Roni 'ncats Relishes 2012: Books and Arts and Crafts Part 2

The beach on St. Thomas













My final 2011 thread may be found here

My first thread for this year may be found here

Books read in 2012

* indicates re-read, # indicates library book, + indicates Kindle book, % indicates Book Off The Shelf (BOTS)

January
1. The Night Circus# by Erin Morgenstern (387 pp.)
2. Cannery Row# by John Steinbeck (196 pp.)
3. Darkship Thieves% by Sarah A. Hoyt (479 pp.)
4. Gabriel's Ghost by Linnea Sinclair (447 pp.)
5. The Family Trade% by Charles Stross (308 pp.)
6. Maxwell's Closet+ by Steven Belskie
7. The Goose Girl# by Shannon Hale (400 pp.)
8. Salt: A World History+ by Mark Kurlansky (450 pp.)
9. A Proper Companion+ by Candice Hern
10. Organized Simplicity+ by Tsh Oxenreider (256 pp.)

February
11. The Pride of Chanur* by C. J. Cherryh (224 pp.)
12. Crochet Master Class+ by Leinhayser and Weiss (191 pp.)
13. Troubled Waters# by Sharon Shinn (391 pp.)
14. Tuesdays at the Castle# by Jessica Day George (225 pp.)
15. Chanur's Venture* by C. J. Cherryh (312 pp.)
16. The Kif Strike Back* by C. J. Cherryh (299 pp.)
17. Chanur's Homecoming* by C. J. Cherry (398 pp.)
18. The Peach Keeper# by Sarah Addison Allen (271 pp.)
19. Enna Burning# by Shannon Hale (317 pp.)
20. The Wild Ways# by Tanya Huff (295 pp.)
21. Midnight in Austenland# by Shannon Hale (272 pp.)
22. Timeless by Gail Carriger (386 pp.)
23. Oath of Fealty* by Elizabeth Moon (471 pp.)
24. Kings of the North* by Elizabeth Moon (478 pp.)
25. Echoes of Betrayal by Elizabeth Moon (451 pp.)
26. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children# by Ransom Riggs (348 pp.)
27. The Hidden Family% by Charles Stross (309 pp.)

March
28. Firebird by Jack McDevitt (375 pp.)
29. Undone Deeds by Mark Del Franco (323 pp.)
30. Murder of a Royal Pain by Denise Swanson (248 pp.)

Books acquired in 2012

This will be only dead tree books and books for which I actually paid money on my Kindle. All the free Kindle books don't count.

January
1. The Shadow of Saganami by David Weber (PaperBackSwap)
2. Disappearing Act by Margaret Ball (PaperBackSwap)
3. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Kindle-Amazon) $14.99
4. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale (Kindle-Amazon) $.99
5. Impossible Things by Connie Willis (PaperBackSwap)
6. Ashes of Victory by David Weber (paperbackswap)
7. War of Honor by David Weber (PaperBackSwap)
8. A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penney (library sale) $1.00

February
9. Crochet Master Class by Leinhayser and Weiss (Amazon-Kindle) $15.99
10. Undone Deeds by Mark del Franco (Amazon) $7.99
11. Timeless by Gail Carriger (Amazon) $7.99
12. Echoes of Betrayal by Elizabeth Moon (Amazon) $16.58
13. Reading the Old Testament by Lawrence Boadt (PBS)
14. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (PBS)

March
15. Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey (BookMooch)

I'm sitting down right here. Nobody gets to take my seat!

Very nice pottery that you posted back in your first thread. And I feel better about my bookshelves. :)

That's why I posted the picture, Eris!

Hi Roni - catching up. Love all the work you've been doing on your bookshelves. I still haven't read Goose girl but have enjoyed Hale's Book of a Thousand Days and graphic novel, Rapunzel's Revenge.

Oh, right, I have read Book of a Thousand Days too@

La, la, lalalala... oh, a new thread!

:)

Yes, Sarah, and I should have realized it sooner--I could have put all the picture updates I put at the end of the last thread over here instead.

Roni congrats on thread #2 and thanks for the tempting pic of the St. Thomas beachscape.
As for your previous thread and the review of Maxwell's Closet For me $0.00 was too much to pay for it. hahaha and I'll gladly not add this obvious pap to my hitlist!

Hiya... I think I missed most of your last thread.... *heaves deep sigh* But I will try to keep up now!

Beautiful picture up top, and especially loved the bowl you brought home yesterday . . .

Catching up Roni! Although I didn't manage to comment on your last thread I did enjoy reading about your bookshelves project. And it sounds like I should try something by Shannon Hale too.

Another fan of The Goose Girl here. Am I right in saying it's part of a larger series? I didn't realise that when I read it, as the end feels pretty satisfying as it is, but I think I have since seen other books that are connected to it.
Also admiring all your lovely crafty projects Roni. All those handmade wonders, along with the rejuvenated bookshelves and the tasty delicacies in the garden, must make your house feel full up with lovely things. Well done you!

Hi Roni, I'm visiting your new thread before the old one.

I haven't read any of the books you've read so far this year, or any of those you've acquired - though sooner or later I will have to read The Night Circus since I keep hearing such good things about it.

What has been your favourite read so far this year?

I just have to say that I love how when you've starred a thread, the continuation of that thread is also automatically starred. :)

(But I need to go check on your old thread, now. I've been trying to keep up, but I'm sure I must have missed a few posts.)

Hi Roni, I'm so excited that The Night Circus is waiting for me at the library - just in time for Fantasy February. I can't believe January is almost gone. New thread for me on Wednesday.

I read The Goose Girl and enjoyed it a lot, so that I immediately went out and purchased the sequel. But it's about completely different characters, and I somehow wasn't interested in it. Now that a few years have passed, I should probably give it another try--I don't think I read more than 10 pages.

Love the shelves :D

The pottery pictures on your last thread are gorgeous, and I envy all your bookshelves!

The Goose Girl sounds like a good read. Sorry to hear about the one before that! There are some weird things on amazon, definitely.

Night Circus & The Goose Girl are now on my wantlist! :)

Oooh, lovely new pottery stuffs over on your old thread! I love seeing your finished projects - thanks for posting the pictures!

Hi Roni -- just checking in on your new thread!

Me too - just checking in, and I love the progress report (with pictures!) on the last thread. :)

Ohh, love your bookshelves and your pottery! The picture at the top of this thread makes great viewing for a dull winter's day.

Book #8 Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky (450 pp.)

I've been working on this nonfiction for several months now, in fits and starts. I picked it up as a free special on my Kindle, but I had heard of it or the author from other LTers, although I didn't record who at the time and now can't remember. It has lots of information, you can tell the author did loads of research, it has an extensive bibliography--but it seemed to jump around a lot physically and temporally. This may have had something to do with it being a Kindle book, and so it wasn't convenient to refer back to the table of contents frequently, or to the fact that I read it in snippets over such a long time, rather than the book itself. Interesting but not outstanding, imho. On the other hand, I never realized how much access to salt affected social geography or political power until now.

Drats. I wish I had known about that freebie. (Not that $3 will break the bank, but Frugal February is about to hit...)

Pam, if you've got a Kindle, I can loan it to you.

Past - love the pic at the top! Mrsdrneutron and I were there about 7 years ago on that very beach. :)

Yes, I took it when we were there in December for our first cruise. That's Magens Bay beach--the pelicans dive bomb for fish within 10 feet of you, and it can be a little disconcerting.

I do have a kindle and if I can get a raincheck, I'll might indeed take you up on that kind offer.

Sure, Pam, just let me know when you are interested in it. It will just be sitting here on my Kindle waiting for you!

You know it took me a long time to fall in love with my Kindle, but I just adore it. I mean, just imagine, books where you can make the font larger. And books that you don't need to buy anymore shelves for. W00T!

I bought mine because we were going on vacation in December, and hadn't used it much since. However, my husband has resumed complaining about my reading in bed after he falls asleep (he wakes up and then the light bothers him) and the Kindle doesn't bother him, so I've been doing my bedtime reading on it lately. And yes, it is nice to have books that don't take up shelf space!

Checking in :)

Project update:

We're a little behind schedule, but the frame is finished, and all 8 removable shelves are stained. Tomorrow I start the polyurethane coats, one on the top and one on the bottom, with 4-6 hours drying in between. I need to put a second coat on the top of the shelves and don't know if I'll be able to fit it in, and even if I will do it will need overnight to dry. Therefore, sometime on Tuesday the shelves should go back into the frame, and then I have to do some serious book wrangling to reload the shelves. Tomorrow between shelving coats, we put up the new window shades, unload one of the armoires and cart it out of the room, mop and recoat the floor, and move my husband's desk to the other window and put his sleeper sofa under the front window. Oh, and I have to clean the ceiling fan blades before I do the floor. Keep the bookshelf love coming--I need all the support I can get. Still, I do feel jazzed about finally getting this 22 year old project completed!!

#34, ha, I do the same with reading on my iPad in bed :D

#3 Ooh, Murakami!

#34, 37. Me too. I refer to my IPad read as my after-dark book. . .

> 36:
Can't wait to see what you have accomplished Roni!

(and I am glad our project is finished, so we are back into nice and quiet ;-) )

Hi Roni, I love the photo of the beach at St Thomas.

I'm glad I'll be able to get back to reading dead tree books again this weekend. I'm back in Boston but because I'm flying off again tomorrow for the rest of the week, I'll be continuing to read on my Kindle. I miss reading dead tree books. Much as the Kindle is convenient for when I'm traveling, I still really prefer the touch and feel of paper and ink.

Hi, Roni - beautiful beach picture - what a great trip that must have been. I thought of you the other day when I was driving near your old stomping ground and had to pull off the interstate at Abilene to root around in the trunk for something I ended up not having with me after all. And you provided the inspiration to begin sorting through one of the book shelves that is absolutely groaning with too many books. I got 2 of the 6 shelves done today - and there is actually bare wood visible! For now, at least.

Book #9 A Proper Companion by Candice Hern (Kindle)

I've long maintained that no one can write a proper Regency romance like Georgette Heyer, but every once in a while I try another author in a kind of hopeful but resigned optimism. This one has been on the Kindle for 99¢ several times, and wanting a quick, light read, I sprung for it the other day.

Actually, it's not bad. Pretty true to the period in details and in the behavior of the characters. Decent plot. No one can match Heyer in sparkling repartee. Evidently this was Hern's first book, so I'll try another since I figure they can only get better.

These Kindle books are going to play havoc with my page numbers.

Hi Roni, catching up on all of your bookshelf happenings and can I just say it is all looking very fine indeed.

I've been looking into reading some of Georgette Heyer. Any suggestions?

Sara and Brenda, electronics have their advantages, don't they? But Caro, I do like my dead tree books and can't see doing without them. Sara, you have some serious bookshelf porn yourself on your profile page! Piyush, I haven't started it yet--it will be my first.

Sandy, I'm jealous. You were at my home! My sister was a quarter mile away, and my mom a mile away. But I'm happy to have inspired some bookshelf activity. Anita and Leonie, thank you. I'm anxious to be done.

But there has been a setback. I was on schedule yesterday afternoon when I polyurethaned the bottoms of the shelves, planning to give the tops a second coat this morning after our trip to the dentist (just regular cleanings). When I go out this morning, I had to shake myself, because the shelves were completely bare except for a little gloss in a couple of the knotholes. Were it not for the bottom of the pine board where I did the top, side, and brushed on the bottom about 2" ink I would have had to think I dreamt putting that coat on. But the bottom was glossy! I guess the air was just so dry it sucked it all in, but it was very, very strange. And now I have had to redo that side which I wasn't expecting to, and wait to do the top again this afternoon when that dries.

Melis, it's hard to go wrong with Heyer, but I would not start with her mysteries or historicals. Her Georgian romances, although I love them, are a little more melodramatic by modern standards. I'd recommend starting with Arabella, The Grand Sophy, or Frederica. Once you have the tropes of the traditional Regency romance under your belt, you can bridge out into some of the others where she breaks the rules or inserts some mystery as well.

Thanks. I'll look into those :)

I think I mentioned recently about having difficulty delaying gratification. As soon as the bottom coat of polyurethane was fairly dry, I decided that the tops really didn't need that second coat. And here is the result.



We also put up the window shades I bought to replace the old blinds a year ago. Still have to renew the wood floor, get the furniture where it's going to live, and pick up the cleaned rug on Saturday. Oh, and put the books back on the shelves, of course, but that's going to be last, I think, when all the furniture is out of the way.

Whew! My hands are so sore.

I'm sorry your hands got sore, but it looks woooonderful!

What a glorious bookcase, all the possibilities now that it is empty.

Right now most of my books live in boxes. I still have those shelves from my profile page (thanks for the compliment), they are even denser now, but soon I will receive a new book case. It will be 2 meters wide and 2.30 meters high, divided in square compartments. My plan is to move my larger (non-fiction) books there, and on the existing shelves have the smaller books, so I can move them closer together and squeeze in an additional shelf. By my calculations (guesstimates) I should get another 18 meters. But I do have 8 banana boxes of books to shelve... I cannot wait for the moment where I can see and touch all my books again, and have them all together (especially my craft books)...

I'm having so much fun following your bookshelf renovations - thanks so much for sharing it with us!

That looks good Roni!
It was hard on your hands, but I hope you feel it was worth it ;-)

Shelby, Sara, Amber, and Anita--it was definitely worth it! Thanks.

I squeezed in one last January book last night, another free Kindle book, although it exists in hardcover as well. I cannot resist picking up any free books on organizing and decluttering, despite having a shelf full already. See picture.





Book #10 Organized Simplicity: The clutter-free approach to intentional living by Tsh Oxenreider (256 pp.)

This is a good basic organization book with lots of helpful checklist, forms, and formulas. She has some nice things to say about simplicity without preaching. She also has a blog, simplemom.com. A good starter book, best acquired in paper form so you can copy the forms.

And does it help those books?
Do you First things first and Organise yourself?

The best declutter therapy was for me moving to a smaller house, then there is no other choice anymore then to keep only the things you really want/need ;-)

Oh, I am such a pack rat by nature, Anita. My idea of heaven is those English homes with huge attics in children's stories where you can find everything including the kitchen sink, not to mention whole suites of outmoded (antique!) furniture and chests of vintage clothing. My husband would claim that my attic is starting to resemble that, except I can't get furniture up the ladder! Still, I am working on divesting myself of extraneous items.

Omigosh Roni, you are such a soulmate. I love attics. I've always wanted a walk-up attic with creaky stairs and a wooden floor that no one has stepped upon in years. I am currently looking for a house to rent and the other day I went to see one that looked like it had an attic, but the landlord said he had blocked it off because "people just shove crap up there". I was sad. He could not understand why I would care about an attic. I tried to explain that every true English major (and many book people in general) have dreams of dusty old attics in which one finds great literary treasures, or rambles about in trunks of antique things, or even just sits, leaning against a chest by the one sunny window reading a book.

The guy looked at me like I was nuts.

And I think I will not be renting that house.

Cross your fingers that I find a good one, though, with many nooks and cupboards and maybe even an attic to shove stuff in so that someday I may rediscover it all with joy. :)

January stats:

Books read: 10 all new, no rereads
2 from the library, 2 Off the Shelf, 5 Kindle
2 science fiction, 3 fantasy, 2 nonfiction, 1 general fiction, 1 regency

Books acquired: 7
2 Kindle books which cost at least some money
5 paperbacks from PaperBackSwap, 4 of which were trades where I got rid of my big pristine hardbacks and got paperbacks to replace them

Books out the door: 18
11 through PBS
7 through BookMooch

> 55 & 56: I love your romantic views on an attic, but I was wakened from this romance at a young age.
My mother is a pack rat too and I survided 3 movings with her... and that is no fun when the next house's attic is smaller than the previous one.
So, although we have lived in a house with a beautiful, romantic attic, I did not use it. Looking back that was good, because our next houses were much smaller ;-)

I share the dreams of an attic :)

The idea of an attic is lovely - practicalities are often not so fun. I admit I would love the idea of a walk-up attic with a window in it, something like this:



The reality is a step-ladder up, no lighting, 25 years of hoarded things (we're talking about my mum's here) and the last time I went up in there......a mummified dead rat right by the entrance. Not so fun.

Oh, Jenny, that is IT, that is my dream attic! Isn't that a beauty, Sarah and Zoe?

Anita, don't be silly. I don't move! Ever! But I recognize that attics and frequent moves ARE incompatible.

I have a wedding photo set in an attic just like that one above. We had our reception at one of the oldest houses in Christchurch and the attic contained so many treasures. Very cool.

Roni, your shelves look amazing but I have to ask, do you get a sagging issue in the middle of those really long shelves or is there an extra support halfway? Gawd, my carpenter husband seems to be rubbing off on me a bit too much.. I would not have thought to ask that question 15 years ago!!

That is definitely a great attic! I admit I always imagined one with more boxes (read: potential treasures) all around, though, instead of having any usable space ;)

I wish I could live in an attic like that. Unfortunately, the attic that is right next to my room is only three feet tall, and is hell for a tall person like me. It's only purpose is to house Christmas decorations and my mom's fabric. Sigh. It doesn't have any secrets. Not even a window. *sniffs*

Leonie, what a great question! The guy who built it put one of those metal clips along the back in the middle, but that really didn't do the job. So I stained a board and had my husband saw it into the right lengths to insert in the middle of each shelf between the books. And, for all those who have been along for the ride, here is the final bookcase in its finished glory.



But Zoe, that means there is more room to put MY boxes. Eris, My room growing up was next to the attic as well, on the other side of the closet. But it was room height in the very middle, so a little more practical. No window, though.

Those shelves look amazing!

I don't know if I'd actually want my *own* attic. Then I'd be even worse than I am now at keeping unneeded things! What I want is an attic belonging to an elderly relative, where I can discover mysterious family secrets.

Wow, Roni. That is incredible. You have so many books, it's beautiful!

>>48 ronincats:, 53, 65 Gorgeous. Simply perfect! So happy for you that it's accomplished and such a success.

Roni, your finished book shelves are wonderful and really set your books off beautifully. Very inviting.

That was a lovely attic up there, indeed. Just such an attic for someone to find lost treasures in. I like it.

Um, can I just have that attic, actually? Because that would be great.

K. Thanks. Bye.

A quote from Solstice Wood:

"The attic ran the length of the hall, brick and fieldstone chimneys thrusting through it and out the roof from the rooms below.....Half the attic had once been servants' quarters. The rest of it, a huge open space interrupted here and there by the chimneys on their way up, was full of what looked like the shipwrecked salvage of centuries: traveling trunks, heavy, cobwebby furniture, boxes of fabric, antique clothes, vast portraits of dust ancestors, dishes, knickknacks, whatnots, and what-have-yous."

Oh, those shelves look *wonderful* - well done, you!

Basking in the glory of my bookshelves and kind comments from friends! Thank you, Zoe, Eris, Richard, Judy and Amber.

Jenny, that sounds like just the kind of attic I dreamt of. Sarah, you'll have to fight me for the pictured attic!

Books. Actual books!



Book #11 The Pride of Chanur by C. J. Cherryh (224 pp.)

This is my first reread of the year, the first of one of my favorite science fiction series. No one does aliens as well as Cherryh--well, David Brin did a pretty good job in his first Uplift trilogy, but he's the only one I can think of who comes close--and here we have 7 different alien species in a loose trading confederation, when a member of an unknown alien upsets all the balances. Told from the point of view of one of the hani, a starship captain, this is a taut tale of intrigue, power balances, and sheer action. Very satisfying, starting with the double entendre title.



Book #12 Crochet Master Class: Lessons and Projects from Today's Top Crocheters by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss (191 pp.)

I couldn't resist picking this up on my Kindle for a basic resource for new techniques, and read through it last night. Lots of good web resources in it, too.

#11: Oooh, I read that one many many years ago in college and loved it. But I couldn't get my hands on v.2, other things caught my eye, and I never continued the series. I keep telling myself that's one I'll return to.

CJ Cherryh is/was at her best when formulating alien psychologies. Love her early stuff so much.

Great work on the shelves Roni. Love attics, nooks and crannies; all so Dickensian - Jenny's attic looks very enticing.

Hi Roni, just stopping by. Noticed that you read Salt: A World History. I'd been eyeing that book for a while.

Well done on the finished shelves, Roni. So what's your next project?

Those shelves are beeeeutiful! Excellent job, Roni!

Roni, how do you get all your books in the same size? I was just admiring your completed shelves and then glanced at mine and the tops of the books are all over the place making it look utterly chaotic. Is there such a thing as Bookshelf Arranging 101 I wonder..

Leonie, I have all my mass market paperbacks in that long bookcase. There is more variation in the two 3' bookcases that have hardbacks and trade paperbacks in them.

Than you so much, Paul, Rachel, Caro and Laura! It was quite a project. Look at Caro already agitating for me to do another project. A thorough cleaning of the living room, and renewing the floor finish, comes next, and then bathroom painting, but before all of those, photographing the bowl and beads I brought home from pottery class today.

Swynn and Pam, I loved Cherryh's early science fiction. I haven't kept up with her in the last 15 years, but I mean to get around to her long recent series eventually. I've reread the Chanur series multiple times, but not recently.

I brought home The Wayward Bus, Tuesdays at the Castle, and The Lost Hero from the library today, and a pristine hardback copy of A Rule Against Murder was on the sale rack for $1. I already had a tatty paperback copy at home from PBS, but who could resist, even though I don't intend to keep the books as the library has many copies. I've read the first two of Penney's Three Pines series so far, I need to get the 3rd and then I can read this one and find a new home for it.

Love the new bookshelves Roni...especially how that vibrant Robin's egg blue color peeps out over the top of your colorful - and plentiful - books. Thanks for sharing the joy of organizing books with us.

Will you be reading The Wayward Bus with the Steinbeckian group this month? I have it home from the library and will shoehorn it in somehow. I will take full advantage of Leap Day!

Yes, Donna, that's the plan. But I'll probably read Tuesdays at the Castle first, after I finish the library book I'm currently reading, Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn.

Saturday is pottery today, and today I brought home a bowl and some experimental beads. I had gone out and bought some wire that could be used in a kiln so I could glaze beads on all sides to use in my jewelry, and this was my first trial at making, glazing and firing the beads. I also trimmed a vase and threw three tall mugs.

They look lovely! Especially that leaf - it looks so rustic and pretty. :)

Beautiful, Roni! I enjoyed your review of A Proper Companion. I am new to Georgette Heyer, and I love what I've read so far, but it's nice to know there's an author to try if I ever run out :)

I love the leaf bead, it's gorgeous :)

Oooh, those beads are amazing! I'd love to be able to make my own!

Love the shelves.....bet you're enjoying them.

Just stopping by to say hello. I like your picture of St. Thomas at the top. We're headed there in April. Ten weeks minus 1 day...but who's counting?

Ooh, pottery beads! How gorgeous! The speckly pink ones are my favourite.
I like the sound of an exciting attic, and indeed my current house does have one, which we have managed to keep reasonably empty, which is just as well as things up there tend to get a little damp. It's also a little creepy, as on one of the brick end walls someone has written a load of names, with some crossed out.....! (We hypothesise it must be a gang of kids, some of whom they fell out with, but it does seem rather like a plot point in a Stephen King novel doesn't it?)


This is actually what my dream attic looks like these days. This is a picture taken by a friend of mine, of a local graphic designer who uses his attic space as his studio. Many of the houses in this area are built along similar lines (the classic British terraced house), and my attic already looks pretty similar to this (though unfortunately without the window), so it's not beyond the realms of possibility.

Roni - your bookshelves look so good. I'm very envious and between you and Cushla, I'm looking around my home wondering where I could set up a wall of book shelving (much much needed).
The pottery and beads are beautiful, I really should get back to my screenprinting which I enjoy doing but never seem to make time for nowadays.

Is "Pottery Day" an actual class, or studio time? You had a very productive day and brought home great work.

Great job on the shelves, they look awesome!

Hi, everyone! After taking the weekend off, today is clean the living room day. That's the room the books were stacked in in the last thread, and it means moving everything over to one half of the room, duly dusted, and refreshing the finish on the wood floors, and then repeating it for the other half. I'm waiting for the initial refresher coat to dry, and catching a couple of minutes here.

I think the beads are going to be fun. This lot was pretty much experimentation, and I'm going to still be experimenting with glazes and shapes for a while, but hoping to incorporate them into projects, whether jewelry or macrame. Thanks for the encouragement, Eris, Anne, Amber, Jenny, and Hannah.

Brenda, actually it's kind of a combination. I have access to the studio and all the equipment and the owner is there to help, demonstrate, tell me what glazes were used to get what effects, etc., as I want. So I can spend the entire 2 hour period just working on my own, or have Annie show me more advanced techniques or whatever. She helped me this week with mastering raising my pieces more than 5 or 6 inches--something I've had difficulty with, but I think I got it. I threw three tall mugs.

Mac, I love the new look of my shelves. And it is so nice to have my science fiction/fantasy all organized again, rather than odd authors stuck off in weird places. Kerry, since we have an old bungalow, with windows or doors along practically every wall, it can be difficult to find shelf space. We co-opted the front bedroom for these shelves.

Tad, I hope you enjoy St. Thomas. Our cruise just spent the one day there, but that was a lovely beach and it was our favorite stop. After all your hard work this winter, you are really going to appreciate your vacation.

Hannah, my biggest problem is not having a way into the attic except up a drop-down ladder that I had installed (beats the trap door in the laundry room that came up into 3' of head space. Mine is very roomy, but I have to watch what I put in the middle of rooms as the beams will sag under weight. Things are strategically placed over walls and closets. And it's not floored at all--plywood walkways get me around. I love that picture too. Mine has about the same headroom but is wider, over the whole single story below. May I point out that in much of the US, the lack of attics is made up for by basements and garages, and we have neither in our California Bungalow.

Book #13 Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn (391 pp.)

I enjoy Shinn's story-telling. This was an enjoyable fantasy, an easy read. Zoe Ardelay returns from exile to the king's palace after her father's death, where she has to learn both the pitfalls of society and her own powers, as well as thwart several conspiracies.

What a wonderful hobby to have, and the access you have must be marvellous. I wish I could have a skill, or be good at something......or anything!

And your work on your house is amazing. I bet it will look well worth it when you're done. What other plans to you have for continued organisation/improvement? I'm so impressed. I'm having enough problem inspiring myself to re-arrange one room.

Jenny, the whole house eventually, with the biggest challenge going to be the...wait for it!...the ATTIC! We've been working on this house for 25 years--stripping all the woodwork, doors, redoing bathrooms and kitchen and laundry room--still a couple of doors to strip and 2 doorways, molding to replace--I'd love to get this place in the condition I can just cocoon and enjoy it!

Book #14 Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George (225 pp.)

This book went on my wishlist after foggidawn reviewed it, and I found it at the library. I enjoy Jessica Day George's fantsies, her Dragon Slippers series, and this book was equally enjoyable. It's a children's book and a delightful one. The only thing is, I've read another children's book in the last two years where the kids are home in the castle alone and have to protect it from invaders. The details are totally different and I liked them both a great deal, but it's bugging me! I'll have to go look through my reading lists and see if I can figure it out.

That one sounds lovely! I'll keep an eye out for it.

I just remembered, and it was longer than 2 years, but Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke was the other book. Funny how things end up popping into your mind out of the blue, isn't it? Or am I the only one whose mind works like that?

No you are not the only one Roni, my brain plays these games with me too!

Glad you liked Tuesdays at the Castle! I haven't read Igraine the Brave yet. And Troubled Waters is one of the library books I currently have checked out!

Ok, you're guilting me into deciding I need to clean the house tomorrow, Roni. I've a pile of books on the coffee table that I've been meaning to, but haven't yet put on the shelves, and the dust bunnies on the floor are starting to resemble bunnies on steriods.

Oh, you should have seen the dust bunnies behind the bookshelves and cabinets in my living room and front hall, which we finished today. So the entire front of the house is clean!



You can see across the living room into the hallway, and the shelves are visible in the front bedroom in the back.

And this is my reading chair in the living room. We switched the tv with the bookshelves when we rearranged--ignore those tv cable cords that we don't have secured and hidden yet!



I would feel pretty good if we didn't still have the back 2/3 of the house to spring clean.

Nope, you should feel proud at what you have accomplished so far. Spring hasn't even arrived and you have a huge jump on your cleaning. I guess I should put down the books for awhile tomorrow and try to get some cleaning done here as well.

I don't know what the official word for them is, but I love the wooden embellishments on your door frame. And from the look of your TV we are having the same kind of weather. :)

How did you compare Trouble Waters with Shinn's other books? I was wishing for more world building and less romance myself.

Actually, I thought the romance was rather understated, much more so than in Shinn's Samaria books. I think this was more of a familiar fantasy world than those books, so detailed world-building was not as necessary, but thought Zoe's reaquaintance with the capital and politics was well-developed. I enjoyed the tight focus on Zoe's perspective, enjoyed her time on the river, thought the sisters in the Women's Bazaar was a great detail and would have liked to see a bit more of them. I did think the actual plot of the story didn't come into focus until about 2/3 of the way through the book, when the plots started materializing--the book before that was more developing the setting. It was rather a gentle, slow-moving sort of story.

Book #15 Chanur's Venture* by C. J. Cherryh (312 pp.)

The Pride of Chanur was a complete story in itself, and an excellent one (see above). However, Cherryh chose to return to the hani and the Compact universe in a series of three books, of which this is the first. You need to have read The Pride of Chanur and to have The Kif Strike Back and Chanur's Homecoming handy, as these three books are actually a single story arc. Pyanfur has finally been able to deal with the aftermath of the mess left in the first book and return to Meetpoint Station, only to run into Goldtooth and have an unexpected delivery which throws her right back into the mess. This book ends in a cliff-hanger as the Pride heads into kif territory after two crewmates.

Thanks, Judy, for the support! Marie, I don't know what to call them either, but they are one of the things I love about this old house. And the temps on the tv were off--we reached 75 degrees yesterday!

73: The crochet book is crying for interior photos!
Admiring the bookcases...

Hi Roni -- so nice to see the fruits of your labor! That has got to be so satisfying. I enjoyed your review of Tuesdays at the Castle. I had never heard of it. I have heard of Igraine the Brave, but not read it. Now I want to read both!

Roni - got to say that your place does look spick and span - you and SWMBO would clearly get along! Also interesting to note that it is beautiful weather near you according to your TV!

Katherine, unfortunately since it is on my Kindle, I can't access any of the photos for you, even from my computer. But the crochet books is a primer of 18 different techniques, with a primer and a project for each technique.

Anne, I hope you read and enjoy both of them.

Paul, if SWMBO could see the rest of the house, we should most definitely NOT! I have too much stuff!! But the front two rooms are really nice right now.



Book #16 The Kif Strike Back by C. J. Cherryh (299 pp.)

Following Chanur's Venture above, this is the second book in the trilogy. Pyanfur and her crew are accompanying mahendo'sat, kif, and another hani in a strike at a major kif space station. The action continues apace, with maneuvering, betrayal, shootouts, and endurance, and ends with the fleet on its way back to Meetpoint Station, where it all started. Still love the characters and the characterization of the different species and the atmosphere, so well done!

Dropping by to catch up, and say "WOW!"

Still think we'd all get along - all the clutter is in my room at our place - her domain is clinically clean. You would get the best (and worst) of both worlds at Chez Cranswick.

Still working on Chanur's Homecoming, about half-way through.

Oh, and I bought two more books today, the new Mark del Franco Connor Grey book and the new Elizabeth Moon book in the Paks series, Echoes of Betrayal, which comes out a week from tomorrow and Amazon says it will have the book at my house that day.

Oh, how very envious I am of your wonderful book case!

I love how neat and orderly it looks.

So you bought Echoes of Betrayal! I thought you sounded excited about it over on the Fantasy February thread.

You've got me looking forward to reading the second Paksworld trilogy, now. Thanks!

Thanks, humouress!

If you say so, Paul, as I stare at the clutter here.

Always glad to see you here, Linda. Yes, doesn't it look neat and orderly? If only I could keep it that way!

Dejah, yes, I've been anticipating it the last 6 months! Now, understand, the books do not move fast, but if you already know and love the characters from the first trilogy, you are quite content to let things emerge at a leisurely pace. As John Barth wrote, "The key to the treasure IS the treasure."

Book #17 Chanur's Homecoming by C. J. Cherryh (398 pp.)

Oh. Wow. What a tale! What a rousing, action-filled, thoughtful space opera! It just leaves you feeling replete, satiated by narrativium. And the epilog is perfect, understated, complete.

No spoilers here. Others are reading this as we speak. But I do want to mention that Downbelow Station has all the same characteristics: multiple societies in conflict, lots of politics, everything blown all to hell or in danger of it--yet I couldn't hang with the latter because of the multiple viewpoints in the book. Here we have a tight 3rd person focus on Pyanfur--we know what she knows, what she thinks, we experience it all with her, and that kept me grounded through all the turmoil. In both cases, Cherryh is able to control the chaos and bring it to a conclusion that often seems impossible within the story, but it just about killed me to get through DS, while this series is one of my favorites in science fiction.

Oh, I am feeling lousy this morning. Sore eye, incipient migraine--I'm about ready to crawl back into bed. But I did finish another book last night.



Book # 18 The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (273 pp.)

I liked her Garden Spells, a light romance with a little fantasy thrown in. This one is the same, although the plot is entirely different. I enjoyed the characters, even though the romances are quite predictable, and this book was fantasy-lite. Only a few touches out of the mundane are there.

Sorry you're feeling lousy, Roni. I agree with you on The Peach Keeper. Nice light diversion.

Hope you are feeling better soon, Roni.

Whew! Just read through both your threads so I'm all caught up!

I hope the migraine is long gone, Roni.

Good morning, all! Yes, Moroccan Mint tea and a nap yesterday afternoon, on top of the meds, in addition to the low pressure front actually arriving and moving on through--today is much better and the migraine is gone. Thanks for visiting, Joe, Leah, and Dejah.



Book #19 Enna Burning by Shannon Hale (317 pp.)

This book is the second of the 4 Bayern books, following The goose girl, which I greatly enjoyed. I liked this one, too. It was darker, the gift of fire being more difficult, but both Isi and Enna ended up where they needed to be.

I am going to have to check out Hale's books! I keep telling myself to, but I always forget. I see The Goose Girl at my library a lot, so I must get that one the next time I stop by the library. Thanks for reminding me, Roni. :)

I loved Shannon Hale's Austenland, which surprised the heck out of my daughter, who thought it would be too chick lit for me, and also Rapunzel's Revenge. (I hear a new Austenland book is coming out soon). The Bayern books are new to me. I may have to give The Goose Girl a try, too.

You are welcome, Eris.

Yes, Joe, Midnight in Austenland is waiting at the library for me to pick it up. I didn't get to it yesterday between headache and rain, but today I will definitely get my greedy little hands on it. Austenland was the first Hale I read--I picked it up only because of the title--and I thought it was a hoot! I've also read The Princess Academy and Book of a Thousand Days by Hale, but these 5 books are all so far.

I've also read The Princess Academy and Book of a Thousand Days when I was about twelve or thirteen, and I remember liking them a lot, although the details are fuzzy. What do you think of those two?

I need to try Hale again. I loved The Goose Girl (more the first time than the second) but remember finding the climax of Enna Burning bizarre.

I picked up Austenland from the library, having read about Shannon Hale here on your thread. Now I just have to find the time to read it! It's great to know that there's already a sequel.

Our library is now publicizing Overdrive and its ebooks, so I went online to explore. Out of over 2000 fiction books, 59 were available; the rest were all out. Half of those were Fodor's travel books, it seems.

I have reorganized my yarn stash and made some clay beads today. I'm reading The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff, the sequel to The Enchantment Emporium which was an adequate urban fantasy.

135: We have the same situation at our library. If I have to wait for a book, I want one where I can turn some actual pages!

Next time I clean house from top to bottom, I will take some pictures so I can remember that satisfied feeling. I'm becoming Ms. Lazy, although I'm getting lots of reading accomplished.

I love using Overdrive, but my library has a similar issue. Just not enough ebooks in their system yet. But things usually come fairly quickly.

My library has OverDrive and they went from around 2,000 books to around 5,000 books in a couple of years. I like both e-books and regular books but with regular books you never need to charge them or fuss around to get them downloaded.

Book #20 The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff (295 pp.)

This is a sequel to The Enchantment Emporium, reviewed last year, and both are urban fantasy set in Canada, with TEE mostly in Calgary and much of this one in New Breton. TWW deals with Allie's cousin, Charlie (Charlotte), and how she comes into her own powers. While these are fun and well-written, they don't engross me completely in the story and so aren't in my topmost tier. The best part of this one was catching the Star Wars quotes tossed in here and there, and the relationship with Jack, her Dragon Prince cousin.

Hi Roni! I tried a Tanya Huff once and didn't get too far with it. Maybe I'll skip The Wild Ways.

Don't get me wrong, Ren, this was by no means a bad book--in fact, among all the urban fantasy out there, it is one of the better ones. It's just that, personally, some books drag me in and grip me within the story and others are enjoyable reads but don't take me that somewhere special. I have enjoyed Huff's Summoning series and also her science fiction Valor series.

That's good to know. Thanks Roni!

Hi Roni - you are so busy and productive with all your projects! Love the pottery beads and bookshelves.

Can you believe I still haven't read any Cherryh? I have Foreigner and The Faded Sun trilogy in the TBR piles of shame but no Chanur books which is a pity. More for the wishlist. I need a science fiction month.

Hey, Heather, you've been busy yourself, reading! I check out your thread daily, even though I've not had anything to say recently. We'll have to see about working a science fiction month into the calendar.

Well, yesterday was pottery day, as every Saturday is, and I brought home three pots. This one is my favorite--the glaze on the top outer part is almost mirror-smooth and you can see light reflections in the photo.



I was in a hurry when I glazed this pretty ordinary bowl, and I'm only so-so happy with it.



This one is a planter, with a drainage hole in the bottom, and you don't glaze the inside of planters, only the rim. The picture really doesn't do justice to the metallic gradations of tone.



and finally, I also finished a crochet project during the basketball game (Go, Jayhawks!). It's a pattern I've wanted to make since I found it in one of my magazines a couple of years ago, because I thought it was so unique.

Beautiful, Roni! Thanks, as always, for sharing your amazing creations. Sorry you had a rough day -- glad you're feeling better!

Everything is prettyful here! All three of your pots look beautiful with the different colors playing around in them, and although I'm not huge on scarves, I think that the one you made is gorgeous.

Beautiful pottery!

Roni, your work is beautiful!

Your pottery is beautiful. I love the green one.

Your pots make me think of spring and planting up lots of flowering things. . . Hmmm. Soon . . .

Book #21 Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale (272 pp.)

This is the second book set in the environment of Austenland, a 2 week experience in a manor in the setting of Regency England. Actors play the supporting roles in this immersion experience. The first book, Austenland, was surprising and clever and had its basis in Pride and Prejudice.

This book started slowly for me. At first, I felt like "she's already done this, it's just repeating with a few variations." But gradually, the main character grew on me, becoming more and more of an interesting person, and also the parallels with Northanger Abbey kept me curious and involved. In the end, I enjoyed this as much as the first book, and recommend it to Austen lovers.

Amazon just emailed me that my copy of Timeless is on its way! Woo hoo!

Already!! I thought it wasn't due out for at least another week.

My February reading schedule is already full!

Also, I just added another book to my wishlist based on your touchstone :)

Ah, sorry, I was concentrating on my review. I want to welcome Anne, Eris, Ren, Dejah, Dee, and Brenda, and thank you for your kind words. And Zoe, you may just have to make room. What book did you add?

It was another book called Timeless---YA time travel set in New York City. Sounds like fun to me.

I must read Austenland and as I read Northanger Abbey last week I'll have to look out for this one. The pots, as always, look great.

I'm geeked to read both Timeless (the one about Alexia Tarrabotti, not the other one, at least not yet) and Midnight in Austenland! So much book fun in my future -- but, of course, I have to obtain these two delicious tidbits before I can read them. So. Much. Waiting. :)

151: I had no idea there was a second Austenland book. Oh no, now I have to read it just because I'm a completest. :)

Oh, I'm glad you liked Midnight in Austenland in the end, Roni. It's coming in at the library, and I'm really looking forward to it. The first one was a hoot.

The publication date for Timeless is March 6th - isn't it great when they're available early!

I'm still planning to read Austenland - it's on the shelf. Since I'm reading Northanger Abbey right now, Midnight in Austenland sounds pretty good, too.

Thanks for the review, Roni!

>152 ronincats: Thanks for that - I'd forgotten it was coming out so soon, and now I'm only second in line to get it when a library copy comes in. :)

Coming over here to post what I've just posted in my own thread, just in case you've walked out of there in a huff and don't intend to come back (and please to come back):

Oh Roni, I'm sorry - thank must have come out completely wrong! I didn't mean to accuse you of compliment-fishing, and believe me I know that when I see it (my MIL is a huge culprit). I was just trying to excuse myself to having seen it and not yet posted a comment on it. It's really quite lovely and I've never tried anything like it - did you say you knitted or crocheted it?

Timeless arrived on my porch yesterday just before noon, and I dropped the other three books I'm reading and read it instead.



Book #22 Timeless by Gail Carriger (386 pp.)

Picking up nearly two years after Heartless, Prudence is now an active toddler, and the oldest vampire in the world has summoned Alexia to Egypt to present her daughter. Multiple shenanigans ensue, both in London and in Egypt, and the result is as over the top and delightful as before, with several completely unforeseen results. If you are a fan, you will not be disappointed.

>163 scaifea: NO, no, I wasn't upset at all, Amber, and I've already said so on your thread. I should have posted a smiley by my comment--I was definitely joking about the compliment thingy. It's crocheted.

>162 bell7: Glad to have been of use, Mary! You should only have a short wait.

>161 Dejah_Thoris: Dejah, it is indeed a bonus to get a long-awaited book early! And fyi, you don't need to read the Austenland books in order really.

Midnight in Austenland as well. Kerry, they are chicklit, but cleverly done and enjoyable. Sarah, you will enjoy both books.

Whew! I was really worried that my stupid unclarity had offended you! Feeling much relieved now.
And the colors are lovely, too - what kind of yarn did you use?

They were Hobby Lobby yarns I bought back in Kansas, one strand BambooSpun in rose camo and one strand Yarn Bee Infatuation in camo rose (more of a mohair-y texture). I loved the colors. I know you can knit the flowers--can you create a chain effect by casting on the length of a chain, knitting a row, and then casting off again?

Echoes of Betrayal showed up right on time in the mail today, hurray! But my perplexity is as follows--do I jump right in, knowing I've forgotten a lot of the small details during the intervening year since the last book came out, or do I read the first two books again so as to truly appreciate the story?

#164 You got Timeless already?! It's out on the first here.

#168 I would reread the first two but then I am a bit obsessive about things like that. I'm already wondering whether I need to reread Heartless. And you've reminded me that I still haven't read Sheepfarmer's Daughter.

P.S. Lovely pots :-)

Glad to hear that Timeless didn't disappoint! Also jealous. I've bookmarked the relevant local store availability page for B&N, so I can keep checking back with minimal effort.

Not that I have any time to read it at the moment, but still....

Whew! Managed to avoid the book bullet since I'm not a fan of vampires, Roni.

Your pottery continues to impress and amaze me. Why aren't you selling your work already, woman?!!

Your pots are gorgeous!

What lovely, lovey pottery! It looks like you are having a fun time.

I'm sorry that you aren't feeling well. I hope today is a better day for you.

Roni - just about caught up. Not a fan of vampire books having being spoilt by Bram Stoker doing the original so magnificently. As usual your pottery skills are impressive and if SWMBO ever gets close to your part of the world she would spend a small fortune on wares such as yours!

Heather and Zoe, I was completely caught by surprise when Amazon emailed me that Timeless was on the way! I had it pre-ordered and wasn't expecting it until March.

Paul, are you referring to Timeless as a vampire book? It isn't, really--the vampires are just incidental characters in this wierd early-Victorian steampunk world--in the sense that while they certainly make things interesting, they aren't the main focus of the action in any way. It's Alexia, as a preternatural and a strong personality in her own right, who drives the action. Although Lord Akeldama is one of my favorite characters, he would still have been were he not a vampire, simply because of his character. The societies of the supernaturals are fascinating as well.

Heather, I am going to re-read the first two, Oath of Fealty and Kings of the North, in spite of their combined 992 pages, in order to truly appreciate Echoes of Betrayal.

Caro and Pam and Linda and Paul, thank you again. I wish you all were close here--I'm starting to have an excess of pots and have no avenue to get rid of them. I might consider selling eventually, when I get a little better and have a bigger backlog, but to do it consistently involve regulations and a license and I haven't gotten ambitious enough to tackle that yet.

Passing through. Wonderful progress on the cleaning! And some good reading going on. I will eventually succumb to the Gail Carriger books, I just feel it.
And as always, I love seeing your pottery.

I very nearly ordered a copy of Timeless from Amazon today. I was making another purchase anyway, and had it in the cart.... But then I saw the slow non-Prime free shipping (Feb. 28-March 2), and changed my mind. I'm hoping the physical bookstores get it before that, and I'm already in the middle of multiple books anyway.

Roni, I may just have to make a trip just to visit with you and relieve you of some of your excess pots. LOL

Hi Roni, I have only read the first in the Gail Carriger series, so it's great to hear the series keeps the standard up. Alexia is a great character and I look forward to following her adventures!

Thanks, Laura. Judy, I think the second book is the weakest of the lot, but then they come back strong in books 3, 4, and 5. Zoe, it will still be there when you get around to it--it's fun but it will wait.

Caro, if you make that trip, not only would you get some pots, I would gift you my small camel collection, now packed away.

>167 ronincats: Oooh, I'm a huge fan of the Hobby Lobby, especially their fabric section - most decently-priced material around.

How does one come to own a camel collection...?

A camel collection!!! I love it. :D

Faith, I was part of an organization named the California Association for Mediated Learning for a number of years (CAML), and it was traditional for each of the presidents to receive a camel when they left office, and also to gift your officers with a camel for their service at the annual convention. Sadly, the organization is now defunct and the camels are packed away in the attic.

Amber, I like Hobby Lobby a lot, too, but they don't have them out here in San Diego. Too bad, because Michael's and JoAnn's could use some competition to shake them up. I load up when I go back to Kansas to visit family.

Um..Roni.... you may regret that .... I am coming to San Diego at the end of April. Will be in La Jolla. Which part of SD are you? Any chance of an LT meet ? :-)

I will not regret it. I'm in central San Diego, a couple of miles east of the airport. I'm sure we could manage something!

Book #23 Oath of Fealty* by Elizabeth Moon (471 pp.)
Book #24 Kings of the North* by Elizabeth Moon (478 pp.)
Book #25 Echoes of Betrayal by Elizabeth Moon (451 pp.)

Oh, the joy of good reading, good story, good characters, and the mixed emotions of the pain of knowing I have to wait another year for the story to continue while the satisfaction that there is more to come warms me. It was a good decision, to reread the first two books of this continuation of Paksenarrion's world before reading the third--as the books and characters are complex, I would have missed much without renewing them in my memory. Moon says you can read these without reading The Deed of Paksenarrion first, and indeed you can, but you will not have the connection and the knowledge of the many referrals to things that happened in those first three books. To those who love McKillip's Riddlemaster trilogy, or Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy, or Susan Dexter's Calandra books or Diane Duane's Door Into series, read with enjoyment. I warn you, the first book, Sheepfarmer's Daughter is the least magical of the bunch, but essential in establishing the characters and settings.

Hmmm... Sheepfarmer's Daughter may be literally the least magical (as in there is very little magic practiced), but I think it's still a magical read! I ended up rereading it and would have probably have finished the trilogy if only the books had been in the boxes I thought they were in!

I'm looking forward to the next series, now -- am I understanding correctly that there is still another book to come? I thought it was another trilogy....

We are at the end of 1400 pages, and the story is moved forward but by no means resolved. There will be at least one more book, for sure, which, if she keeps to the same schedule as she has been, will be out NEXT February.

I loved Sheepfarmer's Daughter as much as the rest, myself, but there is a lot of soldiering in it and I have heard that some who are not in the habit of reading military sf, for example, have found that a bit heavier going.

Elizabeth Moon is a new author to me. Just checking on the right order to read these books, you recommend reading her Deed of Paksenarrion series before starting on the Paladin's Legacy - right?

Holy cow, Roni! You just managed to add seven books to my wishlist! Seven in one blow!

That is serious book bullet action... but I need to read some Elizabeth Moon, apparently.

PS: I have a solution for your extra pots. You can "give" me some and I will "accidentally" reimburse you more than the price of the shipping. No license necessary! :)

Judy, yes, I would really recommend reading the first three books, which you can get as the omnibus The Deed of Paksenarrion. You don't need to read the side books, Surrender None and Liar's Oath, in order to appreciate the later books.

You can try a single book, Sarah, to see if you like her writing, such as Remnant Population. I'll keep in mind your idea about the pottery.

You are reading at an incredible pace.

I want some of that California sunshine. It is a cold, windy Pennsylvania evening. As I write the wind is loudly whipping around outside.

Hey, Linda, I spent a bunch of time reading these last 3 days as I was immersed in these last three books. I woke up this morning with a migraine, as well, which I knocked down with medication in a couple of hours, but I used the "hangover" to read most of the day. I wish I could send you our abundant sunshine--it's cool, in the 60s for the most part, but sunny.

#192 - We may have the sunshine, but the pollen here in California is atrocious! I am having the worst allergy attacks from all the trees blowing their lovely sinus-attackers everywhere.

True, with an early spring here and the trees blooming already, it will be a bad allergy season. Since I have allergies year around and am always on medication, I haven't noticed it as much.

I just recently got over my allergies that I had for a year, but now that it's back and annoying as ever, it's particularly nasty.

The trees are beautiful, though. My family's little peach tree is blooming lovely pink blossoms, and the hills are becoming green again.

#186 Yay for rereads! I must try Sheepfarmer's Daughter soon. I find I'm putting off reading book #1 in series where I think that will lead me to want to read all the other books in the series though...

Thanks for the info, Roni. I'm looking forward to trying this new author.

#188 Re Moon's series: "There will be at least one more book, for sure."
According to her website Paksworld, "Books IV and V (not yet titled, in progress.)" So don't expect a resolution next year.

Just stopping by to say hello.

Me too. And now looking forward to reports on the camel meetup.

Looks like you've done some great reading lately, Roni! I am also in awe of your bookshelves, your pottery, and your camel collection. :)

No reading today--except that I got up this morning and went to my (former) school where they were having early "Read Across America" day, where I read 5 books to classes. To the grades 5-6 special ed class, where I already knew almost all the students, I read Catwings by Ursula Le Guin, Scaredy Cat by Mark Billingham, and The Underground Cats by Susan Bennet. To the kindergarten class, I also read Scaredy Cats and then Five Little Kittens by Stewart Cowley and Kittens, a pop-up book by Lesley Anne Ivory and Ron Van Der Meer. None of which are counting toward my total here, but which were great fun!

Oh, that sounds amazingly fun!
I keep thinking that I'd really like to volunteer at the local hospital or nursing home to read to patients (once Charlie's in school, of course), but I don't even know if there are those sorts of programs anymore.

"Read Across America" day sounds like a great idea! I've not heard of it before. I wonder if they have one in Canada...

Hmm...there seems to be a theme to the books you read - at least for the first four *she types with several cats in sight* ! It's nice to know that you had a good time yesterday.

De-lurking long enough to say Hi, Roni. Love the pottery. Envious of your prolific reading. It's still very iffy - but I'm thinking about a conference in SD in October. I'll definitely let you know if I decide to go.

You have plenty of people here, I'm sure (me included), who would be happy to send you any Hobby Lobby merchandise you want in between trips home. You know that, right? Our HL store just moved into a bigger space and I'm itching for a good excuse to go spend a couple of hours looking.

After reading in the morning, I came home to some housecleaning and then watched KU basketball at 6 and The Voice at 8. Went in to bed at 10 and finished my next book before the news went off.



Book #26 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (348 pp.)

This was a very peculiar book. Really! And so are the photos scattered throughout the book, which seem to have inspired it. I'd classify this YA, at the lower end of the age spectrum there, and obviously there is going to be a sequel. A quick and interesting read!

Thanks to all my visitors. Eris, did you get that rain storm that we did yesterday? And today it is so cold--50 degrees at nearly 10 in the morning is VERY chilly for San Diego!

Judy and Heather, you won't regret trying the Paksenarrion books. Heather, you can stop after the first trilogy if you want to, really!

Thanks, Quinaquisset, for the information about books 4 and 5 in the Paladin's Legacy series. I used to read Moon's LiveJournal, but haven't been over there much of late.

Hi back to Tad and Katherine; glad you could stop by. Thanks, Marcia--it's only a tiny camel collection, though. You should see my cat collection!

I did have a lot of fun, Amber and Faith. I enjoy visiting back and helping out the library there.

Dejah, I used to have all kinds of kids' books in all sorts of themes and levels, but when I retired, I sold or donated all except the books in my cat collection, so that's where I pulled my books to read.

Sandy, that is so nice of you. I bought that yarn in the Olathe Hobby Lobby, btw, when I was back there last spring and had tea with you! I'd love to see you if you get out here in October.

Wow, it rained in San Diego? That's unusual. Nope, NorCal didn't get any rain, and the pollen is still driving me crazy. It's been so placidly sunny that I'm able to wear t-shirts with no jacket again.

I'm glad that you enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children! It was a fun, quick read for me, too, and the pictures were delightful with the story. Congratulations on all the books that you have finished reading!

I'm glad you liked Miss Peregrine's Home, too, Roni. I was impressed with the way he pieced together an intriguing story based on those vintage photos.

I have neglected you shamefully since you started your "new" thread, Roni, but now I've sort of made it up. What a lot of good stuff you're doing with your retirement! Your shelves are amazing! Your pottery is wonderful! And you are keeping the pages flipping. You know how I agree and support what you say about Cherryh and Moon!!!!

Ooh, I love Catwings! And I've been wanting to read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children forever now, just never quite seem to get around to it.

Oh, Roni - remember that sunny weather I was talking about yesterday? Well, now it seems that we got your storm. Yay! Less pollen everywhere!

By the way, I forgot to mention this, but good on you for reading to the kids. That sounds like it was a lot of fun. :)

#208 Miss Peregrine was peculiar wasn't it? I was worried it would be too scary for me but it wasn't at all and I quite enjoyed it. I'll probably read the sequel.

Eris, glad you got the rain--that will be our storm coming through tonight! Heather and Joe, I did enjoy Miss Peregrine's and Marcia, you should try to get it through the library like I did. I have all 4 of the Catwings books and they are delightful.

Peggy, glad you could make it by. It was a good reading month, with the new Moon book out and an excuse to reread the two before, as well as the Chanur series. Just great reading!

One more book to fit in this month.



Book #27 The Hidden Family% by Charles Stross (309 pp.)

This is the sequel to The Family Trade (Book #5 this year, reviewed in my first thread), and I picked both up last year when Borders was going out of business. Stross has set up a fascinating mix of alternative worlds and world-walkers, with a gritty realism and lots of details. But I have to say about this what I said about the first--despite it being very "interesting", I never got pulled into the story. This became my "bathtub" book, where I would read a chapter or two while soaking, and then leave the book there for the next time with no regrets. I never HAD to know what was happening next or became emotionally involved with the protagonist. Many people really like Stross, so I have to conclude it was just me. I may continue on with the series--but I may not, and I certainly won't be buying any more of these.

Happy Leap Day to all, and it's time for the monthly summary.

February

Books read: 17 Pages read: 5640

New books: 11
Re-reads: 6
Library books: 7
Books off the shelf: 1

4 science fiction
11 fantasy
1 non-fiction
1 romance

11. The Pride of Chanur* by C. J. Cherryh (224 pp.)
12. Crochet Master Class+ by Leinhayser and Weiss (191 pp.)
13. Troubled Waters# by Sharon Shinn (391 pp.)
14. Tuesdays at the Castle# by Jessica Day George (225 pp.)
15. Chanur's Venture* by C. J. Cherryh (312 pp.)
16. The Kif Strike Back* by C. J. Cherryh (299 pp.)
17. Chanur's Homecoming* by C. J. Cherry (398 pp.)
18. The Peach Keeper# by Sarah Addison Allen (271 pp.)
19. Enna Burning by Shannon Hale (317 pp.)
20. The Wild Ways# by Tanya Huff (295 pp.)
21. Midnight in Austenland# by Shannon Hale (272 pp.)
22. Timeless by Gail Carriger (386 pp.)
23. Oath of Fealty* by Elizabeth Moon (471 pp.)
24. Kings of the North* by Elizabeth Moon (478 pp.)
25. Echoes of Betrayal by Elizabeth Moon (451 pp.)
26. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children# by Ransom Riggs (348 pp.)
27. The Hidden Family% by Charles Stross (309 pp.)

Books acquired: 6 Cost: $48.55
1 Kindle, 2 PaperBackSwap, 3 Amazon

9. Crochet Master Class by Leinhayser and Weiss (Amazon-Kindle) $15.99
10. Undone Deeds by Mark del Franco (Amazon) $7.99
11. Timeless by Gail Carriger (Amazon) $7.99
12. Echoes of Betrayal by Elizabeth Moon (Amazon) $16.58
13. Reading the Old Testament by Lawrence Boadt (PBS)
14. The Princess Bride by William Goldman (PBS)

Books out the door: 5

Totals for the Year

Books read: 27
Pages read: 8563 plus 2 Kindle books without page counts
New books: 21
Re-reads: 6
Library books: 9
Books off the Shelf: 3

Genre:
SF 6
Fantasy 16
Non-fiction 3
Fiction 1
Romance 2
Mystery 0

Books acquired: 14 Total cost: $65.53

PBS 7
Amazon 3
Kindle 3
library sale 1

Just got my March email from Mysterious Galaxy, and Gail Carriger is going to be there promoting Timeless tomorrow night. I think I am going to have to go! AND she will be "offering a 'tease' about her new young adult Finishing School series, which launches next February with Etiquette & Espionage."

Hi Roni, delurking to wish you a Happy Leap Day! I needed an extra day to finish the Dickens book I've been nursing along this month. It seemed like a long time to read a book until I read somewhere that the serialization was strung out to almost two years! I guess there wasn't much to do in Victorian England. ;-)

I love that you have a cool camel collection. What else do you have hidden away in your attic? Your reading books to the kids at school sounds like great fun. I'm sure they were glad to see you again. I'm thinking about volunteering at the local elementary school in some capacity next year now that my tutoring sessions are over. I miss being on the teaching end of the learning process, although I also like being a student again.

Lucky you getting to meet Gail Carriger!

Very cool about Gail Carriger!

>216 ronincats:: I never really got into that series, either. After four I just sort of wandered away. Talking to friends who have finished it, I don't get any sense that I've missed much. They were underwhelmed. I think it's because he didn't do a good job of getting you invested in the characters (imo). I liked his Halting State, however.

Happy Thursday to you Roni!
I hope you have a lovely time tonight.

Woo hoo! I just got notified that I got the new Tim Powers book from ER from the February list, which was the only one I wanted.

Judy and Dejah and Linda, I will report back after I go to the bookstore reading tonight!

Tad, I had the same feeling with The Jennifer Morgue and The Atrocity Archives, which are the other books of his I have read. They are all the fantasy he has written too, I think, and I haven't tried his science fiction. I will try Halting State for the next book of his I read, then. Thanks.

Oh, good! I liked Declare andOn Stranger Tides.

I've got nearly all of his books, Ren--he's a favorite author of mine.



Book #28 Firebird by Jack McDevitt (375 pp.)

I came to this series when my book group picked the third in the series, Seeker, for a selection. I read the first book, A Talent for War, which I absolutely loved. Since time was of the essence, I skimmed Polaris since it had gotten weaker reviews than the other two, and went on into Seeker. Seeker was okay, but not outstanding for me, and I didn't continue the series, even when the fifth book, Echo, was nominated for awards. But when Firebird was nominated for the Nebula and it was right in my face on the new books shelves in the library, I pulled it out and just finished it.

Alex Benedict is the central figure of this series, a dealer of antiquities and famous objects in a setting thousands of years in the future. His adventures arise from seeking or interacting with these objects, and the current investigation is no different. Starting with the second book, it is Alex's pilot who is the viewpoint character, btw. This one started out pretty ho-hum, but quickly gained momentum with unexpected twists and turns and built up to a most satisfactory climax and resolution. A very good read and recommended--you don't need to have read the prior books to enjoy it. I wonder if I could count it for Mystery March?

Nice review of Firebird, Roni! I think it should count for Mystery March -- mysteries are central to every book in the Alex Benedict series. Go for it!

Gail Carriger update!



Timeless is indeed the last of the Alexia books. The next two books will be YA, the Finishing School series, set some 20 years earlier than Alexia with a young female protagonist. Then she will be writing some books set 20 some years after Alexia with her daughter as the protagonist. Carriger was charming, did a couple of readings from Timeless and answered questions. I didn't stay for the signings as the line was long and my husband was chauffeuring me. There were 4 or 5 women dressed up in semi-Victorian costume, with perky little tophat-like bonnets.

ETA Oh, and there is a manga version of Soulless out.

How fun! I totally want to meet her. Color me jealous! :)

Oh, lovely! I'm so jealous of you right now. :)

Glad it was a fun evening, Roni. It's always great to hear that an author that one admires is nice in person.

edited to fix my atrocious grammar :)

ye gods, I missed an entire thread! Sorry....

Your book shelves are wonderful! So is everything else..
you have been very busy!

Oh, so lovely that you were able to attend Carriger's reading! And that's fun to know about her upcoming work -- I'm definitely looking forward to both series.

I'm glad you had a good time at the reading, Roni. Thanks for the picture and the report!

Sounds great, Roni. I've alerted my daughter to your Gail Carriger adventure. She will be very envious.

Sarah and Marcia, I wish you could have been here and gone with me! Thanks, Dejah and Faith and Judy and Joe.

Kath, good to see you here!

Libraries are dangerous! Don't let anyone tell you any different. I was returning Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Firebird today, and A Discovery of Witches reached out and grabbed me and wouldn't let go, and I hadn't even been considering reading it. *sigh* And it's a heavy @#*, too! I think I've got bruises.

I read that on my Kindle and I kept thinking to myself "Damn, shouldn't this be over ALREADY?" It is loooong.

Your local bookstore sounds great, Roni. I love it when authors come to visit. I worked for an independent bookseller in Colorado Springs that encouraged book readings and signings. Great fun - especially when we had a Star Trek event. Now those people like to dress up!

Book #29 Undone Deeds by Mark Del Franco (323 pp.)

I've not been all that sure why I've continued to follow along with Del Franco's Connor Grey urban fantasy series. Grey is certainly an angst-y character, but it has been interesting watching him develop as a character, there are well-developed secondary characters, and the world-building has also been very interesting. It is only in this final book of the series, however, that I have fully realized the depth of knowledge and the discipline to use Gaelic mythology to its fullest, in layer after layer. This is one author who knows how to end a series not just with a bang (each of the four previous books has definitely had a possible world-ending climactic scene) but with absolute fidelity to the spirit of said Gaelic mythology and a most satisfying ending from which no new books can possibly spawn. I am impressed.

Leah, ;^D

Donna, Mysterious Galaxy is a wonderful bookstore, carrying only mysteries, science fiction and horror, with a children's section as well. They are the major hub of author readings south of LA.

Mysterious Galaxy sounds wonderful!

I like that the people who run our big used bookstore here in town knows what their shoppers like, and the sections are proportioned accordingly. It is very very fantasy/sci-fi friendly. Hardly any romances, which means I have to look elsewhere if I want a Heyer, but otherwise I adore it.

Here's its LibraryThing page. Since it was repainted, it has become (in)famous as The Purple Bookstore.

http://www.librarything.com/venue/11578/Recycled-Books-Records-CDs

Oh for goodness' sake -- I keep getting hit with these full-series book bullets! Gaelic myth, you say? Dang it. :)

Gaelic myth, Sarah. Elves and other creatures are not just used as window dressing here; they are integral to the structure.

It is great, Nathan. HEre is its website:

http://www.mystgalaxy.com/

They have done so well, even in this economy, that they opened a second store up in Redondo Beach last year. Take a look at their events schedule at both stores!

It's good to know that there are still independent booksellers out there making it. Now I know where to shop if I'm ever out your way!

Nathan - the link looks interesting - as does yours Roni. I have no such links for Malaysian book buying alas.

Also jealous of your Gail Carriger reading Roni!

Okay, even though the science fiction and the fantasy novels have actually been mysteries as well, both of them, I'm going to stick with traditional mysteries for Mystery March purposes, and I just finished the first.



Book #30 Murder of a Royal Pain by Denise Swanson (248 pp.)

This is a cozy mystery series that I started because the author and the protagonist are both school psychologists. Even though that plays only a small part in the stories, still, it is unusual to find my profession represented in fiction. As with most cozies, it is the personalities in a small town setting that take precedence, but this is an enjoyable light read. AND it is my 3rd book-off-the-shelf for the year, finally.

Also a note that it is after 5 in the afternoon, the sun is going down, and it is now 79 degrees.

Oh, dearie, dearie me! I just went to the library on-line to add a new book (Jenny (lunacats) had read Sunshine and said it was far above the regular vampire book, which it is, and I said that the other vampire books I thought were out of the ordinary were Barbara Hambly's Those Who Hunt the Night and Traveling With the Dead. While verifying the title of the second book on Amazon, I discovered that Hambly had written a third book a few years ago, and then that the library had it!) and of my previous 6 holds, a couple of which had fairly long lines at the time I made them, 5 of them are actually in transit to my local branch right here and now. Oops. Given that I have 3 checked out right now as well. Of course, two of them are for Mystery March, Glory in Death and The Cruellest Month.

Just popping in after a week away to say hello .... and skimming to catch up on your thread, Roni.

Mystery March? Is that the theme for this month's reads? hmm... must go look for the thread.

I'm confused.....where am I supposed to go? The Swanson mysteries look like they are worth tracking down. I'm off...

Go here, http://www.librarything.com/topic/133792!

I ended up with double continuation threads, both of which are also labeled Part 2, to add to the confusion. Go with the link in this message, but I suspect you'll have to star it yourself. Sorry!

I just discovered the "introductions" thread and, through it, discovered you :-) We're both in our 60's, retired and live in San Diego (you're the first San Diegan I've found on LT). I'm looking forward to seeing what you're reading as well as seeing your beautiful pottery. Reba

Hey Chautauquan! I think you might want a link to Roni's latest thread. She gets so many comments that she's already on her fifth thread!

This is where you can catch her: http://www.librarything.com/topic/137995

Hope that helps, and welcome to the group!

Thanks, Eris!