I am out of "likes!" I guess that is what will happen when you spend a whole day catching up on a whole week's worth :rolleyes: Rose, I'm trying to remember how many years ago I read this! I believe it was my first Heyer! I was shocked to find out how witty and funny she was when I found her Regency books. I enjoyed it. I remember that much, but I did find it a little heavy reading in some parts because of the meticulous research ;) You do heavy better than I though :laugh: I joined Goodreads to keep up with my older dd and one of my IRL friends. I also find it a bit confusing! Dd was laughing at me today because I only got around to recording 2 books on Goodreads last year so it said I didn't make my goal :lol: I'm hoping to figure it out and use it as a resource this year. I have a cousin, the one who introduced me to fantasy really...Eddings and Jordan, but we no longer live close and haven't taken the opportunity to catch up. Dh says he'll read Eddings one day but isn't interested in Jordan. One of my friend's husbands has read them all so I have had the opportunity to discuss them a bit with him. We had similar feelings about the last book. I'd love it if you pm'd me to tell me what you thought about the last book! I really should stop reading these posts and either start Frankenstein or begin my wrap up! But I'm feeling extremely lazy today!

Yes, that's it! Skye's college friends introduced it to her, and then us, this year. They all LOVE it! We had 6 last night because they made me play :laugh: Dh can always tell when I'm bluffing, it's so annoying, so I like it when I don't have a major role to play. The girls' friends last night had never played before, and they loved it as well.

So I haven't started on my wrap-up yet. I was hoping to finish one more book in 2015 (I did) and was waiting until then. I also have not got Microsoft Office on my new computer yet so I cannot access my 2015 Reading Log :glare: So I will just list the last four books I read and not do my normal "review." I finished The New Testament (KJV). It was a year long reading challenge with our church. I don't do well with Bible reading challenges...I don't like people to tell me what to read :laugh: but I am very pleased I finished! Dh read The Immortal Nicholas as a read aloud during December, finishing up right before Christmas. It was definitely NOT what I was expecting but I did enjoy it. My only complaint was there was a lot of death. As you know, not my favorite. I will probably reread it this year in December. I tend to miss things when listening to a book. This is one I'd like to physically read. I finally finished Sense and Sensibility. It was my "on the phone" book and also my "book with antonyms in the title." It truly is a favorite. I identify with Marianne in so many ways and therefore appreciate her growth and maturity through the story so much more. On this second or third reading (can't remember lol), I found so many little tidbits that I appreciated and so many quotes. But I'll only give you my most favorite, "Marianne could never love by halves; and her whole heart became, in time, as much devoted to her husband, as it had once been to Willoughby." And last night I finally finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I had been working on that for months! Harry fit right into my theme of immature, whiny boys in my reading this year :lol: How annoying! He just needs a good beating in books 4 and 5! I am looking forward to book 6, however, as I enjoy it! Dumbledore, as always, had many profound quotes but I have yet to master the art of marking quotes on Aly's Kindle. Harry Potter put me at 53 for the year :hurray: I was going to look at my past years to see how that compares, but alas, the Microsoft Office problem. I think that 53 is the most I've read since starting in 2008, but I'm not sure. I'll be working on my wrap up tonight and tomorrow (I hope) and am enjoying reading everyone else's!

I can send you Aly...she'd be all over that! She can't drive yet (she's counting down) but she has a grappling hook and a lock picking set :laugh: Dd's had a couple friends over last night. They played Blockus and then we all played Avalon, a new to us game this year that I really, really stink at because it requires deception. I stink at that!

Happy New Year!! I loved this quote, Negin! The bolded is so prevalent in our society today as we have so many who don't want to take responsibility for their own actions but instead want to blame someone or something else. I have not read any others, though if I run across them I certainly wouldn't be opposed ;) I did not notice all of the little inaccuracies you did, but there were a few that did tug at the edges of my reading. Books 10 and 11 are a slog for me! :ack2: And Jordan is one of my favorite fantasy writers. Since you are farther along than Robin ( :P ), I anxiously await you finishing the series. It would be nice to chat about the end with someone. I just finished filling in my challenge this afternoon. I did not make all 52 categories. I managed 43 out of the 52. Oh, and I always count my rereads! Though I rarely reread the same book in the same year. It's a book. I read it. It counts :D Skye was struggling with this as she totaled up her books today. She read Harry Potter 5 and 6 this year twice. Once before we went to Universal and once with the little girls that she nannies. (They just started book 7 before Christmas break). I told her to count them both! :tongue_smilie: I don't know if she did.

Skye loves it! She is already talking of owning the whole set. She has brought it to me many times to point out certain illustrations. We have enjoyed Holm's Turtle in Paradise, a lovely little book!

Aly received this as well! She has enjoyed the series so far. Aly also received the new James Dashner book, The Game of Lives, and The Scorch Trials. Skye got #2 and #3 in The Selection series and The Illuminae. Dh got his chicken book and Ted Cruz's new book. :hurray: My computer gave out two years ago (the port stopped charging) and so I was using Skye's old one that had a broken screen. So nice of your dh to get everything transferred over! I'm beginning to wonder! There is a boy or two in Aly's theater group that are into ukulele's. One was going to some big ukulele concert that sold out quickly. I may have hit 52 books last night. I really need to pull over my reading list so I can write reviews and do my updates!

Merry Christmas Everyone! Or a very blessed Friday :D After a crazy month I am enjoying just sitting on the couch with a dog in my lap (we are dog sitting for Aly's best friend) watching dd's putting together their Lego Dimensions and listening to dh give us little facts from his Christmas book, A Chicken in Every Yard. :laugh: I received no books for Christmas but I did receive a new laptop! I now can see the whole screen :lol: Skye bought this for herself for her birthday. She is reading it over Christmas break! Our family finished reading aloud The Immortal Nicholas today. It was different but good. I enjoyed it. I need to get my 2015 book list put on my new computer! Happy day to all!

Skye read Frankenstein in November and is eager to discuss it with us in January when we finish. She enjoyed it. The mom will find out on Tuesday what kind of treatment she'll have to go through. I expect to have them some. We did our own field trip with them to a nearby park that has farm animals. It was a lot of fun (and work...we are still working on listen and obey the "first" time :laugh: ) :seeya: so glad to see you!! I am home sick, again, while my family is out seeing the new Star Wars. :thumbdown: I had to give my ticket to one of dd's friends. This makes the 4th time this year. My immune system must have flown south for the winter :sad: I missed singing in our church's Christmas program this morning too. I just finished reading the King James Version of the New Testament tonight. Our church was doing a read along of the New Testament this year. I'm not very good at "read this in a year" type things, but I'm so glad I decided to join in. I think we were supposed to finish on Dec. 31st but I like reading my Bible in chunks to get into the flow of the Scriptures. I'm counting it as one whole book so I think that puts me at 50 for the year. I'm about 60% through Sense and Sensibility and over halfway through our read aloud of The Immortal Nicholas.

The mamma of the little kids I was taking care of finally had her baby today. A baby boy 9lbs 11oz! :w00t: That makes 4 little boys and 1 little girl! Both were doing well. She went ahead to the hospital by herself, and the baby came so fast that her dh didn't have time to take the littles anywhere else On to book related things... While recovering from a migraine two weeks ago, I finished listening to Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings. I know this book inside and out which made for easy listening for this non-auditory gal. I enjoyed the reader and, as always, the story, though I admit to once again being put off by the actions of a teenage boy lol. Though it was probably just the way the reader did the voice since I’ve never had that problem before. The Belgariad may be the book/series that I have read and reread the most. Eddings has an amazing way with developing characters! A MUST READ SERIES FOR ANY FANTASY LOVER. And today, while I should have been cleaning my house for Book Club on Thursday, I finished Magyk by Angie Sage which fulfilled the book for my Reading Challenge for an author with the same initials. This book had been sitting on my shelf for at least two years! I really enjoyed reading it, though a few parts dragged on a bit. I kept unconsciously comparing the Heap family to the Weasley family J I loved the Boggart for some reason and the part with the Dragon Boat was a wonderful twist. While I don’t feel the need to rush out and read the next one, I do believe I will continue the series when time allows. A GOOD FANTASY BOOK FOR KIDS. I'm currently in the middle of Harry Potter #5 (still) and Sense & Sensibility, and also very close to the end of the New Testament. I really need to finish the first two so that I can start 2016 fresh! Oh, and I also need to start Frankenstein for Aly's worldview class at co-op. I am so not into examining a book for it's worldview :ack2: On the whole, I like to read for pleasure to escape, NOT to think about some deeper meaning.

Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice! I love it 'cause there's no need to add sugar!! :grouphug: and dh makes the best little chocolate tea cakes with Earl Gray icing!!! :drool5: You would love them!! Jenn - forgot to multi-quote yours but I always enjoy listening whenever you post!

Stacia, :grouphug: my friend! Check out this link...if I was a millionaire, it would be winging it's way to you, but alas, I can only share the link! http://store.bookriot.com/collections/jewelry/products/slaughterhouse-five-necklace?variant=959847387

Loved your description!! If we are not out of town, yes they will probably be back. I'm actually working with the 7yo three times a week as she wanted to homeschool but is a bit overwhelmed right now. And I'm thinking that Tana French might be on the list for my dear cousin. Thanks! Thanks! I will check into the others as well! Her reading tastes and mine are so radically different but I'm always on the lookout here for books she might enjoy! Aww, thanks. I always wanted a large family so I simply LOVE having them here. Aly not so certain :tongue_smilie:

:seeya: It's been crazy, crazy here! I can't believe I've missed two weeks worth of posts :scared: but I haven't had time to think! Summing up ... a young lady at our church is due to have her 5th child any day and not in a great situation right now. I kept her 4 kiddos (7, almost 5, 3.5, and 15 months) all week last week as she thought she was being induced and they just found out she has cancer (again) so it was supposed to be an extended stay in the hospital. She wasn't induced, baby still hasn't come, so the kiddos went home Friday evening. Having 4 extra kids in the house 7 and under was challenging, crazy, tiring and absolutely fun. I am certain now that I could not foster. Loving on those kids all week and then seeing them go home was hard! My only reading time was at night while the baby was falling asleep on my lap, and when he was out, I was out soon after!! Question for you all...I would like to buy my cousin (and best friend) a book for Christmas. She is a huge James Patterson and Robert Galbraith (I think that's J.K. Rowling's other pen name) fan. Would she like Tana French? Or do you have any other suggestions? She is not prudish like me :lol: she'll read anything! Looking forward to catching up!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Best Christmas Pageant Ever this week! I had seen the movie a long time ago but had never read the book. What a little treasure! I was expecting a cute story and a couple chuckles. I got so much more out of it than that. True I did laugh out loud! A lot. But I was surprised by the little nuggets that kept popping up, the Herdman’s reaction to the Christmas story and especially about how the Herdman’s portrayal of Mary and Joseph seemed more realistic. Truly A SWEET CHRISTMAS BOOK, one that I may make a tradition to read. Quote: “It suddenly occurred to me that this was just the way it must have been for the real Holy Family, stuck away in a barn by people who didn’t much care what happened to them. They couldn’t have been very neat and tidy either but more like this Mary and Joseph (Imogene’s veil was cockeyed as usual, and Ralph’s hair stuck out all around his ears). Imogene had the baby doll but she wasn’t carrying it the way she was supposed to, cradled in her arms. She had it slung up over her shoulder, and before she put it in the manger she thumped it twice on the back.â€

:grouphug: This is the part of fostering that makes you truly amazing! I could totally take the little ones in but I couldn't let them go. Thanks! I may see if I can get it from the library!

I hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! We spent it at my parents with my cousin, her dh, and their two boys. Lots of eating, hiking, shooting, game playing, and reading. It was so warm Thurs and Fri that we were able to have a wiener/marshmallow roast! We were all sad to pack up and head home today. Our book reading list: Me - The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and began Magyk Skye - The Fifth Wave, Black Widow Forever Red and began Six of Crows Aly - Dracula and began Black Widow Forever Red my nephew - Michael Vey Storm of Lightning my cousin - began After You dh - The Immortal Nicholas We shopped at the local "junk" store on Black Friday :lol: and they had kid's books 20 for $1. I didn't have time to find 20 but I picked up a few, two of which are Five in a Row books that we didn't already own. Stacia, can I read this without having read any of the other Discworld novels? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this. Skye loved it but me, not so much. :lol: I was being nice in saying that the writing was really simplistic. But I've talked a lot about the book this week. :grouphug: Heather - so glad that you are not in pain anymore. Praying for a speedy recovery!

Last night I finished The Wave by Todd Strasser. I know this was a BaW rec but can't remember by whom. Wow. Dh and I are fond of using object lessons and getting kids involved when we are teaching, so I could relate to Mr. Ross. I understand that drive to have the kids “get it.†I was shocked by how quickly the experiment went south! As I was explaining what happened to dh this morning, I was surprised to realize that it all happened in less than two weeks! Maybe less than one! Though scary, I can only imagine that those kids (now adults) will never forget it. I believe I will have Aly read this when we get to World War II and Hitler early next year, and will probably share with my nephew who loves WWII stuff. Though a little simplistic in writing style, A POWERFUL SUBJECT MATTER. This also filled "a book based on a true story category" in my Reading Challenge.

Thank you for sharing! What a beautiful poem! Heather, I will be praying for you! Robin, didn't you hear my awesome rant last week on how one should really read the Chronicles of Narnia?!? :svengo: :lol: Negin, thank you for those beautiful quotes! It sounds like an amazing book. Happy day to all of you who are getting some time with your grown children :hurray:

I finished The Terminal Man by Michael Crichton this week for our book club. November’s challenge was to read a book published the year you were born. I tried a fantasy book that was one of dh’s favorite’s first. I didn’t really make it past the first page. It just didn’t grab me. I then went on to a Victoria Holt novel. I made it farther in but again, it just wasn’t grabbing my attention. I knew that Michael Crichton wouldn’t let me down. The Terminal Man wasn’t on the same level as some of his other works (The Andromeda Strain, Congo, Jurassic Park, and Sphere come to mind) but it certainly didn’t disappoint. It was interesting to see how far technology has come since the early 70’s. Also, there were some cultural things pertaining to the 70’s that I had forgotten or was too young to remember, like smoking in the hospitals. As always with a Crichton book, I was wondering what was real and what was fiction. He always keeps me guessing. A SATISFYING READ.

I was one of those people who was totally confused by The Princess Bride. In fact, I was so annoyed with trying to figure out what was real and what wasn't that it took some of the enjoyment out of the story. I also found Buttercup to be a very shallow character in the book. I think Robin Wright did a better job of bringing her to life in the movie. :lol: Oh, Nan, I can totally picture this!! I actually laughed out loud at my computer! I'm still smiling! I'm in! Happy Birthday, Robin! I hope your trip to the book store is productive ;)

I finished The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis this week. Aly was reading this for a Worldview class at co-op so I joined in. She was done long before me! It is definitely one of my two least favorite Narnia books, which is truly strange because it has one of my favorite chapters of all the Narnia books. Small rant here…I truly don’t understand the push to read the Narnia books in chronological order. They were republished in 1996 with new covers and the “new†chronological order. That’s less than 20 years ago. They were being read in the published order for double that time. I have no problem with people reading through them chronologically, but I believe that EVERYONE should enter Narnia through the wardrobe with Lucy. That is how the magic begins. I get so sick of young teens telling me that it would be so confusing starting Narnia with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and that it’s better to begin with The Magician’s Nephew. Um, kids for over 40 years found it not confusing at all. Frustrating! Ok, rant over, well, kind of. The Magician’s Nephew is not magical at the beginning, and you have to get into Narnia before the real magic begins. NOT a great introduction if you ask me. It still amazes me, however, how Lewis can write a wonderful, simple children’s story but have so much depth as well. NOT MY FAVORITE NARNIA, START WITH THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE INSTEAD! Quotes: “For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.†“Things like Do not Steal were, I think, hammered into boys’ heads a good deal harder in those days than they are now.†I guess I'm feeling opinionated today! I'm feeling the need for everyone to stand back and just throw chocolate...dark chocolate preferably :001_tt2: As I said, I'm working on The Terminal Man for my book club this week. I have also started Sense & Sensibility and am still trying to get through Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix! Funny side note - Skye finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince on Thursday with the two little girls she nannies. The older one cried for over an hour at the end of the book. I guess while the older one was crying the younger one was saying "Stop it! We need to keep reading!" :D

I'm finally getting around to reviewing the two books I've read in the last two weeks. My reading time has gone down a bit. I'm helping out a young woman at church who wants to homeschool her kids but hasn't really been able to keep up (due with the 5th one any day). Her oldest is 7 and I'm working with him a few days a week. Fun stuff and I'm enjoying it, but it has taken up some of my extra time. Anyways, I'm going to post separately because the first one got kind of long as I wanted to include an excerpt. I finally got my turn at the newest Michael Vey book, Michael Vey: Storm of Lightning by Richard Paul Evans. I’m realizing that I’m in a critical slump. Michael Vey is a great YA series. It’s clean, adventurous and age appropriate for a true YA audience. I am truly hooked on the actual story line, and this book left us with a major cliffhanger (or hangcliffer as one of my little ones in church would say :lol: ). That said, as with other YA books I’ve read this year, I find the dialogue between the teenage characters just a little trite. Like I said, I think I’m just being overly critical, but I truly get annoyed with the stating of “he’s my boyfriend†or “my girlfriend so and so.†Really. We’ve read five books. We know the characters so please stop repeating it. Overall, I enjoyed the furthering of the story line and can’t wait to find out just who The Voice really is. Despite my complaints, A GREAT YA SERIES. Quote spoken by the bad guy who wants to take over the world, well, actually an excerpt that I couldn’t get out of my head as I felt that it pertains to what is happening in our own country today, and possibly stood out more because of all the dystopian novels I’ve read this year: “How do I make them hate each other?†“You begin by teaching them that they have been wronged by one another – that they are victims of a grave injustice-and encourage them to embrace their victimhood.†“What if they haven’t been wronged?†“Everyone has been wronged…Everyone. And if you can’t find a potent enough current injustice, then borrow someone else’s.†… “Unfortunately, the … people are of the same race and culture, as cultural disparity is the easiest way to divide a nation. But divisions in humanity can always be found. Turn men against women and women against men. Divide the young from the old, the rich from the poor, the educated from the uneducated, the religious from the nonreligious, the privileged from the under-privileged. Teach them to shame others and to use shame as a tool to their own ends. Make the ridiculous ideal of ‘equality’ their rallying cry. Let them get so caught up in their supposed moral superiority that they’d rather see all men grovel in poverty than rise in differing levels of prosperity. Do not let them see that there has never been nor ever will be true equality, in property or rights. Equality is not the nature of the world or even the universe. Even if you could guarantee everyone the same wealth, humans would reject the idea. They would simply find a different standard to create castes, as there will always be differences in intelligence, physical strength, and beauty…In dividing the young from the old, do not teach the youths the error of their elders’ ways, as they may see through…propaganda. Instead, mock their elders. Mocking requires neither proof nor truth, as it feeds the fool’s ego.†“The second rule is to keep the people distracted from the weightier and more complex matters of liberty and justice. Keep them obsessed by their amusements-just as the Roman emperor Commodus gave the Roman people games to distract them from his poor leadership. A championship soccer team may do more to ease a public’s suffering than a dozen social programs. If your subjects can name a movie star’s dog but not the president of their country, you have no need to fear.†… “You will learn…that human nature is a game. Learn to control the few, and you will someday control the masses…Give them hate. Give them games.â€

:hurray: I'm still about 13 books away from finishing. I'm beginning to doubt I will :glare: I started two books published the year I was born and gave up on both. Picked up the third last night (Michael Crichton's The Terminal Man - Crichton usually doesn't disappoint but ugh the language). Skye has already begun collecting the Cozy Classics, lol. She is also planning on buying her friend who just had a baby one ;) We are huge Calvin and Hobbes fans here, too. Dh introduced me to them when we married and our girls have read them over and over. Dh loves Spaceman Spiff. I love the snowman ones!

I read The Princess Bride in January of this year. I'm curious to hear your review of it. It was not what I expected. I'm so glad you are getting this taken care of sooner rather than later!