CEE still reading by the Sea in 2018

LOKI and I wish PEACE to all my LT friends in 2018.

My star ratings:

*****Five stars- Amazing Favorite - possibly life-changing! Outstanding either for the content, the style, or the impact.

****1/2 - Excellent, well written, highly recommended & well worth reading

****Four stars- Enjoyable, page-turner, and/or thought-provoking book. Counted among my better reads.

***1/2 stars - interesting, fun, informative, or different: probably would not read again

***Three stars- light comfort read - or - a serious book that falls short of expectations

**1/2 stars - not well written or my taste, but may have a thought or two to ponder

**Two stars- waste of time considering all the books TBR in the world

*1/2 stars - Someone, somewhere probably likes this book, but not me.

*One star- Quit, Yuck, Ptooey! This star is only for the author's effort and success in finishing a book.

2018 Books Read:

January
#1 GOING POSTAL by Terry Pratchett 4.4 stars
#2 ASTROPHYSICS FOR PEOPLE IN A HURRY by Neil Tyson 4 stars
#3 A BACKWARD GLANCE: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY By Edith Wharton 4.5 stars
#4 A CIRCLE OF QUIET by Madeleine L'Engle 4.6 stars
#5 A WILDER TIME by William Glassley 4.2 stars
#6 THE SUMMER OF THE GREAT-GRANDMOTHER by Madeleine L'Engle 4.7 stars
#7 THE SIEGE by Helen Dunmore (Book Club) re-read 5 stars

February
#8 A COLUMN OF FIRE by Ken Follett 4.3 stars
#9 THE NATURE OF THE BEAST by Louise Penny 4 stars
#10 TIGHTENING THE THREADS by Lea Wait 3.5 stars
#11 TINKERS by Paul Harding 4.5 stars
#12 THREAD THE HALLS by Lea Wait 3.5 stars
#13 THE LANGUAGE OF TREES by Ilie Ruby 4 stars
#14 THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah 5 stars
#15 THE LIKENESS by Tana French 4.2 stars
#16 ALEX & ME by Irene Pepperberg 3.8 stars
#17 WE BAND OF ANGELS: THE UNTOLD STORY BY Elizabeth Norman 5 stars

March
#18 TOWN IN A BLUEBERRY JAM by BB Haywood 3 stars
#19 EXCALIBUR RISING: BOOK ONE by Eileen Enright Hodgetts 3.2 stars
#20 TOWN IN A LOBSTER STEW by BB Haywood 3 stars
#21 THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho 4 stars
#22 MY NAME IS VENUS BLACK by Heather Lloyd ER win 3 stars
#23 TOWN IN A WILD MOOSE CHASE by BB Haywood 3 stars
#24 TIPS FOR LIVING by Renee Shafransky 3.25 stars
#25 TOWN IN A PUMPKIN BASH by BB Haywood 3.3 stars
#26 A GREAT RECKONING by Louise Penny 4.2 stars
#27 THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS by Elizabeth Gilbert 4.6 stars

April
#28 THE IRRATIONAL SEASON by Madeleine L'Engle 4.2 stars
#29 SHAMAN by Noah Gordon 4.5 stars
#30 TOWN IN A STRAWBERRY SWIRL by BB Haywood 3 stars
#31 THE CAT WHO COULDN'T SEE IN THE DARK by S. Howard Padwee 3.5 stars
#32 THE PALE HORSE by Agatha Christie 3.6 stars
#33 PEONY: A NOVEL OF CHINA by Pearl S. Buck 4.2 stars
#34 TOWN IN A SWEET PICKLE by BB Haywood 3 stars
#35 TOWN IN A CINNAMON TOAST by BB Haywood 3 stars
#36 DESTINY OF THE REPUBLIC by Candace Millard 4.6 stars

May
#37 MY BOOKSTORE: WRITERS CELEBRATE THEIR FAVORITE PLACES by Ronald Rice 3.5 stars
#38 PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee 4.8 stars
#39 TOWN IN A MAPLE MADNESS by BB Haywood 3 stars
#40 THE GREAT DIVORCE by C S Lewis 4.2 stars
#41 TALES OF INDIA ER win 3 stars
#42 A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles 5 AMAZING stars!
#43 MOURT'S RELATION; A JOURNAL OF THE PILGRIMS AT PLYMOUTH by Edwin Winslow 4 stars

June
#44 BALZAC AND THE LITTLE CHINESE SEAMSTRESS by Dai Sijie 3.8 stars
#45 SLIGHTLY FOXED # 57 by Gail Perkis 4 stars
#46 A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by John Irving 5 stars
#47 THE JUNGLE BOOK by Rudyard Kipling 4.2 stars
#48 THE HOUSE AT OTOWI BRIDGE by Peggy Pond Church 5 stars
#49 THE FAMISHED ROAD by Ben Okri 2.5 stars (VERY weird - not for me)
#50 THE HOME FOR UNWANTED GIRLS by Joanna Goodman ER win 4.6 stars

July
#51 SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller 5 stars
#52 THE WOMAN BEHIND THE NEW DEAL: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF FRANCES PERKINS by Kirstin Downey 4.6 stars

August
#53 IRENA'S CHILDREN by Tilar Mazzeo 5 stars
#54 THE BAR HARBOR RETIREMENT HOME FOR FAMOUS WRITERS by Terri-Lynne DeFino ER win 4 stars
#55 ANNA KARENINA by Leo Tolstoy (& his wife, no doubt) 3.8 stars
#56 THE ROAD FROM COORAIN by Jill Ker Conway 4.6 stars
#57 TRUE NORTH: A MEMOIR by Jill Ker Conway 4.2 stars

September
#58 MANSFIELD PARK by Jane Austen 2.5 stars
#59 THE LAST KINGDOM by Bernard Cronwell 4 stars
#60 THE COLLECTED POEMS OF W.B.YEATS by W.. Yeats 4 stars
#61 ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE by Elizabeth Strout 3.9 stars
#62 THE WINTER SEA by Susanna Kearsley 3.8 stars
#63 INDISCREET by Mary Balogh 2.7 stars
#64 THE PALE HORSEMAN by Bernard Cornwell 3.6 stars
#65 THE WINDS TWELVE QUARTERS by Ursula LeGuin 4.4 stars

October
#66 DEAD WAKE by Erik Larson 5 stars
#67 THE GREAT ALONE by Kristin Hannah 4.3 stars
#68 PAPA GOOSE by Michael Quetting ER win 4 stars
#69 SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE; THE NEW SCIENCE OF HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS by Daniel Goleman 4.6 stars
#70 THE INVISIBLE BRIDGE by Julie Orringer 4.7 stars
#71 LITTLE BEE by Chris Cleave 3.6 stars
#72 BEAUTIFUL JOE by Marshall Saunders 3.5 stars

November
#73 SETTLERS OF THE MARSH by Frederick Grove 4.6 stars
#74 A DRINK BEFORE THE WAR by Dennis Lehane 4 stars
#75 THE RUINOUS SWEEP by Tim Wynne-Jones ER win 3.5 stars
#76 GLASS HOUSES: A NOVEL by Louise Penny 4 stars
#77 WHAT SHE KNEW by Gilly MacMillan 3.7 stars
#78 LOOSE ENDS by Terri Reid 3 stars
#79 THE DRESS LODGER by Sheri Holman 3.7 stars
#80 GOOD TIDINGS by Terri Reid 3 stars
#81 OLD FILTH by Jane Gardam 4 stars
#82 NEVER FORGOTTEN by Terri Reid 3 stars
#83 THE SHACK by William Young 4 stars
#84 THE BOYS IN THE BOAT by Daniel James Brown 4.3 stars

December
#85 CHRISTMAS ON THE ISLAND by Jenny Colgan 3 stars
#86 THE VISION OF EMMA BLAU by Ursula Hegi 3.6 stars
#87 RED RISING by Pierce Brown 2.6 stars
#88 A YEAR IN PARIS: SEASON BY SEASON by John Baxter 3.4 stars
#89 SLIGHTLY FOXED: NO. 60: 'A DICKENS OF A RIOT' by Gail Pirkis 4.5 stars
#90 I'D RATHER BE READING by Anne Bogel 4 stars
#91 THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S WIFE by Connie Scoville Small 3.5 stars
#92 MAJOR PETTIGREW'S LAST STAND by Helen Simonson 4.2 stars
#93 LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders 4.6 stars

INTERESTING TO ME STATS 2018:

TOTAL books read: 93
- includes books off the shelf: 34

Fiction: 66
Non-Fiction: 26
Poetry: 1

male author/editor: 33
female author/editor: 60

US author/editor: 54
author/editor from other countries: 39

living author/editor: 70
deceased author: 23

Welcome back! Happy new year!

Wow! You are quick! Happy 2018 to you, Jim!

Cee is here!!
eta: oops, too big the first time :)

Happy New Year and New thread, Cee!

>8 LovingLit: hahahaha ... I know, right? Thanks for stopping by :-)

>9 Carmenere: Thanks. Happiness to you, too, Lynda :-)

Happy 2018 reading!

Happy New Year
Happy New Group here
This place is full of friends
I hope it never ends
It brew of erudition and good cheer.

Cee!! So happy to find you. I wish you a wonderful 2018 filled with lots of friends and great books! Oh wait, that's LT! :) Hugs.

So, are you reading The Siege by Helen Dunmore yet? It was a very moving book, I still remember some scenes.

>11 thornton37814: Hi Lori... Welcome. That's one of the best wishes anyone could get for a new year. I wish you the same :-)

>12 PaulCranswick: I just need to know, Paul. Was that a successful leap into the new year? I so very much hope so! I didn't know you had so much energy left at the end of the day/year. I should have guessed though.
Ahhh... a sentimental poem to start the new year. And yes we are - all of that.

>13 Berly: Ah Kim, you are so astute! Wishing you the very best of what is important for 2018 - what you said :-) Nice lamp.

>14 LovingLit: Hi Megan! I have read The Siege once before and loved it. In fact, I was the one who recommended this read for our book club. I hope they like it. Amazingly I still remember parts of this book too - though I read it awhile ago (6 years ago). I say amazing because I have such a lousy memory. Even so, this book made a deep impact on me. I described it back then as "beautiful and terrible". I actually look forward to re-reading it. I'll be starting it soon. I'm wondering if the timing is good or not since we have been experiencing such bitter cold lately. eeeeesh!

I was just thinking of you and Ron and our meet-up and had to run off to check and see if you had made a thread, and you have!! Yay!
Hope 2018 brings wonderful things for you!

>16 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle,
Thinking about you, Nate, and the girls brings me back about 40 years ago when our girls were little like yours. I'd read about little Elissa on your 2017 thread. So glad she is better now and you all made it through the ordeal. The family picture on your new thread is just beautiful. Hope this year is much easier for you. Keep smiling and hugging each other :-)

Hi Cee! How goes the reading?

<18> Hi Megan!
I think I'm doing pretty good on the reading front. Of course, I do get more of a chance to read in the winter and it's slipping away
fast :-(
I'm thinking I want to read a good sci-fi or fantasy pretty soon. Decisions, decisions. It's been awhile since I have read a good one. Hope you and family are loving your summer!

Popping in to say Hi! Hope all is well. : )

Missing you Cee. xx

Also missing you. xoxo

Hi Berly and Paul - so very nice to see you here!

OK. I just finished an amazing book.
It's been a long time since I have enjoyed a book as much as I did reading "A Gentleman in Moscow".
Sometimes I like a book a lot - but I struggle with whether or not it deserves 5 stars. There was nary a hesitation for this book. It gets 5 big, dazzling stars from me. It's my kind of book - intelligent, attention to small things, and hopeful. I most enjoyed the philosophical positive insights in a world of negative circumstances and hardship. I know this book has enjoyed a lot of hype and praise. Sometimes this drives away readers who are afraid of having high expectations dashed. I wanted to love this book - and I did.

HI, Cee! So glad to see you post!

I've heard such good things about A Gentleman in Moscow. I really must read it!

Hi Terri,
I so didn't want that book to end. I am happy for you that you have yet to read it. Enjoy!

Glad to see you found a five star book! :) Hope you are well

>23 -Cee-: I am 100 pages into A Gentleman in Moscow! So far, so good. Love that it got 5 stars from you. : )

How I miss your warmth and wit, dear Cee.

I hope you can look through that unfrosted bathroom window and imagine me waving and wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend.

Happy holidays, Cee.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to all my LT friends who still lurk and visit!
Special hugs for Berly, Chelle, and Paul - most faithful visitors :-)

This year ends with 93 books read for me. YAY! The best reading year I've had yet (number-wise).
My ratings ranged from 2.5 to 5 stars. I took some chances and was rewarded many times.
"A Gentleman in Moscow" was by far my favorite. I would've given it a ten out of five if that was possible.

2019 - Looking forward to more great reading and revelations of what it means to be human throughout the world, across cultures and timeless ages.

Keep on keeping on. Wishing for truth, compassion, friendship, and abundant reading hours for all!

>31 -Cee-: SO nice to hear from you! 93 books is not too shabby!! Wishing you more happy reading.



Happy New Year's Eve!!