Since my family doesn't eat either I have no idea. People usually bring out the squeeze bottle and I stay far away! Never seen a traditional jar brought out. Ever. Didn't know they even sold it that way.

While I can believe people would put mayo on pizza it's not common in the UK. I've never seen it done. Also, at least where I live, mayo is referred to as salad cream. Whatever people call it I can't stand the stuff and would certainty have noticed if people were putting it on pizza. Corn on pizza was big in the 90's in the UK. It's not common now. Occasionally someone will special order it on but normally a vegetarian pizza doesn't come with. A friend likes it. I've tried it and it isn't bad, just sort of moist. ? A good friend (very British guy for his personality) has pointed out to me on numerous occasions American pizza is not really pizza. Italian pizza is pizza, nice proper thin crust. His daughter is dc's best friend and last summer the gang tried pretty much every version of American pizza dh could find to bring in. Stuffed crust, thin crust, meat lover's etc from multiple places etc. at their weekly game night. I think we disturbed him with our odd (to him) versions from Dominos, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's. One of them gives a ranch based garlic sauce in the UK. The last time we had it in the US it was a garlic butter. Other then that the same as far as we could tell. We once had an incredible Cajun pizza in France from Domino's.

Praying

I loved The Golem and the Jinni also. Maybe Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Great book. Your Dd did such a great job! She came so close to finishing. I had a hard time with those categories too.

Reading Wrap Up for 2017Reading Wrap Up for 2017 · Where did your reading take you this year? All the continents except Antartica. My favorites were the Scandinavian mysteries closely followed by my Japanese authors. I loved The Devotion of Suspect X and my Murikami (Norwegian Wood) start to 2017. Looking forward to exploring both places further in 2018: · What was your reading goal for the year and did you meet or beat your personal goal? Did you end with a prime number of reads? I exceeded my goal. As for ending with a prime number I might. ;). Several books in progress...... · Top 5 (or more) favorite reads? 1). Pretty everything by Louise Penny. :lol: I gave most of them 5’s. 2). Same thing for DE Stevenson. 3). Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 4). Where he Dead Lie by CS Harris because it’s the latest in my favorite series. 5)The Lost book of the Grail by Charlie Lovett · Which book stayed with you the longest after finishing it? The Zookeeper’s Wife · Which book made you want to read it all over again? Pretty much all the DE Stevenson books. · Which book did you think you were going to love, but didn't? My Tom Clancy Bingo read. Although I do remember it really well......all 50 or so hours of it! · Which genres or authors you thought you'd never read and was pleasantly surprised to like them? BaW has made me a fan of dystopian novels. I have also enjoyed some books set in outer space. · Which countries and time periods did you visit? Thanks to Sarum I pretty much covered all time periods.......it was so very long! I probably spent the most time in the U.K. I covered my Asian and Scandinavian reading already. · Which mini challenges did you enjoy? As usual I love Spooky October. I really enjoyed the monthly birthstones and can’t wait to start my flowers. Of course I have to finish spelling Turquoise first! Edited to fix a massive copy and paste problem.

I read many great books this year so it's really hard to pick. ;) On Goodreads I gave many of Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache mysteries 5* during my recent series read. I had read the first three previously and liked but did not love them. When I kept hearing how great the series was I decided to try them one more time. Wonderful characters and stories. https://www.goodreads.com/series/42154-chief-inspector-armand-gamache

I love London and would definitely go. We walk after we arrive at King's Cross as much as possible and find that takes much of the crowded feel out of our visits. Lots of great ideas already suggested.

:grouphug: VC, I feel your pain! No dishwasher and no water in the kitchen for Christmas is so not fun. I hope Wednesday goes well! Raifta......I finished my mystery by John Flanagan and was surprised to discover that he is also the author of the Ranger's Apprentice series that my son and his friends all loved at about 10. I had forgotten this series for boys. Storm Peak https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6372496-storm-peak was a good adult mystery. Some adult content and some violence but nothing huge. It is set in Steamboat Springs and centers around skiing. As a former ski enthusiast (my back surgery ended that activity) I lived vicariously through this book for a few hours. Fun read and glad I had to read it for my alphabetical author challenge. I will definitely read the next book in this series soon. Off to attempt to finish The Dark is Rising. I am so close.....

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates! I feel very fortunate to be part of such a wonderful group! I hope everyone has a lovely day. I have already hopefully had my oops moment for this holiday. I decided to take the gift opening photos using the new iPad. Why???? I didn't know what the "live" in the corner meant and wasn't concerned. I should have been. I have a whole lot of photos that move a bit. Actually fun but we have no still photos now. Ds says he will fix them for me. Negin, I love your DD's book boat link. The pictures are beautiful!

I now track on Goodreads but the first couple of years that I belonged to BaW I kept track in a notebook. Goodreads is pretty easy and if I can say that believe me it is. We would be happy to answer any questions. I have no clue how to do Mister Linky and it certainly is not a requirement for BaW. I only recently started enjoying the challenges on BaW. At first it was simply a place where I learned about new authors. I recently had my old (2013) notebook out and glanced at my long wish list and am happy to report that I have tried many of those books now! I've done the Bingo a couple of years now. It's fun but I doubt I could have done it when the dc's were younger.

I just wanted to say I 'm excited Ali and Scoutermom are planning to read the Dark is Rising in the coming week or so. Maybe we can all list our favorite parts???? Or any other idea. I have about an hour left on my audio book. Maybe I will have a chance to listen to it tomorrow but am a bit doubtful. :!o!: I am also planning to do my year end wrap up in parts throughout the week. I am still trying to finish my challenges and still think I can. I am currently reading a murder mystery called Storm Peak https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6372496-storm-peak chosen because the author's name starts with an F and it is shorter than the new Ken Follet sequel to Pillars of the Earth which is what I had planned. The Follet will be my first book of the new year because it will fill a Bingo square. I have to say as a mystery lover Storm Peak has me intrigued so having to switch my be positive. I had to compromise with my Z author also because the book I wanted is still on hold. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17165966-palace-of-spies

:grouphug: It's lovely!

I don't want to air my old grievances one more time so let's just say I would love to return to my previous comfort levels in the place I live. That's all, just what I had would be lovely.

I have started reading Year One just because I want to! :lol: It was a present and I could not resist. So far I love it! The very first chapter was very reminiscent of The Dark is Rising with both rooks and an ancient prophecy all set in a Scottish wood. Now it reminds me of one of my all time dystopian favorites, The Passage. A bit more magical so far. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34311452-year-one. I also finished the Death of a Red Heroine https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/126606.Death_of_a_Red_Heroine by Xiaoping for my A to Z author challenge. It was really well done and the first in the series. I read the second book in the series previously and liked it well enough. (3*) I am not sure if it is just my preference for starting at the beginning of a series shining through but I loved this one.(5*) I am planning to read the third in the series when BaW visits Asia next month. Can't wait to find out what happens next! :)

Penguin, What a neat day for a birthday! I suspect when you were living in Denmark he had lots of comments about the darkest day of the year. People's moods always lift when we start getting a few more moments of light every single day! It's definitely the first time I have read this book also. All I remember from my Susan Cooper reading with the dc's is I am sure pigs were involved. No pigs so it definitely is new to me. :lol: Really enjoying it. I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading that level of children's fiction. I need to pick a couple more out for 2018. I think the 11 yo boy is done perfectly. I also like the old soul parts. Charles Bone https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9475.Midnight_for_Charlie_Bone?ac=1&from_search=true is another roughly 11yo magical boy, that series was one of my kids all time favorites. I think that 11 is such an interesting age. On one hand they are grown up, off to secondary education if you don't homeschool. I think in protest my kids and their friends bought a herd of My Little Pony's and played for a year at that point. It was apparently very cool but none of us knew at the time. :lol: Did you do Kareni's Regency Christmas quiz? The link is in post 51, I can't seem to copy. There is a question about the Yule log. That quiz has made me very aware of the Yule root in this book. Very interesting that it needs to be a root to last throughout the season. Not a tradition that is still followed where I am. People are far more apt to buy a bag of coal and treat themselves to a coal fire.....really warm and cozy. I did try and look at the twitter questions the first day. They are going by chapter. One was comparing it to Lucas's work, which I took to be the Star Wars movies. No idea where to start with that other than young boy........ Raifta, seconding the Dark is Rising suggestion. Dd actually suggested Charlie Bone for him also. It's marketed to the same age Harry Potter was originally.

Referencing red and white flowers together in and arrangement. Here is way more then you wanted to know. ;) It has to do with blood definitely, maybe sorrow......bad omens. I learned of this because an expat friend had a job at a florist for a short time. She was by herself and got an order for a hospital delivery that was along the lines of x cost flowers. She looked at what they had and make an awesome red and white arrangement. Then her boss arrived and completely freaked. No red and white to the sick....... Ever is safest. When we started with Church flowers and dd got beyond being supervised, ie handed her flowers, we were quietly warned about my red bounty. I used to donate loads of flowers to the Church. At that point it became a no white for dd pedestal so she could do her own thing without the red\white worry. Her arrangement was separate physically from the rest, the largest so dahlia's were perfect. I really have very little white in the garden, totally accidental. The Church rules were imposed by a long ago vicar's wife. No one really knew why but generally followed still. Sort of blindly followed like holly only in December. The problem with that is greenery which always comes from people's gardens is hard to find in the winter. Loads of holly and it's color variations. Can't even go through twelfth night with the holly. Christmas service then pull it. For Remembrance Sunday the Church is decorated with white flowers with the red paper poppies that are sold all over. So red and white.

Quoting, Just in case you have a minute to stop by.......I now know there is a part two and a part two continued. I am now in part two and will keep going through part two continued unless you tell me to stop. It’s very good! 🙂 Glad to see you back! Looks like you have read some great books! I am intrigued by the It’s All a Game and plan to go looking for that one. The flower challenge looks like fun! The British have lots of flower beliefs and superstitions. You can’t give sick people red and white flowers for instance. For some it doesn’t matter if you add yellow for instance. Fortunately I learned that one via a friendly warning not by doing. My garden overflows with red dahlias and glads in the summer so the odds of my committing that one was huge. Church flowers when dd was on that committee were a challenge at times too.

Mom Ninja, Congratulations on your Bingo! :grouphug: Raifta, I hope you find a way to ignore the odor. Steampunk ideas in case you are desparate. Gail Carriger is my favorite. Her Soulless (adult content) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6381205-soulless and Etiquette & Espionage (YA) https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10874177-etiquette-espionage are both th first in a series.

Friday sounds perfect!!!!! I haven't had a chance because I still have a tiny bit of my other audio books and my kids are on break. I've had a great day but haven't read a thing (or listened). Amy and I have been working on Brit tripping so the little bit of free time has been on that. On Friday I will be done with parts 1_and 2.

How funny!!! Also a bit frightening if one thinks about it too much. Totally explains predictive text mess ups. Sort of predictive text gone mad. I am still on my quest to finish the challenges. I am currently reading Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaolong for my X author. It's really good. :) I "just" have F, U, and Z after that. I have the books but need to read them! I am close on Turquoise, think I need another U and either an E or I. I will have an R from the Dark is Rising.

I was just browsing in my Overdrive, basically following the recommended books until there is a single one that I have any interest in. One of the recommendations was Man in the Empty Suit https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13531802-man-in-the-empty-suit?ac=1&from_search=true which is a time travel book which takes place on New Years Eve. Looks really intriguing plus it has an E. I need an E! I checked it out.

Joy, I want to feel and capture the good in everything possible. For the last year and a half I have mourned; my mother, a close friend, and a large portion of my social life all died in that time. I will always miss my mom and my friend but I really need to put the rest of it behind me and enjoy the good things in life again.

To spend more time with my friends. I want to actively set times to meet for coffe and to talk to those who are far away.

Dd is thinking but so far she recommends: Terry Prachett starting with Wee Free Men https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34494.The_Wee_Free_Men?ac=1&from_search=true Inkheart series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28194.Inkheart?ac=1&from_search=true