Roni Recovers and Reads in 2021: 2nd Edition

Hi, I'm Roni. I live in San Diego with a small dog and five cats. I am planning a big move this summer, so the excitement du jour is what came down from the attic today. I figure I might have the attic emptied out by the end of May if I average two boxes a day. The puzzle above is one of the surprises in my attic.

I am primarily a genre reader, science fiction and fantasy, with a smattering of all the other categories! I visit you if you visit me, although my frequency of visits is down at the moment with everything else that is going on.

My history of 2020 is chronicled in my first thread here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327934#n7405462

Goals for 2020

Read 150 books and 50,000 pages. 184 books, 58,525 pages
Read at least 30 books off my own bookshelves. 16
Acquire no more than 80 books. 45 I did read 31 of the books I acquired this year
Send 50 books out the door. 17 books, 15 through PaperBackSwap this month. I have others waiting for schools and libraries to open up.
Read at least 12 nonfiction books—10

Goals for 2021

I don’t think I am going to push myself this year, so I will keep the same goals. Except I know I am going to deaccession a lot more books this year so as not to move them.

Read 150 books and 50,000 pages.
Read at least 30 books off my own bookshelves. Acquire no more than 80 books.
Acquire no more than 80 books.
Send 50 books out the door.
Read at least 12 nonfiction books.

Books Read in 2021

January
1. The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer
2. When the King Comes Home by Caroline Stevermer
3. Magic Be With You by Jamie Brindle
4. Owl Be Home for Christmas by Diane Duane
5. A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer
6. A Scholar of Magics by Caroline Stevermer
7. Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend
8. How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge by K. Eason

Books Acquired in 2021

January
1. Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe by Zig Zag Claybourne
2. OWL Be Home for Christmas by Diane Duane
3. Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller

So what I did yesterday was put together 13 of the 50 to 100 piece jigsaw puzzles that were in the OTHER box from the attic. There were 19 puzzles in that box, none of which I will keep, so I am making sure all the pieces are there, and so far only one of the puzzles has a piece missing. There is one 100-piece puzzle that has never been opened, and one that is a 15 piece tray puzzle so doesn’t need to be done. So I have 4 more to do before putting them up for sale on Next Door. Here are some of the ones I did yesterday:

Not a theme or anything, right?

>6 ronincats: They are lovely puzzles, even the missing piece one.

Happy new thread!

>1 ronincats: The image of memories. The books with the covers are sitting tattered with wear on a shelf not 20' from me, but still memories.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Roni. Keep up the good work. It's not an easy job you have right now but I am sure it is satisfying, knowing you are accomplishing things toward the *big goal*.

>9 quondame: I read LOTR for the first time with those editions...the books with the covers are long gone but seeing them again takes me back almost 50 years.

Happy new thread, Roni! Love your attic find.

Happy new thread, Roni. I love the topper puzzle. Good luck with cleaning out the attic. It sounds like a job.

Happy New Thread! I love the puzzles!!

Happy new thread! Didn't realize I was commenting as you were jumping..

Happy new one!

Hi Roni! I'm ignoring everything above >7 ronincats: so as not to see...them...in bulk.

Happy new one, Roni.

Happy new thread, Roni!

Happy new thread, Roni. 13 puzzles in one day?! I'm impressed.

reading last two posts of your old tread after I read this one and in answer to your question there...yes we did all of our own packing. We did it oner the course of about 4 weeks I think. Multiply carloads of things to Assistance League and Salvation Army -- many contributions to the condo dumpster -- and still about 200 boxes filled and labeled. But now everything is put away, nearly all of the pictures have been hung and this place seems like "home". You'll be there too by the fall.

Happy new thread Roni!

>6 ronincats: Not seeing the theme. Maybe Richard could help out? Oh, wait, he can't see them. Maybe repost it on his thread for him? ;0)

>9 quondame: >12 fuzzi: I don't think I've seen that as LOTR book covers. Though I must have read the UK editions, even way back when.

Happy new thread Roni! From your last - what amazing LOTR jigsaw finds in your attic and I love the blue pottery bowls. I haven't read anything by Caroline Stevermer other than the Sorcery and Cecilia collaboration series with Wrede (which I really enjoyed). Her books seem to be out of print here sadly but hopefully I can get hold some of her books second hand.

Happy new thread Roni!
>1 ronincats: What an impressive puzzle!
I wish you a wonderful Sunday.

Happy new thread, Roni!

Lovely finds in your attic, the LOTR jigsaw is amazing.

>8 avatiakh: Welcome, Kerry! You are the first!
>9 quondame: My original copies had those covers, but they wore out long, long ago, Susan.

Welcome to Jim, Shelley, fuzzi, Mary, Beth, Silver, Chris, Anita, Richard, Paul, Katie, Reba, Nina, Heather, Thomas and Anita!

For those who weren't able to see my other puzzle on the past thread, this is the two-sided Hobbit puzzle. Click on the little pictures to see them larger.
https://www.amazon.com/HOBBIT-TWO-SIDED-JIGSAW-PUZZLE-TOLKIEN/dp/B000IOVAZC

>16 justchris: Good information, Chris, and I'm glad to have it. I haven't played it yet--there is a solo edition-- but I'm going to give it a try soon. It was a Christmas present.

>22 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I'm thinking about a mix. I would pack up books and figurines and the like, and let them pack up the kitchen and glasswares.

>23 humouress: Richard has selective blindness, Nina.

Well, here we are getting to the end of the month and as of yesterday I hadn't read ANYTHING to qualify for the British Authors Challenge for January. Ridiculous, since reading British children's books is something I have a long, long history of. So last night...



Book #9 The Apple Stone by Nicholas Stuart Gray (230 pp.)

From Wikipedia:
Nicholas Stuart Gray (23 October 1922, Scotland – 17 March 1981) was a British actor and playwright, perhaps best known for his work in children's theatre in England. He was also an author of children's fantasy; he wrote a number of novels, a dozen plays, and many short stories. Neil Gaiman has written that Gray "is one of those authors I loved as a boy who holds up even better on rereading as an adult". Many other modern fantasy authors, such as Hilari Bell, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, Kate Forsyth, Cassandra Golds, Katherine Langrish, Sophie Masson, and Garth Nix, cite Gray's work as something they enjoyed as children.

Perhaps his best-known books are The Seventh Swan and Grimbold's Other World. Gray often produced adaptations or continuations of traditional fairy tales and fantasy works, as in his Further Adventures of Puss in Boots. His The Stone Cage is a re-telling of Rapunzel from a cat's point of view. Over the Hills to Fabylon is about a city whose king has the ability to make it fly off across the mountains if he feels it is in danger.

I have loved his Grimbold's Other World forever--I remember reading it aloud to my nephews when they were boys in the 80s--and picked up this book when I saw it some time ago because of the author. So this is also a book off my shelf. Grimbold was a cat who took his boy, an outcast, on fantastical adventures in convenient chapters. This book is similar to books by E. Nesbitt and Edward Eager in that a group of children find a magical artifact and have adventures (in convenient chapters) in misusing it to bring inanimate objects alive. Not as good as Grimbold, but definitely fitting the challenge and good to have a book off my shelf!



Book #10 The Tears of the Salamander by Peter Dickinson (199 pp.)

And then I went ahead and reread this one by the great Peter Dickinson. It was one of his last books, a historical fantasy set in 18th century Italy and Sicily featuring a boy of 11 or 12 who goes to live with his uncle after his family is killed in a house fire. As always, Dickinson's writing is excellent and pulls you into the story.

>28 ronincats: #9 He was only 58 when he died?!? A mere stripling! What a horrible thing it is when good people die young.

Happy new one, Roni! From your previous thread, I LOVED the LoTR puzzles - so full of fabulous. As were your gorgeous blue bowls. And Motley - he is so handsome.

So today's box of books includes my 1970 boxed set of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Ballantine Books, 6 of the 7 1970 Collier edition paperbacks of the Narnia Chronicles (missing Prince Caspian), a 1939 edition of Heidi's Children with a dust cover unlike any on file--I shall have to scan it in later, a 1965 paperback of Bullfinch's Mythology, and five Kate Douglas Wiggin books including my own childhood Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1960 Whitman), New Chronicles of Rebecca (Grosset & Dunlap 1907), Mother Carey's Chickens (Houghton Mifflin 1911), Timothy's Quest (Houghton Mifflin 1894) and Ladies in Waiting (Houghton Mifflin 1919). Also 4 bibles, 4 paperbacks of various Seth books by Jane Roberts) and 2 vintage Asimov hardbacks, The Early Asimov and Asimov's Mysteries.

I don't know what to do about these old books. I will keep the LOTR boxed set. Maybe Mother Carey's Chickens as I remember loving that story, although I should probably reread to make sure the suck fairy hasn't visited. Surely there are people who might be interested. But I don't know how to find them.

>29 richardderus: Indeed! Dickinson was born only 5 years later, and he lived until 1915.
>30 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! Thank you. Your Mercy and Motley would make a handsome pair, yes?

>32 ronincats: So true, Roni!

>31 ronincats: @2wonderY created a thread of her discards, and some of us have taken advantage of it. Just a thought.

>34 fuzzi: I am creating a collection in My Books (which anyone can look over) called "Used Book Store Offerings". As I finalize more and more books to be de-accessioned, I will add them to this collection so if anyone is interested, they can let me know. Be glad to send them on for the cost of postage.

>35 ronincats: thank you! I'll be checking back frequently.

January Summary

Books read: 10
Did Not Finish (DNF): 3 A rough month, especially since 2 of the 3 were ones I really expected to like. I gave up on Harrow the Ninth about halfway through, at 238 pages, and just wasn't ready to deal with a young Regency England-type lady avoiding marriage in The Midnight Bargain right now, although I expect I will come back to it at some point and enjoy it. Peril in the Old Country was that kind of British sly male humor that just doesn't ring my bell. All three authors in the British diaspora; what a coincidence.

Pages read: 3344 pages (yes, I count the pages read in the unfinished books) for an average of 108 books per day.

Of the books read, 4 were re-reads. Of the other 6, 2 were library books and the other 4 were mine, 3 Kindle and one paper. Of the 4, 3 were technically Books Off The Shelf, although the two Kindle ones were just acquired in December. All were fantasy, with 3 being children's fantasy (2 English, 1 Australian). 3 male authors, 7 female authors.

Three books acquired, 2 Kindle and 1 hardback, 2 read.

Five books out the door, with another 19 packaged up to go to my friend when next I see her.

>37 ronincats: I think I picked up a couple that I dropped within 15-20 pages--not even getting them to the Pearl Rule stage. I didn't count them--even towards the Abandoned reads. I just decided they weren't for me and moved on.

>31 ronincats: I think books are a good choice to do yourself because you can do them over time without disrupting day to day living. I also agree that you should pack anything fragile that is special to you. I packed some largish, precious, fragile things wrapped in bubble wrap and then in a box with bed pillow under and on top. They all came through very well. Also, remember to fill boxes all the way to the top otherwise they will probably crush when stacked.

You might try selling books you don't want to keep on eBay or go to a decent used bookstore. The one on University a couple of blocks west of Park has a fair number of collectible books and might be interested.

I think I need to browse your library now, Roni :)

>28 ronincats: I love Peter Dickinson too. Maybe I should re-read Tears of the Salamander as my recollection of it is hazy, although I never read a book of his that I disliked.

Happy new thread btw.

>40 Esquiress: I would recommend that :) But not if you are trying to avoid book bullets ;)

>6 ronincats: "Not a theme" *chuckle*. Both a predictable and fun one, though, so it's OK. Happy new thread! :)

You are wise to take the boxes a couple at a time. Wish I had your discipline.

>27 ronincats: I have played the solo of Isle of Cats on easy mode a couple of times and lost by massive margins - it's so much fun that I don't really care about losing, I'm just enjoying the process. Although I think that I'm starting to see where I'm going wrong so I might lose by a less significant margin the next time.

I've also played the family version of the rules with my parents - they're not regular boardgamers and find most games way beyond them, but the family version worked really well for them. Dad accidentally won by filling his boat with an epic orange cat family and holding a card that gave him a stonking quantity of extra points that he'd totally forgotten about. Typical Dad :D

>38 thornton37814: Yes, I had a couple like that too, Lori. But if I read at least 50 pages of a book, I count the pages though not the book.
>39 RebaRelishesReading: I've created a collection in LibraryThing, Reba, where I'm putting all the books I don't want to keep. I will either print it out or email it to various used bookstores in the area to see if there is anything they want. Since I won't be able to use credit, I will not get much money out of the enterprise.
>40 Esquiress:, >42 sirfurboy: Be my guest. If anyone wants anything in that collection and is willing to pay media postage, speak up!
>41 sirfurboy: What you said, Stephen.
>43 CassieBash: Thanks, Cassie.
>44 markon: Needs must, Arlene. I've been saying I was going to clear the attic (or at least prune sharply) for the last five years. Now it's not a choice.
>45 archerygirl: That's good to hear, Kathy. I have all the pieces popped out and organized and have read through the rules book. It's just a matter of sitting down with it and playing through a couple of times to get familiar with it. The solo option is one of the reasons I requested this game for Christmas, but once I'm back in Kansas, I anticipate playing with family as well.

>45 archerygirl: Thanks for the info! I think I'll rec this one to friends of mine. Might even get my own copy.

So today's boxes are two boxes of books and one of what are now vintage sewing patterns. That one will go out in the she shack to sit with all the other sewing stuff and be sifted out as I pack that up.

Books:
8 vintage C. J. Cherryh paperbacks. Checking the Salina library, they have the Fortress quintology and all, it looks like, of the Foreigner series, which I still need to read. So I will need to hold onto any of these older ones I own that I want to for reference. 32 books all catalogued, have located all but Finity's End.
My original copies of the five books of the Prydain Chronicles, somewhat the worse for wear---1971 Dell trade paperbacks. I now have a nice hardback omnibus edition that combines all five in much less shelf space. Time to pass them on, I guess.
6 paperbacks by Dave Duncan, including his first trilogy which was not bad for barbarian magical quests.
4 of Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality novels, which I had kept when I discarded all his other stuff, although what became of books 4 and 5 in this series I have no idea. Off they go.
The Sorcery Hall trilogy by Suzy McKee Charnas. I don't remember these at all! They go on the nightstand for a reread to determine their fate.
The Four Lords of the Diamond 4-book series by Jack Chalker. I considered them the best of his, but am I ever going to reread them? Probably not.
3 old Ace paperbacks of Edgar Rice Burroughs, back when they cost 40¢ and 60¢. Two Pellucidar books and the original A Fighting Man of Mars.
2 Douglas Adams paperbacks, the first two of the Hitchhiker's guide books. Another series where I have a nice hardback omnibus of the whole series, so these can go.
And assorted paperbacks by Poul Anderson, Alfred Bester, Algis Budrys, Arthur Clarke, Edmund Cooper, Samuel Delany, Lester del Rey--they will all be in my bookstore collection in my library here if I decide to get rid of them.

>48 ronincats: are you getting rid of any of your CJ Cherryh books?

I have extras of the paladin and forty thousand in gehenna. I may get rid of the cyteen books. I would like a paperback of Rimrunners rather than the hardback I have now. But it looks like any copy of that is hard to find now cheaply.

Well, this is funny. I had, in one of these boxes a kid's workbook from the Enrich Computer Fun Series, Apple Logo Converts to Terrapin & Krell. Pristine, never used. When I check it out online, going rate being asked is $30 to $50. I think I'll put it in my eBay pile.

I love old sewing patterns. I had boxes of them and when I moved down here 30 years ago I ditched them. I have regretted it ever since. The patterns I have purchased since I moved here are in boxes in my office and I can tell you that they aren't going anywhere. neither are my Vogue Pattern magazines. I won't make the same mistake twice.

The main problem with these, Benita, is that I am not that size any more. Nor like ever to be again.

>53 ronincats: One advantage to more modern sewing patterns is multiple sizes per package. Not that any of the sizes ever gave a good fit to anyone with a figure to notice, but still, more sizes.

>50 ronincats: I have those already, but thanks. I need Regenesis, one of the few I haven't read yet. I also need one of the Hellburner books in pb... can't recall which one.

I'll keep an eye out for a Rimrunners pb for you. Would one in "good" condition be acceptable?

ETA: Found a new one for you!

https://m.alibris.com/booksearch.detail?&_ptid=5Nv03vHgBCI&invId=1555867...

>54 quondame: Yes, I know. It's a nice feature although if you cut a smaller size and then grow...
>55 fuzzi: Thanks, but it's a trade paperback and I need a mass market size to match all my other books. I have Regenesis but...ahem...I haven't read it yet either.
PaperBackSwap has Merchanter's Luck, Heavy Time, Hellburner, Tripoint, Regenesis, Finity's End.

PM me your address and I'll have them send you Regenesis and any of the others you might need--I have 114 credits and I'll never be able to use them all for myself.

Over this past decade I've cleared out all my Cherryh books - probably 20 or more - except for the very first one I ever bought "Brothers of the Earth" which I'm keeping solely for sentimental reasons. I give them to my Friends of the Library. They can be hard to find. This year can't do that with books so I have a couple boxes packed for the future.

Whoosh... I finally landed in the present, Feb oneth and bottom of thread. I sure had a good time back on thread the first, Roni. I am glad not to have missed out on the great LOTR discoveries.

Attics are secret memory prisions, huh? We have a heated crawlspace I keep cleaning out. Only to discover the gremlins have filled it up again. Where does all that stuff come from anyway?

I had several LOTR middle Earth Posters that I gave to a young relative about 20 (ok, 35 TBH) years ago. Apparently they've been framed properly with archival backing and the whole nine yards of conservation technology.

It's a fun memory for me, but what do 20- now 30-somethings get out of Baby-Boomer nostalgia? I mean, yeah "we were young when all the *best* bands played (now elevator music....)", but Tolkein-fantasy posters?
I get it with keeping the jigsaw puzzles though.

I meant to do a January round up today. I seemed not to have emerged from thread lurking, so tomorrow, first thing I guess. I was surprised to look at my 2021 books-read (or attempted) list and find there were 12 so I can write one-sentence summaries and feel very pleased... even though a few duds turned up.

Edited because I hate typos and misspelled words. And also, I just HAD to say that quondame doesn't know what she's missing if she doesn't at least *try* the fun of silver toe nail polish...

>57 RBeffa: If ever I get rid of my Cherryhs, Ron, I will always keep my Chanur quintet. I love those books so much!

>58 SandyAMcPherson: Welcome, Sandy. Yes, my posters were just tacked up, no money back then for archival framing, and eventually fell to pieces. I miss them, but wouldn't have had anywhere to hang them here, although in the new house...

>48 ronincats: Wow, haven't started the Foreigner series yet? Aren't you falling behind! I liked the couple of Incarnations of Immortality books I read and always meant to read the rest, but never got around to it. I think I have the same Hitchhiker's omnibus! I still need to sit down and read it, though.

>50 ronincats: and >55 fuzzi: I picked up an omnibus Cyteen that I am committed to reading this year as part of my TBR category challenge. That will be followed by the Regenesis I received as a gift years ago, also in the challenge.

>52 benitastrnad: I have learned to check thrift stores for old patterns. I've accumulated quite a stash that I mean to use (someday). They carry a surprising number of sewing patterns.

>56 ronincats: THANK YOU! PM sent, and a second PM to add Hellburner. I see Heavy Time in pb on my shelves, so it has to be the second book that I only have in hardcover.

That's another series of two by Cherryh that never got a third book, though a continuation was warranted. The other is the Rider at the Gate two book series. Brr.

>48 ronincats:, >55 fuzzi: etc. Enjoying the Cherryh love here. Hope you both enjoy Regenesis when you get to it. I liked both Cyteen and this one a lot. I keep purchasing the foreigner novels (my library has stopped aquiring them), but the last three seemed pretty week to me. I think she is setting up for some interesting action in the next arc. I dread when she stops writing.

Happy new thread!

Hi Roni! Happy new thread.

>6 ronincats: Kitties in any form make me smile.

>31 ronincats: What an exciting box of books. I’ve got the 1973 printing of the Narnia books. I don’t know how to find the people for the books, but you might look on www.bookfinder.com to see if any of them pop. High-end listing for Mother Carey’s Chickens, for example, is $186.50. Getting that is another matter, of course...

>48 ronincats: I’ve sent you a PM about the Edgar Rice Burroughs books and the Harlan Ellison book.

>62 markon: I'm behind on the Foreigner books, having read the first three only, but have been collecting more of the series for when I eventually get to it, ha!

I'm hoping CJ gives us a follow up to her last Alliance book SOON, as it ended in a cliffhanger. I checked but there's no sequel to Alliance Rising yet.

>6 ronincats: I love the theme!

About those 50-100 piece puzzles. I have learned because of my SIL who is not in memory-care, per se, but headed that direction, that such places need puzzles with these smaller number of pieces. It's very sad: my SIL has been a HUGE reader all her life. If I think of Betty, I think of her with a mystery novel in her hands. As her memory has deteriorated significantly in the past year, my sister reports that Betty simply does not read any longer. Her brain can't manage the input. But relatively easy puzzles she can do, especially if my sister "does them" with her.

Anyway, I'm sure you have plans but I thought I'd suggest donation to a local retirement center or memory care center as one option.

I'm rather enjoying the tales of your clear out. :-)

Hugs to you, my friend.

>66 EBT1002: what a wonderful suggestion!

>60 justchris: Very much behind. I keep thinking I'll wait until I have a large slot of time to devote to them, and it keeps not happening.
>61 fuzzi: Sorry that didn't work out, fuzzi.
>62 markon: I have the first 4 on the TBR shelf...
>63 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle.
>64 karenmarie: I have been checking on bookfinder to see prices, but not on the Wiggin books yet. I have a whole bin of vintage books still up in the attic to go through.
>65 fuzzi: I know!
>66 EBT1002: A good idea. Many of my 50 piece puzzles are minis, though , 5 x 7, and I don't know if that might not be too small to see and manipulate. But I do have some of the larger puzzles that would be perfect.

So, got a bin of stuffed animals down and went through the Ty Beanie Babies. I have 30 Beanie Babies and 1 Beanie Buddy, pictured here (no, no theme here, no way):

Unfortunately, none of them are valuable.

And these are all the off-brand toys in the same bin:

>68 ronincats: I'm partial to the life-like looking white and grey one in that top photo!

>69 thornton37814: That one's more trouble than all the rest of them put together, Lori!!

>68 ronincats: you need a home for the tiger in the top photo?

I have a couple Siamese already or I'd be interested in them as well.

I noticed the non-Beanie breathing one in that top photo. Great camouflage....;-)

>71 fuzzi: I need a home for all of them, fuzzi. That would be "India" to whom you are referring.
>72 jessibud2: That would be Dinah, Shelley, named after a famous literary cat.

It's great to see the Cherryh fans here! I mostly just check out her most recent books as the library gets them though I have a bunch from the 80s and 90s. I follow her on FB and she seems to have mostly gone to production line writing, very readable and you know what you are getting with occasional extras, but since she's even older than I am, I can understand why spending a lot of effort on something when her publishers just want another Foreigner book may not be worth the energy.

>74 quondame: I'd love another Chanur book...

Hi Roni, I see you have been busy getting things organized. When I clear out old boxes I usually find old rusty tools or some such boring things not cute stuffed animals, puzzles and books!

>68 ronincats: We appear to have many beanie babies too! But they are cute. :)

>72 jessibud2: Dinah as in Alice's cat? Just a guess. :)

>78 CassieBash: that's my guess, too.

Dear Friend. The things we collect are amazing. I love seeing the beanie animals, and the puzzles! I confess that I buy puzzles when they are on sale. I have three large plastic containers of them in the basement.

There is a lot of Halloween things down there as well. My daughters know I like fall and Halloween, so they always buy fall items for my September birthday. It is considerate of them, but I need to find a way to tell them NO MORE!

I hope you are not overdoing it. My attic steps are the pull down kind. I don't go up there unless someone is in the house with me. Nine spine surgeries have left me a bit unsteady.

I think of you and hope you are enjoying your trip down memory lane as you go through the possessions you collected over the years.

We had over 30 inches of snow! Thank God for a wonderful neighbor who spent three various times with a huge snow blower getting my driveway cleared. It was a pretty snow, but when it didn't stop, I knew I would be homebound for a few days, if not more!

>80 Whisper1: Yup, I need to find a way to tell them NO MORE!...
We had that difficulty a few years ago with other categories and finally held a big family online (it was pre-Zoom days) meeting to talk about 'Rules for gifts'.

I think it may have been a relief for everyone in the end... we all agreed that consumables were the acceptable gifts. So now we exchange homemade preserves, artistanal chocolates or cheeses, and/or bouquets of flowers. Of course the children under 16 still receive hard goods (usually books in our case).

>68 ronincats: Big collection! We never had that type of stuffed animal, but my niece had a similar assembly in her bedroom until she went to college.
She donated the whole works to a crisis nursery in their community (a shelter for neglected kids, or 'home away from home' short term for children whose family encounter a crisis). The kids are given a comfort stuffed animal (suitably cleaned) and get to keep it.
I thought this was a great idea and did the same with long-stored (unwanted) stuffed toys we had at our house.

Wonderful Tolkien treasures! The puzzle that you show in >1 ronincats: I have as a huge poster - stored somewhere. I remember it was a Christmas gift from my brother when I was in high school. :) And I have the Ballantine paperbacks with those covers, too. I pick them up when I see them in used book places, to replace my reading copies.

I've never tried a two sided puzzle. They seem really challenging!

>74 quondame: Oh, I need to follow her on Facebook too! And find where her production line writing is.
>75 fuzzi: But we ain't gonna get it.
>76 DeltaQueen50: That's because you didn't work in an elementary school, Judy, for 31 years! I have at least three more bins up there, one with cats, one with games, and one with toys.
>77 sirfurboy: That they are.
>78 CassieBash:, >79 fuzzi: Such a joy to have erudite friends!! Right!
>80 Whisper1: My attic steps are the pull-down ladder type as well, Linda, and yes, I am always careful up there. I can't believe you got 30 inches of snow!! Thank goodness for lovely neighbors.
>81 SandyAMcPherson: That's a great idea, Sandy. I will have to follow up on that. I know that at the center where they keep children who have been removed from their families before either returning them or placing them in custody, they would not allow them to have any personal possessions with them, but there are plenty of homeless shelters and other types of institutions.
>82 streamsong: I had the poster as well, Janet, but it wore out. This particular two-sided puzzle is easier because the background color of the two sides is different so it's pretty easy to tell which side goes with which.

Hooray for CHERRYH!!!! I'm reading my obligatory first-of-the-year Foreigner right now, Visitor. Sometimes I manage a couple but rarely three. I am sure that I'll reread them all if I ever catch up with her (she is only 2 years older than I am, but I already would not be wanting to work full-time on anything) or she stops.
I enjoyed being back in the Cyteen universe with Regenesis, Roni. LOVED Cyteen and *40,000* especially..... *Downbelow* was fine too. *sigh*
I never jumped on Beanies - there was a cinnamon bear whose face I liked, but I resisted.

Happy Newish Thread, Roni!

That topper puzzle is wild. My wife has been doing the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles, to keep her sanity, since the pandemic began. Your smaller ones up there confirmed my suspicion that you like cats. :-)

How fun to see what comes out of your attic! Thanks for posting the photos. I remember the days when we could make our kids happy simply by buying them another beanie baby. We sold a bunch at a yard sale a few years ago. Now, at an older age, they both love FunkoPops.

>85 jnwelch: if I attempted a 1000 piece puzzle I'd probably lose what sanity I started with...

What >86 fuzzi: said *shudder*

Hiya Roni, finishing up A Master of Djinn and really happy I read it. But now I want more, and NOW.

>48 ronincats: >81 SandyAMcPherson: Back when MacDonald's had mini-beanie baby toys I tried to collect enough to give out as favors at one of her birthdays, but since she was at an invite the whole class school I didn't get enough before the event. They are still in my closet buried under so much else.

>87 richardderus: I'm first on the hold list for that one at at least one library, but it will be longer than I like before my eyes track all over it.

>84 LizzieD: Glad to see you adding to the Cherryh love, Peggy!
>85 jnwelch:, >86 fuzzi:, >87 richardderus: 1000 pieces are just too complex for me to handle. 500 piece puzzles are my favorites.
>88 quondame: Never had any of those, Susan, probably because never had little ones to demand them.
>86 fuzzi:, >89 quondame: Ooh, new Djinn story--I shall have to track it down.

So today I was able to dump the water out of the rental recycle bin (cracked lid), dry it out, and get all the paper and old textbooks that had piled up in the house loaded into it to go out tomorrow pm for Friday pickup. My two boxes from the attic were boring. One was half stuff from teaching at San Diego State (into recycle), half from dynamic assessment/mediated learning trainings and workshops (goes into a box for the guy who's teaching that now at SDSU. The other turned out to be old receipts and tax returns, which will have to be sorted through to make sure no personal info is on them to be shredded, so is put aside for the moment.

Read a book that came down from the attic last night.



Book #11 The Vicar's Daughter by Betty Neels (218 pp.)

Somewhere in the attic is a box with 122 Harlequin romances by Betty Neels. This one was in another box. I know that because they are catalogued under Romance in my library. In my 20s, I read a lot of Harlequins (this was back before the bodice-ripper days) and there were two authors that stood out for me. Everything I know about New Zealand, especially South Island, I learned from Essie Summers, and most of what I know about Holland, I learned from Betty Neels. A simple formula that actually echoed her own life, a plain practical English girl, often a nurse, meets a large handsome Dutch doctor, usually a specialist, not usually in the best of circumstances. For various reasons, they end up in a practical marriage, the book includes at least one visit to the doctor's home in Holland (he is always rich), and they end up very much in love with each other. I could go through these like potato chips. Don't know what I'm going to do with these. I'm really a little beyond them these days but they are fun and I did go to quite a bit of effort to acquire nearly a complete set of each.

>90 ronincats: Those two authors would sell like hotcakes at our local 2nd hand bookshop. Vintage romance is very desirable, just need to find the right outlet.

Our bookseller here goes to homes that are clearing out (by invitation) and buys sets like that. We've taken dozens of books to him in the last few years because they weren't desirable keeping material and selling on our own was never successful. One doesn't earn a lot of money that way, but the books are better at a shop with the right clientele.

That's quite true, Sandy. Most of the second hand books here don't handle romances at all--the ones that did have gone out of business over the years.

>61 fuzzi: I had never even heard of Heavy Time and Hellburner. Good to know they exist, I guess.

>62 markon: I read the first Cyteen ages ago not realizing it wasn't a complete story. It was memorable enough that I went through the trouble to find the omnibus. Now to sit down and read it. Regarding Foreigner, I thought I was all caught up, but see I am missing Divergence. I've breezed through the last few so quickly, I haven't retained much. So I can't comment as to their narrative heft.

>65 fuzzi: I never really got into the Alliance-Union books. I read Downbelow Station and thought it was decent. I've always preferred her SF books centered on alien contact: Serpent's Reach, Cuckoo's Egg, the Chanur and Foreigner books.

>84 LizzieD: I tried 40,000 in Gehenna, and I think it was a DNF ages ago. I know that and Downbelow Station get lots of love.

>92 ronincats: Same in this area. Up by my mom and brother, there's a used bookstore with a large romance section with plenty of older stuff, which is what I lean toward--I try to hit it when I'm in that area.

>83 ronincats: Thank you!

>93 justchris: now you need to read the Morgaine books, they are NOT fantasy as depicted by the Michael Whelan "Conan" cover on the first, Gate of Ivrel:



And I also enjoyed the The Faded Sun books, though the first and third were the best imo.

>95 fuzzi: The Morgaine books may have a SF skeleton, but the sinew, muscle and skin is pure fantasy. And the skeleton isn't all that much in evidence. A lot of Cherryh reads like that - the SF stuff is the back gound, but our protagonists are on quests in fairyland, but this one much more so than others.

Roni, was it you who was discussing Rosemary and Rue? I can't recall, but I picked it up at the used bookstore based on someone's recommendation, and it's next in line after I finish the last of this William Gibson trilogy I'm working on at the moment.

Our public library Friends organization runs a used book store and they can't get enough romance novels. I took a box of Christian romance novels to them and timidly told them that if they didn't want them I would take them back. However, the lady there said that they really really wanted romance novels. They can't keep them on the shelves. They charge $1.00 per book, and people purchase them by the sackfulls. I was very surprised to learn that. I guess I shouldn't have been because up until about 10 years ago, I would read a couple of romance novels every year. I haven't read one in a long time, but I do understand the concept of them being like potato chips.

>93 justchris: Cherryh Alliance-Union timeline (from Wikipedia)

The Alliance–Union universe is a science fiction future history series, in which the development of political entities and cultures occurs over a long time period. Major characters in one work may be referenced or appear briefly in another.

The Company Wars

According to the author, the novels in this universe, except Heavy Time and Hellburner (which were subsequently re-published in one volume as Devil to the Belt), can be read in any order. Those two books are chronologically the earliest in the series.

Downbelow Station (1981) – Hugo Award winner, Locus Award nominee, 1982
Merchanter's Luck (1982)
also published in the Alliance Space (2008) omnibus
Rimrunners (1989) – Locus Award nominee, 1990
Heavy Time (1991)
Hellburner (1992)
Devil to the Belt (2000) – single-volume edition of the above two books
Tripoint (1994)
Finity's End (1997) – Locus Award nominee, 1998

The Hinder Stars

Alliance Rising (2019) (credited to C. J. Cherryh and Jane S. Fancher) – Prometheus Award winner 2020
Untitled (in progress)

The Era of Rapprochement

Serpent's Reach (1980)
Also published in The Deep Beyond (2005) omnibus
Forty Thousand in Gehenna (1983)
Also published in the Alliance Space (2008) omnibus
The Scapegoat (1985) – novella
Cyteen (1988) – Hugo Award and Locus Award winner, British Science Fiction Award nominee, 1989
Also published in a three-volume edition as The Betrayal, The Rebirth and The Vindication, about which Cherryh has written, "There was a paperbound publication that split the novel into three parts, but this has ended: the current and, by my wishes, all future publications, will have Cyteen as one unified book."
Regenesis (2009)

>94 CassieBash: You are welcome!
>95 fuzzi: I read both series in the 70s, and culled them from my keepers years ago.
>96 quondame: So true.
>97 Esquiress: It was probably I, Es. I love that series.
>98 benitastrnad: That would normally be my option, Benita, but due to COVID the library is not accepting donations (nor holding sales) at this time.

So today was pottery day. I glazed 3 pieces and trimmed 5, then made a trip to the grocery store and finally stopped by the library to pick up Unnatural Magic, The Dark Archive, and The Time of Green Magic. A gorgeous hardback of The Debatable Land arrived in the mail--used but you couldn't prove it by me!

I fell asleep last night a little before 11, woke up a little before 2, finally fell back to sleep a little before 6 and woke up for good at a little before 8. So I keep nodding off here for some reason and will probably be early to bed tonight.

>95 fuzzi: That's a hilarious cover! It's been a few decades since I read the Morgaine chronicles but my recollection of her on the cover of the book I read was her, clad in armour and with a dandelion head of hair, sitting on a horse and it seemed to be in the spirit of the character. As you say, NOT as depicted on this cover.

>99 ronincats: Roni, I think you've copied something with a lot of square brackets across. So all the Harry Potter references confused me :0)

Hi Roni, I saw on Susan's thread a mention of your liking of the books by Carol Berg.
Which titles do you recommend for starting?

>100 humouress: And I'm confused. What I copied was a timeline of Cherryh's Alliance-Union books from Wikipedia. I'm seeing it. Anyone else having problems? And what Harry Potter references?

>101 SandyAMcPherson: Carol Berg I liked her Collegia Magica trilogy, starting with The Spirit Lens.

Jo Walton is an occasional blogger at Tor.com and lately she's been reviewing her monthly reading. January's is a treasure trove.
Highlights:
Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall (2020)
A delightful romance, recommended by a friend. Two men in London who haven’t been making relationships work pretend to be each other’s boyfriends and of course end up falling in love. Really well written, memorable, and really fun to read. As an attempt to read feel-good romances that are not set in Italy but are actually good, this was really successful.
Quarter Share, Nathan Lowell (2007)
This was recommended as a book in which no bad things happen, and you know, it totally is after the events of the first chapter propel the protagonist into a job on a space ship. This is kind of like a game of Elite on peaceful mode, or like a book written by a much nicer kinder C.J. Cherryh. There are space stations. There is trading. There are tests to study for, and pass. There’s friendship and mentoring. Women exist. Basically it’s like the chapters in this kind of book before things start going wrong, only they never do. Sometimes, I guess I might want more excitement, but it was never boring, and right now, it’s perfect, so thank you. Also there are a ton of sequels. Peggy and I have been reading this series!
And many more here: https://www.tor.com/2021/02/04/jo-waltons-reading-list-january-2021/#more-631242

>98 benitastrnad: My fiance owns a used book store just on the edge of Ball State in Muncie, IN and he always seems to be overstocked on romances. They don't sell particularly well for him. Different location, different clientele. Derek has donated his overstock to public library sales in the past but COVID has made it difficult for him to find takers, as several of the local libraries have shut their sales down.

>102 ronincats: looks like Alliance-Union to me.

>100 humouress: Michael Whelan, the artist for the Gate of Ivrel book, has a wonderful sense of humor. I recall reading somewhere that he was poking fun at the Conan type of books popular at the time. The cover you are referencing is the fourth in the series, Exile's Gate, see below:

You're doing such a good job going through your stuff, Roni. It's making me feel guilty, like I should be doing some of that myself as I have a move pending. Fortunately, I never put anything in my attic, so there is that.

>95 fuzzi: I also like the Faded sun trilogy and reread it periodically.

>101 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, the only Carol Berg that I've read is the Lighthouse duet (Flesh and spirit, Breath and bone), but I liked them a lot. ( Note to self: buy a series the next time you have too many"heavy" books on offer.)

>102 ronincats: Hi Roni! Delurking to say I think I know where the confusion is because it happened to me recently.

Wikipedia articles often have references in the text, shown as a number in brackets. When copy/pasted into a Talk thread, those references create touchstones which, weirdly, come up as Harry Potter books.

If you look closely at your post (>99 ronincats:), you'll see clickable numbers, and in the touchstones for this thread you'll see the Harry Potter books. If you want to remove these, just edit your post and remove all the bracketed numbers and the HP touchstones will disappear.

>105 fuzzi: That could be it, although it looks different in my memory. I thought it had Morgaine and her companion astride, possibly in front of a gate but side on to us and facing left, looking away across the countryside. I don't see anything like that doing a quick image search so I may be wrong.

I do remember this cover, though:



>108 lauralkeet: That was what I meant. Sorry for the confusion.

ETA: I've just discovered this site: http://www.cherryh.com/www/lookatbooks.htm

Closed-Circle, a publishing company by Cherryh, Lynn Abbey and Jane Fancher which has collected back issues that are not being published by mainstream publishers so you can catch up on their stories.

Stopping by to say hi Roni! Enjoying the C. J. Cherryh chatter (I don't think I've read any of the books mentioned but I really enjoyed the Chanur series on your recommendation so her backlist is on my list too) and the link to Jo Walton's reads.

I've seen some of Walton's monthly write-ups in the past but I think I'd missed this one. I read Boyfriend Material twice last year so I guess that tells you how much I enjoyed it! It's a very enjoyable rom-com and I've been meaning to try some of his other romance novels. I also listened to and enjoyed Hall's The Affair of the Mysterious Letter which is completely different and a gender-swapped Sherlock Holmes pastiche in a very strange fantasy universe.

I've added Quarter Share to the list. :-)

I have stopped by a few times recently and realised just now that I haven't posted anything. Have a lovely Sunday. xx

>103 CassieBash: Yeah, that shutdown of library sales is what is hindering me as well, Cassie.
>105 fuzzi: Makes sense of a sort, fuzzi.
>106 Familyhistorian: 40 years, Meg, 40 years of stuff. And only a few months to trim it all down (not to mention simply get it down as I can't leave it there.
>107 markon: Hi, Ardene. Thanks for stopping by.
>108 lauralkeet: Laura, that was incredibly helpful. Thank you!
>109 humouress: Ooh, neat site, although I don't see any recent updates.
>110 souloftherose: Hi, Heather. The Chanur series is very much my favorite, but as I said, I haven't read her most recent series starting with Foreigner yet and a lot of people really like that.
>111 PaulCranswick: Happy Sunday, Paul.

Love all the Cherryh talk! I've kept up with Foreigner-- what a treat you have in store! Have not tackled the Ivrel or Faded Sun but the Spousal Unit read them recently and liked them loads. I have read most of the semi singletons, although not the Cuckoo's Child (I think that's the title?) yet. I thought Gehenna was a tour-de-force of imagination. And . . . Cyteen was ok , but maybe not my fave. I like Hell-burner and Heavy Time and all those too. And, of course, Chanur!!

Love love love the pile of Beanie Babies with the real kitty in the background looking somewhere between baffled and horrified.

>113 sibylline: More beanie babies, Lucy.

Yesterday I brought down several boxes of paper files and also the rest of my Ty toys. These are all from The Attic Collection Series--appropriate, no?


I also opened the box of games and brought down 8 of them. Four are well-used and loved games; the other four were not that familiar and so today I looked them over to see if I want to keep them for family game nights--now that I will have family to play with.


Games are so important for developing key cognitive skills and I used them as such with my groups when I worked. Blink was working on time and number concepts, but adapted to move to the concepts of categorization and verbal labels. Hocus Focus was working on attention to detail, using multiple sources of information, categorization. Rush Hour worked on spatial organization, labeling and planning behavior. Rat-a-tat Cat worked on short-term memory skills. Ah, those were the days and that is the part of the profession that I miss.

So I checked out the other 4 games today. Qwitch, Zigity and Target look good. Slamwich is less interesting but probably still worth keeping. Then I put together the other 3 100-piece puzzles that I didn't do the other day--one with penguins, one from the Goblet of Fire, and one cat one.

Tomorrow I will get a few more boxes before I go out to have socially distanced lunch with my friend at her house, taking her a bag of mysteries including her sister's books, before my 2:10 appointment for my COVID vaccine at the La Mesa Supercenter site!!

Well, if you did leave it in your attic, your buyers would find a treasure trove. (Although if it was Singapore, they'd probably knock down the house to rebuild without even looking.)

Family game nights sound like fun.

>114 ronincats: Those colored trucks remind me of a game you might like to look into if you don't have it already:

Cat STAX

Like Tetris only with cats, you're given a shape and have to fill in the area using the different-sized cats. My sister got it for me back when I had my operation (2017?) because it was small, light, and could be played solo while I was in the hospital or recuperating on the couch. There are different difficulty levels and trust me, it can be a challenge. :)

There's a dog version, too, if preferred.

>113 sibylline: Cuckoo's Egg was not only a very good read, but one of her best, imo. I gave it 4 1/2 stars.

>114 ronincats: I had Rat a Tat Cat and Rush Hour as a kid and loved both of them.

>115 humouress: But mostly filled with stuff other people wouldn't want, Nina.
>116 CassieBash: Oops, had to get it, already ordered. Gee thanks, Cassie (said with sardonic inflection)!
>117 fuzzi: I thought it was excellent as well.
>118 curioussquared: My elementary school kiddos LOVED Rat a Tat Cat. Great for working on memory strategies using labeling and position, too.

So today's two boxes were solid paper. One was mostly class materials and outdated processing tests from when I taught that class my last semester at SDSU, and almost all of it got recycled. A few files on mediated learning and dynamic assessment are going with the two boxes currently in the living room. When I get all of that material down, I will have a good going through and tossing of all the duplicates, of which there are many, narrowing down to a SMALL box I'm taking with me and a larger few that I will be offering the guy currently teaching that course.

The other box was all my workbooks used as tools for developing the same skills as those in the games above: visual processing, perceptual skills, thinking skills, logic, planning, attention to detail, need for precision, systematic search. I am keeping some of my favorites and the most fun: Ghost Hunt at Trembly Towers, Mystery of the Monster Party, The Wonderful Journey of Cameron Cat, Find Demi's Dinosaurs, Dinosaurs! A Spot-the Difference Puzzle Book and Catch that Cat!.

>119 ronincats: The treasure trove is astounding! You're equipped to equip an entire faculty for dealing with kids.

Spend a good week reading, too.

Your attic must be huge.

>120 richardderus: And consider that I sold or gave away 85% of my stuff when I retired!
>121 BLBera: It is as big as the main floor of the house, Beth, so lots of room.

Hi Roni, the American news is full of how slow your country has been to get the vacine out - but it seems quick to me. We haven't even heard of when or where we will be getting our vacine. Good luck with the continued sorting.

Hi Roni! Loving all the attic adventures! Another huge Cherryh fan here - you and Lucy were the ones that got me into her. I started with Chanur at your urging and did enjoy it, but I think I would probably like it even more now, having read more of her books and being more accustomed to her style. I LOVE the Foreigner series - are you planning to take those with you or read before you move??

I'm glad to hear that board games are so good for cognitive development. Leó has been getting into board games in a big way this year (well, what else is there to do?!). I've been really impressed by how sophisticated his thinking has been for several of the games we've played. I'll try and get a range of games that use different kinds of skills. Might make up for all the erratic homeschooling he's receiving!

>123 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I am just back home after getting my first Pfizer shot this afternoon!!! I hope you are able to get a shot soon.
>124 HanGerg: Good plan, Hannah! A child who has learned how to think and learn can make up simple knowledge any time! I will take the 4 Foreigner books I own with me because, well, CHERRYH! And maybe start the series once I get settled in.

When you were a school psychologist, did you actually get to play games and work on cognitive development/therapy with students? Our psychologists primarily just do evaluations for special education.

I was fortunate to work in a small elementary district where the special ed director espoused the full-service model for school psychology and the district did not hire counselors. At that time, all school psychologists trained in California already had a masters in counseling before getting their school psych certification. So I started out where we were expected to do counseling. And so I had time to learn how to handle administrators who wanted me to cut out the counseling to do more testing. "Oh, you want me to stop the counseling? Okay. I've been wanting to do more of my report writing during work hours." (Meaning no more testing as a result) "You want to hire a counselor with discretionary funds? Sure, that will get you more counseling, not more testing. You want more testing, use those funds to hire another school psychologist." Yes, I made sacrifices to do it, meaning pretty much all my report-writing was done at home. But that part of the job is what prevented burnout and kept me sane. After doing assessment all morning, that part of my brain was fried and so the afternoon was dedicated to counseling. And so much of counseling at the elementary level is skills development for kids who didn't have an environment to evoke them: social skills, coping skills, anger management skills, attention skills, and the like. I usually had 25 to 30 kids in counseling groups. And of course, the staff perceived the counseling as really positive and helpful, so that helped along with the administrative report from the district office. Also, we were school-based in our district, which allowed us to bond with staff, parents and students, and had a decent student to psych ratio. Yes, I know I was very fortunate.

>127 ronincats: More than that, your students were fortunate. Not to mention the teaching staff, school, parents ...

>125 ronincats: Congratulations on your vaccination, Roni - and good luck clearing out the attic.
>126 jayde1599: As >128 humouress: already said, I think especially your students were fortunate.
Have a wonderful week.

>127 ronincats: You were very smart at handling this Roni! Good for you. And how interesting that games can be so helpful for kids, I bet they loved it.

(A friend of mine is a geriatric psychologist, she gets this continuous pressure to do more testing as well. She hates it.)

>124 HanGerg: I'm thrilled to see all the other Cherryh fans! I know they're out there, that other lovers of Chanur and Alliance exist, as every used book store I've been in has had a difficult time keeping her books on the shelves.

I think it's because we KEEP her books on our shelves.

>127 ronincats: thanks for the look inside your professional world. I'm not sure if this is part of your area of expertise, but what would you say is the best type of game for older adult cognitive exercise?

>119 ronincats: I didn't say you should get it right away; thought it would be a good after-the-move thing. Fortunately it IS travel-sized but really, you just couldn't wait, could you? :D

Good to hear you got round 1; my age group isn't eligible yet, and mom has to clear it with oncology. She rescheduled her oncology appointment today because of the extreme cold and the snow/ice issues that make walking difficult for her. She's afraid that the cold will be bad for her COPD and might lower her defenses against illness, and she doesn't want to risk another bout with pneumonia.

>127 ronincats: That's an interesting oversight of how counselling is achieved in a supportive environment. Such a set up gets short shrift in schools nowadays, IIUC. And is so necessary in the elementary grades to set students on a good path.

Love all the games you're reviewing. Family games nights were such a routine weekend activity in our kids' lives. I really miss that.

Glad to hear you got your first jab, Roni!

>114 ronincats: - I used some of those games in my classroom, as well, Roni. Also, blocks, and other manipulatives, as well as puzzles (usually floor puzzles as they were often easier for my specific students). I also used to take a ton of time to cover pages of activity books with clear plastic so they could use special write-on/wipe-off crayons and they really enjoyed those (though not so much the wiping off part!). I also had a dress-up corner and lots of hand and finger puppets, and incorporated dramatic play into our reading and just free time, as well and they really loved that too. I will never forget being in full red tinsel wig and long flowing crinkle skirt, myself, helping a kid at the computer, when the principal stopped by with some administrator....Somewhere, there is a photo...

I have also been retired for a few years but it was that type of one-on-one with the kids that I miss most. Don't miss the administrative crap and long hours of work at home, not at all....

>102 ronincats: I love Jo Walton’s writing about books. I frequently read her contributions to Tor.com

The full 20!

>128 humouress:, >129 SirThomas:, >130 EllaTim: Thank you for those kind words.
>131 fuzzi: Anything that stretches mental muscles. Rat-a-tat Cat and Rush Hour, for example, will challenge any adult. Anything that requires handling multiple sources of information and developing strategies. And that has some novelty, so you don't get into a rut using the same old strategies but have to develop new ones. And most importantly, is fun and interactive.
>132 CassieBash: Well, DUH! And hope your mom can get an appointment soon.
>133 SandyAMcPherson: They were favorites when I was growing up too.
>134 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie.
>135 jessibud2: Those are great activities, Shelley. My specialty was to engage with the kids in a meditational way as these were the kids who didn't have the strategies and experience to succeed at the activities independently--so we developed them. And then bridged them to academic activities.
>136 SandDune: Me too, Rhian.



Book #12 The Time of Green Magic by Hilary McKay (233 pp.)

This has been popular among LTers this year. A gentle English children's fantasy of the type the English do so well!

>137 ronincats: 19 for me. I don't think I've ever actually read in the bathtub! But then, I also can't remember the last time I took a bath, so they're probably related.

>139 curioussquared: Whereas I read in the bathtub almost every day! Ah, retirement!

>137 ronincats: - 19 for me! I don't like baths :)

Your games collection reminds me of the stash of games, puzzles and similar that my mum had when she was working (she retired last year). She was a primary school teacher and the last few years specialized on kids who had Swedish as a 2nd language. She made a lot of games herself, too, and I remember being "test subject" quite a few times.

>137 ronincats: aw shucks. I didn't do so well.

I don't go to athletic events, not sure what would qualify as a "social event"?

I stay home and read instead.

I do read while waiting in the doctor's office, while riding mass transit, and while waiting in lines such as DMV...would any of those count?

I can't read when I exercise, as it's hard to swim and hold a book.

And I've never read in the tub, I shower.

>138 ronincats: I was thinking Monopoly, Scrabble, even cribbage.

>137 ronincats: I've never read at an in-person athletic event, since I don't go to ones I'm not interested in watching. All the others, yes.

>137 ronincats: Reading instead of athletic events or exercise, obviously. And it's not stalking if you don't actually get in touch with the author. Valueing books and e-readers too much to get them near a bath and showering quickly to get back to reading is more like. This list doesn't quite plumb the depths of bookwormity.

>141 katiekrug: Yes, I know, as Mamie recently pointed out on your thread.
>142 PawsforThought: Games are one of the most efficient ways of learning, Paws. Your mom must have been a great teacher.
>143 fuzzi:, >145 richardderus: I am thinking historically here, and I know times in my life when I went to games in small town America where relatives were playing and where I read in the interstices. And I have read while on a treadmill. I've read in all those places as well, fuzzi--count them if you like.
>144 fuzzi: Bridge is marvelous--my mom plays it a lot. Always changing between hands, complex rules. Monopoly is so long, but definitely complex enough. Most card games, except for the simplest, are good. Paper puzzles as well, like Sudoku and Kakuro and crosswords. Tangrams. Puzzles.

>127 ronincats: That sounds like a great model, Roni! I wish we had something similar- especially this year with mental health really tested by the pandemic and changes to school routines. We have a social worker and school counselor but they can only do so much. We also have a school based psychologist but like I said he has only gotten to know the sped team and students who need evals.
Thanks for sharing! I love getting an inside glimpse of educational practices in other states/districts!

>147 ronincats: In my experience, a stationary bike is the best exercise machine for reading at the same time, especially when it's one of the semi-recumbent ones :D

>146 quondame: I'm counting following them on Facebook or Goodreads, Susan.
>148 jayde1599: It really is so important.
>149 curioussquared: That's a good one too. I used to have one of those.

Today's boxes included one full of MLE stuff, straight into the front room where, once it is all down and in one place, I will go through, toss duplications, pack up the little bit I will keep, and then call the guy currently teaching the course to come get the rest.

The other box was the one with many of my childhood books.



I will try to find homes for most of these, but I am checking the Salina library to see what they don't have. And also will check out Bookfinder to see if there are any of value. Not shown, probably the two oldest books I ever owned as my own, Bobbsey Twins Merry Days and The Bobbsey Twins in the Country, neither of which has the slightest shred of the cover remaining, and a falling-apart 1910 copy of An Old-fashioned Girl.

>150 ronincats:
Oh!!! I remember that pink cover on the Five Little Peppers Midway.

I had the same edition of Freckles! Must've been passed down from my older sisters. How fun to go through these old and well-used friends.

Roni. You have a treasure trove of stuff in your attic. I love seeing it. I love the beanie babies. I wouldn't be able to part with them.

>150 ronincats: I just love all those editions. I would almost want to keep them just to display them!

>150 ronincats: I'm pretty sure I owned and/or read the exact editions of some of those as a child. Some of them were given to me by retiring teachers who were family friends.

>150 ronincats: Wow, the vintage books in that box really make me smile.
Many titles of that era used to take up space here, but now I've donated all but a very few. Not to say that's what I expect others to decide. It is a very personal decision what one keeps for nostalgic reasons.

As I said recently on someone's thread, I still have some Jim Corbett stories. I might even do a private read-a-thon of his books this year, inspired by Lucy's 'teeny-thon'.

>137 ronincats: I think I have had the full 20 too, although I would not say I *stalked* and author on social media. But I have followed one or two.

>137 ronincats: I scored 19; I'm not a social media stalker. For one thing, I'm not much into social media, so it's hard to stalk when you're not getting on. Guess what I do instead, lol! However, I think that the number of active library cards should be reflected--a point for each one. That would put me at 21, since I own three, and I imagine there are others out there with at least 2.

Love the books; bet they have that great old-book smell! Most look pretty mass-produced so probably not a lot of monetary value there, but you never know. And what sentimental value!

I own a few that go back to the late 1800s, and I have a first edition of Moths of the Limberlost by Indiana author Gene Stratton-Porter. We're from the same mold as we both had/have a fascination with caterpillars and butterflies/moths. If I believed in past lives, she'd be a good candidate for me, lol!

>137 ronincats: I get a lowly 15 points so I almost don't qualify. I've never been on GR, my kind of exercise doesn't work well with holding a book in your hand, I don't loan out my books, etc.

>147 ronincats: She was a great teacher - she stayed two extra years post-retirement age because her boss begged her to. And I know of at least two people who've become teachers themselves because of her. (I admit I am biased, however.)

Hi Roni!

Being President of our local Friends of the Library, I can tell you that in cancelling 3 book sales so far because of the pandemic we’ve lost at least $50k in revenue. We’ve sent out two donation letters requesting help from our membership since September and have gotten $15K, but have no idea when we can have a sale. We can’t even get into the Library.

Your attic is a treasure trove. Thanks for sharing your ‘discoveries’.

>125 ronincats: Congrats on getting your first Pfizer shot.

>137 ronincats: 17 for me… Don’t use Goodreads. I should get a point for being a member of LT. Haven’t stalked an author on social media or read a book at an athletic event.

>150 ronincats: Oh my. Treasures. Your mentioning the Bobbsey Twins made me finally scan in the covers of the 5 that I have. I don’t remember how I acquired them, but they’re from the 1930s.

Oh, it's fun to see all the old books from your attic, Roni. I had a lot of the old Oz books (L. Frank Baum wrote 13, and then there were more by Ruth Plumly Thompson and others), and they went to our son, who loved reading them with me as a kid.

I enjoyed The Time of Green Magic, too. A gentle English children's fantasy of the type the English do so well! Well put.

>137 ronincats: >146 quondame: >159 PawsforThought: Well I only managed 14; I’m afraid I agree with Susan and Paws. I most definitely wouldn’t let go of my favourite books unless they were copies :0)

>150 ronincats: I don’t have any of my childhood books except for the few that I bought for myself toward the end of my school career, if that still counts. We moved houses and countries too much. My mum used to have a Lorna Doone and an Ivanhoe that she won as prizes in school. I wonder if she still has them?

>162 humouress: my mother had a couple of the Honey Bunch books, but I never read them. No idea what happened to them.

I've got...many points. I've got a Goodreads account, but I wouldn't say I'm a user - I've been there maybe 20 times in the past five years. And...I don't think I've ever been a member of a book club, though I may have tried and failed to be (failed to read the assigned book, which is always a problem for me). I have both gifted and loaned favorite books - my second and third copies of same, obtained solely for the purpose of pushing them on people. And if >158 CassieBash:'s idea is applied, I'm well over 20 - I have 13 library cards (11 in active use), mostly used for ebooks. Many California libraries let any Californian get a card, not just the ones who live or work in that city/county. Oh, and I've never stalked an author on social media - I follow quite a few, though, because (unsurprisingly) they write well and interestingly.

I've read in the bathtub. Once. The book dipped in the water and I stopped doing that. And I seldom sniff books unless I'm checking for mold (maybe they fell in the bathtub?). I've run (walked) on a treadmill with a book in front of me - mostly ebooks, though I think I recall doing it with a paper book a few times as well.

I've marked pages with everything else, I suspect I've used a receipt now and then. I used to read any time we had to watch an athletic event in school; I have very (very) seldom gone to any since, and had reason to be interested (usually, someone I knew (like my sister) was playing), so no reading. I have certainly withdrawn from parties and found a back corner to sit and read - I've also spent hours at parties talking books with other people who weren't interested in the party as such.

As usual with such lists, some bits are things I don't do or don't do much; some bits are laughably far behind me (I have books that _since I listed them on LT_ I have reread 5-6 times).

Fun!

Hi, Benita, Richard, Linda, Natalie, Lori, Sandy, Stephen, Cassie, Paws, Karen, Joe, Nina, Fuzzi and Jenn!

I have a goodreads account because I saw the end of the year Books Read In __ graphic on people's threads here and wanted one. Basically just use it to record books read.

I got the big bin of books down today. The bad news is that none of these have been catalogued yet. Here are the series books. I've another dozen that are not series I'll chronicle later.

>165 ronincats: someone's got to want those!

Behind with your thread but dropping in to say hello!

>165 ronincats: Absolutely beautiful!

And here are the others:


The ones you may have trouble reading:
The black in the upper left is Idylls of the King by Tennyson
The small green in the lower right is Scott's The Lady of the Lake
The brown one next to it is John Bunyan's Dream Story

>166 fuzzi: You'd think, right?

>165 ronincats:

Oh my goodness that is AMAZING!!!!...though I will confess to a tiny 'dagnabbit' moment when I realised you didn't have the Ruth Fielding I'm stuck on. :D

In fact both your threads have been COMPLETELY AMAZING, so much treasure!

Oh gosh, the original Graustarkian book! Wow. You had such a tremendous genre education.

Hmmm - many, if not all, the Ruth Fielding books are on Project Gutenberg. I got the first one, to see if I'll like it.

>170 richardderus: I'm guessing many of these are, Jenn, and I'm going to download all of them that are before I get rid of these. I know the Marjorie Dean series is there.
>169 lyzard: Interesting story, Richard, of when I first read it. One of my college summers I worked at the Eisenhower Center and was a docent at the Eisenhower home. My post just inside the front door was just next to the bookcase in the front hall, and the Graustark book was one of them. I borrowed it and read it. Oh, and I returned it and later got my own copy here. But it's still there in the house to be seen when visiting.
>168 ronincats: Hey, Liz, knew you'd like that. Sorry I don't have the Fielding you need.
>167 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita.

So, I just registered for Boskone this weekend. Of course, it always being in Boston, I'd never attended, but there are some advantages to having virtual conventions. Sharon Lee mentioned it on Facebook--both she and Steve are participating on panels. Here's the site: https://boskone.org/

>127 ronincats: I love that description of your approach to your work as a school psychologist, and how you worked with the administration to enable the balance you needed. Assessment is so draining. And, of course, counseling can be draining, too, so being able to do both seems ideal!

I'm also loving the photo-journal of your sorting work. The Ty animals! Love! And of course there is a theme. :-)
The old books are pretty cool, too.

>172 ronincats: Oooh, tempted... Sharon and Steve, and Ursula, and... but I've failed to attend con after con this year. Weekends are busy times, I spend them with my parents usually. Tempted!

>174 jjmcgaffey: BUT the ticket includes having up to a month afterwards to view recordings of all the offerings, Jenn!! That's what decided me.

>173 EBT1002: Each takes a different type of energy, Ellen, and that's what made it work for me. ((Ellen))

>171 jjmcgaffey:, >172 ronincats:

I'm at the point where the books are not yet in the public domain, so no free ebooks going forward, and this particular one (Ruth Fielding In The Far North) is rare all around. I'm biding my time and hoping the rest of the series availability will roll over.

>95 fuzzi: Oh I've read and own all the Morgaine books (I have the same cover art). Same with The Faded Sun books. In fact, I have more Cherryh books than any other author except Andre Norton. I just never got into the Alliance-Union stories.

>109 humouress: Never seen that cover. And thanks for the tip!

>102 ronincats: Boyfriend Material sounds perfectly charming and right up my alley.

Roni, love all the pictures of your attic finds. You are making steady progress!

>114 ronincats: and >127 ronincats: Thanks for the insights about games and counseling. I know someone who specialized in helping particularly challenged/traumatized early learners who needed to develop all those skills, especially at the 4K level. She now works at a stage agency level, doubtless still paying attention to such learners at a larger scale.

I live in cohousing with lots of retired teachers. They got some strong feelings. Our school district under previous leadership suspended suspensions to minimize lost classroom time for the students who were struggling most--I don't know where it's at now with new leadership in place for the last year or less. I likened it to the current push to ban use of pepper spray/teargas by our local PD, and the brand new Chief not wanting to lose that as an option.

Hooboy, that particular retired teacher didn't like the thought of not being able to kick out a disruptive student. I get it. Trying to manage a crowd of (young!) people all by yourself, not easy--all the more reason for more resources available and not being alone in the classroom. But that would require actually funding schools. /open-can-of-worms

Good luck consolidating and simplifying to one small box of essentials from your professional papers.

>165 ronincats: >168 ronincats: Are these all books you acquired 2nd hand or are there inheritances among them?

>165 ronincats: >168 ronincats: Wow, what treasure troves!

I feel sorry when old books can’t find new homes. When our club decided to close its bilingual library a few years ago there were quite a few Dutch children’s books that were probably about the same age as me but I suspect they all went to recycling.

>177 justchris: You’re welcome :0)

>172 ronincats: I’ll look into the con; I’ve never had the chance to go to one before. They have started a con in the last few years in Singapore but it’s almost but not quite my genre.

ETA: Boskone rejected my payment. I'll have to try again :0(

>179 humouress: I feel the same about old books and recycling but there are some exceptions; I donate all books left after my library sales so if they get pulped, at least I don't know about it. I suspect that most of the textbooks I discarded did get recycled because most people don't want textbooks from the 1950s or 60s. About five years back, we were weeding the library collection here at the college and we took out a lot of old science textbooks. We had them in piles and a couple of girls asked how much we wanted for a particular book; I told them if they wanted it, it was free. Turns out their favorite science instructor had seen the book, told them she remembered having it as a text in her undergrad years and it made her nostalgic, so the girls gifted our discarded copy to her. But that was an exception. Textbooks are designed with built-in obsolescence in mind and that recycling them isn't quite like recycling a classic tale of fiction or even an older nonfiction title. Though I've seen a few older nonfiction that just needed to be recycled; the one on how smoking is good for your health springs to mind, lol.

But yes, recycling children's books from any nationality is a pity. That's why I like Better World Books for donations if my usual channels don't pan out, because they try to sell the book (and then use the money to support literacy programs) and don't pulp unless as a last resort.

>176 lyzard: Far North is public domain now (published in 1924, according to Amazon at least, and books from 1925 have just entered public domain). I don't see it on PGDP yet, though (Project Gutenberg Distributed Proofreaders - crowdsourced fixing scanned books to put them on Gutenberg). Hopefully someone has a copy and will put it up there.

I'm loving all the old book pictures and talk. You have treasures, Roni!
I'm also loving the education talk. I know your district wished that they could clone you and put them in all their schools.
>177 justchris: Ah, we retired teachers! When I retired, our county's education motto was, "Failure is not an option." That means, "I don't have to do anything in school this year because they can't fail me." Ask any sixteen year-old.

>181 jjmcgaffey:

Thanks for that update! As I say, I have hopes that will become available soon but it's been a while now and it is frustrating.

Catching up on your thread... saying congrats on your first vaccine shot, and WOW are those old books lovely! I like looking at old tomes... but I never know what to do with them. I inherited a box from my late uncle full of historical volumes that I'm not sure what to do with... the sentimental side of me wants to keep them, but the practical side says they'll have a better life elsewhere. Alas. The eternal book struggle.

Whew! Just finally finished cataloguing all those books up in >165 ronincats:, which involved a lot of manual additions and scanning and uploading of covers--has taken me several days and I'm exhausted. I will come back and respond to everyone when I've recovered.

>180 CassieBash: For awhile I had my mom's biology textbooks from back then. I thought it would be entertaining to have a series of textbooks showing the progression from 2 kingdoms to many. But then a few moves ago, I decided, nah, best be done with them.

>182 LizzieD: Well, everyone knows 16-year-olds know everything already, just ask them!

>185 ronincats: That's a lot of LT work in those photos! Definitely rest up.

Loving seeing all your old collection, Roni. Some real gems.

Need your help to suggest to me which fantasy series I simply must read.
Loved Tolkien, Lewis and Feist. Who should come next?

>187 PaulCranswick: if I might suggest...?

Must read for Tolkien fans is The Dragonbone Chair, book one of the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn trilogy by Tad Williams. It is a slow starter, but an involving book.

And CJ Cherryh's Fortress (https://www.librarything.com/nseries/14703/Fortress%25252FTristen-Sihhë) series is wonderful. It also starts slow...

>188 fuzzi: I definitely agree with The Dragonbone Chair. I started my own reread late last year and plan to get to the third book this spring.

Working back -- yes The Dragonbone Chair series is excellent!

I'm hoarding Fortress . . .

Your book collections are beautiful to look at. Bring such memories of curling up here and there to read similar looking volumes.

I am a 19 bookworm because I rarely cry either at a movie orwhile reading .... although I might cry two or three hours later out of nowhere, perhaps that counts?

>185 ronincats: Congratulations of finishing that big job! Hope you have a nice restful Sunday and are back to your usual self soon.

>189 drneutron: I read the entire series as it was published, then did a reread a few years ago...it held up to my memories.

>188 fuzzi: Thanks for that Fuzzi! I have the huge Dragonbone Chair on the shelves and will prioritise it accordingly.

>185 ronincats: Congratulations Roni - what an achievement!
Have a good rest.

>192 fuzzi: I finally read the Dragonbone Chair trilogy a few years back. I remember it taking me most of the year, yet Roni was able to pick up the books and zoom through a reread in what seemed like a few days. Excellent series and now we have the follow on Osten Ard books.

>185 ronincats: Phew!

>186 justchris: Tell me about it. My 16 year old turned 17 a couple of months ago and he has a 12 year old brother who's heading the same way. Woo woo.

>195 avatiakh: I have the first two of the Last King of Osten Ard books but I'll have to re-read Memory, Sorrow and Thorn first (I read them as they came out, too) - but they are doorstoppers.

>196 humouress: I've not yet started the Last King of Osten Ard series, as I'm sort of hoping that I'll have the entire trilogy in my hands before I begin.

>188 fuzzi: Tad Williams is great. Anyone else read the Bobby Dollar books? A nice fella at work lent me The Dirty Streets of Heaven, and I got him the next two for Christmas because someone had made off with his copy of Happy Hour in Hell.

Happy warm week ahead, Roni.

Hi Roni, I am officially a bookworm, having scored 18. No surprise there!

You've been finding more attic treasures! I recognize many of your books from my own childhood.

Congrats of getting your first shot, we here in Canada seem to have fallen behind and have run short of the vaccine. I have heard that it may be summer before we get caught up.

Hi Roni, I hope you're recovered real soon now.

Okay, so after 3 really low energy days, I got a good night's sleep and brought down my LPs from the attic today. That would be Long Playing Albums for you younguns. The albums fall into two groups, for the most part. In my teens, I couldn't afford albums for the most part. And I still need to catalog my 45s. In the mid-70s when I was working at a NPR station on campus that played classical and jazz I picked up a bunch of demo albums as well, and then we bought a bunch in the mid-80s. After that--well, I don't think we had a turn table system hooked up, so they have been sitting up there for the last 35 years and I had completely forgotten about many of them, especially these:



Anyhow, I have just finished cataloguing all 141 of them so that I can shop them around to the used record shops in the area. Maybe I'll keep the Tolkien ones, though.

And now I'm all worn out again!

>202 ronincats: I wonder if Mike would like to buy those from you.. or if I could get them for him. Would that be a possibility?

You are making great progress in going through items and getting rid of what you do not want to move.

I spend 15 minuets in the basement every day. It is cold down there, and I don't want to suffer from back and neck pain. But, it still is rewarding to go through piles of things, even if it is a short period of time. I've accomplished a lot...But, there is still a lot to go through.

Will also left a lot of records in the basement. I am going to donate them to a local NPR station. But, for now, I'm tackling the boxes of books.

Thinking of you my friend.

>195 avatiakh: I haven't been paying attention. Didn't realize there was a whole new trilogy happening. That's what happen when I don't really go in new bookstores anymore and not present on social media and its advertising.

I agree with the others about The Dragonbone Chair. Years after I burned out on epic fantasy, I still very much enjoyed these books.

>202 ronincats: I would so keep the Tolkien ones. If nothing else, because they're in his own voice--how cool is that?

We really need to clean up our storage spaces: garage and basement. Because our glass-topped stove can't handle the weight of the pressure cooker, we no longer can food as much by that method, so I've already started cleaning out the old jars, some of which still have food (now inedible, of course) from times gone by. I started the garage last year but only made a small dent.

>202 ronincats: wow wow wow! What a find!

>206 CassieBash: I was just thinking...you could get a "hot plate" to handle the pressure cooker. :)

>202 ronincats: Your attic finds continue to amaze! Wow!

>208 fuzzi: A nice thought but that's just one more appliance that we'd have to find room to store. My uncle gave us a food processor for Christmas and we're still trying to figure out where to put it. Our kitchen is a very tiny part of the kitchen/dining room setup, with little counter space. We freeze a lot more now because we have a decent-sized chest freezer out in our enclosed porch (where lives one very fluffy tuxedo cat)--but they don't advise using narrow-mouthed jars for that, so we've been getting rid of the ones we can't use (donating, not trashing).

I concur that you have a most magical sounding attic that produces treasure after treasure. Sounds like you're making good stead progress at the sorting too. Sorry to hear you're regularly wearing yourself out though.

>202 ronincats: >206 CassieBash: Absolutely, keep the Tolkiens. I've always wondered what songs and music sound like in the authors heads. Does it match up to what they produced in the films?

And yes, please take care of yourself.

Many thanks to Liz, Chris, Susan, Nina, Cassie, Jenn, Peggy, Faith, Paul, fuzzi, Jim, Lucy, Reba, Thomas, Kerry, Es, Richard, Judy, and Linda for keeping my thread warm.

>178 quondame: While many are, a few are books from my grandmother's bookcase.
>180 CassieBash: Yes, I hated to do it but I dumped the old textbooks after checking to make sure that none had magically become rare and valuable.
>187 PaulCranswick: Paul, I cannot argue with The Dragonbone Chair, very classic epic fantasy, but my strongest suggestions would be the Vlad Taltos series by Steven Brust (Start with Jhereg--this is a series that must be read in publication order at least the first time through), the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde, the Lady Trent series by Marie Brennan and the Paksennarion series by Elizabeth Moon. There are of course many more--for a short course, read The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold for another excellent series.
>203 quondame: I'm thinking I will keep them but if I were to sell them it looks like $30 would be a fair price.

I've pulled the weeds in the front yard and got nice and hot. Only 70 out but lots of sun and no wind. I'm thinking I will save the back yard for tomorrow. Three more boxes down this morning, all mediated learning stuff that I'm passing on, so pretty much straight to the living room corner where I'm storing them until I do. Yesterday I took the catalogs of the albums to two used record stores. Young guy at the first wasn't at all helpful. You'll have to bring them all in, we have to check that the record inside is the same as the cover, etc. Went to a second smaller shop near the pottery and the young guy at the counter said, oh, you're in luck, our buyer is here. let me take you back and introduce him. And the buyer said, would you like me to go through this list and mark what I'd be interested in? So I'm going back with 50 albums on Monday.

At the pottery I spent the whole time glazing and then dropped off my book catalog so far ( see https://www.librarything.com/catalog/ronincats and look at the Used Book Store collection--215 books so far) at Verbatim Books as their buyer is supposed to be in today.

Last Friday, Saturday and Sunday I hung out at Boskone, visiting readings and panels. Authors I was in zoom with include Alan Dean Foster, Garth NIx, Steve Miller, Max Gladstone, Zig Zag Clayborne, Walter Jon Williams, Sarah Beth Durst, Connie Willis, Sharon Lee, Jane Yolen, Ursula Vernon, Mur Lafferty, Aliette de Bodard, Tamora Pierce, Carrie Vaughn, Tabitha Lord, Marie Brennan, Cerece Rennie Murphy, and two authors of middle school series that I am going to check out, Christine Taylor-Butler and Kwame Mbalic. It was enjoyable and I may go back and listen to some of the panels available through next week, although they didn't record the one on religion that I couldn't get into and wanted to hear.

And finally, I did finish a few books.



Book #13 The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman (339 pp.)

Book 7 in the Invisible Library series, this one is pretty much all non-stop action. Lots of fun, but missed interaction between the characters.



Book #14 Trader's Leap by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller (404 pp.)

I read this 23rd book in the Liaden series when it became available as an eARC last fall, but now that I have received my signed hardbook edition, it was time for a reread. Even better the second time around. Several long-term running plotlines were wrapped up and others started. No time on Surebleak. Lots of time with Shan and Priscilla and Padi.

Wow you've really been busy, Roni, and it looks like you're making great progress. Congrats on making contact with some buyers. Hope all goes smoothly and profitably with those sales.

Hi Roni. I was just visiting Mary's thread and saw you had posted something about being winged with BB's. I replied over there so you might like to take a peek.

Yup, I should have visited here and not taken over Mary's thread.
Edited to say, she started a new thread, so I added the link to my post on her earlier thread.

>213 ronincats: Yay! for the record guy in the second shop.

>213 ronincats: >187 PaulCranswick: May I add that, if you didn't want to get into the whole series straight away, The Phoenix Guards is a standalone based in the same world but 300? years earlier and lots of fun. Reminiscent of The Three Musketeers. I think (it's been a while since I read it).

Roni, your industriousness inspired me to clean out my closet yesterday. A small project in comparison, but boy did it feel good!

I'm glad that record store fella was so helpful! What lovely happenstance indeed :)

Hi Roni!

Wow. Just wow on the books and LPs from the attic. And good timing with the buyer being at the second used record store.

>214 RebaRelishesReading: I hope so too, Reba. I dream in the night about it. And sometimes wake up to worry about it--so silly since there's not a thing I can do at the moment. What ever happened to your Chatauqua stuff?
>215 SandyAMcPherson: I checked it out, Sandy, and now I'm waiting for the book to be available.
>216 humouress: Only if you like the Dumas style of prose, Paul. The flowery and verbose nature is a lot of fun here, but puts some people off. But thanks for the addendum, Nina.
>217 Esquiress: Glad I'm being a good example for SOMEONE, Es!!
>218 karenmarie: Hi, Karen!

This is on C. J. Cherryh's Facebook feed today:

After a year in which Jane and I have dealt with now FOUR major operations (ours), four minor operations (mine), six months of chemotherapy (mine: a three hour appointment one day and thirty two days later) neuropathy in hands and feet (mine), I'm steadily back at the time-demanding part of work on the next book, which was three-quarters finished when I was diagnosed with colon cancer (get those exams, people!) (I'm clear and clean after this year, thank you, minus part of my gut I don't even miss; and Jane now has two new hips after postponing *her* surgery to take care of me) ---- well, the upshot is I'm at work again on the second Alliance book, after both of us have reviewed the manuscript as-was---and it's my turn to do an editing run-through to re-boot the whole book and then set course toward an ending. This is serious brain-work, for which I was not qualified while I was under chemo brain-fog, or when I was recovering from anaesthetic---I've lost count of the times for that during this last year. All of which to say is---I have to get back to work while Jane is recovering from *her* second hip replacement, and I have to get my mind immersed in JR's world again, so I am taking a little time off from Facebook and all you wonderful people. It's been a year. But this new one is brightening.

>219 ronincats: Places at Chautauqua are usually sold furnished which is what we did. Our realtor has a hotel on the grounds and she "rescued" the things we wanted to keep and is storing them in a room at the hotel. We plan/hope to make a road trip there (by RV if we've found "the one" by then) in late April or May to pick it up.

>220 RebaRelishesReading: Okay, just wanted to be sure my vase was taken care of!

More games from the attic. I will keep the Mastermind--I love that game!

>219 ronincats: Wow! What a 2020 those two had! I will herewith shut my mouth about my petty pooh-bah problems.

>221 ronincats: Oh, Mastermind...I remember many long nights playing that one. Definitely a must-retain!

*smooch* and a not-jealous-at-all for your Boskone fun.

It says here.

>219 ronincats: 6-rounds of chemo is like totally serious shit. To be over her brain fog already and *writing/revising* is awesomely impressive.

Now I feel even more anxious to actually get hold of an appropriate starter book of C. J. Cherryh's. Anyone want to advise how to leap in? I like series in order, but don't know what one is good to stat, seeing as how I am a wussy beginner these days.

Edited to add that I still love Mastermind, but my brain is *still* too foggy to play well, and probably pandemic-stressy too (but not due to infection).

>223 SandyAMcPherson: Such an invitation. These days I'll recommend Foreigner. It is the start of a looooooong series, but it's entirely disconnected from whatever else she's written. For hard science fiction, Heavy Time, for space opera The Pride of Chanur. She also has some fantasy, which I like and some I'm ambiguous about, and the Morgaine series which reads like fantasy but is built over an SF concept. I'm particularly fond of Hunter of Worlds an space opera style book.

>221 ronincats: You bet it is!

Stopping by to add my two cents . . . love the record, puzzle -- all the Tolkien loot! Definitely keep it.

Had to go see what I said about Dragonbone, I couldn't remember a thing except a good feeling -- I know I ended up being properly entertained. I see that I thought the character development was the best thing but that Simon got beaten up too much, that things moved slowly in great detail, but in the end the detail while occasionally maddening added to the 'realness' of the world.

>219 ronincats: thanks for the update! I wish I'd known about her issues.

>224 quondame: I pretty much agree, would put The Pride of Chanur at the top because it's my most favorite of all CJ's books, and it can stand alone, you don't have to continue the series (although I think you probably would want to). If you want a short yet interesting read I'd also suggest Merchanter's Luck. Or Cuckoo's Egg or...

ETA: if you like a little more horror in your SciFi, Rider at the Gate is very good.

>226 sibylline: Agree about Dragonbone; it’s slow and rich. But also long, which discourages me from picking it up to reread right now.

>221 ronincats: Hmm...I may have to look into the Labyrinth and Snap games. Snap might be nice for a Halloween party, with the right theme. We're always looking for games the young 'uns can play.

>213 ronincats: I did have a look for the Steven Brust books yesterday but the store didn't have the first book and I remembered your directions as to reading in order. I did add the first three of the Belgariad as well as a couple of books by Marie Brennan.

>224 quondame: I marked this recommendation as a favourite, so I can find it again. Thanks so much, Susan. Assuming you meant this Foreigner, of course.

>226 sibylline: I've seen Dragonbone mentioned on several threads as a 'good read'. Guess I should check it out.

Hi, Roni.

I like the way Liz put it - you have so much treasure! >165 ronincats: reminds me of a used bookstore we used to frequent (he's gone online now, like so many others). It was filled with beautiful books from older series like yours, and we'd happily browse for hours. We shared The Happy Hollisters with our kids, I remember that. And the Oz books, and Nancy Drew.

I can't wait to read Trader's Leap! Good to know it's finally available.

P.S. I guess it came out at the end of last year and I somehow missed it. I'm chasing it down now.

>231 SandyAMcPherson: Yes, that Foreigner.

What a lot going on! I'm sorry I didn't know about CJC's health problems, but I'm glad for her and Jane that they are improving. My series choice is also *Foreigner*. I'm about to start the last trilogy, and I expect to start over when I finally catch up. (That should be sometime next year.)
Please count me as a great lover of *Sword, Memory, and Thorn*, which I think is the official title of Dragonbone trilogy. I think I've read them three times.
Can't wait to hear how the record buyer was when he saw your stuff in person, Roni!

ETA: Turns out to be *Memory, Sword, and Thorn*..... if I didn't forget between looking it up and getting back here.

>221 ronincats: Mastermind is a blast from the past. I could never work out as a kid why it had the guy with the beard on it and not the one from our TV quiz called 'Mastermind'. Easily confused!

Hope you had some good news from the record shop when you went back with the records. Those Tolkein ones remind me of ones my dad used to get us from the library. Not that we were up to LoR, just that they were the only "story" ones I can remember seeing.

>235 charl08: Come to think of it, neither did I. Did you ever work it out? It's one of those unsolved mysteries that I consigned to the back of my mind. Or possibly 'solved' but I can't remember the answer either.

>234 LizzieD: psst, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn.

I echo Merchant's Luck or Pride of Chanur as good intros. I love the Foreigner series, but there is a bit in it about the arrival of humans on the planet that gives good history, but . . . is quite different from the rest of the book and the series as a whole.

>222 richardderus: Yes, love that game. Have you ever played Jotto? Mastermind but with 5 letter words and you take turns playing reciprocally and whoever guesses the other's word first wins. Love playing that, but haven't had a partner for years. But it would do well long-distance...

>223 SandyAMcPherson: Sandy, I almost always recommend The Pride of Chanur. It can be read on its own, but if you do go on, realized that the next three books are really a single book broken into three parts by the publishers, and have them all available. I would concur with fuzzi >227 fuzzi: and Ardene >238 markon: that Merchanter's Luck could be an alternate starting point.

>224 quondame: The only thing about Foreigner is that the series is so long, which is why I haven't started it yet.
>225 RebaRelishesReading: Good!
>226 sibylline: When I reread it a few years ago, that slowness was more evident to me, Lucy. But still good.
>228 humouress: Right, NIna.
>229 CassieBash: Labyrinth is not that great, but Snap! can be a lot of fun.
>230 PaulCranswick: I saw that, Paul. I am not sure that the Brennans you bought will be as much to your taste as the series I recommended. They are much more traditional epic fantasy, while the Lady Trent series is Victorian steampunk plus dragons.
>232 jnwelch: As you note, Joe, it has been out for a while, but still quite good for all that. It follows up directly on Alliance of Equals several books ago where Shan and Padi were attacked by the Department.
>234 LizzieD: Yes, your love of that series is what keeps me determined to eventually read them, Peggy.
>235 charl08: Charlotte (and Peggy), the guy at the record shop took everything he had expressed an interest in, 50 albums. (I did not take the Tolkien ones) I only got $75 for them, but that is money I didn't have beforehand and the albums will go to people who will actually play them! I will take the reduced list of remaining albums by another store tomorrow.

Book #15 The Debatable Land: The Lost World Between England and Scotland by Graham Robb (297 pp.)

This was a LT book bullet. I think Jim (drneutron) read it first and then Lucy (sibylline) and then Susan (quondame). It's a nonfiction history and exploration of a corner of land at the western border of England and Scotland and greatly added to my knowledge of English geography. Here I thought York was in the far north of England that there are these huge counties anchored by Carlisle and Newcastle (Cumbria and Northumberland) north of Yorkshire and Lancashire that abut Scotland. It's an interesting read and finally nailed the location of Gretna Green in my mental map!!



Book #16 The Deep End by Julie Mulhern (267 pp.)

This is the first of the Country Club murder series, written recently but set in the 1970s in Kansas City and has that vintage feeling to it. My friend from graduate school days in Kansas had recommended it for the feel it gives of the Country Club Plaza area in KC, although I didn't see a lot of it in this first book. It was okay, felt like a book written in the 1970s.

So today I bought a bed (ordered a bed framework from the furniture store in Salina). Since they have to order it (not in stock) ordering it now means it should be there when I am in 7 weeks and I can have it delivered with a mattress and box springs while there. And I made appointments with three moving companies for video appointments to inventory what I am moving for estimates. And I brought the last of the boxes of school/professional stuff down from the attic. One section cleared out. Now clothes, craft materials, photos, holiday stuff, bedding, paper records, and miscellaneous to go. Ooomph!

>239 ronincats: Foreigner the series is broken into trilogies, and except for the original 3, the first one and sometimes the second are just all maneuverings to get to the action in the third. I enjoy the books, it's my favorite soap opera.

>240 ronincats: One of the weirdest things I ran across in a fantasy Regency was a young couple running off to Gretna Green from inside Scotland. I think the author totally missed the point of going to the closest boarder town to get married under Scottish law.

>242 quondame: LOL. Got Gretna Green, missed the purpose...

>240 ronincats: BB for The Debatable Land. Have I warbled here about the Robert Carey series by P.F. Chisholm? A Famine of Horses is the first one. It is the (more or less true and accurate) story of an Elizabethan courtier who became a March warder (sheriff? I forget the terminology - clearly it's time for a reread!) in the Scots Marches (that same area). Fantastic stories, and the author says they're all drawn from Carey's reports and memoir - which I have, but haven't read yet.

>239 ronincats: I’m reading Pride of Chanur at the moment. I’ve wanted to read it for a while (it’s quite difficult to get hold of in the U.K.) but I’ve just discovered that the series is available on Audible.

>240 ronincats: When Jacob chose Lancaster to go to Uni I was anticipating spending some time getting to know that area when we went to collect him or drop him off (Lancaster is at the very north of Lancashire right next to Cumbria). But of course that hasn’t happened with COVID. Always next year I suppose. And there is still the possibility that we might move to Northumberland when we both retire.

>242 quondame: Running off to Gretna Green from inside Scotland is very strange! I had a friend get married in Gretna Green for some strange reason - never did quite work out why.

>240 ronincats: I took the book bullet for The Debatable Land from Lucy/@sybilline, but I haven't actually read it yet. Thanks for the reminder!

>240 ronincats: Read my thread before I got here and now I see an answer to my question about the attic. Sounds like you're making great progress. You'll be in Salina in 7 weeks? That isn't your final move though, right?

>241 quondame: Enough of you whose opinions I respect love this series, Susan, that I WILL eventually get around to starting it.
>242 quondame: Now that just boggles the imagination!!
>243 jjmcgaffey: "It is impossible to know how much deeper into anarchy the Borders might have sunk if Scrope had not asked his brother-in-law, Robert Carey, to become his deputy." First line in chapter 21, all about Carey. "Carey seems to have been the first warden to understand that killing people and torching their houses was counter-productive." I think you will like the Debatable Land.
>244 SandDune: Yay, Rhian. I love that book so much, and I hope you will as well.
>245 lauralkeet: You are welcome!
>246 RebaRelishesReading: You are right, Reba, the April trip is my reconnaissance trip to set up for the move at the end of June. I am setting up the guest bedroom, preparing the basement for the cats, finding a credit union and setting up an account, checking out cable and internet services, bringing some basics to stock the place. Also will be shopping the furniture stores as stuff ordered then will probably be arriving in 6 to 8 weeks. So, a busy and hopefully productive time.

Off to the pottery studio in a bit. I talked to Annie yesterday about wrapping stuff up. Since it's about a 6 week process from throwing to picking up the glazed piece, and I will be gone half of April, I will be mostly focused on getting everything I already have bisqued glazed and finished. I have to decide--today will probably be the last day I would actually throw anything new--if there is anything I want to have for ME.

My second vaccination shot is scheduled for the 5th!

I am still having a hard time settling into reading books.

Hi Roni!

>240 ronincats: Wow. The end of June. Amazing. You and Reba and Laura “making it so.”

>247 ronincats: Yay for your second vaccination shot on the 5th. I got mine yesterday and no side effects so far.

Hi Roni, things are moving quickly for you. I bet you are looking forward to your trip in April and your family must be excited as well.

I have Pride of Chanur waiting patiently on my kindle, I am pretty sure I picked it up after a reccie for you. I haven't read any Cherryh yet so I am looking forward to it.

>247 ronincats: It must be a bit sad for you that this is your last day throwing things (that sounds funny to my ears but don't know how else to say it) at your San Diego studio. Is there a place for you to work in Salina? or are you going to set up something in your beautiful new house?

Hello Dear Roni.
Not a day goes by without thinking of you! You are loved by me...and so many!

Thanks, Karen and Judy--things moving too quickly, it seems!
No pottery studios in Salina, Reba, but a nice workshop space behind the garage proper would work out very nicely.
Thank you, dear Linda!

Time for a new thread! See you over there.

>247 ronincats: >246 RebaRelishesReading: Wow - so soon! What will happen to your feral cats? Will one of your neighbours be able to take them on, especially spaying/ neutering?

>247 ronincats: >243 jjmcgaffey: 'counter-productive' Hilarious!

Congratulations on your shots.

My husband's company were informed by the Ministry of Health that some of them were eligible so he signed up and was given a slot. But then they got another message that the MoH had sent the first one in error. He's scheduled for the shot today (which happens to be his birthday). Or he might not end up getting it.

>253 humouress: All our ferals (4) are already spayed or neutered so that won't be an issue. Hopefully I will sell to someone who like cats but if they don't put out food, the cats should be able to find other people in the neighborhood who will feed them.

Hope the hubby got the shot!