Tess Follows the Yellow Brick Road in 2019

Hi, my name is Tess and I'm a college professor-Western Civ, American History, and The Holocaust. I teach in real-time and also online.

I've been married to my husband for 43 years; have 2 sons and 7 grandchildren ranging in ages from 10 months to 18 years of age. I live in the midwest USA, Ohio, on about 5 acres in a rural area; although a grocery is only 1/2 mile from my house.

Besides reading, I love to cook, garden and travel. I've spent 3 weeks in London (2003), 2 weeks in France (2005), 10 days in Israel (2007) and 3 months in Washington DC. I have also visited 39/50 U.S. states and will add 4 more to the list this summer when we hit the Eastern Seacoast in search of author's homes and lighthouses.

By far I prefer to read novels, historical fiction, and Gothic and Victorian literature---not so much history, because I do that for work! I don't watch TV unless there is something important--which isn't very often! I quit listening to music sometime in the 70's, so my collection is very dated.

I am deathly allergic to real cats (tracheotomy) and since our pug dog died we currently don't have a pet. I told my husband when we are both retired and staying at home then he can get another pug; but I'm pushing for a pound puppy.

Unfortunately, I suffered from breast cancer this past summer and will be starting radiation therapy on Oct. 17. They have told me it will make me tired in weeks 3-5. We shall see!

I tried to do this group last year, but quickly became overwhelmed and dropped out. If I don't visit you often, it's not because I don't want to, but I teach in real life during the day and online 3 evenings per week. Somewhere in there I have to find time for the husband, grandkids, housework, laundry, cooking, the ballet (season tickets)....you get my drift.

I chose as my theme The Wizard of Oz because I just finished reading book 2 in the series, The Marvelous Land of Oz and as I was thinking of the colorful characters I thought: boy, one could get a lot of categories from this book!

I have over 600 books, both tree and ebooks to clear off my shelves so I can acquire new ones! I started on LT in 2011 and since then have read almost 1000 books! Posted now, but won't start reading the categories until 2019. I have a 20-30 minute commute each way to work, so I count audio books as "reading." I hope to read 100+ books this year.

My rating system:
1 star--waste of paper and ink
2 stars-Is this literature? -major flaws or mind numbing boring
2 1/2 stars-not so bad I had to stop reading
3 stars-average, but may still be quite enjoyable
3 1/2 fun, informative, thought provoking
4 stars-excellent read
4 1/2 exceptionally good, among my favorites
5 stars-in all ways a superior read

BEGINNING TBR: 588

Dorothy-farm girl. I love to read books about the U.S. western settlement, particularly about women homesteaders. I want to read the Willa Cather trilogy as well as the last Little House book.

Possibilities
Into the Wilderness
On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894
Forest Rose A Tale of the Ohio Frontier
Old Town in the Green Groves
West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco, 1915
Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography
A Wilder Rose
Lake in the Clouds

Tin Man-If I only had a heart.........if I could only finish a series! This category is dedicated to finishing up series I've begun.

Possibilities
Lake in the Clouds
The Blessed and the Damned (Righteous Series)
Destroying Angel (Righteous Series Book 5)
Brothers (Legacies of the Ancient River)
This Was a Man: The Final Volume of The Clifton Chronicles

Scarecrow-If I only had a brain! This category will include Big Fat Books or DNF's.

Possibilities
A Suitable Boy
Tom Jones
The Source
Crime and Punishment
Second Hand Time: The Last of the Soviets by Sevtlana Alexeivich
Interview with a Vampire DNF

Wicked Witch of the West---this category is reserved from true crime and psychological thrillers.

Possibilities

Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman
A Killer's Mind
Judgment Ridge: The True Story Behind the Dartmouth Murders
The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator

Glenda the Good Witch will have me reading new shiny books less than 2 years on my shelves.

Possibilities

1. Not Her Daughter
2. Pachinko by Ming Jin Lee
3. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

The Munchkins or the "little" people. For this category I will read YA books or books under 200 pages in length.

1. Emma by Jane Austen 168 pages 3 stars
2. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button 2 1/2 stars
3. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo 176 ages 3 stars
4. Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorn 17 pages 2 1/2 stars
5. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn 138 pages 4 1/2 stars

The Wizard-- since I don't like sci or fantasy, I'm making this category books over 75 years old to represent wisdom (which of course, the Wizard was lacking). Shakespeare will also be found in this category.

Wicked Witch of the East Books from this category will be from the 1001 BYMRBY DIE!

1. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole 3 1/2 stars
2. Atonement by Ian McEwan 351 pages 3 1/2 stars

The yellow brick road is composed of many single bricks. This category will be for books that don't fit into any of the other categories.'

1. The Fig Eater by Jody Shields
2. Last Orders' by Graham Swift
3. Born Survivors by Wendy Holden
4. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
5. Bird Box by Josh Malerman
6. The Longest Ride Nicholas Sparks

Bingo Dog


m

Group Reads

A Suitable Boy
Second Hand Time

Dropping a star because I really want to see how you fill the Dorothy Farmgirl category!

TY TY TY!

Since I'm allergic to cats, I've taken a liking to Grumpy!

SCAREDY KIT

January - NPR 100 Best Horror Stories List or 100 Killer Thrillers List Young Goodman Brown
February The Corporeal Undead Interview with a Vampire
March - - True Crime The Dark Heart: A True Story of Greed, Murder, and an Unlikely Investigator
April - - Chills and Thrills with Modern Horror/Thrillers (2014 - 2019) An English Ghost Story
May - Children's Horror (or Horrific Children) Grimm's Fairy Tales
June - v - Technothrillers Ice Station
July - Vacation Month (read horror/thriller of your choice) More Grimm's (Book over 900 pages)
August -Gothic The Woman in White
September - - Ghosts & Hauntings In Ghostly Japan
October - Monsters & Creatures Monsters and Mysteries
November Stephen King and Family Joyland
December - Small Press/Indie (or catch up on a previous category) Finish Grimm's

So glad to see you here, Tess, and I'm looking forward to following along!

Also, wishing you all the very best for your radiation treatment, I'll be thinking of you.

>16 Jackie_K: TY, Jackie

Welcome back! I'm sorry to hear about your dog and your cancer news. Hope the treatment goes well and that your energy will return quickly.

My favourite of your categories is the Tin Man. It is SO TRUE how hard it is to finish off a series!

Hi Tess, wonderful to see you here. I'm looking foreward to following your reading, especially the Dorothy farmgirl. And all my best wishes for your radiation therapy.

Tess, I'm wishing you all the best with your radiation treatments and, my goodness, you do have a lot on your plate. I love your categories and I'm dropping a star here. We can root each other along with the 1001 BYMRBY DIE!

>20 DeltaQueen50: TY Delta, I need a lot of rooting on for the 1001 book list; I've read about 105 of them and 50 were absolute stinkers, imho!

>18 rabbitprincess:
>19 MissWatson:

TY TY TY RP and Birgit!

I now have the "follow the yellow brick road" song in my head, so thank you for that >;-)
All the best for your treatment and hope that you'll be back on form as soon as maybe.
I'm also trying to work my way through 1001 BYMRBYD, so another one looking to share notes here.

Hope that your treatment goes well, and that you're feeling better soon. Sounds as if you keep really busy with your teaching; you've read an amazing amount since joining LT. I enjoy following your reading.

>23 Helenliz: Happens to me too!

>24 sallylou61: ty ty ty!

I wish you all the best with your cancer treatment and hope it is 100% successful!

Also, I'm loving the Wizard of Oz theme! Looks like you've set yourself up for some magical 2019 reading. :)

>26 christina_reads: TY, Christina!

Oh, I love the yellow brick road! This is so cool:) I wish someone would do a quest challenge based on 'The Wizard of Oz'! I also like reading about the holocaust, and American history. I read a book a few months ago called Born Survivors by Wendy Holden. I was quite astonished that she had written it, because normally she writes chick lit. But it was a very well written, and well researched story, about four Jewish women who are pregnant, when they get taken to the camps, during WWII. It was very eye opening and very sad.

What a wonderful way to read books! I love 'The Wizard of Oz'! I also like reading about American history, and the Holocaust.

>28 seascape: I've not read Holden's book, but it's now on my wish list. TY!

Such a classic movie! I agree with rp that the Tin Man category is my favorite. Best of luck with your radiation treatments.

Just browsing the threads and couldn't resist stopping by. First, hoping and praying for a great outcome for your radiation therapy. Next, for your Summer Eastern Seaboard trip, two suggestions. My son and I just returned from a trip to Maine. Part of our time was spent in Portland, where we visited Portland Head Light, the oldest lighthouse in Maine and the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow house, which contains the family's actual furniture, paintings etc, from the time when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow grew up there. Loved visiting both of those places.

>32 cbfiske: Planned on going Longfellow's home....however we are not going to Maine. Maine, both Portland, Bar Harbor, Downeast, and Presque Isle are stops on another vacation. Thanks for the tip!

You're welcome. Enjoy both trips.

Best to you and prayers all will be fine.
Leona

>35 mnleona: TY TY Leona. I've completed 14/25 treatments and I'm pretty tired about now; but it seems to be going well.

So many KITS and CATS......reminds me of a poem I learned when I was little: As I was going to St. Ives,
I met a man with seven wives,
Each wife had seven sacks,
Each sack had seven cats,
Each cat had seven kits:
Kits, cats, sacks, and wives,
How many were there going to St. Ives?

Lots to choose from, yes! :) Hopefully that way there is always at least *one* challenge of interest. It would be a bit much to read something for all of them every month.

Glad to see you back Tess. I've had the Willa Cather trilogy on my mind lately, and they've been on my bookshelf longer than that, so hopefully I'll get to them in 2019 too.

Ok...think it's time I start "cheating." I normally don't get much read between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I'm going to start 2 BFB's that I won't finish till January.....I think The Source by James Michener and Crime and Punishment which I've meant to read for years.

I wish you luck for 2019 and hope everything goes well health-wise.
My favorite Oz character is definitely The Wicked Witch. She got to ride a broom and had a cool outfit.

The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful theme! Joining the others with best wishes for your cancer treatment.

Wonderful theme, Tess. I wish you well for your radiation treatment.

Since many of you have asked: I've completed my daily radiation treatments (25 of them) and except for extreme fatigue and resultant weakness, no major side effects! I'm slowly getting my strength back and after having every test known to medical science, they have deemed me cancer free! I have started a hormone suppressant which I must take for 5 years and then they will prescribe a different one for me the next 5 years, but I'm tolerating it well--no hot flashes--so all is good!

>44 Tess_W: Very happy to read that you are done with the radiation treatments and are having no major side effects. The important thing now is to take care of yourself and allow things to slowly recover.

>44 Tess_W: I am so glad to hear that the radiation treatment is over and was successful!

>44 Tess_W: Good news. Take care.

>44 Tess_W: That's great news! I hope that you continue to recover with minimal/no side-effects, and have all the energy to read up a storm!

>44 Tess_W: Great news Tess!

Great news! Hope your recovery is smooth.

Excellent news. Hope things continue to improve.

TY all my book friends!

>44 Tess_W: - That is wonderful news!

Very happy to hear everything has gone well!

Hi Tess! I'm glad to hear the radiation treatment was successful! I wish you a great reading year in 2019!

Guess I will start my 2019 reading 6-7 days early. I started two chunksters the first of December thinking that by alternating the reading of them they would carry over to finish in 2019. However, I came within 30 pages of finishing each by Dec. 15; can't wait any longer or I may forget and have to back track some. Since I didn't belong to a group in 2018 I'm going to go ahead and start posting now so I can keep track of everything!

The Source by James Michener. This is my 5th Michener read and I would say it's right about in the middle of reading enjoyment. This book is an excellent "history" lesson (as are all Michener books" for those who don't like the oft dry history reads.) I was mesmerized for about the first 600 pages, then the crusades began to drag out and read like a history book. All in all though, this was a fantastic read and clarified in novel form what I knew from my history studies. 1104 pages 4 stars

Categories: Scarecrow (BFB), Bingo Card-Read a CAT

>59 This-n-That: TY! I've yet to read Centennial, but during my lifetime I'd like to read all of Michener's historical sagas. I have read: Chesapeake, Hawaii--not sure if I've read that...maybe another island saga?, Texas, and Space.

2. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. The reading of this book was haphazard in a sense, but altogether educational. I had the Garnett translation on my ereader but that wasn't the translation on audiobooks. One said 504 pages one said 621 pages. (and then there is another "version" on Amazon at 430 pages) The chapters were not exactly the same number wise. However, with little trouble I could figure it out. So I listened while I drove and fell asleep and read while I was awake! I think I got a very complete picture! I really liked this book; the story of Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student who commits 2 brutal and calculated murders and spends much of the book justifying his actions in his mind and evading police scrutiny. The last 2-3 chapters in the book are very poignant as we do learn that love covers a multitude of sins. I did some research and there are actually 3 versions of this book (which may account for page and chapter discrepancies). It seems as if there was Dostoyevsky's letters/notes and "most" of his original manuscript. Then when the communists took over the Soviet Union pieced together 3 of his notebooks to make another version to suit their purposes (capitalism brings poverty). The author first had the initial part of the story published in 12 monthly installments in Russia--then added more later. I will go with 600 pages and 5 stars!

Cats: Bingo Dog (books in translation) , Scarecrow-BFB's

>61 Tess_W: Excellent start to your challenge, a 5 star read! I have a Dostoevsky book on my old ereader, but I can't remember which one it is. This one sounds good, although I must admit that despite my success in reading War & Peace the other year, I still find the Russian classics quite intimidating.

>62 Jackie_K: Jackie, this one is much easier to read; not so many battles and cannon descriptions; although sometimes I have to wonder "who is that character?"

>61 Tess_W: I'm always pleased to see the big scary calssics get good reviews, it makes them a little less scary. So most pleased to see your reaction to this big scary book.

I spent 2 hours this morning deciding how to "spend" one of my Christmas gifts, $100 gift card from Audible! I use audio books to and from school, actually anytime I'm in the car. I listen while I'm in the kitchen fixing dinner. I know I can get most of them for free from the library, but if you don't get to it right away, they take it away and you are only half done! Therefore, I just prefer to buy it to have it in my library. So, my purchases were:

The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Pachinko, The Good German, Where the Crawdads Sing, Lincoln in the Bardo, Secrets of a Charmed Life AND I still have $40 remaining! I bought 3 credits for $31 twice. Now that I've made my "impulse" buying, I'll wait for some of your inspirational book bullets to start flying before I spend the last bucks!

I also got a new bike for Christmas, my "old" one was from 1973 and needed new tires, new brakes, new gear set-up, and a new chain--my husband said nope and I got a new one. I can ride my bike, which is going to be a challenge since 2 artificial knees (but I will endure) and listen to my new books at the same time--it's a win-win!

>66 Tess_W: - What great gifts and I see you made some fabulous purchases with the gift card!

>66 Tess_W: What a fab Christmas! That is many hours of listening!
I must admit to being a bit fussy with audiobooks. How do you choose yours? I tend to select by who is reading as there are some that I found I just could not listen to.

>68 JayneCM: Well, firstly I go to my wish list of books, then see if they are on audio. Then I listen to the little clip that Audible provides. It's usually 2-3 minutes long and I see if I like the reading or not. If so, then I put it in my cart.

>69 Tess_W: That's good that you can listen to them! Looks like you have some great listening there - I have had The Tattooist of Auschwitz on my list since it came out. Same with Lincoln in the Bardo. Look forward to hearing what you think.

3. The Fig Eater by Jody Shields. This book had great potential, but it was never realized. It was a good period piece in that it described Austria in the early 1900's very well. The book moved ever so slow with many red herrings--which I usually like; but in this case I'm thinking to myself: yet another red herring to slow down the plot! Another complaint is that there must have been over 1200 German (I would suppose) words used in 300 pages--just because they could? I got tired of looking them up. And lastly, had I known this was a werewolf book, I would have never never purchased it or read it. Sorry, this book just seems like a mish-mash of different topics strung together lightly to produce a book; no coherence. 311 pages. 2 1/2 stars
CAT: The Yellow Brick Road, Bingo Dog: Eastern European Setting or Author

Hi Tess - Congratulations on being cancer free!

It looks as though you'll be reading some great books in 2019 - I'm looking forward to reading all about them.

>72 Dejah_Thoris: Hi and thanks so much.

Has anybody been having the same problem as me.....my desktop is on most of the time. I turn off when I leave the house. But for the past 2-3 days when I go to discussions/posts to read in LT it's not the same view I normally get--none of the pictures appear and the writing is about font size 150. You are also unable to post(type) anything. I sign out of LT and sign back in and it's good for about half a day, then it's back to "that".

Now, I have noticed that hitherto in my address bar my comp is always telling me that LT is "unsecure". It no longer says that and that's when the problem started.

Any ideas?

4. Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman is a psychological thriller that lives up to its name. The very first chapter of the book has Erin digging a grave---for her husband. The rest of the book starts at the beginning when the couple was taking the vacation of a lifetime. He is a professional banker always unwilling to spend money and she is a successful documentary filmmaker. From chapter 2 one can begin to feel that something is not quite right. Good read! P.S. The author was an actress for one season on Downton Abbey. This was her debut novel. 352 pages 4 stars

CATS: Wicked Witch of the West (psychological thrillers) Bingo Dog: Debut Novel

>73 Tess_W: I read on another thread that the problem is with the 'http'. If you make sure that the URL you are using for LibraryThing starts with 'https' rather than 'http' apparently that sorts it out.

>75 Jackie_K: TY Jackie! mine does appear to be https....but it is an old bookmark. I will delete the favorite and reset that--it is years old!

5. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole is a Gothic novel-supposedly the first ever written. It has all the requisite components: castle, a villain, a helpless female, and a "ghost". I really do like my gothic less fantastical (such as Wuthering Heights). I read this because it was on the 1001 Books list. It was written much like Shakespeare so it was not an easy read. The preface states that it is much like A Midsummer Night's Dream. All in all I'm glad to have read this "very first" gothic novel. 192 pages 3 1/2 stars

CAT: Wicked West of the East (1001 BYMRBYD)

>44 Tess_W: Cancer-free is wonderful news! Congratulations!

I'm just catching up on 2019 threads. Glad to hear your radiation treatment is over and most of all, was successful. I wish you good health in the coming year and good reading!

>77 mstrust:
>78 VivienneR:

TY TY TY!

>76 Tess_W: I agree - I have chosen Wuthering Heights as my Gothic, even though I have read it multiple times. I'm not much of a horror/crime reader, so those categories will be a challenge for me. I'll have to look for the softer options available, no gory details.

Just checking out the various threads.

Good news about your health!

>81 hailelib: TY TY!

6. Emma by Jane Austen. I'm not an Austen fan, but I feel as an "educated" reader I need to read her. This is my 5th Austen, which isn't much since I've been reading now for 60 years! (My mother taught me to read at age 4 using the Bible). Emma was the easiest Austen for me to read. Emma is a match maker or a nosey busy body; you choose! Her meddling has far reaching consequences. I don't really like the literary Emma, she is such a snob. However, I'm sure that is part of the period charm of this book. Critics have said this is the most perfect work of Austen. As for me, all her works seem the same and bleed together when I try to remember specifics from any of her books. Somebody told me I read an abbreviated edition because it was only 168 pages in length. However, nowhere on my book does is say abridged. When checking on Amazon it does seem short. I never knowingly read abridged books. If in fact I did, meh! I don't like this book enough to find another version and re-read. 3 stars

7. Finished up this audio book while I was preparing for my family's Christmas today. Between work schedules and such, this is the only day we could all get together--and all is very important to me. For me, family is everything! Into the Wilderness: Wilderness Saga, Book 1 is a great new series introduced to me by a lady in my RL reading group. Basically it is the American version of Outlander. This story takes place in Upstate New York, Quebec, and what will become the state of Minnesota. I'm already listening to book 2 as I make the scalloped potatoes (15 pounds) and the glaze for the ham. Will read everyone of these books, just as I did Outlander. While I would give the Outlander series a 5 for literary components, I would give Into the Wilderness a 4; but enjoyment brings it to a 4.5 CAT: Scarecrow (BFB's). 896 pages or 23 hours and 14 minutes on Audio.

>84 Tess_W: I've been meaning to get to these books when I read them described as an American Outlander!
>83 Tess_W: I agree that Emma is a very hard character to like but I think that is part of the charm of the book - you just cannot believe that someone can be so unaware of those around her and how her words and actions affect them!

>83 Tess_W: Sorry you didn’t like Emma more as that is my favorite Austen novel. Have you seen the movie Clueless? It’s a really fun spin on the story.

>86 LittleTaiko: Have not seen the movie, but I will add it to my watch list--I'm not a TV or movie person...but I do watch maybe 6-7 movies per year.

Great theme! Happy New Year!

Wishing you and yours a happy and joyous 2019, filled with peace, love, and great books.

Oh, love Pugs.
Best wishes for reading 2019.

>90 Dejah_Thoris: TY so much, Dejah!
>91 Kristelh: That is the cutest New Year's Card I've seen! Love it!
>88 The_Hibernator: TY TY T Y
>89 thornton37814: Thanks so much!

8. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arim. This was a cute romance written in 1922. It wasn't romance as most of us would know it; but it was more of a comedic romance; just a very sweet story. Three very disenchanted, bored, middle-aged housewives who could not be more unalike decide to rent an Italian villa for the summer and split the costs. They found a 4th roommate, a member of the aristocracy who just wants to be left alone, or does she? When the women arrive abroad, they find that the beauty of the Italian April truly enchants them—and that it begins to make them feel not only more connected with their inner self, but also more generous and loving to the world around them. A delightful read, if not slow in a few places. 232 pages 4 stars



CAT: Yellow Brick Road (misc)
Bingo Dog: 4+ rating on LT

>92 Tess_W: The movie is great too - some of the great English actors here. Another movie my hubby complained that 'nothing happens', which to me was part of the charm. I quite enjoy a slow paced read like this one.

>93 JayneCM: TY Jayne...I don't watch TV or movies for the most part, so had no idea---I can use this on my Bingo Dog as "made into a movie"!

>94 Tess_W: I tend to watch movies that are from books, just to see what they are like in comparison. I think the movie would have to be twenty plus years old.

Looks like 2019 is off to a good start!

>96 rabbitprincess: TY RP. I actually "cheated" a little....I started about 5-6 books mid December and thought I would ring in the New Year by finishing them, but I finished much quicker than expected so I just went ahead and posted.

My husband and I had a rip-roaring New Year's Eve!;) We stayed in, I read from 8:30 pm, stopped about 11:59 to watch the New Year come in and give him a kiss, then read till I fell asleep at 3:30 pm. Needless to say I didn't get up till 11am today! Because I read most of yesterday, today I need to finish my notes/outlines/exams etc for the French Revolution; a new course I will be teaching come Jan. 7 Marat, Robespierre, Marie Antoinette, the Dauphin, The Affair of the Necklace, all great reading there!

9. A Killer's Mind by Mike Omer was the first in the Zoe Bentley series. I must have gotten this for free on Amazon, but I would not have purchased it. Zoe is a forensic scientist and gets called in to help with a case in which 3 women were embalmed and posed in public places. It was a great whodunit. 378 pages 4 stars

CATS: Wicked Witch of the West (true crime and psychological thrillers)

I'm new at this, but I tried!

Describe yourself:Somebody I Used to Know
How do you feel? Island of the Lost
Describe where you currently live: Little House on the Prairie
If you could go anywhere, where would you go? Cruising Panama's Canal: Experience the sights, sounds and thrills of cruise travel, told with the wit and charm of travel memoir writers Al & Sunny Lockwood
Favorite form of transportation: The Boys in the Boat
Your best friend is: Embers
You and your friends are: Dangerous Liasons
What's the weather like? Frozen in Time
Your favorite time of day is: Remains of the Day
What is life for you? The Reader
You fear: A Monster Calls
Best advice: Never Let Me Go
How you would like to die: The Silent Cry
Your soul’s present condition: These Happy Golden Years

Sorry you didn't enjoy Emma more. It's my favourite Jane Austen.

Nice meme!

Nice meme answers - especially the transportation one!

Great work on the meme! Your answer for the weather is also applicable here -- high temperature of minus 12 Celsius!

>99 Tess_W: Good answers!

10. Last Orders by Graham Swift. This came highly recommended and was a Booker Prize finalist. However, I found this book to be a snooze without relief. It is the story of 4 men who are taking the ashes of friend 5 to be scattered in the ocean. The entire story is their car ride to the ocean and their memories of the past. This book bounced back and forth between the past and the present like a rubber ball with no direction. On top of that, it was difficult to keep track of the characters because not a lot of names were used. I became so irritated with, "He says" then "I said" then "he says", that I counted them and at one point there 128 sentences that began that way within only one chapter. I lost count of who said what and the mixed up relationships. I was truly glad when they dumped their mate's ashes! 304 pages 2 1/2 stars

Category: Yellow Brick Road (Misc), Bingo Dog: Cover has a least 2 people on it. (Well, there are 4 beach chairs and each is occupied by a human, even though you can only see their backs).

Happy New Year, Tess! I think I am finally up to date with the threads after a week-long hiatus. And now I am raring to start reading. Looking forward to hear about the French Revolution books!

>105 MissWatson: Brigit, these are textbooks and primary sources (translated), I don't think you want to hear about them! I had to bone up on the French Revolution as I'm teaching a course beginning on Monday at the college level that covers this period and I never taught it at the college level before. I don't include these readings on LT, because they are sporadic, chapter here, a letter from Napoleon there, etc. For example, I read a letter from Napoleon to Prince Eugene, dated August 23, 1810, all about the silk trade. Also read a circular letter to the Sovereigns of Europe dated April 4, 1815, on his escape from Elba and return to France. Then we will be comparing the American and the French Revolutions so there is a reading from both Edmund Burke and Thomas Paine (the Rights of Man). Of course Burke and Paine were in opposition concerning the revolution. And then there is a "notebook of grievances" to be presented to the government from a rural community, Lignere la Doucelle. So as you can see, there aren't any books, just documents!

I'm off for a "mini" vacation for 3 days--there will be no reading! See you next week!

Have a good time!

>107 Tess_W: Enjoy your "mini" vacation.

Have fun

Bon voyage!

>107 Tess_W: Have a lovely time!

11. I managed to finish one before bedtime reading and during a 3 hour car drive, Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey. I did like this one, although I think the main character was crazy! There was a moral dilemma to be solved. I'll let you make up your own mind on whether it was done correctly or not! 352 pages 3 1/2 stars



CATegories: Glenda the Good Witch ( new and shiny)

>1 Tess_W:
Season tickets to the ballet! That's so lovely. It sounds wonderfully engaging, and a nice counterpoint and something to look forward to when you're through the exhausting medical treatment.

>66 Tess_W:
I have heard only excellent things about Lincoln in the Bardo -- but I have to say the others are new to me, and I'm looking forward to your thoughts on them. Merry belated Christmas to you!

>84 Tess_W:
I am intrigued by the idea of Into the Wilderness as an American Outlander. Sounds like a series to give a try, especially since your enjoyment was high enough to push it up by a half star.

I started my walking on Saturday, January 5th. I walked only 2 miles the first day--but hey--that's a start! I walked the Scioto Mile (and back again). This is a downtown area in Columbus, Ohio that reclaimed about 33 acres of waste/swamp land. It is bounded on the north by Centennial Park and on the south by a statue of Christopher Columbus; our city is a sister city of Genoa, Italy. There are also 3 deer sculptures along the way, since Ohio's state animal is the white-tailed deer. I have hardly walked at all (no more than necessary) since my surgery/radiation treatment in mid-late 2018, so this was a biggie. I had unseasonably warm weather. 248 miles to go

2 miles is an excellent start. My husband and I are trying to get out for 2 walks a day, both fairly short, but it does feel good to get out there and get some fresh air and exercise!

I only managed 2 miles a day this first week too! Looking forward to exploring Ohio with you!

Looks like you had good weather for the walk!

Two miles seems like a big first step! I'm doing Spanish-language lessons in which we read some of the Wizard of Oz (El Mago de Oz) every day so I'm becoming familiar with Baum's original story and how it differs from the movie version. I go over the lessons repeatedly for practice, so I'm getting both Spanish and Oz immersion.

>119 bkinetic: I'm a teacher and I think I probably walk at least 2 miles a day on my job! But, this weekend I also stopped by the Book Loft, an indie bookstore in Columbus, Ohio. I really really restrained myself and made 2 purchases:
1. Prague Spring by Simon Mawer
2. Places of America Lancaster I work in Lancaster and had never seen this particular history of the city.

>115 Tess_W: - Lovely start to your walking challenge!

12. Quick read this evening before I went to bed, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald. This was a short story, what can I say except that it was inane. Waste of my time! Glad it was a short story. Story of Benjamin, who ages quickly and then as he "ages" he becomes more infantile. 42 pages 2 1/2 stars

BINGO DOG: Short Story
CAT: The Munchkins

Sunday Walk: ~1.5 miles Took a friend through the Franklin Park Conservatory, about 18 miles from my home. This is a world class arboretum featuring 5 distinct biomes: Himalayan Alps, desert, tropical rain forest, Pacific Island, and American southwest. An added bonus, the biomes were sprinkled with creations by artist Dale Chihuly.



221.5 miles to go.

13. Dawn on a Distant Shore by Sara Donati. I finished this audio book on my way to work this morning. This book was not near as satisfying as book number one. This escapade involved leaving the Americas and most of the action was on the high seas or in Scotland. The plot was very convoluted and involved illegitimate children and unknown cousins. This seemed to be almost identical to my take on an Outlander book that took place in France. 647 pages 4 stars



Category: Glenda the Good Witch (new and shiny books less than 2 years old)

>123 Tess_W: - Chihuly art always makes a nice walk even better. So pretty!

>123 Tess_W: Seattle has a Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit, which is fabulous. Part of it also mixes his creations with plant life.

>123 Tess_W: - Oh, an arboretum, and Chihuly art. Sounds like a perfect place for a Sunday walk! ;-)

14. Born Survivors by Wendy Holden. This is the story of 3 mothers who gave birth to children while interred during the Holocaust, mostly on the move. It's just amazing that any of these children survived being born in a coal car in sub-zero weather when their mothers had no food for over 10 days and were sometimes almost comatose. It really was just the kindness of a stranger in each of their lives that allowed both mother and children to live. All the mothers gave birth within the same week while being transported from Auschwitz II-Birkenau to a facility in Germany near the end of the War. The determination of these women is heartening. This was a BB from the Reading Through Time group. My only complaint is that it introduced each woman and spent about 10 pages telling about conditions and procedures at camp when they arrived. It was almost identical for 30 pages--one gets the idea of roll call after once such explanation-3 times is not necessary. 477 pages 4 1/2 stars.



CAT: Yellow Brick Road (Misc) , Bingo Dog-Book Bullet

>123 Tess_W: I love Chihuly! Just before I left London, in 2005, I visited Kew Gardens and he had pieces all over which made an amazing place even more special!

15. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson was such a disappointment after reading her The Lottery. None of the characters were likeable and this reader didn't care what really happened to any of them. This book was a 1959 "horror classic" about a haunted house and what it "did" to people. Meh.....294 pages 3 stars



CAT: Yellow Brick Road (Misc)

I stayed up wayyyyyyyyyyy too late to finish Bird Box by Josh Malerman. This really was a psychological thriller! Something is out there that if "seen" causes people to commit acts of deadly violence. A page turner to the very end! I listened to this on audio. This weekend I will go over to my son's house and watch it on Netflix. (272 pages) 4 1/2 stars.



CAT: Yellow Brick Road (Misc)

>131 Tess_W: I've seen the movie and am waiting for my library hold of the book to arrive!
Even though there has been some bagging of the movie, saying the whole premise is silly and unbelievable (whoever said dystopian fiction had to be believable?!), it was gripping so glad to hear the book keeps you on the edge of your seat.

>131 Tess_W: This book sounds like it would be at about the limit of the scariness I can handle, so I might actually take the plunge and request it from the library... someday.

Spent last evening reading 17. War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. Starting out I guess I did not realize that this was written for ages 9-12, although I'm not sure some that age would understand this book. Reading the reviews I see it is often used in middle and high school lit or history classes, and that sounds more like it. That being said, all I can say is it is a "cute" little book about the love of a horse for his boy and visa versa. There is some very superficial information about the Great War, which was good. Really, now I don't have an interest in seeing the movie. 176 pages 3 stars.



CAT: Munchkins (books under 200 pages in length)

BINGO DOG: Book for children of YA.

LOL-there will be no walking or pictures today! About 3-4 inches of snow this morning. This is my youngest granddaughter, Evie, aged 13 months, and her first time in snow!

Looking forward to seeing what 2019 produces.

So far 4 inches of snow and they are calling for more tonight. My grandchildren say the trees are "sad" because they are drooping! Yesterday I made barbecued beef in the crockpot, a pot of tomato bisque soup as well as baked 2 loaves of bread and made homemade chocolate pudding. I'm ready for a long day of reading (and eating!).

What really bums me out.........you can get a book at Barnes & Noble (new, marked down) for the same price as you can at a used book store.

>137 Tess_W: We didn't get much snow here--only a few flakes. It looks like we may have a better chance in 9 to 10 days.

>135 Tess_W: What a sweetie! Did she enjoy her first snowy encounter?

>137 Tess_W: Those snow-covered trees are beautiful. My sister apparently has snow up to calf level (she's in Bavaria). Here in central Scotland it's being unseasonably mild, although they reckon we might have a bit of snow towards the end of the week.

>141 This-n-That: I find the book to be darker, especially the ending, than the movie. I also had trouble matching up the characters sometimes because they were written off differently in both the movie and the book. But all in all, I think not a bad movie version.

>140 Jackie_K: Babygirl Evie thought snow was just ok, but wasn't really thrilled with it, much like grandma!

>142 Tess_W: Now I want to read it even more as I thought the ending of the movie was pretty wishy-washy and too neat and nice. Very interested to see the difference!

18. Atonement by Ian McEwan is a bit of a dichotomy to me. On the one hand, it was over-written; meaning too much profuse and flowery language for the subject matter. On the other hand, it feels as if you have been punched in the stomach by the end of the book. I don't want to discuss it more so as not to give away the plot, but a Scripture verse comes to memory: Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." 351 pages 3 1/2 stars



CAT: Wicked Witch (1001 books), Bingo Dog: About siblings

19. Serendipity---my ereader said I was only 60% finished and I thought another week....but actually the last 40% of the book is the typed official written reports of all the survivors. If I enlarged the page enough to make the letters large enough, then they are blurry. I don't feel it was necessary to read this as it is all a repeat of what the author wrote about in the book. This was another great survival book Lost in Shangri-La (Enhanced Edition): A True Story of Survival by Mitchell Zuckoff. I have read a previous book by this author and this book did not disappoint. This is the story of the real-life crash of an army plane in the uncharted mountains of New Guinea during WWII.



CATS: RTT Survival (January), Glenda the good witch-less than 2 years on my shelf

20. I read Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne for the Scaredy CAT for January. It is the story of a pleasant young man who goes into the wood to meet somebody for an evening and comes out a changed man. Very short-only 17 pages and very meh, for Hawthorne. 2 1/2 stars

CATS: Munchkins (books under 200 pages), ScaredyKIT

>137 Tess_W: I'm ready to come to your house!

>145 Tess_W: I liked this book so much, wasn't the nurse amazing?

>137 Tess_W: I would be coming to your house just to be cool! It is 40 degrees C here, even at 8.30pm (which is 104F) and I do not like the heat at all! Cannot wait for autumn.

>148 JayneCM: The grass is always greener ........today it is about -9C. The power lines are snapping because of the cold and the internet will be gone--one time 3-4 years ago we were 10 days without power....that means no toilet refill after flushing (the well pump is electric). We have to haul buckets of water from the pool to refill tank after each flush....doable but lot of work. When we have no power I spend a lot of time in bed covered up reading! At least once a day we start the car and let it run for 20-30 minutes to recharge our tablets and phones. We have a small camping stove we can use in the garage to heat water to sponge bathe with. We have to run a generator (which uses $25 of gas per day) to keep the sump pump, fridge, and freezer running. No, the cold is not good!

>149 Tess_W: That is definitely not an easy way to spend the winter. It is scary how much we depend on electricity.

Oh, I was a bad bad girl today! I had about $40 remaining on a gift card and then I purchased 3 more credits on Audible; so 7 new audiobooks for me! My loves this time: Burger's Daughter, Lake in the Clouds (book 3 in a series I'm reading), Imperial Women, The Vicar of Wakefield, The Assassin's Song, Empress Orchid, and O, Pioneers!. I said I was going to save the remainder of the gift card for mid-year; but.....you know how that goes!

Hooray for gift cards!

>152 MissWatson: Love 'em! And, my 9th thingaversary was in December and I did not purchase for that; so with hopefully reading 100 books this year, I will still be ahead! And besides, ebooks or audiobooks don't seem to trouble me, it's those dang tree books that age and sit on shelves that need to be dusted that are worrisome!

I don't think gift cards should be a reason for feeling guilty! :)

I don't buy for my Thingaversary either. The last couple of years I've figured that just by acquiring my usual amount of new books I'd be getting an equivalent number, so the thought of buying more on top of that did make me feel guilty!

>149 Tess_W: I must admit, I am probably more looking forward to our winter! I love the romantic idea of living in the snow but I think the reality of it would be very difficult. In Australia, the snow is somewhere you visit - there are very few truly inhabited areas that get snow and if they do, it is only for much shorter periods than you do.
And enjoy the new books! I am sure that gift card would have burned a hole in my pocket too despite any good intentions of saving it for later!

I've been whittling away at my Christmas gift cards as well, most 1,001 books, I think I have enough left for maybe three more books and I am trying to save that so I can at least stretch the giftcards out to a second month!

>156 DeltaQueen50: I do not want to be an enabler, but BookDepository currently has quite a few of the 1001 Books in their bargain section. I couldn't resist getting a few!

Yeah, a day at home--more time to read and putter!

Enjoy!

I'm jealous! Hope you have a good day!

Have fun today!

>157 JayneCM: Ack! Well, I'll just mosey on over there and have a look - you know - "just looking" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).

>162 DeltaQueen50: Hmmm, that's what I did! And I have some more parcels coming soon! Admittedly, I only bought three when I easily could have bought into double figures. So that's a good thing, right?!

>158 Tess_W: Have a lovely free day! Look forward to hearing what you were reading!

>163 JayneCM: actually....I made lecture notes/outline for a unit on absolutism that I will be teaching in about a month. Then I read for only about 10 minutes a new Wilder book somebody got me for Christmas, and now going to listen to Cannery Row as I fall asleep! Didn't get near as much reading done as I had hoped.

>130 Tess_W: Too bad you didn't like it. I rather liked it. I mean, it wasn't The Lottery, but still. The miniseries is nothing like the book.

21. On the Way Home: The Diary of a Trip from South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri, in 1894 This was actually a diary found by Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter, Rose, after her mother had died. Rose has a forward and an epilogue. It was good and short, done in diary entry mode, about the Wilder's trip from De Smet, South Dakota to Mansfield, Missouri and the purchase of their home. 138 pages 5 stars



CAT: Dorothy (farm girl)

21. Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. This is my third (and final) book by Steinbeck. I really wanted to like this one better than The Grapes of Wrath or Mice and Men; but I couldn't. Underwhelming series of character studies with lots of profanity, and thin on the plot. (if there even was one). The story of bums, prostitutes, and n'er do wells living on the coast of Monterrey during the Great Depression. I listened to this on Audible and the narration was good; the story just average-low average. barely 3 stars



CAT: 1001 Books

>167 Tess_W: - Interesting. That one is in my February stack. At least it's short. Then again I really didn't like The Grapes of Wrath but love Of Mice and Men so who knows how I'll feel about this one. East of Eden is my favorite Steinbeck though and I doubt it'll be better than that.

I think the only Steinbeck I've read is The Red Pony, but it was when I was a teenager, so I can't remember a thing about it (although I have a vague feeling I didn't dislike it, if that isn't too much damning with faint praise!).

23. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. This short book of 138 pages describes exactly what the title says, one day in the life of a political prisoner in a Siberian gulag. Life is definitely tough and brutal and one sees all kinds: the sad, tough, ignorant, smart, kind, thief, etc. Ivan tends toward the kind; but in his soul he realizes he will never go home. This is in novel form but largely Solzhenitsyn's autobiography. 4 1/2 stars



CAT: Munchkins (books less than 200 pages)

Ice-o-rama here! Recipe: 2-3 inches of standing snow, 3-4 hours of rain that turns to sleet, add temps that are below zero F and you have 1 inch of ice covering every surface. Sub zero temps for next couple of days--that's maybe -20 for you C people! Just praying that power lines don't snap!

>167 Tess_W: that's a shame. I read a Steinbeck at school, which I think was Grapes of Wrath but it made such a little impression that I'm not entirely sure what it was. Cannery Row was the first one I read as an adult, actually listened to, and I enjoyed the atmosphere he created. I've read another once since and he is on my "one day I'll read more " list...

>171 Tess_W: goodness, stay safe. And I was whinging about -2C and a heavy frost this morning...

Fingers crossed that you don't lose your power!

Another day off school on Tuesday due to sub-zero temps--the buses won't start. Tomorrow it's reading and baking cookies!

That sounds like a lovely day! We had an icing sugar dusting of snow today, but it was gone by lunchtime.

Still in a deep freeze--it is so much work to stay warm! However, I did finish listening to the audiobook 24.Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. This is a generational saga; mainly focusing on the harsh treatment of the Koreans by the Japanese beginning in 1931. The first half of the book was much faster paced and better than the second half, in my humble opinion. The story of Sunja, the daughter of a crippled fisherman and the man she loved and the man she married kept my rapt attention for quite some time. Pachinko is something like American pinball and was the rage in Japan from during the first half of the 20th century. I was restlessly reading the last part of the book from about the 1960's-1990's; the storyline was just so modern; but it felt like the author was just running out of steam! That being said, I loved this book. 496 pages 4 stars



CATs: Bingo Dog--featuring siblings, Glenda the good witch (new and shiny books less than 2 years old)

>167 Tess_W: Steinbeck is not my favorite author either for the reasons you mentioned in your review.

Another day off school! Sigh, I like a couple of days, but now I'm going to be behind the rest of the year! Tomorrow's temps supposed to be -25 to -35 F--the coldest in a generation according to the news.

>176 Tess_W: - I felt similarly about the book. I loved the first half or two-thirds and felt it lost a little something towards the end. However, when I think back on the book I remember it quite fondly.

Hope you guys thaw out soon! I can't believe how ridiculously cold it has been in parts of the US.

>178 Tess_W: Brrrrrr! That's some serious cold! We're at 0 degrees F (minus 18 degrees C) right now, with a windchill of minus 20 (or minus 29).

25. Forest Rose A Tale of the Ohio Frontier by Emerson Bennet. This book, originally published in 1848 was last printed in 1959. I have a 1959 copy. Forest Rose is a historical novel based on the true events that occurred around/near Standing Stone (now known as Mt. Pleasant) in the 1790's Ohio Indian Wars. This book typified the struggle of the settlers and the Indians. Unless one is really interested in local history (Lancaster, Ohio) I would not recommend this book. While good, it was a struggle to read firstly because of the font size and secondly because at least 50% of the book was written in a vernacular that was very troublesome and took great effort to read. 216 pages 3 1/2 stars



CAT: Dorothy (farm girl), BINGO DOG: Main Title has 6+ words

Minus 20 (or 31 with wind chill) here! Hopefully everyone is safe inside snuggled up with a book and a cup of tea.

Wow, that is spectacularly cold! I'm moaning about the cold here, it was -3 (C) yesterday morning. That's more than enough cold for me!

I hope you're staying warm and dry.

>182 Yells: Goodness, that does put this morning's -5C into perspective! Positively balmy!!

>184 Helenliz: I could wear shorts in that weather :)

26. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. I wanted to really like this book; but I didn't. I wanted to really hate this book and quit reading it; but I couldn't. The bardo is the Tibetan place where souls go before they enter paradise, depending upon how good or bad you were in your earthly life--sort of like purgatory. The entire action of this story takes place in the time span of one day, the day little Willie Lincoln died. The author juxtaposes chapters by having one chapter of conversation between the occupants of the bardo and the next chapter being quotes or snippets from magazine or newspaper articles read with detailed citations. I listened to this on audio and this is what I heard: "Willie Lincoln's face was so red it was almost purple. From: A Close Friend's Memoir, Helen Davies Estate, used by permission of the Estate." Every single sentence was ended with the citation--what a way to kill a story! (for me). I felt I was reading a history book instead of a novel. I did read where the author had heretofore written short stories, so that is perhaps why I did not find a real discernible plot. All in all though, it was not bad enough for me to put down. Disappointed to learn this was a prize-winning book. 368 pages (7 hours, 25 minutes) 2 1/2 stars.



CAT: Glenda the Good Witch (Books less than 2 years old)

>186 Tess_W: Ha! I got the audiobook from the library, listened to the first disc, got hopelessly lost and returned it. Went on-line to find everyone raving about it so i figured I gave up too soon. Got the print version from the library, read the first few chapters, still remained lost and returned the book. Went on-line and now people are not only still raving about it but it's also appearing on every prize list. Went back to the library, got the print AND audiobook and followed in tandem. Finally finished, still lost, but also in awe of what he accomplished. I ended up giving it a good rating simply because of the amount of work that went into writing this type of thing but not because I enjoyed it. I totally get your ambivalence!

BTW, his book of short stories Pastoralia is on the 1001 list and it's pretty good.

27. The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks. The love story, it's what Sparks does. Not nearly as good as The Notebook', though. 398 pages barley 3 stars



CAT: Yellow Brick Road Group: Feb. Reading Through Time Bingo Dog: Artistic Character

February Reading Plans:
Interview with a Vampire Scaredy Cat
A Suitable Boy 70 pages
Finish Second Hand Time for the group read
Finish Old Town in Green Groves
Read The Blessed and the Damned (part of a series)
Read Doctors from Hell: The Horrific Account of Nazi Experiments on Humans (I spent a week at a symposium with Holocaust survivors and this is an autographed copy I've had since 2005)

Everything else is a "bonus"!

Happy February reading!
Although Doctors From Hell looks like it will be an emotional read. This aspect is the most horrific of the Holocaust; how could they do it? I cannot fathom it.

Been a long time since I finished a book!

28. Second Hand Time by Sevtlana Alexeivich. This was multiple voices of life in the Soviet Union from the time of the revolution until about 2012. Life was brutal both under communism and capitalism. I was surprised at the ethnic hatred the Russians have for non-Russians contained within their once empire: Tajiks, Armentians, Uzbeki's, etc. This was a good book, but soon became boring as many of the stories were repetitive. I felt the book would have been more poignant with fewer pages. I read and listened to this book on Audio, and sometimes the voices on audio droned on; but then sometimes the stories dragged on. 698 pages 3 stars (page numbers all over the place depending upon Kindle Book, ebook from Overdrive or paper book)


CATS: Scarecrow (BFB's), Group Read February

29. Old Town in the Green Groves by Cynthia rylant. This is really about the Wilder family (Little House). This book was taken from 12 pages of diaries of Laura Ingalls Wilder that were found in her daughter's possession when her daughter died. The author was called upon by the trust to write this book based on the 12 pages. Very interesting information that I had not read about before. 163 pages 5 stars



CATS: Dorothy

30. The Girl With All the Gifts. I read this for the Scaredy-Cat. This really isn't my type of book, but that being said it was better going into it than I thought it would be. This is a take on a modern vampire story--although I'm not sure the "disease" is vampirism (is there such a word?). The beginning of the story is very scary as we see children strapped into wheelchairs with handcuffs and feet restraints being hit with rifle butts and called "abortions." These "abortions" are to be the subject of medical experiments to help cure the current "disease." Ending I didn't expect. 420 pages 3 1/2 stars



CATS: Scaredy-Cat, The Yellow Brick Road

DNF---Interview with a Vampire....did not count in book totals, but marking it off my TBR.

Stopped reading A Suitable Boy 70 pages in because it was available only in paperback and the font is too small. I love the book thus far and hope to begin again as soon as I can get it as an ebook.

I am determined to finish Interview With a Vampire (so I can cross it off the 1001 Books List) but it is awful. I've started so many times.

>193 Tess_W: If you're interested, there's an epilogue available to read here.

>196 AHS-Wolfy: Who was the writer of the epilogue? Do you know?

It was Mike Carey. Done as promotional work for the publisher I believe.

>198 AHS-Wolfy: OK, ty wolfy!

What with the brutal sub-zero weather with ice and snow (and today hail stones) I have not got much walking done. However, I have gone about 10 miles in the last week, so I will tell you about the southernmost place I have visited in my state: The Butterworth Home. This home was used as a stop on the Underground Railroad from about 1820-civil war. This was a safe house and slaves could stop and get food and water. At night they were taken across the road to begin their trek north. The Butterworth's own about 200 acres to the north that was filled with crags, caves, ditches, and under growth so thick nobody could be found in it. The Butterworth's were aided in their attempts by the Quakers. The house is currently occupied by a descendant now, and one can not go through. However, across the road is a marker commemorating the Butterworth family.

The House:


The Historical Marker

>200 Tess_W: - Always a challenge to get out walking when the weather is "less than cooperative". Even so, you still managed to get in an interesting walk. I love old stately homes!

>200 Tess_W: I'm finding it increasingly hard to imagine ice and snow like yours. We've had temperatures of 12°C and brightest sunshine, most un-February-like. Stay safe and warm!

>201 lkernagh: My walking has been done in the loop around the mall and around the gym at school.....I will actually be getting back outside as soon as it is not slippery and there is no chance of falling!

>202 MissWatson: Today, it was hailstones, Birgit!

>204 Tess_W: Oh my!