Alcott Acre's Home, Room 1

Well, let's get the introduction out of the way. My name is Stasia and I have been happily married to the recently retired Kerry for almost 36 years. We have 6 children, 4 of whom are my stepchildren and 2 of whom are ours together. We also have 8 grandchildren. 2023 was a tough year for our family as we lost my father and stepdaughter, Nichole, within days of each other back in February.

I love to read and it has been a huge solace to me over the past year - I call it "burying myself in books." Since Kerry retired December 29th, it is going to be interesting to see how his retirement affects my reading! I am playing it safe and just shooting for 100 books read this year. I also suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (known to me familiarly as 'stupid CFS') and it seems like my bouts are becoming longer each time it springs up, so it affects my reading for the worse - just witness last December.

That's about it, I think, so come on in and grab a cuppa!

Excellent Reads from 2023 (in the order in which I read them):

5 Stars
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare
The Colony by Audrey Magee
People Love Dead Jews by Dara Horn
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
At Canaan’s Edge by Taylor Branch
Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

4.5 Stars
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
The Bridge on the San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
The War Against the Jews 1933-1945 by Lucy S. Dawidowicz
Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Remembrance of Things Past, Volume 1 by Marcel Proust
Beyond Belief: The American Press & the Coming of the Holocaust, 1933-1945 by Deborah Lipstadt
Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada
Betty by Tiffany McDaniel
The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust
The Sorrow of War by Bao Ninh
The Boy Who Followed His Father into Auschwitz by Jeremy Dronfield
Pillar of Fire by Taylor Branch
Greenwood by Michael Christie
The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse by Rich Cohen
Out of the House of Bondage by Thavolia Glymph
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
"A Problem from Hell" by Samantha Power
The World Broke in Two by Bill Goldstein
Time Regained by Marcel Proust
A Grand Army of Black Men edited by Edwin S. Redkey
The Trees by Percival Everett
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
Montana 1948 by Larry Watson
Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount
In the Garden of the Righteous by Richard Hurowitz
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
I Saw Death Coming by Kidada E. Williams
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
The Book of Paradise by Itzik Manger
Sweet Taste of Liberty by W. Caleb McDaniel
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty
The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich
The Warburgs by Ron Chernow
What's So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
You Have to Be Prepared to Die Before You Can Begin to Live: Ten Weeks in Birmingham That Changed America by Paul Kix
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

4.25 Stars
Reunion in Death by J.D. Robb
Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard
Network Effect by Martha Wells
The Color of Distance by Amy Thomson
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
A Trail through Time by Jodi Taylor
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Charles Dickens: A Life by Claire Tomalin
Eventide by Kent Haruf
The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss
Bee Sting Cake by Victoria Goddard
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
A Shot in the Moonlight by Ben Montgomery
The Rape of the Nile by Brian M. Fagan
Storyteller by G.R. Grove
Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
The Day of the Scorpion by Paul Scott
The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish
Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg
The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Best of Enemies by Gus Russo and Eric Dezenhall
Origin in Death by J. D. Robb
Payback in Death by J. D. Robb
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Love-in-a-Mist by Victoria Goddard
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
The Night of the Hunter by Davis Grubb
What an Owl Knows by Jennifer Ackerman
A Division of the Spoils by Paul Scott
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
The Future is History by Masha Gessen
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Excellent Reads from 2024 (in the order in which I read them):

5 Stars
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

4.5 Stars
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho
The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs
A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux
Heading North by Holly M. Wendt

4.25 Stars
The Serial Garden by Joan Aiken
Freezing Order by Bill Browder
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews

January TIOLI Challenges:

Challenge #1: Read a book with a word or phrase related to time in the title
28 Days by David Safier - Completed January 25, 2024

Challenge #2: Read a book with a garden or floral themed title or cover art
The Serial Garden by Joan Aiken - Completed January 4, 2024

Challenge #3: Read a book with a title word that begins with A, B, C, Do, Re or Mi
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews - Completed January 29, 2024
The Battle of Salamis by Barry Strauss - Completed January 31, 2024
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway - Completed January 19, 2024
In the Company of Gentlemen by Victoria Goddard - Completed January 3, 2024
The Missing File by D.A. Mishani - Completed January 31, 2024
Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres - Completed January 15, 2024

Challenge #4: Read a book that's on a Best of 2023 list
This Other Eden by Paul Harding - Completed January 27, 2024
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - Completed January 24, 2024

Challenge #5: Read a book with a new chapter/section starting on p. 53, 53 in the ISBN, or an author's first name in the top 25 for Alabama in 1971
The Archive Thief by Lisa Moses Leff - Completed January 28, 2024
A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon - Completed January 18, 2024
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain - Completed January 11, 2024
The Tower at the Edge of the World by Victoria Goddard - Completed January 1, 2024

Challenge #6: Read a book by an author whose name is next to one of the big names in your author cloud
The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs - Completed January 14, 2024
A Man’s Place by Annie Ernaux - Completed January 22, 2024
Persian Fire by Tom Holland - Completed January 29, 2024

Challenge #7: The Agatha Challenge: Dame Agatha Christie died in January 1976, so let’s pay tribute to the lady. Your challenge is to read a book with the name “Agatha” in either the title or the author’s name, but the books cannot be either about or written by Agatha Christie. Let’s see how many other Agathas are out there! (I bet they were all named in honor of Dame Christie!) Embedded words and subtitles are allowed
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow - Completed January 8, 2024
Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton - Completed January 24, 2024

Challenge #8: A Trip Down the River Rhein

Hinterrhein – the first village on the Rhine. There is an army place for tanks (in the 1980s there the Swiss army tested the M1 Abrams and the German Leopard 2.
first book: first title word starts with H, author ends with N
second book: read something connected to army, weapons, war
1st book: Hell Before Breakfast by Robert H. Patton - Completed January 11, 2024
2nd book: A War Like No Other by Victor Davis Hanson - Completed January 9, 2024

Challenge #9: Read a book dealing with business, finance or financial shenanigans
Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath by Bill Browder - Completed January 5, 2024

Challenge #10: Read a book where the author’s first and last name begins with the same letter
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff - Completed January 18, 2024

Challenge #11: Read a book by an author who you first read in 2023
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison - Completed January 28, 2024

Challenge #12: Read a book with a pronoun or Who/Whom/Whose in the title
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor - Completed January 9, 2024

Challenge #13 : Read a book about the Roman Empire (Fiction or Non-Fiction)
Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome by Anthony Everitt - Completed January 12, 2024

Challenge #14: Read a book whose title and/or subtitle includes a noun starting with “Un”
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho - Completed January 5, 2024

Challenge #15: Read a book with 250 pages or more
The Best of S.J. Perelman by S.J. Perelman - Completed January 9, 2024
Creation in Death by J.D. Robb - Completed January 3, 2024
Grievous Sin by Faye Kellerman - Completed January 31, 2024
Heading North by Holly M. Wendt - Completed January 28, 2024
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers - Completed January 22, 2024

Challenge #16: Read a book for the Zodiac challenge (Capricorn - mythical creature in title/author's name)
The Tolkien Reader by J.R.R. Tolkein (birthday is January 3rd) - Completed January 7, 2024

For the past 2 years, I have concentrated on reading the works of one author in particular. In 2022, I read through all of Jane Austen’s works. In 2023, I read all of the volumes of In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust. For 2024, I have decided to do something a bit different and, using Classics for Pleasure by Michael Dirda as a guide, am going to go through each of the chapters of the book and select one work from each.

So for January we have:

Playful Imaginations:
The True History; Lucius, or The Ass; Dialogues of the Dead by Lucian
Rameau’s Nephew by Denis Diderot
Crochet Castle by Thomas Love Peacock
Seven Men; A Christmas Garland; Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm
The Good Soldier Svejk by Jaroslav Hasek
Brothers and Sisters; Manservant and Maidservant by Ivy Compton-Burnett
The Best of S.J. Perelman by S.J. Perelman - Completed January 9, 2024
Invisible Cities; The Castle of Crossed Destinies; If on a winter’s night a traveler by Italo Calvino
Amphigorey; Amphigorey Too; Amphigorey Also; Amphigorey Again by Edward Gorey

What would you have chosen? Why?

Series Reading - I will post these as I read them:

The In Death series by J.D. Robb
Creation in Death - Completed January 3, 2024

The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
A Breath of Snow and Ashes - Completed January 18, 2024

The St. Mary’s books by Jodi Taylor
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The Decker/Lazarus series by Faye Kellerman
Grievous Sin - Completed January 31, 2024

The Three Pines series by Louise Penny
The Brutal Telling

The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear
An Incomplete Revenge

The Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson
One Good Turn

The Shetland Series by Ann Cleeves
White Nights

Black Studies Reading
Must reads for this year: King: A Life by Jonathan Eig and When We Ruled by Robin Walker
1. Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho - Completed January 5, 2024
2. Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall and Hugo Martinez - Completed February 2, 2024

Jewish Studies Reading
Must reads for this year: The Instructions by Adam Levin and Jewish Literacy: The Most Important Things to Know About the Jewish Religion, Its People and Its History by Joseph Telushkin
1. 28 Days by David Safier - Completed January 25, 2024
2. The Archive Thief by Lisa Moses Leff - Completed January 28, 2024

The War Literature Challenge - I will be attempting to read at least 2 books toward each monthly challenge.

JANUARY - The Ancients (Greeks, Romans etc)
A War Like No Other by Victor Davis Hanson - Completed January 9, 2024
The Battle of Salamis by Barry Strauss - Completed January 31, 2024
Persian Fire by Tom Holland - Completed January 29, 2024

FEBRUARY - The American War of Independence

MARCH - The War of the Roses

APRIL - Wars of Religion

MAY - The Napoleonic Wars

JUNE - The English Civil War

JULY - Colonial Wars

AUGUST - World War Two

SEPTEMBER - The American Civil War

OCTOBER - American Follies (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Gulf Wars)

NOVEMBER - World War One

DECEMBER - The Spanish Civil War

WILDCARD - Pick your own fight!

The “Read More Sci-Fi” Challenge - using the Esquire list found here (https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/g39358054/best-sci-fi-books/) and the book Science Fiction, The 101 Best Novels, 1985-2010 by Damien Broderick and Paul di Filippo as guides
1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers - Completed January 22, 2024 (Esquire List #29)

The “Indie List” Challenge with the list supplied by Berly
1. All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews - Completed January 29, 2024

The Around the World in 80 Novels Challenge inspired by the book of the same name. I want to try and expand my reading horizons to places I have rarely or never been. In addition to reading from the book that inspired this challenge, I will also be using Around the World in 80 Books as a reference.
1. The Missing File by D.A. Mishani - (Israel) Completed January 31, 2024

The Monthly Nonfiction Challenge - I try to read at least 100 nonfiction books a year and this challenge is instrumental in helping me achieve that goal. Last year, I was just short with only 96 nonfiction reads in the year, so I am hoping to improve that number in 2024!
January The Archive Thief by Lisa Moses Leff - Completed January 28, 2024

The American Authors Challenge - This is one that I dip into and out of as the case may be
January The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain - Completed January 11, 2024

The British Authors Challenge - I have never participated in this one before and I suspect that, like the American Authors Challenge, it will be one into which I dip only on occasion
January The Serial Garden by Joan Aiken - Completed January 4, 2024

Hi Stasia!

Wishing you a great one!

Wow Stasia, those are some amazingly ambitious reading plans. All the best!

Happy New Year, Stasia! As always, ambitious reading plans that I am certain you will meet.

Happy New Year, Stasia!

Little doubt about the fact that a star has been dropped here, Juana.

Happy new year to you and yours dear lady.

Happy New Year, Stasia! Your reading is so eclectic, I really enjoy following it. I am sure Kerry's retirement will change things up but I am equally sure you will find your rhythm.

Happy New Year, Stasia. I hope you have a safe & healthy 2024. I am looking forward to sharing another year of books with you. ❤️🦉

*yawn*smack smack*mumble

...Oh, hi Stasia. Please tell me there's coffee....

Happy New Year, Stasia. I hope 2024 is a good year for you. You certainly did some great reading in 2023! I love looking at favorites lists.

Happy new year, Stasia! Good luck with all those goals/plans!

Happy new year, Stasia! We have a few "best" books overlapping, including Demon Copperhead and The Covenant of Water.

Here's to a great reading year in 2024 - and I'm about to start The Tower at the Edge of the World to kick off our Victoria Goddard joint reads.

>10 quondame: Thank you, Susan!

>11 mdoris: Thank you, Mary. We will see how far my ambition gets me, lol.

>12 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the vote of confidence, Deborah!

>13 DianaNL: Thank you, Diana!

>14 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the star, Paul!

>15 lauralkeet: I hope I find my rhthym fast, Laura, believe me.

>16 msf59: I love our shared reads, Mark, and am looking forward to Yellowface and The Sparrow already!

>17 richardderus: Only tea around these parts, RD. Sorry!

>18 BLBera: I love looking at favorites lists too, Beth. I keep them out on my Google drive so I can refer to them later.

>19 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie!

>20 bell7: We have good taste in books, don't we, Mary? Lol

I will be starting The Tower at the Edge of the World soon too and anticipate finishing it today since it is so short :)

A year-end meme that I stole from Linda's thread:

1. Describe Yourself: The Child Who Never Grew

2. Describe How You Feel: I Curse the River of Time

3. Describe Where You Currently Live: The Bingo Palace

4. If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Norwegian Wood

5. You favorite form of transportation is: The Sway of the Grand Saloon (we are fixing to go on a cruise!)

6. Your favorite food is: Plum Duff

7. Your favorite time of day is: The Night of the Hunter

8. Your best friend is: The Last Devil to Die

9. You and your friends are: Little Thieves

10. What the weather is like: "A Problem from Hell"

11. You fear: Corpse

12. What is the best advice you have to give: Stay True

13. Thought for the Day: Adios, Nirvana

14. What is life for you: A Midsummer Night's Dream

15. How would you like to die: Out of the House of Bondage (bondage to CFS in my case, lol)

How on earth could I have forgotten about The Meme! Thanks for the nudge, Stasia. Off to peruse last year’s reads once again. I’m glad my list of books is shorter than yours. ;-)

Happy new year and new thread. Hope 2024 is kind to you

That's a lot of reading! I hope your 2024 year is blessed with lots of good books and happiness.

Happy New Year Stasia!

Happy New Year Stasia. I hope 2024 is a better year for you and yours.

>26 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian!

>27 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline! I hope so too.

Happy new thread, and new year, Stasia. Seems a lot of us are happy to see the backside of 2023. Onward and forward! It can only get better, right?

Hi Stasia, and happy new year! I hope 2024 will be a good one for you.

>4 alcottacre: Ooh, that’s a tough choice to make. I’ve been thinking a lot lately that I’d like to include the old Greeks and Romans into my reading so the Lucius and Lucian text would be perfect.
Then there’s The Good Soldier Svejk, which I started reading years ago during a WWI binge but had to return when I was just at the beginning and never got around to borrowing again. It seemed really good, though.
And I’ve already read the first two (I think) Amphigoreys and adored them (I recited part of the Gashlycrumb Tinies to a co-worker recently).

Welcome back, Stasia!

Happy New Year, Stasia! I hope that 2024 is a better year for your family. Sounds like it's off to a great start with Kerry's retirement!

Happy New Year!

>29 jessibud2: I certainly hope it gets better, Shelley!

>30 PawsforThought: Thanks, Paws. I was tempted by the Gorey books, but I could not get hold of them. Maybe someday. I won The Good Soldier Sveyk, but its length put me off for January as I am going to be out of town for 10 days.

>31 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>32 AMQS: Yeah, we are really excited about Kerry's retirement. We are off on a cruise in about 2 weeks to celebrate :).

>33 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

Oh wow! How wonderful! Where will your cruise take you?

>35 AMQS: The Bahamas, Jamaica, and Haiti for sure. I cannot remember all of the stops, but those are the highlights.

Finished tonight:

1 - The Tower at the Edge of the World by Victoria Goddard - Mary and I are continuing our exploration of Goddard's Nine Worlds series of books with this novella featuring the back story of one of the prominent characters from the books. We find a young man resigned to spending his life in one of quiet contemplation and study until one day something appears outside his window and he just has to know what it is; Recommended (4 stars) Mine - Kindle

>37 alcottacre: I am joining you!

Hi Stasia -- dropping off my star and wishing you a Happy New Year!!

Happy New Year!! >8 alcottacre: Up for another shared read..maybe Feb? Maybe one of these...

The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Silas Marner by George Eliot (a classic with a new afterward)
The Listeners by Leni Zumas
How Music Works by David Byrne
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
The Empathy Exams by Leslie Jamison
The New & Improved Romie Futch by Julia Elliott
A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Happy reading in 2024, Stasia!

>38 quondame: Nice!

>39 EBT1002: Thank you, Ellen! Happy New Year to you and P as well.

>40 Berly: How about The Heart's Invisible Furies in February, Kim? I have already read several on the list, but not gotten to that one yet.

>41 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita! Same to you.

Today Kerry and I will be in Longview visiting my mother and our daughter Catey so I will not be doing any reading nor be around on LT much.

See everyone later! Have a terrific Tuesday!!

>3 alcottacre: I liked Red Dog and 84, Charing Cross Road, hope you do, too.

Happy New Year and new thread! I love the meme answers in >22 alcottacre:

Happy New Year, Stasia!

Happy new year, Stasia! Looking forward to your 2024 reads!

Happy new year, Stasia! I'm here to be amazed by all you'll get done this year!

>44 fuzzi: I love 84, Charing Cross Road, fuzzi. It is one of my all-time favorite books. Since you like Red Dog, I suspect I will too.

>45 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi! I always have fun with the memes.

>46 Carmenere: Happy New Year, Lynda!

>47 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie. I am looking forward to yours as well.

>48 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! I am not sure there is going to be anything to be amazed at though :)

Kerry and I got home about 30 minutes ago and I am dead tired. I am going to try and finish up the book I was reading while he was driving, but I suspect I will be out before then. If so, I will be back tomorrow!

>37 alcottacre: A book already and a four star read-nicely done!

Happy new years beginnings

>42 alcottacre: Works for me!! Hope you had a good day. : )

Dropping in to say happiest of new years! Looking forward to a great 2024

I loved The Heart's Invisible Furies -- enjoy!!!

Well, how is Kerry's retirement going ? Perhaps it is too early to say ? Dave just filed his papers online to his company for his retirement at the end of March. I'm looking forward to it, but I am thinking - will he be bored ? I don't think so, but it will make a change.

Happy first thread of 2024, Stasia. The stops on your cruise sound amazing!

>40 Berly: The Heart's Invisible Furies & A Constellation of Vital Phenomena are great choices.

Happy Wednesday, Stasia. I am enjoying One Hundred Years but this one will take awhile. I am also having a good time with North Woods. If this isn't on your TBR, it should be.

Hello, Stasi. A slightly belated Happy New Year to you. I'm looking forward to keeping up with your threads.

>51 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>52 Berly: I just realized I completely forgot to put a "Shared Reads" post up top! Hopefully I will not forget, lol.

>53 streamsong: I hope you have a wonderful 2024 too, Janet!

>54 EBT1002: Oo, nice! Thanks for the input, Ellen!

>55 vancouverdeb: Kerry has not had time to be bored until today. Currently he is napping on the couch, lol. We will see how Dave adapts too, I guess.

>56 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I certainly hope they are!

>57 msf59: I completely agree about A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Mark. We will see how I feel about the other, but I hope I like it as much as you did!

>58 msf59: Adding North Woods to the BlackHole, Mark. Thanks for the recommendation!

>59 meanderer: Hey, Tony! Great to see you here!

Finished this afternoon:

2 - Creation in Death by J.D. Robb - In this continuation of the In Death series, Eve finds herself up a serial killer that she first encountered 9 years previous when Feeney was still her partner. However, this time around, not only is the killer still a killing machine, but he has focused on making Eve his last victim. What he did not count on was Eve, Roarke, and the team at the NYPSD being so tenacious; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Finished tonight:

3 - In the Company of Gentlemen by Victoria Goddard - As with so many of the novellas that Goddard has written for the Nine Worlds series, I just did not think this one was long enough. I would liked to have known more about Zorey other than just the fight that seemed to have defined his career and who he was. That being said, the telling of Zorey's tale of ignominy was well-told and I really hope he reappears somewhere down the line; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine - Kindle

As Mary said in her review of this one, "I'll read anything Victoria Goddard writes at this point, and it's always a pleasure to see what else she can do." I completely agree with that!

Happy New Year, Stasia!

>62 alcottacre: Looks like we had pretty similar thoughts on that one! I'm looking forward to reading Derring-Do for Beginners next month.

Hi Stasia, Happy New Year and happy first thread.

>1 alcottacre: Yay for Kerry’s retirement, boo hiss, as always for the ‘stupid CFS’.

>4 alcottacre: Edward Gorey is always a safe and wonderful bet. I have all 3 of those on my shelves and probably need to start reading him again. My first was The Epiplectic Bicycle.

>40 Berly: I have, read, and loved A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. I gave it 4* in October of 2014.

It just occurred to me that you have to spend quite a bit of time figuring out what to read, acquiring or pulling it from your shelves or queueing it up on your Kindle, and actually reading the books, posting reviews, and keeping your stunning stats for each year. Brava.

>63 ronincats: Happy New Year to you too, Roni!

>64 bell7: I am very much looking forward to Derring-Do for Beginners, Mary! It is like the two novellas just gave us a taste of what is to come.

>65 karenmarie: Hey, Karen! Happy New Year to you too! Yeah, the stupid CFS is still not leaving me alone. I wish my local library had more than one of Gorey's books (Amphigorey Again) and I am not sure if they can be read out of order.

One of my favorite parts of any month is picking out the books that I want to read for the various challenges, Karen. I have little cloth crates that I keep the books in and I love seeing them stack up and then seeing the stacks diminish over the course of the month.

Well, Kerry is in a game playing mood this morning, so we are off to play Ticket to Ride Legacy shortly. I will try and get back later, but I have at least book that I would like to finish off today.

Finished this afternoon:

4 - The Serial Garden by Joan Aiken - Juvenile; I read this one for the British Author challenge for January. I enjoyed this book immensely despite it being for kids. The Armitage family stories are well-told and in spite of the fact that they are for kids, these are not "happily ever after" stories for the most part. The actions have consequences, some good, some bad. One of the stories toward the end of the book deals with death. I think that this is a great book for parents and kids to read together and discuss; Recommended (4.25 stars) Library Book

>68 alcottacre:
Joan Aiken was an extraordinary author. When I was a school librarian, kids loved her books. The most popular was Wolves of Willoughby Chase. I never got around to reading it, but I heard about it plenty from the kids.

>68 alcottacre: I actually have read The Wolves of Willoughby Chase although it has been several years ago now. I never read any of her books until I was an adult. I can see why the kids enjoyed her books so much!

I was a Joan Aiken fan as a kid, and I recently (last few years) re-read The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and Black Hearts in Battersea, both of which held up well for me.

>71 katiekrug: Yeah, from what little I have read of her work, I would say that her books stand the test of time very well.

Adding to the Joan Aiken love. I loved the Wolves of Whilloughby Chase books, and found them charming even when I was slightly too old for them. I might have to reread some soon!

>73 curioussquared: Well, she is up for the British Author Challenge this month, Natalie, so join in the fun!

You are off to a good start in 2024! 4 books in 4 days. You are currently on target for 365 in 2024!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/356840

I also loved Joan Aiken when I was young, Stasia, I can't remember all of the books of hers that I read off hand, but I do remember The Wolves Of Willoughby Chase. I read quite a few of her books.

Woooof....I nearly lost track of you, Stasia! Your thread moves mighty fast.

I love your "Agatha" challenge...I gave my MIL the first two Agatha Raisin books for her (95th) birthday in October, and she enjoyed them.

I absolutely loved The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and a few of its sequels when I was young.

I had major, really major issues with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. I seem to have confused Joan Aiken with Jane Aiken Hodge, but now I (think I've) cleared that up. Sisters.

>75 thornton37814: Somehow I do not think that is going to happen, Lori!

>76 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>77 vancouverdeb: >79 AMQS: Yeah, it seems like Joan Aiken was well liked when we were children, doesn't it, Deborah and Anne. I wish I had read her then!

>78 laytonwoman3rd: No, Linda! Do not lose me! Thanks for the comments on the "Agatha" challenge. I am glad your MIL liked the books you gave her.

>80 quondame: I am glad your confusion has been cleared up, Susan!

Well, it has been a day here already. We had a plumber out for several hours this morning and we are still having plumbing problems, which it seems the city needs to resolve as they are all connected to the main. I figure it will be sometime between now and never before they are fixed. Ugh.

>82 alcottacre: I hate that! Out of your control, but still impacting your life.

*smooch*

Bummer about the plumbing issues, Stasia. I hope you get it sorted out. Try to have a good weekend.

I warbled about The Heart's Invisible Furies but I also LOVED A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. It was a five-star read for me.

>82 alcottacre: Ugh indeed. So frustrating.

>83 richardderus: Oh, the story gets even more interesting. The City of Sherman decided that the local gas company was to blame and of course, the local gas company said that no, they were not to blame. It is like being caught between parents who send a child back and forth between the two.

>84 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I hope we get it sorted out too! I really would like to have it sorted out before I hop on a plane for Miami next Saturday.

>85 EBT1002: You have great taste in books, Ellen!

Finished tonight:

5 - Freezing Order by Bill Browder - Nonfiction; This is one of those nonfiction books that reads like a spy novel or something of that ilk. Bill Browder, the book's author, was the found of Hermitage Capital Investment and, at one time, the largest foreign investor in Russia. However, Russia took exception to Hermitage's having so much money invested in the country and basically accused Browder and his company of stealing $230 million dollars. Browder's Russian attorney ended up being beaten to death in a Moscow jail and Browder spent years trying to avenge his death, prove that he and his company had nothing to do with the allegations regarding the theft of millions of dollars, and get the Magnitsky Act, which was intended to punish Russian officials responsible for the death of Russian tax lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in 2009 and also to grant permanent normal trade relations status to Russia, passed. This book, even for someone like me who has no real interest in economics, is gripping reading; Recommended (4.25 stars) Library Book

And another one down. . .

6 - Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho - Nonfiction; Acho makes no pretense about what this book is about: "the premise of this book is about putting those (racial) issues on the table, about engaging with tough conversations, about white people having to sit with the discomfort, because that's how progress is made." I very much enjoyed reading this one and 'listening' to what Acho has to say and the way he went about saying it. I try extremely hard not to be the bigoted person my father was, but I know that I still have biases and am working to try and get rid of them. Books like this one help me to understand where I am, where I am going, and how to get there. There was a test that I took on the Harvard website (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/) that was recommended by Acho and I am glad that I took it - I know that I am "slightly" (the term on my test results) more favorably disposed to white people than I am people of color. I figure I have to have a starting point and that is it. Acho's book helps me better understand both the nature of racism, in and of itself, and what I can do about it within me. There are a ton of resources that he recommends, anywhere from books to essays to music and much more; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library Book

Have fun on the cruise!

>89 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess!

Ack, I'm sorry about your plumbing problems and the associated bureaucracy. I hope it's resolved soon.

>88 alcottacre: Adding this one to my list, and thanks for the recommendation!

>82 alcottacre: Sorry about your plumbing problems! Hopefully they get it sorted quickly for you!

>87 alcottacre: I'm glad that you got as much out of that read as I did, Stasia. The idea that Putin and cronies have TRILLION DOLLARS stashed in Western banks that are hiding it from the rightful owners, ie the Russian people, does a lot to explain why the war in Ukraine is still going on.

>88 alcottacre: Maybe not cheery reading but very, very important stuff.

Happier weekend-ahead's reads, though.

Sorry about the plumbing issue. I hope it gets resolved sooner than what you're anticipating.

>91 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! I hope so too.

>92 scaifea: I hope you enjoy the book when you get to it, Amber!

>93 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>94 richardderus: Yes, it does, Richard, and I was appalled to learn of how much money America has allowed to stash here and in other Western countries.

>95 richardderus: Yes, very, very important stuff, RD. Not sure that what I am reading currently is any happier, lol.

>96 Kristelh: Thanks, Kristel!

Hi Stasia my dear, A belated Happy New Year and i will be visiting throughout 2024 dear friend.

>98 johnsimpson: Hey, John. You remind me that I need to track down your thread as well. Thank you for visting the Acre.

Happy new year of reading Stasia! Seems you're already off with a start at 6 books read for the year. :)

>88 alcottacre: That looks an interesting and intentionally challenging read, Stasia. I don't know where pre-disposition ends and racism begins and I am not smart enough to probably ever be able to do so.

I do know that it is not a simple question of colour coding though. I see it every day here in Malaysia where we have three main races - Malay, Chinese and Indian (largely Tamil) and the State is unrepentant in favouring the Malay over other races. I was in a car accident a number of years ago where a lady threw herself in front of my car (as it turned out an attempted suicide though thankfully an unsuccessful one). I went into the police station to report the accident and the officer asked me "What sort of lady was it?" "I don't understand" I replied. "Was she Malay, Chinese or Indian?". When I named the latter I was politely told to take a seat. Apparently had she been Malay I would have been taken to the lock-up forthwith.

Have a lovely Sunday, Juana.

Happy Sunday, Stasia. I hope you are having a nice weekend, with little discomfort.

*smoochiesmoochsmooch*

>100 WhiteRaven.17: Thanks, Kro! Yours is another thread that I need to track down. . . Can I clone myself?

>101 PaulCranswick: Well, I am glad you did not end up in lockup, Paul, but what a terrible reason to put someone in jail. It was an interesting read and one that I am still thinking about.

>102 PaulCranswick: You too, Juan - although I suspect it is already Monday there.

>103 msf59: Thus far it has been a pretty nice weekend, Mark. I wish the same for you.

>104 richardderus: Back at you, big guy!

OK, today being Sunday, this is my traditional "day off" technology. I may be back later if I finish any books today. I hope everyone has a great day!

Hi Stasia! I hope this year is happier than the last. Hopefully your husband doesn't take up too much of your reading time! I only get about two "for me" books read a month. My family and work eat most of my time. (I make 75 by reading to the kids.) So I understand what can happen there. May you read lots and lots of books!

>107 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel! I am lucky in that I am retired, so that is one big time waster gone from my life :) We shall see how the year plays out! I hope you get more "for you" books read this year.

Finished tonight:

7 - The Tolkien Reader by J.R.R. Tolkien - This book is comprised of 4 distinct pieces: 1) The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son, 2) Tree and Leaf, 3) Farmer Giles of Ham, and 4) The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. The first piece is actually a short play that is based on The Battle of Malden a fragment of an epic poem that describes a real battle between Vikings and the English. The second piece is divided into two parts of its own, the first part being an essay on the form of the fairy story and fantasy, with the second part being a demonstration of the points that Tolkien makes in the essay. Part three of the book is a delightful short story that I have read multiple times now and the last part of the book is a poem about Tom Bombadil, a character in The Lord of the Rings, written well before the book was. If nothing else, this collection demonstrates the versatility of Tolkien's writing, but I worry that the parts are a little too disparate even if enjoyable; Recommended (3.75 stars) Library Book

Stasia, You read some great books last year. This year, I am trying to halt buying so many books, and head to the library more often. Not only is it going to be good for my finances, but it will get me out of the house more.

I am thankful for my neighbors, one of whom helps me when there are surprise things that need to be fixed. Last summer, there was an infestation of yellow jackets with a large hive in my downstairs bedroom ceiling. This is a perfect example of how grateful I am to Andres. He knew which spray to use to kill them. The week that the yellow jackets decided to invade my ceiling by finding the apex of where the deck roof and bedroom roof also included a 12:30 a.m. bleeping of my car horn.

It was loud and as I came ourside, I watched the neighbors bedroom windows come on. After the first loud bleeting sound ended, I was releived. Then, ten minutes later it happened again. This time, I watched as Andres shuffled across the grass and with sleepy eyes said "Put up the hood!" He tried to stop the noise. Disconnecting the battery was the only way to get silence. He reconnected the battery in the morning and I took the car to the garage. They kept it for three days and it didn't make a sound.

Then, that same week, my washing machine lid locked. I found the book that came with the machine, and from there I was able to call the customer service number located in the booklet. Then, I ordered a part and found someone who could fix the problem.

The previous week when these things occurred, I was in the hospital for four days. I had little energy to deal with three incidents in one week. Not only was it frustrating, but with only one income, it can be difficult to pay for these things. I always pay Andres because I don't want to abuse the friendship.

I'm counting on 2024 to be a better year with less household problems, and fewer hospital visits.

I'll be back to add some of your 2023 reads to my TBR list.

Best of luck getting that plumbing issue fixed before you leave on vacation, Stasia. Looks like you are getting through those books quickly in spite of Kerry being around more often.

Hi Stasia!

>66 alcottacre: I am seriously charmed with your little cloth crates and the ebb and flow of the books in them. Regarding the Amphigorey books, I have all 4. I’ve read 3 of the 4. I also have 9 of his books, and several by other authors that he illustrated. I suppose you could compare the publication dates of the individual books to where they are in the Amphigorey series, but honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary.

>80 quondame: I just spent 5 minutes trying to figure out why Joan Aiken Hodge wasn’t working – Jane Aiken Hodge and Joan Aiken. Duh. I have Hodge’s bio of Georgette Heyer and Shadow of a Lady.

>88 alcottacre: I listened to that one a couple of years ago, narrated by the author, and I was so glad I read it. In addition to facilitating difficult conversations and providing an entry point into action and addressing bias, his tone was so positive and welcoming. A terrific ambassador for someone who wants to do better but may not know where to begin.

>110 Whisper1: I am trying to cut down on reading books too, Linda. I am sorry about your recent hospital stay. I am very happy that you have wonderful neighbors as well! I think that pretty much everyone is ready for a better year than last.

>111 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I am really hoping that the plumbing is fixed soon. As far as the reading goes, I basically let Kerry know I had to get a ton of reading done before we leave.

>112 karenmarie: OK, I will have to get around to reading the Gorey at some point if I do not need to read them in order. Thanks for letting me know, Karen.

>113 AMQS: A terrific ambassador for someone who wants to do better but may not know where to begin. I completely agree with that, Anne!

Finished tonight:

8 - The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow and Liz Lawson - Young Adult; This YA mystery was pretty good, if a bit too angsty for my taste. The book is told in alternate chapters, one featuring rich kid, Alice, and the other featuring the girl from the other side of the tracks who is hired to be Alice's tutor, Iris. The two form an unlikely friendship all the while trying to exonerate Alice's ex-boyfriend, Steve, of the charge of killing his current girlfriend. There is more to this book than meets the eye and all of the references to Dame Christie were much appreciated by this reader; Recommended (3.75 stars) Library Book

Iris, sounding a bit too much like me: "I'm an under-the-radar person. I like the rock I live under. It's quiet and safe here. . .It's boring and bland, but it's what I have."

>88 alcottacre: Great comments, Stasia. I intentionally decided NOT to take this book to my great book sale at the local used bookstore. Your comments affirm my decision to keep and read it.

HI Stasia, I was visiting one of my very old threads from 2012 and you corresponded with me way back when. I had forgotten that!

Well, Stasia, like you, I am trying to cut back on my book purchases. So far I have just purchased one book this year - heh, it's only January 8! I have wanted to read Ashes of London for a long time, and I checked my library , and they only have in ebook format , which does not work for me because I do not have a Kobo, the only type of e reader for Canadian libraries. I have just a Kindle, which I seldom use. It is my birthday in January, so I may get a book or two as gifts. We'll see.

>116 EBT1002: I will be curious to see what you think of the book when you get around to reading it, Ellen!

>117 mdoris: I get a kick out of visiting old threads on occasion too, Mary!

>118 vancouverdeb: Yay for January birthdays and the books that come with them!

Well, it has been a frustrating and fruitless morning already. I had an appointment to see a seamstress at 9am, but it turns out she had to rush her husband to the emergency room because he is very ill. I really hope he is OK, but in the meantime I am going to have to go back tomorrow and see if they can get my pairs of pants will be done by Friday since I need them for the trip.

Then we went over to the local pharmacy, which I called yesterday to make sure that we could get the COVID boosters, only to find out that the boosters are no longer free. They want $130 each for them. . .it would have been nice if they had let me know that when I called yesterday. Unfortunately that is just not in our budget right now.

The good news is that today is meet up day with Beth and Catey!

Sorry about the Covid booster news. Will and I ran into the same problem. Perhaps if you check around more you’ll find a place that is in your network and it will cost less.
Enjoy you meetup with Beth and Catey!

Yikes about the booster. I would not want to go on a cruise without it :-/

Ours were free, but I know my best friend had to get hers through her GP for it to be free. Insurance is weird.

>121 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda. I will have to do some checking because, like Katie, I really do not want to go on the cruise without it!

>122 katiekrug: Insurance is one of those things that is weird and unknowable I am convinced, Katie - and I used to work for an insurance company!

Finished this afternoon:

9 - A War Like No Other by Victor Davis Hanson - Nonfiction; I read this book for both one of January's TIOLI challenges and for the War Literature reading. I am very happy to have done so. I knew very little of the Peloponnesian War prior to reading this book (I had no idea that it lasted almost 30 years!) but Hanson has a way of making these ancient Greeks come alive. Evidently the war is divided into 3 different phases among historians, and Hanson takes each phase in turn, although the book is not in a strict chronological order. I think that perhaps the most eye-opening part of the book is where Hanson lists what was lost in the war saying, "the human losses at Sicily (which was the second phase of the war, SCD), coupled with thousands of dead from the plague, had wiped out an entire generation of experienced Athenian rowers, teachers, and students of the sea, all almost impossible to replace at once," and this was just one phase of the war! He also lists the generals, statesmen, and plain ordinary Greeks lost during this bloodbath of a war; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

"Given the atrocities and the toll of the plague, in the sense of who died and how, the term 'Peloponnesian War' appears a misnomer. A far better name might be 'The Thirty Years Slaughter.' "

>1 alcottacre: Happy reading in 2024!!

Hello, Stasia! Finally found your thread, and star dropped. I missed the news about your tough February last year. I hope you have a much better year this year!

Sorry about the COVID booster. We got our booster early in the fall. I'm like you, I wouldn't want to go on a cruise without it. I sure hope you can find it somewhere at a reasonable cost. And I'm sorry that this adds to everything you have to get done this week.

Sending my wishes for a wonderful New Year for you and your family, and also wishes that the 'stupid CFS' will leave you alone this year. Have fun on the cruise!

I am sure you are having a dandy time with Beth and Catey! Sorry to hear about the seamstress and booster glitches. Getting excited?

>125 ocgreg34: Thanks, Greg!

>126 atozgrl: I sincerely hope I have a better year this year too, Irene! Thus far, I am striking out on finding the COVID booster - everyone is more expensive. I certainly hope we have fun on the cruise as I am about ready to pull my hair out just getting ready to go :)

>127 msf59: Beth, Catey, and I pretty much always have a good time together. We played Earth today on BGA and Beth got her first victory in the game!

Yes, I am excited and wish I was already in Miami. . .

Dang about the plumbing and everything. I hope you can get a booster before you go on your trip!! And that you get in to the seamstress. Yikes! So much to do!!

>129 Berly: Yikes is right, Kim! No sign of anyone showing up to tackle the plumbing, but we remain hopeful. Hopefully we will get to see the seamstress in the morning. No luck on the boosters yet.

Finished tonight:

10 - The Best of S.J. Perelman by S.J. Perelman - I had picked out another book to read for January and I honestly wish I had stuck with that choice, but I thought that what with the cruise and all, I needed to pick something that was shorter (the other book was over 600 pages) and lighter (since this one was supposed to be funny). I wish I had re-read Dirda's comments in Classics for Pleasure before I switched too: "S.J. Perelman's comic writing has been growing more and more dated as the decades roll by." And therein lies my chief complaint with the book - it is dated and then some. Not only is it dated (he mentions Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound along with other films, and it came out in 1945) but unless you are at least vaguely familiar with some of the famous names of the time (he mentions Elsa Schiaparelli, but only by her last name), you will not have a clue. There were perhaps 2 laugh out loud moments for me in this 300+ page book, so I do not consider it worth either the time or the energy. There are also instances of both racism and miscegenation. I wish I had spent my time elsewhere; Not Recommended (2 stars) Library Book

Finished tonight:

11 - Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor - I did not expect to have disappointing reads back-to-back, especially as I have enjoyed several of Nnedi Okorafor's books in the past, but this one just did not do it for me. The book is set in a post-apocalyptic Africa where rape is used as a weapon and magic abounds. The main character of the book, Onyesonwu, is a child of rape and thus, looked down up for not only her gender but her birth as well. The book is a 'quest' book - Onyesonwu must find her birth father even though he does not want her (he was convinced that she was going to be a he). However, through all of the story, I am not sure what Okorafor is trying to impart to me as the reader. I felt like she was trying to make a point, but I am not sure what it was and I find that frustrating as a reader. She covers a lot of ground in this book, everything from female circumcision, to rape, to miscegenation, and so on, but in some cases just glances over the problem and does not treat it with any real depth. *sigh*; Not Recommended (3 stars) Library Book

And that finishes off the last library book that I currently have. . .

>132 alcottacre: I think I found enough in the setting and magic to overcome most of my issues with Who Fears Death, but not the two superfluous epilogues.

>131 alcottacre: See? I just finished #3 and you've finished #10!! 3x more than me. I rest my case. : ) Except you can't count. You have two 10s. ; )

>133 quondame: I know that the book works for a lot of people - it is rated almost 4 stars here on LT - but just not me. I am glad to know that for the most part you enjoyed it, Susan!

>134 Berly: I have finished 11, lol. I fixed my second 10. Thanks for pointing that out.

Well, the seamstress and her husband both have the flu. I got a text from her this morning asking me not to come as she was sick too. The other local seamstress is on vacation herself so I now have 2 pairs of pants bought specifically for this trip that I will be unable to wear. When I say that they are long, I am not kidding. They are each at least 6 inches longer than my legs. Not that I am short or anything :)

Oh well, more time for reading today then. I would like to try and finish off the three I started earlier this week before we leave. I have 7 books (I think?) packed for on the trip.

Hi Stasia. Getting ready for trips is exhausting. Once you get on the cruise ship you can relax and enjoy yourself. Too bad about your seamstress woes. Old pants are usually more comfortable anyway so maybe you can dwell on that thought. ;-) Have Fun!

>136 alcottacre: Yikes, those are long pants! As a last resort, you might pick up hemming tape at a fabric store. Once you've ironed it in place, that hem stays in place, in my experience. But I've never hemmed up six inches, more like two.

>139 AMQS: Yes, I was going to say hemming tape also. Maybe you can cut a bit, use the hemming tape, and then get the real thing done after your cruise when everyone is better.

>136 alcottacre: is there a dry cleaners in town? That's where I get my husband's jeans shortened.

Wishing you good luck in your continued cruise preparations, Stasia!

>137 Donna828: Thanks, Donna!

>138 mstrust: >139 AMQS: >140 fuzzi: Unfortunately the suggestions came too late (this time) as I have already made arrangements to send the outfits back. Thank you though!

>141 curioussquared: Thank you, Natalie!

>136 alcottacre: Not that I am short or anything :)

*almighty snort*

No, no, of course not! Perish forbid! Why there are scads of five-foot-nothing models littering the runways.

*another snort*

>132 alcottacre: I hate it when that happens!

Hi Stasia!

>120 alcottacre: You reminded me that I have a seamstress recommendation, and I need to get in touch with her to repair Bill’s Mama’s old dressage jacket and jodhpurs. Bill's Mama wore them in the late 1970s. They fit Jenna perfectly, and her eyes lit up when I let her try them on. They are custom, made in Lexington KY.

>136 alcottacre: Frustrating about not being able to take the pants. Flu. Yes, definitely stay away.

>143 richardderus: I will have you know that I am not five-foot-nothing. I am five foot 2 (with eyes of blue). Lol

>144 Tess_W: Yeah, I do too, Tess!

>145 karenmarie: Oo, I hope you remember to get the dressage clothes fitted for Jenna! I bet she is going to love them.

Stasia, all the information I can find on-line (CDC, etc.) says COVID 19 boosters are still free. https://www.hhs.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccines/index.html I'm perplexed.

"COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots are 100% free for every individual living in the United States - even if you do not have insurance." That's from the Red Cross website.

>147 laytonwoman3rd: Well, evidently Texas did not get the memo. I have not been able to find any place local that dispenses them for free.

>148 alcottacre: - Stasia, take that website link to whatever pharmacy you go to and tell them they should not be charging you and show them proof from the govt. Unless they want to be reported. That's awful, taking advantage of people like that!

Finished tonight:

12 - The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain - Nonfiction; First, a personal aside: the copy of the book that I read used to belong to my grandmother, who had several of "The World's Best Reading" books in her library at the time of her death, and they came to me. I was happy to finally read this one as I do not believe I have ever done so before. It is basically a travelogue of a trip that Twain and a bunch of other people made that lasted about 5 months. A ship was secured that crossed the Atlantic and took its passengers into various locations in Europe and the Holy Land. Twain cannot help but inject some of his humor into the book (" I wish to say one word about Michelangelo Buonarroti {And he then proceeds to say several} I used to worship the might genius of Michelangelo. . .but I do not want Michelangelo for breakfast-for luncheon-for dinner-for tea-for supper-for between meals. . . The eternal bore designed the Eternal City, and unless all men and books do lie, he painted everything in it!) Several pages later, Twain is off on Michelangelo again ("Every lasting portion of the human frame was represented in these intricate designs - they were by Michelangelo, I think"). My biggest problem with the book is not the European part of the book in which Twain seems almost dumbstruck by the grandeur of the art and architecture around him, but once he gets to the Holy Land. The interminable descriptions of seemingly every rock and stone, combined with the mild racism, made this portion of the book drag on forever to me; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

As someone who is leaving on a cruise in a few days, I got a kick of learning of the comforts on the steamer Twain sailed on: "including library and musical instruments."

>149 jessibud2: Unfortunately at this point, I think it is too late for us to get the COVID vaccine. We would have to get them tomorrow and we fly to Miami on Saturday. Considering the fact that the last time we got the boosters we both fell ill, the timing just does not work. I am extremely unhappy about the whole situation!

Today has just been a stressful day all the way around and I do not expect tomorrow will be any better especially since first thing in the morning we have to round up the cats to go to board at the vets. Catey is coming to housesit for us, but she is allergic to cats. I am very grateful that she is going to be here to keep an eye on the house as we are going to have very cold (for Texas) temperatures here starting Sunday (the low is going to be 2 at last report!)

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/357120

Sorry about the lack of free Covid shot and no seamstress for the pants. Boo. I hope tomorrow goes well and you are good to go on this trip!! : )

>153 SilverWolf28: I am going to be out the readathons for the next couple of weeks, Silver, due to being out of town.

>154 Berly: I hope so too, Kim. I have been stressing out all day long today.

Finished tonight:

13 - Hell Before Breakfast by Robert H. Patton - Nonfiction; This book has been in the BlackHole for a while now so I am happy to have had the chance to finally get around to reading it. The book introduces the reader to the earliest war correspondents, which has still got to be one of the world's deadliest jobs. The first "official" war correspondent, William Howard Russell, was a Brit reporting on the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Crimean War. According to Patton, Russell "offered a technical as well as a psychological model for future war correspondents." Patton also looks at both the newspapers and publishers who employed these men and set their expectations. Both James Gordon Bennett Jr and Sr and their newspaper The Herald make appearances as they were heavily involved in the hiring of early war reporters. I thought this was a very good, well-researched book and am glad to finally have read it; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

One more book that I would like to finish up before I leave for Miami. I am hoping to complete it tomorrow.

I hope all the stressful things get resolved for you, and that you have a wonderful and stress-free trip!

>157 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene. As someone who is not used to flying, let alone taking a cruise, it is all the stuff that I am afraid that I am going to forget that is really getting to me! Hopefully once I am on the plane, I will de-stress.

>158 alcottacre: My DH also gets stressed out every time he has to pack, so I understand. He likes to make lists. That does help, but I'm guessing you may have tried that already? In any case, best wishes for a great trip, and that you don't forget anything!

>159 atozgrl: I have lists of lists, Irene! Thanks.

Today is going to be nothing but getting ready to leave tomorrow. I have one book yet that I hope to finish before we leave.

I hope that everyone takes care while I am gone!

Have a fun trip!

Bon voyage!🛳

Bon Voyage, safe travels. Hope you have some relaxing time. Hope the sun shines. It has not been shining in Florida.

Safe travels and a delightful homecoming, Stasia! (You are *SO* 5 foot nothing)

>162 figsfromthistle: >163 mdoris: Thank you, Anita and Mary!

>164 Kristelh: Yeah, from what I saw of the forecast for Miami for tomorrow, it looks like it is going to be raining when we arrive.

>165 richardderus: Thank you, RD. (I will fight for those additional 2 inches!!)

Finished this evening:

14 - Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome by Anthony Everitt - Nonfiction; Per Everitt's preface to the book, "I attempt not only the portrait of a man, but of an age. . ." I am glad he stated that at the outset because, honestly, I see no reason for this book's existence. That sounds harsh and it is because this book has one of my pet peeves in nonfiction: "I think, "maybe," "it might be this way. . ." I am sorry, but if there are that many repeated instances of this kind of terminology, I wonder what we do know about Hadrian and his time. The saving grace for me is the second part of Everitt's statement: "but of an age." He does a much better job of that in my opinion. As near as I can gather, little has been added to our body of knowledge about Hadrian since the last major account of the emperor in nearly a century (per the dust jacket), but more has been learned about the Roman Empire and I can get behind that; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

Have a great trip, Stasia!

>168 curioussquared: Thank you, Natalie!

Have fun, Stasia!!

Enjoy your cruise!

Safe travels, and hope you have a great time!

Bon Voyage!

Leave all your troubles behind and have a wonderful time, Stasia!

Best wishes on your trip, Stasia! As Meg says, leave your troubles behind and have a great time. I also don't fly - flying phobic and I've never been on cruise, so I understand your trepidation.

Fourteen books already, Stasia, is impressive even by your standards.

Have a safe trip dear lady.

Thank you, everyone! Off to Miami. . .

Happy Saturday, Stasia. Safe travels, my friend. Enjoy those balmy temps.

Caught up...

>50 alcottacre: Ooo no, couldn't read in a car Stasia, and not on buses either. Train OK.

>82 alcottacre: Grr re plumbing.

Bon voyage. Maybe you can get a covid booster on the ship.

>109 alcottacre: I truly disliked the section of the Lord of the Rings that included Tom Bombadil. Even when read by the excellent Andy Serkis, it was an irritating chapter to listen to.

>167 alcottacre: I've had this book on my shelf for some time. I think I might just let it languish there a bit longer.

Have a great trip!

Have fun on your trip Stasia!

Hi Stasia! Nice to see A Christmas Carol on your 5 star list of 2023. I reread it last year and have decided I do very much like it. I ended up watching a few adaptions of it, the digitally animated one is so good.

>50 alcottacre: I try to read in the car as well, but can usually only mange it on long straight roads. Then I have to put my audiobook on instead :)

>155 alcottacre: I'll keep posting them here so others can see it and also so I don't forget to post here when you're back.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/357476

Kerry and I got home about 6:30pm or so. We are glad we went, but even more glad to be home!

>187 alcottacre: Isn't that always the same. There is no place like home and your pal is certainly glad that you are back. xx

>187 alcottacre: welcome home!

Glad you're back safely, and that you had a good time!

>188 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Pal Paul!

>189 bell7: Thanks, Mary. I read one of your recommended books from last year, A Man's Place, while I was gone. I found it to be excellent, so thank you for that recommendation!

>190 laytonwoman3rd: Thank you, Linda!

This is a list of the books I read while I was gone. I am not posting my thoughts on the books because, frankly, I am just too dadgum tired.

15. The Face in the Frost by John Bellairs - 4.5 stars
16. Red Dog by Louis De Bernieres - 4 stars
17. A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon - 4.25 stars
18. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff - 5 stars
19. The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway - 4.25 stars
20. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers - 4 stars
21. A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux - 4.5 stars

Can't keep up, Stasia, so just swinging by to say hello! I hope you're having a lovely week and that your cruise was restorative!

>191 alcottacre: Yay! Glad you liked it. Darryl (kidzdoc) recommended it to me, so happy to pass along the book bullet :)

Welcome home, Stasia. Looking forward to hearing about your trip. I am glad to see you knocked out a few books and some very good titles too. I am thoroughly enjoying Yellowface. Just sayin'...

>193 PlatinumWarlock: Thanks for the welcome back, Lavinia! I am dead tired after all the traveling, but I am sure I will be back in the swing of things soon.

>194 bell7: I love catching passed on book bullets! It makes me feel like part of a chain of readers.

>195 msf59: What little I have read of Yellowface has been good, Mark, so I am looking forward to reading more! Thanks.

Today being Tuesday (it is Tuesday, right?) I will be meeting up with Beth and Catey and believe me, I need to see them and they need to see me. Beth was constantly checking in on Kerry and I because she was sure we were going to drown or that our plane would crash. I will be checking in as I can throughout today but I have a ton of laundry to do, books to catch up on, and just general catching up that needs to be done. We currently have no groceries in the house, lol.

Welcome back, Stasia! We've missed you.

>197 alcottacre: I think we're lucky to be on your list at all today, Stasia. Don't overdo it!

Welcome back Stasia, you've been missed but glad you enjoyed your trip. Totally understand missing those children. That is the hardest thing about being away.

Welcome back Stasia, hope it as a good trip, it looks like the reading was good at least.

I just reread 84 Charing Cross Road!

>197 alcottacre: yes, it's Tuesday.

Welcome back, Stasia! I often feel I need a vacation from my vacation because there's so much to do. Hope you can get some rest!

>198 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura! I have missed all of you too.

>199 laytonwoman3rd: I am just checking in every now and again, Linda. I am currently waiting for groceries to arrive so that we can eat :)

>200 Kristelh: We talked to Beth and Catey briefly yesterday, but meeting up today for a longer period of time was definitely needed!

>201 Caroline_McElwee: It was a good trip, if a bit frustrating at times, Caroline. I was happy to get as much reading in as I did, but I am still woefully behind.

>202 torontoc: I love 84, Charing Cross Road, Cyrel, and try to re-read it every couple of years. I discovered the book through the film version, an oddity for me.

>203 fuzzi: Thanks, fuzzi. These days I am none too sure.

>204 AMQS: I am not sure much resting is in the cards for at least the next couple of days. I completely understand needing a vacation from your vacation, Anne!

Welcome back!!! Hope your groceries arrived and what a great bunch of books you read on your trip! I read Yellowface and enjoyed it very much. Have fun with it!

>192 alcottacre: Oh, I feel so pleased that you liked #18! It is a gorgeous little book, no? The 5* rating says so, anyway.

Rest up from all that fun you had. *smooch*

>192 alcottacre: I read the Becky Chambers book a couple of years ago and thought it was nice, cosy sci-fi. I have not yet got around to the other books in the series.

Welcome back, Stasia! Do some sightseeing?

Welcome back, Stasia!!

>206 Berly: I finished Yellowface tonight, Kim. My thoughts on it are below.

>207 richardderus: I re-read 84, Charing Cross Road every couple of years, RD, because I love it that much. Resting is not in the cards right now - unless CFS hits, God forbid. ((Hugs)) and **smooches**

>208 meanderer: I really enjoyed the entire series, Tony - at least up until the last one, which I have not read at this point.

>209 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! Yes, we saw the Bahamas, Cococay, and Jamaica. My favorite was probably the last one.

>210 curioussquared: Thank you, Natalie!

Finished today:

22 - Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death by M.C. Beaton - Audiobook; Agatha Raisin, head of a PR company, has decided to retire and move to the Cotswolds. However, not everything is right in her new, cozy little world - someone has used her to cover up their own complicity in a murder although the police swear it was not murder, only an accident. Agatha being Agatha, she has decided that she needs to find out who the murderer is; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

23 - Yellowface by R.F. Kuang - Justification, thy name is June Hayward. Or Juniper Song. Take your pick. This story of a writer who steals her recently deceased friend's work has a lot of justification on her part going on. I know that there are jabs at the publishing industry in the book, but I am afraid that I know so little of that industry that many, if not all of them, went over my head. However, I can relate to June's paranoia that her secret will come out. I can relate to the racism that she does not seem to understand that she even possesses. This is one of those books that is a quick read but contains a lot of underlying messages if the reader is paying attention and I give it kudos for that!; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"I am innocent in the court of public opinion. And at least for now, Athena's ghost has been banished."

ETA: I forgot to say "Thank you" to Mary for bringing this book to my attention and to Mark for sharing the read with me. Sorry!

Glad you made it home, Stasia (and glad it was worthwhile going).

Mostly I am just swinging by to say Aloha and Happy Wednesday!

>213 EBT1002: Thank you, Ellen!

>212 alcottacre: And me!! I read Yellowface because of you two. : )

>215 Berly: Me too!

Sweet Thursday, Stasia. I also loved Yellowface. I think I liked it a bit more than you. I am so glad we were able to do a shared read of it. Nice to kick off the year strong.

>215 Berly: >216 foggidawn: Yay!

>217 msf59: It is good to start off the year strongly, isn't it? I am hoping for the same with all of my shared reads this year! If I had a rating between 4 and 4.25 stars, Yellowface would probably fallen into that range.

>187 alcottacre: Welcome Home, Stasia. Homecoming is always my favorite part of any trip!

I’m glad you got some reading done while you were in Paradise. Looking forward to your thoughts on the cruise. I have Yellowface checked out of the library along with six other books and feeling a twinge of book pressure.

>212 alcottacre: Agatha Raisin - I have listened to the audiobook of Quiche and have quite a few others in my audio library (Audible always includes a few Agatha Raisins in their special offers. Have you read any of her Hamish Macbeth books?

>219 Donna828: No book pressure here, Donna! Just take them as they come. One of the great things about books is that they will wait for you. . .

>220 meanderer: I actually prefer the Hamish Macbeth books, Tony, although it has been years since I have read any of them.

I just started Caste, keeping my book roll going. This has been excellent. Have you read it?

Drive by *smooch*

>222 msf59: No, I have not yet read it. I want to read Wilkerson's The Warmth of Other Suns, which I picked up a copy of in late 2023, this year though. Caste is in the BlackHole though.

>223 richardderus: Thanks, RD. ((Hugs)) and **smooches** to you too!

>224 alcottacre: There is a strong possibility that I will add Caste to my own tottering TBR pile soon.

Hi Stasia. xx

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/357793

>225 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul. xx

>226 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver. I am definitely in this weekend!

Finished tonight:

24 - 28 Days by David Safier - Young Adult; The subtitle for this book is "A Novel of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto" and all in all, I think the book does a very good job of letting the reader see how the struggle went in the ghetto that the Nazis put up for Polish Jews - and later, adding more to the population from other countries. The heroine of the book, Mira, is 16-years-old and we are introduced to her as she is smuggling so that she can get the money she needs to ensure the survival of her younger sister, the younger sister who tells whimsical stories to keep her and her mother and older sister's hopes up rather than concentrate on the horrors that they live with on a daily basis. Tragedy strikes and Mira is left on her own, but she finds the underground and begins working with them. For me, there were a couple of things that I wish had not been included: 1) I could have lived without the teenage romance and 2) I could have lived without the dream sequences after Hannah's death. I think these things are included in the book because it is for young adults and they provide a respite from all of the tragedy of the book; Guardedly Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

I'm VERY HAPPY to see your thread with your reading get back to normal, Stasia. It ain't right when you ain't here.

I have a copy of *Yellowface*, but I haven't quite decided what I want to tackle next. Among other things, I have Anxious People highly recommended by my first LT friend who doesn't join groups. Do you know it?
I did read an really enjoy *Warmth/Suns* and confidently predict that you will admire it too. *Caste* is on my list.

I'm content to be able to drop by here again.

>229 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy - I am happy things are getting back to normal too, even if it is a new "normal" for me. I am not used to Kerry being around all of the time, lol.

If you are up for a shared read of Anxious People in February, let me know. I have a copy of it hanging around my house somewhere! I have read and enjoyed several of Backman's books.

Thanks for dropping by!

>229 LizzieD: Uh oh. Can't help you. Both Anxious People and Yellowface are both good!! Have fun. : )

>230 alcottacre: Hi Stasia!!

84 Charing Cross Road was a great read to bring on vacation. I hope you got lots of relaxing in. Good to see you back, Stasia.

>231 Berly: Hi Kim!!

>232 Familyhistorian: Yes, it is a great vacation (or any other time as far as I am concerned) read. Thanks, Meg!

Finished this afternoon:

25 - This Other Eden by Paul Harding - This was one of the books on the shortlist for the 2023 Booker Prize that I had not gotten to previously and, after reading it, I am still convinced that the right book won (Prophet Song by Paul Lynch). This book is historical fiction, one of my favorite genres, is beautifully written and based on a real incident, all things to the good. The actual story was interesting although sad and regrettable - the outdated "science" of eugenics plays a major role in the book. However, for some reason, and I really do not know why, I felt disconnected from the book. The characters were interesting people, but I never felt like I really got to know any of them other than in a standoffish kind of way. I do not know, maybe it is just me or the time I am reading it (I am still very tired from the traveling). All of that being said, I still recommend this one!; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Last year's Booker Prize shortlist is now in the books. I still want to finish out the longlist though. Looking forward to what this year brings!

Glad you enjoyed Yellowface. It's on my list!

>235 AMQS: Anne, Mark liked the book even more than I did so you might want to check out his review as well. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it!

Glad to see you enjoyed Yellowface, Stasia.

I read Caste a couple of years ago and thought it was excellent. My book club will be reading The Warmth of Other Suns in September if you want to joint read it, though I completely get it if you decide not to wait that long.

Happy weekend!

Edited to get touchstones to work (posting on my phone)

>237 bell7: The Warmth of Other Suns in September works for me, Mary. We are going on a family vacation in late August so I will be home from that by then. The book will wait :) Thanks for the mention!

>205 alcottacre: 84, Charing Cross Road is on my wishlist. Interestingly, the film version was what brought it to my attention as well. As I recall, I came across the film accidentally, and I think the film was already in progress when I started watching. I always enjoy Anthony Hopkins so I stopped to watch, and thought it was a lovely film. I still haven't seen the entire thing; I guess I need to go find it somewhere. And I definitely want to get to the book too.

I'm glad to hear you had such a nice trip, and I hope you've gotten all your post-trip chores taken care of.

>239 atozgrl: Huh, I had never found anyone else who discovered the book through the film! That is so cool.

We had a nice trip but I am not sure that I will ever be caught up, especially on my reading. I still have a ton of TIOLI books that need to be read by Wednesday. I know I am not going to be able to get them all read, but I am trying my hardest :)

>240 alcottacre: I have been away a few days as well, Stasia, and find it impossible to catch up with all.
I had great reading plans for January, but my reading dropped significant, so I had to drop a number of books. I will be glad when I get to 15 books this month!
Only planning 5 or 6 books for February, adding feels better than dropping.

Just stopping in to wish you a happy Sunday!

>241 FAMeulstee: I actively dislike having to drop books, especially if the books are shared reads, but I also have to face up to the fact that I just do not have time to get everything read that I want to get read. I am still not used to Kerry being here all of the time now that he is retired so I am adjusting to that too. I completely agree that "adding feels better than dropping"!

>242 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda!

Today is my traditional "day off" technology, but I will be back to report on the books I finish up today - I am hoping to finish 3, one of which by a debut author has been outstanding.

Have a lovely Sunday, everyone!

Sunday *smooch*

Finished this afternoon:

26 - Heading North by Holly M. Wendt - Heading North is an Early Reviewers book that I applied for because Linda knows the author and was encouraging people to apply for the book. I am very glad that I did! This debut novel by Holly Wendt surprised me as it was just that good. Despite my complete and total lack of knowledge regarding hockey at any level, I really got into this book because it is not really a book about hockey, it is a book about relationships. We meet Viktor and Nikolai as they are going their separate ways - Viktor is heading off the the USA from Russia to make his debut for an NHL team. However, his lover Nikolai never gets to where he was going because his plane tragically crashes. Viktor must now adapt not only to another country and another team, but to a life without Nikolai in it. Excellent prose and wonderful characterization in a book that touches on so many of today's hot topics make this a novel not to be missed; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

I would really like to pass this one along to someone who will appreciate it. If you are interested in a copy of the book, I will send it to you if you will PM me - and will agree to post a review for it. First come, first served.

Happy low-technology day. I should be reading my books, but I am enjoying my LT time. : )

Stasia - LT wasn’t letting me reply to your PM. Got the link fixed. Thanks for finding it and letting me know!

>246 alcottacre: >247 Berly: Kim has claimed my copy of the book so be advised that it is no longer available.

>248 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

>246 alcottacre: I'm so glad you enjoyed Holly's book, Stasia! And even happier about the fact that you're passing it along.

>246 alcottacre: Well, I am certainly making note of that one. Very cool to have an Early Reviewers book land so well!

Finished tonight:

27 - The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison - Set in the same world as The Goblin Emperor, a book I loved, Addison takes the character of Thara Celehar and gives him his own book. This book is very different from the previous one which concentrated on the emperor himself. In this one, we have a good, old-fashioned mystery with a fantasy twist - Celehar is literally a witness for the dead. He can listen to them after they have passed away provided that not too much time has elapsed. The mystery that is foremost in this book concerns an opera singer who was beaten and drowned. Celehar has work cut out for him in determining who did her in as so many people actively disliked her. In the meantime, he is also trying to find a man who marries women and then kills them, profiting from their deaths. And then there is the problem of ghouls. . .; Recommended (4.25 stars) Mine

>250 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks, Linda!

>251 EBT1002: I think you would enjoy it as well, Ellen, if you get a chance to read it!

>252 alcottacre: I love those books! I really should read some of her others, but I still haven't gotten to them.

>254 bell7: Yep, I know. I got the recommendation for The Goblin Emperor from you and I still have The Grief of Stones to get to yet. Did you know that she also writes under the pseudonym Sarah Monette? Not sure what kind of books they are, but I suspect they are not fantasy.

Finished tonight:

28 - The Archive Thief by Lisa Moses Leff - Nonfiction; This book won the 2016 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature which is how I originally heard of it. The book relates the true story of Zosa Szajkowski, a pioneer in the field of French Jewish history - and archive thief. For a period of about 20 years, he acquired tens of thousands of documents about Jews from various sources in France and brought them to New York where he used them in his own articles, journals, and books and then sold the to American and Israeli research libraries and archives. He originally began assembling collections of documents after serving in the U.S. Army during WWII as the United States and other countries tried to rehouse the materials stolen by the Nazis during the war. The documents he acquired in this manner were primarily sent to YIVO (for a terrific book on their work after WWII, check out Elisabeth Gallas' A Mortuary of Books) and thus preserved for Jewish scholars. It seems though that he just did not know where to stop; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"The ambiguity at the heart of his story provides an interesting vantage point from which to rethink certain assumptions we still have about Jewish resistance in the Holocaust and Jewish reconstruction in its wake, because it unfolds in the same context and was shaped in large part by the same cultural, political, and economic factors."

>252 alcottacre: I read the Goblin Emperor and loved it, so this one goes on the list. : )

>252 alcottacre: Isn't The Witness for the Dead a good one? And there's a second with Thara Celehar just waiting for you!

>255 alcottacre: Don't expect the same sort of stories from the Sarah Monette byline. Although it is mostly a series of adventures Doctrine of Labyrinths starts out with about a violent a rape scene as I've encountered. The Elizabeth Bear collaboration, the first volume at least, is a good story, but also a send up of animal-human bonded relationship books.

>257 Berly: Yay, Kim!

>258 quondame: Yes, I thought The Witness for the Dead is a good one, Susan! Is the second one that is waiting for me The Grief of Stones? If so, I already have a copy of that one, I just need to read it.

I did not expect the same sort of stories from the Sarah Monette byline - I figure that is why she changed to a different pseudonym for writing fantasy books under her Katherine Addison pseudonym. I think I will pass on Doctrine of Labyrinths! Thanks for the heads up on that one.

Finished this morning:

29 - Persian Fire by Tom Holland - Nonfiction; This was one of the books that I chose to read for the War Room reading in January which centered on ancient wars. The battles between the Persians and the Greeks certainly qualifies! I did not realize prior to reading this book that the Peloponnesian "War" was actually a series of battles spread out over a 30-year time span. Holland does a good job of putting a face not only on the leaders (Xerxes, Leonidas, and other men not so well known) as well as on the hoplites and sailors who did the actual fighting. As the Kirkus Reviews put it: "Holland’s descriptions of these epochal battles are suitably stirring, and if his East-versus-West notion is just a touch anachronistic, it points to all the misunderstandings, ambition and ignorance that have characterized that struggle ever since" and I agree with this assessment. Holland ties the past to the present in the book and does a good job of doing so. I was very happy that numerous maps were included in the book (and that I could actually read them!) and I loved that a timeline was included as well; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"To the Greeks, the bridging of Asia and Europe, and the desire to rule both continents, had always seemd the most fatal of the Great King's follies. . ."

>252 alcottacre: How weird it is to zoom past a post, then have to back right up because the brain says, "that just can NOT be what I thought it was," and of course it wasn't...I saw Waitress for the Dead not WITNESS.

Now, of course, I want to know what a waitress for the dead is, and what she does, and....

New week *smooch*

>260 alcottacre: You will have to write Waitress for the Dead I suspect, Richard!

((Hugs)) and **smooches** for you today too

I am making the rounds of the threads since the house is quiet and all the hustle and bustle of the funeral is over. I read Yellowface last fall and my comments about it are over on Mark's thread. I just finished reading Becoming Dr. Seuss and enjoyed it very much. If you are interested in children's literature put this one on your TBR list.

>192 alcottacre: Welcome back! Looks like you were swimming in fantastic reads.

>263 benitastrnad: Benita, I have already read Becoming Dr. Seuss (twice!) so I am dodging that particular BB. I am very glad to see that you liked the book so much!

>264 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita. Yeah, I read some good ones while I was away.

Speaking of which. . .

Finished tonight:

30 - All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews - I am not sure what took me so long to discover Miriam Toews but thanks to Berly's list of Indie books I have now done so. I have read one other of Toews' books, The Flying Troutmans, which I enjoyed but this one hit me where I live. It is the story of Elf and Yoli, two sisters, born 6 years apart into a Mennonite community. The sisters are close and Elf, who is a talented pianist, soon realizes her dream of becoming a concert pianist. Yoli, on the other hand, becomes a successful author with a not-so-successful personal life. However, Elf who seems to have everything going for her is suicidal and tries multiple times to kill herself (and she ultimately succeeds) even trying to enlist Yoli in to helping her end her life. Yoli can do nothing other than love her sister. The book is a study of the relationship between the sisters - the good, the bad, and the ugly. They have come through hard times together including the suicide of their own father and now is perhaps the hardest time of all as Elf so desperately wants to die despite a successful career and a man who loves her. One of the few faults that I find with the book is that it never really explains why Elf is so determined to kill herself. That is a nitpicky point in what is otherwise an excellent book; Recommended (4.25 stars) Mine

"Public enemy number one for these men was a girl with a book."

"What is the bedrock of civilized society? Libraries, said Elf."

>255 alcottacre: I have yet to try any of them, but they're fantasy too from what I understand.

>258 quondame: sounds like Susan is ahead of me!

The Angel of Crows and Melusine are most likely the ones I'd try next, when I get to it...

>267 bell7: "When" being the operative word, right?

Sad news here tonight: I just found out that my sister's father-in-law passed away today. He had been hospitalized last week with heart issues. My nieces and nephews have now lost both of their grandfathers in the past year. My father died a year ago Thursday.

>260 alcottacre: I am almost done as well and pretty much agree with your assessment - I shall certainly read more of Holland's work.

>269 alcottacre: That is sad news, Stasia, my commiserations especially to your Sister and nieces and nephews.

>270 PaulCranswick: The only book of Holland's that I had read prior to Persian Fire was Rubicon and that was better than 10 years ago. Unfortunately my local library is no help at all in getting my hands on more of his books. As I am sitting here reading The Battle of Salamis, I am very glad that I read Holland's book first.

Thank you, Paul.

>269 alcottacre: I'm so sorry for your sister's family, Stasia - I hope her father-in-law's memory will be a blessing and a comfort for all of them.

>269 alcottacre: I'm sorry to hear of your sad news, Stasia. My sympathy to all the family.

>269 alcottacre: I'm sorry for the additional loss to your family.

>269 alcottacre: I'm sorry for your losses. My dad passed in September 2022 and I still miss him.

Hi, Stasia. I am back from my weekend trip but now I am struggling with a cold or the flu. I hope you can bookhorn in The Warmth of Other Suns. It is a wonderful read. Glad you got to This Other Eden. It was a top read for me last year. I am starting The Bee Sting soon. Once again, thanks for sharing your copy with me. You are the best!

I am sorry Stasia for your family's loss; for you on the one year anniversary and also for your sister's family and especially nieces and nephews in the loss of grandfathers.

>269 alcottacre: Goodness, it seems to be everywhere. One of the staff stalwarts here lost both her grandfathers in the last month...AND broke her ankle, too.

>272 PlatinumWarlock: >273 atozgrl: >274 quondame: >275 fuzzi: Thank you for your condolences. I am sorry for your loss, fuzzi, and that you are still missing your father.

>276 msf59: Sorry to hear that you are not feeling well, Mark, and hope you are feeling better soon. Mary (bell7) told me that her reading group is going to read The Warmth of Other Suns later this year so I am going to read it when they do.

>277 Kristelh: >278 richardderus: Thank you, Kristel and Richard. I guess I should be glad that my sister and her family have not broken any bones on top of everything!

Today is my meet up day with Beth and Catey. I invited Kerry to join in as well, but he seems to think it is a 'girl thing.' I also still have a ton of reading to do before the month is out, but I know I will not get it all done. *sigh*

I'm sorry to read the news of your sister's father-in-law. Your family has dealt with a lot of loss in the past year.

How about May for The Razor's Edge? Have fun today with the girls.

>281 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. Yeah, this past year has not been the greatest around these parts. I am hoping that 2024 is an improvement.

>282 msf59: May works for me, Mark. I will add it to the list.

>268 alcottacre: Yes, "when" is definitely the operative word! haha

>269 alcottacre: I'm sorry to hear that, Stasia, for your family and your nieces and nephews with losses of two grandparents so close together.

>280 alcottacre: I hope you had a good meetup with Beth and Catey.

>284 bell7: Thanks, Mary.

Yes, I did have a good meet up with Beth and Catey. We normally do, which is nice in and of itself.

>266 alcottacre: I am so glad you liked All My Puny Sorrows!! I gave it a 4.5. I still have The Flying Troutmans in the TBR pile. : )

>269 alcottacre: That's a lot of loss and in such a short amount of time. I am so sorry. Big hugs to you and yours. : (

>286 Berly: It is thanks to your Indie list that I discovered Miriam Toews. A lot of the books that I have read from the list have not worked for me, but hers certainly have.

Thanks, Kim.

Finished tonight (or is it this morning?):

31 - The Missing File by D.A. Mishani - This is the first book in an ongoing detective series, which has been translated from Hebrew into English, and I hope at some point to be able to pick up further books. The book is set in Tel Aviv and in it we are introduced to detective Avraham (Avi) Avraham, a detective who is not an alcholic, not gay, not a hotshot, but just an ordinary guy struggling with his own insecurities. A woman comes into the police station to report her son missing and the tale goes through numerous twists and turns, most of which I did not see coming. I enjoyed the mystery but even more than that, I enjoyed the locale of the mystery; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

It's morning. : )

>288 alcottacre: I started reading the Abraham Abraham series too, and really liked it. My library only had the first two, which I've now read, and I really don't want to pay the exorbitant amount Amazon wants for the third volume, so not sure when I'll get to it. I too like the location, especially since one of my daughter-in-laws is Israeli, and her family is in Tel Aviv.

>289 Berly: Thank you for the clarification, Kim! Lol

>290 arubabookwoman: My local library does not have any of the books at all, Deborah, which is an unfortunate thing as I would really like to read further. I am glad to hear that you have enjoyed what you have read!

Today's agenda involves playing a game with Kerry, getting him ready to go out of town again - the first anniversary of his daughter Nichole's death is on the 4th, so he is going to spend the weekend with his daughter, Felisha - and trying to finish off another 2 books for January's TIOLI challenges.

I intend to start a new thread tonight, come hell or high water! I was waiting to see if I can get my January reading finished on this thread.

>288 alcottacre: >290 arubabookwoman: My library does have all three available as ebooks, so I accepted The Missing File as a BB

>293 quondame: Nice! I hope you enjoy them when you get to them, Susan!

Finished this afternoon:

32 - The Battle of Salamis by Barry Strauss - Nonfiction; Tim Spaulding (yes, LT's own Tim Spaulding), in his review, said: "I'm interested in the topic, and certainly learning something, but the basic technique--a thrilling but mostly unsourced and often conjectural narrative--leaves me unsatisfied," and I absolutely concur with that assessment. We get paragraphs that read like this: "Tetramnestus wore a bronze helmet and a linen breastplate over a linen tunic dyed purple. No doubt he carried a sword. He is likely to have worn gold earrings, rings, and bracelets. On a gold chain around his neck he might have worn a blue glass amulet as protection against evil spirits." Why does what the guy is wearing matter?! Even in just that one short paragraphy we have "no doubt," "likely to have worn," and "might have worn." That kind of stuff drives me crazy in what is purported to be a nonfiction book! I learned some stuff from the book - the persona Artemisia was one with which I was not familiar - but had to put up with a lot of twaddle to get to it; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars)

"Shock, command, and geography: three simple building blocks, deployed in a deadly way, turned the battle of Salamis from a hammer blow by Persia into a trap laid by Greeks."

"Salamis was a Greek Gettysburg; it was not Appomattox Courthouse. Salamis was Stalingrad, not the battle of Berlin. Salamis was a decisive battle because it broke the Persian navy, but it did not drive the Persians out of Greece. Salamis brought final victory nearly into the Greeks' hands, but it was not the last battle of the war."

One more book to finish tonight to close out January and then I can get on with February's reading. First up will be Orlando by Virginia Woolf. I am a big fan of hers, but have never read this particular book!

Finished tonight:

33 - Grievous Sin by Faye Kellerman - The sixth book in the Peter Decker/Rina Lazarus series is the best to date IMHO. In this entry to the series, Peter and Rina's daughter, Hannah, is born, although there are tragic complications for Rina. When one of the babies that was in the nursery that Hannah is in is kidnapped, Decker and his team go into action trying to track down who might have perpetrated such a crime - and hopefully they will rescue a live baby in the end. Decker's older daughter, Cindy, puts in an appearance in this one and plays a large part in the book overall which is good because Rina does not play as major a part as she has in the previous books due to having a baby; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

On to February's reading. . . and a new thread!

>269 alcottacre: Sorry to hear the sad news Stasia.

>288 alcottacre: I've never read detective fiction set in Isreal before. I've added this series to my wishlist. For some reason book four is far cheaper than the first three on Amazon UK so that's the first one I might read.

>298 meanderer: Wow, that is surprising! Maybe I will buy book 4 next too. I hope you enjoy the series if and when you get a chance to read it, Tony. There is another set of mysteries by author Batya Gur that is also set in Israel, if you are interested.