'll really be able to keep my attention for almost 600 pages. I'm frankly already tired of Julian.

Okay, time for an actual update. As I've indicated, I'm about a third into The Heart's Invisible Furies and I'm quite enjoying it. It's been slow going so far but that's just because I have so many other things going on right now. I'm looking forward to my break -- I'm off work December 22 - January 1 -- and hoping I can read, read, read.

I'm also trying to get regular cardio exercise back into my life. I certainly haven't stopped being active altogether but my workouts are too few and far between. I'm finding winter to be more of a deterrent than I expected. So I'm trying to make friends with my stationary bike, listening to Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers by Simon Winchester while riding. The book, narrated by the author, is excellent!

I'm watching NCAA Volleyball (women) Final Four while catching up a bit on LT. Stanford already won the first match. Illinois (my graduate alma mater) and Nebraska are in a tremendous match. Illinois won the first two sets and Nebraska won the next two; it's a best-of-five match. I'll root for Stanford in the final regardless of who wins this one but I'm hoping Illinois can save this for themselves.

Hi Ellen!

Pacific is a wonderful book and I'm glad you're double-dipping with it - listening and riding your stationary bike.

I have Atlantic on my shelves, and need to remember it for early next year.

(search does not seem to be working this morning, so who knows where these touchstones will go).

Hi Ellen. I am another who is happy to hear that you are enjoying the Simon Winchester so much on audio. He is a terrific narrator. I've listened to him read to me many times! What a great storyteller!

I listened to Winchester's Atlantic and found it (mostly) fascinating. I have Pacific on my shelf but may look for it on audio...

Our Christmas breaks start at the same time... We can do it!!

Grr... no touchstones.

>56 EBT1002: >51 Carmenere: Thanks, Ellen, I think I'll go with Educated.

>57 EBT1002: I meant to correct that score, but couldn't remember where I posted it, Ellen! Yes, 21-7. I thought it was over and done at 14-0. I must have nodded off. :-)

I'm going to finish The Heart's Invisible Furies but, like you, I've grown tired of Julian. And Cyril, for that matter. Oh well.

>58 EBT1002: Good luck with the exercise routine. I think audiobooks are the perfect incentive and I can't imagine exercising without them. In fact, there are many cold mornings when the thought of getting to my book is the sole motivator for getting me out the door!

The Mad Hatters. Oh my. Heh.

Happy Winchestering! (Maybe a new name will make "spending an eternity on a motionless form of transportation in search of an extension on youth" more appealing?)

Say hi to P from me.

Good luck with the exercise routine, Ellen. Mine has fallen off a bit as well. It gets dark so early now.

Happy Friday. I hope you have a relaxing weekend.

Yes, your Seahawks did win. Oh well, Vikings fans are used to disappointment.

Happy Friday, Ellen. I hope you continue to enjoy Invisible Furies. Currently, I am enjoying Transcription. This does not have the depth of her last 2 novels, but it is a fun, snappy read.

>58 EBT1002: Wow, what a title. We also break on the 21st and I am looking forward to blanket time with many books. Good luck with your winter indoor bike riding. Winter makes me walk faster!

>59 karenmarie: I had not realized that Simon Winchester had a book out about the Atlantic ocean, as well, Karen. I read The Professor and the Madman several years ago. He is an excellent writer.

>60 jessibud2: I agree, Shelley! I think Simon Winchester will now occupy my favorite narrators list. I love George Guidall's narration of the Walt Longmire series, too.

>61 katiekrug: One thing I love about Winchester's Pacific, Katie, is that it's not exactly about the Pacific Ocean as it is about a variety of topics related to the Pacific Ocean. I've finished the chapter about Atom Bombs and am now reading about silicon chips. I'm learning a lot.

The students are now gone and campus is quiet. I work this whole week coming up but hopefully I can get some things done. I still have lots of meetings....

>62 Carmenere: I hope it goes well, Lynda!

>63 jnwelch: I see that your Bears clinched a playoff spot today, Joe. (Did they clinch their division?) My Seahawks are looking flat against the 49ers, for pete's sake!

I'm still enjoying The Heart's Invisible Furies. I like that it's moving forward in seven-year increments. Cyril is just getting married and I foresee problems there....

>64 vivians: I am finding the audiobooks with the stationary bike to be less than fully motivating, Vivian. I asked some of my younger colleagues to recommend Netflix series that run in 30-minute episodes. I've tried two that they recommended: "Nailed It!" (nope) and "One Day at a Time." The latter will suffice for keeping me entertained while I ride so I'll alternate that with my audiobook. When I switch from running to walking, which I assume I'll have to do someday, I expect to listen to books while I walk. When I run outdoors I just like to be in my own head.

>65 richardderus: Thanks for the new name for my activity, Richard! Winchestering sounds way more fun than riding-a-torture-device-that-goes-nowhere-and-from-which-the-view-never-changes. Heh.

P says hi back. :-)

>66 BLBera: I saw that your Vikes won today, Beth. My Seahawks, on the other hand, are looking a bit flat so far.
My commitment to seven consecutive days with cardio exercise is going well so far. Four days down, three to go. It feels like it's doing what I wanted -- getting me back into a rhythm.

>67 msf59: Hiya Mark! I have heard some mixed reviews of Transcription along the lines of your comment. Life After Life and A God in Ruins would be hard to match in quality. They were so very good.

>68 charl08: I know, isn't that a great title, Charlotte? It's really not about the Pacific Ocean but uses that magnificent body of water as a springboard for lots of interesting science, history, and culture.

I've had a good weekend although it has not been as productive in terms of reading as I would have liked. I'm on emergency duty so I'm tethered to the duty phone. No alcohol and I can't travel more than 30 minutes from home. On Saturday Prudence and I put up the tree she had purchased. We also installed a heated bird bath on our back deck which took quite a while. It's anchored to the railing. So far the birds aren't using it but it's 40F and raining today so water is readily available. We also went shopping for calligraphy and other interesting pens (I shopped, P entertained herself by watching the people in the craft store), then we addressed Christmas cards. I'm enjoying the creative outlet even if it is not exactly throwing pots. Heh.

Today I've been doing laundry and now we're watching the Seahawks play poorly against the 49ers. I promised to make my famous spaghetti sauce after the game.

I'm still reading and enjoying The Heart's Invisible Furies and slowly listening to Pacific. P found our ancient copy of A Christmas Carol which I will read aloud in the evenings this week.

>72 EBT1002: The cozy domesticity is really quite terrifying. Attack-of-the-zombie-komodo-dragons *whammy*

Happy weekend, Ellen, and enjoy Dickens.

I'm not sure what to make of this:

I'm looking at my "Read in 2018" collection sorted by rating and there are books with five stars that I would absolutely not say are among my favorites of the year. Several with 4.5 stars, on the other hand, would land squarely on that list.

So, my new year's resolution is to update my mental rating scale to make a 5-star rating even harder to earn.

A couple of 5-star reads from 2018 that certainly DO belong on that list are The Overstory by Richard Powers and Florida by Lauren Groff.

>73 richardderus: Sometimes I am dismayed by the suburbanity of my new life, Richard.

>74 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda!

>75 EBT1002: Sometimes I go back and re-do my ratings, Ellen. Because I find that how a book sits with me can be really different than how it feels right after reading.

Yes, the Bears won their division today, Ellen. I'm loving this team, both sides of the ball. That quarterback (Trubisky) is only in his second year. He just keeps getting better. And Bears defense is back! The whole town is excited.

If you're enjoying The Heart's Invisible Furies at the point where you are, you're going to have a good ride. There's a lot to like in what's coming.

>77 banjo123: I was thinking about doing that, Rhonda. The question is: do you just change it on the main page of the book or do you go back and change your notes/reviews/etc? I'm thinking I would change it on the page and maybe the summary list I have at the top of my thread, current thread only....

>78 jnwelch: I'm pleased for the Bears, Joe. It has been a long draught. Of course, I'm still a Seahawks fan and today they are threatening to break my heart (down 23-20 to the freakin' 49ers of all things!).

Oh good, I'm glad to hear that the second half of THIF is good. After this bad-for-my-blood-pressure football game is over I'm putting on music and making spaghetti sauce but I hope to spend a couple hours this evening just reading.

I usually just change the stars on the book's main page, Ellen. I don't worry about what I wrote because it reflected how I felt at the time. And the difference isn't usually that great, often only a half star.

Sorry about your Seahawks. We Vikings fans are used to disappointment.

My favorite quote so far, and among many, from The Heart’s Invisible Furies:
“‘It happens,’ he said with a shrug. ‘We all fall in the shit many times during our lives. The trick is pulling ourselves out again.’”

>69 EBT1002: - it's not exactly about the Pacific Ocean as it is about a variety of topics related to the Pacific Ocean.

Exactly. I also felt (and think I wrote about it in my review) that Winchester often seems to go off on tangents but always manages to circle right back to where he intended to go; he always ties things right back up and leaves nothing dangling. I love that. The mark of a great storyteller. Have you got to the surfing yet?

>69 EBT1002: The Winchester that I read was A Crack at the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906. He went into the topography of the region which I found very interesting as someone who lives in the region. You might want to have a look at that one, Ellen.

Good luck with getting into a fitness routine.

>81 EBT1002: That is a good quote.

I must read more of Simon Winchester. I remember reading a story of his that I loved in the series The Best American Travel Wriitng Have you ever read that series? They are wonderful!

>80 BLBera: When I get to the stage of picking my top reads for the year, I'm going to give myself permission to edit my ratings, Beth. I also think I'm going to let go of the elaborate lists of books read on each and every thread as I move into the new year. I need LT to be a bit less time-intensive in order to engage the way I want to -- keeping up with my thread and checking in at least somewhat regularly on others' threads. I have finally realized that I can adjust some of the my ways of engaging to free up time for the fun parts!

>82 jessibud2: Yes indeed, Shelley. Winchester goes off on the occasional tangent and circles back. His tangents tend to also be interesting and I learn something even from those, so I'm okay with it. I finished the chapter about silicon chips and started the chapter on surfing just this morning. Already fascinating!

>83 Familyhistorian: I can imagine listening to more of Winchester's work, Meg. I will look into the Crack at the Edge of the World one. I've moved far enough east to be out of the prime earthquake zone but I'm still fascinated by and terrified of them.

I walked to work yesterday. It took 40 minutes at a healthy clip and I listened to Simon while I walked. I'll definitely be doing more of that! Today, however, has been monsoon-like so I rode the stationary bike for 30 minutes. I'm getting into a bit of a rhythm even though I will never, ever enjoy that bike!

>84 BLBera: I am truly loving The Heart's Invisible Furies, Beth. I read something this morning that moved me so deeply. I hope I can find it again (I was too lazy to go in search of my post-it flags).

>85 mdoris: Hi Mary! I haven't read any of the Best American Travel Writing series. I have purchased some of the Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays editions but I'm pretty lousy at sticking with them.

Finals ended last Friday so campus is nice and quiet this week. I'm getting some things done and my office is so tidy I hardly recognize it. Still, I wish I were at home curled up with the wonderful Heart's Invisible Furies. I am loving it.

Next up will be The Essex Serpent and I will keep listening to Pacific. Those two books will finish out my BingoDOG card for 2018.

I have already over-committed for 2019 so I'm going to back off on some challenges. I will do RandomCAT and SeriesCAT because I'm hosting months.
I MAY still do BingoDOG because it's kind of fun and not month-dependent.
I will certainly do the shared read of These Truths (yay!).
I'll check in on the American Author Challenge and read when the author appeals to me but I'm not committing to more than that.

One of these years I'll just commit to, you know, reading. :-D

>88 EBT1002: - I have a few challenges I plan to follow, but they are non-month dependent as well, which takes the pressure off. I will dip into the AAC, though, for a few of those authors. I am going to try to just see how I do with the PopSugar, rather than committing to finish it, I think. Same with the new challenge Susan stole borrowed from GoodReads and posted about on the PopSugar thread. I actually like those categories better than the PS ones...

Since all challenges ever do for me is make me simultaneously angry and miserable, I think I'll just ignore the whole shebang.

>90 richardderus: - Smart man. One day, I will learn....

A list of lists!! Lit Hub Ultimate List of Best Books 2018"

>89 katiekrug: Hmmm, maybe I'll mosey over and check out the GoodReads (*shiver*) challenge on the PopSugar thread.

>90 richardderus: I agree with Katie -- you're a smart man.

>91 katiekrug: I fear I will never learn. Challenges are, to me, like shiny objects.

>92 EBT1002: Wow, Ellen! Thanks for posting the Ultimate List of Best Books. What fun it will be to peruse all the lists and make a reading list for next year of those I've wanted to read but missed.
I'm going light on the challenges in 2019. Mainly TIOLI. That is all.

>92 EBT1002: Did someone say list of lists? Yes, please!

>92 EBT1002: Great list, thanks Ellen! I just wish it came in printable format...

John Boyne has become one of my favorites. I just finished A Ladder to the Sky, which was great, and earlier this year I loved A History of Loneliness.

Good to hear that your exercise routine is working for you.

83. The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne




Here I am swearing that I'm going to get more stingy with my stars in the future but when I stay up past my bedtime several evenings in a row because I want to read "just one more chapter," and weep my way through the last page of the novel, that is a five-star read. If I'm honest, I questioned the author just shy of the halfway point: "how is this going to be interesting for another 300 pages?" Well, this novel was a wonderful ride and the second half was damn near perfect. I loved the characters, the story, even the implausible coincidences sprinkled throughout Cyril's story.

Cyril is adopted as an infant after his 16-year-old mother is disgraced and exiled from a small Irish village. It's 1945 and Catherine finds her way to Dublin where she encounters Sean and Jack, two young men who befriend her and see her through her pregnancy. Cyril is taken in by a businessman and his wife, a chilly-hearted writer who revels in her own obscurity. At age 7, Cyril meets the charismatic and confident Julian for the first time; the boys' lives will be woven together over the years despite their radical differences. Told in seven-year increments, this is a story of love and pride and loyalty and shame and redemption. An unflinching indictment of the hypocritical bigotry and cruelty of Irish society and the Irish Catholic church, the novel is also a compassionate exploration of the complex and often hidden reasons for that bigotry and cruelty. The story made me chuckle out loud, gasp at moments of profound insight, and cry in the end for the characters' griefs, failures of courage, and joys. Bravo.

>94 Carmenere: I kind of liked that list of lists, Lynda. I am also thinking about books I want to get to in the new year. There are so many of them! (This is not surprising.).

>95 scaifea: It's pretty fun, Amber. It lists books ranked by how many lists they have made (so far). Of course, the variety of lists makes this a rather odd compilation but it's one measure of the impact a book has had, its visibility and salience in our national book-loving consciousness. :-)

>96 vivians: I agree, Vivian. I wish all lists came in printable versions. I'm just not patient enough to sit and type them out for myself! I have too much else to do. Like, you know, read.

You can see from my post above that I absolutely loved The Heart's Invisible Furies. I will certainly give John Boyne more of my time and attention.

>97 EBT1002: Hooray for Invisible Furies, Ellen. Good review too. Big Thumb! I ended up being a bit underwhelmed by Transcription. It felt much to slight after her last 2 masterful novels.

How is your running routine going? Still nailing it?

After doing a bit of adjusting based on how well some of my most highly rated books have lasted for me, and eliminating one book that was a reread (but still deserving of the love), I come up with six 5-star reads in 2018 (so far). I guess that is my best-of list. I have several 4.5-star rated books, as well, so I may give them Honorable Mention status. I'm still thinking about it.

So, a not-yet-final list of Ellen's top (5-star) reads of 2018:

The Carrying: Poems by Ada Limón
Florida by Lauren Groff
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Heartbeat by Sharon Creech
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass
The Overstory by Richard Powers

My 4.5-star reads:

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Go, Went, Gone by Jenny Erpenbeck
Happiness by Aminatta Forna
Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
Halsey Street by Naima Coster
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky: Stories by Lesley Nneka Arimah
Winter: A Novel by Ali Smith

>99 msf59: I'm so glad you (and others) warbled about The Heart's Invisible Furies, Mark. It was such a spectacular read.

I've been on emergency duty for the past week so I haven't been running. It's too complicated to take the duty phone with me on an early morning run. But I have been riding the exercise bike and walking some. I think walking to work is going to rise on my list of preferred exercise options. It's about 40 minutes at a good clip and I can listen to audiobooks while I walk. *smile*

I'm still listening to Pacific by Simon Winchester and slowly making my way through igen : Why Today's Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood—and What That Means for the Rest of Us by Jean M. Twenge PhD. I only read the latter book at work when I take a "lunch break" so it will certainly be 2019 before I finish it.

Next up will be The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry.

Hi Ellen, I see it's that time of year when we list our favorites reads of the year. I have tracked the first three quarters so I need to go and finish the fourth quarter and then chose my top reads of the year. I don't read very many brand new books so I expect my list will be full of books that have been around for awhile.

>100 EBT1002: Ellen! I was going to say I was surprised at how many of the top reads for this year that we have in common, but I guess I'm not really surprised. Which reminds me, I also want to read Winter over break...

So glad that you liked the Boyne book. I did too! i bet you will love his most recent one. I just put one of his on reserve today A History of Lonliness recommended by >96 vivians:

>100 EBT1002: Oh, I do love a list. I've only read The Overstory from your top 5's. Threatening to the TBR pile!

Sorry to hear about the on-duty phone hampering the running. Sounds like a new model that travels a bit better might be in order?

>100 EBT1002: - You have done some great reading this year, Ellen. I have only read 2 from your lists and am delighted to see the Sharon Creech one there! :-)

Great review of the Boyne, Ellen! I haven't read anything by him, but I have a few on my shelves/Kindle.

>97 EBT1002: Great review, Ellen. I'm so glad you loved The Heart's Invisible Furies; I don't know what the matter is with that Grinch over at the book cafe!

>100 EBT1002: Love the lists. Yay for The Overstory and The Carrying! A number of your others were top reads for me, too.

I highly recommend Citizen Illegal for a poetry read down the line. It beat out the wonderful The Carrying for me as my best poetry read for the year. Maybe it just hit my sweet spot, but it was so good.

Well, I've caught up with you again. The health concerns which have been monopolizing my thoughts these days are addressed and I think I can settle into a new routine of taking the meds for the high blood pressure and measuring it frequently. This morning I even admitted I felt as if I had a bit more energy. Looking forward to the resolution of all the anticipation for The Big Day, will be spending a good part of it with Niece and her family. New year? Well, I certainly hope with our new property manager that my responsibilities will be lighter and maybe with less time consumption with that I can read more? One can hope! Thanks for your thoughtful review of The Heart's Invisible Furies - seems like a book I'd like to read.

I am glad your are finding your way to a healthy routine taking care of yourself, and settling into a new job!

>103 DeltaQueen50: I'll look forward to your fave-reads list, Judy. I don't think it matters one bit whether they are "old" or "new." You'll notice that one of my top-reads was written well over a century ago! Also, I didn't include Alison Bechdel's Fun Home because I had read it when it was first published. It was still a 5-star read.

>104 BLBera: I'm not at all surprised by our overlap, Beth. You and Kim may be twins but I think I can squeeze myself in there as a partial triplet, in any case. Maybe a step-twin. Ha.

>105 mdoris: Hi Mary. Vivian is a fan of Boyne, that is for sure. I will wait to see what Christmas yields in terms of new books then I will likely set about acquiring more of Boyne's works.

>106 charl08: I hope I can hit you with a book bullet or two, Charlotte. It would be only fair given how dangerous your thread is to my wish list!

Laughing about your suggestion for a smaller duty phone. Since it was purchased by the university, I'll leave it to them to spend money on an upgrade. And, truth be told, I don't mind the occasional forced break from running (I can still walk or ride the stationary bike) along with the forced break from alcohol (not a rule of the university, but one I self-impose).

>107 jessibud2: Sharon Creech is a favorite, Shelley. I believe it was you who introduced me to her and I absolutely love her work.

>108 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. The Heart's Invisible Furies is the only thing I've read by Boyne so far but I will definitely be setting about reading more of his work. Vivian is a huge fan and that is an endorsement I'll take to the bank book shop.

>109 jnwelch: Well, Joe, that Grinch was feeling a bit under the weather and the third sixth of the book did lag a wee bit. But I just loved the book so very much. It's a keeper and I'm usually escorting books out my front door as soon as I finish reading them.

I had originally given The Carrying 4.5 stars but it got upgraded as I was thinking back on my reads of the year. That collection of poems has stayed with me and I will read it again and again. It deserves the highest praise.

Okay, adding Citizen Illegal to the wish list (it may already be there - sometimes I add something to the list and then forget about it).

>110 maggie1944: Karen, my friend, it is so good to hear from you. I'm glad it feels like the health matters are being addressed. I think high blood pressure is one of the hardest things to control. P struggles with it and retirement has not had as much positive impact as we had hoped. Too many other factors, I fear. So she may have to increase her med dosage. Like you, she is trying to train herself to measure her BP regularly at home.

I wish you a less stressful new year after a wonderful holiday with your niece and family! xo

You can be a step-twin any time, Ellen. Like you, I am trying to find the right amount of participation here. I suspect I will be less present next year.

I just finished my last class. Now, just grading to do. There's light.

Find the Light—Reflect the Light—Be the Light

Happy Yule 2018!

141 minutes until my 11-day winter break!!

Enjoy your break, Ellen!

Enjoy, Ellen. I still have some grading to do and then I am right there with you.

>116 BLBera: I felt a wave of sadness when I read that you suspect you'll be less present next year, Beth. AND I know you didn't say you wouldn't be present at all. AND I have certainly been less present this year. And still, I regularly -- I mean regularly -- tell people about LibraryThing and I describe it as my beloved on-line book community, so even when I'm AWOL, my connection to LT and this wonderful group of book-loving friends remains strong and salient. I have this fantasy that if I were retired I could read as much as I want and be as present on LT as I want. I suspect I'm overestimating the free time of a retired person.

Yay for light at the end of the proverbial tunnel!

>117 richardderus: Yes to light, Richard! And thank you for the lovely yuletide/solstice sentiment. xo

>119 jnwelch: Thanks Joe!

>120 BLBera: Home stretch for us both, Beth!

HAPPY WINTER SOLSTICE!!!!!

>123 EBT1002: Ohhhh wooooooow that is gorgeous

>123 EBT1002: Nice!

I suspect I'll lurk more and comment less, Ellen. I still will maintain my thread, just because it helps me track my reading and it's fun, but trying to keep up takes more time than I have right now.

And I always have time for my triplets.:)

I’m sitting in my home, enjoying a first-night-of-vacation cocktail, and listening to the Great Horned Owl who has returned to our yard. Yay!

>100 EBT1002: Looking forward to seeing your final list, Ellen. So nice to see Florida and The Overstory on there. They both could make mine and you know I was also crazy about the Limon collection.

Happy Weekend, my friend and hooray for the returning GHO!

Hoping your holidays are filled with good friends and good books

Hi Ellen!

>70 EBT1002: The Good Place, some of which is on Netflix and I don’t know where the rest is – my husband Bill may be recording what's not on Netflix. It’s very strange and quirky and we love it.

>75 EBT1002: I only give 5 stars if I can say that it’s a Masterpiece and only 5 books in my catalog that have that rating.

>79 EBT1002: I’ve changed my own personal ratings after consideration, but always keep an original rating if I re-read a book and rate it differently. I note the new rating in my thread reviews.

>88 EBT1002: I rarely commit to challenges. So far next year I might host one or two reads, will have 11 RL book club reads once we pick them in January, and will dip into AAC and BAC randomly depending on the author and what’s on my shelves. That's going to be it, I think. Once I say I have to read a book, somehow it magically turns into homework and I stopped liking homework after college. *smile*

>121 EBT1002: And still, I regularly -- I mean regularly -- tell people about LibraryThing and I describe it as my beloved on-line book community, so even when I'm AWOL, my connection to LT and this wonderful group of book-loving friends remains strong and salient. I have this fantasy that if I were retired I could read as much as I want and be as present on LT as I want. I suspect I'm overestimating the free time of a retired person.

Rule #1 for retirement: Practice the word “NO” in anticipation of people thinking all your retirement time is available for their needs. Don’t commit to anything for as long as you want to do nothing except revel in your new-found freedom. For me it was 6 months until I committed to being on the Friends of the Library Board, 18 months before I agreed to be Treasurer. Now I would like to stop being Treasurer in June but suspect that I’ll commit to a third year.

Rule #2 – follow Rule #1.

Enjoy your vacation/holiday time!

>129 karenmarie: I agree with your rules, Karen. I think the key word there is "commit." It's okay to take part in activities that fill your day with things that make you happy, but where you can come and go as you please. My retirement was followed by a relocation and I wanted to get out and meet people, so I started doing a lot of different things (book groups, a film group, and so on). But none of these are commitments like a board position would be. If I don't want to read the book or see the film, then I don't, and there are no consequences. Still, a year into this retirement thing I'm starting to re-evaluate some of those activities and tweak to suit me better. I think that's also part of the process -- realizing you're not making a lifelong commitment and can change things up at any time.

Barring poor health, retirement is great for choosing to do exactly what you think is your preference. I agree it takes some time to settle into knowing that it really is all your choice.

Happy Beginning the Slow Climb Towards Spring, y'all, in the Northern Climes.

>123 EBT1002: Wow! That's beautiful.

Great comments on retirement. I echo giving yourself time at the beginning to just do whatever and settle in. It took me at least a year; my only commitment was working out and going back into the office occasionally to help out (no sweat compared to full time). I haven't increased my LT time, but my reading time has increased some, mostly going to poetry.

Happy Holidays Ellen!

(Or in other words, Happy Christmas, to you and yours!)

Merry Christmas, Ellen. Wishing you and P a relaxing and lovely holiday and some good down time! Best of health in the New Year

Best of the season to you and P, Ellen!

>127 msf59: Hi Mark. Upon consideration, I think >100 EBT1002: is my final list. I'm reading and quite enjoying The Essex Serpent at present so there is some chance it might make the list but the jury is still out.

Yes, we are happy to have the GHO back. Also, today we had a visit from a newby in the yard: a male Downy Woodpecker. I'm so pleased that he found our suet feeder!

I'm watching the Seahawks play the excellent Kansas City football team. To manage my stress levels, I thought I'd check in on LT. The game started well enough but the Hawks missed a field goal and then, having the KC team back on their heels 3rd and 13, they let them get a first down. Grr. Hawks up 7-3 at the start of the 2nd quarter.

>128 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda!

>129 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I will definitely give The Good Place a try while riding the bike. It was one of the series recommended by my younger colleagues. Also, this afternoon I was riding while listening to Pacific and the battery went out (or something) on our very simple stationary bike. The rest of the ride actually went better when I couldn't see how long I had been riding. I knew I wanted to ride until the end of the chapter (on surfing!) so I just rode that out. When I run or walk I don't pay attention to the time during the exercise. There is something important in this discovery. :-)

I'm impressed with how stingy you are with the 5-star rating. I will be watching myself in the coming year to see if I can adjust downwards just a wee bit. And I'm like you on rereads - I never change the rating. I will make note of my reaction if it's different but I figure that original experience shouldn't be overridden by a new experience.

I love your rules for retirement and I can't wait to implement them!

>130 lauralkeet: I agree that Karen's rules for retirement are good ones, Laura. I read aloud to P and she was noting that our move -- right at the time she retired -- has certainly had an impact on her retirement experience. There was so much to be done and I have needed a lot of emotional and logistical support in the first 6 months of my new job. Still, she is starting to look around and think about what she might like to do with some of her free time.

Anyway, as you all know, I'm at least 7 semesters (3.5 years) away from retirement and possibly up to 13 semesters (6.5 years) away, depending on my health and our finances. I'll go to 62 and then take it year by year. Especially given my health challenges and P's being older than me, things would have to be grim for me to work beyond age 65.

>131 maggie1944: We're past the shortest day of the year, Karen. Yay! It snowed today but didn't stick much. Still, it was pretty.

>132 jnwelch: Alright, I'm going to keep all this wonderful retirement advice in mind when I get there, Joe. You all may have to remind me, though, as it's still a few years into the future. I hope LibraryThing is still active and lively when the time comes!

>133 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel!

>134 SandDune: Thanks Rhian!

>135 jessibud2: Thanks so much, Shelley!

>136 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy!

I see that folks are making the annual rounds with holiday greetings. I'm not sure I'll get around to this activity this year but I do plan to check in on folks' threads in the coming week or so.

In case I don't make it official,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ONE AND ALL!!!!

Checking to see if the 75-in-2019 Group has been established yet. It seems not. We still have a week or so. 😀

Have a great holiday, Ellen. Hooray for the Downy Woodpecker. I have not seen many woodpeckers at my suet feeder, the past couple of weeks.

BTW- I am loving The Library Book. A perfect read for book-lovers. Just sayin'...

>143 msf59: Thank you, Mark. I was excited to see that woodpecker! I hope he becomes a regular visitor.

Oh, I have had The Library Book on my wish list for a few weeks now. Waiting to see what happens for Christmas, but certainly plan to acquire it soon after the new year, at least.

Regardless of what happens in this football game, I have ordered a t-shirt with Doug Baldwin's name and number.
Because... Baldwin. And he is so fun to watch.

Have I mentioned that I'm reading and quite enjoying The Essex Serpent? Thank you, Beth, for the recommendation!

>146 EBT1002: You are welcome. Happy holidays to you! Enjoy your break.

>146 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. Congrats on making it to vacation!!! La,la,la...I can't hear you two. Well, at least not until the new year...! Hugs.

Doug Baldwin! Yeah!

Good gravy, somehow I failed to factor the 2019 group into my time management. Hmmm

To Ellen and P, Merry Christmas. May the new year bring health, joy and new adventures.

Here is something for your Christmas tree.

Stopping by to wish you a wonderful season of peace and light and a magical new year!

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

>142 EBT1002: Sooooo... There may be a surprise for everyone here on LT tomorrow. Or the next day if I get lazy. After all, I've got to get the Christmas gumbo made tomorrow, plus there's unwrapping and such...

>155 drneutron: Gumbo and Christmas come first! Whenever you are ready.

I started getting ready for retirement about 6 years before I pulled the pin, Ellen. That was when I thought I would never be able to retire because I was paying support to my ex but I enrolled in a writing course so that I could transition to work that I enjoyed. Things changed and I was able to retire but by then I had my volunteer gigs in place and didn't have to worry as much about making money from writing. I had my Dad as my inspiration because he was involved in the community, had a regular walking club and art group as well as golf buddies and was going strong into his mid 90s. So my advice is to think ahead about what you really want to do and explore some of them before you actually retire. Of course, it helped that I didn't move after I retired so could set things in place before hand.

Have a Happy Holiday Season!

Happy holidays, dear Ellen

Happy Christmas from Santa Mouse and Rudy the Red Shelled Lobster, Ellen!

Seasons Greetings from Singapore! Wishing you and your family joy, peace, good fortune and good health now and in the coming year.

Well, our Chiefs lost to your Seahawks. Yet another year when KC peaked too early…
Beautiful solstice picture upthread.
Enjoy your winter break with P. I hope you got some books for Christmas!

I'm so glad you loved The Heart's Invisible Furies. It's definitely one of my favorites from this year.

Hope you're having a wonderful time on your break.

>147 BLBera: and >148 Berly: I have been enjoying my break although I have had two difficult sleepless nights worrying about work. Sigh.

My sister gave me the book Insomnia by Marina Benjamin for Christmas. I'm interested to read it. It's a nonfiction meditation on nature of sleep, creativity....

>149 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara.

>150 maggie1944: Karen, it was SO great to have Doug Baldwin back on the field for that game against Kansas City! He played well and I think he and Russell have a good chemistry. I ordered a long-sleeved t-shirt with his name and number on it for myself. :-)

>151 richardderus: I have to admit that I've been a bit anxious about the usual start-of-the-year flurry of new threads and manic LT activity, Richard. I am reminding myself that this is still just supposed to be fun. I do what I can do. But I am looking forward to starting my new set of threads. :-)

>163 EBT1002: I'll be interested to hear about the book. Isn't it frustrating when you are awake worrying in a circle that doesn't change anything?

>152 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. I LOVE that little Christmas tree ornament!!!!!

>153 witchyrichy: and >154 ChelleBearss: Thank you so much for the Christmas greetings, Karen and Chelle!

>155 drneutron: Jim, I love love love you. I haven't looked for the new group yet because I thought I should catch up a bit on my thread here. I spent Christmas with family in Seattle and I never did get my laptop out to investigate. I felt like I should, you know, be sociable. :-)

>156 Familyhistorian: "...think ahead about what you really want to do and explore some of them before you actually retire."

That sounds like good advice, Meg. I'm not yet sure what we'll do in terms of location when I am able to retire but just today I asked P to set us up with a financial adviser in town. I want to know what I need to do and think about to be in a financial position to retire. I know she'll say that the longer I work, the more money I'll have put away (duh) and I know that she'll say the more we save now, the better off we'll be later (as in, do you really need to buy more books??) but I do want a sense of what else we could or should be doing. Of course, if I retire before age 65, I know I need money set aside to pay for medical insurance until I'm eligible for Medicare. And in terms of activities, I'm not terribly worried. I have never been a person who tends toward boredom, for which I feel lucky. Still, I think your suggestion to actively think about it and consider getting involved in advance makes tons of sense!

>157 PaulCranswick: Thank you for the sweet sentiments, Paul!

>158 kidzdoc: That may be my favorite Christmas wish image of all, Darryl -- it totally made me smile. Thank you!

>159 humouress: Thank you, Nina!

>160 Donna828: Your Kansas City team still looks strong heading into the playoffs, Donna. That was a good game (which they have not all been) in that both teams played well. And thank you for the Holiday greetings!

>161 SuziQoregon: I am recommending The Heart's Invisible Furies right and left in my real life, Juli. It was definitely one of my top reads of 2018.

>165 banjo123: Yes, Rhonda, I find the insomnia so very frustrating. I'm also worried that I'm worrying so much. I know it's not good for my heart to be anxious in the middle of the night and I really have to figure out how to reduce this aspect of my life. I am doing a pretty good job of eating well, exercising regularly, but the stress management still needs my attention.

I'll read the book my sister gave me sooner rather than later and I'll share its impact.

I am SO excited that the 2019 Group is up and running (thank you, Jim!!) but I'm resisting the impulse to start a new thread quite yet. Perhaps later tonight or tomorrow.

In book news, I read A Christmas Carol aloud before Christmas and I finished The Essex Serpent over the holiday visit to Seattle. I had lots of time with family which precluded much reading or LT-ing but I very much enjoyed The Essex Serpent -- 3.5 stars.

Touchstones not working. Pooh.

I'm reading Death in a Darkening Mist, second in the Lane Winslow series by Iona Whishaw. It's a fun mystery set in British Columbia.

I bought new "grippy" boots today and now it is time to try then out with a walk around the neighborhood. We've had a fair bit of snow and today it's warmed up so it's mostly slushy out.

Ellen, I haven't set up my 2019 thread yet, either. I might do it tomorrow or on NYE...

I hope you had a good Christmas!

And I bought a new chair for my home office today! Yay!!!!

Hi Ellen! Happy holidays!! I am getting ready to host a breakfast brunch for my oldest daughter's Bday tomorrow. Then I will be ready for celebrating the New Year!! Hope you can stop worrying and breath. 2019 is gonna be good. I can feel it. : ) Hugs.

>173 EBT1002: Yay! What's it look like?

>173 EBT1002: yay indeed Ellen.

I'll look forward to your thoughts about the insomnia meditation. I get wakeful nights more than I used to. I'm calling it a phase, and trying to rest and convince myself it is almost as good as sleep. I do most of the things suggested. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

Hooray for the new office chair, Ellen.

>163 EBT1002: I'm another one who is interested in this topic. I had one bad night last week, but since I'm on break, I was able to get a few hours in the morning. I'm also trying to do a better job of my nighttime routine.

I will be watching your thread in 2019.

>174 Berly: Happy Birthday to your eldest "child," Kimmers!! I know she isn't a child any longer but I also know they are always our children, yes?

Thanks for the encouraging words about 2019. I am working on relaxing and breathing. As already mentioned, I got a chair for my home office today and I've acquired some calligraphy pens. Moving toward giving myself permission to explore some creative outlets -- pottery? calligraphy? drawing? Something....

>175 Berly: It's pretty nondescript. Black with a mesh back. Lots of adjustability. I tried about four different chairs and this was the one. I'll post a photo of my home office once I get the chair set up (it's still in its box in the back of the CR-V). I'm liking the prospect of having this space for myself.

>176 Caroline_McElwee: Hi Caroline. I'm okay with general insomnia but the worrying that I've been doing this particular winter break is concerning to me. I know it's not good for my health -- I really do believe the adrenaline associated with stress and anxiety puts strain on one's heart -- and I don't want to spend the last 4-5 years of my working life in this kind of emotional space. It's something for me to work on and I'm indeed doing that. Being in the present, remembering who I am and what I am about, trying to remember that I have options and I can do this, even if it means leaving (i.e., not doing this, at least not here).

>177 BLBera: The insomnia these past few days is less disturbing because, as you say, Beth, I have been able to sleep in a bit in the morning. When I have to start getting up at 5:40am again, it will be difficult. On the other hand, it has commonly been my experience that I stress about work and, once I get to work, the stress and anxiety ease up.

I'm planning to go in to the office for a couple of hours on Monday. It may be counter-intuitive, but I think that couple of hours will enable me to enjoy New Year's Eve with my sweetie and New Year's Day as a final full day off.

Happy Saturday, Ellen. I will probably craft my 2019 thread tomorrow morning. I try not to do it much earlier than that. It can get a little crazy. It does make me elated, that the 75 is still going strong, despite a bit of a drop off this year.

I hope you are enjoying the weekend. Go Bears! Go Seahawks! We may face each other, you know...

>180 msf59: I know, Mark. It's so cool that this group has stayed strong even with a downturn in total posting this past year. I know I am one of those who has posted less but my sense of connection here is still very strong and I would miss this group terribly if we faded away. We can't let that happen!

Go Bears and Go Seahawks! I did not know we might face one another. If so, you know that friendship trumps football. xo

Go Vikes, Ellen. We need to beat the Bears tomorrow!

Vikings rule!!! I am watching after the Bday shenanigans.

Happy End of the Year, Ellen!

Like you, I'm putting off starting my new thread until NYE or NYD. I still have more reviews to write, so hope to get a few of those done.

Ummm - contemplating 2018's best books is a toughie for me. I'll start working on my list.

Also tough is contemplating what challenges I should attempt in 2019. I have a RL book club and a lit seminar. I think I'll join a few of the Category challenges: the TBR challenge, the series challenge and the random challenge. I'll dip in and out of the American authors challenge as well as the NF challenge here in the 75.

ETA: And then, of course there is the PBS/NYT bookclub which I've been enjoying, although I haven't read all the books.

3.5 years or 6.5 years, doesn't matter. The thing is the end is insight!!
I'll also begin my new thread on NYD at which time I'll also open everyone's new threads. It will be like Christmas morning all over again :0)
Enjoy Sunday football!

>183 Berly: Thanks Twin! Ellen, as the third twin, you know what team you should be cheering for, right?

Hi Ellen and happy new year! Like you, I'll be going into the office on Monday for a few hours. It should be very quiet with very few phone calls, so it seems like a good way to get in shape for the year ahead.

I'm so sorry you're insomniac. The few occasions I've had trouble sleeping were worse than surgery in terms of misery caused.

Forevermore, make the thread! Whenever you want to is the "right" time to make a thread.

Arggh. Insomnia. It's a drag when that happens. I hope it passes quickly for you.

Essex Serpent! It's on my tbr (my sister gave it to me), and your enjoyment of it is encouraging. Next year Debbi and I want to making reading off our tbr shelves the priority.

You finally got a desk chair for your office. I hope you are finding it useful. Have a Happy New Year, Ellen.

I'm looking forward to a new year of following your reading, Ellen.

Ellen, Caroline reminded me that you have a Little Free Library. I am thinking of taking up stewardship of one near me and was looking for feedback on whether it was worth attempting to curate the collection at all.

>182 BLBera: and >183 Berly: I fear your Vikes did not have a good day, Beth and Kim. I think they'll be watching the games from their armchairs. The Seahawks squeaked out a last-minute win over the 3-13 Cardinals. It wasn't an auspicious day in the NFL.

>184 streamsong: Hi Janet! Hmm, the PBS/NYT Bookclub, eh? I may have to look into that since I have so few challenges laid out for me in the new year. Haha.

I'm going in to work tomorrow (NYE) so I'll probably start my new thread on New Year's Day while I watch the Huskies play in the Rose Bowl. :-)

>185 Carmenere: I love the idea of starting my new thread and opening others' new threads all on NYD, Lynda. I've been thinking about how to make my threads a bit easier to keep up with in the new year. I still want to keep track of my reading quarter by quarter but I'm going to simplify it a bit. Fewer touchstones, for one thing.

>186 BLBera: I had to use all my football juju on the Seahawks today, Beth! Actually, I couldn't stand it. I left P watching in our basement tv room and went upstairs to read Death in a Darkening Mist which I'm quite enjoying. I think it was better for my heart. :-)

>187 vivians: I expect to get more done in a couple hours at the office tomorrow, Monday, than I do in a normal 10-hour day, Vivian! I hope your day is as peaceful and productive as you are hoping. P and I plan to start with breakfast out, an indulgence we rarely get to enjoy. Monday night it'll be steak and bubbly. And bed by 10pm, most likely. Heh.

>188 richardderus: Thanks for the sympathy, Richard. I was about 8 years old when I first learned that everyone did not take 2-4 hours to go to sleep at night. I'm used to it but it doesn't mean I like it. The kindle does help as it enables me to sit up in the wee hours reading without waking P. It's better than lying in bed feeling anxious. I never feel that anxious once the morning arrives!

>189 jnwelch: Thanks Joe. I do hate the insomnia but I especially hate the waves of anxiety I've been experiencing of late. Thank goodness for the kindle to shift my mental energy!

"Next year Debbi and I want to making reading off our tbr shelves the priority..." LOL. Yes, I have heard that refrain before. I've even said it myself! But, sarcasm aside, I applaud your goal and encourage you toward success! Honestly, I'm going to try to do the same but we'll see how that goes.

>190 Familyhistorian: We put the chair together during the Seahawks game today, Meg, and it looks great in the home office! I haven't yet used it but I think it will give me a good alternative work space. Surrounded by books, too. *smile*

>191 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda! I hope 2019 brings more wonderful reads for all of us!

>192 Oberon: Erik, I just cleaned out my LFL today. It had accumulated a collection of books that seemed to be of interest to no one (including me!). I'm going to put a few more of my excellent books out there tomorrow. I have been disappointed in the quality of books left and the apparent disinterest in books I think are excellent. Perhaps I'm a bit of a reading snob.... In my old Seattle neighborhood there were five LFLs within a 5-block radius of my home. There are several here in Pullman but they seem to be most focused on children's books. The good news about that is that I'm in a community that cares about teaching its children to love reading. The bad news is that I'm less interested and engaged in the sharing that ensues.

I don't know how helpful this is to you. I do see people stopping by my LFL but it's also true that I'm not on a main walking (or driving) thoroughfare. The same people walk by my house day to day and they live in the neighborhood.

Still, I'm hanging in there and will give it at least through next summer before giving up. I hope that summer weather is more conducive to LFL activity.

I'm still reading and enjoying Iona Whishaw's Death in a Darkening Mist, second in the Lane Winslow series set in beautiful British Columbia. I also went for a loooong walk today while listening to a chapter of Simon Winchester's Pacific. I have 2 hours left in that one so I hope to find two hours to listen before midnight tomorrow.

Tomorrow, the last day of 2018, I will go into the office for a few hours. Then home for steaks and bubbly, an early night (I never stay up until midnight anymore). On Tuesday I'll start my new thread for the new year while I watch the Rose Bowl. If I still worked at UW, I'd probably be in Pasadena right now....

Our Great Horned Owl has returned to the trees behind our house and the weather is turning cold and clear. So many stars!

>196 EBT1002: That is helpful Ellen. I dropped off my two books today but didn't remove anything. I feel like that is the next step. I would probably consider myself a reading snob too and I expect I will be disappointed in the effort but we will see.

>198 Oberon: I hope it goes well, Erik. I'll check in on your thread now and then to see how it's going. I was such an avid "participant" with the LFLs in my former neighborhood. I remain optimistic. :-)

Good luck at work tomorrow. I am eagerly awaiting your new thread!!

>200 Berly: Me too, what she said.

Hoping your couple of hours of work today does the trick of settling your "nervous" bones down. And that your New Years Eve is all you want it to be, and none of what you don't want (noise).

Last year, Gretchen and I fell to sleep before midnight and did not wake until morning. I'm hoping for a repeat!

I'm going to go look for the new threads for 2019.

Hi Ellen!



Wishing you a new year filled with joy, happiness, laughter, and all the wonderful books you could wish for.

Happy New Year's Eve!!

86. Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers by Simon Winchester


I listened to this on Audible, narrated by the author. It was fascinating. The author wanders afield but that is part of the charm: in a chapter about geosynthesis, I also learned about the history of exploration of the Pacific Ocean's floor and the role of coral in monitoring the earth's climate change. Highly recommended.

>200 Berly: and >201 BLBera: Thanks Kim and Beth! I had a good day. My three hours at work helped alleviate my anxiety, I had a good walk home listening to Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers by Simon Winchester, and I watched some football. I'm cheering for all Pac-12 teams. P grilled steaks for dinner and we had French 75s (better than "straight" bubbly). I still have a few hours and I'm deciding whether to finish Death in a Darkening Mist or finish it tomorrow for my first completed book of 2019. Probably the latter....

>202 maggie1944: Hi Karen! Happy New Year! We will definitely be in bed and hopefully asleep long before midnight but I wouldn't be surprised if this is a town and neighborhood in which we are awakened at midnight -- I expect banging of pots and pans, bottle rockets and firecrackers, and general hoots of welcome for the new year. As long as I can get back to sleep, and given that I don't have to work tomorrow, it will all be fine.

>203 thornton37814: and >204 karenmarie: and >205 Berly: Thank you for the new year wishes, Lori and Karen and Kim!

I wish you from my heart a healthy 2019 filled with happiness, satisfaction, laughter and lots of good books.

>195 EBT1002:

If you can tolerate mild amounts of an opiate (or cut tablet in half) AND can still find a doctor who hasn't leaped on the anti-opiate bandwagon,
my doctor recently prescribed a brief regime of Lorazepam .5 for insomnia plus anxiety. OTC Benadryl also has a slight sedative effect.

Maybe if you took photos of LFL and placed them in groceries, library, etc., with a note on location and that more adult fiction and NF welcome, attention would result?