scaifea's 2018 Thread #14

Hi, everyone! Welcome!



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

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

I'm 43 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our 9-year-old son, Charlie; and our two dogs, Tuppence the Border Collie and Mario the Golden Retriever.

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. For this category, I cycle through 9 different stacks:
a. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
b. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. John Boyne bibliography (in chronological order, sort of)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Maggie Stiefvater's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

7. An unread book from my shelves.

8. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What I'm reading now:
-Siddhartha (buddhist readings)
-Queer Person (Newbery Honor Book)
-Dreamsnake (Nebula Award)
-Hogfather (Discworld read)
-The Talented Mr. Ripley (audiobook)
-The House with the Clock in Its Walls (Charlie's bedtime book)
-The Lost Books of the Odyssey (Read Soon Shelves)

Books On Deck:
-Crime and Punishment (Books by Year, 1866)
-In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (series that my mom wants me to read so we can chat about it)
-The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Shakespeare re-read)
-Lolita (Banned Books)
-The Man Who Was Thursday (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-Lincoln (U.S. Presidential Challenge)
-Next of Kin (Boyne bibliography)
-(an unread book from my shelves)
-The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six Others (from my Read Soon! Shelves)

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

Books Read

JANUARY
1. Enormously Foxtrot (Tomm's nightly read-aloud) - 9/10 = A-
2. Greenglass House (holiday read) - 9/10 = A
3. Ribsy (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
4. Lincoln in the Bardo (audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
5. Postcards from No Man's Land (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
6. The World According to Garp (audiobook, NBA) - 6/10 = D+
7. Brendon Chase (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
8. A Solitary Blue (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
9. Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
10. Real Friends (BB from foggidawn (I think?)) - 9/10 = A
11. The School for Cats (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
12. Einstein's Dreams (unread book from my shelves + January colorCAT) - 8/10 = B-
13. The Wind Singer (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
14. Witches Abroad (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
15. Key to the Treasure (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
16. The Year of the Quiet Sun (Campbell Award) - 9/10 = A
17. War and Peace (because Charlie suggested that I should probably read it) - 8/10 = B+
18. The Art of Power (audiobook, Buddhism reading list) - 8/10 = B+
19. Upside Down Magic (Charlie's read-aloud) - 8/10 = B
20. Troy (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
21. Like Jake and Me (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
22. Finn Family Moomintroll (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B

FEBRUARY
23. Kneeknock Rise (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A-
24. The Smartest Kids in the World (Read Soon shelves) - 8/10 = B+
25. The Planet of Junior Brown (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
26. Wishtree (Charlie book) - 9/10 = A-
27. Andersonville (Banned Books) - 8/10 = B+
28. Dog Man and Cat Kid (Charlie's bedtime read aloud) - 9/10 = A
29. Light Boxes (Read Soon Shelves) - 8/10 = B+
30. The Gods of Pegana (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10 = C
31. Our Lady of Darkness (World Fantasy Award) - 9/10 = A
32. Somewhere in Time (World Fantasy Award) - 6/10 = D-
33. Beezus and Ramona (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
34. Small Gods (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
35. Across the Nightingale Floor (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
36. The Hate U Give (Printz Honor Book) - 10/10 = A+
37. Hello, Universe (Newbery Medal winner) - 8/10 = B+
38. Ivanhoe (1001 Books/audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
39. The Fall of the House of Usher (1001 Books/audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
40. The Headless Cupid (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
41. Long Way Down (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A-
42. We Are Okay (Printz Award) - 10/10 = A+
43. Ben and Me (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B-
44. Piecing Me Together (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+

MARCH
45. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (audiobook, 1001 Books) - 8/10 = B-
46. Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang (Hugo & Locus Science Fiction Awards) - 8/10 = B+
47. Mister Monday (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
48. A Kid for Two Farthings (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
49. The City of Ember (audiobook) - 9/10 = A-
50. Essential Teachings (Dalai Lama bibliography) - 8/10 = B+
51. A Boy Called Christmas (audiobook) - 9/10 = A-
52. The Apprentice of Florence (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C+
53. The Starry River of the Sky (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
54. Philip Hall Likes Me. I Reckon Maybe. (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
55. Lords and Ladies (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
56. The Worst President (U.S. Presidential Challenge) - 8/10 = B
57. Macy McMillan and the Rainbow Goddess (Schneider Award) - 8/10 = B-
58. On Tyranny (Read Soon shelves) - 9/10 = A
59. Almost Interesting (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
60. Private Peaceful (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
61. Stephen Fry's Incomplete and Utter History of Classical Music (Fry bibliography) - 9/10 = A-
62. Gateway (Nebula, Hugo, Locus Science Fiction, & Campbell awards) - 8/10 = B-
63. Hobberdy Dick (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
64. Honk the Moose (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
65. The Hundred Penny Box (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
66. The Illustrated Man (NEH) - 8/10 = B-
67. Opal (Raven Boys series) - 10/10 = A+
68. You're Welcome, Universe (Schneider Award) - 8/10 = B+
69. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (Stonewall Award) - 8/10 = B+
70. Men at Arms (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
71. The Wizards of Once (Odyssey Award) - 8/10 = B+
72. Just Add Magic (Charlie's bedtime book) - 8/10 = B-

APRIL
73. Keeper (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
74. The Final Solution (Read Soon Shelves) - 9/10 = A
75. Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town (Read Soon shelves) - 8/10 = B+
76. Dragonwings (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
77. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
78. The Sound of Waves (Read Soon Shelves) - 8/10 = B-
79. Revenge (Fry bibliography) - 10/10 = A+
80. The Stars Beneath Our Feet (Steptoe Award) - 8/10 = B
81. The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage (Odyssey Award) - 9/10 = A
82. Uprooted (Read Soon shelves) - 10/10 = A+
83. Minnow on the Say (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
84. Soul Music (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
85. Talking as Fast as I Can (audiobook) - 8/10 = B
86. Strange the Dreamer (Printz Honor Book) - 9/10 = A

MAY
87. The Jonah Kit (BSFA) - 2/10 = F
88. The Amulet of Samarkand (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A
89. 26 Fairmount Avenue (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
90. The Trials of Morrigan Crow (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
91. The Horse without a Head (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
92. All Sail Set (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
93. The Terrible Two (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud) - 9/10 = A-
94. Camp Foxtrot (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A-
95. I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake (Charlie's Book Club Book) - 8/10 = B-
96. Whittington (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
97. Hard Times (1001 Books/audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
98. The Snow Queen (Hugo, Locus SF awards) - 8/10 = B+
99. Everything on a Waffle (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
100. The Antelope Wife (World Fantasy Award) - 9/10 = A-
101. Interesting Times (Discworld series) - 8/10 = B+
102. Unraveled (series I'm reading with my mom) - 8/10 = B+
103. Orphan Train (Read Soon shelves) - 9/10 = A-
104. Whistler's Van (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
105. Remembrance of Things Past (audiobook, 1001 Books) - 8/10 = B+
106. The Maltese Falcon (audiobook, 1001 Books) - 9/10 = A-
107. The New Policeman (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A

JUNE
108. Thank You, Jeeves (audiobook, 1001 Books) - 9/10 = A
109. Greenglass House (Charlie's bedtime book) - 9/10 = A
110. Bob (audiobook) - 9/10 = A-
111. Casanova (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
112. Sherlock Holmes' Rediscovered Railway Mysteries (audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
113. Warrior Scarlet (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
114. The Golden Basket (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
115. The Sweet, Terrible, Glorious Year I Truly, Completely Lost It (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
116. Doc (Read Soon Shelves) - 10/10 = A+
117. Bunnicula (Read Soon Shelves) - 8/10 = B-
118. Catherine, Called Birdy (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
119. Me, the Missing, and the Dead (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
120. Their Eyes Were Watching God (audiobook) - 9/10 = A-
121. Just One Damned Thing After Another (Read Soon shelves) - 9/10 = A
122. The Watsons Go to Birmingham (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
123. Joey Pigza Loses Control (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
124. Trigger Warning (Gaiman bibliography) - 10/10 = A+
125. Bite Me: A Love Story (Moore bibliography) - 9/10 = A

JULY
126. The Big Sleep (audiobook) - 7/10 = C
127. Foundling (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
128. The Housekeeper and the Professor (Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10 = A-
129. Winter's End (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
130. Pictures of Hollis Woods (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
131. Carver: A Life in Poems (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
132. An American Plague (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
133. Surviving the Applewhites (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
134. Al Capone Does My Shirts (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A-
135. Show Way (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
136. Hitler Youth (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
137. After Tupac & D Foster (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
138. One Crazy Summer (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
139. Software (PDK Award) - 7/10 = C+
140. The Wednesday Wars (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A-
141. Savvy (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
142. Splendors and Glooms (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
143. Charming Billy (National Book Award) - 9/10 = A-
144. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+

AUGUST
145. Sacre Bleu (Moore bibliography) - 10/10 = A+
146. All the Light We Cannot See (Pulitzer) - 9/10 = A-
147. Wishtree (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A-
148. The Alteration (Campbell Award) - 8/10 = B+
149. I, Robot (audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
150. The Pigtail of Ah Lee Ben Loo (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
151. The Shipping News (Pulitzer & National Book Award) - 7/10 = C-
152. Amulet #1: The Stonekeeper (Charlie loved it and wanted me to read it, too) - 8/10 = B+
153. Maskerade (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
154. Cast On, Kill Off (series I'm reading with my mom) - 8/10 = B-
155. The Killer Inside Me (audiobook) - 7/10 = C
156. Boy (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A

SEPTEMBER
157. House of Leaves (unread book from my shelves) - 8/10 = B+
158. The Magic Misfits (library book) - 8/10 = B+
159. The Sleeper and the Spindle (Gaiman bibliography) - 10/10 = A+
160. Phebe Fairchild (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
161. Red Sails to Capri (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
162. The Runaway Papoose (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
163. Come Hither (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B
164. The Story of the Treasure Seekers (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 7/10 = C+
165. New Land (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
166. Feet of Clay (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
167. Bright Moon, White Clouds (Read Soon Shelves) - 7/10 = C
168. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
169. Under Sea, Over Stone (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
170. Mountains Are Free (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
171. The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
172. Ethics for the New Millennium (Dalai Lama bibliography) - 9/10 = A
173. Stig of the Dump (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B
174. Just William (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B-

OCTOBER

Charlie, Mario & Tuppence Toppers:

The Bonus Question:

Thinking back to the last thread and Charlie's new back pack: If you were to decorate a back pack of your own in a similar way (i.e. to let folks know what sorts of things you're passionate about), what sort of patches would be on your bag (besides books in general, of course)?

Happy new thread, Amber. I was just reading your old one as you were creating this new one!

Re the bonus question: my bag patches would be of historical and genealogical things.

Happy new thread! I have pins from most of the missions I've worked in my bulletin board - that's probably the things I'd put on my backpack.

Happy new one, Amber. My backpack has a pin on it that says "Facts Matter." If I were to further adorn it, there would likely be things related to wine, travel, a favorite sports team or two, and the ACLU and Planned Parenthood stickers currently on my fridge (that would be a good BQ: what do people have on their fridges? I find fridge decor endlessly fascinating for some reason...).

Hmm, I think if I were to patch up a backpack there would be patches to reflect my fan status of: Jane Austen, Doctor Who, Gilmore Girls, books, and being a librarian. Which means I really need to find new pins for my "Talk Nerdy to Me" bag that I have a bunch of pins on because right now (almost?) none of the pins cover those interests.

>7 Familyhistorian: Hi, Meg!

>8 Familyhistorian: Oh, like a family tree pin!

>9 drneutron: Jim: That would be such a cool back pack!

>10 katiekrug: Katie: Ha! Our fridge is mostly magnets that Charlie has made at school over the years and ones we've made from DVD cover pages that we love.

>11 MickyFine: That one also sounds like an amazing bag!

Happy new thread!

>6 scaifea: Bonus Question: Well, we were discussing my conference bag on the other thread, and it has all children's and young adult literature buttons on it, since those are the kinds of conferences I attend. But if I were making a backpack like Charlie's, with more general interest patches...

           

(If you can't see the images, they are Harry Potter (Ravenclaw), Lord of the Rings, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Firefly/Serenity, Nerdfighters, Pokemon, and a "Read" patch, of course!)

Happy new thread Amber my dear.

Happy new one, scaifea! I hope all is well with you.

Just thought I would drop in with a recommendation that might be up your alley. It is called the seven wonders of Sassafras Springs. Birney has written the whole slew of other books featuring a gerbil, but this is a stand-alone novel and something very different and endearing. I had a great time reading this book aloud to my son who is around the same age as Charlie.

Happy New Thread, Amber!

Over Sea, Over Stone is in the Dark is Rising series, isn't it? I enjoyed those books. King of Shadows by the same author is really good, too.

Happy new thread, Amber!

In answer to your bonus question, I would have to have a Harry Potter patch, Lord of the Rings, something knitting, something librarian (for example, I have some earrings that say "I believe in 398.2" so, yeah), New York Giants, history/genealogy related, and a cup of coffee. I think that would about cover it.

Happy new thread, Amber. So, is everything in its proper place now?

A 'Don't Panic' badge sounds like a great idea! (>13 foggidawn:) Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Amber.
BQ: We never decorate backpack with badges. I got a little bear on a key ring once from my elder daughter. On its shirt it's written ' Mama is the best'. It hangs now at my backpack,

Happy Friday! Happy New Thread, Amber! I hope you are gearing up for a nice weekend.

>13 foggidawn: Oh, very cool! I particularly love the Serenity patch! Woot!!

>14 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>15 brodiew2: Brodie: Thanks for the recommendation - I'll keep that in mind.

>16 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Yep, it's the first in the Dark Is Rising series, which I absolutely love. It's a little slow getting into it for Charlie, but so far I've convinced him to keep going, because I think he'll love the story.

>17 bell7: Hi, Mary! I've seen the 398.2 thing before and love it!

>18 BLBera: Beth: Not quite yet - we still have all the wall stuff to find places for (paintings and photos and such), and the majority of my books are waiting for the bookshelves I've been promised by Tomm. But otherwise, yes, we're moved in!

>19 charl08: Hi, Charlotte! I love the Adams patch, too!

>20 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara!
I don't think the patches on back packs are a super-common thing here, too (I suspect Charlie will be the only on in his school with such a bag), but that was part of the point, too. I love the sound of that bear key ring!

>21 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Last weekend before school starts, so we'll try to make it special somehow.

On today's agenda:
Grocery shopping this morning, then bills and weekly photo organizing. Hopefully Charlie and I can figure out something fun to do this afternoon on our last summer vacation day together. Then this evening Charlie has a placement class at his ballet studio, and he's really looking forward to that.

On the reading front:
I'm nearly finished with Maskerade, and I read through the first of the Amulet graphic novel series last night - Charlie checked it out of the library and loved it enough that he wanted me to read it, too.

152. Amulet #1: The Stonekeeper by Kazu Kibuishi (Charlie loved it and wanted me to read it, too, graphic novel) - 8/10 = B+
I read this one because Charlie (my 9-year-old son) loved it so much he asked me to read it, too. A fun beginning to a graphic novel series - I'll be interested to see where the story goes.

Happy Friday, Amber!

Kazu Kibuishi edits a graphic series called Flight that has lots of short graphic pieces by different author/artists. They're good, and I remember them as pretty "clean". Here's the Amazon link for the first one:https://smile.amazon.com/Flight-One-Bengal/dp/1582403813/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1535113455&sr=8-2&keywords=kazu+kibuishi+flight You'll see the first review is by a mother whose kid loved the Amulet series.

>25 jnwelch: Joe: Oh, wonderful! Thanks so much for the link!!

Happy new thread, Amber!

>6 scaifea: If you had asked me last year, I would have said something with dogs.
But since we are dogless now, I think something with art, like my Giacometti T-shirt, or Escher or Elsworth Kelly. And maybe something odd on the inside, l really liked the Spiderman on the inside of Charlie's back pack.

>27 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Oh, art is a good one! And thanks - we both really like the Secret Spider-Man!

Today's agenda:
Charlie has auditions for the Nutcracker this afternoon - he's pretty excited that they want him to audition for a part in the Soldiers and Mice Battle Scene. This morning I'm planning on some baking, maybe, and getting the slow cooker prepped for dinner.

On the reading front:
I made good progress with House of Leaves yesterday and started listening to The Killer Inside Me, too.

Happy Saturday, Amber!

We're off to Comic-Con today. Your BFF is going as a Minion. I'm wearing black, and she says she'll have a name label for me that says "Gru". (Did I spell that right?)

>30 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Oh, have so much fun today!! Have I mentioned that Charlie's fairly certain he wants to be Haku from Spirited Away for Halloween?

Amber, I see you might read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying-up soon. Another one in the genre I really liked, because it was so personal and funny, is How To Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White. It's short and immensely practical.

>32 ffortsa: Well, soon may be a little hasy - it's been in the "on deck" pile for ages already. I'll get there eventually.

153. Maskerade by Terry Pratchett (Discworld, 382 pages) - 8/10 = B+
Pratchett takes on The Phantom of the Opera. Not as many laugh-right-out moments here, but I'm growing fairly fond of Granny and Nanny, to be honest.

Today's agenda:
We're going to the zoo for our Sunday Constitutional, and then I'll do the baking that I thought I would get to yesterday but very much didn't (Black Forest Tart and Pumpkin Spice Muffins).

On the reading front:
After finishing the Pratchett, I made progress on Cast On, Kill Off and Phebe Fairchild.

Ooh the zoo. I'm going on Tuesday, everything crossed for a dry day. The muffins sound lovely, btw.

>36 charl08: Charlotte: I'll cross my fingers that you get a dry day, too. We've been going every Sunday morning since we moved (we have an annual membership) and it's so wonderful. It's a bit gloomy and there's thunder right now, but the forecast says it should clear up by the time we get there and we're betting it won't be very crowded at all today. Perfect!

Morning, Amber! Happy Sunday! Enjoy the zoo today. Because of the heat, I am staying indoors with the books today. Not a bad thing...

>38 msf59: Hi, Mark! We were at the zoo when it opened, so it wasn't too gross outside yet. I'm glad we're home and inside now, though. Yuck.

Happy Sunday, Amber.

How's the zoo in Columbus? You were smart to get there before the gross weather showed up .

>40 jnwelch: Hi, Joe!

I'm fairly sure the Columbus Zoo is one of the best in the country (it's Jack Hanna's zoo, after all). We sure love it.

On today's agenda:
It's Charlie's first day of school! He's so excited! Meanwhile, I'm crossing fingers that things go well for him in this new school and he finds new friends right away. I'll try to keep myself busy today with finally trying to get back into a routine (exercise, writing, sewing). I also want to have some warm brownies ready for his first after-school snack...

On the reading front:
Nearly finished with Cast On, Kill Off, but I'm still pretty far behind on my Category Challenges for this month - still two more books to go. Yoicks.

Happy First Day, Charlie!

>43 rosalita: ❤️ Thanks, Julia!!

How great for Charlie! Sending him lots of positive thoughts for his big first day.

I hope Charlie has a great day and finds his people.

>45 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe!!

>46 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi!!

First Day photo this morning - I suspect 75ers will appreciate the shirt he chose:

>47 scaifea: Excellent first day ensemble. Hope it was a fantastic day for him.

>48 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky - he had a fabulous day! He's already made 3-4 friends (a girl named Bailey is his favorite so far, it seems), and loves the school and his teachers! SUCCESS!

>49 scaifea: Woo-hoo! Way to go, Charlie! And I do love that shirt whole bunches.

Glad to hear the first day went well and that Charlie's already making friends. Hope the rest of the week is equally as good!

Glad to hear Charlie's first day went well!
Can't go wrong with a cool back pack and great outfit :-)

>50 rosalita: I know, right?! I'm so glad. And yes, isn't that shirt the best?!

>51 bell7: Thanks, Mary - me, too!

>52 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!!

>47 scaifea: oooh, first day excitement /nerves! He looks the part! (i'd wanna be his friend)

>54 LovingLit: Aw, thanks, Megan! He's really excited to go back today, so I'd call that a win!

Today's agenda:
Treadmill, laundry, washing windows, sewing. I've discovered a fantastic way to bookhorn in some reading time here: since our back yard butts up against the side yard of Charlie's school, yesterday I went out to sit on the deck with my book 20 minutes before school is over and read while waiting for him to appear at the back gate. Lovely!

On the reading front:
Still nearly finished with Cast On, Kill Off and hoping to finish it up today.

>49 scaifea: Wonderful news! I'm so glad Charlie's first day went so well.

>57 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! Me, too! I was fretting all morning yesterday until recess, when I peeked out the window and saw him happily playing with a handful of other kiddos. I breathed a sigh of relief and went about my business then.

Morning, Amber!

How great to be right by the school like that. I'm glad Charlie's first day went so well.

>59 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Me, too. It's such a relief that he's still happy about school. Honestly, he's taking the move and all the changes that go with it so well. Such a trooper.

Great news about Charlie's first day at his new school. Amber! (I did miss the "Charlie through the ages" photos that you used to post, though :-))

>61 susanj67: Oh! Thanks so much for the reminder! I'd just completely forgotten!!

Here it is:

Fourth Grade:



Third Grade:



Second Grade:



First Grade:



Kindergarten:



4-Year-Old Kindergarten:



Preschool:

When you posted this year's pic, I was struck by how much Charlie is beginning to look like a pre-teen. It's even more evident when you see the photos from previous years.

But that pre-school pic. Sooo cute.

>62 scaifea: Love these photos. I hope Charlie had a great first day of school. What a great shirt that is.

Morning, Amber.

>62 scaifea: Aww, what a little mouse he was in that preschool picture! I'm glad he had a good first day.

>63 lauralkeet: I know, right!? He's really starting to look like a young man. Funny, though, when we pull his hair back into a ponytail for ballet class, that round face and those chubby cheeks are still there and he looks years younger! And yes, I love that preschool photo.

>64 msf59: Morning, Mark! Thanks! I'm so happy he was just as excited to go to school today as he was yesterday.

>65 foggidawn: Thanks! Little mouse is a perfect description! Adorable.

154. Cast On, Kill Off by Maggie Sefton (series I'm reading with my mom, 292 pages) - 8/10 = B-
There's been another murder in Fort Connor and the folks who hang out at the local yarn shop are caught up in it again. Kelly does more sleuthing while drinking tons of coffee and all turns out well in the end.
I do like this cozy series, but this particular entry is a bit of a low point so far. The running jokes/tropes are wearing a little thin. *shrug*

>62 scaifea: An LT tradition continues! Good to hear that he went back happily for day 2 :-)

>67 scaifea: You mentioned that book upthread and I thought oh no, is that really a cozy knitting mystery? Yikes. I don't need blood and gore but that may be a little to "sweet" for me.

>68 susanj67: Thanks to you!! And yeah, a big relief that he's happy.

>69 lauralkeet: Laura: It's not too saccharine, but the writing, which wouldn't win any pulitzers on a good day, really deteriorated in this one. Example: the main character loves strong, bitter coffee, and the author reminds us of that on nearly every dingdang page.

Okay, so I finally remembered to take a couple of photos of my new sewing room - I spent a happy afternoon today getting back into my projects:

I dunno, Amber. I think you could use more sewing machines.

>71 scaifea:

>72 katiekrug: *snort*

>72 katiekrug: >74 lauralkeet: Well, I *did* get rid of three before moving...

>73 MickyFine: I know, right?!

>71 scaifea:

>62 scaifea: Seeing all those first day of school pictures reminded me that earlier today a friend whose daughter is enrolled at the university where I work posted a photo of her daughter's "first day of school." Her daughter had gotten someone take a photo of her in the hallway and sent it to her mom. (It wasn't a selfie.)

>76 jnwelch: *grins* Morning, Joe!

>77 thornton37814: Lori: Oh, that's so sweet! I love it!

Today's agenda:
Treadmill, writing, and some business-end Etsy stuff. I've had my shop 'on vacation' since we moved, and I need to sort out Ohio state taxes before starting back up, plus I've never been super-serious about the shop and want to try giving it an actual go this time, investing in ads and such, so we'll see how it goes.

On the reading front:
I read a chunk of House of Leaves yesterday, and boy, I'm ready to be done with this one. *sigh*
Oh, and I keep forgetting to mention that I'm listening to The Killer Inside Me, too. Should possibly finish that one up today.

Happy new thread, Amber!
Happy first week of fourth grade to Charlie!
and...Awesome sewing room!

I'm glad to hear that Charlie's first day went well. Happy Wednesday, Amber.

>80 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda! Thanks!!

>81 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! Such a relief!

Morning, Amber!

I was just telling Debbi that you're on Etsy. Be sure to share the info with us once you sort out the Ohio effect.

I've never read Jim Thompson. I'll look forward to your comments.

>83 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Thanks - I'll definitely share my shop info once I'm up and running again.

Stay tuned for Thompson comments...

155. The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson (1001 Books, audiobook) - 7/10 = C
Dexter meets 1950's Texas, which seems on the surface like it might be pretty good (if you like that sort of thing), but it just didn't click for me. I got too hung up on the misogyny and the violence, and the audio narrator wasn't fabulous, either.

On today's agenda:
I'm driving up to Gambier today to have lunch with a couple of dear friends and I'm very excited to see them. Otherwise, menu planning for next week and prepping my grocery list for tomorrow, and some etsy work, if there's time.

On the reading front:
I started Doctor Rat yesterday, and by last night I decided to abandon it - animal cruelty and I just can't handle it.

Morning, Amber! Sweet Thursday. I like your sewing room. And there are books too! Yah! I liked The Killer Inside Me, but, of course this is more my cuppa than yours. I prefer a couple of his other books over this one, though.

Enjoy your visit today.

>87 msf59: Morning, Mark! I thought you might like Thompson - even though he's not my style, I recognize the writing as pretty darn good, and I know you like that genre.

And of course there are books in the sewing room! There are books is every room! B.A.G!

Well, the sewing room is in working order, and I'm also back to my usual knitting in the evenings, too, which feels great. I've finished two long-standing projects in the last two days, both for myself!:

Say hello to Gambier for me, Amber! If it's been a while since you visited, you'll notice the "village" area has changed a lot. Be sure to visit the new bookstore, it's quite nice.

>90 lauralkeet: Laura: I'm both excited and apprehensive to see how much things have changed in the past seven years. I do follow the bookstore on social media, though, so I'm forewarned about those changes (and you *know* I'm going in there today - we're having lunch at The Six (aka The Village Inn)).

Nice sewing space!

>92 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Happy Thursday, Amber! Glad to see your sewing room is up and running, and those are fantastic-looking knitting projects. The socks came out great! Also amazing to see Charlie's first-day pictures over the years - how has he grown so much? It doesn't seem like time should be moving that fast somehow :)

>91 scaifea: "The Six" -- ha! Never heard that from my two. Just "The Vee Eye". Enjoy!

>94 bell7: Thanks, Mary! It's amazing to look back at those photos and see how much he's grown, just from one year to the next! Nuts.

>95 lauralkeet: Laura: I suspect it's mostly a classicist thing (or just a me thing - I'm the only one I know who calls it that, to be honest, but how could I not?).
And boy, you weren't kidding! My friends took me round on a tour of all the changes going on around campus - the library is set to come down in the next month or so. Crazy. The bookstore is lovely, though! Very crowded with students today buying books.

>96 scaifea: I think today might be the first day of class, right? So I can imagine a rush to get textbooks.

Ohhhh, I love all the Charlie school photos!! So glad that he had a great first day and is making friends!
Chloe has her first day of junior kindergarten next Thursday.

>97 lauralkeet: Laura: It *is* the first day, although I didn't know that beforehand. It wasn't as crazy as I could have been, to be honest.

>98 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Oh, gosh, I can't believe Chloe is in kindergarten! How did it go? And how are you doing?

Today's agenda:
Busy day today - grocery shopping, with trips to Costco and Target, too, plus a run to the library and the vet's office (to pick up a Rx refill for Tuppence), then weekly bills and photos, vacuuming, and then baking the things I signed up to bring to Tomm's family picnic tomorrow. Yoicks.

On the reading front:
I started Boy: Tales of Childhood yesterday, and it's really lovely so far. I also started listening to Moonfleet, but I'm not far enough in to know what I think yet.

>100 scaifea: I'm sure you and Charlie will both enjoy the library run!

>101 thornton37814: Well, he won't be with me, since he's in school...

>99 scaifea: She starts next Thursday and Friday. She is very excited and we need to go for haircuts and school clothes shopping on Monday :)

>103 ChelleBearss: Chelle: Oh! School clothes shopping!! I love it!

>102 scaifea: Oh, I thought you were going after school.

>105 thornton37814: Not for this first week - it takes Charlie a few days not to be exhausted (although still happy) at the end of the school day, so we've just been relaxing this week in the late afternoons.

Love the gallery of first day of school photos, Amber. How did the ballet auditions go?

>107 Familyhistorian: Thanks! The auditions went well - he'll be one of the mice in the battle scene!

On today's agenda:
Family picnic at the in-laws. Woot.

On the reading front:
I finished Boy last night, which was lovely. A bit more on that a bit later, maybe.

156. Boy by Roald Dahl (Read Soon! Shelves, 176 pages) - 9/10 = A
Dahl details anecdotes of important moments from his childhood. A sort-of memoir that reads like one of his books = fabulous, of course. I love the bits where you can see how he was inspired to write those amazing books of his. Definitely recommended.

Love your sewing room, Amber, and I'm glad to hear that Charlie transitioned to the new school so well and already has made friends.

Happy Sunday, Amber.

>11 MickyFine: Thanks, Roni!

>12 scaifea: Hi, Barbara!

On today's agenda:
I need to finish the things on my Friday To Do list that didn't get accomplished: vacuuming and organizing the weekly photos. Then, possibly some baking (Victorian Sponge Cake, I think). And maybe some reading? Oh, and finally getting Charlie's frames and posters up on his walls.

On the reading front:
Not much time for reading yesterday, but I did manage a few pages in Phebe Fairchild.

Hope you are enjoying your long weekend!

>115 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle! We are!!

My weekend baking - Victoria Sponge Sandwich Cake (that's raspberry jam in the middle):

Wow, that looks great! Can I have a piece? Fed Ex would probably deliver... 😀

>108 scaifea: A mouse, eh. Sounds like there will be costumes involved. Do they already have costumes or will they be recruiting people to create them? I hope the family picnic went well. At least you knew you could go home after.

>118 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! Next time you make the trip to visit your son, stop by and have some cake!

>119 Familyhistorian: Meg: This is a pretty swanky production and they do it every year, so I'm pretty certain they already have nice costumes.

The picnic was fine, to be honest. Could have been a ton worse.

157. House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski (unread book from my shelves, 709 pages) - 8/10 = B+
A story within a story within a story, about a house that is bigger on the inside and is constantly shifting, the family that explores and documents it, a man with questionably sanity, who writes a scholarly work on the house, the family, and the documentary they create, another man on the brink of madness, who finds the first madman's work and edits it, and the physical book itself, which reflects in various ways the labyrinthine nature of the house and the stories encircling it.
In other words, this one is WEIRD, folks. But in a good way, generally. There were places where I started getting annoyed and tried not to convince myself that the whole thing was pretentious and forced. But in the end the story of the house was too good to stop reading.

Catching up ...

Congrats on the new digs and to Charlie on a new school and school year and too bad about the Jim Thompson I'm still leaving it on my someday list and Victoria Sponge Sandwich Cake looks yum and House of Leaves is still someday when I feel I have the attention for it.

>122 swynn: Thanks, Steve! Please don't let me dissuade you from trying Thompson for yourself - he's really just not my own kind of thing. And do give House of Leaves a go at some point, but you're right to want to wait until you can really give it the attention it needs.

Morning, Amber! Happy Labor Day! We had a great time in WI. Finally got to walk around Monroe a bit and they were playing music in the square Friday night. Nice town. We also made it up to New Glarus. One of my favorite breweries to visit but they have sure got pricey, which is a shame. The place is a gold-mine.

I hope you had a good, holiday weekend.

>124 msf59: Morning, Mark! I'm glad you had a good time in WI! Yeah, New Glarus is a HUGE deal up there.

Today's agenda:
We're going to venture out for some shopping and then spend a lazy (hopefully) afternoon at home. Hoping to get some good reading in.

On the reading front:
I started Feet of Clay last night, which means I'm close to halfway through the Discworld series, I think...

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling this morning, then I need to run to a couple of banks (and I may check out the local thrift shop while I'm out), minor surgery on one of Charlie's main Guys (stuffed animal with a popped seam), then I'll spend the afternoon either writing or in the sewing room. An after-school trip to the libraries is on the books (so to speak) as well.

On the reading front:
I started - and finished - The Magic Misfits yesterday. More on that later.

158. The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris (library book, 253 pages) - 8/10 = B+
Carter lives with his con-artist 'uncle' but runs away because he doesn't want to be forced to use his sleight-of-hand skills (and he's very good) to steal. He hops on a train and soon finds himself in a new small town, filled with crooked carnies and their frowny clown thugs, a magical magician, and a group of misfits kids, in whom he may just find friendship and a home.
A cute story that I think middle grade kiddos would like, especially the magic trick lessons Harris includes along the way.

Hurray for a successful first day at school! Love the yearly photos, and, yes, Charlie is beginning to get the teen look! Congrats on the sewing room, the zoo membership, the books, knitting cooking and treadmill routine. : )

>129 Berly: Ha! Thanks, Kim! And thanks for taking the time to get caught up!

Today's agenda:
We're having a new microwave delivered and installed today, which means that I get to hang around the house waiting for them to arrive all day. A good excuse to try to get myself to sit at my desk and write.

On the reading front:
Almost no reading happened yesterday, except a very few pages in Phebe Fairchild.

Morning, Amber! Happy Wednesday. Last warm, humid day here, and it cools off nicely for the rest of the week. Yesterday, was brutal. It felt like I was carrying mail in Miami Beach, in August. Ugh...

I hope your week is going well.

>132 msf59: Morning, Mark! I do hope it cools down soon, for both of us!

Morning, Amber!

Debbi and I were oohing and ahhing over your socks and scarf up there. What a talent you have. When we get back I hope to get your Etsy info; I couldn't find you on there.

I suspect my reaction to Jim Thompson would be the same as yours; I'm going to continue to give him a pass.

I hope Charlie is enjoying his new school.

We take off today, but I'll try to check in on LT on a regular basis.

>134 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! Thanks for the knitting love - I started a new project on the needles yesterday: a HP sweater!

I'm in the process of updating my etsy shop, so it's "On Vacation" at the moment. I'm hoping to get everything sorted and ready to go by the end of this month, and then I'll try to remember to post a link here.

Yeah, Thompson's definitely not for me, but, as I mentioned over on Mark's thread, I think he's right up Mark's street.

Charlie is loving his new school! Such a trooper.

Safe travels!

>120 scaifea: Lucky about the costumes, Amber. I can remember my co-worker talking about how expensive it was to keep his daughters in dance with the lessons and costs of costumes.

>136 Familyhistorian: There's still a costume fee (for use and maintenance), and the classes themselves certainly aren't cheap, but I suspect that's the case with most extra-curricular things these days. And it also helps that we've only one kiddo to put through classes - I don't know how families with more than one child manage even just school supplies each year, to be honest.

Today's agenda:
I've got some errands to run, which means putting on real pants and going out of the house (weird), then also treadmilling, menu-planning and putting together the grocery list, and also hopefully some time in the sewing room this afternoon.

On the reading front:
I *finally* started The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up yesterday, but didn't get very far yet. I'm already somewhat of a neat freak, so I'm not sure I'll get much out of it, but I am interested in her methods.

Morning, Amber! Enjoy your day of real pants and doing adult type things.

>139 ChelleBearss: Ha! Thanks, Chelle! Well, the real pants came right back off as soon as I got home, because I got caught in a downpour at the end of my errands! Yoicks. But I love that feeling of getting home, putting on sweatpants and sitting down with a cuppa after being drenched in the rain...

So, Charlie's school PTO is doing a walk-a-thon fundraiser, and Charlie is excited to participate (and I love that it's a healthy event instead of making the kiddos sell cheap trinkets - ick). Funds raised will go toward classroom supplies and special events for the kiddos (school carnival,...). I'm putting the link to his donation page here, in case any of you are looking for a charity to support, but of course no worries if you're not! I told Charlie that he should offer a prize to his highest donor: He and Mario should do a Facetime storytime with the winner (he's an excellent read-aloud-er). Ha! (NB: No guarantees that he'll agree to such a thing - he's awfully shy, after all.)

https://secure.eventsonline.us/reg/getmovincrew/pub/profile/4167c3b7e7917231f794...

Today's agenda:
Packing for Indiana - Charlie and I leave right after school for a long weekend (he gets Monday off) to visit my parents. Also vacuuming, bills, and weekly photo organizing, and maybe a little sewing if I have time.

On the reading front:
I started The Sleeper and the Spindle yesterday, and it's gorgeous, of course.

Good morning, Amber. Is your new homecloser to your parent's home then before?

>143 Ameise1: Morning, Barbara! Yes! Before, it took us 7 hours to drive to my parents' house, now it only takes 3.5. Much better!

>143 Ameise1: Lucky lady. :-)

It dawned on me this morning that I hadn't heard from you in a while so I checked and found I didn't have your latest thread starred. Oh NO!! However, the bright side is I just had a lovely time getting updated. I love Charlie's shirt and the photos of his first day of school through the ages!!

>145 Ameise1: *grins*

>146 RebaRelishesReading: Hi, Reba! Good to see you! Isn't that shirt great?!

Hi Amber have a great weekend my dear, we set off to Tenby in West Wales in the morning. I will have the laptop with me so I can get on here most days.

Amber, I loved the progression of Charlie's first-day-of-school pictures. And I'm so glad that he loves the new school. Your sewing room is amazing. Mine consists of a basket with some needles and thread for quick repairs. lol

What a fun idea to visit the zoo every week. We have a pretty nice zoo for a small city but it's a 30-minute drive across town. Much closer is our new aquarium and wildlife museum, Wonders of Wildlife, a creation of Johnny Morris, a local who founded Bass Pro Shops. They have penguins, which I love.

Amber & Charlie--Have a great time visiting your parents. SOOO nice that you are closer now. : )

>148 johnsimpson: Hi, John! How long will you be in West Wales?

>149 Donna828: Donna: Well, the zoo is about a 30-minute drive from here, too, but totally worth it. And the penguins are Tomm's favorite, too!

>150 Berly: Thanks, Kim! It's wonderful to be closer!

159. The Sleeper and the Spindle by Neil Gaiman (Gaiman bibliography, 68 pages) - 10/10 = A+
Gaiman takes on Sleeping Beauty and throws in for good measure the very best version of Snow White you'll ever, ever read. Gorgeous storytelling, as usual with this fellow. My love for his myth-tinkering knows no limits. And Chris Riddell's illustrations are amazing, also as usual. Just perfect all round.

160. Phebe Fairchild by Lois Lenski (Newbery Honor Book, 316 pages) - 8/10 = B
A sweet-enough story of a young girl sent to live with country relatives while her seafaring father takes her mother on a trip to Europe. These country relatives are quite a bit more puritan than her own parents, and it takes a bit of adjusting for her to feel that she fits in.
Cute, but not anything extraordinary.

161. Red Sails to Capri by Ann Weil (Newbery Honor Book, 156 pages) - 8/10 = B
A boy and his family and friends, along with some visitors at his father's inn, set out to solve the mystery of a certain cove on the island of Capri, where they live.
A neat little story, even neater for being about an actual cove and it's beautiful blue cave.

162. The Runaway Papoose by Grace Moon (Newbery Honor Book, 264 pages) - 8/10 = B
A small Navajo girl gets frightened by a fight her father has with a stranger and inadvertently runs away and can't find her way home. She does find a kindly shepherd boy, who helps her find her way back to her family, but not without all sorts of adventures and mishaps along the way. A fun little story, with a nice mystery as well.

Loving the old-fashioned book covers!

>156 thornton37814: They're not just old-fashioned, they're actually old - that last one was an ILL that came in a be-careful-with-this-book-because-it's-falling-apart library box.

On today's agenda:
I'm trying out a new salon for a haircut, then getting groceries and going to the library to pick up a hold. Also, a bit of cleaning and probably either some writing or sewing.

On the reading front:
I finished Come Hither last night - more on that one later.

Morning, Amber! I hope your week is off to a good start. Looks like we are enjoying a nice stretch of weather. My day off yesterday was gorgeous. Yippee!

>157 scaifea: Good to know. I've seen some retro-looking new book covers lately in publisher's catalogs so I wasn't sure which it was.

>159 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yes, the weather is great right now - I hope it lasts!

>160 thornton37814: Lori: A lot of these are early Newbery Honor Books, which are not easy to find, so the copies that I request from ILL tend to be, um, vintage. Pretty cool, really.

>161 scaifea: I read a handful of the vintage Newburys--the ones to which I had easy access--back in the early 1990s, I believe it was. At that time, I lived in a large metropolitan area with a delivery system running between all consortium library members which included most public and academic libraries in the area. If anyone had it, it was easy to request and have delivered.

>162 thornton37814: The exact reason I'm so happy to be living in the Columbus area today...

>151 scaifea:, Hi Amber my dear, we are in West Wales for a week and are going to make the most of it. yesterday we visited Picton Castle and gardens and within the garden was The Secret Owl Garden and today we visited St Davids, the smallest Cathedral city in the UK and then drove back towards Tenby to visit the small seaside resort of Saundersfoot. I am hoping to upload some photos that Andy and Karen took as they have been designated at the photographers for the week.

>164 johnsimpson: John, that sounds amazing! I hope you all have a fabulous time!

:(

163. Come Hither by Walter de la Mare (1001 Children's Books, 771 pages) - 8/10 = B
A collection of poetry for kiddos, from Chaucer on up. It's a nice collection, and pretty extensive.

>165 scaifea:, Thank you my dear.

Today's agenda:
Tuppence has a laser treatment this morning, then I'll likely spend most of the rest of the day writing. Charlie has his first Hip Hop dance class this evening, too (offered at his ballet company).

On the reading front:
I started New Land last night, which has started out fairly promising.

Today's agenda:
Menu planning and prepping my grocery list, and then spending the rest of the day in the sewing room.

On the reading front:
I started Bright Moon, White Clouds yesterday, which I've really been looking forward to, but I haven't been blown away just yet.

Happy Thursday, Amber! I hope Charlie enjoyed hip hop yesterday.

Morning, Amber! Sweet Thursday. I see you liked The Princess Bride, but did not love it. I am currently loving it. What kept you from a higher rating? Inquiring minds and all that...

Looking forward to following it up with As You Wish.

>171 bell7: Hi, Mary! He did enjoy it, although it took him a little bit to loosen up and not be self-conscious. That's something he needs to work on, but the teacher is amazing and it looks like so much fun!

>172 msf59: Morning, Mark! I think I just have such a fond and sentimental attachment to the Princess Bride movie that I'll always love it much more than the book, which I thought didn't have the same level of charm and fun. I do think you'll love As You Wish, though.

164. The Story of the Treasure Seekers by E. Nesbit (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 7/10 = C+
Six brothers and sisters decide to look for treasure - in their London home and nearby - when their widowed father's business falls on hard times.
A nice-enough story, although it does teeter on the edge of trite, and there are times that Nesbit seems a little too pleased with the cleverness of her boy-as-author/flawed-narrator trope.

>34 scaifea: Huzzah for a good Pratchett read, and a fondness for the witches. I just got a Granny Weatherwax tattoo on Wednesday. :)

>62 scaifea: I love watching the developing personhood of small people. So wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

>175 London_StJ: Hey, Luxx! Good to see you! Yes, the Pratchett books are growing on me as I read along, but the witches are my favorites (well, second favorites - Death is definitely the best of all).

And isn't it fun to look at those progressive photos?! Crazy how much they change (but stay the same) over the years. I'll add one to my birthday cake series today (yesterday was his birthday, but we're having the cake today at his family party).

Today's agenda:
Birthday cake for the party today is cooling, so I'll need to decorate it soonish here - Pokemon is this year's theme. Family (Tomm's parents and his brother and *his* family) are coming over this afternoon for pizza, cake, ice cream and playing - Charlie's crazy about his two little cousins, so he's excited.

On the reading front:
I'm a little over halfway through New Land now, and the same goes for The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

Hope Charlie has a great birthday party!

I hope Charlie's party was a success. Happy new week, Amber.

>179 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara! He had a great time.

Today's agenda:
Tomm and I are heading to the title office/BMV this morning to get our new state license plates, then I'll make a quite trip to our two libraries to pick up holds, and then home to work on getting my etsy shop ready to reopen. Charlie has ballet class this evening, too.

On the reading front:
I managed a few pages in Bright Moon, White Clouds and also a few in New Land yesterday.

Morning, Amber! Hope you had a nice weekend and it sounds like a very nice party for Charlie! Yah!! Back to work today after the bee sting incident, but mercifully it will be a very short work week, due to vacation time, for the latter part.

>182 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yep, it was a good party. I'm glad you have a short week, to ease back into things!

The birthday boy:



And his cake:

Happy belated birthday to Charlie, and glad to hear that the party went well! Love the photo - and the cake came out great!

Wonderful cake! And a very happy belated to your big guy.

Happy belated birthday to Charlie!

>185 bell7: >186 London_StJ: >187 drneutron: Thanks, all! This cake was my first attempt at working with fondant (even though there's only a bit on there) and it went fairly well!

Love the birthday cake! Great job, mama!

Happy belated birthday to Charlie and what a great cake my dear.

>189 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!!

>190 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!!

Today's agenda:
Charlie has a haircut appointment after school (just a trim) and then we're meeting Tomm at the movies - AMC is showing the live-action Beauty and the Beast again this week! Until then, I'll be treadmilling, doing a little housecleaning, and writing.

On the reading front:
I made progress with Dreamsnake and New Land yesterday, both of which are surprisingly pretty good.

Great cake (of course). It’s hard to believe it’s his birthday again already though.

>193 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! And I know, right?! How is he ten?!

>184 scaifea: cool! Happy Birthday C!
We are gearing up for a tenth birthday here *tomorrow*. I have planned a lolly cake, a local delicacy comprised of malt biscuits, butter, condensed milk and actually lollies. A favourite.

Ours will be formed into the numerals '10'.

>195 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan! And WHOA, that cake looks amazing!!

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling, and then a day full of sewing room time (I hope). Charlie had dance class tonight, too.

Last night we all went to the movies - AMC is doing a re-release series with Disney princess movies, and last night we saw the live-action Beauty and the Beast, which we had missed in theaters the first time round (although we own it on bluray). Oh, it's so gorgeous in the theater! Love that movie.

On the reading front:
I listened to a bit more of The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin and finished up New Land (more on that one later).

165. New Land by Sarah Lindsay Schmidt (Newbery Honor Book, kindle) - 8/10 = B
Teenage twins, Charley and Sayre, follow their widowed father, along with their baby sister, out to Wyoming during the Great Depression, to prove up on some land. They face all sorts of challenges, including dishonest folks and uncooperative nature, but make good in the end.
A bit dated now, but likely seen as fighting the good fight against stereotyping girls back in the day (Sayre works just as hard as her twin brother on the farm and against their rivals). The story itself was fairly engaging, too.

>6 scaifea: I've been meaning to answer the bonus question since you posted it, but I wanted to include a pic of my current bag and kept forgetting to take one! :p I always loved to decorate my bookbag in school and had one that had "Jedi" stitched (later "monogramed") on it, among other things. (Husbeast says this is one of the reasons he first wanted to meet me: "Any girl with 'Jedi' on her bag has to be pretty cool.")

Anyway, the wee messenger bag I carry around these days, complete with geeky pins:

>199 lycomayflower: COOL! I love the pins! And the bag itself!!

On today's agenda:
Menu planning and prepping my grocery list, treadmilling, writing, sewing.

On the reading front:
I'm getting close to finishing Feet of Clay, and will start Mountains Are Free today, likely.

Morning, Amber! Sweet Thursday. We are heading to MI later this A.M. Hot one here but it is supposed to cool off nice for the weekend. Yah!!

>202 msf59: Morning, Mark! Have a safe trip today!

166. Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett (Discworld, 357 pages) - 8/10 = B+
Pratchett takes on golems, the myth of nobility, and werewolf/human relationships. A fun entry into the series. Like many of the other characters, the Patrician is really growing on me, and the Watch are by this point old friends.

Today's agenda:
Grocery shopping, weekly bills and photo organizing, vacuuming, baking (shortbread), maybe some time in the sewing room. Charlie has Nutcracker rehearsal this evening, too.

On the reading front:
I listened to a bit more of Aresene Lupin and started Mountains Are Free yesterday.

Oh, and I forgot that I finished this one up yesterday, too:



167. Bright Moon, White Clouds by Li Po (Read Soon Shelf, 224 pages) - 7/10 = C
Usually poetry of the antique variety appeals to me a great deal, and I was excited to read this collection, but for some reason it just didn't click with me. *shrug*

>204 scaifea: You remind me that I need to get back to that series! I got stalled

>207 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle! It took me several books really to get into the series, but I'm comfortably enjoying it now.

168. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (Read Soon! Shelves, 213 pages) - 8/10 = B
An interesting read. I really do like some of her ideas; others I find either at the extreme end of quirky or just downright horrifying (her attitude toward books makes me shutter).

169. Under Sea, Over Stone by Susan Cooper (Charlie's bedtime read, 196 pages) - 8/10 = B+
I love this book and this series tons, but it didn't work out so well as a read-aloud with our 10-year-old. I'm a bit sad that he didn't enjoy it as much as I do, but maybe in a couple of years he'll revisit the series.

>209 scaifea: Love your mini-review :) Her attitude toward books is why I refuse to read it...

Hey Amber! Just a brief stop to wish you a happy weekend and belated happy birthday wishes to Charlie, as well! Hurrah for double digits!!

>209 scaifea: Just catching up on things here...I refuse to a book on tidying up if it includes getting rid of books. I think that's' what your review implies. Just saying. : (

Haha, yeah, I think pretty much everyone here would have to ignore her advice about books, from what I’ve heard. I think of myself as being pretty good about getting rid of books that I don’t love. I only had 40 boxes of them (books l kept) last time I moved. ;-)

>211 bell7: Mary: Ha! Yeah, it's pretty extreme, although she does encourage the reader to get rid of her own book when finished with it, and that's just what I'm going to do!

>212 Carmenere: Hi, Lynda! Thanks!

>213 Berly: Hi, Kim! Yep, she would be just as horrified with my current Wall of Book Boxes (awaiting shelves) as I am with her book-discarding policies.

>214 foggidawn: foggi: The other side of it is that she insists that you hold each object in your hands and ask yourself if that particular thing sparks joy in you. Well, my books all spark joy for me, so technically...

Today's agenda:
Apple Cider cake is in the oven (Charlie helped me mix it up) and we decorated the house for Halloween yesterday, so everything is feeling fall-like and cozy and I love it! Now, truly, it feels like this house is home. Nothing much on the list for today, except laundry, so I may spend some time in the sewing room working on figuring out how to make Charlie's Halloween costume for this year - he's decided he wants to be Haku from Spirited Away. I also need to get cracking on his new pajamas...

On the reading front:
Not much reading got done yesterday, although I did listen to a bit more of Arsene Lupin and read a bit more of Mountains Are Free. We also started reading The House with a Clock in Its Walls last night at bedtime storytime, and I'm pretty excited about introducing Charlie to Bellairs' stuff, which I absolutely love.

Today's agenda:
I'm taking my car in for an oil change this morning, which means I get a little latte-and-reading-time in the coffee shop next door to the Firestone. From there I'll go to the fabric shop with my list of the supplies I need for Charlie's Halloween costume. Then it's home for some writing and sewing before Charlie gets home from school, and then ballet class for him this evening.

On the reading front:
I think I'm nearly finished with Arsene Lupin, which has turned out to be a hoot. I'd also like to finish Mountains Are Free today, but we'll see how it goes. I'll likely take Ethics for the New Millennium with me to the coffee shop, which I started yesterday.

Morning, Amber! Back to the grind, after our camping trip. This is my kind of weather, so it should make for a smooth transition.

I hope you had a nice weekend.

>218 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yes, I'm loving this fall weather, too! I hope your first day back is definitely a smooth one.

Ooh! You have your Halloween stuff up! Next weekend for me. Have fun at the fabric shop.

>220 Berly: Kim: We usually have it up the day after Charlie's birthday, so we're a week later than normal this year! And the fabric shop was fun, but a little stressful - the oil change took 2 hours (!?), so I had to hustle to find everything I needed so I could get home before school lets out (I just made it home about 10 minutes ago). Yoicks.

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling and then I'm going to spend most of the day in the sewing room working on the annual Project Charlie Pajamas. Nowhere to go today, so it's a yoga pants kind of day. I love those.

On the reading front:
I started Ethics for the New Millennium yesterday, and thanks to the 2-hour oil change and Charlie's ballet class, I'm already halfway through. I also finished Mountains Are Free.

170. Mountains Are Free by Julia Davis Adams (Newbery Honor Book, 246 pages) - 8/10 = B
Follows a young Swiss boy who has grown up in the mountains as he becomes the page to a boorish knight, travels to a castle, meets a lovely young noble girl and her fool/guardian, travels back to the mountains and defies the wicked nobles alongside his adoptive father, William Tell.
A nice-enough story, although a bit slow in parts.

Morning, Amber
I’m not familiar with the character that Charlie has picked for Halloween but I’m sure you will do an awesome job, as always.
I don’t have to make a costume this year as Chloe decided to be a princess and we were given a dress. We just had to buy her tiara and wig. Ellie is going to be a fuzzy unicorn :)

Glad to see you are settling into your new home and already have your Halloween decorations up. That’s something we need to do still.

>224 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle! Oh, you need to watch Spirited Away! Such a good movie. And yay for a ready-made princess!

Today's agenda:
More of the same: Treadmilling, then spending most of the day in the sewing room. hopefully finishing up Charlie's pajamas.

On the reading front:
I finished up two yesterday - Arsene Lupin and Ethics for the New Millennium. More on those later.

171. The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin by Maurice LeBlanc (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 9/10 = A-
A series of exploits told by the gentleman burglar himself (and then retold via the narrator/his friend), in which he pulls off impressive thefts in cool disguises, cleverly eludes the coppers at every turn, and charms the heck out of everyone around him. Think Sherlock Holmes, but on the other side of the crime, and French. In other words, this one was a hoot. Definitely recommended.

172. Ethics for the New Millennium by H. H. the Dalai Lama (Dalai Lama bibliography, 237 pages) - 9/10 = A
A call for compassion, empathy, and loving-kindness in this modern world, and suggestions on how to start making our way there.
Helpful and pretty darned important.

Morning, Amber! I am enjoying a day off. I think I will go for a bird walk and enjoy the cool, pleasant weather. I am starting The Children's Blizzard today. Have you read it?

I have added Ethics for the New Millennium to the list. Sounds like a timely read.

>229 msf59: Morning, Mark! I haven't read that one, but I think it's on the list. I think you'll enjoy the Dalai Lama book - I always do enjoy his stuff.

>226 scaifea: It's just the season for some cozy new pajama pants!

Happy Wednesday, Amber!

I was a big E. Nesbit fan as a kid, but I do remember thinking that The Story of the Treasure Seekers was a lesser book from her. My favorites probably were The Phoenix and the Carpet, The Story of the Amulet and Five Children and It. We were just with someone whose favorite was The Railway Children.

I'm woefully behind in reading The Dalai Lama; I did just enjoy a novel with he and Pope Francis on a road trip, called The Delight of Being Ordinary.

>231 foggidawn: I know, right? I make him new ones in September or October every year.

>232 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I may run into Nesbit again, and hopefully she'll click better for me next time. I do love reading what the Dalai Lama has to say; always soothing and lovely.

173. Stig of the Dump by Clive King (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B
A silly little story about a boy who finds a caveman living in the local dump and has adventures alongside him, but of course the grownups don't believe that Stig (said caveman) is real.
Simple, silly, and fun.

Today's agenda:
Another day spent mostly in the sewing room for me - I need to finish these pajamas so I can get back to my etsy shop work (and then also to Charlie's Halloween costume). I need to do my menu planning and get my grocery list ready today, too.

On the reading front:
I started Just William yesterday on audio, but I'm not far enough in to tell yet how I feel about it, and I also started reading Hesse's Siddhartha, which I can say is amazing already.

I made a quick trip to the libraries yesterday and discovered that the CML (Columbus Metro. Library) offers access to Libby (no-waiting ebooks and audiobooks app), Kanopy (documentaries and films), and Hoopla (movies and music)! Woot! Anyone else have library access to these? How are they?

>235 scaifea: The Philadelphia library offers those services too. I've watched a few good documentaries on on Kanopy, at least one of which I'd not been able to find elsewhere. I haven't used Hoopla, but a woman in my book group mentioned she also uses it for books and was able to get a book right away there, bypassing the queues on Overdrive and for paper copies. I took a quick peek at Hoopla after that, but couldn't find what she was referring to.

Our previous library system had Overdrive for eBooks, and so does Philly, but your message prompted me to download Libby so I can see how that works. I love getting eBooks from the library because they are delivered instantly when they're available. It's not completely no-waiting, because the library still has a limited number of copies available to lend at any one time (something about digital rights management & licensing).

ETA: I wonder if eBook availability has anything to do with reading a Kindle edition vs. reading in Libby? Hmm.

>235 scaifea: Libby is part of the Overdrive system. I didn't realize it was "no waiting." I just thought it was a different reading app. KnoxCounty uses Overdrive, Kanopy, RBdigital, Lynda.com, TumbleBook Library Read-Alongs, Music Online, and Safari Books Online.

>235 scaifea: Yes, Libby is OverDrive -- I know there are always some ebooks there with no wait, but not all of them by any means. Hoopla, on the other hand, is a different lending model, so all of their resources are no-waiting/always available. They do have ebooks and audiobooks as well as movies and music, but not every book will be available on Hoopla because some publishers won't agree to their lending terms. They have an awesome collection of graphic novels, though! I sometimes think Hoopla isn't as intuitive as it could be, but I'd encourage anyone with access to it to play around with it a bit.

>235 scaifea: Good morning! Not much to add to the answers you've already gotten about library electronic services. The appeal of Hoopla and Kanopy is the no-waiting bit, but the downside is all the stuff I most want to read isn't on there. I have found some good things to watch on Hoopla, including the old Ellery Queen TV series that starred Jim Hutton (Timothy's dad), and the Librarians TV series, which is a lot of fun. I don't use the Libby app because I have a dedicated e-reader that I use for library ebooks as well as my own.

>236 lauralkeet: >237 thornton37814: >238 foggidawn: >239 rosalita: Thanks for the info, ladies! I'm mis-typed above and foggi, of course, is correct: Hoopla is the one with no waiting. They all seem like very cool systems, though, and I'm excited to explore them more. I doubt the ebooks and audiobooks will be helpful in the way that I'd love them to be (finding things from my lists that I can't find elsewhere), but I do listen to a ton of audiobooks, so I'm eager to see what they've got to offer in that respect. I also love the idea of having access to so many documentaries, which I absolutely love.

Today's agenda:
Grocery shopping, vacuuming, bills, laundry, and hopefully a bit of sewing time (still working on those pajamas, folks). I feel like I'm developing a chest cold, so if I could find 20 minutes for a bap in there somewhere, that would be fantastic, but I honestly don't see it happening. Nutcracker rehearsals for Charlie this evening, too.

On the reading front:
I finished up Just William yesterday while sewing - more on that later.

174. Just William by Richmal Crompton (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
A sort of British Dennis the Menace. More like Meh-nace.

>228 scaifea: Ethics for the New Millennium goes on the wishlist! Thanks for finding and reviewing it.

>243 Carmenere: Lynda: Woot! I hope you love it!

Happy Friday, Amber.

I'm finally reading - and enjoying - Hello, Universe. Thanks again for the nudge.

>245 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Oh, yay! I hope you love it as much as I did!

Just in time for the bonus question after too long MIA.

Badges on poetry and Leeds United for me.

Have a lovely weekend, Amber.

>247 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul! So good to see you, friend!

On today's agenda:
Tomm's parents are taking Charlie out for lunch and a trip to Barnes & Noble as a late birthday present, so Tomm is taking me out for lunch to try to distract me from worrying about Charlie too much. Ha! Not much else planned for today, except this evening we're having our first D&D game (we gave Charlie a D&D Starter Set for his birthday).

On the reading front:
I started The Lost Books of the Odyssey yesterday and made a little progress on Queer Person, too.

Happy Sunday, Amber. Ethics for the New Millennium, I ordered it and it is on the way. Worrying about Charlie?! Hope it is only because his grandparents my bring back a bus load of purchases from B&N.

Morning, Amber! Happy Sunday! I hope you are having a nice weekend at the Scaife manor.

>250 Carmenere: Lynda: I'm a WAYWAYWAY-overprotective mama. I know I need to work on that, but I tend to freak out when Charlie rides in a car with someone else and I'm not in that car with them. What if there's an accident?! I know, I have issues. The grandparents are welcome to bring home 10 busloads of purchases from B&N, though. That's totally fine.

Yay for the Dalai Lama book! I've loved everything of his I've read so far.

>251 msf59: Morning, Mark!

>252 scaifea: Yup, I hear you. It is entirely natural for you to feel this way. Been there........and you know what......the feeling, the worry, it is always there, no matter their age :0)

Ooooo, first D&D! Ah, to be young again... 😀

>253 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda - I'm glad I'm not the only one, and I sort of guessed that I'm stuck with this special type of anxiety for the long run.

>254 drneutron: Jim: I've just finished reading through the starter kit instructions (neither Tomm nor I have played before either) and it sounds extremely complex but super fun. I'm pretty excited, to be honest.

>249 scaifea: Ooo, D&D. I've never gotten into it, but Husbeast played tons in high school and has gotten back into it over the last few years. He has *so much* fun with it. Hope you all enjoy!

>256 lycomayflower: Laura: Well, the DM was a little slow last night, because she needs to figure out how the heck everything works, but we had fun. Bedtime came round in the middle of a battle with four goblins, so we're definitely at a cliffhanger right now...

Today's agenda:
I'm going into campus today to have lunch with an old friend/former professor. Not sure what else will get done today, to be honest, although possibly some sewing. Charlie has ballet class this evening.

On the reading front:
I started Hogfather yesterday and made more progress with Queer Person, too.

New thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/296911