Berly has a few books to read...#10

Hope all those who celebrate Thanksgiving had a wonderful day and are enjoying a long weekend. It was hard to be separated from family and friends, but I hope that next year will be an in-person celebration. In any case, I shared the day and the love with many of my closet people via text, phone and zoom, and the food was yummy!, so I continue to be thankful. As I am thankful for all my friends here. : )

I can't decide what I want to read!! Contemplative Fiction, Sci Fi, Biography, Murder Mystery, History, Memoir, Romance...LOL

Reading Now
Heaven's River (16 hrs 🎧) by Dennis Taylor
Dearly by Margaret Atwood
Vesper Flights (B 261 pages) by Helen Macdonald
In Harm's Way Sandham #6 (K 407 pages) by Viveca Sten

Read in December ?? pages / ?? 🎧 hours
Totals So Far ?? pages / ?? hrs 🎧
86. Half Light (1.5 hrs 🎧) by Tarayi Jones 4.5
85. A Grown-Up Guide to Dinosaurs (6 hrs 🎧) by Ellie Sans, Clare Chadburn narrated by Ben Garrod 4.5

Read in November ?? pages / ?? 🎧 hours
Totals So Far ?? pages / ?? hrs 🎧
84. Your Blue is Not My Blue by Aspen Matis 2.5
❤️ Stuff Matters (6.5 hrs 🎧)by Mark Madownik 4.0
82. A Woman of No Importance, The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II (B 312 pages) By Sonia Purnell 3.5
81. Zeus: King of the Gods by George O'Connor 3.0
80. Fauci (🎧 3 hours) by Michael Specter 3.5
79. The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne 3.75
78. Last Stand (🎧) by Craig Johnson 3.0

Read in October ?? pages / ?? 🎧 hours
Totals So Far ?? pages / ?? hrs 🎧
❤️ The Bloody Chamber (B 162 pages) by Angela Carter 4.0
76. In the Heat of the Moment by Viveca Sten 4.0
75. The Hard Facts of the Grimm's Fairy Tales (B 277 pages) by Maria Tata 4.0
74. Dark Hollow (K 458 pages) by John Connolly with Roberta/luvamystery 3.5
73. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat by Oliver Sacks 3.5
❤️ The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates, RL Bookclub 4.0
71. A Gift of Time (12 hrs 🎧) by Jerry Merritt 4.0

Ratings
❤️ Favorite(s) of the month
Loved it! 5.0
Really Good 4.0
Good 3.0
Hmmmm 2.0
Don't Bother 1.0

Media
B = Printed Book
🎧 = Audio
K = Kindle
= Graphic Novel

Source
IR = Indiespensable Readers
LT = LibraryThing Early Reviewer
✔ = Off the shelf
L = Library
↩ = Reread
$ = bought this year
✗ = DNF

Read in September ?? pages / ?? 🎧 hours
Totals So Far ?? pages / ?? hrs 🎧
70. Kindness Goes Unpunished (8.75 hrs 🎧) by Craig Johnson 3.75
❤️ The Clock Dance (B 292 pages) by Anne Tyler 4.0
68. The Bluest Eye (B 206 pages) by Toni Morrison 3.75
67. Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod, the World's First Female Sports Superstar (B 282 pages) by Sasha Abramsky 3.0
66. The FlatShare (🎧) by Beth O'Leary 3.5
❤️ Stay (K 292 pages) by Catherine Ryan Hyde 4.0
64. The Bone Jar (K 327 pages) by SW Kane 3.0

Read in August 3,563 pages / 16.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 15,862 pages / 97.75 hrs 🎧
❤️ Olive Again (B 289 pages) by Elizabeth Strout 4.0
62. The Christmas Hirelings ( 🎧 4 hrs) by Mary Elizabeth Braddon 3.5
61. Hamnet ((🎧 12.5 hours) by Maggie O'Farrell 3.75
❤️ How to be an Antiracist (K 284 pages) by Ibram X Kendi 4.5
59. White Out (K 361 pages) by Danielle Girard 3.5
58. Trust No One (K 417 pages) by Debra Webb 3.5
57. One Thousand White Women (K 324 pages) by Jim Fergus 3.5
56. The House at Sea's End (K 384 pages) by Elly Griffith 3.5
55. Tonight You're Dead (K 411 pages) by Viveca Sten 3.75

Read in July 1,264 pages / 15 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 12,299 pages / 96.25 hrs 🎧
❤️ Agent 355 (🎧 3 hours) by Marie Benedect 4.0
53. Dementia Reimagined (B 310 pages) by Tia Powell, MD 3.0
52. The Shadow King (B 429 pages) by Maaza Mengiste 3.75
❤️ Brain Myths Exploded by (🎧 12 hours) by Indre Viskontas 4.0
❤️ The Highest Tide (B 257 pages) by Jim Lynch 4.5
49. The Unseen (B 268 pages) by Roy Jacobsen 3.75

Read in June 748 pages / 10 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 11,035 pages / 81.25 hrs 🎧
48. Conviction (🎧 10 hours) by Denise Mina
47. Guiltless (K 370 pages) Sandham #3 by Viveca Sten 4.0
46. The Kitchen House (B 378 pages) by Kathleen Grissom 4.5

Read in May 2,237 pages / 18.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 10,287 pages / 71.25 hrs 🎧
45. Mostly Dead Things (B 358 pages) by Kristen Arnett (IR) 3.0
❤️ The Institute (L/K 577 pages) by Stephen King 4.0
43. Seriously...I'm Kidding (🎧 3 hours)by Ellen DeGeneres 3.5
42. You Can Thank Me Later (🎧 3 hours) by Kelly Harms 3.5
41. Matchmaking for Beginners (K 378 pages) by Maddie Dawson 3.0
❤️ Untamed (B 333 pages) by Glennon Doyle 4.0
39. Moranthology (🎧 8.5 hours/ read 2) by Caitlin Moran DNF
38. The Science of Sci-Fi (4 🎧 hours) by Erin Macdonald 3.75
37. The Janus Stone (B 327 pages) by Elly Griffiths 3.5
36. Actress (B 264 pages) by Anne Enright (IR) 4.0

Read in April 1,933 pages / 14.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 8,050/ 55.75 hrs 🎧
35. Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore (B 328 pages) by Matthew Sullivan 4.0
❤️ Still Life with Oysters and Lemon (B 70 pages) by Mark Doty 5.0
33. Tell Me Lies (🎧 6.0 hours) by JP Pomare 4.0
❤️ The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (K 142 pages)by Douglas Adams 4.5
31. Rules of Civility (B 324 pages) by Amor Towles 3.75 ✔
30. Closed Circles (K 465 pages) by Viveca Sten, #2 Sandhamn Mystery Group Read 3.0
29. Wind / Pinball (B 236 pages) by Haruki Murakami 3.75
28. Gulp (🎧 8.5 hours) by Mary Roach 3.5 ✔
27. Storm Cursed (L/K 368 pages) by Patricia Briggs 4.0

Read in March 1,510 pages / 5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 6,117 pages / 41.25 hrs 🎧
26. Every Dead Thing (L/K 480 pages)by John Connolly (with luvamystery) 3.5
25. Phantom Limb: A Gripping Psychological Thriller (K 260 pages) by Lucinda Berry 4.0
24. Forever is the Worst Long Time (K 286 pages) by Camille Pagan 3.0
23. Tracks (B 226 pages) by Louise Erdrich 3.5 ✔
22. Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World (🎧 2 hours) by Michael Pollan 4.0
21. Malcolm and Me (🎧 1.5 hours by Ishmael Reed
❤️ Nothing to See Here (B 258 pages) by Kevin Wilson 4.5
❤️ Break Shot: My First 21 years ( 🎧 1.5 hours) by James Taylor 4.5

Read in February 3,069 pages / 11.5 🎧 hours
Totals So Far 4,607 pages / 36.25 hrs 🎧
18. Such A Fun Age (🎧 10 hours) by Kiley Reid 4.0
17. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (B 332 pages) by Abbi Waxman 4.0
❤️ There, There (B 304 pages) by Tommy Orange, RL Bookclub 4.5
15. The Vine Witch (K 263 pages)by Luanne G. Smith 3.5
14. In an Instant (K 326 pages) by Suzanne Redfearn 4.0
13. The Yellow House (B 376 pages) by Sarah Broom, RL Bookclub, ✗
12. The Dark Horse: A Longmire Mystery (K 368 pages) by Craig Johnson 3.5
11. The Child Next Door (K 284 pages) by Shalini Boland 2.75
10. Still Waters: Sandhamn Murders, Book 1 (K 448 pages) by Viveca Sten (group read) 3.0
9. The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson (🎧 1.5 hours) 3.75

Read in January / 1,538 pages / 24.75 🎧 hours / Total
8. The Beautiful Brain Audible Original (🎧 1 of 3.75 hrs) by Hana Walker-Brown ✗
7. Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez (🎧 9 hours) 3.5
6. The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs (K 400 pages) 4.0
5. A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs (L/K 492 pages) 4.0
4. When I Was You by Kent Minka (K 282 pages) 3.0
❤️ Liquid: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives by Mark Miodownik (🎧 7.25 hrs) ✔ 4.5
2. Bone Clocks by David Mitchell (B 624 pages) with Triplets Beth and Ellen ✔ 3.75
1. Victorian Secrets by Nick Baker and John Wolf, read by Stephen Fry (🎧 7.5 hrs) ✔ 3.5

Books Freed = 0
Powell's isn't open for drop-offs....



Catalogued 37/52 shelves -- You would think since I am stuck at home with the pandemic, that I would find to finish this project, but not yet! Yeesh.

RL Book Club #1
DNF February - The Yellow House: A Memoir by Sarah Broom
✅ April - Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
✅ June - The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom
✅ August - Less by
October - The Water Dancer by Ta-nehisi Coates
December - Choose books!!

RL Book Club #2
✅ January - Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield
✅ February - There, There by Tommy Orange
✅ March - Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
✅ April - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
✅ May - Untamed by Glennon Doyle
✅ June - Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (reread)
✅ September - The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
✅ October - The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks

Literary Arts 2020-2021
September, 2020 -- ✅ The Nickel Boys and ✅ The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
October 13, 2020 -- H is for Hawk and Vesper Flights by Helen McDonald
December 3, 2020 -- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
January 28, 2021 -- ✅ Circe by Madeline Miller
February 18, 2021 -- ✅ How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
April 20, 2021 -- An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo

Heyyyyy! Not fair, Kim. I finally posted something on your thread, hit home... Uuuuuxxk. You started a NEW thread. Well, ok. I'll remember this, pally pal.

Heh heh.

Powell's Indiespensable Readers Challenge

Hubby signed me up for this. Over the years I have received over 86 installments, but I haven't read all the books yet. Not even close! In an effort to catch up -- I want to read 12 this year. The complete list (such as it is) can be found here:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/301060#

Done
1. The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
2. There, There by Tommy Orange
3. Actress by Anne Enright
4. Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett
5. The Unseen by Roy Jacobson
6. The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

In an effort to read off my shelves...

A book or author that has this letter in it...

January -- Break Shot: My First 21 years by James Taylor
February -- Victorian Secrets by Nick Baker and John Wolf, read by Stephen Fry
March -- Bone Clocks by David Mitchell
April -- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
May-- Liquid: The Delightful and Dangerous Substances That Flow Through Our Lives by Mark Miodownik
June -- The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen
July
August -- Agent 355 by Marie Benedect
September -- Still Waters: Sandhamn Murders, Book 1 by Viveca Sten
October -- There, There by Tommy Orange
November -- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
December -- Deadly Waters by Dot Hutchinson

IN HONOR OF



And maybe one more challenge...Taken from the Advanced Pop Sugar Challenge
(for which I have little hope! LOL)

Written by an author in their 20s
With "20"or "twenty" in the title
With a character with vision impairment or enhancement (20/20 vision--get it?)
✅ Set in Japan, the host of the 2020 Winter Olympics -- Wind / Pinball by Haruki Murakami
Set in the 1920s
✅ By an author who has written more than 20 books -- The Institute by Stephen King
✅ With more than 20 letters in its title -- Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
Published in the 20th century
From a series with more than 20 books
✅ With a main character in their 20s -- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

I can't resist buying new books!!

I seem to manage to read around 50% of my newbies, except last year where I (ahem) added a few more books to my collection than normal.

2017 47/85
2018 45/88
2019 45/128

Let's see how I do this year!!

2020 58/92 Read

1. The Likely Resolutions of Oliver Clock by Jane Riley *
✅ When I Was You by Minka Kent *
✅ Still Waters by Viveca Sten #1
✅ Closed Circles by Viveca Sten #2
✅ Guiltless by Viveca Sten #3
7-9. Viveca Sten Sandhamn Murders #6-8 (Katie and Laura's fault)
10. Instructions for a Funeral by David Means (gift from Mark) *
11. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Avaristo (gift from Mark) *
✅ The Yellow House by Sarah Broom
✅ Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
✅ Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson
✅ The Conference of the Birds by Ransom Riggs
✅ A Map of Days by Ransom Riggs
17. I Am Yours: A Shared Memoir by Reema Zaman *
✅ In An Instant by Suzanne Redfearn *
19. Killing Comendatore by Haruki Murakami
✅ The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
✅ Tonight You're Dead by Viveca Sten
✅ The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith
✅ The Child Next Door by Shalini Oland
✅ Little Gods by Meng Jen, INDIEspensable #84 *
✅ The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson *
✅ Phantom Limb by Lucinda Berry *
✅ Foerever is the Worst Long Time by Pagan Camille *
✅ Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
✅ Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez
✅ Every Dead Thing by John Connolly *
✅ Malcolm and Me by Ishmael Reed *
✅ Caffeine by Michael Pollan *
✅ Breakshot: mY First 21 Years by James Taylor *
✅ Gulp by May Roach
✅ Rules of Civility by Amore Towles
✅ Seriously...I am Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres *
✅ Still Life with Oysters and Lemon by Mark Doty
✅ Tell Me Lies by JP Pomade
✅ Untamed by Glennon Doyle
✅ Actress: A Novel by Anne Enright, INDIEspensable #85 *
41. The Voyage of the Morning Light by Marina Endicott INDIEspensable #85 *
✅ Little Wonder: The Fabulous Story of Lottie Dod, the World's First Female Sports Superstar by Sasha Abramsky
✅ How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X Kendi
44. The Bone Jar (Detective Lew Kirby Book 1) SW Kane *
45. White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism by Robin DiAngelo *
✅ The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen, INDIEspensable #86 *
47. Audrey McKee by Alex Puglsey, INDIEspensable #86 *
✅The Institute by Stephen King
✅ Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
✅ You Can Thank Me Later by Kely Harms
✅ Agent 355 by Marie Benedict
✅ The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch *
✅ The Flat Share by Bth O'Leary
54. A Girl is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
✅ The Hard Facts of the Grimm's Fairy Tales by Maria Tatar
56. The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
57. Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald
✅ Brain Myths Exploded by Indre Viskontas
✅ Conviction by Denise Mina
✅ The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffith
✅ Trust No One by Deborah Webb
✅ Tonight You're Dead by Viveca Sten #4
✅ White Out by Danielle Girard
✅ One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
65. Deadly Waters by Dot Hutchison
66. Millicent Glenn's Last Wish by Tori Whitaker
67. Network Effect by Martha Wells
68. Your Blue Is Not My Blue by Aspen Matis
69. Wall of Silence by Tracy Buchanon
70. Rabbits for Food by Binnie Kirshenbaum
71. The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado
72. My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsburg
73. The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
74. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson
✅ The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
✅ Next to Last Stand by Craig Johnson
✅ A Gift of Time by Jerry Merritt
✅ Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson
79. Heaven's River by Dennis E. Taylor
80. Stuff Matters by Mark Miodownik
81. Half Light by Tayari Jones
82. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman, Dirk Maggs
83. The Science of Sci-Fi by Erin Macdonald
84. The Magnificent Dappled Sea by David Biro
✅ The Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne
✅ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat by Oliver Sacks
✅ Dark Hollow by John Connolly
✅ In the Heat of the Moment by Viveca Sten #5
✅ Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde
90. Dearly: New Poems by Maragaret Atwood
91. The Cold Millions by Jess Walter
92. Caste Isabelle Wilkerson

and maybe a few more I haven't entered yet...oops!

Favorites from 2019
Fiction
An Act of God (A) by David Javerbaum
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Charlie Davidson series Darynda Jones
The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward

Non-Fiction
These Truths: A History of the United States by Jilll Lepore
Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story (A) by Jacob Tobia
They Called Us Enemy by George Takei

Let's go! Jump right in! : )

Happy new one, TwinK! Hey, you've passed 75!

>14 Berly: Love it!

I've mostly been lurking here, Kim, but wanted to wish you a happy new thread.

>15 BLBera: Hi TwinB! Yes, I've made my 75 goal for the year. 100 is prob not going to happen, but that's OK. I am loving my Fairy Tales class and I thought the The Hard Facts of the Grimm's Fairy Tales (B 277 pages) by Maria Tatar was appropriate in terms of worthiness and Halloween-ness. : )

>16 DeltaQueen50: Thanks for delurking! It's great to see you, as always.

>9 weird_O: Hey, Bill!! You are a sneaky guy!! LOL. I appreciate the double effort. Want some cupcakes? We made these the other day. Yummy!

Happy new one, Kim!

Happy new thread!

>18 Berly: Wooo! A cupcake or three, just what I need. Thanks. (And sorry I cut into line.)

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Kim!

>18 Berly: Ooh, you had fun!

I want a cupcake!

Your fairy tale class sounds great.

Happy Saturday, Kim. Happy New Thread! I hope you had a good time carving pumpkins. I also hope you are enjoying Vesper Flights as much as I did. I had a good time with Utopia Avenue.

Happy new one!

Have fun carving the pumpkins :)

Happy new thread, Kim.

>18 Berly: I imagine it was great fun to decorate the cupcakes. The neighborhood children and I bake together. They come up with some great ideas. Thursday night, my little buddy Andres, who is six and lives two doors down, wanted to use orange icing and put black eyes and green smiles. The first few were fine, then the icing colors melded together. We laughed.

I hope you had a good day today. We are experiencing rain and overcast days for the last week. When the sun peaks out, it is only for a short time. I admit that it does impact my moods.

Thinking of you and smiling.

Here is an image of Lilly wading in the fall water at a lake about an hour from us.

Happy new one, Kimmers. xx

Okay, the cupcake situation is covered. Lemon blueberry donuts? They're baked cake-style ones...

>19 katiekrug: >20 drneutron: Thanks, Katie and Jim!!

>21 weird_O: Any three you like. You were first. : )

>22 quondame: Thank you and welcome!!

>23 EllaTim: I am not sure wether it was more fun to make them or eat them, so clearly a win!

>24 BLBera: Have a cupcake! Our last class is this Thursday. I am sad because it was so much fun. The best exercise was an erasure thing. Never done it before. You are given a paragraph or short page and then you have to use whatever words you chose (in the order they appear in the sample) and leave out the rest to create a poem or new story or retell one.

I tried to retell Red Riding Hood in Haiku, LOL.

A little creature,
Doted on, extremely well,
that Red Riding Hood.

"See how Grandma does--
Carry her cake and butter
To 'nother village.

"Go, my dear, and see
Go see this little village;
Set out thro' the wood."

Going thro’ the wood
she met with Gaffer Wolf, who
had mind to eat her.

>25 msf59: Pumpkin carving was fun! (See above.) I am only three stories in on Vesper Flights, but I am really enjoying it. : )

>26 figsfromthistle: I tried using a stencil, which I have never down before. I think it turned it okay--what do you think?

>27 jessibud2: Hi there!

>28 Whisper1: I love how close you are to the little ones in your neighborhood. How fun to make the cupcakes with the little guy. You are amazing! : ) Several of our cupcakes kinda melted together after a while. It could be that they were kinda close to the toaster, too. LOL.

Love the picture of Lilly. Thank you so much for sharing. Happy times!

>29 PaulCranswick: Hello, Paul!! You are one of my favorite people on LT and I feel I have not kept up with you well this year. My loss. I am trying though! RL just keeps getting in the way. Hugs.

>30 richardderus: Oh, you are my new hero! Yes, I will certainly have one of those. Yum!

>32 Berly: this is brilliant, Kim! The class sounds like fun.

Love the pumpkins and the cupcakes. Happy new thread!

Hi Kim. Happy new thread, happy glorious pumpkins!

Belated congrats on 75.

>18 Berly: And glorious cupcakes, too.

Love the poem. Your pumpkins are great!

Terrific pumpkin carving and it makes a great header. Happy new thread.

Jim and I play bridge sometimes on BridgeBase, online. If you ever want to join us, please let us know.

>1 Berly: I visited, wrote and forgot to hit send or save or whatever...
So, gorgeous fun Jack O'Lanterns! Love the Hallowe'en mask too.

And, I started to read Sonia Purnell's A Woman of No Importance but the anxiety of this SARS infection had demolished my resilience for enjoying these WWII histories and I had to DNF the book. Not to say you won't find it a satisfying read.

Happy new thread, Kim! I'm with you on the "made 75, probably won't make 100" issue but that's OK because it isn't a race, right?

Happy New Thread, Kim - and all the best for you and your family.

Happy new thread, Kim, and congratulations on reaching 75!

>10 Berly: Your notes on "Powell's Indiespensable Readers Challenge" brought to mind a report in the NYT about the Strand Bookstore. The store put out a distress call, saying the pandemic was an existential threat. The response was 25,000 online orders.

Hi Kim my dear, happy new thread dear friend.

>1 Berly: That is a lot of pumpkins!

We've decided to keep our porch light off and hunker down in the basement on Halloween night. We usually enjoy seeing the costumes and giving out candy but the complications of doing it safely this year are just too much for me.

Happy New Thread, my masked friend.

Happy new thread Kim and congratulations on 75!

>1 Berly: You carved all those pumpkins? You must have strong muscles.

>28 Whisper1: My sister's dog is named Lily; she's a Japanese spitz, so a bit smaller but more fluffy.

Happy New Thread, Kim!

Wow - love the pumpkins and the cupcakes. They are all so creative!

Happy New Thread, Kim!

I LOVE those pumpkins up top. You've got some creative pumpkin-carvers. It looks cool to have all of them together.

I hope all is going well in your part of the world

>34 Berly: Blushes!

Well done for giving the 75 your TKD treatment.

>35 lauralkeet: Sadly, we had our last class on Wednesday. Happily, there is some sort of Bluebeard event coming up so we all opted to attend that and have one more discussion!

>36 charl08: Hi Charlotte! We are going to make our second batch of cupcakes today. : ) Yum!

>37 karenmarie: Much appreciated enthusiasm!! ; )

>38 BLBera: We have a lot of pumpkins lining the sidewalk. I don't think we will get any Trick or Treaters (dark, windy road with no sidewalks and, of course, COVID) and I don't really want to hand out anything either. Darn. We'll just have to eat the candy ourselves!

>39 ffortsa: I am overwhelmed by my nephews games currently, but in several months, when they move out, I might hit you up for some online brigade--thanks!

>40 SandyAMcPherson: My Dad selected A Woman of No Importance for our next family book read, so I will do my best to make it through the book. WW2 stuff is not my favorite, so we'll see...

>41 RebaRelishesReading: Totally not a race!! And reading has been a little different for me this year, so I'm just happy to have made the 75 milestone.

>42 SirThomas: Thank you! I hope all is well on your end as well. I am really glad it is Friday. : )

>43 FAMeulstee: Hello there! Glad to have made it to the magic 75. Now the pressure is off. ; )

>44 weird_O: That is awesome to see that level of support for our bookstores. Yay! I think Powell's went through a similar dip in purchases and supporters have since stepped in with online purchases. I know I have!

>45 johnsimpson: Hello, John. Thanks for visiting my friend. Hugs to you and Karen.

>46 EBT1002: I totally understand the hiding out in the basement thing. We don't get many kids at my current house, so I think we are safe. My previous house used to get between 150 and 200 kids!! "My masked friend" sounds so much cooler when you say it than when I actually do it. LOL

>47 humouress: Thank you! No, I had lots of help carving all those pumpkins from my kids and their friends. We carved in our garage with the door open and fans blowing and heaters and masks and multiple table socially distanced. It was quite the setup, but totally worth it and so much fun. : )

>48 streamsong: The most important thing about both the cupcakes and the pumpkins was that we got to do something fun. In fact, we are making our second batch of cupcakes and brownies this afternoon!

>49 jnwelch: We did everything from freeform to stencils to adding attachments. Lots of fun ideas. Glad you liked them all.

>50 PaulCranswick: Hi, Paul. : )

Speaking of TKD, I have my next test in two weeks. And I have talked my nephew into taking an intro three-week white belt class. Hoping he loves it and I pull him into the fold. I am joining him online for his first class tonight. Fingers crossed!

Happy weekend ahead, Berly-boo. *smooch*

Happy weekend, Ricardo!! Smooches.

This is Literary Arts 20-21 season. The last four authors will all be speaking virtually in 2021. So you can watch them from anywhere!! Check it out.

https://literary-arts.org/event/portland-arts-lectures-2020-21-season/2020-10-13...

Happy Halloween, Kimmers and congrats on hitting #75! I hope you are having a wonderful day with the family.

>61 msf59: Mark, thanks for posting that. I love it, stole it and shamelessly added it to my FB page. : )

I will want to hear from Yaa Gyasi. I just finished Transcendent Kingdom today, gave it 4.5 stars and felt stingy for it. I want to reread Homegoing. I might even order it rather than getting it from the library. She is an author I want to know, and to support.

We ended up putting out candy at the bottom of our driveway along with a couple of orange candles.... there are occasional cars that pull up, a kid hops out, grabs a little bag of Skittles, and back in the car.

Do you realize that we have been living in a pandemic for 8 months now? I count March 1 as the start (for me) because I was in Seattle that week having my Moh's surgery and it was really getting kicked off at that point.

>60 Berly: Wow, and I 've read and loved all of them except for the MacDonald one.

Happy Halloween to you.

Great line up Kim. All very exciting for readers, I think. The time difference usually makes these difficult so to have them available to watch afterwards is really helpful.

Hi Kim! I love the carved pumpkin results AND your Haiku version of Little Red Riding Hood. That fairy tale class sounds like great fun.

>60 Berly: That is a very strong line-up and I would love to watch the Madeline Miller one in January if I can remember. It will be very early morning in Malaysia though.

Have a lovely weekend, Kimmers.

Happy newish thread, Kim, and congrats on reading 75! I took a pass on Halloween at my place this year - just couldn't see handing out candy to 100 kids as a good thing in a pandemic. Went to visit a friend instead and she got about 20 kids which was a real treat. I didn't mind answering the door then.

Hi Kim my dear, hope all is well with you and the family and that you had a good Halloween. I hope you are having a good weekend and send love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Congrats on the 75, and it looks like you had a fun halloween!

Hey Kim,

Allow me to hijack your thread for a moment. Just wanted to spread the word. The Christmas Swap thread is up. To anyone that's interested, come on by...

https://www.librarything.com/topic/326191#unread

Sorry guys. Life has been crazy. My daughter had her wisdom teeth out, which is a bigger deal than for most because two teeth were hitting the nerve, all four had to come out, she has a heart condition and anxiety so it involved the hospital, general anesthesia, lots of pretests, etc etc. All so much fun during COVID...not. She is doing well, but YIKES!

Both kids and my sister started new jobs--Yay! Oregon is now again under social restrictions, as in don't see more than 6 people, which, wait, is how many people I have in my house right now. So managing girlfriends and boyfriends has been interesting. Not to mention how many jobs we all have. At least at the jobs, everyone's doing a great job with social distancing and mask wearing!!

The election happened. Go Joe!!! I am expecting Rump to refuse to leave. This should be interesting....

My nose is doing pretty well but one of the stitches is poking out so I have to get that taken care of. Sigh.

Work has been crazy. We have two new jobs we are working on and doing this as remotely as possible has been challenging. But glad to have the business.

Oh, and my laptop computer died. Which means I can't multitask and do LT while I watch the news, which is what I usually do at night. I only have my work computer in the study.

My nephew has joined me in virtual TKD so I have also been doing all the white belt classes with him. It's kinda hard to hear over Zoom, especially with a Korean accent and a mask, so I say the words and explain what they mean and correct his positions etc. He is having a blast!! Oh, and I have my next TKD test tomorrow.



I am loving the virtual book talks at Literary Arts. The free ones can be viewed two days after the live event, so if you missed one, you still might be able to catch it! Check out the link here...

https://literary-arts.org/about/programs/portland-book-festival/

You only have to give them your name and email and then you're in!!

So far, I have watched Carl Hiaassen Squeeze Me, Jill Lepore If Then and and Jess Walter The Cold Millions. I have Isabelle Wilkerson Caste and Margaret Atwood Dearly still to come and I'm sure I'll find a few more. : )

I'll be back one of these days. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

Good goddesses. I'm whupped readin' it. You need to do so many things that, well, of course we all understand that we're just not that important in your cosmic scheme.

Naturally not. Perish forbid. Pshaw.

>73 richardderus: OMG - well that's just about killed any self-pity I feel. Kim, for goodness' sakes drop him a bone.

Wow, Kim! You do have your hands full. Glad your daughter is doing well after her ordeal.

Dear Kim,

2020 sucks.

Much love, Mamie

>73 richardderus:

OMG! Quit crying. Fine. I'll go post on your thread so you don't feel so neglected. You know I love you. Smooch. ; )

>74 humouress:.

Bone dutifully dropped. LOL. : )

>75 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba. My TKD test is this afternoon and then I hope life calms down a little. I am definitely over-stressed!

>76 Crazymamie:

Wait. It can't be. Can it? Is it true? Yes! Yes, it's Crazy! Here in the virtual! Wow, it's been a few. So glad to see you here again. You've been sorely missed. : )

As usual, it sounds like you are busy, TwinK. Stay well.

>80 Berly: Lol, Kim.

We'll take as read how impressed I am by how much you're juggling, OK*?I wondered why your TKD instructor was wearing a mask to do virtual coaching, but I guess that's me being slow and they are in a group to teach?

The online book events look great. I've booked for Cambridge (the UK one) book festival online, one I'd never go to in RL. So there's that.
*This sounds more strident than intended. Apologies.

>81 BLBera: Hi Twin. I'm swamped and can't wait for tonight when my commitments end!

>82 charl08: So, my TKD is offered both in-person and Zoom. Some of the classes are a mix and some are only Zoom. When you listen in on the in-person, the focus is on those actually there and everyone wears masks and the instructor is often on the far side of the room, which is good for visibility but not sound. It is easier to hear him on the Zoom-only classes.

You should try the Portland Book Festival! I am jealous of the Cambridge one. Enjoy!

Hi Kim!

>72 Berly: Just reading about everything going on with your family is exhausting. I hope it’s all making you happy (excepting your daughter’s wisdom teeth and your poking out stitch, of course.)

>78 Berly: Phew! Thank you.

Good luck with your TKD test. I thought you're a triple black belter (if not, my bad; martial arts is one of those things 'I should get around to' but tend to admire from a distance)(a very safe distance) - do you still need to do tests?

>82 charl08: I confess, Charlotte, I was thinking the same thing. Shh!

>83 Berly: Of course - since all the book festivals must be online this year, they can be attended from living rooms all over the world. Although I'm very bad at sitting down for webinars myself.

>84 karenmarie: Seconded.

>72 Berly: Wow, a lot going on as ever Kim. Glad the teeth were extracted safely - I still have one of my wisdom's and the others only came out a few years back.

The dead laptop is frustrating.

Stay well.

Happy Sunday, Kim. I hope you and the family are doing well. How are those current reads treating you?

>72 Berly: So much going on! I'm glad the surgery went well, even if the logistics were a nightmare, and that your daughter is recovering. The Portland Book Festival, oh how I look forward to doing such things in person again!

Our governor has issued new restrictions effective tomorrow. No more dining in restaurants (dining outside is okay with up to five at a table, but, you know, it's November and we have snow on the ground), grocery stores and other retail outlets at max 25% usual capacity, etc. These next couple of months are going to be so ugly; I am furious at the selfishness of anti-maskers when I think of our health care workers.

I'm reading All Adults Here and for some reason I'm surprised to find myself absolutely loving it.

Hugs to you, my friend.

Hi Kim! Good for you for keeping up with the TKD. I am not doing well with virtual exercise.

>84 karenmarie: Actually, I am pretty exhausted. Did I mention my son's car broke down? So I have been driving him to work, too. Ugh. Not that I don't enjoy some private time with him, but still! LOL. And it was gonna cost $10K to fix, but luckily it is a known failure and it is covered up to 100,000 miles. He is at 95,000 miles. Thank god it went out when it did! He only had to pay like $500 for some other stuff. Phew!! And the part that had to come from Germany was supposed to take 3 weeks to get here (completely sold out in the US) got here and they fixed it and we picked it up today after only a week! Yippee!! Now maybe I can sleep in a little...

>85 humouress:. I am indeed a TKD Triple Black Belter, but they have regular 6 month level tests until actually testing up for Fourth Degree BB, also known as Master, and I still have 3 years to go. That test will be a HUGE one! And then after I reach Master, I have no idea how the testing goes...There's also Grand Master and I know it goes up to level 9, which I will not be able to make, ever, because there are just not enough years left in this life!! LOL

I am actually scheduled to listen to Margaret Atwood tonight!! She has a new book of poetry out: Dearly. : )

>86 Caroline_McElwee: I had a job interview after I had my two wisdom teeth out--no one told me it was kinda a big deal. I had to keep wiping the drool away since I was still numb and I am sure I sounded like an idiot, but they liked my commitment and hired me anyway!! LOL

Healthy so far here. New restrictions go in effect tomorrow here. Thanksgiving can no longer include my oldest daughter. Not happy. I wish everyone would just wear a mask!!!

Hope I get a new laptop soon...the reduced price to fix my son's car will help. : ). See >90 Berly:.

>87 msf59: Hi Mark! The Family is hanging in there. My reads? Hmmmm. I am enjoying my current reads, but find myself switching off between them often. It' probably because I am not loving the book I am reading with my Dad, but I feel compelled to read that one first because, well, he's my DAD! And so I am not picking up the other ones out of guilt. Except my audios, which I am loving. Well, here they are:

Reading Now
A Woman of No Importance, The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II (B ??? pages) By Sonia Purnell (Reading this one with my Dad and I am not a big history buff so...)
Stuff Matters (🎧)by Mark Madownik (Love this guy and everything he writes about!)
A Grown-Up Guide to Dinosaurs (🎧) by Ellie Sans, Clare Chadburn narrated by Ben Garrod (who doesn't like dinosaurs? and they have found out all this cool stuff since I was a kid!)
Dearly by Margaret Atwood (Enjoying this one.)
Vesper Flights (B 261 pages) by Helen Macdonald (Love this one and have to get back to it!)
My Own Words (B 370 pages) by Ruth Bader Ginsburg (I have read chapter 1 and got sidelined. Really want to get back to it.)

>88 EBT1002: Hugs, Ellen. : )

I, too, am pissed off at all the people who refuse to wear masks and be careful because I am and now we all are going back into lockdown!! Argh.

Yes, I can't wait until next year when you can come down and do Literary Arts in person with me again. That will be so much fun!! I know nothing about All Adults Here, so now I have to go check it out.

>89 banjo123: I think it is the testing and advancement that is keeping me going with TKD and the fact that it is live and I can at least "see" my friends. I tried the virtual exercise classes and unless they were live, I kept not doing it. Good luck finding a way to work out!!

>91 Berly: - I hope Maggie's droning voice doesn't put you to sleep, Kim. Especially since you are already tired, ;-)

>91 Berly: That one looks to be great.

Happy rest of the week.

>95 jessibud2: ^^^what she said, ever so dulcetly

*smooch*

>95 jessibud2: Atwood created quite a few good laughs and she shared a number of stories from back in the day when she was a young poetry writer in Canada and that was great stuff. I think I appreciate her fiction writing more than her poetry, but I'll read a few more poems just to be sure. : )

>96 figsfromthistle: Happy rest of the week to you, too! Atwood read a Zombie poem from this current collection and talked about all her favorite B movies from the 50s. What a hoot! Yes, don't worry, she has some serious poems, too.

>97 richardderus: Smooches back. Now I'm gonna open some wine...!

Hi Kim! Wasn’t Atwood a hoot? We really enjoyed her.

Best wishes for you and yours - and a little recreation.

>98 Berly: Sounds good! I really enjoyed watching her launch event for the handmaid sequel (broadcast in the local cinema last year). They had actors reading from the text too.

>91 Berly: I'm 2/3rds through Dearly and enjoying it.

>93 Berly: I really enjoyed Vesper Flights. I too got sidelined by My Own Words, fascinating but a little dry perhaps.

>91 Berly: If these were normal times, Atwood's new poetry volume would arrive this week in the library. With all the COVID delays, I expect it will await me when I return from Thanksgiving.

I find it fascinating that Atwood's poetry book has a completely different cover in the US from the version here in Canada:

>104 MickyFine: This is the lovely UK cover:

>105 Caroline_McElwee: Ooooh, that is pretty.

>94 Berly: or wear masks at "half mast" -- I saw a sign today that said "don't expose your nose". I want a t-shirt that says that - ha!

Great news about your son's car. How thoughtful of it to die in time to be under warranty.

Hi Kim!

>90 Berly: 2020 just keeps on giving, doesn’t it? I’m glad the required work was covered under warranty. Bill had a similar situation last year and was at 98,000 miles when he got a completely new transmission under a 100,000 mile warranty.

>92 Berly: I’m sorry about your oldest daughter not being able to come home for Thanksgiving. Jenna and I agreed that it was not safe for any of the three of us if she came home for Thanksgiving but it really hurts. I cancelled Thanksgiving with the extended family and friends in October but was hoping it would be safe for Jenna, but no. It’s not a mandate, but it makes sense because she’s not in our bubble.

>93 Berly: I loved Stuff Matters when I read it for book club a year ago. I think you read Liquid Rules first, or am I thinking about someone else?

>107 RebaRelishesReading: I saw a woman at the grocery store whose mask didn’t cover her nose but didn’t challenge her. The grocery store folks told me that even though we have a state-wide mask mandate they are not allowed to insist that people wear masks – they can only suggest. I’m a wimp but they are criminally negligent.

*smooch*

That is all.

>108 karenmarie: I saw a statement somewhere awhile ago that will perhaps be appropriate in this recent chat ~

Wearing a mask is not a political issue,
It's an IQ test.

(Might have been on somebody'd LibraryThing Talk thread, so Kudos to that person!)

>110 SandyAMcPherson: - Ooo, I like that!

>110 SandyAMcPherson: - I like the humor of that one. One of my Senators (Cory Booker, D-NJ) tweeted yesterday, "Wearing a mask is not a surrender of liberty. It is an affirmation of love."

Hi Kim, visiting here reminds me of how much I love your thread. The pumpkins and the little cakes you made are charming. It brought back memories of when Will and I and his cousin and partner visited the Hudson Valley in New York State.

https://hudsonvalley.org/events/blaze/

Visiting the Blaze event was an incredible experience! The above link gives a glimmer of the beauty.

I hope all is well with you. Much Love

Yes, people who have politicized mask-wearing are idiots. I am so tired of all of it.

How fun to hear Atwood.

I love Booker's quote about mask wearing!

Take care, TwinK!

>90 Berly: Very happy that the damage to your son's car is under warranty. Murphy's law for me would see it going just after the 100K miles.

>107 RebaRelishesReading: I want that T-shirt too (and >110 SandyAMcPherson: >112 katiekrug:). Then I can dance around my sons with it on (and maybe that'll embarrass them enough to wear their masks properly). Honestly, what's the point of going through the discomfort of wearing the thing if you don't use it properly? I was shopping yesterday and saw a couple with masks on, noses out. I was in a rush so I avoided them instead of going upto them and giving them a lecture.

On the mask thing. I saw a graphic that had me laughing like a lunatic. It was 2 frames, the first showed a person (cartoon) wearing their mask with the nose sticking out. The caption said: "Wearing your mask like this..." and the second one said: "is like wearing your underwear like this" and it showed a man wearing underwear with his penis hanging out over the top. I do think that got the message across... ;-)

>116 jessibud2: This year being one of the few times the first is more offensive than the second!

>116 jessibud2: I have seen that graphic too, Shelley.

I will now admit to sometime doing the former (especially with my asthma) although not in crowded places (there is a $250 on the spot fine for not properly wearing masks in crowded public spaces here) but only very rarely doing the latter!

Have a great weekend, Kimmers.

>118 PaulCranswick: - I also have asthma, Paul, and I agree that sometimes, it's a bit much. But what I usually do, when no one is looking, is hook my thumb under the bottom of the mask and pull it away a bit so I can gulp some air. I don't move it down off my nose. Until I am outside, then, off it comes. Frankly, I don't know what the fines are here, though they are said to be high, but I haven't heard of anyone being fined. Maybe if it were publicized a bit more, people might think twice about violating the rules.

>118 PaulCranswick: that has to be hard for people with breathing problems, Paul. We bought some plastic inserts that look a little like catchers masks that fit under masks to give a little more air room, and prevent the mask from pulling in when you take a breath. Might they help?

Hi Kim!

My computer is fixed!! Yay!!

>99 banjo123: Yes, Atwood was awesome. : )

>100 SirThomas: Thank you so much! Today we are making some mushroom rollups, which is a family Thanksgiving treat. Yum.

>101 charl08: Now that one sounds great!

>102 Caroline_McElwee: I am still bogged down on A Woman of No Importance -- I am not really into WW2 or history. It's not a bad book, just not my thing and I am reading it with my dad and sister so I feel compelled to finish it. Sigh. I can't wait to get back to my other reads!!

>103 thornton37814: I hope you get your hands on Atwoods poetry book soon!

>104 MickyFine: >105 Caroline_McElwee: >106 MickyFine: Oooh! Thanks for sharing those covers. I think I like the UK cover best. : )

>107 RebaRelishesReading: It's nice to be lucky every now and then. I can't believe how much the car repairs were gonna cost! Disaster avoided. Phew.

>108 karenmarie: So you and Bill totally understand the whole car thing. Yikes. Bill cut it even closer than my son! LOL

I am very sad that Thanksgiving is not going to be our usual family event, but as many people have pointed out, it's better to miss out on this one year and keep everyone safe so that there can be celebrations for years to come in the future.

Yes, I read Liquid Rules first and I am really enjoying Stuff Matters. Mark Miodownik is awesome and the audios are great! : )

I have asked a few people to put their masks on correctly. Not shy about it.

>109 richardderus: A smooch? That's it? No pie or alcohol, no book recs, not even an octopus? ; )

>110 SandyAMcPherson: >111 jessibud2: "Wearing a mask is not a political issue. It's an IQ test." So true! But now I am sad to see how many people are mentally challenged.

>112 katiekrug: "Wearing a mask is not a surrender of liberty. It is an affirmation of love." Now that one made me tear up. Why can't people see this?

>125 Berly: Okay, how about artichokes stuffed with canned chicken, canned peas, and heated in canned tomato chunks?

>126 richardderus: Stop this artichoke abuse at once and mix them with parmesan and mayo and bake for 20min. Best dip ever. Or bake with breadcrumbs and garlic butter. Canned peas phui!

Yay for a working computer! My mouse has been wonky.

>113 Whisper1: Linda!! That pumpkin event looks like so much fun. Glad you are a fan of my thread. ; ) Hugs.

>114 BLBera: Hi TwinB!! : )

>115 humouress: Yes, it is nice to have the car fall apart while it is still under warranty. It's nice to have something go right for once!! This has been a heck of a year.

I want you to get the T-shirt and then I want to see the video of you dancing in it!

>116 jessibud2:

>117 quondame: Exactly!

>118 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I am so glad to have my computer working again, but I am so far behind!!

>119 jessibud2: I like your method of getting a little fresh air. At least then your exhaled air falls down. And I have never heard of anyone getting fined either. Might encourage people to keep the masks on though.

>120 ffortsa: I've never heard of the mask inserts. Sounds like a great idea!

>121 EBT1002: Hi Ellen!! : )

>126 richardderus: >127 quondame: I appreciate the effort, Ricardo, but I am gonna have to go with Q's recipes. : )

>128 BLBera: Sorry about the wonky mouse. At least yours isn't a live one. My hubby is, as I write, busy putting out mouse traps. It happens every winter and we are finally cold enough.

Happy Sunday, Kim. I am not surprised that you are loving The Queen's Gambit. It is also nice to hear you are enjoying the Atwood poetry collection. I need to request that one.

Yay for the revived computer!

>129 Berly: I shall hunt for a suitable T-shirt.

>126 richardderus: Dude, your cheffiness is rapidly heading downhill. Even my Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook doesn't have that recipe.
Could match it, though.

Hi, Kim.

Wow, so much going on. I'm glad your daughter's doing okay after the worst wisdom teeth situation I've heard of, that you're out of the son transport business, and that your nephew is taking to TKD. I probably missed it - how did your TKD test go?

That lineup for the Portland literary festival is aces. I may join in for some of it. I just enjoyed a Q & A with Jo Baker about Longbourn, the "downstairs" novel response to Pride and Prejudice.

Believe me when I tell you that I'd never do that to an innocent artichoke! The Gallery of Regrettable Food is a treasure trove of that kind of glop, however, and a lot of fun to browse for, um, "ideas."

All-encompassing *smooches*

Hi Kim!

>110 SandyAMcPherson: I had it on my thread here in the LTers, but I first saw it posted by limelite on one of the Pro or Con: SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 threads.

>112 katiekrug: Much nicer, might work for the intellectually challenged ones.

>122 Berly: Yay for the fixed computer. I am in the process of changing over to a new email address and by the time I finish, many days/hours later (taking it in steps), all it will do is get me back to where I was. Sigh.

>72 Berly: yikes, a flurry of life activity!
I do love that LT is a drop-in, drop-out kinda place. No pressure!

I am in my sick bed today (hence having the time to wander the treads a little). Of course, I come down with something the day after my first day off work in a 14-day-straight period.
Q: Why am I so busy?
A: Next year will be the year of saying NO. No to little university contracts that fill up all my days, and with that, yes to cooking and baking more, and having more brain space.

>126 richardderus: Um. No thanks. T'was ever so kind of you to bring that to the party though!

>138 LovingLit: I hope you arise well asap! Saying no is both a good and a bad habit. May you have a year of propitious nos.

>133 msf59: I think we are on episode #5 of The Queen's Gambit. Enjoying this female protagonist in the man's world of chess. : )

>134 humouress: Hi there! No more canned recipes please. LOL

>135 jnwelch: I passed my TKD test! One year down and three to go until Master. : ) I just ordered some interlocking floor mats because practicing on a wood floor has been rough on my knees and I anticipate another 4-6 months of practicing in my living room before COVID passes. Eagerly awaiting some cushion!

>136 richardderus: Thank goodness! Those poor artichokes -- you had me worried. Okay, we can still be friends. ; ) Big smooch.

>137 karenmarie: Updating computer stuff can be so time consuming!! We just had to upgrade the computer in my office as well. It is ongoing.

>138 LovingLit: Oh no! Horrible timing. I hope you mend quickly and, yes, practice saying "No" so you can have more brain space. : )

>139 quondame: True. The no's must be used judiciously. Thanks for the good wishes!!

>127 quondame: I'm with Susan on this one (except surely not _canned_ artichoke?)

>142 SandyAMcPherson: I do use canned artichoke hearts. Reese if I can get them. No way am I going to flay and eviscerate whole fresh ones for this dish. Those get steamed and served with lemon butter.

>140 Berly: Oh, okay - you're probably right. Maybe I'll take something over to Richard's instead ...

>143 quondame: Urm ... I think I'll stay off artichokes for a while ;0)

>143 quondame: -- absolutely agree Susan

Happy Thanksgiving, to you and yours, Kim

Canned artichoke bottoms are ideal. Canned hearts okay. With the hearts, I prefer the jarred salad ones...so delish.

Ah, food. No better way to start a fight than discuss food, huh?

I hope you and yours are not doing that today, Kimmers. *smooch*

Hi Kim my dear, Happy Thanksgiving Day to you and the family and hope that you are all having a good day dear friend.

>143 quondame: >147 richardderus: Oh, by hearts I meant bottoms, those lovely flat discs of soft-firm vegetable matter that soaks up flavor while retaining a nutty tartness. I get regular doses of marinated artichoke hearts from the localish deli along with the marinated mushrooms for sides with my sandwiches. I suspect they don't start with fresh artichokes either.

Happy Thanksgiving, Kimmers! I hope you had a great holiday with the family.

This Brit wishes to express his thanks for the warmth and friendship that has helped sustain him in this group, Kimmers.

Hi Kim,
I hope your day was as special as you!

I note your comments, and those of Mark, regarding the Queen's Gambit. Because of the posts, I decided to watch the show. I love it! Thanks!

Speaking of mice... My daughter was using the shop vac to clean her workshop, and it wasn't working very well. She took the hose off to see if it were blocked and turned on the vac again. When she turned it on, sans hose, she somehow turned it on reverse -- and a mouse shot out of the vac! Scout was there and preventing her from finishing it off; it was a little stunned. They found that a family had nested in the shop vac. Scout relocated them.

Sounds like you all survived Thanksgiving. That's excellent. If all are well, there's much to be thankful for. On my side of the country, Judi and I are well, as are our three children, two daughters-in-law, and six granddaughters. We are thankful.

Hey, why don'cha read a book!

Your life sounds as busy as ever, Kim. Good that you have your laptop back and your son's car conked out when under warranty. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.

>153 BLBera: Good for Scout. But let's hope the mice don't find their way back in. :0)

Just passin' through... I hope you are doing well.

>153 BLBera: Aww, poor stunned mouse! We've had them try and take over our garage and bbq! I think they have given up on our house as they keep getting evicted

Stopping by to say hello and dropping off a picture of my holiday tree for some inspiration on this dreary Monday morning. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Remember how I got my computer working again? Well now the "E" and "Q" keys won't stop sending signals, so...crap.



I do have my study/work computer, but that's a desk top and I normally like to do LT curled up in my bed at night with my laptop, so my LT time is like nothing right now. Sorry. I'll be back someday, when the new laptop gets here. : )

Sorry, Kim, sadly laptops don't live forever.
I know the hassle, I have to use Franks desktop when I am without my laptop.

you might try prying up the E and Q keys to see if dust or something has accumulated under them. That sometimes does the trick.

Hope you get it working , Kim. It's a pain to have computer "issues"!

I hope you can resolve your computer issues Kim. It looks like we're going to have to spring for two laptops since both our kids have decided to take their own devices into school from next year rather than renting from the school. At least it's the right time of year, and it'll be birthday/ Christmas presents for them. I'll just have to try and nip in there to get the parental controls on first.

>161 Berly: Hopefully you get that resolved soon! That must be so frustrating.

>142 SandyAMcPherson: >143 quondame: >144 humouress: >145 RebaRelishesReading: >147 richardderus: >149 quondame: I do use canned artichoke hearts. Occasionally. Usually cut up and nicely seasoned. I prefer to steam the whole thing and eat it leaves and all. : )

>146 jessibud2: >148 johnsimpson: >150 msf59: >151 PaulCranswick: >155 Familyhistorian: Thank you so much for the Thanksgiving wishes. I am sorry my computer was busted and I didn't make the rounds to wish everyone else the same. I am also sad because all my leftovers are officially all gone. : (

>152 Whisper1: I have only managed to squeeze in one more episode since I last posted about The Queen's Gambit. How are you enjoying it? : )

>153 BLBera: Hi Twin! So now Scout is a real estate agent!!

>156 humouress: I am sure Scout upgraded their abode. ; )

>158 ChelleBearss: Evicted!! You are not a mice nice landlord. Talk to Scout. LOL

>154 weird_O: A book? Read? Who do you think I am!?! LOL.

Currently reading...

A Grown-Up Guide to Dinosaurs by Ellie Sans, Clare Chadburn narrated by Ben Garrod
Dearly by Margaret Atwood
Vesper Flights by Helen Macdonald
In Harm's Way Sandham #6 by Viveca Sten

>159 witchyrichy: I so need to switch into Christmas mode!! I am not inclined to do in-person shopping so I better get my orders in ASAP. (Love the book tree.)

>160 richardderus: Exactly. You always get me.

>162 FAMeulstee: >163 ffortsa: >164 RebaRelishesReading: >165 humouress: >166 The_Hibernator:

My new computer arrived!! Happiness. : )



I hope I responded to everyone. Let me know if I missed you!

>172 Berly: Woo woo!

>173 humouress: Exactly!!

And I got a new book! From Powell's INDIEspensable -- thank you, Hubby, it sounds great.



Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam.

From Amazon--

Finalist for the 2020 National Book Award (Fiction)

A Recommended Book From: Vogue * TIME * The Washington Post * Buzzfeed * The Boston Globe * The Wall Street Journal * Elle * Vulture * Newsweek * NY Observer * Refinery29 * The New York Post * Town & Country * Parade * The Millions * PopSugar * AARP * Publishers Weekly * Apartment Therapy * AV Club * Kirkus * LA Mag * BookPage * Alma * Lit Hub * The Week

A magnetic novel about two families, strangers to each other, who are forced together on a long weekend gone terribly wrong.

From the bestselling author of Rich and Pretty comes a suspenseful and provocative novel keenly attuned to the complexities of parenthood, race, and class. Leave the World Behind explores how our closest bonds are reshaped—and unexpected new ones are forged—in moments of crisis.

Amanda and Clay head out to a remote corner of Long Island expecting a vacation: a quiet reprieve from life in New York City, quality time with their teenage son and daughter, and a taste of the good life in the luxurious home they’ve rented for the week. But a late-night knock on the door breaks the spell. Ruth and G. H. are an older couple—it’s their house, and they’ve arrived in a panic. They bring the news that a sudden blackout has swept the city. But in this rural area—with the TV and internet now down, and no cell phone service—it’s hard to know what to believe.

Should Amanda and Clay trust this couple—and vice versa? What happened back in New York? Is the vacation home, isolated from civilization, a truly safe place for their families? And are they safe from one other?

YAY for the new computer!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

Congratulations on a new computer Kimmers!

Means we will see much more of you? :D

>174 Berly: I'm interested in your thoughts on Leave the World Behind, Kim. My daughter took a course taught by the other, so she was excited to see his book published to some acclaim. I've been on the fence about it myself.

Hurray for the new computer! We are in a waiting game with ours, wondering how much more life we can eke out of it. Replacement isn't far away, I suspect.

>172 Berly: Congratulations on the new computer! I can imagine it was frustrating and difficult to be disconnected -- would be for me anyway.

What kind of computer did you get?

Hi Kim my dear, congrats on getting a new computer. It is no surprise that we get frustrated when our tech goes down or packs up completely. I have just renewed my broadband package and got an upgrade free but this meant i needed a new hub which came on Wednesday and the Tech support guy is coming between 2 and 4pm tomorrow, what for i am not sure as i could just plug it in and set up the new pass code, there must be something super duper that it can do that means i need tech support to get me going.

Surgery on my hand went well and i had the stitches out late this afternoon, i am back driving and just need to do the exercises on my hand now and then on the 15th January i have the left hand done.

Hope you and the family have a great weekend and we send love and hugs to you all dear friend.

Congrats on the new tech, Kim. May all your connections be the super fast kind.

Congrats on the new computer!!

>170 Berly: Oh, good good. You are reading. And best of all, I never heard of any of the books you are reading. There is just so much out there.

Congrats on the new laptop. I had to replace my MacBook after my evil twin Buford squirted Windex on the screen. And at the same time, a backup laptop was misbehaving. So you would have had my condolences had I but known of your woes. Now it's moot.

>175 SirThomas: Thanks and happy weekend wishes to you, too!

>176 PaulCranswick: Gosh I hope so!! Look, I am already back the next day. ; ). Thanks for missing me.

>177 lauralkeet: I am hoping to get to Leave the World Behind this month, but it is December, so my best plans sometimes go astray. I'll let you know what I think of it.

Hope you computer hangs in there! Mine just reached its limit.

>178 RebaRelishesReading: Not having my laptop was the worst. I didn't realize how much I use it for...everything! Until I didn't have it. I have recipes I look up, LT, Facebook, emails, work, book, games, movies....I am sure it is the same for most people. Soooo glad to have one again. : )

>179 ffortsa: I got a MacBook Air with the new chip and some extra memory. : )

>180 johnsimpson: Hope the tech guy does the trick!

Surgery?! See what happens when I go offline and can't make my rounds to my friends? I knew you were contemplating it last I read, but now you've gone and done it! So glad it went well. Sending best wishes as you heal up. Phew! Love and hugs to you and Karen.

>181 charl08: I like how you think. Thanks!

>182 ChelleBearss: Yay me!! I hope I get away with not counting it as a Christmas present. ; ) LOL

>183 weird_O: Of course I am reading. LOL. I had high hopes of making 100, but I think I will only make the mid-90s. Oh well, passed the magic 75. I love seeing what other people are reading--so many books out there! And this group is just great at inspiring me to try new authors and genres.

I will take your condolences after the fact. : )

Happy Friday, Kim! I hope all is well in the PNW! Enjoy your weekend.

Congratulations on a new computer!

>187 msf59: Hello Warbler! All is good here in the PNW. Hoping to get a Christmas tree this weekend, if the air quality cooperates. Happy weekend wishes to you, too. : )

>188 Whisper1: I am so happy to have a laptop again. I am sitting on my bed, all comfy, catching a few minutes here on LT before I make dinner. So nice to see my friends again! I plan on making the rounds this weekend and seeing what's up with everyone. Hope all is well with you. I'll be by soon. Hugs.

>185 Berly: We have the same computer, Kimmers, only yours is newer than mine - and surely cleaner!

Have a lovely weekend.

>190 PaulCranswick: Well, it is brand new, so it's still clean. I shall endeavor to keep it so. ; ) Feeling the computer bond!! Happy weekend, Paul.

>174 Berly: I’ve had my eye on Leave the World Behind so interested to see what you make of it.

>185 Berly: I'm on my second MacBook Air and I just love it. It's light and fairly small and works beautifully. I hope it last many years yet but when it goes I'll buy another one.

>192 SandDune: I'll make sure to post my thoughts then!!

>193 RebaRelishesReading: Loving my new MacBook so far! Glad to know you feel the same. : )

Happy Saturday to both of you!

Hooray for a new laptop. I'm not sure about the ultimate fate of Scout's mice family. Annie cat might have something to say about that.

I want a MacBook. What kind did you get?

>195 BLBera: MacBook Air. M1 Chip. : )

Hi Kim! Congrats on your new laptop. Wendy just bought one like it, but hers is backordered.

Congrats on your computer purchase. Enjoy :)

>196 Berly: Yeah, I had to wait over two weeks before I got my computer in the mail. Hope Wendy's comes soon!

>197 banjo123: Thank you! I was very sad without one. And I am so glad to be back on LT. I missed being here!

I haven't used a computer in over a year Kim. I use my iPad and my phone and they seem to be all I need. But I know I'm not the norm so I think you'll love your new computer.

B--I don't have an iPad anymore and my phone is just too small--I can't type fast on it. Glad they work for you, but I am happy to have a computer again. : )

And nice to see you by the way!!

Congrats on being back in the land of the laptop again. I have a laptop but never use it anywhere except in the Sunroom/my home office. I like the external keyboard, large external monitor, and wireless mouse. I used to occasionally take it to Friends of the Library Board meetings...

I like my Air because it's small and easy to pack in a briefcase or suitcase. I don't use an external anything and often use it on my lap in the living room, or in the kitchen (I have a lot of recipes stored on it plus sometimes I use them straight from the Web) or wherever the mood strikes because it's just so comfortable. I have an iPad but much prefer the real keyboard on the computer if I'm going to be doing more than writing a quick email.

I'd love the Air weight-wise, but I suspect I'll go with the MacBook Pro when I replace this one because of the specs.

My MacBook Pro is starting to show its years - time to go look for a new one.

>202 karenmarie: Hi Karen! When I am doing my accounting stuff, with all the numbers, I much prefer my dual screens in the study. That way I can have the bank open on one page, Quickbooks on another, the vendor's invoice, etc. Nice and big so I don't get a headache! LOL

>203 RebaRelishesReading: Reba--I use my Air in the kitchen all the time because I have my recipes on it, too! Well, at least half of them. I still have the 3x5 recipe cards, too and I don't want to give them up because some of them are hand written.

>204 thornton37814: Lori, you have to go with what works for you! ; )

>205 magicians_nephew: Jim--It happens. Happy hunting!

Time for the last thread of 2020. Come join me!!



(I bought ornaments like this for my kids!)