Les Catégories de Mamzel 2016 - Parte Trois

First quarter posts are here.
Second part posts are here.

This year I am using body parts to symbolize the various areas I generally settle into.
As always I will begin my comments with the first line of a book, generally a make-it-or-break-it thing for me. It will indicate whether the book will knock my socks off or be a snoozer.

I'll keep a count of my categories in this header along with any outstanding books (4.5-5.0 stars).

1. Heart - YA - 19
2. Brain - mind-blowing - 6
3. Arm - more than 500 pages - 4
4. Kidney - nonfiction - 18
5. Larynx - not-novels - 4
6. Ears - audiobooks - 10
7. Spine - fantasy, horror - 13
8. Skin - non-Caucasian authors - 4
9. Lungs - fluff - series - 9
10. Wrinkles - books published prior to 1950, 1001 Books to read before you die - 1
11. Eyes - graphic novels - 9
12. Nose - stinkers - DNF - 2 (not counted in total read)

TOTAL - 98



Main read - The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
Kindle read - The Devil's Notice by Ellis Peters
Audiobook - The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
School read - Singing the Dogstar Blues by Alison Goodman

I. Heart - as in "young at heart" - I will post my Young Adult reads here.

1. Keeper by Mal Peet (2003)
2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (1999)
3. Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon (2013)
4. Burn Baby Burn by Med Medina (2016)
5. Sekret by Lindsay Smith (2014)
6. Armada by Ernest Cline (2015)
7. Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert (2015)
8. Mexican White Boy by Matt de la Peña (2008)
9. Bone Gap by Laura Ruby (2015)
10. The Emperor of Any Place by Tim Wynne-Jones (2015)
11. Shallow Graves by Kali Wallace (2016)
12. The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork (2016)
13. The Ghosts of Heaven by Marcus Sedgwick (2014)
14. Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (1993)
15. A World Without You by Beth Revis (2016)
16. Another Me by Eva Wiseman (2016)
17. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (2012)
18. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (2017)
19. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (2015)



II. Brain - as in "mind-blowing" - books that blew my socks off for any reason

1. The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins (2015)
2. This Census-Taker by China Mièville (2016)
3. Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia (2015)
4. World War Z by Max Brooks (2006)
5. The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett (1998)
6/ LaRose by Louise Erdrich (2016)



III. Arm - as in "as long as your arm" - books with 500 pages or more

1. Seveneves by Neal Stephenson (2015)
2. The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (2011)
3. Perdido Street Station by China Miéville (2001)
4. Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan (2011)

IV. Kidney - filters out what the body doesn't need - non-fiction

1. Worm: The First Digital World War by Mark Bowden (2011)
2. The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gale Tzemach Lemmon (2011)
3. Spook by Mary Roach (2005)
4. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs
5. A Scrap of Time by Ida Fink (1987)
6. My Childhood Under Fire by Madja Halilbegovich (2006)
7. We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2014)
8. I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda with Liz Welch (2015)
9. A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester (2005)
10. Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer (2015)
11. The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox (2013)
12. The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery (2015)
13. Some Hats, Some Girls, and Hitler by Trudi Kanter (2012)
14. Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee and Susan McClelland (2016)
15. Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin (2014)
16. Men of Salt by Michael Benanav (2006)
17. Fried Butter: A Food Memoir by Abe Apincar (2003)
18. Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario (2013)

V. Larynx - the voice box - not-novels - plays, short stories, etc.

1. The Flight of the Iguana by David Quammen (1988)
2. The Worst Breakfast by China Mièville and Zak Smith (2016)
3. Zoot Suit and Other Plays by Luis Valdez (1992)
4. Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (1953)

VI. Ears - audiobooks

1. Numero Zero by Umberto Eco, narrated by David Colacci (2015)
2. The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan (2008)
3. Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini (orig. pub. 1921) narrated by Simon Vance (2011)
4. The Waters of Eternal Youth by Donna Leon, narrated by David Colacci (2016)
5. Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon (2012)
6. Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett (2014)
7. A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch (audiobook 2011)
8. Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi (2008)
9. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (2015)
10. The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberøl and Agnete Friis (2015)

Happy New Thread!

VII. Spine - as in spine-tingling - fantasy, horror

1. Royal Progress by Pen Fairchild (2015)
2. Snake Agent by Liz Williams (2013)
3. Staked by Kevin Hearne (2016)
4. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks (2008)
5. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by David Shafer (2014)
6. The Tower of the Swallow by Andrzej Sapkowski (2016)
7. The Wheel of Osheim by Mark Lawrence (2016)
8. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (2015)
9. The Palace Job by Patrick Weekes (2013)
10. League of Dragons by Naomi Novik (2016)
11. The Day of the Triffids by John Windham (1951)
12. Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Marcía Márquez, translated by Gregory Rabassa (1982)
13. The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (1970)

VIII. Skin - non-Caucasian authors
I usually have a non-American author category but I thought I'd come up with a different angle to fit my theme.

1. The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh (2015)
2. Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique (2014)
3. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (1987)
4. The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak (2007)

9. Lungs - books full of air - fluff, mysteries

1. The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine by Allistair McCall Smith (2015)
2. The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy by J. Michael Orenduff (2014)
3. The Queen's Man by Sharon Kay Penman (1996)
4. Scents and Sensibility by Spencer Quinn (2015)
5. The Sanctuary Sparrow by Ellis Peters (orig. 1983)
6. Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich (2007)
7. I Shot the Buddha by Colin Cotterill (2016)
8. A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (2016)
9. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley (2016)

X. Eyes - food for the eyes - graphic novels

1. Doctor Who: The Weeping Angels of Mons by Robbie Morrison (2015)
2. Giant Days by John Allison (2015)
3. Thor: The Goddess of Thunder by Jason Aaron (2015)
4. T-Minus by Jim Ottaviani, Zander Cannon, Kevin Cannon (2009)
5. Lowriders in Space by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Raúl the Third (2014)
6. Lowriders to the Center of the Earth by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Raúl the Third (2016)
7. March, Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (2013)
8. March, Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (2015)
9. March, Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (2016)

XI. Wrinkles - books originally published prior to 1950 and books from the 1001 Books to Read Before You Die list

1. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov (orig. 1904)

12. Nose - stinkers - DNF
Books that I couldn't finish because they either weren't the right book at the right time or just out-and-out bad.

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (2006) DNF
Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie (2015) DNF
Singing the Dogstar Bluesby Alison Goodman (1998) DNF

I will keep track of my CAT reads here but they will be counted in my other categories.



Dewey CAT - nonfiction by the numbers

January - 000-099 Worm: The First Digital World War by Mark Bowden (2011) - 005.8
February - 100-199 Spook by Mary Roach - 129
March - 200-299 The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs - 220
April - 300-349 - We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - 305.48
I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda with Liz Welch
**May - 350-399 - Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer (362.883)
June 400-499 The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox (487)
July 500-599 - The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery (594)
August 600-699
September 700-799 Some Hats, Some Girls, and Hitler by Trudi Kanter (746.9)
October - 800-899 Zoot Suit and Other Plays by Luis Valdez (812.54)
Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (842)
November - 900-939 Men of Salt by Michael Benanav (916)
December 940-999 Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario (973)



GeoCAT - reading around the world

January - South America - Keeper by Mal Peet (Brazil)
**February - Central Asia - The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gale Tzemach Lemmon (Afghanistan)
March - Eastern Europe and Russia - A Scrap of Time by Ida Fink (Poland)
T-Minus by Jim Ottaviani, Zander Cannon, Kevin Cannon (Russia)
My Childhood Under Fire by Madja Halilbegovich (Bosnia and Hercegovina)
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov (Russia)
April - Polar regions, Islands, Bodies of Water - Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique (U.S. Virgin Islands)
The Voyage of the Narwhal by Andrea Barrett (Arctic)
May - North America including Mexico - A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906 by Simon Winchester (U.S.A. - California)
June - Australia & New Zealand - The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (New Zealand)
July - Central America & Caribbean
August - South Africa
September - Southern Asia -
October - Eastern Asia - I Shot the Buddha by Colin Cotterill (Laos and Thailand)
Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee and Susan McClelland (North Korea)
November - Northern Africa & Middle East - The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak (Turkey)
December - Western Europe - The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberøl and Agnete Friis (Denmark, Poland, Lithuania)

Unofficial SF/SFF Kit

January - On shelf for more than one year
February - Published within the last 5 years - Armada by Ernest Cline (2015)
Staked by Kevin Hearne
The Emperor of Any Place by Tim Wynne-Jones (2015)
March - Set in an alternate world - Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia (2015)
April - NPR's Top 100 SF/Fantasy List - World War Z by Max Brooks
May - Space Opera - Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
June - Interesting Cover Art - The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
**July - Change through transformation or adaptation - The Day of the Triffids by John Windham
August - Start or continue a series - Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
September - Non-US or UK author - Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Spain)
October - Retrofuturistic
November - Time Travel
December - Reader's Choice

Book Riot - Read Harder Challenge (may overlap with other CAT challenges)

Read a horror book - The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
Read a nonfiction book about science - Spook by Mary Roach
Read a collection of essays - The Flight of the Iguana by David Quammen
Read a book out loud to someone else - The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Read a middle school novel - Keeper by Mal Peet
Read a biography (not a memoir or autobiography) - Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario
Read a dystopian or post-apocalyptic novel - Strangelets by Michelle Gagnon
Read a book originally written in the decade you were born - Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (1953)
Listen to an audiobook that has won an Audie award -
Read a book over 500 pages long - Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Read a book under 100 pages - The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov
Read a book by or about a person that identifies as transgender - Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
Read a book that is set in the Middle East - Napoleon's Pyramids by William Dietrich
Read a book that is by an author from Southeast Asia -
Read a book of historical fiction set before 1900 - The Sanctuary Sparrow by Ellis Peters
Read the first book in a series by a person of color - The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
Read a non-superhero comic that debuted in the last three years - Giant Days by John Allison
Read a book that was adapted into a movie, then watch the movie. Debate which is better - Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - movie starring Kristen Stewart - book so much better
Read a nonfiction book about feminism or dealing with feminist themes - We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Read a book about religion (fiction or nonfiction) - The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible by A.J. Jacobs
Read a book about politics, in your country or another (fiction or nonfiction) - Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee and Susan McClelland
Read a food memoir - Fried Butter: A Food Memoir by Abe Apincar
Read a play - Zoot Suit and Other Plays by Luis Valdez (1992)
Read a book with a main character that has a mental illness - The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork

Looking forward to finishing the year with a bang!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mamzel.

Feliz nuevo hilo!

Thanks
and Olé!

Zoot Suit and Other Plays by Luis Valdez (1992)

PACHUCO:
¿Que le watcha a mis traps, ese?
¿Save qué, carnal?

El Pachuco is the epitome of the Hispanic youth of the 1940s. He wears an oversized zoot suit (calling them "drapes") and strikes a pose of defiance and style. He is in the background of all the scenes and comments to the audience as well as the characters on stage.

The story is about a group of pachucos and pachucas who are arrested and charged with a murder. The press and law enforcement team up to frame them to try and quiet the unrest in the city. The kids are more interested in dancing and the lead character, Henry Reyna, has even enlisted in the Navy. It is a common story of blaming the young and strangely dressed faction for society's ills.

There was a lot of Spanish and Spanish slang that made it difficult for this non-speaker but after I finished the first act I found a high school production of the play which was totally enjoyable to watch and helped my understanding.

edited to add - This was based on actual events that occurred in Los Angeles (they called it "Los") in 1943.

Hispanic literature: American author, originally in English (mostly)

CATEGORY: LARYNX (NON-NOVEL)
DEWEY CAT: 812.54
READ HARDER CHALLENGE: READ A PLAY

Happy new thread!

>20 dudes22: Merci!

A Beautiful Blue Death by Charles Finch (audiobook 2011)
Charles Lenox Mysteries Book #1

The fateful note came just as Lenox was settling into his armchair after a long, tiresome day in the city.

This was a perfectly enjoyable book to listen to as I was taking my walks. The narrator (sorry I can't give his name) had the perfect light British accent with enough variety of different voices to make it easy and a pleasure to follow.

Charles Lenox doesn't have to work but enjoys amateur sleuthing. He has helped Scotland Yard previously so when his cousin, Lady Jane Grey alerts him to the suicide of her previous servant, he decides to poke around a little. With the help of Graham, his butler, he can say without a doubt that it was murder, not a suicide. His older brother is also on his team of sleuths.

The owner of the house where the young victim lived was the director of the Royal Mint and Lenox helps uncover a masterful conspiracy.

I will keep an eye out for the next in the series when I'm next in need of an audiobook.

CATEGORY: EARS (AUDIOBOOK)

Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee and Susan McClelland (2016)

My toy soldier peers over a mound of dirt not far from where my father, abeoki, my mother, eomeoni, and I have just finished our picnic, near the Daedong River in Prongyang.

When this book arrived in my library I knew I had to read it and the timing was perfect to include it in the GeoCAT this month.

Sungju and his family lived in Pyongyang. His father was a respected military officer under Kim Il-sung. The leader died and his son, Kim Jong-il took over at the same time that the U.S.S.R. broke up and unfortunate weather caused a famine. The family was forced to move to Gyeong-seong, further north and on the coast but Sungju was told it was for a vacation and was not aware of the severity of events.

Eventually both parents left Sungju, promising to return. In desperation he began to steal in the market and formed a gang of streetboys who were called kotjebis. For four and a half years Sungju lived by his wits, relying on the training he got from his father and his tae kwon do schooling. Finally he was recognized by his grandfather who took him in and eventually found a broker who smuggled him into China and to rejoin his father.

Sungju eventually moved to the U.S. where he finished his education and was able to relate his story to the world. He still had to change his family members' names to prevent possible retaliation.

This is a horrifying glimpse into this secretive and isolated country through the eyes of a child. I tried to locate the landmarks he mentioned on Google maps and the not-very-recent atlas I had at hand with no success (except for the capital city, of course).

CATEGORY: KIDNEY (NONFICTION)
GEOCAT: EAST ASIA (NORTH KOREA)
READ HARDER CHALLENGE: READ A BOOK ABOUT POLITICS

Happy new thread! Every Falling Star sounds really interesting. I'd enjoyed Chang-Rae Lee The Surrendered very much, but otherwise, I've not read much literature set in Korea.

Lowriders in Space by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Raúl the Third (2014)
Lowriders to the Center of the Earth by Cathy Camper, illustrated by Raúl the Third (2016)

I was introduced to this new graphic novel series last night and bought them for my library. I sure hope my kiddos appreciate them as much as I did.

Lupe Impala is a master mechanic and works in a garage with Flapjack Octopus (fantastic car cleaner), and Elirio Malaria (mosquito great at detailing). Lupe dreams of having her own garage and decides to rebuild a car to enter in a competition. They find some spare parts in a junkyard which were meant for rockets. When they start up the car it blasts into space where they get final touches from planets and comets.



There are phrases in Spanish which are translated for those who don't read Spanish and the art is very reminiscent of Mexican folk art.

In the second episode, Lupe has her garage and is busy rebuilding cars and vans when she notices her cat is missing. She and her friends track the cat all the way to the Aztec underworld.



I really enjoyed these two graphic novels - the art and the stories.

CATEGORY: EYES (GRAPHIC NOVELS)

A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny (2016)

Armand Gamache sat in the little room and closed the dossier with care, squeezing it shut, trapping the words inside.

While there is no doubt this is another Penny masterpiece, I found it dragging in spots and I had to commit myself to reading it to the end.

I dislike it when the reveal reveals how manipulated I had been by the author not sharing facts or revelations until she decides it is time. If it is noticeable, it is annoying.

CATEGORY: LUNGS (MYSTERY)

I have reluctantly abandoned Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie. This was a book that I really should have been reading since there were so many places I wanted to stop and listen again to the words. It was not the right format to appreciate the writing.

>25 mamzel:
Lowriders in Space has such an interesting art style. I'm going to have to add that one to my list.

>28 andreablythe: I hope you can track them down. These images don't do justice to the vibrancy of the colors.

A World Without You by Beth Revis (2016)

"It's time, Bo," Ryan says, putting his hand on my shoulder.
I shrug him off.

Bo attends the Berkshire Academy where teens with special abilities go to learn how to control those abilities. Bo's ability is time travel. His friend, Sophia, has suffered a terrible loss. Her mother and two sisters were killed in a car crash. She asks Bo to take her back in time, before the accident, so he takes her back to 1692, Salem, Mass. But, horrors! He realizes too late the significance of that place and time and does all he can to try and bring her back.

In intermittent chapters we also hear from Bo's little sister, Phoebe, who gets perfect grades, participates in every after-school activity she can manage, and still doesn't get much attention from her parents. They are totally focused on Bo so she is naturally a little resentful of him.

As the reader follows the action, they begin to wonder if this school is actually what Bo thinks it is or is it really a school for teens with mental illnesses? I will leave you wondering, too.

CATEGORY: HEART (YA)

\

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett (1953)

A country road. A tree.
Evening.

Two reasons I chose this play to read: It falls in the Dewey challenge and it fills an entry in the Read Harder Challenge. (I'm kind of cheating there. The year of my birth was a rather sucky year for literature and there really wasn't anything readily available or particularly attractive to me that I hadn't already read. This play was first staged in 1953 so I'm counting it.) I have been aware of this play for a long time, have tried a couple of times to read it, and finally plowed through it. I am not an English, history, or philosophy major so I cannot offer any deep interpretations of the play.

Two men wait for a man they have never met for reasons we don't know. That's it. Minimalism seems to be a key word when describing the play. The set is simple, the characters are simple, and for the most part, their lines are short and simple. The one exception is a line that is delivered without punctuation and covers three pages. As I did with Zoot Suit I tried to watch the play on YouTube after I read it but for some reason the sound stopped just as Lucky was delivering this long monologue. And that was what I was waiting to hear!

At least now I can say that I have read it.

CATEGORY: LARYNX (NON-NOVELS)
DEWEYCAT: 800s (842)
READ HARDER CHALLENGE: READ SOMETHING PUBLISHED IN THE YEAR OF YOUR BIRTH

eta - Went back and forwarded the play a little and the sound came back on. I'll try to see if I can find another version to watch that part straight through.

>31 mamzel: I admire you. I've seen the play - twice! I'm sure once would have been sufficient. I heard such good things about it and thought maybe I'd missed something. Nope.

>32 VivienneR: The version I watched on YouTube made me hurt - the actor playing Lucky had to lean over for such a long time. He must have been in pain!

Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Marcía Márquez, translated by Gregory Rabassa (1982)

On the day they were going to kill him, Santiago asar got up at five-thirty in the morning to wait for the boat the bishop was coming on.

I tried to read Love in the Time of Cholera but gave up halfway. His constant use of naming people with their full names made it feel to me that the book was still in the introductory part. He does that here, too, however, since the book is much shorter and I knew in advance what to expect, it didn't bother me as much. Another little niggle I had about the book and associated writings was that nobody commented on the fact that the Arab man was killed with knives used to butcher hogs.

In any case, a wedding takes place in a small town the day before the expected visit of the bishop. That night, the groom discovers that his bride is not a virgin and drags her home by her hair. Her mother beats her and demands to know who was the man. The bride's twin brothers take off to avenge her honor. Along the way they announce loudly to anyone they meet their intentions. Their knives were taken away from them once but they went back for more and continued. All the people involved assumed that someone else would stop them. Nobody did.

I couldn't help but consider how this would play out today. When people heard the news, they would whip out their phones and tweet about it (#deathforetold, maybe?). The murder took place on the man's own doorstep so I can imagine today there would be someone capturing the gruesome deed on their cell phone and posting it to Facebook.

Interesting premise.

CATEGORY: SPINE (HORROR)
Hispanic literature - originally in Spanish, translated to English

Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin (2014)

When Jessy got his period, he was confused.

I am actually wearing purple today because we are observing "Asexual Awareness Day" at our school. I know we have several trans students and I wanted to try to be a little more educated on their situations. While it's still a rather alien concept to me, I can accept who and what they are now and will feel more comfortable recognizing their accepted gender role.

The author interviewed several teens who pour their hearts out by sharing their experiences realizing what was going on, then dealing with friends and family and ultimately (and hopefully) finding a partner who would accept them.

I think this is an excellent way for people to learn how to accept these teens as they would any other teens.

CATEGORY: KIDNEY (NONFICTION)
READ HARDER CHALLENGE: READ A BOOK WITH A PERSON WHO IDENTIFIES AS TRANSGENDER

>34 mamzel: This is the second bad thing I have seen about Love in the Time of Cholera in the last couple days. I am not sure I will like Marquez's writing but Chronicle of a Death Foretold sounds interesting.

>36 Tara1Reads: It's worth a little time, that's for sure!



A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (2015)

Kell wore a very peculiar coat.

I don't plan my audio reading in advance. I look through what's available and pick from there. Sometimes, like for this one, I get incredibly lucky and discover something new.

Kell is an adopted prince and a Traveler, a magician who can travel between the four Londons. Gray London is, as can be imagined, dull and rather devoid of magic. White London, on the other hand, has lots of magic which is used to murder rulers and take over the city. Red London seems to be the most reasonable with their use of magic. Black London is mysterious and isn't mentioned any more.

Kell carries communications between the rulers of the different Londons. He is capable of blood magic and also smuggles small items between the cities to amuse the different cities' inhabitants. He encounters a young pickpocket named Delilah (Lila) Bard who steals a black stone from him which is full of dangerous-if-mishandled magic and which he needs to recover from her. They join forces to fight an evil magician who also wants the black stone to further his nefarious goals.

This was delightfully narrated by Steven Crossley and made my walks a pleasure I looked forward to.

CATEGORY: EARS (AUDIOBOOK)

I went to my library's website to see if the next of the series, A Gathering of Shadows, was available. They didn't have the ebook or audiobook available. What teases! I wish audible.com was more reasonable. I struggled over joining and decided to use my library's collection. This book was good enough that I may change my mind. Maybe.

I thought I had read Chronicle of a Death Foretold, but now that I'm reading what you've written about it, it doesn't seem familiar at all. I really should keep better track of my books.... :)

I almost got A Darker Shade of Magic from Audible, but then I realized that the second audio is read by someone completely different. I don't like when they do that! It's on my Kindle wishlist instead - sounds like a great read!

Another Me by Eva Wiseman (2016)

The Angel of the Night is hovering over the city of Strasbourg as the boy makes his way home.

I received this book through the Early Reviewers program.

Taking place in 1349 Strasbourg, we are told a story illustrating the hatred people had for Jews in Europe. Even if the families had been working and living in the city for generations, they were still mistrusted. Young Natan witnesses some citizens dumping garbage and a live cat into a well and overhear them telling about their plot to blame the Jews for poisoning the well. When he tries to stop them they beat him to death. However, his spirit is transplanted in another young man, Hans, as a being that is called an ibbur in Jewish mythology. Natan will inhabit this new body until he fulfills his mission of warning the Jews of the plot and saving his family.

Natan fell in love with the daughter of a cloth merchant, Elena. Hans is the apprentice to her father. It is tragic that she is repulsed by Hans even when she understands it is really Natan that is speaking to her. Although, it is no surprise to Hans when he returns that she still doesn't like him. She will always love the poetic Natan with the black curls.

It is truly horrifying what was done to the Jews and we witness this through Natan and Elena's eyes.

CATEGORY: HEART (YA FICTION)

>22 mamzel: - Hope you enjoy the rest of the series as much as I have.

I'm just catching up, so Hola, feliz nuevo hilo (happy new thread)!

>41 LittleTaiko: I placed a hold on the second in the series, audio version. There are 15 people ahead of me so it will be a while! Glad to know the series continues well.

The audiobook I'm listening to now, Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi would be a good book for teens to read. This morning as I was driving I realized the intelligent and snarky tone of the protagonist reminds me of Daira from the animated MTV series.

Men of Salt by Michael Benanav (2006)

The boat coasted slowly into the port at Kourioume, on the Niger River, maneuvering its way into an open space among the other wooden crafts already moored there.

Benanav was no stranger to the difficulties of living and traveling across deserts having done so for many years in the American West. While surfing on the Internet he came across a description of the camel caravans which for centuries had traveled into the Sahara to bring back precious salt. This was something he wanted to witness and experience for himself.

He connected with a guide who was also an azalai (camel driver) and made preparations to make the journey. For five weeks he endured impossible heat, terrible food, inconceivable thirst, and sleep deprivation and learned what it was like to survive one of the world's harshest environments. He made friends with these men, met their families, celebrated births of their children, and even was almost betrothed to a nine-year old girl.

In the end he acknowledged that this life was not one that was chosen but taken out of necessity. As he praised the strength of the azalai and their animals, he realized that they would trade the life in a heartbeat for something else.

While I will never, ever, endure any such trip, I appreciate the descriptions of the stunning sunrises and sunsets he witnessed and the realistic depictions of the desert people.

CATEGORY: KIDNEY (NONFICTION)
DEWEY CAT: 900-939 - 916

He managed to accomplish a lot in 5 weeks. I think I'm going to take a BB on this. But I'd like to know - did they travel at night to avoid some of the heat?

Mostly, yes. They would wake at 2 a.m. and then walk until 10 or until they found a tree to shelter under until it cooled off again. One of the things that impressed him was how they knew what direction to travel to find the next well. No GPS or maps for these guys!

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley (2016)
Flavia de Luce 8

The winter rain slashes at me face like icy razor blades, but I don't care.

Flavia returns from her exile to Canada to find that her father is in the hospital with pneumonia. Her sisters are totally ignoring her and the only acknowledgement that she is back is from Dogger, her father's faithful companion. He is the only adult who gets her and show her any attention. She delivers a message to a house in the village and finds the inhabitant, an older man, hanging upside down in a weird contraption, dead. Finally, at least, she has something to do since she is not allowed to visit her father.

I found the first two thirds of the book a little slow and I felt quite uncomfortable with how she was ignored and not allowed to visit her father. Except for an occasional dig at her sisters, they weren't featured at all in this episode. I really hope things pick up for her in the future.

CATEGORY: LUNGS (MYSTERIES)

>46 mamzel: Me too! I really didn't like how he was offstage so much. :(

>46 mamzel:
I had even missed there was a new installment! Oops.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (2012)
Throne of Glass (1)

After a year of slavery in the Salt Mines of Endovier, Celaena Sardothien was accustomed to being escorted everywhere in shackles and at sword-point.

This is a series I am late in enjoying. One can't ignore a series when more than one teen gushes over it. The hype is well deserved.

A young female assassin is sprung from the salt mines where she had served for some unmentioned crime by Prince Dorian. He is accompanied by the equally dashing, young Captain of the Guards, Chaol. There is to be a competition where warriors and assassins undergo tests to determine who will be the King's Champion. Calaena is only interested in the freedom that comes after serving a four year term as the king's assassin, the competition's prize. As is always the case with teens, she is drawn to the prince and both of the young men are drawn to her.

But all is not as cut and dry as that. Something or someone is killing the representatives. Brutally. Can Calaena manage to avoid a savage death before her chance at freedom?

On to read the prequel, The Assassin's Blade!

CATEGORY: HEART (YA)

March, Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (2013)
March, Book Two by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (2015)
March, Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (2016)

Can you swim?
No.
Well, neither can I...but we may have to.

I picked up this amazing series yesterday. Would it be irony that this series takes place on the day President Obama was inaugurated? It felt like it. Not being a political person, I became aware of Congressman Lewis when he was on the panel for the Congressional Hearing of FBI Director Coumey who was presenting his findings about the Clinton emails. I was struck by his amazing eloquence and when I connected him to these graphic novels I was determined to get them for my library. I was not wrong. They are an amazing depiction of the events, people, commitment to nonviolence, and on the other hand, the hatred, violence, bigotry. In the background of my reading these books was a peaceful protest held by the students of my school. What a day I had!

I can't recommend these graphic novels highly enough as a reminder of what happened those years and as a reminder of how we must stay vigil to maintain the progress that has been made.

CATEGORY: EYES (GRAPHIC NOVELS)

Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi (2008)
Old Man's War

I lifted up my dad's PDA and counted off the seconds with the two thousand other people in the room.

Zoe's family moves to colonize a new planet named Roanoke. Sounds simple but we learn, as Zoe learns, that there was actually much more to this story.

Zoe makes new friends. Gretchen is another smart and sarcastic teenager with whom Zoe clicks immediately. She is also attracted to a hotty named Enzo. Life may not be so bad on this new world after all. Always accompanied by two bodyguards, Hickory and Dickory, she eventually learns why they accompany her everywhere. Her birth father had created a device that enabled their species, known as the Obin, to have consciousness. In his absence they give her all the reverence and loyalty they would have given her father. They would literally do anything for her and she learns that this is a very serious responsibility.

This was a totally enjoyable book to listen to as I strolled through the falling leaves on my streets. The narrator, whose name I can't find on the library website or Amazon, did a wonderful job and Zoe's voice often reminded me of the animated MTV character, Daria, another smart and snarky teen.

CATEGORY: EARS (AUDIOBOOK)

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan (2011)
Riyria Revelations 1 & 2

Hadrian could see little in the darkness, but he could hear them - the snapping of twigs, the crush of leaves, and the brush of grass.

Oh, what a treat, to buy a book on Amazon not realizing that it is actually a twofer, The Crown Conspiracy and Avempartha, especially to become acquainted with two dashing rogues, Hadrian and Royce. The two together, known as Riyria, are professional thieves. I picture Hadrian as dashing, carrying not one, not two (like my Witcher), but three swords. Royce is secretive and stealthy but no less deadly. They are contracted to retrieve a sword from the king's castle but end up taking the fall for the king's assassination. They were set up. They are rescued by the princess (nice twist there) but have to agree to take her brother to a hidden prison which holds only one prisoner, a wizard.

In the second book they accept an assignment to find a way into an elven fortress and retrieve a sword said to be the only way to kill a magical dragon decimating a village night after night. The wizard joins them on this quest and we also are joined by a dwarf who tried to kill them in the first book.

I really enjoyed coming to know these characters and their world. I will certainly go on to read more of this series and author.

CATEGORY: ARM (BOOKS >500 PAGES)

The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak (2007)

Whatever falls from the sky above, thou shall not curse it. That includes the rain.

I can't remember who first raved about this book but it has been waiting for my attention for a number of years. This month's GeoCAT inspired me to finally take it on. So, so glad I did!

Asya lives in Istanbul with her mother, and her mother's sisters, mother and grandmother. Her uncle, Mustapha lives in Arizona married to Rose. Rose had been previously married to an Armenian man and gave birth to Armanoush (Amy). Amy lives half of the time with her mother and Turkish stepfather and half with her Armenian father and his family in San Francisco. At the age of nineteen, Amy decides she wants to learn more about her heritage and decides to visit her stepfather's family in Istanbul and sneaks off without her parents knowing.

Amy and Asya hit it off from the start. Asya's household welcomed Amy with open arms. Asya took Amy on an intimate tour of Istanbul introducing her to her eclectic coffeehouse friends. In exchange, Amy introduced Asya to her Internet friends and the painful history of the Armenian genocide. Asya was not unusual in her casual disregard of the event, who like many Turks, consider it made up history. When Amy's parents figure out where she was, they immediately flew to Istanbul and then striking secrets were revealed.

While this book could be considered chick lit, it is elevated because of both girls' independence, culture, and intelligence. This book was engrossing from start to finish.

CATEGORY: SKIN (NON-CAUCASIAN AUTHOR)
GEOCAT: MIDDLE EAST

>53 mamzel: ooh BB for me! I really liked The Flea Palace (well, apart from the ending!), and always meant to read some more of her work.

>54 Jackie_K: I sure hope you will enjoy it!



Fried Butter: A Food Memoir by Abe Apincar (2003)

I baked a chicken the night I left my wife.

The only reason I checked this book from the library was to complete one of the Bookriot challenge slots. It was mercifully short. Not as bad as I'm making it sound, however.

Abe shares some of his memories and the food he associates with them. We all have those associations. One of his items was pomegranates and it made me think of how figs remind me of my French grandmother's garden where I first discovered them. That was probably the best part of this book - it brought back my own food memories. That was nice.

CATEGORY: KIDNEY (NONFICTION)
BOOKRIOT CHALLENGE: READ A FOOD MEMOIR

>50 mamzel:
I did see those at the library the other day - I'll put them on my list.

>56 -Eva-: I would like to suggest you try to download Congressman Lewis speaking to have an idea of his voice as you read them.

> I have March, Book One - actually the whole trilogy- on my holiday wish list. Did you see Congresssman Lewis' speech when he won the National Book Award? It made me cry. Best speech since Patti Smith won for Just Kids.

>58 VioletBramble: I'll have to look it up. He is an amazing person!



The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (2017)

I received this book from the Early Reviewers program in exchange for a review.

I would recommend reading this book during the winter while hunkered down under a fluffy comforter. The images of the Russian winter come through vividly. The blanketing snow, howling winds, biting cold, and aching hunger of a long winter without fresh food are on every page.

Vasilisa (Vasya) is a young girl, motherless and wild. She has inherited the ability to see and talk to the old beings that hide in the kitchen, the stable loft, and the woods surrounding her house and village. When a grouchy and rigid priest come to stay with them, the old ones are even more threatened. Vasya is the only one who gives them treats of food and see and talk to them. When an ancient evil wakens in the forest they could be the peoples' last hope.

Told in the style of a Russian folktale, it is full of mythical creatures. The Russian name system, which can be confusing, was mercifully not too hard to follow. I really enjoyed this story.

CATEGORY: HEART (YA)

>59 mamzel: I won this one from Early Reviewers too! I probably won't get to it until January, but I'm glad to know you enjoyed it and that it's a good winter read.

Hi!

>30 mamzel:A World Without You looks intriguing, and so does >59 mamzel: The Bear and the Nightingale. I love looking at your list of YA books. You've read some good ones.

>60 christina_reads: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

>61 nittnut: I work in a high school library so I get to pick the best. I also keep tabs with reviews and lists. And I'll give a shout out to Copperfield's, our local independent bookstore which has the most enthusiastic employees.

I must be getting old or something. I just realized I had my Thingversary last Nov. 7 - my 9th! How time flies when you're among friends.

Happy Belated Thingaversary!

Wow, nine years! That's awesome! Happy Thingaversary!

Happy belated Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary! It's always a good day when you realize you've got books to buy!

Thanks everyone.
>68 nittnut: I know, right? Just in time for sales!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (2015)

Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache.

When I read two books closely together with similar plots, the second one invariably suffers by comparison. I think this is the case for me here.

A young man accepts a job to break a man out of a prison. He collects a bunch of other kids with various talents to do this job. They will use the cover of a big masquerade party in an adjoining building to get in. Of course, even the most meticulous planning has snags and problems arise right and left. This is a kind of Oceans Eleven story.

The world building is intense and we get glimpses of all the characters' back stories as we progress. The second episode of the trilogy, Crooked Kingdom is on my library's shelf but I may wait until giving it a try. Bridge books don't do very well for me.

CATEGORY: HEART (YA)

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario (2013)

It is Friday morning, eight a.m. A key turns in the front-door lock of my Los Angeles home.

Nazario won a Pulitzer Prize for her series of articles highlighting the immigration of desperate people from countries like Honduras to the U.S. This book was written for a younger audience but is no less dramatic.

Enrique's mother worked for the author when Nazario became aware of the incredible story of the lengths people go to find work in the U.S. to support others left behind. The author actually traveled the same route, atop the same trains alongside immigrants to understand the hardships they endured. It took Enrique 9 tries over a period of 122 days and a total of 12,000 to finally join his mother in North Carolina.

It's a heart-wrenching story that doesn't have a happy ending. Living in the U.S. as an illegal immigrant is not exactly like finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Without an education or papers, immigrants can only work menial jobs and are victims of gang violence and racism. The reader hears about the different sides of this difficult topic. For instance, not much thought is given as to the impact on a country where so many of its young, vital populace leaves for better jobs elsewhere.

A timely read to give a little time to.

CATEGORY: KIDNEY (NONFICTION)
DEWEY CAT: 973
READ HARDER CHALLENGE: READ A BIOGRAPHY

Love Russian fairytales, so I'm going to have to add The Bear and the Nightingale to my list.

>72 andreablythe: It's due out next month. Enjoy!

The Boy in the Suitcase by Lene Kaaberøl and Agnete Friis (2015)

Holding the glass door open with her hip, she dragged the suitcase into the stairwell leading to the underground parking lot.

The narrator, Katherine Kellgren, had the perfect Scandinavian voice to lend to the telling of this story which involves people from Denmark, Poland, and Lithuania.

Nina, a Red Cross nurse with a heart of gold, is asked by long-time friend, Nina, to pick up a suitcase at a bus station and under no circumstances, open it. Nina is understandably curious and discovers a drugged and naked 3-year old boy inside. Her immediate thought is that this boy is an illegal immigrant being smuggled into Denmark having dealt with many such people. Karin, however, is in trouble for not delivering the boy as she was paid to do and is on the run from some nasty people. So, is this boy a victim of human trafficking? Sagita, the mother of the boy, Mikas, is a Lithuanian who goes to the police with a frantic story of how a woman in the park gave her son chocolate and kidnapped him. Maybe an illegal adoption ring? Though this book could be classified as Scandinavian noir, the police are totally ineffectual.

When the true reason for the abduction becomes apparent it makes no sense to a savvy reader who knows anything about anything. But that doesn't subtract from the excitement and action and the hope that the sweet little boy will be reunited with his mother.

CATEGORY: EAR (AUDIOBOOK)
GEOCAT: EUROPE (DENMARK, POLAND, LITHUANIA)

Since it is the last month of the year and things are wrapping up, I am looking at my success in the CATs I participated in and I think I did pretty well, IMHO. The Dewey CAT, which was originally my idea, was the best completed challenge. I only missed June and I'll plead summer vacation and a brain shut down for that. I missed a few months in both the GeoCAT and the SF challenge but I am working on one more time travel story and maybe fill in another slot next week. I am pretty proud of the Bookriot Read Harder Challenge. I will fill in the read aloud book next week when I invite a severely handicapped class to the library for a Christmas read and I have an audiobook I listened to and need to get finished for the audiobook. I should be able to finish that before the end of the calendar year. I'm feeling pretty good about this year's success!

Excellent work on your challenge! :D

>76 rabbitprincess: Thanks, RP!

Looks like you had a very successful chalenge, congrats!

Congratulations on your success. I love your happy dance!

>78 MissWatson: *bow* Thanks.

>79 VivienneR: I miss Calvin and Hobbes so much!



The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart (1970)

I am an old man now, but then I was already past my prime when Arthur was crowned King.

I had only the memory of pleasure from when I had read this many, many moons ago so it was almost like picking it up for the first time. It is the well known story of how Arthur was born and became the King of England with the help of a wizard named Merlin. We follow this story through Merlin's eyes and this first book told about his youth growing up in a castle with his princess mother and eventually serving Uther Pendragon and setting up his tryst with the beautiful and married Ygraine.

It is a slow book, full of travel and battles, and court intrigue and it is delicious in its particular pace. A book to savor.

CATEGORY: SPINE (FANTASY)

Singing the Dogstar Bluesby Alison Goodman (1998) DNF

Maybe I just picked this book up for the wrong reason. I intended it would fit in the SF CAT's time travel slot. Halfway through the book and not anywhere close to traveling anywhere so I gave up. It's a rather hectic time here at school since finals start tomorrow and Friday is the last day of the semester. I think I'm too focused on ending the year.

Sorry.

CATEGORY: NOSE (DNF)

Just dropping by to say hello. :) Love the Calvin and Hobbes.

>82 nittnut: Hi back!

Happy Thingaversary!

I've been wanting to read The Crystal Cave for a long time, as I'm quite fond of Arthurian stories. Maybe 2017 will be the year for this.

Taking the morning to play catch-up on all the threads in the group.

Happy to see you loved Perdido Street Station! Mieville does such a wonderful job drawing his characters and the setting is just remarkable! As for Chronicles of a Death Foretold, that was my very first Gabriel Marchia Marquez read and I was a bit unprepared for the rather bizarre story. I did enjoy it, but what a strange story!

>40 mamzel: - Yours is the second lackluster review for the Wiseman book. Not catching my fancy, sadly. It has such a great premise.

>46 mamzel: - Sounds like we are in agreement that we hope Bradley gets our Flavia back on track. I miss her outright impishness and her verbal sparing with her sisters.

>53 mamzel: - Taking a potential BB for this one.

>75 mamzel: - Congrats! Love the happy dance!

>70 mamzel: Just wanted to let you know that this series is not a trilogy but a duology -- Crooked Kingdom is the concluding book. I liked both books a lot, if that helps! :)

>80 mamzel:
The Crystal Cave sounds fantastic. I love a good Arthurian yarn. :)

>85 lkernagh: Thanks for stopping by and reading all my comments. I think you would really love The Bastard of Istanbul. It was a good story reminding us of yet another shameful episode in history.

>86 christina_reads: Good to know. With so many YA books being turned into trilogies I guess I just assumed there would be three episodes in this story, too.

>87 andreablythe: It's definitely a golden oldie!

Friday was the last day of school and also the last day of my 2016 challenge. I actually went home early because my sinuses were pounding dur to a cold and the coughing and sniffling were terrible. I spent the day curled up in front of the TV with hot lemon/honey drinks. I had to get better for Saturday.

Several weeks ago my daughter was home for dinner. Watching TV we saw an ad for The Lion King which is in San Francisco until the end of the year. My daughter mentioned she would love to see it. I have wanted to see it since forever so I offered to buy her ticket for Christmas so we could see it together. She went online and got us fantastic orchestra seats. So I drove to her house on Saturday and we spent the afternoon hiking up one of the Twin Peaks. It was an absolutely beautiful day. Chilly, yes, but calm and clear to see forever. We also drove to Land's End to enjoy the view of the Golden Gate and north up the coast.

Then we went to a restaurant and enjoyed a Korean hot pot dinner. The place was really hopping. Loud Asian techno music and happy people enjoying the night out. Each diner has his own induction burner upon which they deliver a pot of your choice of broth. I followed my daughter's lead and got pork bone/coconut milk broth. They bring your choice of items to lower into the broth and cook, like thinly shaved meats, mushrooms and other vegetables, and various balls of meat or seafood. You help yourself to a wide variety of dipping sauces. After I had my fill of goodies, I started actually drinking the broth, now with extra flavor. Between the fresh air and the delicious broth, I felt 100% better than the day before. After dinner we drove back to the house and ordered a Lyft ride to go to the Orpheum Theater.

What can I say about the production but WOW! Not having been a child when the original movie came out, I can't say I was hung up on the story and songs, but what I mainly wanted to experience was the puppetry and costumes and I was not disappointed. The opening when the animals came down the aisles to go up on stage where Simba was being presented to the animals positively gave me chills. The person who designed them was a genius.

I spent the night at my daughter's house and returned yesterday afternoon. Great way to start my winter break! After an uninterrupted night's sleep, I was ready to get out and take a walk and enjoy the chilly air as I walked past everything covered with frost.

This will be my windup for the 2016 Challenge. I feel pretty proud, not only of my pretty successful participation in a couple of the group challenges but also in the number of nonfiction books I've read this year. The number easily totals more than all of the nonfiction books I've ever read (other than required in school) ever! And nary a boring one in the bunch!

1. Heart - YA - 19
2. Brain - mind-blowing - 6
3. Arm - more than 500 pages - 4
4. Kidney - nonfiction - 18
5. Larynx - not-novels - 4
6. Ears - audiobooks - 10
7. Spine - fantasy, horror - 13
8. Skin - non-Caucasian authors - 4
9. Lungs - fluff - series - 9
10. Wrinkles - books published prior to 1950, 1001 Books to read before you die - 1
11. Eyes - graphic novels - 9
12. Nose - stinkers - DNF - 2 (not counted in total read)
TOTAL: 98

I would have liked to see more books in the non-Caucasian category but I expect I'll do better in 2017 with my different intentions then.

Total pages: 42,399

Adult - 59
Young Adult - 37
Juvenile - 1

Graphic Novels - 9
Nonfiction - 21
Story Collection - 1
Audiobooks - 11
Speculative fiction - 42
Historical fiction - 12
Mysteries - 9
General fiction - 5

Early Release (print and audiobooks) - 7
Read on my Kindle - 13
From my school's library - 48
From the county library (print and audiobooks) - 18
From my own shelf - 8 (always trying to get more off!)

I'm looking forward to another wonderful year of great reads! See everyone in the new challenge!

Sounds like an awesome day out with your daughter! :D

>88 mamzel:
Sounds like a great day!! And now I'm craving Hot Pot...

Your day sounded wonderful. And congrats on getting your 2017 Challenge underway!

>88 mamzel: Sounds like a wonderful time. And congrats on a successful and satisfactory reading year!

>88 mamzel: - I saw The Lion King here about 4-5 years ago and the costumes are marvelous. It's coming again the end of Feb and I'd really like to go again, but my husband isn't to keen on the idea. Musicals are not really his thing. And I hesitate to ask someone else to spend what I would for tickets.

>90 rabbitprincess: It really was. Her boyfriend joined us too. He's a really nice guy.

>91 -Eva-: It was the first time for me. It's such a fun way to eat dinner.

>92 DeltaQueen50: It was a real blast - one to remember for a long time.

>93 MissWatson: Thanks. Can't wait for the new year!

>94 dudes22: Going to the theater sure would be an e pensive habit to get into! I can't believe what people are paying for Hamilton tickets!

Congratulations on finishing your challenge. And only 2 in the nose category! Well done!

Merry Christmas to you! I hope your holidays are full of joy!

Joyeux Noel, Mamzel!

>96 VivienneR: Thank you! It was a wonderful year.

>97 nittnut: Encourage youth. That is indeed my daily mission! Beautiful sentiment.

>98 DeltaQueen50: Thank you so much!

A great reading year once again! Happy New Year!