SqueakyChu is Puzzling in 2024

Hello folks,

Thanks for your visit!

My name is Madeline, and I live with my husband in Rockville, Maryland, USA. I have three grown children (two married), and two grandchildren--all of who live fairly close to me. I retired from nursing (visiting nurse/after hours nursing supervisor/nursing auditor) in 2013. I've been a member of LibraryThing since 2006. It is by far my favorite site on the web as I have made some truly great friends here (some in real life). I have been an avid BookCrosser since 2003 and a Little Free Library steward since 2013.

This year I'd like to dedicate my thread to a fun pastime that I started doing more often during the pandemic...jigsaw puzzles! I'll be posting puzzles that I've completed in past years. For other jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts, feel free to share those you've done here on my thread.

When I'm not puzzling, I'm either trying out new recipes or working on my TIOLI challenges.

For 2024, my fervent wish and prayers are for an appropriate resolution to the painful situation in Israel and Gaza. I'll say no more about this other than most of my family are Israeli so not a day goes by that I don't worry about them and my close friends there.

Let's get this year off to a good start.
Here are my 2024 stats:



Pages Read YTD: 958
Pages Read per Day: decreased to 20
Books in my To Read list: stable at 393
Bookcrossing books in my home (to eventually be released elsewhere): increased to 2,075

JANUARY:


1,000 pieces “Toys, Toys, Toys” by Ravensburger

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. BookCrossing meetup in Alexandria, Virginia either at Panera or at Potbelly on 01/21/24 at 1pm - I missed this meetup. I'll try again next month.

COMPLETED:
1. After Dark - Haruki Murakami - TIOLI #1: Read a book with a word or phrase related to time in its title (after: at a later or future time) - 244 pages
2. The Other Americans - Laila Lalami - TIOLI #10: Read a book where the author’s first and last name begins with the same letter (L) - 301 pages

FEBRUARY:


1,000 pieces “Cats in Positano” by Eeboo

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. BookCrossing meetup: February 11th at 1pm at La Madeleine on King Street in Alexandria, Virginia - I missed this meetup.

COMPLETED
3. Survival in Auschwitz - Primo Levi - TIOLI #1: Read a book whose title begins with the same letter as your screen name - 187 pages
4. Too Much and Never Enough - Mary L. Trump - TIOLI #7: Read a book with the name of a city in the title or author's name (Mary, Turkmenistan) - 225 pages

MARCH:


1,500 pieces “Buttons, Buttons” by Springbok

BOOKISH EVENTS:
1. BookCrossing meetup at MOD pizza in Rockville, Maryland. Message me for details.

COMPLETED
None.

Yes, Happy New Year!

i need someone to talk to

>6 Wings_14: Hi Wings! Hope your holiday season is going okay. Welcome to LibraryThing.

yes

i used to be Wings_of_Fire14 but i got blocked

>9 Wings_14: Do you know the reason you were blocked?

aperrintly i was spammin

>11 Wings_14: So, try hard not to spam. Find a group you like. Then find a few people who will hold a conversation with you. Try not to post on everyone's thread.

kk

>13 Wings_14: You are probably much younger than I am (since I have grandchildren!!) so look for other friends closer to your own age.

I see that you joined the anime and manga group. I really enjoy manga and anime. As a matter of fact, my older son will be attending Komiket in Tokyo next week. He introduced me to manga and anime many, many years ago.

In addition, after you read a manga, post a review of it here on LibraryThing so others can read your review. Use the site the way it should be used, and try to follow its rules.

ok

>15 Wings_14: Feel free to stop by my thread again and let me know how things are going. Have fun reading!

Welcome back, Madeline!

>17 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! Can you believe we’ve been doing this for so long?! A shout-out to our fearless leader, Tim!

I feel as if my reading is fizzling out. I went back to look at my stats to see if this was true. The main things I can attribute to less reading is (1) jigsaw puzzling which I started doing in earnest during pandemic and (2) watching movies on Kanopy (a public library free streaming movie service) which I started doing about two months ago.

Here are the stats I came up with for books read per year:
2019 - 71
2020 - 21
2021 - 31
2022 - 49
2023 - 40

How do your stats match up with mine? What is taking you away from reading?

I found that my actual reading of books (as opposed to listening to audiobooks) slowed down a lot in 2023. I don't know why, but I just found it more difficult to concentrate on reading books, even those that I really wanted to read. I hope that changes in 2024. When my parents were alive they often had a jigsaw puzzle out on the dining room table and I enjoyed helping them complete it. I've not done a puzzle for a few years; maybe it's something I'll get back into in 2024.

>20 meanderer: I wasn't sure why my reading was so slow this year. I started multiple thick books, but I bailed on them all at one point. I think I might have been looking for something to read more quickly.

Come join me in jigsaw puzzling. It's hobby that some of us here on LT enjoy (waves to @vancouverdeb).

Lovely to see you setting up so early, Madeline.

One of my go to places in the group as I always feel welcome here.

>19 SqueakyChu: Work is a factor in slowing my reading as is stress.

Here are my stats for the same period

2019 75
2020 123
2021 151
2022 156
2023 157 (YTD)

>22 PaulCranswick: Oh, stress! That dirty word!

Paul, I am indeed surprised that your reading did not slow down during the time of pandemic! That (and our previous president here in the US) grew my stress to a positively unprecedented level. I lost tons of hair, and was getting physical symptoms just from reading news online. My doctor was concerned, but I found help with a book given to me by a good friend (a retired psychotherapist). From it, I learned to use deep breathing as my main stress control technique as well as figure out behavior modifications I needed to do on my own (Stop doom-scrolling!).

My goal for the future is to monitor my stress level and do whatever I can to keep it under control. I was actually diagnosed with white coat syndrome (I'd never been afraid of doctors or dentists before!) and given a drug to take before any medical appointment. Jigsaw puzzling was actually an activity I used during pandemic to lower my stress level. It affects the body much in the same way that meditation does. I continue to do it now mostly for fun. If it still helps my stress level, all the better! :)

>23 SqueakyChu: I did have more time on my hands during lockdown, Madeline and remember I already have a stressful job to weigh on me.

I may look to join you and Deb with the occasional jigsaw puzzle in 2024.

I pulled a all nighter im so seepy need coffee

>24 PaulCranswick: Hurray for the jigsaw puzzle! It is really agreat stress reliever so it'll be just up your alley!

>25 Wings_14: Finished my coffee already...although I was sleeping during the night! All-nighter? Were you studying for school?

no i got distracted

>27 Wings_14: Try to get some sleep tonight.

kk

Happy new year, Madeline!

>30 bell7: Thanks, Mary. All the best to you and hope to see you in 2024.

i found a way to play minecraft on my school computer

>32 Wings_14: Are you allowed to do that?

yes

>34 Wings_14: My grandson used to love to play Minecraft, but I don't think he plays it much any more. At least, I haven't heard him talk about it.

Yay Jigsaw puzzles!

>36 SuziQoregon: Lovely to see you Juli!

I am in for trying a jigsaw or two in 2024. I hope it is therapeutic. xx

>37 PaulCranswick: ur here too!?!?

>38 Wings_14: The group is the 75ers. We tend to slowly migrate at the end of one year and into the next. Sort of like swallows constantly looking for summer.

oh 0-0

>36 SuziQoregon: Come join us, Juli! I post my puzzles on Instagram (easier than posting here). There I'm SqueakyChussssss (seven letter "s" at end of the name because someone had already taken userid).

>37 PaulCranswick: It is totally therapeutic!

>38 Wings_14: >39 PaulCranswick: I see I don't have to introduce you two, Paul and Wings. :D

gn its 11:03 where im at

>42 Wings_14: It's 11:11pm here. G'night!

Love the jigsaw puzzles. My husband completes about a dozen per year, but I just can't! Good luck with your 2024 reading!

Starred for 24! Wishing you great books and puzzle victories!

>41 SqueakyChu: Excellent. Found you on Instagram and requested to follow.

>44 Tess_W: I love jigsaw puzzles, but my best friend simply cannot do them. I understand.

>45 Berly: Thanks, Kim. Happy New Year!

>46 SuziQoregon: We're now friends on Instagram, Juli. I see puzzles on your Instagram account! Yay! :D

Hi Madeline! Oh course I love your jigsaw puzzle pictures! I think I might use my most recent puzzle for a topped here in the 2024's, when I create that thread. I'm currently working on a 500 piece. It seems so small after my 2000 piece puzzle but I did want a change.

>48 vancouverdeb: The more puzzles you post on your 2024 thread, the more often I’ll visit it! The 500 piece puzzles seem so easy now. One of my friends brought me a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle as a Chanukah gift. It’s a Pomegranate puzzle (really nice and thick with the pieces only fitting in their own spots). I’ll post a picture of it on Instagram when we finish it in a few days. My friend wanted to know if I’d glue the puzzle together after I finish it. I said absolutely not! We do these puzzles over and over. We also write our stats on each box. Then we try to beat our time on subsequent puzzling. It never loses its challenge.

Hoping in to follow along for another year, Madeline.
I have a jigsaw waiting to do, but the table's been snowed under for months with bellringing anniversary stuff and now it's been cleared for Christmas, we have guests. Hopefully Sunday I should find some time to finally have a crack at it, and I;m not back at work until Wednesday, so I've got a day or two.

>50 Helenliz: Yeah, I know about things sitting around. Hope you can find some room for a jigsaw puzzle or two, Helen! :) Happy new Year.

Happy New Year Reading!

>52 Kristelh: Thanks, Kristel. Best wishes for 2024 to you and yours!!

I'd never glue a puzzle together either, Madeline. My topper is the last jigaw puzzle I did, Novel Avenue , 2000 pieces by Ravensburger, so you'll have to come and visit my thread. I did love your Pomegranate puzzle on Instagram. What a great image! Happy New Year!

>54 vancouverdeb: I saw your 2,000 piece puzzle, Deb. *high five* on that.

Pomegranate is a great quality puzzle. I just picked up another one of those for $4 at our local Friends of the Library bookstore. If it has no missing pieces, I'll post a picture of it when we complete it. We're getting very good at this puzzlin' thing! We speed right along.

Have a great New Year!

Hi Madeline!

Wishing you a great one!

>56 quondame: Happy New Year, Susan!

Hi Madeline! Love the puzzle theme, and the books (obvs).
You are my first 2024 thread-host visit! I am so excited to get into seeing old and new faces :)

Happy new thread and new year, my friend. Love the puzzle idea for your theme. Maybe someday I will be able to get back to them...;-)

>58 LovingLit: Hi, Loving. Happy New year to you!

>59 jessibud2: Glad you're safely back from Montreal. Sorry it was such an ordeal. Hope your mum is doing well under the circumstances. Wishing you the best for 2024. I just showed Barbara the pictures of your cats on your thread. She, of course, loves them! :D

>60 SqueakyChu: - To be honest, those boys are my sanity! Say hi to Barbara for me.

>61 jessibud2: Will do!

Happy New Year!

>63 SilverWolf28: Thank you, Silver. All the best for 2024.

Happy reading in 2024, Madeline!

>65 FAMeulstee: Hi, Anita! Happy New Year! Thanks for all your help with TIOLI! Have a great year.

This is the year for DC United Madeline. I can feel it!

>67 Oberon: I hope you're right, Erik, but my first reaction was to laugh! :D

>2 SqueakyChu: I buy a ton of Ravensburger puzzles for my mother, who loves them. I just gave her 2 more for Christmas.

>19 SqueakyChu: I know that my reading last year was affected greatly by the death of my stepdaughter and my father - and having to deal with his estate. This year I expect my reading will slow since Kerry retired at the end of December.

Happy New Year! Happy New Thread! Looking forward to a lot more of the TIOLI challenges this year, Madeline, o great and revered leader of the TIOLI army :)

>69 alcottacre: I keep discovering new jigsaw puzzle brands that I love. The latest is Pomegranate.

Wishing you lots of fun with our 2024 TIOLI challenges, Stasia.

Wordle 931 2/6

🟩⬜🟨⬜⬜ crash
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 cable

Lucky me tonight!

>70 SqueakyChu: I will have to check out the Pomegranate puzzles for my mother. Thanks for the mention, Madeline!

I always have fun with TIOLI. The best part of each month for me is discovering what reading treasures I have to look forward to!!

>72 alcottacre: You will fall in love with the Pomegranate puzzles, Stasia. They are magnificent! They are pictures by artists, and the puzzle pieces are very strong. Let me know what you and your mom think of them.

My favorite part of the TIOLI month is waiting to see what challenges people think of. @Morphidae’s and @paulstalder’s challenges always astound me in their complexity!

1. After Dark - Haruki Murakami



-------------------------------------------------------
TIOLI #1: Read a book with a word or phrase related to time in its title (after: at a later or future time)
----------------------------------------------------------
This was a lovely story about a blossoming friendship between the young trombonist Takahashi and Mara, the younger sister of a girl to whom he was once attracted. The whole story takes place during one night, but multiple things happen overnight, including an unfortunate incident involving a Chinese prostitute plus the weird temporary disappearance of Mara’s sister.

I love the way Murakami writes. He includes small details as if they’re the most important things in the world. In addition, he plays with magical realism in such a way to make his stories intriguing and fun. It’s been a while since I’ve read his stories. This one sure makes me want to get back to them again.

Rating 4.5

Commuter trains of many colors move in all directions, transporting people from place to place. Each of those under transport is a human being with a different face and mind, and at the same time each is a nameless part of a collective entity.

>71 SqueakyChu: awesome!

>74 SqueakyChu: Murakami is on my list of authors I keep meaning to get back to. I like how each book is different.

>75 Helenliz: I really want to read Murakami’s IQ84, but I haven’t done well with fat books recently. It seems that I find all sorts of excuses to abandon them. I think I’ll stick with skinnier books in the near future. After Dark was just the right length! :)

I added a star to your thread. I'll be sure to visit often. I miss our prior communications!

>77 Whisper1: Yay! You're back! Welcome, Linda!!

I'm glad I could tempt you to my thread with a jigsaw puzzle, Madeline! I'll let you know if I post more. You have such a pretty name. My niece is named Madeline, but she goes by Maddie. She is now 20 and a lovely young lady, but I wish she ( and her parents ) preferred Madeline. They have four kids with lovely names, all shortened. Katherine, who goes by Katie, Maddie , who I have mentioned, and Alexandra, who goes by Allie . Then Benjamin, who goes by Ben, which is fine by me. Of course it is all fine by me, but I love the full names.

>79 vancouverdeb: I'm glad I could tempt you to my thread with a jigsaw puzzle

LOL!!

I go by Mad, Maddy, or Madeline, depending who is talking to me (like from what group of people they originated, really). I almost always sign my name as Madeline. I only know one other Madeleine whom I met in Toronto. She’s a friend of @jessibud, who introduced us in person a few years ago. Now Madeleine’s become a pretty good friend of mine as well, although our friendship is online because of the distance between us.

>76 SqueakyChu: I hope someday you are up for fat books again, 'cuz IQ84 is soooo good! But I haven't read After Dark yet, so onto may list it goes!

>80 SqueakyChu: Madeline -- I also like when different people use different variations on my name -- it kinda speaks to the uniqueness of relationships. I go by Kim, Berly, Kimmers and Kimberly. And you are lucky -- I don't know any other Madelines, but I know lots of Kims! : )

>81 Berly: I never knew any Kimberly beside yourself that goes by Berly. That's unusal, I think.

I also went through a period when I didn't like my name and told people that my name was Terry (short for my middle name Teresa). That was when I lived in a dorm in nursing school. When the receptionist told guys who called me that no one by that name lived in my dorm, I went back to Madeline. For guys I didn't like, I told them my name was Maybelline! :D

I've finished my jigsaw puzzle.
50 more arriving on Friday, ahead of our first anniversary event on Sunday.

I think name shortening is really interesting. I've never answered to anything other than Helen. No to Hells r anything like that. All my nicknames, which do tend to be unique to each person, are longer than that (in some cases quite considerably longer than that!). I fancied being called something more interesting for a while, Anastasia was on the shortlist, but I grew out of that one. I'm not sure I'd live up to a name like that!

>53 SqueakyChu: What?! Fifty more jigsaw puzzles arriving?!! These are the bell ringers puzzles to sell, I'm assuming. Is the picture different than the one for last year?

I had one friend who tried to call me Marmaduke, but I refused to answer to that name! :D

My daughter has this gorgeous name...Jordana. When she was a baby I called her Jody so that no one would shorten her name to Jordy. One friend in elementary school called her Jo, but Jody never stuck, and she goes by Jordana now to almost everyone (except those who knew her as a baby).

I'm not even sure when between kindergarten and middle school I began objecting the most common diminutive of my name. For the first 3-4 years of that time we lived next door to a girl my age whose legal name that was. She remained in my classes until high school graduation along with 2 other Susan's, a Suzanne, and a Suzette. Along with Sherri, Sherry, Sheryl & Cheryl, and 3 various Deborah's.

>85 quondame: Yeah. Most Susans as friends of mine in real life I simply call Sue. There's only one that still remains a Susan. If people call her Sue, I don't know whom they are talking about. LOL!

Oh, I usually tell people to call me Sue. That's not the problem name for me. Though I prefer Susan. At least it's so much less of a problem than it was at 8.

>87 quondame: Heh! I only call you Susan here on LT.

>82 SqueakyChu: Maybelline!! LOL. That's awesome. : D

>85 quondame: Brother went Ricky, Rick, Eric; Sister was Krissy, Kris, Kristine. I still go by Kim. ; )

It's fun having a flexible name. Different people over the years knew me as James, Jimmie, Jamie and Jim.

Now if someone calls me Jamie I know immediately what part of my life I met them

And only my family calls me Jimmie

>90 magicians_nephew: Yeah! That’s it exactly. I never let anyone ever call me Maddy until I spent a year living in Israel. I have no idea now why I ever let my friends in Israel call me that. Afterward, however, I always think of that nickname affectionately as these were some of the best friends I’ve made in my life.

>74 SqueakyChu: I really enjoy Murakami's writing and will put this on my list.

Re the nickname discussion--I was born Deborah Ann, and was called Debby all my childhood (with a "y" I think because that's how the kindergarten teacher taught me to spell it). In 1970 when I went to law school I decided that Debby was not a good name for a lawyer--In my mind it sounded like a cheerleader or ingenue (both very far from my actual personality). I began introducing myself as Deborah and that is all I've been called since, even by my best friends. Except my mother, my sisters and brother, and my husband do still call me Debby, because they knew me "before". Funny story shortly after I started working at a new office, my husband dropped by and asked for "Debby" and they told him there was no "Debby" in the office.

>93 arubabookwoman: We've recently had a new bishop announced. It's going to take me a while to adjust to Bishop Debbie. Not because she's a Debbie, but the informality of the Debbie, if that makes sense,

>84 SqueakyChu:. Same design, this is our anniversary year, we just started selling them in September to get a head start on the potential Christmas present market. We're selling them to raise funds, initially to cover potential losses for some of the bigger events. A formal dinner has the potential to lose money as make it. Sold 150 puzzles so far and we've only just started our anniversary year. Interestingly we've sold twice as many 1000 as 500 pieces.

>91 SqueakyChu: I had an Aunt Madelyn and when we were little kids, we called her "Aunt Manny". It didn't stick, which I'm sure she appreciated, but then again, when she was a kid her older sibs called her "Punk"! Our family was very big on nicknames. I had cousins who were known as Buster, Stub, Red, Tig and Roo. Only one of them is still with us, but among those of us who grew up together, he is still Buster. Some of the others never shook off the nicknames within the family. Personally, I put my foot down in my late teens and told my parents they must not call me by my dad's favorite nickname for me (which I'm not revealing here!) if there was anyone else in earshot.

Happy New Year, Madeline! I look forward to following your thread more closely in 2024.

>93 arubabookwoman: Great story about your dad!! In your own law office yet! :D

>94 Helenliz: Bishop Debbie does sound odd, even a bit disrespectful. It would be like calling my current rabbi— Rabbi Marc instead of Rabbi Israel—or just Rabbi. It’s funny though. With our previous rabbi, I always called him by his first name and vice versa.

Fantastic about the puzzle sales! It’s a win-win proposition.

>95 laytonwoman3rd: My husband’s nickname is Chepe. In Spanish, that’s the nickname for Jose. When I’m in company, I never know which name to use. I call him Chepe, but if I use that nickname, no one will know to whom I’m referring!

Another cute nickname story: When our grandson was little, he used to call my husband “Panda” because he couldn’t say Grandpa. We were a bit sad when he grew out of that stage. :)

>96 kidzdoc: Happy New Year, Darryl. I think we both need a kinder and gentler year for 2024. May it be so!

>97 SqueakyChu: My husband was known by his middle name until he went into the Coast Guard, where of course they have no time for such shenanigans. We met in college, where everyone followed his family's practice of calling him Craig. After we were married (during his service) most people we met for the first time were introduced to him as Jon. So I have the same problem of not knowing how to refer to him. He'll always be "Craig" to me. Once when we were temporarily living with his parents shortly after he was discharged from the Guard, someone called and asked to speak to "Jon"---his own mother said, "I'm sorry, there's no Jon here"!

>98 laytonwoman3rd: Now, that's funny...because she probably named him!

>99 SqueakyChu: At the very least, she was there when it happened! But he was about 26 years old at that time, and he had been "Craig" to her since day one.

>100 laytonwoman3rd: Still. I guess if anyone asked for my kids now by their middle name, I'd give the same answer. as your mom :D

Not nicknames, but in our family, there are so many Michaels that we have to use last names to know who is being spoken about! Once, my mother was telling me something about Michael, and I asked her Michael who? She said, your brother!

>102 jessibud2: LOL!

Jose’s close family has three people named Jose Luis. My husband goes by Chepe. His nephew used to be called Luigi (I still call him Luigi), but now prefers to be called Jose. Luigi’s dad goes by Luis.

Hello, Madeline! I am slowly working my way around the threads and finally made it over to yours. I'm going to have to scan over the messages here, but I did see your love of jigsaw puzzles. I love them too, but our big table has been covered with junk for some time. I really need to get it cleared off so we can do some puzzling.

I hope the new year is treating you well so far, and that 2024 turns out to be a much better year than 2023 was!

>104 atozgrl: Happy New Year, Irene! Get that table cleared off!! Puzzling is so good for stress reduction. I, too, wish that 2024 would improve upon 2023. The last few years have really taken a toll on me. I plan to hang out with friends, and do more puzzling and more reading this new year.

Did it again!

Wordle 939 2/6

⬜🟩⬜⬜⬜ hours
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 doing

Connectionsgame.org -
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🟡🟡🟡
🔴🔴🔴🔴
🟢🟢🟢🟢

Chiming in regarding names, I was born in 1953. From 1948-to mid 50's it was a very popular name. Graduating from a very small high school, there were 106 graduated of which five were Linda.

I wish I had a unique name like you Madeline. It is a beautiful unique name.

>107 Whisper1: Yeah. I guess everyone my age has at least one good friend named Linda! Mine lives in California and was my roommate in nursing school.

>107 Whisper1: At one point (I think it was 6th grade) there were 5 Linda's in my class too. (and our surnames were Delicati, Conway, Kulesza, Snyder and Phillips...so it was popular across ethnic lines).

>106 SqueakyChu: Amazing puzzle-ing! Great job!

Karen O

>110 klobrien2: We find puzzling challenging, fun, and zen. :D

>111 SqueakyChu: And so say we all!

Edited to add: I just got a perfect Connections solve, too!

>112 klobrien2: It was @jessibud2 who got me started with Connections. At first, I only found that game frustrating. Now I think I know more of the tricks into solving it. However, if I can't solve it right away, I'll stop immediately because some of the connections I would not know...even if I were told! :(

>106 SqueakyChu: How in the world did you solve that Wordle in 2? Impressive!

>114 atozgrl: I just get lucky sometimes! :D

>93 arubabookwoman: Oh there are a lot of Deborah Ann/e's and I am one of them. When I was in my twenties, a friend of mine, Debra Ann, got married and I was a bridesmaid . along with another Deborah Anne!:-) We agreed to go by Deb, Debbie and Deborah ( me ) at the wedding. But of course we all looked when anyone said - Deb, Debbie or Deborah. And yes, we were all friends together at high school.

Jordana is very pretty name. My daughter in law is Serenade, which I also think is a beautiful name. My sister has the unique name of Tannis. But then she gets called Janice a lot , as a lot of people have never heard of the name. My sister Kathleen is "Kathleen ' and never Kathy - just I have never been Debbie. She got a phone call and the person asked for " Kathy " . My sister Kathleen said , sorry , wrong number and hung up. Then she realized they meant her.

Names are fun things!

>116 vancouverdeb: I love the name Jordana which I first encountered in the book Exodus by Leon Uris. It made me picture a dark-skinned tall woman with flowing dark hair stading by the Jordan River with her long hair being tossed by the wind. My daughter is all of that except for the tall part. She is tiny! :D

Hey, Madeleine. Happy birthday to Jose!!

>118 jessibud2: He says, "Thank you!"

We had a pizza gathering planned for today here at home for his birthday. However, there is a winter weather advisory in effect through tomorrow morning so we canceled it in the hopes that everyone will stay safe at home instead of driving on slippery roads. On another day soon, we'll take him out to one of his favorite Chinese restaurants.

In fourth grade there were 4 Kims. So we had Kim, Kimberly, Kimmy and Berly. And if anyone said Kimberly Ann , we knew one of us was in trouble!! LOL

I have grown tired of Wordle and have switched over to Connections. I usually get it eventually. Yesterday was a bust and I even asked my daughter to help. Oh well.

>120 Berly: You are the first Kimberly I know who goes by the name Berly. I never even heard that nickname before!

Did it again!

Wordle 946 2/6

🟨🟩⬜🟩⬜ route
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 north

Connections (NYT)
Puzzle #224
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟪
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟪🟪🟪🟪

Connections is really hit or miss with me. Sometimes its easy and sometimes i just don't get it even after the reveal. But a new way to stretch the brain is always welcome

2. The Other Americans - Laila Lalami


-------------------------------
TIOLI #10: Read a book where the author’s first and last name begins with the same letter (L) pages
---------------------------------
I had been curious to read this book as I had heard the author speak at a book festival some years ago. I knew she was a native Moroccan, and I knew this book was about immigrants.

I had a very hard time getting into this story, though. Each short chapter was narrated by a different character. I much dislike this form of novel and did not know this about it until after I started reading it. Though this story concentrated mostly on Nora, a young woman whose family is from Morocco and her adjustment to the sudden death of her father by what she felt was premeditated murder, I could not get interested in it they way I had hoped to. I simply read it to get through to the end so I could then read another book.

I found the ending of the book very unsatisfying as well. I really could tell what happened with Nora and Jeremy as Jeremy was nowhere in the last chapter. Why did the subject of Driss’s affair with Beatrice have to be brought up after his death? That affair was then moot. I totally hated A.J. and his dad. I could have cared less what happened to them.

Last, what was the purpose of having Efraín in the story? We learned very little of him. Why try to handle racism against Moroccans, American blacks, and Hispanics in one novel? It waters down racism too much and eliminates the deeper experience of just one person.

I must say that this author has the ability to express herself well. It’s just that I hated this story. I will read another of her novels (because I bought one after I heard her speak). I’ll give her another chance. :)

Rating - 2 stars

He shook his head in disbelief. I think he was just realizing that he had moved six thousand miles for safety, only to find that he was not safe at all.

An FYI for those of you who stream films for free on Kanopy (or would like to through your local public library system) and would like to share that experience with others, let me direct you to @LolaWasser's thread here on LT.

For those of you who have never heard of Kanopy, check it out on kanopy.com ~

Hi Madeline! My family is really into jigsaw puzzles. They have a 5000 piece puzzle, and we're trying to find room to put it together. I am not very interested myself. I have too many other hobbies, and it would take away valuable reading time.

>126 The_Hibernator: It does cut into reading time, but it is such an anxiety-decreasing activity that it works for me. The largest puzzles that I've put together with my family are 2,000 piece puzzles. Now we try to sick to 1,000 piece puzzles that are more difficult to do. That takes the same time, but it also takes less space. LOL!

>125 SqueakyChu: Thanks for linking to that thread, Madeline. Kanopy is a marvelous resource, free to public library and university library card-holders.

3. Survival in Auschwitz - Primo Levi


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TIOLI #1: Read a book whose title begins with the same letter as your screen name (S)
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I’ve meant to read this book by Holocaust survivor Primo Levi for years. Jews, no matter their personal beliefs, have been and seem to periodically continue to be victims of such devastating experiences as described by the author of his own time as a laborer while imprisoned by the Nazis in Auschwitz.

I read this book to express my solidarity with the pyschological pain and physical suffering of my people throughout history, past and present. It is a chilling, mind-blowing account of hatred and cruelty, of man’s inhumanity to man, told as one Italian Jewish man’s personal experience. Levi tells his story outright, by simply stating what he felt, thought, and saw without expressing emotion about it. If an individual wants to know what happened to those prisoners who remained alive in Auschwitz, this book is a compulsory read. I hope whoever does read it does so with compassion for the needless suffering of fellow men.

Rating - 5 stars

I believe that it was really due to Lorenzo that I am alive today; and not so much for his material aid, as for his having constantly reminded me by his presence, by his natural and plain manner of being good, that there still existed a just world outside our own, something and someone still pure and whole, not corrupt, not savage, extraneous to hatred and terror; something difficult to define, a remote possibility of good, but for which it was worth surviving.

>129 SqueakyChu: Still hard to understand why Germany was allowed to rearm for the third time.

Winston Churchill THE GATHERING STORM would be astounded.

>130 m.belljackson: Rearming of peoples/nations still seems to be a theme today worldwide. :(

(Your touchstone goes to the wrong book)

>131 SqueakyChu: THE GATHERING STORM - thank you - this one should work!

Hallo Madeline how art thou?

>131 SqueakyChu: Thanks!

>133 Owltherian: Doing well. And yourself?

>134 SqueakyChu: I'm doing well, although i started my once-a-month thing during class.

>129 SqueakyChu: I am glad to see that you were able to get through that one, Madeline, and that you thought so highly of it in the end.

>129 SqueakyChu: I hadn't realized that the book I just finished is part of a trilogy, Stasia. Now I want to read the two successive books.

>137 SqueakyChu: I knew that Survival in Auschwitz is part of a trilogy. Somehow or another, I have managed to read the first and third books in the trilogy, but not the second.

>138 alcottacre: At least I know to read them in order now. :)

Hello Madeline, how are you?

>140 Owltherian: Very well, Lily. Hope you had a good day.

Primo Levi is a must read Glad you're tackling him.

>142 magicians_nephew: Part of my need to read books such as Survival in Auschwitz is because I need to know what happened in Auschwitz from individuals who were actually there. It puts quite a perspective on how I view antisemitism. I’m appreciative that Levi put his experiences into writing to preserve that difficult period of history.

Just popping in to say Hi!

>143 SqueakyChu: Well said. : )

>144 Berly: Hi, Kim! Hope all is well with you.

4. Too Much and Never Enough - Mary L. Trump


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TIOLI #7: Read a book with the name of a city in the title or author's name (Mary, Turkmenistan)
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This was a very good book. It was very sad. This was not a book I'd have chosen for myself to read, but someone slipped it into my Little Free Library, and I found myself thumbing through it. It seemed interesting enough. I knew that the author and niece of Donald J. Trump was a clinical psychologist who was at odds with him. I thought this book would be about the psychological traits of our former president, but I was surprised to learn that it was the story of the Trump family with an emphasis on Fred Trump, father of Donald, Freddy (Mary's dad), and three other siblings. As I read the story of this toxic family, I began to piece together the story of why Mary was so angry with Donald. I felt a lot of compassion for Mary's father Freddy who had his own aspirations in life which were squelched by Fred in favor of Donald.

It wasn't until the last small chapter of the book that Mary gives a psychological profile of Donald. She hits it exactly. I don't wish to read anything else about Donald Trump, but this was definitely a worthwhile read. I wish Mary all the best.

Rating - 4 stars

At a very deep level, his bragging and false bravado are not directed at the audience in front of him, but at his audience of one: his long-dead, father.

I read that book a couple of years ago, Madeline. I agree with your assessment of it. I also remember being struck when I read that before Donald was born, his mother had had some serious medical issues and was told not to get pregnant again. Can you imagine if only she had taken the doctor's advice??? In my gut, I am guessing that it wasn't even her choice, but her evil husband's ...,

>147 jessibud2: Yeah! I'd love to hear what Mary Trump has to say about her uncle now. That book was published in 2020...and SOOOOO much has happened since. I don't watch the news much, but now that Trump is no longer president, Mary is no longer interviewed that much. I still can't believe that evil shell of a man was elected to be president of the United States. I truly believe he damaged my country beyond repair.

I guess he did one good thing, though. If it hadn't have been for him and how much his presidency scared me, I might never have met you in person. :D

Hi Madeline, I checked to find that I own a copy of Survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi. I'll find the book and read after finishing my library books due the end of this month. Thanks for your excellent review!

The sun is shining and it doesn't seem very cold. I'm heading out to get a few groceries. I long to get out of the house.

I hope your day is a good one.

>148 SqueakyChu: Mary Trump had a podcast for couple years that ended this past summer, around when she and a co-podcaster and E. Jean Carroll announced a collaborative novel: https://www.npr.org/2023/06/02/1179599933/mary-trump-e-jean-carroll-jennifer-tau... .

>149 Whisper1: I'm glad that my review inspired you to read Primo Levi's book, Linda. It's a tough book to read, but sometimes reading books such as this one is necessary.

So far my day has been very restful. I love quiet days. :)

>150 qebo: That is so weird, Katherine. A romance novel, of all things! I guess it just seems like a fun thing for her to try. At least she doesn't have to make a living off of her writing! :D

>146 SqueakyChu: Ooh! I don't want to read that, but I do, but I don't....! : )

Hope things have been good this past week, Madeline.

You mentioned on Darryl's thread hoping to meet up this year - I haven't made firm plans yet, but I'm hoping to get to the National Book Festival this year. I know the venue isn't ideal for you, but if I do manage to get down there, I'll keep you posted in case there's a day we can meet up while I'm visiting the DC Metro area.

>152 Berly: I understand, Kim.

>153 bell7: Let’s try to make it happen, Mary!

My second quarter thread continues here.