calm reading 75 and beyond - part 2

Welcome to any visitors. I appreciate any comments and recommendations. I must admit to being a great lurker on other people's threads but I do try to say something occasionally. Though I tend to just sit in the corner and read:)



I was very quiet last year but I hope to do better in 2014. I've decided not to try a category challenge this year but I am sure that TIOLI and all the recommendations I get from reading other people's threads will add more than enough books.

Let the reading continue. -




and back by popular (Lynda's!) demand




glitter-graphics.com

Books Read in 2014 (73 books/ 28799 pages)

May (12 books/4151 pages)

40) The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (292 pages)
41) The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston (453 pages)
42) The Gift of Stones by Jim Crace (202 pages)
43) The Human Division by John Scalzi (493 pages)
44) The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (298 pages)
45) The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco (513 pages)
46) The Martian by Andy Weir (369 pages)
47) Hunted by Kevin Hearne (311 pages)
48) The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty (185 pages)
49) The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (372 pages)
50) Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson (372 pages)
51) Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip (291 pages)

June (10 books/2735 pages)

52) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (179 pages)
53) The Round House by Louise Erdirch (374 pages)
54) The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer (356 pages)
55) Felidae by Akif Pirincci (262 pages)
56) Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (382 pages)
57) The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick (270 pages)
58) The Memory of Water (Teemestarin Kirja) by Emmi Itäranta (266 pages)
59) The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (107 pages)
60) World War Z by Max Brooks (342 pages)
61) Local Girls by Alice Hoffman (197 pages)

July (5 books/2825 pages)

62) Shattered by Kevin Hearne (332 pages)
63) Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon (825 pages)
64) Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor (616 pages)
65) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (505 pages)
66) Anno Dracula by Kim Newman (547 pages)

August (7 books/2883 pages)

67) Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (396 pages)
68) The Prestige by Christopher Priest (360 pages)
69) Heading Inland by Nicola Barker (184 pages)
70) The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater (482 pages)
71) Black Man (AKA Thirteen) by Richard Morgan (630 pages)
72) From the Mouth of the Whale by Sjón (271 pages)
73) The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell (560 pages)

Things went a bit wonky in my life here so no guarantee that books read will be in the correct order and I'm not going to bother to count pages anymore.

74) The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
75) The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
76) The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness
77) Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness
78) Rhinegold by Stephen Grundy
79) The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter
80) The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
81-83) The Demon Crown Trilogy by Robert E Vardeman Omnibus includes The Glass Warrior; Phantoms on the Wind and A Symphony of Swords
84) Penterra by Judith Moffett
85-87) Votan and other Novels by John James Omnibus that included Votan; Not for All the Gold in Ireland and Men Went to Cattraeth
88) Lord Saville's Crime and other Stories by Oscar Wilde
89) The Oblate's Confession by William Peak
90) The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge
91) Across the Face of the World by Russell Kirkpatrick
92) In the Earth Abides the Flame by Russell Kirkpatrick
93) The Right Hand of God by Russell Kirkpatrick
94) Longbourn by Jo Baker
95) Stonehenge by Bernard Cornwell
96) Chaga AKA Evolution's Shore by Ian McDonald
97) Ilario The Lion's Eye by Mary Gentle
98) The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell

Books read in previous thread - http://www.librarything.com/topic/163289 (39 books/ 16205 pages)

January (9 books/ 4341 Pages)

1) The Tower on the Rift by Ian Irvine (664 pages)
2) Dark is the Moon by Ian Irvine (674 pages)
3) The Way Between the Worlds by Ian Irvine (635 pages)
4) Ocean Sea by Alessandro Baricco (241 pages)
5) Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (420 pages)
6) Sleep, Pale Sister by Joanne Harris (394 pages)
7) Song in the Silence : the Tale of Lanen Kaelar by Elizabeth Kerner (401 pages)
8) Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (477 pages)
9) The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington (435 pages)

February (11 books/ 4250 pages)

10) Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (517 pages)
11) Hounded by Kevin Hearne (292 pages)
12) December Park by Ronald Malfi (645 pages)
13) Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan (500 pages)
14) The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill (312 pages)
15) Bitterwood by James Maxey (491 pages)
16) Hexed by Kevin Hearne (296 pages)
17) Hammered by Kevin Hearne (312 pages)
18) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (248 pages)
19) Frederica by Georgette Heyer (296 pages)
20) The Secret of Enduring Love by Peter Sklivas (341 pages)

March (10 books/ 4103 pages)

21) Runelight by Joanne Harris (571 pages)
22) The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness (310 pages)
23) Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (338 pages)
24) When She Woke by Hillary Jordan (344 pages)
25) American Gods by Neil Gaiman (632 pages)
26) Harvest by Jim Crace (273 pages)
27) A Natural History of Dragons : a memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (351 pages)
28) Black Opera by Mary Gentle (680 pages)
29) Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni (302 pages)
30) The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris (302 pages)

April (9 books/ 3511 pages)

31) Tricked by Kevin Hearne (341 pages)
32) A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger (473 pages)
33) Roadside Picnic by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky (209 pages)
34) The Famished Road by Ben Okri (500 pages)
35) Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett (375 pages)
36) Trapped by Kevin Hearne (292 pages)
37) 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (561 pages)
38) The Seduction of Water by Carol Goodman (357 pages)
39) Frog Music by Emma Donoghue (403 pages)

Books into the house in 2014

January

1) December Park by Ronald Malfi (LT - ER) - read
2) Hounded by Kevin Hearne (library) - read
3) Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (library) - read
4) The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington (library) - read
5) Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (library) - read
6) Heading Inland by Nicola Barker (onto shelves of shame)
7) Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan (onto shelves of shame) - read

February

8) The Minotaur Takes a Cigarette Break by Steven Sherrill (library) - read
9) Boneland by Alan Garner (onto shelves of shame)
10) The Secret of Enduring Love by Peter Sklivas (LT - ER) - read
11) Hexed by Kevin Hearne (library) - read
12) Hammered by Kevin Hearne (library) - read
13) The Crane Wife by Patrick Ness (library) - read
14) Harvest by Jim Crace (library) - read
15) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman (library) - read
16) Frederica by Georgette Heyer (shelves of shame) - read
17) The Sandcastle by Iris Murdoch (shelves of shame)
18) The Death Instinct by Jed Rubenfeld (shelves of shame)
19) Kine by A R Lloyd (shelves of shame)
20) Runelight by Joanne Harris (library) - read
21) The Black Opera by Mary Gentle (library) - read
22) When she Woke by Hillary Jordan (shelves of shame) - read
23) Neuromancer by William Gibson (shelves of shame)
24) The Birds and other stories by Daphne du Maurier (shelves of shame)
25) The Circle by David Eggers (LT-ER)

March

26) Angelopolis by Danielle Trussoni (library) - read
27) A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan (library) - read
28) Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (library) - read
29) The Gospel of Loki by Joanne Harris (library) - read
30) Hammer of God by Karen Miller (shelves of shame)
31) The Magician's Apprentice by Trudi Canavan (shelves of shame)
32) A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger (library) - read
33) Tricked by Kevin Hearne (library) - read
34) Roadside Picnic by Arkady & Boris Strugatsky (library) - read
35) Reamde by Neal Stephenson (shelves of shame)

April

36) The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (shelves of shame)
37) Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (shelves of shame) - read
38) One Day by David Nicholls (shelves of shame)
39) The Prestige by Christopher Priest (shelves of shame) - read
40) Abarat Days of Magic Days of War by Clive Barker (shelves of shame)
41) Frog Music by Emma Donogue (library) - read
42) Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett (library) - read
43) Trapped by Kevin Hearne (library) - read
44) 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson (shelves of shame) - read
45) The Rosie Project by Graeme C. Simsion (library) - read
46) The Human Division by John Scalzi (library) - read
47) The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston (library) - read
48) The Gift of Stones by Jim Crace (library) - read
49) The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (shelves of shame) - read
50) Scheherazade by Anthony O'Neill (shelves of shame)

May

51) The Round House by Louise Erdrich (shelves of shame) - read
52) Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson (shelves of shame) - read
53) The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale (shelves of shame)
54) The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick (shelves of shame) - read
55) Hunted by Kevin Hearne (library) - read
56) The Martian by Andy Weir (library) - read

June (including Thingaversay books - *)

57)* The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer - read
58) *The Long Song by Andrea Levy
59) *Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - read
60) *Temeraire (AKA His Majesty's Dragon) by Naomi Novik
61) *The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness - read
62) *The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness - read
63) Felidae by Akif Pirincci - read
64) The Whale Road by Robert Low
65) Teemestarin kirja (The Memory of Water) by Emmi Itäranta (library) - read
66) World War Z by Max Brooks (library) - read
67) Anno Dracula by Kim Newman - read
68) Prophecies by Helena Soister

July

69) Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor - read
70) Shattered by Kevin Hearne - read
71) Written in My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon - read
72) Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
73) Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch
74) The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

August

75) The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
76) The Last Family in England by Matt Haig
77) The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

Oops kind of lost track of when and where the following were acquired

78) The snow child by Eowyn Ivey - library read
79) Pennterra by Judith Moffett - read
80) Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness - library read
81) The Long Mars by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter - library read
82) Votan and Other Novels by John James - library read
83) The language of flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
84) The weirdstone of Brisingamen : a tale of Alderley by Alan Garner
85) Charlotte's web by E B White
86) The little white horse by Elizabeth Goudge - read
87) 2666 : a novel by Robert Bolano
88) Gone girl by Gillian Flynn
89) Avilion by Robert Holdstock
90) The Oblate's confession by William Peak - LT ER read
91) Longbourn by Jo Baker - library read
92) The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell - library read
93) The Road by Cormac McCarthy
94) The Crash of Hennington by Patrick Hess
95) The Seven Daughters of Eve by Bryan Sykes
96) The Chess Garden by Brooks Hansen

SantaThing

97) The Silvered by Tanya Huff
98) Wide Open by Deborah Coates
99) The House of Discarded Dreams by Ekaterina Sedia
100) Bridge of Birds by Barry Hughart

Is it safe yet? Hi calm, marking my spot...

Hope life is being kind :)

Oops should have announce that the thread was open to visitors Kath yes it is safe and it is great to see you here

it's been a tough few weeks and doing anything seems to trigger the Carpal but I am trying to get around to visiting and actually posting on a few threads today:)

I'm so sorry you're still having carpal tunnel pain, calm, but it's lovely to see your new thread. Take care of yourself!

Following you of course, Calm. I hope your wrists feel better soon because I know how annoying chronic pain can be! I need to see someone about my back but the list of stuff that I have to do just never allows me to find a good time to do so!

Happy New Thread Calm! Really sorry about the carpal tunnel persisting. Echoing Valerie's comment above, chronic pain is no joke, and your sounds really disabling. Hope you find some relief soon!

Thanks Julia - I will try to take care of myself.

Valerie - I do hope you can find time to take care of your back - having two little ones might make finding the time difficult but you need to take care of yourself so you can keep looking after them.

Ilana - Thank you, there are so many people in the 75ers who live with pain and manage to do some amazing things - your artwork among them - so I do feel bad about just moaning and not actually getting around to talking about bookish things because I sure don't do anything artistic or particularly interesting.

I'm sorry to hear about your carpal tunnel troubles; lately I've been thinking that it may be starting up in me (and I wouldn't be shocked, after years of piano and percussion, sewing, knitting, and various other needle crafts, plus lots of typing...). I should likely see a doctor about it soonish...

Oh, and Happy New Thread!

Oh yes Amber - get it checked as soon as possible. There are exercises that help and I do use a brace as well. Also (I'm told) it is a relatively simple operation if it is caught soon enough.

My health problems are at least partly my own fault for not pushing my GP when I said something felt wrong, they did get the carpal fairly quickly, but I also have cervical spondylosis which took a lot longer to be diagnosed. So that combined with my agoraphobia and a severe hospital phobia means that I am refusing to have the carpal operation as I will still have problems with pain and lack of mobility in my right arm and hand. It is just easier to type Carpal than spondylosis and it is difficult to say which is actually causing all the pain and swelling.

Have you tried Dragon Naturally Speaking? My sister is diagnosed permanently partially disabled with carpal tunnel - and she's an author! - but uses Dragon for a lot of things. Mostly relatively long-form stuff, not quick posts, but still. I've used it occasionally, but while I do have a tiny dose of RSI it's never developed into full-fledged carpal tunnel syndrome(? is that the right word?) so it's never been necessary for me the way it is for Mar. Fun to use once in a while, though.

Have you tried another type of mouse. Like the one I'm using? It helped me a lot.

Congratulations on your new thread, Calm. I do hope that you will find some relief from your medical ills - would be nice if Connie's mouse is helpful too!

Jen - I haven't looked into any voice recognition software yet. Maybe someday:)

Connie - I don't use a mouse:) I find the track pad on my lap top and keyboard short cuts easier and I can navigate around pages, read and scroll reasonably pain free. The problems start when I actually start typing:( But that is a very interesting looking mouse.

Thank you Paul. As long as I don't do things that trigger a flare up I normally cope but it has been getting easier to trigger and taking longer to settle back to a bearable limit, I just need to adapt to the limitations. So if I can look after the cats (and myself), keep the house from being a complete mess, read and lurk on LT it isn't too bad:)

I also got myself into a really bad mental space earlier this year but have started crawling back out from under the rock. So hopefully this new thread will help me make a fresh start.

Now off to see what everyone else has been up to, please forgive me if I don't say much:)

I feel the same.. keypads are much easier for me than a mouse... When I have to use one at work I feel fumble-y :P

It must be rough not being able to join in when you feel like it... sorry for your pain, and hope this passes...take care of you~

Hi there calm! Glad to see you've started crawling back from under your rock!
Hope you're enjoying springlike weather, that works so well for a lot of us!

Hi Kath good to see another non-mouse person around here:)

Lynda - That rock got pretty heavy and I'm pleased to say that I have started feeling a bit more positive.
About spring weather I wish. We did have a nice patch a while back but it turned grey and damp again ... but there are glimpses of sun around amidst all the showers and it is forecast to be better by the end of the week.
I hope everything is well for you and yours.

Don't push yourself too hard, Calm. We know you're there and we will be there. Take are of yourself first, but so happy to see you are well enough for the time being to visit the threads. :)

Lurking a lot more than posting Valerie but I am around

edit to add and caught up with all my starred threads:) But I think there are some stars that have come unstuck so I will be threadbooking sometime but not today

We will always be here whenever you're up for a visit, calm! Take care of yourself!

Hi calm, new thread eh what? Hope you're well.

Thanks Laura - good to know that you will be around:)

Thanks Richard - very good of you to stop by.

I've finished another couple of books since I last de-lurked and it is about time I actually talked about what I have been reading.

The Human Division the fifth in Scalzi's Old Man's War series deals with the fallout of the events of the third book (I haven't read the fourth as I heard it was just a retelling of events from a different character's POV). A great addition to the series with adventure, touches of humour and some more serious goings on. This isn't a John Perry book and is also more a collection of linked short stories than a novel. It is mainly about Harry Wilson, a member of the CDF, and a team of diplomats interspersed with other stories that add to the bigger picture. I liked it but it definitely leaves room for more books to be added to the series.

The Rosie Project a quirky debut novel. An enjoyable read which is a bit of an updated classic screwball comedy involving a professor, his search for a wife and the unsuitable woman who completely changes his very ordered life. Not without flaws but good fun and I will look forward to seeing what Simsion does next.

Yay for reading and double yay for being able to post thoughts about them, Calm!

Hope you have a relaxing, pain free weekend. :)

>16 calm: Wow. i really don't know how to use keypads! But I get by. Hope your pain has eased a bit, calm.

Lovely new thread, calm. I do love those reading kitties at the top--they are my favorite.

Thanks Valerie, Reading was going slowly but I have finished 2 books since I lasted posted here. Thoughts coming soon.

Connie I was having a problem with my mouse so started using the touchpad on my laptop and found it pretty simple and I seem to have more control over where the cursor goes than when I was using a mouse, adding in keyboard short cuts makes navigating easy.

Roni. I like the kitties too:)

In other news I managed to get to town last week and found a few more friends to come home with me. The first four onto the shelves of shame.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich
Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson
The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale
The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick

and then two from the library
Hunted by Kevin Hearne
The Martian by Andy Weir

and while I was there I put in a request for Shattered by Kevin Hearne which is due to be released on 17 June according to Amazon

Onto the reading, there were similarities between the two as the focus was mainly on a solitary character both marooned in different ways, one on a ship and one on Mars, but my reading experience couldn't have been more different.

The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco - this took me ages to read (and I have loved other books I have read by Eco) but this wasn't an easy read for me at the moment. It was an interesting enough story but I could only read in very short bursts. There is lots of Natural Philosophy of the mid 17th Century and the attempt to be able to accurately measure Longitude and, to be honest, I never really connected to the main character. I am pleased to have read it and it hasn't put me off reading more Eco but I think I need to be in a more focused head space before the next one. A 3.5 star read.

The Martian by Andy Weir was a complete contrast - fast moving and I really wanted to know what happened next, started this yesterday and stayed up too late reading and picked it up again first thing this morning. I really rooted for the main character and loved the whole story, as I got closer to the end I was turning pages as quickly as possible to find out if this man's desperate attempt to survive would succeed or not. This is pretty close to a 5 star read but I'm not sure if it meets my re-readability criteria for that as now I know how it ends.

Ahh, the touchpad! I can't use that one! My wrist has the wrong angle and I can feel the nerves and muscles starting to hurt when I do that for a longer time. So it has to be a mouse for me.

Voor ik ga slapen was a four starred book for me.

I have Eco's book on my shelf but haven't read it yet. Same old story just a different book each time. :)
I keep seeing really good things about The Martian so will eventually get my hands on that one as well.
Hope you are feeling better Calm!

Stopping by to see how things are with you calm and noticed you have recently finished reading The Island of the Day Before. I am currently reading that one. So far I am loving it but I am a bit of a science geek and I love the whole natural history and longitudinal thing. The waxing philosophical moments have been quite interesting for me as well but I admit I am still a bit baffled by the deserted ships scenes so we will see if I love this one once I finish it. I am almost at the half-way mark, just about to start chapter 20.

Connie as I said I find it easier, but that's just me. About the Eco, if I had been in a different frame of mind I would probably have enjoyed it more, I admire his work still and actually I had a similar reaction to Baudolino on first reading it but the second time I loved it:) and Name of the Rose is still one of my favourite books. Just as well I like him as I have a couple more of his books waiting on the Shelves of Shame.

Valerie - there are so many books on the TBR shelf that it can be quite difficult to find the right time (or enough time!) to read them all. They all looked so good when I originally picked them up but fortunately they will still be there when I feel like reading them:)

The Martian was the right read for me at the moment, it took me away from myself and I was completely gripped by the story. This was such a good debut novel that I wonder what Andy Weir will write next and if it can possibly be as good.

Lori - I noticed you were reading it and I hope you continue to love it. I've probably been a bit harsh but I just couldn't get into the right frame of mind to just sit and read. It is one that I will probably revisit sometime and I expect when I do I will appreciate it more.

Hunted by Kevin Hearne More Attcius and Oberon. This one is a headlong chase across Europe as our druids are pursued by Diana and Artemis. Loving Oberon and good to see more of him in this one. Lots of questions about precisely what is going on and who is to be trusted and the end means that I am eager to carry on with the series. Pity the next one hasn't been released yet:(

The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty. If you like folk tales I don't think you would regret reading this retelling of the classic Brothers Grimm story, relocated to a particular time and place, the Natchez Trace region of Mississippi in the late Eighteenth Century. There are some changes and the setting is one I don't know much about but Welty writes beautifully and this take on the tale was a very enjoyable read.

I do love our Kevin Hearne :)

I'm glad that you are able to read... I do have to read The Martian.. I think I have it requested from work..

Take care of you, my friend...

Hearne is good, very good:) I hope you like The Martian when you get around to reading it.

Safe travels to you, enjoy your time with Amy

Still reading and actually finished another book already. But I can't say that most of the recent ones are particularly difficult reads:)

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

What would happen if the earth's rotation slowed, every day getting longer and longer, until clock time is completely divorced from daylight and darkness. That is the background to this story which is told from the perspective of Julia, an eleven year old girl. And it is a background, this is more about growing up, friendship and family. To be honest I think this might have worked better if Julia was a few years older, to me eleven seems too young for some of the things she talks about. So in the end I think this was an interesting idea but it lacked depth. Though if you are looking for a coming of age story with a twist it might be worth a look.

And another book finished:)
Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson

How would you react if every morning you woke in a strange bed with a strange man, not knowing who you are or how you got there. That is what has happened to Christine but is her husband telling her the truth about who she is and what happened to her. As she works secretly with Dr Nash Christine starts a journal and slowly tries to work out who she is, each day starting afresh and putting together the pieces, though things her husband tell her don't always align with the things she has already written.

I loved this book, I really liked the basic premise and how the story unfolds.

and another one completed in May

Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip

I haven't done much re-reading lately but felt like revisiting a favourite author. I just love the way McKillip writes and her imagination. The prince of Ombria dies, his heir is a five year old boy and the Black Pearl, a sinister woman becomes regent. This is told from three points of view - Lydea the dead Prince's mistress, Ducon a bastard cousin of the heir and Mag the mysterious waxling of a sorceress who lives below the city. As their stories intertwine we are lead into a fantastic world where the shadows of another city impact on their lives and the future of Ombria.

I know the feeling of having too many books to finish off. I have started to get to the stage where I am far too spoiled for choice and it has started hampering my progress a little.
Maybe I need to take my foot off the gas of book-buying for a while.

Have a lovely Sunday, Calm.

Hi calm! Look at you rip through your books! Good going! I'm going to add Before I go to Sleep to the Wishlist. You loving it is good enough for me. Hope your having a wonderful Sunday!

Hi Paul - I love my overflowing TBR shelves, I always have something that fits whatever mood I am in:) Yes it can be difficult to choose but doing TIOLI helps to narrow down the selection so I just pull 5 or 6 off the shelf and read the first paragraph ... whichever one clicks the most is the one I read.

I doubt very much if you could ever "take your foot off the gas of book-buying" and, it might not be Cranswickian, but I need to think about getting 6 next time I'm somewhere I can buy books:) Fortunately I think that the Car Boot sale has started up so, weather permitting, I only need to go a couple of miles from home.

Yes it is that time again ... is it really five years since I discovered LT:)

Hi Lynda - you snuck in while I was replying to Paul:) Yes I got my reading mojo back, it feels good.

Before I go to Sleep really worked for me I hope it does for you as well.

Think I'm up to posting a monthly round up.

May turned out to be a good reading month, which I doubted when I was struggling with the Eco

In May I read 12 books with a total of 4151 pages. Six were from the library and six from my shelves

The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw (292 pages)
The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston (453 pages)
The Gift of Stones by Jim Crace (202 pages)
The Human Division by John Scalzi (493 pages)
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (298 pages)
The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco (513 pages)
The Martian by Andy Weir (369 pages)
Hunted by Kevin Hearne (311 pages)
The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty (185 pages)
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (372 pages)
Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson (372 pages)
Ombria in Shadow by Patricia McKillip (291 pages)

Unfortunately I didn't get out much but that means fewer books into the house, at least I didn't leave one of them languishing on the shelves of shame very long:)

I've read these three, but two were library books.

Hunted by Kevin Hearne (library)
The Martian by Andy Weir (library)
Before I go to Sleep by S. J. Watson

These are still on the TBR shelves

The Round House by Louise Erdrich
The Book of Fires by Jane Borodale
The Book of Dead Days by Marcus Sedgwick

But a couple of people have added The Round House to June's TIOLI so that is a bit of incentive to read it before it gets buried by other books:)

Started by reading a Vonnegut for June - Cat's Cradle not bad so far.

>33 calm: The new Iron Druid chronicle comes out this month, calm!

>35 calm: I felt very similar to you about The Age of Miracles. A very promising premise but not quite fully realized.

Hi there! I totally agree with The Age of Miracles and i like the sound of Before I Go TO Sleep--nice to see you again!

Hi Julia - yes I already asked the library to get it and it is in the system so as soon as they get a copy I will be reading it:)

Hi Kim - there was something about Before I Go To Sleep, it just caught my attention and I just had to keep on reading:)

The Age of Miracles could have been better, I'm actually relieved that it wasn't chosen as the One Book One Library Thing choice for this month as I don't think it would have sparked an interesting conversation. But I will still keep an eye on whether the author writes another book as she has potential.

Nice round up Calm. Lots of good reading going on and lots of books that I have on my TBR mountain that I want to myself...eventually...soon...some day. :)

Hi calm, happy new week, just whipping through to leave a hug

Nice roundup for May, Calm! I liked that McKillip myself.

I'm with you on your view about Wij waren hier and about Voor ik ga slapen., Calm.

Congrats on finding that reading mojo!

I am always happy when I exceed 4,000 pages a month Calm as I gauge 1000 pages per week as a normal target for myself. Rarely seem to make it these days though.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend, my dear.

First of all apologies for taking so long to reply. Reading has slowed again, some pain as well making it difficult to type:( But I have been watching the French Open and am still play testing Sunless Sea as well which is quite time consuming.

Valerie - the books are patient and I'm sure you will get to them when the time is right:)

Richard - thanks for stopping by.

Roni - I like almost everything I've read of McKillip's and I think she is well worth re-reading if you like her work. She's not for everybody though.

Connie - it is nice to agree about books:)

Kath - I lost it again:(

Paul - Unless I get a few I must read this and carry on until I reach the end books like I did at the end of May I doubt if I'll get up to 4,000 pages in June. I haven't even reached 500 yet!

I did finish Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut.

I must admit to being disappointed. I didn't connect to the narrator and the plot, such as it was, seemed dated to me. I'm not giving up on Vonnegut as I still have Slaughterhouse 5 on the TBR shelves.

I'm now reading The Round House by Louise Erdrich and that isn't connecting either. I like the writing but I think that the events, especially the beginning, are a bit too "real" for me to enjoy the story and want to pick it up and keep on reading.

In other news people seem to have missed my subtle "I have been on LT for 5 years" at the end of one of my earlier posts but I managed to get out and buy some books to celebrate my Thingaversary.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Temeraire (AKA His Majesty's Dragon) by Naomi Novik
The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
The Long Song by Andrea Levy
The Knife of Never Letting Go and The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness

and another couple that were only 50p

Felidae by Akif Pirincci
The Whale Road by Robert Low

Off to see what everyone else has been up to, I'm lurking even when I am not up to posting:)

A belated Happy Thingaversary for the first of June, Calm--yes, I did miss your low-key announcement. Looks like you've done yourself proud with your Thingaversary book haul, though.

Thanks Roni, I guess I was a little bit too subtle and low-key last week. I wonder if I actually wanted anyone to notice:)

I was pleased to manage a good book haul though. There are a few off my wishlist and one by an author I want to try (Andrea Levy) but wasn't sure which book to start with and I liked the sound of the plot for this one. The extra two were so cheap it doesn't matter too much if I like them or not but both are first books in series so if I do like them the wishlist is going to grow:)

Happy belated Thingaversary Calm! I'd missed the announcement too - looks like you've got some great books to celebrate.

Happy Belated Thingaversary from me too Calm! Will you be reading the Georgette Heyer this month for her group read?

Thanks Rhian and Ilana.

Ilana - I'm thinking about it - something light and fun might be just the thing to read after The Round House, which is good but not easy reading. But there are a lot of unread books here and I'll see what I feel like reading next.

A belated happy thingaversary calm! Looks like you got some good books to celebrate. I think the Patrick Ness books are brilliant, although quite dark in some ways. Haven't read that Heyer yet but I enjoy her books a lot in general.

I've also added The Martian to my library list based on your comments further up thread. I seem to be on a bit of a science fiction kick at the moment.

Very very good Thingadingy haul, calm, and five years?! Really! Somehow I thought you'd been here longer.

Round house was hard.. very hard, I agree. A lot of her stuff is, actually. Especially my first and still favorite Tracks. It hurts my heart to think about it, but wow... such real and compelling characters... loved it for that, hated it for the truth behind it.

Thank you Heather, I'm looking forward to the Ness but will probably wait until I find a copy of the third book in the trilogy. I think I have read The Grand Sophy before as I read a lot of Heyer in my teens - I was an omnivorous reader and read nearly everything on my parents book shelves:)

The Martian was very good, hope you like it.

Richard - only 5 years and you were one of the first people I talked to:)

Kath - I've finished The Round House now, a difficult subject but Erdrich really drew me into the story eventually. I've got The Antelope Wife as well which I will read sometime but I need something lighter before trying another of her books.

Happy Thingading, calm!

Thanks Amber:)

>53 calm: Happy Thingaversay! And very nice haul. I love the Ness books and Ransom Riggs book. Congratulations. I am glad you are here. : )

Thanks Kim, it's good that you are here as well:)

I brought The Martian home from the library the other day.

Excellent! I hope you like it!

Just popping in with a quick hello and wishes for good things for you :)

Have you read The Kraken Project ?

I just started it and it's ...interesting in a wow kinda way. It might be a good fun read for you?

Hi, calm, wandering through to leave some hugs and a smooch or two.

Just stopping by, saying HI!

Loved The Martian. Hope all is well in Calmsville!

Howdy calm! Thinking about you and hoping your ok. You're probably just giving your hands a much needed rest.

Hello everybody thanks for stopping by my neglected thread.

Kath that linked to the fourth book in a series and no I haven't read any of them:)

Thanks for the smooches Richard

Hi Connie

Pleased you liked it Roni.

Hi Lynda good to see you back from vacation and around the threads again:)

Yes I have been AWOL and not reading very much recently so I don't really have any books to talk about but I am still around. I have got a lot of threads to catch up on as so many of the people I follow have new threads and the number of posts I need to read is rather daunting:)

Reasons for absence - Wimbledon some good matches but some that were very disappointing; Sunless Sea - a game I'm finding completely addictive and took a lot of my computer time. I was also feeling a bit anti-social and just not up to posting ... sorry.

Now onto the books, I haven't got around to cataloguing or adding any of these to my top posts, yet.

I did manage to pick up some more books from the library recently and have read one of them and am halfway through another.

Completed in July - Shattered by Kevin Hearne and to be honest I wasn't as impressed by this one - Atticus and Oberon are as delightful as usual, Granuaile is coming into her own and I can appreciate the introduction of the third character and normally I can do multiple POV but this read more like two short stories mixed together and not very well to be honest. I do hope that the next one is tighter and he doesn't do alternate chapters from 3 different characters as it did spoil the flow of the story for me this time. I will carry on reading as I do like the characters and world Hearne has created.

I'm now half way through the wrist-breaker that is Written in my Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon and I am loving it. This is the way to do multiple character stories and I hope that this one doesn't end on multiple cliffhanger endings as the last one did but it is going to take me a while to get there.

I also have Dreams of Gods and Monsters (another chunkster) on the to read list. I did also buy a couple of series books as one of them has gone missing from my local library and I wanted to continue with the series Moon Over Soho and Whispers Underground by Ben Aaronovitch.

No promises on when I can finally catch up with what everyone else has been up to while I have been missing. I'll try to leave some sign of my presence when I get there:)

Hi Calm, good to hear from you. I wouldn't worry too much about trying to keep up with everybody. Even those who are most diligent about it have a hard time doing it, so really, it's a losing battle. I'm not a tennis fan, but I can see how Wimbledon would take you away from the computer. And I can relate to feeling anti-social. I've yet to listen to Diana Gabaldon's first book, which was among the first Audible books I got when I first joined in 2011. It's just sooooo long, but I'll get to it, maybe sooner than later. The Ben Aaronovitch series is lots of fun. I plan on listening to #3, Whispers Under Ground this month.

Hi Calm! Nice to see you posting again. I wouldn't feel too pressured to keep up with everyone's threads. Just say Hi and go forward on the threads. IF you see a reference to something you can always go back and check it out.

I think I stopped the Gabaldon series at book 6. They just keep getting longer and longer! I am tempted to give her another try seeing as you still love the current wrist-breaker. How many are in the series now?

Did you know that it is going to be a TV series starting in August!?

Hi Ilana - I don't think it was the best Wimbledon I have ever watched, some of the matches came across as very one sided even with players who had done better in earlier rounds ... but unless you watch the matches you don't know what is going to happen:)

Diana Gabaldon's first book is good but she gets better, unfortunately for the reader the huge amount of historical research she does for them does make for a long time between books but she fits her fictional characters into the events of the time very well. The books do get longer as well this one is around 800 pages - I dread to think how many hours that would be as an audio. Actually she is an LT author and LibraryThing is mentioned for readers who want to see her bibliography as it would be too long to fit in the book:)

I enjoyed the first Aaronovitch and was annoyed when the library copy of Moon Over Soho went walkabout so was pleased to pick up my own copy. Now all I need to do is bookhorn them in:)

Hi Kim - you are not that far behind this is book 8 and book 7 left several cliffhangers, one of the problems of a multi character series. I'm getting a good feel of life in the late 1770's amid all the turmoil of the War of Independence and Claire and Jamie are right in the thick of it.

Not so sure about the TV series ... but generally I prefer to read than watch.

I need to re-read Book 7 of the Outlander series. It's been so long I've kind of forgotten a lot of stuff that happened! Count me as another who really likes this series, although the books are getting dauntingly long.

That would be a huge commitment Julia - fortunately I have a pretty good memory and Gabaldon does a good job of providing just enough of the back story to spark more without them being info dumps.

There is probably no hurry to get to them as she says it takes about four years to research and write, and go through the publishing process, for each one. I'm actually pleased that she takes her time to get it right and not feel the pressure to just get each novel published. There are plenty of other things to read in the meantime:)

Re-reading should go quicker than reading for the first time, I expect, since I'm really just refreshing my memory, which is absolute rubbish in fact. I don't really mind the long waits between books, either. I do feel that some of the books could have been edited down a bit, but she's hardly the first author to stop getting editing rigorously once they've experienced success (Stephen King, I'm looking at you).

Dear Calm it seems like an age since I had the energy to get round the threads of all my pals, but like Samson with his locks replenished I can feel my strength slowly returning!

I haven't read any of the Gabaldon books yet but I can sense myself about to get sucked in.

Have a lovely weekend in West Wales. xx

Popping in again, Hello? : )

Still not doing much reading or book acquiring so don't think I have much to say except thank you for visiting. Also my computer went a bit wonky for a few days, everything was taking forever to load - especially pages with graphics. Things seem to be working again now so hopefully I can start loading threads without them cutting off.

Julia - they are big books but I think that she doesn't do too badly at keeping the various strands in place and the story moving forward. At least this one doesn't have any major cliffhangers at the end ... a couple of questions but nothing that I can't wait to find out where she takes us next.

Paul - the first is more of a romance than the later ones (though Clare and Jamie's relationship is central throughout) but stick with them if you can and want to read a lot about 18th century history with a twist. I think she mixes her fictional characters into real events quite well.

Kim - Hello:)

I did read The Wind-Up Girl and liked it but I did wonder about some of his ideas in his future world, mainly the alternative energy source which is one of the main strands of the story. I did like his imagination though things were a bit bleak and uncomfortable to read in places.

I'm now reading Anno Dracula which I am enjoying. I also picked up Hollow City the sequel to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children from the library so that will be my next read.

Goodness, Anno Dracula! That was a fun series. My favorite title was Dracula Cha Cha Cha set in 1959.

Hi, calm! Hope you are having a relaxing summer even if not much is getting done.

Just stopping by to say hello, and hope life treats you well....

Poking my head in to see how things are with you calm. I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

Just waving: HI!

The Wind-up Girl was definitely bleak!

Hello, hello! Just wandering through...

Calm! Here you are! I had to scroll down quite a bit to find you. If you're not reading and not posting, what are you doing?! Something mischievous and fun I hope. Or maybe something relaxing and enjoyable? In any case, hope you're well and know that you're missed! :0)

still missing you...

Not lost in Pottermore are you?

Hope all is well

Checking in again...Hello? Hope you are okay.

Dear Calm, help us all to be a little calm too and let us know everything is ok in your little part of beautiful West Wales. xx

Wandering through, trailing smooches

Hi Calm - checking in after a longish absence and see that you have also been awol. Hope all is well. I picked up The Martian from the library a week or so ago.

Stopping by to say "Hello". Miss your presence here.

Hello everyone, sorry to be AWOL. Not reading much and decided to take a LT break, probably should have let you all know.

Obviously I am still alive but don't really feel like talking about things:(

Must say that Tim's tweet about the speak like a pirate day treasure hunt brought me back, that was fun:)

Hope to update reading/book acquisition lists and reply to comments later. No promises though.

Hi calm, good to get an update, but sorry things aren't so great at the moment. Of course you'll be missed and will be very welcome when you feel like sharing again, be it about books lists or anything else.

Thanks Ilana - I still haven't got around to updating the lists or entering my recent books into LT but am trying to see what everyone else has been up to while I was missing. I know it was a while back but I loved that you and Cee got to meet up, sounds like you had a wonderful time.

I'm quite assiduous about entering new books here on LT, mostly because I worry I might inadvertently purchase the same book twice if I don't, which has already happened within a couple of short days a couple of times fairly recently. Thankfully, I caught my mistakes on time and was able to cancel my orders. I do always take the time to check against my listings here on LT before purchasing anything, so if it's not entered, I have virtually no sure way of knowing whether I own a book already or not. A good problem to have, I guess, everything being relative.

Glad you've been able to keep up with some of our activities a little. It's only been about 5 weeks now since Claudia and I got together. It's still definitely fresh in my mind, and it was a very special time. I was so happy she chose to come spend her vacation in Montreal and was here long enough so we could get together a few times, AND that I was well enough to be able to do so as well! I'd been wanting to meet her for several years now, and it was a very special feeling of both meeting an old and a new friend at one and the same time.

I've been off the grid, calm, but am back home now and checking up on everyone. {{{calm}}}

AWOL happens. A peek in (like now) makes me happy that you haven't disappeared 'from the grid' completely. ;-)

Hi calm! Good to see you're ok. Although LT is a great place to be it's also good to live life without it for awhile too. Always a nice homecoming when we return.

Hi Calm - just dropping by to say hello!

>100 calm: Nice to see you back Calm.

Hi Calm! I totally understand an LT break every now and then, but am so glad to see you back. Hugs.

Just saying hi...

Ummm....I thought you were back. ; )

Glad you are (kind of) back!

Calm, just stopping by to wish you a wonderful weekend :) I hope that everything starts settling down for you!

*lurk*

Hey Calm! I totally get where you are at about RL and LT. I am so bad with staying on top of my own thread let alone visiting others. Here's to hopefully a calmer fall and winter where I will be spending more of my time indoors which fingers crossed means more LT time. :)

Ditto what Valerie said. Hope you can come out to play soon.

Stopping by to say hello calm. We miss you (but understand if you need some space from LT).

Just stopping by to say that I do think about you! I hope you will be better soon.

I hope you will feel better soon!

Wishing you a "calm" and restful weekend calm :)

Hi Calm. Missing you! (Don't go all guilty on me--just feel the love.)

Oh well not really better but I have finally got around to up-dating the books read and acquired lists. No guarantees that I haven't missed something though.

I must admit that I have been feeling very anti-social this year (in RL as well as here). But hopefully I will be here next year and, maybe, a bit more active. I am still lurking around on LT and following some of the things that are going on with other people just haven't felt up to posting:(

Lurking is good! Glad to hear your are doing okay. I feel like winter brings out the anti-social side of me as well. So cold! Looking forward to following your readings next year. :)

>122 calm: Glad to see you post again and to hear you are still lurking. Hopefully things will pick up for you in the new year.

Hello calm - agree Lurking is ok :)

I am also looking forward to your posting next year. Wish you a lovely advent time and hopefully life will have a better outlook next year.

Hi calm, Lovely to see your post above! Lurking is something I tend to do a lot of here on LT when I have nothing to say. No harm in lurking, that is for sure!

Hey, nice to here from you, calm. I've been a lurker much more than a poster this year myself so I completely understand. Take care and read on!

Good to see you here again and good to hear that you are all right! Keep on lurking.

Calm, it's Chrismas Eve's eve, and so I am starting the rounds of wishing my 75er friends the merriest of Christmases or whatever the solstice celebration of their choice is.

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, calm!

Happy Holidays!

From our family to yours!

Happy Christmas Calm!

Stopping by to wish you a Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2015, calm!

Thank you everyone and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas.

Dear calm, wishing you a very Merry Christmas and hope to see a little more of you again in 2015!

I hope so too Bianca :)

hug to you!

Calm, have a wonderful festive season. Hope to hear much more from West Wales in 2015. xx

Thanks Paul.

Belated Merry Christmas to you, calm, and here's to a happy and healthy 2015!

Belated Christmas wishes and Happy New Year, calm. I hope 2015 is a better year for you.

>143 souloftherose: Ditto!! Best wishes Calm. : )

Happy New Year, calm! Hope it will bring all good things!
New thread?

Calm, I wish you a wonderful and better 2015 year. I hope to see you soon on the 2015 threads!

Laura, Heather, Kim, Lynda and Bianca - Thanks for visiting, I wish you all the best for 2015.

I still have to do a bit of housekeeping on this thread but I will get over to 2015 in the next day or so. My hand is playing up a bit so I'm not sure when I will be up to it though.

Hooray, that you will join us soon in the 2015 group and bah for your hand playing up, calm!

I join Bianca with "Hooray!" that you will be setting up a 2015 thread!