Diana (Wilkie) reads, Part 9

Another Library in Lego:



Stratford Public Library in Canada.



Inside the Stratford Public Library, it looks like there’s story time going on, as well as a nap in the back offices by one of the staff members.

My reading in 2013:

January

1. The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins 9/10, 438 p.
2. PAAZ - Myrthe van der Meer 9/10, 351 p.
3. A Place of Greater Safety - Hilary Mantel 7/10, 873 p.
4. The Man Who Forgot His Wife - John O'Farrell 8/10, 393 p.
5. And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic - Randy Shilts 8/10, 630 p.
6. Sans Famille - Hector Malot 8/10, 406 p.
7. Defending Jacob - William Landay 8/10, 421 p.
8. Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson 7/10, 720 p.

Pages read in January: 4232

February

9. An Utterly Impartial History of Britain - John O'Farrell 7/10, 588 p.
10. Op zee - Toine Heijmans 6/10, 192 p.
11. The Expats - Chris Pavone 5/10, 500 p.
12. Growing Up Amish - Ira Wagler 6/10, 270 p.
13. No Name - Wilkie Collins 7/10, 762 p.
14. Devil's Peak - Deon Meyer 8/10, 409 p.
15. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher - Kate Summerscale 6/10, 372 p.
16. Verzamelde gedichten - M. Vasalis 9/10, 196 p.
17. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach 9/10, 304 p.
18. The Complete Polysyllabic Spree - Nick Hornby 7/10, 278 p.
19. Gedichten - Judith Herzberg 6/10, 75 p.

Pages read in February: 3946

March

20. The Sealed Letter - Emma Donoghue 9/10, 483 p.
21. I, Claudius - Robert Graves 8/10, 468 p.
22. De eurocrisis - Martin Visser 7/10, 240 p.
23. Thirteen Hours - Deon Meyer 9/10, 410 p.
24. No et Moi - Delphine de Vigan 7/10, 248 p.
25. Here Be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman 9/10, 704 p.
26. Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer 4/10, 205 p.
27. Shakespeare Wrote for Money - Nick Hornby 7/10, 131 p.
28. More Baths, Less Talking - Nick Hornby 7/10, 135 p.
29. The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year - Sue Townsend 6/10, 437 p.
30. Bij nader inzien - J.J. Voskuil 8/10, 1207 p.
31. The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt 7/10, 328 p.
32. IV - Arjen Lubach 6/10, 319 p.

Pages read in March: 5315

April

33. Ik, Zlatan - Zlatan Ibrahimovic 6/10, 334 p.
34. Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn 7/10, 328 p.
35. 7 Days - Deon Meyer 8/10, 348 p.
36. Escape from Camp 14 - Blaine Harden 8/10, 242 p.
37. Left Neglected - Lisa Genova 8/10, 432 p.
38. Bonk - Mary Roach 6/10, 320 p.
39. Nothing to Envy - Barbara Demick 8/10, 324 p.
40. Wij zijn maar wij zijn niet geschift - Tim Krabbe 7/10, 416 p.
41. The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson 8/10, 592 p.
42. Injustice - Clive Stafford Smith 5/10, 480 p.

Pages read in April: 3816

May

43. The Secret River - Kate Grenville 9/10, 352 p.
44. The Keeper of Lost Causes - Jussi Adler-Olsen 8/10, 512 p.
45. Hoe sms't een Chinees - Eppo Konig 6/10, 234 p.
46. Dissolution - C.J. Sansom 8/10, 464 p.
47. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod - Bastian Sick 7/10, 240 p.
48. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod: Folge 2 - Bastian Sick 7/10, 268 p.
49. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod: Folge 3 - Bastian Sick 7/10, 274 p.
50. Congo - David van Reybrouck 8/10, 680 p.
51. Verhalen uit de Ambulance - Mariette Middelbeek 8/10, 176 p.
52. The Absent One - Jussi Adler-Olsen 7/10, 685 p.
53. The Observations - Jane Harris 8/10, 546 p.

Pages read in May: 4431

June

54. Het zevende kind - Erik Valeur 9/10, 720 p.
55. Papillion - Henri Charriere 7/10, 612 p.
56. Dead before Dying - Deon Meyer 8/10, 432 p.
57. Dark Fire - C.J. Sansom 9/10, 608 p.
58. Still Alice - Lisa Genova 9/10, 400 p.
59. Of ik gek ben - Michiel Stroink 7/10, 238 p.

Pages read in June: 3010

July

60. Sister - Rosamund Lupton 8/10, 384 p.
61. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson 7/10, 496 p.
62. Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith 8/10, 512 p.
63. The Family - Mario Puzo 4/10, 608 p.
64. A Conspiracy of Faith - Jussi Adler-Olsen 8/10, 773 p.
65. Before I Go to Sleep - S.J. Watson 7/10, 500 p.
66. A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry 10/10, 768 p.
67. Blood Safari - Deon Meyer 7/10, 576 p.

Pages read in July: 4617

August

68. The Bat - Jo Nesbo 6/10, 432 p.
69. Behind the Scenes at the Museum - Kate Atkinson 3/10, 496 p.
70. Case Histories - Kate Atkinson 8/10, 400 p.
71. This Side of Brightness - Colum McCann 7/10, 304 p.
72. The Redbreast - Jo Nesbo 8/10, 656 p.
73. The Know-It-All - A.J. Jacobs 7/10, 400 p.
74. Aarsrivalen, scheldkarbonades en terminale baden - Ewoud Sanders 7/10, 124 p.
75. Nemesis - Jo Nesbo 9/10, 720 p.
76. The Devil's Star - Jo Nesbo 9/10, 544 p.

Pages read in August: 4076

September

77. In the Woods - Tana French 5/10, 608 p.
78. Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin 10/10, 1241 p.
79. The Weight of Silence - Heather Gudenkauf 6/10, 418 p.
80. Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood 6/10, 624 p.

Pages read in September: 2891

October

81. Still Life - Louise Penny 8/10, 416 p.
82. Verzamelde liefdjes en gedichten - Willem Wilmink 8/10, 1423 p.
83. Ziezo - Annie M.G. Schmidt 9/10, 310 p.

Pages read in October: 2149

November

84. In the Darkness. An Inspector Sejer novel - Karin Fossum 6/10, 400 p.
85. A Fatal Grace - Louise Penny 8/10, 416 p.

Pages read in November: 816

December

86. The Cruellest Month - Louise Penny 8/10, 464 p.
87. A Conspiracy of Faith - Jussi Adler-Olsen 8/10, 472 p.
88. The Silent Wife - A.S.A. Harrison 2/10, 443 p.
89. A Rule Against Murder - Louise Penny 9/10, 372 p.

Pages read in December: 1751

Favourite reads 2013:

Fiction

- A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
- Here Be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman
- Thirteen Hours - Deon Meyer
- Het zevende kind - Erik Valeur
- Nemesis - Jo Nesbo
- A Rule against Murder - Louise Penny
- The Secret River - Kate Grenville
- Still Alice - Lisa Genova
- The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins
- PAAZ - Myrthe van der Meer

Non-fiction

- Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach

Currently reading:

80. Alias Grace - Margaret Atwood
624 p.

This is historical fiction around the true story of a convicted murderess in the 1840s.

The book is well-written. However, it couldn't grab me, because none of the characters were likeable. This impeded my reading and to me the story unfolds rather slowly.

6/10

Happy new thread, Diana!!

Hi Diana- Congrats on the new thread! I liked Alias Grace a bit more than you did. I really admire Atwood's range. She can do anything.

I'm another one who liked Alias Grace despite not being a fan of Atwood particularly.
Congratulations on another thread Diana.

Thank you Reba, Mark and Paul!

Congrats on the new thread, Diana!

I hope you like Still Life. The series only gets better as it goes along. The most recent one is a doozy.

Thank you, Joe. A doozy?

Ha! I thought that might be too USA-ian, Diana.

"doo·zy
noun \ˈdü-zē\\-zər\

something outstanding or unique of its kind."

Love the sound of it.

Joe has something there Diana. I suppose I'm dozy and you're doozy.

Have a great weekend.

Ach so, Joe and Paul, I get it. Thank you gentlemen ;-)

I see I read just 4 books in September.

Life keeps interfering, but I hope I'll do better in October!

81. Still Life - Louise Penny
416 p.

This is the first Chief Inspector Gamache novel, situated in Three Pines, a rural village south of Montreal in Canada. One of the residents, Jane Neal, has been foud dead in the woods and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team are called in to the scene.

Louise Penny draws realistic characters in a beautiful setting. She evokes a warm, charming atmosphere.

I want to read this series!

8/10

Hi Diana- Yah, for Three Pines. I was slow starting this series too. The good news is, the next book is even better. Hopefully, I can get to the third one before the year is out.

Hi Mark! Yes, yah for Three Pines. It's good to be early in the series isn't it, we have so much good stuff to go :-)

Another Three Pines convert!! I have only two more to go before I'm caught up and I have mixed feelings -- want to read them, don't want it to end.

I'll add my "Yah" for Three Pines, Diana. The whole series just gets better with each book.

Reba and Joe, Yah! I want to read the second one, but I don't have it yet. Boohooh.

They're available on Kindle :-)

Reba, I'm afraid that:
a. I don't have a Kindle
b. for some reason the book slipped in my basket of a Dutch online shop and will arrive at my doorstep in approximately 7 to 9 days.

;-)

Oh well, you'll get to enjoy the anticipation then I guess :)

I still haven't read any Louise Penney, but I do have Still Life on my wish list based on all the rave reviews for the Three Pines series I've been reading in this group lately!

Reba, I guess I will!

Tina, I hope you'll like it as much as I did.

82. Verzamelde liedjes en gedichten - Willem Wilmink
1423 p.

Poetry and light verse by Dutch author Willem Wilmink.

8/10

My time zone spontaneously changed to EST? Fortunately, I discovered the way to change my settings to my own time zone :-)

Good evening!

Time travel maybe?

That should it be it, Reba ;-)

Guess what?

A Fatal Grace arrived today! This will be my next read :-)

I should finish up the 8th Penny today -- may move straight into How the Light Gets In. I'll be thinking about you reading A Fatal Grace

Reba, you're far in the series! A Fatal Grace is still untouched, but I hope to start it this weekend.

It turned out I had missed one. I should have figured that out earlier because a couple of books ago some references to things that happened in the past didn't make sense to me. I thought I had forgotten and tried to go back and reread the end of previous books as a memory jog but that didn't help. I finally figured out I had skipped Bury Your Dead so I've dropped back to read that one. After that I should still have time to read How the Light Gets In before I have to read the book for my F2F bookclub.

That's kind of good news, isn't it? You can read an extra Louise Penny :-)

TGIF!

I'm hoping for a quiet and peaceful weekend for everyone.

And for you too, Diana.

Thank you Reba! x

83. Ziezo - Annie M.G. Schmidt
310 p.

Songs for children, but not the sweet innocent ones. Every Dutch child knows the naughty books of Annie M.G. Schmidt, and it's great to read them again and again, also as an adult!

9/10

Hi dears!

I'm having hospital issues and I'm not able to be at my computer most of the time. Didn't forget you all!

Love,
Diana

Diana -- so sorry to hear you're having troubles. I'll be sending warm thoughts and good mojo your way.

Ditto, Diana. I hope the hospital issues resolve quickly and well for you. Like Reba, sending positive thoughts your way.

Hi Diana. Catching up and sorry to hear about the hospital issues. Thinking of you!

Diana we are at the hospital too (mom is). Sending you my thoughts for wellness and a few prayers thrown in for good measure. *hugs*

Reba, Joe, Heather and Roberta, thanks for your thoughts! xx

Dear Diana - Your hospital vacation coincided with my LT time being severely curtailed due to work issues. Sorry to see you've not been too well and trust that you are on the mend again. xx

Good to hear you're out of the hospital, Diana! Hope you're healing up and feeling better.

I hope that you're doing better, Diana!

Thank you Paul, Joe and Darryl. I hope I'll be able to be active and visit threads as soon as possible! xx

Yay! Diana is back home. Take extra good care of yourself.

So nice to have you active again

Good to see you back Diana :-) Hope you continue to feel better.

Hi Roberta, Reba and Heather, thank you.

I finally start reading again. It's In the Darkness. An Inspector Sejer novel by Karin Fossum.

84. In the Darkness. An Inspector Sejer Novel - Karin Fossum
400 p.

This is the first book in the Inspector Sejer series by Karin Fossum. I think I like all the Scandi crime I've read this year, it's a great discovery!

8/10

#62 This is such a great introduction into the series and the way Inspector Sejer works. I read this one first and then Don't Look Back shortly afterwards. I look forward to delving deeper into this series.

I hope you are well Diana

Roberta, it was your suggestion to read this one first, that's why I did so ;-). I think it won't be long before I'll read Don't Look Back too.

Thank you for taking my suggestion. As a reader that is a huge compliment.

Roberta, it was a great suggestion, I'm glad you told me. xx

O no, it has empty shelves!

That's too high for me.

Diana I hope all is well with you.

Ditto, Diana.

Hi Roberta and Joe, I'm here :-)

We had a week in which we all waited for a diagnosis for my Dad. It didn't look good, but I'm so happy to have learned that he has no cancer! We all are doing a happy dance now.

Richard reminded me that it's my first Thingaversary today. Yeah!!

Great news about your Dad Diana. How stressful that was but fortunately happy results.

Happy Thingaversary today! Let us know the books you treat yourself to. Remember it is one for the number of your anniversary plus one! I don't know who started that tradition but I like it.

So glad to hear about your Dad and nice to have you back. Happy Thingaversary :-)

What good news, Diana!

Thank you Roberta, Reba, Joe!

I love that Happy Dance :-)

I'll finally start A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny tonight.

Diana- That is great news about your Dad. Yahoo! I really liked A Fatal Grace and hope to get to the third one soon. I also need to get back to Fossum. I stalled out after the 3rd book.
Hope you are having a great weekend.

Hi Mark! We are having a great one, I hope you do too. We need a bit of rest after hearing the good news :-)

I read on Facebook that LT has been down for a couple of hours, during our night time. I hope everyone has recovered :-)

My Thingaversary books have arrived:

Er ist wieder da - Timur Vermes
The Luminaries - Eleanor Catton

I'm still not far in A Fatal Grace, but it's good!

Diana - Catching up after a weekend of no internet and I must say the shelves are attractive, if not hugely practical.

I totally agree, Paul!

Hi Diana -- just stopping by for catch up and a wave

Hi Reba *waves back*

85. A Fatal Grace - Louise Penny
416 p.

This is the second book in the Inspector Gamache series. I have this book and Dead Cold and they appear to be the same with just another title.

What can I say? You just want to be there, in Three Pines. It's wonderful.

8/10

You're right, Diana, the second one was published under two different names. So was the fourth. It's both "A Rule Against Murder" and "The Murder Store". Other than that I thing there's just one name each.

Thank you Reba. I have "A Rule Against Murder" as the fourth version and not "The Murder Store". Only one double in my collection, that's okay.

I decided to continue with "The Cruellest Month", the third Louise Penny book in the Gamache series.

.

It's well worth continuing with the Inspector Gamache series, Diana, IMO. The series keeps getting better. One wallop you get on a beloved character gets a different perspective in the next book.

Diana I'm glad you are enjoying your "trip" to Three Pines. I plan to visit there in 2014. Now you have me excited for my trip.

Joe, you make it even more thrilling!

Roberta, I hope you'll trip will be as wonderful as mine.

It's almost 4.00 in the morning and I haven't slept a minute. I'm having a terrible tooth ache, bleh.

Oh dear Diana, toothache is the worst. If beliefs allow, gargle with a liberal dose of single malt or finest cognac. Then after gargling take another large slug. Want provide a cure to the cause of the pain thereafter but you'll probably not remember it. xx

Great news about your Dad, Diana, and a belated happy thingaversary!

#86 "What can I say? You just want to be there, in Three Pines. It's wonderful." Yep, I love those Three Pines books too :-)

#94 Sorry to hear about your toothache :-(

Hi Diana- Sorry to hear about the tooth ache. Ugh! I just started the 3rd book in the Three Pines series. I usually do not read this type of mystery but she adds the right edge, which keeps me happy.

Stopping by to wave hello and sorry to learn that you are suffering with a toothache!

Hope the toothache goes away AND that you get some sleep!!

Paul, Heather, Mark, Lori, Reba - Thank you for your well wishes! xx

After 2 nights without sleep, I could visit the dentist this morning. There's a large infection in the wortelkanalen/root canals(?). I have to come back next week on Tuesday, then he'll finish the job.
I hope to get some sleep next night, but I don't know if I can kill the pain enough. Tootache is tough, bah.

I think we would just say the "root" but when they go down there to clean it out we call the procedure "root canal"...anyway, it's no fun but at least it should bring relief in the end. I'll be thinking aobut you!

#100 Ow, ow, ow! Hope you can keep the pain at bay until next Tuesday.

They did clean it out, Reba, root canal it was.

Heather, I don't know if I can keep the pain at bay, but at least I can lie down again. That's beautiful, after 2 nights of sitting up :-)

I'm looking like a terrible Zombie, but I finally did get some sleep last night, yeah!

Glad to hear that you're feeling better, Diana.

Thank you, Darryl.

I'm glad I do too, because tonight we'll visit a close harmony concert by a group I love!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thank you Diana ... Hope you have a good day too even though it isn't a holiday :)

I did Reba, thanks. The concert was marvellous!

My tootache is getting worse again and it's still a couple of days before Tuesday. If it stays this way, I'll manage.

#107 Beautiful quote and image Diana.

#109 Hoping the toothache doesn't worsen between now and Tuesday!

Hi Heather, at this moment I can handle the toothache.

86. The Cruellest Month - Louise Penny
464 p.

Three Pines, Inspector Gamache part 3. Wonderful!

8/10

and they just keep getting better :)

That's great, Reba :-)

This morning, the dentist cleaned the root canal again and finished his work on my tooth.
Tomorrow I'll be officially toothache-free and I love it!

#113 They certainly do!

#115 Hooray for toothache free!

Heather, I hooray with you!

Yah, for Three Pines! I really enjoyed that one too! I hope to get to book 4, in a couple of months.

On the reading front: I'm having a dip.
I grab books from Mountain To Be Read and from the shelves, but I don't know which one I long for.

I'm busy with all kind of things, but it's time to read a book again :-)

Hi Mark! Three Pines is wonderful!

I'll add my Hooray! for your being on the far side of the dental trauma, Diana, and for your Three Pines enjoyment. It appears from her Facebook comments that she's busy laboring away on a new Three Pines mystery. As others have said, the series just keeps getting better.

That's good news Joe! As long as she's writing new ones, we'll have plenty to enjoy :-)

Here's to toothache free!! Hope you get some time to relax and enjoy it.

I finally got my permanent crown yesterday on the tooth I broke last June!! No pain although now that it's all done it's a bit cold sensitive. Hope that goes away soon too.

Reba, that's 6 months ago! I'm glad you've got your crown, I hope the sensitivity goes away.

Have a safe trip! x

I'll start Jussi Adler Olsen's 4th book in the Q department series, Contempt/Dossier 64.

Diana I left you a heartfelt note on my thread because you mean the world to me. (hugs)

I am hoping your toothache is better and will cause no more problems.

Dept Q book 4 is out at the very last day of this month here. I cannot wait!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on Dept. Q #4, Diana. I still need to read #3.

Diana - Also looking forward to your thoughts on Q4. Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Dear Roberta, I saw the message on your thread. You didn't hurt my feelings and I'm glad I didn't hurt yours. I love you too. xx

In Dutch, I can express my thoughts with all necessary nuances. This LT year has taught me a lot about my limited capability to express myself in English.
My reactions are often short, because I'm not able to say exactly what I mean. It makes me humble to participate in a group with so many native speakers who discuss interesting, intelligent topics on such a high level. I almost never join these discussions because of my poor English, but I enjoy reading them and thinking about it.

LT has become a part of my life and I love this group of marvellous people.

Hi Joe, hi Paul!

I'm in the middle of Dept Q 4 and for me it's the best Jussi Adler-Olsen of the series. Does that help? ;-)

Diana - I am amazed at how articulate non native english speakers like yourself and Paws and Carsten Bianca and Paul Stalder etc etc are. I haven't noticed the slightest inability to communicate feelings or express opinions.
Without the heady brew of all its constituent members this group wouldn't be the same. xx

"I'm in the middle of Dept Q 4 and for me it's the best Jussi Adler-Olsen of the series." Wow! That is good enough for me. I just finished book 3 and loved that one too.

Hope you are having a good weekend, Diana!

Diana you are very kind and I treasure your company here on LT. Paul said it best in post #131.

I am thrilled that Dept Q 4 is the best yet. I am eagerly awaiting the US release.

Paul, thank you for your words, sir. You don't see me sweating while I search for the right vocabulary ;-) xx

Mark, I'll tell something about Q 4 in a moment!

Roberta, I know you're going to like it!

87. A Conspiracy of Faith - Jussi Adler-Olsen
472 p.

Book 4 in the Department Q series does not have the best plot and mystery of the series, imo. The author tells us about violation of human rights in a well-documented story with all the usual thriller ingredients.

The interaction between Carl, Assad and Rose in this book is so funny and that's the reason it's the best of the series for me.

8/10

Number 5 of the Department Q series, in Dutch Het Marco-effect, was not received well in the Netherlands. The first 4 books were very popular here, but there seems to be a change.

I won't read it straight away, but when I get to it, I won't listen to the Dutch reviewers :-)

Diana - Eva from the 2013/2014 Challenge group has read #5 of Department Q in Swedish. She seems to agree that the series took a dive downward in the fifth installment. She said there is hope so perhaps book 6 will redeem the series. Adler-Olsen says he has an outline for up to book 10.

Have a wonderful week!

>130 wilkiec: Yes, that helps, Diana! A friend is giving me Dept Q #3 by the end of the year, so that'll get me set up for #4. Glad to hear that, for you, it's the best of the lot. I like series that just keeping getting better!

Roberta, #5 could be disappointing, but it's still Adler-Olsen. I don't think he can write bad books. He'd better not, because #5 is a fat one ;-)

Hi Joe, you've got 2 beautiful Q books to go. Enjoy!

I love the Three Pines series, Diana, so I am always glad to see another convert to it. I have the last one here to read when I am off for Christmas. Why does not Louise Penny write these books faster?!

Hi Stasia! I've read that Louise Penny's last one is a beauty. Enjoy!

88. The Silent Wife - A.S.A. Harrison
443 p.

Man and wife in bad marriage.
This book is liked by LT people, and I tried, but I couldn't like it. Why?

I think the way the story is told is boring and too long. Most of all, the writing seems to me a lot of psychological blabla and that irritates me too much to like the plot. It doesn't work for me.

2/10

I decided I deserve my 4th Louise Penny book, so I'll start A Rule Against Murder tonight :-)

I unpacked my packages this afternoon, and they're great:

- My Antonia
- Motherless Brooklyn
- The Known World

I'm excited! The last title was on my wishlist for ages and I'm looking forward to reading them all. Many thank you's to my Santa Bonnie! :-)

#142: Good news to hear! I have deliberately stayed away from reading any of the reviews for the book.

#145: Oh, I love My Antonia! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I have not read the other two, so I will be interested in seeing what you think of them.

Diana - wow 2/10 is a pretty crumby score....and I have the book too!

Hope your weekend brings you to a slightly better reading experience!

Stasia, I'm sure I'll love them all ;-)

Sorry about the 2/10, Paul. What irritates me in the book though is very personal. It's possible that you don't mind the way of writing and think it's a good one (like most LT-ers have done)!

My next reading experience was absolutely better :-)

89. A Rule Against Murder - Louise Penny
372 p.

Nr. 4 in Louise Penny's series.

This one is not situated in Three Pines, but we do meet the inhabitants. Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team solve another mystery and this one is excellent.

Highly recommended!

9/10

I'm thinking about my reading plans for 2014. Each time I want to choose a new book to read, I don't pick it up because 'it's something for 2014'. It makes me wonder what I will read these last 2 weeks.

Do you recognize the need to postpone many books for the fresh start of the new year?

#149 Glad to see you're still enjoying the Penny's, Diana!

#150 "Do you recognize the need to postpone many books for the fresh start of the new year?"

I think so, I have a lot of books that I always think I'm going to read 'next month' for which I've been thinking that for at least 6 months now! I guess there are quite a few books I want to read that I feel like I need a bit more space for and they become easy to put off until next week, next month or next year when I'll be able to think about them properly.

Like Heather, I'm glad to see you continue to enjoy the Penny's, Diana.

Once Christmas arrives, I find myself postponing, as family members know I love to read, and I start getting inundated with good reading.

I have also postponed a few reads for next year. Indeed I have postponed The Three Pines mysteries for 2014. This year has been such a chore that I have not had time to devote to Inspector Gamache and friends. I'm reading mainly short stories this month and of course another Martin Beck mystery.

Hi Heather and Joe and Roberta, my co-postponers!

Roberta, I hope your 2014 will be filled with beautiful Three Pines books. We should all live there together ;-)

This week before Christmas is extremely busy. A lot of preparations for the Holidays, and I have many medical appointments.

This morning, I had a doctor's appointment, and I forgot to bring a book with me. Forgot! This never happens, I never go anywhere without a book. Fortunately, the doctor was right on time.

Forgot a book...

In happy hopes that 2014 will bring ever greater pleasures to your reading world, Diana:



Celebrate the return of the light with feasts, merriment, and gratitude for all the wonders of this wide green earth.

RMD

>155 wilkiec: This morning, I had a doctor's appointment, and I forgot to bring a book with me.

That's another benefit to having a smartphone. With the Kindle app you always have books at your fingertips!

True story. I use Kindle on my phone all the time.

I third that! I use Kindle and Audible on my phone all the time. Never without a book or audiobook.

Hi Diana- I loved your Christmas Swap books! I was crazy about all three but the Known World was the biggest surprise. Great stuff.
Glad you liked the 3rd Three Pines book. I did too!

"Never without a book or audiobook." Sounds like a T-shirt to me!

Thank you Richard, what a beautiful pomegranate decoration. I have the same hopes for you! *smooches*

Darryl, Joe and Roberta, thanks for recommending the Kindle app so unanimously :-) The Dutch use another ebook system, I guess, something with ePub(?).

I have so many paper books, and I always carry at least one of them with me. Except for last Wedsneyday, obviously. I'll read ebooks when my Mountain TBR is smaller ;-)

Hi Mark, I'm excited about my Christmas Swap books too!
I liked the third Three Pines book, but the fourth is even better: you can safely read it!

These kids live in a house with a multi-story library AND a reading net. A READING NET.

Wow what a great idea. I think if I was the fly I'd fall into the spider's trap every time. xx

Yep, it's a wonderful idea!

Dear LT-ers,

Diana, have a great Christmas and New year!

a blessed Christmas to you


I like the Lego library

Merry Christmas Diana! What a wonderful addition to LT you have been this year.

Have a wonderful Christmas and a great holiday season, Diana!

Diana, it has been wonderful getting to know you a little this year, including sharing your son's first college days. Have a wonderful Christmas, my dear. xxx

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!!

Merry Christmas, Diana!! May it be a wonderful day!

Merry Christmas, Diana - hope you are having a lovely day. Our friends in Barcelona are Dutch So I bet we are eating some of the same foods. Poached pears?

I hope you have a great day with the family! Hugs from the snowy Midwest!

Hi Diana, thanks for the Christmas message, hope you have had a great day my dear.

Merry Christmas, Diana! Hope it was filled with fabulous!

Dear Rhian, Paul S., Roberta, Caro, Paul C., Chelle, Tina, Cusla, Mark, John and Mamie, Thank you so much for all your wishes!

We had a lovely Christmas at my parents house, together with my sister and her husband and children. And yes, Cushla, we also had poached pears! :-)

Hi Diana - Stopping by with belated Christmas wishes and to wish you a

Thank you Lori. That's a beautiful picture!

DIana -- with travel and surgery I've gotten pretty far behind but still had to point out that your English is excellent. I know what you mean about being less able to express nuances of feeling/thought in a foreign tongue but don't let that stop you from participating in discussions because I'm betting you're getting so close to the precision you want that no one would ever notice the difference.

It's just past mid-night in NL right now. Hope you're having a fun evening and that you will have a wonderful 2014.

Reba, I'm sorry for being to so late to see this; what an enormous compliment you give me. Thank you! xx