PawsforThought reading in 2024

Hello friends!



My reading in 2023 was one of the worst I’ve ever had. I have one (!) documented book read (at least it was a really good book!) This is due to several reasons, including but not limited to, commuting to and from work, a lack of sleep, health problems, stress at work and stress at home. I’m hoping 2024 will be a little kinder.

I would love to join in more with LT challenges (like TIOLI and the British Authors Challenge) but we’ll have to see how much time and energy I have. I am keeping a close eye on the BAC, the Discworld group read and, of course, the TIOLI challenges. I tend to do better when I have a goal to reach so I’ve looked at some reading challenges online. I’m not going to force myself to finish them but instead choose to see them as a way to entice me to focus more on reading.

I have started crafting more in recently year and am moderately active in the Needlearts group here on LT. If you want to know what I’m up to in my knitting and sewing (my primary forms of crafting) head over to my thread there.

Currently reading

Read in 2024



1: Ragtime - E. L. Doctorow
2: Dead Man’s Folly - Agatha Christie
3: The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury
4: The Listerdale Mystery - Agatha Christie
5: The Mousetrap - Agatha Christie
6: M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman
7: Black Snow by Mikhail Bulgakov
8: Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman
9: Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay
10: It by Stephen King
11: Vet in Harness by James Herriot
12: A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
13: The Shining by Stephen King
14: Grekiska myter och sagor by Claes Lindskog
15: Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood
16: The October Country by Ray Bradbury
17: The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola
18: Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood
19: Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones

The year’s reading in covers

To read in 2024

There are some authors in particular I’ve been meaning to read more by, so I’m hoping that by listing them and putting a number of how many books I’d like to read by them during the year I might actually get close. We’ll see.

Enid Blyton: 2-3
Mikhail Bulgakov: 1
* Black Snow
Agatha Christie: 3
* Dead Man’s Folly
* The Listerdale Mystery
* The Mousetrap
Charles Dickens: 1-2
Kerry Greenwood: 2-3
Maria Gripe: 4-5
James Herriot: 2
* Vet in Harness
L. M. Montgomery: 2
Emmuska Orczy: 2
Terry Pratchett: 2-3
William Shakespeare: 3-4
Katarina Taikon: 2
Evelyn Waugh: 2

Challenges & group reads



LT challenges & group reads

My own challenges

Poetry



I’m always trying to read more poetry but it’s one of those things that tends to be put on the back burner. I am at least regularly listening to two poetry podcasts, which is introducing me to new poets as well as some old favourites. I bought two poetry books in 2023, and was gifted one by my former boss, and I’m hoping to add more this year.

Exercise



For the past couple if years I’ve set myself challenges to walk a certain distance (with daily goals to make sure I’m on target). In 2022 I walked from Umeå to Venice and in 2023 I walked the length of the original route of the Orient Express (Istanbul to Paris).

As some of you know, I’ve had some health-related issues in 2023 with neck and back pain being quite debilitating at times. I’ve been seeing a physiotherapist and a massage therapist and am now finally feeling better. Partly because of this and partly because of the risk of boredom I want to make sure my exercise is more varied in the future.

In 2024 my challenge will be Lord of the Rings themed and I will walk from Hobbbiton to Mount Doom, a distance of 2847 km. However, in order to diversify my exercise regime, I will not only do walking but also count in other form of exercising, primarily biking and dancing. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do some swimming as well and that will count too.

I’m also putting together my own LOTR themed yoga session, which you will see in the not-too-distant future.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can.
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And wither then? I cannot say.

Good luck with your probable move as well as with reading in 2024!

Welcome back!

>9 Tess_W: Hi Tess! Welcome to my thread and thank you! I certainly hope I’ll be able to move this year, but I said the same thing last year so who knows? Waiting times are 4-8 years for a flat.

>10 drneutron: Hi Jim! Thanks for popping by and thank you. I hope I’ll be able to hang around more in 2024, and I definitely hope I read more!

Good luck with your projects for 2024! I had a terrible reading year in 2023 as well, and I’m hoping for much better in 2024.

We’ll have to cheer each other on.

Some very interesting projects going on, Paws.

>8 PawsforThought: Sorry to read of the health challenges and I do trust and hope that 2024 will be a healthy and fruitful one for you.

I will be following along in virtual company and wishing you well always.

>12 Matke: Hi Gail, and thanks for stopping by. Yes, mutual cheerleading seems like a very good plan.

>13 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Yeah, I think the past year has been one of the worst in my life, health-wise, but I’m feeling better right now. Hoping that will last.

>14 PawsforThought: I hope so too, Paws.

Happy New Year Paws!

I hope you have a better year on all fronts in 2024 Paws.

>16 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian, and happy new year to you too!

>17 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline! I really hope so.

Happy new year everyone!
I will do what I did last year and post Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s “Ring Out, Wild Bells”, as it is a more than 100 year old tradition to read that poem (in Swedish translation) on stage at Skansen in Stockholm just before the new year countdown, and it has been broadcast live on TV since 1977.
It’s a gorgeous poem that makes me really emotional to hear, and read.
I’ve put the last stanza in brackets as that isn’t read in Sweden.

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

(Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.)

Hi Paws!

Wishing you a great one!

Happy New Year, Paws.

>19 PawsforThought: Love that poem.

Here's to better health and more reading in 2024!!

Happy New Year, Paws. I'm rubbish at poetry so wasn't familiar with Ring Out, Wild Bells. It's gorgeous -- what a perfect tradition.

Hi Paws and Happy New Year! Truly, I hope 2024 is SO much better for you!!! I wish you luck with the walking, dancing, and biking!

Hoping you have a better year in 2024--thanks for posting the Wild Bells, it's great. So apropos.

Happy reading in 2024, Paws!

Happy New Year!

I love the Tennyson poem (which works very well without the last stanza, imho). I look forward to following your reading this year, and have tapped the star on your thread.

Happy New Year Paws.

Hi Paws!

>1 PawsforThought: Sorry 2023 was a bad reading year for you. I hope some of the issues causing your bad reading year go away are gone or reduced this year.

>2 PawsforThought: My goodness, you have so many meaty books on the go. Brava.

>8 PawsforThought: Glad you’re doing better back-wise, and I’m glad you’ve got a good walking challenge planned.

>19 PawsforThought: Thank you for posting this poem. I’ve Favorited it and will find it in the book of his poems that I have.

Happy New Year, Paws. I love your Tolkien theme, although I think I would want to walk AWAY from Mordor if at all possible!

Hi everyone and thank you for stopping by. I will make my way around the threads when I've finished work.

And thanks for the well wishes regarding my back, my reading and my exercise goals. Much appreciated.

>31 ronincats: If I walk away from Mount Doom how would I be able to destroy the One Ring?

Happy new year. Looking forward to seeing your reads this year. Hopefully I'll be a bit more active too. Just dropping my star.

Well, we're having a frosty start to the new year. It's been fairly chilly throughout the holiday season (-10-15 C) which is normal winter temperatures (normal is unusual nowadays). But the past few days has brought some real cold weather and we're now in the middle of a serious cold snap with temperatures reaching record levels in the most northern parts of the country (-49 C in Nikkaluokta yesterday). We're having a"balmy" -28 C at the moment, and at my brothers it's apparently hovering around -36 C. I'm very glad I don't need to go outside today.
Plans for the weekend are to try to get some indoor exercising done and to read.

Hope you're keeping warm, Paws. We're about to get a cold snap here this coming week. Seeing as we've had very few days below -5°C since the start of winter, it'll be a shock to the system to deal with -30°C.

>35 MickyFine: Hi Micky! I stayed indoors pretty much the whole time as I had no specific reason to go outside. And the day before the worst temperatures hit I sat in the sauna for a bit, which was SO nice. It's been years since we've heated the sauna up as it's been used for storing my brohter's family's stuff since the moved a few years ago.

The weather's changed now and it's almost -0 C now, and it's supposed to go into the + degrees tomorrow. It's a strange world.

Well, my journey in the footsteps of Frodo and Sam has begun and I have finished my first week of walking (and biking, etc.) to Mordor! In total, I walked and biked 58 km last week - with the total journey being 2847 km. It's a good start and I'm quite pleased.

>37 PawsforThought: Well done!!

>37 PawsforThought: Love that -- walking to Mordor! Nicely done.

>38 EBT1002: and >39 Berly: Thanks! I’m enjoying the biking more than I thought I would. I’ve always liked biking “for real”, but never really understood why people choose to go on an exercise bike if they could, you know, not. But it’s not the right season for outdoors biking and I want some variety. And I can watch TV while I pedal away so…

>19 PawsforThought: What a neat tradition! I'm going to look up the entire poem and "study" it sometime in 2024!

Not a lot of reading being done (not much crafting) as I’ve been focusing on getting my exercise routine to become, well, routine. It’s going quite well, and the fact that I’ve switched some of the walking to biking means I have more “free time” in the evenings. So maybe I’ll have some time to read or knit. I’ll update my recent numbers when I’ve made it to work (big train delays today).

Well, this day was…not great.

Never did make it to work because there were massive issues with the railroad switches and after being stuck for hours I decided it was better to go back home rather than continue to work only to almost immediately turn back around (and likely have more delays on the way back). After whiling away time doing Duolingo and checking my social media channels I remembered that I had thrown one of my project bags into my backpack when I left for work so I picked it up and made some headway on one of my knitting projects.
And I met a friend (who I haven’t seen since before the plague years) on the way home so at least something good came out of it. He wants me to start working on the same regional magazine that he does, and it sound interesting so I might do it.

Week 2 of my walk to Mordor.

I walked a bit over 74 000 steps, and biked 27 km. That makes for a total of ca 64 km, taking my total for the year up to 122 km.
This means I have crossed the Brandywine River and am about to walk into the Old Forest.

Great work on the walking/biking. I should start virtual walking again. If only I had the time to map it all out!

>44 PawsforThought: Maybe I'll suggest something like this to Mr SandDune. He's a great one for tracking his steps. His average daily step count last year was over 16,000 steps a day - I think my legs would fall off if I tried that!

>46 SandDune: it’s been working really well for me - the big goal to look forward to broken down into small, achievable daily goals is perfect for me. I walked about 16 000 steps a day last year and it wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be. Breaking it up into smaller chunks is key.

Good for you! I haven't found my workout mojo this year yet. I am blaming it on the ice storm. : )

Exercise update:

I walked just over 72 000 steps last week, equalling 36 km. Adding to this, I biked 30 km for a total of 66 km. This takes my total up to 188 km.
That means I have passed Bree (and met Aragorn at the Prancing Pony) and am now trying to get across the Midgewater Marshes towards Weathertop.

Saturday was bitterly cold (-23 C) but I dressed well (a down liner vest I'd ordered arrived - perfectly timed - on Friday) so my moderately long walk wasn't too bad. My feet and hands were a bit cold (there's a hole in my mitten) and my nose was not happy. Weather's done a 180 degree turn now and it's just above 0 C. I really dislike these types of up-and-down switches - I'd rather have it super cold the whole time.

I love your updates on the Walk to Mordor! It sounds like it is making the exercise fun and that is all to the good.

Exercise update:

I walked just under 75 000 steps, equalling a little over 37 km. In addition to this, I biked 29 km, making for a total of 66 km for the week. This takes my total for the year so far up to 254 km.
This means I have gone up to Weathertop and been attacked by the Nazgul. I'm a little over halfway to Rivendell.

The weather has been milder so the weekend's walks were fairly pleasant, though I completely forgot to use the hiking poles and just walked normally.

Oops, I made a mistake in my update last week as I confused my own numbers (in km) with the Mordor map list (in miles). I've not reached Weathertop yet after all!

Here are my exercise stats for last week:

I walked over 72 00 steps, which is a little over 36 km. I also biked 29 km, which makes for a total of 65 km.
This takes my total for the year up to 319 km. I have reached the eastern edge of the Marshes and can see Weather Hills ahead. During the night, I can see flashes of light in the east - Gandalf is on Weathertop.

I had been hoping to get some skiing in this winter, but it's looking unlikely as I've not been able to find a pair of skis. Oh, well. Both my long walks on the weekend were with walking poles.

Exercise update from the frozen tundra of the north.
We've had some very cold days in the past week and I've not been particularly keen on being outdoors. But I've still reached my goals, even on Tuesday - despite the combination of low temperatures and a dinner and night at the opera with my co-workers.

I walked a smidge under 80 000 steps, which is a smidge under 40 km. Adding to this, I biked 25 km for a total of 65 km travelled. This takes my total up to 384 km for the year.
This means that I have now actually reached Weathertop and been attacked by the Nazgul (I miscalculated a few weeks ago because I forgot about km vs miles).

Delurking to applaud your steps!!! Keep it going!!

Your number of steps is fantastic! I'm overjoyed to make 10,000 steps per day. I use excused to keep from walking...snow, ice, rain, etc. For Christmas my son got me a treadmill! No excuses. However, I had to put it in the basement, so it's lonely down there, darkish, etc. But I can listen to an audiobook while I tread along! I'm going to look up the walking to and from thing to add some spark. I also do water aerobics in the summer but never thought about counting that. Keep up the good work!

More exercise updates:

It's been a bit milder and has snowed quite a bit. Quite a few of my steps on Friday were from shovelling snow - I'm getting quite tired of the snow now.
And I had an appointment with the optician on Thursday. No change in strength or astigmatism and no cuts or small injures to the retina - best result I've had in years. I actually think it might be because I'm outside so much more now (and thus focusing on longer distances) that my vision hasn't got any worse.

I walked over 75 000 steps, which equals just under 38 km. I also biked 28 km, taking my total for the week up to 66 km and means that my total for the year is 450 km.
This means I'm on the way from Weathertop (Frodo is injured) and trying to get to Rivendell. I've crossed the Great East Road and am camping.

>55 Tess_W: Thanks! It's really helpful for me to have a goal, both short term and long term. And I think it's important to remember that all movement is god, and to count the exercise you do.

If I'm just sitting on the exercise I'm bored to tears, but it really helps to either do some Duolingo or to watch TV (or even just scroll on my phone). And audiobooks are great for exercising to!

Exercise update:
I'm feeling rather meh and low-energy, which I'm guessing is the beginning of a cold. What I should do is sleep more, but of course I don't do that. That would be sensible, and we can't have that.

In the past few days (almost a week now) the temperatures have gone up to the freezing point or a little above, leading to my least favourite weather-related thing: slush. On my way home from work on Friday I had to jump over a meter wide, decimeter deep puddle. And then it goes below freezing during the night so everything turns to ice. I hate this.

I walked just under 76 000 steps, equalling a smidge below 38 km, and I biked 29 km. That takes my total up to 67 km, which means my total for the year is 517 km.
Nothing interesting happening in my Mordor walk right now, just walking through a valley towards Rivendell. This is one of the most boring stretches of the journey and it'll continue to be boring for at least a couple of weeks, but I have covered 70% of the distance between Bag End and Rivendell, so there's that.

Exercise update from last week:

I walked a bit over 81 000 steps, which is just under 41 km. In addition to this, I biked 27 km for a total of 68 km. That takes my total for the year up to 585 km. This means I'm officially past the 20% mark.
In my trek across Middle Earth, I've finally made if through the valleys and have crossed The Last Bridge over the River Hoarwell/Mitheithel. This means I've entered the land of the Trollshaws! Only about 100 miles/160 km to Rivendell!

Weather-wise, the thawing is continuing which means drab, grey, depressing and irritating. I'm just hoping this means we'll get a longer than normal spring, but I wouldn't be surprised if winter made a sudden return and everything's covered in ice.

>59 PawsforThought: That is impressive, Paws! Well done.

Another exercise update:

Last week I walked a just under 71 000 steps, equalling just over 35 km. I also biked 29 km for a total of 64 km. This takes my total for the year up to 649 km.
In my walk to Mordor I have now just seen the Stone Trolls (that Bilbo and the dwarves met in The Hobbit).

This week I'm going to be travelling for work today and tomorrow - will be interesting to see how much I'll be able to walk. Today should be fine as there is a gym at the hotel that I can use, but tomorrow might be trickier as I'll be in a meeting almost all day and then travelling home late. Might make an early morning visit to the gym for some biking.

It's still thawing and slushy, with ice on the roads so while there's significantly more sunshine it's not easy being outside.

Update on last week:

I was travelling for work on Monday and Tuesday, which meant that I couldn't do my now regular biking, so had to sneak in extra walking instead. The hotel did have a gym, but it strangely enough didn't have any exercise bikes. I'm so glad I won't have to travel for work again until the end of May.
The weather is a little colder again so less slush and more ice. However, the days are now so long that the sun is up when I go to work (sunrise while I'm eating breakfast!) and when I come back home. It makes such a difference on the psyche.

Last week I walked nearly 88 000 steps, which is a smidge below 44 km. I also biked 23 km, for a total of 67 km. This takes my total for the year up to 716 km.
In my journey to Mordor I have now met Glorfindel (who in the movies is replaced by Arwen) and Frodo is on his horse. I'm just eight km from being attacked by the Nazgul, and another eight km from Rivendell. After that, it's time to head towards Lothlorien. That stretch is almost exactly as long as this one has been so should take about the same amount of time to reach. This means that I should reach Lothlorien around the middle of June.

Exercise update for last week:

I walked a little over 68 000 steps, which is just over 34 km. I also biked 30 km for a total of 64 km. This takes my total for the year to 780 km.
In my journey through Mordor I have now taked part in the Council of Elrond at Rivendell and the Fellowship of the Ring has set off towards Mordor. We are now making our way through rough and barren land. The next major stop will be in Lothlórien, but to ge tthere we will have to pass over the Redhorn pass or through the Mines of Moria.

Healthwise I'm okay. Had a bout of vertigo on Sunday and Monday (no worries, it's a benign thing I've had before which goes away quickly enough). I think I have a cold coming on so the upcoming days off work for Easter will likely do me good.

Exercise update for last week:

I walked just over 64 000 steps, which is 32 km, and biked 29 km. This makes for a total of 61 km, taking my total for the year up to 841 km. That means that after 25% into the year, I have made it 29% of the way to Mordor - I'm doing well!
Speaking of Mordor, nothing interesting happening right now on my journey from Rivendell to Lothlórien. Have gone over a hill and crossed a small stream. In a couple of weeks I should be able to see the Mountains of Moria.

Seeing as it was Easter week (short day on Thursday, day off on Friday and LOTS of time in front of the TV eating sweets) I think of my achievements last week as a victory. And the weather was awful - rain and snow and just over freezing.

Still going strong I see!!

>65 Berly: Thanks for stopping by!

Yeah, it's going okay. I've been quite tired lately and it's been a bit tough to get myself to exercise, but I'm sticking to it.

Latest exercise update:

Last week I walked a bit over 65 000 steps, equalling just under 33 km. In addition, I biked 31 km for a total of 64 km. This takes my total for the year up to 905 km.
In my walk to Mordor I'm still in rather uninteresting terrain - lots of small streams and low mountains. There are a couple of boring weeks ahead still before anything exciting happens.

>67 PawsforThought: Hugely impressed by your exercise regimen, Paws.

>68 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! I don't feel that I'm dong all that much, which is partly because my biking is all done on an exercise bike while either watch TV or scrolling online.

Update on last week:

I walked a bit over 76 000 steps, which is just over 38 km. I also biked 30 km, taking my total for the week up to 68 km. This means that my total for the year is 973 km.
In my journey through Middle Earth I'm still just walking between Rivendell and the Mountains of Moria. I should be able to see the mountains in a couple of weeks' time.

Hi Paws! Wow, you are still keeping up with your walking project. Biking seems like a nice extra. I also like the rowing machine (if I went to the gym, that is).
Walking to Mordor is an interesting idea. Keep it up!

Hi Ella! I actually don't feel that I'm doing all that much as most of my walking is just getting to and from work, which I have to do anyway.

I personally can't stand rowing machines, but I'm allergic to most gym machines and will avoid them at all costs.

Exercise update on last week:

I walked just over 69 000 steps, which is a bit over 34 km. I also biked 29 km, taking my total for the week up to 63 km.
This takes my total for the year up to 1036 km!
In my journey through Middle Earth to Mordor I am still just walking through rather boring lands with not much change from one day to the next. But next week (well, this week) things will start happening.

A very late update on last week's exercise:

I managed to walk just over 71 000 steps, making for a bit over 35 km. I also biked 30 km, for a total of 65 km.
This takes my total for the year up to 1101 km. This means I've now walked far enogh that I can see the Mountains of Moria in the distance and I am right at the foot of Hollin Ridge. Getting closer now - in about two weeks I'll reach Moria.

The warmth of spring has finally arrived! Waiting for the last of the snow to melt which will hopefully be soon - it's been a very cold spring. Still ice on the lakes and the sea, though mostly gone from the rivers.

Double update from last week and the week before as I managed to miss doing that due to a short work week (Thursday and Friday off).

The week before last I walked a bit under 80 000 steps, equalling a smidge under 40 km. I also biked 27 km, taking my total for the week up to 67 km. That means my total for the year at the end of the week was 1168 km.
On the walk to Mordor we have reached Holling Ridge and are moving towards the mountain pass to go over Redhorn.

Last week I walked 61 000 steps, which equals 30 km. I also biked 32 km, which means my total for the week was 62 km. This takes my total for the year up to 1230 km.
Walking through Middle Earth we have now reached the Redhorn pass but the snow is too heavy and the wind too strong to continue and we have turned back around.

We finally have warm weather! On Tuesday and Wednesday week before last we had some nice spring weather (10-15 degrees C), coinciding with a short day on Tuesday (Walpurgis Night) and a day off on Wednesday (International Workers' Day). And this past weekend Long weekend since Thursday was Ascension Day) it's also been warm. Yesterday it was 19 degrees C! Warmest day of the year, but today is supposed to be 20. It's apparently going to be warmish and sunny the whole week, so I'm looking forward to that, even though I have to work through it and can't enjoy it as much.

Late update on last weeks exercising:

I walked just under 67 000 steps, which is 33 km. I also biked 36 km for a total of 69 km. This takes my total for the year up to 1299 km.
In my walk to Mordor I have reached the Doors of Moria, been attacked by the Watcher of the Water, managed to figure out the password and entered into the mines. It's been eventful!

In other news I started having some pain in my nee so have started doing a few exercises that a physiotherapist gave me ages ago when I was having issues. I'm not being very diligent but am trying. Am also thinking of ways to get more strength-building in general into my routine, and I've printed out a couch to 5K regiment - unlikely that I'll actually do it (my previous attempts at running have not ended well) but we'll see what happens (I'll definitely need to build up strength in my knees if I'm going to attempt running).

Still quite nice and warm weather - I've worn a dress without tights three times this week!

Didn't manage to update last week so here's a double update.

Week before last I walked nearly 82 000 steps, which is just under 41 km. I also biked 27 km which makes for a total of 68 km. That takes my total for the year up to 1367 km.
In my journey through Middle Earth it's been very eventful and sad. We have walked through the mines of Moria, found Balin's Tomb, been attacked by orcs and a cave troll, and as we ran across the bridge over Durin's Deep Gandalf fell while battling a balrog. We had too flee out of the mines and are now grieving.

Last week I walked 80 000 steps, equalling 40 km. I also biked 28 km for a total of 68 km. That take my total for the year up to 1435 km.
In the Walk to Mordor we have now entered Lothlórien and crossed the Nimrodel. We have met some elves (including Haldir) and are blindfolded as we walk further into the woods.

It's still bizarrely warm here and I'm trying not to melt away. Last night I took the bike down to the river and had the first dip of the year. It's not super warm (maybe 18 C), but okay and extremely warm for the time of year.
I've now finished my month-and-a-bit long ban on sweets, cakes, biscuits, desserts, crisps and similar. Ate normally otherwise and had one exception to the rule (dinner out with work last Monday). Zero difference on the scale, which is a little bit disappointing but not wholly surprising.

An update on last week.

I walked 70 700 steps, which is just over 35 km. I also biked 37 km for a total of 72 km. This takes my total for the year up to 1439 km.
In my walk to Mordor I am still walking blindfolded through Lothlórien. Next week I will meet Celeborn and Galadriel.

We kept having a heatwave despite the weather reports promising rain almost every day. On Sunday it finally did rain, and lots! I was giddy with excitement as I'd finally planted everything out in the veggie garden and was worried about my zucchini squashes.

Well, I finally managed to finish a book, not just starting a new one. My first book of 2024. It feels like a bigger accomplishment than it should be.

#1
Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow



This was a re-read - I first read this book at university (15-ish years ago) as part of a module on 20th century US literature. I loved it then, but I’m not as enamoured with it now. It’s still good, and a very interesting read, but I find the majority of the characters annoying, and I always have a hard time with the way some (male) writers need to mention peoples bodies and how those bodies react.
I am still fascinated by how he manages to tie so many people’s lives together - that’s a sub-genre (or rather style) of both literature and film that I love.

Hi Paws! My compliments for your walking and biking. You have been doing really well. Though, be careful with that knee.

I’ve never read Ragtime. Majority of the characters annoying doesn’t sound that good, actually. Well, I mean, it usually means I won’t like the book that much.

I had to smile about your heat wave! We’ve been having so much rain here that my zucchini hasn’t been planted yet. You have to gard the plants from the slugs and snails daily or they don’t stand a chance.

Oh, the heatwave is over now and we’ve had mostly rainy days since last Sunday. I don’t mind, as the ground needs water, but it would be nice if we got some sun or at least a little warmer weather this weekend as it’s Midsummer.
My zucchini squashes are blooming! They seem not to have minded beefing planted out in a dried out veggie patch and subsequently being near-drowned.
We don’t have much of a snail/slug issue here as it’s a bit to far north for them so my squashes and pumpkins manage fine - zucchini squash is one of the things I’ve had the most success with in the garden.

Update on last week:

Last week I walked just under 61 000 steps, which is a little over 30 km. I also biked 43 km for a total of 73 km. That takes my total for the year up to 1508 km.
In my walk to Mordor I have now made it into the deepest part of Lothlórien and met with Galadriel and Celeborn. I have recieved some gifts from them, including lembas, and have set out on the next part of the journey - along the Anduin River towards Rauros Falls.

I finished a short story the other week, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson. I considered adding it to my list of read books, but while the version I read was printed as a stand-alone, I’m planning on reading the other works it often printed alongside so I’ll hold off until later (sometime). It’s a very good story, and while I wasn’t the slightest bit surprised by the reveal at the end, I can understand why people were shocked when it was initially published.

#2
Dead Man’s Folly by Agatha Christie



One of my summer library loans. This is not one of Christie’s more famous books (I hadn’t heard of it before borrowing it) and it’s not one of her greatest - the solution to the mystery is very far-fetched and no one could have figured it out (except Hercule Poirot, of course). I still enjoyed it, because it’s a fun and quick read, as Christie’s nearly always are, and Poirot is always fun.

>82 PawsforThought: The Lottery was part of my school curriculum. This was in the mid-1970s and I believe I was in 9th grade (age 15). We read the story and then watched a short film adaptation which I remember as shocking / frightening (you could probably find it on YouTube). It probably wouldn't have had the same impact on an adult, but it's a cultural touchstone for those about the same age as me. We don't have a national school curriculum but the story & film seems to have been widely used in the classroom during that time.

>84 lauralkeet: Oh, really? I can see it working very well for 9th graders.
I really liked it even though I’m 25 years away from 9th grade, but the shock value wasn’t there. Too jaded from life, I suppose (or reading too many horror stories).
I think the impact of the Hunger Games and other similar stories in later years have probably meant that a lot of younger readers would be able to guess the ending too.

I suspect that even in the 1970s full-grown adults wouldn't have been as shocked by The Lottery as 15-year-olds. I also agree with your point about today's younger readers. It is/was a different time ...

Double update this time.

Week before last I walked 79 000 steps, which equals 40 km and biked 27 km for a total of 67 km.
That takes my total for the year up to 1575 km.
In my journey through Middle Earth I'm still travelling down the Anduín River.

Last week I walked 51 000 steps, equalling 25 km and biked 40 km, for a total of 65 km.
This takes my total for the year up to 1640 km.
I my trek towards Mount Doom the forests around the River Anduin are beginning to thin out and we have reached the Brown Lands.

Life is not great right now.
My dad has been ill (dementia) for some years, and it seems to have become drastically worse recently, to the point where he really can’t stay at home any longer. We are not capable of giving him the help he needs. It’s too much. I’m hoping mum will be able to get hold of someone in the care system on Monday and see if there is some form of emergency placement.

On Thursday, my best friend M told me that a classmate of ours from school (gymnasiet, basically equivalent to sixth form/high school) died recently. She’d had problems with depression and anxiety for as long as I’ve known her and it had finally become to much. I always had a feeling that it would end that way for her, but after she became really involved with the church some years ago I was hopeful that things might be better. I am generally very anti-religiosity but I will give the Church of Sweden credit for being very good at supporting people who are in need of it.
I talked a bit to her best friend (who also went to school with us) yesterday and she’s doing okay, considering. She, like me, knew it was a matter of time before this happened.

This is the third year in a row that someone I know died much too young, at the start of summer. It’s not a tradition I’d like to continue.
She was only forty.

>88 PawsforThought: So sorry to hear that. Here's hoping that your Dad finds the support he needs.

>89 SandDune: Thanks Ella.

>88 PawsforThought: Paws, I'm so sorry to read this post. I've lost two high school friends who had very challenging adult lives that became too much for them to deal with. It's really tough. And I can relate to the situation with your dad as well; both of my parents suffered from dementia. I hope you're able to find a place where your dad can get the care he needs.

>88 PawsforThought: These are difficult things. I hope you find a comfortable place for you father. Condolences to you and your classmates.

So sorry your life isn’t great right now. We spent several years caring for my mother-in-law who had dementia, so I know how hard it is. I hope you and your mom are able to get some help with your father’s care.

Adding to that, Paws. I hope your family can find the necessary help for your father.

So shocking when people die young. I’m very sorry.

I'm sorry to hear life has been rough lately, Paws. Sending kind thoughts your way.

Well, I'm catching up on the past four weeks. Whoops!
As expected I walked a lot during my vacation - I think I averaged around 23 000 steps a day that week. Sadly, my pedometer broke on my last day so I've had to rely on my phone's health app instead, which is not as accurate. But I'm reluctant to buy a new pedometer because their tend to either be too big or they break easily. This was my fourth pedometer in three years! I'm not sure I'm going to be counting steps next year anyway so I'm holding off on buying for now. We'll see what happens.

The first week I walked 137 000 steps, equalling 69 km and biked 4 km for a total of 73 km.
This takes my total for the year up to 1842 km. In my journey through Middle Earth I am still paddling down the River Anduin and have reached the north edge of western South Undeep.

The second week I walked 106 000 steps, which is 53 km and biked 13 km for a total of 66 km. This takes my total for the year up to 1908 km.
Walking to Mount Doom I am still travelling down the River Anduin and have reached the lowlands between downs and the Emyn Muil.

And the third week I walked 64 000 steps, equalling 32 km and biked 42 km for a total of 74 km. This takes my total for the year up to 1982 km.
In my journey following Frodo and Sam I am approaching the higher Emyn Muil.

And finally last week (the fourth week) I walked 67 000 steps, equalling 33 km and biked 41 km for a total of 74 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2056 km.
My wanderings through Middle Earth has taken me to the north edge of the rapids of Sarn Gebir where we were attacked by orcs and Legolas shot a Nazgul's flying beast. We have carried the boats past the rapids.

Phew. Too much maths.

Thank you all for your kind messages regarding my dad's declining health and the death of my classmate.
Dad is still at home, but has home help services coming by to take him for a walk and to shower twice a week. He also goes to a support group of sorts two days a week (it used to be one, but we've been given an extra day). It's not enough in the long run but it'll have to make do for the immediate future.

#3
The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury


Another of my summer loans. I've been meaning to read this for a few years but never got around to it before now. It is a collection of short stories framed by a tale of a man who meets another man whose entire body is covered in tattoos that all "come alive" to tell horrid stories.
I wasn't too impressed by the book as a whole, but some of the short stories are interesting (my favourites are The Veldt, about how kids in the future have been so obsessed by super-technological entertainment that it's all they care about, and The Last Night of the World, which is exactly what it sounds like).

And an update on last week:

I walked a little over 72 000 steps, which equals 36 km, and biked 41 km for a total of 77 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2133 km.
In my journey through Middle Earth the Fellowship has broken up and Sam and Frodo are now heading to Mount Doom alone. This is the final leg of the journey.

Late update on last week:

I walked almost 69 000 steps, equalling 34 km and biked 42 km for a total of 76 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2209 km.
I my journey through Middle Earth we are heading north towards Mordor, we can smell the Dead marshes and we are looking for signs of Gollum.

I managed to finish two books (well, works) this weekend.

#4.
The Listerdale Mystery by Agatha Christie

This is a collection of short stories, almost all of which revolve around a "regular" person who wishes their life was more interesting getting accidentally caught up in some kind of criminal activity. It's a little bit repetitive, but it's an okay read.

#5.
The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie

The longest running play in history, I've been meaning to go see The Mousetrap in London bu have so far not got around to it. We'll see if I ever make it. I did figure out who the killer was before the reveal, but it did take me a little while.

#6.
M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman


According to my LT log, I’ve read this before but have no memory of it. The only stories I recognise are The Price (which is also in Creatures of the Night and The Witch’s Tombstone, which developed into The Graveyard Book.
I love Neil Gaiman with all my heart but his short stories aren’t as wow-inducing as his longer fiction.
The title of this book is an homage to Ray Bradbury’s collections for younger readers, R is for Rocket and S is for Space, and Gaiman very sweetly wrote to Bradbury to ask for his permission to do this. One of the stories is also dedicated to Bradbury.

Exercise update for last week:

I walked 99 000 steps, which is just under 50 km. I also biked 19 km for a total of 69 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2278 km.
In my trek towards Mordor I have now met Gollum who is leading the way as we are just about to enter the Dead Marshes.

I’m very sorry to read of the sad events taking place this summer.
I hope additional care is found for your dad. Parental health concerns bring sleepless nights for the children.
On a brighter note, your walk to Mordor challenge is amazing! good for you! Cheering you on from across the pond!

>104 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda!

In better news, I’ve amassed some serious adulting points this week. As I’ve pretty much given up on the idea of finding a rental place in the town I want to move to I moved on to looking at purchasing a place instead. The interests have gone down a bit this summer so it’s a good time. And I’ve got loan promises from four different banks this week. So if I find a place I want, I can put in an offer immediately.
Also, after procrastinating on it for months and months, I talked to someone at my bank and got confirmation that stock funds I had at my previous bank can be transferred to the current one without my having to sell and re-buy (and thereby pay taxes on) the stocks.
I also managed to clear up some minor questions regarding a check-up doctor’s appointment and a prescription renewal.
Phew. Adulting is never fun, but at least it’s all been good news.

>105 PawsforThought: well done on all the adulting, Paws. In our household, I've always handled those kind of tasks not necessarily because I enjoy them but because I have enough interest to get them done, while my hubby readily acknowledges he would put them off forever. Best of luck with your house search!

>106 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! One downside of being single is that you have to do all the adulting yourself!
I'm usually pretty good at getting things done fairly quickly but everything regarding banks makes me tense up to I tend to avoid it. Especially since this issue with the double banking was really confusing when I looking into it earlier this year. But now it wasn't difficult at all - maybe just the right time?

>98 PawsforThought: I read that book as a child, and my memory of it is very much as you describe it. I have never bbeen the world's greatest short story reader and I enjoyed some and others were just meh. But the Veldt is a classic. Bradbury was also a brilliant writer, and I have always admired his ability handling imagery.

#7.
Black Snow by Mikhail Bulgakov


Mikhail Bulgakov is one of my favourite writers, and definitely my favourite Russian writer. This novel, sometimes titles A Theatrical Novel, is probably my least favourite of his (of the ones I’ve read so far). It’s not bad, but it’s not as mad as the others novels of his I’ve read, and I miss that. It’s still quite mad, but I miss the distinctively Bulgakovian combination of madness and the supernatural. It’s based on real people and a real theatre, so there’s reason for the relative normalcy. It also suffers from the issue that so many Russian novel suffer from, which is an absolute pea soup of names. It’s impossible to keep track of it all and you just get dizzy. This novel was left basically unfinished because Bulgakov, who was dying of kidney sclerosis, chose to put his time and effort into The Master and Margarita instead, and I can’t blame him for that as it’s one of my favourite books of all time.

Wishing you a lovely Sunday, Paws.

Hi Paws!

That’s a big decision, buying a house! Are you ready to go house hunting now? Good luck. I hope you find something nice.

>111 EllaTim: Hi Ella!

Not a house, an apartment. A house would be too big for me, and also out of my league financially as prices here have skyrocketed in the past couple of decades.

I am actively looking now, and hoping to find something soon-ish.

#8.
Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman


Works by my favourite authors are disappointing me lately. This is another collection of short works by Neil Gaiman, whose novels I adore, but this one was frankly a chore. There a bit of overlap with M is for Magic, so I skipped past those. I also skipped the poetry, and skimmed through several of the works where the text just wasn’t appealing to me. Two recurring “themes” in this work happens to be two things I absolutely don’t like reading - vampires and lecherousness - not just from the characters but from the writer. Made me feel icky.
Chivalry, which is also in M is for Magic is one of the best works in this. I also liked Babycakes, which is unbelievably creepy but very good. And Snow, Glass, Apples was good until the end when the lecherous side kicked in.

I'm really bad at updating my exercising.

Two weeks ago I walked a little under 39 000 steps, equalling 33 km, and biked 35 km for a total of 68 km. That takes my total for the year up to 2346 km.
In my journey throuhg Middle Earth we have made it through the Dead Marshes as the Battle of Helm's Deep rages in the West.

Last week I walked 63 000 steps, equalling 31 km and biked 35 km for a total of 66 km. That takes my total for the year up to 2412 km.
In my walk towards Mount Doom we have seen the guard on the wall above the Black Gate and decided to follow Gollum south instead.

Alright, an update from last week.

I walked 69 000 steps, equalling 34 km and biked 37 km for a total of 71 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2483 km.
In my journey toward Mount Doom we have now met the Southern Rangers, including Faramir, who have questioned us. And when the Rangers battled the Haradrim, we got to see an oliphant!

In addition to my walking and biking I also swam half a km as we had a "health on campus" day at work with free entry to the swimming pool/water park in town. I'd been hoping to swim a full km but had what I fear might have been an asthma attack so had to get out of the pool and get the inhaler I got last year when I had some issues.
I also had the first part of a 40-years check up, which the region I live in offers everyone when they turn 40 (also 50 and 60). Yearly checkups for otherwise healthy adults are not a thing here. I got weighted and measured (no surprises), had some blood drawn and my blood pressure checked. At 105/75, the assistant nurse wondered if It was usually that low and I replied that it was the highest I can remember it ever being (save when I've been ill). When I was younger and had anaemia due to undiagnosed and untreated endometriosis I had a blood pressure of 85/55. The next part of the check up is in about a month, when I'll sit down and talk to a nurse about any issues or questions I might have health-wise and if the blood test reveals anything. I'll raise the question about possible asthma then.

>115 PawsforThought: I hope that the results of your tests are not problematic. I am glad to hear that you get the opportunity to sit down with a nurse and discuss your questions.

Have a marvelous Monday, Paws!

Just caught up here. I can see why you feel as though you’ve had enough short stories for a while. You’ve read a lot of them this year! I prefer novels or at least novellas, but I enjoy the occasional short story volume. Im glad to see that you’ve got some books read this year.

I’m so impressed by your walking/biking! You’ve been doing amazingly well. I’m one of those who has to force herself to exercise. I do love to walk, but Florida is so very hot for 6 months or so that it’s hard to do it.

I just discovered Bulgakov this year through The Master and Margarita. Fascinating book, so weird that it totally held my attention.

I’m sorry about your Dad. That’s a very difficult situation for everyone, and so sad.

Fingers crossed for positive results from your bloodwork.

An exercise update on last week.

I walked 61 000 steps, equalling a bit under 31 km km, and biked 43 km for a total of 74 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2557 km. With 3/4 of the year passed, I have walked 89% so am ahead of the curve.
In my journey through Middle Earth I have left the Southern Rangers and Faramir and are continuing towards Mount Doom.

Last week was pretty terrible. I caught a cold last weekend and it turned into a (fairly mild, but still quite miserable) sinus infection which made my face, jaws and ears hurt all week. While I did still walk and bike I decided to skip PT and yoga, which I think was a good call. I'm feeling much better now.

>116 alcottacre: Hi! Thanks for stopping by. I have no reason to suspect the test will show anything problematic.

>117 Matke: Hi, and thanks for the kind words and well-wishes.
Yes, there have been a lot of short stories this year - it was completely unplanned. I also have to force myself to exercise as I generally find it insanely boring, but gamifying it has really helped. Also, I watch YouTube videos or scroll through Pinterest when I'm on the exercise bike.
I love Bulgakov's writing, and The Master and Margarita is one of my favourite books.

>118 PawsforThought: I'm sorry to hear about the nasty cold! May this week be much better!

>120 quondame: Thank you! I'm feeling much better this week.

Today is my 40th birthday. I had originally planned to be abroad this week, but plans were changed so I'm at work as usual. There was a bouquet of roses waiting for me when I sat down to have breakfast this morning and two of my closest colleagues have treated me to chocolates and a crossword made specially for the occasion. Do I have the best colleagues or do I have the very best colleagues?
Having lunch out with a bunch of people from work followed by a guided tour at the art museum nearby.
It'll be a good day. So far, 40 feels very similar to 39.

Happy birthday Paws! You have some fabulous colleagues. Enjoy your day!

Happy Birthday! Gosh, 40 seems so long ago, and it was THE birthday that made me shudder. Obviously, it isn't such a bad number after all! You certainly do have wonderful colleagues. I hope the rest of your day brings even more delights.

>123 lauralkeet: and >124 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you both! My day has been good. The art museum was really fascinating and when I got back to work there were balloons on my desk! I’ve had flowers, more sweets and my mum gave me a set of steel pots (I’d specifically asked for them as I like useful presents). Now I’m debating whether I should finish the evening by watching a nice cosy mystery on TV or read a bit. But first some biking while watch Only Connect.

Happy Birthday Paws! I hope you get the time to celebrate fully!

Happy birthday!

Thank you Susan and Jim! I had a good day yesterday.

Belated happy birthday, Paws. Sounds like you celebrated in style!

#9.
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay


I was introduced to this book through a few different lists of “greatest mysteries”, “greatest eerie books”, etc. and was expecting something along the lines of We Have Always Lived in the Castle of Something Wicked This Way Comes. This is a really good book, it I do not find it the slightest bit eerie or even really a mystery. It’s an interesting and believable peek at what could happen when something terribly sad and unexplainable happens, and the depiction of the unraveling of Mrs Appleyard is really well done. I do wish there had been a bit more in terms of a resolution.

Whoops, another late update. Three weeks to update this time.

Three weeks ago I walked 64 000 steps, equalling 32 km and biked 43 km for a total of 75 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2632 km.
In my journey to Mount Doom we have now reached Shelob's lair and Frodo has been stung.

Two weeks ago I walked 56 000 steps, equalling 28 km and biked 48 km for a total of km. This takes my total for the year up to 2708 km.
As I head closer to Mount Doom, Sam has rescued Frodo from the orcs who had captured him when he was near-dead from Shelob's sting.

Last week I walked 54 000 steps, equalling 27 km and biked 47 km for a total of 74 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2782 km.
In my journey through Middle_Earth Sam and Frodo were discovered by orcs who believed they were orc deserters, but they have managed to escape again.

This means I now only have 65 km left before reaching Mount Doom. Unless something catastrophic happens, will reach that target by the end of this week. I suppose I'll have to think about what I'll do for the rest of the year.
I've started some minor planning for next year's exercise challenge but have to work out some details. There are some things that would be more difficult if I haven't moved (and since we're nearing the end of the year, it's looking more likely that I won't be moving this year. We'll see.

In other news, I've not been doing my yoga and PT to the level I should be and my back and neck are annoyed with me. I'm not having a lot of energy at the moment - common for this time of year when the sun rises late and sets early.

Hi Paws. You are still doing great with your walking and biking challenge. I agree with you, it can be incredibly boring! So kudos for keeping to it. Are you exercising/working out indoors now?

I’m not looking forward to the darker part of the year, now that I have an apartment at the ground floor, with much less natural light. Was thinking of buying some LED plant/daylight lights and creating a lighted plant corner.

Congratulations for your birthday!

Hi Ella! Thanks for the congratulations.

Yes, aside from the walking I do on my way to and from work, and the longer walks I take on the weekends, I exercise indoors. I do that almost all year round. I have such long days at work so when I come home, I simply get on the exercise bike rather than head outdoors. I would probably benefit from the extra fresh air, but it's pitch black outside when I get home from work, and I can watch TV or read while on the exercise bike.

Your plan for a lighted plant corner sounds nice. I've been considering getting a light therapy lamp but have not decided yet.

#10.
It by Stephen King


This is a massive book (the copy I read was 1067 pages) , but it actually didn't take me that long to read, unless you count the time that it was simply put aside because I was procrastinating. It's an interesting book, and just as much a coming-of-age novel as a horror novel, if not more. There are some things I disliked, including constant descriptions of the overweight person's looks, and there is a scene towards the end of the books that I skipped over completely (if you know, you know). I knew is was coming and didn't want to read that.
But overall a very good book, I thought.
And I was very fond of this quote, from near the end of the book: Be true, be brave, stand. All the rest is darkness.

#11.
Vet in Harness by James Herriot


I love reading these books about life as a country vet in the thirties and fourties. It’s so nice to be able to read in something that isn’t heavy or scary or disturbing (I like reading those things too, but you need variety). Especially with the world feeling like a scarier place with every passing day, giving the brain a break with something a bit lighter is so nice. There are sad things happening in Darrowby, too (at the end of the book, Herriot goes off to join the forces of WW2) but the focus is on joy and love of animals.

Okay, another two-week update.

Week before last I walked 60 000 steps, equalling 30 km and biked 49 km for a total of 79 km. That takes my total for the year up to 2861 km.
This means that in my journey through Middle Earth I have now reached Mount Doom and the ring has been thrown into the fire.
Since there is so much time left of the year, I've decided that the rest of the year I'm going to spend following Frodo and Sam from Hobbiton to the Grey Havens. I probably won't make it all the way, but we'll see how far I make it.

Last week I walked 55 000 steps, which is equal to 27 km and biked 50 km for a total of 77 km. This takes my total for the year up to 2938 km.
So in my amended journey through Middle Earth I have left Bag End of Hobbiton behind and left for the Grey Havens. We have heard the elves singing and joined up with them.

#12
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf


I think everyone has one (or several) author that they're a bit intimidated by and therefore put off reading. Virginia Woolf has always been that author for me - not helped by the fact that the one books I've previously read by her (To the Lighthouse) was one I found very difficult to both get into and to really "get".
This is partly why now, that I've decided Woolf is an author I want to have read, I chose a very short work. This is really only an essay (my version was 23 pages). It's an easy and interesting read, even though it swings between discussing women and their lack of power and wealth compared to men, and Woolf simply walking around in "Oxbridge" one day, being denied entry to a museum (I'm guessing that was the Bodleian) and eating - the descriptions of the food are surprisingly detailed.
I liked this one a lot. The most famous quote is perhaps the one that summarises the whole work:"a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction". I also liked, from the end of the essay when Woolf has talked about the poverty of her imagined women's college Fernham compared to that of the (male) Oxbridge: "To raise bare walls out of the bare earth was the utmost they could do.".

>137 PawsforThought: Woolf's essays I can do. Her fiction is decidedly not for me.

>138 MickyFine: That doesn’t surprise me. I have a copy of Orlando at home and intend to at least read that one. We’ll see if I get around to any of her others.

#13
The Shining by Stephen King


I feel that Stephen King, or at least his older novels, has been somewhat misrepresented. Yes, they are horror stories with evil beings, monsters and such in them. But mostly they are stories about people, whether it be a coming-of-age story as in It or a metaphor for addiction as in this novel. I really hope this book is studied at universities because it is a perfect representation of addiction in literature.
And it’s a great novel! It was an easy (despite the subject matter) and fast read - I’ve read over 300 pages in four days, and I was working full-time for three of those days. I’m definitely reading more King in the future.

#14.
Grekiska myter och sagor by Claes Lindskog


This is a short non-fiction book covering the most famous, and a couple of not quite as famous, myths and tales from Ancient Greece. I borrowed this book over two years ago because I realised that my memory on who’s who and who did what was getting a bit blurry. I started reading it on the train, but then started listening to podcasts instead so it’s been languishing for a long time. Last week I decided enough was enough so I started reading it again, on the train and bus to and from work. It’s an okay read. It’s very short, so the details are almost non-existent (the story of Daedalus and Icarus is not even two paperback pages long) and it’s showing it’s age in how things are described, but I wanted a short and simple guide to Greek myths and that’s what I got.

15.
Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood


I love the Phryne Fisher books, although rate I this one a little below the previous books I’ve read in the series. Maybe it’s because I dislike clowns?
It was still a fun and quick read, which was sorely needed as I otherwise have quite a few long and more difficult (either by subject, length or language) reads going on beside.

16.
The October Country by Ray Bradbury


This was a group read which was meant to be read during September and October, in order to finish by Halloween. Even though I was the one to suggest The October Country, I didn’t manage to finish in the planned time span. In fact, at the end of October I’d only read the first two short stories in the collection. I stalled because I wasn’t as keen on them as I’d thought I’d be, but when I started reading it while pedalling away on my exercise bike I really got into it and managed to finish on just over a week. I thought it got better and better with almost every story in the collection.

Hi Paws! That exercise bike sounds like a great idea, especially if you can read at the same time.

I loved A Room of One’s Own but it’s been ages since I read it. Forgotten all about the food (really?). Maybe I should do a reread.

Your walking is still going admirably.

Hi Ella! Thanks for stopping by!

Yeas, I'm quite enjoying being able to get some exercise in while reading - it's boosting both my exercising and my reading time. I have designated certain books as "biking books", so that I definitely read them instead of just defaulting to easier reads.

Oops, it's been a while so here's a three-week update:

Three weeks ago I walked 54 000 steps, equalling 27 km and biked 62 km for a total of 89 km. That takes my total for the year up to 3027 km.
In my journey through Middle-Earth I have now walked through open field and the land has begun to climb west toward the White Downs.

Two weeks ago I walked 60 000 steps, equalling 30 km and biked 70 km for a total of 100 km. That takes my total for the year up to 3127 km.
This means that in my walk alongside Frodo and Sam I have passed the Far Downs and can see Tower Hills on the western horizon.

Last week I walked 66 000 km, equalling 33 and biked 60 km for a total of 93 km. That takes my total for the year up to 3220 km.
In my journey to the Grey Havens I have reached the Towers at the top of the Tower Hills and can see the waters of the Gulf of Lune.

>143 PawsforThought: I have not read that one by Bradbury, so I will have to see if I can locate a copy.

>146 PawsforThought: Coming right along! Congratulations on making it so far. I am still doing the Appalachian Trail and passed the 80% mark yesterday.

>147 alcottacre: I was surprised by how much I liked it as I hadn’t been a massive fan of The Illustrated Man and the first two-three stories in this book were not ones I was very fond of. But the more I got into it the more stories I liked.

And great work on 80%! Do you think you’ll be able to finish all of it this year?

17.
The Fortune of the Rougons by Émile Zola


This was part of a group read that I, as usual, got behind on quickly. The plan was to read one book in Zola’s Rougon-Macquart series every other month, with this one—the first in the order Zola himself recommended—being slated for September. I picked it back up when I decided I needed something to distract me from the boredom of the exercise bike (something that wasn’t doomscrolling) and I ended up quite liking this book. There’s nary a likeable character in the whole book, even though we’re introduced to almost the entire clan, but you’re still drawn into them and end up hoping they pull through.
The next book in the series is His Excellency Eugène Rougon, which was meant to be read in November. I’m going to take a break and read something else in between, but will come back to these people after that (hopefully before the holidays).

Exercise update:

Last week I walked 53 000 steps, which equals 27 km, and biked 60 km for a total of 87 km. This takes my total for the year up to 3307 km.
In my journey through Middle Earth I have now reached the Grey Havens. This means that Frodo (along with the elves) will be sailing into the West and the other hobbits will walk back home to Hobbiton. I will follow them back. We can once again see the towers on Tower Hill.

Another late update, this time with markedly lower numbers than lately, as I've not been feeling well for a while and decided to take it a bit easier. There's a multitude of various viruses roaming right now (seasonal flu, covid, RS, mycoplasma) so it's very possible I've caught one.

The week before last I walked 61 000 km, equalling 30 km and biked 30 km for a total of 60 km. This takes my total for the year up to 3367 km.
In my journey through Middle Earth I'm now following Sam back from the Grey Havens. We've once again reached the Towers at the top of the Towel Hills and are heading downwards.

Last week I walked 70 000 km, equalling 35 km and biked 30 km for a total of 65 km. This takes my total for the year up to 3432 km.
In my journey with Sam we can now see the crest of the Far Downs and have camped just off the road.

18.
Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood


I should have been reading one of my other books, but kept picking up this one instead, because it’s so nice to get into a short and easy read.
This is another book in the Miss Fisher series. I remember this being one of my least favourite episodes of the TV series, but I still rather enjoyed the book. The intrigue with Lin Chung and his family is markedly different from how I remember the TV series.

We are in the middle of a re-watch of the Miss Fisher TV series...I haven't read this far in the books. I believe I stopped at No. 4, and have been more taken by the dramatisation, with its amazing costuming and set designs, which my imagination can't quite match from the written descriptions.

I love the TV series and have seen it at least four or five times. I do think it’s generally a bit better than the books, partly for the reasons you mention, but I do also really enjoy the books.

Nadolig Llawen, Happy Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Thinking of you at this time, Paws

Hi Paws.

Well, I see that I haven't visited since January. I did, however, just made a cell phone alarm to go off 10 minutes before the new year to read the Tennyson poem.

I hope to do better keeping up with you next year.

19.
Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones


This is the second book in the trilogy about the moving castle, which begins with Howl’s Moving Castle. It is initially very different from the Howl books but as you get to the end and find out what’s been going on and familiar characters start showing up, the story itself also becomes more familiar.
I quite liked this one, though not quite as much as Howl’s Moving Castle.

Thank you Rhian, Paul and Karen for stopping by and giving your well-wishes. Hopefully, in 2025 I will be better at visiting other people’s threads (I can’t get much worse).