Laura (lauralkeet)'s 2026 Reading - Part 1

Wedding Memories, August 2025
On the left: Kate, Tyler, and his parents. Chris, Julia, Noah and me in the middle. On the right: my brother and sister-in-law

Welcome to my cozy reading nook! I'm Laura, retired and living with my husband Chris in an 18th century farmhouse in northern Virginia with our two dogs, Alys and Ellie. Our two adult daughters are both married and live in Brooklyn. We spend a lot of our time gardening and working on various projects around the house. Knitting is my other hobby, which I post about here occasionally. If you’re so inclined you can see more on my thread in the Needlearts group.

2025 was a really good year personally. The most notable event of the year was Julia and Noah’s wedding in August. We’re also proud of Kate for landing a dream job, continued success for Julia, and exciting new adventures for sons-in-law Tyler and Noah. 2025 was also the year Chris and I settled into a group of friends we met through our gym (who knew?!), and I became even more involved in my local fiber guild. I’m grateful for all of this in the midst of an awful year for the US as a whole, and far too many less fortunate and marginalized people both here and around the world. I remain hopeful that 2026 will bring much-needed change.

In October I’ll celebrate my 20th Thingaversary, and 2009 was my first year doing the 75 Book Challenge, which makes 2026 my eighteenth year in this fabulous group! I haven’t achieved the 75-book “goal” since 2020 and I’m glad nobody cares about the numbers here, because I’m more likely to finish the year in the mid-60s. I read more books when I was still working, which either says something about my job or confirms the adage about being busier in retirement. Regardless, I love this community and plan to be around for a long time.

This year my reading will continue to lean towards contemporary fiction and various series (mostly mysteries), with some non-fiction thrown in for balance. I’m also planning to read more classics, specifically the women authors who influenced Jane Austen (here’s a list of books featured in Jane Austen’s Bookshelf.

Books Featured on This Thread
1. These Days
2. Wuthering Heights
3. Beautiful Ugly (DNF)
4. My Good Bright Wolf
5. The Female Quixote

save 1
Oops! Looks like I skipped over this one when I created this thread.

Series Progress

Active series as of January 1 (updated quarterly):


A snapshot of my active series sorted on the "progress" column.

Series completed/current in 2026:
* tbd

Series started in 2026:
* tbd

Series abandoned in 2026:
* tbd

Currently Reading & On Deck



Martyr! | The Notebook | Sunset at Blandings

Happy New Year everyone! This thread is now open for business.

Happy New Year Laura!

Happy New Year, Laura. I love the photo at the top! I look forward to sharing your reading adventures in 2026.

*settles comfortably in for the duration*

Happy new year, Laura!

Love that family photo up top :)

Happy New Year!

Welcome back for 2026, Laura. Happy new year. x

Happy New Year, Laura! Such a fabulous family picture.

>1 lauralkeet: I love the wedding pic up top. I also read more when I was working than I do now. Retirement is the culprit in my case too, I fear.

>4 lauralkeet: I sure hope you like Wuthering Heights more than I did, lol.

Happy New Year!

Happy reading in 2026! I hope I am able to visit more this year 😊

Happy new year, Laura! I've got you "starred"!

Karen O

Duplicate post--sorry!

So I will use this space to say how much I love that photo at the top! You all look so elegant!

Karen O

Ack! I meant to get back here sooner today. It's great to see everyone.

Happy New Year Rhian, Beth, Katie, Anne, Paul, Deborah, Stasia, Anita, and Karen O !!

>7 BLBera:, >8 katiekrug:, >11 vancouverdeb:, >12 alcottacre:, >15 klobrien2: thank you all for your compliments on the photo! It's one of my favorites too, although we have similar photos of the happy couple in just about every family combination imaginable lol. I loved my dress and I'm kind of wondering whether the same person who did the alternations could make it a tea-length dress that I could wear to other events.

Our New Year's Eve was uneventful. Our favorite local wine & pizza place was having a sale, 20% off on all bottles, so we stocked up and then had dinner there. After that, it was a quiet night at home with the dogs and the TV.

Today has also been quiet and uneventful. The grocery store was open as usual so I did the weekly shopping as well as the laundry. I took care of a few odds and ends around the house, and read These Days for a while. It's very good, but then you folks never steer me wrong (looking at you this time, Beth!).

Hope 2026 is just as fabulous as 2025 was for you!! You look AMAZING in the wedding photo! The color is fantastic and, yes, you should see if you could make a tea-length out of it. : )

Happy New Year, Laura!

>18 quondame: Thanks Kim!
>18 quondame:, >19 lauralkeet: Happy New Year to both of you!

>16 lauralkeet: Adding my compliments to the pile re: the photo. That dress is stunning! And yeah, it should be no big deal to adjust the length on it, I would think.

Happy New Year, Laura. Wishing you a healthy, book-filled 2026. Love the wedding photo. Happy times.

Have a fantastic Friday, Laura! Looking forward to your thoughts on These Days, which I already have in the BlackHole for safekeeping :)

>20 scaifea: Amber, your comment about altering the dress is encouraging, thank you!

>21 msf59: Thanks Mark -- happy new year to you too.

>22 alcottacre: These Days is very good Stasia, and moves swiftly/I can't put it down.

The Women's Prize for Fiction turns 30 this year! This is one of my favorite literary prizes and it's done so much to bring recognition to women authors. But I was kind of annoyed by The Guardian's take on it:
Thursday briefing: Thirty years of the Women’s prize for fiction – have male novelists been edged out?
In today’s newsletter: As the literary award marks its 30th anniversary, the debate about whether it is relevant when women dominate bestsellers list has resurfaced

Of course "this success has sparked a heated debate." But NO, male novelists are not being pushed out. It's called leveling the playing field, people. This is especially disappointing since the writer is a woman of color. *smh*

/rant

>16 lauralkeet: I'm happy to take credit if you are loving it, Laura.

>24 lauralkeet: Yes, those poor men who are not getting what they deserve.

Happy New Year Laura--I love the wedding picture up top and the dress.

These Days added to the wishlist.

Happy New Year and happy new thread, Laura! Looking forward to following you and your thread in 2026.

Happy New Year, Laura!

>25 BLBera: Exactly, Beth. I also hate the "whataboutism" in that headline, which has become far too common.

>26 AnneDC: Thanks Anne!

>27 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. What a pleasure!

>28 kidzdoc: *waves* Hi Darryl!

Happy New Year! Looking forward to following your reading this year.

>24 lauralkeet: I am doing what I call my "Building Bridges Challenge" this year to be sure that I include marginalized authors because you are right - the playing field needs to be leveled and I want to do some small part in that.

I am reading one of the books that Caroline recommended, Alone: Reflections on Solitary Living, and the author talks about during the pandemic how he started knitting every evening: "When you first hold a set of five thin sock knitting needles for the first time you doubt all principles of logic and geometry." It made me think of you and your knitting!

Happy New Year. Lovely photo on top. Love what you’re reading right now.

>24 lauralkeet: i’m rolling my eyes at the Guardian headline. Let’s talk about how The Booker Prize keeps going to men… (except last year when it maybe should have 🙂)

>30 foggidawn: Thanks! I'm glad to have you here.

>31 alcottacre:, >32 alcottacre: Hi Stasia. I like the idea of that challenge, and the knitting quote is great.

>33 dchaikin: Welcome, Dan! That headline is so annoying isn't it?!

My goodness, isn't it hard to keep up this time of year?! I love it but it also makes me a bit frantic.

Yesterday I made banana bread, thanks to some very ripe bananas on the counter that were calling to me. We had mac and cheese for dinner, and watched Sense and Sensibility for the umpteenth time, so it was a serious comfort kind of day.

I finished These Days, which was just lovely and I hope to post a review soon. I also started Wuthering Heights, which I've read before but it was pre-LT and I was probably in my 30s. I don't remember what I thought of it and after so many years I'd likely feel different about it now anyway. Last night I read up on Emily Bronte (well, okay, I read the Wikipedia entry) and wow, what a hot mess. Useful context, I guess.

I have no real plans for today. There are a few household tasks to be done, and I need to venture outside to get a few parsnips out of the garden to use in "risotto with parsnips and greens" for tonight's dinner. I'm hearing rumblings about a couple errands we need to run and by we I mean Chris, but I'll probably tag along.

Oh ... one more thing. I'm going to come clean and say I've never been one to post on all the threads at the beginning of the year. I'm making the rounds and reading threads to keep up, and you can count on me to come out of hiding when the conversations start to flow.

>35 lauralkeet: I read Wuthering Heights ages and ages ago and absolutely hated it. But, I'm wondering if I should give it another go, since I'm a few decades different than I was back then. It would be good to review it before the movie comes out, which looks like it'll be a hoot.

>36 scaifea: I read it years ago and hated it too, Amber. I have no desire to ever read it again though!

>37 alcottacre: I hear you, Stasia. I probably wouldn't even consider it if it weren't for the movie. And I may start it and quickly throw it across the room again!

>36 scaifea:, >37 alcottacre:, >38 scaifea: I'm reading it because of the movie too! I want to refresh my memory on the story and be able to make book vs movie comparisons. Since I have no memory of my first reading, it was probably a "meh" for me at the time. So, we'll see how it goes.

1. These Days

A great start to the year!

I also gave These Days 4.5 stars when I read it in 2023. So well done!

I'm usually a sucker for period dramas, but I have no interest in seeing the upcoming adaptation of WH. However, if any trusted friends were to see it and report back positively, I'd probably watch it :)

I wasn't a fan of the book either when I read it decades ago. I'm thinking about revisiting it on audio.

>40 lauralkeet: I'll have to keep this one in mind to recommend to one of the book club groups who meet at my library. Those ladies *love* a good WWII novel.

>41 katiekrug: Oh, audio is an excellent idea...

>41 katiekrug: heh heh heh I see what you did there, Katie. Full disclosure: I'll most likely wait for it to be released for streaming. Although Kate will probably see it in the cinema and I can provide an early report.

>41 katiekrug: Yeah, that genre is endless but this, being Belfast, was a totally new POV and that was really interesting to me from an historical standpoint.

Oh, lordie, Wuthering Heights. We had to read it in grade 12, and my teacher had us put Heathcliff on trial for being, 'cold, cruel, and calculating' but imagine it said in an East Indian accent. A modern retelling of WH is The Favorites by Layne Fargo.

>44 raidergirl3: Hi Elizabeth! It seems like your "oh lordie" response to WH is fairly common from those who had it assigned in school. Ethan Frome is subject to the same treatment. It's a shame really, because books like these have a rightful place in the literary canon. I didn't read either of them in school and by the time I read EF I was already a big Edith Wharton fan, and could see its merits. I actually gave it 4 stars. I'm only about 40 pages into Wuthering Heights and so far, it's a good read.

~~~~~

Yesterday was a lazy day as expected, and I did even less than planned lol. We decided to put off our errands until today, and we were talking about having leftover mac & cheese for dinner when friends texted to see if we wanted to meet up at our local posh pizza place. Never mind that Chris and I had dinner there on Wednesday, we eagerly accepted the invitation and had a nice time catching up with them.

Today's agenda includes the errands we put off yesterday, and I'll return These Days to the library while we're out. I have some household tasks & paperwork to do, none of it urgent but I might as well tackle some of it. Leftover mac & cheese for lunch, and dinner is TBD, either the risotto I was thinking about yesterday or an asian noodle salad with some potstickers. And hopefully some time with Wuthering Heights and/or my knitting project.

Happy New Year, Laura! Maybe slightly late, but as you say (>35 lauralkeet:), it's hard keeping up this time of year.

Interesting to see all the negative reaction to Wuthering Heights. We had to read it my junior year in High School. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. IIRC, I didn't much care for Heathcliff. I had a *much* stronger negative reaction to Thomas Hardy, which we had to read my senior year.

>12 alcottacre: I also read more when I was working than I do now. Retirement is the culprit in my case too, I fear. Jaw dropped! Stasia read MORE when she was working than she reads NOW?!?!? Absolutely incredible.

The love story I grew up reading and loving was Anne and Gilbert, so the tragic love stories in Wuthering Heights and Romeo and Juliet (both read in high school) just don't appeal to me. I want my happy ending.
If I was older when I read it I might have appreciated the literary merits but they were definitely lost on teenage me.

>46 atozgrl: Hi Irene, nice to see you! Looks like we have similar views on WH. It's not blowing me away, but it's a decent read. I'm not much of a Hardy fan either, although the film version of Far From the Madding Crowd was quite good.

ETA: I know what you mean about Stasia's reading! Amazing.

>47 raidergirl3: Oh, Anne and Gilbert, of course! Reading that was probably a legal requirement on PEI, am I right?!! I can do without R&J too.

Today I really need to tackle some cleaning. There's the usual amount of dust along with dog hair piling up in corners. But first, Chris and I have a morning appointment, a precursor to colonoscopies which are due for both of us. If I remember correctly from the last time, this appointment just a sort of consultation where they give us prescriptions for the prep stuff and schedule the procedures. Why we have to go there in person for this, I don't know.

More Wuthering Heights and knitting later on.

>49 lauralkeet: That is odd. I've had three colonoscopies and one upper endoscopy, all with the same group in suburban Philadelphia, and I was simply sent a prescription for the prep, if needed, and instructions on how to take it.

>49 lauralkeet: / >50 kidzdoc: - Funnily enough, The Wayne and I had different experiences. Different doctors but in the same health care system (? conglomerate?) - I had my initial consult via Zoom, where the doctor told me what to expect and then sent in the prescription to my pharmacy. TW's consult was in person. Our prep was also different, which I found interesting. At least neither of us had the chalky drink that I think used to be standard!

>51 katiekrug: The prep seemed like a very straightforward process to me, although I completely understand that the center where it takes place wants to be as close to 100% as possible that victims patients perform it correctly, to avoid a cancellation and rescheduling of the procedure at a future date. I had to take different preps on each of my different procedures.

I turn 65 in March, but I think I had my first colonoscopy when I was 61, so I'll probably need to have another one next year.

>52 kidzdoc: - After TW's procedure, he heard the doctor talking to a patient next to him who had failed to do the prep correctly, so the doctor wasn't able to complete the procedure. TW said the doctor sounded very annoyed, which I can understand.

TW's prep seemed easier than mine, as he didn't have to get up in the middle of the night for a dose like I did. But we both got the 10 year clear notice, so that's good.

Laura, look what you started! :) Sorry for the hijack...

>53 katiekrug: It's both inexcusable and a waste of everyone's time if the prep isn't done correctly. You can be sure that that patient will receive a sizable bill from the endoscopy center for his f*** up.

That's great that you're on the 10 year schedule. Because I have benign polyps and being an African American man puts me at higher risk for colorectal cancer, so I have to go at least every 5 years. I'll have to ask my younger brother if he's had his first one yet; he's 60 yo and is a very wimpy patient.

Yeah, sorry, Laura...

Happy New Year, Laura!

Wow, who thought this topic would go viral eh? I'm home from my appointment, so now it's my turn lol.

>50 kidzdoc:, >51 katiekrug: This could definitely have been a telemedicine appointment. They took my vitals, explained the prep and procedure, had me sit on the table fully dressed and get prodded a bit, confirmed my preferred pharmacy so they could call in the prep, and scheduled my procedure.

>52 kidzdoc:, >53 katiekrug:, >54 kidzdoc: Prep: everyone's favorite part of the process amirite? I left with a packet of papers explaining everything in explicit detail and yet I'm sure people still f*** it up. I agree Darryl, they probably bill the patient when that happens. As they should.

This will be my third colonoscopy. I had my first when I was around 50. The prep was a godawful Gatorade concoction that included, IIRC, two middle-of-the night doses. But I got the ten-year all-clear as Katie called it. Ten years later (2023) the prep was vastly improved, and only two doses. Darryl, I see your benign polyps and raise you minor pre-cancerous ones that were also removed, so instead of 5 years they wanted me back in 3. Same for Chris. Fine -- I'd rather they find things early than once they've progressed.

And now the exciting time has arrived, and we'll both get them done in early February.

>56 lauralkeet: There is no reason for an in person, in advance appointment, IMO. As you said, a telemedicine appointment should be more than sufficient.

Yes, I have no doubt that there is a full bill that comes from the anesthesiologist regardless of whether they are adequately cleaned out or not, and I suspect the same is true from the gastroenterologist who forms the procedure, as she or he won't be able to tell how successful the clean out was until reaching the transverse colon I would think. I did have polyps but they were found to be benign on biopsies each time, so yours were more concerning than mine, Laura!

The best thing about colonoscopies was the great sleep you had during the procedure; I can certainly understand why Michael Jackson was addicted to IV propofol as a sleep aid! One time I traveled from Atlanta to Edinburgh, which consisted of a nonstop overnight flight on Delta from Atlanta to Amsterdam, one of Delta's major European hubs, and a short KLM Cityhopper flight from Amsterdam to Edinburgh. I was totally exhausted and sleeping soundly on the KLM flight, but a lovely flight attendant decided to wake me up to see if I wanted a light breakfast. She held her lovely face maybe 2-3 feet in front of mine, which was utterly enchanting. When I woke up from my last colonoscopy I dreamt that the movement of the gurney was turbulence as the "plane" was descending, and although the nurse who transported me back to the recovery area wasn't unattractive, she wasn't nearly as appealing as that KLM flight attendant!

I wish you and Chris well on your upcoming procedures.

>57 kidzdoc: That's a great story, Darryl! I have to agree the drugs are great, although I've never had an "experience" like yours. Also, about those pre-cancerous polyps: the doctors have repeatedly assured me, both three years ago and yesterday, that they are gone and I shouldn't worry about them. I keep telling myself this is why we get colonoscopies because without one they would probably have gotten worse.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay ... on to happier topics, like my boring plans for today!

I'm getting a manicure this morning. I usually get one every two weeks (just polish, nothing fancy) but I took time off over the holidays. I know, seems weird, you'd think I'd want nice-looking nails for Christmas or New Years but so much of our time was just spent at home hanging out with family and I didn't want to have any scheduled commitments.

Then, this afternoon I have a Zoom meeting with the Fiber Guild's Nominating Committee, to get them started recruiting officers for three positions that come vacant at the end of May.

I'm finally in a groove on my knitting project, a reversible hat. I finished the sort of tricky beginning and now have several inches of mindless TV-watching knitting ahead of me. Speaking of TV, we finished watching Belgravia last night, a Julian Fellowes production which is a lot like Downton, but set in the Victorian era. We're also currently watching Mare of Easttown, with the amazing Kate Winslet.

As for Wuthering Heights, I'd say I've read about 1/3 of it. Heathcliff and Cathy are adults; he's just returned to WH after several years' absence. I'm finding I remember next to nothing about this book, although I know it doesn't end well.

Yay for getting into the knitting groove! That's a good feeling.

>38 scaifea: Are you talking about the old movie with Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier? That is a dandy film, isn't it?

>40 lauralkeet: I really must get to that one soon!

>46 atozgrl: I have to say that I also read a lot differently before LT, Irene.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Laura!

>60 alcottacre: Nope, haven't seen that one, Stasia. I'm talking about the new movie coming out in February.

Congrats on your start on LT for 2026. I'm definitely moving more slowly these days, though I still want to do that samo samo. It'll take me until 2027 to get around to all the threads I've starred. You've got a great start.

I keep forgetting about 'Mare of Easttown,' which I've meant to watch since it came out. Did you ever watch the adaptation of Long Bright River? That's another one I keep neglecting...

>58 lauralkeet:, >63 katiekrug: Have either of you seen the Train Dreams adaptation? I keep meaning to watch it but haven't yet.

>64 vivians: - I haven't yet. I had a vague idea of re-reading the book before watching it, but I might just bite the bullet. I loved that novella so much...

for everyone who is reading or has just finished reading Wuthering Heights, a possible spoiler courtesy of a member of my reading group from some years ago: Remember this story is told by the housekeeper to a stranger!

>59 scaifea: Thanks Amber, it sure is.

>60 alcottacre:, >61 scaifea: Same here -- the new movie.

>62 weird_O: Happy New Year Bill! Nice to see you here.

>63 katiekrug: Hi Katie, we missed Mare when it first came out, I think we may have been in the middle of moving. We recently watched Task (same creator), which made us decide to watch Mare. I haven't gotten to *LBR* yet, in part because the reviews were kinda meh.

>64 vivians:, >65 katiekrug: Funny thing, Chris came across the adaptation of Train Dreams recently and we added it to our watch list, but I didn't know it was based on a book and, for that matter, a book you both loved. Now of course I have to read it before watching!

>66 ffortsa: Judy, I'll have to revisit that later. Thanks!

>67 lauralkeet: It's short and really worthwhile!

>68 vivians: - What Vivian said.

>68 vivians:, >69 katiekrug: Noted! I have a few books in the queue at the moment but I think Chris has forgotten the movie is on our watch list lol, so I don't need to rush.

LOL the colonoscopy chatter. Hope everything goes well, Laura. I am still directed to do the Cologuard every 5 years, which is quick and easy and done at home. Stelios had a colonoscopy 10 or so years ago and when I was allowed back where he was recovering he was enthusiastically suggesting that he and the doctor's husband play golf together sometime. Stelios has never golfed in his life.

>71 AMQS: OMG that's funny, Anne. It reminds me of a time I was driving one of my daughters home after having her wisdom teeth out. She was so silly and jolly. That wore off of course, and it was like Jekyll and Hyde.

Hi Laura my dear, i have starred you again and hope to be more visible on your thread this year. I love the wedding photo, you must have been so proud of your daughters.

>58 lauralkeet: As I recall, I DNFd Wuthering Heights no more than a third of the way through. (This was before I started journaling regularly, so I don't remember exactly.) But I do remember what an annoying little pr*ck Heathcliff was, and I had absolutely no regrets about abandoning the book.

Hopefully, you will have a more positive reaction and therefore a pleasant read.

Belated happy new year to you, Laura! I hope 2026 brings you all good things!

>72 lauralkeet: Ha! Charlie's scheduled to get his wisdom teeth out at the end of this month and I'm curious to see what the car ride home will be like.

>73 johnsimpson: Thank you John, and happy new year to you and Karen.

>74 LyndaInOregon: Hi Linda, I don't like Heathcliff either but Catherine is also annoying. And yet, I'm not completely put off by the book. Maybe I'm just stubborn.

>75 Sakerfalcon: Thank you Claire, same to you.

>76 scaifea: ohhh good luck with that, Amber.

Today's plans include the fiber guild's rigid heddle weaving group (a rigid heddle is a type of small loom). I've dabbled in weaving over the past few years and this group is both a social time and a way to learn from each other.

While I'm out I'll pick up a library hold (Sara Moss' My Good Bright Wolf) and this afternoon I'll do some meal planning and grocery list making.

>77 lauralkeet: I'm making Tomm come with us because I'm freaking out way more than Charlie is (he's so sanguine about everything) over it, never having had wisdom teeth surgery myself.

>78 lauralkeet: "Rigid heddle" is now my new go-to insult.

>79 scaifea: Ha! For the curious, and just so you know more about the invective you're hurling, here's what a rigid heddle loom looks like:



This loom is 16" wide and has been warped with three colors of yarn. The heddle is the piece going across widthwise. The warp is threaded through the white part of the heddle.

Busy day ahead. I have a doc appointment at 8:15 for some fasting bloodwork to confirm a new medication is doing what it should. Then I will wolf down a bagel, grab some coffee, and go to the Fiber Guild Board meeting. I'm still dealing with the do-as-little-as-possible Treasurer which creates the same sense of existential doom one has before visiting the department of motor vehicles. This afternoon I need to do the grocery shopping.

Reading time may be scarce today. I'm about halfway through Wuthering Heights and wish I could move faster. A pivotal event just occurred due to Heathcliff being such a d***. Because I remember nothing from my first read years ago, I don't know where this is heading (although I know it won't be good).

Last night we finished watching Mare of Easttown. What a great series. I am truly in awe of Kate Winslet. Her portrayal was perfect.

Your description of anticipating dealing with the Treasurer made me chuckle, though I am sorry you are having to experience it.

You are making me think hard about re-visiting WH, as I also remember nothing about it. And now I'm wondering if I ever actually read it, or just saw the old film adaptation of it. I am about to finish my current audio... hmmm...

Definitely moving Mare up the list. I love Kate Winslet.

Hi Laura! I haven't set up a thread yet but, one week into the new year, I'm treading gently into new threads. I'm trying to figure out how to balance my love for this group with all the other demands on my time and attention, most especially my new watercolor painting passion. In any case, I've dropped off my star and look forward to books, books, and more books in 2026.

I have never read Wuthering Heights and I don't think I would like it. I'm sure I'll get to it eventually but it will probably be on audio (maybe at 1.8x speed)

>24 lauralkeet: I can't add anything sensible about colon examinations except my sympathy and shared discomfort when I have had my check-ups.

But I will go back to your comments on the Women's Prize, Laura, and agree with you that it is one of the best and most interesting of the book awards. As a man, I would also say that is is not only about the writers but the readers and the award has opened up a tremendous treasure trove of writing to the reading public that they may otherwise have been denied. If I look back on my reading stats from over a decade ago I would almost unconsciously be reading 3 books by men to every book by a woman whereas there is little difference between the two these days.

>32 alcottacre: Noticed that Jenny Colgan has a new book out, CLOSE KNIT.

>82 katiekrug: Well Katie, the treasurer surprised me yesterday, in a good way. More on that in a bit. I'll be interested to see if you decide to pick up WH one of these days.

>83 EBT1002: Happy new year, Ellen! It looks like you are also proving the adage about being busier in retirement. But in a good way! I'll be following your thread whenever you create one, just as much for the photos of your art as for your reading. Books, books, books indeed!

>84 norabelle414: Ha ha Nora, I'm not an audiobook person but the ability to change the speed would definitely be a plus!

>85 PaulCranswick: Excellent points, Paul. Seems like you're a good example of what the Women's Prize has been trying to achive all these years. Well done.

>86 m.belljackson: Hi! Thanks for visiting.

Happy Friday y'all!

Yesterday's Board meeting went well actually! The treasurer had two things he needed to bring to the meeting: the monthly financial report and a financial analysis to support a discussion about dues for next year (our fiscal year begins June 1, and membership renewal begins April 1). The former is routine but he has occasionally not had it ready; the latter was more complex. My discontent is due to two factors: 1) he often tries to dodge taking on a task that is clearly treasurer responsibility, and 2) he seems to do every task at the last minute. I've asked him to send materials in advance but that either doesn't happen or he sends it an hour before the meeting when I don't have time to digest it. Yesterday the monthly report was ready and he did a great job with the analysis for our dues discussion. A pleasant surprise.

Last night I got in some excellent catch-up reading time. We usually watch TV together but Chris' interests were leaning toward a 1940s noir film that I wasn't as interested in (I think he could watch noir and heist movies 24x7, and I'm a bit tired of them). So I said you go ahead, I'll just read and we were both happy.

Today's agenda involves no appointments, yay! We've been to the gym and had our usual Friday breakfast out, and now the rest of the day is mine. I will spend my time on a couple of admin tasks and I really do need to finish vacuuming which I've been putting off because the dogs always seem to be in the rooms I need to clean. Reading is definitely going to happen. Dinner will be some form of takeout.

>86 m.belljackson: Bought Close Knit with part of my Christmas gift certificate from my daughter, but haven't started it yet. I have about 10 pages left in Every Living Thing, then need to start Skipping Christmas for Wednesday's book club, and wouldn't you know it, a review book, Ava came in yesterday and my library hold of A Billion Years came in today.

Never rains but it pours!

>89 LyndaInOregon: Never rains but it pours!
I can relate to this, Lynda. I recently had two holds come in earlier than expected so I will probably juggle my reading plans a tad to accommodate. My current holds shouldn't be available any time soon but I suspect a few of them will conspire to come in all at once.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A round of applause please: I finished the vacuuming yesterday. Yay me! There was indeed lots of reading time, and takeout for dinner. Nothing fancy, just Chipotle, but it was tasty.

Not much of an agenda today. I need to run out and pick up a salmon for tonight's dinner, One Pot Salmon, Lentil, and Spinach Salad from NYT. It's a warm salad with zucchini, lentils, dill, lemon etc. and I'll buy some crusty bread to go with it.

I also need to take down the Christmas decorations, including the tree which thankfully is artificial so it's not making a mess of needles on the floor.

I'm closing in on the end of Wuthering Heights ... maybe 60 pages left? It's fine but I'm ready to move on.

That salad sounds great, Laura. If only I could get TW to eat seafood...

We will be doing some de-Christmasing here, too, though we are leaving the trees up for a bit because they make us happy :)

What's next after WH?

Hi Laura, and a belated Happy New Year. Happy first thread of 2026, too!

>16 lauralkeet: I love your dress. Oh, and the photo, too. *smile* Your New Year’s sounds like ours – quiet.

I just found my wedding gown, still happily sealed in a very large box from the dry cleaners in 1991. I’ve offered it to Jenna and Hwan to use the material/veil if they ever have an official ‘wedding’ ceremony. Ivory shantung silk, netting, beadwork, etc. They got married in a rush in Brooklyn after the Great Orange Pig and Gang of Psychos won the election. I can easily envision Hwan in a short and cute dress with maybe a short veil and Jenna in a suit.

General comments: I read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights as a teenager and have never wanted to go back. By that time I was immersed in the Georgian and Regency periods in England because of Georgette Heyer.

Because of my sister’s colon cancer in 2019-2020, my doctor’s requiring me to get colonoscopies every 5 years, darn it. I think I’m scheduled for one in 2027 – he keeps up with all that kind of thing for me.

I might, just might make the NYT Mac’N’Cheese recipe tonight. I have all the ingredients.

Since Jenna and Hwan weren’t able to visit, all we did was have our handyman put out our Christmas tree and wreath just before Thanksgiving and take them down before New Year’s. I must admit that it’s a whole heck of a lot of effort saved to not decorate at all.

>61 scaifea: Ah, OK. I do not keep track of current movies at all. Thanks for letting me know, Amber.

>67 lauralkeet: OK. I hope you enjoy the new film when you get a chance to see it.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, Laura!

After lunch, I buckled down and finished WH. I was quite puzzled by it and might do a bit of internet searching before writing a review, to help my thoughts coalesce.

>91 katiekrug: Katie, I was originally planning to read one of my Austen influences, The Female Quixote. But I think I need to read something contemporary first and as luck would have it a couple of library holds came in recently. So next up is Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney, billed as a psychological thriller that should be quite different from WH.

Can anyone remind me where I heard of this book? It was a fairly recent addition to my library wish list and I assumed I heard about it here, but I can't find any references in Talk and none of my LT "friends" have it. Perhaps it was on one of the year-end book lists.

>92 karenmarie: Karen! So nice to see you. I brought my wedding dress out of storage for the first time in 42 years, about a month before Julia's wedding when she was down for a visit. Kate visited us later and actually tried it on, making Chris do a double-take when he walked into the room. Ha.

I remember J&H's wedding because as a City Hall wedding it was similar to Kate and Tyler's. I'm sorry for the circumstances that made Jenna & Hwan have to rush things, but happy for them to be making a life together.

>93 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Despite having found the book just okay, I'm now eager to see a modern adaptation. Hope your weekend is also a winner!

>92 karenmarie: I might reread Jane Eyre, but not WH, nope. I found the Regency much more congenial as an historical era than the later 19th century.

Fettuccine al Pesto is mac’n’cheese, yes? Just basil instead of peas. Yeah, I’ll go with that.

>95 quondame: Hi Susan. I can't say I blame you for not re-reading WH!

2. Wuthering Heights

Today's agenda includes a run to Leesburg, where I have an appointment at Best Buy to look at my iPad which is refusing to charge, and while I'm there Chris will pop over to the nearby Lowe's for some bits and pieces.

Other than that, I might spend some time planning my my next weaving project. I'm going to make some coasters/mug mats and just need to do some math to make sure I warp the loom correctly. I also need to strong-arm Chris into helping me finish the rest of the Christmas undecorating (some tasks require a slightly taller person), but I also know that if he's successful at Lowe's he'll want to move forward on the household project he's working on. So gee, guess I might have to read a book or something. Ha. I started Beautiful Ugly last night and quickly moved through the first 40 pages or so. I wish I could have read WH that quickly.

Well, I just apparently hit the wrong pair of keys and deleted a really long post I was typing. Sigh. Let's see if I can recreate it.

Coincidentally, P is currently reading Wuthering Heights. She keeps opening the book with a sigh, saying "okay, back to these tiresome people." She decided a while ago to work her way through the shelf full of Olive Editions from my little collecting jag a few years ago. This is one of those. She did say yesterday that she is giving herself permission to read them "out of order", planning to read Tales of the City before rereading Jane Eyre. Two Brontës in a row is just too much. Haha.

I am unfamiliar with Alice Feeney. I'm intrigued although the last thing I need is another series to follow!

Yesterday wasn't as productive as I thought it might be. About an hour before my Best Buy appointment they called to say they didn't have an Apple tech on site so couldn't look at my iPad. I tagged along with Chris to Lowe's (not my favorite), and when we got back decided to reward myself with some reading. No Christmas undecorating took place, but I know finish that job soon.

This afternoon I'm going to attempt to buy a pair of jeans because I need some that can bridge that gap between slob and dressed up. I have a hard time finding jeans in short lengths so this is always a bit of a struggle. I ordered some online, but I need either a different size or a different style. So off to the store I go. Fortunately (I guess) the nearest store is in a mall that also has an Apple Store, so I made an appointment to take care of that too. Unfortunately, it's a 45-min drive, but needs must.

I've decided to DNF Beautiful Ugly. It's creepy and suspenseful in a Gone Girl kind of way, but a) it's invading my sleep and b) there are some irritating writing tics. Next up is Sarah Moss' memoir, My Good Bright Wolf, which I'll start sometime today.

>99 EBT1002: Oops, I almost forgot to say hi to Ellen. Hi Ellen! I'm with P on the "tireless people" in WH. I'm glad I read it, but I won't be urging anyone else to do so.

And no worries about Alice Feeney. Beautiful Ugly wasn't part of a series but as you'll see above I decided to DNF it.

The Wayne has issues finding jeans (well, pants in general, but he only own two pairs of non-jeans), because his legs are so long. His go-to these days is LL Bean, because he can get whatever combination of waist and inseam he desires.

A 45-minute trip to the mall is true commitment :) Our nearest is about 20 minutes away, and I often put off going because it feels so far!

>100 lauralkeet: I've had luck buying jeans at Old Navy, but lately they've only shown the 'regulars' on the store floor, leaving me to trust their petite sizing online. I need a new pair too, but I hate shopping most days and haven't gone.

Ok, good to know I can let Beautiful Ugly fade into the horizon.

>104 EBT1002: Happy to be of service, Ellen 😀

Good morning!

My trip to the mall was productive. Trying on jeans made me feel like Goldilocks: too tight through the hips, fine in the hips but too big in the waist, too long ... funny, nothing was too short. Even petite sizes, which typically have a 28" inseam, are just a tad too long for me to wear with flat shoes. The sales person was very helpful and after trying on several pairs of jeans she showed me some chinos in a nice brushed twill that were "just right". Or at least, "right enough". They're meant to be ankle length for people of average height, but on me they were just the length I was looking for.

On my way home I missed an exit when leaving the mall and almost ended up in the hellscape of DC beltway late afternoon traffic. Thankfully I was able to get turned around before reaching the congestion. So now I've been to this mall for the first time in nearly 5 years. I probably won't need to do that again any time soon.

Today I'm going to my knitting group meeting in the morning. This afternoon I'm taking Ellie to get her nails trimmed, which takes about 5 minutes but is so worth it.

My Good Bright Wolf is off to a good start. It's a memoir, but in a literary style that's more like an interior monologue.

Morning, Laura!

I'm so jealous of your knitting group. I miss the craft club at the library in Wisconsin, and I've tried to start one here, but to no avail. I hold Craft & Chat weeks for Teen Tuesday and those are fun, but not quite the same.

>107 scaifea: that's too bad, Amber. I feel fortunate to have found fiber friends here, because I left behind a nice friendly knitting group in Philadelphia. I hope something turns up for you one of these days.

>106 lauralkeet: I should have mentioned that I often look at 'ankle-length' styles because they are more my length. But I've always just made hems on whatever I buy if the item is too long. As long as I like the way the pants fit my hips and waist, and are not deep in the crotch, I can deal with the length.

>106 lauralkeet: As a fellow "shortie", I discovered "cropped length" pants several summers ago when they came into style. Just right! Don't know what I will do when they go "out of fashion" -- haunt the resale shops, probably! :-)

>110 LyndaInOregon: I know what you mean, Lynda. The struggle is real!

Today's agenda is a non-agenda. While I always have things I need or want to do at home, today I have no obligations and don't need to leave the house for anything. Woop woop.

Chris' phone died over the weekend; it was an iPhone X, about 7 years old, so its time had probably come. We ordered a refurbished iPhone 15 that should arrive today. As the family CIO (lol) I'm the one who will set it up and make sure it functions as it should. Besides that, today I'll do the weekly menu planning/grocery list-making.

My Good Bright Wolf is very good, but kind of relentless. I'm thinking about starting The Female Quixote to read when I want a break.

>111 lauralkeet: "today I have no obligations and don't need to leave the house for anything. Woop woop."

Isn't it astonishing that, centuries ago when we were teens, being "grounded" was absolutely the worst possible thing that could happen to you .... and now any day in which I don't have to go anywhere is cause for a minor celebration.

>112 LyndaInOregon: So true, Lynda!

Well, it's Thursday already. Chris' new iPhone is all set up; it was easier than expected considering we couldn't use his old phone to transfer data. iCloud backups to the rescue. Other than that, I did the menu planning, read a bit, and generally puttered around the house.

Today is grocery shopping day and I need to do that early-ish because I have an 11:00 Zoom on some Guild business. The next best thing to an obligation-free day is finishing your obligations before lunch!

I gave My Good Bright Wolf 4.5 stars last year. Moss is absolutely one of my favorite writers. And yes, that memoir is a bit relentless.

>111 lauralkeet: Looking forward to your thoughts on My good bright wolf. It's still sitting on my TBR pile.

>114 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, Sarah Moss is one of my favorites too. Yesterday I reached the point in the memoir where she reveals her anorexia which I knew was coming, but it's very difficult reading. I had a friend who went through that in middle school and none of us (her friends, and friends of her parents) really understood it or knew how to respond to it.

>115 Sakerfalcon: Hi Claire, I'll definitely report back.

TGIF!

I'm a little late today but only because we went to the gym, had our usual Friday breakfast at a local eatery (mmm ... pancakes), and then decided to finally pack up the Christmas tree. One minor marital squabble later and here I am.

Today's priority is getting the house in order for Kate and Tyler, who are visiting from tonight through Sunday. I just need to vacuum the downstairs rooms and spruce up the bathrooms.

Last night I began reading the introduction to The Female Quixote. Sometimes introductions to "classics" can be full of spoilers but I'm taking a chance because there's other useful information about Lennox and her work. This is an Oxford World Classics edition, as was Evelina, and I found the introduction and notes really valuable.

I'm still reading My Good Bright Wolf but as mentioned previously, it's nice to have another book on the go at this point.

Yay for a Kate visit!

I've never read The Female Quixote; I'll be interested to see what you think.

I hope you're enjoying your visit with Kate and Tyler.

>118 scaifea:, >119 EBT1002: Hi Amber & Ellen! Thanks for keeping my thread warm over the weekend. We had a really nice weekend with Kate & Tyler and they're now back in Brooklyn with a day off of work to "recover."

Meanwhile I finished My Good Bright Wolf, which was excellent; review coming soon. I also managed to log about 50 pages of The Female Quixote, which was more than I expected due to both the weekend schedule and 18th century language. Arabella has led a sheltered life and at the age of 17 thinks real life relationships are exactly like what she's read in romance novels. This makes her initial encounters with admirers rather amusing. Her expectations are over the top, and she behaves like such a diva that the suitors are taken aback.

Today's agenda is light and easy. We've been to the gym but I have no other scheduled commitments today. We have a few returns that need to be dropped off so I'll probably head out to take care of that at some point. I need to wash the guest room sheets & towels, and there are probably a few other tasks I could do if I feel like it. Or not!

4. My Good Bright Wolf

Good morning everyone ...

Today's plans include a manicure this morning and then ... not much. Yay! Maybe I'll finally get around to warping my loom for a new project. Weather-wise, it's freezing here (14F as I write this). No snow but we might get some this weekend.

The Female Quixote continues to entertain me. Besides thinking that her life should mirror a romance novel, her conversations are also filled with references to various characters in popular romances of the day, as if they are real people. This has caused a few social gaffes and I'm starting to wonder who's going to rein her in.

Morning, Laura!

It's very cold here today, too (the wind chill is -7 now), and the schools are closed.

>121 lauralkeet: Great comments. You are right that this was hard to read in places, but Moss is SUCH a good writer.

I am enjoying some of Charlotte Smith's sonnets. I got a copy of Lennox's Harriet Stuart from interlibrary loan, so I will pick up that soonish. Jane Austen's Bookshelf is giving us plenty of reading material!

>123 scaifea: Brrr! That's super cold, Amber!

>124 BLBera: Beth, I'm glad you're enjoying this venture into 18thC women authors! I am too.

My comment about weekend snow (>122 lauralkeet:) might be understated. At lunch I was reading about a storm coming through the south this weekend that could bring us a foot or more. This would be highly unusual and severe forecasts like this often peter out. Fingers crossed.

I just saw something about a possible storm this weekend. We currently have about 3" on the ground, so I could do without more...

Glad you had a nice visit with Kate and Tyler!

>125 lauralkeet: My kids are already positive they are getting snow days next week. I feel like we get one of these foot-plus snow storms every couple years - maybe we're due!

>126 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. Also I knew you had snow last weekend but didn't realize it was still hanging around. Yuck.

>127 japaul22: Hush your mouth Jennifer! 😂

>128 lauralkeet: hee-hee, I love a big snow - except the year it was such heavy snow that our cypresses fell over on our garage . . . that was Jan of 2022.

>129 japaul22: We were in VA for that snow event, Jennifer, but I think I've blocked it from my memory lol.

~~~~~

Yesterday I lost all motivation to do anything other than putter around. I set up my loom (a 5-minute exercise at most) and just before starting to warp it I realized there was a little bit of planning (pencil & paper) I still needed to do, and I was like "Okay that's enough for today" and then did a little bit of nothing for the rest of the afternoon. I'm going to have a go at it again this morning. This afternoon I have a Zoom meeting with a few women I used to work with, just to catch up.

>130 lauralkeet: I kind of love those puttering around days, as along as the mood is good and I'm not too stressed about not doing other stuff. I hope it was good puttering for you and not the other kind!

>130 lauralkeet: I very easily fall into ‘not very much’ of the day. I’ve started substitute teaching at my old school, maybe 1, 1.5 days a week which gives me a little more structure to the week.
Today - made birthday cake for daughter’s 26th birthday dinner tomorrow, exercised, and now will take my mom and aunt and meet the other 2 aunts for lunch 40minutes away. The Ladies Who Lunch go out every Wednesday but that’s too much for me, lol. Pretty good day.

>131 scaifea: It wasn't too bad, Amber. I do love a good puttering-around day.

>132 raidergirl3: Elizabeth, on my Zoom with retired work friends yesterday we had an interesting discussion about structure, or lack thereof, in our days. There are four of us and we each retired at different times. But we also each have different needs for structure (type, and amount of). It was an interesting discussion. We concluded there is no right answer, just go with the flow and do what feels right to you.

This morning I was up at my usual time, but forced myself to get going sooner than usual. It's my regular grocery shopping day and I wanted to get a jump on that. I also wanted to get gas for the car. There was no line at the gas station, hurray. The grocery store was a little busy, and some items were less available (instead of 100 varieties of bread there were only 50 ha ha), but checkout was really backed up. They didn't have enough registers open but fortunately that was remedied before everyone in line went berserk. All in all, it didn't take me that much longer than usual and we're stocked up for snowmageddon.

Yesterday I warped my loom and when I finished I realized I'd done it backwards so now I need to start over. Well, damn. I'm not ready to face it yet.

This afternoon I have a Zoom meeting with the Guild treasurer. I'd really like to get some reading time in too!!

I don't care for shopping for jeans either, Laura. I'm 5 '3' and regular length is too long and short is hard to find, never mind jeans that fit elsewhere. Glad you enjoyed My Good Bright Wolf. I've not read it, but will keep it in mind.

My grocery shopping experience this morning was very similar to yours. Thankfully it wasn't quite a full-on madhouse. I suspect tomorrow it will be, though. Good for us for getting it done today!

>135 vancouverdeb: I can't remember if I mentioned this Deborah (and am too lazy to scroll back), but I decided to stop thinking about jeans and look more broadly for "casual comfortable everyday pants". I found a pair of joggers (of all places, from Talbots) that are basically lightweight sweatpants, and a pair of ankle length pants from Athleta that are the right length for short me. I was originally planning to keep only one of these but I like both for different reasons and the Talbots pair was on super duper sale for only $36.

>135 vancouverdeb: *high five* for us, blizzard shopping experts!
Although today was my regular day, motivated more by the senior discount than the snow. But for snow purposes, a pint of Graeters Raspberry Chip magically fell into my cart.

Good morning, happy Friday, etc.!

This morning we'll have our usual Friday post-gym breakfast (pancakes! yum!). Later I have a routine medical appointment. I'd like to make some banana muffins this afternoon. I have a bunch of very very ripe bananas that I would hate to go to waste and besides, we need muffins to get through the winter storm (ha).

Other than that, we'll be doing a bit of snowstorm preparation. We were originally expected to get an inch or two on Saturday night but now it's all been pushed to Sunday. We actually have plans on Saturday so I'm pretty happy about that. Still, it can't hurt to be prepared with firewood and shovels within easy reach, and so on.

Reading continues with The Female Quixote. I'm growing a bit weary of Arabella's constant references to romance novels of the period, which are far too numerous for me to look up or consider reading. I get the idea, and that's enough. Fortunately I think the tide is starting to turn for her, and I'm hopeful she'll get a grip on reality soon.

Checking in on you, Laura. I do hope that you get the snowstorm preparation done in time. We are expecting (for Texas) frigid temperatures, snow, and ice here over the weekend too.

Have a wonderful weekend! Stay safe and warm!!

>138 lauralkeet: I hope your medical appointment went well, Laura.

Hi Laura! It looks like you're in for quite a bit of snow and sleet from this storm. Stay safe and warm.

>139 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia. I think we're in pretty good shape. I need to fill the bird feeders today and we're going to make sure there's plenty of firewood close to the house (most of it is stored further away).

>140 PaulCranswick: It was fine, Paul. Just a routine exam.

>141 karenmarie: Yes, we sure are Karen. We're not going anywhere tomorrow and, who knows, maybe not for a few days!

Sounds like you'll be well prepared for your snowmageddon, Laura. Keep warm!

>143 MickyFine: Thanks Micky!

Good morning ... We had several inches of snow overnight, with about 5" on the ground at this point. It seems like it might be flipping to sleet now. If that holds we will see much less than the 2 ft of snow originally forecast, but it will be more difficult to remove and conditions will be more hazardous. We're going to head outside soon to deal with the current snowfall.

I'm looking forward to hunkering down by the fire today.

>145 lauralkeet: Good luck with the shoveling, Laura! Tomm and I have been out once already this morning and are planning on probably 3-4 more times throughout the day. We've got 7-8 inches and counting (it's still coming down hard here).

Hunkering down by the fire sounds like a good plan, Laura. As does the shoveling - though not quite as relaxing :)

>146 scaifea:, >147 katiekrug: We've now done the first round of shoveling. Have I ever mentioned we don't have a garage? Obviously this wasn't a thing in 1791 and based on the way the house is situated there isn't a good way to add one. So we needed to clear the area from the cars to the street, as well as the two ways we go in/out of the house. The snow had turned to sleet when we started, so I'm glad we were able to remove all the snow (about 6" I think) before the sleet froze on top.

We have a garage but it's full of stuff that is not the car :) And it's very small, so I'm not sure our SUV would fit in it anyway. Thankfully, our driveway is very short, so when the car is parked in it, it covers most of it so we just have to clear the bit around it, as well as whatever has fallen on top of it...

>148 lauralkeet:, >149 katiekrug: I broke out the snowblower at noon after about a foot of snow and got the driveway cleared. While I was doing that, the snow turned to sleet, and it’s been sleeting ever since. So not the predicted two feet, but yeah, we’ve got ice too now.

>149 katiekrug: ohhh I see. For the most part I don't mind not having a garage but days like this I kind of wish we did.

>150 drneutron: A foot? We're not that far from you Jim but we haven't had that much. Although we just got back inside from shoveling and the sleet/freezing rain/whatever-it-is had added a measurable layer of frozen stuff.

>151 lauralkeet: were just far enough further north, I guess, that we got more. Original prediction was for 2 - 2.5 feet, so I’m not complaining! 😀

Take care, Laura.

Your comments about My Good Bright Wolf were excellent. I agree: it was a difficult but excellent read. She is one of my favorite authors, too.

Trying not to gloat. Cold in Eastern Oregon today -- temps never rose above freezing, with a balmy 20-degree low, and the sun is shining after about 10 days of gloomy fog. But we have neither snow, sleet, nor freezing rain, for which I am immensely thankful.

Take care, stay warm, and eventually this will sort itself out. (This is why we keep a TBR stack that is taller than we are, remember!)

>152 drneutron: We fell well short of the original prediction here too, Jim. I'm okay with that lol.

>153 BLBera: Thanks Beth, all is well here!

>154 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen! We tend to like the same books & authors don't we? I love being in such good company here. 😀

>155 LyndaInOregon: Gloat all you like, Lynda, I can handle it LOL.

Yesterday it snowed here until late morning, then turned to sleet, and ended sometime in the evening. Fortunately we didn't lose power. We shoveled before noon and again around 3:30pm. This morning there's no additional accumulation but it's frozen solid. Schools, libraries, and businesses are closed today. It's going to be very cold this week, with typical daily high temps of 21F. Yes, that's the high. There's also the possibility of more snow this coming weekend.

We have nowhere to go today and I'm perfectly fine with that! I have about 30 pages left in The Female Quixote, which I've enjoyed but am now ready to be done with. Next up is Martyr!, recommended to Chris and me by a RL friend. Chris enjoyed it too and now it's my turn.

So today I hope to spend time with books, and maybe try to restart my weaving project. I'll probably order yarn for a new sweater. And then if I get really bored I'll do a bit of housecleaning, ha.

Morning, Laura!

I'm looking forward to a cozy snow day today, too. I'm also happily smug about having all the shoveling done while I watch the neighbor across the street try to move all 12+ inches at once from his driveway. He's the grasshopper to my ant (or is it ant to my grasshopper? I'm clearly fuzzy on the story details).

Luckily, in our Manhattan high rise we have STAFF to do our shoveling. No sunshine yet, but I will be out briefly around noon to get to an appointment (unless it's converted to a virtual one - hope not). I loved the snow as a kid and we had a lot of in in my first decade, so I'll get a little frisson of delight as I walk along.

>158 scaifea: The ant is the provident one, the grasshopper who sings all summer long. If you don't have to go anywhere, perhaps you are a honeybee?

>I loved Martyr, Laura, so I think you have some great reading ahead. We got almost two feet yesterday, and my very stubborn husband has always insisted on doing all the clearing himself. He has a small tractor with a plow, but it still takes many hours. I'm working from home and it's freezing!

>158 scaifea: you have every right to be smug Amber. I love it.

>159 ffortsa: Lucky you, Judy!

>160 vivians: Oh I'm glad to hear that, Vivian. Your opinions carry a lot of weight!

BRRR! It's super cold here, just 5F/-15C at the moment. The snow/sleet has turned into a frozen ice pack and who knows when it will melt as it's supposed to be very cold all week. Yesterday afternoon we went out to deal with some of the additional accumulation from Sunday, enough to be able to get both cars out should we need to. It was hard work and I'm a little sore this morning.

I finished The Female Quixote yesterday as planned, so I'll be able to start Martyr! today. Also on today's agenda: we need to pick up both dog food and bird seed. I might also re-warp my loom (I removed the incorrect warp yesterday). I'm also knitting a hat, which I mostly work on in the evenings while watching TV. Maybe I'll get back to the puzzle we started over Christmas. It's zipped up in a puzzle keeper thing to prevent dogs from eating puzzle pieces!

Very cold here, too, Laura. I'd stay in but I have to go out today :(

I really need to get back to my puzzle. I haven't touched it in at least two weeks, which is very unlike me. It also means I'm not listening to any audiobooks, horrors!

Super cold here, too, and the library is open, so it's off to work I go this afternoon. I'm so glad my commute is ridiculously short (2 blocks).

>163 katiekrug: We've been ignoring our puzzle too, Katie. Hope you find time for it today.

>164 scaifea: Hi Amber! I didn't realize you lived so close to the library. NICE.

5. The Female Quixote

>166 lauralkeet: Hmmm....maybe I won't put that one on my Austen Project list.

>166 lauralkeet: I remember really enjoying the first part of this but then feeling like it just got repetitive. Still worth reading though, I think.

>166 lauralkeet: I will read a different Lennox soonish. I will get to to it eventually.

After doing a lot of catching up on LT I went to today's NY Times and found https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/magazine/colonoscopy.html?smid=url-share. Couldn't help thinking about you 🤭

>170 RebaRelishesReading: OMG, that is hilarious!! 🤣

I should proofread my posts before I send them. I had my first colonoscopy when I was 51, I believe, not 61, and because I'll turn 65 in March I'll probably need to get my next one next year. 🥳

>171 kidzdoc: Glad you enjoyed it Darryl. I'm still giggling when I think about it.

>167 RebaRelishesReading:, >168 japaul22:, >169 BLBera: I would have rated it higher except for the repetitiveness. And Jennifer, you may remember a ridiculously long section devoted to Sir George telling is "history". I thought that was a complete waste of print, although Lennox redeemed herself at the end by tying it into the story. As for the ending, I thought she could have used the same plot device much earlier!

>170 RebaRelishesReading: Oh my I'm a bit rushed this morning but will enjoy it later!

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I have a Guild meeting this morning, the monthly membership meeting which would normally be held in person. However, local schools are still closed and we follow their lead, so we'll meet over Zoom. I hope it goes well -- we occasionally have a couple people on Zoom but rarely a meeting that's 100% Zoom. We decided to begin with a few Zoom etiquette tips to help those less experienced with the format.

Also today I'll do some menu planning/grocery list making, and read more of Martyr! which is very good so far. The author is a professor at my alma mater, Purdue University, and the novel is set at a fictional state university in Indiana named Keady University. Which is funny, because for many years Gene Keady was Purdue's basketball coach.

>170 RebaRelishesReading: Okay, that article was hilarious. And so timely! I shared it with Chris because our appointments are within a few days of each other. I should read it again the morning of!

>166 lauralkeet: I think I will give that one a pass. At this point, I only read books that are 4 or higher stars, lol.

Stay safe! Stay warm!

>170 RebaRelishesReading: - Love it. And it has a ring of truth to it, at least in my experience :)

Glad you all liked it (best to laugh at these things, right?).

>175 alcottacre: That makes sense, Stasia. I think The Female Quixote, or other works by Charlotte Lennox, are worth reading for their influence on Austen. But that's my personal project not a requirement for everyone.

>176 katiekrug: I agree, Katie. It *almost* makes me look forward to my procedure next week.

>177 RebaRelishesReading: You are so right, Reba.

Good morning everyone ...

The Zoom-only Guild meeting went well, with far fewer issues than the last time we were all on Zoom (by "issues," I mean things like background noise and people talking over each other).

While I was in my meeting Ellie got hold of a ball of yarn I'd left out within reach, and unravelled about half of it into a tangled mess before she was discovered. So now I have a new project, lol.


This morning I'm doing the grocery shopping, and this afternoon I have a hair appointment. This week I've slipped into lazy sloth mode and wish I didn't have to go anywhere at all, but needs must.

>179 lauralkeet: Oh no! In my house, that generally turns into a job for Tomm, because my patience wears really thin really quickly.

>179 lauralkeet: Oh no!! My deepest sympathy!!

>179 lauralkeet: - Silly Ellie... Good thing she's cute ;-)

>180 scaifea:, >181 RebaRelishesReading:, >182 katiekrug: Thanks for the sympathy y'all. Ellie loves to steal things she knows she shouldn't have, like socks, gloves, and any clothes left lying around. Yesterday when Chris discovered her on our bed with the yarn she started wagging her tail furiously, so proud of her accomplishment. She's such a silly dog, but so adorable. I untangled some of it yesterday, and might make it a TV-watching "project" tonight. It's kind of meditative in a way.

You're a good, kind puppy mom. (I hope it's just messed up and not chewed through in places0

>183 lauralkeet: When Lottie gets in a mischievous mood, she likes to steal socks and gloves. I call her "Sockhound" in those moments. My last dog, when she was young, liked to steal my underwear out of the laundry basket and drag it around the living room! Fortunately, she grew out of that habit -- and I got a taller laundry hamper that she couldn't raid!

>170 RebaRelishesReading:. As I read that colonoscopy piece, I could hear Eric Idle..."Always look on the bright side of life."

>184 RebaRelishesReading: So far the yarn appears to be in good shape, Reba. Whew!

>185 foggidawn: Oh what a little imp! It's good to hear dogs can outgrow these crazy youthful follies. Ellie is only 2 and as adorable as her sock-thievery is, I wouldn't be sad if she stopped doing it.

>186 weird_O: Well now you've done it Bill. I'm sure I'll be humming that to myself as they put me under ...

Happy Friday!

We've been to the gym, had Friday breakfast out (pancakes!!), and solved some puzzles. I'm pleased to report yesterday's yarn mess has been untangled, rolled into a ball, and stowed away. It wasn't as bad as it looked; there were some really tangled segments but others that had just sort of been loosened from the original ball and could easily be rewound.

I have nothing scheduled today and could easily waste a lot of time dabbling on the computer, especially since I have a couple of tasks that require computer/internet. It's still really really cold outside so I'm glad I don't really have to go anywhere, at least until dinner when we'll get takeout or something.

Glad the yarn is rewound and safe. Stay warm and have a good day.

Glad you weathered the storm, Laura! We had quite a lot of ice on top of the snow here.

>189 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba!

>190 norabelle414: Hi Nora! Similar ice situation here. I'm glad we removed most of it before it fully turned into what the weather people are calling "snow-crete". By most of it I mean enough to get the cars out and get to the mailbox, which is a far cry from all of it but I'm okay with that.

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Last night we went out to our local pizza & wine place and ran into some friends there who we chatted with for a bit. That was the most of my "activity" for the day. Today I'm attending a Zoom panel discussion related to Fiber Guilds (I'm not on the panel, just watching), and this evening we're meeting up with friends at a local winery for a Ukrainian wine tasting.

Martyr! took a very interesting an unexpected turn yesterday, and I would like nothing better than to read it through to the end but I may not get that far today.

Have a good one everybody.

>191 lauralkeet: Mmmm, pizza. And wine. I'm liking the sound of your weekend, Laura.

>192 scaifea: Morning Amber! I had to make a pouty face to convince Chris to go out for dinner last night, his rationale being that we don't have to cook tonight. But also, our monthly 2-bottle wine club order was ready for pickup at the pizza and wine place so I was going to have to stop by there soon anyway. They do "fancy" pizzas with interesting toppings and have a great wine selection, so it's a favorite spot. And then more wine tonight ... woo hoo.

I obviously approve of your wine-centric weekend plans. Have fun!

>193 lauralkeet: Okay stop, you're making me drool!

>193 lauralkeet: One of the best things about the cruise was wine for dinner every night. I bought a package of four bottles and discovered 2 Washington wines that I just love so one of these days we need to do a mini-trip to the eastern part of the state :)

>194 katiekrug:, >195 scaifea:, >196 RebaRelishesReading: Well, the weekend may have been a little too wine-centric, by which I mean that we tasted 8 wines at last night's event and I have a wee headache this morning.

My new thread should be up shortly, so please follow me over there.