TinaV95's Jazzy July and Awesome August!

This is me and my niece (Caroline) on the day they left and returned to Houston. My dirty, no good brother!! ;)

My sister had just found this old Pooh bear to calm the little one (she was upset because mom & dad were loading the car and unavailable to her). Pooh belonged to one of my siblings... my Pooh is a skinny and bedraggled creature that I loved something fierce. Anyway, baby C is a girl after her Aunt Tina's heart. She immediately fell in love with Pooh and all the tears stopped.

Couldn't you just kiss all over this face?????

My completed and intended plans for Mark's American Author Challenge:

January: Willa Cather Death Comes for the Archbishop Loved!!

February: William Faulkner The Hamlet Completed; barely. My first AND LAST Faulkner. Loathed the chapter about the intellectually disabled character. What the heck???

March: Cormac McCarthy The Road Completed

April: Toni Morrison Beloved LOVED!

May: Eudora Welty Delta Wedding Just could not finish...made it to page 80 and gave up My sincerest apologies to Mrs. Welty.

June: Kurt Vonnegut Slaughterhouse Five Thoroughly enjoyed!

July: Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Completed

August: Philip Roth Completed and enjoyed

September: James Baldwin

October: Edith Wharton

November: John Updike I barely made it through The Witches of Eastwick, so I may boycott this month BUT... Roberta says I can read a short story and still be considered a purist, so there you go!! :)

December: Larry Watson Montana 1948 on my shelf

2014 at a Glance

Read in January
1. Hexed 4.5 stars
2. Death Comes for the Archbishop 4.5 stars
3. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner 3.5 stars
4. Midnight Riot 4 stars
5. Changeless 4 stars
6. Babbitt 2.5 stars
7. The Impossible Knife of Memory 4.5 stars
8. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie 3 stars

Read in February
9. The Grimoire of the Lamb 4.5 stars
10. Hard Choices for Loving People 4.5 stars
11. Death Masks 4 stars
12. Scarlet 4 stars
13. Glitches 3.5 stars
13.5 The Queen's Army 3.5 stars
14. Betwixt and Between 4 stars
15. The Hamlet 2 stars (I'm being generous here...I'm peeved with his treatment of the intellectually disabled; sue me)
16. Blameless 4 stars
17. Hammered 4 stars

Read in March
18. Heartless 4 stars
19. Moon Over Soho 4 stars
20. The Road 3.5 stars
21. Leviathan 4 stars
22. Timeless 4 stars
23. Whispers Underground 4 stars

Read in April
24. Oryx and Crake 4.5 stars
25. Just One Damned Thing After Another 4.5 stars
26. Divergent 4 stars (re-read)
27. Insurgent 4 stars (re-read)
28. Tricked 4 stars
29. Beloved 5 STARS!!
30. Fun Home 4.5 stars
31. Wonder 5 STARS!
32. Fat Vampire 1 star

Read in May
33. A Symphony of Echoes 4 stars
34. Broken Homes 4.5 stars
35. Red Rising 4.5 stars
36. The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts 3 stars
37. Blue is the Warmest Color 4 stars
38. The Cat Who Lived High 3 stars
39. Allegiant 2 stars
40. Experiencing God 4 stars
41. Delta Wedding 2 stars -- Did Not Finish
42. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown 3.5 stars
43. Born Wicked 4 stars
44. The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal 3 stars

Read in June
45. Written in Red 4.5 stars
46. Star Cursed 4 stars
47. Trapped 4 stars
48. Being United Methodist: What it Means, Why it Matters 4 stars
49. Slaughterhouse Five 4 stars
50. Enchanted, Inc. 4 stars
51. Gone Girl 4.5 stars

Read in July
52 & 53. The Amber Spyglass 2.5 stars library audio, then off my shelves
54. Murder of Crows 4.5 stars library
55. I am Number Four 4 stars library, on audio
56. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 4 stars off my shelves
57. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 4 stars off my shelves
58. My Life as a White Trash Zombie 4 stars library
59. A Second Chance 5 stars Kindle
60. A Trail Through Time 5 stars Kindle
61. Hunted 4.5 stars Audible
62. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me 3.5 stars Early Reviewer

Read in August
63. Behemoth 4 stars off my shelves
64. City of Souls 4 stars off my shelves
65. Cheat the Grave 4 stars off my shelves
66a. Rene 4.5 stars off the internet
66b. Wake Up! 3 stars off my shelves
67. Nemesis 3 stars library
68. Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues 4 stars library
69. The Lost Hero 4 stars library
70. Sizzling Sixteen 3 stars library
71. Wicked as They Come 3.5 stars library
72. The Neon Graveyard 4 stars library - to finish the series
73. The Hundred Foot Journey 4 stars library

List of 2014 Book Purchases

To increase my accountability and guilt simultaneously!
NOTE: **These numbers do not count e-book purchases, since they don't take up space in the house!**

1. Still Life
2. The Miracle Worker
3. Hush: Moving From Silence to Healing
4. The Sexual Healing Journey
5. Divergent re-read
6. Montana 1948
7. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
8. The Daniel Plan
9. You are Not Your Brain
10. Clockwork Prince
11. Changeless read
12. Wintergirls -- signed by the author & got to meet her SO THIS SHOULDN'T COUNT AGAINST ME!! :)
13. The Impossible Knife of Memory -- DITTO above read
14. Blameless read
15. Heartless read
16. Second Wind -- again, signed by the author, so it really shouldn't count in my totals ;)
17. Little Girl Blue
18. Fear Has a Name -- the author was at the store signing books and came up to me as I was shopping. I couldn't resist someone brave enough to do that. So now I have a new series with a signed first book.
19. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
20. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
21. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
22.My Utmost for His Highest
23. No Greater Love
24. Bad Girls
25. Every Visible Thing
26. Quentins
27. Glimpses of Heaven
28. The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln
29. Leviathan read
30. Behemoth read
31. Written in Red read
32. Fun Home read
33. Blue is the Warmest Color read
34. Mythology
35. The Giver
36. Midnight Crossroad - signed by the author *swoons*
37. Hounded audio - read
38. Hexed audio - read
39. Midnight Riot audio - read
40. Death Masks audio - read
41. Hammered audio - read
42. Tricked audio - read
43. Broken Homes audio - read
44. Trapped audio - read
45. Hunted audio - read
46. Shattered audio, listening now
47. Neverwhere audio daily deal for next to nothing!

Number of Books Culled

1-11-14
Took 14 books to the used book store!

3-1-14
Took 12 books to the used book store

To LT friends:
Sometime in March or April, sent approximately 10 books to a friend.

In July, sent 6 total books to two friends

Running Total of Books Removed from House = 42

My ongoing series are listed on Fict Fact. Come find me!! www.fictfact.com. I'm SweetT95. :)

Favorite 2014 Reads

Best Literary
Death Comes for the Archbishop
Oryx and Crake
Beloved

Best Fantasy
Hexed
Just One Damned Thing After Another
Broken Homes
Red Rising -- also YA, but fits more here IMO
A Second Chance
A Trail Through Time
Hunted

Best Young Adult
The Impossible Knife of Memory
Scarlet
Wonder
Written in Red
Murder of Crows

Best "Other"
Fun Home
Experiencing God
Gone Girl

Last weekend book buying confession...

We had about an hour or so to 'kill' between a late lunch and a movie, so I *innocently* suggested we head to a bookstore.

I came away with three lovely additions:

Mythology -- I've been wanting for years, but especially after delving into Kevin Hearne, now I really need a course on mythology...
The Giver -- in trade paperback. It's a lovely version and I've never read it...
Midnight Crossroad --- I know it's gotten mixed reviews here, but IT WAS SIGNED!!!!!

Coming soon (I'm starving now...)

Full disclosure on audible purchases for the year thus far to be added to 'book buying' list.

From last thread and since I'm aching to discuss it...

Is anybody watching the last season of "True Blood" and did you see Sunday's episode yet????

Happy new thread, Tina!

Thanks, Katie!!! :)

Happy new thread!

I've just heard from Lisa and she is about to go crazy to get out of town, so we are going away for a night. We have to be back tomorrow since we both have church obligations on Sunday, but being a obsessive planner, this spontaneous decision thing is a bit hard for me!

There's a winery about 45 min up the road and since she had no idea where she wanted to go (that's a lie, but I'll tell that story in a minute), that's where we decided to head...We both texted the other with that idea at the same time. It was scary. And sweet to me. We are sharing a brain it seems.

Anyway, Lisa really wanted to go to the beach, but we can't do that in one day and I doubt I will finish my work by the time she wants to leave as is. ;) I surely can't make a beach trip packing happen in a quick turn around.

Have to run. Was planning to catch up on a few threads later, but not sure that is going to happen now since I'm being surprised by a romantic getaway!! Yay!

>12 banjo123: Hi Rhonda!!! Bye Rhonda!! ;)

Have fun on your spur of the moment trip, Tina!

Seems like several of us are heading out for the weekend! I'm off on a girl's weekend away. Hope you have a great time!

Happy new thread, Tina! Wishing for you and Lisa a getaway full of fabulous - and really, how could it not be when it includes a winery?!

>13 TinaV95: >16 michigantrumpet: You ladies have fun! I'll just stay home and keep an eye on LT for you. I'm happy to do it. Don't spare me a second thought. No, really.

I'll keep you company, Julia!

Happy New Thread, Tina!!
your spontaneous romantic getaway sounds lovely!

>18 rosalita: Ha! Actually, thanks, Julia! I was trying to figure out how to sneak in a few posts from the back seat of the car as we were in transit!

Happy New Thread Tina and "Yay" for a spontaneous overnight getaway!

9>I'm watching True Blood.

Happy new thread Tina! I love the thread topper and story! So cute.

Happy new thread Tina, love the topper she is so cute.

>15 MickyFine: Hi Mickey! We had a great time!

>16 michigantrumpet: That sounds like fun, Marianne! I hope you had a grand time!

>17 Crazymamie: Hey Mamie... it was fabulous, indeed! :)

>18 rosalita: Aww, Julia! Thanks for watching LT for us. Next trip you should join!

>19 katiekrug: :) Hey Katie!

>20 scaifea: Hey Amber! It was quite lovely. Thank you!

>21 michigantrumpet: I will usually do that too, Marianne. But not this trip. I was a good girl. :)

>22 lkernagh: Hi Lori! It's great to see you! :)

>23 BookLizard: Getting to you in a separate post!

>24 Thebookdiva: Hi Abby! I think she's adorable too!

>25 GeezLouise: Hey there, Rae! I'm pretty partial to that picture too! It makes me smile every time I look at it!!

>23 BookLizard: Is it bothering you how they're killing everyone off??? I'm going bonkers each week. Lisa finds my reaction to the deaths amusing, as I keep yelling at the iPad as we watch.

So who wants a mini update of my weekend?

I can hear all those hands, so here goes... :)

Lisa had to pack for me since I wasn't finished working... I never did finish on Friday, so I ended up working Saturday night when we got home (boo, but it all worked out!)

We went to Chateau Elan, which was literally only 25 miles away from us. Who knew it was so close?? It is a gorgeous place and very fru-fru. The bathtub was huge and we both indulged in luxurious baths while we were there. She won't disclose how much the 1 night package cost... I think she's afraid I might have a heart attack. Lol.

The "escape" deal she bought included two dinners, two breakfasts, and a bottle of wine waiting in the room. It was very relaxing!

Saturday we got up early to be sure we got breakfast, then took a little nap before checkout. It was so wonderful to just be lazy for a day!

Once we checked out, we called some friends to see if they wanted to get together. They did, but were busy right then so we were looking for something to do. From my travels, I knew we were close to the Mayfield Dairy, so I suggested that. I really just wanted Lisa to see the giant cow that sits on the roadside. :)

When we got there, we noticed they had a visitor center and tours. So, we figured, what the heck? Let's go check this out! We both thought it was a dairy with actual cows, but it was really just a milk processing plant. It was still pretty nifty to see how milk goes from raw to homogenized though... Nerdy me loves learning. ;)

Oh, and of course, the tour ended with ice cream. Always a bonus!! We purchased a t-shirt for each of us and two for the baby (it was a buy two sale!).

After this we met up with our friends, ate a very late lunch / early dinner combo; visited awhile at their house and played with their puppies. Then we headed to a farmer's market and bought some locally grown produce. We had the BEST bacon & tomato sandwiches for dinner tonight!

Today was church and Lisa had to give her testimony about the Dominican Republic mission trip in both services. She was a nervous wreck and had a raging headache because of it. We prayed her through it, but I want to share what really put her at ease and show you what an awesome church we have...

Our pastor is preaching a four week series on "Reel Faith." She's discussing movies / plots with a theological lens. Today was "The Avengers" movie, so it was all about superheroes. So shortly before Lisa had to get up in the first service (about 400 folks), our associate pastor comes out dressed in a Superman onesie. He's a relatively young guy (20's or 30's), but seeing him in Superman pajamas had the congregation cracking up... She was good after that! **For the record? She did a great job!

That was our weekend! :)

I can hear someone wisecracking now.... THAT'S a mini update?? YES, it is. That's leaving out lots of good details. :P

>1 TinaV95: What a lovely photo!

I've been to Chateau Elan! My company had a Board of Directors meeting there several years ago. Kind of a random place, all that faux French chateau stuff just outside Atlanta, but it would be perfect for a spur of the moment getaway!

27> Yeah, it's like since it's the last season, they can kill off everyone. I was upset last week when they killed Alcide, but I figured they had to get him out of the way so Sookie could get back together with Bill. I was afraid it was going to be Eric who died, but I'm glad he hasn't . . . yet.

Oh, wow, it sounds like you've had an *amazing* weekend! Love it!

Happy New thread, Tina! Love the topper. What a cutie! Hope you had a fantastic weekend. Have you pulled down that Twain yet? Hmmmmmm?

>28 TinaV95: Love the mini update - sounds like a fab weekend :) Glad you two got some time to be together and relax.

>30 Whisper1: Thanks Linda! I love it too.

>31 katiekrug: It is kind of random being out there... But it was a nice getaway place! I hope you have another meeting there soon!!! :)

>32 BookLizard: I was SO pissed when they killed off Tara in the first blasted episode! I was yelling at the iPad! Then it happened again with Alcide and I really flew off the handle! I was glad they offed Mrs. Fortenberry! But all the good characters? Really? If they kill Eric, I'm going to be homicidal. Just a warning. Lol. I'm so displeased right now! Do you want Sookie back with Bill??

>33 scaifea: It was awesome, Amber! Thanks!

>34 msf59: I have started my Twain, sir!! :) Thanks for the comments on the photo.

>35 BekkaJo: Thank you Bekka! It was a much needed escape!

I've had a migraine for a good bit of the day, but I still managed to drive to my hotel for my visit tomorrow.

I'll try to catch a few threads tonight as much as my head will allow.

Love to all!

36> Tina, True Blood -At first I thought Tara's mother was lying about it because she's so crazy - wouldn't put it past her to be in cahoots with the bad vamps- but once Pam said she felt her death, I knew it had to be true. :-( Alcide was so sad. I'm not sure if I want Sookie back with Bill. I love Eric, but can't remember if Sookie ever hooked up with him on the show like she did in the books.

Woo, sounds like a lovely break for you and Lisa, Tina. Hope you have a reasonable work week ahead.

I hope your head feels better this morning, Tina...

>36 TinaV95: Then it happened again...

Wait, what? How can they kill off Alcide? He didn't die in the books! He's important all the way to the end.

Hi Tina! Sounds like a lovely weekend getaway! Plus a tour of a dairy...can't beat that! I like learning experiences like that as well. Sometimes those random little stops can be the most fun part of a vacation.

41> Have you watched the series at all? It takes a sharp turn from the books early on and just gets weirder and weirder from there.

And this is the end - last season, only 6 episodes to go - the "writers" feel like they can do anything they want.

>43 BookLizard: No, I saw the first episode but haven't watched the rest yet. I'll do so eventually.

I'm glad that I know nothing about True Blood! On the other hand, I'm happy that you and Lisa had such a great little getaway. GOOD for both of you!

Sounds like a fun weekend! It is GREAT to get a llitle spoiled on a get-away. We did that a couple months ago, and it was totally worth the price.

Missed the transition, here at last, and boooooooooooooooooooo on the True Blood slaughterfest.

Bill + Sookie? Naaaah. Sam + Sookie, like in the books!

*waving*

47> That was the perfect ending for the books, but I don't see it happening on the show, especially since that other woman is carrying his puppies child.

>49 BookLizard: *snorts*

>49 BookLizard: This is a good point...except it's True Blood we're talking about here. ANY-DAMN-THING can happen.

I got a bit behind! I'm glad you had such a fun mini-holiday! That sounds like a lot of fun.

Going back to our discussion on the last thread, no, I don't think I would read Gone Girl when I was feeling depressed. I'm pretty careful to avoid books like that when I'm feeling down. I like to escape from real life while I'm reading.

The talk about "reel life" sounds like just the type of thing I'd be interested in. I love seeing how philosophy / theology is portrayed in popular culture. In fact, right now I'm taking a coursera class on how stories change from books to movies to games, like LOTR. It's a lot of fun, though I'm a little chicken to start playing LOTRO because I've always avoiding gaming in fear of addiction. :)

https://www.coursera.org/course/onlinegames

I know that has nothing to do with theology, but it still has to do with how philosophies are portrayed in popular culture. ;)

>38 BookLizard: I was right there with you, Liz. I kept thinking (True Blood) they must be bringing her back somehow... they just CAN'T kill TARA in the first damn episode! I wasn't really even thinking about her mom being in cahoots. I just thought there had to be a loophole in there somewhere. That is... until Pam said it and I knew it was all over. :( I keep watching the opening credits though and Rutina Wesley's name keeps showing up. So what's that about then??? That's keeping my hope alive!! I really DON'T want Sookie back with Bill....

>39 ronincats: Hi lovely Roni!! How are you doing?

>40 scaifea: Sheesh, Amber...this week has been rough. Not work wise, just headache wise. I've had multiple ones this week. I seem better now, so here's hoping for a good weekend!

>41 Morphidae: & >43 BookLizard: YEP, I agree with Liz... Morphy you'd have to watch it to believe it. The characters' names are the same and sometimes their personalities are the same, but other than that?? That is about the extent of it. Last season was SOOOO weird that I didn't know if I could continue to watch. Until, of course, they announced this was the last season. Now it's all a bloodbath! I don't know if they intentionally wanted it to be SO different from the books that they are like entirely separate entities or if it naturally grew that way.

>42 Cobscook: Heidi... you are so right! We both had a ton of unintended fun!! :)

>44 Morphidae: You should, Morph. Just for comparison's sake. ;)

>45 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy. It was a nice time!

>46 banjo123: It was so much fun, Rhonda! She still won't tell the price, but I'm going to go ahead and say it was worth whatever it cost! I really needed that break!

>47 richardderus: Smooches, Richard!!! We'll let you know how it ends if you want to click on the spoiler links. ;) But I'm doubtful that your intended wishes are going to come true!

>48 PiyushC: Hi Piyush!

>49 BookLizard: LOL

>50 Morphidae: I snort too!!! ;) Always good to find a fellow snorter!!

>51 richardderus: Ain't that the truth???? Did you watch last season???? Billith?? Bill turned into a god?? wth??

>52 The_Hibernator: I looked at the coursera class and it looks really interesting! This week she is using "Frozen"... I haven't seen it, but I have NO idea how she is going to pull theology from a Disney film! I think the whole theory of looking at films from a theological viewpoint is a neat idea (and certainly one I've never considered before). Books? Yes... Films? Not so much!

Getting caught up here, Tina. Your weekend sounds heavenly!!! You've got a special girl there. (Not that you need me to tell you that, eh?) She's a superhero in my book for all her work in the DR.

Happy Friday!

As promised (a long time ago)....

A list of my audible.com books from this year - for the sake of my accountability and closing at least one of the book-buying loopholes I have allowed myself:

1. Hounded
2. Hexed
3. Midnight Riot
4. Death Masks
5. Hammered
6. Tricked
7. Broken Homes
8. Trapped
9. Hunted - currently listening

>54 michigantrumpet: Awww... Thanks, Marianne!! I'll tell her that! That should make her smile for sure. I know it makes me smile!

51> True! Maybe she'll end up with Pam. LOL.

>57 BookLizard: Don't say that too loud...the writers might hear you!

Now THAT'S an ending I could really root for!!!! Lol ;)

Oh my, your thread is just spoiler after spoiler, Tina. I can hardly tell what you people are talking about!! LOL

Your weekend sounds truly lovely. Just what you deserve.

And now it's Sunday evening and the "real" week begins tomorrow.
Sigh. I wish I were a kid again, with summers off during which I could become unbearably bored and wish for fall to arrive so I could go back to school.... ha!

>28 TinaV95: your church sounds fun! Superman costumes....theological discussions on movie themes....and go Lisa. 400, that is quite a crowd!

Howdy Tina! Hope you had a fine weekend! These Iron Druid books are a lot of fine, aren't they? Tricked might have been my favorite.

Tina, your weekend getaway sounds splendid, even if I am just now getting around to reading about it. I hope you have a good week this week!

Not caught up but want to keep you on my radar....

Hi Tina, sorry I've been away for so long! Finally all caught up on your thread. Sounds like you had a nice mini holiday! I think that sometimes they are the best holidays, no planning, no need to be anywhere, just relaxing and enjoying each others company. I hope all is well :)

(Must get to Iron Druid. Must get to Iron Druid. Do not need another series. Must get to Iron Druid!)
Hi, Tina!

Hi Tina - your niece is adorable! And your mini-vacation sounds wonderful.

I'm tiptoeing into coursera next month

Hi Tina!

>28 TinaV95: Sounds like a lovely weekend. I hope this one brings more of the same!

>55 TinaV95: Way to come clean about your Audible purchases. I'm thinking of joining again, but I haven't quite made up my mind...

Happy Friday, Tina! Hoing you have something wonderful planned for the weekend!

Happy weekend, Tina!

Howdy Tina!

It's been a good while since I've checked in here... I was at a conference last week in the north Ga mountains. It was a super busy week, but such a pretty location. Have any of you ever heard of Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris, Ga? It is near Helen... the little German town that is a tourist destination that is pretty well known in these parts.

Anyway, one of the Social Service Directors that I've worked with for years won the Social Worker of the Year award... I worked with her back when I was still a SSD in a nursing center & now I'm her consultant. Her administrator let us know the big secret a few weeks ago. I contacted her daughter on Facebook and swore her to secrecy. When I met them 14 years ago, she was just a little girl. Now she's a beautiful young woman. We have been texting back & forth secretly scheming. Lol

I came close to blowing the surprise for Lynne twice. Once we were shopping in the gift shop & I literally had to walk away from her because I came so close to mentioning that her daughter was on the way up! It's a miracle, but we managed to hold the surprise and she was thrilled. It was great fun seeing a friend win!!! :)

The rest of the week (once I got home), I honestly spent either with the honey or reading Jodi Taylor. :)

I have many reviews / updates to post, but let me just say that in 2-3 nights, I consumed the third and fourth installments of the St. Mary's Chronicles and now I want more, more, more!!!

Responses coming forthwith!

I have 30 minutes until True Blood comes on & Lisa has me on a countdown. She's hooked. ;)

Sounds like it's been a good week, Tina!

Oh my! I can't believe you've actually hear of those obscure tomes, the Chronicles of St Mary's. Can't even think how they'd've crossed your radar.

Enjoy True Blood, Mrs. Lisa and Mrs. Tina!

>60 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! Summers off would be wonderful, indeed! I wish I would have appreciated them more when I was a kid! Sorry about the spoilers. :)

>61 LovingLit: Hi Megan! My church is a great place... tons of fun! Last week it was "Frozen" as the movie, so we dressed like princesses. Today the movie was "42" so we wore our favorite team apparel. We also have popcorn before & after each service. I love it! Who says you can't have a good time at church???

>62 msf59: Hey there Mark! I do love me some Atticus & Oberon! I just finished listening to Hunted. It was fantastic!

>63 rosalita: Thanks Julia... I hope you had a great week also!

>64 mckait: Hi Kath. Thanks for keeping me on the radar. I'm hopelessly behind these days myself.

>65 NicolePatrick: Nicole!!! So good to see you! Been missing you around these parts, but know you're busy. Thanks for checking in!

>66 LizzieD: You really MUST check out Iron Druid. No one needs another series, but this one and St. Mary's are an exception to that!!!! :)

>67 markon: Hi Ardene! Thanks for the compliment on Caroline. I think she's gorgeous, but I am just a little bit biased! I'd love to know your thoughts on coursera...

>68 DorsVenabili: OMG!!!! Kerri's back!!! Hey Kerri! I hope you have been well. We have missed you!!!

>69 michigantrumpet: Hey Marianne! This weekend was filled with cleaning, visiting with an old friend, shopping, a date night, massages (an hour & a half!!!), cooking, paying bills, church, and a nice long Sunday afternoon nap. How's that for a recap of our fun & busy weekend??

>70 banjo123: Hi Rhonda!

>71 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta!

>74 ronincats: Hi Roni, my dear!!!

>75 richardderus: Hmmmmm... I wonder what evil genius is responsible for introducing me to the wonder that is Max and St. Mary's? Who would come specifically to my thread and warble their praises??? ;) What a brilliant & dastardly plan!!!

Hi Tina! Hope you had a good weekend. My wife just finished Hounded and is an instant fan. Yes! Another convert!

Tina! I just read over on Roni's thread that the 4th book in the Chronicles of St Marys is out! How did I not know this?! Why did no one tell me :P I gotta get my Kindle out and purchase it. Im so excited! It sounds like you had a busy week, but an enjoyable one.

I have the fourth installment of St. Mary's on my radar but I won't have a chance to read it for the next several days. I have books due at the library and they take priority. *whines*

Tina?

I look to get further and further behind, during August. Woe is me. Loving St Mary;s! Glad that life is being kind.

>78 msf59: So glad to see we have another convert to the Iron Druid fan club, Mark! I'm still working on Lisa! ;)

>79 NicolePatrick: Oh, Nic! I've failed you!! I'm so sorry I didn't fulfill my obligations as a friend and keep you posted on the St. Mary's release date. Forgive me!

>80 Morphidae: Dang library due dates will derail those "I wanna read right now" books every time!! :) Don't worry... Max will be waiting when you're ready!

>81 luvamystery65: Hi Ro... Missing in action this week. Explanation to follow.

>82 mckait: Hiya Kath!! I'm glad to see you here! I'm starting to consider a new mantra... "behind is bliss". Care to join me?

So I had another conference the first part of the week... The Georgia Gerontology Society. It was my first year going. So, guess who gets either (1) food poisoning or (2) a stomach bug on Tuesday night?? I threw my guts up...almost literally...and couldn't make it for the last day of the conference. And there were two classes I really wanted to hear too. :(

Anyway, I still felt bad this morning so I had to change my schedule today as we'll so I could work from home. I'm feeling much better tonight and no longer have a fever or other nasty symptoms so I should be able to hit the road again tomorrow.

Here's to trying to catch up with everyone! Again! :)

Hi Tina! Sorry to hear about the "bug'! Bummer! I hope you get back to normal quick!

Funny, in regards to the Iron Druid books, I turned a friend/co-worker on to the books and he has become obsessed, along with his son and both are flying through the series. Spreading that Biblio-Joy! That's what we do!!

Tina, I hope you are starting to feel better. Its not fun being sick like that! There is nothing to forgive, I could have looked it up for myself, but for some reason thought that the 4th book was months away. I'm at about 75% through the third one, which I am going to finish off right now :) Take care of yourself.

Ooh dear. So sorry you've been ill - and at a very bad time. Feel 100% soon!
(And I'm into Iron Druid.)

That is peeyewie-stinko about the tummy issues! All better Mrs. Lisa whammys comin' up!

Drat that bug!!

Oh, no! I hope you're feeling better soon!

Feel better soon!

Hello all! Thanks for all the lovely visits and well wishes! I think they must have some powerful mojo behind them because I am feeling much, much better today!

So a HUGE and GRATEFUL thank you to Mark, Nicole, Peggy, Richard, Roni, Amber, and Rhonda. I'm telling you, there is something to the power of positive wishes being sent your way when you aren't feeling well... So again, I thank you friends!!! :)

So in an attempt to mirror the great Richard and Morphy, I am going to try to catch up on my reviews tonight.

Don't laugh. I can do this!!

In case I don't finish, I am holding myself accountable by at least posting my July reading here...

You may notice that I've added the source of the "reading." I'm feeling the urge to hold myself a bit more accountable with where I'm reading from since I've not done well with holding to my goal of reading primarily from my shelves this year. I may go back and review my year-to-date reading and see if I can recall where I've sourced the rest of my reads from, but I'm thinking I may not like that data. ;)

So... without further ado. Here's my July:

Read in July
52 & 53. The Amber Spyglass 2.5 stars off my shelves --- counting as two due to over 500 pages
54. Murder of Crows 4.5 stars library
55. I am Number Four 4 stars library, on audio
56. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children 4 stars off my shelves
57. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 4 stars off my shelves
58. My Life as a White Trash Zombie 4 stars library
59. A Second Chance 5 stars Kindle
60. A Trail Through Time 5 stars Kindle
61. Hunted 4.5 stars Audible
62. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me 3.5 stars Early Reviewer

Book 52 & 53
The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
Because I set the rules at the beginning of the year that if I read a book over 500 pages this year, I was counting it as two.... And this is the first time I've actually claimed the rule. So there. :P



I was disappointed with the third installment of His Dark Materials. I started out listening to it on audio, but it was TOO much and I found myself falling asleep on the road repeatedly. So I finally had to just stop and say that there was NO way I could listen to this one. It was altogether too boring. It was not worth jeopardizing my health to finish a series. I am a big ol' anal retentive perfectionist, but I was calling it quits. Then one day, I was looking through a bookshelf that I don't use often and BINGO. I found this where I had purchased it from a used book store and forgotten about it. Well, I was able to FINALLY finish it this month (still slogged along a bit).

I really did enjoy the first and second books, but Pullman lost me on this one. I think there was just too much going on for me. Plus, the whole 'killing God' plot was a hard pill to swallow for this very Christian girl.

Book 54
Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop



Again, a big thanks to Morphy for introducing me to this series! Murder of Crows is the sequel to Written in Red... If you aren't an Urban Fantasy kind of person, then you can skip on through the rest of this review because this series won't appeal to you.

If you love a good plot and interesting characters with a twist on the "typical" vampire and werewolf flair??? Then give Anne Bishop a try. I swear, this is one of the most unique worlds I have read in a LONG, LONG time and I am hooked. I hate to have to wait until 2015 to read the next book! I'm hoping Morphy will suggest something else just as good to tide me over! ;)

Book 55
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore



I was looking for an audio book because I was out of Audible credits and was needing a free book... so I went to overdrive and found that this one was available. I had seen the movie when it came out (however many years ago that was) and enjoyed it.

It was even more enjoyable in an audio format; especially since I had forgotten much of the plot. God bless middle age, huh? :)

I will probably continue on when I need another action filled audio for my commutes...

Book 56
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs



I have had this on my shelf for quite some time, but have been waiting for the appropriate nudge to read it. I got that nudge when Kath was recently reading and raving about Hollow City. I decided it was time to go ahead and pull it off the shelf and get on with it!!

Heavens only knows what took me so long! I have no idea what I expected, but this was NOT it! I guess I was expecting creepy, gory, and gothic. What Miss Peregrine's was for me, instead was a magical adventure to a place filled with mystery. I loved the characters and the way Riggs blended the photos into the narrative. I loved the 'time travel' element of the story (a new theme with me, I think lately!!) and I'm excited to read the next one. Now I just need to decide whether to purchase or borrow it from the library.... :)

Book 57
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain



My very first attempt at Twain, I read this for Mark's American Author Challenge. I enjoyed the plot, as I liked both Finn and Jim as characters but had a very hard time with reading the dialogue of the characters. Meaning... trying to interpret how the written words were supposed to sound in the dialect Twain had written was hard for me.

I also had a very difficult time with the continued use of the n-word repeatedly. I tried very hard to remember the time in which this was written, but it was difficult to get through. Do they still assign this as required reading today with this language in it?

Book 58
My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

So, anyone want to guess who recommended this book to me??? Guess. Go ahead! You'll never get it!!

Okay, so it wasn't a direct recommendation, but sometime back in May I was on Facebook and Kevin Hearne had posted all kinds of pictures from a writer's conference and he had taken pictures of himself with several of his favorite authors and posted them on his page. He was particularly effervescent about this series and Diana Rowland and I figured, "Hey!! If one of MY favorite authors LOVES her, then I will too!" So... I placed my name on the library list for this book and waited patiently until my turn came around.

Plot in a nutshell: Angel is a drug addicted, loser girl who wakes up in the hospital with no knowledge of how she has arrived there. She's told that she has OD'd and that she was brought in naked. She receives an unsigned note telling her that she has one last shot. She's got a job waiting on her at the morgue when she gets out of the hospital the next day. She's got nothing to lose, since she has a terrible home life with an abusive father and an even bigger loser boyfriend. She goes to the "interview" and gets the job; she's now a driver for the morgue. Soon, she finds that she is craving brains. Yep. Brains. You heard me. She's freaked. Understandably so. She's finally got a decent job. True, she has no idea how she got it and someone has left her weird coffee drinks with gooey junk in them with instructions on how often to drink them, but she is finally getting things together....

And so it goes. She finally figures out that craving brains means she has somehow been turned into a zombie. Again, she has NO clue how or why she has been turned. In the midst of this mystery, there is also a serial killer on the loose chopping off heads (literally).

I really enjoyed the mysteries and I didn't figure out who her maker was or who the killer was!! Angel does a good bit of growing up in this book and I hope it continues. I will definitely continue with this series, as it was just plain fun. As Roberta likes to say, this was brain candy for sure LOLOLOL... couldn't resist.

Okay, so I didn't finish. But my wife calls so I must go.

I owe you several reviews!

Hi, Tina. Glad to see you are feeling better. I like your review of Miss Peregrines, it is spot on. The only thing I didn't much like about it was the romance. I almost purchased Hollow City when I was at the book shop the other day. I think I might have to go and rectify that. Hope you have a great weekend, Tina. :)

Like Nicole, I'm glad you are feeling better. And your energy with the reviews is guilting me into writing at least one tonight, so thanks — I guess. ;-)

So happy to see that you're feeling better, Tina!
And sorry that you didn't care for the Amber Spyglass. I listened to it in the car and nearly crashed because I was so investing in it! Ha! But, yes, I can see how some people might be a bit uncomfortable with where he went the the story - I loved it, but I totally get how you probably didn't, if that makes sense...

Glad you are feeling better! I would agree that the Amber Spyglass is the weakest book in the series.

You got through a fair number, at least, and now that you've started, the rest will follow!

Tina I am so glad you are feeling better. My mom loved the Written in Red/Murder of Crows too. I checked them out of the library for her on Morphy's reviews. I will tell her there is one coming up next year. Maybe I won't. She'll keep asking me when its out every month. LOL!

>76 TinaV95: ..."Frozen" as the movie, so we dressed like princesses. Today the movie was "42" so we wore our favorite team apparel. We also have popcorn before & after each service.
Woah!
I am convinced there would be a lot more people at churches worldwide if it were that fun! I was very very put off church when I went once with friends parents and it was so so so formal and a bit creepy with all the ritualised talk and waving of arms. Plus, it is just not in me. I am simply not religious.

>98 TinaV95: another Huck reader! Good for you. *will get to it one day*

Belated get wells, just to deal with any lingering germs! Hope you continue to feel better - no more germs allowed in.

Good book catch up too - you've been busy!

Finally just some *happy weekend wavies*

Hi Tina! Glad to hear you're feeling better and what an impressive string of reviews! Have a lovely weekend!

>95 TinaV95: No pressure or anything. ;D

Well, any easy recommendation is another series by Rowland about Kara Gillian. It starts with Mark of the Demon. The first book isn't the best of the series but as I went on, it kept getting better and better. I read 1.5 books of the series yesterday! I'll be whining soon about how I have to wait until March for the next one.

For something completely different, I didn't see Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen in your library. Have you seen the movie Practical Magic? It has that sort of feel to it - Southern magical realism with humor and some romance.

>101 NicolePatrick: Hi Nicole... I hope you've had a chance to rectify your almost purchase of Hollow City so you can soon tell me how it is! ;) I'm not selfish or anything. lol

>102 rosalita: Sorry for the guilt, Julia. You can blame Richard and Morphy. I felt guilty when I saw their slew of reviews so I'm just paying the guilt forward, I suppose. Hahaha!

>103 scaifea: Hey Amber. I'm glad you can understand my discomfort at portions. I really did like the Mary story line with the mulefa and even the going into hell portion. So I'm really not too uptight. ;)

>104 banjo123: Rhonda! Hey there! I had really high hopes for Amber Spyglass. I was most disappointed in the ending. Y'all know how I love a happily ever after...

>105 ronincats: Thanks for the encouragement, Roni! I'm going to try to knock the rest out in just a bit (I hope!).

>106 luvamystery65: Hiya Ro... I understand why you might not want to tell her!! Maybe you could just surprise her when it comes out?? ;) I hope she's feeling better. I need to go check in on your thread and see if you've posted any updates.

>107 LovingLit: I think you are spot on, Megan. I went to a "dead" church for years and I only went because I had to (I was a kid and was 'forced'). I go now because I love it! I love the music, the people, and the messages. It is a fun and inspiring service every week. I've never felt this way about church before! It kills me to say that at age 40 (that I've only really loved church for two years)... But I agree with you and think so many more people would go if more churches were fun and inviting and accepted people for who they are (NOT what they wear or how much they make) and weren't so uppity and judgmental. But that is my $.02 worth.

>108 BekkaJo: Awww... Bekka's here! Hey! Thanks for the good wishes and weekend wavies.

>109 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri! I've still got 4 left to go, so here's hoping I can finish tonight so I can start the week off with a clean slate!

>110 Morphidae: You know, Morphy... you just set the bar SO high that my expectations are WAY up there! :) I'm sorry about that pressure, but when you deliver such a great recommendation, you have to expect me to ask you for more!! ;) I actually have Garden Spells on a shelf around here somewhere! So that's a great one to recommend! And I went ahead and put Mark of the Demon on my library list ~ if it's a Morphy recommendation, I'm all about it!

Books 59 & 60
A Second Chance and A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor



What can I say about this series that you haven't already read on Richard's thread? His reviews are legendary, so I shan't even attempt. ***I bow to his talent***

I can't even really give a plot summary for the books except that in book 3 we get to see the Trojan war re-imagined through the mind of Jodi Taylor (and for that, I am well and truly grateful) and in book 4 we pop around the time line like nobody's business. More than that would be totally spoilerific and I won't do it!

One itty bitty crumb of a spoiler (not really)... the way Taylor interprets the battle of Troy and what actually occurred in the St. Mary's world version of events was one of my most favorite historical re-inventions of her series to date!

I will also say this. I cried way more than I'm really comfortable admitting during the course of the three work nights it took me to devour these two books. Ms. Taylor has ripped my heart out more than once. I'd even go as far as to say that she stomped on it a bit.

Lisa looked at me at one poignant moment (I was almost sobbing) and with a look of real concern says, "Honey, are you ok?" A non-reader cannot fathom how deeply absorbed into the world of Max and St. Mary's I had become...

Alas, now we wait for another installment. I simply don't know that I can wait that long. I will be forever grateful to Richard for introducing me to this series!

Book 61
Hunted by Kevin Hearne



First, in case I may not have mentioned this recently, I listen to Iron Druid books because of two facts:
1) I'm an anal retentive perfectionist and I need to know how the words are pronounced. When I read the first 'tree' book I spent so much time trying to work out the correct pronunciation that I missed out on some of the fun.
2) Luke Daniels is one of the best male narrators out there today. I've always said that Jim Dale is my favorite narrator (he's the Harry Potter narrator)... He has a very close second now with Mr. Daniels!

Okay, so this installment was satisfying. I had a few major upsets during commutes at deaths that occur, but I suppose we are nearing the end of the series, so Hearne feels compelled to throw me a loop or two here and there.

I enjoyed the hunt across Europe and the battle scenes with Artemis and Diana. What I found disappointing was Granuaile's voice. I sincerely love her character, but this is the first time we have heard narration in her voice and I thought it was a bit boring, to tell the truth. She is a wildly snappish female, so I'm hoping that if we have more of her POVs in Shattered that her narration voice evolves to match more of what her character has shown throughout previous books.

Book 62
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me by Julie Anne Peters



**Disclaimer: Won as an Early Reviewer book**

Lies My Girlfriend Told Me begins with our main character, Alix, being awakened by her mother with the news of her girlfriend's (Swanee) sudden death on the running track. Seventeen year old Alix is understandably devastated by the news and spirals into grief. The plot thickens when she is at her girlfriend's house for the memorial service and finds her cell phone with a perplexing series of text messages from someone simply called LT. Being a teenage girl, she snoops and finds these text messages are of the "I love you" and "I miss you" variety. Alix cannot stomach this and steals the phone, later making Swanee's younger sister tell her who LT is.

It turns out Swanee has been dating another girl named Liana at the same time she's been seeing Alix. Of course, Swanee didn't give Liana her real name because she had been seeing another girl when she started dating Liana. **Another disclaimer: Gay teens aren't like this (or at least we weren't in my day!!!) What does Alix do with this information? Does she let it go? No. She pretends to be Swanee and starts texting the other girl. For two weeks. Eventually she feels crummy enough about this that she decides Liana needs to know that Swanee is dead. Thus begins the very tumultuous friendship, then relationship between Alix and Liana.

I had a few issues with the book.

My first was Alix as a character. In the beginning of the novel, she is bratty. Yes, she is devastated by grief, but at times she is awful to her parents and baby brother. Her parents are amazingly supportive of her (a point I loved in this book, by the way).

I also didn't like the parenting style / morals of Swanee's parents. They have an open marriage and we find out later in the book that they encourage their children to date around and experience lots. Ewww.

I didn't love that Liana and Alix had to immediately start dating. Not all lesbians have to immediately date each other. We are capable of being friends with other lesbians, you know.

What I did like?

I loved that the gay issue was a non-issue. There was no coming out at all in this book. It was just a matter of fact that Alix was a lesbian. Her father made one slip when she started seeing Liana, before she had told him who she was dating and he said, "who is he?" All she did was give him a look and he apologized and it felt sincere.

I loved that there was a Gay Straight Alliance featured. It only gets a brief mention, as Alix ends all her relationships with friends when she starts going out with Swanee because of Swan's jealousy. But it does get an appearance and a resurgence at the end.

I love that there is a LGBT YA genre at all. There was NOTHING of the sort when I was a young college age, just-finding-myself young lesbian. There were sex books and there were coming out books and there were gay/lesbian pulp fiction novels, but no normal LGBT YA stories like this (or maybe I didn't have a good bookstore??). No random stories about normal-ish kids who just so happen to be gay. I didn't know there was such a genre now. So that this story and genre exists makes me one happy lady.

>114 TinaV95: Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks. ~Samuel Johnson

*smooch*

Tina, Tina, Tina ... I just tonight figured out I hadn't starred you. *bows head in embarrassment* But I'm here now. :-)

Glad to see you liked I Am Number Four - I hope to read the series in the next few weeks.

Written in Red and White Trash Zombie are penciled in for later this year. I also have One Damned Thing After Another on my Kindle.

Glad you're feeling better. I hate being too sick to read.

P.S. I am SO stealing your 500 page rule for next year.

Would The Stand count for 3 since it's 1200 pages? LOL.

Glad that you are feeling better, Tina! And I loved both Miss Peregrines and Hollow City!

Tina, Hi! For some reason this thread became un-stared. Not sure why, but I found you again. Love your reviews of the St. Mary's books. They are so hard to talk about without spoiling them. I did rectify the Hollow City issue. I went out and purchased it on Sunday. Im not sure when I will get around to it. Hopefully soon. I also got the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. Its been on my radar for awhile but your review on the third book reminded me of it, even if you didnt like the third one so much.

Hi Tina! Hope you had a nice weekend. Love seeing all the blue word activity over here. Smiles. I really liked the Amber Spyglass and I think Pullman pulled together the trilogy perfectly. Sorry, it didn't quite work for you.

Glad to see you enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, I FINALLY snagged it on audio and will be starting it shortly. I also have it in print, so I can check out the creepy pictures. Smiles again...

>115 richardderus: I haven't told you lately how much I adore you. (((Richard))) That quote made my evening!

>116 AuntieClio: Stephanie is here!!!! Hip, hip hooray!! Better late than never, I say! :) Thank you for dropping by and leaving a star, Stephanie!

>117 BookLizard: Oooh, I'm glad to see I got you with a few suggestions, Liz. You've gotten me quite a few times already! ;) I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I did.

>118 BookLizard: Feel free to steal the rule! I lifted it from someone else's thread... I wish I could remember who so I could give appropriate credit. I think you should definitely count The Stand as three! I might have not felt so darn angry about giving up an entire month to Anna Karenina had I seen the over 500 rule last year. I was so miffed because I didn't enjoy it anyway and then I felt behind the 8-ball all year because of how long it was! So when I saw the 500 page rule somewhere I decided I was going to use it this year, dang it!

>119 mckait: You were definitely my inspiration to pull Miss Peregrine off the shelf, Kath! I need to get to Hollow City soon!!

>120 NicolePatrick: Yay Nicole!! I'm glad to hear you went and rectified that oversight of Hollow City! :) Let me know what you think when you get to it. And, don't trust my judgment solely on the third book. I dearly loved the first and second in the series and most folks enjoyed the third just as much. So don't let my opinion color yours. Read Mark's comments in >121 msf59:. He and I typically very close in book opinions so he is a good one to follow since you and I also share lots of common interests.

>121 msf59: I'm glad you enjoyed The Amber Spyglass...I know it worked for a lot of his audience and I'm sorry I wasn't one of them. I really did thoroughly enjoy the first two, though, so I'm happy enough to have read the series. I think you'll enjoy Miss Peregrine...especially the print version with the creepy photos!! :)

Hi, Tina! Just checking in to make sure things were going well for you.

>123 ronincats: Hey Roni! Thanks for dropping by... How are you?

Just dropping by to wish you a happy weekend.

Happy weekend, Mrs. Lisa, and to Mrs. Tina as well! xoxo

Exhausted, but recuperating! {{{{Tina}}}}

Hi, Tina. Hope that you are having a great weekend and that all is well on your side of the world :)

Thanks for the happy weekend wishes, Rhonda, Richard, Roni, and Nicole!

I have had an exciting few days at my house... we have a new kitten!

Much to Lisa's chagrin, she is already in love with her, but it's been a tiring few days in the ATL.

I'm trying to upload some pics to Photobucket so I can share with y'all.

Here's the story of how she came to live with our clan...

I'm not sure if I have shared that I've had a bit of kitten fever lately after seeing the pics on Peggy's thread and seeing our neighbors new litter of kittens. Lisa & I discussed it though, and came to the mutual decision that we didn't need another animal. Lots of very good reasons for that decision.

Anyway. I was at one of my nursing centers on Thursday and was exiting with the brand new Administrator...this is the first time I have met her. So I was bringing her up to speed on where we are with the Social and Activity departments in her building (these are new centers to my company so we have lots to work on). We are joined by the Interim Administrator at some point during the discussion and not long after that, two of the maintenance guys come in holding this beautiful baby kitten...

They were out by the dumpster and some a$$hat had dumped 6 kittens...this gorgeous one followed the guys into the building when they came back inside. So they picked it up & brought it to the office to explain to the Admin. We were passing the kitty around the office and when it was my turn, she snuggled up on my chest. So I couldn't give her back...

Apparently dumping animals at the nursing home is common is this town because they are pretty effective at finding homes for them with all the staff and family members that come through the doors. And now, add "sucker corporate staff" to the list of potential adopters. :)

I rescued Sophie from another of my centers about 5 years ago, so I guess this is deja vu.

My message to Lisa was initially, "Please don't divorce me, but..." When you see the pics and videos (if someone can tell me how to load please!) you'll understand. She's so sweet and tiny!

Copper has adopted her as his own. It's very bizarre, but he's acting like a big brother or something. We have never seen anything like it! He plays with her constantly, cries if he can't find her, rushes to her side if she whimpers at all... just odd! We're still praying the other two cats come around.

So that's what I've been up to. What about y'all?

I might not get to threads as much until things settle down, so please update me here on what's going on in your world!

Oh dear. I saw on Facebook that you had been adopted by a(n admittedly cute) kitten. You know when they snuggle up to your chest and neck like that, they're looking for the jugular vein, right? :-)

>130 rosalita: I didn't know that, Julia! Someone should have told me that before now!!! ;)

Here she is in the box at the nursing center. This is the picture I sent Lisa with the text that said, "Please don't divorce me, but look what I have!"

Know what the response was? "NO" That's it. Two letters. :)

I've since thoroughly apologized since I broke my word and a commitment that we both made and in my defense, I did offer on Thursday evening to find her another home but it didn't take long at all for my better half to see why I was smitten and gaga for her right away.

It's in this picture that you can see how she got her name, Gizzy. Her full name is Gizmo Grey Valdes Meadows, but that's a LOT to say for one small kitten. So we call her Gizzy, or Giz.

Gizmo for the ears -- they reminded Lisa of the Gremlins' Gizmo
Grey for the gorgeous blue gray color of her eyes.

Lisa got to name her since I did the deed of adopting without permission... Excuse the triple chins here. :)

How she slept on the way home from the nursing center after I opened the box. She went totally apeshit in the box, but once I opened it, she settled right down. I guess once she felt my hand on her and knew she was safe, she felt okay to fall asleep.



And yes, I was snapping pictures on my cell phone driving down the highway at 75 mph. I was on cruise. I was safe. ;)

I pulled out my old cat's beds... Sophie and Tux had never shown interest and frankly, Lisa hid them once Simba died so I wouldn't see them and continue to have as many memories.

Anyway, I got them out for her... Copper is now sharing the cat bed! LOL

This was Friday. He rarely leaves her side.

Since he was in her bed she decided to sleep on the floor next to where I was working.

They are so cute!!! :)

Oh, Tina! What a sweetheart she is. I know where you are coming from; we are looking after a mother cat, which we affectionately call mum, and her two kittens, all of which were dumped at our house. There was another kitten, which we took to the pet shelter after we thought the rest had ran away (it was horrible, the poor scared thing was so stressed about it), the others returned the next day to our surprise. Unfortunately we cannot keep them as our cat hates them with a passion, our cat lives inside only so it is easy to keep them apart. We will have to find suitable homes eventually; we just cannot bring ourselves to take them to the shelter. Unfortunately this is not the first time. People are just so cruel. I think Gizmo fell on her feet when she found you, Tina. I also think your little doggy is super cute too.

Ahhhhhh so cute!

So cute!!!

Raise her to be a therapy kitten! Have oodles of fun kittening--it is a most relaxing occupation. You do know those eyes are going to change color, don't you?

ConCATulations! How wonderful that such an adorable kitten has decided to adopt you.

Ronincats is right that the eye coloring will probably change, but she still has grey fur, so the name is fine. I'd call her GiGi (G. G.) for short.

So cute!

*choo*

How can you not fall in love with a creature with such gorgeous eyes?

Kitten!! So, so cute.

Ohmygosh that is the sweetest little thing!! That photo of her sleeping!! No wonder you had to take her home.

AWWWW!

And that's from an exceedingly allergic cat hater (mostly because I'm so allergic I'll admit). She is very very cute - love the ears. I'd rather the puppy though :)

Also glad that there are lovely people like yourself around - I can understand leaving unwanted animals at the animal shelter if you are unable to take care of them (since you know they are with someone and safe). But to leave them in a dumpster? No!

Ahhhhh. The Cute! It burns! It burns!

Hee hee.

What an adorable kitty and what a wonderful rescue story!

So, so, so, so, so cute, Tina! And such amazing ears.

Very, very jealous...

*choo*

Oh my goodness! What a lovely story, and good on Lisa for caving. My head just exploded, due to cuteness! Those ears have left me speechless!

Wow! Look at all the visitors since I posted kitten pictures!! I should rescue a kitty more often!! LOL -- just kidding (in case Lisa reads over my shoulder one day....she would kill me!)

Thanks for all your lovely visits Nicole, Nora, Rhonda, Roni, Liz, Richard, Stephanie, Heather, Amber, Bekka, Morphy, Lori, Fourpawz, and Kerri. So glad you all dropped by! Now I will try to go drop by everyone's threads and pay back a visit to each of you!

Oh, and Roni (and Liz)... I know the odds are against the eyes staying that color, but I'm praying anyway. :) And, Liz -- Lisa and I had already discussed that GiGi was a possible other name for her as well. Great minds, I tell you!

HOORAY!!! Gizzy is an absolute darling, and I must congratulate (concatulate?) you and Lisa and Copper and Gizmo! Truly, it had to be YES.
Eye color? Totally lovely, but if they change, the change will be totally lovely too.
I've just been having some quality time with our Willow who goes back for her second try at surgery tomorrow. Poor little love. Poor us. We'll be broke before we're 75.
Pictures! Any old time at all that you can, show us pictures, please.

Having spotted the reference to contagious kittening on Peggy's thread, I had to leap over here in quest of kitten photos... Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Cute beyond words. You could not possibly have left her behind. Little Miss Tufty Ears!

Re Copper, clearly frustrated parental instincts are at work, or something.

Happy kittening.

Clearly, we need a dedicated LT 75 kittening page...

Hi Tina! Hope you had a lovely weekend and all is well. Which Roth, did you decide on? I am really enjoying the Plot Against America.

Congratulations on the kitty!

>153 Chatterbox: A CAT THREAD!! What an *EXCELLENT* idea!! Would one of y'all cat ladies please start it?

>156 richardderus: heh

Hope kitten is doing well - and that you two are healthy and happy :)

And covered in books of course...

Hey! What about us adorable dog owners?!?

>134 TinaV95:..Oh, how very, very lovely! and yes, regarding #1 post, kissing that baby face would bring happiness.

Giz is absolutely adorable, Tina. Congrats on the new fur baby.

>159 Morphidae: I say we do the same. Turn about is fair play, right?

(And then keep posting in our own threads while forcing the Limb-of-Satan-fancying people to confine their cattitude to one central, ignorable thread.)

>152 LizzieD: Concatulate...lol! I love it! Poor Willow. Don't worry about being broke, because you won't be alone. :)

>153 Chatterbox: Hi Chatter & welcome to kitty central! I do love the idea of a kitten page and clearly it has Richard's support. Haha

>154 msf59: Hey there, Mark. I'm reading Nemesis... enjoying it thus far.

>155 PawsforThought: Thanks Paws!

>156 richardderus: I *do* so love me some Richard Derus! I am grinning thinking about you squirming with an entire thread devoted to kitties.

>157 AuntieClio: IKR?!?

>158 BekkaJo: We are ok... with a small exception, but it can't be helped. Covered in books? I have 1 out from the library and just got noticed that 3 more are in! So yes! I'm about to be covered in books!

>159 Morphidae: & >162 richardderus: I say we need both. But what about those of us that "go both ways"? Dirty minds...I mean love both cats & dogs Hahaha... I couldn't resist, RD!

>160 Whisper1: I am in love with both Gizzy & Caroline, Linda!!

>161 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. We are a lucky crew around here with our animals that choose to let us share their lives.

So I have both good and bad news.

The good:
Lisa's mom had more blood work done last week and it looks great. Her liver enzymes are almost down to normal levels! They are so good that the doc has decided she doesn't need ANY treatment at all. We had purchased some herbal blend of liver supplements at our new farmer's market... we talked to the sales person & she told us what was best (which combo contained which herbs, etc.). That plus eating more "liver cleansing" / "liver health promoting" foods are the only changes Linda made. She didn't cut out anything. She refuses to tell the Dr. what she did (I'm not sure why; I'd be sharing it so other people might benefit)... So that is our super good news.

The bad
Linda's brother passed away Tuesday... he had fallen out of a deer stand last November and has been in and out of the hospital on a ventilator and/or trach since then. On Tuesday, he told them he had been through enough and was ready to go. So they removed the vent and let him go. She is not doing well, of course. That's expected...but she was there with him and I think that has made it even harder on her. So there have been texts about her wishes and in turn, Lisa sobs.... So it has been an emotional week here. The funeral isn't until Sunday so we are going to head down on Saturday. We met with a new petsitter tonight because our regular one is going out of town (she's taking them on a weekend away... isn't that nice? How many jobs do that?). So send Lisa & Linda your prayers please.

Love to you all...

I'll update you on books someday.

Oh, and Giz had her first bath today. She's not learned the grooming / hygiene thing so well. She stepped in her own poop. Disgusting. It was between her back toes. Ugh. Anyway, she screamed like a banshee and Tux meowed her head off thinking we were killing the baby. Copper was worried too. So we upset both Copper & Tux by bathing "their" kitten. Just to leave you on an upbeat note. :)

Tina, so sorry to hear the news about Linda's brother. Will be thinking of you all, especially Lisa and Linda.

Tina, I am so sorry to hear that Linda's brother passed away. But glad to her that her liver is back to normal. Will be thinking of you all.

I'm so sorry. I'll be keeping you all in my thoughts, Lisa.

I'm so sorry, Tina. Hugs to you and Lisa. Take care.

That's awesome news about Lisa's Mom. Seems like the best possible outcome.

Please pass on my hugs and thoughts and prayers to Lisa about her brother's death. It is a hard, hard thing to see a loved one die, especially after so many months of suffering. Any possibility of getting her to take extra gentle care of herself? The way she would if she'd say, lost a limb?

I keep alternating between doing a happy dance, and feeling sad and reaching out to hug you both.

Oops, just fell down.

Hugs.

What a rollercoaster of emotions Lisa must be feeling right now! Please know that I am thinking of both of you in your joy and grief.

Wow! At least there is some extra love in there to help with the sad... hugs to Lisa, and to you, too

Sorry, to hear about Linda's brother. My condolences, my friend.

Safe journey home for Linda's brother.

Hugs and smooches to all in the Mrs. Lisa-verse.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about her brother. That's terrible.

Oh, I'm so sorry for Lisa and her family. Let her know I'm praying for her.

Tina I'm glad Lisa's mom is getting better. So sorry about Lisa's uncle. Hugs to you both.

Kitty is cute, but the dog loving on the kitty is ADORABLE!

Thank goodness for kittens and cats and puppies and dogs! We really need them when life is going at us the way it is at Lisa's family right now. I'm very pleased about her mother and sad about the brother/uncle who was finally just too tired to keep trying. I do understand that it gets that way. (One of the Alsop brothers said, "A dying man needs to die the way a sleepy man needs to sleep." That helped me so much as I watched my father grow tireder and tireder in his battle with leukemia.)
Hugs for you and Lisa and plenty of kitten time!

All these years later, I finally found and tarted up my 15-year-old review of Earth Abides and posted it in my thread...post #121.

Tina! I don't know what happened but somehow your thread was unstarred! Shame on me! But I'm back in time to welcome little Gizmo into your family and also my condolences to Lisa and her family. So brave of her brother to make that decision. Hugs to you both.

I just lost an entire post. :(

I'm so tired I can't manage to retype it all. Just let me say a huge thank you to all of you for your love & support.

As soon as I'm home again, I will share your loving thoughts with Lisa. I had to leave again today for a work trip.

6 hour drive... I'm exhausted. And I'm picking up my boss' presentation because she has hurt her back, so I just got to study for that for the first time tonight.

But here was my view, so I'm not going to complain.



Hoping that after I teach tomorrow and make it to the next hotel, I will feel up to coming back to respond individually and catch up on some threads.

I'm just overwhelmed by the love & support here.

{{{{{Tina (and Lisa and LInda)}}}}}

Hi Tina!
Sorry to hear your bad news. Hope everyone is doing ok!

Gizz is adorable! I miss having a kitten around.

Poor Tina's head and heart must be all in a whirl with a roller coaster of emotions. Please let her know I'm keeping her, her family and you in my thoughts.

>165 souloftherose: Thank you Heather.

>166 NicolePatrick: Thanks, Nicole.

>167 scaifea: Thank you Amber.

>168 DorsVenabili: Thank you, Kerri. Special thanks for the hugs!

>169 MDGentleReader: Thanks for the image of your lopsided happy dancing, MDGR. :) I will pass your lovely thoughts on to Lisa & her mom.

>170 rosalita: That's a very accurate perception, Julia. Thanks for your kind wishes.

>171 mckait: Thank you Kath. (((Hugs))) in return.

>172 msf59: Thank you, dear friend.

>173 richardderus: What a kind and lovely thought, Richard dear. Thank you so much!

>174 PawsforThought: Thank you, Paws.

>175 drneutron: Thank you, Jim. I will, indeed.

>176 luvamystery65: Thank you, Ro. Yes, on both accounts! (Giz & Copper being adorable). In need of the extra smiles these days.

>177 LizzieD: You are right on point about animals being good for what ails us emotionally. They are certainly helping at our house. I'm sorry you've seen firsthand what a lengthy battle can do. :(

>178 richardderus: I will try to go find it now, Richard!

>179 Carmenere: Well thank goodness you found your way back! :)

More responses coming...

>181 ronincats: Thank you for all the hugs Roni! We needed them!

>182 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! Good to see you. Thanks for your thoughts. We have a kitten we will send you if you'd like. She got into Lisa's pizza last night (with assistance from Copper, of course). But apparently tore into it like a madcat and during tonight's dinner had diarrhea again. Poor Lisa was home alone this time and had to handle it by herself. ***Not laughing***

>183 Morphidae: Thank you, Morphy.

So overall the funeral went well... Lisa and her mom held it together great. They are super strong women, those two. I was ready to put on my grief counselor hat, but they did fine.

Not that they didn't cry over Uncle A, I mean. They did. But they had a great time reminiscing as well and greeted old friends (and annoying people even) with Southern charm.

So I wasn't really even needed. I know Lisa was glad I was there, but she came through like a champ. :) Same for her mom.

Oh, and guess what? I have apparently officially "made it" in Linda's book. She bought two arrangements for Uncle A. One from her & Lisa's dad and one from the "kids.". Guess how it was signed?????

"Lisa & Tina
Rusty & Michelle and kids"

OMG!! Can I tell you I almost fell out and cried on the spot?!?! I hadn't even been introduced to this part of the family until the night of visitation. Wonders never cease!!

Show up, be kind, and let the rest sort itself out. Love *does* win over everything but judgment.

>186 TinaV95: Yay!

Tina, I am glad to hear that Lisa and her mother held up okay for the funeral. Yay for officially making it in your MIL's eyes. I can understand that it means a great deal to you :) I hope you are well and have a great week.

Regarding the flower arrangement thing, as Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll would say, "That's a really cool thing!!" Sounds like progress to me.

I hope things settle down for you and Lisa in the coming weeks.

>187 richardderus: Such a smart comment, Richard. You are a genius, sir!

>188 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!!

>189 NicolePatrick: It really does mean a lot, Nicole. I know I shouldn't really care so much, but I'm a people pleaser. I keep trying to overcome that part of my personality.

>190 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri! You got it right... it is progress! :)

I purchased a book on audible.com this week with my credits and then a daily deal, thanks to Roberta. :)

Shattered - Kevin Hearne
Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman

Book 63
Behemoth



Another excellent entry into the world of Scott Westerfield! I was amazed at Leviathan and now I've been enchanted again by Behemoth. I was transported back again into the steampunk, alternate history setting following the adventures of our kick butt heroine Deryn / Dylan.

This is gender-bending YA. A cross dressing female passing as a male so she can fight in what we call World War II? She is the one who rescues the prince? I LOVE it!

Books 64 & 65
City of Souls and Cheat the Grave by Vicki Pettersson



These are books 4 and 5 in the Signs of the Zodiac series. Fun, paranormal, urban fantasy.

I'm ready for this story to be finished ... so I've ordered the last from the library. I really thought Cheat the Grave was the final one when I purchased these two together several years back... Oh well.

At this point in the story, Joanna has now lost her powers (book 5?) and is a mortal again. She just keeps getting pooped on. So, this final one better deliver or I will really be miffed.

Book 66a
Rene by Eric Shonkwiler

LT won't even let me add this to my library, but at least I can add the touchstone so you can all go see Richard's lovely review.

I can't add anything to the book's page at this point either since it won't let me add the book. Maybe it's just too late for me to be trying to figure out anything technical?

I will say this until I write official thoughts. Richard gave it 4.5 stars. He did NOT disappoint me!

ETA: Nora is a genius! See below!

>195 TinaV95: If you go to the "add books" page under where it says "other options" there is a link to add the book manually. It'll give you a blank page and you can add whatever information you want and then click save. If your title and author match Richard's, they should combine automatically. Even if they don't, it's easy to fix that.

Book 66b
Wake Up! A Sensory Stimulation Program for Nursing Residents



A small book I read for work research...

Book 66a

Rene
Here's my review from the book page. Thank you to our resident genius NORA for guiding me how to add the book so I could review it!

Richard's incredible review is what prompted me to seek out and read this short novella...

He is spot on with all that he has said! And he has said it all so very eloquently that I can't begin to compare.

I will say this. I too, dislike Cormac McCarthy so when I saw that Shonkwiler was even remotely compared to his style, I wasn't sure how he would sit with me. But I felt more hope in "Rene". I liked the characters Shonkwiler paints for us. And the emotion that he portrays were more real to me than what I felt in the one McCarthy that I've read.

The short version is that I'll read more of Shonkwiler. You should too.

I owe more reviews, but I'm all out of time tonight. I'm up to book 71 so four more to go until I reach my first goal! :)

>198 TinaV95: Glad it worked :-)

so sorry I missed your post when originally noted. Please give Lisa a big hug for me. I'm so sorry for the loss.

Okay, now that two people have added it, shouldn't I be able to add it without doing it manually? *grumbles*

HAPPY THIRD THINGAVERSARY!!

*smooch*

So glad you liked Rene! It's a small gem.

>202 Morphidae: When you search for a book to add, it doesn't actually search LibraryThing, it only searches external sites. So unless the book gets added on Amazon, or Library of Congress, or some public library somewhere, you won't ever be able to add it by searching. Tim wants it that way. (which I think is a mistake, but it's not my call of course)

___________________________________

Happy Thingaversary, Tina!

Happy Thingaversary, Tina!! I sure hope Lisa understands about the mandatory book acquisitions to celebrate it.

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy thingaversery!!

So sorry for Lisa and her family. (((hugs)))

Happy Thingaversary my CBFF!

What ^ they said !

Here I am literally at the 11th hour. HAPPY THINGAVERSARY, TINA!!!!
I'm glad that the funeral was the beginning of healing for Lisa and her mom. I about teared up when I read about the flower arrangement. You said, "I know I shouldn't really care so much." Of course, you should and do. You wouldn't be you if you didn't, and you have to care about your partner's loved ones if they'll let you and feel a loss if they won't.
Off to learn about this Shonkwiler.

Hi, Tina. A belated happy Thingaversary. I have been toying with the idea of reading the Leviathan series, (or whatever it is called), for about a year now. Think I might just go ahead and pop it on my mental TBR.
>191 TinaV95:Tina, of course you should care, it is hard being in a relationship where you don't feel accepted by your in laws (been there, done that), and deep down we all want to be liked. Don't try to push down that side of your personality, you wouldnt be you without it.

Tina, condolences to Lisa, you and family on your loss.
It seems a little trivial to wish you then a Happy Thingamy but I feel you know the spirit in which it is intended. xx

Happy Thingading, Tina!!

Tina - I'm just catching up. I'm so sorry about Lisa's brother's passing. I know she appreciated having you to support her through this difficult time. I hope that you have an uneventful fall and can just enjoy each other (and your furry friends)! And Happy Thingaversary! It wouldn't be the same here without you!

I missed your Thingaversary! As Amber would say, "Ding, Dang!" (She does say that, right?). I hope it was lovely.

>198 TinaV95: - Nice review. It sounded interesting when Richard mentioned it. I think I'll seek it out.

>187 richardderus: As usual Richard has a way with words. So very glad that you amidst all the sorrow and stress you and yours have been through that Lisa's family made the effort to include you.

And yes, I figured out that it was Linda's bother who died, not Lisa's. A big loss for both.

>197 TinaV95: This looks interesting.

Hugs to you, Lisa and Linda.

Happy Thingaversary, Tina! You've been such a sweet addition to our LT family! Hope you had a nice weekend.

{{{Tina}}} {{{Lisa}}}

Hope this week looks up for you both.

And happy (belated) Thingaversary.

Belated happy thingaversary wishes, Tina!

I'm late with the Thingaversary wishes, too, but that makes them no less sincere!

And I liked the Leviathan series, too, when I read it a year or so ago. Good fun!

>186 TinaV95: Tina, I've been away from your thread long enough to miss stuff but how fantastic to be acknowledged by Lisa's family like that. *hugs*

OMG!!! I missed my own THINGAVERSARY?????

Holy frijoles, is Lisa going to be excited to go book shopping this weekend, or what??? ;)

Thank you for all the Thingaversary wishes (and condolences). You are all so very wonderful! Individual responses on the way!

>200 norabelle414: Thank you again, Nora!

>201 Whisper1: Big hug given, Linda. She was like, "What's this for?" :)

>202 Morphidae: That makes good sense to me, Morph!

>203 richardderus: Thanks for being the first to recognize my Thingaversary! How do you do this (staying on top of everything)? And thank you for recommending Rene to all of us!

>204 norabelle414: Who knew that the adding of books worked that way?? **Obviously you did, of course! Thanks for the T'versary wishes. :)

>205 ronincats: Thanks Roni! I really don't think she does understand the mandatory acquisitions. Her major question was "Who buys these books for you?" And when I responded that I did, she was a little relieved. (Methinks she figured it was her job to buy the books LOL)...

>206 ChelleBearss: Thank you, Chelle!!

>207 banjo123: Thank you for both the T'versary wishes and the condolences, Rhonda.

>208 luvamystery65: Thank you so much, CBFF!

>209 mckait: Thanks, Kath!

>210 LizzieD: Thank you for those lovely words, Peggy. They were like a balm to my soul. I have always cared way too much what other people think of me and I've tried to care less as I get older, but it is hard for me to do. Especially when it comes to family members (and in-laws count in that bunch). So it means a LOT for you to say that. :)

>211 NicolePatrick: Hey Nic! Thanks for the T'versary wishes. You really should read Leviathan. I think you would really enjoy it. Thanks for your words about my family-liking-me insecurities too. As I said to Peggy above, I've always had an issue with caring about other's opinions a bit too much. I let it get to me when people don't like / care / approve. Weirdly dysfunctional, but me. ;)

>212 PaulCranswick: You are such a kind soul. Thank you for the lovely thoughts for both areas of my life, Paul!

>213 scaifea: You crack me up, Amber. Thank you for the "Thingading" wishes!

>214 porch_reader: Thank you, Amy. It was Lisa's mom's brother who passed away. I love your hope for an uneventful fall for us. I'll be claiming that starting now!

>215 DorsVenabili: hahaha... It's okay, Kerri! I missed it too. :) And Amber does say that, I'm pretty certain.

>216 MDGentleReader: You are right on about Richard having a way with words... Also right about that book in >197 TinaV95:. I didn't think much of it when it was given to me at the class (the one in Maryland where I met you), but when I was reading it to prepare for teaching this week, it had some really great ideas for Activity programming. I was surprised. A tiny book packed a punch with a ton of ideas for nursing center activity directors. I encouraged them all to spend the $30 to buy it!

>217 msf59: Awwww, what an amazingly sweet thing to say, Mark!!! You've made my day!

>218 michigantrumpet: Thank you, Marianne! (((Marianne)))

>219 souloftherose: and >220 katiekrug: Thank you, Heather and Katie. Belated wishes are still appreciated. Especially since I just realized today that I missed the big event. :)

>221 AuntieClio: No worries, Stephanie. I've had a crazy work week so I've been gone all week myself. I was sincerely, 100% shocked and genuinely knocked-outta-my-socks happy!

Book 67
Nemesis by Philip Roth



This was my first book by Roth. Nemesis takes place in 1944 and tells the story of Bucky Cantor and a small New Jersey town undergoing the wrath of the polio epidemic.

The first half of the book was very slow going for me. I was disillusioned with the premise and found the book depressing... Then *spoiler alert* Bucky leaves the city for the country and the relative safety of camp to work alongside his worried fiance. The plot picked up from there.

I was disappointed that Bucky didn't evolve more as a character towards the latter portion of the novel, but otherwise I was pleased with it. I'm not sure if I liked it enough to read more Roth or not. The jury is still out on that one. :)

Book 68
Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues by Diana Rowland



Okay, so I'm kind of in love with this series. Thank you, Kevin Hearne for mentioning your love for this writer somewhere! I love this gritty, clever, ballsy, smart-ass zombie heroine! And I really like that I can't figure out the mysteries until Rowland reveals them!

Book 69
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan



It has been years (literally) since I finished the Percy Jackson series, but I was in dire need of an audio book for a work trip and I had no audible credits at that time, so I went into my library Overdrive account wishlist. Of all the books I'd wish listed, this one was the only one available for immediate download, so onto the next Percy Jackson / Heroes of Olympus series I began...

I was lost in places since it has been so long, but it didn't really bother me that much. I didn't lose too much with the story line and I'm certainly not going to go back and re-read all the Percys... there are too many other books waiting! I felt like Riordan filled in most of the memory blanks for me well enough for me to get by anyway. ;)

So in this tale, we open with different characters in a different setting who have no idea who they are. Count me in... I love intrigue!

Also new in this installment is the introduction of the Roman pantheon of gods and goddesses, as well as multiple narrators. I will continue on as I enjoyed the first series and I liked how Riordan altered enough to make the series seem fresh, but still stayed true to the concepts I originally loved about the Percy novels.

Book 70
Sizzling Sixteen



Same story as above. I was doing a lot of driving and I needed an audio book to help with that drive. I ended up with Sizzling Sixteen. I am generally very entertained by these...especially Lula.

I think I'm getting tired of this series. It's getting too similar. Same basic plot; same old mistakes; same love triangle.

If I didn't love me some Lula and Grandma Mazur, I'd throw in the towel already. Permaybehaps Evanovich goes to the way back burner for only desperate audio book needs.

Can anyone give me hope that there are some changes coming? Does Stephanie ever get smarter? Does she ever pick between Morelli and Ranger?

Book 71
Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson



Okay, so who wants to know why I requested this one from the library??? Anybody other than Roberta can take a wild guess!!

My Cyber-BFF (that'd be what I call Ro) sent me a message on Facebook to alert me that KEVIN HEARNE is going to come to Atlanta in October to make up for having to cancel his appearance at Dragon*Con! He will be appearing with two other authors and he recommended their work highly. Delilah S. Dawson is one of those authors.

So... because I will be meeting Ms. Dawson in a couple of months, I wanted to read at least one of her books before I go. *I want to get something signed and I want to be sure I like the author before I do that.* I'm sure I'll be spending much of my time swooning over Hearne, but there will be other authors there too, so I need to take advantage of that!

So this novel is a mixture of paranormal fantasy (vampires and magic) meets steampunk meets romance. It was enjoyable.

Plot in a Nutshell: Our main character, Tish, is a hospice nurse living a fairly normal life. She's had a recent breakup with a controlling boyfriend and is gun shy about romance. Most of her days are lived quietly between work and taking care of her grandmother (who is also one of her hospice patients).

One day she goes to an estate sale and finds a locket. She accidentally takes the locket home without paying for it and she opens it. Inside is a picture of a man and her hands become stained with red fluid that she can't wash off.

She goes to sleep that night and awakens in another world...the world of Sang. Sang is a land of magic and mystery. Cities are spelled close to cities that Tish knows, but things are altogether different here. Many animals (and people she finds) are blud creatures. What we know as vampires are called Bludmen in the world of Sang. The rules are different. The Bludmen and women are different. They are not dead. Their hands are made of scales. They are ruled and oppressed by the humans (the "Pinkies").

But not HER bludman... the locket she found was owned by Criminy Stain (LOL at the name, am I right??). He spelled the locket to call his other half to him from whatever world in which she lived. And now here she is. Criminy runs a carnival. He is an independent, a rogue bludman.

After her first day in Sang, Tish is exhausted and falls asleep almost immediately once her head hits the pillow and immediately wakes back up in her own world to find NO time has passed. And then the drama REALLY begins... What will Tish do? Will she stay in her own world? Will she return back to Sang once she falls asleep? What is real and what is not?

Book 72
The Neon Graveyard by Vicki Pettersson



Hallelujah! I finally finished a series for once!

It has been ages since that has happened. Seems like lately I just keep starting new ones. Wonder who is to blame for that? ;)

A satisfying end to a fun paranormal series. Someone finally gets a happy ending. Not saying who or how, but I'm pleased this time.

Caught up on reviews!!

I have a huge list of threads to visit, so I will get to as many as I can before my eyes get too heavy. Zzzzz

Hi Tina, I lost your thread somewhere along the way but now I've found you.

So sorry about your recent loss.

Your new kitty is adorable. The cat/dog dynamics are interesting, aren't they? It's great when they're buddies.

Congrats on catching up on all of your reviews and finishing a series.

It is past time for some more kitty pictures!! I'm waiting...

>226 TinaV95: Okay, even though I am really really really really trying hard not to start another series, I think I need to add this one to the wish list.

Happy belated Thingaversary, and happy book shopping! Now if you could just do that shopping at the National Book Fest tomorrow with us... :)

72 books! Congratulations.

Congratulations on catching up with your series! (I'm sorry. I have no idea that this will last for any appreciable time.)

Hi Tina! I hope you're having a relaxing holiday weekend.

Great flurry of reviews! Interesting thoughts on the Philip Roth. I could not muster up the enthusiasm to read him.

Just checking in and catching up - so so sorry to hear about Linda's brother. Hope Lisa is getting there.

I think you liked your Roth better than I am liking mine :/

>232 Copperskye: Hi Joanne! No worries about losing me...you're here now! :) The kitty / dog dynamics are so cute. We took Gizzy back to the vet today for her first shots and second de-worming. We were telling the vet about the Copper / Gizzy relationship and she was commenting about how you just never know when a dog is going to be nurturing. She had a dog who was super nurturing to a cat, and when that cat passed the dog hated all future cats... who knows what makes them like certain ones?

>233 ronincats: I will happily oblige, Roni!! Here you go!



Gizzy sleeping next to me ~ I'm head over heels. If I wasn't before, the more she turns snuggly, the more in love I fall!



Two weeks ago... on our first visit to the vet

>234 AuntieClio: I felt the same way, Stephanie but I am really enjoying these Rowland books! Darn Kevin Hearne and his really good recommendations!

>235 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! I wish I was there with y'all! One day... *sigh*

>236 Whisper1: Getting close, Linda! :)

>237 LizzieD: Let me be clear, Peggy. I am ONLY caught up on that ONE series. Not all of them. Hahaha... that will never happen!

>238 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri. I didn't really wantto read the Roth, but I am trying very diligently to maintain a purist streak for Mark's challenge. ;0) Only the perfectionist (or maybe it would be more accurate to say the masochist) in me is making me read some of these folks.

>239 BekkaJo: Hi Bekka. They are both doing ok. Lisa is doing better than Linda. Today was Linda's birthday and it's the first birthday without her brother calling her, so she was really sad about that when we called. Otherwise, she has been doing pretty well. Which Roth did you choose?

Oooh, thank you, thank you! SO cute!

Oh, what a wonderful photo of you and your beautiful new kitty!

Book 73
The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais



I had never even heard of this book until I saw the preview for the movie. Of course, I wanted to read the book first, so I requested it from the library. It seems all my requests came through at once, so I had 5 books to pick up at one time. :)

I quite enjoyed this epicurean delight of a novel... Certainly, it hampered me that I'd never heard of most of the dishes described for either the Indian or French cuisine discussed, but I felt Morais did such a great job with his descriptions that I had a good idea of how the tastes would complement each other. All I can say is that the book successfully made me hungry. ;)

Quick nutshell plot: Hassan Haji and his family hail from India and are a family with restaurants and food in their blood. They leave the country after a tragic turn of events and eventually wind up in France. They settle in a place across from a French restaurant and set about to open an Indian restaurant. This sets off the owner of the French restaurant and a mini-war ensues. Another crisis / near tragedy occurs and events take a turn for the better. Hassan ends up working for the French chef and learning his trade that will set the tone for the rest of his career.

I'm excited to see the movie now. I'll keep you posted whether the book or movie is better.

>242 ronincats: & >243 Whisper1: Thank you, Roni & Linda!! :)

My THINGAVERSARY Purchases today:

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal -- Jeanette Winterson
Cress -- Marissa Meyer
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain -- Oliver Sacks
Twelve Years a Slave ---Solomon Northup

So, first question: do I have to list Thingaversary purchases as books acquired in the year? Or since they are a "given" because of tradition are they "get out of jail free" type purchases?

Second question:

It's POLL time

I'm already reading book 74, so I need opinions for what to read for book 75.

I want it to be a knock my socks off one! So here are the choices from what I was thinking ---

1. Their Eyes Were Watching God
2. Twelve Years a Slave
3. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter
4. Garden Spells (out of the league of the rest, I think, but I've heard really good things about it)

I think that Thingaversary purchases are "Given" so you don't have to count them in your boring "books I spent $ for that I could have spent on something nobler" (like charity, for instance).
I haven't read any one of your 4 for #75 (and how I wish that I were there too!), but I'll vote for Garden Spells since it seems to be set in somebody's idea of North Carolina.
Have a great weekend.
Love the Gizzy pictures! What a delight!

Wasn't there some sort of proposal floating about to centralize *shudder* cat *retch* pictures so the allergic among us could avoid them? Whatever happened to that supremely deliciously wonderful idea?

Thingaversary books are the birthday cake of the Internet: guilt free, calorieless, unusable-as-ammunition additions to one's life-store of happiness. One's Thingaversary is a Holy Day of Obligation to the Book Economy.

I'd commend The Heart is a Lonely Hunter to you for #75.

Hi, Tina. Hope you are having a relaxing weekend. Love the photos of the kitty, so cute! I haven't read or even heard of the above books, so no vote from me.
Hope all is well :)

>225 TinaV95: I liked my first Roth, which of course, I cannot remember the title of right now! But I want to read more...and the depressing aspect of your first Roth may in fact draw me closer to it. I am always accused of being contrary :)

>246 TinaV95: I cant recommend any of your #75 choices~ sorry. But I can congratulate you in advance for getting there!!! There's no way you cant finish one in all the 2014 we have left, right!? Nice job!

>246 TinaV95: - I've only read 1 and 3 and would recommend both. It's a toss up for me.

Happy Holiday weekend, Tina! And Yah, for THINGAVERSARY Purchases!!

>244 TinaV95: Tina, I was going to put The Hundred Foot Journey on the tbr pile, only I learned it is already there, and that I own the book.

I have the bane of successful book collecting. Where in the world is it in the house? I've tried many times to get order, then I add more and it all goes downhill.

Happy Sunday to you and Lisa

>246 TinaV95: - I've read all of those except Twelve Years a Slave and liked each one very much. I would say, depending on your mood, go with Garden Spells if you want light but sweet (but not too sweet) or The Heart is a Lonely Hunter if you want a little more depth and beautiful writing. If you are feeling particularly well able to devote time and brain power, then go with Their Eyes Were Watching God - very much worth it, but you want to give it the attention it deserves (and needs). IMHO, of course!

>227 TinaV95: I have been considering reading Rick Riordan for some time now, you recommend?

>230 TinaV95: You forgot the Divergent series! We finished that one!

>246 TinaV95: Their Eyes Were Watching God without question.

Loving the kitty!!!!

>247 LizzieD: Yay! I'm glad that both you and Richard concur that I don't need to count the Thingaversary purchases! :)

>248 richardderus: I do recall that idea, but I haven't seen that anyone has started the thread. ;) I'm super glad to know that my Thingaversary books are freebies!

>249 NicolePatrick: No vote is okay; just glad you came for a visit. Happy weekend, Nicole.

>250 LovingLit: You, know Megan... if there weren't readers like you (i.e. folks who actually enjoyed the more depressing reads), writers such as Roth may not have a career! Thank goodness we are not all alike!

>251 DorsVenabili: Two votes is acceptable, Kerri. ;)

>252 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Happy holiday weekend to you too, my friend!

>253 Whisper1: I have that same problem sometimes, dear. What happens to me is that I will buy a book and then I will (*gulp*) find that I already had a copy on the shelves and had forgotten!

>254 katiekrug: So, it's read them all, you say?? ;) (books 75-77 at least) tee hee

>255 PiyushC: Yes, Piyush! I think you would enjoy his work. It's enjoyable, especially if you have any interest in Greek mythology at all. *Ah, yes. We did finish Divergent this year!

>256 Fourpawz2: I have heard that one is really good, Charlotte! **She is SO cute, huh?

We were going to go see The Hundred Foot Journey movie this afternoon, but decided on a nap instead. We took an EPIC nap... 2.5 hours! Good lord, but I probably will have a terrible time going to sleep tonight! Who knew I was that tired???

So, the plan is to go see it tomorrow instead! :)

Now off to hang up the clothes we bought today and then visit some threads.

Happy Labor day to the US folks. Happy *almost* Monday to everyone else.

Hi Tina! You may have already started book #75 by now, but I'll put my vote in for Their Eyes Were Watching God. I just did a re-read of it. It does take some work, but there are so many beautiful passages. I'm also glad to see that you liked The Lost Hero. I have the latest in that series on my bookshelf, and I see there is another one coming out in October. I've given up the hope of ever being caught up!

Hi Amy...

I haven't started #75 yet. There are so many close votes for TEWWG and THIALH that I may just read them back to back!

I really did enjoy The Lost Hero. I suppose I enjoy mythology a LOT more than I ever knew. Between Riordan and Hearne, I can't seem to get enough. :)

Happy Labor Day!

Lisa and I went to see The Hundred-Foot Journey today



and I am here for a book / movie comparison report, in the event anyone is interested. :)

They changed quite a lot from the novel to suit the screen, but it worked quite well. The novel has more of Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren) teaching Hassan whereas in the movie, he teaches himself with the aid of books.

The major game changing event was massively altered from the novel, but again it worked well in the screenplay. It made Madame Mallory a much more sympathetic (and likeable) character. *She was quite loathsome in the book for the majority of the action.

There was more romance in the movie (won't spill those beans entirely) and the endings were entirely different. Again, can't really give those details without ruining either the book or movie for you.

All in all, I am going to say something I NEVER do. I actually liked the movie better than the book this time.

*Gasp* *Horror* *Faint*

I know. It's a book-lovers nightmare. But for once, I enjoyed the screen version (and it's ending) better than the novel.

I'm finding that I like the screen versions of Poirot uniformly better than the books, well with the exception of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd which really just should never have been filmed. It was *awful*.

Hi Tina! Love the kitty pictures!

I normally like Roth, but I agreed with you on Nemesis, and for the same reasons. If you ever want to try Roth again, you might try Patrimony about caregiving for his father who had had a stroke.

I think you would really like Their eyes were watching God. But maybe you are in the mood for something lighter?

>261 TinaV95: I'm a bit of a heretic on the movie vs book front as well. For instance, I'd much rather watch than read Stardust. Or The Princess Bride. Or Dune. Or Starship Troopers...

#260 Ooh - you'd probably like the Henry Neff ones too - they are sort of a cross between Hearne and Riordan, with a dollop of Harry Potter-esque ness at the beginning. And with celtic mythology.

#264 The adaptation of Stardust was amazing wasn't it! Though I'm still torn on Dune - I like both equally I think.

Stopping by for some Gizzy love....

>240 TinaV95: - AWE!!!!!

Okay, now I can make it through the afternoon at work. ;-)

>228 TinaV95: Can anyone give me hope that there are some changes coming? Does Stephanie ever get smarter? Does she ever pick between Morelli and Ranger?

No. No. And no.

>264 drneutron: For instance, I'd much rather watch than read Stardust. Or The Princess Bride. Or Dune. Or Starship Troopers.

For all of those, I liked the movie *and* the book. The only one that I have a solid preference for is The Priincess Bride and that is more sentimental than for any other reason. I watched it MANY times before reading the book.

The only movie/book difference that is really striking to me is Howl's Moving Castle. I adore the movie and thought the book was awful.

>267 Morphidae: Morphy: Hey! I'm pretty smart as it is and I don't even know who Morelli and Ranger are. *snicker*

Hiya Lovely Tina *hugs*

>262 richardderus: At least I'm not the only book lover ever to make that statement, RD. Thank you. *Smooch!*

>263 banjo123: Patrimony sounds like it would be more my speed for sure. I think I'll be reading TEWWG next. :)

>264 drneutron: Hey Jim... Of those you've mentioned, I've only seen The Princess Bride. And I've always been afraid to read it for fear it would ruin my love of the movie.

>265 BekkaJo: I will be off to add Henry Neff to my wishlist after I finish here. Thanks for that recommendation, Bekka!

>266 lkernagh: She's stinking adorable, huh? It is just too much sometimes and I have to pick her up & kiss her.

>267 Morphidae: I may have to give up on Stephanie / Evanovich. Thanks for telling me, Morph... Are you all current with the series? Would you suggest I keep going? Y'all are going to make me read & watch Stardust you know. :P

>We love you, Stephanie! We would never talk poorly about you. :)

There are times when a movie works better than the book. Not often, but it happens. I actually thought that Catching Fire worked better as a movie.

>267 Morphidae: No, I'm not caught up. In fact, you are ahead of me. The last one I read was Finger Lickin' Fifteen.

I read the blurb on the last book and that's how I know it's still the same ol' same ol'.

Stephanie Plum, I stopped at 16 because really I was so tired of the love triangle. Yes you are right that the stories are more of the same.

The Sookie triangle was almost just as bad. In my opinion she ended it with the right guy but it felt rushed and I felt cheated.

I refused to read past Mercy Thompson book 1 until someone would tell me that it wasn't going to be an endless love triangle. THANK YOU again Morphy for letting me know. I have read up to book 4 and it has been a real treat.

Tina I really miss you my CBFF.

Must get to the zombie books!

>271 banjo123: Did you really? I loved both Catching Fire versions equally!

>272 Morphidae: LOL, Morphy. If even the blurb on the back of the book is telling us she's still up to the same old plot, then I think I'm going to call 15 quits.

>273 luvamystery65: I am with you on that, Ro. **See my comments to Morph. No wonder you were asking so many questions about Mercy. I wondered what had you so gun-shy about her. You really would like the Rowland zombie books, I think. :)

Off to go start a new thread, methinks.

I'll see y'all there!