Brand, please? I'm inching toward a Whole 30 by trying to identify compliant recipes, etc. Solving the coffee issue would help.

Ireland. Live Irish music in pubs. And cool sites. And live Irish music. And beautiful scenery. And did I mention the music? My second choice would be Wales. More castles than you can shake a stick at. Although I really should give Scotland another try. On my previous trip, I forgot to pack gloves and thermals. Silly me. It was only June. The good news is, you really can't go wrong.

I'm planning to fill that square with Jo Walton's book The King's Peace. I've only read four of her books so far, but she's already become an author I trust to take me anywhere and have the journey be worthwhile.

We were away for the three-day weekend, so I've only had a chance to skim this week's thread. I want to return later in the week to give Eliana's post the attention it deserves. I finished Annihilation (the Nebula winner for best novel) and The Three-Body Problem (the Hugo winner for best novel). Each is the first book in a trilogy. On the one hand, Annihilation was a short, easy read. On the other hand, it was a difficult read for me because there are parts that are very visual, and as a very Not Visual reader, I couldn't quite picture what I was supposed to be picturing. Also, the main character is cold and distant, which kept me at a bit of an emotional distance from the book. The author does a great job of setting the tone--horror that continues to grow--and the situation is intriguing. However, I am unlikely to pick up the second book in the trilogy. There are other worlds calling to me, and this one didn't grab me enough to make me delay visiting them. The Three-Body Problem dragged a bit for me in the middle third. It's hard science fiction, and based in physics, to boot. In high school, I replaced physics with a second period of newspaper staff, and my adult attempts to fill in the resulting hole in my education have not gone well. I read the words, but the physics knowledge does not come. That said, the first and final third more than made up for the drag in the middle. The look at the Cultural Revolution was fascinating, and the problem posed is intriguing. The translation is first-rate. I am a little nervous, because the second book in the trilogy has a different translator, but I will definitely be finishing the trilogy. I am currently reading Ancillary Justice on my own, and Watership Down with my youngest.

That seems harsh. It sounds like they need financial assistance, but I didn't see anything that would indicate the kids need to be removed. Better to support the mom and aunt to care for them than to remove them.

Thanks for the info about the rest of the trilogy. Book 1 wasn't too odd to be an enjoyable reading experience, but it was odd enough that it kept me from caring whether I learned more about the world or not. I also tend to be attracted to characters more than ideas in books, and the biologist did not engage my emotions. That said, my decision not to continue with the trilogy is more about how continuing in this world compares to entering the worlds in my TBR pile. I have Ancillary Justice waiting, for example, and lots of Jo Walton books I haven't read yet. Southern Reach just doesn't exert enough of a pull to put those off.

I am keeping an eye on this thread, because I'm toying with doing a food challenge of some kind starting next Thursday. I can't decide if I should do Whole 30 or try vegetarianism for a month. (I am trying to break my usual habit of turning DH's absence into an excuse to eat Ben & Jerry's by the pint, frosting and graham cracker sandwiches, peanut M&Ms by he bagful, etc.) However, you guys are scaring me. Wanting to kill all the things doesn't sound good when you're the only adult in a house with multiple teens. Would you recommend it for someone with no suspicion of food sensitivities who wants to lose 10-15 pounds and eat more veggies?

I just finished Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer. It has an interesting premise, but it ended up being too odd for me to relate to. I am curious to see if my feelings change as time passes, especially after I hear it discussed at the convention I'm going to this weekend. It's the first book in a trilogy, but I don't think I'll read the others. Interestingly, this book, which won the Nebula for Best Novel in 2015, has 195 pages. The book that won Best Novella has, according to my Kindle, 190 pages.

Thanks! Added this to my list.

My first two books of the year were ones I started in 2015. Welcome to the Episcopal Church is a brief intro to (obviously) the Episcopal Church. We've been attending one for almost two years, and the priest recommended this book to the newcomers in the congregation. I found the history of the Episcopal Church in America to be more interesting than I expected, especially the discussion of the differences that arose from being a state church (as it was in Virginia) or a church that was planted by congregations in England (as it was in New England), and how they had to reconcile those differences to create a national Episcopal Church. I also found that the author articulated some of things I love about the church but had been unable to express clearly, specifically the attraction to "both/and" theology instead of "either/or." It did not, however, answer some of the questions I was hoping it would. I think I need to read the author's volume specifically on worship to get those answers. Possible bingo category: Nonfiction Sing for Us is a novel set in a Confederate army hospital during the closing months of the Civil War. From the book jacket: During the dying days of the Civil War, Letha Bartlett lovingly tends to the wounded in a Confederate hospital in Richmond, Virginia. A widow herself, her gentle touch and fiercely protective personality bring comfort and courage to the soldiers in her care. When Granville Pollard, a Northerner who spurned his Union father to fight for the Confederacy, enters the ward, Letha is captivated by his cultured bearing and singing voice. Granville has lost both his fiancée and his feet to the war, leaving him emotionally and physically crippled. Together with a gruff patient named Sergeant Crump, Letha mends Granville, restoring his hope for a future. But the war is not over and death hovers, striking a blow that will plunge Letha and Granville into an abyss from which only the most faithful love can save them. Based on a true story, Sing for Us is a riveting tale of love and hope in the last days of the Civil War. Possible bingo category: Historical I read The Winter's Tale by Shakespeare because I'd never read it and because I bought The Gap of Time after seeing it talked about here, among other places, and I wanted to read the original before I read the "cover." It was a fun play, although I do wonder why we give Shakespeare a pass on things that we would eviscerate another author for. Bohemia having a sea cost, for example, or a woman posing as a statue (and having people believe it!). Possible bingo categories: Play, Dusty, Classic (Nautical and Set in Another Country are probably a stretch) Yesterday's Kin by Nancy Kress is the winner of last year's Nebula for Best Novella. From the book jacket: Aliens have landed in New York. After several months of no explanations, they finally reveal the reason for their arrival. The news is not good. Geneticist Marianne Jenner is having a career breakthrough, yet her family is tearing itself apart. Her children Elizabeth and Ryan constantly bicker, agreeing only that an alien conspiracy is in play. Her youngest, Noah, is addicted to a drug that keeps temporarily changing his identity. The Jenner family could not be further apart. But between the four of them, the course of human history will be forever altered. Earth’s most elite scientists have ten months to prevent a disaster—and not everyone is willing to wait. I enjoyed this quite a bit, although not as much as her earlier novella Beggars in Spain. Possible bingo category: Female Author I'm currently reading The Three-Body Problem (last year's Hugo winner for Best Novel), and I have Annihilation (last year's Nebula winner for best novel) and Ancillary Justice (winner of the 2013 Nebular for Best Novel) waiting in the wings. January is turning into a month heavy with science fiction and fantasy, because we have a newish family tradition of attending a convention in January or February, and panels get more interesting if you've read the novels they are discussing. Hence my rush to read the current award holders before a panel on Saturday evening.

For science fiction, you might try John Scalzi. Redshirts is fun, especially if he's seen some episodes of the original Star Trek. I just finished Lock In, which is a quick read that raises some interesting issues. He might also like the book I'm currently reading--The Three-Body Problem, which is a science fiction novel translated from Chinese. It won the Hugo last year. It starts during the Cultural Revolution. I'm about 15% in, and it's very interesting so far.

Also, we do talk about "return on investment" in terms of college, but we don't mean that as parents we are expecting to get a return from our kids. We mean that we only have a set amount of money to spend on our kids, and we want to spend it in the way that will benefit the kids the most. Should we pay for braces? A car? Travel? Dance lessons? Science camp? Fashionable clothes? Organic food? A creative writing degree? A down payment on their first house? We have to choose, and we choose based on what we think will return the most to our kids.

There is a middle ground between students picking a major that they love with no realistic thought to how they will support themselves and parents forcing the child into a soul-sucking major and career path. I used to be all about college as personal development. I have an English degree, and it's worked out quite well for me. However, the world is different now. People who get hired for the job I had fresh out of school usually don't have a plain English degree these days. And the cost of college relative to everything else makes it very costly (in many cases) to pursue a major that won't increase your odds of getting hired or your salary. My husband (a novelist and literary agent) also has an English degree, and he wishes he'd studied something else. I encourage my kids to think about what they love to study, what kind of job they want, and what kind of lifestyle they want, and to make college choices with all three things in mind.

It turns out my library has a copy, so I'm going to borrow this one and let you send yours on to someone who can't easily borrow it. Thanks again, though. It makes me smile that you were willing to send it. :-)

That's very generous of you. I'm touched.

Happy new year! Thanks for this mention. Denmark is one of my reading themes this year, so I've added this to my list.

I was desperate to read a good book after Zorba, so I devoured Lock In by John Scalzi. Great plotting and tension, and yet it raises interesting questions about individuality and disability. Scalzi was a new author to me this year. This was the fifth book by him that I read. I can't decide if this is my favorite, or if that honor goes to Redshirts. I recommend both.

It's our current book for my IRL book club, and I forced myself to finish it so I could rant from an informed position. [emoji6]

I just finished Zorba the Greek. I do not see why people consider this a classic. It's the most anti-female book I have ever read.

I'm trying to decide if I should read History of he Ancient World this year, or if I should skip ahead to read History of the Renaissance World with all of you. Anyone have thoughts or advice? I need to decide soon so I can order the book. I know from experience that this is not the sort of book I want to read on my Kindle.

March works!

I read all of Jemisin's published books in the last 14 months, and The Fifth Season is definitely the hardest to get into, although I'm glad I stuck with it. Killing Moon is her easiest book.

January and July already have full reading queues, but any other month would work for me.

I'm at 62 books so far, but I'm hoping to get to 63 because I'm eager to finish Zorba the Greek (a book club selection) and get on to something more worthwhile. This was a year with few flops, but also no 5-star books. Admittedly, I am stingy with 5-star ratings. Approximately 40% of my books this year were written by men. (I'm working off a written list, and I can't remember the author for a couple of them.) The nonfiction/fiction split was 20%/80%. Slightly over a third of my books were science fiction or fantasy. Top 5 books of the year: Farthing The Boys in the Boat Our Souls at Night The Martian Blackout / All Clear (technically two separate books, but really one story)

Can I join? This book came with our house, and I'd like to read it before I toss it. (It's moldy, so not a candidate for passing on.) I tried this year, but couldn't get into it at the time. I think company will help.