I started reading the latest book in The Others series last night, it's wonderful. A few pages in and I felt very much at home, I can't think of a better description. Rose, I thought of you with this book. I don't think you have tried them. They are good. Not necessarily fluff. Several BaWers have read them although my Goodreads isn't really showing it, I know there are more! I really think you might enjoy these. They aren't necessarily gentle but they are great. They aren't shocking either because my dd has read them from the start which would have made her your dd's age! Dd loves them. She finished the new one within the first 24 hours and has a pretty tough schedule right now! Not much fun reading time. When under stress I turn to series books. Not necessarily one particular genre, just series. I like being surrounded by the familiar at those times. I try to pick series in which I have several books unread so if I don't want to leave at the end of a book I can just read the next one! I have a couple of books started on overdrive that disappear in the next couple of days so today's reading plan is to make progress on finishing at least one of those. I appreciate being able to turn my kindle off but it is irritating! My intended book is The Winter Queen https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61463.The_Winter_Queen. It's a book that has been on my wish list for months and was checked out for the Q. It's a historical police procedural set in Moscow, translated from Russian. It had an unusual opening and I am looking forward to seeing how the detective proceeds. It's the first in a series........

Stacia, I just wanted to thank you for the knitted knockers link. I will definitely be sharing it with my friends in my quilting group as most are also knitters. Maybe our group can do something......we recently made almost 200 wiggly bags for child chemo patients. They keep their semi permanent tubes organized basically in a little bag that hangs around the neck. My mom was given something similar to the kk almost 20 years ago after her first mastectomy and it was the only prosthesis that was comfortable. Over the years she bought a whole lot of others but none were actually used much.

I finished The Girl in the Ice by Hammer this morning. Loesje read it and really enjoyed it but she read it in a different language. I struggled to read this one, it was uneven and difficult to follow. I thought it was me and was really wondering if it was because I skipped to the second book in the series to achieve a personal goal of including Greenland in my Scandinavian Mystery Books this spring. Btw, the author is Danish so I didn't even achieve that goal. ;( I looked at Goodreads and my uneven confusion seems to be a common complaint. There were some really interesting points in this book and smoothed out it probably would have been great. I'm a bit envious that Loesje read a much better translation! Nan, I don't think anyone has answered what a CAL is. It's a crochet a long. https://itsallinanutshell.com/2017/01/25/hygge-cal-kits-now-available/ This blogger does YouTube videos explaining every step and is really popular. One of my real life friends is still trying to complete her previous cal and it's gorgeous. Like Loesje my friend really had never done much crocheting before the videos.

I am so happy to read your post!!!!! I can't figure out why they won't just give you the antibiotics and see if they work.

:grouphug: Prairiegirl, I am sorry for your loss. Kareni, I enjoyed the quilt link. Thank you. Rosie, I don't have any idea what to say but hugs. :grouphug:

If it's any help Wind Up Bird is my least favourite Murikami. It was the second one I read also after loving 1Q84 (which remains my favourite) and I remember getting bogged down in the middle quite badly also. I think it picks up and is quite good about 200 pages from the end. Please remember this is a distant memory....... You guys made me research the Oasis. Don't think I am interested. When my ereader dies I will probably buy a paperwhite but super thin and weightless scares me. I would definitely lose it and fear of breaking it would keep me from enjoying it. Erin, I hope you get the cultures back today. I'm glad she is doing a bit better. Butter, hugs to your dd. Glad things are heading toward a firm diagnosis and that she is finding ways to manage her pain.

It certainly looks perfect now! I would never have guessed it is your first crochet project. Oh no!!!! I am so glad you were able to "borrow" one from your ds. Btw, I like your case. I have the horizontal version and love it. And now I feel the urge to reread the Boxcar Children. The first book in the series was my favourite as a child. For about a year I checked it out every other time I went to the library and reread it. They didn't have any others. I loved reading the original ones to the dc's because of that..... I read a children's biography of Helen Keller many times during the same year.

Very pretty! I like your colours!

Yes, it's The Girl in the Ice. I need to finish it but fluffy books seem to have more appeal now. Also I've been knitting one of Elizabeth Zimmermans baby surprise jackets. I have no idea if I am doing it right. Truly an odd object as you go along. I did one yearz ago. It is a surprise especially to me! Just googled for pictures and found this http://www.knitting-and.com/wiki/baby_surprise_jacket/ Now I need to rip some rows out because the advice in the blog actually solved what I had been trying to figure out! :lol:

Ok, Amy wins! No way are we going to guess that one!!! Clue......Someone here read mine recently. Rose, Dd walked through again. Her recommendation is Mort. She considers it to be the first really good one. As Erin said it deals with death but good in all other ways.

Rose, This is the chart my dd used to read all the Discworld books. Kim in Appalachia recommended it for her a couple of years ago. http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2014/04/28/terry-pratchetts-discworld-novels-a-guide-to-the-proper-reading-order-image/discworld-2-21 Eta. Just asked dd about possible concerns for a 14yo with discworld. The only one she could think of was the Guild of Seamstresses http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2014/04/28/terry-pratchetts-discworld-novels-a-guide-to-the-proper-reading-order-image/discworld-2-21. She says it's done well, your dd eyes shouldn't burn http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2014/04/28/terry-pratchetts-discworld-novels-a-guide-to-the-proper-reading-order-image/discworld-2-21.

Congratulations!

Erin :grouphug: I hope your dd is OK.

Since the summer of 1991 the place had been rented out to a childless couple, both of whom were teachers. I do want to thank everyone for the outpouring of sympathy. You guys are wonderful! :) I am very fortunate to have found all of you. Nan, :grouphug: I know it must be incredibly frustrating not to be able to resume your normal activities when you were anticipating the date! Especially expressing your creativity. I am highly impressed that you can colour with your non dominant hand.

Praying......

My birthstone challenge update....... Aquamarine is not an easy word to find in a book title so I went with Beryl. I found a book on Goodreads that is really highly rated, lots of 5*reviews, by Beryl Singleton Bissell called The Scent of God. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/247748.The_Scent_of_God?ac=1&from_search=true. It is supposed to be very well done. In the stack and hopefully I will manage to pick it up in the next few days. I put it in my currently reading in case anyone wants to read the description. I have also been spelling the stone and think I will be able to complete this months. A.......Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire (completed) Q.......The Winter Queen by Boris Akuhin U.......A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourne (completed) A.......The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick (completed) M.......The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews (completed) A.......Alley Kat Blues by Karen Kijewski (completed) R.......Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews (completed) I.......The Girl in the Ice by Lotte/Soren Hammer (currently reading) N.......Magic for Nothing by Seanan McGuire E.......Etched in Bone by Anne Bishop

I actually had my post for when the new thread planned but have been rather overwhelmed. I want to tell everyone here how much I love having you in my life. It's something that really can't be said enough. :grouphug: to all. I wanted to let you know that my dear friend passed yesterday since many here have been praying for her. She is the friend who was hospitalized New Year's Eve. I just can't believe it, so unbelievably fast. She was an incredibly wonderful person. Probably the most gentle person I have ever known and the biggest introvert. The two of us were quite a combination.....by British standards I am incredibly extroverted. I have spent the day thinking of all the adventures we had. Wonderful times.... Amy, I don't want to forget to thank you for starting us off this week.

Too funny! :lol: I'm currently reading The Girl in the Ice very slowly (it makes me sleepy even in the morning!) Partially set in Greenland. That book had a comment about people getting lost also that was intriguing....paraphrasing, it's abig country and if you wander off course especially in winter it's unlikely you will be found. Eek......

Since I think this will work for you....If you are traveling with a dc 15 or younger you can get a railcard https://www.familyandfriends-railcard.co.uk which saves money. You can prebook without the card but must buy the card before getting on the train. You need to carry it and id whenever you are on trains using the discount but they are easy to use and get. I know you can get them at the rail station at the airport in Manchester. Also in London we like the Historic Palace Pass. http://www.hrp.org.uk/#gs.v6dA0VE Obviously it depends on what your plans are but we tend to break even on that pass pretty easily. It includes the Tower, Kensington Palace, and Hampton Court. The Palace at Kew requires additional admission to Kew Gardens at a discounted rate but I really like that one.

I am so glad someone else is enjoying the James Thompson books! I thought you would. When I am being paranoid before an international flight I try to find a gigantic ebook. Last time I flew with all five Soulless books in one handy ebook. I never needed it but I did read three books on the flight. I hadn't really planned to watch a movie but I ended up in a seat where the headphone connection was broken. I didn't want to move so no movies for me.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's such a fun holiday with great memories. When the dc's were little we used to go all out. They built leprechaun traps all over the house with toilet rolls etc. I would distract them and dh would spring all the traps and leave change. One year a friend who travels the world for work saved all his odd change for use in the traps. They loved it. Stacia, :lol: Loved your description of the decorating book! Kathy, Glad to know you enjoyed The Sisters Brothers. It's planned western and I have not been looking forward to it.

Manchester Airport is a place I know. If it's possible to bring pound coins with you have a few for the luggage carts because it will make things easier. The rail station is an easy walk, all covered. Lots of hotels on site for your return journey, think we used a Holiday Inn when we needed one. The drive to and from your dd's Uni to Edinburgh is not a bad one but not sure if you will want a car in Edinburgh. It will all depend on where your hotel is. You might want to take a train there and rent the car there for your return. Dh loves this site http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryMagazine/DestinationsUK/The-Battle-of-Bannockburn/. It is on the way back.

I had no idea Chetna had a show on Youtube. Dd and I made a few things from scratch back when Aarti was doing the Food Network competition, which google says was 2010. Seriously. The samosa's were pretty good. I've gotten lazy and buy prepared items now.

Pulled pork sandwiches are hugely popular. Huge!!! As of a few weeks ago you could buy Sweet Baby Rays bbq sauce at one of the big grocery stores on the regular shelf. I haven't looked since. When we moved the bbq sauce available was so dreadful I was making my own when needed. No one complained and I was making it up every time. The trends and number of cooking shows in the UK are a bit startling. I think I could watch food shows continuously and stay on a very few main channels. Probably just the bbc and itv ones would take care of it actually. Btw, We prefer vindaloo too!

Snort...I really do not see Haggis catching on huge even in the UK. Ds has great status each year after doing his Burns night waitstaff job because he eats haggis. Manly????? I guess! :lol: Now Mexican, hugely popular. Tapas.....we even have a Tapas bar in the village. Thai, no idea where to get Thai. Indian and Chinese are both in the village too.