Chelle's (Gogs81) 75 in 2012 Challenge (take #3)

Currently Reading:


"He who fights with monsters should look to it
that he himself does not become a monster.
And when you gaze long into an abyss, the
abyss also gazes into you."
Friedrich Nietzsche ~ Beyond Good and Evil

My Threads:
12 in 2012
Orange January/July
1001 Books to Read Before I Die




Books Read in 2012
January

1) Lord John and the Hellfire Club by Diana Gabaldon (ebook, novella, 73 pages)
2) The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht (338 pages)
3) Hurricane Story by Jennifer Shaw (92 Pages) (ER book)
4) The Drop by Michael Connelly (388 pages)
5) Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson (364 pages)
6) Dead Cold by Louise Penny (405 pages)
7) Eragon by Christopher Paolini (ebook, 509 pages)
8) The Hangman by Louise Penny (ebook, 99 pages)
9) Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (ebook, 301 pages)
10) The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (324 pages)
11) The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny (454 pages)
12) The Murder Stone by Louise Penny (422 pages)
13) The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny (384 pages)
14) Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (470 pages)
15) A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (339 pages)

February
16) A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (232 pages)
17) Hells Angels: Into the Abyss by Yves Lavigne (339 pages)
18) Bay of Fundy: A Natural Portrait by Scott Leslie (167 pages)
19) The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck (261 pages)
20) Blood Red Road by Moira Young (459 pages)
21) Dissolution by CJ Sansom (400 pages)
22) 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz ( 451 pages)

March
23) Darkest Powers Bonus Pack by Kelley Armstrong (eBook, 3 novellas 287 pages)

Pages Read in 2012

Space save ... not sure for what yet

You must have JUST created this new thread! Hi, Chelle!

I'm first?

Look at you with fifteen books read in January. I guess once you get the house clean, you just want to sit in a chair and not mess it up again.

Love Dr. Seuss! The cat-in-hat is very wise.

ETA: oh well, I'll settle for second place.

Hi Chelle ... just responding to a question on your previous thread about A Wrinkle in Time ... my girls are 16 & 19 so yes there's still a possibility they'll read it!

Hi Chelle!

WooHoo! Three threads!
Love the Cat in the Hat picture, too.

Chelle congrats on the new thread - how is the house selling going?

Wow, 15 in January! Canadian reading in winter, eh? hehe

Hi Chelle- Congrats on the new thread! No. 3? You, go girl! Dr. Seuss was quite the genius, right?

Hi, Chelle. You sure had some fun reading in January, what with the Penny series and Cannery Row. I am impressed.

Love the Seuss quote, Chelle. :)

starred!
Seuss is a childhood favorite of mine :)
thing 1 and thing 2....love them!

Wow, Chelle! You are really flipping those pages. I believe you need to set your "pages read" ticker higher!

Hi Chelle - love the Seuss:)

Hey Chelle - What a great quote! Hope you're doing well!

Hi Everyone, thanks for visiting me at my new thread!

I'm having a very emotional and crappy day and I'm stuck at work until 3pm. Plus it's a grey rainy day here, which doesn't help. Large vent coming, avert your eyes if you wish!

Yesterday Nate and I made the decision to put our wedding on hold. It was a hard decision and he was actually more supportive about it then I expected him to be. He continues to surprise me.

My dad came to me a few days ago and talked to me about how upset my mom has been over the fact that she is terrified to fly. She wasn't planning on coming to the wedding in Jamaica but for the last year she has been saying she was ok with that. Apparently she wasn't honest about that and is more upset than I knew. So after putting thought into it, we have decided our family comes first and we won't be going away to get married. I know it is going to make a lot of people upset that we have changed our plans after a year of planning but this is the only way to do it so both our families can be there.

So now I have no wedding date, no location planned, no extra money saved and no time to plan a proper wedding. But hey, at least I have a dress.

Looks like it will be pushed back to spring 2013 instead.

If I don't say Eff it And elope first!!

vent over, you can all look again. it's safe now ;)

So sorry to hear this, Chelle! Unless you have the princess wedding dream, I vote for "Eff it and elope."

Chelle, I agree unless you are truly looking forward to a specific wedding or have been hoping for one all your life. Eff it and Elope. I am so happy for you that Nate is so understanding and having family there is important though too. So the eloping my be a put off as well. It is all up to you dear it is your day and you chose between the two of you. I understand the vent though I truly do.

I'm an impetuous sod Chelle and advised you to elope already last year if you recall! Sounds like you have a very understanding and caring guy in Nate and I'm sure that you'll work out something that satisfies everybody but most importantly the two of you.

I remember my own wedding day in Johor, Malaysia - getting married in the Mosque in a place called Pasir Gudang with my handful of friends in sympathetic attendance - seeing my SWMBO with head covered for the first time and realising it was too late to back out! (kidding); back to her village home and a raging culture shock all conducted in a language I had barely a word of at the time. My own day was surreal but I have not looked back for a moment. My advice would be not to get too het up on the day or event as it is a mere formalisation of the wonderful relationship you already seem to enjoy. xx

Elope, but invite the family. :)
My wedding day is a bit of a blur as well. It was also nearly 19 years ago, so maybe that's not surprising. The most important thing was that I chose the right guy, and it sounds like you have a good one.

#17 Chelle, so sorry to hear about your crappy day. I do remember the 'eff it and elope' feeling from when we were planning our wedding. With hindsight, I'm glad there were some things that we did compromise on to please family and I'm also glad that there were things we didn't. I hope people will be understanding rather than upset that you've changed your plans. And don't worry about venting :-)

It does sounds like you've got a good guy there, Chelle. I hope everybody will be understanding, too. Family is so important - you're doing the right thing. But it's got to be frustrating after all the planning and anticipation. Still, in the end, as Paul says, it's your wonderful relationship that's most important in all this. Kudos to Nate - and to you.

Hmmm. Tough one, Chelle.
Please refer to message #1 above.
If family wedding is what is most important, then do it.
If getting married in Jamaica is most important, then do it.

43 years ago I tried to have the perfect wedding. Couldn't afford much, didn't know what I was doing, the photographer was a thorn in my side all day... pictures were awful, a few important guests were in hospital, etc. Now that I look back on it, the only good thing about it was the husband I got. Now I know - that was a blessing.
14 years ago, one of my daughters wanted to get married in FL on the beach. She did despite the in-law crankiness and no-show - then had a large reception when she got back home. She made it an occasion for all married couples in attendance to renew their vows. They have never regretted the FL wedding (about 25 people made it there) and they DO have regrets about the expen$e of the second reception that was mainly for the in-laws. Still, they are a happily married couple today.

I think the real deal is that the two of you work it out together. It's your wedding... your life... figure out what will make you both happy. You might not remember the details in years to come, but you will remember if you were happy or cranky. Think happy. If you don't marry in Jamaica, you can still honeymoon there... and bring your dress to climb Dunn's River Falls! ;-)

Maybe there is a very cool place in NS to have the wedding.

While Tomm and I were planning our wedding and getting totally stressed about it all, a friend gave us a great piece of advice: Weddings are NOT for the couple - they're for the the families. The marriage is for the couple. So try not to let all the family demands get to you. You could always just elope and then have your families throw you a re-enactment party if they really want... Either way, I hope you find some stress-free and happy way to get ourself hitched to your guy.

17: Aww, sorry for all the stress. Sending lots of good wishes your way!

Chelle, you have a wonderful understanding man in Nate. I'm sorry to hear your plans are being tossed.

When I was about to get married, it became very clear that we were not going to make everyone happy, and while we wanted something relatively small, our parents started to insist that we invite everyone including the dead because anyone left out would have been very upset. Before the planning got too far underway, the hubster asked me if I had plans for the evening when we were having breakfast and I said no, and he asked what I thought about just getting married by ourselves that evening, with our best friend as witness .... and on the spur of the moment, I said yes. Off to work I went, he took a day off and stayed home to find us a Justice of the Peace, and when I got home, I threw on a simple cream dress I had in the closet, we waited for our friend (who was sharing the house with us) to come home from work and off we drove down the street to a cute house. The Justice of the Peace was Naomi Campbell ...not the supermodel (much to the hubster's disappointment) and she was a dear sweet lady ...wearing white socks and black sandals.. haha. But the ceremony was lovely and it turned out to be more special than I had expected. Our friend, witness & photographer took some nice pictures and we went out for pizza to celebrate, called up some friends and lo and behold.... we had a super fun party at our neighborhood Italian restaurant, with other diners coming over to wish us a happy life.

From an impetuous decision, I love the memory of my wedding and I've cherished the very very special day because I had nothing to distract me from the one thing that was important and continues to be important to me today, and that is the love I share with the hubster ....even if I want to kill him on some days. ;-)

Whatever you decide, Chelle, do it with love as you priority and you'll have the grandest day to remember.

I would absolutely agree with the others in saying 'eff it and elope'. If a big, expensive wedding with everyone there isn't what YOU want, then don't stress about it. It's your wedding, your marriage, and your life.

My suggestion would be, elope and do whatever you want to do, and then have a cheaper reception/party type gathering when you get back. For the elopement, if you want a few friends etc there, tell them. Go, get married in front of some witnesses, look gorgeous, and go out for a wonderful expensive meal, and have a holiday somewhere stunning.

When you get back, hold a 'Celebrate our marriage party.' No need for photographers, flowers etc at such an event - the bridesmaids can wear their dresses, you can wear your dress, buy disposable cameras to hand out to the guests and have them take pictures throughout the night. You can repeat your vows in front of others, put the rings on etc, but as a further commitment of your love.

Hire a venue and, if expense is an issue, provide a big main dish (such as a hog roast - I know there are catering companies here in the UK that will come out to do something like that) and ask people to bring appetisers, side dishes etc.

Music, alcohol, dancing......all so others can celebrate with you, but without the stress of A WEDDING. I have known a few different couples to go down this kind of route, and all have been so happy they did.

I'm glad you and Nate are such support to one another, Chelle. Remember that it's your wedding you're planning.

Wow, thanks everyone for the postive support! I called my mom and my lunch break and told her what we decided and she was so happy that she started to cry. I guess we are making the right decision, even if we are frustrated.

I've started looking at some golf courses and resorts in Nova Scotia but not surprisingly most are booked for the summer and early fall already. We might move it to 2013 if we decide to do Nova Scotia.
Another option is Florida. We have some recomendations to look at there.
Everyone seems willing to either drive or fly to either Nova Scotia or Floridia if we find a place we like. So it looks like we have lots of helpers if needed.

Other than a little disappointment this isn't going to be a huge deal (I guess). Either way it will still be a small wedding, whether we do it here or away.
Now I just need to find something that works for us.
***
18) Thanks Kerri. I don't want the princess wedding really. My first marriage (a disaster from day 1) was a big princess wedding and it was horrible. I vowed I would never do anything like that again. I'm happy that Nate also wants something small

19) Thanks Monica. The only thing that we really want is to have it on the beach, and we should be able to make that work whether we stay here or go south. It just has to be driveable

20) Hi Paul! Thanks for sharing your wedding story! You are such a sport! Glad that your marriage has turned out to be amazing, no matter how the wedding day went. I know it's the marriage that counts, but we just have to get to that at some point!

21) Jenn it's funny but Nate actually said that last night! We should just elope with our wedding party, and just mention to his parents where we are going in case they want to follow us there LOL!!

22) Thanks Heather! It's nice to vent and have people listen and give good suggestions. I'd like to keep most people somewhat happy if possible and within reasonable limits. Looks like that should be possible now.

23) Thanks Joe! It is furstrating, mostly because I've had a year with Nate away that I could have planned everything. I hate not having a plan now

24) Thanks for sharing your two wedding stories Cee!! I know that no wedding is ever perfect and it's more important who the bride and groom are to each other. I'm sure we can find something that works for us. I'm just sad that we came so close to being able to book and get on with life and now we are back at square one.

25) Thanks Amber! we are very lucky that Nate's family has no demands, at all! They are very supportive. And really my family is supportive too, it's just the flying issue. Now that we have decided not to go where Mom would have to fly, she is super supportive and offering to help.

26) Thanks Marie! I feel better now than I did yesterday and this morning. I think I needed time to come to terms with this mess lol

27) Caro that is amazing!! Your wedding story is wonderful! Your husband sounds like a wonderful man!
We got to the point last night that we were ready to grab the maid of honor and best man and go to vegas, but we decided not to. It's still an option though!

28) Thanks Luna! We for sure won't be doing a big wedding, no matter where we have it. I think our guest list is hovering around 80 right now.
I love the idea of just a party. Maybe if we end up buying a house with a large property then we could just rent a tent and do it there. Who knows. I guess once we get out to Nova Scotia we can figure out what options we have there

29) Thanks Nancy! I'm sure it will work out in the end, we just have to get there

Miss Chelle, you have the one important thing in a marriage already: A real partner.

Everything, and I do mean EVERY SINGLE THING, aside from that is gas. Do not stress. Whatever you decide will be wonderful. Why?

Because you're marrying the right guy.

I am revoltingly jealous of you, and hate you inexpressibly forever. Nothing you can say or do will ever make it better, either.

Chelle, I'm echoing everyone else here and saying Eff it and Elope! Or, do what I've planned on doing and get married at the justice of the peace (or something similar) the day or two before your wedding, and keep it secret from everyone else. That way you can relax a little more about The Big Day and just enjoy it. Or honeymoon in Jamaica and renew your vows right away - then you're still getting married on the beach!

Your speed-reading of the Three Pines series is making me itch to do the same!!!

Oh boy, the stress of trying to plan something that is really supposed to be all about you and also trying to make it work with all those whom you love...... yikes. I echo Richard in saying: the hardest part is done. You've found the man with whom you want to spend your time. Hopefully the two of you can focus on that and remember that the rest of it is, in the long run, trappings. xo

Meantime, you read 15 books in January. That's remarkable. I'm still trying to push my way through to complete The Inheritance of Loss but I keep getting distracted by more engaging books.

Hi Chelle- This is better than DA over here! Can't wait til the next episode. Seriously, you guys handled this very well, I admire your levelheadedness. I'm sure everything will work out fine! Hugs!

How wise of you, Chelle, to back off the decision that didn't seem to be working. Now you and Nate can take your time and quietly work out what seems best to the both of you, whatever that may be. And Richard is so very right....you have the right partner, and all the rest is just froth.

My very best wishes for you both!

Hi Chelle, just echoing many sentiments already expressed here. I remember having to make a few compromises on my wedding day and its hard to please everybody, especially when it is your day.

My fitness mad brother and his wife eloped, told us all when they got back and her father was horrified as she got married in a tracksuit. She said, 'it's okay dad, it was my adidas tracksuit'!

Anyway, could you find an available JOP, pick a beach to marry on, and book a restaurant for the night? Take off to Jamaica the day after and keep that part of the plan. This is what my friends did and it was such gorgeous wedding to attend. Plus, you don't have to go shoe shopping when you marry on a beach.

Whatever you decide, I'm sure it still will be a great day for you both.

Hi Chelle, nothing much to add, everyone has pretty much covered it all. I do think in the long run, you will be glad that you have adjusted plans to include your Mom. I love what Amber said above - the wedding is for the family, the marriage is for the couple - and of course, the honeymoon!

Nothing to add to the already sage advice on the wedding situation, Chelle. Just thinking of you and knowing that a plan will emerge. This marriage is meant to be!

Oh sorry for all of the stress!! How difficult!! I pulled my whole thing together in about 4 weeks, because the whole thing was so stressful.
Remember my brother had to borrow my mom's car to elope? and he was 29? :) and his bride a year older? and now 14 years have passed, he's an airline pilot, they have two kids and it's all good.

I just know that everything will turn out perfectly for you. Remember - the wedding and marriage is for you and Nate - family and friends be ,err - dammed. I mean that in a friendly way. So sorry for all the trouble.

I had a $15,000 wedding and we signed our divorce papers on our second anniversary.

I had a $1,500 wedding and we will be celebrating our 22nd anniversary this summer.

Do what works for you!

WE SOLD THE HOUSE!!!! Woot woot!! Pending home inspection, closing date will be March 15th! In 40 days I will be an east coaster! So frickin excited!
Hope everyone had a wonderful Superbowl Sunday! I ate like a pig and need a nap now

***
31) Dear Richard, I love you anyway :) You are right though, Nate is a gem and I am lucky to have him during all our drama this year.

32) Hi Laura! I didn't mean to speed read the Penny books, but they were like chips: too good to stop after just one!! Hope you love them too

33) Thanks Ellen, even with the drama I did have a good reading month. I fear February will be much less

34) haha Mark I'm glad you are enjoying the show! I should start charging admission!

35) Thanks Gail! I appreciate all the LT support! Such a wonderful place to hang out!

36) Leonie that's hilarious that she got married in her adidas track suit!! I guess when you elope you can do whatever makes you happy!
Even though we will be getting married on the beach, Nate has demanded that I wear shoes LOL!! Even just flip flops would be fine

37) Thanks Judy. I know mom is happier now and that's better than having her miserable and sad. We will figure something out eventually.

38) Thanks Laura! We've been engaged for over a year now so I guess we aren't in any hurry anyway!

39) Thanks Deb! Now that I am over the initial shock of our decision I am feeling a little less stressed, although I'm sure it will come back once I started really looking for a place to have the wedding. Once I am in the new house and unemployed I will have lots of time to research and plan though

40) Thanks Morphy! We will figure something out in our budget range. We are determined to keep it small and simple. It will all work out.

Congratulations on the house being sold. That's one great big thing less to stress about! Sounds like things are all falling into place.

Great news on the house sale Chelle. Liked Morphy's comments and it is clear that a lot of people in the group care a lot about you - amazing to think you have only been signed up since August!

Oh Chelle!!! Having the house sold must be a HUGE weight off your back!! What a day to celebrate!!!! Fabulous!!! There you, your wedding will work perfectly , just as selling your house did! I'm so happy for you!!!!!! :) !!!!!

Sold the house! Oh yay, yay, yay! Way to go, Chelle (and Nate)!

Thanks Judy! We are happy that we have one less thing to stress about! :)

Thanks Paul, you make me blush! I've found so many amazing people on LT, it's too bad I didn't find this site sooner!

Oh Deb, we were so happy to get the offer today! It was my dad's 60th birthday and there we 20 of us at a restaurant when we got the call to come sign the offer. Everyone at the table was hooting and hollering happy after, I'm surprised we didn't get kicked out of the restaurant!

Thanks Nancy, what a cute panda!!

17) Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss by Yves Lavigne
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography

Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss documents the years in the life of Hell's Angel motorcycle club member Anthony Tait when he went from being a member of the club to being an FBI informant. He joined the club as a prospect in 1982 and over the next few years worked his way up the ranks to be one of the top 4 members on the west coast of the USA. For years he worked within the club and as an FBI informant, the only informant to ever penetrate the club fully. With his help in 1987 the FBI did simultaneous raids through the west coast and made over 40 arrests for charges ranging from drug trafficking to conspiracy to commit murder. Through this raid they were able to remove hundred of weapons, millions of dollars of drugs and cash and many criminals off the streets.

While I didn't find Tait to be a very trustworthy character the FBI obviously saw something in him that made him their perfect informant. It's not often that you can find an informant in a motorcycle club that doesn't already have a criminal records or a history of drug use.

Although this book was a little difficult to get in to at first, the beginning was slow while explaining police procedures, it ended up being a very interesting topic. It's amazing to realize the amount of drugs and weapons available to criminals and how hard it is for police to actually get them off the streets. The violence in this book amazed me, the way the HA could take someone's life without a thought just because they needed to pay-back a rival club for a murder they committed. Even worse is the knowledge that the crimes they committed in the 80's are still being committed today, and they have become even more sophisticated in hiding them. Rivalries have become worse and the war between clubs has strengthened until things like the Bandido Massacre happen. Worth a read if you have any interested in true crime.
3.5*

"He who fights with monsters should look to it
that he himself does not become a monster.
And when you gaze long into an abyss, the
abyss also gazes into you."
Friedrich Nietzsche ~ Beyond Good and Evil

Great month of reading. Great partner in life (married or not). And the house is sold. Whoohoo on all fronts!! (Listing order does not indicate the level of importance, just chronologic according to your thread.) Hugs.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! That was, I dare say, incredibly quick. WHEW!

Congratulations on the house sale. Like everyone else here I'm all for simple and casual weddings where the focus is on people not formalities. I hope you find a great location and everything else falls into place, but you must go to Jamaica for your honeymoon.

Congrats Chelle! That's wonderful news! Yahoo! Good review of Hells Angels. That one looks like something I would enjoy.

Congrats on the house! Yay!

Congrats on the house sale!

As for the wedding... I hope you're able to do something that works for the two of you and not stress too much. All things considered, a wedding is just one day, it's the marriage & relationship that matters! :)

Congratulations on the house sale.

I'm sure that whatever kind of wedding you have Nate and you will be very happy.

Congratulations. I hope that you find a fabulous house on the east coast :)

As everyone else has said here.. it is your day.. do it your way....
It is clearly important to you to have the families there..
I have a friend who rented a hall and planned her reception..
and at the beginning.. got married right there.. I had never seen that before..
it was great relaxed and fun.. she did the whole gown thing .. and enjoyed herself a lot..

I hope things sort out into calm and happy soon :)

Congratulations on selling the house, Chelle, and good review of Hell's Angels: Into the Abyss. Did you ever read Hunter Thompson's Hell's Angels? It's an early one for him and one of his best.

Congrats on the house sale -- and it sounds as though you are getting a handle on yr. wedding plans. Figuring out complicated things together - could be a definition of marriage!

So glad you have had Penny to distract you at this time!

Add my congrats to the pile for selling your house. :)

Piling on the congratulations!! :)

WooHoo!!!! Congrats on the house!!

Yeah for the house selling!!!!
:( for the troubles regarding wedding day
I would be more then happy if you wanted to bounce ideas off of me regarding beach wedding in Florida (since I live there) :)
Just a thought but the Keys have some really lovely secluded spots or Amelia Island off the coast of Florida.
When your ready to plan of course :)

61 messages and Im all caught up! Wow a lot has happened too....poor you Chelle. Wedding dramas. They can really put a spanner in the works. Glad you can make your mum happy, and although its a huge lot of re planning for you, I bet you can come up with an awesome wedding.

And woohoo on the house sale, what a relief to get that ticked off your list!

Congratulations on selling the house. Fantastic!

Wow! Happy news! YAY for the sale of the house! That was the hard part. The fun of finding a new place is next :)

I hope you are keeping a diary... this is some year for you and Nate! Maybe you could just print out your threads and make a scrapbook!

Best wishes for both of you in 2012!

Hurray! *Hugs*

Yay! You sold the house and you have a great, loving partner. That's really all that matters Chelle.

Wow, what a roller coaster ride this has been, between the wedding hiatus and the house sale, not to mention everyone else's faboo comments. We were a couple of poor social workers so a big splashoid wedding wasn't on for us, nor did we want one. We had a potluck with family only, at our house. It was easy and real. 33 years later we still think we did it the right way. I think you will find Nova Scotia a good deal more relaxed and easy going than S.W. Ontario, so I bet you don't have much trouble finding someone who will marry you on one of the beautiful N.S. beaches. Good luck with all of it!

East Coast? Where on the east coast will you be moving to, Chelle? Tell me you bought my crappy neighbor's house and I will soon have cool neighbors I can like. Puhleeeeze.

Wow, thanks Kim, Ellen, Kerri, Mark, Kerri, Faith, Calm, Luna, Kath, Joe, Lucy, Micky, Laura, Amber, Kara, Megan, Jenn, Claudia, Stephen, Bonnie, Tiffin & Caro!!
We are super excited to start looking for a new place! If everything gets approved by the military tomorrow then by Sunday we should be in Nova Scotia and start looking!

I'm working nights tonight and we've had a major accident so I won't be on LT like I had planned. I might have time later but I doubt it.(http://www.lfpress.com/news/london/2012/02/06/19346586.html)

Nate graduates on Wednesday so tomorrow I am travelling the 3 hours to his Base Borden with his family. We plan on having a celebration dinner tomorrow night for him and then the ceremony is wednesday morning. We are all so very proud of him, he has worked hard this last 13 months!

I probably will not be on LT for the next two weeks. If I have interet access at the hotel I might pop online but I figure we will be pretty busy!

Hopefully I'll have good house news when I get home!
Hope everyone has a wonderful couple weeks! I'll pay you all proper visits once I am home
***
57) Joe I have not heard of that one. I'll have to check it out. being in policing gangs and organized crime interests me.

62) Thanks Kara, I'll have to pick your brain when I get home! We were hoping to find an all inclusive resort similar to what we had found in Jamaica. I think it's harder to find in USA or Canada.

65) Cee I probably should print off my LT threads and look back at them 20 years from now!

68) I seriously hope Nova Scotia is more laid back :) Looking forward to it

69) Caro we are going to Greenwood, Nova Scotia. You should move there too and then we could be neighbours at the beach :)

See you all in two weeks!! :-)

Happy 200th Birthday Charles Dickens!!

Ack, this thread is an emotional roller coaster, Chelle!!
I was thinking about writing a line like, it's not a wedding if there's no stressing.......but then........I discover you sold your house! Woo Hoo, Hoot, hoot, hoot! That's incredible news!
I'm so excited for you and Nate. Have a good time looking for your new love nest.

The Dicken's time line is pretty cool.

I'm in. Lets all move to Nova Scotia..
I have always wanted to see it..
and the mood I'm in.. leaving the country sounds
like an ideal solution!

Terrible accident there Chelle :( just awful !

Oh, yes I heard about that terrible accident yesterday evening, Chelle. Such a tragedy! I've got a brother and his family in Barrie On and I always worry when I hear of accidents in ON .

Anyway, I hope you have a wonderful time house shopping!!!! :) I think I'm going to read a Dickens for February!

wow, that crash looked horrific. Hope the emergency service workers get some help too if they need it

Wow, I missed a whole lotta stuff here!

Congrats on selling your house! That must be such a relief.

I echo everyone else here in saying that the important thing is that you are going to be marrying the right person for you. Nate sounds wonderful and supportive.

Sandy K

Hey Chelle - Just trying to catch up with you! I'm all for eloping! Whit and I have two anniversary's! One from when we got married in Canada and one from being married by our Monthly Meeting. It's awesome! If one anniversary is a dud, then we have another one 6 months later! :)

Wow, I've missed a lot! Congrats on the house sale. Best wishes to you and Nate in your life together, whenever and wherever you decide to tie the knot. Happy and safe travels to you, and good luck on the house hunt!

Oh, the crash north of Kitchener... I heard about it when I got home from Kitchener on Monday night. I'm just heartbroken for the families of the workers, how will they survive? Migrant workers don't get paid enough as it is. I'm hoping someone sets up a benefit fund for the families, at least.

Very sad and horrific accident, Chelle.

But congrats on the house sale and on discovering the joys of life in Three Pines.

What a relief to sell your house!=D It is a very anxiety causing time while you wait at another's whim. Glad that's over for you. When I married, I had a pretty inexpensive wedding for that times standards but it was so unimportant to me. I was so happy to be marrying the love of my life!=) 28 years later , and I would do it the same way or elope and not have any regrets.

I'm interested to know how you felt about Rushdie's book. People seem to love or hate him, rarely in between. You read a varied assortment of books. Did you have a reading plan this year, or whatever appeals at the time?

Chelle, so many others have given you good advice about the wedding that you don't need to hear more from me. I have an unworn wedding dress somewhere around here but the marriage is still going strong after 43 years.

42: That is terrific news about the house. I hope all the the details are ironed out by the time you get back from your trip.

Congrats to Nate on his graduation. Relax and enjoy the next two weeks, Chelle. Your emotions need some time to absorb all the recent changes in your life. Everything will be fine. You might even look back on this time and laugh...someday.

hope your having a great time!

Good news on the house sale! I fear I've missed a lot of other stuff, dashing through to catch up - but I did spot on your previous thread how much you'd enjoyed the Louise Penny series. I've yet to get hold of A trick of the light but I'm looking forward to spending more time with Gamache and co. when I do.

Just stopping by to say hi! Hope all is going well!

Hi Chelle!

just swinging by to say hello. I hope you're doing well.

Getting caught up here.... amazing what one can miss in two weeks! Congrats on the house sale and I know whatever you and Nate decide for your wedding will be perfect!

Have a great time, Chelle! See you get back.

Chelle, glad to hear you sold the house! I have been away and just finished reading a month's worth of your thread. Hope the hunting for the new house goes well.

Hi Everyone!! I'm still out here in Nova Scotia, just waiting to go look for more houses so I thought I'd pop in and say hello!!

We've looked at some amazing houses and some rather odd houses (one had pink flowered wallpaper on the dinning room ceiling, wtf?! And another had a bedroom ceiling that was covered in vinyl house siding.)

We found two houses we like from yesterday's batch. I fell in love with one but have been told I still need to look at more before I decide. (Huge kitchen, double sided fireplace facing two different sitting rooms, hot tub - would you need to see more? I think not! :)
The other house is brand new (but no appliances) and is ten minutes drive from this view

(Bay of Fundy @ Harbourville, NS)

It's hard to pick!! Seeing more today and then tomorrow we will probably decide.

Hope everyone is doing well! I'll visit on Sunday when I am back at home
Cheers :)

Hi Chelle- What a stunning photo! Good luck with the house hunting. Fingers crossed.

Wow... I guess it won't hurt to look at one more.. but the one with the fireplace sounds divine!
That view is gorgeous, though.. but ...oh my! So hard to choose, isn't it?
Good luck and keep us posted.

Good luck with the house hunting, that would be a lovely view to have but the one with the fireplace sounds beautiful.

happy house hunting!
a view and hot tub would be good :)

Bay of Fundy - I get the chance I'll be moving there too Chelle it looks gorgeous.

Chelle, looks and sounds fabulous. I opt for the double sides fp, large kitchen and hot tub, only if there are like 50 guest rooms. Sraly, enjoy shopping for your new home.

I'm adding my vote to the double fp, large kitchen and hot tub too, Chelle .... and my name on the list of guests who are, I'm sure going to be standing in line for an invite to come visit. ;-)

Ooooh, can't wait to hear what you decide! The Bay of Fundy is spectacular!

Glad to hear the house hunting is going well. Sounds like you have maybe found a winner!

I am so happy for you, Chelle! You must be having a ton of fun with Nate. With your house sold, looking for a new one will be the easy part of moving.

Oooh, I'm so excited for you! Can't wait to hear about (and maybe see - pictures?) which house you choose!

Chelle, so excited for you as with the others I too am voting for the place with the hot tub. :) Good luck with your hunt and seriously pick what is right for you and Nate. We all have dreams of having a hot tub to relax and read in.. :) At least speaking for myself anyway LOL

Hope your having a great Valentines Day Chelle!

Big decision. Trust your gut. I'm so pleased for you that you get to go through this process without worrying about selling the old place. We'll all want to know what you decide!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!!
As a valentine's day present my sweetie bought me a house! Yep, that's right - we are no longer homeless! We bought the house in Paradise, Nova Scotia! It's a lovely 1 acre property with an awesome house, great double sided fireplace and an amazing kitchen and a hot tub! Pending inspection on Thursday, we are set to take possession on March 16th!
realtor website here for those that wanted pictures :)
http://www.realtor.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?PropertyID=10630070&PidKey=379934...

Can't think of a better Valentine's Day!
Hope everyone had a great day!

WOW! Congratulations!
That is a gorgeous house...in Paradise :)

Best wishes for a happy home.

(You could have your wedding on your property.)

Hooray! Lovely house and quite a load off your mind too, I bet. Congratulations.

Woo hoo! Absolutely wonderful! And a reading area to boot!!

Only difficulty I see is not that many walls to put bookshelves up against.

Oh Chelle! TheYour house looks incredible! Lovely woodwork, beautiful kitchen and the patio will be great for a little reading. Oh, and the dbl fireplace!! Ooo la la! I'm so happy for you and Nate. There is a typo about the bedrooms. It says 2, shouldn't it be 22 for all us 75er's?;0)

Wow-ow-ow! That house looks amazing, and its 101 years old.

>112 Carmenere: shouldn't it be 22 for all us 75er's?;0) LOL!

Congrats Chelle, what a great Valentines Day for you :)

Chelle what a lovely property and at such a reasonable price. Equates to about RM550,000 and I couldn't get anything at all remotely as fantastic here for less than RM2,000,000! Nate has excelled himself too to spring this on you on 14 Feb.

Congrats, Chelle! It's beautiful.

Beautiful house Chelle. I'm sure you and Nate will be very happy there.

Wow, nice house! Love the great room and you even have a "reading area!"

Ohmygosh, that's beautiful!! I'm so so happy for you! Let me know when the guest room is ready... :)

WOW, Nate did good for you, congratulations :-)

Really nice place!

Lovely house, Chelle! You really will be living in Paradise!

Chelle, that's so wonderful! What a lovely house! And how romantic for it to be a Valentine . . .

Gorgeous house, Chelle ....congratulations on finding such a beautiful property so quickly ..and on valentine's day too!

*packing bag ...since I noticed a guest bedroom*

Are you busy packing Chelle? I bet you cant wait to get there and get that fire lit so you can go to either side of it and relax with a book!

Wow, Chelle! I love your new house. I'm so glad that you had such a special Valentine's Day.

Gorgeous, Chelle! I especially love the deck...

Oh my Chelle, I've been missing some major excitement over here! CONGRATS on the new house, how exciting!

I love the Dr. Seuss quote you put up top by the way. So LT, isn't it?

OMG what a great new house!

Dream house... absolutely beautiful new home..
Congratulations, and much happiness to you!

Omigosh, you are going to be living in Paradise! I was going to suggest that you look at that house in the corner of your stunning photo of Fundy Bay, but it looks like you have found the perfect house. Congratulations on your beautiful new home. It's going to be hard for Nate to top this Valentine's Day present!

Donna I have somehow lost your thread.. I have to find you..
and yeah... I agree.. paradise!

Gorgeous Chelle!!! Congratulations

just lovely Chelle! kudos to Nate for such a great Valentine gift :)
pool and hot tub! :)

Huzzah!!! Congratulations :)

Thanks everyone, but of course my life is ridiculously dramatic so of course we did not get the house. It failed inspection miserably!! Foundation was cracked, sills were rotted and it had major structural issues in the trusses. So we backed out of that deal. No hot tub or fancy fireplace for me.

We went with our second choice and it's still a great house. It's brand new and never been lived in. It's 10 minutes from the ocean where I took that picture in my post #92. It passed inspection today with flying colours! This one has a lot more room and today Nate took me to buy 6 fancy new appliances!

Life was pretty stressful this week but we finally have a house! Link below for those who like pictures :)
http://www.realtor.ca/PropertyDetails.aspx?&PropertyId=10963368&PidKey=-...

I'll be flying home tomorrow night and I'll visit everyone on Sunday!

Having a place to live is the key, and the new house is very nice! Congratulations again.

That one looks very nice, too, and if it is new, should have a lot less upkeep. Looks like lots of room, but (is this a Canadian thing?) only one bathroom?

Agreed: new house = lots less homeowner stress/repairs! And it's lovely, too! Congrats. All in all, it seems like you've lucked out, both on the selling and the buying side of things.

That's a lovely looking house Chelle. I'm sure you'll both be very happy living in it!

Oh drat! How stressful to go to all that trouble and then have to pull out! poo
But lucky for you, what another cool house! I love the covered verandah and nice wood all through. And it's so high for a view? Or to keep snow out? I loved zooming out and out on the map and seeing where exactly you are, I know virtually nothing about that part of the world and it fascinates me. Congratulations.

That's a really cute house Chelle!

It is cute! And as first owners you will get give it it's personality...
I suspect that before long you will be glad that it is the one that
you made into your home.

Thanks for the pictures! I do love looking :)

Congratulations again, and have a lot of fun with the moving in!

Chelle, sad that the seemingly fancy home you were hoping to work out didn't but as they say everything happens for a reason and maybe just maybe you were meant to have this other new one that has never been lived in where you and Nate can start a new life together. :) It will be fun decorating and making it your own. Congratulations again and lots of fun and luck in your new home. It is very cute.

Another fab outdoor space :) This one looks great, too, and will definitely cause less headaches down the road!

Your new place looks great, Chelle. As others have said, you'll have fun making it your own. We're still working on ours 16 years down the road, and I'm sure others have been doing that longer.

Chelle as Kath rightly points out you can better stamp your own personalities on this places than the last which sounds as if it had far too much personality to make you happy!

I agree with all the others above, Chelle. You and Nate can add your own touches and make this one reflect your personalities. Looks like you'll have plenty of room.

House #2 is sparkling. I can almost smell that new-house fragrance from here. Old houses can be a pain with maintenance costs. I am too well acquainted with wood rot!
Congratulations on your NEW house, Chelle. Hurry home and breathe a big sigh of relief.

Hi Chelle, getting caught up here. Sorry to learn the first house didn't pass inspection but glad to see your trip was still a success and you and Nate are the proud owners of a new house!

Just catching up! Sorry that your first home fell through, but that gorgeous new home looks just lovely! How exciting and congragulations! Loved the pictures!

Chelle - we've had a similar experience and were just glad that the inspection pointed out the problems before we signed on the dotted line. I love your new house. What fun to fill up your new space with books and appliances!

Thanks everyone! I am finally home, 23 hours after I was supposed to be home. Snow in a different province affected the planes leaving Halifax and I got shuffled to today's flight to Toronto instead of yesterday because of limited connecting flights to London. My plane today was over an hour late leaving and I missed my connection but thankfully there was another later flight.
I'm finally home and excited to sleep in my own bed and hang out with my pets. Both furballs appear to have missed me.

Not surprisingly I didn't get to read much over the last two weeks. I'm still only a third of the way through Midnight's Children but I hope to read more tomorrow. I did buy a couple books while I was away. Bay of Fundy: A Natural Portrait and Pier 21. the Gateway That Changed Canada.


18) Bay of Fundy: A Natural Portrait by Scott Leslie
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #3) The Real Deal: Non-Fiction/Biography

I read Bay of Fundy in the airport yesterday and it was wonderful. I really have a lot to learn about the area that I am moving too and this book was a great start! It had some wonderful pictures as well so I will probably use it as a coffee table book in my new house for guests to read about the area.

Well I'm a day late getting home, and a day late visiting! I hope to visit everyone's thread tomorrow!
Night all!

Glad you're home and safe, Chelle!

ditto what rd said!

ditto what kath said!

Chelle- Congrats on the new house! That's great news. I'm glad you are back home, safe & sound.

welcome back Chelle!

welcome back Chelle. Hope you have time to rest and read.

pant pant pant, I'm here!
Thanks everyone for visiting, even when I'm not around!

I spent today running errands and making phone calls. Had to cancel all our services and get new ones scheduled for the new house. It's going to be a CRAZY Month and I apologize in advance for neglecting LT and all my LT friends. I'll make up for it once I am moved and have tons of time to spend reading and hanging out here on LT!

See you all in March lol!!

Welcome home, Chelle! I don't envy you the packing and unpacking... but hey, given where you're moving to, I bet you'll be rushed crazy but with a smile on your face! ;-)

I can well imagine how busy you are going to be over the next few weeks, Chelle. Glad you are home safe and sound, and that you had a very successfull trip.

Wow you live one very exciting life Chelle. Hopefully things settle down for you once you move and get into your beautiful brand new home.

Chelle, glad you are home safe - I love plane delays as it provides uninterrupted opportunities for reading.
You are a busy bee but I'm sure the megnetism of the 75ers will keep pulling at you and that we will see you again in Feb!

Caro, we actually don't have to pack!! Best part ever! The moving company that the military hires does the packing for us! I just have to watch and supervise :)

Thanks Judy! It went well, but was very stressful! I am happy to be home and settled for a couple weeks

Bonnie I wish it wasn't so exciting right now! I think life will become normally and possibly even boring once we are moved! At least that's what I'm hoping for!

Thanks Paul! It is hard to stay away when I have free time! Tonight I have nothing to do and I'm loving it!!
Hanging out with my sucky dog and cat, both keep coming over for cuddles. I guess they missed me after all


Jackson and I having some reading time!

Hi Chelle! Your new house is wonderful! I'm jealous of your kitchen and I love Rapunzel's tower room! or whatever it is ;-)
You are gonna have sooo much fun...
Good luck moving - it's a chore, but in the end you will be home with Nate!

Awwww.... sweet Jackson!

Chelle!! You have a HOUSE!! I am so excited for you. New is good, too. I know old has charm, but in new everything should be working and there is a lot to say for that. And you will get to fill the house with your decorations and energy. So exciting!! Congratulations and way to go Nate!

Congratulations on your new house!

Chelle, I thought that first house sounded too good to be true . . . glad you found the problems before you got stuck with them. But this one sounds wonderful, too. And NEW. Older houses can be a pain sometimes. I was impressed by the description as well as the photos on the realty link. Two double closets in master bedroom, closets in hall and entry -- oooh! Hot tubs may sound nice, but closet space is essential!

Terri is so right Chelle....your new house also has the virtue of having a very timeless design and I'm sure that Nate and you will people the place over time with the elements of love and care which turn a house into a home.

btw what's a sucky dog? He looks replete with bookishness in any case.

Chelle, your new HOME looks wonderful. Congrats on finding a place with which you could connect.

so.. what is it that you are reading??

eta cute pup :)

Congratulations, Chelle! Love the bay windows...also noticed a lot more natural light in your house than in the other...that can be important way up north!

Your dog is so relaxed! He must help you to feel that way too.

Welcome home.

Thanks Cee! The rapunzel looking room is just the living room! The windows still out for more space I guess?

Thanks Kim! We are getting excited! only 11 more shifts to work and I gave my notice at work today! :) Eek!

Thanks Linda!!

Terri, I guess I was not meant to have a hot tub lol I am a big fan of the extra space in this one though, and 10 minutes to the ocean, yay!

Well Paul, a sucky dog is one who doesn't want to eat, doesn't want to play, doesn't want to do anything except sleep with his head in your lap and stare at you with puppy eyes asking why you left him at Gramma's house for two weeks.

Thanks Ellen! We were very lucky that we had found houses that we liked, or else I would be homeless! lol

Kath, I have been trying to read Midnight's Children but not surprisingly it is more difficult than my silly head can handle right now. I've been reading it for two weeks and I'm still only 200 pages in. Sooo I started a new one, Dissolution and it's going better! Perhaps I will be able to finish one more book this month?

Thanks Gail! It does seem very light-filled! And because we are in the country with neighbours far away I probably won't put up blinds, keep that light coming in!

Oh, Chelle, they are going to be sad at your workplace!! 11 10 more shifts to go!

Kim actually people seem really excited for me! I secretly think that they all just want to visit the beach ;)

I gave my notice today and my Inspector was really great about it. Obviously they knew it was coming, but I didn't expect the offer of a reference from him. The Big Cheese usually lets the Sergeants give references. I thought that was very nice :)

And now I need a favor from my lovely LT friends. I need recomendations for fluffy, light reading.
I'm currently struggling with Midnight's Children. I know that I will love this book, but I can't concentrate enough to enjoy it right now.
I am reading Dissolution on my Kobo at home, but I can't take that to work.

So I need stuff that is easy to read, flows well but isn't cheesy (no romance)

Help dear LT friends! Give me your fluff suggestions :)

Chelle- I don't do fluffy, it's against my religion, but I would recommend Blood Red Road, which is light & fast. Somewhere in the Divergent & Hunger Games universe.
Actually, I did a GR of Midnight's Children some time back. I had difficulties with that book. Some brilliant writing of course, but not a very smooth read. Hey, others disagreed with me, so you never know.

If you are looking for fluff reading, I highly recommend the Mitford series

At Home in Mitford is the first book.

haha Mark, against your religion eh! That's like me and romance and westerns ;)
I loved Hunger Games and Divergent so I will check out Blood Red Road, thanks!

Thanks Linda! I have not heard of that author before, I love finding new stuff on LT!

Chelle, I'm reading the first of Alan Bradley's Flavia de Luce novels, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. It's not fluff, but it is smart, sophisticated YA fiction - easy to read, easy to keep track of, and enjoyable. If you haven't tried them ...

I love Mitford. I really ought to re-read those.

Hi Chelle, congrats on the new place, that is so exciting and I especially love how you don't have to pack anything! For light fluffy reading, I just love YA fiction, always a good failsafe for me when RL gets in the way.

How about a really good vampire read: A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness? or The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick?

I am glad everyone was happy for you. And how nice of the Inspector to offer his endorsement. Yay!

...hmm... fluff ...maybe the Parasol Protectorate series, starting with Soulless!

My daughter loves that Soulless series.

It's Mark-endorsed, so not exactly fluffy, but The Coroner's Lunch is a good, pretty easy read.

Hi Chelle!
I guess my fluff is all about the antics of animals and fantasy.
Not too much fluff in my life - need to correct that!
I'm reading His Dark Materials trilogy for FF and it's fun.
I will also confess that I loved all the "Cat Who..." books by Lillian Jackson Braun. (don't tell anyone - they were so ridiculous and I loved them)
I also agree with Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.
I'm thinking good "fluff" is in the mind of the beholder ;-)

Quick flyby, chelle. Love house #2 just as much if not more than house 1. Wish you guys a hundred years of happiness there!
I've also heard good things of the Mitford series.

I also loved the Mitford series. My go-to for indulgence is a mystery with good characters. If you haven't read it yet, The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby is a quick read and I really enjoyed the history and info regarding winemaking in the U.S.

Thanks Nancy! I actually have all 4 in that series, but I haven't started them yet. I should read them now while my head is in stupid land! ;)

Lori, I see lots of people have read the Mitford series. Wonder how I have never heard of it!

Thanks Leonie, I'm a big fan of not packing too!
I have a few YA that I could try, some are too teen angsty for me though

Thanks Kim! I loved A Discovery of Witches but I haven't read Hugo (but I have seen it a bunch around the threads), I'll look for that one.

Faith, yet another one that I have not heard of! Thanks!

Joe, I think I saw Richard promoting The Coroner's Lunch on someone's thread ... Must be good if you, Mark and Richard are all talking about it!

Hi Cee! I didn't think I hard heard about His Dark Materials but then I clicked on the link and I know I have seen that polarbear head cover before! Thanks for the suggestions!

Thanks Lynda! We loved it too, just wish it had a hot tub! ;)

Hi Mamie! Welcome to my thread, I'll have to go off in search of yours :) Thanks for the suggestions!

To hold myself accountable I am posting this here:

I refuse to quit


I like this book, I really do, but it is haaaaard to read with a broken brain. I am plodding on though

I will finish this book

I did not finish this book. Good luck though!

haha Kim, I thought if I wrote it here that maybe I would actually finish it. I can't see it happening tonight though. I plan on switching to Dissolution on my Kobo when I get home from work ;)

My broken brain can only take so many sentances without punctuation.

Didn't mean to dilute your shout-out intention to the Universe. Here is some extra punctuation to use when needed: , . ! ? ! ? , . . : )

You're a brave one, Chelle ... I could not like Midnight's Children ... i thought it just plodded on, going nowhere ... or going on so long that I got lost.

Hi Chelle, You are brave. I haven't tried Rushdie myself, but probably will some day.

For something lighter, but probably not fluffy, have you every read Rachel Cusk? The Country Life is clever and delightful. I've read one of her other books (The Lucky Ones I think?) and didn't like it much, but this one is great.

I have not actually caught up.. just skimmed.
I read several of the Mitford books, too. They are
very fluffy for sure, but the characters are endearing
and feel realistic, not sappy and forced. I liked them.
My sister has the whole series..

Chelle - I finally read Midnight's Children a couple of years ago and I thought it was well worth reading. I did have an abandoned attempt so if you put it to one side and come back to it when there is less going on in your life I think you might appreciate it more. But do read it someday:)

I had the same trouble with The Enchantress of Florence by Salman Rushdie, which is kind of embarassing because it's short compared to what I usually read. It was just so dense that I felt exhausted after reading just a few pages. I eventually got through it, though it took a trans-oceanic plane ride.

haha so it look like Rushdie has some lovers and haters on LT

I am liking the concept of the story, the tale that the main character is telling is quite interesting. However I am having trouble with the times when he uses emotions and absolutely no punctuation and I have to re-read half a page to try and figure out if I read it right. It's exhausting.

I'm over the halfway point now, but I will be bringing a lighter book for nightshift tonight! :) Perhaps Wayward Bus or if I can get to the library Blood Red Road.

I'm off to take the beasts to the vet for their shots. I'll write everyone back later today when I'm at the computer longer
Happy Friday!

Happy Friday to you too, Chelle! Midnight's Children is one of my favorite books, but he's certainly not for the broken-brained. I hope you can get your hands on the perfectly light book for work later, and that the beasts behaved themselves at the vet. TGIF!

Chelle, I love your new house! It looks so east coast somehow and I bet you'll put that fireplace to good use. Your dog is pretty darn beautiful too. So happy things are falling in place for you.

no worries Kim, no diluting. Just me trying to talk myself into not giving up on another book. I've already put one back on the shelf due to lack of brain power

Caro, I'm only at the halfway point and I feel like it could be going somewhere ... but I don't know where. I'm not sure I like his writing style though. Seems kinda of spastic and hard to follow

Thanks Kerri, I'll check out The Country Life!
I think Rushdie is on the 1001 list so I'm sure you will get to him sooner or later. Make sure you have time to concentrate well before you start though!

Hi Kath, thanks for visiting :)

Hi Calm! Glad to see someone liked it. I like the story and thinks the whole "midnight's children" thing is quite clever and interesting, I just don't think I like Rushdie's writing style. I'm working 9 out of the next 11 days so I don't think I will get to finish it until I move. (But then I'll have tons of time anyway!)

Nora, I think that's what my problem is - he is just a dense complicated writter. I haven't tried anything else by him.
Did you end up enjoying The Enchantress of Florence or was it just too exhausting?

Hi Laura. I actually started reading The Wayward Bus tonight and it seems to be light enough for my sore brain. I really like Steinbeck's writing style. he is almost like the TV show Seinfeld, writes about nothing and makes it interesting. So far I'm 25 pages in a not much has happened but I like it anyway

Thanks Tiffin! the house we ended up buying doesn't actually have a fireplace, but I've almost got Nate talked into a woodstove for next winter. And thanks, I think Jax is cute too :)

***

So the beasts behaved at the vet today. Jax didn't need anything done, just a checkup and I needed paperwork for him to fly next month.
Taz the cat on the other hand isn't doing too well. She is an indoor cat that doesn't get shots, but to fly she has to have shots. So she got two shots and had blood work done. She was none too impressed. Turns out she needs to have two teeth removed now. The vet gave me a quote of $1200!!!
I just about fainted. $1200 for two teeth!? Not a chance.
We are going to wait until we get a new vet in Nova Scotia and hope their prices are more reasonable.

I'm working nights tonight and it's slooooow. Just absorbing myself in Steinbeck's world now :)

Chelle- Glad the vet went well. I hope you enjoy The Wayward Bus as much as I did. I admire the fact that you are hanging in there with Midnight's Children. Funny, how divided LT is over this book.
You should have a good time with Blood Red Road. It's a lot of fun.

Holy Moly what a thread! I have postponed and relocated a wedding, sold a house, almost bought house 1, bought house 2, and vetted the animals with a book or two thrown in!!!! I'm exhausted. You must be young, Chelle.
I loved Midnight's Children and The Moor's Last Sigh, but I wouldn't put either one in my top 500 or 600 easy reads. Now that I've caught up, I'll be back!

The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT 4*

I had to scroll allllll the way to near the top of my thread to realize that this is the first novel I have finished since February 6th. Oh the shame!
At least this was a 4* read though! I love how Steinbeck takes the simplest story and turns it into something completely absorbing. There are some amazing reviews added already from the Steinbeckathon group so I won't bother to add anymore, other than saying I thought this was a book worth reading. I read it at work on a 12 hour nightshift so it won't take much of your time to read. So read it already! ;)

Make sure you ask for copies of the blood work and vet records to take with you ~

>202 ChelleBearss:: somehow I missed the shift at >135 ChelleBearss: but I'm with the program now. That is a charming house and you aren't all that far from the Bay, are you! If you head straight across the province to the Atlantic side, you'll be at Chester, which is one of my favourite areas. Lucky you--so much fun exploring to do!

#202 - Poor Taz! $1200 sounds REALLY high. My old lady cat (she passed away almost 2 years ago) had 3 extracted about 3 years ago and it was around $500-600 USD. That's with anesthesia and everything.

Chelle - hope your preparations for New Scotland are moving a pace. Timidly want to add that I am in the significant minority that thought Midnight's Children a wonderful novel.

Thanks for another endorsement of The Wayward Bus, Chelle. That one is garnering must-read status here on LT!

Chelle, I admit that I tried Midnight's Children a couple of years ago and gave up before getting too far into it. I will give it another try as I believe all the people who have raved about it. One just has to be in the right frame of mind. I'm glad The Wayward Bus was a good read for your mental space (even though it's lit-ra-ture, I agree that it's engaging and compelling, making for easy reading).

Oh, the cost of dental work for cats - through the roof! Our Abby seems not to have the healthiest teeth, either.

Speaking of Abby, she insists that I put away the dang laptop so that she can be my laptop for a while. Given that I was away for a week, it does seem like the least I can do. Guess I'll read for a while. :-)

Hi Kath! I did, thankfully they didn't charge me extra for paperwork! They seem to be penny grabbers there!

Hi Tui! Yes, we will be able 10 minutes to the bay at Harbourville! I can't wait until it's warm enough to walk the beach! :)

Kerri I thought it was WAY too high! My mom was with me and she said her friend has a little dog that needed a bunch of teeth out and it didn't cost near that amount.
I'm going to take my chances and wait a month and get a quote from the new yet in NS.

Hi Paul! My prepartions are good, thanks. I think I've called every business that needed notifying ... if not they'll find out when I leave ;)
I want to like this book. Other than the punctuation, I feel like I could like it. I'm going to try finishing it on my next day off ... hopefully my brain will be less broken. I'm on nightshift now so it's pretty loopy right now!

Hi Nancy! It was a good entertaining read! It's not very long either so it won't take up much of your time!

Hi Ellen! I have put MC away for a few days but I do plan on coming back. I'm reading light this weekend while my brain recuperates from overload.
Hope you enjoyed your Abby cuddles and reading time!

20) Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #10) It's a whole new world: Apocalyptic/ Post Apocalyptic/ Dystopian
4*

Allergy Alert: May contain spoilers.

Blood Red Road is the first book in the Dust Lands series and the debut novel by Young. This was a great first book and I can’t wait to see how she continues the series.

Set in a dystopian world where The Wreckers of a time before have destroyed their world; Saba and her family live in a poor, isolated way in an area going through a drought. Food and water is hard to come by and things are getting very tough and tensions are high. Just as her twin brother Lugh and her father have a huge argument a violent dust and lightning storm rushes in. On the heels of this storm comes a group of riders and they snatch Lugh and kill Saba’s father.
With only a few clues about the identities of the riders, Saba and her 9 year old sister Emmi must figure out who has taken Lugh and why. They will travel far further than they ever imagined and meet people that they could only have dreamt about. They take on a journey that is well above their maturity and skill level and they rise to the task magnificently!

I was very impressed with the flow of this book and the concept. I found that I had no trouble believing the realities of their world and the horrible things that happen in it. I was especially impressed that although this is a teen novel there was very little teen angst until at least 200 pages in and even then it was minor and not too whiny.
I would compare this to The Hunger Games or Divergent.

Thanks to Mark and everyone who suggested this one!!

I'm WAY behind, but Chelle, fancy having someone pack for you when you move! Ohhhhh envy fills my soul!! I can remember every time that we moved, I start really early and my husband and friends would help, but nonetheless, I'd find myself throwing things into boxes at the last minute. And oh! Moving with young kids as we did, we had to mark Daniels bedroom, William's bedroom ect etc because by the time you do the move, finding those precious must open boxes is a real nightmare!

Wow! What price for dental work for your cat! I have a feeling that our dog needs dental work, but I fear the price...

Chelle.. did you like the book? ? stars?

Deb.. We moved a lot before we bought our first house. The family kept
growing out of where we were, for one thing. I had it down to a science!
Still, that last hour would reveal things lurking that needed to go with us.
Glad those days are over :) I do think that having a professional
pack for you would be wonderful!!!

Yep. Vet care is very expensive. They work very hard at finding new ( and old )
things to charge extra for. You would weep if you know how much they made
on meds and vaccines alone. Then they have to keep their stats up, ( in most practices)
so each doctor has to send you out the door with a bill of ? whatever it is that practice
has set. 300$ to 400$is about standard. ( supplements and more testing ) February is frequently
the month they push dental care, and march heartworm testing. Yep. If you knew how
much time was spent on figuring out how to get more money instead of how to give better care..
it would make you crazy. There ARE good places left....just hard to find. imo.

21) Dissolution by CJ Sansom
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #11) Grape Vine: Books found from recommendations on LT
3.5*

Set in the 1500’s at the time of King Henry VIII and his war against the Catholic Church, this is the first book in the Matthew Shardlake Series.

Shardlake, a hunchback attorney, receives an urgent notice from Vicar Thomas Cromwell to investigate a murder of unusual circumstances. An officer of the court had been sent to the Scarsea Monastery to investigate possible ungodly and criminal acts and to make attempts at having the Abbot surrender the church to the King. Before he succeeds he comes to an untimely death by being beheaded by a sword and the church is desecrated with an animal sacrifice and theft of a relic.

Shardlake and his assistant must investigate the Abbot and Brothers and all the staff but unfortunately for Shardlake everyone seems to be guilty of something. Before he is able to investigate enough to have any leads the body count starts rising and he finds himself in the middle of multiple murders and trapped by a snowstorm. Tensions start to rise amongst those who are scared for their lives, those worried that the monastery is being closed, and those trying to hide their crimes.

I have a love/hate relationship with Shardlake. I loved following him investigate and make deductions and going down many wrong paths to find the right one, but I found his position hard to believe at times. He is a hunchback who is ridiculed for his deformity and he can be very naive, but at times he can be incredibly rude and demanding of those working with him. I wanted to slap him at times. Didn’t anyone say please in the 1500’s?

*doing a drive by*

eta: I hope your light-reading weekend was just what the doctor (or vet?) ordered. And cheaper than dental work......for cats or humans!

*smooch*

Hi Deb!
It's actually kind of bothering me that I don't have to pack. I know I will like it once they get here and do it, but right now all I can think is we move in 18 days and nothing is packed LOL! I was going to pack some things that were important to me but Nate says they will unpack it and repack it to make sure it's packed right, so I might as well leave it. Sigh.

Kath, I loved the book. It was just what the doctor ordered to get me back into a reading mood!
I must admit that I love our vet for routine things, but holy batman their prices for surgery is stupid-crazy!
I am banking on the east coast being cheaper

Thanks Ellen! I am enjoying my fluff reading. Well not fluff so much as not hard stuff

Smooth back-atcha Richard!!

Reviews added in posts #213 & 216

Nice review of Dissolution, Chelle. That one's on my list, if I ever get to it.

Yay! I'm glad you liked Blood Red Road, Chelle. I'm looking forward to the next one, too. One thing I liked, among many, was Saba's growing appreciation of Emmi from a not-promising start.

I read Dissolution but for some reason didn't like it as much as others have. Maybe some day I'll give Shardlake another chance. I had mixed feelings about him like you did. Good review.

Chelle- Good review of Blood Red Road. Lets hope between you, me & Joe we can get a few more people on the Dustlands train.

Just ordered Blood Red Road based on your review - I have three daughters who love to read YA dystopian, so we are going to read this as soon as we finish up our current read.

Reading chugging along nicely Chelle. I was a tad disappointed with Dissolution when I read it a few years ago with all the series bought en bloc. Thought the premise of a hunchback detective a little trite and the plot didn't grab me as much as I had expected. Will get to the others eventually but I am not desperate to either.

>219 ChelleBearss: On my last big move, I indulged in an actual moving company including packing service, and it was heavenly! The only bad part was that they didn't stick around to help me unpack in the new place. Ten years later (!) I still have some boxes that haven't been unpacked. (Clearly, I need nothing in those boxes and should have just ditched the stuff before I moved.)

The Shardlake series gets better as it goes along, imho, as Sansom gets into his stride writing mysteries. It is such a fascinating era with so much going on and as a historian, Sansom gets it exactly right.

Yikes, I was so far behind. Congrats on your beautiful new home! Sorry to hear about the wedding changes but it'll all work out. And you've got a great guy there, but I know you already know that.

I could not get through Midnight's Children. Life is too short...

>190 ChelleBearss:/202/205 Uh oh, I have Midnights Children on my list for this year.....already Im thinking my brain might not be up to it!
But Wayward Bus is creeping in on my list and your review confirms it. Ill def get to Steinbeck before getting to Rushdie!

Thanks Nancy. I thought it was pretty decent! I bought the next couple in the series so I'm looking forward to a day off work so I can read them!

Joe I really enjoyed Saba and Emmi's relationship growth as well. I felt bad for Emmi, I can't imagine being a third sibling to a set of twins. Talk about feeling left out!
I am going to continue with the Shardlake series. I am hoping that it gets better but I did quite enjoy the first one. I just hope Shardlake learns some manners at some point!

Mark I'm sure more people will catch on. You are pretty good at spreading the word about a good book!

Hi Mamie! Glad to hear you are jumping on the Dust Lands train.( as Mark put it :) Hopefully your kids love it!

Hi Paul! I was in the mood for something light so I think it really fit! I'm going to try and read the rest of them while I am still brain-broken and maybe later this spring I'll get back into normal reading mode.

Hi Julia! We just did a big purge and got rid of things that have been in boxes since Nate moved in three years ago! It's amazing the crap that accumulates!

Tui, I think they will be a perfect fit for Mystery March! I'm glad to hear that you think they get better

Hi Joanne! You are so right, life is too short to read bad books! The only problem is I actually kinda like this one, it's just a bit too hard for me right now. I will finish it though!! ;)

Megan, so many people have liked it that I think you should give it a shot. Just make sure you pick a good time that you can devote some attention to it.
I have 5 days off between my last day at work and when Nate comes home for the move, I hope to be able to peck away at it then. But for sure, go to Steinbeck first! It was a good read

ETA: Edited to fix my horrible spelling and grammar. Turns out I can't type very well in the middle of nightshift!

>202 ChelleBearss: (Sorry I'm a bit behind on threads) I am really glad that I read The Enchantress of Florence. In hindsight it was good, and I think about it often. But it was just exhausting to get through.

Hi Chelle. I have avoided that particular book bullet, thank goodness!
I am trying to stay away from Amazon and our local libraries are :PPP

Just popping in to keep up with you! So much good stuff going on in your
life, I don't want to lose track of you!

Chelle, I must admit I really didn't read your review of Blood Red Road until today and I must say I think I need this book on my wishlist so you got me with a BB.. OH Dear more to my long growing wishlist.. ****Sigh**** YEAH.. :)

Okay, so many people reading and enjoying Blood Red Road, I just might have to investigate this one. I have not heard of the author before.

Yikes! Your life is moving fast!
Sending good energy your way to keep up with yourself!
Hang on tight...

Better you than me. But then I will be so jealous when you get settled ;-) Ahhh!

I'm still looking for the first in the Shardlake series - hopefully soon:)

Sounds like you haven't long to go before the big move - hope everything goes smoothly.

22) 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
Read for 75 books in 2012, 12 in 2012:Category #5) Oooh something shiny!: Books I randomly pick up

The Pendleton is a grand residence built in the 1800's. Once the magnificent home of a tycoon and his family, it is now luxury apartments for the wealthy. Built at the highest point of Shadow Hill over a faultline to another time and place, The Pendleton has a history of episodes of violence and murder.
Every 38 years The One begins it's work on the residents and no one is safe. Shadows fleet across walls and monsters creep from around corners. Lives and sanity are under great threat.

Either the gates of Hell had opened or Tom had lost his mind, for there could be nothing like this entity outside the precincts of the damned except in the fevered fantasies of a raving paranoid psychopath.

There is nothing more disappointing than a great story with a weak ending. I had shivers reading parts of this book but then the ending was just tied up so neat and tidy, it just didn't fit.
2.5*

Nora, I guess there are just books like that where you really have to be in a position to be able to pay attention. I'm just not in a good mindset to be able to read something super hard right now. I'll come back to it though

Hi Kath! You may have avoided that book bullet but I'll try and get you with another one Muahhahahaha (btw: that's my evil laugh ;)

Hi Monica! Glad I got you with that one! I think it's one many will like! Let me know what you think when you read it

Hi Ellen. I had not heard of that one until Mark came to my broken-brain rescue when I was in search of fluff. While it was not fluff, it did help me out of my funk

Hi Cee! Life is moving fast! Only 5 more shifts at work and then I'm freeeeeee!!

Hi calm! I ended up buying that series for my kobo with some coupons that I found. I wish there was a way to lend Kobo books and then I could lend it to you

February 2012 Reading Statistics

Number of books read: 7
Average rating: 3.6*
Number of pages: 2309

Fiction/Non-Fiction:
• Fiction: 5
• Non-Fiction: 2

Owned/borrowed (from human)/library:
• Owned: 5
• Borrowed (from human): 0
• Library: 2

Format:
• Print book: 6
• Ebook: 1
• Audiobook: 0

Length:
• Short Story/Novella: 0
• Full Length: 7

Author country:
• United States: 4
• Canada: 2
• British: 1

Author gender:
• Female: 2
• Male: 5

Chelle, what happens if you borrow a book from a robot? ;)

Chelle- I lent a friend/co-worker blood Red Road. He flew through it, really enjoyed it and passed it on to his son. Spreading the word, that's what we do.

Couldn't agree more about great stories with crappy endings! "What? I read all the way through for THIS???" Ought to be a law ...

Wow, Chelle, your move is coming up quickly. I admire that you are getting so much good reading done with a full plate of other activities. Will you be looking for a job after your move or do you plan to be a lady of leisure? Think of how much reading you can get done if you don't work. ;-)

I'm glad to hear you are planning to stay with Midnight's Children. It was a challenging read, but I'm one of the ones who really liked it.

Spreading the word, that's what we do.

That is so true~

February was a good month for you, Chelle. I'm also glad you're hanging in there with MC, if only because it inspires me!

Micky, those robots are very serious about due dates! Beware if the book is overdue ;)

Glad we are spreading that good book around Mark!

Nancy, I couldn't agree more! I felt so let down when I got to the end because the book was so creep and great up until then. Total let down!

HI Donna! Nate and I have agreed that I will be taking the summer off. I've always wanted to live at the ocean so I'm going to really get a chance to enjoy it! I'll start looking for something in the fall I think.
And that way when our friends and family come visit this summer I will be home to entertain them ;)

Hi Kath!

Hi Ellen. It was a slow reading month but I did manage to fit a few good ones in. I imagine March will be very similar with the move and stuff. Hopefully I'll get back to normal in April.
Thanks, I hope to finish MC sometime soon but I haven't made much progress in the last few days.

***
I'm having a rather emotional day today and I think tonight will be reading and early to bed. I had a going away party with a few of my friends today and it's going to be very hard to leave everyone!

They did give me some lovely presents and a $80 gift card for Chapters (books). I had to laugh because I had been joking with some of them about the "Book Budget" that Nate thinks he is going to be enforcing (good luck to him! :) so on the Chapters gift card they wrote "F**K the book budget!". Oh I love my girls! :)

ETA I forgot to mention I won an ER book :) Seriously, Just Go To Sleep by Adam Mansbach. The kids version of Go The F**k to Sleep. Yay!

Hey! You're right! February WAS a good month for Chelle!
yay !

Please join me at my new thread here :)