Smiler's Balancing Act - Sixth Page

Jungle Tales, oil on canvas, 1895 by James Jebusa Shannon (1862–1923)

Hi, I'm Ilana, living in Montreal with my furkids, cats Mimi and Ezra and newcomer Charley, a three year-old 'Biwawa' (bichon & chihuahua mix). You'll doubtless see pictures of him peppered throughout my threads. I usually have several books going at any one time; a print book, an ebook, an audiobook and several books I like to browse through slowly. When I'm not reading, I like to work on my art: I've started what I call the Metro Series—photorealistic pencil portraits of people I see on the metro, which I share on FB and occasionally on my threads here on LT. I completed just over 200 books in 2015, Mostly thanks to the fact that I can spend quite a few daytime hours listening to audiobooks, as I do chores and my artwork. I'm less present on the threads than I'd like, though I try to keep a presence in this group and I've taken up hosting the first edition of the Canadian Author Challenge this year (which can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/209622). This group is definitely part of my daily life, hence... the balancing act of trying to fit in everything I love into each and every day.



Table of Contents:
• Reading Plans for October & November
• Books Completed in October - December
• Books Completed in July - September
• Books Completed in April - June
• Books Completed in January - March
• Reading Plans for 2016 (CAC, BAC, AAC, group reads, etc)
• Picked for Me! 2016 Challenge
• Booker & Pulitzer Prize Books
• A Century of Books!
• Reading Bingo (nearly completed!)
• Ongoing Series

Currently reading, listening to, and occasionally browsing through:
✔ Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin by Calvin Trillin
❉ Tout Maigret, Tome 10 by Georges Simenon (short stories)
❉ Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
♫ The Histories by Herodotus
♫ Woman in the Shadows by Jane Thynne

        



Favourites of 2016: (★★★★½ and up, by reading order)
Carry On, Jeeves P. G. Wodehouse
Eldorado by Laurent Gaudé
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth
H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Le grand cahier / The Notebook by Agota Kristof (review)
Heap House: Book One (The Iremonger Trilogy) by Edward Carey ★★★★★ (review)
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys ★★★★★
♫ Carmilla: a Vampyre Tale by Sheridan Le Fanu (radio drama) ★★★★★
From The Holy Mountain William Dalrymple
The Road Home by Rose Tremain (review)
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - picked by Mary/@mdoris
The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowat - picked by @Deern
Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
♫ Cold Comfort Farm (Dramatised) By Stella Gibbons
Venice by Jan Morris
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat ★★★★★
Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
The Narrow Corner by W. Somerset Maugham
The Bird Artist by Howard Norman ★★★★★
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Good Evening, Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes
Sweetland by Michael Crummey
The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Julian Fellowes's Belgravia
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The North Water by Ian McGuire (review)
The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezani
King Richard III by William Shakespeare
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Nutshell: A Novel by Ian McEwan ★★★★★
The Return / L'énigme du retour by Dany Laferrière
The Gustav Sonata: A Novel by Rose Tremain (review)
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (reread)
Mr. Vertigo by Paul Auster (2nd reread)
The Elephant in the Room: A Journey into the Trump Campaign and the "Alt-Right" by Jon Ronson
Black Roses by Jane Thynne
Shop Cats of New York by Tamar Arslanian ★★★★★
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
His Bloody Project by Graeme Mcrae Burnet
The Nix: A Novel by Nathan Hill




My rating system:
★ - Hated it (May or may not have finished it)
★★ - Has some redeeming qualities (Just ok)
★★★ - Enjoyed it well enough (Good)
★★★★ - Loved it! (Very good)
★★★★½ - Favourites of the year (Want to read it again!)
★★★★★ - All-time favourite (Would read again, and again... and again!)

⅛ ¼ ⅓ ½ ¾ ⅞

* = Picked for Me
♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf
❉ = library book
ⓔ = eBook



Reserving first ten or so posts for organizational and planning needs.

November reading plans:

✭✔ Quite Enough of Calvin Trillin by Calvin Trillin - NF Challenge, TIOLI #9: Read a book of essays Browsing
❉ Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky - TIOLI #3 - Browsing
✭✔ Emma by Jane Austen - Tutored read with Liz (reread), TIOLI #12: translated in at least one other language - Reading
✭♫ Mr. Vertigo by Paul Auster - TIOLI #3: acquired in Aug/Sept/Oct of 2016 - COMPLETED
✭✔ Cider with Rosie Laurie Lee - BAC, TIOLI #10: title can complete the sentence "I am thankful for..." - Reading
✭✔ In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje - CAC, TIOLI #7: author's initials make a recognizable short form
✭❉ The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence - CAC, TIOLI #12
✔ The Fountain Overflows by Rebecca West - BAC
✭♫ Berlin Game by Len Deighton - BAC, TIOLI #6: Read a book whose title includes a heteronym or homonym - Listening
✪✔ Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard - AAC, NFC - Essays, TIOLI #5: author's first and last name have the same number of syllables
♫ Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri - Browsing
♫ When Gods Die: Sebastian St. Cyr, Book 2 by C. S. Harris - TIOLI #6 - COMPLETED

Spur of the moment:
✭♫ Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - TIOLI #7 - COMPLETED
♫ The Histories by Herodotus - Listening
♫ The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon - Listening

* = Picked for Me challenge
** = Picked for Me challenge extra picks
♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf
❉ = library book
ⓔ = eBook
✭ = TIOLI
✪ = Shared TIOLI

- Listening
- Reading
- COMPLETED

Books completed in December
204. ♫ Berlin Game by Len Deigthon ★★★★
205. ♫ Born a Crime by Trevor Noah ★★★★½
206. ♫ His Bloody Project by Graeme Mcrae Burnet ★★★★½
207. ♫ The Ashes of London by Andrew Taylor ★★★★
208. ♫ Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri ★★★½
209. ♫ The Nix: A Novel by Nathan Hill ★★★★½
210. ♫ The White Album by Joan Didion ★★★½
211. ♫ Victorian Britain (The Great Courses) with Professor Patrick N. Allitt ★★★★½
212. ♫ Asylum by Patrick McGrath ★★★½

November
193. ♫ Mr. Vertigo by Paul Auster (2nd reread) ★★★★½
194. ♫ When Gods Die: Sebastian St. Cyr, Book 2 by C. S. Harris ★★★½
195. ♫ The Elephant in the Room: A Journey into the Trump Campaign and the "Alt-Right" by Jon Ronson ★★★★½
196. ♫ Matilda by Roald Dahl ★★★★½
197. ♫ James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl ★★★★
198. ♫ The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham ★★★½
199. ♫ The Trials of Rumpole by John Mortimer ★★★★
200. ♫ Black Roses by Jane Thynne ★★★★½
201. ✔ Shop Cats of New York by Tamar Arslanian ★★★★★
202. ♫ Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin ★★★★
203. ♫ Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff ★★★

Unfinished
A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre
Swing Time by Zadie Smith

October
183. ✔ The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru ★★★★⅓
184. ♫ The Gustav Sonata: A Novel by Rose Tremain ★★★★½ (review)
185. ♫ Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart ★★★★
186. ♫ The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey ★★★★½
187. ♫ Lady Cop Makes Trouble by Amy Stewart ★★★½
188. ♫ Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill ★★★½
189. ♫ The Enemy by Lee Child ★★½
190. ❉ⓔ The Many by Wyl Menmuir ★★★½
191. ♫ I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron ★★★½
192. ♫ The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill ★★★★

Unfinished
♫ Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold

September
169. ♫ Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan ★★★★
170. ♫ The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery ★★★★½
171. ❉ⓔ Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves ★★★★⅞
172. ♫ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling ★★★★½
173. ❉ Signé Picpus / To Any Lengths by Georges Simenon ★★★★⅓
174. ❉ⓔ A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler ★★★
175. ♫ A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving ★★★★½
176. ♫ The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt ★★★★
177. ♫ Nutshell: A Novel by Ian McEwan ★★★★★
178. ♫ His Majesty's Dragon: Temeraire, Book 1 by Naomi Novik ★★★★
179. ♫ The Wonder: A Novel by Emma Donoghue ★★★★
180. ♫ The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot ★★★★
181. ♫ One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B. J. Novak ★★★½
182. ♫ The Return / L'énigme du retour by Dany Laferrière ★★★★½

Unfinished
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North

August
152. ⓔ Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden ★★★★ (review)
153. ♫ The Martian by Andy Weir ★★★★
154. ❉ⓔ The Childhood of Jesus by J. M. Coetzee ★★★⅓ (review)
155. ♫ Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault ★★½
156. ♫ The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordechai Richler ★★★★
157. ❉ⓔ The North Water: A Novel by Ian McGuire ★★★★½ (review)
158. ♫ The Tennant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë ★★★¾
159. ♫ The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins ★★★★⅓
160. ♫ A Beam of Light by Andrea Camilleri ★★★½
161. ♫ The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezani - picked by Judy/@DeltaQueen50 ★★★★½
162. ❉ⓔ Grand Hotel by Vicky Baum ★★★★½
163. ♫+✔ King Richard III by William Shakespeare ★★★★½
164. ♫ Homegoing: A Novel by Yaa Gyasi ★★★★⅓
165. ♫ No Night is Too Long by Barbara Vine ★★★¾
166. ♫ Lovely, Dark, Deep by Joyce Carol Oates ★★★★
167. ♫ Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling ★★★★⅓ (review)
168. ❉ⓔ Bonheur d'occasion / The Tin Flute by Gabrielle Roy ★★★½

Unfinished
♫ The Sellout by Paul Beatty

July
131. ♫ The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud ★★★
132. ✔ Mr Wakefield's Crusade Bernice Rubens ★★★½ (review)
133. ♫ Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser ★★★★ (review)
134. ♫ The Bat by Jo Nesbø ★★★½
135. ♫ The Strings of Murder by Oscar de Muriel ★★★★
136. ♫ The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness ★★★
137. ⓔ❉ Lab Girl by Hope Jahren ★★★★⅓
138. ♫ The Island of Dr Moreau by H. G. Wells ★★★
139. ❉ Cécile est morte / Maigret and the Spinster by Georges Simenon ★★★★
140. ♫ Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling ★★★★
141. ♫ Seven Brief Lessons on Physics by Carlo Rovelli ★★★½
142. ♫ The Ritual Bath by Faye Kellerman ★★★½
143. ♫ Gentlemen Prefer Blondes by Anita Loos ★★★★⅓
144. ♫ Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson ★★★
145. ♫ The Red Collar / Le collier rouge by Jean-Christophe Rufin ★★★★
146. ♫ The Various Haunts of Men by Susan Hill ★★★★⅓ (review)
147. ✔ Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery ★★★★½
148. ♫ Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck ★★★
149. ♫ Mystic River by Dennis Lehane ★★★½
150. ♫ Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman ★★★½
151. ♫ St. Peter's Fair: The Fourth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters ★★★½

Unfinished
♫ Fortune Smiles: Stories by Adam Johnson

Books completed in June
106. ❉ⓔ Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de Waal ★★★½ (review)
107. ♫ Absolution by Murder: A Sister Fidelma Mystery by Peter Tremayne ★★★¾
108. ❉ Maigret in Exile / La maison du juge by Georges Simenon ★★★★
109. ♫ Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye ★★★½
110. ♫ Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri ★★★½
111. ♫ Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain ★★★½ (review)
112. ♫ The Danish Girl by David Ebershoff ★★★½
113. ❉ Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel ★★★★⅓
114. ♫ Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad ★★★½ (review)
115. ✔ Slightly Foxed: No. 47: Curiouser and Curiouser by Gail Pirkis, Hazel Wood (Editors) ★★★★
116. ♫ The Shipping News Annie Proulx (reread) ★★★★
117. ♫ Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys ★★★★½
118. ✔ The Bedside Book of Beasts: A Wildlife Miscellany by Graeme Gibson ★★★★
119. ♫ Julian Fellowes's Belgravia (Weekly serial) ★★★★½
120. ♫ Barkskins by Annie Proulx ★★★½ (review)
121. ♫ The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf ★★★★⅓
122. ♫ Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx (reread) ★★★★½
123. ♫ Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith ★★★
124. ♫ Last Night at the Lobster by Stewart O'Nan ★★★½ (review)
125. ♫ A Country Road, A Tree by Jo Baker ★★★½
126. ✔ The Piano Man's Daughter by Timothy Findley ★★★½
127. ❉ Les belles-soeurs by Michel Tremblay ★★★★
128. ♫ The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg ★★★★
129. ♫ Before the Fall by Noah Hawley ★★★¾
130. ✔ Mothering Sunday by Graham Swift ★★★★⅓

Unfinished
♫ The Passion of Dolssa by Julie Berry

May
84. ♫ The Little Red Chairs by Edna O'Brien ★★★★
85. ♫ Girl in the Dark: A Memoir by Anna Lyndsey ★★★★⅓
86. ❉ The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi ★★★★½
87. ♫ At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier ★★★★
88. ❉ C't'à ton tour Laura Cadieux by Michel Tremblay ★★★★ (review)
89. ✔ Nana fait des histoires by Jacqueline Duheme ★★★★⅓
90. ♫ Pax by Sara Pennypacker ★★★★
91. ♫ A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin ★★★½ (review)
92. ♫ The Ways of the World by Robert Goddard ★★½
93. ♫ The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder ★★★★⅓
94. ♫ Mort by Terry Pratchett ★★★⅓
95. ♫ SPQR I: The King's Gambit by John Maddox Roberts ★★★½
96. ⓔ Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund ★★★★¾
97. ❉ Le troisième mensonge / The Third Lie by Ágota Kristóf ★★★★
98. ♫ The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith ★★★½ (review)
99. ❉ The Man in the Wooden Hat by Jane Gardam ★★★★⅓
100. ❉ Maigret and the Hotel Majestic by Georges Simenon ★★★★⅓
101. ♫ The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen ★★★½
102. ♫ The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece by Laura Cumming ★★★★⅓
103. ♫ Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett ★★½
104. ♫ Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier ★★★
105. ♫ Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd ★★★★½ (review)

Unfinished
♫ Imperium by Robert Harris
♫ The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson

April
68. ♫ Monk's Hood: The Third Chronicle of Brother Cadfael by Ellis Peters ★★★½
69. ♫ The Relic Master: A Novel by Christopher Buckley ★★★★½
70. ❉ⓔ A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley ★★★★½
71. La preuve / The Proof by Ágota Kristóf ★★★★
72. ♫ Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys ★★★★
73. ✔ Good Evening, Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes - picked by Heather/@souloftherose ★★★★½ (review)
74. ♫ The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood ★★★
75. ♫ All Fall Down by Sally Nicholls ★★★★
76. ❉ⓔ Sweetland by Michael Crummey ★★★★½
77. ⓔ Death of a Dissident by Stuart Kaminsky ★★★★⅓
78. ♫ How to Be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell ★★★★
79. ♫ Something Fresh by P.G. Wodehouse ★★½
80. ✔ Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston ★★★★⅓ (review)
81. ♫ The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett ★★★
82. ❉ Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body's Most Underrated Organ Giulia Enders ★★★★ (review)
83. ♫ The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood ★★★½

Unfinished
❉ How to Be Both by Ali Smith
♫ Yes Please by Amy Poehler
♫ Galore by Michael Crummey
♫ The Great Leader by Jim Harrison

Books completed in March
46. ♫ Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud ★★★★
47. ♫ Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - picked by Mary/mdoris ★★★★½
48. ✔ The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowat - picked by @Deern (in 2015) ★★★★½
49. ♫ Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer ★★★★
50. ❉ Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark ★★★★½
51. ♫ The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy ★★★★⅓
52. ♫ On the Road by Jack Kerouac ★★★★
53. ♫ The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge ★★★★½
54. ♫ Cold Comfort Farm (Dramatised) By Stella Gibbons ★★★★½
55. ♫ The Trilogy of Two by Juman Malouf ★★½
56. ✔ Venice by Jan Morris ★★★★½
57. ♫ Company of Liars by Karen Maitland ★★★★⅓
58. ♫ Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat ★★★★★
59. ♫ The Collector by John Fowles ★★★★
60. ♫ Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit ★★★★½
61. ✔ The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami ★★★★¾
62. ♫ We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler ★★★
63. ✔ The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff ★★★★½
64. ♫ Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling ★★★★½
65. ❉ Maigret Returns by Georges Simenon ★★★★
66. ♫ The Narrow Corner by W. Somerset Maugham ★★★★½
67. ❉ The Bird Artist by Howard Norman ★★★★★

February
25. ❉ⓔ Heap House: Book One (The Iremonger Trilogy) by Edward Carey ★★★★★ (review)
26. ❉ⓔ 45492::Mr. Wilson's Cabinet Of Wonder by Lawrence Weschler ★★★★½
27. ♫ A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin ★★★½
28. ❉ⓔ Foulsham: Book Two (The Iremonger Trilogy) by Edward Carey ★★★★⅓
29. ♫ One Corpse too Many by Ellis Peters ★★★★
30. ♫ The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli ★★★
31. ♫ Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf ★★★
32. ♫ Uprooted by Naomi Novik ★★★★
33. ✔ The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys ★★★★★
34. ♫ The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu ★★½
35. ♫ The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes ★★★★
36. ❉ⓔ A Celtic Temperament: Robertson Davies as Diarist by Robertson Davies ★★★★
37. ♫ Poirot Investigates by Agatha Chrisite ★★★½
38. ♫ The Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett ★★★★ (review)
39. ❉ Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh ★★★★⅓
40. ♫ The Colour by Rose Tremain ★★★★½
41. ♫ Carmilla: a Vampyre Tale by Sheridan Le Fanu ★★★★★
42. ✔ War and Peace by Leo Tolstloy ★★★★⅓
43. ✔ From The Holy Mountain William Dalrymple ★★★★½
44. ♫ The Road Home by Rose Tremain - picked by Peggy/@LizzieD ★★★★½ (review)
45. ❉ⓔ Lungdon: Book Three (The Iremonger Trilogy) by Edward Carey ★★★★⅓

January
1. ♫ Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff ★★★★⅓
2. ♫ 49861::Le Spleen de Paris by Charles Baudelaire ★★★★
3. ✔ Carry On, Jeeves P. G. Wodehouse ★★★★½
4. ✔ Ru by Kim Thúy ★★★½
5. ♫ Funny Girl by Nick Hornby ★★★★⅓
6. ♫ Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell ★★★★
7. ♫ Eldorado by Laurent Gaudé ★★★★½
8. ♫ Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett ★★★★⅓
9. ♫ Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert ★★★★⅓
10. ✔ Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler ★★½ (review)
11. ✔ The Manticore by Robertson Davies ★★★★⅓
12. ♫ Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth ★★★★½
13. ♫ Le dernier ami / The Last Friend by Tahar Ben Jelloun ★★★★½
14. ♫ Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri ★★★
15. ✔ World of Wonders by Robertson Davies ★★★★
16. ♫ H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald ★★★★½
17. ♫ La femme qui attendait / The Woman Who Waited by Andreï Makine ★★★⅓
18. ♫ A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters ★★★★
19. ♫ 46298::Le grand cahier / The Notebook by Agota Kristof ★★★★½ (review)
20. ❉ⓔ Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes ★★★★⅓
21. ♫ The Songs of the Kings by Barry Unsworth ★★★★⅓
22. ♫ A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman ★★★½
23. ♫ La promesse de l'aube / Promise at Dawn by Romain Gary ★★★½
24. ♫ The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman ★★★¾

Unfinished
♫ Le vice-consul by Marguerite Duras

2016 Plans

December:
ⓔ The Love of a Good Woman by Alice Munro (CAC)
❉♫ De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage (CAC)
❉ White Noise by Don DeLillo (AAC)

***

Weird_O's Doorstopper Challenge

Dead Weight:
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (1296 pages) - January/Febuary - COMPLETED
Camilla by Fanny Burney (992 pages)
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (832 pages)
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (944 pages)
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeta Naslund (703 pages) - COMPLETED
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth (640 pages) - COMPLETED
Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess (656 pages/)
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (1184 pages)
The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg (830 pages/16h)
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michael Faber (824 pages/41h36)
The Name of the Wind: The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss (736 pages/27h58)
Skippy Dies by Patrick Murray (672 pages/23h41)
Birds Without Wings by Louis De Bernieres (640 pages)

Also
Possession by A.S. Byatt (528 pages)
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold (448 pages)
Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault(448 pages) - COMPLETED

Wedge:
The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh (128 pages)
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (133 pages/3h30) - COMPLETED
C't'à ton tour Laura Cadieux by Tremblay Michel (144 pages) - CAC - COMPLETED
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (146 pages/3h00) - BAC - COMPLETED
The Diddakoi by Rumer Godden (160 pages) - BAC
The Elements of Style Illustrated by William J. Strunk and Maira Kalman (176 pages)
Thus Was Adonis Murdered by Sarah Caudwell (178 pages)
Maigret Returns by Georges Simenon (160 pages) - COMPLETED
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat (183 pages/3/h45) - CAC - COMPLETED
Madame Sousatzka by Bernice Rubens (187) pages - BAC
Mr Wakefield's Crusade by Bernice Rubens (190 pages) - COMPLETED
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys (192 pages) - CAC - COMPLETED
The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden (192 pages) - BAC
Crete by Barry Unsworth (192 pages) - BAC
All Shot Up by Chester Himes (192 pages/4h30)
Deceived With Kindness by Angelica Garnett (192)
*Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (182 pages/6 hours) - PfM! - COMPLETED
Timbuktu by Paul Auster (193 pages)
Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym (193 pages)
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri (198 pages) - Pulitzer Prize
*Good Evening, Mrs Craven: The Wartime Stories of Mollie Panter-Downes (200 pages) - PfM! - COMPLETED

***



* = Picked for Me challenge
** = Picked for Me challenge extra picks
♫ = audiobook
✔ = off the shelf
❉ = library book
ⓔ = eBook
✭ = TIOLI
✪ = Shared TIOLI

Picked for Me 2016:
My fifth year with this personal challenge. I love having fellow book-lovers look through my "to be read" section and pick out their favourites. This year I limited it to twelve selections as there are so many other challenges I want to participate in, plus I want to completed books that are left over from the 2015 list.

1. ✔ Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Thurston - picked by Charlotte/@Fourpawz2 - COMPLETED / April
2. ♫ Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell - picked by Kerry/@avatiakh - COMPLETED / January
3. ♫ H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald - picked by Mark/@msf59 - COMPLETED / January
4. ✔ As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee - picked by Paul/@PaulCranswick - COMPLETED 2015
5. ♫ Being Mortal by Atul Gawande - picked by Mary/@mdoris - COMPLETED / March
6. ✔ Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund - picked by Ellen/@EBT1002 - COMPLETED / May
7. ♫ Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - picked by Jim/@drneutron - COMPLETED / July
8. ♫ The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezani - picked by Judy/@DeltaQueen50 - COMPLETED / August
9. ✔ The Impressionist by Hari Kunzru - picked by Deborah/@Cariola - COMPLETED / October
10. ✔ Good Evening, Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes - picked by Heather/@souloftherose - COMPLETED / April
11. ⓔ History of the Rain by Niall Williams - picked by Charlotte/@charl08
12. ♫ The Road Home by Rose Tremain - picked by Peggy/@LizzieD - COMPLETED / February

Left over from 2015 (aka the list of shame)
✔+♫ Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - picked by @lunacat
ⓔ The Midnight Bell by Francis Lathom - picked by @lyzard (tutored read)
✔ The Art of Looking Sideways by Alan Fletcher - picked by @LauraBrook
✔+♫ A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry - picked by @kidzdoc
✔ The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowat - picked by @Deern - COMPLETED / March

Booker Prize Books
I try to read as many Booker books on the tbr as possible each year. I also keep track of those books I've already read to see how complete I can make this list over time.

Read in 2016: (in reading order)
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth (Booker Prize 1992)
Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes (Shortlist 1984)
We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (Shortlist 2014)
Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault (Shortlist 1970)
The North Water by Ian McGuire (Longlist 2016)
Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves (Longlist 2016)
The Many by Wyl Menmuir (Longlist 2016)




On my TBR (and previously read)
Bruno's Dream by Iris Murdoch (Shortlist 1970)
¹⁴The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens (Booker Prize 1970)
¹⁴Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor (Shortlist 1971)
¹⁴The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell (Booker Prize 1973)
The Conservationist by Nadine Gordimer (Booker Prize 1974)
¹⁵The Children Of Dynmouth by William Trevor (Shortlist 1976)
Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym (Shortlist 1977)
¹⁵Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood (Shortlist 1977)
¹⁴A Five Year Sentence by Bernice Rubens (Shortlist 1978)
The Bookshop by Penelope Fitzgerald (Shortlist 1978)
¹³The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch (Booker Prize 1978)
¹⁴A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr (Shortlist 1980)
Earthly Powers by Anthony Burgess (Shortlist 1980)
¹³Good Behaviour by Molly Keane (Shortlist 1981)
¹⁵Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (Booker Prize 1981)
¹⁵An Ice-cream War by William Boyd (Shortlist 1982)
¹⁵Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally (Booker Prize 1982)
Waterland by Graham Swift (Shortlist 1983)
Small World by David Lodge (Shortlist 1984)
¹²Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner (Booker Prize 1984)
The Good Apprentice by Iris Murdoch (Shortlist 1985)
The Bone People by Keri Hulme (Booker Prize 1985)
¹³The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Shortlist 1986)
¹⁵An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro (Shortlist 1986)
⁸⁷The Rebel Angels by Robertson Davies (Shortlist 1986)
⁸⁷What's Bred in the Bone by Robertson Davies (Shortlist 1986)
¹⁵Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively (Booker Prize 1987)
The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie (Shortlist 1988)
Nice Work by David Lodge (Shortlist 1988)
¹⁵Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey (Booker Prize 1988)
¹⁴Restoration by Rose Tremain(Shortlist 1989)
The Book of Evidence by John Banville (Shortlist 1989)
Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (Shortlist 1989)
¹³The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro(Booker Prize 1989)
Possession by A.S. Byatt (Booker Prize 1990)
Two Lives by William Trevor (Shortlist 1991)
¹⁴The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje(Booker Prize 1992)
Under the Frog by Tibor Fischer (Shortlist 1993)
¹³Morality Play by Barry Unsworth (Shortlist 1995)
¹¹The Ghost Road by Pat Barker (Booker Prize 1995)
¹⁰Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood (Shortlist 1996)
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry (Shortlist 1996)
Last Orders by Graham Swift (Booker Prize 1996)
⁰⁸The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Booker Prize 1997)
¹⁵Master Georgie by Beryl Bainbridge (Shortlist 1998)
¹⁴Amsterdam by Ian Mcewan (Booker Prize 1998)
¹³Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee (Booker Prize 1999)
⁰⁸The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Booker Prize 2000)
Death of Vishnu by Manil Suri (Longlist 2001)
¹²Atonement by Ian McEwan (Shortlist 2001)
⁰⁹True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (Booker Prize 2001)
¹⁰Fingersmith by Sarah Waters (Shortlist 2002)
Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry (Shortlist 2002)
⁰⁵Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Booker Prize 2002)
Astonishing Splashes Of Colour by Clare Morrall (Shortlist 2003)
Brick Lane by Monica Ali (Shortlist 2003)
¹³What Was She Thinking?: Notes on a Scandal by Zoe Heller (Shortlist 2003)
¹⁵Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (Shortlist 2003)
The Master by Colm Toibin (Shortlist 2004)
⁰⁸The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst (Booker Prize 2004)
¹⁵Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel (Longlist 2005)
¹⁰Arthur & George by Julian Barnes (Shortlist 2005)
⁰⁸Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Shortlist 2005)
⁰⁶On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Shortlist 2005)
⁰⁸Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (Shortlist 2005)
The Accidental by Ali Smith (Shortlist 2005)
⁰⁹The Sea by John Banville (Booker Prize 2005)
¹⁴The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth (Longlist 2006)
¹⁵Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (Longlist 2006)
¹²The Secret River by Kate Grenville (Shortlist 2006)
Mother's Milk by Edward St. Aubyn (Shortlist 2006)
The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (Booker Prize 2006)
¹⁵The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng (Longlist 2007)
¹⁴Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (Shortlist 2007)
⁰⁹On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Shortlist 2007)
¹⁵Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith (Longlist 2008)
¹³The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry (Shortlist 2008)
¹²Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh (Shortlist 2008)
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz (Shortlist 2008)
⁰⁸The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (Booker Prize 2008) (to reread)
Heliopolis by James Scudamore (Longlist 2009)
¹¹The Children's Book by A. S. Byatt (Shortlist 2009)
¹²The Glass Room by Simon Mawer (Shortlist 2009)
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (Shortlist 2009)
¹²Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (Booker Prize 2009) (to reread)
Trespass by Rose Tremain (Longlist 2010)
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray (Longlist 2010)
¹⁴Room by Emma Donoghue (Shortlist 2010)
¹¹The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt (Shortlist 2011)
Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch (Shortlist 2011)
¹¹The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes (Booker Prize 2011)
¹⁴The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng (Shortlist 2012)
¹²Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel (Booker Prize 2012)
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (Longlist 2013)
Almost English by Charlotte Mendelson (Longlist 2013)
The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri (Shortlist 2013)
¹³The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin (Shortlist 2013)
¹³Harvest by Jim Crace (Shortlist 2013)
¹³The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton (Booker Prize 2013)
Orfeo by Richard Powers (Longlist 2014)
The Blazing World by Siri Hustdvedt (Longlist 2014)
History of the Rain by Niall Williams (Longlist 2014)
¹⁴The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (Booker Prize 2014)
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma (Shortlist 2015)
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James (Booker Prize 2015)

¹⁵ = read in 2015 & etc.
* = recent additions to the tbr

(Much more on the wishlist of course!)

A Century of Books! 1900-1999
I originally stole this challenge idea from Heather/@souloftherose. I'm trying to read a book published in every year of the 20th century. I've been at this one for a few years now, and and it's looking more and more like I'll still be at it in 2017!

1900
1901
1902 Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
1903
1904 The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
1905
1906
1907 Fraulein Schmidt and Mr Anstruther by Elizabeth von Arnim
1908 The Magician by W. Somerset Maugham
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913 O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
1914
1915 Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
1916
1917
1918 The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West
1919
1920 In Chancery by John Galsworthy
1921
1922 Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
1923 Murder on the Links by Agatha Chrisite
1924 Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
1925 The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
1926 These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer
1927 The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
1928 Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayer
1929 Journey Into the Past by Stefan Zweig
1930 Le Bal by Irène Némirovsky
1931 Maigret and the Enigmatic Lett by Georges Simenon
1932 Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
1933 High Rising by Angela Thirkell
1934 Miss Buncle's Book bu D. E. Stevenson
1935
1936 The Dark Frontier by Eric Ambler
1937 Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
1938 Epitaph for a Spy by Eric Ambler
1939 Rogue Male by Geoffrey Household
1940 Native Son by Richard Wright
1941 Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers
1942 Le joueur d'échecs / Chess Story by Stefan Zweig
1943 Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
1944 Dragonwyck by Anya Seton
1945 Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
1946 Miss Pym Disposes by Josephine Tey
1947 Wolf Story by William Mccleery
1948 A Russian Journal by John Steinbeck and Robert Capa
1949
1950 Smallbone Deceased by Michael Gilbert
1951 My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
1952 Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett
1953 The Unstrung Harp: Or, Mr Earbrass Writes a Novel by Edward Gorey
1954 Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan
1955
1956 The Accursed Kings: The Poisoned Crown (Part 3) by Maurice Druon
1957 The Scapegoat by Daphne Du Maurier
1958 The Leopard by Guisepe Di Lampedusa
1959 The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordechai Richler
1960 The Great Fortune by Olivia Manning
1961 Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger
1962 Cover Her Face by P. D. James
1963 The Collector by John Fowles
1964 Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken
1965 Going to Meet the Man by James Baldwin
1966 The Jewel in the Crown by Paul Scott
1967
1968 A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
1969 The Elected Member by Bernice Rubens
1970 Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
1971 Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor
1972 All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
1973 The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
1974 Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
1975 Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow
1976 The Children Of Dynmouth by William Trevor
1977 Great Granny Webster by Caroline Blackwood
1978 A Five Year Sentence by Bernice Rubens
1979 The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter
1980 A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
1981 Codex Seraphinianus by Luigi Serafini
1982 Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally
1983 The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
1984 Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
1985 Mr Wakefield's Crusade Bernice Rubens
1986 An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro
1987 Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively
1988 Night Soldiers by Alan Furst
1989 Restoration by Rose Tremain
1990 The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard
1991 The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir
1992 All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
1993 A Dead Man in Deptford by Anthony Burgess
1994 The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
1995 Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
1996 The Terracotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri
1997 Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin
1998 Amsterdam Ian McEwan
1999 Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Reading Bingo (still editing)
Since I obviously don't have enough challenges going already, I got this card from the 2016 Catergory challenge, where there are two designs to choose from. I'll fill it in with whatever books I've picked up along the way and not worry about completing it: it's just for fun!

Here is the General Category Card:



✭1. Less than 200 pages: Le dernier ami / The Last Friend by Tahar Ben Jelloun
✭2. Senior citizen as the protagonist: Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
✭3. Survival Story: Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
✭4. About an airplane flight: Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
✭5. About a writer: The Woman Who Waited by Andreï Makine

✭6. About the environment: The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf
✭7. Author born in 1916: The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
✭8. Autobiography or memoir: La promesse de l'aube / Promise at Dawn by Romain Gary
✭9. Adventure: Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett
✭10. One-word title: Eldorado by Laurent Gaudé

✭11. Title has a musical reference: The Piano Man's Daughter by Timothy Findley
✭12. Title uses wordlplay: Foulsham: Book Two (The Iremonger Trilogy) by Edward Carey
✭13. Category Challenge - FREE Space!
✭14. A body of water in the title: Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
✭15. About/by an indigenous person: Barkskins by Annie Proulx

✭16. Food is important: Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri
✭17. Published before you were born: Le Spleen de Paris by Charles Baudelaire
✭18. Features a theatre: World of Wonders by Robertson Davies
✭19. Debut book: Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
✭20. In translation: Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri

✭21. Focus on art: The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece by Laura Cumming
✭22. Coming of age story: The Manticore by Robertson Davies
✭23. Comics, graphic novel, manga, etc: Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh
✭24. Self-published: The Martian by Andy Weir
✭25. You want the protagonist's job or hobby: A Celtic Temperament: Robertson Davies as Diarist by Robertson Davies




And here is one centred on Women Authors (found here):



✭1. A "new-to-you" author: Ru by Kim Thúy
✭2. Author over 60 years old: A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
✭3. African author: Homegoing: A Novel by Yaa Gyasi
✭4. Male pseudonym: One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters
✭5. Author from the Middle East: The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani

✭6. Set in Latin America or Asia: The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli
✭7. Made into a movie: Le grand cahier / The Notebook by Agota Kristof
✭8. About a female critter: H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
✭9. Published before 2000: Sylvester, or the Wicked Uncle by Georgette Heyer
✭10. Set in Europe, Australia, or NZ: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

✭11. Different genre by same author: Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert (self-help)
✭12. Award winner: Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
✭13. By or about a woman The Road Home by Rose Tremain
✭14. 1920-30s detective fiction: Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
15. Poetry or Play:

✭16. Women in non-traditional roles: Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
✭17. Less than 10 years old: Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
✭18. From tbr pile: Venice by Jan Morris
✭19. Autobiography, memoir or correspondence: Girl in the Dark: A Memoir by Anna Lyndsey
✭20. About a spy: Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan (female spy)

✭21. Short story collection: The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys
✭22. Women in science: The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
✭23. Women in combat: The Tennant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
✭24. About a female ruler: Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
✭25. African-American author: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

✭ = completed

Ongoing Series
Series I have in my TBR but haven't started on yet are covered in the second list.

❉ African Trilogy - Next up: No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe (2/3)
ⓔ Alan Grant Mysteries - Next up: The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey (1/6 - read out of order)
*♫ All Creatures Great and Small - Next up: All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot (2/5)
♫ The Australian Trilogy - Next up: Tommo and Hawk by Bryce Courtenay (2 of 3)
ⓔ The Balkan Trilogy - Next up: The Spoilt City by Olivia Manning (2 of 3)
*♫ Barsetshire Books - Next up: August Folly by Angela Thirkell (4/29)
♫ Bartimaeus Trilogy - Next up: The Ring of Solomon by Jonathan Stroud (Prequel)
Bernie Gunther - Next up: A German Requiem by Philip Kerr (3/9)
♫ Bloody Jack Adventures - Next up: Curse of the Blue Tattoo by L. A. Meyer (2/12)
✔ Border Trilogy - Next up: The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy (2 of 3)
*♫ Brother Cadfael: The Leper of Saint Giles by Ellis Peters (5/20)
❉ Cannery Row - Next up: Sweet Thursday by John Steinbeck (2/2)
♫ Cazalet Chronicles - Next up: Marking Time by Elizabeth Jane Howard (2/5)
♫ The Cemetery of Forgotten Books - Next up: The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (2/3)
❉ Chief Inspector Armand Gamache - Next up: A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (2/10)
Chocolat - Next up: The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris (2/3)
♫ The Chronicles of Barsetshire - Next up: Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope (2/6)
♫ The Chronicles of St Mary's - Next up: A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor (2/4)
✔ Claudius - Next up: Claudius the God by Robert Graves (2/2)
♫ La Comédie Humaine - Next up: Le curé de Tours by Honoré de Balzac (31/88 - read out of order)
✔ Commissario Brunetti - Next up: Acqua Alta by Donna Leon (5/23 - read out of order)
*✔ Commissario Montalbano - Next up: A Beam of Light by Andrea Camilleri (19/20)
❉ Corfu Trilogy: The Garden of the Gods by Gerald Durrell (3/3)
*♫ Cormoran : Up to date
♫ The Cousins' War: The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory (2/6)
✔ The Dark is Rising Sequence - Next up: The Grey King by Susan Cooper (4/5)
♫ Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Next up: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (2/3)
❉ De Luca Trilogy - Next up: The Damned Season by Carlo Lucarelli (2/3)
* The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies - COMPLETED
♫ The Dresden Files: Grave Peril by Jim Butcher (3/15)
❉ Dr. Siri Paiboun - Next up: Curse of the Pogo Stick by Colin Cotterill (5/10)
*♫ Dublin Murder Squad - Next up: Faithful Place by Tana French (3/5)
*❉ The Earthsea Cycle - Next up: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin (3/6)
♫ Easy Rawlins Mystery - Next up: White Butterfly by Walter Mosley (3/11)
ⓔ Elizabeth and her German Garden - Next up: The Solitary Summer by Elizabeth von Arnim (2/2)
✔ Empire Trilogy - Next up: The Singapore Grip by J. G. Farrell (3/3)
*❉♫ Erica Falck and Patrik Hedström - Next up: The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg (3/9)
❉♫ Flavia de Luce - Next up: A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (3/7)
♫ Forsyte Saga - Next up: To Let by John Galsworthy (3/3)
❉ Green Town - Next up: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (2/2)
❉ The Harlem Cycle - Next up: All Shot Up by Chester Himes (4/8)
♫ Harry Hole: Cockroaches by Jo Nesbø (2/10)
*♫ Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling - COMPLETED/ September
*♫ Hercule Poirot - Next up: Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (2/39 - read out of order)
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Dramatization - Next up: Tertiary Phase (BBC Radio Collection) by Douglas Adams (3/5)
♫ The House of Earth Trilogy - Next up: Sons by Pearl S. Buck (2/3)
❉ The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place - Next up: The Unseen Guest by Maryrose Wood (¾)
*ⓔ Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov - Next up: Black Knight in Red Square by Stuart M. Kaminsky 2/16)
Inspector Yashim Togalu - Next up: The Snake Stone by Jason Goodwin (2/5)
♫ Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries - Next up: The Right Attitude to Rain by Alexander McCall Smith (3/10)
♫ Jack Reacher - Next up: The Enemy by Lee Child (8/20)
✔ Jackson Brodie - Next up: When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson (3/4)
♫ John Russell - Next up: Lehrter Station by David Downing (5/6)
*♫Joseph O'Loughlin - Next up: Shatter by Michael Robotham (3/7)
♫ Kenzie & Gennaro - Next up: Darkness, Take My Hand by Dennis Lehane (2/6 - read out of order)
♫ Kurt Wallander - Next up: The White Lioness by Henning Mankell (3/11)
*♫❉ Lady Trent's Memoirs - Next up: The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan (2/4)
The Last Lion - Next up: Winston Spencer Churchill, Alone 1932-1940 by William Manchester (2 of 3)
* Leo Demidov - Next up: The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith (2 of 3)
♫ Leviathan - Next up: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (⅔)
*♫ Lockwood & Co. - Next up: The Hollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud (3 of 4)
♫ The Lord of the Rings - Next up: The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien (3/4)
✔ Lord Peter Wimsey - Next up: The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers (5/15)
*♫❉ MaddAddam Trilogy: MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood (3 of 3)
*❉ Maigret - Next up: Maigret and the Spinster by Georges Simenon (22/76)
ⓔ Mapp and Lucia - Next up: Lucia in London by E. F. Benson (3 of 8)
*♫ Marcus Didius Falco - Next up: Shadows in Bronze by Lyndsey David (2/20)
♫ Matthew Shardlake by C. J. Samson - Next up: Awaiting publication (7/7)
Miss Marple - Next up: The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (2/12)
*♫ Neapolitan Novels: The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferranted (2 of 4)
❉ Night Soldiers - Next up: Dark Star by Alan Furst (2/13)
❉ The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Next up: In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith (6/15)
♫ The Obelisk Trilogy - Next up: Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller (2/3)
Oxford Time Travel series - Next up: Blackout by Connie Willis (3/4)
Parker - Next up: The Mourner by Richard Stark (4/24)
✔ Philip Marlowe - Next up: The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler (6/9 - read out of order)
*♫ Phryne Fisher Mysteries - Next up: Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood (6/20)
*✔ The Power Of One - Next up: Tandia by Bryce Courtenay (2/2)
The Prairie Trilogy - Next up: The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather (⅔)
✔ The Raj Quartet - Next up: The Towers Of Silence by Paul Scott (3/4)
♫ Ranger's Apprentice: The Icebound Land by John Flanagan (3/12)
❉♫ The Raven Cycle Next up: The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater (2/4)
✔ Richard Hannay - Next up: Greenmantle by John Buchan (2/5)
❉♫ Les Rois Maudits - Next up: Quand un roi perd la France (7/7)
❉ Les Rougon-Macquart - Next up: La joie de vivre by Émile Zola (12/20)
♫ Ruby Trilogy - Next up: Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier (2 of 3)
*♫ Rumpole of the Bailey: The Trials of Rumpole by John Mortimer (2/20)
*♫ Sacred Hunger: The Quality of Mercy by Barry Unsworth (2 of 2)
✔ Sally Lockhart Mysteries - Next up: The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman (2/4)
*♫ Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (5/9)
*♫ Small Change - Next up: Ha'penny by Jo Walton (2/3)
*♫ A Song of Ice and Fire - Up to date
❉ Sookie Stackhouse - Next up: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris (3/14)
❉ The Spiderwick Chronicles - Next up: The Nixie's Song by Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi (6/8)
*♫ Tales of the City - Next up: Further Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin (3/6)
♫ Tales of the Otori - Next up: Brilliance of the Moon by Lian Hearn (3/4+prequel)
*♫ Thomas De Quincey - Next up: Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell (2/2)
❉ Three Men in a Boat - Next up: Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K. Jerome (2/2)
♫ Tom Ripley - Next up: The Boy Who Followed Ripley by Patricia Highsmith (4/5)
* Victor Legris - Next up: La disparue du Père-Lachaise by Claude Izner (2/11)
Wolf Hall Trilogy - Next up: The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel (awaiting publication) (3/3) - Up to date
Wolves Chronicles - Next up: Nightbirds on Nantucket by Joan Aiken (3/11)
❉ Wyoming Stories - Next up: Bad Dirt by Annie Proulx (2/3)

***

First in Series on my TBR
♫ Albert Campion: The Crime at Black Dudley by Margery Allingham (1/19)
✔ The American Trilogy: American Pastoral by Philip Roth (1/3)
✔ Aristide Ravel Mysteries : The Cavalier of the Apocalypse by Susanne Alleyn (1/4)
✔ The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson (½)
♫ Aubrey-Maturin: Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian (1/21)
♫ Avalon: The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley (1/7)
*♫ Bernard Samson Novels: Berlin Game by Len Deighton (1/9)
✔ The Borrible Trilogy: The Borribles by Michael De Larrabeiti (1 of 3)
*♫ Captain Gregor Reinhardt : The Man from Berlin by Luke McCallin (1 of 3)
✔ Carl Webster: The Hot Kid by Elmore Leonard (1/3)
♫ Chief Inspector Adamsberg: The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas (1/9)
♫ Cicero: Imperium by Robert Harris (1 of 3)
*♫ Clifton Chronicles: Only Time Will Tell by Jeffrey Archer (1/6)
♫ A Dance to the Music of Time: A Dance to the Music of Time: First Movement, Spring by Anthony Powell (1/4)
✔ Danzig Trilogy: The Tin Drum by Günter Grass (1 of 3)
*♫ Edie Kiglatuk: White Heat by M. J. McGrath (1 of 3)
✔ Empress Orchid: Empress Orchid by Anchee Min (1 of 2)
✔ Eustace and Hilda: The Shrimp and the Anemone by L. P. Hartley (1 of 3)
*♫ Hank Thompson: Caught Stealing by Charlie Huston (1/3)
✔ Haroun: Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (1/2)
✔ Henrietta's War: Henrietta's War: News from the Home Front 1939-1942 by Joyce Dennys (1/2)
✔ The Hummingbird's Daughter: The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea (1/2)
♫ The Inheritance Cycle: Eragon by Christopher Paolini (1 of 4)
♫ In Search of Lost Time: Swann's Way by Marcel Proust (1/8)
♫ James Bond: Casino Royale by Ian Fleming (1/14)
♫ Joona Linna: The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler (1 of 3)
*♫ Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (1 of 2)
*♫ The Kingkiller Chronicle : The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (1/3)
✔ Latin American Trilogy: The War of Don Emmanuel's Nether Parts by Louis de Bernières (1/3)
♫ Leonid McGill: The Long Fall by Walter Mosley (1 of 4)
*♫ Lymond Chronicles: The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett (1/6)
✔❉♫ The Magicians: The Magicians by Lev Grossman (1/3)
♫ McCaskill Trilogy: English Creek by Ivan Doig (1/3)
✔ Micah Dalton: The Echelon Vendetta by David Stone (1/4)
♫ Michael Forsythe: Dead I Well May Be by Adrian McKinty (1/3)
✔ Mistress of the Art of Death: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (1/5)
*♫ On Foot to Constantinople: A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor (1/3)
♫ Outlander: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (1/9)
♫+ⓔ Patrick Melrose: Never Mind by Edward St. Aubyn (1/5)
*♫ Prisoner of Night and Fog Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman (1 of 2)
✔ The Psammead Trilogy: Five Children and It by E. Nesbit (1/3)
♫+✔ Quirke: Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (1/6)
♫ Revelation Space: Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds (1/7)
*✔ The Salterton Trilogy: Tempest-Tost by Robertson Davies (1 of 3)
*♫ San-Anonio: Réglez-lui son compte! by San-Antonio (1/175)
*♫ Sean Duffy: The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty (1/4)
♫ Shanghai Girls: Shanghai Girls by Lisa See (1 of 2)
*♫ Ship Breaker: Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (1 of 2)
♫ Sprawl: Neuromancer by William Gibson (1 of 3)
♫ Swallows and Amazons: Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (1/12)
♫ Sword of Honour: Men at Arms by Evelyn Waugh (1 of 3)
*♫ The Vampire Chronicles: Interview with the Vampire (reread) by Anne Rice (1/10)
*♫ The Wolves of Mercy Falls: Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (1/4)
♫ World War II Saga: The Winds of War by Herman Wouk (1/2)



✔ = in my TBR
♫ = audiobook (in my TBR)
❉ = library book
ⓔ = eBook
* = recent changes



eta: Touchstones not working.

Next one is all yours! Welcome visitors!

Hi Ilana,

Gorgeous picture as your topper!
Hope you are feeling better. This weather shift over the last week has been both a blessing (no more heat and humidity) and a curse (headache weather).

Shana tova!

>13 Smiler69: Hi Shelley, and welcome as my first visitor here! Thanks for the New Year wishes, Shana tova to you too! Head not as bloody today as lately, but still not exactly great. I really need to start doing tai chi again and eventually other exercise as well, because I'm getting chronic aches and pains all over the place. Might start with booking a massage, which I've put off for months.

***

A note to my friends who commented on the last thread: I haven't forgotten you. It's been a hectic day and I've been putting off starting a new thread for a while and now need to go draw for a while, so I WILL get back to you asap!

Off to work on my next metro series drawing in a sec, but just wanted to post this:



My facebook friends will probably have seen it already, but for those who haven't, the above is the result of a commission from my cousins to draw my aunt from her favourite photo of herself, taken on her terrible twos birthday. The original drawing is just 5x7" so just a tiny bit larger than shown. The photo print was less than half that size and the use of a loupe (magnifying glass) proved necessary.

Happy New Thread, Ilana! I have already see the latest, and it's just brilliant! So much barely-contained energy and mischief there!
I was browsing your lists and encourage you to read History of the Rain as soon as you can. I agree with Charlotte. It's brilliant!!!
O.K. That's two brilliants in two little paragraphs, so it's time for me to go. (But they both apply.)

>16 Smiler69: - Just wow. So beautiful!

>16 Smiler69: Great!

Happy New Thread, Ilana! Love that topper. Makes me think of John Singer Sargent - particularly that Lily, Lily and Rose one, for some reason.

Hope your day is relatively pain-free and good.

Happy new thread!

So glad to finally get caught up dear Ilana if only to realize once again what a talented individual we have in our midst @ >16 Smiler69:

Happy new thread.

Happy new thread, Ilana!

Hi Ilana - great work on that portrait.

>17 LizzieD: Hi Peggy, welcome as my second visitor here! Must must must come over and catch up on all the fun and wonderful quotes and various goings on over on your thread. At least we're in touch over on fb, so all is not lost in the meantime! Fully intend to make room for History of the Rain, but as I'm behind on several of the challenges (including my own Canadian Author challenge!), I'm making time to catch up a little this month, since there are still two more reading months to look forward to this year. I'm still hesitating over whether I will eye-read it (which will help me linger on the prose longer), or listen to the audiobook (which will let me literally hear the Irish accent—I'm 'tone-deaf' when it comes to eye reading and don't at all 'hear' regional accents...). Will definitely make room for it in November, in any case.

My aunties drawing was a lot of fun to work with, and emotionally very meaningful to me as a family project of course. I'm so glad she is thrilled with the result. All the other praise is just extra gravy!

I'm not attentive enough as I type online, so plenty of typos and word repetitions to be found in any given paragraph of mine, as you must well know by now! Two 'brilliants' in a short text when it is sincerely said is perfectly okay by me! :-)

>18 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. Are you on facebook? If you are we should definitely be friends, and you'd see more frequent updates on my latest drawing projects there too.

>19 jnwelch: Hi Joe! I fell in love with that Shannon painting up top as soon as I saw it for the first time two days ago. I often put off starting a new thread till I've found an image(s) that I feel I want to look at every day for a couple of months... and this one definitely qualified! Singer Sargeant, yes, and I also see influences for some of the pre-Raphaelites I enjoy so much.

Day not one bit pain-free, unfortunately. They did some kind of major drainage work in the municipal sewer systems and this made an incredibly loud and far-reaching vacuuming sound for the better part of the day. Just stopped a short while ago, and I finally feel my ears, head and shoulders relaxing a little, but this is one of those really bad migraine triggers for me, along with trucks, motorcycles and other vehicles with loud muffler emissions. :-(

>20 thornton37814: Hi Lori, thanks for dropping by!

>21 PaulCranswick: Very kind of you to say, Paul. Blushing a little as I type this. :-)

>22 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl, and thanks!

>23 avatiakh: Thank you Kerry. I've started on a new drawing from my metro series this week. Might have something to show as far as work in progress within the week... However, as time goes on and I keep adding to the series, I'm growing more and more concerned I won't be able to show all my drawings in a public setting when time comes for a gallery show. My artistic vision and the current privacy laws aren't jiving, unfortunately. And some of my best drawings are of perfect strangers I have no way of getting in touch with. At least my auntie was a very safe subject, as far as that goes. I'll just keep plodding along all the same. The work itself is well worth the time and effort.

>24 Smiler69: - No, Ilana, I am not on facebook. I will have to be content with what you post here on LT. I always love seeing what you are doing, art-wise.

Love the new banner painting. It almost looks like a Mary Cassatt.

>8 Smiler69: Oh, you left History of the Rain until last! I know that you will love it as much as I did.

You are way ahead of me on challenges. There are so many great ones about female rulers! I'll take a look at my 4 and 5 star reads and give you a few suggestions to finish that one out. For Poetry, you might want to read some Mary Olive or maybe Geography III by Elizabeth Bishop.

I saw on your last thread that you got The Dig, one of the book bloggers I used to follow (LTer @gaskella) had that as her book of the year back in 2008 or 2009, I've got an unread copy somewhere in the house.

I've read two Temeraire books and enjoyed both, I want to read at least one more before the end of year. Hosting the ANZAC challenge this year has made it a little harder to get my planned reads done as I've felt obliged to read 2-3 or more NZ or Australian books every two months. Next year I'm thinking of making ANZAC a year long bingo challenge rather than focusing on particular writers, there's only a couple of us still participating.

Happy New Thread, Ilana!

>16 Smiler69: Beautiful work, my friend.

Made the mistake of watching the debate last night instead of taking that time for working on my latest drawing, and I'm paying the price for it. Maybe the highway construction happening not too far from here didn't help with their loud noises half the day and a prevalent scent of tar (a migraine tigger) in the air. I'm feeling grouchier than I have been in a while and just wish I could crawl under the covers and sleep the sleep of the dead. But sleep evades me, so I must face the day. I'll do so by having a good long drawing session in a short while.

I've been listening to Montalbano's First Case and Other Stories by Andrea Camilleri. Really enjoyed the first title story, which takes us back to Montalbano's beginnings when he was yet to be transferred to be chief inspector in Vigata. A few familiar characters and several missing, not least of which Livia, Mimi and Catarella (AHHHHH... Chief, CHIEF!). This is followed by 20 or 21 short stories, which I'll be taking in slowly between longer listens, as I've taken to doing with most short story collections.

Currently also reading from another short story collection, and now as I write this I just realized I've got two detective story collections going on at once... the other being the famous Inspecteur Maigret by Georges Simenon. I have to say Simenon's short stories as as good and filled with atmosphere as his longer (by not that much) ones.

I'll probably get started on The Many by Wyl Menmuir tonight on loan as an ebook from the library. I'm looking forward to picking up Toews's A Complicated Kindness, as I've fallen behind on the CAC, but have compensated for that by getting an audio version of Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill, even though I was planning to read from a paperback copy I got a few years back of was originally titled The Book of Negros. This way I'm more likely to catch up this month with that challenge at least.

I guess I'm in the mood for mysteries and detective fiction lately though, because now I'm hesitating between picking up The Strangler Vine and Girl Waits with Gun on audio as I set off to my drawing session. Both books were highly praised, both books have a next in series out, both equally tempting me. This kind of hard decision I can deal with. Any other decision, big or small, don't ask me to make today, please. :-|

Here are some fallen leaves I collected today:



I've also posted this one as the header for this months Canadian Author Challenge thread. We're featuring the above-mentioned Lawrence Hill and new-to-me but much lauded Jane Urquhart. There thread is here for those interested: https://www.librarything.com/topic/233937

>26 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. Hopefully I'll have something to show on my latest work in progress in coming days.

>27 Cariola: I'm definitely open to suggestion on female ruler books Deborah, but would appreciate it even more if you could recommend books I already own (and there are several). I believe if you search 'female rulers' you'll find a selection thanks to my extensive (though imperfect) tagging system (will have to check on that in a minute!). Of course other suggestions I'm also happy to add to the wishlist. I've been thinking about reading Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff, which I've had on the listening stacks for a number of years. I also have Victoria: A Life by A. N. Wilson and a book or two about Elizabeth I.

For poetry, I've had a small book from the Everyman's poetry collections of Emily Dickinson selections, which I've also been meaning to read for a good while. Will add Olive and Bishop to the wishlist as per your recommendation.

>28 avatiakh: I'm really sorry I didn't participate in the ANZAC challenge this year Kerry. I did mean to, but I've got too many challenges going, and never manage to complete my planned reads since I need to allow for mood reading and spontaneous picks too. Several Ozzie and Kiwi authors on my tbr I definitely want to get to, however. Sorry you haven't had more participation too.

>29 msf59: Hi Mark! Thanks for dropping by.

***

Ok, I'm off to the serious business of NOT THINKING for a while... off to draw and listen to some mystery or another.

Sorry about the continued migraine. I know how watching the debate can give that to you. I couldn't watch for more than a few minutes. But it looks like you have an enjoyable lineup of books and drawing. I've tried listening to books in the past but it just didn't work for me. I found myself daydreaming and not listening for long passages.

And those pretty leaves. The trees haven't started changing here in Maryland yet. We've only just begun having night temps in the 50's and 60's.

Stopped at Barnes and Noble yesterday, just look at the magazines but ended up with a book by Ina Caro, wife of biographer Robert Caro, a travel book combining history and train travel from Paris to areas nearby. Quite interesting.

>31 Smiler69: Well, looking at your library, of the books you have about female rulers that I've read, I'd recommend Elizabeth I: A Novel by Elizabeth George. It's fairly long, but I see you have it on audio.

Migraine so bad last night I couldn't sleep and had to take a good dose of sleeping pills. Then woke up at 1:30 pm having slept right through the 10:30 alarm. Today I managed to listen to a good portion of Girl Waits with Gun while doing some kitchen things. Made a very large leek and potato soup, and managed to destroy the blender inner cap when it fell into the blender, and I pushed the wrong button so instead of stopping it got so mangled I had to throw away that batch of soup. Then I broke my favourite dinner plate, the last one left of a set I don't know where to replace.

I meant to do all kinds of reading, of Emma, among other things since I'm showing a very poor performance over at the tutorial. Apparently my questions are appreciated by other participants, but I don't seem to post there very often. Lucky for me, they're a patient crowd.

Am I done complaining yet?

>32 catarina1: Thanks for dropping by catarina. Just a question, do you intend to remain anonymous here on LT or can I start calling you by your real name? No pressure in any case.

I just saw the Seth Meyers take on the VP debate and had a good chuckle. Especially good is when they do a split screen with Pence denying everything on the right screen, taken from the actual debate, and next to it clips of Trump and himself saying things Pence is denying were ever said. Wow. This is show-business folks! If anyone else would like to watch this segment of A Closer Look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c2UyOloZ-0

>33 Cariola: Thanks for the recommendation, Deborah. I'll read that one for sure sooner or later. I'll just have to play it by ear between now and the end of the year and see if I manage to fit in a female ruler at all... I've got lots of catching up to do on various challenges, and always need plenty of wiggle room to pick stuff off the cuff.

Head still bad. Really bad. I'm very high at this point, but so far the medical marijuana has mostly been good at getting me good and high. As a cure for migraine? Not so much.

>31 Smiler69: No need to apologise, I was just thinking aloud about the ANZAC. I know that everyone is overbooked with challenges and wanted to note that I was trying to dream up a less 'must read a particular book this month' style of challenge. I haven't even tried attempting the AAC or the CAC and have halfheartedly followed the BAC and Suzanne's nonfiction one.

>34 Smiler69: I broke the lid on my food processor last week so commiserations. I make leek & potato soup all the time and have one of those blender sticks that work straight in the pot which makes it a very easy process.

Your migraine problems sound awful, I wish you could find a solution.

Woke up throughout the night because of migraine pain. I don't remember that ever happening before this week. It's safe to conclude at this point that the botox isn't being as effective as might be desired. As I mentioned somewhere else just now, I'm so felled by migraine right now it's a wonder I'm sitting upright at all. I'm not sure I'm capable of making sense, or even of reading back on what I write to make sure I do, so hope my readers will take everything I say with a dose of salt. I've decided somehow this might be a good time to try my hand at writing short reviews. Maybe the inner critic is too zoned out from migraine pain to prevent me from writing my opinions on some books I've read lately. This might prove to be helpful, however I have a good notion whatever comes out will make about as much sense as riding on a white horse sitting backward. Why a white horse? Just to add a touch of detail. See what I mean?

Off to walk Charley and get some fresh air. I fear the pot fumes will be lethal today. At least getting high does help some...

So sorry about all the issues - migraines (my spellcheck wants to make that "migrants"), mangled lids, broken dishes. I would be ready to scream or cry.

And you can call me whatever you like. LT just wanted a code name.

>35 avatiakh: Kerry, the only reason I'm managing to follow the various authors challenges is because I'm not trying overly hard to read all the authors in their allocated months, and don't worry about it too much if I end up skipping any of them either. I've made some great discoveries this way, even on my own CAC challenge, where lots of the authors were new to me. I've missed a few on this challenge too, so it's not like I'm favouring any one of them in particular. Suzanne's NF challenge, though I haven't been 100% assiduous with it, has had the effect of getting me to read LOTS more nonfiction this year, if only because my yearly average tends to be less than a handful of books usually. I'm enjoying reading more NF, and will try to make more room for it going forward too.

I used to have one of those blender sticks, which I used for soups and smoothies. Then I had a huge garage sale back in 2008 or so, where I sold everything I felt was cumbersome and got rid of both the stick and the processor. I made a tidy sum over that two-day sale, enough to buy my Webber BBQ, but now I do wish I'd kept those two particular items after all...

The migraine situation is rather depressing lately, since it leaves me with very little fighting spirit, never mind being able to manage just basic tasks. I'm still hopeful the medicinal cannabis route might prove helpful, as there are many different delivery methods and various formulations and I might just hit on the right combo eventually (soon?). I need to go visit the Compassion Centre anon, as there was one particular compound that was suggested to me among others I thought I'd try next. Of course, until marijuana becomes legal in Canada, this all means extra out-of-pocket expenses, but if and when it does become legal, the insurance company will probably cover a good portion of that expense. Something to look forward to! :-)

>37 catarina1: Hi Ada, I had to ask you about your comfort zone with names, because people online have very varying tolerances to revealing their true identities. Some people put their real name on their LT profiles so anyone checking out their profile page can easily see the person's real name as well as their screen name. Often when I don't see the real name indicated I assume the person wants to remain anonymous. As for my online presence, I've tended to be pretty well transparent since 2007; at the time I was forced to leave work because of major health issues. Just being the 'real me' and not trying to do a neat packaging job to make myself seem 'normal' was one of the important things I needed to help me get better, and I guess, still rely on. I think this is the case for the great majority of members of this group, though some choose to only be known by their screen name. Besides which, I have such a bad memory, that I had I wanted to adopt any other kind of online identity, I'd be likely to forget from one time to the other what this was supposed to be. Am I making sense? I've smoked quite a bit of the Crunch sativa pot from the Compassion Centre today, the only way to make the migraine tolerable, with the obvious side-effect that I'm quite high by now. Not sure if I'm still able to keep coherent thought together anymore over a whole sentence, never mind an entire paragraph!

I've ordered a replacement part for my Osterizer Classic Beehive blender, which I'm very happy I was able to find at a reasonable cost. You really have to shop around for those things, because you risk a good fleecing if you don't do price+shipping comparisons. Now I just hope the part fits as it's supposed to. I'll find out in a week to ten days when it gets here. On the other hand, I'm still upset about that one white plate I've broken in such a silly way. It was the one I always picked to eat my meals on. I've got lots of other plates left, but don't particularly like eating in them. Pierre can tell you how picky I am about surfaces and tools I like to eat on... it's become a 'thing' I guess. I'd cry about the breakages, except I feel broken all over these days because of the relentless pain, and tears don't seem to be part of the package I'm left with right now (guess the tear ducts are *broken* too!). Better this way, at least I continue to just keep going on...

Almost finished listening to Girl Waits With Gun. It's good fun. Not exactly lighthearted, but not overly complicated either, which suits me just fine right now. Not sure what I'll follow that up with this evening.

I promised myself I'd try to write a few short reviews, so here goes nothing...

Ok. So much for that. I ended up composing an email that I sent to a artist agency I used to deal with when I was an art director, to see if they have any advice on where I should go next with my work. With a little luck they'll bring me a commission or three to help me pay off my credit card, which is getting scarier by the day. Therapeutic shopping has always been a great weakness of mine...
Will try for abovementioned reviews soon... I've already started composing them in my head.

184. ♫ The Gustav Sonata: A Novel by Rose Tremain

The story takes place in a small town in Switzerland. Gustav and Anton are to be lifelong friends. They meet on their first day of kindergarten, with Anton in tears about his first day away from home and Gustav summoned by the teacher to keep him company. Gustav's mother is strict and unfeeling. Gustav is used to her unpleasant ways and doesn't take special notice of them. Anton is destined to become a concert pianist, showing signs of prodigality at a young age. Their childhood takes place in the 50s. Anton is Jewish with a banker father and doting mother. Gustav's mother holds a grudge against Jews, claiming she lost her husband because he tried to help their cause during the Holocaust. This novel does indeed feel like a sonata, with intimate portraits of each of the characters, going backward and forward in time, from the 30s and a newfound vocation for Gustav's mother, to the early 21st century, when both men have a loaded past separately and together. The characters come in and out of contact, in a kind of gentle dance. Rose Tremain's beautiful writing shines in this book, as it has done in the other five novels I've read by her in recent years. I learned a little bit about Switzerland, where nationalism was one of the core values and played a large part in helping that small county remain neutral during European conflicts. Loyalty is one of the themes explored here in depth, and once again, Tremain demonstrates a beautiful sensitivity to what makes humans tick. Highly recommended—one I will revisit for sure. Excellent narration by Derek Perkins on the audio version. ★★★★½

That's all I can manage for now. Must get away from the computer and smoke a lot of pot because this pain is killing me.

Glad you liked this one! I'll have to go listen to the audio sample.

Just wandered to your new thread Ilana and was scrolling down slowly at all your amazing reads (so appreciate you giving stars and updating, accumulated lists, so all is there to see......) and then I came across that stunning drawing of your aunt >16 Smiler69: when she was young. Wow! It had to come from a photograph as who at 2 could ever sit still for any length of time. It is such a beautiful drawing.

Hope today sees you in better fettle dear lady.

>41 Smiler69: I haven't gotten around to any of Tremain's latest books and must put that right soon.

Wow, I'm still reeling from that debate last night. On the reading front, I've just finished listening to The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey. I couldn't quite enjoy it fully the first time around as I hadn't read anything at all about Richard III or the princes in the tower or the Tudors, or much about English history back in 2011 yet, and in fact knew so little about it that I hadn't at all retained the fact that inspector Grant makes the case for Richard's innocence. I love Tey's writing and with Derek Jacobi narrating, it was like listening to a top-notch radio plays. Needless to say I was able to appreciate the book so much more this time around, having recently read the Shakespeare play and watching the current news.

Unfortunately have stalled on Emma for not good reason at all, other than I've been completely obsessed with abovementioned current news and not spending much time at all on my reading. At this rate I won't be beating any records as far as number of books read this year.

In other not very newsy news, the migraines continue to be relentless and I continue to cope by getting high for the better part of the waking (and sometimes sleeping) hours. Yay me!

In yet more news, I've started a new metro series drawing. Here's a look at what it's looking like now, after just over 10 hours of work. Using a different drawing technique with this one:

>43 Cariola: Deborah, I was really pleased that this latest novel by Rose Tremain hit all the right notes with me... pun sort of intended. ;-)

>44 mdoris: Thank you Mary, I'm glad to see other people enjoy my lists. I like making and maintaining them. Sort of like pruning a garden. That drawing of my auntie was a really special project, and you're absolutely right: no two year old could possibly sit still long enough to have a realistic portrait drawn of them!

>45 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul... these days are all a blur of migraines, latest horrors about Donald Trump and his supporters and taking walks with Charley and Pierre. I forget the days of the week, but at least spirits are good.

Back to your prior thread, I'm adding Restoration by Rose Tremain to my wish list.

>48 EBT1002: It's wonderful!

Another punishing migraine. Getting high helps, a little, but right now not that much. Construction sounds abound when you live in the city, and these various beeps and tractor rumbles and poundings and such are basically all migraine triggers for me. Woe is me. There were major repairs to do in my bathroom and a couple of coats of paint needed and I waited several weeks for Joe to come, he's a all around fix it man I've known since the sixteen years plus I've been living in this apartment. Joe is a really great guy, and grandfather at this point with a friendly and easy manner. He's got so much character with his elongated and lean physique, creased and sculpted light brown face sprinkled with freckles, his short ponytail, pants always generously and beautifully (to me) spattered with paint. I showed him some of my drawings and asked him if he'd pose for me for my metro series and he seems keen on it. I should call him tomorrow to do the photos, while it's still fresh in his mind. Anyway, Joe, who is now 65 told me the other day he'd never followed politics or an election before and he was completely absorbed with what is going on this year and the Trump phenomenon. I have to say the same is true for me. So much so that my reading has seriously been taking a back seat to trying to keep up to date with the election news, something I've never done before.

I did become vested in our last Canadian election in 2015, because I felt Harper's right-wing agenda had done a lot of harm to our country and had eroded our democracy and liberal values, and was determined to make my vote count by choosing Justin Trudeau, not necessarily because I thought he was the best ever candidate or because I'd ever voted Liberal before (I was leaning toward a competing NDP last year, and up till then had always voted Green or joke parties, such as Rhinoceros—see their platform* below), but because I felt he had some decent policy plans in place that aligned with many of my core beliefs, and because a vote for him would guarantee to keep Harper's government out of parliament.

I'm now seeing a similar play for power, now being performed on a much larger, indeed a global scale. It is beyond me how any American can still be undecided at this stage. How can anyone hesitate between a demagogue who intends to become the first Dictator of the USA and fill his own coffers first and foremost, and a woman they happen to not like a whole lot, but who has solid, viable, sane, well-thought out plans in place which are beneficial to the greater majority? Boggles the mind. I happen to also like Hillary, but I can say with confidence that doesn't have that much bearing on my views in this election: the fact is this is a choice between continuing to live in a democracy, or trying to survive in a dictatorship with a man at the helm whose first priority (right alongside lining his own pockets) is to get back at those he perceived have slighted him. Also, to get others to build and pay for a very large wall. This, to keep out the bad guys ostensibly. Or maybe just to keep himself in, in a sort of country-wide gated community, who knows.
Anyone still considering either directly giving their vote to, or indirectly giving more winning chances to Donald Trump by voting for a third party or by writing in their own ballot at this stage, is being completely irresponsible and obviously doesn't fully appreciate the value of living in a democracy. If they're willing to take a man's word for his being 'The Best President they have ever seen, The Best, I promise' because he's made 'politically correct' the new epithet of choice, then the joke is on them. And everyone will have to pay the price.

***

* Platform
If elected, the Rhinoceros Party of Canada has promised to:
Repeal the law of gravity
Promote higher education by building taller schools
Count the Thousand Islands to make sure the Americans didn’t steal any
Reform the retail lottery scheme by replacing cash prizes with Senate appointments
Seat the Queen of Canada in Buckingham, Quebec.
Nationalize Tim Hortons
Move the national capital to Kapuskasing, Ontario
Privatize the Canadian Army
Make gluten free items illegal
Legalize all drugs
Ban Ikea and Android phones
Allow every Canadian to vote in the Hong Kong Chief Executive election, 2017
A rhinoceros for every Canadian Citizen

eta: copy/paste from FB; added info about Rhinoceros party

>48 EBT1002: >49 Cariola: I'll definitely reread Restoration, and probably sooner than later, and follow up again with Merivel too, these are two of my all-time favourite books and are definitely worth poring over many times.

Boo to the migraine, yay to Joe (excellent name), and great political comments, Ilana. Agree with you from beginning to end. I loved Or maybe just to keep himself in, in a sort of country-wide gated community, who knows. That really is the idea, with alt-right bigots with him in the gated community.

Ilana, maybe you and other Canadians here can help me resolve an issue. On another board I frequent (not LT), I have been asking questions, to help me try to understand a bit better, the American election process. Not an easy feat. Anyhow, over the course of the conversation, one woman, who happens to be a lawyer (and thus feels she knows everything there is to know about everything), actually made the following statement:

"Well, your prime minister is appointed by your governor-general, who, theoretically, could pick any random person. Of course, in practice, the GG appoints the head of whichever party has a majority (or plurality, if no party has a majority) of MPs.

So you don't have any vote in who your PM is at all!"

Needless to say, I thought this was rubbish. I asked a friend who used to teach history and civics in high school and he said it simply isn't true. So I replied, asking where she got her misinformation. I said that the Governor General is a mostly ceremonial post and while his job includes swearing in a new government and dissolving a current one in order to call an election, we Canadians most absolutely do vote for our candidate and party of choice. Her reply was a link to our supposed *official* government website, where she copied and pasted one sentence which actually does say that the GG appoints the PM. I still think this is nonsense and if this is indeed in an official website, it is very misleading. I have been googling like mad to verify my thoughts and did find something to support me. I also fired off an email to my local MP but don't really expect her to reply. I think my next move will be to contact the CBC to see if they can help. Part of me just truly doesn't want this know-it-all to have the last word but also, I have been voting all my adult life and this is the first time I have ever heard such a statement.

What do you think? It is also entirely possible that I am simply ignorant but my gut says not on this

>52 jnwelch: Boo to the migraine indeed, Joe (great guys, Joes are). I've got so much things needing doing around the house and all I can think of is how badly I want to lie down... I had edited my above text on FB and added a bit about our Rhinoceros party, which I've for voted in the past, sort of as a protest vote (and mostly because I had no idea who to vote for). I copied it back here because I find their platform very funny. Needless to say, they would dissolve if by some aberration they ended up being elected some freak year.

>53 jessibud2: Shelley, now here is something I hadn't heard of before! I can't say I'm in any shape to dig into this at the moment, but my feeling is if it says so on the official site, there is possibility to appointment by the GGis some kind of vestige from the British parliamentary system. I'm saying this while literally (or near to) talking of my own hat, but that would tend to be my impression. Sheer nonsense that he or she appoints the PM, and if they do, then it can only be in a ceremony devoid of actual relevance. Keep me posted on this, I'm curious to know what you dig up. Also, was the lawyer in question American? And if she is, shouldn't she know one shouldn't believe everything on the internet?? ;-)

>54 Smiler69: - Yes, of course she should know that. (yes she is American), but in the link she gave me, she merely copied and pasted that sentence. I did dig around and found something that refutes this but what I want to know before posting it back at her is if this is indeed true or so obscure that no one knows this. That is my hope in which case, I have to wonder what it is doing on an official website that would so mislead supposedly intelligent people to think that's how we operate here.

I will keep you posted. I certainly didn't expect you to do any research. I am just curious to know, spontaneously, how many -- IF any -- Canadians have heard this before and the more that haven't, the more weight my argument holds. I have voted in every election of my adult life and this is the first time I have heard this, myself. So, thanks for your input. It helps

Feel better!!

>55 jessibud2: In NZ we also have the same with the GG approving the PM (and Australia). It happens in many countries, the Queen in the UK, the President in Israel does the same after the elections, the leader of the party with the most elected members is given the first chance to form a government. It's a type of official ceremonial process and is an aid to democracy rather than anything else.

>50 Smiler69: If anything, the US has many problems with their election process as seen in this cycle. I think that the lack of vetting to be able to become a candidate in the US primaries is atrocious. And Trump was given so much exposure by the media who were only after ratings and once he wiped out the GOP field, then the media descended on him to rip him apart all to aid Clinton to the presidency. Plus the mega millions needed to be a candidate at all.
I'm more likely to vote conservative than I've ever been before, I haven't yet voted that way but it is just possible that I might in the next election we have. I don't think I've changed that much, more that our Labour party has moved left and adopted some ill-thought out policies and the more conservative party has moved over to the centre and so is more palatable.

My reading is also suffering, this US election is so painful.

>54 Smiler69:, >55 jessibud2:, >56 avatiakh:, etc. I for one hope that if Hillary is elected, she pushes for campaign reform. I see absolutely no reason for these presidential campaigns to go on for 2, 3 or even 4 years, as they seem to be doing now. And I'm all for more vetting by an independent panel, elimination of all the Superpacs and special interest funding, and very strict limits on campaign contributions. The idea that corporations are people and can make unlimited contributions just screams corruption. And something needs to be done to prevent rich people like Trump from buying their way into the election. If he hadn't used his own money to kick off the campaign, he wouldn't be where he is now.

>56 avatiakh:, >57 Cariola: If you are frustrated living where you are, you should be us who have to be in the middle of it. Day after day, for months and now, years. Where's my xanax?

>58 catarina1: Not sure just what you mean--I am in the middle of it, right in the middle of a swing state (Pennsylvania). I'm in the T-zone, which refers to the area between Pittsburgh and Philly and north-south down the center of the state. Although lately it feels like T-zone means Trump Zone.

Oops. Didn't know you lived in Pa. Yes, that is a swing state but last I saw it was leaning towards Hillary. Never heard of the T-zone. Luckily I live in Maryland which I think is just about the bluest of the Blues. There might have been one or two Hillary TV ads in the last several months. There was a Dumpster ad on the evening news and (unbelievably) on the Colbert show, both at the very ends of the programs but those disappeared last week - guess he ran out of money. And no mail ads this time. In 2012 we were inundated.

What happens with corporate donations, Super Pacs, etc is going to depend a lot on the Supreme Court and Congress. But I'm wondering just how much of his own money he has used. I've heard varying reports that he and his family have actually been making money because he writes off so much, i.e. using his own plane and being paid back from his campaign funds for that.

Sorry to hijack Ilana's thread.

>60 catarina1: Yes, what he has been doing is "loaning" money to his own campaign, so he will get it back in the end. Plus he is also getting paid for using his own jet, having an HQ in Trump Tower, using Trump hotels for travelling whenever possible--all charged to the RNC at top dollar rates. And of course, the publicity will be great for the Alt-Right media empire he plans to build if he loses.

Can't add much, just hope that some reform is done within both parties as far as eligibility to become a primary candidate goes. Not sure how long Trump was a paid up Republican and as far as I'm aware Sanders wasn't even a Dem. Just seems like in order to inspire the electorate candidates have to inhabit the fringe rather than cool, calm, collected centrist ideals.

Hi Ilana! Hoping you are feeling a little bit better today. Wanted to tell you that I finished The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane the other day and have to thank you, once again, for the gift of this great little book. I think it's going to end up being the best read of the year for me (or at the very least the co-best read). And the illustrations are lovely. They are at least as good as your wonderful subway series.

I'd be on board for some kind of legislation that could get these never-ending campaigns reined in. The way things are now it feels like excruciating prison sentence some of the time. My mind was made up the day after Bernie lost all hope of the nomination and I would have been perfectly happy to vote right then and there.

Just a rant, because I can't really hold a coherent thought together today. Relentless, pounding pain, is what I woke up to. I tried to sleep it off, but just has weirder and weirder dreams. I tried lying down on the couch for an hour after taking Charley for a walk, but all I could think or dream about what the pounding pain. I had a massage booked for tonight I was really really looking forward to for some kind of relief, but the masseuse contacted me to say she was having period pains today and couldn't make it. I'd really like to be sympathetic to her pain, but I can't find it in me. I don't often think of doing away with myself, but I'm starting to wonder whether I really want to live the rest of my life in this kind of relentless pain all the time. No, this is not a call for help. Just stating that life is unbearable right now.

Well, my masseuse did come finally in the evening yesterday, after laying down and getting rest, knowing I was needing rescue. Bless her heart. Still in pain today, but nothing to what I was like yesterday, which is already something. She gave me a really good, deep thorough going over, and spent a lot of time on my head and face. My next appointment is already booked for the 28th.

Have been sort of undecided about my listening material lately. Taking in the Montalbano short stories, but just a bit at a time. I've been really enjoying these sketches of life with Montalbano, but the last story I listened to was deeply disturbing; a woman who had started living with men at the age of fifteen finally decides to give her current lover something none of them ever had before: her own death by poisoning. Some heavy stuff, and in the light of all the victims of sexual aggression speaking out lately, it was definitely a destabilizing entry.



Have picked up W. Somerset Maugham's The Trembling of a Leaf, a collection of short stories set in the South Pacific. I often find Frederick Davidson's delivery a little bit too snooty for my liking, but his accent and high class tones work well in this instance. I'm posting a large cover image of the audiobook which I find rather attractive.

I also posted a bunch of pics on fb today, here are a few:

 

Here are a couple of autumn leaves I took on Oct 10th:

 

Here's one I took in my kitchen in late afternoon today. I've gathered a bunch of overgrown geranium plants I've been wanting to draw and sketch for a while. I did attempt a drawing which was quite disappointing... will try a different iteration tomorrow. Drawing from life is much harder than drawing from a photo can ever be.

>55 jessibud2: Shelley, more proof that we learn something new every day! I'm glad co-commonwealth nations dweller Kerry was able to give us a bit of background on this governor general business.

>56 avatiakh: Kerry, I do a LOT of commenting on the elections over on fb, and not so sure it was such a good idea to bring it up here. Certainly a DT-free zone wouldn't be a bad thing. I'm sure I'm not alone in fantasizing that from here to the elections, all the world media and we as individuals completely blank him out for the next few weeks. He would surely implode in sheer frustration, since he obviously gets off on all the exposure. Sheer madness that he could ever present himself for the post, let alone be in line for it, even though at this point it's looking like he'll lose.

>58 catarina1: >59 Cariola: Ada (@catarina1) meet Deborah (@Cariola), you two are probably the people I'm most in contact with throughout the days on fb and you seem to share similar attitudes about the current goings-on with election madness and its main players.

I also love collecting leaves at this time of year. I probably have dried leaves tucked into most of my books! It was a beautiful day here today. Hope you got to enjoy it a bit

>66 Smiler69: I actually contacted cbc news and asked and believe it or not, one of the tv newscasters actually wrote me back a detailed email, explaining a bit more. In brief, a GG CAN appoint a PM but it isn't a common practice and only rarely happens. But he said this woman was not at all correct in her statement that a GG can choose any random person (her words). He even dug further and gave me a link to the Queen's website, that outlines the duties of her representatives (ie, GG) and states when an appointment of a Prime Minister might happen (if an election doesn't produce a clear majority and if a minority government cannot be formed by a coalition consensus or some such thing; I forget the exact wording). Anyhow, I was impressed and pleased that he responded so quickly and so thoroughly and I did thank him for that. He is on tv here, after The National, at 11 pm every night.

>63 Fourpawz2: You don't know how much your message pleased me Charlotte! To know that The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is among your favourites of the year. I should pick it up and pore over it all over again... as I got my only gently used copy sometime around the time I sent your copy over. I'm in awe of Bagram Ibatoulline's work and have borrowed several books he's illustrated from the library. He has a lot to teach me for sure and I'm honoured you would even mention my work and his in the same sentence... let alone comparing them favourably! :-)

Speaking of my drawings...



eta: added touchstone to Bagram Ibatoulline (and learned how to spell it correctly).

The idea of Governor Generals in NZ and Canada these days is of course on sufferance of old Empire ties. The sure way to have them done away with is to have one of them "in office" trying to exercise what he/she believes is his/her constitutional rights of appointment. It works sort of today because it is largely ceremonial and titular.

Have a lovely weekend, Ilana..........sans headaches if at all possible.

>65 Smiler69:. I am so glad you were able to get your massage. Your Charlie just makes my day, he is so cute! I hope you feel better soon.

I think I haven't finished responding to my dear posters... I know how much it takes sometimes to leave even a short sentence (especially a short sentence!?), so please know I will respond individually. But concentration of any kind is hard to come by, as I've adopted the suggestion of one medical marijuana user and tried larger doses, and I must say the effect is interesting, though I can't say it makes me the least bit more effective, to be kind to myself. The massage has had lasting effect, and I still now feel the pain in the background as if veiled by a gentle cushioning. Best of all is I get my next massage two weeks from now. I haven't managed to do any book-reading at night at all for the last while now. It's a shame because I had The Many by Wyl Menmuir going, which I thought showed great promise, but for the first time in my life, news headlines and the ensuing coverage have just become one of my most pressing concerns in the last month or so. Makes Jane a very dull girl I'm afraid. All too much focus on the big mean DT, who is a toxic element spewing forth poison, but some of the best political commentary is really worthwhile. I mentioned a few names earlier on facebook to a couple of my older relations who just wish the world would stop talking about him... I had this to say to them:

"I certainly don't want "Trump TV" on all of the time, but some of the coverage by some of the best humorists and journalists working today is really worthwhile in my estimation. Steven Colbert, Bill Maher, SNL, Samantha Bee, Ezra Klein, Liz Plank (and many others, including commentators who have any kind of moral fiber) are speaking out with the voices of those who can see humour in every situation or at least point to some of the core issues that need to be addressed and cannot and SHOULD NOT be ignored."

What do you think? Should we just switch him off, or is he bringing up issues that obviously need to be addressed, since some people deeply believe basic decency is no longer an important factor in choosing a leader. How has such a big portion of society become so divorced from reality?

Some random images I felt like posting:

 

It's been much too long since I've updated my own thread or responded to anyone. I'm in constant pain. Impossible to concentrate on anything, though I'm active on fb, which only demands very short attention spurts. I try to keep up my spirits, but it's hard getting anything done, and reading is taking a backseat these days.

>72 Smiler69: I think Trump articulates general concern but then perverts them. The loss of American jobs abroad is a concern but a trade war with China? Control of immigration is a serious issue but a wall a la Roman Emperor Hadrian to keep the Mexicans out? Fear of a terrorist attack is genuine but banning all muslims from the USA is the answer? The people are tired of the Washington machine but is The Donald the best they can come up as an alternative?

>73 Smiler69: Sorry to see your continuing struggles with migraine, dear lady. I wish I could post an instant remedy and remove your pain at a stroke but of course the most important thing is to try to determine the cause of the problem in order to treat it. Eye strain, stress, other medical issues relating to diabetes or organs, dehydration, hormones, constipation, nutritional deficiencies, posture, allergy, a combination of some or all of them? When the body tells you something is wrong which is what migraine is in effect without knowing why it is difficult to treat other than via huge doses of pharmaceutical "cure-alls".
I used to suffer from headaches very often when I was in my cycling days. After research, I:

Reduced gluten in my diet - it helped
Took magnesium supplements - seemed to make no difference
Made sure my water intake was increased substantially - has helped me ever since
Used peppermint essential oil in my rubdowns and to relax - still do
Did more stretching
Was recommended butterbur or feverfew supplements but didn't take them as they were expensive but I did take vitamin B for a while as its deficiency is often a cause of migraine but more often in ladies
Added cider vinegar to my baths as it draws out uric acid from the body

You've probably seen all those before Ilana but some of them did work for me albeit my symptoms weren't as acute. xx

{{Ilana}} I really feel for you, with these migraines. I have been lucky not to suffer the frequency of yours but I sure do know the severity. I take a feverfew pill daily and maybe that has helped, who knows. I know it doesn't work for everyone. There was a period of months when I stopped the, just to see and I did notice an increase in frequency so I just started again.

As for the Trump tv problems, I can't bring myself to watch any of the debates; he makes me nauseous. The news summaries and sound bytes afterwards are more than enough. But just yesterday, I found this:
https://twitter.com/hashtag/trumpbookreport?f=tweets&vertical=news
and it is being added to at a frenzied (and hilarious) pace. As readers, we probably get more delight out of it than other people but I think it belongs right up thee with your list of humourists! Hope it brings some smiles to your face! Feel better

Oh my! I just got this from a friend. You will love it:

as only Weird Al can do it. Brilliant! :D)

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/20/opinion/bad-hombres-nasty-women-the-presidenti...

>76 jessibud2: "Like!" Borrowed with thanks and re-posted over on my thread. The New York Times?! How times have changed. :-)

Hope the migraines let up on you, Ilana. This seems like an awfully tough stretch you're in.

>71 Dianekeenoy: Diane, my next massage is booked for this coming Friday. Very much looking forward to it as she is a real pro and knows what she's doing, and usually brings me some form of relief for a few days following the treatment. I have a certain amount covered by the insurance, but if I could afford it, I'm sure it would help to have these massages regularly, every two weeks or so. In the meantime, I need to get back to doing gentle exercises like tai chi, which are sure to help too. Most of the time though, I'm just vegging out in front of the computer as a main distraction. Hard to get in/out of habits, be they good or bad!

>74 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul for your kind post. I've tried many, many things over the years. I've had migraine attacks all my life, and used to find it horrible when one lasted a few weeks or a full month... those were the good days, but of course I didn't know it then. There seems to be convincing argument that heredity might play a large part in some cases, and this would definitely apply to me, as my grandmother was a huge migraine sufferer, and so was my mom until her menopause. Sometimes I think if I moved out of the city and somewhere quiet it would be helpful. There are loads of auditory triggers for me where I live, which is something I don't hear mentioned very often, but most motor sounds, for one, set off pains immediately. Today I'm doing slightly better than yesterday, so that's something. I've tried all kinds of supplements like magnesium and B vitamins, to no avail. Acupuncture didn't help at all, and the botox is not seeming conclusive either. Next up will be trying to find a good hypnotist.

>75 jessibud2: Hi Shelley! The #trumpbookreport hashtag is really great! Thanks for the link. I'd read several that were chosen by some of the news outlets in 'best of' the bunch type things. I couldn't resist contributing my own: "Guy makes a bundle, he's real rich, and this woman, nothing special, she gets him killed! The 'Great' Gatsby—what a joke!"

I really enjoy Alec Baldwin's take on the the Trumpster on Saturday Night Live, which I always make sure to catch as soon as it's released on YouTube. That Weird Al video is great. He certainly hasn't mellowed with age... weirdo for life, that one!

>77 jnwelch: Joe... yes. It does certainly seem that way. The miracle is I manage to get anything done at all, like eating and dishes and keeping myself (somewhat) clean. I'm grateful for moments like right now when the pain sort of recedes in the background and leaves me a bit more clear-headed. All things being relative, of course. I really sorry I've let the gang down over at the Emma tutorial, but I'm glad folks over there are patient and understanding.

Hi, Ilana. Just checking in. Sorry to hear about the chronic migraine woes. Wish there was something to give you some relief.

I see you were chatting with my friend Carl on FB. Lol. I do not bother. We were visiting with him and his wife last night. Great couple. We just do not talk politics.

>80 msf59: Hi Mark, Marianne was just telling me earlier tonight that she's met Carl during a get-together with you and others and that he was a very nice person, just not necessarily very quick... I can see why you'd avoid politics. He's pro-Trump, but doesn't seem to really have any idea of what that means beyond some vague promise that things will be 'different'.

***

On the reading front, I completed The Book of Negros / Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill for the CAC today. It's a very good story, but I can't help but wonder if the fact I listened to Homegoing recently affected my appreciation of Lawrence's novel. Different but both deal with the slavery topic from a woman's perspective. I feel I should be more enthusiastic about it to encourage more people to read it, but honestly I felt the topic was not one I was in any mood for and I was yearning for something lighter. I've now moved on to Jack Reacher #8 with The Enemy. It had been a long time since I'd read one of those.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry the migraines have been so ferocious. And I need to check out your FB page (I have an almost phobic response to FB but I do try to check it out now and then) although now I have seen the photos of you and Charley!

And I would say don't worry about responding. We all get behind and sometimes you (well, I) just have to say "I'm behind, I can't catch up, but I appreciate everyone's visit."

I'm looking forward to reading Someone Knows My Name. It is getting lots of LT love.

I hope you have a better week, Ilana.

Ilana - have you heard about this, I just saw Waldman pushing it in my FB feed: A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life by Ayelet Waldman - a revealing, courageous, fascinating, and funny account of the author's experiment with microdoses of LSD in an effort to treat a debilitating mood disorder, of her quest to understand a misunderstood drug, and of her search for a really good day.

Hi Ilana it's been awhile since I dropped by but as always I love seeing pictures of Charlie, he is adorable. I was just showing the pictures to my granddaughter and now she wants a Biwawa!

I am currently reading Someone Knows My Name and loving it, pretty sure this will be a 5 star read for me.

I am so sorry to read of your migraine pain and wish there was something that would make it disappear.

Came to update my reading and have things to share about said reading, but head is really bad today, after starting out feeling almost ok... ah well. Having a hard time choosing something that suits me... is that what is called a reading block? Off to draw now, the only thing that seems to hold the pain at bay somehow. Maybe next week's appointment with the hypnotherapist will teach me how to make that happen all the time...

Yay, feeling halfway decent today so far, which is worth noting. Really been enjoying the second Simon Serrailler book, The Pure in Heart by Susan Hill, which I posted about on fb yesterday: "I'm presently listening to Susan Hill's second Simon Serrailler book and have quite enjoyed the first two books so far. Unusual for crime fiction, the cop is handsome and young and is a working artist as well (as opposed to an old jaded alcoholic), from a very decent family albeit with its share of problems, said family taking up a good part of the novels, unlike most other lonely and rootless disenfranchised detectives in so many other series. There are necessarily also extremely nasty people, but there are also levels of complexities to the characters and their lives, which makes these books so much more than typical crime fiction. Worth looking up!"
I'll definitely be procuring the third book in the series, in any case.

Not done any eye reading for a while now, as I'm constantly reading news articles about the daily goings on of our neighbours to the south. Lots of drama there to keep the masses entertained. I'll plan my November reads as always, and hopefully with the passing of the election I'll be able to focus on my books again.

>82 EBT1002: Thanks so much for dropping by Ellen! No worries at all about fb. It can be and is a huge time suck. I've stayed away from it for months and years at a time, but obviously this is one of my more active times on that particular social network. I'm even dabbling on Twitter a bit! All of which explains my lack of presence here I guess. When I'm in a lot of pain I can direct my attention for short bursts of time, which fb is perfect for. Hope you have time for Someone Knows My Name. It is as good as Homegoing, I'd say, but I wish I hadn't listened to those two books so close together, as my appreciation for the former wasn't what it would have been otherwise.

>83 avatiakh: Dear me, Kerry, no I have NOT heard about the book you mention. In fact, never heard of microdosing of LSD before either. I guess you haven't read it? I took LSD full-strength in my teens and have never looked back since, but can't say I'd be tempted to dabble with it again. I must say I agree with Timothy Leary that it's a mind-expanding drug and I don't for one minute regret my experimentation with it (a persistent memory of blue fields and green skies remains, from a very long night and early dawn walk along the countryside high as a kite). Leary also said: 'There are three side effects of acid: enhanced long-term memory, decreased short-term memory, and I forget the third.' and that certainly applies to me too. Will definitely look up that book, thanks for the tip.

>84 DeltaQueen50: Hi Judy, I always enjoy your visits and it looks like you're doing a much better job of keeping up with folks than I have been this year... I have no idea whether Biwawas are a 'thing'... but when I did a google search last time there wasn't much coming up... also that their look varies vastly from one individual to another. They are certainly stubborn and independent dogs, based on what Charley's like.

I'm glad you're enjoying Someone Knows My Name so much and hope you'll take a moment to comment on it (or copy/paste) on the CAC thread. Participation has vastly fallen, probably in large part because I'm not doing much of a job hosting it. I don't even know if it's worth asking people whether they want a second edition next year? What do you think? Maybe someone else could take over to ensure it's a bit more lively next time around. Back to Lawrence Hill, I very much want to read The Illegal next, because watching Canada Reads last year with Clara Hughes champion that novel was pretty exciting stuff! Have you ever followed Canada Reads? It was my first time last year, and I certainly intend to do so with the next round!

I'm meeting a hypnotherapist on Wednesday about my migraines. I had a nice phone conversation with her last week and she really made me feel like there could be some positive results with her approach. I'm even thinking I might learn to use the power of auto-suggestion to help me manage my good and bad habits both!

I've been kept very busy at the Category Challenge this year with various challenges but I tried to take part in the Canadian Author Challenge. I think I managed 6 reads. Next year there is a small group of us over there that may do a Canada Reads challenge and we are for sure doing an Awards Challenge in which Canada Reads will be featured one month.

I am very proud that Canadian authors are coming to the forefront of the literary world and with the likes of Joseph Boyden, Lawrence Hill, Margaret Atwood etc. we have a good reason to "toot our own horns"!

I will go now and drop by the CAC thread re: Someone Knows My Name. I would love to see the CAC continued next year, but I would also say that if you are finding it too much or not enjoying it anymore than you could skip it next year and resume it in 2018 or perhaps one of the other Canadian 75ers would care to carry it on.

>86 Smiler69: Well, I thought I should bring the book to your notice at least. Waldman is married to Michael Chabon, which you probably already know. Looks like it will be an interesting read, not out till early next year by the looks of it.

A lovely grey and not too cold day today, which inspired me to take Charley out for a run in a baseball park nearby. I just love to see him fly, and he's pretty good about staying within bounds, considering. I met a very nice man while we were out, who made a comment about Charley in passing. He was carrying around bags of what looked like drawings to me and so I asked him if he's an artist and he is, and rather well-known too. We must have talked for a good half hour or more, standing there in the park just outside the baseball field while I showed him my drawings. He was so impressed he immediately started encouraging me to have my own gallery show asap. He's been an art teacher and worked with people in the streets, really decent an interesting man. He's going away to Europe for a month, but he gave me his number and I have every intention of calling him when he gets back. Among other things, I'll have lots of notes to take, as he was throwing all kinds of ideas my way, from various galleries I could approach with my work to artists and authors to look up. Really made my day!

Feeling better today on the headache front too, as I get ready to go for my first hypnotherapy session tomorrow afternoon. Should be interesting for sure.

Reading: Started on Laurie Lee's Cider With Rosie and once again stunned by his gorgeous poetic writing. Also revisiting an old favourite on audio with Paul Auster's Mr. Vertigo, which I've read twice before and is among my all-time favourite novels. About a young boy in the mid-1920s who meets Master Yehudi, a middle-aged man who takes him into his family comprising an old Indian woman who once worked with Buffalo Bill and a young black boy on his way to being a great scholar. Master Yehudi's plan is to teach our young Will to literally fly, and he succeeds after many trials and difficult lessons. I can't recommend this novel highly enough. Somehow, I feel it probably inspired Sarah Gruen's Water for Elephants, another novel I very much loved, so much so that I never wanted to watch the movie to change the impressions I got from the book.

A good day. Yay! And tonnes of packages coming in the mail this week with all the online shopping I've been doing. Very wicked of me since it's all just piling on more debt, but very good stuff, like electric blankets for me and an electric pad for the pets, so I can have them all around the apartment and save on heating bills this winter. Books (of course), ankle boots, clothes... oy. Somehow I feel I'll manage to pay it all off somehow, if I can just get a few art commissions... I guess I should be advertising my services with Christmas just around the corner.

>87 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy for your input on the CAC. I feel I'm not running the challenge well, but at the same time it's gotten me to read great Canadian authors every month this year, which is probably 11 more Canadian authors than I read in a typical year. I'll post a query on the CAC threads to see if there is interest in a second edition in 2017, and if someone else would like to take over. As you know, not many of us Canadians have particularly strong nationalist sentiments, but I've never been prouder to be Canadian than I have been this year and appreciating all the privileges that comes with.

>88 avatiakh: Kerry, I always appreciate your book recommendations and will definitely look this one up. I know who Chabon is and really need to give him another chance, because he somehow rubbed me the wrong way in Kavalier and Clay... it's been a long time now, but my impression at the time was he was rather pretentious, which prevented me from enjoying that book as much as I might have. I've just added A Really Good Day to my wishlist, in any case.

>89 Smiler69: - Good to hear that you are getting some relief, Ilana. The past week, especially the last 2 days, have been brutal for me though I have been thinking about it a lot and I am wondering if the degenerative discs in my neck might be causing this current bout. I have a physio appointment on Thursday and will ask about that. Plus, I booked a massage! Can't wait.

And wow, about that chance meeting in the park. Don't you just love serendipity like that? Wishing you good things....

>89 Smiler69: So glad you had a wonderful day! Of course, all of us here know how awesome your art work is, but how exciting to have met an artist who is excited about it, too. Fingers crossed for a gallery show within the next year!

Whew! I was so far behind that I had to skip and skim, but I'm hopeful that you are enjoying some time with a lot less pain and that it lasts a long time!
---- I saw a little dog the other day who looked just like Charley. I started to scream, "Ilana!" but I stopped myself and let them walk on. So cute though, that little dog.
And I didn't realize that R. Tremaine has a new book out. Thanks for the tip. I'll look forward to it!
Take care!
Keep drawing!!!! What a character!

Yay! Visitors! It's terribly late, way past my bedtime. I wasted time and money trying to win at one of those online lotto games. Monopoly, actually. Doesn't look like I have the makings of a real estate mogul... I'll post my most recent fb update on my latest drawing and come back tomorrow to answer comments:

I'm glad you're enjoying Cider with Rosie, Ilana. His poetic writing stuns me, too. He also seems like quite a remarkable guy.

>94 Smiler69: Wow. He'll be coming through the frame any second now.

>89 Smiler69: - How exciting, Ilana! When you least expect it something really neat happens.

>95 jnwelch: I have to say Joe, I've gotten into the terrible habit of browsing through fb on my iphone in bed at night, which has been cutting into my quality reading time. I get so overheated these days with the whole campaign thing that I'm then too agitated to read anything soothing. I'll have to stop doing that, because it ain't improving my quality of life! I've started to wish I could just fall into a long sleep and wake up in four years to face whatever the world has become like at that point.

I posted that drawing a bit too large... which is why he looked like he was coming out of the frame, mebbe. Made it a bit smaller now, but I do want the details to show still...

>96 Fourpawz2: Yes, that was a very cool encounter, Charlotte. I do love those little moments of serendipity.

Oops! Skipped over a few messages. Will rectify that right away...

>91 jessibud2: Shelley, I'm so sorry to hear you have been in pain. Degenerative disks, not that I'm any kind of specialist... but that does sound like the kind of condition which would cause headaches. Hope your physio appointment went well and I'm sure that massage will do you some good!

And yes, I do love that word, 'serendipity'. It very much felt like that the other day when I met Peter Rochon. A very nice man indeed.

>92 Cariola: Deborah... Gulp! Within the next year, really?? That sound terrifying. I know my work has reached a professional level of quality, but didn't even consider for a moment I might be ready for a show... I've put together a small 'portfolio' of examples of my work on my phone so I could show it to strangers at a pinch, say when I'm on the metro and want to ask someone's permission to use their photo, or ask them to pose for me (I've had the temerity to do that several times now...). He thought I should show the lot, watercolours and all. Coming from a professional artist and an art teacher, it was incredibly encouraging. As I was saying to him, since my major burnout almost 10 years ago now (in April), I've been terrified of taking on any kind of responsibility or put myself out there in any meaningful way... but it sounds like that what life is calling me to do at this point.

I haven't mentioned my hypnotherapy session on Wednesday. It was an interesting process. We talked for half the time, and then she put me under some kind of spell for the second half, though I felt like I was fully aware the whole time. She had me record the whole thing so I can play it back to myself, and one of the things she worked on was helping me convince myself that my art is a special gift and that I need to share it with the world. If she can hypnotize me into becoming a successful artist and make the migraines go away, then I'm not going to stop her! ;-)

>93 LizzieD: Peggy, I know what you mean about having to skim while trying to catch up. I'm so behind on all the threads, and I just hate coming in and just leaving a comment without seeing what's been going on, that it's making it hard for me to get up the will to do all that catching up work! It always proves rewarding when I do though, as it was on your thread the other day.

That boy on the metro really caught my eye a couple of years ago, when I grabbed just three shots of him (I sometimes take dozen when there is time, to make sure I grab all the details I need)... they all turned out blurry because everything was in motion at that moment, and it's ended up giving me yet another creative challenge. I have no idea what title to give this drawing. I was tempted by "Pretty Boy", but that might be interpreted in a derogatory way, which is not at all my intention...

It's a beautiful sunny day out there, and I will shortly take my Charley boy for a walk. In the meantime, here are a few pics I posted on FB of our walk in the misting rain yesterday. All the colours of the leaves were almost glowing in the darkened light, which I don't think came out in the pics, however.

  

I think you're already a successful artist, Ilana, although some monetary recognition would be welcome, I'm sure. The hypnotherapy sounds intriguing; I hope it helps.

ETA: >101 Smiler69: is a charming photo!

>102 jnwelch: Joe, that's really sweet of you to say, and I think I know what you mean, as there are many levels of success in life. True enough that I've made a lot of headway as far as developing a regular daily practice and growing a body of work I can be proud of putting my name to, but I would consider myself successful in a more public way if I had a few gallery shows and maybe got my name in print in a couple of places and was able to make a decent living selling my work so I can survive and not fall into utter poverty when I turn 65 and my insurer drops me like a hot potato!

My first unfinished book of the month: A Spy Among Friends: Kim Philby and the Great Betrayal by Ben Macintyre. This came highly recommended by Suzanne and Joe among others, but I only managed to get through about a third of the way through and found it incredibly dry. I thought I enjoyed stories about the spying world, but perhaps not all that much after all... Now I'm wondering if I'll bother with Macintyre's other books, which also met with a lot of praise...

Just stopping by Ilana and so sorry to hear about the continuing acute migraines.

.>105 souloftherose: Thanks so much Heather, though I didn't dare declare myself too soon, but it does seem like the pain has lessened in a noticeable way since Wednesday's hypnotherapy session, which I had walked into with a doozy of a migraine. Not completely pain-free, but the pain is muted and I'm able to function, as well as I ever will I guess. I should give that session recording a listen soon to keep it fresh in my mind. Certainly can't hurt.

I haven't finished my women's bingo card yet, and had had Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff loaded on my iPhone for quite some time. Last night, utterly fed up with all the political drama, I felt like reading about a woman leader, so this seemed like a good fit. Very interesting so far, and Schiff paints quite a vivid portrait of what Egypt and the Mediterranean coast must have been like, about six decades before the birth of Jesus. The woman herself is largely a mystery, since there are no traces of any texts or images of her left, other than coinage with her profile (presumed to be authentic, though probably highly edited) and a scrap of papyrus with a word or two.

I posted the following on FB yesterday:
Is anyone else's book reading being negatively impacted by all the drama of this election? I've been having a hard time sitting down with any book lately; just glued to the headlines as I've never been in my life before. Good thing I've got plenty of audiobooks, or my reading life would be nonexistent these days...
(Featuring artist and illustrator Olaf Hajek's beautiful shelves and paintings, as published in a magazine article*.)
*verification in progress.

A few sessions after the last update (>94 Smiler69:)... he's growing hands and jeans!

>101 Smiler69: Love the fall photos. Our trees are slow, shedding their leaves, so we are still enjoying the vibrant colors.

Happy Sunday, Ilana. Sorry, the Macintyre didn't work for you. I am a big fan of his work, although I have not read this one. Hope your current read is more successful.

Hi Ilana, I am with you, as far as *Election Distraction* goes. CBC tv will have full coverage all Tuesday evening.

I am a member of our local documentary theatre here in Toronto. We found out last week that this new doc by Michael Moore has just come out, in time to be seen before the election. There will only be 3 screenings at Hot Docs, so when I was at my Friday morning lecture series, I bought my tickets for the first screening, this morning at 11:30. Good thing, too, as by the time we arrived, at 11 am, the entire theatre was sold out!

It was terrific! If there is any way at all you can find it, I highly recommend it. The only problem is, there isn't enough time between now and Tuesday for it to reach all those who really need to hear his message. He is funny, irreverent, and a bit potty-mouthed but appropriately so, and subtle enough to drive home a message without driving people off. It was so well done!!! I wish it would be generally available online or something. It was an hour and a half long. The next screenings are tonight and tomorrow morning, as well, and only at this Hot Docs Theatre, as far as I know. A real pity. It ought to be compulsory viewing before the election!

http://boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=58218~fff311b7-cdad...;

http://www.democracynow.org/---/michael_moore_in_trumpland_filmmaker_on

The second link is an interview but it cuts off the part way through but it's interesting to hear Moore speak of how the film was made. Clips don't really convey the real essence of the film in its entirety, but it is worthy viewing.

I also heard that SNL is will do a special pre-election show on Monday night. I don't usually watch it but I think I will. Do you know what time it's on?

>108 msf59: I'm glad you like my fall photos Mark, I've been snapping away on the iPhone with every outing since the colours are so beautiful right now. We're nearing the end of it for this season though, as many trees are already completely bare.

I was really sorry to let go of the Macintyre... I was fully expecting to really enjoy it, considering it came highly recommended from trusted sources, but it wasn't to be I guess. Oh well, so many books, so little time and all that! ;-)

>109 jessibud2: Shelley, I'd seen a live interview on FB with Michael Moore, who said the movie would be available on YouTube. I guess that is only the case for US residents, as I found one link which basically took me to a scam site, though it looked completely legit at first so I actually signed up, only to find they didn't have the Michael Moore movie, and not only that, but most of their offerings were horror movies, which I never EVER watch. I was understandably angry and just called customer care to cancel my free membership, since they took down my credit card number. Thankfully, Visa offers pretty comprehensive fraud protection, but I guess I'll have to wait and see if I get unwanted charges... in the meantime, I did find it on a streaming site, so will be watching it tonight probably.

I found out about Monday's SNL right now because you posted about it, as otherwise didn't know about it. I'm not sure when it's on, but if I find out I'll let you know. I've been watching their Saturday night skits with Alec Baldwin in the role of Donald Trump, which are pretty funny, but as I don't get tv, I'm not an SNL watcher either, except for the odd skit on YouTube...

>102 jnwelch: What Joe said.

I will be glad when the American election is over and hopefully Trump goes back to his business enterprises.

Have a lovely pain free week ahead.

>111 PaulCranswick: To refer to an old SNL skit, I fear that Donald Trump will become The Thing That Wouldn't Leave.

>103 Smiler69: Amen to that, Ilana. You deserve every bit of it. Sending positive thoughts for it all to happen.

>111 PaulCranswick: What Deborah said. I'm starting the think the hypnotherapy may have worked after all. Not completely pain-free, but I've experienced tremendous relief all the same, considering how bad the migraine was during the fall month up till last week.

>113 jnwelch: Thank you my friend. I guess a lot of it is all up to me. For now, I just keep working on the art and will start thinking of organizing myself soon. Thinking of eventually starting a Kickstarter or similar public funding campaign to help me cover the costs for a gallery showing. Among other things, I'll need to get all my work framed, which will cost a pretty penny.

>115 Smiler69: Good idea. I'm in.

I had a fallout recently with my ex Pierre (with whom I'd remained friends, which I was very happy about), when I told him I wouldn't put up with his mansplaining anymore. He took grave offence at being called out on sexist behaviour. Fair enough, though he wouldn't have taken such grave exception if I hadn't put my finger on it. I was sad to lose a friend, but life goes on.
Today I'm devastated, as are many people on the planet at the prospect of the dark forces about to take over the White House. I was in shock all day and was 'crying inside' because real tears wouldn't come. Then I took Charley out for a walk and burst into tears in the middle of a busy street. Cried uncontrollably and then the tears just kept on streaming. We made our way to the corner store to get some milk. Pierre (who lives nearby) walked in and his face fell when he saw me waiting at the cash. Again, fair enough if I'm the last person he feels like seeing these days. But Charley adores that man. Largely I think because while I drove him home from the shelter, and the poor little guy was a nervous wreck, Pierre was the one holding him in his arms the whole way back. Charley always reserved an especially cheerful welcome whenever he saw Pierre (which was almost every day, sometimes several times a day), and he seemed to like Charley back quite a lot. My little guy was barking and barking with joy and wagging his tail furiously today, climbing all over him waiting for an acknowledgment, but Pierre just ignored him. I said, aren't you at least going to say hi to Charley? No, was the curt reply. Charley was so confused when we left the store and my ex behind. Seems so unnecessarily hostile and immature. But that's just me being oversensitive maybe. I feel badly for poor Charley, who is off his food today, probably because he senses something is very wrong. Now one of the people he loved best confirmed to him that indeed, all is not well with the world.

>116 jnwelch: I'll keep that in mind, Joe! ;-)

>117 Smiler69: - Wow. So sorry about the issues with Pierre but I agree, that just seems mean, his treatment toward Charley. Makes no sense at all.

Like you, (and millions of others) I am in shock today. I did watch both Hillary's concession speech and Obama's speech today and both were class acts, all the way. I shed some tears and can't imagine how she held it together. Trump's speech is the biggest crock of you-know-what ever. As if, after the months of garbage he has been spewing, anyone would for one minute believe a single word of his suddenly *being nice* - HA! I can't stand to look at him, and even more, I can't stand to hear his voice. As I wrote today to many friends and family (and posted), after a mensch like Obama, the leadership of the USA has just gone from Class to Crass.

>119 jessibud2: I think I'm going to start crying again. I promised myself I'd get off FB and wouldn't follow the latest news and commentary, but I feel like the victim who got away from a terrorist attack, and we are all collectively mourning the future ahead. I said on FB a short while ago that I feel the same shock and horror and disbelief today as I did on 9/11. One of my friends pointed out that the one led to the other...

I thought Hillary did a great job. It seemed like she was trying hard not to shed tears. The disappointment... just devastating. And to have won the popular vote too!

No, it's not you being oversensitive - it was hostile and totally immature taking it out on a pet that adores him. So you hurt his ego by criticizig him and all he can do is pay you back by hurting Charley. That's kindergarten behavior. I'm very sorry for you and Charley. And sorry that this angers me, I don't know Pierre - but poor Charley! Also sorry for not having posted in ages, of course, though I have been lurking. Worst reading and LT year ever...

I've been off the news media (TV news, talk shows with "experts", FB, videos) except for some online newspapers for several years now. I'm not less informed on facts, but my emotional life is better balanced. Before that it got to the point that I felt manipulated into a constant state of fear of things I had no direct influence on and I wondered why this is done to us - certainly not for our best or our right to good information. I refuse to participate - unless I want to be emotionalized that very day (which happens rarely), then I usually search for some harmless article on vegetarianism and read the comment section. :)

I hope that in 4 years as many people will be disappointed with Trump and stay away from the elections as were disappointed with Obama and stayed away this time, so the pendulum can swing back to normal.

>110 Smiler69: Well, one positive thing about the election: Alec Baldwin is guaranteed 4 more years of work on SNL.

>122 kac522: :) Mrsdrneutron and I were talking about that just last night!

>122 kac522:, >123 drneutron: Ha! Way to find a silver lining!

I'm going offline for a while. One too many conversations gone terribly awry on facebook with someone who is a friend about the current events. I am not ok with glossing everything over now we have the outcome we do. I am not ok with not being able to speak my mind because people only look at the words and don't actually try to understand them. In other words, everybody is busy making up their answer and doesn't take time to actually read what is being said. I'm too sensitive for that crap. It hurts way too much. I need to be constantly fighting off clinical depression. This is extremely unhealthy for me. I will take time to be with my animal companions, who can never disagree with me on anything and who are always soft and warm and happy for a caress. I will read my many gorgeous books. I will draw. I will paint. I will continue taking pictures. I will do all that and I will stay away from the computer. Somehow.

>125 Smiler69: I hear you. I've pretty much sworn off the news, have been skipping political threads, and haven't entered into political threads all day. I need time to decide what the best actions for ME will be, since so much of the rest of the mess is out of my control. In the past three days, Jasper has finally decided that he likes being a lapsitter, and it is definitley a comfort.

Take care of yourself, Ilana and remember we will be here when you are ready to return.

Picked up the audio version of Swing Time by Zadie Smith yesterday evening. So far so good.

Sorry to see on FB about the issues you've had with disagreements and political strife, as well as P's reaction to Charley (which is unbelievable in my eyes - I can't walk past a dog without seeing if I can make friends, so I'd never be able to shun one I knew and cared for!).

Anyway, just popped by to see what you were reading/listening to at the moment. I'm solidly on audiobooks now, with occasional excursions into paper ones. My concentration is so poor, and my general fatigue so high, that if I try and read for too long I simply fall asleep.

Hope the offline hibernation is restorative and can help reset your brain a little.

>128 Smiler69: - Ilana, did you hear the interview with Zadie Smith on CBC this past weekend?

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/writersandcompany/zadie-smith-on-the-song-and-dance-of-t...

I will admit that I tried listening to one of her previous books on audio and never finished it. Can't even remember now which one but this one sounds good! Glad to hear it's on audio and I will look for it

>129 lunacat: I don't think many would think of me as sexist; dogs and ladies are better than most men, I guess. I am missing my own special gal who is kicking up a storm in Prague and Edinburgh. Seemingly enjoying herself and then calling me in the dying embers of the day and telling me she wants to come home early. Nothing to do with spending most of her dosh of course.

Don't really need to say it but I am sure that you know the esteem in which you are held in my little corner of the ether. Keep your chin up dear lady. Pierre didn't have a day that covered him in glory but he brought many a smile to our Smiler over the preceding months and some happiness into Charley's existence too. Remember those moments fondly and take his best qualities against his less laudable ones and you will look back with a smile rather than a frown. xx

For those curious about Zadie Smaith's novels, here's an interesting article, "Where to Start (and Go) with Zadie Smith," that briefly outlines them.

Hope you will have a stress free, peaceful and satisfying weekend, dear friend.

Just stopping by to say hello, Ilana, and I hope your offline time is restorative and healing.

Hi friends. I'm sort of finding life away from the computer, but very old habits die hard, especially when you have no intention of killing them off. I've listened to a couple of Roald Dahl audiobooks narrated by famous actors to perfection (Matilda narrated by Kate Winslet and James and the Giant Peach narrated by Julian Rhind-Tutt), and this sort of helped me get out of a book funk, as I was finding it difficult to stick to anything. It's still touch and go, as I gave up on Zadie Smith's latest, Swing Time in the last few days, and keep starting and putting off others. I'm completely disregarding reading plans right now and just going whichever way my mood takes me.

But here's what I really wanted to mention for now:
Whether you've tried and liked audiobooks or not so far, Audible is offering Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man until the end of the year. You don't even have to give your credit card number, as I understand it. Just go to the following link: https://www.audible.com/mt/ellison2?source_code=AUDOREM1121169IYP

I'm especially happy about this promo as I've been wanting to get that audio version for quite a while.

>129 lunacat: Jenny, it was a lovely surprise to hear from you! All I can say is that if he wanted to make it clear he had no intention of ever speaking to me again, Pierre found the most effective way of making me lose any will at all to stay in touch with him when he acted so meanly toward Charley. I'm like you, and always wanting to make friends with any dogs or cats or living critter I happen to see on the streets. P was never a big animal person to begin with, so for all I know maybe he was just being nice to my pets to make a good impression on me. Seems doubtful, but who knows. I thought we had a good friendship going, but he obviously disagreed. I miss the daily interaction, but after that incident, I don't miss P even one little bit.

I'm the same as you right now when it comes to reading. Concentration is really hard to come by and there are too many distractions, so audiobooks are the only reading I'm doing lately. I'm sure it's a temporary thing as I have so many great physical books I'm really looking forward to as well.

>130 jessibud2: Thanks for the link Shelley. I'll go listen to it soon. I only read one Zadie Smith book so far, which was On Beauty around the time it was first released. I finished it, but can't say I was especially transported by it. Other than finding her a really good writer, there was no connection for me. I've had White Teeth among my piles for a long while, but keep putting it off because of my first experience with Smith's writing. I'm sure her latest book will appeal to many writers, but I was finding it tedious more than anything. There is a possibility that she simply doesn't speak to me. I will give WT a chance though before making up my mind about that. Eventually.

>131 PaulCranswick: Thanks for your comments Paul. You are of course right that I had some wonderful times with Pierre, and just hanging out together without doing anything special was plenty rewarding. I'm still reeling from the results of the election and its aftermath, and the timing of the incident with Charley, on Nov 9th when I was in something similar to deep mourning made it really get out of all proportion in my mind, so must admit I have been feeling bitter towards him, but you are right, soon enough I'll let that all go and remember him fondly. That being said, I'm glad I stood my ground. I simply refuse to be talked down to and am proud of myself for taking that stand. It'll serve me well going forward if/when I meet anyone else. Maybe I'll put chances on my side and consider dating a woman... would take away the issue of mansplaining at least! I'm not really joking, either!

>132 Cariola: I'll have a look at that Deborah, thanks for sharing. I know you won't see this reply for a while, what with your Thanksgiving activities, hope you enjoy your time with your daughter!

>133 PaulCranswick: Paul, I had a massage on Saturday evening, 90 minutes, with her concentrating on my head and shoulder and face mostly, and am still feeling the benefits of it now two days later. You could say that pretty well made my weekend. :-)

>134 souloftherose: Hi Heather! I'm not doing so well as far as staying away from social media. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact it's so much become part of my life (posting photos, for example), but mostly because P and I are no longer talking, and that was something I had grown accustomed to on a daily basis. I feel the need to reach out to the world, but trying to find balance with it all. It isn't easy, but I'm trying!

In some ways, at least that incident with Charley means that you can move forward with no regrets, and draw a line under him. It's always hard when relationships end, whether friendships or others, but it seems as if it will be a simpler process, given his hostility.

Before I forget, I should thank you for a tip I saw on your thread about audiobooks. I've begun listening to my latest one in 1.25 speed and found it an even more enjoyable experience. Sometimes I get frustrated with the reading speed generally, but it hadn't even occurred to me to speed it up. It's closer to my natural word reading speed (though nowhere near as quick) which makes the whole experience step up a notch and stop my mind wandering off and missing parts of the book. I have been known to vanish in to my own thoughts and miss large chunks, and I'm hopeful this will reduce those instances.

Alas, the Invisible Man offer only appears to be available on .com, not co.uk. Oh well, there are plenty of other books to read. Hope you are well.

>137 lunacat: at least that incident with Charley means that you can move forward with no regrets, and draw a line under him.

That's very well put Jenny, and I completely agree. I guess he did us a favour in retrospect, although it sure didn't feel like it at the time.

Glad you're enjoying your audiobook experience more with the 1.25 speed option. I only found out about fairly recently, in the last two-three years or so. I don't know whether it was available for much longer before that, because I seem to recall only half or double speed being available, which really wasn't much use to me. I read about it on Mamie's thread one day and been using it ever since. The national library here has various partners to bring audiobooks to their members, one of which is called OneClickDigital, which offers Recorded Books editions. I've been pestering them for the last couple of years at least to make different listening speeds available, but they aren't quick to respond. Presumably they don't care much about library patrons. I'm really annoyed about this because they have a great catalogue of books on offer, but I can't be bothered most of the time. Some books are ok to listen to on the default setting, because the narrators have a quick delivery, but on the whole I've concluded most audiobooks are actually slowed down, maybe because most people find it easier to follow the text that way? Like you, I find 1.25, and sometimes 1.5 more closely resembles my eye reading speed, any faster and the speech is really unnatural, though I have been known to speed up to double-time with audiobooks I wasn't enjoying much and just wanted to get through!

Sorry about my Invisible Man comment earlier. I didn't think to mention it was only available on the .com site. That's really too bad. I can't resist a free audiobook, especially when it happens to have been on my wishlist for a long time! When I'll actually listen to it is another story though! :-)

I picked up Black Roses by Jane Thynne last night, the first book in the Clara Vine series, which Suzanne had highly recommended a couple of years ago. I had purchased a used paperback copy, but just borrowed the audiobook newly released at the library. It's set in 1930s Berlin, with the political and social situation we all know about. I had never read a book set during or leading up to the holocaust and feared there were too many parallels with our own times until these Trumpian times, when fascism seems to have become mainstream again. Truly terrifying. But aside from that, it's a really good entertainment, a well written spy mystery, and slightly chit-litty, with descriptions of clothing and so on, but I'm in the mood for a good entertainment right now.

>135 Smiler69:. I just downloaded it! Thanks so much for letting us know about this. I'm sorry that Charlie was treated so poorly, that was just wrong. Hope you're feeling better.

>136 Smiler69: Thank you for sharing that Ilana; you can rest assured on the support and affection of your friends wherever your future affairs of the heart lead you to.

>140 Dianekeenoy: Great, glad I helped you find that free audiobook. That's one to look forward to. Charley is doing beautifully. I often play with him throughout the day when I think he's getting too bored, and he's wonderful at entertaining his own self with his toys. If he's unhappy because he's missing Pierre, I haven't really seen any signs of it. I'm just sorry someone I thought was a good friend decided to end things so shoddily, but that's life. And I know I'm better off as I am.

>141 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul. I don't foresee any activity on the romance front for a good while, considering I very rarely stray away further than a block or three from home... and also the fact that I've never been keen to put myself out there after a breakup.

***



Finished listening to Black Roses by Jane Thynne today and really enjoyed it. One always feels a bit badly about using the word 'enjoy' when it comes to a book with a topic like the rise of Nazism, but there you have it. Clara Vine is a 20-something from an important English family, who decides to strke it out on her own in Berlin, in 1933, when fascism is everywhere and a beautiful woman has difficulty escaping from the claws of powerful men in the higher echelons of the Nazi party. She becomes acquainted with Magda Goebels, wife of the Reich's minister of propaganda, who takes Clara in her confidence and reveals startling secrets. A very well paced story with interesting characters. A touch of romance isn't out of place and the atmosphere really takes you back to the 30s with many vivid descriptions, which make one wonder how long it'll take Hollywood to get its hands on this on. Will definitely follow up with the rest of the series. ★★★★½

✔ Shop Cats of New York by Tamar Arslanian ★★★★★

The perfect book to curl up with on a dark wintery afternoon. I 'met' the author Tamar Arslanian via her blog I Have Cat many years ago and have kept up with her on Facebook ever since too. She is the perfect person to have created a book about cats: her love of felines transpires on every page, with her texts accompanying most of the cats shown, and wonderful photographs of the cats by Andrew Marttila in their usual daily surroundings, which really lets each cats personality shine through. An absolute must for cat lovers. A perfect gift to give to someone special or to yourself!

I breezed through Shop Cats of New York right before my daughter got here for the holiday (since it was a gift for her). I know she will love it, too, and maybe she can visit some of those cats when she goes to her dad's next summer.

>144 Cariola: Deborah, I took in Shop Cats of New York in two sittings, and as I'm feeling rather blue lately and having difficulty getting myself to sit down with an actual book filled with text, it came as a very timely balm to soothe the soul, away from the unbearable current news. I simply adore that book. Wish I could give it ten stars. My only caveat is that I wish the paper were more substantial, which was of course a budgetary consideration on the part of the publisher. It seems it's already going into its second reprint and is often sold out on Amazond. It's gotten loads of great press (a big mention in The New York Times among others can't hurt things). I felt as I was reading it and looking at those gorgeous photographs that it was a true labour of love; as I've been following Tamar on FB all these years, I know it comes from a very true place and from someone who has a deep and abiding love of animals, and felines especially. This book has everything to please cat lovers... with the added bonus of a visit around some New York City stops you might not have found on your own while on a three-day visit... Something tells me the 40-odd cats profiled in this book can expect bigger fan clubs than ever!

I finished two books between last night and this evening:



202. ♫ Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin, which had been often highly recommended and on the tbr for a very long time, and which I finally cracked and purchased in audio format, since I'm doing no book reading at all, or hardly these days. I wish I had the head to write a proper review about it, but as it is I think I'm only capable of taking down a few notes. I liked that it's taking place in 1171, since this is a period I've read about a little with the Brother Cadfael novels. Also, the fact that I've got quite a bit more reading on the shelves on the 12th century to delve into, it makes this period an even more interesting area of study. Ariana Franklin obviously devoted a big effort to researching this period thoroughly and deeply so that she brings you into that world completely, depicting clearly the unchanging human nature, as it would have realistically occurred in that particular time and place. The female protagonist is an interesting study in the independent woman as expressed here by a woman schooled in medicine by her foster parents, who has chosen forensic science as her field of speciality at a time when doctors weren't yet called doctors and the church prohibited giving relief to the sick because pain was a challenge given by the almighty god. I gave this one four stars, and really liked the book, but didn't at all enjoy it it, because the main thread of the story consists in finding a child killer who takes special pleasure in prolonging the suffering of his victims. But the background on the treatment of Jews by the populace and by king Henry II was of great interest to me, as was the description of the lives of Crusaders returned from their travels and conquests, and the stories they have to tell. I've already acquired the second book in this four-book series. Of course I guess we'll never know how many more books there would have been had Franklin lived longer... ★★★★



203. ♫ Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff ★★.5

I know this book has many fans (Peggy being among them), but I'm sorry to say I just found it boring. I had to listen to it in bits and pieces because otherwise I stopped paying attention. Too much about Roman politics and not enough about the woman herself, though as I understand it, there's not much to go on as far as any factual information, as no document at all remains from her living memory. I guess fiction will serve me better? One anecdote I especially appreciated was in referring to a king and his family who had been captured (the details are already lost to me on who and where and so on). In deference to their status, Schiff says, their captors gave them chains of gold to be carried in. Nice touch.

***

So sometime in the last week, I somehow passed the 200-book mark. Amazing considering how drastically my reading has slowed down. Not come quite to a screeching halt thanks to audiobooks, but nearly in every other way. At this rate, I might even beat my 2015 total of 206 books...

>202 EBT1002: I discovered Diana Norman--who is Ariana Franklin, along with her daughter--about a year ago. I'm not much of a mystery fan, but I really enjoyed several of her historical novels. My favorite so far is The Vizard Mask; don't think it's available on audio, however. It's set during the reign of Charles II. I also enjoyed the first in her Makepeace Hedley series, A Catch of Consequence; this series is set in America and France in the late 18th century. Blood Royal is a book about the Jacobite plots in 18th century.

Ok, I'm totally guilty of neglecting LT because I'm on FB all the time. Not cool. I'll need to try to find a better balance again in 2017, because I'm also not doing any eye-reading at all beyond news articles. Anyway, this is what I posted on FB this evening, which I should really have posted here first, but here it is:



His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet: picked it up last night after my friend Deborah (@Cariola) strongly hinted I should make it my next listen. Glad I followed her advice and picked up this novel, which also happened to get picked by the Booker Prize judges on their shortlist this year. Based on a true manuscript from 1869 written by a 17-year old Scottish ancestor of the author, explaining what led him to brutally murder three members of his village. A fascinating read, and if you have a taste for historical fiction, this is among the best.

>147 Cariola: Deborah, whatever name any one of her books has been published under, I'll be reading more Diana Norman aka Ariana Franklin more in near future (starting with The Serpent's Tale), which I spent an audible credit on recently.

Thanks Ilana and Deborah for the good word on His Bloody Project. I bought it about a month ago but haven't gotten to it yet. Now I know that there is something good awaiting me.

Hey Ilana! After a notable hiatus I am trying to catch up on LT. Again. I'm finding myself reading more news things than usual, trying to stay abreast of the latest and the worst news from our capital. Sigh. I will probably stick my head back in the sand eventually, although I honestly believe that is the worst thing I/we can do. I just finished reading a lovely journal, Maman, What Are We Called Now?, published by Persephone Books (out of London -- do you know these books? -- as a connoisseur of the physical book as an objet d'art, I think you would love them), written by a Frenchwoman during the last few months of the Nazi occupation of France. Gorgeous physical book and moving content -- and a reminder that we need to stay conscious and active. Sigh.

I had His Bloody Project from the library for a few days and I couldn't get to it before it was due back. I think it's one I'll purchase when it comes out in paperback (just don't tell P). Actually, I think P read it when I had it checked out....

Oh glad to hear this, Ilana. Our daughter and I both thought His Bloody Project was really good.

>149 catarina1: Ada, I always love it when I see people in this group praising a book I already have. Too MUCH praise though, and I start feeling nervous that I'll be the odd man out and not enjoy it as much as the others. Be advised that the parts of the book where they describe the murder scene are very rough indeed. But I found the setting and description of the crofters lives in 19th century Scotland quite fascinating, especially as described by someone who actually lived through it.

>150 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! My activity on LT has pretty well been restricted to entering my new book purchases and occasionally updating my own thread, so I'm completely out of the loop. Will try to do better in 2017. It looks like we've many of us been sucked into the vortex of current news. I used to scrupulously avoid the news and was much better for it, not to mention I got lots more reading done. I know what you mean about wanting to stick your head in the sand... that is a particularly effective strategy of mine, and I'm thinking that other than signing petitions and giving to some organizations I believe in, that is probably the best strategy for me in these times, because just seeing the man's name in the headlines all the time makes my blood boil... and that is BEFORE I've even read the news items!

I'm glad to see you mention Persephone books, and will definitely add Maman, What Are We Called Now? to my long Persephone wishlist. I have a few books by them, and you're perfectly right that I find them to be beautiful objects, aside from containing high quality literature. I must say your description of me as a 'connoisseur of the physical book as an objet d'art' has me purring like a contented cat. I'm less enamoured of the fact that we are all drawn to stories from WWII and the times leading up to it... because it seems to resonate so much with our current situation. Let's just hope the parallels remain in our minds and don't manifest in reality.

I'm not sure how or why it is I hand't taken notice of His Bloody Project on the Booker Shortlist, but I'm glad Deborah insisted I would enjoy this one, because it is indeed very good. The way it describes the incredible struggles the tenant farmers had to go through is extremely vivid and young Roderick Mcrae wrote his account like a true novelist, to the extent that I found myself wondering why he hadn't received the posthumous Booker nomination instead of his descendant!

>151 jnwelch: Hi Joe. It's become a 'thing' somehow that whenever I listen to an audiobook (which is everyday) and I set out to have my dinner while listen (which is also a daily occurrence as I dine alone), whatever gruesome scenes occur in the book seem to align with that particular listening session, so that I find myself having to interrupt the narrative and switch audiobooks to something more benign, or risk losing my appetite altogether. My favourite part of that book was definitely Roddys narrative. As a lover of historical fiction, I found it to be a fascinating document, but again, it made me wonder how come the author had been nominated considering he basically arranged pre-existing texts for his book... what are your thoughts on that?

>152 Smiler69: - Haha, Ilana. Ellen led me to Persephone and this morning, I succumbed. I bought that Maman book! Can't wait for it to arrive!

I have His Bloody Project wishlisted, Ilana, but don't feel bad or nervous about it. If I don't like it (which I expect is unlikely) then it's on Paul's head, cuz that's where I first found it!

>150 EBT1002: I don't have any useful thoughts about pre-existing texts and His Bloody Project. At this point I haven't read anything by a knowledgeable someone commenting on that.

What I can say is he did a wonderful job pulling the story together the way he did. I don't know about you, but I keep going back to each link in the chain of events starting with their mother's death, which changed everything. Finding out what our somewhat unreliable narrator left out of his version lent to the book's electrical charge for me.

Skimming again, Ilana, and glad that you have stuff to skim here! I am more grateful than I can say for this safe place in our increasingly unsafe world. You're a great part of it!
Sorry that you didn't love *Cleopatra*. I've read at least a couple of the Jane Thynnes and am waiting to get the first couple - don't know why I've quit them. Maybe I'm reading the St. Cyr mysteries instead, but I haven't even done that this month.
I'm still living mostly at my mother's, so my LT time is very limited.
Anyway, love to you and Charley! Keep drawing! Keep reading!

Dear Ilana, any plans for Canadian Author Challenge in 2017?

Hi, Ilana! I thought I would pop in. It has been awhile. Hope you are doing well. Glad you had a good time, with His Bloody Project. I also thought iwas very well done.

On the CAC front, I listened to The Cat's Table and was not very impressed. I liked the first half but did not get into the remainder. I am loving Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories. Munro Rocks! And I am pleasantly surprised how well this collection works on audio.

I think I did well on the CAC for '16, missing only one month.

It is fairly quiet here Ilana. Hope you are doing fine my dear and will update us soon.

Hi hi! Sorry I haven't been giving sings of life. I slept most of the day today, think I'm possibly coming down with a cold. Just finished listening to Montalbano's First Case, a collection of short stories I was listening to on and off for a while.

>153 jessibud2: Shelley, I love Persephone Books, but to try to reign in my book purchases, I made a deal with myself that I must read at least two more of their books before I buy more from them.

>154 Fourpawz2: I can tell you Charlotte that I particularly enjoyed the manuscript portion of the novel, which describes the living conditions of tenant farmers and the abuses they could be subjected to. Not a light book by a longshot, but a very interesting one.

>155 jnwelch: Joe, perhaps it isn't the case with the print version of the book, but the audiobook contained a foreword by the author, who explains what documents he based himself on to write the novel.

>156 LizzieD: Peggy, I feel honoured that you consider me part of your 'safety net'. I know just what you mean of course. I haven't resumed book reading yet, and look forward to settling back into that particular routine. Must stop reading the latest news on my phone before going to sleep, it's really a terrible habit and doesn't set me up for restful sleep obviously. Thank you so much for taking the time to post! I must go over and see what is up with you. Hope your mother is as well as can be.

>157 PaulCranswick: Paul, I've completely bungled the Canadian Author Challenge and totally neglected it these last two months. Nobody seems to have taken notice much. I'll be more than happy to pass on the reins to someone else if they want to take it over, because I'm obviously unsuited to run anything.

>158 msf59: Mark, it's safe to say you did much better than I did on the CAC. I'm thinking of shifting gears in 2017 and not planning any of my reading at all... also will try to read less total number of books but concentrating on more lengthy books. We'll see how that plays out since I've been terribly attached to all my lists in the last several years. I've yet to pick up Munro. I've only read one of her story collections many years ago and am much overdue. Right now, I'm feeling the desire to plunge into a Dickens novel.

>159 PaulCranswick: Paul, part of the reason I'm not giving much news is I'm feeling rather ashamed for having dropped out of the group lately as I haven't kept up with anyone in quite some time. Also my shameful abandonment of the CAC, for which there is no good excuse AND abandonment of a tutored read of Emma as well. I'm sure nobody is quite bothered by these things as much as I am, but so it goes.

>160 Smiler69: Au contraire, Ilana. I don't see any abandonment shameful, shameless or otherwise. Real life and its difficulties, exasperations, unhappinesses and pain tend to intrude upon many of us at different times and in different ways. It is the responsibility of friends to understand, comfort and help where they can. You will always be an integral part of the group for me and one of the reasons why I carried on here a couple of years ago when I was in my own very dark place.

If you don't carry on with the CAC, my dear, we will understand but if you do it again I for one will try to join in as much as my plodding reading resources allow. xx

I was forgetting to post my latest completed drawing! This is Metro Series #13: You, Dude!

>160 Smiler69: Great to see you posting again Ilana. As Paul says, don't worry too much about the CAC and maybe offer it out to everyone or just set up one thread at the start of the year.
I'm planning a much less intense ANZAC challenge next year as there are very few takers anyway, so I'm setting it up as a bingo challenge, one to clear our tbr piles rather than concentrating on particular writers.

@vancouverdeb posted a top 100 Canadian books on Charlotte's thread and I feel rather mortified that I have only read 5 or 6 of them. I did look out The Salterton trilogy the other day so I might get it read in a year or so.

Charley wearing a sweater knit by my very talented auntie. She had to do it over twice to get the fit just right! When she asked me what colour I'd like, I said 'a blue that reminds you of the ocean'.

>163 avatiakh: Hi Kerry, thank you for dropping by and for your comments. I really do feel very badly about having dropped two commitments I was getting so much out of, but I have to say one of the less desirable side-effects of medical maryjane is it unfortunately makes me more scattered than ever. Also, unwilling to follow any script at all. I think I've been going through a minor depression for the last few months, as I always seem to be in a 'resting' or 'recuperation' mode. But the most important and good thing is that my days are filled with lots and lots of small joys, not least of those being the great love I share with the little ones in my care. They make my apartment a real home where it's always nice to be.

eta: I'll have to look for that list of top 100 Canadian books!

>163 avatiakh: I haven't seen Deb's post either and will go and have a gander.

I think you missed my post >161 PaulCranswick: in posting your own Ilana. Take care. xx

>166 PaulCranswick: Oh dear you're right Paul, I completely missed it! Off to read it now! xx

Here's the direct link - http://www.cbc.ca/books/books100.html
I was also woefully unread in the 100 children's books too, though I do try to read Canadian YA etc, they just didn't make the 100 list.

>161 PaulCranswick: Thank you so much for your words Paul, they feel like balm to the soul right now.

As for the CAC, I think I enjoyed the planning part more than anything, but actually running the thing and keeping it going on a monthly and weekly basis somehow wasn't getting done. I've never been a terribly good manager, even when I was being paid lots of good money to be one. The secret lies in delegating, which is something I did as a magazine art director, but didn't think to apply to LT... or indeed, to life in general. Something to think about. Thank you for being such a dear and supportive friend throughout the years. xox

>163 avatiakh: I did slightly better, Kerry, but not fantastically either. I have read 11 of them but have a further 21 on the shelves.

>169 Smiler69: You plan it and I'll administer it for you, if you like. One benefit of an inability to sleep is that I am able to post more than most.

>170 PaulCranswick: That sounds awesome! All the more so because you're such a wonderful host and you've bound to create lively discussions. I've often in my life wished I was the kind of person who could get by on five hours of sleep or less, instead of which I sleep an average of twelve to fourteen hours a day lately... sleep is always my trusted form of healing, and I seem to be needing a lot of that lately. Just managing my own moods and behaviour is a full-time job, I assure you!

Ok. So now I'm all psyched to start up a new list of Authors for the 2017CAC!

We already had loads of great suggestions last year—enough for three or four editions of the challenge!—, so I'm happy to suggest a basic list from my notes and let possible participants make suggestions we can incorporate into it.

>172 Smiler69: Caring is sharing and vice versa.

>172 Smiler69: I'll go announce it on the CAC thread, Paul. You're the best! :-)

eta: Oops! Just saw you wrote something over there. Going to read now!

>164 Smiler69: - Oh my goodness, how adorable is that? Does he do ok with the boots? When I had a dog (growing up) and we put boots on him the first time, he stood stock still, then, very carefully, lifted one foot at a time out of each boot and walked away, leaving 4 boots behind him. We nearly died laughing. Charley looks so fashionable! And what a gorgeous colour!

>168 avatiakh: - Thanks for posting the link. I had seen it before but had forgotten. At a quick glance, I have read 11, but have an additional 23 of them waiting to be read on my shelves. Have also started but never finished 8 of them

Wow, was I ever out of it yesterday! I completely missed Kerry's post with the link and Paul's reaction to it! I've been out in left field pretty much the whole week... Off to investigate.

>175 jessibud2: I really love that colour too. He has three sweaters from her, one is beige and belonged to Coco initially, and the other is a medium grey and somehow doesn't really shine on Charley's colouring. That story about your dog and his boots is pretty funny. Charley didn't like the feel of the boots the first couple of times, but he got used to them. The yellow ones on the pic are exactly like little latex balloons. They're really handy, only he tends to tear them with his claws. I have proper booties that cost a fortune so that your heart pinches a little whenever doggie loses one or two along the way, and walks with those booties are a constant back and forth to find booties again...

>162 Smiler69: Great!

>164 Smiler69: :-)

Just got back from an appointment with my shrink a little while ago. We're upping my antidepressant dosage, because I seem to have fallen into more of a depression than I realized in the last couple of months. This is now apparent because I've been crying for no reason at all and often for the past few days, which is usually a sign of all not being well. There's that, and the fact I've been sleeping 12 hours or more a day and still longing to crawl back in bed the rest of the time, just because I don't want to deal. The world is a very harsh place, and I'm helpless to do anything but sign petitions and pray for the best. I need to get back to my books. Burying my head in the sand might be of clinical necessity. That and my artwork of course.

>179 Smiler69: I would say that oftentimes a book is an anti-depressant - depending upon the author of course!

Take care. xx

>180 PaulCranswick: You're right of course Paul, though as you say, I have to pick my books carefully in times like these. I've currently got The Nix going (bloody touchstones!) and enjoying it more than I would have thought.

{{Ilana}} Priority number one is to take care of YOU, whatever it takes.

If you are looking for light (or wickedly funny) reading, have you tried Bill Richardson? His poetry calls to be read out loud. See if you can find Canada Customs or Queen of All the Dustballs. He is very clever and witty and hilarious He also writes prose, such as The Bachelor Brothers Bed & Breakfast....

>146 Smiler69: 'I wish I had the head to write a proper review about it'

Well, even your 'not-proper' review has left me eager to pick this one up especially as it has been languishing on my shelf for some time now.

>148 Smiler69: I think His Bloody Project is one of the few on this year's Booker list that appealed to me. Glad to hear you enjoyed it and I will try to look out for it next year.

>162 Smiler69: Very nice! Am I right in thinking you said you'd used a different drawing technique on this one?

>164 Smiler69: Lovely to see another picture of Charley too.

>179 Smiler69: So sorry to hear you have been feeling more depressed. I hope the increase in anti-depressants helps. Also echoing >180 PaulCranswick: and >182 jessibud2: re taking care of yourself. I feel like I've spent most of 2016 comfort reading - if that's what you need to do now then

>162 Smiler69: Your metro series drawing amazes.
>164 Smiler69: Love the photo of Charley. What a dreamboat!

>182 jessibud2: Shellley, taking care of myself is pretty the full time job I get paid for. Not to bad eh? Feeling lighter today, though still stayed in bed did almost four in the afternoon... I'll look for Bill Richardson, who must be at the library. Goodness knows I'm not lacking for reading options! :-)

>183 souloftherose: Heather, these days I write so few reviews that even taking down notes is better than nothing. I'm the one who loses out by not writing those reviews, because I really enjoy reading them when a bit of times has passed.

You're right about me having used a different technique for the latest Metro drawing. Normally I use a hatching motif throughout, which is apparent when you see the piece in person. This time I used smudging tools to help blur the edges and create that slightly unfocused look, and it also helped with the actual motion details I've put in here and there. My cousin who is also an artist informed me I was using a technique called 'sfumato' which dates back to the Renaissance. This, from wikipedia: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) became the most prominent practitioner of sfumato - his famous painting of the Mona Lisa exhibits the technique. Leonardo da Vinci described sfumato as "without lines or borders, in the manner of smoke or beyond the focus plane".

The drawing took me about half the time to complete in terms of actual hours, but just as long to make in weeks and days because every half hour of work required such effort, mostly to figure out how to render all the details when they're out of focus without my eyes bugging out. It was an interesting challenge, and one I'll use again I have other great candid photos for that series that ended up blurry yet interesting. And then there is often one element in the picture that is blurred, as was the case of the little boy's leg and the one in the foreground in 'Mr. Abercrombie', shown below:



I plan to basically have only comfort reading next year, in the sense that I will mostly pick my reads depending on my mood rather than coming up with book lists, as I have done for quite a few years now. Something different is needed in these new and strange times of our. The Trumpian period has barely just gotten started and I know I'll want to keep digging my head further in the sand as time progresses.

>184 mdoris: Thank you Mary! Your comment inspired me to take a pic of him just a short while ago:

Hey - I'm making some more rounds to let folks know the 2017 group is up. Stop by!

http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2017

>187 drneutron: Aha! I was just telling myself, at right around the moment you posted the above that I should check to see whether the new group was up. Thanks so much for dropping by Jim, much appreciated!

'Morning, Ilana. I hope this finds you well in that northern city of yours.

I was going to say just about the same thing that Mary said above: your metro series is stunning and one of my faves. And, of course, pics of Charley are always appreciated! I think your very talented auntie chose an excellent ocean-reminiscent blue for him.

Your discussion about His Bloody Project simply confirm my anxiousness for my turn to come up in the library queue!

Take good care, my friend.

Ilana, Happy Hanukkah! I want to wish you a peaceful and pain-free holiday! All my best wishes to you!

Wouldn't it be nice if 2017 was a year of peace and goodwill.
A year where people set aside their religious and racial differences.
A year where intolerance is given short shrift.
A year where hatred is replaced by, at the very least, respect.
A year where those in need are not looked upon as a burden but as a blessing.
A year where the commonality of man and woman rises up against those who would seek to subvert and divide.
A year without bombs, or shootings, or beheadings, or rape, or abuse, or spite.

2017.

Festive Greetings and a few wishes from Malaysia!

Happy Christmas Ilana. Have a great 2016!

Best wishes, Ilana!

Peace on Earth and Happy Holidays!

Hi Ilana, hope you have a lovely Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah, Ilana! Give Charley and the cats a hug from me.

I wish you and the furkids a healthy and happy 2017

Best wishes everyone, and be Merry whenever you can!

Lovely Christmas dinner at my cousin Andreanne's with auntie and a friend. It wasn't at all a foregone conclusion that I would make it, because I've been in severe pain the last few days, with migraines I might take myself to the ER for so they could plug me up to a drip of some sort and help me feel like a person again, if I hadn't tried everything already to no avail. That being said, I'm better right now, and I get the feeling the medical maryjane is probably helping a lot. Tears started pouring out of my eyes when I had a panic attack at the mall on Friday, and I've been crying ever since, with some blessed breaks throughout the day. I have to have a very serious talk with my mum about some of the reasons I've been unable to communicate with her with any ease for the last many years, and why I haven't visited her since 2003. I've had a strong sense for a long time that the migraine and the psychological pain are likely related to a certain degree, but unable to take whatever steps need to be taken. It's clear now I need to get over my fear of hurting her and being completely misunderstood and tell her what's been eating at me for far too long now.

I was extremely grateful to have an invitation to my cousin Andreanne's place. She's been a sort of neighbour for the last few years and will be moving to a new pad in May, so that was the last Christmas in her current beautiful apartment with a view. She prepared a delicious duck and foie gras pie, and while I took a resolution to no longer eat duck, lamb or octopus as of this year, I also decided I would make certain exceptions for just this kind of occasion. I got lovely homemade knit mittens from my aunt, who is literally a professional-level knitter. To see what Charley got, see below.

My cousin prepared a feast of sweets for the holidays, of which this is just a small sampling. There was lots of food to bring back home…



Charley got a bow tie! Isn't he dapper? Bella, one of my cousins two shih tsus looks on... admiringly?

Ilana, loved the Christmas pictures, delicous and adorable are my favourite descriptors and your pictures represent both!

Very sorry for your excruciating pain and the challenge that is ahead of you to get sorted out expressing things with your mom. You are no doubt quite right that it is be getting greatly in the way for some peace and ease of pain so the challenge may be well worth it. Fingers greatly crossed.

Take care......

Charley looks all set for a great New Year's Eve, Ilana. Such a handsome dude!

Glad you had a good time at your cousin's house. Hope that a talk with your mum will result in some relief for you. It will be great - difficult as it may be - if it helps some of (a lot of?) the pain you've been suffering from these past years to go away. Fingers crossed for you....

Charley in a bow tie..... adorable.

Ok, it's wayyyy too late, but I just finished putting this together (need to list all authors by alphabetical order still):

Favourites of 2016:

Fun Books
Shop Cats of New York by Tamar Arslanian ★★★★★
Heap House: Book One (The Iremonger Trilogy) by Edward Carey ★★★★★
Plumdog by Emma Chichester Clark
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Carry On, Jeeves P. G. Wodehouse

Drama
♫ Carmilla: a Vampyre Tale by Sheridan Le Fanu (Radio Drama) ★★★★★
♫ Cold Comfort Farm (Radio Drama) By Stella Gibbons
King Richard III by William Shakespeare

International Authors

Eldorado by Laurent Gaudé
Le grand cahier / The Notebook by Agota Kristof
Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezani
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

British Authors
Ordinary Thunderstorms by William Boyd
Julian Fellowes's Belgravia
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
The Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
The Narrow Corner by W. Somerset Maugham
Nutshell by Ian McEwan ★★★★★
The North Water by Ian McGuire
His Bloody Project by Graeme Mcrae Burnet
Good Evening, Mrs Craven by Mollie Panter-Downes
The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey (reread)
Black Roses by Jane Thynne
The Road Home by Rose Tremain
The Gustav Sonata by Rose Tremain
Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth

American Authors
Mr. Vertigo by Paul Auster (2nd reread)
The Nix: A Novel by Nathan Hill
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley
Work Like Any Other by Virginia Reeves

Non-Fiction
From The Holy Mountain William Dalrymple
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff
H is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
Venice by Jan Morris
The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowat

Canadian Authors
Sweetland by Michael Crummey
The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys ★★★★★
The Return / L'énigme du retour by Dany Laferrière
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat ★★★★★
The Bird Artist by Howard Norman ★★★★★
The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami

>203 Smiler69: I looked at the time post and thought, "Wow, she's up really early." Should have known!

I've read quite a few on your list. Glad to see five stars for The Frozen Thames and Nutshell.

Great list of faves, Ilana. I'm pleased to see Salt to the Sea on there. It was one of my favorites, too, but I don't think a quorum of folks got around to reading it. I also loved Sweetland and The North Water and The Frozen Thames. And Ahab's Wife!

What a year it has been.

I'm another fan of Salt to the Sea, Ilana. And The Frozen Thames! Thanks for highlighting Plumdog for us; sharing that with our daughter was a treat.

Oh! Plumdog! I even purchased that one and I may keep it forever!

I gave The Frozen Thames twice this Christmas as I think it's so wonderful. Glad to see it was a 5* read for you as well.

Thanks for visits and messages, friends. I'm ready to crash in bed very shortly, but wanted to share this, seen on FB today:

>209 Smiler69: Ha-ha-ha. "Indistinct mumbling about huge TBR piles and maybe next year"! I suppose that there are worse habits/crimes. At least, it keeps us off the streets. And the covers are so nice to look at.

>209 Smiler69: I liked that on your FB page and I like it here! :-)

Looking forward to your continued company in 2017.
Happy New Year, dear Ilana

>209 Smiler69: *snerk*

Best wishes for a wonderful 2017, Ilana.

Hi friends, thanks for dropping by and leaving comments and good wishes. I've yet to put in the furniture and decorations yet, but I've started my thread on the 2017 group here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/244951

Happy New Year, Ilana to you and your adorable pets!