Roni Reads in 2019

Hi, I'm Roni. I live in San Diego with one husband, one small dog and way too many cats in a small bungalow with a garden and lots of books. I'm retired these days, after a long career as a school psychologist.

I've been a member of LT since 2008 and an active member of the 75 Book Challenge groups for that long as well. I read mostly in genre, science fiction and fantasy, but also try to read some nonfiction and mystery.

Welcome to my thread. I love visitors and promise to visit you back.

My final thread of 2018 is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/298278

Goals for 2018:

1. Read 150 books and 50,000 pages. I ended up reading 175 books and 58359 pages. 11/2 MET!!!
2. Read at least 40 books off my own bookshelves (BOMBs). I have 295 books tagged “tbr” and that does not count my new acquisitions this month. I only read 33 BOMBs this year, not meeting my goal of 40.
3. It looks like I have been averaging about 85 books acquired for the last 6 years, so I will keep the goal of acquiring no more than 85 books. currently at 62 books, so goal MET
4. I need to do better at de-accessioning books from my stash. I will set the goal of 50 books out the door once more. I only got rid of 49 books. So CLOSE! I feel like tossing one in the recycle bin just to make the numbers.

New Goals for 2019:

My goals generally stay pretty stable, and this year will be no exception.

1. Read 150 books and 50,000 pages.
2. Read at least 40 books off my own bookshelves (BOMBs).
3. Acquire no more than 80 books.
4. 50 books out the door once more.

My Best Books of 2019>/b> (in order read):



So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Olua
An Informal History of the Hugos by Jo Walton
The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummings
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss (and its sequel is good, too)
the Murderbot quartet of novellas by Martha Wells
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

I did a lot of rereading this last year, much of it rereading whole series. Of the new books I read, So You Want to Talk about Race is the most important for people to read. The Hugos book by Walton is an amazing compilation of information about the history of speculative fiction. The Goss and Wells books were the most fun, very entertaining and good. And The Calculating Stars is just amazing, as was Spinning Silver!

2018 Summary

Books read: 175
Pages read: 58359
Average pages per day: 160
Average pages per book: 333

New reads: 122
Rereads: 55
Library books: 50
Books off the shelf (ROOTS): 33
New acquisitions read: 33/62
Did Not Finish (DNF): 2

Genre:
science fiction 37
fantasy 102
children's 9
nonfiction 12
fiction 5
romance 6
mystery 6

Author gender: 145 female, 38 male

Country of origin: USA, England, Wales, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, South Africa

Medium: Kindle, Hardback, trade paper, mass market paper

Books acquired: 62
Source: Amazon; Costco; Mysterious Galaxy; gifts
Read: 33
Genre: science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, fiction
Cost: $379.25

Books out the door: 49

Books Read in 2019

January
1. Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep
2. The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman
3. Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
4. The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher
5. Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
6. Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny
7. Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov
8. The Griffin's Feather by Cornelia Funke

Books acquired in 2019

January
1. These Truths by Jill Lepore
2. Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
3. The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher
4. Swordheart by T. Kingfisher
5. New Spring by Robert Jordan
6. Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
7. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
8. Time's Shadow by Arnold Bauer
9. Consequences by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
10. The Queen of All Crows by Rod Duncan
11. Knife Children by Lois McMaster Bujold
12. Cast in Oblivion by Michelle Sagara

Happy New Year, Roni! Can't wait to see your best reads list from 2018. I am collecting the lists to see what all I missed last year :)

Welcome back, Roni!

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

Happy new year, Roni!

Hi Roni! Dropping off my star and looking forward to another year of sharing conversation about books, pottery, and (of course) cats.

Happy New Year and happy new thread! Can’t wait to see what you read this year. The Calculating Stars is on my list, for sure!

Happy New Year Roni - looking forward once again to following your thread.

Happy New Year & New Thread Roni! Looking forward to see what you read this year.

Happy New Year, Roni! I like your goals, particularly the BOMBs one. Maybe I need a ticker...

Happy 2019, Roni!

I wish you from my heart a healthy 2019 filled with happiness, satisfaction, laughter and lots of good books.

Happy reading in 2019, Roni!

You did well with your goals in 2018 :-)

Happy New Year!

Hooray! It's not 2018 anymore.

Happy new year! Wishing you lots of good reading in 2019.

Happy New Year, Roni. I hope 2019 is filled with stellar reading.

Happy New Year Roni! Your best books of last year all look pretty tempting. (Except All Systems Red which I read and loved as much as everyone else did) Looks like I'm starting 2019 with some book bullets! Linked to that, you've inspired me to actively try and read more BOMBs. I've just done my stats from last year and only read 5 of them in 2018!

Happy 2019
A year full of books
A year full of friends
A year full of all your wishes realised

I look forward to keeping up with you, Roni, this year.

Happy new year, Roni!

Your list of beste is inspiring. And I loved Spinning Silver as well.

I've been eyeing my digital copy of Spinning Silver since it was released. I'm a little scared to start it, as I have such high expectations after Uprooted.

I look forward to keeping an eye on what you read this year. We seem to share quite a bit in the way of tastes.

Welcome to all my visitors! It is great to be spending another year with you, Stasia, Jim, Dejah, Kim, Katie, Ellen, Foggi, Kerry, Rhian, Susan, Chelle, Barbara, Anita, Rachel, Richard, Carrie, Beth, Paul, Ella, Amanda and Susan.

Happy new year! May it be filled with great reads.

looking forward to following your reading, etc, in 2019!

Hello Dear One! May 2019 be good to you and yours. I added two of your top ten books to my tbr pile.

I look forward to images of your animals, your pottery, your lovely jewelry, and anything else you might want to let us know about!

All good wishes to you!

Thanks, Anita, Rhonda and Linda!

Hi Roni! Newbie over here, and you had me at cats in your bio!!! Following your thread.

I got to meet Mary Robinette Kowal at WorldCon! She is so generous and kind. Did you read the Fated Stars yet? And there are two more she's writing!

Yay!

>34 vikzen: Yay!
>35 AuntieClio: No, but you remind me that I need to go to the library site and put a hold on it. I did love The Calculating Stars--so well done!

Happy New Year Roni! And happy new thread!



Wishing you and your family (and zoo) the best for 2019.

Happy New Year, Roni! I'm glad that So You Want to Talk About Race was one of your favorite books of 2018. I attended her talk at the Decatur Book Festival last year and bought this book, so I'll make it my business to read it soon.

Happy New Year, Roni! Can't wait for more books and cats. Especially the cats. :)

*waves* Hiya, Roni!

Hi Roni! Happy new year and happy first thread of 2019.

Happy New Year! Your favorites for 2018 are already giving me some new to-reads for this year :-)

HI, Nina, Darryl, Cassie, Laura (my Secret Santa), Karen and Jennifer, and welcome to my new thread!



Book #1 Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep (467 pp.)

Fairly traditional other-world medieval-type fantasy well done and very readable. This pulled me right in and was a quick read. Evie is a believable character with strong character growth and the first-person narrative is handled very well.

Estep has evidently authored several series but this is my first encounter with her work.

>43 ronincats: My local library does not have that one, but does have several of Estep's other books, so I will have to check them out.

Hi Roni!! I found your thread (thanks for the link)! I love your intro with one husband and one small dog. That made me smile! I only live with one small dog. No husband. God Bless you for working as a School Psychologist. I work in the special education offices and work with the school psychologist at our HS so I know how much work goes on working in a school and dealing with parents, admin, staff, and students.

I will be following your thread for the science fiction and fantasy books.

Happy New Year!!

Hi Roni, starring your thread and hope you have lots of great reading this year. Good luck with your reading goals!

Happy New Year, Roni! I love your stats in >3 ronincats:. Very cool.

Happy reading in 2019 Roni

I'm back from Kansas and I have news!

ALA is going to be in Seattle and I wanted to let everybody know that the American Library Association Winter Conference will be in Seattle, WA starting January 25 and ending on January 28. Most of the major publishers will be there on the exhibit floor with plenty of Advanced Readers Copy's (ARC's) for people to pick up.

Tim Spaulding, intrepid founder and leader of LT, and Loreanne, the web services librarian for LT, will be there in the ProQuest booth, so you can stop in and meet them. (Rock stars that they are. Yeah LT!)

At this point I don't know if LT will be able to give out free passes to the exhibit floor, but the LT people are checking on it. If you are an LT user and live close enough to Seattle it might be worth your while to make plans to attend on Saturday or Sunday and pick up some of those free ARC's.

I don't know if we will have a meetup - yet, but if there is positive response I will plan one. Usually, Saturday night works best for us to meet for food and book talking. I will let you know.

If there are enough people interested in a meetup I will set up a separate thread and get us organized so that people can get free books and we can eat and talk about books.

Hi Roni - happy New one! Looking forward to following in 2019.

I'll be around this year, Roni, to check on your reading and pottery progress. You sure booted a lot of 5-star books out the door this past year. I should be more brutal. I hang on to the best ones thinking I will do a lot of rereading. Last year I just reread 4 books thanks to this wonderful group and all the enthusiastic book recommendations. I may try Spinning Silver this year as I rather liked Uprooted…and it's good for me to venture out of my reading comfort zone.

>44 alcottacre: This one is the first of a new series Estep is starting, Stasia. I haven't heard anything about her earlier series but I also will be checking them out.
>45 crazy4reading: Hi, Monika. Yep, 31 years! Glad to see you here.
>46 aktakukac: Thanks, Rachel.
>47 Crazymamie: Mamie!!!
>48 calm: Thank you, Calm. Hug the kitties for me.
>49 benitastrnad: Green with envy am I, Benita.
>50 charl08: Hi, Charlotte!
>51 Donna828: The unusually high number of 5-star books is due primarily to my rereading a number of my favorite series during the year, Donna. Also, I see that a number of books that were 4.5 here on LT became 5 stars on Goodreads.

To the pottery studio this morning, where I trimmed and threw bowls and mug bodies. My glazed items were not out of the kiln yet because Annie was gone on vacation for 10 days and only started up the firings again yesterday. Next week! And then to the dentist to get my permanent crown, which required a lot more stress on my jawbone than I had anticipated. The crown seems to have solved the tooth problem, however, which is a big relief.

My copy of These Truths arrived this morning early, before I left for the pottery, so I will be starting that for the group read, and I have the next book in the Invisible Library series on my nightstand ready to start tonight. That would be #5 in the series, The Mortal Word.

Looking forward to following your reading, cats, and pottery!

Hi Roni! You asked a few questions on my 2018 thread, so I thought I'd pop over here and answer them on your thread.

Examples: Were The Fourth Bear and the Paks books rereads or the first time? Did you love the Paksennarion books? How about the Murderbot books, the new Scalzi series, and Spinning Silver? Was this a first time for Wrapt in Crystal--I love that mystery! And I'm getting ready to start Kill the Queen--what did you think?

I had never read Fforde's Nursery Crimes novels before - I was a bit dubious, but really enjoyed them. Paks is an old friend - I have no idea how many times I've reread that trilogy! I adored the Murderbot books - I thought they were absolutely marvelous. I'm going to make an effort to read everything else sh's written. As for the new Scalzi series, I thought The Collapsing Empire was good, but not great - I'll get to The Consuming Fire some time this month. On the other hand, I read his two mysteries, Lock In and Head On and thought they were wonderful.

I enjoyed Spinning Silver, but didn't love it as much as many people did. I think I liked Uprooted more. Wrapt in Crystal was another reread - I can see the flaws in Sharon Shinn's older works, but I still really like them. As for Kill the Queen, I gobbled it up like popcorn - make that chocolate. There was nothing particularly new or innovative about it, but I found it very engaging. I know I read some of Estep's urban fantasy a good while back, but didn't like it enough to keep reading it. I didn't read as much urban fantasy then, so I'm going to give it another try.

Happy new year Roni! I haven't done my best of 2018 list yet but Spinning Silver and the Murderbot series will definitely be on it :-)

Happy New Year! Dropping off a star. So You Want to Talk About Race, Spinning Silver, and The Calculating Stars were also some of my favorites from last year :)

I would like to use your thread to let people know that I am hosting a mystery challenge thread within the 75'ers Group.

Here is the link. https://www.librarything.com/topic/301787

For lack of a better title I christened it: Lackberg and Leon: A Scandicrime vs Venetian Mystery Challenge. I thought about doing something with North vs. South or Hot and Cold Climes Crime, but somehow it just didn't mesh. If one of you can come up with something let us know over on the new thread.

It is part of the 75 Books Challenge group. For a couple of years we have been doing a compare and contrast mystery group read and this year we selected the Erika Falck series by Camilla Lackberg and the Guido Brunetti series by Donna Leon as our two authors. Scandicrime vs. Canal Crime? The Ice Princess is our first book for this year.

If nothing else, drop a star on the thread and just lurk. We don't mind.

Happy New Year, Roni! Nice to see the Murderbot books among your favorites of last year. What a fun series!

Happy new year, Roni! Star is dropped :)

Looking forward to following your reads and more this year, Roni!

I've dropped my star, Roni, and pulled up a comfy chair. I am excited about all the bookish possibilities that are to come in 2019! I think we are going to have a fun year.

>53 thornton37814: Hi, Lori. I'll be following you and those cuddly boys as well.
>54 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks for coming to respond to my question on my thread here, Dejah. It's been so long since I read the Nursery Crimes books that I really need to do a reread. I'm glad you love Paks--I also have read the trilogy (and all the related books) many, many times. The Collapsing Empire was so much a set-up for the series that it was hard to get emotionally connected to the story. See, I liked Uprooted but I thought Spinning Silver both better written and more mature. Agreed the the Estep was very engaging.
>55 souloftherose: Great minds, Heather!
>56 curioussquared: Ditto, Natalie!
>57 benitastrnad: Announce away, Benita.
>58 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! So you are home for a while now?
>59 RebaRelishesReading: Hi, Reba!
>60 bell7: Glad to hear it, Mary.
>61 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. Comfy chairs abound and I'm glad you've taken possession of one. Definitely a fun year!

About halfway through The Mortal Word, the 5th in the Invisible Library series. These are definitely fun. And I got my hair cut and the green hair colored bright blue, so now my hair is blue and red, my school colors. And since I will be dressed in KU gear twice a week for basketball games, it will definitely go with my outfits!

Happy New Year Roni! Dropping a star so I can find my way back here. Looking forward to more cats, pottery, beading and books.

>49 benitastrnad:
I would love to go to the ALA conference. I will be going to the Ontario Library Association conference this month (which has become our de facto national conference).

>63 lkernagh: Hi, Lori. I will endeavor to keep you supplied with all of the above!
>64 Deedledee: Well hi there, Dee.



Book #2 The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman (433 pp.)

When I started this series 2 years ago, I thought the first book had potential, was fun, but wasn't blown away by it. But here, at Book 5 in the series, I feel Cogman has really grown as a writer and, having gotten a lot of existential angst out of the way in earlier books, is able to concentrate on an intricate plot while still having a lot of fun. This is the best one yet, in other words! Not much about the Library, but an action-filled murder mystery that pushes Irene to her utmost. Go read the series.

I'm slowly getting around to the 2019 threads, Roni. My star is dropped but I was surprised there are no pictures. The pottery you explained but no cats?

Antqueen thoughtfully put together a compact list of several challenges on her thread, and I've borrowed them. I usually participate in the nonfiction challenge and the SSFCAT challenge. Not being a member of the Category Challenge group I had not priorly noted the series and tbr challenges, but they definitely look like something I should track because they are so close to what I normally read anyhow! I will also find list of the American and British Author Challenges to post but I don't try to complete them, just note if I read anything on them.

Challenges

Nonfiction Challenge

January: Prizewinners (and Nominees!): These Truths by Jill Lapore (already reading for a group read)
February: Science and Technology: Innovations and Innovators
March: True Crime, Misdemeanors and Justice, Past and Present Day
April: Comfort Reads
May: History
June: The Pictures Have It!
July: Biography & First Person Yarns: Becoming by Michelle Obama
August: Raw Materials: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral
September: Books by Journalists
October: Other Worlds: From Spiritual to Fantastical
November: Creators and Creativity
December: I've Always Been Curious About...

SFFKit: https://www.librarything.com/topic/299184

January: Read an SFF you meant to read in 2018, but never started/completed: The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin
https://www.librarything.com/topic/301204
February: Colonization
March: Mystery/police procedural/detective Science Fiction or Fantasy
April: Sword & Sorcery
May: International Sci-Fi/Fantasy by Non-US/UK authors
June: Road-trip
July: Space Opera
August: Alternate History
September: Series
October: Comedy
November: Award Winners
December: End-of-the-Year Wrap Up

SeriesCAT: https://www.librarything.com/topic/298613#

January: Series in translation: The Griffin's Feather by Cornelia Funke https://www.librarything.com/topic/299976
February: YA/Children's
March: Series by a favorite author
April: Series You've Been Meaning to Get Back To
May: Newest book in a favorite series
June: Series that are definitely complete
July: Genre: fantasy
August: Series set in a country/region where you do not live
September: Genre: Mystery
October: Historical Series
November: Series with a female protagonist
December: Series that's new to you

TBR CAT: https://www.librarything.com/topic/298605

January: First in, last out - read one of the oldest members of your tbr: Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov Done https://www.librarything.com/topic/300226
February: A book you borrowed to read and still haven't got to
March: Book acquired on/for trips or for a special occasion
April: Book originally acquired for an LT group read or challenge
May: Book that I keep looking at, but never manage to open
June: Book bullet (i.e. book suggested by someone else, not necessarily on LT)
July: Book by an author with more than one book on your TBR shelf
August: Book purchased with great excitement and with plans to read right away that is somehow still on my tbr a year later
September: Classics I feel I should read
October: Book purchased because of its visual appeal (striking cover or colors, beautiful edition, etc.)
November: Book given to me as a gift
December: A book I bought because it was so cheap (library sale, remainder table, etc)

A little belated Happy New Year.
A little belated Happy New Thread.
I wish you and yours a year full of books, love, friends and health.

>67 ronincats: Hi Roni, what a useful overview of Challenges. Thanks for the post!

The SFF challenge Looks like fun. I still have to finish the trilogy by Jemisin, I loved The Stone Sky. Hope you will too.

Will have a look at the other challenges as well. Just for ideas, Becoming in July sounds good as well.

What a lot of challenges!

I'll have to check out the Cogman series.

>65 ronincats: That sounds like an interesting series (not that I need yet another :)

Hi Roni and a latish but heartfelt Happy New Year!

I like the way you organized your ratings from last year in >4 ronincats:! I'm struggling to read titles, however. :)

And I love the way you and antqueen have the various challenges with the links provided. Promptly stolen uh borrowed.

In addition, I'm also going to try the RandomCat challenge to deal with getting more books off my shelves. I'll just dip in and out of the various challenges, I think.

I have received my copy of These Truths - wow what a doorstopper! It's hard to start in when I'm also reading the 800+ page Lonesome Dove for my Real Life Book Group this month.

I look forward to following your reading, your cats, your jewelry and pottery.

>68 SirThomas: Guten morgen, Thomas, und willkommen!
>69 EllaTim: I liked it when I saw it, Ella. Most of them are over in the Category Challenge group so we don't always notice them.
>70 BLBera: Hi, Beth. I'll bet you'd enjoy them.
>71 ChelleBearss: Right, sure, Chelle.
>72 streamsong: Hi, Janet. I borrowed them myself, just added the links.

So, I am considering downsizing. I currently have this

Although this one is not mine (being empty and not loaded to the gills). But I am considering moving to something like this while Elfa systems are on sale this month to go with my Elfa mesh storage tower:

But with more books than boxes, like the shelves on the opposite wall. Except with room for my CDs and craft materials instead of ALL books...

>65 ronincats: I need to get to this series - Abby has been trying to get me to read it for the past couple of years. I think she has read and loved the first three.

>73 ronincats: I love what you already have, but I get where the newer versions you posted would be more functional - I like the second one best as I like how the drawers look.

Happy Sunday to you, Roni!

Happy New Year Roni! Dropping a star and thinking I need to continue the Invisible Library books ...

>74 Crazymamie: What I have, Mamie, was acquired to fit as much as possible into as little space as possible and it does that. But even though the closed footprint is 45" by 24" (and 75" tall), it takes up a lot of room in a 9' by 12' room. Or perhaps it is just that the sheer bulk overpowers the room, and I think that a modular system, which hangs from a bar at the top of the 104" wall, might give at least the impression of a roomier, airier office.

This gives you a feeling for what I mean.


>75 swynn: Finally, Steve, I can stop checking the threads every day to find yours! Welcome.

>65 ronincats: I read the first book in the series and, like you, was not blown away by it, so never returned to the series. I will have to go back and give the whole series another shot. Thanks for the recommendation, Roni!

>67 ronincats: Huh; I think I’ll have to check these out, too. Thanks (both) for the ideas.

ETA: As for the Invisible Library series, I thought I’d picked up the second one but I actually got one further down the series - so it looks like I’m committed anyway, since I’m a completist.

>77 alcottacre: You are quite welcome, Stasia.
>78 humouress: They are neat, but they may be leading me to over-commit! Look at what's on my January to-read shelf between those four challenges (one of which is also a group read) and my library books!

Nice to read shelf for January! Hope you have fun redesigning the shelving in the office. I've just got my new bookshelf and am already wanting another!

>73 ronincats: I like that last set of bookshelves...do I detect a pattern of kitties???

>76 ronincats: I especially like the small bookcase on top of the storage system.

Happy New Year!

That looks like a lot to read in a month! I have Elfa in both of our closets and over the washer/dryer and I love it. I think it would probably make your space look airier and lighter. Could you fit as much in though?

>79 ronincats: These Truths The History of The United States looks like a book I might enjoy. I'll see if my local library has a copy.

I hope your weekend was a good one Roni.

Hi, Charlotte, fuzzi, Katherine and Reba. It has inspired me already. After hoisting the 9 boxes of Christmas stuff up into the attic (thus clearing the floor of my office), I've spent the rest of the day clearing off all the extraneous paperwork and giving the piece of furniture discussed above a good dusting.

>81 fuzzi: ...maybe? Who wants to know? ;-)
>82 qebo: Unfortunately it is a CD holder, and it will have to go if I get this other shelf system. I figure they must have a modular CD shelf holder that will work.
>83 RebaRelishesReading: A number of the library books are not ones that have holds on them, so I have several more 3-week renewals I can use. I agree, the ones for my challenge are a lot in themselves.

I think I could probably fit just as much in, if I can figure out how to house my sewing machine, which is hiding out in the cubby on the pull-out section on the bottom right (if you look at the empty cabinet, it's where the old CPU tower was supposed to go). I would move over my craft materials that take up one shelf on the other side, and move the craft books in the cabinet--there are only about 36" of them--either into another bookshelf by culling some rarely used reference and cooking books or onto one shelf on the new system, which would be 5 foot wide. The hard ones to find a home for are the tbr hardbacks hiding on the shelf under the desk section. (Since the shelf I will free up on the other side of the room will be used for the 70" of trade paperbacks and hardbacks stacked against the wall next to the couch.) I probably need to cull some more books. (You all have a secret stash like this somewhere, right?) Hopefully it will be a more efficient use of space.


ETA I only need to read the last half of the final book of His Dark Materials. Really!

>84 Whisper1: It is supposed to be excellent, Linda, and if you do, drop in on the extended group read at http://http://www.librarything.com/topic/301417.
The Breakdown of Sections...

January--Part One, The Idea, pages 1-149 (1492-1799)

February--Part Two, The People, pages 153-310 (1800-1865)

March--Part Three, The State, pages 311-520 (1866-1945

April--Part Four, The Machine, pages 521-789 (1946-2016)

>85 ronincats: (You all have a secret stash like this somewhere, right?)
I do not! I put every. single. book. properly organized on a shelf over the holidays, and carted 5 boxes of books (2 of which had been sitting by the front door for 2+ years) to the public library for the annual book sale. Previously, the books were stacked on the office floor and a ledge along the staircase; not secret at all!

>85 ronincats: Stacks yes, secret no - except what happened to the library copy of The Marvels, due tomorrow - no one knows where it went though everyone has seen it "downstairs."

Hi Roni. Oh boy, the never ending challenge of finding storage space for one's books, art supplies, bookmarks, etc. As you know from my thread, I bought a lovely sleek desk and I'm already realizing it does not have enough storage space. I think I figured that since I hadn't even had a desk at home before, I wouldn't need a bunch more space. But I have been acquiring calligraphy supplies, colored pencils, etc. -- feeling my oats a bit and wanting to branch out into some creative outlets.

Anyway, I also want to say that I hope I didn't hurt your feelings over on my thread. I "shrugged off" your comment about needing more drawer space but it was purely because of the above.

Off to bed. I hope you have a terrific week!

>87 qebo: Well, it's not all that "secret", just out of the way enough that half the time I forget they are even there, which is NOT a good thing.
>88 quondame: Hope you are able to find your book, Susan!
>89 EBT1002: Not at all, Ellen. Those pictures were just taking up all kinds of space on your thread and no one was commenting on them, so I figured better off over here. Limit my obsessions to my own thread, you know. ;-)

>83 RebaRelishesReading: I put some Elfa systems up in my parents' place; very useful. However, I doubt Roni's will look very different once she's filled it with books :0D

>85 ronincats: Secret? No. My bedside table is overflowing (admittedly there's a file box of magazines and even a clock radio under there somewhere) and I have to tread lightly when I walk past it.

By the way, please make sure any new shelving system can take the weight of books. They (books) don't look like much - until you have to lift a heap in one go.

baBAM! Found you! Tag (and Star)!

>85 ronincats: love your stash...and I see you have a couple of my favorites, The Chronicles of Amber by Zelazny. Are those book club editions? Mine look exactly like yours, and I got them through a book club. Zelazny is one author I don't discard when we move, I always make room for his stuff.

Regarding secret stashes, it's not exactly "secret", but I have a bookcase in my (small) walk-in closet in the bedroom, and on top of it is another bookcase/nightstand, all filled with books, mainly paperbacks I've read and am not sure I want to rehome, yet.

>91 humouress: I agree with you about making sure the shelves can handle books. I am "done", through with any wood-chip/particle board shelves, as they always eventually bend and bow even underneath a small load. A couple months ago I was at the local Habitat for Humanity and found a home-made set of shelves made of real wood. Of course I bought them! They can handle an incredible load of hardcovers and reference books, as proved by them laughing at a stack of Prince Valiant oversized volumes that I've added to one side. I love real wood.

<85 (You all have a secret stash like this somewhere, right?)
Nope, but I do have a tendency to leave random individual books on table tops, counter tops, bathroom counters, stairs, etc until my husband's head is about to explode and then I go around a collect them back to the book shelves,

My "secret stash" is at work. I order books, have them delivered to work.... when I moved across the state, they got integrated with my "regular" collection of books. But now I've started the secret stash of books up again. Heh.

Hi Roni!

I love all the pictures of your books and stuff.

>79 ronincats: January to-read. Well. I’ll be happy to get through These Truths and one or two small fiction books of one sort or another and perhaps a DLS short story or two. Good luck and happy reading.

>85 ronincats: My 'secret stash' is in plain sight on the floor in the Sunroom. It’s only 2’ tall, but it’s only been there since Christmas.

>65 ronincats: I really enjoyed this series. My yet to be published review focused on the Blood Countess.

My tiny apartment is overflowing with books, literally. I got some cabinets so I could move stuff off the flat spaces and designated one cubby for my LitCrit reference books but they keep finding their way back to the desk!

At least I'm caught up with my reviews, so that stack of books has been dealt with.

Loving all the "secret stash" collections. I have one! In the built in cupboard on my side of the bed in the bedroom. They're TBR books that always seem to get overlooked, so periodically I go through them and add some of them to the "main" TBR pile, a bit nearer the bed. Somehow the pile never seems to get any smaller though....

>62 ronincats: We are home for a while, Roni! We're dedicated to going nowhere for the month of January. February will probably see us in Los Angeles visiting family, and maybe finally going to Harry Potter at Universal (we went to the one in Orlando and had fun).

My wife points out that last year I spent nearly two months with my now-late dad in Ann Arbor, so that contributed to our being gone so much, and won't be a factor this year.

>91 humouress: If you look at the bottom photo in >73 ronincats:, Nina, you will see the Elfa system on the north side of the room, which does quite nicely at holding many books. The trick is to keep the boards to 2 or 3 foot lengths, and since my desk area, if I do it, will be 5 feet, that will work out fine. It will be, essentially, 2/3 of the desk system on the right just above it, but with more shelves.
>92 dragonaria: Welcome, Kimberly!
>93 fuzzi: Sharp eye, Fuzzi. A lot of those there on the left side are old book club editions.
>94 ChelleBearss: If you have the shelf space to shelve them all, you are a lucky reader, Chelle!
>95 EBT1002: You sound as bad as Paul C., Ellen!!
>96 karenmarie: I know, Karen--it's highly ambitious and not helped by being distracted by recommendations from Heather.
>97 AuntieClio:, >98 AuntieClio: It's a never-ending issue, keeping books corralled, Stephanie.
>99 HanGerg: That's what happens with these, Hannah. I keep overlooking them.
>100 jnwelch: Glad to know you are settled in for this month, Joe. Looking forward to good times in the cafe.



Book #3 Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher (230 pp.)

Heather (souloftherose) distracted me with her review of this book on her thread (https://www.librarything.com/topic/301686#6690573, third review in message), so I immediately picked up and read the shiny new distraction, only to discover that it's only the first part of the story. So then I had to read the second book as well (working on that now). Thank goodness for instant delivery via Kindle. Classic heroic fantasy, but with a twist to the tropes that calls them into question. Read Heather's review.

>101 ronincats: It's been some months, but I do remember liking The Clockwork Boys and enjoyed the variations on all the tropes.

Me too. That was a good one!

Hi Roni! Found and starred your thread for 2018. Spinning Silver was a favorite of mine in 2018 also. I gave it to Marina for Christmas, and she has been sucked in as well!

>102 quondame:, >102 quondame: Did you read the sequel as well?

>104 AMQS: Glad to hear it, Anne!



Book #4 The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher (318 pp.)

Well, this is the second 60% of the story started in Clockwork Boys, and it is as entertaining as the first. Given that I purchased the book this morning, I guess that's a given. I started the day with a headache as well, so got a late start, but once it started to dissipate, I didn't do much else than read. And this is the kind of book to read when recovering from a headache, lots of action and character exposition and action and some upbeat moments to carry it through. Thank you, Heather!

>101 ronincats: >104 AMQS: Well, it looks as though I have two books to look forward to!

THREE, Princess!

>105 ronincats: No, but I have it on hold now. It's not at all my libraries and I'll have to wait a bit.

>101 ronincats: (Actually, I had and noticed that the bottom one is sagging slightly, which is what prompted my comment.)

So what's a book club edition. Is it very different from MMPs and trade publications?

>85 ronincats: My whole room is a not-so-secret stash. As soon as you walk in, the wall opposite the door is the north one where my to read pile helps insulate against our (now, finally) cold winters. Not to mention the bookcases crammed to their weight limits with books. Oh, and there's the reading nook downstairs, where a few of my books reside.

>101 ronincats:
>105 ronincats:

You got me with the Clockwork Boys books. Guess I'll have to get to those too.

You got me too!

I loved your stats -- Hooray for exceeding your reading goal, (I never seem to make mine, but I'm not going to lower the number.)

I did a huge clean out of my studio last fall - got pretty ruthless with a dream of streamlining. Still have the papers to finish going through (golly that is slow work) but it is a pleasure to go there now.

>108 quondame: Good!
>109 humouress: Yeah, the 3' section with the hardbacks on it does sag a bit, but within specs. BCEs were editions published specifically for the book clubs, usually hardbacks in a smaller format than the retail ones and on poorer quality paper.
>110I'm loving the "stash" stories, Cassie.
>111 swynn: Go, Steve, go!
>112 sibylline: Hi, Lucy. I did it! Yesterday I went to the Container Store and designed my desk wall. The parts are ordered and I will pick them up in two weeks, so I have that long to empty and disassemble the monster. So far I took the CD holder off the top and put the CDs in some cute bins I found at Target when we went to buy cat food afterwards.

Now it's off to pottery, and I should have some experimental pieces (in the glazes) to bring home.

Back to add that I was thrilled to see my book in your best of!

Congrats on ordering your new desk wall. I'll bet you're going to love it.

Good luck with all your book storage reorganizing, Roni. As for secret stashes, I have a large walk in closet with a sturdy set of shelves to one side of the hanging wracks. Of course, those shelves are very good for books - triple stacked and there is also space for a short bookcase at the back of the closet - those shelves are only doubled stacked and there are stacks of books on top of the book case - wouldn't want any room to go to waste!

Your Clockwork enthusiasm is infectious. I will have to check it out. Kingfisher has quite a few books out. Swordheart appears to be related to the two you just read.

>114 sibylline: ;-D
>115 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. I think it will really open up my room.
>116 Familyhistorian: Ooh, that sounds like a lovely hide-away!
>117 RBeffa: Yes, I'll have to check it out--but I have a lot of books to get to before I explore more of hers.

So I brought 4 pieces home from the pottery today, 2 mugs and 2 heart bowls. Tried a new technique on glazing on the mugs. Not too bad for a first effort, but I'm going to work to refine it. But I won't be able to glaze the 6 mugs I trimmed and assembled for another 2 weeks, so bring home time will be 3 to 4 weeks.

High school hallway, English dept., in Chicago. Way cool!!!

>119 ronincats: Love that high school hallway! Roni, I have just started A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner and it's wonderful to be back reading the King of Attolia series again.

Love those cat mugs, Roni!

>118 ronincats: The heart bowls are a great shape. The photo-right one has the more successful glaze from the standpoint of enhancing the shape.

>119 ronincats: Cool!

Your pottery just gets more and more beautiful.

I predict those cat mugs will be a hit at your craft shows!

>101 ronincats: >105 ronincats: 2 Book bullets!

>118 ronincats: Love the pottery! I want a cat mug. In fact, I think I need one. If you ever do owl mugs, I will absolutely have to have one.

>119 ronincats: I agree - way cool!

>118 ronincats: are the kitties raised or flat with the mug (I hope that makes sense, I don't know the right terms)? They're cute either way but I found it hard to tell in the photo.

>119 ronincats: love, love, love the hallway. What a cool idea.

>118 ronincats: Lovely mugs and bowls, the colors of the left bowl please the eye.

>119 ronincats: I love the idea, although I would have felt intimidated in my teens by lager than life books...

>87 qebo: Yes, Indeed, I do have a stash of books somewhere. To confess, I need to say I have many stashes of books. When my grand daughter saw me walking upstairs into her room, opening one of her empty cabinets, she said, "Oh, No, now you are putting books in my room"

>119 ronincats: I'd love to have hallways like this!

>118 ronincats: Lovely pottery, as always.

Roni, good luck with your space/desk reorg! Thanks for the list of categories in post 67: I plan to follow some if the sci find this year

Hi Roni!

>118 ronincats: All are gorgeous, being either cats or hearts, but the heart bowl on the left’s colors are quite wonderful.

>119 ronincats: Wow, that’s fantastic.

>65 ronincats: Glad to hear the Invisible Libraries series keeps getting better Roni! :-)

>67 ronincats: Hmm, I was hoping to skim over that thread without getting sucked into any more challenges but the TBR CAT sounds fun.

>101 ronincats:, >105 ronincats: Yay! (about the books, not the headache).

I think T. Kingfisher has recently published another book in the same world but with different characters - Swordheart. I think it's a standalone but I haven't read it yet so cannot guarantee that! :-) Otherwise I think I'm planning to read most of her back catalogue this year (looks like lots of fairytale retellings - a bit Robin McKinley perhaps?)

>118 ronincats: Oooh - love the cat mugs!

>132 souloftherose: I've got Swordheart on hold!

>120 DeltaQueen50: Another great book in the series, Judy! Enjoy.
>121 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie.
>122 richardderus: Yes I agree, Richard, but the colors in the other one are more dramatic.
>123 AMQS: Thank you, Anne.
>124 foggidawn: My husband agrees with you, foggi.
>125 alcottacre: I'll be playing around with animals, Stasia, so you never know if an owl might pop up eventually.
>126 RebaRelishesReading: The cats are glaze only, so flat with the mug, Reba.
>127 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita.
>128 Whisper1: How funny, Linda! You are as bad as Paul!
>129 BLBera: Dramatic, aren't they? Thank you, Beth.
>130 markon: Ardene, so good to hear from you! I've been over to put a star on your thread.
>131 karenmarie: Hi, Karen. Thank you.
>117 RBeffa:, >132 souloftherose:, >133 quondame: When I opened my Kindle, I realized I had downloaded a sample of Swordheart, so of course and despite my brave words to Ron, I had to read it, and that led to downloading the book and I am 50% of the way through it. I think it is the author's women characters that I like so much. This one takes place in the same world as the duology, some years later, but is otherwise not connected, at least so far.

So the other day we were out and around--my HMO has responded to competition by adding free gym memberships to its Senior Advantage package, so after pottery and a stop by the library to pick up The Fated Sky, we went to the Kroc Center a couple of miles from the house and enrolled. It has a large facility with three pools and senior exercise classes at 10 and 11 on weekdays. Now we'll see if I use it. Then my husband wanted to stop at a specialty grocery store in the same strip mall as the specialty Goodwill store, and I picked up three books in lovely condition and very inexpensively:
New Spring: The Novel by Robert Jordan, which is a prequel to the Wheel of Time series.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel--I know I'm going to read it eventually
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles-- a gorgeous large-print trade paperback that I picked up to send to my mom because I think she will enjoy it, maybe even as much as I did.

Hi Roni, loved your recent pottery as well, and the left heart-shaped bowl would be my choice, those colours!

>134 ronincats: Free gym membership, very good! You can just try it out and see how you like it, without financial damage:-)

>76 ronincats: Love the "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" sign above the window. And look at that cutie keeping watch over your books!

Four books read and some cool pottery already this year. You are off and running once again!

Since you rated the Theodora Goss novel, The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter, as a top read of last year, I will give the series another shot... I have the book as an audio, started it, and got bogged down -- don't know why. Haven't returned it, but nothing has really made me feel the urge to try again. Until now...

I starred you earlier, but forgot to stop in and say hello! Thanks for the gentle nudge. I look forward to a year of beautiful pictures of your works and delightful reviews.

Good luck with reorganizing all the books. I have made the doubtless foolish resolution to myself to not exceed the capacity of my current shelving. Actually, I have already exceeded it with the stack of TBR anthologies piled atop my stack of crates filled with hardcover fiction. And in the last couple of weeks, I finally went through all the binders of all the notes from all the classes and got rid of a lot of paper. I can't quite fit all the remaining binders on the shelves with the books. It's taken me a few decades, but I'm finally ready to let go of such stuff, along with sadly outdated textbooks. More room for new fiction, I guess.

>135 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella. Yes, it's a painless way. I wish I would be as good as my mother at getting there.
>136 Donna828: Hi, Donna. Oh yes, we keep up the place right!
>137 Chatterbox: Commented on your thread, Suz.
>138 justchris: Ah, I feel it with you. Hopefully this winter will be the season I get up in the attic and get rid of dozens of boxes, especially those with left over school stuff.



Book #5 Swordheart by T. Kingfisher (426 pp.)

This story takes place in the same world as the Clocktaur books but it has a completely different feel to it, being a romantic comedy adventure. I loved Halla, the protagonist, completely--the author has a real talent for female characters.

>139 ronincats: Just went to look the Kingfisher books after catching up on this thread, and I can't find a single one of her adult books at CPL or any of the suburban libraries I pass by on my commute! Seems a bit odd, but I put in an ILL request and I can't imagine they wouldn't be able to find a copy somewhere

>140 fredanria: I hope so, but my library, which is normally very very good, doesn't have any of them either.

Reading is going slowly, but today is a rainy day and I hope to get some in. Current reading:

These Truths: 12 more pages and I will have completed Part 1 at 149 pages. Fascinating. I've read a lot about this era (up to 1800 for Part 1) and am still learning more.
The Bloodprint: library book, p. 62, atypical fantasy with strong echoes of ISIS in the Mideast. Bathtub book.
Robots and Empire: p. 81 Published in 1985, bought from a bookstore that has been out of business for over 20 years, this is one of the oldest of my tbrs, catalogued at my first entries into LT in October of 2007. For the TBR challenge.

Unstarted: Inkdeath for my series challenge (series in translation) and The Stone Sky for the SFF challenge (a book you meant to read in 2018).

I have unloaded and removed the upper doors of my computer armoire. I will do most of the disassembly next weekend, with the new system being ready for pickup on the following Wednesday, as I don't have space to store the pieces until after the rain stops later this week.

I also plan to sketch out some designs for my mugs this afternoon and then watch the KU-Texas game at 4.

Hope everyone is having a great day!

Hope you enjoy the gym. Kaiser made the same offer and we decided to take it up too. We have a 24-hour fitness 2 1/2 block up the street so we joined there. I've been pretty good about making 2 or 3 of the 11 a.m. classes for seniors per week. I'm thinking about signing up for some trainer-time too.

Hi, Roni. Well, you convinced me on Clockwork Boys and Wonder Engine. Onto the WL they go.

>134 ronincats: 'When I opened my Kindle, I realized I had downloaded a sample of Swordheart, so of course and despite my brave words to Ron, I had to read it, and that led to downloading the book and I am 50% of the way through it.'

Mwa haha! Glad you enjoyed it :-)

Drat, I wish I had thought of reading Inkdeath for the series challenge. Instead I chose the second Elena Ferrante novel, The Story of a New Name. While I haven't started it yet, I have it on hand and my library had to acquire it from another library in their partner sharing group.

Perhaps Inkdeath will fit into one of the later series challenges. I'll be interested to see what you think of it. I liked Inkheart but wasn't as crazy about Inkspell which is probably why I put the series aside.

Love all the talk about the secret stashes of books. Since I live here alone, I have books everywhere. Tidying up a bit is on the agenda - so all the places people are 'fessing to are giving me good ideas. :)

>142 RebaRelishesReading: Yes, we have Kaiser as well, Reba. I hope but doubt that I will be as good as you at making it to classes.
>143 jnwelch: You'll enjoy them, Joe.
>144 souloftherose: Good intentions, Heather, right?
>145 streamsong: Oh dear, Janet, thank you. It is Inkspell I need to read next. I was meh about Inkheart because I thought the protagonist kept making dumb, dumb, dumb decisions, no matter how much I liked the premise, but I have the complete set and need to read them so I can donate them to the local school. I had the order confused.

I have finished part 1 of These Truths, which I am really liking. Neither of my other reads is lighting my fire. Bloodprint is slow because I have forebodings of violence and conflict that impede my progress. One of my oldest tbrs, Robots and Empire is picking up steam so I will probably concentrate it, but I may just skip the other five Foundation books that are in my tbr if I don't really enjoy this. This is from one who read and reread the Foundation Trilogy back in the sixties when I was an adolescent.

We finally made it to the movie theater and watched Mary Poppins Returns, as we have been meaning to since Christmas. It was delightful. Loved Lin-Manuel Miranda and Colin Firth and the cameos by Meryl Streep, Angela Lansbury and Dick Van Dyke.

>146 ronincats: I found the later Foundation/Robot books. whether by Asimov or others dull to deadening and sometimes manipulative. The original trilogy didn't wear to well for me either.

>146 ronincats: I hope I can manage to keep going to at least a couple each week. A friend and I have booked a trip to England in September to walk from Reading to Bristol which is 95 miles so I need to beef up the fitness a bit before then :)

>146 ronincats: forebodings of violence and conflict that impede my progress...this happens to me as well with both books and tv series.

I finally finished Spinning Silver which I enjoyed a lot, just read it slowly for some reason. Now I've made a good start on A winter's promise which is the first in the Mirror Visitor quartet to be translated. Funny how I've ended up with another book where the protagonist can travel through a mirror.

I read Inkdeath a few years ago and gave it 3 stars out of 5. So I thought it was ok but not great. I don’t remember much about why I have it that rating.
I just finished up Funke’s sequel to Dragon Rider which was great! This series is aimed at a younger audience than the other series and is not as dark.

Afternoon, Roni! Glad you loved Mary Poppins Returns - me, too! Daniel and his girlfriend took me to see it over Christmas, and it was great fun. Completely different from the books, but oh, so charming.

>146 ronincats: I did a big project to read through all of the Robot, Empire and Foundation books a few years back and found I struggled with a lot of the later sequels written in the 1980s and 1990s. I still like the original trilogies but I think he should have stopped there and not tried to tie them all together later on.

>147 quondame: I'm going to finish this one for my challenge, Susan, but probably will jettison the others on my tbr pile. Yes, I have reread the Foundation trilogy in the last decade and the Suck Fairy had definitely been there.
>148 RebaRelishesReading: It's nice to have a definite goal to work toward, Reba.
>149 avatiakh: It's a tendency that has become more pronounced with age, Kerry, and I fear it may keep me away from challenging books and too much in my comfort zone.
>150 jayde1599: Oh, Jess, I enjoyed Dragon Rider much more and didn't realize it has a sequel now--two of them, I see. And the library has them! If I don't enjoy Inkspell, I think I will just bail and read The Griffin's Feather instead. Thank you!!
>151 Crazymamie: It's been long enough since I've read the books (although I reread them probably 12 to 15 years ago) that I have no idea what the plot of the second book was, so I could enjoy the movie for what it was. Charming is the perfect word for it, Mamie.

We were up in the middle of the night for several hours--funny (or not) that we seem to have developed this mutual insomnia occasionally. We go to sleep okay but wake (at 1:45 this morning) and then have trouble getting back to sleep. So I slept in this morning until 10:30! Now I am going back to work on my computer armoire. I have a box for the paper I have stored in the file drawer on the bottom right, and I think I am going to weed out some of those SFBC editions under the desk--am I ever going to read all those Greg Bear books? If the library has it, I'll discard it. Except for the Amber books and the two Donaldson ones. Having those others lurk there doesn't bring "joy" as much as foreboding. Time to go!

>153 ronincats: I have found that since getting (ahem) older my sleeping habits have changed. I used to fall asleep quickly and sleep right through the night eaily but not so anymore. I have gotten into the habit of not going to bed until after midnight but I am often awake for part of the night or up wandering around at 4:00 am. I then tend to fall asleep during the day, so I have gotten to appreciate the art of napping! I get some of my best reading done in the early hours of the morning.

I finished reading Daughter of No Nation by A. M. Dellamonica. This was the second book in a trilogy and was my lunch hour read here at work. It was good but not as good as the first book in the series. I intend to read book 3, so I hope that book 2 was just suffering from second book syndrome.

>140 fredanria: >141 ronincats: The extended library system (which covers much of the state) to which my multi-county library system belongs has both Clockwork Boys and Wonder Engine - I've got my hands on the first, but not the second. Libraries restrict the circulation of newly acquired books to local patrons for the first six months after they've been cataloged. That doesn't always have much to do with the date of publication.....

That said, the Kindle version of The Wonder Engine is only $3.99, I think. :)

Nothing wrong with sleeping in till 10:30. That's a wonderful feeling. Except that half your day is gone. That's not so wonderful. But still.

>147 quondame: the ONLY Asimov I ever could get through (and actually enjoyed!) was I, Robot. I tried to read the Nightfall collection, and Foundation but just didn't get the appeal of his writing. My older sister had a bunch of his books, and loved them.

Yet I'm dotty over most of Zelazny's works including the Amber series, and CJ Cherryh's writings.

>158 fuzzi: I liked a lot about the stories in I, Robot, and hated the treatment of Dr. Susan Calvin way back before I hit high school. Zelazny and Cherryh are multiple re-reads for me, though I haven't re-read most the later Foreigner books which I don't own. I am an almost rabid fan of many Pratchett's later Discworld novels, so our tastes do diverge.

Hello Roni!

>147 quondame: >158 fuzzi: I rather enjoyed Asimov's original Foundation trilogy. I agree that his 25 years later Gaia gush and the weaving in of the robot stories felt convenient for the author but not for me. I have not read the I, Robot. Caves of Steel is as far as I've gotten in the Robot Series and it was pretty dry.

>134 ronincats: I am very much looking forward to owls showing up eventually! :)

>154 DeltaQueen50: Yes, getting older has certainly affected my ability to have an uninterrupted night's sleep, Judy. Generally I fall right back asleep, but then there are the nights like above...
>155 benitastrnad:
>156 Dejah_Thoris: Fortunate, Princess. And yes, the relatively low Kindle price contributed to my purchasing it so quickly.
>157 The_Hibernator: Not something I'd want to do all the time, Rachel, but it's a benefit of retirement that I have the opportunity.
>158 fuzzi: I read a lot of Asimov with enjoyment back in the 60s and early 70s, but the nature of the genre has changed with the times and the thinness of the characterizations is evident in the contrast.
>159 quondame: Pratchett-check! Cherryh-check! Zelazny-check! Asimov--sometimes. The BCE of his Foundation Trilogy, together with Zelazny's Lord of Light and Heinlein's The Past Through Tomorrow, were my three books for a dollar when I signed up for the SFBC in the mid-60s and I will always keep them. I did enjoy Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun as much as any of his books.
>160 brodiew2: See above, Brodie.
>161 alcottacre: Be patient, Stasia.



Book #6 Doorways in the Sand by Roger Zelazny (181 pp.)

This was one of the Book Club Editions under my desk, and as I usually enjoy Zelazny, I thought I would give it a quick read before putting it in the donation bag. Similar feel to Simak's The Goblin Reservation, we have our clueless protagonist in a university setting with a mystery, bad guys coming after him, aliens, government. Entertaining but dated.

And the BCE books that are leaving me without being read--the library has copies of all of these should I feel the urge.

Poul Anderson--All One Universe
Greg Bear--The Forge of God, Anvil of Stars, Moving Mars, Blood Music, Eon, Eternity, Legacy
Steven Erikson--Deadhouse Gates
Charles Sheffield--Proteus Manifest

And the paperbacks:
Prelude to Foundation, Foundation and Earth, Foundation's Edge by Isaac Asimov (Prelude to Foundation will join them when finished)
Foundation's Fear by Gregory Benford
Foundation and Chaos by Greg Bear
Foundation's Triumph by David Brin

>162 ronincats: I'd take that Zelazny off your hands...

>163 fuzzi: Okay, as long as you realize it is an elderly BCE, albeit in good condition. PM me your mailing address.

>164 ronincats: you've got mail!

I'm another who only really enjoyed I, Robot and don't much care for any of his other works. But I also enjoy the Alan Parson's album of the same name and love remembering the book through the music.

>165 fuzzi: Packaged up for my next trip to the PO. BCE=Book Club Edition
>166 CassieBash: See, I read him in my teens in the 60s. It makes a difference.

So I spent today continuing to clear out my computer armoire. If you compare this photo to the one in >76 ronincats:, you can see that all four of the front doors are gone, and the interior is pretty well cleared out except for the computer and printer.

I'm hoping we can maneuver out what's left without having to further dismantle it.

I just found out last week that I'm not supposed to have personal mail delivered to my work address (this was not taboo at either of my prior public university employers) so the secret stash won't grow. I'll have to come clean with P when I order books. 😬

>167 ronincats: Good luck with the rest of that project!

>168 EBT1002: But, BOOKS! Who would know they weren't for professional purposes? It's not like letters and junk mail are coming there. And thanks. The new shelving materials will be picked up on Wednesday.

This is so wrong! I can't believe that I haven't visited your thread this year, but apparently that's the truth. NEVER my intention!
I'm excited to see your new work space and to read more about your reading, (((((Roni))))) - and your cat family and your pots and your jewelry and your life-in-general. I won't be a stranger!

Have a great weekend, Roni!

Oooh, looking forward to seeing the new shelving when it goes in! It's weird isn't it, the satisfaction we take from others imposing some order on their lives! It's a whole sub-genre on Instagram - just search #shelfie and you'll see...

I'm currently trying to simplify and get rid a little bit. Also to sort and tidy. I watched that Marie Kondo show on Netflix and got all inspired. So far I have managed about two boxes of papers from the attic cupboard. (The attic space has been converted into a room in our house - currently our TV room, but it has its own cupboard where we dumped a lot of stuff directly after moving in). I am finally learning to let go of old papers - well some at least. I rather like the Marie Kondo idea of only keeping stuff that "sparks joy", although she has just caused a bit of a furore here in the UK when it was reported that she said you should only have about 30 books in your house! I mean, imagine!!!!!

Good to see you are making progress with your reorganization, Roni. Have a great weekend.

Just dropping by to check; will you join Robin and me for a Wheel of Time group read? If so, I'll set it up.

>173 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! You too.
>174 humouress: Yes, I think so, Nina. I need motivation to move on past the first book.

ETA I won't reread the first book, but will point you to the Tor reread thread for it, which is quite good.
Starts here: https://www.tor.com/2018/02/20/reading-the-wheel-of-time-eye-of-the-world-part-1...

Wow! You are getting an amazing amount of organization done.

Book #7 Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov (469 pp.)

I have completed Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov. I read and loved his Foundation Trilogy in the 60s and reread it several times. At some point around the turn of the century, I accumulated his later books in the series as well as the sequels to his original two robot mysteries with R. Daneel Olivaw with the intention of completing the series. These books were in my initial cataloguing in 2007. Obviously, over the ensuing 11 years I have not done that and, with the completion of this book for my challenge, I am now deaccessioning all of the later books, keeping only the originals, defined as those books published prior to the 60s. See below.

Asimov's books within the Foundation series
The Complete Robot (1982) and/or I, Robot (1950)
The Caves of Steel (1954)
The Naked Sun (1957)
The Robots of Dawn (1983)
Robots and Empire (1985)
The Currents of Space (1952)
The Stars, Like Dust (1951)
Pebble in the Sky (1950)
Prelude to Foundation (1988)
Forward the Foundation (1993)
Foundation (1951)
Foundation and Empire (1952)
Second Foundation (1953)
Foundation's Edge (1982)
Foundation and Earth (1986)

>176 banjo123: My husband claims I am simply becoming more unorganized, as the contents of the cabinet are spread out all over the dining room, Rhonda.

Hi, Roni. Finally getting around to visiting and dropping a star here.

I seem to find myself in the minority with the Asimov books - he has always been one of my favorite authors since I discovered him in elementary school and by the 80's I was pretty much buying his fiction and reading it as it was published (with the exception of the Norby series which he wrote with his wife.) I enjoyed the way he wove the Empire, Foundation, and Robot series together, and have reread the entire series several times. IMO, although I enjoy Heinlein and Clarke, Asimov is the most readable and enjoyable of the Big Three to me. Ah, well, to each his own, I guess.

I was looking at The Calculating Stars earlier this week and wondering if I would enjoy it, so I'll put it on my reading list.

ETA - I may have missed you mentioning this, but I'm sure you are already aware that there is a new Kencyrath Chronicles book coming out in May - By Demons Possessed

>178 rretzler: Woo woo!

Disorganization has to precede re-organization!!

OOOOoooo a new Kencyrath!

#168

For most of my career I had most of my personal package mail delivered to my place of work. This was because I lived in an apartment and UPS and Fed Ex would not deliver to apartments. Then the campus kicked the USPS off campus and we got a new campus delivery service. When that service took over the library administration changed the policy and sent out notice that the inter library service would not deliver personal packages. (How they can tell the difference - I don’t know? But they say they can tell.) From that time on I had to take time off from work and go to the UPS or Fed Ex place and pick up my packages.

When I moved to a house things changed. Now UPS and Fed Ex leaves packages laying right in the middle of my driveway, were they are fair game for any passerby. My apartment had lots of hiding places for packages. And I do not have a locked mailbox at home. Not only was having things delivered to campus easier it was safer.

It is one of the things that our new library administration has done to make life difficult for employees.

Darnitall.... I stop by to say hello and find myself walking way with a BB for Clockwork Boys. ;-)

>119 ronincats: - That is awesome!

>178 rretzler: I loved The Calculating Stars and its sequel The Fated Sky. So delighted she plans on two more to the series. I got to meet her in August and she is lovely.

Hello there, Miz Roni, I'm making my way around to find out what everyone's been up to. Your die- before re-organization is so deeply familiar to me. Tomorrow's the day the new shelves come home, so I'm eagerly awaiting the update.

>178 rretzler: Robin, I don't dislike Asimov. It's just that when I reread the original Foundation trilogy a while ago (maybe 4 or 5 years?), I was totally surprised at how thin the story was, and that's due to having to acclimated to modern novels, since I loved, loved, loved them as a teen. I see that his later Foundation books were much expanded, but now I'm making the executive decision that there are other books I'd rather read than those at this date.

I did know there was a Kencyrath book due out, I know, as I discussed it on the Kencyrath thread, but at that time there was no entity on Amazon and I had rather forgotten about it. Now, thanks to your jogging my memory, I have it on pre-order, along with the new Elantra book from Michelle Sagara due out next week and the new Megan Whelan Turner book in The Thief series in March. (They were already there)

>179 humouress: Woot indeed, Nina.
>180 sibylline: I think you are right, Lucy. It certainly brings it home to me that I have TOO MUCH STUFF!
>181 benitastrnad: I resisted putting up a fence in our front yard for ages, Benita, but I am SO happy to have it now. Allows me to have my front yard garden without pilfering AND it's high enough to deter package thieves when packages are tossed over the fence by the deliverers. Not that that may not have its problems occasionally...
>182 lkernagh: You can't stop with just one, Lori. They are ebooks so the library probably doesn't have them.
>183 AuntieClio: I have The Fated Sky home from the library right now, Stephanie.
>184 richardderus: Love the typo, Richard. Die before re indeed!

Today the entire armoire was moved out onto the front sidewalk with a sign--we'll see if any takers come by. And I've put an ad on NextDoor, need to do Craigslist. And half of the rug is up--the room rug is going to the cleaners for a good cleaning now that the armoire is out of there. Tomorrow a.m. I need to get the part under the file cabinet and roll-top desk out. I stopped at that point and we went to wash the car, drop 20 books off at the library for their Friends of the Library sale room, and mail books to my sister, my mother, fuzzi, and a PBS request. That's 23 books permanently out the door! Nearly half my goal.

>178 rretzler: Glad to hear about the new Kencyrath!

Hi Roni--I left you a message way back at the start of the year and I guess I forgot to star it!! Bad Berly. But I've found you again and you are STARRED. So there.

Good luck on the organization project and getting rid of the armoire.

Love Asimov and haven't read any of his in ages. Hmmm....

>185 ronincats: Heh. I like it too, now that I see it. *chuckle*

Okay, the rug is out, which required moving the file cabinet into the dining room and taking off the top of the rolltop desk to get it out from under them. The rug is going to the cleaner, but we are going rug shopping after we pick up my Elfa components. By my rough computations, it is 20 years since it went down, when we remodeled that room in the late 1990s. And I need to thoroughly clean the wood floor underneath and put a coat of refinisher down. So likeliest time for putting up the shelf system is Friday. If we are shopping today, and I am cleaning floor tomorrow after pottery, yep, bright and early Friday morning should work!

Hi, Susan, Kim and Richard.

Photos of chaos:



The dining room is piled high with everything else.

>189 ronincats: Floor cleaning! *shudder* My goddesses, all the way 2300 miles gone I'm having back twinges and knee aches. But it feels so good when it's done.

Wow, that's a huge project!f I don't know how big your rug is but are you having a rug cleaner take it away or is it small enough to take to the regular cleaners? If the former, I need to have our 9x12 living room run cleaned (target April after some work on the balconies is done) and would love to hear any recommendations you have.

>185 ronincats: mail books...??

:)

>190 richardderus: Oh, tell me about it!!
>191 RebaRelishesReading: We decided not to get the old one cleaned but Ross, out at Outrageous Rugs, was telling us his favorites, so I'll have him write that down when we go back out Friday, Reba. We usually go to a haul your own place down by the Vandever Kaiser. Do you want someone to come get it and bring it back? I'm sure he can give me some references. So, this is the rug I think I want, but in the next larger size. It's a bit bluer than the walls, but do you all think I can get away with it?

I'll look at it in daylight tomorrow but I do love it and it won't be directly up against the wall.

>192 fuzzi: One Zelazny on its way!

I changed the pictures in >189 ronincats: to better (or worse, since you can see the chaos) ones of my office right now. We picked up the Elfa materials, but are leaving them in the back of the Highlander for the moment until I am ready for them. Also got a stud finder for the top bar.

>193 ronincats: I really really like that rug. It's a photo, so I can't be sure, but to me the blue-ness of the rug is a pleasant counterpoint to that gorgeous wall color.

*That's what I wanted to hear!* Yay! *smooches* I have no other prints in the room. The sofa is a dull beige, everything else is wood tones. So I think the room can support having a full color palette.

All the interesting patterns with closer to the greeny color of the wall had lots of ORANGE in them. Not for me.

Oh nay nay nay! No orange in with that Caribbean color. Apricot maybe, but not a shade brighter. I think the mulberry in particular is a handsome counterpoint shade.

Richard. My one-person support group! I love you.

*smooch*

But really, looka them drapes, there's yer color repeat!

Oh, yes, I hadn't even noticed that! Duh!

Heh, you have better instincts than you gave yourself credit for.

Wow, Roni, you deserve some applause both for clearing out some books and for all the work you are doing in your office. Can't wait to see the finished project!

>200 richardderus: repeat >197 ronincats:
>201 DeltaQueen50: Hi, Judy. I was just on your thread while you were here!!

>189 ronincats: You're refinishing floors? Luck to you.

>196 richardderus: I hadn't realised that Richard was such a (vehement) interior designer. Looks like you don't need anyone else :0)

But what I came here to say was:

Okay!

The group read for The Wheel of Time is set up and ready to go: https://www.librarything.com/topic/302886

Love the rug and I think it'll be fine with the walls.

No, I don't think we want to try to haul the rug ourselves. It's terribly heavy. I would love any recommendations you have (or get) :)

>203 humouress: I've read The Wheel of Time, and I'm not ready for a re-read - although maybe when folks get to the last couple I'd do that. Anyway, I look forward to enjoying people's comments and learning.

>189 ronincats: Wow, good for you, Roni. What a big project!

>205 jnwelch: It's been almost 6 years, and I'm not ready for a re-read. I re-read the first 6 so many times, and 7-11 each at least twice, that even with my sieve like memory, everything seems inevitable.

>203 humouress: No, no, Nina, I'm not refinishing the floor. At one point, it was refinished and a coat of polyurethane sealed it. This is a "refinisher" product that replenishes the sealer. As for interior designer (or jewelry designer), Richard is the best! Got the thread starred.
>204 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba. I'll get the info for you.
>205 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe. I've not read the Wheel of Time series, except for the first book last year, so I'm going to try the sequels along with this group.
>206 quondame: Hi, Susan.

It's Thursday, and you know what day that is!


I worked on mugs today, but only completed the glazing for one, which we'll see next week. The others are all works in progress.

Came home, collected trash, cleaned out refrigerator, put my computer armoire on Craigslist, and cleaned half of the office floor, did up dishes, and folded laundry and put it away. I think I'll call it quits for the day. The husband is cooking supper, if he ever gets home from the grocery store! Another beautiful day, no clouds and mid to upper 60s. Tomorrow we have to go out to the rug place, but I'm hoping to get a start on the shelving system when we get home.

>207 ronincats: It sounds like you've had a satisfying day, Roni. Lovely pottery. I'd say you can take the rest of the day off although I am having severe temperature envy. I don't think the air temp here is even in the plus column and with the wind chill it's going to get in the -30 degree range.

>203 humouress:, >207 ronincats: awww y'all
Interestingly, in light of this side discussion, Mama cheerfully paid for me to take interior design classes in the late 70s. She refused to have anything to do with my pursuit of a university degree, despite urging me constantly to get one; she said training was practical and here-and-now, but Education was something I had to want enough to go get it.

>207 ronincats: The mulberry shades on the top right bowl are scrummy. It's not like the others aren't, of course, but this color is newer to your palette so worthy of separate mention. I always favor your straight-sided bowls, like mulberry and deep green ones, over all other shapes.

*smooch*

>119 ronincats: What an interesting concept! To use walls and have book covers on them..ingenious!

>207 ronincats: You really are an artist! No doubt about it!

Hi Roni!

Your office is going to look gorgeous when finished, totally worth all the effort you're putting in.

Well, no shelves today. But the hubby promises to put up the foundation bar in the morning...

I can't wait to see pics of the finished product!
Have a great day tomorrow, Roni!

Beautiful pottery, Roni.

>205 jnwelch: We'll see you there, then.

>206 quondame: Join in the discussions if you feel so inclined, Susan.

>207 ronincats: Is that all you did? (Phew!) No wonder you feel like a break. Sounds like a very fulfilling day (including the dinner).

>209 richardderus: Ah, that explains your designer nous.

>207 ronincats: Very nice. Loving the ombré-type effects, especially the blue. Somehow, these are thirst-quenching colours. (Or maybe I need to finish my breakfast coffee.)

Pics or it didn't happen!

:)

>178 rretzler: Good to know! So hard to wait!

Roni, your thread is the best for finding out the latest!

As always, beautiful pottery. I am also terribly impressed with your cleaning and organizing crusade. I need to start working on it as I am supposed to move in the fall.

>206 quondame: It was the same thing for me, Susan. I kept doing re-reads of the Wheel of Time books to get myself back up to speed with the storylines! Was Sanderson's completion 6 years ago? Wow, that went by fast.

This is the first time I've had the problem of LT loading a vertical picture sideways, but the KU game is starting, so just turn your head, okay?

TA-DA!!!

Cat desk!

>220 katiekrug: Leonard's invited!

You might want to re-think that invite. He is kind of an asscat with other felines... :)

>219 ronincats: Nice! I see that it is cat-approved.

>219 ronincats: *CHOO*
Dthad's dnize hlookng

>207 ronincats: How in the world did you accomplish all that you listed? Can I please have a bit of your energy?

>222 katiekrug: Given the distance involved, I felt pretty safe issuing the invitation, Katie!
>223 foggidawn: Anything new, they have to check it out!

I've been fishing cords behind the wire slit board as I placed the modem and router up on the shelf above it and the phone on my desk along with the computer. I'll have to get one of those cable organizers for under the desk, but it eliminates a tangle of cords that had been on the floor in front of the closet!

Here's one that won't make you sneeze, Richard!


A few miscalculations have ensued. I had designed those top three shelves to be 12" apart because I wanted to put hardbacks on them, but the shelves are so thick that most of them won't fit. These are my professional books that I probably should get rid of, but can't bring myself to do so yet. So most of them are laid flat in piles. I also didn't realize how much deeper these 12" shelves are than the 8" shelves on the other wall. But that's okay; there's room for the cat figurines that were in my shelves on the old armoire in front of these books that I don't use. On the other hand, the lower shelves (relatively speaking--still above my desk surface) work out very nicely for my craft boxes.

With those boxes and the professional books moved from the shelves across the way, ALL the hardback and trade paperback books that had been stacked on the floor by the sofa and under the computer desk now fit on those two shelves.

So those three shelves--the bottom one with the sideways mmpbs and the two above it--are the majority of my TBR books. There are a couple of shelves of tbr mmpb in the bookcase behind the door too, I'll grant you.

I am doing some deaccessioning too. Most notably, my collection of Cooking Light recipe books, by year from 1991 to 2010, are going out the door, all 18 volumes. These books collected all the recipes that came out in Cooking Light magazine in that calendar year. A great concept but two things weigh against it. If I want a recipe, I am much more likely to look on the internet than in my cookbooks. And the husband doesn't really like novelty. I like to try new recipes, realizing that I'm not going to like every one. He doesn't. So, that's lots of shelf space freed up for my craft books instead.

And that's the other thing I did today, before putting together my shelves. The husband decided he needed a new rug too when we went rug shopping. (He didn't.) But he got one, a large room-sized one. So he needs to clear out the front bedroom, which is his office, and do some rearranging while he's at it. So he wanted the bookcase on his south wall out of his room. I found a space in the living room by turning my library table. I moved the five shelf bookcase from its position to the right of the arch over to the left side (completely emptying the bookcase again--this is the one I did a few months ago) and then put the one from his room (two shelves on the bottom with doors and 3 open shelves on top) where that one had been. That's what led to all the cookbooks being moved, and everything else. So, those are pretty well back together again--at least the books are.



And I got rid of a few more books. I have three nice Louise Penny books that I've picked up at library sales--if I want to read them, I can check them out. They are going back to the library sale room. I did also shed some professional books that were research-based that are well out of date. I'll document them all for my records and take them out of my LT library over the next few days. Probably about 30 more books overall. Good start to the year, yes?

And I think I'll take some muscle relaxant before going to bed.

>225 Whisper1: Linda, I feel like an old lady. My muscles are protesting vociferously. I fear I have no energy to spare at the moment.

Wow! Roni, that is a lot of work! I love the new shelves and desk area - so open and light. And that pottery up there in 207 is full of gorgeous. I think you should sit down and take it easy today - I am tired just thinking about everything you have done.

OMG!! I can imagine your muscles are protesting! It sounds like you've moved everything in your house and all in one day. Hope you have time to relax and recover today.

>227 ronincats: I only have a few of the Cooking Light volumes in my collection. I don't have room for any more.

Love seeing all the changes. If I could get my dh (dear husband) to declutter...oh what I could do.

>227 ronincats: Fun to see before & after.

The (only) advantage to my husband clearing out his room is that I can get to bookshelves normally blocked by his tv cart and computer table. I dusted them down well, and carried through on some ideas that had been sitting in the back of my mind.
1. I'm getting rid of all my Marion Zimmer Bradley books except for the Shattered Chain trio. In addition to the disturbing information about her husband and her complicity, I just don't expect to want to reread any of these Darkover books. So--shelf space!! I moved my Ben Aaronovitch's into that space, joined a Kage Baker book with its peers, and moved the Alliance Universe and Cyteen books in with my other Cherryh books in that case.
2. I was able to get to my children's fantasy shelves behind the tv cart and decided to go ahead with deaccessioning my 7 volume Angie Sage Magykal series. That's 15 inches of shelf space! I was able to move some Dianna Wynne Jones juveniles in with the others from the shelves where they were temporarily perched. Fortunately, my 9 year old great-nephew is interested in them, so I'll be mailing them to Florida. Thank goodness for media mail rates!!!
3. Not relevant to the front office space, I am getting rid of most of the books that have been languishing in my PaperBackSwap bin and removing them from my Posted list. Off to the library sale room.

So that's 81 more books over the last few days in addition to the 23 books that went out of the house last week. Want pictures?



Whew!!

>229 Crazymamie: Mamie, it was a more relaxed day. I just puttered around putting things away and reorganizing books--always an invigorating enterprise.
>230 RebaRelishesReading: More moving to come when we put the rugs down, Reba, but some respite on the heavy lifting today.
>231 thornton37814: See photo above. Just an illustration of what a different world it is with our technology now. Did you know they ended the magazine last year?
>232 fuzzi: Ain't that the truth, Katherine?!? He's doing some, but he has all this STUFF he never uses or wears... And from >76 ronincats: to yesterday's photos, that is quite a difference.

Wow so much action and so many books let go!

>227 ronincats: I had a handful of Cooking Light annual volumes. I let them go in my last move. My ex might have kept them. Of course, I have since replaced them with other cookbooks, but much more aligned with my interests instead of kinda random acquisitions.

>234 ronincats: I read some of MZB's Darkover books back in the 1980s but never really got into them the way so many others did (fan clubs, newsletters and all). I never got around to The Mists of Avalon unlike everyone around me. Guess I never will now. Shey may be dead, but her legacy lives on in terms of the harm she and her husband perpetuated in SF fandom and other communities. I heard about it when her daughter finally stepped forward and spoke publicly and did some digging around. Reading those court transcripts--definitely disturbing.

Moving the Aaronovitch books into the space sounds like a great move. The Cyteen omnibus is in my TBR pile. Maybe this year..

Wow, Roni. Will you come and organize my shelves? I should warn you, though, we are expecting a high of 7 degrees today. :)

Wow, I go out of town for a few days and look at what you have been up to! I sure wish I could get my shelves finished so that I could actually see what I have. . .

>234 ronincats: Hooray for de-accessioning and finding more shelf space!

I think we all admire your purge dedication! I need to do that also, but my purge would mostly involve TBR stash in which I'm no longer interested or my cookbook collection. I really don't want to purge any cookbooks, but I probably need to get rid of several that don't really interest me that much.

>234 ronincats: Shelf space is always a plus. Great job on the weeding; I always have a tough time with that.

Roni, I am so impressed by your work on your books, work space, etc. What a project of purging! And it does appear that the cats approve. New elevated surface: cat immediately inspects and claims. That is just the way it goes.

You asked on my thread about heated beds and I tried to describe what we have. I don't think it's very high end; I'm guessing the neighbor who gave it to us got it at WalMart or PetSmart or something. But our vet (aka the cat whisperer) is a huge fan of SleepyPods cat carriers/beds. I don't think they are heated, though.

>236 justchris: Hi, Chris. I was just enjoying your comments on A Wrinkle in Time.
>237 BLBera: Beth, it is 77 degrees here at the moment. I am just going to have to decline your invitation.
>238 alcottacre: I remember when you were implementing a major book shelf revision a number of years ago, Stasia.
>239 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi.
>240 thornton37814: I'm doing a few of those TBR ones too, Lori. See below.
>241 CassieBash: At my time in life (I can't believe I am saying this), I think it is easier to start letting go. I have a great library system too, so if, for example, I want to read those Angie Sage books again, I can always get them from the library. Of course, in the back of my mind is the fact that if I get to the point where I need family support and move back to Kansas, I may not have that library system available...
>242 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen.

Book #8 The Griffin's Feather by Cornelia Funke (432 pp.)

I was originally going to read the sequels to Funke's Inkheart to meet the series challenge this month (see >67 ronincats:) of reading a book in a series that has been translated into English. But as I read the jacket descriptions and looked at the thickness of the books, I decided that I was going to get the second book of the Dragon Rider series instead, even if it meant giving up the Books Off My Shelves mojo. I've now read 5 books by Funke: Inkheart, The Thief Lord, Dragon Rider, Igraine the Brave and The Griffin's Feather and I have to say that she is not one of my favorite authors. I know not if it is the translation or her writing itself, but there seems to be a distance in her stories, the protagonist in Inkheart annoyed the hell out of me by continuing to do STUPID things, and this book, while it has a great message, is too preachy about it. It's probably just me. These are adventure tales for kids, and they probably enjoy them. This book goes back to the library now, and Inkheart and its sequels, Inkspell and Inkdeath--well, they are going over to the middle school library. I am not going to read the sequels. No. Not. Another 13.5 centimeters of shelf space (five and a half inches)!

I got mail today, thanks!

>244 ronincats: I have the same reaction to Funke, and have also wondered if it’s the writing or the translation. I enjoy her books somewhat, but never as much as I expect to, considering that her subject matter is generally the sort that appeals to me.

You're smart, Roni, and I love the way your house looks! Not happening here - not even if I were home and able to make the effort.

Yay! Loadsa bookshelves!!

*gasp of sorrow* de-accessioning. (yeah, I'm a hoarder. Husband isn't)

>234 ronincats: It took me ages to work out how you'd suspended those books. Don't worry - got it now.

>234 ronincats: >236 justchris: I never got into her stuff either; although I borrowed a few from the library, Darkover novels et al were never a 'must read' for me. I do have one book on my shelves - maybe I can create some space. And manage *heave sigh* some de-accessioning.

>244 ronincats: >246 foggidawn: Ask someone who's read it in the original (German?) or at least in another language. I think Anita might have read some Funke last year.

>234 ronincats: Well done on so much sorting and de-accessioning!

>244 ronincats: I've only ever read one book by Funke (Inkheart) but also struggled with her writing and decided there were too many other authors I wanted to read to try her books again. Michael Ende is a German author whose books I've really enjoyed in translation but they seem to be mostly out of print at the moment so I'm picking them up second-hand when I can.

Impressive work on the clearing out. I have lots of study books that I should probably get rid of, as they're not what I do now, but just don't want to! I love your new shelves, very tempting!

Okay, so all those cookbooks and MZBs and other miscellaneous books went to the library today, making my out the door count 97 books for January. I worked on clearing extraneous stuff out of my desk drawers (decorative paperclips I haven't used in the last 10 years, for example, and lots of note pads that also went to the library) earlier today, before we went out on an errand run that included the library stop--five shopping bags full!

>245 fuzzi: Glad to hear it, fuzzi. Enjoy.
>246 foggidawn: I'm glad to hear it isn't just me, foggi.
>247 LizzieD: My house is still in chaos, Peggy, so don't envy me.
>248 humouress: I'm a packrat for sure, Nina, but at this time of life it's easier, I think, than at your age. And the freed-up shelf space for stuff I want more is a definite plus.
>249 souloftherose: Hi, Heather. Hope you had a lovely birthday yesterday and thank you. I like Michael Ende too.
>250 charl08: I know, Charlotte, I am still holding on to beloved professional books I will probably never use again. Who am I kidding, many of them I definitely will never use again! But, although I got rid of many, many books when I retired, I am still slow to let go of the rest of them. Wait until I get into the attic, though.

So, two new books have come onto my Kindle in the last two days. Lois McMaster Bujold has a new Sharing Knife story out and the newest book in Michelle Sagara's Elantra series came out today. I am 74% of the way through Knife Children and 2% into Cast into Oblivion. Also 65 pages into The Fated Sky and 275 pages into These Truths.

Book #9 Knife Children by Lois McMaster Bujold (148 pp.)

This novella is set in the world of the Sharing Knife quartet, featuring one of the minor characters from that story. Set almost entirely in a Lakewalker settlement, it deals with the ongoing interaction and frictions between lakewalkers and farmers. A welcome revisit to a fascinating world.

>243 ronincats: My problems with weeding are threefold:

1. I share the house with three other people so my limited space—my small bedroom—houses virtually all of my books, as well as all my other belongings. (A select few that mom really liked are on the nook shelves downstairs but somehow mom’s books took over that “community” area.)

2. Lack of time to read—do to downsizing at work, I’m working over 50 hours each week—means that the to read piles go down slower than I like, especially adult nonfiction, which I love to read but read much slower than fiction of any kind, because I do try to retain as much information as I can.

3. I have a lot of hard-to-find, older and out-of-print, and unique titles, some of them special editions, first editions, signed, etc. While I might be able to borrow a copy of Moths of the Limberlost from a local library, my uncle gifted me a first edition.

I honestly don’t know how you can read so many adult titles every year; I feel quite accomplished when I go past the 75 mark, even reading mostly children’s and YA titles. I’m half in awe and half-envious. :)

I'm crawling around the threads to say I'm not dead but woefully unread, both books and threads. Happy polar vortex.

Hi Roni!

>219 ronincats: Very nice. Ah, the kids are laying claim. *smile*

>222 katiekrug: He is kind of an asscat with other felines... :) LOL

Wow and …. Wow. Rearranging, deaccessioning, and reorganizing. I’m in awe.

>227 ronincats: If I want a recipe, I am much more likely to look on the internet than in my cookbooks. And the husband doesn't really like novelty. I like to try new recipes, realizing that I'm not going to like every one. He doesn't. So, that's lots of shelf space freed up for my craft books instead.

You’re absolutely right – my go-to for new recipes is the internet, too. I will look at the cookbooks in my kitchen tomorrow and see what I can let go of. I have to keep the sentimental ones and the ones that have one or more recipes that I currently use (even though most things are also word documents in my computer), but there are a lot of potential Friends of the Library donations, I think. Good inspiration, Roni!

It looks like this, only blue. And Abby is usually more relaxed in it than this cat looks! :-D

Congrats on the new desk arrangement, I love how it looks. Also a big congrats for clearing out so many books - I am in awe. I thought I was doing such a good job when I cleared two books from my shelves that I decided I was never going to read!

>253 CassieBash: Cassie, I am definitely not getting rid of any of my hard-to-find, older or out-of-print books, anything signed, etc!! I have the luck of being a fast reader--even when I was working, I was reading over 125 books a year.
>254 richardderus: Yeah, we really cooled off today--from 77 to 65 today, Richard. But we have rain moving in tomorrow and lasting for several days.
>255 karenmarie: Good luck on the cookbook deaccessioning, Karen. I still have a full shelf, but I had ones I could let go and I did.
>256 EBT1002: I ended up ordering this one, Ellen--it had top ratings on several sites. Comes tomorrow, so we'll see how she likes it.
>257 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. It's been a big January. The sad part is it just made room for all the book piles to end up on shelves.

I'm done cleaning out drawers in my desk, but still have to do the pigeon holes now that the roll-top is back on it. By that, you realize that my rug arrived today and is down on my floor, so I can finish up all the nooks and crannies!

>258 ronincats: Just as lovely as you'd hoped it would look. Great way to greet 2019, improving your most personal space.

That's a great new look, Roni. Kudos for rehousing 97 books in such a short time!

Hi Roni!

Looks like the hardest parts over - congrats.

The Group Read thread is up in case you can join us:

Group Read: Last Friends by Jane Gardam.

Happy Friday, Roni! Looks like you've been doing some organizing! I need to do that in our place as well!

>259 richardderus: Richard, you are such a support to me! *smooch*
>260 Familyhistorian: Kind of amazing, Meg. But feels good.
>261 karenmarie: Yes, the hardest part IS over, but today will be a long day of fitting all the little parts back in, Karen. And thanks for the reminder. I forgot to order it from the library, but just did and with 7 copies available, should have it early next week.
>262 ChelleBearss: Much easier to do without two young children--although the cats do do their part!

So, my last book for January:



Book #10 Cast in Oblivion by Michelle Sagara (544 pp.)

You may recall that I love this fantasy series. This is book #14 and I have somewhat mixed reaction. There is a LOT of talk in this book. A LOT! Think My Dinner with Andre kind of talk for the first half of the book. On the other hand, there is also a lot of action in the second half of the book that should propel some big changes in the next book. And Kaylin has pretty much stopped whining and is ready to start learning what Chosen really means. Definitely not the place to start the series, my friends. But I can't wait for the next one (which will be a while because this one only came out on Tuesday).

Later today I will post my January summary and set up a new thread, but for now, I am moving all the stuff in the dining room back into my office or I will get rid of it. The resulting office situation will be my header for the new thread. Later!

January Summary

Books read: 10
Pages read: 3648
Average pages per day: 118
Average pages per book: 365

New reads: 10
Rereads: 0
Library books: 3
Books off the shelf (ROOTS): 2
New acquisitions read: 6/13
Did Not Finish (DNF): 0

Genre:
science fiction 2
fantasy 8
children's 1
nonfiction 0
fiction 0
romance 0
mystery 0

Author gender: 8 female, 2 male

Country of origin: 8-USA, 1-England, Wales, Australia, Canada, France, 1-Germany, South Africa

Medium: 6-Kindle, 2-Hardback, 3-trade paper, 2-mass market paper

Books acquired: 13
Source: 7-Amazon; 3-Goodwill; 1-Mysterious Galaxy; 1-PBS; 1-Thriftbooks
Read: 6
Genre: 1-science fiction, 8-fantasy, 2-nonfiction, 2-fiction
Cost: $70.73

Books out the door: 104

A slightly below average reading month. Note that when EVERY book is a ROOT, I only managed to read 2 and they were OLD ROOTS, having been on my shelves for YEARS! Above average month for acquisitions; I read 5 of them (all Kindle) and one was one I had read that I bought to send on to my Mom, so it is counted as read. FAR above average month for books out the door--104, doubling the entire number sent out last year. I've already met my annual goal on that one!

>264 ronincats: only two ROOTs, BUT so many other books rehomed! Win!

>244 ronincats: Funke is not a favorite with me either. I struggled to finish the Inkheart series. I will give that one a pass.

>252 ronincats: Adding that one to the BlackHole. I really enjoyed the Sharing Knife quartet when I read it several years ago. Thank you for the recommendation!

>265 fuzzi: I think so, too, fuzzi.
>266 alcottacre: Glad to help you out with a BB, Stasia!

Okay, the new thread is up and running.

>254 richardderus: I don't know about you, Richard, but I was counting on the vortex helping me get in some good reading time. By the time I managed to get all the necessary chores outside done (thanks to frequent coming in to warm up periods), and then did what I had to inside, I found I had no more time than if I'd been at work. I hope it worked better for you. :)

>258 ronincats: I wish I were a faster reader, but when I try, I find I miss something and have to flip back and re-read sections, especially if it's a book with a lot of plot points or a lot of key information. Re-reading usually means it takes me longer to finish the book than if I just read it at my normal pace, so I don't try speeding up the process anymore. Your place is looking good, by the way!

>268 CassieBash: It didn't for me, either, since I'd've been thrilled to be awake for more than 20min at a stretch. This awful plague-cold kept me low.

>243 ronincats: Thanks for the kind words! I went away for a weekend and then lost all the momentum.

And I have way too much to do this weekend to try to follow up with the reviews of the other Time Quintet books.

I came back to LT to find your thread in that awkward space between old and new. Since there's still activity in both, thought I'd post in both. Not sure of the etiquette...

No etiquette that I know of, but this way I get to hear from you twice--ALWAYS good.