Ronincats' Reading Recurrences III

Pacific Beach pier last week.

Hi, I'm Roni, and this is my 7th year in the 75 Book Challenge group. I read heavily in science fiction and fantasy, with a side dish of non-fiction and a sprinkling of mystery and romance. This year I'll be participating in the Lois McMaster Bujold year-long Vorkosigan read, the Arabian Nights read, the Harry Potter series reread, the American Authors monthly read (at least for some of the authors), the Science, Religion & History quarterly read, and The Culture group read, for starters.

My final thread of 2013 is here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/161637

Goals and tickers:

Books Read in 2014:

January
1. Indexing by Seanan McGuire (420 pp.)
2. If the Shoe Fits by Laurie LeClair (244 pp.)
3. Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (313 pp.)
4. Hexed by Kevin Hearne (296 pp.)
5. Dragonwriter: A Tribute to Anne McCaffrey and Pern edited by Todd McCaffrey
6. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather (297 pp.)
7. Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (309 pp.)
8. The Talisman Ring by Georgette Heyer (234 pp.)
9. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold (389 pp.)
10. The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (315 pp.)
11. The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold (345 pp.)
12. Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold (302 pp.)
13. Grimoire of the Lamb/The Chapel Perilous by Kevin Hearne (99 pp.)
14. The Librarian: Little Boy Lost by Eric Hobbs (98 pp.)
15. Longbourn by Jo Baker (332 pp.)

February
16. Bastion by Mercedes Lackey (342 p.)
17. The Bitter Kingdom by Rae Carson (433 pp.)
18. Frederica by Georgette Heyer (437 pp.)
19. The Arabian Nights by Hassan Haddawy (428 pp.)
20. Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch (320 pp.)
21. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (309 pp.)
22. The Silvered by Tanya Huff (484 pp.)
23. Before the Dawn by Nicholas Wade (179 pp.)
24. Carousel Sun by Sharon Lee (366 pp.)
25. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (341 pp.)

March
26. Hammered by Kevin Hearne (312 pp.)
27. Mr. Wuffles by David Weisner (30 pp.)
28. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold (311 pp.)
29. Tricked by Kevin Hearne (370 pp.)
30. Half-Off Ragnorak by Seanan McGuire (368 pp.)
31. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (396 pp.)
32. The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg (515 pp.)
33. Trapped by Kevin Hearne (322 pp.)
34. The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks (309 pp.)
35. Serendipity's Tide by L. Shelby (233 pp.)
36. Treachery's Harbor by L. Shelby (194 pp.)

Books Acquired in 2014:

January
1. Hell and Earth by Elizabeth Bear
2. Forty Thousand in Gehenna by C. J. Cherryh
3. Aunt Dimity: Snowbound by Nancy Atherton
4. The Dragonfly Pool by Eva Ibbotson
5. Legacy by James H. Schmitz
6. Changer by Jane Lindskold
7. Dragon's Kin by Anne and Todd McCaffrey
8. Desolation Road by Ian McDonald
9. Grimoire of the Lamb/The Chapel Perilous by Kevin Hearne
10. Magnificent Devices 4-book set by Shelley Adina
11. Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch
12. Carousel Sun by Sharon Lee
13. Shannivar by Deborah J. Ross

So, today is Saturday and that means pottery studio day. (Also KU basketball games, and we whomped Texas good!) And this is what I brought home today.


I've read another chapter of The Hamlet, but not much reading what with Olympics this week.

So then it is just little old me wishing you a lovely Sunday and congratulations on a new thread. xx

Yup, everybody else is already in bed in Europe and the parts of the US east of here. Unless Richard is having insomnia tonight, and we'll hope he isn't! Should I send you a book? The third in the Magician series. Probably cost more than the book, though.

I love the colors on the lidded bowl. That russet/orange is gorgeous with the dark green.

Thanks, Jenn. I'm happy with the way that one turned out too!

1:41 on a Sunday morning and having trouble falling asleep. Foot cramps and scenes from The Hamlet and the hubby's snoring all combining to make sleep elusive. I think I'm about ready to give it another try, though. Thank goodness I don't have to get up for anything in the morning.

Happy new thread and the new pots are lovely. Hope you manage to get some sleep.

You are quite the professional now, when it comes to pottery.

Happy new thread, Roni! Really love that beautiful pottery, especially the one on the left - just gorgeous! Hoping that you finally were able to fall asleep.

Oh I like like like that casserole on the left - the green and the markings around the bottom. Really really nice.

I should be doing The Culture group read. sigh.

I'm reading SEL's ancient copies of Witch World this week while in situ in Florida. So much fun!

Back to answer your question in yr. last thread: Yes - I was praising your Before the Dawn review.

Happy New Thread, Roni! Love the pottery, as usual!

Happy New Thread, Roni! I love the topper! And the pottery.

Beautiful pottery! And I like all your different reasons for counters. You're a statistics person.

Oh, beautiful pottery, Roni. They look good together, too.

I have a Liaden book coming in next week that I haven't read, Necessity's Child. Can't wait.

Congrats on the new thread!

Hi Roni, I hope you managed to get some sleep last night. I hate those kind of nights. :(

I also love that covered dish, both the colors and the design. It would look lovely surrounded by pumpkins and gourds, very autumn-y.

Hope you got to sleep in really late this morning, although wouldn't want to you miss too much of this beautiful day. Enjoy!

I absolutely love the pottery bowl with the lid!

Congrats on thread number 3, Roni!

I did get to sleep shortly after 2, and didn't get awakened until 10, so I cannot complain except that too much of this beautiful day is already gone.

I love all the commenting visitors that a new thread tends to bring. Hello to Calm, Piyush, Mamie, Lucy, Amber, Connie, Katie, Joe, Judy, Reba, and Lori! May I offer you some goodies to snack on?


Thank you all for the comments on the pottery. As I told Jenn, I was really happy with the lidded pot--both the design and the colors. I glazed a batch more dishes yesterday and am hoping the glazes turn out well.

Necessity's Child is okay, Joe, but not going to be one of my favorite Liadens. Still an entertaining read.

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread! I was so behind on your threads it took me 20 minuets to read them all.

Thanks, Melissa and Bryony. Good to see you here.

I couldn't resist this!

I can't decide whether I like the pottery or the cookies more. ;-)

I like the batman poster!
And since I'm not a cookie person, I would go for the pottery. But I did that already!
I love the way the colors match! It looks like a set!

More gorgeous pottery, Roni! You must be pleased with how those two turned out. The lidded one in particular has lovely colors and shape. Happy new thread!

Like the cookies and the poster!

#17, 21 I haven't yet read Necessity's Child either. I do want to read all the Liaden books eventually, even the ones that aren't *quite* as good! :)

From your last thread, I read the Tanya Huff Blood books when they first came out and enjoyed them quite a bit. From your descriptions Roni, it sounds as though I should try more of her work.

Lovely pottery topping your thread!

Hi Roni! Happy new thread, and I hope you end up enjoying The Hamlet. It will probably be my next Faulkner.

#24 - Nice.

Yeah, I'm with Heidi. Sorry to hear Necessity's Child isn't better, but even the not-as-goods in the Liaden series are fun to read.

Like both pots, though the open one more than the lidded; and I must lodge a formal complaint about your publicity department's signal failure to mount adequate advertising campaigns in major media markets. How is one to know when you have started a new thread absent TV advertising? You must speak sharply to them.

Necessity's Child is very different from a lot of the other Liaden books - smaller scope, and almost YA (at least, several of the protagonists are young (how young is one of the puzzles I haven't been able to solve). But I found it fun, both in itself and in how it cast sidelights on other stories and characters. YMMV.

Woohoo! I am catching your thread before it gets completely away from me! Hello!

General question to everyone talking about Liaden: How do the Liaden books compare to the Vorkosigan books? I really want another series like the Vorkosigan saga, but I think it's the characters that make it so special, not space (although space never hurts!)

I love that Batman poster, Roni. Congrats on the big KU win. I'm starting to get excited about March Madness. Mary and Haley had their KU shirts on yesterday. I guess Molly isn't a big fan yet. ;-(

Happy new thread Roni! I love the pots and the Batman library poster :-)

Good morning, all! At least, it is still morning here, although not for most of you. Been a semi-busy week so far. Haircut on Monday, plus an exciting (TOO much so) basketball game with Oklahoma and the return of one of my favorite guilty pleasures, The Voice, meant no reading time at all to speak of. Well, except that I started a book on my Kindle for the few minutes I waiting at the hair stylist's.

Yesterday we both headed down for our dental checkups, where I read some more on my Kindle--and then I was so much into the story that I read when we got back home, until we went out for Japanese food for supper, and then until The Voice, and then until half way through the news when I finished...



Book #24 Carousel Sun by Sharon Lee (366 pp.)

This contemporary fantasy follows Carousel Tides by about 8 weeks, still on Archer's Beach in Maine. One of the things I like about it is the author's evident love of her Maine homeland, its characters and its economic challenges. Kate is still Guardian of the carousel and of the land around Archer's Beach, but we've settled into the why and wherefore of all that in the first book and this one focuses more on Kate and her adjustment to being back home and her roles with both humans and fae. I found it very readable and entertaining light reading.

Last night I started Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets after I finished the above, but today I need to read some more of The Hamlet and get started on The Player of Games, while Ancillary Justice sits on the library shelf and entices me. We are waiting for rain to move in at some point--they are predicting a good heavy one of at least an inch which will be heartily welcomed. We may get some clouds and showers today, but it's supposed to be tomorrow afternoon before any real rain, and early Friday morning through Saturday for the heavy rains.

Many thanks to Lori, Connie, Julia, Lucy, Heidi, Kerri, Joe, Richard, Jenn, Foggi, Kriti, and Donna! Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE visitors, especially such lovely and complimentary ones?

Heidi, sounds like I need to read some of Huff's Blood books and you need to read some of her other series!

Joe, when you finish the book, I'll tell you what factors led to my difficulty with some of the necessary suspension of belief in the story.

Richard, the automatic starring of the new thread isn't working for you? This, from the man who starts a new thread every other day with no publicity? Ah, well, smooches anyway.

Kriti, what I like about the Liaden books is that, like Bujold, the authors create characters that I care about and that, despite all of the action in the books, it is those relationships (and, I confess, the cats and the Tree) that make me such a big fan. That's why Bujold and Lee & Miller and Moon are my big three out of all of the space opera out there--I grow to love their characters.

Donna, you will just have to educate Molly. Only three more games in the regular season before we move on to the tourneys, and Saturday in particular should be challenging. Even though we have clinched TEN Big-12 championships in a row, we can't get complaisant.

ETA Heather! You came by while I was composing the above. Good to see you too!

I'll have to try that Lee - oh you are such a dangerous person to know Roni!

35> They're very different people - hmmm, Val Con is as nuts as Miles, in his own special way, though.... They are not at all similar stories, except where they are. That's very useful, I'm sure. But yeah, as Roni said, both of the series are character-driven, with fascinating characters doing interesting things to follow.

39> Note that Sharon Lee is half the author team of the Liaden books. Her style on her own is only slightly different - well, the feel is a lot the same (still character-driven), the subjects are quite different. I like Steve (Miller) on his own too, though he hasn't published much.

I haven't yet gotten Carousel Sun - too busy with other things. Gonna, though. I loved Tides, and I'm looking forward to Sun and...oh bah, the third one, whatever its name is (Carousel something-or-other). I like her straight mysteries, too - Barnburner and Gunshy.

Lucy, like you are so safe to know yourself! Ha ha!

I haven't read Lee's straight mysteries, Jenn, but I do enjoy all of their work I have read.

So we headed down for lunch to Point Loma Seafood, and then around the corner to Shelter Island to walk with the dog. Lovely day--met a couple from Kansas City (yesterday's low- 8 degrees, high 30 degrees) in shorts and tee shirts. Locals were wearing jeans and long-sleeve tees.

We could actually see the Coronado Islands out at sea (between 15 and 20 miles out)--the hazy outline beyond the Point Loma promontory is the largest of the islands.

Ooof, lovely photo. And yes, at this point anything above 40F sounds like t-shirt weather to me! Ha!

>24 ronincats:: Cracked me up!

Hi Roni! Your day at Point Loma and Shelter Island sounds (and looks) lovely!

But, even better, it's raining today! :) Can't wait for the weekend storm.

I'm underway with Necessity's Child, Roni. So far I like this Syl Vor kid.

HI, Amber, Ellen, Reba and Joe. Well, the weather is quite different today. We had rain this morning (half an inch by my rain gauge) and are expecting more tonight and ALL DAY tomorrow. As you can tell, Reba and I are quite excited about this. It is GOOD! However, it was dry this afternoon as I went to and came home from the jewelry class where I learned how to make this:


Glad you are enjoying the story, Joe.

That's interesting. I don't know that I *like* it particularly, but it's interesting. Seems a bit, I dunno, heavy-looking...like it would itch or summat like that.

As always, it's fascinating to see what you're learning, and I thoroughly enjoy those soft, gleaming colors! Like walking into a room with lots of good pewter.

Mmmm, I was afraid that I should have put it on a model to give some perspective.

The central part is a web of 5 mm crystals and small seed beads, about 1 inch in diameter and 2/75 inches long, very light in fact, but I agree it looks "heavy" above. I like the colors too, though, and love you for dropping by and commenting on it.

I forgot to say the other day that I had requested a history book, The Normans, and a fantasy, The Quick, from Early Reviewers, and got an email saying I hadn't won anything, and then another email saying I had won The Normans. This is my first win in three months--maybe because I have about 4 outstanding reviews owed?

Oh, Roni, I am in awe here on your thread -- the wonderful ocean, and beautiful pottery, and the stunning jewelry!

Great review of Carousel Sun -- looks like an enjoyable read.

Necklace is beautiful!! Yep, excited about the rain although I have to be on a panel for my granddaughter's girl scout troop tomorrow afternoon in Santee. I'm not looking forward to driving out there in the rain.

The bead barrel - for lack of a better term - must have been fascinating to learn how to make! I like the colours in that necklace.

Thank you, Anne! Glad you came by.

Reba, looks like we're having a break--hope it lasts until you get home from Santee. Isn't this wind something?

Lori, bead barrel is a great term for it--the teacher called it a caterpillar. It was actually fairly simple and I think could be adapted to a lot of different things.

So, I finished my reread of



Book #25 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (341 pp.)

It's amazing how obvious it is who is the culprit in retrospect (and during rereads). And Lucius Malfoy makes his appearance--he was cast so beautifully in the movies! This was for the group read of the series.

And I decided that flexibility is key. That is, it gives me the excuse to do what I want to, which is to continue The Hamlet into the next month, since I wasn't going to read the next American author anyhow, and also The Player of Games, so instead of starting the latter, I have picked up one last book to fit into Fantasy February. I have been very patiently ignoring the copy of Hammered sitting over there on my tbr shelf while I have plowed through other reads, but no more. I started last night as soon as I finished Harry Potter, and chortled through the Spock/Kirk dialog. This morning, I got just as big a chuckle out of the Neal Fucking Gaiman conversation.

What fun to read through Harry Potter again! You must be having a great time, Roni.

I finished Necessity's Child, and enjoyed it. So I'm ready for whatever thoughts you have on it.

Okay! There were a couple of things that made it less than stellar for me. I could accept that this story was a very limited one that did not advance the story of Korval very much, and that it's much "younger" in feel. However, it strained my rather elastic sense of credulity to think that this hidden culture just happened to exist underground on a planet that was very borderline for colonizing in the first place for all this time with no one having any clue. And I thought the authors borrowed way too heavily on the classic tropes for Romany culture without coming up with their own twists--almost a lazy man's out. And finally, the ease with which the baddies were able to set up the final explosion, despite everyone being on alert. So, that's it really. Your thoughts?

Gotcha. Here goes. Good points, all. The fact that the gadje didn't know where the Bedels were, when there had to be countless opportunities to spot them, and when Mike Golden found a gate so easily, bothered me. The Bedels certainly were an obvious takeoff on the Romany. Maybe I just don't know enough about gypsy culture, but I enjoyed the social setup with the grandmother (luthia) and the headsman and the it takes a village relationships. For me there was enough difference or novelty there to make it interesting, including their supreme skill in making machinery. You're absolutely right about the ease with which the baddies set up the bombs when everyone was on high alert - if Sharon Lee was going to try that, she needed to get into some detail on how they possibly could pull that off. Nonetheless, I'm used to suspending disbelief in these stories, and I really liked Syl Vor/Kezzi/Mike Golden/Udari/Rys/Nova/the grandmother, and others. Plus it was interesting to think about a kid being trained to be a Liaden pilot. I always enjoy the excessive politeness/decorum of the Korvals, too.

Boy, you've been busy since I've been not here! Love that necklace! Love the pottery! Not reading about the Lee book. I'll be back.....

>48 ronincats: ...imagine a Universe wherein I *didn't* comment on things...

*smooch* and a hearty thumbs up to self-granted flexibility!

Here's tonight's project. My pottery studio owner was complaining that her very favoritest of all time apron was totally falling apart--and I said I could use it to make her a new one. This isn't beautiful, but it's very utilitarian and copies the form of her original apron exactly.

I'm pleased to report that this first major use of my new sewing machine that I bought two years ago went very well, and I like my Kenmore 16230 very well. It handled the thick intersections of fabric very well.

Joe, I always enjoy the Liaden books and will continue to get them all. I just noticed being thrown out of the story occasionally on this one, which doesn't usually happen with Lee and Miller. Glad you enjoyed it too.

Peggy, you are definitely a drive-by visitor!

Richard, such a universe is completely unfathomable! None of us would want to live in such a reality.

So glad you like your new sewing machine! I look at mine from time to time - sort of nostalgically, - I have a Bernina - from back in the day when they were made of metal. When I went in with it last year for a tune-up the guy said. NEVER NEVER sell this!!!!! I'm hoping once the LD goes off to college, I will renew my love affair with it.....

February stats:

Books read: 10
Pages read: 3539
Average pages per book: 354
Average pages per day: 126

Initial reads: 7
RE-reads: 3 For the Anne of Green Gables, Harry Potter and Heyer group reads and all off my shelves

Library books: 3
Kindle books: 2
Paper books off my shelf: 2
Kindle books off my shelf: 0

Science fiction: 0
Fantasy: 7
Children's: 1
Nonfiction: 1
Fiction: 0
Romance: 1

Author Gender:
Female: 7
Male: 3

Author Nationality:
USA: 5
England: 3
Canada: 2

Books acquired: 3
Money spent: $13.22

Format:
Paper: 1
Kindle: 2 (and 7 freebies, which don't count)

Genre:
Science fiction: 0
Fantasy: 3
Children's: 0
Romance: 0

Books read/acquired: 2/3

Books Out the Door: 4
PaperBackSwap: 4

Lucy, that's kind of the situation I've been in. I bought this machine several years ago when the Sears Express store near us was going out of business and switching back to KMart, and got it for 60% off, and have only had it out once or twice for mending since. My grandmother was a seamstress--made all of our clothes up to when I entered college and taught me, but I haven't done much sewing in years. I'm going to go ahead and cut out the purse whose materials I bought several years ago while I have the cutting board out on the dining room table.

>51 lkernagh: It was raining so hard as I went north on 163 that I couldn't read the exit signs -- good thing I know that road pretty well. Going over the hill to Santee it was windy and still raining hard. On the way home it was still raining but at least I could see where I was going. Not complaining though...delighted it's raining.

Love the apron. It's both attractive (and a good color for working with clay I would think) and looks very practical.

Sewing..... *sigh* I can't do it. I sew a dart; it takes 45 minutes, and I have to sit still for another 45 to recover.

Sewing is Black Art. Like knitting, crocheting, tatting...nothing short of a compact with the Evil One can enable someone to turn a piece of skinny or fuzzy string into something useful.

Poor Peggy!

Richard! I didn't realize you were a leather and furs man!



Book #26 Hammered by Kevin Hearne (312 pp.)

Lots of funny parts to this book, several of which I've already mentioned. But the action gets serious and nobody mentioned that the book ends mid-action. And I don't have the next one lined up! Maybe it's time to switch to Kindle versions...

First of all, I have to tell you that I replaced the picture of the apron up in message 58 with one of Annie modeling it at the pottery--she loved it! And I brought pieces home today:


But you can't really see the interior of the rear left bowl properly, so here you go:


I threw 4 cereal bowls and a teapot body, lid and spout, and trimmed 4 small bowls and one large bowl. No glazing, so I won't have any pieces ready next week. Got home just as the rain started up again, and ready to watch my KU Jayhawks in a big game on ESPN in a few minutes.

Ooooooooh that blue and green combination...! Just glorious. And I like the bottom left tall bowl, too, with the demon-tail red rim.

Colors! Love the webby purple and tri-blue.

I am so far behind, Roni, but I just had to stop and comment on the beautiful necklance with the bead barrel/caterpillar — as everyone has already said, the colors are just gorgeous. And the apron is great, too — you can really tell that she loves it! I would love to see some pictures of the teapot when it is ready to show off. I sort of have a thing for teapots and am already wondering if it is a practical thing for you to ship in the mail! :-)

Beautiful pottery, as usual!

And yay for sewing!!

The pottery is wonderful!

I love the necklace, very beautiful. The apron looks very efficient. And the pottery is gorgeous

Richard, I knew you'd love those rich colors.

Katherine, I do love to play with colors.

Julia, there are pictures of some of my teapots in my gallery here on LT--I do tend to make them that shape and from small to medium in size. The one I am making now is at the large and heavy end of the range and thuse not very suitable for shipping, but there will be others.

Thank you, Amber, Lori and Connie for the pottery love.

I have the necklace on the black stand here on my work table, and I have to tell you that I like it better every time I look at it. You have no idea how rich the colors really are in person.

Here's yesterday's project:

These are not MY colors, but I decided I should do some pieces outside of my own color scheme.

And finally, for all of you, and there seem to be a lot, who are or have been ill recently, this apposite quotation from Mr. William Faulkner:

He did not still feel weak, he was merely luxuriating in that supremely gutful lassitude of convalescence in which time, hurry, doing, did not exist, the accumulating seconds and minutes and hours to which in its well state the body is slave both waking and sleeping, now reversed and time now the lip-server and mendicant to the body's pleasure instead of the body thrall to time's headlong course.

Nice quote!

And the thika tree is cool, too.

I'm a big fan of lush and yummy deep shades. I'm happy you noticed!

GOSH I love the pottery pictures!! From way up in #5 to the recent pics #66! Just breath taking!!

>73 ronincats: I like that a lot.

And >66 ronincats: !!!! The one on the bottom right - dark with red - yes. I LOVE that.

Hi Roni!

I really like that tree, Roni, though those are not my usual colours, either.

I love the colours in that tree to look at. I use colours like that in my decor but can't wear them.

>73 ronincats: I love the tree and the color. I think I'm an orange/green girl

Off to read dr. seuss books to kindergarteners! Back later.

That's one of the more excellent "away" messages I've seen, Roni. Let us know how it goes.

Thank you, Richard. And Tina. And Ellen. And Liz. And Meg. And Connie. I'm so happy all of you visited my thread AND commented so I knew you'd been by.

Joe, the kinders were great fun. We had a good time with Green Eggs and Ham and Scaredy Cat.

On the way home, I stopped by the library to pick up Consider Phlebas and Mr. Wuffles. I immediately returned Consider Phlebas since it took 8 weeks for the library to find it and send it to my branch and the January read for it is long over.



Book #27 Mr. Wuffles by David Wiesner (30 pp.)

Many thanks to Dear Linda for bringing my attention to this marvelous Caldecott winner of a picture book which involves cats and space aliens. Loved, loved, loved the pictures. Will read it again several times before returning it to the library.

BUT while I was at the library, they were having a special on their books. 6 for $1. And someone's almost new science fiction was on the shelves. Not good for my book acquisition numbers, unless I'm trying to compete with Paul. I got:

Spin by Robert Charles Wilson-Hugo winner
Pushing Ice by Alastair Reynolds
Destroyer by C. J. Cherryh-I'll be reading this series eventually and will want this.
Beast Master's Circus by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie-Loved the originals (Beast Master and Lord of Thunder) as an adolescent, but was much less impressed with Beast Master's Ark, written much later with Norton just adding her imprimatur, so had never picked this one up but 17¢?

These won't count, as they are replacements:

Low Port by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller-great condition mmpb to replace my trade paperback edition and make room on those shelves--the old one goes for trade.
Balance of Trade by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller-ditto, except replacing the hardback.
the original Earthsea trilogy by Ursula Le Guin--these are the same edition as the ones I have, but I lent out the first and never got it back and had to pick up an unmatched first book. NOW I have my matching set, and an unmatched set to give away to the first LT friend giving me a good reason why they should be the one to get it!

All five of the latter won't count as books out the door either, since I'm not counting the duplicate editions coming in.

Now I have to go make an extra special purple tree pendant for my friend's birthday tomorrow.

Not sure if I missed it - do you have an Etsy site yet?

The thing about an Etsy site is that there are hundreds of shops making the trees--I don't know that I would stand out at all to make any sales. But I really should check it out, Gentle Reader.

And here is my friend's pendant:

That's lovely indeed, Roni. The varying shades of purple will make it look like it's shimmering when it's around someone's neck. Lucky pal!

Ah, now, those ARE my colours! :)

>82 ronincats: I agree about the Beast Master series - Ark and Circus are OK, I was actually sorry I read Quest (poorly done in about half a dozen ways). Beast Master and Lord of Thunder are great, though. Oddly enough, one of Lyn's books in a Norton universe is among my favorite Witch World books - Key of the Keplian is right up there with Year of the Unicorn and the Gryphon series. But the Beast Master ones (and for that matter, her other Witch World, Ciara's Song are...far from wonderful. Pity.

Roni, thanks for pointing me to the pics of your teapots in your member gallery. They are beautiful!

>66 ronincats: I absolutely love the red rimmed bowl!

>82 ronincats: Fantastic haul at the library Roni! I have had Spin on the shelves for about two years. You'll probably get to it before I will! Maybe you can let me know how it is! LOL

I have one lowly $10 Amazon gift card left from Christmas. I am thisclose to buying Hounded with it. All you book warblers are seriously weakening my resistance!

Richard, trust you to catch that. Yes, I decided having both the amethyst and clear crystal chips made for a more interesting visual experience that purely amethyst.

Liz, more my colors as well!

Jenn, we think alike!

Julia, thank YOU!

Hi, Heidi. Hounded would be a good use of your card. I wish I had one--as I mentioned, I am currently without the next Iron Druid book, Trapped, and feeling overwhelming impetus to order it for my Kindle.

So my friend loved her pendant, I shared Mr. Wuffles with her (she's a cat person too} and then after lunch at the Brigantine, we went over to FusionGlass for a drop-in class and I made three pairs of earrings to match pendants I'd already made, and Tonya made three pendants (they gave her one for free for her birthday--she's a favorite there). Then I went next door to The Bouncing Bead and found lots of lovely beads, too.

Oh Roni, I definitely need to read Mr. Wuffles! And reading Dr. Seuss aloud? AND beautiful pottery and jewelry? It's like a party at your thread! Hope you're having a great week.

Sounds like you had a great day yesterday. Hope you repeat today.

Okay, okay... I have been worn down. I've downloaded the library e-book of Hounded and I'm bringing it on my Kindle on a long weekend... in which apparently I'm planning to read five books in four days. We'll see what happens there ;). Thanks for the recommendation, Roni (and others!).

Anne, I'm ready for a party anytime!

Reba, much quieter day today. I cleaned the kitchen and weeded grass out of my vegetables and brought in my first spring rose.

Mary, you won't be sorry. Bring it on! I'm stalling on buying the fifth book for my Kindle--I know I'm going to.

Hi Roni -- glad you're having a nice quiet day. I went to physical therapy today and have pretty much been dismissed. I did ask to come back in a month just to touch bases. Saw the surgeon yesterday who said "knees are perfect, come back when it's been a year since surgery". Guess I'm good to go :) Other than that, not much on my agenda today.

That's good news, Reba!

That IS great news, Reba. And thanks for coming by, Connie. It's been a quieter day than I planned--instead of going to bridge and dropping by Mysterious Galaxy to pick up some more Kevin Hearne books, I've stayed home and just puttered around the house, having little concentration due to a broken-up night's sleep. I hope I'm not coming down with anything, whether viral or headachy. I did finish the Eula section of The Hamlet this morning. I don't care anything about any of these people, but Faulkner surely can put words together. In some passages, he reminded me of Dylan Thomas.
The cotton was open and spilling into the fields; the very air smelled of it. In field after field as he passed along the pickers, arrested in stooping attitudes, seemed fixed amid the constant surf of bursting bolls like piles in surf, the long, partly-filled sacks streaming away behind them like rigid frozen flags. The air was hot, vivid and breathless--a final fierce concentration of the doomed and dying summer.

And Monday, when we did play bridge, I picked up a copy of the SD Uptown News because I saw an article on Little Free Libraries in local neighborhoods. You can see it here:
http://issuu.com/awodigitaledition/docs/sd_uptown_news_022814?e=2076238/6924060

>97 ronincats:

Hi Roni!

I, too, have a little Free Library, but envy qebo all of her library's patrons. My Little Free Library sees much less turnover on a weekly basis. Maybe that will change when the weather warms up.

I enjoyed reading the article about LFLs that you posted. I laughed when the voice came out of the trees to tell the visitors that "The library is open". Maybe I need someone to hide on my roof to do just that! LOL!

I have had one episode of vandalism, but have learned from that experience. I just won't put anything in my LFL that I don't want taken out. I had a ceramic cup (holding bookmarks) and my first (well-filled with remarks) stolen on Halloween eve as well as a hardback book thrown into a neighbor's hedge. My LFL has been up since July, 213 2013, and that was the only incidence of mischief of which I know.

I don't put out porno (ha!), but sometimes think twice about putting out novels with "artsy" covers. Usually they're a nude painting on a classic book. I usually put them out...but just don't point them face (or other anatomical features) forward. Ha!

I don't put magazines in mine. They're too flimsy. I just circulate books.

I love that qebo has her own LFL and try to find extra sources of books to help her stock her LF.

>97 ronincats: Thanks for the link! I'm definitely meeting more neighbors, even in the winter, and people tell me about other LFLs they've seen around here. So far, no need to censor books; I've gotten donations that make me queasy (e.g. Left Behind series), but I let them be. Oddly, I hadn't thought to put magazines out, but that's what I should do with New Yorkers instead of recycling.

>98 SqueakyChu: My LFL has been up since July, 213, and that was the only incidence of mischief of which I know.

I love the idea of a LFL.

But I had to giggle a bit seeing the year you posted! I thought: That's rather a long time for an LFL! Hihihihi.

I'm back and all caught up here, Roni. I love both the recent tree pendants but I think the darker one stands out a little more for me. I am continuing on with the Vorkosigan series this month with The Warrior's Apprentice and I am looking forward to getting to know what makes Miles tick.

btw >41 ronincats:: That picture you posted of your day trip makes it very clear that you live in a beautiful corner of the world.

Hi Roni - I hope you're not coming down with something.

I love both of your more recent pendants - I would probably be more likely to wear the second myself but I love the warm colours of the orange one.

So far I've not succumbed to Hounded but I wouldn't like to say how long I'll hold out for.

>97 ronincats: Oh! Pierce me with Faulkner-luuuuv arrows! What a gorgeous passage you chose. *smooch* in thanks and to ward off icky-ptooptoo sickies.

>102 souloftherose: Succumb! Succumb to the dark side!

^^^What she said.

Here's today's project. Amber will undoubtedly be able to put her finger on the one big mistake I made--my excuse is it has been so long since I did any sewing.


Madeline, how lovely to see you here! Yes, I know you have a LFL too, but forgot to post on your thread, so I'm glad you saw my comment on Katherine's.

Katherine, these are all ones within a few miles of me that didn't show up when I searched and found the one on the LFL site that I took the picture of. I'll have to get around to them.

Connie, that would certainly be a highly venerable LFL!

Judy, I am so excited that you are moving on with Miles this month--almost as excited as to have you read Paladin of Souls! But there are so many good ones after this next book to anticipate!

Heather, I'm feeling better today. I think maybe it was a migraine trying to sneak in, but it didn't take all the way, fortunately. Listen to Morphy and Richard--resistance is futile. I myself just bought book 4, Tricked, as well as the new Seanan McGuire InCrypted book, for my Kindle a little while ago. This instant gratification thing is so dangerous.

Richard, I think your smooch worked. No more icky-ness. And I'm glad you appreciated the quote. And note my purchase directly above.

Hey, Morphy, I've been lurking over in your thread. Glad you came by.

Sewing project looks good to me.... love that fabric!

Thanks, Lori.



Book #28 Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold (311 pp.)

This is a collection of 3 novellas tied together by an interview with Simon Illyan after Miles' surgery to replace his arm bones that takes place after Brothers in Arms. I like all three of these stories a lot.

>106 ronincats:: Oh, it's just lovely! What am I, some sort of cruel, mistake-seeking grouch?! Ha! Honestly, though, I don't see any mistakes; it looks wonderful.

Hi Roni. I see you're busy as usual. Don't forget to get out and enjoy the weather though (and do a little rain dance while you're at it...I'm still hoping for a Miracle March)

Lovely bag, Roni! I searched for the mistake you mentioned but saw nothing, either. Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Roni, I see you are into making handbags these days along with all your other projects. All are wonderful! I am surprised that you have time to do as much reading as you do. Congrats on getting some rain. We should be getting some garden pictures from you soon.

I tried to read Mr. Wuffles to Haley but had trouble with those alien voices! She liked the book anyway. I found a seven minute video on our library website that cracked her up with the alien talk. I need to work on that!

Oh, Amber, I thought you would catch for sure my newbie mistake of forgetting that I had a uni-directional fabric--all my cats are upside down because I was so focused on getting the grain right I forgot to check my pattern! I didn't think you are a grouch at all--I just thought as an experienced sewer (I always find it strange that this is the same word in form although not pronunciation for those systems which carry off our wastes.) you'd probably catch it.

Reba, it was tank-top weather today, wasn't it? We took Molly to the park, and all the little kids were playing in the fountain.


And Mary, I took these pictures at the park just for you!


You can see their banner behind the girl in the first picture.

Donna, I'll be out back tomorrow and will take some garden pictures then. My lettuce and chard are 4 times the size they were pre-rain. Yes, Mr. Wuffles is a difficult read-aloud book--I'd do random beepy sounds for the aliens and chirpy sounds for the insects--but the pictures tell the story so beautifully!

>106 ronincats: >113 ronincats: Oh, haha, I see it now! Well, heck. Frankly, all the cats I've ever had loved to lie around with their heads hanging upside down off the edge of the sofa/chair/bed. Just tell anyone who asks it is a cat's version of reality (but I bet few people will notice).

>113 ronincats: Lovely photos of the birds! Thank you for thinking of me! I can't make out the sign. Do you remember the name of the organization? I was slightly involved with the Lily Sanctuary people down (or up, depending on where you live) in Orange County. Not sure if there's a bird rescue place in San Diego.

Yes, it's San Diego Bird Rescue at http://www.sdbirdrescue.com
and here's a youtube video of them at the park.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAlgSsZoMHI

Hi, Roni. Everything here is as lovely as when I last visited. So are you putting those Sharon Lees on PBS or what?

Hi, Peggy! I've been lurking over on your thread but had nothing to add to the conversation. I'm definitely putting the Meisha Merlin trade paperback edition of Low Port on PBS--it's a book of short stories by a bunch of different people, only one by Lee, all set in Solcintra's Low Port. Are you interested? I was going to see if my sister wants to trade the book club hardback of Balance of Trade to her local store rather than send it back to me, but if you want it, I can have her mail it from there once you accept--email her the label. Let me know.

I repeat, people, I have the three original books of the Earthsea trilogy here, ready to send to the first person who can provide me a plausible reason for getting them.

>115 ronincats: Great! Thanks!

#117: I'd take you up on that, Roni, but I already own those books and I don't have bookshelf space.

>117 ronincats:
Hi!

And, um ... I should get those books because I don't own them and haven't read them and I live in the same state so postage won't be horrible.

And thankyewforyourconsideration.

By the way, love the pottery a lot!

>113 ronincats:: I've done that same thing before! Well, just think of it as on purpose - this way, you can look down on your purse and see the cats looking at you right way up! Ha!

>117 ronincats: & >120 AuntieClio:: Oh, yay! I'm glad the Earthsea books have found a good home! I already have copies or I would have taken them in...

Hiya Ro! You have amazing talent.

Signals has classic hardcover kindle covers on sale, marked down from $49.95 to $22.98, here:

http://www.signals.com/cgi-bin/hazel.cgi?action=DETAIL&ITEM=HN9012



Besides P&P, they have Alice in Wonderland, Dracula, and Sherlock Holmes.

We have a winner! Stephanie, that's exactly who I was hoping would want the books--someone who didn't have any of them and hadn't read them yet!

Mary, glad you got the info.

Kriti and Amber, I completely understand! Even if there is always a nagging urge to get duplicates of a loved series...

Ro, good to see you drop in.

80 degrees on the shaded front porch right now. I'm going out to feed my plants shortly, in shorts and tank top!

We seem to have gone straight from winter to summer! Went to the market today for the first time in a while and got some beautiful lettuce and a 3-pack of local strawberries. Yum!!

Also wore my glass necklace to church this morning and had a string of compliments!! Thought you should know.

>124 ronincats:
Roni, Yay! Thank you :-)

It's in the upper 70s and muggy here. :-( Still wishing for rain.

Roni, I love your purse and you can just tell anyone who notices that the cats are upside down deliberately so the wearer of the purse can look down and they will be right side up for them!

That's exactly what I thought about the purse - you can look down and see an army of cats staring back adoringly! I envy you your sewing skills - there's always people at the art and craft fairs I go to with lovely hand sewn things for sale, plus my MiL has made an array of gorgeous things for us over the years - curtains, tablecloths, cushion covers... I would love to have a go myself but I'm clueless. One of these days I will take a sewing class and learn how to do it.

Also, I LOVE,LOVE,LOVE your bowl in #66. Those gorgeous blue and green colours remind me of the abstract expressionist paintings that inspire my artwork so much! If we can figure out a way to safely ship that across the Atlantic, I would buy it off you in a heartbeat! (if you didn't already have something important in mind for it, of course!)
So, have you started Player of Games yet? I finished it fairly recently, although this was my second reading. I'm curious to hear what you will make of it. In my mind it was my favourite Culture book, but actually, I'm sort of revising my opinion downwards very slightly on rereading - which isn't to say it isn't a really strong story, it's rather that first time around I was a SF novice and it blew my mind!
Talking of mind blowing SF, I've just started Ready Player One, and after only that short framing first chapter I can see it's going to be pretty irresistible! I just hope I catch all the '80's references - I was a child in the '80's so I think some of them might pass me by. I guess the good thing about this era is I can easily look up clips of all the songs/movies/videogames mentioned if I really want to get into the swing of things!

picture of kids in fountain?

Roni, I just love your thread and am extremely impressed by your talents. My own gifts are fairly limited, I'm afraid, though I will say I grow a mean flower garden. It's looking really nice with all the warm weather we've been having and I'm very pleased with how my newly-replanted beds have turned out. I've never had hyacinths and daffodils before March before, but there they were. The crocuses are nearly done already. I'm just flabbergasted, especially being from upstate NY originally where you were lucky if the snow cleared by May. Sixteen years of Arizona springs and I'm still astonished.
I'm afraid I haven't been able to get much of anything OUT; you amaze me at having goals for ousting books. I rarely let anything out of my clutches unless I've found a better copy of it. I have to intensely dislike a work before it gets the boot out of my collection. Some books I have multiple copies of - like Simak since he's mostly out of print and I just can't bring myself to let him go unless it's to a friend, and books where I cannot decide where to put them, like 1984 which lives in both Lit and SF.
When I typed in Simak as a touchstone it gave City, which in my humble opinion is one of the very best SF books ever written. And it is, inexplicably, out of print despite winning multiple awards. This would be why I have three copies of it. :)
I hope I haven't babbled too much on your thread, I just wanted to make sure you know I stop by.
Leigh

>129 RebaRelishesReading: Kids in fountain in message 113, Reba. The strawberries are out, but I'm not sure how much flavor they have yet. And thank you for letting me know about the necklace!

>128 HanGerg: What a lovely long message, Hannah! I saw your review of The Player of Games. I have to confess, I have picked up Tricked and Ancillary Justice ahead of it, but still plan to get to it next, and will surely let you know what I think. The only Culture book I've ever read was Look to Windward quite a few years ago. Obviously it didn't inspire me to search out more. On the other hand, I thought Ready Player One a complete blast, even though I'm a bit too old to have been submerged in the 80s culture. And thank you for your bowl love. I'm going to try that glaze combo on other items; I like it so well.

>126 AuntieClio: I'll be mailing them off midweek, Stephanie.

>127 DeltaQueen50: Judy, that's exactly what I'll be telling everyone!

Leigh, welcome, and you are welcome to babble on my thread ANYtime! Thank you for the kind words. Simak blew me away in my teens, and I also have a number of books in my library I won't give up. I tend to hang on to the older ones for the same reasons you do--it's the new ones it's easy to let come through and release.

Shows how oblivious I am. I didn't even notice there were cats much less that they were upside down. I just liked the colors. I thought maybe the strap might be twisted.

That would have been a good guess, Morphy, but no, although I did have to do one attachment over to get the zipper on the right side of the handle!

My raised bed with the winter vegetables:




Book #29 Tricked by Kevin Hearne (370 pp.)

Book 4 of the Iron Druid series finds Atticus mopping up the mess from his last adventure, while Coyote gets him into another one. Still an enjoyable adventure and Oberon still gets all the best lines. Best pop culture moment (every book has at least one)-the Steve Perry tribute!

>115 ronincats: The birds in that video sure look like they are enjoying the warm sunshine! I hope we put on some bird rescue outreaches in the park this spring and summer.

>134 ronincats: Jealous of your getting to play in the dirt. Also, I have totally blanked on "the Steve Perry tribute." I won't ask you what it is, so as not to spoil things for others who really, really need to read this series, so guess I'll just have to reread it.

>131 ronincats: Funny I was so focused on the bird photos I didn't really notice the kids in the fountain...just took it in as a general Balboa Park shot and moved to the birds I guess

Stopping by to say hi!

Over 24 hours since a visit. I've been abandoned...my sense of reality is slipping away. Oh, wait, no, that's just my latest book, which was a hoot!



Book #30 Half-Off Ragnarok by Seanan McGuire (368 pp.)

Okay, so we've had two books where Verity Price has been protecting Incryptids in New York City (Discount Armageddon and Midnight Blue Light Special), but this book is all about her brother Alex who is an incryptid biologist currently working at a zoo in Ohio. He really just wants to oversee the hibernation and mating of a pair of basilisks while conducting a field study of the disappearance of frogs, but there's this stunning Australian working with the big cats and then people start getting petrified...

Mary, there's a whole page where Atticus goes on about the nuances Steve Perry gave to "whoa" and "nuh"--I love the pop culture references in these books!

Funny, Reba!

Hi, Lori.

I'm halfway through Ancillary Justice and then I will start The Player of Games. But I've had a hard time staying away from these fun fantasies--didn't succeed too well either. But if I can avoid buying book 5 of the Iron Druid series for a couple of days, I may be able to get these other ones finished.

How was Half-Off Ragnarok, Roni? I still need to get it.

Okay, I remember now! That was fun! The Incriptids books sound fun too. On the Wish List they go.

...wait...whose thread is this...how did I get *here*? Yeesh

I lurked...now I'll say "hi". Hope you're enjoying this lovely day. I'm doing laundry, errands, etc. with a quick sit-down at the computer every now and then. Hope I can manage some reading this afternoon. With trip up to Covina yesterday I didn't read even one page :(

It was highly enjoyable, Blue. I was so-so on the first book of the series, but now I am really liking them.

Yay, Mary! They are fun.

Note that the Satanic Long Island Book Warbler seems disoriented, trying to avoid the blue type. Don't worry, Richard. Alex is not the kind of kick-ass protagonist with snark-remarking sidekick that Atticus and Oberon are--he's more the Clark Kent type--quiet, studious--and then he kicks ass.

Reba, today is a basketball day. All the major conferences are playing their four-game quarterfinals today. I've watched the first two Big-12 games today, the second of which my Jayhawks won in overtime, and the next two start up again at 4. SDSU played during that time, but I have the second game of the Mountain West Conference on now, until 4. Tomorrow will be only 2 games, Saturday only one, and that's it until NEXT Thursday and Friday when I'll be following 32 games each day...oh, March Madness indeed!

On the other hand, I did finish another scarf during the game, and started a sweater project.

Lovely lilac color. Lots of books being mention here that I have on my WL or somewhere around the house and want to read!

You're making me want to start Tricked before I finish my current audio, which is also extremely good!! :)

Hmm... I've been considering those Seanan McGuire books, but haven't taken the plunge yet... I think I've had the first one on my wishlist for awhile...!

Seanan McGuire books have a problem - you _must_ arrange to have several hours free. If you start one late at night, you'll have a very short time to sleep... with my best intentions, I never manage to put one down and get on with other things. Have to read them straight through.

I won an ARC of Half-Off Ragnarok, straight from DAW on Twitter! So I'm holding off on buying the ebook, which is what I'd normally do. It would make the ARC sort of pointless, though. The timing is odd - I think the contest ended on release day, or possibly the day before, and of course it hasn't come yet. Whatever, I'll enjoy it anyway. I read Midnight Blue-light Special...last week? Maybe two weeks ago. I've had it a while but didn't get around to it (didn't arrange for that free time!) until just recently.

the scarf looks great with that jacket!

Of course I'm rooting for the Jayhawks AND the Aztecs, even if I'm not watching :) Off to meet friends for lunch at Vintana later -- should be nice day for that even though I don't think they have outdoor seating.

Go for it, Lucy! Got up too late to catch the little darling--they were already on their lunch break when I checked in, but saw Peggy's notice that she's a finalist, so hope she'll be back in the afternoon.

Tina, you won't go wrong.

Faith, see above.

Jenn, you are right. They are fast and hard to put down.

Thanks, Reba. Today the Jayhawks are on at 4 and the Aztecs at 6, so there's some time for RL before that--post office and library and Costco.



Book #31 Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (396 pp.)

I thought this was an excellent book; it gets 4.5 stars from me. Leckie's universe-building is compelling and her AI character portrayed with a distinct voice. The difficulties with gender differentiation and the difficult relationship with Seivarden brought to mind my first reading of The Left Hand of Darkness many years ago, although the story is very different. I will definitely read more by this author.

And finally, this article was in the Huffington Post and I think is of interest--I was surprised how many I had already read, not being a particular mystery buff.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-wood-/9-essential-detective-nov_b_4949736...

Hmmm. I'm glad that you enjoyed *AJ* as much as I did, Roni. 4½ stars is what I thought too.
Also thanks for the Huffington Post article. I had read only one on the list, so I'll look at it again when I'm ready for more in the mystery/speculative line.
I'll simply note that Pitt is slaughtering the Heels here in the ACC after having done a number on Wake Forest earlier. I can't watch.

Just wanted to stop by and say hi, Roni. I liked Ancillary Justice, but probably not as much as you and Lizzie. I will read more from her though, that's for sure. Impressive first novel.

I liked the inclusion of the first Harry Dresden on that linked list.

Met friends for a great lunch at Vintana today. While we were there Deborah Scott stopped by to see how we were liking our food!! Pretty cool.

I'm 13th in line for Half-Off Ragnarok. They ordered five. The books are "pending" which means they are in the library but not on the shelf yet. This means I should have one in my hot little hands in about six weeks. *sobs* SIX WEEKS!

You don't have a Kindle, do you, Morphy? I could lend it to you if you do.

That's very cook, Reba. I hope the food was very good--hard to tell the top chef herself if it wasn't!

Joe, I liked the inclusion of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams even better!

Peggy, it's hard times this week. KU lost yesterday too, and San Diego State today.

Nothing came home with me from the pottery today. I had a couple of cereal bowls come out of the kiln, but we were out of the glaze I need for them. My tea pot is still drying. I trimmed the two bowls I threw last week and threw two new bowls and a little planter with saucer.

I've started The Player of Games and am 54 pages in. All three books of the Kronos Chronicles were ready for me at the library yesterday, and I will start the first tonight. Marie Rutkoski is an author I found through one of Richard's reviews. This is a YA trilogy, which will be a good counterpoint to the Banks book.

No, I have a Nook. :(

Though I have the ability to read Kindle books through my iPad.

Hi Roni! I am jealous of your gardena and your spring -- it is not safe to plant anything here before Mother's Day, so I will be waiting...

es, Mr. Wuffles is a difficult read-aloud book Good to know! The 2015 Colorado Children's Book Award nominees were announced this week, and Mr. Wuffles is one of them, which means I will be reading it to most of my students next year. It looks like practice is in order:)

Sorry, Morphy.

Anne, it's because there are only about 6 English phrases in the whole book. The rest is the aliens' pictograph language and the insects' scritchy language. Both of which are not translated. But I think making the sound effects for each language could be a lot of fun. The other thing is that there is so much detail in the pictures--that is where the story is, and if you are reading a small picture book to a whole class, it's hard for them to see the details. If you have a smart board, I'd scan the book into the computer and use that to read it to the class.

Another summer day in San Diego--86 degrees. The coral trees are in bloom and there is a beautiful one at Balboa Park in bloom today.



Everyone was out with their dogs, as we were, and the lawn bowlers were having a fine time.

Of course, the problem with all that warmth is the high pressure system and the humidity dropping to 20%, resulting in a headache most of the afternoon. Comfort and hugs welcomed.

Hoping that you like The player of games or is it a reread?

((((Roni)))) Hope the head ache is better and that you're sleeping soundly at the moment. Food at Vintana was very good -- all I could tell Chef Deborah was that I would have liked more of the wonderful sauce.

Hugs from me, Roni. I hope that headache is long gone and you are enjoying your Monday.

It's a first-time read, Kerry. I'll let you know when I finish.

Reba, that must have been some dinner arty for you to be up so late!! Hope it went well. Had my first good night's sleep in 3 nights last night and I'm feeling much better this morning, thankfully.

Judy, hugs back. It is gone, I've been to the dentist to have a crown glued back on, and I've paid bills. It is a Monday. ;-)

I paid some bills today too Ronni, it's one of those things that has to be done.

I really want to read Ancillary Justice, and I forgot to put it on the list when I was asked for science fiction & fantasy recommendations at work!

Edited to add, that article on mysteries looks interesting.

So jealous of your flowering trees! It snowed here today. It melted too, but still. Snow!

Mr. Wuffles sounds really good and Wiesner has written/illustrated some great books in the past. I love Tuesday but there isn't really anything much to "read" in that book. Anne, careful when you read it! If you ever have to read it again, there will be one kid that remembers and loves how you did it the first time and will point out that you read the alien "wrong".

Never saw a coral tree --- Lovely! And belated hugs to you, Roni. (What I have is allergy + weather, so you won't catch it!)

And here I am raving that the forecast doesn't include any more temps in the minus F range for the indefinite future!!!!!

>149 ronincats: Ancillary Justice is sounding more and more appealing.

>157 ronincats: Beautiful!

>158 ronincats: Boo to the headache :-( {{{Hugs}}}

Hi Roni!! just crashing in to say Hi!

I love the coral trees!!

Weirdness: In Prescott Valley, AZ, my tulips and Dutch Irises are blooming... at the same time. Those irises are SO confused.
I've had migraines since Saturday (today is the first day free, knock on wood) due to high winds / barometric pressure changes. I sympathize most heartily with the headaches.
Thought: If more men suffered from migraines, we would have Miagra instead of Viagra.

Hi Roni! Just dropping by to mention I picked up Hounded for only $.99 on the Kindle yesterday! Woot!

Loved your pics of Balboa Park. It looks lovely right now.

Hi Roni!
I'm 92 posts behind, but skimming through:
I will read Mr. Wuffles next time I'm at the bookstore. And yes, I'll take credit for it.
I love the upside down cats (cracked me up).
You are the second person today whose thread hit me with the Ancillary Justice blue bullet. And I don't typically read SF.

>157 ronincats: I've never even heard of a coral tree, but gosh they are gorgeous! I'm thinking it's time for a San Diego business trip / Meet up! Wonder what seminar I could find out there?? ;)

*Happy weekend wave*

Love the Jayhawk display :). Go Hawks and Aztecs!

Oh, I am so far behind. Wednesday was another headachy day and I wasn't on the computer much. Thursday and Friday were 32 NCAA Men's basketball games, and I think the only one I didn't see at all was the Michigan/Woffard one. I was worse with the remote control than any man, and didn't see any commercials! My Jayhawks finally one, and so did the Aztecs. Big 12 went 4 and 3. Texas and the Aztecs play later today, Baylor, Iowa State and Kansas tomorrow, as well as Wichita State.

Ardene! So good to see you here. Yes, add Ancillary Justice to your list.

Katie, you are so much further north than I. But it melted, so spring is coming.

Peggy, I never saw coral trees before coming to San Diego, but they are glorious! Yes, I know. Were I not conscientiously taking my allergy meds, I'd be in exactly the same condition as you.

Lucy, now that spring is officially here, we are having cloudy days and temps in the 60s--our typical spring weather. You remind me though, I have to go out and water and pick our first crop of peas today!

Heather, so lovely to have you stop by!

Connie and Diana, wonderful to have my Netherlands contingent both stop by as well. Happy weekend to both of you as well.

K. L., see what kindred spirits we are! Too bad it includes migraines as well as books. But you are right, those are definitely confused irises!!

Heidi, great deal on Hounded!

Ellen, hope your travels are safe and full of good reading. You'll love Mr. Wuffles--which is also science fiction, you know.

Great idea, Tina!

Reba, so far both teams are in the hunt! I'll be watching the Aztecs this afternoon--going to go to pottery early so I can see the game.

Hope your headaching is a fading memory. Added Doomsday Book to the shelves yesterday which I am not in the least surprised to see amongst your collection. Have you read it, Roni?

I hope that is a rhetorical question, Paul! Willis is a favorite author of mine.

>157 ronincats:, >164 cammykitty: Thanks for the heads-up -- practice is definitely in order!

Lovely flowering trees! We're having the typical confused Rocky Mountain spring, with sunshine and flowers, followed by heavy snow, followed by more sunshine...

>177 PaulCranswick:, Paul, Roni is the one who send me To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis last year, so I can vouch for her love of Ms. Willis! Great book, too!

Well, you find me (if you find me at all! Is it my imagination or is traffic down drastically on my thread? Thank you so much to my regulars!) a dejected woman. All three Kansas teams are out of the tournament. :^(

There are still two Big 12 teams in the tourney, but that is scant consolation, alas. *valiantly stifling heartrending sobs*

Also, I complete book #32 on Thursday:



Book #32 The Soul Mirror by Carol Berg (515 pp.)

I bought this book three years ago, shortly after reading The Spirit Lens, the first book in the trilogy, and I'm sorry it took me this long to get to it. I had forgotten nearly everything from the first book and they are closely interconnected--it would have added greatly to my enjoyment of the story. But as it is, I also really liked this book, told from an entirely different viewpoint but continuing the story of the first.

Bedtime. I may try to write up a brief synopsis in the morning. No basketball for three days now...unless I go over to watch the women's tournament...yessss, yesssss, my preciousssssss...

*there there, pat pat* Kansas simply couldn't compete this year, all those young muffins were out shoveling in the cold too much.

It's been a busy weekend so am trying to look at a few LT threads before I head to bed but must go soon!! Hope your headache is better. Too bad about KU. I'm still pleased the Aztecs have made the final 16.

Sorry about Kansas -- there was some jubilation from Kentucky fans in my Facebook feed, which is really the only way I know that anything sportsy is going on.

I'm not sure if traffic is down generally, but I know I haven't been on LT very much for a few weeks. I'm sorry about Kansas.

I've reduced my LT thread reading to every other day. Otherwise I don't get a darned thing done!

I am sorry about the KU loss yesterday Roni. I did watch the game and rooted for your team, hoping some Maine mojo would help but no luck. My DH's favorite team (North Carolina) is also out. Some big teams have fallen already which is part of the fun of it.

Hi Roni, I've been cutting back on my LT time lately, it is such a time swallower. I just received a ER copy of Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen so now I want to speed through the rest of my planned reads for March in order to get to this one in a timely manner.

Just checking in - and amazed that Paul hasn't read Doomsday Book. It's a must!
Also happy to learn that Heidi's DH is a right-thinking person even if the Heels are out of it! There's always next year for us'ns and you'ns.

Just stopping by to say hello, Roni. Sorry to hear the news about your Kansas teams.

Working my way through some of the threads this morning and stopping by yours to say "Hello". ;-)

Mornin' Roni! Seen any of those promised showers yet

Thanks for the sympathy, Richard! *smooch*

I'm happy the Aztecs are still in it too, Reba. They've got a big one for the next game, though.

Foggi and Kriti, thank you also for the sympathy. It is appreciated.

Morphy, I know what you mean. It does eat up the time.

Heidi, you went above and beyond in actively rooting for my team! {{Heidi}}

Judy, you mean actually reading books instead of reading threads???? *aghast* ;-)

Peggy, I think it's amazing that Paul bought the book! And I still love Roy.

Heather, glad you came slumming after your big London meetup. Some great pictures of you there!

Hello back at you, Lori. Thanks for coming by.

Reba, one lonely shower came by briefly this morning around 9:30, before we went off and saw the new Muppet movie (I had at least 4 uncontrollable laugh-out-loud moments!). A few dark clouds since, but no actual rain.

I'm still in the middle of The Hamlet, The Player of Games, and Trapped--working on the last one most consistently, unsurprisingly. I've not had an uninterrupted day home yet. Monday was taxes, yesterday was mammogram, today was movie and grocery store, tomorrow is bridge, and Friday will be my allergist.

There are these odd ebbs and flows on LT - I'll start feeling very waify and then suddenly blammo I get a huge number of visits, so don't worry!

The Soul Mirror looks good, but I don't need another series! Eek! Series!

I'm getting less traffic too, and I thought it was because I haven't been around much myself. I think Sibyx is right. LT just ebbs and flows, and there isn't much rhyme or reason to it. But Morphy has a point! If you read all the threads you want to, no book reading gets done.

Glad to hear you enjoyed the Muppet Movie. We were planning to take the grandkids yesterday afternoon and then it turned out they had seen it over the weekend. Given our up-coming schedule I guess we'll end up seeing it on DVD.

Happy Bridge Day! Which bridge will you be visiting?

:-P

And I'm happy to be back before you have another 200 posts, so maybe we are in an ebb. You're reading really good stuff, and I see that I'm going to have to try my K. Hearne as soon as I get through this C. Asaro. I'm about to the point where Lucy says it takes off. I hope so - not that it's been bad, but I haven't been amazed yet.

>180 ronincats: I'm feeling very lonely on my thread too, Roni. I was thinking it's because I haven't been visiting enough myself, but I think everyone is just as busy as I am and must be having a hard time keeping up! I still love you even though I don't come by as often as I used to!! Life is hard right now, but I'm remembering my blessings, Not-the-Mama!! :-)

Lucy, yes, I know. It just gets lonely during the wanes.

Katie, let me read the third book in the series and then I'll tell you if it's must read or not.

Oh, that's a pity, Reba. I was shocked my husband agreed to go--he usually avoids the "silly" ones.

This one, Richard, the Laurel Street bridge just a block from our bridge club in Balboa Park.


Peggy, and I have to get back to Asaro after reading one of the early ones and never following up!

{{{{Tina}}}} Such a wise not-the-daughter--you make me proud!

My friends, you will like Asaro, just KEEP READING and NO WHINING!

Mornin' Roni -- what great plans do you have for today?

Hiya, Roni! Hope you're setting up well for the weekend.

Thanks, Lucy--I think.

Today was a visit to the allergist, across the street from Mysterious Galaxy. But I didn't buy a single book. There were a couple that I was interested in, but I really would prefer them to be digital, and the bookstore can only sell KOBO compatible ebooks--not Kindle.

Hey, Joe. Just more basketball, and pottery tomorrow.

So I scanned the bookshelves--my favorite employees for referring sf&f weren't there--and saw a couple of possible fantasy books, the Disenchanted & Co series of which the second is out in paperback now, but they didn't have a copy of the first and a series by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris called The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences of which they had the second and third but not the first. My first thoughts were that they were the type of books I'd prefer to be digital and secondly that I wanted to read the reviews! And then that I would check the library. It's a new world out there, people.

So, when I got home, I did buy the first, because Kindle has it for $2.99. It's a steampunk alternative history where America is still one of the colonies--it's been done, but I'll see how well this version goes. I haven't bought the second--it's above $5 for Kindle and has more comments on poor editing.

I put stuff in the garden Wednesday from the garden center, some herbs and marigolds and, since I'm going to give the side garden a rest from tomatoes this year, actually some sweet corn! We'll see how it does.

And responding to Joe reminded me I never posted a picture of the bowl I brought home LAST week:

^Beautiful, Roni! Your colors are just amazing, and I love the way the light is reflecting off the left side just like it was filled with water.

Ditto re: the amazing colors . . .

The bottom of the bowl looks like what van Gogh would've painted if he'd ever been to Wakulla Springs.

Lovely.

>204 ronincats:
preeeeeetttty :-)

>204 ronincats: Oh wow! Such beautiful colours!

>204 ronincats: Roni, the bowl is stunning!

>204 ronincats: Oh, wow - I *love* it!

Gorgeous bowl!

Book #33 Trapped by Kevin Hearne (322 pp.)

This one just didn't seem as much fun as the previous books. I get that we have the cascading consequences of Atticus' action in book 2--but the carnage was not equalized with the humor here, and I think it suffers for it. And I'm bummed because I just realized that these books cannot be lent to my sister's Kindle, and that was one of the reasons I bought the Kindle versions.



Book #34 The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks (309 pp.)

Late, but for the group read of Banks. This started slowly but built to a rip-roaring climax. I very much enjoyed the world-building and the plot even though I stayed somewhat distant from the characters.

Wow, how could I forget? Post a picture to bring the visitors out of the woodwork, every time!

Thank you so much for your kind words, Anne, Brenda, Richard, Stephanie, Heather, Susan, Amber, and Lori. I glazed a lot of smaller bowls today at pottery time, but nothing to bring home until later in the week.

I just advised Peggy to get on with it and read book 3 The Last Hawk - that was the deciding book for me, or breakthrough or whatever - see what you think?

odd ebbs and flows
Yeah. With transition to _almost_ spring, I’m feeling less bookish.
>204 ronincats: >214 ronincats: Post a picture to bring the visitors out of the woodwork, every time!
There, see, not-a-book. Reflective blue. Perfect.

They are both beautiful pictures! Both the bridge and the bowl. & I still haven't read Ian Banks. Every time I see a review of anything he's ever written, it reminds me that I've got to read at least one book of his.

& I suspect that you've got lots of lurkers. They just post when there's a pic.

>213 ronincats: I have been reading Book 3 of the series now, Use of Weapons and it seems to be the best of the series (so far), with finally a protagonist you can relate to.

>204 ronincats: gorgeous!!!

>213 ronincats: Yep, definitely not as funny/snarky as the other books but I am so impressed at how you have devoured the series!

>213 ronincats: I need to read some Iain M Banks, Roni. His literature scribblings are often bordering on the grotesque so I imagine what his very fertile imagination could achieve without any boundaries of reality via science fiction.

Have a great week, my dear.

I don't think any of the Iron Druid books were as good as the first.

I think the Iron Druid series as a whole is wonderful, though the individual books in the series are not all in and of themselves great, if you get what I mean. Anyway, it's often that way for me, assuming it is well-written, that I will love the first book in a series more than the subsequent books because of its novelty and freshness.

ETA Hi, Roni!!! Hope you are having a lovely start of a new week!

>222 Storeetllr: Agreed. It's not that I don't like the rest or don't adore the series. But, rather, the first was just awesome.

>221 Morphidae: >222 Storeetllr: >223 Morphidae: I find that is often the way with series. If the characters are good and the setting strong, a few duds in the overall arc of the series don't bother me much.

And then there are the series where book one is terrible but overall the series gets better and better. The prime example for me is the Three Pines series by Louise Penny.

All this being said, I am excited to start Hounded!

Hello, all! Welcome, welcome and thank you for stopping by. I've been busy. Yesterday I drug my husband to Pacific Beach and Seaport Village to take Flat Stanley photos. For those who don't know, Flat Stanley was a two-dimensional boy who mailed himself to all sorts of locations to be photographed. My sister in Kansas is an aide in a Special Ed class that is doing a Flat Stanley project, and so I have a Flat Logan who needs to be photographed in all kinds of interested places and then sent back to Logan and his class.


Lucy, I will get to the Asaro books. Really.

Katherine and Katie, thanks for stopping by and liking my bowl. You remind me that I need to run by and pick up my pottery in the next day or two, as it will be closed this weekend.

Piyush, that's good to know. I did like The Player of Games quite a bit, but thought I might stop after that one. If you think Use of Weapons is better, I'll go ahead and red it.

Roberta, good to see you here. The Iron Druid books have been my light entertainment this year, but I am BUMMED because I always share my books with my sister, and an advantage of Kindle books is that I can lend it to her without paying postage, but I just noticed that Books 4 & 5 which I bought for the Kindle are NOT loan-enabled!!!! Major bummer!

Paul, Banks' grotesque tendencies definitely emerge in The Player of Games as well, but they are not central to the plot so I was able to tolerate them. Don't think I'll try The Wasp Factory, though.

Morphy and Mary, the first book was great but I also liked books 2 &3 a lot and even book 4, which some others had not as much. Book 5 was, I thought, just a little more desperate and isolated and less enjoyable than the others.

Heidi, you won't regret it.

I love the concept of Flat Stanley! Great picture!

OOOOOOooooo. That pool of a blue bowl is gorgeous. I think I could gaze into it for hours on end.
I've read a few I.M. Banks, and my favorites so far are Excession and Use of Weapons; I think they're both exceptionally good - and a lot better than *Player*.
Also in the good books department, I've started Tui's (at least she's where I got the hint) Just One Damned Thing After Another, and I'm having a great time with it. I don't know what else I'll read in April, but this is starting me off well. (And this first one is free on Kindle and #s 2 and 3 are just $3.99. Yay!)

Fun concept, that Flat Stanley thing. If you want to send him to me, I'll take his pic against the Rockies or a mountain waterfall or someplace Colorado cool.

Thanks, Lori. It's fun to think up places to take him.

Free? That's good enough for me! Done. Thanks, Peggy.

Book #35 Serendipity's Tide by L. Shelby (233 pp.)
Book #36 Treachery's Harbor by L. Shelby (194 pp.)
Book #37 Fealty's Shore by L. Shelby (248 pp.)

I've been reading a series by one of our own, L. Shelby, over this last week. It's a trilogy; subsumed under Across a Jade Sea for the series, the books are Serendipity's Tide, Treachery's Harbor, and Fealty's Shore. This would be considered a fantasy, as it takes place on another world, but no magic. Instead we have a dieselpunk-like atmosphere in a setting where steam and diesel are used, but horses are also still common. The world-building borrows a lot from ours, but is extensive and detailed. The story is an adventure-romance. We have pirates and assassins, exotic empires, loads of action, and a mechanically-minded apprentice engineer (initially encountered on an ocean liner) for a female lead. When her ship rescues some castaways at sea, and then is attacked by the same pirates that were responsible, Batiya's adventures are just beginning.

What I want to say about these books is that once I started the story, I had to keep coming back to it. I loved Batiya. I wonder if some might see her as a Mary Sue, but I loved her competence, her self-possession and awareness of who she is, and her insight into people and situations. It's all wrapped up in who she is, as she is developed as a character, not added on from the outside, and that is simply awesome! And the characters around her are no less interesting and developed. I would LOVE for a daughter to take Batiya as a role model, as opposed to certain rather angsty teen heroines we have all encountered.

This would be very easy to pigeonhole as a YA romance fantasy--and that would simply not do it justice at all. This is a quick and entertaining read but the characters give it depth and interest beyond the plot. And don't skip the glossaries at the end of each book--there's a lot of entertaining and snarky detail there that makes them well worth reading. Recommended!

March Summary:

Books read: 11
Pages read: 3360 pages
Average book length: 306 pages
Average pages read per day: 108

New reads: 10
Re-reads: 1

3 library books
2 books off the shelf

3 science fiction
7 fantasy
1 children's book

5 female authors
6 male authors

Plans for April

I'm reading another YA fantasy trilogy, by Marie Rutkoski. I should finish the first book tonight.

I'm also currently reading Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett.

I will be reading Jo Walton's What Makes This Book So Great for my nonfiction. (I didn't manage a nonfiction last month.)

I'm still reading books by Bujold, Banks, Heyer, and Rowling for group series reads. All but the Banks are rereads.

I want to read the third book in the Collegia Magica series, The Daemon Prism.

I will be reading The Warlock's Curse by M. K. Hobson for my book group.

I picked up several more fantasies last month that I will probably check out, and who knows what else?

Oooo! More pottery! Does that mean more photos?

& I love the Flat Logan. What a good idea for a project. It's a different kind of selfie.

love Flat Logan! What a nice day to go to the beach too. We awoke to rain again this morning but now it's beautiful again (it's especially nice when it only rains at night, don't ya think?).

Hi Roni!

>225 ronincats: - I was not quite aware of the Flat Stanley project, but I do like that image a lot.

I've not been reading much sci-fi lately, but I just got a galley of the new Ben Bova/Les Johnson novel. I'm not sure if you're a Ben Bova fan, but I've always liked his Mars stuff and I believe I read (and enjoyed) Jupiter too.

Do you ever view the blog My Bookish Ways? They publish very good SFF reviews and a helpful, in a crack-vendory way, monthly list of forthcoming titles. (Also in the mystery world, so watch that, too.)

Book #38 The Cabinet of Wonders by Marie Rutkoski (265 pp.)

This book is the first in a fantasy trilogy that came to my attention when Richard said something about the author in the context of her new book, The Winner's Curse. Since my library had all three of these, I thought I'd see how I like her writing.

The books are aimed at middle school kids--the heroine is 12 when the first book starts. The setting is pretty much medieval Europe with a little bit of magical steampunk involved (small mechanical animals are created that run on oil, for example). I'm going to read the entire trilogy before I pass judgment on the series, as the story in this book is clearly just the opening movement even though, and this is definitely a plus for me, it wraps up a story in book one with no overt cliffhangers. So far interesting but it hasn't swept me away yet.

I went to the library today to pick up my nonfiction read for the month, Jo Walton's What Makes This Book So Great, first brought to my attention by Jeff (mahsdad). I gave up on The Hamlet (it was due today and non-renewable) in the third book. Lovely prose, but not that interested in the stories told. Passed over a book of interviews with Faulkner that was on the 25¢ table, not because I didn't think it was worth it but because I really wasn't sure I would ever get to it. I did buy a book of essays by Virginia Woolf, titled Virginia Woolf: A Collection of Critical Essays (1971), that the library was deaccessioning, along with Bart D. Ehrman's Truth and Fiction in The Da Vinci Code--I like Ehrman's writing and have several of his other books and, having suffered through The Da Vinci Code, thought I might as well satisfy my curiosity. Two more books also came home with me from that table, Rise of a Hero which is book 2 of The Farsala Trilogy (the first has been in my tbr pile for years) and Of Darkness, Light, and Fire, a book containing two of Tanya Huff's fantasies that I haven't read.

Now for my visitors.

Katie, I didn't make it to the pottery to pick up my stuff, so will have to wait until Annie comes back. And you're right, it's an alternative selfie.

Reba, another couple of beautiful days, even if rather crisp in the mornings. But we are heading for warmer days next week again.

Kerri, I've not been much of a Ben Bova fan, but let me know if you find it good!

Richard, I was unaware of it until you posted some links on Jeff's (mahsdad) thread. Now I know you love me too. *smooch*

This week has been eye doctor on Tuesday, orthopedic doctor yesterday (plantar fasciitis in abeyance and hopefully will remain so as another cortisone shot is counter-indicated), and bridge today (we came in third of 8 pairs, much better than last week). Then we stopped by Harvey Milk's for a late lunch (yum!) and are now in for the night. And maybe a chance to read some threads...

There's a restaurant named Harvey Milk's? That's so awesome. Will Google to find menu.

Yes, in the heart of Hillcrest, most appropriately.
http://harveymilksamericandiner.com/

It took over the venerable City Deli a year ago.

>238 ronincats: Roni,
oh that does look yummy. I will share that with my friend who visits San Diego regularly. She's my weekend breakfast buddy.

It's been Harvey Milk's for a year already!?! Time really does fly. I had a wonderful lunch at Au Revoir today which included lavender frites -- interesting and quite good.

I wish I'd known about Harvey's Milk when I was in San Diego this summer. Sounds like a great place to eat.

>225 ronincats: I loved Flat Stanley! Flat Logan sounds like a great idea.

>230 ronincats: The Jade Sea books sound interesting - I've downloaded a sample of the first book.

>231 ronincats: I really want to read What Makes This Book So Great - trying to work out whether to wait for the paperback.

>73 ronincats:: Awesome Jayhawk collection, Roni. I will be sure to show it to Mary. She has her Jayhawks scattered throughout the house.

>235 richardderus:: It looks like Flat Logan is having a great time at the ocean. I just love it when you post those beautiful San Diego pictures. It's like a mini vacation!

Hi Roni, catching up and hoping you are having a great weekend. I love the idea of Flat Stanley, in fact I wish I could flaten myself and be mailed off to San Diego, I could use some time on that beach!

Book bullet taken with the 'Across the Jade Sea' trilogy.

Hi Roni; I've missed too much to read through everything, unless I can find time to come back to it later. Thanks for coming by my place.

Just doing a drive-by wave *waving*

Roni. Come to your thread for a moment. Drop everything. Go to Ammy and download the *free* Kindle novel Just One Damned Thing After Another.

No, not tomorrow. Tonight. Believe me.

>246 richardderus: Oh, sweetie! I did that on April 1st thanks to Peggy. But I love you for thinking of me, because if she hadn't already urged me to get it, I would have been so happy that you did.

>245 humouress: Nina, with all that's been going on there, I'm happy just to see you come by.

>244 DeltaQueen50: Judy, it was a good weekend. No pottery studio this week, and so we settled in and watched the basketball games on Saturday.

>243 Donna828: You know, Donna, there was a noticeable lack of pictures of Jayhawk gear on your thread this year!

>242 souloftherose: Heather, I hope you and Judy do check out the Across a Jade Sea books and like them. And I'm really enjoying the Jo Walton book. I'll write more on it tomorrow, but this collection of little blogs and musings in very entertaining.

Lori and Stephanie, Harvey Milk's specializes in comfort food.

Reba, I think you are traveling now--hope all goes well and you have a great time.

Been a busy few days. Tomorrow I'll try to share my days and also talk about books--I've finished one and am in two others, including the Walton. I'll just say that when we came out of Costco today into 91 degree heat--whew!!

Well, I've neglected this thread a bit lately. The last two weeks have been full of appointments--these two weeks used to be my spring break and that's when I did all my annual medical appointments and tests and tax prep and financial advisor. So I can report that my mammogram is clear, my finances are in order, my allergist has me on a new spray, I have my new eyeglasses and can now see the holes in #11 seed beads, my foot doctor has dismissed me as the orthotics seem to be working, and my tax returns are ready to pick up (but I don't know how much I owe yet). And today we met with a HICAP counselor trained by the state to help us make sense of medicare options and plans. It seems like for two weeks now, there's not been a day that hasn't had something that takes us out of the house during the work week. Tomorrow I actually have a break, and can stay home while my husband goes to have his tax return prepared. Then there is bridge on Thursday and haircut on Friday.

And basketball is over--college basketball, that is. And my crochet sweater isn't done--I shall have to find something else to watch on tv to allow me to finish it. I've picked up some beading this week--completed two bracelets for my husband he's been wanting done for a couple of months now, and working on another one of those "caterpillar" necklaces. The camera battery is being charged as we speak (?) and I'll post pictures once that happens.

I completely understand what you mean by "Basketball is over" even though the NBA is still playing. I really do prefer college basketball to the pros. Overall, I'm really almost the same way about football, although I do watch pro football where I really don't watch pro basketball. I do love the Manning brothers. Now, baseball is a different story. I prefer the pros to college there.

*smoochings* Now get to readin' Just One Damned Thing After Another!

Cool! I'm waiting for photos of the bracelets. I used to do beading, but found it to be an addictive money suck. I had to quit cold turkey! Really.

Wow, Roni, sounds you are getting everything organized at once. We took all our paperwork to the accounts on Monday so our taxes should be prepared soon. I always feel better once that's out of the way.

>204 ronincats: Stunningly gorgeous!!! I could have sworn it was filled with water until I saw the post beneath stating "just like it was filled with water." I had to do a double, then a triple take. Wow! That one is amazing!

I hope you got some good Medicare advice, Roni! I know it's a convoluted maze to figure out. :(

I'm currently listening to Tricked...sorry Trapped didn't work as well for you as some of the others. I just love how the narrator does Oberon's voice. I just got to the negative sausages point this morning and laughed out loud as I drove!

Once you get Flat Stanley / Logan back, you should mail him to me. I'll take him to Stone Mountain for you! :)

Lori, exactly!

Soon, Richard, soon.

Katie, check out my new thread.

Judy, it is nice to have it over with, right?

Tina, thank you. It is SO convoluted.

Please join me, everyone, on the next thread.

>248 ronincats: Gosh you have been busy. New thread?

The continuation didn't work properly. The new thread is here - http://www.librarything.com/topic/172583

Oddly enough, it shows that it's a continuation - but this one doesn't show it was continued.

Thanks, Jenn. I used the feature, so I don't know why it didn't work. Remember, people, when you use the link, it won't automatically star the thread, so you'll need to do that yourself. Heather, hope you can find me now.

It's a bug - possibly related to all those no-title threads. Tim and CH are on it.

>257 jjmcgaffey: & >258 ronincats: Thank you, I'm there now!

"...my mammogram is clear, my finances are in order, my allergist has me on a new spray, I have my new eyeglasses and can now see the holes in #11 seed beads, my foot doctor has dismissed me as the orthotics seem to be working, and my tax returns are ready to pick up..."

Well. It has been a good couple of weeks then, I'd say! :-)

I'm totally disgusted that UConn won both men's and women's basketball tourneys. I think this is the second time they've done this in recent years and it's just boring. I suppose it's not boring if you live in Storrs, Connecticut, but that is a small group of happy people. Hrmph.

I did like the new UConn coach though, Ellen.

Just wanted to let you know that the automatic continuation feature didn't work when I started a new thread, so people will have to find their way there AND remember to manually star the thread if they want to keep track of me.
http://www.librarything.com/topic/172583