qebo's 2017 books (1)

DiscussionsClub Read 2017

Rejoignez LibraryThing pour poster.

qebo's 2017 books (1)

Ce sujet est actuellement indiqué comme "en sommeil"—le dernier message date de plus de 90 jours. Vous pouvez le réveiller en postant une réponse.

1qebo
Modifié : Déc 31, 2016, 7:16 pm



Image is public domain copied from Wikipedia moss.

2qebo
Modifié : Mai 13, 2017, 11:00 am

January
#01: Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer -- (Jan 1) - ROOT
#02: The Magical World of Moss Gardening by Annie Martin -- (Jan 4) - ROOT
#03: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead -- (Jan 9) - new (e-book)
#04: Eleanor and Hick by Susan Quinn -- (Jan 17) - new
#05: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue -- (Jan 29) - new (e-book)

February
#06: Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance -- (Feb 1) - new
#07: Say the Wrong Thing by Amanda Kemp -- (Feb 12) - new
#08: Room by Emma Donoghue -- (Feb 13) - new (e-book)
#09: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly -- (Feb 28) - new

March
#10: Miss Jane by Brad Watson -- (Mar 7) - new (e-book)
#11: Day of Honey by Annia Ciezadlo -- (Mar 18) - new

3qebo
Modifié : Juil 14, 2017, 7:36 pm

April
#12: The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis -- (Apr 6) - new
#13: Oil and Honey by Bill McKibben -- (Apr 19) - ROOT
#14: A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley -- (Apr 21) - new
#15: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo -- (Apr 30) - ROOT

May
#16: Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson -- (May 16) - new

June
#17: Assassination Vacation by Sarah Vowell -- (Jun 13) - new
#18: Shouting Won't Help by Katherine Bouton -- (Jun 20) - new

4qebo
Modifié : Oct 9, 2017, 1:06 pm

July
#19: I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai -- (Jul 4) - ROOT
#20: Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher -- (Jul 5) - new (e-book)
#21: Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman -- (Jul 13) - new (e-book)
#22: If the Creek Don't Rise by Rita Williams -- (Jul 19) - new

August
#23: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah -- (Aug ??) - new
#24: Y is for Yesterday by Sue Grafton -- (Aug ??) - new

September
#25: A Mother's Reckoning by Sue Klebold -- (Sep 18) - new
#26: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman -- (Sep 30) - new (e-book)

5qebo
Modifié : Déc 31, 2017, 4:44 pm

October
#27: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann -- (Oct 9) - new
#28: The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin -- (Oct 28) - new (e-book)
#29: The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld -- (Oct 31) - new (e-book)

November

December
#30: Bodies of Light by Sarah Moss -- (Dec 2) - new
#31: Improbable Destinies by Jonathan Losos -- (Dec 10) - new
#32: Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn -- (Dec 20) - new
#33: Mozart's Starling by Lyanda Lynn Haupt -- (Dec 24) - new
#34: Fallout by Sarah Paretsky -- (Dec 30) - new (e-book)

6qebo
Modifié : Déc 31, 2016, 7:18 pm

I'm Katherine, a computer programmer residing in Lancaster PA. I joined LibraryThing in 2007, and participated in the 75 Books Challenge from 2011-2016. In 2016 I fell significantly short of 75, and realized it was kinda nice not to feel the pressure. I've kept up with several Club Read threads in previous years, often people who cross-post in the 75 or migrated over, and I respect the thoughtfulness of its members, so I'm gonna give this a trial run in 2017. I belong to two RL book groups; one reads strictly non-fiction, one reads mostly fiction. My tastes tilt more toward science than literature. I'm the negligent admin of Non-Fiction Challenge/Journal (I didn't even start a thread in 2016), and I've kept a gardening record in Gardens & Books since 2012.

7qebo
Modifié : Déc 31, 2016, 7:23 pm

January plans



Everything in January is an obligation of some sort, though an obligation that I've taken on voluntarily. The RL fiction book group selection is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. The RL non-fiction book group selection is Eleanor and Hick by Susan Quinn. A new RL native plant gardening group has assigned Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy to set a common foundation; I read it several years ago but want it fresh in my mind for conversation. I completed the classwork for a Master Gardener certification in 2016, but still have to give a 10-minute presentation (and put in 50 hours of volunteer work). I've chosen the topic of moss, and have references on hand which I won't necessarily read cover to cover: Native Ferns, Moss & Grasses by William Cullina, Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Magical World of Moss Gardening by Annie Martin. This may push the limits of what I can manage in a month, since I aspire also to read the January issues of Atlantic and Scientific American.

8qebo
Déc 31, 2016, 7:28 pm

A request for new year greeters: no image please. This thread may be it for the year and I want to keep it uncluttered.

9lauralkeet
Déc 31, 2016, 7:34 pm

Happy New Year, Katherine. I've starred your thread so I can follow your reading in its new home.

10ronincats
Modifié : Jan 1, 2017, 11:06 pm

Happy New Year! (dropping a star)

11karspeak
Jan 1, 2017, 1:01 pm

Starred.

12lkernagh
Modifié : Jan 1, 2017, 7:56 pm

Hi Katherine. Thank you for stopping by my 75 group thread. Found your 2017 location and starred your thread.

Relying on my Irish heritage to leave you the following New Year wishes:

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

13qebo
Jan 1, 2017, 7:43 pm

Thanks for new year greetings!
Image posters, see >8 qebo: ... please?

14qebo
Jan 1, 2017, 7:43 pm



#01: Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer -- (Jan 1) - ROOT

why now: Preparation for a brief presentation as required by a Master Gardener program. Also I've had it around for awhile; it was an inspiration/reference for The Signature of All Things which I read a few years ago and would recommend enthusiastically.

I'm seeking basic information about moss, and this is not exactly a how-to guide. The style is more mystical communing with nature. However, the author is a bryologist and knows her stuff in depth, so embedded within a context of evolution and ecosystems are botanical details relevant to gardening. As an anti-how-to, a chapter about a wealthy landowner whose ostensible "ecosystem restoration" consisted of extracting elements of existing ecosystems (mature trees with 20' root balls, rocks covered in moss) and transporting them to his property for admiration. The most enjoyable sections are descriptions of scientific experiments involving meticulous patience. And the line drawings are lovely.

15lkernagh
Jan 1, 2017, 7:56 pm

>13 qebo: - Noted and fixed! ;-)

16qebo
Jan 1, 2017, 7:58 pm

>15 lkernagh: Thanks! :-)

17The_Hibernator
Jan 1, 2017, 9:15 pm

18qebo
Jan 1, 2017, 9:21 pm

>17 The_Hibernator: Thanks!
But see >8 qebo:...

19dchaikin
Jan 1, 2017, 11:11 pm

>8 qebo: guess you can't win them all. Welcome over to Club Read. I was intrigued by your comments on Gathering Moss - and by the image in your original post.

20arubabookwoman
Jan 2, 2017, 6:52 pm

Hi Katherine. I was a lurker on your 75'er thread last year, so I will be following your reading again this year. I hope to do better and comment once in a while.

21qebo
Jan 2, 2017, 8:00 pm

>20 arubabookwoman: Maybe I need to do better providing content to comment on.

22mabith
Jan 3, 2017, 1:57 pm

Looking forward to following your reading.

23norabelle414
Jan 3, 2017, 1:59 pm

Hi Katherine!

24qebo
Jan 3, 2017, 2:41 pm

>19 dchaikin: Thanks. The image is somewhat in hopes that it'll copy itself into my brain.
>22 mabith: Well I've been following your non-fiction for several years, and now I'll see the fiction too.
>23 norabelle414: Hi Nora! Gonna start a thread in the 75ers?

25norabelle414
Jan 3, 2017, 2:53 pm

>24 qebo: Probably eventually. Once I can remember that it's 2017 for more than 5 consecutive minutes.

26mabith
Jan 4, 2017, 6:12 pm

>24 qebo: I was thinking the same thing! I'm hoping to be less of a lurker this year.

27labfs39
Jan 7, 2017, 4:09 pm

Hi Qebo! I too am trying to be a more consistent presence on LT this year. I had forgotten how much time it takes though!

The last few months have been packed with nonfiction for me too, but mostly history. My daughter, whom you met in Maine, is currently busy studying guinea pigs. When she combines this interest with her interest in flying, you get things like sweatshirts with a flying guinea pig and the line "With enough thrust, anything can fly." You can see her blog here.

28qebo
Jan 7, 2017, 4:38 pm

>27 labfs39: Ooh she has a blog about guinea pigs? It happens that I have an RSS reader (The Old Reader) and subscribe to all sorts of blogs in a semi-organized fashion so it's easy to see when new posts appear. What has happened with the chickens, which were under similar proliferation scientific scrutiny a few years ago?

29labfs39
Jan 7, 2017, 10:58 pm

She studied chickens intensely from age six to ten. They continued to live with us until Jan 2015. She had lost interest but didn't want to admit it. I didn't want to be sole caregiver, so our friend, Rhonda the Chicken Lady, helped find a new home for them. Kate wanted them to remain together, and Rhonda knew of a recently widowed 80-year-old whose wife had never let him have chickens. He built a magnificent coop, complete with heated tile floors, and had the flock transported to Idaho. Katie was sad to see them go, but glad it was to such a good home. Unfortunately our 14-year-old black lab had to be put down shortly thereafter.

30qebo
Jan 8, 2017, 10:24 am



#02: The Magical World of Moss Gardening by Annie Martin -- (Jan 4) - ROOT

why now: Preparation for a brief presentation as required by a Master Gardener program.

This book covers basic botany, but it is mostly a how-to. The author runs a mossery in North Carolina, and her thing is moss garden design and cultivation. The book abounds with photos of moss gardens if you want inspiration. The most useful sections are: various ways to propagate moss (tip: moss milkshakes aren't all that effective; the recommendation is to tear off small fragments, arrange them with gaps between, and press them onto the surface), photos and descriptions of 25 common and suitable species (narrowed down from the 12,000 or so that have been officially classified), and a list of native plants on a small scale.

31streamsong
Jan 8, 2017, 1:32 pm

Found you and have you starred!

Love your two reviews and looking forward to many more this year.

32_Zoe_
Jan 9, 2017, 8:11 am

Found your new thread!

33qebo
Jan 9, 2017, 8:42 am

>32 _Zoe_: You don't yet seem to have a thread to find.

34_Zoe_
Jan 9, 2017, 12:29 pm

>33 qebo: This is true. Perhaps tomorrow, or even tonight if I'm feeling ambitious.

35ffortsa
Jan 9, 2017, 9:55 pm

So many of my friends, like you, have migrated here, I thought I'd better join the group just to lurk from time to time. I doubt I'll start a thread here, though. Keeping up takes up all my time!

36Morphidae
Jan 21, 2017, 10:39 pm

LT can certainly be time consuming, indeed. But I've found you now!

37qebo
Jan 22, 2017, 9:16 am

I haven't been on LT much. 3 weeks into the year and I'm already behind in reviews. Time occupied by the full time job (accompanied by the uncertainty of how long it will continue), a series of nuisances (unexpected furnace replacement, car repair because someone backed into my 2017 car at the end of 2016), organizing a slide show on moss (I have to pretend that I know something for 10 minutes), a buncha evening events because all sortsa organizations started up again immediately after the holidays, DC women's march yesterday. A coupla other garden-related things ramp up in February and March. I'm relieved to be out of the 75 pressure because there's no way it's gonna happen this year. I do aspire to be a bit more present on LT, but I dunno whether this is compatible with reality.

38_Zoe_
Jan 22, 2017, 10:42 am

Hey, you can't be that behind on reading if you're also behind on reviews!

I've managed to keep up with my reviews by finishing only one book this year (and reviewing that one minimally).

39labfs39
Jan 22, 2017, 12:09 pm

>37 qebo: No pressure to review from me, qebo, my friend. This is about sharing what you are reading and thoughts, ideas. Reviews are a bonus. Who ever said LTers had to review every book they read anyway? Is that a law I missed when I signed up? All of us understand life happening. I enjoy hearing about your thoughts on moss more than a review of a moss book, to be honest. We all tend to pressure ourselves so much about reviews. My new goal is to get back to enjoying the sharing. Discussing. Not reviewing. Maybe I'll boycott review writing for the year and just chat about the books I read instead!

P.S. I'm jealous you were able to go to the Women's March in DC. My daughter wasn't up to attending the one here in Seattle, so we watched the DC rally on TV. It made me feel a bit less alone and a tad more hopeful. How was it for you, being there?

P.S.S. What an infuriating bummer about your new car! And I'm sorry the job security is still problematic. I guess that's one good think about not working, you don't have to worry about being let go...

40_Zoe_
Jan 22, 2017, 12:15 pm

>39 labfs39: Another advantage of just chatting about your books rather than reviewing them is that the chatting can be done without actually finishing anything, if you're someone like me who starts lots of books and never seems to make much progress on completing them.

41labfs39
Jan 22, 2017, 12:36 pm

Good point! I enjoyed talking about six Armed Forces Edition books I received for the holidays, even although I didn't (and probably won't) read them. It's the provenance that fascinates me.

42jjmcgaffey
Jan 24, 2017, 12:17 am

I review mostly for me - so I can remember what I thought of the book immediately (or so) after finishing it. Sometimes my memory of a book is very different from what I thought at the time - and sometimes I have no memory of the book at all. It's handy to be able to check if I read it and what I thought. Hopefully what I write is useful for others too, but that's not the primary intention. Which means that some of my reviews are half a page long and many are barely a paragraph...

43qebo
Fév 1, 2017, 9:29 pm



#03: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead -- (Jan 9) - new (e-book)

why now: RL book group selection for January.

This was my selection because of all the buzz it's been getting, and alas it didn't quite meet my expectations. The gist is that the Underground Railroad is a physical thing, and its stops are in "states of possibility", various configurations of bondage and freedom. Cora is enslaved on a Georgia plantation. Her grandmother was kidnapped in Africa. Her mother escaped when Cora was 10 and hasn't been heard from since. A half dozen years later, Cora remains angry at the abandonment, and has endured by becoming something of an outcast and claiming 3 yards square of land as her own. After a violent incident, a recent arrival asks her to escape with him.

I had several issues with this book, which remain despite pushback from other book group members. One, and primary, I wanted more world-building for the underground railroad; it was there without explanation, just an occasional fleeting hint of a secret history, an expedient plot device that got Cora quickly from point A to point B. Two, the states of possibility were too much tell and not enough show, conceptual sketches only partially fleshed out with personal detail. Three, the POV had frequent small but irritating shifts, so I never felt fully connected to Cora. Colson Whitehead wrote a memorable article for the New Yorker a few years back, his style is both engaging and incisive, but the story is too heavy on the thought experiment aspect. For my taste. Note that I'm not literarily inclined, so my comments should be viewed with a suspicion that I'm missing things.

44qebo
Modifié : Fév 1, 2017, 9:33 pm



#04: Eleanor and Hick by Susan Quinn -- (Jan 17) - new

why now: RL book group selection for January.

Lorena Hickok was a reporter who crossed paths with Eleanor Roosevelt during Franklin Roosevelt's first presidential campaign, and was smitten. Eleanor Roosevelt was a busy woman, who drew Hick into her social circle, but had 100s of competing connections. Hick left her newspaper career and became an investigator for Federal Emergency Relief Administration (precursor to the Works Progress Administration), in which role she influenced Eleanor Roosevelt who in turn influenced Franklin Roosevelt. This book is about the relationship between the two women, and the relationship of Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin Roosevelt. It does perhaps assume more detailed knowledge of the FDR administration than I possess. It's an enlightening perspective in that I'd never heard of Lorena Hickok (though it turns out she is the author of a children's biography of Helen Keller that I read in elementary school), but somewhat monotonic, details of day-to-day events as conveyed in letters, dramatic episodes of these two extraordinary women dampened by the style. Though Hick is described as a compelling writer, little of her writing is presented (it is available elsewhere).

45qebo
Modifié : Mai 13, 2017, 10:43 am



#05: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue -- (Jan 29) - new (e-book)

why now: RL book group selection for February.

Elizabeth Wright is a nurse, trained by Florence Nightingale. She travels to a town in Ireland where a committee has hired her, along with another nurse, to monitor an 11 year old girl who apparently stopped eating four months before. Is this a religious miracle, or a hoax? She is scientifically minded and suspects a hoax. The better part of the book is her meticulous observations of physical health and family dynamics, and her developing relationship with the girl. Toward the end, things get rather too dramatic for my taste.

46ronincats
Fév 1, 2017, 9:38 pm

Well, that's quite a string of under-achievers for you, Katherine!

47qebo
Modifié : Mar 18, 2017, 8:08 pm

January realities (compare to plans here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/245037#5859709)



Well I did what I needed to do for Master Gardener program and book groups.

48qebo
Fév 1, 2017, 9:48 pm

February plans



I'm ahead of the game for book group obligations, finished The Wonder a few days ago and will finish Hillbilly Elegy tonight or tomorrow. The only other book on the agenda is Hidden Figures, because I saw the movie last week (highly recommended!).

49ronincats
Fév 1, 2017, 11:23 pm

Wonderful movie!

50lauralkeet
Fév 2, 2017, 7:45 am

>43 qebo: Hmmm. I was in a library queue for this one, but was nearing the top of the list when my mom passed away so I canceled my hold thinking "right book, wrong time". I haven't added my name to the queue again and your comments give me pause. I have plenty to read and this one is slipping down my priority list.

51qebo
Fév 2, 2017, 8:22 am

>50 lauralkeet: For me it was frustratingly almost-but-not-quite, but you could pay attention to everyone else and ignore me.

52sibylline
Modifié : Fév 6, 2017, 8:01 am

Seems that a fair number of readers had your response. - For me, on LT, it readers with whom I share I high similar "taste" quotient (that would be you and Peggy for starters).

(Laura too, actually, so getting it from the library sounds like a good idea.)

53bell7
Fév 7, 2017, 5:41 pm

>43 qebo: I had a similar reaction to you, and felt like I *should* like it more than I did but was missing something.

I want to get to Hidden Figures soon myself. I've had the advanced reader copy on my Kindle for months now...

54_Zoe_
Fév 7, 2017, 5:50 pm

I just watched Hidden Figures this weekend, and am now eager to read the book as well!

55ronincats
Mar 14, 2017, 2:34 pm

For some reason my star on your thread disappeared and I just realized it! I didn't mean YOU were an underachiever, just that the books you'd been reading were not that highly rated. ;-)

So I believe you may be getting a blizzard right now, but out here it's in the high 70s and the cherry trees are blooming. My apricot tree is blooming profusely and I am in high hopes that it has been cold enough this winter that some fruit may set, if it gets pollinated. Yesterday what looks like a small monarch appeared to be working on that, but this isn't typical monarch food. What do you think?

56qebo
Mar 14, 2017, 3:02 pm

>55 ronincats: Looks like a monarch. :-)
Yes, we are getting a blizzard at this very moment. About a foot of snow. A down side to working at home is I don't get a snow day, it's business as usual unless the power goes out which so far it hasn't.

I haven't posted here in awhile. All is well, I'm just occupied by RL. Keeping an eye on LT but rarely commenting. I expect to start a garden thread soon.

57lauralkeet
Mar 14, 2017, 3:08 pm

>56 qebo: About a foot of snow
Seriously? I'm only an hour south-ish of you and we don't have nearly that much.

58qebo
Mar 14, 2017, 3:12 pm

>57 lauralkeet: Apparently there's quite a variation just within the county. I shoveled a couple hours ago, so that's my very local assessment. We're still getting light snow, though mostly now the wind has picked up.

59qebo
Modifié : Mar 14, 2017, 5:27 pm



About 25 miles to the west. 2 eggs due to hatch around this weekend.
http://www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/WildlifeSpecies/BaldEagles/Pages/default.aspx

60banjo123
Mar 15, 2017, 11:47 pm

The eagle nest is so cool! We saw an eagle in a nearby park the other day, but my picture came out like a tree with a lump on it.

I liked Underground Railroad more than you did. I was worried, actually, that the real railroad theme wouldn't work for me, but it did.

61qebo
Mar 18, 2017, 8:06 pm

February realities (compare to plans here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/245037#5917176)



Well, I managed to finish the two books I'd planned to read: Hillbilly Elegy and Hidden Figures. In between, I read Say the Wrong Thing, which I picked up at a local event because the author had copies at a sign-up table and it looked interesting and then I had a couple spare hours between events. And Room, because I'd watched the movie after someone mentioned it when my book group read The Wonder.

62qebo
Mar 18, 2017, 8:07 pm

March plans



The only plan is the book group selections: Miss Jane and Day of Honey. Which, now that it's past mid month, I've read.

63ronincats
Mar 18, 2017, 8:47 pm

Has your snow melted yet? What plans do you have for your house this year? Are all the bookcases in and loaded?

64qebo
Mar 18, 2017, 11:01 pm

>63 ronincats: Lotsa questions! The snow is gradually sinking but it's still covering the ground with mounds along edges of streets. The bookshelves are in place and all the books are organized on shelves except the ones I've acquired since I moved. My main house task at the moment is to get my Little Free Library box painted so I can set it up once the weather is decent. I started tomato seeds this afternoon and expect to start a garden thread this week, so stay tuned for plans.

65qebo
Mar 19, 2017, 10:57 am

Garden thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/252735 . I'll be more active there than here.

66qebo
Mar 19, 2017, 11:03 am

For anyone interested in the bald eagle cam (link in >59 qebo:), one egg has a visible pip and the eaglet is chirping inside.

672wonderY
Mar 21, 2017, 1:42 pm

>66 qebo: The second eaglet has arrived!

68qebo
Mar 21, 2017, 3:12 pm

>67 2wonderY: Yes it has. And apparently the whole world is watching. I can't get through consistently.

692wonderY
Mar 21, 2017, 3:37 pm

I noticed yesterday that Papa is not particularly good at feeding the young'un. He would offer, but only half-heartedly, not getting close enough to baby's beak; and then swallowing the offering himself. In comparison, Mama (the larger of the two) has just the right technique, offering the bits with patience and precision. Same thing today, though Papa is getting slightly better. He does do a good job od nest sitting though.

70qebo
Mar 21, 2017, 3:42 pm

>69 2wonderY: There's quite a soap opera backstory to these eagles. Mama is a more experienced parent. Together though they managed to raise two eaglets in 2015.

71Morphidae
Mar 22, 2017, 1:52 pm

>70 qebo: Is there a website with the backstory? I didn't see anything on the one you provided.

72qebo
Mar 22, 2017, 2:14 pm

>71 Morphidae: There's a book: A Year with the Eagles by Karen Lippy, a local woman who has been observing these eagles and the surrounding area for years. There are several Facebook groups. The most informative is Hanover, PA Eagle Cam, where Karen Lippy reports regularly from the ground. The group has a section for files (which may not be accessible if you don't have a Facebook account), including a brief history. The gist is the female has been around since 2004, and the male is her 3rd mate.

73Morphidae
Mar 22, 2017, 7:09 pm

>72 qebo: She's a black widow! ;)

74sibylline
Mar 26, 2017, 10:00 am

Thanks for the eaglet link!

76ronincats
Avr 14, 2017, 2:41 pm

Definitely a missed opportunity!

77labfs39
Modifié : Mai 7, 2017, 2:33 pm

Just popping in to say Hello. Loved the eagle webcam. Nice to know even the birds don't have privacy in this age of technological wonder!

My kiddo is in Peru with her school and reported seeing condors, which is evidently a big deal there too.

I'll pop over to your garden thread and star it.

P.S. I love your reviews, and I, too, rely on them more than the "buzz" generated by others. I am curious to hear what you thought of the book, Hidden Figures. I really enjoyed the movie, and someone told me recently that the book gives a much broader perspective of the issues over a longer period of time. I recently watched The Imitation Game and was inspired to hop on Amazon (something I very rarely do) and buy the definitive biography on Turing (Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges). It's interesting, but I'm afraid I don't have nearly enough math to understand most of it. At over 700 pages, it's a monster, but I hope to keep plugging along. Hodges is quite a good writer, despite (?) being a math professor at Oxford.

78qebo
Mai 7, 2017, 5:45 pm

>77 labfs39: That's some school, that takes kids to Peru.
You can see that my reading pace has dropped significantly this year, and I barely manage to list them. I read Alan Turing: The Enigma after seeing the movie, and... yes, I did write a brief review here. The movie version of Hidden Figures does the usual movie thing of conflating and dramatizing, so the book doesn't rise to its level of engagement, but it does span a longer time and place the events in context.

79sibylline
Modifié : Mai 12, 2017, 9:33 am

>75 qebo: oh too bad you missed that opportunity.

I should get on over to your gardening thread to see what's happening! In the meantime, just saying hello.

Mentioning too that my fitbit has ceased to want to log my steps -- I haven't given up getting it to work yet, but it quit on May 1 and reloading the program and all the other easy suggestions haven't worked.

80jjmcgaffey
Mai 12, 2017, 11:44 am

>79 sibylline: And you've done a reset? The exact details depend on which Fitbit you have, but in general it's plug it in, hold in the button until the screen goes blank and a few seconds longer, then (some you have to unplug first - my One needs that, my dad's Charge HR doesn't) press the button again until it shows Fitbit and a version number. That's a soft reset, and I'm doing it regularly these days to get mine to talk to the app. There's also a hard reset, which loses any data the gadget has but resets it to start so it usually works again - I've only had to do that once, years ago, so I don't remember how.
Sorry, I'm a tech - by vocation and avocation. Troubleshooting steps just spill out of me at any suggestion of a misbehaving gadget...

81qebo
Mai 12, 2017, 2:24 pm

>79 sibylline: Have you tried contacting FitBit support? I did so last year when my FitBit failed to reset properly overnight and retained data from the previous day, i.e. counted those steps twice. I had several frustrating exchanges with support staff, in which they kept offering to send me a new FitBit, and I kept saying I didn't want a new FitBit, I wanted to correct the single day of erroneous data in the database. Which annoyingly turns out not to be possible. You however may want a new FitBit. Also, for awhile earlier this year I was having trouble with the FitBit suddenly conking out, and that turned out to be a battery connection problem. You can fiddle with a tab inside the case (instructions are on the FitBit site). Also I've discovered that inserting a snippet of cardboard (from the battery package) on top of the battery before I close the case seems to help with the connection.

82qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 10:58 am

March realities (compare to plans in >62 qebo:)



Well I did exactly what I intended, and absolutely nothing more.

83qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 10:58 am

April plans



The RL book group selection for April is The Queen's Gambit. The other RL book group won't be meeting in April because half its members will be away.

84qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 10:59 am

April realities (compare to plans in >83 qebo:)



I read the RL April book group selection as planned. Picked up Oil and Honey because it's been sitting around for a couple years and climate change has been on my mind what with local events planned for April 22 & 29. I watched the movie Lion on whim then read the book it was based on A Long Way Home. And this got me on an India thing, so I read Behind the Beautiful Forevers which has been sitting around for several years.

85qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 10:59 am

May plans



Once again, all I have planned are the two RL book group selections: The Good Lord Bird and Just Mercy.

86qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:09 am



#06: Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance -- (Feb 1)

why now: RL book group selection for February.

87qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:09 am



#07: Say the Wrong Thing by Amanda Kemp -- (Feb 12)

why now: Picked up at a local political event where the author had copies at a table of related information. I had a couple hours between events, not quite enough time to go home, and it's a short book so I read it during the wait.

88qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:10 am



#08: Room by Emma Donoghue -- (Feb 13)

why now: The RL book group read another book by the same author in January, and someone mentioned that Room had been made into a movie. So I watched the movie then read the book.

89qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:12 am



#09: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly -- (Feb 28)

why now: I picked up the book in anticipation of the movie, but saw the movie first.

90qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:14 am



#10: Miss Jane by Brad Watson -- (Mar 7)

why now: RL book selection for March.

91qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:15 am



#11: Day of Honey by Annia Ciezadlo -- (Mar 18)

why now: RL book selection for March.

92qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:20 am



#12: The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis -- (Apr 6)

why now: RL book group selection for April.

I haven't played chess since I was about 12 years old, but I was interested enough in this book to watch two related movies: Searching for Bobby Fischer and Pawn Sacrifice.

93qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:20 am



#13: Oil and Honey by Bill McKibben -- (Apr 19)

why now: It's been sitting around for a couple of years, and I was reminded because of local events associated with the Earth Day and the March for Science.

94qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:21 am



#14: A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley -- (Apr 21)

why now: I watched the movie Lion on whim, and had picked up the book somewhere recently so I read it too.

95qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:21 am



#15: Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo -- (Apr 30)

why now: One book about India reminded me of another. This one's been sitting around for several years.

96qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 11:21 am

There. All caught up. :-)

97karspeak
Mai 13, 2017, 7:25 pm

Do you recommend Oil and Honey?

98qebo
Mai 13, 2017, 7:42 pm

>97 karspeak: I do. It's not all that polemical, mostly anecdotes in the life of an activist, plus beekeeping in Vermont.

99karspeak
Mai 13, 2017, 9:46 pm

>Cool, I'll add it to the list.

100labfs39
Mai 21, 2017, 3:24 pm

Ugh. Just lost my post. Here we go again...

>91 qebo: Would you recommend Day of Honey? It's been on my shelves for ages.

>95 qebo: I enjoyed, if that is the right word, Behind the Beautiful Forevers, ages after everyone else had read it. It was a nice antidote to Shantaram which was a total sham.

>85 qebo: I purchased Just Mercy after hearing an interview with the author on NPR. I should join your book club!

101qebo
Mai 21, 2017, 3:29 pm

>100 labfs39: I should join your book club!
Hah, you should. One of the original members just quit because we read too many depressing books.

102labfs39
Mai 23, 2017, 1:46 pm

>101 qebo: That's funny. Right up my alley!

103sibylline
Juin 9, 2017, 9:21 am

Sorry I didn't stop in sooner!

>80 jjmcgaffey: and >81 qebo: I somehow stumbled on the reset by myself, and since I have a One it must have been unplugged because it did reset itself. The mystery is why I had to do it at all. I do sometimes find the Fitbit maddening but it is helping me be honest with myself about what exercise I've done.

Re the McKibben, he turns up speaking now and then. And bee-keeping has become all the rage in Vermont. I'm happy because I love honey.

104_Zoe_
Août 1, 2017, 4:27 pm

Just stopping by to say hello since I haven't seen any evidence of your existence lately. I'm glad you're still updating the top of your thread anyway.

105qebo
Août 1, 2017, 5:18 pm

>104 _Zoe_: Hello, and thanks for dropping by. I'm a little behind in the lists too. Lately it's only RL book group obligations and mysteries. I haven't been updating my garden thread either. Nothing momentous, just lotsa small things that add up to pressed for time and mentally scattered.

106katiekrug
Sep 10, 2017, 2:46 pm

Hi Katharine - it was so nice to meet you yesterday. I hope the rest of your visit was good and the trip home was uneventful.

107ronincats
Oct 14, 2017, 9:51 pm

Happy Birthday, Katherine! Missing seeing you here.

108qebo
Oct 15, 2017, 8:57 am

>106 katiekrug: It was nice to meet you also. Thanks for arranging the meetup!
>107 ronincats: Thanks! I see your thread is overwhelmed with kittens...

109labfs39
Oct 23, 2017, 11:31 am

happy birthday, qebo. My bday was the same week. :-)

110sibylline
Nov 23, 2017, 1:45 pm



Hope you have a fine day!

111qebo
Déc 31, 2017, 4:59 pm

Well this year has been abysmal, reading-wise. Other things took priority, e.g. qualifying as a Master Gardener (I don't really know all that much, but it gets me into a loop of events and activities) and a major uptick in local political activity, and I escaped from the daily news feed with movies more often than books. Also since my job continues to be somewhat in doubt, and I'm falling into technological obsolescence, I've been making an effort to acquire an education in new and improved buzzwords. 34 books for the year probably puts me in some high percentile of the general population, but it's pathetic by LibraryThing standards. And 19 of those were for local book groups so not entirely mine.

So... a new thread for 2018? I'm not yet sure.

112ronincats
Déc 31, 2017, 10:36 pm

Be sure to let us know here if you do set up a 2018 thread, Katherine. And Happy New Year!

113_Zoe_
Déc 31, 2017, 10:38 pm

I only read 31 books this year, and I still set up a 2018 thread. I may even post in it occasionally.

1142wonderY
Jan 2, 2018, 11:35 am

>111 qebo: I'll follow you around. You've introduced me to some good'uns.

115qebo
Jan 2, 2018, 12:03 pm

It's nice to see a few people still here... I do have an actual reading plan for January, and I've begun starring 2018 threads though I haven't yet commented on anyone's...

116_Zoe_
Jan 2, 2018, 12:14 pm

The slow threads are the easiest to keep up with :)

I've already fallen hopelessly behind on some 2018 threads....

117norabelle414
Jan 2, 2018, 12:47 pm

I'm still here too!

118qebo
Jan 2, 2018, 8:38 pm