Nittnut - Replanted and Blooming 2017 Part 5

Crested Iris

I'm Jennifer. I read in bed. Also at the pool, in restaurants, at the beach, but not in the car. I have been married 24 years to my best friend. He puts up with my reading addictions, mostly, although I am not allowed to read while watching sport. We have three children ages 18, 13 and 10 and I often find them reading in bed after lights out. Success!

We have lived in California, Oregon, Colorado, New Zealand, and now we live in North Carolina. If you've been around my thread the last few months, you will know we have just moved. We are still getting settled, but we can tell we are going to like it here.


Cape Lookout

My thread toppers will be photos of native North Carolina plants - going along with the theme of Blooming where I'm planted.

Reading goals (flexible, of course):

Wheel of Time series - continued - This will be a long term effort. I HAVEN'T DONE THIS YET!
American Author Challenge - LOVE this
ANZAC Challenge
Nonfiction Challenge

Challenges

American Author Challenge

Jan - Octavia Butler - Unexpected Stories
Feb - Stewart O' - Emily, Alone
Mar - William Styron - The Long March
Apr - Poetry - Tracy K. Smith - Life on Mars: Poems
May - Zora Neale Hurston - Dust Tracks on a Road
Jun - Sherman Alexie - pass
Jul - James McBride - The Color of Water
Aug - Patricia Highsmith - The Talented Mr. Ripley
Sep - Short Stories
Oct - Ann Patchett - This is the Story of a Happy Marriage
Nov - Russell Banks -
Dec - Ernest Hemingway - The Old Man and the Sea

Non-fiction Challenge

Jan - Prizewinners - Founding Brothers
Feb - Voyages of Exploration - The Warmth of Other Suns
Mar - Heroes and Villains - Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
Apr - Hobbies, Pastimes and Passions - Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays
May - History - Hidden Figures, Dr. Mutter's Marvels
Jun - The Natural World - Birdology
Jul - Creators and Creativity - Manderley Forever, Knitting Pearls
Aug - I've Always Been Curious About ...
Sep - Gods, Demons and Spirits
Oct - The World We Live In: Current Affairs
Nov - Science and Technology
Dec - Out of Your Comfort Zone

ReRead Challenge

ANZAC Bingo

January Favorites



January Reading

1. First Frost -
2. Middlemarch
3. The Memory of Water
4. Cress
5. Maniac Magee
6. Winter
7. Unexpected Stories
8. Cotillion
9. The Wild Girl
10. City of Djinns -
11. Founding Brothers -
12. A Monster Calls
13. Running for My Life
14. Code Name Verity
15. The Warmth of Other Suns
16. The Westing Game

February Favorites



February Reading

17. The Woman on the Orient Express
18. Birdy Flynn
19. Pax
20. Emma: A Modern Retelling
21. The Stone of Farewell
22. Emily, Alone
23. Girls Guide to Moving On
24. Siege and Storm
25. The Mermaid's Daughter
26. Shadow and Bone
27. Ruin and Rising
28. The Johnstown Flood
29. Hell's Bottom, Colorado
30. All the Stars in the Heavens
31. The Bear and the Nightingale
32. Hillbilly Elegy
33. Shadow of A Bull

March Favorites


March Reading

34. The Chimes
35. The Mutual Admiration Society
36. Talking To the Dead
37. Love Story, With Murders
38. The Fire Raiser
39. The Long March
40. The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
41. A Man Called Ove
42. Giants: the Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln

April Favorites



April Reading

43. The Girl With Seven Names
44. Wish Upon A Star
45. The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths
46. When the Sea Turned to Silver
47. Paper Boats
48. The Silent Songbird
49. Life on Mars: Poems
50. This Thing of Darkness
51. Powder and Patch
52. Raymie Nightingale
53. The Light of Paris
54. Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays
55. A Wind in the Door
56. To Green Angel Tower Part 1
57. To Green Angel Tower Part 2
58. Dust Tracks on a Road
59. The Wright Brothers

May Favorites



May Reading

60. The Persian Pickle Club
61. Dr. Mutter's Marvels
62. The Quake Year
63. Dragonflight
64. News of the World
65. Dragonsdawn
66. Hidden Figures
67. The Dead House
68. The Severed Land

June Favorites



June Reading

69. The Thief
70. A Swiftly Tilting Planet
71. A Spool of Blue Thread
72. Roller Skates
73. Our Lost Constitution
74. Bronze and Sunflower
75. The Stars at Oktober Bend
76. The Shadow Rising
77. Birdology
78. The Night Beat and Lev in Glasgow
79. The Queen of Attolia

July Favorites



July Reading

80. The Essex Serpent
81. Words in Deep Blue
82. The King of Attolia
83. The False Prince
84. A Conspiracy of Kings
85. Knitting Pearls
86. Thick as Thieves
87. The Crossing Places
88. All She Left Behind
89. The Deepest Grave
90. Secondborn
91. Serafina and the Black Cloak
92. Manderley Forever
93. The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
94. The Janus Stone
95. The House at Sea's End
96. A Room Full of Bones
97. Flora and Ulysses
98. A Dying Fall
99. The Color of Water
100. The Goose Girl
101. Enna Burning
102. The Lioness of Morocco

A Kapiti sunset

Currently Reading

Pages: 37786

Currently Reading: Maori Boy, Tower of Thorns, The Call

Newbery Award: Good Masters, Sweet Ladies, Bud, Not Buddy

Currently Listening: Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power, To Kill A Mockingbird

AAC

Octavia Butler - Unexpected Stories - completed
Stewart O'Nan - Emily Alone - completed
William Styron - The Long March - completed
Tracy K. Smith - Life on Mars: Poems - completed
Zora Neale Hurston - Dust Tracks On A Road - completed
Sherman Alexie - PASS
James McBride - The Color of Water - completed
Patricia Highsmith - The Talented Mr. Ripley - completed
Short Story Month - Woman Hollering Creek - completed

Non-fiction Challenge

Founding Brothers - Joseph J. Ellis - completed
The Warmth of Other Suns - Isabel Wilkerson - completed
Giants: Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln - completed
Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies and Jays - completed
The Wright Brothers - completed
Dust Tracks on a Road - completed
Dr. Mutter's Marvels - completed
Hidden Figures - completed
Birdology - completed
Knitting Pearls - completed
Manderley Forever - completed
Honeymoon in Tehran - completed
John Quincy Adams - completed
The Pope's Last Crusade - completed

Re-read

Cotillion - completed
The Bear and the Nightingale - completed
Black Sheep - completed
Powder and Patch - completed
A Wind in the Door - completed
Dragon Flight - completed
Dragsondawn - completed
A Swiftly Tilting Planet - completed
The Thief - completed
The Queen of Attolia - completed
The King of Attolia - completed
A Conspiracy of Kings - completed
The Goose Girl - completed
The Nonesuch - completed
The Convenient Marriage - completed
Dreamer's Pool - completed

ANZAC -
The Wild Girl - Set Outside Australasia - C
The Slow Natives - Award Winner (Miles Franklin) - abandoned
The Chimes - Dystopian
The Quake Year - Number or quantity in the title
The Fire-Raiser - WWI - C
The Severed Land - under 200 pages
The Stars at Oktober Bend - YA
Words in Deep Blue - published in 2016/2017
Maori Boy - journal or memoir

August Reading

103. The Outcast Dead
104. The Talented Mr. Ripley
105. Honeymoon in Tehran
106. P.S. From Paris
107. Warleggan
108. John Quincy Adams
109. The Golden Boy
110. The View From Saturday
111. Ways to Disappear
112. Snow Treasure
113. The Toll Gate

September Reading

114. The Maze Runner
115. Mockingbird
116. The Nonesuch
117. The Mountain Between Us
118. Woman Hollering Creek
119. The Convenient Marriage
120. The Pope's Last Crusade
121. Dreamer's Pool
122. Atlantic: The Biography of an Ocean

October Reading

123. Every Woman For Herself
124. The Call
125. Tangerine
126. I Never Had it Made
127. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power
128. The Festival of Trial and Ember
129. Wizards of Once
130. Peter and the Starcatchers
131. Tower of Thorns
132. Den of Wolves
133. A Tangled Mercy

Happy new thread!! I love the toppers!! Will have to come back and check the rests of the posts 6-9 which are not up yet. : )

Also, I like the little book covers of your favorites each month. Nice!

And I didn't get a chance to wish you "Happy 8th Thingaversary!!" on your old thread.

Happy New Thread - I'm finding myself falling behind in my own ANZAC challenge, I keep reading books that don't count.

Happy new thread!

>10 Berly: Hi Kimberly! Thanks for stopping by :). I can't believe it's been 8 years of LT. *sigh of happiness*

>11 avatiakh: Hi Kerry! I have a pile of books for the ANZAC challenge, and then I get distracted. lol

>12 drneutron: Hi Jim!

The first thing I did in August was Pearl rule a book. The Supernatural Enhancements was weird and disjointed and hard to read, so I quit. I have picked up The Iowa Baseball Confederacy, which I am also struggling with. I will give it a few more chapters to see if it settles. I have a Ruth Galloway waiting, so hope is not lost. :)

Now I am off to bed. My track record for sleeping through my alarm this week is 2 for 2.

WAKE UP, JENN!

(There, did that help?)

Happy new thread :)

Hi Jenn!

Welcome back from your vacation, happy new thread, and happy Thingaversary.

I hope you're enjoying the cool mornings, which are unheard of here in early August.

Happy new thread, Jean. That is a stunning sunset up there. And I loved your Thingaversary haul from the previous thread - nicely done!

A new thread is always happiness. You've got a great start here. Practice makes...well...pretty good. Thread number five; you've got practice.

Happy new thread - love your favorites. I can't wait to read Flora and Ulysses to Scout.

Happy Thingaversary.

Happy new thread, Jenn

Happy new thread, Jenn. Love the thread topper and the photo of Cape Lookout. Given that it's pouring over here now, I'm mentally transporting myself over to the beach for a nice read.

Happy new thread, Jennifer.
Lovely iris up there and a beautiful sunset. You have been reading a lot in July!

Ooo, wow, beautiful sunset!! Happy new thread.

>14 katiekrug: Ha! Well, I didn't over sleep, so it must have helped. :)

>15 karenmarie: Hi Karen! It's only the 4th, but August has been very nice so far. I'm seeing a lot of juveniles at the bird feeder now. The kids had fun the other day watching a little one practicing flying and then sunning itself on the patio and trying again.

>16 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! I am pretty happy with my Thingaversary haul. I really miss those Kapiti sunsets.

>17 weird_O: Only pretty good? Hmmm. What are the parameters I am dealing with here? Lol

>18 BLBera: Hi Beth. Flora and Ulysses is such a fun one. I'm sure she'll enjoy it.

>19 PaulCranswick: Hello Paul. :)

>20 cameling: Hi Caro! I hope you enjoyed your beach read and didn't end up with too much sand in your pages. We could use a little rain here, just so I don't have to water the lawn, lol, but not as much as you've had. Your recent meetup looked successful, in spite of the rain. :)

>21 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita! I did read a lot in July. A couple of long flights and a beach trip contributed to that, I think.

>22 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. Thanks! That's from our beach in Kapiti. I'm missing it. I will make do with photos though.

It's another beautiful morning. Today I start a new job - a very little job- and we will see how it goes. I'm delivering local farm produce to people for The Produce Box. It came about because my friend is the area manager and one of her delivery ladies had to quit. I definitely support the idea of using local produce and supporting local farms. Other than Friday deliveries, I will be doing tasting/teaching events around the area, which is a bit more lucrative than the delivery bit. If I can do enough of those during school hours, this could work out to be an OK part time gig. Since our area schools have a hiring freeze on, any kind of job that is strictly during school hours is a unicorn.

I've had the organizing bug lately. I've got a couple cupboards in better shape and I'm wanting to finish getting my son's bedroom put together and pictures hung on the wall. Other than that, I've got to figure out how to water my acre so we can do a weed and feed. The weeds are winning at the moment. The neighbors use a lawn service, and I'm sure they are not pleased. Hockey starts tomorrow, so there go Saturdays until mid-October.

I've abandoned my second book this month, and it's only the 4th of August! The Iowa Baseball Confederacy was described as
the story of Gideon Clark, a man on a quest. He is out to prove to the world that the indomitable Chicago Cubs traveled to Iowa in the summer of 1908 for an exhibition game against an amateur league, the Iowa Baseball Confederacy. But a simple game somehow turned into a titanic battle of more than two thousand innings, and Gideon Clark struggles to set the record straight on this infamous game that no one else believes ever happened.
Actually, it's more about failed marriages and women who leave and the men who keep having them back, with a side of whining about how they just know this baseball thing happened, but nobody believes them. I'm not interested in wading through this to Maybe find the baseball part of the story. Argh!

Good luck with your new job, Jenn. I hope it works out for you.

I am also trying to organize, never an easy task for me.

I did finish one good book though, so it's not so bad. :)

#103 The Outcast Dead

I think this may be my favorite of the series, so far. While Ruth is not directly involved in an investigation this time, the police investigations run smoothly along with Ruth's current archaeological dig.

>25 BLBera: Thanks Beth! Organizing. It takes me a long time to figure out what I want to do, and lots of mental energy to do it. I keep thinking it will get easier, but really, I think flying my sister out to do it for me would be TOTALLY WORTH IT. Ha! Partly it's trying to figure out where to put stuff in a new house, and the cupboards are weird sizes and my stuff doesn't fit and I have to think outside the box a little. Sigh.

Hi Jenn!

The Produce Box jobs sound fantastic.

Abandoning books is frustrating but perhaps the next one will be perfect!

You're still settling in and getting organized - I've lived in this house 19 years and realize that I haven't touched some closets/cabinets for a dozen or more years. It's a combination of frightening and exciting; like yesterday I 'found' 8 sherbet dishes for my every day china tucked away in the hutch in the dining room. Totally forgot we owned them, totally forgot I had put them there. Good luck in your continuing mission.

Having your sister out sounds like fun. And productive. *smile*

Jenn - I live in an old house with very little storage space. Tiny closets, so I am always challenged. My daughter has been helping me to toss stuff. I tend to be a saver. I have a sister who hates clutter; maybe I should invite her for a few days. She would no doubt be very "helpful."

>28 karenmarie: Hi Karen. I forgot to mention that I get half off my produce order and any leftover produce after deliveries are sorted. Today I scored an eggplant, a basket of summer apples, and a big head of butter lettuce along with my regular order - avocados, zucchini, more lettuce, tomatoes and apples. I could have got a few more items from the swap box, but I decided I had enough for today.
I'm about to terrify my family with an organizing and sorting binge. They hate it, but we are all so happy when it's done. I've got to get through everything we do and do not want before my in-laws visit, or we will end up with our house decorated with all the things we Do Not want. My MIL is a bit funny. She's nice, her intentions are good, but she's quite deaf to other people's preferences. Basically, if you disagree with her, you clearly don't know what you need. Lol (sigh)

>29 BLBera: My sister also hates clutter. She's always taking boxes to Goodwill, I am always wondering how she has anything left to take... Less stuff is definitely the answer to clutter, but getting everyone to agree on which stuff to liberate is always interesting. :)

I've got to go water the lawn and clean bathrooms. There is a goldfinch perched on my son's bean vine and he is thrilled. :)

I haven't decided what to read next. I think The Talented Mr. Ripley just arrived at the library, so there's that. I just have to go get it.

>24 nittnut:

Unless your neighbors with the lawn service are rich enough to afford an Organic No Pesticide service,

theirs is likely wrecking their healthy soil of worms and killing all the insects that birds need to thrive.

Your weeds help!

Catching up in order to wish you a wonderful weeekend, Jenn.

I moved around so much growing up. That was always the incentive to purge. Now that I have lived in the same house for 12 years, well...I need to go through things. LOL

>31 m.belljackson: This is why we don't have a lawn service. However, we do need to deal some of the weeds ourselves to some level. We have a good organic weed and feed, and we actually leave a lot of the weeds in the way back near the pond. We have a good insect friendly garden too, although we can't take credit for it as we didn't plant it.

>32 PaulCranswick: Same to you Paul. :)

>33 Berly: Moving is great for purging. Because of the move to NZ, we really don't have a lot of junk, but we still have trouble figuring out where to put what we do have. Lol

>34 nittnut:

My morning weed walk along the nearby country road yields Queen Anne's Lace, blue Chickory,
and reddish pink Clover, plus a couple of lovely tall yellow Mulleins and wild sunflowers...

Congratulations on your new job. It sounds fun and I agree that using local produce is a very good thing. You'll not only earn a little cash and have fun you're doing a good thing for the world as well!!

Happy New(isn) Thread, Jenn! I love that crested iris in your topper.

I love the sound of your "little" job, delivering for the Produce Box. We used to get a produce box like that back in Oregon and it was really wonderful. We had to go pick it up but one thing I liked was that if there was an odd vegetable in the box, one that would likely be unfamiliar to many or most of us, they would include recipe recommendations for said vegetable. That made it even more fun.

Sorry you've had to abandon a couple of books but good for you for doing it. Time is too precious and there are too many things to read to waste time on something that is just not working for you.

I hope you have a good week ahead of you!

>35 m.belljackson: How fun to be able to identify some of the weeds along your path. I did zoology at university, but I never really got into plants. Now I wish I could identify even the trees in my yard. Well, that's lazy, I can identify them. I just have to work at it. Lol

>36 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. :) I've been a little frustrated about work. I'd like to work part time, be home when the kids are home, but get back into working a bit so that when they are off to college I can go full-time more easily. What's frustrating is that I have been an at home mom for 18 years. The last company I worked for doesn't exist, the previous employer is retired. I'm going in the running under recent graduates, which just irks me. I am considering writing a resume of what an at home mom does, because (no offense to all the darling just graduateds) I can do everything they can do in half the time, with one hand tied behind my back, while cooking dinner. Just saying. Sigh.

>37 EBT1002: Hi Ellen. We used to do a veggie co-op like that too. It was kind of fun getting the odd rutabaga or something occasionally.
I am getting better at abandoning books - in fact - I just abandoned my third book this month. Three for three. This most recent one was a novel about Gertrude Bell. It was just awful. I have read much better books about her, so I won't waste my time on this one.
I am hoping for a good week. I have dental surgery tomorrow, and they promise it's no big deal, I hope very much that is the case.

I've abandoned another book. I read a good third of Bell of the Desert, which is a novel supposedly based on the life of Gertrude Bell. I have read a couple of biographies, which were excellent, and this novel just isn't doing anything for me at all. Here's an example of the writing:
She could barely restrain herself from seeing what was hidden beneath the whispering sands of time, listening to the now-silent voices of the ancients and finding out what would be revealed when the stones were uncovered.
I. Just. Can't.

I did pick up The Talented Mr. Ripley from the library yesterday, so I have great hopes of ending the reading slump.

Hi Jenn!

Your job sounds fun and scoring all that produce is fantastic. I'm afraid that all those lovely eggplants and zucchini and avocados would go to waste at my house because I can only eat so many. My husband is proud that he likes 'southern cooking', which to him means meat and potatoes and soggy, pork-infused vegetables (green beans and field peas mostly). I do cook the meat and potatoes for him, but refuse to make the soggy vegetables. We usually have sliced cucumbers or melon in the summer. He won't eat zucchini, green peas, tomatoes, green peppers, eggplant, and etc. Sigh.

I'd have abandoned Bell of the Desert, too. Lurid prose indeed. I hope one of the bios you read is Desert Queen by Janet Wallach - if not, I recommend it.

Good luck getting out of your reading slump. I get mildly panic-stricken when nothing is clicking, so I hope that The Talented Mr. Ripley is full of reading mojo for you.

>38 nittnut: I know that reentering the work force is difficult but it sounds like you're making a good start and I'm sure you will succeed.

>40 karenmarie: Desert Queen is one of the ones I've read, I think it's the best one I've read. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has anxiety when book after book isn't working out. It rarely happens to me, which is probably very lucky. I'm sorry your husband won't eat the good veggies. More for you? We are working on getting the kids to eat more bell peppers, eggplant, etc. I have a theory that if I just keep presenting them, eventually, they will eat something new. I did get my 10 year old to try grilled eggplant the other night. He got a little hung up on the skin, but he tried it. I was enjoying it on a slice of fresh tomato with goat cheese. So delicious.

>41 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. :) I did have a little grumble, didn't I? Lol

I am home, had my dental surgery, which went as well as one could expect. Now I wait and see if it's going to hurt or not. I have some nice fat ibuprofen pills to take in any case. I found my kiddos watching the TV, probably since 8 am, and I have turned it off and they have stomped off upstairs. We shall see if they can spend the rest of the day in more active pursuits. It is raining, so we're going to have to be creative. I Love that it's raining! The Talented Mr. Ripley is going well, and I'm off to read and relax in between bossing kids around. :)

>38 nittnut:

Trees can be tough to identify unless the leaf (Oak, Maple...) is so distinctive that you can't miss -
or it's a White Birch or has apples!

Awhile back, I read that tree bark was the expert's way to figure all that out.

Maybe if you post some bark photos, LT experts could help.

Congrats on the new job and extra produce!

Sorry about the dental work...hope the recovery is easy.

Hoping your teeth are not hurting and that your kids found something fun to do, despite the rain. The heck with bad books! Wishing you a great next read.

Hope you have a restful, restorative day!!

>43 m.belljackson: I got a book at the library, and I will see how I do. :) So darn many trees here in NC. Lol

>44 Copperskye: Hi Joanne! Teeth aren't hurting too badly. They gave me some stuff for that, but I don't think I'll need it much. They said to use it for 2 days for swelling anyway.

>45 Berly: The heck with bad books is right. Sigh. I did get all the way through The Talented Mr. Ripley though, and while it was very disturbing, it was a page turner.

>46 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! I am probably going to have a rest day when both kids are back at school. They are easy kids, but busy. The first week of school I usually clean for two days and then the third day I plan absolutely nothing. I nap, read, do whatever I want, when I want. One day of that is usually plenty, and I go back to regular life. Lol

#104 The Talented Mr. Ripley

Tom Ripley is sent to Italy to bring home Dickie, the son of a rich man. Tom falls in love with Dickie, or in love with his life, and when Dickie seems to be tiring of him, Tom is terribly hurt. One thing leads to another, and the tension builds to an almost unbearable height. Tom is a fascinating character. He is conflicted, pathetic, calculating, and fascinating. Patricia Highsmith paints a disturbing portrait of a murderer who is a consummate actor. So good he seems to believe his own fantasies. Only rarely does he disassociate to the point of losing control, and yet he's aware that he's losing control.
This is my second book by Highsmith, and while I appreciate her skill, I don't think I will want to get to know Tom Ripley better. These psychological thrillers always leave me unsettled and itchy. I realize that is the point, but I prefer not to go there too often.

Is this the first in a series?

Hi Jenn!

>42 nittnut: We used to bribe daughter with $1 if she'd try something. It got to be a fun family joke, and I don't think I ever got her to like something she'd disliked since she was little. But now that she's 24 and out on her own, she's expanded her food choices some. Still no "raw" tomatoes or asparagus, though.

>49 Berly: If you click on the title of a book, it will go to the book's page and if it's part of a series it will tell you the series name and which number in the series that book is. If you click on the series name, it will take you to the entire series, listing all books and showing you which ones are in your catalog. It will also give you recommendations based on this series and/or author. Nifty.

>49 Berly: Yes - I didn't know it until I read Mark's post in the AAC thread, but I guess there are five books. I honestly can't believe he gets away with it for 5 whole books, but I don't want to know more at the moment. Lol

>50 karenmarie: Isn't it funny what kids like and don't like? My daughter loves veggies and fruit and Thai food, but hates fish. My youngest son loves fish and is not terribly fond of veggies. My oldest pretty much eats everything. He had a brief flirtation with vegetarianism when he was 3-4 years old. The texture of meat really bothered him. We had many a "pickle burger" at McDonalds that year. But he got over it.

Today we went to the North Carolina Zoo. It was such a nice day, I thought we should be outside. It's a nice little zoo, a lovely walk in the woods, and not too heavy on exhibits. There's an excellent Desert exhibit and an excellent Aviary, as well as a really nice prairie walk with elk and bison and wolves. We saw all of the North America section and just a little of Africa before it was time to go. We will definitely go again.

I'm really enjoying the audio of John Quincy Adams. I'm really liking the guy. He had so many adventures so young! I'm nearly done with Honeymoon in Tehran as well, which is a pretty good read. School starts soon, so we will have a spurt of busy-ness and then things will quiet down.

On the part-time job front - I have an interview at the YMCA next week - I applied to teach the water fitness class I've been taking. The current instructor goes back to work full time when school starts, so I'm hoping to be able to step in and take over. We shall see. Perhaps all of this will add up to our car payment or something. I have also re-opened my Etsy shop and I'm tweeting and facebooking and all that in preparation for the Christmas shoppers.

Hi Jenn!

We really loved the NC zoo the one time we visited it when our daughter was 3. She walked quite a bit of it and got away from us in the Aviary for 5 hair-raising minutes.

Sounds like your reading mojo is back.

Hi Jenn - It sounds like your dental surgery went well.

Kids and food! I had one who would eat anything, and one who was super picky. My daughter, the picky one, is better as an adult, but she is not an adventurous eater. She also did not like meat when she was little. I wonder what it is; she could never tell me.

I agree with you about psychological thrillers. I can take them in limited doses.

>50 karenmarie: Thanks Karen. I actually knew that; call me lazy. Or...you could say that I was trying to have a conversation. Yeah. I like that better. : )

>51 nittnut: So, he keeps up the stolen identity for 5 books? Interesting. The Talented Mr Ripley sounds very intriguing. I just finished a rather disturbing one, Silent Child, so I think I will wait a bit, but Ripley made the WL!

>57 drneutron: Hi Jim! It does look fun. I'm not familiar with very many of the authors, but I think it looks worth checking out. It looks like I will be at the Book Fair in DC next month. I will pop over to your thread and see if anyone wants to meet up.

>58 nittnut: Hey Paul, I'm not familiar with many of them either. So, an opportunity to find more books to read, no?

#105 Honeymoon in Tehran - non-fiction

Azadeh Moaveni is an Iranian-American who has lived and worked in the Middle East as a journalist for years. This is a memoir about the couple of years she lived in Iran, married, and had a child. She discusses the tendency of those who grew up in the West to romanticize life in Iran, the realities of living in a country where everything is controlled by a totalitarian government, and how it affected her personally. I think this book must have been sort of cathartic for Moaveni, as she worked through her decision to move to Iran, then leave. For the most part, it was an interesting read. I don't think the reader will get a really clear picture of any other part of Iranian society, other than the privileged one Moaveni inhabited. To be fair, moving around and talking to people outside one's acquaintance would be difficult.

#106 P.S. From Paris

This was a mildly entertaining love story, translated from French. A writer, living in France, and an English actress on the rebound from a failing marriage are brought together by meddling friends. They fall in love, but try to keep it in the friend zone because life is complicated. There are some really nutty twists to the story and a lot of it was predictable. I sometimes wonder, when I read a translation, if something was lost. For example, the style of dialogue between two of the characters was probably meant to come across as witty repartee, but for me it was a bit choppy.

>59 Berly: Awesome! I'm up for getting together that Saturday. I'll also let the other DC area folks know to see if there's broader interest.

So guys, we've had an interesting development here. My daughter was just invited to be a bridesmaid for one of our dear friends in NZ. She was our babysitter the whole time we lived there and a big sister to the kids. She's getting married in Tonga in January. EEEEK! I really want her to be able to do it... I told her she's going to have to do a Lot of babysitting.

Oh I hope it works out! What a cool opportunity and how nice to be asked to be a part of her important day.

>62 LovingLit: What a cool opportunity. I hope she/you can pull it off.

#107 Warleggan

I am pretty sure I've been claiming to be reading Jeremy Poldark all this time, but I've really been reading Warleggan.
I am a little disappointed in Demelza and Ross right now. More than a little. Good grief. That is all.

#108 John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger

Highly recommended.

John Quincy Adams began his diplomatic service very early. He was educated in Europe and at Harvard. He was an accomplished diplomat and ambassador, moving comfortably among royalty at court in Prussia, Russia, France, Holland, and England. He was highly intelligent, idealistic, and patriotic, and refused to campaign for public office. He believed that representatives, particularly the President, should be chosen on merit and not because of their popularity alone. He was elected president in a contentious election during which he was the only candidate who did not campaign. His opponent was Andrew Jackson, who won the popular vote, but John Quincy Adams got the electoral votes. His presidency was a disaster. He was blocked in every direction by Jackson supporters in Congress. He also struggled to relate to the average American and his speeches were too intellectual.

The next part of his story was my absolute favorite. John Quincy Adams was asked by the people of Massachusetts to return to public service as a member of the House of Representatives. He served there from 1831 to 1848. He was a vocal opponent to slavery. In fact, the "Gag Rule" originated when he began reading petitions from abolitionists and slaves on the floor of the House and his irritated Southern colleagues were desperate to shut him up. This time of his life is very illustrative of his courage and personal integrity. He was very unpopular in Washington, but because of his tireless efforts to force discussion of the abolition of slavery in the House, he became more popular with the public than he ever was as President. A few other highlights of his time in the House: he argued successfully before the Supreme Court for the freedom of the African slaves who revolted and seized the Amistad, he was the force behind the eventual creation of the Smithsonian Institute, and he crossed party lines on a regular basis, sticking tightly to his understanding of the Constitution and what it did and did not allow. He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage on the floor of the House and died a few days later.

The discussion of this Missouri question has betrayed the secret of their souls. In the abstract they admit that slavery is an evil, they disclaim it, and cast it all upon the shoulder of…Great Britain. But when probed to the quick upon it, they show at the bottom of their souls pride and vainglory in their condition of masterdom. They look down upon the simplicity of a Yankee's manners, because he has no habits of overbearing like theirs and cannot treat Negroes like dogs. It is among the evils of slavery that it taints the very sources of moral principle. It establishes false estimates of virtue and vice: for what can be more false and heartless than this doctrine which makes the first and holiest rights of humanity to depend upon the color of the skin?

>24 nittnut: tasting/teaching events around the area
That sounds fun!
I have been helping out with evening surveying and workshops lately in my job. I quite enjoy the social aspect of it, and cos its evenings, it Lismore pay! Nothing to complain about with that!

>63 nittnut:, >64 karenmarie: Thanks Ladies! I hope we can make it happen. She's thrilled to be asked.

>66 LovingLit: It has been fun. I just got hired as a water fitness instructor too. I'm fully working the active life/healthy eating thing for my part-time work Lol.

Parenting win of the week - I didn't actually realize until late last night that Mr. E's first day of school was TODAY not Monday. EEEEEK! We made it work, it was fine, but seriously? Who doesn't take note of the first day of school message? My only excuse is that they have made such a huge deal out of the solar eclipse on Monday, and how it's going to be a half day, that it totally Eclipsed (see what I did there?) the information about the actual first day of school.
I am really feeling good about this new school. There are 23 kids in his class, his teacher is lovely, the room is chokka with shells and skeletons and jars of preserved frogs and snakes, what could be better?

Hi Jenn!

>65 m.belljackson: I can understand that you're disappointed with both Ross and Demelza.

I would be amused at history repeating itself except that we're in mortal peril right now: His opponent was Andrew Jackson, who won the popular vote, but John Quincy Adams got the electoral votes. His presidency was a disaster.

Glad that Mr. E made it to school the first day and that you're looking forward to a good year for him. Schools are sneaky, aren't they? That happened to us a couple of times - starting on strange days or moving the schedule dramatically forward or delayed one year to the next.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

>67 nittnut:

It sure made remembering easier when all the schools started the Monday AFTER Labor Day!

>67 nittnut: hey! You found out it was the first day of school before it was the first day of school. Turn that into a massive parenting win.
I heard about this thing called 'good enough parenting' last year when I was studying...parenting. And I have to say, I was drawn to it!!!

>68 karenmarie: History is repeating, in a way, but it certainly is not amusing.
I had a lovely weekend. I raked masses of leaves in my yard (dratted river birch), did the laundry, and we helped tidy the baseball fields in preparation for fall ball. Then I went to a musical written by a friend of ours. They performed it at UNCG. It was a lovely and poignant piece about the ups and downs, tensions and stresses of having a special needs child, told from the POV of mom, dad and younger sister. Afterwards, the friend I went with and I decided to pick up a couple of Lime Bikes and go for a ride around UNCG. That was a riot. My husband was a little concerned about how late we were getting home, and when I told him why, he just shook his head and walked away. *grin*

>69 cameling: It sure was!

>70 nittnut: Ha! I did! Good enough parenting shall be my motto. LOL

I am reading Maori Boy, and while it is more work than his non-fiction, it is also well worth the effort so far. My kiddo who made it to school Friday has come down with a 101 temperature and a nasty cough, so he's on the sofa with lemon and honey to drink. Yay school.

Sorry your Friday school child is sick - school germs can be so nasty.

I'm glad you've had a lovely weekend so far, notwithstanding sick child.

We had to cut down our river birch because the root structure was going to be impinging on the foundation and septic drain field within 3-4 years otherwise. I miss the beautiful bark and shade it provided to my home office/sunroom, but I don't miss the mess.

Wow , you've had a busy weekend, Jenn. Apart from the leaf raking (which I don't like doing), everything else sounded great.

Sorry to hear your kid is sick. I hope he feels better soon. There seems to be a bug going around, because 2 of my nieces and kids from 3 friends are all sick too. I know my nieces must really be feeling miserable because they don't even want to text their friends or play games on their tablets!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

>72 katiekrug: Hi Karen. We are going to cut down the river birch in the next couple years because they are right next to the house. However, we have to plant new trees and get them going a little first. They are the Messiest trees ever. Leaves fall all the time and I think they may have 4 pollen stages. Good grief.
We had an invasion of Grackles last night. Probably 100 of them in the trees and taking turns fighting over the bird feeder.

>73 charl08: Hi Caro! I don't like leaf raking either. As a bonus, the neighbor came out and told me they'd seen a copperhead down near the pond the other day. I was completely paranoid after that.

Sick child is well today and back at school. Fingers crossed.

Oldest son sent me a back to school selfie, on his way to community college. HOORAY!!

Daughter doesn't start school until Monday, so we went and got pedis and now she is lecturing me on how I got her too many index cards (I got what was on the list) and we are discussing reasons why one cannot possibly have too many index cards.

#109 The Golden Son - OTS/OTKindle

Anil is the oldest son of a well to do landowner in a small village in India. He is a good student, and his father encourages him to become a doctor. When he finishes medical school in India, he applies for residency in a hospital in Dallas, TX. He has to learn to navigate between the demands of his two worlds. In India, he is expected to fill his father's shoes as the wise advisor and arbitrator in the village. In India, he is respected. In Texas, he is at the bottom of the totem pole, expected to work day and night in his quest to become a doctor. In Texas, he experiences racism and finds unexpected friendships. Over time, Anil learns to make peace with his two countries and find a place for himself in each one. I really liked the way the author developed her characters and showed the growth they experienced over the time span of the novel. I'd love for her to write another novel about Anil's sister.
This is an excellent read, even better than her first novel, Secret Daughter, IMO. Highly recommended.

Still reading Maori Boy, which I am taking in easy stages. I understand just enough Maori to try and pronounce everything, which is slowing me down, and since we are traveling through Witi Ihimaera's entire genealogy, I suspect this book will take a while. Lol

I heart index cards.

Hope your eldest enjoys college. What great news.

I'm also a fan of index cards. Multicoloured, in a box or on a key ring... think it's time for a stationery run for me!

>76 karenmarie: Me too!!! Thank you Katie. You can Never Have Too Many. Am I right? *grin*

>77 nittnut: Charlotte, my oldest kiddo has come a long, long way in the last couple of years. I am over the moon seeing him head off to school today. Well, seeing a photo of it anyway. He has saved the money, registered himself and figured out his work schedule around classes. It's awesome.
I still have all my spiral bound multi colored index cards from university. Every bird, fish, mammal, reptile and amphibian I had to learn had an index card. They are the best. :)

Congrats on getting through the school preparations. I'm surprised that kids still use index cards. That seems awfully low tech.

The Golden Son sounds great.

Ha! Index cards. I'm still finding cello-wrapped packages of them in odd corners of the house, the relic of daughter's adventures in school and my unceasing efforts to promote Success. Come to think of it, perhaps they'll be useful to jot comments about what I need to do each day.... "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without" just came to mind.

#110 The View From Saturday - Newbery Award

Mr. E: I liked this story. It is very exciting! I like the part when Nadia decides not to go to Disney World, and instead decides to help save the sea turtles that mean so much to her grandparents. There are not many bad things about this story, but I didn't like when Nadia had a bad attitude and was angry at everyone. I really liked when Mrs. Olinski realized who the fourth member of her team should be.

Miss M did not join us for this story. *sob* Maybe she will read it on her own at some point.

How does a teacher build the best Academic Bowl team in the history of ever? Mrs. Olinski has many answers to this question, but which answer is the right one? Each of the students on the team has unique skills and knowledge that adds to their overall success. In addition, they have something else in common, something that makes them remarkable.
The unique organization of this story adds to the suspense, and also enhances the character development. The first four or five chapters start with a teaser about the Academic Bowl, then shift to a short story about each individual on the Bowl team. Once the whole team is introduced, the chapters are shorter, but still start with the ongoing bit by bit feed about the Bowl.

>79 katiekrug: Hi Beth! I really enjoyed The Golden Son. I think it would be fascinating to listen to a panel discussion or something like that, with people who were immigrants from one country to another, by choice rather than necessity, and how they cope with cultural differences, racism, family expectations, etc. One of the things that really struck me in the book was that some of the racism Anil experienced was because people couldn't tell the difference between a Hindu from India and a Muslim from Pakistan. Not that racism toward anyone is OK, just that people are sometimes experiencing misdirected racism. It really emphasizes the unhappy results of making assumptions.

>80 m.belljackson: I use index cards all the time. They fit neatly inside books, purses, in a stack on the counter. I suppose I'm just old enough that I find it more tedious to make a list on my phone than to just write stuff down as it comes to me.

Off to Miss M's school open house. I believe we finally have everything she needs, down to paper towels and hand sanitizer. Counting down the days until Monday when the steady schedule begins. I love my schedule.

It looks like both kids will be doing Battle of the Books this year. Should be fun. We may have to set aside our Newbery reads while we read BoftheB books. Mr. E has 10, Miss M has 27.

What is Battle of the Books?

>81 nittnut:

Are the Academic Bowl questions introduced so readers get a chance to answer?

Sounds like a great book.

>83 nittnut: Battle of the Books is a sort of Academic Bowl, only the students read a set group of books and they have to know them very, very well. http://battleofthebooks.com/what-is-bob/
For anyone who is interested in lists, This is the middle school list - http://www.ncslma.org/assets/docs/MSBOB/ms%20bob%20official%20book%20list%202017...

5th grade list per my son's school - a little different from the BOB website, so I'm not sure what the deal is there - he has read the starred ones:

* Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
(reading) Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Mitch and Amy by Beverly Cleary
* Snow Treasure by Marie McSwigan
* Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
* Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Bennett
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
* Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds
* The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

>84 nittnut: I've loved everything I've read by Konigsburg. :) The questions are introduced in the story as they are asked and answered, so the reader would have to be very disciplined not to read the very next sentence for the answer. There is also a section at the end with about 15 questions and answers.

>85 BLBera: - Oh, Snow Treasure! I *loved* that one as a kid. I recently found a copy and bought it, so I will be re-visiting it soon. I'm also a fan of Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Sarah, Plain and Tall.

Does anyone read the Great Brain books (by John D. Fitzgerald) anymore?

>86 drneutron: I LOVED The Great Brain as a kid. I bought them for my kids, but they haven't read them yet. I don't know why, they are fabulous and sooo funny. I probably need to make them a read-aloud.
I had never heard of Snow Treasure, so I am listening to it in the car ride to and from school with Mr. E. It's a great story!

Just for fun - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/oliver-tearle/10-words-every-book-lover-should-kno...
I think Book Bosomed might be my favorite.

>88 nittnut: This is fun, Jenn. I liked "book bosomed" as well. Although biliobuli might also describe me, at least according to some people.

How does breakfast (or just coffee, etc) at Le Pain Quotidien sound for next Saturday? It's a couple of blocks away from the Gallery Place Metro station and a short walk to the Convention Center. Mrsdrneutron and I will be there between 8:15 and 8:30!

Le Pain Quotidien, 433 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

Happy new thread, Jenn! I love Iris plants in bloom.

Congrats on the new part-time job and on the organizing you have been doing at home. I see that my other half has managed to collect "stuff" since we did a miny purge back in January. Less stuff is definitely the answer to clutter, but getting everyone to agree on which stuff to liberate is always interesting. Agreed, and is also why my other half seems to need more space for his stuff. ;-)

>89 nittnut: Glad you enjoyed it Beth. :)

>90 BLBera: That sounds great. We will plan on it. Thanks for setting it up!

>91 nittnut: Funny you should bring up the organizing. I spent 3 hours with my son in his room tonight. He has a Lego storage unit from IKEA, and he has decided (don't know where he gets it - lol) to organize his Legos by color. Yeah. However, as we were going through the giant bin of Lego, he kept finding old happy meal toys and things and he was perfectly happy to bin them. I am happy to have one kid who is not a hoarder. Lol

#111 Ways to Disappear - because Charlotte reminded me I had it on my Kindle

This is a madcap story from beginning to end. It is told from the point of view of multiple characters, through news items, poetry, stories within the story, and quirky definitions of words, wherein the definition is fit to the previous scene. In spite of knowing the point of view of the various characters, they remain elusive. The story is more of a character than the characters: impulsive, poignant, frightened, violent, wistful.

#112 Snow Treasure - BoB (new category)

I really enjoyed listening to this story with my son. I can't believe I didn't hear of it before now, or read it as a child. The Germans are invading Norway. The story takes place in a small town where much of Norway's gold has been stored. The gold has to be moved out of the reach of the German army and kept safe. An ingenious plan is developed involving the village children and their sleds.

#113 The Toll Gate

Not among my most favorite Heyer books, but still fun. This one combines a romance with a mystery.
Captain Staple is riding through the countryside on his way to visit a friend, when he inadvertently becomes the keeper of a toll gate. Not planning to remain long, his plans change when he meets Miss Stornaway.

>93 avatiakh: Snow Treasure sounds like a good one, Jenn. I loved Ways to Disappear. It deserves more fans, I think.

The Toll Gate sounds vaguely familiar. It may be one I read as a youngster.

Hi Beth. I was just wondering aloud about Ways to Disappear over on Charlotte's thread. Many of the characters in disappear in one way or another. Emma from her life and relationship, Beatriz, her children, and ultimately, the blackmailer. It's an interesting way of telling a story, with so much instability.

>95 LovingLit: Look at you on #113 already!! Jealous of the opening meet-up. Have fun!!

I was also a fan of Ways to disappear.

>93 avatiakh: I just re-read The Toll-gate recently, Jenn. It's not much like Heyer's usual style, being told entirely (almost) from the man's point of view, but I liked it.

>71 nittnut: I'll be interested to hear what you think of Maori Boy, Ive never read it! But Witi Ihimaera comes across as a sensitive and humble soul.

>7 nittnut: Incredible!

>96 Whisper1: It should be fun. I'm looking forward to a nice long weekend with my daughter too.

>97 nittnut: Hi Kerry!

>98 nittnut: Hi Julia. I like it, but it's definitely a little different. The female love interest is a little too swoony for my taste though.

>99 Berly: I have liked what I've read of his. Do you think that interview you listened to is available online?

>100 karenmarie: Hi Linda! It is a pretty sunset, isn't it? I sure miss that view.

To say that today did not go as planned would be an understatement.

- We are still a 1 car family, so we rented a car so that Monday morning would go smoothly with both kids off to school in opposite directions at almost the same time, husband off to work in another direction and me to my YMCA job in yet another direction.

- We offered a ride to a friend of my daughter's because they are living in the next town while they wait to close on their house.

- Daughter got up a little late, but I had planned for that.

- Husband and son got off just fine in our car.

- We left in the rental, about 8 minutes later than planned. We hit the drop off traffic a little sooner than planned. And then... the transmission pooped on the rental and wouldn't shift. I crept along at about 8 miles an hour with the engine revving violently. I decided to be special and not enter the long drop off loop in case the car quit altogether. I dropped off the girls and parked and turned off the car.

- When I started the car, it seemed to have reset well enough to drive, so I did. I drove back to the rental place and returned the car. They tried to charge me for a day and I said Nope. Nope. Nope. Needless to say, I did not make it to the Y.

-When husband arrived to pick me up at the rental place, he said our car was making a funny noise and drove straight to the mechanic and had it looked at. We need new tires.

-Husband decided to do a little car shopping on the way back to work. I won't exhaust your patience, but I will tell you one story. A lovely white Lexus 470, about 10 years old, pretty clean on the outside and no accidents. We opened it up to have a look and lo and behold, no third row seats. Slots and seat belts for third row seats, but no seats. We asked. The dealer did not have a satisfactory answer. What competent dealer takes a trade in or buys a vehicle that is missing an entire row of seats? Bizarre. It was also missing the CD changer for the 6-CD player. Not really a deal breaker, but the seats? Wow. This story does a great job answering the question: "why haven't you bought another car yet?"

And when all this was accomplished, it was time to pick Mr. E up from school. What a day.

>102 charl08: Goodness!! What a day. Wishing you the best of luck finding a new car. Yeesh.

Hi Jenn!

>93 avatiakh: What is your favorite Heyer? I've been reading and re-reading her romances since 1966. Just curious. I did like The Toll-Gate but like you it's not a favorite.

Yeesh on the car stories.

>103 RebaRelishesReading: We are going to need lots of luck, thanks. lol

>104 nittnut: Hi Karen. My favorite Heyer is Cotillion because I love even the secondary characters, but Freddy is so well done. I also love Frederica and The Nonesuch, and Arabella. Those are probably my top ones.

Today is much nicer. I am home puttering around while new tires are put on my car. I've had a nap and lunch and now I am going to work on my sewing room a bit. I love it when I don't have to go anywhere. :)

>105 karenmarie: Tempting to reread those now.... I'd not read any for a while but they stood up really well to rereading.

>102 charl08: Yipes!! What a day indeed! Hope you find a new car soon.

>106 nittnut: I think they do. I still get a giggle out of Cotillion, every time.

>107 Berly: Hi Reba. Me too. I hate car shopping. I hate all the shopping (except if it's books).

Just when you think things can't get any more crazy, they get super-megacrazy.

My in-laws called today. They told me that my eldest child had phoned from Las Vegas, where he was in jail because of accident and dui, and needed bail money, etc... I got off the phone with them and called my brother who is a police officer. He checked all the jails in the state of Nevada and reported that Mr. J was not booked at any of them. I texted Mr. J and he texted back. He was at work pottering around. He was amused to hear that he was meant to be in jail in Las Vegas with a broken nose. He was less amused that I checked all the jails in Nevada before texting him. He promised me he wouldn't go to Vegas until he was 21. Yay?
Those scam artists thought they had a pretty good target, but they don't know my MIL and money.

Your in-laws were extremely smart. My mother got caught up in that scam, DIDN'T call my sister, and paid over $11,000 to get my nephew out of jail in Mexico. Huh.

Beautiful weather this morning, isn't it?

Karen, the one thing that is going right this week is the weather. I love it.

>108 nittnut: That is a crazy story!! So glad #1 that your son was not truly in jail and #2 that the in-laws did not fall for the scam. Phew!!

>111 Donna828: Me too. So, so glad. Sigh.

No books to report. I have a couple big NF tomes I am enjoying. I am reading Maori Boy and Atlantic: Great Sea Battles.... I will probably leave them home this weekend though. I am off to DC this weekend with my daughter. I am looking forward to spending the weekend with her and seeing the sights. And the book fair, and a meet up. :) I plan to take Woman Hollering Creek along for the weekend. I must have something to read, and short stories seem less anti-social than 500 pp chunksters. We will be listening to To Kill A Mockingbird in the car. So excited!!

Hi Jenn! Safe travels and I hope you have a wonderful time.

I listened to TKaM for the first time last year, having never read or listened to it before and it was wonderful. What a good choice for a car trip.

Have fun in DC, Jenn!

Jenn, my heart skipped a beat when I read the message about Jonah being in jail. So glad no one got scammed! It sounds like No. 1 son is on the right track...best of luck to him in his school year. Funny story about the first day of E's school sneaking up on you. Hooray for new tires and some down time. I have a stay-at-home day today and am loving it!

Have fun at the meetup!

>108 nittnut: So glad your in-laws called you instead of paying anything! That was a big scam here for a while too. The latest scam is Canada Revenue calling to say that we owe taxes and if we don't pay immediately the police will arrest us. But weirdly they want payment in iTunes cards. Odd

>116 katiekrug: Those calls are going on in Tennessee too. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation even got one and had some fun with the caller while recording it: http://www.wbir.com/news/local/tbi-answers-irs-phone-scam-call-uses-as-opportuni...

>113 thornton37814: Hi Karen! We had a lovely time. I will elaborate after greeting everyone. :) We got a good start on TKaMB, and Miss M is enjoying it.

>114 nittnut: Thanks Katie!

>115 nittnut: I know it! My heart dropped into my shoes. He's been doing so well! The big shute on Shutes and Ladders came to mind.

>116 katiekrug: Oh my! ITunes gift cards! Who wouldn't believe that? LOL

>117 Berly: Thanks for sharing that Lori! Wow.

We are home from DC, tired and happy.
We missed the meet up because Uber told me they couldn't find me a driver or something weird like that and I messed with it too long before I decided to drive on my own. We missed everybody by about 10 minutes. Lol

We went to the Book Festival and we had a good wander. We saw Kate DiCamillo, who was lovely. She read to us and told us some stories about how she got some of the ideas for her books. Miss M got two books signed and was very happy (aside from the fact that they were not selling Edward Tulane, which she wanted). She was pretty done with all of it by the time we finished getting our books signed, so we left Bookfest and went over to Ford's Theater. We liked that. Then we wandered through the second floor of the Smithsonian museum of American art and walked past Chinatown. Somehow, we managed to miss all the really bad downpours of the day and stayed pretty dry. Sunday we wandered through the National Mall and looked at the war memorials and saw Lincoln and then went to the Air and Space museum. Monday was the National Archives and the Old Ebbit Grill and a quick walk past the White House.

Truly the best part was spending time with my oldest friend. We met when we were 11, and even though we went to different high schools, we stayed in touch and ended up room mates at college. I haven't seen her in 13 years, but we picked right up like it was yesterday. My daughter watched us talk and laugh our heads off for a while and then she said, "were you always like this?" We said Pretty Much, and she said, "Well, that explains a lot." I still don't know what it explained for her, but it was funny.

I didn't read at all. We came home, ate, sat around on the sofa, and fell asleep with our books open and unread.

Oh! Book Haul. We were very responsible, Lol. All signed by the author too!

Flora and Ulysses
Raymie Nightingale
The American Spirit

The National Archives was always my favorite thing to bring guests from out of town to see :)

Bummer about missing the meetup, but it sounds like you managed to have a great time. Isn't it awesome to have a friendship like that? Love that your daughter asked if you guys were always like that. Perfect. : )

>121 RebaRelishesReading: - What Kim said!

>101 nittnut: Do you think that interview you listened to is available online?
I cant remember where I heard him at all now!? I'm sure there must be something of him online...

>119 LovingLit: Bummer you missed the meetup!
But classic comment from M- "were you always like this?" We said Pretty Much, and she said, "Well, that explains a lot." I still don't know what it explained for her, but it was funny.

Your Bookfest adventures sound wonderful, Jenn. So glad you and your daughter had a great time. And only three books found their way into your bags? That is some superhuman willpower!

Bummer about missing the meet-up but glad you enjoyed the book festival.

Bookfest sounds great, Jenn. Great haul. I loved Flora and Ulysses. Too bad you missed the meet-up.

>102 charl08: Love the story - I hope you find a new car with actual seats soon.

I think my favorite Heyer so far is Frederica, but I have never read Cotillion. When I next need a Heyer read, I will choose that one.

>119 LovingLit: Books signed by the author are always great to keep, Jenn.

Have a lovely weekend.

>120 rosalita: It was my favorite too. I haven't been to DC in a Looooong time, and I was shocked at how much the documents have faded.

>121 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Kim! Yes it is wonderful to have friends that are always friends, no matter how long. It's good my daughter has no way of actually seeing how much crazier we were in college though.

>122 BLBera: Hi Lori *grin*

>123 PaulCranswick: Hi Megan. It was a bummer to miss the meetup, but there will be another time, I'm sure.

>124 nittnut: Well, yes, only three. There was a Siddhartha Mukherjee that I wanted, but I wasn't able to find it in the sale area, so that was too bad. He was unfortunately doing his talk and signing at the same time as Kate DiCamillo, so we had to make a choice. I think it was the right one. My daughter was thrilled.

>125 Copperskye: Hi Reba!

>126 Berly: Hi Beth. Kate DiCamillo told us that she got part of the idea for Flora and Ulysses from an old vacuum cleaner that belonged to her mother and a squirrel that was indisposed on her front porch one day, and the friend who suggested dispatching it with a shovel. Cotillion is a lot of fun. I hope you enjoy it. I laughed out loud in public the first time I read it.

>127 nittnut: Hi Paul. We've had a very lovely weekend, with no weather at all (because it's all in Florida, etc.) and we are bracing for rain this week, but oh so grateful it's just rain.

I am off to bed - after I turn off the dryer which randomly keeps turning on briefly - with still no finished books to report. I may be reading too many at once. Maybe.

Wow, those scammers! There's a special place in hell. Thanks goodness everyone kept their heads - that could have easily gone the other way if panic had set in.

The book festival sounds like so much fun! Too bad about the meetup. :(

>128 nittnut: I hope your dryer behaved last night. Can you read too many books at once?

>129 karenmarie: Hi Joanne! How are you? Scammers do get a special place in hell. Particularly for targeting grandmas. I am so glad we all kept our heads. I guess I won't win any prizes for checking all the jails, just in case, but hey, a mom has to do what she has to do.

>130 nittnut: I had set it on the wrinkle-free setting, so it was turning on every 15 minutes and startling me. Lol
I don't know if you can read too many books at once, except I'm a little ADD right now and having trouble settling on one long enough to finish it. Can I blame the hurricane? Weird atmosphere or something?

This is a hard day. I know it's most difficult for many of you, particularly those who lived in NYC, or had friends and family who did. I'm thinking of you particularly and wishing you all the best. It's both beautiful and heartbreaking to see all the flags at half-mast today.

There's just too much going on - 9/11 remembrances, hurricanes, fires, earthquakes in Mexico and etc.

I hope you can find a good book to settle on, because reading can be just what the doctor ordered for us boookaholics!

We're getting some rain from Irma, but gentle and I'm surprised at how cool it is out - 66F.

>133 nittnut: Hi Karen. There is definitely a lot going on at once. I finally finished a book, one my daughter wanted me to read (pressure applied effectively). I am abandoning one, and that leaves me with three...

It's a lovely cool day here again, with steady but gentle rain. Either I slept right through the predicted winds last night, or there weren't any of significance. I did put the car in the garage, so as Edna Mole says, "Luck favors the prepared."
I am home all day because both kids woke up with queasy tummies. No vomits yet *knock on wood* but both lying in bed nibbling toast and sipping 7up. I am quite happy to stay home. It's quiet and lovely and I'm getting things done that have really needed doing.

Yesterday I had a big adventure. We had found a truck we wanted to buy on Saturday, but my husband is away all this week. Therefore, It was my job to take the truck to our mechanic to get it checked out, then discuss the needed repairs to the truck with the dealer and negotiate a price. I hadn't done the mechanics part before, so it was interesting to watch what they did to inspect the vehicle and so on. They really had fun revving up the engine Lol. The negotiating part is usually my job because my husband gets really cranky and then rude, so I took that part over a long time ago. I am pretty good at it. I tell them I have only got so much time, that this is what I want, and I want to take it straight to the person who is able to make the decisions. It works really well. In the case of our new (old) truck, it needs new shocks. I negotiated the cost of those off the already decent price and we are all happy. We are now shuffling paper back and forth via email to get everything signed, but by the weekend we should be a two vehicle family again. HOORAY!! It's a 10 year old Toyota Tundra with the extra cab (3/4). It's already a little dinged up so we won't be fussed about loading it up with stuff and not scratching it. That's the best.

I am currently reading (in a rather desultory fashion) Maori Boy, mockingbird , and Atlantic: the Biography of an Ocean. I have abandoned A Wolf Called Romeo because it was really boring and repetitive and I already know the ending. Which is sad, because I'm a sucker for a good wolf story. I also have Woman Hollering Creek sitting here looking at me, and I'm kind of wanting to just read that. Bookaholic problems.

#114 The Maze Runner BoB

The premise is interesting. A post-apocalyptic world makes a desperate attempt to develop unique qualities in a group of young people in hopes that those young people would be able to save the world from disease and disaster. Only they do it by isolating them, wiping their memories, and forcing them (unaware) through a series of tests. I wasn't super impressed. It would be an interesting exercise to compare this to Lord of the Flies, but I don't think it would hold up well in comparison. The writing was clunky, the "language" was forced and felt unnatural, and without any kind of back story, it's just too hard to believe in a world where this might happen.

>134 karenmarie:

My Toyota Tacoma is 17 years old and runs smoothly at 46,000 miles.

Things to be careful of: rust on the bottom despite driving on few salted roads

and mice in the air filter. Others have had mice invade glove compartments.

Otherwise comfortable and reliable.

>136 nittnut: We are big fans of Toyota. We have owned 2 of the older small trucks, a Sienna, and a Land Cruiser (so sorry we sold that when we moved overseas), and we currently own a Camry. We are definitely going to enjoy the Tundra. Your Tacoma has very low miles! We had the truck checked out for rust when our mechanic was checking the mechanics of it. It looks pretty good. It's mostly lived in the Greensboro area. I will have a look around for mice... Yuck.

Hi Jenn!

Congrats on being a two-vehicle family again.

I've read Winchester's Pacific but didn't even realize he'd done the Atlantic first. I'll have to keep an eye peeled out for it - I loved Pacific.

We had rain until early afternoon, but it's now mostly blue, 76F, and gorgeous.

>134 karenmarie: Congratulations on finding a vehicle and coming to terms with dealer. I hate buying cars and am always glad when it's over and done with.

>138 nittnut: Thanks. Woot! I am no longer the family taxi-cab driver. The birds have been gone for the last few days, at least gone from my yard. I am happy to see them today. I've got Eastern bluebirds and Carolina wrens, and the woodpecker is back.

>139 Berly: We absolutely hate car buying. I hope it's a very, very long time before we have to buy one again. I suppose we will be looking for something in a couple years when my daughter starts driving, but until then...

I have two books to report.

#115 The Nonesuch

This has been my audio for the last week or so. Very enjoyable, as always.

#116 Mockingbird BoB

I loved this story. It's sad, but so hopeful. The narrator is 10 year old Caitlin. She has Asperger's syndrome and her view of the world and insights about it are priceless. Tragedy has shocked the small town where she lives and broken her family. She is looking for closure for herself, but in time, realizes she wants it for everyone. Highly recommended.

Congrats on your new truck, Jenn. So, is that your car, or your husband's? Happy to hear you have dodged, at least so far, the horrific weather.

>141 nittnut: Thanks Beth. :) It's my husband's most of the time. It's been a while since we had a truck and we really like having a truck. Useful, they are.

Mr. E has started fall baseball. We are the Clemson Tigers. They have won their first two games (Thursday and Friday), which is very exciting.

Today was mostly full of hockey and truck buying, then a very disappointing BYU football game. I think it's going to be a character building year there. Now Mr. E and his dad are building a Wampanoag bark house for a report due next week. My daughter has been sick with some random upset tummy thing, no vomiting, no fever, just gurgly tummy. She has slept for most of 4 days. She perked up a little today, but when the football came on she disappeared back into her cave. I'm hoping she's feeling better and going to school again this week.

I'm working my way through Atlantic: The Biography of an Ocean and enjoying it very much. I also have Maori Boy still going. I don't seem to be reading much lately. Busy and tired I guess. :)

Congrats on negotiating the new/old truck!! Hope your daughter feels better and keep up the reading.

Hi Jenn!

I'm sorry to hear that your daughter's been sick and hope she gets better before school tomorrow.

I hope that your schedule relaxes some so that you can get rested and read.

Today looks like a gorgeous one. We're going to be watching pro gridiron football (nod to non-American/Canadian friends who watch association football, Australian rules football, rugby football, and Gaelic football, among others.) I'm going to try to sneak some hammock time in, too, to continue reading A Gentleman in Moscow.

>143 charl08: Thanks Kimberly :) Reading is slow, but I plug along. I probably need lighter fare for my current schedule, but I want to finish what I've started.

>144 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Where have all my birds gone? I've only seen the Carolina Wrens and the odd woodpecker for a couple of days now. Is that weird? Daughter went to school today, and I think she's OK. She is eating a bit more and sassing a lot more, so. I am looking forward to A Gentleman in Moscow whenever I get to it. It's got such good press here on LT.

I can't tell you all how glorious it was to only have to drive my own self to work this morning. So, so glorious.

I did read one sort of beach book over the weekend. Review coming.

#117 The Mountain Between Us

I picked this up on a whim at Target. It is a wilderness survival/love story and I understand there's a film out or coming soon with Kate Winslet. A man and woman charter a flight from Salt Lake City to Denver, trying to get home ahead of a storm that has grounded the major airlines. They crash in the wilderness and have to find a way to survive and find their way to civilization. The book was OK, but I have some major quibbles with it. The survival story was just fine, but there was something a little off about the relationships between the peripheral-yet-important people and the two main characters. Honestly, if I liked a guy and I came all the way to his place to see him and then he took me to the mausoleum he built to his dead wife and kids, I reckon I would have politely backed right back out of his life. Just saying.

>146 nittnut: I'd seen a review of the film bit didn't realise it was a book too. I really like Kate Winslet so am quite tempted to see it at the cinema. Must remember to come back and check the spoiler.

Glad your daughter is feeling better, and sounds like it's a win on the truck (I know so little about cars, even writing this makes me feel nervous I've got it wrong!).

Hi Jenn!

Frankly, I was hoping to get some accidental birds because of Hurricane Irma. My neighbor Louise claims she saw some Common Ground Dove, but then didn't visit me next door.

I'm only seeing House Finches, Goldfinches, and the occasional Cardinal. A few Hummingbirds, too. Nothing's been touching my suet for weeks now and I even switched back to the kind they like best after buying local and them shunning it.

>147 karenmarie: I also really like Kate Winslet. I may see the film - maybe the stuff that bugged me won't be in it. I can only hope. The truck is a win, He loves it. My daughter is back at school and has started eating again, so I think she's back to normal. :)

>148 FAMeulstee: Hi Karen. I haven't seen a Cardinal for days. Maybe they are all visiting you. I've got something cute and gray on my patio right now. *must find book and ID* Also... I completely failed to ignore your list making, so my list will be coming soon. Some years were harder to narrow down than others, and I'm not missing any years either. I used Goodreads as well, because it's easy. Their most popular books is probably not the most comprehensive, but it was fun to see what people liked in each year.

My favorite books for each year of my life - kind of a fun stroll down memory lane for me. A couple of years I couldn't choose between contenders, so I went with them all.

1972 All Creatures Great and Small
1973 The Dark is Rising
1974 The Milagro Beanfield War
1975 The Grey King
1976 Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
1977 Dragonsinger
1978 The Best of Roald Dahl
1979 The Right Stuff
1980 Jacob Have I Loved
1981 Goodnight Mr. Tom
1982 Schindler's List
1983 A Gathering of Old Men
1984 The House on Mango Street
1985 Lonesome Dove
1986 Speaker for the Dead, Maus
1987 Crossing to Safety
1988 The Whale Rider
1989 The Bean Trees
1990 The Power of One
1991 Maniac Magee
1992 Encore Provence
1993 The Giver
1994 Freak the Mighty
1995 Breath, Eyes, Memory
1996 The Thief
1997 Personal History, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
1998 Poisonwood Bible
1999 Interpreter of Maladies
2000 Esperanza Rising, Olivia
2001 John Adams, A Single Shard
2002 The Revenant
2003 How to Train Your Dragon, The Kite Runner
2004 Gilead
2005 Love Walked In
2006 The Elegance of the Hedgehog, The King of Attolia
2007 The Book of Negroes
2008 People of the Book, The Cellist of Sarajevo
2009 Wolf Hall
2010 The Emperor of All Maladies, The Warmth of Other Suns
2011 A Monster Calls
2012 The Martian, Wonder, Code Name Verity
2013 The Ocean At the End of the Lane
2014 Station Eleven
2015 The Wright Brothers
2016 Hidden Figures

ETA: Touchstones are being weird.

Hi Jenn!

I just saw a Tufted Titmouse on my needs-to-be-filled sunflower seed feeder. And there's a female Hummingbird taking huge drinks. I need to put more food out there, too.

I've read ten of the books on your list. Glad you had fun making it!

I got over halfway through Wolf Hall and John Adams before putting them down - I really want to finish them.

I hope you have a beautiful Carolina blue Thursday!

>150 nittnut: Nice list, Jenn, it is fun to see them popping up on various threads!

I have read 6 of your list. Some years were difficult to decide for me too, most times I went for the 5* book that was more available worldwide. Other years I had no stellar reads and went for best of the rest.

I tried doing one of these lists, but I often found discrepancies on the source lists about the year something was published, so I got annoyed and stopped :)

>151 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Karen. Wolf Hall is a good one. I hope you get back to it. I've been watching the series lately, well, the first 3 episodes so far, and it's pretty good. It's a beautiful warm day, but I'm home with a sick kid. Our no vomit streak was broken dramatically at 4am. Sigh.

>152 katiekrug: Hello Anita! I had a few years with no stellar reads as well, I suppose some years are like that.

>153 nittnut: The key is not to look too closely... *grin* I also found some funny things like a book (1st in a series) listed as published in a particular year, but then a listing for a series compilation listed in the same year. Huh? It was really fun to call my mom and go through the list of books published the year she was born, several of which I have fond memories from my childhood.

I've started Woman Hollering Creek and I LOVE it.

>150 nittnut: I don't think I'm going to tackle one of those lists but it's fun to read the ones compiled by others. I certainly agree with you on several of your choices: The Wright Brothers, People of the Book, Gilead, Poisonwood Bible, Lonesome Dove.

>154 LovingLit: - We both have Breath Eyes Memory on our lists! Just for different years... LOL :)

>155 nittnut: You have such good taste Reba! ;)

>156 nittnut: LOL! I am sure yours is correct.

>146 nittnut: is there a film of this coming out soon? Reese Witherspoon maybe?

>158 katiekrug: Kate Winslet

#118 Woman Hollering Creek - AAC short stories

I really enjoyed this collection of stories. Each story has its own unique voice. The only downside is that they are all in my head talking like so many magpies. Some of the stories I related to so much. I could hear the voice of an old friend, or the mother of an old friend, or the voice of the boy that used to follow me around the baseball field in 8th grade murmuring "Háblame bebé." Most of the stories were very short, but a couple were longer. Eyes of Zapata is told from the point of view of one of Zapata's lovers. It's brutal and sweet and full of magical realism. I kind of want her to make a novel out of it. Another one I really loved was Eleven. She totally captures the way it feels when something doesn't quite go the way we hoped - when reality takes a big bite out of something and leaves us crushed - but still trying to hold on to the dream.
What they don't understand about birthdays and what they never tell you is that when you're eleven, you're also ten, and nine, and eight, and seven, and six, and five, and four, and three, and two, and one. And when you wake up on your eleventh birthday you expect to feel eleven, but you don't. You open your eyes and everything's just like yesterday, only it's today... Because the way you grow old is kind of like an onion or like the rings inside a tree trunk or like my little wooden dolls that fit one inside the other, each year inside the next one. That's how being eleven years old is. I want to remember that story forever.

Jenn-- I am not sure I have the patience to put together a list of each-year books, but love yours!!

>160 BLBera: Great quote about 11 in your review. Happy weekend.

Hi Jenn, I saw that Cressida Cowell has a new middle-school aged book coming out - The Wizards of Once. I think you and I share a love of Hiccup, so I wanted to let you know :)

>162 charl08: And David Tennant narrates it!

>150 nittnut: Great list, Jenn. Mine would be too long...

Woman Hollering Creek sounds familiar. I'm a big Cisneros fan, and I may have read it. It sounds like it would be worthwhile to read it again.

>150 nittnut: Good list, Jenn. A couple we shared as well from my own list.

Have a great weekend.

>163 nittnut: They had a clip on breakfast news. I do love his voice.

>160 BLBera: Great review, sounds like the book really made an impact.

>161 PaulCranswick: Hi Kimberly :) I didn't think I'd make one, but then I got curious. I didn't get really fancy though. I just scrolled through the Goodreads "best of" lists and chose my highest rated read on the list. Some of the publishing dates were inaccurate too, but I can live with it.

>162 charl08: Ohmygosh! How did I miss that? *drops everything and runs to Amazon* Um, thanks. :)

>163 nittnut: Better and better.

>164 RebaRelishesReading: Now, now Beth. Surely that's something to be proud of? I still rate The House on Mango Street as my favorite of hers, but Woman Hollering Creek was very good.

>165 karenmarie: Thanks Paul. I suppose I will wish you a great week, as the weekend has finished now. :)

>166 nittnut: Some of the stories I didn't like as much, but most of them were excellent.

We had a busy, but happy weekend. Mr. E's got up off his sick-bed and went to baseball and hockey because, Sports. His baseball team experienced their first loss, which is probably for the best. It's good for them to practice resilience (don't tell him I said so). Miss M did some volunteering and then she and I went to dinner and had some girl time. I cleaned out half of my garage. Spiders, spiders, spiders. Blech. Mr. Nittnut washed his new truck and put new wiper blades on and that sort of thing. I finished a muslin of a new dress pattern for Miss M, and it was too small. Good thing I made a muslin. We tried a new bakery and the cupcakes are to die for. And I found this, perfectly preserved, among the suitcases in the attic.



A nice mishmash, wouldn't you say? Oh, and I've been reading The Pope's Last Crusade.

Wow, Jenn, that was quite a weekend. I hope you're going to treat yourself to some time off today!

Hi Jenn!

I'm glad Mr. E has recovered because well, Sports. *smile* I envy you the girl time, it's harder for me to get since daughter lives in Wilmington. When she's home, it's sorta hard to exclude husband/dad.

I remember having to make paper patterns of a dress in 7th grade for Home-Ec with Miss Letitia Perry. Not my favorite thing, sewing, so I admire people who like it and are good at it.

Your weekend sounds productive, if buggy. It's definitely Charlotte spider time here - big spiders with big webs. And that beetle gives me the willies.

I just saw my first Gray Catbird! Thank goodness my neighbor Louise is a birder - rather than paw through my books I described the bird to her and she confirmed it.

I hope you have a wonderful week.

>168 nittnut: It was a nice thought Reba, but Monday has been here in all its glory. My son was a total space case this morning, forgot his lunch, wore the wrong shoes to school and got a uniform violation, left his bat at baseball, etc. I did get a short nap though, so overall, not a bad day.

>169 weird_O: Hi Karen! I have one spider bite on my arm that is itching like crazy. I am seriously considering a spider bomb. I never told you, but the grey catbird is the cute grey bird that's been turning up now that the cardinals et al. have gone away. They are really sleek and nice looking birds.

We had more baseball tonight. Mr. E hit a double and a triple and got an RBI. It was a good night. They are back to winning (8-2). It's been a full-on day, so I am going to march around until I have 10,000 steps (1200 to go) and then take myself to bed with The Pope's Last Crusade.
Did I tell you all that I started a job at the YMCA? I am teaching water fitness three days a week, and I love it.

>150 nittnut: Good list, Jenn. I had 11 of your choices on my overblown list (which is still partially under wraps). Lacking everyone else's discipline, I have as many as nine books for some years (well, they were good and I read 'em. And it's my list, damn it!

Hahaha

I notice you are just a kid.

>153 nittnut: Yeah, the internets aren't always accurate. Fake publishing news. I've put more time than I will report (not on a timecard these days!), Katie, but I really got into it. Still not up to the present. I did find a few misdated books, but Wiki is helpful there. Plus you can look at the book (if you still have it).

I might cobble up a list of books I have that'd be on the Life List if I'd just read them. Hahaha.

>171 nittnut: We are all waiting with bated breath to see your list. Even if there are nine books for some years. Hey, some years are better than others. Ha. I aim to stay "just a kid" for as long as possible...

Wouldn't it be interesting to do a list of books on the TBR pile by year? No, no mustn't do it. Too many other things to do...

>172 LovingLit: Most of my list is already up, decade by decade, from 1944 through 2005.

Your interesting idea about the TBRs has crossed my mind. I did find myself poised to add a good book, one I have, then thinking, "Yah, but you haven't read it." So I have scraps of such a list. Hmmm...

Stay as young as you are, Jenn.

Congratulations on your job at the Y, Jenn. That sounds fun. I was also (mildiy) jealous that you were counting steps...my latest Fitbit has died and I'm so tired of buying them that I haven't replaced it. I do, however, miss knowing how many steps I've done. Sigh :(

>173 RebaRelishesReading: Apologies Bill. I didn't see you had a new list up since two days ago. I am off to peruse the 1990's and so on. *grin*

>174 karenmarie: Thanks Reba! I have days when I don't want to know how many steps I'm taking, but mostly I like knowing. I am liking the Flex 2. I had a lot of problems with the covering peeling off the other one, and it wasn't water resistant. I can wear the Flex 2 in the pool, and it counts laps. It doesn't do stairs or have a digital clock though.

>170 RebaRelishesReading: I am going to march around until I have 10,000 steps (1200 to go)
Wow- I love that dedication. That reminds me, I owe myself 20 press-ups. Yesterday I did 30 (in a row!) and promised myself I'd go back for the other 20 later. But then I forgot. I have just been to yoga, but still (don't hold your breath- it may never happen).

>175 nittnut: I've had two Charges where the band fell apart, one Zip that went through a battery every 2 weeks or so and, most recently, a One that has just died completely. I love what the product does but their reliability is so bad I'm really torn about buying another one even though I really miss knowing my step count :(

Hi Jenn!

Congratulations on the job at the Y!

Wouldn't it be interesting to do a list of books on the TBR pile by year? No, no mustn't do it. Too many other things to do... Nope. Won't go there. Can't go there. A black hole. Take the thought out of my brain.

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday.

>176 nittnut: So, did you do them? *grin*

>177 weird_O: I have heard really good reviews of other brands that do similar things. I did have success getting Fitbit to send me a new Charge when the band fell apart though. However, one does not wish to do that on a yearly basis.

>178 ronincats: Thanks Karen! Forget I mentioned it. LOL I have just been in the pool for 90 minutes. First I taught my class, then I went to the shallow water class for training. My legs feel a bit noodley. I feel a nap coming, but first I will review a couple of books. It's important to have goals, right? Lol

#119 The Convenient Marriage - Reread (re-listen)

I enjoy listening to Richard Armitage read to me, therefore, another re-listen of this fun romance. It's not one of my top favorite Heyers, but it's plenty entertaining.

#120 The Pope's Last Crusade - Non-fiction

I was BBed by mbelljackson on this one, I believe.

The Pope's Last Crusade is rather short, but well researched and well written. I do believe that the title is somewhat misleading, but that would be a spoiler. The book is a fascinating look into the inner workings of the Vatican with all its rivalry and intrigue, and a very good look at an overlooked Pope. It is always a pleasure to learn about how Pius XI stood up to Hitler and Mussolini at great personal risk. It was disappointing to see the way some around the Pope, including the future Pius XII, worked to undermine his opposition to Hitler and fascism and how they were ultimately successful in that goal. In the epilogue, there was some discussion about what the motivation might have been and whether it was justified. I will end this with two quotes. The first is Pius XII, the second is Joseph Hurley (who was banished from the Vatican after saying it).

You must not forget, dear friend, that there are millions of Catholics in the German army. Would you like to place them in the middle of a conflict of conscience?" Pius XII

We have sympathy for the pacifists, but they are wrong. No word in the Gospel or in papal teaching suggests that justice should go undefended, that it is not worth dying for... The Church is no conscientious objector." Joseph Hurley

ETA: I forgot a book!

#121 Dreamer's Pool - re-read

This has been my treadmill book for the last week. I always enjoy Juliet Mariilier's magical tales.

>150 nittnut: Looking again at your list, I see that you've got several years with two and even three titles listed. That's good. I admit I do not recognize titles. But I see quite a few I plan to read. Got to bookhorn them in, as Mark says.

>172 LovingLit: >173 RebaRelishesReading: I took a shot at compiling a list of TBR books by year of publication. I consulted my inventory in the "shelved but unread" category and decided too too many are lacking the original pub dates (original copyright date). Not going there. Still..._{I could...}

I finished my list and have two or three for some years as well. I tweaked my criteria and so some great books that are on your list did not make mine because I have not reread them. Except for the last 4 years or so, mine are books that I like enough to have reread at least three times (and often more) at some stage of my life. So, comfort reads? And we do still have some overlap.

>179 RebaRelishesReading: My second Charge was a replacement which Fitbit readily sent when my first band fell apart. Hubby had a similar problem with his Charge HR but decided to just stop using it so never asked for a replacement. Do you remember what other brands you've heard good things about? (My son loves his iWatch but I really don't want to spend that much or wear such a big thing all of the time.) I have been thinking about getting another brand but one thing holding me back is that I enjoy (and am motivated by) seeing how others in my group are doing. I guess I could continue watching them on Fitbit but clock myself on another brand...must make up my mind!

>181 katiekrug: Hi Bill. So many books to bookhorn, so little time. I'm going to stay away from cataloguing my TBR, but if you do yours, be sure I will have a look. :)

>182 m.belljackson: I like the re-reading criteria! I would say about half of mine are re-reads, and more of them are likely to become re-reads in the future. My comfort read list would probably have a lot more Georgette Heyer Lol.

>183 ChelleBearss: My SIL has a Garmin, and it has lasted much longer than my Charge did. I should say, the Charge is still alive, but the band is peeling and it bothered me. I also went for the water resistant, smaller Flex2 for my own convenience. I might go with Garmin next time. It is supposed to have much better battery life. Here's an article I read not too long ago that reviews the lower cost trackers.
http://www.techradar.com/news/best-cheap-activity-trackers

I have just spent an hour on the phone with hp support. My hard drive crashed last night. Fortunately, I have a couple months left on my warranty. The gentleman who assisted me (probably in India) was lovely and very helpful. It just took sooooo long to read all the numbers and then find out one was input wrong and read them again, and he kept saying "Q as in Cubic" which distracted my mind on to the topic of how totally confusing English is. And then he had to sell me on the extended warranty, which I usually don't buy, but this time I did because it wasn't that expensive and there have been a couple VERY close calls with kids and water and so on. So they are sending a box and I am shipping my laptop to them to fix the hard drive. I feel like I am boxing up my right arm. *Deep Breathing* I am using Mr. Nittnut's laptop, which is slow and doesn't know all my passwords - totally 1st World Problems - but the struggle is real.

I am 3/4 through Atlantic: Biography of an Ocean and just started listening to Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power. Next up is The Call. Or maybe something very fluffy.

Off to pick up Mr. E from school. Then we will be putting together his very BIG Native American project. This includes a 3-D model of a Wampanoag dwelling, a breechcloth for him to wear (over his uniform shorts, never fear) to school tomorrow, and 7-8 paragraphs with accompanying drawings, all pasted to one of those giant 3 panel display boards. This project has been the source of much stress and I will be glad to see the back of it. To get a 4 out 4 points, one must complete all "extra credit" suggestions as well as the listed requirements. NEED I SAY MORE??

The band on my Fitbit Alta broke, but I just bought a new one for about $10 on Amazon. Do they not all have removable bands?

>184 RebaRelishesReading:

That grading system seems unusual.

In nearly 30 years of teaching, the Extra-Credit was always to be earned as extra Plus,
over the top of the 4 out of 4 you mention. An A, Triple Plus = quite an honor was A +++!
It was always noted on report cards.

This also worked well for kids who loathed writing the 7-8 paragraphs;
they could do an extra credit and earn a 3 +, which brightened a lot of eyes.

>184 RebaRelishesReading: I feel your pain about those first world problems! We just got a new laptop and of course it didn't know any of my passwords (and apparently neither do I!)

What a pain with your computer!! I love my technology but it can sure be irritating. Thanks so much for the link to the article about fitness trackers. It was interesting and I have just ordered a Garmin :) I was attracted by the feature that can remind me not to stay sitting for too long at a time (not a problem you have I'm sure since you have a houseful of kids :))
and then I discovered an accessory pack of replacement bands in all different colors. Now I'm really excited to get tracking again. Again -- thanks so much!

>185 RebaRelishesReading: No, the Charge band is (or at least it was on the model I had) sort of glued on. When mine fell apart they sent me a new one after I emailed a copy of my receipt to show I had it less than a year but then that one fell apart too...as did hubby's. I switched to the kind you clip onto your clothes. First one of those needed replacement battery about once a month so I switched to one that can be charged. It was fine for a while and only needed charging about once a week but then suddenly started needing charging every-other day and then died completely. So I'm kind of over Fitbit.

>185 RebaRelishesReading: The Fitbit Charge does not have a removable band. It is all one piece, at least until the rubber bits start peeling off. I have the Flex2, which is a one piece band with a slot for the battery/counter piece to fit into. I quite like it. They sell all kinds of different bands you can use with it.

>186 nittnut: I am totally in your court with the Extra Credit being Extra. Not sure about this teacher as yet. I hear some funny things from my kiddo. The teacher is always saying something that I don't know that I would say to students. Not naughty stuff, just negative comments about the online math work they have to do and so on. However, the principals' daughter is in the class, so I have no doubt the information is making its way back to the administration.

>187 nittnut: Exactly my problem Chelle! I let my laptop remember them, because Heaven knows I can't. Now I have issues. Lol

>188 karenmarie: Well, you are very welcome Reba. :)

>189 Berly: I guess we cross posted - or I just posted the reply that I typed at 6 am and forgot to post. I have been on the GO all day. Good for steps, but I am ready to put my feet up for the evening.

Hooray for the Weekend!!

It's a beautiful Carolina day, Jenn, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Hi Jenn--My Fitbit was doing very well until last week when the band came unglued (I glued it back on ) and then two days later it just died. Can't recharge it. Nothing. But I have it for a year and a half or more, so no warranty. On to the Christmas list it goes!!

Good luck with the computer and your passwords. I hope Mr E gets a 4!!

>192 charl08: Hi Karen! The last two days have been my kind of weather. Just lovely. We've got the windows open (hang the consequences) and we've cleaned the porch and it's all ready for relaxing. My in-laws arrive on Tuesday, and I'm hoping for more days like this. I have to keep them busy or they get involved in stuff I don't want them involved in. Busy people.

>193 Familyhistorian: Ouch. Sorry about the Fitbit. *frowny face* The whole password thing is annoying, but I am also getting a great warm fuzzy feeling of success every time I successfully remember one LOL.

I finished a doorstopper too!!

#122 Atlantic: The Biography of an Ocean

This is a sweeping history of the Atlantic Ocean, well researched and detailed. The narrative style is really easy to read and really interesting. It's not a quick read, but it's worth the time.

Cheering the warm fuzzy feelings. So great when I manage to retrieve something useful like a password from the recesses of my memory. Wish there was a way to create a password box in the old 'little grey cells'...

Hope the weekend goes well.

Did the Altantic book make you want to go anywhere that they mentioned, that you hadn't heard of before perhaps, or was it not that kind of book?

>184 RebaRelishesReading: he kept saying "Q as in Cubic" which distracted my mind on to the topic of how totally confusing English is. Maybe he was saying Q as in Quebec but his accent got in the way?

I have had the same Fitbit One since June of 2015 and it is working fine (knock on wood). I like it because I just have to clip it to my clothes and didn't want one with a wrist band as I am not used to wearing things on my wrist due to metal allergies.

So sorry to hear about your laptop troubles, Jenn! I have mild panic attacks whenever mine starts acting up because I can't stand the thought of being without it while it's being fixed.

As far as passwords, I highly recommend LastPass, which is a free service that securely stores your passwords and helps you generate secure passwords. It mostly works as a browser extension (all browsers, I think) but in cases where your laptop goes kaput or you are using a different computer, you can access your password vault via the website: lastpass.com. I did a lot of research before trusting it, and it gets stellar reviews from tech journalists. I can't imagine being without it, and I know I create more secure passwords because I know I don't have to remember them.

>196 nittnut: Hi Charlotte! Isn't it nearly time to wish you bon voyage? I will stop by and see. So excited for your trip. Our weekend was really nice. The weather has been cool and we got lots of things done. I managed to clear out all the miscellaneous stuff from my bedroom and tidy up my sewing room, we cleaned the screened porch and got the guest bedroom ready for my in-laws.
The Atlantic book reinforced my desire to go so many places. Iceland, Greenland, The Faroe Islands, South America, Africa, really, I am keen to go everywhere, almost. I can't quite muster up any desire for a trip to Syria at the moment, for one.

>197 nittnut: It's entirely possible he was saying Quebec, but I'm not totally convinced. His English wasn't bad at all, and I totally understand how one could think cubic starts with Q, can't you? It sounds like you hit the jackpot on the Fitbit. Most of the rest of us haven't had that kind of longevity. I will knock on some wood for you. :)

>198 karenmarie: It is seriously difficult, Julia, and I wouldn't wish a busted computer on anyone. Thanks for the info on lastpass. I think I need to check it out. I can't possibly remember all the passwords and the two-tier security, etc. I appreciate the security, I just can't remember any of it...

#123 Every Woman For Herself

I gave this a try on the recommendation of Suzanne (Chatterbox). It was a really predictable book, but oddly charming. The charm lies in the quirky Bronte-esque family dynamic and the hilarious excerpts from the "Skint Northern Women" magazine. It's a great beach book.

I was considering making a new thread, but I've lost the will along with the hard drive on my laptop. So, we will carry on.

I was behaving pretty well in the book buying department, I thought, but it turns out I wasn't. My daughter is doing Battle of the Books, and I really think she needs her own copy of the 27 books she has to know intimately. I put that thought into action. Here is the list of shame:

Home of the Brave
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
The Iron Trial
Tangerine
Book Scavenger
The Roar
Airman
The Maze Runner
Mockingbird
The House of the Scorpion
90 Miles to Havana
The Other Half of My Heart
Prisoner B-3087
Fatal Fever (this one was super annoying - middle grade book available in hardcover only)
Goodnight Mr. Tom
Beneath My Mother's Feet
The Hired Girl
Bluefish
The Alchemyst
Salt to the Sea
Outcasts United: the Story of a Refugee Soccer Team
Chasing Lincoln's Killer
One Crazy Summer
The Watch that Ends the Night
Wolf Hollow

Luckily we owned A Single Shard and Michael Vey: the Prisoner of Cell 25 already. Haha.

Also, I didn't buy them all at once, like that makes a huge difference.

My in-laws are here, so I probably won't be around here much for a while. They are staying 14 days, so...

I'm listening to Thomas Jefferson: the Art of Power and reading The Call.

Good morning, Jenn!

Well, of course she had to have her own copies!

If you need to escape a bit, come on down to the Chatham Community Library in Pittsboro today (9-7), tomorrow (9-7), or Saturday (9-2) for our semi-annual Book Sale. There are lots of good'uns, all donated, all in good condition, in many categories. I'll be the frazzled one with hurting feet and back.....

Lucky daughter. Lots of great titles in there.

>202 weird_O: I only wish I could come! I don't think I can justify half a day away though. It's my husband's 50th on Saturday and there is a lot going on. :) Have fun though!!

>203 Crazymamie: I have started reading a few of them, and overall I've been impressed. I can't decide about The Maze Runner though.

How nice to give your daughter with a start on her adult library. Hope you have a nice visit with your in-laws and Happy Birthday to your hubby!!

>201 RebaRelishesReading: Out of the loop I am. What is "Battle of the Books"? I may be beyond hope, for none of those titles are known to me.

>201 RebaRelishesReading: Oh! Mockingbird and Tangerine are two of my favorites!

And 14 days of In-laws. YIKES.

>205 LovingLit: Thanks Reba! My daughter has inherited the love of books. She should have a pretty nice library by the time she moves out. :)

>206 nittnut: Battle of the books is a sort of Knowledge Bowl thing wherein kids read a set of books and then answer questions. The competition goes to national level, I believe. My daughter is very good at detail. We DO NOT argue with her about the nitty gritty details of Harry Potter books, or anything else for that matter.

>207 Crazymamie: Yikes indeed. My FIL is very easy. My MIL makes up for it. She wants to be helpful, but her kind of helpful is telling you what you want and if you say you don't want that particular thing it's personal, or she might just tell you you're only saying that because you don't actually know what you want. For instance, I put my foot down yesterday regarding taking half of my books off the built in shelves in the library/sitting room. She wants to put decorative bowls/pottery/knickknacks. There is no respect for the books. I said No. It's a Library. She was in a miff for about 2 hours. She means well, but it's all pretty exhausting.

>179 RebaRelishesReading: So, did you do them? *grin*
Grin away! No, I didn't do the press ups I owed myself, and haven't done them for days :(
But I dd do a 2.5 hour walk, a 30 minute cycle, and a 1 hour yoga class all in the last 4 days, so I am in the black as far as the ledger goes :) *phew*

>209 LovingLit: Sounds acceptable. LOL

>208 ChelleBearss: Oh, dear! Exhausting indeed. Keeping you in my thoughts, Jenn.

>208 ChelleBearss: Sounds pretty tiring! Any particular reason she is trying to redecorate your place while she visits?

>212 ChelleBearss: ha! My thoughts exactly. I thought there must have been some sort of planned house redecoration family thing going on!

Have fun with the in-laws.
>201 RebaRelishesReading: Nice list. Good job.

>211 nittnut: Thanks.

>212 ChelleBearss: , >213 RebaRelishesReading:, >214 m.belljackson: My husband's parents are artists. My MIL used to teach interior design. She's good at it, and I'd love her help if she would just stick to the things I want help with. We moved in to a new house in March and I asked her to help me sort out the kids bedrooms and arrange my china cabinet.
So far she has decided where to hang pictures (picture artwork leaned against walls all over the house), tried to take half my books out of the library, moved a chair out of my lounge and into the library, told me I had to have a particular color afghan hanging on said chair, fossicked around in my sewing room for fabric and used it to demonstrate her idea of what pillows I'd want on my bed (one fabric was actually a dress I am in the process of making for my daughter), decided I need shelves all around the top of my kitchen for displaying my bowls (NO), and today I spent 9 hours shopping for furniture with her. Also, due to her habit of lurking outside bedroom doors while we are talking to our kids and then slipping in after we are gone to "talk" to the kids about things she feels they need to know and she is here to teach them, my daughter (13) is staying in her room with the door locked most of the time. This is only the 4th day. 10 more to go. I know I sound like a big complainer, but good grief. I am making a lot of notes for future reference on how not to be with my son/daughters in-law. That's all I can do.

Still reading The Call and listening to Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

>215 EBT1002: Oh wow!! I think I could handle the interior design comments but the slipping into the bedroom to "chat" would probably be too much for me to handle quietly! (I am mouthy lol)
Crossing my fingers for you for your next 10 days!

>215 EBT1002: Wow, that sounds awful!! Good luck with the next 10 days.

>215 EBT1002:

Signs of mild early dementia...?

Just swinging by to say hello, Jenn. Good luck with the in-laws!

Poor Jenn! Hang in there!

Based on your experience of how NOT to treat your daughter-in-law, I'd say you'll be a wonderful MiL!

Hang in there, Jenn. I hope you're enjoying The Call, at least.

>216 karenmarie: Yeah.

>217 BLBera: I'm hanging in there. :)

>218 nittnut: It's very possible. Which would not be great. Except if maybe she could forget the parts when I say NO. I Don't want that. LOL

>219 m.belljackson: Thanks Ellen. :)

>220 Copperskye: Well thanks Karen. I hope so. By the way, I saw a cardinal the other day. First one I've seen in weeks. Where did they all go, I wonder? How did the book sale go?

>221 karenmarie: I did enjoy it Beth - I finished it. I will get around to reviewing it tonight, I hope.

Guys, I just found my MIL in the process of wrapping up a rug (gorgeous silk hand knotted persian rug we bought in Taiwan 18 years ago) to give to my husband for his Christmas present. Oh dear. Dementia indeed. I should also mention that the rug in question was stored, rolled up, behind my bedroom door. In My Room. Sigh.

>222 nittnut:

That is really sad about the rug.

Yet, knowing that she has a mental health problem that is not in her control can lead to different ways of dealing with situations.
Like this one: "Oh Thanks, MIL, I'm sure he will love that! You are really thoughtful!"

A good doctor will offer tests, ideas, and medication that may help in early stages.

There is A LOT online, on AARP site, and in books...music and exercise...

Wishing you much patience in the next few days.

Hi Jenn!

You're really going through it, aren't you? Hugs from Pittsboro!

Although most of the birds seem to be on vacation somewhere, I have seen cardinals in the last 3 or 4 days. The hummingbirds finally left about a week ago. Nobody's touched the suet feeder in weeks.

The Book Sale was fabulous. I worked my butt off, successfully implemented Square credit card processing (taking in almost half of our sales with plastic!) and bought 57 books. 12 are for daughter, 45 for me. A major haul, indeed. My feet hurt for 2 days after. We grossed $19K in sales with about $1500 in expenses, so a net of about $17,500. Everybody's pleased.

Oh my. I wouldn't wish dementia on my worst enemy. Has this just come up or is it something y'all have known about?

You might take a leaf from your daughter's playbook and lock your door.

>223 weird_O: We will see. She has a good doctor, who she likes. Whether she will be willing to explore that possibility is less certain. My FIL's mother had Alzheimer's, so they've been through that. And I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

>224 nittnut: Thanks Joanne. :)

>225 nittnut: Hi Karen! Hooray for a hugely successful book sale! I am so pleased the Square worked out. Such a time saver.
We had bluebirds at the feeder tonight.
I wouldn't wish dementia on anyone either. She's always been quirky. I would guess she's on the Autism spectrum. We have talked a little bit about the dementia over the last couple of years, but it's hard when my husband is the only one of the family who is willing to mention the elephant in the room. He was in the doghouse for several years after suggesting a trust fund be set up for his bipolar brother so that he has a steady long term income (after his parents pass on). Instead of seeing it as him showing love and concern for his brother's well being it was seen as him not thinking his brother could manage his money. In reality, it was both, but out of love and concern. I'm just worried she's not going to be a nice dementia lady. She's going to be the one who is always accusing her last visitor of stealing the pearl necklace off her neck. Like my great grandma. Not fun.
The lock on the door. Well, I'd love one. I have this old, old door and there wasn't a key with it that we know of, and there is a strategically missing pane of glass right where the door knob is anyway. We are working on solving that little problem.

>225 nittnut: I worked my butt off...

It's true. This woman has no butt.

#124 The Call

I got this BB from Beth (BLBera), and I'm so glad I read it. It's about life, family, love, loss, people, and moral dilemmas, and it's told as if we were reading the mental diary of a man who is a father, husband, friend and rural veterinarian. I think my favorite categories were "What the Wife Cooked for Dinner" and "What I did Not Have for Dinner."
Highly recommended.

Hi Jenn!

>226 karenmarie: After closely experiencing the final declines and passing of my grandmother, mother, father, MiL x2, FiL, husband's Great Aunt, Great Uncle, and 1st cousin once-removed, I've come to the conclusion that your true self is exposed at the end of your life. The inhibitions of youth and middle age are lost, filters disintegrate, and you're exposed in your goodness, sweetness, nastiness, pettiness, egotism, or whatever. My goal is to make things easy on my daughter and be kind and pleasant to everybody. Who knows if that'll happen, but at least that's my intention.

>227 Donna828: LOL, Bill.

I hope you're all doing well as The Visit continues.

>150 nittnut: I love your list of favorites, Jenn. I will work on mine after Christmas so I can have it ready for my 2018 thread. This has been a slow year for me both with my reading and LT posting. I hope to do better next year.

I am looking forward to more MIL stories! I’m sure my DIL must have some issues with me but I do try not to interfere and be available when needed. It’s sometimes hard to not make comments about different parenting techniques, though... you have great patience, Jenn.

>222 nittnut: Oooo. That sounds pretty serious. I'm sure it's difficult for all of you...maybe even for her.

Sorry to hear about your MIL, Jenn. You have some tough times ahead.

I'm so glad you loved The Call -- it was such an unexpected little gem for me. I will definitely look for more by her.

Sorry to read about your MIL. Hope someone else has also noticed so that you're not the one breaking it alone.

Oh, Jenn, where are your in-laws visiting from? Yikes - hope she can get the help she needs (and you, too!)

I've visited this thread about 30 times, all at school. Lesson: don't expect to get caught up at school! I've added a few books to the list, at least! Did you decide anything about M returning to NZ for the wedding?

Hi Jenn!

Thinking about you 'up north' on this rainy Monday and hoping things are going okay.

Hi everyone. I apologize for not responding to individual messages. We have had an awful weekend. My father in law passed away suddenly on Sunday. It was a heart attack, and we don't think he suffered much. We were at church and he collapsed. It was the most traumatic thing I have ever experienced, watching my husband and his mother watch the paramedics work and get no response. Just awful. I am so glad my kids didn't have to see it. We are now going through all the processes for sending his body home and planning the funeral. My mother in law is holding up pretty well. She is letting my husband do most of the phoning and planning. Sometimes she just stops and says "I don't know what to do." Which is not unreasonable under the circumstances. I am just putting food in front of them and occasionally asserting myself to insist on things like her not flying home alone, which she insists she is well able to do. Nope. She's not. Even without my concerns about dementia, who would send a little old lady across the country alone two days after she lost her husband? My husband is managing pretty well too, for a guy who just had the weight of his extended family fall on his shoulders. We will be traveling west for the funeral and I won't be around here for a while. Husband leaves tomorrow on the flight with his mother. I will drive with my kids in a few days. Two long days, then I can pick up Jonah in Denver and he can help drive. It's going to be a rough couple of weeks.

I’m so sorry your family has had this tragedy happen. I can’t imagine how hard it’s been on you all. Will be keeping you in my prayers.

Oh, Jenn! I am so sorry to hear this tragic news. You're all in my thoughts and prayers.

Oh, Jenn. I am so sorry. I'll be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers and sending you positive energy.

Oh, Jenn, I am so, so sorry. I'll be keeping you and your family in my thoughts.

I'm so sorry to hear of your family's loss, Jenn. I'll be thinking of you and hoping you find some pockets of peace amidst the chaos and general upset.

So sorry to read this. Will be thinking of you and the family.

So sorry you lost your FiL, Jenn, my condolences to you and the family.
((((hugs))))

How awful! So sorry Jenn. It's always difficult to lose a close family member but the have them collapse like that sounds traumatic. I'll be thinking of you and your family as you deal with all of this. Have a good, safe drive. "See" you when you get back.

Jenn- I'm sorry to hear of your FIL's collapse. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this time of grief. I lost my FIL this summer and there was so much going on in notifying various family members and close friends of the family, coordinating the wake, funeral and the immediate administrative stuff following that my husband didn't really get to grieve properly for his dad until about a week after. I hope your husband will have his time to fully grieve as well.

Have a safe journey.

Oh, gosh, Jenn, how awful! Big hugs all around. Thinking of you and yours.

So sorry that this happened - too much sadness with everything else you have faced this visit.

Peace to you and your Family.

Jenn - I am so sorry. My thoughts are with you and your family.

>237 katiekrug: Oh dear!! Jen, that sounds horrific, I am so sorry your husband and you had to go through that. What a thing to witness. I guess this part of the grieving is all about just getting though each day as it comes, I wish you the best of luck to do just that in any way you can.
((hugs))

Jenn, so sorry to hear about your FIL. It must have been such a shock for you all?

Jenn--I am so sorry about your FIL! How awful to have it happen right in front of you. And your MIL is not really in a good place to handle it with this onset of dementia. (Not that there is ever a good place or time). I am so sorry. Sending best wishes to you, your husband, and everyone else near and dear to your heart. Lots of hugs.

So sorry to hear this, Jenn. Sending you and your husband lots of positive thoughts and support--one step at a time will get you through it, however unpleasant it is. Hang in there, kid.

Sending hugs from Pittsboro to you and your family, Jenn.

Hello everyone. I got home last night from a whirlwind trip. It is good to be home. Thank you so much for all your kind words and positive thoughts and prayers and hugs. It helps so much. It's been a hard and a lovely couple of weeks at the same time. It was so wonderful to see how many people came to the services. My husband's father has had a huge impact on the world. My husband and his family are doing really well. They have taken a very positive attitude, that while we would rather not have had this happen, his father did not have to be ill and in bed for a long time, and as far as we know didn't suffer much at all. We are grateful. My mother in law will have a rough year or so for sure, and we are trying to figure out how to help her with that. Family has really gathered around and she will have a lot of support.

If anyone is wondering, we covered a lot of states. 14 unique states, not counting NC. On the way we hit North Carolina (of course), Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado (had to replace front brakes and rotors in the Rockies), Utah. We stayed two days and then headed home earlier than planned because of winter weather. On the way home, we did Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, tiny corner of Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and back to North Carolina. Nebraska, Iowa, and Indiana were all new states for us. The fall colors were absolutely gorgeous on the way back.

>246 LovingLit: Thank you for sharing that Caroline. That is my particular concern, that my husband will have some time to grieve properly. He's taking on a lot of responsibility, and he has been very busy, and will continue to be. I will need to make sure he gets some quiet time for himself.

So we go on, one day at a time, and most days are pretty good. It was interesting this morning. I woke up and started going about my normal routine, opening blinds in each room, and I realized that every room in my house has a painting or piece of art work that was made by my FIL. It made my heart hurt a little, but mostly it was comforting and really nice.

Books... I shall endeavor to remember.

#125 Tangerine - BotB

Paul's family has just moved to Florida. Paul wears glasses because he injured his eyes when he was little, but he can't remember how. Paul is a great soccer player, but his older brother's football goals overshadow everything else. Paul starts with the soccer team at his local school, but a sinkhole swallows part of the school and he ends up going to the school across town. The school where the poor kids go. The school where white kids are a minority. Can he figure out how to make friends there? Can he remember why he started having to wear glasses? Can he figure out how to deal with bullies, especially his own brother? Highly recommended.

#126 I Never Had it Made - audio

This was Mr. E's choice for a school assignment. He had to choose the biography of someone who had made a change in the world and do a report. He chose Jackie Robinson. This was a great experience for all of us. Jackie Robinson shares what it was like to be a black man in the last century. His title "I Never Had it Made," illustrates beautifully how hard he had to work to achieve his dreams. When he told about his early years with the Brooklyn Dodgers, how he had to keep quiet and not respond to racist slurs and bad treatment, and be more of a gentleman than anyone else, it made a huge impression on all of us, but especially Mr. E.
Jackie Robinson risked criticism from his own community for not standing up for himself, but he realized it wasn't just about him. It was about paving the way for more men to have the opportunity to play. He made up for it later, being very active in the civil rights movement and in politics. He tells of meeting with John F. Kennedy to see if he liked JFK well enough to campaign for him. He decided not to campaign for JFK, but he did send a letter advising Kennedy to look folks in the eye when he was talking to them. Jackie Robinson was no shrinking violet. This is highly recommended.

#127 Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

I have really mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, it is very readable, well researched, and interesting. The author does a fine job of showing what a complex person Thomas Jefferson was, and how difficult it is to fit him into a neat, tidy box. On the other hand, I was bothered by the author's implications that George Washington wasn't very intelligent or that Hamilton hated democracy (which in itself isn't necessarily a problem as many of the founders despised democracy, and as a precaution against the ills of such, created a constitutional republic). I am not convinced that the author, attempting not to offend either the Jefferson lovers or the haters, successfully holds the middle ground on this topic. 3.5 stars, I think.

#128 The Festival of Trial and Ember

I enjoyed this tale of elves and magic. It's a departure from others I have read, and the world building is pretty good. This is a tale of an elf kingdom where all is not well, and human children who can see otherworldly creatures that no one else can see. It's a fun and engaging read, and I will look forward to the next in the series.

#129 Wizards of Once - audio

This is the first in a new series by Cressida Cowell. A long time ago, in a great, dark forest, Wizards and Warriors were not getting along. Warriors were out to destroy magic, because "Magic Is Bad." One day, a wizard child and a warrior child meet, and chaos ensues. The story is entertaining and clever, as we've come to expect. On the down side, it was all too easy for my kids to point out the similarities between the characters in this story and those in How to Train Your Dragon. On the up-side, it is narrated by David Tennant, who we love to have read to us.

#130 Peter and the Star Catchers - audio

A sort of prequel to Peter Pan, and highly entertaining.

I think that's everything. Probably. Maybe.

Wow, how cool is that, that you have so much of his artwork scattered around your house? I hope they bring you great memories. Glad you are home and that your had such a nice, colorful trip back (expect for the brakes). Hugs. : )

And I forgot--kudos for already writing reviews--and good ones, too! #129 already. Wow.

>255 RebaRelishesReading: So glad you're home, Jenn, and that everyone is doing well (given the circumstances). How lovely to have pieces by/of him all over your house. Bummer that you had to have car worked on while on a road trip :(

Take care, Jennifer. I am glad you are home safely. It's great to have art to remember him by.

Hi Jenn!

Glad you're all back safe and sound.

How lovely to have art by your FiL in every room of the house.

>255 RebaRelishesReading:

So good to have the good strong spirit of his work around you.

Maybe you will someday share them online...

I'm so sorry to hear about the death of your father-in-law. Such a tragic and sudden loss for the entire family.

So sorry to see the loss of your father-in-law.

>257 karenmarie:-258 Thanks Kimberly. It's great to be home. I came home and went straight to work on some orders for my Etsy shop, so the house is a total wreck, but you know, it will still be there in a day or two. Lol

>259 Copperskye: It was kind of a bummer Reba, but I was so happy that the brakes didn't fail. We could tell they'd gone wobbly as we came down the steep hill from the Eisenhower tunnel, and it could have been WAY more exciting (terrifying). We were also blessed to find the only open auto repair shop in miles, so all in all, I wasn't too upset. Sure was expensive though. Lol

>260 ChelleBearss: Hi Beth!

>261 nittnut: Hi Karen!

>262 nittnut: I will share - soonish. We have a bunch of photos of them, and my daughter made a PP presentation for art, all about her Grandpa and maybe I can figure out how to share it.

>263 Thank you Joanne.

>264 Thank you Chelle.

Whoops - housekeeping.

I missed a couple October books.

#131 Tower of Thorns
#132 Den of Wolves

Great series by Juliet Marillier, stood up well to a second read.

#133 A Tangled Mercy

Merciful heavens. Not recommended.