Anita ( figs) In the festive spirit ( Thread #7)

Welcome to my 7th thread and last one of the year. November went by in a flash and December just snuck up on me.

My rating system

1 = Very Very bad. Either I could not finish the novel, or the plot was ill-conceived

2= Still bad. I managed to finish the book. It was probably boring, unoriginal or poorly written (D)

3= Solid. There was character development, the pace was probably slow or parts of the book were well thought out. Still had the ability to make me think or at the very least want to continue reading, however, something was missing or could have been further developed. Slightly better than average. (C+ or B- or B+)

Subdivided into: Shaky ( barely got there), loose ( average) and solid ( just not quite there for a 3.5 or 4) ( B+)

4= Excellent read. I probably couldn't put the book down till it was finished. The Pace was spot on, complex characters, made me think in a different way and so on ( A -)

5= Absolutely perfect!

Books Read in January

Books Read In February

Books Read in March

Books Read In April

Books Read In May

Books Read in June and July

My books and I played a long game of hide and seek.....

Books Read in August


Books Read in September

Books Read In October



Books Read In November

Books read in December

November Stats

Books Read: 13
Male author: 4
Female:9
Total pages: 4400
Longest book: 448
Shortest: 272
Average length: 338
Pages per day: 146

Books bought: 35
Books culled:7 ( It felt like a whole lot more!)

“It is December, and nobody asked if I was ready.”- Sarah Kay

Welcome!

I am returning the favour of being first to your new thread. Happy new one, Anita!

>14 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

Happy new thread, and happy December Anita. I'm not ready either.

Anita, I very much like the look of book covers of those you read. I know this takes a long time. I usually use height of "400" . Can you tell me the image size you used to make the covers so eye catching? Thanks!

Happy new thread to you, Anita, and happy December!

Happy new thread Anita!

>1 figsfromthistle: That's a very pretty winter image!

Happy New Thread, Anita!
>13 figsfromthistle: How true.
Have a wonderful start into December.

>16 Kristelh: Hi Kristel! I have always enjoyed this month but the older I get the faster is seems to pass by.

>17 Whisper1: I am glad you like the covers. I was debating if in future I should always include each month of books read on each thread the way I have been doing or if I should just keep each thread with the books read that month only. It has quite a bit of repetition so it's easy-just copy and paste.

The width I use is 75 and sometimes 100.

>18 AMQS: Thank you!

>19 quondame: Thanks. It's not my image but it is an image from Quebec.

>20 SirThomas: Hi Thomas. Nice to see you here :)

Happy Sunday, Anita. Happy New Thread. We are shivering in the Midwest. I hope it is more comfortable by you. 🤞

Happy new thread, Anita. I love the covers display. Is your topper Quebec City? Sure looks like it.

Happy new thread, Anita. December sneaked up on me as well.

Happy new thread, Anita!
That pile of books in the past is as impressive as always.

>23 msf59: Hi Mark. It is definitely a lot colder this past week here as well. No big deal, the winter season is near.

>24 jessibud2: Yes. It is Quebec city. Well spotted.

>25 BLBera: Funny how that happens. I swear, the older I get the faster time seems to go by. I remember in high school the days stretched on forever.

>26 Ravenwoodwitch: Thank you. Always nice to see you visit :)

Happy new thread, Anita. Your topper is beautiful! I'm glad to know it is Quebec City.

>28 atozgrl: Quebec is quite wonderful in the winter. I woke up today to a lot of snow which also looks magical.

Happy Monday!

I hope all my American friends had a wonderful thanksgiving weekend are are enjoying all the delicious leftovers.

I had the day off ( thankfully). We received so much snow, up to my hips, that I would not have made it in to work if I had to. It took my dad and I, each with a snowblower and some shovelling 4 hours to clear the laneway. I did get some time in to do two loads of laundry. I had to laugh because google and Alexa told me that there would only be 2cm of snow.

>30 figsfromthistle:- very pretty but wow! Sounds like a lot of snow!! I heard that Gravenhurst got 140cm! Here in Toronto I am still wearing shoes, not boots because we have no snow. Yet... ;-)

Wow, Alexa was off quite a bit (or else you are Thumbelina...)

>30 figsfromthistle: That is quite the snowstorm! And so much work to clear a path. But it's a beautiful, peaceful picture.

>31 jessibud2: It's wild that certain spots have no snow. I phoned my cousin in Toronto and she said there was no snow. London ( 20 min away from my house) had snow but nowhere near what we received.

>32 AMQS: Ha! Indeed. A co worker of mine asked if I was ready for snow ( a foot) I told her she must have mixed it up with Collingwood forecast-she ended up being correct :)

>33 atozgrl: I took quite a few pictures. This morning we ended up with an extra 30cm. It looks so nice with the sun. Almost like being in the Alps.

Checking in on the new thread, Anita. Have a terrific Tuesday!

>35 alcottacre: thanks, Stasia! Hope your Tuesday is off to a great start.

Wow :O
I've never seen that kinda of snow pack in my Midwestern life. I'm glad you managed it but I hope you can take a break now.

Happy new thread! We had a dusting of snow overnight, but it didn't make the roads undriveable. There were some icy patches, but not many--and they tended to be small.

wow on the snow. Is this lake effect or just a snow fall?

>37 Ravenwoodwitch: I changed my work at home day from tomorrow to today so I can clear the snow. I would gladly send some snow your way ;)

>38 thornton37814: Thanks! I really would prefer snow on the road if I had to chose between that or ice.....

>39 Kristelh: The snow came from lake effect flurries from lake Huron and lake Ontario. Once the lake freezes it should get better.

Happy New Thread, Anita!

It took 2 of you 4 hours to clear the snow?! Holy precipitation, Batman. You must’ve been some kind of tired after that one.

My wife and I used to enjoy clearing the snow like that, with everything quiet and a simple, satisfying task at hand. Alas, now she doesn’t want me to keel over from a heart attack at my advanced age, and I leave it all to younger buckaroos.

>30 figsfromthistle: Beautiful! It's colder than a female Satanist's mammary hypertrophy here but that works for me.

>41 jnwelch: Ha! It is quite wise to leave that sort of thing to the younger ones. I am an only child and my parents and I have a shared driveway. My dad, bless him he is 72 and up until this year always makes sure the driveway is clear for when I get home. He had both his knees replaced a year ago so this task is quite hard for him. He still insists on doing it even when I say I will do it. I am glad that I was home to help. The laneway is very wide at the top and the first 1/3 of it can fit two rows of 6 cars easily.

Today it only tool 3 hours but still......my mom cleared a path to the barn and the wood pile and a path at the back from my house to theirs. In high school, we only had shovels and it seemed easy! Now, even with snowblowers it feels like a huge task. I suppose I am getting older as well.

I heard that more snow is on the way tomorrow but just under 10cm so it will be a easy to clear.

>42 richardderus: I hope you stay indoors and keep yourself warm. Did you get snow as well?

82. Tim Ecott: Stealing Water

If you are looking for a memoir all about living in Africa, this is not the main focus. A lot has to do with growing up, the people he hung out with as a child and the many things his family had to do to survive poverty in Johannesburg. Reads easily, story like but just a surface kind of memoir. I wanted more.....

>43 figsfromthistle: We generally don't get snow until January earliest, being so close to the ocean.

>44 figsfromthistle: Ah makes sense. That's why you get the bone chilling wind instead ;)

Happy new thread, Anita!

>47 drneutron: Thanks!

83. Carole Johnstone: Mirrorland

Cat and El are identical twins. They used to be close until one day everything changed. When Cat receives a phonecall from El's husband that she is missing and presumed dead, she hops on a flight to return to a home she vowed never to step foot in. In her bones she knows that her sister cannot be dead, as a twin she would have felt it. She finds journal entries hidden around the house as someone warns her to stay away. The old childhood home has many hidden memories and secrets and Cat must navigate what is real and what was only childhood imagination.

A slow burn but a great mystery read. Easy to figure out but entertaining.

3.5/5 (B+)

A belated Happy New Thread, Anita! What a lot of snow you have received. Thank goodness we receive little snow here, if at all. I think it is supposed to rain tomorrow, but I will take that over snow.

>50 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah! At this point I would prefer rain as well. We are supposed to get rain on Monday which after receiving almost 5 feet of snow in 4 days, will be a sloppy mess. Ah well.

>30 figsfromthistle: That is a lot of snow! It is very pretty. :)

Heres another one for you.


I do enjoy taking photos of snow covered spaces as long as I don't have to travel anywhere it's beautiful

Happy weekend!

>53 figsfromthistle:, Anita, it’s beautiful. But you can keep it. I’ll just enjoy it vicariously.

Happy Saturday, Anita. Love the snowy pics. Better you than me. LOL.

>54 Kristelh: >55 msf59: Ha! Indeed! It could have been worse. Up North they received a lot more snow so I shouldn't complain :)

84. Gregory Maguire: Hiddensee

Dirk Drosselmeier has a near death experience in the forest. This experience puts him on a path to leave his caretakers and start his own journey in the world. However how can a boy with no purpose, no history and experience live?

It was interesting. I enjoyed the last 1/3 of the book which was really well done. The middle was boring and a lot of questions and experiences Dirk has are left unfinished. Sometimes Dirk and those he meet seem flat and disconnected.

3/5 I am sure most will enjoy it a bit more than I did.

(c+)

>53 figsfromthistle: Oooo! Glad it's not out my window, but it's pretty.

>58 richardderus: It is pretty until Jan 1st...then it can go away ;) On the plus side it has put me in a more festive mood....

Happy newish thread, Anita. What a huge dump of snow to get all at once! Pretty though.

Lovely picture of the snow , but I'll take the rain, Anita!

>60 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!

>61 vancouverdeb: Yes, the rain is much nice to drive in. We are supposed to get rain at the beginning of the week as well and then it's back to snow....

Hi Anita! Wow - that is a LOT of snow. As you say, very beautiful but a struggle to manage. We've been pretty much snow-less this year so far. A friend forwarded a post on FB with a range fire in the eastern part of the state - unheard of for December.

I love all your mystery reviews. As we've talked about before I enjoy mysteries as my go-to lighter reads. There are always lots of great suggestions on your thread.

>63 streamsong: Glad you are able to catch a few book bullets from me! I do read quite a bit of mystery ( probably 1/3 of my reads). They are often quite fun!

Today feels like a Monday!

All that snow is quite heavy and I ended up shovelling the snow off the roof of my parents sunroom. I couldn't believe how packed it was!

I got ahold of another book sale ( 50% off). I think all the sales are done until the new year......

1. The Messy lives of book people by Phaedra Patrik
2.Reluctant Genius: Alexander Graham Bell and the Passion for Invention by Charlotte Gray
3.A Great Country by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
4.Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
5.True Biz by Sara Nović
6.The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
7.Blind Descent: the Quest to Discover the Deepest Place on Earth by James M. Tabor
8.Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

Finally, a little free library find :A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

>65 figsfromthistle: Darn good haul, Anita! Enjoy second Monday.

I thought Reluctant Genius was excellent. But most of the books by Charlotte Gray that I have read, are.

>66 richardderus: Ha! Yes, indeed. I already finished reading one book from my recent purchase.

>67 jessibud2: It is good to know that it is a good read. It is a long one though....

85. Phaedra Patrick: The Messy Lives of book people

Liv Green works as a house cleaner to supplement income for her family and her husbands failing book binding business. One of her clients, a reclusive author dies and she is left instructions to finish her last book. As Liv steps into character of the main protagonist she becomes more confident in herself and while writing re discovers who she truly is.

A fun, cozy read. the idea is great, who wouldn't want a chance to finish someones book and get paid to do so!

3/5 ( B+)

>69 figsfromthistle: Phaedra Patrick has always been a solid B+ read for me, so I think I can skip this one... already know how I'll think about it. TYVM for saving my eyeblinks.

>70 richardderus: It is a nice in-between read, Richard. Glad my B+ rating is around the same as yours :)

86. Mai Nguyen: Sunshine Nails

After breaking up with her fiancee, Jessica has no choice but to leave L.A and return home to Toronto, Canada and live with her parents. She ends up working at the family owned nail salon, a place she vowed never to step foot in. Unfortunately, a modern and fancy chain salon opens up across the street. The family each try to save the failing business. The question is-how far will they go and what sacrifices will they make to keep things running?

Sunshine nails is about perseverance, determination and a family that makes a community better. For a debut novel it was ok. Told in alternate POV from each family member the chapters were short. The author was trying to put in too many sideline plots. Dustin , Jessica's brother suddenly becomes involved in activism against gentrification but is not spurred on by the new nail salon, rather it is about revenge to his place of employment.

3/5 ( B)

>53 figsfromthistle: beautiful! We had snow last night - nothing like that amount, but enough to make a mess and get a 2-hour delayed start at school. I'll take it!

>73 AMQS: Nice! Just enough for some Christmas cheer!

87. Colm Toibin: Long Island

When Eilis receives a visitor at her door stating that her husband has impregnated his wife and that when the time comes he is leaving this child on her doorstep, Eilis does not know what to do. She cannot turn to anyone fo advice and after some consideration decides to visit her mother in Ireland. Her grown children come to visit later in hopes to meet and celebrate their grandmother's 80th birthday.

Set 25 years after Brooklyn, it is not necessary to have read the first book to understand it's sequel. Everyone is older but Eilis has transformed. She is direct, less shy and more assured in her opinions and decisions. She becomes the main speaker while others are bathed in silence and inaction. I must say that I was extremely disappointed in Jim and Tony. I wanted to shake Tony and say wake up! Do something, fight, explain, show remorse. Of course this is not what happens.

A wonderfully written book that I quite enjoyed.

3.5/5 ( or 4) ( A)

88. Natalie Haynes: A thousand ships

The Trojan war the main focus is usually the men on the battlefield. This retelling focuses on the role of women, their losses and the impact the war has on them.

A character driven story, with multiple POV's. Wonderfully written.

3.5/5 (A-)

Stopping by to say hi, Anita. I enjoyed Brooklyn earlier this year. Nice book haul!

>77 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. It's nice to see you :)

hej Anita, just want to wish you a good Christmas time with interesting encounters with books and people

Hi Anita. It’s been way too long since I paid a visit. Your thread looks like a Christmas card with those beautiful images. Good for you letting your dad help with the removal. I’m sure he sees it as his duty, and it goes twice as fast with two workers.

>75 figsfromthistle: I’ve had Long Island on the TBR list far too long. I hope to reread Brooklyn early next year and directly follow up with LI.

>79 paulstalder: Thank you, Paul. I hope you are well and that you are having a quiet advent time :)

>80 Donna828: It's nice to see you drop by :) He is at that age where he does not want to admit that he is getting older and slower. He seems to think that he can power through the whole day like he did 20 years ago. It is a process and slowly he is letting me take the lead on things.....

I hope you enjoy the read when you get to it.

Happy Monday!

I have been a bit absent from LT as I was hit with a cold/flu on Sunday. My parents are both ill and I think I caught it from them. I spent all day in bed and had a high fever. Today is better but I am taking it easy at home. I will change my bed linens and do a bit of cleaning and air out the place.

I hope you feel better soon, Anita!

>83 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie

Feel better soon, Anita!

>82 figsfromthistle: I hope you feel a lot better soon. I haven't had the flu in a while, but I remember how lousy it made me feel.

>85 jessibud2: Thanks!

>86 Whisper1: It is not a great feeling....I did take a covid test and it was negative. I checked in on my parents and they are still bedridden. I am going to cook off a chicken and make soup for them and me. Hopefully, it helps!

I hope you and your parents can take it easy and get well soon, Anita!

>88 norabelle414: Thanks! So far I am feeling much better but my parents are taking longer to get over the flu/cold.

Hope you're feeling better and your parents too.

>90 Kristelh: thanks! Today I felt a lot better, so much so that I was able to concentrate and read. I finished reading All She Was Worth

Oh dear, I am glad you are feeling better and I'm sorry you've had such a rough go. I hope your parents are better soon also.

>92 AMQS: I think my dad has the worst of it. He has been quite ill since Thursday and it is quite bad. If he is still in the state he is in he will probably need to go to urgent care tomorrow and get x rays done. He is prone to get really bad pneumonia. I will see how he feels tomorrow. He managed to eat chicken soup and a cheese sandwich today. I have been pushing fluids.

89. Miyuki Miyabe: All She Was Worth

Jun is engaged to be married to Shoko Sekine. He encourages her to apply for a credit card and finds out that she is denied credit. A strange thing to happen considering she claims she has not had a credit card before. Shoko ups and disappears. Jun asks his uncle Honma ( a police detective on leave) to unofficially help him out. Honma discovers that Shoko has a lot more to hide than her credit history.

A slow paced but well thought out mystery. The author puts a lot in about banking, credit and overconsumption and extended credit given to people who should not be approved for high credit in the first place. Some details ( such as the storyline with the dog) was not necessary to advance the plot though.

3/5 ( B-)

>94 figsfromthistle:, I read this one a while back. I rated it the same.

Sorry to hear that you are not feeling well, Anita. I hope you are doing better. How are your parents feeling?

I also recently finished Long Island and enjoyed it very much.

>95 Kristelh: Yea, it wasn't bad but the ending for me was still unresolved. I suppose I expected consequences to the action.....

>96 msf59: Long Island was a great read for me. My mom is doing better but my dad is still very ill ( see post 93). I went over and aired out the place and did some cleaning and freshening up for them. I brought in wood so they don't have to venture out to the wood shed so they should have it nice and cozy :)

I hope you are on the mend Anita. Fresh linen always gives me a lift.

>98 Caroline_McElwee: thanks! I quite enjoy crisp fresh linens as well :)

Sorry you've been feeling sick with the flu, Anita, and glad you are feeling better. And your parents aren't feeling well either, especially your dad. Take care.

>100 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. I am currently working from home today just in case....I have tomorrow off and then work Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tomorrow will be the only day I have to go shopping for Christmas. It really snuck up on me!

90. Joanne Ramos: The Farm

After being fired from her job, Jane, an immigrant from the Philippines receives a suggestion from her cousin to interview at a resort where individuals are surrogates to wealthy clients who either can't carry a baby to term or do not wish to for aesthetic reasons. The hosts are given every luxury but are highly controlled. It is up to the client if they can visit relatives or leave the compound. Jane meets a few other surrogates and is soon worried about her own child she left behind.

This has been on my shelf for a long time so I decided to finally read it. A bit like the handmaids tale in a way. The idea is not far off as currently there are people who are paid by individuals to carry a baby to term. I guess making a commercially viable business out of it is only steps away in reality. It can be a great service if handled properly.

The ending was disappointing for me.

3/5 (C+)

I hope everyone there is on the mend, or already mended, Anita!

>103 richardderus: we are getting there,just really slowly.

Solstice cheer, Anita!

Thanks Richard! A happy winter solstice to you as well *smooch*

Happy solstice, Anita. One of my favorite days because from now on we get more daylight!!!

I am dropping by to send you wishes for a great Christmas and wonderful New Year. I will not be on LT much for the rest of the year as we are leaving town on Monday and won't be back until "next year." It's a bit early, but I wanted to send my best wishes before we go. Enjoy your time with your family!

>107 Kristelh: Thank you! May you enjoy the longer days ahead:)

>108 atozgrl: Thanks! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and have a wonderful trip.

Update:

I have been slogging away and reading a little. To be honest, I am still quite ill. I thought I was doing better but yesterday I ended up feeling worse. today was touch and go but I survived the work day. I managed to eat a poached egg on toast today so I suppose thats a good sign. *sigh*

On the plus side, the Christmas tree is up and decorated!

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend so far and finding time to relax :)

Christmas tree up and decorated, great!

But sorry to hear you are still not well. Wishing you and your parents speedy recovery, and a nice Christmas ahead.

Sorry you had a rebound. Hope it is short and you're feeling better.

>111 EllaTim: Thank you Ella. I am off until Friday so it will be a nice time to relax and chill with the family.

>112 Kristelh: Hi Kristel. I think the rebound came because I pushed myself too hard at work. I am off for a few days and hope that the rest will help me get better. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

>82 figsfromthistle: Sorry to hear you caught a bug. Been sick myself this week; tis the season indeed.
Hope you're feeling better!

>114 Ravenwoodwitch: I hope you are feeling better as well! these colds do take a while to get rid of!

91. Alex Michaelides: The Fury

A group of friends vacation together on a remote Greek island. One ends up dead.

Not like the authors other books. Very slow paced. If you can get through the first half of the book the other half will reward you.

3/5 ( B-)

Happy Holidays, Anita. Sorry to hear that you are still not feeling well. I hope you are feeling a bit better now. 🤞🤞

>117 msf59: Thanks! I spent the morning baking cookies and took time to rest in the afternoon. So far, I am feeling better, just tired.

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

Nadolig Llawen, Happy Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to you Anita and to your mother and dad. Do hope you receive the gift of renewed health.

Winslow and all of us wish you a very happy holidays!


I hope you are all feeling better and can enjoy Christmas together.

Thank you everyone for the lovely Christmas wishes!

For all those celebrating this holiday,

Thinking of you at this time, Anita.

>125 Whisper1: >126 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Linda and Paul!

Hi Anita! Belated happy newest thread.

I was sorry to read about your mid-November panic attack and hope you haven’t had another. Jenna used to get them and she’d call in the middle of one, thank goodness she wanted to call her mom!, and I’d have to talk her through it.

Congrats on The Big 75!

>30 figsfromthistle: Hip-level snow is wonderful to see, but 4 hours for you and your dad to clear the laneway is not as wonderful. 2 cm. Right.

>65 figsfromthistle: The Swerve was amazing, as was A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian. I’m glad to read about all the 50% off sales you’re taking advantage of.

>82 figsfromthistle: Sorry to read about your cold/flu. My daughter and daughter-in-law are coming over today. Both have colds but are on the tail end of them, both tested negative for Covid so there’s that. Sorry your parents shared and are still not well.

>118 figsfromthistle: Baking cookies is always therapeutic and I'm glad you rested on Monday afternoon.

Hoping you and your parents are recovered now. Wishing you all the best.

>128 karenmarie: Hi KAren! It's nice to see you :)

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. I just came home from my parents and I ate a little too much. So much goodness and I took some extra dessert home with me :)

Luckily, I did not have a repeat of my panic attack. They are very rare for me. I never know what to do in that situation. How did you help Jenna through them? Would be interesting to know for future if they reappear.

Hope you have a great start to the new year!

>129 jessibud2: We are almost back to normal. My dad is still not feeling the greatest but is getting better. Mom and I are just knackered at the end of the day but are back to normal routines.

to My LT friends celebrating.....

Sweet Thursday, Anita. I hope you enjoyed my Swap picks. Of course, I plucked them from your WL. I prefer that approach, instead of picking something blind that you may have read already or have no interest in.

I'm kinda lonely over here....

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

>132 msf59: Hi Mark! I loved the selections. I just started reading Remarkably bright creatures. I usually don't put a wishlist up but I think I will keep adding books to it as it is quite convenient to look up when I am in the book store. Most of the time I forget to bring my physical list.

I hope you had a great Christmas and were able to spend a lot of time with Jackson!

>133 drneutron: Hi Doc! Wow, you are fast to get the new digs set up. I will probably be over there after the weekend.

92. Sara Novic: True Biz

Told from alternate perspectives, True Biz is about the deaf community, the school they attend and difficulties and prejudices deaf students face from their peers, and family. There is a lot the author wants to convey and sometimes it felt a bit incomplete. Definitely the main thread is about implantation and the expectations and hopes parents have from the surgery. Apparently, quite controversial. At the end of each chapter there is a page about how to sign or history behind sign language which was interesting as well.

Definitely worth a read.

3/5 (B)

>135 figsfromthistle: Hi, Anita!

I enjoyed this one quite a bit. I thought the story was pretty good, and I felt like I learned a lot about the controversy, as you say, of implants within the deaf community. So interesting.

>136 scaifea: It was an excellent read, a surprise given it was a celebrity book club pick. I probably would have rated it higher but it felt a bit unresolved.....

>135 figsfromthistle:- I had not heard of this book, Anita. Sounds good. I have a few people in my family who are deaf and have had deaf students over the years in my classroom when I was still teaching. I will have to see if the library has this.

>138 jessibud2: Interesting! When you were teaching did the deaf students rely on lip reading? Or did they have an interpreter? Must of been quite a challenge on both ends.

93. Leigh Bardugo: Ninth house

Alex Stern has won the jackpot. While landing in the hospital after a drug overdose, she is offered a full ride scholarship to Yale. The reason being, because she is able to see "the greys" or ghosts without the aide of a potion. She becomes a part of the ninth house, which is a secret magical society. However when someone is murdered on Yale ground and Alex's mentor is missing she decides to investigate on her own.

Lots of narration. Just a note, there is a lot of violence and a trigger warning for sexual abuse/assault.

First book in a series. I will see if the second is available at my library.

Happy New Year in advance, Anita. I read Girl at War by Sara Novic, quite liked it. I'll have to consider True Biz.

>141 vancouverdeb: She is quite a talented writer. I read Girl at War and enjoyed it as well. She has a way of getting the reader to invest in a protagonist.

Thanks for the New Year wishes!

Happy weekend!

It's the last one before the new year starts! I am working but I can't complain as I was off four days this week.

The weather has turned from cold and heavy snow to mild and rainy. 6 degrees celsius is quite a turnaround. Just strange to have a snow brush and an umbrella in the car......

I can't say that I have been overly productive at home. Between being sick and holiday stuff, I have a lot of catch up to do. I am also going to try to get to the mall on Monday to do some shopping. Now is probably the time to secure some bargains. I have become quite lazy in the fact that I have been buying a lot of things online and having it shipped to me. Now that the arctic air has passed, there are no excuses!

I am hosting a dinner thing for New Years. I work on New years day so it won't be anything too crazy :)

On the reading front: I have three books on the go. The Swimmer by Joakim Zander, Daughter of family G by Ami Mckay and Remarkably bright creatures by Shelby van Pelt. In theory I should be able to finish them before the new year but I tend to get easily distracted.

Happy Saturday, Anita. I hope you enjoy Remarkably Bright Creatures as much as I did.

>144 msf59: Happy weekend! So far it's a great read!