scaifea's 2019 Thread #8

I'm so excited for the Good Omens show - I'm hoping to get to a reread this month.

Hey, everybody!

From the Introductions Thread:
I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure. I spend my time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading. Oh, and I run an Etsy shop and I'm co-writing a Latin textbook with a former colleague. So I keep busy.

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

I'm 43 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our 10-year-old son, Charlie; and our two dogs, Tuppence the Border Collie and Mario the Golden Retriever.



Favorite Books from 2018
The Hate U Give
We Are Okay
Revenge
Uprooted
Doc
Trigger Warning
Sacre Bleu
The Sleeper and the Spindle
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
84 Charing Cross Road
In a Sunburned Country
Becoming

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

7. An unread book from my shelves.

8. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What I'm Reading Now:
-Lincoln (U.S. Presidential Challenge)
-Picture Us in the Light (Stonewall Honor Book)
-The Name of the Wind (SFF Awards)
-The Wee Free Men (Discworld series)
-Afternoon of the Elves (audiobook)
-The Ghost in the Mirror (Charlie's bedtime book)
-News of the World (Read Soon! Shelves)

Books on Deck:
-Angels and Visitations (Gaiman bibliography)
-(an unread book from my shelves)
-The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six Others (from my Read Soon! Shelves)
-Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism (Buddhist reading list)
-Uncle Silas (Books by Year, 1864)
-Read It and Weep (series that my mom wants me to read so we can chat about it)
-The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare re-read)
-Peyton Place (Banned Books)
-The House on the Borderland (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)

Books Read

JANUARY
1. The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric (Read Soon! Shelves) - 7/10 = C
2. Viking's Dawn (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
3. Journey Outside (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
4. Leader by Destiny (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C-
5. Eugenie Grandet (audiobook) - 8/10 = B
6. The Man Who Was Thursday (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10 = B+
7. The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
8. Bhimsa the Dancing Bear (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
9. Carpe Jugulum (Discworld) - 8/10 = B
10. All the Crooked Saints (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A
11. Boy with a Pack (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
12. The Robber Hotzenplotz (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
13. The Wonderful Year (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
14. Treasure of Green Knowe (Charlie's bedtime book) - 9/10 = A
15. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10 = B+

FEBRUARY
16. The Night Diary (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
17. The Poet X (Printz Award) - 9/10 = A
18. The Puppy Place: Cody (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud) - 8/10 = B
19. Next of Kin (Boyne bibliography) - 10/10 = A+
20. Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Morris Award) - 8/10 = B
21. The Fifth Elephant (Discworld) - 8/10 = B
22. The Knife of Never Letting Go (recommended by my BF) - 8/10 = B-
23. The Book of Boy (Newbery Honor Book) - 10/10 = A+
24. Wish (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
25. Crime and Punishment (Books by Year, 1866) - 8/10 = B+
26. Merci Suárez Changes Gears (Newbery Medal Winner) - 8/10 = B+
27. What the Night Sings (Morris Award) - 9/10 = A-
28. Big Tree (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B

MARCH
29. Storm Front (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10 = C
30. Young Mac of Fort Vancouver (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
31. This Is Water (Read Soon! Shelves) - 10/10 = A+
32. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (series I'm reading with my mom) - 8/10 = B+
33. The Battle of Bubble and Squeak (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
34. Nicholas Nickleby (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
35. The Two Princesses of Bamarre (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A
36. A Study in Emerald (Gaiman bibliography) - 9/10 = A
37. Howl's Moving Castle (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
38. The Collectors (Schneider Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
39. Unstoppable (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
40. Gold Dust (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 7/10 = C-
41. George Washington's World (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
42. The Heavenly Tenants (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
43. The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Shakespeare Re-read) - 9/10 = A-
44. The Truth As Told by Mason Buttle (Schneider Award) - 8/10 = B+
45. The Truth (Discworld) - 8/10 = B-
46. The Swerve (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A-
47. A String in the Harp (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
48. Knight's Fee (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
49. Lolita (Banned Books) - 9/10 = A
50. Pancakes-Paris (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+

APRIL
51. New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
52. The Firefly's Lovers and Other Fairy Tales of Old Japan (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 8/10 = B
53. The Book of Three (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A-
54. A Visit from the Good Squad (Pulitzer Prize)
55. The Well of the Unicorn (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 6/10 = D
56. The Seeing Stone (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
57. Down Ryton Water (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
58. Thief of Time (Discworld series) - 9/10 = A-
59. The Puppy Place: Bear (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud selection) - 8/10 = B
60. The School at the Chalet (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
61. How the Whale Became (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
62. The Mysterious Benedict Society (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
63. Ghosts of Greenglass House (Read Soon! Shelves) - 10/10 = A+
64. Noughts and Crosses (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
65. Anger Is a Gift (Schneider Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
66. The Winged Watchman (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
67. The Last Hero (Discworld) - 8/10 = B
68. Witch Child (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 9/10 = A
69. Have You Seen Tom Thumb? (Newbery Honor Books) - 6/10 = C

MAY
70. Uncle (1001 Children's Books) - 6/10 = D
71. The Jazz Man (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
72. When Breath Becomes Air (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A
73. My Friend Mr. Leakey (1001 Children's Books) - 6/10 = D
74. The Witches of Worm (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10= B-
75. Ficciones (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books list) - 10/10 = A+
76. Dogsong (Newbery Honor Book, audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
77. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
78. Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World (Stonewall Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
79. Smile (the book that Charlie let me borrow as a Mother's Day present) - 9/10 = A
80. Song of the Pines (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
81. On My Honor (Newbery Honor Book, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
82. Night Watch (Discworld series) - 10/10 = A+
83. Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A
84. Elidor (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10 = C
85. The Left-Handed Fate (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B+
86. The Lover's Dictionary (Read Soon! Shelves) - 7/10 = C+
87. Good Omens (reread before the show is released) - 9/10 = A
88. A Dog So Small (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 6/10 = D

Charlie's ballet recital rehearsal:

Guess the book from the Latin:

Dies bella erat. Omnes dies bellae fuerat. Vero magis quam hactenus septem, pluviaque nondum ficta erat.

Happy new thread Amber.

I love your topper. I just recently listened to Good Omens. Loved everything about it. The show will be amazing of course.

>7 fairywings: I'm *so* ready for the show - the casting is unbelievable! But I haven't read the book in ages, so I'm hoping I can squeeze in a reread in the next couple of weeks...

>8 scaifea: Good luck squeezing it in. Oh yeah the casting looks amazing. With that cast it can't be anything but a hit.

Happy new thread, Amber! Great pic of Charlie dancing at his recital and of the doggies. Hope you're having a great day!

Happy new one, Amber!

Happy new thread, Amber! Great photos in >5 scaifea:.

Happy new thread!

>6 scaifea: I think there's something in there about rain? Basically, I got nothin'.

>6 scaifea: Oh wow...rain unimagined? Not invented? This isn't ringing any book bells for me.

Happy new thread.

Happy New Thread, Amber!

Love the Good Omens topper, and that's a great photo of Charlie in >5 scaifea:.

I just started Pachinko, and I'm liking it so far.

>6 scaifea: I cheated. I looked up the first line of Good Omens just out of curiosity.

Happy new thread, Amber. Love the photo of Charlie's recital.

>9 fairywings: I know, right?! It's gonna be So. Good.

>10 bell7: Thanks, Mary! I think that's a pretty good one of Twinkle Toes Charlie, too.

>11 katiekrug: >12 Carmenere: Thanks, Katie & Lynda!

>13 foggidawn: Yes! There *is* something about rain in there! Well done!

>14 richardderus: Richard: SO CLOSE!!

And thanks!

>15 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I've head a lot of buzz about Pachinko; I look forward to seeing what you think of it.

>16 Morphidae: Morphy: Oooh, sneaky - well done!

>17 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! Isn't that a good one of the dancing kiddo? I'm excited for the recital next Sunday.

>20 scaifea: OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I get it now! Heh.

Happy new one!

>21 richardderus: *grins*

>22 figsfromthistle: Thanks!

Hi Amber my dear, happy new thread and great photos once again, sending love and hugs to you all from both of us.

>24 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>6 scaifea: Stumped me with that one. I'm am not familiar with the work ...yet. It's one I consider reading from time to time, though.

>26 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Oh, do. It's a hoot, and my favorite Pratchett so far (and I'm on #29 of the Discworld books).

Happy new thread! I’m hoping that the series holds up... crossed fingers and toes!

Happy new one, Amber.

I wouldn't have guessed the book as I am not familiar with it at all.

Must congratulate you, as I should have done on the last thread, for passing 75!

Happy New Thread, Amber!

Ha, love the topper, obviously waiting breathlessly for the release of the show, great photos of all the kids but especially the dancer, and very clever puzzle!!

>28 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

I'm more confident in this series being great than I usually am in book adaptations. The previews are so amazing, as is the cast!

>29 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! You should give the book a go - it's such a hoot.

>30 msf59: Thanks, Mark!

>31 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! So many of us are awaiting the show, maybe we should have a viewing thread...

It's a Comfy Pants Day again today, and a good thing, too, since I woke up with a slightly queasy stomach, for some reason. As long as that doesn't get out of hand, I'll still do my treadmilling this morning, do a little bit of paperwork, and then probably spend time in the sewing space. I didn't get there yesterday because the hold I had on the Jane Eyre movie came in at the library, so I spent two hours watching Fassbender be the best Rochester ever instead. Rochester has long been one of my favorite literary boyfriends and Fassbender was PERFECT. *dreamy sigh*



On the reading front:
I made some progress on Song of the Pines, started listening to On My Honor, and started reading Night Watch.

Fassbender/Rochester or Firth/Darcy?

>34 Morphidae: I've not seen the Firth Darcy film, so I can't say for certain. I do realize that I need to correct that oversight, toot sweet.

>35 scaifea: OMG, woman. Stop whatever you are doing and get it IMMEDIATELY. Sheesh!

>35 scaifea: Sometimes I worry about you...

>36 Morphidae: >37 laytonwoman3rd: *grins* So, which one is that again? It's not Withering Blights, is it, because NOPE.

Nooo... *sigh* and also

Oh, come on. It’s Mr. Darcy!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SXmn3s-vHzc

You haven't seen the Firth/Darcy movie? OMG! Even I am hopelessly besotted by that one - Lizzie/Jennifer Ehle got to me while my wife and daughter were transfixed by Colin in a wet shirt. I remember it as 6 hours long, and poor Becca went along with me in watching it straight through one Saturday (not my first time!)

Your BFF and I both enjoyed that Jane Eyre movie, too.

>33 scaifea: Glad to see you had a good outing with that one. And I echo the many "must watch" recommendations for the 1995 P&P. So, so good.

"Withering Blights" LOL

We're coming to get you, Barbara...I mean Amber....

>41 jnwelch: Watching the whole thing (it is pretty long) in one marathon session on a weekend is the way to go. Bonus points for tea and elegant snacks.

>39 laytonwoman3rd: >40 Morphidae: *snork!* Kidding, ladies! (Not about the withering blights part, but about not knowing which movie it is.)

>41 jnwelch: Joe: I know, I know. I'm not sure how I haven't watched it yet, but I suspect I'll need to do it on my own somehow - I don't think either of the Scaife Men would be willing to forfeit six hours to such an undertaking...

>42 MickyFine: Honestly - and I'm really not trying to get a rise out of anyone with this, truly - from the little clips I've seen here and there, I don't know how the Firth version is could be better than Matthew Macfadyen's Darcy (I find Macfadyen much dreamier)...

>43 richardderus: Richard: *SNORK!!*

>44 foggidawn: Oh, there's always tea. Always. But if I do watch it, it'll have to be in small, lunchtime chunks, I think.

I enjoy Colin Firth as Darcy, but I recently re-watched that version and the newer Keira Knightley one and overall preferred the latter.

*ducks whatever thrown objects are headed my way*

Amber, I'm curious as to why Rochester is one of your favorites?

Agree that Fassbender was well cast.

>46 katiekrug: *fist bumps over Knightley movie, which I also haven't seen, but still*

Jane Eyre was one of the first classics I ever read. I was a freshman in high school, and I developed an instant schoolgirl crush on the guy, and the book in general. The language caught me right up and although I'd already been a huge reader since for always, that was when I fell in love with LITERATURE. I think I associate that first lit. love with Rochester, then, too. Plus, I've always had a thing for broody, troubled dudes, I guess, and so what if he keeps his batshit crazy wife in the attic? Nobody's perfect.

And Fassbender is FINE.

And while we're on the subject of casting classics for film, I have a couple ideas:

1) I need - NEED - Cumberbatch to play Edmund Dantes. I. Need. That. In. My. Life.

2) Hiddleston as literally ANY Shakespeare character (and preferably ALL of them). His Prince Hal is definitive and I'll take no arguments on that.

3) Sam and Dean Winchester as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but then let them have a go at it, you know? No way they're going down (and this based on only 1.5 seasons of SPN (and no, I'm not obsessed (pshaw))).

Other ideas?

>47 scaifea: - Thanks! I'm so nosy - I just find stuff like that and people's preferences so interesting, so thanks for indulging me.

Now I'm trying to think who my first literary crush was and no one immediately springs to mind and I feel like a failure :-/

>45 scaifea: I'm so with you on the Withering Blights. It was a DNF for me about 1/4 of the way through.

>46 katiekrug: >47 scaifea: I have but have not yet watched the Keira version of Pride and Prejudice. I'm also supposed to be doing a reread of P&P with @The_Hibernator but have been very bad. I also want to reread Jane Eyre sometime soon.

>49 katiekrug: Katie: Happy to share! My very *very* first literary crush was Mr. Tumnus, when I was in, I think, third grade. So I find this both hilarious and a little too close to home:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Zwy7fofcg

And it also brings us nicely full circle to Magneto/Rochester...

>50 Morphidae: Morphy: *fist bump for the DNF!* That book is THE PITS.

(*whispers* I've also technically never actually read P&P...)

*collapses from P & P shock*

*whispers* I only watched the first couple of episodes of the Colin Firth P&P and found it underwhelming. And I love Colin Firth! I have trouble with overhyped things, though, as they seldom live up to expectations. So YMMV.

I listened to Wuthering Heights on audio and found it interesting enough to distract me while walking the dog. I'm pretty sure I would never have finished it in print, though.

>51 scaifea: That cracked me up. The video, not the other thing about P&P which I am sticking-fingers-in-my-ears lalalalala ignoring!

>52 jnwelch: And more lalalalala ignoring!

>52 jnwelch: Joe: *grabs smelling salts*

>53 rosalita: Julia: Six hours seems a little much, to be honest.

I'm not sure I could have suffered through the audio, either, really. Just, blech.

>54 Morphidae: I haven't actually seen to movie version of the Narnia thing, either, but I love McAvoy and thought that skit was hilarious.

Just to make you feel better, Amber, I will own up to not having watched Firth/Darcy (although I do know what movie it is, ahem). There's no good reason for that, except for it being 6 hours and never quite getting around to investing the time. Like Katie, I really liked the Macfadyen & Knightley film adaptation. In addition to the two leads, there are several other notable performances.

>56 lauralkeet: Laura: That's good to know, and makes me feel better. I think I'll likely request the M&K version soonish and leave it at that for now.

Another The Usual day here today: treadmilling and sewing space time, mostly.

On the reading front:
I divided my reading time between The Left-Handed Fate and Song of the Pines yesterday, plus I listened to a bit of On My Honor.

Happy Wednesday, Amber. I hope you’re getting some of this good weather. We’ve finally been able to sit on our front porch and read, one of Debbi’s favorite things ever.

I picked up the new one by the Poet X author Elizabeth Acevedo, so I hope to report back soon. I’ve got the lengthy Pachinko in front of it, so it’ll be a little while.

Happy Hump Day, Amber! I'm reading poetry books, plural, on this positively sun-struck breezy day.

Happy new thread, Amber!

The best of the topper pictures is Mario with her ears up ;-)

>59 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! It's sunny and in the 60s here, so I'm certainly not complaining. Reading on the porch sounds fantastic. I can't wait to see what you think of the new Acevedo, too.

>60 richardderus: Hi, Richard! I'm glad you've got a sunny, breezy one today, too.

>61 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! That's a good one of Mario, isn't it?

>57 scaifea: Harumph.

>63 Morphidae:

Listening to you compare versions of P&P is definitely making me feel old. In 1980 I watched the 6 part miniseries with Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul in the lead, with Priscilla Morgan as Mrs. Bennet and Judy Parfitt as Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I did love it, and confess that I haven't watched the versions that came later, clutching my memories to my breast.

>65 ffortsa: That seems fair - generally folks seem to like best the first versions of things they see.

>66 scaifea: That's an interesting observation, Amber, and probably a true one!

>63 Morphidae: Agree with you, Morphy. The shorter films just leave out too much of the book. And I love Ehle and Darcy and the actors playing Jane and Mrs. and Mr. and the parson cousin. I loved it when Ehle and David Bamber showed up with Colin Firth in the excellent movie The King's Speech.

The Kiera Knightly P & P is good enough for a quick fix, but her portrayal of Lizzie is much to angsty for me. I prefer the BBC miniseries.

>67 PaulCranswick: Paul: It's held up as true for the most part in my experience.

>68 ronincats: I've also not seen The King's Speech, but it's been on my list since it came out.

>69 fairywings: Ah, I do enjoy a good, angsty character, though.

Today's agenda:
More of the same, but with menu planning and grocery list prepping added into the mix.

On the reading front:
I read a few pages in Night Watch, listened to more of On My Honor, and I'm nearly finished with Song of the Pines (I may try to polish it off this morning).

Morning, Amber. Sweet Thursday. You know I am loving this warmer weather. This is when I especially enjoy my job. I hope your week is going well.

>72 msf59: Morning, Mark! This weather is great! Next week in the 80s?! Nuts.

I do like the Knightley P&P and agree it's good for a quick fix but Donald Sutherland wandering around with his Canadian accent as Mr. Bennet does make me a little crazy.

Oh, Amber, do see The King's Speech. It's really good.

>74 MickyFine: Micky: Ha! Bad/out-of-place accents don't bother me so much, and Donald Sutherland?! Oh, I *need* to watch it now!

>75 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Noted! I'm glad you liked it. I know it's one that Tomm's been wanting to watch, too, so maybe we'll eventually get round to it. We're still trying to finish Sherlock, which we've been working on for ages - we love it, but we only watch it in bed at night and we both get caught up in what we're reading (usually me) or doing work (clearly him and not me) that we forget. *sigh*

80. Song of the Pines by Walter Havighurst and Marion Havighurst (Newbery Honor Book, 205 pages) - 8/10 = B
The story of a young man, Nils, and the Norwegian family who adopts him as one of their own as they travel from their homeland to the U.S. to start a new pioneer life in Wisconsin. Not a bad entry in the genre: nothing earth shattering, but it's an interesting story and well-enough paced.

81. On My Honor by Marion Dane Bauer (Newbery Honor Book, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
Two boys set out for a long summer bike ride to some bluffs in the local state park, but Tony, the daredevil of the two, pushes Joel (who has been hesitant about the whole expedition from the start) to do something Joel knows is too dangerous: go for a swim in the river. Joel has promised his dad not to do anything he shouldn't, but Tony is persistent, and both boys pay for it in different ways, in the end. A short but powerful book that skillfully captures childhood friendships, peer pressures, and survivor's guilt.

>77 scaifea: It's not a book I'd've remembered reading had you not brought it up. In 1969 I was attending Pillow Elementary in Austin and that book was what I read before a school play where I was a Norwegian settler.

The book was dull and the play was *awful* and I was excruciatingly bored by the entire experience. The next school year I went to Doss Elementary and was much happier. Now, wasn't that a fascinating excursion into the past?

>79 richardderus: Pillow Elementary? What a cool name for a school, although I'm sorry you weren't very happy there. The book certainly doesn't have much pizzazz, but I found it less dull than others written in the same vein. The attitude toward colonization and Native Americans was fairly cringe-worthy, though.

Today's agenda:
Grocery shopping, a trip to the libraries, weekly bills, some baking (brownies), and possibly a nap. We had a thunderstorm roll through last night, and Tuppence, in her old age, is getting increasingly intolerant of storms and kept us up with her worried roaming and carpet scratching. Poor thing.

On the reading front:
I spent some time with The Left-Handed Fate and started Rufus M. yesterday. I'll likely start A Dog So Small today.

Happy Friday, Amber.

Becca's pal Indy gets scared by storms, too. In Becca's old apartment she'd hide in the bathtub. The new one has a shower, no tub. We're waiting to see what Indy does!

Happy new thread and Happy Friday!
Hope you get that nap in today! I set a timer to do some LT visiting and now I have to go clean the upstairs :(. I'm going to try listening to my audio since I'm kid free today and see if I can get some decent cleaning done while reading Rooms.

>5 scaifea: What a great photo!

>82 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Tuppence used to hide in the bath, but now her arthritis (arfritis?) doesn't allow that, so she wanders around our bedroom scratching at the carpet and trying to find a hidey-hole. We ended up making her a fort out of some pillows and blankets, and she snuggled into that and calmed down.

>83 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle! I don't know if I'll get a nap at this point, but I'm not nearly as tired as I thought I would be, so I think it's okay. Good luck with your cleaning. I usually listen to audiobooks while cleaning, too - makes the chore go faster, it seems.

>84 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda!

Today's agenda:
Some cleaning, some baking, and then hopefully a ton of reading. But first some LT time while I drink my tea and watch a Robin build a nest in the bush just outside my office window.

On the reading front:
Yesterday was time spent with Night Watch, mostly. I also realized that I've already read Rufus M., so I'll switch that one out for something else today.

>86 scaifea: Have a lovely reading Saturday, Amber. I'm doing much the same.

Hi Amber. How are you liking Night Watch?

I have a copy of Good Omens on the TBR shelves. I bought it for a challenge last year and then never got around to reading it. So I will read it before the film comes out. Or at least before I see the film. :-)

Watching a robin build its nest sounds pretty wonderful. Before we left home we were pretty sure we had a pair of quail sorting out our yard for a possible neighborhood in which to raise a family. Perhaps when we return there will be baby quail marching around our back yard!

>88 EBT1002: Hi, Ellen!

Night Watch is shaping up to be one of my favorite Discworld books so far, I think. One of my librarian friends urged me to try to get to it this month, since it takes place on May 25, and it's kind of cool to be reading it in season, so to speak. I'm hoping that I can get through my Good Omens re-read soon, but I don't know how fast we'll be at getting round to the show, either - I think Charlie will love it, but Tomm and I want to watch at least a couple of episodes ourselves first, to make sure there's nothing that would spook him (and we're not fast at watching things on our own, to be honest).

It's been a hoot watching the robins - they're the second bird couple to move into that bush, so I'm looking forward to watching how the apartment building story goes this spring/summer. Baby quail would be so fun to watch!

Today's agenda:
We're off to the zoo for our first visit of the season this morning, and then this evening is Charlie's ballet recital. In between I have no plans other than reading. We'll see how that goes.

On the reading front:
I made some good progress on The Left-Handed Fate yesterday and started Elidor. I'll probably work on Night Watch today.

>87 richardderus: Richard: Yesterday was wonderful! After getting the baking and cleaning out of the way, I alternated between reading and short naps and it was EVERYTHING.

Have a great trip to the zoo!

Amber! OMG ep17 of S2 of SPN. There might have been tears (mine). And choice words spewed at the writers. Rude ones. More from me about my impressions of S2 so far when I'm at a real keyboard, but basically: I'm loving it.

>92 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! We had a great time.

>93 lycomayflower: Laura: I just watched that one yesterday and ohmYGOSH. Yeah, there were tears, but I was happy with it. This is turning into such a good show. I can't wait to see more thoughts from you about it.

>94 scaifea: So I'm up through ep18 of s2 of SPN now. I am just loving this season to bits. Not that I didn't love s1 too, but I feel like the quality is just notched up that much higher. (And the horror, I think, has notched down a bit? Which, honestly, I'm happy about.) And I love love love the way they started playing a little bit with the format in this season, with the eps no longer all following the established s1 formula.

I didn't love ep2 (clowns, dang it, *why*?) but beyond that, so many of these first 18 eps of this season are vying hard for spots on my favs list for this show so far. Standouts were ep7 (the lawyers and the death omen), ep8 (Robert Johnson and the crossroads mythology), ep11 (the inn and the doll house), ep12 (the bank "robbery"), ep14 (Sam possessed), ep15 (the trickster), and EPISODE 17 OMG (I thought this ep was *so good*, but I definitely called the writers some bad names for doing that to my boys). And ep18 had me sporfling though the whole thing (Dean Dean the PA, lol. And I love when it looks like the actors are having a great time, which it seems like Jensen Ackles was in this one). And that Gilmore Girls reference! :D

The stakes feel so high this season, what with all this stuff about how Dean needs to try to save Sam and if he can't he'll have to kill him and the way we've seen that he *can't* do that. (Of course he can't, poor guy.) The stuff between the brothers is just so good. And it seems like every time I'm thinking "okay, so this is just a filler-type ep with a monster of the week," they do some twist that makes the ep either *matter* to the overall story/character development or just the twist is good enough that it raises up the whole episode--like ep16, where the woman they were helping turned out to be a ghost all along and ep15 where they think they've killed the trickster but in the end they haven't and they don't even know it. (And the way this bit echoed the part in ep12 where they caught on to the way the shifter was trying to trick them into killing the wrong thing.)

Can't wait to see how it all comes together (is Sam going to "go bad?" Are we going to learn anything big about the demon? Is that FBI agent going to show up again?)

>96 scaifea: Laura: I agree with your favorites, especially the Robert Johnson and the trickster episodes, which are two of my favorite myths, and I was so happy that they didn't kill the trickster because of course you can't. It's so fantastic that they clearly do their research on how these myths work. I love all the little (and not so little) twists in this season, too. I agree that everything is at least a notch better than last season. My predictions are that yes, Dean will go bad but of course they'll find a way because Dean Never Gives Up Dean Always Finds a Way (except for with werewolf girl, but hey), and yes, FBI guy will show up again. Is it weird that the 'normal' in-trouble-with-the-law stuff makes me more nervous for Dean than the actual supernatural dangers? Probably not because that's him out of his real element (the real world isn't really his thing).

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling, possibly a couple of errands, and then sewing space time. This evening we're going to the movie theater to see Nausicaä, which none of us have ever seen and we're all pretty excited.

Charlie's ballet recital went great and he did really well! The only not wonderful thing about it was the dude sitting next to me, doing his best to manspread in a theater seat and who used his phone light every 2-3 minutes to check his playbill and nearly blind me. Ugh.

On the reading front:
Still working on Night Watch and The Left-Handed Fate; enjoying both, but for some reason they're both slow-going.

Morning, Amber! I hope you had a nice weekend at the Scaife Manor. I am enjoying a day off but a much cooler, breezier day here. I am glad I got out birding yesterday. Other than a few errands, I will probably be staying close to home.

>98 msf59: Morning, Mark! Cool and cloudy here today, too. Enjoy your day off!

Do all dance schools have recitals at the same time? I have friends all over (off the top of my head: Ohio, Texas, Florida, and Connecticut) with kiddos in dance and they *all* had recitals this weekend! I'm glad Charlie's went well, and BOO! to the manspreader. They are The Worst.

glad Charlie's recital went well but so sorry so had to sit next to a jerk :(

>100 katiekrug: Katie: Yep, I think so. Charlie's previous ballet teacher gave her recitals this weekend, too. And yeah, stupid manspreader. Blech.

>101 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. That guy was the pits.

Hiya, Amber.

Good to hear that Charlie's dance recital went well.

Although Lucretius continues to get mentioned., I hesitate to recommend Reality is Not What It Seems. It's really good, but there's a fair amount of math and formulae and difficult concepts in the second half. I love this author, and he's a great explainer, but I'm feeling mightily challenged in trying to understand quantum gravity, which is an alternative to string theory. So if that sort of thing appeals to you, yes, but otherwise maybe not.

>103 jnwelch: Hi, Joe!

So, you're saying that a simple gal like me, what with only one PhD and all, probably couldn't understand it and shouldn't attempt it. Gotcha. (*Adds it to the wishlist*)

(Just joshing you, friend! (But not about the wishlist part. Oh, it's on there.))

>103 jnwelch: and >104 scaifea: - It sounds to me like something Amber and Tomm could read to each other by candlelight in front of a romantic fire...

>105 katiekrug: Katie: Why do you think I married a physicist?! OF COURSE THAT'S WHY.

Actually, have I ever told you guys about our first date? He came over to my apartment, and when I answered the door, he had a bouquet of flowers, and when I reached for them he said, "Oh, no, these are for the nitrogen." Turns out he also brought a container of liquid nitrogen from his lab so that we could dip stuff into it. He also showed me what happens when you put a cd in a microwave for just a couple of seconds (it makes a cool crackly pattern on it), and we have that cd framed now. He was adorable and dorky and I loved every second of it.

>106 scaifea: OMG that sounds like such a cute first date.

Also it's been so long since I've seen some of the earlier seasons that I'm starting to wonder if I should attempt a rewatch...

>106 scaifea: *baaawww* I'd've married him too! So perfect.

>106 scaifea: that is such a sweet story!

>107 bell7: Mary: It was completely adorable and it swept me quite off my feet.

You should definitely to a rewatch!

>108 richardderus: Richard: I certainly haven't regretted it...yet...

>109 lauralkeet: Laura: I know, right?!

More of the same today: Treadmilling, a couple of errands, then sewing, I think.

On the reading front:
Still plugging along with The Left-Handed Fate, Night Watch, and Elidor. I'm enjoying all of them, so I don't know why they all seem to be dragging along so much.

>106 scaifea: That is absolutely the best first date story ever, especially as I know how it turned out! (And I'm reading it on my own wedding anniversary, which is somehow very appropriate.)

>105 katiekrug: Oh yeah. I had that thought...even before reading about that first date.

>112 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: It *has* turned out quite well so far...

And Happy Anniversary!!

>111 scaifea: Sometimes even the best reads drag. I'm pretty sure it has to do with focus. Some other thing is absorbing the brainpower usually given to story consumption, often without the main brain being aware of it until whatever it is gets...resolved? fixed? whatever it needs to be.

>114 richardderus: Richard: You're right, of course. I've just not been in a hyper-reading mood lately and it's hard for the rest of me to accept that and let it be. Still probably not gonna, but at least I know it'll pass.

>115 scaifea: I'm in the same place, I think -- not reading as much as usual, and struggling with that fact a bit.

>116 foggidawn: foggi: I wouldn't mind so much, but I still have two books to finish for this month's Category Challenges, plus I want to get Night Watch finished before May 25 and also so that I can get started on a re-read of Good Omens because the show's coming out. The deadline pressure is likely part of what is making me drag my feet - I hate being told what to do and being given a deadline, even when it's me doing the telling. Issues, yes, I'm aware I have 'em.

>104 scaifea: Oh good, Amber! No, you'll probably handle Reality Is Not What It Seems much better than I have! I just didn't know whether you'd have any interest in that direction. It's wonderful to have some company. If you like our friend Carlo's writing, his Seven Brief Lessons on Physics is what got me started with him, and I loved it. I'm going to read his The Order of Time next.

Right now in Reality Is Not What It Seems, he is explaining how "time" is something we humans made up, and that it doesn't really exist. How about that for a mind-boggler?

Amber, my friend, the time has come. Get in the car and start driving east. Wednesday evening, Neil Gaiman will be discussing all things Good Omens with Nick Offerman!!! at The Town Hall in midtown Manhattan. I've just made up the bed in the guest room in anticipation of your arrival...

>118 jnwelch: Joe: You know, I hadn't really thought before (and should have, what with all this first date chit chat and all), but I may want to clear all this Carlo business with The Husband first. What if he catches me with one of his books and thinks, "Oh sure, go to another man with your physics interests, will you?" Honestly, he may even know him (he knows the likes of Tyson, after all).

As far as the time think goes, well, I mean, he's not wrong, eh?

>119 katiekrug: Katie: Ohmygosh, yes. I saw that that was happening and my poor little heart pooped its pants. I'm not sure it would even be a good idea for me to attend something like that; I'd likely have a complete emotional meltdown at the prospect. And a stay in your guest room on top of all that?! So amazing.

"my poor little heart pooped its pants"

I love this turn of phrase!

>121 katiekrug: Katie: I know, right? I use it at every possibly opportunity.

>117 scaifea: I completely relate to this. Almost always I have to talk myself into reading my book club book even if it's a book that's been on my TBR list forever 'cause... well, I don't want to read it *now* I want this other shiny book.

By the way, I recently came across the fact that there is a miniseries called The Night Manager with Hugh Laurie and Tom Hiddleston. I'm not inclined to pick up a spy series per se, but... well. I rather like those actors. Have you watched it? Any thoughts?

>123 bell7: Mary: Yup. If you tell me I *have* to do something (again, even if it's me telling myself), then I stubbornly don't want to do it, even if I really *do* want to do it. It's a problem.

I have heard of that series - it's won tons of awards and is apparently absolutely fantastic. I do want to see it, but I don't think it's quite Charlie appropriate yet and Tomm has no interest and my lunchtime watching it all booked for 13 more seasons, so it'll be a little while before I get there. I say go for it, though, because I've not heard one bad thing about it. And, well, Hiddleston.

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling and sewing space time is all I have planned. No errands and no reason to leave the house so, Comfy Pants Day! Woot!!

On the reading front:
I did finally finish one of those books - review of Night Watch to come.

Morning, Amber! Happy Wednesday. Hooray for "Comfy Pants Day"! I am working but it will be much warmer today. Yah!!

>126 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yep, those warmer days are coming!

82. Night Watch by Terry Pratchett (Discworld series, 338 pages) - 10/10 = A+
Sam Vimes is in hot pursuit of a criminal mastermind when they are both caught in a time hiccup and sucked into the past. They arrive on May 25th, the day of a bloody revolution which Vimes knows all too well because he was there the first time it happened. If he can change history he'll be able to save the lives of good men, but then his own future (wife, soon-to-be-born son,...) may disappear, and anyway it may just take all his efforts just to keep his young, rookie cop self alive.
The absolute best Discworld book I've read so far. So much fabulous going on here. Vimes is at his Vimesiest, which could never be anything but wonderful, and the story has a feeling of everything that came before it being merely a lead-up to this moment.

Morning, Amber!

Hmm. You make Night Watch sound mighty tempting. Is it necessary to read the lead-ups?

>129 jnwelch: Hi, Joe!

Technically I think you can read pretty much any of the Discworld books as stand-alones, although I think this one in particular would lose quite a lot without having the background for the characters involved. You wouldn't be lost, but you wouldn't be as moved, I think. You wouldn't have to read *all* of the Discworld books up to this point, though - you could just read the City Watch ones:

1. Guards! Guards!
2. Men at Arms
3. Feet of Clay
4. Jingo
5. The Fifth Elephant
6. Night Watch
7. Thud!
8. Snuff

I, too, share in the oppositional disorder so rampant here...tell me I gotta and I flat-out refuse to. Even when it's something I really want to do.

>131 richardderus: Richard:

>131 richardderus:, >132 scaifea: Is the club still open to new members? Because I am like this to an embarrassing degree.

I'm betting there's more than a few of us that should be in that club...

>130 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. That's very helpful. I'm not sure I'm enough of a fan to take all those on, but it helps to know which ones in what order.

Unless you tell me I gotta join this new club, in which case I'll say no, I'd like to be a member, too.

>133 lycomayflower: YES! All the afflicted are welcome! Also, this is why I don't sign up for Early Review books and such; I wouldn't enjoy them that way because then I'd *have* to read them. Ugh.

>134 drneutron: Jim: Ha! I never had any idea so many of us are that stubborn!

>135 jnwelch: Joe: You're welcome! I get that it's a bit of a commitment, and honestly some of them in the series aren't stellar, but they're all fun, and I've laughed out loud at least once for every book.

And no pressure! Join if you like!

>135 jnwelch: LOL

The tent is infinitely expandable.

>131 richardderus: >132 scaifea: >133 lycomayflower: >134 drneutron: I am also a member of that club ;-)
Tell me I really MUST read a book and it can take years to get to it!
Someone was pushing the Harry Potter books so hard when they first came out, it took years before I did read them. Of course I loved them, but I wasn't able to read them any sooner.

I know what you mean about the "have to read" books not going down that well. It makes me wonder why I try to read for challenges because often it takes the fun out of the books.

>137 richardderus: Richard:



>138 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita! Join us!

>139 Familyhistorian: Meg: I wonder why I enjoy the Challenge, um, challenges so much, too. Honestly, this is the first month that I've been stressed about getting my picks finished in time.

>139 Familyhistorian: >140 scaifea: As long as I can pick my own books for a challenge, it works, as it feels like my own choice to read them.

>141 FAMeulstee: Anita: That definitely helps me, too, and usually I do pretty well budgeting my time for them, but for some reason this month things have gotten away from me.

>142 scaifea: Sometimes my planning is perfect, Amber, and sometimes I plan a bit much. For obvious reasons I won't read all my planned reads either this month. There is always a next month :-D

>143 FAMeulstee: Anita: True! And it's nice that the folks over in the Challenge group are not too strict about actually finishing things within the month.

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling, laundry, sewing. Baked potato bar for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
Nearly finished with Elidor. I made some progress with The Left-Handed Fate yesterday, too. I'm having some trouble getting into my audiobook right now, though, A Dog So Small; I'll try to listen more again today.

83. Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy by Karen Foxlee (Charlie's bedtime read, 228 pages) - 9/10 = A
Ophelia Jane Worthington-Whittard spends her Christmas holiday with her older sister at the huge and labyrinthine museum where their father is curating an exhibit on swords of the world. In her wanderings she finds a boy locked in a room, who asks her to help him escape and find his own, magical sword, which he must give to the One Other in order to defeat the Snow Queen. Ophelia doesn't at all believe in such nonsense, being a scientifically inclined young woman, but little by little, as she helps the boy, she opens her heart to the possibilities of magic, the struggle between good and evil, and her own potential for bravery. I *love* this book. I listened to the audio version a couple of years ago and knew that Charlie would love it, too. (And reader, he did.) It turns out that it's also a really fun book to read aloud to others. Highly recommended.

>146 scaifea: I'll take a book bullet on that one. Now added to my TBR. Looks like it will be a fun read.

>147 sirfurboy: Oh, excellent! I hope you love it as much as we do!

>146 scaifea: Glad to see Charlie liked that one. I was fond of it too when I read it a while back.

>149 MickyFine: Isn't it so good?!

84. Elidor by Alan Garner (1001 Children's Books, 173 pages) - 7/10 = C
Four siblings stumble into another world and are tasked with guarding four sacred items by bringing them back into this world for safe-keeping. For a year all seems fine, to the point that some of the children start to doubt that it really happened at all, when warriors from the other place break through to steal the treasures. I found this one frustrating to no end. It starts out too abruptly, plonking the reading down into the story with not nearly enough background (I even checked to make sure I wasn't starting a series midway through) and has just as baffling and lose-endy an ending. Shame, really, because the story seems like it could be a really good one.

>151 scaifea: I had the same reaction to The Owl Service. Some people love Alan Garner, but I just didn't get it.

>151 scaifea:, >152 foggidawn: I utterly love his Weirdstone of Brisingamen. Nothing else of his has been worth reading. I dunno...

>152 foggidawn: Oh, good. I was worried that I would be the odd reader out with him, because he definitely seems to have fans.

>153 jjmcgaffey: Interesting! So he's hit and mostly miss for you...

Okay, I am a little behind in my thread reading, but I wanted to weigh in with my two cents re: Jane Austen movies/series.

Pride and Prejudice -- the Elizabeth Ehle/Colin Firth mini-series is the best; great supporting cast, too

Jane Eyre - (I know it's Charlotte Bronte, but was discussed above, too) the Ruth Wilson/Toby Stephens mini-series is the best. A two-hour movie can't compare to the six hours contained here

BTW, I recently watched the "Hamlet" with David Tennant and it was superb! His portrayal of craziness (first, feigned...then, real?) was spot-on.

Karen O.

>155 klobrien2: Karen: I do love Tennant's Hamlet. I really want to see Cumberbatch's version, but I've not yet been able to catch it when they periodically show it in theaters.

Today's agenda:
Weekly bills, menu planning and prepping my grocery list for Tuesday, packing for our long weekend trip to Indiana, and a quick trip to our libraries.

On the reading front:
I finally finished up The Left-Handed Fate (mini-review to come)! It feels like I may be back on track with my reading pace, and this weekend should help, too. I'll likely start Picture Us in the Light and Casual Vacancy today.

Happy Friday, Amber! I've missed too much here and I don't watch a lot of television so all that talk goes right over my head. However, I felt the same as you about Jane Eyre and the brooding Rochester. I absorbed everything about it and reading Tess of the d'Urbervilles shortly after cemented my nickname of "Miss Gloom" amoung my friends.

>158 Carmenere: Lynda: "Miss Gloom" Ha! I love it! I still need to read Tess...

Hopelessly behind on your thread, but sending a big Hi! with great sincerity. : )

>150 scaifea: Hi, Kim!!

Morning, Amber.

Rainy again out our way. Arggh.

So far I'm loving Elizabeth Acevedo's new one, With the Fire on High. Great main character, and she's a talented cook who watches all the cooking shows. I've already alerted my cooking-show-loving Madame MBH. I'll report back.

Oh yeah - and Happy Friday!

>162 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I'm sorry that you're still suffering from rainy weather - we've got sunny skies today (or for the moment, at least).

I *need* to get that new Acevedo. I sounds amazing!

Safe travels, lovely visit, and happy homecoming wishes!

>164 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

85. The Left-Handed Fate by Kate Milford (Read Soon! Shelves, 372 pages) - 8/10 = B+
Max is following in his father's footsteps, searching for the three parts of a machine that legend says will end all wars. He's engaged the help of a ship, the Left-Handed Fate, and her crew, including the captain's daughter, Lucy Bluecrowne. But there are others in search of the machine pieces - not to mention that they're in the middle of a war that puts a 12-year-old lieutenant of the U.S. Navy in their path (and on their ship) - and the race to solve the clues, find the pieces, and figure out how to put them together is on. Plenty of fun to be had here: the mysteries, the stories-within-stories, and the magical realism are great. It doesn't quite measure up to her Greenglass House books, though (this is a prequel, of sorts, to those), mostly because I found some of the explanations related to the machine itself to be a little hard to swallow/slightly confused. Still, a good, fun read.

>166 scaifea: I looooove the Greenglass House books, but I started this one and just couldn't get into it. I chalked that up to all of the stuff that was going on around the time I tried to read it (it was right when I was in the process of moving and starting my current job). I'll probably try it again sometime, but I agree that, at least based on my limited experience, it's not as engrossing.

>167 foggidawn: By the end of it I was well and truly sucked in, but it did have a bit of a slow start.

Have a safe trip and happy visit, Amber.

>169 Familyhistorian: Thanks so much, Meg, but we've had a change of plans (see below).

Welp, Charlie came down with a cold yesterday, so we're staying home this weekend. Poor kiddo. Anyway, we clearly don't have any plans, so I'm hoping to spend most of the weekend reading, to be honest. We'll see how it goes.

On the reading front:
I started Picture Us in the Light and Casual Vacancy yesterday, and will likely work on both of them this weekend.

Morning, Amber. Happy Saturday. Sorry, to hear Charlie is under the weather. I hope he rebounds quickly.

I just pulled up at work, with my windows down and the sun shining. It won't last but it feels good.

>172 msf59: Morning, Mark! Fingers crossed that the weather stays nice for your route today. And thanks for the well-wishes for Charlie; he's pretty bummed that he's missing out on a weekend with his Granny & Pa, and then feeling rotten with the cold on top of that is no fun.

Poor Charlie! I'm sure he'll bounce back quickly. Hope you have a nice family weekend, even if it's not the one you originally planned.

>174 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. He's having a nice, long, soak in the bath right now, with eucalyptus vapor bubbles. That should help some, I would think. Plus, that boy loves a good, long bath. It should be a quiet weekend for us (meaning Charlie and me - Tomm is busy working on building my bookshelves all weekend!), and I'm very okay with that.

Oooh, yay for the custom bookshelves!

Boo to sick Charlie.

But enjoy your quiet weekend :)

>176 katiekrug: Katie: I made a deal with Tomm that we wouldn't need to take up space in the moving truck with my tattered, old, hodge-podge bookshelves if he promised to build new ones for me within a year of the move. We moved at the end of July, so he's cutting it a little close, to be honest...

Thanks for the yays and the boos - so far it's been nice and quiet.

Reading Update:

Welp, I got 30 pages into Casual Vacancy before I decided I couldn't take any more. The writing is good, of course, but I didn't like *any* of the characters and couldn't possibly give a fig what happened to them. So, I'm giving up on that one and starting The Lover's Dictionary instead.

Oh no, poor kiddo. Nothing worse than things conspiring so you can't do something you were looking forward to! Hope he feels better soon.

>178 scaifea: That's how I felt about Casual Vacancy too. I keep thinking I might go back to it, but. It's been years and I haven't. *shrug*

>179 lycomayflower: Laura: Yeah, he's disappointed, but he also realizes that he'd be pretty miserable on a longish car ride today, too, so he's accepted and is okay with hanging out on the couch and watching cartoons all day.

I don't think I'll need to try CV again - I'm pretty confident that it's just not my thing.

>178 scaifea: I slogged through the whole thing, and it never got any better. Good call.

>181 foggidawn: Ooof, sorry that you endured, but it's good to know that I'm not really missing anything fantastic toward the end.

86. The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (Read Soon! Shelves, 211 pages) - 7/10 = C+
A novel about a couple's relationship from beginning through the first two years or so, told through dictionary entry definitions. A really cool concept, but it fell a bit flat for me; I think it tried to be too clever (or needed to be better at the poetic bits and just couldn't manage it), and that, in addition to me not particularly liking either of the characters, made for a dissatisfying read.

Thunderstorms here today, so it's definitely a stay-indoors kind of day. I've not problem with that: tea and books are the agenda. Charlie's feeling fair-to-middlin'; still with the cough, but he has a bit more energy. It'll be good for him to have another quiet day of books and video games and cartoons.

On the reading front:
I read through The Lover's Dictionary (see above) and started my reread of Good Omens (so, so very good), and I read a few pages in Picture Us in the Light, too.

Hope the book shelves are progressing nicely and that Charlie's cold is on the mend. I love Good Omens -- enjoy the rest of your unexpected downtime weekend. : )

>185 Berly: Thanks, Kim! The "progress" on the bookshelves is that all the wood and supplies have been purchased. *sigh*

Charlie's cold is on the way out, but it's at that coughing-all-the-time-runny-nose stage, so the most miserable part. It's really good that we stayed here this weekend.

And isn't Good Omens the best? I knew I loved it, but it's been years and I didn't remember just *how* much I loved it. The first time I read it was before I'd ever picked up a Discworld book, and this time around I love being so familiar with Pratchett's M.O., and when Death came on the scene I was actually fangirling about it. Ha!

Another sort-of quiet day here at Scaife Manor (I do need to run to the grocery shop at some point). I spent most of yesterday with Good Omens and Picture Us in the Light and will do the same today, likely.

Morning, Amber. Sorry to hear that Charlie is still feeling crummy. I hope this is the last of it.

>188 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yeah, I think the cold is on the way out, but he is feeling pretty crummy. At least he can relax again today.

An extra day of having a cold at home was always my kidhood definition of the universe is cruel, reasons why. Hope the young'un and you get some relaxation today.

>190 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

I hope that Charlie feels better soon, Amber.

>192 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I'm hoping that a restful day today will mean that he'll be ready for school tomorrow.

So I hope you’re planning to post pic s of these shelves once they’re done!

>194 drneutron: Jim: I will! I took some 'before' photos this weekend for comparison!

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling and sewing, mostly, I think. Tomm is taking today off to get more work done on the bookshelves (read: actually to start the bookshelves, since all weekend was spent in procuring supplies and cleaning out a space for him to make them). I appreciate that he's working on the shelves, but his being at home throws my day off. *sigh* We'll see how it goes. In the category of Other Things That Will Be Working Against Today Going Smoothly, we spent the middle of the night in the basement after the tornado sirens went off. Thank goodness they missed us, but there were a few of the things moving around in our area, apparently. Once I'm awake in the middle of the night, though, it's really hard for me to get back to sleep, so I'm not exactly fully functional today...

On the reading front:
I finished my reread of Good Omens yesterday (so good!).

87. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett (reread before the show is released, 412 pages) - 9/10 = A
I reread this one so that it would be fresh in my mind for the release of the show. I knew that I loved it, but I'd forgotten the details of that love. Such a great story with fantastic characters. The first time I read it was before I'd ever picked up the first Discworld book, so I didn't really know anything about Pratchett's work. This time though I'm now over halfway through the Discworld series and it's wonderful to see how most of these characters would be right at home in that other world. I even fangirled a bit when Death first comes on the scene here (he's my very favorite in the Discworld series).

>183 scaifea: I've read a few things by David Levithan, and liked none of them. He's now on my unofficial list of authors to avoid.

>198 foggidawn: I'm not in any hurry to track down more of his stuff, to be honest.

Hiya, Amber.

I ended up loving With the Fire on High, and do recommend it. Acevedo has the knack, and I expect we’ll be getting special ones from her for a long time to come.

I re-read Good Omens on audio our last car trip and, like you, thoroughly enjoyed it all over again. It’s almost time for the tv series!

>200 jnwelch: Hi, Joe!

Acevedo is firmly on my list of Authors Up with Which to Keep. I need to get a copy of this one soon.

Which audio version did you listen to? I know there's one out there with Peter Serafinowicz as Crowley, and that sounds wonderful to me. And I can't *wait* for this Amazon show! The cast looks absolutely perfect!

>199 scaifea: I will say the book he co-wrote with John Green, Will Grayson, Will Grayson is highly enjoyable.

>202 MickyFine: I liked the John Green parts...

>203 foggidawn: Fair. But I feel like Tiny Cooper was a shared creation and Hold Me Closer was pretty enjoyable.

>202 MickyFine: I'll likely get around to that one sooner or later because I do enjoy Green's stuff.

>203 foggidawn: *snork!*

>204 MickyFine: And now I'm in Elton John Land...

I need to get my Good Omens re-read going! Right now I'm slightly bogged down in Lost and Wanted and wishing I had a resident physicist to explain things to me. ;-)

>206 rosalita: Julia: Ha! I'd loan you mine, but he's busy building my bookshelves right now...

>207 scaifea: And that is MUCH more important! The friend who recommended the book to me says understanding the science-y bits isn't essential to "getting" the book, but the more I read the more I feel like I'm missing whatever the overarching theme or central point is. Ah, well. Onward!

>208 rosalita: That's a frustrating thing, I know. I always want to understand All The Things.

Sorry to hear about Charlie's illness, Amber. I hope he is feeling better. I started Casual Vacancy and put it aside thinking that I would get back to it. >181 foggidawn: Thanks for taking one for the team. Now I won't feel bad for abandoning it. It was my first book by Rowling.

>210 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. Charlie seems to be much better this morning, so the cold is certainly on its way out.

Your first Rowling?! Oh, that's unfortunate.

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling, laundry, sewing, possibly a nap (I still feel knackered from Monday night's tornado sirens). Charlie has a great report from the dentist yesterday - no cavities! They're doing an escape room something-or-other at school today and he's really excited, so I'm eager to hear about that this afternoon, too.

On the reading front:
I spent all my reading time (which wasn't much) on Picture Us in the Light. It's fair-to-middlin', and for some reason it seems to be really slow-going. I'm hoping it'll pick up soon.

Morning, Amber! Happy Wednesday. This late spring weather has been ridiculous, right? I know parts of Ohio were hit pretty hard. We had another storm last night. I hope you guys are all doing well.

>213 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yeah, Dayton (about an hour's drive from here) got absolutely slammed. Lots of damage. There were something like three or four tornadoes just in Ohio on Monday night. Yoicks.

Good morning, Amber.

>214 scaifea: Yoicks is right! We had one tornado near the Indiana/Chicago line. I didn't realize how hard Ohio got hit.

A Casual Vacancy is the one Rowling I've avoided. It just didn't sound appealing to me. I'm reading a Travis McGee mystery and a Heyer Regency right now.

We even had tornado warnings here. I was in bed, but apparently the local stations cut-in to the regular TV programming and told people in the town where our new house is to take cover. Luckily, nothing terrible materialized. And Staten Island (the "forgotten borough" of NYC) had hail the size of tennis balls. Crazy.

ETA: Good morning, Amber! Glad Charlie is feeling better.

Wow!! to the weather! I'm really glad we're traveling the far-southern route this year because a trip diagonally across the country right now sounds rather scary!

>215 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

I always had a hard time imagining tornadoes in big cities - it just doesn't seem right. But of course it can happen. Scary stuff.

I still haven't read any Heyer, although I do have one waiting for me on my Read Soon! shelves.

>216 katiekrug: Hi, Katie! Thanks for the Charlie good thoughts. I'm glad he's better, too, because he would have been disappointed to miss that escape room business today.

See, a tornado near NYC just sounds nuts to me. The belong in the countryside! Ha! I'm happy that you're okay and that that new house of yours is, too!

>217 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: I know, right?! Good call on the southern route, although one of these days I hope you come through Columbus so we can have a meet-up!

>206 rosalita:, >207 scaifea: and following...

Ahem. There might be a handy physicist around here somewhere...

😂

>219 drneutron: Jim: Ha! Of course! So, when can you get here to help with these bookshelves...?

>220 scaifea: No! Bad Amber. He wants to help MEEEEEEEE.

>219 drneutron: *bats eyes* Hi there, Jim. Have you read Lost and Wanted by any chance?

>221 rosalita: Julia: *snork!!* Fine. I can't compete with eye batting of that quality.

>216 katiekrug:, >218 scaifea: We got a little rain, heard some far-off thunder, nothin' big. YAY for that!

>223 richardderus: Richard: We're getting a wonderful, steady rain right now with just a little thunder. My favorite. I've got the back sliding screen door open so I can listen.

Hi Amber - I have an Ohio question. My family is likely traveling to Ohio this July as our summer road trip. We hope to hit up some of the National Parks from Maine to Ohio, as well as any kid friendly places. We have the Columbus Zoo on our list. Do you recommend that zoo or Cincinnati? Also, are there any other "must see" places for an almost 8 year old and 3 year old?

I have Casual Vacancy on my TBR shelves -- it has been there for ages and I still have no desire to pick it up. Maybe I should just donate it to the Library booksale.

>225 jayde1599: Hi, Jess! Definitely visit the Columbus Zoo - I'd say that it's the best zoo in the country (it's headquarters for Jack Hannah, so yeah)! We absolutely love it. I also highly recommend Hocking Hills State Park (not a national one, but it's beautiful and full of great trails). COSI (kids' science museum) is very cool, too, but a bit pricey.

>221 rosalita: Unfortunately, I haven’t, but it’s on the list now...

>227 drneutron: I will keep an eye on your thread in case you read it! And I might stop by with some specific (non-spoiler) questions as I go along ... the science chatter is swooshing right over my head!

Cool. In the meantime, I’ll check to see if Tom needs help with the bookshelves. There’s got to be some stress calculations I can work on...

>227 drneutron: >228 rosalita: >229 drneutron: Jim: You're such a helpful guy to have around!

Today's agenda:
Dentist appointment for me, then menu planning and prepping my grocery list. After than, some sewing room time, likely.

On the reading front:
I spent time with Lincoln and Picture Us in the Light yesterday.

>151 scaifea: I read Elidor years ago, having already read The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, which I loved. I was not especially taken with Elidor either. The book was also controversial for having a seance in it, although these days that would not be controversial at all I think.

>166 scaifea: Added that one to me TBR. Thanks.

>232 sirfurboy: Ha! The seance didn't even register with me as something that might be controversial, so yeah.

I hope you like The Left-Handed Fate - have you read Greenglass House and Ghosts of Greenglass House?

>233 scaifea: I haven't read either of those, no. And now I added kindle samples for these too. Thanks :)

>234 sirfurboy: Yay!

Good morning, Amber!

>236 jnwelch: Afternoon, Joe!

Back from the dentist - no cavities! WOOT! That's big news for me, because I have super-weak enamel (plus I grew up with well water and no flouride and didn't start going to the dentist until I was 6 or so) and have had tons of cavities even though I work pretty hard to take care of my teeth. So it's a good news day!

Hi Amber my dear, just stopping by to say hello and say thank you for stopping by my thread. Hope you and the family are having a good week so far and send love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

>238 johnsimpson: Thanks, John! Good to see you!

>218 scaifea: We often do and I would love a meet-up (or we could meet in Cleveland OR you could come for a visit at Chautauqua...)

>226 scaifea: Um.m.m...I feel obligated to stick up for the World Famous San Diego Zoo at this point :)

>237 scaifea: Good job with the teeth!!

Yay for the Good Omens reread and DEATH (and Susan too, although not in this book). I really liked The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and its sequel The Moon of Gomrath, but not Elidor so much. The Owl Service has themes I don't like but is masterful in its own exploration of them. Hope Charlie is feeling better.

>240 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Definitely let us know when you'll be passing through Ohio next!! We can take you to the zoo and show you the difference between San Diego and here... (I've been to the SD zoo and I was excited to see it, knowing its reputation, but was surprised to find that the Columbus zoo surpasses it in lots of ways, really.)

And thanks! I'm always relieved when I get a good report at the dentist.

>241 ronincats: Roni: I'm so excited to watch the show, which comes out today!

I'll read more Garner if he comes up on a list, but not otherwise, I think.

And thanks - Charlie seems pretty much back to normal now, thank goodness.

Today's agenda:
Grocery shopping, library visits, bills, cookie baking, and celebrating Charlie's last day with a trip to the local frozen custard stand after school.

On the reading front:
I started News of the World yesterday (too soon to tell, but I know so many love this one and I'm excited about it), read more of Picture Us in the Light (good, but still slow-going for some reason), and listened to some of A Dog So Small (I usually love Pearce's stuff, but I'm constantly on the verge of abandoning this one - *sigh*).

Morning, Amber! Happy Friday! Hooray for News of the World! It is soooooo good. I hope you are also enjoying Lincoln.

>244 msf59: Morning, Mark! I *am* enjoying the Lincoln, even if I'm pretty slow at it right now. I'm only 20 pages into News of the World, but I expect that it'll live up to the hype.

Morning, Amber!

Debbi and I were just talking about News of the World. We loved it, too. Just sink into it and forget the hype. It's really good.

Charlie's last school day - is he having mixed feelings? Seems like he loves school. I was always pumped up for summertime.

>246 jnwelch: Morning, Joe! I'll take that advice and just let myself get lost, then.

Charlie used to *love* school, but since we've moved he doesn't so much anymore. Makes me sad to no end. He doesn't hate it, but that absolute joy is gone. Ohio public schools aren't nearly as progressive in their teaching styles as Wisconsin has been, historically, and we're definitely finding that it's the case here in Johnstown. He misses his old school and teachers and friends. But he's really looking forward to summer and so am I. Here he is, ready for his last day of fourth grade:

>247 scaifea: Awesome Hamilton shirt! I hope you two have a great time celebrating his last day of school.

>248 MickyFine: Micky: Isn't it, though? I was so excited when I found it for him and it's now his favorite shirt.

And thanks! I'm definitely looking forward to frozen custard later today...

88. A Dog So Small by Philippa Pearce (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 6/10 = D
A young boy living in London wants a dog so badly, but there's no space for one in the city. It becomes an obsession for him, one that leads to a scary-but-ultimately-okay accident, and then finally he gets his wish, although it doesn't turn out exactly as he had daydreamed it would.
I've really enjoyed all the other Pearce books I've read, but I struggled to finish this one, and at one point Ben (the boy) makes a decision so irritating (to me, at least) that I very nearly did give up on it. The characters are unlikeable (all but the grandfather, who's a delight), and Ben's pouting and obsessing over a dog quickly became tedious. So I was disappointed in this one, I'm afraid.

>241 ronincats:, Hi Roni, glad you enjoyed The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath but you might want to give the last in the trilogy,Boneland a miss. Like you I enjoyed the first two but having battled through Boneland I was non the wiser.

>250 scaifea: That's too bad, a favorite author turning in such a wanting performance is never a fun thing. Happier reads post-custard, and YAY for Charlie ending his school year in his favorite shirt!

>251 johnsimpson: Hi, John! It's rough when the last in a series you've enjoyed fizzles out, isn't it? I'm sorry that's the case here with you.

>252 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! The custard was superb: Charlie had classic chocolate and I went with vanilla with hot fudge. So. Good.

Others really like that book, but it just didn't do a thing for me. I think I'll stick with her fantasy-leaning books, as those are the ones I've loved so far.

>251 johnsimpson: I'd heard that, John, so have never looked it up. But thanks for the affirmation!

Just watched Episode 1 of Good Omens and cannot believe how GOOD it is!!!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FMDFMR4/ref=syn_dp_ROS_Goodreads

>254 ronincats: Roni: We watched the first episode last night, too. It's wonderful!

ETA: Although Frances McDormand as God/Narrator annoys me.

Today's agenda:
French toast has been had and I've got cinnamon roll dough set, so all I have left on my list today is finishing the rolls, laundry, and reading.

On the reading front:
I finally finished Picture Us in the Light and it really took an upturn in the last third. Mini-review to come. I should also start a new thread...

>254 ronincats:, >255 scaifea: We also watched the first episode last night and loved it! Husbeast is a big, big fan of the book (I enjoyed it, but not nearly like he does), and he was really happy with it. I'm enjoying it even more than the book so far. (I think that kind of humor plays better for me on TV, somehow. I've liked most of the Discworld adaptations I've seen more than the books too.)

>257 lycomayflower: Laura: I think the casting (beside McDormand) is so, so excellent, and that goes a long way toward making it a success, of course. Tenant and Sheen are fabulous together, and Tomm was so excited about Jon Hamm being in there, too (he loves the guy).

I don't want to get in the middle of the zoo squabble between you and Reba, but did Jack Hanna maybe used to be at the San Diego Zoo? I remember seeing him on Letterman many times (and Johnny Carson, too, because I'm O-L-D) and for some reason I always had it in my head that he was from the SD zoo.

The new thread is ready:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/307621