Roni's Reading in 2024: Part Two

My Straw Bale garden in July

Hi, I'm Roni. I've been a member of LT since 2007 and an active member of the 75 Book Challenge groups since June of 2008. I read mostly in genre, science fiction and fantasy, but also try to read some nonfiction and mystery.

I've been busy this year with family, the Kansas Native Plant Society, crafting, and gardening, but I have found some time to squeeze in some reading as well.

Welcome to the second half of 2024

Books Read in 2024

January
1. Butter, Sugar, Magic by Rosenberg, Jessica
2. The Five-Minute Marriage by Aiken, Joan
3. Demon Daughter by Bujold, Lois McMaster
4. Equal Rites by Pratchett, Terry*
5. Death & Relaxation by Monk, Devon
6. A Life with Footnotes by Wilkins, Rob
7. A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by Penner, J.
8. The Cosmati Prophecy by Thornley, Jane
9. Tea and Sympathetic Magic by Roberts, Tansy
10. Organizing for the Rest of Us White, Dana
11. How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by White, Dana*
12. I will Judge You by your Bookshelf by Snider, Grant
13. A Pale Light in the Black by Wagers, K. B*
14. Valdemar by Lackey, Melissa
15. Hold Fast Through the Fire by Wagers, K. B

February
16. The Ghosts of Trappist by Wagers, K. B
17. Trader’s Leap by Lee & Miller*
18. Balance of Trade by Lee & Miller*
19. Trade Secret by Lee & Miller*
20. Black Magic Kitten by Bourgeois, Sara
21. Fair Trade by Lee & Miller*

March
22. Between Two Thorns by Newman, Emma
23. Witches Abroad by Pratchett, Terry*
24. Wyrd Sisters by Pratchett, Terry*
25 Ribbon Dance by Lee & Miller
26. The Untold Story by Cogman, Genevieve
27. Arrows of the Queen by Lackey, Melissa*
28. Arrow’s Flight by Lackey, Melissa*
29. Arrow’s Fall by Lackey, Melissa*
30. By the Sword by Lackey, Melissa*
31. Code Yellow in Gretna Green by Day, Linzi
32. Winds of Fate by Lackey, Melissa*

April
33. Lyorn by Brust, Steven
34. The Goblin Emperor by Addison, Katherine*
35. Oath of Fealty by Moon, Elizabeth*
36.Kings of the North by Moon, Elizabeth*
37. Echoes of Betrayal by Moon, Elizabeth*
38. Limits of Power by Moon, Elizabeth*
39. Crown of Renewal by Moon, Elizabeth*
40. Trading in Danger by Moon, Elizabeth*
41. Marque and Reprisal by Moon, Elizabeth*
42. Engaging the Enemy by Moon, Elizabeth*
43. Command Decision by Moon, Elizabeth*
44. Victory Conditions by Moon, Elizabeth*
45. Cold Welcome by Moon, Elizabeth*
46. Into the Fire by Moon, Elizabeth*

May
47. Dragonsong by McCaffrey, Anne*
48. Dragonsinger by McCaffrey, Anne*
49. Dragondrums by McCaffrey, Anne*
50. Tribute by Smith, Sherwood
51. Stargazy Pie by Goddard, Victoria
52. Bee Sting Cake by Goddard, Victoria
53. Whiskeyjack by Goddard, Victoria
54. Blackcurrant Fool by Goddard, Victoria
55. Love in a Mist by Goddard, Victoria
56. Plum Duff by Goddard, Victoria
57. Traveler’s Joy by Goddard, Victoria
58. The Saint of the Bookstore by Goddard, Victoria*
59. The Hands of the Emperor by Goddard, Victoria*
60. At the Feet of the Sun by Goddard, Victoria

June
61. The Tower at the Edge of the World by Goddard, Victoria
62. The Bride of the Blue Wind by Goddard, Victoria
63. The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Goddard, Victoria
64. Ribbon Dance by Lee & Miller*
65. The Curse of Chalion by Bujold, Lois McMaster*
66. Paladin of Souls by Bujold, Lois McMaster*
67. Terec and the Wild by Goddard, Victoria
68. The Lord of Castle Black by Brust, Steven*
69. The Hallowed Hunt by Bujold, Lois McMaster*
70. Wrighting Old Wrongs by Grace, Maria

July
71. Reserved for the Cat by Lackey, Melissa
72. The Magic of Delusion by Greenwood, Leslie
73. Penric and the Bandit by Bujold, Lois McMaster
74. A Fellowship of Librarians and Dragons by Penner, J.
75. The Tainted Cup by Jackson, Robert Bennett
76. Lords and Ladies by Terry Pratchett*
77. Theft of Swords by Michael Sullivan
78. The Standard Book of Anything by Andrea Rome
79. I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter Beagle
80. Blackthorn Winter by Liz Williams

August
81. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley*
82. The Doppelgänger Gambit by Lee Killough*
83. Shadow Magic by Patricia Wrede*
84. Daughter of Witches by Patricia Wrede*
85. The Raven Ring by Patricia Wrede*
86. Caught in Crystal by Patricia Wrede*
87. Cast in Atonement by Michelle Sagara
88. Too Many Magicians by Randall Garrett*
89. Murder and Magic by Randall Garrett*
90. Sweep With Me by Ilona Andrews
91. Lord Darcy Investigates by Randall Garrett*
92. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
93. Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews
94. Forged by Bart Ehrman*
95. Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne
96. Susan, Linda, Nina & Cokie by Lisa Napoli

September
97. Sword and Shadow by Michelle Sagara*
98. Maskerade by Terry Pratchett*
99. Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara*
100. Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara*
101. Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara*
102. Cast in Fury by Michelle Sagara*
103. Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara*
104. Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara*
105. Cast in Ruin by Michelle Sagara*
106. Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara*
107. Cast in Sorrow by Michelle Sagara*
108. Drinks and Sinkholes by S. Usher Evans
109. Cast in Flame by Michelle Sagara*
110. Cast in Honor by Michelle Sagara*
111. Cast in Flight by Michelle Sagara*
112. Cast in Deception by Michelle Sagara*
113. Cast in Oblivion by Michelle Sagara*
114. Cast in Wisdom by Michelle Sagara*
115. Cast in Conflict by Michelle Sagara*
116. Cast in Eternity by Michelle Sagara*
117. Shards of Glass by Michelle Sagara*
118. Cast in Atonement by Michelle Sagara*

October
119. So You Want to Be a Wizard by Diane Duane*
120. Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane*
121. High Wizardry by Diane Duane*
122. A Wizard Above by Diane Duane*
123. The Wizard's Dilemma by Diane Duane*
124. A Wizard Alone by Diane Duane*
125. Wizard's Holiday by Diane Duane*
126. A Wizard of Mars by Diane Duane(
127. Interim Errantry by Diane Duane*
128. Terec and the Wild by Victoria Goddard
129. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny*

November
130. Games Wizards Play by Diane Duane*
131. Interim Errantry 2 by Diane Duane*
132. Terec and the Wall by Victoria Goddard
133. The Fool by H. P. Mallory
134. Two for the Heart by Betty Neels
135. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper*
136. A Regency Romance by Mary Balogh etal.*

* indicates re-reads

New thread orisons, Roni! *smooch*

Book #80 Blackthorn Winter by Liz Williams

I read the first book of this quartet, Comet Weather in the spring of 2020 and quite enjoyed it, but the events of the year led to me losing track of sequels (not written yet at that point). Thus I was quite happy when the internet threw up the sequel to my attention the other day, and I immediately read it (as opposed to the other 4 books I've been trying to read bit by bit).

This second book of the Fallow Sisters quartet evokes the eerie overlay of the supernatural folklore of England with the everyday modern world in the same way that Susan Cooper and Alan Garner did. One of my favorite 5-star books is The Dark is Rising and the sense of eeriness, dread, past interacting with the present is the same here. Although I'm not a super fan of the choppiness of each of the sisters advancing the story line with separate viewpoint chapters, the story and the writing are strong enough for me to tolerate the structure.

Upon completion, I checked and discovered the rest of the quartet is complete, with one emerging each of the last three years, so I bought them all and am looking forward to completing the series. One thing that is interesting is that these are SO unlike the fantastical Singapore, Asian theological structure of her Inspector Chen 5 book series that I also very much enjoyed. Williams has got some serious writing chops.

>3 richardderus: Return orisons, Richard dear, as mine is a paltry number compared to thyself. *smooch*

Happy new thread Roni!

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Roni.

Great to see that, despite being so busy, you have passed 75 books already!

Happy New Thread! Congratulations on passing 75 books!

Happy summer Roni. It's been very hot, and I'm wondering if you are firing up the kiln.

Congratulations in not only reaching the 75 goal, but in reading even more.

Happy new thread, Roni!

>2 ronincats: Happy new thread!! Don't know how you've managed to read so much while gardening, crafting, family-ing, etc!!

>1 ronincats: what a wonderful garden! Happy new thread

Happy new thread, Roni!!

Wow Roni, that looks like it will be lots of cucumbers and squash if it isn't already! Are you growing summer squash or winter squash? I'm posting some pictures of my straw bale garden on my thread.

Happy new thread, Roni!

Happy new thread!

>2 ronincats: Congratulations on surpassing 75 books!

Happy new one and congrats on already reaching the 75 goal!!

Happy new thread Roni!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Roni.

Happy new thread!

One of the joys of a new thread is seeing who all drops in to say hi! Thank you, Susan, Robyn, Paul, Silver, Linda, Mary, Reba, Anita, Natalie, Ardene, Jim, Cassie, Greg, Kim, Thomas, Stasia, Arlie and Misti! You are all welcome.

We had a mini-burst over Salina a couple of days ago and trees were down and power out for 17,000 customers. Living close to the hospital has its advantages--my power was only out for a few hours, but there were many for whom it took a day or two. I spent Thursday hauling tree branches around front by the curb for the city to eventually pick up (the only damage I incurred) and then had a migraine the next day and am only now really recovering. The only good thing is that it was a type 2 migraine, which means unsettled digestive system but only a light tightening around the skull. I can read but can't concentrate under those conditions, so I've been engaged in rereading some favorites.

>24 ronincats: When I lived on Maiden Lane in Manhattan I was on the same block as the Federal Reserve Bank...never lost power even during the Blizzard! IT really helps to be strategic in your home choices....

Book #81 Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley 306 pp.

I can never decide which of McKinley's two retellings of Beauty and the Beast I love more. Both are so well told. If any of you have read both, what's your verdict?



Book #82 The Doppelgänger Gambit by Lee Killough 261 pp.

I love Lee Killough's writing, and am sorry that she has written very little since her retirement in 2000; most of her books that I have were written in the late 70s and the 80s. This book is the first of her trilogy featuring odd couple LEOs (law enforcement officers) operating in the 21st century. The modernistic details may be showing the book's age (we aren't there yet) and the cover art definitely is, but I love the setting in Topeka KS (she worked in Manhattan KS for 29 years) and the characters.

DNF The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

I tried, but after the first 100 pages, I just leafed through the book, settling in for a few paragraphs every 30 pages or so until I got to the end of the 533 pages and there was no resolution. Just not up for this type of convoluted fantasy any more.

>26 ronincats: I'm with ya on the "not up to it anymore" front. I've always been a happy Pearl-Ruler but I'm really moving to "the minute I can't pick you up, out you go" unlike before when I'd sometimes pick up a book after years to finish it.

No more. Unlike you, I've got a smallish and shrinking stock of eyeblinks left to me. Gettin' real protective of 'em.

>26 ronincats: Re Beauty and Rose daughter, I'd have to reread to decide.

Happy new thread, Roni!
I'm glad you didn't sustain too much damage with the trees.

Hmmm. I've read only Beauty, and I really liked it. Since *B&tB* is my favorite fairy tale, I should check out Rose Daughter. I just don't know when.

>27 richardderus: Since I'm a decade or two older than you, not sure where that's coming from, but agree with the sentiment.

>29 Ravenwoodwitch:, >30 LizzieD: Never thought I'd find a retelling I liked better that Beauty, but when Rose Daughter came out, there it was. Peggy, also recommend Bryony and Roses if you haven't read that.

>29 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks, Angela. The way those huge, tall walnut tree branches were swaying 20 feet side to side, I'm very happy that only relatively small branches broke off.

So, I've been indulging in rereads of a favorite author, Patricia Wrede, specifically her Lyra books.



Book #83 Shadow Magic 256 pp.
Book #84 Daughter of Witches 215 pp.
Book #85 The Raven Ring 348 pp.
Book #86 Caught in Crystal 293 pp.

These were her earliest books, before the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, and still some of my favorites, although I love the latter as well. But I am not going to move on to them as the new Elantra book, Cast in Atonement, just downloaded onto my Kindle and longtime readers know how I love that series!

Hi Roni. You have had a busy year so far! Thanks for reaching out about the Portland meetup.

BTW, you may recall that I was interested in pursuing an artistic outlet; ceramics has always appealed to me. I've gotten engrossed in sketching and watercolor since retiring. Having great fun with it!

>26 ronincats: Stories without resolutions annoy me. People who write them that way to hook me into a series annoy me more! Thanks for the warning on that one.

>24 ronincats: Have a virtual hug, if you like them, in sympathy for the migraine - and the storm too.

>24 ronincats: I've never heard of a type 2 migraine. So it doesn't hurt as much as a type 1? I get opthalmic migraines, which means I can't read or really function at anything that requires sight for about an hour until it goes away. I also get what I'm told are called ice-pick headaches, which are also apparently a form of migraine. It's a sudden searing pain shooting from the temple through the head like an icepick. It's really narrow. But they last about half a second to a second each, and come in a series of 1-5ish times over a few minutes. It makes driving hard.

Do you get either of those?

>32 EBT1002: I've really liked your work that you've posted on your thread, Ellen. I think you have a talent for it!
>33 sirfurboy: You could tell from the get-go that this was going to be an epic series, Stephen, but it still bothers me when authors do this.
>34 ArlieS: Thank you, Arlie, much appreciated.
>35 The_Hibernator: Type 2 is just my name for it, Rachel. I have had what I call "boomers" since I was a child, often triggered by sinus issues like allergies and pressure gradients. I would curl up in a ball and endure until it passed. Aspirin didn't touch it, and that was before Tylenol and ibuprofen. Fortunately, they seem more effective and I rarely have them these days. The second type emerged in my 30s after I was in California and it took them several years to identify it as a migraine, since it usually moved to the cyclic vomiting stage in the evening/night. Finally, I experienced one during a work day and my friend got me down to my doctor's office at the height of symptoms, and the nurse practitioner identified it as such. It starts with a net drawing tight gradually around the skull and a feeling of just being "off", and if I take my rizatriptan at that point, I can head it off from getting any worse, although I'm usually pretty useless for the next day or two in terms of energy and focus.

So I was pretty useless yesterday but I did finish my new book.



Book #87 Cast in Atonement by Michelle Sagara 507 pp.

Long-time followers of my thread know that I love this series. Sagara puts out one a year, and this is #18 in the series--definitely do not start here. The story moves forward from the last book, wraps up a few threads, but still so much more to come.

Oh God, those sound awful :o
I'm so sorry you have to deal with that. I get migraines too; this painful throb right behind my right eye that triggers when I don't sleep right, or at the end of my cycles. When they hit, movement, bright light, and loud noises are no Bueno.
Thank God for Extra Strength Tylenol, eh?

Hi Roni, I have finally caught up with you! I used to suffer headaches quite often back in by teens and twenties but I must have outgrown them because I very rarely get headaches anymore - and I don't miss them one bit!

>36 ronincats: Have you encountered A Turn of Light: The First Night's Edge Novel by Julie Czerneda? I mention it because the Kindle Edition IS ONLY 99¢ today.

Sunday orisons, smoochling!

Dear Friend, Congratulations on reading so many wonderful books!
>24 ronincats: I've suffered with migraines for many years. The only medication that assists is Fiorcet. But now after so many years it simply isn't as effective. I'm so sorry you suffer from this nasty afflication. I've had many MRI tests and they all reference white foci on brain which can indicate long-term migraines.

Thanks for teaching me something new. I've never heard of type two migraine. I'm off to do a google search about this.
I hope you are much better.

>37 Ravenwoodwitch:, >38 DeltaQueen50:, >40 Whisper1: Thank you, Angela, Judy and Linda. I am fortunate that I only get these rarely since retiring. I was afraid that moving back to Kansas might interrupt my thunder bangers, but so far so good. Linda, Fiorcet is what they gave me in the 60s for those, but they never had any effect. Tylenol, surprisingly, did once it was developed some years later.

Richard, dear, I love that book. I have the trade paperback on my shelves in the bedroom. I also have the sequel, which I haven't read because I didn't find and acquire it until a number of years later, when the details of the first book had become hazy, making me feel that I should reread it before starting the second, and at 854 pages, that is a major investment and I haven't gotten around to it.

>41 ronincats: I quailed before its massiveness, but at 99¢ I bought it under the magical principle that Death will not reap my soul while I have unread books on my various types of shelves.

So far, so good.

>26 ronincats: Re: Beauty and Rose Daughter, I will always love Beauty best, but that's because I discovered it in my teenage years, while Rose Daughter came out in my 20s. It's hard to beat a beloved book discovered in one's formative years.

>42 richardderus: Ah, good application of the Tsundoku principle.
>43 foggidawn: That emotional load can definitely skew one's opinion, Misti.



Book #88 Murder and Magic by Randall Garrett 266 pp.
Book #89 Too Many Magicians by Randall Garrett 342 pp.
Book #90 Lord Darcy Investigates by Randall Garrett 229 pp.

Imagine a world where Richard the Lion-Hearted did not die in 1199 but went on to found the mightiest and most stable empire in history, where the laws of extra-sensory perception have been codified but those of physics remain unsuspected. Now imagine you are Lord Darcy, the greatest detective of all time, in a world where crime and the occult walk hand-in-hand.

These stories from the 1960s and 70s are still fun to read. The first and third books are collections of Lord Darcy stories published in various magazines, while Too Many Magicians is Garrett's only full-length novel in this world. Michael Kurland wrote two more Lord Darcy books when Garrett became too ill to continue.

Book #91 Sweep With Me by Ilona Andrews 146 pp.
Book #92 Sweep of the Heart by Ilona Andrews 456 pp.

I had read the first three of these quite a while ago. They came across my attention recently and so I have finished the Dina books in this series by borrowing them through Hoopla. These are light fantasy, beach reading type books--the outstanding feature in them is the sheer inventiveness of the aliens that make them a lot of fun.



Book #93 The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst 376 pp.

This is Durst's new cozy fantasy. In the acknowledgements, she says that she filled it with things that make her smile, a gift to those who want to escape the lot we've been through the last few years. And it has lots of lovely components. It has so much potential, but I find it too simplistic, too convenient, too easy to do more than simply enjoy it as a moral tale.

>44 ronincats: Back when the crust was cooling, I read and loved the Lord Darcy stories...a surgeon calling himself a "mere chirurgeon, not a mage" made me so happy! It's not likely I'll re-read them but they're quite good memories to me.

*smooch*

Happy New Thread, Roni. I hope you are having a fine summer. It looks like you are enjoying those books.

>41 ronincats: I loved A Turn of Light - it was rightly weird! A Play of Shadow not so much. And if the cover artist must indulge in bizarrely bad costume choices, the author should not support such by including descriptions of them in the text. The latter may have had a negative impact on my rating, but since I read it pre-2017, I have no record of what I rated it. But I do remember it a bit, which is a lot more than I can say for even most of Czerneda's books, so that's probably a plus.

Happy summer, Roni. I like your topper.

>48 quondame: I also enjoyed A turn of the light more than a A play of shadow, but I still liked A play of shadow. Are you aware a third in the series is coming out soon? A change of place is due in Septemeber.

>50 markon: I did notice a 3rd on the LT series page, and thought it was a novella. I will look for A Change of Place, thank you.

>44 ronincats: I loved those books, and still have all three of them on my shelves.

>45 ronincats: And the two Ilona Andrews books are currently waiting for me, having been acquired by inter-library loan lite.

Hey, Richard, Mark, Susan, Barbara, Arlene and Arlie, sorry to be so slow responding. I just spent the last week in Colorado, first visiting a high school chum in the Denver area and then my greatniece down in Creede where she is being stage manager for the repertory theater during their summer season.





First the Denver Botanical Garden, then up Main Street in Creede, then the North Fork waterfall up the road from Creede.

Impressive beautiful pictures, thanks for sharing, Roni.
Have a wonderful start into the week!

>44 ronincats: I have a Lord Darcy anthology (one of those '3-in-1' books) that I have never read. I really need to pull it off the shelf and get to it!

>53 ronincats: Lovely pictures, Roni! Thanks for sharing!!

>53 ronincats: Is that a plant in the Botanical Garden shot, or a Chihuly sculpture? Either way it's glorious! I'm happy to know you were AFK having fun not, like me, having COVID again. (Over it now.)

Colorado just can't help itself from being beautiful, can it? (or at least the western half can't). Looks like a lovely trip. We're looking forward to being next :)

>53 ronincats: WOW! Also Holy Moly!! That ain't Asheville or Black Mountain for sure!!!!!

>53 ronincats: Oh that is some gorgeous photography

Thank you for the lovely photos Roni!

Great pictures, Roni. As Fall approaches I have been getting itchy feet as we usually headed out for a road trip in September. Nowadays health concerns are keeping us close to home. Perhaps I should find myself a book about a road trip!

>53 ronincats: Wow, so beautiful pictures. Thanks so much for sharing them.

>53 ronincats: WOW! What a beautiful area of Colorado. Thanks for taking the time to post your images. It looks like you had a well-deserved time away.

I'm thinking of you and sending lots of love.

Wow -- what a beautiful area! That waterfall! And the town nestled under the cliffs.

😍🙌👍

>65 ronincats: lol and smiling

>65 ronincats: Oh YES!!!! I was talking to our niece and nephew last night about the difference between people who "like to read" and READERS.

>65 ronincats: Abso-bleedin'-lutely!

>53 ronincats: beautiful!

>65 ronincats: Agreed, Roni!

Hi Roni! How goes the war against the Forces of Evil?

Well, right now I've got Reba and her husband as reinforcement here in Washington, so I think we have them on the run.

Glad to see you posting, Roni! Y'all have a wonderful time!!!!!

Today's haul from my very first visit to Powell's City of Books. It was fantastic! Meet-up photo is on Reba's thread.

Handbuilt by Lilly Maetzig
Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill
A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos
Fyneshade by Kate Griffin
Water Witch by Cynthia Felice and Connie Willis

Woo! All that looks good. I'll be interested to see what you think of them (well, maybe not Handbuilt so much), especially Fyneshade, which I see that I can afford. Off to Reba's thread!

>75 ronincats: Luscious haul! I'm impressed you kept it that small, given where you went to get them. I really hope you like A Winter's Promise when its turn comes.

*smooch*

Lovely to meet you yesterday Roni! Glad you enjoyed your first visit to Powell’s.

I had a lovely, lovely time with Reba and her husband, and with the LT gang for brunch and at Powell's. Thank you so much, Reba and Imre. I got back to Kansas needing to put together a newsletter for a state organization plus a second unanticipated funeral, and am just now catching my breath and getting caught up. I did go to the first Salina Author fair on Tuesday (missed the state one I'd been planning to go to Saturday due to the funeral) and bought the following:

Night Moves by Angel Edenburn
Artificial Intelligence: Clean Version by Cat Webling
Churn by Chloe Chun Seim

But haven't read my any of my new books yet as I have been doing a complete reread, all at one time, of the 18 Elantra books plus 2 of the three related side stories.

We loved having you here, Roni! You fit right into the household plus it was fun to show you a little of our (relatively) new home. An excuse for a meet-up is always welcome too :)

Well, I've been busy. On the first of September I read Sword and Shadow, the second in a side series for the Elantra books I enjoy so much, and since then, I've been rereading the entire series in order. Just finished on the 9th. Whew! But fun. With only one extra book, a so-so fantasy, but I was on the plane and didn't have the next Elantra book downloaded onto my tablet.

You must really be a big fan of this series. I'm not much into fantasy, but when I discover a good crime series, I have to read them all.
Happy Friday, Roni. 😃

>81 ronincats: My one Michelle Sagara book was Silence which I found very well done but not enough fun-magic for my taste in fantasy.

>81 ronincats: Reading all the books in this series is quite an accomplishment!. Plus, adding all those covers took a lot of time. Thanks for importing the covers in sucha beautiful way!

I hope you are well. I saw your Colorado photos and appreciate that you added so many beautiful photos! Thanks Roni!!

Love seeing the Sagaras lined up! I'm starting to get into the first one, tho I wish she wrote a bit more sparklingly. Ordered the next two!

Very happy to see you in Joplin again this year, Roni! I hope we can do it again next year!!

Oh wow, that's impressive :o

I struggle to commit to a series sometimes. I think the longest I've read in any series is 7.
Maybe I'll try for something longer in inspiration of this.

>81 ronincats: Is that the full series, or what you read in September?

>88 The_Hibernator: Both!

Hi, Roni. Just checking in!

Hi Roni. Just swinging by to say hello and see how you're doing. It was so fun connecting in person in Portland earlier this fall!

Checking in on you, Roni!

Hi Roni! I am catching up. Love your Colorado pictures - do you know I've never been to Creede? There are far too many Colorado places I've never visited. I am far behind my own (non-native) husband, who has visited most of the state on a bike. Hope you are well.

Have wonderful special day today, Roni.
All the best to you!

Happy Birthday Roni!

Thank you, Thomas and Ron! Even though I'm not posting much and not getting around the threads, I do check in regularly.

From earlier, thanks Anne and Stasia and Ellen and Peggy for stopping by.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!! I forgot.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RONI!!!!!!!!!!!

For those few of you still paying attention to my thread, I am here to tell you that my December craft show was yesterday and I am here with pictures. Now other than making test tiles for my new glazes, I will take a break until the New Year from the studio, which has been taking up all my time for the last month. As in, I have not read a single book in that time.



Ornaments are a big thing this time of year, and a good item at a lower price level.


Some of my newer items include phone holders and Kansas state ornaments.


And of course, there are new cat-themed items!

Wow! Wow! Wow! SO much to look at, admire, and covet! I KNOW that you did well.....

I'd expect that you sold every single mug with the cat's tail as the handle, and that's just the beginning.
That's amazing stuff and an amazing quantity!

Now enjoy Christmas and read a few books!!!!!

>98 ronincats: ...funny...there seems to be an image not appearing on my screen there at the bottom...

I like that wheat-in-the-field sculptural dealio! Graceful way to show the idea of the wheat waving in the wind. All the ornaments are cute and the toppers are very nicely thought out for modern artificial trees.

The four-sided mortarius is my favorite new thing, though. What a great idea!

*smooch*

>98 ronincats: Great assortment of items. I hope most of them found a good home. My favorites are: plate with dog face, mug with pink cat (bottom photo) and the bowl with aqua glaze on the top (visible in top photo) -- but they're all wonderful.

Thank you, Peggy and Reba.

Richard, at first I thought you were simply adding to my vocabulary, but a search of "mortarius" yields only World of Warcraft characters, which I cannot think to be your intention!

>98 ronincats: As always your pottery is quite beautiful. I am sure you had a great success at the craft show! Love the ornaments. they probably flew off the table as they are excellent stocking stuffers.

Happy rest of the week.

>102 ronincats: Because I used the wrong case: mortarium not -us. Silly old man:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortarium

>81 ronincats: Oh my goodness, that is a lot. Great writer too. I don't think I have read most of those - I don't know why not. I should start a run through too.

You are so very talented, Roni, and I love when you share your creations with us.

Thank you so much for sharing your great creations with us, Roni!

Good stuff! The sunflower plates are lovely and I so enjoy the cat plates!

As always, it’s great to see your art—I especially love the Christmas ornaments that are trees!

Solstice cheer, Roni!

>98 ronincats: Oh these are all so cool!
I can see why you haven't hit the books; clearly you've been busy.
Well done!

I wish you and your loved ones a happy and blessed festive season.

Nadolig Llawen, Happy Christmas and Happy Holidays!

It has become evident that I am going to run out of time to visit threads before I leave to be with family in a few minutes, and I won't be back until tomorrow night. So let me at least wish you all a Merry Christmas here!

This one is for Richard, so he can ignore the one below:



And for the rest of you,

Winslow and all of us wish you a very happy holidays!

Thinking of you at this time, Roni. x

Roni, thinking of you and sending love.

In my last round for 2024, I would like to thank you for all the good books and wish you a happy new year!
See you again in 2025.

Let's resolve to do this more in 2025.

Happy New Year!

In 2024 I read 136 books. 51 were new reads, 85 were comfort rereads. 18 came from the library. Science Fiction-19, Fantasy-107, Children's-1, Nonfiction-6 and Romance-3. I was very much an Anglophile with all authors being from the US, Canada, the British Isles or Australia. 37,543 pages were read. The list of books read can be found in >2 ronincats:.

Moving on, Happy New Year to all of you, especially Thomas, Richard and Cassie who visited today.

I adore the cats!!! I may have to print that and put in on my bulletin board because I think it will make me smile every time I see it. Also enjoyed the statistical reading analysis.

Happy new year! Love the kitties!