Alcott Acre's Home, Room 11

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 37 years in June. We have 6 children, 4 of whom are my stepchildren and 2 of whom are ours together. We also have 8 grandchildren. We lost our daughter Nichole in 2023.

I love to read, it goes without saying and Kerry is very good about all of the books strewn throughout our house. Since Kerry retired in late 2023, we have spent a lot of time over the course of 2024 and 2025 playing board games (my other hobby) and despite that, my reading has continued apace.

I suffer from both insomnia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (known to me familiarly as 'stupid CFS') so to say my sleeping is haphazard may be an understatement, lol. Generally speaking, if I get 4 hours of sleep a night I am happy. Unfortunately when my CFS hits, I get about 14. Ugh.

I have traveled quite a bit this year and had the privilege of several LT meet ups! I doubt 2026 will live up to this years travels, but one can always hope :)

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

Excellent Reads from 2025, Part I (in the order in which I read them):

5 Stars
Archaeology of the Bible: The Greatest Discoveries from Genesis to the Roman Era by Jean-Pierre Isbouts
All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel
The Novels of the Harlem Renaissance: Twelve Black Writers, 1923-1933 by Amritjit Singh
Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami
There Once Was a World by Yaffa Eliach
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Quiet Girl in a Noisy World: An Introvert's Story by Debbie Tung
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
Memorial Days: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies by Joyce Sidman
Doc by Mary Doria Russell
The Story of a Heart by Dr. Rachel Clarke
Simple Justice by Richard Kluger

Excellent Reads from 2025, Part II (in the order in which I read them):

4.5 Stars
Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone by Diana Gabaldon
Farewell Espana by Howard M. Sachar
Time's Echo: The Second World War, The Holocaust, and The Music of Remembrance by Jeremy Eichler
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Our Riches by Kaouther Adimi
My Antonia by Willa Cather
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts by Louis Bayard
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset
Our Daily War by Andrei Kourkov
Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation by Noel Riley Fitch
The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million by Daniel Mendelsohn
A Fire in the Mind: The Life of Joseph Campbell by Stephen Larsen and Robin Larsen
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Jane Austen's Bookshelf by Rebecca Romney
The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
Bookish: How Reading Shapes Our Lives by Lucy Mangan
The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
Freedom's Daughters by Lynne Olson
The Free by Willy Vlautin
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany by Jane Mount
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Isola by Allegra Goodman
Bibliophile: Diverse Spines by Jamise Harper and Jane Mount
Beneath a Ruthless Sun by Gilbert King
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
How We Learn To Be Brave by Mariann Edgar Budde
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan
The History of Sound: Stories by Ben Shattuck
The Love Songs of W. E. B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
East West Street by Philippe Sands
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy
Queen Demon by Martha Wells
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Master Butcher's Singing Club by Louise Erdrich
Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton
By the Fire We Carry by Rebecca Nagle
Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard
Cane by Jean Toomer
Six Days of War by Michael B. Oren
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
My Name Is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok
Belzoni Dreams of Egypt by Jon Clinch

Excellent Reads from 2025, Part III (in the order in which I read them):

4.25 Stars
Making It So by Patrick Stewart
Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss
Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier
The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Dr. Edith Eva Eger
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
The Harlem Renaissance Remembered: Essays Edited with a Memoir by Arna Bontemps
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa
And the Rest is History by Jodi Taylor
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
Till Human Voices Wake Us by Victoria Goddard
In the Enemy's House by Howard Blum
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
The Age of Revolution, 1789-1848 by E. J. Hobsbawm
The Wildcat Behind Glass by Alki Zei
Mountain Path by Harriette Simpson Arnow
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
Papillon by Henri Charriere
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
Among the Righteous by Robert Satloff
Chenneville by Paulette Jiles
The Riddle of the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox
We Remember with Reverence and Love by Hasia R. Diner
Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
War & Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich
Framed in Death by J. D. Robb
Remember Me to Harlem edited by Emily Bernard
The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman
Bee Sting Cake by Victoria Goddard
The Return: Fathers, Sons and the Land In Between by Hisham Matar
Hope for the Best by Jodi Taylor
One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together by Amy Bass
Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell
Bookworm by Lucy Mangan
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

November TIOLI Challenges

Challenge #1: Read a book with the word "luck" in the title (or subtitle) or which pictures a good luck symbol on the book cover
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter - Completed November 14, 2025

Challenge #2: Read a book by an author whose first letter of their first name is the same as the first letter of your own first name
Bellwether by Connie Willis - Completed November 8, 2025
Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson - Completed November 11, 2025
Paper Love by Sarah Wildman - Completed November 29, 2025
Semiosis by Sue Burke - Completed November 17, 2025

Challenge #3: Read a book with a silhouette on the cover
Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard - Completed November 6, 2025

Challenge #4: Read a book where the cover features an interesting sky
The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson - Completed November 14, 2025
Too Good to Be True by Ann Cleeves - Completed November 9, 2025

Challenge #5: Read a book about a real historical woman (can be fiction, but needs to be a documented person)
Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis - Completed November 8, 2025

Challenge #6: Read a book set in or about Mexico or Central America, or by an author from the region
Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen - Completed November 22, 2025

Challenge #7: Read a book that has been published in a least 3 different languages
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - Completed November 21, 2025
Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner - Completed November 25, 2025
Moon over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch - Completed November 6, 2025
Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake - Completed November 24, 2025

Challenge #8: Read a book where the title completes the phrase "I am thankful for..."
Old Books, Rare Friends by Leona Rostenberg & Madeleine Stern - Completed November 27, 2025
The Resisters by Gish Jen - Completed November 30, 2025
Simple Justice by Richard Kluger - Completed November 28, 2025

Challenge #9: Read a book that has 2 Biblical names on the front or back cover (state the names)
Belzoni Dreams of Egypt by Jon Clinch - Completed November 30, 2025
Killing Eve: Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings - Completed November 4, 2025

Challenge #10: Read a book that takes place in a war that postdates 1918
1941: The Year Germany Lost the War by Andrew Nagorski - Completed November 16, 2025
Six Days of War by Michael Oren - Completed November 10, 2025

Challenge #11: Read a book with clothing on the cover that is not being worn
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - Completed November 18, 2025

Challenge #12: Read something outside your comfort zone
Doctor Who, Volume 1: Fugitive by Tony Lee - Completed November 3, 2025

Challenge #13: In honor of Jewish Book Month 100, read a book by a Jewish author
Aviva vs the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe - Completed November 11, 2025
My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok - Completed November 29, 2025

Challenge #14: Read a book whose cover is predominantly a Thanksgiving color (red, orange, yellow/gold, or brown)
Cane by Jean Toomer - Completed November 8, 2025
Tales of Burning Love by Louise Erdrich - Completed November 27, 2025

Challenge #15: Read a book by an indigenous author
By the Fire We Carry by Rebecca Nagle - Completed November 2, 2025
Rez Life by David Treuer - Completed November 14, 2025

Challenge #16: Read a book whose title includes a recognized tennis term
China Court by Rumer Godden - Completed November 23, 2025

Challenge #17: Read a book whose title includes two words beginning with a "W"
Why I Write by George Orwell - Completed November 16, 2025

Challenge #18: Read a book with a 2 or 3 word title: either 2 of the words don't go together well, or two images on the cover conflict
Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree - Completed November 30, 2025
The Summer War by Naomi Novik - Completed November 12, 2025

Lots of nonfiction this month. . .

Shared reads:

Terec and the Wall by Victoria Goddard - Completed January 4, 2025
Balancing Stone by Victoria Goddard - February with Mary - Completed February 8, 2025
My Antonia by Willa Cather - Completed February 4, 2025
The Spoilt City by Olivia Manning - Completed February 24, 2025
Till Human Voices Wake Us by Victoria Goddard - Completed March 26, 2025
Friends and Heroes by Olivia Manning - Completed March 29, 2025
The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber - April with Mark DNF
In the Realms of Gold by Victoria Goddard - Completed April 1, 2025
The Library at Night by Alberto Manguel - Completed April 5, 2025
The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami - Completed May 17, 2025
The Glassblower by Victoria Goddard - Completed May 3, 2025
Mother London by Michael Moorcock - Shared read with Peggy and Karen DNF
The Weaver of the Middle Desert by Victoria Goddard - Completed June 17, 2025
Stargazy Pie by Victoria Goddard - Completed July 4, 2025
Stone Speaks to Stone by Victoria Goddard - Completed August 1, 2025
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers - Completed September 12, 2025
Bee Sting Cake by Victoria Goddard - Completed September 19, 2025
Olive and the Dragon by Victoria Goddard - Completed October 4, 2025
Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard - Completed November 6, 2025
The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon - Shared read with Mark in December
Blackcurrant Fool by Victoria Goddard - Shared read with Mary and Nina
Place of Tides by James Rebanks - January 2026 - Shared read with Paul
Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens - January 2026 - Shared read with Mark et al

Black Studies Reading
1. Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton - Completed January 9, 2025
2. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Completed February 8, 2025
3. Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story by Martin Luther King, Jr. Completed April 26, 2025
4. Freedom's Daughters by Lynne Olson Completed May 28, 2025
5. The Lost Eleven by Denise George and Robert Child Completed June 25, 2025
6. Beneath a Ruthless Sun by Gilbert King Completed July 17, 2025
7. Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks by Donald Bogle - Completed August 16, 2025
8. The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers- Completed September 12, 2025
9. The Negro’s Civil War by James M. McPherson - Completed September 18, 2025
10. Troubling the Waters by Cheryl Lynn Greenberg - Completed October 9, 2025
11. Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration by Edward T. Cotham, Jr. - Completed November 4, 2025
12. Simple Justice by Richard Kluger - Completed November 28, 2025

Jewish Studies Reading
1. Farewell Espana by Howard M. Sachar - Completed January 18, 2025
2. Time's Echo: The Second World War, The Holocaust, and The Music of Remembrance by Jeremy Eichler - Completed January 24, 2025
3. The Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million by Daniel Mendelsohn - Completed March 29, 2025
4. What I Wish My Christian Friends Knew About Judaism by Robert Schoen - Completed April 1, 2025
5. Prince of the Press: How One Collector Built History's Most Enduring and Remarkable Jewish Library by Joshua Teplitsky - Completed May 7, 2025
6. There Once Was a World by Yaffa Eliach - Completed May 21, 2025
7. Among the Righteous by Robert Satloff - Completed June 9, 2025
8. We Remember with Reverence and Love by Hasia R. Diner - Completed July 24, 2025
9. A Cat in the Ghetto: Stories by Rachmil Bryks - Completed August 4, 2025
10. Troubling the Waters by Cheryl Lynn Greenberg - Completed October 9, 2025
11. The Magician of Lublin by Isaac Bashevis Singer - Completed October 16, 2025
12. Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind by Sarah Wildman - Completed November 29, 2025
13. My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok - Completed November 29, 2025

The American Authors Challenge - This is one that I dip into and out of as the case may be
January A Sudden Light by Garth Stein - Completed January 11, 2025
February Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa - Completed February 26, 2025
March Wish You Were Here by Stewart O'Nan - Completed March 25, 2025
April Mountain Path by Harriette Simpson Arnow - Completed April 17, 2025
May Across the Wide Missouri by Bernard DeVoto - Completed May 5, 2025
June The Free by Willy Vlautin - Completed June 18, 2025
July The Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs - Completed July 19, 2025
August American Sherlock by Kate Winkler Dawson - Completed August 28, 2025
September The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman - Completed September 10, 2025
October Doc by Mary Doria Russell - Completed October 10, 2025
October Epitaph by Mary Doria Russell - Completed October 19, 2025
November Rez Life by David Treuer - Completed November 14, 2025

The British Authors Challenge - Same as the American Authors Challenge
January Theatre by W. Somerset Maugham - Completed January 13, 2025
February Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Completed February 20, 2025
March My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell - Completed March 12, 2025
April The Children of Men by P. D. James - Completed April 23, 2025
May Staying On by Paul Scott - Completed June 11, 2025
July I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith - Completed July 8, 2025
July Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake - Completed July 11, 2025
August Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh - Completed August 13, 2025
September This One Sky Day by Leone Ross - Completed September 9, 2025
October Cold Earth by Sarah Moss - Completed October 25, 2025
November Doctor Who, Volume 1: Fugitive by Tony Lee - Completed November 3, 2025

Paul's Grand Tour Challenge

JANUARY
Middlemarch by George Eliot - Completed January 25, 2025

FEBRUARY
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset - Completed February 18, 2025

MARCH
Embers by Sandor Marai - Completed March 3, 2025

APRIL
The Wildcat Behind Glass by Alki Zei - Completed April 11, 2025

MAY
Enemies: A Love Story by Isaac Bashevis Singer - Completed May 16, 2025

JUNE
Metamorphoses by Ovid - Completed June 26, 2025

JULY
Fearless by Cornelia Funke - Completed July 5, 2025

AUGUST
War and Turpentine by Stefan Hertmans - Completed August 24, 2025

SEPTEMBER
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - Completed September 20, 2025

OCTOBER
Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne - Completed October 22, 2025
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Completed October 16, 2025

NOVEMBER
The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafron - Completed November 21, 2025

The “Read More Sci-Fi” Challenge - using the Esquire list found here (https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/g39358054/best-sci-fi-books/) - which has now been expanded - and the book Science Fiction, The 101 Best Novels, 1985-2010 by Damien Broderick and Paul di Filippo as guides. Also adding in Hugo & Nebula Award winners and nominees.
1. The Steerswoman by Rosemary Kirstein - Completed January 15, 2025 (from the book)
2. Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky - Completed February 20, 2025 (number 54 on the Esquire list)
3. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem - Completed February 23, 2025 (number 53 on the Esquire list)
4. The Children of Men by P. D. James - Completed April 23, 2025 (number 36 on the Esquire list)
5. The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon - Completed April 24, 2025 (Nebula Award Winner, 2004)
6. The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal - Completed May 17, 2025 (Nominated for a Hugo Award, 2023)
7. Radio Free Albemuth by Philip K. Dick - Completed June 9, 2025 (from the book)
8. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis - Completed June 29, 2025 (Won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards)
9. Cyteen by C. J. Cherryh - Completed July 2, 2025 (from the book)
10. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh - Completed August 13, 2025 (Won the Hugo Award for Best Novel, 2024)
11. Witch King by Martha Wells - Completed September 29, 2025 (Hugo & Nebula Awards finalist)
12. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers - Completed October 28, 2025 (Hugo Award for Best Series, 2018)
13. Semiosis by Sue Burke - Completed November 17, 2025 (#61 on the Esquire list)
14. The Resisters by Gish Jen - Completed November 30, 2025 (#56 on the Esquire list)

Monthly Nonfiction Challenges - I try to read at least 100 nonfiction books a year and this challenge is instrumental in helping me achieve that goal. In 2024, I was able to read 133 nonfiction books.
January Pearl Buck in China by Hilary Spurling - Completed January 21, 2025
January Time's Echo: The Second World War, The Holocaust, and The Music of Remembrance by Jeremy Eichler - Completed January 24, 2025
January Atlas of Vanishing Places by Travis Elborough - Completed January 24, 2025
March In the Enemy's House by Howard Blum - Completed March 28, 2025
April The Age of Revolution, 1789-1848 by E. J. Hobsbawm - Completed April 4, 2025
June The Storm of the Century by Al Roker - Completed June 4, 2025
July Blind White Fish in Persia by Anthony Smith - Completed July 16, 2025
August Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, and Bucks by Donald Bogle - Completed August 16, 2025
September The Book of Old Ships by Henry B. Culver (illustrations by Gordon Grant) - Completed September 6, 2025
October Bookman’s Pleasure: A Recreation for Booklovers by Holbrook Jackson - Completed October 11, 2025
October Bookworm: A Memoir of Childhood Reading by Lucy Mangan - Completed October 24, 2025
November Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration by Edward T. Cotham, Jr. - Completed November 4, 2025

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

The In Death series by J.D. Robb
Thankless in Death - Completed January 27, 2025
Bonded in Death - Completed February 9, 2025
Concealed in Death - Completed March 4, 2025
Festive in Death - Completed March 11, 2025
Obsession in Death - Completed March 18, 2025
Devoted in Death - Completed June 4, 2025
Apprentice in Death - Completed July 19, 2025
Echoes in Death - Completed July 31, 2025
Secrets in Death - Completed September 3, 2025
Framed in Death - Completed September 6, 2025
Dark in Death - Completed October 4, 2025
Leverage in Death - Completed November 3, 2025
Connections in Death -

The St. Mary’s books by Jodi Taylor
And the Rest is History - Completed March 8, 2025
An Argumentation of Historians - Completed July 10, 2025
Hope for the Best - Completed October 17, 2025
Plan for the Worst -

The Decker/Lazaru
s series by Faye Kellerman
Justice - Completed March 16, 2025
Prayers for the Dead -

The Three Pines series by Louise Penny
The Hangman - Completed March 21, 2025
A Trick of the Light - Completed April 14, 2025
The Beautiful Mystery - Completed June 16, 2025
How the Light Gets In -

The Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear
Among the Mad - Completed February 27, 2025
The Mapping of Love and Death - Completed March 16, 2025
A Lesson in Secrets - Completed August 29, 2025
Elegy for Eddie - Completed September 25, 2025
Leaving Everything Most Loved -

The Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson
When Will There Be Good News? - Completed June 29, 2025
Started Early, Took My Dog - Completed July 23, 2025
Big Sky - Completed August 22, 2025
Death at the Sign of the Rook -

The Shetland Series by Ann Cleeves
Blue Lightning - Completed January 18, 2025
Dead Water - Completed March 20, 2025
Thin Air - Completed September 12, 2025
Too Good to Be True - Completed November 9, 2025
Cold Earth -

The Wayfarers Series by Becky Chambers
A Closed and Common Orbit - Completed May 27, 2025
Record of a Spaceborn Few - Completed October 28, 2025
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within -

The Rivers of London Series by Ben Aaronovitch
Rivers of London aka Midnight Riot - Completed August 12, 2025
Moon Over Soho - Completed November 6, 2025
Whispers Under Ground -

Harlem Renaissance Reading (as an adjunct to my Black Studies reading):
1. My Soul's High Song: The Collected Writings of Countee Cullen edited by Gerald Early - Completed January 7, 2025
2. The Harlem Renaissance Remembered: Essays Edited with a Memoir by Arna Bontemps Completed February 12, 2025
3. Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray Completed March 5, 2025
4. The Novels of the Harlem Renaissance: Twelve Black Writers, 1923-1933 by Amritjit Singh Completed April 10, 2025
5. The New Negro edited by Alain Locke - Completed June 19, 2025
6. Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Hurston - Completed July 9, 2025
7. Harlem Speaks by Cary D. Wintz - Completed August 6, 2025
8. Remember Me to Harlem edited by Emily Bernard - Completed September 10, 2025
9. Arthur Alfonso Schomburg by Elinor Des Verney Sinnette - Completed October 29, 2025
10. Cane by Jean Toomer - Completed November 8, 2025

Louise Erdrich Challenge (featuring the Love Medicine series: https://www.librarything.com/nseries/2972/Love-Medicine)
1. Love Medicine Completed February 15, 2025
2. The Beet Queen Completed April 20, 2025
3. Tracks Completed May 23, 2025
4. The Bingo Palace Completed June 14, 2025
5. Four Souls - Completed July 26, 2025
6. The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse - Completed August 25, 2025
7. The Painted Drum - September 23, 2025
8. The Master Butcher’s Singing Club - Completed October 28, 2025
9. Tales of Burning Love - Completed November 27, 2025

The “Lists” Challenges: Reading from the lists, nonfiction and fiction, that are growing rapidly at my local library

Nonfiction:
1. All In by Billie Jean King - Completed January 5, 2025
2. Archaeology of the Bible: The Greatest Discoveries From Genesis to the Roman Era by Jean-Pierre Isbouts - Completed January 19, 2025
3. Sailor and Fiddler by Herman Wouk Completed February 2, 2025
4. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Completed February 8, 2025
5. Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation by Noel Riley Fitch Completed March 28, 2025
6. The Bookseller of Florence by Ross King Completed April 15, 2025
7. The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold - Completed May 13, 2025
8. Brilliant Blunders by Mario Livio - Completed July 15, 2025
9. The Volunteer by Jack Fairweather - Completed October 4, 2025
10. By the Fire We Carry by Rebecca Nagle - November 2, 2025
11. Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis - Completed November 8, 2025
12. Six Days of War by Michael Oren - Completed November 10, 2025
13. Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson - Completed November 11, 2025
14. 1941: The Year Germany Lost the War by Andrew Nagorski - Completed November 16, 2025

Fiction:
1. Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram Completed February 6, 2025
2. Virgil Wander by Leif Enger - Completed April 1, 2025
3. The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan - Completed April 8, 2025
4. Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer - Completed May 6, 2025
5. Barkskins by Annie Proulx - Completed July 9, 2025
6. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue - Completed August 3, 2025
7. Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan Henry - Completed August 13, 2025
8.

Touchstone loading time. . .

Happy New Thread! 🧵

>14 alcottacre: Thank you, Silver!

Happy new thread, Stasia!

Happy new thread and happy November Stasia.

Happy new thread, Stasia!

Happy new thread, Sis. xx

Happy new thread, Stasia. I hope the stupid CFS lets up.

Happy new thread Stasia. I am sorry to hear that you are still the napping Queen. Enough!

Happy New Thread, Stasia. Your reading does continue apace indeed.

Happy new thread Stasia!

Happy new one, Stasia.

New thread orisons, Stasia!

Happy new thread. As usual, your lists dazzle and exhaust me. Happy reading!

Thank you all for visiting my new thread! `I greatly appreciate it.

Today being my day off technology, I will be back tomorrow and hopefully be able to reciprocate your visits then (if CFS allows). I hope you all have a lovely day!

Happy new thread, Stasia.

>29 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley!

Finished today:

299 - By the Fire We Carry by Rebecca Nagle - Nonfiction; Nagle's book underscores the complicated relationship that the U.S. government has with its Native American inhabitants. The U.S. has basically done everything it could to strip the tribes of their rights, to swindle them, to steal from them - pretty every dirty and underhand thing it can do, it has done to the detriment of the original inhabitants. In the book, Nagle relates the story of a murder that occurred in Oklahoma. The question is never whether or not the man accused was guilty of the crime or not, but whether the crime happened on reservation land - and this question went all the way to the Supreme Court and took some 20 years total to be resolved. Nagle narrates the history not only of the case, but points out the history that made the case almost inevitable. This is a book guaranteed to raise my blood pressure because not only have these travesties of justice happened in the past, but they are ongoing. It was a terrific read. I am just sorry that it was a necessary one; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library Book

"In a slippery fashion, Oklahoma argued that since the reservation hadn't been recognized for so long, it would be ridiculous to uphold it now. This logic is not uncommon. Repeated treaty violations have been used as an excuse to ignore treaty rights, or, even worse, evidence those that those rights never existed in the first place."

Hi Stasia. It's November, and I'm still reading. And breathing, too.

Begone SCFS! Be here, Stasia!!! I'm glad to see you reading and posting and look forward to this newish thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Stasia. Happy November. I hope you get a respite from that dreaded CFS this month. I have had The Master Butcher's Singing Club on shelf for years. Thanks for the reminder. I have not been as enamored with her later work but I sure love that early stuff. I also really enjoyed Raising Hare.

>32 weird_O: That is very good to know, Bill!

>33 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy. Rough day yesterday - I was only awake for 5 hours.

>34 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>35 msf59: I hope you enjoy The Master Butcher's Singing Club when you get to it, Mark. As I mentioned, the emphasis in the book is not on Native Americans, a rarity for Erdrich, but I think the book was excellent all the same. Glad to hear that you are a fan of Raising Hare as well.

Finished today:

300 - Leverage in Death by J. D. Robb - Audiobook; This installment of the In Death series finds Dallas investigating the deaths of a couple of family men who were coerced into wearing suicide vests and then setting them off in order to spare their families. All Eve has to do is to figure out who is pressuring these men to kill themselves and why. In the meantime, the Oscars are going on. . .; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Finished tonight:

301 - Doctor Who, Volume 1: Fugitive by Tony Lee - Graphic Novel; I do not read graphic novels all that often (this makes #3 for me this year) and my knowledge of Doctor Who is pretty much nonexistent (I think I may have seen an episode of it?) so I decided to read this for November's British Authors challenge. I figured a graphic novel would be an easy place to start in the mythos. However, I found it merely OK. I really did not care for the artwork - it is supposed to be David Tennant, but does not look like him, IMHO - and the story carries you along like a steam roller, but there is not a lot of background given to explain some things that seem fundamental to the story. I especially liked the first part of the book where the Doctor is in the 1920s and there are riffs on famous actors and studios; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Library Book

I have been up since 3am so maybe the CFS is finally gone for now? Fingers crossed. I am very behind on my reading so I am hoping to catch it up a bit today.

Today is my meet up day with Beth and Catey and I am looking forward to it. Kerry is going out of town on Friday so I will be spending extra time with him as well.

I am reading a ton of nonfiction right now although my current audiobook, Moon Over Soho is not. I should be finishing up Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration today. Continuing on with my shared read of Whiskeyjack, Simple Justice (which will likely take up a good part of my reading month since it is 800+ pages long), Lawrence in Arabia (another chunkster), Six Days of War, and Codename Villanelle.

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday!

Finished this morning:

302 - Juneteenth: The Story Behind the Celebration by Edward T. Cotham, Jr. - Nonfiction - I read this one for this month's nonfiction challenge because I know little of the history of the holiday even though it started in Texas. Juneteenth was "the most logical date to define the end of slavery in Texas" and Cotham's book goes back to the start of the Civil War to show how it got to this point. I found this to be an interesting read, not in depth by any means (it would be a ridiculously long book if it were), but in outlining the basics of the Civil War and the beginning of Juneteenth, I think it did a good job. One of the things that I most appreciated about the book is that the majority of the photographs are available to view through online sites such as the Library of Congress so if the reader wants a closer look, they can do it - the photo IDs are listed so you just need to plug it into whatever institution's catalog that you are utilizing; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

"With the arrival of (U.S.) General Granger's force and the issuance of the Juneteenth Order, Texas slaveholders faced a long-dreaded duty. It was time for slaves to receive notice of their actual and immediate liberation. Juneteenth celebrates the moment when enslaved people first received official notice of their actual freedom."

>40 alcottacre: It's a really amazing story, isn't it? How deep the hatred went on All sides is really breathtaking.

I hope this is indeed the farewell tour for your CFS. *smooch*

>39 alcottacre: W00T! May it be so!

Enjoy your Tuesday, Stasia.

Congratulations on 4 x 75 Stasia! I’m still working on my first.

Wow, 300+ books is great!

Happy new thread, Stasia! You get an amazing amount of books read even though your waking hours are curtailed.

Way to go, Juana. Congratulations on passing 300 and 4x75 already especially with CFS plaguing you for much of the time.

I also have Nagle's book in the house and hope to get to it soon.

Congrats on 4 x 75! Fingers crossed that this bout of CFS is gone for now.

Congratulations on 4x75!

Happy new thread!

>41 richardderus: How deep the hatred went on All sides is really breathtaking. It certainly was. I have never understood such deep seated hatred on the part of the whites. I can see it for sure on the part of the blacks though.

Thanks, RD.

>42 LizzieD: Other than one long nap today, Peggy, it has been a good day. Thank you!

>43 humouress: Thanks, Nina. I never realized that I had done 4x75. I just do not think about it. I know you can get your first done!

>44 quondame: Thank you, Susan!

>45 Familyhistorian: These days I am pretty much a professional sleeper and reader, lol. Thanks, Meg.

>46 PaulCranswick: I think you will enjoy Nagle's book if and when you get to it, Paul. Thanks.

>47 bell7: I have everything crossable crossed, Mary. I am very tired of being very tired. Thank you.

>48 SilverWolf28: > 49 Thank you, Silver and Jim!

Finished tonight:

303 - Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings - I have never seen the TV show which is based on this novel and frankly, had the book not been a shared read for TIOLI, I am not sure I would have finished it. The book is action packed and fast paced and that is pretty much all it has going for it. Even in action based books I would like some kind of characterization and this book does not deliver IMHO. We meet both Villanelle (her pseudonym) and her arch nemesis Eve separately and both of their backstories are related in the book, but those do not impart the depth of characterization for which I was hoping. Maybe I was just expecting too much? At least it is short!; Not Recommended (3 stars) Library Book

i sure hope the CFS is over and over forever!

Your read so fast, Stasia. I know you say you don't , you just read a lot, but 300 books this year! Wow! I hope you CFS lets up soon.

>52 mdoris: Boy, me too, Mary! It feels nice to actually accomplish something other than sleeping!!

>53 vancouverdeb: No, I do not read all that fast, Deborah, I just read long. CFS has left me alone the past 2 days so I am hoping it is gone for a while. Days like Sunday where I was awake a grand total of 5 hours are horrendous.

So I am now trying to catch up on life which has been passing me by while I was sleeping. I was up early again this morning which allowed me to get the TIOLI stats for October compiled as well as getting my grocery list and meal plans for the next week sorted.

Kerry and I are deciding what to play today, lol. We are choosing between 3 games, 2 of which can be played online.

I am still listening to Moon Over Soho although I have made good progress on it what with my daily walking (which I do keep up with even when CFS is taking over my life) and baking muffins early this morning for breakfast today.

I am still reading Whiskeyjack, which I hope to finish tomorrow and it is currently the only fiction I am reading barring my audiobook. Simple Justice, Lawrence in Arabia, and Six Days of War are being joined today by Agent Josephine.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

I still think you're Wonder Woman, Stasia. You cook, keep house, play games, and still read a thousand or so books a year. I have slowed down in everything I do, including reading, I'm sorry to say. My DH even does the housework that involves bending over - like vacuuming. I remain a slow, happy book slut.

Happy Wednesday to you too!!!!!

Happy new thread!

>56 LizzieD: I wish I in any way resembled Wonder Woman, Peggy, lol. I have never read a thousand books a year. I do not keep house. I aspire to be like you: a slow, happy book slut. That sounds like a dream retirement to me!

>57 foggidawn: Thank you, foggi!

Well, I woke up this morning going "I have no idea what day it even is." I have no idea if that is a good start to the day or not. Regardless, groceries will be arriving in the next few hours. My sleeping is back to my 'normal,' which means about 4 hours a night although I have not gotten that much yet this week with the exception of my 19 hours on Sunday.

Kerry leaves tomorrow to visit Felisha in Nacogdoches so today we will be getting him ready to go. Then I am going to be, in Peggy's words, a happy book slut while he is gone, lol.

I should be finishing up my current audiobook, Moon Over Soho, today and then starting on Cane for my Harlem Renaissance reading and I am excited for that one. I should also be finishing up Whiskeyjack today in concert with Mary and Nina. I will be picking up another fiction book I think to break up all of the nonfiction I currently have going on - Agent Josephine, Lawrence in Arabia, Simple Justice, and Six Days of War, none of which I am going to be finishing anytime soon.

I hope you all have thoughtful Thursdays!

Finished this morning:

304 - Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch - Audiobook; This is the second book in Aaronvitch's Rivers of London series and a re-read for me. In this book, Peter Grant is slowly learning the ways of magic and forming his own theories about how it works, but he runs into some things that he does not know yet and they almost kill him. The book begins with his looking into the death of a jazz man and since Peter's dad is also a jazz man, we see more of him in this book than we did in the first one; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

A few days as a "happy book slut" sounds lovely! lol. Enjoy!

>61 RebaRelishesReading: It does, doesn't it? I just hope my brain does not come up with a million things that I need to do since I basically slept through October. . .

Thanks, Reba!

Finished this evening:

305 - Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard - This is a re-read as Mary, Nina, and I are reading the Greenwing and Dart series in anticipation of the soon-to-be-released new book in the series. I have to say that I love the character of Jemis Greenwing. He now has to be one of my favorite characters in literature. He is one of those people to which things happen, most of the time through no fault of his own. At the beginning of the book, he finds himself in jail brought up on a charge of murder. He soon escapes though, along with 2 compatriots who are not all they seem to be. Jemis is definitely the lead character here and Mr. Dart takes a backseat to all the happenings for the most part. There is a lot going on in this whirlwind of a book. I have upped my initial rating on this second read; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

>56 LizzieD: What Peggy said, so nicely. xx

>63 alcottacre: I am rather impressed that while we started at different speeds we all (more or less) finished at the same time. I may have to revise my review of this one - so much happens, and so much that I forgot! - but I give it the same rating as you. It's been really fun to reread!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/375180

>64 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, even if it is not true.

>65 bell7: I am glad that you are enjoying our re-reads as much as I am, Mary!

>66 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

I got Kerry off to Longview this morning - he is going to stop off and have lunch with Catey before heading to Nacogdoches - and now have a couple of hours of reading in. I am really hoping to make some headway on my reading for the month, which got off to a slow start for me. It appears that the CFS has gone for a bit - hopefully a long bit!

I am listening to Cane by Jean Toomer and finding it interesting. It seems to be a mix of both poetry and prose. It was written almost 100 years ago. I am continuing on my nonfiction binge for the month with Agent Josephine, Lawrence in Arabia, Simple Justice, and Six Days of War, but I am going to throw in a little Connie Willis for good measure by starting Bellwether today as well. I do not think I will be finishing anything today, but would like to finish a couple tomorrow.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday!

Happy reading -- hope you stay energized and enjoy your "you" time.

>69 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

Happy new thread, Stasia! Wow, already past 300 -- I am impressed!!

>63 alcottacre: I'm enjoying this series too - though it's the first time through for me.

Enjoy your day out today, Stasia.

Congrats on passing 300 books!

Enjoy the weekend :)

>71 curioussquared: Thank you, Natalie!

>72 humouress: I am very glad to hear it, Nina. I hope you continue to enjoy it. Mary and I sure have.

>73 vancouverdeb: Nope, I did not go anywhere. I sent Kerry packing :)

>74 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita!

I am heading to bed - yes, I know it is only 7pm, but I have been up since 2am - and hope to "see" you tomorrow. I had a very nice day of reading and hope to actually finish a couple of books Saturday.

Good night, all!

Enjoy your book slutting while Kerry is gone, Stasia! Wish that was in my future too - the book slutting part, of course.

>77 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

Lots of reading to get in today as Kerry comes back home tomorrow! I am hoping to finish 3 books today. We shall see.

I hope everyone has a super Saturday!

>79 alcottacre: Good luck on reaching the Saturday goal! I'm about to start the GBBO final. Still bettin' on Jasmine.

Happy Saturday, Stasia. I am starting my first Donal Ryan. He sure seems to be popular around here, so I doubt I will be disappointed.

>76 alcottacre: Good morning, Stasia. I hope you slept well and that your get all of your planned reading done today:). Enjoy your peace and quiet!

>80 richardderus: Enjoy, Richard! Not a bad bet :)

>81 msf59: I have only ever been able to get hold of one of Ryan's books, From a Low and Quiet Sea, and I loved it. I hope you enjoy his work too!

>82 RebaRelishesReading: No on the sleeping well, but the reading is going. Thanks, Reba!

Finished this afternoon:

306 - Cane by Jean Toomer - Audiobook; This book is widely considered to be one of the classics of the Harlem Renaissance period so I knew I needed to get it read before the year was out. I am sure it was considered to be experimental back when it was originally published in 1923 because the book is not a linear narrative. It incorporates both poetry and prose in a series of vignettes, most of which have different characters (there are a few repeated ones, but not many). I think of the book as very much of a time capsule of what African American life was like 100 years ago both in the North and in the South (the vignette with the man being killed by a mob was particularly disturbing); Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Hoopla

When I first checked this audiobook out I was totally unsure about the narrator, Audra McDonald, the noted soprano, as a narrator. I was pleasantly surprise as I thought she did a great job.

>84 alcottacre: Oh, that's interesting. I don't think of Audra McDonald as a singer. I know her mostly from The Good Wife/The Good Fight and The Gilded Age, so I think of her as an actress first. As a result, I would have assumed she would make a good narrator. Very interesting that you knew her best as a singer.

>85 atozgrl: I never knew she was an actor too, Irene. I think of her on Broadway as a singer first and foremost, lol.

Finished this afternoon:

307 - Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis - Nonfiction; Unlike a traditional biography, Lewis instead almost exclusively concentrates on Josephine Baker's work during WWII as a spy. Her childhood and young adult years in the U.S. are briefly touched upon, but the Josephine in this book is the one who left the U.S. due to its racism to take up residence in her adopted home of France as an entertainer. When the Nazis invaded France, Baker wanted to do something - anything - to help and she ended up being awarded by the French the Medal of the Resistance with Rosette, the Croix de Guerre, and was appointed a Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur. Not bad for a woman who spent almost 2 years of the war in hospital - from which hospital she still managed to smuggle in papers and people for the cause; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

"In her (Josephine's) world-view, one's achievement on the stage paled into insignificance before one's moral and ethical stance, what one was truly willing to fight and to die for. That reflected how greatly she had matured and been transformed by her experiences of the war."

Finished tonight:

308 - Bellwether by Connie Willis - This is a re-read for me but the last time I read it was 14 years ago and I had forgotten a lot of what happens in this book in the interim, lol. One thing I will say is that I really appreciate Willis' tongue-in-cheek sense of humor as we track Sandra Foster and her day to day life as she investigates fads - you know, like bobbing your hair back in the 1920s. She is trying to figure out how that fad began and how it spread before dying out. She works in the ultimate fad-oriented corporation - we must start wearing casual wear, we must have more employee trust exercises etc. One of the most hilarious chapters in the book is where Sandra goes to her friend's daughter's birthday party and everyone of the kids has a 90's trendy name: Brittany, Chelsea, and so on. The book is slow in places but overall I got a kick out of it; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Kerry will be returning home this afternoon so I am going to try and get in as much reading as I can before then. It is my 'day off' technology anyway.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday!

>63 alcottacre: I jumped into this group read with Stargazy Pie/ Bee Sting Cake. I'm coming up on my 75th and looking for a good book; did I miss any books before these? I think I might pick one up - providing I own it already (I'm also trying to read more of my own books).

>90 humouress: Nina, if you are speaking about the Greenwing & Dart series, then Stargazy Pie is the first in that series, so you are good. If you are talking about the Nine Worlds series as a whole, Mary and I have been following Goddard's recommended reading order, which you can find here: https://www.librarything.com/nseries/330423/The-Nine-Worlds-Authors-Recommended-...

Hope that helps!

Finished this afternoon:

309 - Too Good To Be True by Ann Cleeves - This is a short novella using Cleeves' character Jimmy Perez at the center. In this book, Perez's ex-wife wants him to help investigate a murder that her husband is being accused of by the people in the village. Perez offers to give her 2 days for him to investigate but after that, he can no longer help. Although I enjoyed this diversion, I found that I missed the normal Shetland Island setting of the series. The murderer was also fairly easy to spot. I will be glad to return to the "big" books; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

Kerry made it home just as I was going to type up the book review above, so it was delayed, lol. However, it is really good to have him home!

>93 alcottacre:, that was a quick turn around for Kerry. Glad he made it home safely.

>90 humouress: Clary Sage & Traveller's Joy, not to mention the newest novella, Olive and the Dragon all take place before Stargazy Pie, but probably are best appreciated somewhere after Whiskeyjack.

>91 alcottacre: >95 quondame: Thank you both. I have Clary Sage (and just read Olive and the Dragon) so I might read that.

I'm glad that Kerry is back safe and sound and that you had a good reading weekend! I wish you enough sleep and not too much - and a lot of reading!!!!!

>95 quondame: Thank you for your input, Susan!

>96 humouress: I hope you enjoy them, Nina!

>97 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy. I actually got more than 2 hours of sleep last night (for the first time in a week, lol) - a whole 4 hours and 39 minutes.

Normal day around here thus far. I was up at 4 (far better than the 2 that I was managing last week) and have already gotten the bank statement balanced and the bills paid so that chore is done.

Kerry and I will be playing our first ever game of Teotihuacan together today so that should be interesting. I have only ever played it solo and it has been about a year since I did even that.

Red Lentil Chili is on the menu for lunch today along with some vegan cornbread. It is chilly here this morning and I want something warm for lunch!

On the reading front, I started We Were the Lucky Ones on audio. This is a re-read for me although it has been a couple of years. Continuing on with my nonfiction stuff, Lawrence in Arabia, Six Days of War which I should be wrapping up today, and Simple Justice. I started Aviva vs. the Dybbuk yesterday and would like to finish it today. I am hoping to start Rez Life and The Other Side of the Bridge today. We shall see how it goes. . .

I hope everyone has a marvelous Monday!

Happy Monday, Stasia. It is feast or famine with your sleeping, right? That's tough. I am hoping for a more normal, healthy week. 🤞🤞

>100 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Up until I got CFS, my sleeping was pretty much famine - I averaged between 3-4 hours a night. These days, I never know!

Finished this morning:

310 - Six Days of War by Michael B. Oren - Nonfiction; As I try and learn more about the current state of the Middle East, I am learning from the past to see how we got where we are today. Oren makes no bones about it, stating early on that "from a local dispute in the 1920s and '30s, it (the Arab-Israeli conflict) had expanded in the 1940s to engulf the region and then, in the '50s, the world." His book takes (from what I can tell) a pretty unbiased look at both sides in the Six Days War of 1967. He also looks at what he calls "Aftershocks" of how the world is now (or was as of 2002 when the book was published) compared to before the war. This is a dense book full of a lot of information - the first day of the war does not even happen until page 170 - so there is a lot of background information given. My biggest ding on the book is that there is not a list of the men involved and their nationalities. For someone like me who was completely ignorant of the war and its major players, this would have proven to be extremely helpful. Still, all in all, an excellent read; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library Book

Sounds like you're back functioning at 100%, Stasia! I'm GLAD to see it!

>103 LizzieD: Thanks, Peggy!

Finished this morning:

311 - Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson - Nonfiction; I knew nothing about T. E. Lawrence before reading this book, I will be honest. I have never read Seven Pillars of Wisdom, have never seen the film "Lawrence of Arabia," nothing. I was very interested in learning the depths of his involvement in the Arab Revolt against the Turks during WWI. The book makes for very interesting reading not only about Lawrence, but we also learn about the Zionist Aaron Aaronsohn, the German Curt Prufer, and the American William Yale, all of whom have varying degrees of success and failure as spies; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

"To the degree that genuine democracy and self-determination does take hold. . .the Arab world might finally embark upon the path envisioned for it by Lawrence and a handful of other dreamers a century ago."

Today is meet up day with Beth and Catey so that, combined with the fact that Kerry and I are playing a couple of games today as well, means that I am up and reading early (from about 3:30). Now that Kerry is up, I need to go get started on chores. Blech.

Beth has a job interview this afternoon. Please pray that all goes well for her. She has not worked for the past couple of weeks and really needs a new job.

Today is going to be one of those days where my reading will be hit-and-miss. I am continuing to listen to We Were the Lucky Ones. Also continuing my read of Simple Justice one chapter at a time, lol. I started Rez Life yesterday - not too sure about this one yet - and will be continuing with Aviva vs. the Dybbuk as well. I am hoping to start The Other Side of the Bridge but we will see how it goes.

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday!

>105 alcottacre: If you ever work out what went wrong back then I wouldn't mind a crash course.

>106 alcottacre: Tuesday orisons, Stasia me deario.

>106 alcottacre: All digits crossed for Beth's job interview going well. Being out of work is unsettling; I hope she doesn't stay in that state for much longer.

>107 humouress: I know what the problem was, Nina - there were people involved. That is all it takes, I swear.

>108 richardderus: ((Hugs)) and **smooches** to you, RD!

>109 laytonwoman3rd: The job is not going to work out for her, Linda. Hopefully she will find something soon!

Finished this afternoon:

312 - Aviva vs. the Dybbuk by Mari Lowe - Juvenile; I am not sure how I would have felt about this book had I read it as a child. I am not sure how I feel about it reading it as an adult, honestly. The book is supposed to be for 8-12 year old children and while I can appreciate the views into Orthodox Jewish life, I am not sure that they would. The main character, Aviva, is a young girl who can see a dybbuk - but only she can see it, so I spent the entire book wondering if there was a mental or emotional issue with the child. Her mother is remote and obviously depressed since the death of her husband, so I am sure that there is an impact on Aviva. The closeness of the Jewish community is apparent in the book and while they would like to help, they are unsure of how to do so. There are also antisemitic episodes in the book which we unfortunately see in the real world. So my thoughts on the book are mixed as I am really unclear on what the author was trying to say; Not Recommended (3 stars) Hoopla - Kindle

Another normal day around these parts although I did not get up until 4 this morning - less than 2 hours of sleep. Nothing like being dead tired and unable to sleep unless it is not wanting to sleep and then doing it for 10-18 hours. *sigh* I cannot win for losing. Laundry has been done, the dishwasher unloaded, and I already have a couple of cups of tea and a bottle of water in me to start off the day right.

Kerry and I are making up for lost gaming time over the weekend, so a couple of games will be hitting the table today. He also spied a new pizza place he wants to try, so we are heading there for lunch. That will be a nice break from cooking for me.

Continuing on with We Were the Lucky Ones on audio. I am enjoying it the second time around as much as I did the first. My month long read of Simple Justice continues. I am also well into both Rez Life and The Other Side of the Bridge. I am hoping to start The Summer War today and maybe Semiosis?

I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday!

Finished tonight, but too dadgum tired to write about this novella:

313 - The Summer War by Naomi Novik - Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

I hope you have a decent night tonight, Stasia. Sleep enough but not 18 hours!
I'll be checking in to see what you think of Semiosis, which I have on the shelf for some reason.....

>114 LizzieD: I will keep you posted where Semiosis is concerned, Peggy. I did not get a chance to start it last night.

So today has been one of those days where I have been going since I got up and this is the first chance I have had to catch my breath.

I am going to try and get some reading in yet today. I have listened to my audiobook, We Were the Lucky Ones, and that is all of the reading I have done so I feel very behind, lol. I will see what I can sneak in before I head to bed. . .

Sweet Thursday, Stasia. Just checking in. Looks like you are having a good week. Enjoy those books.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/375310

>119 SilverWolf28: Thank you for the invitation, Silver. I am in again!

Well, it looks as though today is going to be a more 'normal' day for me than yesterday was! Breakfast is in the oven - a new recipe for me, Berry Quinoa Bake - and I am hoping both of us like it. Groceries are being delivered this morning and that is about it for chores for today other than cooking lunch. I am also preparing for another board game auction starting next week.

Kerry and I are trying a new-to-us game today, Sweet Mess, about baking desserts. I have no idea how the game plays, but it is very pretty!

I am finishing We Were the Lucky Ones today and the next audiobook up is Semiosis. Continuing my month-long read of Simple Justice. I am hoping to finish The Other Side of the Bridge and Rez Life today. I started 1941: The Year Germany Lost the War last night and am hoping to start Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. We will see. . .

I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday!

Finished this morning:

314 - We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter - Audiobook; This was a re-read for me, a book that I loved the first time that I read it, and my opinion has not changed. Listening to the audiobook gives the book an immediacy that reading the paper book does not have, I think, and adds a layer of appreciation for the story that Hunter gives us - a story based on her own family's experiences as Jews in Poland during WWII. Each member of her family is giving his or her own story and their own personality. The stories of each is sometimes hard to read as you might imagine, but stories that need to be told. One of the things I appreciate about the book are the insertions between the chapters about what was going on in the war; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

>122 alcottacre: Oh myyy, as Takei would say. Sounds grim. It held up to a reread, so clearly a well-made story, that's a big bonus. Have you read any other books by Georgia Hunter?

Stasia, what on earth is the Brighton mystery series that you're reading? Are they cozies from 1922 or children's books?????

Enjoy your day - hope it's less frustrating than lately!

>123 richardderus: I have not read anything else by Georgia Hunter, Richard. Neither my local library or Hoopla has any other titles by her.

>124 LizzieD: The Brighton mystery series starts with the book Zig Zag Girl, Peggy, if you want to check them out. They involve men who were in a secret unit during WWII but after the war they go back to their previous careers (the major characters are a magician and a policeman).

Finished tonight:

315 - Rez Life by David Treuer - Nonfiction; Want to know what life is like on a reservation? Well, Treuer's book will hit you right between the eyes with it. This is a no-holds-barred look at the reservation today, how we got to reservations in the first place, which is by no means a pretty picture, and what the future holds for reservations. Intertwined in the history, Treuer relates family history - he is Ojibwe and lives on the Leech Lake Reservation. This was a good read despite some repetitions that could have been edited out; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

"That Native American cultures are imperiled is important and not to just Indians. It is important to everyone, or should be. When we lose cultures, we lose American plurality - the productive and lovely discomfort that true difference brings."

Enjoy your weekend-ahead's reads, Stasia!

>126 alcottacre: I've been dipping into Treuer's Heartbeat of Wounded Knee and he's already made a similar point in the Prologue. ("productive and lovely discomfort"-- what an excellent phrase.)

>127 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! Same to you!

>128 laytonwoman3rd: I agree about that phrase, Linda, which is why used the quote. I will have to see if I can get hold of Heartbeat of Wounded Knee at some point. Thanks for the mention!

Finished tonight:

316 - The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson - I am not sure how long ago that Caroline recommended this book, but I sure am glad I got to it. I read Crow Lake earlier this year and while I liked it marginally better than this book, it is still a terrific read. One thing that can be said for Lawson is that she knows how to write characters and character-driven novels - and write them well. In this one, we are back in Struan in the 1930s with Arthur and Jake, two brothers who have little if anything in common, and their parents. Arthur is what I will call the stolid brother - he wants to be a farmer like his father and cares not a whit for education, repeatedly failing grades in school. His brother, Jake, though is the carefree fellow who care for little beyond himself. These two character clash time and again even into adulthood; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

I have read a couple of books by Mary Lawson, including The Other Side of the Bridge. I am glad you are enjoying her works.

>131 vancouverdeb: I have one more of her books on hand and just ordered her A Town Called Solace. I am glad I have more to look forward to reading.

Thanks, Deborah!

My 'day off' technology and I am hoping for a good one despite only getting 2.5 hours of sleep last night. Kerry and I will be gaming today for sure and possibly heading to a game store. . .

Continuing on with Simple Justice. I hope to finish both Why I Write and 1941: The Year Germany Lost the War today. I started Major Pettigrew's Last Stand yesterday and may start Jungle of Stone today. We will see how it goes.

I hope everyone has a lovely Sunday!

Finished today:

317 - 1941: The Year Germany Lost the War by Andrew Nagorski - Nonfiction; Nagorski's father fought for Poland in WWII and interspersed in the book occasionally are his father's remembrances and I appreciated those 'personal' notes because, although this book is highly readable, it is also taxing in that the reader probably already knows that Poland fell in 1939 followed in short order by several other countries. Nagorski does a good job in giving the reader a back drop of what has already gone on previously in the war to lead up to why he believes that 1941 was really the decisive year that started turning the war around - in large part Hitler brought the destruction of his Thousand Year Reich by himself. My biggest quibble with the book is that, although Nagorski nicely provides us with a list of the major players at the beginning of the book, there are no maps. These would have been extremely helpful once Germany's invasion of Russia began IMHO; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

318 - Why I Write by George Orwell - Essay Collection; I have no idea why these 4 essays (one of which I am fairly sure is actually a very short story) are gathered together. Why I Write refers to the first essay in the book only. The second essay and by far the longest in the book, The Lion and the Unicorn, made for interesting reading for me right now since I was reading it at the same time I was reading Nagorski's book because it deals with happenings in 1940 war torn Britain. The third "essay" is the short story and I admit I really did not understand what Orwell was trying to tell me at all in its 6 pages. The last essay in the book, Politics and the English Language, has Orwell laying down 6 rules for better writing. A very mixed bag is all I can say about this one; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

>102 alcottacre: Glad you thought this book was worthwhile. I loved all the background on the lead up to the war. If you haven't already read Oren's Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present I recommend that one too. I 'read' all these on audio, but then I recognised most of the names.

>105 alcottacre: The novel The Wild Date Palm by Diane Armstrong is set during this period and covers the story of the Aaronsohns and the Nili spy group with a few walk ons by Lawrence. I have Aaronsohn's Maps on my tbr pile.
The 1990s film 'A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia' starring Ralph Fiennes is quite interesting.

Another film I saw last year was about the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Golda (2023), it's about the politics behind the war. Helen Mirren plays a chain-smoking Golda, undergoing treatment for her illnesses. Was fascinating.

I'm about to pick up The Summer War from the library.

>135 avatiakh: Thank you for the recommendation of the other Oren book. I will have to see if my local library has a copy.

I will have to see if The Wild Date Palm is available from the library too. I already have Aaronsohn's Maps in the BlackHole as I cannot get my hands on it readily.

I have been up and about for a while now so the checkbook has been balanced, the bills have been paid, the sheets have been washed, and I am now on cup number 3 of tea. I am sending out Christmas stuff today for Beth and Shaquille and Catey's tea Advent calendar is going out today as well.

Kerry and I will be playing our second ever game of Teotihuacan together today. We will see how it goes. We both like the game and that certainly helps but it is rather lengthy.

I am continuing listening to Semiosis, which I am enjoying. Who does not like sentient plants? I am reading Simple Truth still (and will be until the end of the month) and Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, which I am hoping to finish tomorrow. I am hoping to start Jungle of Stone and/or China Court today.

I hope everyone has a marvelous Monday!

Good morning, Stasia. I hope you had a nice weekend. The books have been treating me well and it looks like yours are doing the same. You got me with Rez Life. Onto the obese TBR it goes.

>138 msf59: I hope you enjoy Rez Life if and when you get to it, Mark. I read it for this month's American Authors challenge else I might never have gotten to it.

I was just on my way to your thread. . .

Morning Stasia!
You never cease to amaze me. 318 books read and a month and a half to go. You go girl!

I have been very busy since the meetup in Joplin, so haven't been on LT much. The continuing saga of the car continues. I am now on my third week of driving a loaner Subaru Crosstrek. My car is still in the shop. They are waiting for the repair part to come in. It has been back ordered. I hope to get my car back this week. Guess I will wait and see what happens next.

Oh --- China Court - another one that I need to get to! (Ancestry's latest, more detailed analysis of my DNA took away my Iceland and replaced that 2% with Sweden and added a bit of Wales. That bit makes me happy since I thought my maiden name was originally Welsh or at least border country.)

Happy Day!

>141 benitastrnad: I am sorry to hear that your car troubles persist, Benita. Hopefully they will get the part in soon!

>142 LizzieD: I have had China Court far too long, Peggy, so I am happy to finally get to it. I love Godden's In This House of Brede so I am really looking forward to reading it.

Speaking of books to get to, my thoughts on Semiosis are below. . .

is it fine that I join the chat?

Finished this morning:

319 - Semiosis by Sue Burke - Audiobook; I was pleasantly surprised by Burke's debut novel of first contact. A group of humans lands on a planet not realizing that the plant life is sentient. The book follows several characters and then moves from one generation to another, following those characters and their descendants as the humans must adapt to the planet and their surroundings. This is probably one of the most character driven science fiction novels that I have ever read - which is not saying much since I have not read a lot of sci fi, the reason behind my 'read more sci fi' challenge. My biggest knock on the novel is that parts of it seem rushed, especially towards the end, but I thought it was a good, solid read and am hoping to read more of the series soon; Recommended (4 stars) Hoopla

Just stopping by to say hi, and wish you a good Tuesday, Stasia.

>146 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. I appreciate the drive by 'hi'.

Today is meet up day with Beth and Catey. Catey and I will be meeting up early to play Ark Nova so it is primarily a gaming day for me - at least until this evening.

Kerry and I will be playing at least one game today ourselves, possibly two. We will see. We never did get any gaming in yesterday so we may be making up for that today.

I am now listening The Angel's Game, the second game in Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series. As I love The Shadow of the Wind, I have high hopes for this one. Continuing on with Simple Justice. I hope to finish Major Pettigrew's Last Stand. I started both Jungle of Stone and China Court yesterday and am hoping for some progress in them today.

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday!

I'll try to boost Semiosis higher on Mt. Bookpile, Stasia. I'm surprised to see that I also have *A's Game* on the shelf unread. Luxury!

Best to Beth and Catey - and Kerry as always! Y'all have fun!!!!! (((((Stasia)))))

>149 LizzieD: I am glad to hear that you have some good reads to look forward to - one of these days, Peggy.

We did have fun! Thanks for all the hugs!

Finished tonight:

320 - Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson - I stand by the comments that I made when I initially read this book some 15 years ago now: "when I started reading this, I was expecting a somewhat unconventional romance between a retired English officer and a Pakistani shopkeeper, but what I got was so much more: the book is very layered, examining prejudices against people of color, Americans, unwed mothers and their children (doesn't everyone want to be someone other than who they are at some time or other? I know I do!); the relationship between the Major and his son; one of my favorite quotes from the book 'The human race is all the same when it comes to romantic relations,' said the Major. 'A startling absence of impulse control combined with complete myopia' "; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

>148 alcottacre: I think Zafon's The Shadow of the Wind is one of the books that I wish to set aside time for to read again. Exactly how stories should be told.

I aim to do a monthly re-read next year and have been thinking of some options and that one is definitely on the list.

>151 alcottacre:,I am currently reading this one, but for the first time. I am enjoying it.

I loved Major Pettigrew's Last Stand when I read it years ago, Stasia. I am glad it stood up to a re read.

>154 vancouverdeb: I was going to say almost exactly the same thing! It's a good one.

Hi Stasia!

>134 alcottacre: Politics and the English Language is on my list of things to read next year. I can’t work out what you thought about that one in particular.

The Shadow of the Wind is also already on my list (one of my mum’s favourite authors) and I might have to add Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand to the list as well - it’s a title I recognise but can’t recall hearing or reading anything in particular about it.

>152 PaulCranswick: I hope you enjoy the re-read of Shadow of the Wind as much as I have done, Paul - I think I have re-read it 3 times now.

>153 Kristelh: I hope you continue to enjoy it, Kristel!

>154 vancouverdeb: >155 foggidawn: Yay another Major Pettigrew fan! I am glad you enjoyed the book as well, Deborah and Misty.

>156 PawsforThought: Paws, I enjoyed Politics and the English Language - Orwell makes a point of showing the reader as to how the two are entwined.

I hope you get a chance to read both The Shadow of the Wind and Major Pettigrew. I also hope you like them as much as I did.

It has been one of those days around my house. I got a very late start on my day and am sincerely hoping that this is not the start of another bout of CFS. Fingers crossed.

Kerry and I played Teotihuacan after lunch and finished the game unlike last week when we were first learning it together. It took 2+ hours but both of us really like it, so there is that.

Not sure how much reading that I will get in tonight, but hopefully I will make progress on something!

Back to normal today, thank goodness. I have already gotten my BGG auction launched and laundry done. Currently drinking my Banana Mylkshake for breakfast.

Kerry and I will be playing a couple of games today: Quacks of Quedlinburg and Sweet Mess. Looking forward to them both - and tomorrow is our monthly gaming marathon, which has been postponed twice already.

Still listening to The Angel's Game and enjoying it. Reading Simple Justice, which continues apace, China Court, and Jungle of Stone. I am hoping to start Tales of Burning Love, the last book in Erdrich's Love Medicine series.

I hope you all have a thoughtful Thursday!

Hi Stasia, I'll get the crossing-for-luck process started in case CFS is considering a comeback tour.

*smooch*

NO CFS!!!!! Good sales at your BGG auction! Enjoy your day!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/375552

>162 SilverWolf28: Thank you, Silver. I have already been over to the thread.

Off to bed now, people. I hope to see some of you tomorrow in and around our gaming!

>160 richardderus: Thank you, Richard!

>161 LizzieD: The auction is not going well, unfortunately, Peggy but it still has time. Hopefully I have dodged the CFS bullet for now.

Finished today (in between games):

321 - The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - Audiobook; This is the second book, following The Shadow of the Wind, in The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series, and it had a lot to live up to as I absolutely love The Shadow of the Wind which I have now read multiple times. Unfortunately for me, I did not love this one as I did the prior book. The book is not bad, but it sure could have used some tighter editing as portions of it got to be repetitious. I also did not really care overmuch for the main character, David Martin, in this one and that impacts how I felt about the book as a whole, I think. I liked the gothic feel of the book - I generally do like gothic books - and I appreciated it in this one as I thought it worked well here; Guardedly Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

>165 alcottacre: psst
...
...
over here keep it quiet but I really disliked David and quit reading the book...I bought it so I never reviewed it and the later ones ain't good, either

>166 richardderus: I am sorry to hear that the later books in the series are not good, Richard, since I own them all and expect that I will eventually read them.

I am glad I am not the only one who really did not care about David!

((Hugs)) and **smooches**

>167 alcottacre: They're like this one...not necessarily worse just different in key ways. Ways I don't prefer, to be honest.

Saturday orisons!

>165 alcottacre: My Review gave it a 3 =

"Abundance of plot and David Martin confusion, then death after death after death
do not make inviting reading.

Twisted Magic Realism?"

>168 richardderus: I will likely read them, just not be in a rush to do so :)

Thanks, RD!

>169 m.belljackson: I can see the 'twisted magic realism' comment, Marianne. Have you read any other of his books?

>170 alcottacre: Yes!

and rated PRISONER OF HEAVEN 4 Stars...
..."mostly because I wanted to be certain that my favorite, Fermin, would somehow survive."

3 Stars for LABYRINTH OF THE SPIRITS =
Too many bad guys turn Barcelona into "a terrifying maze of murder and horror."

CITY OF MISTS earned 5 Stars, including the "Gaudi" story with this quote:

"A skyscraper is simply a cathedral for people who, instead of believing in God,
believe in money."

(Zero Population Growth would also concur.)

>171 m.belljackson: I own all of those. I am glad to hear that City of Mists was a 5 star read for you!

Finished tonight:

322 - Jungle of Stone by William Carlsen - Nonfiction; I have owned this book for some 8 years now and thanks to TIOLI and Suzanne, I am finally getting it read! When the term 'intrepid adventurer' comes up from here on out, I will think of John L. Stephens and Frederick Catherwood. Carlsen's book fleshes these two men out so that the emphasis is not only on what they discovered but who they were underneath it all: courageous men who battled the elements, disease, dodged civil wars, etc to try and discover the remains of the Mayan civilization that had disappeared centuries ago. I found the book to be very good overall, although I think the final chapters could have been pruned and it would not have affected the book to its detriment; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

ETA: The inclusion of photographs and examples of Catherwood's artwork were welcome, especially when Carlsen talks about what Stephens and Catherwood were seeing in their travels.

I have The Shadow of the Wind somewhere on my shelves. I've never read it but I'm thinking maybe I should rectify that after reading how you've read it many times.

>174 Familyhistorian: I hope you enjoy The Shadow of the Wind if and when you get to it, Meg!

My day off technology and I am hanging out here, lol. I am off for now but hope to finish China Court today so I will be back later (I hope).

Lots of game playing going on today but other than that (and cooking and reading) nothing much going on.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday!

Have a great day, Stasia.

>176 alcottacre: Enjoy your Sunday, Stasia, on and/or off the tech. *smooch*

>177 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel!

>178 richardderus: ((Hugs)) and **smooches** back at you, RD!

Finished this evening:

323 - China Court by Rumer Godden - I have not read many of Godden's books - my favorite is In This House of Brede - but I very much enjoy her writing and China Court is no exception. Godden has a talent for making the characters feel both real and alive to me as a reader. China Court follows 5 generations of the same family (although the last generation is a single character) and their lives as the current matriarch is dying. Not only do we see the family, but the servants show up as well, and their presence enhances the book IMHO. China Court is the house: "(it) gives off the ring of a house, a true home" so I guess you could call it a character in the book as well. The biggest letdown for me was the ending. I really wish it had been written differently; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

"Homes must know a certain loneliness because all humans are lonely, shut away from one another, even in the act of talking, of loving."

BTW - I loved Eliza's story!

I am quite sure I have The Shadow of the Wind on my shelves, but it is not calling to me right now, Stasia.

>181 vancouverdeb: Well, all I can say is that I have loved it every time I have read it (4 times now, I think) so when it calls to you, please listen :)

Kerry and I are both up early this morning although I was up earlier and am already on my second cup of tea. It is pouring rain here and has been for a while now so we are under a flood warning for several hours yet. I have already gotten the checkbook balanced and bills paid so that is done for another week.

We will be playing games again today: Pioneers and Teotihuacan. Pioneers we were supposed to play yesterday but I slept through much of yesterday, chiefly because I did not sleep at all Saturday night.

I am still listening to Titus Alone, the third book in the Gormenghast trilogy. Thus far, it has not changed my mind that the second book is my favorite. I am within shouting distance of the end of Simple Justice. I am continuing on with Tales of Burning Love and Creation Lake. I started on Old Books, Rare Friends yesterday and hope to begin My Name is Asher Lev today.

I hope you all have a marvelous Monday!

>183 alcottacre: It's amazing how you can focus on several books at once. How do you keep track? Do you have a strict rotation?

>184 humouress: I do not keep track in any way, Nina. No, I do not have a strict rotation. Since almost all of my books are for TIOLI challenges, I try to post at least 2 to every challenge in a given month and that way I have options in case one of my choices does not suit, bearing in mind my personal challenges and possible shared reads that I may have.

Finished this morning:

324 - Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake - Audiobook; This is the third book in the Gormenghast trilogy and to me anyway, the weirdest of the bunch (and that is saying something!) It is also, to me, the weakest book in the series, which surprised me given that in this book, Titus is not a baby/toddler as he was in the first book, nor a child as he was in the second. He strikes out on his own, abandoning Gormenghast seemingly forever and into even weirder realms than his home. He makes friends and lovers along the way and then abandons them too. I really wish I liked Titus more as a character. Peake's wordplay and his way of naming characters in a positively Dickensian way lingers in this book, although he would in no way be much in the way of a romance writer, lol; Guardedly recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

Many thanks to Tui for recommending the Gormenghast trilogy to me many years ago and to Amanda for having Peake as one of the BAC authors this year. I finally read it!

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Pentatonix? They have another Christmas album out - I think it is number 8:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpQtCIuhFNg&list=TLPQMjMxMTIwMjXYiGWnYLs0Gg&...

>165 alcottacre: Ah it is often so with a series. The second book is usually underwhelming.

Happy rest of the week

>180 alcottacre: That is good news because I bought In this House of Brede recently!

>187 alcottacre: Hi Stranger (my bad, not yours) -- I love Pentatonix! They are so awesome. Now I have to go check out the new Christmas album. Pleasure to be back here. : )

>189 PaulCranswick: I really hope you enjoy the book when you read it, Paul. It is one of those nice, quiet books that speaks to me.

>190 Berly: Kim! It is wonderful to see you! I am glad to have another Pentatonix fan around.

It is a pleasure to have you back :)

Today was meet up day with the girls and we had a great time together, just like we normally do. We played a couple of games as normal and got in our 100th all time play of Just One today.

Kerry and I played Colony before our meet up with Beth and Catey. That is it for us for gaming today.

On the reading front, I have started listening to Paper Love today, a book I have been trying to get read for a couple of months now. So far, so good. I should be finishing Creation Lake today, a book I would have DNF'd if not for the fact that it is a shared TIOLI book. It is doing absolutely nothing for me other than making me feel ignorant. I am continuing on with Old Books, Rare Friends, My Name is Asher Lev, Tales of Burning Love and, of course, Simple Justice.

I hope everyone has a terrific Tuesday!

>192 alcottacre: I finished the reviews for the latest two Eve Dallas books. I'm still not an Eveian but I liked these the best of them I've read.

>193 richardderus: I will head over to your thread and take a look once done here, RD. Thanks for the heads up!

Finished this evening:

325 - Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner - This book was on the 2024 Booker longlist and I am wondering how it got there. It has been a long time since I was so glad to have done with a book, but this one was just not for me. I felt like I fell into a philosophical exposition - and I am not even sure exactly what philosophy was being exposited at me - with a main character, Sadie (not her real name) from Priest Valley (not really a place), that I never liked at all. Supposedly this book was "Written in short, vaulting (what the heck does that even mean?) sections, Rachel Kushner’s rendition of “noir” is taut and dazzling. Creation Lake is Kushner’s finest achievement yet—a work of high art, high comedy, and unforgettable pleasure," in which case, if this is her finest, I can just skip the rest. Yeah, just not for me. At all; Not Recommended (2 stars) Mine (but not for long!)

Whooo. You have really been busy since we last spoke. I guess I'll leave China Court and Creation Lake and the last 2 Gormenghasts where they are on Mt. Bookpile. I live in hope.

I'm trotting over to see which In Deaths Richard just finished, and then it's cat feeding.... Have a good night! Enjoy cooking for Thanksgiving, which I'm pretty sure you will be doing. I at least got my cornbread made for dressing today. We are cutting back on the number of sides, so I won't have to do much tomorrow or Thursday. Yay!

>196 LizzieD: But I really liked China Court, Peggy! I understand about leaving Creation Lake on the bookpile. I also liked the second Gormenghast book the best out of the three :)

I am starting Thanksgiving cooking tomorrow. Even though it is just the two of us, I cook 2 different entrees since I will not eat Kerry's turkey, lol.

Thanks for stopping by, Peggy!

Here's the Thanksgiving readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/375632

>198 SilverWolf28: Thanks, Silver!

>197 alcottacre: You make it sound like Kerry's turkey is ... best left ;0)

Happy Wednesday, Stasia. Funny, I ended up liking Creation Lake but can see why it wouldn't be for everyone. Glad you toughed it out. I am surprised how much I am enjoying This Book Will Save Your Life.

>200 humouress: I do not eat meat, so in my case, Kerry's turkey is best left, lol.

>201 msf59: I knew that you liked Creation Lake, Mark, and I really wanted to like it but it was just not for me. I am glad to hear that you are enjoying This Book Will Save Your Life.

Lots of stuff to do today as Thanksgiving looms large. I will start the cooking today for tomorrow - and still need to cook our lunch today as well - and then still have tons left to do tomorrow - including Kerry's turkey.

Gaming today, for sure, as we are unlikely to get any done tomorrow. Quacks of Quedlinburg is hitting the table in about 15 minutes and we will be playing Abyss this afternoon if all goes well.

All of the same reading today as yesterday with the exception of Creation Lake. I am hoping to start The Resisters today but we will have to see if I have the time.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

>202 alcottacre: I did remember that you're vegetarian, Stasia :0)

>204 humouress: I thought you probably had, but was not absolutely sure.

Thanksgiving Day here in the States and lots of cooking to be done. I will be putting Kerry's turkey breast in the crockpot in about an hour. Lots of prep stuff that I need to get out of the way this morning. Lunch is scheduled for 1pm, about 2 hours after we normally eat it.

No gaming today, but lots of football. Kerry's team, the Cowboys, has the late game. Both of us root for the Lions and they have the early game.

I am still listening to Paper Love. I hope to be able to finish both Tales of Burning Love and Old Books, Rare Friends today but it will all depend on how the day goes - and if I can stay awake. I only slept a little over an hour last night. I am continuing on with Simple Justice, which I should be finishing tomorrow, and My Name is Asher Lev. I may start Brigands & Breadknives. . .

I hope you all have a thoughtful Thursday!

Happy Thanksgiving, Stasia.

Happy Thanksgiving Stasia and Kerry.

I read Creation Lake and gave it 3 stars. Rachel Kushner is not a favorite author though I've read 3 of her books.

HAPPY HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and Kerry, Stasia, and to Beth and Catey and your mom and all the rest of your scattered clans!!!

>207 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley!

>208 Kristelh: Creation Lake was my first (and probably last) of Kushner's books that I will read, Kristel, although I am not saying that positively. You never can tell :)

>209 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy! Same to you!

Happy Thanksgiving, Stasia!! Enjoy the food and the company. : )

>211 Berly: Thanks, Kim, but no company here - it was just Kerry and me.

Well that's still good company! LOL. I got the impression from >209 LizzieD: when I skimmed and missed that part about "scattered clans." Oops. : ) Does that mean you have a lot of leftovers??

Finished today:

327 - Tales of Burning Love by Louise Erdrich - This is the last book (#9) in Erdrich's loosely related Love Medicine series. It is kind of an odd duck: Erdrich, who writes in the main about Native Americans, has only one represented in this book - Dot, wife #5 to Jack Mauser. All of the wives get together at his funeral and one by one, relates their respective stories. Of course, with Erdrich, you cannot just take things at face value so there is other stuff going on in the background. I enjoyed this one for the most part, although I think that the book went on a little long for what it is; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

328 - Old Books, Rare Friends by Leona Rostenberg and Madeleine Stern - Nonfiction; This was a re-read for me, although it has been about 8 years since I have read it. Rostenberg and Stern wrote this book, each taking every other chapter, detailing their lives as they grew up to be rare book dealers. Along the way, they undertook to discover the stuff that Louisa May Alcott wrote under various pseudonyms in order to support her family, most of which would surprise readers of Little Women as these pieces are, for the most part, thrillers. They remained life long friends - who would not love a friendship like that? - and undertook going into the rare book business together. I loved reading about their trips trying to find a rare and valuable manuscript; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

>213 Berly: Oh, yeah, we have a lot of leftovers, especially when you consider that I basically cook 2 different meals for us.

>206 alcottacre: Sounds like a great meal! Happy thanksgiving!

Heading to bed now as I have been up since 3am and I am tired. . ."See" you all tomorrow!

>216 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

Looks like I got here a bit late to wish you Happy Thanksgiving, since you've already gone off to bed, but I will wish it anyway. You must be tired after getting up so early. I hope you get a good night's sleep for once. (But no CFS!)

Morning, Stasia. I hope you had a lovely holiday with the family. Go Bears!

>219 atozgrl: I collapsed into bed, slept an hour, then was up for the next 4 - at which time I decided to sleep for like 12 hours or so. I was just that tired, lol.

>220 msf59: I did, Mark! I hope you and Sue had the same. Go, go, Bears!!

Looks like you had a happy Thanksgiving complete with the tradition of plenty of leftovers, Stasia. Hope the team you were rooting for won!

>222 Familyhistorian: Well, the Cowboys won and the Chiefs lost - so my husband's team won, lol. I wanted the Bengals over the Ravens and got that win, but my Lions let me down.

Yes, we have plenty of leftovers even with just the two of us. Thanks, Meg! I hope you had a wonderful day as well!

Finished tonight:

328 - Simple Justice by Richard Kluger - Nonfiction; I am not sure what I can say about this book - it is a comprehensive look at the events, laws, and history that lead up to the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision in the United States. The book was originally published in 1975 and then revised and republished in 2004, long before Trump was President for the first time. I mention that because the final chapter of the book is a look back at the Brown decision and the way that America has both progressed and regressed since then and Trump's Presidential years are not covered because of the book's publishing date. The book is 27 chapters long - and the Brown decision is not covered until chapter 26. The entire book prior to that chapter is the history of what it took to get to the point of the Brown decision which was, BTW, Chief Justice Earl Warren's first major opinion. For someone like me, who when I went to high school had U.S. History end in 1945, what lead up to the Brown decision was eye-opening. This is probably the most important book that I have read this year and what's more, it is a well-written one. It does not read like a textbook although it could certainly be taken for one; Highly, highly recommended (5 stars) Mine

"It is a road (the road to racial equality) that some despair of ever ending, a mountaintop reachable only in dreams, so deep-seated is the virus of hatred and so low a priority have the white majority and its elected leaders assigned the issue."

"The race issue has come to be regarded not as fertile ground for progressive policymakers but a burial ground for political activists of the stripe who once believed that government could lift the destitute, hound the predatory, and serve the common good."

>224 alcottacre: History books written in now-historical times are *fascinating* reads.

*smooch*

>225 richardderus: Absolutely!

>224 alcottacre: Thanks for the great review, Stasia!! I bought that one a couple of weeks ago but haven't started it yet -- may not get to it until spring -- but I'm happy to hear it was a good choice.

>227 RebaRelishesReading: I hope that you can appreciate the book as much as I did, Reba. It taught me a lot that I did not know.

Finished today:

329 - Paper Love: Searching for the Girl My Grandfather Left Behind by Sarah Wildman - Nonfiction, Audiobook; The author of the book, Sarah Wildman, discovers old letters and other documents amongst her grandfather's belongings that send her on a hunt for the letters' author, Valy, an old girlfriend of her grandfather's of whom she has never heard. This is one case where I am glad that I had both the hard copy of the book and the audiobook as the hard copy shows us pictures from the time period - WWII - as well as some of the ephemera. Wildman goes into Germany trying to find as much info as she can about Valy and ends up in other countries, meeting contacts and old friends of both her grandfather and Valy. As Valy is desperately trying to leave Europe with her mother, the letters become more and more intense as she is hoping to escape the Nazi regime - until they suddenly stop. Wildman does occasionally meander in her musings especially where Valy is concerned but overall I am glad to have read this one; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

>229 alcottacre: - I read this one a few years ago, Stasia and enjoyed it. Wildman is a journalist, as well, and wrote some very moving pieces on the death of her young teenage daughter from cancer, some years ago.

>230 jessibud2: I am glad that you enjoyed the book too, Shelley. I wonder if the teenage daughter who died is one of the babies she had while writing the book. At any rate, I cannot imagine losing a child in any fashion, let alone to cancer.

Yes. it was her first-born. I think she was 12 or 13 when she got sick.

>232 jessibud2: Ah, OK. Thanks for the info.

Finished this morning:

330 - My Name Is Asher Lev - Asher Lev is a prodigy - he has a talent for art and even as a young child he realizes it. He is also an orthodox Jew with a father who is uncomfortable with his art, calling it "foolishness." The entire novel is based on this push-pull of his traditional upbringing with the art that he sees all around him. We follow Asher's development as an artist from his childhood through early adulthood. All the while Asher is continuing to wrestle with his faith vs his art. I gave this book 4.5 stars the first time I read it and my opinion has not changed; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

>230 jessibud2: I wonder if I should read that one again. It's been a long long time. I loved The Chosen, this one not so much, as I recall.

>235 laytonwoman3rd: I absolutely love The Chosen too, Linda. I did not like this one as much although it is still a very good (if a bit intense at times) read. I did not know until today that there is a follow up book to My Name is Asher Lev, which I now have on its way to me.

Your recent reads look thought provoking, Stasia. Maybe it's just the contrast with my current reads which seem to be mostly mysteries.

>235 laytonwoman3rd:, >236 alcottacre: Ah, yes----THAT's the one I didn't care for so much when I first read it. I see I read My Name is Asher Lev again in 2019, having first read in in the 1970s some time, and gave it 4 1/2 stars. I'll wait and see what you think of The Gift of Asher Lev.

>237 Familyhistorian: Nothing wrong with reading mysteries, Meg. Sometimes they just suit the mood you are in.

>238 laytonwoman3rd: Hopefully I will have the second Asher Lev soon, Linda. Currently I am reading one of the books that you tout at every opportunity, Belzoni Dreams of Egypt, which I am hoping to finish tomorrow.

My 'day off' technology today will see me reading, reading, and reading. I have 3 books I would like to complete before end of day. I have already advised Kerry not to expect to see a lot of me today, lol.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday!

Number 1 done for today:

331 - The Resisters by Gish Jen - This one hit my radar because it is on the Esquire Best Sci Fi books list at #56. Set in a not very distant future, America is now AutoAmerica with rivals ChinRussia. The Internet, "Aunt Nettie," is like Big Brother - it knows all and sees all. In a very political book hidden behind the sport of baseball, the people are very divided too: The Netted are those who have jobs and fall in line while The Surplus are just that. The book revolves around a Surplus couple who have what turns out to be a very gifted child - and The Netted want her because of her pitching skill, not for who she is. I am on the fence about this one because I really wanted to like it more than I did and am not sure exactly what the issue is for me; Guardedly Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

Number 2 done for today:

332 - Belzoni Dreams of Egypt by Jon Clinch - I would likely never have heard of this book if it were not for Linda (laytonwoman3rd) and her review of it (https://www.librarything.com/work/16228550/reviews/120295790). I knew of Belzoni before I read this book because I have been reading about archaeology and Egyptology for a good long while now. Belzoni was well known at one time for his utter disregard for anything resembling what we would now call modern archaeology (long before, thanks to Flinders Petrie, modern archaeology was even a thing) - he basically went in and took stuff, often using explosives to get to said stuff. This book, a fictional biography of Belzoni, gives us a wonderful tale of his life with all its ups and downs. I have no idea how much it sticks to historical happenings - I do know that he was, in fact, married to a woman named Sarah and that he excavated in Egypt - but I really did not care in the long run. It was a great story!; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

I'm so glad you enjoyed Belzoni, Stasia! Clinch has not disappointed me yet, and I'm eager to see what he comes up with next. He's very cagey about what he's writing---sometimes posts a paragraph on FB, tantalizing, but not very revealing.

>243 laytonwoman3rd: I can get a couple of Clinch's books in audio form from Hoopla - my local library does not have any of his books - and am hoping to read more of his work in future, Linda. Is there a particular title that you recommend?

Finished tonight:

333 - Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree - This is the third book of Baldree's that I have read (Legends & Lattes and Bookshops & Bonedust being the other two) and while I enjoyed the book, it is my least favorite of the three. The first two are what I call 'cozy' books - you can just get comfortable in them. This book, the story of Fern the bookseller who we met in one of the previous books, is much more action oriented. Fern, going through a midlife crisis, finds herself accidentally a stowaway on a carriage belonging to Astryx an elf fighter, otherwise known as the Oathmaiden. Astryx is trying to claim the bounty for Zyll, who seems notorious for the trouble she causes and continues to get into. Fern, unable to raise the money to get back home, ends up along for the action-filled ride; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

And that closes out my November reads!