Lori (thornton37814) keeps it simple in 2026 - Thread 2

I finished "Pandemic" by Long Dog Samplers in April. I realized I'd never shared it here, so it makes a great thread topper as I begin the second thread of the year.

I've been busy and am behind in posting. I'm going to go ahead and try to list all the books read in May and June, but my June numbers are especially bad. I just didn't read the end of the month and tended to listen to music while in the car. I hope I'm beginning to make headway on an overdue ARC and that I'll manage to get to a couple others. I've given up on trying to keep up with the various category challenges but I'll occasionally join in the rest of the year. I guess I'll see what happens.

January Reads

1. Dinner at the Night Library by Hika Harada - completed 1 Jan 2026
2. Copper River by William Kent Krueger - completed 3 Jan 2026
3. The Solo Travel Handbook: Practical Tips and Inspiration for a Safe, Fun and Fearless Trip by Sarah Reid - completed 4 Jan 2026
4. Tea with Elephants by Robin Jones Gunn - completed 8 Jan 2026
5. Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt - completed 10 Jan 2026
6. Agatha Christie: An Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley - completed 11 Jan 2026
7. A Stinky History of Toilets by Olivia Meikle and Katie Nelson; illustrated by Ella Kasperowicz - completed 20 Jan 2026
8. The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman; illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline - completed 20 Jan 2026
9. Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower - completed 21 Jan 2026
10. Renoir by William Gaunt - completed 22 Jan 2026
11. Pierre Auguste Renoir by Milton S. Fox - completed 22 Jan 2026
12. Selected Poems of Gabriela Mistral by Gabriela Mistral; translated by Langston Hughes - completed 24 Jan 2026
13. A Guide for Life through the Eyes of the Book of Esther by Mordechai Hasofer - completed 25 Jan 2026
14. Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Jon Klassen - completed 25 Jan 2026
15. The Secret Life of a Snowflake: An Up-Close Look at the Art & Science of Snowflakes by Kenneth Libbrecht - completed 25 Jan 2026
16. The Rise and Fall of Miss Fannie's Biscuits by Wanda E. Brunstetter and Martha Bolton - completed 25 Jan 2026
17. Mt. St. Helens: The Volcano Explodes! by Leonard Palmer and KOIN-TV (Television station : Portland, Or.) - completed 25 Jan 2026

Abandoned:

1. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips - abandoned 14 January 2026
2. 365 Prophetic Revelations from the Hebrew Calendar: Experience the Power, Blessing, and Abundance of Aligning with God's Times and Seasons by Candice Smithyman - abandoned 31 January 2026

February Reads

18. Salt, Pepper, Season, Spice: All the Flavors of the World by Jacques Pasquet; illustrated by Claire Anghinolfi; translated by Ann Marie Boulanger - completed 1 Feb 2026
19. Riding Through Rice A Trip to the Philippines by Michelle Sterling; illustrated by Bianca Austria - completed 1 Feb 2026
20. From the Farm, To Our Table by Sarah Rowe; illustrated by Amanda Morrow - completed 1 Feb 2026
21. Rescue Cat by Stephen Savage - completed 1 Feb 2026
22. Forgive Us Our Prayers: The Secret of Effective Prayer by John A. Huffman - completed 1 Feb 2026
23. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center edited by Beatrice Katz - completed 2 Feb 2026
24. Why Should I Pray?: How God Shares His Heart with Us by Scotty Smith - completed 3 Feb 2026
25. Famous Once by Jane Green - completed 5 Feb 2026
26. Assassins of Athens by Jeffrey Siger - completed 5 Feb 2026
27. The Jewish Hospital & Cincinnati Jews in Medicine by Frederic Krome - completed 6 Feb 2026
28. Zoo Animals by Eileen Spinelli - completed 8 Feb 2026
29. A Sampler View of Colonial Life by Mary Cobb; illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis - completed 8 Feb 2026
30. Sea Grapes by Derek Walcott - completed 9 Feb 2026
31. The X Factor by George Plimpton - completed 11 Feb 2026
32. Saint Peter's Fair by Ellis Peters - completed Feb 2026
33. A Lesson in Secrets by Jacqueline Winspear - completed Feb 2026
34. Agent Josephine: American Beauty, French Hero, British Spy by Damien Lewis - completed Feb 2026
35. Louis Armstrong: A Cultural Legacy by Marc H. Miller and Donald Bogle - completed 25 Feb 2026
36. Josephine: The Dazzling Life of Josephine Baker by Patricia Hruby Powell; illustrated by Christian Robinson - completed 28 Feb 2026
37. City Cat by Kate Banks; illustrated by Lauren Castillo - completed 28 Feb 2026
38. The Cat Who Walked Across France by Kate Banks; illustrated by Georg Hallensleben - completed 28 Feb 2026

March Reads

39. The Red Bird by Astrid Lindgren; translated by Patricia Crampton; illustrated by Marit Törnqvist - completed 1 Mar 2026
40. The Tsunami Quilt by Anthony D. Fredericks; illustrated by Tammy Yee - completed 1 Mar 2026
41. No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons - completed 1 Mar 2026
42. Mandie and the Forbidden Attic by Lois Gladys Leppard - completed 2 Mar 2026
43. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein - completed 4 Mar 2026
44. Peril at the Exposition by Nev March - completed March 2026
45. Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman - completed March 2026
46. My Venice and Other Essays by Donna Leon - completed 14 March 2026
47. Saint Paul at the Movies: The Apostle's Dialogue with American Culture by Robert Jewett - completed 15 March 2026
48. The Great British Food Tour by Jenny Linford ; illustrated by James Oses - completed 16 March 2026
49. Church and Cinema: A Way of Viewing Film by James McKendree Wall - completed 18 March 2026
50. Murder at Queen's Landing by Andrea Penrose - completed 20 March 2026
51. Death at the Sanatorium by Ragnar Jonasson - completed 26 March 2026
52. Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by Candace Fleming - completed 27 March 2026
53. Windows on the Past: The Cultural Heritage of Vardy, Hancock County, Tennessee by DruAnna Williams Overbay - completed 28 March 2026

April Reads

54. Meeting God In Quiet Places: A Devotional Journey Through the English Cotswolds by F. LaGard Smith - completed 2 April 2026
55. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II : Platinum Jubilee Celebration : 70 Years, 1952-2022 by Brian Hoey - completed 7 April 2026
56. The Feather Detective: Mystery, Mayhem, and the Magnificent Life of Roxie Laybourne by Chris Sweeney - completed 9 April 2026
57. Target: Tinos by Jeffrey Siger - completed 11 April 2026
58. Skillet Love: From Steak to Cake: More than 150 Recipes in One Cast-Iron Pan by Anne Byrn - completed April 2026
59. The Body: A Guide for Occupants by Bill Bryson - completed April 2026
60. Glorious American Quilts: The Quilt Collection of the Museum of American Folk Art by Elizabeth V. Warren and Sharon L. Eisenstat - completed April 2026
61. You Have a Calling: Finding Your Vocation in the True, Good, and Beautiful by Karen Swallow Prior - completed April 2026
62. Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini - completed April 2026

May 2026 Reads

63. Elegy for Eddie by Jacqueline Winspear
64. Nearer to Thee (a small poetry book)
65. Women of the Bible by Colleen L. Reece
66. The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue
67. Food on the Move: Dining on the Legendary Railway Journeys of the World edited by Sharon Hudgins
68. Silence in the Library by Katharine Schellman
69. Death in Kew Gardens by Jennifer Ashley

June 2026 Reads

I'll add touchstones later.

70. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
71. A Caribbean Mystery by Agatha Christie
72. The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene
73. The Black Swan Mystery by Tetsuya Ayukama

July 2026 Reads

74. The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett - completed 9 July 2026
75. Uncle Patrick's Secessionist Breakfast by Dave Eggers - completed 10 July 2026
76. Tinker by Jennifer M. Lane - completed 15 July 2026
77. Murder on the Shuffleboard Court by Kelley Ireland - completed 15 July 2026

That should be more than enough so I'll open things up. As I said, I plan to list everything I've read in May and June. I will review the books as I have time. There are two titles for May that may lack touchstones until I find the exact editions because they were small books that came in gift collections for the library. I'd taken photos of the covers of them so I'd remember to record them. I wrote them down and deleted the photos--and I probably needed them for here. They may still be on my desk at work, but I suspect they are already in the pile of books going to be shredded because our partner won't take them for resale.

Book 63.
Source: Morristown-Hamblen digital audiobook

Book 64. Nearer to Thee
Source: Gift book to the library that we are not keeping

This little book of poems was the type of thing available from greeting card companies back in the late 1960s and early 1970s when Helen Steiner Rice's poems were popular. My grandmother received many such little books, and I often read them while at her house. The poems are not that memorable, but they usually resonated with the reader because they spoke of faith and trust in God. I couldn't find this book in WorldCat so I'm just doing a "token" entry here. Poems were by various persons and no editor was listed.

Book 65.
Source: Gift to the Library that we are not keeping

Book 66.
Source: Morristown-Hamblen print book

Book 67.
Source: Morristown-Hamblen print book

Happy New Thread!

The topper isn't showing the picture just a line of text. I think it may be missing the last >

>15 SilverWolf28: >16 SilverWolf28: Thanks. I accidentally typed the wrong mark there!

Book 68.
Source: Knox County Public Library digital audiobook

Happy New Thread

Book 69.
Source: Knox County digital audiobook

Book 70.
Source: Morristown-Hamblen print book

>1 thornton37814: It's beautiful!

>1 thornton37814: Congrats on finishing that project, Lori, it looks lovely. Happy new thread, too!

>22 SilverWolf28: Thank you!

>23 MissWatson: I need to wash it but even though the purple is supposed to be colorfast, I'm a little fearful. I'm thinking I may try to wash the edges without touching the stitches. I'm not sure that will be possible, but I can try. I'd probably need to do one edge at a time. It's the best we came up with in our local stitching group with lots of us who are pretty experienced.

Book 71.
Source: Audio book played by friend on trip
Note: Since I'd read the book in 2010, I'm included my remarks from then because my rating has not changed that much. I might lower it a half point now, but that is about how much I've tightened ratings in the intervening years.

Book 72.
Source: Listened to a friend's audiobook on a trip

Book 73.
Source: Morristown-Hamblen Hoopla digital audiobook

I think I'm caught up until I finish something. I'm not driving back and forth to work at the moment so it may take a little longer to finish some of the print things I'm reading.

>1 thornton37814: "Pandemic" is gorgeous! I hope you're planning on getting it framed and hung on your wall.

>8 thornton37814: I'm looking forward to finding out what you think of The Calamity Club.

Happy new thread, and what gorgeous needlework (if that's the right term)!

>1 thornton37814: Your handwork as always is exquisite! Thanks for sharing your finished piece.

>30 RidgewayGirl: I plan to get Pandemic framed. I am almost afraid to find out what it will cost with museum glass because it is so large. As far as the book, I loved it for awhile. At the moment, I'm not comfortable with the direction it is taking. That said, Stockett is a great writer.

>31 christina_reads: Thank you!

>32 beebeereads: I really didn't realize I had not until I started looking and saw I didn't. I finished it about the time my life got too busy.

>1 thornton37814: - That came out really nice. Lori. I've been having trouble with my thumb so my cross-stitch project is languishing.

>25 thornton37814: - Would those sheets that collect dye help? I know I use them when washing my quilts to collect excess dye. Your project is more delicate but I'm thinking they might work with hand-washing too. (I used mine in the washing machine).

>36 dudes22: I don't know about those. I'll have to see and then ask if anyone has used them.

I was thinking later yesterday after I posted that maybe if you put one under the edge as you wash the edges it would let you know if the color would bleed and might absorb it. Maybe worth a try on a corner.

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/385354

>39 SilverWolf28: Thanks

Book 74.
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers print ARC

Book 75.
Source: Morristown-Hamblen print library book

I went to the library this morning to sign up for the adult summer reading program which kicked off this morning. The first 100 people got a bag (reusable grocery bag style) with goodies stuck in it. The only goodies I found were a dinosaur sticker, dinosaur pen, and a coupon for a small freebie with an entree purchase at Salsarita's. Kind of disappointing for adults! I felt we got the leftovers from the children's reading program.

>43 thornton37814: Ok, but a dinosaur pen sounds awesome. (yes, you definitely got the leftovers!)

>44 RidgewayGirl: I think my 4-year-old great nephew will love it.

Book 76.
Source: LibraryThing digital advance reader's copy

Book 77.
Source: LibraryThing digital advance reader's copy

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/385521

>48 SilverWolf28: Thanks!