Mary (bell7) Reads Diversely and Globally in 2021 - thread #8

Welcome to my eighth, and most likely final, thread of the year!

As the year winds down, I can't help but reflect back on the last 11 or so months - a year of home owning, getting my vaccine, dogsitting again. I've been busy, but in a good way. As much as the house keeps me busy and I complain about the yard work, it's totally worth it being a home owner.

My reading numbers have not been up to 2020 but have remained on the high side in 2021 (I'm typically between 107-120 since working full time, as you can see below). My goals this year were to read 33% authors of color and at least 12 books from outside of the US/UK. I've surpassed the global reading goal and am well on my way to surpassing the AOC goal. In fact, I'm doing so well on both that I'm planning on upping my goal in 2022 to 50% of my reading being non-white authors, and again having at least 12 authors be outside of the US and UK, specifically diving into the Asian authors challenge that Paul (PaulCranswick) proposed on his thread.

So with a little over a month to go, I'd say it's been a good year, on balance, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the next adventures come in the next few months.

2021 Book Club Reads
One of the fun parts of my job is facilitating one of our library book clubs. As a group, we often like historical fiction and memoirs.

January - Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate - COMPLETED
February - Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson - COMPLETED
March - Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker - COMPLETED
April - A Burning by Megha Majumdar - COMPLETED
May - The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin - COMPLETED
Summer break
September - Beloved: a novel by Toni Morrison - COMPLETED
October - The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen - COMPLETED
November - The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel - COMPLETED
December - The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - COMPLETED

Rough guide to my rating system:

I'm fairly generous with my star ratings - generally a four is a "like" or "would recommend" for me, while a 4.5 stars is a book I would reread. I break it down roughly like this:

1 star - Forced myself to finish it
2 stars - Dislike
2.5 stars - I really don't know if I liked it or not
3 stars - Sort of liked it; or didn't, but admired something about it despite not liking it
3.5 stars - The splitting hairs rating of less than my last 4 star book or better than my last 3
4 stars - I liked it and recommend it, but probably won't reread it except under special circumstances (ie., a book club or series reread)
4.5 stars - Excellent, ultimately a satisfying read, a title I would consider rereading
5 stars - A book that I absolutely loved, would absolutely reread, and just all-around floored me

I see it more in terms of my like or dislike of a book, rather than how good a book is. My hope is that as a reader I convey what I like or what I don't in such a way that you can still tell if you'll like a book, even if I don't. And I hope for my patrons that I can give them good recommendations for books they will like, even if it's not one I would personally choose.

Random things I'm keeping track of -

Bookish articles:
1. Best New Science Fiction Books - the ones I have read from here, I really liked
2. NPR's Readers Vote on 50 Best SFF of the Decade - ditto
3. 10 Books by Malaysian Women Writers You Should Be Reading - for my world literature reading goal
4. Using Pivot Tables to See Reading Habits

How to make pretty block quotes (directions from Richard):
{blockquote}TYPE OR PASTE QUOTED TEXT HERE{/blockquote} and replace the curly braces with pointy brackets.

Number of books read since keeping count on LT:
July - Dec 2008 - 65
2009 - 156 (plus over 70 graphic novels and manga volumes)
2010 - 135 (Note: in June, I started working a second part-time job for full-time hours)
2011 - 150
2012 - 108 (Note: accepted a full-time job in February)
2013 - 107
2014 - 126 (plus 8 Graphic Novels)
2015 - 120 (plus 6 Graphic Novels)
2016 - 141
2017 - 114
2018 - 105 (Note: my first full year as Assistant Director)
2019 - 116
2020 - 153

Countries I've visited in my reading:
It can get a little dicey to figure out if a book fits as a "global" read or not, so here's how I'm counting it -
-The country I'll identify is that which the book was published in or the author is from, rather than the setting of the book
-The author currently lives in their country of origin, which for my purposes is not the U.S. or U.K.
-If the work had to be translated into English, regardless of where the author is currently living
-If the author is an expatriate, they had to move in adulthood (as a college student, refugee, or any other reason), and I'll count the country of origin as where the book is "from"

(South) Korea - Umma's Table by Yeon-sik Hong and Uncomfortably Happily by Yeon-sik Hong
Australia - Garth Nix, author of The Left-handed Booksellers of London, though the book itself is set in a sort of alternate England; and Lynette Noni, author of The Prison Healer, which is set in a fantasy world
Syria - The Teeth of the Comb & Other Stories by Osama Alomar
Bolivia - Our Dead World by Liliana Colanzi
Italy - Like Family by Paolo Giordano
India - A Burning by Megha Majumdar
France - The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Sweden - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
Turkey - Ahmet Yorulmaz, author of Children of War, a book set on Crete
Canada - Esi Edugyan, author of Washington Black, which was set on Barbados, the Arctic, England...
Japan - Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya
Poland - Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
Norway - 55 Christmas Balls to Knit by Arne & Carlos

Currently Reading

Devotionals/Bible reading
Psalms, Acts
Daily in His Presence by Ellie Claire
New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp

December
138. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
137. Pride by Ibi Zoboi
136. A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
135. What Fresh Hell Is This? by Heather Corinna
134. The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens
133. Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
132. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
131. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
130. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
129. Christmas Is Coming: Traditions from around the World by Monika Utnik-Strugala
128. The Light in Hidden Places by Stella Cameron
127. Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson
126. 55 Christmas Balls to Knit by Arne and Carlos
125. Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
124. Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen
123. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk

November
122. Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle
121. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
120. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
119. We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
118. You Can't Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson
117. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
116. The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
115. Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen
114. The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova
113. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
112. Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

October
111. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
110. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
109. The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa
108. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
107. A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir
106. A Little Hope by Ethan Joella
105. Kaleidoscope by Brian Selznick
104. Front Desk by Kelly Yang

September
103. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
102. The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
101. Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya (23 volumes/manga)
100. The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker
99. Arsenic and Adobo by Mia Manansala
98. Beloved by Toni Morrison
97. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
96. Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews
95. Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford
94. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

August
93. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
92. The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
91. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
90. The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer
89. Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood by Cheryl Diamond
88. A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor
87. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
86. Once More Upon a Time by Roshani Chokshi
85. Listen, Love, Repeat by Karen Ehman
84. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk
83. Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
82. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
81. Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

July
80. You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamarr
79. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
78. Wholehearted Librarianship by Michael Stephens
77. Nine Nasty Words by John McWhorter
76. A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
75. On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
74. A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
73. The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
72. Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

June
71. The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand
70. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
69. Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
68. The Fire This Time, edited by Jesmyn Ward
67. Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev
66. A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
65. Mosses from an Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne
64. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
63. The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

May
62. Children of War by Ahmet Yorulmaz
61. Long Life: Essays and Other Writings by Mary Oliver
60. Missing May by Cynthia Rylant
59. Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
58. The Haunting of Tram 015 by P. Djeli Clark
57. Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan
56. The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson
55. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
54. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
53. Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay
52. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
51. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
50. Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age by Sanjay Gupta, M.D.
49. The Trouble With Poetry: And Other Poems by Billy Collins
48. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
47. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

April
46. Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly
45. Library of Small Catastrophes by Alison C. Rollins
44. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
43. A Promised Land by Barack Obama
42. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
41. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Bradbury
40. A Burning by Megha Majumdar
39. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
38. Night Sky With Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
37. Like Family by Paolo Giordano
36. Our Dead World by Liliana Colanzi
35. Fans: How Watching Sports Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Understanding by Larry Olmsted
34. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
33. When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
32. The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani
31. The Gilded Ones by Namina Forma
30. The Archive of the Forgotten by A.J. Hackwith

March
29. Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
28. The Teeth of the Comb & Other Stories by Osama Alomar
27. Creativity: a short and cheerful guide by John Cleese
26. The Liar's Dictionary by Eley Williams
25. Uncomfortably Happily by Yeon-Sik Hong
24. Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari
23. The Left-handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
22. Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
21. A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas

February
20. Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine
19. A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
18. Bloodchild and other stories by Octavia E. Butler
17. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
16. What I Carry by Jennifer Longo
15. The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
14. The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay
13. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
12. The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
11. Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
10. Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu

January
9. Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko
8. An American sunrise by Joy Harjo
7. The Last Stargazers by Emily Levesque
6. This Time Together by Carol Burnett
5. Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
4. Umma's Table by Yeon-Sik Hong
3. Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
1. Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine

Next one's yours!

Happy new one!

>9 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Happy new thread, Mary!

>11 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

Happy new thread, Mary! Looking forward to seeing you soon!

>13 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Me too!

Happy new thread, Mary.

Eighth thread is impressive going.

Happy new thread, Mary! Happy Wednesday as well.

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new thread!

Hi, Mary! Happy new thread!

Happy Wednesday, Mary! Happy New Thread. I hope the work week is humming right along.

>15 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Last year was my first time making an eighth thread, and this year's numbers certainly keep humming along.

>16 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia!

>17 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita! Nice to see you here :)

>18 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori!

>19 scaifea: Hi, Amber! Thank you :)

>20 msf59: Thanks, Mark, and happy Wednesday to you too! Humming right along is right - the weeks are flying by.

Happy Wednesday, Mary!

>22 alcottacre: To you too, Stasia!

Happy Wednesday!

I'm out of here in just a few minutes for my 12-8 shift, ending with book club a 7. I suspect that we'll have a discussion much like this time last year with The Guest Book, I'll be the person who didn't like it while everyone else has only positive things to say. I *also* didn't like the list of questions, so I've modified some and will skip others entirely. I usually give pretty straight opinions, but when I'm the only person who disliked it, I tend to be careful about my criticisms, since as the facilitator it can stamp out discussion if I get overly negative. So, wish me luck!

Tomorrow my brother and his girlfriend are coming over for dinner, and it'll be the first time she's seen my place, so that'll be fun. I'm planning on making lemon chicken orzo soup. I have a little bit of tidying to do (ie., moving stacks to the bedroom and shoving knitting projects into the living room corner) tonight when I get home.

I started We Ride Upon Sticks (paper) and The Well of Ascension (ebook/audio) yesterday, but am not really far enough in either to have formed much of an opinion yet. Hopefully I'll make progress tonight, but I think most of my reading will be this weekend.

Your day sounds entirely busy enough for two not-Mary days, so it's status quo ante I see.

*smooch*

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mary. Wishing you luck with facilitating book club tonight. Maybe your group will surprise you and be more critical than you anticipate. I'm curious to hear how it goes.

Also, best wishes for the fluff and stuff before your brother and his wife arrive.

>25 richardderus: But I didn't even mention that I went grocery shopping this morning! Hehe *smooch*

>26 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi!

>27 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I'll definitely give a recap sometime soon - we're meeting in a little less than an hour. I'll probably just shove stuff out of the way tonight, honestly.

Well, book club was quite lively. There were four other ladies in attendance, two regulars who returned to in-person this month, and one who joined us for the first time last month but is excited to come.

We were split 50-50 for liked it and didn't. It made for a really entertaining discussion, and I was able to be critical without tamping down discussion because of those dynamics. I did point out that historical fiction has a range, and we agreed this was on the lighter side. I tried to put the onus more on me as the reader - I prefer more in-depth - and the woman who tended to agree with me about different aspects of the book said she tends to read more nonfiction. After general impressions/reactions (the first question I always ask was "What were your impressions of the book?" and I tend to ask the follow up questions based on what they say), we talked a lot about Mamusia's character, and her relationship with Eva. We talked about whether we saw Joseph's double agency coming or not, and what we thought of Eva's choices after the war, as well as the ending. One person mentioned that this was optioned for film rights, and I said I probably would've loved it as a movie - just not a book.

We went right up until 8 p.m., got locked in (we can always get out, but it allows the library to close across the hall from the meeting room), and I had to turn off all the lights and leave the building with the discussion group after my co-workers left - that hasn't happened since before Covid.

Next month is The Vanishing Half, and I'm really looking forward to that.

Happy new thread Mary

>29 bell7: I read this for my book club earlier in the year. And while I enjoyed the premise of the story, I agree that it lacked depth.
We also read The Nightingale a few months before and found similarities to it.

Your book club sounds lively. Mine has just barely started meeting again (once in October, and we'll meet again in early December) a few come in person and the rest attend virtually. I went virtually to the last one as I had just had my booster was under par.

>29 bell7: Oh yay! Lively library programs are the best. Glad to hear you had a spirited discussion. Wishing you the same for next month.

Glad to hear it was lively! That always gets the readerly blood pumping!

I read the extremely weird Chouette until 4am. Wow. What a read. It wouldn't let me sleep! It made me write a review! Bullying book.

>30 fairywings: Thanks, Adrienne!

>31 jayde1599: I think you're right about the comparison to The Nightingale, Jess, though I liked it a smidge better than The Book of Lost Names. The ending of the latter was unbelievable enough that it pushed it into the dislike two stars instead of kinda meh 3.

>32 sibylline: This was only our second in-person meeting, Lucy, and I was glad it was so lively. We did all wear masks, which made it a little tough for those who were hard of hearing, but it was a good one. I'm leaving a hybrid option open, but don't really expect the person who I know will use it until January.

>33 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky, I hope so too! I was really pleased with how it went.

>34 richardderus: Doesn't it though, Richard? Chouette sounds like a very quirky read, and I'm not sure I could get past the premise, but I'm glad it mostly worked for you! Gotta love those stay-up-late-til-you-finish-em reads.

The work day seemed to fly by, and tonight I had my brother (the unmarried one, R.), his girlfriend, and her son over for dinner. It was the first time she'd seen the house, and I think it was his first time seeing the major painting job in person too. Her kiddo is a toddler (3 going on 4) and I had some blocks and books for him. He can be a picky eater/grazer, but he actually ate a pretty good amount of the soup I made.

We had lemon chicken orzo soup, salad, and roasted broccoli. They brought rolls, beer and wine. I'm not much of a beer drinker, but I had a bit of the Cabernet Sauvignon which was not overly dry and I liked enough to have a serving.

They were a big help cleaning up everything, so we had some time to visit and relax, and now between the visit and the wine kicking in, I'm just about ready for bed!

Tomorrow is my regularly scheduled craziness, work and then volunteering after. Saturday I have off and I'm hoping to get some Christmas decorating in.

Edited to add the recipe link.

TGIF! Today is my normal busy schedule, work then volunteering. I have tomorrow off before working Sunday and I'm trying to keep the day mostly free, but making French onion soup in the slow cooker and getting out Christmas decorations is on the potential agenda. As is reading, of course. Happy almost weekend!

Morning, Mary!

Oooh, I *love* French Onion Soup, but can't make it myself because I'd be the only one eating it. *sigh*

Happy Friday, Mary! Ooh, French onion soup. Will you do it up fancy with bread and baked cheese on top? My first time every having the dish was actually IN France while on a trip there when I was in high school, which set the bar pretty high for all future experiences.

>37 bell7: Have a lovely weird-weekend-ish-thing.

May I have some lemon-chicken-orzo soup?

Lemon chicken orzo soup sounds delightful; thanks for sharing the recipe! I may try that on my parents, aunt and cousin on Tuesday or Wednesday, in between cooking up a storm for Thanksgiving Day.

>38 scaifea: Side benefit of only cooking for myself is I have total control over the meal plan ;) French onion soup is currently in the slow cooker and I'll finish it after work tonight.

>39 MickyFine: Yup, I usually cut up a baguette and sprinkle cheese on top to bake it slightly when at home, or I'll pop them in the toaster oven at work with leftovers. I bought Gruyere this week just to have the fancy cheese.

>40 richardderus: Heh, thanks, Richard. So far so good. I've just about finished the lemon-chicken-orzo but you can certainly follow the link to the recipe! It's easy to make and so delicious.

>41 kidzdoc: If you do, let me know how it turns out, Darryl! It's one of my go-tos, and I was most pleased to find that it satisfied a picky-eater toddler.

Yesterday was a slow start but I made it busy, checking out a couple of local craft fairs and going Christmas shopping. And no, I don't know why I felt that urgency yesterday, but I did. I put up some Christmas decorations, including a couple of wreaths I bought at tag sales this year, but don't yet have the Christmas tree up.

Today was church and work. I put the French onion soup in the slow cooker part of my knockoff Instant Pot and it'll be ready for a slightly late (7 p.m.-ish) supper tonight.

Tomorrow I have off for working today. I need to go pick up a key for a dogsitting job that starts Wednesday, but the rest of the agenda is pretty wide open. I'll probably try to fit in packing for the dogsitting and a trip to NJ to see the Giants (and Katie!) that comes directly after that, baking muffins for a local group providing a meal to the homeless in my community, decorating the Christmas tree and organizing gifts.

I realize I sound super rushed about getting Christmas stuff done, but the truth is I very much enjoy gift-giving and the holiday season while I also get super-stressed if I'm last minute about it. Because of my dogsitting schedule, I'll be away some of the times it would make the most sense to decorate, but if I can get most of it done this week, I'll have four weeks of mostly knitting but also just enjoying the music, decorations, and wrapping & mailing gifts.

Happy Sunday, Mary! I hope you have an enjoyable day off tomorrow.

>44 alcottacre: thanks, Stasia, happy Sunday to you too! I'm looking forward to tomorrow - other than getting those keys, I'll be staying home, and I'm very much looking forward to that!

Hope your day off is going fantastically well, Mary. Good luck with getting the decorations up!

How fareth the décor-doing, Mary? Any photeaux yet?

And have you *SEEN* Micky's tree-skirt project?! I mean! It's beautiful but she won't have it done before Yule 2050! That thing's gonna give her arthritis!

>46 MickyFine: Oh! Um, hi there.

>46 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I got the baking done, which was the main thing, and now I'm getting close to bringing the tree downstairs from its storage location. I did the other decorations over the weekend.

>47 richardderus: No tree yet, but it may still happen. Lemme see about downloading a couple of photos and showing you what I've done so far... And thanks for the tip on Micky's tree skirt ;)

Here are the decorations I've put out so far:


Front door


Entry way when you first come in, on the stairway


You probably recognize this one - the windows in my living room behind the couch. I've been looking forward to doing that since I bought the wreaths at a tag sale this year!

Ooh! The wreaths look lovely! And the skates are cute.

>47 richardderus: LOL. Sassy when you're not on my thread, aren't ya? *smooch*

>49 bell7: All beautiful. Love your star instead of a wreath on your front door. I've got another week and a bit before we get all Christmas-y here (I wait until December 1) but it's still lovely seeing the decorations everywhere.

Oh, I love your decorations!

>50 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! I might move the skates to the door at some point. I didn't want to fuss with them because the blade is really some kind of metal and I didn't want to scratch up the brand spankin' new paint job. I'm most pleased with the wreaths. I got the idea from a Pinterest photo (I think it was all white) but spruced it up with my own colors.

>51 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky! I liked the star, I picked it up at a local store a couple of weeks ago and am happy with it there. I'll probably get another wreath at some point and mix-and-match where things go, depending on the season and what I feel like. I would usually wait 'til next weekend, but between dogsitting and plans, I'm away from tomorrow through Monday. I decided I'd rather be early than late.

>52 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! I did put the tree up yesterday, at some point (maybe next week?) when I have time, I'll have to post that too.

Happy Tuesday - wait, it is Tuesday, right? I'm all off this week, since I worked Sunday and had yesterday off, and then instead of working 12-8 tonight, I worked 9-4. I kept thinking it was Monday, and I'm going to be further confused by going in 9-5 tomorrow, and then being off again through Monday (mix of holiday and personal time).

And I'm going to a historic commission meeting tonight at 7. I came home, had dinner and packed for dogsitting, and I'll be leaving again in another 30 minutes or so. After I get back, it's wine and a book for me!

Still reading We Ride Upon Sticks and The Well of Ascension. I'm in the mood for the latter more, and though the paper book clocks at 690 pages or so (I'm reading the e-book), I've already got 40% in, to less than 30% in the other book (I'm reading the paper book), and I started them both pretty close together.

Schedule changes and a stat holiday really are a lot of changes to your schedule. I'm impressed you know what week it is!

I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving eve and the rush of patrons trying to get things to read before you close for the holiday isn't too intense. :P

Meanwhile, up here it seems like it's an annual tradition that one of the library's online resources breaks on American Thanksgiving and we can't get any support until the Monday because the vendor is based in the US. Fingers crossed we break the chain this year.

>55 MickyFine: Ha! Thanks, Micky. Having my calendar (and today's date) on my phone helps a lot actually lol. So far so good on Thanksgiving Eve. It's been pretty quiet overall, with a lot of phone calls about when we close (5 p.m. instead of 8, which doesn't actually affect my schedule any). We'll see what that last hour brings? And I'm leaving from here to dogsit in another town, so I'm picking up either a pie or the ingredients for one on my way to the job tonight. Here's hoping the grocery store isn't absolutely mobbed? And good luck with your resource, I hope it works for you and you don't have to wait 'til Monday!

>56 bell7: ...grocery...store...not...LOLOLOLOL

Oh Mary, you card you! If you're out in under an hour I'll be shocked and amazed.

>56 bell7: Good luck! Sometimes I find Wednesday night before Thanksgiving is actually not too crazy since it's close enough to the day that most sane people have already done the bulk of their shopping, and most people are just picking up one or two things that were forgotten.

>57 richardderus: I know, I know. And it doesn't help that one of the bakeries in the same town literally burned down a few days ago.
But the alternative was having to schlep a pie from home to work to dogsitting, then from dogsitting to my parents'.

>58 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! I'll be one of those "picking up one or two things" - depending on what's there, either a baked pie or the crust/pumpkin pie fillling/evaporated milk. If they're out, well... my dad my have to cope without having pumpkin pie this year and I'll get something else.

Oh! It just occurred to me that I never mentioned what books we're reading in book club in 2022. Here's our line up:

January - Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
February - Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
March - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
April - Pale Rider by Laura Spinney
May - People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Summer break
September - Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
October - Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
November - The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
December - Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

>60 bell7: Nice choices! I expect they'll all rile at least a few of 'em up.

>59 bell7: ¡Suerte!

>60 bell7: Ooh nice choices.

Much luck with the grocery store visit!

>61 richardderus: Yeah, I think we're in for a good year :D

>62 MickyFine: Thanks on both counts, Micky!

I am happy to report that the parking was the worst part. The bakery was well-supplied with pies of all kinds, and they were advertising an app that allowed me to checkout on my phone. A few minutes set up and boom! Done. I'm now at the dogsitting house with supper in the over and the dog next to me on the couch looking for belly rubs.

Looking forward to a quiet evening now, Bruins pre-game is on and I have lots of books and knitting with me to keep me busy.

A Thanksgiving to Friends (Lighting the Way)

In difficult times
a friend is there to light the way
to lighten the load,
to show the path,
to smooth the road

At the darkest hour
a friend, with a word of truth
points to light
and the encroaching dawn
is in the plainest sight.

Mary, to a friend in books and more this Thanksgiving

>63 bell7: Glad to hear you survived the trip unscathed and had a relaxing evening as your reward. Hope you have a great time celebrating with your family today!

Happy Thanksgiving! Posey's dream scenario.

>60 bell7: Looks like a good line-up! Our faculty book club usually reads short stories. We're going to read Sharyn McCrumb's St. Dale next semester. We're looking forward to comparing it to the Canterbury Tales.

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving, Mary. Happy Friday!

>64 PaulCranswick: What a lovely sentiment, thank you, Paul!

>65 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I had a good day :)

>66 sibylline: Thanks, Lucy! I hope Posey and you both had a good Thanksgiving.

>67 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori, I'm looking forward to it for sure. I love the idea of a short story discussion - I enjoy the format a lot but don't read it as much as I'd like.

>68 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! Hope you and yours had a good Thanksgiving and have a good weekend!

Thanksgiving was a nice day! I went to a morning church service, then stopped at home for some toiletries that I'd left out and forgotten to pack, and while I was at it a pan that my mom asked me to bring. I went back to the dog, tried to take her for a walk, but she wouldn't go, and then hung out a bit 'til it was time to head to dinner at my parents.

It ended up being my parents, me, my brother, his girlfriend, her daughter, and my grandfather. Smaller than we're used to - my sisters didn't come up and my youngest brother and his wife were with her family - but it was still a good group and fun to eat and visit together. My grandfather left in the late afternoon, and the rest of us broke up around 5. I spent a quiet evening of having the football on and reading in front of it, but I paid enough attention to see a truly bananas ending to the Cowboys game.

Today should be pretty quiet overall. I took today as my floating holiday (we take either the day after Thanksgiving or the day after Christmas, but day after Thanksgiving tends to be my preference), and I'm hanging out with the doggy today. Their cleaning service should be arriving soon, so I'll be putting the dog in the basement and I'll head up to the spare room upstairs to stay out of their way. I'm planning on reading and knitting a bunch. Then tonight, one of my brother's bands is playing at a local brewery, so after feeding the dog I'll head out for a fun evening.

>69 bell7: With all the other commitments faculty have, we've found the short story format lends itself well to a weekly meeting. While faculty may not be able to carve out time to read an entire book--even on a monthly basis, we find our participants find time to read one or two stories per week. If they can't make that week's discussion, they can choose whether or not they read those stories--although I think most of us are completists! Several of us read the stories during lunch on the day of the discussion. It's interesting to see what the different faculty members bring to the discussion from their own fields of expertise. One of our members is a Chaucer expert, so I suspect we'll have a very interesting discussion of St. Dale since several of the chapters are based on Canterbury Tales stories. This is the first time we've read a novel since the very first book. However, we think this one will work well. We do think they'll need to keep up even if they miss a week though.

Glad to hear you had excellent celebrations, Mary, and are having chill day in today.

>70 bell7: Sounds like a lovely few days, Mary, with just as pleasant to come. Ideal.

*smooch*

>71 thornton37814: Your book club sounds like a blast, and I love that you've got a Chaucer expert there to bring out the Canterbury Tales references. I hope it goes well :)

>72 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Usually by the end of a do-nothing day, I get a little stir crazy and ready to leave the house, but so far that hasn't happened which just goes to show you how much I needed it!

>73 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! Tomorrow was going to have some plans, but most got canceled, so other than driving down to NJ for going to the Giants game with Katie, I won't be doing much. Kinda enjoying the relaxation. I do better relaxing at other peoples' homes than my own.

>74 bell7: Heh...I'm sure it's got something to do with the fact that cleaning the bathtub at Katie's would be a social faux pas whereas at home it's Tuesday evening.

119. We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
Why now? I first heard about it early last year during one of the Penguin Random House Book Buzzes, though it's taken a year and a half for me to finally borrow it from the library and read

It's 1989, and though the Danvers High field hockey team has had losing seasons the past several years, this group of seniors is ready to turn that around - and they may just be willing to resort to witchcraft to do it. Writing their notes to the "Darkness" in Emilio Estevez notebook and wearing blue sock armbands, they begin to win. What will it take to get all the way to States this year?

This is a really fun exploration of team and friendship and all the highs and lows of high school, with a little bit of possible magic thrown in. There are references to the 1692 witchcraft titles - one of the characters, Abby, is said to be a descendant of one of the main accusers, Ann Putnam - and lots of '80s nostalgia. The writing in first person plural, but also focusing on each of the players in turn, took a little getting used to, but was the right choice for this story. Though the story flags in parts, the ending was really satisfying and left a smile on my face. 4 stars.

>75 richardderus: Hahahaha, yeah there's that. Actually I was referring to where I'm dogsitting today (I won't be staying at Katie's), but the sentiment certainly still holds.

I'm looking forward to extra reading time this weekend, and have picked 2 audiobooks on CD to continue my Newbery reading on the trip itself.

Another fairly quiet day, as my Little is away and I won't be getting together with her until next weekend instead. I've spent a quiet morning at the dogsitting house, getting a little reading, knitting, and packing in. I've got a few things I'm ready to bring home, and the rest is re-packed for my trip to NJ later this afternoon.

I'm about to head out on my errands, dropping off a few things at home, and getting gas and such for the trip. Then back to the dog, attempt a walk (she hasn't wanted to leave the house, poor anxious thing), and reading for a bit before feeding the dog dinner and heading out.

Happy Sunday!

I hit a bit of traffic, but got to my hotel last night around 8:30. I finished The Well of Ascension last night before bed and started Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen.

Today I'm going to the Giants game with Katie (katiekrug), and then I'm staying over over more night before heading home tomorrow. If we see a rotten game like last week's, at least we'll get to enjoy each other's company and Michael Strahan's jersey retirement at halftime!

Happy Sunday, Mary! Have a fantastic time at the game with Katie. I miss you both. Take some photos and Go Giants!!

>79 bell7: Hope you have an excellent time and that the game is good to boot!

>79 bell7: Skip the game, go to a pub and talk books. You'll enjoy it more.

*smooch*

>80 msf59: thanks for the good wishes, Mark! The Giants must've heard you cheering, cause they actually won the game! Woot!

>81 MickyFine: thanks, Micky! Good company and a nail biter but in the end a win - gotta love it!

>82 richardderus: hahaha actually, Richard, I saw your post before the game started and while Katie and I agree we should find a way to talk about books more the next time, actually we've talked sports more at both of our meetups now (tennis took up much of our discussion a couple years back). *Smooch*

>83 bell7: ...weirdos...

Hiya, Mary. I watched the Eagle-Giants game from the couch. I'm an Eagles fair-weather fan, and they've been uneven all season. Can't really hate the Jints, since Saquon Barkley is a local guy. Attended the same high school as Matt Millan, Whitehall H. S. I thought it was a good game.

Thanks for the bb: We Ride Upon Sticks. My 16-year-old granddaughter Gracie is a dedicated field hockey player. Could be a stocking-stuffer for her.

>76 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation!

I hope you have a terrific week!

>83 bell7: Makes it that much more fun to watch with a friend when they visit.

Hope you have safe travels back home!

>84 richardderus: *shrug* sports fandom is one of those unexplainable things, really

>85 weird_O: Glad you enjoyed the game, Bill, even if your team lost. I'm a pretty hard core Giants fan, but don't really hate any other teams with passion. I hope We Ride Upon Sticks works out for you and as a potential stocking-stuffer. I kept thinking of my youngest sister, who was a field hockey player in high school as well.

>86 alcottacre: You're welcome, Stasia! Hope you have a great week too.

>87 MickyFine: That it does, Micky! And thanks - one slow down due to a (pretty bad) car accident, but other than one stop for gas, one for coffee, and one for a bathroom break, I made it back around noon and have the rest of the afternoon to putter around.

120. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Why now? Needed an audiobook for the long trip to NJ and decided to work on my Newbery reading. Shiloh was the award winner in 1992, filling in a gap for me in the list and now making it that I've read every winner from 1989 on.

Eleven-year-old Marty would love to have a dog, but knows that his family - who aren't poor, exactly, but don't have much extra - can't really afford to feed one. But when a hunting beagle runs away from its mean master, Marty decides to sneak a bit and keep the dog, whom he names Shiloh, anyway.

This is definitely the kind of book that works better for a child reader who isn't as familiar with tropes as an adult will be. So while I found the storyline pretty predictable (and, as I'm now older than them, I generally sided with the parents), it was a nice, nostalgic sort of story told by an eleven-year-old boy who is still idealistic and can't understand a world where a mean owner could be allowed to keep a dog. The mean guy, Judd Travers, isn't a cookie-cutter evil guy, either, as Marty discovers as he learns more about him. 3.5 stars.

I think I would've liked the book better if I read it as a kid - and, in fact, I'm almost sure that I did read it as a kid because the part at the end where Marty works off $40 for Judd to pay off buying Shiloh off him was really familiar. I think I had a list of Newbery award winners I was reading as a child/young teen, which accounts for much of the 1980s and 90s titles I've already read (like Maniac Magee and Slave Dancer).

121. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
Why now? Continuing my series read; the audio and e-book became available together through the library.

SPOILERS for Mistborn: The Final Empire.

About a year after overthrowing the Lord Ruler, the remaining crew that Kelsier left behind struggles to maintain their control over Luthadel. Elend, the starry-eyed dreamer of a noble now king, isn't a strong leader and has set up a government leaving an in-fighting Assembly with a lot of power. Then, an army gets ready to invade: Elend's father, Straff. Vin, meanwhile, is out patrolling the city and trying to keep Elend safe from assassins, when she meets a fellow Mistborn who sows doubt that she might just be a tool.

I really enjoyed my first foray into Sanderson's works with Mistborn, and the second book in the series did not disappoint. It was great to reacquaint myself with Elend and Vin, Sazed, and the rest. Most of the action centers on Elend and Vin, with a little more on Sazed. More of the mythology of the Deepness and the Hero of Ages is explored, and the end left with a most annoying cliffhanger knowing that there was more that the Terrismen didn't know about the prophecies. I'm really looking forward to seeing where this goes next. 4.5 stars.

122. Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle
Why now? I think when I went through the list of the Newbery award winners and honors, this just happened to be the first below Shiloh that was available in my library system on CD. It won a Newbery Honor in 1990.

Sara-Kate is a fifth grader who stayed behind a year and everyone knows she's bad news. But one day, she invites fourth-grader Hillary over to see a village built by elves. Hillary's yard, with its carefully tended garden, backs up to Sara-Kate's, which is a mess of weeds and poison ivy, and Hillary is intrigued by the possibility of elves. Though her parents aren't so sure about it, Hillary and Sara-Kate strike up an unlikely friendship and begin to play together in the yard.

This was an odd sort of story that I think perhaps did not work well for me both on audio and as an adult. It left a tension of whether or not the elves were real or just Sara-Kate's imagination (or, perhaps more insidiously, a lie to get Hillary to play with her). Her father is "away on a trip" and her mother doesn't leave the house, which may have seemed like delicious freedom to a child reader and immediately sends up red flags to an adult. The ending is ambiguous in a few ways, both leaving open the possibility of magic and never really resolving Sara-Kate's problems. I think as a result, I would've believed in the magic as a child but I'm left rather unsettled instead. 3 stars.

I admit, I might've missed something reading it via audiobook. Shiloh being a more straightforward story lent itself to listening, while this one had a few spots I had to keep rewinding because the narrative changed so quickly.

You've had some very pleasant reads indeed, Mary. I hope that continues this week!

Glad you made it home with a minimum of fuss. It was great to hang out yesterday!

You sound as busy as ever, Mary. Good that you and Katie got to see a wing game. Love the look of the wreaths in your living room.

>91 bell7: Oh, yeah, I felt the same way about this one. Unsettled. But overall I think I liked it (it's been a few years since I read it)...

>92 richardderus: Thanks, Richard, I've been enjoying myself pretty well and hope December will be more of the same.

>93 katiekrug: I had a blast, Katie, and I'm glad it worked out! Always nice to see a win, too.

>94 Familyhistorian: Yeah, busy as ever sounds about Meg. I took a couple of personal days next week and while one of them will be getting a general look-over of my heating system, the other I'm keeping pretty free to just hang out (though it'll probably be a gift-wrapping session if I don't get a chance to do that any earlier).

>95 scaifea: I was thinking of you as I wrote um the review, Amber, and I'm kinda glad to hear I'm not the only one. I didn't dislike it, exactly, but it's definitely the kind of book that reads differently for a kid than an adult. Both of my last Newbery reads were - I absolutely cackled when Marty mentioned that old Judd was 30 (I'd been picturing someone 60-70 up to that point).

Happy Tuesday!

I'm back to work today, 12-8. Since I went grocery shopping yesterday afternoon, I can take it pretty easy this morning, just making sure I get lunch made before leaving for work. Work is mostly straightforward this week, though on Thursday I'm planning on shifting my work hours to 11-7 to have an after-hours genealogy program, if I get enough of a sign up (I have one person signed up now).

My reading is in a weird spot today. I've got more than halfway through Gone to the Woods, but now that I've put it in a December TIOLI challenge I don't really want to finish it 'til tomorrow or later. I started reading Must Love Books as an ARC and am about a third of the way in, but my Kindle tells me I have about 3 hours of reading left, which is totally doable between this morning and this evening. But I started reading it because I wanted to see if I would nominate it for a January LibraryReads (those votes are due tomorrow), and I don't think it raises to that level for me. So I'm thinking of starting the other January ARC I have, The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, just in case that would be a nominee for me. I think I'll give myself permission to quickly (probably temporarily) abandon it if I decide early that I won't nominate it, but focus on reading as much as I can if I'm really enjoying it.

All that to say, once I get my coffee brewed and sit down a bit, I'll decide what I feel like reading.

Happy Tuesday from Joplin, Mary!

>98 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! I'm gonna have to make sure to check out your thread over the next few days to hear all about it. Hope you're having a great time.

November in review

122. Afternoon of the Elves by Janet Taylor Lisle
121. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
120. Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
119. We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
118. You Can't Touch My Hair by Phoebe Robinson
117. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel
116. The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore
115. Herding Cats by Sarah Andersen
114. The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova
113. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
112. Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Books read: 11
Rereads: 1 (2? May have read Shiloh 30 or so years ago)
Children's/Teen/Adult: 3/0/8
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 9/2/0/0

Because I want to awards:
The Well of Ascension was the most fun this month, not at all bad for a book #2 in a series
Fighting Words was the most intense and an excellent middle grade read

YTD stats -
Pages read: 36,928
Avg pages a day: 110
Books by POC authors: 56

Thoughts:
It was a good reading month with a wide variety of genres. I fit in two audiobooks to work on my Newbery reading goals during a trip. And I had to laugh that out of 11 books, my book club book The Book of Lost Names stands directly in the middle. I only read three books by authors of color this month, a number I'd generally like to keep higher. And I caught up a little on ARCs, reading 3 books that I'd downloaded, though 2 out of 3 were on paper from the library instead of off my Kindle. (My book club book was actually the longest outstanding of those three.) The least loved was... also my book club book, so apparently it's carrying a lot of weight this month hahaha. I'm looking forward to seeing what December brings - I have 3 books going, and expect to start finishing them over the next few days to start the month off with a bang.

123. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk
Why now? An e-book ARC I downloaded several months ago after hearing about it through work, and finally cracked open to see if I wanted to nominate it for LibraryReads before the deadline

*E-book ARC made available by the publisher through Edelweiss Plus - thank you!*

Liesl Weiss gets recalled from sabbatical when the director of the university's rare books library, Christopher Wolfe, has a stroke. The library has just acquired an important piece - the Plantin Polyglot Bible - and Liesl has to deal with the fallout when it's nowhere to be found.

The mystery of the missing book almost takes a back seat to the characters and their relationships; academia with all of its backbiting, jockeying, and need for funding; and the love of libraries and rare books that is evident throughout. Liesl herself is an older woman preparing for retirement, not your typical main character, and she doesn't so much investigate overtly as quietly come across more information. Recommended for readers of bibliomysteries and true crime such as The Man Who Loved Books Too Much. 4 stars.

124. Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen
Why now? For once the origin story of how this book came to be on my TBR list is crystal clear: When Gary Paulsen died recently, I read an obituary that said he ran away to join the carnival at age 14 (and went on to list other things in a very full and interesting life). This book, his most recent before he passed away, was also listed as a memoir of his childhood, so I immediately put it on hold and added it to the library stack when it became available.

Beloved middle grade and YA author Gary Paulsen recounts his childhood, with some memories of joy but also of a misfit kid who didn't like school and avoided his alcoholic parents as much as possible, running to the woods and fending for himself.

Paulsen tells his own story in a series of vignettes with a sense of distance from what actually happened to him created by constantly referring to himself in the third person as "the boy". Only once or twice is his name even mentioned. He takes his time rendering in loving detail a time when he lived with his aunt and uncle in Minnesota at the age of five, learning how to fish and hunt for mushrooms. And then he'll focus on just bits and pieces of the later, harder parts of his life, telling for example of the ship ride over to Manila when he had chicken pox, but then skipping over a few years and mentioning events in Manila in retrospect. His staccato style of writing and jumping in time annoyed me, but I still found this a fascinating glimpse of a unique life lived. 4 stars.

Now I'm ready for a more straightforward biography (for adults), if someone would oblige me and write one. Oh, and if you're wondering about the carnival that intrigued me in the first place, it actually factors very little in this story. He ran away multiple times starting when he was about 13 and would work on farms before he'd be caught and brought back "home." When he was 16, in one of those times running away, he did indeed work for a carnival one summer on one of the games.

Yesterday was a whirlwind - days when my boss is out and I'm in charge often are - and I came home to have a lot of cooking to do so I'd have food prepped for the next couple of days. She's off today so I'm in charge again, and tonight's plan is to get some knitting finished up and Christmas gifts a little more organized so I can start wrapping them all and mailing some.

For those of you with e-readers, I came across this post of December's best e-book deals. I can highly recommend Bibliophile by Jane Mount as a read, though I have it as a paper book and have no idea how the layout would look in e-book form. Probably worth the $1.99 to find out though, no?

Glad to hear your December is off to a decent start, Mary. And I walk away with a BB. Pretty easy guess of which of your two most recently reviewed titles I'm adding to The List.

>105 MickyFine: I definitely think The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections would be one you'd enjoy. It didn't make it into my review, but it's a debut by a Canadian author set in Toronto.

>106 bell7: Ooh extra incentive!

HI Mary, catching up here on this and your previous thread - great reads, and I love your Christmas decorations!

I enjoyed your comments about Shiloh. I've never read it either, but like you, I side with the adults now, and kids missing, orphaned, and deceiving adults make me cringe, even though those things are fairly common in children's lit - how else can the kids have adventures or even do anything?

Glad you read Front Desk, and I wish everyone would read it, particularly people who think it's about CRT. What are people so afraid of? I loved it when I read it some years ago, and the sequel, Three Keys just checked out yesterday by a student who loved Front Desk and was overjoyed Three Keys was on display! If it's back before winter break I might just bring it home myself.

>107 MickyFine: :D

>108 AMQS: Hi, Anne! I read it when there was a bit of a kerfuffle online because a parent complained about Front Desk as a classroom read aloud - and it was later reinstated. Since then, it's showed up on at least one list of "CRT" texts and I'm left shaking my head. One of the most annoying characters was not white? And yeah, there's a scene where the cops think a car must have been stolen by a Black person staying at the hotel and it later turns out to be insurance fraud but the point of the book wasn't to point fingers and was very much about coming together over a common cause. I may have to read Three Keys at some point too.

Today is my normal super busy Friday, first work and then volunteering at church. I'm currently sitting in the parking lot waiting for someone with a key to show up.

I almost finished a knitting project last night, and hope to really finish it tomorrow. I'm getting together with my Little on Saturday, and after that I'm planning on working on some Christmas wrapping and more knitting.

>109 bell7: There's a third book now, too. I haven't ordered it yet because after the year we did Front Desk as a Battle of the Books title, it hasn't exactly been flying off the shelves, though I'm talking it up whenever I can. I'll see what the interest in Three Keys is before I add the third book. My library - and my budget - are small enough that I have to be very scrappy:)

>110 bell7: Looking forward to pictures of your finished knitting project, Mary. Hope you have a great time with your Little today.

>111 AMQS: Oooh thanks, I'll have to mention it to my children's librarian, as we don't have book #3 but we do have the other two. I can relate to a tight book-buying budget! There's always more good ones I want to get, both personally and for the library.

>112 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I'll post some updated knitting pics soon. We had a good time yesterday, too. It's been a busy weekend, thus my lack of posting.

Well, this weekend just flew by!

Yesterday was with my Little - we went out to a Christmas tree festival in my town, which I didn't realize somehow was a raffle, so we looked around at all the trees but we were done pretty quick. We went to lunch and then to a nearby consignment shop 'til it was time to bring her home.

After that, I spent much of the evening wrapping gifts and knitting. I have an ornament I need to finish and wrap for tomorrow night, so I'm hard at work on that right now.

Tomorrow is my regular short day, 9-2, and then I want to do a post office run and may see about getting a headlight fixed on my car if my regular shop can fit me in. Then I've got one last Bible study for the season. I think we're planning on putting some fun care packages together for folks. And I've got all but one gift ready - for most of them, I bought a cute set of tea, and for the leaders I'm knitting some things - a shawl for one, and two Christmas ornaments for the other.

>101 bell7: >102 bell7: Adding those to the BlackHole. Thanks for the reviews, Mary.

I appreciate you helping to keep my thread warm while I was gone :) Have a terrific week!

I have belatedly got my reading mojo back, Mary, as I rush to try to get to 150 books this year. So far six books finished in the first 5 days of December has given me some impetus.

>114 bell7: Sounds like a nice Christmas get-together.

You’ve been doing some great reading, Mary, and I’ve been busy side-stepping to my library website to request titles! Thanks!

Karen O

>115 alcottacre: You're welcome, Stasia! Looking forward to your thoughts on them when you get to them.

>116 PaulCranswick: I'm glad to hear you're reading right along, Paul! At this rate, you'll definitely finish with a few more books read than me, but I expect to make 130 (on the high side for me) this year.

>117 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori - actually, it got postponed as someone in our group had a family member pass away (not entirely unexpectedly), so we'll do it next week.

>118 klobrien2: Glad to hear it, Karen! Nice to see you here :)

125. Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
Why now? Still reading my way through the Newbery Awards and Honors (this was an honor) available through my library's Libby collection on e-book and audio

Moses "Mo" LoBeau has made a home for herself in Tupelo Landing, the ward of Miss Lana and the Colonel who collectively own a cafe. When an FBI agent comes asking questions and a stingy old man dies, Mo and her friend Dale start a detective agency and start to investigate.

A fun tall-tale mystery full of larger-than-life characters, this is a book I would've liked as a kid. The Colonel can't remember who he was, and Mo dreams of reuniting with her "Upstream Mother" from before she was a baby adrift during a hurricane (thus the name), figuring she may be able to leave messages in a bottle to find her. But while there's charm, there's dark too, as Dale's father is an abusive drunk. The mystery itself hinges on a few coincidences, but I enjoyed the way Mo kept trying to insert herself into the investigation, much to Agent Starr's chagrin. 4 stars.

First in a series. I may not get to it anytime soon, but I'd read book #2.

126. 55 Christmas Balls to Knit by Arne & Carlos
Why now? I borrowed some library books with patterns I was planning on knitting for Christmas gifts - this is the one I used, and since it happened to have some text apart from the patterns, I decided to use it for the TIOLI Challenge to read a book involving a holiday with a number in the title

Designers and knitters Arne and Carlos share a basic pattern for a Chrismtas ball ornament and 55 motifs to knit or duplicate stitch. Photos, Christmas poems, stories, and notes about where the motifs came from originally are included.

Most of the patterns are repeats of four and thus easiest to knit on four needles to keep count of where you are, though a handful are meant to be worked over two needles. I do recommend reading through the introductory material that explains what size needle and what type of yarn and filling may be best, as well as suggestions for embellishments (the last page helpfully includes an international list of subscribers and mentions a comparable yarn to what they use for a US yarn store). They draw on inspiration from all over the place, whether it be Nordic sweaters or children's mittens, to make a wide variety of potential patterns, and the result is a fun collection of patterns sure to please.

Oh look, it's Tuesday...
Morning was a quick grocery run to make sure I had supplies for any post-bookster side effects, and making an avocado spinach quinoa salad. I have that, two flatbread pizzas, and some frozen soup to cook up for the next few days, whether or not I feel like I got hit by a bus. Today's work schedule is 12-8, I've got four of those hours on the desk and a few tasks to fit in between them all.

Tomorrow is a 9-5 day, followed by 6:30 booster appointment, and I'm not planning on doing anything else much. I have dinners pre-cooked, extra Ibuprofen ready, and lots of books. I'm off Thursday and Friday with a few things planned, but mostly I don't need to be functional.

>120 bell7: I went to add that one to the BlackHole only to discover it was already there. Guess I need to read it.

Happy Tuesday, Mary!

>122 bell7: It's always so tough to get stuff done when you're on the desk. Wishing you much luck with that.

>121 bell7: *chuckle* I'm hit! It's a bok-bullet! (NOT)

>120 bell7: Oh nay nay nay!

>109 bell7:, >108 AMQS: This disingenuous farrago of nonsense is disgusting. I wish they cared about school shootings as much as they do about "crt".

>102 bell7: Paulsen was very interesting indeed. Sad he's gone.

>101 bell7: OW!! Bok-bulleted.

*smooch*

>123 alcottacre: Ha, yes, I've double-listed books before and thought the same. Hope you like it when you get to it, Stasia, and happy Wednesday!

>124 MickyFine: Yeah, and I'm in a weird place now where I don't have a lot of short-term projects ready, it's more long stuff (like the local history long-range plan I'm working on) that needs a couple of hours off-desk with no fires to put out.

>125 richardderus: Yeah I can't really see either >120 bell7: or >121 bell7: for you, but glad >101 bell7: got you. I'm waiting to hear if it made it on the January LibraryReads list (comes out Dec. 15).

I have a lot I could say about the CRT and library challenges in the news lately, but it boils down to this: read the book and let's talk about specifics, don't give me quotes out of context or a list of non-white or non-cis-het authors and just tell me they're all wrong and nobody should be reading these books. I've already been committed to reading, recommending, and buying underrepresented authors for the library's adult fiction collection and this just makes me more so.

And finally, re: Paulsen, though I've generally determined his writing style is not for me, I do think he lived an interesting life, love that people love his books, and I'm sorry it took his death to finally get me to read some of them. I own Winterdance and there's another book or two on the Newbery list, so I'll read a few more at least.

Happy Wednesday! It's Covid booster shot day for me, so after work today, I'm stopping at home to eat dinner, change out of work clothes, and then I'm heading out to the pharmacy. Not much else is planned for the day for obvious reasons. Plenty of reading and knitting to keep me busy, Ibuprofen and sports drinks at the ready.

For my fellow word nerds, you may enjoy Merriam-Webster's list of "non-words" that really are words.

I'm pretty inclusive myself, but there's bound to be a word here that sounds "off" to your ears.

I'm all boostered up! So far so good (I'm not even sore, really), but we'll see what tomorrow holds.

Speaking of tomorrow, the only definite is that I'm having some guys from the oil company do their biannual checkup of the system and make sure everything's good with the boiler and everything. I only have to be present, not functional.

If I am functional, of course I have a long to-do list that I'd love to work on - sending Christmas cards, knitting Christmas gifts, cleaning. If I'm not functional, I have books and Christmas movies at the ready.

Good morning! Today's the start of a long weekend for me (just three days, 'cause I work Sunday). The guy already came for the "fall tuneup" of my heating system - he was here around 7:40 for an 8 a.m. appointment, thankfully I was ready when he arrived! I also woke up to discover there's more than just a dusting of snow on the ground as predicted: though not a lot, the white stuff is completely covering the grass. I may have to sweep off the front walk and driveway. I'd put the car in the garage last night.

I'm feeling just as bleary pre-coffee as I usually am, so I think it's going to be a mostly-normal day post-booster. My arm is a little sore, but once I eat something, I'll take some Ibuprofen and down another PowerAid throughout the day to stay hydrated.

I have Christmas ornaments to knit, cards to send, and gifts to organize so that'll keep me happily busy at home much of the day.

Glad to hear that the booster isn't hitting too hard. Sounds like a pleasant day at home!

Sounds like a lovely, cozy day at home, Mary. I hope the side effects from your booster remain just a sore arm.

Perfect way to start three days off in a row. Spend some good reading time, too. (I don't suspect you need telling but reinforcement can't hurt.)

*smooch*

>131 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi, I've been making the most of it!

>132 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I don't feel like doing much, but that's why I got the booster when I did, knowing I didn't have to do anything today if I didn't want to.

>133 richardderus: *smooch* back, Richard. No, I didn't need the encouragement, but that is indeed all I've done today, as the next couple of reviews will attest.

127. Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson
Why now? Started in November, since it's a DRC for a book coming out in January, and I wanted to see if it would be one I nominated for LibraryReads

*E-book ARC received from the publisher through Edelweiss Plus - thank you!*

Nora Hughes has been working as an editorial assistant at Parsons, a business publisher, for six years where she's become more and more disillusioned and frustrated with her job and life. Seeing little way out after layoffs and a pay cut, she starts a second freelance job with another publisher, works it on the first job's time, and simultaneously starts a friendship with Parsons' author Andrew. If she can just get him to sign with them for his new book, she's been promised a promotion. But Andrew shows signs of wanting something other than a contract, and Nora isn't sure how long she can keep the deception up.

This debut from author Shauna Robinson, who definitely knows the publishing world, shows a lot of promise. The issue was me - I'm older and farther along in my career than Nora, and I found her really frustrating. She's depressed, and her unhappiness in her job and life in general made her really hard to read about so closely. With every decision she made, whether it be the shady job choices or manipulating Andrew and feeling guilty about it, I wanted to be able to insert myself and tell her, "Stop!" Nora's miserable for about 80% of the book, and the final 20% wasn't quite enough to make up for it. Were I 10-15 years younger, I may have related more. 3 stars.

I think I've been reading too much Ask a Manager to be able to fully immerse myself in the story. The final 20% I reference where the lies finally blow up in her face, and Nora has to start putting her career back together and figure out what she wants was actually pretty entertaining, and if that had been more of the story, I would've rated it higher. But I did keep thinking about the conversation Katie and I had recently, talking about the age of some protagonists. This one definitely made me feel my age haha.

>126 bell7: The book is now in-house. I got it from the public library yesterday. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did.

>135 bell7: Sorry to hear that one was not a better read for you. I hope the next one is!

Happy Thursday, Mary!

128. The Light in Hidden Places by Sharon Cameron
Why now? Back about six weeks ago, I was in a mood to completely revamp my library stack, and a co-worker recommended this one - finally getting to it now that it's the next book due!

Stefania Podgorska is a teenager in a small Polish town when the Germans invade. Known as Fusia, she works for the Diamants - a Jewish family - and finds herself making impossible choices trying to help the people she loves.

This story starts with a bang and never lets up. It's all the more impressive knowing it's based on a true story of a girl who, from the age of approximately 16-18 cared for herself and others, all while knowing she could be imprisoned or killed for what she did. I don't want to give much away, but suffice it to say the story is powerful and affecting. The author's note at the end, with photographs, was truly amazing. 4 stars.

Hard one to rate - it's similar to many WW2 books, but at the same time I did like that it was based on a real person I hadn't heard of. And while it was compelling reading, it's hard, and I don't think I would reread it. Thus the 4.

>136 alcottacre: Oh excellent, I'll look forward to your thoughts on it, Stasia! Eh, can't love 'em all. I was actually looking at my stats this year, and was surprised to find that I've rated only two books lower than a three - the one 2 star book was a book club read, thus why I finished it. The next one was better as you can see in >137 bell7: and now I've got to read my next book club book :) Happy Thursday!

HI Mary, Came over for a good visit. Love your Christmas decorations and good to see >2 bell7: book club selections for this year and next>60 bell7:. Any from this year that are a must read? Do you make a best reads of the year list?

>139 mdoris: Nice to see you, Mary! Beloved was an absolutely must-read from me (I was so sad I had to cancel book club when I got a bad cold), followed closely by Red at the Bone and Hidden Valley Road. I do make a best reads of the year, usually ignoring publication date, and the past couple of years I've participated in a Twitter list of "best 2021 books" that's happening now. I'll post those here too, when they're all revealed (for any on Twitter, I'm bell7 there too).

>135 bell7: - I'm having a similar issue with my current read, The Hating Game. Ah, youth! So young. So dumb... :)

>140 bell7: Thanks Mary. I look forward to your "best of" list!

>141 katiekrug: Well I'll safely skip that one. I can enjoy books with protagonists of all ages, but I find myself pickier about some. Perhaps it's perspective, perhaps it's not wanting to revisit certain ages (*cough*high school angst*cough*).

>142 mdoris: Sure thing :) Looking forward to sharing them.

>143 bell7: I read tons of YA in my early and mid-twenties, but I'm much more picky about it now.

>137 bell7: Already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

>138 bell7: I will keep you posted.

Have a wonderful weekend, Mary!

>144 MickyFine: Same! That's one thing that's interesting to track over the years - my YA and children's reading has become a decreasing percentage of my total reading (it used to be most, then half and half, and now it's something like a quarter). I am still reading the Newbery Awards and Honors, and I will pick up a YA that looks interesting, but I... find myself relating to the parents. In some cases, I'm older than the parents. The one plus side is no children's book ever prepared me for how unabashedly cool it is to be the spinster/maiden aunt :D

>145 alcottacre: A wonderful weekend to you, too, Stasia! I think I talked my mom into reading The Light in Hidden Places today, and I wasn't even trying to :) Well worth the read.

Well, today was a mix of errands and fun for my second day off. I dropped my car off to get new bulbs in one of my headlights, and went Christmas shopping with my mother and had lunch and a nice visit. My dad visited with me some in the morning while Mom was getting her hair cut, and he's all excited about some trout he caught in a local pond. We're having a brunch get together next week, since my mom is allergic to fish (and a whole bunch of other things).

I stopped at the post office on my way home, and in about an hour or so I'll head out to my volunteering. I'm usually more of the assistant teacher, but our lead teacher is out after having a death in the family. I was already planning on teaching, but it may end up being just a little more responsibility than I'm used to (she's more experienced, so I generally defer to her).

Tomorrow I have a bunch of things on the calendar, but I'm going to trim it down to a yoga class followed by going out with friends, and going from there to dogsit - before dark, because I know this dog will want his walk and not just to be let out in the backyard. I'll bring a book and some knitting to keep me busy.

I've just barely started The Vanishing Half for book club, but I could tell I'm going to like the writing style based on the first few pages, and I'm still reading Last Night at the Telegraph Club. I want to start What Fresh Hell Is This? soon, as I'm reasonably certain I've started experiencing perimenopausal symptoms this year and my doctors have been largely silent on the topic so I'm educating myself. (The exception has been my eye doctor, of all people.)

Hi Mary! The Vanishing Half and Last Night at the Telegraph Club are both on my list, but as usual, who knows when I'll get to them :) Enjoy dogsitting! LOL at your eye doctor being the only doctor to mention anything perimenopause-related.

>149 curioussquared: Heh, yeah I know how that goes. Sometimes I get excited about my book club list just 'cause some of them are already on the TBR list and I'll finally have to get to them. Isn't that funny about doctors? Mostly the responses I've gotten are "You're too young" or "You'll know" (the former was my primary, the latter was my OBGYN in response to what I should expect and how it would be different because I'm on birth control, so helpful). My eye doctor - "By the way, as your estrogen decreases, your eyesight will change slightly as a result. Not by much, but you're sensitive to changes, so you'll notice." That's all I'm asking for, people.

Today's plan is a yoga class followed by socializing with friends, then heading to an overnight dogsitting job. I had a few "mights" for the morning, but you'll be pleased to know I let myself off the hook and just spent the morning packing and setting mouse traps in the basement. I've brought books and knitting from dogsitting, since I'll I'll really have to do is walk him and feed him. I'm gonna pack the car and head out soon, as I want to stop at the post office on my way.

Tomorrow is church and work. The Giants are playing at 4 so I'll get to see most of the game. I'll fit dog walks and feeding around it all, and then I'm back home in the evening.

Huzzah for letting yourself off the hook! Hope you have a lovely day!

>151 bell7: What Micky said!

>151 bell7: +3

Thanks Micky, Stasia, and Richard. I thought I might get a sympathetic response since I'm usually recounting my very busy life.

Yoga and fun with friends is over, the dog is walked and I'm settling in for the evening.

129. Christmas Is Coming: Traditions from Around the World by Monika Utnik-Strugala, illustrated by Ewa Poklewska-Koziello
Why now? I think I first saw this on some sort of library marketing email, and having loved this kind of book for years, I put it on hold to read this season

This children's book originally published in Polish gives a broad look at Christmas traditions from around the world - as well as other seasonal holidays related, such as Saint Nicholas's Day, New Year's, and Three Kings Day/Epiphany.

I have loved this kind of book, detailing Christmas and Christmas-related celebrations and traditions around the world, since I was a child and read quite a few. This one starts roughly chronologically with Advent and early December celebrations, randomly inserting more topical sections on food, or Santa Claus and alternatives. I had a hard time keeping everything straight as a result, and would've preferred things kept in order strictly by date, or even divided by country. There were a couple of times when statements didn't quite add up - like saying in one section that "we don't know when Jesus was born or even where" and another on the Three Kings talking about what the star might have been and that they went to Bethlehem, or saying that the Immaculate Conception referred to Mary's birth without specifying that hers is only in some traditions. The illustrations of a Japanese family were disconcerting, giving them slits for eyes. While I don't begrudge the time spent reading the book, the more I think about it the less it seems one that will stick with me. 3 stars.

Well it's Monday... My schedule's all topsy-turvy this week. I worked yesterday, which normally means I would have today off, but I proposed to my boss that I work 9-5 today to help fill in for people who were out (including her). Good thing I did, because two more people (actually three, counting a page) are unexpectedly out. Working 9-2 on Mondays is...infinitely preferable, let's say. So this week was Sunday 12-5, Monday 9-5, Tuesday and Wednesday, 12-8 (book group on Wednesday), Thursday 9-5. I'm off Friday-Sunday for a nice long weekend leading up to Christmas week.

Tonight after work, the rescheduled service project with my Bible study is on. I think they said they were bringing pizza so supper's sorted too. And my SIL gave me a link to sign up for HelloFresh and get a free three meals for two, so I should be getting that delivery as well (and I'll be canceling it after 'cause I'm cheap). But I figured $9.99 shipping for a week is excellent, and means my grocery bill will be much lower this week as a result.

>157 bell7: Great that supper's sorted along with the other fun stuff. Mary. It makes life so much better when you're sure you're getting fed without cooking.

*smooch* from your happily octopoded friend

>158 richardderus: Yep, gotta love a night I don't have to cook! *smooch*

Today's morning was distractedly spent reading my book club book, then making the orange chicken from HelloFresh for lunch. It was delicious, if a little involved, and I have the leftovers ready to bring to work tomorrow. I also wrote out a grocery shopping list and I'll plan on going out tomorrow morning. I just canceled the HelloFresh account (they don't make it easy), because I can do enough better on my own meal planning/budget that it's not worth it to me. I don't have anything prepped for dinner tonight 'cause the last couple of days have been so busy, but I'll get takeout for myself at one of the places nearby and probably leave the library to enjoy a real break.

My main non-work goal of the day is to read as much as possible in The Vanishing Half. Fortunately I'm really liking it, but I don't want to be scrambling to finish it tomorrow morning before work.

For those of you who enjoy e-book deals, No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull is currently 99 cents - I haven't read it yet, but at that price I'll add it to my Kindle to read someday!

>161 bell7: I'm about 2/3 of the way through it now - though I got my copy from the library... Really enjoying it!

>162 drneutron: Oooh, excellent! I really am hoping to read it soon-ish, but I'm still working through quite a library stack at the moment.

130. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Why now? Book club book for December

When twins Desiree and Stella Vignes left town, they had no idea how far their paths would diverge. They grew up in Mallard, a small unincorporated village of light-skinned Black people but ran away to New Orleans, each for her own reasons. Desiree ends up coming back, with a dark-skinned child from an abusive marriage. Stella disappears.

This non-linear story explores not only Desiree and Stella, but also the next generation, and the impact of racism as it affected this one family. These characters are regular people just living their lives, and the reader is left grappling with the racism, colorism, and homophobia present in society. The writing is lovely and poignant without being flowery, and the story moves along quickly as the reader discovers what happened to Stella, and what the results of her choices and Desiree's are. 4 stars.

I really enjoyed reading this, though I'm not sure in the end there's enough for me to feel the need to reread. I'll be going over the questions and prepping for book club tomorrow, and will be back with a report on how it goes.

>164 bell7: Hope the book group discussion goes well, Mary. So much choice for topics there, I would have thought.

My online group (I have just noticed) is meeting tonight not tomorrow (Thursday) as is customary. I haven't finished the book yet, oops.

Happy Wednesday, Mary. I also enjoyed The Vanishing Half. I was not a fan of her debut but glad she came back with this one. Is Hench on your radar? If not, it might be a good fit for you. If I am not selling it, check out Richard's glowing review.

>164 bell7: There sounds to me like a great amount of discussion fodder in that, but I confess I'm just not interested in the subject. Passing with a true-crime twist, if I'm honest.

Have a great time with the group! *smooch*

>165 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte, I do think there will be plenty to talk about. I'm planning on sharing a short interview she had with Trevor Noah as well. Good luck finishing your book in time!

>166 msf59: I've heard that this one is better than her debut, Mark, so I'm still on the fence about reading it. Richard's review catapulted Hench onto my TBR list as well, but I haven't managed to put it on the library stack yet. Glad to know you love it, too!

>167 richardderus: Not even much true crime to it, Richard. I haven't read Passing (it's on the list), so it's hard to know how to compare it. I appreciated how she wrote about passing in a way that really explored how it impacted this one family, without making any kind of moral judgment about Stella's choices, so it will have a lot to discuss I think. Certainly there's plenty of other books to be reading if this one doesn't call your name. *smooch*

A little late with my daily summary because, as I'm sure will surprise no one who reads this on a regular basis, I tried to fit too much in this morning before work. I went grocery shopping and wrote out my Jan/Feb schedule for someone I'll be dogsitting for (they get walkers on days I'm working a full shift).

At work today, I've been making progress on a local history long range plan and prepping for book club. Now I'm taking my dinner break and I'll schedule our book-related email newsletter to go out early tomorrow morning. Book discussion is at 7 p.m.

>169 bell7: ::pearl-clutch:: You? Overcommitted yourself? I gasp, I reel backwards at the shock.

But you got it all done, and book group will be big fun.

*smooch*

>170 richardderus: Heh, I knew you'd appreciate that *smooch*

Gooooood morning! It's one of those mornings where bed felt awfully comfortable and getting up for my coffee was a struggle.

Not sure exactly what work holds today, except definitely a meeting with my boss as the new hire just gave her two weeks notice. I had work stress dreams last night involving me taking on the programming that she had planned and left behind. Not fun. Not likely either, though I'm sure I'll have to pitch in with some things. After work, I need to make dinner (I'll probably try one of the other Hello Fresh meals I got this week) and finish wrapping my gifts, which are currently spread over all sorts of surfaces in the living room and making me twitchy. I think I'll put on a Christmas movie for the occasion.

Tomorrow I'm off for work and my dad's coming over for a brunch about 9. Have I mentioned that my parents are loving retirement? He caught some trout in a pond nearby and, as my mother's allergic to fish, he asked about coming over to make and eat it. So we're having trout and omelets tomorrow. Then I'm seeing if a friend who had surgery this week needs some help in the afternoon, followed by the volunteering I do on Friday nights. We're having a Christmas party in our classroom, and then we get the next two weeks off for the holidays.

Edited to add:
Almost forgot to tell you about book group last night! I had two of my regular ladies attend who have been attending for years. Though a small group, we had plenty to say. I started off with a video of Trevor Noah interviewing Brit Bennett, which was really interesting, and then we talked about a little bit of everything: racism and colorism, Stella's and Desiree's choices and why we thought they made them, secrets, identity and performance. This was one where the conversation flowed and I had to do very little to push it along. In the new year, our first read will be Whereabouts and I'm looking forward to that one. I haven't read any of her books, though one of the ladies in our group has and will probably have some thoughts on how it compares to her other books, this one being the first novel she wrote in Italian. I know she's written a memoir about moving to Italy and learning the language, and I may very well read it as a follow up to this one.

I'm currently reading A Christmas Carol (I should finish it tonight with about 30 pages left to go) and What Fresh Hell Is This?. The latter, about perimenopause (so seasonal, I know!), is funny & irreverent and probably about as enjoyable as a book about the topic can be. I'm kinda glad it's the one I picked first.

I loved Whereabouts, what a great book for a conversation. Lahiri's one of those writers I just wish would write faster. A book a year would be nice!

I hope the meeting with your manager to discuss strategy for your new hire leaving goes smoothly. And doesn't end up with you having to cover a bunch of things. :)

>173 charl08: Oh excellent, I'm glad to hear it makes for a good discussion. Do you have any suggestions/recommendations for questions? I usually find a publisher or book club list online, but surprisingly there wasn't one for Whereabouts.

>174 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! We'll be catching up later this afternoon. I don't think it'll really end up with me covering a lot (probably a program here and there, including one I've done before because it was volunteer-adjacent), that's just how my brain turned the general anxiety of what we'd cover in the discussion today. Fun brain.

131. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Why now? My annual reread, perhaps moved up a little bit because I want to leave the option open for reading The Cricket in the Hearth as well

I'm not even going to try to review this, I've read and reread it so many times. Still one of my favorite Christmas stories.

>176 bell7: I, too, have read it. I did not purge afterwards.

That is all I have to say.

>172 bell7: It was a busy one, I can fully understand your ickies over the new hire quitting, and a generalized YUM to truite et omelettes!

>176 bell7: I should have put in a reservation on that one in audiobook format this year. It would have been great for my trip. I didn't think, and the shortest wait on any audio version is 5 weeks. It does appear there are versions on Internet Archive. I guess I can see if I can figure out a good way to make the one with the most stars work on my iPhone.

>178 thornton37814: You could try this version: https://www.nypl.org/blog/2019/12/19/listen-neil-gaiman-reads-christmas-carol

>179 foggidawn: I'm sure that one would be good. I downloaded the Librivox recording from Internet Archive. It's in my files and appears to play okay on the phone so I'll use it. Maybe I can do Gaiman's version next year.

>180 thornton37814: Glad you found something that will work!

>177 richardderus: Huh. I guess I didn't realize you'd read it, though I remember that you didn't hate The Man Who Invented Christmas. My dad is on his way with said trout so we shall be enjoying it shortly. I should probably do the dishes in the sink...

>178 thornton37814: I've found it really hard to find the audio at the right time, too, Lori. and >180 thornton37814: I'm glad you were able to find something that works!

>179 foggidawn: Bookmarking this for next year too! Thanks for sharing, foggi.

A Friday I don't work is always a good day!

My dad came over for a late breakfast/brunch and we made trout and omelets (both things my mother is allergic to). He found a recipe for baking the trout that involved splitting them open and shoving sliced shallot and garlic and a little olive oil inside, sprinkling the fish with salt and pepper, wrapping them tight in foil, and baking at 400 for about 15-20 minutes. YUM. Omelets had cheese, garlic, shallots, mushrooms, and a little ham. Also delicious. Neither of us are big breakfast eaters, but we finished the fish and had a little omelet leftover, which I'll reheat for tomorrow's breakfast.

I have the rest of the afternoon to relax and get stuff done at home. I'm already feeling somewhat accomplished by balancing my checkbook and paying a couple of bills, but what I really need to do (and I've been putting off) is taking care of caught mice and setting new traps, as well as finishing that darn Christmas wrapping. I finally figured it out that part of why I've been putting it off is knowing that I need to go downstairs for some bags instead of wrapping in boxes, and somehow traipsing up and downstairs for bags of the right size seems like a lot of walking (and also, reminds me of the mice I need to dispose of). Funny how the brain works... anyway, I don't have a ton of wrapping left and I know once I do I'll feel better for it, so I'll probably do that today.

This evening is my regular volunteer gig, including a Christmas party. The teacher talked about having making hot cocoa (and having some goodies) for a low-key kind of thing, so I'm looking forward to that and I know the girls will enjoy it. We have 5th-6th graders, and they're a blast.

>183 bell7: What an *enviable* breakfast with Dad! Perfect. And that trout-cooking method does sound luscious. I adore trout with shallots and almonds, so I'm sure that'd make a big hit.

Your brunch sounds lovely!

Sounds like a lovely brunch with your Dad. Glad you both enjoyed the food and company.

Wishing you much luck with all the adulting on tap for the afternoon and hopefully the rest of your weekend can be a little more relaxed.

>184 richardderus: Oooh, almonds sounds like a good addition as well. We may get a chance to try at some point. He has more fish and is sharing it around haha.

>185 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>186 MickyFine: Thanks on all counts, Micky! I did a good job adulting - I took care of the mice, wrapped, and cleaned up all the wrapping and broke down the boxes I didn't use, with time to spare.

Oh, and I mentioned yesterday I might help out a friend who had surgery. She did end up asking me to come out and keep her boys occupied for awhile so she could nap. We took the dogs for a walk in the woods, and they showed me how to play a few games on their Wii. The Christmas party tonight was also a bunch of fun. The main teacher got hot chocolate packets, candy canes and marshmallows. I handed out gifts (small boxes of more hot cocoa to take home and tea for the teachers). And in the end, a few of them played charades, which was simply hilarious.

>164 bell7: Thank you for the review and recommendation of The Vanishing Half, Mary. I will try and get to it in the new year.

>176 bell7: I still love it even after all these years. I have lost track of how many times I have read A Christmas Carol.

Have a wonderful weekend, Mary!

>188 alcottacre: oh good, I hope you enjoy The Vanishing Half, Stasia. I'll look forward to your thoughts. I've also lost track of how many times I've read A Christmas Carol, but I can tell you beyond doubt I've read it more than any other book, more than 16 times (I was reading it annually before I was tracking my reading, so that's a minimum, and it's probably more like 20). Hope you have a fantastic weekend as well!

Today's plan:

Making Christmas cookies at home with my Little, and going to my brother's birthday party if it's not snowed out.

I'm still reading What Fresh Hell Is This?. I finished Last Night at the Telegraph Club so sometime this weekend I'm picking a new fiction paper book and new e-book/audio pairing to read, but I'm not quite sure what I'm in the mood for.

132. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Why now? It was getting good reviews, sounded intriguing, and won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature

Lily Hu is the daughter of Chinese immigrants living in Chinatown in 1954, who is interested in seeing a male impersonator at the nearby Telegraph Club. Through her friendship with Kath and visits to the club, she begins to realize and accept her queer sexuality.

San Francisco in the 1950s is not a time frame I'm familiar with, and it was fascinating to read about the experiences of both the lesbian underground and Chinese immigrant communities. Lo has clearly done her research, and made whole, complicated characters that live in that space. Most of the narrative is close third-person of Lily's experiences, but we also get vignettes of the past about her mother, father, and an aunt. I was personally less interested in the romance aspect, but the book overall is well-crafted and should find a wide audience. 4 stars.

>190 bell7: Sounds like a fun activity to do with your little! What kind of cookies are you making?

Also, how much snow are they threatening that you might be snowed out for the party?

>191 bell7: I tried to care, but I couldn't. Author Lo left me out in some ineffable way. I was really surprised to feel that way! These women are my (literal) sisters. Yet...nothing.

>190 bell7: Have a great time! Happy Saturday memory-making.

>192 MickyFine: We made peanut butter blossoms and Russian tea cakes (what my family used to know as "snowball meltaways"). I sent most of it home with her, but kept a little over a dozen of the peanut butter blossoms for myself.

My brother's birthday party is not likely to be canceled, I was more concerned that I might be having to drive in heavy snow when the original forecast said 5 inches. Now it's much less than that, especially since it's been warm enough that it 's still been rain all day. I expect by the time I'm driving it may be more sleety, but between my all wheel drive and most of the ride being on a well-maintained highway, I'll be fine.

>193 richardderus: I tried to care, but I couldn't. Author Lo left me out in some ineffable way. I'm glad you said that, because it perfectly describes how I felt reading it. I liked the history bits, I liked Lily, I enjoyed it just fine while I was reading it, but. It took me 12 days to read and was very putdownable. And thank you, we had a blast! Got Chinese takeout, made cookies, she found silly parodies and I showed her some Straight No Chaser Christmas songs.

I just did the math, and last year I had 8 threads with 1,759 posts. I'm close to tying or surpassing that number as, with this post, I'm up to 1,679 with two weeks left in the year. Thanks for keeping my thread a busy place to be, everyone!

>194 bell7: Twelve! Days! My lands, that might as well be the Encyclopedia Britannica! Nope, not just you...or me...if it's both of us.

Happy Sunday, Mary. It sounds like you are enjoying the weekend. I hope those current reads are all hitting their mark.

Sunday orisons, Mary, and best week-ahead's reads wishes for this run-up to The Day.

Hi. Mary. I’m behind on your reading!

I just finished Last Night at the Telegraph Club and enjoyed the story from a much more oppressive time. Like you, I had a good time reading The Vanishing Half, with its interesting angle on “passing”.

Department of Rare Books and Special Collections sounds promising. I have a soft spot for novels featuring libraries and bookstores.

I want to read that Gary Paulsen book. I’ve read all his “Brian” novels, starting with his terrific Hatchet, and I like his writing style.

>196 richardderus: Yeah, as you know 12 days is exceptionally slow for me. When it came down to writing the review, though, it was really hard to articulate anything amiss, thus the fairly high rating.

>197 msf59: Thanks, Mark! So far, so good. I found another Newbery Honor for my e-book/audio combo, Olive's Ocean, and I felt like reading A Psalm of Storms and Silence even though it's due at the library last.

>198 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! I got enough done today to not have to rush to do everything on work days this week. I have nothing but a stop-in for a cat planned for Christmas Eve, though, so I'm looking forward to a reading and DVD watching day.

>199 jnwelch: Glad you got a chance to catch up, Joe! I hope you like both Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and Gary Paulsen's memoir as well. Funny that we were reading Telegraph Club at the same time :)

Today was a good balance of restful and busy. I had nursery, followed by church, then went home and watched the terrible Giants game. I made the last of the Hello Fresh meals - a chicken and dumplings sort of recipe that was really delicious, though I'd left it so long that the carrots got a little soft and I had to supplement one of my own garlic cloves for one that was iffy looking.

I cleaned up a few finished knitting projects and put some yarn and books I'm not using back where they belong, so between that and wrapping, my living room is as clean as it's been all month. I tried to watch Meet Me in St. Louis, but about 15 tracks in it started skipping like crazy and I gave up. At one point this evening, I heard a bunch of sirens and peaked out my window to see five fire trucks wending their way up and down streets... only to realize they were escorting Santa and the Grinch all around town, waving at all of us who either stepped outside or to the windows. I love small towns hahaha. And I really should catch up on reading my local paper, that happening is probably in an article among the three copies I have on my dining room table right now.

Tomorrow is back to my normal Monday schedule, working 9-2. I might try to stop at a friends, but I'm just planning on making a new recipe and watching another Christmas movie.

Good Monday morning! I'm glad to have my regular 9-2 Monday back. I didn't have a lot on the agenda today, so I'm checking in with the friend that had surgery last week to see if she feels up for a visit. If so, it will be low-key, and I'll bring a selection of Christmas movies to watch. If not, I plan on watching one (or two) at home.

For dinner, I'm making a new recipe, Carolina Fish, Shrimp, and Okra Stew with Black Rice.

On the reading front, What Fresh Hell Is This? has been enlightening and funny. I'm continuing my Newbery reading with e-book/audio pairing Olive's Ocean and it's a short, quick read so I'm already halfway through and should finish it soon. And yesterday I just started another alliterative title, A Psalm of Storms and Silence, the second in a duology that I'm excited enough to read that, though it's the last library due date in the stack, I decided to read it anyways. Next up is The Cricket on the Hearth, which may or may not actually be finished by Saturday.

As I was pondering my planned reads over the next few days, I suddenly realized that while I've been acting like the month ends on Saturday, I'll have six full days of reading after that, AND I'll be dogsitting. It's looking likely that December will be one of my higher numbers of the year, though 150 for the year is definitely out of reach.

I hope your short day flies by, Mary! Looks like you've got a bunch of good reads on the go.

>203 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Yeah, I'm enjoying myself with my reading right now for sure. My short day was excellent, and I managed the cooking, reading, knitting and movie watching I had hoped.

Heading out to work in just a few minutes. I took a pretty easy morning and only did a quick grocery shopping to have what I need for a little baking, Christmas breakfast, and Christmas dinner contributions. It's my normal 12-8 now, and planning on just relaxing tonight.

>205 bell7: Re...lax...ing

WHO ARE YOU

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MARY?!

>206 richardderus: I mean, if it makes you feel better, I do have some laundry to fold 🤷‍♀️

>207 bell7: *whew*

>208 richardderus: *snort* There are some tasks that aren't really worth mentioning in the day's rundown. I'll also probably putter around on some of my book spreadsheets and update my LT library with what I'm reading now.

My state recently announced that several municipalities were given free Covid rapid tests that are available at public libraries. We were not one of them, but it was "on the news" so the phone's been ringing off the hook.

1. My SIL, who works in a neighboring municipality that did get them is going to kill me for sending everyone to her.

2. I'm on my last nerve already and so glad tomorrow's my last day this week.

133. Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
Why now? Continuing my read through Newbery Awards and Honors, e-book/audio combo was available through the library

Martha didn't know Olive, but her classmate died in an accident and Olive's mother brought Martha a page from her daughter's journal, in which she described Martha as nice, someone she wanted for a friend, and dreamed of seeing the ocean. Martha and her family are about to go to the ocean themselves, to visit with her grandmother, Godbee, and while she's there, she thinks about who she wants to be.

This is the sort of quiet book that is very hard to pin down what it's actually about - the summer Martha's twelve has all sorts of experiences for her as she finds her place in the world. Her family is realistic, with Martha and her mother sometimes having their tiffs, Martha and Godbee sharing secrets, and toddler Lucy being, well, a toddler. Chapters are very short, only a couple of pages each, and keep the story moving quickly. Recommended for fans of The Penderwicks. 4 stars.

>210 bell7: Ugh, the calls are constant here. We get the tests in, they all get distributed that same day, and the rest of the time it's a never-ending stream of phone calls.

It sounds like the government is going to provide "home" COVID tests. They'll just need to call a number.

>212 foggidawn: I expect we'll get a distribution at some point, but I got wicked annoyed with the news telling people that some communities and libraries will have the tests, so we get all these calls only to have to tell people to try another town...

>213 thornton37814: Ah that'll be good, then. We'll post that at the desk when it's announced. I found something online for MA residents, but it's rather involved and I can see many of our non-computer users getting frustrated with it (and I surely don't want to be in close contact helping someone who's exhibiting symptoms work their way through a form).

I was... pretty annoyed with everyone in the world by the end of the night, and it's not really the fault of the 3 people who called.

Goooood Wednesday morning! Today is my "Friday" followed by a five-day weekend, and I am READY.

The plan for the day: work 9-5, and I'll be the one in charge, so I don't have a lot planned to get done today. I'm running to Town Hall to drop off library volunteer paper work and getting some tasks ready for tomorrow's volunteers. Tonight after work, I'm planning on making a quiche and watching a movie, probably Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

I tried a new recipe this week, and it is simply delicious so thought I'd share it here:

Carolina Fish, Shrimp, and Okra Stew with Black Rice
from Food&Wine, Oct. 2020

1 lb. raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, shells reserved
3 cups water
1 1/2 lb. skinless catfish or cod fillets (halve fillets lengthwise if large), cut crosswise into 1-inch strips
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 T. olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 large white onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, chopped
1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
8 oz. fresh okra, stemmed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces, or 2 cups frozen sliced okra
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 t. chopped fresh thyme
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
2 t. Creole seasoning
1/2 t. black pepper, plus more to taste
Cooked black (also called purple) rice, for serving
Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

1. Combine shrimp shells and 3 c. water in medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium. Remove from heat, and let stand 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids. Set stock aside. Toss together catfish pieces and salt in a large bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use, up to 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Add flour; cook, whisking constantly, until smooth and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Cook, stirring often and scraping the bottom of Dutch oven to prevent scorching, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in shrimp stock, tomatoes with juices, okra, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, bay leaves, Creole seasoning, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until okra is almost tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Stir in catfish and shrimp, and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until catfish and shrimp are cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Season to taste and salt and pepper. Serve with black rice; garnish servings with scallions, and drizzle with olive oil.

This was a little more involved than I typically go for, and I slowly bought the frozen ingredients over a couple of weeks so it didn't hit my food budget all at once. But it's quite substantial, making 6-8 servings, and it so delicious that I'd absolutely make it again over a weekend when I was in the mood for seafood. (Bonus: I bought 2 lb. of frozen shrimp so I still have half the bag left to make something else!)

Happy Wednesday, Mary. Your Carolina Fish, Shrimp, and Okra Stew with Black Rice recipe sounds awesome. When can I come over? Did I warble to you about Hench? If you have not read it, put it on the pile. I think you would love it.

Just spreading the news on some of the more active threads...

There's this new thing I made... https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/23588/75-Books-Challenge-for-2022

Happy holidays!

>217 msf59: You're most welcome anytime, Mark, though I'll be away dogsitting for the next couple of months and won't be much company as a result :) I do have Hench on the TBR pile due to you and RD, and I'm hoping to get to it early in 2022.

>218 drneutron: *blushes* at being one of the more active threads. Thanks, Jim! I've joined and will set up my 2022 thread very soon.

>219 bell7: ...wait...you're away dogsitting...and there's frozen yum in the freezer PLUS more raw shrimp?!

I'll be there in three hours. Faster'n Mark can make it!

>220 richardderus: I'm leaving Saturday (momentarily forgot Mark was retired!) but yes, there will be frozen yum and raw shrimp in the freezer when I go

>215 bell7: So envious that it's your Friday, Mary! I hope the work day flies by and you have an excellent string of days off.

>215 bell7: Congratulations on an early Friday this week, Mary! Enjoy!!

>222 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! The day went by reasonably quickly, and I'm home with dinner in the oven and a negative Covid rapid test to boot. Hooray! (My SIL got enough for the family to test before Christmas get-togethers.)

>223 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! I'm looking forward to a quiet evening and Christmas cookie baking tomorrow.

134. The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens
Why now? I was bound and determined to read another seasonal book, and for some reason I thought I might have read bits of this as a child and was interested in checking it out

John and Dot Peerybingle live in happiness with their young baby, clumsy nanny, and a cricket on the hearth bringing good cheer to their home. But when a stranger arrives and a neighbor becomes suspicious of the young bride, that peace is upended.

Apparently, Cricket was a popular Dickens Christmas tale in its day and was adapted for theater, film, and even opera. For the life of me, I can't figure out why. It's a slight tale, doesn't mention Christmas once, and just isn't that interesting. I finished it because it was only 75 pages and I stubbornly wanted to say I'd read something besides A Christmas Carol, but I'll happily go back to my reread of that now. 2 stars.

Upon further research, the book I started as a kid was probably A Cricket in Times Square. *shrug*

>225 bell7: *snork!* When I read the Dickens title here at the top of the post, my brain first went to the Seldon book before realizing that wait, Dickens didn't write that...

>226 scaifea: Bahahaha, I feel better knowing I'm not the only one who got them a little confused!

>225 bell7: Well, there is a Dickens I have never read and from the sounds of it, never need to!

I hope your next read is better for you, Mary. Happy Christmas!!

Today kicks off a five-day weekend, and boy am I ready. The family here is all taking rapid tests before holiday get-togethers. Mine was negative last night, and I'll probably take another one today or tomorrow, though I'll only be coming in contact with family through the holiday.

I haven't been sleeping well the past week or so, so after waking up for over an hour and reading, I let myself sleep through my alarm and get up late. The only plan for today is baking Christmas cookies at my SIL's with my mom and youngest sister.

My new audio/ebook combo is Pride by Ibi Zoboi, which I barely started last night. I've been reading A Psalm of Storms and Silence in both paper and e-book format. Oddly the e-book tells me I'm 70% through, when really I'm not quite halfway through. I skipped ahead to a late chapter, and as far as I can tell, the file contains the whole book, but I'm super confused as too why it's so off with its percentage measure.

And What Fresh Hell Is This? continues to be illuminating. So far, I've determined that not only the occasional hot flashes and internal temperature gauge being off, but also my sleep trouble, needing more water, and increased headaches, could be laid at the feet of perimenopause. At some point, I'm going to start a list/journal of all my symptoms and start a list for my next slew of doctors' appointments.

>228 alcottacre: Dickens is hit or miss for me, Stasia, and that one was definitely a miss. The next book finished will definitely be better. Merry Christmas to you!

Have a great time baking today, Mary! I so love that the Christmas cookies I make get softer with age (as long as they're stored in an air-tight container) so I can bake them in late November or early December and leave the week of Christmas less intense on the cooking/baking front.

>231 MickyFine: Oh I like that idea, Micky! I really only made a nut-free version of Russian tea cakes before I petered out, but there are a variety of options for us to have at my SIL's on Christmas day.

While we were all baking, we briefly FaceTimed my sister, niece and nephew. Apparently Mia has decided on a pile of Christmas books, all set on Christmas Eve, to be read tomorrow with a cup of cocoa. My kind of kid!

>233 bell7: Mia will be on LT before we know it!

>232 bell7: ...female Russian tea cakes...sounds depressing...

Mary, I think of you and all your accomplished in your home this year. May 2022 be a wonderful year filled with lots of great reads!

>234 richardderus: She will, if I have anything to do with it :D It's a goal of mine to bring her to a National Book Festival when it's back to in person. Russian tea cakes without the nuts are basically powdered butter cookies, so they still melt in the mouth and don't kill my mother, so I'll take them. Last week's peanut butter blossoms were definitely the superior cookie, but her severe allergies wouldn't allow us to cook them while she was present.

>235 Whisper1: Thank you so much, Linda. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you, and may 2022 bring you many pain-free days.

Christmas Eve! Sometimes I think I like the anticipation more than the actual day. My uncle usually has a Christmas party tonight, but that was canceled weeks ago so I am planning a quiet night at home. The one thing I have to do is check in on a cat, and watch Muppet Christmas Carol (that's a non-negotiable annual tradition).

The other things I might do include:
-baking cranberry lemon bars
-cooking a cranberry meatball app for Christmas dinner
-bringing trash to the dumpster
-dropping off Christmas gifts to friends
-packing for dogsitting

I had other things listed, but as I thought about it, I realized these were the things that would make me most happy or take off some of the pressure of starting my dogsitting job tomorrow night after all the festivities. So this is my to-do list with the caveat that I don't really need to do any baking, and I will have time to do the rest tomorrow (or later) if need be. Nicely takes the pressure off.

Hope you have an excellent Christmas Eve, Mary, whatever number of things you get to on the list.

Have a lovely holiday, Mary

>239 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! Merry Christmas!

>240 PaulCranswick: The same to you and yours, Paul. I'm looking at the socks and cup cozy wondering if I should find a pattern to knit them! :)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Yesterday turned out to be a "get all the stuff done" ending with a Christmas party that my brother let me know I was invited to at 5 p.m. So much for a relaxing day, but it's okay because it gives me less running around to do between events today. I woke up at 5:30 this morning, and after trying to read myself back to sleep, finally gave up a little after six so I'm up with my first cup of coffee.

Breakfast at my parents is at 9. Then I'm planning on stopping home for a bit, loading up the car with the rest of my gifts, and going to my brother and SIL's for 2. We'll start with gift exchange and games, then have dinner at 6. And from there I start a week-long dogsitting job.

Tomorrow is church in the morning, checking in on the cat, and going to see the new Spiderman movie with friends.

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday, Mary!

Happy Holidays, Mary!

Hope you had a lovely holiday, Mary!

>243 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday as well.

>244 jayde1599: Thank you, Jess, same to you!

>245 AMQS: Thanks, Anne, I hope you and yours did as well :)

Sorry to be MIA for a couple of days. Things have, if not quite settled down, at least gotten a little closer to a routine.

I arrived at my dogsitting job on Christmas night. Sunday was busy, went from church to my brother's to see my parents and sister before she went back home and watch the beginning of the Giants game, then my brother and I went to see the new Spiderman movie with friends. When we got out it was 6 p.m. already and I had to go back to the dogs. This is the house with Disney Plus, so I found where I'd left off in the second season of Agent Carter and watched a couple of episodes.

Yesterday felt like a break after the weekend. I worked 9-2, picked up a few things at home, and did a grocery shopping to round out my food for the week. I finished Agent Carter (SO annoyed with the very end and wish they'd done another season...) and read a bunch. Called it a semi-early night after not sleeping well over the weekend.

Today I don't go in 'til noon and I woke up on my own before 7. So I've managed to putter around here, getting some laundry in and running the dishwasher. I'll leave a little after 10 to go check in on the cat (I'm doing double duty, checking in every other day) and then go to work 12-8. I'm not planning on doing anything productive tonight.

135. What Fresh Hell Is This? by Heather Corinna
Why now? I've experienced some symptoms of perimenopause this year, and after my doctors gave me unsatisfying answers, decided to educate myself - this book was highly recommended in a BookRiot list that I came across at the right time. And yes, I'll be reading more of them.

Perimenopause - that transition time before official menopause, when a person has been without a period for a full year - is a time we often dread, fear, ridicule, or just plain don't understand. It doesn't help when one lives in a world where women are second-class citizens and much of the time the medical advice has less to do with self-care of the person experiencing menopause than with managing symptoms for the benefit of everyone around her.

Enter Heather Corinna and their no-nonsense, validating and affirming approach to perimenopause. They address basic care that will help those experiencing symptoms, the things we all know are "good for us" like exercising and quitting smoking. They discuss questions for health care providers, the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy. But most of all, they advocate for taking care of yourself and embracing positive aspects of menopause in the midst of a culture that doesn't value women after childbirth. This is also one of the most inclusive books I've ever read, as you might expect from a non-binary sex education author. Heather comes alongside as someone still experiencing perimenopause, and having a rough time with it. They're not afraid to acknowledge the rough parts of perimenopause, yet do it in a way that I was laughing and enjoying myself reading about hot flashes and nominal aphasia. This gave me the confidence that I do know my body and I am experiencing perimenopause, as well as the language to ask my doctors questions at my next appointments. 4.5 stars.

>247 bell7: This is the house with Disney Plus
...aha...

Happy Disney-Plussing! *smooch*

>249 richardderus: Yeah, I catch up on all my TV watching at other people's houses hahaha. *smooch* back

Is it pretty quiet at your library this week, Mary?

I am still sad that Agent Carter ended after 2 seasons. What's up next on your Disney+ viewing list?

Thanks for the perimenopause book rec. I'll keep it in mind.

>248 bell7: I should add that one to my list - I have a list of perimenopause questions for my doc appt in early January already and I'm hoping she can help me with what I think is perimenopausal anxiety spikes...

>251 MickyFine: yes, it's been pretty quiet so far and I expect tonight will be as well. How has it been at your library, Micky? If I watch more Disney+ this week, my show of choice will be Hawkeye, but I have a lot of books I want to read too, so we'll see what happens. If I don't get to it now, I'll be back in April 😁

>252 scaifea: I really think you'd like it, Amber, and I hope you have success at your doctor's appointment. I've had... limited success getting people outside my family to take me seriously about it, so I'm hoping a new obgyn in April and a specific list of symptoms will help. (My mother saw me experience a hot flash on Christmas morning and noted that even my arms were flushed, so at least she believes me 😂)

Hi Mary, sounds like you are as busy as ever.

Re your reading in >248 bell7: - this sounds good. In case useful, can recommend the (free) "Balance" app set up by a dr over here who specialises in pm/m healthcare. By logging symptoms regularly they can be built up into a useful chart feature that can be downloaded for appts. As well as the usual online community support etc.

>248 bell7: - I'm glad that one was useful. I will definitely look for it, as I am also pretty sure I'm in that stage of life...

>253 bell7: I *love* my obgyn and have confidence that she'll believe me and be helpful. Fingers crossed, at least. But I've also already requested the book from the library!

Happy Tuesday, Mary! Have a great time with Disney +!

>254 charl08: that app looks great, Charlotte, thank you! I've signed up and will start exploring soon.

>255 katiekrug: I think you'd enjoy the humor in it, Katie.

>256 scaifea: I'm really glad to hear your obgyn is so supportive, Amber, and hope she's able to find something that works well for you.

>257 alcottacre: thanks, Stasia! Happy Tuesday! 😊

Good morning! Last night was a weird night's sleep, it was broken from about 3-4 a.m. when I woke up and the dogs woke up and they insisted on being let out, after which I read a bit 'til I was tired enough to go back to sleep. Surprisingly, I still managed 8 hours in total. Today is a regular 9-5 workday, the only real addition being a longer commute from where I'm dogsitting. We had breakfast sandwich treats from the trustees today, and there's a staff meeting at 4, so I expect the day to go by pretty fast. I'm catching up on emails about new books and looking at purchases for the coming months. Tonight I have some yummy frozen food options for a light and easy supper, and I'm planning on reading a bunch (if not finishing) in A Psalm of Storms and Silence.

136. A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
Why now? The first book in the duology, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin, was one of my favorite books last year so I read this one nearly as soon as I could

Malik and Karina's story continues, with Malik working for Farid after Hanane's resurrection and Karina on the run for her life. Idir is still trapped in Malik's body, barely under his control. And then the Great Mother gets angry about the Rite of Resurrection and locusts descend on the land.

The second book is a satisfying, if long, conclusion to the story that began in A Song of Wraiths and Ruins. I enjoyed seeing Malik and Karina grow and change in the course of the story. Neither is a perfect hero - they question themselves, make poor choices, and - in Malik's case - self-harm and struggle with suicidal ideation. It was a rough read at times, and one I'm not sure I want to go through again. But the characters are complex and sympathetic, and the world one I enjoyed spending time in. 4 stars.

The ending made me happy. It wasn't quite up to the level of book #1, but also I'm in a mental place where it's more difficult for me to read about difficult things, I think.

Hmph.

I just tallied all the contenders for top reads of the year and, any books finished in the next two days aside, I'm going to have to whittle it down from 29 titles.

>261 bell7: "I'm going to have to whittle it down from 29 titles."

Oh. That will not be pretty..."biblio-carnage" is what leaps to mind.

>262 richardderus: I've shuffled around some categories so I can keep most of them and arbitrarily decided not to include series titles that can't stand alone. So I'll have 10 adult fiction titles and a couple of other lists besides :D

Is tomorrow really the last day of 2021? Boy, does time fly! It's been a year full of ups and downs (and lots of dogsitting), and I am looking forward to seeing what 2022 brings.

Today is the last day of work for the year. I'm working 9-5, stopping in on the cat, and coming back to one more night of dogsitting. Tomorrow I finish the job, get all the dishes clean, fold my laundry, finishing packing, and leave. I'll take a rapid test and go to my SIL's New Year's Eve party. And as far as I know, Jan. 1 should be a quiet day at home, which will make a nice change.

It's looking likely that I'll finish only one or two more books this year, if that, so I'll post my favorites of 2021 tonight.

>264 bell7: Hope work doesn't drag too badly for you today!

Hi Mary. I really liked your idea of making a list of things that you wanted or needed to do during Christmas time.

My daughter and grandchildren from Ohio were here. The list of to do things was large. By the time they arrived, pain was severe and I lacked energy. They left a day early because the plans we had were not going to work. I am not able to do a lot of walking. I know I will be better after the surgery.

I really need to do what you did, ie make a doable list and stick to it as much as possible. If I would have made a list of all that I had to do to get ready for them, I would have told her that she needed to stay with her father and step mom.

You mention quiet at home as a nice thing. I feel the same. I am going to read a lot of books on my shelves, which is what I did this year. I really didn't buy many books in 2021. And, my grand daughter helped take 350 books to the local library!

All good wishes to you for a wonderful New Year!

>265 MickyFine: Well, I was on the desk 3 hours out of the first 4 so the morning went by quickly :) I expect the rest of the day to stay pretty steady, fortunately. Good luck on your own last work day of the year!

>266 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! I'm glad you were able to visit with family over Christmas, though sorry that festivities were cut short and you weren't able to walk a lot due to pain. I live by lists, as I'll either get frustrated turning what I want to do over and over in my head or forgetting something important (or both!). Having a to-do list means I don't have to remember it all at once, and helps me settle and choose what to do first. There's also the accomplished feeling of crossing all the items off! I very much enjoy a quiet day at home, though I find now I have to build one into my schedule so that I can truly relax. Home ownership makes that harder, though I wouldn't trade it. Happy Near Year! I'll enjoy seeing what you read from your shelves.

I couldn't narrow down my top ten titles of 2021, so here's a top ten fiction and a few more categories as well:

Fiction
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Cho
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Nonfiction
This Time Together by Carol Burnett
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Nine Nasty Words by John McWhorter
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

Graphic Novel
Umma’s Table by Yeon-Sik Hong

Poetry
The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems by Billy Collins

YA
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Middle Grade
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

>268 bell7: Some interesting titles there!

>269 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori!

137. Pride by Ibi Zoboi
Why now? Her American Street is on my TBR list, and I found this one available as an ebook/audio when I was looking for something in that format - hard to pass up a Pride & Prejudice retelling

Zuri lives in Bushwisk with her four sisters, Mama, and Papi, and is perfectly happy in her hood, thank you very much. Her older sister Janae is back from college for the summer, and then the Darcy family moves in across the street, with boys Ainsley and Darius who are fine but not like the Benitez family. Sure, the family's black, but they're well-to-do and don't know how to act in the hood. Despite Zuri's misgivings, though, Janae and Ainsley start going out.

Sometimes I enjoyed the ways in which Pride and Prejudice was "remixed" by setting it in Brooklyn and addressing gentrification and neighborhood pride, but other times I thought it hewed so closely to the original material that I would have liked to see how these characters developed apart from a retelling. Zuri is a great character with even more attitude than the original Elizabeth, and she's a poet who dreams of going to Howard. The audiobook, read by author-poet Elizabeth Acevedo, makes for a fun way to experience Zuri's words, both prose and poem. 4 stars.

Apparently I'm not quite ready for my 2021 reading to be over. I woke up around 4 a.m. this morning and managed to finish Pride before getting up at 6 deciding sleep was a lost cause. I ended up drowsy on the recliner and napped 'til 9, waking up suddenly realizing I needed to pack and organize myself to get out of here before the homeowners get back today.

I'm now mostly packed, have had my coffee, and am catching up on threads a little before I finish cleaning up here. The New Years' Eve party tonight got canceled, so now I'm expecting a pretty quiet night at home reading, though I probably won't stay up 'til midnight after the rotten night sleep I had last night.

It's a toss up whether I finish A Marvellous Light today or tomorrow. It reads fast, but will I be distracted by other things?

>272 bell7: I hope you get some better sleep tonight. I got lousy sleep last night, too, so maybe it was the night for it...? If it means the Marske is today's read not tomorrow's, that'll be just ducky won't it.

>271 bell7: Have to say I don't feel drawn to it...but it has good bones!

>273 richardderus: Maybe so, though I've been experiencing insomnia off and on the past few months and perimenopause (and the dogs this week) doesn't help. I'm hoping having my own bed to myself tonight will be the ticket to a good night's sleep. The Marske will be an excellent book to either round out or start off the year :) And I'm not surprised that >271 bell7: isn't quite your jam. Happy last day of 2021, Richard!

I don't think I've read ANY of your top books of the year -- tragic! Though, I own a number of them and thus hope (vainly) to get to them soon ;) You did inspire me to click buy on Red at the Bone, which is a $2 Kindle deal today -- can't beat it!

A Marvellous Light is one I really want to get to soon.

>261 bell7: Why? I refuse to whittle down. It is what it is.

>268 bell7: Thanks for posting the list, Mary!

Happy New Year!

>276 alcottacre: Fair enough, Stasia! The 29 total were counted up from what I'd posted as favorites each month, plus a couple more. As you can see, I didn't whittle it down all that much and only neglected to list a couple of series books that couldn't stand alone (like The Archive of the Forgotten). Happy New Year!

Forget your stresses and strains
As the old year wanes;
All that now remains
Is to bring you good cheer
With wine, liquor or beer
And wish you a special new year.

Happy New Year, Mary.

>278 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

138. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Why now? Apparently this didn't make it onto my official TBR spreadsheet, so I'm not entirely sure what put it on my radar, but I read enough reviews to buy it for the library and the books it was comped to intrigued me. I already had it out from the library, and the final push to read it NOW was to make it a shared TIOLI read for December.

Robin Blyth and Edwin Courcey are thrown together by accident. Robin was thrust into his job as liaison by a civil servant who didn't like him very much, and Edwin has to break the news to him that magic exists and his job is to find odd things to pass on to magicians. Edwin had expected to find Reggie in his post, and now has a mystery on his hands when a group of people now think Robin can help them find a contract in his brand-new office and leave him with a curse on his arm.

This historical fantasy-mystery-romance in Edwardian London has a fascinating hidden magic system. Robin knows nothing of magic so conversations, primarily with Edwin and his family, allow readers to be introduced to the rules of this magical system. Robin is a fun character, with a kind and cheerful disposition. Edwin is a bit more curmudgeonly, prefers books to people, and has a habit of overexplaining things that he's fascinated by. I couldn't help but love both of them. The romance of reluctant allies to lovers gets quite steamy. But the real selling point for me was the assured writing style of this debut, with a lot of dry humor coming from the narration and dialog. The ending was satisfying while leaving threads open for book number 2 in the trilogy. 4.5 stars.

Here's my favorite quote: "Edwin visibly shredded his planned explanation into smaller words."

December in review
138. A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
137. Pride by Ibi Zoboi
136. A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown
135. What Fresh Hell Is This? by Heather Corinna
134. The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens
133. Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes
132. Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
131. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
130. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
129. Christmas Is Coming: Traditions from around the World by Monika Utnik-Strugala
128. The Light in Hidden Places by Stella Cameron
127. Must Love Books by Shauna Robinson
126. 55 Christmas Balls to Knit by Arne and Carlos
125. Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
124. Gone to the Woods by Gary Paulsen
123. The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk

Books read: 16
Rereads: 1
Children's/Teen/Adult: 4/4/8
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 12/4/0/0

Because I want to awards:
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett was a compelling read and a nice way to round out book discussion for 2021
A Christmas Carol is an all-time favorite and impossible to rate at this point
A Marvellous Light was a lot of fun and a great way to end the year of reading

YTD stats -
Pages read: 41,581
Avg pages a day: 114
Books by POC authors: 61 (44%)

Thoughts: I started and ended the month with a lot of books finished quickly, and as a result December tied with May for second-most books read in a month this year (April had 17). I read a variety of age groups and genres this month, including two more for the Newbery Award project, and I managed two (three if you count the knitting book) "seasonal" reads beyond my regular reread of A Christmas Carol. Two books were in translation. Though A Cricket on the Hearth got my lowest rating of the year, one of two rated 2 stars, most of the books were really solid reads I'd recommend or reread.

2021 wrap-up

Books read: 138
Pages read: 114
Rereads: 11
Book by POC authors: 61 (44%)
Top genres: General fiction (31 titles), Fantasy (30), Historical fiction (18), General nonfiction (15), Science fiction (11)
Countries read from:
United States - 108
United Kingdom - 9
Australia - 5
Japan, Poland, Canada, Korea - 2
France, India, Syria, Bolivia, Italy, Sweden, Turkey, Norway - 1

Most books read in a month: 17 (April)
Least books read in a month 8 (October)

Lowest rating: 2 (A Cricket on the Hearth and The Book of Lost Names)
Highest rating 6 (those that weren't rereads were A Memory Called Empire, The Anthropocene Reviewed and The Fire Next Time)

Thoughts:
My goals this year were to have at least a third of the books I read be by authors of color and to read at least 12 books from 12 different countries, not including the US and UK. I reached both of those goals comfortably, so am upping the ante a little for 2022 trying to get half or more of the books I read be by authors of color and participating in the Asian Book Challenge.

I know it's not about the numbers, but I do always try to read over 100 books a year and any year I make it over 120 is generally one where I've been enjoying my reading. I'm happy with 138, especially considering how busy I've been with home ownership and dogsitting. I can blame some of it on insomnia, but we can't have everything.

Most of my reading this year (97 titles in total) made a 4-4.5 star rating, so you know I was liking what I read. I've enjoyed discovering new-to-me authors, and challenging myself a little to read outside of my comfort zone. May 2022 continue that trend!

>280 bell7: Glad to see you enjoyed that one -- I'm not reading your review too closely since I want to get to it soon :)

>283 curioussquared: I'll look forward to your thoughts on it, Natalie!