Praying

Fun! As others have said I read Year One recently and really enjoyed it. Personally I would describe it as dystopian with fantasy elements thrown in. A great popcorn read if you like dystopian. It isn’t typical Nora Roberts which is the main reason I’m not picking it for the autograph because I really did like it. All three of us (Robin, Kareni, and I) have read a whole bunch of Nora Roberts over the years. :lol: For siggy’s I would probably be between any in Death or Key of Light.

Happy Birthday!!!!!

Thanks for the link! I know I wasn’t the person reading The Coroners Lunch recently but I have read it and enjoyed it. It’s a series I need to get back to. If you have a Kindle you may want to check out your library’s Overdrive borrowing. No fines because the books just disappear. I think one of our members was able to sign up for a huge Overdrive library in your state for free as a resident. Huge. :) Glad to see you back. I loved the Sookie books and have also read her other series. I think 1Q84 is my favorite Murakami so far. I am planning to start my Wind/ Pinball Murakami series Before the start of next week. I think I am going to have to read a couple of lighter books after finishing my current Man in the Empty Suit before tackling Murikami. Strange dreams last night that were definitely from that rather odd book( Empty Suit). Time travel with multiple main characters......as in the same character multiple times. All the multiple hims meet each year in a dystopian New York for a party. My dreams concentrated on the fact that you aren’t supposed to meet yourself when time traveling. Obviously it’s weighing heavily on my brain! : lol: Close to done so will start my Mary Balogh before bed after finishing Empty Suit. I suspect it will take me awhile to know what I think of Empty Suit!

I’m so glad to see so many new and familiar faces appearing on this thread! I know my list is really going to grow. This is not pressure in the slightest to participate in any of the challenges but I want to make sure everyone knows you can count books in multiple challenges. For instance Murder on the Orient Express can be counted multiple ways.........Bingo, it could be the mystery or cozy.....Alphabetical by Author as C for Christie.......Alphabetical by Title as M for Murder.......Blossomology (?) it has E, M and O, depending on the flower of the month. So one book could be part of at least four challenges. Two years ago I did none of the challenges and am currently rather addicted. Like others I have an abandoned shelf on Goodreads. I tend to put books on that shelf that I want to make sure I don’t find myself tempted to read again. I frequently return many after a few pages because they are due or not the right book for the mood I am in. These aren’t given the abandoned shelf treatment but may be removed from want to read lists. ;) I recently read one of my returned previously books and still didn’t love it. According to my kindle I quit around the 20% mark. It is part of a series that I plan to read this year. It needed to be read........I still did not like it. If I am not loving a book I normally quit around 20% on my kindle. If it isn’t good by that point it normally doesn’t improve. I don’t count those in any form even if I read the last few pages. After the 50% mark I consider myself committed and always try to finish via skimming and skipping through. Normally I count those. Obviously 20% to 50% is a grey area. :)

I've been looking at Victoria and Abdul as a potential book for my book to movie square so I really hope it improves! I'm not sure that the book came first but we were on IoW when it was being filmed. I haven't seen the movie either. :lol: So maybe we should just say I am curious...... I have to admit I also prefer to store my books at the library. After giving away and donating a huge book collection when we moved to England I just can't do it again. One odd side effect has been I don't reread as much as I once did. Thanks to Overdrive many of my favourites are probably more accessible (a few clicks) than ever but I seem to have lost interest.

I have managed to lose my first post of the new year. So one more time......but shorter! I have to admit that I am really looking forward to the challenges. Bingo, Alphabetical, and Flowers all all in my plans. Obviously the British Mysteries.... :lol: ;) I have my first Bingo book ready to start for Elephant on the Cover. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24717411-the-unexpected-inheritance-of-inspector-chopra. It's been on my wish list for quite awhile. I also have Wind/Pinwheel ready to go for my Murakami. Can't wait! I ended up putting some of Robin's other suggestions on hold. Fun list! Currently reading The Man in the Empty Suit https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13531802-man-in-the-empty-suit and listening to It Devours! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34522639-it-devours which is the new Night Vale book. Dd loved it.

I’m sorry. :grouphug:

I have finished for 2017. Heading out shortly for a get together with friends and then up the tower to ring in 2018. I may or may not be back tonight so Happy New Year everyone! ☺ Goodreads says I have a prime number....someplace I have an error because my shelves don't total and they did last week. It's prime and I am going with it. So 307 books last year, with 17 shorts I think, of that at least 34 were audio. I finished spelling my last birthstone this afternoon. I have loved this challenge and already have Chrysanthemum planned from my various bookshelves. I still need to do some serious Bingo planning. T. The Witches Tree by MC Newton U. UNSUB by Meg Gardiner R. The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper Q. The Quant's by Scott Peterson U. The Unkindness of Ravens by Ruth Randall O. Year One by Nora Roberts I. Immortal and the Island of Impossible Things by Gene Doucette S. How the Finch Stole Christmas by Donna Andrews E. Immortal at the Edge of the World by Gene Doucette

So you sent me off to google messy hair hats. I found this https://knithacker.com/2016/12/everyones-going-crazy-for-knit-and-crochet-ponytail-hats-aka-messy-bun-beanie-free-patterns/ and have added about 20 patterns to my Ravelry account. Almost wish I had discovered these before Christmas...... So cute. Maybe I will make some. But that quilt is waiting for me.....

My kids are older also but I am from the right area. Feel free to pm me with questions. Like Laura I recommend getting a copy of The Well Trained Mind to read. It really is the best book out there for home education with enough practical information so you can plan. Eta....I missed the part about already having TWTM. Glad you are finding it helpful.

I have a quilt started for our local show in September. Patchwork of the Crosses pattern and planning to piece and quilt by hand. I’ve already reduced the size! :lol:

Only one book to go and I am done with my challenges! I will end on a Prime and have spelled Turquoise. 2017 Alphabetical by Author A. Andrews, Donna...........Six Geese A-Slaying B. Braun, Lillian Jackson......The Cat who Played Brahms C. Carlisle, Kate ........Ripped From the Pages D. Dennison, Hannah.......Murderous Mayhem at Honeychurch Hall E. Elgin, Anthony........The Trail of the Wild Rose F. Flanagan, John A.........Storm Peak G. Grisham, John........The Whistler H. Hayley, Noah.......Before the Fall I. Irdridason, Arnaldur......Reykjavik Nights J. James, Miranda..........Digging Up the Dirt K. Kellerman, Faye......Bone Box L. Lovett, Charlie.......The Lost Book of the Grail M. McGuire, Seanan.......Midnight Blue-Light Special N. Neil, Chloe........Biting Cold O. Olson, Melissa...... Midnight Curse P. Penny, Louise......Bury Your Dead Q. Quinn, Julia...... Brighter Than the Sun R. Rice, Patricia......Must Be Magic S. Stevenson, DE.....Vittoria Cottage T. Thompson, James.......Lucifer’s Tears U. Upson, Nicola.........Angel with Two Faces V. Vernon, John.......Wolf Lake W. White, Karen........The Guests on South Battery X. Xiaolong, Qiu ........Death of a Red Heroine Y. Yu, Ovidia........Aunty Lee’s Delights Z. Zettel, Sarah.....Palace of Spies While I was typing this I realized that this is actually a list of some of my favorite authors. Not necessarily the book listed but the author. A few diversions because I needed a hard letter but a list that actually reflects me. :)

I love her books. What more than I say except no z.....it makes me so sad to think she didn't get to finish her BIG project. So sad about her passing. I hate cancer. I want to add that I really don't want a Z by other authors. That seems wrong.

VC, I love the lists at a quick glace. I plan to have a closer look tomorrow. Ds loved loved When Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. ;). I have no idea what was in that book and am probably happier that way. :lol: I am so sad. :( Also sad about Z........ PCC stands for Parochial Church Council. Each individual Church of England church has one. They run it. They do whatever they vote for within a particular Church and the Diocese tries to advise.... That honestly sums it up from experience. Basically the PCC in charge of running that particular Church. They hire the vicar, he is paid by the larger Diocese but the PCC and the Wardens are also his bosses. The wardens are the small group of the PCC in charge of day to day, everything from opening the doors to coordinating the electric to be fixed. Wardens do work hard. But being a Vicar is hard, really hard. I assume that rector and vicar are interchangeable but do not know for sure.

I haven't looked at the other websites but I did take a closer look at Robin's 52 books the other night and discovered a Mind Voyages challenge. http://www.read52booksin52weeks.com/p/mind-voyages.html. For me actually enjoying a couple of Sci Fi books has been one of my accomplishments this past year. I am hoping to do one of the challenges from this list this year. She also has others listed.

I see the book in my account for both.

Loesje, A couple of idea's that you might like in the cozy genre with an interesting vicar and PCC issues. Not Barbara Pym type but I like them and think you might enjoy them. I love Judith Cutler in general. She writes great police proceduals. This is the first in a newish series which I am hoping she continues. In this one the new wife definitely struggles to meet expectations. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20767173-death-in-elysium?ac=1&from_search=true I love this series about a former MI5 agent turned Vicar. Max Tudor is wonderful! Eventually he falls in love with an unusual choice for a vicar's wife. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10946475-wicked-autumn?ac=1&from_search=true Raifta, Congratulations on your Bingo. The Invisible Library series is one of my favorites. Jane Louise, Welcome! I hope you decide to join us more often.

Great article!!!!

That should work. Everything I have read indicates that is how it is supposed to work. I seem to pick up extra readings when I move books on and off my currently reading list and accidentally hit read. When I actually read the book I have a double reading. I keep a 2017 shelf just so I can make sure my Goodreads challenge number is right or at least close. Since I like to record my novella's and short stories GR counts those in my total and I personally back them off. To get my Prime Number I may just have to use the Goodreads total.

Penguin, I did finish listening to The Dark is Rising the other day. I really enjoyed it and am glad I read it. Thank you so much for posting about the read along. I totally agree that it would be great fun to read it at a chapter a day throughout the holiday season. Maybe next year. I plan to start listening to the rest of the Susan Cooper series. My plan for January is to quilt intensely on my current hand quilting project for 2018's exhibit so lots of audio book time in my future hopefully. I am close to done with my U for the author alphabetical. I chose a series that might be good for Brit tripping and a book I had previously abandoned. Nicola Upson's Angel with Two Faces is intense. It also is about inc#st. Obviously that's why I quit once already. This time I continued and have to say its odd. I am so enjoying many parts of this book which is the fictional life of Josephine Try the great cozy author. I just reserved The Man in the Queue so I can pair up her books with this fictional fleshing out of her life. In reality very little is known about her compared to Christie and her other contemporaries. In this book she has just started writing what I think will be A Shilling for Candles. It's mystery story line in this one I could happily skip. Kathy, if you haven't figured out your Goodreads issue yet it can be fixed on the page where you record and rate the books. You should be able to simply delete that extra reading. I know from experience. ;)

I just took a look at a prime number table to verify my number definitely is and 137 is also on it. I am looking forward to trying Irene Huss during our Scandinavian month. At this point The Glass Devil is not one of the books my library has so it will be easy to avid. Thank you for the warning. Yeah for the Monday start! I might just manage the prime number. I had planned to edit this quote more but then looked at what I was deleting. I need to learn about bursts apparently. :lol: ds hasn't worked on my photos yet so we may be contacting you. This is the first year I have really participated in lots of challenges and the shelf feature on Goodreads is what made it work. I put books with potential for different challenges onto lots of shelves and go back and tidy my shelves at the end of the month. With Goodreads I don't get too stressed. Remind me of this the next time I can't find a book with an E in the title! ;) Shawne, My ds used to sit and crochet and knit with dd and I. He had a great time! We recently found some of his holey work. Great memories.....

Sue, I liked too. My likes are more mom hugs. I hope his recovery is faster then anticipated.

Not sure if this will help but dd liked it. Our textbook was a different edition bought used, very cheap. https://web.uvic.ca/hrd/latin/wheelock/