Caroline's reading in 2025 (chapter the fourth): Winter hibernation

Welcome to the final thread of 2025. I'm Caroline, and currently live in London.

Its been quite a year one way or another. I retired at the end of May and had two fabulously leisurely reading months, before the landlord reared his head and I will likely have to relocate in the new year. I have lived here 33.5 years, and while not wedded to the flat, or even the city any longer, it's a massive task ahead.

That said, it is also an adventure, and a new beginning, as long as I am given sufficient time to do what I need to do.

Aside from August, when I read 2 books (never such a small amount even as a kid), my reading doubled the first two months of retirement, and between box packing I'm trying to keep it going, if not at that level.

Last years reads: https://www.librarything.com/topic/365327#8656174

Books Read in 2025

Fiction

The Western Wind (Samantha Harvey) (13/01/25) ***1/2
Tell Me Everything (Elizabeth Strout) (24/01/25) ****1/2
A Sabbatical in Leipzig (Adrian Duncan) (26/01/25) ****
Four Seasons in Japan (Nick Bradley) (30/01/25) ****
Hum (Helen Phillips) (03/02/25) ****
There are Rivers in the Sky (Elif Shafak) (10/02/25) ****1/2
The Artist (Lucy Steeds) (21/02/2025) *****
The Café With No Name (Robert Seethaler) (24/02/25) ****
Theory and Practice (Michelle de Kretser) (01/03/25) ****
My Friends (Hisham Matar) (30/03/25) ****1/2
On the Calculation of Volume (Vol 1) (Solvej Balle) (18/04/25) ****1/2
Audition (Katie Kitamura) (04/05/25) ***1/2
The New Dress (Virginia Woolf) (short stories) (16/05/25) *****
How to Read a Book (Monica Wood) (26/05/25) *****
Persuasion (Jane Austen) (03/06/25) ****
Practice (Rosalind Brown) (04/06/25) ****1/2
Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin) (06/06/25) (*) *****
The English Teacher (Lily King) (11/06/25) ****
The Strange Case of Jane O (Karen Thompson Walker) (14/06/25) ****
The Glassmaker (Tracy Chevalier) (19/06/25) ****
Marzahn, Mon Amour (Katja Oskamp) (20/06/25) ****
The Country Girls (Edna O'Brien) (*) (27/06/25) ****
When the Cranes Fly South (Lisa Ridzén) (01/07/25) ****
Playground (Richard Powers) (11/07/25) ****
Clear (Carys Davies) (14/07/25) ****
The Long View (Elizabeth Jane Howard) (22/07/25) ****
The Children's Bach (Helen Garner) (30/07/25) ***1/2
The House Between Tides )Sarah Maine) (03/08/35) ****
Death is a Lonely Business (Ray Bradbury) (22/08/25) ****
Never Let Me Go (Kazuo Ishiguro) (26/08/25) ***1/2
Mr Mac and Me (Esther Freud) (29/08/25) ****
The Grown-Ups (Victoria Glendinning) (03/09/25) ****
A foreign Country (Francine Stock) (05/09/25) ****
The Two Roberts (Damian Barr) (08/09/25) ****1/2
The Portrait (Antoine Laurain) (09/09/25) ***
The Name of the World (Denis Johnson) (12/09/25) ***
The Mystery of Henri Pick (David Foenkinos) (14/09/25) ***
The Garden of Evening Mists (Tan Twan Eng) (20/09/25) (3rd read) *****
On Beauty (Zadie Smith) (25/09/25) (reread) ***1/2
Miss Garnet's Angel (Salley Vickers) (29/09/25) ****
The Correspondent (Virginia Evans) (02/10/25) ****1/2
The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald) (10/10/25) (47th read) *****
Kew Gardens (Virginia Woolf) (17/10/25) ***1/2
Lonesome Dove (Larry McMurtry) (12/11/25) ****1/2
Marple (various) (10/12/25) ***1/2

Non-Fiction>

The Abuse of Power (Theresa May) (05/01/25) ****1/2
A Flat Place (Noreen Masud) (20/01/25) *****
The Position of Spoons, and other Intimacies (Deborah Levy) (02/02/25) ****1/2
The Book You Want Everyone You Love* To Read:* And Maybe a Few You Don't (Philippa Perry) (17/02/25) *****
Great Britain? How we get our future back (Torsten Bell) (10/03/25) *****
Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives (Lucy Mangan) (22/03/25) *****
The Return (Hisham Matar) (24/03/25) ****1/2
Agent Zo (Clare Mulley) (12/04/25) ****1/2
Maurice and Maralyn (Sophie Elmhirst) (19/04/2025) ****1/2
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf (Rebecca Romney) (28/04/25) ****1/2
Notes to John (Joan Didion) (06/05/25) *****
A Booklover's Companion (various/Illustrated) (12/11/25) ****
No Straight Road Takes You There (Rebecca Solnit) (24/05/25) *****
No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II (Doris Kearns Goodwin) (22/06/25) *****
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder (Salman Rushdie) (24/06/25) ****1/2
James Baldwin: The Life Album (Magdalena J Zaborowska) (28/06/25) ****
The Butterfly Hours: Transforming Memories into Memoir (Patty Dann) (28/06/25) ****
Winifred Nicholson in Scotland (Alice Dewey) (30/06/25) *****
To the River (Olivia Laing) (03/07/25) ****1/2
The Outrun (Amy Liptrot) (09/07/25) ****1/2
The Instant (Amy Liptrot (10/07/25) ****
Amnesiac (Neil Jordan) (16/07/25) ****
Letters to Margaret: Confessions to my late wife (Hunter Davies) (17/07/25) ****
How to End a Story: Collected Diaries (Helen Garner) (30/07/25) ****1/2
How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division (Elif Shafak) (07/08/25) *****
The Quiet Ear: An Investigation of Missing Sound (Raymond Antrobus) (11/09/25) *****
The Writer's Room: The Hidden Worlds That Shape the Books We Love (Katie da Cunha Lewin) (08/10/25) ****1/2
In The Rhododendrons (Heather Christle) (16/10/25) ****1/2
Homecoming Meditations (Jessica Boston) (17/10/25) ****
College of One (Sheilah Graham) (25/10/2025) *****
On Friendship (Andrew O'Hagan) (26/10/25) ****1/2
The Art of the Wasted Day (Patricia Hampl) (14/11/25) (*) ****1/2
Bread of Angels (Patti Smith) ( ) ****
A Book of Days : Patti Smith (. ) ****

Poetry

An Arbitrary Light Bulb (Ian Duhig) (07/01/25) ****
Midden Witch (Fiona Benson) (11/06/25) ****1/2
Bright Travellers (Fiona Benson) (16/06/25) ****
Kathleen Raíne: Selected Poems (Kathleen Raíne) (01/07/25) ****
Devotions (Mary Oliver) 07/07/25) ****1/2

Shakespeare

As You Like It (07/01/25) ****

Rereads

Giovanni's Room (James Baldwin) *****
The Country Girls (Edna O'Brien) ****
The Garden of Evening Mists (Tan Twan Eng) (20/09/25) (3rd read) *****
On Beauty (Zadie Smith) (25/09/25) (reread) ***1/2
Miss Garnet's Angel (Salley Vickers) (29/09/25) ****
The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald (10/10/25) *****
College of One (Sheilah Graham) (25/10/2025) *****
The Art of the Wasted Day (Patricia Hampl) (14/11/25) ****1/2
Writing Creativity Soul (Sue Monk Kidd) (23/11/25) *****
Bread of Angels (Patti Smith) (02/12/25) ****
Book of Days: Patti Smith (Patti Smith) (04/12/25) ****

DNF

The Death of the Heart (Elizabeth Bowen)

TOTAL READ: 88

Fiction: 43
Non-Fiction: 36
Poetry: 05
Shakespeare: 01
DNF: 01
Female: 50
Male: 25
Non-binary/trans:
Various: 01

UK: 40
UK/Libya/America: 03
UK/Turkish: 02
UK/US/Indian 01
US: 22
US/UK: 01
US/Dutch:
US/Japan 01
UK/Japan: 01
Canada:
UK/American:
UK/Palestinian
Sweden: 01
Israel:
Belgium:
Japan:
Syria:
NZ:
Malaysia: 01
France: 02
Ireland: 01
Morocco/France:
Dutch:
Trinidadian/UK:
Persia:
Australian/Sri Lanka: 01
Australian/Asian:
Australian: 02
Austrian: 01
Danish: 01
Germany: 01
Various: 01

BOOKS ACQUIRED 2025

16 (2 were gifts)/16/24/12/24/21/08/05/03/06/04/06 (116 total)

****

I totally failed at exiting books last year, probably 20 went out, no one-in-one-out which happened in 2023. MUST DO BETTER in 2025, both much fewer acquired as well as one out for everyone in. It is exacerbated by the lack of ease at placing them, but I need to find new ways.

Acquired in previous years

2024 = 08/14/11/12/16/12/12/14/13/15/09 (1 gift)/11 (1 gift) = 142 (is there a pattern!)

2023 = 16/14/15/11/09/14/11/10/08/13/21(oops)/21 =142



BOOKS RELEASED: 2025

1 book out for everyone in: 100 (another 20 need to exit)

Plus others out

* (* weren't in my catalogue)

In 2023 520 books went out plus 1 out for every one in. I've been abysmal at updating my catalogue though.

The relocation project

So far about 200 boxes of books have been moved into a storage unit, and 600 books donated to charity. There is a long way to go, but I'll put an occasional update here.

At the moment the probability is that I will move to Shrewsbury in Shropshire, about a thirty minute drive from my sister, a beautiful area, slightly cheaper than London.

Welcome in.

Happy new thread, Caroline. I LOVE that topper! And also, >5 Caroline_McElwee:.

Deep breaths. The chore ahead WILL get done!

Happy Friday, Caroline. Happy New Thread. Love the owlish topper. 200 boxes of books? Oh, Lord...Good luck with this move, my friend. Sounds like a big task.

Happy new thread! I hope you have lots of good things to record here.

>6 jessibud2: >7 msf59: Thanks Shelley and Mark. I try to live in the day, and avoid overthinking. It’s those 4am moments I could do without though.

>8 Sakerfalcon: I know I will Claire, thanks.

The one thing I am being successful with is keeping my acquisitions to low-mid single figures the past 4 months, only buying books that I am sure I would reread, or that belong in an existing collection. I’m letting so many go (1,200 by end of Nov will have been donated, and more will follow) so ‘one in, one out’ not necessary, but after my move that will be the case so no uptick in numbers.

Dear Caroline, happy new thread and I hope that life slows down a little for you as the year draws to its wheezy conclusion.

>10 Caroline_McElwee: I would be heartbroken. What is your aimed for total number of books to be retained?

>11 PaulCranswick: Probably 2-2.5k Paul if I am sensible. I probably won't read all of those even if I get to 80 with eyes still willing to do the work!

There are probably still 4k in the flat, and 3.5k in the storage unit. I marked the boxes I definitely wanted to keep, but the rest I will slowly have to release blind, even though some boxes will have things I'd ideally like to keep. I give them to a charity that will collect 10 boxes every 10 days.

I lost the plot a decade or so ago and was just buying every book I wanted. For such a pragmatic person, I look on it as a mini breakdown. I could not properly house what I subsequently owned, and it did spoil some of the pleasure. As I owned so many treasures, there were fewer to find in secondhand bookshops, and the idea that everything I wanted to read was in the flat wasn't workable either, as I often couldn't find, or get to what I wanted, when I wanted it.

Actually one of the joys of what I am having to do now, is I am finding so many books I have been looking for for years :-) .

Apologies if this is a repeat of some of what I posted on my previous thread.

To note, my LT catalogue is not and will never reflect what I will actually own as I just don't have the time to update it and won't know what has left the building. I will only know what is eventually on my shelves in my new home.

Winter meadow at Attingham Park

You've already done an amazing thing, Caroline. You have moved out almost as many books as we have in our 3-4 bedroom house (including numerous boxes in the attic). And we feel the need to cull extensively here. Be encouraged by what you've accomplished so far...you can do this.

Happy new thread Caroline.

As a hoarder (who said that?) I could never give up my books (though I should really make a more concerted effort to read my own). I assume you know that the LT app makes quick work of scanning books into your catalogue?

I remember cataloguing the 5,000 odd books of our club library about 10 years ago. I started by typing them in and managed maybe a shelf's worth each time but I had to haul them off the shelf and cart them over to the desk. Then I bought a cue cat which speeded things up but it still involved taking books off the shelves and having to reshelve them. But when they brought out the LT app, if I could convince the kids to help, they could scan a shelf's worth (provided the books were young enough to have barcodes) in about 10 minutes and only partially pull them off the shelves to do it and I could sit at the desk and organise the catalogue on the ancient computer we had, so we'd get through 2 or 3 bookcases each time.

I hope you get nicer, more affordable, more spacious digs wherever you end up so you can thumb your nose at your current landlord. And have lots of space to arrange your books.

>13 Caroline_McElwee: What's a winter meadow? That is wonderfully colourful.

>12 Caroline_McElwee: It is difficult for me to say too as I have given away quite a number of books over the years as well as adding them like a lunatic, especially since I joined this group. Probably about 10,000 in the apartment and less than a thousand in Sheffield.

>13 Caroline_McElwee: Beautiful.

>12 Caroline_McElwee: I did this three years ago and, although I would have said I couldn't bear to get rid of books, I did find it easier than expected. Having had plenty of notice that we were moving, and downsizing, I was able to do it quite gradually, which made it better. I haven't (so far) gone to look for a paper book that isn't there or regretted any books that went to new homes. I am also happy with ebooks, which saves space!

>14 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda, I’m not always good at keeping what I’ve already achieved in my mind because there is still so much to do.

>15 humouress: >16 humouress: I do know about the new systems Nina, though a lot of what I have don’t have barcodes. I suspect I’ll be too busy reading to worry about it once the move is done.

I haven’t seen meadow flowers in winter before, it was my term.

>17 PaulCranswick: It seems less necessary now to have an updated catalogue Paul, and no one will be interested once I shuffle off etc ha!

The flowers were beautiful indeed.

>18 CDVicarage: Thanks for adding your experience Kerry. I have days when I know I will be pleased to have edited down extensively. It’s not as if I won’t be able to use a library or buy another copy if I’m desperate. I don’t though use my Kindle often. Just love the physical book too much.

Twilight by Henry Van De Velde

Bringing from last thread.

Happy new thread Caroline. it is beautiful over here with your very colourful photos and beautiful art work. i love visiting all your reads for 2025 in >2 Caroline_McElwee:. Do you think those are cosmos in the winter meadow?

Happy new thread!

>21 mdoris: Not sure if they are cosmos Mary, could be family of.

Glad you are enjoying the photos and my reading list of the year.

>22 figsfromthistle: Thank you Anita.

>4 Caroline_McElwee: New-thread orisons, Caro! I love that lamp!

>24 richardderus: It is lovely on winter evenings RD. A quiet glow.

Love your owls up top, and the field of cosmos, one of my favourite flowers as an old reliable in the garden.

You have done an AMAZING job of editing so far. When I got rid of 2,000+ science fiction books in the mid-80s, I thought my shelves would feel awfully bare but in truth, I didn't miss them. If I'm honest, there aren't all that many books I would actually reread and only about 500 that are too near and dear to part with. I think some books just become invisible once they're shelved--as you note, finding ones you've lost over the years.

Just think, when you decamp to Shrewesbury, a good deal of your packing will have been dealt with!

>26 tiffin: They were lost because they were buried behind other books Tui. Ultimately there was little organisation. I tend to remember where I first put a book, but if it got moved...

From next month I will be releasing some of the boxes from the storage unit, which have no green sticker or writing on the box, to donate blind. There are about 50 of those boxes, so five collections Nov-Jan.

81. College of One (Sheilah Graham) (25/10/2025) *****

The curriculum for the literary part of the course. Scott married books to chapters in HG Well's Outline of History.






Scott and Sheilah



A rare recording of Scott's voice declaiming from Shakespeare's Othello:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwo-qiJP4co

And Keats' Ode to the Nightingale

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMKHwMGIVI8

It was a great comfort to have read most of these on the list. Fascinating, Caro! Also interesting was the fact that your books were double shelved, a problem my much smaller (in large part due to Kindle reading) managed to avoid.

>28 Caroline_McElwee: I like this one.

>30 tiffin: Ahem, yes, with the volume double shelving was unavoidable Tui. The intention is to avoid that in my new home.

>31 humouress: Me too Nina.

82. On Friendship (Andrew O'Hagan) (26/10/25) ****1/2

I'm late, but happy new thread!

>35 drneutron: Thanks Jim.

Happy new(ish) thread, Caroline!

I wanted to thank you for your recommendation of Lucy Mangan. I read her Bookish a couple of months ago based on your recommendation and read her Bookworm last week and enjoyed them both immensely.

Have a marvelous Monday!

>37 alcottacre: I still have to get to Bookworm but glad they worked for you Stasia.

Happy new thread. I hope the move goes well. Been 15 years since we last moved house and I'm still not ready to try it again!

>28 Caroline_McElwee: What a beautiful image, Caro! It's custom-designed for our group.

>39 Helenliz: Thanks Helen. Moving is one of the most stressful things we do apparently.

>40 richardderus: It is indeed RD.

I loved Bookworm, Stasia. I read it earlier this year.

>29 Caroline_McElwee: This sounds fascinating. I have never heard of this. I will look for it.

Happy new thread. I LOVE the art in >1 Caroline_McElwee:, especially the books.

You are doing great with the book weeding, Caroline. Kudos. You could probably start a consulting business here on LT. :)

>42 jessibud2: Glad it was a hit for you too Shelley.

>43 BLBera: I hope you find a copy of College of One Beth. Ittook me years to collect the books on the literature list above. I just boxed them up, but look forward to doing the course one winter in my new home.

Lapwing by Steve Ferguson.

Painting of an old Dutch ice skate, by Jos van Riswick.

>29 Caroline_McElwee: That's fascinating. Is the 'course' set out within the book, or is it a separate entity?

>45 Caroline_McElwee: That's a beautiful painting but it's a lapwing not a wagtail!

>47 AlisonY: It evolved a bit, and mostly it is only the literature element covered in the book. She gives details of some of the changes and other elements of the course, but was working from notes found in his papers, so not the whole of anything, I will just follow that list when I start it Alison. There's quite a bit of her early life at the beginning of the book.

>48 Sakerfalcon: oops, yup. Thanks Claire, amending.

By Ross Wilson

Well my winter will be filled by reading Seamus Heaney's complete poems. I have been waiting for it's publication. I read his fine letters in 2023. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the creative life of writing, friendship and mentorism.

Caroline

Many thanks for posting all these lovely images!!!

>51 Whisper1: Pleasure Linda, glad you are enjoying them.

I’ve got three chunksters on the go: Lonesome Dove just starting Part 2; Václav Havel: A Political Tragedy in Six Acts (John Keane); and The Poems of Seamus Heaney. It will be a while before any reviews appear, though I may sneak a short non-fiction in between.

I finally found a reasonably priced copy of Heaney's letters, so I will get to that one of these days...Thanks to your comments.

>54 BLBera: You will love them Beth. For some reason I never heard him live, but the letters tell you that you would have enjoyed meeting him, and showed you what a great friend he was to the people in his life.

Finally some films I want to see on.

Today I went to see 'The Choral' written by Alan Bennett. Set in 1916 in an English village during the first world war. The town is about to be deprived of more of its young men as conscription is just about to begin. The choir has hired a music director to guide them to a performance of the Messiah, a German composer. The music director has also spent much time working in Germany. In the end, Elgar's Gerontius is settled upon and rehearsals commence. Full of interesting detail, wonderful performances, but ultimately I'm not sure it added much to the films of the era that have gone before, but does that matter in the end? It is bringing the era to a younger generation for starters. Wonderful singing at the end of course.

>56 Caroline_McElwee: Will have to keep a lookout for that one when it hits the streaming services, for the music alone.

I love Heaney's poems, although I can't claim to have read his whole oeuvre! Love your latest works of art and am intrigued by "The Choral" because I am a Ralph Fiennes fan--although I confess that I can only take "The Messiah" in small seasonal doses. I thought it was "oh we white sheep" when I was wee and only learned it was "all we like sheep" later on life.

>57 laytonwoman3rd: >58 tiffin: I think you would both like it.

>58 tiffin: Ha re 'we white sheep' Tui.

I was lucky enough to see Fiennes in his one man production of Eliot's Four Quartets a few years back. Wonderful.

I love both Ralph Fiennes and choral music so we will undoubtedly watch in it when we can stream it. I've seen another review similar to yours, Caro, and it sounds like a comfort film if not particularly ground-breaking.

>60 lauralkeet: That is exactly it Laura. And of course a bit of humour in the mix too,

>56 Caroline_McElwee: Looks interesting!

>56 Caroline_McElwee: Glad you enjoyed this one Caroline. I hope it comes to the streamers soon.

>84 Caroline_McElwee: *applause* I first read Lonesome Dove shortly after it came out in paperback. Back in those days, a long book was something to savor, and this one really delivered for me. I wish I didn't look at hefty tomes now with hesitation, as something to "get through", but as something to get lost in, as I used to.

>65 laytonwoman3rd:: I too read it back in the day and can really relate to your "hefty tomes" observation.

>65 laytonwoman3rd: >66 tiffin: I wasn't so much put off by a hefty tome Linda and Tui, as I wasn't sure from the beginning that it would have what I needed to get me to the end, but as said above, once they got moving, it did. I do have to have confidence in the author to pick up a tome though.

84. The Art of the Wasted Day (Patricia Hampl) (14/11/25) ****1/2

Reread for my RL book group.

Thanks to Beth for the original recommendation.

>68 Caroline_McElwee: I am so glad you loved this, too, Caroline. I thought it was beautiful.

>69 BLBera: I did, and it stood up to a reread Beth. I bought two of her other books as well, still to be read.

Hi Caroline. I LOVE the artwork in your first post on this thread.

I have been surprised that I'm reading less in retirement but I know that is because I'm sleeping later (early morning, before getting ready for work, was always a dedicated hour or more for me to read) and painting more. I'm sorry you are looking at the possibility of moving -- yes, a daunting task after so long in your current flat!

>68 Caroline_McElwee: Adding this to my list. It sounds wonderful.

Glad you finally gave Lonesome Dove a shot. I consider it my second favorite novel of all time, perched comfortably behind The Grapes of Wrath. I am toying with doing a reread in 2026.

Happy Weekend, Caroline!

>71 EBT1002: Audiobooks? Just a suggestion, so you can read and paint at the same time.

>73 humouress: ^^^what she said

Adding that one to my list!

>76 tiffin: I think you will like it Tui.

>75 Caroline_McElwee: This does sound good. I never know what to expect with books like this, so it's good to know that it has your seal of approval.

>78 BLBera: I think you will enjoy Beth.

86. Bread of Angels (Patti Smith) (02/12/25) ****

>68 Caroline_McElwee: Dodging that BB as I have already read it. I am glad to see that you enjoyed it, Caroline.

>75 Caroline_McElwee: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thank you for the review and recommendation!

>83 alcottacre: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did Stasia.

>84 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks, Caroline. My local library has a copy of it so I am hoping to get to the book soon-ish.

Have a lovely festive season, Caroline.

Very quiet over here. I hope you are ok, my friend.

This morning I received the very sad news that Caroline passed away just before Christmas after a short illness. She will be sorely missed.

Thank you for letting us know, Laura.

I am devastated actually. She was one of my closest pals in the group.

Oh no!! This is awful, heartbreaking news.

Sad news - I will miss Caroline

Oh, no!! That is such sad news. Thanks for letting us know, Laura.

>87 lauralkeet: Thank you for letting us know, Laura. I'll miss Caro, as will many of us, looking out for her posts showing her delight in art and in the beauty of London.

>92 richardderus: - I was thinking the same thing, Richard. She had a real eye for the beauty of art and nature. It's all over her gallery of photos, as well as in so any of the posts in her threads.

RIP, friend. You will be missed.

Yes, you will be missed.

Every day for 18 years I heard from Caroline. We wrote letters, note cards, comments here on LT. I was able to visit her in London. I am heartsick with loss for this magnificent woman. This is going to take some time but oh, how glad I am to have known her and that she was my very dear friend.

That’s terribly sad news. I always really liked checking in on Caroline’s threads, because besides books, I knew there would always be art, movies and plays to see and read about. She’ll be missed.

Thanks for telling us, Laura!

>95 tiffin: That’s an incredibly long time for an online friendship! What an amazing relationship you two had - I’m very sorry you’ve lost such a friend, Tui.

Thanks, Paws. I think a lot of folks loved her here.

Oh my goodness - I can't process this sad news. That's incredibly sad, especially as she had not long been enjoying her retirement. Caroline's thread is one I've visited the most since joining LT as we had very similar reading tastes. She will be sorely missed here.

>87 lauralkeet: Thank you for letting us know.

I am quite sad as I was beginning to get to know Caroline a bit better each year. I quite enjoyed reading about various things on her thread.

Oh no!! I saw Caroline numerous times on past trips to London, so this is tremendously sad and unexpected news.

Oh my. So sad. Caroline was too young. My wife Debbi and I know her well from our trips to London. Many a restaurant, many a play, many a get-together. We met her through LTer Darryl Morris, kidzdoc. Rest in peace, Caroline. You’re much-missed.

>101 kidzdoc: Ditto, Darryl. I’m sure you were the one who introduced us, so thank you. Tremendously sad is right. What a funny, charming woman she was.

Caroline was so generous with sharing her travels, her trips to art galleries, theater, cinema, the lovely gardens of London, and other places I will never see for myself...I never had the privilege of meeting her in person, but I considered her a real friend, and like others, was in touch with her not only here on LT, but through e-mails and the occasional old-fashioned card or note. It will be very strange not to have her present here.

Such sad news! I always enjoyed her thread so much.

Oh no. We shared a love of art, among other things, and I will miss her a lot.

"That said, it is also an adventure, and a new beginning,

as long as I am given sufficient time to do what I need to do."

Caroline

I didn't feel up to saying much more when I posted the news this morning. Reading this outpouring of grief and tribute is a comfort. I will miss her so much.

>87 lauralkeet: Thank you for this heartbreaking update, Laura. I will miss Caroline very much.

>95 tiffin: Oh, Tui, I am so sorry that you have lost such a dear friend. ((Hugs))

This is really sad news. I will miss the beauty of Caroline's thread and her comments on art and books.

This is such very sad news. I hadn’t seen Caroline for a few years, then met up with her this summer. She had so many plans and was looking forward to so many things. She was a wonderful woman, so passionate about the things she loved and infectious in her enthusiasm. I will miss her.

I just saw the news on Rhian's thread. I'm so sorry to hear this unexpected news.

Oh this is so sad. Such a kind and thoughtful person, phenomenally well read. I shall read the first volume of Virginia Woolf's diaries and think of her.

Is there an online memorial/ tribute site, does anyone know? >87 lauralkeet:

>114 charl08: I was just thinking, it will be impossible for me to read Virginia Woolf or The Great Gatsby now without being reminded of Caroline.

That is so sad. I enjoyed her thread and seeing all the cultural events and places she went. Condolences to her friends and family.

I am so very sorry and sad to read this. This will be such a loss to our group. I read Caroline's thread very regularly and so admired her.

>114 charl08: Sorry, I'm not aware of anything like that, Charlotte. If I should hear anything further from Caroline's sister, I'll be sure to share it.

Since Caroline loved poetry, I had to do this for her.

This is:

To Caroline

If she liked something
You knew that her taste was unerringly sound
That she would saliently point out
Qualities a more careless eye may not have found.

She walked us through the dusty hallways
Of exhibitions and enthused on objet d'art
Whose beauty she would bestow upon us
Closely that the ether never seemed quite so far.

The paintings, the gardens and the parks
Whether brush strokes or shady nooks
She coloured the world with smile and kind word
For those with a shared love of books.

PC 27/12/25 xxxx

>119 PaulCranswick: What a lovely tribute, Paul. I am sure Caroline would have loved it.

>120 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia. I hope so.

>119 PaulCranswick: This sums Caroline up so perfectly.

>122 Sakerfalcon: Thank you Claire. It is a bit unpolished as I put it straight down on to my 2026 thread, no scribbling, no notes, just as it came to me. I went back after I had typed it from brain to thread and chopped a few words and changed a few others but I could see her face as I was doing it.

>119 PaulCranswick: That’s a lovely poem, Paul. Thanks for sharing it with us.

>119 PaulCranswick: Tbank you for that lovely tribute to Caroline, Paul.

>124 PawsforThought: & >125 kidzdoc: Thanks to both of you. I did think about our lovely lunch in London, Darryl when Laura gave us the news. I got close to Caroline afterwards starting from our shared love of poetry. We often planned to go poetry shopping in London together and I am so sad we will never get to do that together. She was so enthusiastic, she elevated every discussion.

Thanks for this, Paul. Caro was the sister I never had, joined by heart and mind although not by blood. Every kind word about her here at LT has been a balm although this loss is an enormous one and will take some time to recover from.

>127 tiffin: You are welcome Susan. I am devastated too.

>128 PaulCranswick:: It's Tui, Paul. Susan is what my mother called me when I was naughty.

>129 tiffin: I'm not myself, Tui, because I never call you Susan!

Understandable and d'accord.

I am setting up a thread in the 2026 group, In Memory of Caroline, for us to post books that Caroline either recommended to them or is in her library or whatever: https://www.librarything.com/topic/377046

>132 alcottacre: I love that idea Stasia, thank you.

>133 lauralkeet: You are very welcome, Laura.

>132 alcottacre: Wonderful...thank you Stasia. I was hoping for something of the kind.

>132 alcottacre: That’s a lovely idea, Stasia!

>135 laytonwoman3rd: >136 PawsforThought: Thank you, ladies. I thought it only fitting.

Well done and much appreciated, Stasia.

>134 alcottacre: What our other friends said, Stasia. I have already picked my memorial read for January. She recommended to me Scaffolding by Lauren Elkin which she read in June of 2024.

>132 alcottacre: I'll take a look, thanks Stasia - though our reading tastes are quite different.

>138 tiffin: Thanks, Tui.

>139 PaulCranswick: I am glad that you are participating, Paul.

>140 humouress: You may be surprised, Nina. I hope you are!