Ellen reads more in 2024 - Book 5

I'm a bit worried that my laptop isn't letting me connect with LT. I can go to other websites but....
Anyway, so I'm starting this new thread on my iPad. We'll see how this goes.

Photo. Maybe.

COMPLETED IN JANUARY

1. North Woods by Daniel Mason 4.5 stars
2. How Can I Help You by Laura Sims 4 stars
3. I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell 5 stars
4. Loot by Tania James 3.5 stars
5. The Casuarina Tree by W. Somerset Maugham 3.5 stars
6. Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty 4 stars
7. Western Lane by Chetna Maroo 3.5 stars
8. Nora Webster by Colm Tóibín 4 stars
9. Chenneville by Paulette Jiles 5 stars
10. Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby 4 stars

COMPLETED IN FEBRUARY

11. Dead Lions by Mick Herron 4.5 stars
DNF The Paragon Hotel by Lindsay Faye
12. The Bee Sting by Paul Murray 4 stars
13. Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger 4 stars
14. The Magic Fish: A Graphic Novel by Trung Le Nguyen 4.5 stars
15. So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men by Claire Keegan 4 stars
16. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan 3.5 stars
17. A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy by Nathan Thrall 4 stars

COMPLETED IN MARCH

18. Lone Women by Victor LaValle 4 stars
19. Qualification: A Graphic Memoir in Twelve Steps by David Heatley 3 stars
20. The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar 4 stars
21. She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan 3 stars
22. Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer 4 stars
23. Held by Anne Michaels 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN APRIL

24. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann 3.5 stars
25. The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez 4 stars
26. James by Percival Everett 4.5 stars
27. American Cult: A Graphic History of Religious Cults in America from the Colonial Era to Today edited by Robyn Chapman 3.5 stars

COMPLETED IN MAY

28. Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange 4 stars
29. The Searcher by Tana French 5 stars
30. Trust by Hernan Diaz 4 stars
31. It Begins in Betrayal by Iona Whishaw 3.5 stars

COMPLETED IN JUNE

32. What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris 4 stars

COMPLETED IN JULY

33. The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow 4 stars
34. Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger 4 stars
35. The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt 3.5 stars
36. House on Endless Waters by Emunah Elon 4 stars
37. Report for Murder by Val McDermid
38. Strange Flowers by Donal Ryan 5 stars

COMPLETED IN AUGUST

39. The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason 4.5 stars
40. Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler 4 stars
41. The Hunter by Tana French 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER

42. Wild Houses by Colin Barrett 4 stars
43. A Dark Redemption by Stav Sherez 4 stars
44. A Novel Bookstore by Laurence Cossé 3.5 stars
45. When God Was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman 4.5 stars
46. Orbital by Samantha Harvey 4.5 stars

COMPLETED IN OCTOBER

47. Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward 4.5 stars
48. My Friends by Hisham Matar 4 stars
49. This Strange Eventful History: A Novel by Claire Messud 4 stars

COMPLETED IN NOVEMBER

50. Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín 4 stars
51. The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard 3 stars
52. This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger 4 stars
53. The Long Call by Ann Cleeves 3.5 stars

COMPLETED IN DECEMBER

54. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (reread) 3.5 stars
55. Blood Hollow by William Kent Krueger 4 stars
54. Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn 4 stars

This year's reading plans that involve friends:

January
✅ I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell - Real Life Book Group (RLBG)
✅ The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff - w Beth & Kim

February
✅ The Bee Sting by Paul Murray - w Mark & others
✅ Chenneville by Paulette Jiles - w Kim & Beth

March
❎ The Lost Journals of Sacajewea Debra Magpie Earling w Beth & Kim -- I enjoyed the conversation. ❤️

May
❎ The White Rhino Hotel by Bartle Bull w Kim & Beth

June
❎ The Known World by Edward P. Jones - w Kim & Beth
❎ Summer by Ali Smith - w Mark

August
✅ The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason - w Mark

October
✅ Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward - w Beth & Kim

December
Bound to Please by Michael Dirda - w Stasia

Another photo. Maybe.

That's all!

Happy new thread :)

Happy new thread Ellen!

Doing LT on the laptop is so inefficient. I'm going to give the laptop, which I've admittedly not touched in a month or so, another try.

Okay, it seems to be working now. Whew.

>10 figsfromthistle: and >11 quondame: Thanks Anita and Susan!!

Happy new thread, Ellen! Fingers crossed for your laptop. Technology can be stress-inducing even while it can be a blessing at other times!

I've figured out at least part of why I spend so much less time on LT than I used to. Part of it is being busy with other fun things but part of it is frustration with the website's functionality. I was trying to upload a photo of Carson. First it's 90 degrees off, so I start over, do a bit of cropping and rotate it ... now it comes out in grey scale. I just don't have the patience to fuss with things like this. I can't stand the aggravation. So here you go. Carson being super cute but not in living color.

This one worked -- one of my watercolor paintings.

>16 EBT1002: It's beautiful and sets a strong mood.

>16 EBT1002: wow!

Happy new thread, Ellen.

>16 EBT1002: I would be proud to have that on my walls - love the colours.

>15 EBT1002: I love the picture of Carson in grey scale. But I do sympathize with your technology-induced frustration. I've just replaced my desktop PC, which is where I do almost everything; the time it takes to return all my programs etc. to former functionality and feel "at home" with it almost makes me wish I had decided to put up with the grindingly slow speed of the old one!

Happy New Thread, Ellen! You are enjoying books from the Booker Longlist a lot more than I have been. How weird about Carson's photo, that it would go to grey scale. Your watercolour picture is gorgeous!

>15 EBT1002: Carson has settled in now it seems Ellen.

>16 EBT1002: That is just beautiful Ellen.

Weird how you can go ages with no problems uploading photos, and then randomly it plays up.

Happy Sunday, Ellen. Happy New Thread. Hooray for Orbital. Glad to see that one is finding a wider audience.

>16 EBT1002: Ooh, I like that one.

Happy New Thread, Ellen! You never said what your haul at Powell's ended up being--curious minds want to know.

Happy New Thread! The b&w of Carson is lovely. Beautiful watercolor.

Love the painting and the photo of Carson. Sorry you're having such a struggle with LT -- (please don't give up though)

Happy new one, Ellen. I look the gray photo of Carson. It's very arty. :) Also, I love your watercolor!

I look forward to the discussion of Let Us Descend.

" frustration with the website's functionality" -- interesting. I haven't noticed any problems, at least not since the code-hacking incident a couple weeks ago. But someone else noted today that LT had messed up a photo. What's that about?

>28 laytonwoman3rd: I found an old post from Katie in the Bug Collectors group and just gave it a bump: https://www.librarything.com/topic/358414#8431722

Thanks, Laura. I was going to say that I haven't loaded any photos myself recently, but I surely have multiple times since February when Katie posted about it there.

Happy new thread!

Your watercolour painting is really nice, well done you!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

New thread very good, internet technology not so much. I'm growling (sotto voce) about quite a number of tech things that aren't serving me as I would like. Updates to operating systems that end up disabling ancillary software. My "perfect-for-what-I-want-to-do" scanner has been knee-capped by op-sys upgrade demanded by other applications. Awwwwwwwwwww!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Ellen!

How are things going Ellen? Hope there has been plenty of time for your painting. Has Carson settled down now? I hope P is well too.

This is the weekend before the movers get to the house so I am in full packing mode. I have friends coming over tomorrow and we will pack the kitchen dishes and my dining room stuff. Then on Monday the truck appears and I will be on the road to Kansas.

I can't believe how much I have accumulated in 12 years in this house, and 31 years in Tuscaloosa. I have resolved to cut down on the stuff. I started doing that to a small degree in January when my new years resolution was to stop buying new clothes. So far, I have stuck the that resolution and I feel great about it. But honestly, since I retired I have learned that I wear fewer clothes, and definitely more casual clothes.

>37 benitastrnad: Good luck with the rest of your move, Benita. The memories of our move 4 years ago are still fresh enough to make me shudder at the thought of ever doing it again!! It's such a huge job BUT worthwhile when you get to a good place.

>15 EBT1002: I agree, Ellen! It should be so much easier to post pictures instead of jumping through hoops of putting a pic here then moving it there and then put it here. Ain't nobody got time for that!

Anyway, happy new thread! Love your watercolor!! I see you're putting you retirement hours to good use.

Looking forward to seeing some photos from your recent trip!

I guess I'm over my prolonged snit about the technology issues. I may not post any more photos for a while though.

I finished This Strange Eventful History. It was good but unevenly so. Now I'm reading The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard and Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín. The latter is a reread for me and so far, it's excellent.

Paris was great fun. As planned, we walked miles every day and ate a pastry or two. We also had THE BEST tangerines I've had in years. We got them at an open air market in the Latin Quarter; they were from Spain and this Florida-raised girl was a happy camper.

We are in the process of buying a house in Sisters, Oregon. It's a sweet little craftsman-style house in a fabulous neighborhood. It needs lots - and I do mean lots - of updating so the next 6-8 months will be all about that. We have this rental cabin until June 1 so we have time to get the new place fixed up.

I'm completely stressed out about the election; part of me wonders if this isn't a terrible time to buy a new house, but.... I fully believe there will be violence after the election regardless of the outcome. It feels like we're living through a terrible, awful revolution intended to undermine our democracy and cement power in the hands of a wealthy few. It feels like the tension between democracy and autocracy/dictatorship is heating up globally. Sigh.

I'm spending more time painting and less time reading but I miss this LT community. Since 2011, this - you all - have been a source of humor, support, inspiration, and reading companionship. I'll be back more now.

Sounds like you've found a house you'll love and I'm happy for you (even if I wish it was in Vancouver). Good luck with all of the renos. It's good you have a rental so you can work on the house without having to keep it "livable" while you do.

I share your stress about the future of this country, starting with the election. There seem to be so many angry, selfish people out there. I have no artistic talent, however, so I find my refuge in books...and LT.

>41 EBT1002: It's so nice to hear from you Ellen! I knew you were in Paris but I missed you and am glad you haven't given up on LT. I'm also stressed about the election, for reasons you articulated so well. The LT community is an important safe space for me now, and I expect will be even more so come next week (gack -- next week?!!)

Congratulations on finding a house!! That's very exciting news. How far is it from your current digs? I hope you don't have to travel to far while you're working on updates.

Great catchup Ellen, so many exciting things going on. I look forward to hearing more about them.

It's good to have you back, Ellen. You've expressed the anxiety--maybe it's outright fear---so many of us are feeling over the election and its aftermath. As Laura said...this is my safe space, and I hope you will find it so as well. And maybe having a new house to keep you occupied will be a blessing as well. Good luck with it!

I am in complete agreement with you about the election, Ellen. I find it nearly impossible to concentrate on reading for pleasure, and even though I said that I was going to avoid doing it I'm having a hard time not doomscrolling or watching Morning Joe on MSNBC, in particular, which has me in the frame of mind of a scared chihuahua.

The county I live, Bucks County, immediately to the north and east of Philadelphia, has become a major focus of the election, along with the other "collar counties" that surround the City of Philadelphia. I would love nothing more than an landslide win by Kamala Harris that all MAGAts save Trump cannot question on the basis of ridiculous claims such as voter fraud and destruction of Trump ballots, as a Russian operative did here last week.

I'm glad that you had a lovely vacation in Paris. My experience there is limited to a short weekend several years ago in which I met a dear friend for dinner after she arrived from Atlanta while I was vacationing in London.

Congrats on the house purchase! And good luck with the renovations. It's great that you don't have to move in right away, but can do the updating first. I can't wait to see pictures.

Agree regarding the election. Fingers, toes crossed.

I think of you often, Ellen, but I'm here for very short interludes too, and I miss being in touch with friends. I knew about your Paris trip but not about the new house. I wish you long life in it with your P!!!

As to the election and MSNBC ----- can't watch; can't not watch. It's all been said, but we keep saying it again and again. Lord have mercy on us!

I have thought about your sister in Asheville too this past month. I hope that she weathered the storm and has things more or less under control. My cousin does, and also my very dear friend, but friend's DiL is still without potable water and can't easily get her stuff from her old house in Swannanoah to the new house she had just finished repairing on the other side of Asheville. Talk about a bad time to move!

Be safe! Happy Reading!

>41 EBT1002: Im right with you on the election, I get to a point that I swear Im not going to read watch or hear anything about it till afterwards, but then I find out about another outrrage and Im right back in. Kills to hear about the uglines and out right lies told that no one seems to fact check. Ive never felt more scared about our times and the future. Even more than during the nuclear threats that we heard every day. I just want this to be over and everyone safe Reading and hence LT keeps me from going mad.

Oh we loved Paris weve alway wanted to go back

congrats on the new house certainly a lovely place to be

Love the watercolour up top! And sorry to hear about photo formatting woes...I used to have issues with that but not any more, maybe it's because you are using an iPad?

Boo hoo, I feel ripped off that I won't get to meet you next week...I just came across it in my diary the day we had planned a meetup, but as you already know, that is no longer happening. Ah well, there's still time in this lifetime for an international trip for either of us!

>41 EBT1002: the election must be stress-inducing. I have had times off news broadcasts in the past few months and have found this better for my general mood. So much so, in fact, that I was surprised to learn that it is only a few days now for the final voting. I actually feel like Harris will come good, Trump will retire, and things will settle after an initial tumult. AND, I believe the powers that be are deftly working behind the scenes to make sure no-one gets close to the big red nuclear button, least of all Trump.

>41 EBT1002: I'm completely stressed out about the election I am too - as a great number of people in the group are, I think.

Good luck with the house!

Nice to get an update, Ellen. I love Paris, although the last time I was there was 11 years ago. Congrats on the new house! I hope everything goes through smoothly and that the updates don't break the bank. I was recently quoted $1200 to replace three shingles on my house.

I am now in Kansas in my new/old house. My stuff is out of the house in Tuscaloosa and tomorrow will be on the road to Kansas with a delivery date of Friday, November 8th. I really wanted to do this move but I underestimated how stressful it was going to be. I also can't believe how much stuff I had accumulated in 30 years in Tuscaloosa with 12 of those being in one house. I am glad that the moving part is over, but now I will have to do even more sorting and downsizing, especially in the kitchen because the kitchen here is so much smaller. Overall, the house here is bigger than the one in Tuscaloosa, but the kitchen is noticeably smaller. For a person who does lots of cooking that is one disadvantage to this house. I also will have to do something about replacing the flooring, but that will be down the road a year or two.

I am happy to make this move and know that it will be the last one I will make. Moving this time was much harder because all of my friends are the same age as me, and we are all slower. In the past, when I moved, I would have packing parties with food and drinks and things got done so easily. Then moving day I would do the same thing, but this time all of us are close to 70 and it was so much harder to lift and move boxes, etc. As I said, I have some serious downsizing to do. I also know that I will be taking my time with the moving into this house. I will work at it slowly and take my time evaluating things coming into the house. I am retired so I don't have the pressure of work and a time limit.

I am sad because I left good friends but many of them are also moving out of town. Some of them to places like Arizona and Ohio to be with children. I really never thought of retirement as this big of a transition, but have come to realize, in the last 6 months, that it is almost the same as the way I felt when I graduated from college and went off on that first job. I am happy with my decision to move now rather than wait, but realize that I am also leaving behind some very important people and a life style I really liked.

>53 benitastrnad: Oh yes, retirement is very much like graduating from college. Friends disperse, goals need to be reset, and there's no one else to manage your time! It has been an ongoing task for me, even after 8 years, and I am discovering things about myself that need tackling even now.

Emptying all those boxes sounds truly exhausting. Maybe a room at a time? The necessary triage can be very draining. I've been in my apartment 50 years this month, and am constantly working on eliminating the collected stuff. I don't plan to move, but that would certainly help the process! Good luck with settling back in.

>54 ffortsa: Wow!!! 50 years in one place. I can't even imagine what that would be like. I lived in San Diego for 34 years but that was in four different places -- and it's the longest I've ever been any place!

>55 RebaRelishesReading: Just inertia, and the housing costs in NYC. I have a 'stabilized' rent, so my costs are really below market. I figure if the lottery comes through, I'll get us a bigger place.

>56 ffortsa: I totally understand. My life has just never allowed me to stay in one place (as in city or region) that long. If I'm counting correctly this is the 25th house/apt I've lived in my life! I've lived in 4 countries and 12 metro areas/towns in the process.

>41 EBT1002: glad you had a wonderful time in Paris!

Congrats on the purchase of your new home. Good idea with the rental cabin. Living in and renovating a home has lot of challenges so being in a separate location will prove to be less stressful. Good luck :)

I finished reading Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín this morning. I had read it in 2015 and gave it 4 stars; I see no reason to change that rating now. I have Long Island on hold at the library and I'm glad I reread this one before getting to the sequel.

I'm about halfway through The Ghost Cat so I'll return to that this afternoon.

>42 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. I sort of wish we were moving to the west side of the Cascades, as well, but this house is in a wonderful neighborhood in a town that is coming to feel like home. Thank goodness for this LT community in these times, eh?

>43 lauralkeet: Hi Laura. Yes, this community will provide us solace and support in the coming months and years. Today is a very difficult day.

The house is about a 20-minute drive from our current rental digs. It's a beautiful stretch of highway but also very prone to deer and elk collisions. I will frankly be glad not to have to drive it so often once our new home is ready for occupancy.

>44 Caroline_McElwee: Thanks Caroline.

>45 laytonwoman3rd: Thanks Linda. I think I'll be spending more time here. I need this community more than ever now.

>46 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl. I'm so sorry our hopes for the election and the country have been dashed. It's inconceivable to me that so many Americans would vote for someone so hateful, so vengeful, so incompetent, and so selfish, but there you have it. I worry that we will not recognize our country in just a couple short years.

>47 BLBera: Hi Beth. I think we'll enjoy planning for the renovations once we get to that stage, but I'm also anxious about what the election will mean for the economy and our timing for buying a house. P said this morning, mostly (but not entirely) in jest, "is it too late for us to back out of the house and emigrate?"

>48 LizzieD: Hi Peggy. So good to see you. My sister is back in her house but without running water. The retirement community in which she lives in Black Mountain is doing an amazing job of ensuring the residents have what they need. Oh dear, Swannanoah. That poor town took the hardest beating of all, I think. I hope your cousins and friends have what they need and are able to move forward with some peace soon.

>49 cindydavid4: Hi Cindy. What times we are living in, no? I will try to focus on reading, painting, planning for the remodel of the new home, and fellowship with community. LT is a gift in that regard.

>50 LovingLit: Hi Megan. P and I are still tentatively planning a trip to New Zealand, hopefully in October or November 2025. But that will depend on how things shake out after the evil man moves back into the Oval Office. I wish your vision of the future had come to pass.

>51 alcottacre: Stasia, yes, I think this community is mostly on the same page with the future of the U.S. Sigh.

>52 labfs39: Hi Lisa. Paris is a lovely city and it was showing off its best self post-Olympics.

$1200 to replace three shingles!?! Yikes. We may be in trouble....

>53 benitastrnad: Hi Benita. Moving is difficult on so many levels, is it not? And I do believe that it gets harder as we age -- the physical demands of packing and moving are harder and, for me, the adjustment to change gets harder. Still, I am reservedly excited about this new home and looking forward to making it "ours."

I can also relate to the sadness that accompanies the joy of retirement. I miss so many of our friends back in eastern Washington, even though I am delighted not to be solving problems with them any longer. Aging is an interesting process....

>54 ffortsa: Hi Judy. We have so many boxes in storage, things we didn't bring with us to this rental cabin. It will be interesting to start opening them in April or May or whenever we can get into the new home. Fifty years in one place is pretty remarkable. That kind of stability does sound appealing.

>55 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba. I'm with you -- fifty years in one place! That sounds appealing in many ways but also hard for me to imagine. I have lived in six different states over the course of my life. I hope Oregon is my final destination.

>56 ffortsa: "I figure if the lottery comes through, I'll get us a bigger place." LOL

>57 RebaRelishesReading: Wow, that is even more moving around than I have done. I lived in the same small town in Florida for the first 23 years of my life (excluding four months spent in Poland in 1981) but have moved around quite a bit since then.

>58 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita and thank you for stopping by. Paris seems like a long time ago now, haha.

Today's plans include reading, painting, and a drive to Jack Lake and possibly a bit of hiking in that area of the Mount Jefferson environs. The rain we've been getting have been snow at the higher elevations so the mountains around us are really beautiful right now. One thing I love about the town of Sisters, where we are settling, is that it is in the shadow of several volcanic snow-capped mountains of the Cascade range. Breathtaking territory.

My heart hurts.

I was starting to make the rounds to threads and Carson just crawled into my lap. He does make it a bit hard to type but I love having him stretched out on the fleece throw I have here.

>66 EBT1002: Take comfort where you can find it today, Ellen.

I think you're very wise/lucky to have a place to live near your new home while you renovate it. Living in a construction site would not be easy. Hope it all goes smoothly.

Belated congrats, Ellen, on the new house. Wishing you strength on the *moving* stuff - never fun, truth be told. I am in this current house of mine 23 years and hope never to have to move again.

Carson probably senses the stress in the air and you are his security blanket. xoxo

Also, condolences to your country. It will, of course, affect all of us, everywhere. In my gut, I think that all those who voted for him are truly afraid of a strong intelligent woman. Period. Heaven help the whole world.

Congratulations on your new home in Sisters Oregon, Ellen. I had to laugh, yesterday after Trump won, Dave said should we move away from Canada ? I asked why , and he wants to further away from Trump. But where ? He replied maybe Iceland ? I don't think that will be happening.

Poem for today...

Today when the heart is a small, tight knot,

I do not try to untangle it. I
don’t tug on the strings

in a desperate attempt to unravel it.

I don’t even wonder at how it got so snarled.

Instead, I imagine cradling it, cupping it

with my hands like something precious,

something wounded, a bird with a broken wing.

I cradle my heart like the frightened thing it is.

I imagine all the other frightened hearts

and imagine them all being held in love.

And I breathe. I breathe and feel

how the breathing invites a spaciousness.

I breathe and let myself be moved by the breathing

as I open and soften. Open and soften.

And nothing changes. And everything changes.

The heart, still a knot, remembers

it knows how to love. It knows it is not alone.


—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer,
Inviting Spaciousness

In case you do not see my response to your post on my thread Ellen: "Yes, we are reading (along with Benita, I hope!) Bound to Please by Michael Dirda. I was going to PM you both closer to the end of the month to see if you were still wanting to read it together."

>?70 Perfect poem for the day, Ellen. Thanks.

>70 EBT1002: Beautiful. Thank you. xoxo

>70 EBT1002: Lovely, Ellen. Thank you for sharing.

>70 EBT1002: Fine poem. Thanks for posting Ellen.

>70 EBT1002: Thanks for that, Ellen.

Sweet Thursday, Ellen. I really like the Trommer poem. Thanks for sharing. I am still reeling a bit from the outcome but trying to find comfort in the every day.

I find that I am unable to find relief in my reading, so I returned to clearing out. Then a lamp fell on my head, and it really hurt. I decided that it is time to take a box of stuff to the local thrift store this morning and hope that my cousin brings the pallets he promised on which I can sit all of my boxes. They will spend this coming winter outside in the carport while I find clear things out and find room in the house for this stuff. I am enjoying the view out east of the house, but that is the brightest thing I can find right now.

>78 benitastrnad: a nice view and lots of things to keep you busy -- hope it all helps

Congratulations on your new home. Good to hear that you have the opportunity to renovate it before you move in. There's nothing worse than living on a building site. We only did this once when our younger daughter was just four months old, we had a new kitchen and bathroom fitted. Of course, the water pipes, which were over sixty years old, also had to be replaced. Fortunately, this was during a dry summer, so we were able to live in the garden most of the time. After that, we decided never to start such a project again.

>70 EBT1002: A perfect poem for our current time. Thanks. We all need to take that breath.

And congratulations on the house. Much easier to do the renovation without having to live through it. And you can consider your choices as you go.

I'm told that we will be living through a removal of plaster soffits to update the building plumbing, some time in the spring, and it will be a nightmare. But better than flooded apartments.

>67 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba. Yesterday I was "in town" and it was such a beautiful day. The Cascade mountains are nicely snow-capped. I'm happy we're moving here for the long term.

>68 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. And I think you're right about Carson. He definitely senses our stress. He looks to us for comfort and also provides comfort. ❤️

I agree about this country's refusal to select a strong, intelligent woman as our leader. I also fully believe that foreign misinformation affected this election and our media failed to call out the truth adequately. It's going to be a rough few years. Essentially, Elon Musk and J.D. Vance will be running the show. It's terrifying.

>69 vancouverdeb: I admit I'm jealous of friends who are "dualies," Deb -- citizens of more than one country (most often, among my friends, Canada, Australia, or Scotland). They can leave if they need to.

I finished The Ghost Cat by Alex Howard last night. It was a sweet, easy read. 3 stars.

>71 alcottacre: I just posted over on your thread, Stasia. I am still in for the shared read of Bound to Please! I'm looking forward to it.

Beth and Kim and Reba and Caroline and Laura, I'm glad you liked the poem. I'm not sure I'm able to really do what it describes -- not yet -- but I love the sentiment.

>77 msf59: Hi Mark. It's definitely going to take me some time to recover (is that the right verb? I'm not sure what I'm actually aiming for here) from the election results. I keep feeling so very sad in addition to scared and angry. The sadness is definitely the overwhelming feeling at present. And yes to finding solace in the everyday.

>78 benitastrnad: Sorry about the lamp on the head, Benita! But I completely resonate with the challenge of finding solace, even in reading. I was glad to have a relatively easy book going (The Ghost Cat) but even that could only hold my attention for brief spells. Yesterday I started a jigsaw puzzle. I find I can do that activity when my brain is in high gear and my anxiety is through the roof. I hope your clearing out is both distracting and productive!

>79 RebaRelishesReading: I agree. Today we're going to drive out to the under-construction house of some of our new central Oregon friends. We will see snow-capped mountains, trees, and maybe a deer or two. That will help. Oh, and I plan to paint some today, as well. :-)

>80 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Yes, I'm glad the renovation can happen while we are living in our little rental cabin. We've done remodeling before while living in the house but this renovation is very extensive so it will be good to be nearby but not in the house. Next week we plan to connect with a couple contractors to see if we can establish a plan with one of them.

>81 ffortsa: Hi Judy. I'm glad you like the poem. Yes to each of us focusing on breathing. I sometimes say to myself "breathe in, breathe out, repeat." It actually helps a wee bit.

"...better than flooded apartments." Indeed!!! I hope it ends up being a relatively painless process when the time comes.

Some of you may remember that I had a tooth extracted a couple months ago. Implant still in process. It turns out I have 3 (three!!) more teeth with fine cracks in them. We'll be putting new crowns on to protect them but we also need to address the root (haha) causes. It seems I need braces! Who knew age 64 would be so interesting.

>86 EBT1002: Good luck with all of the dental work. My teeth don't align well and I'm starting to have issues with my jaw now working well -- no one has suggested braces though.

>82 EBT1002: It's going to be a rough few years. Essentially, Elon Musk and J.D. Vance will be running the show. It's terrifying.

I am not sure but that could be an understatement. I was reading online about the first things that Trump wants to do when he assumes the presidency and that was scary - and he is just getting started.

>84 EBT1002: Yay for Bound to Please! I am glad you are still in!

>86 EBT1002: Wow, all that! Good luck.

>86 EBT1002: oof … good luck with the dental work Ellen.

>86 EBT1002: Good luck with all the dental stuff, Ellen.

>83 EBT1002: Sweet, easy reads sound like a good idea now.

Congrats on the new house! I wish it were closer to Portland, but Sisters is really nice.

>70 EBT1002: Ellen thank you so much for sharing that poem. Ive read many the last few days that moved me, but this one calmed my soul and healed my heart

>71 alcottacre: I would enjoy reading this as well; may I join in? Dirda is one of my fav essayists

>93 cindydavid4: Certainly, Cindy! The more, the merrier. I love seeing other people's points-of-view.

>82 EBT1002: I admit I'm jealous of friends who are "dualies,"

Me too. I even looked up citizenship rules in Canada, as my grandfather was Quebecois, but you have to have a parent who was Canadian.

>94 alcottacre: great! just let me know where the discussion might be and Ill be there

re leaving the country it seems even Canada has a right wing that is similiar in beliefs plus Ive read that it takes 6 mo to be a citizen.

>95 labfs39: Both my sister's husband and brother's first wife were Canadian, so my nieces and nephew would qualify. My daughter, however, has no such luck.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: That seems along the lines of what I have going on in terms of dental issues, Reba. With four teeth that have cracked due to misalignment (and gnashing of said teeth, I believe), this seems to be the direction things are headed for me. Thank you for the well-wishes.

>88 alcottacre: I may have seen the same thing, Stasia. Something to the effect of how much time he wasted in the first months and first couple years of his first time in office. This time he wants to get his agenda going more quickly. Not good news.

I'm looking forward to reading Bound to Please with you. I located my copy (right on the shelf where I thought it "should" be) so I'm set to go.

>89 lauralkeet: Thanks Laura.

>90 BLBera: I'm just getting into This Tender Land and I can tell it's going to be a good one, Beth. I haven't yet dedicated much time to it. I've been painting some and also helping our new friends here in Sisters with some of the finishing work on the house they are building (yep, more painting but of a different sort!). I've also gotten kind of caught up in The Great British Baking Show. I can't get the first four seasons but I'm sucked into season five. I will likely need cake soon. Haha.

>91 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda. I admit I'm a bit sad not to be moving back to the Willamette Valley but this area is beautiful and we're liking the community so far. I predict I will be traveling to Portland at least a couple times a year for various activities including shopping at Powell's and Blicks, and hopefully some LT meetups!

>92 cindydavid4: I'm glad the poem spoke to you, Cindy. It spoke to me, as well. We need that heart-healing these days.

>93 cindydavid4: Yay! Yes, the more the merrier! This will be my first Michael Dirda work.

>94 alcottacre: Agree!

>95 labfs39: That is too bad, Lisa. If I had any path to citizenship in another country, I'd be fully expiring it at this point in time.

>96 cindydavid4: True, Cindy. I don't think there is any place where there are not a mix of folks, but Canada has at least not yet been hijacked by the far right (and, I believe, by other authoritarian governments intent on hijacking our democracy). Depending on how badly this goes, other countries will certainly be affected by the events in the U.S. We are too powerful an empire (and I say that with mixed feelings) not to have ripple affects around the world.

>97 quondame: Hi Susan. It's kind of weird how families play out in terms of citizenship eligibility, isn't it? I also know a couple families where some could qualify and others could not.

It's going on 1am here and I couldn't sleep so I decided to catch up a little bit here on LT. I keep thinking I want to do "insomnia painting" but I haven't yet given it a try as a middle-of-the-night activity. For now, it's LT and reading. :-)

A wonderful author, Pam Houston, posted this on FB. I thought I'd share here:

"A shooting star fell outside my window last night, and my stomach clenched because I realized my relationship to hope, to wishes, had changed utterly this week. And then I realized that all wishes now needed to be replaced with something closer to determination. We must make communities now of whatever size that support all those who have become radically more vulnerable. We must make micro countries of love inside this larger country of cruelty. Small communities that prioritize difference and expression and safety and joy. In other words, we have to do what we have always done, just more determinedly."

I love the concept of "micro countries." LT is one of those.

When I wake up in the middle of the night and can't go straight back to sleep, reading helps the most. As soon as I get sleepy, I can put the book aside and go back to sleep. If I were to do another activity, like your example of painting, then I would first have to tidy everything away before going to sleep and would probably be awake again.

I'm sorry to read about your dental story. I think it's kind of part of getting older. I had a tooth like that once. Do you grind your teeth when you sleep? My daughters do this and now wear a dental splint to sleep to protect their teeth.

Wonderful quote 😍

>102 EBT1002: That is wonderful Ellen. I know it can happen.

>102 EBT1002: A wonderful message. I like the idea of micro countries protecting the "radically more vulnerable". I have a feeling those micro countries are going to see exponential population growth in the next few years.

Happy Sunday, Ellen. I love the Houston quote. Do you mind if I borrow it? She is such an insightful writer. I hope you can get to Playground. Another brilliant novel from 2024.

>101 EBT1002: ha! I would think that painting would have the opposite effect and make you more awake…..

Hope you have a great Sunday!

>102 EBT1002: Amen, Ellen.

I love the GBBO! I am watching the current season right now, and I ALWAYS need a snack while I am watching it.

Sorry about the insomnia but I'm happy to see you here on LT. ;)

I'm sorry to read about your dental issues, Ellen. That's no fun and it's expensive too. So far, I have just one crown, but yes, age does bring challenges.

>102 EBT1002: I'm in line for this one, Ellen, and hope we can all support the well-being of our fellow bubblers. And find some really good reads along the way.

>96 cindydavid4: >98 EBT1002: I am thinking of setting up a separate discussion thread for Bound to Please rather than posting to any individual's specific thread. Any thoughts on that? Let me know. I would like to set it up about the 25th or so in case anyone else would like to join us.

>102 EBT1002: LT is a wonderful micro country for everyone, whether we agree with each other or not. We have, for the most part, been able to have respectful conversations and/or been able to set differences aside. I absolutely love the 75ers for that. I shared a couple of quotes on my thread from TJ Klune's book, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, that speak to that.

>111 alcottacre: thats fine. perhaps put in in a thread where other people might be interested. Or jus start a new thread. Lemme kno where. aroung the 25th would be fine for me. thanks for doing this

>112 cindydavid4: I am going to start a new thread and invite others to join in the read. I am looking forward to it!

>113 alcottacre: cool

ah. teeth. Sorry to hear you have several cracked ones. We think of them as 'in place' without realizing they are attached by tendons and move around as we get older. Weirdly, they migrate to the front, and now I have lower teeth overlapping and big food catchers toward the rear, where teeth are leaning away from each other. So I'm also considering orthodontics, which should be easier with the Invisiline system, but still $$. I already wear a grind guard, so I don't think it will be so different. i hope.

>103 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. Reading is certainly my go-to when I'm awake in the night but I do want to avoid waking Prudence. Right now I'm caught up in This Tender Land -- it is SO good -- and it's a "book book" so I would have to turn on the light to read. P says it would be fine but I still don't want to wake her. Sleep has been fraught for both of us for weeks. We had hoped the election results would ease that.... hahaha

I think I clench but don't grind my teeth. My lower teeth are exceedingly crooked so I'm not terribly surprised by the apparent need for orthodontia. My appointment is scheduled for this coming Monday.

>104 Caroline_McElwee: Isn't that a great sentiment, Caroline?

>105 labfs39: "I have a feeling those micro countries are going to see exponential population growth in the next few years." Yes! Even as Trump makes his cabinet decisions ("I like 'em young" Gaetz as Attorney General?!! Aaargh!!) and the country seems to be reeling toward this man's evil vision, micro countries will need to develop and hold strong to one another.

>106 msf59: Hi Mark. Of course you may use the quote. Pam Houston posted it on her FB page, worth following.

I'm adding Playground to my list. Richard Powers is such a prolific and wonderful writer.

>107 figsfromthistle: Interesting thought, Anita. I still haven't actually tried painting in the middle of the night when I have insomnia but the idea that it would make me more wakeful never occurred to me.... I guess I'm going to have to try it one of these sleepless nights.

>108 BLBera: Our stupid internet (Starlink - evil Musk) seemed unable to connect to streaming services this evening so no GBBS, no Murdoch, no Death in Paradise (all our comfort shows). In some ways it's good; I've read more and I'm catching up on LT a bit. But I am absolutely loving the GBBS!!

>109 vancouverdeb: Hi Deb and thanks for the commiseration re dental issues. I do think the orthodontia will be expensive but I want to keep my teeth!

>110 richardderus: Amen, my friend, Richard, amen.

>111 alcottacre: Stasia, if you are willing to set up a separate thread for our shared read and discussion of Bound to Please, that would be great. I tentatively plan to start it early in the month of December.

I'll go check out your thread for the TJ Klune quotes. I just think safe community is going to matter more and more in the coming years.

>112 cindydavid4: Agree cindy

>113 alcottacre: Yay! I hope a few more LTers join us for the December read!

>115 ffortsa: I'll let you know what I learn about my teeth after my appointment on Monday, Judy. Yes, it is $$ but it's also, you know, our teeth. They are important.

I've seen so many good comments about The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning (I see you, Laura and Caroline!), which is on my shelves. I want to read this to kick off 2025. So there is my first reading commitment for the new year. Ha!

For the present, I'm about halfway through This Tender Land and it is so good.

Painting has definitely cut into my reading time....

Deep breath.... I'm going to try to share pics of a couple of my recent paintings.

Those are lovely, Ellen. I would hang them on my walls.

Oh, both of the paintings are beautiful , Ellen! Lovely colours! I would hang them on my walls too.

>123 EBT1002: >124 EBT1002: Sunning! The colors are so rich.

>116 EBT1002: Yes, I know that. Thomas isn't happy when I light the bedside lamp in the middle of the night either. In such cases, I retire to the sofa in the living room and when I realise that sleep is coming, I go back to bed.

>123 EBT1002: >124 EBT1002: Love your paintings Ellen. You have an eye for colour especially.

>121 EBT1002: woo hoo!

And those paintings are really incredible.

Your paintings are lovely, Ellen!

I have a little clip-on light that I can use to read when The Wayne is sleeping. It's come in handy...

>121 EBT1002: Do we want to do a shared read of The Balkan Trilogy? We could read one a month, starting in January? Let me know and I will add it to my post.

Sweet Thursday, Ellen.

>121 EBT1002: I am starting on The Great Fortune, the first book of The Balkan Trilogy, in the next few days. Laura and Caroline got me with that one - after getting me with the 5 books of Elizabeth Jane Howard's Cazalet books. Those two are dangerous!

>123 EBT1002: >124 EBT1002: Gorgeous! Can I have one??

>123 EBT1002:, >124 EBT1002: - Gorgeous!! I have often wondered what the trick is to *melt* those colours together. If I tried it, it would probably look like a crayon line for each colour, lol.

BTW, those little book lights that clip onto the back cover of your book, are great. Not too expensive (I bought mine at the bookstore!) and you can focus the light directly onto the page you are reading while the rest of the room remains dark.

>124 EBT1002: Wow, what glorious paintings! How did you get the little white star dots in the sky on the first one?

I love those paintings, Ellen!

>123 EBT1002:, 124 Soooo impressed! They're beautiful!

Thank you, everyone -- Beth, Deb, Susan, Caroline, Laura, Katie, Darryl, Vivian -- for the kind words. I'm glad you liked my paintings. I'm enjoying the process!

>128 Ameise1: Hi Barbara. P always says she doesn't mind if I turn the light on but I feel badly doing it.

>131 katiekrug: I have a couple of those clip-on lights, too, Katie. I tend not to love them but need to remind myself that they do work in a pinch.

>132 msf59: I would love to do a shared read of The Balkan Trilogy, Mark, and one each month starting in January works perfectly. Yay!!

>133 alcottacre: I know you're starting The Balkan Trilogy soon, Stasia, but if you want to pause and join Mark and me for a shared/group read in the first three months of 2025(!), that would be fun.

Do you really want me to send you a painting? I'd be happy to do so. Those are about 8x10".

>134 jessibud2: It's all about controlling the water in watercolor, Shelley. What the pigments do in and with the water is magical -- and challenging!!

I have a couple of clip-on book lights. I don't love them but they will enable me to read without disturbing P. I just have to remember I have them! lol

>135 ffortsa: Hi Judy. I created the stars by splattering white gouache on the dry painting while protecting the trees with a paper towel.

>102 EBT1002: & >111 alcottacre: That is one of the main differences between LT and RL. We try our best to understand each other here in the group and the differences between us are invariably shades of the same colour. In RL there seems to be no concept of context, or sympathy, or understanding, or compromise. Things are seen in very stark black and white terms (non-racially I mean) and they are polar opposites indeed.

I live in Malaysia and have done so for thirty years now. Today I had a team lunch with my team looking at costing and getting paid for all the additional works we have done. 2 Chinese Malaysians, 1 Sarawakian, 1 Indian, 4 Malays and 1 ageing Brit. We could all sit together as friends and colleagues, laugh and joke together in two languages and all be firm friends together. Malaysia is a very socially conservative society but it is one in which people generally and genuinely respect our differences and try not to judge each other.

Keep your chin up my dear Ellen and very good luck with the house.

>124 EBT1002: What wonderful paintings! I too, would hang them on my walls.

Happy weekend reading!

>139 EBT1002: I am glad this will work out, Ellen. Spread the word. Thanks for the inspiration.

>123 EBT1002: How peaceful...how hopeful...I really enjoy the composition. Weekend-ahead's reading & creating joy!

One advantage to an e-reader is that they produce their own light, and it can be turned down to a barely visible amount to anyone but the reader. I didn't think I would like one, but it has come in handy during power outages, lol.

I love the paintings! >123 EBT1002: reminds me of a guided painting of the big dipper my 4 year old niece did

>121 EBT1002: I got hooked by that one (thank you Laura) following The Cazalets (also thank you Laura). You won't regret it.

Good luck with you teeth. I too will go to most lengths to save my original teeth. So far, so good although I am struggling with jaw alignment lately (in spite of faithfully wearing my night guard). Maybe too much T-dump induced jaw clinching.

WOW!! those painting are wonderful!!! How lucky you are to have such talent.

>143 PaulCranswick: whats RL?

>149 cindydavid4: - I believe it's *real life*, Cindy.

oh duh ok, let me read that comment again thx

>149 cindydavid4: Shelley is right, Cindy. Real Life.

I did the final cleaning at the house in Tuscaloosa and turned in the keys on November 15th. I got in the Outback and drove to Kansas. Officially, I am now here. Tomorrow I start on getting a new driver's license, car insurance, and other official stuff. It's a whole new chapter.

>153 benitastrnad: Ah yes, the details of an interstate move!! Hope all goes smoothly for you.

>143 PaulCranswick: I almost cried when I read that Paul. I think I have been putting off thinking about the ramifications of the next few years of US leadership to come (plus I have COVID, maybe some malaise can be attributed to that!).
I love LT because of the things you mentioned too, and the odd time people have had misunderstandings, or gotten cross with each other, I have often been able to see both sides and have felt sad for everyone.
But, as you say, there is so much good in the world, even if it's not the first things we think of.
With our whole family sick with COVID this week, we have had our lovely neighbours bringing us groceries (granted, I did ask on the chat group if anyone could- but they could!), a friend dropped off a whole lasagne, and my brother had 2 pizzas delivered to us. So I reckon, it's a case of small-scale peace on earth for now.

>143 PaulCranswick: Thank you so much for the kind words, Paul. I love this LT community. I love that we mostly disagree with respect and kindness. I'm glad your long experience in Malaysia has been that of mostly respectful care for fellow and sister humans. The whole world needs that!

>144 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita.

>145 msf59: Thanks Mark. I ordered a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo from my little local indie bookstore. I'm looking forward to some good shared reads in the new year!

>146 richardderus: Peace and hope, what wonderful concepts, Richard. I'm glad my little painting evokes those good feelings.

>147 labfs39: Fully agree about the e-reader, Lisa. I have a kindle and I use it a lot but sometimes the book I'm reading (I tend to be a one-book-at-a-time reader) is in that old-fashioned format. :-)

I'm glad you like the paintings and I love the work of your niece! Thank you for sharing. I hope she retains the freedom to explore her creative side without the all-too-typical self doubt that can creep in (or be instilled by critical teachers or others). May she always feel free to paint!!!

>148 RebaRelishesReading: I have had a copy of The Balkan Trilogy for years, Reba, so I'm looking forward to finally reading it!

Thank you for the kind words regarding my painting. Teeth update to follow....

>149 cindydavid4: and >150 jessibud2: and >151 cindydavid4: and >152 PaulCranswick:
Well, that is that sorted. :-)

>153 benitastrnad: Woo hoo! I hope you can start to feel settled there in Kansas very soon, Benita.

>154 RebaRelishesReading: Agree.

Carson just crawled up on my lap. We'll return to our regular programming after a bit.

>159 EBT1002: zzzzzzz .... 😀

>160 lauralkeet: Lol. I did get distracted after he crawled into my lap.

I finished This Tender Land this morning. Four enthusiastic stars.

So I'm getting braces. Yep, at the glorious age of 64 I'm getting braces to straighten out these teeth, improve my bite, and hopefully reduce the pressure on my teeth that is causing them to crack. I'm actually totally fine with this. But I'm also a bit amused....

>157 EBT1002: I think you'll enjoy The Balkan Trilogy (I certainly did) but be prepared -- there is another series to follow The Levant Trilogy :>

>163 EBT1002: Understand and appreciate your amusement -- you have wondering if something like that would help my increasing jaw issues - or maybe I just need a new night guard -- must ask dentist at next appointment

>163 EBT1002: Good luck with the braces, Ellen. :)

>163 EBT1002: That's interesting Ellen. I assume you didn't have braces as a teen? Although I guess that's no guarantee that your teeth will remain aligned forever.

Good luck with the braces, Ellen. I think they can make them nearly invisible these days. I never had braces but I have noticed my bottom teeth starting to shift. My dentist told me this is very common as we age.

We saw David Sedaris in Bend last night. He was very funny!

>140 EBT1002: I will actually be finishing the first book of the trilogy today, Ellen.

Yes, I really do!!

>143 PaulCranswick: Malaysia is a very socially conservative society but it is one in which people generally and genuinely respect our differences and try not to judge each other. It sounds like America could learn a lot from Malaysia!

I would love to see Sedaris. My daughter has been listening to him and shares the funniest bits. Good timing -- we all need a laugh.

>168 EBT1002: We saw him in Princeton NJ several years back; my girls were in their late teens I think. We had a blast. He was so funny, and also very sweet at the book signing after the performance.

>168 EBT1002: Sedaris was supposed to be here in Scranton last year, and we had tickets, but he had to reschedule, and we could not make the new date. He is a hoot.

^Well, I got my copy of The Balkan Trilogy, so I will be ready to roll in January.

>168 EBT1002: I'm glad you enjoyed David Sedaris, Ellen. My sister is a big fan.

I have posted the group read thread for Bound to Please, Ellen. You can find it here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/366051

yeah!

>164 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks for the heads up, Reba. I'm hoping to do more reading in 2025. This year I got distracted with my painting (not a bad thing but it has definitely cut into my reading) and just being retired and figuring out how to negotiate time-spending with P. I want to keep painting in the new year but I want to spend more time reading, as well.

I'll be interested in what your dentist says about your teeth and a possible way to address the jaw issues. It seems to be a somewhat common issue.... Maybe we just have too much stuff about which to clench our teeth!!

>165 BLBera: Thanks Beth.

>166 lauralkeet: I did not have braces as a youth, Laura. I saw an orthodontist when I was about twelve years old but my parents either would not or could not afford the expense. I mentioned to a friend recently that, if I'd had the braces then, I would not be experiencing this now. As you note, she said "don't be so sure." She is about my age and had braces both as a youth and again in her 50s.

>167 jessibud2: Thanks Shelley. They *can* make them essentially invisible but the orthodontist (whom I quite liked) said that if I would "give her" four months with the metal ones, she can make this whole thing go faster. I didn't think to ask her at the time but when I do see her and get the braces in a couple of weeks, I will ask whether six months would speed up the whole process even more (and/or mean less expense). I'm less worried about how they look than I am about fixing the problem that is leading to cracking of my teeth! And yes, like you, my lower teeth have become more and more crooked as I have aged.

>169 alcottacre: Ok, Stasia, when I get back from my Thanksgiving travels, you and I will message about me sending you a painting. I might paint one especially for you. :-)

>170 BLBera: Sedaris was quite funny apart from the limericks which were just too dirty for my taste. Honestly, I still laughed at them but they were right at that edge.... I also read his most recent essay in The New Yorker (Nov 25 issue, I think) entitled "Traveling with Hugh" or something like that. Having heard him last week, I could hear his voice narrating the essay. I liked it a lot.

>171 lauralkeet: We got there early and I wish I had taken advantage of the opportunity to have Sedaris sign one of his books then. After the show the line was predictably quite long and none of my companions was going to be happy if I asked them to wait. I will definitely be reading his work now, as I have not really done so up until now.

>172 laytonwoman3rd: It felt good to laugh as much as we did that evening, Linda. He is a funny man.

>173 msf59: I've got my copy of The Balkan Trilogy, Mark, as well as my brand new copy of The Count of Monte Cristo. The latter is a tome; that, along with the first installment of the trilogy, may be all the reading I can complete in January! Maybe I'll try to shoehorn in a GN or something....

>174 vancouverdeb: It felt good to laugh, Deb, as there has been little of that in the past couple of weeks.

>175 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia. I have starred it and will begin participating early in December.

>176 cindydavid4: :-)

The alarm is set for 3:02AM as we have a 6am flight to catch in Redmond/Bend. It's too bad because we have a 5+ hour layover in Portland, so we don't get into Nashville until almost 7pm local time. We're going to be tired pups. Still, I am excited to see my 93-year-old aunt, my wonderful cousins and their families, and my sister. Oh, and eating a bit of turkey and dressing.... :-)

I'm about halfway through The Long Call by Ann Cleeves and I have downloaded The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai for the trip. I've been known to queue up the soundtrack to Hamilton, close my eyes, and rest for a while on the plane. We'll see how sleepy I am.

P and I have finally started watching The Great British Baking Show and I love it. We didn't get to see the first four seasons as they are no longer available, but we have now watched seasons 5 and 6. It does make me want to do a bit of baking (not to mention eating!).

I'm not planning to take my laptop to Tennessee and I tend to fall behind when I'm dependent on my iPad, so I will just leave this here for now:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYONE!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Ellen. Have a wonderful Tennessee Thanksgiving.

My daughter has been listening to Sedaris on audiobooks and she is now a fan. I suspect we will be seeing him in the near future.

Happy Turkey Day!

>179 EBT1002: I think I will kick off the New Year with The Great Fortune and then focus on Monte Cristo. I am sure that will take up the rest of the month. Looking forward to it.

Speaking of chunksters, I am starting The Covenant of Water soon. Another one that I have been putting off.

>181 EBT1002: That sounds like a punishing trip but I'm sure it will be worth it. Happy Thanksgiving and safe travels! Hope you have a wonderful time!!

>182 EBT1002: Safe travels, fun visits, and a happy homecoming y'all!

3 am wakeup call!? That's commitment. Happy travels and Happy Thanksgiving! Which, even though I can't really relate to, know is a thing :)

Grateful for my LibraryThing family!

Way behind, but congrats on the new house and time to fix it up! Love your paintings. And good luck with the teeth (not my favorite topic since mine have been a rough journey!). Enjoy your time with family and Happy Thanksgiving!! : )

I think these last few years have been tough for so many of us on so many levels, Ellen, but in this group I generally feel safe and amongst friends.

I am so grateful to and thankful for the friends I have grown to care so much about in this special place and you are certainly amongst that number, dear lady.

Have a lovely holiday.

We had a wonderful visit with family in Tennessee. The trip home included an unexpected overnight in the Seattle airport due to freezing fog in Redmond, but we made it. Yesterday we closed on the new house and now the remodeling fun begins!

I am almost done with The Thursday Murder Club reread, which has been enjoyable, and I've started Bound to Please by Michael Dirda.

>192 EBT1002: Happy news indeed about the new house. Hoping all goes simply and quickly with remodels.

>192 EBT1002: Glad you made it home safely.

Have fun with the beginning of your remodel!

Congrats on closing on your house!

Congrats on closing on your new house. Will we see pictures? Make sure to take "before" photos. I always forget...

Congrats! And now the fun begins...!

Congratulations on the new house and glad you made it home with only one delay. I'm sure it's cold up there in Sisters given how cold it is down here and hope that won't get in the way of your work on the new house and that you can move in and totally enjoy it soon.

Congratulations on closing on the new house!

Oh, do take before and after pictures for us! I love to see what people do with their renovations.

>192 EBT1002: Great news Ellen, I look forward to progress reports. Will you record progress with paintings? Would be a great memento down the line.

Fleetingly I thought Michael Dirda had a new book out, then realised I had it, the only one so far unread. I've been wondering if he would write another. Get your finger (pen) out Michael!

Just making a note about planned reads for 2025....

January
The Count of Monte Cristo
Book One of The Balkan Trilogy

February
Book Two of The Balkan Trilogy
Silas Marner by George Eliot

March
Book Three of The Balkan Trilogy

April
The Husbands by Holly Gramazio

June
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

Thanks for the house congrats, folks. I'm not sure how much photo posting I'll do, but I'll try to do a few.

I'm reading, I have started Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn thanks to Katie's recommendation and I think it's going to be a fun read!

I've also dipped back into Bound to Please by Michael Dirda. It's going to be a slow, savoring read for me.

>202 EBT1002: I just did the same thing, Ellen. Good luck with "The Count." It was nice to talk earlier.

I'm not sure this link will work, but this review of the film makes me want to reread The Nickel Boys.

The Atlantic review

You absolutely should read The Nickel Boys! It's excellent. I'm looking forward to seeing the film.

(The link works but is behind a paywall for non-subscribers.)

>203 EBT1002: I really enjoyed Killers of a Certain Age and am looking forward to the sequel due out in March, I think.

You haven't read The Nickel Boys? What?? I say drop everything and get to it. 😜

I am so glad you will joining us on those early shared reads. It looks like we have a nice group for both. I will probably knock out The Great Fortune first and then reserve the rest of the month for Monte Cristo.

Solstice cheer, Ellen!

I wish you and your loved ones a happy and blessed festive season.

Nadolig Llawen, Happy Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Thinking of you at this time, Ellen.

>208 msf59: Yikes, I haven't read The Nickel Boys yet either.

Hi Ellen! Christmas greetings to you and yours :) :) :) I hope you have a great and relaxing day. Mine is almost over (it's 8:55pm here already!) and I can report it went swimmingly.

Congratulations on the new house, Ellen. Loved the paintings up thread! I hope you are enjoying Killers of a Certain Age. I really like that one.

I'm kinda lonely over here....

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24622/75-Books-Challenge-for-2025