Tutu's reading in Virginia now

Hi all! Now that I've spent the last 18 months shedding at least 3000 books before we moved from Maine to VA just a month ago, I feel like I may have time to start reading again. Most of my literary input for the past year was audio book re-reads of favorites that tended to calm me in the evening as I fell asleep.

we are now here in beautiful Lake Frederick VA, just south of Winchester, and just 30 minute from the three youngest grand kids, and just 75 minutes from our oldest grand-daughter who is a sophomore at James Madison University.

I have only "read" one book so far in 2021, and I haven't yet finished it - keep falling asleep. It's My Dear Hamilton - a fictional bio that I'm finding a good start to filling in my presidential bio challenge from years back.

I did get to the "new" library last week (on my way home from getting my COVID vaccine shot) to get a card and found a biography of Martin Van Buren which is where I left off reading presidents in order. I'm really hoping to make a big dent in that list and I also want to fill in with people like Alexander Hamilton who had such a huge influence on presidents.

Looking forward to hearing from old friends and making new ones.

Stopping by to drop a star, welcome back!

Here I am.

Glad y'all're in a less cold climate.

>3 richardderus: the climate here is almost identical to where we lived in coastal Maine. We are in the foothills of the mountains, so it does get as cold as we got in coastal New england. I suspect the summer humidididity will far exceed what we endured in Maine (sea breezes really help) but we have lots of ceiling fans, a lovely community pool, and a gorgeous lake for fishing, trailing, etc. Besides, I own an ice cream maker.

>4 tututhefirst: And that solves *that*! I am perishing to try homemade pawpaw ice cream & they're a native Appalachian fruit.

>5 richardderus: hmmmm.....i'll have to look for that. My son and the kids are REALLY into native food. Google has coughed up several good looking recipes. Now I'll just have to find a pawpaw orchard. And just when am I supposed to find time to read??

Welcome back! You're not too far from where we sometimes bike/hike. Maybe we can meet up sometime when all this Covid stuff is over.

Welcome back, Tina, happy reading in 2021!

Welcome back! Dropping off my star :)

Welcome back, Tina! Welcome to the South (or sort-of the South -- maybe I should say Mid-Atlantic States). If LC re-opens, I need to go in August to renew my card. I love using it for accessing HathiTrust books. If not, I'll plan a short trip when it does re-open.

Wow. I couldn't keep up with the threads last year, and look what you did! I'm glad to hear the climate is about the same - Jim and I keep talking about visiting the Maine coast, and now we can safely visit Virginia as well? How close are you to D.C.? It's another of our post-covid targets.

Happy new home and new year!

Tina!! Welcome back! Congratulations on the big move and I hope you get lots of time with the grandkids (as soon as its safe!).

>11 ffortsa: Judy, we're only about 1 1/2 hr from DC. Having grown up in Baltimore, and then lived in Mt. Vernon VA for years post navy wonderings, we have many friends/relatives in the area. We are really enjoying the Blue RIdge area here where we are - watching the sunrise/sunsets over the mountains, and the beautiful peaceful lake we have here in our community. A great situation for finally staying put in retirement. I just wish my Mom could have stayed around a bit longer to see this. She died in assisted living in September....at 96 she just got tired of being stuck in her room with no baseball to watch. Unfortunately, she was not a reader. She loved to talk, but did not do technology too well and with her hearing going, it became more and more isolating for her not to be able to visit with family and friends. So we just have little mental chats every night.

Do yell if you get in the area when ever this COVID nightmare is over. Thanks for stopping by.

>12 Berly: Hi Kim....good to hear from you. I saw in the news today about a spectacularly awful storm about to attack your coast line. Sure hope you all can stay safe. We are trying to avoid the snow showers that may happen in the Blue Ridge.

And keep up with my friends here, Tina. Have a great 2021.

>15 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul, thanks for stopping by. Looking forward to an interesting and enjoyable reading year.

The Blue Ridge are lovely. I've driven through Virginia and even Winchester on several occasions. I love Shenandoah.

Starred!

>14 tututhefirst: That storm was a windy one, but we escaped unscathed. The recent one was snow. We only got an inch or so at my height (500 feet above sea level). Other places got WAY more. Still, we are good. Hope all is well with you. : )

It seems that between COVID and all the stress of moving, I've flipped from reading "deeply" to just reading for pure level out, mellow out brain soothe. So I spent time re-reading (or listening) to lots of oldies that were on my MP3 (ann cleeves, Louise Penny, Jan Karon) since I had books packed up, and our cars were so stuffed full of temp living stuff, that I stayed mostly with audio. Listening to books also got me through the long boring stints of movers and cleaners packing up, and the 12 hour, 2 day drive from ME to VA.

We bought this house in VA totally online (my son who lives near here did a good inspection/looksee with our buyer's agent realtor) and the pile of paperwork, online e-docs etc had my eyes going squirrely. Plus, we had to keep the Maine House "pretty and fluffy" to market it while we tried to move out. Son did a fantastic job steering us to this one, and we go to closing next TUes on the Maine house (I just sent last encrypted email to closing lawyer in Maine) so we're settling down to read.

We are getting to know the neighborhood (or "resort" as they call it) and last night did a curbside pickup of one of the best pizzas i've ever had from the "on-base" restaurant. we have found good doctor, nice library, and are scheduled to get shot#2 of our moderna COVID vaccine on the 8th. we are still doing mostly facephone visits with grandkids until we all get shot or until it warms up enuf to visit outside. IT's actually colder here in the mountain foothills that it is at the moment at our Maine house. Go figure.

My sister, glad to hear that you are settling in comfortably. Finding good pizza place is a bonus. Maybe we can facephone visit sometime too!

I did discover a "new" to me mystery series that hubby and I both like. The Joe Gunther mystery series by Archer Mayor. I've read up to #13 of the 30 in the series, and left them for awhile to keep the characters fresh but will now start back over the weekend on the Sniper's Wife. I really like this character. Reminds me of Joe Friday in Dragnet, and I really like the less overworked settings in Vermont.

So here's the reading list for January.

1. My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray. 4 stars (forgot how to twinkle them). Definitely makes me want to read more about the man himself, but the perspective from the wife was quite interesting.

2. Murder on Cape Cod by Maddie Day. Just barely 3 stars.
Not sure how I found this one. It was cozy, it was cute, it was New England, and it was the 1st in a series about book clubs (Uh...sorta) so I gave it a go. It was ok, and if I ever stumble upon another in the series and I'm bored, I'd probably give it another chance.

3. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn.4 1/2 stars.
Like every other still breathing female in the US, I got hooked on the Netflix series . A girl has to have a huge dose of male eye candy every couple years. I've never been a fan of regency romances, but this one definitely changed my mind. After bingeing on Netflix I went to see what else Ms quinn had produced and found a whole series available to do audio download from the library. So I'm settling in for the rest of the winter. The book is definitely as good as the TV series, and I was pleased to see that Netflix followed the story line pretty well.

4. Murder with Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith. 2 1/2 stars. low stars only because the narrator's accent drove me batty. The story was the typical bakery queen cozy with a group of not quite fleshed out extras all trying the patience of the only detective in the small town near Lancaster PA. Another one for the "someday maybe when I get bored" I'll look at another in the series. Too much like Hannah Swenson, and I don't have a sweet tooth.

Oh, the Joe Gunther books are really fine, aren't they? I think I'm only a few volumes ahead of you, and must get back to them soon.

And Yay for good pizza!

>22 ffortsa: Hi Judy...glad to find another Joe Gunther fan. I've been spending some time today getting immersed in Martin Van Buren bio. It's fascinating to get some background on the rise of party politics over almost 200 years ago. It's positively eerie....I could almost just insert today's headliners and revert to one of the few phrases I remember from high school french: Plus ca change....

>21 tututhefirst: Ms. Quinn definitely has a way with bringing her characters to life and seeing that on Netflix is an absolute plus!

Sorry you didn't enjoy Daisy's tea room.

>1 tututhefirst: Shedding 3000 books must have been a wrench, Tina. When I move back to the UK I will need to ship thousands of books or make some really tough decisions.

Delightful how closely Netflix has hewed to the storylines of Quinn's books, isn't it, while ringing some very involving changes on them.

Three thousand books shed! Ouch! But probably for the best, since that leaves so much room for new ones.

Van Buren's a lot more interesting than we've been led to believe by his somewhat humble place in the presidential rankings.

Onward to February!

>25 PaulCranswick: >26 richardderus: Richard and Paul: shedding 3000 books wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Hardest was getting Mr. Tutu to let go. I assured him we were moving to a land that had plentiful liberries, and have been slowly but surely getting him more accustomed to the idea of e-books. we each still have our own "office space" with book shelves and space for tschotske's and photos. And there is a whole wall of bookshelves for juvie books up in the loft. However, since there are 16 steps up to the loft, and 17 steps down to the rec/room/media room and another 24 ft wall of book shelves (this is a HUGE house), we are sorting carefully and as we unpack we are still making decisions about which floor what books will reside on. (sorry about ending in preposition!!) I'm using my office space for cookbooks, general reference, dearly beloveds (like Louise Penny) and my current batch of TBRs. Bob will be using his for TBRs and current reference for whatever he's writing about.

At least the grandsons, at 6 and 10 years old are hefty enough to move tote bags of books from one floor to another. Bribes of games of Battleship and Mille Bournes are usually enough to keep them motivated.
And the princess (who is only 2 1/2 stinking cute years old) gets to play with whatever books she wants.

And NO we don't plan to buy more than 2-3 real live hardback books a year. If they're not available as audio or ebooks, they'll have to wait.

And yes, I'm finding Van Buren much more thought-provoking than I expected.
Back to the snow outside the windows, the fire on the hearth, and the good afternoon Earl Grey.

>21 tututhefirst: I've only read the Daisy's Tea Cottage books in print. I think I'll avoid them as audio books after reading your review. They aren't great, but I do like the setting.

>28 thornton37814: Lori, thanks for that hint. If I see the tea cottage book in a cheap print, I'll give it another go. It's amazing how a narrator can make or break a book.

>27 tututhefirst: That sounds gloriously spacious, Tina. I'm seriously envious.

Now really, you of all people know that the only improper way to end a sentence is

>29 tututhefirst: By print, I meant Kindle, but still . . . it wasn't audio.

I'm glad you are living closer to Cheli, and your family! Shedding so many books must have been a difficult challenge.

All good wishes for a smooth transition. When I first moved in with Will, one of the first things he did was to take me to the local library and introduce me to his friend and patient who was the librarian. We hit it off right away when we talked about the young adult genre.

She retired, and spends time reading and being with her husband and grandchildren.

So nice to see you back here, Tina.

I've not heard good things about that particular Maddie Day series book you mentioned in post 21 but I really enjoy her Country Store series. I also like the fact that I've been able to get a number of them from Net Galley but I'd quit asking if I didn't like them. Unfortunately, I asked for the second Maddie Day book in the series you didn't like so I'm willing to give it a try.

I've also read books 5 & 6 in the Karen Rose Smith series you mentioned. Maybe it's that the first books in the series aren't that good?!? Anyway, I liked those latest books but do want to go and start that one at the beginning.

As the pandemic has taken hold over the past year, I've read far more cozies than usual. They're a comfort read for me.

>33 lindapanzo: Linda, I think you have a good point that I need to remember. I'm a huge series fan and do remember that often the 1st book in series is not as good as subsequent ones. I know i had to read Still Life by Louise Penny the 3rd time before I really appreciated it. By that time I was up to book #5 in the series. So I will be careful not to arbitrarily turn down future books just because the 1st one wasn't a 5 star!

And yes...I too find myself reading far more cozies than I used to. The chaotic state of the world begs for a cuppa, a warm fire and a good "happily ever after" fantasy. thanks for stopping by.

>34 tututhefirst: While I'm reading less cozies than I read 10 years ago, I'm reading more than I did pre-COVID. I've found cozies are perfect audiobooks for my commute. I go outside the genre sometimes on longer trips or occasionally for another reason. I should finish a Jenn McKinlay one by mid-week. Then I need to choose what I listen to next. (If I have a hold about to come in, it may already be decided for me.)

>34 tututhefirst: I try to remember that, too. Most times, the series improves as it goes along. At least with cozies, I think it's due to the fact that the secondary characters start feeling like family or old friends. Occasionally, though, the good idea was in the first book and, when that happens, it doesn't usually last too long.

>34 tututhefirst: >35 thornton37814: And, indeed, an audio book hold came in so I guess I'll be listening to an Anthony Horowitz version of a Sherlock Holmes mystery.

>36 lindapanzo: Very true.

not sure if I've put numbers on the readings I've been doing, since many of them are re-reads. However I did finally finish a real paper and hard cover book: Martin Van Buren: the American President Series by Ted Widner. Well written and gives a good overview of a president who is only slightly known. While it was short on specific details and does not give a detailed daily step by step, but rather concentrates on the larger spread of his centric positions. It gave me enough of a feel to continue on my quest to read a bio of each president in order. I can see how he fits in the line, and can now go on to read the next.

This book is regarded by many libraries as YA. It is rather erudite in its vocabulary, and presumes the reader has a better than average grasp of history and politics. I found it a pleasant addition to my rather thin knowledge of that era.

I think the best way to track my reading (I'm really out of practice at this!) will be for me to do a monthly post with everything I've managed to read in that time span. numbering will continue from previous month. (post #21) and I'll add to this post during the month to keep the list contiguous, but will do chit chat in new posts.
FEBRUARY
5. Martin Van Buren (see #38 above)
6. Rachel Maddow: a biography by Lisa Rogak. Bob and I are ardent Rachel Maddow fans. The format she uses in her evening news show is one we find appeals to our mental capacities. Her topics are interesting, her research is incredible, the invited guests (from all sides of opinionated spectrum) are articulate, and we love her sense of humor. The author of this biography presents a straight-forward picture of a very complex personality. Maddow fans will find it fascinating, and I think those who have yet to become fans will still be able to read without feeling opposition gut wrenches. It ends just at election day in November 2019, so the reader is left wondering what comes next.

7. The Golden Egg by Donna Leon. A quick re-read for the La Serenissima & Dordogne Mystery Read Along thread hosted by Benita Strnad in this group. I have read many of the mysteries in both of these series : The Commissario Brunetti (set in Venice) and The Benoit "Bruno" Correges (set in the Perigord region of France) and find much to like about each of them. It's been awhile since I read either of them, so I am re-reading some, and others will be fill ins. If, as in the case of this one, I've already read it, I won't be posting another review unless my take on the book is vastly different than the one I wrote before.

In this case the only thing I have to add is that this is one of the few books I did not like in audio, and it's a good thing I'd already read it as an e-book (which my review was based on) because this one has a different narrator than the rest of the series, and I'd never listen to him read another Brunetti for sure.

8. Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker. another re-read for the La Serenissima group. It has been awhile, I'd gotten hung up on one of the later in the series and abandoned them. So glad for this chance to wallow in french scenery, food, laissez-faire and country side. Am looking forward to reacquainting myself with Bruno again.

9. The Sniper's Wife by Archer Mayor. #13 in the Joe Gunther detective series. I started this series awhile ago because it was set in Vermont, and I needed that state to round out one of the missing ones in the Read the 50 states challenge from years ago. I quickly got hooked and read several last summer while we were in the process of thinning our library. For some reason, I abandoned this one because I couldn't get interested in the Willy Kunkle character who is central to this story. After we got moved and settled last month, I picked this one up, started over and VOILA! it clicked.

The VBOI (Vermont Bureau of Investigation) is an mixed bag of misfits, personalities and talents that gel together to help with all sorts of crimes throughout the state. This one is a welcome addition to the series, fleshing out several of the secondary characters of this motley crew. The New York setting, where Willy goes when called to identify the remains of his ex-wife, and where he won't accept the suicide cause of death proclaimed by that august realm, expands the series and keeps it from getting boring. I was so pleased with it that I got right back into the series.

10. St. Alban's Fire another Archer Mayor Joe Gunther story. #16, I'm out of order, but this series does not hang on reading precisely in order. In this one, Joe and crew find themselves investigating a barn fire where a young teenager is killed. A great mystery....not only a who-dunnit, but a did they do it, and why?

11.Nomadland

Nomadland was a book we discussed in a faith sharing group I belonged to in Maine. I had read pieces of it as various participants discussed the pros and cons on a life style that can be viewed as uplifting, freeing, self-affirming or can be a total downer for people who cannot imagine life being so stripped bare that human beings must spend all their energy looking for the next meal, looking for a way to earn enough money to eat and who must choose to forego medical care that would lengthen their lives and prevent pain.

I went back to the book to see if having left it behind for a year, and having gone through some of the isolation of the pandemic I might have a more accepting view of a life where "older" people have to give up dreams, move away from family and drive 1000's of miles across country just to work in an Amazon fulfillment center for 12 weeks @ 10-12 hours a day, walking 18 miles on concrete just to earn enough money to get through the next 4 months until the Parks authority opened up and they could get a "gig" cleaning toilets in a National park for the summer in return for free parking for their live-in vehicle lifestyle.

The most depressing book I've ever read. At least it made me extremely thankful for the many blessing i have received in life, and more than ever determined to share them.

>40 tututhefirst: Think I'll pass on this one. Please DON'T put it in my pile!

Just dropping by to wish you a lovely weekend, Tina.

I haven't been doing much reading lately, but this is a book written by a personal friend, and I promised him a review. It is a delightful addition to our understanding of two trying eras: the American of our parents (almost 100 years ago), and our life trying to cope with all the issues the current pandemic and economic distress caused recently. I highly recommend it. It's available on Amazon, so let's hope that the touchstones catch up soon. 5 stars.

12. They Never Threw Anything Away
Memories of the Great Depression by Americans Who Lived It

By Ed Linz
A poignant look at a quickly disappearing demographic of American life. The author conducted personal interviews of people who lived through World War I, the Spanish flu epidemic, the Great Depression, the climatic disasters of the 1930s such as the Dust Bowl era, and World War II. Each vignette draws on the early life, career, family, and societal reminiscences of those who were interviewed. Weaving characters from different geographic, religious, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, Mr. Linz presents us with a dynamic picture of Americans in all their diversity. “We were poor, but no one told us.” Mary Jeanette Roberts, pg. 68.

In addition to the memories of each “star” in the cast, the author inserts “side-bars” of interesting and often less well-known facts to back up what were sometimes vague or hazy references to people, places, or events. I found these tidbits to be as fascinating as the personal memories of his subjects.
My parents were of this same generation and only recently deceased. At first I thought the book might bring up unpleasant memories, but found myself nodding in agreement with an idea my mother or grannie or aunt or uncle had oft been heard to utter. In particular, my mom was a great storyteller and alas, I still find myself reaching for the phone to have her validate an idea or finding. She would have loved this book. The format of individual interviews (chats?) is a perfect foil to today’s multi-media, 120 character, brain bombing pace of info input.
As we sort through the belongings left behind by the ancestors, the detritus pile may at first appear daunting and pointless, but the ideas and attitudes Mr. Linz has drawn from his subjects reminds us of the values and richness of our nation’s foundations. Particularly at this time of COVID-19 lockdowns, quarantines, “work from home”, closed schools, forbidden physical social interaction, and diminished earning opportunities, looking back to see how others in earlier generations survived gives us a window of hope. My mom spent her last 3 years in an assisted living facility in Baltimore and died just short of her 96th birthday. She told me that the COVID quarantine for her generation was worse than anything she endured during the depression or World War II because she was physically alone in her room and without the electronic tools many of us depend on to stay connected. She never mastered a “smartie-phone” but pointed out to me that people in her generation never felt such loneliness because family and neighbors were always around. The isolation was the problem, not the virus.
For me, the loveliest chapter in the book was the final one where the author interviewed four of his mother’s closest life-long friends. Intersperced with their recollections are Linz’s short personal comments matching or amplifying their memories. They help us understand the great gift he inherited and is passing on to help us cherish the piles of “stuff” left behind. The physical paraphernalia may finally be repurposed or re-cycled, but the philosophies, the mindsets, and the stamina of that generation who raised us is still with us. As well it should be.
As the author says in his introduction,
The generation of Americans described in this book lived through incredibly challenging, personally difficult times. Hopefully, we will not be faced with that scenario, but if it happens, their memories can give us a blueprint of what to do and how to survive. pg 8

>43 tututhefirst: My parents were that generation as well. It was a cushy life for them, though, compared to most.

I agree about Nomadland being damned good and depressing! The film's not the same story, but it too is...bleak.

Happy weekend's reads, Tina! Please greet Bob from me.

>44 richardderus: Hi RIchard....thanks for stopping by. I will relate your greetings to Bob. He is preparing for a knee replacement in a couple weeks so we are both trying to accomplish many "little things" around the house. we're trying to finish unpacking and getting the guest quarters available for my sister who is moving from Maine back down here. She has bought a house about 10 miles from us but house won't be completed until around THanksgiving.

>45 tututhefirst: I frequently wonder where the canard that retirement is a time of rest and inactivity got started.

Hi Tina.. First, I want to express my condolences regarding the loss of your mother, and my apologies for the delay in sending this message.

It is very difficult to move. I've spent the last two years going through so many of Will's things, including 36 bags of clothes donated to Purple heart.

Then, there are the things his son literally dumped in the basement before leaving for a job in Germany. Since Will ended all relationship with his children many years ago, I am stuck with this junk. My family has helped a lot. The basement is looking so much better. I thought I had all of it thrown, or given away, then I found a large box under the stairsteps. ugh.

I hope you are enjoying your new location. Maine is a beautiful state. I imagine it was difficult to leave.

>43 tututhefirst: Speaking of getting rid of things, this book sounds like something I would like to read..eventually, after I have cleaned everything out.

>48 Whisper1: Hi Linda, thanks so much for stopping by. I can smile now but 20 years ago when Bob was appointed executor of his great Aunt's estate, we were living in DC and she had lived for 45 years and died in San Francisco. Bob was just starting a new teaching job, so I flew out to San Fran to clean out the apt!!! OY YOY YOY. She was very organized, but she had a lot of stuff. I finally had gotten everything cleaned out, given away, thrown away, and went to drop off the keys at the rental office at her appt, when the office lady said "Did you get everything out of the storage area in the basement?"

we won't even go there, but I never want to smell mildew again.

I'm really into some gardening, and a little bit of cozy reading. My brain just can't handle heavy right now. I'm sure Will is sending you strength to get through the "stuff' and then you'll be able to stretch out and enjoy.

>49 tututhefirst: Tina, When I feel over whelmed, I try to remember all I've accomplished in the last two years. I am so very fortunate to have a wonderful neighbor who helps me. We never keep track of who owes whom, but somehow it evens out. Andres recently told me I needed a new battery for my car. After he jump started the car four times, finally, enough was enough! I gave him the money, he purchased the battery and installed it! I know I would have paid a lot if I took the car to a garage. In return for his work, I treated the family to their favorite Chinese food.

We always find ways to reciprocate our efforts.

Was it difficult to leave Maine?

>49 tututhefirst: Lighter stuff is usually working better for me too. I can read non-fiction, but as far as fiction, light stuff works better. I started one mystery a couple months ago. I finally put it aside. It was just the literary writing style that made me put it aside. I'm going to give it a try once I get caught up on other obligations this summer. If it doesn't work then, I'll just abandon it. It was a Goodreads win so I hate to not finish it so I can accurately review it, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

>50 Whisper1: Linda - so glad to hear that you continue to enjoy the blessing of good neighbors. That can make all the difference in quality of life as we mature. And yes -- it was hard to leave the beauty of Maine, but we find the exquisite beauty of the Blue Ridge just as satisfying. We live in a planned 55+ community built around a lake that is maintained and stocked by the state of Virginia. There are lovely walking trails, tons of activities (which are really kicking up now that almost everyone in the community is vaxxed) a fabulous restaurant, 3 pools (including a heated indoor therapy pool), and we too are finding the neighborhood really uplifting. We just have to ask a question or for help and someone is there - either online or in person. The community has its own private Facebook page and a daily email to let us know what's happening "on-base" and in the area.

The biggest bonus is that our son Matt and his wonderful wife Amy and 3 kids (11, 6 1/2, and 2 1/2) are just a 25 minute ride away. They love Tutu's house with its built in media room, the gardens, and safe places for them to ride their bikes and scooters - something that is very difficult for them up on their mountain top unpaved roads. The little one (our princess) loves the loft that overlooks the great room. She calls that her "tower" so we are introducing her to the story of Rapunzel

We are enjoying cooking out on the deck, planting the veggie garden (all in raised beds or containers) and looking forward to fishing in the lake as soon as Bob gets his knee replaced in 3 weeks. And since we just got a real estate tax bill that is 1/3 of what we were paying in Maine, we are quite happy here.

So we feel like we have finally "landed" and can plant ourselves after 54 years married. And we're even getting our books (the 40+ cartons we brought with us) slowly unpacked and shelved!! Next step will be to read them!

>51 thornton37814: Lori - I know exactly how you feel about not getting to review books that are giveaways or ARCs - that's why I stopped entering to win them, and have had my NetGalley account pretty dormant for quite awhile. I too can't bear not living up to my end of the bargain. But then I think, reading is not my profession anymore. It's my pleasure so I refuse to make it a "hafta". I do hope to post here sometime this month (still gotta do my income tax return first - UGH) at least a list with quickie comments on the books (or series) that I've been reading.

>53 tututhefirst: I request far fewer on NetGalley than I used to request. I don't really win that many on GoodReads, but when I do, they seem to all come at once.

>52 tututhefirst: Your new place sounds great! I have occasional fantasies of moving out of the city - this year especially, as most of its advantages were on hold - and this place sounds just right.

Happy birthday, Tina!

>52 tututhefirst: That sounds positively amazing. So happy for you!

Hello to the few loyal friends who are still lurking around! It has been an incredible couple of months. Bullets on that and then a recap of my reading life such as it is to follow.

Life:
1. My sister moved in with us Mid May. A definite adjustment having another adult in the house. Luckily she brought her own TV/Fire stick which works on our Xfinity, so she can retire to the loft "apartment" to watch her own sports teams (which aren't ours) and sleep in. We share cooking/cleanup but mostly just go about our individual lives.

2. Surgery for Bob - knee replacement went really well. He is back walking 45 minutes twice a day around the complex. Now climbs the 18 steps to the basement/lower patio/media room easily (while Tina holds her breath every time) and is almost back to real life except no driving yet - not quite enuf reflex speed to be cleared for that. So Tutu gets to chauffeur everywhere.

3. Garden is growing like gang busters. Grandson Cameron has made it his "job" to come help Tutu with watering and is looking forward to his first "harvest" this weekend. He has culled all the lettuces, radishes, spinach and kale from the early crops and is now ready for tomatoes, eggplant and peppers in the raised beds on the deck. Unfortunately, the deer beat him to the bush beans, peas, cucumbers and squash,(which are on the lower level) but when he comes tomorrow we will be trimming damaged stalks and erecting netting to encourage new growth.

4. Tina's turn for doctoring. Now that Bob is on the mend and sister is here to help, I gave us limping around on an ankle that has been bothering me for years- keeps getting sprained and now is almost un-walkable. I saw a wonderful foot/ankle specialist earlier this week and go for an MRI tomorrow to see how badly my tendon is torn to decide how to proceed to fix it.

5. We have spent the last week with a series of service visits resetting/repairing damage done due to a huge power surge we had here in late June. It blew out 500 houses in the development. Several houses even lost their solar powered systems. We had to have help resetting the TV, internet, water softener, HVAC, phone and had to replace 5 surge protector strips we had for various equipment. We couldn't turn the Ac on or off because the thermostat got blown out. We had reset the 7 breakers that tripped off and thought we were ok, but every time we went to turn something else on, we discovered another problem. Made me really miss the house in the woods in Maine.

5. Final agenda item....Mom's house. The 4 sisters are still sporadically cleaning out Mom's house in Baltimore. The sell-by date keeps getting pushed back because we are all getting older, deal.ing with our own physical limitations, and lack of energy so we are each trying to put in 4-6 hours a week sorting, trashing, donating. I have to add a 4 hr R/T each time I go and the raging heat isn't helping.

So there's been precious little time to read.

Since I last reported on reading, I've been mostly listening to audios to wind down in the evening. My eyes aren't as good as they used to be, and I find audio is best unless I'm doing something heavy. So since I last reported in April here's what I've been savoring:

13. A Killer Plot by Ellery Adams
a Books by the Bay mystery. I started re-reading this series to catch up to finish the latest book.
14. A Deadly Cliche
15. THe Last Word
16. Written in Stone
17. Poisoned Prose
18. Lethal Letters
19. Writing All Wrongs
20. Killer Characters

>59 tututhefirst: loved this series, sad that it has ended. But it was good to see Olivia and Captain Haviland in the newest Storyton book.

You've certainly got a lot going on, Tina! Best of luck with ... well, all of it, and hope life can calm down for you a little soon.

Gadzooks, Tina! The pace you're keeping has me frazzled reading it.

Stay well and cool, tell Bob and Chèli I send greetings, and everyone hug one another from me!

Here's the rest of what I've read so far this year...lots of series binging, several really good stand-alones, and a couple food for thoughts. Just don't have mental energy to do reviews.
21.Falling in Love by Donna Leon
22. Paradise City Archer Mayor - continuing the Joe Gunther detective series. #22-25
23.Three can keep a secret
24. Presumption of Guilt
25. Proof Positive
26. The Company She Kept and
27.Murder In an English Village
28. Murder Flies the Coop
29. Murder Cuts the Mustard #26-29 from the Beryl & Edwina mystery series by Jessica Ellicott - a really fun series
30. Victoria: A Novel by Daisy Goodwin
31. Murder with Lemon Tea Cakes by Karen Rose Smith
32. Remember: The Science of Memory & Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova)
I really enjoy Lisa Genova's writing. She manages to explain very deep scientific concepts so that laymen can understand them.
33. Madam Speaker: Nancy Pelosi and the lessons of Power Susan Page this Baltimore girl likes to read about success stories of fellow "Ballmorons"
34. The Last Thing He told me by Laura Dave
Probably the best book I've read this year
35. Hidden depths a Vera Stanhope Mystery by one of my favorities Ann Cleeves
36. While Justice Sleeps – Stacey Abrams
an awesomely good book
37. Broken Places
38. Borrowed Time both by Tracy Clark
the first two of the Chicago mystery series
39. Beaches, bungalows and Burglaries and
40. Deserts, Driving & Derelicts first two in Tanya Kappes series "Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series"
41. Arsenic & Adobo by Mia Manansala
42. The Storm of the Century: Tragedy, Heroism, Survival, and the Epic True Story of America's Deadliest Natural Disaster: The Great Gulf Hurricane of 1900 Al Roker

This list is quite a bit below my previous totals in earlier years. However, I honestly feel I'm enjoying reading again not having to worry about finishing books, writing reviews etc. There have been at least 15-20 books I've pearl ruled and done so with great glee. Life gets shorter every day and it's not to be spent reading something that doesn't grab me. Doesn't mean they were bad books, just not for me at this point in my life.

We’ll, in spite of all the life, looks like some good reading!

Tina, You're reading several books on my TBR list or that I've already read. I made a list of next in series books so I can focus on getting caught up on some of them. I know I won't get to all the next in series in a year's time, but I think I may try to catch a few series up so I will only have the new one to read as they come out. I'm enjoying the lighter cozies and police procedurals at the moment more than other things. I think it has to do with "escape" from the past year's stress.

Hi Tina! Glad that reading has become more fun now that you are not doing reviews and aren't afraid to pearl rule--yay! Hope you have found out something about your ankle and have maybe started on a plan to fix it? Hope we see you here again soon. Best wishes.

A Thanksgiving to Friends (Lighting the Way)

In difficult times
a friend is there to light the way
to lighten the load,
to show the path,
to smooth the road

At the darkest hour
a friend, with a word of truth
points to light
and the encroaching dawn
is in the plainest sight.

Tina, to a friend in books and more this Thanksgiving

Tina, I am so very grateful for you, my wonderful friend here on LT.

I wish you (and yours) happiness and health on this day of Thanksgiving. And cookies. : )

I miss you!

Have a lovely holiday, Tina.

These were our family ornaments this year and, despite COVID, a merry time was had by all. I hope the same is true for your holiday and here's to next year!!