Lori (lkernagh) Hits her Prime in 2013! - the December "Overflow" Reading Thread

Lori's December "Overflow" Reading



Well, since I have decided to close out my category challenge, this seems like a good time to start a new thread for my 'overflow' reading! Of course, this thread will continue to capture all of my crafting projects over December and pretty much anything else that crops up for posting and discussion.

Overflow Books:

1. Dale Loves Sophie to Death by Robb Foreman Dew - (review)
2. An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch - (review)
3. Love Across Borders edited by Naheed Hassan and Sabahat Muhammad - (review)
4. The Demon of Montreal by A. Michael Schwarz - (review)
5. Elle Decor Series - Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Kitchens, Living Rooms and Patios and Verandas - (review)
6. Un Lun Dun by China Mieville - (review)
7. Netherworld by Lisa Morton - (review)
8. A Light in the Window by Jan Karon - (review)
9. Night Train to NykoBing by Kristjana Gunnars - (review)

Carrying over and re-posting from the previous page.....

Currently Reading:

Love Across Borders by Mamun M Adil et al - 75% finished this short story collection as a perfect fit for my Commonwealth Challenge, but it is my purse read so I don't know when I will be finished.
Dale Loves Sophie to Death - 60% finished and hope to finish it later today

Next Up:

Un Lun Dun by China Mieville - for the group read and as a read that counts towards my ROOTs challenge
Hotel Paradiso by Gregor Robinson - as a Bahamas read for my Commonwealth Challenge

WELCOME!

Enjoy December! Well done on your categories.

I love overflow reading, don't you? Hope you can get some decent crafting/hobby time in today!

I picked up Un Lun Dun from the library yesterday along with a couple of other books. I haven't decided which one I'll start next...

Regarding the discussion on the previous thread, I have to recommend pretty much any of John Hedgecoe's photography books - he is a master at explaining the nuts and bolts, as well as being very inspiring.

Thanks for that. I am currently on the look out for some good books on the subject. Most tend to be very repetitive and only provide info that can easily be obtained online these days.

Hi everyone!

> 4 - Thanks mysterymax! I am looking forward to December reading ..... of course, I am still reading for other challenges and hope to read some thing for a couple of the December CATs.... oh,wait, this is supposed to be my 'free reading time'! Not totally free but free enough to make me happy. ;-)

> 5 - Laura, overflow reading almost ranks up there with the perfect summer day "read what I want to read" kind of reading - which, of course if the perfect reading! - so yes, I am pretty happy going into December on this exciting note. Not much crafting/hobby time this weekend.... explanation provided below.

> 6 - Hi Carrie! I am thinking I will be making Un Lun Dun my next physical book read once I finish Dale Loves Sophie to Death, which I am almost finished reading....

> 7 - Excellent recommendation, Eva! I need all the 'nuts and bolts' help I can get for my fun filled dip into photography. Many thanks for this!

> 8 - *nods head in agreement.*

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So, you may be wondering what 'footloose and fancy free' Lori has been up to since she no longer has to worry about finishing her category challenge? Lets see..... Sunday was spent enjoying a hearty brunch of eggs, multi-grain toast, grilled tomatoes and lamb sausages with rosemary and then putting up the holiday tree. Discovered that 6 of the led lights for the tree were not working so other half took it upon himself to try and find/ source replacement bulbs. Result: Tree lights are not sold with spare bulbs and one cannot just buy replacement bulbs, one must buy a new string of lights - *shakes head at the logic of this* - so we now have two strings of tree lights and have moved all of the 'dead' lights to be at the back of the tree near the plug outlet. It doesn't help that the new string of lights don't have the warm candle glow of our current tree lights so I am dreading when we lose more lights from our current string.

Monday (today) was a somewhat frustrating day shopping for something I don't really enjoy shopping for: new eyeglasses. You would think someone who loves shopping for clothes, shoes and household goods and has been wearing eyeglasses since they were 8 years old would have no problem going shopping for new glasses. I hate it. But as my prescription has recently changed - I am now officially part of the progressive lenses society - we thought we would check out a nationwide 2 for 1 chain that recently opened its doors in town. I hated the constant attention of the floor staff - can't someone take the time to work their way through the over 1,000 frames on display without someone approaching them every 10 minutes to see how things were going? - but I was more shocked by the $1,110 sticker price they quoted me for the "2 for the price of 1" eyeglasses (I don't need 2 pairs of glasses but they didn't seem to appreciate that fact, or the fact that their website also offers 50% the purchase price as an option). They were also unable to answer my other half's questions regarding the shortcoming of progressive lenses. We went back into town to my usual family run eyeglass store to have them explain to me that my change in prescription is only borderline - I don't have to move to progressives right now if I don't want to (something my opthalmologist failed to mention) - and they then quoted me much lower prices than the so called national chain quoted me. End result is I have decided to go with progressive lenses - I will need them in the next few years anyways - and managed to get the perfect pair of glasses (frames that I love!) for $500 cheaper than the national chain was offering to me. Just on lenses alone, my local dispenser was able to quote me a price $300 cheaper than the chain for the same lenses. Lesson learned: Just because a big chain claims they offer the best pricing (forget service), chances are they don't.

Sorry for the long-winded rant..... the whole experience really bothered me. TV time tonight, I think.

I am so with you on the eyeglasses thing. I was supposed to have had my exam and gotten new glasses in September. Of course, I also get to negotiate all this in German. And I've also found that the small shop attached to my eye doctor is better as far as care and quality, although those big place make me so tense, I couldn't tell you about the price difference. My prescription is so high that all of those special offers don't apply to me.

And progressive lenses are no longer visible (so you won't look like an aging librarian) and it took me a day to fully adjust. It's fun to move a book up and down -- visible, blurry, visible, blurry…

I hope you enjoy the progressives. I am still - after a year - not comfortable with them. It seems that whatever I am trying to look at is in the wrong part of the glasses. It is impossible to read in bed with them, so I switch to plain old reading glasses at bedtime.

I love my progressives, so it is all what is comfortable for you.

My progressives are okay, but I generally take them off for reading. (The doctor said I could.) My reading correction is minimal in the lens. They do work well for computer work and for driving though. It didn't take too long for me to adjust.

I too hate trying to get new eyeglasses and frames. it wasn't so bad when I still wore contacts and could have them in while picking a new frame, but now that I don't wear them, I can't see what I look like. Sometimes in bed I just take my glasses off and hold the book at nose level and I can see just fine!

Dealing with steps was my hurdle when I first got progressives! You will love them. Yeah, I love when you can get the second pair free after they double the cost of the first pair. Good for you to shop local.

I don't know if Ace Hardware is in your neck of the woods but if so, that's my go-to place for odd replacement bulbs. I'll knock myself out going to all the big huge hardware stores and forget they always have exactly what I need. And like their ad promises, they are always friendly and helpful and not the least bit condenscending.

Spent a pleasant hour reading up on your final month of the challenge. Seems you had a great time with the Milennium books - don't you just love bricks that seem to read themselves! :) Congratulations on being done, and have a grwat month of overflow!

Sorry for the long absence from my own thread... and from LT in general, everyone! Last week just got away from me - I thought November was a difficult month for juggling things but December isn't proving to be any easier! Last weekend we experienced a cold snap weather wise and I managed to come down with another head cold. *grrrrr* Between the head cold, work and preparation activities for the approaching holidays I have been absent from LT for the past 7 days and groan at the thought of even trying to get caught up with all the threads I like to follow!

On the eyeglasses front, I picked up my new glasses on Tuesday and I love them! I can actually thread a needle without taking my glasses off and I have already noticed a huge improvement in moving from distance to near vision. I went for a slightly larger frame size than my previous glasses and notice hardly any distortion on the peripheral vision. I am still adjusting to my "new look" every time I see myself in a mirror.... that might take more time to get used to. ;-)

I did manage to get some reading in - one of the bonuses of long stretches of time spend in bed trying to recuperate - but responses to visitors first before I post reviews:

> 10 - I am with you on feeling tense in the big optical stores, Kay! If i had to negotiate my eyeglass purchase in a foreign language on top of everything else, I think I would just curl up in a corner in the fetal position and leave everything for my other half to deal with. Sounds like you have a good local shop to go to, which helps.

> 11 - Both of my co-workers have progressives and one of them has never been able to get comfortable with her progressives either so I can understand how frustrating that must be for you. My new prescription is only slightly changed from my previous single vision glasses so I can flip back and forth between the two pairs for a while, if I want to and not notice a huge difference. Not sure if going for the larger frames has helped me adjust by limiting the concentration of distortion of the lenses, but I know someone who commented that my small frames will make progressives difficult. Not sure if that is true or not and won't be able to find out unless I decide to buy another pair of glasses..... ;-0

> 12 - I am joining you in the 'love my progressives' category!

> 13 - That makes sense, Lori and it sounds like how you make use of your progressives works well for you.

> 14 - Contacts would be great for trying out new frames! I don't wear contacts (I have an aversion to putting things in my eyes and have never gotten past it) but I had a thought that I didn't think about when I was shopping.... I could have taken pictures of myself with the camera on my iPod Touch and looked at the pictures with my normal glasses on. Duh!!!! I will definitely try to remember that the next time I go eye glass shopping. ;-)

> 15 - Hum.... I haven't tried to walk up or down stairs yet. Something I will need to keep in mind. Thanks for the tip! I am not sure if we have an Ace Hardware. We have a Home Hardware but it is a good suggestion to look farther afield than the usual department stores.

> 16 - I cried when I finished the Millennium books. The potential for future stories was just huge and.... there are no more. *sniffle* Next year is going to be the year of chunkster reading for me and I hope I find more amazing books like Larsson's to escape into.

Book #1 - Dale Loves Sophie to Death by Robb Foreman Dew
Read for: November AwardCAT (didn't finish it in time) and ROOTs Challenge



I thought this was going to be hard review to write while I was reading the book, but after some days have past since I finished it, I have discovered that my memory of the book and the points that I wanted to bring up are gone - serves me right for not writing this stuff down when it came to me.

The story is focused on Dinah Howells, a mother of three in her late 30's, but flips to her husband's point of view from time to time. For the most part, Dinah is a product of her upbringing - the daughter of an interior designer mom and a psychologist dad raised in the small town of Enfield, Ohio. Even though she lives in Massachusetts with her professor husband and children, Dinah and the children have returned to Enfield every summer for the past eight years while her husband spends most of the summer in Massachusetts to work. Dinah's relationship with her parents is strained - as are most of her relationships - and it is only over the course of the story that certain facts are revealed to the reader.

To quote one of the three reviews currently posted on Librarything: "Confusing, overwrought and too much introspection and navel gazing for my liking." sums this one up nicely. There is nothing likeable about any of the characters. They are all whiny, self-centered individuals that do not seem to understand how to love, care or give, unless it is as some 'over the top' reaction or outburst. Ironically, the story has a languid flow to it. Even when startling events occur, they occur without emotionally involving the reader and appear as though viewed through thick, bottle glass - you can see what is going on but it is a bit blurry and muffled.

So, you are probably wondering about the title for the story and exactly how it fits in with the story. Who are Dale and Sophie? We don't know. 'Dale Loves Sophie to Death', we are told, is graffiti emblazoned on the railway bridge the Howells drive under every summer on their way to Enfield and tends to mark their final approach into Enfield after two days of driving. The following quote where Dinah chastises her husband is a good excerpt to exemplify this story:

"You think that 'Dale Loves Sophie to Death' should be typed. And tacked up on a little bulletin board in Jesse Hall. You know, there's something about real, honest-to-God emotion - I mean real things that real people go around feeling - that you just never can understand. I mean, 'Dale Loves Sophie to Death' is not exactly a lower-case sentiment! I don't think you know a damned thing about that! You just go mincing through your life with almost nothing but lower-case sentiments!"

If introspective examinations of personal and family life written in languid and florid prose appeals to you - I know, that sounds like a contradiction but the story has both - this is probably your kind of story. For me, it was a book that I almost Pearl-ruled, decided to stick with it, grew to appreciate some aspects of the story but for the most part it fell somewhat flat of its mark.

Decimal Rating: 3.25
2.50 - Plot Development
3.00 - Character Development
3.75 - Writing Style
3.50 - Readability
2.75 - Premise
4.25 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
3.50 - Originality
2.75 - Length

Star Rating: 3.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 217 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Female

Book #2 - An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch
Read for: December RandomCAT and 'just cause' ;-)



It is wonderful to see Finch bring his Charles Lenox mystery series back to its focus on good old-fashioned detection with this solid Victorian murder mystery. The whole story is a series of mysteries to solve. What starts out as a simple act of assistance Lenox offers his former protege Dallington turns into a slippery case mistaken identity, murder, ulterior motives and false information. If that isn't enough to make the member of Parliament pine for his former detection days, Lenox faces concerns on the home front that his friend McConnell is up to something that has his wife upset and what about the whisperings about Lenox's assistant, Graham?

It is great to see the whole cast back - Lenox, Lady Jane, Graham, Dallington, Inspector Jenkins, McConnell and his landed gentry wife Toto - with a flair and finesse that reminds me how much I enjoyed the earlier books in the series. The story retains its Victorian civilities. Lenox appears more settled, in a comfortable way, with his middle aged life and his marriage with Lady Jane. The inclusion of Queen Victoria in this one was a nice touch. I love the attention to historical detail that Finch brings to his stories and I have to say, I am curious about the tidbit that eggshells added to coffee can take the bitterness away.... I will have to test that someday.

Overall, another delightful escape back in time to Victorian England.

Decimal Rating: 3.88
4.25 - Plot Development
3.75 - Character Development
3.50 - Writing Style
4.25 - Readability
4.00 - Premise
3.75 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
3.50 - Originality
4.00 - Length

Star Rating: 4.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Hard Cover
# of Pages: 294 pages
Source: GVPL
Male/Female Author: Male

Book #3 - Love Across Borders edited by Naheed Hassan and Sabahat Muhammad
Read for: Commonwealth Challenge (India/Pakistan)



Love Across Borders is a collection of 12 short stories that was a free e-book download from Indireads. Written by a number of contemporary South Asian writers from both sides of the India/. Pakistan border, the stories have a common theme: to show that the political and cultural divide between Pakistani and Indian nationalities, between Hinus and Muslims, is not divided by an impenetrable wall. Friendships, love and a common bond can develop between individuals from these different backgrounds. All of the stories, except for the one titled "One Stupid Comment" are set in our contemporary 'electronically borderless' times of Facebook, email and Twitter. Some of the friendships/ love interests are new. Others are ones that had been forgotten or lost over time after they were forged in South Asia or abroad (North America) before or just after 1971 and those turbulent political times.

The stories were interesting reading for me in that they brought forward in very simple, matter of fact terms, a number of cultural differences that a non South Asian may have difficulty grasping - strong, controlling familial ties, arranged marriages, as well as religious and cultural beliefs/stereotyping that exists between these two countries. The stories are short and while they appear to be geared towards a general South Asian audience - a glossary of terms would have been helpful when reading some of the stories - I was still able to enjoy the stories and appreciate what the editors hope to accomplish with this collection. An apt title, Love Across Borders, that is for sure.

Decimal Rating: 3.50
Star Rating: 3.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: e-book
# of Pages: 91 pages
Source: TBRL
Male/Female Author: Both

Currently Reading: For my physical book, I am at the half-way mark in China Mieville's Un Lun Dun for the group read..... enjoying the world build and some of the amusing characters, like Curdle. For my e-read, I started reading The Demon of Montreal during my lunch break and it looks like Un Lun Dun is going to be taking a back seat tonight as I continue reading this interesting suspense story that I am at a loss to describe.

Hi Lori, great to see you back. Hope you are able to kick this latest head cold, December is such a busy month and the last thing you need is not to feel 100%. You've renewed my interest in the Millenium trilogy. I have only read the first one and even though I loved it, I never got back to the other books. Will have to plan on fitting them in next year.

I was sad too, Lori, when I finished the Millenium trilogy. I has stretched my reading out to 3 years, reading one each year while we were on vacation so I could just wallow in them.

I actually think, Judi, that they get better as they go along. You should really get to book 2 :D

> 21 - Thanks, Judy! I have the cold down to the odd sniffle and cough so here is hoping I am fully recovered by the weekend. Like Betty said, the Millennium books build on and improve on the story.... just get ready for the feeling of abandonment once you finish the third one and realize that there are no more coming. ;-(

> 22 - I had no will power once I got going to stretch the stories out... and this was with full knowledge that they end with book three (sometimes I am a bit oblivious to what is going with a book series I am not following).

Welcome back.

This month is kicking my butt when it comes to LT-time too. Hope your cold is getting better!

> 24 - Thanks, Lori!

> 25 - I think i am finally over this dang-blasted cold, Eva, If I can excuse the odd sneeze as not being cold-related. Here is hoping your month slows down and gives you some time to relax and enjoy the holidays!

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I am currently enjoying a relaxing weekend. I went out yesterday to brave the shops - I needed navy blue buttons for a suit jacket I recently purchased that has awful brown buttons *Ugh* - and saw the insanity that is holiday shopping. Promptly made my purchase and returned to the safe, sane environment of home, where I think I will stay all day today as well.

Woke up this morning to a bit of a shock: Went to turn on my computer as I was heading to the kitchen to turn the kettle on and..... nothing. I flipped the surge protector power button off and on again a few times. Still nothing. Pulled out my cell phone charger and plugged it into one of the free sockets in the surge protector and watched as my cell phone started to charge. With growing dread I had visions of a dead computer. The power supply on my other half's computer decided to pack it in last week (he is currently using the laptop while we wait for the new power supply to arrive as the old one was still under warranty) and I groaned at the thought of two dead machines. The other half fiddled around and was able to determine that some of the sockets in the surge protector have died - which would explain why I could charge my cell phone but not turn on the computer - so he is now looking into getting the surge protector replaced. Today will be spent searching the house to see if we have a spare surge protector we can plug my computer into. Otherwise, my other half will have to go out and brave the crowds to purchase one - can't live on the wet and windy west coast without electronics plugged into surge protectors!

One the reading front, I have finished the novella The Demon of Montreal and I had an enjoyable read through some interior design books as relaxing eye candy. Reviews below.

Book #4 - The Demon of Montreal by A. Michael Schwarz
Read for: Just 'cause



Book Description:

Abby's depression is bringing her down again, but this time toward the ultimate sacrifice. Her clothes aren't fitting her anymore and the universe is erasing her, giving her a custom made fortune cookie with a blank fortune. The darkness before dawn may become permanent as she spirals out of control into an underworld of dark secrets and ancient legends where a man-made demon's love inspired black magick just may prevent the end of the world. A gothic romance with a vigilante twist. Imagine the phantom of the opera and H.P. Lovecraft retelling Clive Barker's books of blood over a pot of Earl Grey Tea with added caffeine.

I won an e-book copy of this one recently through LT's Member's Giveaway program. Horror-genre is outside of my usual reading comfort zone but the idea of a demonic being lurking in - or under - modern day Montreal intrigued me. That and the fact that I figured I could make it through this novella, even if I did find myself getting out of my comfort zone. The story does contain its bit of cringe worthy and disturbingly gory details, so if you are the squeamish type, like me, consider yourself forewarned.

The story has a wonderfully enticing start shrouded in gloomy mystery with refined elements that made me think of The Phantom of the Opera and the film adaptation of V for Vendetta. I wasn't prepared for the shift the story took to go back in time or the Merlin of Schwarz' imagination - a rather jarring shift to the senses, to say the least - but a shift I can appreciate as being key to story being told. Again, you need to have the stomach for the grim horror and rather vivid descriptions that Schwarz imbues his story with. I found our mysterious collector to be a complex,fascinating character and the shining star in this otherwise rather gloomy read. Abby was a 'take it or leave it' kind of character and as for the demon..... well.... that thing still gives me the creeps just thinking about it.

Parts of the story worked amazingly well for me. Some parts were just okay and others seemed to be a bit of a forced fit with the story. At the end I was left with some unanswered questions and I don't know if I just missed the meaning while reading or if something was missing in the story itself. I loved the idea of a complex clock that appears to count down to humanity's doomsday - a unique stopwatch with a winding down momentum mechanism if you will - which I found to be a very nice touch to include in this story.

Overall, I see quality in this story that is hard for me to quantify as I don't as a general rule read books of this genre, so my rating of this story should be viewed as a "one of" and not based on the viewpoint of a seasoned reader of the genre.

Decimal Rating: 3.63
3.25 - Plot Development
3.75 - Character Development
3.50 - Writing Style
3.25 - Readability
3.75 - Premise
3.75 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
4.50 - Originality
3.25 - Length

Star Rating: 3.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: e-book
# of Pages: 116 pages
Source: LT Member's Giveaway
Male/Female Author: Male

Books #5 - Elle Decor Series - Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Kitchens, Living Rooms and Patios and Verandas
Read for: Just 'cause



Given the busy lead up to the holidays, I was in the mood for some eye-candy reading. I love to look at interior design books and these were a fun way to relax as the books consist mostly of wonderful images with some explanatory text.

Bathrooms reinforced something I already knew: I do not like bathtubs that are build into the design of the bathroom like an additional piece of cabinetry.... or built in part of the tile work. Give me a traditional clawfoot (traditional white, not painted blood red as in one picture) or a 19th copper tub any day. I also realized that I do not like the Japanese asceticism look of squared off tubs created out of stone. I like to relax and soak in the tub so a bathing area comprised of 90 degree angles and only 90 degree angles is not exactly relaxing, IMO. Functional, yes, relaxing, no. Also not a fan of upholstered furniture (chairs or sofas) or carpeting in a bathroom, regardless how large the bathroom is. A fireplace in the bathroom is something I would enjoy. Interesting sink ideas but I don't think I am ready for a chrome-plated bucket sink or a shallow dishpan shaped sink.

For Bedrooms, I am more open-minded: so long as the room can accommodate a large comfortable bed and afford some privacy, I'm good. If it is large enough to accommodate a relaxing seating area and a bookcase or two, then I am blissfully happy. For the most part, the bedrooms displayed in this book were pretty boring, although I don't get the idea of a bathtub in the bedroom.... the picture didn't even show a privacy screen! There is the bed and over there.... the bathtub. *shakes head in disbelief* Not many of the bedrooms shown had fireplaces, which is one of my wishlists for my dream home. Oh, and I really, really did not like the bedroom with the second floor gallery that overlooks the bedroom - who design's a bedroom with a public gallery? I don't care if it is in some French provincial farm house, who does that!? Attics, especially in A-frame buildings are tricky to utilize so I really enjoyed seeing the photos of some rather unique ways of utilizing the space as a bedroom. I am also now convinced that I do not do 4-poster or canopy beds except for some ornate 4-posters sans canopy. The dressing rooms really gave me some great ideas - I feel in love with the 'shoes in a drawer' idea.... brilliant!

Ah, Kitchens. I am not an amazing culinary wizard but I do appreciate kitchen designs and functionality. The Kitchens Dining Room section gets a huge negative from me..... think squashing a dining room table and chairs into your limited kitchen space and you get the idea. A number of the kitchens are rather stark in appearance and completely lack the homey touches (outside of the country kitchen images) I have always associated with the kitchen. Love the ranges displayed.... anything that can accommodate cooking a full 5 course dinner without the use of microwave or reheating gets my approval!

Living Rooms are in many cases the hub of the house and open to a wide diversity of tastes and style, which means the most amazing eye candy for me to enjoy. Yes, I got few ideas - decorating tips - from this book. Given how much I love fireplaces, I was a little choked at the boring and utilitarian fire places on display. Give me a huge fire pit that is the focal point of the room - or acts as a divider between two rooms - and you have my interest. Some of the fire places tried to pull this off, with mixed success. the section on book nooks - yes, there is a section on book nooks! - did catch my eye, although I have to say these pictures are nothing compared with the amazing book/ nook/ library images I have feasted my eyes on here on LT. Of course, it also takes on the ever important topic of "white living rooms". I am not a fan of white living rooms or furniture that has that 'protecting dustcover" appearance - you know, furniture that is draped in white coverings that go to the floor. Overall, my least favorite book out of the bunch.

Patios and Verandas are my favorite part of a home. My dream home will have the same square footage of patio space as indoor living space and I love tropical homes that blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living. This all stems from my childhood years living in the tropics where houses blurred the lines or had large, enclosed patio areas. We pretty much living in the patio area and slept in the house. This was my favorite of the five books with wonderful pictures of secluded rooftop patios in the center of town with an overflowing abundance of greenery and wooden, rattan or iron clad furniture. I have now discovered my perfect outdoor reading spot:



I have no idea where this idealistic terrace resides but it has captured my idea of the perfect outdoor reading space. The book has a wonderful section on verandas - I love old colonial homes with the wide, wrap around verandas - and it was refreshing to see so many unique verandas captured here. Did I glean any new ideas? Not really, the book just generated a wistful pining for environments that foster veranda living, and there is nothing wrong with that!

Decimal Rating: 4.00
Star Rating: 4.00 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: hard cover
# of Pages: 128 (X5) = 640 pages
Source: friend
Male/Female Author: N/A

Sorry to hear about the surge protector, Lori, I certainly know how much we need one living on the West Coast. (Touch wood, we haven't had a power-out for quite some time). Now I am looking worriedly at my surge protector which is about four years old.

That looks like a wonderful reading spot! It's especially enticing because outside my house, there's a pile of snow and we're expecting freezing rain tomorrow. Ugh.

The Demon of Montreal sounds interesting. Having grown up in the suburbs of Montreal, I always enjoy stories set in that city.

I too felt sad when I got to the end of the Millennium trilogy, but the sadness didn't last. Because of those books, I started reading other Nordic crime novels and now have a number of favourite authors and so many books in my TBR list that I won't run out anytime soon.

I saw a blip on the NPR website the other day that the Swedish publisher of Larsson's books has hired someone to write a fourth novel in the series. Due out in Aug 15 I think it said.

I wonder if they could possibly measure up. Somehow it does seem complete even though one would like it to continue.

I wish they would leave well enough alone with The Millennium trilogy. His partner never wanted to continue but his father and sibling(s)? decided to do it and they are Larsson's heirs. I don't think I'll read them. I loved the first 3 books and I saw the possibility for more but I'd rather be left wanting than completely disappointed.

I noticed a few loose ends that could have moved into another book. I figure I'll wait and see what the critics say and then decide.

> 29 - Hi Judy, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised about the surge protector, considering it was bought back in 2009. Joining you in touching wood and power failures. Victoria had an interesting power failure about two weeks ago that reminded me how important surge protectors are. Our home wasn't impacted but where I work was - there is something telling in a power failure that hits at 4:26 pm, right when one is wrapping up their work day! - that impacted a piece of heavy duty equipment as caused to expected scramble to see if it was covered under insurance.

> 30 - Hi Paulina, images of a summertime verandah/patio when winter is the reality are enticing! The Demon of Montreal was a good read, even for the non-horror genre reader that I am! I haven't migrated over to other Nordic crime novels yet but having used the Millennium trilogy as the first dip, I think i am ready to branch out and try a couple of other authors.

> 31 - My other half mentioned something to me that he publishers have hired another writer to step in and write the fourth book! I am undecided on how I feel about that - are they going to try and retain the 'feel' or writing style of Larsson or will this be a 'same characters written my way' kind of story? I am curious but rather hesitant.....

> 32 - My thoughts exactly, mysterymax!

> 33 - Good point, Roberta and exactly where my thoughts are on this one! Without a doubt, the reaction when the fourth book is released will prove interesting.

> 34 - Sounds like the best position to take.... lets see what is produced and the reaction to it.

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I have been going through my holiday preparations checklist and I think I am ready for the holidays to commence. I just need to get in the necessary food and drink items to cover off the really important days of Dec 24-26 and we are set. I cannot remember the last time I was this prepared so something is bound to go sideways and cause the usual last minute panic. ;-)

I do have a book review for posted, but first, my local library has, as of Monday, started to offer a digital content service that is new to me and I am wondering if others here in LTland have used the service, or know about it, and can comment on it. The new service is Hoopla, described as

"a digital media service that allows you to borrow free video, music and audiobooks. hoopla has with a great selection of movies, television shows, educational/instructional videos, documentaries, music, and audiobooks. You borrow hoopla titles via a browser, smartphone or tablet (iOS 6 and select Android devices)."

Of course, this caught my eye, along with the fact that I can borrow 12 titles a month and that it operated on an "on demand" basis - no placing holds and waiting for your turn in the queue. A quick skim of the available content (after signing up) had a few movies catch my eye. If I want to watch a movie on a bigger screen (like the monitor for my computer), it is as 'streaming video', but if I am okay with watching on the much smaller screen of my iPod Touch - unless Santa gives me an iPad for Christmas - then the item is downloadable with a 3-day loan period. Has anyone else used this service and if so, what do you think of it?

Book #6 - Un Lun Dun by China Mieville
Read for: Group Read and December RandomCAT



I guess I should start this review off by stating that my first Mieville read was Perdido Street Station where I was completely blown away by the world build and the story. I also found his short story collection Looking for Jake to be a wonderful glimpse into how Mieville is able to transcend genres and produce amazing stories.

Un Lun Dun is, without a doubt, geared towards a younger audience. Mieville stays true to his craft as a creator of interesting worlds and in stretching the boundaries or writing other world stories. Un Lun Dun has a bit of frivolous fun to it. With characters like Curdle and book, the story has a touch of whimsy to it. The world build has a fun creativity to it, with more than enough recognizable cues to provide the reader with a smoothish transition from their world into the world of unLundon. Some say this one carries a bit of strong environmental message, but I say environment was the theme Mieville used to create Un Lun Dun, not the message to be conveyed between the pages. If that was the message he wanted to convey, I did not find it overt to the point of grandstanding or overshadowing this story. The story captured my interest in at the start but I found my interest waned as I made my way through the book. Part of me thinks I would have been able to maintain my reading momentum if I had been able to set aside time to read it from start to finish over a day or two. As it is, I had to stagger my reading over a period of 11 days and I believe that affected my momentum for this story to the point where I ended up skim reading the last 30 pages just to finish it.

Mieville is a difficult author to pin down or to recommend to others. The fact that he refuses to stick to a genre makes him a fluid author of amazing talent and a frustrating author to follow with full enthusiasm. Un Lun Dun was just an okay read for me, mainly because I had experienced the stunning world build experience of Perdido Street Station and couldn't help but compare it to Un Lun Dun, leading me to grapple with the nagging feelings that I found Un Lun Dun lacking in my overall experience of the story. That being said, Un Lun Dun is a wonderful read geared towards capturing the attention of a younger generation of readers. For me, I am glad to have experienced Un Lun Dun for the fun read that it was and I will continue my journey through Mieville's works with enthusiasm as I am sure he has more books that will captivate me just like he did with Perdido Street Station.

Decimal Rating: 3.28
3.00 - Plot Development
3.25 - Character Development
3.50 - Writing Style
3.25 - Readability
3.25 - Premise
3.50 - Imagery/Visualization
N/A - Artistry (GN) / Narration (Audio)
4.00 - Originality
2.50 - Length

Star Rating: 3.50 Stars
Book Stats:
Format: Trade paperback
# of Pages: 496 pages
Source: TBR
Male/Female Author: Male

But -

> 34 - Sounds like the best position to take.... lets see what is produced and the reaction to it.

Who is going to do the test drive?

Good question! Care to offer your services, mm? We have some time to kill before we need to find readers for the fourth book - I think I read that they are planning/hoping to release it in 2015 in line with the 10th anniversary of Larsson's death and I some how doubt that they will simultaneously release it locally in Swedish and internationally in English. Should we suggest our LT Swedish contingent - I know we have more than one or two in this group! - test drive the fourth book for us when it comes out and report back?

Agreed! (Better them than me!) lol :)

> 39 - :-)

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After some thought process and examination of the available food items in the local shops, I have caved to my other half's wishes for a turkey dinner on Christmas day. Duck was an option, but as I have never cooked duck before I decided Christmas day wasn't the day to start experimenting. Cornish game hens are so tiny I cringe at the thought of the time and effort to prepare something so small. I love lamb roasts but the ones on offer in the shops looked overly fatty and overly pricey, so turkey it is. The bird and all of the fixings have been purchased, ready for the 25th to come.

Homemade wild rice vegetable beef soup is simmering on the stove for dinner tonight and a relaxing evening indoors in on the agenda.

Happy weekend, everyone!

40> Next year try turducken. It's comes already prepared - you just have to cook it. That way you don't have to decide :-)

LOL! I have read about turkucken and still have trouble wrapping my mind around the idea of a deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck that is in turn stuffed into a turkey! Although I am intrigued..... I am guessing that the greasier duck helps keep the turkey from drying out while it is cooking. We don't have a problem with dry turkeys in our house. The turkey is coated in olive oil and salt, put in the oven on a very high heat for the first 40 minutes to sear it and then lower the temp for normal cooking.... prefect juicy turkey every time!

Un Lun Dun was my first Mieville disappointment, Lori. I had high expectations based on other books, and his pitch to a younger age group just didn't work for me.

My favorite of his is The City & The City.

I thought Un Lun Dun had a terrific setting and some great writing, both complex but then let down by a simplfied story. Sure it was for younger readers but it just felt unbalanced, it deserved a less obvious and more complex plot OR a slighter more straightforward approach to storytelling. I just couldnt quite tell what age group it was aimed at.

> 43 - Mine too, Joe. I have yet to read The City & The City but as I have a copy waiting for me on my TBR bookcase, I will probably be moving that one up my reading list!

> 44 - Hi Claire, with Un Lun Dun Mieville still pulls off his ability to create a unique alternate reality. The focus for a younger audience has its merits and had me thinking a bit about Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan trilogy, which I absolutely loved. Not quite as good as Westerfeld's trilogy but something that can be recommended to a wide audience of readers all the same. I do think it makes a good book to recommend to readers that have never delved into Mieville or alternate world stories before. It also makes me wish books like these had been around when I was growing up..... not that I am complaining. ;-)

--------------------------

As I work tomorrow and will head straight from work to start my holiday festivities, tonight seems like a good time to wish all the wonderful visitors who have stopped by my thread over the past year a joyful holiday season and best wishes for 2014!

Happy Holidays Lori!

Merry Christmas Lori!

Merry Christmas and I hope your work day goes by quickly!

Have a wonderful Christmas, Lori!

Have a great time over the holidays!

Merry Christmas to you too!

Seasons Greetings, Lori. Enjoy your delicious traditional dinner!

Thank you Kelly, Carrie, rabbitprincess, Judy, Tricia, Betty, and Kay for the holiday wishes!

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We kept gifts to a minimum but my other half still managed to surprise me with a 800ml bottle of 4711 original eau de cologne, which has been a personal favorite of mine for decades. The bottle is ginormous! I did have a good laugh when my other half informed me that he has had that particular gift 'stashed away' for the past 6 months, waiting for Christmas. ;-) We had a movie marathon of holiday classics - It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas eve and then Holiday Inn, White Christmas and The Great Escape, a movie we watch every year at this time, on Christmas Day. The traditional dinner, as Kay has correctly pointed out, was perfect.

I am not much of a Boxing Day shopper - I had dealing with the crowds and, quite frankly, they never seem to have anything that I am willing to brave the crowds to purchase, so I am enjoying a relaxing day at home before heading back to work tomorrow morning.

On the Reading Front: - This is is where I now admit to having abandoned a book in the lead up to the holidays. I made it about 60 pages into Murray Bail's Eucalyptus and found I just was not in the right frame of mind for it. Back on the TBR bookcase it went. I then decided I was in the mood for a more cozy, comfort type of read so I picked up A Light in the Window, book two in Jan Karon's Mitford Years series. I am enjoying being back in Mitford with Father Tim and the gang. For my current e-book read I am reading Lisa Morton's Netherworld (touchstone for book title not working), which I received from the December LTER batch. Really enjoying the Victorian era adventure setting of the book and Lady Diana Furnaval, who has made it her mission to locate and close the gateways between our world and the netherworld.

Oh - the Karon series is another series begging me to re-read it.

Terri - Karon has created such a wonderful cast of characters (and characters they are!) in her sleepy little town of Mitford, making these stories such an enjoyable comfort read for me. I can see where you would be drawn in to re-read the series.... it is a delight to read!

Lori, belated Merry Christmas to you! Glad you had a nice holiday.

Thanks, Christina! It was lovely and I am now having a difficult time wrapping my head around the idea that it is now the weekend..... didn't I just have two days off?! ;-)

I'm a bit late for Merry Christmas, but I will wish you a Happy New Year. It sounds like you were very well organized for Christmas. I have also heard of the turducken but have never seen or tried one. Maybe next year.

Thanks Ro! Yes, no surprises or last minute panics this year but my reading..... well, that has slowed considerably! If I manage to finish the two books I am currently reading in the next 4 days, I will be happy.

Another book down, this time an LTER book I won from the November batch that was enticing enough to capture my attention. I still have to finish A Light in the Window and one more book of my TBR bookcase if I intend to meet my goal of 30 ROOTs read in 2013, so I anticipate some serious reading will occur this weekend!

I have been tinkering with my book review template so I am going to test drive that out as well:

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Book #7 - Netherworld by Lisa Morton
Challenge(s):
CAT(s):
Source: LTER
Format: e-book
Publication date: January, 2014
Page count: 284 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.80/ stars

Book description/summary: From the Barnes and Noble website:

In nineteenth-century Victorian England, a young widow finds that she has inherited more than her late husband's property: The Furnavals serve as the ancestral keepers of supernatural portals scattered around the globe. When demonic entities begin crossing over from the Netherworld, Lady Diana realizes that a war is brewing, and she must be the one to confront it. Accompanied by a young Chinese sailor named Yi-kin, her feline guardian Mina, and a mysterious scholar, Stephen, Diana will begin a journey to solve the mystery of her husband's death and prevent the apocalypse.

Review:
This was a great book for me in so many ways. I gravitate towards anything set in or around the Victorian England period and I also love a good romping adventure. This story has both as we follow our heroine from England to Transylvania then onwards to India, China, across America and back home to the Furnaval estate in Derby. The world circa 1880 is captured very nicely here and I really liked the historical and mythical background research that went into this story. The characters, and in particular sweet Mina helped to lighten what could have easily been written as a really dark and twisted story of horror given the demonic activities that abound in it. The character Howie was amusing to say the least and a personal favorite from this story, after Mina. Howie reminded me of the delight of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas...... just don't ask me to explain why my mind made that connection. Lady Diana is my kind of heroine: gritty and forceful when she needs to be but for the most part a society lady who mourns her lose deeply and wonders whether or not she is up to the task at hand. I mean, lets be honest, who among us is up to taking on the task of working to close all of the gateways between our world and the Netherworld, and facing the demons that await to stop you? The plot isn't overwhelming. Morton give the reader breathing space between bouts of suspense so while it was a good read, it wasn't a mesmerizing page turner for me. The climax was well done but the ending reminded me that this one still has a bit of the romance in it, and didn't completely work for me.... seemed a bit like a quick and easy way to end the story.

Overall, this story is a wonderful blending of demonic horror and the civilities of Victorian society, a dichotomy when explained as plainly as I have but one that works wonderfully as a story under Morton's pen. This has a more stylized quality to it than Carriger's Parasol Protectorate without losing the lighter tone to the story. This one has a little bit of everything - references to Vlad the impaler, faeries, Robin Goodfellow (aka "Puck") and the lizard people of Hopi legend and I was delighted to see that it is the first book in a series.

#60 by lkernagh> I have Netherworld as an ER also. Glad to hear it is good fun.

Netherworld sounds very appealing. It might be a good choice for our steampunk book club.

Netherworld does sound good. I think I'll keep my eye open for more reviews. I hate finding new series that I just have to read. This sounds like one I wouldn't be able to quit following.

> 61 - Jean, it was a good read, with some parts of the story better than others. Netherworld is a very interesting place!

> 62 - Paulina, the book cover does seem to give the impression that it is a steampunk read but there is nothing steampunk about it, except for maybe the steam powered boat they travel in but those were around in the 1880's. Lady Diana is just practical in how she dresses when she is working on closing gateways (she wears pants and boots instead of the skirts of the era). Still, it was a good read.

> 63 - There should be a lot of reviews for you to check out, Christina. If I remember correctly, there were 100 e-books offered up through LTER as well as some hard copies.

----------------------

Today will be a relaxing day of laundry and reading..... nothing else. I want to finish my current read and find a really short one to close out my 2013 reading before I officially move my reading over to my 2014 thread.

>64 lkernagh:: OK, good to know that about Netherworld, but it sounds like a great read, whether it's steampunk or not.

60 & 61> I also have it as an ER. Might have to read it sooner, rather than later.

> 65 - I am still learning how some books pose as steampunk when they are not. The fact that a number of books are tagged as being steampunk here on LT when they aren't doesn't help matters any either. :-)

> 61 and 66 - Since you both have copies of Lisa Morton's Netherworld I am going to be an imp now and let you know that it fits the travel component of the January RandomCAT...... just saying. *nudge, nudge* ;-)

67> So, I don't have to worry about trying to read it in December for the L AlphaCAT? Good to know. ;-)

@ 67 -- Also the gates/doors aspect of the January RandomCAT! :)

> 68 - Yup!

> 69 - Good catch, Christina! Yes, the gateway portals between our world and the netherworld would also fit the January RandomCAT.... I really should have held off a few more days before reading Netherworld. ;-)

One more book finished and I have chosen a short one off my TBR bookcase to close out my 2013 reading and to help me finish my ROOT challenge.

------------------------------


Book #8 - A Light in the Window by Jan Karon
Challenge(s): ROOT
CAT(s):
Source: TBR Bookcase
Format: Trade paperback
Publication date: February, 1996
Acquisition date: 2011-05-14
Page count: 382 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.70 out of 5 /

Book description/summary: From the Amazon.com website:

His attractive neighbor is tugging at his heartstrings. A wealthy widow is pursuing him with hot casseroles. And his red-haired Cousin Meg has moved into the rectory, uninvited. As you can see, Mitford's rector and lifelong bachelor, Father Tim, is in need of divine intervention. In this beautifully crafted second novel in the Mitford series, Jan Karon delivers a love story that's both heartwarming and hilarious. Only time will tell if the village parson can practice what he preaches.

Review:
As comfort reads go, Jan Karon's Mitford Years series is a quiant way to relax and recharge one's batteries..... get away from the hustle and bustle of life (or in my case, get away from the stress and frantic activity that is the holiday season!) and be reminded of the important things in life. Not quite as good as book one At Home in Mitford, IMO, but still an entertaining read that brought a smile to my face and the odd tear to my eye. I would give anything to be able to see Miss Sadie's home, Fernbank, and that amazing ballroom - not to mention the Porter Place - mand meet Miss Rose and Uncle Billie!

I will continue the next book in the series the next time I feel the pressures of everyday life and need to escape to a small town where time seems to have a different pace and where the townfolk band together when difficulties occur.

I have completed my *last* read of 2013 - which isn't all that climatic and achievement since it is short 95 page novella - but, hey, that still counts as a ROOT read and takes my to 100 books read in 2013 so I can sit back and bask in the glow of that achievement for one day before I officially start my 2014 reading.

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Book #9 - Night Train to NykoBing by Kristjana Gunnars
Challenge(s): ROOT
CAT(s):
Source: TBR Bookcase
Format: Trade paperback
Original publication date: copyright, 1998 / publication September 10, 2002
Acquisition date: 2012-5-12
Page count: 96 pages
Decimal/ Star rating: 3.20 out of 5 /

Book description/summary: From the book inside cover flap:

A woman hopelessly in love boards the night train to Nykobing, Denmark, not knowing if hte lover she leaves o the station platform will ever be with her again. "Inside every greeting there is also a farewell," the narrator tells us, and then, through attempts to write her distant lover a letter she knows will never be sent, she rcounts a long vigil, inspired by love, and her conspiracy with a waiting heart.

Review:
Well, I really, don't know quite what to say about this one. It makes for a fractured, fragmented read, but maybe that is the intention since we are dealing with a narrator going through the throws of an emotional angst/release. A story somewhat disengaged like our narrator. Some of the literary quotes - like the one from Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars - I recognized. Others, like the numerous quotes from Clarise Lispector and Italo Calvino, I did not recognize. I get the emotional turmoil bit and did enjoy the story as written, there was a lot that I didn't understand or connect with. The book flap talks about this story as being, and I quote: "a transformative tale that articulates the dense codes of love, the passion of waiting, and the terrifying intensity of a life on the edge of abandonment." Sounds amazing when put like that but I didn't find the story transformative or the intensity described as being terrifying. It is a story of a woman who was lost - set adrift by her own choice, if you will - and through time and reflective thought, finds her true self once again.

It is possible that I rushed through this one and it may make more sense on a slower, second methodical read-through but for the most part I have to call this one one of those literary works that are smartly written and offer themselves up to the reader for indepth examination, something I wasn't up to tackling on the second last day of 2013. It did capture my interest enough that I will do something I don't normally do - I am going to keep this copy for a future re-read.

I will now migrate my reading over to my 2014 Category Challenge and I look forward to seeing everyone over there. In the meantime, I want to wish everyone a

Time for the year-end wrap up summary and a fun year-end reading meme!

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YEAR END STATS COMPARISON:

Here is a side-by-side comparison of my reading stats for the past three years:

No. of Books read:
2013 - 100
2012 - 73
2011 - 99

Largest book read by page count:
2013 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas at 1,314 pages
2012 - The Distant Hours by Kate Morton at 576 pages
2011 - Perdido Street Station by China Mieville at 640 pages

Smallest book read by page count:
2013 - Lies, Knives and Girls in Red Dresses by Ron Koertge at 88 pages
2012 - Scotland Road by Jeffrey Hatcher at 48 pages
2011 - a tie: The Little Prince By Antoine Saint-Exupery and Building the Pauson House by Allan Wright Green, both at a mere 96 pages

# Pages read:
2013 - 31,532
2012 - 19,048
2011 - 31,048

Average # pages per book read:
2013 - 315 pages
2012 - 261 pages
2011 - 313 pages

Favorite Reads:
2013
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novil
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

2012
The Island Walkers by John Bemrose
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Ru by Kim Thuy
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Whylah Falls by George Elliott Clarke

2011
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Empire Falls by Richard Russo
Goliath by Scott Westerfeld
Into That Darkness by Steven Price

---------------------------

Year end meme - (courtesy of Stephen (Ape)): Just fill in the answers with books you read this year.

Describe yourself: The Anatomist's Apprentice

Describe how you feel: Love and the Mess We're In

Describe where you currently live: At Home in Mitford

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Netherworld

Your favorite form of transportation: His Majesty's Dragon - Hey, it works. Captain Will Laurence 'rides' Temeraire, who just happens to be His Majesty's Dragon. ;-)

Your best friend is: The Count of Monte Cristo - In my dreams but seriously, what a cool person to know!

You and your friends are: Blameless

What’s the weather like: Snow Falling on Cedars

You fear: The Bloody Chamber

What is the best advice you have to give: Enter at Your Own Risk: Old Masters, New Voices

Thought for the day: Go Ask Alice

How I would like to die: A Death in the Small Hours

My soul’s present condition: Changeless

I think I'm going to borrow your end of year summary stats. I like the comparisons between years and I think I'll take the time to go back three years and see if I can find all that stuff. Might look that meme over too and see what I've got.

Betty, I found it a bit surprising how my reading has varied over just the past three years! The meme is fun and always a surprise when the perfect answer to one of the questions shows in the title of a book read. ;-)

Snow Falling on Cedars would also be appropriate here! Good answers ;)

I really wish we had some of that wonderful white stuff on Vancouver Island but sadly, nope. I understand our one ski hill, Mount Washington, has been unable to open yet this season on account of there not being enough of a snow base. *sighs* ;-)

>73 lkernagh:/74

Stupid question but what do you need to do to run those statistics? (I assume it wasn't tracked manually but through a nifty LT meme that I simply cannot seem to find.)

The way I did it was - I always put a tag on the book with the year I read it. So I went into the "my library" collection and pulled all the tags for (ex) 2013, then I sorted mine by the # of stars I gave it. But you could do it alphabetically or by book title, however you want to see it. If you don't tag your books with the year, then I'm not sure.

Yes, I tag mine as well so this should be manageable. Thanks for the info. Pity LT doesn't have a system generated thingy that does this automatically.

> 78 - There is no such thing as a stupid question! I have been tracking my reading stats for the past three years in Excel so it was pretty easy to number crunch the stats. As for the meme, I tag all of my reading based on the year I read it in so it was easy for me to scan my 2013 reading to come up with the title answers for the meme. Now, if only there was a nifty LT device/thingee/whatsit that would take care of data entry for me, then I would well and truly be in heaven! ;-)

> 79 - Great minds think alike, I see!

Great summary! And a nice round number of books read! I'm already looking forward to reading your thread in 2014!

Thanks!

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Time to post my current 2014 reading and to admit that I seem to be spending more time right now on LT than in any actual book reading:

Currently Reading:

Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Hotel Paradisio by Gregor Robinson

Lori, I've been reading some, but with the house full on Wednesday, driving yesterday, and a headache most of today, I've not made as much progress as I'd like. I may actually finish up a cookbook before I finish my first fiction read. I think there's a chance I could finish my first fiction book tomorrow. It does take awhile to find and star all the threads at the beginning of the year. I also am still evaluating many of them. I do try to catch up once a week with everything, but right now, I can hardly keep my head above water with the threads.

Happy new year, lori! Just caught up with this thread before following you over to the 2014 challenge, Lori. 31,500 pages read is truly impressive - alomst exactly double what I managed this year.

I'm not volonteering to read the fourth book in the Milennium series, by the way. Three books of Blomqvist was quite enough for me, even if I wouldn't mind some more Salander. And the whole scheme feels way to much like grave robbery to make me comfortable. The family of Larsson (whom he hardly had any contact with) seem to have been handling the fact that they inherited him based on him not leaving a proper will with very little honor. There was even, at one point, talk of throwing his life partner Eva out of the couple's home. Since they were not married, she has no legal right to his estate. Don't know how that played out.

I have to say I agree with you regarding the planned fourth Millennium book - I don't know why they won't let the legacy left with Larsson's death alone and leave it at three books. I am more comfortable with creating in my own mind what I think a fourth book would look like but to hire a writer to do that seems wrong. Sounds like they (and I think I am meaning the publishers when I say "they") are looking to cash in if they plan to publish the new book in time for the 10th anniversary of Larsson's death.

Looking forward to seeing over on my new thread, which can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/158970

I thought I had read somewhere that Larsson left an unfinished manuscript at his death. Maybe the fourth book is based on that manuscript?

Good question, Carrie. I guess we won't know until the publishers release more information.

I'm still trying to finish reading all my favourite 2013 threads but will migrate over to your 2014 thread soon. I enjoyed your year-end recap and was impressed by your final page count!

Sorry I missed the end of your reading year - looks like you had a great one, though! I'm with Anders on the Millennium-issue - it does feel like grave robbery. I'll be passing on the fourth installment if it happens. See you over on the 2014!