Storeetllr's (Mary) Reading Life 2016Q4

Happy Holiday Season! (Yikes! Already?!? I don't know about you, but I feel like it's still summer, though the weather belies that. We've already had our first snow of the season! Still, time seems to be passing ever faster each year, and I feel like I have to run just to keep up.)

Books Read in October

101. Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. 4 stars. Audio. I mostly enjoyed this - especially the parts about Susan and Oliver - after I got used to the narrator, their grandson, who could be a bit much at times, right up until the end when something really shocking happened and it turned out to be a dream. Still, I'm glad I finally read this classic novel. Thanks, Joanne, for the reccie.

102. Alliance of Equals by Sharon Lee. 4 stars. One of the Liaden Universe scifi space opera novels. This one was one of my favorites, except no Val Con and Miri. :( Still, Shan shows his stuff, Padi shows what she's actually made of, the Tree meddles some more, and Theo's little escapade with Admiral Bunter ends up resulting in some pretty serious consequences.

103. Who Buries the Dead by C.S. Harris. 3 stars. Audio. A Sebastian St. Cyr historical mystery. I'm not sure why, but it took me FOREVER to get into this story, and I never really warmed to it. It seemed dry, a lot of talking, characters I couldn't like, even the relationship between St. Cyr and Hero seemed boring. I persevered because I have enjoyed the series and plan to read the next, but this one was not my favorite.

104. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. 5 stars. Audio. Relisten. Just felt the need for a comfort read, and being close to Halloween, this seemed like a good one. And it didn't disappoint, except I didn't want it to end.

105. Chains of Folly by Roberta Gellis. 3.75 stars. Audio. Historical mystery in the Magdalene La Batard series set during the war between Stephen and Maud.

106. The Madness of Angels: The Resurrection of Matthew Swift by Kate Griffin. 4.75 stars. First in the Blue Electric Angels series. I liked it even better the second time around.

107. Wild Embrace by Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars. Audio. Short stories in the Psi/Changling world.

108. Proto Zoa Lois McMaster Bujold. Audio. 3.5 stars. Five short stories/novelettes.

Books Read in November

109. Adulthood Rites by Octavia Butler. 4 stars. Second in the Exogenesis Trilogy.

110. The Detective's Daughter by Lesley Thomson. 3.5 stars. Audio. So disjointed I kept getting lost and almost gave up. Not sure what the author was hoping to achieve with the sudden scene changes, back-and-forth in time, and stream-of-consciousness thoughts of various characters at random moments, but it didn't make for an easy book to read, especially as an audiobook.

111. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. 4 stars. Audio. Tavia Gilbert, Reader. First in Night Huntress series. Saved my sanity after the horror of the election. Cat (a half-vamp) and Bones (a vampire bounty hunter) meet and part. There were a few sex scenes, which are not my favorite things, but these weren't as bad as some. There was some snarky humor that sometimes had me LOLing, and some of what I took to be fond nods to earlier fangfic (Bones reminded me of Spike with just a bit of Lestat tossed in, tho Cat did not remind me of Buffy). I adored Bones' cockney accent, though Tavia made his voice a bit too high and even squeaky sometimes. Still, ever after, I will hear that voice in my mind whenever I read (or reread) any of these books in print.

112. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. 3.5 stars. Audio. Second in series. Cat and Bones get back together after 4 years when Cat works as an agent of a secret branch of Homeland Security that polices supernaturals. A little slow in places but still fun, esp. the ending.
113. At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost. 3.75 stars. Audio. Third in series. Cat finally meets her dad. And Drac.
114. Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost. 3.5 stars. Audio. Fourth in series. Paris and Gregor.
115. This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. 3.75 stars. Audio. Fifth in series. >Apollyon and the ghouls.
116. One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost. 3.5 stars. Audio. Sixth in series. Ghostly witch hunter.
117. Up from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. 3.5 stars. Audio. Seventh in series. Katie, the genetically altered hybrid.
118. First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost. 3.75 stars. Story of Spade and Denise.
119. Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost. 4 stars. Audio. Story of Mencheres and Kira. I really liked Kira, a no-nonsense private eye in Chicago.
120. Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost. 3.5 stars. Audio. First in Night Prince series. The story of Vlad and Leila. Can't really understand what he sees in her.
121. Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost. 3 stars. Audio. Second in series. Still can't see what Vlad sees in Leila.
122. Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost. 3 stars. Audio. Third in the Vlad series spinoff. Leila became a bit more likeable, tho why Vlad lost his shit over her still escapes me.I really liked Vlad in the Cat and Bones series - his stiff manners that belied his dry humor and underlying decency was almost completely gone in this seemingly neverending series of anger, torture, violence and revenge.
123. Outtakes from the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. 3 stars. Audio. Not a fan of short stories, and even less a fan of "outtakes" that consist mostly of excised sex scenes, but I am glad I read this. It was interesting to me as a writer what was taken out, and why.

124. Ghost Girl by Lesley Thompson. 3.75 stars. Still confusing, the way it goes back and forth in time and story, and at times the main protagonist still made me want to slap her, but it's better than the first in some ways and I like the way the story and characters are being developed. And I really like the way the relationship between Stella and Jack is developing.

125. Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh. 3.5. Audio. Book 5 in the Psi/Changling fantasy romance series. Ashaya Aleine and Dorian.

126. Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh. 3.5. Audio. Book 6 in the Psi/Changling fantasy romance series. Mercy and Riley.

127. Wild Invitationby Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars. Audio. Four novellas in the Psi/Changling series.

Books Read in December

128. The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle. 4 stars. Audio. Novella. Sorcery and skullduggery in Jazz Age NYC, from Harlem to Flatbush and beyond. Weird Lovecraftian fiction at its best. Note: If you're made uncomfortable by historical descriptions of racism, get over it, because you need to read this.

129. Bonds of Justice by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. Max, the human cop, and Sophia, the "J" (for "Justice") psi.
130. Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. Judd Loren, the rebel Psi Arrow, and Brenna, wolf changling of the SnowDancer pack rescued from the clutches of Santano Enrique, member of the Psi Council and psychopathic serial killer. (Reread)
131. Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. Clay, sentinel of the Dark River pack, and Talin, a human, search for an abducted boy.
132. Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh. 4 stars. Audio. My favorite Psi-Changling book, starring Kaleb Krichek and Sahara Nightstar.
133. Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars Audio. Collection of three novellas: "Beat of Temptation" about Nathan, DarkRiver sentinal, and Tamsyn, their healer; "Stroke of Enticement" about Annie, a human teacher, and Zach, a leopard changling; and "Declaration of Courtship" about Grace a submissive wolf in the SnowDancer pack, and Cooper, a SnowDancer lieutenant.
134. Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. Riaz, a lone wolf who met his mate and found her already taken by another man, and Adria, a maternal dominant wolf whose past choices have left her with trust issues.
135. Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars. Audio. Arrows Adin and Zaira.
136. Play of Passion by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. Wolves Indigo and Drew.

137. Skinwalker by Faith Hunter. 4 stars. Great start to the Jane Yellowrock series. Yeah, there were a few things that made me go "huh?" - particularly concerning the nature of the vamps and Jane's own nature - but overall a good story with interesting characters/worldbuilding. Can't wait to continue the series.

138. Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. The highly melodramatic story of Ekaterina (Katya) Haas, Ashaya's colleague, and Devraj Santos, head of Shine.

139. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White. 4.5 stars. Short (about 200 pages long) but packed with helpful advice that someone like me really needed to hear. I'm one of those folks who just don't see the clutter unless I'm looking for it when, for instance, I know someone's coming over. I'm also one of those folks who start decluttering a room, only to end up with piles of clutter all over the place because I ran out of time or got distracted and never got back to it, and then the piles all morph into one huge pile and I end up stuffing it all back into a closet or bin so I can at least walk through the room. Humorous, easy-reading, non-stressful. I recommend it to anyone who, like me, has tried other how-to declutter/how-to organize methods (which, as Dana White says, are usually written by organized people who don't think the same as clutterbugs). (Reccied by Roni - THANKS, Roni!) BTW, she has a blog that I have subscribed to: http://www.aslobcomesclean.com/.

140. Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh. 4 stars. Audio. Hallelujah! A Singh book without any hard-core sex scenes! In this one, Lijuan has disappeared, and a shadowy group with the power to convene meetings of the Archangels calls a meeting to resolve the issue. Ellie's family's past plays a large part in the story.

141. The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly. 5 stars. Audio (read by Titus Welliver). The latest Bosch mystery and one of the best in the series! In this one, Harry is working as a volunteer for the tiny San Fernando PD after his forced retirement from LAPD and also taking private cases. He's working on "The Screencutter Rapist" case for SFPD when he's hired by a reclusive billionaire industrialist to find a possible child he sired 60 years earlier with a young Hispanic woman. Really, really good stuff, and not a hint of romance in sight for Bosch, which IMO makes it even better.

142. Burned Cross by Faith Hunter. 4 stars. Second in the Jane Yellowrock series. In this one, Molly's kids have been kidnapped, and Jane must find and rescue them before they are killed as part of a ritual using the bloodstone, a powerful talisman, while, at the same time, a few of the vamp clans start a war to depose Leo as Master of the City.

143. Mercy Blade by Faith Hunter. 3.75 stars. Third in the Jane Yellowrock series. In this one, werecats "come out" and start negotiating with the vamps to become allies, werewolves invade New Orleans and threaten to depose Leo, Molly sister Evie is acting weirder and weirder, and Rick disappears.

144. Raven Cursed by Faith Hunter. 4 stars. Fourth in the series. In this one, the head vamp of Asheville petitions Leo, as Master of the Southeastern U.S. region (except Atlanta and Florida) to grant him Master of City status, and Jane is assigned as head of security when Gregoire, Leo's second, and the Asheville head vamp meet to decide his status. I like everything about this series except the way Jane accepts guilt for everything that goes wrong, even though others are usually the guilty ones.

145. Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis by Anne Rice. 3 stars. Audio. Pretty boring. Almost nothing happened. Lots of talking, philosophizing, political discussions, crying. I really loved Interview for the characters, the ambience of the cities of New Orleans and Paris, the outrageous behavior of Lestat. This? Not so much.

146. Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold. 3.75. Audio. Short and light but fun story of Penric hunting a shaman suspected of murdering his best friend.

147. Watership Down by Richard Adams. 5 stars. Audio. One of my favorite comfort reads. Storytelling the way it was meant to be.

148. The Detective's Secret by Lesley Thompson. 2.75 stars. Audio. Third in The Detective's Daughter series. Okay, the first two were a bit disorganized in that it jumps around time from decades earlier to present to a few days earlier and from head to head. I stuck with it, because the premise was interesting, the characters were intriguing, and the mysteries were pretty good, if a bit outre. This one, though, is beyond outre. Also, there was one inconsistency that I just couldn't get past. In one place, the body was discovered when it was skeletal so no fingerprints could be taken; a few chapters later, the body was found within a few days. What????? So, this is the end of this series for me.

149. Authority by Jeff VanderMeer. 3 stars. Audio. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten this as an audiobook, but that's how I like to read these days when possible as my eyes are shot. Anyway, I really liked the first in this series (trilogy?) Annihilation, but I just didn't get this one. SOOOO much interior dialogue of the main character, he's not a teenager but he acts like one, with all the angst teenagers go through - -almost no action until the last few chapters. Even the last chapter was boring - a lot of unnecessary minutia, a lot of interior dialogue, a lot of traveling, a lot of explanations for things that don't matter. I don't know. I'm going to read the next book just to find out what happens, but I sure hope it's more like the first book in the area of action.

150. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves. 3.5 stars. Mystery set on the Shetland Isles involving a series of child murders. Not enchanted but willing to give this series another chance. Trouble is, I don't like cozies, and this seems like one, albeit in a noir sort of way.


*****

12/13: Still reading the e-galley of The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George (p. 367 380 out of 506 pages), a First-To-Read early review. I need to review it by early January but seem to be stalled for some reason. It's the kind of historical fiction I love, but Young Nero is getting a bit tiresome. I might consider stick a knife in his guts myself, if he were so tedious in real life. Also listening to The Fall of the House of Cabal, fifth and (I'm thinking) last of the Necromancer series.

*****

12/3/16 - I realize I've been reading HEA paranormal romances because I need to feel some kind of hope for the future, even if that future is short-term and fictional.

11/8-21/16--Almost done (as of 11/18) with the Night Huntress series and its two spin-off series by Jeaniene Frost. They were a godsend getting me through the worst of the post-election horror. Since November 8, I've torn through the original series and the first two in the spin-off series, and all three of the Vlad series. (Perhaps now I'll be ready to face reality after this one. On second thought, probably not. I'll have to find something else to keep my mind away from the disaster.) Anyway, these were pretty good vampire romance/urban fantasies, even for novels featuring sexy vampires with lots of graphic sex scenes, not my favorite part of any book. At least nobody sparkles, though the green glowing eyes are a bit much. They've even made me laugh a few times with their snarky humor, though they aren't exactly lighthearted comedies. I've read all but one as audiobooks and I like the reader Tavia Gilbert mostly, tho the high-pitched voice she uses for Bones sometimes grates. I think I enjoyed the first one - Halfway to the Grave - most, but the series held up well, and the Night Hunters series, at least, was also fun. I can't say the same for the Night Prince series, another spin-off, tho I'll probably read the fourth book in that series which comes out Feb. 2017.

SHORT STORIES READ IN 2016:

Pier Falls by Mark Haddon (only read the title story)
Eidolon by Sharon Lee, includes Shadow Partner and "Persistence"
Dragon Tide by Sharon Lee
With Stars Underfoot by Sharon Lee, including "Lord of the Dance" and "This House"
Secrets at Midnight by Nalini Singh. Kindle. 3 stars. (99 pages) Bastian, one of Mercy's brothers, and Kirby.

DID NOT FINISH:

Grace of Kings by Ken Liu - After having read his book of short stories, which was brilliant, this was a disappointment. Read a good hundred pages, hoping I would get interested, but nope.

The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy - I got about 3/4 of the way thru and just could not bear it any longer. An unrelentingly hopeless story with unlikeable characters filled with dark desires doing senselessly crude and stupid things.

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins - I got aways into this when I stopped reading one day and just never picked it up again. I just never connected with any of the characters, and much of the story seemed so far-fetched it couldn't get me past my disconnect.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne. Read the first act but just not into it. Will try again next year.

The Fifth Wave. Got up to the part where the main character describes the First Wave, where all the electricity goes out and how she agonizes over her crush on - I forget his name. The end of the world as we know it, and all she seems able to think about is some guy. Too annoying to go on with it.

My Q1 Favorites

This Thing of Darkness by Harry Bingham. 5 stars. Mystery thriller. 4th in Fiona Griffith series.
Small Victories by Anne Lamott. 4.5 stars. Audio. Nonfiction.
Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen. 4.5 stars. Audio. Read excellently well by Katherine Kellgren. Fantasy.
Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop. 4.25 stars. 4th in The Courtyard of The Others series.

My Q2 Favorites

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. 4.5 stars. Audio. Nonfiction.
The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemison. 4.5 stars. Fantasy.
Slade House by David Mitchell. 4.5 stars. Creepy fantasy.
Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell. 4.5 stars. Audio. History/Humor

My Q3 Favorites

The Dead House by Harry Bingham. 5 stars. Mystery
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. 4.75 stars. Scifi/Thriller
The Paper Menagerie by Ken Lie. 4.5 stars. Audio. Specfi/Scifi Short Stories.
The Sarantine Mosiac by Guy Gavriel Kay. 4.5 stars. Both novels in the fantasy duology
The Crystal Variation by Sharon Lee. 4.5 stars. Both novels in the scifi duology
The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde. 4.5 stars. Audio. Oscar Wilde. What more does one need to say?

My Q4 Favorites

The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly. 5 stars. Latest Bosch.
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. 4 stars. Not wildly crazy about it, but I'm still thinking about it a few months after finishing it, so...onto the Favorites List it goes!

This has been a rough few months for me, and I haven't been on LT much. I've missed it, but my job at the parrot rescue place, tho only part-time and mostly fun - especially being around all those wonderful birds - was exhausting. Now I'm back to volunteering one day a week, tho I do some online work at home too, so I should be able to get back into LT more.

Then the election. I haven't been able to fully process it yet - the ramifications of the results will, I think, be horrific for the environment, the social safety net, women's rights, and human rights and will last decades. Thank God for books and the antics of my parrots Nickel and Rosie.

Finally, my sister and I are parting ways. This is both good and bad. Good because I prefer living alone, and it will be better for my parrots to be able to hang out with me in the main part of the house (my sister doesn't want the birds upstairs in the main living area, so we've been consigned to the basement the past few years). Bad because - well, moving. Not my favorite thing. I'd hoped my move from SoCal to Colorado would be my last, but it's not to be. I'm considering northern New Mexico, coastal Washington, and southern Oregon in relatively rural areas where rents are cheaper. Currently, I'm getting rid of stuff that I no longer need or want. I wish I could just chuck the boxes without looking at what's inside, but there could be important papers or meaningful things mixed in with the junk, so I need to go through each first. My shredder is getting a workout, I can tell you that! Fortunately, I don't have to move until the end of March, so there's plenty of time to plan and get packed.

I really like the Cat and Bones series and have read it twice but like you are kind of meh about the Vlad series. I haven't finished it.

Hi, Morphy! Cat and Bones was fun! Did you read Outtakes from the Grave? More hot sex than I care for, but it's interesting to me especially as a writer to see what she cut and why. I want to reread the series too, but maybe not till next year sometime. I hope the fourth Vlad book redeems that series. We'll see.

I can't remember but probably not. Short stories is one thing, deleted scenes is another.

Hi, Mary! Book #106 is by Kate Griffin, not Sharon Lee. Lots of good reading in the last few months there. So happy to see you here and hope to see you here more often.

I hope the split with your sister is amicable. Where do your parents live? Colorado, that area at least, is NOT a low rent area. My friend who lives in Denver proper was going on about rents in the area when I was talking to her last night.

About the election, yes.

{{{Mary}}}

>7 Morphidae: Agreed, but I felt the need to finish all of them. And, as I said, it's interesting to me as a writer to see what she kept and what was cut and why.

>8 ronincats: Hi, Roni! Thanks for catching that! No idea how I managed to do it, but it's easy to change, now you pointed it out. The split is semi-amicable. Our parents passed away aeons ago. The only family I have in Colorado is my sister and her daughters & their families. My daughter's in NYC, tho she's talking about moving back to SoCal. *eyeroll* After making a huge deal of NEVER moving back. It's okay. If I'm in NM, it's only a day's drive. Real estate in the Denver area - both rentals and for sale - is outrageous. Around Pueblo and Castle Rock is better, but I don't really care for living in Colorado. It's beautiful in the mountains, and the eastern plains are lovely, but all that snow! I know there's snow in Northern NM, but not as much as up here.

Thanks for the hug. I need as many of those I can get right now. It's worse than 9/11 in many ways. Like, it isn't foreign terrorists this time. It's my fellow Americans. {{{Roni}}}

Happy New Thread, Mary! Glad to see you posting. You have been missed. Most of us are still reeling from the election, feeling hollow and lost, but like Bernie Sanders said the other night- Do not despair!! Of course, easier said than done...

Good luck with the moving plans. Sounds like a good move, my friend.

>4 Storeetllr: :(

>10 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I've missed hanging with you all too. I'm not at despair yet. I'm still reeling from shock to think anyone with half a brain would vote for that shyster.

>11 Copperskye: I know. We'll have to get together a few times at least before I hit the road.

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new thread! I'll miss our Denver meetups, but I hope the move works out well for you.

I hope the planning on the move goes well, and it's not too full of family problems regarding your need to move out? It sounds like it will be nice for you to have your own space and be able to do your own thing - every time I'm left at home on my own for any length of time, (housemates are on a short holiday currently) I really appreciate not being beholden to anyone else, and if I don't want to clean up one day, I can just do it the next etc. It was also lovely with my boyfriend over the weekend, simply the two of us making decisions.

However, it doesn't look like we'll ever be in that position permanently. He shares his house with his father (they each own half of it) and as his father is elderly, if I were ever to move in with the boyfriend, it would still not be 'my' or even 'our' home. Oh well, it is what it is, and I'll enjoy the space and freedom where I can get it.

Do you think it likely that your daughter will make a decision about moving before you need to? I would imagine it to be quite frustrating if you up and move somewhere, only for her to go to one of the places you were considering before!

Anyway, hope you, Nickel, and Rosie are all well.

Happy new one, Mary! Sorry about the moving and the semi-amicable split with the sister. (I have five of those, so I totally get it.) But hooray for moving up out of the basement - I am hoping you find just the right place that speaks to you. We will definitely move again, but not until Craig retires.

Wishing you a relaxing and indulgent Thanksgiving.

Thanks, Amber! I'm slowly wending my way through the threads, and yours is next on the list.

Me too, Jim! I don't suppose I'll be having many meetups in Northern New Mexico, assuming that's where I end up.

Hi, Jenny! Yes, I get what you mean about looking forward to times when your roommates are away for awhile. I lived alone from 2003 to 2013 and loved it. It might not have been the smartest idea of mine to move in with my sister, but at the time it seemed important for a number of reasons. It hasn't been all bad, of course, but lately - well, just say I'm looking forward to my own place, even if it entails another move. As for my daughter, even if she moves back to L.A., we wouldn't want to live together. LOL In some ways, it would be more difficult than living with my sister has been. And Santa Fe isn't all that far from L.A., so we'd get to see each other more often than the past dozen years when she's been in NYC.

Thanks, Mamie! Haha, you do know how it is! I have three sisters, all of whom I love even though none of us get along all that well. It's a really nice basement, with regular full-sized windows along two sides and a patio door that opens onto the backyard, but the kitchen and laundry room are upstairs, as is the TV, so I don't spend much time cooking or watching TV because I'm not allowed to bring the birds up there. Thanks for your Thanksgiving wishes and back at you!

>17 Storeetllr: I certainly didn't mean moving in with your daughter! Yikes! The thought of moving in with my mother is terrifying. I was having this discussion with my boyfriend tonight, as he lives with his elderly father (he owns 1/4 of the house and his father owns 1/2, the other 1/4 is owned by someone whose name cannot be spoken in the house, which is rather awkward!) and I said I don't know how he does it. His declaration is that he can't exactly up and leave him in a big house on his own, which I understand, but I'm amazed at their patience with each other. I can barely survive a 4 hour excursion with my mother without it breaking in to an argument, so living together would be out of the question!

Anyway, I hope you can figure out the place you will be best suited, and it will work out all round. The housemates are back tomorrow - I shouldn't really complain as they own the house and let me live here for a pittance, but still.........it's lovely to have the space to myself. However I did spend 4 hours cleaning today, which would normally be done by one of the housemates, so maybe being alone isn't all that great after all ;)

New threads, moves & watersheds.

Hugs to Mary.

Haha, Jenny, that sounds like me and my daughter! Things are getting better now that she's in her mid-30s, but I still have to be a bit careful what I say to her. We spent a week together two Christmases in a row - once in NYC and once here, and we only had one or two little spats each time, which for us was amazing. Each of the spats was brought on by going too long without eating (she needs to eat regularly or gets hypoglycemia). Even so, I wouldn't attempt living together! As far as cleaning goes...I'm looking for a small 1 bedroom/1 bath place so the cleaning doesn't get overwhelming. If I had to clean THIS place, which is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath place with a full finished basement, I'd hire a cleaning service. LOL

Hi, Paul! Yes, lots of change. Scary but in a way exhilarating! Love the hugs. No, NEED the hugs. Keep 'em coming.

Hi Mary. Sounds like lots of changes are coming your way. I have one sister and we are fairly close, but there is no way that she and I could ever live together. I sympathize with you over the American election, I too, have a lot of trouble understanding why people could give their vote to Donald Trump. I think most of the civilized world is waiting anxiously to see what's going to happen. Thank heavens we have our books to escape into! I, too, am sending hugs.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mary.

Hi, Judy! Yes, escape into books is the only thing I could do in the week after the election. I'm still almost incapable of believing what happened and am holding my metaphorical breath waiting for the first international incident. He's apparently already been screwing with all the advances we've made in the past 60 years with his appointments. Anyway, thanks for the hugs and the Thanksgiving wish.

I am thankful for your presence in the group, Mary.

Thanks so much for the Thanksgiving wishes, Roni and Paul! I had a nice day, my last (probably) with my sister and her family.

Hope your Thanksgiving holiday is blessed, Roni! And hope your weekend is wonderful, Paul!

Happy holidays to you!

Lots of changes happening, but I think you are making decisions that are right for you. Living alone brings more charms than challenges, I think. Plus, you have your feathered friends!

Thanks, Karen! Most of the time, I'm excited about the move. Occasionally, I'm terrified to the point of hyperventilating. Luckily, it usually passes within minutes, esp. when I can grab a book right away to distract myself. But the thought of having my own place always makes me smile.

Mary, I'm only now catching up to your news about moving. I hope you find someplace wonderful. I have good friends who live outside Albuquerque so if you end up moving anywhere near there I will have a good excuse to come visit!

I am so set in my ways I cannot imagine having to live with someone else at this point in my life. In fact, I kind of worry about the inevitable time when I can't live on my own and how I would ever be able to live in a facility with a bunch of other people. The mind reels.

Give Nickel and Rosie a smooch from me. I hope the rest of 2016 manages to see itself out with anymore horrific disasters. I really can't take much more of this nightmare year.

Hey, Julia! Thanks for visiting! Yes, it's been difficult living with my sis, though I love her and her girls and, as I'm now an elder with the attendant problems of age, it has eased my mind to know someone is nearby in case anything happens and I need help. Still, I'm not yet at the stage where I need assisted living, so I'm looking forward to having my own place. It's just the move itself that's stress-inducing.

The worst disaster (of my public life anyway) has already come to pass - I learned that enough of my fellow American citizens are ignorant/racist/sexist/misogynistic/self-righteous enough to elect a madman who has already begun destroying America. I haven't slept a full night since 11/9 but have been awakening at least once a night from nightmares about the current situation, and I'm so afraid of what's going to happen when Paul Ryan and his cronies decimate SS and Medicare, as well as other social programs that help those who need it. It's not going to be pretty.

Smooches back at you from Nickel the Stalker and Rosie the Perch Potato.

My 138th book of the year was recommended by Roni. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White is short (about 200 pp), humorous, easy-reading, and non-stressful, packed with helpful advice that someone like me really needed to hear.

I'm one of those who just don't see clutter unless I'm looking for it, such as when someone's coming to visit. I'm also guilty of starting a decluttering project, only to end up with piles of clutter all over the place because I ran out of time or got distracted and never got back to it, and then the piles all morph into one huge pile and I end up stuffing it all back into a closet or bin so I can at least walk through the room. White's theory is that folks like us (I have nicknamed myself a "clutterbug") have brains that don't process things like "normal" people do and that most how-to-declutter/how-to-organize books are written by "normal" people who are already prone to being organized (which might be why none of them have ever worked for me). This book has suggestions for handling these issues that a clutterbug like me can understand.

I particularly needed this book now that I'm preparing to move. Last move I made (from L.A. to Denver) was a disaster. I gave it 3 full weeks but was not ready on moving day. I must have purged a full dumpster's worth of junk, besides stuff I sold on Craigslist and gave to Goodwill, but I still had a the biggest possible moving truck's worth of stuff. And some of the stuff I purged I ended up wishing I'd kept. One or two things I had to replace, which really hurt my frugal heart. Other boxes contain obvious junk but junk I need to go through in case there's something important in it. This time, I am determined to fit everything into a moving pod, so I'm starting now to get ready for a March move.

Glad you enjoyed the book, Mary!

>31 Storeetllr: Oh boy, do I need that book! I'll have to look for it at the library. Thanks for the review, Mary.

>31 Storeetllr: Hmmmm, I could use that one, too.....

Hi Mary, even a non-American like me has big worries when it comes to Donald Trump. I try to put him out of my mind but then he'll pop up on the news and say something stupid and I feel myself tightening up. My sister-in-law who lives in Washington State is making herself ill with rants, fumes and cries of indignation. Her husband is thinking of taking her on a cruise after Christmas just to get her away from her fixation on all things Trump.

>32 ronincats: I did, Roni! And I can already see some changes, though I started a year ago using Habitica (https://habitica.com/static/front#/tasks) to keep track of daily/weekly/monthly tasks that need to be done, as well as habits I want to make and one-time projects, so I'm one step ahead of the game. Still, the 2-question rule and the 1-in/1-out and "Container" rules were lifechangers and will form the basis of my decluttering attempts going forward. So thanks so much for recommending it!

>33 rosalita: I bet there are a lot of us, Julia! Check out her blog too while you wait for the book from the library.

>34 Copperskye: :)

>35 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Yes, this nightmare is doubtless going to affect everyone globally, making no place safe. I definitely identify with your sis-in-law. Taking a cruise to avoid having to be here during the (I can't believe I'm saying this) Trump Inauguration is a good idea. Wish I could be elsewhere. I'll just be avoiding social media and TV that day is all.

>36 Storeetllr: Trump; I think most of us just want it over and done with so the four years to be inflicted is over and done with as soon as.

Have a great weekend, Mary.

Thanks, Paul! Hope your weekend rocks!

As for your thoughts on Trump, I'm afraid there is not going to be any "over and done with." I'm afraid the horrors inflicted by his actions are going to last decades. So worried for our children, elderly, poverty-stricken, Native Americans, minorities, LGBTQ, National Parks, The Environment. The list goes on.

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!

"Nice" doesn't half cover how wonderful that would be! May it be so!

Thank you for your holiday wishes, Paul, and for being you! Love to you and your beautiful family, now and in the new year!

To anyone who's thread I may have missed when leaving holiday greetings,

Merry Christmas, Mary! Hope you enjoy the holidays, despite various woes! Hope to see you around more. I miss chatting books with you.

I am waiting for our company to arrive. Come on, people!

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas, Mary!

Merry Christmas, Mary!

This is the Christmas tree at the end of the Pacific Beach Pier here in San Diego, a Christmas tradition.

To all my friends here at Library Thing, I want you to know how much I value you and how much I wish you a very happy holiday, whatever one you celebrate, and the very best of New Years!

Thanks for the Christmas greetings, Mark, Mamie, Roni and Judy! Hope you are all enjoying your day and that you got lots of fabulous presents from Santa!

I hope you are having a wonderful Christmas, Mary.

Thanks, Meg, and Merry Christmas to you and your family too! I am having a lovely day - just hanging around with the birds, waiting for my niece and her two kids to arrive so they can start opening their presents. Best of all, no presents to/from adults this year! It has made this one of the best Christmases in years!

I did send a Christmas present to my daughter in NY. Actually, it was from Amazon, so they sent it. That was easy too. We were talking a few weeks ago about not wanting any things for Christmas, that she only wanted practical things that she actually needed: boots and a new winter coat. She mentioned she was also looking for a large-capacity French press coffee maker. A few days later, I saw one advertised on Amazon that was perect, so I bought it for her. It's all stainless steel, no plastic at all, so she loved it. (She's into zero waste big time.) Otherwise, only presents for the kids. And most of those are BOOKS! :)

For my almost 4-year old niece, I got a portable easel, a coloring book, and a box of 120 Crayola crayons, plus Peppa Pig Goes Camping, Rumble with the Dinosaurs, and a Thomas the Train DVD.

For my almost 1-year old nephew, I got toy cars, Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, Baby Reindeer Little Finger Puppet Board Book, and Dog, a board activity book..

Whew!

It's almost that time. This New Year's Eve, let's usher out 2016 the way it deserves.

Love that, Mary!

I thought of you when I saw it, Julia. Was going to put it on your thread but wanted to wait until tomorrow. :)

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

Thanks, Paul! Happy New Year to you and your lovely family too!

>49 Storeetllr: I can't stop watching this rousing farewell to a year that has sucked in so many ways. So satisfying!

To all the wonderful LT folks who have made 2016 bearable with their kind friendship, book recommendations, and good humor, Happy New Year! Hope you'll come visit my 2017 thread soon!