SusanJ's 75 Books Challenge - Thread 10

Hello, and welcome to my tenth thread for 2017.

I'm Susan, a Kiwi living in London for the past 22 years. During the working week I'm a lawyer so I love nerdy legal stuff, which crops up in more books than you might expect.

Over the past few years I've started to read a lot more non-fiction, so my reading is now more balanced between F and NF than it typically has been. I typically aim for 150 books, with a 100 NF/50 F split, although this year isn't working out quite like that. I think I spend more *time* reading NF than F, but NF books tend to be longer and more complicated than a quick novel.

While I read mostly from the library, I do have a fair few books that I've bought (mostly for the Kindle) and I need to keep my eye on those so that I actually read them instead of just accumulating them. This year I want to read at least 50 books from Mount TBR (which counts as anything I own) so I'm adding a ticker for that too.

Books read during 2017



By Dick Mudde - Own work, Public Domain, Link

January

1. The Trials of the King of Hampshire by Elizabeth Foyster
2. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
3. Make Me by Lee Child
4. The Bible: The Biography by Karen Armstrong
5. Before We Kiss by Susan Mallery
6. Until We Touch by Susan Mallery
7. Night School by Lee Child
8. Under Another Sky by Charlotte Higgins
9. Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg
10. The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf
11. Defiance: The Life and Choices of Lady Anne Barnard by Stephen Taylor
12. The Last Grain Race by Eric Newby
13. The Improbability of Love by Hannah Rothschild
14. Hold Me by Susan Mallery
15. Kiss Me by Susan Mallery
16. Thrill Me by Susan Mallery
17. Toast by Nigel Slater
18. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan
19. The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths
20. Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett
21. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
22. The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
23. Looking for Alaska by John Green



February

24. China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
25. The Tidal Zone by Sarah Moss
26. The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown
27. The Riviera Set by Mary S Lovell
28. Five Star Billionaire by Tash Aw
29. The Dinosaur Hunters by Deborah Cadbury
30. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
31. Evicted by Matthew Desmond
32. China's Disruptors by Edward Tse
33. Oil on Water by Helon Habila
34. Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb
35. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
36. The Unwinding by George Packer



March

37. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
38. The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker
39. The Templar Legacy
40. Waves of Prosperity: Indian, China and the West: How Global Trade Transformed the World
41. Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb
42. The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
43. How to Survive a Plague by David France
44. Missing Pieces by Heather Gudenkauf
45. The Mighty Dead by Adam Nicolson
46. The House At Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
47. A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths
48. The Life Project by Helen Pearson
49. You May Also Like by Tom Vanderbilt
50. Another Day in the Death of America by Gary Younge



April

51. The Big Rock Candy Mountain by Wallace Stegner
52. The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
53. The Wangs vs the World by Jade Chang
54. Hit Makers by Derek Thompson
55. The Epigenetics Revolution by Nessa Carey
56. The Windflower by Laura London
57. An African in Greenland by Tete-Michel Kpomassie
58. The Leveller Revolution by John Rees
59. The Death of an Owl by Paul Torday
60. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
61. Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham
62. Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara
63. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
64. The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso
65. Vicious Circle by C J Box



May

66. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
67. Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
68. The Plague Charmer by Karen Maitland
68.5 Midnight at Tiffany's by Sarah Morgan
69. The Doctor's Engagement by Sarah Morgan
70. Mail Men by Adrian Addison
71. Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson
72. Good As You by Paul Flynn
73. Fully Connected by Julia Hobsbawm
74. Irresistible by Adam Alter
75. The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu by Charlie English
76. Los Alamos by Joseph Kanon
77. Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag
78. The House of Hidden Mothers by Meera Syal
79. About Last Night by Catherine Alliott



June

80. Barbara the Slut and Other People
81. Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb
82. All This Will Be Lost by Brian Payton
83. Queer City by Peter Ackroyd
84. Heat and Light by Jennifer Haigh
85. On Intelligence by John Hughes-Wilson
86. The Husband Hunters by Anne de Courcy



July

87. A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee
88. Koh-i-Noor by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand
89. See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
90. The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson
91. The Outcasts of Time by Ian Mortimer
92. Collecting the World by James Delbourgo
93. The Anatomy of a Traitor by Michael Smith
94. He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope
95. A Very British Coup by Chris Mullin
96. Fifty Things That Made the Modern Economy by Tim Harford
97. House of Spies by Daniel Silva



August

98. A Murder of Magpies by Judith Flanders
99. Emigrants: Why the English Sailed to the New World by James Evans
100. Caesar's Last Breath by Sam Kean
101. Ulverton by Adam Thorpe
102. Pale Rider by Laura Spinney
103. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
104. History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund
105. The King's City by Don Jordan
106. One Hot Summer by Rosemary Ashton
107. Crusoe's Island by Andrew Lambert
108. The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths
109. Do I Make Myself Clear? by Harold Evans
110. Lovers and Strangers by Clair Wills
111. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
112. Hidden Figures by Margo Lee Shetterly



September

113. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
114. The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths
115. Dragon's Lair by Sharon Penman
116. Pirates by Helen Hollick
117. Medicus by Ruth Downie
118. A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
119. The Sanctuary Seeker by Bernard Knight
120. Wine of Violence by Priscilla Royal



October

121. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
122. Prince of Darkness by Sharon Penman
123. The Strangest Family by Janice Hadham
124. The Norfolk Mystery by Ian Sansom
125. Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
126. Best of My Love by Susan Mallery
127. The Terror by Dan Simmons
128. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
129. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
130. Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X Kendi
131. Pandora's Lab by Paul Offit
132. Logical Family by Armistead Maupin
133. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan
134. 1984 by George Orwell



November

135. Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller
136. Dunbar by Edward St Aubyn
137. Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit
138. Windblown by Tamsin Treverton Jones
139. A Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oates
140. The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star by Vaseem Khan
141. No Middle Name by Lee Child
142. The Poisoned Chalice by Bernard Knight
143. Elizabeth's Rival by Nicola Tallis
144. The Upstarts by Brad Stone
145. The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin
146. The Last Hours by Minette Walters
147. The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb
148. The Mamur Zapt and the Return of the Carpet by Michael Pearce
149. One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters

December

150. Terra Incognita by Ruth Downie
151. Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
152. A House Full of Daughters by Juliet Nicolson
153. Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride
154. Anonymous NF
155. Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell
156. Revenge of the Rich by Austin Mitchell
157. Dying Light by Stuart MacBride
158. The Good People by Hannah Kent
159. Broken Skin by Stuart MacBride
160. Flesh House by Stuart MacBride
161. Blind Eye by Stuart MacBride
162. The Troublemakers by Leslie Berlin

Last year I started a new NF challenge, which is to read the non-fiction winners of the Pulitzer prize. I stole this idea from Reba, who was doing a fiction challenge (and has now finished it. Hi Reba!) This is a long-term project, rather than something to be completed in a year or two. If I can't find the relevant non-fiction winner easily in the UK, I propose to substitute the winner of the history category.

Last year I read about eight books from the list. This year I'd like to do the same, but I have five already and I'll focus on those.



Here's the full list:



2017 Evicted by Matthew Desmond
2016 Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick
2015 The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
2014 Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation by Dan Fagin
2013 Devil in the Grove by Gilbert King
2012 The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
2011 The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
2010 The Dead Hand: The Untold Story of the Cold War Arms Race and Its Dangerous Legacy by David E. Hoffman



2009 Slavery by Another Name: The Re-Enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II by Douglas A Blackmon
2008 The Years of Extermination: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 1939-1945 by Saul Friedländer
2007 The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright
2006 Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya by Caroline Elkins
2005 Ghost Wars by Steve Coll
2004 Gulag: A History by Anne Applebaum
2003 A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power
2002 Carry Me Home: Birmingham, Alabama, the Climactic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution by Diane McWhorter
2001 Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan by Herbert P Bix
2000 Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II by John W. Dower



1999 Annals of the Former World by John McPhee
1998 Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
1997 Ashes To Ashes: America's Hundred-Year Cigarette War, The Public Health, And The Unabashed Triumph Of Philip Morris by Richard Kluger
1996 The Haunted Land: Facing Europe's Ghosts After Communism by Tina Rosenberg
1995 The Beak Of The Finch: A Story Of Evolution In Our Time by Jonathan Weiner
1994 Lenin's Tomb: The Last Days Of The Soviet Empire by David Remnick
1993 Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America by Garry Wills
1992 The Prize: The Epic Quest For Oil, Money & Power by Daniel Yergin
1991 The Ants by Bert Holldobler and Edward O Wilson
1990 And Their Children After Them by Dale Maharidge and Michael Williamson



1989 A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam by Neil Sheehan
1988 The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes
1987 Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land by David K Shipler
1986 Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families by J Anthony Lukas
1986 Move Your Shadow: South Africa, Black and White by Joseph Lelyveld
1985 The Good War: An Oral History of World War Two by Studs Terkel
1984 The Social Transformation Of American Medicine by Paul Starr
1983 Is There No Place On Earth For Me? by Susan Sheehan
1982 The Soul of A New Machine by Tracy Kidder
1981 Fin-De Siecle Vienna: Politics And Culture by Carl E Schorske
1980 Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas R Hofstadter



1979 On Human Nature by Edward O Wilson
1978 The Dragons of Eden by Carl Sagan
1977 Beautiful Swimmers by William W Warner
1976 Why Survive? Being Old In America by Robert N Butler
1975 Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
1974 The Denial of Death by Ernest Becker
1973 Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam by Frances Fitzgerald
1973 Children of Crisis, Vols. II and III by Robert Coles
1972 Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-1945 by Barbara W Tuchman
1971 The Rising Sun by John Toland
1970 Gandhi's Truth by Erik H Erikson



1969 The Armies Of The Night by Norman Mailer
1969 So Human An Animal by Rene Jules Dubos
1968 Rousseau And Revolution, The Tenth And Concluding Volume Of The Story Of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant
1967 The Problem of Slavery in Western Culture by David Brion Davis
1966 Wandering Through Winter by Edwin Way Teale
1965 O Strange New World by Howard Mumford Jones
1964 Anti-Intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter
1963 The Guns of August by Barbara W Tuchman
1962 The Making of the President 1960 by Theodore H White

There are all sorts of reading challenges around (quite apart from LT) and I have completed the Better World Books Challenge.



Here are my choices:



A food memoir Toast by Nigel Slater COMPLETED
A young adult novel Looking for Alaska by John Green COMPLETED
A National Book Award Winner The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead COMPLETED
A book under 200 pages Hell's Bottom, Colorado by Laura Pritchett COMPLETED
A non-fiction book about nature The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf COMPLETED
A book set in Asia China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan COMPLETED
A book translated from another language Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg COMPLETED
A fantasy novel Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb COMPLETED
A book that’s more than 100 years old Bleak House COMPLETED
A book about immigrants The Wangs vs the World COMPLETED
A romance that takes place during travel The Windflower by Laura London COMPLETED
A book set in a place you want to visit An African in Greenland by Tete-Michel Kpomassie COMPLETED
A book you picked based on its cover The Leveller Revolution by John Rees COMPLETED
A collection of short stories Barbara the Slut and Other People by Lauren Holmes COMPLETED
A book with a color in the title The Red Parts by Maggie Nelson COMPLETED
A book about a historical event Pale Rider by Laura Spinney COMPLETED
A book over 400 pages The King's City by Don Jordan COMPLETED
A book by a person of color Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly COMPLETED
A book by a female writer The Strangest Family by Janice Hadham COMPLETED
A book that’s been adapted into a movie The Life of Pi by Yann Martel COMPLETED
A book with a child narrator The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon COMPLETED
A book based on a fairytale Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan COMPLETED
A banned book 1984 by George Orwell COMPLETED
A book that takes place in a forest Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller COMPLETED
A book of poetry The Whitsun Weddings by Philip Larkin COMPLETED

This year I've started a few crime/mystery series, and I'm struggling to remember them all and where I'm up to, so I'm going to list them here.

Series I have started and still have squillions to go *happy sigh*

I'm going to list these in date order, because why not.

Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder (about 100 BC)

Roman Blood

Ruth Downie's Medicus (Britannia, 108)

Medicus
Terra Incognita

Priscilla Royal's Eleanor, Prioress of Tyndal (East Anglia, 11th century)

Wine of Violence

Ellis Peters' Cadfael (Shropshire, 1135 - 1145)

A Morbid Taste for Bones
One Corpse Too Many

Bernard Knight's Crowner John (Devon, 1190s)

The Sanctuary Seeker
The Poisoned Chalice

Michael Pearce's Mamur Zapt (Egypt, 1908)

The Mamur Zapt and the Return of the Carpet

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child's Agent Pendergast

Relic

Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae

Cold Granite
Dying Light

Series I'm caught up with and waiting for the next one *tapping foot*

Lee Child's Jack Reacher, obvs
C J Box's Joe Pickett
Elly Griffiths' Dr Ruth Galloway
Vaseem Khan's Baby Ganesh Agency
Abir Mukherjee's Sam Wyndham

Freebie alert: Prospect magazine has a free ebook called "Writing with punch", available here:

http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/historytoday?mc_cid=1b5a264edf&mc_eid=8fd7...

It's a pdf, so you'll need at least a tablet if you don't want to be scrolling around a phone screen, but it looks good.

Hope that I am not to premature in jumping in to wish you a happy new thread and a great Sunday, Susan.

>8 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. I'm about to brave the supermarket...

>9 susanj67: And I am going to dinner with my son.

>10 PaulCranswick: Paul, that sounds like more fun than the supermarket. I think I'll get some lunch at the mall, as the big shops don't open till midday. Darned Sunday opening hours...Ooh, I might pop into the library too.

Happy new thread - I hope you're having a good Sunday shop Susan.

I bought an orange scarf yesterday and am having buyer's remorse. Am I really a brave orange scarf wearer? In slightly more predictable news, I'm back at full 20 books out, with four waiting in the library for me...

happy new thread!
>12 charl08: I always have a black coat, which I liven up with matching gloves & scarf. New ones each year to so (as I destroy gloves) I'd wear orange - if it suited me. Go on go on go on, it'll be cheery in the depths of winter.

Happy new thread, Susan. You've read a lot of good books this year. Congrats on finishing your Better Books World Challenge.

>6 susanj67: Hah!

>7 susanj67: Looks interesting.

>12 charl08: Charlotte, you make me feel better; I only have 16 books checked out.

Have a wonderful Sunday. Good luck at the market.

>12 charl08: Charlotte, try the scarf with a coat if it looks a bit orange all on its own. Wear it like you will actually wear it, with just a bit of orange at your neck. Better? Or consider layering it with a lighter, skinnier scarf, so you have orange and another colour together. Twenty books! Oh my word. I just have the one hard copy and one ebook which I'm about to finish, so thank you for keeping up national borrowing numbers :-)

>13 Helenliz: Thanks Helen :-) What colour did you choose this year?

>14 BLBera: Hi Beth - I was pleased to finish the challenge although not all the categories were winners for me. Or maybe it was just my choices :-) I think the Prospect book looks good - it seems to be at least partly about the power of fiction.

I survived the mall, although I did stick to the small mall at Canary Wharf, where the Marks & Spencer was nearly out of food, so it was pretty quick. Honestly I don't know how they make any money. My only slightly frivolous purchase was a Burt's Bees lip balm, in coconut and pear flavour, which was part of a "Bring back the bees" promotion - for every one sold the company will plant 5,000 bee-friendly wildflower seeds. I'm about to finish a Nivea lip balm, but I've never liked the taste. Plus they don't care about the bees.

The Advent calendar has been so-so so far - day 1 was a Rosie for Autograph Amazing Radiance Body Glow, which is a "lightly tinted lotion to enhance your natural glow". But I don't really have a natural glow - more of a matte pallor, so I'm not convinced. I'll save it for the summer, when I occasionally (very occasionally) go out in short sleeves and try it then. Day 2 was a Filorga Meso-Mask, which is a "smoothing radiance mask" and which does look good. Today was a Nuxe Prodigieux Huile de Douche - a precious scented shower oil, with a golden shimmer. Hmmm. I'd like a bit less shimmer, overall. But there are still 22 days to go, and shower oils seem to be a thing now so I may as well try it.

Congrats on finishing the BWB challenge, Susan! I did a quick Google search, and it doesn't look like they have one for 2018 out yet. I did run across the 2018 Pop Sugar one, so I might try that. Plus, the Category Challenge here has a bingo game I am going to play along with. I love the anticipation of a new reading year :)

Loving the advent calendar update. >:-) I have a truffle calendar, while he has a beer calendar. Day 3 not a resounding success, with a toffee apple beer, which went down the sink as it was grim.

I'm in teal this year.

>16 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! I checked out the Pop Sugar one, and it does look good :-) I'll try not to decide until the end of the year. And yet...I also love the anticipation of a new year, particularly as 2018 *will be* the year I really make some progress with the Pulitzer NF winners and read at least 50 things from Mount TBR. Ahem.

>17 Helenliz: Thanks Helen :-) I'll post tomorrow's update at some stage - the products are definitely good sizes, though. The Body Glow is a 50ml and this morning's one is 30ml. Even the (expensive) face mask is 15ml, so there is more than in the usual tiny samples. Well done on picking truffles over beer. Toffee apple sounds...pretty awful. Overly festive, maybe, which is sort of my point with the beauty one - we don't necessarily want festive gimmick products. Just good products. Teal sounds lovely.



150. (yay!) Terra Incognita by Ruth Downie

This is book 2 in the Medicus series, about a doctor in Britannia in Roman times. I love the tone of these books as Dr Ruso is called upon to treat all manner of strange things. This time he's travelling north, towards the border and the barbarians, and finds himself stuck at a small fort while a patient is treated. Despite trying really hard not to get involved with the murder of a local soldier, or the incredible confession of the fort's doctor, he somehow manages to end up in the middle of it all.

After returning this, I peeked into my ebook wishlist to see what I could borrow without looking for something entirely new. I chose Relic, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, which seems to be the first one in yet another series. Yay!

Hmm another list! Tempted by the Popsugar one. Not really sure what cyberpunk is, though. Research required.

>15 susanj67: Two scarves? Really? Is that allowed? (!) Interesting. Another area in which I'm not very adventurous!

Despite my best attempts, the library use stats are again an issue with us locally. The council has issued another "consultation" suggesting that they only open one late night a week. They claim there isn't demand for more, but since currently they open late on Monday and Friday nights, it's hardly surprising. They're also questioning Sat opening hours which just makes me want to throw something.

Back to the Chinese sci-fi. Pretty good! Also, a Shiny new hardback :-)

>19 charl08: Charlotte, I have bookmarked the Pop Sugar page. Are we tempted by the fact that there is an additional category of 10 books for the really hardcore reader? Or were *you* tempted by the thought of finishing Middlemarch for the "a book by a female author who uses a male pseudonym" category? :-) As for cyberpunk, I have no idea either, but here's a page from the interweb: https://www.neondystopia.com/what-is-cyberpunk/ Also, Goodreads has threads with suggestions for all the categories https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/350239?group_id=152458 (but not cyberpunk yet, it seems). Heh. The main page is here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/152458-ultimate-popsugar-reading-challenge

And you can have as many scarves are you want :-) I sometimes layer a couple of the office if it's freezing cold, but you can also twist two together.

I haven't heard any more about Tower Hamlets' crazed plan to cut library opening hours (although as they are now bidding to be a "Borough of Culture" maybe they've given up. I wonder whether I was the only one to laugh out loud in front of the poster). But what I did find was that their figures for how much it cost to open on Sundays (in our case) included all the fixed costs of the building, and were therefore totally misleading. So don't assume their figures are right.

I've been meaning to start the Medicus series, Susan. It sounds like one I would like.

I remember that my son loved Relic -- and I think it was a movie as well, but I could be mistaken. The book was a page turner, if I remember correctly.

I walked to the library to return a book, and checked out three. Just when my check outs were getting to a manageable number. Hangs head.

Happy new thread!

Morning Susan!

>20 susanj67: Thanks for the cyberpunk links. More genres to discover.

>21 BLBera: Beth, I think you would like it, and it's not gory :-) Relic does look like fun, and the sort of thing that could have been a movie. Lots of rushing around and mysterious things from Ye Olden Days. As for the library books, you did have 16...so was that *really* a manageable number? Hmmm?

>22 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>23 charl08: Charlotte, I know - sometimes I feel about 104 with all these newfangled things. Actually I usually feel 104.

But maybe a little younger with today's Advent calendar item - a Gatineau Advanced Rejuvenating Cream.
http://www.marksandspencer.com/advanced-rejuvenating-cream-50ml/p/p22472517?prev... At £86 for 50ml (not a typo) it's something I will never be buying the full size of, but the sample looks good :-)

>24 susanj67: HOW MUCH!!!!! Blimy, it had better make you look about 16 for that price!

Happy New thread Susan :)

>25 Helenliz: Helen, that was pretty much my reaction :-) I know I could, and probably should, trade up a bit from the Simple range, but really. I'm considering L'Oreal's Revitalift or Age Perfect ranges, although sometimes Age Perfect says it is for "very mature skin" and sometimes for 40+, and I am hoping those two terms don't actually mean the same thing in the beauty world...

>26 BekkaJo: Thanks Bekka :-)

Happy new thread, Susan! I think I am getting as much enjoyment out of your beauty advent calendar as you are, so thanks for sharing. ...and I am hoping those two terms don't actually mean the same thing in the beauty world..." made me laugh.

I like the looks of that PopSugar reading challenge - thinking, thinking...

I've printed out the Pop Sugar challenge - I'm not going to commit to completing it, but I like checking boxes, so....

Every now and then I run across an article in a magazine that tests various beauty products and finds that the less expensive ones do as well or better than the shockingly expensive ones and I hold firmly to that idea when I shop :)

>28 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! You should totally join in. Why, Katie is committed to doing it, as is Charlotte, so...

>29 katiekrug: Katie, you suggested it! So you kinda hafta. I'll put you down for one challenge then, shall I? Charlotte's going to read Middlemarch at last! So exciting!

I went to the library at lunchtime because I'm having a day like one of those dreams where you're trying and trying and trying to get something done and you just can't. I needed books in great numbers. This week's displays included colourful books, because...I don't know, books about science, because...I've forgotten, and a display of books headed "Don't judge a book by its cover" and all the books showing their backs instead of their fronts. "This is very silly", I said out loud as I picked them up to find out what they were. I saw A House Full of Daughters on a returns trolley, so I got that. Once again, Queen Victoria and her matchmaking is languishing on the new NF shelf.

I have spent some time goofing off while I should be working, searching my books on LT to find ones to fit the Pop Sugar list... But I'm not committing!!!!!

Heh.

>32 katiekrug: But... we've already marked you down, Katie.

>30 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, yes, I can't help thinking that. My father was always of the opinion that it was all the same formula, imported in 44-gallon drums and with different labels stuck on at the bottling plant. I find myself tending towards that view, alarmingly...The best thing for keeping skin young is sunscreen, and yet most of the UK products still have a very low SPF. The one I'm trialling at the moment from the beauty box (now into week 5 - excellent) has an SPF30, but a lot are only 15, which really isn't enough. One of my faves for under makeup is the Neutrogena Helioplex dry-touch sunscreen, which used to be available up to SPF100 in New Zealand and the US although the 70 was a better formula for a make-up base. The EU doesn't allow anything over SPF50 to be sold and I noticed in NZ this time that they only go up to 50 now too. I bought a little travel sample of a 50 in a brand available here last summer and it was OK, but not as good as the Neutrogena.

>32 katiekrug: But Katie, um...

>33 Crazymamie: What Mamie said. You're on the list now.

:-)

>33 Crazymamie: and >35 susanj67: - Your evil peer pressure won't work on me, missies!

*blinks* I don't know what you're talking about, Katie.

Katie is totally in, Susan. She was even thinking about hosting a thread just for the Pop Sugar challenge participants.

>37 Crazymamie: *snigger*.
However, I do not need another list of books.

>38 Helenliz: *grin* Now, Helen, don't think of it as a list of books. Rather, it is a list of possibilities.

>37 Crazymamie: - Oh, for gawd's sake!

*belly laugh*

>36 katiekrug: Katie, I think it has...

>37 Crazymamie: See? Just like that. Thanks Mamie, for letting us know that.

>38 Helenliz: Oh and Katie? Don't forget to add Helen to the list for the new thread.

>39 Crazymamie: Mamie, precisely!

>40 katiekrug:, >41 Crazymamie: There we are ladies, all agreed :-) I must print it out now too.

Hmm.

"Charlotte's going to read Middlemarch at last! So exciting!"
Odd, I don't remember agreeing to this! My memory is bad, but...

I'm feel I read something that said anything over SPF 30 was fiction. But I still buy SPF 50! I'm using a clinique face block at the moment which isn't too greasy (my bugbear).
This one.

Happy new thread, Susan and congrats on 150 books read so far this year!!!

I see one must be very careful about commenting here...

So kind of Katie to agree to all that you are assigning her. :)

Happy new thread, Susan. I was surprised by >34 susanj67: is sunscreen needed that often in the UK? I only wear it when there is actual sun, like in the summer. Seems like there is a lot of interest in the PopSugar reading challenge - looks interesting.

>43 charl08: Charlotte, Middlemarch was definitely mentioned further up the thread, so, you know... That Clinique sunblock looks good. I tried their City Block years ago but it was far too greasy for under makeup.

>44 lkernagh: Thanks Lori!

>45 BLBera: Beth, there is no need to be careful at all. This is Liberty Hall! Oh, and welcome to the Pop Sugar challenge :-)

>46 Familyhistorian: Meg, we don't get lots of bright sun, but there is still damage in what we do get, sun-wise. And I grew up in NZ so I have to be careful.

Today's Advent treat was a sample of Rodal Dragon's Blood Sculpting Gel http://www.marksandspencer.com/dragon-s-blood-sculpting-gel-50ml/p/p22322755?&am... I do hope it's not made out of real dragons. M&S likes to say that its beauty products are cruelty-free. Once again the full size is £85 for 50ml, so I will enjoy the sample :-)

My lookfantastic beauty box arrived last night, and it's another excellent one. There was:

A copy of Elle magazine

A Gatineau Collagene Expert serum https://www.gatineau.co.uk/skincare/all-products/Collagene-Expert-Ultimate-Smoot...

A Polaar Genuine Lapland hand cream (with three kinds of Arctic berries) http://www.polaar.com/en/face/creme-mains-la-veritable-creme-de-laponie.html - this is a very decent 25ml and I *love* hand cream :-)

A Figs and Rouge Hydra Activ Smart Nutrient day cream http://www.figsandrouge.com/skincare/hydra-activ/smart-nutrient-vital-moisture-d... - this is a very generous 20ml sample

A Suki exfoliate foaming cleanser http://sukiskincare.com/exfoliate-foaming-cleanser/ - this is tiny but it also sounds a bit scary so maybe just as well

A MDMFlow lipstick in "Bossy" (no-one say anything. Katie, that includes you :-)) which is a nude tone I would not have chosen, but which looks great. And it's full-sized and worth £18 apparently OMG for a LIPSTICK

A Bubble T limited edition Beauty in Wonderland bath fizzer - I'll give this to Super-Fit Friend as she is a bath person and I am not. She gives me candles she receives, as I am a candle person and she is not :-)

So another great collection, and I'm pleased it wasn't all glittery.

The "Bossy" lipstick sounds.... mmmm... what's the word?
.
.
.
Appropriate?

Bwahahahaha!

>48 katiekrug: Saying nothing.

>47 susanj67: Yes, I wish they did sample sizes you could take home and test, never very clear until you've had a day of it how the particular cream is going to behave.
(and still not convinced about Middlemarch. Dasterdly book).

>48 katiekrug: Katie, humph. That is all. :-)

>49 charl08: Charlotte, while I'm not going to go as far as reading Middlemarch with you, I'll be cheering you on :-)

Today's Advent treat is a Stila Stay All Day lip colour which looked like a very pale pink gloss (yay!) but which dried down to quite a dark pink/purple matte, and by the time I got to the office I was just a couple of shades warmer than recently deceased. I put a semi-gloss warm colour over it, and now it's a pinker colour, but a bit Barbie. Not convinced. Also what do they put in the stuff that makes all this happen?

No reading progress for the last couple of nights due to interesting things on BBC Four. The wildlife thing about Mexico is excellent if anyone is looking for inspiration on the iPlayer, and last night's Spanish Armada re-enactment thing wasn't bad either, although that was a repeat as I saw it in the EPG for the Yesterday channel earlier in the evening. I set the invasion programme to record but it didn't, so I'll have to watch that on the Kindle over the weekend as the TV still won't load the iPlayer properly.

Susan, your advent calendar adventures are providing our morning entertainment - just read today's entry aloud to Birdy, and it gave us both a giggle. Please, don't stop!

I watched the Art of Mexico and recorded Invasion. Why do they feel obliged to put stuff I want to watch on at the same time? I had half an eye on the Mexico wildlife, but I was trying to arrange my family into a date for a Christmas visit. So that took most of my attention... and is still not set.

Watched episode 1 of Invasion - well worth catching, despite the technological issue of the failure to record. I managed to record it twice, in both HD and normal definition!

A belated happy new thread, Susan. Sheesh, I look away for a moment and look how far behind I am!

>50 susanj67: You'd need pom poms and a rhyme scheme to even get me started again on Middlemarch Susan!

Shame about the Stila - all the Italian names for the colours (I cracked and went to look on the site) sound so glamorous. Firenze or Belissima sounds like the cue for a silk headscarf and a glass of something red to me...

>51 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie :-) Today's confusing treat follows...

>52 Helenliz: Helen, it is very annoying the way they do that :-)

>53 Helenliz: Thanks for the confirmation - the trailer did look good. The blooming PVR also failed to record part 2 of the Channel 4 programme about the English Channel. Tonight it's set for about four things and if it misses those then I am buying a new one. Or maybe a Now TV box, which has the iPlayer and all the catch-up services on it, even if you never buy a pass to watch the Sky content. I'm not really sure how I'd fit in any more content on top of the Netflix...

>54 ronincats: Thanks Roni! Welcome!

>55 charl08: Now Charlotte, I'm sure you can conquer Middlemarch if you really want to...The Stila names are lovely, and I'm not ruling out one of their lip colours in a different formula, but I think Stay All Day (actually 6 hours if you read the small print) in Perla isn't really the one for me.

This morning I unboxed the Advent treat and thought my eyes had got worse overnight, because everything looked Greek to me. Then I realised that it *was* actually Greek, and the English wording was further down the tube. It's a 16 ml sample of Wild Rose Advanced Repair Sleeping Facial by Korres - this one: http://www.marksandspencer.com/wild-rose-sleeping-facial-cream-40ml/p/p22405123?... I'm looking forward to trying it, but I'm currently using the Gatineau one that arrived the other day (and which is lovely), so I'll add it to the queue.

I felt awake enough to read a bit of Orientalism last night, so that was good. I'm going to have to renew it, though. Then I continued with Relic, which is very silly and poorly written, but I want to find out what happens next so it must have something.

Happy new thread, Susan, and congratulations on reaching 2 x 75!

>57 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita :-)

Goodness, it is *pouring* with rain outside - we are getting the edge of storm Caroline, which is going to be bad up North. How lucky I didn't go for a walk to look at PVRs...

It's grim down here too - horizontal rain etc. I had to shift the car for my husband earlier and try and get it into a horrific angled space in the rain, with all the windows fogged with lots of very grumpy drivers trying to get past. Unhappy stormy day. Bleugh.

>59 BekkaJo: Bekka, I hope it's cleared a bit today. It's freezing cold* down here but sunny. Fortunately the rain stopped in good time for the roomie's flight to India last night, although she was still slightly grumpy about having to buy gifts for "half of Bombay" at the airport. Particularly as her family is in Delhi...

Today's Advent treat - an Eyeko mascara, for "after-hours seduction". Goodness. https://www.eyeko.com/all/eyeko-black-magic-mascara

*In UK weather

>57 FAMeulstee: oh yeah- 2x75 is double significant :)
Congrats!

Freezing cols huh? (not 0 deg C though?) We have had 4/5 days in the late 20s early 30s, and are forecast for two more days of the same. Phew. It is sweltering.

Your advent treats sound better than ours!!

>61 LovingLit: Thanks Megan! I don't think it is 0C yet, but the Evening Standard is talking about snow in London (mind you, it doesn't take much to get them doing that - Londoners are obsessed with snow as we almost never see it). Early 30s! Goodness, that is hot. I hope you have something to cool everyone down.

Clear and cold today. No snow though. I'm one of those who goes crazy for snow because we don't get any.

*does a little snow dance*

Wait, Cassie has a football match at 8.45 tomorrow morning.

*cancels snow dance*

Please report back on tonight's "after hours seduction"! I had no idea mascara had such power...

>63 BekkaJo: Bekka, you're very wise to cancel the snow dance! Maybe it could start in the afternoon, when you're home and can watch it out of the window. I have grand plans to go to Waitrose tonight and not have to go out all weekend. We'll see how that goes, as usually I lose the will to fight my way through the crowds by home time.

>64 katiekrug: Katie, I will :-) This is special mascara made in Korea, which apparently retails for £19 for a full size. This explains why I had never heard of it.

Also intrigued by mascara. Good to know it comes fully briefed about inappropriate eyelash behaviour in working hours though...

>64 katiekrug: What Katie said.

It's snowing in Atlanta this morning, which hardly ever happens. Just rain here, though.

>66 charl08: Charlotte, yes, it was good to see that it is mascara that will behave appropriately in the workplace. Maybe that's why it costs so much.

>67 Crazymamie: Mamie, I read that it was even snowing in southern Texas! Apparently a lot of the UK is snowy, but it is sunny and bright in London. I don't feel the need to rush out, although I probably should.

Today's Advent product - a Nails Inc nail polish in Molten Star. I'll find someone at work who will like this, as I don't do nail polish. Or if any of y'all would like it, just PM me your address and I'll pop it in the post :-)



151. Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Heh :-) This is very silly, and yet I *have* to read the next one...It's set in 1995 and already seems very dated (worryingly) but there is lots of running around the Museum of Natural History in New York, as a strange beast roams the corridors hunting people. But where did it come from? And why? Beth mentioned that this might be a movie, and I think it is, because I looked for it on Netflix and there was an option to find titles *like* it. And that actually produced quite a lot of silliness itself.

I want to make some more progress with Orientalism today, but I have also dowloaded the first one in a new contemporary crime series by Stuart MacBride. Oops.

Yup, they made a relatively mindless movie of Relic. It’s cheesy fun, but nothing to write home about. I’ve been reading the Pendergast series - up to number 5, I think. Relic and the sequel are ok, but they get better after that as the focus shifts to the mysterious FBI Agent. All still pretty light brain candy, though, which is what I need this year. 😀

I didn't know that Relic was part of a series. You described it perfectly - silly and fun.

I am loving Pale Rider - hope to finish it this weekend. It's not very reassuring...

>69 drneutron: Jim, that does sound like fun :-) I'll keep an eye out for the movie - we have a lot of random movie channels now so it might turn up.

>70 BLBera: Beth, I'm so glad you're enjoying Pale Rider - I thought it was really well done.

In the end I made myself go out and I walked up to Watney Market library, which doesn't have a checking-out machine "at the moment", because it's that sort of area. But I borrowed four things (!) - Revenge of the Rich by Austin Mitchell, which is about "the neo-liberal revolution in Britain and New Zealand", The Women's Room, The Good People and Fools and Mortals. The last one is the new Barnard Cornwell novel, which is either a stand-alone or the first in a new series. I was on the ebook waiting list for this, but the hard copy was right there on the shelf. so I snagged it. So much for Mt TBR over Christmas...

>71 susanj67: Hmm, couldn't psych yourself up to going out to the supermarket but the library did the trick - I think you have your priorities straight! Enjoy the weekend.

>72 Familyhistorian: Meg, fortunately I managed to go to the supermarket on Friday night :-) And just as well, because it is *snowing*! In London! In December! So exciting, although it is freezing cold (it is 0C here but -11C up in Scotland). I'm going to stay in and read my books, and catch up on this week's episode of Designated Survivor.

Today's Advent treat, a Formula Radiance Reveal Peel, which comes with the rather confusing instruction "Massage on to cleansed, dry skin until the transformation is complete." But it doesn't say what to look for in terms of a transformation. Anyway, I'll give it a try. Formula seems to be M&S's own brand.

We've had snow too. We were at a Christmas do last night & stayed over. Took us over 2 hours to get home - 30 miles. And then we had to abandon the car within 100 yards of home as we couldn't get up the road. Now we're home there will be no more going out.
A day in front of the fire with a book sounds to be just the ticket.

>74 Helenliz: Helen, yikes, that does sound like proper snow. I hope you enjoy the fire and the book! I watched episode 1 of Invasion yesterday and I agree with you that it was good, if maybe a little heavy on the CGI. And the constant repetition of "We are all migrants!" maybe a bit...political. But I learned a lot, and I'll definitely watch the rest. This morning I've caught up with the Channel 4 series on the English Channel - the PVR recorded episode 1 but skipped episode 2, so I had to watch that on All 4 on the Kindle. It's really interesting too. I haven't quite got to the books yet, but I do plan to...

>73 susanj67: Cold in Edinburgh, but not quite -10! Was greatly amused by the rolling snow "news" this morning.

Snow! Most exciting! Wishing you the best of luck on your transformation.

>76 charl08: Charlotte, yes, they really went to town on the snow. The Sky News presenters were very excited, and then they said people had been complaining that they were only talking about London. Heh. Stay warm in Edinburgh!

>77 Crazymamie: Mamie, it's the heaviest snow I've seen here in ages. Exciting! (until I have to go out in it tomorrow). One of my Facebook gaming friends lives in Baton Rouge, where it is also snowing, and her nearly-3-year-old saw snow for the first time. There were lots of pictures of her playing in it, looking enchanted, and comments about what fun she was having. Her mother said "Yes, but things got ugly when I made her come back inside" :-)

I have had a lovely afternoon bundled up reading, and there may also have been a Waitrose fancy mince pie and some Clementine and Cointreau very thick cream - HEAVEN. Truly the best Christmas snack I have come across. I wonder whether it would be wrong to have another one and call it dinner.



152. A House Full of Daughters by Juliet Nicolson

Juliet Nicolson is the grand-daughter of Vita Sackville-West, but she can actually write, unlike her brother, whose book on Homer was one of the *worst things I have ever read*. Phew. I've enjoyed her books about WWI and this one is a great read too, although it's a family memoir, so quite a different sort of thing. She looks at seven generations of the women in her family and yes, it helps that many of them are famous, but it's good anyway. And the fame means lots of source materials to work from. Recommended.

Someone has reserved the book "Revenge of the Rich" so I might start that next so I can return it before Christmas. The library is now stamping books out till 2 Jan, so yay! Actually that might only be the usual three weeks, but it seems like longer.

I used to lure mine back inside with hot chocolate and cookies. And I say go for it with the dinner idea - life is short.

>79 Crazymamie: Mamie, I did go for the dinner idea :-) Well, the cream doesn't last forever...

I've read about a third of "Revenge of the Rich" already, and it's very good. Mostly I borrowed it because I couldn't believe that someone had written a book about New Zealand and it was right there at the library, but it covers a lot of my life although it's nearly up to when I left. But then the British section should be more familiar :-)

I wonder how chaotic the transport will be tomorrow. And whether I should get up early to battle my way in to work just in case...The snow on my roof window has disappeared, so it seems to be warming up a bit.

Hey Susan, hope you're warm whether you've got up early or not. It turns out I am next to the draught. I'm wondering if I can bring in some curtains and a draught excluder without anyone noticing... (the ones I'm thinking are spare at home are bright orange velvet - 70s survival, somehow - so I think the odds are slim).

>78 susanj67: looks beautiful. I brought home far too many books, seduced by lovely covers, but the reservation list is back to boom-time.
I really need to Take A Step Away from the new books and get on with reading the shelves.
(this may sound like a familiar thing I have said before?).
So thinking about "Jilt-the-new-books January?" or "Just the old faithfuls January?"

>81 charl08: Charlotte, I am warm but very glad I don't have to go out in it. It is snowing here. Again! Or it's doing the thing in between sleet and snow. I just went in to see our Chicago secondee to point it out. I asked if he was here over the weekend, and he said yes. "And it was, um, pretty good!" he said politely. It sounds like you need a poncho with a hood. Or a slanket. Or a roomie who is in India so you can crank up the heating. I like "Jilt-the-library-January", maybe? I did take one back this morning and borrow nothing else (Queen V still in situ), but that was just luck.

Today's Advent product - a sculpting sponge from Look Good Feel Better, which turns out to be an amazing charity for women with cancer, teaching them how to cheer themselves up with makeup.

What in God's name is a "sculpting sponge"?!?!

Hi Susan! Such weather adventures you are having, er, looking out the window ;-)

Thank goodness Katie asked the question.
Adding 'slanket' to my wishlist.
Came here to note that Verso has 50% off all books https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/3489-verso-gift-guide-2017
(runs away)

*sits down to wait for the answer to Katie's question*

Hello, Susan! Snowing again - how fun. Your "sculpting sponge" made me think of something scary and pumice like, which reminded of this funny story: when Birdy was little (but old enough to shower on her own), she approached me one day to tell me in confidence that the "soap in the shower sucks". What don't you like about it, I asked. Pretty much everything, she replied. For one thing, it hurts when you use it. And it also smells bad. It hurts? Really? Which soap are you using? The hard stinky one, she said, losing all patience with me, Like I Said, she finished. Let's go look at it, I suggested. Turns out she was referring to the pumice stone.

>84 charl08: - I need to Google slanket. I wonder if it's like a Snuggie, which is a fleece "blanket" with arms, so basically just a backwards bathrobe. I have one, but it was a gift :)

>85 Crazymamie: - Oh, Mamie, that Birdy story cracked me up!

>83 katiekrug: Katie, this is a sculpting sponge: http://www.marksandspencer.com/sculpting-sponge-28g/p/p22493081?prevPage=plp And yes! Cold weather is best experienced by looking at it out the window, I think. It seems to have stopped raining now, and the sun is setting. Well, I can't actually see it, but I can see the reflection bouncing around various buildings.

>84 charl08: Charlotte, I hope you're not still cold. Some years ago I was tempted to get one of those heated throws for the office, but I managed not to. I'm going to pretend I didn't see that Verso link, you naughty girl.

>85 Crazymamie: Mamie, that is very funny! Poor Birdy. Lucky she spoke up because those hard smelly "soaps" last for a looong time.

>86 katiekrug: Katie, yes, it is like a backwards bathrobe. I think you'd need someone else to be getting up for drinks/snacks etc or the back of you would get cold.

Love my slanket. But you do need to make sure you've stocked up a table nest to you before you snuggle down :)

No snow here. Just gale force winds (i.e no boats = empty shelves) and horizontal sleety rain. This morning was disgusting - I got drenched on the way to work and slightly freaked out going down the steps that cut the corner off the hill I have to get down. Pitch black and pouring with water, covered in leaves. Was mighty pleased when I reached the bottom in one piece!

>88 BekkaJo: Bekka, that sounds miserable. I hope it's better today. It is still freezing here but sunny, so I can see the thick layer of smog to the north. Eww.

Today's Advent product - a 50ml bottle of Alpha-H Liquid Gold Rose. http://www.marksandspencer.com/liquid-gold-rose-100ml/p/p60134162?mfPartNumber=T... I have never heard of this, but will give it a whirl. Nothing so far has been as *awesome* as the Murad day cream that came in my November beauty box (and I'm now into week 6 of the little sample) but you never know...

Last night I read a crime novel, as I couldn't quite face Orientalism or the book about economics. Maybe this evening.

Gold Rose certainly sounds rich. Impressed by the longevity of the Murad day cream.

Looking for something else and came across this - thinking of making a trip down South. Wondered if you'd be interested (campaign for the vote).
https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london/event-detail?id=152608

>90 charl08: Charlotte, that does look good! I would be interested, if you plan to come down for it.

I have had the *most* vexing afternoon, the low point of which was making two points on a call which were largely ignored, only to have two other people mansplain them on a later call, and everyone agree that they were good points.

Until it actually happens to you, you do wonder whether maybe it's a bit of an exaggeration, but no! No it's not.

But anyway, then I got a lovely Christmas gift which included a *book*. And not a current bestseller - something the giver had obviously read and been impressed by. Aaah :-) Books make everything better.

Ooh, Advent jackpot today - a Shay & Blue fragrance in Blood Oranges. Even the spray mechanism is amazing - very fine. Shay & Blue are a boutique perfumery in Marylebone, although they have occasional shows on QVC where the founder tries to get a word in edgeways in between the gabbling presenters. I had accidentally read on a beauty blog that this was included in the calendar, and finally it's here! I smell gorgeous. GORGEOUS. https://www.shayandblue.com/blood-oranges-fragrance-100ml.html

FOR is supposed to be bringing the mini-FORs in later, for lunch somewhere that is not the office. It depends on the trains, and whether everyone is well and happy, but I have some crayons and a colouring book in my bag anyway, because you never know. If they don't come, I may take them to my next annoying meeting and use them for mindfulness. There are also stickers.

I definitely have to get an Advent calendar next year - not a beauty one because that's hopeless and I am useless at figuring out what to do with things like that. But I am loving following along with each day's surprise. Vicarious living....

>91 susanj67: One recent meeting I was tempted to make a 'charlotte said' bingo, and see how many of my previous suggestions I could tick off. Gah.

But Hurray, votes for women. I'll try and book - I imagine the publicity machine will kick in at the start of next year - and let you know how I get on.

>93 katiekrug: Katie, they are a lot of fun :-) The L'Occitane one is great - it's toiletries rather than beauty products (although this year they have a second, "luxury", version which includes a fancy face cream and a fragrance, I think) so you get hand lotions, shampoos, shower gels etc, and they're really cute. And they would be very handy for all your travels.

>94 charl08: Charlotte, let me know and I will also book. Goodness, that might be the first thing in my diary for 2018! Well, the first fun thing. Various talks etc for work have already been scheduled.

FOR brought the kids in, and we had lunch in the cafe at Waitrose, which went pretty well although his daughter was beaming one moment and screaming the next, and we weren't really sure what was wrong with her. Maybe her teeth. Or she just wished she was having what we were having, instead of goop. It was pretty funny when people looked around like they might be going to disapprove, saw a Dad looking after his kids and turned all sympathetic instead :-) Eventually she had a bottle of milk and seemed happier. Meanwhile, I was keeping his little boy stocked up with the contents of one of their junior lunch bags, which looked pretty exciting. And the girl on the till gave me a couple of chocolate teddies, so one of those also came in handy. I could now go straight to sleep, but I'm trying to resist.

>93 katiekrug: What Katie said.

Hooray for smelling GORGEOUS! You totally deserve that after the sculpting sponge. Lunch sounds fun except for the screaming part, and look at you being stocked with goodies. Well done!

>96 Crazymamie: Mamie, I liked the sculpting sponge :-) Not that I would actually sculpt, because all those bronzers and contourers etc are beyond me, but it will work as an ordinary beauty blender sponge.

Today's awesome Advent product - an Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm. Ooooh :-) http://www.marksandspencer.com/amazing-face-moringa-balm-100ml/p/p22379266?prevP... This smells amazing and I'm going to try it tonight (ignoring the two large bottles of Soap and Glory's Peaches and Clean that I have in my stash).

I think my Christmas break has disappeared, which is irritating because of how it's happened rather than the actual disappearance. I don't mind being in the office if I'm busy, because the malls are empty and we can go anywhere we want for lunch. Which we will. Oh yes. FOR thinks he has miscalculated his days of parental leave and may have to come in for those days too. I said that was perhaps a little bit convenient as the kids will be all sugared-up and spoiled after their grandparents visit for Christmas, and he might need to find a better excuse.

>97 susanj67: Now when you say beauty blender:



Sorry about your Christmas break, but you managed to make me laugh with you FOR story.

>98 Crazymamie: Mamie, ha! You are right - that is a proper beauty blender. It would be perfect for whipping up a face mask.

Today's Advent product is a Diego Della Palma Ciglione Lash Boosting Mascara http://www.marksandspencer.com/diego-dalla-palma-cigilione-mascara-11ml/p/p22298... £17.50 for a mascara! Holy moly. I will look very fancy with all these things until about June. I now have two mascaras in the queue.

Finally another finish to report:



153. Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride

This is the first (of course) in a crime series set in Aberdeen. I love the setting (where it always seems to be freezing cold and raining) and the characters, but the subject-matter of this is gruesome. Someone is kidnapping and murdering children, so if that's the sort of thing that you never want to read about, avoid this. I'm going to keep going because there must be other subjects in the series and the main character is excellent.

Today is Christmas jumper day (Christmas sweaters, for US readers). It's a charity fundraiser but there are some terrible jumpers, except the young chap in the next office, who is wearing a gorgeous Nordic yoke jumper. I said how good it looked and he said his mother had knitted it but he had picked the colours :-) About a minute after I left him in the kitchen, I heard someone else come along and admire it, so I think he'll have a busy day. I don't have a Christmas jumper, but I might borrow some tinsel and do something with that. There has been a mass outbreak of tackiness around the floor, including flashing trees, Santas, snowflake decorations (no, we never give up hope) boxes of Quality Street for anyone to help themselves to, and so on.

There are advantages to working at home on your own. Missing Christmas Jumper day is one of them. bah! humbug!! I don't own a Christmas jumper either. When it actually gets to be Christmas (and it isn't yet) I just put my hair up in a bun and decorate it with tinsel to look seasonable without looking ridiculous.

You own more than one mascara! Goodness!!

I am looking suitably festive in my Xmas jumper, I drew the line at the matching skirt though.

(That mascara is a bit disappointing. For £17 I would have thought they could manage an exciting bit of packaging).

>101 charl08: After seeing the model neglect to put on a skirt, I'm just pleased you have anything on at all! That's not *quite* long enough to be worn as a dress.

>103 Helenliz: That's what I thought as well, but it's actually a knitted mini skirt and jumper.

No, I have no idea what the designer was thinking...

>100 Helenliz: Helen, I only have three mascaras at present because of the beauty boxes/calendar. Usually I rotate between different types of Max Factor, because they do everything in brown or black/brown, which is more my colour than black.

>101 charl08: Charlotte, wise!

>102 charl08: Yes, I don't know whether it comes in a box in real life, but it's not very exciting.

>102 charl08:, >103 Helenliz: I'd have thought it was very chilly, as an outfit, for this time of year...

There are some terrible jumpers doing the rounds. Then I saw a girl without a jumper, but as I got closer I realised that the fabric of her dress was an all-over Santa print. So wrong.

The Guardian has an article saying that literary fiction is in crisis: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/dec/15/literary-fiction-in-crisis-as-sale...

>99 susanj67: - I have that McBride on my Kindle, I think. Having now been to Aberdeen twice, I feel native enough to read it and critique it ;-)

No Christmas jumpers OR sweaters here... I bought my niece cute Christmas earrings with "pearl" snowmen, and may go back and get myself a pair to wear on the day itself. Then no one can say I'm not exhibiting holiday spirit...

>106 katiekrug: Katie, it really didn't want to make me visit Aberdeen :-) We had some lawyers down here from Edinburgh last year, and they were bemused that everyone in London was complaining about the cold weather. "It's almost Mediterranean to us!". And Aberdeen is colder than Edinburgh. The book is very funny on the subject of the non-stop rain/sleet/snow.

I've only been in summer, so..... :)

>108 katiekrug: Well, this should give you the complete winter experience :-) I have downloaded the second one already, despite the stack of hard copy books I have at home. I even got a pre-overdue notice today for one of them. grrrrr.

There has been a mass outbreak of tackiness around the floor... This made me laugh! And exactly what is Quality Street? And tinsel!! I haven't seen that since I was much younger - I don't think they sell it here anymore.

No Christmas sweaters here - I'm pretty sure I would melt in one. But Danielis going to his girlfriend's huge family Christmas, and the theme this year (apparently there is always a theme) is ugly Christmas sweaters. There is a prize for the best one - best being the most awful, I am guessing.

I have Cold Granite in the stacks - how graphic is the kidnapping and murder of children? DO you have to live through it with them or do you just get the facts after it happened?

>110 Crazymamie: Mamie, Quality Street are cheap chocolates:



Their selection tins are very popular at Christmas, and everyone has their favourite variety. When the size of the tins changes, or the mix of chocolates changes, there are inevitably articles in the paper: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/revealed-the-uks-favourite-quality-street-but...

I hope Daniel doesn't win that prize. Maybe he will have a good excuse, being bandaged.

The book is about the aftermath of murders, but it's still pretty horrible. I tend to shy away from modern stuff in favour of the historical cozy-types, for that reason, but the elibrary had all of these ones, so I gave it a go. I suppose one thing about reading a lot is that all sorts of stuff happens in a reading year, and you can say *it's just a story*, like all the other stories, but still. Open with caution.

The purple ones are the best, btw.
Once upon a time*, Quality Street came in glass jars. In a Christmas accident involving a jar of quality street, me, my dad & my brother, I (involuntarily) attempted to access the chocolates via the side of the jar. Chipped the corner off a front tooth and have looked a little wonky in the tooth department ever since.
Doesn't stop me snaffling the purple ones, of course.

* when I was young, so actually not all that long ago.

I think you have all of our snow? My little Scout is waiting for it. She has all kinds of plans for snow angels, snow people, sledding, etc. Nice that somebody enjoys it, right?

>91 susanj67: Yes, we have progress to make in the workplace. :(

>111 susanj67: Thanks for that, Susan. I will probably give Cold Granite a go at some point since I already have it, but it's good to be forewarned.

Flying through the threads trying to catch up. Glad to hear you're enjoying your Advent calendar. I've never had one of any kind but you're making me think I should try one, at least if I could find one as interesting as yours.

Always loved Quality Street - the toffee log was my favourite.

I really like the Logan MacRae series and am surprised it doesn't seem to get more coverage.

>78 susanj67: With Hani and my girls both in the UK, I could do with a House Full of Daughters at the moment.

Have a lovely weekend, Susan.

Quality Street tins are usually around at Christmas time, well at least in the office. I kind of miss that, maybe I should buy my own tin.

>112 Helenliz: Helen, ouch! I'm not sure we had them in NZ, but I do remember Roses. Maybe we were just a Roses family, which apparently is a thing:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/11303444/Quality-St-vs-Roses-which-tin-h...

>113 BLBera: Beth, I think the snow is somewhere in between us. We are being promised 13C this week - virtually tropical. According to the paper. I'm not sure I would call 13C tropical, but you can see how quickly we got sick of the snow :-)

>114 Crazymamie: Mamie, no problem :-)

>115 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! I'm going to post on your thread very shortly!

>116 PaulCranswick: Paul, I hope you get your daughters back soon (and Hani).

>117 Familyhistorian: Meg, you're right - I think the tins are a Christmas thing. I've seen smaller boxes.

This weekend's Advent haul:

A Percy & Reed Reassuringly Firm Session Hold Hairspray, which might come in handy as Canary Wharf is surely the windiest place in the country: http://www.marksandspencer.com/reassuringly-firm-session-hold-hairspray-50ml/p/p...

A Ren Instant Firming Beauty Shot http://www.marksandspencer.com/firming-moisture-shot-30ml/p/p22378386

And I read another book!

154. Book I cannot name.

Read for work. Actually *reread* for work. Still, a finish is a finish :-)

I've nearly finished Revenge of the Rich and I'm about 40% of the way through Fools and Mortals so those might be today's finishes. Last night I got caught up in the very silly Bancroft, which was a late replacement this week in the ITV 9pm drama slot. Recommended although ridiculous, and what has happened to Sarah Parish's face?!!

Intrigued by what has happened to SP's face and why you can't name the book (too long a title? The rather fabulously amorphous "legal reasons"?) No need to comment.

I can't bear hairspray: that claggy feel to the hair. But maybe I've just not tried Percy and Reed?

My friend has just cancelled a meet up as her little one is sick, so In have no excuses to help me avoid 600 pages of Life and Fate. Where are the mini eggs when you need them?

Off to google Parrish and plastic surgery...
ETA £3500!

>119 charl08: Charlotte, I think she's had lip fillers or something - she has a sort of trout pout except it's more like an eel. Very odd. Plus there are flashbacks to when she's 27 years younger and that looks most peculiar. As she's been acting for so long, I thought the make-up artists might have been able to find plenty of pictures of her at the right age, but it seems not. I will, however, recommend it if you need a break from the long scary book.

I'm not a hairspray person either, but I'll give this a go because I've got it now :-)

And the book is related to a client, and we're not allowed to mention clients on social media, hence I can't name it. But it was WORK on the weekend, so I do feel very virtuous for having read it. Now for something more fun, or actually first I have to buy various vouchers for the NZers. I got some M&S parcels on Friday from my brother's family. One of the cards said "From your favourite nephews" and then their names. They're my *only* nephews, and I could imagine them giggling over that. In the box was a Christmas candle, so I'll get that going, but I'm saving my astrological mug and paperweight for the office next year. I think it was my birthday present, so oops.

ETA: OMG! She should ask for her money back, except it seems from the amount of publicity about it that she got it for free. Maybe it's the equivalent of letting trainee hairdressers loose on your hair. She looked miles better before.

>120 susanj67: Some kind of "non-surgical procedure" but it sounds pretty intense to me.

The nephews sound like fun. I'm going to bake a cake I think (no one mention I've only read 50 pages of L&F).

>121 charl08: Ooh, cake. There's a little Christmas cake in the bottom tier of a three-box collection from M&S, so I might have to try that later, but home baking sounds better.

Two gifts purchased so far, and actual gifts, not just Westfield gift cards. True, one of them is for my s-i-l whose birthday in April I totally missed (v poor) but it's a start.

155. Fools and Mortals by Bernard Cornwell

If you know your Shakespeare, you'll know that the title is a reference to A Midsummer Night's Dream. I didn't. But I do now. This is the story of how it was first staged, to celebrate the marriage of the Lord Chamberlain's granddaughter. It's fiction, so it's told from the point of view of Shakespeare's brother, who is an actor in the company. I'm not sure whether he really existed or not, although I do recognise some of the other names. But overall I couldn't really see the point of this. Nothing much happened overall, although it is very atmospheric in terms of its description of London over the freezing cold Christmas of 1595. The writing is great, but the plot is weak. I think I'd rather read some NF about the subject.

All my Christmas shopping is done, so yay! Well, except I need to get something for my secretary, but I know what that's going to be and I'll get it tomorrow morning. But the NZers are all taken care of. This week was going to be a four-day week for me but I'm not sure now.

Holy carp - I just copied my s-i-l's work address into an email to my brother, and got an out of office until 30 January 2018.

So. Jealous.

156. Revenge of the Rich by Austin Mitchell

Subtitled "The Neoliberal Revolution in Britain and New Zealand", Mitchell, a former Labour MP here in the UK, looks at "the two countries that adopted the new economics most enthusiastically, became its poster boys in the eyes of right-wing economists and media, and suffered the most severe consequences." It's a really interesting read, and makes me want to read more about economics, which I used to be quite good at when I was at university, but have since neglected. I don't think I'll jump right in with Thomas Piketty, but perhaps something a bit shorter...

>124 susanj67: - Geez, and I'm looking forward to my 4 days off :-P

>126 katiekrug: Katie, I know! She's a lecturer, though, which explains it. I got an OOO from my brother a couple of years ago at about the same time, saying he was off until 21 January. I emailed him to say it must be wrong, but it wasn't...And he is *not* in academia. But it's their summer holidays, so...

Ten days. Quite happy with that!

>128 charl08: Mine was going to be from 22 Dec - 2 Jan (inclusive). I don't think it will be now, though. *Pout*.

Today's Advent product is an Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion: http://www.marksandspencer.com/transforming-body-lotion-100ml/p/p22511241?prevPa... I'm supposed to use it twice a day for four weeks, but the sample doesn't look like it will last that long, so I'm just doing my arms. I wonder what they're supposed to transform into? Quite exciting.

I returned a couple of books to the library, which was suffering a catastrophic IT and phone failure, so I didn't try and take anything out. But the new NF shelf was full of wonder, including a royal poisoning story, David Kynaston's Till Time's Last Sand, which is a history of the Bank of England https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N784GGM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&amp... and of course Queen Victoria, who is still there. I love David Kynaston's books, but this new one is 900pp, and I just don't have time to focus on it right now.

>111 susanj67: ha....sounds like the Roses chocolates here. Tinker with them, and the masses freak out. They have a slated caramel one now that I dislike, but they also have a coffee one which makes up for it:)

>131 LovingLit: Megan, wasn't there an orange one at one stage? (maybe even now). I loved that one. No-one liked the Turkish Delight, which, thinking about it, was a pretty "foreign" flavour for NZ in the 70s. On the subject of NZ, I got a Prezzy card for my birthday, so I bought a digital subscription to New Zealand Geographic magazine, which I have loved reading little bits of for free (until they told me my free stuff had run out and now please pay something :-))

>130 susanj67: Wings? An invisibility cloak?

>133 charl08: Oh, I'm hoping for the invisibility cloak.

Hello, Susan!

>133 charl08: Booky Work Friend has voted for tentacles, like an octopus. And those could be quite useful...

>134 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie! Yes, a cloak would allow me to exact a considerable amount of revenge. Ooh, the temptation :-)

>135 susanj67: Ooh tentacles. Could be handy at the office : I bet octopi don't get back ache from office chairs (working whilst hanging from the ceiling?)

>137 charl08: Charlotte, no, I bet they don't. And some of the ones on Blue Planet II look amazing. However, there is no sign of any transformation in the arm department yet, even if my arms stay as arms. But the sample is 50ml, so I'll keep going. It has only been 24 hours...

Today's advent product - a Leighton Denny nail polish. I have given it to one of my pals at work whose daughter is a nail polish fan. It's a good brand, and it seems to be a glitter polish, so pretty festive :-)

The Christmas break may be back on, or at least partly. I'm now wondering whether maybe I *should* get the David Kynaston book...It's all new and beautiful. So beautiful. And did I mention how new? Brand new. Brand. New.

I think definitely yes to the Kynaston book.

>139 Crazymamie: Mamie, well, if you think so... :-)

Today's Advent product - a Pixi by Petra Lip Lift Max in Honey Sheen http://www.marksandspencer.com/lip-lift-max-2-7g/p/p22424624?&pdpredirect I didn't quite dare this morning, but I will at some stage.

Susan, I think you are very brave with all these beauty products (also, having met you, I don't think you need any of 'em!). I can't get over my intimidation of the basics - eye liner, lipstick, etc :)

>141 katiekrug: Katie, you are very kind :-) I'm enjoying seeing what's changed since my heyday of the 80s/90s, (and somewhere the other day I saw that blue mascara is back again, but probably ironically) but some of it is scary. Or at least the words are scary - I am sort of coming round to my Dad's point of view that only the labels are different :-) . Today's Lip Lift thingummy had a very strong mint smell, which was odd. I swatched some on the back of my hand over breakfast. Maybe it's the mint that gives the plumping sensation. "Ooh, like that one downstairs" said my friend from our library at work. When her colleague asked which one, I successfully guessed she meant Soap and Glory's Sexy Motherpucker lip gloss, sold at the Boots in the mall, with no further information. *proud* and *maybe obsessed*.

I have had a very vexing day putting bundles of documents together. I am forever telling the trainees that no-one is too good for bundling (which is true), so I have only myself to blame, but now they are down being copied and I feel mildly euphoric. Maybe it's my 10am codeine wearing off.

I love those Soap and Glory names: find the products themselves a little bit sweet for me before I finish them (if that makes any sense).
Also, I agree with >141 katiekrug:.

I have booked for the suffrage talk at the museum of London (and couldn't resist the bus trip as well, which starts much earlier, so I'll have to stay the night before).

>143 charl08: Charlotte, you are also very kind :-) I'm not mad on the original Soap and Glory fragrance, but I do like the orange one, and always have a tub of that body butter on the go. I've just booked my ticket too - talk only, so I will meet you there. Or at the Pret nearby - we can work it out nearer the time.

Today I'm wearing the lip lift gloss, which isn't lifting at all (but it is minty). It's a really pretty colour, though. Today's treat was a Balanceme Rose Otto Facial Oil: http://www.marksandspencer.com/rose-otto-face-oil-30ml/p/p22507039?&pdpredir... I've never tried a facial oil, but I see quite a few of them around now.

No reading last night as I saw in the EPG that Romancing the Stone was on, so I had to watch that :-) I almost never rewatch or reread, with a very few exceptions. For films, they are Romancing the Stone and The Devil Wears Prada.

In the kitchen there is a big box of mince pies and Christmas cake. There will be an email inviting us to help ourselves, but would it be wrong to pre-empt it, I wonder? Although is 9.55 too early for cake?

I honestly and fundamentally believe that it is NEVER too early for cake.

>145 BekkaJo: Bekka, I tried and you're right. It wasn't too early. I had a cube of cake, and there are two types of mince pies. I should probably have equal numbers of everything, so it might be time for a pie run.

ETA: I feel like Joey in Friends - "Short crust pastry, gooood. Fruit mince, gooood."

>146 susanj67: Excellent cake nabbing. It can be too early for cake, but that has to be really early. Almost 10 am is practically elevenses and cake is a requirement at that point.

Oh, I love Romancing the Stone, too! You have excellent taste, Susan. And yay for baked goods in the kitchen.

>147 Helenliz: Helen, I figured that it was 11am somewhere, and I convinced myself :-)

>148 katiekrug: Katie, yes, yay! And my office is very near the kitchen. I pass it often.

I have been so busy today that I missed a restaurant lunch, but one of the girls just brought it to me wrapped up! Doggy bags are very unusual in the UK, so it was sweet of her to think of it.

#146 My colleague got some mince pie lattice parcel thingy-me-bobs from M&S yesterday. They were seriously good! Highly recommended from a mince pie addict.

>150 BekkaJo: Bekka, I'm on my third box of the fancy Waitrose ones (with the Clementine and cointreau cream) so I might be all mince pied out but I'm going to the big M&S in the City tomorrow so I'll have a look. I'm hoping to find all sorts of things there that the smaller ones don't have.

Hi Susan. I'm visiting your thread after Katie's comment about you (and Mamie, methinks) pressuring encouraging her to host a Popsugar reading challenge thread. I'm so glad I found you! Your beauty products advent adventure is terribly fun to follow along with (this from a woman who wears absolutely no makeup but loves smelly soaps and such). And your reading is interesting, too.

>152 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, and welcome! This thread has been a tiny bit light on actual books read, but there are too many shiny distractions at this time of year :-)

Today's Advent product: An Autograph Hydrating Confidence Boost Primer. Sounds promising. I've got Soap and Glory's One Heck of a Blot but I will try this one soon.

My little sample of the Murad moisturiser is finally finished (nearly seven weeks out of 12 ml - awesome) so today I've started the Figs & Rouge Hydra-Activ Smart Nutrient Day Cream from the calendar. It's a 20 ml sample so it should last for months. It's got hyaluronic acid in it, which they are always talking about on QVC. Fancy.

I've got today off, so I went up to the Marks & Spencer in Moorgate, and had a look at all the changes up that way for Crossrail. Or, as they now say on the hoardings, the Elizabeth Line. I wonder how long it will be before no-one says Crossrail any more. It was YEARS before those of us at the new eastern end of the Jubilee Line stopped calling it the Jubilee Line Extension. And speaking of Elizabeths, this is very sweet: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-norfolk-42445406/queen-and-duke-of-edinb... I love the way they do this, when they could just take a helicopter.

M&S wasn't very inspiring for festive mains, but I did get a couple of single-serve Christmas puddings and some of the Madagascan Vanilla custard, which they always roll out in bulk at Christmas time. I think it's around all year but the ordinary (cheaper) custard seems to disappear for Christmas.

I just unboxed one of the gifts from my brother's family, which was a "Tier of Presents," according to the tag on the product - a small box, a medium box and a large box. The tag described it as "Italian biscuits, chocolates and an indulgent Christmas cake." I assumed the small box would be for the chocolates, the medium one for the biscuits and the larger bottom one for the cake. But no! The tiny box has the cake, and the largest box has the chocolates. Result! I do like Christmas cake, but a great big one is always a bit of a challenge. The small one is perfect.

This afternoon I'm going to read a bit more of Orientalism and maybe my crime novel. Or just potter. Or maybe both.

157. Dying Light by Stuart MacBride

This is book 2 in the Logan McRae series, and after an unfortunate raid gone wrong it sees him moved to the unit headed by DI Steel, where the police officers in trouble are sent. (Motto: "We are not at home to Mr F***-Up"). Desperate to get out, Logan finds himself investigating more grisly crimes, and this was just as bad on that front as the first book. But I love the central characters, and I really hope that this is televised with Shirley Henderson playing DI Steel, because she would be *perfect*. (I base this on her role in Bridget Jones rather than Harry Potter, which I haven't seen).

I also managed a tiny bit of Orientalism, and four TV programmes from the PVR because - OMG - Netflix has not released episodes of my three week-by-week programmes this week. Nooo! How can I wait for some unspecified amount of time until I find out what happens in Designated Survivor?

"We are not at home to Mr F***-Up"
Hmm. I fear mine would be less comprehensive. (Possibly) fortunately no motto in our office.

Love the sound of the trio of gifts. The acid not so much...

>155 charl08: Charlotte, I am thinking of a motto for my own office. So far "Srsly?" is in the lead. I survived the acid! In fact I am wearing that moisturiser again today, and yesterday's primer on top of it (I couldn't work out where the Glow Booster went in the running order, so I am not glowing at present). I went to Waitrose to give it a bit of an outside test, and I even *walked* (12 minutes each way). Waitrose was manic, but they actually opened another till, which was amazing. A staff member sidled up to me just as I was about to put my shopping on the conveyor belt, pointed to my trolley and then pointed to the next till, where a bored-looking girl was just sitting down. I thought this probably meant "Excuse me madam, would you like to move to the next till, which we have just opened so that you don't have to wait so long?" so off I went.

Today's Advent product is a Formula Absolute Ultimate Sleep Cream. On the tube it says "Skin looks like you've had 8 hours {sic} sleep (even when you haven't)." And yet it's for night-time, so if you put it on and actually *do* get 8 hours' sleep, I don't know what happens. Quite the puzzler.

In other news, the iPlayer app on the TV appears to be working again, which is awesome. I'm going to watch last week's episodes of Feud, and then I'll be all caught up for tonight. For some reason I didn't record it. I can't wait to see what else they have, because it is much more fun on a proper screen than the Kindle. The app seems to have had a revamp, so that might be why it's working.

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

I am so enjoying your Advent calendar reports -- they make me smile almost every day!!

"...And yet it's for night-time, so if you put it on and actually *do* get 8 hours' sleep, I don't know what happens." cracked me up ~ maybe then you look like you had 8 hours' sleep two nights in a row!



Wishing you and yours a very merry holiday season!

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Hi Susan, stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!

>157 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara :-) That is such a cute picture!

>158 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba :-) Today is the second to last day, and it seems to have gone very quickly.

>159 EBT1002: Ellen, if it ever happens, I'll update everyone :-) Thanks for the Christmas wishes - best wishes to you and P too.

>160 ronincats: Thanks Roni!

>161 lkernagh: Thanks Lori. I love the scarves those bears are wearing :-)

Today's Advent product - a Pur Correcting Primer: http://www.marksandspencer.com/illuminate-and-glow-primer-30ml/p/p22449465?prevP... It's orange in the tube, but rubbed into the back of my hand the colour goes, leaving a nice sheen. I'll definitely try this, although I doubt I'll ever pay £24 for 30 ml. Still, the 10 ml sample is worth £8 on that basis, so yay!

I started The Good People yesterday, and I want to make some progress with that. I also started Troublemakers, which is a history of Silicon Valley. That's an ebook form the library. And I picked quite a few books from Mount TBR for The Popsugar challenge, so I'll put those into a draft post ready for adding to my first 2018 thread. But first, a bit more Orientalism...

All this planning Susan! I'm still havering over whether to do any challenges...

>163 charl08: Noooooooo! Oh Charlotte, you should know better than to admit to any weakness when in Susan's company. She will pounce and you will find yourself with your (metaphorical) left ankle behind your head before you can say "Bah! Humbug!".

Now you're for it.

(said with love, and hoping that Susan doesn't rope me into anything)

>163 charl08: Go on Charlotte, you know you want to :-)

>164 Helenliz: But Helen, what do you mean? You're already on my list twice. Hmmm, I must find it, and I'll get back to you...

The Good People is excellent. And I read about 40 pages of Orientalism, which is turning into this year's Clarissa. But I succumbed to the iPlayer, and the excellent series about the Blitz (only up till Thursday, I think. Of course I can't remember what today is. Oh, Sunday). I've watched two and I have two left. There doesn't seem to be anything gripping on this evening - I sat poised over the Radio Times, pen in hand, but nada. And it's the only time of year I actually buy it. Humph.

Wishing you a happy Christmas, Susan, and may 2018 treat you well.

>166 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba!

(Or in other words, Happy Christmas, to you and yours!)

> Thanks Rhian :-)



158. The Good People by Hannah Kent

I borrowed this from the library after Megan said it was one of her best reads of the year, and it's superb. Set in Ireland in the 1820s, it examines the widespread belief in fairies, or "good people", and it's based on a real murder trial (although the trial bit is only right at the end). It's a depressing subject-matter but beautifully written.

In sale news, the sales have started and I have just picked up a little set which includes the Murad moisturser I loved from my beauty box, and three other Murad product from the same line. For £15. I don't think I'm going to be able to top that. The moisturiser is twice the size of the sample I had, and there's also a cleanser, a serum and an eye cream, so I am very excited :-)

Merry Christmas Susan!

Dear Susan, best wishes to you and yours at Christmas!

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

>170 luvamystery65: Thanks Roberta!

>171 AMQS: Thanks Anne - that is the perfect booky Christmas picture!

>172 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul.

Today is warmish in London, but Kay Burley is on Sky News (brrr) so I've had to find something else to have on in the background. Today's Advent product is the last one - a cute little make-up bag with "My favourite things" printed on the front in gold. I think I'll read for a bit, just for a change...

Happy Xmas Susan.


I think that advent calendar is a winner. Also v impressed by your bravery in tackling the sales.

>174 charl08: Thanks Charlotte! (and it was online sales, so not that brave. I am one of those terrible people the Daily Mail disapproves of for daring to look at the interweb instead of talking to my family. As they are not here, however, I think I get a pass)

My Kindle is charging on a short cord because I can't be bothered going into the bedroom to unplug the long one. When you live in 550 square feet, this is deeply lazy. But anyway, it's given me an opportunity to fill in a few more categories in the Popsugar challenge, and now I know what a microhistory is, and also an allegory. Well, I sort of knew allegory, but I couldn't have picked out any books that were allegories. However, apparently The Name of the Rose is one, and I've long wanted to read that. Otherwise I'm pretty much choosing things from Mount TBR, and trying to make as many choices as possible NF.

I'm about 75% of the way through the next Stuart MacBride novel, which I will finish tonight because there is so little to watch on TV. Well, broadcast TV. I have Netflix and All The Things on the PVR.

159. Broken Skin by Stuart MacBride

This is book 3 in the Logan McRae series, in which he is once again working for DI Steel and DI Insch. Again, the crimes are gory, but there is a lot about the core characters that is very funny, particularly the descriptions and behaviour of DI Steel. I also love the Aberdeen dialect - just bits and pieces, but it's enough to give a real flavour of how the characters talk, although I'm still guessing at some of the meanings.

It's made me wonder a bit about some of the Scottish accents on TV and realise that I'm pretty poor at identifying them. I can recognise the Glaswegian accent (Billy Connolly, and a chap in our mail room at work who says "Hello girls" when he comes into the office, and "girls" has about five syllables) and the Edinburgh accent (FOR's wife, although hers is not very strong) but there are lots of Scottish TV journalists and I can tell they're from somewhere other than Glasgow or Edinburgh, but not where they're actually from. I do recall calling a customer helpline once and it went through to Fife and I couldn't understand a word.

I should probably stop bingeing on this series and read The Women's Room tomorrow, and yet...

I've also got the first book for my 2018 Popsugar challenge, which I only reserved yesterday from the elibrary. It came sooner than I expected, so now I have to save it for eight days, as it just wouldn't do to read it too soon and then not be able to count it. The category is "Nordic noir", and I googled to find out whether that was the same as Scandi crime (yes) so I got Snow Blind.

The Verso 90% off ebook sale has started: https://www.versobooks.com/blogs/3543-verso-end-of-year-sale

As I have read none of the books I bought last time, I'm not looking. Probably.

In other news, happy birthday to me! I have started the L'Occitane Advent calendar, because you can never have too many little doors to open in the morning. A friend gave me a lovely collection of Benefit skin care (including an eyebrow primer, which I didn't even know was a thing). So I'm trialling the moisturiser today, and it's gorgeous. I also primed my eyebrows, but I wasn't entirely sure what to do then. Benefit goes for the very full eyebrow look, which isn't really me. Well, perhaps it is now :-) Now I'm ironing. Soon I plan to vacuum, possibly with attachments. And then do some filing of papers. And then maybe read a bit. Somehow the fourth Stuart MacBride novel fell onto my Kindle late last night.

Happy Birthday, Susan!

Happy birthday Susan. Brought cake...

>179 Helenliz: Thanks Helen!

>180 charl08: Thanks Charlotte - lovely cake!

I seem to have run out of coat-hangers. This suggests that a percentage of my clothes actually lives in the ironing basket full-time. Very Poor. Thinking about goals for the next decade ("Twenty-five for the second time," said my NZ friend), I dismissed "get fit" because hahahahaha and decided on "live in a more orderly house". So that's what I'm going for, and it looks like coathangers might be first on the list.

>181 susanj67: I know that phenomenon. If I'm up to date with the ironing, I can't hang all the clothes in the wardrobe. I have enough hangers, just not quite enough space. Not that that ever stops me buying a new dress, of course...
My husband is 50 in February, I'll be 4 years behind him. So I was wondering about at bucket list style thing. But I was thinking of something less existential, more along the lines of "watch all the Bond films in order".
I ran a marathon for my 40th, I am NOT doing that again, ever, as long as I live! >:-)

Belated Merry Christmas! And on time Happy Birthday! I'll call that a timing win for me ;)

>182 Helenliz: Helen, I ended up folding up some summer things to put...somewhere. Not in a pile on the bed, where they are right now. I have never been tempted to run a marathon, but well done for going through with it! I'm more "watch the Bond films in order" (of course).

>183 BekkaJo: Thanks Bekka! Definitely a timing win - if there is one thing people with Christmas birthdays love, it is birthday wishes :-) My parents were always really good about giving us separate presents (my brother's birthday is a Christmas one too) but often other people would just forget, or do one present for both occasions.

>177 susanj67: I recently read the seventh of that series. I enjoyed it very much. Hoorey for Snow Blind it's very good. I've read the sequel of that series this year.

 Enjoy your special day.

>185 Ameise1: Barbara, I was sure I'd read about that series on someone's thread - it must have been yours! I see you're busy setting up in the new group, so I won't disturb you till you're done :-) Thank you for the birthday wishes!

Hoping that your birthday is full of fabulous, Susan! And welcome to 50!

>187 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie!

Verso haul update:



Oops.

Happy Boxing Day!!

OMG!!! Happy, happy birthday!! I passed your wishes on to Hubby and he said "thank you" but now I see that you share a birthday. I like that!! He opened his presents at breakfast and then we went out for Japanese lunch for his birthday. Now the plumber is here fixing the kitchen sink which has been out of service since last week -- that's the best part of the day as far as I'm concerned (am I bad?) :)

I'm late, but Happy Birthday to you, Susan!

Adding happy birthday wishes!!

>189 Berly:, >192 Berly: Thanks Kim!

>190 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba :-) It sounds like your hubby had a more active day than I did, but at least I got the ironing done :-) I hope your sink is fixed - what a nuisance over Christmas.

>191 ronincats: Thanks Roni :-)

It is snowing. It was sleet when I left home, but now there are actual giant flakes whirling around outside my office window (ten minutes later). I don't think we're going to beat the snow in Erie, Pennsylvania, but still. I am glad to be inside looking out. I thought I'd see what I can get done today and tomorrow and then maybe take Friday off. Officially I'm on holiday, so I'm planning to close the door, plug myself in to Absolute 80s and wrangle documents.

>193 susanj67: I love it staying inside and seeing the snow flakes. Enjoy the 80s.

Good luck with the wrangling Susan.

Top 5 80s tracks for working when everyone else (probably?) isn't:

Hit me with your rhythm stick (Reasons to be cheerful Part III)
Running Up That Hill
Prince Charming ("Ridicule is nothing to be scared of")
Rebel Yell
Better Be Good To Me

>194 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara :-)

>195 charl08: Thanks Charlotte - I'm going to need the luck. The first document is 1,800 pages long. Yay! There's an index, sort of.

I love the songs - currently I'm listening to Walk Like An Egyptian, which I might try when I get my next mug of tea. I'm using my new mug that the nephews got me, which is part of the M&S astrological series. I wish I was a more glamorous star sign than a goat, but I suppose at least I'm not a crab. That would really freak the trainees out.

>193 susanj67: Sink is fixed. It was an easy one for the plumber but still expensive. I also spent three hours at the mall yesterday waiting for a turn with the Genius Bar. I'm quite sure at least half the population of San Diego was in that mall! Computer is debugged now though and I knew it would be a long wait so I took a book. Now if I can get the curtain rod in the bedroom fixed we'll be past this particular episode of gremlins.

I checked the webcam at Chautauqua this morning. It's only about 30 minutes from Erie and in the line the blizzard was traveling so lots of lovely snow there. I wouldn't want to have to travel in it but I wish I could transport myself to our place there. Check out CHQ.org and go to the webcam at the bottom of the page if you're curious.

>197 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, that is snowy! At first I thought it was just a still photo, but then I saw a tiny car, and a couple of tiny people. And maybe a dog. Those two cars on the right look very snowed in, and I can see a CHQ sign (?) with the snow two-thirds of the way up it. Very pretty, but not for walking around in! Our snow all disappeared, and I have decided not to even mention it to our Chicago secondee as I see it is -10C in Chicago at the moment, and he is there for Christmas. He'll probably come in next week in a t-shirt.

>196 susanj67: Hope the looooong document behaved itself, Susan. Visitors have officially departed, so I can now slob out and Just read make some good headway on my long to do list...

>199 charl08: Charlotte, it was OK, but I came home after lunch as all the clicking and mousing was hurting and I am a big baby. Actually I'm trying not to get struck down with a giant headache, and so far so good (touch wood). I read some more of Orientalism (end now sighted) and my crime novel. And shortly it is Little Women on BBC1, which isn't bad, Michael Gambon's accent notwithstanding.

>198 susanj67: That's the main square on the grounds. Building across from the webcam is the library and, yes, the sign says CHQ in very tall letters (5 or 6 feet high). Don't know what the temp is there today. Lol re secondee wearing t-shirt.

Happy Birthday, Susan! I'm sorry my wishes are belated, but they are sincere nonetheless!

>169 susanj67: I plan to read The Good People next year.

>201 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, it looks like a lovely place. But my goodness that snow was high against a sign of 5 or 6 feet! London would grind to a halt for weeks if we ever got anything like that.

>202 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! That card is PERFECT! Love it!!

>203 thornton37814: Lori, it's well worth it. I zipped through it - I had to find out what happened. Not one to put down for long.

Back in the office, but feeling fine so far. I may be back to mousing shortly, though...

Careful with the clicking there Susan.
I'm going to force myself outside before I fuse with the sofa. Still about 500 pages to go in Life and Fate before the end of the year...

>205 charl08: Charlotte, I'm trying to be careful but I doubt I'll last the whole day. But never mind! I like the freedom to choose. Be careful outside, because you never know when it will rain on you, or snow. But it's a lovely day down here and there is scarcely any smog to the north of me either. The canteen is back to its ordinary menu, so yesterday was Punjabi Day and today is Oriental Day, which is a collection of dishes unknown in the Orient, but sort of like someone heard about it once and decided what they must eat there (a spooky co-incidence with the Edward Said book). I had some Dragon salad, which I don't pretend to understand, and some other bits and pieces.

160. Flesh House by Stuart MacBride

Book 4 in the Logan McRae series, and this is just as violent and gory as the others, but all the key characters appeared, although it took until chapter 6 for DI Steel to show up. This one seemed longer than the first three, but that might be because of all the twists in the plot. I enjoyed it, gore notwithstanding. But I really need to finish some other things now, instead of downloading the fifth one.

>202 katiekrug: Love it!! My daughter has her birthday on the 30th. It is not my fault though. I waited a month to get pregnant and she decided to come early. LOL

>207 susanj67: Kim, happy birthday to your daughter for Saturday :-)

>202 katiekrug: the worst example I ever perpetrated of that has to be the occasion when I (aged about 10) bought my dad a pair of socks for his birthday (23rd December) and Christmas. So I gave him one for his birthday and the second for Christmas. How he had the grace to look surprised on Christmas day I have no idea.

Happy birthdays to all those winter babies.

>210 Helenliz: - That. Is. Priceless. Love it!

>210 Helenliz:, Helen, I love that :-) And, you see, it was *two presents*. But well done to your Dad for looking surprised :-)

>211 katiekrug: Katie, me too :-)

>210 Helenliz: LOVE the sock story!

Susan, have you downloaded book five yet?

>213 Crazymamie: Mamie, maybe. Ahem.

*belly laugh*

>215 Crazymamie: Ah, but I haven't started it. Yet. I have a chunkster of a library ebook that I need to get finished first. And I've worked out a way to get my books from Verso into the Overdrive app on the Kindle, so now when I go to add library books I see all the Verso acquisitions that I haven't read. I hoping it will remind me that they're there, and make it easier to read them.

It is freeeezing today, and dark at 8.51 in the morning. I'm staying home. My shoulder is marginal, so I'm going to read first and maybe do a bit of work later. I need a computer that I can talk to instead of mousing - "scroll down" "next page" and so on and then I could just sit without hurting anything.

Sorry to hear you're such in pain. Do you get some physio therapy?

>217 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara. I've tried various things for it, but nothing has worked. What I need is to stop spending all day at a desk. Roll on retirement!

But I have just filed my tax return (due at the end of January 2018) so I am currently the smuggest person in the country. They promised it would be easier this year, but it wasn't. It bemuses me that employers and banks and pension companies send all the details to the Revenue, but we still have to hunt around for all the paperwork ourselves and declare it all over again. Do they think I have secret bank accounts? How is that possible, with all the hoops to jump through to open a bank account? And if I *did* have one, would I declare the interest earned on it? Crackers. We should just get a list on the screen of all the money the Revenue thinks we've made, and an ability to say "Yes" if it's correct, rather than starting from scratch. They now fill in salary and benefits like medical insurance on the web form, so they *could* do it for savings income as well.

Rant over, but I'm still feeling smug. I read a bit of The Women's Room this morning before a little nap, so I will continue with it. The news is broadcasting from York, where it is snowing like real snow. No sign of it in London yet, though.

A belated Happy Birthday, Susan. >181 susanj67: I thought I was out of hangers too but then I went through my closet and took out the things that I no longer wear. Now I have lots of hangers! (A bit drastic I know, but it worked.)

My copy of Snow Blind came in early from the library as well. I did peek at the first few chapters.

>210 Helenliz: Ha! Love the sock story. Your dad gets points.

>218 susanj67: Congrats on getting the tax return already!

>219 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg! Yes, I found enough when I folded up summer things. Now I just have to remember to get the summer things back out instead of wearing three t-shirts all summer and wondering why I have no clothes. Because of the air-con at work, work clothes remain the same pretty much year-round.

>220 Berly: Thanks Kim! I am very glad to have got it out of the way. As I had to delve into the pile of filing yesterday, I might now actually file it. After lunch. Perhaps.

I've just been to Tesco at Surrey Quays, which is much bigger than my usual supermarkets with plenty of new things to see. This now includes an entire branch of Next (clothing), which has gone in where the magazines used to be. I'm not sure why, particularly as Tesco has its own clothing range, and the shop I go to has a big area of it. But I had a good look at the freezer cabinets (frozen fenugreek leaves, anyone?) as well as picking up some other bits and pieces. My life is just non-stop excitement :-)



161. Blind Eye by Stuart MacBride

Book 5 in the Logan McRae series, and yet more grisly crimes to solve. There are also a few unanswered questions after book 4 which I hoped would be resolved, but maybe they're still coming up in a future book. I really am taking a break from these now - I may have reached peak gore.

Go on with it. I've read that one in 2010.

>222 Ameise1: Barbara, yes, I definitely will. I just need a bit of a break from all the gore :-)

I've just found a great new documentary series on Netflix - The Toys That Made Us. It's a Netflix Original, so it should be available in every country, and it's about iconic toys. I've just watched the Star Wars episode, and the one about Barbie, and the next two are He-Man and GI Joe. But there are eight in total, according to the jingle at the beginning. One of the interviewees from Mattel in the second episode had the job title "Vice President, Barbie", which must surely be the best job title EVER. It was very interesting on the changes that Barbie had gone through in terms of design and facial expression over the decades (for example, Malibu Barbie was the first one to look directly *at* the person playing with her). Definitely worth a look.

>223 susanj67: I am definitely going to look for that one! Thanks.

>224 Berly: Kim, it's lots of fun :-)

Well. Today I was going to read magazines and watch documentaries, but I just logged on to renew a couple of library books and someone has reserved The Women's Room, so now I have to read 400pp before Tuesday. Humph.



162. Troublemakers: Silicon Valley's Coming of Age by Leslie Berlin

This was a library ebook, all about the beginnings of what is now Silicon Valley, and up to 1983. It was longer than I thought it would be, but really interesting, and looked at Atari, Apple, the Xerox PARC project and Genentech among the bigger companies, and lots of smaller ones. It also included the early efforts of Stanford University to start making money from the inventions of its staff, and the man who started the little unit that applied for patents and started to commercialise things, running into serious protests over a parent for recombitant DNA (the sorts of protests that are still going on today with similar developments). There were also some leaps forward to the present day, and how the new tech giants like Google and Facebook are "related" (through founders, funders and advisers) to the pioneer companies.

Although I have lived through most of it, it really did feel like history. And there were some fun statistics like the iPhone 7 having 64,000 times more memory (I think) than the earliest HP computer. I still remember buying my first computer, which would have been in 1988 or 89, as I needed it for lengthy essays in the final two years of my degree. It had a whole 256KB of memory (I think), and I had to take it back and get the 512KB version so that I could fit the whole essay on it. But it had white type on a black screen, I think or black on white (not green type, anyway) which was a bit different. And of course I had the dot-matrix printer to go with it :-)

Recommended for anyone interested in the tech companies and how we got to where we are today.

OK - off to The Women's Room.