Berly has a few books to read...#11

2020 has been hard. My MIL passed and we had so many medical issues with immediate and extended family. But it has also been filled with good things. My sister moved out to Portland and I love having her here. My niece and SIL just got engaged and my son has a new job. And business has actually been pretty good, all things considered. Still, I hope 2021 will be a much better year. SOOOO glad to have my network of friends here on LT, filling my life with love and laughter. And book recs!! Thank you one and all.



The Night Before Christmas Jan Brett

It's our Christmas Eve tradition to take turns reading a page and then set out the cookies for Santa. We still do it with our grown kids and this year I got them each a copy. I plan to give my older daughter hers early, so she can read with us through Zoom.

So many choices!! What should I read?

Reading Now
Heaven's River (16 hrs 🎧) by Dennis Taylor
Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart

January
Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen with my family
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson Bookclub #2

Read in December ?? pages / ?? 🎧 hours
Totals So Far ?? pages / ?? hrs 🎧
100. Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler 3.75
99. Wide Sargasso Sea (B 171 pages) by Jean Rhys 3.0
98. The Birchbark House (B 244 pages) by Louise Erdrich 4.0
97. The Crying of Lot 49 (B 152 pages) by Thomas Pynchon 2.0
96. The Ballad of the Sad Cafe (B 152 pages) by Carson McCullers 3.0
❤️ I Am, I Am, I Am(B 285 pages) by Maggie O'Farrell 5.0
❤️ Vesper Flights (B 261 pages) by Helen Macdonald 4.5
93. Dearly (B 124 pages) by Margaret Atwood 4.0
❤️ Miss Suzy (B 40 pages) by Miriam Young 5.0 (Childhood Favorite)
❤️ The Night Before Christmas (B 32 pages) by Jan Brett 5.0 (Christmas Tradition)
90. Under Currents (B 436 pages) by Nora Roberts 3.75
89. In Harm's Way Sandham #6 (K 407 pages) by Viveca Sten 3.75
88. The Thief (K 236 pages) by Megan Whalen Turner 3.75
88. Confessions of a Curious Bookseller (K 483 pages) by Elizabeth Green 2.0
87. Out of My Mind (2.5 hrs 🎧) by Alan Arkin 3.0
❤️ Half Light (1.5 hrs 🎧) by Tarayi Jones 4.5
85. A Grown-Up Guide to Dinosaurs (6 hrs 🎧) by Ellie Sans, Clare Chadburn narrated by Ben Garrod 4.5

Read in November 1,023 pages / 17.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 20,240 pages / 137.25 hrs 🎧
84. Your Blue is Not My Blue (K 305 pages) by Aspen Matis 2.5
❤️ Stuff Matters (6.5 hrs 🎧) by Mark Madownik 4.0
82. A Woman of No Importance, The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II (B 312 pages) By Sonia Purnell 3.5
81. Zeus: King of the Gods ( 78 pages) by George O'Connor 3.0
80. Fauci (🎧 3 hours) by Michael Specter 3.5
79. The Girl Beneath the Sea (K 328 pages) by Andrew Mayne 3.75
78. Next to Last Stand (8 hours 🎧) by Craig Johnson 3.0

Read in October 1,956 pages / 12 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 19,217 pages / 119.75 hrs 🎧
❤️ The Bloody Chamber (B 162 pages) by Angela Carter 4.0
76. In the Heat of the Moment (K 410 pages) by Viveca Sten 4.0
75. The Hard Facts of the Grimm's Fairy Tales (B 277 pages) by Maria Tata 4.0
74. Dark Hollow (K 458 pages) by John Connolly with Roberta/luvamystery 3.5
73. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat (K 244 pages) by Oliver Sacks 3.5
❤️ The Water Dancer (B 405 pages) by Ta-Nehisi Coates, RL Bookclub 4.0
71. A Gift of Time (12 hrs 🎧) by Jerry Merritt 4.0

Ratings
❤️ Favorite(s) of the month
Loved it! 5.0
Really Good 4.0
Good 3.0
Hmmmm 2.0
Don't Bother 1.0

Media
B = Printed Book
🎧 = Audio
K = Kindle
= Graphic Novel

Source
IR = Indiespensable Readers
LT = LibraryThing Early Reviewer
✔ = Off the shelf
L = Library
↩ = Reread
$ = bought this year
✗ = DNF

Read in September 1,399 pages / 10 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 17,261 pages / 107.75 hrs 🎧
70. Kindness Goes Unpunished (8.75 hrs 🎧) by Craig Johnson 3.75
❤️ The Clock Dance (B 292 pages) by Anne Tyler 4.0
68. The Bluest Eye (B 206 pages) by Toni Morrison 3.75
67. Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod, the World's First Female Sports Superstar (B 282 pages) by Sasha Abramsky 3.0
66. The FlatShare (10 hours 🎧) by Beth O'Leary 3.5
❤️ Stay (K 292 pages) by Catherine Ryan Hyde 4.0
64. The Bone Jar (K 327 pages) by SW Kane 3.0

Read in August 3,563 pages / 16.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 15,862 pages / 97.75 hrs 🎧
❤️ Olive Again (B 289 pages) by Elizabeth Strout 4.0
62. The Christmas Hirelings ( 🎧 4 hrs) by Mary Elizabeth Braddon 3.5
61. Hamnet ((🎧 12.5 hours) by Maggie O'Farrell 3.75
❤️ How to be an Antiracist (K 284 pages) by Ibram X Kendi 4.5
59. White Out (K 361 pages) by Danielle Girard 3.5
58. Trust No One (K 417 pages) by Debra Webb 3.5
57. One Thousand White Women (K 324 pages) by Jim Fergus 3.5
56. The House at Sea's End (K 384 pages) by Elly Griffith 3.5
55. Tonight You're Dead (K 411 pages) by Viveca Sten 3.75

Read in July 1,264 pages / 15 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 12,299 pages / 96.25 hrs 🎧
❤️ Agent 355 (🎧 3 hours) by Marie Benedect 4.0
53. Dementia Reimagined (B 310 pages) by Tia Powell, MD 3.0
52. The Shadow King (B 429 pages) by Maaza Mengiste 3.75
❤️ Brain Myths Exploded by (🎧 12 hours) by Indre Viskontas 4.0
❤️ The Highest Tide (B 257 pages) by Jim Lynch 4.5
49. The Unseen (B 268 pages) by Roy Jacobsen 3.75

Read in June 748 pages / 10 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 11,035 pages / 81.25 hrs 🎧
48. Conviction (🎧 10 hours) by Denise Mina
47. Guiltless (K 370 pages) Sandham #3 by Viveca Sten 4.0
46. The Kitchen House (B 378 pages) by Kathleen Grissom 4.5

Read in May 2,237 pages / 18.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 10,287 pages / 71.25 hrs 🎧
45. Mostly Dead Things (B 358 pages) by Kristen Arnett (IR) 3.0
❤️ The Institute (L/K 577 pages) by Stephen King 4.0
43. Seriously...I'm Kidding (🎧 3 hours)by Ellen DeGeneres 3.5
42. You Can Thank Me Later (🎧 3 hours) by Kelly Harms 3.5
41. Matchmaking for Beginners (K 378 pages) by Maddie Dawson 3.0
❤️ Untamed (B 333 pages) by Glennon Doyle 4.0
39. Moranthology (🎧 8.5 hours/ read 2) by Caitlin Moran DNF
38. The Science of Sci-Fi (4 🎧 hours) by Erin Macdonald 3.75
37. The Janus Stone (B 327 pages) by Elly Griffiths 3.5
36. Actress (B 264 pages) by Anne Enright (IR) 4.0

Read in April 1,933 pages / 14.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 8,050/ 55.75 hrs 🎧
35. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore (B 328 pages) by Matthew Sullivan 4.0
❤️ Still Life with Oysters and Lemon (B 70 pages) by Mark Doty 5.0
33. Tell Me Lies (🎧 6.0 hours) by JP Pomare 4.0
❤️ The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (K 142 pages)by Douglas Adams 4.5
31. Rules of Civility (B 324 pages) by Amor Towles 3.75 ✔
30. Closed Circles (K 465 pages) by Viveca Sten, #2 Sandhamn Mystery Group Read 3.0
29. Wind / Pinball (B 236 pages) by Haruki Murakami 3.75
28. Gulp (🎧 8.5 hours) by Mary Roach 3.5 ✔
27. Storm Cursed (L/K 368 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0

Read in March 1,510 pages / 5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 6,117 pages / 41.25 hrs 🎧
26. Every Dead Thing (L/K 480 pages)by John Connolly (with luvamystery) 3.5
25. Phantom Limb: A Gripping Psychological Thriller (K 260 pages) by Lucinda Berry 4.0
24. Forever is the Worst Long Time (K 286 pages) by Camille Pagan 3.0
23. Tracks (B 226 pages) by Louise Erdrich 3.5 ✔
22. Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World (🎧 2 hours) by Michael Pollan 4.0
21. Malcolm and Me (🎧 1.5 hours by Ishmael Reed
❤️ Nothing to See Here (B 258 pages) by Kevin Wilson 4.5
❤️ Break Shot: My First 21 years ( 🎧 1.5 hours) by James Taylor 4.5

Read in February 3,069 pages / 11.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 4,607 pages / 36.25 hrs 🎧
18. Such A Fun Age (🎧 10 hours) by Kiley Reid 4.0
17. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (B 332 pages) by Abbi Waxman 4.0
❤️ There, There (B 304 pages) by Tommy Orange, RL Bookclub 4.5
15. The Vine Witch (K 263 pages)by Luanne G. Smith 3.5
14. In an Instant (K 326 pages) by Suzanne Redfearn 4.0
13. The Yellow House (B 376 pages) by Sarah Broom, RL Bookclub, ✗
12. The Dark Horse: A Longmire Mystery (K 368 pages) by Craig Johnson 3.5
11. The Child Next Door (K 284 pages) by Shalini Boland 2.75
10. Still Waters: Sandhamn Murders, Book 1 (K 448 pages) by Viveca Sten (group read) 3.0
9. The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson (🎧 1.5 hours) 3.75

Read in January / 1,538 pages / 24.75 🎧 hours / Total
8. The Beautiful Brain Audible Original (🎧 1 of 3.75 hrs) by Hana Walker-Brown ✗
7. Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez (🎧 9 hours) 3.5
6. The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs (K 400 pages) 4.0
5. A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs (L/K 492 pages) 4.0
4. When I Was You by Kent Minka (K 282 pages) 3.0
❤️ Liquid: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives by Mark Miodownik (🎧 7.25 hrs) ✔ 4.5
2. Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (B 624 pages) with Triplets Beth and Ellen ✔ 3.75
1. Victorian Secrets by Nick Baker and John Wolf, read by Stephen Fry (🎧 7.5 hrs) ✔ 3.5

Books Freed = 0
Powell's isn't open for drop-offs....



Catalogued 37/52 shelves -- You would think since I am stuck at home with the pandemic, that I would find to finish this project, but not yet! Yeesh.

RL Book Club #1 2021
February - News of the World by Paulette Jiles
April - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
June - Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
August - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
October - The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead

RL Book Club #1 2020
DNF February - The Yellow House: A Memoir by Sarah Broom
✅ April - Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
✅ June - The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
✅ August - Less by
✅ October - The Water Dancer by Ta-nehisi Coates
December - Choose books!!

RL Book Club #2
✅ January - Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield
✅ February - There, There by Tommy Orange
✅ March - Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
✅ April - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
✅ May - Untamed by Glennon Doyle
✅ June - Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (reread)
✅ September - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
✅ October - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

Literary Arts 2020-2021
September, 2020 -- ✅ The Nickel Boys and ✅ The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
October 13, 2020 -- H is for Hawk and ✅ Vesper Flights by Helen McDonald
January 28, 2021 -- ✅ Circe by Madeline Miller
February 18, 2021 -- ✅ How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
April 20, 2021 -- An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
May 18, 2021 -- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Powell's Indiespensable Readers Challenge

Hubby signed me up for this. Over the years I have received over 89 installments (some with two books), and 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#

Done
1. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
2. There, There by Tommy Orange
3. Actress by Anne Enright
4. Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett
5. The Unseen by Roy Jacobson
6. The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

2021 Shared reads
1. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi with ffortsa/Judy (April/May??)
2. The Topeka School by Ben Lerner with Twin/BLBera (March)

In an effort to read off my shelves...

✅ Done!! A book or author that has this letter in it...

January -- Break Shot: My First 21 years by James Taylor
February -- Victorian Secrets by Nick Baker and John Wolf, read by Stephen Fry
March -- Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
April -- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
May-- Liquid: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives by Mark Miodownik
June -- The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen
July -- The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths 3.5
August -- Agent 355 by Marie Benedect
September -- Still Waters: Sandhamn Murders, Book 1 by Viveca Sten
October -- There, There by Tommy Orange
November -- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
December -- Deadly Waters by Dot Hutchinson

IN HONOR OF



And maybe one more challenge...Taken from the Advanced Pop Sugar Challenge
(for which I have little hope! LOL)

Written by an author in their 20s
With "20"or "twenty" in the title
Set in the 1920s
✅From a series/author with more than 20 books -- The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffith
✅With a character with vision impairment or enhancement (20/20 vision, get it?) -- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson (Ok, the title works at least!)
✅ Set in Japan, the host of the 2020 Winter Olympics--Wind / Pinball by Haruki Murakami
✅ By an author who has written more than 20 books -- The Institute by Stephen King
✅ With more than 20 letters in its title--Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
✅Published in the 20th century -- Still Waters: Sandhamn Murders by Viveca Sten
✅ With a main character in their 20s --Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid, Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

I can't resist buying new books!!

I seem to manage to read around 50% of my newbies, except last year where I (ahem) added a few more books to my collection than normal.

2017 47/85
2018 45/88
2019 45/128

Let's see how I do this year!!

2020 75/103 Read

1. The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock by Jane Riley
✅ When I Was You by Minka Kent
✅ Still Waters by Viveca Sten #1
✅ Closed Circles by Viveca Sten #2
✅ Guiltless by Viveca Sten #3
✅ Tonight You're Dead by Viveca Sten #4
✅ In the Heat of the Moment by Viveca Sten #5
✅ In Harms Way by Viveca Sten #6
9. Viveca Sten Sandhamn Murders #7
10. Viveca Sten Sandhamn Murders #8 (This series is Katie and Laura's fault)
11. Instructions for a Funeral by David Means (gift from Mark)
12. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Avaristo (gift from Mark)
✅ The Yellow House by Sarah Broom
✅ Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
✅ Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson
✅ The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
✅ A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs
18. I Am Yours: A Shared Memoir by Reema Zaman
✅ In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn
20. Killing Comendatore by Haruki Murakami
✅ The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
✅ Tonight You're Dead by Viveca Sten
✅ The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
✅ The Child Next Door by Shalini Oland
✅ Little Gods by Meng Jen, INDIEspensable #84
26. Empire of the Wild by Cherie Dimaline INDIEspensable #84
✅ The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson
✅ Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry
✅ Foerever is the Worst Long Time by Pagan Camille
✅ Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
✅ Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez
✅ Every Dead Thing by John Connolly
✅ Malcolm and Me by Ishmael Reed
✅ Caffeine by Michael Pollan
✅ Breakshot: mY First 21 Years by James Taylor
✅ Gulp by May Roach
✅ Rules of Civility by Amore Towles
✅ Seriously...I am Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres
✅ Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty
✅ Tell Me Lies by JP Pomade
✅ Untamed by Glennon Doyle
✅ Actress: A Novel by Anne Enright, INDIEspensable #85
43. The Voyage of the Morning Light by Marina Endicott INDIEspensable #85
✅ Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod, the World's First Female Sports Superstar by Sasha Abramsky
✅ How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi
✅ The Bone Jar (Detective Lew Kirby Book 1) SW Kane
47. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo
✅ The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen, INDIEspensable #86
49. Audrey McKee by Alex Puglsey, INDIEspensable #86
✅The Institute by Stephen King
✅ Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
✅ You Can Thank Me Later by Kely Harms
✅ Agent 355 by Marie Benedict
✅ The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch *
✅ The Flat Share by Bth O'Leary
56. A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
✅ The Hard Facts of the Grimm's Fairy Tales by Maria Tatar
✅ The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
✅ Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald
✅ Brain Myths Exploded by Indre Viskontas
✅ Conviction by Denise Mina
✅ The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffith
✅ Trust No One by Deborah Webb
✅ White Out by Danielle Girard
✅ One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
66. Deadly Waters by Dot Hutchison
67. Millicent Glenn's Last Wish by Tori Whitaker
68. Network Effect by Martha Wells
✅ Your Blue Is Not My Blue by Aspen Matis
70. Wall of Silence by Tracy Buchanon
71. Rabbits for Food by Binnie Kirshenbaum
72. The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado
73. My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
74. The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
75. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson
✅ The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
✅ Next to Last Stand by Craig Johnson
✅ A Gift of Time by Jerry Merritt
✅ Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
✅ Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor
✅ Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik
✅ Half Light by Tayari Jones
83. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
✅ The Science of Sci-Fi by Erin Macdonald
85. The Magnificent Dappled Sea by David Biro
86. A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi INDIEspensable #88 *
✅ The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne
✅ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
✅ Dark Hollow by John Connolly
✅ Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde
✅ Dearly: New Poems by Maragaret Atwood
✅ Confessions of a Curious Bookseller by Elizabeth Green
92. Memories In the Drift by Melissa Payne
93. The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado
94. Millicent Glenn's Last Wish by Tori Whitaker
✅ Out of My Mind by Alan Arkin
✅ Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik
✅ Half Light by Tayari Jones
98. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, INDIEspensable #89 *
✅ A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell
✅ I am I am I am by Maggie O'Farrell
101. Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart
102. Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien
103. Squeeze Me by Carl Hiaasen

Favorites from 2019
Fiction
An Act of God (A) by David Javerbaum
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Charlie Davidson series Darynda Jones
The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward

Non-Fiction
These Truths: A History of the United States by Jilll Lepore
Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story (A) by Jacob Tobia
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Come on in!!

Happy new thread!

Happy beautiful new thread, Kim!

Happy new thread!!

Happy new thread! I love that topper, lol!

>14 quondame: Hi Susan!! As my first guest, would you like some wintery goodies?

>15 Carmenere: Lynda-- I am glad you like my thread so much! Thanks. : )

>16 ChelleBearss: Hi Chelle! Are you the one with the half-finished tree? Did you get it decorated?

>17 jessibud2: Shelley--I got variations on this ornament for all my kids for Christmas. LOL

Happy new one, Kim!

>18 Berly: Oh I love it! Delicious and beautiful!

>20 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Trying to go out on a good note.

>21 quondame: : )

Okay, I am back on track.

I added as many new books as I can remember (most have been audio or Kindle) to #11. So much for reading off my shelves this year! LOL Now I just have to make sure they are all entered in LT...

I looked up pages and hours read and updated my stats on #3 and 4. Phew!

Also logged my recent INDIESpensable books on the separate thread #9.

Feeling mostly caught up for once!! It's so nice to have a laptop again. : )

Happy new thread, Kim. Looks pretty spiffy.

>24 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!



Vesper Flights by Helen McDonald

Halfway through this beautiful book. I know lots of people have already gushed about it. Let me just give a sample of her amazing writing and also say that I love her vocabulary and the insights into the life of birds!!

For example:

Anagnorisis -- is a moment in a play or other work when a character makes a critical discovery. Anagnorisis originally meant recognition in its Greek context, not only of a person but also of what that person stood for. Anagnorisis was the hero's sudden awareness of a real situation, the realisation of things as they stood, and finally, the hero's insight into a relationship with an often antagonistic character in Aristotelian tragedy.

Oneiric -- of, relating to, or suggestive of dreams. The notion of using the Greek noun oneiros (meaning "dream") to form the English adjective "oneiric" wasn't dreamed up until the mid-19th century. But back in the early 1600s, linguistic dreamers came up with a few "oneiros" spin-offs, giving English "oneirocriticism," "oneirocritical," and "oneirocritic" (each referring to dream interpreters or interpretation). The surge in "oneiros" derivatives at that time may have been fueled by the interest then among English-speaking scholars in Oneirocritica, a book about dream interpretation by 2nd-century Greek soothsayer Artemidorus Daldianus.

And did you know that swifts never descend to the ground? This from the chapter the book is named after.

And from page 135: "I'd swear, if I were of a more mystical persuasion, that a hunting peregrine changes the quality of the atmosphere it flies through, makes it heavier. Like thunder. Like slowed-down film in which the grain shows through. The Poolbeg site is about as far as you can get from a thriving natural ecosystem, but the act of watching a falcon chase its prey above the scarred and broken ground below feels like quiet resistance against despair. Matters of life and death and a sense of our place in the world tied fast together in a shiver of wings a cross a scrap of winter sky."

Beautiful.

Happy new thread, Kim!

>25 Berly: Lots of praise for Vesper Flights all around. The Dutch translation will be published next year, I will wait until the library gets a copy ;-)

Happy new one!

>25 Berly: That looks to be good. I read H is for Hawk earlier this year and enjoyed it.

>25 Berly: I loved these essays too Kim.

>25 Berly: I'm going to read H is for Hawk first. It's out to be read, but I'm trying to get through an e-book with an expire date first.

Yay for the new computer!

Happy new thread, Kimmers.

>26 FAMeulstee: Excellent plan! Mine was a signed edition as part of the book series through Literary Arts here in Portland. It's a keeper.

>27 figsfromthistle: I haven't read H is for Hawk yet, but I plan to.

>28 Caroline_McElwee: See? I knew I wasn't alone.

>29 thornton37814: I know H is for Hawk has been well received as well. Hurry up on the e-book! LOL

>30 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. : ) Always nice to see you.

Happy new thread, Kim. Glad to see you are enabled with a new laptop!

>25 Berly: Wonderful quotes. I am tempted by this one - maybe it will come in my Christmas presents!

I hope with you for 2021.
>7 Berly: It is always nice to discover familiar things on other bookshelves - I love the Cormoran Strike novels.
>25 Berly: Beautiful.

>13 Berly: Delurking to say hi!
I didn't realize for awhile, "Oh - new thread"!

Have a fun month ~

Love the ornaments, TwinK.

Finish cataloging already -- then you're going to do mine, right?

Happy new one.

>1 Berly: Heh!! I love that ormanent.

>18 Berly: I see I need to be quicker on the uptake.

>38 richardderus: I'll share!

Hi Kim my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend.

Happy new thread!

>33 Familyhistorian: Hello there!! Yes, it is nice to be mobily-connected to the rest of the world again.

>34 charl08: I hope Santa treats you right, and it is under the tree Christmas morning!

>35 SirThomas: Hi Thomas. I think there is a new Cormoran Strike book out and I have to get my hands on it. I do love that series.

>36 SandyAMcPherson: Hi! Thanks for the fun month wish--same to you! (That little figure is so darn cute.)

>37 BLBera: Twin--I have made zero progress on cataloging. Argh!! I never seem to find the time. And, heck no!, I am not taking on your books next. I love you but....

>38 richardderus: I got variations on that ornament for all my kids. I think it's spot on. : )

>39 quondame: That's so nice of you! Ricardo, say thank you.

>40 johnsimpson: >41 drneutron: Welcome you two!! : )

Love Xmas brownies. I am attempting to make my own decorations (from a craft kit), mixed results so far.

>42 Berly: Yes, the new Cormoran Strike book is out, Kim, it is called Troubled Blood. It is a big tome and I enjoyed it :-)

Happy New Thread!

BB with Vesper Flights. And good reminders from several of your heart books that I have been meaning to read such as The Water Dancer and The Bloody Chamber.

>43 Berly: PLEEEASE. :(

>39 quondame: *mmmfflfflllmmf*

>43 Berly: I already did! *delicate eructation*

I think it would be nice to read some of the delicious sounding titles you have from Powells along with you. I'll try to catch what you plan to read in January and make room for it.

I hope the coming holidays are joyous and sparkly and healthy for all your family and you.

Happy new thread, Kim! Glad to see you're loving Vesper Flights. I'll definitely have to read that at some point. I read H is for Hawk for book club and really liked it.

Hi Kim. I love your topper. How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas shows.

>25 Berly: I purchased a copy of Vesper Flights a couple weeks ago. The cover is so beautiful. I'll read it soon.

I hope you're hanging in there through the last month of this horrible year. xoxox

>45 charl08: Frankly, I love brownies. Any brownies!! But they are much more fun decorated in the season. : )

>46 FAMeulstee: So noted and wanted! Troubled Blood...Cormoran here I come!

>47 streamsong: I love it that we are so in synch!

>48 BLBera: Well, maybe once COVID is over, if you fly me out there. Maybe. Because you're my twin and I love you.

>49 richardderus: I am glad you enjoyed the brownies. ; )

>50 ffortsa: I'd love to have someone read Powell's books along with me!! We can confer on a January read. : ) Go check out my thread and send me your top 2-3 books. I think I have (mostly) marked the ones I have read with a ✅.

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

>51 bell7: Vesper Flights is definitely a winner and I loved hearing Helen McDonald talk at Literary Arts. Here's a link to several talks by her from this fall.

https://literary-arts.org/?s=Helen+MacDonald&submit=Search

>52 EBT1002: My other twin!! So nice to hear from you! Man, this year has sucked. A few high points, but I am ready for 2021.

The latest? My sister is waiting for COVID results. She wasn't exposed as far as she knows, but she has some of the symptoms. She is sheltering in the downstairs and we are all wearing masks inside the house. Of course, people are also contagious before they show symptoms, so it might be too late if she has it. She is feeling much better, so we are hoping it was just a cold. Results should be back tomorrow.

For real good news, both in the last week, my niece and my SIL both got engaged!!!! It's nice to have a little light i all this gloom.

Hope you are hanging in there, too. : )

>55 Berly: Hopefully it's just a cold. Flu season has arrived and the normal stuff doesn't stop because of Covid. My test was negative so it's just a cold/virus. Pain in the butt though as it made everyone think I had the plague until the test came back.

My thoughts are with you and your family. I hope all will be well.
And YAY for the good news.
Such a thing brings sunshine, even if it rains.

There will be wine and treats, too, TwinK. Stay well.

Happy newish thread, Kim! I hope that your sister tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

Catching up here finally, Kim! Also hope for negative test results for the sister.

>55 Berly: Fingers and toes crossed that the results are negative and that, if they aren't, her symptoms are the milder kind.

I came out of quarantine yesterday and made an immediate beeline for the bookstore!

I trust that your SIL and niece got engaged to different people!

Happy Newish Thread Kim, and I hope it's good news for your sister. Congrats on passing your TKD test - Master in three years, wow.

Hi Kim! Happy new thread. I thought I posted here but must have gotten sidetracked. You’ve earwormed me with “Stink, Stank, Stunk”…

>55 Berly: I do hope the result for your sister is negative. Every time I sneeze or cough more than once I have terrible thoughts that I’ve got Covid.

So the day after my sister, my son had a coworker with a sick child, potentially COVID-stuff, and then my husband was in a facility that had a confirmed case and they shut down for two weeks. He was in the building but did not meet that employees, only others that had been in contact with her.

So, with 3 potential exposures, we have been wearing masks inside the house for a week! Ugh!!! Luckily, all tests came back negative and today we can once again breath freely inside. Thank goodness.

>56 ChelleBearss: We made my sister, the only one with symptoms, hide out in her bedroom downstairs and I dropped off food for her. She was so bored and could not wait to get out!!

>57 SirThomas: Thanks for noticing the good news!! Engagements are very exciting. : )

>58 BLBera: I am totally in for the wine and treats. I'll be there someday soon!

>64 Berly: I have been frequently checking back for the diagnosis.
So great to know you and the family are not infected with the dreaded Covid.
*Happy dance*

>59 kidzdoc: Darryl!! SO nice to see you here. : ) All three have come back negative and nobody has symptoms. My sister's place of employment told her to wait 72 more hours after the negative test to make sure she developed no further symptoms. This is really something to deal with. Thanks to you and all your coworkers for being brave and kind enough to go in and treat people. You are the BEST!!

>60 ronincats: Roni -- No one got it this time. Thank goodness! And I really appreciate the well wishes.

>61 PaulCranswick: Paul--So glad to hear you can emerge again from quarantine, too. And yay for the bookstore!!

LOL. Yes, they got engaged to different people. : )

>62 jnwelch: Joe--I have three MORE years to go to get to the TKD Masters level, but that's the plan and I'm sticking to it. : )

>63 karenmarie: Karen--I just ordered more of the Stink Stank Stunk ornaments on Etsy, to give out to my RL bookclub friends. I may have to just leave them on their doorsteps!! The first batch arrive today, but the second may or may not get here before Christmas. Oh well. Still worth it.

Meeting tonight with one of my RL bookclubs to select books for 2021. Very excited!! I'll update you all on our picks. : )



We are only choosing 5 for every other month. ; ) And not necessarily these books. LOL

Updated to add what we chose:

February - News of the World by Paulette Jiles
April - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
June - Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
August - The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
October - The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead

Whew - so glad everyone tested negative! Vaccines are on the way!

>69 Berly: Thank you, Twin. You and me both!

Well, the personal Christmas cards are sent, and I only have 1 more gift to get. Yay!

Now I just have to coordinate the business holiday cards. We decided to go electronic vs paper this year because so many people are working from home and not in the office, so at least I have a little time to pull this off.

So glad to hear all the tests came back negative!!

Hello you negative thing you.

(Funny how that's a GOOD thing these days.)

*smooch*

>72 ChelleBearss: Happiness!!!

>73 richardderus: At first I thought, what does he mean? Boo hoo hoo. And then I saw line #2 and laughed out loud. Smooches.

Hey, Kimmers! Happy New Thread! Sorry for my tardy arrival. I have missed you, although with your house full of guests and your busy schedule, I can fully understand.

Thanks so much for the card and newsletter. I am honored to be in your family and friends circle. Hugs to my pal.

Hey! How's things? I ended up reading Girl, Woman, Other and loved it. (is that the one we considered reading together?)

Cheers to negatory results~! :)

>75 msf59: Mark, you are definitely one of my favorite LTers. Duh! : )

>76 LovingLit: Hey you! So glad you enjoyed that one. We didn't do a great job of reading together this year, did we? You can blame it on me. Shall we give it another go in 2021? Please!!!

Okay, if you want lists of books to read...

Here is a link to 17 different BEST BOOKS OF 2020 links from Literary Arts!!

Lit Hub, Powell's, The New Yorker, USA Today, and more!

https://literary-arts.org/2020/12/in-the-community-upcoming-online-literary-even...

Hey, Kim. Where is that list of books from Powell's, the ones you haven't read yet? I was going to suggest one we might read together, but I've lost track of the list.

Yay for negativity! It must be a great relief to not wear masks in the house anymore and your sister must be happy to have been let out of her room.

>79 ffortsa: My Powell's post is up on >9 Berly:, but here's the link to the thread again. I'd love to read something with you!

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

>80 Familyhistorian: No joke. We are happily mask free in our house again!! Yay!

>79 ffortsa: How about Homegoing or Barkskins? Or maybe Your Duck is My Duck?

>78 Berly: Nice lists! Talk about rabbit hole. Thanks TwinK! Let's read something together next year.

Hi, Kim! So glad to hear all the tests were negative. It is so crazy-making, dealing with the thread of COVID-19. Our county library just had to shut down completely (except for virtual materials) due to a positive. A friend just lost her mother to it. So sad.

>82 ffortsa: Barkskins by Annie Proulx!!! Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi. (I changed my mind based on the sheer length of Barkskins -- over 700 pages!)

When? Would April or May work? She is coming to Portland in May. : )

>83 BLBera: I'd love to read another one with you. Want to choose another INDIEspensable read? My thread can be found in >81 Berly:. Or you can join Judy and I for Homegoing.

>84 tymfos: So sorry to hear about the COVID loss of your friend's mom. And now the library is shut down. This just sucks. Hang in there!!

So, I am busy trying to log my books read this year. I have been pretty good about posting them on my thread, but not about logging them in LT database. I started out with only 54 of them noted and I am up to 84, but I have read 92. On the hunt!!



I hope next year I have more LT time, both socially and logging book-wise. I hardly wrote any reviews this year. But I did read a LOT of my recent purchases!!! Exact numbers ot come at the end of the month.

I hate it when the numbers don't match up.

Isn't Barkskins like a million pages? I'll read one of the INdispensibles with you.

Another lurker stopping by to say how happy I am that the Covid tests were negative. If I don't get back before the 25th, Happy Christmas to your family and yourself, Kim.

>87 BLBera: Ummm...yeah....over 700 pages. So how about Homegoing? : ) Or another one of your choice that I haven't read and isn't a tome? LOL

>88 DeltaQueen50: Thank you! And happy holidays to you, too! (I haven't been too good at making the rounds as much as I want to lately...)

>87 BLBera: The Topeka School it is!! When? March?

Okay, help me read my Powell's INDIEspensable Collection!!

Judy and Beth have already got me going with two books: Homegoing and The Topeka School in 2021. Join us or choose another so I can read more of these next year!!

my link to the collection is here:

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

(✅ means I have read them.)

>86 Berly: Good luck on your goals to ramp up your LT activity next year. I will try to do the same - both with reading and with being social. But I always say that. :)

March is good. You'll remind me, right?

Tachyon Publications, an SFF house, posted this on Twitter. Says it all, no?

Hi Kim! After a somewhat extended absence from LT, I am slowly getting caught up with some threads. Very happy to read the positive surgery for you and your daughter and the negative covid test results for the fam!

Wishing you and your family a lovely holiday season and wonderful New Year.

>82 ffortsa: Either month is ok with me. I have no idea what my book groups will be reading that far out, but I'll fit it in. When you read with someone, do you set a fixed number of pages to discuss? Or chapters, etc? Whatever has worked for you in the past or whatever you would like to try is ok with me.

>92 The_Hibernator: We can cheer each other on!!

>93 BLBera: March it is. Yes, I can remind you. LOL

>94 richardderus: Yup. There it is. 2021 Hurry up!!

>95 lkernagh: So nice to see you here!! I am honored. And good luck getting caught up cuz you know January is just crazy!! LOL. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a great 2021.

>96 ffortsa: Let's see how it's going and we'll check in together in April and then read it April and/or May. We can set up a different thread and try to stay caught up with each other per week so we can have an open discussion as we go. Can't wait!!

>25 Berly: Thanks so much for this review! I loved H is for Hawk. Just went and purchased the Kindle version of Vesper Flights, though I have a feeling this might be a book I would prefer to turn the pages.

Or maybe it's just the time of year for turning pages...
Happy holidays to you!

... and here's to a better 2021!

Happy everything, Kim. Here's to good health, above all, and of course, good books.

Or in other words, Happy Christmas! And have a great New Year as well. Here’s hoping 2021 is an improvement on 2020.

I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a peaceful time, remain healthy and full of hope.
I took this picture 2 years ago when we were on our pre-Christmas vacation.
Last year there was no snow, this year we were not allowed to go. Therefore, we revel in fond memories and look forward to next year.

Happy Holidays, Kimmers! Praying for a much better 2021. Have a good time with the family. I hope the stress levels remain manageable.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, Kim!

Hi Kim. Wishing you peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and best wishes for the New Year!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
May next year bring you greater peace and joy, good health and many books.

I hope there are some treats, some relaxation, and some reading over the festive season, and that 2021 is a kinder year to everyone.

Enjoy your festive season Kim.

Wishing all my friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Here's a little poem. Author unknown.

T'was a week before Christmas,
And all through the town,
People wore masks,
That covered their frown.
The frown had begun
Way back in the Spring,
When a global pandemic
Changed everything.
They called it corona,
But unlike the beer,
It didn’t bring good times,
It didn’t bring cheer.
Airplanes were grounded,
Travel was banned.
Borders were closed
Across air, sea and land.
As the world entered lockdown
To flatten the curve,
The economy halted,
And folks lost their nerve.
From March to July
We rode the first wave,
People stayed home,
They tried to behave.
When summer emerged
The lockdown was lifted.
But away from caution,
Many folks drifted.
Now it’s December
And cases are spiking,
Wave two has arrived,
Much to our disliking.
It’s true that this year
Has had sadness a plenty,
We’ll never forget
The year 2020.
And just ‘round the corner -
The holiday season,
But why be merry?
Is there even one reason?
To decorate the house
And put up the tree,
Who will see it,
No one but me.
But outside my window
The rain gently falls,
And I think to myself,
Let’s deck the halls!
So, I gather the ribbon,
The garland and bows,
As I play those old carols,
My happiness grows.
Christmas is not cancelled
And neither is hope.
If we lean on each other,
I know we can cope.
🎄🎅🏼🎄🎅🏼🎄🎅🏼🎄🎅🏼🎄

>112 Berly: - This is very good, Kim. Thanks

: )

>112 Berly: Fun doggerel. Thanks.
I'm off to catch up on my reading! Have a great day tomorrow - just don't compare it to your previous year!

Edited to acknowledge your lovely snowman greeting. Thank you!

Hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Yay! Best wishes to you too!

Happy Holidays Kim!

Wishing you and yours the very best of the season.

Congratulations on all the good news.

I hope you get some of those at least, Kimmers, as we all look forward to a better 2021.

E

Happy Christmas Kim!

Warm Christmas wishes to you and your family Kim. I hope Santa remembered to put new books under your Christmas tree last night.

>112 Berly: Thanks for sharing this!

Merry Christmas. May '21 be the silver lining on this dark cloud of a year.

Adding my Christmas greeting, Kim. Stay healthy! You are so close to reading 100 books. Good job considering all the “extras” on your plate this year. ❤️💚

Wanna help me kick 202 to the curb? 2021 group is here

Happy Holidays, Kim!

>123 RBeffa: My LT Secret Santa (Lori T) gave me Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart and also Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien. Both on my WL. Yay!! I really have to do a better job of reading off my shelves next year. Although I did kill reading my newest acquisitions. ; )

>124 tangledthread: Glad you enjoyed the "Twas a week before Christmas" poem. And you said it -- 2021 has to be a better year!

>125 Donna828: Hello there! Yes, I am still aiming for the 100. Just finished another one today (98) and I am hoping that I can finish my audio book (99), so just one more written book and I will make 100!!

>126 drneutron: Awesome, Doc! Thanks for posting the link. I will head over soon to make a new thread, but I don't usually start over there until January 1. : )

>127 jnwelch: Hi Joe! Happy holidays to you, too. I know you will make the best of it.

Well, I thought I might make it though this year without an ER visit, but Christmas Eve I ate an apple pie that had turmeric in it (I missed it when I scanned the ingredients). Dang it! I tried to manage it at home. Epi pen, nebulizer, Benadryl, but I couldn't make the lump in the back of my throat go away nor the asthma. So, despite COVID fears, my hubby took me in. Glad we went because it just kept getting worse. Fortunately, they did a great job at the hospital and I got released at 12:30am and went home to sleep in my very own bed. Pretty wiped today, but should be all good again tomorrow. So thankful to all the doctors, nurses and staff who spent Christmas working and amidst COVID. And I let them know!!

>130 Berly: Oh gosh those pies can be dangerous! I'm glad you came through it well enough to reassure us you're better. I hope tomorrow is trouble free for you.

>130 Berly: Oh no! Glad you are ok and hope that 2021 is turmeric free.

Wow Kim, I'm so glad you are okay. I hope you're able to take it easy today.

Kim, let this be the last vestige of a horrible year. And just start the new one clean, healthy and AT HOME!

>130 Berly: oh my. You could have done without that Kim. Life throws so many curve balls. An ingredient that is so good for so many, and is added to so much now, can be so challenging to others.

Wishing you a healthier and hospital free year ahead.

Sorry to see you got tricked by turmeric on Christmas Eve!
I got tricked by onions at work a couple weeks ago. Nasty things!

Hope you are feeling better now and having a good Christmas rest!

Ooof, sorry to hear about the allergic reaction, Kim. Here's hoping the least few days of 2020 are completely uneventful for you.

>112 Berly: Love the verse, TwinK

>130 Berly: Well, darn it. Turmeric, eh?

>64 Berly: I am so glad all the tests came back negative! I got tested last week, just a few days before Xmas, after attending two in-person work retreats in the weeks prior (masked and distanced, but still...). Negative. I wasn't all that worried but I appreciate having free screening testing available on campus.

>130 Berly: Yikes! What a scare! I am glad you went to the ER and that they dealt with it so effectively and with care. It would not have occurred to me that turmeric would be in apple pie(?)!

I just didn't have it in me to come round to all the threads to leave off holiday greetings so I'm doing Happy New Year greetings early. I have joined the 75ers group for 2021 (of course!) but won't start a thread until next weekend.

Here's hoping 2021 is a year in which we get to have an in-person meet-up again!!!!!

>130 Berly: I'm glad you're alright now. Turmeric seems a strange ingredient for apple pie though. Hospital staff are amazing.

>136 ChelleBearss: Are you allergic to onions too? My sister has onion issues so my mum has to go out and buy spring onions/ globe onions if she's going over for a meal.

Oh no, Kim. And now people are putting turmeric in everything.

Hope that your new years celebrations are more peaceful!

Hi Kim!

I, too, am sorry about the allergic reaction to turmeric (in apple pie? really? how bizarre.), glad you went to the ER and they got you through it.

R&R for you, Dr. Karen's orders.

>77 Berly: we did not do a good job of reading something together this year, you are right. But the intention is something, and, we will always have Bowie's Top 100 memories (which I treasure, btw).

2021- let's get it done!!

>130 Berly: sheesh, that is not what you want on Christmas Eve. What a hassle, and what a great job the Drs and Nurses, and medical teams do for us at crazy times!

>131 quondame: No more reaction. Still just completely wiped. But lying in bed and reading means I will hit my 100 mark this year!!

>132 charl08: Thank you! Less turmeric would definitely be a good thing. LOL

>133 lauralkeet: Well, I am trying to take it easy. I have run my errands for the day and now I plan on eating lunch and taking a nap!

>134 jessibud2: Does my house have to be clean, too? LOL. How about just healthy and at home. Unless I can get the kids to do the cleanup...

>135 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks for the good wishes. Turmeric is a new allergy for me. Maybe because it seems to be in everything all of a sudden? Who knows. I just have to be more careful reading the ingredients. NO more skimming.

>136 ChelleBearss: Onions! Man, they are in everything. Sorry they got you, too. Let's make a pact to avoid both of them. Hope you are enjoying the holidays!

>137 MickyFine: You know, sometimes, uneventful is just the best thing around. : )

>138 BLBera: Glad you liked the verse and yeah, turmeric. : P

>139 EBT1002: Glad your tests came back negative. Always a relief.

I am holding out a few more days until I start my new 75er thread for 2021. Mostly because if I finish two more books I hit 100! And I want that.

I am totally in for in-persoon meetups as soon as they are possible! And I am psyched you are planning to retire back to Oregon. Whoohooo!!!

>140 humouress: I am finding turmeric EVERYWHERE!! Since when did apple pies get trendy? ; )

When I was huffing and puffing the hospital staff in the room all switched immediately to N-95 masks and their version looks way more comfortable than the ones I have seen in public. I wish I had asked where they got them! The emergency room staff was amazing, as usual, and they quickly got me over the worst of it. Bless them.

>141 banjo123: Thanks! I think if I stick with cheese and champagne for New Year's I should be safe. That's my plan and I am sticking to it.

>142 karenmarie: I (mostly) always follow my doctor's orders! I need to finish up The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys and Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor (Bobiverse) to make 100, so I am indeed taking it easy.

>143 LovingLit: Intention is the first step, and largely because I have such fond memories of our Bowie's top 100, I'd love to read with you again. But maybe just one book, and not one book a month?! Do you have any suggestions or should I send you a few? : )

>145 Berly: - Nah... Clean is one of those things that's *relative*. I have 2 new cats so I can hardly be held to account on that!

Blechickptui on the Sneak Turmericking of 2020.

See you in the 2021 group! *smooch*

100! Go for it!

>148 jessibud2: Phew! We can still be friends.

>149 richardderus: Well said! I have to reach my 100 here and get all the accolades and then I can move on to 2021. : )

>150 BLBera: I hit 99! One more to go! I have 10 hours left on my audible, so I have also started another book book, just to make sure I hit 100. Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler. I like her work and this is a short one, so I should be good.



(Thank you, Ellen!)

I'm just Billy on the Spot, stopping by to wish you and yours Happy Holidays. Glad to hear you all flunked the C-19 test and can doff the masks in the house. Glad too you survived that tumeric-tainted pie without an overnight hospital stay. Oh, and engagements!

Happy happy joy joy.

Get to 100; get to 100. I'm missing by too many. Better luck for me next year.

>152 weird_O: Hi Bill! So glad to see you. You always light up my thread and my mood. Happy holidays to you and yours.

One more to go to hit 100! I am doing this!! Wishing you better luck next year. ; )

So, speaking of cleaning. I had to laugh at this line at the beginning of Redhead by the Side of the Road:

"It was Micah's personal theory that if you actually noticed the difference you made when you cleaned--the coffee table suddenly shiny, the rug suddenly lint free--it meant you had waited too long to do it."

I am thinking Micah and I might not be ideal roommates!! LOL

>154 Berly: Nah, if you can't tell the difference, what's the point?

>154 Berly: If you can tell the difference, it means it was exactly the right time! For me, it's more like if I notice the mess, then it's the right time to clean the thing. But not before then. Like right now, it's about time for me to clean the bottom shelf of my fridge!

>130 Berly: Turmeric in apple pie, huh. Perfectly understandable that you didn't see that in the fine print. What were people thinking? What a scary experience, though. And what a miserable Eve. Glad the medical staff did a tremendous job with you.

>155 quondame: Exactly! Where's the satisfaction if there's no before and after?

>156 justchris: "About time" means don't rush it. Maybe this weekend...? LOL

The Eve wasn't so great, but we did manage a pretty fun Christmas day, so I'll take that. : )

>147 Berly: There's turmeric in a lot of stuff here - curries etc and it's supposed to have antiseptic properties - but I'm not a fan since it stains everything yellow.

>154 Berly: Yesterday I had to clear the window seats in our bedroom (they make such a convenient storage surface) so the window boxes outside could be attended to. So today the window seats look beautiful, for once. The floor, on the other hand ... (pity my long-suffering husband).

>158 humouress: Oh, I think he knows a good thing when he has it!! : ) Enjoy the beautiful window seats. I just found the floor in my study again after putting all the boxes and bows and wrapping paper away in the closet. Phew!

Made my 100!! So now I can start a longer book without worrying if I can finish it in 2 days time. Starting Girl Waits with Gun. Thank you not-so-secret Secret Santa, Lori T!

>160 Berly: Congratulations on your 100!



(I doubt I'll make mine but I'm happy to have got to 75 for the first time ever.)

>161 humouress: Whoohooo to us both!!!

Hi Kim!

>159 Berly: I just found the floor in my study again after putting all the boxes and bows and wrapping paper away in the closet. Phew! You’re inspiring – I need to wrap one final present for Jenna, should do it today, and will then put away all the Christmas Present Wrapping stuff.

>160 Berly: Yay for 100! Congratulations.

Congratulations on your 100 read's Kim.

>160 Berly: Hope you enjoy that. The author spoke at our online book club meeting a couple weeks ago. She was a down-to-earth and interesting guest.

Congrats on the book century!

Hi Kim my dear, Congrats on reaching 100 books read for the year dear friend.

Congrats on 100! A good end to the year.

100! congratulations.

And boo for yet another allergic reaction. Turmeric is very 'in' these days, alas. I'm so sorry your allergies are so widespread. Mine are pinpoint in comparison, and they still make me anxious. I'm waiting for the researchers to find a foolproof way to turn all our allergies off!

Have a happy and safe New Year. See you on the other side!

>160 Berly: Yeah for 100! Congratulations!

>161 humouress: ^^^what the Supervillainess said

>163 karenmarie: The rest of the decorations are staying up until this weekend. I am enjoying them!

>164 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you! I think I have always made the 75, but 100 only once or twice before. Feeling pretty good about it. : )

>165 thornton37814: Oooh! Awesome! I have Girl Waits With Gun sitting right here next to me on the bed. A little LT time and then I am going to crack 'er open.

>166 justchris: Book century!! LOL. I like that. Thank you.

>167 johnsimpson: Yay! I made 100! ; ) Thanks.

>168 BLBera: Right? There had to be an upside to all the time spent at home. I am not sure I read much off my shelves, but I read a lot of my new purchases. Exact numbers to be figured out later.

>169 ffortsa: Allergies. Yuk. When I was a little kid I tested positive to 90 out of the 100 skin tests they did. Many of them were life threatening especially fish and nuts. I couldn't have breast milk or cow's milk. Had to have goat's milk. I was on what they called a rotation diet, which means I couldn't have leftovers the next day or I might react. Twice weekly allergy shots. Ambulance rides from school, etc, etc. Obviously they have gotten much better as I got older, hormone changes and some treatments with acupuncture have helped, but I still have them. I have no idea how my Mom managed to keep me alive when I was young. Thanks, Mom!!

>170 quondame: >171 richardderus: Thank you!

Fun end of the year meme (stolen from Brenzi):

Describe yourself: I Am, I Am, I Am

Describe how you feel: Untamed

Describe where you currently live: The Flatshare

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: The House at Sea's End

Your favorite form of transportation is: Vesper Flights

Your favorite food is: Olive Again and Still Life with Oysters and Lemon

Your favorite time of day is: Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

Your best friend is: Redhead by the Side of the Road

You and your friends are: Dearly

What’s the weather like: Still Waters

You fear: Tonight You're Dead

What is the best advice you have to give: Nothing to See Here

Thought for the day: Seriously...I'm Kidding

What is life for you: Stuff Matters

How you would like to die: In an Instant

Your soul’s present condition: A Gift of Time

What was 2020 like for you? Tell Me Lies (Thank you Rump)

What do you want from 2021? Such A Fun Age

>176 Berly: Good answers. I especially like your death method and transportation form.

Happy New Year Kim and family.

Finally all caught up with you, Kim - I hope to do a much better job of riding the threads next year. Very scary about the tumeric - I am so happy that you did not have to stay overnight. Abby is allergic to sunflower oil, and it, too, is very trendy right now - it's exhausting how very many things it is in.

Congratulations on reaching 100!! Most exciting! And great meme answers - I especially liked your answer for describe where you currently live.

Please stay safe, my friend. Stick to the plan for New Year's.

Happy New Year, Kim. I really enjoyed Girl Waits With Gun, along with the follow-up. I don't think I read beyond those two.

Hi Kim,
I saw (on Karen's thread) that you were looking for an impossible to receive quickly book: The Standing Chandelier

We found that Book Depository was pretty good, despite the backlog at Amazon (yes, I know the Big A owns BD). Our order (placed Dec 5, because I was s-l-o-w), was here Dec. 24! Mind you, I am in Canada, so I have no idea how delivery will work for you in Oregon.

Here's what you wanted, yes?
https://www.bookdepository.com/Standing-Chandelier-Lionel-Shriver/9780008265274?...

So sorry you had that food allergy episode. I've come close once this year and a double dose of Reactine kept me out of emergency!

Edited to mention that my link might lead to the *.ca website and CA $ so double check you went to *.com and USD. I think you'll be okay 'cause I changed the country designation in the link.

Time to take out the trash!

Happy New Year Kim, to you are your family Be safe be well in 2021

“Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all.”
— Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, 1987

Congrats on reaching 100!!

Kimmers

As the year turns, friendship continues

>177 thornton37814: Why, thank you. : )

>178 johnsimpson: Love that happy image! Happy New Year!!

>179 Crazymamie: There she is, Crazy!!! I would love to see more of you in 2021!! Hope it works out. For both of us! : )

Yeah, sunflower is also on my "don't eat" list. Sigh. Eating out and processed foods are getting tough. Oh well. Just have to read diligently and make the best of it. Give my condolences to Abby.

I have the champagne chilled and the cheese and crackers (no seeds!) ready to go for a safe New Year's celebration. Whoohoo!

>180 msf59: Halfway through Girl Waits With Gun and I am enjoying it...a lot. Very fun!



Thank you SS, Lori!!

>181 SandyAMcPherson: Ooooh! Thanks for the link. I am off to check it out.....

Stay allergy safe, too! Happy New Year. : )

>182 weird_O: That is just captures everything perfectly. What a year and here's to 2021!!

>183 magicians_nephew: Happy New Year!! Be safe, be happy, and read a lot. : )

>184 richardderus: Perfectly!!! Happy New Year, Ricardo! Smooch.

>185 ChelleBearss: Thank you! I don't make it to 100 very often, so it was fun to tick that one off. Yay!! Happy reading to you in 2021.

>186 PaulCranswick: Short, succinct, and treasured, my friend. Hugs.

2021 thread is up!!! Find me here....

https://www.librarything.com/topic/328019#