scaifea's thread #12

Hi, everyone! Welcome to Thread XII!

Art inspired in one way or another by some of my current reads:

A Lear of the Steppes



Garram the Hunter:



Malevil:



War and Peace:



Henry and Beezus:



Sourcery:



Norse Mythology:



The Thief:



From the Introductions Thread:
I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure. I spend my time sewing, knitting, baking, volunteering at my son's school library and with the PTO, and, of course, reading.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 41 going on 12 and live in Wisconsin with my husband, Tomm; our 8-year-old son, Charlie; and our two dogs, Tuppence the Border Collie and Mario the Golden Retriever.

The five-ish or so books I have going and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

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

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

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

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

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

6. For this category, I cycle through 7 different stacks:
a. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
b. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
c. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
d. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
e. John Boyne bibliography (in chronological order, sort of)
f. The NEH Timeless Classics list
g. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
h. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

7. An unread book from my shelves.

8. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

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

10. Book-a-year challenge: Three years ago, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've since been trying to fill in the gap years.

11. A book from the couple of series that I'm reading together with my mom.

12. A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

13. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book (or two).

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

15. A Discworld book (so many of these are coming up soon on various lists, so I'm just diving into it)

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

And on top of these, there will be a multitude of picture books and easy readers, which Charlie and I read together. I've decided again this year also to list our re-reads, but I'll just list them each day and not number them.

What I'm reading now:
-A Lear of the Steppes (books by year, 1870)
-Garram the Hunter (Newbery Honor Book)
-Malevil (Campbell award)
-War and Peace (because Charlie wants me to)
-Henry and Beezus (Charlie's bed-time book)
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Charlie's book club read)
-Sourcery (Discworld read)
-Norse Mythology (audiobook, Gaiman bibliography)
-Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids (because I want to)
-The Thief (re-read because the latest in the series just came out and I LOVE THESE BOOKS)

Books On Deck:
-The Full Cupboard of Life (series that my mom wants me to read so we can chat about it)
-The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare re-read)
-Andersonville (Banned Books)
-The Gods of Pegana (The Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy)
-The Worst President: The Story of James Buchanan (Presidential Challenge)
-Murder in Mesopotamia (Christie bibliography)
-House of Leaves (unread book from my shelves)
-The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (from my Read Soon shelves)
-Essential Teachings (Buddhist readings)

In addition to these, I have some classics-related texts that I'm working through (VERY slowly (read: I haven't touched them in months)):
-Asinaria by Plautus (reading in Latin)
-Iliad by Homer (reading in Greek)
-Latin Literature by Gian Biagio Conte
-The Cambridge History of Classical Literature Volume 1 Part 1

Books Read

JANUARY
1. James and the Giant Peach (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
2. The Inverted World (BFSA) - 9/10 = A
3. The Cat Who Went to Heaven (Charlie's book club book) - 9/10 = A-
4. Don Quixote (from my unread shelves) 0 8/10 = B+
5. The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Justinian (from my classics shelves) - 8/10 = B+
6. Prairie Tale (from my Read Soon shelves) - 7/10 = C+
7. A Bear Called Paddington (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
8. The Dolphin Crossing (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
9. The Year of the Book (a book I picked off the shelves while volunteering at Charlie's school library) - 9/10 = A-

FEBRUARY
10. The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Newbery Medal) - 10/10 = A+
11. Anna & Elsa: All Hail the Queen (Charlie book) - 8/10 = B
12. The Popularity Papers (#3) (Frequently Challenged Children's Books) = 8/10 = B+
13. The Hollow Hills (Mythopoeic) - 8/10 = B+
14. The Odyssey (audiobook in the car) - 10/10 = A+
15. Herobrine Scared Stiff (Charlie's read-aloud) - 7/10 = C-
16. Drama (Frequently Challenged Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
17. Where the Lilies Bloom (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
18. More About Paddington (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
19. When the Sea Turned to Silver (Westview library book) - 9/10 = A
20. Ghosts (Westview library book) - 8/10 = B+
21. The Inquisitor's Tale (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
22. Wolf Hollow (Newbery Honor Book) - 10/10 = A+
23. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie's book club read) - 10/10 = A+
24. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books/audiobook) - 9/10 = A

MARCH
25. Ollie's Odyssey (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A
26. Gandhi, Fighter without a Sword (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
27. Sing Down the Moon (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
28. The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
29. Esio Trot (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = A-
30. The Perilous Gard (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
31. Paddington Helps Out (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
32. The Colour of Magic (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+
33. The Stolen Child (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 8/10 = B+
34. Leviathan (Locus YA) - 8/10 = B-
35. Herobrine Saves Christmas (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud book) - 7/10 = C
36. Vaino, a Boy of New Finland (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
37. Floating Island (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
38. The Nargun and the Stars (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
39. Dog Man Unleashed (Charlie read-aloud) - 8/10 = B+

APRIL
40. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
41. Moccasin Trail (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
42. The Paul Street Boys (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C+
43. The Peppermint Pig (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
44. Mr. Pants: Camping Catastrophe! (Charlie's read-aloud book) - 10/10 = A+
45. Paddington Abroad (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
46. Dark Star of Itza (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
47. Dragonsong (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
48. All Alone (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
49. Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective (Charlie's book club read) - 9/10 = A
50. The Light Fantastic (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+
51. Wildwood Dancing (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 9/10 = A
52. Creepers (Bram Stoker Award/Audiobook) - 7/10 = C
53. Henry Huggins (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
54. The Complete Sherlock Holmes (started as a 1001 Children's Books read (one of the novels) and spiraled from there) - 10/10 = A+
55. The Neverending Story (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
56. Ship Breaker (audiobook, Locus YA Award) - 8/10 = B+
57. Meggy MacIntoch (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
58. Equal Rites (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+

MAY
59. Shadrach (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
60. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers (Charlie's school library book) - 9/10 = A
61. The Freedom Maze (audiobook, Andre Norton Award) - 8/10 = B+
62. Homecoming (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
63. Old Path White Clouds (Buddhist reading list) - 8/10 = B+
64. Poems That Make Grown Women Cry (Goodreads Giveaway) - 9/10 = A
65. The Young Visiters (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
66. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (audiobook/Christie bibliography) - 8/10 = B+
67. Paddington at Large (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A
68. Mort (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+
69. Hrolf Kraki's Saga (BFS Award) - 9/10 = A-
70. The Body in the Library (audiobook/Christie bibliography) - 8/10 = B+

Charlie & Mario:



And Tuppence:

The Bonus Question:

Tomm and I are thinking about doing a bit of home improvement (new roof and windows, a fence for the back yard, new kitchen,...). If you were to change something about your current living space, what would it be?

>6 scaifea: Happy new thread, Amber.

Living space? I'd move it to England. xx

That's an easy bonus question: More bookcases!

Happy new thread!

>6 scaifea: I would air condition the attic so I could store more stuff up there... but really what Julia said. More bookcases!

Since we are in the process of packing up to move to a smaller space, I would say that I would collect less junk!

>6 scaifea: That's easy....redo all bathrooms and the kitchen. Mainly, get rid of that nasty dark fake wood cabinetry that we've had in every apartment and house (this one) we've lived in since we got married. Also, expand every room about a foot in all directions. Maybe new windows. (Somebody stop me!)

I cant really play, I built my dream home three years ago and I wouldn't change a thing.

Happy new thread!

We're in the middle of a remodeling cycle - upstairs is pretty much done, except the master bath that will have to wait until we save up a bit. Next is downstairs and some maintenance things like getting the front porch refloored.

If we were to do anything we like, I think it would be a patio, hot tub and fireplace in the back yard. With places to sit and read, of course. :)

>7 PaulCranswick: Paul: Aw, lucky - you're getting your wish!!

>8 rosalita: Julia: Oh, yes, I see that I should have said, "besides bookcases"! Ha!

>9 nittnut: Jenn: Oh, good one. I had that problem in my grad school apartment, which was the upstairs of a house, in which the downstairs was the realtor's office. It was a pretty sweet set-up, and I was allowed to store stuff in the attic (which was huge), but it was too weather-influenced.

>10 DeltaQueen50: Judy: If only, eh? Yoicks.

>11 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: That's one of the problems with our current kitchen. It's the darkest room in the house, and even so they put in super-dark cabinets, fake brick walls (wha?) and - I kid you not - BLACK countertops. The Worst. And our windows are absolute crap; some of them won't even open anymore. So, yeah, we need to get some stuff done. We both have excellent credit, so I don't think we'll have trouble with the bank at all; in fact I suspect they'll offer to loan us way more than we're comfortable taking (the same thing happened with both of our mortgages - they said we could afford more expensive houses than we knew we could), so it'll likely be an issue of us figuring out how much more a month we can comfortably add to our payments and hope that we can get all the stuff we want done with that.

>12 beeg: beeg: WOOT, that's awesome!

>13 drneutron: Hi, Jim! Oh, right, we'd love to redo the back deck, too, but again, we'll have to see what's in the budget for this go-round. Roof and windows are first on the list and I want the back fence to be #3, and then we'll see what else we can get done on top of all of that.

>6 scaifea: I'd change just about everything. Location, higher ceilings, fireplace that works, larger windows, lots of brass and ceiling cornices.
And wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling bookcases, but I think that goes for everyone here...

>16 PawsforThought: Paws: Oh! you've reminded me that we have two fireplaces and I *still* haven't managed to call a sweep to come and check out the chimney so we can use them. And now we'll see if I remember by fall. Yikes.

Happy new thread, Amber!

I live in an apartment building so upgrades aren't really my call. That said, I'd love to have a garbage chute so that I didn't have to take the elevator down to the ground floor daily to dump cat litter. :P

Happy new thread, Amber. Love the toppers.

>17 scaifea: We get visits from the chimney sweeper on a regular basis - no need to call and make an appointment (you get a letter in the mail informing you of when they'll visit). But out fireplace is upstairs (WHY?) in a building that already sucks all the warm air up to the top floor. So while it *technically* works, it's not advisable.

Happy new thread!

BQ: If I owned (instead of renting) my current house, I would definitely redo the kitchen -- new stove, better fridge, replace the old laminate countertops (at least they're not black, yikes!), and paint or replace the dark wood cabinets.

Then I would tackle the back screened porch, which has the most appalling hunting scene paneling on the walls and some nasty-looking indoor/outdoor carpet. (I may ask permission to paint the paneling anyway, as just about anything would be an improvement...)

Happy new thread Amber and great thread topper and photo's my dear. If making any improvements it would be a bigger Kitchen to Karen's specifications and a custom library / art studio for me.

Happy new thread!

I would love to have a bigger kitchen, and I'd put the cabinets a bit lower so I wouldn't have to get the step stool every time I need to get something on the middle or highest shelves. I'd also love more cabinets and drawers, counter space, etc. I'd also love a separate dining room. A mudroom would be nice, too.

As for things I can actually change, I'm going to get rid of the ugly paint color my mother-in-law used for a wall on the far side of the kitchen/dining area AND in the master bathroom. Ugh, I think a yellow-green-brown mix has to be one of the most hideous colors ever invented!

Happy new thread Amber.

Your question: more space, and a better layout of the space. My rooms have very awkward triangular corners that can hardly be used for anything. Very annoying in a small house, to have so much wasted space.

Sneaking in to see my three favorite thread toppers and to say Happy New Thread!

>18 MickyFine: Micky: Your garbage chute idea reminds me that I've always wanted a laundry chute! *sigh*

>19 BLBera: Hi, Beth!

>20 PawsforThought: Paws: We have two fireplaces, one in the basement and one on the main floor. I really do need to try to remember to get them ready next fall...

>21 foggidawn: foggi: Oooh, hunting scene panelling. Classy. Yoicks.
When we first got married and were renting a house, we had neighbors who had taken their cabinets to a auto paint shop and hand them painted a lovely bright blue, which sounds strange but really was nice, and those things will never chip or get worn down. Such a fabulous idea, I think, if you want painted cabinets (as opposed to stained ones).

>22 johnsimpson: Hi, John! I'd love to have the ginormous and very light-filled kitchen that we left behind in Ohio. It was lovely for baking.

>23 aktakukac: Rachel: Oh, that yellow/brown/green business - how, oh, how was that ever popular?! Right up there with avocado appliances.

>24 EllaTim: Hi, Ella! Triangular corners? That does sound difficult to deal with!

>25 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen!!

>20 PawsforThought: I hope you do remember - nothing quite like cuddling up in front of a fireplace.

And I agree on the avocado appliances - avocados should be eaten, not used for interior design inspiration.

>27 PawsforThought: Paws: I hope I remember, too.

And I don't even think avocados should even be eaten. I suspect, based on that information, that Darryl loves them.

Happy New Thread, Amber. See you in the A.M.

Happy New Thread, Amber!

I could've sworn you just started a new one. You probably did - that's just how fast yours moves.

We've been having a most excellent time with your BFF's bro. We hung out with him at Google today, and had tons o' fun playing a board game with his friends tonight. We head back tomorrow.

I just ate up another Travis McGee, and I'm about halfway through the moving Warmth of Other Suns.

>28 scaifea: I'd happily eat your avocados, Amber.

>29 msf59: Thanks, Mark!

>30 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! It sounds like you're having a blast - safe travels today!

I think The Warmth of Other Suns is already on the list, but I should check just to make sure...

>31 PawsforThought: Paws: You'll have to share with Darryl...

On the agenda for today:
Tomm and I have an appointment at the bank this morning, then it'll be more of the usual for me: treadmilling, writing, sewing.

On the reading front:
I started reading Shadrach yesterday, which is sweet but way to simplistic to be all that enjoyable for an adult, I think. I'll push through to the end, though. I also listened to more of The Freedom Maze, which may be getting interesting, and I read a nice chunk of Old Path White Clouds, too.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "At a party, Paul Zelinsky, using various cheese, once built the tower from Rapunzel (1998 Caldecott Medal) as big as a table."
Apparently there was a LOT of cheese at that party...

What We Read Yesterday:
-Some Pets by Angela DiTerlizzi (public library book, picture book) - 8/10 = B+
And bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-D'Aulaires Book of Norse Myths
-Henry and Beezus
-Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers

And we watched a bit of Moana.

>32 scaifea: That's okay - I can share.

And OMG at >33 scaifea: What the heck were they doing at that party?

>35 PawsforThought: Paws: I know, right?! Weird.

Morning, Amber! I have the day off, which is good, with this crappy weather, but I can't go on a bird walk. I am not sure if I'll even be able to mow the lawn but it needs it.

I want to second the warble on The Warmth of Other Suns. Monumental work.

>37 msf59: Morning, Mark! I'm sorry about you not being able to get out and bird walk. Our grass has been nuts lately, with all of the rain. Good luck!

Morning, Amber! Happy Not-That-Previous-Day!

Your BFF's boys in her class love those Minecraft books. It's a mystery to me, but I don't play Minecraft.

>39 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Oh, Minecraft. Charlie's trying to teach me, but it's still pretty much a mystery to me, too.

>33 scaifea: Sounds like quite a party.

Happy new thread, Amber!
I love the Paddington picture, looks like a wet Paddington is complaining? Anyway he looks sweet.

We have done a lot the last years on our house, new windows, airco upstairs, now the last is flushing the walls outside and we hope we can find someone for that this year...

I'd add another room -- although, given that we live in a condo, don't think that's gonna happen :( I would dearly love to not have my desk space be in the "great room". Actually, I would generally love to have separate rooms instead of a "great room". Oh well...

>41 foggidawn: foggi: Agreed.

>42 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!
We love Paddington tons here at Scaife Manor.

When we first moved in to this house we rented a power washer to clean the siding and I couldn't believe the difference it made.

>43 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: If we were to add on a room, I'd want a 4-seasons room. But that certainly won't happen for a good long while, I think. Too many other, more important renovations are ahead of that one in line...

59. Shadrach by Meindert DeJong (Newbery Honor Book, 182 pages) - 8/10 = B-
A young boy who had been ill for a long time is promised a rabbit by his grandfather. The story follows his agony in waiting an entire week for the eponymous rabbit to arrive, and then through the first few weeks of learning to care for it.
A saccharine-like story; just way too cutesy for me.

On the agenda for today:
Treadmilling, menu-planning and grocery-listing, weekly bills, writing, sewing. Also possibly a nap (didn't sleep too well last night).

On the reading front:
I listened to more of The Freedom Maze, started Homecoming and read a bit more of Hrolf Kraki's Saga.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Herman Melville once spent a month with the Typee Valley cannibals in the Marquesas Islands."

What We Read Yesterday:
-Cinnamon by Neil Gaiman (Charlie book, picture book) - 10/10 = A+
And bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
-Henry and Beezus

And we finished:
60. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers by Donald J. Sobol (Charlie's school library book, 92 pages) - 9/10 = A
Charlie and I just love reading these out loud and trying to figure out the solution to each case. Such a neat series.

>46 scaifea: Why does that Melville trivia not surprise me in the slightest?

>48 PawsforThought: Paws: *grins*

Morning, Amber! Looks to be a bit better today. I want to bring my shorts back out again. Wah!

I will finish The Someday Birds today. Good book.

>50 msf59: Ah, shorts. I'm hoping to be able to wear them by mid-June.
I remember the one summer in my life when I could wear shorts in May. 2002, an incredible summer that lasted from early May through September, with warm (but not sweltering, and with warm rain late in the evening or at night) - absolutely perfect. Never experienced anything like it, and probably never will again.

>50 msf59: Morning, Mark! It'll be shorts weather soon, I bet.

I'm glad The Someday Birds is working for you - I've added it to my list.

Happy new thread, Amber!

Morning, Amber!

Oh, you and your sidekick beat me - I have Gaiman's Cinnamon, but didn't have time to read it yesterday. Great to see that A+!

>53 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia!

>54 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Oh, you're going to LOVE it!

>14 scaifea: lol- our counter tops are black. I love them, but they do show wear and tear. Our house is very light though, a lot of windows (so many that there is hardly any wall space for bookcases, let alone pictures!!!). If i could reconfigure our place I would add a master bedroom as a second storey, with ensuite and reading corner. Then the kids could have downstairs and I would grace the family with my presence from time to time, as I saw fit. (this is how it goes in my dreams anyway.)

>47 scaifea: Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Disgusting Sneakers by Donald J. Sobol sounds pretty cool. Unfortunately, I have to wait for younger brother to be in bed (and asleep) before reading to/with older brother, as any time the two spend in the same room always descends into rough play/fighting eventually. They can't seem to help it.

>56 LovingLit: Megan: The black countertops might be better if it weren't already the darkest room in the house, but I don't suspect that I'd like them even so - they show Every Single Crumb. Ugh. I do, however, like the idea of a nice, big, master bedroom...

The Encyclopedia Brown books are a hoot. I hope you get a chance to try them out sometime.

On the agenda for today:
Well, I'm not sure just yet. The original plan was to pack up, pick Charlie up a bit early from school and head out to Indiana for the weekend (Charlie has tomorrow off), but he woke up at around 3am with diarrhea, so we'll see how this morning goes. Maybe no school today and possibly no trip, either.

On the reading front:
I listened to more of The Freedom Maze and read a good bit of Homecoming yesterday.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "As a child, Don Wood (King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, 1986 Caldecott Honor Book) drew on sheets of tan laundry paper. That way he could draw a whole story on one sheet instead of needing several pages."

What We Read Yesterday:
-The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller (CCBC, picture book) - 9/10 = A
-Crossing Niagara by Matt Tavares (CCBC, picture book) - 9/10 = A
And a bit of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook

>51 PawsforThought: "Ah, shorts. I'm hoping to be able to wear them by mid-June." LOL. I hope it isn't that long. I have worn them a couple of times but I am hoping full time soon. Not today though, only about 50. Sighs...

Morning, Amber!

>60 msf59: It most probably is. We don't have long summers, and temperatures don't rise to ~20 C until just before Midsummer. I'm still wearing thermals under my jeans, because mornings are chilly (and I'm cold-blooded) - just a few degrees above freezing.

>60 msf59: Morning, Mark! I gave up wearing shorts a few years ago and don't really miss it. I'm cold-natured in the extreme and tend to show up at the pool (when I'm taking Charlie and only intend on sitting pool-side and reading, which is every time, of course) with jeans and possibly a long-sleeved shirt. I get looks, but I'm comfortable. And this *is* Wisconsin; not exactly the tropics, and that breeze off the pool water can be *chilly.*

Oh, no, poor Charlie. Here's hoping he feels better and you get to go after all.

Ooo, you're reading Homecoming. I love that book to bits (though one a little later in the series, A Solitary Blue, is my favorite of the Tillerman and Tillerman-adjacent books). I hope you are enjoying it.

Bonus Q: Me mum stole my best answer, which is to make every room just a little bit bigger. But beyond that, lose the dining "room" (it's really an extension of the living room in a very apartment-like manner what I hate), and make that space part of the kitchen so there's room in the kitchen for a table and more storage; redo one of the upstairs bathrooms so there's room enough in there to turn around (this is probably impossible in the space, which is sad because it's the one thing about our house I really, really hate); fix/alter the heating/a.c. so that the downstairs (functionally a furnished basement, although it is not underground) is usable (it is currently freezing down there all year round).

>63 lycomayflower: Thanks, Laura, but no such luck - he's since had a bout of sickness from both ends, so to speak. We'll be staying home. Poor thing is really sad about it.

I am really enjoying Homecoming; I've read Dicey's Song before and didn't realize that it was part of a series (and it's been long enough ago that I don't remember much about it besides really liking it). I need to look into the rest of the series, clearly.

I would love a second bathroom (one of my own, really, and leave the other one to the Scaife Men, both to use and to clean themselves (men and bathrooms, ew)). Our living room was an addition to the house (before we bought the thing), and it's cold in the winter and hot in the summer. We've solved the winter chill with a space heater and the summer business with insulated curtains, strategically drawn throughout the day (tons of windows in this space) and a nifty, tall-and-slim-like standing and rotating fan.

>64 scaifea: Hey, watch that men and bathroom talk, sister! :D

The son once went an entire year without cleaning his bathroom while at college because he got in a head butting contest with a roommate who wouldn't do his share of the work. mrsdrneutron was not amused when we visited to help him move... :)

Catching up after a long tax season! Wow has Charlie grown!

>6 scaifea: I'd make everything bigger so that I could have more space to organize things, especially books. I'd add a library with wall-to-wall built-in bookshelves and I would also finish our basement. I would love to finish our basement now, but should have done it when the boys were younger. Beckham will be leaving for college in a little over three years, so I guess it probably makes more sense to use the money for college instead of spending it on the basement when we have managed to survive this long.

Oh, I love Homecoming! I'd probably list either A Solitary Blue or Come a Stranger as my favorite of the series, but I do love Homecoming and Dicey's Song.

Morning, Amber!

Homecoming is new to me. I'll take a look.

>65 drneutron: Jim: Ha! I wouldn't say it if I didn't have experience to back it up. Actually, Tomm isn't too bad, but the 8-year-old still seems to have all sorts of aiming issues. Yoicks.
And a big EW to the college boys' uncleaned bathroom!

>66 rretzler: Robin: Cute!

>67 rretzler: Robin: Yes, he's growing, and growing, and growing. They do that, apparently. Clever things.

I wish we could renovate our basement, too. It's finished, but only in the early-80's-shag-carpet-and-horrendus-wallpaper sort of way.

>68 foggidawn: foggi: Okay, so I'm getting a strong vibe from what I consider very reliable sources that I should continue with the series, then...

>69 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Oh, I think you'll love Homecoming - add it to the list!

>71 scaifea: Done. :-)

>70 scaifea: Don't worry, he'll turn human at about age 23 or so. :)

>70 scaifea: Re: aiming issues. This is why I'm eternally grateful that pretty much all boys/men in this country are brought up being told to sit down on the loo, whether it's for no 1 or no 2. Standing up is fine outdoors or at urinals, but not if there is an actual seat.

>72 jnwelch: Joe: Woot!

>73 drneutron: Jim: Ha! That's doesn't mean I'll necessarily stop calling him 'monkey' at that point...

>74 PawsforThought: Paws: Sitting down doesn't seem to stop the mess always, at least in this house.

Showing every crumb is not good but the opposite isn't great either. I have a speckled grey granite (came with the house) which hides everything so every time I touch it I find a sticky/oily/wet spot (husband can/will not wipe the counter after use) which makes me crazy!! I think something in the middle, where you can see problem areas without going overboard would be perfect.

>76 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: What is it about men and cleaning off counter-tops?! Tomm can't seem to manage it, either, even though he's pretty meticulous about most other things. Argh-inducing, it is.

And I agree about something halfway between. Sounds perfect. Or maybe a self-cleaning counter...?

>64 scaifea: Well, dang! Best wishes for his speedy recovery then. (And don't *you* get it!)

So glad you are enjoying Homecoming!

I feel like sorting this "too cold downstairs" thing should probably be our priority, but it's also the thing I'm least excited about, somehow. I happily spend all my waking hours in the sunroom, kitchen, or living room, so I'm a little *shrug* about the downstairs. But it seems like such a waste to really not be able to use it for much.

Oh, and this men and bathrooms thing cracks me up. AND it prompted a conversation with LW3 earlier which pretty much resulted in her covering her ears and going lalalala. (I was speculating as to the how of some of the places stuff gets, and for some reason she didn't want to contemplate that. ;-p )

>70 scaifea: Ah, shag carpet! My husband is the middle of five and his dad still lives in the house they all grew up in. His mother passed away a couple of years ago. His parents were always hoarders and also never changed anything about their house. They had green shag carpet installed in the 60s - but by the time I met Ed, the carpet had potholes!! Fortunately late last year, his dad decided to make some changes and replaced most of the flooring in the house!

>78 lycomayflower: Thanks, Laura. He's rallying a bit this afternoon, thankfully. And yes, please don't let me get it. *sigh*

I love the idea of you and LW3 talking about this, and her lalala-ing about it. Ha!

>79 rretzler: Robin: I wonder how much shag carpet is still in play out there? Tons, probably. We had PINK shag in the house we bought in Ohio. I mean, honestly.

>80 scaifea: If everyone is as slow to make changes to their houses as my in-laws, my mother, and well, I guess us, I would guess there is A LOT of shag carpet out there! We've been in our current house for 20 years and haven't changed a thing - to me, it seems just like yesterday that we built it and moved in. Well, maybe last week, since somewhere along the way, we seem to have acquired a high schooler and a middle schooler. Funny, when we built, it was just Ed and I. We had an off-white sectional sofa, off-white carpet, and off-white walls. It took about 6 months of son #1 to decide that the off-white sofa didn't cut it. We're still hanging on to the carpet, but it is definitely a much darker off-white shade now (I try not to remember what it actually looked like clean!) At this point, I think we may as well hang on until the muddy soccer cleats and other dirty shoes go away!

Oh, Amber, I didn't realise at first that the Homecoming you are reading was the first Tillerman book.
I liked all of them and loved Homecoming, A Solitary Blue and The Runner

>81 rretzler: Robin: Off-white carpet and boys just don't mix, I think. I get wanting to wait before changing it!

>82 FAMeulstee: Anita: I'm glad to hear that so many people loved these books!

Hi Amber, just catching up with all my LT friends my dear and hope all is well with you and the family dear lady, thank you for the kind message about my dodgy back. Sending love and hugs and Karen says hello.

>84 johnsimpson: Hi, John! I sure hope you're feeling better already!

>83 scaifea: ...and just this evening, Keegan spilled an almost full glass of coke on the off-white carpet while we were watching Brain Games. Sigh... Unfortunately, he takes after his mother, but my mother was smart enough to have dark green carpet!

Happy new thread! We have done a lot in our home over the years, and did a big landscaping project a few years ago, so there is always something, but nothing urgent or big. Right now we are replacing the downstairs bathroom sink, and wish we could re-do the bathroom, but that will wait until we are a little more flush. If I could, I would make the house more accessible, so that we could stay in it forever if we chose, but all the bedrooms are 2nd floor, so eventually we will probably need to move.

I think, if you want advice, the kitchen re-model is expensive, but probably the one that most improved our quality of life.

Morning, Amber! Happy Friday! I am taking tomorrow off, so last work day of the week for me. Yah!

>86 rretzler: Robin: Oh, no! I'm pretty clumsy myself, so I get it, though.

>87 banjo123: Hi, Rhonda! I'd love to put the kitchen first on the list, but the roof already leaks, so...

>88 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yay for a day off!

On the agenda for today:
Grocery shopping and then hanging out with the Scaife Men (Tomm is working from home today). I may do some of the weekend baking today, too.

On the reading front:
I listened to more of The Freedom Maze, which is really pretty good, read more of Homecoming, which is really really good, and started reading Mort, which isn't too bad, either.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Louise Fatio got the idea for The Happy Lion from an incident in which a lion escaped from a circus near her home."

What We Read Yesterday:
Bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Morning, Amber! Happy Friday!

Are you going to read Gaiman's Norse Mythology with Charlie? I suppose some parts may be a bit too adult.

>92 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

I'm going to read it myself first and then we'll see...

Happy Friday, Amber.

>94 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara!

61. The Freedom Maze by Delia Sherman (Andre Norton Award, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
Thirteen-year-old Sophie dreads spending the summer of 1960 with her grandmother and aunt on an old plantation outside of New Orleans, but when she meets a strange creature in the family maze, she's transported back 100 years, mistook for a slave and learns all sorts of life lessons.
This one was slow to get started but once it did, it was very good. I'd say an excellent introduction to life on a plantation for middle grade readers.

So, have you all heard about the new Murder on the Orient Express movie coming out in November? Kenneth Branagh as Poirot (!), plus Derek Jacobi (!!), Johnny Depp, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench (!!!),... Holy moly, this looks amazing!!

>97 scaifea: I was fangirling about that one earlier this week. It's also got Daisy Ridley and Leslie Odom Jr. in the cast.

>98 MickyFine: Micky: I don't know who those people are, but there are certainly tons of amazing people in it. Branagh I think will be a hoot at Poirot, and I'll watch anything with Depp in it.

>64 scaifea: A shame about Charlie having the double dragon. Poor guy.

Regarding bathrooms. I have always wished for a bathroom like the hotel ones in Europe. One big room, drain in the middle of the floor. But in my dream, the shower head doubles as an extendable sort of sprayer for washing down the whole room...

>100 nittnut: Thanks, Jenn. He's very much on the mend now, thank goodness. He's just spent some time out in the sunshine, laying on a towel and (what else?) reading...

And oh gosh, I love the idea of a drain in the middle and an extending shower head! Genius!

>97 scaifea: It looks so good! That's one I'll definitely go see.

>102 foggidawn: foggi: I know, right?! So. Good.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Amber dear.

>99 scaifea: Daisy Ridley played Rey in Force Awakens and Leslie Odom Jr was the original Aaron Burr in Hamilton.

>97 scaifea: I had heard about the remake, but not who was starring. Sounds like a great cast - I don't know what to think about Branagh as Poirot - it just sort of boggles my mind. I suppose I so used to David Suchet that any one else seems weird. I like Branagh though, so I guess I just have to wait and see.

>104 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Wishing the same for you!

>105 MickyFine: Micky: Ah, that's why - they're both out of my sphere of knowing-about-things.

>106 rretzler: Robin: I'm not sure that Branagh can do any wrong on screen, so I'm okay with it. I've also not seen any other movie or tv adaptations of any Christie stuff (I've been strictly reading her), so my palate is clean, so to speak.

On the agenda for today:
Laundry, baking (Fruity Pound Cake, Peanut Butter Pinwheels, and possibly some S'mores Cupcakes), sewing and probably playing some Minecraft with Charlie. And reading, of course.

On the reading front:
I'm hoping to finish up Homecoming today after making pretty good progress yesterday. I also started listening to One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, and I read a bit more of War and Peace, too.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Judy Delton, author of the Pee Wee Scouts, Angel, and Kitty books, says she didn't write anything beyond 'a note to the milkman' until she was 40 years old."

What We Read Yesterday:
-Will's Words by Jane Sutcliffe (CCBC, picture book) - 10/10 = A
A very cool look at the Shakespeare's and The Globe's history, along with an excellent introduction to just how many words and phrases he coined. Charlie is now fascinated by Shakespeare, so it did just what it says on tin. Definitely recommended.

And also bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives
-Henry and Beezus
-Paddington at Large

>108 scaifea: The words "S'mores Cupcakes" should never be preceded by the word "maybe". ;-)

>110 rosalita: Julia: Ha! You're likely right. Ths issue is that I bought stuff to make the pound cake but then Charlie saw the recipe for the s'mores things on the back of the graham cracker box and got excited, so probably what will happen is that the pound cake won't happen this weekend and the cupcakes will instead...

Sorry I don't have time to properly catch up on your thread, but wanted to stop by and wish you a great weekend, Amber!

>112 tymfos: Hi, Terri!! Good to see you!

>107 scaifea: Well, he can mispronounce every Swedish name and word he comes across... ;)

And you should definitely check out the TV Christie adaptions when you can/want to. I really like the Poirot and Marple series, though not all of them are great (mainly because not all the source books are great). David Suchet is a fantastic Poirot and I can't really imagine anyone else in the role.

Hi, Amber.

Your BFF loves the TV Poirots with David Suchet, and has watched most of them more than once. I'm not the comprehensive zealot she is, but I've liked the ones I've seen.

Madame MBH and I are looking forward to Orphan Black returning. What a tour de force by Tatiana Maslany.

>114 PawsforThought: I've never before had any desire to check out tv or movie version of Christie, but this one just looks so good.

>115 jnwelch: Joe: I'm glad Becca likes the Poirot show, and I admit that I've never even heard of Orphan Black...

62. Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt (1001 Children's Books, 388 pages) - 9/10 = A
Dicey and her brothers and sister are abandoned by their mother in a car in a mall parking lot. They were on their way to an aunt's house, so they decide to keep going on their own, hoping that this unknown relative will take them in and help them find their mother. Dicey leads them on a long journey through towns, state parks, across rivers and bays, sleeping in off-the-road places and doing odd jobs here and there for spare change while avoiding any authorities. Their trek doesn't end at the aunt's place, though, who isn't, for various reasons, good for them. But they learn that they have a possibly-insane grandmother, and so they continue on with their journey, alone but together.
An excellent yarn; I was rooting for Dicey and her little family from Page One.

>117 scaifea: Oh, yay! So glad you enjoyed the first Tillerman book. In addition to loving the characters and the story, I've always thought Voigt does an amazing job of focusing on little details and making them fascinating.

>118 lycomayflower: Laura: I agree about the little details. She's a fantastic storyteller.

63. Old Path White Clouds by Thich Nhat Hanh (Buddhist reading list, 599 pages) - 8/10 = B+
An account of the Buddha's life and teachings.
Gently and lovingly told - a very peaceful read.

>117 scaifea: Awww, I loved that book! Think I was about 10 or 12, and absolutely got sucked into it. It's one of very few books I think about now and then for no particular reason - it just pops into my head. I know there are more books in the series but I don't think I ever read any more of them (probably weren't available at the library).

>121 PawsforThought: Paws: It's very good. I've read the next in the series, too, and it's also excellent.

I keep wanting to see the film Moana. Is it good?

Hey Amber! Wow, Charlie is growing up right before our eyes! He looks a little bit older with every new thread. Scary how time flies.

>123 EBT1002: Ellen: Oh, it's excellent! Good story, great music, and I love the there isn't a love interest for the princess in sight. At all. It's fabulous.

>124 Carmenere: Lynda: Doesn't he, though? So fast.

On the agenda for today:
A bit more baking (I made the S'mores Cupcakes yesterday and I'll make the pound cake today), a bit of laundry, some sewing, and hopefully some reading.

On the reading front:
After finishing Old Path White Clouds I started A Lear of the Steppes, and I listened to more of One, Two, Buckle My Shoe. Today I think I'll start my Goodreads Giveaway, Poems That Make Grown Women Cry.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Being allergic to ice cream cones never stopped Nonny Hogrogian (Always Room for One More, 1966 Caldecott Medal; One Fine Day, 1972 Caldecott Medal) from eating them anyway."

What We Read Yesterday:
Bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
-Henry and Beezus
-Paddington at Large
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Happy Sunday, Amber! Still cool today but the abundant sunshine is helping. I have not read a lick this weekend, so I need to hunker down with the books.
Hope you are enjoying the day.

Hope you have had a lovely weekend my dear, love and hugs.

Hiya, Amber!

I'm with you on the fabulousity of the movie Moana. Go Lin-Manuel! Moana also looks just like a friend's daughter. (She's a senior in high school, and hopes to be a successful actress).

Hope you've been having a relaxing weekend.

>128 msf59: Hi, Mark! I've been able to do quite a bit of reading this weekend, which has been really wonderful, of course. Lots of sun here, too - the Scaife Men spent a good part of the afternoon washing our cars...

>129 johnsimpson: Hi, John! Thanks!

>130 jnwelch: Joe: Moana is, I think, one of the prettier of the Disney Princesses. I'm definitely a fan.

You have to watch the shows with David Suchet as Poirot, Amber. Poirot was my least favourite Christie detective until I saw Suchet in the role.

Good luck with your renos. I lived through major renos back in 2007-8. The redo of the kitchen was my favourite part. The cabinets were a honey coloured wood and there were wonderful deep drawers you could put pots in. Too bad we had to sell when we split up. My kitchen in my townhouse is much smaller and the cabinets are painted white, which I hate. I would love to gut the kitchen and make it mine.

>132 Familyhistorian: Meg: Maybe someday with the Suchet shows.

It looks like, for now, the kitchen will be put on hold, because the roof and the windows take precedence and we don't want to over-extend our finances too much. Eventually, though.

>133 scaifea:..Hi Amber, owning a house can certainly be costly. We really need to have our kitchen cabinets fixed, but seem to be stuck regarding to reface or replace.

We put a lot of money into our house in the last years including some of the items that naturally wear out after 17 years including a new oven, new dryer and washing machine, replacement of carpets with hard wood floors, a new refrigerator, a new hot water heater.

Good luck with your projects.

Happy Sunday to you my friend!

>134 Whisper1: Hi, Linda! Homeownership is great, but sometimes stressful, isn't it?

On the agenda for today:
Treadmilling, writing, sewing, lunch with a friend, a trip to the library. Curried Rice Noodles for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
I listened to more of One, Two Buckle My Shoe yesterday, and read more than half of Poems That Make Grown Women Cry.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Nancy Tafuri's husband gave her the idea of Have You Seen My Duckling? (1985 Caldecott Honor Book) when he said a story about the mallard mother and her ducklings on their property would make a great book."

What We Read Yesterday:
-A Well-Mannered Young Wolf by Jean Leroy (public library book, picture book) - 8/10 = B
And bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-Henry and Beezus
-Paddington at Large
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Morning, Amber!

>138 msf59: Morning, Mark!

Morning, Amber!

How is Poems that Make Grown Women Cry so far?

>140 jnwelch: Yeah...are you crying yet? I need to check out the table of contents on that one.

>140 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! It's excellent, just excellent.

>141 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Yes, I've cried a couple of times so far. There are some that don't really move me at all, some that are old friends and some that are completely new to me and have made me break down. This one had me sobbing in bed last night:

'Timothy Winters'

Timothy Winters comes to school
With eyes as wide as a football-pool,
Ears like bombs and teeth like splinters:
A blitz of a boy is Timothy Winters.

His belly is white, his neck is dark,
And his hair is an exclamation-mark.
His clothes are enough to scare a crow
And through his britches the blue winds blow.

When teacher talks he won't hear a word
And he shoots down dead the arithmetic-bird,
He licks the pattern off his plate
And he's not even heard of the Welfare State.

Timothy Winters has bloody feet
And he lives in a house on Suez Street,
He sleeps in a sack on the kithen floor
And they say there aren't boys like him anymore.

Old Man Winters likes his beer
And his missus ran off with a bombardier,
Grandma sits in the grate with a gin
And Timothy's dosed with an aspirin.

The welfare Worker lies awake
But the law's as tricky as a ten-foot snake,
So Timothy Winters drinks his cup
And slowly goes on growing up.

At Morning Prayers the Master helves
for children less fortunate than ourselves,
And the loudest response in the room is when
Timothy Winters roars "Amen!"

So come one angel, come on ten
Timothy Winters says "Amen
Amen amen amen amen."
Timothy Winters, Lord. Amen

Charles Causley

And this one:

Clearances, 3.

When all the others were away at Mass
I was all hers as we peeled potatoes.
They broke the silence, let fall one by one
Like solder weeping off the soldering iron:
Cold comforts set between us, things to share
Gleaming in a bucket of clean water.
And again let fall. Little pleasant splashes
From each other's work would bring us to our senses.

So while the parish priest at her bedside
Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying
And some were responding and some crying
I remembered her head bent towards my head,
Her breath in mine, our fluent dipping knives—
Never closer the whole rest of our lives.

Seamus Heaney

>132 Familyhistorian: I totally agree, Meg. For me Suchet IS Poirot and there can never be another.

>142 scaifea: Yep, those two are grippers, all right. The Heaney gets me because all of a sudden I remember so clearly watching my grandmother peel potatoes into an enamel pan full of water.

>144 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: I have lots of memories of peeling potatoes, snapping beans and shelling peas side by side with my mom, and there was always the same green enamel pan there, too.

>132 Familyhistorian:, David Suchet was in the latest episode of the current Dr Who series and was creepily good.

Hope you are having a really good day Amber my dear, we both send love and hugs.

>146 johnsimpson: Thanks, John - you, too!

64. Poems That Make Grown Women Cry edited by Anthony Holden & Ben Holden (Goodreads Giveaway, 330 pages) - 9/10 = A
This is a collection of poems, chosen and introduced by women of varying celebrity, based on their (the poems) ability to move those women on an emotional level. I enjoyed the book for several reasons. The poems themselves, of course, first off. Many were old friends (some Shakespeare, ‘On My First Son’ by Ben Johnson, Byron’s ‘So, we’ll go no more a roving,’ Dickenson’s ‘I took my Power in my Hands’ among them); some were new to me and didn’t really affect me, but other new ones did indeed bring me to tears (‘Timothy Winters’ by Charles Causley and ‘Clearances’ by Seamus Heaney, to name a couple). So the poetry alone is worth the read, and I’ve added several poets to my list of ones to look up and read more, and have moved others already on the list closer to the top. But in addition to the poetry, many of the introductions, written by the women who chose the poems, were lovely as well, and have led to another list, particularly of the writers among the group, of women I want to know more about and read more of. So yes, I definitely recommend the collection, to those who may be looking for a way to dip into reading poetry, and also to those old hats at the poetry-reading biz, as it’s always worth looking at things (poems included) through someone else’s thoughts.

>148 scaifea: It sounds great Amber, the poems and the stories, both.
I loved the Seamus Heaney poem as well. Shelling beans, and other simple kitchen tasks, all very good memories of my mother.

>149 EllaTim: Ella: I need to read more Heaney - he's amazing.

This is a companion volume to Poems That Make Grown Men Cry, and now I very much want to read it, too.

>148 scaifea: Wow! If 'Timothy Winters' is any indication of the content and quality, I can certainly see how Poems that Make Grown Women Cry would get a 9/10! And I have a Heany waiting for me. I didn't get to it in April, as was my plan, but better late than never...someday soon I hope!

>151 Berly: Kim: Timothy Winters is one of the better one of the ones I didn't know - there are some that just didn't touch me much at all, but that's up to individual taste, of course. It's a pretty nice collection all round, and I love the different levels of enjoyment, too (the poems, then the commentary, and getting to discover what poems people like Mariella Fostrup like.

Hi, Amber!

>148 scaifea: I'm going to have to get my hands on that volume!

>153 Storeetllr: Hi, Mary! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

On the agenda for today:
Treadmilling, writing, sewing. Possibly a nap (I haven't slept well for the past couple of nights).

On the reading front:
After finishing up the poetry collection, I started reading Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Just before Eleanor Estes drew the pictures for Ginger Pye (1952 Newbery Medal), she had been drawing upside down so her daughter could see drawings right-side-up. Estes had to get used to drawing 'straight on' again."

What We Read Yesterday:
Bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
-Henry and Beezus
-Paddington at Large
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Morning, Amber! More rain and cold? Nooooooooo...

>157 msf59: Morning, Mark! Did you get storms last night? We sure did.

Good morning, Amber!

Maybe Mark got storms. Where we are, lots were predicted, but not much showed up. I'm hoping they hold off again until Mr. Mark is done.

Poems that Make Grown Women Cry sounds good. It's funny, I was thinking, I'll bet there'll be a sequel, Poems that Make Grown Men Cry, but you let us know that it's already out there. I'll be taking a look.

You might also like Americans' Favorite Poems, which was former U.S. poet laureate Robert Pinsky's project. People provide their favorites, and briefly explain why they're so significant to them.

>158 scaifea: We did too, Amber! Lots of boomy thunder and lightning.

>159 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

I hope the rain holds off for our favorite mail carrier, too.

I'll put the Pinsky project on the list - thanks!

>160 rosalita: Julia: Lots here, too. It doesn't bother Mario much, but poor Tuppence hides herself under our bed.

>158 scaifea: We had snow two days ago, and freezing cold winds yesterday and today. Really weird weather - I hope yours turns out better!

>162 PawsforThought: Paws: Snow! Goodness. It's turned out to be a bit cloudy today, but no more rain, and it's not too chilly.

>163 scaifea: Yeah. Apparently we're getting winds from the Arctic (and there's no mountain range or anything in that direction to stop them).
It's not unusual for it to be cold and even snowy at the end of April (Walpurgis Night on the 30th seems to ALWAYS be cold) but it usually warms up quite a bit in May. We had lovely weather last week but the icy winds blew in over the weekend and are supposed to stay until Friday.
I just hope we don't get a cold and/or windy summer. I've had enough of those.

>164 PawsforThought: Paws: Fingers crossed.

65. The Young Visiters by Daisy Ashford (1001 Children's Books, 103 pages) - 7/10 = C
This was, apparently, written by a 9-year-old girl in 1890. Precocious for that age, yes, but there's not much else to say about it, I'm afraid.

On the agenda for today:
Writing, sewing, possibly another nap, and a trip to the library before picking Charlie up from school.

On the reading front:
I finished One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (more on that later), started Hurry Home, Candy and read more of Hrolf Kraki's Saga.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "In 1975, the best-selling children's book of the twentieth century was Green Eggs and Ham, which sold about two million copies with sales still going strong."

What We Read Yesterday:
-We're All Wonders by R. J. Palacio (public library book, picture book) - 8/10 = B+
And bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-Henry and Beezus
-Paddington at Large
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Hey Amber. I'm way behind but wishing you a day...

Or even a good day... :-)

Morning, Amber! Happy Wednesday! I have the day off. I see a bird hike sometime in my A.M...

>169 charl08: >170 charl08: Charlotte: Ha! Hey, I'll take being wished a day!

>171 msf59: Morning, Mark! Enjoy the bird walk!

Happy Day, Amber! (I heard you like being wished a day).

I'm amazed and heartened that Wonder by R.J. Palacio continues to be up near the top of the middle grade/young adult bestseller lists after all this time. Such an important message for all of us.

>173 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Thanks for the day wishes!

Can you believe that I have yet to read Wonder?! Yoicks.

66. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie (Christie bibliography, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
Another entirely enjoyable entry in the Poirot series. So many red herrings, as always, and an unguessable mystery, again as usual.

>174 scaifea: Yoicks! I'm not one to push, but if I was, I'd be pushin' re Wonder. It's a knockout.

>176 jnwelch: Joe: I believe it! I do want to read it - I'm not sure why I haven't yet... Weird.

Hey, look, I finished a sewing project! This is another little peasant dress for my shop:

>178 scaifea: I hope you're selling lot of those dresses, Amber. I think they are the cutest thing ever...and comfy for the kids.

Oh, that's lovely!

Karen O.

Hi Amber my dear, I haven't properly posted to you for a while, things always seem to crop up. I love the peasant dress you have made, you really are a very talented lady.

Hope all is well with you, Tomm and Charlie and not forgetting Mario and Tuppence and that the weather is good where you are. We have had a good day and Karen has been baking, I will post more on my thread about this and we have had Hannah today. Sending love and hugs to you all from across the water, we are too far apart really.

>179 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda. I do okay with them, although I don't really get a ton of traffic on my etsy shop. I'm okay either way, really - if I sold tons of them, then I'd have to hustle and make tons more, and a slow-and-steady pace is more my style right now.

>180 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen!

>181 johnsimpson: Hi, John! We're all doing fine here, although it's a bit rainy and dreary at the moment. Give Karen and Hannah hugs for me!

Reading Update:

I had to abandon Hurry Home, Candy - it's about an abused puppy. Nopenopitynopenope.

>174 scaifea: You're not alone Amber. I've had Wonder sitting on my desk since it came out and Beckham's class read it. I think I hesitate because I'm pretty sure its going to be a tear-jerker, and it takes me a while to recover from those, even when they're very, very good.

>183 scaifea: I don't blame you a bit for that one, I can't stand books about abused children or animals. There is far too little time in the world to read a book like that.

>184 rretzler: Robin: I don't even had a particular reason for not having read Wonder yet. I just, well, haven't. Must bump it up the list some, I think.

And yeah, I just don't do animal books, really, and especially if the animal is abused. I'm sure that the pupper ends up with a loving family at the end, but I'd never make it that far, plus the last two DeJong books I've read have been lackluster anyway, so I think I may be done with his stuff at this point.

Wishing you a wonderful day.

>186 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! I'm wishing the same for you!

On the agenda for today:
Menu planning, grocery-listing, and then some of the grocery shopping before my Thursday afternoon library volunteering.

On the reading front:
I listened to some of The Body in the Library, tried to read Hurry Home, Candy and decided against it, and read more of Mort.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Student Zilpha Keatley Snyder taught at Berkeley. A game her daughter played inspired Snyder to write The Egypt Game (1968 Newbery Honor Book)."

What We Read Yesterday:
Bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Book
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
-Henry and Beezus
-Paddington at Large
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Morning, Amber! Looks like back to cool and damp. Yippee!!

>190 msf59: Ha! Morning, Mark! I sense some sarcasm, maybe...

Morning, Amber! Sweet Thursday!

The Body in the Library - Dame Agatha is a reliable good time, isn't she. I still go back and reread hers on a regular basis. And it's so cool that you sell your creations on etsy.

>192 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

I'm definitely a Christie fan and have been slowly working my way through her stuff for a few years now. I've never once been able to guess correctly the culprit beforehand. Since reading the Holmes stories, Doyle has surpassed her for me, but I still enjoy her stuff no end.

And thanks - I've had my quiet little etsy shop for a handful of years now. It's never been gangbusters, but I have a slow, steady business.

Adorable little dress. I didn't know you had a shop.

Hello, Amber, I've gotten hopelessly behind threads and have pretty much given up ever really being "caught up". Glad to see lots of reading and good stuff happening here. That dress is absolutely adorable. Happy to see you enjoyed Homecoming. I loved it and Dicey's Song when I read them several years ago. I'm probably due for a reread one of these days.

In answer to your bonus question, of course I'd answer more bookshelves. I have an apartment I rent from family friends in a bigger house. It's old and huge and has a lot of character as a result. In fact, my apartment on the 2nd floor has a laundry chute down to the basement that may or may not have been a dumbwaiter once upon a time. I love that I have lots of storage space in shelves and closets. I'd probably change the paint color to more blues and greens where they're kind of yellow and neutral, but I doubt a paint change will happen until after I move out some day. Too much stuff - including bookshelves - on the walls. I'd also rather have a rack for cooking utensils and food rather than the drawers I'm using now.

>194 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! My shop is here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/elizaandelectra
I have a Facebook page for it, too, and even occasionally post there: https://www.facebook.com/elizaandelectra

>195 bell7: Hi, Mary! I did really enjoy both Homecoming and Dicey's Song, the latter of which I read a couple of years ago. I may eventually read more of her Tillerman books.

Your apartment sounds pretty cool - I love the laundry chute!

I used to have a pot rack in our house in Ohio and loved it, but don't have a place for it here.

I knew you had an etsy shop, but for some reason never visited it. Now seems a good time, especially since you've provided the web address and I'll be able to bookmark it.

As far as your bonus question, I just moved into this place, so I don't know all the idiosyncrasies yet, but as of right now, I'd like more cupboard space in the kitchen - or a built-in pantry - and a slightly wider bathroom. As it is, I almost have to go sideways to get from the door to the toilet.

>197 Storeetllr: Mary: Oh, tiny toilet space! Yoicks. I hope the rest of the moving and settling in is going well, though.

On the agenda for today:
Grocery shopping and then possibly some garage sailing (it's the town-wide one here this weekend). Charlie has gymnastics class this evening.

On the reading front:
I listened to more of The Body in the Library and read more of Mort.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Jack Ezra Keats cut patterns in gum erasers and dipped them in paint to stamp on the paper to make snowflakes for The Snowy Day (1963 Caldecott Medal)."

Morning, Amber! Back to shorts...and no sarcasm...today, anyway.

>200 msf59: Morning, Mark! Woot for shorts weather!!

Morning, Amber!

I like that The Snowy Day trivia.

Hey, your reading The Body in the Library reminded me - there's a big Dame Agatha Kindle sale going on, $1.99 each. http://wmmorrow.hc.com/christieclassics?utm_source=3089299&utm_medium=Silver...

>202 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I love the Keats tidbit, too. Charlie and I just love that story.

And thanks for the tip on the Christie books! I'm very much enjoying this particular one - her books always make me want to go have Tea with the village ladies, somehow, and gossip about the locals...

>196 scaifea: Very cool stuff you have there!! Such talents lie within LTer's.

>204 RebaRelishesReading: Aw, thanks, Reba!

> 183 & >185 scaifea: I own a copy of the Dutch translation of Hurry Home Candy and will probably get to it later this year, Amber, I will tell you the good parts if you want ;-)

>206 FAMeulstee: Anita: Ha! Yes, do let me know if the poor thing finds a good home in the end (I'm almost certain that he does, elsewise what a *terrible* book it would be!).

Hi Amber, hope you have had a good week my dear and wishing you and the family a really lovely weekend dear friend. Sending love and hugs from the both of us.

>208 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John! I hope you and Karen have a great weekend, too!

>199 scaifea: Amber, what on earth is garage sailing?

Whatever it is, I trust that it will contribute to a great weekend.

>199 scaifea: "sailing" from one garage sale to another?😉I love town-wide sales. Since we don't live in a town, and those nearest to us are too snooty for such things, I have to cruise the county to have that kind of fun.

>210 PaulCranswick: Paul: Ha! Garage sailing is a very specific kind of (non-)water sport involving people's garages filled with stuff they no longer need for sale for pocket change. If it were an Olympic event, I'm fairly confident I'd make my country proud.

>211 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: It's one of my favorite things about having moved to this area: it's pocked with tiny towns here and there, and all summer long, nearly every weekend one or two of them have organizing town-wide sales. So fun. And since my shop is based on making new things out of upcycled old things, these sales are where I get most of my materials. Just yesterday I bought 5 shirts for more little peasant dresses, for example.

>212 scaifea: Sound like fun, Amber. Do people give books away for next to nothing?

On the agenda for today:
Laundry, cleaning the house, bills, organizing the weekly photos, possibly baking.

On the reading front:
I listened to more of The Body in the Library and read more of Mort. I'd love to finish them both today, but we'll see. Oh, and I read a bit more of War and Peace last night, too.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "When a sixteen-year-old Ludwig Bemelmans (Madeline's Rescue, 1954 Caldecott Medal) came to the United States from Europe in 1914, he made sure he had two pistols and plenty of ammunition to protect himself from the American Indians he'd read about in books."

What We Read Yesterday:
-The Princess and the Warrior by Duncan Tonatiuh (CCBC, picture book) - 8/10 = B+
And bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-Henry and Beezus
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives
And we finished:

67. Paddington at Large by Michael Bond (Charlie's bedtime read, 128 pages) - 10/10 = A
Gosh, we love Paddington.

Happy Saturday morning, Amber!

Hiya, Amber!

Did you ever read any of Tove Jannsen's Moomin stories? They were a favorite of your BFF when she was little; I'd read them to her. She found a Moomin board book at a church sale this morning, and was quite excited to buy it. It was fun to see her enthusiasm after all these years.

>217 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Oh, yes, we LOVE Moomin!

>218 scaifea: Woot! I'll tell Becca. She's joining us for a Shakespeare play this afternoon.

>219 jnwelch: Joe: Oooh, what play?! I still really want to find a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream this summer for Charlie.

I goofed, Amber. It was a play involving Shakespeare - a play adaptation of "Shakespeare in Love" at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. (Some day I'll learn to pay attention). It was described by Chris Jones (local critic) as "warm, engaging and accessible", and it was all of that. Then we went to Becca's and visited the famed Sherlock. Lots of kisses from that guy - he's much more demonstrative than his namesake.

A Midsummer Night's Dream would be a great one for Mr. Charlie. I hope you can find a production.

>221 jnwelch: Joe: Oh, is the play related to the movie of the same name?

I'd love to meet that furry Sherlock someday...

And yes, I do hope I can find one - it was the first Shakespeare play I ever saw (at age 7) and I think it's a fabulous introduction to the guy's work for little folks.

>222 scaifea: Yes - a play adaptation of the movie. You don't see that happen too often. It was very good.

I hope you do get to meet the furry Sherlock. A Midsummer Night's Dream is a great intro to Willie Shakes for little folks, I agree.

>223 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I do hope we can find one this summer.

On the agenda for today:
Baking (it didn't happen yesterday: apple pie and possibly also granola bars), a bit of laundry, maybe some sewing and hopefully some reading time. Tomm and Charlie are taking me 'out' for dinner, to one of our little town parks for some grilled cheeseburgers.

On the reading front:
I read more of Mort (nearly finished) and Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids yesterday. I may finish the former today...

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Lois Lowry (The Giver, Newbery Medal) and Allen Say (Grandfather's Journey, Caldecott Medal) sat at the same table during the 1994 awards ceremony. They learned that they had lived in Tokyo at the same time when they were children. Tey ma have even seen each other because Lowry lived around the corner from Say's school."

Happy Mother's Day, Amber! That's quite a lad you're raising.

What We Ready Yesterday:
Bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths
-Henry and Beezus
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

>226 jnwelch: Aw, thanks so much, Joe!

68. Mort by Terry Pratchett (Discworld series, 295 pages) - 8/10 = B+
Death takes on an apprentice and things don't go exactly as scheduled.
Again, I chuckled in the right places and acknowledge Pratchett's cleverness, but I'm still waiting for these Discworld books to wow me as they seem to wow so many others. I do like Death, and Mort's pretty okay, but the ending to this one irritated me for reasons. *shrug*

I just read Borne and there is a character in it called Mort, and he is pretty much death to all around him. Happy Mother's Day!!

>230 Berly: Kim: Makes complete sense.

And thanks!

On the agenda for today:
Writing, sewing, prepping dinner in the slow-cooker (Beef Stew), a few errands (library, post office, bank) before picking Charlie up from school.

On the reading front:
I'm nearly finished with The Body in the Library and after finishing up Mort, I also polished off Hrolf Kraki's Saga (more on that later).

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "Lyman Frank Baum wrote under many names, including L. Frank Baum, Frank L. Baum, Floyd Akens, and Edith Van Dyne."

What We Read Yesterday:
-The Airport Book by Lisa Brown (CCBC, picture book) - 9/10 = A
And bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-Sci-Fi Junior High
-Henry and Beezus
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Morning, Amber! Well, it looks like we are getting the weather we were wishing for. Looks to be warm week. Yah, shorts!

Hope you had a fine Mother's Day!

>234 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yay for shorts! Charlie's excited that he gets to wear them to school today, too.

Morning, Amber!

I liked Mort, and other Discworld novels, but my reaction was essentially identical to yours. I'm still waiting for one to wow me as they have so many others. I'm up to four or five, so it's getting close to time for me to give up. The most unfortunate parts are I loved Good Omens, the one he did with Gaiman, and it seems like Pratchett was a great guy.

>236 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I really want to love these books, but I just sort of like them. I'm with you - Good Omens was amazing, and I'm chalking most of that up to my boy Neil. What I don't understand is that Pratchett seems to be a lot like Douglas Adams, whose stuff I adore, so you'd think I'd love Pratchett's stuff, too. I'm in it for the long haul, though, because so many of these Discworld books show up on the awards lists I'm working through.

69. Hrolf Kraki's Saga by Poul Anderson (BFS Award, 277 pages) - 9/10 = A-
I loved this retelling of Danish saga. Heroes and gods (Beowulf and Odin even make appearances), monsters and witches, and all very well told.

70. The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie (Christie bibliography, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
Another Christie novel, another murder I couldn't solve. I love Christie's stuff to bits.

>237 scaifea: I loved Good Omens, but Discworld has not worked for me yet. I am willing to give it one more try, but....

>240 Berly: Kim: Good to know I'm not alone in this, I guess...? Ha!

>239 scaifea: That's one of my favourite Marples thus far. :)

Wishing you a lovely Monday.

>242 MickyFine: Micky: I tend to think that I like the Poirot stories more than the Marple ones, but then I read a Marple one and remember that I really like her, too. Ha!

>237 scaifea: Yes, I love reading Douglas Adams, too. Well, I'll be watching your reactions to Discworld books you'll be reading. If one really works for you, I'll read it, too, since we seem to be in the same starting place.

>243 scaifea: I haven't really read any Poirot (except for The Murder of Roger Ackroyd). I want to do all the Marples first and then I'll go back and hang with the Belgian detective. So I couldn't really pick a favourite at this point. :)

>244 jnwelch: I'm happy to be your guinea pig Huckleberry, Joe.

>245 MickyFine: Micky: Oh, nice idea! As far as Poirot goes, think Sherlock (smart and *knows* it), but way finickier about everything and, well, Belgian.

When I was younger, I much preferred the Marple stories. On this current re-read at a more (ahem) advanced age, I still really like Miss Marple but I am discovering a new fondness for Poirot.

>247 rosalita: Julia: I sort of love to be annoyed by both of them, if that makes any sense at all (and I'm not holding out much hope that it does).

>248 scaifea: Oh, dear. It actually does sort of make sense! I'm more annoyed by Poirot but you're right that I'm not any less annoyed now, I just enjoy it more. We is weird.

>249 rosalita: Julia: Members of the same Weirdo Tribe! I love it!

I like Poirot, and Miss Marple kind of drives me bananas. Lol

>251 nittnut: Jenn: Ha! I think Marple drives me slightly less bananas than Poirot, but somehow I still love the books.

I prefer Poirot to Marple, though I enjoyed both.

On the topic of Discworld, I read the Tiffany Aching books and loved them, but have only tried a few of the others and found them just okay. I've also really enjoyed some of Pratchett's stand-alone writing -- Nation was excellent, for instance. Perhaps you will find that the series grows on you as you go.

Happy Tuesday, Amber.

When I first started reading Christie (in my mid-teens) I preferred Poirot to Marple, but with time I've grown to be very fond of the old Miss, too. I don't find either of them irritating/annoying, though if I met him in real life Poirot would most likely drive me up the wall.

>253 foggidawn: foggi: Well, as I said, I'm in it for the long haul, whether they grown on me or not. I certainly don't actively dislike them at all; I'm just not amazed by them as others seem to be.

>254 Ameise1: Hi, Barbara!

>255 PawsforThought: Paws: I both admire and am irritated by them both, which may, in fact, be part of the point.

On the agenda for today:
Writing, sewing, possibly a nap in there somewhere. More slow-cooker prep for dinner tonight, which will be Florentine Chicken Soup, I think.

On the reading front:
After finishing The Body in the Library, I started listening to Norse Mythology (thanks, Mark!), and then after a trip to the library, I started reading Garram the Hunter and read a bit more of A Lear of the Steppes.

The Newbery/Caldecott Trivia: "A 1983 apartment fire destroyed all of David Wiesner's (Tuesday, 1992 Caldecott Medal) work up to that time."

What We Read Last Night:
-Shopkins: A Kooky Easter Surprise by Meredith Rusu (public library book, picture book) - 8/10 = B
And bits of:
-Minecraft Construction Handbook
-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

Morning, Amber! Have a great time with Norse Mythology! Lots of fun.

>259 msf59: Mark: This book is a perfect storm for me: Norse myths are one of my favorite sets of myths, Neil is my Main Man, of course, and his voice? Ooof.

Wow! Win, Win, Win! Yah!

>260 scaifea: Is it weird that I feel somehow proud that Norse myths are your favourite? Even though I had nothing to do with creating them.

>261 msf59: Mark: B.A.G. is the proper phrase, I think.

>262 PawsforThought: Paws: ONE of my favorites. The Greeks and Romans hold pride of place, of course. But yeah, the Norse myths come in a close second. And Loki is my all-time favorite trickster god (and the tricksters are my favorite kind of gods). Pan just doesn't hold a candle, I'm afraid.

>263 scaifea: But still, I didn't have anything to do with their creation so I don't really have reason to feel pride. But I still do.

The new thread is up:

http://www.librarything.com/topic/257318