No books for me. Dh and I didn't do gifts for each other so not much under the tree for adults. Dd received a book of bobbin lace making patterns and ds a Christmas music book for his ukulele. Are ukulele's a huge fad in the States? Groups are all over the place here. Our village has one with 70 people in it. Ds just plays with a friend for fun. She (friend) received the music book also. My current book (my first village cozy preview) is about a murder in a ukulele group. Lucy Cookman's Murder out of Tune.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21814388-murder-out-of-tune. So far really enjoyable. We have had a quiet day. Plenty of goodies. We watched Shrek movies while the dc's decorated their gingerbread house and assembled their Christmas lego...Scooby this year. Everyone's stacks look fun. I am enjoying the pictures.

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates! Eta: Aggieamy, The Dicken's History of England is pretty good. You probably would enjoy having on your kindles. Thanks Kareni, I just got Marrying Stone. My teens are still snug in their beds. Presents await but they need to wake up!

Thanks for all the sweet encouragement but I honestly wasn't hunting for sympathy. I love the fact that so many of you gave what you thought I needed, you guys are the best! I am really incredibly fortunate to be part of this group. I was just trying to say upfront that I wouldn't be participating in many potentially fun reads. Other years I have happily said that I will do several of these new challenges and sometimes even done them. But many have fallen by the wayside because of lack of time and I always feel really bad when that happens. I was simply trying to say that this coming year I will be reading these more thoughtful choices through your posts and am willing to admit it right now! I love reading everyone's posts. I am trying really hard to be honest with myself regarding what I can actually achieve in the coming year. In my real life I have been working hard at saying no to outside commitments that take me away from my family. Books don't take me away from home but I need more concentrated reading time than I actually expect to have to read and comprehend anything more than fluff. Idnib, If you decide you want to learn to sew, knit, or crochet several of us would be willing to coach you! :lol:

I just want to make sure I understand this....essentially you are saying that a 560 on the literature subject exam is considered equal to 3 years of literature done at high school level by UC. I have never seen the subject exams used this way before and find it fascinating and really helpful.

Kareni, I have been reading an old Mary Balogh Christmas book today also! :lol: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/969590.A_Christmas_BrideEnjoyable! It was no surprise to discover Kareni had discovered Viehl's Darkyn series first but I am glad to know I should pursue it. I have to admit to feeling a bit guilty at times because Kareni gives me so many great reading ideas and it is very rare for me to be able to reciprocate. Maybe that can be one of next years goals... ;) All these plans for next year are making me feel like a huge underachiever. ;) British Cozies and BINGO are close to my current limits. Like Jane I want to make time for my quilting and knitting in 2016.

This isn't going to help the op at all but this is what we are currently doing. Dd recently completed work on what will be transcripted as advanced chemistry using some Coursera classes and textbooks. She could have done the SAT subject but didn't need it. She took a CLEP to prove mastery mainly because the CLEP has a low pass rate (50 is a pass) so her 70 something out of 80 was an achievement. We like to have outside validation for some coursework each year and CLEP is cheaper for us overall. DS did his Micro and Macroeconomics using Coursera free classes this fall. He did CLEP exams also rather than wait for the AP exams in the spring. I wanted each dc to have an outside writing class before going to University. I thought about an AP prep class finishing with an AP exam but because of our time difference combined with the preference to work on fewer things at a time no one was excited or even interested. Expense was also a factor. Dh figured out that Straighterline offered good old freshman comp and wanted dd to try it. You pay for the course plus a monthly fee and start the class. Dd really enjoyed the 101 and is now doing 102. The Professor has been really helpful. This has really positive experience with my child who I knew was a good writer but outside validation is good. ;) She is also taking their Business Statistics class for fun and her math element....loves it. Cheap because the monthly fee is already paid. She is working on Latin for one hour a day because she is hoping to take the AP this spring. My ds has always given me headaches with his essays. The last few years have been difficult but I knew he could (all the basics and brilliant moments ;) ) but just didn't want to for me at the level I wanted. I signed him up for the 101 a few weeks ago after watching dd's experience. He has done great. Seems to enjoy getting the comments back and is enjoying the class as much as a computer geek is capable of. Planning to start him on the next one as soon as the research paper is done. He is also doing an online Calculus class for the AP through Coursera. Self paced.

Every since we stopped using Sonlight which was integrated by design we have found both dc's seen to work more efficiently if many classes are done intensely but one at a time. We have always done school year around. Several hours in a day for a few weeks may be spent completing requirements for one class but when they are done they are able to move on to the next subject. They prefer to work on one or two subjcts as opposed to juggling 5 or 6. Math has always been ongoing and daily because it is a cumulative subject....plus my dc's passion. Foreign Languages are also visited most days on Duolingo at a minimum.

Aragorn here I had never even heard of Lynn Viehl's series but really want to read it now. Has anyone here read it? Eta: I just went looking for Viehl's Darkyn series and couldn't find the first one so looked at another series of hers. Disenchanted and Co is Steampunk set in America and looks interesting.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18144127-disenchanted-co At the bottom of the vampire fiction article I clicked on this http://freshfiction.com/blog/amanda-carmack-who-is-your-favorite-wife-of-henry-viii/. Boleyn and Parr have always been my favourites also. I already have her book in my stack.

Kim :grouphug: Did you know Case Histories is a bbc tv series? It apparently has been on pbs. My bf is able to check the dvds out at her library. The actor who plays Jackson Brodie is a favorite for both of us. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/jYDt5J2hdMYwP8hfwwTnzK/jackson-brodie. The books are something I plan to read one day.

I haven't shared because my bf and I tend to communicate about our reading via Goodreads. Sometimes I rate books more with her taste in mind than I would want to do for everyone. Sometimes a 5* means you need to read this one and it might be because of the dog or some other silly reason to anyone but us. Dd is part of the group too (she knows most of our inside jokes). I am also a bit obnoxious. I tend to update my page counts and fill all 10 currently reading slots when bored and never read them. Don't necessarily want to put everyone through that because I think they both get emails everytime and I enjoy being obnoxious. :lol: If you still want to friend me after being forwarned send me a pm.

Kathy and Stacia, Thank you both! I have just been into Goodreads and got rid of my old shelves that are no longer used. I used the sticky and I think it worked wonderfully. 2016 now sits on top under read, to read, and currently reading. I am actually pretty excited about this and may add some more shelves to go with Robin's challenges. The question is how many will I actually do? ;) Other than BINGO planning to add when I have a book to place on the shelf! I can't remember if anyone else is still reading Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series in our group but will go ahead and post. I finally read the latest Depraved Heart. I thought the series was back on track with the last book and to be fair many of my complaints about the characters being ruined in previous books is not the problem. The problem here is I just really think she needs a new villain. I really would like a truly new book.....not one that relies on past books so heavily. It was a bit of a summary shown from different angles with some new bits. I was disappointed.

Canon is a word being used here also. You are a good mom to read one of the books. I will admit that long ago the boy handed me one for approval, 10yo adult section, I skimmed really quickly, and handed it over. Not sure not approving was a real option because he really wanted to read them. I agree Stacia needs :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I hope you have a better week. I also have a Goodreads question for Stacia....I have several shelves which are no longer needed and can't figure out how to delete them...not the books on the shelves just the category. My bookshelves are becoming hard to use. Any ideas? If I could edit or move the order of the shelves that would be another way too.

I am going to return to Star Wars after my middle of the night post. My ds is a HUGE very geeky fan. Has watched my old VHS copies repeatedly from a young age and did a happy dance when we handed over the new movies on dvd a couple of Christmases ago. My overdrive library (dc's don't get access to my really good one ;) ) recently started a huge Star Wars section and Ds loves Star Wars books and has read stacks of them over the years. So I offered him access in order to find some new ones. He looked at me and sadly and said the new movie changes the storyline so no more books for him. I brushed it off as him being a bit moody. Well, we bought the first three movies on dvd last week as an early Christmas present to all since we don't have them here. Maybe a third of the way through there is a cute scene involving Jabba and Hans.....in case you are scratching your heads at my cute description it is a totally new scene. Not a off the cutting room floor new either. That scene was super obvious to the whole family and noticed instantly. The rest of us are not Star Wars enthusiasts either. Odd bits of dialogue throughout the movie were noticed that the boys kept confirming as new via a website. Anyway Ds wants to be prepared for the movie so all six for technical reasons. :lol: No need to wait to discuss because one of dc's friends was a regular spoiler machine yesterday while saying she doesn't do spoilers. So I think I heard most of it once already. She was pretty funny and I think ds has read it all online because wasn't bothered.

Star Wars was released in the summer before I entered high school. My home town was very limited in terms of places to meet friends and we only had three movie theatres... Smokey and the Bandit and Star Wars filled the screens of two screens for months and I went to the movies weekly. I have no idea how many times I saw those movies. I saw all 3 of the first ones in my home town under similar more than once conditions. Choice was limited. Jedi was released the last summer I lived at home for more than a few days. I liked Luke but secretly thought Burt was more fun that first summer. A boy I knew drove a car like Burt's but was way too old for me fortunately. Cute but trouble...I really wanted to go out in that car. :lol: Hard to imagine that the cute boy with the great car is dead after several massive strokes a couple of years ago. In my mind he will always be standing by his car in cut offs at the beach.

Planning to go see Star Wars but need to finish rewatching the first 6.....3 down. We are watching in the order released and I have never seen the new ones. It will be at least a week before we go.

Goodreads has really helped me keep track of what I read. I plan to start a BINGO category. That way I will at least know at the end of the year which books were read for the card. I wrote my books and challenges completed down faithfully for a couple of years but this year just haven't been able to manage it. Pretty sure I recorded most on Goodreads. It really is easy. I finished Victoria Abbott's The Sayer Swindle. This was a fun one for Sayer's fans. Lots of fun swoony Wimsey comments. Plenty of book references that had me nodding my head. I wasn't hugely impressed by her Christie book but this was much better imo. These could stand alone. The third book in the series concentrates on Nero Wolfe with the fourth being Ngaio Marsh. Neither are favourites so will probably wait and see if she writes about another favourite author later.

Congratulations!!!!

I love this! Whenever we visit a historic house we always spend a really long time looking at the books in the library to find out what the people who lived there were really like. Did they fancy birds? Speak French fluently......read romances. Last summer we were at a house with a huge library. As we studied the shelves we discovered that a large amount of the books were in an unknown language (for dd who dabbles in languages that doesn't normally happen). The dc's decided similar to Finnish but not Icelandic, I think ;). We found the docent with the fact book to find out what the language was and why so many books. We figured the family had been ambassadors.....No, the books had been sold before the house had been acquired and these books had been bought at auction to fill the shelves. Pretty bindings. Never figured out what language. Now we ask if the books belong with the property.....first.

My dc's both took this course the first time it was offered. The professor was extremely enthusiastic....he loves online games. It was a great course for me too. I learned quite a bit about the history of computer games which has been useful because my son's dream job is creating computer games.

Congratulations!!!!!

I am quilting these days. Some of our conversations last year made me start thinking about trying new things and I thought a bit of hexagon quilting would be fun after seeing a picture of a beautiful quilt. Well, my version of the beautiful quilt is definitely queen size as opposed to wall hanging which was what I initially planned. I should have the basic top assembled in the next couple of weeks assuming our Christmas season proceeds as planned. I will post a picture when it is more or less in one piece for your viewing pleasure. :lol: Shukriyya, that's a big hint to hang out with us at least through the holidays because you know I need to get help to post a picture! We miss you! My village cozy mysteries are trickling in at the library. I have discovered several new authors. My librarian friend is threatening to reserve them all behind me so I have to read fast.....I really hope she was teasing or that quilt top won't get assembled. I have read several Tessa Dare historical novels in the last few days. They are good light entertainment.

Shukriyya, Good to see you!

Jenn, Thanks for posting the link, lovely! Angel, So glad your friend had a safe delivery even if you weren't blessed with the little people. I know you love having them and it's wonderful that they have you to stay with. When my friend was going through chemo her dd was with us quite a bit. It made things so much easier for my friend and her husband. We did a lot of field trips with her to keep her busy and all of us have been doing them again this year since her parents didn't get to go with us.

This isn't book related......sorry! :) But thought my ornament link might save someone here time.....easy enough for boys too! Dd and I need to each make an ornament for an exchange tomorrow night and found this no sew one online. http://frame.bloglovin.com/?post=4660315781&blog=3523605. If the link doesn't take you to the tutorial it will if you click tutorial. It requires fabric which we have, an iron, and a thread hanger. So happy this isn't going to take a long time. Dd has hers done and it is lovely. Plan to make a few for our tree! eta....Christmas wrapping paper would work also. No iron needed.

I was a freshman in college and went back way too soon. I never was the same after, sick all the time for years. Frequent strep throats which I had never hed before mono. Keep the boy on rest mode way beyond the required time. I ended up with mono at least two more times and never learned to really rest to recover.