Mamie's 2013 Madness (Page 21)

Currently Listening to:


December Reads:
145. Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan (4 stars) - thanks, Ellen!!

Books I am seriously looking at for November:

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffeneggar - TIOLI #2 - ROOT paperback

Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews - TIOLI #3 - 2013 acquired ebook

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny - TIOLI #4 - 2013 acquired ebook

Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker - TIOLI #6 - 2013 acquired ebook - reading these with Roberta and Donna - COMPLETED

World War Z - TIOLI #6 - ROOT paperback, Santa Swap gift from Stasia

Montana 1948 by Larry Watson - TIOLI #9 - 2013 acquired paperback - recommended by Richard and Mark - COMPLETED

1984 by George Orwell - TIOLI #9 - ROOT paperback, also own the audiobook

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland - TIOLI #15 - ebook - COMPLETED

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman - TIOLI #15 - 2013 acquired paperback - author recommended by Katie - COMPLETED

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - TIOLI #17/shared - 2013 acquired hardback - recommended by Mark

When Pride Still Mattered: Lombardi by David Maraniss - TIOLI #19/shared - ROOT ebook

Divergent by Veronica Roth - TIOLI #20 - ROOT audiobook - reread - COMPLETED

*

January (17 books)
1. Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie (4.25 stars) - ebook - ROOT
2. Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson (4 stars) - paperback, library book
3. Alice in the Country of Hearts by QuinRose - paperback - ROOT
4. A Bride's Story by Kaoru Mori - hardback, Abby's book
5. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (4 stars) - ebook - ROOT
6. Maus I by Art Spiegelman (4.5 stars) - paperback - ROOT
7. Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken (4 stars) - ebook - ROOT
8. In the Woods by Tana French (4.5 stars) - paperback, library book
9. Volt by Alan Heathcock (4 stars) - paperback, library book
10. Emma by Karou Mori (3 stars) - hardback, library book
11. Maus II by Art Spiegelman (4.5 stars) - paperback - ROOT
12. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (4 stars) - audiobook - ROOT
13. The Beggar's Opera by Peggy Blair (3.75 stars) - paperback, Early Reviewer book
14. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (4.5 stars) - paperback - ROOT
15. The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie (4 stars) - hardback - ROOT
16. Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin (5 stars) - ebook - ROOT
17. The One Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (5 stars) - this was a reread, I am leaving the previous rating that I assigned it in place - hardback - ROOT

February (10 books)
18. Before Midnight by Rex Stout (4 stars), paperback, library book
19. 420 Characters by Lou Beach (4 stars), hardback, library book
20. The Iron Duke by Maljean Brook (3 stars), paperback, library book
21. Temple of a Thousand Faces by John Shors (4.25 stars), paperback, ER book
22. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (4.25 stars), hardback purchased hot off the presses
23. A Literary Guide to Flannery O'Connor's Georgia by Sarah Gordon (4 stars), paperback, library book
24. Soulless by Gail Carringer (3.5 stars), library ebook
25. The Pale Criminal by Phillip Kerr (3.5 stars) ebook, ROOT
26. Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel by Melissa de la Cruz (3.5 stars), hardback purchased in 2013
27. Pyongyang by Guy Delisle (3 stars), paperback, library book

March (12 books)
28. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez (3.75 stars), paperback - ROOT
29. Twilight by Stephenie Meyers - reread (I know what you're thinking, but I like it)
30. Killing Floor by Lee Child (3.5 stars) - ebook - ROOT
31. Hamlet by William Shakespeare - reread (4.5 stars) - hardback - ROOT
32. The Five-Forty-Five to Cannes by Tess Uriza Holthe (4 stars) - hardback - library book
33. The Ladies of Mandrigyn by Barbara Hambly (4 stars) - ebook - 2013 acquired
34. Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (4.25 stars) - ebook - ROOT
35. The Chardonnay Charade by Ellen Crosby (3.5 stars) - ebook - ROOT
36. The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby (3.5 stars) - ebook - 2013 acquired
37. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb (4 stars for sheer entertainment value) - ebook - 2013 acquired
38. In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming (3 stars) - ebook - ROOT
39. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel (5 stars)- hardback - 2013 acquired

April (13 books)
40. Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman (4.5 stars) - Thanks for the shove, Morphy!
41. A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (4.25 stars)
42. Round Mountain by Castle Freeman, Jr. (3.75 stars)
43. The Searchers by Alan LeMay (4.25 stars)
44. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (4.5 stars)
45. A Man Without Breath by Phillip Kerr (4.3 stars)
46. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (3.75 stars)
47. Ashfall by Mike Mullin (4 stars)
48. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (4 stars)
49. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (4 stars)
50. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx (5 stars)
51. Howards End by E. M. Forster (4.5 stars)
52. Me, Who Dove into the Heart of the World by Sabina Berman

May (15 books)
53. Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - reread
54. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker (3.4 stars)
55. The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4.5 stars)
56. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris - reread
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (5 stars)
57. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (5 stars)
58. Club Dead by Charlaine Harris - reread
59. Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C Gwynne (4.5 stars)
60. The Fever Tree by Jennifer McVeigh (3.5 stars)
61. Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris - reread
62. Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris - reread
63. The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler (4.75 stars)
64. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (4.5 stars)
65. The Making of the African Queen by Katharine Hepburn (5 stars)
66. Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris - reread
67. The Ghosts of Nagasaki by Daniel Clausen (4.5 stars)

June (18 books)
68. All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris - reread
69. A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris (3 stars)
70. The Radleys by Matt Haig (4 stars)
71. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (5 stars)
72. The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri (4 stars)
73. From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris - reread
74. Austenland by Shannon Hale (4 stars)
75. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - reread (4.25 stars)
76. God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker (3 stars)
77. Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris - reread
78. The African Queen by C. S. Forrester (4 stars)
79. Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris (3.75 stars)
80. The Reader by Bernhard Schlink (4 stars)
81. The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin (4.25 stars)
82. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (4.75 stars)
83. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - reread
84. Fer-de-Lance by Rex Stout (3.75 stars)
85. Blood Kin by Henry Chappell (4 stars)

July (11 books)
86. American Born Chinese by Gene Yang (4 stars)
87. The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley (4 stars)
88. gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson (3.5 stars)
89. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (4.5 stars)
90. The Bat by Jo Nesbo (3 stars)
91. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen - reread
92. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler (4.25 stars)
93. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler (3.75 stars)
94. A Bride's Story, Vol. 2 by Kaoru Mori (4 stars)
95. Mortal Stakes by Robert B. Parker (3.25 stars)
96. Pride and Prejudice adapted graphic novel by Nancy Butler (4 stars)

August: (12 books)
97. Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (4 stars)
98. Cop Hater by Ed McBain (3.5 stars)
99. Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch (4.25 stars)
100. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (4 stars)
101. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (4 stars)
102. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (3.75 stars)
103. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff (3.75 stars)
104. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch (4.25 stars)
105. Promised Land by Robert B. Parker (3 stars)
106. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (3.75 stars)
107. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (5 stars - It's always a 5 star read!)
108. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (3.75 stars)

September: (13 books)
109. Light in August by William Faulkner (4.25 stars)
110. Raylan by Elmore Leonard (3.3 stars)
111. Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs (4 stars)
112. The Judas Goat by Robert B. Parker (3 stars)
113. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman (3.5 stars)
114. The Road Home by Rose Tremain (4 stars)
115. The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett - reread (always 5 stars for me!)
116. The Asphalt Jungle by W. R. Burnett (4 stars)
117. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs (3.75 stars)
118. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs (3.75 stars)
119. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling -reread
120. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling - reread
121. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling - reread

October: (14 books)
122. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (4 stars)
123. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (A New Verse translation) by Simon Armitage (4 stars)
124. Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney (4 stars)
125. The Witch's Grave by Phillip DePoy (3.4 stars)
126. Night by Elie Wiesel
127. Till We Have Faces by C. S Lewis (4.5 stars)
128. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher (3.3 stars)
129. The Tourist by Olen Steinhauer (4.6 stars)
130. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (4 stars)
131. Looking for Rachel Wallace by Robert B. Parker (3.5 stars)
132. Being There by Jerzy Kosinski (4.25 stars)
133. Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch (4 stars)
134. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (5 stars)
135. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith (3.5 stars)

November Reads: (9 books)
136. Divergent by Veronica Roth - reread - audiobook
137. My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland (3 stars)
138. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman (4.2 stars)
139. Montana, 1948 by Larry Watson (5 stars)
140. Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker (4 stars)
141. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood (3.8 stars)
142. Tilt-A-Whirl by Chris Grabenstein (3.5 stars)
143. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury (4 stars)
144. Mr. Muo's Traveling Couch by Dai Sijie (4 stars)

Books Purchased in 2013:

January
1. Sandman, Volume 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman
2. Dog Stars by Peter Heller
3. Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus
4. The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson
5. Nightbirds on Nantucketby Joan Aiken
6. In the Woods by Tana French - read it this year, but I loved it so much that I wanted my own copy
7. Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
8. Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie - collecting these covers
9. Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie - collecting these covers
10. The Clocks by Agatha Christie - collecting these covers
11. Third Girl by Agatha Christie - collecting these covers
12. The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap by Wendy Welch
13. The Likeness by Tana French - the book store had the hardcopy edition on sale for $6, how can I resist that?
14. Raylan by Elmore Leonard - Craig and I will both read this READ
15. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - I read this on Kindle last year, but wanted a physical copy of it
16. The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory - book store had this on sale for $3, recommended by Chéli
17. The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCollough - I read this forever ago and loved it, today I found a lovely edition with deckled edge pages, enough said!
18. Old Filth by Jane Gardam - my very first Europa edition!
19. The New Moon With the Old by Dodie Smith
20. One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
21. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin - I read this on Kindle, but wanted a physical copy of it for my shelves
22. A Clash of Kings by George R. R. Martin
23. A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin
24. A Feast of Crows by George R. R. Martin
25. A Dance of Dragons by George R. R. Martin

February
26. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer READ
27. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
28. Vampire Empire by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith
29. Faithful Place by Tana French
30. Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers (Kindle Daily Deal)
31. The Woman Who Wouldn't Die by Colin Cotterill - the latest Dr. Siri!
32. State of Wonder by Ann Patchett - deckled edge pages!
33. The Cider House Rules by John Irving - Kindle Daily Deal
34. The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel READ
35. Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell
36. Frances and Bernard by Carlene Bauer
37. Still Life With Murder by P. B Ryan (Kindle Daily Deal)
38. Blue Bloods: The Graphic Novel by Melissa de la Cruz READ
39. The Ladies of Mandrigyn by Barbara Hambly (Kindle Daily Deal) READ

March
40. West With the Night by Beryl Markham (Kindle Daily Deal)
41. Made in the USA by Billie Letts - bookstore had this hardback on sale for $6
42. Die Trying by Lee Child
43. The Searchers by Alan Le May READ
44. The Witches of Wenshar by Barbara Hambly
45. Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly (Kindle Daily Deal)
46. The Poet by Michael Connelly
47. Blood Work by Michael Connelly
48. The Bordeaux Betrayal by Ellen Crosby READ
49. Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
50. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
51. Ashfallby Mike Mullin - because Judy and Dejah assure me it is good! READ
52. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb - who can resist this title? And Dejah says it's good! READ

April
53. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold - READ
54. The Radleys by Matt Haig READ
55. Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard
56. Bandits by Elmore Leonard
57. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold READ
58. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
59. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
60. The Green Mile by Stephen King
61. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons - because of Roberta's lovely review and because it comes in a Penguin deluxe classic edition with deckled edge pages
62. Valdez is Coming by Elmore Leonard
63. Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard
64. The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker - this is Joe's fault READ
65. Blood Kin by Henry Chappell- because Richard begged so prettily and used puppy dog eyes READ
66. Another Man's Moccasins by Craig Johnson
67. The Watchman by Robert Crais - Kindle Daily Deal
68. Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara - Penguin Deluxe Classic Edition

May
69. The Map of the Sky by Félix J. Palma - Kindle Daily Deal
70. The Stockholm Octavo by Karen Engelmann - recommended by Richard and Roberta
71. God Save the Child by Robert B. Parker - also Joe's fault! READ
72. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving - Kindle Daily Deal
73. Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood - free on Kindle, recommended by Dejah READ
74. The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister
75. The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri READ
76. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré
77. The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carré
78. The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen
79. Call for the Dead by John le Carré
80. A Murder of Quality by John le Carré
81. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold by John le Carré
82. The Looking Glass War by John le Carré
83. Smiley's People by John le Carré
84. The Little Drummer Girl by John le Carré
85. The Naíve and Sentimental Lover by John le Carré
86. A Perfect Spy by John le Carré
87. Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carré
88. Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver - bought the ebook and added the professional narration for a few bucks more READ
89. Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne - bought the ebook and added the professional narration for a few bucks more READ
90. Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown - bought the ebook and added the professional narration for a few bucks more
91. Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward - hardcover with deckled edge pages on sale for $3
92. City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte - ABANDONED
93. Lord of the Flies by William Golding - replacing my sad mass market paperback with a trade paperback with deckled edge pages
94. Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist by Tim Federle
95. Close Range by Annie Proulx
96. The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway
97. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey - Kindle Deal ($1.99)
98. Kill the Dead by Richard Kadrey - Kindle Daily Deal ($.99)
99. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness - read it this month, but wanted my own copy, added the audiobook for $3.49
100. Heaven's Prisoners by James Lee Burke - Kindle Daily Deal ($.99)
101. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald - Kindle Daily Deal (1.99)
102. Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton - Kindle Daily Deal (1.99)
103. A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway - Kindle Daily Deal (1.99)
104. The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories by Ernest Hemingway - Kindle Daily Deal (1.99)
105. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller - Kindle Daily Deal ($1.99) READ

June
106. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith - Kindle Deal ($2.99) READ
107. The African Queen by C. S. Forester - gift READ
108. Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson - gift READ
109. The Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman - gift READ
110. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene - gift
111. The World According to Garp by John Irving - gift
112. The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly - Kindle Daily Deal (2.99)
113. The Reversal by Michael Connelly - Kindle Daily Deal (2.99)
114. The Fifth Witness by Michael Connelly - Kindle Daily Deal (2.99)
115. Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
116. The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler - recommended by Megan READ
117. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys - discussion on Megan's thread
118. Worlds of Exile and Illusion by Ursula K. Le Guin - because I liked The Dispossessed, which was recommended by Kerri. This book contains three more in the Hainish Cycle: Rocannon's World, Planet of Exile, and City of Illusions
119. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman - recommended by Joe READ
120. A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
121. The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
122. Saving Cee-Cee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman - bargain book $2, set in Georgia
123. The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley - recommended by Karen and Kathleen - deckled edge pages!!
124. The Last Original Wife by Dorothea Benton Frank
125. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler READ

July
126. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald - free on Kindle
127. Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff - Kindle Daily Deal $1.99 - recommended by Valerie last year READ
128. The Bat by Jo Nesbo - I had preordered this, the first book in the Harry Hole series - FINALLY! READ
129. The Bone People by Keri Hulme - deckled edge pages!
130. Light in August by William Faulkner READ
131. Zelda: A Biography by Nancy Milford - $2.99 on Kindle
132. Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch - ebook with audio added READ

August
133. Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch READ
134. Storm Front by Jim Butcher - audiobook $4 READ
135. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher - audiobook $4 READ
136. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher - audiobook $4 READ
137. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher - audiobook $4
138. The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas - recommended by Cee
139. Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain - Kindle Daily Deal ($1.99) - recommended by Bonnie
140. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs READ
141. Crown of Embers by Rae Carson - Kindle deal $1.99
142. Tilt-a-Whirl by Chris Grabenstein - Kindle deal $.99 - Richard said to buy this! READ
143. Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs READ
144. Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs READ
145. Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos
146. Stick by Elmore Leonard
147. The Switch by Elmore Leonard
148. The Bounty Hunters by Elmore Leonard
149. Montana, 1948 by Larry Watson - recommended by Richard and Mark READ

September
150. Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry - Kindle deal $1.99
151. Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard - Kindle deal $2.99
152. Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs READ
153. Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs READ
154. The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
155. High Sierra by W. R. Burnett
156. Little Caesar by W. R. Burnett
157. Over My Dead Body by Rex Stout
158. The Mystery of Grace by Charles de Lint - author recommended by Kathleen
159. Mind's Eye by Hakan Nesser
160. The Tourist by Olen Steinhauser READ
161. Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote
162. Plainsong by Kent Haruf
163. The Storycatcher by Ann Hite
164. All Quiet on the Western Front by Enrich Maria Remarque

October
165. Zealot by Reza Asian
166. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny
167. Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill - $2.99 on Kindle
168. The Shining by Stephen King - $3.99 on Kindle
169. Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews
170. Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein - Kindle Daily Deal
171. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick - Kindle Daily Deal (I think)
172. Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson - free on Kindle - recommended by Julia
173. Whack A Mole by Chris Grabenstein - $.99 Kindle Deal
174. Free Fall by Chris Grabenstein - $1.99 Kindle Deal
175. Face in the Frost by John Bellairs - $4.99 0n Kindle, recommended by Roni
176. Jurassic Park by Michael Chrichton - $1.99 Kindle Daily Deal
177. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings - $1.99 Kindle Daily Deal
178. Miss Buncle's Book by D. E. Stevenson - $1.99 Kindle Deal
179. Longbourn by Jo Baker - hardback with deckled edge pages! - recommended by Joe
180. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury - hardback
181. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman - author recommended by Katie READ
182. Now, Voyager by Olive Higgins Prouty - paperback
183. Laura by Vera Caspary - paperback

November
184. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
185. Coming Up For Air by George Orwell
186. Sense and Sensibility by Joanna Trollope
187. Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football by Rich Cohen
188. Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carringer
189. Betwixt and Between by Jessica Stilling
190. A Drowned Maiden's Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz - $1.99 Kindle Daily Deal
191. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
192. The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
193. Keep the Aspidistra Flying by George Orwell
194. A Collection of Essays by George Orwell
195. Anecdotes of Destiny and Ehrengard by Isak Dinesen
196. Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold - recommended by Heather and Judy
197. The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg - Kindle daily deal - $1.99
198. The Preacher by Camilla Läckberg - Kindle daily deal - $1.99
199. The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane

December
200. American Boy by Larry Watson - Kindle Deal $1.99
201. Kindred by Octavia Butler - Kindle Deal $2.99
203. The Zona by Nathan L. Yocum - Kindle Deal $.99 - recommended by Richard
204. The Dark Hand of Magic by Barbara Hambly - Kindle Deal $1.99 - series recommended by Dejah
205. Death of a Dissident by Stuart M. Kaminsky - Kindle deal $1.99 - series recommended by fuzzi
206. Red Chameleon by Stuart M. Kaminsky - Kindle deal $1.99
207. Black Knight in Red Square by Stuart M. Kaminsky - Kindle deal $1.99
208. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton - recommended for health reasons by Roberta
209. Burglars Can't be Choosers by Lawrence Block - Kindle deal $1.99 - recommended by Julia
210. Burial Rites by Hannah Kent - Kindle deal $2.99 - recommended by Ilana
211. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt - Kindle deal $2.99
212. The Unforgiven by Alan Le May - Kindle Deal $1.99
213. The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing
214. Saratoga Trunk by Edna Ferber - Kindle deal $1.99 - thanks to Richard for pointing it out
215. Giant by Edna Ferber - Kindle deal $1.99
216. So Big by Edna Ferber - Kindle deal $1.99

An idea stolen from Heather (souloftherose), who borrowed it from Liz (lyzard): ongoing series that I am actively reading. This doesn't include series where I have the first book in my TBR pile (i.e. series I haven't started reading yet aren't included). An asterisk (*) indicates a series where I already have a copy of the next book. A pointing finger (☛) indicates a series where I am waiting for the next book to be released.

1. African Trilogy by Chinua Achebe: Next Up: Arrow of God (3/3)

2. *Charley Davidson by Darynda Jones: Next Up: Third Grave Dead Ahead (3/4)

3. *Chief Inspector Armand Gamache by Louise Penny: Next Up: The Cruellest Month (3/8)

4. *Commissario Montalbano by Andrea Camilleri: Next Up: The Snack Thief (3/15)

5. * Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: Next Up: Days of Blood and Starlight (2/3)

6. *Divergent by Veronica Roth: Next Up: Insurgent (2/3)

7. *Dr. Siri Paiboun by Colin Cotterill: Next up: Slash and Burn (8/9) - Richard's fault!

8. *Dublin Murder Squad by Tana French: Next Up: The Likeness (2/4) - Dee's fault!

9. *Duncan Kincaid/ Gemma James by Deborah Crombie:Next Up: Kissed a Sad Goodbye (6/15)

10. * Dust Lands by Moira Young: Next Up: Rebel Heart (2/3) - Mark and Chelle's fault!

11. *Fever Devilin by Phillip DePoy: Next Up: The Minister's Ghost (3/8) - Terri and Kathleen's fault!

12. *Harry Bosch by Michael Connelly: Next Up: The Narrows (10/18)

13. *Harry Hole by Jo Nesbo: Next Up: The Snowman (7/9)

14. ☛ The Ibis Trilogy by Amitav Ghosh: Next Up: ? (3/3) - Judy's fault!

15. *In Death by J. D. Robb: Next Up: Glory in Death (2/44) - Joe's fault!

16. *Inspector Sejer by Karin Fossum: Next Up: He Who Fears the Wolf (2/9)

17. Jack Taylor by Ken Bruen: Next Up: The Dramatist (4/10) - also Mark's fault!

18. *James Bond by Ian Fleming: Next Up: Live and Let Die (2/14)

19. *Jackson Brodie by Kate Atkinson: Next Up: One Good Turn (2/4) - Stasia's fault!

20. *John Ceepak by Chris Grabenstein: Next Up: Mad Mouse (2/8)

21. *Kenzie and Gennaro by Dennis Lehane: Next Up: Sacred (3/6)

22. *Lady Julia Gray by Deanna Raybourn: Next Up: The Dark Enquiry (5/5)

23. ☛ Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: Next Up: Cress (3/4)

24. MaddAddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood: Next Up: The Year of the Flood (2/3) - Mark's fault!

25. *Matched by Ally Condie: Next Up: Crossed (2/3)

26. *Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs: Next Up: River Marked (6/8) - Heidi's fault!

27. *Millenium Trilogy by Steig Larrson: Next Up: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest (3/3)

28. *Philip Marlowe by Raymond Chandler: Next Up: Playback (7/8)

29. *Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch: Next Up: Broken Homes (4/5)

30. *Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris: Next Up: Dead Reckoning (10/13)

31. *Song of Fire and Ice by George R. R. Martin: Next Up: A Clash of Kings (2/5)

32. *Spenser novels by Robert B. Parker: Next Up: A Savage Place (8/39) - this is Joe's fault!

33. *Temperance Brennan by Kathy Reichs: Next Up: Grave Secrets (5/16)

34. Vish Puri by Tarquin Hall: Next Up: The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing (2/3)

35. *Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold: Next Up: Warrior's Apprentice: (3/16) - also Joe's fault! Also Richard's fault!

36. *Walt Longmire by Craig Johnson: Up Next: Another Man's Moccasins (4/10) - blaming this on Mark!

37. Wine Country Mysteries by Ellen Crosby: Next Up: The Riesling Retribution (4/6)

38. ☛Wolf Hall Trilogy by Hilary Mantel: Next up: ? (3/3)

Series that I am reading out of order:

39. Bernie Gunther by Phillip Kerr (3/9)
40. Nero Wolfe by Rex Stout (3/47) - Julia's fault!

My 2013 Data (I shamelessly stole this idea from Cee!)

Total Books Read: 141

ROOTs books (off my own bookshelves): 62

Fiction: 132
Non-Fiction: 9

New to me Authors - not including manga or graphic novels: 68

Male authors: 62
Female authors: 75

US authors: 92
Authors from other countries: 48
Unknown: 1

Living Authors: 104
Dead Authors: 37

Medium:
Hardback: 20
Paperback: 450
ebook: 55
audiobook: 16

first one first one! YAY! *plops down with a big comfy blanket and pillow*

Tamara - You are indeed first! And welcome to my thread! So very lovely of you to stop by!

Congrats on the new thread, Mamie! Please let me know when the pie's ready.

Love the glowing daughter pic up top.

P.S. Going back to your comment on the last thread, of course my MBH and I can't think of any bad experiences with us that our kids could possibly want to throw out. We'll just assume that's true without asking them, okay?

Happy Monday, Mamie. Your thread topper of the divine Birdy is so bright and cheerful, just the thing for a Monday morning.

Sorry to hear that the football didn't go too well over the weekend, hopefully next weekend will be better.

I decided to take advantage of the TIOLI challenge to read a holiday themed book and get a jump start on the festive season with Wish Upon A Star, I hope it gives me the warm "fuzzys" that I am hoping for!

Hidey-ho, it's a new Mamie thread!

Joe - Thank you! And just for you I'll fetch the pecan pie. Glad you like the photo.

Judy - Happy Monday! Glad you love the thread topper. And you are close, but it is actually Abby up there, not Birdy - good guess though. They are both blue-eyed blondes. Well, Birdy is still currently blue haired, but you know what I mean. We definitely don't need thta kind of gear for Georgia, but I did have to turn the heat on today.

And right. Next week has to be a better football week. *crosses fingers and knocks on wood*

I am not familiar with that holiday book, so I am off to look it up.

Julia - It's my partner in crime! Let the shenanigans begin!

Congratulations on you new , Mamie! I think they were all used in Abby's coat.

Thanks, Lynda! That coat was a favorite of mine! I loved the bright colors.

Happy new thread!!

Thank you, Reba!

Apologies to both Abby and Birdy for getting mixed up. Lucky you for having three beautiful daughters!

Love the description of Birdy as a blue-haired blonde. Certain to raise an eyebrow or two.

Congratulations on your new thread and I hope Abby has given Joseph his coat back.

Judy - No worries. Neither of them would be bothered by it. And thank you for that compliment.

Paul - LOL! Sounds so funny when you put it that way! Thanks for those congrats. If Abby knew that she had been in possession of the technicolor dream coat, she would never have parted with it!!

>18 Carmenere: lol- I love that!

Hi Mamie, things move fast around here so I'll be quick before there is another new thread!
Those Kindle Daily Deals make up a lot of your book purchases! I fear if I had a kindle they would make up a good proportion of mine as well.

Aw, your daughter is so sweet looking- those cheeks!

ha! I guessed right :) Lucky you though, having so many great kids. Do you know the dolly Parton song Coat of Many colors? I love it.. makes me cry though.

How are you reading five (count them, five!!) books all at once? How do you do that????
Plus listening to a sixth one!!

I stand in awe, Mamie.

xo

#1 Beautiful little lady!

I started reading The Martian Chronicles for my Coursera course. Only on pg 76, but I'm liking it ;-) After the last few books I have read for this course, I'm hoping this one doesn't go sour on me. I'm trusting in Ray Bradbury though.

You are currently reading 5 books and listening to another? Wow. You do love good things in multiples, huh? LOL Good thing you already have "the best" in Craig!

Hi Mamie- Just stumbling by, trying to visit a couple threads before shuffling off to bed. Congrats on the new thread. Love the Abby photo!
Hope you are enjoying Tilt a Whirl. That one was a lot of fun. I plan on starting The Luminaries, mid-month.

HI, Mamie! Lovely new thread, and you've got some interesting books in progress!

Catching up on your last thread re: Rae and disruption to routine. I can relate. My son is climbing the walls with the uncertainty of the weather and what it is doing/will do to the already altered school schedule this Thanksgiving week. He spent all last night worrying if the weather would close schools. He handled the early dismissal they did today pretty well, but now I see the anxiety building again for tomorrow.

That said, he's tolerated the installation of my new washer & dryer today OK, and even says he likes the little tune it sounds at the end of the cycle.

Love the colorful togs on Abby, Mamie. That would definitely add cheer to any wintry morning.... that and her beautiful smile.

How are you enjoying Mr Muo's Traveling Couch? I liked it but didn't think it was as good as Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress. I do like his writing though and have Once on a Moonless Night in my TBR Tower which I keep meaning to get to, but then I get sidetracked with other books.

I was a little disappointed by Once on a Moonless Night, maybe because Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress was so good. I like his writing, too. Haven't tried Mr. Muo's yet.

So, tomorrow is turkey day - hooray for feasting!! I still have to run to the market - I was going to go yesterday, but it was pouring buckets here. We are talking torrential, so I stayed put. It actually rained like that for the entire day - amazing. Now I am waiting for Craig to get off (he works a half day on Wednesday), so that we can go to the market together - this means we will return home with a bunch of stuff that is not on the list, but the kids love that because it is usually stuff like ice cream and popsicles.

No big plans for tomorrow except enjoying an incredibly lazy day and eating until we can't move. We always watch Miracle on 34th Street on Thanksgiving morning while we are preparing everything because it starts with the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We will also put the tree up, since it's just us.

I have not finished any books, but I am very close with The Martian Chronicles. I am liking The Luminaries, but it does require your full attention - there is a lot happening here, and one must pay attention. I have the incredibly heavy hardback since I borrowed it from the library, so I am just working on it in the early mornings when the house is quiet, and I am enjoying my first cup of coffee.

I will try to catch up with my thread today, but no promises as this looks to be a very crazy kind of day.

#34 : Joe, I think that's why I wasn't as enthusiastic about Mr Muo as well ... Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress was just so wonderful. But thanks for level setting Once on a Moonless Night for me. I will expect less and maybe will like it more.... does it sound like I play psychological games with myself? ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving Mamie .. I'm doing marketing with the hubster later as well ... him being my beast of burden. I'm looking forward to a quiet evening at home before we head down to the rellies tomorrow in NY.

Megan - Time's running out for new threads - I'm thinking this is it or possibly one more, then we are ready to start all over again!! And yes, those Kindle daily deals get me! I always check and snag it if I am at all interested. Often they are books that are already on my WL, so hooray for a good deal.

Tamara - AW! Thanks for that. She is seventeen now, but still sweet.

Kathleen - Right. Lucky me! And thanks for that. I am not familiar with that song, but I will look it up as soon as I finish here.

Ellen - I know. Completely crazy with the multiple books at one time, right?! Somehow it works for me. Here's how I do it:

The Luminaries - this is doorstopper hardback book from the library that requires paying close attention, so I read it first thing in the morning while the house is quiet and I am drinking my first cups of coffee.

The Martian Chronicles - also hardback, but much less weighty, this is easy to pick up and put down because it is short connected stories. I leave it on the coffee table in the living room and pick it up whenever I have a few spare moments.

Mr. Muo's Traveling Couch - this is a library paperback that I picked up to read because I love Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I dipped into it to see if I would like it and fell in. I am reading it during lunch.

When Pride Still Mattered - this is an ebook, but it's nonfiction, which always takes me longer to read. I am working on it in the early evenings or reading a few chapters right before bed. But not every day - probably two or three times a week.

Tilt a Whirl - also an ebook, this is a murder mystery (my weakness) that I am reading when I can't sleep at night, which is often. I always have an ebook going for this reason - I can read it in bed in the middle of the night without disturbing Craig because I use my Kindle Fire, which is backlit.

Insurgent - this is an audiobook, which I am listening to while doing laundry, cooking dinner, or other mundane tasks. I am not getting a lot of listening time lately because I keep getting interrupted.

I try really hard not to get two of the same types of books going at the same time so that I won't mix up the plots. These books are all very different from each other, so no worries.

Thank you for standing in awe of my craziness!! xo

Now I listened to the song, and it set me off crying :P LOL

Cee - Glad you liked the thread topper - thank you! I would take Bradbury over H. G. Wells any day! LOL! Your post made me laugh - yes, I do love multiples, but one man is more than enough for me!!

Mark - Thank you, and I'm so glad you liked the photo of Abby. I am liking Tilt -A- Whirl - very fun and I like the main characters. I predict that you will like The Luminaries when you get to it.

Terri - Thank you! I am having a lot of fun with my current reads - a nice mix. Glad that your son is handling the anxiety of changed routines so far. We have gotten better at navigating the holidays and changes in routine for Rae, but it is still hard because, as you say, part of it is the anxiety about the change that causes the discomfort. I always have a hard time explaining this to relatives - it's not just the disruption to her schedule, it is also her worrying about the disruption to her schedule. What will happen? How will it happen? When will it happen? She wants for things to be predictable and steady, and life just cannot always be like that.

And hooray for a new washer and dryer!! Pours plays a tune, too, and the kids think it is funny that they "sing" when they are done.

Caro - Thank you! I am liking Mr. Muo's Traveling Couch, so far (I'm about 1/3 of the way in), but you are right - it is not as magical as Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I just loved that book and read it in one sitting. Still, the writing is good and he knows how to weave a story.

Joe - I think that Mr. Muo will come in second to Balzac, but I like how he tells a story and I love the humor found in small moments.

Caro - Happy Thanksgiving to you, too! Yep, the marketing and a bit of prep is all that's left on the schedule, as we will handle the rest of the stuff tomorrow. We are thinking about a trip to the theater to see Catching Fire tonight. The kids are dying to see that, so I hope it happens.

Sis - Oh, dear. *hands Kath a hankie*

Most of what I listen to sets me off, Sis.. lol. Bad choices? Pavlovian reaction? dunno

Soft heart.

Mamie, I hope you and your family have a great Thanksgiving.

Oh look at all those Orwells! I had a huge Orwell episode a while back, since then I've been leisurely filling in the gaps. He's wonderful.

Also nice to see you are acquiring Bujolds! I love the Chalion books -- in a couple more years I'll have forgotten them enough to reread them, yay!

Judy - Thank you for that! We will do our very best!

Lucy - I have big plans for all those lovely Orwells! Hoping to get to most of them in the coming year. And next year there is a year long group read of The Vorkosigan Saga, which I will be joining. The Chalion book was recommended by both Heather and Judy, so, along with your hearty endorsement, I don't see how I could fail to love it. This group id definitely rubbing off on me...

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your lovely family, Mamie!

Thanks, Roni. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Morning Mamie! Have a great day with the family. Am I the only one who feels like I need much more time this year for reading? The stacks are looming. Okay, stupid question.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mamie!

Happy Thanksgiving, Mamie! *SMOOCH* to each and every one of the family. Except Biscotti. I don't like Biscotti.

;->

Happy Thankful Together Day to your wonderful family (incl doggies)!

Hope you have a great Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! Thought I would take a moment to share my very favorite Thanksgiving memory. It happened back when I was still living at home, but everyone else had moved out. I was in either middle school or high school, and I loved Thanksgiving because it meant that everyone would come back home - and bring food! My mom would make the turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes, and each of my sisters would bring something to contribute.

On this particular Thanksgiving, my Dad was seated at the head of the table in his favorite chair and I was standing just behind him as my mother went to take the turkey out of the oven. She got it almost to the stove top when something went horribly wrong - it started to wobble and then she just dropped it. The turkey hit the floor, slid all the way under the table and stopped at my Dad's feet. Without missing a beat, my Dad looked up at me, winked, and said, "Did you see that, kid? Your mother just flipped me the bird!"

Lucy - Happy Thanksgiving, dear!"

Mark - I hear you - those books are getting unruly! More time for reading would be perfect. Perhaps I'll ask for that for Christmas. Hope your holiday is as fun as you are!

Caro - Happy Thanksgiving! Did you figure out the sweet potato casserole? I actually like sweet potatoes, and we have a version of sweet potato casserole that is fabulous. I should have posted the recipe - no marshmallows in sight. The topping is a streusel that has flour, pecans, coconut, butter and brown sugar. It's actually one of my favorite Thanksgiving dishes.

Richard - Thank you! Happy Thanksgiving to you, too! I won't tell Rae that you dissed her dog. LOL! *smooch back from each of us*

Cee - Love that goofy turkey! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your entire clan. Think of me when you are eating the pie!

Happy Thanksgiving, Mamie!

ETA: Love the bird story with your dad, Mamie! He obviously was a quick wit.

:) LOL I think we all have a silly Thanksgiving story if we think about it.... but, your dad sounds like a gem. ((Sis))

Lol, "flipped me the bird" good one. Happy thanksgiving and I hope your bird stays where it's supposed to.

As Mark's graphic says nicely, a time for counting blessings. Plenty of things to be thankful for from the Pecan Paradisio. Thank you for helping light up my existence by sharing a small part of you and yours with all of us. Happy Thanksgiving, Mamie.

Happy Thanksgiving to Clan Mamie!

Hi Mamie, hope you've been having a great Thanksgiving with your family. I assume by this time you are unable to move from all the good food? I thought I'd come visit while your thread was still manageable for me so I could feel like I'd at least caught up with this one.

I really LOVED Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress too, and read it a few years ago in English translation before realizing that Sijie wrote in French, so got a nice little French collector's edition of it to keep and reread. Still haven't gotten back to it. I'm glad you're enjoying Mr. Muo's Traveling Couch. I had put it on my wishlist because saw it had won the Prix Femina in France, and have now added you as a recommender.

I really enjoyed The Martian Chronicles last year (?), which I listened to on audio and were very well narrated. Usually when I really love an audio, I get the book version, but I've decided I liked the recording so much I'll probably revisit it in the same format next time.

You can add me as a recommender for Code Name Verity. I thought it was really great too.

Happy T Day Mamie!

Waving on my way through. I'm using a few early morning minutes to catch up a little bit. Today will be busy and tomorrow I fly away……..

I hope you are fine, and that the day of big eating was all you wanted it to be for you and your fine family. Happy Days!

Oh your Dad was a quick study!!! What a marvelous story.

Fabulous story! What a quick wit.

I'm glad to hear Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress is good since my book club is reading it early next year under my suggestion!

Leftover day! Nothing like a turkey sandwich :)

Hope it was a wonderful day :) You were going to decorate, right?

( not me )

The Friday Dagwood. Yum.

>67 richardderus: I love cranberry sauce on sammiches!

*waves* at Mamie :)

Hi Mamie! I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving with the family! (I'm sure you did.)

Love the turkey fail story!

hmmm. I am more a white meat, bread and lettuce kinda gal with turkey. No beans or cranberries, thanks :P

I hope you are finding some down time Sis!

Southern mincemeat pie, love?

Morning Mamie- Just checking in on you. Hopefully, you are so deeply immersed in your books, you can't tear away. Hugs!

^^ Now, that's a pie!!

Hi, Mamie, from another paradise! The food looks wonderful.

I think we might have to try making one of these ourselves - so cool! Happy December, y'all! I have been reading like mad, trying to finish up some of the books I had going before November is over. I did manage to finish up three of them, so hooray for that. Still, November was my worst reading month this year - only nine books completed. I will have to read eleven this month in order to reach my goal of 150. Definitely doable.

We had a very lovely and laid back Thanksgiving - Craig said it was his favorite one ever. We watched Christmas movies while preparing all of the appetizers and main courses that we like to indulge in, and later we sat back and played board games and cards. We all stayed in our jammies for the entire day.

The past few days we have continued to take it easy, putting away the Thanksgiving stuff while pulling out the Christmas stuff, but just working in little jags at a time. The Christmas tree is up but not decorated - we plan on doing that today while watching football.

I cannot believe that Christmas is just around the corner, and before we know it, another year will have been completed. I am so thankful that all of you were a part of our life this past two years, and I am looking forward to 2014.

Responding to posts, starting back up there at 56:

Joe - Thanks so much! I just love those vintage Thanksgiving cards! And glad you liked my Thanksgiving memory!

Kathleen - Don't you just love those kind of memories? And my Dad was definitely a gem! Hugs back to you, sis!

Lynda - I'm happy to report that the bird behaved. I'm not a big fan of turkey, but this one was delicious.

Paul - Thank you for those lovely thoughts, dear. We are always happy to share. I think we have received much more than we have given. Your thread and your delightful presence on the threads is such a big part of what makes this place so very special.

Roberta - Thank you! I was so sorry to hear that yours was not so great. Sending you tons of positive mojo. Hugs to you, dear.

Ilana! Lovely to see you here! Mr. Muo's Traveling Couch was one of the books that I finished up yesterday, and I am happy to report that I loved it. I think that I enjoyed it as much as Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, even though it is a different kind of story. Darker humor and less likable characters, but it worked for me. I would recommend it with the caveat that it is not as charming as the Balzac book.

I also finished up The Martian Chronicles, and I liked it very much although it is more uneven than the other works that I have read by him. It suffers in comparison to Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes, which were 5 star reads for me, but still, it is very good. My favorite story in there, I think, was The Third Expedition. I also have a soft spot for There Will Come Soft Rains.

I did not manage to get to Code Name Verity this month, but I will get to it soon - marking you down as another who recommends it!

Thanks so much for stopping in. I know you are not on the threads as much this year, and while I completely understand, please know that you are missed. Hugs to you, dear one.

Tamara - Lovely graphic! Thanks so much for those wishes - hope yours was delightful!

Karen - Fly away? To Hawaii?!! VERY exciting! Soak up some of that atmosphere for me! I could not have asked for a finer Thanksgiving - it was full of fabulous! I hope that yours was, too.

Lucy - He was a quick thinker with a very sarcastic and dry wit. That story definitely captures his spirit.

Morphy - So glad you loved the story! I read Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress last year in one sitting - I loved it! I think it would make a great book club pic.

Kathleen - Yep. I love a good turkey sandwich, too. We like to make mini gourmet sandwiches with the leftovers and dinner rolls. So yummy. It was a wonderful day - we got the tree up and the decorations out. We are working on the actual decorating today.

Richard - Rae was looking over my shoulder as I was going back up to your post, and she said, "Ooh, that looks delicious!" SO, there you go! I am not sure about the green beans, but I am willing to try it. I do love the combo of turkey and cranberry. YUM!

Tamara - Me, too! *waves back*

Kerri - We did! We did have a lovely holiday! And glad you loved the turkey story! Hoping that your Thanksgiving was also full of fabulous.

Sis - I wasn't sure about the beans, either, but I am willing to give it a try. I do love me some lettuce on a sandwich!! And I found some lovely pockets of down time - we did a good job of managing time spent together and time for one's self this holiday. We have watched movies and played cards and board games, but I was also able to finish up three books that I had been working on. Delightful!

Richard - I have never had mincemeat pie. I did once help out with a church fundraiser where they made about a billion batches of mincemeat to sell, and I must say that if I never participate in that process again, I will not be devastated. It has been several years ago, though, so I would be willing to try the pie. As long as I don't have to make the mincemeat!

Mark - Excellent conclusion! That is exactly where I have been - immersed in my books. I finished up three of them, so it was worth it. Now of course, I am WAY behind on the threads. YIKES! Hugs back to you, dear. I am mailing you package tomorrow - I know that it was supposed to be in the mail last Monday, but let's just say that Craig is in the doghouse, and that in Albany, Georgia, the post office has holiday hours before Thanksgiving. Holiday hours!! Do you do that in Chicago?

Karen - Greetings from Paradise?! Hooray for that! Have a wonderful time and take lots of photos!

Belated happy thanksgiving wishes Mamie and family!

Thank you so much, Heather!

>33 cameling: Love the colorful togs on Abby, Mamie.
togs? In NZ togs are swimsuits, bathing suits, bikinis, one-pieces, swimmers. What you wear swimming. Does it mean summit different there?

>74 Crazymamie: well done on reading like mad to get rid of some of that backlog! I need to do that too! I love the Xmas book stack- very cool! we have our lights up about the place, but no tree just yet. I might make that today's project when Wilby gets home from school.

btw- I'd eat the beans in that dagwood. Even if I am not sure what a dagwood is, if it is like the picture, I'm eating it all!

Megan - In the States, togs just means clothing. I love learning what words mean in different places - always so interesting!

I am very excited to be able to put those books in the completed category and move on with new stuff for December, so thank you. And the tree - I like to get it up as soon as possible because I love to sit and read beside it. I bet the boys will be so excited to put the tree up!!

A Dagwood sandwich is a sandwich that is piled up with all sorts of stuff - named after the comic character Dagwood Bumstead. He appears in the Blondie comic strip - he is married to Blondie and delights in making these huge sandwiches.

...

Go Peyton!! Go Broncos!!

I had one of my worst reading months in awhile, too, Mamie. Only 14 books in November. I haven't read that few since September 2010!!! I need to read 24 in December to go over the 302 books I read last year. I like to increase my numbers each year.

Looking rough for Peyton and the Bronks so far, but there's a lot of game left.

Happy Sunday, Mamie, and happy December. You guys have inspired me on the Spenser books, and I've just re-read A Catskill Eagle and Taming a Seahorse, with Pale Kings and Princes up next. Fun to revisit them!

A dagwood sandwich .. I am a huge fan of the sandwich.. in moderate proportions and with no fruit :)

Hi Mamie, sounds like you had just about a perfect holiday weekend. Since we had our Thanksgiving in October, I went Christmas shopping on Thursday with my eldest daughter. We got a lot done and the stores weren't too crowded. Next week I spend a shopping day with my younger daughter then perhaps a couple more on my own and that should wrap up the shopping. I can't relax and enjoy the season until I know the shopping is done.

Morphy - Only 14?! *swallow* And that's one of your worst reading months?! I stand in awe of you, O Great Morphy! Can you read 24 books in one month - have you done that before? You need to read a total of 303 books in order to beat last year's total?!! *faints*

*edited to correct punctuation

Joe - True. SO true. Let's hope we have abetter second half. *gulp*

Kathleen - LOL! I love me a good messy sandwich! I like apple slices on the right sandwich, and tomatoes on anything!

Judy - We did, indeed! I do most of my Christmas shopping online - no crowds, no traffic, and it comes right to my front door. But shopping with your daughter sounds like fun. I like to get the shopping completed ahead of time, too. What always seems to trip me up is the wrapping - I almost always get caught with it at the last minute because I procrastinate. I would really like to avoid that this year - of course, I say that every year!

Over the last three years, I've averaged 26 books a month. So 24 is doable.

*waves around some smelling salts*

I had my worst reading month in November, too. Only 4. I usually do 6-8, depending on how much listening time I have for audios. Oh well.

I LOVE wrapping presents. Ship them to me and I'll do it for you!! I have been known to buy excessive amounts of presents just so I have more to wrap. It's a sickness...

Morphy - WOW! You go, girl! That is SO impressive!

Katie - SO maybe it's not our fault! Perhaps the month of November was jinxed. And you love to wrap presents? Oh, how I wish you lived next door! The lot next to us is for sale, and you could use our pool whenever you wanted…just saying…

BRONCOS JUST TIED THE GAME!

I am not a fan of wrapping either. ai used to be. I used to take all sorts of time and do cut outs and layers and make fussy bows. That was a long time ago. Now I just rummage around and hope I have a box or bag that will fit it.

Oh, I LOVE fussy bows!!

Our post office does have holiday hours but I am not sure what time they kick in. I doubt before Thanksgiving but I can be wrong.
Go Broncos! What an amazing team and I see your Colts won. Cool. And the Bears...oh never mind.

I hadn't heard of holiday hours before Thanksgiving, either. But we have them.

Sorry about your Bears - so close! And yes, GO BRONCOS!! We were thrilled that the Colts won this week.

Katie, if I bought Christmas presents I would definitely send them to you to be wrapped! Mine always end up looking like they were wrapped by a hyperactive rhesus monkey wearing oven mitts.

LOL! You crack me up, Julia!

Thanks Mamie for clearing up the togs and dagwood issue! I learn new things every day if I keep my wits about me- just like my mum always promised :)

Anytime, Megan!

BRONCOS WIN!! BRONCOS WIN!!!

Nice win, Mamie! That Peyton is something else. Good games from Decker and Ball, too.

Yes, sir, Joe!! We were very excited by the win.

Hi Mamie! It sounds like y'all had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! Happy belated holiday & new thread... Still having trouble keeping up around here!

Give all my love to your troops! Tell Abby I finally saw Catching Fire this weekend & it was fantastic! Have y'all seen it yet? Has she seen the Divergent previews yet?

Tina!!! Hello, there, sweetheart! Don't ever worry about keeping up - you can just drop to the bottom and say hi. I'm always thrill to see you here! I will give all of them your love. We really loved Catching Fire, too - we saw it the day before Thanksgiving. And we saw the previews for Divergent at that showing! I LOVE who they casted for the main character - she will be fabulous! We have all read Divergent, so we will be going to that movie in the theatre for sure.

Hoping that you and Lisa are catching up on some much needed relaxation. Sending the both of you all our love. Keeping you in our thoughts and prayers. And always in our hearts.

GIANTS WIN!! Rae is so thrilled that her beloved Giants were victorious tonight! "High five to Katie!" she yells!

Mamie, happy new thread! That is such a cute picture of Abby up the top. It was always my great regret that NZ wasn't cold enough for proper winter coats and hats (or at least the North Island wasn't) because I would have loved an outfit like that.

On the subject of togs as swimwear vs togs as clothes, the NZ word for togs-as-clothes is "duds" (or at least in my parents' day it was).

Not so in the UK, I discovered, when I told two of the young people at work that I wanted to see them "in their best duds" before they went to a black-tie dinner. They just looked confused and said they'd never heard "duds" before. I suppose it's "bib and tucker" for formalwear here, but I don't know what the duds/togs/ordinary clothes equivalent is - maybe "kit"?

High five to Rae!!!

Justin Tuck is my hero :-)

How did Rae do over the weekend? Was it too chaotic for her?

Aug! what am I doing wrong that I'm unable to read 14 books in a month. A good month for me is 4! Please send speed reading glasses. Thank you.

It's Monday again, but it's quiet. The kids are sleeping in (except for Birdy, who only sleeps in if she is sick), and Craig has returned to his normal work schedule. All is well. Now I have time for a few deep breaths, and then Christmas will be upon us. It always surprises me how quickly it sneaks up on us once the month of December is here.



We were having a hot debate about Christmas movies and which one is the best. Rae likes the old Bing Crosby flicks, White Christmas and Holiday Inn being at the top of her list. Birdy's favorite is The Muppet Christmas Carol. Abby adores both Christmas in Connecticut and While You Were Sleeping. I'm torn between Christmas in Connecticut and Miracle on 34th Street (the original version). Craig claims that Birdy is right, and that The Muppet Christmas Carol is hands down the winner. Daniel says not so, that Lethal Weapon is the obvious choice. How about you? What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Mamie, you had a great football weekend, didn't you? So glad to see all your teams won. I know you're not so into college sports, but we had a great weekend in Hawkeye land. The football team stomped all over evil Nebraska, the women's basketball team won a tournament in Cancun, the men's basketball team got to the finals of a tournament in the Bahamas, and the wrestling team (my special love) beat the accursed Iowa State Cyclones. As we are fond of saying around here, it's great to be a Hawkeye!

I hope you have a lovely week ahead at the Pecan Paradisio.

Let's have a hot kaffee mit schlag with some chocolate espresso bars.

Happy Monday Dear Mamie.

I love your opening photo and the post by Lynda regarding brightly colored thread.

I started sewing place mats (a long process) for holiday gifts. I love the texture and patterns of fabric, and the color of thread.

It sounds like your Thanksgiving was delightful.

Susan - Thank you! I'm glad that we lived in a place that got snow every year when the kids were little because all of them LOVED it. They couldn't wait to get out there and play in it and build snowmen and go sledding. Such great fun - and picking out new winter gear was part of it. You don't need any of that stuff in Georgia.

Your story made me laugh! Duds here also means clothing. So interesting how the same words can mean different things in different places.

Katie - Yes! What a night he was having!! 4 sacks - unbelievable!

Morphy - She did so well, thanks for asking. No meltdowns. She loves to get out the Christmas stuff, so that held a lot of her attention. We put the tree up (we have an artificial one), and Rae spent hours positioning the branches. She loves meticulous stuff like that - and the tree came with these gloves that you can wear to protect your hands. She LOVED those - she is all about texture, and they felt good to her, so she wore them the entire time. She did not want help, so she did the entire tree, and she did a fabulous job.

Lynda - Right! You just need some speed reading glasses to compete with the pros like Morphy. I will be on the lookout for them! Leave it to me!

Julia - Yes, it was an excellent weekend of football for us! Sounds like you had a fabulous weekend in sports also - amazing!! You racked up the wins. And thanks for those good wishes - wishing for you a week full of fabulous!

Richard - YES! That looks oh so yum. Thank you, dear.

Best Christmas movie?

Die Hard.

Also, Love Actually. And Christmas Vacation.

I'm also a fan of White Christmas (high five to Rae).

Linda - How lovely to see you here! Happy Monday to you! So glad you love the thread topper. I got a kick out of Lynda's thread post, too. All those lovely colors - I love looking at thread, but I do not sew. My mom sewed, and she had her threads all organized on a peg board thing that mesmerized me. Also the button box - LOVED that. I still have a great love of buttons!!

.

I watch Love Actually every Christmas.

I'd say my favorite xmas movie was online porn, but Mamie would never let me back in her thread.

Me too, Morphy!

Morning Mamie! I know it's a boring choice but I would have to go with It's a Wonderful Life. Capra & James Stewart. Priceless.

Morphy - Oh! Love, Actually!! I had forgotten about that one. I need to get that one out and watch it again. I also like The Family Stone.

Richard - *snerk* You're always welcome here, love.

Katie - I haven't seen it in years. I need to correct that!

Mark - I like that movie, but it moves sooooo slowly. We watched it with the kids one year, and they said please don't make us watch that ever again. Perhaps when they are older.

^ahem (#114)

And I find It's a Wonderful Life interminably boring.

Oops! So sorry, Katie! Dan said it was hard to choose between Die Hard and Lethal Weapon, but ...

I think that Dan would love Christmas Vacation - he has never seen it. He also loves Elf, which I have never seen, but I have promised to watch it with him this year.

Agreed that It's a Wonderful Life is a snooze fest. Sorry, Mark.

The epitome of Capra-Corn, is that Wonderful Life.

That Dan is a smarty.

Elf is fun. And what about A Christmas Story? That's my favorite "classic".

PS: I am in some boring sessions at this conference. Thank God for free wi-fi, an iPad, and LT :-)

Amazon is having a huge Cyber Monday deal for Kindle books - over 4,000 books at very low prices. Authors such as Barbara Pym, Dorothy Sayers, Barbara Hambly, Leon Uris, Pearl S. Buck, Alice Walker, Stuart Kaminsky, Ellery Queen, Octavia Butler ... just saying

Richard - Love your way with words!

Katie - I'll tell him you said so. A Christmas Story is my sister Julie's favorite! I just saw it for the first time two years ago, and it cracked me up. LOVE the lamp!! And poor baby to you who must endure the boring conference - so glad we could be here for you!

Mamie luvvie, remember me whoopin' it up over a postapocalyptic dystopia called The Zona? It's 99¢ today on le Kindle!

I love the choice of Die Hard for favorite Christmas movie. (Thanks, Katie). My MBH is a Die Hard fanatic, and I'm not far behind her, so that's the choice in our neck of the woods.

If they come out with a Bourne Christmas, with Matt Damon, that may jump to the top for me.

Cyber Monday on Amazon - must peruse it at some point.

Richard - I'm on it! Thanks for that!

Joe - We love Die Hard, too. And a Bourne Christmas with Matt Damon would be a HUGE hit at our house!!

Best Christmas movie

My Mom says Die Hard. I watch Love Actually every year and try to watch The Family Stone. For oldies, White Christmas for sure.

>74 Crazymamie:: Love the book tree and the sentiment that went along with it. I hope you get around to doing your own Book Christmas Tree! I wish all my books weren't so neatly shelved now or I might make one.

The Broncos are my second favorite football team. I was happy they won the game a few weeks ago when they played the Chiefs, but I was rating for the local favorite Chiefs in last night's game. It was a fun game to watch and I wasn't too sad with the outcome.

My favorite Christmas movie? I would have to say A Christmas Story because we watch it and laugh almost every year. The Bumpus hounds eating the turkey....priceless. The flat tire and the naughty word...almost as funny as the soap punishment. So many LOL scenes.

Mamie, as you suggested, I put our next Spenser book, A Savage Place in TIOLI Challenge #7. I don't want to wait for the local checked out copy so I ordered one from The University of Missouri library. It should get here within a week. No delayed gratification for me!

Mamie and Donna I started A Savage Place yesterday. I am reading on pins and needles because Mamie said she read the spoiler and she was not happy.

Roberta - I love that your Mom says Die Hard!! And I adore The Family Stone! I need to find Love, Actually to watch it again - I know we have that on DVD. I have not seen it in years.

Donna - I showed that book tree to Abby, and we are definitely going to make one! I will happily mess up the bookshelves for this.

What a great sport you are! The Chiefs played a very good game, and I have a soft spot for Andy Reid, so I am happy to root for them when they are not playing the Broncos or the Colts. Or the Giants.

Your favorite movie is also my sister's favorite. SO funny, but for me it cannot top Christmas in Connecticut. I am kind of nutty about that movie - I could watch it over and over again because I just adore Sydney Greenstreet and S. Z. Sakall.

And thanks for listing A Savage Place in the TIOLI challenge! You are on it!

Roberta - You will know it when you get to it, if the spoiler I read was accurate. Not happy about it, but Julia says I must read it for later books. SO I will.

I had to return The Luminaries to the library. Somebody had the nerve to request it! Now I am torn between just waiting until I can get my hot little hands on it again or just giving in and purchasing the Kindle edition. I hate to lose my progress - I was more than 100 pages in and the plot is intricate - you NEED to pay attention. Also, the Kindle would save my poor tendonitis because it is a VERY large hardback book. Perhaps I should purchase it for health reasons...

Mamie - Just buy the book. LOL!

Well, Roberta, since you're a nurse, and you know about these things, I will buy the book. For health reasons.

Mamie - I'm glad you are following my advice for health reasons. Now what to do about the anxiety and slight chest pain regarding Spenser #8? Read it you say? I'm at work right now. Aack! It is short. Thank goodness!

Yes. Read it - Julia says that we must.

Mind you, Julia also agrees that you probably won't like it nearly as much as you've liked previous Spensers. But things that happen here will be referred to more than once later in the series, so grit your teeth and think of Boston. Or something like that. :-)

I have to third that It's a Wonderful Life is a snooze fest.

Nobody has mentioned Scrooged? I love Bill Murray.

Every Christmas I buy a new themed movie. Last year it was The Muppets Christmas Carol. This year it's going to be National Lampoon's Christmas. I've never seen it.

Julia - LOL! I will grit my teeth and think of Boston!!

Morphy - I have never seen Scrooged, but I do love Bill Murray. I will have to hunt that one down - wonder if the library has it? We adore The Muppets Christmas Carol - delightful! I haven't seen Christmas Vacation in years, but I am thinking since Katie mentioned it that Dan would love it, so we will have to track it down.

Julia - I will grit my teeth and think of Boston. still having anxiety

Scrooged is AWESOME!!! Go Morphy! I need to find it.

ETA: The library has Scrooged and I have requested it. OMG I loved Carol Kane in that movie!

Roberta - I just checked, and I am thrilled that Amazon Prime will let us stream both of those movies for free!! This is excellent - two movies on the list that will be new to most of us in the Pecan Paradisio!

I didn't even check Amazon Prime! Yay!

Oooooo, so the subject is holiday movies! terrific!! I've got a short list -
my #1 all time favorite White Christmas - fist bumps Rae :0) "Snow, snow, snow, it won't be long da da da.
#2 A Christmas Story - filmed in Cleveland area with Downtown Higbees used for the visit to Santa. Leg lamps are really popular around here at Christmas
#3 the Original Scrooge - probably from the 1920's and the spookiest
and believe it or not #4 Edward Scissorhands - I saw it with my boyfriend, Bill @ Christmas time. Two years later he became husband, Bill . I really found the movie romantic and ignited my visual love affair with Johnny Depp. Said husband knows about this infatuation. Must check Netflix and the library.......................>

Lynda - Rae was delighted with the fist bump! I am trying to figure out which version of Scrooge you are talking about - this one:



With Reginald Owen as Scrooge?

And Edward Scissorhands?!! I have never seen that movie!

Oh! The Carol Kane parts are some of our favorites!

Ghost of Christmas Present: Sometimes you have to *slap* them in the face just to get their attention!

I had to check, Mamie, it was actually a 1951 version with Alistair Sim as Scrooge. Here's a youtube link for your viewing pleasure........ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XNKe1cGucY

Morphy - You are SO fun!!

Lynda - Oh. I know Alistair Sim - that is a good one!

Hi Mamie! Hope you are doing well. :)

>144 Carmenere: I also have fond memories of Edward Scissorhands.....a delicious young man dressed up as him at a costume party asked me to dance just as I had been oogling admiring him- I couldn't believe my luck!
I have not seen the film in years, maybe decades!

Maybe because it is summer here, but we dont have a movie tradition over Christmas (in our family anyway).

Tamara - Hey there! Never better!

Megan - Lovely memory!! Why don't I have any like that?! *sigh* It feels like summer here to me - 70F (21C) today. I went to the post office in my flip flops. SO no movies for Christmas season. Check.

Mamie, that is possibly my only good memory of boys as a late adolescent.....so I run with it! :)

44 posts since this morning? yeesh! No way To Keep up. I am not a huge fan of Xmas movies. I do like Bing Crosby movies... I absolutely HATE, loathe and despise A Christmas Story. GAK

We used to listen to Peter, Paul and MAry while we decorated the tree. I have their Xmas DVD. I don't bother anymore.. I just sam some lights on a bushy thing and call it a day.

humbug

Megan - Well, okay then.

Kathleen - Really? 44? Probably because I was pretty much hanging out here today. I like Christmas movies - at Christmas, but with the exception of Christmas in Connecticut, I only want to watch them once. So how do you feel about A Christmas Story? *ducks* Just kidding.

You are cracking me up with your...um...Christmas spirit. Is there anything that you DO like about the holiday? Candy canes? Hot chocolate? Stockings hung by the chimney with care?

I am the family Scrooge. Ever since my kids moved out..

>147 Carmenere:: The Alastair Sim version is THE BEST one for sure! We've watched it every Christmas Eve with the family since I was born, and my father has watched it every year since he was a child... he's going on 60 years running now, and has the whole thing memorized. Many lines from that one are used in regular conversation between family members. Sim just has those eyes, the expressiveness just makes the whole thing so perfect!

Sis - Well, let's at least have some hot chocolate. Hugs.



Faith!!! Oh. My. Word. So lovely to see you here! How ARE you?! I agree that the version of A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sims is very, very good. What a great family tradition you have with it!

*got so excited to see Faith here, that I forgot to post Kath's cocoa!

Oh, yeah, Alastair Sims is the best! I watch it every year too.

Did I hear hot chocolate is being passed around? *pulls up a beanbag, clutching my own soupbowl-sized mug*

Mmm, hot chocolate! Love it!

My dad made us watch that Alastair Sim film every year. I never much liked it. So there. Now there are two wet blankets on your thread ;-)

Liver, bacon, and onions. It's what's for dinner.

A snooze fest! A snooze fest! Come on, people! It's a Wonderful Life is an American classic! Mamie- If anyone would appreciate that line-up of great character actors, I thought you would. It's a Who's Who!

^I'll take a plate of that liver. That is something I rarely have a chance to eat. Yum!

ETA- Sorry you had to return The Luminaries. I bought the ebook copy and plan on starting it mid-month. My first ebook experience. About time, right?

Jim! I don't watch it every year, as we always read the book - a Dickens that I actually like!! Still, it is good, although if I am completely honest I have to admit that my very favorite version is The Muppets Christmas Carol.

Caro - Yes - get comfy, and I'll bring you a...oh, I see that you brought your own mug, okay, then I'll just be a moment...*hurries off to make a vat of cocoa*

Tamara - Sit down - there's plenty to go around.

Katie - I know just what to do for you. Don't worry, we'll keep them coming.



Richard - Oh, no! NO! I really hate liver. Bacon and onions, however...

Mark - It's rough out there, isn't it?! I do love Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed and Lionel Barrymore. You're right- it's a classic line-up. And perhaps if they had thrown in a couple of murders or a rogue angel... The problem is that is takes like fifteen hours to watch. On account of its being a snooze fest.

You can have that liver, my friend. My mom used to make that for my Dad occasionally, and I can't even stand to smell it cooking. YIKES!

I did return The Luminaries, but after heeding Roberta's council, I purchased a Kindle copy. I hate to have to start all over again when the book becomes available because I have forgotten some of the finer details. And, you know, for health reasons.

Health reasons also militate that you have some tender, delicious liver!

>157 Crazymamie:: LOL!!!!!!! I'm... pretty good. Taking a week off to recover from the past few months of insanity, so after a day spent lying on the couch reading -- something which I haven't had a chance to do in AGES -- I'm feeling more like myself again. And ready to get back on LT and say hello to everyone!!! :D Also, now I want hot cocoa... *drool*

Such a lively discussion on Christmas movies! I readily admit that I love most of them but I do have a soft spot for the Alastair Sim Christmas Carol, Christmas in Conneticut and, I have to join in with Mark, I do love It's A Wonderful Life.

Hot chocolate is always nice :)

This is a dangerous thread with all the amazing food......I've been craving hot choco a lot lately, must be the season, eh?

Richard - NO way, BigDaddy!

Faith - Here you go, dear. Sounds like you have been crazy busy. Glad to hear that you snagged some time for yourself. And I'm thrilled to see you back on the threads - you were missed!



Judy - Another fan of the Alastair Sim's version! And a buddy for Mark! He will be so pleased!

Sis - I think so, too. I'm convinced that it has magic in it. Hot chocolate for me is a very lovely memory of my mom. On cold days when we would come in from walking home from school and be cold to the bone with runny noses and wind burned cheeks, the first thing to hit you was the smell of her hot chocolate. She make it from scratch, and she would have a huge vat of it sitting on the back burner of the stove keeping warm. There were no frills - no whipped cream, no mini marshmallows, no peppermint sticks. Just that rich, thick, sweet drink of magic that seemed to be able to make everything better. It was heavenly.

Lucy - Yep. Dangerous. I have been craving hot chocolate, too. And it's not even cold here. LOL!

Too bad about the liver...I'll have to eat it, poor poor pitiful me. *drool*

Richard - Thanks, dear, for eating the liver. I will take the peppermint schnapps hot cocoa! Yum!

I'll take some of that peppermint schnapps hot cocoa.

Spenser #8 Grrr!!!! He needs some serious slap therapy!

Roberta - I know, right?! Spiked cocoa!! Did you finish the Spenser already?

Ha! Spenser could use some serious slap therapy a lot of the time, Mamie and Roberta, couldn't he.

I went on a bit of a Spenser re-read binge after Early Autumn, and read A Catskill Eagle (a particularly good one), Taming a Sea-Horse, and Pale Kings and Princes. I'm sure reminded how addictive these are!

Hope you have a good one today, Mamie. Hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps sounds just the ticket, and I'll join you.

I'm only on chapter 10 & I'm pissed. I'll tell you why after you & Donna have read it.

Joe - Yes, sir! Don't you just love books that invite you back? Rereading is one of my very favorite things - pure comfort. Thanks for those good wishes - overcast and rainy here, but we just have a few errands to run. Craig's birthday is this Thursday, and my sister Julie's is the very next day on Friday, so we need wrapping paper and a few other things. My sister loves to get mail, so we are each mailing her a separate birthday card - it will make her laugh.

I'm happy to share the spiked cocoa - let's get you a mug of that.



Roberta - Oh, I know why. I'll hold him down, and you slap him. Let me just get my taser...

I'm really enjoying these reactions to Spenser, Roberta and Mamie! I expect Donna will be chiming in as well, as soon as she gets the library book.

Julia - You are going to tell us that we have to read all of the horrid ones just so that you can sit back and listen to our rants, aren't you?! I see through your evil plan - so diabolically clever!!

I saw on your thread that you purchased the Lawrence Block books - I had not heard of that series before, but based on your enthusiasm I did purchase the first in the series, sounds like fun.

Mamie, you saw through my evil plan. Bwahahahaha!

Yay for buying the first Bernie Rhodenbarr! It's a fun, funny, light mystery series. I hope you like it!

I knew it!! Bernie Rhodenbarr sounds like the perfect companion for December - I'm looking forward to it.

Did I tell you, I love Judy!! Beaming...

Ooh I have a Lawrence Block short story up next in my Christmas mystery anthology. Yay! Never heard of him.

It's not the what he (Spenser) did that I'm mad at. We all have feet of clay. It's his attitude.

Mark - See? It's all good now!

Roberta - Well, I'm mad about what he did. And now I'm going to have issues with his attitude? Oh, dear. *checks her feet*

Yes, yes Donna -- definitely A Christmas Story. We too watch it every year and I now know it so well I laugh in anticipation as well as at the actual funny parts.

Reba - I love how everyone has different favorites. So fun!

*scurries off with mug of hot cocoa topped with lashings of whipped cream to look for the Lawrence Block series* .... save my seat, please!

*places a RESERVED sign at Caro's spot*

I vote with Rae and Lynda... White Christmas FOR THE WIN! Growing up, my family used to watch it at least once every season. My mom, sister, and I used to sing together, so we knew allmost of the words and had to sing the songs in harmony. Especially the "Sisters" song and the "Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow" song...

Ah... I'm smiling now.

I think my favorite Christmas film is that animated Burl Ives, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer jobbie - and I love him singing that tune too. The LD also loved it once she got over being afraid of the Bumble.

Hello, Lucy! How goes the writing? I can still remember how exciting it was for those animated specials to be shown on tv once a year at Christmas time. I was just talking to the kids about that - how you had to wait and hope that the time was convenient because there were no DVDs or DVR or any of that. My Dad always loved all the Charlie Brown specials, and so I have a soft spot for them as them remind me of him. And I think my personal favorites of those old animated ones is Year Without a Santa Claus because I adored Mr. Heat Miser and Mr. Snow Miser - talk about sibling rivalry!!

Morning dear, let's have some Italian pastry with coffee, shall we?

Well thanks Mamie for reminding me about the Brothers Miser, ba dum bum bum, baaaaaa dram! I used to know all the words and now that the tunes will be stuck in my head all day, I'm sure they will come back in their entirety. Have a good one

BTW: sorry, I snatched one of those Italian pastries, mmmmm

OH, YES! Just what I need today - thanks, BigDaddy! I was just telling Joe that I have lots to do today and no mojo to do it with. I just want to sit home and read, but I can't. *sigh*

Lynda - Me, too! "I'm Mr. Heat Miser, I'm Mr. Sun...

*For further torture, see this: Snow Miser/Heat Miser song

Love the picture in #74, Mamie. And the Alastair Sims version of Scrooge is my favorite holiday movie, although I'll watch all the versions, with White Christmas coming in second.

Here's some mojo -- hope it helps you get all of the "musts" done quickly so you can find a little time to read.

Roni - We're going to try to make one of those book trees this weekend. And another fan of Alastair Sims! I guess that is the favorite - I wonder how many different versions there are of that story?!

Reba - Thanks for that mojo - it worked!! I got everything done, and I even made it home just before it started pouring down rain. Lucky, lucky me!!

I love Snow Miser/Heat Miser! I even have the song on my music player.

Morphy - Me, too! You have it on your music player? You rock!!

I'm reliably informed that Holiday Affair is a terrific xmas movie, a worthy movie-night companion to Christmas in Connecticut which is bar none my favorite of them all. I watch Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House and Christmas in Connecticut together whenever the consumer culture starts to make me suicidal. So far it's worked every time!

Richard - Oh, Holiday Affair - thank you, I will track that one down. And Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is lovely - I just adore Cary Grant!! Christmas in Connecticut is my favorite Christmas movie, too - I have been known to watch it year round, I just love it that much. SO fabulous!

And speaking of Cary Grant, I am just now thinking of another good one - The Bishop's Wife!

Sweet, that one, very sweet. I need insulin even thinking about it.

How about The Grass is Greener? Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum, yyyyuuuuuuuuummmmmmm, and Deborahhhhh Kerr?

Hmm... I wonder if I can instigate a Cary Grant movie marathon for Christmas Day.

Oh, yes! ! You are taking me on a trip down memory lane, Richard - what a sweet journey!

Caro - I just adore Cary Grant! Especially Charade and Notorious and North by Northwest and To Catch a Thief and Father Goose...Oh, dear, I need a Cary Grant movie marathon, too!!

Throwing out a question for you guys. I always thought George Clooney, when in the proper movie, could be this generations Cary Grant. What say you?

Off to clean up the dinner dishes.................>

>207 Carmenere: He could have been, absolutely, but he went for serious instead of light. He's got the gorgeous down.

"MARRIED?! Goodie Two Shoes and the Filthy Beast?!" Even Leslie Caron couldn't ruin that movie for me. The only movie she was in, other than Father Goose that is, which doesn't make me cringe was Gigi. A wonderful tale of a grandmother selling a young girl into sexual servitude, only light and frothy and with lovely music!

Lynda - Yep. I agree with Richard and you - he has the gorgeous and the charming down.

Richard - I LOVE that quote! Grant actually wanted Audrey Hepburn for that role, but she couldn't do it. Wouldn't that have been oh so fabulous?!

Tonight has turned into one of those lovely moments that aren't planned but just happen. I am sitting in the living room with the dogs stretched out on my legs and beside me, while I spend time with both of my worlds at once - the virtual and the physical. Enjoying a glass of wine while I share my life with those who matter - both near and far away. The girls have put Christmas music on, and Birdy and Rae are decorating the tree. Rae has taken great delight in placing the "ugly Abby" ornament on the tree front and center. I like to watch her hang the ornaments because she gives each of them a gentle caress after carefully placing it aloft - she is the only one I know who could perfectly describe each trinket by texture. And Birdy takes the time to remove her glasses so that she can see the tree without focus - "it makes it seem even more magical," she explains when she catches me watching her. Lights are on low, so the white bulbs from the tree and those looping the garland as it winds its way down the staircase are the stars of the show. Abby is in the kitchen, which overlooks the living room, and she is busy baking - looking every bit as sweet as the treats she is concocting in her Christmas apron. Hair pulled back and the silver hoops of her earrings are catching the lights as she moves her head. She has already made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with a streusel topping that she served to us warm. I heard the burst of steam from the espresso machine as she made herself a latte. Now she is working on the pumpkin snicker doodle cookie recipe that the generous and thoughtful Richard has provided for us. And the boys? The boys are upstairs in Dan's room on the Xbox, but the door is open - I can see it from where I am sitting, and I can hear their laughter. Does it get any better than this? I don't think so.

Ah, that's lovely, Mamie. Enjoy.

Mamie - Life is good is it not? "We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have." -Frederick Koenig

Sounds like a perfect evening. Sometimes in our busyness we don't slow down to look, listen and appreciate what we have, thanks for reminding me to do so.

>210 Crazymamie: "We must not be absent from our own happiness." --Marcelle Sauvageot

*smooch*

Sigh. Do you want to adopt a fully grown (some would say too fully grown) daughter from the Midwest? I'll be good, I promise! Well, good-ish, anyway. Because, you know, shenanigans.

What a lovely picture you paint, Mamie!

Hi Mamie- Sounds like you are having a beautiful evening. Enjoy!

Katie - Thank you, dear. Did you see that your rant is a hot topic again?! You have 44 thumbs up!! You go, girl!

Roberta - Yes. Life is good. And I love that quote - thanks for that!

Lynda - You're welcome. I think that the older I get, the more I really try to focus on soaking up moments like that because I know that all too soon my nest will be empty. When that time comes, I promise to embrace it - after all, that is what I want for them. To become their own and create their own. But in the meantime, I will sit back and breath it all in.

Richard - True. So true. Such a lovely quote. And you were part of our perfect moment - how cool is that?! *smooch back*

Julia - YES! Good behavior is not required - you already possess the most important thing. A good heart. And shenanigans - you would fit right in! Welcome to the family!

Roni - Thank you, darling.

Mark - As good as it gets, my friend.

Mamie, your thread makes me smile! Big!

Best Christmas movie for me is Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti. I was blown away by the beautiful music as a teenager and to this day I love it. But if we mean real-movie movies I confess I love the sugary "Holiday Inn" and "Christmas in Connecticut". I am a sucker for movies of that time, and the Stars who were in them. The old "A Christmas Carol" fits that era, too. Scary.

Hawaii continues to be delightful. Had a great day with the photography tour. Guide and driver was a young man of Philippine heritage and he had many politically charged topics as well as good photography advice. We saw several dramatic beach scenes to photograph, and I really would have loved some more off the beaten path stuff. But I did enjoy the day, and playing with my camera. I think I am remembering more of the technical stuff. Thank goodness.

I am reading a photography book by Art Wolf, the The End of Your Life Book Club, The Hawaiian Archipelago by a woman who visited in 1871 (date is approx.), Slow Cooking and all that i need, or live like a dog with its head stuck out the car window. And oh, when it all seems a bit too much, I pick up Winnie the Pooh. This is because I brought my Kindle with me to Hawaii and it is much easier to read multiple books when they are right there, in that one little device.

My companion is calling me for dinner. bye.

#37 (yes, I'm that far behind) -- thanks for describing your juggling of multiple books at once, Mamie. I still stand in awe but I have a sense of how you manage it. It sounds almost do-able. Someday, when I'm not working 50-55 hours per week, I will give it a shot. I have successfully read two books at once - like you, they had to be very different sorts of books - and I could probably do it again. Maybe I'll try it again with a novel and a collection of short stories....

Are you still reading The Martian Chronicles? Are you loving it?

#195 thanks for the closed caption version for the memory impaired :0}

The sfogliatelle from earlier in the thread (#192) drew me in. They're a specialty of Naples, and we had them for breakfast every day we were there. Delicious!

And what a great slice of life you described in #210, Mamie. Taking note of the details will make the moment stick in your memory even more, which is lovely.

>200 Crazymamie: I even caterwaul sing it at the top of my lungs!

I'm behind, too, Mamie, but I love your >210 Crazymamie: Christmas story! I also cracked up at RD's capsule review of Gigi: "Gigi. A wonderful tale of a grandmother selling a young girl into sexual servitude, only light and frothy and with lovely music!"

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins with streussel topping?! Oh, that Abby is a genius. We may have to have her guest chef at the cafe.

>210 Crazymamie: Sounds lovely!

> 210 What a wonderful night! I wish you many more :)

I like Cary Grant movies, too... I like a lot of old movies ...
Well, I stopped to say hello, and now I am off to make pocorn and get ready for S.O.M.
Hugs to you Sis!

Love that story of your perfect memorable night, Mamie. What a treasure chest of beautiful memories you're building, *hugs*

#210 - No. It does not get any better than that. Truly exquisite, including your loving and reveling descriptions!!

#210 It sounds lovely Mamie - a perfect evening indeed!

Today is St. Nicholas Day, and also my favorite sister's birthday. Happy Birthday to my sister, Julie, who has always been like a Mom to me. She is 59 today, exactly ten years older than Craig, who turned 49 yesterday. We had Steak Mamie, mashed potatoes and gravy, and (cover your eyes, Richard) corn for the birthday meal - as requested by Craig. I have announced that I will not make mashed potatoes again until the New Year. Abby made that delicious mint ice cream cake that we raved about last year, only instead of using the regular Andies mints, she used the Christmas ones that are peppermint. Everyone liked it, but Rae stated that she prefers the original version.

Back in a bit to catch up on my thread...

Happy birthday, Julie and Craig! Let's have some peppermint bark.

I have posted my review rant of Spenser 8 in the spoiler format. *sigh* I'm ready to move on.

Steak Mamie? I'm pretty sure I've asked this before, but, you know - perimenopausal brain.

Karen - So thrilled to make anyone smile! I am not familiar with that movie, so I will have to look it up. Holiday Inn and Christmas in Connecticut are two of my favorites. I love those old movies, too. Your photography tour sounds delightful - can't wait to see some of your photos! How long are you there for? Hoping that dinner was fabulous. YOu've got some great books going there - I like the convenience of the Kindle, too - especially when traveling. Hugs to you, dear.

Ellen - The multiple book thing somehow works for me. SOmetimes I honestly try to read just one at a time, but I always end up picking up another, and then another... I did finish The Martian Chronicles. I liked it very much, but not as much as Dandelion Wine or Something Wicked This Way Comes. I think the story The Third Expedition was my favorite, but I also loved There Will Come Soft Rains, which I had read before, but not as part of a collection. The Martian Chronicles is more uneven than the other stuff I have read by him, but it's Ray Bradbury - it's all good!

Lynda - Since it was going to be in your head all day anyway, I thought that you would want to make sure that you had all the lyrics down!!

Ursula!! I need to come catch up with you! Laughing that the food drew you in! Those do look like they would be absolutely delicious. And thank you for those kind words. I love moments that take you by surprise like that and wrap you in their perfection.

Morphy - LOL! It is a song that begs to be sung loudly and with much relish!!

Joe - Glad you loved my Christmas moment. ANd I laughed out loud at Richard's description of Gigi, too! He has such a way with words!! And Abby's muffins were scrumptious - she was so pleased that you mentioned them in the Cafe. You made her day with that!

Tamara - It truly was.

Kathleen - Thanks for that, sis! I could not ask for more than that - what a lovely wish! Hoping you enjoyed SOM - who knew that Vampire Bill could sing?! We saw just a tiny bit of it as last night was Craig's birthday. Hugs back to you, dear!

Caro - Glad you liked my shared story. YOu got it just right - I am storing them up for later because I know that life is constantly surprising us with its changes. Hugs back!

Ellen - Thank you so much.

Heather - It was! It truly was!

Richard - Can't see the image, but peppermint bark is the perfect choice - they both love that! Thanks so much for those wishes.

Roberta - Oh, dear. I'll be right over!

Morphy - It's actually Steak Diane - I just call it Steak Mamie because I'm the one making it!

Happy St. Nick day and Happy Birthday to my dear sister's sister. ;-)

LOL! Thank you, Ellen!

Since you celebrate St. Nicholas Day, you might appreciate this story that a good friend of mine told me today. So, last night as we left work she was stressing because they always put foil-covered chocolate coins in the kids' stockings for St. Nicholas Day, and she had counted on buying them right after work at the drugstore next to our office, but the drugstore was completely out of them, presumably because they are also a big Hanukkah gift and Hanukkah was so early this year. Liz's husband managed to find little foil-covered chocolate teddy bears, not coins, and they decided to just go with it.

Fast forward to this morning, when Liz's eldest daughter Hilda, who's 9, looked in her stocking and saw the little foil-covered teddy bears where she expected to see coins. She scrunched up her forehead and said, "Huh," and Liz said she could see her thinking hard about this anomaly. Then her face cleared and she said, "Oh! I know exactly what happened!" This surprised Liz, who asked her, "What do you think happened?" And Hilda replied perfectly deadpan, "Well, obviously St. Nicholas died and there's a new St. Nicholas and he gives teddy bears instead of coins."

Liz said it was all she could do not to bust out laughing. I suggested that Hilda's lack of awareness that saints, unlike Popes, do not get replaced when they die is a direct result of poor CCD instruction by the lay people who have taken over for the nuns!

That story is priceless. I would have burst out laughing, there probably would've been tears for laughing so hard.

I know! When Liz told me this morning at work I couldn't stop laughing. Hilda is a funny kid; sometimes she acts like 9-going-on-40 and then other times like this you realize she's just an adorable 9-year-old kid.

LOL at chocolate teddy story :)

Kids do say the funniest things :) I saw your discussion with Paul on his thread, about pistachio nuts..I am going to have to keep that in mind..

Wishing you a splendid weekend :)

Good Saturday, Goody Mamie. Howzabout we have us some Nutella-stuffed French toast?



Coffee?

Happy Saturday, y'all! Big plans for today? Craig is on call all weekend, so we will be just doing the usual. Hoping I can get a start on the wrapping of Christmas presents, do some baking, and find plenty of time for reading.

Julia - I LOVE that story! Too funny!

Abby! Does Julia's description remind you of anyone who lives with us? A certain someone with blue hair?

Julia - Hilda sounds a lot like our Birdy!

Sis - I used to keep a little book of all the funny things that mine said, and now I am wondering where that book went to! And see - we both learned something on Paul's thread. I'm putting some of those pistachio nuts in Craig's stocking! Thanks for those weekend wishes - hoping that yours is full of fabulous!

Richard - Um...YES! Yes! I'll get the coffee!

I am going to have to try this Nutella stuff everyone raves about.

Oh, Lori, yes you are! It's delicious!

I am another can vouch for nutella, it is wonderful stuff. Couldn't you make it with pecans?

Have a lovely weekend Mamie.

I am trying to keep up with at least some of my buddies here; and this morning, yes, please, coffee! I am an early riser and our condo has a slider out to the grounds, and faces to the east - so early morning gives the gift of watching the sun rise. We have 5 more sun rises to watch, and then it is home to complete the house moving, and returning to dealing with life. Sigh.

I hope your weekend carries with it all that you wish to do and have! Wrapping presents can sometimes be such a nice exercise of anticipation - how will they like it? Will they guess what's inside? Will this be too easy or too hard to unwrap? Oh, damn, I'm out of Scotch tape!

Have a great one!

Must be something goofy with my tastebuds - my wife and daughter love Nutella, and it just leaves me meh. Now, if you add streussel topping to that stuffed french toast, you might get me.

Paul - I don't know how it would taste with pecans substituted for the hazelnuts. Hm...

Wishing for you a weekend full of fabulous, dear!

Karen - Coffee coming right up! And hooray for watching the sun rise. Be sure to soak up those last five. And I love the stream of consciousness thing you've got going there for my wrapping pleasure! I always procrastinate on the wrapping, so I do need to get going on it. THIS will be the year that I just get to sit back and relax on Christmas Eve. (please be advised that I say this every year, but have yet to make it happen...)



Joe - I adore Nutella, I have to admit. And we can definitely add some streusel topping to that French toast for you!