😢I'm so sad to hear this. We loved several of his movies. My adult kids can still quote his lines about ordering breakfast from "Lilies in the Field".

Happy New Year everyone! The year of crime sounds fun as it is one of my favorite genres. I ended up with 42 books read in 2021. The last two I finished Friday and early Saturday morning. Washington Square by Henry James. I had only seen the movie version with Olivia DeHaviland and iirc the movie was a bit different. The narrator, Lloyd James, was very good. Joyland by Stephen King. Nothing gory and only a touch of the supernatural, this one might even qualify for our year of crime!

I love this! Thank you, Laura, for posting about hagdom!

Merry Christmas!

I've been debating whether or not to read this. I watched the series and loved it so I don't know if the book will be a slog to get through or if it will still be enjoyable and add more to the overall story? I'll be interested to hear what you think when you are done.

Hi everyone! I just finished The Lost Village by Camilla Sten. Found the premise super intriguing but the execution of it...not so good. I have higher hopes for my next couple of books, Stranger in the Shogun's City: A Japanese Woman and Her World and Crying in H Mart. Haven't decided which one to read first although I do love going to Hmart so maybe that one. Posting this first and then going back to read through the thread. Hope everyone is having a good week!

Seconding (or thirding?) Get Smart and Gilligan's Island!

I'm wondering, too!

Hello everyone! Thank you for the thread, Robin. 😊 Negin, High Tide sounds like my kind of book - I'll be looking for it at my library. Mum, I just started a Christmas murder-themed book, too! The Santa Klaus Murder is what I have on my nightstand and so far, so good. Looking forward to going through the links. I know I'll find some great reads!

How did I not know about this?! I ❤️ BTS! I second this - if anyone goes, please tell us all about it!!

I ordered one of these for my sister's family as they have recently added a puppy to their household. They received the book today and love it! My sister says it is very well-made and besides having their dog to look for, her name (the dog's) is placed everywhere in the pictures - graffiti in the skate park, on the boathouse, etc. Just thought I would give a little review of the book if anyone was on the fence about ordering it. 5 stars!

I finished the 6th in the Joe Pickett series - In Plain Sight by C.J.Box. Good story but I'm wishing that Joe would finally have something good happen to him! Everyone he works with/for is an a**h***, his mother-in-law is a witch, and he often does things that prove he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer BUT he is decent and hard working and fair and I am rooting for him. Fingers crossed for the next in the series, Free Fire. I also finished The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. Loved it! Different genre for me (I'm trying to branch out!) and it only took me two weeks or so to read it because I normally read right before bed and just kept falling asleep, though it was no fault of the book. Maia is an intriguing protagonist and I want to find out what happens to him. Wish I would have realized there is a pronunciation guide to all the names in the back of the book! Why don't they place it at the beginning? 🙄

@Robin MHappy Birthday! glad to hear you had a lovely day!

I finished A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz this week and enjoyed it very much. Hope you both - @mumto2 and @Granny_Weatherwax like it, too! Looking forward to going through all the links. Thanks for the thread, Robin!

Hello everyone! I listened to The Good Lord Bird by James McBride and loved it! The narrator is terrific and made me enjoy the story in a way that I don't think I would have if I had read it. I'm now thinking of watching the series that was released sometime last year, I think?

Loved the poem, Robin, and isn't it nice when you find a fellow reader in an unexpected place? 😊 I'm almost finished with Madam by Phoebe Wynne. It's a new release about a young teacher being hired by an elite boarding school for girls in Scotland. She arrives and is constantly baffled by the strange traditions and secretive culture of the school. The other teachers and staff won't explain anything to her, including any details of the abrupt departure of her predecessor. I've been going back and forth over whether I want to finish this one or not - I love the setting and basic premise but I'm now at the 60% mark of the book and if the "mystery" is going to be explained the way I suspect it will be, then I'd rather not waste my time - aaarrgh and <insert HUGE eyeroll here> 😠 I'm super behind in CoMC. I've been enjoying the Téméraire series by Naomi Novik. I loved the first one, His Majesty's Dragon, and have been listening to the second ,Throne of Jade, and am loving it just as much.

Thanks everyone! Once I get some good photos of the wedding I'll post one or two. 🙂

Hi everyone! Over the last few weeks I've finished two books: Trophy Hunt (Joe Pickett #4) by C.J. Box. I'm really enjoying this series but it seems that everyone Joe interacts with is a terrible human. Aren't there any nice people in Wyoming? lol His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik. This was terrific! Think Master & Commander with the bonus of dragons(and they can speak!) as weapons. It is the first in a series and I've started the second already and am loving it. I listened to the audiobook version with Simon Vance as the narrator and he is excellent! My daughter's wedding went really well. 🙂 She looked beautiful and the groom was so very handsome and everyone had a good time. My adult kids did the decorating the backyard (lights, sound system, etc.) and did a fabulous job. I overcame my shyness and made sure to speak with everyone as they arrived, introduced myself and chatted with my son-in-law's family and it was easier than I expected. Whew! Also, I went to my family's annual get-together in New Mexico for my uncle's 84th birthday. We skipped last year (Covid) so it was fun catching up with everyone. We also took a day trip to Roswell to see the house my great grandfather built in 1910 and my grandpa had grown up in. The folks living there now couldn't have been nicer and even let us in to look around! My uncle was over the moon happy as he loves family history, etc. We also managed a quick stop at the UFO museum gift shop for some alien tchotchkes.👽 @Robin M I loved Ready Player One but was disappointed in the movie. Maybe I'll give the sequel a listen. Also just watched The Guilty last night and oh my! Jake Gyllenhaal was terrific!

Thank you for this thread, Robin, I love the quote! I have The Husbands by Chandler Baker on my nightstand and need to finish it quickly as it is due back at the library next week.

Congratulations! What a beautiful wedding!

Hello all! Thank you for the wedding well-wishes 😊 One week to go and it's all coming together (fingers crossed) and my mantra is "it will all be fine." I finished Miss Benson's Beetle and very much enjoyed it. Glad I listened to it as I think that added to the overall story. I also finished Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - loved it! It took the Rumplestiltskin tale and turned it around in some very clever ways. I plan on reading more from this author. Also - I know several of us read and love this series -Amazon and Left Bank Pictures begin production on the Three Pines series !!! I am hoping they do a good job with it and I normally like the actor who is set to play Gamache but in this instance I'm not so sure. I pictured Gamache a bit younger - especially considering there are so many books in the series. What do you all think?

Hello everyone! I've been busy lately and just haven't had enough time to keep up with all the great books I have in my TBR pile. My oldest daughter got married last weekend and my #4 daughter is getting married in 3 weeks time here from home! I'm semi-freaking out about hosting the wedding and reception because as I age I find myself turning into something of a recluse and having 50 people in my home is definitely out of my comfort zone. Wish me luck! Haven't finished anything but am close to finishing a terrific audiobook - Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce and read by Juliet Stevenson. Set shortly after WW2, spinster Margery decides to upend her mundane life and go to New Caledonia to find the elusive golden beetle. She advertises for an assistant and ends up with kooky, fun-loving Enid who fulfills none of the position's requirements. I'm about 3/4 of the way through and at first I thought it was going to be an adventure, then maybe a mad-cap farce, and now it is turning poignant and I am really not sure what is going to happen to these two ladies that I care about! I glanced at a few reviews and many readers said they found it sad but I haven't, so far. I think Juliet Stevenson's narration has made a big difference in how I am experiencing the story. Has anyone else read or listened to this? eta- I need to catch up with the Count and friends but haven't forgotten him. Enjoyed the poem, Robin, and neat idea for a reading challenge! My favorite number is 3 - it's a magic number 🙂

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah Finished this on Sunday. The only other book I've read depicting the Dust Bowl was The Grapes of Wrath - and I hated the ending. This one was better? more believable? I only know that I didn't want to throw it across the room when I finished. I did enjoy it although it was heart-breaking to read how families struggled. I want to watch the Ken Burns doc about the Dust Bowl now. I'm in the middle of The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz - I'm fairly certain that I know what the huge plot twist will be and I'm thinking I might just skim through the rest of the story as I have five other books I want to get to. Has anyone else read this? Thank you for this thread Robin! I didn't see it anywhere when I checked earlier this week and was missing it!

Hello everyone! I didn't finish anything this week but did make good progress with The Count of Monte Cristo - I'm up to ch. 49 at this point and have a good handle on what is going on and who everyone is, lol. I'm in the middle of a very funny memoir - The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater: Essays on Crafting by Alanna Okun and am about to start A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton. I need to hurry with it as it is due back at the library in 4 days. @Ali in OR I read Ghost Map a few years ago - I look forward to hear what you think of it!

I'm very behind on The Count of Monte Cristo. I tried to do some catching up (I'm listening to it) but I couldn't remember who in the world they were talking about so I guess I'll have to backtrack even more. Also have three or four books on my nightstand and have been falling asleep during the first few pages of each one! I really should start reading during the day. Thanks for the thread Robin!