scaifea's 2015 challenge - thread #1

Welcome! And Happy 2015!! I'm excited! And also already super far behind on all of the threads!! (*sigh*)



Below you’ll find an explanation of my reading habits, which, I warn you, is a bit crazy. Usually I have about 10-12 books going at once, one each from the following groups (and occasionally other books slipped in there, too):

1. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

2. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m currently working through three lists:
a. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
b. The CYOA books
c. The Newbery Honor books

3. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

4. A book for the Presidential Challenge. Books for this category are read in chronological (presidentially) order.

5. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

6. A list I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob: The Hugo/Nebula/WFA/Bram Stoker lists (combined, in chronological order)

7. For this category, I cycle through 7 different stacks:
a. A book from my shelves which I haven't yet read
b. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. Stephen King's bibliography (in chronological order)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

8. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book.

9. A book from my Classics shelves.

10. A book on Buddhism or from the Dalai Lama's bibliography.

11. Book-a-year challenge: Two years ago, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've decided, again, to follow Paul's lead and try to fill in some of those blanks, and so I'm adding an entry here to my lists.

12. The American Author Challenge.

13. The British Author Challenge.

14. This slot is reserved for books that just grab me and shout that they need to be read Right Now.

And on top of these, there will be a multitude of picture books and easy readers, which Charlie and I read together. I only list picture books that I or we read for the first time - no repeat reads will be mentioned here (and they are legion).

So, now you've got a glimpse of just how neurotic I am.
Please feel free to post comments, recommendations, or whatever else strikes your fancy. And Happy Reading, everyone!



What I'm reading now:
-Tropic of Cancer (Banned Books list)
-The Windy Hill (Newbery Honor list)
-Faust (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List)
-John Tyler (Presidential Challenge)
-Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy (audio book)
-Stand on Zanzibar (Hugo & BFSA award lists)
-Excalibur (from the TBR shelves)
-Ralph S. Mouse (Charlie's bed-time book)
-Cicero (off of my classics shelves)
-Tantra in Tibet (buddhism list)
-Pierre and Jean (year-by-year book list, 1888)
-Needled to Death (series that my mom wants me to read so we can chat about it)
-The Iliad (everyday audio book in the car)
-Joss Whedon: The Biography (Christmas present!)

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (quite slowly):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1

Books Read:

JANUARY
1. (#1) Hansel & Gretel (Gaiman bibliography) - 9/10 = A
2. Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library (public library book) - 9/10 = A
3. (#2) A Christmas Memory (Charlie book) - 10/10 = A+
4. Flight School (public library book) - 8/10 = B+
5. (#3) The Three Wishes (CYOA list) - 8/10 = B
6. Sneezy the Snowman (Charlie book) - 8/10 = B+
7. The Snatchabook (public library book) - 9/10 = A
8. Jack (public library book) - 7/10 = C
9. The Three Wishes (public library book) - 8/10 = B
10. Waiting Is Not Easy! (public library book) - 9/10 = A

The Charlie Topper (Charlie with his cousins, Bella (on the right) and Bridget (on the left)):

And the Bonus Question:

Do you make resolutions at this time of year? If so, which ones are you making this time around?

Best of the New Year to you and your family, Amber and I hope the pink eye is gone soon. I am one of those people who doesn't make New Years resolutions. I make changes to my life when they really need to happen and try to stick to them.

Amber finally,



Happy New Year from your friend in Kuala Lumpur

>4 Familyhistorian: Meg: Thanks! I'm like you - I don't specifically make new year's resolutions, but try to make changed when I think I need to (read: pretty much constantly - ha!).

>5 PaulCranswick: Finally, indeed, Paul! I was starting to get panicked about getting home in time to get my thread started! And I'm still so very behind in the threads. Gah. Tomorrow, after unpacking, I hope to tacking the long list of unread threads...

So, New Year's Eve! WooHoo!!

Charlie's in bed, it's 8:21pm aaaaaand I'm off to bed with my book. Yep. I'll likely be asleep in the next hour. Ha!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I've starred your thread. I'll never be able to keep up but it is fun to drop in now and then!

Starred!
Happy New Year. :)

Typically I don't make resolutions at this time. If I do at any particular time of the year it's in the spring when I do my annual self examination. I review my goals on a regular basis and add to them as ideas occur to me.

I made just one resolution this year, and that is to breathe deep and try not to let little stuff aggravate me. Sounds simple, but I have a lot of trouble with it.

I am not a big fan of resolutions but after a particularly embarrassing loss at FIFA 15 (soccer video game) to my 7 year old, I vowed that I would get better at video games. I know my children will surpass me in pretty much everything, I am just not ready to concede yet.

Happy New Year, Amber! No resolutions here although I must say I like >11 laytonwoman3rd:'s.

Amber, I wish you and your family another wonderful year!

>8 RBeffa: Ron: I do hope you'll drop in occasionally, because I look forward to your visits! Plus, there's no telling how fast or slow I'll go this year - I'm still reeling over how many threads I had last time round.

>9 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn! Happy New Year!

>10 jjvors: Jeff: That sounds like a much healthier way to do things, for certain.

>11 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Nope, that doesn't even *sound* simple to me, because I know how hard it is for me! Best of luck, lady!

>12 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

>13 Oberon: Erik: Ha! That's the best resolution I think I've ever heard! At least you'll have fun working toward it!

>14 lauralkeet: Laura: Thanks! And I agree - Linda's goal is definitely a good one, but a difficult one.

>15 drachenbraut23: Many thanks, Bianca!

Happy New Year Amber!!! Hope you are staying warm!!! Sending you Best Wishes for 2015!!!!

I don't really make resolutions, but I want to learn Spanish. I've had stops and starts. So my resolution this year is to stick with it!!

On the agenda for today:

Unpacking and luandry, while keeping my hands sanitized (pink eye is still here, but I think maybe a smidge less irritated today? hopefully?), then I need to get a grocery list put together for tomorrow. And then I'd love to just sit here and try my best to catch up on all the new threads! I'm sure that there will be breaks thrown in here and there to play with Charlie and his new stuff, too. He got a Make-Your-Own-Snow-Globe Kit from my mom and dad that he is super-excited to try, plus several other crafty things...

On the reading front: I read 2 whole pages of Tropic of Cancer last night before zonking right out, not even enough to get any sense of what's going on yet. But go check out the end of my last thread for all the reads I finished on our trip! I managed to push my total non-picture book books read to 110! WooHoo!

The (new! - Mom came through again this year with a new Book-A-Day Calendar!) calendar book for the day: The Wet and the Dry: A Drinker's Journey by Lawrence Osborne. Anyone read this one? Mark?

So, 2015, eh? Weird. I'll be turning 40 this year, which seems silly. I don't feel like I've been around that long yet, and I certainly don't feel like I act that age (I'm pretty immature for 40, honestly). So, bring it on, I guess. Ha! As I said up there somewhere, I don't really make resolutions, and I never really thought that New Year's was all that special until I started hanging around with you 75ers, and then January 1st because almighty wonderful - I love the energy and excitement of all the new threads and reading plans and book lists and... *happy sigh* I love it here. *grins*

>17 tjblue: Good to see you, Tammy!! And good luck with the Spanish - I'll be interested in following your progress!

Happy new thread, Amber!

I didn't make any resolutions this year, though I have in the past. I think I do better if I focus on smaller chunks of time, like a month or a couple of weeks.

*waves*

I do make resolutions every year with my husband. We pick 10. They are never too serious and I always include reading 75 books because I know I will achieve at least one from the list. This year I also want to: sell or donate all my outdated technology, add some volunteer experience to my resume and add a star to my tattoo. I think doable? :)

And Happy New Thread, Amber! I really don't make resolutions but I will continue to do what makes me healthy and happy. Of course reading and sharing my book love is a huge part of it.

>20 foggidawn: foggi: I like the idea of smaller chunks of goals - much more doable!

>21 rosylibrarian: Hi, Marie! A tattoo on your resolutions list? How cool is that?!

>22 msf59: Morning, Mark!! Sing it, brother!

Stopping by to drop a star. Happy New Year!

>24 Helenoel: Thanks, Helen!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Amber! I don't have any resolutions but I would like to start back up on my hot yoga this year.

>26 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen!

>27 luvamystery65: Thanks, Roberta! What's 'hot yoga'?

Happy New Year, Amber. I can't believe I'm already behind on the threads. Happy reading!

>29 BLBera: Hi, Beth! I can't believe how many pages of threads I have to read! I admit that I'm a bit stressed about it...

>27 luvamystery65: There are a few different styles of hot yoga but basically you do yoga in a very hot and humid room. I practice Bikram style which uses 26 poses repeated twice in a 90 minute session. The room is 104 degrees F with 40% humidity. It can be brutal at first but there is nothing like it for my arthritic joints.

I know what you mean, Amber. I tried to star a few, but it's taking forever, and I want to read and get my coffee, so I'm giving up for now. I just have to come to terms with the fact that I will always be behind.

Happy New Year to the Plattesville Plato! I'm sorry about the pinkeye(s) but hope it clears up soon. I'm intrigued to follow your reaction to Tropic of Cancer — yet another of those books I know I should read ... someday. Not enough hours in the day, doggone it.

>31 luvamystery65: Roberta: OH, I see! Ha! I was thinking you meant 'hot' as in 'sexy'!

>32 BLBera: Beth: Once I get the unpacking finished and the laundry going, I'm just going to plop myself down here and work my way through as many thread as I can today. I don't like being behind! Ha!

>33 rosalita: Hi, Julia!! I think the pink eye is getting better - fingers crossed! I'll keep you posted on the Miller book - the Capricorn one is up next after this one, so I hope I like it okay...

Happy New Year, Amber! Glad to hear your pink eye is improving, and love the photo of Charlies & his cousins :)

I almost never make resolutions because I know I'm terrible at keeping them. I do have some reading "goals" in mind this year, but the change in name also means no pressure if I'm not quite making it.

Happy New Year, Amber! Hoping that it will be filled with fabulous! Dropping off my star so that I can once again follow along on your fabulous adventures.

No resolutions, but I do like to think about what I would like to see happen in a new year. Usually I just take one day at a time as it comes to me and try to do my best job with that day. I would like to read more off my own shelves this year.

No resolutions for me, Amber. I try to be kind to others and live life fully each day. If I do that, I feel successful. Sorry that the pinkeye is lingering. I've never had it but I do have dry eyes that have made me turn more frequently to audio books. Does your eye infection interfere with your reading?

I'm looking forward to another year with you and Charlie. Keep those pictures coming!

Dropping my and wishing you a gorgeous reading 2015.

Happy New Year Amber! Starred you for 2015.

Happy New Year Amber! I know I won't keep up with your thread but at least I can say hello at the beginning!

I don't really do resolutions but I really want to reduce the number of books I buy quite a bit this year. I don't know how I'll do that and based on previous year's experiences I probably won't be very successful but....

Happy New Year, Amber. Here's to another great year!

Happy new year Amber! Starred you so I don't lose your thread like I did last year.

>35 bell7: Hi, Mary! I like the idea of goals rather than resolutions.

>36 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! One day at a time is just about all that I can manage, too. Ha!

>37 Donna828: Donna: Being kind to others is one of my daily goals, too, and some days I do better than others...

>38 Samantha_kathy: Hi, Samantha - plans are good!

>39 Ameise1: Good to see you, Barbara!

>40 SandDune: Hi, Rhian!

>41 souloftherose: Hi, Heather - good luck with the book buying plans...

>42 mahsdad: Hi, Jeff! Happy New Year!

>43 cameling: Hi, Caro!

Happy New Year Amber! No resolutions for me, either. I try to make changes whenever I become aware that they're necessary.

Happy New Year, Amber, and I hope it starts with your eyes getting better!

I didn't make any formal new years resolutions, but I have a few hope and wishes for the new year. Primarily, a new job, which will include a move. And hopefully a change in lifestyle (more working out and being productive) due to having more energy (what with not being stressed about working a job I hate and looking for a new one). So, yeah. Things generally being better than they are.

>46 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie! Good to see you!

>47 PawsforThought: Paws: Here's hoping for a much better year ahead, eh?

Hi Amber! Happy New Year and all the very best in 2015! The Charlie thread topper is wonderful, cardy worthy picture!

Do you make resolutions at this time of year?

Never. For me January is usually a rather dour month after all the fun and excitement of December. It is also one of the worst month's where I live for lack of sunshine days so the last thing I want in January is to try and keep up a new resolution. I tend to make my resolutions in October, during Canadian Thanksgiving, and use the remainder of that year to settle into any new behaviour patterns/habits I have decided upon. The current resolution I have made is to eat a more healthy/ balanced diet and to curb my impulse eating (like chocolates at 3PM). So far, this has been working really well, with the added bonus that I appear to have lost some weight exactly where I needed to lose it - at my hips - so I am a very happy 2015 girl!

>49 lkernagh: Lori: Congrats on the weight loss! I'm trying to be more conscious of what I eat, too, and I have good and bad days. Also, I didn't really know how these dreary winter months brought me down until we moved here to Wisconsin, where it's cold, of course, but the majority of the days are still bright and sunny. It's wonderful!

Happy New Year and happy new thread, Amber! Hope the pinkeye is headed out the door - never to return.

I just posted about New Years resolutions on my thread. Short story: nope, don't make them :)

Hi Amber! The 40's are great! Enjoy them. You don't have to grow up, but I find that as I get older, I care less about what other people think, which is nice.

>51 katiekrug: Hi, Katie! The pink eye is indeed on its way out! WooHoo!!

>52 banjo123: Thanks, Rhonda! I'm not particularly dreading my 40's - I think Charlie is keeping me pretty young, or at least on my toes...

Happy 2015, Amber!

Thanks, Joe!

Hi Amber, great thread to start 2015 with my dear, I will be a regular visitor over the coming year and will be keeping up with your reading and of course Charlie's reading more importantly. I see that it is a significant birthday for you this year, please let me know the date so that I can send a card and be like me my dear, on the day you are only one day older than the previous day and it is only a number. I will be 52 this year and some days I feel as if I am 22 and other days 72, it is all in the mind, love and hugs to you and the family.

>56 johnsimpson: Thanks, John! The Big Day will be August 8th...

>57 scaifea: A note has been made of the date.

>58 johnsimpson: *grins*

Happy New Year, Amber!



No resolutions for me this year. Last year, I resolved to drink more martinis and did pretty well with that. :-)

Happy New Year, Amber!

No, I don't do resolutions. I am always full of wishes for the New Year though, but as for the other, I am terrible at such things. So, I wish that all of us have a good year with nothing bad happening in our lives and that things get better for us all. And that we acquire lots and lots of books. I know a lot of people are always saying they must buy less or read the plethora of books they have on their shelves, but I truly think that secretly we all just want to buy books. As many as possible.

I know I do.

Amber, Happy New Year from Indiana !

>60 DorsVenabili: Thanks, Kerri! Ha! I love the soused robot!

>61 Fourpawz2: Charlotte: I agree - we all want more books, regardless of what we say we want. I mean, really.

>62 cindysprocket: Thanks, Cindy!!

Starred again! Happy New Year girl. And I had no idea you were such a crazy read until I saw your categories up top. Reading all 12 at once? Insane!! ; )

Happy new year scaifea. my resolution is to do experince five things here that I have never done before. I have started to compile my Alaska bucket list. It will be an interesting year. Reading wise I have my priorities. Once a month I need to do

A Early review book( I have such a back log)
My 25 Fantasy list. I have read 10 so far.
A wishlist book or off my shelf.
A A. Lee Martinez or Michael Chrighton Book. Once Ive gotten through those move on. I am currently working on Helen & Troy's Epic Road Quest
Lastly finishing up series that I have read one or two but never finished the series. Starting with Michael Bennant series.

Happy New Year!

I would like to actually read 75 books this year. Wish me luck!

>64 Berly: Kim: *snork!* Welcome to my crazy world!

>65 xymon81: Matthew: Oh, I'd love to see your Alaska To Do list! And your 25 Fantasy list. Also, I've only read one Martinez book, but I loved it and definitely want to read more of his stuff.

>66 billiejean: Thanks, BJ! Good Luck!!

Happy new year and new thread, Amber! Looking forward to following your reading again this year.

For the bonus question, I'm not big into resolutions but I usually contemplate at least a couple projects I want to get done over the course of the year. :)

Happy New Year!

Resolutions? Eww. I always say I'm going to get more organized and I never do. :) But I am determined to read some of my own books this year.

How do you keep up with so many books at once? Five is about my limit.

>68 MickyFine: Hi, Micky! Good to see you!

>69 hairballsrus: I think I developed the ability to keep track of multiple reads at once in grad school. In other respects my memory is awful, but for some reason I have no trouble with lots of books at once. *shrug*

Dropping off my star and wishing you all the best in 2015, Amber!!
I don't do resolutions but we will be starting the year with a no-sugar and no-alcohol clear out! :-)

>71 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen! No alcohol I can do easily, since I don't anymore anyways, but no sugar?! That's crazy talk, lady.

This is what we've been doing this evening - an 'arty party,' as Charlie calls it, with all of his new art supplies from Christmas:



And, no, I'm not certain what Max (the rainbow bear) is doing with that cash...

Hi Amber! Happy new year. My resolution this year is to be happy. I'm not sure how I'll go about it, but maybe I should start by telling myself what was good about every day. In fact, I'm going over to my thread to do that right now. Your thread inspired me to solidify a fuzzy resolution. Thanks. :)

>73 scaifea: Max appears to be playing an entirely different game!

>74 The_Hibernator: Rachel: Oh, awesome! Love it!

>75 foggidawn: foggi: *snork!* I know, right? Shifty, that bear is...

I think Max plans on defacing the dollar! He's going to add some color to it.

What a great Xmas gift.

& you've got so many lists going, for a minute I thought I'd gotten my challenge groups confused and was looking at the category challenge! Should be an interesting reading year.

>77 cammykitty: Katie: Oh, I've always got that many lists and nonsense going, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Ha! Also, I suspect that Max is trying to figure out how to counterfeit the dollar, but the poor little fool doesn't realize that it's just one of Charlie's play money dollars to begin with...

1. (1st non-picture book of the year) Hansel & Gretel by Neil Gaiman (Gaiman bibliography, 53 pages) - 9/10 = A
A gorgeous re-telling of the old tale, both in words and illustrations. Highly recommended. Gaiman can do no wrong.

2. Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock (public library book, picture book) - 9/10 = A
A cool kid's book that introduces Jefferson and his love of books and reading. Definitely recommended!

Also read today (a new 'feature,' if you will, of my thread - I've decided to list the books that Charlie and I re-read from his shelves, to give you an accurate idea of what other reading goes on here at Scaife Manor besides just the new stuff):

-Drummer Hoff by Barbara Emberley

Hey, I finally worked my way up to your new thread! Welcome back!! And thanks for helping make our new folks feel welcome.

Hi Amber - dropping off a star and wishing you a Happy New Year!

>67 scaifea: I answered your qustion on my thread.

Hi Amber - I finally found you again! The threads are busy busy busy and you had fallen down the list, what with it being night-time there. Happy New Year, and I love the look of the arty party - Charlie has great colouring materials! I think Max might be suggesting he wants to play Monopoly, as it must be quite hard to draw with paws.

Resolutions: Stop reading the Daily Mail online because it just encourages them. Stop reading the comments under articles in the Guardian because they wind me up. Say No To Naps - this one isn't going so well so far as we've had Days: 1 and Naps: 1. But today is a new day! And there have been no naps so far, although it is only midday. I hope your eyes are improving.

Happy Friday, Amber! Enjoy your day and get some reading in!

>73 scaifea: Ooo, Charlie's Christmas haul of art supplies looks great. Maybe Max was waiting to bid on his favorite piece of art when you all were done creating them?

>80 drneutron: Hi, Jim! Thanks for all you do for this group - I don't know what I'd do with myself without it.

>81 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli!

>82 xymon81: Matthew: Oh, I'll be over toot sweet...

>83 susanj67: Susan: One of Charlie's very favorite things to do is think up art projects for himself and the rest of us, so we knew that he'd love to get lots of supplies for Christmas. My sister gave him the big art box full of colored pencils, paints and pastels, my mom got him to dot-makers and the 'smelly markers' as Charlie calls the scented ones and Santa left him the sparkly markers.
Also, no naps?! Are you crazy?! I live for the occasional weekend nap that the Scaife men allow me...

>84 msf59: Morning, Mark! I'm hoping for a bit of reading, too, but much work to be done beforehand, I'm afraid.

>85 lycomayflower: Laura: Ha! Maybe you're right, but Max only has $2 there and they're fake, on top of that. I don't think we'll be making much profit on those works of art. Although apparently we'll be making frames for them today, or so I've been told...

On the agenda for today:

Grocery shopping this morning, then de-Christmasing the house. Hopefully some reading, of both the book and thread kind, later today.

On the reading front: I finished another book last night! Details to follow.

Today's calendar book doesn't interest me in the slightest, I'm afraid: VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health...for Good by Mark Bittman. Vegan? Even just part of the day? Nope, nope, nope.

3. (2nd non-picture book of the year) A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote (Charlie book) - 10/10 = A+
A harsh and also delicate memoir of some of the Christmases of Capote's childhood, this one had me crying at the first page (that's what *really* good writing does to me - gives me goosebumps and tears) and openly weeping by the last for, well, reasons. A small book, but a game-changer, folks. Read it soonish, if you haven't. Many, many, *many* thanks to Linda for sending this to Charlie - it has most certainly earned a place of honor on the Christmastime Reading Roster.

Hmm, it looks like Max was anticipating a game of Monopoly instead of colouring.

My bear Benjamin often joins in with activities like sewing/crafting/board games, but he's usually to be found with a drink in hand. Yup, I'll admit it, I'm a twenty-eight year old with an alcoholic teddy-bear who always comes on holiday with us and desperately wants to be allowed to wear a dress at all times.

Happy New Year, Amber! Here's hoping it's a good year. I am impressed by your ambition with the many different lists and challenges going.

I tried to expand my scope last year, and quickly failed by February. Sigh. I read through all of the Hugo award winners for best novel a few years ago. It took me about 3 years to get through the whole list because if I tried to read too many in quick succession, it really made my brain buzz too much with overstimulation. Plus some were hard to track down.

Anyway, new year, fresh start, lots of ambition. May you achieve your goals. And do lots of art with Charlie.

>89 lunacat: Jenny: Ha! Your bear sounds like our kind of 'guy' (we call Charlie's stuffed animals "the guys") - all of ours have definite, *ahem*, personalities, although none have a drinking problem, at least.

>90 justchris: Hi, Chris! You've read all of the Hugo winners? Cool! Do you have a list of favorites?

Happy New Year, Amber! I'm happy to find you, your lovely family and your great books again.

@91: I read all the way up to 2009. I haven't kept up since then. And I meant to immediately move on to the Nebulas, the National Book award, etc. But lost my oomph. I seem to be a very start and stop sort of person. It's been a few years now, so maybe I can think about taking it on again.

In terms of favorites, the ones that really blew my mind and got my thoughts racing:

The Demolished Man

Dune, though I read it a long time previously. It was the first book I ever read, then immediately flipped over and reread straight through a second time.

Stand on Zanzibar

The Left Hand of Darkness and The Dispossessed, also read long before and not reread for my personal challenge.

Snow Queen

Startide Rising, Neuromanceer, Ender's Game, Uplift War, and Cyteen were all read previously and very thought provoking. I still reread the Uplift books fairly regularly. I have much more complicated feelings about the Card books because of the author himself.

A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky

the Mars trilogy--really, truly amazing in terms of scope and diversity of fields drawn upon

The Diamond Age

The Yiddish Policeman's Union - amazing, and amazing writing, but very unpretty

Rainbow's End

The ones that I enjoyed but weren't exciting in the same way:

The Vorkosigan books and Paladin of Souls
They'd Rather Be Right
The Gods Themselves - gifted earlier by someone appalled by my lack of Asimov reading
The Forever War and Forever Peace
Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang
Gateway
Dreamsnake - a favorite from my youth
Doomsday Book
Harry Potter
American Gods
Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell - though it was very slow to enchant
The Graveyard Book

The books that I struggle with still:

A Case of Conscience
The Man in the High Castle
A Canticle for Leibowitz

And then there are books that were fine, but I wondered whether it was a slow year in publishing, or that I had problems with for one reason or another, or just didn't resonate with me.

>92 cal8769: Thanks, Carrie!

>93 justchris: Thanks for the list, Chris. There are some on there that I've read and loved and some that I'm very much looking forward to - it's a great award list to read through!

Oh! I wondered about that retelling of Hansel and Gretel by Gaiman - I am hoping that our library system has it. And A Christmas Memory is one of my absolute favorites - makes me cry every time. Your agenda for today sounds good, but what's for dinner? I myself can't wait to get the Christmas stuff down - I would do it directly after Christmas Day, but Craig has his heart set upon leaving it up through New Year, so we do.

Please let me know what Max decides to spend his money on.

>95 Crazymamie: Mamie: Oh! I forgot to mention dinner up there - I think I'll throw together some Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken in the crock pot in a bit: black beans, chicken broth, chicken breasts salsa, corn, cumin, pepper, cooked all day, then shred the chicken and return it to the pot for a bit. We eat it over white rice.

I'm pretty sure there must have been a late-night poker game or something last night, because Max no longer seems to be the proud owner of the cash...

Back from grocery shopping and enjoying a spot of breakfast with my new mug:

Good morning, Amber! I've created a thread for a potential Iowa City meet-up later this month. Stop over if you've any interest and throw your two cents into the kitty.

Iowa City Meet-up Thread

>97 scaifea: What a wonderful mug. I love it and as I can see books and key board ate ready, too.

>98 rosalita: Julia: WooHoo!! Oh, I so hope that I can make it! It will really depend on whether Tomm is traveling or not, I think.

>99 Ameise1: Barbara: Well, the doughnuts are gone and the tea, too, but I'm still sitting here typing away...

Merry new year Amber! May you have a merry 2015.

I'm another non-resolutioner - but I do audacious plans instead :) One of those is my ridiculous planned reading list. The other main one for the year is a bike race - mainly on dirt roads and tracks, from Banff, Canada, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico (on the border with Mexico). It's in June, and will involve me doing almost nothing but eating, sleeping, and riding, for about 3.5 weeks.

>101 evilmoose: Megan: Whoa, that's a lot of, um, exercise. Ha!

Whoa! Let's slow down there, Speedy! I declare, the threads of some of you people are completely out of control.

Slow-Cooked Southwest Chicken sounds delicious! Do you have a recipe for it.

I regret to inform you that the white chocolate strawberry swirl cheesecake is now a distant memory. Since you didn't claim it I brought it into work yesterday, and my partners made quick work of it.

I'm long on the Hugo book list too (and I suppose the Nebula as well, since there is a lot of cross over). I'm also trying to focus on the Pulitzer's as well.

So far I've read 19 off of each list.

>86 scaifea: LOL - So, no Vegan at anytime? Actually Vegan, can be incredible tasty, Amber! I wouldn't be interested in being a complete Vegan, but there are some great dishes.

I made a raw cheese cake last year (I love raw desserts) and it looked like this

Happy New Year, Amber! I know I'm a day late, but after my whirlwind trip to NYC to spend the Christmas holidays with my daughter, I just wasn't up to doing much online, plus there were mountains of chores that needed to be done here on my return, including spending a lot of time with my parrot to reassure her that I wasn't going anywhere (for the foreseeable future) and that I hadn't abandoned her. Anyway, looking forward to another great year of reading and spending time with LT friends.

>2 scaifea: Oh, and that's a lovely pic of Charlie and his cousins. Actually, it's eminently frame-able!

>73 scaifea: Wonderful! (Though I tell everyone not to get me anything for Christmas or my birthday, because frankly I have too much "stuff" as it is, but rather to spend time with me doing something meaningful instead, I'd definitely make an exception for art supplies. And, of course, books.)

>103 kidzdoc: Oh, yes, of course, Darryl, you're own thread is at a snail's pace. Sheesh. The chicken recipe is super-simple: Into the crock pot go 2 cans of black beans, rinsed and drained, 1 can of chicken broth, 1 can full of water, 1 jar of your favorite salsa, 4 chicken breasts (I put them in straight from the freezer), 1 can of corn, drained, 1 tablespoon cumin, pepper to taste. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, or until the chicken is easily shredded, then, uh, shred the chicken and mix it back into the pot and let it re-heat through. We eat it over white rice with shredded Mexican-blend cheese on top.
I'm glad that your colleagues devoured my cake. Dang.

>104 mahsdad: Jeff: Yay for lists!!

>105 drachenbraut23: Bianca: Ha! Well, I just love so many un-vegan things that I just can't imagine a vegan lifestyle livable for me. That cake does look pretty good, though...

>106 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary!! We just finished the frame part of the art project started last night - his projects tend to be multi-day and fairly complex affairs...

Hi Amber,
Glad you visited my new thread! Have had a peek at your reading plans. Amazing! I don't think "like" would be the term I'd use for my reading experience of Five Days at Memorial. I was engrossed, horrified, moved and captivated by the story and pondering what would we all do in a similar situation. Let me know what you think when you get to it!

Hi Amber, I love your mug my dear and I would have loved to have been at the arty party, love and hugs to all at Scaife manor.

>108 mdoris: Hi, Mary! Yep, I get the sense that Memorial isn't a book that you 'enjoy' really, but it seems like it'll be a powerful and worthwhile read and I'm looking forward to it. I hope to get to it soonish...

>109 johnsimpson: Hi, John! We would have loved to have had you as part of the arty party!

>88 scaifea: Oh, good! I was so sure you'd love it. And then I was a little apprehensive that you might not... It's just one of those Christmas essentials around here. You'll never look out the window on a dreary November day again without thinking "fruitcake weather", will you?

>97 scaifea: I got a very similar mug for Christmas, with quotes from Mark Twain all over it. Hmmm....Santa must like us!

>107 scaifea: I've copied that recipe right into my Recipes file, and I think I have everything I need to make it in my cupboards and freezer. It might go on the menu this weekend.

>111 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: How could I not love that book?! And no, I don't think dreary November days will ever be the same.
And yay for literary mugs!
And for easy, handy recipes!

Oh, and how have I forgotten to mention today that the pink eye is gone! WOOHOO!!

>113 scaifea: WOOT!

Happy New Year! I'll be slowly but surely following along.

I don't generally do resolutions but I do love reading plans! Got lots of them this year. :)

Celebrate!! No more pink-eye!!!!

>2 scaifea: What a marvelous photo. How blessed we are to have followed your thread and all the Charlie photos over the years. Thanks for providing the opportunity for us to watch him grow. How I wish the world was populated with wonderful mother's just like you.

In checking your lost of books you are reading/listening to via audio, and I see Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy. I loved this one.

Huzzah for no more pink eye!

Your supper plans sound ridiculously yummy.

>113 scaifea: Great news!

>114 lycomayflower: Linda: I know, right?! It certainly took it's dingdang time leaving.

>115 Cobscook: Hi, Heidi! That's one of the things I love about this time of year - checking in on everyone's new reading plans! Mine generally stay pretty much the same, though.

>116 ronincats: Roni: YES!! And even better that Tomm and Charlie have managed to stay clear of the stuff!

>117 Whisper1: Thanks you for the kind words, Linda - I love sharing my life with my friends here.

>118 MickyFine: Micky: Huzzah, indeed! And dinner was very yummy - I'm looking forward to leftovers!

>119 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl!

4. Flight School by Lita Judge (public library book, picture book) - 8/10 = B+
A cute little story about a penguin who wants to attend flight school. The illustrations are pretty good, too.

Also read today:

-A couple of Charlie's Club Lego magazines

And this evening we watched How to Train Your Dragon for the first time. What a great movie! We loved it!! Toothless is my new favorite thing, I think. So adorable.

The librarian read Flight School for story time this summer. The kids then got to make flying objects. We liked it so much that we checked it out later!

Toothless is very popular in our house as well. Owen has not seen the movie yet - just the shorts on Netflix.

>122 jayde1599: Jess: There are shorts on Netflix?! Good to know! And that sounds like a cool story time project, too!

>97 scaifea: Love the mug and intrigued by the pile of books in the middle ground.

Have a lovely weekend my dear. First few days anything to go by we are in for another year of stellar posting from Wisconsin's leading lady classicist. xx

I step away for a day and a half... good grief.

I do not make New Year's resolutions. I am pretty goal oriented, and make goals all year long. I do tend to spend some time organizing myself around the new year, but not in the sense of making a list of goals that are new or different. I recently read somewhere about someone setting a family goal in the new year, and I kind of liked that. I think it would be fun to sit down with the kids and set some kind of goal. Something along the lines of hiking the Tongariro crossing or saving up for a trip to Samoa or Australia or something. Might be worth a try.

I made your rice and lentil recipe again the other day. I added garlic and onions and used a little more chicken broth. This time it was popular with three of us. Progress!

I don't always make New Years Resolutions. (But when I do I don't drink Dos Equis, d**n gout.)

This year I have resolutions addressing my running habit: dropping weight and working on form and flexibility. Arguably they're not really "New Year" resolutions since I've already started, but I'm thinking of them as 2015 activities since they're designed to improve the 2015 running season.

A belated Happy New Year Amber! And a belated starring - rap on the knuckles for me!

>124 PaulCranswick: Paul: Those books in the background are the Chrstimas Jackpot - the books that my mom gave me (see previous thread for photo).

>125 nittnut: Jenn: I like the idea of a family goal, too. And yep, I'd add onions and garlic to just about every meal, if I could, but Tomm can't have either of those things, so we've learned to live without them.

>126 swynn: Steve: *snork!* Best of luck on your running goals! I hope I get to see you in Iowa City soon!

>127 BekkaJo: No knuckle-rapping in this thread, Bekka - I'm happy to have you and your star here whenever you can make it!

On the agenda for today:
Tomm leaves on a business trip to Phoenix this morning, so it'll be just Charlie and I through Thursday. I need to get the bills looked through, organize the photos that have accumulated on the camera over the past two weeks, make some more laundry detergent. I'd also like to do a bit of baking (either some bread (just traditional white bread) or maybe a Cherry Pie Filling Cake, or maybe some cinnamon rolls), too. Charlie has a few plans for us as well: he got a decorate-your-own-ceramic-bowls kit and a make-your-own-gummies kit for Christmas, and I suspect at least one of those will be cracked open today. Oh, and it (finally!) snowed a bit last night and we may get some more today and tomorrow, so there may be some shoveling in my schedule, too (Charlie enthusiastically volunteered to help me with this chore, too, last night - sweet thing). Creamy Cauliflower Soup for dinner tonight. (Which is why I'd like to make the bread today - it would go so nicely with a steamy bowl of soup!).

On the reading front: I finished Part I of Faust last night and am excited to move on to Part II. This is one of those works that I've been aware of for yonks, of course, but just haven't ever made time to read and am so glad that I am now. It's not earth-shattering, honestly, but it's a solid kind of good. And pretty interesting, too. A big improvement on The Sorrows of Young Werther, which didn't really float my yacht. All sorts of allusions and references flying around at every turn, and I dig that kind of thing, man. Gives my classicist-trained brain something to do, for once. Ha!

The book calendar's weekend book quote: "But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilze me and I can't stand it. I been there before."

Happy Saturday, Amber! It looks like we have a messy day ahead of us, weather-wise and next week looks ferocious. Yikes! But we knew this mild, snow-free stuff wasn't going to continue, right?

I do not know the quote but I sure like it. Enjoy the day.

Only found you today and already there's half a thread to catch up on! :)

Happy New Year, Amber! And yay for the pink eye gone!

I do resolutions, but not very strict ones. this year however there are a couple of things I want to change and I am planning to write them down tomorrow.

Oh dear... Faust II? Seriously? I believe back in high school I was the only student who read and finished it. Reread it a couple of years ago and again didn't find it any easier. :)
I quite adore part 1 though. The 3 novels I read by Goethe (Werther among them of course) however were mainly torture.

Happy Saturday! I'm glad the pink eye is gone without affecting either of the guys in your house. It sounds like you and Charlie have a fun day ahead of you.

I'm sure the calendar book is Huckleberry Finn. I've read it a couple more times since first studying it in high school.

Happy weekend Amber! Sounds like you've got a busy day ahead of you - though maybe you meant you were going to do all that by Thursday, which sounds much more doable. :) I'm glad you're enjoying Faust, I've been meaning to read that for years.

Today we're having a heat wave that brings temperatures ALMOST above freezing. What a special day! I'm probably going to hang out with my boyfriend and watch movies. Nice relaxing day.

ETA: and YAY about the pink eye being gone!

>130 msf59: Mark: Yep, winter seems to be coming, eh? And why is it always when Tomm goes out of town and leaves me with the shoveling?! Dingdang. Ha!

>131 Deern: Hi, Natalie! I'm so relieved that the pink eye is out the door and that Charlie and Tomm seem unscathed. The eye irritation wasn't as bad as the stress of keeping everything sanitized for fear of spreading it to them.
I'll be interested to read your resolutions when you set them down!
And yes, I agree that Werther was a bit of a slog. We'll see how Faust Part II goes, but I did enjoy Part I! I'm a bit of a sucker for the old classics, though.

>132 cbl_tn: Carrie: WINNERWINNERCHICKENDINNER!! Not my favorite read of all time, but a classic nonetheless, I suppose. I'm just not a Twain fan, I'm afraid.

>133 The_Hibernator: Hi, Rachel! Nope, that's all to be done today. Typical day at Scaife Manor. Ha!
We've been really warm here lately so the more normal (read: super cold) temperatures coming our way this week will be a bit of a shock, I think. *sigh*

Amber, I wish you a fabulous weekend full of reading.

Ahh, here you are! Happy new Year to you and your lovely family!
Eye, yi, yi what a huge stack of books you're into!!! Not feeling burdened, I hope.

I gave up resolutions years ago. I don't believe that I should resolve to do something starting in January but when I see the need for change as it comes to me.

Ps. It looks as if Max the Rainbow Bear was expecting a game of poker. Wink wink

>136 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!

>137 Carmenere: Lynda: I revel in my huge stack of books and don't feel burdened at all!
It seems that a lot of us feel that year-round goals are better than January ones, and I think that's a good thing.
Oh, Max and his poker money...

Happy New Year, Amber! I love the Charlie topper! Cute kids must run in your family. My resolution is to walk at least 1 mile 3 times a week. My doctor wants it to be 4 miles, but he has given me 3 months to get there. I may need to look into audiobooks!

>139 LoisB: Hi, Lois!! Oh, yes definitely look into audiobooks for your walks!

Yuck, I sure remember pink eye. Glad it's gone and good riddance. May it never darken pinken your doorstep again.

Hope your weekend is starting off well. Glad you're getting to work out those classically trained brain cells.

Ugh! I hate pink eye. So glad you're better, Amber.

I have to de-Christmas the house too, and that is on the agenda for the weekend. I've also realized we hadn't finished winterizing our back yard, so I'm plying the hubster with copious amounts of his favorite breakfast foods so he'll be lulled into a food coma and won't complain too much when I bundle him into his workout coat, put his workgloves and a pair of shears in his hands and shove him out the door into the freezing temp. ;-)

>141 jnwelch: Joe: *snork!* Thanks, Joe! Weekend is off to a great start here at Scaife Manor!

>142 cameling: Thanks, Caro! I'm so glad we got all of the Christmas stuff down - I really don't like that job. Ugh.

Too many lists this year. Almost missed yours somehow. A belated Welcome Back!

>144 scvlad: I'm glad you found me, Steve!

I had a bit of help with the shoveling today:

>146 scaifea: Ah wonderful, when you're finished you can come over and give me a help with all those snow we've got ;-)

>146 scaifea: Such a cutie. With that driveway looks like the more the merrier. Upside to apartment living is I haven't had to shovel in almost 2 years.

Err..it's January 3 and I'm already like 150 posts behind? I'm not surprised in the least...but I think I should make keeping up to date on your thread my New Years resolution....haha!

ETA: Even if I can't read every single word.....I HAVE to see pics of Charlie. Give him a big warm hug for me. And double Yay for no more pink eye. What a drag! :)

>147 Ameise1: Barbara: Oh, I wish we were close enough to pop over and help with your driveway - I'd love to visit you!

>148 MickyFine: Micky: I was just thinking as we were out there working how lucky I am to have a kid so fun that he even makes shoveling snow a hoot! And he volunteered his help! What a sweetheart.'

>149 jolerie: Valerie: Ha! Consider the hug delivered. And yeah, pink eye is the pits - here's hoping you and your monkeys avoid it.

Okay, I have you starred...but I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up!

>151 tangledthread: No worries - I'll just be happy to see you here when I see you here! *grins*

>150 scaifea: It would be absolutely gogeous if we could visit us frequently. *sigh* perhaps one day we'll make a trip over the pond.

>153 Ameise1: Or maybe someday Tomm, Charlie and I will make it over there...

>1 scaifea: oh- you are reading the Iliad in Greek? Me too!!! *chuckles*
The chances of me ever saying that and not being a liar, is slim to none. OK, none. Flat out none. I love it that you are though, and I will certainly cheer you on!

And wow on the snow. We are heading for 30degC (eta: 86 degF) here today and have had temps in the mid 20s for at least the last ten days. It feels like real summer here, which is odd, as summer doesn't usually kick in til closer to February usually.

>129 scaifea: Yay for Faust I! I agree with Natalie about Part II, though: mostly it's just long.

Love the pictures you've shared. The rainbow bear Max playing high stakes poker, a wonderful new mug and some random snow shoveling. You made me smile.

ZOMG, how are you finding Stand on Zanzibar? I thought it was fantastic when I read it, but that was probably ... forty years ago (!!!).

I just starred this thread ... despite having been on LT for a few years, I was previously unaware that that was something one could do.

I am often slow.

>155 LovingLit: Megan: *snork!* Well, I haven't been reading it much lately, but I hope to get back to it soon. Also, I've read it before in Greek, so how nerdy is it that this is a *re-read* for me. In Greek. And we won't discuss how many times I've read it in translation. And how many different translations. And how I very nearly married a Homeric scholar that one time... Ha!
Summer in February. Weeeiiirrd. February here is OhGoodLordyLouI'mSoSickofSnow Month.

>156 swynn: Steve: You're not helping with the encouragement on Faust II. Ha!

>157 ctpress: Carsten: Oh, that makes *me* smile! Awesome!

>158 tungsten_peerts: Glenn: Whelp, the truth is, I haven't started it yet. I'm reading it along with a friend and he hasn't started yet and we have a deal that we'll always start shared reads on the same day. Yeah, so I'm waiting for him to get his hands on a copy. But now you've made it harder for me to wait...
Also, I'm honored that I'm your first star!! Also, I don't mind if you're slow - just makes me look less, um, slow. Ha!

Amber, at the end of 2014, I read an illustrated book that blew me away with the incredible illustrations. If you haven't read Beauty and the Beast by by Max Eilenberg with illustrations of Angela Barrett , I highly recommend it.

>160 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda - I'll keep an eye out for that one (I saw it on your thread and thought it looked lovely)!

5. (3rd non-picture book of the year) The Three Wishes by Shannon Gilligan (CYOA list, 54 pages) - 8/10 = B
One of the better in the younger series.

6. Sneezy the Snowman by Maureen Wright (Charlie book, picture book) - 8/10 = B+
A Christmas gift from Charlie's teacher. Involved a silly snowman who is too cold and tries various methods of getting warm, all with the same inevitable consequence.
Silly and funny and giggle-inducing. We liked it lots.

7. The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty (public library book, picture book) - 9/10 = A
Someone - or thing - starts stealing all the bedtime stories in a woodsy neighborhood, until Eliza Brown decides to solve the mystery...
I loved this one and so did Charlie - I think I'll likely be ordering one for his shelves, because we'll be wanting to re-read it lots, I think. Sweet and funny and wonderful.

Also read today:
-My Wake-Up Book (one of my old cloth books from when I was wee and which my mom made for me - Charlie loves the old thing)
-Amelia Bedelia
-Adventures in Reading: How We Feel (a *very* easy reader; part of a little boxed set, featuring Disney Characters)

On the agenda for today:

Whelp, it snowed a bit more last night, so more shoveling is in order at some point today. And the forecast is predicting 6 inches Monday night/Tuesday morning. And Tomm's in Phoenix until Thursday. Faaaaantastic. Just ask me how much I love that our first big snow coincides with his first long trip of the winter. Go on, I dare ya.
Anyhoo.
Other than shoveling, I'd like to get some more baking done today - Charlie and I made the Cherry Pie Filling Cake yesterday (delicious!), but I'd still like to make some bread, and then we have a new recipe to try for snack bars made with Cheerios and honey. Also, we didn't get round to making the gummies yesterday, so I suspect we'll give that a go today, too. Otherwise, it'll be a day of hanging out with Charlie (I suspect board games will be involved and likely an 'art project' or three) and hopefully some reading in there somewhere. Leftovers for dinner.

On the reading front: I started the John Tyler biography and so far so readable. Apparently he's from Virginia. Shocking. Ha!

Spending a day with Charlie does not sound like such a bad deal, Amber, especially if board games are involved :)

>164 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! Charlie is a big fan of board games of all kinds, and he received two new ones for Christmas, so we've been playing a lot lately. That's just fine with me, because I love them, too!

>165 scaifea: Cool beans! Board games are my sanity savers right now while I am in school. They have replaced books ATM. I hope it changes (somewhat at least) when I graduate (eventually!)

>166 alcottacre: Stasia: Oh, I get that. I hardly had any time at all for personal reading when I was in grad school, and it felt like such a luxury to get back to my own books once I graduated. You'll get back there, too.

OMG you are a serious pro at the reading game. I'll follow closely the children's books...no kids yet, but it might come handy :)

Amber, your snow-shovelling helper looks very cute! I would gladly take some snow over here if you got less :-)

>167 scaifea: I am glad to know that it is not just me!

Happy Sunday, Amber! Fortunately I am off the next 2 days. It will give me a chance to prepare for the arctic blast that is heading our way. Yikes. The good news is, it won't last very long. Whew!

I am starting The Ballad of the Sad Cafe today. Have you read it?

>168 elenasimona: Elana: Serious pro or seriously nuts; I've heard it both ways. Ha! We do read a lot of kid's books here, though...

>169 susanj67: Susan: He says he's ready to help me again today! I would gladly send you some of the 6 inches we're supposed to be getting tomorrow night. Gah.

>170 alcottacre: Stasia: It's funny, isn't it, how you're still doing a ton of reading but feel like you're not able to do any, uh, reading? Ha!

>171 msf59: Morning, Mark! I haven't looked too far into the forecast, being scared off by what I found for tomorrow. Glad to hear that the cold won't last too long. And I haven't read Ballad. I haven't read *any* McCullers before and I'm excited to dive into The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Huh, I should get cracking on that, shouldn't I?

Hi Amber, spending quality time with Charlie is a lovely! It is overcast, rainy, cold, damp. And, I'm staying inside today reading.

>163 scaifea: Poor Amber! Not only that Tomm is away on a trip during the season's first big snow, but that he is gone in Phoenix! If it was Minneapolis or Buffalo or something you could at least be comforted by the thought that he was experiencing the same thing. :-)

Happy Sunday, Amber! Looks like your snow is moving on our direction. Time for a home made pot of soup.

I hate being home alone when a heavy snow comes....our drive is 1/10 of a mile and is north of the house. So if it doesn't get cleared and the temps bounce up and down it becomes an ice rink.

Have fun reading with Charlie. IMO one of the best parts of being a parent was the opportunity to be immersed in children's lit.

Cereal bars baked, driveway shoveled, bread set and raising, post-shoveling HoCho drank. Whew! There was more snow out there than I thought and boy, is it cold! I sent Charlie back inside after about 5 minutes and I think he was okay with that. Ha! When I got back inside, he had the HoCho cups set up and ready. Sweet guy, he knows his momma so well.

>173 Whisper1: Linda: Now that the heavy chores are done, I'm definitely looking forward to an afternoon of cozy inside fun with Charlie.

>174 rosalita: Julia: I know, right?! Pathetic. But I don't begrudge him too much, since he repeatedly states that he'd much rather be home shoveling the driveway than away on a trip. He's a hermit at heart, that one.

>175 Carmenere: Lynda: I agree on the soup front - I'm glad I have some in the fridge to have as leftovers tonight, and I'm really looking forward to a huge hunk of homemade bread (with lots of butter) to go along with it!

>176 tangledthread: When we lived in Ohio we had a ginormous - and frustratingly curved - driveway that was a bit of a nightmare to shovel. I shouldn't really complain about the short, in-town driveway we have now...
Reading with Charlie is just about my favorite thing ever, I have to say.

Afternoon, Amber! Love the photo of your shoveling partner - he's might cute! Sorry about the snow forecast. YIKES!

My uncle in north cental Indiana has a blade attachment on his pickup truck that he uses as a snowplow. He stays busy this time of year plowing driveways for elderly neighbors.

Enjoy the rest of your day in! Art projects and board games sound like a great way to spend a wintery Sunday afternoon.

>178 Crazymamie: Yikes, indeed. Fancy a couple of visitors for a few days? Ha!

>179 cbl_tn: Carrie: Oh, that's lovely of your uncle!
Charlie has a board game all set up for playing after lunch...

Cozy inside fun is the way forward. Will is just about getting old enough for lego - it's brilliant!

You're welcome anytime, Amber!

We have a snowblower. Unfortunately, it also blows the gravel out of the driveway, so come spring we always have to rake all the gravel back into the driveway. Otherwise, it works well. Our driveway is long-ish and curved, plus it widens into a parking area near the house. We haven't had any real snow here in Indianapolis yet--and we want to keep it that way.

When I buy my own house, I'm holding out for a paved driveway. I'd never pay to have it paved myself, but if it comes that way, I won't say no.

Snow is the reason I moved to Florida!

>181 BekkaJo: Bekka: Oh, we do lots and lots of Lego-ing in this house. Lots. Love it!

>182 Crazymamie: One of these days, Mamie...

>183 casvelyn: casvelyn: Even though we're Wisconsoners now, we've not yet given in to the snowblower craze. We have a paved and relatively short driveway so we don't feel like we need one of those monsters, plus I think I'd be scared of the darned thing, like I am of push mowers and weed-wackers. I'm not afraid of a snow shovel. Ha! And yes, paved makes things much easier.

>184 LoisB: Lois: Snakes are the reason I can't move to Florida! Ha!

COme when Charlie can make use of the pool!

>187 Crazymamie: Mamie: Oooh, he'll love that idea!

*grin*

Typically I don't make resolutions at this time. I make them throughout the year as I learn where I need to change.

I just realize I've posted the same thing twice--once last year, once this year. My resolution this year is not to do this again.

No snow in Ohio right now. We are supposed to get some on Tuesday...hopefully not too much. Bitterly cold temps are coming, too. Glad I have some homemade potato soup in the freezer! No homemade bread, though. Wish I could teleport over to your house and steal some! Ha! Like a futuristic Jean Valjean.

Also, Amelia Bedelia! I loved that book.

Sandy K

Just about the time Charlie learns to shovel in a straight line from one end of the driveway to the other, he'll lose all interest in doing it at all! But what fun to see him enjoying it at the moment.

>190 jjvors: >191 jjvors: Jeff: Ha!

>192 sandykaypax: Sandy: No need to Valjean here - you'd be welcome to it!

>193 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Ha! I don't doubt that. But, yes, he's a hoot to watch as he blissfully helps!

Charlie is such a cutie!
I'm glad your pink eye has finally gone away!

>195 cal8769: Thanks, Carrie! And me, too!!

8. Jack by Tomie dePaola (public library book, picture book) - 7/10 = C
I usually enjoy dePaola's children's book, but this one just fell flat. Trying a little too hard to be clever, I think, and then ending was way too abrupt.

Also Read Today:
-The Three Little Pigs
-The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck
-The January 2015 edition of High Five Magazine
-Curious George
-Jasper & Joop

I saw the mid week forecast for Madison, and I assume that it will be the same or worse in your town. Although I'm sorry I wasn't able to visit my best friends I'm glad I'm not there this week.

Do you have a generator or other back up electrical supply if, God forbid, your power goes out?

>198 kidzdoc: Darryl: No, we don't have any back-up power and I'm a smidge concerned about that, but I've also had a flood of offers from friends - one of which, importantly, has a wood-burning furnace - to come hang out with them if we need to. I'm very much hoping we don't have to, though.

On the agenda for today:
Charlie goes back to school today, so after dropping him off I'll head back home to the treadmill (and boy, let me tell you, it's been yonks since I've been on that thing!), a bit of cleaning, and then I think I'll start in to planning the spring book fair. I'll likely hang around some LT threads for a bit, too. If the weather holds out long enough (the snow isn't supposed to start until this evening), Charlie and I are going out for dinner at a local Italian place.

On the reading front:
We had a lovely couple of hours yesterday afternoon in which Charlie worked on building with his Legos while I sat nearby in my rocking chair with Excalibur and read through about a third of it. I love this trilogy and am both eager to see how he ends things and sad at the prospect of being finished with it. I'll definitely be adding more Cornwell to the wishlist after this.

The calendar book today, Where We Belong by Emily Giffin, is described as "engaging commercial women's fiction." Wha? What exactly does *that* mean? Anyway, I think I'll pass...

>200 scaifea: Amber, "commercial" as opposed to "literary", I would say. I've read this book, and some others by this author, and really enjoyed them all. They're in the Diane Chamberlain/Jodi Picoult sort of mould, but Ms Giffin isn't as well known (yet, anyway).

>201 susanj67: Susan: I keep hearing about Picoult; one of these days I'll give in and give her a try...

>200 scaifea: The phrase "engaging commercial women's fiction" is odd and doesn't exactly pique my curiosity. Oh well.

Please stay warm!

>203 DorsVenabili: Kerri: I think the consistently poorly-written blurbs on this calendar bias me against the books, honestly. I think I should just stop reading the descriptions and look up the books elsewhere...
Stay warm, eh? Well, it's currently -7F out there, and that's not the wind chill, either. Yeah, the wind chill is -24F. Gah.

Morning Amber! Sounds like you have a good day planned. I am off today, but I do have to run out, on a few errands. One includes a massage, so that will be worth it.
It looks like we are in for a tough week. Yikes!

Hey there, Amber! Sort of speaking of resolutions, which I swear I do not make, I've come up with an "idea". I've tried this before but it fell thru so here goes again. I hope to visit for first 10 people that are on my LT "Talk" page whenever I log on. In this way, I visit w/out making decisions and move along.
Have a great cozy day indoors planning the book sale, What Fun!

>205 msf59: Mark: A massage, eh? Sounds wonderful!

>206 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda! So far I've been able to keep up with pretty much all of the threads, but it's a lot of doing, especially here at the beginning of the year.

>206 Carmenere: Wellll, maybe I'll change my "idea" to the 5 top names. I've been posting for 45 minutes, 9 visits and I'm itching to start the day, yoga, breakfast etc etc.
So five it is!

>208 Carmenere: Lynda: 45 minutes - wow! I feel honored that I got a second morning visit!

Morning, Amber! Love the dinner plans - please report back!

>210 Crazymamie: Mamie: Charlie and I usually treat ourselves to dinner out at least once while Tomm's gone on his week-long trips and we particularly like hitting this Italian place, since there isn't a lot on their menu that Tomm can eat. I hope the snow holds off long enough for us to go this evening.

Crossing my fingers for you!

>212 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie!

I looked up the word productive in the dictionary and guess whose picture I saw right next to the definition, Miss Amber?!? ;)
Wowee...you sure are one busy Momma. Way to go for getting back on the treadmill. I know your feeling all too well.

Hi Amber. I'm just popping in quickly to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!



I'm so far behind on your thread, there's too much to comment on.

As for resolutions, I've given up making them for New Year, so it takes the pressure off a) coming up with something meaningful on the stroke of midnight, having not thought about it before / forgotten what I did think about and b) feeling guilty for not sticking to them. I'm rather stubborn, so I get a bit resentful if they start to restrict me. Plus, my dad used to tend to make resolutions for me, and even if I knew I should do just that, I'd just feel "ain't gonna" about them. :0)

I do have general life resolutions, but I've been working on them for a while now, not just for the new year.

>200 scaifea: I'd say that means it's the kind of thing that will appeal to those book clubs that read all the "relevant" topical stuff---the Issue of the Month Clubs, as I like to call 'em. In other words, I probably wouldn't get past page 5. Jodi Picoult is definitely not on my TBR lists.

I starred your thread, Amber, but I'm sure I'll fall behind fairly quickly :)

Argh! I just got here and you are almost read for thread #2 already!? o.o

*Hugs*

I'm doomed.

>3 scaifea: I did this year it is to eat healthier.

I have a soup recipe that is very similar to your Southwest chicken but also has sweet potato chunks in it. Very yummy.

Yay for no more pink eye!

Love the photo of Charlie 'helping' with the snow removal.

>200 scaifea:

For "engaging commercial women's fiction", read warm and fuzzy and self-consciously heartwarming. I liked Giffin's first two books, because she wrote chick lit but let her heroines do slightly subversive things (fall in love with bff's fiancé and have it end happily; get pregnant and become a single mom and be happy as a single mom before having a romantic ending), but since then she has resorted to trite plots and I've become bored. She also has done the author-behaving-badly stuff. Nor can she write well enough to get away with (a) trite and (b) writer behaving badly nonsense. Either someone needs to write very well (or be very imaginative) or they need to have a wild sense of humor. Giffin is just "more of the same" in the tedious (to me) women's fiction category. Wow, do I sound judgmental??

Happy new year? And I'm too old and crabby to do resolutions.

>214 jolerie: Valerie: *snork!* I have to keep busy or I'd get sad. Nothing will throw me into a funk of major proportions faster than not having a list of things To Do. Weird? Maybe. But I'm okay with that. Ha!

>215 humouress: Hi, Nina! So good to see you here.

>216 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: *note to self: cross of Picoult from the To Buy for Linda list...*

>217 aktakukac: Hi, Rachel! No worries - I'm happy to see you when you can pop in!

>218 Ape: Stephen: Meh. It'll all slow down soon, I suspect.

>219 takenby05: Therese: That's a good one, and one that I struggle with constantly, I'm afraid. For instance: I had a half a bag of cookies for lunch today. *sigh*

>220 SuziQoregon: Hi, Juli! It is very much like a soup, that recipe. I like having it with rice to let the rice soak up all the juice. Yum.

>221 Chatterbox: Suzanne: Ugh. Trite and trying to be clever and not pulling it off, eh? Thank you, no. Also, I revel in your judgmental crabby rants. Ha!

So, Charlie and I went for an early dinner and made it there and back before the snow (which still hasn't arrived - not that I'm complaining!):



He had, as you can see, spaghetti with a giant meatball, followed by a chocolate sundae, while I went for the fettuccine alfredo and a salted caramel brownie a la mode. Yum.

And look what came in the mail today:



It has been a very good day!

>223 scaifea: Oh, any chance of us seeing the front cover of Brideshead Revisited?

>224 PawsforThought: As you wish:



It's lovely, no?

Ooooh, that's pretty. I don't like my edition...



Would it be shallow to look for a new, prettier copy?

>225 scaifea: Oh, pretty. If I like it enough to buy when I read it, I'll keep an eye out for that copy.

By the way, I've got a book with Greek plays from the library. Who do you recommend I start with: Sophocles, Aeschylus or Euripides? Any particular play?

>226 katiekrug: Katie: Huh. I like your copy. But look for another copy if you don't like that one and give that one away!

>227 PawsforThought: Paws: Well, that depends. You could read them in the order in which they were written, so that you could track the progression of how the plays were written and the influence one playwright had on the next (so you'd need to start with Aeschylus, then move on to Sophocles and then Euripides). Or you could start with the 'easiest' to read and move up to the denser stuff: Euripides and Sophocles are generally considered more accessible than Aeschylus, although neither of them can give me goosebumps like Aeschylus can.

>228 scaifea: Yeah, I think I'll go with the "easiest" one first (unless there are some that need to be read in order). I've never read Greek plays before (only excerpts, and that was a very, very, very long time ago) so not quite sure what I'm getting myself into.

So Euripides or Sophocles... Any tips on which actual plays to go with first?

>229 PawsforThought: For Sophocles you can't go wrong, really, by starting with Oedipus Rex. I mean, well, it's sort of *the* Greek tragedy, no? For Euripides, I've always been partial to the Medea, myself. I'd be happy to be an informal 'tutor' to your reading for the plays, if you like, by which I mean you're welcome to ask me any questions that come up while you're reading them...

>230 scaifea: You're so lovely! Thank you.

>231 PawsforThought: Paws: I'd be very happy to do it!

Oh, good. You made it to dinner. And I love the photo! Nice book haul, but what is the yellow one, please? I can't quite make it out.

>233 Crazymamie: Mamie: It's English Fairy Tales, the Everyman's Children's Classics edition.

Thank you! I really love those Everyman's editions!

>235 Crazymamie: Me, too, Mamie!

I love it when books come in the mail. I got one today, too, which reminds me, I have to go and thank someone.

9. The Three Wishes by Margot Zemach (public library book, picture book) - 8/10 = B
A variation on a very old theme. Meh. Not the best re-told fairy tale ever, but not horrible, either.

10. Waiting Is Not Easy! by Mo Willems (public library book, easy reader) - 9/10 = A
Piggie has a surprise for Gerald, but Gerald isn't very good at being patient. Hilarity, as always, follows.

Also Read Today:
-Castle
-Curious George Takes a Job
-The January/February 2015 edition of National Geographic Little Kids Magazine

>237 BLBera: Beth: I know, right?! Love it!

>226 katiekrug: Never shallow to replace a favorite book!

Amber, love your book haul! And the wonderful job your helper did on the driveway! Looks like he's a quilter.

>240 cammykitty: Katie: Ha! Well, he does like to help me in the sewing room, too...

On the agenda for today:

Whelp, after all of the hullabaloo, we seems to have about 2.5-3 inches of snow on the ground. Not that I'm complaining, mind, but honestly, they were saying 6-7 inches and panties were most definitely being twisted. Sheesh. I'm happy that I don't have a rough job of shoveling to do; 2-3 inches I can handle no problem.
So, anyway, I'm certain that Charlie will have school, and that I'll be shoveling, although I'm not sure when I'll go out to do that, since there's a wind chill advisory for most of the day... Otherwise, treadmilling, more cleaning, laundry, more work on the book fair, and then possibly some time in the sewing room, which also needs a good, solid cleaning, before picking Charlie up at school. Homemade pizza for dinner tonight.

On the reading front: I started The Windy Hill yesterday and so far it's pretty good - a nice, cozy children's book, which seems like it may follow the form of A Secret Garden a bit. We'll see how it goes.

The calendar book today is the murder mystery/thriller, Blood from Stone by Frances Fyfield. Anyone read this one? Thoughts?

Loving your copy of Brideshead, Amber. Hoping to get lucky and snag a copy at this weekend's library booksale for next month's BAC. Otherwise will be borrowing from library.

>243 Fourpawz2: Charlotte: I bought it now for the BAC next month, too! Good luck at the library sale!

Morning, Amber! I can't quite tell how much snow we got, but it doesn't look like more than 3 to 4 ", which isn't horrible. What is always rough, is the cold and snow mix. Ugh!

>245 msf59: Mark: I know, right?! They're saying that frostbite is a risk after only 10 minutes today, so how am I supposed to get the driveway shoveled?! Sheesh.

>223 scaifea: That really looks like a wonderful day, Amber. Love the pic of Charlie and his spagetthi and giant meat balls.
Your book Haul looks great as well. I have got Black Mischief on my TBR for Paul's BAC. However, I think your edition just looks stunning.

>247 drachenbraut23: Morning, Bianca! I'm excited to get to the Waugh- I've never read her before.

>248 scaifea: Psst. *whispers* Him. Evelyn Waugh's a him.

>249 lycomayflower: Laura: *SNORK!* I'm tired. Apologies.

>250 scaifea: LOL. No worries. I had to give a presentation on an article in a grad school class once, and I realized ten minutes beforehand as I went over my notes that I had no idea whether the author was male or female. A frantic internet search offered no clues, so I just alternated between "he" and "she" throughout the presentation. No one called me on it. To this day I don't know if the rest of the class and the prof also didn't know or if they all thought I was crazy (or subversive?)!

Morning, Amber! Book fair, huh? You are taking me back - I use to organize and set up all the book fairs for the elementary school when the kids were younger. Great fun! I only did it once for the middle school because after I had finished setting it all up, the librarian went about pulling the books that she thought the kids shouldn't read. She just put them back in the boxes to send back to Scholastic. My mouth hung open, I was so shocked. So I handed her the paper with all the volunteers names on it and their shifts and told her that I didn't do censorship. She looked at me like I had grown an extra head, and that was that.

>252 Crazymamie: Yikes! How unprofessional of her!

>253 foggidawn: One of the times that I was truly speechless.

>251 lycomayflower: Laura: Well I mean honestly. Evelyn? Carsten? It's just downright rude of them to expect us to know. *snork!*

>252 Crazymamie: Mamie: Oh, whoa. That's nuts. I think I would have been slightly more wicked than you and waited round until she left then put them back on the shelves. Ha! I pretty much have a free hand with the fair and tons of help from the librarian, the principle and the teachers, so it's a hoot.

>253 foggidawn: foggi: I know, right?! What kind of librarian does that?!

>254 Crazymamie: Mamie: Well, I'm rarely speechless, but that may have done it. No, I think not; I think it would have made me pretty speechy, really.

She was one of those people that you just can't tell anything. She put the boxes in a locked storage area, so there was no chance of just quietly putting them back. Plus, she would have noticed and thrown a fit. I don't do fits with adults.

Guilty as charged. I thought Carsten was a guy and Evelyn a girl.....what the heck????

>256 Crazymamie: Mamie: Hoo, boy. What a winner she was, eh? Sheesh.

>257 jolerie: Valerie: Ha! What the heck, indeed!

Back in a bit to start a new thread...

I know, right?!

Well, to be fair, Carsten is much more common on men and Evelyn is (nowadays) much more common on women. So don't feel bad.

>248 scaifea: LOL - I thought him to be a "she" for quite some time as well. This is going to be my first time to read him as well. I had this book at least for 10 years+ on my TBR. It belonged to a Penguin modern classic collection I bought at that time.

I'm just dropping by to say hi, Amber! I only just found your thread this year.

>263 kgodey: Hi, Kriti! Good to see you!

The new thread is up!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/186118

Woohoo! Ringworld! One of Niven's best. Be sure to tell us what you think.

Polk is probably my favorite President between Jackson and Lincoln. He's definitely the best one term President. I read one biography of him, plus Paul Johnson's assessment in A History of the American People.

>266 jjvors: Jeff: I'm excited to get to Ringworld soon!

>223 scaifea: He is so adorable and the salted caramel brownie sounds wonderful! Looks like a good stack of books.

>268 takenby05: Therese: Thanks! I'm pretty partial to the fellow, myself, I have to say. And the brownie was *amazing.* And there's nothing like a nice, new stack of books, eh? I indeed live a charmed life.

>267 scaifea: I just glanced through this really quickly, and for about two seconds I was sure you said you were excited to get ringworm soon. Yeah.

>270 casvelyn: casvelyn: *snork!* Well, I've had pink eye, so why not go for gold, I guess?