Mary (bell7) reads extravagantly in 2019, the sixth and final thread

Welcome to what most likely will be my final thread of 2019. I’ve only made it to six threads once before, so this is chatty for me. Hope you all enjoy what you find here, whether you’ve been following along all year or just discovering my thread.

One of my goals this year was to read more diversely. You can track my progress in this spreadsheet. (It’s a little behind at the moment - I’m most up-to-date tracking my reading here, but don’t do the fancy pie charts and such that Google spreadsheets can.)

While I don’t have any kids of my own, I do have niblings Mia and Matthew. They were up visiting a couple of weeks ago, and here are some of their shenanigans getting into a basketball hoop:





I'm very excited to say I'll be seeing them Thanksgiving week, and have already booked my flights.

One of my job responsibilities is facilitating one of our library book clubs (there's 3 - an afternoon one with my boss, an evening one with me, and a classics one with a volunteer). I'll often comment on the discussions we have since they give me a greater appreciation for what we read together and people have seemed to enjoy that the last couple of years. Here's what we're reading in 2019 -

January - My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. COMPLETED
February - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese COMPLETED
March - Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks COMPLETED
April - Evicted by Matthew Desmond COMPLETED
May - Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon COMPLETED
June - The Radium Girls by Kate Moore COMPLETED
July - Sea Glass by Anita Shreve COMPLETED
August - The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead COMPLETED
September - Educated by Tara Westover COMPLETED
October - Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran COMPLETED
November - Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance COMPLETED
December - A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass COMPLETED

Currently Reading
Bringing Down the Colonel by Patricia Miller
The Library of the Unwritten by A. J. Hackwith

Devotionals/Bible reading
2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Hosea & Hebrews
Everyone's a Theologian by R.C. Sproul

December
116. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
115. A Lot Like Christmas: Stories by Connie Willis
114. Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang
113. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
112. Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle
111. Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
110. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
109. A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass
108. A Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
107. A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde

November
106. The Bad-ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
105. Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
104. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
103. Broken Places & Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor
102. Normal People by Sally Rooney
101. The Emperor of Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
100. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
99. What to Read and Why by Francine Prose
98. The Women of Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell
97. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

October
96. Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
95. The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis
94. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
93. No Ivy League by Hazel Newlevant
92. The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz
91. Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt
90. The Huntress by Kate Quinn
89. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
88. Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran
87. Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg
86. The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh

Read earlier this year:
September
85. What if? by Randall Munroe
84. Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
83. New Suns: original speculative fiction by people of color edited by Nisi Shawl
82. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
81. Educated: a memoir by Tara Westover
80. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
79. Playing in the Dark by Toni Morrison
78. The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

August
77. Nest by Esther Ehrlich
76. A Better Man by Louise Penny
75. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
74. A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle
73. Terra Incognita by Ruth Downie
72. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
71. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (Rivers of London originally in Britain)
70. Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist
69. The Fate of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
68. Laguardia by Nnedi Okorafor

July
67. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie
66. Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
65. Medicus by Ruth Downie
64. The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
63. The Three Escapes of Hannah Arendt: A Tyranny of Truth by Ken Krimstein
62. I Was Their American Dream by Malaka Gharib
61. Sea Glass by Anita Shreve
60. For Every One by Jason Reynolds
59. The Record Keeper by Agnes Gomillion
58. The Bay Path and along the way by Levi B. Chase
57. The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

June
56. The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
55. The Wartime Sisters by Lynda Cohen Loigman
54. The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
53. The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
52. Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine
51. The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
50. Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis
49. With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
48. Mere Humanity by Donald T. Williams

May
47. Escape to Witch Mountain by Alexander Key
46. The Invasion of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
45. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
44. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
43. Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman
42. Ruined by Reading by Lynne Sharon Schwartz
41. Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon
40. Cape Cod Collected by Jim Coogan and Jack Sheedy
39. Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea by Sarah Pinsker
38. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

April
37. A Bollywood Affair by Sonali Dev
36. Fire Shut Up in My Bones by Charles M. Blow
35. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
34. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen
33. Red Bird: poems by Mary Oliver
32. Evicted: poverty and profit in the American city by Matthew Desmond
31. Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
30. Kid Gloves: Nine Months of Careful Chaos by Lucy Knisley
29. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

March
28. Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon
27. Good Riddance by Elinor Lipman
26. The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis
25. Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
24. Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
23. How Long 'Til Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin
22. The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney
21. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
20. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
19. 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think by Laura Vanderkam

February
18. Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
17. The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake
16. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
15. The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
14. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev
13. I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
12. The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay

January
11. Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung
10. The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King
9. The Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren
8. Stars Uncharted by S. K. Dunstall
7. Everyday Millionaires by Chris Hogan
6. When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
5. The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
4. Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks
3. My Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.
2. The Daring Ladies of Lowell by Kate Alcott
1. The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker

I'm midway through a week off. I had a massage for the first time ever yesterday (and wow, I had no idea how tight my neck and shoulders were until I did that - definitely going to be part of my regular life now!) and a French manicure (also a first, though I had a manicure once before) so I had a day of pampering yesterday, and also finished another knitting project, a sweater for a friend. I'm going to wash it today and let it stretch out a bit while drying so hopefully the shoulders will fit him well.

Today's plan is to pack for this weekend's Fiber Arts retreat. I've done the important things and planned the knitting projects I'm bringing along (what do you mean, I won't have time?) and now I need to pack and select books. Besides laundry and packing, my other hope today is to watch Toy Story 4 and possibly read some. That's all, folks! Welcome to thread 6!

Happy new one, Mary!

Your day of pampering sounds lovely. I had my first-ever massage in August and vowed to make it a monthly treat. Unfortunately, I haven't gotten one since, so I need to fix that :)

Enjoy the retreat!

Happy New Thread, Mary!

Those sure are some cute niblings you've got there.

Happy new thread, Mary! I go for massages once a month (happily my health insurance from work covers most of every visit) and it goes a long way to keep my shoulder tension in check.

I watched Toy Story 4 a couple weekends ago with Mr. Fine and enjoyed it. Thankfully, way less crying than Toy Story 3.

Have a great time on your trip away!

Happy new thread, Mary. Enjoy the rest of your week off including your Fibre Arts Retreat.

Happy new thread, Mary!

All pampered yesterday, and a nice weekend ahead, a good way to spend your week off :-)

Happy new thread, Mary, and a perfectly lovely retreat too.

Happy new thread, Mary.

I am not a huge fan of massages although SWMBO swears by them.

Happy New Thread, Mary!!

Happy new thread, Mary! Your fiber arts retreat sounds fun!

Happy new thread! Enjoy the rest of your week :)

Happy new thread!

Thanks Katie, Joe, Micky, Meg, Anita, Richard, Paul, Roni, Amber, Anita and Jim! (Holler if I missed anyone)

I had a fantastic weekend! Knitting people, like book people, are simply good people to hang around with. The first day had workshops that were come if you want, skip if you don't. The second day included a market with folks bringing books, yarn, and more goodies. And then Sunday morning after breakfast was just hang out as long as you wanted, say goodbye, and make plans for next year. I brought a ton of projects to start, and the one I ended up casting on Thursday night when I arrived and met my cabin mates was a sweater for a friend. I never did start another project, but I knit half the sweater while I was there. Met a bunch of people, mostly from Maine, but from Massachusetts, Maryland and even Tennessee. It was a bunch of fun, and I'd do it again. Next year is iffy because my brother's getting married sometime in November, but we'll see what happens.

Not much pure reading was done, but I've made some progress in The Ten Thousand Doors of January and I listened to The Emperor of Maladies on my drive, getting about 2/3 of the way into it. Some of the CDs were scratched so I have a very hazy idea of the history of some cancers, but it's really been a fascinating read. I've requested the book to supplement once I get to work today.

So today is back to work, grocery shop, prep for Bible study. I'm back in the full swing of things and thankfully only have to work 5 hours today. I'm hoping to get some reading and knitting time in too. Giants are playing tonight, I'll miss the beginning but have it on and if they're not losing by a ton I may even stay up 'til the end.

>19 bell7: Alix Harrow! I loved her World Fantasy Award-nominated story about libraries as portals to...elsewhere. Still sad it didn't win.

*smooch* Happy busy week ahead!

My sister just gave me a copy of The Ten Thousand Doors of January recently, with loud proclamations that it was a great book and I had to read it ASAP. I look forward to reading your thoughts on it!

Glad to hear your weekend away was great and that you got to ease back into work. I'm super impressed you did half a sweater!

>20 richardderus: I will have to look up that short story for sure.

>21 Ape: Oh excellent, hope my thoughts will help move it up or down the list as the case may be, Stephen!

>22 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. I was amazed I'd completed that much too - I'd thought I was way too ambitious taking all I did, but I didn't expect it to be as laid back and relaxed talking with other knitters as it was either.

96. Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
Why now? I'd put the ARC on my Kindle soon after hearing Jason Reynolds give the keynote at ALA in June - finally getting to it now that it's come out and is receiving many accolades

Ten blocks - and ten tales revolving around teens who live on those streets - give you a kaleidoscopic mosaic of one neighborhood, one school and the many lives that intersect.

Jason Reynolds is fast becoming one of my favorite current writers for middle grade and teen readers. He has a way as an author of just presenting a story without judgment, a way of telling his readers he hears them and leaving them to make their own tough decisions. This book is one of the more complex of his - heck, of most books for this age group - that I've read, and I feel like I have to reread it to fully do it justice. The repeated motif of a school bus falling from the sky makes absolutely no sense until the end, for example. And there are so many characters whose lives intersect that I want to make sure I catch all the nuances and references. Excellent writing that will appeal to a wide age range. 5 stars.

October in review

96. Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
95. The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis
94. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
93. No Ivy League by Hazel Newlevant
92. The Inquisitor's Tale by Adam Gidwitz
91. Fish in a Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt
90. The Huntress by Kate Quinn
89. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
88. Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran
87. Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg
86. The Wolf Wants In by Laura McHugh

Books read: 11
Fiction/Nonfiction/Graphic Novels/Poetry/Plays: 7/2/2/0/0
Children's/Teen/Adult: 3/2/6
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 8/3/0
Rereads: 1

Standouts: Look Both Ways: A Tale in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds and The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis

Thoughts: The month started really slowly, and with a little help from some short reads in graphic novel form and some shorter e-books I read while on the treadmill, I actually read a little more than my average has been so far this year. I read more children's and teen books than usual. And I did an okay job of reading some of my own books to try to reduce the number of ARCs I have hanging over my head to review. We'll see if I can continue that momentum into the final months of the year and maybe finally get to some of the books from ALA.

Also Jason Reynolds has managed to author two of my 5-star reads this year.

>23 bell7: It's free to read here!

>25 bell7: Pretty darn good month, all the way around. Congratulations on exceeding your average even in a slow-starting month.

>26 richardderus: Oooohh, yes, I remember that one now. I'd read it several months ago when you posted it before. I read it through to the end again tonight and like it even better, I think. And I think you'd appreciate The Ten Thousand Doors of January, too. It's got the same other-worldliness about it and though sometimes it was predictable it was in such a way that certain events seemed inevitable.

97. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Why now? I don't remember exactly which book list or review put this on my radar, but I got it as soon as our library owned a copy and started reading it when I had the audio too (and it got a little close to the due date...)

January Scaller found a Door at the age of seven - a portal to another world, though she wouldn't really understand its significance until she was seventeen. In the meantime, she lives as the ward of one Mr. Locke, a well-to-do man in Vermont who employs January's father in traveling the world to find unique items to add to his collection. Then her father goes missing, and January discovers a book entitled "The Ten Thousand Doors."

If you enjoy books that delve into fantastical realms while exploring the importance of stories - I almost feel that I should capitalize that to Stories - then this is the perfect book for you. Oh, I sometimes got impatient with January not putting pieces together as quickly as I was, or thought a plot turn was a bit predictable (or just inevitable?). But I enjoyed the story, its affirmation of curiosity, and January's discovery of who she is and what she can do. A good readalike if you're a fan of Erin Morgenstern. 4 stars.

I hover on the 4 to 4.5 star rating, I'm not sure I'd reread it but it was such a satisfying read.

>28 bell7: BB, I fear.

>28 bell7: Ha-ha, I already got it! Nyah nyah nanny nanny boo-boo!

>29 ronincats: That makes my day to hear it, Roni! Hope you love it.

>30 richardderus: :P```

I really should be picking up one of my book club reads, as I'll have two book clubs on back-to-back nights later in the month but... instead I decided to read The Women of Copper Country. I may have to put it aside to read Hillbilly Elegy and Normal People instead, but we'll see how far I get. I have Monday off.

For my latest audiobook, I chose Dread Nation by Justina Ireland which has been on my TBR list for awhile, but I think it will soon not be my audio-before-bed and I might switch to just reading the e-book while I'm treadmilling. It being about zombies and all. I already had a dream a couple of nights ago that one of my patrons told me that one of my co-workers was a serial killer and that was weirdness all from my own brain with no provocation. I don't need more of that seeping into my subconscious right before I fall asleep.

I've been watching iZombie on nights I've got the house to myself and I've been pretty surprised at how few zombie dreams I've had so far as I'm prone to super weird dreams always.

I've heard good things about Dread Nation though so I hope you enjoy it.

I'm prone to very weird dreams but they're not more influenced by horror than anything else going on in my life. Last month I had a dream that I was petting Rory and his tail came off in my hand like a lizard.

>34 norabelle414: Poor tail-less Rory.

On the topic of weird dreams, I had one last weekend where I was in an abusive relationship (with random dream dude, not my lovely husband) so I went to a convent where a woman gave birth to a half-fish baby with piranha teeth and then I tried to convince the woman not to name her baby Chimney.

>35 MickyFine: He was fine! It grew back.

Chimney sounds like a fine name for a piranha baby, honestly.

>36 norabelle414: Bahahaha.

>28 bell7: *Sigh* I'm going to have to move this to the "Might actually read someday" list.

>34 norabelle414:
>35 MickyFine:
>36 norabelle414:
>37 MickyFine: Hahahaha glad to know it's not just me with the weird associations my brain makes in dreams. Though I don't always remember my dreams anymore, I can still be somewhat susceptible to what goes into my brain right before sleep. When LOST was still on, if I tried to go to bed directly after watching an episode I always had the weirdest dreams (not always directly related, but sometimes).

Dread Nation is so far a little bit chilling but not horrific, and I'm still sometimes listening to it (it's read by Bahni Turpin, so of course it's fabulous). I also downloaded Hillbilly Elegy which is my book club book and Sourdough by Robin Sloan to have something a little more lighthearted. This of course means I'm reading too many books at once and I'm either going to have to abandon something or just put them all aside temporarily while I focus on book club books. I have until Wednesday to have to start them in earnest, however.

>38 Ape: Happy to oblige, Stephen :P :D

For those keep track, I'm currently actively reading and listening to:

The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
What to Read and Why by Francine Prose
The Women of Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell

Soon on deck for book club:
Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
Normal People by Sally Rooney

If I end up not being able to listen to Dread Nation, what will most likely happen is I finish What to Read and Why as my e-book for treadmilling, then move Dread Nation into that spot and listening to Sourdough by Robin Sloan.

On Wednesday, I pretty much have to start reading Hillbilly Elegy and Normal People, so I'll either push to read a good chunk of The Women of Copper Country over the next few days or have to essentially put it aside while I focus on the other two.

This is a lot of books at once, even for me with my multiple formats going, so I'm more putting it here to organize myself than anything else.

I'm impressed by the volume of books you have on the go, Mary! Hopefully you power through one or two before you have to tackle the book club books. :)

>41 MickyFine: I usually have two/three and it's driving me a little batty actually. I was hoping to finish one before starting the book club books, but that's not looking likely at this point so I'll be a little scattered for the next week or so :/

Hi Mary. It's good catching up with you. Mia and Matthew are growing quickly…and still adorable. And, you've almost reached the 100 Book Mark! That is my goal. I didn't make it last year and I'm ten books away now, but some busy days are coming up. We're hosting Thanksgiving this year. Lots of cleaning and planning to do, then a few days of nonstop cooking. It is an easy meal but I try to have a variety of side dishes so I can have everyone's favorites. It looks like we will have 18 here this year. Fun times.

I thought I owned every book by C. S. Lewis. It looks like I need to look for a copy of The Reading Life. Ooh, I love that subtitle: The Joy of Seeing New Worlds Through Others' Eyes. Have you read Reading the Classics with C. S. Lewis? It's a book of literary criticism essays based on his reading and teaching. I guess it proved a little too scholarly for me because I see a bookmark that I left in it years ago. I think I prefer reading books by him rather than about him.

>43 Donna828: Glad you were able to catch up, Donna! Yes, Mia and Matthew are both getting big (as are your grandchildren!), but at such a fun age as they now can converse some and give me a window in the unique ways they see the world. I'll be heading down to my sister's a week from Sunday for Thanksgiving and will probably be watching the kids so she can cook, so busy days ahead for me as well! The Reading Life was a compilation of quotes and selections of essays specifically about reading rather than a whole long book by Lewis, but I still found it excellent and hope you do too. Reading the Classics with C. S. Lewis is not one I've come across and will have to look it up. I have a rather large collection of Lewis's works (and Tolkien's) myself, but like you I prefer books by them rather than about them.

98. The Women of Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell
Why now? At this point, she's on my "Read the complete oeuvre" list, so I put a hold on it at my library as soon as the book came out - I wasn't quite first, but I got to it as soon as I could!

Big Annie Clements, a tall woman with a formidable spirit, takes a leadership in the Women's Auxiliary in support of the miners' union and strike in 1913. Beginning in June and following events in the copper mining town of Calumet, this historical fiction illuminates an all-but-forgotten time and place.

Mary Doria Russell's books have a habit of ripping out your heart and mind, and putting you back together again, hopefully wiser and more empathetic for the experience of it. This book is no exception, though to entirely explain why is to give away everything. I love her books; I can read only one a year. A phenomenal book that has everything I look for in a good historical fiction - wonderful characters, great sense of place, and an author's note that parses truth and fiction and gives me suggestions for what to read next. 5 stars.

Coming close on 100! I'm starting Hillbilly Elegy tonight for next week's book club, and I have a long weekend coming up (Saturday-Monday off), so I'm hoping for some quality reading time.

99. What to Read and Why by Francine Prose
Why now? I've been working on reading e-book ARCs on my Kindle while on the treadmill, and thought this would be a good followup to The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis

*E-ARC received from Edelweiss/Above the Treeline in exchange for an honest review. No money or other goods were exchanged, and all views are my own.*

In her newest offering following the best-selling Reading Like a Writer, author, critic and teacher Francine Prose collects essays that show her breadth as a reader and reviewer.

Some of the essays were previously published as introductions to volumes, such as Middlemarch and Frankenstein. Others read like critical essays, reviewing books and dissecting sentences with no worries about spoiling books (and sometimes even quoting the very last sentence). And still others reflect on reading or writing in general. My personal favorites were either on authors or books that I've read - Jane Austen, Little Women - or the ones that focused more broadly on reading and writing - "On Clarity" and "Ten Things That Art Can Do." These were the sorts of essays I would aspire to write in my journal and personal papers, the ones in which I can think about a story the way I did as an English major, to parse sentences and ponder meaning and not worry if anyone else reading my review had read the book (or short story) or not. Prose would occasionally write a sentence that had me highlighting and nodding in agreement while she perfectly encapsulated a thought or observation. For example: "For it seems to be the particular fate of female artist suicides - Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath naturally come to mind - that self-murder lends a sort of romantic and even ghoulish luster to their reputations and causes their art to be seen, selectively and often inaccurately, through the narrow prism of the manner in which they died." She does precisely what she set out to do in this collection, and does it well.

Why then does this book not have a permanent place on my bookshelves? In short, because the writer and I are not kindred spirits. The title of "What to read and why" says to me that she's going to recommend some books - and she does - but what she looks for and what I look for in a stellar read are two very different things. I mentioned that she does not avoid spoilers in her bookish discussions; I tend to read such introductions after I've read the book to avoid them. That being said, there was only one essay (the one on Frankenstein) that discussed a book that I really intended to read and cared about not knowing some of the plot details, leading me to skip some portions so I wouldn't know too much when and if I get to that classic. Most of the books, I found, she loved for the writer's craft and ability to address some aspect of the human conditions through his or her characters. They were often bleak in tone. Though I certainly appreciate a nice sentence or turn of phrase, I read mostly for characters that in some sense I like, relate to, or at the very least care about. I want a hopeful if not entirely optimistic tone, and to be taken away rather than reminded of the quotidian at its darkest. Her erudite observations would be of most interest to academics and those who share her wide-ranging library from the classics to Manhattan Beach to collections of photograph to Exit West. I did, however, make a note of one of Mavis Gallant's collections of short stories after reading the essay on her works, and I think Prose would be proud to know her writing had that tangible effect. 5 stars for execution, 3.5 stars for my own enjoyment.

Phew! Well, I didn't quite start on Hillbilly Elegy tonight, but I did finish up a couple of books I'd been reading so I can start it and focus on it (Dread Nation will now be my e-book while on the treadmill, while I have both the book and audiobook for Hillbilly Elegy and I'll get to the rest of Emperor of All Maladies when I get to it...).

It's been a busy week so far. I have plans every night but tonight and have been in charge while my boss is away on vacation. I'll be really happy when Saturday comes along - I've made some cooking plans, but nothing terribly pressing, and I'm planning on going to a concert with my brother's fiancee that evening. My brain's kind of all over the place, which another reason I'm really happy to have finished those two books. On to book club reads!

Sounds like at least one of your reads was a really good experience for you. Wishing you luck getting through the book club books in time. :)

>48 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! They were both fairly enjoyable, but I'd call What to Read and Why "guardedly recommended," as Stasia would say. I've read some reviews that indicate Reading Like a Writer is similar in its spoiler-ness, so I may be putting them both in the "give away" pile. I had been kind of dreading Hillbilly Elegy as one of my library patrons told me how very sad it made her, but so far it's a very engaging narrative (I'm only on chapter one...)

Very bad no good day. Go look at my Facebook wall. So to speak.

Then tell me how much you pity me, k? :-*

>50 richardderus: That is AWFUL, Richard - full response on your thread. *smooch*

Happy Saturday! This is the beginning of a three-day weekend for me, and I'm very happy to have some time to relax and - read my book club books. Maybe some others, too, but those will be my highest priority.

At some point today, I'll jump on the treadmill and make some soup. I also want to work on small gifts for my Bible study group - sachets of spices to make mulled cider - because our last meeting will be Monday. We're taking a mini-break for the winter and only meeting once a month 'til March.

We celebrated my brother's birthday on Thursday, and I gave him his gift of a signed copy of The Things They Carried that I'd bought and had signed by Tim O'Brien at the Boston Book Festival. When he started to open it, he asked, "Is this something you made?" "No." "Is it a book?" "You'll see." He pulled it out, and I started, "Before you tell me you already own it..." "No, I don't, but it's one of my favorite books of all time!" "Check out the cover page. He opened it to the very first page, which was just quotes about how great it was, and then closed it again. "No, keep going." So he went page by page until he finally got to the cover page: "WHAT?!" He was over the moon ecstatic and showed his fiancee, asking her if she'd known. (She hadn't, I'd only told my mom.) I was grinning from ear to ear - I knew he'd like it, but I had not expected that strong of a reaction.

Said brother is away visiting our sister's family this weekend, and his fiancee and I are going to go to a concert tonight using passes from my library to get free tickets for a local symphony orchestra. Tomorrow is church and visiting my parents for the first time in awhile, and on Monday I have a few things I need to check in on for work, lunch with a friend, and Bible study. In between all the stuff, I'll be reading and knitting.

Well, a slight change of plans. My poor future sister-in-law (whom I've decided will now be FSIL to save typing that or "my brother's fiancee," both rather cumbersome titles) had bad back pain and canceled, albeit with plenty of time for me to find someone else to go with. And I texted one other person but then ultimately decided to stay home.

Today became a day in, and while I did go on the treadmill for a 40 minute walk, I spent most of the day reading (and finishing) Hillbilly Elegy. I neither cooked nor got the gifts I meant to ready, but I did put together a photo book that will be part of my Christmas gift to my Little. Rather than dive right into my next book club book, I gave myself a bit of a break and watched the last couple of episodes of Supernatural so I'm back to caught up and... oops, I have plans Thursday guess I'll have to watch that episode online later too. Ah well. I knit on the sweater I'm working on while I watched, and I only have about 40 rows and the sewing together left. It was really relaxing and nice not to go out for once!

Now I'm reading a bit of Dread Nation in front of the Bruins. Tomorrow after visiting Mom & Dad will probably involve some cooking and reading Normal People, and either tomorrow or Monday I'll have to make those sachets.

100. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
Why now? Book club pick for this month

J.D. grew up in a family of self-described hillbillies. His grandparents married as teenagers, moved from their small town in Kentucky to Middletown, Ohio, and his mom was a drug addict who went through a string of relationships while he and his sister Lindsay grew up, surrounded by a dysfunctional but loving family.

How well can any of us really know another person without having lived their experiences? I think that's my biggest takeaway from the book. J.D. spends quite a bit of time laying the groundwork for his life by telling you about his grandparents, his mother's brothers (the Blanton men), and the violence that was just part of the family stories when someone's honor was under attack. His Papaw drank and he and Mamaw had violent fights, so each of their children had their own challenges in creating loving relationships. We see the way J.D. saw conflict resolution - yell and throw things, or run away - and the way it impacted him. He has a talent for telling stories and drawing out the contradictions we tell ourselves. While acknowledging the difficulties of his upbringing, he attempts to explain what made him into who he is today and how he was able to have upward mobility, however uneasy, in his own life. A fascinating story of one man's journey, and one I'd be willing to return to again. 4.5 stars.

I've seen some people either laud this as explaining the white lower class's votes for Trump or denounce it as yet another slur against Appalachia. I think either is a bit unfair and not really addressing what the book is about. This is, at its heart, just one man's story about his family. He makes some sweeping "our" and "us" statements talking about Appalachian culture or mentality but I think his family is just one example of a group that of course is more diverse than just the three generations of family he concentrates on. And I think he has interesting things to say that could be explored more fully in research or other reading - for example, he has one line in which he explains that there was a vote against Section 8 housing in a neighborhood and his argument wasn't that there shouldn't be Section 8 housing but that it should be spread out so that there wouldn't just be one neighborhood where all the poorer people hung out together and never got to see anything but poverty around them. He makes a pretty good personal argument for why it was impossible to imagine life any other way when all the families surrounding you were like you - a case study rather than a more general statement that would have to be backed up by statistics.

Anyway, all that to say I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and look forward to Wednesday's discussion. While we're all white, we come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and different political viewpoints, so I think we should get a lively discussion with a variety of opinions.

101. The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Why now? It's been on my list for awhile now, and when I was looking for an audiobook to listen to on my ride up to Maine, this was nice and long and fit the bill so I borrowed it from the library

Author Siddhartha Mukherjee is a practicing oncologist and in his detailed, well-researched "biography of cancer," he breaks down the history of the disease as we know it, its treatment and finally the breakthroughs that allowed us to understand what cancer actually is. Interspersing the history with his own patients' stories, Dr. Mukherjee presents a personal and clinical take on a disease that will affect many of us personally in a way that lay people can understand.

This really is comprehensive, and I probably have to reread it at least once to take all the information in. Reading, you'll learn about the progression of treatment of leukemia and breast cancer, the origin of the Jimmy Fund and its mascot (his name wasn't really Jimmy), the research of Dr. Stanley Farber and the work of Mary Lasker to provide funding for cancer research, as well as the latest (as of 2010) in treatment which is starting to include medicines to specifically affect these cells that are dividing uncontrollably. And there's so much more. Something quite so sprawling would have its downside, and for me it was that there was so much overlap of timelines that I had a hard time keeping in mind what was happening all at the same time, especially in the 1960s and 70s, as each chapter would move back and forth in time a little bit, topically, and there was so much to cover. There's a fair amount of cancer in my family - breast, kidney, lung - so I found it fascinating and personal as well. I had read Dr. Mukherjee's more recent book The Gene first, and at some points could see where the two topics intersected. Though it's nine years after this book's publication, as far as I'm aware it's still relevant information and a book I'd recommend to anyone interested in the history of medicine. 4.5 stars.

Good morning and happy hump day!

Yesterday was a slightly crazy day working a split, going to a meeting in the morning and then coming in to the library at 3:30 to be there when some new volunteers started in our technology program in which we have students from a local private school help people (generally seniors) with their phones, devices, etc. Catching up after the long weekend, putting in for my mileage, and helping with the volunteers had me so busy I forgot to take my half hour unpaid break 'til 7.

I had a rotten night's sleep last night, waking up around 4 a.m. and staying up listening to an audiobook off and on for two hours. So I slept in because I'm working a 12-8 shift tonight for having book club. I can't quite get myself motivated to get my cooking and laundry out, so this morning will only be jumping on the treadmill (maybe, at this point) and reading for the librarian book club tomorrow. We're reading Normal People and it's not really my thing. There are no quotation marks, a pet peeve of mine, and the characters' decision drive me slightly batty. Is this really what high schoolers and college students are like? It was not my experience, but I was always a bit of an odd duck anyway.

The next two days will be busy with work, book club, work, AWANA, and then on Saturday is hanging out with my Little. We're planning on going to a town about 40 minutes away and checking out shops and enjoying each others' company.

>54 bell7: Your take is much more nuanced and less outraged than mine was. I felt he was victim-blaming and -shaming. But then I'm very likely oversensitive to those triggers because I'm a male survivor of maternal abuse and incest...and NO ONE in the Survivor Communities wants to hear about that!

>55 bell7: One of the most rewarding reads about science I've ever slugged through. It took me three months to finish it, but it was a dilly.

>56 bell7: You? Odd? A woman who works at a library, reads 100-plus books a year, and still talks like a regular person? Pshaw.

*smooch*

>57 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I think I'm going to edit those three paragraphs on Hillbilly Elegy slightly to put on the book page review. I liked it more than I thought I would, and while I sometimes found myself asking "Is this 'our' your family, your community or a more sweeping generalization of all poor people?" I enjoyed is as a memoir for explaining why he thought the way he did and, such as when he was talking about his Mamaw's rants, the contradictions we live with in our own heads. The Emperor of All Maladies was a bit slow going but certainly riveting at the same time. And yes, odd I suppose in the sense that all of us are a bit odd/unique/weird and it doesn't always show until we meet someone with a worldview or experience completely different from our own. I read much more than the average person, am very cerebral in how I make my decisions (including relationships) and always have been. The characters in Normal People are way more into sex and drugs and okay, I could see that how they thought other people thought of them was very much central to one's experience in high school and college. But one of the great things about getting to grad school and into my 30s was leaving a lot of that behind, no need to read 265 pages of depressing incidents to get the payoff of 7 pages' worth of more hopeful and well-adjusted content.

It's on the "best of" lists for the beginning of 2019, however, so what do I know? Our copy has gone out and not come back, and if I don't suddenly get a huge demand for it I'm not planning on taking money out of the budget to replace it at this point. *shrug*

>58 bell7: I've come to view "best-of" lists with a degree of glee...I love punching holes in the hoi polloi's idea of bests. The difference is, I keep it to my damn self now and just chuckle up my sleeve.

My (unsolicited) advice: Stay your proposed course. Onward! Excelsior!

>59 richardderus: It's funny, because I do kind of look with a dual purpose at those lists. If my patrons are going to be looking for those books, then yes I want to buy them. But when they're a bit on the Literary side and end up being well-written navel gazing, they're the books that I'm deleting a couple of years down the road. I care more about if BookPage has reviewed it (my patrons read that regularly) than if Kirkus gave it a star review, for example.

Thinking as a reader rather than a librarian, I've pretty much given up on "best of" lists because my taste as a reader is never going to coincide with them. Unless I'm looking for something genre-specific to get more ideas of what to read, I largely ignore them and make my own "best of" lists.

102. Normal People by Sally Rooney
Why now? My librarian book club picked it for tomorrow's meeting

Connell and Marianne knew each other in high school - his mother worked for her family in their small town of Carricklea. The two started having sex but would largely ignore each other at school, keeping their relationship secret. Though poorer, Connell is the more popular one in school and Marianne is the weird one everyone talks about it. The two of them have a special connection, though, getting each other in ways no one else does. Then they went to college, and things shift again. Marianne becomes the more successful one, and has a boyfriend. Though the years, shifts, and relationships neither can really escape the other and the powerful pull they have on each other.

Let me start with the fact that I'm automatically prejudiced against a book that doesn't have quotation marks when people speak. It always struck me as a bit pretentious and unnecessary. And it just went downhill from there. I never really understood Connell and Marianne's relationship and what poor communicators they were. I got annoyed with both of them for certain decisions and wonder if this is really supposed to be typically of what high school and college are like for people, if they are "normal people" or if the whole idea is that no one is normal. The conversations with so much unsaid or assumed or misunderstood, the awkwardness, the unhealthy relationships and this weird way in which they orbited around each other for years made such an uncomfortable reading experience for me. There was 265 pages of slog for about 7 pages of payoff with more hopeful and well-adjusted content, and it wasn't worth it. 1 star.

If this is what love and friendship is like in high school and college, thank God it's well behind me. Granted, I was the teenager who was always vetting decisions by what the outcomes would be down the road, and I was very good at picking out the most likely outcome. I'm just... not wired like any of those characters and was totally bewildered by the whole thing.

My work book club (the one I facilitate) met tonight to discuss Hillbilly Elegy. Most people liked it, and we had a lot to talk about regarding poverty, personal choices, and feelings of despair and not being able to get out of poverty/addiction/relationships. It was one of those discussions that moved itself along and I asked very few questions after the initial one I always ask: "What were your impressions of the book?" We did touch some on the controversy surrounding the book, if it played into the stereotypes about Appalachia and blamed the victim or not. As far as how much personal choice plays into things, I think we came down on varying degrees regarding how much agency one person has - but certainly talked about the importance of mentors and the challenges of certain programs to address social issues rather than perpetuate them. We also read Educated and Evicted this year and had some comparisons we could make between then as well. All in all, a really excellent discussion.

Educated, Evicted and Hillbilly Elegy. Great trio. I can imagine all of those making for excellent discussions, Mary.

>61 bell7: No thanks!

>62 bell7: That sounds like a great evening! That book club picks really interesting reads.

>63 jnwelch: They surely did, Joe! We have a lot of new people this year, but everyone had read Educated and three of us had read Evicted, so there were some interesting parallels drawn - always helpful to have some books in common in such discussions!

>64 richardderus: I never would've finished Normal People if I didn't *have* to in a sense. Wasn't worth it though. I really love my book discussion group - they really are a bunch of smart folks that have a wide variety of life experiences and I always enjoy hearing what they have to say. I don't think I've posted our 2020 titles yet, have I? Hm, off to go fix that!

>61 bell7: I think (goldfish memory here) I took it that she was saying lots of people have a grim time as teenagers, just in different ways. I think Irish books always have an advantage for me as I love "hearing" the accent in my head.

>62 bell7: I've said it before, and I'll say it again, your book group sounds fab. I'm sure they appreciate having a great facilitator too.

My for-work book club voted to take a break for the summer - too many people traveling, I think - so we are reading the following nine books in 2020:

January - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
February - The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
March - The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
April - Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict
May - The Guest Book by Sarah Blake
September - Stoner by John Williams
October - The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
November - All You Can Ever Know by Nicole Chung
December - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Our group as a whole has had a way of picking literary, historical fiction, and nonfiction books in the past. I am really surprised that this year we only have one nonfiction title, but not that we chose a memoir. I had not heard of it, but I'm looking forward to read it as it's about a Korean adoptee growing up in a white family and what happens when she starts researching her origins and finding her identity as an Asian American woman.

I was a little surprised to see The Silent Patient make the list and I'm not super excited about it (I disliked Gone Girl and haven't gone on to read anything billed a readalike), which is why it's in January.

The only book on the list I've already read is A Man Called Ove. I had started The Light Between Oceans and couldn't get through it, so it's in February. Maybe I'll love it this time around!

>66 charl08: That's fair, Charlotte, I just found its overall tone so bleak and depressing I wouldn't have pushed through it if it weren't for the librarian book club (I may give myself permission NOT to read books when I'm not facilitating discussion). And thank you for the kind words about my book club (and its facilitator hehe). I do put a lot of time and effort into those discussions, but I get so much out of them too!

>67 bell7: Oh dear, The Silent Patient. I loathed that read, but at least you'll be done with it early. Think of it as a hangover of a read and power through it to get to better days.

>69 richardderus: At least it doesn't have high expectations to live up to? And it'll probably read fast. That's it, that's as optimistic as I'm getting.

Looking forward to your thoughts on The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. I had that on my list of selections for our 2020 book discussions, and my co-worker who I run the book group with decided that one should wait until 2021. It was one of the two I really wanted for next year, but oh well. We are still finalizing our list for next year.

>71 aktakukac: Hi Rachel, looks like our groups have a little bit of overlap in their interests, as I see you read Hillbilly Elegy not long ago! I'll look forward to seeing your thoughts on The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek when you get to it. I usually try not to have titles that are "too new," but I looked at the holds in the system and am pretty sure I'll have no trouble getting enough copies in March. I'll be interested in what your finalized 2020 list looks like :)

I was apparently very much in the minority in our discussion of Normal People in pretty much hating it. Most agreed it was better than the previous title, The Wolf Wants In (I gave that one a "meh" 3 stars). We did end up having a fair amount to talk about, but this group is a little more social in our purposes so we'll talk about the book for awhile and then we'll eat dinner together and talk about all sorts of other things.

103. Broken Places & Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor
Why now? I like this author's work a lot, and found out about this title at ALA - requested it fairly recently when I could fit in into my library pile, and finally picked it up Wednesday knowing I could finish it before leaving for my sister's.

When Nnedi Okorafor was a teenager, she was an athlete, a runner, a semi-pro tennis player. But she also had scoliosis - and when back surgery left her paralyzed, her life changed. While she worked towards recovery, she began writing.

This short memoir can be read in one sitting but is a fascinating look at how one individual became an author. Nnedi Okorafor in a Nigerian American author who writes Africanfuturism, science fiction & fantasy books steeped in African roots of folklore and spiritual practices; this is a unique look at part of what made her who she is as a writer. It's part of the TED books series, short books with a variety of ideas that have companion talks. The last few pages at the end suggest not just Nnedi's talk, but also related ones that readers may be interested in. An insightful and engaging read. 4 stars.

Happy Saturday, Mary! I hope you are doing well. I see you are reading some terrific books. I have been meaning to get to The Emperor of All Maladies for years. I need to finally pull the trigger on that one. The Okorafor memoir sounds good too.

>62 bell7: So many of our group have read Hillbilly Elegy and it does remain with me still (surely a good thing?). I didn't like it as much as you but it did make me think about how choices determine outcomes. The Democratic leadership need to speak to the electorate in those small towns and underprivileged areas be they of whatever colour, race or origin and let them know they count, will be counted and given back their self-respect.

Have a great weekend.

>75 msf59: The Emperor of All Maladies was a good one, Mark, and I think it would be right up your alley. The audio, though long, is well-done too.

>76 PaulCranswick: I'm a little late in getting to Hillbilly Elegy and had been waffling thinking I might not want to read it after all, so I was surprised how much I liked it. I'm actually probably a little more on the moderate/conservative side than Democrat (I haven't yet admitted this aloud, but I may vote Democratic in the coming election as I can't stand the incumbent), but definitely think politicians should be more involved in small towns and coming up with creative solutions to very difficult problems.

Happy weekend, all! It's been a busy one (I seem to be saying that a lot lately...), as I'm getting ready to go to my sister's for Thanksgiving. I'm just about all packed except for the things that must be done the morning of. I have picked out books and have some waiting for me to pick up at the library near her place on Monday. My job will be keeping the kids occupied while my sister cooks, so win-win!

I'm almost done Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, and I have decided to bring Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All for my plane ride book. I'll be picking up A Plague of Doves and The Island of the Sea Women at the library, and bringing my Kindle. So PLENTY of options on a trip where I probably will get almost no reading done. Ah well, at least I know I won't run out of books anytime soon!

>78 bell7: Have a great time visiting with your family, Mary.

>74 bell7: Nnedi Okorafor has steadily impressed me, doing solid writing and editing work. I can't say I've ever fallen in love with one of her books, but I always leave the read satisfied. UNlike, say, Amor Towles or Sally Rooney!

>78 bell7: I'm looking forward to what your impression of Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind them All is; it's here glowering at me from a pile.

*smooch* for a fun and easy Thanksgiving!

>80 richardderus: I HATE IT WHEN BOOKS GLOWER AT ME. Why do they have to do that all the time?

>81 Ape: Because they resent being neglected, my lad. I am afraid they're more sentient than scientists give them credit for and we hurt their feelings by choosing prettier, younger books to read when they've been waiting so patiently for us to finally notice them.

Hi Mary! Happy Turkey Day! Rob's working, so I'll see him Friday. He's requested green goddess seafood rice for our dinner. Carrot cake with pineapple cream cheese frosting *drool* and whatever he brings to drink. And no effin' Old Stuff!! Yay!!

>79 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! It was a good week :)

>80 richardderus: Nnedi Okorafor isn't a wow-my-socks off author but she has, as you say, solid writing and I can always count on her for a good read. I've only read Gentleman in Moscow and found that one incredibly satisfying - Sally Rooney is not my cup of tea, however. *smooch* back

>81 Ape: Because they know when we're taking to long to read them, obviously ;)

>82 richardderus: Hope you're having a wonderful visit with Rob!

104. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Why now? It's been on my to-read list for awhile and was available as an audio and e-book when I was ready for an audiobook before bed

The dead began to walk during the Battle of Gettysburg and soon became a much bigger problem for the nation than the Civil War. Young Jane McKeene attends a school for Attendants who keep the richer white folks safe from the "shamblers", along with other Negro girls including rival and light-enough-to-pass Katherine. When Jane and Katherine stumble into a plot in which some of their teachers are involved, they are sent west and have to use all their wits and training to survive in a racist town.

Solid writing and not-too-gory action made this an entertaining read. The blend of historical fiction and fantasy was seamless, and I enjoyed Jane's narration of her story. Interspersed between chapters are letters between her and her mother, a white woman back at a plantation outside of Baltimore, and Jane's remembering the past, a mystery for readers until she finally admits to herself some of what happened before she left for the school. After a lot of build up, the ending fell a little flat for me but I liked it well enough that I will most likely read the recently-published follow up. 4 stars.

Bahni Turpin is the narrator and does a fantastic job - I ended up mostly reading this as an e-book because I was falling asleep too quickly.

105. Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
Why now? It was past time to break into my pile of ARCs from the American Library Association conference, and I chose this one in part because I'd bought a signed copy to be a friend's Christmas gift and wanted to double check I'd made a good choice

Frankie and her brother and sister have been at the Catholic orphanage in Chicago since her mother died and her father couldn't keep them. This is Frankie's story of growing up a half-orphan in the 1930s and 40s, narrated by a ghost to watches her and has her own family secrets from earlier in the century.

I brought this book for my holiday traveling this week, and it was all I could do not to devour it so I'd still have enough to read on the plane ride today. I feel like I'm not doing it any justice by attempting to summarize the story, which is based in part on the author's mother-in-law. This book is nothing like what I was expecting. It is so good. So. Good. I loved Frankie's story, and the ghost's perspective, and the way in which their stories were slowly revealed until I just could not wait to find out what would happen. This will be one that stays with me a long time. 5 stars.

As it turns out, I really thought it was fantasy and I don't think I could get the friend I bought it for to read it, but I have another friend in mind instead.

What a fun week!

I arrived on time Sunday night, and my brother-in-law came and picked me up. The kids were asleep, but I visited with him and my sister a little bit before heading to bed. They hadn't told my niblings I'd be coming, just that they would have a surprise before school on Monday morning. Bright and early, I wake up to hear Matthew talking in the other room, and he wants to wake Mia up. A. has him come in to my room instead - which is pitch black, but I'm in the bed awake. He didn't see anything at first, so I stirred, and he came running over saying "Ia!" and was so surprised when an adult rather than his sister sat up that he went running back to his mom and wouldn't get down even after we put the light on, though he was grinning from ear to ear. A little later, Mia woke up, and she curled up on my lap and stroked my arm, just sitting for awhile.

On Monday and Tuesday, the kids had school and their parents had to work. On Monday I went to the library to pick up my holds and Mia told me to get some for her: "Get the big book!" My tourist trip of the day was to the African American History Museum, which was truly impressive, and then I met a friend for a late lunch. Tuesday I checked out the new location of Loyalty Bookstore in Silver Spring - I purchased a really cool bilingual cookbook for onigiri (rice balls) that will probably be part of my birthday gift to my youngest sister, who went to Japan for a weekend while in South Korea for the semester. I had a really good chat with the proprietor and came away with some more book recommendations for diverse SFF reads. Nora came over for dinner, and got to visit with the kids some too.

Wednesday the kids' school was closed and my brother-in-law and sister had to work some, so I took the kids out to the playground and brand-spanking-new library down the street. They were well-behaved, so I took them to the other playground that had swings before we went back home for lunch. Both kids were super tired and went down for two hours naps while my sister did the grocery shopping. I made a chocolate cream pie with the kids. When we were at the library, they put books in my bag willy-nilly to check out, including a chapter book with a horse on the cover, and they each carefully selected a movie. Mia "read" the horse book to me that evening, making up a story about "Auntie Mimi" having a day where she did not listen: "'Auntie Mimi, come back!' But Auntie Mimi did not come back. She lay in the road and cars were getting her," was part of it, but the next day I was doing well enough to get a green star (the kids get green stars for good and red stars for bad days at school), and I told her, "Oh, I'm so glad I got a green star." "Yeah," Mia responded, "That's what she said!"

For Thanksgiving, my parents came down and arrived about 11 in the morning. The kids were super excited to see them, and I could see Matthew in particular loved having his Grandpa's attention, and he'd stroke Dad's beard while he was being held. We had dinner and enjoyed each other's company, pies, and wine. My BIL told my niece it was my last day there, and she looked at my reproachfully, "You said you'd be here five days!" I counted out from Monday to Friday on my hand and told her I'd leave tomorrow morning after breakfast. Wow, can't get anything by her - she's both counting and getting some sight words. She and Matthew are both very verbal kids. She is less so at school, but he really impresses his teachers with how much he'll talk in pretty long sentences for a two-year-old; apparently only he and one other boy in his class are similar in their speech and will one up each other: "I do not put crackers in my water." "I do not put cheese in my water."

And then today I returned! I do wish they lived closer, but I'm looking forward to being in my own bed tonight and sleeping in a little. It was a very nice visit and the kids were okay with me living when Grandma and Grandpa will still be there for a couple more days. We'll see them at Christmas, too, and I can't wait!

So a slightly late "Happy Thanksgiving!" to all, and hope you are reading some wonderful books. I'm about halfway through my e-book ARC of The Bad-ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer and will be selecting a new fiction read soon.

Glad to hear your visit was a blast!

>28 bell7: Book bullet gladly accepted!! Sounds like your Thanksgiving trip was a complete success. Hope you enjoy sleeping in your own bed now. And the weekend.

Sounds like a great visit, Mary. Mmm, chocolate cream pie. I love Mia reading you a story with you in it, and I'm glad it all turned out well and you got your green star.

>86 bell7: What a great time that was! I'm glad for you.

Happy week ahead.

>87 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>88 Berly: Hiya, Kim, glad to oblige with a book bullet, and hope you enjoy it when you get to it. Happy weekend!

>89 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe, it was a fun time - and I know chocolate cream isn't exactly traditional Thanksgiving fare but it's usually been part of my family's celebration and since it's super easy to make I could get the kids in on mixing the pudding. Green stars all around, haha!

>90 richardderus: Thanks, Richard, it sure was! Happy week ahead for you as well.

The other thing (besides sleep) that I do not miss about being at my sister's is getting stains on my clothes just from being in proximity to the kids. But other than that, I do miss them.

Today was a surprise party for my cousin, and on my way home from that I did some grocery shopping. Tomorrow we're supposed to get some snow and I'll be watching carefully to see if we need to close the library. Monday I'm off anyway, and I'm planning on baking cookies for an event at our church this weekend. I had planned to go Christmas shopping, too, but I doubt that's going to happen with the icky weather forecast, so it will most likely be some more cooking and planning out Christmas gifts, writing out Christmas cards, and possibly some online shopping.

I'm glad you had such a good time with your neicling and nephlet at Thanksgiving. :)

BB with The Ten Thousand Doors of January. I've added it to my library hold list.

Congrats on passing 100 books!

I'm glad to see another positive review of Hillbilly Elegy. I've had it on my TBR shelf for a while but was uncertain about it. Great review!

>92 streamsong: Thanks, Janet, and hope you enjoy The Ten Thousand Doors of January.

>93 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! I haven't read less than 100 since I started keeping track in 2006/7ish so it's always an unofficial goal of mine to reach that number.

I had someone at church ask me today how many books I had read this week. "This week? Two." He expressed surprised that the number was so small... dude, that's with a fairly busy week visiting family over Thanksgiving and it's *still* more than the average American!

>94 bell7: But all you do at work all day is read, right? ;)

>95 MickyFine: *snort*

106. The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
Why now? Working my way through backlist ARCs on my Kindle, and the audiobook became available to help motivate me - I found it when I was scrolling through Edelweiss offerings and thought it sounded intriguing

In Timbuktu, Mali, a man named Abdel Kader Haidara first worked for the Ahmed Baba Institute where he was instrumental in convincing people around the country to donate their manuscripts of works of science, medicine, astronomy and more - ancient manuscripts that had been kept in private collections for generations - and later started his own Mamma Haidara Library with his own private collection. But fairly recently these manuscripts were threatened by extremists who wanted to impose Sharia law on even the Muslims in Timbuktu, and Haidara and his comrades have to use all their wit and ingenuity to spirit them away.

By the title, you might be expecting a fairly light-hearted look at librarianship in Timbuktu. You would be sorely disappointed. This is much more a story of the rise of a particular Islamic faction in Mali, and what happened particularly in 2011-12 when Qaddafi was deposed in Libya and Tuaregs wanting independence allied with Al Qaeda to overtake Timbuktu until the French came in. Not a bad book, per se, but not what I was expecting: very little description of what exactly makes these "libraries" (rather than just conserving the manuscripts and digitize them). I would have been much more interested if it were focused on the manuscripts, but instead the libraries themselves are mostly a lens used to show the effect of the extremists on those living in Timbuktu. The journalist author clearly has done a lot of work to interview Haidara and military personnel involved, but I think the audience for this book may not find it and those who pick it up for the title (as I did) will want to know more about the manuscripts. 3 stars.

Good Wednesday morning! It's my second full day of being back at work (Sunday was only 4 hours, we closed early in the snow storm) and will mark the slightly over halfway mark through my week. I've done *most* of the things I put on my work to-do list before I left, so I'm in good shape all around. My goal today will be to submit a letter of intent for a grant we'll be applying for next year, and continue scanning trustees minutes from the 1980s. I won't mention on the crazy details that I'm learning, but suffice it to say I'm quite fascinated by the minutiae of historical decision made about the library over time and have been enjoying myself greatly.

Currently reading A Useful Woman and The Island of Sea Women and enjoying both, but probably won't have either finished until the weekend.

Wishing you a productive Wednesday!

>97 bell7: Oh dear...I liked the cultural bits of the book even more than the crazy brave librarians. I suspect that my extreme opposition towards the kakistocracy running our country flavored my ragey shouting appreciation for the larger struggle.

>99 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! So far, so good. I got that letter of intent in, met with my boss, and have been a busy beaver scanning away. I'm taking a short break while the scanner warms up to say hello.

>100 richardderus: I think I would've liked those parts just fine if that was what I was expecting, but I never could get over the hurdle of "this isn't the story the title promised me." And I found it very confusing to follow as an e-book/ear-read. Good for what it was, just not what I wanted to read.

>98 bell7: Love the sound of the scanning project. The kind of details I also enjoy!

>102 charl08: It's really quite a fascinating way to get a window into the library workings over the years. Today I learned that a patron had vocally complained about the portrayal of Irish people and Ireland in... travel books. Even sending letters to the trustees to ask that they be removed from the library, which they didn't, and a decision that's in the minutes, plus a letter to this patron, plus a letter to the town attorney! Now this was somewhere around 30 years ago, so I never knew the patron or incident but I do wonder what the whole story was. I don't have his original complaint, just the response 8 months or so down the road, so it's a tantalizing little glimpse.

I tried to find mention of this in my previous year's thread, but couldn't. At some point I got my hands on a Top 50 Christmas Movies from Rotten Tomatoes (this link goes to the current year's, not the one I'm working from) and started marking off the ones I'd seen with the idea that it would give me good new-to-me movies to try as well as the old faithful I know I'll enjoy. Last year, I watched Christmas in Connecticut (and was surprised to discover I'd seen it before as a child), The Bishop's Wife (which struck me as a very weird plot), and the French film A Christmas Tale (which I enjoyed all right at first but it got...depressing and long). Today at the library I checked out Holiday Inn, which I *might* have already seen, and Miracle of 34th Street (1947), which I'm pretty sure I haven't. I have Scrooged on hold, one of the few versions of A Christmas Carol that I've never seen.

So far in Christmas movie watching, I have watched Claymation Christmas and An American Christmas Carol. My every-year watch is Muppet Christmas Carol, but I save that for Christmas Eve.

Any favorite seasonal/holiday movies to recommend?

Oh and I never did a November in review, let's rectify that:

106. The Bad-ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer
105. Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
104. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
103. Broken Places & Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor
102. Normal People by Sally Rooney
101. The Emperor of Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
100. Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance
99. What to Read and Why by Francine Prose
98. The Women of Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell
97. The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow

Books read: 10
Fiction/Nonfiction/Graphic Novels/Poetry/Plays: 5/5/0/0/0
Children's/Teen/Adult: 0/2/8
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 6/4/0
Rereads: 0

Standouts: Thirteen Doorways, hands down, and The Women of Copper Country and Hillbilly Elegy decent runners-up

Thoughts: Wow, what an interesting reading month and a contrast with October! I read no books for children, and only two for teen (back-to-back, no less). I read an equal number of fiction and nonfiction, and fully 4 were books I owned, both unusual stats for me. My ratings varied from 1 star to 5 (I really wouldn't have finished Normal People if it weren't for book club). And, well, it's actually a pretty good slice of what kind of reading I enjoy - books about books, memoir, historical fiction and fantasy. I passed 100 book read this month, and while I won't reach my all-time high of 156, I can confidently say I'll read more than the 105 I read last year (see this post for my yearly totals since keeping track on LT. I'm also still on track for reading diversely, with just about 30% "own voices" stories for the year (my goal was at least 25%).

I watched The Knight Before Christmas on Netflix and it is extremely bad.

>106 norabelle414: If I had Netflix, I might try it for the sheer ridiculous fun of a terrible movie. We did that a couple of years ago with a Christmas movie that had an almost perfect rating on Netflix - the title escapes me, but it was one improbability after another and about halfway through we weren't even just watching anymore, we were all openly mocking it. Unfortunately all I remember now is making fun of how the family starts rushing around to "not be late!" for midnight Mass. Like, how do you do that? If you're going to a late service, you're deliberately staying up late specifically for it and there would be absolutely no need to rush around getting ready at 11:57, amIright?

>106 norabelle414: - Nora, have you watched 'Let It Snow' on Netflix? It's about a group of teenagers in a small town on Christmas Eve, with Joan Cusack in a cameo. I watched it on the plane at Thanksgiving and thought it was cute.

Hi Mary!

Today is my rescheduled Ancestry program, and I have 21 people signed up. I have no waitlist (just another program in 3 months) so if anyone no-shows, I'll just be down in numbers which will be fine because as it is, I think we're using all working computers that connect to the Internet, plus personal laptops and library Chromebooks. I should probably bring my own as a backup. This is a fun but exhausting program that I haven't held in a couple of years, where I show people how to search on our Ancestry Library Edition database using my own great-grandparents, and then everyone get on computers and have fun looking up their family records. Then I get my steps in walking around the first floor and mezzanine helping them - sometimes they're looking for something particular, but more often my help is computer usage, where to click, how to get back to the search page, reopening the browser if it's been closed out. We do it after hours so we can take over the computers, and it's inevitable that someone will think we're open and try to come in and check out or drop off books.

Tomorrow is a normal 9-5 (probably going to go in a little late to make up for any time I stay late today), and I'm looking forward to an evening with nothing planned. Saturday will be a little busy, with brunch where my brother's band is playing in the morning followed by singing carols at my church for a weekend event, and Sunday I will work. Monday I'm looking forward to a day at home which will most likely involve cleaning and reading. I'm going to a book signing with Erin Morgenstern that night and thought I'd leave in the late afternoon to do some Christmas shopping, so I should be just about finished the shopping by Dec. 9, which will be fantastic.

>108 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Oooh, I think that's the one based on Let it Snow, right? I may have to check it out at some point.

>110 bell7: - That sounds like the one! I didn't know it was based on a book :)

>111 katiekrug: I only knew of it because we re-purchased the book recently with the movie coming out. It was a YA book that came out maybe 2006? Which is a loooong time for YA, there's such a turnover with kids reading the newest most popular books that we probably hadn't had it in our collection for years. I haven't read it but it sounds like the sort of thing I like better as a movie anyway :)

>109 bell7: An. Erin. Morgenstern. Signing.

::faints from unbridled jealous loathing::

>107 bell7: You're welcome to use my Netflix if you want! I used to share with a bunch of people but they've all grown up and gotten their own accounts.
While *some people* (Micky) have claimed that The Knight Before Christmas lists a plot on their Netflix, mine just says "This far-fetched romance succeeds by leaning into the absurdity," which makes it sound much better than it actually is.

>108 katiekrug: I have not... it seems a bit too earnest for my terrible Christmas movie tastes. And I'm not a big John Green fan.

>114 norabelle414: - It's a bit earnest, but also rather funny and the acting is good.

>113 richardderus: I'll let you know how it goes, I still have to dig out my copy of The Night Circus and confirm I have it rather than currently lending it out. Btw, I swear I read your comment (and replied to it, but LT will *not* clear it as an unread comment. So confusing...

>114 norabelle414: Hm yes I might take you up on that as I'm too cheap (and don't watch enough movies/TV to make it worth it) to pay for it myself. PM me? It's not entirely by John Green, I think they are three short stories and one is by Maureen Johnson too? I haven't read it though. If I can figure out the title of that other terrible Christmas movie, I'll let you know.

>104 bell7: Be warned, while Holiday Inn is largely charming, there is a portion with blackface which is Not. Good. I much prefer White Christmas, which still has Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas", and also the delightful Danny Kaye. White Christmas is one of my must-watches along with Muppet Christmas Carol and Love Actually.

I also prefer 'White Christmas' over 'Holiday Inn.' My only must-watch for the holidays is 'Love Actually.' There is a musical parody of it playing in NYC and my best friend and I are going on Saturday :)

>118 katiekrug: Oooh, I look forward to hearing about that. :)

>104 bell7: I haven't seen "White Christmas" or "Holiday Inn," but I just saw the former is on the shelf so I checked it out. I remember my sister watching "Prancer" a lot when we were younger, but I don't think i have every seen the whole movie. I used to watch Love Actually every December, but haven't done that for a few years.

>117 MickyFine: Ooh, good to know, thanks for the heads up, Micky.

>118 katiekrug: I first watched "Love Actually" a couple of years ago and liked it enough I included it on my list of Christmas movies I'd like to own someday. I hope you enjoy the musical parody - that sounds fun!

>120 aktakukac: Hope you enjoy it, Rachel, it's on my list to watch depending on how much time I have - this year or next, maybe. The only must-watch every year for me is Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve, but there are several others I cycle through and watch regularly.

I got finished with dinner and walking the treadmill around 8 last night and instead of watching any movies, I decided to watch the beginning of the first series of the new Doctor Who (with Christopher Eccleston) because there are Christmas episodes every season, right? Or something. Actually, it was just an excuse to kinda-sorta be watching something while knitting and I didn't feel like a full-length movie.

>121 bell7: There are Christmas specials almost every season although I will say that they don't get super Christmassy until the Matt Smith years. For the Eccleston and Tennant years (as much as I love them) the Christmas specials are usually kinda plot heavy things that just happen to occur at Christmas.

>122 MickyFine: the first episode I ever saw was a Matt Smith Christmas special and I was soooo confused lol. I've watched into the Peter Capaldi years but stopped when my friend with BBC America moved away and I've been considering going back and rewatching/catching up anyway. Just happened to be what I was in the mood for yesterday 😂

The current Doctor Who, through season 10, is free on Prime. I know what you mean about not clearing read items! Happening to me a lot.

>124 richardderus: Ooh, good to know my family has a Prime account and I have yet to use it for anything but free shipping. Now I have two "unread" (and replied to) comments and it's bugging me.

TGIF - I already gave you all the rundown of my schedule for the next few days, so I won't repeat it here.

I haven't mentioned knitting projects in awhile. I finished a couple of sweaters recently:




This one is a pattern on Ravelry called "Tire Trace" that I made for a friend who asked me to make a sweater kind of out of the blue over the summer. I promised him an ugly one that he had to wear no matter what color, but of course I couldn't really do that to him. He's very broad shouldered and I was nervous about the fit, but I gave it to him yesterday and it fit perfectly so we were both pretty happy about that.

Another friend of mine - the one who introduced me to the first friend - knew I was finished his sweater and got to see the photo before I gave it to him. She didn't exactly ask for one too, but she let it be known that if I were to make one with no time pressure whatsoever she'd be very glad to get one. So I started it at the Fiber Arts retreat last month and completed it a few days ago (exact same yarn as the first, I'd bought 3 lbs of it). I don't have a good photo that shows the pattern, unfortunately but the pattern is Red Heart Big Comfy Sweater (free) for anyone inclined to look it up. It's a tunic style that just casts on extra stitches for the arms so there's minimal shaping involved - the front and back are exactly the same, and then you sew it all up.

And finally for some of my Christmas gifts this year, I'm knitting some dishcloths with more free Ravelry patterns. Here's the "Must Have Coffee" dishcloth:



I put some photos on my Instagram of ones that weren't gifts for anyone who follows me and got so many comments on the TARDIS one that I made a couple of more...and may have to buy more blue cotton yarn at some point. I'm currently working on a wintery house scene, and will finish up with a dragon in orange and a snowman in pink, after which I'll be finished with dishcloths for awhile and may turn my attention to some baby items for a couple of friends who are due in February. We'll see what I'm in the mood for after those are done. I knit like I read - a couple of things going at a time, usually, and picking up whatever I'm in the mood for in the moment.

Yaaaay free dishcloth patterns! I made one with bluebells on it for my family that I stayed with in Texas, and now I'm working on a yellow one with a bee on it that might go in someone's Christmas stocking.

>127 norabelle414: They are so fun and satisfying because they can be knit up in a couple of hours. My only complaint is a lot of what I'm using doesn't have a grid with it (or if it does, I'm having trouble reading it) and then I have to count carefully through the whole row to make the pattern.

Oh by the way, if anyone is on Ravelry I'm mbell7 there, feel free to friend me.

>126 bell7: Beautiful sweater, Mary!

>129 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>126 bell7: The tire-track stitch is...a stitch! *haw* I slay me.

The "Must Have Coffee" towelette is hilarious.

Lovely weekend reads, dearest Mary!

Very impressive knitting there, Mary!

Nice job with the knitting projects. I knitted for a couple of years as a kid in 4-H, and even won an award for a scarf I made, but then my instructor passed away, and I didn’t stick with it. I’d like to get back to it, or maybe try crocheting, someday.

When I was a kid my mum taught herself to knit and the old school photos are a testament to her eventual prowess. From three sleeves and threadbare to eye-catchingly unfashionable. Love you mum.

Have a lovely weekend, Mary.

>131 richardderus: *snort*
It turned out to be apropos for this friend as well, he's into weird cars and bicycling. The coffee one IS cute, no? It's part of my BIL's gift along with some fancy coffee beans for his pour overs.

>132 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

>133 aktakukac: Thanks, Rachel! I have learned in a combo style of YouTube videos and asking experienced knitters for help (especially in reading patterns and making adjustments), but my main goal in learning *when* I did was to do it before my grandma passed away from cancer. She got to see me be an experienced enough knitter that she complimented the evenness of my stitches and told me it would have me in good stead "when you start making sweaters." So now every time I make a sweater or other complicated I think of her and know she'd smile.

>134 PaulCranswick: Ah, a Mrs. Weasley type then with the odd-shaped sweaters and lovely thoughts behind them ;) Happy weekend to you, Paul.

Yesterday was, predictably, incredibly busy. I spent some time in the morning relaxing, then went out to a coffeehouse to hear my brother's band play and catch up with friends. From there it was caroling as a piece of the Christmas production my church puts on, and let me tell you by the time we were done (3+ hours with a few short breaks) my voice was shot. I can talk today, but I'm only singing softly. From there I did a grocery shopping, had dinner with my landlords and got all my Christmas cards ready to mail out tomorrow.

Today was church and then work - everyone else in the group from yesterday is caroling again, and on the one hand I'm kind of glad I'm giving my voice a rest, on the other it was pretty fun and that or work? Hm... So far today has been pretty steady with folks coming in - a lot of them would rather not come out in the rain tomorrow, I think, so the day's going by fast. Tonight I'm going to try my best to get on the treadmill and get some cooking done.

And then tomorrow, bliss, I am not working and my only plans are to finish my Christmas shopping and go to an author event. I'd originally thought I might not put a Christmas tree up this year, but I've been thinking of the way my place is organized and I think I've found a good way to do it. It'll stay up through my dogsitting job in January/February but, eh, who cares? So that *might* happen tomorrow too. Fun fun fun!

107. A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde
Why now? Micky's recommendation, and I was able to download the library e-book to read while on the treadmill

Rosalind Thorne has moved down in the world of the ton because of a scandal involving her father, but she's stayed in many peoples' good graces due to the support of her godmother and her ability to make herself "useful" in tricky situations. When a man turns up dead in the ballroom of the famed Almack, she reluctantly gets drawn in to the mystery.

This first in a series is a blend of comedy of manners and mystery, and just a touch more of the former as Rosalind doesn't really agree to start solving the mystery until about halfway through. The pacing could use a little work, perhaps, but a lot of groundwork was laid for a series and I would be interested in seeing how it continues to develop in later books. A fun story with a hint of possible romance to come. 4 stars.

Well, my original plan for yesterday was to take it easy, but somewhere between my planning the day and deciding not to cook on Sunday night, it became a "do ALL the home things!" kind of day off. So I cooked, cleaned, did laundry and, yes, finished my Christmas shopping.

The event at the local bookstore was really fun. They opened the doors around 6:30 and let us all check in and walk around. The upstairs of the bookstore had cookies with bees and keys on them and some drinks, someone doing face painting. Folks were called downstairs for the actual signing in four groups, and I was in Group B. I was totally tongue-tied, and couldn't say much beyond, "Thank you very much!" But she was very gracious (and talkative with those in line who had more than I to say) and did take a photo with me (I'll post it later from home). It was a bunch of fun and now I wanted to reread The Night Circus soooo much... But I can't, because I really need to get started with A House Among the Trees for book club next week.

I've been working on washcloths to give out as gifts and I have two more to finish up this week, plus a few things I ordered online need to come in but other than that - I have officially finished my Christmas shopping! (And birthdays of two family members who are close to Christmas.) Whew!

And if you're wondering how fast my year has been going, it has absolutely flown and I realized today that tomorrow we will start checking out books that will be due next year.

Love the clothes! what a great idea for a gift.

My library books are just about to turn over - now at 30th December. Where did 2019 go?!

>139 charl08: I truly don't know, Charlotte, this year in particular has been a fast one and I think it part there's not only a lot at work that I'm accomplishing but also volunteering and other commitments, so that every week just goes by so fast. ALA was six months ago already, and it doesn't seem that long ago at all. And thank you, I had decided to make the washcloths and someone else suggested adding scented soaps, so I have combos with washcloth/soap/bath salts for some of them. One of my friends liked the TARDIS one that I'd posted on Instagram, so I made them another one and included it with their Christmas card. If I can knit them up quick enough before I mail some out on Saturday, I'll include a photo that shows the color set of cotton yarn I bought (and yes, I'm thinking my next yarn purchase will be a bunch of blue cotton).

This week I managed to have time to watch a couple of Christmas movies.

Miracle on 34th Street (the original 1947 version) was adorable, I really enjoyed it and I can't believe I've never seen it before.

Holiday Inn was... problematic in a few ways though very much of its time and not on my list of movies to repeat. The songs mattered more than the plot and weren't that great to begin with (other than White Christmas, of course). The entire plot hinged on having two men vying for the same woman and not giving a crap what she thought about it. I'll try to get to White Christmas at some point, next year if not this one. I think that's the one I'd seen before.

Currently reading... too many books. I still have about 100 pages left in The Island of Sea Women which I'm loving but haven't had much time to sit down with, I started The Plague of Doves as my e-book to read on the treadmill, and finally I brought A House Among the Trees to work to start yesterday. I'm going to have to start focusing on the latter, as it's my book club read for Wednesday and once again I have a pretty busy weekend lined up. I had started listening to Shadowshaper but I didn't get far and probably won't now that I have to read for book club. I had also started reading Strange Planet a couple of weeks ago and though it's only a collection of comics, I keep putting it down to read other things. I might just finish it tonight to feel like I accomplished something. :D

>138 bell7: How sweet that you just got tongue-tied! I expect I'd've been, too.

>141 bell7: You'd never seen it before! How? It's been as ubiquitous as the Devil since I was a kid, back when Edison had just patented the Kinetograph. At least you've seen it can see why it's a classic at last.

>143 richardderus: I, yeah, I know and sometimes I'm better than others with that but anything I possibly thought of saying went right out the window and my mind went blank. Ah well, she was very gracious and didn't seem to mind that I was less talkative than others!

The reasons for all the movies I have missed are long, but the short version is my dad doesn't watch movies much at all (like, fewer than I do by a long shot) and we just didn't watch much as kids. So I missed a lot of classic films but have also watched a lot of others because they were *unrated* so my friends' parents would work with my parents' rules and as a result I saw The Maltese Falcon and The Trouble With Angels after one memorable trip to Blockbuster. And yes, I can absolutely see why Miracle on 34th Street is a classic.

I can't believe it's already Sunday evening again!

It's been a busy last week or so. I had our town employees' holiday party on Thursday, yesterday was my day with my Little, and today was NY Giants (a win!) and my brother's birthday. I got home, worked on some gift wrapping and package making, and now I'm in my jammies and ready to read a bit in my book club book before hitting the hay and starting the work week.

Tomorrow after work, I'll send out my Christmas packages, grocery shop, and hopefully make some progress in that book club book in between a little cooking. I have about 200 pages to read in A House Among the Trees before Wednesday which really should be doable. I'm also very close to finished with A Plague of Doves which has been my e-book on the treadmill this week.

Very little movie-watching planned this week, but I have Scrooged out from the library and White Christmas on hold. I'll definitely watch Muppet Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve, but that's the only promise I'll make.

108. A Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
Why now? Originally had the book out for November's Monthly Author Reads, didn't get to it, but then the e-book came in so I decided to read it on the treadmill this week.

A horrific crime affects many in the small town of Pluto, North Dakota: first the murder of a family and second the murder of a group of Ojibwa accused of the crime. Now, as Evelina and her brother grow up and hear the story from their grandfather, a generation or two later families of the perpetrators and victims intertwine and are all affected, in some way, with the aftermath.

Told in multiple perspectives and covering several years - not counting the stories we're told of a generation or two ago - this is a complex read and one I would reread with a pen in hand to tease out the chronology and genealogy of various characters. It's thought-provoking, excellent storytelling. 4.5 stars

109. A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass
Why now? Book club choice for Wednesday

When author and illustrator Mort Lear dies, his assistant Tomasina (Tommy) is left carrying out his wishes: rather than leave all his works and papers to a museum that has had much of his collection on loan for years, his will directs her to disperse it widely and use the funds to create a home for boys in the author's native Tuscon. Meanwhile, the museum curator is beside herself, and the actor playing Mort in an upcoming film wants to visit and learn as much as he can about the man himself for his performance - and seems to know a little more than even Tommy does about Mort's past.

Many of the books I read for my book club seem to tease out the question, "How well can you really know another person?" Well, this one does it in spades. Who really knows Mort Lear, and in the end is it really important to fully understand him? His character is at least partly based on Maurice Sendak, who was also gay and had loaned materials to The Rosenbach in Philadelphia who had to return items to his estate after a legal battle. This focuses most on the characters, however, and how their relationships intertwine but how ultimately no one really knows another person. 4 stars.

I struggled with rating this one. It's readable and went okay when I was reading it, but I never was super excited to pick it up (honestly that might be my natural contrariness against a book I "have" to read) and I think years from now it won't be one I remember strongly. Though it also might be that it was wedged between two pretty stellar reads.

110. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
Why now? Caught my attention as a bestseller earlier this year, and I gave a copy to my sister before she went away for a semester in Seoul. I wanted to read it before she came back.

Young-sook is a haenyeo, and in 2008 is one of the oldest and last of those women divers who harvest from the sea around Jeju Island. When a family suddenly turns up on the island asking about Mi-ja, she remembers events starting with her childhood about her friend and sister of her heart, and the way their families were affected by World War 2 and beyond.

One of the joys of historical fiction is being immersed in a time and place, and learning something new about it. I knew nothing of the history of Korea, of the matrifocal society on Jeju Island, of haenyeo and the Japanese occupation of Korea, all presented here in a seamless story of friendship and betrayal. 4.5 stars.

It takes a lot for a book to get me to cry, and this one did.

Today is an icy, rainy all-around icky weather day. I'm not working 'til noon, but not looking forward to the drive.

This morning, I was able to finish a couple of books. I usually have 3 going at once, and tend to start a few at once and finish a bunch at once about a week later, so in two days I went from having read one book so far this month to 4. The next couple of books I start will most likely be some seasonal reads. I have A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis ready to go, and the next e-book on my Kindle is Exhalation by Ted Chiang. Because I usually only read a short story or two at a time (and try to read them in one sitting, which makes it tough to read on breaks at work), I'll pick a third at some point today. I haven't decided what yet. Maybe Shadowshaper because I also have the audiobook ready to go, or Last Christmas in Paris for more seasonal reading or my annual reread of A Christmas Carol (though I'm thinking of saving that one for a weekend binge-read).

I'm off to walk the treadmill for a bit, then go to work. Today's agenda is pretty light, as I don't expect too many people to come out for tech help in the terrible weather. I want to read up on my emails on new and popular book titles. I want to go through the questions for tomorrow's book group and plan anything I'm going to add to the regular handouts (questions for this month, readalike recommendations, and next month's questions). And I'm working on putting together another walk with historical info and photos of places in town, but that's not too pressing because I won't be taking the current photos until spring. Tomorrow being book club, I also won't have to go into work until noon, and the trustees are providing the library staff with lunch.

It's rainy and uccchhhy here today, but blessedly not icy or snowy. *Just* too warm for that. Little as I like cold drizzle, I prefer it to ice when I have to go outside. My trip to the Stop'n'Shtup will be a briskly paced one.

Have a story-able day!

Hi Mary!

>96 bell7: I'm sorry you were disappointed in The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, but your review has really intrigued me. I'll definitely try to get to it in the near future. As a bonus, I haven't read any books from/about Mali in my global reading challenge, so that's an added incentive for me.

Beautiful knitting! I'm looking forward to seeing the Tardis dish cloth!

I love your list of the 55 best Christmas movies. I've added two classics to my Netflix queue: The Shop Around the Corner and Meet Me in St Louis, neither of which I've seen. Since my internet is slow, I have to watch my movies on DVD's - that means I probably won't see them before Christmas, but I celebrate Christmas for at least an entire week until New Year's Day.

Yay for light days at work when you can get caught up on projects you need to do.

>150 richardderus: Glad to hear it's not icy for you, Richard! Our library is one of the few in the area not closing early, but the good news is there will be fewer people on the roads at 8 than at 5.

>151 streamsong: I always hope to be able to convey enough of a book's appeal to intrigue those who would like a book even if I didn't love it, so happy to hear you may try out The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and hope you enjoy it, Janet! I first watched The Shop Around the Corner a couple of years ago and very much enjoyed it, though I have yet to see Meet Me in St. Louis.

It is wonderful to visit here Mary!

Glad you stopped by, Mary!

111. Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
Why now? I honestly can't remember what first put this on my radar. I've been meaning to read it, the audiobook became available, and I ended up devouring the book instead of listening much.

Sierra Santiago is commissioned to paint a mural, and has no idea that it will literally change her life. Because right about the time she starts, her abuelo who hasn't been coherent since his stroke, tells her she has to finish it and get help from a boy named Robbie - and something about shadowshapers, which her mom balks at as soon as Sierra asks. Meanwhile, people are coming after her and asking about Lucera. Sierra's in a race against time to learn about the shadowshapers and the mysterious anthropologist Dr. Wick before they're all killed.

Inventive fantasy with diverse characters and a heroine that's easy to route for make this an excellent pick for teen fantasy fans. I enjoyed the world-building, the pacing was perfect and I stayed up late finishing it because I just had to know what happened next. Looking forward to seeing where the rest of the trilogy takes me. 4 stars.

Borderline if I'd read it again, but definitely a compelling story. His sister Malka Older writes SF books too, and Infomocracy is the first in a trilogy on my TBR list.

112. Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle
Why now? I've been following this comic artist on Instragram since a friend told me about him and pre-ordered the book. I started it back when it came out and finally decided to finish it today.

This collection of comics shows beings living lives that appear quite...human, just not in the language you might expect.

I've been following the author's comics on Instagram (@nathanwpylestrangeplanet) for some time, and if you have been too you won't see much new here, but may enjoy perusing for the unique way he evokes everyday life. I find many of them very funny with the vacuum "rollsucker", cats, dogs, goofy new lyrics to "When you wish upon a star" and much more.

So if any of you have been following #libfaves19, it's a hashtag librarians on Twitter have been using to call out their favorite books of 2019. The votes are in for a top ten and this spreadsheet has every title mentioned. Some great books on here for all ages, fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels!

Hi, Mary.

That's really good to hear re The Island of Sea Women. My sister recommended it to me, and her rec's sometimes don't match my reading tastes (but often do). I've got it on the WL.

I wasn't compelled by all of the stories in Exhalation, like I was with his Stories of Your Life and Others, but the ones that got me were well worth the read, including the title story.

It seems like life just gets busier at this time of year! I hope you have all your gift making done, or just about, and you will have some time for relaxing and reading, Mary.

>158 jnwelch: Hope you like it, Joe! I thought it was excellent and would've finished it sooner if it weren't for my book club reading. So far so good with Exhalation - "The Lifecycle of Software Objects" is rather long for a short story and while I liked it at the beginning, I'm tiring of it now. But the first couple of stories were intriguing, so I think I'm going to enjoy the read overall. Short story collections are tough that way, usually some resonate more than others.

>158 jnwelch: It's been a very busy time of year, but yes I have finished all my gift buying, am waiting on one item to arrive in the mail before wrapping final gifts and putting a few finishing touches on wrapping for housemates (I have to get cookies out of the freezer and don't want to leave them out for the mice to find). I'm working tomorrow and Sunday, but am very much looking forward to a lazy Saturday and some downtime on Monday before family starts arrive. Best wishes for the holidays and hope you get some time for reading too, Meg!

I left my phone at work yesterday, half on purpose (I realized I didn't have it on the way out the door and decided I didn't care enough to search for it thoroughly).

So last night after work I did the laundry, cooked some red lentil soup, and watched Scrooged. It was...okay. Might've been ground-breaking when it first came out, but I didn't find it particularly hilarious? I think I prefer the Christmas Carol versions that play it straight. Even An American Christmas Carol had a new twist by setting it during the Great Depression, where this just felt kinda forced into the "modern" era and now it's too dated to be even that. Ah well.

Today at work I'll be giving a tour of my library to my FSIL and some of her co-workers. Should be fun! I've got a few long-term projects that are making a mess of my desk and my other plan today is organizing enough to clean it up. The walking tour I can't do much more on before going in to the registry of deeds - there's a little I can look up online, but not much. And finally there's a grant I'm in the process of applying for and I have a little bit of prep work I need to either do or move into a folder off my desk to deal with after the holidays. If I can get progress made on those two long-term projects I'll be in good shape.

Tomorrow I'm off and Sunday I'm working, then off for three days (combination of personal and holiday time). Tomorrow I don't have anything pressing because I did that cooking and cleaning yesterday, so I'm looking forward to a chill day at home to read and relax a bit.

Soviet Santa says "Happy Yule!" Solstice Greetings to all. Read more here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/soviet-santa

>162 richardderus: Happy Solstice, Richard, I'm very happy to see a little more sunlight each day for the next 6 months. And what a fascinating history on Ded Moroz - thanks for the link!

This weekend and the next few days are going to be a weird mix of nothing-to-do followed by extreme busyness. Friday at work went by quickly: I started the day giving my FSIL and two of her co-workers a tour of the library, talked about my job and some of the unique features of what we do (it's amazing, you don't realize how much there is until you start talking about it and get asked questions). Friday night was movie night with FSIL and my brother - we went to see Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Yesterday I woke up to find that the head cold I'd been fighting off since Tuesday was not healed but decided that since I had nothing better to do, I was going to feel miserable with it. So I spent the morning reading, watched White Christmas, read some more, and generally did nothing productive. Which was fine, I had planned on a lazy day. But I'd hoped to feel a lot better and more energetic.

Today I have church, work, and then I'm going out to meet the dogs I'll be sitting for post-Christmas. I still have the cold but I think I can push through. I'm off tomorrow and only have a few things to wrap and finish up for our Christmas celebrations. I'm hoping the rest of my mom's gift comes in on time; I just checked the tracking number and it's expected tomorrow, so I should just squeak that in. I am also being a bit of a pest with my dad's gift. He always asks for money - which is fine, he makes a point of saving it up and buying something fun and showing us all afterwards, such as his collection of NY Giants' ticket stubs - and this year I decided to give him small bills and fold them in origami shapes :D

After tomorrow's reading and relaxing, Christmas Eve will involve watching Muppet Christmas Carol (a must every year), going to my uncle's Christmas Eve party, and most likely the 11 p.m. service at church. It's exhausting, but I love the candlelight singing of "Silent Night" every year and wishing everyone a Merry Christmas right at midnight. My sister A. and her family will be up sometime on Christmas Eve, so it's possible I'll be at my parents earlier in the day, I haven't quite figured that out yet. And then Christmas itself I'll be over my parents' as early as possible to see the kids open gifts (with the stockings I knit them!) and for breakfast at 9. The earliest I could probably get there would be around 7:30 and I half expect the kids to already be up by then, but it's a thought anyway. And afterwards over dinner we're celebrating my youngest sister's graduation from college! That 3.5 years went by sooo fast!

113. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Why now? Time for the annual reread!

As I suggested I might, I read this in one sitting over the weekend - yesterday, appropriately, was the anniversary of its printing though I didn't realize that until after I reread the story. It's Tradition and I can't even properly review the book; I've been reading it every year for at least a dozen years now.

Other reading:

I'm making steady progress in A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis (which is an expanded version of Miracle and Other Christmas Stories). It's fascinating reading through the reviews and seeing which short stories resonate with which readers. So far, I've really enjoyed all of them for very different reasons. Connie Willis's SF and Christmas are a great combo for me.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang is on my Kindle and I have two stories left and three days to read them in. I can do it! It's a little strange to be reading two sets of SF short stories at the same time. Usually I try to vary my reading a little more so I don't blend books together in my head, but their narrative voices are quite different (and Chiang's have nothing to do with Christmas), so I think I'll be okay.

The Library of the Unwritten is one I put in my bag to bring to work on Friday and only just started reading before meeting up with my brother and FSIL for the movie. I'm not very far - the bulk of my reading yesterday was short stories and A Christmas Carol - but I'll be getting into the meat of it over the next few days to have a full novel in addition to the short story reading. Hell has a library of Unwritten books - those still in an author's head, yet to be written or doomed never to be - and one's got it in its head to be sentient and go to earth to meet its author (which is a very dangerous proposition). So the human librarian Claire and her assistant Brevity have to go to earth to get it back. This promises to be really good fun.

Oh, and I completely forgot to mention the movies!

Star Wars - I'm not a superfan by any means, but I enjoy going to see them in theaters. This one probably suffered a little from my not really remembering a lot from Episodes 7 and 8, but overall I liked it. I felt like it wrapped things up well for me in my head so now I can not watch any other Star Wars stuff that comes out from Disney. *shrug* What can I say, I'm more of a SuperWhoLock fan.

White Christmas - watched yesterday, and for the life of my I'm still not sure whether I saw this one or Holiday Inn years ago when I was babysitting. More singing & dancing around the holidays, but this one is definitely better than Holiday Inn and had some really funny moments. I'm not sure it will ever be among my absolute favorite holiday movies, but it's one I'd watch again in a few years maybe.

I was disappointed to find out Netflix doesn't have Love Actually anymore, but I'm not motivated enough to look for it or another Christmas movie at the library today. I can watch some of my own DVDs over the next few days if I feel like it - Muppet Christmas Carol is the only given at this point.

Sounds like wonderful plans ahead for you, Mary! Glad to see you liked White Christmas. I've been watching that one since childhood so I've got a lot of love for it. If you've succumbed to Disney+ "Noelle" with Anna Kendrick is actually really cute and good holiday viewing choice.

>167 MickyFine: There's something special about the movies we watch and books we read at a particular age, I think, and nothing can really outweigh the nostalgia even when we can criticize little bits as adults. I don't have Disney+ at the moment, but I'll keep "Noelle" in mind should I get it or dogsit for someone who does. Thanks, Micky!

114. Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang
Why now? I can't remember the "best of" list that first put this on my list, but I like short stories and I like SFF so I decided to try it out. The library e-book came in at an opportune time, and I started reading it on the treadmill (and off, this weekend) after I finished A Plague of Doves and A House Among the Trees

The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate
Time travel meets the Arabian Nights with the fascinating tale of a man who walks through a mirror 20 years in the past, even knowing he can't change it. Beautifully told and a story that left me with a smile on my face.

Exhalation
What happens when a being intent on discovering how thoughts are made takes a look at how his own brain processes things? His place in the universe may never be the same.

What's Expected of Us
Short but powerful story about the illusion of free will.

The Lifecycle of Software Objects
Explores how AI sort-of pets could grow and change over the course of several years. In contrast to the previous story, on the long side and I thought would've been more powerful if a little shorter - I'd grown bored with the idea by the time the story was over.

Dacey's Patent Automatic Nanny
How might childhood be affected by being raised by AI instead of humans?

The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling
What would happen if we had technology that could allow us to video our entire lives? How would it affect our relationships and our perception of memory? Interspersed with the futuristic story, we get a second one that brings us back into the past in a society that has no writing and an individual who learns to read and write. Thought-provoking and one I've been thinking about a lot the past few days as I have been second-guessing my own memory of events.

The Great Silence
A very funny story told in the voice of parrots who wonder why humans are looking outside of the universe for beings to talk to instead of talking to parrots right here on our planet. His "Story Notes" at the end explain that this story was part of a collaboration with Jenniver Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla in which they created a video installation with footage of the radio telescope in Arecibo and footage of Puerto Rican parrots that are endangered and live in a forest nearby. This story began as a third video screen, a fable told from the parrot point of view. I thought it stood alone pretty well, but I'm intrigued by the larger context here too.

Omphalos
An interesting mind exercise in which scientists have proof of a young earth and an astronomical observation causes them to rethink their place in the universe. It's told in the form of a prayer, and I'm sure I missed some of the scientific nuance, but it was a fascinating concept.

Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom
A little on the longer side in the collection, but a really fun story anyways. Prisms exist that allow us to see into alternate universes and talk to ourselves. Two employees of a store that allows their customers to use these prisms have a scam going and want to make some money - but what choices will they make, and will they matter?

My main judge for a collection of short stories is, would I read it again? And yes, this collection of very different short stories, some short some long, some challenging, some funny, many thought-provoking, is one I would happily reread. 4.5 stars.

http://forreadingaddicts.co.uk/reading-excerpts/christmas-carol-read-neil-gaiman....

>170 ronincats: Ooh, thanks for the link, Roni! I'll listen tomorrow morning while preparing for my Christmas-y activities.

Today was my day off for working yesterday. I took my time working on all my "finishing" errands, but after a quick trip to the dry cleaners, the pharmacy, the grocery shop and the bank (it really was quick, three of those were within walking distance from each other), I came home to go through the mail and finish my Christmas wrapping. I'd had the "brilliant" idea to origami fold the money I'm giving my dad for Christmas and ended up giving up on most of the how-to videos, so half of the bills are fish (easiest I could find) and I substituted a $10 so I didn't have quite so many 1s.

I wrapped up by about 2 p.m. and put away all my wrapping stuff for another year. I called my mom to confirm some timing over the next couple of days, jumped on the treadmill, and have spent some pleasant time catching up on LT threads. I am thinking it's time for dinner, perhaps a Christmas show or two (Charlie Brown, anyone?) while knitting a pair of socks, and then I'll turn on the Bruins game.

While on the treadmill, I started a new e-book Bringing Down the Colonel, which was the book by Patricia Miller, the author I went to see with Marianne (michigantrumpet) at Edith Wharton's house earlier this year. I have three stories left in A Lot Like Christmas: Stories and am making good progress in The Sun is Also a Star, so expect reviews to come fairly shortly!

Merry Christmas Eve!

This morning is the calm before the storm that is busyness with friends & family (but fun!). I'm planning on reading a bit, watching Muppet Christmas Carol and working on knitting a pair of socks, followed by some time on the treadmill (if I have time - I certainly won't on Christmas itself) and then going over my parents' to join the festivities. My sister T. is home from South Korea and officially graduated. My sister A. is on her way here with her family as I type. Both my brothers, FSIL, and grandfather will join us for Christmas breakfast tomorrow. And tonight is the party at my uncle's. So I won't get a lot of time to myself for the next several days and need this morning to recharge and prepare for that!

Enjoy your introvert time before all of the celebrating!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Mary!

Sounds like a fun day planned, Mary!

Merry Christmas from Montana!

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, some other tradition or none at all, this is what I wish for you!

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

calm and I could use some friends over here in this new joint...

The 2020 Group is up!

>174 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! It was a fun but tiring set of days, and I'm actually kinda glad that my dogsitting job got pushed back a few days to give me time at home to recover a bit.

>175 jnwelch: Merry Christmas, Joe, hope you had a good one!

>176 streamsong: Merry Christmas, Janet!

>177 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! Hope you're having wonderful holidays :)

>178 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! Wishing you a happy new year in 2020.

>179 AMQS: Thank you, Anne, and Merry Christmas!

>180 drneutron: Thanks for the link, Jim! I've joined the group and will set up a thread sometime over the next few days :)

115. A Lot Like Christmas by Connie Willis
Why now? I wanted to read some seasonal books in addition to A Christmas Carol this year and when I discovered that there was a collection of Connie Willis stories I'd never read before, I decided it was a match made in heaven.

“Miracle”
A very funny comparison between “Miracle on 34th Street” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” (Willis makes very clear which one she prefers in the introduction and in this story), which benefitted by my having just watched the former this year and being very familiar with the latter. With a little help from a random spirit who shows up on her doorstep, Lauren finds out that what she really wants for Christmas may be right in front of her.

“All About Emily”
A twist on the AI story – is Emily really as appealing and non-threatening as she appears? One actress is about to find out. Lots of references to film and Broadway shows that went right over my head, but it was still entertaining.

“Inn”
A member of the choir has an encounter with apparently time-traveling homeless wanderers.

“All Seated on the Ground”
Hilarious take on what might happen if aliens came to earth around Christmastime. They look on disapprovingly until they respond to a Christmas carol – but did you know how violent some of them are? Can we communicate without instructing them to start mayhem?

“In Coppelius’s Toy Shop”
A creepy story in which a self-absorbed man gets exactly what he deserves.

“Adaptation”
A man working at a bookstore gets his own adaptation of “A Christmas Carol.” Funny and thought-provoking of how the clasic story might look in our own day and age.

“deck.halls@boughs/holly”
What might our crazy Christmas decorations look like if we allowed people with computer programs to do it all for us? Linny works as one of those folks and decorates your house to your specifications. Because it’s all online, she doesn’t get out much to meet folks, but when a Mrs. Shields hires her she starts seeing an awful lot of the nephew...

“Cat’s Paw”
Not exactly Christmas-y but a classic mystery story with a Christmas setting. Touffet and his chronicler Bridlings go to a manor house where Lady Charlotte has them meet her intelligent primates, when her father is murdered.

“Now Showing”
In a future where there are hundreds of movie options and going to the movies is a whole day affair complete with remakes, sequels, shops & restaurants based on movie themes, Lindsay finds that her ex Jack Weaver didn’t really leave her in the lurch but is doing significant work showing that some of the movies simply don’t exist. Hijinks (and possibly true love with a scoundrel) ensue, chockablock full with movie references both Christmas-y and not (of which I actually got several).

“Newsletter”
In a family where the holiday newsletters are practically a competition, Nan Johnson has nothing to say. But when aliens appear to be taking over family and friends – all of them wearing hats and behaving most unusually nice to each other – she might just have something to share after all.

“Epiphany”
A reverend goes on a road trip with a gut feeling that the Second Coming is actually here. By turns funny and thought-provoking, challenging you to think about the ways in which the story of a baby in a manger didn’t really fit what anyone was looking for based on prophecy either. Also had my favorite line of the bunch: “He was a Presbyterian, not a Pentecostal. He did not have visions.”

“Just Like the Ones We Used to Know”
My least favorite of the collection. A snowstorm starts and encompasses all of the U.S. and a lot of places that it really shouldn’t be a white Christmas. Did global warming cause a superstorm? Or is it something else entirely?

Verdict: Overall, I really enjoyed this short story collection but as I would only reread some of them, I give it four stars.

Yesterday was a blast with the kids. They were *very* excited to open and play with their gifts. My nephew was excitedly exclaiming, "Merry Christmas!" to every individual that arrived (sometimes shouting it from the door) and even opened up the trash can to yell, "Merry Christmas" down it as well! They left a bit earlier than expected due to sickness and wanting to get the kids back home for a normal day before going back to school, which was a bit sad, but still impressive that we got everyone together for a few hours at least.

Christmas afternoon after folks left, my youngest sister and my parents and I played cards and watched Netflix. We watched a couple of holiday British Baking Show episodes and A Knight for Christmas, which was just as bad as Nora promised. I ended up leaving close to 10 p.m. to go home to bed, where I finished the last story in A Lot Like Christmas (it was due today).

Today was back to work, and fortunately even though it wasn't terribly busy the day went by pretty steadily. At the end of the day, it was just me, the director and the children's librarian in the building, so I got to do a lot of the closing up procedures for the first time in awhile. I then took a quick trip to the place I get my oil changes and asked them to take a look at my driver's side windshield wiper, which was having trouble with the arm and when I turned them on not coming up to swipe all the way like it should. They tightened it for me at no charge (hooray!) and now I'm home for the evening. I'm going to go put a quiche together so I have lunch for tomorrow, and in the evening I'm taking my youngest sister out to dinner.

I was going to start a dogsitting job on Saturday, but that's been postponed a few days as their son's going to be staying there while his car gets fixed. I'm kinda happy to have the extra weekend to be home and to prepare for it, honestly (laundry, packing, cleaning...). I expect I'll finish a book or two by the end of the year, so I'll still be posting here over the next few days even while I get my 2020 thread set up.

Alrighty then, while this will still be my primary thread for the next five days, I have officially started my 2020 thread. Feel free to stop by!

>182 bell7: Willis had Miracle and Other Christmas Stories out since 2000 in a mass market paperback, with stories written from 1991 to 1999. That contained stories 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 as well as one titled The Pony. Then in 2017 they republished them along with the new stories 2, 4, 7, 9, and 12 in a trade paperback. I loved All Seated on the Ground the most of the new ones, and worth purchasing the new book, so now I have both on my shelves.

Best wishes this holiday season!! See you in 2020!

Sounds like you had a wonderful Christmas, Mary. I hope the recovery from all that activity is going well.

>185 ronincats: Ooh, I knew it was an expanded "Miracle" but wasn't sure what stories went with the original and which were new, so thanks for that breakdown! I also loved "All Seated on the Ground" and found it tickled my funny bone perfectly (which is hard to do, I have a weird sense of humor).

>186 Berly: Thanks, Kim! Wishing you a wonderful holiday season & happy new year!

>187 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg, I think so. I have plans today with my Little and errands to run, but I'm sitting and relaxing for the morning instead of feeling like I have to be going, going, going. It's hard to find that balance sometimes.

Hi Mary - It sounds like you are having a wonderful holiday.

I loved your comments on the Prose essays. It sounds like one I would like.

Your sweaters are beautiful. I have been thinking I would like to learn to knit...if, of course, my projects turn out like yours. :)

>189 BLBera: Thanks, Beth, it was a nice holiday and I'm looking forward to a little more in the coming days! I hope you enjoy the Prose essays. And I do enjoy knitting, I've been doing it for something like 10 years - the first scarf I completed was a little misshapen, however! I'm working on socks for my brother and should be able to post a photo soon.

Good last-Monday-of-the-decade morning!

The terrifying ice storm that was predicted (literally, scrolling across the screen of the TV yesterday saying if you had to go anywhere, bring a blanket, food and water, for what was supposed to be less than half an inch of ice) turned out to be just rain as it's just warm enough not to freeze. I'm working a short day today and leaving early to go to my dad's office for some help deciphering deeds for the property history of a couple of places I want to mention in a self-guided, outdoor (no going inside the houses!) walking tour I'm creating. The plan is old and doesn't use addresses as such, so I can't really picture where they are in the street because the official property name is 399-421 Main Street and that includes 16 buildings, some set facing another street entirely.

I've also got my grocery shopping ready to go, and I'm aiming to keep it a small list because I might be leaving for dogsitting anytime after tomorrow. They're up in the air because their son is staying there while his car gets fixed, so he can't go home to another state and I am not needed until after that happens. Annoying up-in-the-airness for all, but it may mean I can stay late at my FSIL's New Year's Eve party without guilt.

Currently reading the same books. I'd been expecting to finish them over the weekend, but I ended up deciding to re-watch several episodes of Doctor Who (starting over with Christopher Eccleston and attempting to catch up to current) and knit instead. I have on sock almost finished and I knit a pair of baby booties yesterday during the Giants' debacle.

Knitting and Who sounds like an excellent way to spend time. :)

>192 MickyFine: It really was. I've got to get reading on at least one of my books, though, it's due on Thursday!

>193 bell7: You can do it!!!

>194 MickyFine: Probably haha. I ended up having plans tonight so tomorrow if I can get some quality reading time in between dog walks and family plans.

Let's see, where am I, the last couple of days have been kind of a blur.

Yesterday was the trip to my dad's and a short work day, followed by grocery shopping and a weird ride home. The weather had started out rainy and turned icy as I drove home, and I saw a car in a ditch with prep going to tow it out, so drove extra carefully the rest of the way home. That night was dinner with the housemates - I made us all a salmon dish with asparagus and pesto and grape tomatoes all wrapped up and cooked together in foil which was delish and I'd definitely do it again. We had a short-lived thunderstorm in the midst of that. My FSIL's party got canceled so I thought I'd have tonight free, and then I also got a text that I'd start the dogsitting job today, so I packed for that too.

Today was an 8:30-4:30 at work, but I ran late from packing my car up for dogsitting (turns out I needed to bring a LOT of stuff - though some of it is for events while I'm away, so there will be less to bring home!). While I was there, a friend invited me to a different New Year's Eve party so I went from no plans to plans tonight. When we were getting ready to close, people walked in at 4:25 not realizing we were closing early ("The Internet said that the hours might be different but also that you'd be closing at 8."), so I very quickly recommended some book for a mom who wanted 1st-grade level basic chapter books for her 2nd grader (which is almost impossible as we don't organize any books but our beginner books by level), but I gave her a couple of options and she took some home. I came to dogsit, unpacked, fed the dogs, fed myself. And in about a half hour our so I'll head out to said party.

Oh, and I finished a book in there (not the one that's due Thursday, of course not).

Wishing you 12 months of success
52 weeks of laughter
366 days of fun (leap year!)
8,784 hours of joy
527,040 minutes of good luck
and 31,622,400 seconds of happiness!!

116. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
Why now? I was looking for an audiobook and one of the narrators I like to look for is Bahni Turpin, who reads part of this book. Also Everything, Everything was a good read and I wanted to read this one too.

Natasha, originally from Jamaica but living here with her parents and brother, is going to be deported today if she doesn't get some help. On her way to her appointment, she bumps into a Korean American boy named Daniel, whose parents want him to go to Yale. This chance meeting sets off a day that neither of them could have seen coming, as the narrative changes back and forth between their two perspectives and also gives us a window into the lives of some of the people they meet along the way.

Because time is so compressed and the narrative happens in less than 24 hours, it probably suffered a little from my stretching it out over a couple of weeks until I was ready for a new audiobook. But it's very much about believing in love and "meant to be" and the affect we can have on so many lives even in a short span of time. Natasha's and Daniel's family show a variety of family relationships - the good, the bad, and the complicated - and immigrant experiences. Recommended for fans of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. 4.5 stars.

I know, I'm dating myself a little bit with the Nick and Norah reference, but I couldn't think of another more recent "one day" teen read.

>197 Berly: Thanks, Kim!

December in review:
116. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
115. A Lot Like Christmas: Stories by Connie Willis
114. Exhalation: Stories by Ted Chiang
113. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
112. Strange Planet by Nathan W. Pyle
111. Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
110. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
109. A House Among the Trees by Julia Glass
108. A Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
107. A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde

Books read: 10
Fiction/Nonfiction/Graphic Novels/Poetry/Plays: 9/0/1/0/0
Children's/Teen/Adult: 0/2/8
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 8/2/0
Rereads: 1

Standouts: I think out of this batch The Island of the Sea Women will stick with me the longest

Thoughts: A slow start and a lot at the end, which seems to be typical for my reading this year. I'm a little surprised I finished no nonfiction. I read a couple of short story collections back-to-back, which is a bit unusual for me but I do love a good short story. Consistently good reads this month, too, as I didn't rate anything lower than a 4.

2019 in review
I started off the year with ambitious and somewhat nebulous goals to read more diversely, read books in translation and read books from my library's shelves - going shelf by shelf and picking one book out of the lot (and skipping when I felt like it) whenever I didn't know what to read next. Well, I never ran out of ideas of what to read so that fell by the wayside very quickly. I read one book in translation - in January - and didn't get to any since. But partway through the year I made the more specific and attainable goal to read at least 25% "own voices" reads - and I did, reading a grand total of 28%. I found out quickly that "diverse" reading is sometimes hard to nail down precisely - did I read a lot by Asian Americans, African Americans, but not a lot of outside of the US or LGBTQ? And while it's diverse in that the characters are South Korean, The Island of the Sea Women is not Own Voices because the author is Chinese American. So while having that 25% goal wasn't a perfect measure, it helped me have something specific to strive for and made me more conscious of some of the reading choices I make. I'll be carrying that goal into 2020 as well.

Here are my top reads this year (all five stars, no rereads):
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
For Everyone by Jason Reynolds
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Reading Life by C.S. Lewis
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell
Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby

As for number of books read, anywhere from 105 to 141 seems to be what I can handle with a full-time job, and the numbers just vary based on how quickly I read or how busy life is. My total in 2019 was 116, a number I'm pleased with, and an average of almost 10 books a month.

Here's what previous years are that I've kept track of in LT:

July - Dec 2008 - 65
2009 - 156
2010 - 135
2011 - 150
2012 - 108
2013 - 107
2014 - 126 (plus 8 Graphic Novels)
2015 - 120 (plus 6 Graphic Novels)
2016 - 141
2017 - 114
2018 - 105
2019 - 116

Well, that's a wrap on 2019, folks! If you haven't already, please join me on my 2020 thread!