In which I'm not unhappy about waving bye-bye to 2020...

 

Hello book friends!  Well, Christmas has come and gone and our daughter gave us the ornament pictured above as part of our Christmas goodies.  I love it, but wonder whether I'll want to display it after 2020.  We shall see.  Our Christmas Day itself was very nice.  We did the 'porch drops' and visited with area family in the outdoors.  Happily, the weather cooperated and we had a good time visiting for a few minutes with each household.  We went to our daughter and son-in-law's house last and enjoyed some fun time with their two dogs.  Both Cody and Max (the pups) came and sat with their heads on my knee and just rested there for a while.  We hadn't seen the grand-dogs for a long time.  And, yes, we also enjoyed visiting with our kids.

Another happy thing is that our daughter just texted and said she got her first dose of the vaccine this morning at her hospital.  I'm very relieved about that and am hopeful that we all will be able to get the shots in upcoming months. 

So, reading in 2020 and stats.  I have them, but honestly, I read so many books that were not 'new-to-me' - aka 're-reads', I'm not going to do a 'Top 10' list.  I will say that I think my favorite book this year was Louise Penny's newest, All The Devils Are Here.  I also enjoyed reading Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series, David Baldacci's Memory Man books, and Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock series.  I read 130 books in 2020 and that's about normal for me.  What it doesn't reflect is the number of books that I began and then set aside.  I have no idea how many of those there were.  Lots.

As for reading goals and other goals for 2021 - I think I'm going to just 'go with the flow' in that regard.  Read what I want and that might be new books and it might be 're-reads'.  I do want to get back to sharing at least a short paragraph about my thoughts for books that are new-to-me reads.  And who knows?  I might even share a bit about older books that I'm revisiting.  

I'm not going to pick a focus word for this year either.  I've done that in the past, but again, this new year will be as stress-free as I can manage.  I'm planning on more yoga, especially in the breathing and meditation area.  Continuing my walking.  Better choices in my eating because those have not been very helpful in 2020.  Just healthy in mind, body, and soul 2021 - that sounds good to me.  

I feel like I've had way too much 'news' in 2020 and am going to attempt to create my peaceful place here while I'm visiting with all you about books and good stuff.  Take care and wishing everyone a safe New Year's.  Let's bring on 2021!!         

The Xmas elves have been here and the 'porch bags' are ready...

 

Our 'porch bags' are ready to share with family and friends.  We just need to make a few tasty goodies to include and set the delivery times.  Goodie-making will commence next week.  We had a good time coming up with a few fun items for our loved ones - not big things, but useful things and funny things.  A few got a book from me and the dog lovers got a bag of treats for their pups.  There were funny socks and bookmarks and hand cream and little soaps.  Some little flashlights for the guys and some puzzle books - you get the idea.  

I'll be making Strawberry Nut Bread (small loaves) and Gingerbread Cookies and my husband has some kind of candy thing he's going to try.  

Some had asked about my Christmas playlist.  It includes Christmas albums from Pentatonix, Amy Grant, A Very Special Christmas - Vol. 1 & 2, Faith Hill, Vanessa Williams, and Michael Buble'.  Maybe my two favorite songs that are not 'traditional' holiday tunes - Amy Grant singing 'My Grown-up Christmas List' and Faith Hill singing 'A Baby Changes Everything'.  

Hope all have a safe, peaceful weekend.  I am still trying to 'Be of good cheer...'.  Grateful my daughter will be getting the vaccine in the next few days at her hospital.  

And if I don't get back around until after Christmas Day, I wish you all much joy and peace and love - and some tasty goodies!

Another funny thought...for 2020, the oddest year ever...

 

I promised if I found another funny thing, I'd share it.  I found this made me laugh and nod my head.  I got my hair cut this morning and my stylist (who has a single-woman hair studio) had things decorated for the holidays.  It was very pretty and cheerful.  Plus, she had this 'sign'.  Ha!  I asked about it and she said it made her think of some of the difficulties of understanding people with their masks on.  Very appropriate, right?  Yes, the masks do make things a bit garbled now and then.  I do back away when people decide that if they need to repeat, they also need to pull the mask below their chin.  Um....no.  Ha!

As this is now cedar pollen season in our area (I hate cedar pollen and it hates me!), I've had to move my walking regimen back into the rec center.  Which is fine as they are very careful with a reservation system and lots of rules.  However, I don't get to see the Christmas decorations or wildlife.  I decided that with my quest of 'Be of good cheer...', I'd create a holiday music playlist.  I've done that and my walking has been very cheerful the last few days.  Now my goal is to not forget where I am and start humming or singing under my breath.  Ha!  I mean, who doesn't want to sing along?

Hope you all have a nice weekend.  Our shopping is done.  Now to get organized and get all the little treats put in bags and wrapped up in tissue for our 'porch deliveries'.  I'll do a post next week giving a peek at what I've found to share with people this year.  It's just little things...and maybe some gingerbread cookies...

Because this is the year for an 'unusual' Christmas tree....2020, right?

 

I know I said I wouldn't be back around until the end of the month, but this just made me laugh.  'Be of good cheer' - you might wake up and when you turn on the lights for your Christmas tree....this happens.  Ha!  What an appropriate tree for 2020!  Unusual and not quite right....LOL!  Of course, it's a prelighted tree and so it's not as simple as buying a new strand and replacing it.  I think we'll keep it just like this.  And it looks like we'll be watching for the after-holiday sales for a new tree.

Perhaps I'll look for other ways to make you smile this month.  I'll see what I can find and share.  Have a good day!  

Ho, Ho, Ho,...and it's December...

 

Hello book friends!  How are all of you?  It's December!  And I'm coming back around to say 'Greetings!' and, as it says on my mantel decoration...'Be of good cheer...'!  Or maybe try to be of good cheer.  I'm choosing to try to do that and my husband and I have been figuring out what these December holidays will look like at our house.  Not the 'usual', but we're choosing not to have a 'Grinch-y' Christmas either.  We're working on plans to 'porch deliver' some bags of treats to family and friends here.  And maybe have a small visit outside with them.  We might even sing a carol or two - at a distance.  You never know.

I can't help remembering that three years ago in December, my husband had an unexpected heart attack and then had triple bypass surgery.  It was a very scary time and an unusual Christmas, but we got through it.  We'll all get through this year as well.  The holidays and Christmas are for me a time of joy, peace, and thinking of those I love and have loved.  And also a time of reaching out and trying to bring some joy to others through whatever means I can.  I encourage you to do that as well.

As to my reading life, it goes on, happily.  I'm not going to share much about it here, but I plan to be back maybe the last week of this year to do some 'Best of...' posts and update at that time.  Until then, I'm going to leave you with several pictures of holiday decorations around my house.  My wish is that all will have a joyful, peaceful, holiday season full of love and good cheer.  Merry Christmas!  Thank you all for being my friends!!

 

 

Happy November and still on a break...

 

Hello book friends!  Can you believe that it's November?  I can't and yet this year has seemed like a decade long.  It's odd for sure.  I'm going to be continuing my fall break, but I just wanted to check in and say 'hello' and share that we are still doing well.  We're being sensible and have decided that the holidays will be different this year.  Even though we have family in the area.  We're trying to be thoughtful about our relatives that are older, immune-compromised or are in jobs that mean they are exposed to a lot of humanity (teachers and medical people).  Thank goodness we still have phones and the ability to talk with people face-to-face in various ways, even if it is virtual.  I'm grateful for that every day.  It would have been different 30 years ago.

In any case, we'll be here being thankful for many, many things.  Me, I'm definitely thankful for books and the ability to enjoy them.  I've been reading a lot in print and listening to a bunch as well.  Our mystery group will be discussing The Long Call by Ann Cleeves this Wednesday evening.  I'm going to be leading a discussion of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine with our afternoon book group in a couple of weeks.  Both virtually and that's OK too.  Not perfect, but OK enough.

Oh, I also wanted to say that I read or reread all of Sherry Thomas' Lady Sherlock books in the last few weeks.  There are five of them now and Murder On Cold Street is the latest, published in October.  I had a great time visiting with Charlotte Holmes (aka Sherlock), Mrs. Watson, and all the other characters that this series has introduced us to.  It's great in print and also on audio.  Kate Reading is the narrator and she's a good one. Highly recommended.  

That's about all have.  Enjoy your November!  Take care and stay safe.  Wear your masks.  Be sensible.  And, please, my wish is that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving - even if it's a little different that usual.  Virtual hugs to all!

Happy October and maybe a little break...

 

Hello book friends and Happy October!  Above is a picture that I've shared before - from a trip my daughter and I took to Disneyworld about 8 or 9 years ago.  They do fall and Halloween decorating to the max.  Lots of fun to see, but not this year.  

A look at the beautiful leaves in full fall glory from a trip to New Mexico a couple of years ago.  Again, lots of fun to see, but not for a while to come.

And here's a look at an early morning spider in it's web - taken with the backdrop of my husband truck.  Seems very appropriate for October.  Many of our neighbors have their yards decorated with pumpkins and skeletons and graveyards and ghosts.  Not sure if trick-or-treating will happen, but people are decorating like crazy.  

I think I'm going to take a little break from posting, not that I've been posting much.  I have been reading a lot and will share a list of books below that I've completed since my last post.  I will still be commenting on your blogs, but I'm just not in the mood to do reviews.  I'll probably be back around in a few weeks.  

Here's what I've read:

The Widows by Jess Montgomery

Girl Waits With Gun by Amy Stewart

Both the above were selections for our mystery group.  We had a nice discussion about them on Wednesday evening at our virtual meeting.  

Year One by Nora Roberts

Of Blood And Bone by Nora Roberts

The Rise Of Magicks by Nora Roberts

The above three books make up Nora Roberts' Chronicles of The One trilogy - fantasy and really quite a bit different from anything I've read by her.  Some didn't care of it.  I liked it enough to read all three.  Really out of her usual wheelhouse I'd say.

Die For Love by Elizabeth Peters

She's Not There by Joy Fielding

Strangers At The Gate by Catriona McPherson

These three were all re-reads that I thoroughly enjoyed again.

That's all I've got for now.  As I said, I'll probably not be posting for a few weeks, but I'll be around to say hello on your blogs.  Take care and wear your masks!  And Happy October and Happy Halloween!

What I've been reading in September...

***Blogger and I are still learning to get along these days.  I accidentally 'published' this post, but it obviously wasn't ready for that.  Let's try this again...with more content.  Ha!

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

Hello book friends!  How have you been?  Hope all are well and staying buried in books and reading.  That's what I've been doing mostly and I've read some good books.  Several good books actually.  Let me share about them.

I got caught up on Kelley Armstrong's Rockton series, which has 5 books right now and will have #6 in February.  I read #3 This Fallen Prey, #4 Watcher in the Woods, and #5 Alone in the Wild.  I really like this series which is set in the wilds of Canada, off the grid, and features Casey Duncan, her significant other Eric Dalton, and others.  The reader learns more and more about Rockton and the people who live there and in the area.  Crazy stuff.

My next read was One By One, Ruth Ware's new book set in the French Alps.  Our mystery book group had read her previous book, The Turn of the Key, for September (which was about 50-50 thumbs up by our group).  I was excited to start this one because I suspected that her inspiration was Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.  The answer to that question was 'yes-ish'.  I did like this book.  It held my interest and made feel quite cold.  Set at a ski chalet in winter, a group from a start-up tech company comes for a work retreat and lots of things happen.  Scary things.  Dire things.  I won't tell too much, but I will say that I guessed how it might play out early on.  There were a few surprises, but not as many as I might have liked.  As I said, I liked it, but I think that Ware's first book, In a Dark, Dark Wood, remains my favorite. 

On to the new Louise Penny book, #16 in her mystery series, and one I was really anticipating (I'm always anticipating Louise's new books!).  Oh my word!  I loved this book.  I really did.  I can say that about all this author's writing, but some books are special favorites and I think All the Devils Are Here will qualify for that with me.  It is set almost entirely in Paris with the characters mostly being from Gamache's own family.  That is not a bad thing for me, but I know that some of this author's fans mostly prefer for the setting to remain in Canada and Three Pines.  However, in my opinion, it's good for Louise to take her characters out of the small village occasionally and some of my favorites are set in other spots.  I mentioned that I attended an event virtually where Penny spoke about her work and she said that when she's outside of Three Pines, she is able to reveal more about Gamache and whoever is with him because she doesn't have to update so much about the many characters that reside in Three Pines - or not update as much.  I can see that here.  

For me, this was a book about family - the Gamache family.  Many things are revealed that we might have guessed or that the author had hinted in the past.  Reine-Marie Gamache has a big role in this book as does Jean Guy.  Armand's growing-up years are mentioned and sorted through a bit.  His godfather appears.  And Daniel, the Gamache's son, is finally front and center, which he has not been through the whole series.  We learn a lot.  This story is about family and love and betrayal and lies and trust and discovering still more aspects of our protagonist, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache.  Highly recommended by me. 

 

The last book I'll talk about today is #5 in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith (aka J.K. Rowling), Troubled Blood.  I had been highly anticipating this book as I've really enjoyed the whole Strike series.  And I wasn't disappointed, though the reader might need to know that this book came in at 944 pages.  I didn't mind and actually did a read/listen and loved it.  Cormoran and Robin, his partner in the private detective firm, are asked to investigate a cold case disappearance of a woman by her daughter.  The woman, Dr. Margo Bamborough, has been missing for 40 years, so quite a 'cold' case.  Cormoran has never taken a cold case, but he and Robin and their other colleagues give it their best.  There are other cases as well, of course, and also a lot of family situations for both Robin and Cormoran.  We get to know their colleagues better and our protagonists better.  As I said, I really loved the book.  It wasn't particularly fast-paced for the most part, but I was OK with that.  Another highly recommended series.  

That's about all I have today.  I'm currently listening to The Widows by Jess Montgomery for our October mystery book group discussion.  I'm reading the first book in Nora Roberts' Chronicles of the One trilogy, Year One.  I'll share my thoughts about both of those in couple of weeks, along with whatever else has crossed my path.  Take care.  Wear your mask.  Enjoy your reading! 

In which I discuss my love of re-reading...yes, this is a rerun (mostly) but I'm curious about your thoughts here...

This is a post that I shared several years ago.  I'm still a re-reader and I'm curious about your habits in this regard, especially during this most unusual year.  Thanks for indulging me and commenting - ha!

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

As I begin this little discussion about my habit of re-reading books, I'm going to first share three quotes:

"Tell me what you read and I'll tell you who you are" is true enough, but I'd know you better if you told me what you reread.   ~~Francois Mauriac~~

When you reread a classic, you do not see more in the book than you did before; you see more in you than was there before.     ~~Clifton Fadiman~~

To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.     ~~W. Somerset Maugham~~

I want to talk a little bit about re-reading books.  Do you have this practice?  Do you go back to the books you read when you were younger and see if they hold up well?  Or do you finish a great book and turn back to the first page and begin again?  Or maybe you've enjoyed a book in print form and then later, you try it in audio format.

I will confess that I am a re-reader from way back.  I think I've shared that my parents did not indulge my wish to physically own books when I was growing up.  I had a few, a very few.  However, money was tight and they felt that the library could provide any books I might need or want.  Which was fine until we'd go and spend 2 weeks at my grandmother's house.  I'd take armloads of books that were checked out from the library, but I'd finish them - so, I'd start over and read them again.

In my teens, I'd read sweet love stories and scary ghost stories and pretty much anything that wasn't "assigned" by my English teacher - well, I did read my assignments but never twice.  In my 20's, I discovered that I loved going back to well-loved books from my teens and taking another look.  And I've continued that practice off and on up until now.

Why, you might ask?  Well, I know that I'll never get to read all the books that I want to read in my lifetime.  I know this.  However, sometimes I just need a story that I'm familiar with for the comfort value.  It's like a warm blanket or a cup of hot chocolate or a hug from my mother.  At tough times in my life, I find myself picking up books that I remember so well and also remembering how they made me feel.  Safe, secure, a refuge as Mr. Maugham states in the quote above.

I also use re-reading as a technique to bump myself out of a reading slump and have done this for years.  My favorite go-to books are varied.  Authors might include:  Agatha Christie, J.K. Rowling, Phyllis A. Whitney, Mary Stewart, Louise Penny, Debbie Macomber, Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Michaels, Nora Roberts or so many that I've talked about as favorites.

OK, now I want to hear your thoughts.  Do you read books for a second or third or endless amount of times?  Or are you a 'been there, done that' kind of reader?  I'd love to know and I'd also love to know a few of the books that you consider your favorites to visit again.  Who knows?  I might have forgotten one that I'd like to go back to for the second time.  And thanks for sharing!

It's September and is it fall? Maybe fall-ish at some point and some reading...

Hello book friends!  I don't have a nice picture to share here this time.  Forgot to take one, but never fear.  I'll have one the next time.  Ha!  Actually, I tried to take a couple of the full moon early this morning, but they didn't please me.  So, it's September of this year of 2020.  Sometimes it feels that time is passing quickly, but mostly it just feel like a 'never-ending' year to me.  Ah well.  No complaining.  My new motto, along with 'avoid most of the news'.  Let's talk about what I've been reading.

First I'll share a little about our mystery book group's discussion of Ruth Ware's The Turn of the Key.  We met last night virtually and the opinions were about 50% (or maybe a little less) liked it well enough.  Probably 50% didn't care for it.  I will say that this book is creepy with the 'smart house' theme.  Also, not too many likable characters or maybe no likable characters.  And the ending is a more than a little ambiguous.  This group had read Ware's first book, In a Dark Dark Wood, a few years ago and that book remains my favorite of hers.  It seemed that she did take inspiration from Henry James and his The Turn of the Screw, but diverged from that story some.  Not sure too many in the group will seek out Ruth Ware's next book (to be published this next week), One By One, but because the inspiration seems to be Agatha Christie, I'll be checking it out.

As to other reading, I've read 4 more Memory Man books by David Baldacci.  Really liked all of them and will be watching for the next entry into that series.  The newest, #6, was published this spring, Walk the Wire.  I like Amos Decker, the main protagonist, and also his partner, Alex Jamison.  Walk the Wire takes place in North Dakota in a fracking town.  That's not all that is there and another Baldacci character makes an appearance.  I won't say which one it is because that might be too big of a spoiler.  I will say that I'm looking forward to his new Atlee Pine book, Daylight, which will be out in November.  I've noticed that since I've not read many books by this author, I have several series to sample if I so choose.  I love that! 

After I was caught up with the Memory Man, I decided to follow one of my usual summer reading 'rules' - read cold books in summer.  I had read Kelley Armstrong's first Rockton book, City of the Lost, a while back and enjoyed it.  I decided to reread that one and then continue with the books currently out in that series.  I'm now on #2, A Darkness Absolute, and loving the cold and the characters and the remote Canadian wilderness location.  In case you don't know about this series, Rockton is a small town where people who need to disappear apply to come.  Casey Duncan is a homicide detective who has that need and she arrives to become part of Rockton's very small law enforcement group.  Some of the people in Rockton are nice and some are not.  And then there is the wilderness location and the off-the-grid theme.  I'm finding these books hold my interest quite well.

I also attended a virtual event yesterday that featured Louise Penny talking about her new book, All the Devils Are Here.  The event was hosted by Murder By the Book, an independent mystery bookstore in Houston.  Store owner, McKenna Jordan, did a great job chatting with Louise and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her writing process for this book and also how her life has been in the last few months.  Louise herself was in London and, having just arrived a few days ago, quaratined for now.  It was great that we could all 'attend' the event virtually.  One nice thing to come from this whole year - lots of author events that we can watch.  My copy of All the Devils Are Here is on my way from Murder By the Book and I will be reading it before long.  

That's about all I have.  Our weather here has been mega-humid and, though the rain chances are welcome, a promised cool front can't get here soon enough.  Maybe next week I'll be able to say that I've walked outside and not sweated a bucket - I hope so.  Take care and talk to you guys soon!