Berly's Books Chapter Ten

Happy Holidays!!

For those of you who don't know me, I am a mom of 3, married to a great guy (he introduced me to LT) and besides books, I love TKD, working in glass, and chocolate. I have had an eclectic "career" in nerve regeneration research, advertising, the NBA, and editing. Now I work with my husband cleaning industrial processed water and stormwater, getting it up to EPA standards. I do the marketing and the financial stuff.

There are more books coming in than going out and I am making but a small dent in the TBR piles; I haven't given up hope yet though! I can't because books are everywhere. Some are under the window in my bedroom, some are stacked by my night table, in the study, downstairs in the bookcases, and then there is the Kindle....I know you all understand. Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way. ; )

Reading Now
The Topeka School (282 pages) by Ben Lerner
We Will Rise: A True Story of Tragedy and Resurrection in the American Heartland (276pages) (K) by Steve Beaven
Victorian Secrets (A) by Nick Baker and John Wolf, read by Stephen Fry
December--Pachinko (Twin and Ellen and Morphy will already have read)

And Later...
There, There by Tommy Orange
Robin (Williams) (447 pages) by Dave Itzkoff
January--Bone Clocks with Twin
March--Tracks by Louise Erdrich with EBT1002, Twin and Laurelkeet

Read in December / ??? pages / Total Read
84. The Crossing Places (K) (306 pages) by Elly Griffiths, #1 in Ruth Galloway Series
⭐️ They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
82. The Christmas Pact (A) (255 pages) by Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward 3.75
81. Life and Other Near-Death Experiences (255 pages) by Camille Pagan 3.5
80. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks 4.0
79. What You Did (K) (278 pages) by Claire McGowan
78. The Price of Time (A - 10.5 hrs) by Tim Tigner 4.3

Read in November / ??? pages / Total Read
77. Where the Forest Meets the Sky (328 pages) (A) by Glendy Vanderah 3.75
76. My Sister the Serial Killer (223 pages) by Oyinkan Braithwaite
⭐️ An Act of God (A - 1.25 hrs) by David Javerbaum 5.0
74. "F" is for Fugitive (320 pages) (K) by Sue Grafton 3.5
73. The Autobiography of Mrs. Tom Thumb (448 pages) (K) by Melanie Benjamin 4.0

Read in October / ??? pages / Total Read
72. Carmilla (A) by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu 3.75
71. Time's Convert (434 pages) by Deborah Harkness 3.75
70. The Puzzle of You (285 pages) (K) by Leah Mercer 4.0
69. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (K) (76/417 pages) by Claire North--DNF
68. Emma (A) by Jane Austen 4.0 ( I liked the print version better)
⭐️ The Graveyard Book (356 pages) GN by New Gaiman and P. Craig Russell 4.0
66. Land of Wolves (A) (336 pages) by Craig Johnson 3.75
65. The Storyteller (177/460 pages) by Jodi Picoult DNF
64. Courtship After Marriage (240 pages) by Zig Ziglar for TKD belt test 2.5

⭐️ Favorite(s) of the month
Masterpiece 5.0
Stunning 4.5
Excellent 4.0
Very Good 3.5
Good 3.0
Average 2.5
Eh 2.0
Don't Bother 1.5
Bad 1.0
Anathema 0.5

A=Audio
L=Library
GN=Graphic Novel
IR=Indiespensable Readers
K=Kindle
LT=LibraryThing Early Reviewer



Books Freed = 115



Catalogued 37/52 shelves

Read in September / 1,067 pages / Total Read 20,874
63. Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk (171 pages) by David Sedaris 4.0
⭐️ Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story (A) (336 pages) by Jacob Tobia 5.0
62. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari (196 pages) by Robin Sharma for TKD belt test 4.0
⭐️ The Nickel Boys (213 pages) by Colson Whitehead 5.0
60. If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name (281 pages) by Heather Lende 3.75
59. Involuntary Witness (Guido Guerrieri Book 1) (290 pages) (K) by Gianrico Carofilgio 3.0

Read in August / 1,723 pages / Total Read 19,807
58. The Favorite Daughter (K) (368 pages) by Kaira Rouda 3.0
57. The Immortalists (350 pages) by Chloe Benjamin,RL Bookclub #1, 3.5
56. Finding Dorothy (352 pages) by Elizabeth Letts, RL Bookclub #2, 3.75
55. Matchmaking for Beginners (K) (378 pages) by Maddie Dawson 3.75
54. Prognosis: A Memoir of My Brain (K) (275 pages) by Sarah Vallance 3.75

Read in July / 1,852 pages / Total Read 18,084
53. Roses of May (A) (302 pages) by Dot Hutchison 3.75
⭐️ Where the Crawdads Sing (370 pages) 5.0
51. A Killer in King's Cove (410 pages) by Iona Whishaw 4.0
⭐️ These Truths by Jilll Lepore, Part 4 (518-789, 271 pages) FINISHED!! 4.5
49. Big Sky (Jackson Brodie Book 5) (401 pages) (K) by Kate Atkinson 4.0
48. The Dispatcher (128 pages) by John Scalzi 4.0

Read in June / 2,190 pages / Total Read 16,232
47. Divide Me By Zero (352 pages) by Lara Vapnyar
⭐️ Circe (400 pages) (A) by Madeline Miller 4.5
45. Less (272 pages) by Andrew Sean Greer, RL Bookclub DNF
44. Inheriting Edith (320 pages) by Zoe Fishman 3.0
43. Magpie Murders (494 pages) by Anthony Horowitz 4.5
42. In the Midst of Winter (352 pages) Isabel Allende 3.0

Read in May / 2,621 pages / Total Read 14,042
41. E is for Evidence (208 pages) by Sue Grafton
40. Half-Moon Investigations (290 pages) by Eoin Colfer 3.75
⭐️ A Spark of Light (366 pages) by Jodi Picoult 4.25
38. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk (K) (304 pages) by Kathleen Rooney 4.0
37. Fluke (321 pages) by Christopher Moore 3.75
36. The Library Book (326 pages) by Susan Orlean -- RL #1 bookclub April 4.0
⭐️ Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave (400 pages?) (A) by Darynda Jones 4.5
34. Everything I Never Told You (306 pages) by Celeste Ng RL Bookclub 4.0
33. A Mind of Her Own (A) (100 pages?? not in print) by Paula McLain 3.5

Read in April / 1,433 pages / Total Read 11,421
C) These Truths Part 3 (109 pages)
32. The Orphan Daughter (A) by Cari Noga DNF (read 150)
31. Irma Voth (215 pages) by Miriam Toews with Twin
30. The Chemist (A) (528 pages) by Stephanie Meyer 3.0
29. The Great Believers (K) (431 pages) by Rebecca Makkai -- RL #2 bookclub April 3.75

Read in March / 3,763 pages / Total Read 9,988 pages
C) These Truths Part 3 (308-517, only read 100 pages)
28. I'm Fine and Neither Are You (266 pages) by Camille Pagan 3.5
27. The Trouble with Twelfth Grave (306 pages) by Darynda Jones 3.75
26. Her Royal Spyness (348 pages) (K) by Rhys Bowen 3.5
25. The Twin (343 pages) by Gerbrand Bakker 3.0
24. Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (321 pages) (A)(Charley Davidson #11) by Darynda Jones 4.0
23. The Sympathizer (Pearl Ruled at 50 pages) by Viet Thanh Nguyen
⭐️ Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine (337 pages) by Gail Honeyman 4.5
21. Fatal Remedies (272 pages) (A) by Donna Leon 3.0
20. Stitches: A Memoir (333 pages) by David Small 4.0
19. Freedom Road (377 pages) (K) by William Lashner 3.0

Read in February / 3,570 pages / Total Read 6,225 pages
B) These Truths Part 2 (151-307, 156 pages)
18. I Will Never Leave You (K) (338 pages) by SM Thayer 2
⭐️ The Snakes (438 pages) by Sadie Jones 4.25
16. Noir: A Novel (A) by Christopher Moore (PR after 1 1/2 hrs or 100 pages)
⭐️ The Fire This Time (224 pages) by Jesmyn Ward with Twin 4.5
14. One Good Turn (541 pages) by Kate Atkinson, Jackson Brodie #2, 4.0
13. Preacher (436 pages) by Camilla Lackberg #2, 3.75
12. Future Perfect by Victoria Loustalot (Pearl Ruled at 71 pages)
11. Start without Me (288 pages) by Joshua Max Feldman, LTER, 3.5
10. Nerve (313 pages) by Dick Francis (Thank you Mamie!) 3.5
9. Rock Needs River (K) (185 pages) by Vanessa McGrady 3.0
8. Once Upon A River (480 pages) by Diane Setterfield 3.75

Read in January / 2655 pages
A) These Truths (150 pages -- Section One) by Jill Lepore 4.25
7. A Ladder to the Sky (384 pages) by John Boyne, INDIEspensable #77 4.0
6. How To Be A Woman (320 pages) (A) by Caitlin Moran 4.0
⭐️ Sometimes I Lie (264 pages) (K) by Alice Feeney 4.25
4. Pavillion of Women (316 pages) (K) by Pearl S. Buck 3.75
3. Ice Princess (420 pages) (K) by Camilla Lackberg 3.5
2. Becoming (448 pages) by Michelle Obama 4.0
1. The Curse of Tenth Grave (353 pages) (A) by Darynda Jones 4.0

RL Book Club #1
✅ February - Becoming by Michelle Obama
✅ April - The Library Book - Susan Orlean
✅ June - In the Midst of Winter - Isabel Allende
✅ August - The Immortalist - Chloe Benjamin
October - There There - Tommy Orange
December - Choose books!!

And for 2020
February - The Yellow House: A Memoir by Sarah Broom
April - Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
June - The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
August - Rabbits For Food by Binnie Kirshenbaum
October - The Water Dancer by Ta-nehisi Coates
December - Choose books!!

RL Book Club #2
✅ January - Becoming by Michelle Obama
February - The Audacity of Hope by Barrack Obama
✅ March - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
✅ April - The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
✅ May- Everything I Never Told Youby Celeste Ng
✅ June - Less by Andrew Sean Greer
✅ September - Finding Dorothy
✅ October - A Gentleman in Moscow
✅ November - Where the Crawdads Sing

Four-month LT Group read
These Truths by Jill Lepore
✅ Jan Part 1 (1-150 pages) https://www.librarything.com/topic/301417
✅ Feb Part 2 (151-307, 156 pages) https://www.librarything.com/topic/303118
✅ March Part 3 (308-517, 209 pages) https://www.librarything.com/topic/304319
✅ April Part 4 (518-789, 271 pages) https://www.librarything.com/topic/305408#

Literary Arts 2019-2020
October 24, 2019 -- Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer
November 14, 2019 -- Rules of Civility and ✅ A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles
January 15, 2020 -- Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
February 20, 2020 -- ✅ The Library Book by Susan Orlean
May 7, 2020 -- ✅The Nickel Boys and ✅ The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Powell's Indiespensable Readers Challenge

Hubby signed me up for this. Over the years I have received 80 installments, but I haven't read all the books yet. Not even close! In an effort to catch up -- I want to read 12 this year. The complete list (such as it is) can be found here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301060#

Maybes
Red Clocks by Leni Zumas
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra with Morphy -- Month TBD
The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli

Done
✅1. A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
✅2. The Fire This Time in February
✅3. The Snakes by Sadie Jones
✅4. Stitches by David Small
✅5. The Twin by Gerbrand Bakker
✅6. Irma Voth by Miriam Towes with Twin
✅7. Divide Me By Zero by Lara Vapnyar
✅8. The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

9. There, There by Tommy Orange
10.
11.
12.

And another effort to read off my shelves...

a -- One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
b -- Pavillion of Women by Pearl S. Buck
c -- Involuntary Witness by Gianrico Carofiglio
d
e -- Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
f -- The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward
g
h -- Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
i
j -- The Curse of Tenth Grave by Darynda Jones
k -- A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw
l -- Less by Andrew Sean Greer
m -- How To Be a Woman Caitlin Moran (Crazy & Katie's Fault)
n -- Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
o -- Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield
p
q
r
s -- Start Without Me by Joshua Max Feldman
t
u
v -- The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
w -- Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
x
y
z

I can't resist buying new books!!

I seem to manage to read around 50% of my newbies.

2017 47/85
2018 45/88

Let's see how I do this year!!

2019 45/117 Read

✅ Becoming by Michelle Obama, G*
✅ One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson (Thank you, SS Paul!) G*
3. Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith (Thanks, SS Paul!) G*
✅ A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne, INDIEspensable #77 *
5. The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne, INDIEspensable #77 *
✅ How To Be A Woman by Caitlan Moran* (Crazy & Katie's Fault) AC*
✅ Rock Needs River: A Memoir About a Very Open Adoption by Vanessa McGrady AP*
8. Smoke and Summons (Numina Book 1) by Charlie Holmberg AP*
✅ Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk: A Novel Kathleen Rooney
✅ Nerve by Dick Francis (Thank you Mamie!) G*
11. Happiness by Aminatta Forna (Thank you Paul!) G*
12. Self-Care for the Self-Aware by Dave Markowitz
13. Empathipedia by Dave Markowitz
✅ Fluke by Christopher Moore
✅ Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield (Reba got this one, too)
✅ A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
✅ Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
18. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
✅ A Killer In King's Cove by Iona Whishaw (Thanks, Twin!)
20. Reader, I Married Him edited by Tracy Chevalier (And this one, too!)
21. Audacity of Hope by Barrack Obama
✅ The Library Book by Susan Orlean
23. Late in the Day by Tessa Hadley, INDIEspensable #78 *
✅ The Snakes by Sadie Jones, INDIEspensable #78 *
25. The Bold World by Jodi Patterson, ARC *
26. Freedom Road by William Lashner *
27. A Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
28. Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan
✅ Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
✅ Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Wendy Vanderah AP*
31. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
32. Calypso by David Sedaris
✅. I'm Fine and Neither Are You by Camille Pagan AP*
34. Lost Children Archive by Valeria Lyiselli, INDIEspensable #79 *
✅ Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones AC*
✅ Trouble with the Twelfth Grave by Darynda Jones AP*
37. How Music Works by David Byrne
38. brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, INDIEspensable #35 missing book acquired
39. The Eighth Sister by Robert Dugani AP*
✅ The Orphan Daughter by Cari Noga
✅ Inheriting Edith by Zoe Fishman
42. The Parent's Guide to Climate Revolution by Mary DeMocker
43. Dangerous Subjects by Kenneth R. Coleman
44. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottleib
45. Dementia Reimagined by Tia Powell, MD
✅ Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz
47. Divergent by Veronica Roth AP*
✅ In the Midst of Winter by Isabelle Allende
49. Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett INDIEspensable #80 *
✅ Divide Me By Zero by Lara Vapnyar INDIEspensable #80 *
51. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
✅ Prognosis: A Memoir of My Brain (275 pages) by Sarah Vallance, AP*
✅ What You Did by Claire McGowan, AP*
✅ The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
55. Transcription by Kate Atkinson
56. Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit by Amy Stewart
✅ Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts
✅ They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
59. Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language by Amanda Montell
60. Idiot Brain: What Your Head Is Really Up To by Dean Burnett
✅ The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
✅ Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary by David Sedaris
63. Robin (Williams) by Dave Itzkoff
64. My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
65. Women Rowing North: Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing As We Age by Mary Pipher
✅ Courtship After Marriage by Zig Ziglar
67. Tracks by Louise Erdrich
✅ The Red Collar by Jean-Christophe Rufin (From Twin) -- G
69. The Jar City by Arnaldur Indridason )From Twin) -- G
70. The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich
71. The Lightest Object in the Universe by Kimi Eisele
72. Underland by Robert McFarlane (Oberon's Fault!)
73. Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
74. All He Ever Wanted by Anita Shreve *
75. A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah *
76. All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda -- G
77. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah -- G
✅ The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead, INDIEspensable #81 *
79. The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead, INDIEspensable #81 *
80. Small Days and Nights by Tishani Doshi, INDIEspensable #82 *
81. The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste, INDIEspensable #82 *
✅ The Graveyard Book GN by Neil Gaiman
✅ Time's Convert by Deborah Harkness
✅ The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
85. Creatures of Light and Darkness by Roger Zelazny
86. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
87. The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
✅ Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu * AC
89. Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the end of the American Century by George Packer
90. Eden Mine by S.M. Hulse (uncorrected proof) INDIEspensable #83 *
91. The Topeka School by Ben Lerner INDIEspensable #83 *
92. A Song for You: My Life With Whiteney Houston (A) by Robyn Crawford
93. The Brand New Catastrophe (A) by Mike Scales
✅ An Act of God (A) by David Javerbaum
✅ The Price of Time (A) by Tim Tigner
96. If You Tell: A True Story of Murder , Family Secrets and the Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood (K) by Gregg Olsen
97. Quantum: A Thriller (Captain Chase Book 1) (K) by Patricia Cornwell
98. Life and other Near-Death Experiences (K) by Camille Pagan
99. The Gold-Son (K) by Carrie Ann Noble
100. Phantom Limb (K) by Lucinda Berry, AP *
✅ "F" is for Fugitive (K) by Sue Grafton
✅ The Autobiography of Mrs Tom Thumb (K) by Melanie Benjamin
103. The Puzzle of You (K) by Leah Mercer
104. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August (K) by Claire North
105. Little Voices (K) by Vanessa Lillie
106. The Favorite Daughter (K) by Kaira Rouda
107. Matchmaking for Beginners (K) Maddie Dawson
108. Involuntary Witness (Guido Guerreri Book 1) (K) by Gianrico Carofiglio
109. Here to Stay (K) by Mark Edwards
✅ What You Did (K) by Claire McGowan
111. Big Sky (Jackson Brodie Book 5) (K) Kate Atkinson
✅ Circe (K) by Madeline Miller
113. The Blue Period (K) by Luke Jerod Hummer
114. Inheriting Edith (K) by Zoe Fishman
✅ "E" is for Evidence (K) by Sue Grafton
✅ The Great Believers (K) by Rebecca Makkai
117. The Space Between (K) by Date Meserve

* = Free (which means I didn't buy it so I don't have to feel guilty!)
G=Gift
I=INDIESpensable (Gifts from my Hubby)
AC=Audible monthly credit
AP=Amazon Prime Kindle Read

Favorites from 2018:
Fiction
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
Queen of the Tearling (the whole series! -- done) by Erika Johansen
First Grave on the Right (the whole series!!) by Darynda jones
Beartown by Fredrick Backman
The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrew Cummins

Non-Fiction
We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

Happy new thread!

You are first!! Welcome and Cheers! : )

Happy new thread, Kim!
Also, I just wanted to acknowledge/confirm your suggestion (on your previous thread) to read & discuss Tracks in March. I'm in!

Hi Kim. See, I'm delurking took!! Happy new thread! Very festive!!

Happy new thread, Kim. Love your welcome mat! :-)

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Twin.

>8 Berly: Red Clocks is great! Also, I do have The Bone Clocks on my shelf to read -- maybe we could help to urge each other on with this one? I might be up for it after the holidays before class starts again... Maybe.

Happy new thread. I've pretty much decided my threads will just stay until the end of the year--even if some do begin to approach 300 after the Christmas comments. I just don't have time to deal with them. I need to get the 2020 thread posted for category challenge. I didn't get that done over Thanksgiving, and I'm not sure I'll have time this weekend either. I guess I'll see.

Happy New Thread, Kim!

Good to see A Monster Calls on your faves list. Debbi and I loved that one.

Happy new one, Kim!

Happy new thread Kim!

Good show, Kim. Keep on chooglin'.

Happy new thread, Kim!!

Happy New Thread, Kim.

Hi Kim my dear, happy new thread dear friend.

Hi Kim, happy new thread.

Joyous Yuletide orisons, Berly-boo!

>8 Berly: You have to read A Constellation of Vital Phenomena!! It's one of my all-time favorite novels.

And I also have The Bone Clocks on my TBR shelves and I have looked at Red Clocks in several different bookshops....

Back to your prior thread, I am up for a group read of Tracks any time in 2020. It sounds like we might have a cohort of at least you, me, Laura, Beth.... Laura can tell us what month it gets selected for her RLBC and we can perhaps read it the month before? Or that month?

>30 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! Right at the very end of Kim's last thread, she and Beth proposed reading Tracks in March. That works just fine for me -- my RLBC has selected books for Jan & Feb so March is the earliest it will be on our schedule. And I don't mind reading ahead of that schedule either.

So: We are on for Tracks in March 2020!

Happy new thread, Kim!

"There are more books coming in than going out..." Story of our lives, my friend.

Happy New Thread, Kimmers! Have a nice weekend and make time for those books.

>15 lauralkeet: Tracks in March is on!! I already added it to my reading list notes up above. : )

>16 Carmenere: We could make delurking a new trend! LOL. Glad to se you here.

>17 jessibud2: Thank you. And I am glad you like the the door matt -- me, too!

>18 figsfromthistle: Thanks for popping in!

>19 BLBera: Hi, Twin! Bone Clocks in January? I will add it to the list in >2 Berly: and we'll see if we can make it happen. : )

>20 thornton37814: No worries. I just had a lot of pictures in my old thread and I thought I'd a start a new one. Good luck--sounds like you have a lot going on.

>21 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! A Monster Calls was definitely a fave. It will be interesting to see ow many of the monthlynfaves make it on to the end of the year list. I think that one will survive.

>22 katiekrug: >23 humouress: Thanks, guys. I can't believe how fast December is going. Yikes!

>24 weird_O: Chooglin' as fast as I can!!

>25 RebaRelishesReading: >26 ronincats: >27 johnsimpson: >28 brenzi: So happy to see you guys!

>29 richardderus: Ricardo--How did you know I hadn't gotten my poinsettias yet? Thank you. Smooch.

Happy new one, Kimmers!

Have a splendid weekend.

Happy new thread, Kim! I like the thread topper!

>36 Berly: Those are some really spiffy ones, so I figured you'd like 'em even if their more pedestrian cousins were carpeting the place.

*smooch*

>30 EBT1002: Okay, moving A Constellation of Vital Phenomena up the pile! And clearly you need a Clock in your future, LOL.

>30 EBT1002: >31 lauralkeet: Tracks is on for March currently, although we can move it based on where it actually winds up for Laurelkeet's bookclub. Glad you are in. : )

>32 karenmarie: Hi Karen!!

>33 msf59: If "There are more books coming in than going out..." is the story of our lives, than we are pretty fortunate!

Time for books did not happen today. Shopping, helping with daughter's study guide for finals and TKD holiday show. All either necessary or very fun! Hoping for tomorrow.

>37 PaulCranswick: Happy weekend Paul! Here's hoping both of us get some reading time in. Fingers crossed.

>38 tymfos: Hi there! Glad you like the topper. I try hard. ; )

>39 richardderus: Brilliant move, sir. Much appreciated.

I started our book Kim. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Trying to finish up Sherlock Holmes for the year. Two more short stories and I'm done. Stephen Fry has been magnificent.

Happy new thread, Kim. I hope you get in some reading time soon.

Hi Kim, happy new thread! Happy to see >30 EBT1002: nudged you towards A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. An excellent read!

Happy new thread!

Your wish is my command, Twin! I'll dust off my copy of The Bone Clocks, probably earlier January rather than later. Maybe I can join you with other Indispensable reads next year.

Do read Red Clocks - you will love it.

Happy new thread, Kim!

I posted something about reading Tracks and then received a second email about my RL book club schedule. I'll post again when it's settled.

Happy New Thread, Kim!

Congrats on your 3rd degree black belt. That's so impressive! I'm glad your knee is doing well and you're going strong.

I'd love to join in with Tracks in March.

I hear you on all the unread book acquisitions for the year. What's a bibiophile to do? Visiting threads like yours is so darn dangerous!

Happy new thread!

>48 lauralkeet: Okay, I think the dust has settled on my RLBC schedule. We're going to discuss Tracks in April and since we meet the first Monday of each month, that means I need to read it in March. Which just happens to be when we decided to read it. I love it when things work out!

>42 luvamystery65: I finished our book! What You Did. I couldn't sleep and stayed up until 5am finishing it. : )

I'm in for a March read of Tracks!!!

>43 Familyhistorian: I always try to get near my reading goal BEFORE December, because this month never has enough reading time! LOL

And, look, I have already hit my 75!!! Well, actually 79.



75. An Act of God Audible Audiobook – Original recording
David Javerbaum (Author), Sean Hayes (Narrator)

Totally irreverent and so, so funny! I loved this one. Did you know it wasn't really Adam and Eve, but Adam and Steve? And that God soon realized two lesbians would have been a smarter choice because they would have cared for the Garden better? So he compromised.

90 hilarious minutes revealing the reasons behind so many things in life, as revealed by God and his angels. ; )

>44 lkernagh: So I really need to get to a Constellation of Vital Phenomena now! So noted. : )

>45 drneutron: Hi Doc!

>46 BLBera: Hi Twin-- I did a decent job reading one INDIEspensable book a month and I will be doing it again next year. I'd love to read some with you (and anyone else who wants to join). I started a separate thread to list them all. You can take a look at what's up so far and I will try to get it more up to date soon and then maybe we can select some? I have added Bone Clocks to my January TBR list. Yay!



https://www.librarything.com/topic/301060#

One a month group read next year?

>47 banjo123: >50 nittnut: Hi, Rhonda!! Hi, Jen!!

>48 lauralkeet: >49 streamsong: >51 lauralkeet: >53 EBT1002: Louise Erdrich's Tracks in March it is!!!

Soooooo glad I passed the BB test, because I fell apart afterwards. LOL. First I jammed my thumb and had to wear a splint for two weeks, which was also the reason I wasn't on LT very much--it is so hard to type with a splint on!!

And then I got a random blood clot. It is not my first and may be a genetic thing since my Dad also gets them a lot, but it meant going on lots of new meds. I see my doctor on Tuesday to see what's all going on.

Anyhow...it would have been impossible to do the TKD test if this stuff had happened earlier 1) because you can't do nunchucks with a splint (LOL!) and 2) I can't do any contact anything right now on the blood thinners, so sparring would have been out.

Thank goodness this all happened AFTER the test!!! Timing is everything! At least my knee is good. : )

>54 Berly: YAY!!

Congrats on 75!!

Hi Kim my dear, congrats on reaching 75 books read dear friend.

>57 Berly: Ouch! Hope the doctor has some helpful advice.

Congrats on the 75 books: good timing!

>54 Berly: Congrats on hitting the magic number!

>57 Berly: Yikes! The blood clot scares me. xoxox

Congrats on 75!

I've added The Bone Clocks to my January plans and Tracks for March.

Yay! 75! Congratulations!

^Congrats on hitting our magic number, Kimmers! Sorry, to hear about the jammed thumb and the splint. Bummer!

Way to go, Kim!

Is your thumb better now? I’m glad your knee is good.

Congrats on 75, Twin. Yikes! Blood clots! Take care. I hope all else is well.

Congratulations on hitting the 75 book mark, Kim, and it looks like you picked a great read for it! Also sorry to hear about the physical stuff but, hey, hooray for timing!!

>58 richardderus: Thank you!! I was hoping for 100 this year, but RL got in the way and at least I made 75.

>59 banjo123: Thanks. : )

>60 johnsimpson: Thank you for helping me celebrate the 75 milestone!

>61 charl08: I hope the doc has some good advice -- I do not want to be on blood thinners the rest of my life! It would seriously cramp my TKD practice. : /

>57 Berly: Congratulations on your 75 but OMG on all of your physical challenges of late. Hope you're doing better now.

>62 thornton37814: Magic!! Okay, and a lot of eyes going back and forth. And some brain function. Minor at times. LOL

>63 EBT1002: Yeah...not happy about the clot. I thought it was just a pulled muscle and I waited almost a week before going in to be seen. My doc was not happy with me. Oops!!

Yay for group reads: The Bone Clocks in January and Tracks for March.

>64 quondame: >65 msf59: >66 jnwelch: Thanks you guys! Glad to make the yearly goal.

I am out of the splint now, which is why I am on LT typing again. It only lasted two weeks or so. I am not sure what I did to the thumb, maybe dislocated it, so it was only very sore, but not broken. Phew!

>67 BLBera: Believe it or not, I AM trying to take care. It is just not working. LOL. Dr visit on Tuesday, so more info then. At least I can still read--now if I could just get caught up on reviews....

>68 ronincats: An Act of God really was a quick, great read. Perfect for book #75. : )

All right. The tree is up and so are all the decorations. Whoohoo!!

One of my RL book clubs is meeting at my house tomorrow to decide next year's reads. I haven't even decided yet what to recommend....we can each bring 3 suggestions. Tomorrow I will have to go sleuthing.

Hi Kim!

Congrats on 75 and more, boo hiss to the thumb and blood clot. But, as you say, at least your knee's fine.

You're a head of me - our tree is up, but no lights or decorations yet. I think Jenna and I will try to get on the lights today in addition to baking some cookies.

Happy new thread, Kim!

And congratulations on reaching 75 and beyond!

On, congratulations from me too on the 75 marker! Maybe I'll get there too before the end of the year, but only if I read really short books!

And boo indeed on the blood clot. I hope it's dispersing safely and you don't have any lasting effects. And also so glad it all happened after the TKD test. You deserve a little down time.

>74 karenmarie: HOw's the tree decorating coming along?

My RL bookclub had tons of fun last night. We were each allowed to bring 3 suggestions and since we only read every other month and one month (December) is spent choosing books, that means we only read 5 books a year, so it was so hard to narrow it down, but we did it. I can't remember the final selections (the list will be emailed shortly), but I do know that I have read NONE of them!! Yay!! Usually I have already read half and this year I spoke up, especially about Once Upon A River which I vetoed because I have already read it twice and once was for my other bookclub. I mean it's a good book, but not 3x-in-a-year good!! LOL

>75 FAMeulstee: Nice to see you and thank you!! I just spent half an hour reorganizing the books by my nigh table, which are the TBR soonest pile. Three of my books had the word "clock" in them, so I was thinking I might use Time as a theme to get books off my shelf next year: Bone Clocks, Red Clocks, and Clock Dance.

>76 ffortsa: Here's to quick reads and lots of reading time in the next two weeks!!

Yes, bummer about my latest medical stuff, but indeed the timing was good. And the pain from the clot is all gone now and I have reached the desired blood levels. Whoohoo!!

Hi Kim, glad you are feeling better. That's funny about the Clock books, and they are all so different!

>Hi, Rhonda! So, I did a quick scan of my TBR books and I definitely think I am going to use 1) "Time" as a category to read books off my shelf next year. I am going to include, seasons, dates, months, etc under this category and it should be a loose enough definition that I will have plenty of choices.

And I am going to continue to try and read one 2) INDIEspensable book a month.

And then I have 3) one or two RL bookclub reads a month, so that puts me at 4 a month already committed to.

I definitely want the rest to be 5) spur of the moment reads.

What are your plans?

*waving* from Singapore!

Congratulations on your 75!!

Sorry to hear about your injuries, happy that the timing worked out and glad to hear you’re getting better.

ETA: My reading ‘plans’? As and when - as usual.

>81 humouress: Waving back to Singapore!! When do you leave?

That would be category #5 for you then! LOL.

>80 Berly: Sounds like fun. I'm thinking I'll try something to get me motivated to pick up books off my shelves too. I think I also need to have a veto on new books for a bit.

>82 Berly: Soon! Packing is done except last last minute stuff. Frantically tidying up ...

So glad you're feeling better. You're obviously a strong woman in many ways -- and it's a good thing!! Stay well for a while please.

>78 Berly: - LOL, re your *theme*. I am quirky that way, too. I have 2 shelves in one of the bookcases in my bedroom, where I arranged the books by commonality of titles. Just because it amused me. One is *wives*, one is *gardens*, one is *stones*, one is *photos*. I will try to get a photo of these 2 shelves and post it on my thread later on. I am actually in the middle of chores at the moment (well, I'm actually on a short break from chores, as you can tell) and we wouldn't want to break that momentum now, would we? Haha

Glad that you are feeling better now, after the rude interruption of injuries/health issues! Enough, already!!

>78 Berly: >80 Berly: >86 jessibud2: Sacrilege! ;0)

Hey Kim! It doesn't look like there's much interest / ability to meet up in Portland over Christmas week, but I'm willing to meet with whoever has time. 🙂 Otherwise, I should come the week before Memorial Day next year.

Glad the health issues are resolved Kim, and that you have a good RL book group list for next year.

Congratulations on reaching 75 too.

So, it sounds like the doctor visit went well?

I loved Red Clocks -- I have been pushing you to read that one for a while. You will love it. And, we are going to read The Bone Clocks in January. Hmm. Other Clock books?

I can't wait to hear what you book club chose. We meet on Jan. 10 to choose.

>83 charl08: New books....yeah. I bought about 40 more books this year than the last two and I read about 5 fewer of my new books. It's just so hard to turn down the free books I get from Amazon Prime and Audible!!! And some (not all) have turned out to be really good. So, as long as they are mostly free, I am not gonna feel bad about it.

>84 humouress: Safe trip!!! And then lots of fun. : )

>85 RebaRelishesReading: I am glad I give the appearance of a strong woman. I try hard. ; )

>86 jessibud2: Yes!! I am not alone!! When you are done with your chores (snerk) I hope you post a photo or two of your themes. Maybe I should see if I can find another one in my shelves....!

>87 humouress: Seriously. : (

>88 The_Hibernator: Okay, let's post this again...

Rachel (The Hibernator) is coming to Portland December 23-27!! Who's in town? Rachel do you have any days that you prefer? For me, I think after Christmas might be a tad better.

>89 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks! The health issue is better, but I will take a while to get the right combo of med strength to keep me "in the range". I had a blood draw 5 of the last seven days. Off today and I have to get another one tomorrow. Ugh. Luckily I am off the daily shots though (yay!) and just taking a pill now.

>90 BLBera: I know you are a fan of Red Clocks--I keep getting distracted!! LOL I will for sure read it next year, after Bone Clocks in January with you. : )

So, back to the clotting. Yes, it is remedied by meds. No, I am not happy because it makes me feel like an old person. Also, I am no longer allowed to do sparring for TKD. AT ALL! On blood thinners, too much of a chance of a brain bleed. So now, I have to talk to my Master and see if they are willing to allow me to continue without this aspect. I am hoping to substitute no-contact sparring (my doctor is still not very psyched), but I don't know if that will suffice. Also my doc told me snowboarding and soccer are out. Bummer. Skiing is still a possibility if I wear a helmet--okay. Also rugby is out, but I haven't played that since college, so I will let that one go. ; )

Anyhow, wish me luck with my TKD. I really don't want to have to give it up. Hoping to talk to my Master next week. I went to a yoga class today. That seemed pretty safe.

>93 Berly: It's rough that your health issues are now impacting the activities that you can do, Kim. I hope you are able to continue TKD. Congrats on reading 75!

Congrats on reading 75 books!

Have a great weekend :)

books with clocks? have you read Tinkers? It 's not in the title, but clocks are a major feature of the book.

I am not going to try to get caught up. My excuse for being away is the new hip I had installed last week. Life had gotten too hard and I am already feeling so much better. Ready to get into the garden this spring. Meanwhile, time to read and say hello to LT friends.

Hope all is well.

Oh no Kim. I hope you can still compete in TKD because you seem to really enjoy it. Finding something that you enjoy AND provides exercise is the key to a happy life. It's why I was so glad to find pickle ball.

>93 Berly: Bummer. I hope you can keep on with TKD. Take care.

Sorry about your sparring, that must be a disappointment.

>93 Berly: Obey. The. Doctor. You are entirely too precious to lose.

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

>94 Familyhistorian: I hop the TKD thing works out, too. It's not just the activity, but the whole TKD community that I have befriended over the years. Fingers crossed!!

>95 figsfromthistle: Thank you!! Saturday went well, checking off things on the list. Sunday will be spent wrapping and making mushroom rollups. Hope you are having a great weekend, too!

>96 ffortsa: Ohhh! Great idea, but I have already read Tinkers and it was a good one. 4 1/2 stars--I just checked. ; ) Keep 'em coming....!

>97 witchyrichy: So glad to hear from you!! A new hip. Wow, that's an undertaking. And you are already feeling better? Awesome! Wishing you a quick recovery and much less pain. : )

>98 brenzi: You totally understand. And pickle ball is your thing, huh? Very fun. : )

>99 BLBera: Hi Twin! Yeah. My hope is that there used to be this 87 year old guy that did TKD and they made lots of concessions to help him, so maybe they can do that for me.

>100 The_Hibernator: It is a bummer about the sparring ending for me, but I do enjoy non-contact sparring a lot. There's world class sparring which allows head contact with helmets, regular sparring with helmets but no head contact (although accidents happen), and then non-contact which doesn't have any protective gear. I actually enjoy non-contact because I can kick that high and I look cool but don't have to deal with the possibility of someone actually kicking me!! LOL. In non-contact I can kick that high but it is always a few inches away from any real damage. We'll see....

>101 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. Glad to be treasured. : )

Fascinating link to Father Christmas, Ded Moroz and Odin!!

>80 Berly: I don't see the shared reads we have in mind there.... although as I think Beth pointed out, The Bone Clocks would perhaps qualify for the Time category. Not sure how Tracks will fit in come March.

Sorry about the end of sparring, or at least contact sparring. But it sounds like you can find other styles (is that the right word?) of TKD to enjoy.

>102 Berly: Are there any support roles in the TKD community, referee or some such, that would interest you?

Stephen Fry's Victorian Secrets by John Woolf 4.0

So I am currently reading Victorian Secrets on audio, read by Stephen Fry. It is a fascinating look at Victorian England and so many things that were on the QT. There is an idea that the Victorians were a particularly repressed generation who could not even cope with the site of naked table legs, but underneath the surface all kinds of things were going on. Each chapter addresses a different theme, from the origin of "stool" samples, to being gay and cross-dressing; the origin of family photography, birth control, circus performers and royal opinions on lots of stuff. I don't want to give it all away. Fantastic readers and excerpts from actual historians and diaries. Love it!!

>105 EBT1002: I don't think Tracks will qualify for the TIME theme, but that doesn't matter--I am still in!! I just want to use TIME category to get books off my shelf next year. I also want to read a book a month from my INDIEspensable collection, my RL bookclub reads and then random books and group reads with friends. The latter category would be you. ; )

There is lots more to TKD than just sparring: nunchucks, forms, board breaking, and fitness. I'll just have to see what the Master thinks. I am not sure non-contact sparring will work for progressing to the next level of Master, but I should be able to do all the other areas.

>106 quondame: I have been a referee several times and I am sure I could help coordinate their exhibits and competitions, but it won't be as satisfying if I can't progress my own level. I love in TKD that I earn new belt levels. I am no longer in school, but it is kinda like making it to the next year and I love seeing progress. : )

>108 Berly: "The latter category would be you."
*smile* and *smooch* (as RD would say)

I know it's months away but I am being very vocal at work about wanting to attend the SSAO meeting in Portland this year. Since I had to miss last year.... I think it's June 22-25 or something like that this year.

>109 EBT1002: *smile* and *smooch* right back atcha. : )

I am earmarking June 22-25 in my calendar right now. Let me know if the dates change. Yes, I get to see Ellen!!!!

So this is the ornament I got at my book group exchange. Love it!!

And this is a note my daughter left in the tree...



It's still there tucked amongst the lights and ornaments. LOL

>112 Berly: Love it! Good daughter.

Happy Sunday, Kim. Are you getting any reading time in, at all? Fingers crossed. I hope you can find time to meet up with Rachel, when she is in town. Fingers being crossed again...

>111 Berly: Love it!

>112 Berly: :) Lucky we have kids to keep us on track.

>111 Berly: so cute Kim.

Have a great holiday, Kim. That sounds like a fun Stephen Fry book (jeez, what a smart guy, and what wide-ranging interests!), and I love the ornament in >111 Berly:.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

>113 msf59: Yes, my daughter is a keeper! LOL

Reading? What's that? I am cleaning, shopping, wrapping, and cooking!! Our big dinner is tomorrow night on Christmas Eve and then it will be just immediate family on Christmas Day, which means I can stay in my PJs. Yay! And maybe read in the afternoon when all the kids vacate and run to friend's houses.

Hoping to catch some time with Rackel...

>114 BLBera: Hi, Twin! Wishing you wonderful holidays. And lots of new Scout stories for us!! : )

>115 Caroline_McElwee: : ) THanks.

>116 jnwelch: It is a really interesting book and I have enjoyed the audio version a lot. Maybe you should give it a try?! ; )

>117 ChelleBearss: Thank you!! I will make my rounds to wish everyone the same. So nice to see you again--are you ready for the holidays? I almost am.

>118 Berly: Ooh, staying in pjs sounds lovely. I might take a leaf out of your book :-)

Happy holidays, Kim! Stay well and have a wonderful time.

Have a comfy, caring, and very

Merry Christmas!

Line in the sand, I do hope you're having a wonderful holiday season so far, Kim!

Have a wonderful holiday, with the family, Kimmers. I hope you also get a few bookish gifts.

Merry Christmas Kim and family from both of us dear friend.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

Happy Holidays, Kim!

Merry Christmas Kim. I hope the New Year brings special adventures for you.

Have a wonderful Christmas, Kim. You must be doing the dinner right about now, I hope that everything is going smoothly, but, if not, then I hope it become a good story to tell in the future.

>111 Berly: The cutest ornament ever!

Merry Christmas to you and the family!

>111 Berly: Love that ornament! And your daughter's note!

Merry Christmas from Montana!

Merry Christmas from North Carolina!

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.

calm and I could use some friends over here in this new joint...

The 2020 Group is up!

To all my wonderful friends...

I hope to see all of you in 2020, to hear your stories, celebrate you lives, and share in our favorite pastime--books!!!

I am truly blessed to know you all. With my very best wishes, may we all find Peace, Joy and Love this holiday season!!

My 2020 thread is gonna be over here....

http://www.librarything.com/topic/314402#

: )

Already starred Twin!. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas -- no trips to the ER!

Had a wonderful Christmas, filled with family, friends, food and fun! And now I am looking forward to a quiet weekend. ; )

Ruh Roh. The 2020 threads are starting. It's that most wonderful time of the year ... when the 75ers go nuts!! Hooray!

>141 EBT1002: Absolute craziness abounds!!! And I love it. : )

Kim I hope you had a very wonderful Christmas and here is to a wonderful New Year.

>143 luvamystery65: Thank you, Roberta!!! I hope we can do another group read in 2020--I so enjoy doing that with you. : )

I've got your 2020 thread starred, too, Kim.



Happy holidays!

>142 Berly: I would love it if I could just let the 2019 threads (including my own!!!) go dormant. Is that what you're doing?

Kim, I missed Christmas here so I'm dropping in to say Happy New Year to you and your family.

>145 tymfos: Yay!! Thank you. I look forward to another year of sharing books with you. : )

>146 EBT1002: Yes, indeed. I am trying to go dormant over here. Mostly on my 2020 thread. Switch!!

>147 Oregonreader: Happy New Year to you as well!! Hope the holidays have been fun.

I am open for business over on my 2020 thread....

http://www.librarything.com/topic/314402#

: )