ChelleBearss reads into 2019 (August)

Happy Summer, friends!



No goals for the rest of the summer! Tomorrow I start three weeks vacation and I hope to be able to read and watch the girls play in the pool or beach etc. I do hope to finish the last 5 books for my Pop Sugar Challenge but I won't be too upset if I don't manage it this month.

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For those that don't know me I am Chelle from Ontario, Canada. Late 30's, wife, mother of two and a police dispatcher. Hubby is an officer and between our two shift work schedules we share in all duties of house and children. I read at work when it is slow and after our daughters are in bed or relaxing.
My reading ebbs and flows pretty badly at times. Some years I have read as low as 36 books and in 2018 I hit 140. We shall see what 2019 brings!

Starting 2019 I am setting a few goals for myself and hoping to keep them going through the whole year, and not just January!
I had great fun in 2018 with the Pop Sugar Challenge and will be doing that again this year!
As well I would like to try and up my audiobook game and am setting a goal of two audiobooks per month.


Print 📗:

Audio 🎧:

Finished

August
101) The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
🎧102) The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg
103) How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger (novella)
104) Started Early, Took my Dog by Kate Atkinson
105) Paris by the Book by Liam Callanan
🎧106) Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
107) The Second Worst Restaurant in France by Alexander McCall Smith
108) The Dry by Jane Harper
109) A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
🎧110) Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall
111) Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

September
🎧112) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
113) How to Fall in Love by Cecelia Ahern
114) A Better Man by Louise Penny
🎧115) Lock In by John Scalzi
116) The Institute by Stephen King
117) Reticence by Gail Carriger
🎧118) Head On by John Scalzi

October
119) The Other End of the Line by Andrea Camilleri
120) Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
121) Wolf's Bane by Kelley Armstrong

November
-0-

December
122) Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine
123) The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
124) The Night Fire by Michael Connelly
125) The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams
126) Black Chalk by Christopher B. Yates

Audio Books Read in 2019: (Goal is 2 per month=24 (Completed Sept 2)

🎧1) The Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend
🎧2) Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
🎧3) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
🎧4) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
🎧5) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
🎧6) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
🎧7) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
🎧8) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
🎧9) Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
🎧10) Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
🎧11) An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel
🎧12) Rooms by Lauren Oliver
🎧13) The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
🎧14) The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths
🎧15) The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
🎧16) A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths
🎧17) The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire by Drew Hayes
🎧18) The Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
🎧19) The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg
🎧20) Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
🎧21) The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg
🎧22) Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
🎧23) Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall
🎧24) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline --------- completed goal - any more are bonus :)

🎧25) Lock In by John Scalzi
🎧26) Head On by John Scalzi
🎧27) The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Books Finished in 2019

January
1) Blackout by Connie Willis
2) Mango and Bambang by Polly Faber
3) The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
4) A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
5) I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
🎧6) The Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend
7) All Clear by Connie Willis
8) Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy, Part 1 by Dav Pilkey
9) Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea by Nancy Atherton
10) Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
11) Pretty Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton
12) Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties by Dav Pilkey
🎧13) Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
14) The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
15) The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
16) Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkeu
17) The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
🎧18) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
19) Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
🎧20) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
21) A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

February
22) Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
23) Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald by JK Rowling
🎧24) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
🎧25) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
🎧26) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
27) Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
🎧28) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
29) The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri
30) Watcher in the Woods by Kelley Armstrong
🎧31) Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
32) The Nightmare by Lars Kepler
33) The Child by Fiona Barton
34) After You by Jojo Moyes
35) Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

March
36) Bird Box by Josh Malerman
37) Still Me by Jojo Moyes
38) Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner
39) Year One: Chronicles of the One by Nora Roberts
40) An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
41) Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye
42) The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye
🎧43) Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
44) The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
45) I Found You by Lisa Jewell
46) The Troop by Nick Cutter

April
47) Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye
48) The Low-FODMAP Cookbook: 100 Delicious, Gut-Friendly Recipes for IBS by Dianne Benjamin
49) The Complete Low-FODMAP Diet by Sue Shepherd
50) The Low-FODMAP Diet Cookbook by Sue Shepherd
51) The Low-FODMAP 6-Week Plan and Cookbook by Suzanne Perazzini
52) The Low FODMAP Diet for Beginners nu Mollie Tunitsky
53) The Bloated Belly Whisperer by Tamara Duker Freuman
🎧54) An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel
55) The Suspect by Fiona Barton
56) The Hunger by Alma Katsu

May
57) The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks
58) American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis
59) The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
60) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
61) When Will There Be Good News by Kate Atkinson
🎧62) Rooms by Lauren Oliver
63) Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
64) The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
🎧65) The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

June
66) Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
67) China Rich Girlfriend by Kevin Kwan
68) Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan
69) Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
70) Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
71) Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
🎧72) The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths
73) Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
74) I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
**75) Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
🎧76) The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
77) We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
78) The Shape of Water by Guillermo Del Toro
79) The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

July
80) The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
🎧81) A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths
82) Mister Tender's Girl by Carter Wilson
83) Caraval by Stephanie Garber
🎧84) The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire by Drew Hayes
85) Today Will be Different by Maria Semple
86) The History of Bees by Maja Lunde
🎧87) The Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
88) Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
89) The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths
90) The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
91) The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
🎧92) The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg
93) Lyrebird by Cecilia Ahern
🎧94) Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
95) The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths
96) The Outlander by Gil Adamson (200pages read, DNF)
97) Behind her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough
98) The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
99) Necessary People by Anna Pitoniak
100) The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths

ROOT
I'm trying something new this year and I've joined the ROOT group.
I am going to attempt to reduce my unread books by almost half (not including audio or ebooks) and my goal is 30. (I think there are about 75 up there). I won't do anything silly like pretend I can make myself stop buying (as if) but to count towards this I had to own the book prior to December 2018.




Here is the link to my ROOT thread
1) The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (owned since 2018)
2) A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley (owned since 2011)
3) I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley (owned since 2011)
4) Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea by Nancy Atherton (owned since 2016)
5) The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (owned since May 2018)
6) The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner (owned since May 2018)
7) Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (owned since April 2018)
8) An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (owned since 2018)
9) Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye (owned since 2017)
10) The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye
11) I Found You by Lisa Jewell

These are my TBR shelves

FINISHED

2019 PopSugar Reading Challenge


01 - A book becoming a movie in 2019 - Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
02 - A book that makes you nostalgic - Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
03 - A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction) - Bird Box by Josh Malerman
04 - A book you think should be turned into a movie - The Troop by Nick Cutter
05 - A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
06 - A book with a plant in the title or on the cover - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
07 - A reread of a favorite book - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
08 - A book about a hobby - The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs
09 - A book you meant to read in 2018 - The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
10 - A book with "pop", "sugar" or "challenge" in the title - The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
11 - A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover - The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
12 - a book inspired by mythology, legend or folklore - Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman
13 - A book published posthumously - I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
14 - a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie - Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson
15 - A retelling of a classic - Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
16 - A book with a question in the title - When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
17 - A book set on a college or university campus - The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
18 - a book about someone with a super power - The Chronicles of One: Year One by Nora Roberts
19 - a book told from multiple POVs - Blackout by Connie Willis
20 - a book set in space - We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
21 - a book by two female authors - The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
22 - A book with a title that contains "salty", "sweet", "bitter" or "spicy" - Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
23 - A book set in Scandinavia - The Nightmare by Lars Kepler
24 - a book that takes place in a single day - Today Will Be Different by Maria Semple
25 - a debut novel - The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler
26 - a book that's published in 2019 - The Overnight Kidnapper by Andrea Camilleri
27 - a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature - The Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend
28 - a book recommended by a celebrity you admire - An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (Opera's Book Club)
29 - a book with "love" in the title - How to Fall in Love by Cecilia Ahern
30 - a book featuring an amateur detective - A Red Herring Without Mustard by Alan Bradley
31 - A book about a family - I am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley
32 - A book written by an author from Asia, Africa or South America - The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes (Africa)
33 - A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in the title - The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
34 - a book that includes a wedding - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
35 - A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
36 - A ghost story - Rooms by Lauren Oliver
37 - a book with a two-word title- All Clear by Connie Willis
38 - A novel based on a true story - Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
39 - A book revolving around a puzzle or game - Caraval by Stephanie Garber
40 - Your favourite prompt from a past Pop Sugar Reading Challenge - 2018 #3 Next book in a series - Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

Advanced:
41 - A "cli fi" book - The History of Bees by Maya Lunde
42 - A "choose-your-own-adventure" book - Pretty Little Mistakes by Heather McElhatton
43 - An "own voices" book - Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
44 - Read a book during the season it is set in - Seven for a Secret by Lyndsay Faye (winter)
45 - A LitRPG book - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
46 - A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
47 & 48 - Two books that share the same title - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon & The Outlander by Gil Adamson
49 - A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling (Yer a wizard, Harry)
50 - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent - Murder in the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

August/September
50 - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent - Murder in the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
29 - a book with "love" in the title - How to Fall in Love by Cecilia Ahern

My other threads are sad and lonely. I'd like to try and add a few books to each this year, perhaps these ones that I've listed below:

Women's Prize for Fiction
🔵2018 Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
🔵2009 Home by Marilynne Robinson
American Marriage by Tayari Jones

1001 books list
🔵American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis
🔵The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Booker Prize
🔵2017 Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
🔵1992 The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

Happy new thread, Chelle. Topper is yummy! :-)

Happy new thread, Chelle! I love Ellie's firm grip on that ice-cream :-)

Happy New Thread, Chelle! Wow, you read up a storm in July! Enjoy your vacation. That's a great photo of the girls. How was Ellie's check-up?

Happy new thread, Chelle. The girls look adorable in your topper.

Happy new thread, Chelle. Your girls are growing up!

I see you are listening to The Preacher. I'm listening to The Ice Princess right now and am having a hard time with the reader; he's using a cockney accent for some of the characters, which is very annoying. I don't know that I would listen to any more read by him. Who is the narrator for The Preacher? Is he a good one?

>7 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! I am hoping to have a few more ice cream dates while on vacation!

>8 susanj67: Susan, about 5 minutes after that Ellie ran away from me the ice cream flopped off the cone into the grass and she didn't even notice. I think she had eaten enough and just went on eating the cone like nothing had happened lol

>9 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! All is well in Ellie heart land and we don't have to go back until next year :)

>10 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! They both really need their bangs cut but Chloe wants to grow hers out. *sad face*

>11 BLBera: Hi Beth! I liked the narrator for The Ice Princess (Robin Bowerman) much better than the narrator for The Preacher} (David Thorn). Thorn keeps calling Patrick "portrick", and Erika doesn't come out right either, and it's driving me nuts!

Happy New Thread, Chelle!

I love the photo up top of the girls with their ice cream. 😀

Happy new thread, Chelle!

>13 ChelleBearss:
I think that narrators make a big difference in how well you like a book. Also the quality of the engineering on the recording. I always thought that George Guadell, the guy that narrates the Longmire books, was the worst narrator ever. Then I listened to the latest Longmire novel and WOW! I thought it was a whole different narrator. The narration was clear and distinct and it didn't even sound like I thought Gaudell sounded.

I recently stopped listening to the recorded version of Bloodwitch because I thought the narrator was using really funky accents for the characters. I love that series, Witchlands, so I just went to the library and exchanged the CD's for the book. Then I spent most of the day, last Saturday, reading.

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Chelle.

The ice creams up top look delicious.

Happy new thread, Chelle!

Happy new thread, Chelle!

Enjoy your vacation, I hope your girls leave you some time to read :-)

Happy new thread! We have a summer ice cream shack down the road from our house - we’re regulars. 😀

Happy new thread and Happiest of Thingaversaries! 8 books and 1 to grow on right? Shop till you drop, Chelle!
Great pic of the girls!

Happy Satuday, folks! It's a hot one today and we came home from Chloe's soccer game soaked with sweat at 10am! It's going to be an inside morning and splash pad afternoon!
Today is my 8th Thingaversary! Hard to believe that 8 years ago I didn't know any book loving people like me! So glad I found this group, even if I'm not around as much as I would like!

>14 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe! I'm thinking that there will be ice cream in our future today!

>15 kidzdoc: Thanks,Darryl!

>16 benitastrnad: I agree completely! I always listen to a sample of the audiobook to make sure I can tolerate the narrator! I have found that I dislike young, female voices that are higher pitched.

>17 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>18 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! That ice cream was called Unicorn Poop and the girls thought that was pretty amazing!

>19 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>20 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Yesterday I asked Chloe if she wanted to play in the pool while Ellie napped and she said “It’s ok, mommy. Read your book so I can play my game.” She didn't have to tell me twice! :)


>21 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! We haven't gone for ice cream nearly as often as I'd like! Hopefully there will be a few trips over the next three weeks!

>22 Carmenere: Thanks so much! Can't believe that you remembered that!! I have bought a couple books lately but I plan on buying a few more this week!
I've preordered:
Reticence by Gail Carriger (Aug 6)
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood (released Sept 10, and I should reread The Handmaid's Tale before it comes out!)
The Institute by Stephen King (Sept 10)
A Better Man by Louise Penny (Aug 27)
Quantum by Patricia Cornwell (Oct 1)
The Night Fire . by Michael Connelly (Oct 22)
Blue Moon by Lee Child (Oct 29)

I haven't decided what else to order yet :)

You've got a great selection there, Chelle! I think it's a great idea to have these pre-orders spread out a bit of time - thingaversary joy for months to come.

>26 ChelleBearss: The build up to the release of Atwood's book probably makes it the literary event of the decade. Already on the Booker list and nobody else has gotten to read it yet!

Have a lovely weekend, Chelle, and keep as cool as you can. xx

>27 Carmenere: Thanks! I find that all my faves tend to put out their new books in August to December. So my end of year buying tends to be a pick much. Nate was not impressed but he knew what he married lol

>28 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! We are going swimming with our neighbours today so that will keep us cool :)
I agree the new Atwood book is going to be an exciting release. The TV show, and the state of the world, seems to have helped to make the book very popular.

101) The Stone Circle by Elly Griffiths
75 Books Challenge

I am very sad to have come to the end of this series. I will have to wait until next spring for the next book :(


102) The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg
75 Books Challenge

This has been a decent read and I really like the two main characters. This narrator's pronunciations were starting to grate on me though.

Hi Chelle!

Happy new thread, happy vacation, and happy Thingaversary!

Happy new thread, Chelle!

I totally couldn't stop grinning at your adorable little girls and their ice cream!

>26 ChelleBearss: Sounds like a great afternoon for both of you!

I have read several of Lackberg’s books, but I have not listened to any of them. Sounds like that might have been a good think since I am so picky about narrators.

>1 ChelleBearss: Adorable!

>31 karenmarie: thanks! We made the most of our weekend with some bouncy castle time, kiddie pool time and a swim day at our neighbour’s pool. Today we may head to a small amusement park nearby that has educational and fun activities and teaches about bees and honey. Could be fun if the rain lets us go!

>32 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>33 RebaRelishesReading: they do love ice cream!
Our library has preloaded educational tables for borrow with fun learning games for Chlie’s Age range. She is loving playing with it and lets me, and Nate, have some reading time

>34 benitastrnad: his voice isn’t too bad which is why I picked it up after listening to a sample. It’s fairly deep and even. Just some of his pronunciations is off to me.

>35 The_Hibernator: Thanks!

103) How to Marry a Werewolf by Gail Carriger
75 Books Challenge

I have read Parasol Protectorate series by Carriger and thought them fun. She is a good diversion when it is needed. Like a Harlequin romanc.

>39 benitastrnad: Me too. I loved the Parasol protectorate as well as the Custard Protocol. I couldn’t get into the Finishing School series though.

Awesome topper--they are so cute!! And congrats on being on VK. Love your pre-order selections. :)

Hope you had fun with the bees. I love that >26 ChelleBearss: Chloe is letting you read your book!

Nice thingaversary haul - I've only recently read The Handmaid's Tale, looking forward to picking up the new one. I've pre-ordered it at the library but I'm 16 in the queue so won't be holding my breath.

Happy New Thread, Chelle. Love the topper! We can't get enough of those girls. Still trying to catch up on the threads, after my long weekend. Hope the week is going well for you.

HI, folks! Vacation is still going strong over here! On Monday we spent the holiday at Clovermead Adventure park where the girls got to do a ton of activities, feed some goats and see other animals, play at the splash park and learn a bit about bees and buy some honey.
We spent about 5 hours there and I was pretty tuckered when we left!
I think a big hit was the play pit. Instead of foam balls it was filled with dried beans! I think Ellie may have swallowed some though, as she had terrible gas pains that night and green poop yesterday lol. We told the girls not to eat any but I guess she must not have listened lol
.

Yesterday we spent the day with my mom (my dad is on vacation in New Brunswick visiting his mom. My mom doesn't travel). We had a good day of just hanging out and Chloe and my mom did some crafts. My sister popped by for dinner. It was a decent day.

Vacation book #4:


104) Started Early, Took my Dog by Kate Atkinson
75 Books Challenge

I do enjoy this series, but I think that sometimes there is too much extra information about the characters. This novel didn't flow as well as it could have if she has cut out some of the extra chatter. I also didn't care for the end which left me with unanswered questions!

>41 Berly: Thanks, Kim! The end of the year is usually a big book buying binge for me :)

>42 charl08: Thanks, Char! Surprisingly Nate and I have been able to read a bunch this vacation. The girls are happy to play in the pool or bouncy castle and let us relax in the shade.
16 won't be too long! Hopefully they buy more than one copy

>43 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Looked like your weekend away was a good one!

Happy Friday, folks!
Yesterday was spent running errands and then hanging out with the family. Chloe's one request for this vacation was to eat pizza in a restaurant (we usually get pizza delivered) so we hit up the Pizza Hut buffet. Turns out kids eat free so we were pretty happy about that. In the afternoon our neighbours gave us the key to their yard and we used the pool for about 90 mins until the rain decided to ruin our fun. Then we made popcorn and warmed up while watching Frozen.

Today we have some last minute prep and packing for our trip tomorrow, as well as we are having some friends over for a bbq tonight.
Tomorrow we leave for Point Clark to spend 6 days at a cottage. We hadn't planned on renting one this summer but then my friend offered us the use of hers as they are away and not using it this week. Chloe is very excited! Our friend mentioned that people in the area paint rocks and hide them on the beach for people to find so Chloe is excited about painting some and hiding them and finding some to keep. She has been bugging me since she woke up to go outside and find some rocks to paint. We don't have any decent sized ones at our house though so I'm going to take some paints to the cottage so she can paint some while we are there. We are hoping to spend a lot of time at the beach and then a couple day trips to Kincardine, Goderich and maybe Owen Sound or perhaps one of the provincial parks around there.

I'm currently working on two books. Half way through the audio of Skullduggery Pleasant which is odd and fun. Also I am a little less than halfway through Paris by the Book, which I had trouble getting into at first but seem to be in a groove now.

Hope everyone has a good week and I'll be back online next Friday :)

Have a great time in cottage country, Chelle!

Have a wonderful, relaxing vacation!

Have a great trip!!

Happy Saturday, Chelle. Happy Vacation! Look forward to seeing some pics.

Enjoy your holiday, Chelle!

Happy new thread Chelle my dear and have a wonderful vacation dear friend. We had a great holiday and I am in the process of giving a flavour of our trip. Love and hugs to you, Nate, Chloe and Elissa from both of us dear friend.

So envious of your week at a cabin, Chelle. Enjoy!

Have a great trip, Chelle. I look forward to hearing how Chloe does with the painted rocks. What a fun idea.

Happy Monday, friends! I'm trying to work on the tablet and I'm not great with it. I have yet to figure out how to share photos with it.
We are having a great time at the cottage. Lots of swimming and scouring the beach for rocks and shells. Chloe has quite the little collection going.
We have found one painted rock on the beach and Chloe was so excited. We have hidden two already that Chloe painted and plan to hide about 5 more today.

>47 MickyFine: thanks, Micky! I didn't realize that this town is essentially a summer cottage town. There are a few imperial season homes, but the rest are 2-3 season cottages.

>48 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! It would have been more relaxing if we had left the kids at home but it is fun!

>49 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>50 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I've been able to share a few pics on Facebook but I don't know how to share them with the tablet

>51 DeltaQueen50: thanks, Judy

>52 johnsimpson: thanks, John! Glad you enjoyed your vacation!

>53 ronincats: we lucked out with being able to borrow this cottage! I keep trying to talk Nate into buying me one but he wants to live year round in a lake and that's not feasible with our current jobs.

>54 jnwelch: thanks, Joe! Chloe loved doing the ricks! We will hide so e more today and she has found some more good ones to paint.

105) Paris by the Book by Liam Callanan
75 Books Challenge


106) Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landry
75 Books Challenge


107) The Second Worst Restaurant in France by Alexander McCall
75 Books Challenge

Happy Friday, folks! We are home, tanned and tired! Nate is back to work today and the girls are at craft camp and daycare. I should be putting away our traveling supplies and cleaning up but instead I am online. Are you surprised?

We had a blast at the cottage. I think that was the best vacation that we have taken in a long time, despite the amount of spiders there!
We spent a lot of time swimming in Lake Huron or just walking the beach. We went into Kincardine a few days to walk the beach and have treats and pizza. The girls got to sit in the pilot seat of the OPP Marine unit boat and every day they scoured the beach and playgrounds for painted rocks. The residents, and visitors, in Point Clark paint rocks with pretty pictures of motivational words or sayings and then hide them around town. I found the first one within 20 minute of arriving at the beach and then Chloe was hooked. We ended up finding about 8 throughout the 6 days that we were there. We picked up some acrylic paint and sealant when we got groceries in town and Chloe and I spent our downtime painting rocks to hide. I think hid about 20+ and I lost count! We also painted some to bring home to our own garden to remember our trip. I am hoping that my friend offers to lend the cottage to us again next summer as I just adore that little town!

Here are a few pictures!
I will be trying to get caught up and hope to make it to everyone's thread throughout this weekend as I am still on vacation for one more week! :)


Chloe and I catching her first ever sunset. She informed me that she has seen the run rise as she is an early riser but has never stayed up past 9 to see the sunset. So we fixed that!


Family picture on the beach in Kincardine.


I took my audiobook and walked on the beach alone a couple mornings. I wish I could do that everyday!


Ellie and I playing in the sand while the other two swam. Ellie is not a lover of the water yet.

Glad to hear it was a fantastic trip, Chelle. Enjoy your second week at home! :)

Looks wonderful! Those are some happy faces!

So glad to hear your vacation was a success!! Welcome home.

Lovely pictures! Glad to hear you all had a fun time in such a beautiful place.

Looks like a great trip!

>59 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I wish I could say this next week is going to be relaxing but I have a giant to-do list and I'm thinking of tackling the potty training issue... not sure if I am up to it yet.

>60 katiekrug: I agree, Katie! They were pretty happy kids. Tired though and we still had some tantrums and down time, but overall they were pretty good during this trip and seemed to have a lot of fun.

>61 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! I wish I was still at the beach :)

>62 charl08: Thanks, Char! I think I took about 300 pictures in the 6 days. A bit ridiculous really but it was such a pretty place to walk. I keep trying to talk Nate into buying a cottage up there but that's not really feasible right now in this housing market. The cottages up there are the cost of normal houses!

>63 figsfromthistle: It really was, Anita!

108) The Dry by Jane Harper
75 Books Challenge

For a debut novel I thought this was very well done. I did figure out the "who dun it" but not until mere moments before it was revealed.

Hi Chelle!

Lovely trip photos. I'm glad you had such a great time.

All three books by Jane Harper are very good.

Good luck with potty training whenever you decide it's time.

>66 karenmarie: I didn't realize that Harper had a new one out this year, thanks! I've put it on hold :)
I accidentally read the Aaron Falk books out of order as I listened to Force of Nature last year.

>65 ChelleBearss: Glad you liked this one. I persuaded my mum (pushed the book into her hands) to read The Dry last week in the library. She asked me why I hadn't told her about them before, and I had to point out that I *had*. At least, I think I did. She's already gone back and picked up another one by the author.

Hi Chelle. Finding a vacation destination that suits everyone can be quite a chore but happily yours looks and sounds like the perfect family holiday! Glad to hear you were also able to fit in some reading time. Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Sounds like a lovely vacation, Chelle!

Hi, Chelle. I was following your trip on FB. It looks like you guys had a wonderful time. Glad you liked The Dry. I did too and hope to get to the follow up, before year's end, along with The Lost Man.

>67 ChelleBearss: You're welcome re the new Harper.... I, too, read the Aaron Falk series out of order. I don't feel traumatized by it, perhaps because it was only the second one.

Happy Monday, friends.
I have a few days off this week, after working all weekend. It will be a busy next couple of days with appointments. Chloe and I each have a doctor appointment and we need to take our new cat to the vet. Last week a little stray cat showed up at our house a couple of times, the second time it showed up we brought it in the house. I've spent the last week trying to find it's owner but no one has called the local vets looking for it, and none of my online posts have had any responses.
Behind the back of our street was a large mound of dirt, almost a small hill, that just got razed for construction. One of our neighbours said construction workers saw a large amount of cats in the area after they started working there, so it's possible that this little kitty was a feral hill cat. It was very clean though, without bugs, but still isn't quite good at using the litter box (which frustrated Nate and I, as our last cat peed on the floor at the end)

Chloe and Ellie have fallen in love, though, and if we don't find the owner we will probably keep him. He now has been named Blue Orange, by Chloe. My father in law realized that Blue Orange Bearss spells.... BOB. So Nate and my FIL now call the cat Bob.



>68 charl08: Glad your mom liked them! I have the next book on hold already :)

>69 DeltaQueen50: It worked out so well, mostly because it was free so there was no pressure to make it the best vacation ever. It was just a week away to relax and the kids had fun in the lake.

>70 ronincats: It was Roni :) Wish I could back again next week

>71 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I think you will like the followup book too! I listened on audio and enjoyed it a lot

>72 karenmarie: Ok, glad to hear that! I dislike reading books out of order, but usually the first couple books don't matter. Series that have more than 10 books and big character development are a must though!

109) A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams
75 Books Challenge

I really enjoyed the majority of this novel, but I was a little underwhelmed by the very end. I felt it was a little too well tied up and happily-ever-after.


110) Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall
75 Books Challenge

I've really liked this one, and it has creeped me out in a few good ways. I have about 20 minutes left to listen to, which will be finished today.

>73 ChelleBearss: Blue Orange is very cute. I look forward to hearing updates on the cat situation. :)

>73 ChelleBearss: I've been watching your cat adventures on Facebook and cackling with glee! I knew he would end up as part of your family.
When I was about Chloe's age we got a cat and I named her "Chocolate Swirl" despite my parents telling me that that was an inappropriate number of syllables for a pet. They ended up calling her Cocoa.

A new kitty! How exciting! Yay for Blue Orange Bearss, aka BOB.

It helps to restrict a new cat's territory while he's settling in, e.g., in the bathroom with the litter box, food and water when no one is supervising or interacting with him.

Happy Friday, friends!
Hope everyone is doing well. Today Nate and I are kid free and heading to Toronto for the day.It's half with a purpose and half without. He needs to pick up a bike he ordered from a warehouse there (half price!) and we are going to hang out and go to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant to celebrate our seven year anniversary that was yesterday.

We are off all weekend together, for a change, so I will try yet again to get caught up at some point!

>75 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Blue has decided to stay with us. He seems to be settling in nicely and doesn't try to get outside, which is great.

>76 norabelle414: LOL I love that name story! Chloe has stuck with Blue. Ellie can't say her B's yet so it comes out "mew", and Nate calls him Bob. So I'm sure he isn't at all confused about his name :) But since he's a cat he doesn't respond to anything anyway.

>77 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen! He's been to the vet and had ear mites but she couldn't see fleas. He's about 5 months old.

>78 ronincats: Yes, we've given him the run of the living quarters only and we have the basement blocked off. We wanted to make sure he was using the litter box properly, which took a few days of training. I think we will keep him restricted from the basement as I don't see any reason for him to be down there. He sleeps with Chloe and under my bed sometimes.

111) Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie
75 Books Challenge
Pop Sugar Challenge: 50 - A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent

This was not my favourite of the Christie's that I've read and it took me way too many days to get through this. I'm not sure the Marple mysteries will be for me.

>79 ChelleBearss: Happy belated anniversary, Chelle! I hope you and Nate have a lovely date day.

>80 ChelleBearss: Bummer that you didn't like that one. I'd say try The Body in the Library before you write off Miss Marple entirely though.

>81 MickyFine: Thanks! We had an awesome dinner at Cheesecake Factory and be both bought new bikes and a kid trailer for the wee ones to ride in.

I won't write off Marple completely but I was surprised that I didn't like it was much as the other Christie's that I've read. I've got some stuff going on right now that has me a bit distracted so that could be part of the problem.

Eh, leave Miss Marple for now. I hated the Marple books when I was younger, only read the Poirot, or Tommy and Tuppence. Then suddenly two years ago, I devoured all the Miss Marple's on audiobooks and loved them! In retrospect, I'm glad I left them to enjoy all together, brand new.

Congratulations on your anniversary and on your new family member!!

🎧112) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
75 Books Challenge
Pop Sugar Challenge: 45 - A LitRPG book

I had loved this when I first read this a few years back, and then watched the movie and liked it ok. I listened to this on audio this time read by Will Wheaton and now I remember how much better the book is than the movie! I adore Will Wheaton as a narrator

>83 raidergirl3: Ah, perhaps I just have to be in a certain mood for Marple? I won't abandoned her, but I'll move on to some of the many others sitting on my shelves :)

>84 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks! Blue is currently batting a noisy toy around the kitchen floor while the dog looks at him with a "what the hell, dude?" look on his face lol

Yesterday was the most wonderful day of the year here, Back to school!
Chloe was very excited and has been a little ball of nerves for the last couple days. She was very excited to see her friends, but I think a bit nervous about the new kids in her class (She is in a JK/SK split). The new JK boys start today and then the girls start tomorrow, then everyone will be there Friday. I think Chloe might need a quiet weekend after this exciting week of school!
This year's first day shot!


Last year: JK

Chelle, that sounds like an exciting day for Chloe! And I love the photos :-)

Happy Wednesday, Chelle. Love the Chloe photos. Such an angel.

Love the Back to School photos :)

Aw, what a cutie!! I hope she has an amazing week!

Hi Chelle!

>82 ChelleBearss: The Cheesecake Factory is quite wonderful, glad you and Nate had such a good dinner and good time.

>83 raidergirl3: I have never been able to abide Tuppence and Tommy, but pretty much everything else Christie wrote. Compared with some of the word-processor behemoths coming out these days, at least they are rather short…

Sweet pics of Chloe. I’m glad to hear she’s so excited about school.

113) How to Fall in Love by Cecilia Ahern
75 Books Challenge
Pop Sugar Challenge: 29 - a book with "love" in the title

This is the second novel I've read from Ahern. I really enjoyed her Lyrebird, but this one wasn't quite as good. A couple plot points were questionable, and I could see the ending from a mile away, but it was a decent read. I would have preferred to read her novel PS I Love You as I loved the movie, but I couldn't find it around here and I needed a title with love in it to finish my Pop Sugar Challenge! :)

>93 ChelleBearss: If it makes you feel better, the movie of PS I Love You is far better than the book. Looked back at my review of it and I found the writing clunky and if I hadn't been trying to complete a challenge I would have Pearl ruled it.

Congrats on finishing your challenge!

>88 susanj67: Thanks! She was pretty excited :)

>89 msf59: Thanks, Marc! She is loving being back to school. It's nice to see her thriving and making friends

>90 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

>91 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! She seems to be having a good week. She is cute with her friends before and after school and she said she made some new friends as the JK girls started in her class today. She is in a JK/Sk split

>92 karenmarie: That was our first time at the Cheesecake Factory as the only one close to us is about 2 hours drive away. I will make an effort to go back again next time we visit Toronto!

>94 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Glad I didn't buy it then! I loved that movie and I'd hate to have it ruined. I did enjoy her Lyrebird novel though, so perhaps her newer book have improved?

>97 ChelleBearss: The book and movie are very different (the main character in the book is Irish and lives in Ireland for one thing) so I doubt it would have ruined it. However, it did make me disinclined to try anything by Ahern again. I'll let you try her newer stuff and see if it's any better. :)

>98 MickyFine: You might like Lyrebird. I thought it was pretty decent and enjoyed it

114) A Better Man by Louise Penny
75 Books Challenge

I enjoyed this latest in the Three Pines series although there was a minor technical issue that bugged me quite a bit. Her editors should have picked it up and anyone who uses Instagram could have told her it was incorrect, but it was minor and didn't take away from the story. Not the best in the series IMO, but still a great read.

Glad to read the return to school went so well - I love her specs in the back to school photo, too. I'm still avoiding Louise Penny after the first one I read completely caught me out. Brilliant book, but I didn't like it!

>101 charl08: Oh, that's too bad. I have loved all that I've read from her. This one was just an editing and research issue that bugged me.

Happy weekend, folks!
I'm at work for the whole weekend on night shift and wishing that I was in bed
I brought the new Stephen King with me tonight, The Institute.

Happy Saturday, Chelle! I have not seen or heard any reviews on The Institute. Looking forward to your thoughts.

115) Lock In by John Scalzi
75 Books Challenge

This was my first by John Scalzi and I really enjoyed it. I had a hard time understanding what was happening at first, but that could have been because I read it on audio (read by Will Wheaton, love him!) and I may not have been paying enough attention at first.

>104 msf59: I am enjoying and got sucked in immediately!

116) The Institute by Stephen King
75 Books Challenge

This was excellent. Not as creepy as some of his other work, but definitely worth the read.

>105 ChelleBearss:
I am a fan of John Scalzi and have this title on my TBR list. I am slowly reading my way through his Old Man's War series. This is part of a duology (so far) and I just haven't gotten to it.

Hi Chelle, I see that Chloe has changed her ambition from Princess to Fairy. I am guessing that she's all about having magic ability and flying!

I also agree with >83 raidergirl3: I did not care for Miss Marple mysteries when I was young but picked them up in more recent years and loved them.

Proud Mama moment, feel free to skip if you don't want to hear me gushing :)

Chloe's school is running in the Terry Fox Run next week and is taking donations (raises money for cancer research, in case you don't know what that is :) I asked her what her goal was to raise and she picked $40. If each kid in her school raises $5 that is the school's $1800 goal and then her principal will let them die his beard, $900 and the top three fundraises get to cover a teacher in silly string. Chloe is super excited about both those prospects and we decided to do a lemonade stand. She raised $51 at the lemonade stand and another $100 online!! As well she is selling Girl Guide cookies for Sparks and has sold two cases. She is very excited about these fundraisers and has been asking me what else we can do lol.

This was her fundraising before bed tonight in her adorable Sparks outfit!

(not sure what is going on tonight, but my pictures are not posting. I'll try again tomorrow)

ETA picture still not adding, from either the FB link or my member gallery. No idea why not)

>110 ChelleBearss: Aw, way to go, Chloe!! That's wonderful!

>110 ChelleBearss: Congrats Chloe! Do they have her grade doing any kind of run? I imagine a pre-K class running would be utterly charming.

>108 benitastrnad: I was wondering what the Old Man War series might be like, but I'm not super into sci fi alien type novels so I was going to give that one a miss. Scalzi has a few stand alone books read by Wheaton that I may try

>109 DeltaQueen50: All things princess or fairy in our house right now. Both girls have picked princess dresses for Halloween this year

>111 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! She is pretty excited

>112 MickyFine: They do a walk around the neighbourhood surrounding the school. Unfortunately I have to work that day or I would be roadside to cheer them on!

117) Reticence by Gail Carriger
75 Books Challenge

I really love all things Gail Carriger! Her mix of supernatural with fun and sass is a lovely guilty pleasure read for me. Some people like romance or comedy to break up their more serious reads, I like supernatural fluff. (And proud of it :)

>110 ChelleBearss: Hooray for Chloe and well-deserved gushing!

Happy Sunday, Chelle. Just getting back from our Carolina trip. Spent very little time on LT, so hope to get caught up a bit. Great news on the new Stephen King novel.

Hooray for you, Miss Chloe!

Hi Chelle!

Good for Chloe. And she's got wonderful parents to be so helpful and supportive.

Impressive fundraising skills! Great sounding staff team too, to be so up for things like that to get the kids motivated. (The photo is marvellous)

Hope all is well, Chelle. xx

You have been missing for quite some time. Hope things are well with you and your family.

Happy Thanksgiving, Chelle.

Happy Thanksgiving, Chelle

Happy Thanksgiving! May it be filled with good company, great food and excellent books!

Hi Chelle!

Hope things are going well for you and your family.

Me, too, Chelle. My goodness, I sure love that photo of your two happy munchkins up top. Makes me happy every time I see it.

Hello, friends.
Sorry for my absence, I'm currently in my annual fall slump. Not a lot of reading is being done, but lots of TV and game playing. Nate and I are on a Letterkenny binge which should end tonight when we finish the current season.

I've managed to finish a few books in the last couple weeks. I am currently working The Wise Man's Fear on audio and Stone Cold Heart in print, but both are slow going.
118) Head On by John Scalzi
119) The Other End of the Line by Andrea Camilleri
120) Big Sky by Kate Atkinson

Hope everyone is doing well!

Glad you dropped in to let know how things are going!

But that was a while ago...now how are things going? : ) Hope all is well.

What Kim said! I hope you're all doing well.

Missing you Chelle.

Ditto!

Me too!

Hello? Anyone out there? Are you playing hide and seek? I give. You win. Now come out of hiding. Miss you. : )

Soviet Santa says "Happy Yule!" Solstice Greetings to all. Read more here: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/soviet-santa

Happy holidays Chelle. Hope you have a good one!

Hello dear friends

So sorry for my absence, life with two kids has gotten a bit busy lately.
Hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a happy New Year!

xo
Chelle

Have a great holiday, Chelle.

>137 ChelleBearss: Lovely to see you back and posting, Chelle.

I will definitely be back to pay you a visit these next couple of days.

Yay!! Chelle is posting. She's alive and well! Wonderful holiday wishes to you and yours. Have fun with the little ones.
: )

Good to see your still with us! Merry Christmas from Germany!

^Have a great holiday with the family, Chelle! We miss you!

Or in other words, Happy Christmas! And have a great New Year as well.

Thanks for the holiday wishes, friends!

I had a very poor reading show in Autumn and barely touched any books for most of November and December. It took me FOREVER to finish The Wise Man's Fear on audio book, partly because of it's length and partly due to my lack of focus.
I only finished two books in December, I'm working on a third but I will be surprised if I finish it this month. I had hoped to hit the 150 mark this year, and Goodreads showed I was ahead of schedule for most of the year, but the reading slump at the end of the year left me with 123 finished.

122) Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine
123) The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

For those that are interested the 2020 Pop Sugar Challenge has been posted to their website.

Happy holidays, Chelle!! (and when 123 counts as a reading "slump" I'd say you're doing pretty well).

Merry Christmas Chelle, Nate, Chloe and Elissa, from both of us dear friend.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, some other tradition or none at all, this is what I wish for you!

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

Merry Christmas Chelle! Looking forward to seeing you in 2020!

Best wishes this holiday season!! See you in 2020!

Thanks all for keeping my thread warm and cozy over the holidays!
I am coming off nightshift last night and the girls are wild today. There is not enough coffee in the world to get me through to bedtime tonight!
I am finally back to reading a bit. I finished a Michael Connelly book today The Night Fire. I am really enjoying the combination of Harry Bosch and Renee Ballard in these latest books. I've loved Connelly's books for probably over 20 years and I hope he keeps writing them!

I've had to return a book through Audible, which I very rarely do. I purchased a dramatization of Just One Thing After Another but it's incredibly hard to follow. It's like watching a movie with my eyes closed. I just can't follow it well enough to enjoy it.

Ok book friends, I need an addicted book series to listen to on audio. I am flailing to find an audio book to get sucked into lately. I was on a roll in 2019 and beat my goal of two audiobooks a month. The last couple of months I haven't hit that and today I can't seem to find anything to listen to

This is what I listened to in 2019. I really loved the Elly Griffiths series! Does anyone have one like that to recommend?

Audio Books Read in 2019: (Goal is 2 per month=24 (Completed Sept 2)

🎧1) The Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend
🎧2) Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
🎧3) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
🎧4) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
🎧5) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
🎧6) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
🎧7) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
🎧8) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
🎧9) Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
🎧10) Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
🎧11) An Unattractive Vampire by Jim McDoniel
🎧12) Rooms by Lauren Oliver
🎧13) The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths
🎧14) The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths
🎧15) The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
🎧16) A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths
🎧17) The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire by Drew Hayes
🎧18) The Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths
🎧19) The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg
🎧20) Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel
🎧21) The Preacher by Camilla Lackberg
🎧22) Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy
🎧23) Our Kind of Cruelty by Araminta Hall
🎧24) Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
🎧25) Lock In by John Scalzi
🎧26) Head On by John Scalzi
🎧27) The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

>154 ChelleBearss: I read the preview of the Night Fire in the previous novel, Dark Sacred Night. # 22 looks to be a good one.

Happy Holidays!

Hope you make it through the day OK and get a good rest tonight :)

>155 ChelleBearss: These were my audio faves last year. And I am stealing your little audio sign!! 🎧

The Bobiverse is really good on audio. Sci Fi and funny. Three in series.
An Act of God. Short, irreverent and really funny.
The Price of Time. Adventure, Mystery
Craig Johnson Westerns, Murder Mystery
Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story memoir by Jacob Tobia
Darynda Jones series, Charlie Davidson crime detective who can talk to the dead, funny, sexy, tried to limit myself to one a month--soooo good!!

Hope you find something that works for you. : )

I read ‘em, but Mrsdrneutron listened to the Bobiverse audiobooks. She loved them too!

She’s also enjoyed the Athena Club series that starts with The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter and the Greta Helsing series starting with Strange Practice.

For something a bit darker, the Jimmy Perez books by Ann Cleeves are awesome.

>156 figsfromthistle: It was! I am enjoying Ballard and Bosch working together

>157 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks! These kids, man! They are at a tough age (one of many tough ages to come, I'm sure) and they just argue all day and tattle the rest of the time. Driving me up the walls!

>158 Berly: Thanks for the suggestions! I've read the first book in the Bobiverse series but forgot to go back to the rest of the books.

>159 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! I'll have to go check those out and see if any strikes my fancy! :)

I managed to sneak in one final book before the end of the year! The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams. I really enjoy her books but I have found the endings always end up quite tidy and happily ever after.


125) The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams

The Jacky Faber series (starting with Bloody Jack) by L. A. Meyer are really fantastic audiobooks. I inhaled all 13 of them in a row a few years ago. They might not be your cup of tea but you could give the first one a try and see if you like it.

>162 norabelle414: Awesome thanks!

I managed to sneak one more book into 2019. I finished at work an hour into 2020 but I'm counting it for 2019.


126) Black Chalk by Christopher B Yates.
It was excellent and I recommend it

.And with that please join me in 2020, because 2019 is so over