eclecticdodo's (Jo's) 2017 challenge

I'm Jo, 36, married, mother to a 6 year old son.

As well as reading I like to run, cycle and do crafts. I'm also learning French again after a 20 year break.

2016 was a hell of a year: I beat cancer, read 110 books, and I finally lost the yawning, aching, something-is-not-right feeling after going to the police about historic abuse, I didn't get the outcome I was hoping for, but I did get closure.

I'm expecting an even better 2017.

Targets:
- read 111 books



- read every book of the Bible



- lose 3 stone



- run 500 km



- get pregnant

Books read in 2017:

January
1) Dark Matter
2) The Hiding Place
3) Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children
4) A Buzz In The Meadow
5) The Wild City Book
6) Pirates! In An Adventure With Moby Dick
7) Rivers Of London: Body Work
8) Ethel And Ernest
9) Money Counts
10) A Heart Set Free
11) The Emperor Of All Maladies
12) The Muse

February
13) S. (Ship Of Theseus)
14) And The Mountains Echoed
15) Eventide
16) Night Witch
17) Is God Anti-Gay

March
18) James And The Giant Peach
19) Bleak House
20) Transgender
21) Riding Rockets *did not finish*
22) Suffragette: My Own Story
23) The Essex Serpent
24) A History Of Britain In 21 Women

April
25) The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
26) 1984
27) Fingers In The Sparkle Jar
28) How To Talk To Your Kid About Sex
29) Running Made Easy
30) Raising Sexually Healthy Kids

May
31) Good News For Weary Women

Books acquired in 2017:
(italicised=currently reading, crossed out=completed)

January
1) The Emperor Of All Maladies
2) And The Mountains Echoed
3) Eventide
4) Benediction

February
5) 1984
6) Brave New World
7) The Essex Serpent
8) My Own Story
9) Fingers In The Sparkle Jar
10) Go Set A Watchman

March
11) Transgender
12) Questioning Evangelism
13) Good News For Weary Women
14) Emotions
15) Philippians For You
16) A History Of Britain In 21 Women

April
17) How to talk to your kid about sex
18) Raising Sexually Healthy Kids
19) Peer Pressure
20) Raising grateful kids in an entitled world
21) Why the reformation still matters
22) Understanding gender dysphoria
23) Insatiable, the rise and rise of the greedocracy

May
24) Jerusalem

Books of the Bible:
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zachariah
Malachi

Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation

These are the series I'm (semi) actively reading, and the next book in the series:
(bold=acquired, italicised=currently reading, crossed out=completed)

- Chronicles Of Kazam by Jasper Fforde: book 2/4 The Song Of The Quarkbeast
- Dark Eden by Chris Beckett: book 3/3 Daughter Of Eden
- Discworld by Terry Pratchet: I've read a completely random selection in a random order so I need to restart from the beginning, whether I'll ever actually manage that is another matter entirely...
- The Girl Who by Catherynne M Valente: book 1/5 The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making (I've read the prequel)
- J. W. Wells by Tom Holt: book 4/7 You Don't Have To Be Evil To Work Here, But It Helps
- Mary Poppins by P L Travers: book 4/8 Mary Poppins In The Park
- Mary Russell by Laurie R King: book 3/14 A Letter Of Mary
- Midwife Trilogy by Jennifer Worth: book 3/3 Farewell To The East End
- No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith: 8/16 The Good Husband Of Zebra Drive
- Peter Grant by Ben Aaronovitch: up to date apart from the graphic novels: book 4.5/6 Body Work next up book 5.5/6 Night Witch up to date
- Pirates! by Gideon Defoe: book 2/5 The Pirates In An Adventure With Ahab next up 3/5 Pirates! In An Adventure With Communists
- Plainsong by Kent Haruf: book 2/3 Eventide next up book 3/3 Benediction
- Roll Of Thunder by Mildred D Taylor: book 2/3 Let The Circle Be Unbroken
- Series Of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket: book 2/13 The Reptile Room
- Thursday Next by Jasper Fforde: book 6/7 One Of Our Thursdays Is Missing

A repeat of last year's fiction challenge:
(bold=acquired, italicised=currently reading, crossed out=completed)

- A book published this year
- A book recommended by a local librarian or bookseller Go Set A Watchman
- A book you studied in school A Midsummer Night's Dream
- A book chosen for you by your spouse The Thrilling Adventures Of Lovelace And Babbage
- A book published in the year of your birth (1980)
- A book that's been banned 1984
- A book you have owned for years but never read A Spot Of Bother
- A book that intimidates you Bleak House
- A book translated from another language
- A book about a culture you do not know And The Mountains Echoed
- A book over 400 pages A Fine Balance
- A book chosen because you like the cover
- A book being made into a film this year
- A retelling or adaptation
- Complete a series
- Start a new series Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

I love to read non-fiction, so the group non-fiction challenge is right up my street
(bold=acquired, italicised=currently reading, crossed out=completed)

January - Prizewinners The Hiding Place & The Emperor Of All Maladies
February - Voyages of Exploration Riding Rockets *did not finish*
March - Heroes and Villains Suffragette: My Own Story & A History Of Britain In 21 Women & The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
April - Hobbies, Pastimes and Passions Fingers In The Sparkle Jar & Running Made Easy
May - History The Diary Of A Young Girl & Ann Frank Remembered & Jerusalem
June - The Natural World The Invention Of Nature
July - Creators and Creativity Deep Magic, Dragons, And Talking Mice
August - I’ve Always Been Curious About…. Quiet
September - Gods, Demons and Spirits Confessions
October - The World We Live In: Current Affairs
November - Science and Technology
December - Out of Your Comfort Zone

Great to see you back again for 2017, Jo. I thoroughly enjoyed keeping up with you last year and am looking forward to more of the same this coming one.

>1 eclecticdodo: Don't know about a thread; a novel is probably in order. xx

Happy New Year, Jo.

Happy reading in 2017, Jo.

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

Welcome back!

Thanks everyone. Wishing you all a Happy New Year.

I wish you from my heart health, happiness, satisfaction and much exciting read in 2017. May all your wishes come true.


from my hometown Zürich, Switzerland

Happy New Year! (dropping a star)

>15 Ameise1:, >16 ronincats: Thanks for brightening up my thread. Happy New Year to you too!

stolen from others, based on reads last year

Describe yourself: Different By Design
Describe how you feel: The Incredible Years
Describe where you currently live: The Long Cosmos
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Seven Years In Tibet
Your favourite form of transportation: Tim The Tiny Horse
Your best friend is: True Friendship
You and your friends are: Reasons To Stay Alive
What’s the weather like: When The Wind Blows
You fear: The Victorian Asylum
What is the best advice you have to give: Never Let Me Go
Thought for the day: Aim High
How you would like to die: The Perilous Question
Your soul’s present condition: Stressed Unstressed

Found and starred your thread, Jo!

>19 souloftherose: Hello!

I finished my first book of the year:

1) Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Jason is a physics professor who is abducted at gunpoint and dumped in an alternate universe, into the very gap that an alternate Jason has left. Unfortunately the other Jason's colleagues will stop at nothing to get the answers they want. Can our Jason find his way back home, and what will he find when he gets there? This is a great exploration of the multiverse theory and a well written, fast paced thriller whose plot will keep surprising you right up to the end. It is a fantastic book, a 5 star read.

I read that one last year and also loved it, Jo. I thought I knew where it was going, but it surprised me.

I've just binge read the last third of the book this afternoon and evening. I couldn't put it down.

Hi Jo, glad to hear that 2016 turned out to be such a positive year for you, and looking forward to following you again in 2017. Happy New Year!

I should read Dark Matter. Glad you liked it.

>20 eclecticdodo: Dark Matter sounds good!

>23 bell7: Happy New Year to you too!

>24 The_Hibernator: you should definitely read it

I finished another book today:

2) The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

A classic autobiography which I am so glad I finally got round to reading. Corrie Ten Boom and her family were watchmakers in wartime Holland. Their strong Christian faith led them to be involved in the underground resistance, smuggling Jews and others to safety or finding hiding places in occupied territory. This in turn led to their arrest and imprisonment, and the deaths of most of her family. Throughout the book she points to her saviour Jesus. It is a truly remarkable story of love and forgiveness and one everyone should read.

3) Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Ransom Riggs cleverly worked his story around original photographs, some from his own collection, some from collections of others. The story is intriguing and original. Jacob finds his grandfather dying and the old man's last words lead him on a quest halfway round the world where he discovers the home of the title. Dark forces are at work and Jacob gets drawn in to defend against the deadly Hollows and Wights. This is the first part of a trilogy so the ending suffers as a result of setting up the next book, but that is the only fault.

>27 eclecticdodo: Back before church youth groups were all entertainment, our leaders read that to us over several weeks. I read it again later.

Hi Jo! Great answers on the meme! But what would Reuben think about you heading to Tibet for seven years?

I had an even bigger smile imagining you atop Tim, the tiny horse!

>29 thornton37814: Funny enough I was first recommended it back in church youth club

>30 streamsong:, >31 PaulCranswick: Hah!

I have the most awful cold, I feel like death! Andy took Reuben to school but I'm going to have to get up and dressed in time for the pickup. Bless Reuben, he ran around this morning fetching my teddy, hot water bottle, book and blanket for me, so I am at least comfortable. I'm sure he'll be just as nice after school. So much for that long to-do list...

In cheerier news I came across this quiz and thought I'd have a go at answering
1. What book are you reading right now? actively reading A Buzz In The Meadow, The Emperor Of All Maladies, The Muse, Pirates! In An Adventure With Moby Dick,
2. What will you read next? S.
3. What was your favorite childhood book? The Mid Summer Diary Of A Country Rat by Peter Firmin
4. What were your reading habits like as a kid? I thought I was terrible at reading because I am (still) quite slow. I didn't read at all if I could avoid it.
5. How many books do you have checked out from the library? just the one, but two more on order
6. What is your favorite place to read? my favourite armchair
7. Do you lend out books? often, but I rarely seem to get them back....
8. Do you dog-ear books? if it's not a special book and I'm desperate for a book mark
9. Do you write in the margins of books? only in textbooks, and only in pencil
10. What else do you do while you are reading? I listen to audiobooks while I run, does that count?

1. What book are you reading right now? Out in the Midday Sun : The British in Malaya 1880-1960
2. What will you read next? Blood Child
3. What was your favorite childhood book? Moonfleet
4. What were your reading habits like as a kid? Voracious.
5. How many books do you have checked out from the library? None, but my UK library card is itching upon my return
6. What is your favorite place to read? Surprisingly the back seat of the car
7. Do you lend out books? Not often but I do often give books away.
8. Do you dog-ear books? No but I will occasionally scribble something on a blank page at the back of the book.
9. Do you write in the margins of books? No, but I sometimes mark passages I want to remember
10. What else do you do while you are reading? Not telling! (no, not that of course!) but i have stopped reading at traffic lights as I was upsetting other drivers as you need to at least finish your paragraph.

Hope you will feel better as soon as, Jo.

>34 PaulCranswick: oh I can't read in the car as I get hopelessly car-sick if I try, even map reading is tricky. And I've never read while in the driving seat either, I don't think I'd dare!

4) A Buzz In The Meadow by Dave Goulson

This is a meandering tour through insect life as prompted by the author's time at his French farmhouse. Towards the end there is an excellent chapter about the decline of nectaring insects, particularly bees, in which he explains how he came to support the campaign against neonicotinoids. I found it a very enjoyable read for the most part, though it becomes uncomfortably to the point about environmental concerns (that is not a bad thing). I would recommend it for anyone interested in insects or wildlife and would love for every environmental sceptic to read his sound explanation and reasoning.

5) The Wild City Book by Jo Schofield

As it says on the cover, this book has lots of ideas for things to do outdoors in urban areas. There are things to make, games to play, ways to decorate, and hunting trips of various sorts. Most of the ideas require little preparation, though I will be getting in some clay as it is used as a base for lots of creations. You could probably get the ideas off the internet, but would take hours of filtering to come up with the winners in this book. And besides, I like a good book.

We have snow! A whole 1cm on cars and a sprinkling on the road. Reuben was so excited that we were outside doing snowball target practice on the front door at 6.30am. I'm freezing, and tired. I just dropped him at school and I'm sorely tempted to cancel my morning's plans and go back to bed to warm up

That sounds like a good replacement plan to me! :)

>39 drneutron: I did indeed go back to bed.

I'm still recovering from a stinking cold so standing around in the dark and cold this morning was probably not the most sensible plan!

6) Pirates! In An Adventure With Moby Dick by Gideon Defoe

A very silly book about the Pirate Captain and his crew attempting to raise 6000 Doubloons to pay off their debts. After many failed plans they eventually settle on claiming the bounty Ahab has put on the whale. I enjoyed the mix of historical detail with the ridiculous. I have never read Moby Dick so no doubt a lot of the references went over my head, but I thoroughly enjoyed this easy read.

Oh, that sounds fun!

I'd been thinking of reading Dark Matter, it sounds like fun.

>42 drneutron:, >43 banjo123: two very different reads but both great!

7) Rivers Of London: Body Work by Ben Aaronovitch

A graphic novel set between books 4 and 5 of the Rivers Of London series. Peter investigates a series of incidents involving haunted cars. This is a short and straightforward plot compared to the main books in the series. It is well executed as a graphic novel. I found it interesting to learn how the author pictures each of his characters, somewhat different to my interpretations.

8) Ethel And Ernest by Raymond Briggs

The true story Raymond Briggs' parents, beautifully told with the author's classic illustration style. I found it very moving; a lovely tribute. I watched the TV adaptation recently and am very impressed by how closely it follows the original book.

>46 eclecticdodo: That looks like one I might enjoy.

>It really is lovely

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I bought a my first book of the year: And The Mountains Echoed was on audible daily deal and it looked good.

Happy Sunday, Jo. We got lots of snow and it's still snowing for the upcoming week.

>49 Ameise1: I am rather jealous....

I'm working my way through The Emperor Of All Maladies, a fascinating biography of cancer. I just found out that choriocarcinoma (the one I had) was the first ever cancer to be cured by chemotherapy, back in the 1950s, using the same drugs they use today. It makes a very interesting case study because of the presence of the blood marker that I spent so long being monitored for. Once HCG has returned to zero there are no remaining cancer cells, whereas most other cancers rely on physically detecting tumours so very small ones are missed. There was also a rather gruesome description of how metastatic choriocarcinoma kills - through massive blood loss from the tumours. I'm feeling very thankful of the near 100% cure rate (95% for metastatic).

>46 eclecticdodo: Hit by a book bullet definitely, Jo. Ethel was the name of my Gran.

Have a great Sunday.

Wow! You're racing through the books - hope your cold is better?

>46 eclecticdodo: I enjoyed Ethel and Ernest when I read it several years ago but haven't caught up with the TV adaptation yet - still waiting for me on iplayer.

>51 eclecticdodo: Glad you're enjoying The Emperor of All Maladies - that's been on my list for a while. And how interesting to know choriocarcinoma was the first to be cured by chemotherapy!

>53 souloftherose: yes thanks, my cold is much better. I spent most of yesterday sleeping but I think I've finally conquered it!

Wishing you and Dan well. I'll check in on your thread soon.

Finaly found you! Have a *.

>55 BBGirl55: Hello and welcome!

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I bought some more books: Eventide and Benediction by Kent Haruf, the sequels to Plainsong. Technically I bought them on New Year's Eve, but there was a screw up with the bookshop not telling me they'd come in yet so I only collected today.

I've just been for a lovely run.

It's still frosty here even at 2 in the afternoon but the sun is shining and it is glorious out there.

There is half an hour until the school run, time for a spot of reading.

Here, it's still freezing. I'm only running for being back in the warm.
Happy weekend, Jo.

>56 eclecticdodo: Great books the Kent Haruf Holt series.

Feel the tubes closing just thinking about running through the frosted fields of England.

Have a lovely weekend, Jo.

>58 Ameise1: Happy weekend to you too!

>59 PaulCranswick: I got Plainsong last year on the recommendation of a lady at my local bookshop, and loved it. So I've been meaning to pick up these two for a while. I'm hoping for more of the same uplifting reading.

I'm quite safety conscious when running. I won't run if it's icy on the paths. But at a couple of degrees (like yesterday) and when the sun is shining, it's lovely. I struggle far more in the summer and found myself going out at 9pm regularly, and even then it was too warm often. I stripped down to a t-shirt yesterday but I can't really wear less than that in hot weather!

As well as the reading and running I've been crafting. I made some gorgeous fingerless mittens from a kit Heather (Souloftherose) got me for my birthday. I'm a little frustrated that the elastic cast-off I used is a bit too elastic so they roll a bit on the back of the hand. I'm wondering whether a narrow crocheted edge would solve the problem....



I thoroughly enjoyed working with nice yarn for a change and have decided I owe it to myself not to skimp and buy cheap stuff from now on, it really does make such a difference. I'm planning my next project - a top or cardigan using a beautiful lace weight yarn that I picked up a while ago. I've been searching ravelry for a pattern but can't seem to find anything quite right so I'm planning a trip to a local shop to browse theirs.

>61 eclecticdodo: Oh, what a pretty yarn! I love the colors and pattern, Jo. I tend to bind of very tightly and have to consciously keep it loose to not have fingerless mittens too tight around my hands, but have a lot of fun with similar projects.

>62 bell7: I am incapable of doing a normal cast method off anything but tight, which is why I used the elastic cast off (instead of passing one stitch over the other you knit the two together). The yarn is lovely, a wool/alpaca/mohair/silk mix. My first knit from a skein rather than ready balled.

9) Money Counts by Graham Beynon

A thorough summary of Bible teaching on money. How should we view money, and what should we do with it. This is an important topic that every Christian should think through. The principle message of the book is that we should use the money we have well, while not letting it become an idol. Sacrificial giving does not mean we cannot spend on non-essentials, but it should shape our priorities. The author does not offer a set formula for spending or giving a proportion of income, such a thing could never be universal, but the emphasis is on heart attitude and each individual or family prayerfully considering their own situation and what would most glorify God.

finished earlier in the month
10) A Heart Set Free by Christina Fox

I found this to be a very helpful book. The reader is led through various Psalms of lament to first mourn and then move beyond difficult circumstances and/or emotions. It was very applicable to the "why would God let me experience this?" questions that I have been asking for such a long time. Towards the end of the book I realised that I no longer had the aching hole that had been there for so many years. I put this down to a combination of external events and years of therapy but also being able to bring those issues to God in a new and more honest way, with thanks at least in part to this book. I hope everyone benefits from it in such a profound way.

I watched The Imitation Game the other night, the film based on the book Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges. They seem to have used a fair bit of artistic licence in the dramatisation. In particular they made it more acceptable to todays morals. The whole notion of the police pursuing him for gross indecency was whitewashed instead that they were looking for a spy, found out about his homosexuality by mistake and were reluctant to prosecute. They also changed the way he and Joan met, and the course of their relationship, contrasting people's reaction to her to promote todays notions of gender equality. It maybe makes the film more acceptable to modern audiences, but it is not true to the facts, and I was a rather disappointed.

It's 2 am and despite being exhausted I can't sleep because of my sneezing. The mountain of tissues by my bed is overflowing. I'm on my third stinking cold of the year and feeling very sorry for myself. This is not what I need. Poor Andy is feeling rubbish too and had to come home from work yesterday so we make a right pair.

I've been sitting here planning some reading for the year ahead.

Here are my challenges (copied from further up)

I'm in need of suggestions....

A repeat of last year's fiction challenge:
- A book published this year
- A book recommended by a local librarian or bookseller
- A book you studied in school A Midsummer Night's Dream
- A book chosen for you by your spouse The Thrilling Adventures Of Lovelace And Babbage
- A book published in the year of your birth (1980)
- A book that's been banned Alice's Adventures In Wonderland
- A book you have owned for years but never read A Spot Of Bother
- A book that intimidates you Bleak House
- A book translated from another language
- A book about a culture you do not know And The Mountains Echoed
- A book over 400 pages A Fine Balance
- A book chosen because you like the cover
- A book being made into a film this year
- A retelling or adaptation
- Complete a series
- Start a new series Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

the group non-fiction challenge
January - Prizewinners The Emperor Of All Maladies
February - Voyages of Exploration Forever Young
March - Heroes and Villains The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks
April - Hobbies, Pastimes and Passions
May - History The Diary Of A Young Girl & Ann Frank Remembered
June - The Natural World The Invention Of Nature
July - Creators and Creativity
August - I’ve Always Been Curious About…. Quiet
September - Gods, Demons and Spirits Confessions
October - The World We Live In: Current Affairs
November - Science and Technology
December - Out of Your Comfort Zone

bold=acquired, crossed out=completed

I am sorry you feel so bad, Jo.
For A book translated from another language you have Anne Frank and Umberto Eco listed in your library.

>68 FAMeulstee: Thanks. I read the Umberto Eco (The Name Of The Rose) last year and don't really fancy a re-read yet.

I'm once again awake in the middle of the night. Last night I was feeling so poorly I went to bed at 7pm with a temperature of 102F. That finally started to go down about an hour ago and now I'm left wide awake and sneezing once more. I'm sucking some menthol sweets in the hope to clear it a bit so I can get back to sleep. I am so fed up with being ill all the time.

I'm finally coming out of the flu fug and able to write up some books I finished.

11) The Emperor Of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee

This is a fascinating book about the history of cancer understanding. It covers early theories about humours right through to modern genetics; prevention and treatment; surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. My only complaint is that it is far too centred on the United States.

Here is the more detailed piece I wrote on the non-fiction challenge thread:

It is an absolutely fascinating book. It covers the history of cancer understanding of through the centuries. There is a lot to cover so it is a rather long book, but well worth the time investment.

As our knowledge about the disease, or should I say diseases, has grown, treatment has become more targeted. Initially the only treatment was surgery, which became more and more extensive and disfiguring in an attempt to stop spread, before then becoming more specific and localised again. With the discovery of anti-folate drugs chemotherapy was born. I was particularly interested to discover the type of cancer I had (choriocarcinoma) was the first to be cured by chemotherapy. From that modest beginning more and more toxic combination regimes were developed before also becoming less extreme and more intelligently targeted again. Similarly the use of radiotherapy has changed as our understanding of the mechanisms involved has developed.

The more recent developments are of course the most promising. Geneticists are working on the cancer genome project to catalogue the genetic abnormalities in different types of cancer. This has already led to the development of targeted therapies which can block the action of single protein pathways within certain types of cancer cell. The more is discovered the more these types of drugs will take over treatment.

The other topic considered is cancer prevention, through the avoidance of carcinogens and lifestyle risk factors, and through screening to provide treatment at the pre- or early cancerous stages. Of course one of the biggest causes is smoking so there is a long section on the history of that discovery and the despicable behaviour of the tobacco companies.

As I said, I found it a fascinating book. My only complaint is that it is very much centred on the United States. Even where progress elsewhere in the world is referred to, it is through the lens of how this impacted treatment in America. All the information about campaigning and fundraising is entirely American even on topics where the Americans trailed significantly behind the rest of the world (such as on tobacco). Where doctors and scientists from other nations are mentioned it is in the context of their interaction with American researchers, or their visits to American laboratories, as if little of significance happened elsewhere.

12) The Muse by Jessie Burton

This book is about an artist working in the 1930s and the slow unfolding of their story in the 1960s. The two time periods seem well researched and the relationships are deeply personal and convincing. However I think I was looking for something of the magical as in the author's other book The Miniaturist.

I've got the knitting bug again...

I made this dinosaur cardigan for my son back in 2012 and he loves it so much he still tries to wear it, so this week I started on a new one in a much larger size

Ugh. So ill. We rallied yesterday and made it out to the local Chinese New Year festivities (we had promised Reuben weeks ago). But we're now barely able to get out of bed. We're so weak I'm starting to think it is flu rather than just a cold. We've sent out a distress flare and Mum is coming this evening. Friends were going to take Reuben to church for us but he freaked out about going without us so he's basically spending the day on the computer.

Get well soon, Jo.

>74 Ameise1: Thanks.

Andy is a little better and managed to take Reuben to the kids club at church this evening, he's now debating whether he's up to the evening service or just going to go back at the end to collect.

My mum will be here very soon. I think I must be feeling a tiny bit better because it's just struck me how stressful I could find it having her here... I love my mum dearly, but we don't see eye to eye on quite a lot of subjects.

I must be feeling a little better, I'm getting angry about politics again....

This petition to refuse his state visit is well over one and a half million strong and increases all the time.

And this petition pinger shows their locations. I am very proud to be in the number one constituency, Bristol West.

For light relief I've been having a jolly good laugh at some of the anti-Trump protests going on here in the UK. My favourite placard so far is

"God Save Our Queen from the fascist tangerine"

I've been feeling guilty about the fascist tangerine joke. Just because I don't like the guys politics doesn't mean it's ok to take the mickey out of his appearance. Besides, it distracts from genuine criticism of his fascist policies.

13) S. by Doug Dorst & J J Abrams - aha! Finally managed to make a touchstone work for it by using the fictional name of the book: Ship Of Theseus

This isn't so much a novel as a theatrical production in book form. Essentially it is the communications between two people discussing a book called Ship Of Theseus and their investigations into it's background, as written in the margins and additional papers inserted into a copy of said book. There is the story of the book Ship Of Theseus, and then there is the story of the unfolding relationship between Jen and Eric told through brief notes back and forth, so that the reader constructs the narrative themselves. As such it takes a fair bit of concentration, and is not really a bedtime book. The hardback binding with slipcase is lovely and discovering the various papers left between the pages was delightful. I really enjoyed it although I am still puzzling over many details. I chose to read it through from cover to cover, though I have seen elsewhere discussion of attempts to read the margin notes in chronological order, which may give a clearer picture.

Ugh. I gave up on a book. Forever Young should be so interesting, the story of John Young's career at NASA, but it is just dry and boring. It was for the non-fiction challenge (February, voyages of exploration). Fortunately my husband has a surfeit of space exploration books so I've switched to Riding Rockets instead. Already it is much better written and more engaging.

I think the fascist tangerine comment is pretty hilarious. Goes together well with the fascistCheeto. I still like TheFascistFart as a good description.

I'm glad you've found a better and more enjoyable book to fulfil your challenge aims :). And Happy Monday!

>80 lunacat: Ha! *laughing and feeling guilty at the same time*

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

I made it to weight watchers tonight for the first time in 4 weeks. I've lost 4lb which isn't great for 4 weeks, but considering I've been far too ill to exercise (or even walk my son 300m to school!) I think it's pretty good. I also got to catch up with a friend.

Sorry to hear you've all been so ill - hope you are feeling better and the cardigan is coming along nicely.

>82 souloftherose: I've done the body and on to the arms now. Reuben is very excited about it.

14) And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

This isn't my usual sort of fiction but it was on offer and I thought it sounded interesting. It is the story of brother and sister Abdullah and Pari from Afghanistan. Following the death of their mother, 3 year old Pari is sold to a wealthy childless couple while Abdullah remains in the home of his father and step-mother. We learn about their lives through the years and eventual reunion. It is told from the perspectives of each and also various other characters related to the story. At the end of each narrator section I found myself wanting more of that person's story. It is very moving, all the more so for the accurate portrayal of Afghanistan's recent history.

I'm on antibiotics again, here's hoping they clear up the latest infection. I'm getting really down having only had a few well days since New Year. Andy has been off work again too but will be going back in tomorrow. Also it's half term next week so I really need my energy. I don't have anything organised yet and the house is a tip so inviting people over here could be tricky.

On the bright side Reuben's class held a cake sale today to raise funds to buy Lego. We made gingerbread men. They made about £100 so that's a lot of Lego! I think every class in the school will be copying the idea.

>85 eclecticdodo: Sorry to hear your infection is still hanging around. A lot of people at work have had really bad colds/flu which has dragged on for 3/4 weeks - it seems like there's a really nasty virus going around.

>86 souloftherose: yes, it's a really bad bug doing the rounds, half of Reuben's class have been off sick too (thankfully not Reuben). I'm feeling a lot better after a day of sleeping on the sofa yesterday, an early night, and a lovely long lie-in this morning.

I've just got back from a local sports shop where I got new running trainers. I must be feeling better because I managed to run up and down the road a few times to try out different styles. They feel great and I can't wait to get out properly some time soon.

15) Eventide by Kent Haruf

This is part two in a trilogy starting with Plainsong. Once again we spend time with the McPheron brothers and other residents of Holt Colorado. The writing style is slow and gentle; the subject matter less so. I think preferred the first book because the ending of this one left me sad more than the sense of community in Plainsong

I'm glad to see you're starting to feel better - most of the time I wouldn't be able to run up and down the road even when I'm fully fit so I'm very impressed! I hope you feel well enough to get out and try the trainers properly soon.

>89 lunacat: Thank you.

I let self pity get the better of me this morning and missed church, telling myself I was too tired. I tuned in to the web broadcast (so thankful for that facility!) and caught the sermon, on Ephesians 3, God's new community, the church. I feel suitably chastised and encouraged to stop letting all these niggles stop me going out (of course I was properly ill with the chest infection, I mean more when I'm just tired like this and have a bit of an ache). No more excuses. Thankfully I have the added incentive of being on the book stall rota for tonight so I have to be there.

We've just got back from the pet shop. Sadly Annie, our guinea pig, died yesterday. So we bought a new companion for the surviving one today. Scribble Sketch is white and grey and cream with red eyes. And Clarabel the second has been renamed Sketch Scribble. Scribble and Sketch will be meeting each other soon and I'll be sure to post some photos at some point.

Meet Sketch



And this is Scribble (aka Clarabel the second) when we got her a year ago (she's grown quite a bit since then)



They have been introduced but will be spending the night in separate abodes just to be on the safe side. Sketch has always been an indoor animal so we will have to introduce her to the hutch outside very gently given the cold weather.

Scribble and Sketch are very handsome!

I'm glad to hear you are feeling better. That was a nasty go.

'fascist tangerine' ain't bad. Made me smile anyway and I thank you for that.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry that you had such a rough time. I hope you feel better soon. Lovely photos, Jo.

Awww, Sketch is very cute. I hope she settles in soon and gets gradually used to being outdoors. Our boys have been rather pampered this year, getting to come indoors when it's below freezing or there is a hint of snow out there. I have informed them they are not to get used to this life of luxury ;).

They are adorable. Unfortunately we are all allergic and suffering as a result of them being inside. I think it's a combination of the fur/dander, sawdust, and hay. I have a permanent sinus headache and am wheezing again (after improvement following the chest infection), Andy is itchy and wheezy, and Reuben's eyes keep swelling up and he is wheezy. Andy and Reuben are taking their usual antihistamines but a further complication is that I can't so I'm left with nothing but decongestant to ease the symptoms.

They are spending the night inside tonight then going out into the cold in the morning. Tomorrow overnight temperature should be up to 8C so assuming all is well in the evening I am hoping they can stay outside, with plenty of bedding of course.

Oh no! I hope you have managed to get them out today then, that sounds very much less than ideal. It's certainly a lovely day in my neck of the woods and the wiggles are outside currently, and looking likely to stay out this evening so fingers crossed it is likewise for you.

>96 lunacat: They are out in the hutch and seem fine. Every time I check on them they are together so I know sketch won't be pushed out from the warmth of the sleeping chamber overnight. Andy has de-pigged the dining room and it is now airing with the window open and door closed. I'm pretty sure it's mainly the hay which is the problem, but unfortunately that is a significant part of their diet so.... besides, it's never been an issue when they live outside.

16) Night Witch by Ben Aaronovitch

The second graphic novel, coming between books 5 and 6 of the main series. I didn't like this one so much as the Body Work because it is basically a non-magical crime that the Folly are investigating. It is interesting for character development but little else really.

I am putting off going to bed. Poor Reuben was heart broken that we didn't get him a valentine card. You should have seen his face crumple when I asked if he thought it meant we didn't love him. I am feeling so guilty. It just honestly never occurred to me. I only once received a card as a child and that wasn't from my parents. I quickly made him one while Andy continued to comfort and have promised a day out at his favourite "duck land" (aka Slimbridge Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust) tomorrow. I know I should get to sleep but the parental guilt is weighing heavy tonight.

>99 eclecticdodo: Oh, no! Poor Reuben, but even poorer Momma! I know those feelings of parental guilt - they're just awful. Big hugs for both of you!

>100 scaifea: He woke up happy, and so I am happy too. Alas the parental guilt never totally goes away.

We had a change of plan today and went to the zoo instead. We very rarely go because it is so expensive, but having promised Reuben we could do whatever he wanted that is what he chose. Here he is, aping around:

We've had a glorious day here in Bristol. Clear skies and unseasonably warm. Andy took Reuben out yesterday and today so I've had some time to myself. I finally got out for a run this afternoon and can report that the new trainers are great. Alas, I forgot my inhaler, and my lungs haven't recovered from the chest infection yet, so I had to cut very short.

I'm getting on with reading Bleak House and Riding Rockets at the moment. Both are rather long and I don't seem to be making much progress. The author of Riding Rockets, Mike Mullane is growing on me (I started off thinking he is a bit of a jerk).

I'm on the verge of signing up to the Bristol 10k run in May. Am I mad? The furthest I've run so far is about 6 and that was before the chest infection. I'm slower than a geriatric snail. I don't want to embarrass myself...

>101 eclecticdodo: Lovely picture! I hope you had fun :-)

>103 eclecticdodo: I would never try something like that, Jo, but if you think you can get in shape by May....

> 104 We had lots of fun thanks, despite the rain! I was only sad that most of the bird exhibits were closed due to the threat of bird flu. We did see the penguins swimming under water though.

I've done it! I've entered the Great Bristol 10k. There's a Charity run by one of the local churches called Love Running who are getting a group together, in aid of lots of (predominantly Christian) local charities and some further afield, so me and a friend have signed up. I have sorted out a training plan that will see me increasing my distance between now and then. But the first time I actually do 10km will probably be at the race - EEEK! I'm excited and terrified in equal measure.

17) Is God Anti-Gay by Sam Allberry

This is a short book in a series on questions Christians ask. This is something that many people experience but sadly the current culture has been allowed to influence popular Christian thought. Sam Allberry takes us back to what the Bible says and explains thoroughly what it means for us. He then explores key issues such as what to do if you are same sex attracted, what to say if someone tells you of their struggle, and how the church can best support people affected. He is very frank about his own struggles and this gives the book authenticity.

I bought a book. The Essex Serpent was on Audible daily deal yesterday and after Heather (Souloftherose) recommended it I couldn't resist. It's only a shame that I don't get to hold a physical copy with the beautiful cover:

oh dear. I seem to have accidentally bought more books. I have managed to build up a few unread audiobooks but they are all fiction, so I bought some non-fiction to balance it out (I like to have one of each on the go at all times). So: My Own Story by Emmeline Pankhurst which I already own as a Project Gutenberg e-book, but never get round to reading. And Fingers In The Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham

Oops, I bought another: Go Set A Watchman. Looking at it on LT I'm confused as to why it is listed as a "non-series sequel" to To Kill A Mockingbird. Why is it not a series? Anyone know?

>107 eclecticdodo: That sounds like an interesting book Jo. I will have to go and seek it out.

Have a lovely weekend.

Hi Jo - hope you're having a great weekend!

>109 eclecticdodo: "oh dear. I seem to have accidentally bought more books." Too funny. Don't you hate it when that happens! I have the same problem.They follow me home like stray kittens and multiply in closets like wire clothes hangers.

>110 eclecticdodo: Go Set a Watchman isn't a sequel, even though it has many of the same characters and is set at a later date. It may have been the original novel sent to the editor who asked Harper Lee to rewrite it and ended up with the finished novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

>111 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. You have a good weekend too.

>112 streamsong: We did our best to get rid of two boxes of books today but the second hand bookshop was shut. Sad times.

Ah, thank you for the explanation about Go Set A Watchman. That makes a lot more sense.

Wishing you a good start into the new week, Jo.

>114 Ameise1: Thanks Barbara, you too

I've just been to see the film of Hidden Figures with friends while our kids were at school. Has anyone both read the book and seen the film? I'm wondering how much artistic licence there was with the film.

18) James And The Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

For some reason I never read this as a child, despite it being very popular at the time. I'm glad I have finally put that right because I thoroughly enjoyed it. And so did my son - he even went to school dressed as the giant grasshopper for world book day this week. It is a wonderful story about escaping difficult circumstances and living happily ever after. A modern fairy tale suitable for children ages 5 and up.

19) Bleak House by Charles Dickens

I have finally finished my first Dickens. I was more than a little put off by the length but decided this would make a good entry for the "read a book that intimidates you" challenge I set myself. The story is very complex with many different plot lines weaving together towards the end. There are so many characters it was rather hard to keep track at times. Some of those characters earn the readers sympathy, some are infuriating, and some are truly laughable caricatures. I was pleasantly surprised to find much comedy in it. I have tried reading a paper version in the past but gave up, somehow with the audiobook (NAXOS version, highly recommended) it was easier to feel like I was making progress.

>117 eclecticdodo: Charlie and I just recently finished this one, too! Love it.

>118 eclecticdodo: And yay for Dickens! That's one I haven't read yet, but really want to get round to soon.

>119 scaifea: Glad you're enjoying Roald Dahl too. And do try Bleak House, it may be long, but there is so much in it that it's not padding, it really couldn't be much shorter and still get the whole complex story in.

I've just spent a very enjoyable day at the Bristol (Christian) Women's Conference. We had teaching on the Bible book of Daniel, various seminars, and of course a fantastic bookstall. I was quite restrained in my purchases really....

1) Transgender by Vaughan Roberts which I've been waiting to borrow from a friend but for £2 who could resist?

2) Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman that builds on themes from two of the seminars I attended

3) Good News For Weary Women by Elyse Fitzpatrick because I am a weary woman, burdened by all the shoulds and should nots that I place on myself

Ahem. Another book bought. Emotions by Graham Beynon was donated to our bookstall and I couldn't resist buying it.

20) Transgender

A short book presenting Christian perspectives on issues related to transgender. It is a very complex issue but there are clear Biblical principles we can follow. The main emphasis of the book however is not on expounding those Biblical principles in great depth, but on an appropriate, compassionate response to individuals. The church has begun to talk more openly about porn, and about same sex attraction, and I think this is the next big taboo to be confronted.

Happy weekend, Jo.

>124 Ameise1: thanks

We had a nice day on Saturday at a local National Trust site with the in laws

I'm suffering from a lack of broadband which makes it tricky to keep up to date or post. Please hold the line until normal service is resumed.

I'm back online at last.

21) Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane *did not finish*

This is part autobiography and part rant against NASA management. I got 3/4 of the way through but just got bored. It's a shame, because it started off really interesting. As my husband pointed out, the author has a bit of a problem in that two of his three space flights were military, and so he can't talk about them. Instead he makes up the bulk of the book by detailing office politics and leadership failings. That just isn't very interesting to me.

22) Suffragette: My Own Story by Emmeline Pankhurst

As the title suggests, this is the autobiography of leading suffragette Emmeline Pankhurst. It was written part way through the fight, before women won the vote. It also seems to have been written primarily for an American audience, which confused me a little. It is a fascinating story, totally partial and biassed but none-the-less fascinating. It is such a shame that so little of this history is taught in schools.

I bought some more books....

Philippians For You by Steven J Lawson - to aid with my studies in Philippians with my 1-2-1

A History Of Britain In 21 Women by Jenni Murray - because my interest in the unknown stories of women of history was piqued by Suffragette: My Own Story

>128 eclecticdodo: It is a little bit of a shame that she never updated the story to take account of having won the vote.

Have a lovely weekend, Jo.

>130 PaulCranswick: I believe she died about that time.

...checks on Wikipedia...

Yes, she died a few weeks before the vote was allowed at 21 the same as men, though she did see women over 30 allowed to vote before that.

I've added another target for the year (post 1 and 4) - to read through the Bible. It's been a couple of years since I read the whole thing and I think my knowledge has suffered as a result. I'm carrying on with deeper studies of individual books, but I want to remind myself of the bigger picture again. So far I'm part way through Exodus (2nd book). I'm not following any kind of plan, but I've got it on my phone so any time I have a moment and am tempted to waste time on Facebook, I have this as another option (ok, I still waste time on Facebook, but not as much...)

I'm despairing of ever catching up on everyone else's threads. So far I've clicked on a few and been so boggled by the quantity of posts that I haven't manage to contribute to any discussion. I was only offline for a week!

I hope you had a good start into the new week, Jo.

>134 Ameise1: yes thanks Barbara

**waving** I'm not keeping up very well right now, either. :-) I'm glad to know that things are going well for you.

>136 streamsong: Waving back!

My husband is away working overnight (literally working overnight, that's the only time they can stop the trains to inspect structures on the main line). Thankfully Reuben has been a dream this evening and is already fast asleep, so I have some time to do a bit of catching up on those threads

Shameless plug time... As you may know, I'm signed up to run the Great Bristol 10k on 7th of May.

It's been a long process to get here. I used to run as a kid and young teenager and loved it but I had to stop due to unexplained joint pain. That eventually developed into severe ME/CFS and/or Fibromyalgia, and 10 years ago I needed two walking sticks or a wheelchair to get about. Since then I've improved massively and I got back to exercising a few years ago. Then in 2015 I had 2 ectopic pregnancies and a pregnancy related cancer. I still struggle with my energy levels but I'm back to exercise and I really want to prove how strong this body is.

I'm gradually increasing my distance towards the 10km mark but I need all the encouragement I can get! I'm raising money for a group of charities, half goes to work with refugees in the middle east, and the rest much closer to home targeting all sorts of disadvantaged groups here in Bristol.

I'm a bit hopeless with this sponsorship lark. Typical English reserve, I just don't like asking for money. If anyone would like to give, even 50p/cents, that would be amazing. It's all going through this page at virgin money giving so you know your details are safe.

I think your message got cut off. Let me know the details and I'll see what I can do to contribute.

>139 drneutron: oops! HTML error. I've corrected it now

I'm grateful to hear that my family are safe in London. My Nan and Uncle live on estates only 1/4 mile to the south on Westminster Bridge Road, but fortunately London being London they very rarely have cause to go north of the river.

23) The Essex Serpent

I was initially put off this book by the themes of science and religion, thinking it would be the usual clash between two modes of thought that I have never seen as incompatible. However I am glad I was persuaded to give it a try. The story centres around rumours of a flying serpent living in the marshes, and different people's attitudes to it, as well as the relationships between them. There is no violent clash between differing world views, only mutual respect and conversation. This is historical fiction and suffers rather from putting modern ideals and attitudes in the minds of a previous generation, but that did not spoil my enjoyment.

>133 eclecticdodo: I have stopped letting the number of posts on threads put me off otherwise I would never visit. Very often something catches my eye and drags me into reading them though. What does scare me a little though is skimming imperfectly and wishing someone a wonderful weekend when I ought to be in the knowledge that something catastrophic has just happened in their lives!

I am pleased to see that your family were all safe and sound after the cowardly attacks this week.

Have a lovely weekend.

Your guinea pigs are so cute! Too bad about the allergies.

>143 PaulCranswick: well I had caught up... then the weekend happened.

>144 banjo123: Thanks, they are very cute. Fortunately the allergies only cause problems when they're in the house. And I do so love my furry friends. Reuben and I were in the pet shop the other day (as you do, free zoo to entertain a child for half an hour!) and we saw the rats. I adore rats, I once bred them in my bedroom. Unfortunately the allergy has reached dangerous levels and the last time I had contact I ended up very swollen and barely able to breath. I suspect that's the way it would go with the guinea pigs too if we persisted keeping them indoors.

Today is mothers day in the UK and I've been a bit subdued all weekend. Reuben of course is being lovely and spoiling me rotten, but I can't help thinking of the pregnancies I've lost and whether there will be any more.

I've managed very little the last couple of days, but I did make it out for a lovely run in the sunshine this evening just before church (ok, I was late for church). It was only very short (3km) but just about the fastest I've ever done. Training for the 10k is ongoing. I have just 6 weeks. Eeek.

I'm glad you could get out and run! We got out for our first bike ride of the season yesterday - it felt good to stretch my legs out. :)

>147 drneutron: I hope you had fun! I've been cycling a lot today, although it's been really cold again so I should have taken my gloves. We cycle at least a couple of times a week for most of the year, come rain or shine, but that's mostly under 3 miles radius from home, just for transport really. I'm involved in a local kidical mass group and we've just worked out the next few months rides so that should be some longer routes. First up is about 10 miles this Saturday. I can't wait.

Yup, it was a good trip, though we suffered a bit from lack of exercise over the winter. We're weekend, 15 mile-ish riders. I'd love to commute on my bike, but it's 23 miles over country roads without shoulders or bike lanes...

>149 drneutron: Ah, the advantages of living in a small city, lots of things are close by. Bristol has a pretty good network of cycle paths so I don't have to take Reuben on any major roads. He's pretty good at road cycling, but that's good for a 6 year old, so it's exhausting supervising him.

24) A History Of Britain In 21 Women by Jenni Murray

These are all important women, though I've not heard of many of them before: Boadicea, Queen Elizabeth 1, Aphra Behn, Caroline Herschel, Fanny Burney, Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen, Mary Somerville, Mary Seacole, Ada Lovelace, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Millicent Garrett Fawcett, Emmeline Pankhurst, Ethel Smyth, Constance Markievicz, Gwen John, Nancy Astor, Barbara Castle, Margaret Thatcher, Mary Quant, and Nicola Sturgeon. Each has achieved great things and also broken new ground for the equal rights of women. Because they are presented in chronological order, the author really does build up a good picture of the history of Britain, but only over the last several hundred years (Boadicea is out on a limb in the first century). I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it made me rather angry that women are so often not included in the history books.

>151 eclecticdodo: I've got this waiting for me on audio as it was on sale and seemed like a nice book to read in the chunks of time I usually do my listening. I'm glad to see it's interesting, though I'm not so sure of my fascination with the latter three.

>152 lunacat: Yes, I saw it on sale, but not until I'd bought it. Oh well.

I'm struggling in the brain department this week. Thinking back we had a lovely weekend - bike ride with other families then I went to dinner with some friends. Sunday was the usual church rush with a bit of time in the park in the afternoon.

Since then however I've been shattered and very down. I finish psychotherapy on Friday after a number of years, and I'm freaking out about it. I had a major crisis last night and resolved to do all sorts today to help the situation, but I ache all over, have a sore throat, and an eye infection, so I'm trying to be gentle on myself. I need to reach out to some of the people around me and ask for help but I'm not very good at that.

I did finish a book yesterday - The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks - but I'm too befuddled to write anything about it.

>154 eclecticdodo: Hugs. I think it's understandable that finishing psychotherapy seems scary after having that support for so long. But it's also a huge achievement. Hope the week improved.

Hi Jo, wishing you a wonderful Easter weekend.

ahhhh! no brain.... time to post something or I'll lose track completely.....

Thank you Heather and Barbara.

I've had a lovely couple of weeks, but crazy busy.

Saturday 8th we drove up to North Wales for Word Alive (an annual Christian Conference that hires a Pontins holiday site). We had great teaching in the morning, and kids club for Reuben, then family time in the afternoons, and family service/messy church sort of thing in the evenings. There was a group of 56 from our church, plus loads of people I've known from other churches and University and stuff so we got lots of social time (maybe a little more than I could cope with). We were sharing a 2 bed chalet (aka flat) with another couple and 2 teenagers on the sofa bed in the living room so it was a little cosy!

On Thursday 13th we moved on to Snowdon Ranger Youth Hostel and had some trips out from there - Penrhyn Castle, Porthmadog, Ffestiniog Railway, Caernarfon Castle, Welsh Highland Railway. Then on to Conwy Youth Hostel and a walk round the city walls, castle and harbour there.

We came home on Bank Holiday Monday, with a fair few stops on the way. Thankfully we were going against the main flow of the traffic on the motorways.

Then Tuesday Reuben and I went to a den building workshop in a local woods. Sadly Reuben hurt his thumb while using a rock as a hammer so we made an early exit, but he's ok now and his thumb nail hasn't gone black or anything.

Wednesday we went on a bike ride and to local museums. Then Mum and Dad arrived at our house in the afternoon and they stressed me out until they left this morning.

Phew, school holidays!

In these two weeks I've finished one more book: 1984 (review to follow).

And I bought, ahem, 7...

3 short booklets: How to talk to your kid about sex and Raising Sexually Healthy Kids, because, like it or not, at 6 Reuben is already hearing all sorts of things about sex and we want to get a head start on the right information. And kind of related - Peer Pressure

Another parenting one: Raising grateful kids in an entitled world

Why the reformation still matters coinciding with the 500th anniversary of Luther's 95 Theses this year

Understanding gender dysphoria because it's an issue affecting my wider family

And, not from the Word Alive bookstall: Insatiable, the rise and rise of the greedocracy

Happy Sunday, Jo. You've done some wonderful trips. I'm glad to hear that Reuben is well.

>159 Ameise1: Thanks

I've finished Numbers and Deuteronomy in my Bible readings

Gutted that I missed the Bristol march for science on Saturday. My friends who went got to meet my childhood hero Chris Packham who's autobiography I am currently reading.

After a rubbish few days health wise I was feeling better today and managed to get out for a run. IT SNOWED. Brrrrrrrrr!

>162 eclecticdodo: Brrr, still some snow flakes. Well they predict the same here for the next two days.

catching up on reviews....

25) The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

This story needed to be told and Skloot does a very good job. Henrietta Lacks was a poor African American woman who died in the 1950s from cervical cancer. Cells taken from that cancer went on to become the first "immortal" human cell-line, and are still used widely today in all sorts of medical research. Private companies have made billions out of reproducing and selling those cells. The outrageous thing is, her descendants are still very poor and disadvantaged, unable to afford even basic healthcare. Skloot manages to make the tale personal, while still including a good amount of technical detail. I find myself outraged at the injustice, yet resigned to the fact that her treatment was a symptom of the age and society she lived in and not any particular villain. The end of the book looks at questions of medical ethics and consent going forward with new technology. It is quite a sobering picture and I will definitely be reading consent forms in much more detail from now on.

26) 1984 by George Orwell

I'm a little ashamed to say I had never read this before. I now have a much greater understanding of references to big brother, doublethink, and the like. The book is set in a totalitarian society where Big Brother seeks control over even people's thoughts. We follow Winston as he begins to rebel against the system, and the consequences that follow. The ending is excellent, and utterly terrifying. To be honest the whole book is pretty scary, especially as we move towards a more controlling form of government in many countries these days. The whole concept of newspeak is very well thought out and the appendix satisfied the geek in me.

27) Fingers In The Sparkle Jar by Chris Packham
(I own two editions of this book)

I absolutely loved this book. I was a huge fan of The Really Wild Show as a child (starring Chris Packham of course), and love his more recent TV work too. This is very much a memoir, and not an autobiography, if you see the difference. The focus is a single traumatic event in his teens, the buildup to it, and the repercussions in his life afterwards. It is written in a rather unusual style, flitting back and forth chronologically, and often told in the third person. The language is incredibly rich and poetic. His egg stealing activities in childhood contrast sharply with his environmental campaigning today, but are both born out of an intense love for the natural world. Coincidentally, as I was reading this, he was arrested in Malta on trumped up assault charges after he reported some locals for illegally shooting and trapping migratory birds, a major cause of the decline in populations across Europe which he has been documenting. This really is a man who lives and breathes nature.

28 & 30) How To Talk To Your Kid About Sex and Raising Sexually Healthy Kids


Two minibooks on similar subjects, with some overlap. Both helpful I think.

29) Running Made Easy by Susie Whalley

A book of running tips written in magazine style. There are plans to get you up to 5k, 10k, half marathon, and full marathon which look similar to what I've seen elsewhere. Some good tips for beginners but mostly fairly obvious. I did find the list of things to take to a race/event useful.

I am so utterly exhausted this evening! I did a 9km run yesterday, the last long run planned in preparation for Sunday's Great Bristol 10k, then I cycled quite a bit too. I'm just so enormously grateful to be able to do stuff! This tiredness feels very much like the CFS/ME symptoms I used to get all the time, but I have a reason for it now. I shuffle around, mutter and mumble and can't answer a simple question, I stood staring at the cooker trying to work out how to cook dinner (Andy to the rescue on that point). This used to be my life all the time, the payback I got for getting up in the morning. Sometimes I forget just how good things are these days.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Jo. 9kms? Not surprised you are a bit jaded!

>170 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

Well, my energy levels picked up again at the end of last week and I did the 10k on Sunday. The weather was perfect, cool and cloudy mostly, the sun came out for 5 minutes and I slowed right down but it was soon hidden again. There were a massive 13,000 entrants and the crowds were pretty big. Unfortunately Andy and Reuben missed me when the tracker app crashed on them but there were plenty of strangers cheering on. One thing I really liked was the kids along the route giving high fives to the runners, that may have slowed me down a touch but it was worth it to see their grins! My time was way better than I thought it would be, 1 hour 11 minutes 39 seconds. I got a medal and everything. I will have to sync my phone so I can upload some photos...

Well done on the run! That's amazing. I hope you are thoroughly proud of yourself.

I've also got CFS/ME and can't imagine running that far. Though my walking distances have improved - I did a couple of 7 mile days on holiday recently, but I paid for them. They were worth it, but reminded me I still have various medical conditions that need close attention.

>172 eclecticdodo: That is great you managed the 10K, Jo!

>172 eclecticdodo: I look forward to the photos Jo. Well done!

Woot! on the 10K! I'll be looking forward to the pictures, too.

My walking has suffered this spring. If I want to do some hiking this summer, I need to get after it.

>173 lunacat: >174 FAMeulstee: >175 PaulCranswick: >176 streamsong: Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you

I know I promised some pictures but the action shots are all hideous, so you'll have to content yourselves with these before and after:

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing!

>178 streamsong: Thanks

Back in the autumn I decided to celebrate my half-thingaversaries instead of full (November being just too close to Christmas and my birthday to be buying myself lots of books).

Officially that was third of May, but I only just had a chance to go to a bookshop yesterday.

I bought:

1) Red Sky In The Morning which really influenced me as a teenager but I somehow lost my original copy

2) The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up because I borrowed a copy from a friend but want to reread it, in fact, I need to reread it, probably more than once... I have a lot of stuff!

3) The Good Immigrant which looked really interesting

I'm also seriously considering going back for A Whole Life

>177 eclecticdodo: Thanks for the pictures, Jo!
I think we would like the action shots better than you did ;-)

>180 eclecticdodo: I loved A Whole Life when I read it last year.

>181 FAMeulstee: thanks! Yes, I'm sure no-one else would be as critical as I am, but I'm still not sharing!

And good to know you enjoyed the book. I think I'm going to have to go back for it... maybe tomorrow afternoon...

my list of books I'm currently reading is getting a little out of control....

There's Insatiable which I got on holiday at Easter and started reading right away, then there's The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up which I bought this week and have started too, and Jerusalem that I'm listening to (but not terribly impressed with), and Philippians For You to help me with Bible studies with a friend, and I'm up to the book of Joshua in my solo Bible reading. Plus on the back burner I've had How To Talk So Kids Will Listen And Listen So Kids Will Talk for ages, so much so I've forgotten where I was so I suppose that doesn't even count as an active read.

In fiction I'm reading One Of Our Thursdays Is Missing and listening to Go Set A Watchman. Plus I'm midway through Roald Dahl's complete short stories volume 1 (touchstone won't work), and Mary Poppins: The Complete Collection.

I think I need to finish something.

>177 eclecticdodo: Congratulations!

>180 eclecticdodo: I've heard good things about The Good Immigrant - look forward to your thoughts.

>177 eclecticdodo: You don't look like you have just done 10K on the "after" photo, Jo.

Have a great weekend.

Hi Jo! I'm catching up gradually on LT. I think I whizzed through your thread fast enough to dodge some book bullets up at the top there (no, I'm not going back to check).

Congratulations on the 10K! Good on you, girl. Amazing knitting; I've never even managed a scarf.

Also >77 eclecticdodo: Hilarious! Don't feel guilty - it made me giggle :0)

Congrats on the 10K. Happy sunday, Jo.

Missing you around here, Jo.

just popping in to say sorry for the nearly-a-month-long absence. I've been so busy, but also a bit manic and struggling to sit at the computer long enough to post (ok, the busyness is probably a symptom of the mania).

Thinking back, what's happened?

I had some good friends come round and help me tidy the worst of the mess in the house. We worked from school drop off to school pickup one day (about 5 1/2 hours) and made a dent on most rooms.

For the bank holiday weekend we went away camping with friends, 12 adults and 12 kids between us. Then we went to my parents in Hertfordshire for a few days, including a day trip to my Nan in central London. Then the last few days of half term back in Bristol.

Since then I've tidied and cleaned our bedroom for the first time in years and begun sorting through the actual stuff to get rid of things. So far we've given away 4 of the big Ikea blue bags (71 litre capacity) full of Reuben's old toys. I've taken 2 bags full of worn out clothes and linens to rag recycling, and have another 2 bags to go, and there are 3 of the bags full of saleable clothes to go to the charity shop.

Next step..... books......

Oh dear, this is proving quite difficult to even start on. I think at least in part because the dining room (our library) is the least tidied of the house, what with the stacks of books in front of the shelves, and bags of craft stuff I also need to sort, oh, and the model railway....

I'm really going to try and start tomorrow. I've committed to running a book stall at the school summer fair in 2 1/2 weeks and said I have loads to give away, so.....

We have ridiculously high temperatures at the moment. The house has been a fairly steady 25C for a few days now and it feels massively cool compared to outside temperatures. They're putting the national highs as 32C but that's for in the shade, and not in a highly built up area with all this concrete and tarmac. The car measured 31C at 6pm last night, in the shade outside our house, and I don't think it had stopped going up by the time I finished my journey with 34C. We Brits just can't cope with the heat, especially not the sudden change. We had highs of 17C a week and a half ago, and a hail storm the week before!

And I don't even know where to begin with the big events. Every time I see the news I think "no more, please no more". It's just devastating. All of it. I have friends who are VERY close to Grenfell Tower so have been getting regular prayer updates from them on all sorts that the news aren't covering. It's getting kind of overwhelming. I might have to have a phone free day tomorrow.

Okay, that wasn't popping in, I've been writing that for ages.

Um, books, I've read a little bit, but not much at all as I can't settle. I'll figure out what I've finished another day.

Time for bed

Phew, that sounds intense!

Tidy up, what's that? Foreign concept to me.

Hope things are going well, Jo.

Have a great Sunday.

I'm so proud. Some of you will be disgusted....

I just gave away 15 bags of books to the local charity bookshop.

Oh yes, I'm doing some serious decluttering. We do not need our various university textbooks. Or fiction we won't read again or that doesn't have sentimental attachment. Or travel guides that will be out of date by the time we go places. Or myriad other non-fiction.

And I've not even finished yet - there's still more of my non fiction, all Andy's non-fiction, all our jokey books and coffee table books, and all our Christian books to go through. Then all the other types of clutter.

I'm finally mentally at a stage where I don't need to hoard everything. By the time I'm finished we will only have things that are either useful or liked (of course I'm hoping there's a fair amount of overlap). And don't worry, Andy is totally on board with it too, to be fair, he was never the one with the problem.

Great job, Jo, we did the same years ago.

In 1997 nearly all university tekstbooks and manuals went out. In 2005 we had to reduce our library because we moved to a smaller house, then all encyclopedias and picture books went out.
Since last year I am reading all my childrens and YA books to decide wich I want to keep.

>192 eclecticdodo: Well done!

Well done, Jo and happy weekend.

I also like giving them away but I have always added them faster than I can either read or give away.

>193 FAMeulstee: Well, I'm just absolutely horrified ;0)

I can't manage to get rid of books even if they're my least favourite. I have managed to come up with a cunning plan to part with about six books, but I haven't got around to enacting it yet. Some day...

Oh, Man, I can't believe it's been so long since I was on LT. Thank goodness he goes back to school on Tuesday! Basically the whole summer holidays has been a blur.

The big news is..... (drumroll)..... I'm pregnant! Currently 9, nearly 10 weeks. Because of my very complicated history I've already had 3 lots of scans and everything seems to be going well. I feel like absolute rubbish, so tired, and so sick, ALL the time, but I'm holding on to that as a good sign that the hormones are doing their thing. Next scan is in 2 weeks.

My mind has been all over the place the last few months (pre-pregnancy too, so can't blame just that) and I've been really struggling to read. I have managed these though:

32) Jerusalem
33) Go Set A Watchman
34) The Power
35) Red Sky In The Morning
36) The Last Dragonslayer
37) A Rare Book Of Cunning Device

Hoping everyone had a good summer. I have no hope of catching up on everyone's threads, so I'm very sorry if I miss something major!

Congrats on the coming kiddo!

>198 eclecticdodo: That is wonderful news, Jo! Lovely to see you back posting and I hope that your news also augurs well for increased LT time. xx

Oh my goodness! You and the Duchess; you can have twins (not literally; wouldn't wish that on you unless you wanted it.)

Many congratulations and best wishes for smooth sailing!

Thanks guys!

Not feeling quite so rubbish, but that is fuelling anxiety that there could be something wrong. It's all very well people telling me a miscarriage is unlikely after we've seen the heartbeat, but this is pregnancy 5, and hopefully child number 2. All the previous complications have been incredibly unlikely too. It's hard to stay positive.

Reuben got back to school this week and has settled in well. I can't believe how grown up he is!

Stay positive :0)

>202 eclecticdodo: Wishing you a wonderful and restive weekend, Jo. Keep your feet up and look after, if not pamper yourself.

>202 eclecticdodo: Glad to hear you're felling better physically but not that the anxiety is higher. Sending hugs.

Congratulations! And so good that you did all that clearing out, you will have room for the new baby.

I hope the anxiety lessens as you move into the next trimester.

Hope all is still well, Jo.

Do update us when you are able. xx

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

Hope everything is well with you and yours.

Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

wishing a holiday and new year of peace for you and yours!

I can't find you on the 2018 group, so I'll wish you a very Happy New Year and all the best for 2018. I hope you make it over - drop me a note, if you do.

Hope things are well. I'm going to assume, as you have more important things to do, that you're focusing on them. Fingers crossed.

I'm back!!!!

new thread here with an update: http://www.librarything.com/topic/290441

Thanks for all the kind messages while I've been AWOL.