Berly's TBR Pile(s) Tackle Her

Happy Valentine's!!

So, my quick bio. I am a mother of three great kids; happily married; and live in Oregon. I have a huge TBR pile by my bedside, kinda like my security blanket. : ) I was a Neuroscience/Psych major and worked on nerve regeneration for a bit; then jumped ship and worked in advertising; served as the Community Relations Manager for the MN Timberwolves; was an editorial intern at Milkweed Editions; wrote for Portland Parent Magazine; and now am the Marketing Director and Accounting Whiz for our own business, which cleans industrial water and brings it up to EPA standards. Okay. Kinda unfocused, but I prefer to think of it as multitalented! I am a TKD blackbelt, but am nursing a knee back to health, so that is on hold for a while. I also like to work in glass. Back to books. Did I mention I love books? I read lots of different genres and LT has truly opened my horizons! Welcome old friends and new.

Reading now
The Secret Speech by Tom Robb Smith
A History of the World In 100 Objects* by Neil MacGregor
Turn of the Screw (160 pages)by Henry James
Snake Oil: How Fracking's False Promise of Plenty Imperils Our Future by Richard Heinberg

Completed In February
9. All the Light We Cannot See (530 pages) by Anthony Doerr 4.0
8. The Cold Dish (354 pages) by Craig Johnson 4.0

Completed in January (2057 pages)
7. The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared (384 pages) by Jonas Jonasson 3.5
6. War Dances (209 pages) by Sherman Alexie 3.5
5. Invisible* (399 pages) by James Patterson 4.0
4. The Girl on the Train (323 pages) ARC by Paula Hawkins 3.75
3. Station Eleven (333 pages) ebook by Emily St. John Mandel 4.0
2. Moon Tiger* (208 pages) by Penelope Lively 4.0
1. The Blessing Way (201 pages) ebook by Tony Hillerman 3.0

*Off my Shelves



2. Chosen by Someone Else (Paul BAC)--Moon Tiger
3. One You Have Owned More Than A Year--Invisible
6. Translated from a language I don't speak--The 100-year-old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared
7. ...with A Natural Disaster--Station Eleven
10. Set in a country other than your own--All the Light We Cannot See
16. Based on a Myth--The Blessing Way
22. ...Centered Around A Major Historical Event--100 Objects, when I finish it
23. Whose Main Character (I changed this a little) is the Same as Ancestor's First Name--The Cold Dish (Walter)

(1/1/15) Famous last words: I like to read spontaneously and pretty much refuse to commit to anything in advance.

(1/7/15) My how quickly I cave!! I am thinking I will alternate between Paul's BAC and Mark's AAC.

Paul's Brittish Author Challenge (BAC)

January : Penelope Lively Moon Tiger ✔
& Kazuo Ishiguro
February : Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh
March : Daphne Du Maurier & China Mieville
April : Angela Carter & W. Somerset Maugham
May : Margaret Drabble & Martin Amis
June : Beryl Bainbridge & Anthony Burgess
July : Virginia Woolf & B.S. Johnson
August : Iris Murdoch & Graham Greene
September : Andrea Levy & Salman Rushdie
October : Helen Dunmore & David Mitchell
November : Muriel Spark & William Boyd
December : Hilary Mantel & P.G. Wodehouse

Here is the link to the latest thread : https://www.librarything.com/topic/182914

Mark's American Author Challenge (AAC)

January : Carson McCullers
February : Henry James - Turn of the Screw
March : Richard Ford
April : Louise Erdrich
May: Sinclair Lewis
June : Wallace Stegner
July : Ursula K. Le Guin
August : Larry McMurtry
September : Flannery O' Connor
October : Ray Bradbury
November : Barbara Kingsolver
December : E.L. Doctorow

**If you are interested in the American Author Challenge, check out the main thread:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/185195

In addition I have committed to Roberta's (luvamyster65) 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

And I also have to keep an eye on Morphy's Thread on Mercy Thompson and the Alpha Omega Series. I have read a lot, but not all, and would love to reminisce on the one'e I have read and hear people's comments until I get to the new-for-me ones.

Patricia Briggs Group Read

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

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

'Course then there is My RL Book Club. Sigh.

February 11th -- All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr ✔
April 8th -- The Husband's Secret by Liann Moriarty
June 10th -- The Sense of an Ending - Julian Barnes
August 12th -- Little Failure - Gary Shteyngart
October 14th -- The Good Lord Bird - James McBride
December -- Choose NewBooks!!


And now (1/10) I have committed to read The Worst Hard Time in March with Julia.

: )

Good thing I like books!

I didn't quite make the 75 goal last year, but close. I managed to read almost 22,000 pages, which sounds impressive and since I have never tracked this before and have nothing to compare it to, made me quite happy. Don't burst my bubble if you left me in the dust!! ; )

My top 5 favorite reads from last year were (in no particular order):

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Gravity of Birds by Tracy Guzeman
The Martian by Andy Weir
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The Rosie Project by Gaeme Simsion

and then also

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
Interpreter of Maladies by Juhumpa Lahiri
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
More Than This by Patrick Ness

And done! Ready to play.

Happy new thread, Kim!

Happy New Thread!!

Hi Kim! Hooray for new threads!

The Girl on the Train is a mess! No, not the book, the heroine. She is mourning a failed marriage and drowning her sorrows in booze. Everyday she rides to work and and fantasizes perfect lives for the people she sees through the train window. Then one day she reads something in the newspaper about one of "her" families. And a memory is triggered. Did she see something or was it just her imagination? Was it the booze? Unsure of herself, Rachel finds herself walking into the neighborhood to dig deeper.

Told through the eyes of one of the best unreliable narrators ever, this mystery is a page turner. I didn't necessarily love the main character, but I desperately wanted to know what happened. I had several suspects and with each twist I would change my mind. It's him! No, it's not. Her! Nope, back to him. Not him; how about the other guy? How well do you know the people in your life? How much can you trust a stranger? Definitely a good read. A solid 4 stars.

Hi Crazy. You are first...in so many ways! Thanks for popping in.

Amber, good morning. A pleasure to see you.

Katie, and the same to you! Thanks for being a frequent visitor.

You guys are great. : )

Invisible

James Patterson has done it again. A real page-turner! Emmy Dockery thinks there is a mass murderer on the loose and he is burning away the evidence. But no one believes her -- Emmy is on leave from the FBI, Administrative Leave. Why? Because her boss thinks she is a little unstable after the death of her sister. Her sister who died in a fire....

Happy New Thread, Kimmers! It is so nice to have you around.
Good review of Girl on a Train. I requested this one on audio. Have a great weekend.

Hi Kim,
>3 Berly: "...I like to read spontaneously and pretty much refuse to commit to anything in advance."
Oh, really? LOL Looks like fair amount of commitment to me!

Of your top 5 favs for last year I only read one, Life After Life and enjoyed it a lot. I liked several of your "also" books, too. You have helped me move a few up my NTB (need to buy) list that I haven't read yet - particularly The Martian.

Hi Morphy--Such glee! About my thread!! Thanks. : )

Mark--I still haven't gotten into audios yet. I am doing better with Graphic Novels!! Someday...

Cee--Yes, and right after my refusal to commit to anything in advance, less than one week later, I said: "My how quickly I cave!!" LOL. I am glad my list had a positive influence on you and it is so nice to see you around.

>9 Berly: oooh, you have me interested in that one. Grrr ;) New books are always a long wait for me. Eventually it may hit our library system, but I will be there when it does! I love htat cover too, btw.

Happy new thread!

Eta: I don't get the finals/netflix graphic from your last thread. Are parent helping their kids with finals supposed to watch movies on netflix to help them through? *stumped*

>16 LovingLit: Megan, if you like the cover on Girl on the Train, this is what the back looks like. It has a cool slide off cover.



As to the netflix graphic, it just made me laugh and I thought it nicely represented how a fried brain devolves into garbage. And studying long hours with a grumpy child can do that to you. : ) On a positive note, she got one of the top scores in her class. Yay!

The Girl on the Train will be my next read and I know it's a book you don't want to know anything about ahead of time so I didn't read your review Kim but I did see the four stars so I'm looking forward to it.

Happy new thread:-)

Yay new thread! You have Color of Water listed twice.

Hi Kim - Nice new thread. I, like you, don't plan my reads too much -- although you seem to have committed to a fair bit here. :) Some nice reading so far this year. I recently read All My Puny Sorrows and LOVED it -- my favorite read so far this year.

>18 brenzi: I tried not to give much away in my review, but totally respect not reading it just to be safe! You can at least look at the covers safely.

>19 AuntieClio: Yay! You are here! No, I didn't. ; )

>20 BLBera: I know. Wasn't Puny Sorrows great? That one has really stuck with me. I have really only committed to two books a month because I am alternating between the AAC and the BAC so that only counts as one. Then two is the Longmire. Well, two and a half if you throw in RL bookclub. Okay, occasionally three because I haven't read all the Patricia Briggs and might do a re-read or two. Um...well... : )

Feeling awful. Ate something last night that is not agreeing. Not sure whether it is an allergic reaction or ulcerative colitis. Bummer.

And in other health related news, my knee is still really hurting. It's been 10 months since the surgery and I still cannot do any high impact things (definitely no TKD!) and stairs are a killer. So, I am scheduled for an MRI on Thursday to figure out what is going on. I cannot wait!

In the meantime, I am distracting myself with War Dances by Sherman Alexie. I am really enjoying this collection of short stories, which is amazing because I am not a SS fan! In the past I read his The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and loved it.

And I am trying to get back into A History of the World in 100 Objects. It is a cool book that gives a picture of an object and then a 2-5 page explanation of its significance in the world. Clearly not plot driven, it just has not pulled me in so far, but maybe if I try to talk about it here on a daily basis I will make more progress....Today's piece is the Swimming Reindeer, from 11,000BC. It was made during the end of the latest Ice Age and it is the oldest piece of art in any British museum. "It is alarmingly delicate: we keep it in a climate-controlled case and hardly ever move it, because with any sudden shock it could just crumble into dust." There were four separate kinds of tool used in the carving of these reindeer and the artist took full advantage of the shape of the mammoth tusk by placing the smaller female reindeer in the tapered front and the larger, huskier male in the back where the tusk widens. (And, yes, they are carved with genitalia.) Both animals have their heads tilted up so they can breath while swimming and their antlers lie against their backs, legs are spread out and streamlined. This piece represents man's change in thinking, from shear survival to creating art and representing the world they lived in.

>22 Berly: I wish it hadn't taken them so long to finally check out what was wrong with your knee.

Also, I love that you will be talking about the objects here daily. I zipped over to read about the Swimming Reindeer on Wikipedia. Fun!

Oh, dang, Kim, I'm sorry you're not feeling well. Fingers crossed, too, that the MRI gives you some answers about your knee and that a simple and fast solution exists.

Morning Kimmers! Sorry to hear about the health issues! What a bummer, my friend. Sending warm hugs and healing vibes...

Sorry to hear that you're feeling so unwell, but glad to see that things are in motion to try and work out the problems with your knee. I hope at least the stomach troubles clear up quickly.

I've seen the Swimming Reindeer in the British Museum, and it's incredible to think how old it is. I could have stood and looked at it all day.

Congrats to your new thread and happy Sunday. Due to my busy RL there will be no photo this weekend.

Hi Kim, sorry to hear that you are still having problems with your knee my dear and I hope that the MRI shows something that can be treated quickly so that you can get back to doings things you enjoy. I hope that apart from your knee you have had a nice weekend my dear. Sending love and hugs from over the pond.

I think you liked The Girl on the Train just a bit more than I did, but still, what a ride it was!

Kimmers congratulations on your latest thread. Taking the opportunity of the early morning office quietude to wish you the very best for the coming week.

>23 Morphidae: Thanks Morphy. I know, I wish this hadn't taken so long with the knee, but we had to try the PT and then the cortisone, so this is just the next step on the journey. I will get better!

>24 scaifea: Well said, Amber!! Keep those fingers crossed! Okay, you can take a break when eating and when typing. ;)

>25 msf59: Mark, I'll take those healing vibes, thank you very much!!

>26 lunacat: I am so jealous you have actually seen the Swimming Reindeer! How cool is that? I just get goosebumps with things that are that old and beautiful. See, enthusiasm like this will help me turn the page and see what next cool item is in the book!

>27 Ameise1: Hi Barb. Well, you have spoiled me for months. I quite look forward to my picture every weekend. But, I have seen how busy your life is right now and I understand completely. I left you a picture this weekend on your thread--turn about is fair play!! Hang in there and I hope your colleague gets better soon. Best wishes.

>28 johnsimpson: Thanks John. Saturday was a very nice day. My oldest was home for a bit and we went to my son's soccer game, which they won and he scored a goal! I missed most of today because I had to take a Benadryl for the allergies and it knocked me out. That was a bummer because I had planned on this reading time and instead I read the inside of my eyelids!! Oh well, the problem is solved and I will be back to normal tomorrow.

>29 katiekrug: Hi Katie--Yes, I liked the book a little more than you, but we were still in the same range. And I like you no matter how you score a book!

>30 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul--Thanks for stopping in during your limited office computer time. I so appreciate that and I am hoping you get that computer issue fixed soon. I hate when mine isn't working! Best wishes for a wonderful week.

>21 Berly: You're right I was mistaken. I blame my wrist.

>32 AuntieClio: Stephanie--I am so sorry! I was teasing you ya know. I went back in and removed the duplicate book. No need to blame the wrist!! You were absolutely right and thanks for pointing it out. And I am glad you didn't give THAT woman a smile today. She doesn't deserve it. Big hugs. : )

Kim - Feel better soon. Good luck with the knee - I hope it's something simple that will go away with no invasive treatment. I love Alexie. I just reread The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian with one of my classes; he is always a favorite with students.

Thanks Beth. Two years back I got some seats donated to hear Sherman Alexie as a speaker for Literary Arts here in Portland. The kids at my daughter's high school were reading the True Diary and it was a high ticket item at the auction! I will be looking for more of his books to read.

Once again my Dad has come through with a great list. Hope you get at least a smile from these! I laughed out loud at several. From Group 1 I like 3, 5, and 7. Group 2, I like 2 and 8 and, of course, 16. : )

Once again, The Washington Post has published the winning submissions to its yearly neologism contest, in which readers are asked to supply alternative meanings for common words.

The winners are:

1. Coffee (n.), the person upon whom one coughs.

2. Flabbergasted (adj.), appalled over how much weight you have gained.

3. Abdicate (v.), to give up all hope of ever having a flat stomach.

4. Esplanade (v.), to attempt an explanation while drunk.

5. Willy-nilly (adj.), impotent.

6. Negligent (adj.), describes a condition in which you absentmindedly answer the door in your nightgown.

7. Lymph (v.), to walk with a lisp.

8. Gargoyle (n), olive-flavoured mouthwash.

9. Flatulence (n.) emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.

10. Balderdash (n.), a rapidly receding hairline.

11. Testicle (n.), a humorous question on an exam.

12. Rectitude (n.), the formal, dignified bearing adopted by proctologists.

13. Pokemon (n), a Rastafarian proctologist.

14. Oyster (n.), a person who sprinkles his conversation with Yiddishisms.

15. Frisbeetarianism (n.), (back by popular demand): The belief that, when you die, your soul flies up onto the roof and gets stuck there.

16. Circumvent (n.), an opening in the front of boxer shorts worn by Jewish men.

The Washington Post's Style Invitational also asked readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition.

The winners are:

1. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

2. Foreploy (v): Any misrepresentation about yourself for the purpose of getting laid.

3. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house, which renders the subject financially impotent for an indefinite period.

4. Giraffiti (n): Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

5. Sarchasm (n): The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

6. Inoculatte (v): To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

7. Hipatitis (n): Terminal coolness.

8. Osteopornosis (n): A degenerate disease. (This one got extra credit.)

9. Karmageddon (n): its like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

10. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting through the day consuming only things that are good for you.

11. Glibido (v): All talk and no action.

12. Dopeler effect (n): The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

13. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance performed just after you've accidentally walked through a spider web.

14. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.

15. Caterpallor (n.): The colour you turn after finding half a grub in the fruit you're eating.

And the pick of the literature:

16. Ignoranus (n): A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

>36 Berly: *SNORK!* Those are fantastic!

>36 Berly: OMG, those are BRILLIANT! Thanks so much for sharing, they elicited my first laugh of the day.

I think my favourites are 7 and 9 of the first list, and 4, 8 and 13 from the second.

>36 Berly: So funny. The second set is so imaginative!

Amber, Jenny and Judy--glad to brighten your day! And you brightened mine by popping in! : )

I had to share it on my thread as well, it was too good not to! Thanks so much.

^ Yay! That means they really tickled you!

Happy new thread, Kim!

I have The Girl on the Train on my radar. Totally sounds like a page turner. Hopefully I can snag a copy from the library without having to wait half a year or some other ridiculous length of time.

Hope your knee feels better!

>43 jolerie: Hi Val! Definitely put in a request from the library, quickly before everyone realizes it is a good one! And thanks for the knee wishes. Limping along has taken on a whole new meaning, LOL!

A History of the World in 100 Objects: Item #5 The Clovis Spear is named after the village in the United State’s New Mexico where they were first discovered in 1936. Makers of these points or people who hunted with them are known as Clovis people. Dating back 13,000 years these carved flint spearheads have been found in clusters from Alaska to Mexico and California to Florida. The Clovis people “were the very first dispersers, who filled up the continent and became the ancestors of modern Native Americans, populating just about all of North America, and they came from somewhere up north, because the studies of genetics seem to prove that the ancestry of Native Americans is north-east Asian.”



“The ripples on the side of the Clovis point, which I find so beautiful, produce intense bleeding in any animal they hit, so you don’t need to be a dead shot and strike a vital organ; you can hit your prey anywhere and the blood loss will gradually weaken it until you can easily finish it off. And by 10,000 BC, all the mammoths, and a lot of other big mammals, had indeed been finished off.”

Zing! Got me with a BB with that one.

>33 Berly: Dude, chill. I was being sarcastic in return. :-)

>46 drneutron: Jim--Yes!! I hit you with a book bullet! Hey, I noticed you entered all of your library--congrats!! And I love your tag "Wretched." That one truly made me laugh.

>47 AuntieClio: Phew! I know things have been rough and I didn't want to add any negative vibes. I feel better. How about you? : )

I forgot to celebrate my Thingaversary in December, but I think I still earned the books! So, a recent purchase included my current read, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared, and also The Silver Lining Playbook, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Rosie Effect, and Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?. That's only 5 so I figure I still get one more to make my 6 and then one for good luck, or being a good girl, or something like that. Yay!

Morning Kimmers! It is never to late to celebrate your Thingaversary! I loved both The Rosie Effect & the Chast memoir. Good choices. Enjoy!

Yes, I have a tag called "Mark's Fault" on the Chast memoir. Rosie is "Richard's Fault." LOL. The others were good deals.

I like Mark's Fault! Sounds like a topic heading. LOL.

Well, you being the warbler that you are, it could be!!

What an awesome haul for your thingaversary! Lots of books there that I have on my TBR mountain. :)

So sorry to hear you're still having troublers with your knee. Hope the MRI shows something fixable.

Also wanted to say thank you for recommending What We See When We Read this should be a quick read but I keep going back and re-reading pages again and again. I love this book.

Yep - I have a tag that loosely translates to Marks Fault too - I might need to change it to match.

>54 jolerie: Val--Well, if they are on your TBR mountain, then they are sure to be good! Let me know if you want to read any together...

>55 SuziQoregon: Suzi--Thanks. We'll see what the MRI says and then go from there.

And I am so glad you are liking What We See When We Read! I thought it was very fun, thought provoking and I kept going back and forth, too.

And I think we could start a "Mark's Fault" trend! >51 Berly: ; )

I received an ER copy of I Take You by Eliza Kennedy. Yay! I love free books.

>48 Berly: chin chin dahling! :-)

Oh, why thank you dear! From one snark to another. : )

"Mark's Fault"! It does have a certain ring to it, doesn't it?

>36 Berly: Hysterical Kim. I'm sorry to hear your knee is still bothering you.

>60 msf59: "Mark's Fault." He says, "A nice ring to it...."



No.....

No.....

NOOOOOO!!!!

The beer is right, but.....

A nice ring to it. : )

>61 brenzi: Hi Bonnie! How nice to see you here. I am glad you liked the neologisms. Your granddaughter Mia is so cute!! Love the high chair picture.

And my knee will get better (dammit!); it is just testing my patience right now. ; )

Item #6 Oooh! Everyone should be excited! The next section of A History of the World in 100 Objects is "After the Ice Age: Food and Sex"!!! (9000-3500 BC)

"Previously, I (author Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum) have looked at how our ancestors moved around the world: now I'm going to be focusing on what happened when they settled down. It was a time of newly domesticated animals, powerful gods, dangerous weather, good sex and even better food." (p.33)

And on that note, Today's Object of Interest seems to fulfill two categories at once: being used to make good food and also strangely phallic! (They say it is a Bird-Shaped Pestle, but I don't know...)



"Ten thousand years ago, the sound of daily life began to change across the world, as new rhythms of grinding and pounding heralded..."

AHA!! See I was right. Sex.

"...heralded the preparation of new foods that were going to alter our diets and our landscape."

Or not. ; )

Seriously though, this pestle is from Papua New Guinea; it is about 8,000 years old and it is over a foot tall! The numerous pestles and mortars found there show "that there were a large number of farmers growing crops in the tropical forests and grasslands around this time. This relatively recent discovery has upset the conventional view that farming began in the Middle East, in the area from Syria to Iraq, often called the Fertile Crescent...." (p. 34, MacGregor)

"As the human species expanded across the globe, we had to compete with other animals going for the easy food. Where we couldn't compete, we had to go for the difficult food. We went for things like the small hard grass seeds we call cereals, which are indigestible if eaten raw and may even be poisonous, which we have to pulp up and turn into things like bread and dough....this is how we gained a competitive advantage -- other animals that didn't have our kind of brain couldn't think several steps ahead to do that." (p. 35, Martin Jones, Professor of Archaeological Science at Cambridge University)

That was a nice little tribute, Kimmers! LOL.

Mark's Fault is a good thing. : )

Just stopping by to say hello. Waves :-)

Waving back!! Hope your week is going okay.

I am thoroughly enjoying The 100-Year-Old Man. It is a lighthearted caper with flashbacks to historical world events and how Allan played a crucial (although unmarked by historical records) part in each of them.

Allan Karlsson had just climbed out his window and stood "in the flower bed along one side of the Old Folk's Home. He was wearing a brown jacket with brown trousers and on his feet he had a pair of brown indoor slippers. He was not a fashion plate; people rarely are at that age. He was on the run from his own birthday party...He turned to take one last look at the Old Folk's Home that --- until a few moments ago -- he had thought would be his last residence on Earth, and then he told himself that he could die some other time, in some other place.

"The 100-year-old man set off in his pee-slippers (so called because men of an advanced age rarely pee farther than their shoes), first through a park and then alongside an open field...."

And his adventure begins!

>73 Berly: Isn't it great? The quirky sentences and brilliant humour was right up my alley. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, what an adventure.

Eh??!! You are never too old for an adventure!!

6. War Dances by Sherman Alexie

I enjoyed this collection of short stories and poetry by Sherman Alexie. They are fun, passionate and witty and filled with larger themes of identity and belonging, pride, redemption and failure. A captivating writer. One of my favorite collections of short stories.

I uploaded my very first book cover! I was looking through my Henry James for Mark's AAC next month and realized I hadn't entered some of them into LT. I have five: The Turn of the Screw, Washington Square, Daisy Miller, Portrait of a Lady and The Art of Criticism: Henry James on the Theory and the Practice of Fiction. I decided to read The Turn of the Screw because I can remember the least about it and I will probably reread the relevant passages in the Art of Crisicism and relive my college days a little. ; ) So, here is my "unique" cover:

I'm going to read Washington Square, my first-ever Henry James, for Mark's AAC February.

>68 Berly: Oh yeah. Great fun!

Hi Ellen--Well, I hope you enjoy James as much as I have. He had several different periods of writing. I can't wait to see what everyone is reading and then what they think!

>9 Berly: The Girl on the Train sounds like it is a good read. Too bad my local library does not have it! Into the BlackHole it goes! Thanks, Kim.

Stasia--Well, get your name on the hold list in advance of the purchase! (Can you do that, lol?) BTW--it is kinda rare that I get to add to your BlackHole. I am enjoying it immensely! xoxo

Rough night last night. Helping the son scramble for finals' projects went in to the wee hours. Pooped today. I go in for my MRI today and then Dr appt next week. Looking forward to some answers!

Sending you positive vibes for your MRI and your Dr. appt. Hope you get some answers, Kim!

What Valerie said - fingers crossed!

Waiting for MRI report...hope all went well, my friend. Fingers crossed.

I also have my fingers crossed that your appointment yields some answers.

Thanks you guys! I see the doctor next Wednesday. The test wasn't too bad. Since it was my knee there were examining, my head wasn't all the way inside the claustrophobic MRI machine tunnel. Much easier experience!! Man that sucker is loud though! ; )

Hi Kim, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Hi Kim - Awesome thingaversary book haul. I'm not a James fan, so I'll leave you to your discussion...

>87 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara! Nice to have you back. : )

I hope that means you made it through the week and that maybe your coworker is back and that you did not get sick? May this week be much less stressful.

>88 BLBera: Beth--I like some of James' work, but not others. For instance, I did not really enjoy The Turn of the Screw when I read it ages ago, so I am hoping to get more out of it this time. 'Course, it might just be a dud... We shall see.

Everyone made it through their school finals week and I was ready for life to be low stress and back to normal, but poor Sarah came down with something yesterday. Sore throat and fever. May have to go in for a strep test. Bummer.

Planning on watching the SuperBowl later today. I am conflicted on who to root for. I live near the SeaHaws now, but I have lived in MA five separate times, so the Patriots are also homies. But I don't really like their coach or the whole deflate gate, so I guess that means I root for Settle!

Happy Sunday, Kimmers! Hope you have a great day. We are getting a major winter blast! Ugh! At least I'll be cozy at home.

>36 Berly: so clever!! Some people just have the best brains, don't they? :)

>77 Berly: oooh, good luck with The Turn of the Screw. I love the title, but the book did not grab me as much as it did some.

Hi Kim, the link below will get you to the charting pages thread. Hope you sign up my dear.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/201515000pageschalle>

>91 msf59: Hi Mark! So, no work again tomorrow? I wish! Is everything shut down because of the snow? Hmmmm...sounds like ore quality book time!

>92 LovingLit: Hi Megan! I wish I was that smart to think of all those fun definitions and new words. LOL.

And we'll see about the Screw....!

>93 johnsimpson: Hi John--I thought I already did sign up, but off I go again to check it out. Thanks!

The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson 3.75 Stars

Allan Karlsson is turning one hundred years old, but decides he can't stick around for his birthday party. Instead he slips out the bedroom window and heads to the train station. From there, he meets with the most colorful characters, escaping disaster after disaster with the help of Lady Luck. But then, his whole life has been one of coincidence and good fortune. I loved how the two threads of his current mad cap escapades and his younger adventures play out in alternating chapters. I thoroughly enjoyed this romp through history --it was very funny and well crafted! You will never meet another character who has played such a crucial, yet unreported, role in world events, from Presidents to the Manhattan Project, from Sweden to Russia, China, Bali, France and the US. A hoot!

The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson

Chief Longmire is a twenty-four year veteran sheriff of Wyoming’s Absaroka County and he is my new favorite detective. He is surly, funny and generous. Two years ago, four boys had been convicted of raping a young Cheyenne girl, but they got off with easy sentences. Now released, one of them has turned up dead and Chief Longmire doubts it is an accident. Concerned that the others may be in danger, he enlists the help of lifelong friend Henry Standing Bear, Deputy Victoria Moretti, and a few other memorable characters to head off more tragedy. Johnson does a really nice job of filling out the backstories and bringing the places to life. Filled with snarky humor, a little romance, and great friendship this Native American-flavored mystery left me wanting to start the second in the series right away!

>95 Berly: Isn't it an unexpected delight? I've got his second novel sitting on my pile waiting to be read, but I don't expect it to be as good as his first (not sure why). I loved Allan but I think the elephant may have been my favourite.

>36 Berly: Thanks for my laugh of the morning, Kim! Great stuff!

Sorry your knee is still giving you so much grief. I hope the MRI helps the medical people sort it all out.

Glad that you enjoyed the first Longmire. That is one of my favorite series!

>97 lunacat: Ermintrude! Nice to see you. What is his second novel about? And, yes, the elephant was cute, but I kinda like the cussing Beauty. ; ) And if we lived closer, I would definitely have asked you over for the Super Bowl!! And then it would have been (and always would be) fine if you said 'No I want to stay home and read a book.' I'd ask again the next time. Hugs.

>98 tymfos: Terri! Glad to provide you with a laugh and I am thrilled that you endorse the Longmire series--we have several more to go this year. I forget...are you following along on Roberta's mystery thread?

Thanks for the good knee wishes. We'll see on Wednesday...

Have a great day. : )

The 100 year kid man sounds like a funny and quirky book. It's on my TBR mountain so I'll get to it at smoke point. :)

>100 Berly: Yes, I'm in on Roberta's thread. I was just over there putting in my two cents about Vic.

>101 jolerie: Is this a smoke point? ; ) Definitely move the 100 year kid up the TBR mountain.

LOL....sorry. Stupid autocorrect on my iPad. Thank goodness I didn't swear at you, or worse. ;)

I meant SOME, SOME point. :D

I know....LOL. I just thought it was funny. And I am glad you and your iPad didn't swear at me. : )

>102 tymfos: I am sure your comments are worth more than two cents. Off to check them out!

Former Philly, your comments were right on! Worth at least a buck. ; )

Howdy, Kimmers! How is the Turn of the Screw coming along?

I bet the fracking book is pretty depressing, right? I saw the Gasland doc, awhile back and it was very sad.

Hi Kim - I've never heard of Jonasson, but the book sounds fun. I'll have to look for it.

>107 msf59: Hiya Mark! The Turn of the Screw has made it upstairs from my book shelves onto the top of my night table TBR pile, but I must admit I have not cracked it open yet. Very soon....

And fracking is depressing. But I want to know more about it because our company can potentially clean the water from this process, so I am finding it very interesting. I have not seen the Gasland doc. Is it on Netflix? I will have to look for it....

>108 BLBera: Hi Beth! Yes, you should!! In your spare time. I saw you had an interesting January collection. I also loved All My Puny Sorrows and Moon Tiger, too. Too bad your kids couldn't get into the gender discussion. Keep trying!

>110 Berly: Boy, isn't that the truth?!

I can see I'm going to have to pick up The Girl on the Train at some point, with all these interesting reviews like yours.

>110 Berly: - Truth.

LOL @ 36! I love it! I hope you don't mind if I post it on my thread and give you credit? Thanks! :) (If you do, I'll be happy to remove it.) Btw, nice 2015 thread! :) I woefully behind on visiting everyone.

>111 rosalita: Hi Julia! That e-card is EXACTLY how I am feeling today! Glad you liked The Girl on the Train Review and I hope you get to it sometime soon. I am not alone in my praise for it. ; )

>112 katiekrug: Verity!!

>113 saraslibrary: Sara! Hi there. You are more than welcome to steal it--glad you got a chuckle. And no worries about being behind---I think that is the definition of being an LTer. There is just no way to keep up! Glad you stopped by and I hope you find your way back here again sometime soon. Imagine bumping into you here instead of on Stepheno's thread?! ; )

BTW--Your library on here is HUGE! Very fun. I was perusing....

>114 Berly: Hi Kim! :) And thank you! I've already shared it with a coworker and Stephen loved it, too. It'll be fun to work those words into daily life! :D I think you're right about there not being any way to keep up. More people join; lots more reading going on...yeah, it's impossible. :)

Oh, I know! I was shocked to hit the 6,000 mark. And that's still only about half of my collection. o.o Happy perusing! :)

Just started All the Light We Cannot See for my RL book group next week. Very excited.....!

>115 saraslibrary: Sara, I keep thinking I will someday get my books catalogued and then I go downstairs, look at at my shelves and think, Not Today! At least I have centralized them. Mostly. There is also the bedroom, and the study, and the ....you know how it goes. LOL.

Oooh..I've heard good things about All The Light We Cannot See and it sounds like something I'd totally love. Now I just have to fit it in somewhere...... If only all these new shiny books wouldn't keep calling to me!

>110 Berly: he he good one.

^not even investigating All the Light we Cannot See at ALL. Nope, not gonna. There is no opportunity for bookhorning anything in here at the moment.

>118 jolerie: >119 LovingLit: Come on girls!!

All the Light We Cannot See has a 4.22 overall rating! How can you resist?!?!



A book horn...get it?! ;)

I do not know if Gasland is in on Netflix. I would imagine so!

I really enjoyed All the Light! I am sure you will too! Put Euphoria on your To-Read list. You will thank me later, plus it is a shorty.

ETA- I LOVE the bookhorn!!

Wait...you can't book horn me on my own thread! Mark!!! Come back here and apologize.

Grumbles off to add another "Mark's Fault" on the WL. : P

Rides off into the sunset, with bookhorn back in it's trusty holster...

Dagnammit!!!

I'm so glad I'm not the only one with uncatalogued books! I do need to finish one of these days...#110 is so true. My daughter once said that weekends should be five days and work weeks two days. I think she has something...

>125 BLBera: Beth--Tell your daughter I think she is brilliant!!!

I keep planning to tackle it one shelf at a time, but then I start reading a new book...

>95 Berly:-- Nice review=--this sounds like a fun book--I should look for it!

Hi Rhonda--I was just over on Tutu's thread and she gave it a 4, so yup, you should find it!!

I am really looking forward to a Portland meet up soon! I should try purge my shelves and take some of my books to Powell's and get a credit--then I can splurge when we go. : )

For any Portlanders (or anyone really!) the new thread is here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/187289

>117 Berly: I tell myself the same thing...then I find another box I have hidden somewhere else full of books. D'oh! I don't blame you for not getting them all catalogued. It's very taxing! Besides, there are more important things like reading them, ogling them, dusting them, etc. ;) So no worries. Just enjoy your books.

>128 Berly: Yes! Everyone should come to Portland for the meet-up, don't you think?

My books are not cataloged at all, actually. That probably will happen sometimes after I retire and organize the family photos, right?

>129 saraslibrary: Sarah, I like ogling them a lot! And rearranging them in order of next-to-read, which BTW is constantly changing depending on whose thread I have last visited. Sometimes I even take their picture and post them here like the friends they are.

>130 banjo123: The Family Photos! Ha, ha!! I used to be an avid scrapbooker, with all the cute little cutouts and stickers. Yeah. My oldest is in 3rd grade in her book (but actually 22 years old) and my youngest is three (really 14). I gave up and for the last 5 years I have managed to print out photos and shove them into those albums with the little plastic sleeves. I am okay with that. : )

>130 banjo123: :D Yeah, I'm sure cataloging will fit nicely after all those things. It is tedious work (yes, more boring than organizing family photos at times ;), but it saves on buying doubles sometimes at bookstores, etc.

>131 Berly: Me too! :) Well, I mean, I like ogling my own books. ;) And series--those must be put in chronological order, though I've slowly been running out of room lately. *sigh* lol @ "take their picture and post them here like the friends they are" They do make good friends, don't they? :)

Here is how I handle keeping track of my books:
http://www.collectorz.com/ which has an app for smart phones to scan bar codes (or get a scanner if you'd rather)

I've been using it for years (also dvds and cds). It's easy to use, exports to several formats which will work with importing your books to LT (http://www.librarything.com/wiki/index.php/HelpThing:Import).

When I first started in, I got the bar code scanner and scanned everything in. Now, I just input the ISBNs and it does the search for me.

The folks at collectorz.com are very friendly and truly understand how important collecting data and then being able to manipulate it is. I absolutely cannot imagine not having it for my personal library.

>132 saraslibrary: Series!!! Don't get me started. I haven't even looked at that. How many have I finished? How many am I in the middle of? How many have I started? And the biggest question of all--How many have I started that I don't even know are series?! Not going there. ; )

>133 AuntieClio: Awesome info Stephanie! I will have to check it out. : ) My problem is getting the books off the shelf and THEN the ISBN into the computer. I think it is called being lazy. LOL.

How many have I started that I don't even know are series?! Like.......Child 44 for example? That's at least one.... ;)

So rough night last night. My son woke me up at 2:30am with a splitting headache, to the point of crying. And then his hand went numb, so then we called the advice nurse and ultimately wound up in the ER. An MRI revealed no abnormalities, so it is probably just a severe and unusual migraine. His first and I hope his last. We got home this morning at 11. He is fast asleep now. Soooooo tired! Looking forward to a low-key weekend with books.

>135 jolerie: Hi Val--Funny you mention that one--I was reading the second one, The Secret Speech, last night in the ER! Good thing I could synch it on my phone. This means I am currently in the middle of four books and I always read one at a time. It feels very weird, scattered.

>134 Berly: Right. But my point is that with the scanner app on your phone, you can drag your database with you to the books, not vice versa. :-p

I don't understand Kim. Don't you have your books cataloged here on LT? What more do you need? At least that's my attitude but maybe I'm missing something and that would be no surprise LOL. All the Light We Cannot See made my list of Top 5 Books of 2014. Just a wonderful novel. I hope you enjoy it. I hope your son is recovered from whatever it is that landed him in the ER.

>136 Berly: woah, that is scary! I hope he is OK.

Oh no! That must have been quite the scare. Hopefully you both can catch up on some rest this weekend!

>136 Berly: Sorry to hear about your son's first (and hopefully only) migraine Kim. I can remember my first one appearing in my teen years and being sure I was either dying or having a stroke, as they come with numbness in my face and one hand, and stop me being able to talk. I hope he's feeling better soon, and you and he get some rest.

Sorry, to hear about your son's migraine, Kim! Let's hope this is a very rare appearance. Fingers crossed.

Hope you have a R & R weekend lined up.

>136 Berly: What a scary night you and your son had! I'm so glad it doesn't seem to be anything serious. I hope it is just a one-off migraine. I'm sure sleeping is the best thing for him right now.

Kim - I hope you all get to take naps today. Take care.

Oh Kim, so sorry to hear about your son's migrain. I hope he feels better soon. Thinking of you and sending healing vibes. xx

Sorry to here about your ER trip. It's so frightening when something is wrong with your kid. And ugh for migraines--I hope he doesn't have any more!

>133 AuntieClio: Thank you! :) I'll have to check out the site. Unfortunately, I don't have a smartphone, so I doubt it'll apply to me.

LOL @ 134. Don't worry. I won't ask. ;)

>136 Berly: I'm sorry to hear about your son's migraine! I hope he's feeling better now.

{{{Hugs}}} Kim. I'm sorry to hear about your son's visit to the ER. I hope you all have a restful weekend.

Kim, I'm sorry to hear about your son. :-((

>134 Berly: I use my desktop and input the ISBNs by hand now. When I first started, I used my desktop and a scanner. They've updated the software to use a mobile app as the scanner, or you can buy a scanner to connect with your desktop/laptop. It's designed to be used on multiple platforms.

I was just pointing out that there was a way to catalog books without having to drag the entire library to your computer. :-)

So first, a quick update. Jack sleep until noon and reports that his head is back to normal. I also took it easy today and did nothing but nap and read. Just what we both needed! Emergency rooms are a good thing, but it is always scary to go there. Fingers are indeed crossed that this is a once-only. Thanks to everyone for all the good wishes and love! This is such a wonderful community. Big hugs!

>138 AuntieClio: >150 AuntieClio: Stephanie--No, I think the bar code scanner is a great idea. I also do have a portable computer and I could just bring it downstairs and type in the ISBNs. I think I am just intimidated by the thought of trying to write reviews for all of them. Perhaps I could just give myself a bye and just put them in without...

>139 brenzi: I am almost finished with ATLWCS, which is good because my RL book group is discussing it next week. It is turning into a page burner at the end!

>151 Berly: - Kim, I entered all my books but didn't write reviews for the ones I'd already read. That would be crazy!

:)

what Katie said in >152 katiekrug:

So I can put my guilt aside and just feel the glee?! Best news all day. Yippee!!

>136 Berly: & >151 Berly: I am pleased to see that Jack has got over that pretty nasty experience. When our kids are sick it is worse than our being so as sometimes they cannot articulate what is the exact problem.

Now you can have a great Sunday at the very least, Kimmers.

>154 Berly: Yes, feel the glee. Download the software and be gleeful, my child. ;-)

I'm so glad to hear that Jack is feeling better! Taking kids to the emergency room is such a scary thing.

I'm glad Jack is feeling much better. What a relief. :)

Happy Sunday, Kim! What a scary episode with Jack. SO glad that he is feeling better, and crossing my fingers that it does not happen again.

As for entering books - I also just entered them and didn't bother with reviews.

>155 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul--Yes, I always think it is easier to be the patient than the hand-holder, especially when it is one of my kids. But all is well again. In fact, my Hubby, Jack and two buddies are all headed to the mountain today for skiing and snowboarding. Normally, I would be going with them, but the knee is still cranky. Oh well, a bit of quiet in the house. Time to read and Sarah and I are having a girl's day--getting a pedicure!

>156 AuntieClio: : )

>157 scaifea: Thanks Amber. Jack is my most frequently injured kid. Last year it was a lacerated spleen from a snowboarding mishap, so I am hoping this fulfills his quota for the year.

>158 lunacat: Ermintrude! (I do love that name.) Thanks--I am in total agreement. Phew!

>159 Crazymamie: Hi Crazy--Thanks. Just keep your fingers crossed until he gets back from the mountain today. I don't need any more excitement.

Okay, so the concensus is enter the books without reviews. Well, that certainly makes things a little less daunting! Now, if I don't do it you will all know how truly lazy I am! : )

Happy Sunday, Kimmers! I hope you have an R & R day planned. It sounds like you could use it.

>160 Berly: Sarah and I are having a girl's day--getting a pedicure!
hehe, I see your house has its gender division sorted well into the established slots this weekend! I often think about that when I see my lovely other mowing the lawn while I am cooking in the kitchen....you just go to go with what works.

Sorry to hear about the latest ER trip. And I do hope that's the last migraine your son has. And I hope. For useful info about your knee, too.

When I first joined LT, I bought the CatScan device and scanned all my books in, a shelf at a time. And I didn't write a single review. Typing in the ISBNs before i got the scanner was really tedious, and I was glad to save the time. Since that first push, I've been not so perfect in recording my acquisitions, with ebooks especially. I tend to record them as I read them.

>163 ffortsa: In the morning I played with my books. I stuck with entering the ISBNs and entered 22 books as well as fixing a bunch of tags and adding the "To Read" designation on about 15 more. So that took care of one shelf. About 30 to go!! Most of these were books I have not read and so I knew they weren't entered AND I didn't have to feel bad about not writing the review, ha ha!

>161 msf59: >162 LovingLit: Then the day did divide along gender lines, which is not always the case, so Sarah and I went all out girly!! First we went to the library, where I got a snazzy new 150th Commemorative Library Card and picked up three books. It is the first time I have used the library in years and it felt really good. I picked up the The Rosie Effect (I adored the first one), and two graphic novels in honor of my LT Anniversary Theme: Fables: Inherit the Wind and Fables: Snow White.

After the library, Sarah and I had the pedicure. Loved it! The massage is the best part. : )

Then we went to Powell's where I traded in about 8 books (although they rejected most of my trashy romance novels I was trying to purge!) and we promptly spent that on new books: Through the Zombie Glass, The Scorch Trials, Salvage the Bones, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (it was only $3 and I couldn't pass on it even though it is no longer January!), and Scarlet.

Then we went out to PF Chang's for some Chinese food. Yum!

Quite the day. Glad to be home. : )

And I finished All the Light We Cannot See (review coming later) and entered my new books. : )

Sounds like a good day with your daughter, Kim! And I *loved* Salvage the Bones, so I'm always happy to see that on people's lists :)

What a lovely use of a Sunday, Kim! I have all those books that you just acquired in the stacks! I have read only Scarlet and The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, so I need to get crackin'. Hoping that Monday is kind to you!

I love Powell's. I wish I could live there or at least visit more often. :)

I've heard so many wonderful things about Powell's, Kim. How fortunate that you live right there!

If I lived near Powell's, I'd probably have to live IN Powell's.

However, I think Jim and I are about to engineer a 16 foot wide wall of books in the livingroom. It will look amazing. Of course, it won't be enough, but it will look amazing.

>166 katiekrug: Katie, I am so glad to hear you liked Salvage the Bones. I just thought it looked interesting and now I feel even better about getting it!

>167 Crazymamie: Hi Crazy--You have ALL those books already! So much for my being unique and cutting edge or anything. ; 0

Monday was just fine. Still making progress on the financials. Man, there are so many details! There's dollars and cents, and dates, and account numbers, and part numbers, and , and .... they all have to match!!!

We were trying to eliminate duplicated entries today and I started laughing because it was just so tedious, and before I knew it everyone in the room was laughing and then I couldn't stop. I had to leave and walk the hallway before I could pull it together. One of my coworkers said he loves my laugh and always gets a grin when he hears me next door, so I didn't feel bad about losing it today.

I am winning the battle!!

>168 jolerie: >169 lit_chick: Val and Nancy--I do have a very nice guest bedroom ya know!! Come visit me and Powell's....!

>170 ffortsa: Judy--I thought about ditching my current job just so I could work in Powell's. But that would be a bad idea because my Hubby would be sad I left him and then I wouldn't be able to resist and I would spend my entire salary on books!!

You will have to post pictures of your wall of books--it sounds awesome!! I should see if I have a picture somewhere of mine...

>171 Berly: I'll post as soon as we make some progress. We did yet the 4 foot shelves up yesterday, but not the books yet. I think we may end up with two 5 foot sections instead of the 6 footers we have on the right now. Or the whole wall, with a special section for the TV. I wouldn't mind that at all.

If only I could find another tension pole. I looked on Google again, but nothing like mine showed up. I'm checking Freecycle, and some removers like 1-800-Got-Junk to see if I can get some old ones.

>172 ffortsa: Good luck finding a replacement that matches. I think the TV in the middle sounds like fun!

Here is a cute picture of my daughter Sarah that I just couldn't resist sharing. One of the shots she is considering for her Sr. photo.

Sarah is gorgeous! What a great photo! You must be one proud Mama!

What a beautiful young lady, Kim! Stunning.

Sarah is lovely!

Oh, Kim, what a gorgeous photo of your daughter!

Beeeeautiful! I'm sure she takes after her mom! ;)

>174 Berly: - That is a wonderful photo. I was surprise to learn, through my nieces and nephew, that school photos now include casual shots that are more in keeping with the personality of the student. Gone are the days of trying to hold a bouquet of roses like one holds a baseball bat for the senior photo shot in cap and gown.... thank goodness! ;-)

She is so beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing it, Kim.

Oh, Kim, she's beautiful!

Mrs. Kim, you've got a lovely daughter!

*sung in my most over-the-top fake cockney accent*

Hi Kim, what a stunning photo of your lovely daughter, thanks for sharing it. I hope you have had a good week so far my dear, love and hugs to you and the family.

>174 Berly: Lovely photo, Kim.

I hope the MRI has gone smoothly and that you know something soon!

Oh I have The 100 Year Old Man on my wish list at the library - good to hear you enjoyed it.

I'm glad you liked the Walt Longmire book too. That series is one of my favorites and the audios are wonderful.

Scary about hour son's migraine - hope it doesn't become a pattern for him.

Lovely photo of Sarah.

Thanks for sharing the photo of your daughter; she is beautiful.

Wonderful picture of your daughter Sarah. I can see some of you in that lovely face.

>175 msf59: I am a very proud Mama. But mostly because she is beautiful inside as well. : )

>176 Crazymamie: She kinda lucked out didn't she? And she has legs that just don't quit!! I'll get those in my next life. Along with a singing voice.

>177 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. She has just a little bit of makeup on for this photo and everyone in my family said Wow! because normally she doesn't wear any. Not even mascara. And she still manages to look pretty cute without! No fair.

>178 lit_chick: One of my friends took her photos. She is a professional photographer and travels all over the country for shoots. If anyone needs a photographer (she does weddings, corporate profiles, still shots of products like jewelry) here is her website. http://www.soulayvanh.com

>179 jolerie: Thanks! But I can take no credit for her good looks (she is one of my two adopted kids). I hope I have had a positive influence on the inside. And, no, I am not as pretty as she is, but of all my children, I think she looks the most like me. More so when she is not quite so blonde!

I also have legs that didn't quit - they were fired!

>180 lkernagh: Hi Lori--Nice to see your name pop up! I think Senior Photos are way more fun now. She has some pretty cool shots in front of some train tracks, leading off into the future. Sarah is also a photographer and loves to look for cool settings. The tracks are a cool symbol of the future and possibilities to her.

>181 Ameise1: Barb, can you believe it? You who share the most beautiful photos on my thread each weekend, I actually posted my own photo!! ; )

>182 scaifea: Thank you very much. I always enjoy seeing your cutie-patooties!!

>183 rosalita: What a loverly singing voice you have! Please feel free to break into song here whenever you like.

>184 johnsimpson: Thank you very much. It is kinda fun to see into the lives of our friends here on LT. I am glad you like the photo. And as always, thanks for the good wishes for a lovely week--I hope the same for you!

>185 alcottacre: About that MRI--I have seen the doctor and he has no clue why my knee hurts so much still. More on that later....

>186 SuziQoregon: Really enjoyed the 100 Year Man. I am loving our NA Western thread (thank you Roberta!). I vote no more migraines. And I just have to get copies of the photos printed. Of course, no one in my family wants the same photo, LOL.

>187 BLBera: It was my pleasure to share. I am so proud of her--she is a keeper!

>188 ffortsa: Hi Judy--Thanks so much and I am very flattered if I look even a little like her!!

>190 Crazymamie: Fired? Or fire hydrant? Mine are the latter, rather short and wide. LOL.

I didn't know that you had two adopted children. That is just awesome! One of my nephews is adopted but you totally wouldn't be able to tell because he looks totally like his cousins. Sometimes I wonder if it has nothing to do with blood or not but that as a family, we just end up growing to look like one another. ;)

Oops! I stand by my statement, though. So much of who we look like has to do with expression. We mold ourselves by what we mirror. Once, my mother, sister and I were at a big dinner and sitting together across from a mirror. It was horrifying to see how we three, who don't think we look alike, moved alike, had the same facial expressions, - it was so creepy! That's why people swear we look so much alike when we can go feature by feature to deny it. LOL. Now it's true we are genetically related, but I think the molding counts as well.

I thought Sarah looked like Kim, too!

>191 Berly: LOL, one is never too old to learn new stuff ;-)

>193 jolerie: Val, adoption has been an amazing gift for my family. My husband and I had always planned to adopt our fourth child, but when I got seriously ill during the first pregnancy, I was advised not to get pregnant again. So, we just moved the plan up a little. And we opted for three not four! All my kids are wonderful, unique and I just love them to pieces!

And I definitely think that nurture plays a big part in who we become and, as >194 ffortsa: Judy was saying, expressions, mannerisms, and similar interests play a big part in who we resemble.

>195 katiekrug: Katie--I think the reason Sarah looks like me is because her birth Mom and I share a similar facial shape as well as coloring and her birth Dad looks like my brother, so she fits right into the family. I think birth parents may also choose adoptive parents that do resemble them, consciously or unconsciously. Jack doesn't at first glance (because he has such dark hair) until you see my brother and Dad, who both have dark hair (a little Iroquois coming out). But ultimately, even the same genes can result in lots of variations and looks are not what make a family. Laughter and respect and lots of love do.

I am blessed to have the family I do. : )

>196 Ameise1: Speaking of learning new stuff...

I just made my fifth Darryl (kidzdoc) recipe in two weeks, which is more new recipes than I have made in the last year! My family is so excited. I even went out and found a new app to store recipes and I am loving it. I chose One Tsp (onetsp.com). You can upload website recipes or hand-type in old favorites. It allows tags and you can upload pictures. It makes shopping lists for you....

Darryl, and friends, thanks for making cooking fun again! Tonights hit was Zuppa Toscana.

: )

>198 Berly: This website sounds great.

>197 Berly: Love what you expressed in that post, Kim.

I am wanting to make that Zuppa Toscana recipe, too. We tried the Jambalaya and that was a big hit at the Paradisio. We use the Paprika recipe app, which is also a really good one.

Hi Kim! Hope your knee situation is figure-out-able (that's totally a word) soon. That Darryl sure is coming in handy with recipes, isn't he? I've only gotten to the jambalaya so far, but I live by myself, so eating leftovers takes forever.

TGIF, and an early Happy Valentines Day to you!

>190 Crazymamie: Ha!!!! I don't know why that cracks me up so much, but it does ;):)

>198 Berly: Darryl is a great food inspiration to me too! I love the white bean chilli chicken and the Jambalaya he passed on.

Hi Kim, hope you have a lovely weekend my dear, love and hugs.

Happy Friday, Kimmers! I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned. Enjoy that warmth & sunshine.

>197 Berly: I like that Kimmers! Nurture is of course vital in helping the moulding of our children. Right and wrong and the delicacy of choices are things to instil they are not necessarily part of ones genetic make-up.

>198 Berly: Darryl is fast becoming the Gordon Ramsay of the group - without the temper, attitude and expletives of course.

Have a great weekend. xx

>96 Berly: Wasn't The Cold Dish delicious? I want another fix soon but I'll be a good girl and wait until April. I reserved my audio copy already. Our library has one print version and one audiobook of the Craig Johnson books. Apparently over-the-road truck drivers can check out audiobooks for six weeks so the one copy isn't due back until the end of March. I'm glad I looked into that…and I hope that trucker finds a new series to listen to!

>174 Berly: What a gorgeous daughter you have! I miss my thick blonde hair...

I didn't note the msg. number, but I'm glad that your son didn't have anything seriously wrong, although migraines are bad enough. You know what I mean…no brain tumor, etc. Those late night visits to the ER are ultra-scary!

Which reminds me, I need to look for my copy of The Turn of the Screw. I'll also be reading The Little Stranger as a companion piece. I'll have lots of reading time in Florida next week so a couple of ghost stories should be fun!

I will respond individually later, but for now just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!!

Happy Sunday, Kim.

>199 Ameise1: >208 Ameise1: Thanks Barb. I am enjoying the recipe website immensely! I hope things are better in your neck of the woods. Have to catch up here first and then I will be visiting. Happy Monday. : )

>200 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie. I know family is just as important to you!

I will have to check out Paprika, too, just to see what it's like. Why did I not know about the websites sooner?! OH, well, at least I have it now.

>201 LauraBrook: Hi Laura--I think it would be hard to make a lot of recipes if they are only for one. Either that or lots of leftovers for freezing!! I love your new word: figure-out-able!!! I think that should definitely be in Websters.

>202 LovingLit: Hi Megan--Maybe we should just start a thread for recipes? Hey Darryl!!! ; )

>203 johnsimpson: John--The weekend was lots of fun but not a restful one. Home with the kids today and totally doing nothing!! Well, except for books and LT.

>204 msf59: Hiya Mark--breaking all kinds of records. High of 62 here today. Crazy!! Loving the sunshine and warmth. My rose bushes are already getting green. That's about a month early.

>205 PaulCranswick: Paul--LOL, Darryl vs Gordon Ramsey! That made me laugh! I hope you had a very nice, romantic weekend.

>206 Donna828: Hi Donna--Yes, I think I enjoyed the Longmire book better and don't really want to wait for April, but I did burn out on Spenser month after month, so I suppose a little wait will be okay.

Thanks for the compliments on my daughter's picture. She is very happy with the way they turned! And don't lets get started on all the things we used to have and don't anymore. Like fast metabolism....!

I finished The Turn of the Screw...more on that one soon.