Mamie's 2015 Madness

My name is Mamie, and I love to read. That’s why we’re all here, right? This is my fourth year in the 75ers. Let’s see, what do you need to know about me? I like to take each day as it comes. I believe in kindness, in being gentle with people’s hearts. I think that words are powerful, so I would ask that you use them carefully on my thread. And I love to laugh.

About two years ago my husband and I packed up our Indiana born and raised family and moved to the Deep South, where macaroni and cheese is a vegetable, shopping carts are called buggies, and winter is just a breath of cold air. We wanted to sit on the back deck and look at the pecan trees, so we bought a house in Georgia where we could do just that. As I was a new 75er at the time, our moving adventures were a big part of my first thread, which is how our place got its name. Paul christened it the Pecan Paradisio, and that name has held true.

My reading is eclectic; I will read almost anything, but I avoid self-help like the plague. Not sure what that says about me. I read more fiction than non-fiction, and I tend to run home to Momma with rereads of old favorites and crime fiction when I can’t decide what to read next. I love discovering new authors, and I have slowly been dipping into new to me genres such as space opera and steampunk. I am learning the art of listening to audiobooks, and I have ventured into the landscapes of graphic novels. One thing about this group is that they are excellent with making recommendations. You will be better read than you ever imagined if you follow their advice.

...

...

January Reads: (5 books)

1. Dead and Gone by Charline Harris (reread, 9th in the Sookie Stackhouse series), ROOT ebook
2. Walking Shadow by Robert B. Parker (21st in the Spenser series), library ebook (3 stars)
3. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, 2014 acquired ebook (4.5 stars)
4. The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel (3.75 stars), library hardback
5. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers (4 stars), 2014 acquired audiobook

Those of you who know me well know that while I love to plan and make lists, I then feel completely free to drop everything and just read what I want. The exception to that is if I told you that I would read something with you; I like to honor those commitments.

January Possibilities:

For Mark’s AAC:
The Ballad of the Sad Café by Carson McCullers, 2014 acquired audiobook (#22) COMPLETED
Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers, 2014 acquired paperback (#19)

*If you have not yet read this author, I highly recommend The Heart is a Lonely Hunter – one of my top reads from last year

For Paul’s BAC:
Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively, 2014 acquired ebook (#15)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, requested from library (#10), recommended by Kim

For Jacqui’s ANZAC:
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan, library hardback (#2)

For projects with friends here on LT:
The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman, 2014 acquired ebook (#22)
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs, ROOT ebook , this will be a reread

Other prospects:
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth (#4), 2014 acquired ebook, shared read with Ilana
Chocolat by Joanne Harris (#3), ROOT paperback, this will be a reread, shared read with Ilana
A Prayer for the Dying by Stewart O’Nan (#12), requested from library, recommended by Mark
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (#15), 2014 acquired ebook COMPLETED
The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel, library hardback, recommended by Mark COMPLETED
The Glass Palace by Amitav Ghosh, 2013 hardback, gift from Benita

TIOLI

There are loads of challenges running this year, and I intend to participate when my own shelves and the local library can provide a book AND when I feel like it. Those of you who participated in Mark’s AAC last year know that I was tainted, not pure. I’m fine with this. I love tainted. I want the challenges to a source of fun, not a source of stress, so I will take things one month at a time and see what happens. This space is just to help me keep track of those challenges.

Just a listing of what's already on my own shelves that I have not yet read:

Mark's AAC 2015:
January - Carson McCullers - The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (audio), Reflections of a Golden Eye
February - Henry James-
March - Richard Ford
April - Louise Erdrich-
May - Sinclair Lewis- Main Street, Babbitt
June - Wallace Stegner-
July - Ursula K. Le Guin - The Left Hand of Darkness, Worlds of Exile and Illusion
August - Larry McMurtry- Lonesome Dove
September - Flannery O' Connor- A Good Man is Hard to Find, Everything that Rises Must Converge (audio)
October - Ray Bradbury-The Halloween Tree, The Illustrated Man
November - Barbara Kingsolver- The Bean Trees
December - E.L. Doctorow-

Paul's BAC 2015:

January :
Penelope Lively - Moon Tiger
Kazuo Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go (requested from library)
February :
Sarah Waters
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited (audio/ebook)
March :
Daphne Du Maurier - Rebecca
China Mieville - The City & the City
April :
Angela Carter - The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories
W. Somerset Maugham
May :
Margaret Drabble
Martin Amis
June :
Beryl Bainbridge - Every Man for Himself
Anthony Burgess - Malayan Trilogy
July :
Virginia Woolf - I have her complete canon and have only read Mrs. Dalloway
B.S. Johnson
August :
Iris Murdoch - A Word Child, The Italian Girl
Graham Greene - Our Man in Havana, The End of the Affair (audio)
September :
Andrea Levy
Salman Rushdie
October :
Helen Dunmore - The Siege
David Mitchell - Cloud Atlas
November :
Muriel Spark
William Boyd - Brazzaville Beach, A Good Man in Africa
December :
Hilary Mantel
P.G. Wodehouse - Piccadilly Jim
Thirteenth Month :
Bernice Rubens - A Five Year Sentence
Aldous Huxley - Brave New World

Jacqui's ANZAC for 2015

Australia

January- Richard Flanagan - The Narrow Road to the Deep North (requested from library)
February-Cate Kennedy
March-Michelle De Kretser
April-Roger McDonald
May-Christina Stead
June-Kim Scott
July-Peter Carey
August-Helen Garner
September-Ruth Park
October-Robert Hughes
November-Kerry Greenwood - Flying Too High
December-Matthew Reilly

New Zealand

January-Fiona Kidman - In a Clear Light (requested from library)
February-Maurice Shadbolt
March-Elizabeth Knox
April-Alan Duff
May-Katherine Mansfield
June-Witi Ihimaera
July-Lloyd Jones
August-Keri Hulme - The Bone People
September-Michael King
October-Patricia Grace
November-Ngaio Marsh
December-Paul Cleave

Navajo Mystery(Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee)/Walt Longmire Project

January - The Blessing Way
February - The Cold Dish
March - Dance Hall of the Dead
April - Death Without Company
May - Listening Woman
June - Kindness Goes Unpunished
July - People of Darkness
August - Another Man's Moccasins
September - The Dark Wind
October - The Dark Horse
November - The Ghostway
December - Junkyard Dogs

Patricia Briggs Group Read

MT = Mercy Thompson series
AO = Alpha and Omega series
WM = World of the Marrok

Here's our tentative schedule:

January: Moon Called MT
February: Blood Bound MT and Alpha and Omega AO (short story)
March: Iron Kissed MT
April: Cry Wolf AO and Star of David WM (short story)
May: Bone Crossed MT and Seeing Eye WM (short story)
June: Hunting Ground AO and Mercy Thompson: Homecoming MT (graphic novel)
July: Silver Borne MT
August: River Marked MT and In Red, With Pearls MT (short story)
September: Fair Game AO
October: Frost Burned MT
November: Night Broken MT
December: Dead Heat AO (NEW!) and the remaining stories in Shifting Shadows

Don’t laugh. Okay, go ahead and laugh. I want to read more from my own shelves and from the library this year, so I am going to try to keep my 2015 purchased books to just fifty. That’s right. You heard me. Fifty. I arrived at this magic number by taking my age (47) and rounding up to a nice even number. This is where I will post my purchases.

These books were pre-ordered in 2014, so I am not counting them in my tally:

Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch - comes out tomorrow, Jan. 6th
First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen - comes out Jan. 20th
The Alphabet House by Jussi Adler-Olsen - comes out Jan. 24th
Love and Friendship: And Other Youthful Writings by Jane Austen - comes out Jan. 27th (this is a clothbound classic, which I collect)
Fairest by Marissa Meyer - comes out Jan. 27th
Prudence by Gail Carringer - comes out March 17th

Mamie's Sweet Sixteen from 2014 (in no particular order)

1. The Hours by Michael Cunningham
2. *Middlemarch by George Eliot
3. The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
4. *The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
5. Vanessa and Her Sister by Prima Parmar
6. *The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
7. Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood
8. The Descendants by Kaui Hart Hemmings
9. The Spinning Heart by Donal Ryan
10. *The Martian by Andy Weir
11. The Snow Queen by Michael Cunningham
12. *The Snowman by Jo Nesbø
13. The Bullet Catcher’s Daughter by Rod Duncan
14. *The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
15. In Paradise by Peter Mathiesen
16. Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller

* denotes that I listened to the audiobook

That should do it, next one's yours!

Then I'll jump in to say hurrah! Lovely to see you here at last.

Wow! You were fast on the draw there, Paul! Fitting that you should be my first visitor since you named the place! And thank you!

Hello mamie,

I wish you a wonderful, happy New Year. Your reading lists look great. Station Eleven is on my TBR. Also, I still seem to listen to more audios, rather than reading.

Here you are!

Oh, thank gawd you're here!

>10 drachenbraut23: Welcome Bianca! Thank you for those wishes! I am really liking Station Eleven so far - I'm about 1/3 of the way through it. I have been steadily adding audios to my reading the past two years, and I love books in that format if the narrator is good. I had to learn how to actively listen, though, because at first I would start to zone out when I tried to do other things while listening. Now I like to listen while I am cooking and while I am doing laundry or mundane tasks. I just got a pair of wireless headphones for Christmas, and I am LOVING them! No cords to get caught on anything as I walk through the house!

>11 ronincats: Hey, Roni! Thanks for finding me!

>12 katiekrug: I feel the love, Katie! We makers of mischief have to stick together.

Oh yay, oh yay, oh yay! Mamie's started her thread for 2015!!

Starred you.

>15 cameling: That graphic made me laugh, Caro! And thanks for starring me!

Hurrah for another year in Pecan Paradisio :)

Happy New Year, Mamie! Love the thread topper … apparently I am in the right place, LOL!

Dancing piggy! And more importantly, Happy New Year to you, Mamie.

>17 lunacat: Thank you, Jenny!

>18 lit_chick: Thanks, Nancy! And YES, you are in the right place - let the madness begin!

>19 rosalita: I know, too cute, right?! Welcome, Julia! And thank you! Although you are not hosting a thread this year, I will be expecting you to be available for shenanigans. Please pencil me in.

>20 Crazymamie: There will be SO MANY shenanigans! I will be shenaniganning all over your thread, Katie's thread, Roberta's thread, Kerri's thread, Donna's thread ... pretty much anywhere I can find. And of course you are among the top choices for co-shenaniganner.

Welcome back! About time you showed up... :)

Most excellent! And I am touched to be among your top choices!

>22 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

Hi Mamie - welcome back!

>25 susanj67: Hi, Susan! Thank you!

Glad you came to your senses!! If I am on LT, then I will be here. : ) Happy New Year!! Hope it is filled with love, happiness, friends, and books.

>27 Berly: Um...thank you?! Ha! I'm holding you to that, Kim! And thank you for those good wishes.

Yay, Mamie's back! :-) And two books finished already?!

>29 souloftherose: Hello, Heather! Both books were started in December, so...but it looks like I am off to a running start, doesn't it?!

Found you! Happy New Year, Mamie! Love the new thread and your Sweet Sixteen list. I always get a feeling of "Yes!!" when someone likes Middlemarch. Such a good one.

Looking forward to more fun with the Mamie clan at the Pecan Paradisio this year.

>31 jnwelch: Oh, good. I didn't even know that I was lost, Joe, so I hadn't gotten scared yet. So glad that you liked my list - Middlemarch was definitely a highlight of last year. Just so lovely, and the audio narrated by Juliet Stevenson is truly fabulous.

We are thrilled to have you along again to share our adventures! And while I have your ear, I'll say thank you for recommending Ms. Marvel - I bought that for Birdy for Christmas this year and she really loved it. I read it, too, and it was nice to see a different role model for a superhero.

That's great to hear about Ms. Marvel, Mamie, thanks. She does such a great job of depicting Muslim life in the U.S. as varied and normal, among other things. I think the book's really starting to catch on - I've seen it on a couple of bestseller lists now. So glad to hear you and Birdy enjoyed it. Can't wait for the next one.

I got Ms. Marvel more or less as a gift, and I have never read a GN in my life. Not sure if this will be the first, but I'm happy to hear you all liked it.

Glad you made a thread to post at Mamie. It's good to have one somewhere to track the reading. Happy New Year!

>33 jnwelch: I agree, Joe. We would not have found it so quickly without your help, so take a bow.

>34 rosalita: I am still pretty new to graphic novels, too, Julia, and while I am gaining a deeper appreciation for them, they will never be my favorite format. I just love the larger story arc that a novel offers. That being said, I would guess that you would like the non-fiction or the more involved GNs more as a starting point. Maus is excellent, and The Complete Essex County is poignant; I loved both of those. The thing about Ms. Marvel is that the main character is a young Muslim girl growing up in America who can't identify her culture with the comic book heroes that she loves. The message of the book is important, I think, and I love things that defy stereotypes.

>35 luvamystery65: Hello, Roberta! Right - a place to track my reading and a jumping off point for mischief making. Did you see up there that I actually read the next Spenser?! I thought that you and Donna and Kim would get a big kick out of that! Now that we have abandoned the project due to angst (and Susan) overload, our library system has purchased almost all of the books in digital format. So of course, I had to read the next one - I am happy to report that Hawk must be called in early and stay for the entire book. SO if you feel like you need a fix sometime this year, you can rest easy knowing that the next one is not a loser.

I thank you for those New Year's wishes. I feel like it is going really well so far. Of course, I haven't done much except set up this thread...

Hi, Mamie! Happy New Year, lady!

>37 Crazymamie: I did not notice the Spenser Mamie. Good to know it's a good one and Hawk is around. I'll probably dip back into Spenser once a quarter or so. I do want to continue but I so needed a break. You are a brave woman!

>38 scaifea: Hi, Amber! And thank you!

>39 luvamystery65: I don't know that brave is the correct adjective, Roberta, but I SO appreciate the sentiment! I was checking to see what the library had new in Kindle format, and all these Spenser titles popped up, which made me laugh out loud. It's like he's stalking me!

WooHoo, Mamie you're way up until I found you and drop . It's a very good decision to make a new thread. I love the photo in the top. It's so suitable for this group. Wishing you Happy Reading 2015.

Hi Mamie! Found and starred! You're off to a running start with two books completed already. I'll be trying to catch up this weekend in between loads of laundry. Sheets! Bath towels! Kitchen towels! I'm not used to doing laundry for 4.

Starred, Mamie! I love the image in >1 Crazymamie:!

>6 Crazymamie: Great list! Now that I've read Mrs. Dalloway, I can finally read The Hours (and see the film). Also loved The Martian, of course. And I quite liked The Spinning Heart too.

>41 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! What kind words, and I love my star!

>42 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie! Oh, dear! Laundry for four when you're not used to it. It's never ending! I like to listen to audiobooks while doing the laundry so that I can "read" and still have my hands free. Good luck!

>43 DorsVenabili: Hooray, Kerri! I fell in love with the top image when I stumbled across it on the web, so I am thrilled that others are pleased with it.

Yes! Read The Hours - such a great book. I read Mrs. Dalloway just before reading it, so it worked out great - you're all set. I have not yet seen the film, but it's on the Bucket List. Last year was such a great reading year for me that I actually had trouble narrowing it down to just sixteen. I would love to have that problem again this year!

My mom had us start doing our own laundry somewhere around middle school. Now I understand why!

Ha! That's when I taught my kids to do it, too. Everybody here does their own laundry but we combine loads for towels and sheets - luckily I have those enormous frontload machines. LOVE those!

Mamie!! I'm so glad to see your thread up and running -- and with the adorable reading cat and listening dog at the top. Thank you for keeping them. :-)

You are in for a treat with The Narrow Road to the Deep North, although it is hardly a cheerful story.

As you yourself commented on my thread, you and I are starting our year in sync with one another. I'm about to set aside my computer to read the third story in The Ballad of the Sad Cafe and I'll probably start Station Eleven tonight or tomorrow. I keep thinking I'll start it in between McCullers stories but then I want to read another in that collection. It's a wonderful rut in which to be stuck. :-)

As I hope you know, I wish you all the VERY BEST in 2015 and I look forward to continued adventures in friendship and good book conversation.

By the way, I avoid self-help books like the plague, as well. And I'm a psychologist! Maybe that is why. :-)

Ellen! SO lovely to see you here! And as you know I kept the cat and dog up there just for you because I knew that you loved them.

I am really loving The Narrow Road to the Deep North - I knew it would not be cheery, but the writing is just so gorgeous: "Why do you love words so? he heard Amy ask...They were the first beautiful thing I ever knew, Dorrigo Evans said."

It's so fun that we are starting off the year with a couple of shared reads! And I am really enjoying both of them so far. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe works very well on audio. And I am having the same problem with Station Eleven that you are having with McCullers - just one more little bit...just a few more pages... A wonderful rut, indeed!

Thanks so much for those kind words, my dear friend. A very heartfelt, me, too!

>48 EBT1002: Ha! Good to know that I am not alone!

Stopping by to drop a star. I did a horrible job last year keeping up with everyone, you included. I'm going to try to visit more often.

Happy 2015!

Great to see you here, Jeff! I did a horrible job last year, too. Visit as often or as little as you like - I will always be happy to see you. I am also hoping to do better with keeping up this year. Happy 2015 to you!

Phew! You nearly escaped from me, Mamie, but I found you and you are duly starred.

I've been watching for your thread, Mamie. I plan to sneak in a few Spenser's this year. I don't want to read one every month but they do make fun palate cleansers. I loved The Narrow Road to the Deep North. It was on my Top Five Books List for 2014. Looking forward to a FUNtastic year following you and your family doings.

>53 Fourpawz2: You tracked me down, Charlotte! Welcome!

>54 Donna828: I thought that you would get a laugh from the fact that I had squeezed in a Spenser already, Donna! I don't want to read one every month either, and I was feeling a bit burned out on him, but I couldn't resist when it sounded like it featured a whole lotta Hawk. You know I love me some Hawk! I don't know if they are palate cleansers so much for me, as I need to cleanse my palate AFTER them, but they do seem to be habit forming. I saw that The Narrow Road to the Deep North made your top five, and I was very excited about that! Thanks so much for stopping in!

Hello Dear Mamie

Thinking of you and sending all good wishes filled with love, laughter and wonderful books to read.

All the best to you my friend!

Hello, Linda! I so appreciate those good wishes! Sending you back all of our love, dear.

Mamie, I was so touched by your comment of being kind with people's hearts. As I grow older, I've learned to avoid those who are not kind, who are nasty in hurting others.

While I fail at times, like you, I do try to be sensitive to others. Somehow the commandments are so simple, yet so difficult to follow. Doing unto others as we would have them do unto us, makes such sense doesn't it?

I appreciate the kind soul you are!

Happy New Year! I love your reading plans for the year and am glad you are giving Station Eleven a try....such an excellent book! I also did a terrible job keeping up with threads last year, but I am starting off with good intentions to be better in 2015.

Oh, thanks so much for that, Linda. I truly believe that kindness matters. If we each just treated others the way that we would like to be treated, the world would be a much gentler place - you're right; it just makes sense. I am so very thankful for your presence here in this group.

>59 Cobscook: Happy New Year, Heidi! I'm glad that you like my reading plans! I am loving Station Eleven - I don't know what I was expecting, but it is reminding of the magic that The Night Circus held for me. A delightful read. SO happy to know that I am not alone in having fallen off the grid a bit last year. Here's to grand intentions!

Mamie, I think many, including me, fell off the grid last year. The magic of this group is that we still hang in there and find our way back, and are welcomed with open arms.

>28 Crazymamie: LOL. When I said I was glad you came to you senses, I meant that you figured out you needed to have a thread!! People kinda like you around here ya know. ; )

>37 Crazymamie: Good to know Spenser lives on with his sidekick Hawk. I am sure I will keep reading them.

Hi Mamie, dropping by to wish you a wonderful New Year and a Happy First Thread of the Year! I loved your favourites list from last year and added you as a recommender for several books. I'm delighted you loved Middlemarch, now one of my favourites too, which Juliet Stevenson definitely contributed to making especially enjoyable to me as well. I'm glad I followed up on reading Stone Mattress after your glowing comments on it, and this year I'll just have to finally get to The Hours, after a reread of Mrs Dalloway from my gorgeous Folio edition (though, again, Juliet Stevenson introduced me to her and made me love her in the first place). Wishing you plenty more great books this year!

>62 Whisper1: That is so true, Linda. This group has been a blessing.

>63 Berly: I knew what you meant, Kim - I was just messing with you. That's why I said the Ha! afterwards. It was supposed to make you laugh. And I am thrilled to be liked - so much better than being disliked, although, really, the villains get all the good lines.

And YES, Spenser lives on - forever apparently since the books keep coming even though the author has died. I do wonder how he can afford to keep taking all these jobs for no pay, though, don't you?!

>64 Smiler69: Hello Ilana! And thank you! Glad you loved my list! We share a love of Juliet Stevenson - I listened to her read Mrs. Dalloway last year and really enjoyed it. And didn't you say that you had her doing Chocolat? I would love to hear that one, but it is not available here for some reason. I am excited to revisit that book this month as it is one of my favorites. I keep thinking that I should get a keeper copy of Stone mattress since I had that out from the library - not a loser story in that bunch! Thank you so much for those good wishes, my dear. Wishing for you the same!

Yay, Mamie!! Nice to see you all set up for another year of reading and shenanigans! Hope you have a wonderful 2015!

Welcome Lynda! Great to be back. I'm thinking that 2015 is looking full of fabulous so far - hoping it holds.

Happy New Year Mamie!
I checked the threadbook yesterday and didn't find you because I had forgotten the "crazy" and looked at the M-entries, wondering where you were.. :)

Thank you, Nathalie! I'm laughing because you forgot that I was crazy!! And I actually wasn't in the threadbook yesterday because I just set up the thread today, so you are right on time. Delighted to have you here!

Alexandra Fuller has a new book coming out later this month! I did not know this! Last year I read both Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight and Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, and enjoyed them both, although the first one IMO is better. In fact, it made my Sweet 16 for the year. Her new book comes out on January 22nd. This just might be my first book purchase of 2015 - do I HAVE to count it as a purchase if I am using gift cards that I received for Christmas?

>65 Crazymamie: I do wonder how he can afford to keep taking all these jobs for no pay, though, don't you?!

I hear his old lady rakes in some pretty serious coin shrinking people's heads. ;-)

And she shares with him? But they live completely separately. And she doesn't, buy groceries. Well, just lemons and Diet Coke, which she drinks warm.

LOL. You should have seen the vision I had in my head until I got off the witch doctor track and back to Susan being a psychologist. It was gnarly!

Think how much money she must have since she doesn't actually eat! As for sharing it with him, I'm operating on the theory that the only reason he hangs around such an annoying woman is because she's paying him. ;-)

You know, I was just thinking about how she is (presumably) Jewish, given her last name (I cannot remember if this is ever mentioned) and yet she displays absolutely none of the sharp, biting wit and ability to poke fun at herself that most Jewish people I know have in spades and that makes them such a delight to hang out with. I wonder if Parker just made her vaguely Jewish because she's a shrink and it's an easy stereotype.

>4 Crazymamie: I love the idea of Susan as a witch doctor!

Well that is 76 posts in ten hours Mamie.............a bit more the crazymamie we have come to know and love!

Wishing all at the Paradisio a wonderful weekend.

>77 PaulCranswick: Hello there Paul! Where might one find your 2015 thread? You know...if someone wanted to star it or something...

>74 Berly: You made me laugh out loud, Kim!

>75 rosalita: I know, right?! I like to think that she is paying him - excellent thought, Julia! And I do think that the books mention her Jewish heritage, but I don't remember where. I am almost positive that at least one mentions that. I found her clever and fun in the first few books, but then her face split down the middle and the current Susan emerged. She lost all her charm and wit.

>76 rosalita: Me, too!

>77 PaulCranswick: Aw, thanks Paul! The gang at the Pecan Paradisio sends you all of our love and hopes that your weekend is full of...fabulous might be too much considering Hani's recent trials. Peace and quiet?

>78 Berly: Paul can be found here, Kim.

>79 Crazymamie: but then her face split down the middle and the current Susan emerged

Oh if that isn't just the perfect summation of how her character evolved! I GOL'd (guffawed out loud). She was a promising character in the first book, maybe two, and then it all went to heck in a handbasket.

I could not agree more, Julia! Well said. A Catskill Eagle was almost the death of me - that book still makes me want to pull out my hair. And then all the relationship angst in the books directly following that. I was so thrilled when we didn't have to hear about how they would love each other forever every two pages. Anyway, I like her better when she stays in her office and just comes out occasionally to nibble on some lettuce or wet her lips on a drop or two of wine. Not that I have strong feelings about her or anything.

>80 Crazymamie: Thanks! And all the other posts were great--I needed a good laugh!!

You are so welcome!

You guys are cracking me up! Susan is so much fun to make fun of. Now why did we end our group read again?

I read Silent Night right before Christmas,which was completed by Parker's agent after his death. Susan's Jewishness was made very apparent in that one.

^^Hip Hip Hooray! You did it, Mamie! And I can see by the 85 posts, that I am not the only happy to see my pal back in 2015. Big Hug!

Oooh, you have some mighty fine books On Tap. Enjoy, my friend.

ETA: Great news about the Fuller book. I did not know this and I am also a big fan.

Hi Mamie! Good to see you've made your thread. :) This is the third thread I've found this year with a topper about being polite. I feel like that should go without saying, and it makes me wonder if I missed a big kerfluffle last year. Hopefully not. I've always been impressed with how polite the 75ers are compared to some of the people in other groups (or worse, on Goodreads). They're a great bunch of people. But I guess it only takes one ornery person to make a whole thread go downhill. May this be a year of no ornery people!

Happy New Year!

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

Happy Saturday, Everyone! It's looking dark and dismal for the moment here, but it's definitely not cold - going to 75F today. Ah, those harsh Georgia winters. I see in the extended forecast that next Thursday is supposed to have a high of only 39F, which seems impossible considering the weather we've been having. Guess we'll see. No big plans for today, and that's how I like my Saturdays. Small plans include taking down all the Christmas decor (yes, I procrastinated, and it's still up) and Craig is going to grill something (ribs, I think) in his Big Green Egg (he got this for Christmas). And football, of course.

It's been cold here in Dallas, Mamie, so maybe you will be getting our weather in a few days...?

My Christmas decor is still up for several reasons:

1. I like turning the tree on at night and sitting next to it in my reading chair.

2. In my family, we always left it up through Epiphany (not sure why this was significant since we weren't religious at all...)

3. The Wayne is not home yet and I refuse to do it by myself :)

Happy Saturday! Since we got rid of our cable/satellite TV, I can't watch the first game this afternoon, but I am looking forward to that Pittsburgh-Baltimore one! Their games are usually pretty good.

75F! Oh my, Mamie. Can you see the envy? Gray and 20+F here.

Arggh! I want to read Narrow Road to the Deep North now! But I've got other good ones in front of it. Oh well.

Hope Station Eleven works for you. It was a top read of '14 for me.

Does Birdy know that Ms Marvel the movie will be screened some time this year? :-)

Hi, Mamie! Happy New Year. Love the thread topper!

I like your philosophy about doing planning and challenges while being flexible. I'm not good at getting that in balance.

>85 Donna828: Oh good, Donna! Laughter is good! That's just it, isn't it?! I didn't particularly enjoy reading the books, but I was completely enamored of the trash talk that followed. Like you and Roberta and Kim, I will most likely continue to read them but at a much slower pace. I mean, look, I have already read the next one, and I didn't even need to read it this month. It's a sickness. As we got to the second half of last year, Birdy would always ask every month if I had read the truly awful book yet!

And I was almost certain that Susan's Jewishness was referred to somewhere in those earlier books, too. In a couple of them, I think. His agent just finished that one book for him, right? Doesn't someone else write the books that are continuing the story arc?

>86 msf59: Your post made me smile, Mark, so thanks for that! You always have such enthusiasm - how do you maintain that level of happy?! And thanks for those hugs - sending some right back your way. I am loving all of my current reads - this happens to me more and more since joining LT. I find that I make better choices because of all the recommendations around here. The "What's on Tap" graphic was just for you, my beer loving friend!

I think I have to have that Fuller book. I NEED it!

>87 The_Hibernator: Rachel! So thrilled to see you here!! Totally agree that this group is almost always very well behaved and thoughtful of others. We did have some strangeness in a few spots last year, but luckily that is a very rare thing. I think that I have had something about kindness at the top of my threads from the very beginning because it's kind of a big deal to me. I guess I tend to think of kindness as being more than just polite - it's active, not rote. Not that politeness can't be active, but kindness is not just responding with acceptable behavior and actions. It's truly caring about making someone's day better. I'm not expressing it very well...

And thank you for those good wishes. I am wishing for you a year filled with happiness!

>88 Ameise1: You have completely charmed me with that image, Barbara! Thank you!

I bought Station Eleven on New Year's Day, so glad you are loving it!

>94 Crazymamie: I totally get what you're saying Mamie. You can be polite, but not kind. But kindness is almost always polite. Kindness is an active way of making a person's day better whereas politeness is possible when you have no wish for the person on the receiving end to benefit. Never really thought about it, but it's a good point. :)

>90 katiekrug: I would LOVE a bit of cold, Katie! I hope that forecast is true, and that it doesn't change, as it is apt to do down here. And those are all excellent reasons for your decor still being up. I don't mind the tree - I love to read by it, too, and I think there is not much more magical than lights on a Christmas tree. The stuff that starts to bug me are the stockings, the dishes, and the various decorations scattered throughout the house as it starts to feel more like clutter after the actual holiday is over. And I keep thinking about all the work it is going to take to put it all away, and then I just want it done already. But the tree, and the garland and lights on the bannister could stay - I LOVE those.

Sorry you can't see the first game, but I do think the second game will be the better one to watch. I would seriously give up my cable in a heartbeat if it weren't for football. Hoping that your Saturday is full of lazy indulgence!

>91 jnwelch: I know, right, Joe?! It just isn't fair. I would actually love a bit of cold - I do miss that from my Indiana days. Not ALL the cold, mind you. Just a bit of it. I do not miss the snow, though.

I predict that you will love The Narrow Road to the Deep North when you get to it, Joe. Excellent writing. Just excellent. I am guessing that I will finish up Station Eleven either today or tomorrow, and I am really loving it. I am charmed by it.

>92 cameling: No, Caro! She will be very excited about that!! Thanks for the info!

>93 tymfos: Hi, Terri! Happy New Year! So glad that you love the topper - I knew it the moment I found it. The older I get, the more I appreciate how being flexible is a good thing! Ha! I LOVE to participate in challenges, but it is just not realistic to think that I could join in all the ones that appeal to me and not eventually feel bogged down by trying to meet that goal each month. SO, I just take each month as it comes and do what I am in the mood for that month. That's the great thing about books - they don't mind waiting on me!

>95 ronincats: Oh, I think you will really love it, Roni! Get to it sooner rather than later.

>96 The_Hibernator: YES! That's just exactly it, Rachel!! And you said it so much better than I did!

Morning Mamie! So you think I may be excessively happy? Hmmmmmm...I better look into that malady.

Glad you are loving Station Eleven and I am happy, (sorry!) that so many are still discovering it.

>99 msf59: Morning, Mark! And yes, I do. But it's a good thing, a wonderful thing. I love that about you!

So, I just upgraded Abby's phone, and I actually understood exactly what I was doing. Should I be concerned that data plans and line access are a language that I comprehend? I think so. Frightening. And to think that when I was her age there were no cell phones! Oh no, now I'm starting to sound like my mother. *sits down heavily* Is it too early for wine, do you think?

It's never too early for wine! That's one thing I've learned from Katie and you. :-)

Oh, good! I was hoping that either you or Katie would answer that post because I felt sure that both of you would say, Yes. Wine right now.

Watch out, you'll be starting every statement with 'In my day' soon.

Happy New Year, Mamie! I am so happy that you have setup a 2015 thread. Love the Sweet Sixteen list of 2014 reads. Dropping a star in the hopes that I will be a more frequent visitor this year.... no guarantees, of course. ;-)

I agree with Julia that it is never too early for wine. Some days are meant for day drinking.

Both Susan and Spenser refer to her as a Jewish American Princess in many of the books. I agree I love trash talking after the books and that is what made them so much fun. I'm also 100% in agreement with post >82 Crazymamie:. That is where Parker almost lost me. If it hadn't been for Joe & Julia I probably would have bailed.

I still think Parker went wrong in how he handled aftermath of the infidelity in A Savage Place. He never acknowledged it in Ceremony and barely acknowledged it in The Widening Gyre and Valediction. When the repercussion came in A Catskill Eagle Parker decided to make Susan the heavy and turned her into someone else. Then, and I don't remember the book, when Spenser is all reminiscing of his relationship with Candy who he treated like a whore, he is all "a part of me was in love with her" WTF?!!! Don't get me started with who names a reporter Candy? I'm also peeved with the blonde whore we kept getting treated with every other book. AAACK!!!!

I guess it's a good thing I'm not reading Spenser this month. My blood pressure can't take it. I am still peeved at Robert B. Parker and if he was alive I'd be posting my rants on his FB page!

*runs off to open a bottle of wine*

ETA: My first rant of the year! Thank you Mamie! That felt so good. Bwahaha!!!

>106 luvamystery65: Ha ha! Nice rant there! Since I joined late in the GR, poor Susan hadn't grated on me THAT badly yet and I completely missed out on Candy. As she was nothing to miss, I guess I shouldn't feel deprived, but I do. Can I have some wine too?

>106 luvamystery65: Oops. As a male doofus I missed those nuances in the Spenser books, Roberta. I was just glad that he and Susan weren't continuing in too-sweet idyllic splendor.

I do think you have some good ones ahead of you. Probably there are more rant-inducements up ahead, but still good.

P.S. If there's any wine left, I'd be happy with a glass, too.

>104 lunacat: Right. That's what I'm afraid of, Jenny!

>105 lkernagh: Thanks, Lori! Whatever happens, happens, right?! One day at a time is how I like to do it. You are here now, and I am thankful for that.

>106 luvamystery65: Thank you, Roberta! Most days are meant for drinking, I think. I love to have a glass of wine out on the deck when the sun is setting or even later when the moon is rising and just think back on the day. Something about twilight always begs reflection from me.

Yes! That is what I was trying to recall! The trash talking was so fun, wasn't it?! I would definitely have quit after that book if not for Julia and Joe. Something about the company of good friends that makes anything bearable, doesn't it? I completely agree with your spoiler comments - I thought so, too. I honestly don't think that Parker understood what true love was, or, if he did, he did not know how to write about it. And why does every woman have to have some kind of agenda? And prostitution was certainly a component in most of the books - I always thought that was strange. On a side note, isn't it weird how the touchstones show up through the spoiler? AND you will laugh out loud at this - my mother wanted to name me Candy!! Can you imagine me as a Candy?! Thank goodness my Dad said absolutely not and named me himself!

Um...NO SPENSER FOR YOU THIS MONTH! You have me laughing out loud - Mr. Parker has missed the rant of the century by being literally indisposed.

*lifts her glass to Ro*

>108 jnwelch: Nuances! You made me snort my drink, Joe!

There is always wine at the Pecan Paradisio, Joe - would you like red or white?

>107 Berly: YIKES! I missed Kim! Go back and read those books right now so you can join us in the ranting, dear. And yes to the wine - red or white?

>107 Berly: & >108 jnwelch: Glad to have the company! I'm sure we won't be alone for long.

I saw enough of Susan to whine, just not rant yet. Red please. Shall I bring some Brie?

That's what I was just thinking, too, Ro!

>113 Berly: Yes, please!

>109 Crazymamie: I like your style Mamie! I don't mind the name Candy but he made her such an obvious Barbie Doll and then named her Candy to boot! Ugh! I'm glad your Dad spoke up because I cannot imagine you as anyone other than Mamie.

Parker and his own wife lived on separate floors of their home so that gives you a clue into Spenser's relationship with Susan.

ETA: Brie up above but by all means bring more!

>116 luvamystery65: Like those Bond girl names!! And I am SO glad that my Dad spoke up! Our last name started with C, so trust me when I say it would NOT have been good.

I remember Julia saying that about Parker, which certainly shed light on the Susan/Spenser relationship.

How did I miss the Brie in the basket - it nots like it's hiding?!

Here's some more.

Thank you, ma'am.

Cheers!

Cheers, Joe! Nothing like sharing good times with friends!

*pantpantpant*

I heard there was wine? Is there wine? Am I too late?

I was off seeing the new Annie film with my niece. I need wine! Just kidding - it was actually quite a fun movie.

But I'll still take some wine!

I am one still waiting to discover Station Eleven, which is nothing new considering I am impatiently waiting to get on to about a hundred books. I swear, I am greedy for a good book right now.

Confession time, this is my first visit to your new thread! I have been awol. Love the threats to misbehave (way up top) and the "we are all crazy' neon sign! Wondering, shall I get one of those for my place? Hehe, it would be cool at Christmas too.

Eta: speaking of wine, I aim to dip my feet in the kids paddling pool today, under the sun umbrella, and sip some wine myself. You are all welcome to take a break from "winter" and join me. Its headed for 30degC here (that is 86F).

I'm here now! Sp glad you are too! Dropping my star and ready to start with the shenanigans.

>122 katiekrug: There's always wine for you, Katie! It's never too late! Glad you had fun at the movies.



>123 LovingLit: Welcome, Megan! I would dearly LOVE to own the "We are all mad here" sign! I am jot sure that what we currently have here could be called winter (it's 74F right now), but I love any excuse to dip my feet in the pool. I'll bring the wine. And Roberta and Joe and Katie and Kim and Julia and ...

>124 AuntieClio: You snuck in there while I was posting, Stephanie! Welcome! And we are always ready for shenanigans here, so you are in the right place!

I'm actually about to open a bottle of pinot noir, which doesn't quite pair well with the NFL playoffs, but what do I care?

>71 Crazymamie: Interesting. I've not read her, but I've always been somewhat curious about Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight.

That's exactly right, Kerri. You are a rebel, so you will drink what and want when you want!

I really, really loved Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight. I love to read memoirs, but not whiny self-indulgent ones. This one is packed full of sass and poignant observations along with some heartbreaking moments that are always told with humor and wit. I like the voice that she writes with. She is telling it like she remembers it, knowing that there will be mistakes in memory because everyone's childhood is skewed by their own POV at that age. Things that you don't understand as a child have new meaning when you look at them from an adult vantage point, but you can't go back to that moment and relive it with adult eyes in order to gain perspective. Her parents were/are broken people with misplaced values and a warped sense of what is right. And set these crazy, lost, racist parents into the African landscape with all of its beauty and dangers right at a pivotal moment in its history, and you have a story that horrifies you and makes you laugh at the same time. Highly recommended.

^You know I am not a big wine drinker, but I do bring my wine-lover pals, an occasional bottle. Cheers, my friend.

Have you been able to find Fuller's follow-up memoir, about her Mom?

Oh, thank you, Mark! Greatly appreciated! Yes, I read the follow-up memoir directly after the first one last year - very good, but not quite as good as the first one. But I love the title and where it came from!!

And don't forget about The Legend of Colton H. Bryant, an overlooked gem.

I need to track that one down, thanks for reminding me.

Hello have a ★!

Thank you, Bryony! Welcome!

You seem very set for 2015! I am hope I am as well really want to make 75 or more this year.

>128 Crazymamie: I'm going to put it on the wishlist. I was just talking about how memoirs make good audiobooks, so perhaps I'll try it in that format.

>135 BBGirl55: Last year I read a total of 162, which is my best ever. Wishing for you a year of great reading with no reading funks!

>136 DorsVenabili: Good! I bet it would be great as an audio with the right narrator. If you do that, try to track down the hardcopy from the library or at the bookstore just to take a quick peek at the photos.

>125 Crazymamie: - Thanks, my friend!

Any time.

Man, I walk away from the computer for an afternoon and look at what shenanigans I missed! All that wine, all that Brie. Looks like you had a cracking good time dusting the new off of 2015 over here!

Your thread has gone viral.

>71 Crazymamie: I just found out that our local library has a copy of Cocktail hour under the tree of forgetfulness. I take a closer look when I'll be next time there.

>128 Crazymamie: Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is a great book! Glad you enjoyed it, Mamie!

Happy New Year!

Rain today, which I actually love. Makes me feel like I'm required to stay in and read. And since I don't have to go anywhere, I think that I shall do just that. And football, of course. Craig's ribs turned out fabulous. First time making ribs in his new Egg, and they were perfect. You can even bake and make pizza in this Egg, so you can see my strategy in gifting him with this lovely item. Not sure what's for dinner tonight, but we'll figure it out.

>140 rosalita: Where have you been, young lady?! You missed out on the shenanigans. You know that your presence is REQUIRED for shenanigans. We had an excellent time, but you were sorely missed. Please try to keep a closer eye on us - there is no telling what kind of trouble we could get into without you here to talk us down.

>141 EBT1002: LOL! A moment of madness, Ellen. And where were you?

>142 Ameise1: Hooray for that, Barbara! That one is very good, too, I just liked the first book a bit more. And I LOVE that title, don't you?

>143 alcottacre: Stasia!! Good to see you! Yep, a great book sums it up nicely. Do you have a thread yet? I'll go check.

>145 Crazymamie: I solemnly swear to try to do better, Miss Mamie!

Well, okay then. That's all I can ask.

Morning Mamie! Happy Sunday! It has been so nice seeing you posting around these past few days. Big Smile!

I was hoping to start my McCullers this A.M. but now I have to head out to food shop. Oh, brother!

Morning, Mark! And thank you! Big smile back! It's nice to be present - my wrists are feeling really great right now, so I am sticking to the big computer and not using my laptop for LT. I might have to invest in a mouse for the laptop as the tract pad (is that what you call it?) seems to cause major problems with my tendonitis.

I have been working on Ballad of the Sad Cafe on audio. It has multiple narrators, and the first narrator was excellent, but I really didn't care for the second narrator at all. Hoping the third narrator is better. Good luck with the food shopping - I need to do that too, but it is not happening until tomorrow morning. I try to avoid the grocery on weekends.

starred

Oh, thank goodness you're here, Sis! Hugs to you!

Morning, Mamie! Just here to drop off a star. :)

Excellent, Laura! Thanks for stopping in!

We finished the last of our Christmas brie last night. It's a tragic and desperate situation. Today we're going to have to eat *gulp* vegetables.

Oh dear, Jenny! I'm sorry it has come to that.

I know. I'm not sure if I'm going to make it. And........even worse..........no alcohol has passed my lips today. No cheese AND no alcohol? It's a terrible form of torture indeed.

What?!! No alcohol?! Jenny, you know how I feel about that!

I might have to resort to a hot toddy to remedy things. After all, it's medicinal.

Good thinking!

I'm not sure I could survive if I didn't have cheese and alcohol in the house. We're always buying different cheeses and when our wine rack is half-filled, a trip to the liquor store is penciled onto our grocery list. ;-) The same thing goes for bacon, butter and bread too. There, those are all my essentials.

I know, right, Caro?! We like to have a nice supply of both at all times, too.

I want to live at Caro's house... :)

I agree. Those are all essentials!

>162 drneutron: Ha! I want to EAT at Caro's house, Jim!

>163 Berly: There would be a revolt if we ran out of bacon here!

Monday. But at least the sun is out, and it's only going to 56F today, so we actually get a beautiful crisp day! Hooray for that! Good football this weekend, and it results in my two favorite teams facing each other next week. Now I am from Indiana, but my heart lies with Peyton, so GO BRONCOS!!

Bills and grocery shopping on the schedule for today, and I also need to swing by the library. Normally I am not very excited about going to the market, but since the weather is so gorgeous, it should be fun. Not sure what's for dinner - depends on what I find on sale at the grocery that looks good.

On the reading front, I am closing in on finishing up three books - Ballad of the Sad Cafe on audio, and The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher and Station Eleven in print.

Hoping that Monday is kind to all of you!

Football=stoopid.

Sorry about the Cowboys win yesterday, Katie, and about the Giants' season. Next year! Anyway, that's what I told Rae.

I just hate having to deal with all these gloating Cowboys fans. Way to go, morons. You win, probably thanks to a terrible call reversal. Ugh.

Also, I now have stomach bug and I blame Jerry Jones. He is the root of all evil. On the upside, it means I'm not going into work to be surrounded by stoopid Cowboys fans, so that's nice...

Happy Monday!

You kind of live in Cowboy country KAK.

*runs*

*runs faster*

ETA: Why does that Happy Monday look like you forgot the effing in the middle?

You poor, poor baby. I don't think that you should have to deal with gloating fans AND the stomach bug. Of course it is all Jerry Jones fault - that's just so obvious, dear. Glad to hear that you are staying home today. Be sure to indulge yourself with napping and good books. Happy Monday!

>169 luvamystery65: - GRRRRRR! Don't remind me.

>169 luvamystery65: You are very brave, Ro! I like your edit because I was thinking the same thing, but I wasn't stupid bold enough to say it.

>170 Crazymamie: - Well, at the moment, I'm working. But there will be a nap in my future, for sure. And I get to start a new book today so that's something nice to look forward to...

>171 katiekrug: *there, there. pat, pat*

>173 katiekrug: Nap? Did someone say NAP? I should be having a nap right now. I can't get used to this being back in the office lark. I need my recliner, the nana-blanket and the heater on thermostat. Instead, I'm sitting at my desk reading legal journals. OK, not *right* now :-)

Sorry to hear you're not well, Katie, and plagued by the wrong kind of sports fans. Have a nice long nap for me.

ETA Dangit, I thought this was Katie's thread - Hi Mamie!!

>173 katiekrug: Working?! What's up with that? What new book are you starting?

>175 susanj67: Hello, Susan! Sorry about the workplace actually expecting you to work. How are you supposed to get your nap in?! Napping is very important, IMO.

>175 susanj67: Your edit made me laugh out loud, Susan!

>177 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie - sorry I thought I was posting on Katie's thread and only belatedly said Hi to you :-) They frown on naps here, although I have been known to fit one in, sitting upright in my office chair but facing out of the window. That way I can pretend to be thinking about something if someone comes in. I am struggling to adjust back to work time :-)

>179 susanj67: NO worries. I have done that before. Well, not posted on my own thread thinking that it was Katie's, but you know... Good napping strategy for sneaking one in at work! Hoping that the day goes quickly for you.

Ha Ha! I thought I was posting in Katie's thread too! That's why I edited. LOL! Yes I'm very brave and very stoopid as Katie says.

Morning Mamie!

>181 luvamystery65: Ha! Well, I guess we know it's Monday! Morning, Roberta!

You guys are cracking me up! Thanks for that :)

>183 katiekrug: We're here for you, Katie. We're like your posse.



I'm the one in the middle, 'cause I'm guessing that I'm the shortest.

Okay, so here's a bit of a dilemma. Tomorrow the latest book in the Rivers of London series comes out, and when it does it will download directly to my Kindle because I pre-ordered it. I pre-ordered several books last year - I tend to do this a lot if it is a book that I know I will want to read right away. The problem is that I decided this year to keep my book buying to a total of 50 books. SO, do I count the pre-ordered books in that total, even though I ordered them last year? Or do I just say a total of 50 books, not including what I had already pre-ordered last year? Just wanting opinions so that I can decide how I want to handle it. It would help if I actually knew how many books I have pre-ordered. *sigh*

I'd say don't count pre-ordered books up to five. After five, start counting. That way you can claim you are taking responsibility for your purchases. ;-)

Oh, that's a good thought, Roberta!

So I checked my Amazon account, and I could look at the open orders, which shows all the pre-ordered books. Here's what I have pre-ordered from Amazon:

Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch - comes out tomorrow, Jan. 6th
First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen - comes out Jan. 20th
The Alphabet House by Jussi Adler-Olsen - comes out Jan. 24th
Love and Friendship: And Other Youthful Writings by Jane Austen - comes out Jan. 27th (this is a clothbound classic, which I collect)
Fairest by Marissa Meyer - comes out Jan. 27th
Prudence by Gail Carringer - comes out March 17th

Wow! January is an excellent month for me!

I agree with Roberta, but since your list only numbers six, go ahead and don't count them. And thanks for the heads-up on the new Austen clothbound classic. I collect those, too (just the Austen ones.... so far!).

>185 Crazymamie: First, how crazy to limit yourself to buying 50 books, Mamie. These are books, not food or a roof over your head or other nonessentials. Second, any loophole that would increase that number should be used. So preorders from last year shouldn't count. I hope that helps.

P.S. If you can figure out a way to increase your 2014 preorders, or to pretend this is still 2014, you should do it.

>189 katiekrug: Oh, Katie, I LOVE how you think!! I totally forgot about pre-orders when I was deciding on my number for the year. Probably a pipe dream anyway, but hey, I can dream!

I love those clothbound classics, and I have quite a few, but just the ones that I think I will actually read. They are so gorgeous sitting on the shelf!

Chiming in to agree that you shouldn't feel like you need to count those pre-orders, Mamie.

Also, I received several books for Christmas that have those lovely deckled edges and of course thought fondly of you.

>190 jnwelch: Hello, Joe! Ha! I normally don't limit myself, but I have purchased so many in the last few years that I was trying to make a dent in them this year. I thought if I tried to focus on not purchasing so many and reading the ones that I already have, that I could make room for more next year. I should have probably chosen a more reasonable number for me, like 200!

I LOVE your P.S.!!!

I think what I might do is list the pre-orders up there before the count starts, just to keep things honest, but not count them as part of my fifty.

>192 scaifea: Oh, deckled edges! Those make me giddy! LOVE those! And thanks for your thoughts - I think I will not count them since there are just six, but I will list them above the count. Thanks, Amber!

I'm with Joe, like, totally. Good luck with that.

50 is just a crazy number. Books are like vegetables; at the very least one a day, no??

I'd say definitely don't count the pre-ordered books from the list (which were ordered in 2014 - not your fault they aren't released until 2015), but any others you pre-order from now will count towards your overall 50 limit.

>195 Smiler69: Hi Ilana! I know, right?! "50 is just a crazy number" Um...look who you're talking to! Crazymamie! I'm not going to beat myself up if I abandon this goal, just thought that I would see if I could do it. I purposefully chose a low one to make me really stop and think before I make a purchase because I do want to focus more on what I already have. We'll see how long I can hold out! And I agree, books are like vegetables!! Excellent point!

>196 lunacat: Thank you, Jenny! And I like that any pre-orders made in 2015 count towards the fifty - that feels like it squares it up nicely.

What is pre-ordered in 2014 stays in 2014.

Right, Julia! I like how you think!

But of course, if you choose not to set such ridiculous goals next year then the books you pre-order won't count towards your 50 target, they'll count for 2016.

>201 lunacat: Ha! Good thinking, Jenny! If I can actually keep to my goal this year, then there will be no limits next year.

>71 Crazymamie: Very late to the discussion (still finding and starring threads) but I wanted to ask if you had seen the piece about Fuller living in a yurt in the New York Times? The link is here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/18/garden/square-peg-in-a-round-house.html?src=me

I became a fan after reading Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight following a trip to Zimbabwe and have enjoyed her other books as well. That said, she sounds like an interesting person to meet but perhaps not live with.

Oh my...late to the party and I'm like 200 posts behind. :/
I'm officially back from holiday mode so hopefully I can catch up with everyone in a day or two. Your thread and a few others (you know who you are) make it a full time job! ;)

"What is pre-ordered in 2014 stays in 2014." I like the way Julia thinks! LOL.

>188 Crazymamie: That is a nice list of pre-order books, Mamie. I still have the 4th Rivers of London book to read. And I luckily snagged an ARC of The Alphabet House.
Of course, I am looking forward to the new Meyer.

I don't buy many books, so keeping it well under 50, is pretty easy for me. Call me resourceful!

>203 Oberon: Welcome, Oberon! I had not seen that article - thanks so much for posting the link! Now I am really wanting to read her new book. "she sounds like an interesting person to meet but perhaps not live with." I think that about sums up my thoughts perfectly, too! Coming to find your thread as soon as I catch up here.

>204 jolerie: Yeah, sorry about that. The threads tend to explode this time of year, and we got a bit rowdy here the other day. Don't feel pressured to keep up - it's always fine to just drop to the bottom and say hello. And things will slow down.

>205 msf59: Me, too, Mark! Me, too! I am actually completely addicted to listening to the Rivers of London books, so I will be adding the audio - Craig prefers to read them because he can go faster. So I had pre-ordered the digital copy ($5.99 is a bargain for a brand new book, I think). I can't wait to read the stand alone Adler-Olsen book and the Meyer. You DO NOT even want to know how many books we buy in a year with six readers under one roof. Seriously. Keeping it under fifty just for myself will be a challenge, trust me. And I'll just bet you are resourceful!

**Since I brought up the subject of audiobooks, I'll just admit that I am NOT counting them - Craig renewed my Audible subscription as a gift, so the audios that I purchase with a credit will not be counted. If I spend cash or I purchase additional credits, then I will count those.

Mamie - I agree with Julia, whatever was pre-ordered any year before 2015 should not count in 2015. I am looking forward to Prudence being released in March. It's been a long time since I read any steampunk.

>207 cameling: Excellent, Caro! Just what I was wanting to hear! I have really enjoyed the few steampunk books that I have read, so I'm always on the lookout for ones that look promising. I think you would like The Bullet Catcher's Daughter if you haven't read that one.

I almost never buy books for myself - but I'm a librarian so I get all the book buying satisfaction I need at work (with none of the credit card bills or struggle to find space).

>209 Deedledee: Welcome to my thread, Dee! You have found the perfect solution! We do have a great library system down here, so I have been making more and more use of it. I really love the digital loans because they are so quick and easy to do, and I don't even have to leave home!

>209 Deedledee: That's like my best friend who works with horses and gets to treat the 4 she looks after as her own, but gets paid for it and doesn't pay the bills! As opposed to me, the mug, who owns my own horse and she to be pay for everything to do with her.

>185 Crazymamie: Of course I am exactly the right person not to give you advice on guarding against book proliferation! Do what I would do. Count it at first and then totally ignore it when you zip past the planned ceiling sometime in early February.

This is much more like the Mamie we all came to know and love. 48 posts in a few hours. xx

Hi Mamie! I wish the Broncos were playing almost anyone but the Colts. I will definitely stick with Peyton, too.

>211 lunacat: Hi, Jenny!

>212 PaulCranswick: You made me laugh out loud, Paul! I don't think I'll be having any Cranswickian hauls any time soon, so hopefully I'll at least last through February.

>213 cbl_tn: Hi Carri! I know, right?! But hooray for sticking with Peyton!!

Good glory, Mamie - how am I ever going to keep up with your thread?????

I'm with the majority - 2014 orders count toward 2014. Clean slate!

I'm excited about Foxglove Summer too - but I'm waiting for it to be available for me in PINES. My favorite librarian ordered it for me, but the in processing people were out over the holidays are a far behind! It don't think it's a priority book for them, lol.

I'm also on hold for Station Eleven......

>215 Dejah_Thoris: Dejah!!! So GREAT to see you here! I have missed you so! Don't worry - things will slow down. Everybody just gets so excited for the start of a new year and a new challenge!

So happy that you also believe that what happens in 2014 stays in 2014! I listed the pre-orders up there in my post about buying only 50 books, and said that I was not counting them. Whew for that because I was thinking that I was going to be in big trouble if I had to count those. I just didn't think about pre-orders when I was setting the goal.

And I am very excited about Foxglove Summer!! After the way the last one ended, I NEED to know what happens next. Only $5.99 on Kindle - totally worth it since Craig will read it, too, and it's a series that both of us will reread eventually.

I think you will love Station Eleven when you get to it. Very good.

When it comes to pre-orders I would count them in the year they hit your credit card not when you receive the book. My 1-click trigger finger has been waivering over Station Eleven. Do I? Oh give me strength!!!

>216 Crazymamie: Oh I'd buy it in a heartbeat, Mamie, except that I am trying to resist buying more books when I already have so many unread - especially when I know my librarian has been ordering this series but I ask her to a few books back!

It'll hit your Kindle around midnight, right? You can have it finished by morning and taunt us all with your knowledge!

So many posts that I knew there had to be partying going on. No brie for me, but I'll have some of the sharp cheddar and the Stilton, please, along with a bottle, oops, glass of Old Vine Zinfandel, thanks!

Pre-orders don't count. I'm an expert since I have three of yours on my own pre-orders at Amazon. (Of course, I count my books as they enter the house, but there's no need for a foolish consistency.) Guess which ones are the same!

ETA I just got up and limped to the kitchen for that glass of wine--couldn't wait!

>217 Carmenere: Okay, I'm embarrassed to say that I am uncertain when the charge is applied - they used to not charge you until they shipped it, which would mean that I should count them this year. However, as my limit of 50 is not about money, I'm going to stick recording but not counting the six preorders.

And yes, give in. The book is good - it's worth it!

>218 Dejah_Thoris: Yep. I know that feeling. And no, I could not have it finished by morning - I do not read as quickly as you do! But I might manage it by evening if I had nothing else to do all day. A lovely thought.

>219 ronincats: Roni, so sorry I wasn't quick enough with the wine. I don't like to wait for it, either! And since you are an expert, my pre-orders don't count. *does happy dance* Ok, I'm going to guess our three shared pre-orders are Foxglove Summer, Fairest and Prudence. How'd I do?

100%!! And I love the cheese, just what I ordered with the Granny Smiths as bonus!

Whoot! Whoot! I love cheese and apples together, so glad it hit the spot!

Cheese and apples together are brilliant. Unfortunately we have no apples and cheese probably isn't the best idea at 4am. Although if I'm not planning on going to sleep now, I guess cheese can't have an adverse effect on my dreams!

Pull up a seat, Jenny. The more the merrier!

Definitely books ordered in 2014 count towards 2014!! I am a little full after dinner. I'll come earlier for the Brie next time. : 0

Tuesday! I love Tuesdays because of all the new books and music. When the kids were younger, we kept a calendar just for new book releases that we were interested in - this was before the digital age of reading. There was no Amazon Prime, no midnight download to your device, no instant gratification unless you went directly to the bookstore. Although I do not miss those days (I make it a policy to always love the moment that I am in), I do feel a sentimental tug at the memory of those red stars on the calendar.

We have a new baby...faucet! Yesterday on his lunch hour Craig brought home a new faucet for the kitchen sink. This was a huge surprise because Craig never picks out kitchen stuff by himself (wise man) and because he got it right the very first time with no input from me. We have been having problems with the old faucet (it came with the house), which was functional but problematic. When the hose on it started leaking over the holidays, Craig decided that was it. Enough. He dropped the new baby off at lunch and before dinner, Daniel had installed it, and we were using it. I am very giddy about this new addition that behaves exactly the way it's supposed to - no coaxing the the lever into just the right position so that we are not burning our hands off. No begging and pleading to make the hose return to it's home, and no battle with the sprayer button to make it switch to another mode. It's a beautiful thing.

On the reading front, I have finished Station Eleven. Loved it - more on that later.

>226 Crazymamie: Awww, it's so pretty! We want statistics - due date versus delivery date, weight at birth, sex? Congratulations to the happy couple ;)

Green with faucet envy! May you have a long and happy life together.

>225 Berly: Oh, good! Yes, come earlier next time. I always love having you here!

>225 Berly: Your posts always make me smile, Jenny! I'm going to go with boy because the menfolk are so badly outnumbered here at the Pecan Paradisio, poor dears.

>229 Crazymamie: That's perfect, you can get the menfolk to do the washing-up by telling them it's men sticking together and getting some good male bonding in with the new addition.

I hope you'll let us know when he takes his first steps, and brings the kitchen sink with him.

>228 Carmenere: Thank you, Lynda! I just keep admiring it - the old one was pewter, which didn't match the rest of the finishes in the kitchen, and it was kinda nasty with its hard water deposits and its bad attitude. The water down here is very hard water with tons of calcium in it, so very tough on the appliances even with a water softener.

>230 lunacat: Good thinking! Male bonding and all that. Oh, dear to the first steps - I was hoping that he might be happy to just stand there.

Well hopefully much admiration and gentle stroking will encourage him to stay still, much like some animals when you hypnotise them.

Don't say I didn't warn you though ;)

>233 lunacat: *looks at faucet suspiciously* Okay then.

>234 Crazymamie: You sound concerned. Don't be! He's a gorgeous new faucet and I'm sure he'll be on his best behaviour. And the best thing? No 4am feeds!

Ha! So true about the feedings! Thank goodness. And if you're sure he'll be on his best behaviour...

Ooooh, nice new faucet! Love it!

Thank you, Amber!

Yay for faucet!! Too funny.

Welcome, Helen! And thank you for celebrating with me!!

Our kitchen faucet is (unfortunately) fine. I may endeavor to break it, because I really want one of those motion detector ones!

Ha! I am in favor of breaking it. My new faucet is just so handsome - Abby and I have decided to call him Frank.

Frankly, I love the name.

LOL!

:)

Oh mei, hard to keep up here, but so entertaining.

>192 scaifea: Agree, with most of the lot here - pre-orders definitely don't count mamie. I don't, but I can see your point in terms of purchases as I have got exactly the same problem. However, only one afternoon around the threads and I always end up with several BB's. *sigh* I think this is just our *package* we have to carry, for belonging to this wonderful, diverse crowd.

>226 Crazymamie: >242 Crazymamie: Ok - just splattered my coffee all over my sofa - Frank, Frank, he just looks wonderful. Such sleek, aesthetic features. Congrats on such a beautiful "boy" mamie.

Hello, Bianca! Hooray for "pre-orders definitely don't count"! And I hear you about the dangers of making the rounds - we must bear the burden of too many good book recommendations!!

And thank you for those good wishes! So happy that I could make you splatter your coffee!! My work here is done!

Oh, Frank is adorable! :)

And I agree with the others re. pre-order. If the books had been available in 2014 you would have bought them then, so you took the buying decision last year.

And now I crave Stilton...

Yay for Frank! Shall his full name be Frank Crazimus deFaucet?

Hi Mamie, due toyour Alexandra Fuller recommandation I went yesterday to our local library and took Cocktail Hour Under The Tree Of Forgetfulness. Wishing you a lovely week.

>248 Deern: Thank you, Nathalie! All of you are making me feel very good about my decision not to count the 2014 pre-orders against this year's total.



>249 lunacat: I LOVE that, Jenny! Too funny!!

>250 Ameise1: Oh, I hope that you like it, Barbara! I really like the voice of her writing. And thank you, dear!

I like Frank. He's got character and it looks like he found the perfect home! It's amazing how much joy we get out of stuff just simply working. That's not asking too much, right?? ;)

That's so true, Valerie, and no, it's not too much to ask. So happy that Frank meets with your approval - wait 'til I tell him that you said he's got character. He's gonna be thrilled!

Congrats on the new faucet. Whatever keeps you happy Mamie, I'm all for it! :-)

Meanwhile, I polished off Bitter Greens last night, which is now officially my first favourite book of 2015. I've decided to follow it up with Chocolat with narration by La Juliet Stevenson we both love, and already after getting through just one chapter I've decided I will probably end up liking it even more than I did the movie, which was rather enjoyable, though it seems like many decades since I've seen it.

eta: grrr... typo!

I'm new here, amazed by how much is going on already in 2015. Just wanted to say thanks so much for the post re Alexandra Fuller's new book. I love her stuff so off to find out if I can order it from the library yet :-)

>255 Smiler69: Thank you, Ilana! Hooray for your love of Bitter Greens - I am excited to get to that one. I think that they did a good job with the movie of Chocolat, but I liked the book so much better. Truly magical for me. Crossing my fingers that you like it. Hugs to you, dear!

>256 charl08: Hello and welcome to my thread! I am happy to spread the news about her newest book - I just love her writing. Hoping that your library has it.

Hi Mamie!

Looks like I missed most of the party but I finally made it here.

Nice on the new baby faucet;-) Frank is an excellent name.

It looks like I am going to have to get over my ambivalence and read Station Eleven. The two books of hers I have read left me with very mixed feelings (gorgeous prose but characters all felt too distant) but just too many people I trust are loving Station Eleven for me to ignore.

Well, thank goodness you're here, Juli! We were starting to get worried. It was so nice of you to drop in to see the new baby!

I have not read anything else by that author, but I did really liked the characters in Station Eleven. I also really liked how she wove the different narratives together.

Hi Mamie! I am so glad you loved Station Eleven. It is one that has stuck with me too!

And to think that you considered not having a thread this year!

Your faucet story is inspirational. We have a similar problem, but are paralyzed by low home improvement skill levels. However, with the help of YouTube, Joe recently fixed a bathroom sink drain pipe, so maybe he can tackle this as well. :-)

Looking forward to Station Eleven comments too. I want to get to that one this year.

>262 DorsVenabili: Morning, Kerri! You made me laugh! I was considering not having a thread this year because of my inability to keep up, not everyone else's. You guys are great! And so far so good with the wrists, but I am sticking with the big computer and avoiding the laptop.

SO happy to have inspired you! Personally, I am completely lacking in the home improvement skills department. I lucked out because Craig knows just about everything - he grew up on a farm. What he didn't know he has learned over the years by watching, asking questions and foisting himself on anyone that we had had to call in to do work. Our last house in Indiana was an oldie that needed lots of work, and we pretty much gutted the entire thing one room at a time, so that was a huge learning curve. Wishing you the best of luck on your project!

Station Eleven comments coming today.

Book #3 Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (4.5 stars), 2014 acquired ebook

"'The Thing about the new world,' the tuba had said once, 'is that it's just so horrifically short on elegance.'"

I really loved this book, and I think the thing about it is that it is a story that is so well told that you just keep turning the pages to see what happens next. It pulls you in. Although it is a dystopian, I think that classification could be holding it back because a lot of people are just so tired of dystopian, right? This is about life after a pandemic flu, and what makes it work is how well the author has woven the different story lines together to make a seamless whole. There really is no main character, but there is a character that is the nucleus of the story - Arthur Leander, an actor. We are introduced to him right away and then slowly we see how the rest of the characters are connected to him in some way. This story goes both forwards and backwards in time and focuses on different characters as the story unfolds. This is just so well done, and I liked that the characters are different ages and at different points in their lives when the pandemic Georgia flu hits and changes everything, completely eradicating life as they know it. Survival requires rethinking everything, and the different approaches make for an interesting story - my favorite is probably the Traveling Symphony made up of musicians and actors who have adopted the Star Trek motto "Because survival is insufficient".

>264 Crazymamie: Now I really can't wait to get my hands on Station Eleven. I was never that big a fan of dystopian fiction and it seems every other book I look at falls into that category. I had dismissed Station Eleven for that reason, as you suggested. Having read so many positive comments, including yours, I'm ready to give it a try. Thanks, Mamie!

And I love Frank.

I really think you will like it, Dejah. It's just so different - no angst or love triangle. The dystopian aspect is what sets the story in motion, but it is not the heart of the story, if that makes sense.

So glad you love Frank, too!

ARGH! I have been resisting the siren call of the $5.99 Station Eleven for Kindle, but you are weakening me, Mamie!

Aaargh... another BB hit me and we're still in the first week!
Great Review, Mamie! :)

>267 katiekrug: I think $5.99 is a bargain for it, Katie. It's one I will definitely reread. I just loved all the different threads coming together and how the story unfolds.

>268 Deern: I hear you, Nathalie - I have been hit by quite a few already, too. And thank you.

Mamie {checks this is in fact Mamie's thread - yup}, you got me back with a BB for Station Eleven! And it's only £3.59 for Kindle here...Hmmm. I'd seen it mentioned and wondered about the "dystopian" thing so it was good to read your thoughts on that.

Ha ha, Susan! And excellent that I have gotten you back! That makes me so happy!

Really nice review of Station Eleven, Mamie. You captured what I liked so much about it. If you post it on the book page, I'll thumb it.

Why, thank you kindly, sir. I have posted it.

OK - I think you've convinced me about Station Eleven but I think I might wait for the buzz to die down a bit. If I read something when EVERYONE is talking about it I have a tendency to be a particularly picky reader.

It does seem like we are saturated with dystopian books recently, but good thing I like that genre. That one is on the list already but I can't decide between buying it or just borrowing it. Oh the dilemmas of life...ha!

>274 SuziQoregon: I know what you mean, Juli. I did that with Gone Girl. I hope you like it when you get to it.

>275 jolerie: I know, right?! I do, too, but Rae says,"NO more dystopian! I'm full up!!" I say borrow it, then if you really love it, you can get your own copy.

>264 Crazymamie: BB for me too. This one was not on my radar screen.

>277 Oberon: Oh, excellent, Erik! You all are making me so happy!

If I can fit in Station Eleven this month, I will, because quite a few people have been reading it this month and everyone seems to be loving it. Plus, I have it on audio from the library. But I have lots of planned reads to get to first. Chocolat is really great! The gypsies have just come into town.

Hi Ilana! So glad that you are enjoying Chocolat! And yes, squeeze in Station Eleven if you can - I listened to a bit of it on audio, and I thought the narrator was good.

>272 jnwelch: Station Eleven review thumbered.

Thanks, Joe!

Book #4: The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher by Hilary Mantel (3.75 stars), library hardback

I did not enjoy this collection of ten short stories nearly as much as I thought I would, and I think part of the problem is that I was just not in the right mood for them. It was an uneven collection for me - there are a few gems in here including Harley Street, How Shall I Know You, and the title story. What bogged some of the stories down, I think, was too much description, and it felt like Ms. Mantel was trying too hard in a few places. It disturbed the rhythm of the stories, but perhaps that was intentional - the specific ones that come to mind are Comma and The Heart Fails Without Warning. I do think that Mantel has a keen eye for human behavior and a penchant for cynical wit, which is what makes the stories that are good really shine. I would have probably given this collection four stars if I had not recently read Margaret Atwood's newest collection Stone Mattress, which was almost perfect. It seems hardly fair to compare them, and yet, isn't that exactly what a rating system does? Two things that really bothered me with this particular book, which I did not take into account when deciding how to rate it, is that the font is very small and the margins are very large. The print is not centered on the page vertically, but occupies the upper two thirds of the page with the lower third remaining blank. Seems such a waste, and the small font was irritating.

I will mention that I have read longer works of Mantel's and was delighted with them. I loved both Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, and I cannot wait for the next installment.

Hi Mamie! Good review of Station Eleven. I am so glad that it struck a chord. Sorry, the Mantel collection didn't click for you. I really enjoyed it. It was also my first Mantel, so maybe I didn't have lofty expectations?

BTW- Thanks for stopping by with all the warm encouragements. Hugs!

Pokes head in quietly .... looks like I'm late to the party but hey, I did bring wine



Here's to kicking 2015 off in style!

Happy Wednesday Crazy! No book bullets today. I am not a big fan of Short Stories and Mantel's collection seems Ok but not enough to lure me in and I already have Station Eleven on the radar. Say hi to Frank for me. ; )

Hey twin. I can see I'm going to have another heck of a year trying to keep up with you.

Station Eleven was a delightful read, I so fully agree. Nice review you wrote, too! I'll go give it an up-thumb.

I've already read The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher.

What's next?

>284 msf59: Thanks, Mark! And I did like the Mantel collection - 3.75 stars is a good solid rating, I just didn't like it as much as the Atwood collection, and it's not one that I would reread. I do think it suffered because I read it so closely to the Atwood, which was nearly flawless for me. And yes, IMO, her other stuff is better. Like superb. And you're welcome, my friend!

>285 DeltaQueen50: You're not late, Judy. You were just making a grand entrance, right?! And look, you brought wine! Stay as long as you like, dear!! Thanks for those wishes!

>286 Berly: Thank you, Kim! Short stories are not my favorite, either, but I have a growing appreciation for them. Why, I wonder, though, does it always take me longer to read short stories than it does a novel?! If you only go for the truly great collections of short stories, then I HIGHLY recommend the Atwood collection Stone Mattress. SO happy that Station Eleven is already on your radar. And Frank returns your salutations.

>287 EBT1002: Hello, twin! The threads are very busy right now, but they'll slow down. Your thread is moving at quite a clip, too. And thanks for the thumb! You liked the Mantel better than I did, if I am remembering correctly. Right now I am working on: The Narrow Road to the Deep North, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Foxglove Summer, and Chocolat, which is a reread for me. I just picked up Never Let Me Go from the library, so I am excited to dip into that, and Suz and I will be reading King Lear over the weekend, starting on Friday, I believe. *makes note to check about King Lear*

Thanks so much for stopping in!

Can any of us camp out here permanently if we bring wine? ;)

Yes, ma'am!

SO last night Rae and I were wanting something different to watch, and I remembered someone here saying that Broadchurch was good. And Netflix has it, so we gave it a go. We ended up having a marathon and watching the first five episodes. SO GOOD! Then Abby came home, and she was all "David Tennant! DAVID TENNant!!" I am guessing that she is going to have to go back and watch the episodes that she missed. Apparently she is a fan of David Tennant (see how I catch onto these things so quickly?).

I loved Broadchurch but thankfully didn't start watching it until all the episodes had been released which reduced the stress to bearable levels. I'm not going to watch the second series until all the episodes have been released either, my poor little mind won't cope.

David Tennant will always be 'my' Doctor Who as well. I haven't liked any of the before or after Doctors as much, but his Doctor is brilliant.

That's probably what we'll do, too, Jenny. I really like watching them with no commercial interruption and being able to just go to the next episode if I feel like it.

Don't faint, but I have only seen a few episodes of Dr. Who, and those had the first doctor? This one:



But Abby LOVES Dr. WHo, so that probably explains the David Tennant love.

Yup, that's the first, Christopher Ecclestone. Well, the first of the 'new' Doctors anyway - it's been going since 1963 but was relaunched in 2005 after 16 years off air.

David Tennant was the Tenth Doctor and did series 2-4 and was in a few specials as well. His episodes contain some classics, although it's difficult to get the full effect if you haven't seen early ones.

If you did want to try them, and see if you like his Doctor, a few I'd highly recommend are 'The Girl in the Fireplace', 'Blink', and 'The Fires of Pompeii', none of which need a knowledge of past events.

Right, that's what I meant - the first of the new doctors. And thank you for those recommendations! I know that Tennant also narrates some of the Dr. Who audiobooks, as we have some of those. See? Now it's all coming together for me!

How do i go about getting to read books

>296 bascombesade: I'm not sure what you mean. Could you clarify?

At last! Looks like I was almost right when I said you'd have 1,000 posts already. :) Not even going to try to read each one, but I do like the thread topper (yes, we are) and the pics of cheese and wine.

Happy New Year! (Yes, a little late, but better that than never.) Hope the year has started out well and that it continues on that way.

My favorite Dr. Who is the fourth, Tom Baker (the one with the long long scarf), from the early series, though I admit I haven't really been watching faithfully since back in the early 80s.

Hello, Mary! It's not too late for Happy New Year - it's still new! I love how everyone has their own personal favorite Dr. Who. The one with the long, long scarf also has the crazy hair, yes?

Yep!

Okay, that's who I was picturing. Pun intended!