Wait a second. There was tea discussions on last week's thread. Alrighty. I'm off to read the thread and try to catch up. First I have to get myself a cup of tea though. I'm still in the diapers and medium sized kid stage of life but I know I will be a mess when Little Librarian goes away to college. I'll probably just have to go along with Chews on Books because I don't think I'll be able to turn him loose.

Too funny! We are friends ... I don't know why I was looking for a friend named Chrysalis.

My DH told DD last night that if any high school teacher tried to make her read Catch-22 then she should come tell him and he'll try to go talk some sense into that teacher. I discovered GH late in life - my mid 20's but I'm making sure DD has a better life than I did so whenever she and I are in the car together we listen to one of her audiobooks. Right now we're listening to The Grand Sophy. They are very kid friendly because the romance is very clean and there's nothing seedy about them. Every book I read of hers that I haven't before makes me a little bit sad because I'm getting closer to running out of her books to read. Eek. I try to pace myself. Do you like her mysteries also? Who are you on GoodReads? I don't see that we are friends but we should be. There's a decently active GoodReads Georgette Heyer group also that you would like.

So far this week I've been able to keep up with this thread. Oops. It just popped up that there are three new replies! I'm already behind. Eliana - Wow. You've set the bar high for guest thread posts. Thank you for all your research. Very interesting. My book club this month is reading Catch-22 and so far DH and I both HATE it. I read a review that it was supposed to be funny and I had to double check to make sure it was referring to the same book I was reading. DH is petitioning that we give up on this book and read another one this month instead. I think we'll have an interesting discussion. I've started on: the 13th book in the Ian Rutledge series. (A Lonely Death) I'm listening to the audiobook and I'll report back on what I think on it. I know a few of us have read the first two and have heard the series gets a lot better. I've jumped ahead considerably into the series to see if they do improve. I'll report back when I'm finished if I'll read any more in the series. the second in the Charles Lennox series (The September Society). I'm only a few chapters in but it seems to be as well written and entertaining as the first so far. I've finished: The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer - I've seen mixed reviews on this because it's more of a Regency mystery than a romance but I wasn't bothered by that. I thought it was a fun story and had some fantastic secondary characters. Highly recommend. The Good Samaritan Strikes Again by Patrick McManus - I would describe all his stories and Dave Barry meets the Great Outdoors. I find them laugh out loud funny but my husband can read a book of the stories and merely chuckle.

So I'm reporting in without reading most of last week's thread. Early in the year the threads seem to move too fast for me. I highly recommend The Shadows Beneath by Brandon Sanderson (and others) if you are interested in writing or even just curious as to the process. This book is unique in that it has four short stories then it also has the conversations the authors had when they were developing the stories ideas. It also has the marked up first drafts of the stories showing all the editing that they did. Super cool.

Pandemic. Pandemic Legacy is designed to be played with the exact same group of people 10 or 12 times (I can't remember which ... DH and a few friends are playing it right now) and then it's done.

Book girl problems. I was so busy getting ready for company last night that I didn't get to the library before they closed and the book I wanted to start on is trapped at the library instead of sitting on my nightstand. Bummer. Anyone up for a heist? I need a getaway driver for a little burglaring at the public library I'm planning on doing. No? No takers? Alrighty. I'll just read something sitting on my shelf. I was planning on starting the next book in the series today but alas I don't have it yet. I wonder how the editing in publishing houses work for historical fiction. I'm guessing they don't have an editor that is a semi-expert on Victorian daily life sitting around reviewing books. Too bad. One author I met IRL said that after her first book someone wrote to her and offered to read though her next books for historical accuracy. I thought that would be a cool job. Not that I am an expert on anything Victorian. I just have read enough from those eras to be a be a bit whiny on things that jump out at me. New Years Resolution - I aim to be less whiny! :)

Lady Florida - re: rereads - I don't count rereads in my number simply because there isn't a good way to do that on Goodreads and that's how I track. I tend to reread a few favorites every year and by now they are just wonderful comfort reads. The type of books that I can open to any page and still get lost in.

Awesome. I can't wait to hear you thoughts at the end!

I had to search to see who had recommended/mentioned the Charles Lenox mysteries to me. I finished A Beautiful Blue Death last night. I've read so many historically accurate Regency novels that when something seems historically inaccurate it pulls me out of the novel. I don't think Charles Finch did some of his research and it shows a bit. There's no way that Mr. Lenox, a wealthy aristocrat would have been tending to his own clothes - he would have had a valet. He wouldn't have been envying the quality of a working class man's boots. His would have been better. He couldn't have bought a pair of specially made boots in two days. Stuff like that. A few of his relationships were a little bit relaxed and modern for one of the most socially strict time periods of recent years. Those aren't really complaints. It was still a great read. Fun mystery. All the characters seemed likable. If this was his first novel then it didn't show. Angel or shukriyya - Have either of you read any more of his novels? I'm definitely going to read more!

Thank you Jane (any everyone else!) for all the advice. Right now in the midwest we're a little bit light on birds but I think we'll have some local bird books in the Easter baskets this year. I can't wait! Looks like I'm adding Ibotson and McKillip on my list of authors to read in 2016 because I'm not familiar with them. I haven't found anyone that can hold a candle to the humor I find in Wodehouse. Some of the zany situations (aka the end scene in Unknown Ajax) that GH writes can be funny but it's not the same. Then I have friends who will read his books and tell me, "Meh. I guess I did chuckle a few times." I'm absolutely amazed because they'll be talking about the same book that when I read it I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my face. I have to laugh a little bit about this. My calmest most laid back group of friends are the ones I'm in book club with. The loudest and angriest arguments I've had with my friends have been in book club. We don't go fist to cuffs or cuss at each other but anything else goes!

I don't think that word (comedy) means what you think it means ... Whew boy. That sounds like the worst plot ever.

Were you dis-enchanted after finding out more of the story?

How many books did you read this year and did you meet or beat your own personal goal? I read 65 books. My goal was 52. I would like to get back into the triple digits but that might have to wait until DS is a bit older. Share your top 5 (or more) favorite books. Rebecca was my favorite book. It'll be easier to say a few of my favorite authors since I read a number of books in their series - Louise Penny's mysteries, Sheri Cobb South's mysteries (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for the Flufferton Abbey crowd), Angela Thirkell, and PG Wodehouse. Which books or authors you thought you'd never read and were pleasantly surprised to like them? Dodger by Terry Pratchett. He doesn't write in any of my usual genres. I liked his writing though and will pickup more books by him. One book that touched you - made you laugh, cry, sing or dance! Can't we talk about something more pleasant? Aging parents is such a hard topic. Share your most favorite character, covers and/or quotes? Well, well, well. Are you really giving me a change to share quotes when you know I read PG Wodehouse and every word he writes is quotable?!?! I will try to limit myself but basically I suggest you start at page 1 and read to page 256 to get a few good quotes. “I'm not absolutely certain of the facts, but I rather fancy it's Shakespeare who says that it's always just when a fellow is feeling particularly braced with things in general that Fate sneaks up behind him with the bit of lead piping.†- Bertie Wooster “He looked haggard and careworn, like a Borgia who has suddenly remembered that he has forgotten to shove cyanide in the consommé, and the dinner-gong due any moment.†“The Paddock was one of those medium-sized houses with a goodish bit of very tidy garden and a carefully rolled gravel drive curving past a shrubbery that looked as if it had just come back from the dry cleaner - the sort of house you take one look at and say to yourself, "Somebody's aunt lives there.†One book you thought you'd love but didn't? Henry's Freedom Box. I read the book and thought it was fantastic so I was inspired to find out more about Henry. Then I discovered that he was given a chance to buy his wife and children's freedom and refused then went to England and married someone else. What a jerk! Totally ruined the book for me. What countries or centuries did you explore? C'mon. I think everyone on this thread can answer this questions for me. England. Regency. Victorian. Edwardian. WWI. 1920's & 1930's. WWII. I also spent a bit of time in the Cabot Cove of the north woods. - Three Pines. What books would you recommend everybody read? Everything that PG Wodehouse wrote. What was your favorite part of the challenge? I didn't really get out of my comfort zone much this year so I didn't do many of the challenges. Next year is a new year though!

Consider this another hearty invite from a BaW reader. All are welcome. The intellectual ladies haven't kicked me out and all I read is cozy mysteries and cozy Regency romance. It's a lot of fun!

Is there anyway you could sneak a gift or two under the tree that would be something you liked? Nothing big. Maybe a book you wanted to read. It would be wonderfully funny to see her face when you unwrapped the new illustrated Harry Potter book. "Oh dearest MIL! I have been wanting this. Thank you so much. That was so THOUGHTFUL."

Jane - Thank you for sharing your bird photo. I think when I grow up (well, when DS is out of the toddler stage and I can devote time to things like fun hobbies instead of my current hobby which is trying to keep my living room floor picked up) I'm going to take up birding. Any books to suggest for a gal that doesn't know much more than to identify a cardinal? Kareni - I hope you have having a lovely visit with your daughter! Butter - I'm glad you are reporting in with good news. Keep up that healing. Hopefully you'll be feeling like a new and improved woman by New Years. Kareni & Mumto - I did go ahead and pick up the Dickens history book along with about a dozen other Kindle books. There have been some good deals on kids books lately. Stacia - ((HUGS)) I sure hope your DH gets good news soon so you'll have that stress out of your life. Angel - DD is already asking when the second illustrated HP book is coming out. I told her next Christmas. She's hinting it would make a great Christmas present next year also. What does your DD think of it?

I'm using Aldi as my example because I'm impressed with their business model and in the years that I have been shopping there I've seen mostly the same people so I know it must at least be a decent place to work otherwise their would be higher turnover. The people working at my Aldi mostly do not have college degrees. Two of the girls that I am chatty with are in their early twenties and started there right out of high school. I wouldn't recommend it for a life long job but I would recommend it over an expensive degree that you aren't interested in building into a career. I do not know what happens at a management level at a store like Aldi or Trader Joes. I'm assuming there must be a degree requirement. I also wonder if you are managing a store like that what kind of salary is that. Enough to support a family on? What about a local large grocery store? There are lots of jobs out there that I don't know about that might be great careers.

LOL. I think I might be missing the point also but at least you and I seem to be having a nice discussion on non-white collar jobs. Our plan with DS (once again assuming he for whatever reason would not be interested in a traditional college carreer path) would be to get him setup with trade school or the skills he would need to be employable as a crane operator. We have money set aside for college and would be delighted to pay DS way through welding school if he thought that was a something he thought he would like to do for a living. Our goal with both of our children is to get them to adulthood with the skills they need to have a job they 1) somewhat enjoy 2) will leave them able to support a family 3) is going to be something they can do until they retire or at least puts them in a position to move up. My DH and I are very practical people. Are welders and heavy machinery operators considered blue-collar? Is that different than working on the GM line or being a clerk in a hardware store by social class standards? I don't know. DH and I know a number of people who we look at the mess they have with their careers (or lack thereof) and wonder why nobody ever gave them any advice. DH stumbled into being an engineer after getting a four-year degree that was not marketable. Someone should have sat him down in high school and said "Hey buddy. I've looked at your strengths and your interests. You should be applying to these engineering schools and looking at these career options." They didn't. Instead they said, "Do what is interesting to you." Yeah. What is interesting to a 18 year old boy with no life experience was a job that got him a four year degree with a starting salary of $18k a year and a job in the wilds of west Texas. Another example. A girl I know has her masters degree in family psychology. It cost her $50k and 7 years of her life to get that degree. Upon graduation she got a job making less than $25k a year and she had an hour each way commute to go with that. A year later she had a baby and is now a SAHM. It's all she really ever wanted to do. She and her husband are still paying on those student loans. That doesn't make sense to me. She could have started working at Aldi's or Trader Joes right after high school and in the eight years before she had a baby made enough to have paid off their house. That would be in amazing financial shape. I guess what I'm trying to say is that a college degree is not the only path to success or happiness and I wish that people would not just go to college without a good plan of WHY they are studying what they are studying and WHAT they want to do when they graduate. (For the sake of full disclosure - My parents get very upset if I say anything about DS having an option other than college. To them there is no other option.)

If this is in respect to people in different backgrounds being open to choosing different career paths for their children then I can chime in. DH and I are both self-employed engineers. White collar. Probably upper middle-class. (Using the upper middle-class definition of: professional job, high autonomy for work, and income) DH's father taught high school math and his mother was a SAHM. I'm assuming that would fall into white collar and middle class. They never had much money but did okay. My mother is an engineer and is currently is a corporate executive for a manufacturing company. (She has been known to wear a hard hat at work though!) My father is retired now but was a self-employed computer programmer. White collar. Upper middle-class. DD is old enough that we know she is college bound - she has the aptitude and interest for it. DS is still just a baby. If he doesn't have both the aptitude and interest for college then we will try to find a field for him that makes good money, isn't physically demanding (ie sheet metal worker ... we don't want him disabled at the age of 45), and is in demand. There are lots of jobs out there like that. We don't want to spend $50k for him to go to college to get a degree that won't support him and won't be a good fit. In our area crane operators, welders, railway engineers, electricians, and plumbers all are making great incomes and don't have the need for a college degree.

Maybe I have an abundance of pride but it seems to me that genteel poverty is nothing anyone would admit to if they were living in it. It seems to be "we used to have money but are now in a financial death spiral but won't admit it". Eek!

I don't know that I fit any of your relevant groups but the thread is interesting so I read on. Then I come to genteel poverty. Um. How on earth are you defining that in present day America? Anyone with an education but a low paying job? To me that is a completely different beast than blue collar. Our librarians are paid (sadly) so little that if they were supporting a family with that wage they would be on food stamps. The man operating the crane at the water treatment plant is making six figures.

I'm pretty sure my life wouldn't pass the Bechdel test ... An old movie - Dial M for Murder. The woman does nothing in it! Nothing.

That sounds like a very Stacia-ish stack of gifts! She must be a good SIL.

I didn't realize it was an Icelandic thing. Reporting in from Manor McC---------: aggieamy - working on her pathetic novel that she vows to have completed by the end of the year Chews on Books - sound asleep (YAY!) Little Librarian - reading the illustrated Harry Potter she got for Christmas (we open presents on Christmas Eve) aggieamy DH - sitting by the fire reading The Shadows of the Wind I feel as though all is right with the world. If I don't get a chance to pop in tomorrow then let me wish everyone who celebrates it a MERRY CHRISTMAS. Everyone else I will wish the HAPPIEST OF ALL NORMAL FRIDAYS! :)