Streamsong #4 - Falling Into Winter

And of course you can't do the above only one time . Cold? Buy. Repeat. With all the climate change talk, we might have a record bad winter and need to stock up a bit.



Hi - and welcome to my new thread.

If you haven't been here before, I'm Janet, a recently retired (!!!) technician in an NIH research lab in western Montana, which is an absolutely beautiful part of the country.

I'll probably read about 104 books this year - two per week. My weakness is that ***ALL*** the challenges looks good. I am also very suggestible - if you are enthusiastic about something you are reading, I'm liable to give it a try.

CURRENTLY READING:



- The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht - 2011 - acquired 2012 ROOT acq'd 2012 = 4 ROOT points
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Jack Thorne - 2016 - (gift)

COMPLETED BUT NOT REVIEWED:

October
- Life After Life - Kate Atkinson - Oct BAC challenge; audiobook; library
- The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien - 1990 - GeoCat: SE Asia (Vietnam); 1001; Global Reading; ROOT 2014 = 2 ROOT points - listening to audio
- Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterill - 2007 - Halloween Read - murder, ghosts; Geocat: Southeast Asia (Laos); ROOT 2014 = 2 ROOT points
- The Thirteen Clocks - James Thurber - 1950 - Halloween reads - magical YA catagory; 1001 books; library
- Doc - Mary Doria Russell - 2011 - TIOLI #9. Read a book where one of the words in the title can be changed to different word by either changing a letter, adding a letter, or deleting a letter library
- Make Someone Happy - Elizabeth Berg - 2016 - October TIOLI 1. Read a book with a one-word weather forecast on page 33; purch 2016
November
December:
- Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood - 2016; TIOLI ##8: Read a book centered around a specific work of art; audiobook from library
- The Tempest - William Shakespeare - TIOLI#15: Read a fantasy/scifi book set in our world; audio from library; also read online
- A Modest Proposal - Jonathan Swift - 1729 - 1001 - online audiobook through Librivox
- Of Love and Shadows - Isabel Allende - 1984 - 1001 Oct group read; library
- The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All - Gregory Bassham - 2003; Non-Fiction Challenge: Philosophy; TIOLI # 10. Read a book that has a "ruling" word in the title or author's name; ROOT acquired pre 2006 = 10 ROOT points
- Between the World And Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates - 2015 - Library Brown Bag Book Club; acquired 2016
- A Common Life - Jan Karon - 2001 - ROOT ac'd 2015 = 1 ROOT point
- A Redbird Christmas - Fannie Flagg - 2004 - ROOT 2015 = 1 ROOT point; listening to audio
- Mexico: Stories - Josh Barkan - 2016 - LTER
- The Shock Doctrine - Naomi Klein - 2005 - ROOT acquired 2015 = 1 ROOT point
- March: Book One - John Lewis - 2013 - library


November
December

BOOKS READ FIRST QUARTER 2016

Completed in January

1.Kristin Lavransdatter III: The Cross - Sigrid Undset - 1922 - Women Bingopup #10 - Award Winner;Root #1/50 acquired 2008 = 8/225 ROOT points
2. Thank You, Jeeves - P.G. Wodehouse - 1934 - Dec 2015 BAC; January TIOLI #21- Read a book with tea mentioned in the text; 1001; audiobook in the car; library
3. Ragtime - E.L. Doctorow - 1975 - Dec 2015 AAC; 1001, library
4. Without You, There is No Us - Suki Kim - 2015 - LTER; 75'ers Non-fiction challenge biography; TIOLI #6. Read a book written by an American author but set primarily anywhere other than America; Women BingoPup #11 - Memoir; ROOT #2/50; acquired 2015 = 1 ROOT point 9/225
5. Divided: The Perils of Our Growing Inequality - David Cay Johnson - 2014; Brown Bag Book Club; TIOLI #13. Read a Book where D or U starts a word in the title or an initial of the Author's name; ROOT# 3/50 - acquired 2015 = 1 ROOT point - 10/225

Completed in February
6. The Accidental Tourist - Anne Tyler - 1985 - January AAC: Feb TIOLI #14. Read a book with a "leap" in the title or text.(pg 175 He’d been prepared to leap into action); library
7. Hellhound on His Trail - Hampton Sides - 2010 - TIOLI #15 Read a book for black history month; audiobook; library
8. Fun Home - Alison Bechdel - 2006; TIOLI #10. Read a book with the word 'extraordinary' or a synonym of this word somewhere on the front or back cover (stupendous); graphic novel - library
9. Joe and Azat - Jesse Longergan - 2009 - Geocat Central Asia - Turkmenistan; TIOLI #7. Read a book at least partially set in a country/planet that you’ve never read a book about and/or set in before (shared read); GN, library
10. Hell is Empty - Craig Johnson - 2011; Longmire group read; TIOLI # 11. Read a book that is part of a series that has been (or is about to be) adapted into a television show; audiobook; library
11. The Most Wanted Man in China - Fang Lizhi - LTER; Chatterbox's 75'ers history challenge; Feb TIOLI #19: Read a nonfiction book that's about a people/religion/history/politics/country of the Asian continent; ROOT #4/50; acquired 2014 = 1 ROOT point = 11/225
12. The Art Forger - B. A. Shapiro - 2012 - Real Life Book Club; Feb TIOLI Read a book where a word in the title can be an action (forge); Women Author's Bingo - less than 10 years old; - acquired 2016
13. Gift From the Sea - Anne Morrow Lindbergh - 1955; Dewey cat 100's (170.8); TIOLI #12. Read a book written at least 50 years ago; ROOT #5/50; acquired 2008 = 8 ROOT points = 19/225
14. These Heroic, Happy Dead - Luke Mogelson - 2016 - LTER- Geocat - Afghanistan; 18. Read a book with a four-corner-letter-word on page 20 or 16 ROOT #6/50; acquired 2015 = 1 ROOT point (20/225)
15. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie - 1925 - Feb BAC; 1001 Books, TIOLI #17. Read a book with a person-possessive title; library

Completed in March
16. A Walk in the Woods - Bill Bryson - 1998- 75'ers non-fiction: travel; TIOLI # 3. Read a book with an embedded word in the title (kin); ROOT# 7/50; acq'd 2008 = 8 ROOT points (28/225)
17. Tess of the d'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy - 1891 - March - British Author Challenge; 1001; March TIOLI # Read a book with an embedded word in the title -(soft); ROOT # 8/50; acquired 2012 = 4 ROOT points - 32/225
18. Winter - Marissa Meyer - 2015 - Fantasy February; March TIOLI #2: Read a book you're a bit panicky over (overdue at library); Doorstop Challenge (832 pages);Women Bingo #1 - woman ruler; audiobook in the car - library
19. War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy - 1868- 3 month long group read; 1001; March TIOLI #Challenge #9: Read a book where the author's first or last name starts with the letter "L" (shared) ROOT #9/50 acquired 2015 = 1 ROOT point 33/225
20. Woman in the Mists - Farley Mowat - 1987 - March CAC; Global Reading - Rwanda; March TIOLI # 13. Read a book of ethology or the study of non-human animal behavior; ROOT #10/50 acquired 2011 = 5 ROOT points = 38/225
21. Norwegian By Night - Derek B. Miller - 2012 - Library Brown Bag Book Club; TIOLI #7. Read a book with yellow on the cover; Global Challenge: Norway; acquired 2016
22. Gnostic Gospels - Elaine Pagels - 1979; Dewey Cat : 200 Religion (273.1); ROOT #11/50; acq'd 2012 = 4 ROOT points = 42/225

BOOKS READ SECOND QUARTER 2016

Completed in APRIL
23. SuperFreakonomics - Steven D. Levitt - 2009 - April Dewey Challenge 300-350; ROOT #12/50; acq'd 2015 = 1 ROOT point =43/225; audio in car
24. A Manual for Cleaning Women - Lucia Berlin - 2015 - #11: Read a book that has the word "coffee" in the second chapter - library
25. Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm - from Scratch - Lucie B. Amundsen - 2016 - LTER - acquired 2016
26. Late Wife: Poems - Claudia Emerson - 2005 - American Author Challenge- Poetry; Pulitzer Prize Challenge; WomonBingoPup #24 - Poetry or Plays; library
27. A Wreath for Emmett Till - Marilyn Nelson - 2005 - AAC - poetry; library
28. Silas Marner - George Eliot -1861 - BAC, 1001, TIOLI #21. Read a book written by an author who wrote mostly using a pseudonym; WomenBingoPup - Male Pseudonym; online Project Gutenberg
29. As the Crow Flies - Craig Johnson - 2012 - Longmire Group Read TIOLI # 2 #2: Read a book of that starts with the letters from APRIL - audio - library
30. Fifth Business - Robertson Davies - 1970 - 1001; January CAC; TIOLI #16. Read a book by one of the eight authors featured so far on the Canadian Author Challenge; library
31. Billy Collins Live - Billy Collins - 2005 - AAC Poetry month; audiobook in the car; acquired 2016
32. The Fixer: A Story from Sarajevo - Joe Sacco - 2003 - GN - Global Reading List: Bosnia and Herzegovina; library
33. Annie John - Jamaica Kincaid - 1985 - 1001 Books; Global Reading List: Antigua; Geocat: island; library
34. The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway - 2008 - Library Brown Bag Book Club; Reread; (ROOT # 13/50- 2011 = 5 points -48/225)
35. Proof of Heaven - Eben Alexander III - 2012 - 75'er's Nonfiction Challenge :religion; TIOLI #14. Read a Book Whose Title Contains a Word or Words With Consecutive Vowels; ROOT #14/50; acq'd 2013 = 3 points = 51/225
36. The Rosie Effect - Graeme Simsion - 2014 -Autism/Asperger's group read; TIOLI #4. Read a book with a flower in the title or the author's name; -audiobook in the car - library
37. Wilderness Tips - Margaret Atwood - 1991 - Canadian Author Challenge; short stories; Women Pup Bingo #13 - By or About a Woman - library
38. All About Love: New Visions - bell hooks - 2000; acquired 2016
39. Heaven is For Real - Todd Burpo - 2010- April Nonfiction Challenge: Religion; April TIOLI - a book that you have seen the movie; ROOT #15/50 - acquired 2013 = 3 ROOT points

COMPLETED IN MAY
40. A Stolen Life - Jaycee Dugard - 2011 - DeweyCat Challenge: 355 - 399: military science, social services, criminology, education, commerce, transportation, customs, etiquette, and folklore; ROOT #16/50, acquired 2015 = 1 ROOT point = 52/225; audio
41. Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station - Dorothy Gilman - 1983 - May Murder and Mayhem; TIOLI #12. Read a book containing Murder & Mayhem starting with the first letters of Murders and Mayhem; ROOT #17/50 - 2012 =4 ROOT points 56/225
42. Lab Girl - Hope Jahren - 2016 - May Mental Health Awareness month - TIOLI #6: Read a book that has something to do with spring cleaning; library
43. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up - Marie Kondo - 2014 -TIOLI #6: Read a book that has something to do with spring cleaning; library
44. Work Song - Ivan Doig - 2010 - May American Author Challenge; TIOLI #5 - Scrabble Challenge; library; audiobook
45. Not Becoming My Mother - Ruth Reichl - 2009 - acquired 2016 - audiobook
46. Cutting a Dash (Eats, Shoots & Leaves) (Radio Collection) - Lynne Truss - 2004 - June Dewey Challenge (400's) - audiobook - library
47. Old Filth - Jane Gardam - 2004 - May British Author Challenge; TIOLI #6: Read a book that has something to do with spring cleaning (shared read);Women's BingoPup; 20. Author Over Sixty Years Old; ROOT #18/50 2014 = 2 ROOT points (58/225)

COMPLETED IN JUNE
48. The Serpent's Tooth - Craig Johnson - 2013 - Longmire group read; June TIOLI #7. Read a book with something in the title that makes you go "Oh, no!" ; audiobook; library
49. Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel - May Canadian Author Challenge; June TIOLI #6. Read a book where the author's first or last name begins with a letter that is one of your father's initials; library
50. Animal Farm - George Orwell - 1945 - Real Life Book Club; Reread; ROOT; Rereads =1 ROOT point
51. Contact - Carl Sagan - 1985 - 1001 - June TIOLI #5Read a book that has a word or phrase on page 70 that refers to some aspect of marijuana (Holy Shit!); library
52. Library Wars Love & War Vol 1 - Kiiro Yumi - 2010 (2008 Japan); Manga, TIOLI #16: Read a YA or children's book by an author who doesn't share your nationality; Women authors Bingo:#15 - set in Latin America or Asia; Global Challenge - Japan; library
53. Last Bus to Wisdom - Ivan Doig - 2015 - May AAC - June TIOLI #11. Just for U challenge - read a book with the letter "U" in the title audiobook - library
54. Street of Eternal Happiness - Rob Schmitz 2016 - TIOLI #1 Read a book read a book with a happy individual (and no other individuals) on the front cover; -LTER
55. The Shipping News - E. Anne Proulx - 1993 - 1001; - June American Author Challenge; Pulitzer Challenge; TIOLI #6: Read a book where the author's first or last name begins with a letter that is one of your father's initials (matched read); library

BOOKS READ IN THIRD QUARTER 2016

COMPLETED IN JULY:

56. The Manticore - Robertson Davies - 1972 TIOLI # 18. Read a book in which a character is a mental health professional; library
57. Yes, Chef - Marcus Samluelsson - 2013 - TIOLI #16. Read a book in which the main character is away from home; audiobook, library
58. Brokeback Mountain - Annie Proulx - 1997 - June AAC: TIOLI #12. Read a book where one or more words in the title have either a good or bad undertone; audiobook, library
59. The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells - 1897 - July BAC; 1001 Books to Read Before You Die; TIOLI #9: Read a book which fits into one of the group challenges (as found on the 75ers wiki) ; audio from library-
60. Life on Mars: Poems - Tracy K. Smith - 2011 - Monthly poetry read; Pulitzer Prize Winner; TIOLI #14 - Insert Your Book Title in the Blank: On my summer vacation I am going to visit ___; library
61. Another Country: Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Our Elders - Mary Pipher - 1999 - May Mental Health read; ROOT#20/50; 2013 = 3 ROOT points - 62/225
62. The Song Poet: A Memoir of My Father- Kao Kalia Yang - 2016 - LTER - Global Reading: Laos; TIOLI#7. Read a book that includes a long trip or voyage;
63. Cannery Row - John Steinbeck - 1945 - July AAC; 1001, TIOLI #9. Read a book which fits into one of the group challenges (as found on the 75ers wiki) - library
64. The Return of the Soldier - Rebecca West - 1918 - TIOLI #19. Read a book about or referencing WW1; 1001; acquired 2016
65. Library Wars: Love & War, Vol. 2 - Kiiro Yumi - 2010 - TIOLI #13. Read a book where the title includes a building or a part of one; library

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

66. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz - 2007; July GeoCAT -- Central America and the Caribbean - Dominican Republic; Pulitzer Prize Challenge; 1001;Aug TIOLI # 14. Read a book which has both a preposition and a homophone in the title; ROOT #21/50; acquired 2012 = 4 ROOT points 66/225; listened to audio
67 . Elizabeth Costello - J. M. Coetzee - 2003 - June Geocat: Australia & New Zealand; 1001, TIOLI # 6 Read a bucket list book (1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die); ROOT #22/50; acquired 2015 = 1 ROOT point 67/225
68. Atonement - Ian McEwan - 2001 - August BAC; 1001; Aug TIOLI #11. Read any book where a word in the title has one more or 1 less letter than the previous book on the list; audiobook, library
69. Any Other Name - Craig Johnson - 2014 - Longmire Group Read; TIOLI #9. Read a Western; ROOT #23/50; ac'd 2015 - 1 ROOT point = 68/225
70. The Girl With Seven Names - Hyeonseo Lee - 2015 - RL Brown Bag Book Club; Global Reading: North Korea; acquired 2016
71. Black Water - Joyce Carol Oates - 1992 - August AAC - TIOLI # 4. Read a book by an author with a unisex given name; 1001 Books to read before you die; library
72. Engineering Eden - Jordan Fisher Smith - 2016; LTER; TIOLI # 13. Read a book which starts with an order; acquired 2016

COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER

73. Jimmy Bluefeather - Kim Heacox - 2015 - TIOLI #11. Read a book about moving house or taking a trip; library
74. On the Move: A Life - Oliver Sacks - 2015 - August Deweycat; August Nonfiction Challenge; September TIOLI # 5. Read a book where the first (non-article) word in the title starts with a vowel; library, audiobook
75. The Dance of Anger - Harriet Lerner - TIOLI ##8: Read a book whose cover has you seeing red; Library
76. The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party - Alexander McCall Smith - 2011 - September Series & Sequels; August Geocat - Southern Africa; TIOLI #4. Read a book where a word from the list of national parks is part of the title or author’s name; ROOT #24/50 acq'd 2013 = 3 ROOT points 71/225; listened to audio in car
77. The Man In the Wooden Hat - Jane Gardam - 2009 September Series & Sequels; TIOLI #1 - Read a book where a word occurs more than once in the title (THE); library
78. The Life of Pi - Yann Martel - 2001 - September Geocat - South Asia (India); Sept TIOLI #15. Read a book which has been nominated for a Booker Prize; ROOT #25/50; acqd 2015 = 1 ROOT point = 72/225; audiobook in car
79. Casino Royale - Ian Fleming - 1953; September Series & Sequels; 1001; audiobook; library
80. Cider With Rosie - Laurie Lee - 1959 - September BAC; 1001; TIOLI ##8: Read a book whose cover has you seeing red; acquired 2015 ROOT # 26/50 = 1 ROOT point - 73/225
81. Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - 1860 - Group Read; 1001; TIOLI #4. Read a book where a word from the list of national parks is part of the title or author’s name; purch 2016
82. The Invoice - Jonas Karlsson - 2016 - LTER - Global Reading: Sweden; TIOLI #12. Read a book that starts with the beginning letters of LINES - 2016

BOOKS READ FOURTH QUARTER

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

83. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson - 2013 - Oct BAC challenge; Oct TIOLI #6. Read a book in which someone experiences an unusual childhood; audiobook; library
84. Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterill - 2007 - Halloween Read - murder, ghosts; Geocat: Southeast Asia (Laos); ROOT 27/50; acqd 2014 = 2 ROOT points 75/225
85. The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien - 1990 - GeoCat: SE Asia (Vietnam); 1001; Global Reading; ROOT #28/50; acquired 2014 = 2 ROOT points (77/225) listened to audio
86. The Thirteen Clocks - James Thurber - 1950 - Halloween reads - magical YA category; 1001 books; library
87. Doc - Mary Doria Russell - 2011 - TIOLI #9. Read a book where one of the words in the title can be changed to different word by either changing a letter, adding a letter, or deleting a letter library
88. Make Someone Happy - Elizabeth Berg - 2016 - October TIOLI 1. Read a book with a one-word weather forecast on page 33; purch 2016

COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER
89. Room - Emma Donoghue - 2010 - Halloween Creepy Read; TOILI#12. Read a book that is translated in at least one other language ROOT # 28/50; Acquired 2015 ROOT = 1 ROOT point 78/225; audio
90. Dry Bones - Craig Johnson - 2015 - October Longmire group read; TIOLI #3: Read a book you acquired in Aug/Sept/Oct of 2016; audiobook from library
91. The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah - 2015 - RL Book Club: TIOLI #5. Read a book where the author's first and last name have the same number of syllables; acq'd 2016
92. Someone Knows My Name - Lawrence Hill - 2008 - Oct CAC challenge; 15. Read a book without a photograph on the cover ; audiobook in the car; library

COMPLETED IN DECEMBER
93. The Drone Eats With Me: A Gaza Diary - Atef Abu Saif - 2016; LTER; GeoCat - Northern Africa & Middle East; TIOLI #16: Read a book with the word peace in the text; Global Reading: Palestine
94. Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood - 2016; TIOLI ##8: Read a book centered around a specific work of art; audiobook from library
95. The Tempest - William Shakespeare - 1623 - TIOLI#15: Read a fantasy/scifi book set in our world; audio from library; also read online
96. A Modest Proposal - Jonathan Swift - 1729 - 1001; Dec TIOLI #17: Read a book that has nothing to do with a holiday in December; online audiobook through Librivox
97. Of Love and Shadows - Isabel Allende - 1984 - 1001 Oct group read; library
98. The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All - Gregory Bassham - 2003; Non-Fiction Challenge: Philosophy; TIOLI # 3. Read a book that you have already started and want to complete before the end of the year; ROOT# 29/50 acquired pre 2006 = 10 points = 88/225
99. Between the World And Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates - 2015 - Library Brown Bag Book Club; acquired 2016
100. A Common Life - Jan Karon - 2001 - ROOT = ROOT 30/50; ac'd 2015 = 1 ROOT point =89/225
101. A Redbird Christmas - Fannie Flagg - 2004 - ROOT #31/50; acq'd 2015 = 1 ROOT point = 90/225; listening to audio
102. Mexico: Stories - Josh Barkan - 2016 - LTER
103. The Shock Doctrine - Naomi Klein - 2005 - ROOT #32/50; acquired 2015 = 1 ROOT point 91/225
104. March: Book One - John Lewis - 2013 - library
105. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Jack Thorne - gift 2016

FAVORITE BOOKS READ IN 2016

Fiction
- Jimmy Bluefeather - Kim Heacox - 2015
- The Return of the Soldier - Rebecca West - 1918
-The Deptford Trilogy - Robertson Davies: Fifth Business, The Manticore
- A Manual for Cleaning Women - Lucia Berlin 2015
- Old Filth - Jane Gardam - 2004
- The Shipping News - Annie Proulx
- The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Junot Diaz

Nonfiction:
- Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
- March: Book One - John Lewis - (graphic novel)
- Shock Doctrine - Naomi Klein
- Lab Girl - Hope Jahren
-The Song Poet - Kao Kalia Yang - 2016 LTER
- Engineering Eden - Jordan Fisher Smith - 2016 - LTER
- The Girl With Seven Names - Hyeonseo Lee
- Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm - from Scratch - Lucie B. Amundsen
- The Most Wanted Man in China - Fang Lizhi - wonderful memoir of life in communist China
- Without You, There is No Us - Suki Kim - memoir of teaching in North Korea



****************************
STATISTICS FOR BOOKS READ IN 2016 - **********************************

***** 105 -TOTAL BOOKS COMPLETED IN 2016 ****

Of the books I've read this year:
1 - cataloged into LT 2006 or before
- cataloged into LT 2007
3 - cataloged into LT 2008
- cataloged into LT 2009
- cataloged into LT 2010
2 - cataloged into LT 2011
4 - cataloged into LT 2012
4 - cataloged into LT 2013
3 - cataloged into LT 2014
15 - cataloged into LT 2015
- acquired previously but uncataloged until 2015 (have lots of these!)
19 - acquired 2016
55 - borrowed from library & elsewhere

FORMAT
31 - Audiobook
72 - Print
2 - online
1 - Combo audio & online
GENRE

57 - Fiction (may fit into more than one category)

27 - 1001 Books
22 - general fiction
- graphic novel
2 - manga
10- mystery/thriller
5 - SFF
4 - short stories
1 - western

30 -Non-Fiction (may fit into more than one category)
1 - 1001 Books
1 - agricullture/farming
2 - economics
4 - Essays
1 - Food
4 - graphic non-fiction
1 - history
1 - language/grammar
17 - Memoir/biography
2 - Outdoors
1 - Philosophy
3 - Religion/Spirituality
4 - Self Help/psychology
4 - Science

4 - poetry
2 - plays
- Other

AUTHORS

57 - Male Authors
47 - Female Authors
2 - Combination or Mix of male and female

59 - Authors that are new to me
45 - Authors read before
3 - Rereads

Multiple books read in 2015 by same author:
Craig Johnson - Hellhound on His Trail , As the Crow Flies, A Serpent's Tooth, Any Other Name, Dry Bones
Robertson Davies - The Fifth Business, Manticore
Ivan Doig - Last Bus to Wisdom, Work Song
Jane Gardam 0 Old Filth, The Man in the Wooden Hat
Anne Proulx - The Shipping News, Brokeback Mountain
Kiiro Yumi - Library Wars: Love & War: Vol 1 & 2

Nationality of Author:
1 - Antigua
2 - Australia
1 - Australia/ South African
9 - Canadian
1 - Chile
1 - Chinese
1 - Dominican Republic
1 - Ireland
3 - Japanese
1 - North Korean
1 - Norwegian
1 - Palestine
1 - Russian
1 - Sweden
19 - UK
60 - US

Birthplace or residence of Author if different from nationality:
1 - Ethiopia
- Norway
1 - South Korea

Language Book Originally Published in:
1- Arabic
1 - Chinese (Mandarin?)
95 - English
3 - Japanese
1 - Norwegian
1 - Spanish
1 - Sweden
1 - Russian

ORIGINAL PUBLICATION DATE
1 - 1623
1 - 1729
1 - 1860
1 - 1861
1 - 1868
1 - 1891
1 - 1897
1 - 1918
1 - 1922
1 - 1925
1 - 1934
2 - 1945
2 - 1950
1 - 1953
1 - 1955
1 -1959
1 - 1970
1 - 1972
1 - 1975
1 - 1979
1 - 1980
1 - 1983
1 - 1984
2 - 1985
1 - 1987
1- 1990
1 - 1991
1 - 1992
1 - 1993
1 - 1997
1 - 1998
1 - 1999
1 - 2000
3 - 2001
4 - 2003
3 - 2004
4 - 2005
1 - 2006
2 - 2007
2 - 2008
4 - 2009
6 - 2010
5 - 2011
4 - 2012
4 - 2013
5 - 2014
11 - 2015
11 - 2016

My biggest challenge is that I keep hauling books home faster than I can read them.

I have been a member of the ROOTS challenge (Reading Our Own Tomes) for the past several years. I define a ROOT as anything I owned before January 1st of the current year. I hope to read 50 ROOTS in 2016.

Need to have read 35 by 10/31/2016 to get on track. (Or read 6.8 ROOTS for the next 4 months) Currently:27




To keep myself in the oldest part of the Planet of Neglected Books, I'm giving myself points for each book I read, with older books getting more points.

Here's how it works:

1. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2006 -- 10 points
2. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2007-- 9 points
3. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2008-- 8 points
4. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2009-- 7 points
5. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2010-- 6 points
6 .ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2011 -- 5 points
7. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2012 -- 4 points
8. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2013 -- 3 points
9. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2014 -- 2 points
10. ROOTS cataloged into LT in 2015 -- 1 point
11. ROOTS not previously entered into LT but which have been around the house pre-2015 (many of these are pre-2006 when I joined LT)--1 point

Goal: Read 225 ROOT points this year.




As of 01/01/2016: 459 books on physical Mt TBR
As of 02/01/2016: 456 books on physical Mt TBR
As of 3/01/2016 : 457 books on physical Mt TBR
As of 4/01/2016: 458 books on physical Mt TBR
As of 5/01/2016 :454 books on physical Mt TBR
As of 6/01/2016: 469 books on physical MT TBR uh, oh!
As of 7/01/2016: 474 books on physical MT TBR - more uh oh!
As of 8/01/2016 471 books on physical MT TBR - down a teensy bit

BOOKS ACQUIRED 2016

Ideally, this number will be less than the number of ROOTS I've read for the year!

Acquired: 84
Read: 19
Reading: 2
Reference/ Cookbooks/Already Read/ Wanted copy for my library: 16
Acquired 2016 added to Planet TBR: 47
Roots Read: 28

1. ✔ Locally Laid - Lucie B. Amundsen - 2016 - LTER
2. ✔ The Art Forger - B. A. Shapiro - 2/17/2016 LBBBC
3. The Gift of Rain - Tan Twan Eng - FOL shelf - 2/25/2016
4. ✔ Billy Collins Live - Billy Collins - FOL freebie shelf - audiobook - 2/25/2016
5. ✔ Not Becoming My Mother - Ruth Reichl - FOL freebie shelf - audiobook - 2/25/2016
6. ✔ Norwegian by Night - Derek B. Miller - 2013 - RL BOOK CLUB March - used from Ammie; 2/25/2016
7. ✔ Between the World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates - 2015 - Costco RL BBBC later this year 3/9/2016
8. ✔ all about love: new visions - bell hooks 3/9/2016
9. First they killed my father : a daughter of Cambodia remembers by Loung Ung - 3/12/2016 - FOL
10. Long Way Home: Journeys of a Chinese Montanan - Flora Wong - 3/12/2016 - FOL
11.Reference/Cookbook The Indian Slow Cooker: 50 Healthy, Easy, Authentic Recipes - Anupy Singla BB by Darryl
12. ✔ The Song Poet - Kao Kalia Yang - LTER - rec'd 3/20/2016
13. ✔ The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway - RLBC
14. Reference/Cookbook Clean & Hungry - Lisa Lillien - 2016 Hungry Girl Cookbook
15. The Cloister Walk by Kathleen Norris - freebie at FOL
16. Evening Class by Maeve Binchy - freebie at FOL
17. ✔ Engineering Eden - Jordan Fisher Smith - 2016 - LTER - 4/12/2016
18. Immortal Irishman - Timothy Egan - 2016 - author signing 4/20/2016
19. Reference/Cookbook Sushi For Dummies by Judi Strada - 2005 - Mother's Day gift :-)
20. ***Reading*** The Lemon Tree - Sandy Tolan - May Library Brown Bag Book Club (reread from 2011)
21. ✔ Street of Eternal Happiness - Rob Schmitz - 2016 - LTER
22. The Daughter of Time - Josephine Tey - 1951 FOL shelf May
23. Previously read, not added to TBR My Antonia - Willa Cather - Read last year for AAC, but didn't have a copy.5/26/2016 FOL shelf - 5/26/2016 FOL shelf
24. Moo - Jane Smiley another inspiration from the AAC but didn't get a Smiley read that month. - 5/26/2016 FOL shelf
25. And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini - 5/26/2016 FOL shelf
26. Ines of My Soul: A Novel by - Isabel Allende - 5/26/2016 FOL shelf
27. Bel Canto - Anne Patchett - 5/26/2016 FOL shelf
29. We Were the Mulvaneys - Joyce Carol Oates - For upcoming AAC challenge 5/26/2016 FOL shelf
30. ✔ Animal Farm - George Orwell June RL bookclub read
MisCon books:
31. Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Filesby Jim Butcher
32. Dragon Keeper (Rain Wilds Chronicles, Vol. 1) by Robin Hobb
33. The Paladin - C. J. Cherryh
34. Cyteen - C. J. Cherryh
35. Half a King - Joe Abercrombie - (freebie)
36. Wicked - Gregory Maguire - audiobook $2 on FOL rack
37. ✔ The Drone Eats with Me: A Gaza Diary by Atef Abu Saif - LTER
38. Arresting God in Kathmandu by Samrat Upadhyay - FOL shelf
39. ***Reading*** Benjamin Franklin: An American Life by Walter Isaacson - Real Life Book Club
40. ✔Great Expectations - Charles Dickens - Upcoming shared read; Penquin Classic Hardbound
41. The Winter of our Discontent - John Steinbeck - freebie from SLH
42. Dandelion Wine - Ray Bradbury - freebie from SLH
43. ✔ The Return of the Soldier - Rebecca West - FOL shelf
44. Reference Best Easy Day Hikes Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks, 2nd - by Erik Molvar Glacier Park
45. E Che Kar - Hank Pedersen - Glacier Park
46. Reference Day Hikes Around Missoula, Montana: Including The Bitterroots And The… (edition 2013)
by Robert Stone
47. The Road - Cormac McCarthy - FOL shelf
48. China Dolls: A Novel - Lisa See - FOL shelf
49. ✔ The Girl With Seven Names - Hyeonseo Lee - RLBC
50. ***Reading*** Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Jack Thorne - BD from Dan
51 ✔ The Invoice - Jonas Karlsson - 2016 - LTER
52. High Country - Nevada Barr - Sapphire
53. Marley & Me - John Grogan - Darby
54 replacement copy The Man Who Thought His Wife was a Hat - Oliver Sacks - Darby
54. On Beauty - Zadie Smith - audiobook
55. The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan September RL book club
56. Love Medicine - Louise Erdrich - Montana Reads
57. Yellowstone: A Journey Through Americ'as Wild Heart - David Quammen - author signing
58. ✔ Make Someone Happy - Elizabeth Berg
59. ***Reading*** Mexico - Josh Barkan - 2016 LTER
60. Phra Farang: An English Monk in Thailand by Phra Peter Pannapadipo
61. The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
62. Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art- Madeleine L'Engle
63. Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra (Hindu/ new Age Writer)
64. In the Shadow of the Buddha: One Man's Journey of Discovery in Tibet by Matteo Pistono
65.Cookbook/Reference Mable Hoffman's All-New Crockery Favorites
66.Some Assembly Required: A Journal of My Son's First Son by Anne Lamott
67. A Dog Named Christmas by Greg Kincaid
68. The Witch of Lime Street: Séance, Seduction, and Houdini in the Spirit World - by David Jaher - 2016 - LTER
68. The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins - 2016 - FOL bookshelf
69. reference National Geographic Traveler: Thailand, 4th Edition (edition 2015)
by Phil MacDonald - Mom's library
70. This House of Sky - Ivan Doig - Mom's library
71. Previously read, not added to TBR The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck - Mom's library; gift to Uncle Emanuel in 1941
72. reference The Living Bible - Mom's library - not a TBR
73. ✔ The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah - RLBC
74. The Bodacious Kid - Stan Lynde - Mom & Dad's library
75. reference The Service Hymnal - 1943 edition - Mom's library
76. referenceAusgewahlte Lieder des Evangeliums Selected Gospel Songs - 1927 edition- Mom's library
77. reference Watchable Birds of the Rocky Mountains - Gray, Mary Taylor - Mom's library
78. Call Me Mrs. Miracle - Debbie Macomber - because I like to read a schmaltzy feel good novel or two in December Missoula book sale
79.Winterdance which Mark and Ellen were warbling about earlier this year. Msla book sale
80. The Amateur Emigrant & the Silverado Squatters - Robert Louis Stevenson - because it is a Folio Society edition in a slipcase (my first & only)- Msla book sale
81. Previously read, not added to TBR The Dance of Anger - which I had read from the library earlier this year and thought I'd like my own copy; Msla book sale
82. A Man Called Ove: A Novel - Costco - 2017 book club
83. cookbook/referenceJaneva's Ideal Recipes: A Personal Recipe Collection for the Ideal Protein Phase 1 Diet by Janeva Caroline Eickhoff - purchased from author's site
84. Human Acts - Han Kang - 2016 - LTER - 12/14/2016
85. Get It Done When You're Depressed - Julie A. Fast & John D Preston 12/22/2016 LT rec
86. Among the Creationists - Jason Rosenhouse - LT Book Exchange
87. The Beekeeper's Daughter - Laurie R King - LT Book Exchange
88. My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante - RLBC
89. Omega Minor - Paul Verhaeghen - RG 1st quarter read

To help keep me focused on Women Authors:



1. About a Female Ruler - Winter - Marissa Meyer - COMPLETED - 3/23/2016
2. Women in Science Lab Girl - Hope Jahren - COMPLETED 5/13/2016
3. Less than 10 Years Old: The Art Forger - B. A. Shapiro - (2012) - COMPLETED 2/24/2016
4. Collection of Short Stories: A Manual for Cleaning Women - Lucia Berlin - (2015) COMPLETED - 4/06/2016
5. Women in Non-Traditional Roles: Fun Home - Alison Bechdel - COMPLETED
6. Published Before 2000 Gift From the Sea - Anne Morrow Lindbergh - COMPLETED 02/25/2016
7. African American Author All About Love: New Visions - bell hooks - COMPLETED 4/30/2016
8. About a Spy Mrs Pollifax on the China Station - Dorothy Gilmore - 1983 - COMPLETED 5/10/2016
9. Different Genre by Same Author Doc - Mary Doria Russell - 2012
10. Award Winner: Kristin Lavransdatter by Nobel Laureate Sigrid Undset - COMPLETED
11. Memoir: Without You There Is No Us - Suki Kim - COMPLETED 1/25/2016
13. By or About a Woman Wilderness Tips - Margaret Atwood -
14. A New To You Author: Annie John - Jamaica Kincaid - 1985 - COMPLETED 4/24/2016
15. Set in Latin America or Asia: Library Wars Love & War Vol 1 - Kiiro Yumi - Japan - 6/22/2016
17. Made into a Movie: The Accidental Tourist - Anne Tyler - COMPLETED 2/1/2016
18. Set in Europe, Australia or New Zealand - Return of the Soldier - Rebecca West 7/6/2016
19. About a Female Critter: - Locally Laid: How We Built a Plucky, Industry-changing Egg Farm - from Scratch - Lucie B. Amundsen COMPLETED 4/08/2016
20. Author Over Sixty Years Old: - Jane Gardam - Old Filth - 5/30/2016
21. 1920-30's Detective Fiction - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie - COMPLETED 2/29/2016
23. From Your TBR Pile: Gnostic Gospels - Elaine Pagels - COMPLETED 3/31/2016
24. Poetry or Plays: Late Wife: Poems - Claudia Emerson -2005 - Pulitzer Prize - COMPLETED 4/11/2016
25. Male Pseudonym: Silas Marner - George Eliot - 1861 - COMPLETED 4/03/2016

Possibilities:
12. Women in Combat: Ashley's War - Gayle Tzemach Lemmon - rec by Donna

77 Countries visited:


visited 77 states (34.2%)
Create your own visited map of The World

Link to record of Streamsong's Global Reading: http://www.librarything.com/topic/188308

12.

13.

14.

>1 streamsong: Well I guess any excuse is good enough isn't it?

Happy new thread, Janet.

Happy new thread, Janet! LOVE the topper.

Happy new thread, Janet.
>1 streamsong: buying books is always good :-D

>15 PaulCranswick: Hello Paul! I suppose you don't get much excuse to buy books just because you are cold!

>16 Crazymamie: Thank you, Mamie!

>17 FAMeulstee: You're absolutely right on that, Anita! Thanks for stopping by.

I'm trying a new template for October to see if I can get more books off my shelf by alternating ROOT challenge books with other books.

It looks like this:

Audiobooks:
New
ROOT These are usually books that I have printed copies on my shelf, but have found audios at the library

Print Books:

ROOT
Library
ROOT
LTER
ROOT
AC'D 2016
ROOT

*********************************


Audiobooks for October and November
New ✔: Life after Life (BAC)
ROOT ✔ The Things They Carried (GeoCat: Southeast Asia; 1001)
New ***Listening*** Someone Knows My Name - CAC
ROOT ✔ Nov The Room - October spooky
New ✔ Nov Dry Bones - Craig Johnson - Longmire group read
ROOT The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obrecht
New ***Listening*** The Tempest - William Shakespeare -
ROOT A Redbird Christmas - Fannie Flagg
NEW Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood

October & November Print Reads:
ROOT ***Reading*** Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (Sep NF Challenge)
Library ✔ Doc
ROOT ✔ Anarchy and Old Dogs (Geocat (SE Asia); Octo Spooky/murder)
LTER ***Reading*** The Drone Eats With Me (Global - Palestine)
ROOT Shock Doctrine (NF politics, economy)
Acq'd 2016 ✔ 2016 Make Someone Happy

Second Round
ROOT Possession (Oct spooky/1001)
Library ✔ The 13 Clocks - James Thurber
ROOT Bird by Bird (Deweycat)
LTER Mexico (global)
ROOT An American Childhood - Annie Dillard
AQ'D 2016 ***Reading*** Between the World and me (RLBC)
ROOT

Print Books: 3rd round

ROOT
Library ***Reading*** Of Love and Shadows - Isabel Allende 1001
ROOT
LTER
ROOT
AC'D 2016 ✔ The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah - RLBC
ROOT

I love the topper. If you are cold, buy a book.

If you are warm, buy a book. If you are just fine, buy a book. If you are hungry, buy a book. If you are full, buy a book. If you are thirsty, buy a book. If you are... oh, heck with it. Just buy a book!

I'm interested in what you thought of The Invoice. I was unimpressed.

ooh, new thread...

I love that sign. No matter how miserable the weather, it is always better with a book. And better still if your bookshop has a lovely cafe in it like my local does.

Once again - I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope the sorting out and paperwork aren't too difficult to work through.

>20 Morphidae: Morphy, you always make me smile. :-)

Yeah, I was pretty meh about The Invoice, too. I'm working on my review.

>21 eclecticdodo: Hi Jo! Thanks for your concern and support.

Sorting paperwork and apartment are going to take most of this month and probably beyond, I'm afraid. Grrrrrrr - the will was notarized but not signed (how does THAT happen?) so it is invalid.

I am planning a few short mental breaks, though. An Audubon meeting tomorrow night (another closet birdwatcher here and the local Audubon has the best programs!), and a hike into a ghost town on the 30th.

>the will was notarized but not signed (how does THAT happen?) so it is invalid.

Is that causing problems within the family?

Happy New Thread, Janet! I have missed seeing you around. It looks like you are enjoying some fine reading though. Look forward to your thoughts on Doc. Swoons a little...

-Hooray for a fellow birder! I am still in the juvenile stage but I am working my way up.

Happy New Thread, Janet!!

So sorry about the unsigned will. Jeepers another roller coaster ride.

>23 Morphidae: >26 mdoris: Hi Morphy and Mary! My brother and I are in agreement as to how to handle the will. The legal division is exactly the way my mother's will specified, so that makes it much easier. The process is slowed down though, because instead of the executor and personal representative (bill payer) being specified in the will, the court has to appoint them. My brother and I are in agreement - we'll see how it plays out in court.

>24 msf59: Hi Mark! I'm enjoying Doc. I can see what all the warbling has been about.

>25 EBT1002: Thanks, Ellen! Good to see you. Eventually I'll get the thread all set up. ;-)

82. The Invoice - Jonas Karlsson - 2016
- LibraryThing Early Reviewers
- Global Reading: Sweden;
- TIOLI #12. Read a book that starts with the beginning letters of LINES
- acquired 2016

Our unnamed hero of this story is an average Joe underachiever. He works part time in a film store, has a small apartment in Stockholm with secondhand furniture, a bike and a few close friends.

Then he receives an astronomical bill for 5,700,000 kronor from a unknown bureaucratic agency. At first, believing it is some sort of wild mistake, he ignores the bill.

But when further attempts are made to collect it, he takes it more seriously and contacts the company, and his personal representative there, Maud. Maud explains that this is a bill for all the enjoyment he has gotten from his life – music, sunsets, once being in love, or rewatching your favorite film.

As our hero tries to explain his life and reduce his bill, the amount he owes continues to go significantly upward until he owes the largest amount of anyone in Sweden.

The story is sweetly uplifting and does make one think about things like the value of things that come to all us everyday.

However, there's a bit of logic gap. The amount of money one possesses has no impact on one's ability to enjoy life. However, if you have enjoyed your life, you are required to pay money for it – which will then be redistributed to people who have not had such an enjoyable life. Ah but given the original premise, how can money make their life more enjoyable? Head spinning.

Overall – sort of sweet, but no meat.

I received a copy of this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

I gave the same star rating:

I can’t say that I cared for The Invoice. The book sagged in the middle; there was far too much inner exposition. The main character didn’t seem all that happy - more laid-back and lazy – as if he were stoned. Lastly, and most importantly, I couldn’t get past the suspension of disbelief of the basic premise. Someone so aware of their environment, like Jonas, wouldn’t have missed all the signs. And when he was questioning if the entire thing was a scam, he would have gone to the police or other government agency, not the agency on the invoice. The writing style itself was smooth enough that I’m able to add a half star.

Hi, Janet! I'm just catching up from way behind, and seeing all that has been written on your threads for the past month.

I'm very sorry about your mother.

I hope the legal hassles of the estate will be settled quickly and without too much trouble. It is good that you and your brother are of like mind about things. I think that should really help.

>28 streamsong: "Sweet but no meat"; I like that Janet and it could apply to so many things these days.

Have a great weekend.

Stopping by to say "hi".

Best wishes for a lovely weekend!

>22 streamsong: all this talk about wills reminds me that we still don't have one. It's just one more thing that I can't seem to get organised on.

Hi, Janet! Just checking in. Hope you are doing well. Glad I can take a pass on The Invoice.

>29 Morphidae: Hi Morphy - thanks so much for stopping by. Your review of The Invoice is interesting. Thanks for posting it. We both got tripped up by the lack of logic, but in different places. I think even magical realism has to have some sort of internal logic.

>30 tymfos: Hi Terri! The estate stuff is so slow to get off the ground. The paralegal will file the first set of papers on Monday.

I am still working on cleaning out the apartment.

>31 PaulCranswick: Thanks for stopping by, Paul. I'm glad you liked the phrase.

>32 thornton37814: Hi Back, Lori. It's great to see you.

>33 witchyrichy: Thank you, Karen. And thanks for visiting.

>34 eclecticdodo: Hi Jo - I don't have a will either. When I get Mom's estate cleared up, I will certainly organize me, too! Yours is harder, I know with a kiddo and having to appoint guardians and all that.

Actually, Mom was pretty organized if the lawyer's office and notary hadn't messed it up. Although some of her accounts need to go into probate, she had others with beneficiaries which are much easier. Do they have something similar in Britain?

>35 msf59: Hi Mark! I'm glad you stopped by. Yup, thumbs down from both Morphy and me.

Me - well pretty sad. A significant chunk of time went into Mom each day and I really miss her, especially her evening phone calls.

I'm really having a tough time getting her apartment sorted out. I won't get it done by the first of the month, but everyday it looks less her place so progress is being made. Unfortunately, a lot of to-be-sorted albums and stuff are making their way to my house, so my house looks worse day by day.

I decided to retire from my job. I've been very close to announcing it all year, and it just seemed like the time. (I know, they say you shouldn't do anything major the first year after a large event, but I did it.) And so right or wrong, I will celebrate it! - although it certainly is adding to the paperwork load right now. :-)

A friend and I are going along with a local women's hiking group for a hike to a ghost town called Garnet tomorrow. http://www.garnetghosttown.net/about.php I'm hoping a day in the woods will take away some of the gloom.

Several more large and small adventures planned this week, so I will post more later.

>37 streamsong: shouldn't do anything major
OTOH spacing out major changes means they keep happening. A hike seems just the thing for a respite from gloom and bureaucracy.

>36 streamsong: do they have something similar in Britain?
Um, I don't really know. We have the bank account and house in joint names so if something happens to one of us they just go to the other, but when it comes to savings accounts and things I think we'd have to do probate as things stand. And if we both died I have no idea what would happen. The whole thing makes me so anxious I don't want to think about it. I have too much else on my plate right now.

ETA it's not the dying that makes me nervous, just the prospect of having to DO anything beyond daily life right now. I have a major appointment tomorrow that is freaking me out and I can't look beyond it.

Congratulations on the retirement. Sometimes it takes a major event to make you realise what you want to do with your life.

I applaud your plan, streamsong. Getting some oxygen pumping through your body will certainly make you feel better, even if your heart and mind aren't headed in that direction yet. And only you know what's right for you when it comes to retirement. Best wishes through all of it.

Hi Janet, Good for you deciding to retire. Timing is all about what is right for the individual. You sound like you have lots on your plate.

Retirement means more time for reading, right? I should be a reading machine with all the time I have, but I manage to fill it with other things. Hiking to a ghost town sounds like a timely and fun thing to do. I've been going to different parks in the city to get my Fitbit steps in on occasion and enjoy the change of pace from my neighborhood walking. I'm sorry that cleaning out your mother's apartment is moving slowly. It is one way to help process your grief by taking your time and honoring her possessions. We cleaned out my dad's apartment in two days and got rid of things I wish I had kept. Thinking of you, Janet, as you go through some difficult times.

>36 streamsong: I read so much fantasy you would think I wouldn't get tripped up on suspension of disbelief, but even fantasy has to make sense!

>37 streamsong: I'm so sorry you are sad. I can imagine you are missing the phone calls. They've been a significant part of your life. Don't worry about "shoulda coulda woulda-ing" yourself on retiring now. If even "They" are right (who are They anyway?) and you shouldn't make major decisions after a major event, you really haven't. As you've said, you've been thinking about this and have been close to announcing it all year. It was just a matter of timing. It's perfect timing now. You just needed this nudge (sad as it was.)

Love the topper. Interested in what you think of Life after Life it's a good concept, though I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.

>38 qebo: Hi Katherine! Thanks for stopping by. That's an interesting way to think about several big changes at once.

The hike yesterday was spectacular. It was a perfect way to clear my head and enjoy what was probably one of the last few gorgeous weekends of the fall.

>39 eclecticdodo: Good to see you, Jo. I hope all went well with your meeting! I'll be thinking of you.

In the US, any account with a designated beneficiary goes straight to the beneficiary and avoids probate. Very handy and quick.

>40 countrylife: Thank you, Cindy for your good wishes. I hope to have a photo or two of the hike but I am at the mercy of my friend, since I am a dinosaur without a smart phone and I don't have a camera, either.

>41 mdoris: Nice to see you, Mary and thanks for the good wishes. I may have to look for a part time job eventually, but for now I plan to enjoy every minute!

>42 Donna828: Thanks for the good wishes, Donna. I like your take on 'honoring her possessions', but it is pretty overwhelming. I have found some great family papers, too - like Mom's budget book from 1954!

I have hired Mom's helper to help me get it all finished this week.

>43 Morphidae: Thanks, Morphy. Yup, it definitely drove home the point that life is too short to not be doing things that I really want to do. Grieving will take a while, I'm sure. The last few years I've lost my father and my ex-husband to whom I was married thirty years. I wasn't prepared for how deep & different losing a mother can be.

>44 The_Hibernator: It's good to see you, Rachel! I'm glad you liked the topper. I really like Life After Life. I'll get at least a mini review done soon.

>45 streamsong: There is something about losing a mom. I think there are certain hurts only going to your mom can fix - even if she can't do anything about it. Sometimes I call her and say, "I just want my mom." I can't imagine what being without that would be like. And now you have to go through her things and be reminded all day long of it. The grief must be staggering. I'm glad you took a break and went for that walk. You needed the breather.

Janet, I know it must be difficult to clean out your mom's apartment. I remember when we cleared out my dad's things (25 years ago!) it almost felt like we were erasing his presence in our lives. Very emotional and very hard. I'm glad you are taking some time for yourself. And retirement!!

>46 Morphidae: Morphy Absolutely perfect!

>47 ronincats: Thanks, Roni and thanks for stopping by. Having a helper yesterday at the apartment was wonderful. She's very familiar with the retirement facility, and set up a giveaway table with a lot of harder to donate stuff like small appliances and even clothes. Several of Mom's friends and staff there took decorations and knickknacks, DVD player, toaster etc. Helper will re-pack the rest and donate today.

Today I need to find a storage unit and movers. I'm going to redo one of the upstairs bedrooms in my house, (which already looks like a storage unit since kids took furniture and left stuff when they moved out). I plan to declutter, paint, and carpet shampoo before moving in Mom's bedroom suite. Voila! A newly comfortable place for my son who will be visiting at Christmas.

Unfortunately, my mild type 1 type 2 diabetes is now raging out of control (does stress do that?) So I will be starting an outpatient diet/weight loss program in Missoula with the first general meeting Wednesday evening. It uses 'The Ideal Protein Method' and was rec'd by my local doctor who has had several patients bring their blood sugars down quickly using it. Driving back and forth to Missoula will up my audiobook listening time again - there's an upside to everything.

I am cheating it by one day, since I had already signed up for a Thai cooking class on Thursday. :-) I had planned it to be my last class of the year, since weather will be getting dicier and make evening travel to Missoula questionable on some days.

I took a wonderful Korean cooking class last week with an amazing teacher. I'll try to get a few of the recipes posted here - the 'Hangover Soup' and the crispy chicken were absolutely delicious!

I finished reading Doc tonight and really enjoyed it. I was pretty steeped in the Doc Holliday mythology, as we lived in Glenwood Springs Colorado several years when I was growing up. Dad used to enjoy taking visitors up the truly terrifying road to the old cemetery to see Doc's grave and the amazing view. My father was a big affectionado of western history.

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

83. Life After Life - Kate Atkinson - 2013 - Oct BAC challenge; Oct TIOLI #6. Read a book in which someone experiences an unusual childhood; audiobook; library
84. Anarchy and Old Dogs - Colin Cotterill - 2007 - Halloween Read - murder, ghosts; Geocat: Southeast Asia (Laos); ROOT 27/50; acqd 2014 = 2 ROOT points 75/225
85. The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien - 1990 - GeoCat: SE Asia (Vietnam); 1001; Global Reading; ROOT #28/50; acquired 2014 = 2 ROOT points (77/225) listened to audio
86. The Thirteen Clocks - James Thurber - 1950 - Halloween reads - magical YA category; 1001 books; library
87. Doc - Mary Doria Russell - 2011 - TIOLI #9. Read a book where one of the words in the title can be changed to different word by either changing a letter, adding a letter, or deleting a letter library
88. Make Someone Happy - Elizabeth Berg - 2016 - October TIOLI 1. Read a book with a one-word weather forecast on page 33; purch 2016

Need to write short reviews o them all!

************************November Scheme*******************

Audiobooks:
New ✔ Dry Bones - Craig Johnson
ROOT ✔ Room - October spooky - finished November
New: ✔ : Someone Knows My Name - October CAC-
ROOT The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht - acq'd pb 2012
NEW ***Listening*** Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood

PRINT BOOKS

ROOT ***Reading*** Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (Sep NF Challenge)
Library ✔ October
ROOT ✔ October
LTER ***Reading*** The Drone Eats With Me (Global - Palestine)
ROOT Shock Doctrine (NF politics, economy)
Acq'd 2016 ✔ Oct

Second Round
ROOT Possession (Oct spooky/1001)
Library ✔ October
ROOT Bird by Bird (Deweycat) also NF essays
LTER Mexico (global)
ROOT - November Geocat North Africa & Middle East - Salmon Fishing in the Yemen -
AQ'D 2016 ***Reading*** Between the World and me (LBBBC)
ROOT An American Childhood - Annie Dillard AAC

Third Round
Library ***Reading*** Of Love and Shadows - Isabel Allende - 1001 group read
ROOT First They Killed my Father - global reading - dictators, global challenge (Cambodia)
LTER The Witch of Lime Street by David Jaher
ROOT The Mottled Lizard - Elspeth Huxley - Woman Bingo
AC'D 2016 ✔ The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah - RL Book Club
ROOT Les Miserables - 1001
Library
ROOT
LTER

Hi, Janet! I'm sorry things are so tough for you right now. Morphy said it so well. My mom has been gone almost 20 years now, and I still sometimes find myself wishing I could share certain events or thoughts with her -- but the pain does lessen with time, really.

Kudos to you for doing what you need to do. I'm glad you had a great hike. It's great that you have someone to help you with the cleaning out who knew your mother and is familiar with the retirement facility. And I do hope you will be able to enjoy your retirement. Don't second guess about the timing -- sometimes you just have to do what you need to do. There comes a time when, well, it's just time to take the step.

>48 streamsong: Hi Janet, I am sorry to read your type 1 diabetes got worse. Yes, I think stress can do strange things to our bodies...
I hope your first meeting on Wednesday went well.

Whoa - major typo in >48 streamsong:. I had minor type 2 diabetes which has now escalated (fasting blood sugar over 300) to the point of requiring two medicines and I am being threatened with insulin. I start the outpatient program on Monday.

>51 tymfos: Hi Terri - thanks for the support. The apartment is cleaned out and keys turned in which is a big relief.

>52 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. Your post made me realize I had made a typo in my post >48 streamsong:. I have type 2, not type 1 - but it's gotten serious enough that I have to pounce all over it. The program starts Monday.

Back to the Fitbit, which I have been ignoring lately.

Morning Janet! Happy Friday! I wanted to thank you for placing Jimmy Bluefeather in my sights, otherwise, it would have gotten past me. I loved it and just posted a warbling mini-review, over on my thread. You were quite correct- It was just my cuppa.

So glad you loved Doc. Such a special book.

>37 streamsong: I hope your walk in the woods did you some good.

>54 msf59: Mark, I am so glad you loved Jimmy Bluefeather. It's definitely deserving of warbling-love. A local bookstore has signed first editions - I think I'll buy myself one as a treat.

>55 witchyrichy: Hi Karen - The woods always are good for me. The ghost town was a lot of fun! Since then I've been doing 1-2 mile loops with the old dog a couple times a week.

Today I plan to go to a book sale in Missoula, and do a 1 mile long hiking loop on the way back. Retirement is fun!

Hi Janet!

I hope you found some good'uns at the book sale and enjoyed your hike.

Retirement IS fun!

Hi Karen - good to see you!

I went for another longish hike on the riverbottom with a friend and our dogs on Saturday. We're having absolutely beautiful weather here - blue sky, temps in the 50's, very unNovember-ish for Montana. Yay! I made my 10,000 steps for the first time in several months.

I live in a place where there are perhaps twenty trailheads within an hour's drive. Right now I'm trying to tick off short walks and loops which I'm mostly doing by myself.

I only picked up a few books at the sale:

Winterdance which Mark and Ellen were warbling about earlier this year.
The Amateur Emigrant & the Silverado Squatters - Robert Louis Stevenson - because it is a Folio Society edition in a slipcase (my first & only)
The Dance of Anger - which I had read from the library earlier this year and thought I'd like my own copy
Call Me Mrs. Miracle - Debbie Macomber - because I like to read a schmaltzy feel good novel or two in December

and Wild Swans which whoops! I had bought a used copy earlier this year.

All in all I thought I showed remarkable restraint.

I'm another one who was hit by your Jimmy Bluefeather book bullet. Loved it!

>59 countrylife: Thanks for stoping by, Cindy! I'm glad you loved Jimmy Bluefeather. Definitely one of my favorites this year.

I'm not doing much reading right now, as my vision is very blurred. Whether it's the medicine I'm on, or the upswing of my diabetes remains to be seen.

However, I'm enjoying my audio of Someone Knows My Name. I'm also trying to finish The Nightingale for the RL book club.

I got this on facebook the other day.

Which Classic Novel Describes Your Life?

https://www.google.com/#q=which+classic+novel+are+you+quiz

Lord of the Rings for me. Which If nothing else is certainly one of my favorite books.

>61 streamsong: Charlotte's Web

>62 Morphidae: Oooh, I like that Morphy! Friendship,a bit of magic and overcoming an impossible obstacle!

>61 streamsong: Well, Janet, I can hardly believe it. It picked Great Expectations for me. Of all the books in the world.....

>61 streamsong: LOTR for me too. Which I've never read.

Alice in Wonderland for me.

Like >62 Morphidae: Morphy; I got Charlotte's Web.

Have a great weekend, Janet.

>64 karenmarie: Absolutely too funny, Karen!

>65 qebo: We'll have to go questing together, Katherine. Daring-do and glammering and all that good stuff.

>66 ronincats: Thanks for playing, Roni. Have a magical adventure this weekend!

>67 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul - I can see you and Morphy sharing some great qualities which would land you on the same book. You have a good weekend, too.

>61 streamsong: Charlotte's Web for me. Definitely a childhood favorite. Looks like I'm in good company with Morphy and Paul...not to mention Charlotte!

You picked up some good books at the sale. I tend to buy books I've already read and loved, too. It makes me happy to look at them. I even plan to reread them someday!

Woot! Something to be really thankful for: last night I finished my first print book for the month, The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah for my RL book club.

When my mild diabetes soared out of control this fall, it left me with very blurred vision and unable to read.

My blood sugars are back in the normal range, and my right eye is clearing up - and hopefully my left eye will, too. The Doc said that with high blood sugars, extra fluid accumulates in the eye and causes the problem. It can cause nerve damage in which case the vision doesn't come back. So it's been a very tense time.

My eyesight is best in the morning, so I'm going to go read a bit before starting my Thanksgiving. I'm going to a potluck, so not much to do.

I made this sugar free cranberry-cherry sauce to take from the Hungry Girl site: http://www.hungry-girl.com/weekly-recipes/healthy-thanksgiving-recipes-acorn-squ... and it turned out pretty tasty.

If eyes hold out, I may go to an evening showing of Fantastic Beasts.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

>70 streamsong: A happy Thanksgiving to you too! Eyesight is definitely something to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving, Janet! How was The Nightingale? I heard a lot of buzz on that one but very little LT response.

I am thankful for your presence in the group, Janet.

Thanks for the good wishes, Rachel, Katherine, Mark, Roni and Paul.

Here's a bit of idiocy: I live in a very small town called Hamilton. There is a local theater group called the Hamilton Players.

And just to prove that angry people aren't too bright, this small theater group caught some of the backlash from the Broadway play Hamilton's casts comments to Pence:

http://ravallirepublic.com/news/local/article_e33da706-b205-11e6-8e0e-cb5c4495c8...

>76 streamsong: small theater group caught some of the backlash
Sheesh.

Hi Janet!

I'm sorry that you've had problems with your eyesight - scary.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

A belated happy thanksgiving! Grateful to know that your eyesight is getting better. Sending positive energy!

I've never had perfect vision, Janet. I started wearing thick glasses at age 3, got contacts at 18, had corneal implants in my 40s (no cataracts), and now I'm wearing glasses again. I have the beginnings of macular degeneration but it is slow progressing. I am the opposite of you. My vision is rather fuzzy in the morning and improves throughout the day. I'm sure both of us are thankful when we can see well enough to read without straining. Audiobooks have been a godsend.

I've heard good things about The Nightingale. I have it on the Kindle but that is not my preferred method of reading. In fact, I forget about my Kindle library most of the time. I'd better get it charged, though because December's book group read is The Boys in the Boat…and it's on my kindle. Looking forward to that one.

>76 streamsong: I read about that. Not bright is right -- can't tell a Broadway play from a community theater group? Good grief!

COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER
89. Room - Emma Donoghue - 2010 - Halloween Creepy Read; TOILI#12. Read a book that is translated in at least one other language ROOT # 28/50; Acquired 2015 ROOT = 1 ROOT point 78/225; audio
90. Dry Bones - Craig Johnson - 2015 - October Longmire group read; TIOLI #3: Read a book you acquired in Aug/Sept/Oct of 2016; audiobook from library
91. The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah - 2015 - RL Book Club: TIOLI #5. Read a book where the author's first and last name have the same number of syllables; acq'd 2016
92. Someone Knows My Name - Lawrence Hill - 2008 - Oct CAC challenge; 15. Read a book without a photograph on the cover ; audiobook in the car; library

Hmm, three audiobooks and one print book completed. None yet reviewed. I'll get after it, I promise.

My blood sugar is stabilizing on medicine and a diet called The Ideal Protein Diet. Think Atkins, but even stricter and through specific clinics and diet centers. No dairy (no cheese!), no grains, no legumes, most of the root vegetables are also verboden including cooked onions and carrots in any form.

Small price to pay for getting my eyesight back! It's getting better everyday. But so far, I'm just setting a timer for 20-30 minutes while I'm reading and then going on to something else to avoid strain.

And I'm down 7.2 pounds so far. :-)

>77 qebo: Hi Katherine - That incident was amazing to me. Anyone, can google, but can they interpret the results they get?

>78 karenmarie: Hi Karen: I know from your thread that you had a great Thanksgiving! I went to a potluck which was perfect since I could have just a smidgeon of things like stuffing and not have any leftovers calling to me at home the next day.

I went to Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them in the in the evening. Enjoyed it a lot, but discovered my eyes are not yet great with quick swooping movement. :-)

On Black Friday I went for a short hike with my women's hiking group at a wildlife refuge. We saw swans, ducks, coots,geese, a blue heron perched high in a tree (bit unusual) and part of the group got dive-bombed by an owl. (I missed that).

>79 witchyrichy: Thanks for the positive thoughts, Karen, and thanks for stopping by.

>80 Donna828: Hi Donna! I'm sorry to hear about your eye problems. Macular degeneration is a scary thought. And I agree - Yay for audio books!

I hope you enjoy Boys in the Boat. I liked it a lot, but didn't love it.

>81 tymfos: Yup, Terri it's one of those things that I don't know whether to laugh or cry about.

I had this great scheme worked out in October to make every other book a ROOT and not OD on library books. I'm still working on the October first round books. ;-) But here's where I am:

My 'rule' is that I can switch any book in a category to another book in the category - I may be switching out some of the ROOTS for Christmasy books.

Audiobooks for December:
ROOT ✔ A Redbird Christmas - Fannie Flagg
NEW ✔ The Tempest - William Shakespeare -
ROOT ****Listening**** The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obrecht
NEW ✔ Hag-Seed - Margaret Atwood

December Print Reads:

First Round:
ROOT Lord of the Rings and Philosophy (Sep NF Challenge)
Library ✔ October
ROOT ✔ October
LTER ✔ The Drone Eats With Me (Global - Palestine)
ROOT ***Reading*** Shock Doctrine - Naomi Klein - (NF politics, economy)
Acq'd 2016 ✔ October

Second Round

ROOT ✔ : A Common Life - Jan Karon - ac'd 2015 = 1 ROOT point
Library ✔ October
ROOT Bird by Bird (Deweycat)
LTER ✔ Mexico (global)
ROOT An American Childhood - Annie Dillard
AQ'D 2016 ✔ Between the World and me (RLBC)
ROOT Possession (Oct spooky/1001)

3rd round

ROOT
Library ✔ Of Love and Shadows - Isabel Allende 1001
ROOT
LTER
ROOT
AC'D 2016 ✔ November
ROOT

I remember really liking A Redbird Christmas. I gave it 8/10 stars.

Hope you're enjoying Tempest and Hag-Seed. I liked Tempest when I read it.

Hi Janet!

I'm your eyesight is improving and that The Ideal Protein Diet is working for you.

Good luck with your December reading plans!

Good Morning! I am very impressed with not only the number of books read, but also the fine selections. I've added Tree Girl to my list. It sounds fascinating. I'm be back to add some more, for now, that one stood out.

Happy Friday to you!

>85 Morphidae: I'll be starting it on audio, soon, Morphy. Good to see you!

>86 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel! I finished Hag-Seed on audio and it has zoomed up to one of my favorite books of the year.

>87 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. I'm pretty happy. An eye-doctor appointment yesterday revealed no damage to my retinas and that my vision should return to its previous level as my blood sugar stabilizes.

>88 Whisper1: Hi Linda! Thanks for stopping by. I'm not sure where Tree Girl came from since I haven't read it ... perhaps a wrong touch stone? But it sounds like one I would like, too. The book gods want us both to read it, obviously.

The book gods also want me to work on book reviews since my satellite is down.

Happy Friday!

>90 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel. Hope your weekend is good, too!

Starting on November reviews:



89. Room - Emma Donoghue - 2010
- Halloween Creepy Read;
- TOILI#12. Read a book that is translated in at least one other language
- ROOT # 28/50; Acquired 2015 ROOT = 1 ROOT point 78/225;
- audio

Having read Jaycee Dugard's memoir A Stolen Life earlier this year, I felt this book might be a little redundant. Still, I chose it as a ROOT to remove from my shelf and because it seemed like a nightmarish situation to read for one of my October spooky reads.

I was certainly wrong about the redundancy expectation. It's true that Dugard's memoir told a similar story of being kidnapped, raped, held captive in a small room and even bearing children.

Donoghue's work of fiction is told through the eyes of a five year old child, Jack, born into such captivity and having no experience of life outside of a small cell-like room.

After a daring escape, we experience the tumultuous real world through Jack's eyes.

I would so love to see a sequel to this. Can a child like Jack or his mother ever truly have a 'normal' life?

Haunting and original. 4 stars.

90. Dry Bones - Craig Johnson - 2015

- October Longmire group read;
- TIOLI #3: Read a book you acquired in Aug/Sept/Oct of 2016;
- audiobook from library

The biggest baddest (uh, make that largest and most complete}, fossilized T rex skeleton ever discovered is unearthed in an archaeological dig in Absaroka county. It soon becomes obvious that it is worth tens of millions of dollars. But who owns the land and thus the fortune? Who has the right to this huge world class treasure? It's on private land owned owned by tribal member Danny Lone Elk and part of the reservation. And of course, there are the archaeologists themselves who made the discovery.

When Danny Lone Elk's body is found floating on a lake, issues become even more muddled and it's up to Walt to sort them out.

There are lots of nods to both Native American culture and the problems of jurisdiction on Indian Reservations as well as the wonderful relationship with Walt and his friend, Henry Standing Bear and all the humor between them. One of my favorites of the series so far. 4 stars

Hi, Janet. Glad to hear your eyesight is improving, blood sugar stabilizing, reading getting done!

>94 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! My eyes are great! I'm able to read for pleasure, again. What a blessing! I won't ever take this for granted again.

The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah - 2015
-RL Book Club
- Nov TIOLI # 5: Read a book where the author's first and last name have the same number of syllables
- acquired 2016

First words: “If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this: in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”

In this historical novel set during the Nazi occupation of France, we follow the lives of two very different sisters.

Sisters Vianne and Isabel are sent to the country to live with a stern and unsympathetic housekeeper after their mother's loss. Older sister Vianne copes with her loss by acquiring a very best friend and a young love whom she eventually marries. The much younger Isabel feels abandoned by her father and her sister and becomes increasingly rebellious. Sent to one boarding school after another she flees them all.

After France falls to the Nazis, Vianne copes in her occupied village taking care of her daughter and her house. Her husband fights in the French army and later, is in a camp for captured soldiers. But as the war goes on and the Nazi grip tightens, Vianne is shaken into action. Her best friend Rachel is taken to a concentration camp and Vianne makes the daring decision to hide Rachel's son in her house. This leads Vianne to more and more active resistance under the very noses of the Nazis billeted in her home, which is no longer a safe harbor but a place of torture for her.

The other sister Isabel first makes her way to her sister's home after the occupation, but she soon heads to Paris where she takes a more active role as a member of the French resistance and performs what seems to be a more heroic role than her sister.

Two very different women, two very different roles in the French fight against the Nazis.

I read this with my book club. One of the more interesting group discussion questions involved how Jewish readers would see the struggles of these women. These sisters endured hardship and death during the Nazi occupation – and yet it was nothing compared to what the Jewish population suffered. How does one compare devastation?

Very well written. 4 stars.

>96 streamsong: That looks a real winner Janet.
I am going to create a wishlist tag called Book Bullets and that will have the honour of being the first. I will have a total of 100 book bullets and will link to who tipped me off. Of course as I add them to my library the tag will be removed and make space for more bullets!

Have a great weekend.

>95 streamsong: It is odd how we take things for granted until we experience the (temporary) loss... I am happy you can read for pleasure again, I know how it feels.

>97 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Thanks for stopping by!

I am so impressed with your lists and organization. It must be at least a little catching, since you've inspired me to update my reading spreadsheets and start fiction and non-fiction favorites spreadsheets.

I enjoyed The Nightingale, Paul. There was one couple in the club, though that had read quite a few books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the French resistance and said they didn't see anything new in this book.

>98 FAMeulstee: So true, Anita! And I am so happy that you can read again, too!

When I went to the book sale in November, I only bought four books because I couldn't read the titles on the tables. That was when I realized how bad it truly was. I hesitated to sign up for the 75'ers book swap because I didn't know if my vision would be back. It is! Can't wait to see what's in my box!

Here are the choices for the Real Life Book Club for 2017

January: My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante
February: Clementine: The Life of Mrs. Winston Churchill - Sonia Purnell
March: A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman
April: Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi
May: The Sympathizer - Viet Thanh Nguyen
June: Orphan Train - Christina Baker Kline
July: Strangers in Their Own Land - Arlie Russell Hochschild
August: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
September: The Elephant's Story - Jose Saramago
October: March - Geraldine Brooks
November: Brooklyn: A Novel - Colm Toibin

>92 streamsong: I keep hearing good things about Room but it just sounds too traumatic for me

>101 eclecticdodo: Hi Jo! If you are triggered by scenes of abuse, you would definitely be wise to avoid it. It's not for everyone, for sure.

-13 F here and a bit over a foot of snow. Last night about 7, the driveway plower finally got to me and so I am free! I'm almost out of dog treats which could be a real catastrophe. Granted I have my very large 4 wheel drive pickup, but it's so long it doesn't fit into the angled parking spaces uptown without sticking into the street.

About an hour before I was plowed out, the UPS guy parked his truck on the road and walked through the deep snow to deliver a large package - a new lamp I had ordered for myself online. It's a long country driveway - 250 steps on my Fitbit for the round trip. This guy was heroic!

And a recipe since it's been forever since I posted one:

Cauliflower Fried "Rice":

3 1/2 c riced cauliflower (Since you can now buy riced cauliflower in the freezer section, this is very easy!)
1/2 c chopped green onion
2 tsp olive or sesame oil
Garlic powder
1/4 c chicken broth
2 eggs lightly beaten
Soy sauce
black pepper
12 oz pre-cooked chicken or cocktail shrimp

Stir fry riced cauliflower and green onions in the oil. Add beaten eggs to the pan and cook until egg is thoroughly cooked. Add broth and continue to cook. Add Soy sauce, pepper and meat if desired.

The cauliflower soaks up the flavors and is pretty close to the rice based dish, but lots less calories and carbs.

I like peas, onions, and carrots in fried rice, but all have too many carbs for the diet I am currently on. Feel free to add what you will!

>103 streamsong: I still haven't got round to trying cauliflower rice. I'm keen, but I think I may be alone in my household. Fried rice sounds like a good way of persuading at least my husband.

>103 streamsong: That recipe sounds good, Janet! I hadn't heard of riced cauliflower before, so I searched for it online. It looks easy enough to make from scratch, using a box grater. I'll buy ingredients for this tomorrow and try it next week.

>104 eclecticdodo: Hi Jo! I think if you made it without telling your husband, he wouldn't even realize the difference.

>105 kidzdoc: Nice to see you, Darryl! The big difference with this recipe is that it is very low calorie - an entire cup of riced cauliflower is only 25 calories. So, unless you're on a diet, you'll probably need another dish to go with it! Mmmmmm some nice potstickers or soup would go well, I think.

>106 streamsong: Thanks, Janet. Some of my favorite recipes are served over rice. I may try it with chicken the first time I make it, then see if I want to use it as a rice substitute.

Happy Sunday, Janet! Hope you are surviving this early blast of winter. Yikes!

I like your Book Club picks for '17. Homegoing is fantastic. I have been meaning to read The Sympathizer all year. It have it, in print and on audio.

Glad to see Henrietta Lacks on there too. I loved that one.

>107 kidzdoc: Hope you like it, Darryl! It's pretty neutral and just seems to soak up whatever flavors are in the dish.

I've also tried cauliflower "mashed potatoes" but I'm not a big fan although I've finally got a recipe that works for me.

I'm also intending to try cauliflower pizza crust.

>108 msf59: Hi Mark. Yes, I agree, our book club always comes up with an interesting list of books. Homegoing was my suggestion. I read about 50 pages of it, but then Mom became ill and I couldn't finish it since there was a huge library line for it.

I have mixed feelings about Henrietta Lacks. As one who worked with HeLa cells everyday and knows all the problems with immortalizing cell lines, I have a different take on the subject. The book itself is fine, but non-scientists' reaction to the book often don't have much to do with what Skloot says. I'm not sure I'm up to another debate on that one.

There were some other books nominated that I'm adding to my 'try to read' list:

The Just City - Jo Walton (sff never gets chosen)
Heft by Liz Moore
Tom Connor's Gift - David Allen Cates
News of the World - Paulette Jiles
Disgrace - J.M. Coetzee
Work Like Any Other - Virginia Reeves - my 2nd nomination

>100 streamsong: Great list of books. Too bad you're not reading Strangers in Their Own Land in March and April like us! But that would just be too convenient. I loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, but I can see where you'd be a bit skeptical given your field!

>100 streamsong: Got some good books there. A Man Called Ove, Orphan Train, The Immortal Life, and March all got 8/10 stars from me.

>110 The_Hibernator: Yup, Rachel, I is a curmudgeon. And a Grinch. I may read Strangers in March and April with your group.

>111 Morphidae: I'm glad to hear that you've enjoyed them, Morphy. It's an interesting group of people and I really enjoy the RL book discussion.

Are you still meeting with the book club at your church?

>109 streamsong: I really want to read both News of the World and Disgrace. And I LOVED Work Like Any Other.

>100 streamsong: I was less enthused about My Brilliant Friend than some. I did read the second novel in the series (I think it's a quartet) but didn't bother with the third. I hope you enjoy it as much as many have done.

Oh, and The Elephant's Story (grr about the lack of touchstone) is one of my all-time favorite novels. I may reread it for my 2017 Reread Challenge.

>113 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! It sounds like our RL book club is in for a great year!

I'm looking forward to your rereading challenge in 2017. I've been thinking of rereads from two of Mark's AAC authors: Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Talented Mr Ripley. I've also been thinking about re-reading The Lord of the Rings, which I used to do regularly in my twenties.

The last of the November books!



92. Someone Knows My Name - Lawrence Hill - 2008
- Oct CAC challenge;
- Nov TIOLI #15. Read a book without a photograph on the cover;
- audiobook in the car;
- library

Aminata Diallo was an eleven year old African girl living with her village in the mid-1700's. Her father, a village leader and a learned Muslim, had taught Aminata the Muslim prayers and to read a bit of Arabic. Her mother was a skilled midwife known throughout the region and had taught her skills to Animata from her earliest childhood.

But everything changed when another village attacked Animata's village. Her father and mother were killed, and Animata was forced to march in shackles across hundreds of miles to the coast to be sold as a slave and boarded onto one of the infamous slave ships bound for the American colonies.

We see the horrors of the slave ship through Animata's child eyes. She barely survived the most horrific conditions. Weak and sick, she was sold with the other unsaleables into the devastation of being a non-person, a slave.

Because of her previous education and training with her parents, she was able to covertly learn to read and write English and also became quite valued for her midwifery skills.

During the chaos of a British attack during the American Revolution, she was able to escape to the British lines. There she worked as a scribe for the British who promised freedom to former slaves who would work or fight for them for the duration of the war. When the British were defeated, they convinced the former slaves to sign up for free land and a supposedly free life in Nova Scotia. All blacks transported this way had their names written in a volume called The Book of Negroes, (the original Canadian title of this book).

But promises were broken and Animata continued to search for freedom, her lost children and husband and a life of human dignity.

This novel puts a very human face on slavery and the slave trade through the eyes of an intelligent and resourceful woman. It's a story of betrayal at every level by her masters and white people who portrayed themselves as friends.

In addition it highlights a chapter of black history that I was not aware of. Although I was somewhat familiar with Freetown in Sierra Leone, I found it fascinating that the British sent former slaves to Nova Scotia and the lives they endured there.

3.8 stars

>112 streamsong: No. I was the "leader." We always took the summers off and after my fall in July of 2015, they didn't start back up again in the Fall when I was rehabbing. Instead, they combined with the Thursday AM Book Club. That club has a very different flavor. I tried reading the first book (A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara) and it was a DNF because it was so dark and depressing. I kept an eye out on each book as the months went by and they continued on the same type of Oprah Book Club Slit-Your-Wrist theme books or books I'm not interested in such as non-fiction political or historical books so I stopped.

>115 streamsong: Great review of Someone Knows My Name, Janet. I'll almost certainly read it in 2017.

>116 Morphidae: "Oprah Book Club Slit-Your-Wrist theme" Ha! I hadn't heard that phrase before. I will definitely try to remember it!

>117 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl - it's so long since I've done reviews that I feel really rusty. I think you'll enjoy this one when you get to it!

Christmas. I had told my daughter that I couldn't stand to do any of the traditional stuff this year. I am a weeping mess this December. So we're going to Lolo Hot Springs (anyone remember seeing it in the movie A River Runs Through It?) We'll go snowshoeing - which I haven't done for oh, say, 50 years ago when I borrowed my Dad's wood and leather snowshoes for Girl Scout Camp. The lodge is serving a traditional turkey dinner. Sometime or other we will soak in the hot pool and perhaps be brave enough to do the traditional roll in the snow surrounding the pool and then dive in. If I don't come back to check in, it's because I've had a heart attack. :-) I'll go to church on Christmas Eve to have my bases covered.

>118 streamsong: Those sound like lovely plans.

Lolo Hot Springs sounds like a slice of heaven. Enjoy and that is such a smart thing to do.

>118 streamsong: a perfect way to spend Christmas

>118 streamsong: Lolo Hot Springs
That sounds perfect.

Thanks, Morphy, mary, Jo and Katherine. I'll try to have some photos to post!

>115 streamsong: Great review, Janet. This one will be a top read of the year for me.

Ooh, Hot Springs. Sounds wonderful.

Merry Christmas, my friend.

>115 streamsong: Mark sent me the ARC for that and I can hardly wait to get into it!

Leaving you this wish for the season.....

Thank you Mark and Ellen. I'm looking forward to more bookish adventures next year!

I finished listening to A Redbird Christmas - and enjoyed it a lot. Happy, light. My only gripe is that she should have stopped it the day after Christmas and not gone on the further lives of all the characters. I'll have to remember Fannie Flagg when I need something light and fluffy. The only other book I've read by her is Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café. "The secret is in the sauce". That really cracked me up.

And so I've started The Tiger's Wife on audio. No way will I make it to my goal of 50 ROOTS this year, but I'll get several more read before I'm through. I have several that are partially read that I'm hoping to finish.

93. The Drone Eats With Me: A Gaza Diary - Atef Abu Saif – 2016

- LTER;
- GeoCat - Northern Africa & Middle East;
- Dec TIOLI #16: Read a book with the word peace in the text;
- Global Reading: Palestine

Opening quote:”When war comes, it brings with it a smell, a fragrance even. You learn to recognize it as a kid growing up in these narrow streets. You develop a knack for detecting it, tasting it in the air. You can almost see it. Like a witch's familiar, it harks in the shadows, follows you at a distance wherever you go. If you retain this skill, you tell that it's coming – hours sometimes days, before it actually arrives. You don't mistake it. “ – attribution in Arabic p. 1

”Since 1948 – before that in fact, since the British mandate began in 1917 – Gaza has barely gone ten years without a war; sometimes it's as little as two years. So everyone carries their own memories of conflict: wars stand as markers in a Gazan's life: there's one planted firmly in your childhood, one or two more in your adolescence, and so on … they toll the passing of time as you grow older like rings in a tree.” p3

In June 2014, Israel began an attack on the Gaza strip which would last until the end of August that year. Author Atef Abu Saif started writing a diary of that time, which turned into a blog and then a book. This is his story in diary form.

Abu Saif describes raid after raid on what can only be called civilian targets within the town he lives in . He talks about the total disruption of everyday life; the fear of never knowing when the next attack will come and whom among your acquaintances and family will be killed horribly or hideously maimed.

He describes in detail drone warfare, where Israeli drones constantly hover above them, controlled by operators hundreds of miles away. The operators can target whatever they like – as Abu Saif describes it, it's much like playing a video game for the drone operator. Unfortunately, any movement on the street can easily be targeted day or night.

The strength of the diary format is that everything is immediate – incidents, emotions, reactions. The weakness is that it becomes almost redundant. Destruction after destruction. Death after death. One simply cannot take it all in, and the mind becomes numb to the continuing dreadfulness.

This is the diary of an Arab Muslim man. He mentions his children, his parents and other extended family, his friends and neighbors but his wife hardly at all, except to call to find out what she needs from the market. He himself copes with the day to day horrors by taking a daily risky journey to an internet cafe as an emotional respite to escape the fear and tension in his home. I can't help wonder about his wife – what were her coping mechanisms? How did she fare?

I learned quite a bit about the history of Palestine and the Gaza strip. And by extrapolation, I learned a lot about what the ongoing continuous warfare in other Arab countries must feel like, and to understand the current flood of refugees from the countries in this region.

3.7 stars

Wouldn't it be nice if 2017 was a year of peace and goodwill.
A year where people set aside their religious and racial differences.
A year where intolerance is given short shrift.
A year where hatred is replaced by, at the very least, respect.
A year where those in need are not looked upon as a burden but as a blessing.
A year where the commonality of man and woman rises up against those who would seek to subvert and divide.
A year without bombs, or shootings, or beheadings, or rape, or abuse, or spite.

2017.

Festive Greetings and a few wishes from Malaysia!

>127 streamsong: Good review, Janet.
Sadly it isn't translated (yet), it must be horrible to live under those circumstances....

>128 PaulCranswick: Paul, that's really beautiful. If only it could be so.

>129 FAMeulstee: It was interesting, Anita, and not a point of view I had read before.

I'm trying to do more reading from around the world. I've found quite a few through the Early Reviewers program (which, sadly Anita I know doesn't offer much in your country).

wishing you a merry Christmas

This is the Christmas tree at the end of the Pacific Beach Pier here in San Diego, a Christmas tradition.

To all my friends here at Library Thing, I want you to know how much I value you and how much I wish you a very happy holiday, whatever one you celebrate, and the very best of New Years!


Love your Christmas plans, Janet!

Thank you for the gorgeous posts Jo and Roni! Merry Christmas to both of you.

Well, best laid plans and all that .... I got snowed in for Christmas! The snow plows have finally been down my country road. I'm off to see if I can bust out of the driveway with Big Red, the 4WD Ram truck. And best would be if I can get the tractor going, too, which will allow me to plow and to put some weight in the back of the truck with the tractor's frontloader. Weight will keep the back end of the truck from fishtailing as I drive it.

DD and I have moved Christmas plans to tomorrow. I'm pretending today is a second Christmas Eve.

wow, snowed in! That's probably not as much fun as I think it is....

>133 streamsong: Well that makes today Christmas. I hope it's a good one.

>134 eclecticdodo: You're right, Jo. Being snowed in by myself on Christmas wasn't the most fun. But it turned out fine. I watched silly Christmas movies on the TV, made phone calls, read. A bit different, but a nice, peaceful Christmas. It would have been stressful if the power had gone out, but it didn't.

>135 qebo: Katherine, Christmas on Monday was great! There were lots more choices of where to eat - so we ate at an Asian grill with the chef preparing the food tableside. Lots of utensil juggling tricks, It was both entertaining and wonderful food.

We went showshoeing afterward and it was a lot of fun. We had not thought about how quickly it gets dark in the mountain canyons - we were losing a lot of light by 3pm so we didn't go too far. And the roads were good enough but not great so we also skipped the hot springs swim afterward. I hope we'll do it again this winter, we'll just have to adjust the times a bit!

Hi Janet!

I put down Room when our RL book club read it however many years ago, but after listening to them discuss it, I borrowed the audiobook version from one of the members and was stunned by it.

A Belated Merry Christmas to you. I'm venturing out into the LT world again today, baby steps at first, and am going to draw another line in the sand and go forward on all the threads and friends I haven't had the heart to engage in and with lately. Appropriate oohs and aahs, and congratulations and so sorrys,..... but here's an Early Happy New Year to you and best wishes for all good things in 2017.

>137 karenmarie: Thanks for stopping by, Karen. I wish all the same to you!

I truly want to read more off my shelf this next year. It's been a goal for the last few years, but I fell especially short of my goal in 2016. I truly want half the books I read in 2017 to be ones on my shelf before 1/1/2017.
Here are my over ambitious plans for January

Round One:
Library Evicted - Matthew Desmond
ROOT: CultureCat Ethics in Science: Playing God in Yellowstone - Alston Chase
LTER Witch of Lime Street (ROOT) -
ROOT Les Miserables - Victor Hugo - 1001 - Global Reading: France
AC'D 2016 or 2017 - RLBC: My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante - Global Reading - Italy
ROOT Time of the Doves- Mercè Rodoreda - Lit seminar - Global Reading: Spain

Round Two
Library- AAC Parable of the Sower -Octavia Butler
ROOT House in Paris -Elizabeth Bowen - BAC, 1001
LTER Human Acts - Han Kang Global Reading South Korea
ROOT
ACQ 2016 or 2017: Reading Globally Benelux Quarterly Read Omega Minor - Paul Verhaeghen
ROOT

Audiobooks:
***Currently listening***** ROOT The Tiger's Wife - Tea Obreht - started in December
Not Owned; WomenCat - Classic by a woman: Cranford - Elizabeth Gaskell
ROOT:NF Challenge: Guns, Germs and Steel - Jared Diamond
ROOT Thud! - Terry Pratchett

Ordered 2016:
Time of the Doves Lit sem (Spain)
House in Paris - BAC

"I truly want to read more off my shelf this next year."
Me too. I feel more determined about this goal than I think I have in my 6+ years on LT. I hope we both do better at achieving this goal in 2017....

I'm glad you had such a good Boxing Day excursion, Janet, and that a quiet Christmas at home was not a downer for you. I know you have to miss your mom lots over the holidays. {{{{Janet}}}}

Nice review of The Drone Eats With Me, Janet.

>140 EBT1002: Hi Ellen! It's the yearly resolution, isn't it? Acquire less, read more that I already own.

I'm doing my end of the year cheat: I've ordered ahead some books that hopefully come in December that I can count as owning before 1/1/2017. :-)

But I've going to try to stick to my 'rounds' of books

Round ():
Library
ROOT
LTER
ROOT
AC'D 2016 or 2017
ROOT

My 'rule' is that I can switch any book within a category - for example a ROOT can be replaced with another ROOT at any time. I'm hoping this will be a good visual for me to help limit the library books and get to some of the ones that I really want to read off my shelf.

>141 ronincats: Thanks for stopping by, Roni. Snowshoeing was really fun - I hope to do more of it! I hadn't thought of it as being Boxing Day - just Christmas-A-Day-Late. But you are right! And DD & I exchanged our Christmas boxes then, too. She gave me a kitchen timer (re: flylady's decluttering 15 minutes a day) and a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle to help keep me entertained on these dark winter nights.

>142 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl! I've been lucky finding international authors through LTER that have great stories to tell.

Wishing you a belated merry christmas and best wishes for the new year!

>144 witchyrichy: Thank you so much! The very same to you! I've enjoyed your thread this year and will have you starred for next year.

I've just finished March: Book One and found it absolutely as excellent as everyone said it was. The sad part is that the next two volumes don't exist in the twenty or so libraries that are part of my library's partner sharing group. Instead of buying them for myself, I think I'll see if I can donate them to the library. Perhaps they feel there is not enough interest in this area which is sparsely populated and 99% white.

In the meantime, I went to DonorsChoose.org and donated three copies.

Looking forward to your continued company in 2017.
Happy New Year, Janet

You're hard to keep up with, streamsong! Your threads get so long so fast! But I love to follow your books. See you in 2017!

>147 countrylife: Hi Cindy! It's just the time of the year, I think. All the threads move quickly. I'm looking forward to following you in 2017, too!