Thankfully no. This man arrived in NZ last week, and tested positive on Friday 13th. (Thinking of @lewelma's family as they wait for their son/brother to get home !)

(not sure if this has been shared) 6th case in New Zealand, they flew home to Auckland from New Jersey via Houston. Update: From midnight Sunday, every person arriving in New Zealand will have to isolate themselves for 14 days.

I've listened to a few books in February, and that included two Mary Stewart's Rose Cottage ~ narrated by Samantha Eggar (4), and, Nine Coaches Waiting ~ narrated by Ellie Heydon (5) One book I wanted to come and share here before March's busy-ness gobbles me up again , and thought that others here may enjoy too is: The Semi-Detached House ~ Emily Eden, narrated by Peter Joyce (5) I enjoyed this comedy of manners story as the author invested in witty discourse and 1850's drollery, and, had Rachael, the orphaned niece, quoting Shakespeare. I'm hoping the next book The Semi-attached Couple is just as good. I was ready for a palate cleanser, this book was certainly that and I found the story charming - as a huge bonus, Emily Eden created a very satisfying ending♥ The Semi-Detached House reads rather like a Wilkie Collin's take on an Austenesque setting.

Yes, sadly.

2nd case in NZ https://www.health.govt.nz/news-media/media-releases/second-case-covid-19-confirmed-nz (Thanks for all the info sharing here)

Tracking that this year too then... I dont know about usually, but this year, so far I'm about 50/50 ( and as no surprise to me, most of the audiobooks I've selected have been narrated by men).

Sorry. My wording wasnt clear: 'Nine Coaches' was my first Stewart title for this challenge.... it is the second book I've read, ever, by Mary Stewart. My first book of hers, I read in Nov 2019, Madam, Will You Talk?, was okay but not as good as Nine Coaches.

So that I can follow via email I doing a zoom through post and waving hello to each one here. (February is a busy (!!) month with birthdays etc, so not much time for me to book chat). An 'O' title you might like to consider @mumto2 One-way Tickets: A Case For Willows and Lane @aggieamy The Eloquence... book I mentioned last week does have some 'skip it' content for me - so I am. I'm noting things on GRs so others who like the bedroom door to stay shut, don't like f-bombs etc may be a little forewarned before reading too. **** I finished my first Mary Stewart book selected for this month and gifted it a 5/5: I was in the mood to enjoy it and so I did 🙂 Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart, Ellie Heydon (Narrator) I don't usually read suspense romances, but a GR retro reader who is au fait with Mary Stewart books recommended this book to me, last year, as being an enjoyable title. It was. I had to keep listening until we'd got Linda and young Philippe to a safe haven.... and the villainy sorted out. The romance is very retro, but thankfully, for me, is clean.

I ended up purchasing the Basford book Kareni mentioned (thank you!!) through Bookdepository - so looking to working in it. @mumto2 I forgot yesterday.... love seeing you mention the Miss Silver titles you're reading (I'm reading a few series in order this year, and garnered the idea of rereading that series again from you) Finished two books this week, both via audio. Overture to Death: Roderick Alleyn #8 ~ Ngaio Marsh, narrated by Anton Lesser (abridged) (3) I'm going through the stories in order, this time, and this edition created an entertaining quick option. The old spinsters in this book are something else. Extra: the married Dr has an affair with the 'man bait' Marsh injects into this story: she's one bad gal..... and I can't recall if Alleyn apprehends her in any of the later stories (?). Death of a Maid: Hamish MacBeth Bk23 ~ M.C. Beaton, narrated by Graeme Malcolm (2) This was on the available to 'download now" via my libraries epukapuka site, so I did. gave the book 2* due to the narrator - he's really good. I stuck with the book because of him, and to see what happened to Hamish, I wished I hadn't .... sadly, Hamish MacBeth is not my cup of literary tea. I have so many fiction books I could read and yet seem to really settle with anything - I think I over indulged in too many whodunits and fluffertons in January . I've just started reading The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase by Mark Forsyth. It's rather pithy and witty, I did sit there and laugh myself silly over one of his excerpts. There are some f-bombs in the text, and he can be rather irreverent towards why God included things in the bible, using 'that' particular style, and, towards Shakespeare's writing acumen in general. I'm please I've got this on ebook so I can glide over things that aren't sitting well, and, so that I can go back and slowly read the way to use the tool he is talking about.

thanks you @Kareni for the AiW illustrator link, I'm hoping our library has books that Angel Dominguez illustrated. ( ETA: I'm going to go and link hop with the Basford book you just mention on my way out of here. ) Quoting seems to an optional extra today... I'm enjoying reading through the books you've each read and for the title sharing. Sincerely hope you're family is back to stronger health soon @aggieamy. (Appreciate you sharing that Wentworth title which I've just downloaded free from Faded Page (https://www.fadedpage.com/sc/wentworth.php) Thinking of you (!) as you take the next step towards selling your home @Lady Florida.

I'm hoping to listen to Rose Cottage and Nine Coaches Waiting for this months Mary Stewart challenge. She's a new to me author, I've only recently, Nov 2019, read one of her other books (Madam, Will You Talk?). Our local library does not have any of her books in English .... we can download a few titles in German though. Just started reading The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase by Mark Forsyth and I'm chipping away at The Creature from Jekyll Island, Fifth Edition: A Second Look at the Federal Reserve by G. Edward Griffin. With @Robin M talking about her breakfast time sip reads🥰 .... one sip read I'm really appreciating with my early cuppa this year is Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship by Ruth Chou Simons (definitely Christian content): I'm tending to sit there and absorb the gentle peace in the artwork and calligraphy that goes with the text - I love books with beautiful illustrations.

Seriously well done on reading that spelling challenge!! (The thought of finding books for some of those letters ....... 🙈) Totally cool to post on both locations: not everyone here frequents GR's (Appreciate you posting your review of The Book of the Dun Cow. ) ************* I completed reading two books this week but am only at the rating stage with them Nothing to Report: Mary Meadows Bk1 ~ Carola Oman (3) I liked it enough to want to read it's sequel. I also listened to this audiobook of this next one back to back after reading it, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society ~ Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows (ebook/epukapuka) (4+ for the ebook/epukapuka) and (4- (audiobook Hard to skip past the swearing – no F-bombs; and, some of the context comes out the way the narrator has interpreted it, not the way I interpreted the author as intending it to be read.) Listened to a few more Albert Campions by Margery Allingham and will review them here once I've completed the series via audio. (I'm preferring the abridged editions narrated by Philip Franks more that the unabridged books).

Praying.

Thank you Kareni and mumto2, Dd has worked so hard the last 2 years especially: we're so proud of her achievement. Oh, yes, I agree other books have had a greater impact on my homeschooling journey, and how to - that one by Diana was the first book I'd ever read, ever, about homeschooling and it influenced me to willingly become one with a newly minted 5yr old (the how to, back then, felt pretty scary too .... what if I couldn't teach him how to read? 😵 ) Sigh, Rainbow Resource Catalog ... what a great book for your Dh to have in your vehicle Sandy

I've completed two audio books this week and still sip read through my printed books selection. The Lord God Made Them All (James Herriot, narrated by Christopher Timothy) I gave this audio book 4.5 /5 as Christopher Timothy’s narration made this an enjoyable listen. While my husband and I had read James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small to our children when they were young, it became a repeat-read favourite thanks in part to the gorgeous illustrations by Ruth Brown, I’d never been through any of James’ adult novels and kept meaning to each year: this summer felt like a good time to rectify that. So glad I did. I’ve recommended this to my husband to listen to too. I was laughing at the story of the imbibing barber – some of the other stories are fun, but that one topped the lot for me. Some very sad tales in this mix, and for anyone who has just lost a beloved dog ….. it may pay to skip this audiobook for a wee while. I’m definitely going to back up and listened to the first audiobook now, All Creatures Great and Small , as quite a few reviewers rated it the better of the two. Extra: some expletives, no f.bombs. The next book was a Retro Reads challenge for 2020 and was a repeat listen for me, When the Clock Strikes Twelve: Miss Silver Bk 7 (Patricia Wentworth, narrated by Diana Bishop (4+) Because it's summertime and I'm in the frame of mind to enjoy lighter listening this book garnered itself a plus ...... winter time listens have to work harder for bonus points 🙂 . The mother by adoption in this book sure is a piece of work and Wentworth has purposely crafted her to be despised, she is possessive, jealous, manipulative, and a class act narcissist. That portion of the story reminded me of the surrogate mother in Nemesis by Agatha Christie, this listen through especially, and I could clearly see the opening for Wentworth to have the scenario of ‘love killed her’ brought about (not going to say more and generate a spoiler in either book for those who have not read them, yet. I prefer to listen to Wentworth’s stories narrated by Diana Bishop as opposed to reading them and I think this audiobook makes for a great retro/vintage era whodunit; but, it could easily offend those who imagine that a retro read is going to reflect or uphold many of the social norms expected or accepted in Western Culture now.

I'm going to go back through so many of the links shared and read them more slowly: that is definitely one of them. A book that changed my life was Diana Waring's homeschool book Beyond Survival: I went from being a not/ can't/ aint gonna be a 'weird' home educator to embracing it 'my way' hook line and sinker. My DD has just officially graduated, this week , so the effect of that book has been long reaching. Those lovely critters are beyond naughty! But we love them, well .....most days. The fence posts are all treated pine (wow! cedar is a wood only used for finishing here!) A book Q: If you've read Emily Eden's The Semi-Detached House, am I going to have to prepare for a 'drowning in the Floss' moment? Those Belted Galloways (Belties) are a breed we'd covet to have - their imprint is too big for our property though and the cost of a miniature beltie put's them out of our price range. I enjoy whatever you do have to share, and have ended up reading so many of the non-fiction books you've added detail to here. That comment has me re-adding this to my library holds. Looking forward to seeing what your thoughts on this one are; it's on my do-I-want-to-read-it-or-not list. @Robin M thank you for all the work you put in to crafting these threads for us!

Your BaW buddies are definitely 'interested' 😄🥰 Well done Amy, looking forward to seeing your book with a cover, and, available for us to purchase and read. Such clever hands Sandy! Flat out admire your crafting skill .... hoping we get to peek at your finished creation.

Thinking about our Aussie friends, family, and boardies, every day ... and wondering how each of you here are faring.

I completed the book @aggieamy mentioned (such a good book) and I too am keen to listen to more by this author. Death in Captivity: A second world war mystery ~ Michael Gilbert, narrated by Gordon Griffin (4+) I should have taken note of Amy's comment above devouring it in one go, as Death in Captivity is definitely a story that you'll want to swallow down in one seating 🙂 Enjoyable vintage mystery. The forward at the being of the audiobook adds depth to the story being told. For me, the book felt like a chance to revisit The Great Escape, though in Italy, with shades of John Buchan's Thirty-nine Steps, and, a dash of Agatha Christie with plenty of red herrings .... I could bot work out who had dunnit. Fun listening. (I did increase the speed of the book as the narration felt too slow). Quote to note: Things always sound worse by someone who's tried it and failed. Extra for others that like to know things like this too: some Grandpa generation cursing (no f.bombs). A few joking suggestions are made about an Italian Officer's sexual preferences.

It's taken me from 9am this morning until now, 3pm, to piecemeal read through last weeks thread 😀 I'm just going to post on this new one and come back another day. Thank you... love the photos shared last week: the pictures are windows into completely different "worlds" to the one I live in. I have not started The Hobbit yet ... but @Lori D.'s (Amazing) reading notes that mention the trolls, made me think about our cows and how The Hobbit influences our naming of them so often...... the first picture (L front: Tom, back steer is Burt.) Dd named some of 2015's calves after the trolls in The Hobbit... they definitely sport the very troll like booby expression. “You’re a booby,” said William. “Booby yerself!” said Tom.” Tolkien (I cannot get a picture of William, he's a very, very shy boy and doesn't like the camera.) This second photo includes three of our most current Hobbitons, Lowline Angus, named after Bilbo's friends: (L to R: Bifur, Bofur, Bombur (hidden), and then Coal, and, Char) A portion of Bilbo's farewell speech rings true for us with these boys, 'I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.' They're in the house paddock atm and in this pict had gathered to listen to Dd playing on the piano.

Hoping Ds can locate his printed copy of The Hobbit as mine are all packed away: it'll be no hardship to begin with the audiobook 😉 I've just completed the audiobooks for Tales from the Perilous Realm (Middle-earth Universe) ~ J.R.R. Tolkien, narrated by Derek Jacobi (3.5). I liked the "faery" tale concerning Smith of Wootton the most; Leaf of Niggle, Roverandom and the story of Famer Giles were all pretty good but not ones I’d listen to again or wished I’d read to my children. Even with Derek Jacobi reading it I still wasn’t that interested in the verses for Tom Bombadil and started skipping through them. Also finished Village Diary: Fairacre Bk2 ~ Miss Read, narrated by Carole Boyd (4). I think the interview with the author at the end really made this audiobook. Even though the book is (obviously 🙂 ) about village life and it may seem like nothing much is happening in Miss Read's books, they have a charming yesteryear feel about them and I love listening to them. I do think I prefer the Thrush Green series more than this one though, admittedly fiction stories about schoolhouse marms are not my most preferred topic to read about.... Added to that the Fairacre books are written in first person, and Thrush Green is in third person which the author states she found easier to write, and, I found easier to read when I compared the two series. (Extra, for others that like to know in advance : abusive father, husband is cheating on his wife and the advice given to her is meh!) I can't seem to settle to working out any challenges for this year, things feel a bit up ended with 98% of my reading life stacked away in boxes so I'm just going to see how many printed books I end up reading this year, hoping for 24 but that feels ambitious this month, and listen to as many audiobooks as time and tasks allow. I'm happy with that.

This! Absolutely. (Home educating my Dc exploded my reading world right open in the best way) **** adding an extra from my growing years: Milly-Molly-Mandy books ... I loved the thought of her pink and white striped frocks. (Seeing the covers upthread 😀 I read Cherry Ames too.)

and a spoon of sugar 😉 (English Breakfast is any time of day favourite) Love your pictures!! Thanks for sharing a snippets of the world you live in and visit that I may never get to in my life time: very enjoyable.

One of my favourite first ever chapter books/readers was a book about Deborah Sampson, I think its title is Six Silver Spoons. Loved Pippi Longstocking, Black Beauty ( which I avoid like the plague now) and Caddie Woodlawn.

Will you continue reading on through each next book in their new series?