cameling and the traveling library - Part 8

For anyone who hasn't yet stumbled onto my thread in previous years, I am a camel-mad, food-loving oddball who calls Boston home these days. I travel a fair bit during the year and will share my adventures (some call them mishaps) with all who visit. My thread will never be as well organized as some other LTers, and neither will it be an altogether serious place. It will carry photos of places that inspire me, food I probably ate too much of, and objects that made me laugh. I shall endeavor to write insightful reviews of the books I've enjoyed, and not rant over the ones that bored me to tears.

I welcome all to contribute as you wish on this thread, but ask that you please keep your posts respectful to other members, even if you disagree with their opinions. And most of all ... have fun!







Male Authors: 74
Female Authors: 57

January Reads
The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
The Shameful Peace - Frederic Spotts
Room No. 10 - Åke Edwardson
Uncle Fred in the Springtime - P.G. Wodehouse
The Lady and her Monsters - Roseanne Montillo
Still Foolin' 'Em - Billy Crystal
Eva's Eye - Karin Fossum
Drowning Mermaids - Nardia Scrieva
Fathoms of Forgiveness - Nardia Scrieva
Boundless Sea - Nardia Scrieva
Song of the Lark - Willa Cather
The Gauguin Connection - Estelle Ryan
The Trickster's Hat - Nick Bantock
The Last Runaway - Tracy Chevalier
On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan
The Italian Wedding - Nicky Pellegrino
Somewhere in France - Jennifer Robson
A Pale Horse - Charles Todd
The Tortilla Curtain - T.C. Boyle
Mrs Somebody Somebody - Tracy Winn

February Reads
Abyssal Zone - Nadia Scrivea
Tides of Tranquility - Nadia Scrivea
Maelstrom - Nadia Scrivea
Toby's Room - Pat Barker
Quicker Than the Eye - Ray Bradbury
The Whale : In Search of Giants of the Sea - Philip Hoare
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats - Jan-Philipp Sendker
To Touch a Wild Dolphin - Rachel Smolker
The Great Fire - Shirley Hazaard
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name - Vendela Vida
Codex Seraphinianus - Luigi Serafini

March Reads
The Constant Gardener - John le Carré
Cutting for Stone - Abraham Verghese
Concealed in Death - JD Robb
Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Guest Cat - Takashi Hiraide
Sinfest Vol 1 - Tatsuya Ishida
The Man on Table Ten - Luke Smitherd
Slammerkin - Emma Donoghue
Lullaby : The 87th Precinct - Ed McBain
The Immortals of Meluha - Amish
How Excellent Companies Avoid Dumb Things - Neil Smith

April Reads
An Ice Cream War - William Boyd
Devices and Desires - P.D. James
Every Day is for the Thief - Teju Cole
The Food of Love - Anthony Capella
The Dante Connection - Estelle Ryan
The Tooth Tattoo - Peter Lovesey
The School of Essential Ingredients - Erica Bauermeister
The Ian Fleming Files : Operation Armada - Damien Stevenson
47 Ronin - John Allyn
Asterios Polyp - David Mazzachelli
Double Cross : The True Story of the D-Day Spies - Ben McIntyre
Sweet Tooth Vol.1 : Out of the Woods - Jeff Lemire">

May Reads
The Rainmaker - John Grisham
A Long Shadow - Charles Todd
The Sports Gene - David Epstein
Sweet Tooth Vol. 2 : In Captivity - Jeff Lemire
Boy, Snow, Bird - Helen Oyeyemi
The Edwardians - Vita Sackville-West
Cold Treachery - Charles Todd
Out - Natsuo Kirino
Point Omega - Don DeLilo
Candle in the Darkness - Lynn Austin
Selected Stories of Eudora Welty - Eudora Welty
Red Skies - Kay Bratt
Jerusalem : Chronicles from the Holy City - Guy Delisle
Palace of Justice - Susanne Alleyn
A False Mirror - Charles Todd
The Old Fox Deceived - Martha Grimes
Seven Patients - Atul Kumar

June Reads
The Sleeping Dragon - Miyuki Miyabe
A Blunt Instrument - Georgette Heyer
Agent ZigZag - Ben McIntyre
The Stone Cutter - Camilla Läckberg
The Dirty Duck - Martha Grimes
Singapore Noir - Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
A Call to Arms - P.G. Nagle
Hyperbole and a Half - Allie Brosh
The Snowman - Jo Nesbo
The Braque Connection - Estelle Ryan
The Flinck Connection - Estelle Ryan
The Hanover Square Affair - Ashley Gardner
A Regimental Murder - Ashley Gardner
The Glass House - Ashley Gardner
The Sudbury School Murders - Ashley Gardner

July Reads
The Necklace Affair - Ashley Gardner
Body in Berkeley Square - Ashley Gardner
A Covent Garden Mystery - Ashley Gardner
The Gentleman's Walking Stick - Ashley Gardner
Death in Norfolk - Ashley Gardner
A Disappearance in Drury Lane - Ashley Gardner
Skinner's Box - Lei Mi
Forgotten Fatherland - Ben McIntyre
The Women Destroyed - Simone De Beauvoir
The Dark Vineyard - Martin Walker
Mission to Paris - Alan Furst
The $64 Tomato - William Alexander
A Land More Kind than Home - Wiley Cash
The White Lioness - Henning Mankell
Angelica's Smile - Andrea Camilleri

August Reads
Five for Sorrow Ten for Joy - Rumer Godden
The Book of Shadows - Alexander Sokoloff
Tin City Tinder - David Macinnis Gill
Thai Horse - William Diehl
The Leopard - Jo Nesbo
Black Diamond - Martin Walker
Maxwell Strangewell - Matt Fillbach

September Reads
Solo - William Boyd
Savage Altar - Asa Larsson
Blind Contessa's New Machine - Carey Wallace
The Thief - Fuminori Nakamura
Blind Justice - Anne Perry
The Light in the Ruins - Chris Bohjalian
The Siege of Krishnapur - J.G. Farrell

October Reads
Confusion - Stefan Zweig
Cuckoo's Calling - Robert Galbraith
Tattoo Murder Case - Akimitsu Takagi
Lionheart - Sharon Kay Penman
Flirting with French - William Alexander
Tale for the Time Being - Ruth Ozeki
Then We Came to the End - Joshua Ferris
The Absent One - Jussi Adler-Olsen
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki - Haruki Murakami

November Reads
Shortcut - John Pollack
Festive in Death - JD Robb
The Perfect Mile - Neal Bascomb
A Two Pedal World - Paul Rega
The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton
Cruel Justice - M.A. Comley
Lee Kuan Yew by Graham Alison
The Witness - Nora Roberts
The Owl who Liked Sitting on Caesar - Martin Windrow

December Reads
Naomi - Junichiro Tanizaki
Love and Longing in Bombay - Vikram Chandra
Snow White, Blood Red - Ellen Datlow
Death in August - Marco Vichi
2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas - Marie-Helene Bertino
The Princess and the Pea : A very short tale by Diane Setterfield
Revenge : Eleven Dark Tales - Yoko Ogawa
The Winds of Change - Martha Grimes
The Fourth Secret - Andrea Camilleri
The Cabinet of Curiosities - Douglas Preston
The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
Uncle Dynamite - PG Wodehouse
Mystery in White - J. Jefferson Farjeon

126. The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, and Less Than Four Minutes to Achieve It by Neal Bascomb

Incredible stories about Santee, Landy and Bannister, their passion, determination, drive and approach to life's challenges. Made me want to dust off my running shoes and put them to better use. I'm never going to break the 4 minute mile, but I'm definitely setting 2 running goals for myself after reading this very inspirational book.

5 stars

Happy New Thread, Caro. I love the camel playing saxaphone.

That is a fantastic first image. What a cool camel :)

Happy New Thread, lady!

Happy New Thread, Caro! Wow, now a sax playing camel is something I've never seen before, I can pretty much guarantee that! :-)

A saxophone-playing camel, how lovely! Nice autumn images, too.

Hi Caro. I have been awol for a long while and thought I would sneak in before your thread gets too unwieldy. I'll try to follow along with your reading and travel adventures a bit more closely in the last two months of the year.

ooooo- nice new camel :)

And, I missed your Tale for the Time Being review, I will go back and see what you thought of it now. I was all meh...but then afterwards not so much. The fact that it stayed in my head gave it more kudos to me thought.

Love the camel/sax topper, Caro! You got a laugh out of me on a grumpy Monday. Those are beautiful autumn photos, too.

I can't find your review of Tale for the Time Being either. Did you like it? It was a big winner for me, but I know some weren't captivated by it.

All you need now is a three zebra trombone section.

Happy new thread, Caro! I'm another who loves your choice of thread topper!

Your ears should have been burning over the weekend -- stopped in at the Salty Pig with a crowd. I told my friends all about this lovely lady who introduced me to the place.

Hope you're doing well.

Happy new thread Caro! I've been making some running goals for myself as well. ;)

I enjoyed The Perfect Mile quite a bit too, when I read it a while back.

>6 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. He looks like a real cool dude, doesn't he? :-)

>7 lunacat: Jenn, I love his patchwork coat of many colors. ;-)

>8 scaifea: Thanks, Amber.

>9 Smiler69: Haha, Ilana ... dare I hope to have given you inspiration for some never-seen before artwork?

>10 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, I've been awol pretty much for the most of this year myself, what with increased workloads and multiple reorganizations in the company. I am keeping my fingers crossed that 2015 will be a more even keeled year, and that I can return to a more regular participation in LT.

I definitely want to and need to get back to a more regular running pattern next year, and am hoping to get a start to that in December when I'm going to be home-based for the month. I've had 2 good running days this week in HK though, but it's been indoor running since there's nowhere I can run out of my hotel without risking life and limb against traffic. Plus the air pollution here is a major deterrent for me.

>11 LovingLit: Megan, hmm.... Tale for the Time Being .... review ..... hmm..... did I forget to write one after all? I remember posting that I'd finished reading it, and I know I had intended on going back to write a review, but you may have caught me in an oopsie moment.

I liked it, but I wasn't wowed by it. But I know what you mean though .. it's a book that stays in your head, so it is a pretty compelling read. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it when I first started reading it because the start of her journal was a little irritating and I thought Nao was a little immature for a 16 year old. Still, I remember teenage angst all too well, and once I got used to her 'speech' pattern, I couldn't help but feel for her loneliness and the confusion she was experiencing. Given that debris from the tsunami have indeed washed up on Californian beaches, it wasn't so far fetched to picture Ruth finding the Hello Kitty lunchbox with her journal in it. Hmm.. ok, maybe I was a little wowed by it after all. ;-)

>12 jnwelch: So glad I managed to give you a few chuckles on a grumpy morning, Joe. And yes, I must have forgotten to write a review of Tale for the Time Being but I've sort of written a bit of a one in this thread now, answering Megan's question about whether or not I liked the book. ;-) haha.. how's that for sneaking a review in?

>13 magicians_nephew: Jim -- oooh.. I love the visual of a 3 zebra trombone section to accompany my sax playing camel. In my visual, they're all wearing snazzy RayBan sunnies and patchwork scarves to match the camel's coat.

>14 Crazymamie: Hi there Mamie. Wow, I didn't realize my thread topper was going to be winning so many fans. Whooeeee!

>15 michigantrumpet: Marianne - and here I thought I was perhaps coming down with an ear infection! So glad you're expanding the Salty Pig's reach to more happy patrons. Hope your friends had a good time there too. I do so love that cosy little place. It's good thing I don't work around the corner from the place because I think I'd be there every week for lunch at least once. Have you tried their flatbreads? They're also really good.

It's been hectic workwise here in HK, and I've risked life and limb on the subways during peak hours, but the fabulous food has more than made up for the stress of commuting.

>16 jolerie: Good for you, Valerie. I'm afraid to write my running goals down because I'm afraid if I do, I'll not meet them. I have an inner rebel that hates plans and sabotages all my resolutions that are written down. I'm trying to see if I can fool my rebellious psyche by not writing my 2015 running goals down... which is making me think I have all the makings of a crazy person.

>17 alphaorder: Nancy, my husband and his best friend were top runners in high school and college and they still run almost everyday. I'm thinking The Perfect Mile is going to be my Christmas stocking presents to the both of them this year because they'll appreciate the workout details and time splits more than I did.

Final day in HK, and then I'm off on the red eye to Singapore tonight. I'll have the day off tomorrow as it's my mom's birthday and I'm planning on taking her out for the day. I've arranged for 2 of her best friends to meet us at a restaurant for lunch as a surprise and then I'll valiantly and uncomplainingly go shopping with her for the afternoon. (I hate shopping!) My brother and I have arranged a little family dinner in the evening as another surprise for her.

The break will be good though because I will have a full day of meetings the day after, followed by a business dinner.

Love your jazzy camel, Caro!

>19 cameling: Nice sneak-it-in review of A Tale for the Time Being, Caro. :-) It really took off for me once Nao met her great-grandmother Jiko. Pretty good up to then, but a real keeper once that happened.

>20 cameling:

Perfect stocking stuffer!

Caro, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>19 cameling:. I am with you on the Ray bans. Maybe a hippo on the stand up bass?

>21 cameling: full day of business meetings then business dinner *faints*
Good luck.

>22 ronincats: Thanks, Roni ... I sent the image to a bakery to have it printed on edible fondant for a cake I'm having made for a friend's birthday this weekend. He's a fellow friend of the camel and a musician, so I know he'll just love it.

>23 jnwelch: Haha Joe ... glad you liked my snuck-in review. :-) I gave the book to a friend and he's just starting to immerse himself in it too, and so far, he's loving it.

>24 alphaorder: Nancy, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that neither of them read The Perfect Mile before Christmas.

>25 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. I hope you had a good weekend too. It was a busy one for me but pleasurable. I spent Saturday hanging out with my mom all afternoon and then had a delicious seafood dinner with some friends. Sunday was a beautiful day, so I went sailing with some friends and had a blast!

>26 ffortsa: Judy, that's a super idea. Your mention of a hippo and my having walked through a mall just now blaring Christmas carols had me immediately humming the hippo Christmas song though. ;-) It's my absolute favorite Christmas song and I don't understand why it's not more popular ... in fact it's shocking how many people are unaware of this fabulous Christmas song!

>27 LovingLit: *fans Megan frantically* I survived that looooooong day ... barely. But survive I did and I rewarded myself by sleeping in a little on Saturday morning and buying myself a new pair of shoes in the afternoon when I went shopping with my mom. :-)

>28 EBT1002: Ellen - LOL ... I LOVE that gif. I have to print that out and put it up on my board at the office when I get back.

Last minute change of plans .... I was supposed to fly into Kuala Lumpur this morning but the client changed the venue on.... Sunday morning ...and informed me that he had an emergency to deal with in Jakarta and would I mind meeting him at his office there instead. So I had to change my flight and my plans with friends in KL. Grrrr....

I'll be in Jakarta until Wednesday morning when I fly back to Singapore and then I'll return to Boston on Friday. Can't wait to get home because I'll then be on a travel hiatus for the rest of the year! Whoohoooooo!

Plus, we're staying home for Thanksgiving this year and the rellies are coming up to MA instead of us driving down to NY like we usually do. Double whoohoooooo!

How about some mighty Lions on the trumpet? We always imagine ourselves the Kings of the Band ... !

Glad you'll be back in December, Caro. Safe travels.

Thanks for checking in Caro! We miss you! Have a safe return!

Yay for staying putt till the in end of the year. I'm sure you will be happy to settle down and not move for a while. :)
Safe travels till then!

hi :=)

>31 cameling: you mean Thanksgiving hasn't been yet? *not in the know*
Pooh on the changed plans, I mean a whole new country!? Really. The cheek.

Caro, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>31 cameling: I'm glad that you and Edd won't have to travel over the Thanksgiving holiday, Caroline. We'll have to reschedule our dumpling fest for sometime next year. :-)

>32 michigantrumpet: Marianne, now that I'm going to be home for a spell, we have to make plans to catch up after the Thanksgiving holidays and before the New Year. :-)

>33 msf59: Thanks Mark. In my book, a good flight is one that lands safely in one piece with everyone still alive on board. I've been on a flight where a passenger died mid-flight and a number of flights where passengers were taken ill and required medical attention during flight. I've also been on a flight which had to be re-routed to the nearest city with a decent hospital because a passenger required emergency medical attention. So I'm always very thankful when nothing but turbulence and bad meals are the most discomfort experienced on a flight. Arrived back in Boston last night safe and sound albeit after a few delays.

>34 jolerie: Valerie - I absolutely am looking forward to being stateside for the rest of the year. As to not moving around though... well, there will be a little moving around because we're most likely going to drive down to New York for the Christmas holidays with my in-laws and we may head to Washington DC mid December because some friends of mine from Singapore are going to be there for a few days and we'd like to spend some time with them.

>35 AuntieClio: Hi Stephanie. *sends a chilly wave.... I just came in from the outside and brrr... it's cold*

Aaaargh no Kuala Lumpur trip?!!! Twice disappointed as I missed out last time you were in the locality.

Anyway safe journey my dear and I hope we can see you again very soon.......*sniffles and goes into corner to sulk*

>36 LovingLit: Megan, Thanksgiving is on the last Thursday of November in the US, so the date floats around a little. Can't wait though .. I love Thanksgiving meals and this year since we're doing it at our house, I get to do all the cooking. Given that my in-laws generally don't cook very well, I don't mind the work that will go into all the cooking and the hubster is pleased because he'll "get to eat good food for a change". (his words, not mine) I'm just glad that I won't have to face a weird sweet potato casserole and a green bean casserole at the dinner table ...both of which I absolutely detest.

>37 Ameise1: Barbara, I just love all the gifs you share for the weekend. Thank you so very much. I hope your weekend was relaxing and wonderful.

I had so many well made out plans for today (Saturday) but first we didn't go to bed until 4am last night, which meant we didn't wake up until almost noon today, and the afternoon was spent watching football on tv and then grocery shopping. So apart from the grocery shopping, everything on my list didn't get done. Oh well, there's always tomorrow. :-)

>38 kidzdoc: Darryl, not being able to see you over the Thanksgiving holiday is the only thing I regret about not going down to NY this year for the holiday. But...there's always the Christmas holidays where we should be down so maybe we can reschedule the dumpling fest for Boxing Day or some time around there.

>40 PaulCranswick: Yah, sorry Paul. I was so looking forward to it, and really Jakarta has nothing on KL .. even less since you're not there. I'm going to have to look at rescheduling the KL trip for the first quarter of 2015. Maybe around the CNY period and I'll get to catch up with you and Hani then ... provided you're not going to be traveling over the holidays.

127. The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton

Set in the 1800s during the gold rush in New Zealand, Walter Moody discards his legal background in England to suffer through a harrowing sea journey to try his luck at panning gold. Upon his arrival, he steps into a bar and walks into what a secret meeting between 12 men. When they find out that he's just traveled on a particular ship and what he considered a horrific event on the ship, he gains their full attention. Before long, they are regaling him with individual narratives where it slowly becomes clear that through the death of one individual, the sale of his cottage, the discovery of blocks of gold, an ex-prostitute and a previously unknown wife, they are all connected.

The individual stories, the unraveling of the mystery and the connectivity between the men were so captivating that I found it really hard to put the book down when I had to address the more important obligations in my life.

The book is a commitment because it's about 800 pages long, but it's a worth the time I invested in it.

4 stars

>42 cameling: I am not going to plan too much next year because I have so many ideas for holidays and most of them got frustrated this year. Main ambition is to get Stateside of course and then NZ's North Island and then my mum hits 70, God willing, in August and we MUST be there.

I should be in Malaysia around the Lunar New Year. xx

Hi Caro--Congrats on the new thread and on being state-side for the holidays. The Luminaries at 800 pages is just going to have to wait until next year. I am way behind on my title count and need short little books. ; )

>41 cameling: Unfortunately I'm working over the Christmas and New Year's holidays, so I won't be able to leave Atlanta.

>44 PaulCranswick: Paul, I know what that's like. I made so many plans for long and short holidays this year, none of which panned out for one reason or another. I'm determined to make no plans next year and maybe this way, I'll surprise myself with a spontaneous holiday somewhere exciting.......... that probably means staying home. ;-)

>45 Berly: Kim, I'm behind with my planned reads too. Can't believe it's already the end of November. Seriously, did this year just move along more quickly than others?! If you're not going to make The Luminaries this year, I hope you'll add it to your reading list for next year. It's well worth the time investment.

>46 kidzdoc: *sobs hysterically ... reaches for a fresh cream puff* This year is not working out as I'd planned at all in terms of my catch up time with you, Darryl. I am not pleased!! *stomps off to write a grievance letter to the three Fates*

Thanks for the great review of The Luminaries. I see that it is now out in paperback. I bought the hard back months ago and there it sits on the TBR shelf. I'll have to get to it next year.

Caro, let us know if you plan to be in NYC any time during your visit to Edd's family. Our end-of-year work schedule is pretty flexible, and we should be able to plan some play time if you and Edd can make it.

>47 cameling: Well, if the forecast models are correct, we probably wouldn't have been able to meet up on Black Friday anyway. I was thinking of going to NYC that day, but I seriously doubt that I'll do so now.

Any cream puffs left over?

>48 catarina1: catarina1, I've got some largish tomes to read that I didn't get to this year, so I'm pushing them to the front of my 2015 reading list. Hopefully I'll be able to dust them off my TBR Tower and actually get to them. I have so many books in my TBR Tower that keep distracting me from any reading plan I try to stick to.

>49 ffortsa: Judy, I'll definitely let you know when I'm likely to be coming into the city over the Christmas holidays. We may be there a couple of days before Christmas .. not sure yet, because we're planning on visiting some friends in D.C. the week before, so rather than drive all the way back up to MA only to have to drive down to NY again, we may just stop in NY a few days before Christmas instead.

>50 kidzdoc: Darryl, yeah, my SIL is worried now about the drive up with the storm coming in. Hopefully it won't be so bad that they'll have to cancel their visit, but perhaps if they wait until Thursday morning, the storm should be over .. at least on my end it's supposed to taper off by late Thursday morning.

The cream puffs are long gone ... darn! Oh well, I'm making choc chip cookies and brownies tomorrow .. I need to hide them from Edd otherwise they won't last till Thanksgiving.

>41 cameling: it is good that (if this does actually happen) Xmas stuff doesn't come out til after Thanksgiving. We have had ads and decorations and crap going around for weeks here. *dislike*
Happy TG!!

>53 LovingLit: Megan, sadly, about a week after Halloween, the stores started putting up their Christmas decorations and Christmas music is swirling all around. arrghhhh... Way too early! I join you in the *dislike*.

I bet we see some people carrying home Christmas trees on the roof of their cars tomorrow too! Grrr...

despite the grouchiness for early Christmas dodads, I want to wish everyone who celebrates, a happy Thanksgiving.

We're hosting Thanksgiving for the family this year, so the last few days have been spent trying to clean the house, get rooms ready, bed linen, extra pillows and blankets aired and some food prepped. Thankfully the snowstorm that blew in yesterday didn't hinter their drive up, and most arrived safe and sound yesterday afternoon. A few more will drive up today and by all accounts, the snow plows have done a great job and the roads are slushy but clear.

Massive final cooking of the turkey, stuffing and vegetables are on the stove or in the oven. Mashed potatoes done. Gravy almost done (just need to add the turkey drippings at the end to finish it), braised beef short ribs done. The only things I need to do in a spell are the appetizers and the quinoa. Dessert was made yesterday ...good thing I made more because some little fingers have already been at the chocolate chip cookies and brownies. They didn't find the pies though. Ha!

Sounds like it will be a most excellent family gathering, Caro. Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Edd and your in laws, Ms Crabby Pants!

>58 kidzdoc: Hahaha Darryl. I thought I could be the curmudgeon in the absence of our dear fellow but nobody does that quite so inimically.

I haven't been able to spend as much time as I would like this year around the threads but I am ever thankful that I can count you as a dear friend. Have a lovely holiday. xx

Oh yum...no thanksgiving north of the border here since we already had it a few weeks back, but I don't mind eating your feast again! :)

>56 cameling: you aren't still in a food coma, are you??

:)

Caro, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

Happy Saturday, Caro! Hope you had a wonderful holiday. I am so glad you finally dug into The Luminaries and ended up enjoying it. It is a commitment but she is a helluva writer and so very young.

>57 jnwelch: Joe, it was great having family and friends over to share our Thanksgiving.... made even more enjoyable because there were no arguments since the family member who usually rubs most of us up the wrong way didn't come. Whoohoo.... another thing to be thankful for on the day. Haha.

>58 kidzdoc: Hope you're having a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, Darryl ...and that a blizzard comes in so you're forced to stay in Pennsylvania for a few more days with your folks. :-)
And since we have plans to do dim sum and then the MFA for the Goya exhibition tomorrow, I'll be sure to think of you a couple of times during the day.

>59 PaulCranswick: You're a sweetheart, Paul. I too, haven't been around the threads much this year but know that you are in my thoughts often and I hope to catch up with you when I am next in KL.

>60 jolerie: Valerie, I love turkey dinners as long as there's tons of stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Canadian friend's Thanksgiving feast when they celebrated their turkey day in October. This year I made stuffing with oysters and andouille sausage.

>61 LovingLit: Haha.. Megan, we have been very productive in an attempt to work off the excess of food consumed on Thursday. It was a lovely day yesterday and we bundled up and took everyone out on a 4 hour hike through snowy trails. It was wonderful to come home all flushed and tired after, and sit down to big steaming bowls of turkey soup, hot crusty bread and apple pie.

>62 Ameise1: Barbara, what a beautiful gif. I wish you a wonderful weekend too.

>63 msf59: Mark, I really enjoyed The Luminaries and am glad I made the investment of time. I'm just probably going to do some light reading for the rest of this year because I've a few work reads I need to finish before January. Hope you're going to have a wonderful weekend.

Now that our holiday guests have left, driveway and deck cleared of snow, rooms tidied and cleaned, we're off to the bookstore so I can pick out gifts for my Christmas Swap giftee. Whoohooooo!

128. Lee Kuan Yew : The Grand Master's Insights on China, the United States, and the World by Graham Allison

Interesting compilation of responses by the first prime minister of Singapore who was still sought after for his political and cultural insights after he left office, to questions by journalists in 2012.

3.5 stars

129. The Witness by Nora Roberts
I thought this would be heavier on the thrills so I was a little disappointed. Then again, I suspect it's because I'm used to her writing as J.R. Robb in the In Death series and couldn't help making comparisons. Still, it was a quick and somewhat entertaining read.

3 stars

>64 cameling: Thanks, Caroline; my family and I had a very enjoyable Thanksgiving Day. My flight to ATL has been delayed by over an hour, but it has nothing to do with the weather between here and there.

Have a very enjoyable day tomorrow! My Sunday will be far less exciting than yours, as I'll shop, cook, do laundry, and finish preparing a talk that I'll give to the residents on Monday.

<68> Darryl, so glad you got home safe and sound following a delightful Thanksgiving with your family.

We had a marvelous Sunday over here. The weather was balmy (compared to the icy conditions over Thanksgiving) and we enjoyed a relaxing early dim sum brunch with a friend before spending a few hours at the MFA at the Goya and Jamie Wyeth exhibitions.

I contemplated doing some work when we got home in the evening, but fortunately came to my senses and spent the evening finishing a book and watching an incredible Danish movie 'The Broken Circle Breakdown'.

130. The Owl Who Liked Sitting on Caesar : Living with a Tawny Owl by Martin Windrow

This is a wonderful tribute to a delightful little Tawny Owl named Mumble and the author's relationship with her. Not only does he share journal entries and memories of the time she shared his life but he provides a great deal of information into cultural perceptions of owls through time, their anatomy, nesting, feeding, hunting and mating habits, and the main differences between Barn Owls and Tawny Owls.

3.5 stars

I am a little shy about doing this, but I truly need help. I need wrist surgery but don't have the funds to pay for it. Please help if you can. Thanks! https://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/help-stephanie-pay-for-wrist-surger...

>71 AuntieClio: Nothing wrong asking for help, Stephanie. We all need help every once in a while. Sorry to hear about your wrist. What an awful thing to happen, and near the holidays too. Thanks for the link. When is your surgery scheduled for?

131. Naomi by Junichiro Tanizaki

Joji Kawai, a young salaryman nicknamed the 'gentleman' by his colleagues becomes interested in Naomi, an exotic looking teenage hostess, and thinks to rescue her from a seedy life. He offers to support her if she will come and live with him, doing the housework and cooking. He pays for her English and music lessons and plays silly games with her at home. After a time, he proposes marriage and she accepts.

But Naomi isn't all that she appears to be and gradually Joji realizes the depth of her manipulation but is ensnared by his own obsession.

3.5 stars

132. Love and Longing in Bombay by Vikram Chandra

From a bar in Bombay, our narrator regales his audience with captivating short stories about people from different walks of life and the surprising, terrifying and heart wrenching situations they find themselves in.

3.5 stars

133. Snow White, Blood Red by Ellen Datlow

What if little red riding hood met with a wolf with decidedly different inclinations? What if Rapunzel was Italian and lived in a tower because of an incident that happened to her mother? What if Jack climbed the beanstalk because he was enticed by the giant's wife? That and more fairy tales I grew up with have been given some comedic, some horrifying and all dark twists. These are definitely not tales to tell children at night as they lay snuggled up in bed.

3.5 stars

>72 cameling: caro, surgery hasn't been scheduled yet because i don't have funds to pay the outpatient facility, which requires payment up front. i am working on several applications which, if approved, will clear the way to surgery. in the meantime, mt wrist is in a splint and i try not to use it. i am also paying attention more when my body says it's tired.

Caro, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

>74 AuntieClio: Stephanie, this must be the month for injuries and accidents because I have a number of friends who are hobbling around with knee braces, crutches, foot brace, elbow brace, arm slings and taped ribs, and all the injuries or accidents occurred only after December 1. Must be something in the air .... so I'm taking extra special caution not to slip, trip, bump into or fall these days... no mean feat for someone as clumsy as myself. I only just walked into a coworker 2 days around rounding a corner of our office but thankfully no injuries were suffered by either party.

Definitely listen to your body and rest your wrist as much as possible. Maybe watch more Kdrama to take your mind of your pain? ;-)

>75 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. It is gloomy, cold and rainy here today .... perfect for staying in. I'm going to try and be productive, and clean out my closet and drawers, putting aside clothes, socks, mittens, scarves, shoes, hats, coats to give to the Goodwill mission. If I complete this and am not too wiped out, I'm thinking of making a tres leches cake for the hubster as a reward for a very fine job raking leaves yesterday.

I hope you're having a restful weekend yourself.

>76 cameling: Caro, think you for your encouragement and support. Yes, do be careful. In Boston you have snow and ice to contend with. I can only blame myself for being inattentive. It was a beautiful day when I fell. :-)

No Kdrama, I'm making do with original Mission: Impossible episodes.

>77 AuntieClio: Sorry, Stephanie, I had to chortle when you said it was a beautiful day when you fell. It's 17F right now and I see flurries outside the window. I am wisely staying indoors and will bundle up snugly if I have to go out again, which I'm hoping I don't. I almost turned into an icicle when I put the garbage and recycling bins out this morning since the hubster was ill. Hmph....he's miraculously well now though... *suspicious frown*

I just started 'The Master's Sun' an old Kdrama that I hadn't watched before and it's a torture not to take a few days off or stay up into the wee hours of the morning just to binge watch as many episodes as possible.

134. Death in August by Marco Vichi

The first in the Inspector Bordelli series. He reminds me a little of another famous literary detective, Inspector Montalbano in Sicily because of his love for food and his seeing a person's true character regardless of their station in life. His belief in fairness is inspirating, especially when he catches a burglar who'd only just been released from prison in the act, and instead of turning him in, offers him a part time job watering the plants for an ex-prostitute away on vacation.

An elderly woman is found dead in bed, apparently as a result of an asthma attack. But Inspector Bordelli's gut is telling him that there is something amiss and that it's a homicide rather than death by natural causes, and he's proved right when the post mortem is completed. With the assistance of the son of an old army buddy, he picks apart alibis in order to uncover the motive and cause of the woman's untimely death.

3 stars

135. 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas by Marie-Helene Bertino

In the course of a single day, we are treated to an insight into the lives of a 10 year old who just wants to sing jazz, a teacher who meets her old high school prom date, a father who has fallen into deep depression following the loss of his wife, and the owner of the Cat's Pajamas who finds himself at risk of losing his club and his son.

Everything comes to a head at the Cat's Pajamas at 2 a.m. and the lives of these individuals will change.

Entertaining and a jolly good read.

3.5 stars

Whoopeee... I made my reading from my own library challenge this year. Whew! What a relief. I wasn't sure I'd make it since I was reading quite a number of library books and e-books at the start of the year, but I did make it a point to pull more books off my TBR bookshelves as the year progressed. I now no longer need to feel guilty if I read another e-book for the rest of the year.

I need to do a better job of reading off my shelf next year. The good thing is most of my reading has been coming from the library and I love supporting them. If only I didn't buy more new books to add to an already sorely ignored home library... :/

136. The Princess and the Pea by Diane Setterfield

A very short tale indeed but oh a delightfully fun one, with a modern twist and a few liberties taken from the original tale. Had me laughing out loud and was just the perfect thing when I needed a break from work.

4 stars

>80 jolerie: Valerie, I'm usually bad at reading off my own shelves because I'm so easily distracted by new books coming in or at the library, or e-books. So this year, I'm so pleased that I managed to read my target of 50 dead tree books off my own shelves. I decided not to count e-books because they don't gather dust in my Kindle and I am likely to read those more quickly since I don't bring more than 2 hard print books with me when I travel anymore, but rely on my Kindle instead for most of my travel reads. Saves luggage weight and space.

Now if only I was better at finding new homes for the books I've read but am not yet sure if I will re-read them in the future. ;-)

>79 cameling:

I liked Cat's Pajamas well enough. It stuck with me, but I didn't love it.

Hi Caro!
Glad to see you made it home safely and had a good holiday.

You have not fallen off my radar. I'm just scaling down my actual posting to leave a bit more time for reading ;-)
I'm delurking to say you have nudged me with a book bullet (oofff!) Luminaries which I already have on my WL - but 800 pages scared me off a bit! Oh well... 2015 is right around the corner and I generally read books that are longest in the first few winter months of the new year. So, maybe...

>83 alphaorder: Hi Nancy, the only bit I didn't like about the Cat's Pajamas was the principal's reaction and subsequent behavior when Madeline sang at the club and yet no details were given about what happened at the school assembly when she sang. But other than that, I thought it was a fun read.

>84 -Cee-: Hi there Cee, I hear you .. I'm lurking a lot and not posting much this year so that I have more time to read. That and RL's just been a lot busier this year somehow. Oh well, it beats the alternative, right? ;-)
Do put Luminaries at the top of your 2015 reading list .. it's a hefty tome, but it flows so very smoothly.

^ what? Absconding from LT to read? hehe, me too :)

It's terrible isn't it, Megan? So many books, so little time. So many delicious threads, so little time. So much delicious food, so little space (in one's tummy). Oh the trials of life! ;-)

^ Caro, you have summed up the major dilemas of my lovely safe life!!!

>87 cameling: First World problems - life's a bitch, ain't it?! ;)

>88 LovingLit: >89 lunacat: Absolutely true, ladies. And these are blessed trials compared to what I could be facing if I were unfortunate enough to be living in some other countries.

137. Revenge by Yoko Ogawa

11 dark short stories about people who are going through life with dark secrets. It's only after reading a few stories that I realized they are all tied together in some way. The connection between some of the individuals when you come across them in other stories are surprising and gives you additional insight into the characters. Some of stories are about grief, anger, depression, mental challenges, and loneliness but these feelings are almost all suppressed and lead to unexpected situations.

3.8 stars

I do like Yoko Ogawa's writing, even if I find some of her subject matter 'dark' and at times a little disturbing. Have you read Hotel Iris? I found it to be a very dark, and yet compelling read.

Caro, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

>92 lkernagh: Lori, my first Yoko Ogawa was The Housekeeper and the Professor and I knew I would like anything else she would write. I read The Diving Pool next which I loved and Revenge is my most recent read. I haven't read Hotel Iris yet, but I have it in my TBR Tower. I'm going to wait a while before I read this just in case it's a long while before her other books are translated into English.

>93 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. You have chosen a very appropriate gif this week because we're going to a dinner party at a friend's house and at this time of the year, they will have decorated their house with a lot of hanging twinkling lights.

>94 cameling: You know, I loved The Housekeeper and the Professor, and I've read nada else by her. You've got the right idea, Caro. I need to fix that.

Way to go, Joe!

By the way, Camilleri has a Kindle novelette titled The Fourth Secret. I've just downloaded it to tide me over until the publishers release his next book, Game of Mirrors. I've also discovered that he also wrote a comic novel titled The Brewer of Preston. Have you read this yet?

I've read The Fourth Secret, which was fun. The Brewer of Preston is news to me; I see it comes out at the end of this month. Have you heard anything about it?

I've heard it's an interesting departure from his usual style of writing but no less enjoyable and quite funny. So I'm looking forward to the release.

I just finished the Camilleri The Fourth Secret. Vintage Montalbano, nothing exceptional but still fun. I have The Brewer of Preston as an ARC and hope to get to it before pub date in January. I love Camilleri's characters and have been saving this newest one for the holidays.

Pop in hugs....

Hi Caro! Just checking in. Hope the week is going well. Are you staying around for the holidays?

>99 tututhefirst: Tina, I can't wait to get to The Fourth Secret. I think I'll read it this evening after work. Have you watched the Montalbano TV series? Also totally enjoyable.

>100 mckait: Hiya Kath. {{{hugs}}}

>101 msf59: Hi Mark, yes, I'm stateside for the holidays. Yaaay! Glad to be homebased for a spell. In fact, I won't be traveling until perhaps the end of January because we have our annual sales kickoff in mid January and they're doing it in Boston this year .... much to the dismay of our more southern and international colleagues who have a fear of Boston winters. then again, we locals aren't thrilled either because we were expecting to go somewhere warm with a beach again. Bah! Cost cutting practices are such a pain!

It's been a crazy week so far ... I think I have more rest when I'm traveling. :-) The hubster is down with a really bad flu, so I've been working at home to look after him in the mornings. He's still insisting on going to work in the afternoons because he's working on a project until next week and wants do deliver the work on time before Christmas. Since he usually doesn't take meds of any sort, and seldom even takes an aspirin for a headache, he took a couple of Nyquils last night and while it allowed him a more restful sleep, he's dizzy this morning from the after effects and is napping again. I hope he manages to sleep off the drugs in his system before he goes to work.

While putting up the Christmas tree, part of the curtains got caught and ripped. *sigh* I'm waiting for my new curtains to arrive tomorrow hopefully and if the hubster is still out for the count this weekend, I'll have the glorious job of putting up new curtains in the living room on my own.

138. The Winds of Change by Martha Grimes

Part of the Richard Jury series, Inspector Jury is called to help solve the homicide of a young child shot in the back. During his investigations, he is drawn to another case of a young girl gone missing for 3 years and her mother's death 6 months after her disappearance. The father is suspected, having been part of a custody battle for the child and also being a known but unproven procurer of children for pedophiles. When an unidentified woman is found murdered in the garden of the stepfather of the missing child, with no clues as to the motive for her murder or evidence of the murder weapon, Inspector Jury calls in Melrose Plant to play a turf specialist in order to have him do a little undercover investigating at the house.

What becomes clear towards the latter half of the book is that not only are their secrets being held by some and kept for others, but also that nothing is always as they seem.

4 stars

I'm sure your husband is appreciating all the extra love and attention you are giving him. Lots of bugs flying around this time of the year and having all those extra gatherings probably doesn't help with the spreading..ha!

Oh sick husbands are a distinct breed, aren't they? Ha! Here's hoping he feels better soon! Meanwhile I'm thankful for every day that all three of us wake up without the flu, since it's running rampant in the halls at Charlie's school - every day that I'm there lately (which is nearly every day, it seems), I hear an announcement for a mop and bucket to one classroom or another...

Sorry the hubby is sick--lucky him to have you home to take care of him!

>106 scaifea: snork ;) re: sick husband types

And ack to curtain raising (so to speak). For some reason I really dislike this act.

Caro, I wish you a lovely weekend and Merry Christmas.

>105 jolerie: Thanks Valerie, I can't wait for him to recover either. I think looking after a sick husband is a little more tiring than a long distance business trip. Haha. Is it a male thing though? I remember my dad also being rather whiney and demanding whenever he was ill and running my mom in circles ... and us kids too when we were old enough to fetch and carry for him. I need to ask my SIL if my brother is like that too.

>106 scaifea: Amber, I've been taking multi-vitamins religiously as of last week in the hopes that I won't catch whatever bug the hubster has otherwise it'll be a sad Christmas indeed. We won't go down to New York if either one of us is ill with the flu because his parents are elderly and his mom has COPD, so she's paranoid about catching a cold since she thinks it could easily (for her) turn into bronchitis or pneumonia. So better safe than sorry. I think I may have a teeny bit of a cold and I am probably on the cusp of the flu since my eyes have been itching since yesterday, but I'm determined that it goes no further, and I'm mentally telling my immune to fight this darn bug off and not allow it to move in with its family and all their luggage.

>108 LovingLit: Megan, I hate having anything to do with curtains and I try not to notice if they're getting a little dingy because otherwise that will involve us having to take them down to be cleaned, and putting up the clean second set up of curtains. The only thing that makes this a slightly less annoying chore is that a few years ago, I changed all our curtain rods so that we no longer need curtains with the hook things on, but we use grommets instead. Lots easier to change, but still a chore I'm not fond of.

>109 Ameise1: Lovely gif, Barbara. Thank you. I wish you a lovely weekend too. I hope you've got all your Christmas preparations underway so you can rest and relax.

139. The Fourth Secret by Andrea Camilleri

A novelette that does not disappoint just because it's shorter than his usual novels. In this Montalbano has a dream that he's investigating a crime with Catarella, and in the process of searching for the criminal, Catarella is shot and lies dying in his arms. His dream unsettles him and when he realizes that an anonymous letter sent to him warning him of the impending death of a construction worker was sent a week before he received it, he and his team frantically try to uncover the identity of the letter writer and if the construction worker's death was anything but an accident. And all this while seemingly keeping out of the carabinieri's way.

But Montalbano's dream may be a portent of something to come.

3.5 stars

The minute I read the first page of this novelette, I realized that I'd watched this on a DVD in the Young Montalbano series, which made it all the more enjoyable since I had the full visual running alongside in my head as I read.

140. The Cabinet of Curiosities by Douglas Preston

The 3rd in a series about a New Orleans FBI special agent who seems to have an uncanny talent for turning up in odd places when nobody expects it. In this, a construction team in New York excavating a site for a new building discovers a tunnel with 36 dismembered bodies over a hundred years old. The police aren't interested in a serial killing that took place over a century ago until it copycat killings start to take place in the city. Pendergast manages to enlist the aid of Nora, an archaeologist and they discover the identity of one of the victims of the serial killing. Together, they uncover the horrifying truth behind the probable serial killer, who his victims are, the gruesome method in which they are murdered, and astonishingly, that he may still be alive and is killing again. When a journalist and a police sergeant go missing, Pendergast and Nora race against time to find them and to try and stop the killer.

4 stars

I only read this because I liked the title and the cover of the book, but now I'm hooked. This was a wonderful thriller and I'm adding this to my list of series to follow... which means I've got to hunt down the first 2 in the series, although I think this is a series that doesn't need to be read in order.

Hope you fight off the bug, Caro! It's so horrible when sickness ruins the holiday.

I love curtains, but that it probably because when I was growing up we didn't have curtains - just nasty ol' venetian blinds. I HATE venetian blinds. The house always looked like my dentist's office, only not as clean because Mother was a heavy cigarette smoker and a rotten housekeeper. I'd have multiple curtains for every room if I had someplace to store them all and the Country Curtains catalog is one of my favorites.

>113 cameling: Caro, the Pendergast series tends to be uneven, although I really love Pendergast. I don't recommend Relic and Reliquary, although there's some character background. Pendergast doesn't really appear until Cabinet of Curiosities. Two Graves with Pendergast as Jack Bauer was bad. The rest are pretty fun.

>114 Fourpawz2: Alas, Charlotte, it looks like I've managed to catch a little bug. It doesn't appear to have the strength of the one that infested the hubster, so maybe I just caught the infant version. ;-) Still, it's a little annoying but I think I should be able to get rid of it by Christmas day.

I hate venetian blinds too .. but only because I was playing with them at my aunt's house and managed to slice my wrist on the edge deep enough to require stitches. Needless to say I kept well away from them from then on.

>115 AuntieClio: Thanks for the heads up, Stephanie. I just mooched Relic yesterday morning though, so I'll just give that a shot. I didn't realize that Pendergast doesn't show up until Cabinet of Curiosities. Odd that they would start a series without the main protagonist showing up until the 3rd in the series.

>116 cameling: Sorry to hear you are sick too, Caro.

I like Venetian blinds, if they are well-maintained. Preferably the miniblinds. I love the lood of the sun coming in through them, casting stripes of gold on the walls.

Get well soon, Caro.

Oh no, sorry to hear you're sick. There has been a cold going round here as well, although I don't seem to have it quite as bad as my housemate and her husband. At least, it hasn't hit properly yet so fingers crossed I've just got the mild version, rather than it waiting to hit until Christmas Day.

I can see how slicing your hand open would put you off venetian blinds! We used to have them at school which is why I'm not a fan. I'd never choose to have them in the house, but they can look nice if they are good quality and well maintained.

Haha...how ironic. I'm here to report that my husband just came down with something. He was up all night last night restless as can be..... He is home from work today in the hopes that he will be all better by Christmas. :)

Feel better, Caro. Did I mention the Miss Fisher Mysteries Aussie tv series available on Netflix? That might be a good one for while you're recovering. Richard first tipped me off to them.

Hi Caro! Hope you are feeling better and that you are in ship-shape for Christmas.
Sending warm, healing vibes.

Sorry to hear you caught a bug as well, Caro. Hope you both have a quick recovery!

>117 ffortsa: Judy, I'm continuing with my battle against the flu bug and I am giving him one more day to enjoy himself before I serve his eviction notice tomorrow and call in the bouncers ... namely Nyquil. So far I haven't had to resort to taking any meds yet since I really prefer not to take anything if I don't have to, but given that I'm cooking Christmas dinner, I need to be better by tomorrow evening or the family in New York are going to have to subsist on my SIL's lasagne and salad for the Christmas meal, while the turkey, ham, polenta, cookies and cake stay up here in MA with us. Not good. So my last resort weapon of Nyquil will be hauled out tomorrow morning if the bug attempts to linger.

I'm glad venetian blinds have a friend in you because they're probably in need of more friends. ;-)

If we do make it down to LI, we're likely to hang around for a few days and make it into Manhattan perhaps over the weekend. If you and Jim are around and have no plans, we'd love to catch up with you .. will text you when I know what our plans are like.

>118 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. I hope you have your Christmas preparations all done.

>119 lunacat: Jenny, I'm fortunate in that I don't seem to have quite as bad of the flu as the hubster had .. he's still battling the remnants of it. So who knows.. maybe I'll shake it off before he does ... which will really annoy him. ;-)

>120 jolerie: 'tis the season for bugs to party as well, Valerie. They must be envious of all the delicious smells and excitement that is so pervasive during the holiday season that they're all decked out in their finery, armed to their buggy teeth and par-taying all around and in us. I hope your husband feels better soon .. and more so that his bugs don't find a home in your 2 boys!!

>121 jnwelch: Joe, you are a lifesaver! Thanks for the Miss Fisher tip. I have read and loved all the books. Didn't realize that they made these into a TV series. Interesting that Richard tipped you on to this because I could have sworn I remember him saying he didn't like this series because there were a lot of references to child abuse in them. I am happily under a throw on the couch, having just come home from a Christmas lunch with a few friends (all, coincidentally, ill in varying degrees) where the bartender very kindly served me generous hot toddies, and am watching the first episode. They've casted well because Phyrne looks exactly as I had pictured her in my mind.

>122 msf59: Thanks Mark ... all healing vibes are welcome. The hot toddies I had a lunch helped a little, but now I'm resting to garner some energy to make some cookies and bake the ham. I need to be recovered by tomorrow for I still have all the presents to wrap, Christmas trimmings to make and more cookies to bake.

>123 ronincats: Thanks Roni. I trust your Christmas preparations are well underway.

All done except for Christmas cards, Caro! It's Chrismas Eve's eve, and so I am starting the rounds of wishing my 75er friends the merriest of Christmases or whatever the solstice celebration of their choice is.

Happy Christmas, Caro! I hope you're feeling much better today.

From our family to yours!

Happy Holidays!

Doing the rounds with a festive Connie to wish you a very Merry Christmas full of joy, love and books.

Happy Christmas Caro!

Caro, I'm so happy to have made your acquaintance this year. Your travel stories are entertaining. I'm so grateful to have you in my life.

Merry Christmas Caro!

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to you and Edd, Caroline! I hope that both of you are feeling better, and that your holidays are filled with good food and Patriots victories. I'm sorry that we weren't able to meet up this year, but I look forward to seeing both of you in 2015.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, my friend. Are you feeling better?

Thanks Roni, Amber, Stephanie, Valerie, Katherine, Jenny, Rhian, Chelle, Jess and Darryl for your cheery blessings.



Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza and I hope you all enjoy the holiday season with loved ones, good food and ..... that you get some book loot! Yeeeha!

I'm feeling much better this morning, so we are setting off for NY in a mo.

Hippo Christmas to you my friend!

Let the madness begin!

http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2015

Have a lovely festive season, Caro. xx

Cant even tear myself away from LT for the night (it's nearly 11 here...) But had to drop by for the Xmas greeting and the -see you next year- promise. Love your work~

Guess who I immediately thought of when I ran across this image?

Caro, I wish you a lovely weekend.

>143 ronincats: snerk!

Hope you're continuing to improve, Caro. Isn't Essie Davis a perfect Phryne? I liked all the actors in the tv series - Jack Robinson even seems a bit of an improvement over the book.

I'm burning through the book series - I'm on #6 or 7 now, Ruddy Gore.

>143 ronincats: Don't Blink!

>139 magicians_nephew: Love the hippo, Jim. I was at the Met on Saturday with 2 of our nieces and had of course, as always, to harness in all the will power I had, not to buy anything from the store. There are just too many things in that store to want. Hope you and Judy had a lovely Christmas.

>140 drneutron: Thanks for the link to the new group, Jim. Hope you're enjoying a lovely holiday season. Thank you so very much for everything you do for LT.

>141 PaulCranswick: Love the gif, Paul. From Hani's pics, it looks like you guys had simply wonderful festivities yourselves. Way to go on the diet! I thought someone had photoshopped your pic!

>142 LovingLit: Megan, I made a decision to leave my laptop at home when we went down to New York for the holidays so that I would focus on family and friends for a few days. It was quite nice to get a break from being a slave to my laptop or tablet .....and now I think I'm well saturated with 'people-ness' and am glad to get my fingers back on my keyboard, connecting once more with all my lovely friends on LT.

>143 ronincats: Roni, that picture had me laughing really loudly after I noted the date of your post. That was the very day and time almost to the minute that I took a tumble on the sidewalk on E. Broadway in Manhattan when I was out with the hubster and 2 of our nieces. No damage (to me or the sidewalk). I think the gif is most apropos!

>144 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. It was a lovely sunny and somewhat warm weekend. Quite a surprise given this time of the year. I wonder if it means we're going to have a warmer winter.

>145 ffortsa: Judy... the GA was clearly distracted when I was out that day! I hope she feels a great deal of remorse for my almost cracking my head open that day, if not for my well developed tuck and roll talent. I have to admit this talent was honed through regular falls through the years. :-)

>146 jnwelch: Joe, I think Essie Davis is just perfect as Phryne and I love the chemistry between her and Jack in the tv series. Jack's a much more interesting person in the series than he is in the books. I'm just starting Season 2 today. :-)

>147 magicians_nephew: Yeah... she blinked!!!

2014 has its many blessings, tops of which has been meeting you and Edd. When things settle down, we simply must make time for a get together! You both are so special. I've enjoyed all your posts on travel, food and books! May 2015 be much more of the same!!

Have a safe and Happy New Year!