Anne (AMQS) reads in 2023 - Chapter 2

From a recent weekend in Westcliffe, CO. You're looking at the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Can you spot the Stelios in the second picture?

Hello dear LT friends, thank you for keeping my thread warm while life keeps me so busy. My name is Anne. 53. I live in Lakewood, Colorado with my husband Stelios, daughter Callia, and three kitties. Our two daughters are grown - Callia is home and student teaching and Marina is a senior in college in central Pennsylvania. I am a teacher librarian in a little mountain elementary school, so I read a lot of children's literature, along with adult literary fiction. I adore audiobooks and always have one going for my commutes up to school. This is my 14th year in the group (thank you, Jim/drneutron!)

Now Reading:


Audio:

2023 Reading (2)

July, 2023
43. The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell
44. King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender
45. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
46. As Sweet as Honey by Indira Ganesan
47. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
48. Swan Lake: Quest for the Kingdoms by Rey Terciero and Megan Kearney
49. Alone by Megan E. Freeman
50. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
51. Show Us Who You Are by Elle McNicoll
52. Diamond Head by Cecily Wong
53. Evangeline by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
54. Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

August, 2023
55. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
56. The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
57. Network Effect by Martha Wells
58. Yonder by Ali Standish
59. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
60. Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee

September, 2023
61. Normal People by Sally Rooney
62. Black Butterflies by Priscilla Morris
63. The Puffin Keeper by Michael Morpurgo
64. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
65. The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat

October, 2023
66. Muppets in Moscow: The Unexpected Crazy True Story of Making Sesame Street in Russia by Natasha Lance Rogoff
67. The 57 Bus: A True Story of Two Teenagers and the Crime That Changed Their Lives by Dashka Slater
68. The Late Bloomers’ Club by Louise Miller
69. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
70. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

November, 2023
71. Himself by Jess Kidd
72. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
73. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
74. The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone by Jaclyn Moriarty
75. Persuasion by Jane Austen
76. A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks

December, 2023
77. Diamond Doris: The True Story of the World’s Most Notorious Jewel Thief by Doris Payne

2023 Reading (1)

January, 2023
1. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
2. What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky: Stories by Lesley Nneka Arimah
3. Did Ye Hear Mammy Died? by Seamas O’Reilly
4. Skunk and Badger by Amy Timberlake
5. The American Spirit: Who We Are and What We Stand For by David McCoullough
6. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
7. Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass
8. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

February, 2023
9. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
10. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

March, 2023
11. Amari and the Great Game by B.B. Alston
12. A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga
13. Good Citizens Need Not Fear: Stories by Maria Reva
14. Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
15. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
16. Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins
17. The Liars’ Club: A Memoir by Mary Karr
18. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
19. The Kitchen Boy by Robert Alexander
20. The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

April, 2023
21. The Windeby Puzzle by Lois Lowry
22. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
23. A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
24. The Hummingbird’s Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea

May, 2023
25. The Girl Explorers by Jayne Zanglein
26. The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton
27. Hannah's War by Jan Eliasberg
28. Northwind by Gary Paulsen
29. The Lost for Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
30. The End of the Beginning by Avi

June, 2023
31. The Window Seat: Notes From a Life in Motion by Aminatta Forna
32. Thirst by Varsha Bajaj
33. 300 Minutes of Danger by Jack Heath
34. Louisa June and the Nazis in the Waves by L. M. Elliott
35. Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King
36. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
37. Forty Autumns: A Family’s Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall by Nina Willner
38. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
39. Worst-Case Collin by Rebecca Caprara
40. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
41. Artificial Condition by Marta Wells
42. Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd

News: Today was our school's Halloween party and while usually I go as a book character, this year I was a Google Doc.


This was before the lockdown. My first. All are okay, but rattled, particularly Callia who had front row seats to the action, so to speak, including the massive police response and takedown of our unauthorized guest. It's been a kooky school year this year with several "didn't have that on my bingo card" moments such as the need to support a student who was mauled by an African lion, a family whose children were removed by police in the middle of class so the family could enter police protective custody, and now today: a lockdown. If you know any teachers, give them a hug.

I am struggling to find time to read print books, so thank goodness for audio.



69. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman, audiobooks narrated by Fiona Shaw

Fortunately I put my hold on this book really early and it came in quickly. I just love these books. I eventually stop paying attention to the crimes because I really just like spending time with the Thursday Murder Club:)

Happy new thread, Anne!

>5 AMQS: I hope you and Callia are okay ((hugs))

Happy new one!

Happy Saturday, Anne. Happy New Thread. Love the toppers! Ooh, The Graveyard Book. One of my absolute favorites and sooooo good on audio.

Happy new thread, Anne.

I can see Stelios in his little cap!

>5 AMQS:. Hugs given of course.

>5 AMQS: My goodness, Anne. Crazy bingo card, indeed! Teachers and librarians are amazing people.

Hugs, Anne. I hope you are all OK. Have a relaxing weekend.

>6 AMQS: Love this!

>1 AMQS: Great photos.

>5 AMQS: OMG!! That's a lot to deal with in, what, 3 months?!? Hope things settle down for the rest of the year.

Goodness. I'm glad to hear you're all OK. Sending the biggest of hugs.

Wow, that’s a lot to deal with!

Happy new thread! *Hugs* for a scary day.

Happy new thread, Anne. Sorry you had such an awful day with the lockdown.

Happy new thread! So sorry things have been scary and rough. Glad you are enjoying the Thursday Murder Club -- I haven't read that one yet. Love >6 AMQS:!!

Thank you everyone for your kind words. What a strange school year it has been. We are all okay - but the events of that day did shake everyone up and while it's easy to say... well nothing happened we're okay I think we were better off acknowledging that we experienced some trauma. We've had a community meeting attended by district security and local sheriff, and we learned some great lessons without having a tragedy. I'm sure the most traumatized of all was the poor "intruder." My school is in a mountain area that was hit hard by hail this summer. Many people are getting new roofs. This poor gentleman was working on a roof in the mountains and did not have access to any facilities and had a bathroom emergency. He came to our school and tried every door he could find (why someone might think it is a good idea to try to gain entry into a school in 2023 is another question, but he spoke little english and probably was focused on his emergency). He finally found an unlocked door. We had had our Halloween party that day and the building was full of parents. That was a door that is rarely used and was shown after to have a hydraulic/pressure issue which has been fixed. So staff had him on the cameras and once we realized he was inside we went into lockdown. He was arrested and 100% complied with the police (he was released). So a traumatic experience for all, but fortunately no tragedy.

The week after our lockdown our district was cyber-attacked, creating something of a digital lockdown and forced password change for first staff and then students. We were asked to change our passwords and then check our direct deposit information. Apparently some people had had their information changed. Scary. The student password change was a monster that ate up about a week. We were forced to change all at once, and a simultaneous change of nearly 70,000 passwords went about as well as you might imagine, and many teachers had to forgo technology for several days. And this all happened during my book fair. Crazy town. I can't tell you how glad I am to be on Thanksgiving break! I started off my break with a crown and a filling. My dentist wants me to address my teeth that have those old fillings. As my teeth and I age the teeth are cracking around the filling so she is encouraging me to take advantage of good dental insurance before I consider retirement. I tell you what, the craziness of this school year is making retirement look better and better.

>8 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita. We're both good, but appreciate your support.

>9 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>10 msf59: Hi Mark! The Graveyard Book is a favorite of mine. I waited ages to listen to the Neil Gaiman-narrated version and never was able to get it. I listened instead to the full-cast narration which was outstanding.

>11 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! Hugs to you, too.

>12 scaifea: Hi Amber! The crazy continues. Hope Thanksgiving break gets us a reset.

>13 BLBera: Hi Beth - all okay. Thinking of you in retirement makes me smile:)

>14 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! Yes, we're hoping Thanksgiving break gives us a reset. We sure need it!

>15 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky - we certainly appreciate the hugs!

>16 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. It's been a time, that's for sure.

>17 foggidawn: Thank you, foggi. I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving!

>18 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie. Crazy school year!

>19 Berly: Thanks, Kim! The Thursday Murder Club books are so much fun - exactly hitting the spot!

70. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, audiobook narrated by a full cast.

This book was a gift. It is so good, and outstanding with the full cast narration. I just love it. Perfect October read.

71. Himself by Jess Kidd, audiobook narrated by Aidan Kelly.

I have Katie to thank in a roundabout way for this one, for she recommended Mr. Flood's Last Resort by the same author. I found the book strange and compelling and not exactly for me. And yet. I think I enjoyed Himself even more, although it too is strange and compelling and hard to read in some places and not exactly for me. But the author has me in her spell now and so I will probably read Things in Jars at some point. I just can't look away! This is a good mystery set mostly in 1970s rural Ireland, where Mahoney shows up in the village looking for the truth about what happened to his mother. His mother was something of the village scourge, and Mahoney's appearance shakes the town to its core, including its ghosts and supernatural phenomena. Mahoney teams up with a flamboyant aging actress and together they get the pot good and stirred.

72. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai.

This appeared on many of your best-of lists last year, and so I suggested it to my book club. It is a well-told and slowly unfolding and terribly tragic story of a boarding school murder for which the wrong man may be in prison. Unfortunately for me it came to me at the worst time when I could hardly manage to read a print book and so it was a multi-week slog. Just the wrong book at the wrong time and that was definitely a me problem.

73. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, audiobook narrated by Marin Ireland.

I attempted to listen to this book a few years ago and for some reason the audiobook would not download properly and I could never get more than partway through the first chapter. I tried multiple times but to no avail. So I shelved it and was able to successfully download and listen some years later. This book was a treat, and another outstanding narration. Lillian and Madison meet in boarding school - Madison fabulously wealthy and Lillian on scholarship and donations, and they form an unlikely bond that continues even after Lillian's boarding school experience comes to a sudden (and terrible) end. Years later, Madison asks Lillian to consider an unusual job opportunity: essentially nanny her two stepchildren during the intense vetting process her husband must endure as he is considered for Secretary of State. What that means is: keep the kids out of sight so no one discovers that they spontaneously combust when they are emotionally heightened. You wouldn't think that a book about two traumatized children could be so funny but then again, this is a special and unusual book. Recommended, particularly on audio.

To anyone celebrating Thanksgiving this week: I wish you a wonderful holiday! I am thankful for ALL OF YOU!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I have been behind on your thread, Anne, so a belated happy new one, and wow, you and the teachers and students have been through a lot this year! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break and that the rest of the school year is calmer.

>24 AMQS: - I loved that one, too. I thought the audio was excellent.

>23 AMQS: - This was another winner for me, but I get the "wrong book, wrong time" thing...

>22 AMQS: - I'll have to check this one out!

Have a nice holiday, Anne.

Well, Anne, you have had an eventful school year so far. Enjoy your break. Yes, retirement is wonderful. The same thing happened to my teeth; I had lots of fillings, which now have mostly been replaced by crowns.

The Makkai didn't work for me either although I loved The Great Believers. Maybe my expectations were too high? The Wilson sounds good. I might check that one out.

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a restful break!

>20 AMQS: I'm trying to think what would happen if they had an intruder in Mr SandDune's school. I'm thinking that they probably wouldn't notice, to be honest! His school had a ransomware attack earlier in the year, and it caused issues for a couple of months. They weren't allowed to use any technology at all for a couple of weeks while the consultants dealt with it, so he couldn't even photocopy anything (not that he had anything to photocopy as all the schemes of work were on the system). He said it was like going back in time thirty years!

>20 AMQS: OMG!! What a series of events!! Poor all of you, including the man with the emergency!

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you have a pleasant, restful time and feel much recovered when school starts again.

Hi Anne,

Those mountain schools are so quiet and peaceful. Yikes! Let's hope that's the extent of the excitement for the year.

I loved The Graveyard Book. I should revisit it on audio and it sounds like I should track down the full cast version. I almost wish (almost) I was still commuting to work because that's when I listened the most.

Dear Anne,



Happy Thanksgiving from an appreciative non-celebrator.

So grateful for this LT community. I have hugged many teachers this year: sorry about the lockdown and hoping you get a good rest over your break. I do think your library seems like a wonderful oasis of fun and learning!

I hope your Thanksgiving break was restful and the countdown to Christmas break goes quickly! ❤️