Chelle Reads in 2021: Thread #1

Welcome to my 2021 thread! I have decided to try for another year of 150 books and to do the Pop Sugar Challenge as well as the The 52 Book Club’s 2021 Challenge.

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For those that don't know me I am Chelle from Ontario, Canada. Late 30's, wife, mother of two busy girls and a police dispatcher. Hubby is an officer and between our two shift work schedules we share in all duties of house and children. I read at work when it is slow and after our daughters are in bed or playing quietly.
My reading ebbs and flows pretty badly at times. Some years I have read as low as 36 books and in 2020 I hit 150 for the first time. I tend to read heavily in the first half of the year and Autumn usually brings a pretty big reading funk.

Books read in 2020: 155

〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️〰️
Currently Reading:


Print 📗:


Audio 🎧:


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✨Finished Reading✨
January
1) Elsewhere by Dean Koontz
2) Who Is Vera Kelly by Rosalie Knecht
3) Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
4) Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
5) Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay
6) The Secret Place by Tana French
7) The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
8) Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince by Nancy Atherton
🎧9) The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
10) The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
11) The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
12) The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths
13) Wolfsong by TJ Klune
14) The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
🎧15) Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem
16) The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien
17) Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield
18) The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

February

Finished in 2021


Book Bullets that I've been hit with in 2021!
Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart (Berly)
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (Calm)
The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (Katie)
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala (Book riot - May 2021)
Lore by Alexandra Bracken (Book riot)
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (Book Riot - June 2021)
Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi (Book Riot)
Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls (Karen & Richard, via Katie's thread)
If We Were Villains by M. L. Rio (Insta: @meesh_made)
One Blood Ruby by Melissa Marr (Insta: @bookishdreamer61)
See Her Die by Melinda Leigh (Book Riot)
Siracusa by Delia Ephron (Katie)
The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewel (Katie)
The Thursday Murder Club (John)

Audio Books Read in 2021: (Goal is 2 per month=24 )
🎧1) The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
🎧2) Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem

2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge



1) A book that's published in 2021
2) An Afrofuturist book
3) A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover - The No.1 Ladies Decetive Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (spade)
4) A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign - The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Taurus)
5) A dark academia book
6) A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title
7) A book where the main character works at your current or dream job
8) A book that has won the Women's Prize For Fiction
9) A book with a family tree
10) A bestseller from the 1990s
11) A book about forgetting
12) A book you have seen on someone's bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)
13) A locked-room mystery - The Secret Place by Tana French
14) A book set in a restaurant
15) A book with a black-and-white cover
16) A book by an Indigenous author
17) A book that has the same title as a song
18) A book about a subject you are passionate about
19) A book that discusses body positivity
20) A book found on a Black Lives Matter reading list
21) A genre hybrid - Wolfsong by TJ Klune (paranormal romance)
22) A book set mostly or entirely outdoors - The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
23) A book with something broken on the cover
24) A book by a Muslim American author
25) A book that was published anonymously
26) A book with an oxymoron in the title
27) A book about do-overs or fresh starts - Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem
28) A magical realism book - Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield
29) A book set in multiple countries - Who Is Vera Kelly by Rosalie Knecht(American & Argentina)
30) A book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021
31) A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
32) A book whose title starts with "Q," "X," or "Z"
33) A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child)
34) A book about a social justice issue
35) A book in a different format than what you normally read - The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (ebook ARC)
36) A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads - Elsewhere by Dean Koontz
37) A book you think your best friend would like
38) A book about art or an artist
39) A book everyone seems to have read but you
40) Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

Advanced
41) The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list
42) The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
43) The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover
44) The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
45) The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
46) A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn't
47) A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing
48) A book from your TBR list chosen at random
49) A DNF book from your TBR list - Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
50) A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library)

*Finished in January*
29) A book set in multiple countries - Who Is Vera Kelly by Rosalie Knecht(American & Argentina)
36) A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads - Elsewhere by Dean Koontz
49) A DNF book from your TBR list - Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay
13) A locked-room mystery - The Secret Place by Tana French
4) A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign - The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Taurus)
35) A book in a different format than what you normally read - The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths (ebook ARC)
21) A genre hybrid - Wolfsong by TJ Klune (paranormal romance)
22) A book set mostly or entirely outdoors - The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw
27) A book about do-overs or fresh starts - Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem
28) A magical realism book- Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield
3) A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover - The No.1 Ladies Decetive Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Ideas for prompts

1) A book that's published in 2021
No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull
Later by Stephen King

2) An Afrofuturist book
My Soul to Keep by Tanarive Due
Dawn by Octavia E Butler

5) A dark academia book
If We Were Villans by ML Rio
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Viscious by VE Schwab
Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

6) A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
A Study in Emerald by Neil Gaiman

7) A book where the main character works at your current or dream job
(Librarian) The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai
The Midnight Library

8) A book that has won the Women's Prize For Fiction

2003 Property Valerie Martin
2008 The Road Home Rose Tremain
2009 Home Marilynne Robinson
2016 The Glorious Heresies Lisa McInerney
2018 Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
*2020 Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell

9) A book with a family tree

Aunt Dimity and the Family Tree by Nancy Atherton
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
The House We Grew Up In by Lisa Jewell
The Mirror & the Light by Hilary Mantel

10) A bestseller from the 1990s
Paradise by Toni Morrison
reread of Scarpetta or Bosch first book

11) A book about forgetting
Recursion by Blake Crouch
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Restart by Gordon Korman

12) A book you have seen on someone's bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)

14) A book set in a restaurant
The Dinner List by Rebecca Serle

15) A book with a black-and-white cover
Miss Peregrine series

16) A book by an Indigenous author
Louise Erdich?

17) A book that has the same title as a song
Vicious (Villains, #1) by V.E. Schwab

18) A book about a subject you are passionate about

19) A book that discusses body positivity

20) A book found on a Black Lives Matter reading list
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

23) A book with something broken on the cover
Pieces of Her by Karin Slaughter
Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
The Big Over Easy (Nursery Crime #1) by Jasper Fforde
The Invention of Sound by Chuck Palahniuk
Restart by Gordon Korman

24) A book by a Muslim American author

25) A book that was published anonymously
The Whisper Man by Alex North

26) A book with an oxymoron in the title
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

29) A book set in multiple countries

30) A book set somewhere you'd like to visit in 2021
Nowhere Is a Place by Bernice L. McFadden

31) A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

32) A book whose title starts with "Q," "X," or "Z"
Zone One by Colson Whitehead
The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
The Queen of the Damned by Anne Rice
The Queen of Hearts by Kimmery Martin

33) A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child)
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
The House by the River by Lena Manta

34) A book about a social justice issue
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

37) A book you think your best friend would like
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly

38) A book about art or an artist
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (own)
Still Life reread

39) A book everyone seems to have read but you
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) by Martha Wells
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

40) Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

Advanced
41) The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list
The Witching Hour by Anne Rice (1056)

42) The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

43) The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover
Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

44) The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
No Time for Goodbye by Harlen Coben

45) The book that's been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
The Magician King by Lev Grossman

46) A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn't
Throne of Glass by Sarah J Mass
Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

47) A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing
My Famous Evening: Nova Scotia Sojourns, Diaries, and Preoccupations (Living in NS, gifted by CEE)

48) A book from your TBR list chosen at random

50) A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library)
The Secret Place by Tana French

The 52 Book Club 2021 Challenge



✔️Jan 4-10 ~ 1. Set in a school ~ The Secret Place by Tana French
✔️Jan 11-17 ~2. Featuring the legal profession ~ The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
✔️Jan 18-24 ~3. A dual timeline ~ The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell
✔️Jan 25-31 ~4. An author that is deceased ~ The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

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Feb 1-7 5. Published by Penguin

Feb 8-14 6. A character with the same name as a male family member

Feb 15-21 7. An author with only 1 published book

Feb 22-28 8. A book in the 900’s of the Dewey Decimal System

Mar 1-7 9. Set in a Mediterranean country

Mar 8-14 10. Related to the word “fire”

Mar 15-21 11. Book with discussion questions inside

Mar 22-28 12. Title starting with the letter “D”

Mar 29-Apr4 13. Includes an exotic animal

April 5-11 14. Written by an author over 65 (when published)

Apr 12-18 15. A book mentioned in another book

Apr 19-25 16. Set before the 17th Century

Apr 26-May2 17. A character “on the run”

May 3-9 18. Author with a 9-letter last name

May 10-16 19. Book with a deckled edge

May 17-23 20. Made into a TV series

May 24-30 21. Book by Kristin Hannah

May 31-June 6 22. A family saga

June 7-13 23. An ending that surprises you

June 14-20 24. A book you think they should read in schools

June 21-27 25. A book with multiple character POV

June 28-July 4 26. An author of color

July 5-11 27. First chapter ends on an odd page number

July 12-18 28. Includes an historical event you know little about

July 19-25 29. Featuring the environment

July 26-Aug 1 30. Watch out for dragons!

Aug 2-8 31. Book that shares a similar title to another book

Aug 9-15 32. A character who is selfish

Aug 16-22 33. Featuring adoption

Aug 23-29 34. A book you’d rate 5 stars

Aug 30-Sept5 35. Set in a country that starts with the letter “S”

Sept 6-12 36. A nameless narrator

Sept 13-19 37. An educational read

Sept 20-26 38. Recommended on BookBub

Sept 27-Oct 3 39. An alternate history novel

Oct 4-10 40. Found via #bookstagram

Oct 11-17 41. An endorsement by a famous author on the cover

Oct 18-24 42. An epistolary

Oct 25-31 43. A character with a pet cat

Nov 1-7 44. Includes a garden

Nov 8-14 45. A coming of age novel

Nov 15-21 46. Winner of the National Book Award – any year

Nov 22-28 47. A character with a disability

Nov 29-Dec5 48. A cover with a woman who is facing away

Dec 6-12 49. A book with a flavour in the title

Dec 13-19 50. A book with a shoe on the cover

Dec 20-26 51. Published in 2021

Dec 27-31 52. Re-do one of the previous 51 categories from this 2021 challenge

Hi there, Chelle! *Waves*

Chelle good gravy woman please please slow down
*pantpantgaspgasp
I'm already undone and it's not even the first!!
*whew*
I hope all the challenges work exactly as you hope.

Lovely to see you back for another year with your gorgeous girls too. xx

Happy new thread, and happy reading. Have fun with those two challenges!

Hi Chelle, Happy New Thread and i look forward to dropping by during 2021 dear friend.

>4 ChelleBearss:
I'm also planning my Popsugar reading challenge.

Hi Chelle, I see you found a very interesting challenge with The 52 Book Club, I briefly thought about switching from my Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge but decided to stick with it as I had already decided on a number of books for it. Looking forward to following along in 2021.

Dropping a star, Chelle!

Welcome back! Hope your year is filled with good reads.

Huh. I see I starred your thread and forgot to say hello. I am mightily tempted by that PopSugar challenge and printed out a copy for myself. Your short lists of candidates for categories are great! I even have some of them myself, or at least on my list of future reading. Good luck with your reading challenges in 2021!

>5 ChelleBearss: this year I am thinking of keeping track of books in which other books are mentioned. Someone here on LT used to do that, and I thought it was cool!
Happy new year/new thread :)

Happy almost 2021, Chelle!

Best wishes for a better 2021!

Hi Chelle! Good to see you in 2021 (almost). As usual, I made a list of books for the Popsugar challenge, but I have decided to focus on reading books I own this year.

Good luck on 150. I'm going to have to include a LOT of graphic novels and board books to reach 75.

Nice picture of the girls.

Happy New Thread, Chelle. Happy New Year! Glad we are turning the page on that one. I love those precious toppers. That is a nice photo of you.

Happy New Year, folks!

Thank you to everyone that joins me in 2021! I go into this year with no expectations, just hoping we all stay healthy and happy.

>6 katiekrug: You're first!! Welcome :)

>7 richardderus: Ha! Thanks! I may give up on one, or both, but I'm going to try. Hoping a bunch will work for both challenges. Gives me a chance to force myself out of my mystery comfort zone.

>8 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I always start the year with good intensions and then fail miserably part way into the year

>9 EllaTim: Thanks! I hope they don't end up being too much :)

>10 johnsimpson: Thanks for visiting, John! Hope you and Karen have a good 2021!

>11 Deedledee: I'll have to pop by and see what you're doing with yours! Share some prompt ideas

>12 DeltaQueen50: Thanks! Katie found this one and it looked pretty interesting to me. Hopefully I can complete both

>13 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! :)

>14 thornton37814: Thanks, you as well! January is usually a pretty good reading month for me because I avoid the outdoors in the winter :)

Happy new thread, Chelle! Hope you have a great lockdown NYE with your family.

>15 justchris: You should give it a shot! I've done it the last couple years and enjoyed it

>16 LovingLit: That's a good idea! I think that was one of the pop sugar prompts in the last couple years and I struggled with it. This year I need to find one from someone's book shelf, like from a movie scene or someone online. Could be challenging

>17 AMQS: Thanks! Happy almost 2021 to you as well!

>18 DianaNL: It can only get better, right!

>19 The_Hibernator: Could you do the challenge and still focus on your TBR? Would you have enough books to work through the list without borrowing too many? I've been buying less books over the last few years so my TBR list is quite small. I tend to buy my books online and read them as soon as they arrive.

>20 msf59: Thanks! I don't take many photos of myself! Hope you have a great 2021!

>24 MickyFine: Thanks, you as well! We are just hanging out and eating left over Thai and potato chips

Happy new year, Chelle! Wishing you and yours a delightful 2021!

Happy Reading in 2021!! The 52 books in 52 Weeks challenge is intriguing. I have the best intentions on challenges, but I can not structure my reading that well. I may give it a go though!

Happy reading in 2021, Chelle!

Happy New Year Chelle. I'm looking forward to following your reading and your darling daughters through 2021.

And keep up with my friends here, Chelle. Have a great 2021.

Happy New Year Chelle!

So many challenges!! I am intimidated. Good thing I already know and like you or I might run away. LOL. Here's wishing you a wonderful 2021, filled with fun and books!

Wishing you a happy 2021, Chelle.

Fun to see the list for the challenges you are following - I had to look up "dark academia" as I was intrigued.

Happy New Year!

Today I start a weekend of nightshift and the girls will be at their grandparents. The house will feel so quiet but I might manage to get some after Christmas cleanup finished between shifts. I'd like to take the tree down and find a nice box to keep the homemade ornaments that the girls made this year
This was their wonderfully tacky tree they the decorated completely by themselves.



>27 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda! Hope 2021 is kind to you

>28 jayde1599: Welcome, Jess! I find that if I let myself have as many random reads as I want, they can often be fit into the challenges at the beginning. Only some prompts really have to be planned because they are very specific.

>29 FAMeulstee: thanks, you as well!

>30 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks! My darlings are currently running around the house trying to ride each other like horses. Fun times.

>31 PaulCranswick: That is good list! Hope 2021 is kind to you!

>32 SandDune: Happy New Year, Rhian!

>33 Berly: Ha! It's only a few challenges, but glad to hear you already like me and will stick around ;p
Hope 2021 is kind to you!

>34 charl08: Happy New Year, Charlotte! I had to look up a few from that list and get suggestions from the goodreads group. Turns out I've read "afrofuturism" before and didn't realize it!

Happy new year and new thread, Chelle. And good luck with your goals!

Aw, I love that they got to decorate a whole tree by themselves! What a great idea! You're such a fun momma.

Happy new year! Lovely picture of the girls and the tree!

Happy New Year, Chelle. Your girls are adorable!

Hi Chelle! Happy New Year.

Good luck with all your challenges.

>35 ChelleBearss: I love the tree and the girls look so happy.

Happy New Year to you Chelle and your beautiful girls (hubby too, of course).

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge: 36) A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Goodreads
1) Elsewhere by Dean Koontz

>38 jessibud2: Thanks! Hopefully I don't get bored or annoyed with them

>39 scaifea: Well, it's perhaps a little bit fun mama, and a little bit depressed and lazy and easily gave in when they asked. *shrug* it's covid year, anything goes really.

>40 The_Hibernator: Thanks! Happy New Year to you!

>41 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! The little monsters are pretty cute, most days

>42 karenmarie: Thanks! They were very proud of their craft tree. Chloe adores all things arts and crafts and Ellie loves cutting up paper lol

>43 brenzi: Thanks, Bonnie! Hope 2021 is kind to you!

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

Happy New Year Chelle! Your girls are growing up so fast!

>47 ronincats: Welcome, Roni! Hope 2021 is kind to you!

>48 norabelle414: Glad to see you around, Nora! They are growing like weeds, but, like, good weeds ;-p

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge: 29) A book set in multiple countries (American & Argentina)
2) Who Is Vera Kelly by Rosalie Knecht

>35 ChelleBearss: What a darling scene! I love the matching plaids and paper chains. Can't go wrong with either of those.

Oh wow, SO MANY CHALLENGES!!! I'm intrigued and impressed. And a little intimidated. But mostly interested? How many more "i-" words can I use? Innumerable.

...unlike the amount of books you read last year, those were definitely numerable. And inspiring!

Interesting. There are Dean Koontz novels that have that few reviews? I thought he was a relatively popular writer.

Hi Chelle! My but your girls are growing into such beautiful children! I imagine it took a lot of time to post all the book covers of those you read in 2020! It is a stunning way to introduce your thread!

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge: 49) A DNF book from your TBR list (DNF audio)
3) Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

I tried this on audio a few times and could not make myself get into it. Switched to ebook and waited a couple years and I am finally enjoying the series.

>51 justchris: Thanks! We forgot to do their Christmas picture on Christmas day because, well, chaos. So that was taken a few days ago :)

>52 dk_phoenix: Ha! Some people spent Covid lockdown binge watching Tiger King and many others, I spent mine reading while Disney movies played in the background for the kids lol

>53 The_Hibernator: I think he still is. This book was released on October and goodreads has just over 600 reviews so far. I'm sure it will get many more as more people read it.

>54 Whisper1: Thanks! That's actually a LT feature. Instead of showing list under "your books" if you select cover it will show it like that and then I just took a screen shot :)

>4 ChelleBearss: i love how there is an 'advanced' section in the Popsugar reading challenge :)

I guess the books mentioned in another book is something I would keep track of as I went....just noting them. It would be hard to plan ahead with I think.

Morning, folks
First day of virtual learning here, ugh. I thought I'd get a start on the day and set my alarm for 645 thinking I would get 45 mins of quiet before the chaos started. Of course, Ellie decided to wake up five Minutes before my alarm instead.
Chloe is just getting up now though, so at least she got some decent sleep before her full day of google school classes.

>57 LovingLit: LOL I guess 40 & 10 prompts is less terrifying than 50 for some. I have a couple friends at work that are going to try it but can't read 50 books a year so they are just going to do as many as they can fit in.

4) Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay

I've finally gotten into this series after having it languish on my TBR for years. I loved the show so much and I'm now really enjoying the books, although they are a bit different than the series.

>58 ChelleBearss: Good luck to Chloe *and* you on the first day of virtual classes!

>59 ChelleBearss: I tried watching the show a few years ago, but it was too dark for my wimpy nature. I wonder if I'd like the books better? I do like the idea behind the story...

>60 scaifea: Thanks! Twenty more minutes until the google link is live and Chloe is sitting here vibrating while she waits. She is slightly excited.

The books are quick and easy reads, and is slightly gory but not as bad as the show was.

>61 ChelleBearss: Woot! I hope she enjoys online school. It definitely agrees with Charlie, and we're so grateful for that.

Good to know about the Dexter books - I think I'll add the first one to my list, then, and give it a go. Thanks!!

Switching formats can be the key to switching opinions about a series, can't it. I wasn't at all swept into George Alec Effinger's Marîd Audran SF novels in tree-book form, but *gobbled* them in ebook form. I was always impressed by his writing, just not eagerly fanning pages; that format switch was all it took!

Oh, well of course there's the whole "different-time-of-life" thing too.

Happy distance-learning experience *whammy*s for you.

>61 ChelleBearss:
I found the opposite. I read Darkly Dreaming Dexter and thought it was so much more gory than the show. Being inside Dexter's head while he dissected a "bad guy" was pretty off-putting.

I read the first few Dexter books. They weren't bad. But not good enough to read the whole series.

>62 scaifea: She did well. Managed to make it to every class session and got the independent work done too. Less than half her class was online at any point

>63 richardderus: Absolutely. I am *very* fussy when it comes to audiobook narrators so that was most likely the problem for me in this instance.
Thanks for the whammys! It went well but now she is a Chloe-like zombie on the couch. Bed early me thinks.

>64 Deedledee: I guess when it comes to the thoughts that he has, yeah it's pretty intense at some points, but you don't really get the whole gore and visual that you got with the show. It's still a psycho describing himself murdering people though, so there is going to be some yuck involved lol

>65 The_Hibernator: Sorry that you didn't love them. I'm on book three and pretty sure I'm going to work my way through the series, and then probably rewatch the shows.

>63 richardderus: Never heard of that series, Richard! Glancing at the info online, I see it's because it's cyberpunk, and I only ever dabbled in that subgenre in its very early days. In fact, I just picked up a thrift store copy of Neuromancer out of nostalgia.

>59 ChelleBearss: I know about the show because I had plenty of friends who really enjoyed it. Have thought about watching it or reading the books, but mixed feelings. I read Red Dragon not long after it came out because Silence of the Lambs was such an exceptionally well done movie. But I did not like Hannibal Lecter and did not enjoy the story being centered on him and his inner life. I much prefer Alice Sebold's philosophy when talking about writing about serial killer murders in the The Lovely Bones.

A long time back I read a couple of stories featuring an FBI agent who specialized in hunting down serial killers and was in fact a serial killer himself who targeted others like him, but that didn't come out until maybe the end of the second book. They were interesting stories, and I wish I could remember title, or author, or character names, or anything specific, really, beyond the gist of each plot. But given how serial killers have been glorified/glamorized in pop culture, it's hard to do a tag search that would lead me to them.

Happy Wednesday, folks!
I'm off work for two more days and hoping to just relax a bit today between the usual childminding, jogging, cleaning, and virtual schooling. Chloe is on day two of four virtual days and yesterday went well. She was exhausted by the end of the school day. Funny how sitting in a chair looking at the computer could be more tiring than running around at school. Odd, that.

>67 justchris: If you didn't like Hannibal you probably wouldn't like Dexter much. Dexter has a bit of a sense of humour so the books are a touch lighter fare than the Hannibal books are, but it's still in the mind of a psycho serial killer.

You're correct that murder stories, either from the side of police or killer, are incredibly popular. I've tried to branch out a bit from the years of strictly reading police mysteries and joining LT really helped me start reading different, and more interesting, genres.

Morning, Chelle! I loved your description of Chloe yesterday: "Twenty more minutes until the google link is live and Chloe is sitting here vibrating while she waits."

>69 Crazymamie: Ha! I couldn't have described her any better. I could actually see her little body twitching with excitement.
She is excited again today and has already gone over the timetable and started thinking about her journal entry and is currently working on her math sheets while she watches TV with Ellie.

Happy New Year Chelle. Your girls are shooting up :)

Morning, Chelle! Enjoy your off-work days! I hope you can find some of that relaxing time in between all the adulting duties. (Ugh.)

Happy New Year, Chelle.

You have two of the cutest girls on the planet. The photos you post always make me smile.

Congrats on 150 books in 2020. That's awesome, particularly while working full time and raising two young 'uns.

>68 ChelleBearss: Oh, I am a big fan of mysteries, and they are vastly murder mysteries. I make a distinction between run-of-the-mill violent death as the story prompt vs serial killings in particular. And yes, I understand that Dexter has far more humor than Hannibal--that's why I'm on the fence about it. I tend to lean toward historical murder mysteries.

I'm not particularly enamored of egregious or gratuitous violence against women in storytelling either, which is why I'm never going to experience the Game of Thrones franchise, or Girl with a Dragon Tattoo or any of those other very popular stories that people rave about. I'm okay with missing that part of pop culture.

Enjoy your time off work! Wishing Chloe good luck with the on-line classes!! And congrats on book #4 already.

Happy Thursday Chelle!

How nice that Chloe is excited about her remote learning!

Happy Friday, friends!

I am at work for the start of my five days. My goal is 2-3 books this weekend as our winter at work is usually slower so I can often get more reading done. I'm taking part of the group readathon this weekend too.

Our government announced yesterday that the kids won't be going back to school on Monday and instead will virtual school for another two weeks. Our daily covid cases in Ontario has increased too much to risk sending the kids back. Thankfully my in-laws are able to help a couple days a week and are willing to do the virtual school at their house when I am on nightshift. Hoping people stay home and our case counts start dropping, but I won't hold my breath!

>71 calm: Growing like little weeds! :)

>72 scaifea: Not a lot of relaxing was done until the kids went to bed. I tried to meal prep a health noodle salad and it turned out disgusting. So I have leftovers for lunch today

>73 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! Most days they are adorable, some days I could sell them to the circus! Homeschooling with Ellie around has not gone well so far lol

>74 justchris: I'm glad that you've found some genres that you love and know the ones you dislike and can avoid.

>75 Berly: Thanks! Virtual is going better this time around as the teacher is online actually teaching them this time. I only have to hover and assist as needed

>76 The_Hibernator: Happy Friday, Rachel!

>77 RebaRelishesReading: It is very cute how happy she is to be back in school, whatever it looks like right now. And I love seeing her interact with the teacher and show us her work.

5) Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay

For the Gilmore Girls lovers in the group check out the Rory Gilmore Reading list. I've apparently read 60 of the 300+ novels mentioned in the show
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/148497-the-rory-gilmore-reading-challenge

Happy Saturday, Chelle. Good luck at work and enjoy as much reading as you can.

Hi Chelle! I had this long response about your kids changing to virtual, but then I stressed myself out just thinking about it. I'm getting burnt out. So instead I'll just say "hi!"

>81 ChelleBearss: I have read 83 of them, Chelle.

Sorry about the disgusting noodle salad.

>81 ChelleBearss: 150 for me!

>85 scaifea: Whoa!

I have read 92 of the GG list. I really need to rewatch the series because while I remember some references, 408 it a lot of books mentioned!!

Our school planned to go virtual this past week just as precaution. I am glad they did because the nurse reported 5 active cases and 14 close contacts over the holiday break. We are expecting to go in-person next week

>81 ChelleBearss: I went through the first 15-20% of the books and hadn't even heard of a lot of them! So I am guessing that my percentage would be less than yours.

I haven't gone through the Rory list recently, but I was around 80 at the time that I went through it several years ago.

>82 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Finished two books, one was almost finished already though. Not a terrible reading weekend :0

>83 The_Hibernator: ha you're cute. Don't stress about our virtual school, it's actually going pretty great! Chloe loves it and has mastered the computer so I don't need to be hovering around her the whole time

>84 Crazymamie: That's a pretty respectable number! There are A LOT of books on that list

>85 scaifea: That doesn't surprised me one bit! lol

>86 Crazymamie: Right!?

>87 jayde1599: That's a decent number too! it's crazy how fast this virus is taking over areas that are not being careful. Ontario is getting worse and I can see them keep the kids home for months.

>88 LovingLit: There are a lot of classics on that list. Some of them I read in school and others I have no intension of reading lol

>89 The_Hibernator: Was that before the Netflix remake? There are a few more on the list now that were mentioned in that part of the series.

I never followed the GG, but the list is interesting. about 130 for me - I lost count. And many of the ones I didn't read are sitting on my shelves. Adding the other lists you have (PopSugar, etc), I could read from them for the next four years, I think!

Hi Chelle! Happy New Year and what a lovely picture of your adorable daughters to open your first thread of 2021! I think your idea to enter 2021 with no expectations beyond hopes for health and happiness is great idea. Happy to see the first day of virtual classes for Chloe went well and that she continues to be excited about it.

>93 ChelleBearss: Funny thing is I don't remember what was so stressful about the school. I think I'm just stressed about politics.

Happy New Year, Chelle, and WHO ARE THOSE GROWN UP LOOKING GIRLS IN >1 ChelleBearss:?? Wow, they are getting so big. I hope you all have a wonderful year.

Hi Chelle!

I hope Chloe is doing okay with the constantly changing school environment - home-schooling then in school then home-schooling. It is so good that your in-laws can help out.

52 Book Club 2021 Challenge:2. Featuring the legal profession
7) The Law of Innocence by Micheal Connelly

Still love Michael Connelly's books. I've been reading him since my teens and will read him until he stops writing!

Being part of emergency services, Chelle, I doubt the stay at home order for Ontario changed your life much but hope you're keeping well anyway.

>94 ffortsa: Ha! Yes, there are lots of options to keep us busy for a long time!

>95 lkernagh: Happy new year, Lori! How is your area doing these days? Ontario has a lockdown Stay at Home order starting Thursday. (which is what we've been doing anyway lol)

>96 The_Hibernator: I can see why politics would be a stressor right now. Ooof.

>97 AMQS: Right! They are growing like weeds. Chloe has discovered her independence, so yeah that's going great lol

>98 karenmarie: Thanks, she seems to be doing ok and much better than some kids in the class. I am very lucky that she likes school and loves her teacher and wants to be online. Some of her friends (and their parents) are struggling with the new version of school. Ontario just got put on a stay at home order, so I really don't see the kids going back to school before March.

>100 MickyFine: Nope, doesn't change anything for us. Kids can still go to my inlaws for babysitting as they are under 5 people. Our stay at home orders are a joke and pretty much everything is still open. I don't see anything changing

>102 ChelleBearss: The lockdown has helped a bit with our daily case numbers here but like in Ontario the hospitalization rates are still bad. Have they opened field hospitals out there? They were prepping one each in Edmonton and Calgary but haven't shifted patients there yet last I'd heard.

The scary part of the pandemic is the three new variant viruses that are so very much more contagious. I live among people who don't get that lethality ≠ transmissibility but that more infections = more deaths. Lots of mask-refuseniks and 45ers, depressingly.

I'm actually glad to be a hermit sometimes.

Ah! Refusniks! Ah! 45ers!
*panics and flees to NZ*
:)

>103 MickyFine: They have a field hospital prepared in London from the spring/summer lockdown but haven't had to officially open it yet. Lots of hospitals in the Toronto area are in a rush now to construct field hospitals. The issue is we don't have enough staff to nurse them. I'm not sure what their plan is as the nursing staff they have at most city hospitals are already being pushed past what a normal person's limit should be.

>104 richardderus: We have some of those types of dorks here too. We had a call at hotel last night at work for a guy threatening to get staff fired for trying to enforce masks and covid rules. Police attended and had strong words with him about his idiotic behaviour. I wish we charged more people than we actually do though. I understand some people aren't bright and need reminding or warnings and taught what is required, but the nasty ones that know better and still refuse should be charged more.

>105 LovingLit: HAHA can I come too?! Do you even have ANY cases there?

>105 LovingLit: TAKE ME WITH YOU!!!!

>106 ChelleBearss: I completely concur, Chelle. The aggressively stupid and belligerent ones need to be arrested and charged with reckless endangerment, then fined heavily or subject to trial...while sitting unmasked in a jail cell.

>106 ChelleBearss: There's the same question here about staffing if they open them. Some speculation that they might bring in the military to staff them but who knows.

>107 richardderus: We have a pastor in a small town nearby that has been causing lots of issues with refusing the follow lockdown guidelines for how he can preach. He isn't satisfied with the way EVERY OTHER CHURCH in the province is either live streaming or hosting parking lot services with people staying in their vehicles to listen over stereo. He has been having mass gatherings and set up officers to walk into a 100 people+ protest by asking them to come to the church to serve his court summons there. I hope he ends up with jail time for the issues he is causing in an already troubling time.

>108 MickyFine: I believe the military was brought in to some of our nursing homes that had large breakouts and not enough staff left healthy.

>109 ChelleBearss: Prison. Soon.

>102 ChelleBearss: - Right, Chelle, re the new *restrictions*. I was watching Global News on tv and Ford looks like he's making things up on the fly. Medical professionals are saying they would love to see the new rules so they can make recommendations, law enforcement officers have come right out and said they don't know about enforcement as they have received no concrete instructions or direction. You are right to say it's all a big joke. And Walmart and Costco remain open. Why is anyone surprised that our number are sky high and hospitals are overwhelmed. Ford's lack of leadership is such an insult to front line workers, especially those in hospitals and senior's homes, who are burning out faster than they can be replaced. I'd say it's a catastrophe waiting to happen - except it's already happening.

>111 richardderus: Things work slow here in lovely Canada. But I hope he sees some jail time for sure. Or a giant, massive, most ridiculous size fine!

>112 jessibud2: I expected non essential stores to close. What is this open 7-8pm with 50% capacity crap. If we are supposed to stay at home then people don’t need to go shop for shoes. Close everything expect food and gas and make people stay home

Morning, Chelle. Sweet Thursday. What did you think of The Secret Place? Hopefully, you liked it more than I did .

>81 ChelleBearss: Love that book list! I'll have to see how many of them I've read. I used to watch that show with my oldest daughter. We loved it!

Glad that online schooling is going well! Happy Thursday.

Morning friends!
Another exciting day of online learning for Chloe and me trying to entertain Ellie all day. Should be great lol. We are currently having a conversation about if our dogs had pointy horns. The imagination of a three year old!

>114 msf59: Morning, Mark! I did like it actually, quite a bit more than some of her other books. I can't remember which one in the series I disliked but I did stall in reading the series for a while. I think I will finish the series off soon.

>115 Berly: I rewatch the show sometimes when I get in a reading funk.

Morning, Chelle! Good luck with keeping Ellie entertained.

>99 ChelleBearss: I also love Michael Connelly - I need to get back to Bosch.

>117 Crazymamie: Thanks! Computer issues with the school so Chloe got the morning off, after finishing her work, to play with Ellie. It ended up being a good thing as she woke up miserable and was fighting me about school. She needed that morning off.

Bosch is my fave! I may go back and restart the series at some point

...imagining a Great Dane with bighorn-sheep ram's horns...

>119 richardderus: ha! And apparently our dog would use his “sharp, pointy horns” to open the patio door by himself.
😳

8) Aunt Dimity and the Lost Prince by Nancy Atherton

Accidentally read out of order, but with this fluffy series I don't think that will matter much. Wonderful books for just relaxing with when my brain can't take much thought.

Freckle face Friday at Chloe's virtual classroom

>122 ChelleBearss: Cuties! Love that Chloe's school is still doing some of those fun dress-up days while it's virtual. I always enjoyed pajama day, myself. ;)

🎧9) The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

I wish there was many more of these! I adore listening to them

>124 ChelleBearss: Agreed. I've come to the conclusion I enjoy this series enough that I want copies for my collection.

>122 ChelleBearss: They both look adorable!

>125 MickyFine: I've been listening to them through Audible and I adore Gemma Whalen's narration!

>126 EllaTim: Thanks! They were smudged within minutes

>122 ChelleBearss: Ohmygosh, so sweet!

Happy Saturday, friends!
The girls let us sleep until 830 this morning!! I can't remember the last time I slept past 7! It was glorious.

Today Nate and I are driving to Stratford (the birthplace of Justin Bieber) to pick up an extreme exercise bike that Nate ordered. I just wanted an exercise bike but Nate wants to continue his triathlon training and decided this crazy expensive bike was the best for his needs. Whatever. He worked overtime to pay for it so I don't much care. It will be cool to link up the bike to the TV and do races through actual olympic routes. Kinda neat.
I had to research the new State of Emergency orders to see if we would even be allowed to go pick up the bike since it's not in our community. Because the store is allowing curb side pickup sounds like we are allowed. We've got a babysitter and about 3-4 hours of kid free time! Too bad we can't go out to lunch too lol

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

>128 scaifea: Thanks! :) They can be cute sometimes

Hi Chelle!

>99 ChelleBearss: Where was I last November? Oh, wait. Pandemic, election, holiday prep… A new Michael Connelly and me not realizing it until now. Definitely a BB!

>109 ChelleBearss: It amazes me that these people call themselves Christians. A Christian friend of mine, somewhat joking but not really, says that Jesus would NOT be pleased.

>116 ChelleBearss: Dogs with pointy horns... fantastic imagination.

>122 ChelleBearss: How sweet. I’m glad Ellie got freckles, too.

>129 ChelleBearss: - You could pack a picnic ad have a picnic by the side of the road lunch! ;-)

Hi Chelle! Do you live close to Stratford? I used to go there every summer for the Festival. Maybe when all this virus mess is over I'll come up again. Do you ever go to the plays there?

>132 jessibud2: We ended up starving by the time we left so we had A&W breakfast on the road :)

>133 ffortsa: We live in Tillsonburg, which is about 45 minutes south of Stratford. My best friend and I used to go to the theatre twice a year for our birthdays before we had kids, then it went down to once a year before Covid. Maybe if you come up for a play after Covid we could do a meet up :)

>133 ffortsa:, >134 ChelleBearss: - A close friend of mine just moved to Stratford. I have been there for plays a few times but not recently. Another beautiful place is Niagara-on-the-Lake. The Shaw Festival is there. I've been there a couple of times too, in recent years.

Morning, Chelle. Happy Sunday. It sounds like you are having a nice weekend and getting to sleep in. Enjoy.

>135 jessibud2: I haven't been to the Shaw Festival but I agree that Niagara-on-the-Lake is a beautiful place!
We didn't get to do anything in Stratford this visit due to the stay at home order. We knew we could pick up the bike without issue but we didn't want to push our luck sight seeing so we just went home.

>136 msf59: One sleep in was nice, then Ellie was up and crawling in our bed by 7am yesterday. Today I am up early for work and everyone else is still sleeping. Coffee and LT in the quiet is mighty nice!

>122 ChelleBearss: That is so cute.

Wishing you a great week ahead, Chelle.

>138 PaulCranswick: Thanks! Thankfully we don't have any dress up days this week!

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge:4) A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign (Taurus)
10) The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

All. The. Feels! I saw so many recommendations for this book and often that would actually turn me off buying a book as usually I end up disliking the really hyped up books. The blurb though really sounded like something I’d love so I bought it. So happy that I did!

Morning Chelle! You liked The House in the Cerulean Sea better than I did - it was too sweet for me.

>140 ChelleBearss: I think I needed a dose of sweet and a bit of magical creatures right now. I'm a little grumpy with our Covid house arrest lol

Totally get that.

>140 ChelleBearss:
Have you read The Lightning-struck Heart by TJ Klune? It's like if Terry Pratchett wrote an LGBT+ romance. There are dragons, unicorns, princes, magic, super fun!

>124 ChelleBearss: That looks like a cute little series! I expect more will come.

>140 ChelleBearss: Not my favorite of his books, annoyingly. I expected to adore it, and didn't. I've really enjoyed his werewolf-shifter gay romantic paranormals, the Green Creek series.

Tomorrow. Hip hip hooray.

>143 Crazymamie: I'm sure a lot of people are feeling that these days. My kids are going stir crazy. Chloe is so miserable and snotty, and Ellie keeps asking if her babysitter misses her. I am just glad they get a break from us tomorrow when they have a babysitting sleepover at their grandparents while I'm on nightshift.

>144 Deedledee: This was the first I've read by TJ Klune. I've recently been told to give romance a shot and I love paranormal so I'll have to give the first one a shot.

>145 richardderus: I wonder if tomorrow will go the easy way or the hard way?
I'll give the Green Creek series a try as well. I love me some werewolf books!

Hi Chelle, I have nothing but admiration for you (and all parents) who are dealing with the stay-at-home orders - so difficult with childen. Ontario seems to really be getting hit hard with this virus, so far, B.C. is holding steady - we are mask-wearing and very careful, but not in total lockdown.

>147 DeltaQueen50: Part of the problem is that people just won't wear masks around here. We have a large mennonite community around here that is completely ignoring the orders and a large amount of entitled people that think the rules don't apply to them. I wouldn't be surprised if our lockdown gets extended.

52 Book Club 2021 Challenge: 3. A dual timeline
11) The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

I've been putting off reading Jewell for a few years now and I'm not sure why. I've had many people tell me that I would love her books but for some reason I kept ignoring her books. I ended up really enjoying this one and read it in one day. So I guess I'm a Lisa Jewell fan afterall.

"Coffee and LT in the quiet is mighty nice!" This is every morning for me. Grins...

Happy Wednesday, Chelle. Chloe "snotty & miserable"? Not the little Angel.

>149 ChelleBearss: Glad to see you enjoyed the Jewell book. I have been meaning to read something by her for a long time but never have. Will have to try one soon.

>149 ChelleBearss: - I read The Girls in the Garden last year - my first Jewell - and it made me want to read more.

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge:35) A book in a different format than what you normally read (ebook ARC)
12) The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths

I need to thank whomever it was that encouraged me to read the Ruth Galloway books two years ago. I now patiently wait for the next in the series to be published. I adore Ruth and her daughter Kate and all the rest of the main crew, and I really like how the scientific information isn't overdone and fits the story lines well. I fully recommend this series to anyone who enjoys mysteries or crime novels.

(Thanks to NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.)

>150 msf59: Ha! It's VERY rare for me!
Little angel is learning how to sass talk her parents. It's not going well for her

>151 aktakukac: I'm not sure why I kept putting off reading her. I will for sure pick up more as I really liked that one

>152 katiekrug: I'll add that to my wishlist! You are stacking up on my book bullet list! I think that's three with your name on them now!

>153 ChelleBearss:. Oooh. Had never heard of that series. Looks great!

Aw, love the freckles. What a great idea. I saw a beautiful pic of a zoom class with small children having a bring their pets to school day. Some of the pets did not look so impressed.

I need to get back to Elly Griffiths.

>154 ChelleBearss: - My aim is true! :)

I'm so jealous you've read the newest Ruth Galloway. I am waiting impatiently....

>155 justchris: It is great! I gobbled up all the books in a short period of time, as I do when I find a series I like, but now I have to wait for new ones!

>156 charl08: How far did you get in the series?

>157 katiekrug: Haha aim at someone else next time, my TBR is out of control! lol
I rarely use my netgalley account but I logged in at the right time and saw the new Elly Griffiths! I was so happy when I got approved!

If anyone has Instagram and wants to check it out, I created an account to track my year of books in photos
@chellesyearofbooks :)
https://www.instagram.com/chellesyearofbooks/?hl=en

>159 ChelleBearss: Oooh, you made it pretty and everything!

>159 ChelleBearss: Ooh, nice!

>160 richardderus: I’m trying I’m not much of a photographer so I’m sure there will be plenty of duplicate book poses. But I love seeing what others are reading on #bookstagram and #booktok lol

>161 MickyFine: thanks :)

>153 ChelleBearss: I have only read the first two Ruth Galloway books but have to agree with you that it is easy to care about the characters.

>163 PaulCranswick: I hope you'll go back to the series one day.

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge: 21) A genre hybrid
13) Wolfsong by TJ Klune

TJ Klune has quickly entered my faves list! The two books I've read by him in the last week I have loved! This one was a little strong in the romance elements at some points in the book (and OMG that sex scene 😳), but I loved the character Ox and the paranormal elements were really well done. I am going to keep going with this series.

(⚠️Warning: If you're a prude the sex scene in this book will give you the vapours)

‘Morning, Chelle! Happy Saturday! Are you working?

>166 msf59: Morning, Mark! I am off until Wednesday, thankfully!

⚠️Warning: If you're a prude the sex scene in this book will give you the vapours

*Immediately adds book to my wishlist*

>168 scaifea: Snort.

Glad you enjoyed your second Klune, Chelle!

>168 scaifea: ha!!
I think it was the first gay sex scene that I’ve read and it was ... descriptive 😳.

>169 MickyFine: thanks!! I’ve already ordered the next in the series. I hope it still has Ox in it!

Hi Chelle my dear, hope all is well with you, Nate, Chloe and Elissa and that you are having a good start to the weekend. We are both fine, Karen has had the week off taking some holiday time and keeping me busy, lol. Amy had her 28 week scan and all is well with the baby.

Sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Happy Sunday, friends!
Low key day here today. Everyone is in their pjs still and blueberry pancakes have been devoured. I'm hoping for a bike ride and then some relaxing today. I have approximately 75 loads of laundry to fold and put away today too. Ugh. Laundry is the worst. Even worse than toilets.

Nate and I picked up our "exercise bike" last week (I used the quotes because to me it's an exercise bike, but to Nate it's a smart training system or something) I'm enjoying the training plan that I signed up for. It's two rides a week for 12 weeks and the system automatically switches the resistance and incline for me and makes it super challenging.
This was my ride through a volcano earlier this week. Not sure where today's ride will take me

>171 johnsimpson: That's great news, John! Glad Amy and Baby are doing well!
Enjoy the rest of you and Karen's time off!

Ooooh, blueberry pancakes! *sigh* I can't make those here because Charlie won't eat blueberries. Gah.

I *love* the volcano ride! It's like exercise biking meets MarioKart!

>174 scaifea: Ellie won’t eat fruit unless it’s apples or bananas, but I found if I mash the blueberries and warm them with a little sweetener she will eat them. Maple syrup too, of course!

I like the volcano route too because it’s relatively flat. So it’s like a nice ride in the country. I did a New York City ride too and thought I was going to die with all the hills!

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge: 22) A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
14) The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

I've had this book for years and not sure why I let it languish unread so long. I really enjoyed this and thought it was quite a beautiful read. I loved that it surprised me a few times.

Morning, Chelle! Your new exercise bike sounds full of fabulous.

>165 ChelleBearss:, >168 scaifea: You both crack me up!

>176 ChelleBearss: This sounds fun - adding it to The List.

Books purchased so far this month:

Sunshine by Robin McKinley
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
The Burning Girls by CJ Tudor (Feb 9)
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Wolfsong by TJ Klune
Ravensong by TJ Klune
A Stranger in Town by Kelly Armstrong (Feb 9)

>177 Crazymamie: I am loving it, although today I'm feeling lazy!

I think you'll like The Wicked Deep! It's YA but not super young feeling imo

>165 ChelleBearss: *chuckle* you ain't seen *nothin'* yet...

>178 ChelleBearss: Terrific list! Glad you're off until Wednesday to enjoy a few of them.

>180 richardderus: Oh dear. Is the next book going to have me clutching the pearls??

Your new topper photo is SO sweet!! They are adorable.

>181 ChelleBearss: I expect so.

Thanks! They are currently a handful though! Trying to teach them to be kind to each other since they seem to fight every 10 minutes and one ends up screaming or one in tears. Struggling with it though because we are all short tempered and frazzled right now.
Today while I was trying to help Chloe with her virtual school Ellie snuck into the bathroom and helped herself to some lipstick.

>181 ChelleBearss: I honestly don't know if I should rush and read it or hide the book in the freezer.

These are weird times - I bet a lot of adults are behaving that way, too. The lipstick is reminding me of when Rae was little and we have a similar experience with nail polish. And once she made a very lovely wreath out of (unused) sanitary pads, which she then stuck on my sister's bedroom door as a decoration. She used the entire box.

>186 Crazymamie: Oh wow! These are the things that we will miss when they are older but oh man it's frustrating now!
She also managed to melt/eat some chapstick today before it got confiscated lol

>184 ChelleBearss: How elegant! :)

>188 BLBera: She coloured outside the lines only slightly, but somehow managed to cover a whole dress sleeve in it?

Daniel and Abby once made mini grilled cheese sandwiches in the gas log fireplace. I am happy to say I was not in charge that day - their dad, the pediatrician, was.

Well on the bright side, Chelle, at least the lipstick was on washable things and not on your walls or mirrors! :)

Good morning, folks! Today is my last day off before going back to work for five shifts. I have some meal prep (big mac salads), a 45 minute bike ride and helping Chloe with school. Maybe some laundry too. Being an adult is boring.

>190 Crazymamie: Ha! You have such great stories!!

>191 DeltaQueen50: That is very true!! She is very messy but not destructive, thankfully!

Morning, Chelle. Enjoy your last day before returning to work. Are you getting much snow up there?

>193 msf59: Not really. We can see the grass under the icy snow on the lawn. It's supposed to snow today though, up to 10cm.

Hmmm. Big Mac salads sound interesting!

>195 drneutron: It has become my staple lunch for dayshifts. If you can find a no fat mayo the calories drop drastically and it tastes soooo good!
I use this one and leave out the garlic and change the mayo and cheese to lower calorie versions
https://wholelottayum.com/big-mac-in-a-bowl/

>174 scaifea: and >175 ChelleBearss: You might want to check the warranty on those models, they appear to be malfunctioning. Not like blueberries? The horror, the horror. Or at least more for me.

>197 justchris: Ha, yeah Ellie is a little nutty. She is still in the "fruits and veggies are the devil and you can't poison me by making me eat that" stage. She should grow out of it in the next year if she is anything like her sister.

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge: 27) A book about do-overs or fresh starts
🎧15) Girl in Landscape by Jonathan Lethem

I don’t read a ton of science fiction but this audio looked very interesting. I ended up really enjoying it despite a couple minor annoyances (like using the character's first and last names)

SCHOOL GOES BACK ON MONDAY!!!!!!!

52 Book Club 2021 Challenge: 4. An author that is deceased
16) The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

We may not be able to visit friends during these troubled times of Covid, but at least we can visit old friends through rereads! This is at least the fourth time that I've read The Hobbit and I doubt it will be the last.

>200 ChelleBearss: Woohoo!

>201 ChelleBearss: Glad your re-read brought you joy.

>200 ChelleBearss: Yay Gru-mama!!

>201 ChelleBearss: I didn't hate The Hobbit the way I did LotR, but I don't think I'd do a re-read. I don't have as long as y'all whippersnappers do to get to the books I already know I want to read!

>202 MickyFine: Thanks! Sometimes I like to make time for old faves, but then I also feel guilty about the new books I could have read in that time

>203 richardderus: You hated LOTR? All of them or did you not read past the first? I've enjoyed them and the movies. Although I don't think I watched The Hobbit movie(s).

>106 ChelleBearss: can I come too?! Do you even have ANY cases there
The odd case is imported into managed isolation facility, every now and then one case escapes into the community but it us usually shut down pretty quickly.

Sunshine and The Eyre Affair are favorites of mine, Chelle.

The girls are a handful to be sure, but so cute at a distance!

>201 ChelleBearss: Both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are among my favorite re-reads, Chelle. I love to visit my friends in Middle Earth. I read them twice since joining LT in 2008, and I think 7 or more times before 2008.
I get so many excellent book recommendations here, that re-reading became less common in the last years. When I was young I was re-reading all the time, when my library books were finished I went back to the books we owned.

Hooray for in-person school! Good luck. Stay safe.

>184 ChelleBearss:
It's a nice shade on her :)

>184 ChelleBearss: The lipstick incident is funny. It brought back a memory of shortly after my former husband and I adopted our little girl Breanna! She was underweight, lots of missing teeth, and came to us with a raggedy pair of jeans, a top that was too small, and a summer jacket. She arrived in January, so we had to do some major shopping.

I am proud to say that now she is 38 and a mother of a beautiful 17 year old daughter. Since the day the baby was born, she spent her life surrounding Kayla with love, and making sure all her needs were met.

The first week that Breanna came to us, she found nail polish. Tiny, but mighty, she wiggled herself up on a chair, and decided to paint her nails, and somehow, the table. I was downstairs when I heard a bitty voice say "um.....you don't need to come up now." It could have been a disaster and she was shaking scared, I simply hugged her and showed her how we could fix the problem.

>24 MickyFine: In the 1970s, every SFF reader was under the obligation to read the trilogy. I did my duty, and was allowed to live; a lot of that had to do with simply avoiding talking about Tolkien. Luckily the other SFFnals were more interested in talking than listening so my silence was unnoticed.

But I'll be dead and buried under a ditch before I experience those horrors ever, ever again.

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge: 28) A magical realism book
17) Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield
This is the second novel I've read by Setterfield and I've ended up loving them both. I wasn't sure that she was going to be able to pull off a satisfactory ending considering how much was going on but she knocked it out of the park!

>205 LovingLit: It's pretty great how your country, and some others, managed to do what we couldn't. Our cases are dropping, thankfully, but we will see what happens when lockdown ends and people do whatever they want again.

>206 ronincats: Cute but a handful, for sure! Ellie is a comedian lately, which is much needed right now!

>207 FAMeulstee: I don't think I'm up for a LOTR reread anytime soon because I need to commit to the three. But I did enjoy them

>208 BLBera: Thanks! We are all excited for them to go back!!

>209 Deedledee: Ha! I'll let her know

>210 Whisper1: Aww what a great memory. Chloe keeps asking to paint her own nails and I'm going to have to give in eventually

>211 richardderus: Ahh, well I imagine you have many others books that call to you instead

>200 ChelleBearss: This made me chuckle. There's no sign of schools opening here and I really don't know how parents are doing it. Not easy (but you know that already, sorry!)

>201 ChelleBearss: I, like you love The Hobbit, Chelle, and I have re-read it a couple of times too.

See you are up to date with your 52-Book Challenge. I will join you today when I finish Jazz by Toni Morrison. I am doing OK with my challenges this year so far.

Have a great weekend.

I hope the weekend delivers good reading, Chelle.

I really enjoyed The Hobbit when I read it. My 9 yo is just about ready for the novel. He has read the graphic novel and watched the movie with my husband. I may suggest it for our read aloud together

<212 I enjoyed Once Upon a River.

2021 Pop Sugar Challenge:3) A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover
18) The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

This is the first novel in the series that has been recommended to me a few times. I loved that while it was a cozy mystery it wasn't fluffy. I will seek out more from this series, for sure!

>214 charl08: I am very happy that the kids go back tomorrow. I could see the change in Chloe after only a few weeks. They need their teachers and their friends. Being stuck in the house with me wasn't great for her

>215 PaulCranswick: That's great that you are staying on track! I like that with Pop Sugar I can rush ahead or not read any for a bit, whatever I want, and with the 52 week challenge I need to actually try and pace it right.

>216 richardderus: Thanks! Two books down and I think I will start Anxious People at some point tonight. Feeling a bit tired though so I may just do research for my challenges for a while tonight at work.

>217 jayde1599: I hope your son loves it. Chloe wants to start the second Harry Potter book with me this week, and since I'm home for the next four days I might just give in.

>218 SandDune: Did you read The Thirteenth Tale by her? It was also wonderful!

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

DNF. I got 40 pages in and had to put it down. Found it....annoying. Not sure if that's the right word.

>219 ChelleBearss:, Hi Chelle my dear, We both love the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series and are up to book 20, they are such a nice read especially in these strange times.

>222 johnsimpson: I just got the second book from the library to start tonight. It's nice and light for an after nightshift night :)

>221 ChelleBearss: Sorry Anxious People didn't work for you, Chelle, I read it last month.
It took some time, but about half way I started to like the story.