@tuesdayschild I borrowed Piranesi from the library... and then it sat on my bookshelf until it was due back. 🙂

I took the quiz and got the same as @marbel You got: Polyhymnia: The Muse of Song When it comes to romance novels, you like them sweet and pure. The simplicity of the traditional stories, the comfort of a happy ending, and the silly but swoon-worthy tropes are what you live for. I do love a happy ending! Fun quiz! I finished The Searcher by Tana French last week. I figured out who was the mastermind in the village fairly quickly but I still enjoyed the story. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman has been highly recommend by my sister so I used my Audible credit and plan to start listening tomorrow.

Yes to the bolded. Sorry for not being clear!

They used the Penguin Classics edition , May 2003 reissue with Robin Buss translating. As for archaic word use - what I meant was when Dumas used a word that has come to mean something different nowadays or if it was a word that we, living in the 21st century, don't really use any longer. 🙂

Hi Junie, I read the unabridged Count of Monte Cristo a few years ago and loved it. Never thought I would like it as much as I did BUT I actually listened to it with the Craftlit podcast - it's like an annotated audiobook. The host talks about the book and what is going on in the chapter(s) that are read that week and explains a few things - like archaic word use, etc.- and reading it this way made the entire book so so so enjoyable! Just thought I would throw this out here as a way to read the unabridged (yeah, it's insanely long) version without having to slog through it all. The entire book is still up - it begins with episode 402 - I use Stitcher for my podcasts - here's the link ep 402 The Count of Monte Cristo - Dumas prequel

This was hilariously spot-on! Thanks, @Kareni @Dreamergal, Island of the Lost just went on my TBR list - thanks! I've finished three books so far this year: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - from GR: On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein, a girl at the periphery of schoolyard games and her distracted parents’ attention, bites into her mother’s homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the cake. She discovers this gift to her horror, for her mother—her cheerful, good-with-crafts, can-do mother—tastes of despair and desperation. Suddenly, and for the rest of her life, food becomes a peril and a threat to Rose. I thought the premise was terrific but overall the story was melancholy and a bit of a downer. Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden. From GR: thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx. I really enjoyed this. It was fast-paced, the main character was likable, and it's set in an area that I wasn't familiar with. I also belong to a knitting group that makes hats, sweaters, mittens, etc. for children on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations and it was eye-opening to read what life is like there. The Things They Fancied by Molly Young. Short, witty book (almost a pamphlet really) detailing how the rich of past centuries spent their money. Loved it!

This is a wonderful book! It's an audiobook, too.

I just noticed this one last night - glad to hear a good review of it. Thanks!

I was surprised to find that I've read 45 books this year. I really struggled to find books that would hold my attention well enough to actually finish so I think for every one book read I probably started three or four that I gave up on. My top reads for the year were: If It Bleeds by Stephen King - I love how he tells a story and these were not really horror stories, they were more Twilight Zone-ish. No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie - beautifully written, non-hagiographic biography of the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith. The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke - wonderfully cheeky, clever stories revisiting the magical England of Strange & Norrell. An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten - this was such a surprising read! Made me laugh out loud several times. 🙂 @Kareni- thanks for posting the fantasy book link last week - I've found several books that are intriguing. Maybe 2021 will be a Fantasy book year for me! @Robin M Great Christmas book haul! @mumto2 Congratulations on finishing the Agatha Christie challenge! I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays.I look forward to seeing everyone's year end wrap up.

On the Knit companion site you choose which platform you use - iPhone or android - and then it will walk you through everything you need to know.

Yes! The one I have (but forget to use) is knitCompanion. It works with any pattern and is easy to use. Are you on Ravelry ? It's a wonderful resource! Happy knitting 🙂 🧶

Hello everyone! My reading this year has been super weird - I tend to check out five library books and end up reading maybe one. Well, the one that made the cut this time was Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz. I've enjoyed his previous mysteries and while I wasn't able to completely figure out whodunit, I did pick up on what clues were important so yay! me. lol @Laurel-in-CAI'm so impressed with your ability to read and crochet at the same time! I've been doing a lot of gift knitting so have been listening to podcasts/audiobooks and watching tv instead of reading. I wish I could read and knit at the same time but am not quite there yet. @negin What a lovely quote! I'll have to write it down and read it whenever I'm feeling Grinchy about the holidays. @mumto2 Love your categories! Sounds like you're on track for a fun reading year.

We are fascinated with Japan at our house! We like Rachel and Jun, too, and another good channel is Life Where I'm From. It's made by a Canadian man who is married to a Japanese woman, they have 2 kids and live in Japan. He makes all kinds of videos on everyday life in Japan and they're always well-done and super interesting! This one is my favorite: Kyushoku: The Making of a Japanese School Lunch

Hello everyone! I actually finished a book last week. 🙂 The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Story of a childless, middle-aged couple who decide to try their hand at Alaska homesteading in the 1920s. They are struggling to make a go of it when a snow child appears. Lovely story told in a fairy tale fashion - I really enjoyed it. I recently found something that made me think of everyone here. I think most of us are familiar with the book, "Diary of an Edwardian Lady" - there are puzzles made using images from it! Country Diary: Winter jigsaw puzzle there is a puzzle for each season, too! I know what I am asking for for Christmas. 😊 Robin, I enjoyed Black Panther, too. It has the most interesting storyline, imo, and the costuming was great!

😢I was really hoping he would beat pancreatic cancer. He will be missed.

My 16yo filled it out!

Thank you!

Beautiful!!

I love Rebecca! Thanks for posting the trailer @Dreamergal - I knew it was coming out soon but hadn't seen the trailer yet. It looks good!!

Fun challenge Robin! I haven't finished anything in a while - I seem to have 4 or 5 different books going at the moment so hopefully I will have something to chat about next week. Just wanted to pop in and say hi to everyone! @Ali in OR The Woman in Black is one of my favorite spooky reads! The movie is pretty good, too.

We watched the first four or five episodes a couple weeks ago and loved it but then forgot about it. My 16yo watched with me and even she liked it! It really is such a heart-warming, upbeat show and is a much-needed break from all of the true crime and murder mysteries that I normally watch. Thank you for reminding me of it!!

I didn't know he had cancer. 😞 and boy, do I feel old now.

Katie, I'm about the same size as you and I live in Arizona - it is still in the 100s here. 🥵 I also know just what you mean about that material that gets all pilly and weird once you wash it - ugh. This summer I had good luck with a couple of tanks from Old Navy which surprised me because I rarely find anything that works there but they were having a great sale so thought I would take a look and got lucky! I have this tank and the fabric is more cottony and feels nice after washing. I have it in medium but should have gotten large (don't know what I was thinking) and while I can wear the medium it's a bit snug. Looks like they still have the red floral available. I don't have this one but it's made of the same material and I bet it's just as nice. I have this tank in blue with white dots in large and it feels lovely! I'm wearing it right now. I hope this helps a bit. I know how hard it is to find clothes that fit, are cool enough (temperature-wise), and don't cost a gajillion dollars.

Hmmmm...I listened to it and the narration didn't do anything to make it seem funny? Maybe it's just me 🙂

Captains Courageous (1937) The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968)