AlcottAcre's Books and Board Games 2018

Wow, I cannot believe that I first encountered this wonderful group of people in 2008 and here we are in 2018 still going strong. I am not promising to be as involved in the group as I was in the past, but hopefully more than I was during the 5 years I was in school.

While I was in school, reading took a back seat to board gaming, so there will be a lot of game discussion here unsurprisingly. In 2017, my family played 203 different board games. I do not expect to reach that lofty number this year, although our first game of the year is already set up on the table waiting for us to play - and I wish I could remember how to post pictures so I could show you!

Anyway, here's to a great year for both books and board games!! So come on in and have a cuppa with me!

Happy new thread! 203 different board games is very impressive.

Welcome back!

Happy reading (and gaming) in 2018, Stasia!

Happy New Year to you and your, Stasia! Have an enjoyable year of reading and gaming!

Welcome back Stasia!

Happy New Year, Stasia! May you have some great reads in 2018.

Happy New Year, happy new thread, and happy gaming!

Happy new thread Stasia my dear and I have starred you.

Dropping a star, Stasia. Happy New Year!

Hello and Happy New Year!

>2 _Zoe_: Thank you, Zoe. The sad thing is that I have more than twice that many games, lol.

>3 rosylibrarian: Thank you, Marie. It is good to be back!

>4 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I am hoping for good amounts of both!

>5 harrygbutler: Thank you, Harry. I love that graphic :)

>6 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather!

>7 kgodey: Thanks, Kriti! I hope so too.

>8 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi. I will try and be that happy!

>9 johnsimpson: Thank you, John. I appreciate the star!

>10 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. Happy new year to you too!

Happy New Year, Stasia and happy reading 2018.

Wishing you a great new year Stasia.

>13 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara!

>14 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte!

Happy Reading in 2018, Stasia. Great to see you posting around. I hope that continues. Smiles...

Happy new year, Stasia! Looking forward to following your reading & gaming this year. I asked for several board games for Christmas, and have already played Catan and Marrying Mr,. Darcy :)

Stasia darling, welcome to 2018, and ten years in this little corner of heaven. *smooch*

Dropping off a
And wishing you

>16 msf59: Thanks, Mark!

>17 bell7: I have not yet played Marrying Mr Darcy, Mary, but I have heard good things about it. I hope you enjoy the games!

>18 richardderus: Thanks, RD!

>19 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

Dear Friend! How delighted I am to find your thread. I miss you dearly. Last year was not a stellar year as far as number of books read, but I did find some gems. It would be lovely to see you in 2018. All good wishes for a wonderful 2018. And, it bears repeating that I am so proud of you for completing your degree. This was something you wanted to do for a long time. Congratulations!

Now, on to non academic books! I can't wait to see what you will read.

Welcome back!

>21 Whisper1: Oo, I love that picture, Linda! Thank you.

>22 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

1: Blue Monday by Nicci French - Peggy (LizzieD) sent me this book for Christmas (thanks, Peggy!) and for the most part I enjoyed it, although I must admit that the writing style took me a bit to get used to it; the protagonist, a psychologist, gets entwined in the disappearance of a little boy and that is the main story; I liked the protagonist, Frieda Klein, a woman who is not perfect by any means and I look forward to reading more of her adventures; Guardedly recommended, 3.5 stars

Dropping my star! I need to see how much headway you make into your "black hole." Have a 2018 full of great reads!

Happy New Year
Happy New Group here
This place is full of friends
I hope it never ends
It brew of erudition and good cheer.

>24 alcottacre: I like their stories but haven't read that one.

>25 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori!

>26 PaulCranswick: Thanks for stopping by, Paul!

>27 Ameise1: I have the next 2 in the series too, Barbara, and hope to get to them some time during the year.

Happy new reading year, Stasia - and board game year :)

Happy New Year Stasia. I'll try and follow in 2018.

Hi, there Stasia! If you still need to know how to post pictures, I think I can help. Just say the word.

Happy New Year! I wish you to read many good books in 2018.

Hi Stasia! It's so good to see you here again. Here's to a happy and bookish 2018!

Happy New Year Stasia!

Happy New Year Stasia - wishing health, happiness and books in 2018 :)

>24 alcottacre: It was a good start to the reading year, I'm glad to see.

Happy New Year Stasia.
I have been collecting Nicci French paperbacks when I see them at my local charity shop, I need to start reading them.

We hello happy new a d ofcource have a *.

Happy New Year, Stasia. I hope you have a great 2018.

Happy New Year Stasia! Dropping a star

Hi! Stasia, I'm here to drop off my star and I'll try to keep up with you. I'm curious about the whole board game aspect of your plans, and so I'll be interested when you post about that, as well as when you talk about books!

I have started a thread but have not figured out how to copy its address and post it, so if you have time you might go a-hunting and see if you can visit from time to time. Happy New Year for us all!

>29 ctpress: Thanks, Carsten!

>30 Deern: Thank you, Nathalie. I will try and do the same!

>31 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, I am going to take you up on that offer. Please help! I would love to be able to post some of my board gaming pictures :)

>32 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel!

>33 LauraBrook: Thank you, Laura!

>34 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian!

>35 BekkaJo: Wow, that is a lot, Bekka! Same to you!

>36 richardderus: Yes, it was - and I am looking forward to bigger and better as the year goes on, RD!

>37 avatiakh: I had not heard of the Nicci French series until Peggy was touting it, Kerry, so you have the jump on me.

>38 BBGirl55: Hey, Bryony! Thanks for the star!

>39 BLBera: Thank you, Beth!

>40 fredanria: Thanks!

>41 maggie1944: I think I have already been over to your new thread, Karen, but I will double check myself. Happy New Year!

I have started off my new year by being sick, so no reading going on at the moment, but the board games continue apace. Beth and I played a couple yesterday: The Voyages of Marco Polo and Saint Petersburg, 2 Euro games. Then when Kerry came home last night, we had our weekly Family Game Night and played his favorite game, Ticket to Ride.

If you are curious about the games, please either ask me or check them out on www.boardgamegeek.com :)

Just stopping in to drop a star and wish you a happy new year!

Feel better soon, Stasia.

>44 tapestry100: Thanks for dropping by, David!

>45 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. I think I am on the upswing now.

Oh, no, you are sick! I hope you feel better soon!

Hi, Stasia. Dropping a star here



My family loves board games too, although we don't play nearly as many as you - being involved in video gaming as well. Our Christmas purchase was Codenames. We've been having great fun with it. It's really challenging to try to give a clue that describes more than one word.

We've also been thinking of getting Speak Out but I think the novelty will wear off on that one pretty quickly.

>47 Whisper1: Getting there, lovey. I am going back to work today.

>48 rretzler: Thanks for the star, Robin! I really like Codenames too. I agree it is challenging to give a clue that can be used for multiple words - especially without giving a clue that might lead to the assassin. I have not heard of Speak Out though.

Morning, Stasia. Sorry to hear that you are sick- hoping you feel better very soon. And now I am adding Codenames to the list.

Happy New Year, Stasia!

Glad to see you back, Stasia!

I hope you are feeling better, Stasia. Here’s to a Happy New Year Of Reading and Gaming! We played Ticket to Ride in Kansas City with the family.

Hope you are having a wonderful start to your new year!

>50 Crazymamie: I think I can safely predict that you will enjoy Codenames, Mamie! Let me know once you give the game a shot.

>51 humouress: Thanks, Nina!

>52 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. It is good to be back!

>53 Donna828: Not yet, Donna. I am hoping the upswing comes soon though. I went to work today, lasted 4 hours and came back home. TTR is Kerry's favorite game and I have many of its incarnations.

>54 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

A couple of more board games down: Grand Austria Hotel and Ancestree. In addition, a couple of more books read:

2. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor - those time traveling historians are at it again, traveling to Troy - where the majority of the book takes place - and Agincourt; this book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I am anxious to get onto the next in the series, but I think it will be waiting until after I listen to Nicholas Nickleby; Recommended for fans of the series, 4 stars

3. Surviving Hitler by Andrea Warren - this nonfiction book is the story of Jack Mandelbaum who survived several of the Nazi death camps during WWII; this is a good read for upper level elementary (6th grade on) and lower middle school students; the violence depicted is not graphic, but decidedly there - Jack survives the war only to find that all those in his immediate family - mother, father, brother, and sister - did not; Highly recommended, 4.5 stars

Happy 2018, Stasia! Got you starred!

>56 alcottacre: Looks like both of those were winners.

I am dropping my star to follow along with your reading and game boarding, Stasia. I hope you are feeling better. I came down with sickness yesterday and would like to hear that it is a short one. LOL

Played a round of Chthulu Pandemic with my daughter and one of her friends today. Interesting...it's a cooperative game, and we had fun plotting to beat it. I enjoyed it more than the standard version of Pandemic.

Happy 2018! Wishing you lots of books and games. And then you that you tell us all about them. : )

Dropping off a star -- I'm interested to see the books and board games you explore in 2018! My boyfriend and I play a lot of games, him more than me as I'm a bit pickier :) My current favorite is Splendor. We also really enjoy Pandemic, Agricola, and a recent discovery, Chronology.

Dropping off a star and it's great to see you here again! I look forward to both the books and the board games :-)

>60 laytonwoman3rd: Ooh! Haven't heard of Pandemic, we'll have to check it out.

There is a board game store, Beyond the Board, in Dublin where the boys hang out sometimes. The really great thing about it is that they have many games that can be played at the store - so you can check them out before buying. They have a bunch of tables, and you can just go in and hang out. When the boys have been hanging out there a lot, I always try to go in and buy a game to support the store.

>57 Carmenere: Hey, Lynda! Thanks for the star!

>58 thornton37814: They were, Lori :)

>59 Familyhistorian: My illness was sinus-related crap, Meg, so hopefully yours is completely unrelated and SHORT!

>60 laytonwoman3rd: I really enjoy Pandemic, and there are even more iterations of the game, Linda. I have played base Pandemic, Pandemic: Reign of Cthulhu, Pandemic: Iberia, Pandemic Legacy: Season 1 - by far my favorite gaming experience ever! - and just received Pandemic: Rising Tide last week. Pandemic Legacy: Season 2 is on its way to me in the next week or so. Can you tell I am a fan?

>61 Berly: I will try and keep up with both, Kim!

>62 curioussquared: Splendor is a big hit at my house, too. Have you tried the recent expansion, Cities of Splendor? Three of the four modules are very good. We do not particularly care for the Strongholds module, but YMMV. I have not played Agricola, but really enjoy Agricola 2.0, otherwise known as Caverna.

>63 archerygirl: Thanks, Kathy!

>64 rretzler: Pandemic is a great cooperative game, Robin! I do hope you get a chance to play (see my response above to Linda for my feelings on the game.) And YAY! for supporting your local game store.

Back to books momentarily:

4. Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb - audiobook; continuing my plow through the In Death books, this one lays somewhere in the middle for me - I do not absolutely love it, nor do I hate it; the primary investigation concerns a man posing as a priest in a long-time con who gets murdered, so Eve, of course, must investigate not only the murder of the man himself, but the con that the man was running and why he was willing to wait so long to succeed at it; Recommended for fans of the series, but I would not start here if you are a new reader, 3.75 stars

Back to games:

Thus far this week, the only game to hit the table thus far is Junk Art: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/193042/junk-art

Junk Art is a dexterity game, at which I am terrible at playing, but is certainly great fun!

BAD struck this week, but just a small blip. I acquired Dreamland by Howard Sachar. I ordered another book at the same time, but it has not come in yet, so I will hold that one for another day.

>66 alcottacre: I saw Cities of Splendor when we stopped by our local board game shop the other day, but haven't played it yet. It'll be next on the list!

>69 curioussquared: I hope you enjoy it, Natalie!

More books showed up today, feeding my BAD. Two of them are library books, The Racial State by Michael Burleigh and Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones. In from Paperback Swap, The German Genius by Peter Watson, which is a chunkster at nearly 1000 pages. Not sure when I will be getting to that one, especially as I got in another chunkster, The Code-Breakers by David Kahn, around Christmas.

>71 alcottacre: Good gracious, Stasia, you need to crank up the robo-eyes 13 through 17! Two huge massive big enormous chunksters on top of the others?! Wow.

Happy New Year! And how wonderful to see you. Wishing you a wonderful year of reading and gaming.

>72 richardderus: Robo-eyes 13-17 have gone strangely dim these days, Richard, and I can only handle 4 or so books at a time - NONE of them chunksters :)

>73 billiejean: BJ, it is wonderful to see you again! I hope you can make the Joplin trip this year. Plenty of time to plan!

Games played yesterday include -

A Touch of Evil: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/35815/touch-evil-supernatural-game

Legacy: The Testament of Duke de Crecy: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/52461/legacy-testament-duke-de-crecy

and, Dark Gothic: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146784/dark-gothic

>74 alcottacre: Ahh - there's that genealogy one you mentioned to me!

Tomorrow is going to be a great day for reading and board game all around - that is if I can entice the boys away from their computers!

Stasia! Was just pottering around the 75-ers and spotted your name, hooray! Books, games and tea, lovely. *plonks herself down in a corner* :)

Yes, I would love to go to Joplin! And guess what? My daughter is going to a gaming party.

>75 thornton37814: Yes, that's the only, Lori! It is more of a Euro-style game than Ancestree is, so consequentially more of a gamer's game.

>76 rretzler: I am sitting reading a board game rule book. Does that count as both reading and board gaming?

>77 elliepotten: Hey, Ellie! Lovely to see you here. You may sit in any corner you like.

>78 billiejean: Gaming party? Cool! Joplin? See you there!

Back to reading:

5. Promises in Death by J.D. Robb - this book finds Eve struggling to deal with her friendships in many ways - some ways tragic and some ways funny - as she investigates the death of a fellow officer who was killed with her own weapon; Recommended, 4.25 stars

6. Georgette Heyer by Jennifer Kloester - nonfiction; I picked this book up in Joplin and have been steadily reading it since; frankly, I am not sure that in real life I would have cared for Heyer all that much - she was very much a product of her times, including being anti-Semitic - and just seemed to be a hard woman to either like or get along with, although she did manage to forge many friendships during her lifetime; she struggled financially as she was the main breadwinner for not only her immediate family, but helped support her widowed mother and brothers, at times; Kloester's writing is not stellar, she is clearly a fan of the author, but tempers that pretty well. One interesting footnote in the book that others might be interested in "In 1968 Booker Bros. became Booker McConnell. The following year. . .Jock Campbell announced the first Booker Prize for Fiction. Ironically, none of the writers (Fleming, Christie, and Heyer) whose royalties had made the prize possible wrote the sort of fiction likely to be considered for the Booker."; Recommended, 3.75 stars

Board gaming today/tonight:

Charterstone - we are up to game 4 of the campaign: https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/197376/charterstone

Railroad Revolution - our first play (the rule book I am reading through), https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/207691/railroad-revolution

>56 alcottacre: It feels like old times. I visit here and immediately add a book, or two or six.

Much Love...So good to have you back!!!!

>71 alcottacre: Good Evening Friend! Read Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic. It is a book that haunts. I read it last year and I am still telling people about it.

As one who has taken opiods for nine years, I am rather defensive regarding the fact that my pain level, after eight surgeries and recoveries is nasty and that I use medications to allow me to function.

And, still, I never/ever take an extra pill even when the levels are #9 or 10. I will not ever become addicted. I am so defensive that during the month, I count the number of pills left in the bottle. Always, I learn that I have not taken the amount prescribed and have many extras.

Good, reliable, caring doctors watch carefully and regulate the amount consumed.

This book is great. It didn't make me feel like I would naturally become addicted. What it did tell was how the drug companies pushed these drugs, knowing they were addictive. And, that there are unethical doctors who are not careful regarding the amount prescribed and consumed.

Happy Sunday Stasia! The Jennifer Kloester biography has gone on the list - I've read most of Heyer's books now and I always find author biographies interesting.

Happy Sunday, Stasia. I also shared this for you, over on my thread: "I have not read any of Didion's novels but if you like essays, I highly recommend, Slouching Toward Bethlehem and The White Album or her terrific memoir The Year of Magical Thinking.

We love the game Code Names. We played it last night. Can you recommend a game, that is similar?

Yikes, Stasia!

I thought I had at least wished you Happy New Year already. Bad me.

>56 alcottacre: I've read 4 of the 9 - ! - didn't realize that there were 9 of them. Speaking of BAD, Taylor also has started another series, the Elizabeth Cage series, and the first one, which I really liked, is White Silence.

>80 alcottacre: Your review of the Heyer biography was interesting, Stasia. Like so many people of that era she was a walking bundle of contradictions. Someone prepared to support a very extended family but at the same time prejudiced against all but pretty much her own set.

Have a lovely Sunday with books and games and all.

>81 Whisper1: Thank you, lovey. It is good to be back even if only a limited capacity.

>82 Whisper1: I believe I first saw the review of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic on one of your lists, Linda. It is a real cause of concern for the insurance company for whom I work, so I am hoping to learn more through the book. Thank you for the recommendation!

>83 souloftherose: I hope you enjoy the Heyer biography when you get a chance to read it, Heather. Thanks for stopping by!

>84 msf59: I have read The Year of Magical Thinking, the only book of hers I have tried and it was terrific, as you said. I do like essays, so thank you for the recommendations. I will have to see if the local library has either one of those.

Regarding board games, it kind of depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a good word-based game, I would suggest either Wordsy (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/208480/wordsy) - it plays up to 6 - or Paperback (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/141572/paperback), which can be played either cooperatively or competitively. If you are looking for a party type game, I would suggest you try Concept (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/147151/concept), which is kind of like Charades with a board.

>85 karenmarie: No worries, Karen. I know that I have not wished everyone a Happy New Year either. Too many people around these parts these days, lol. I did not know that Taylor has started another series. I will have to check it out! Thanks!

>86 PaulCranswick: "A walking bundle of contradictions" is a good way to describe Heyer, Paul. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday too!

Sounds like you've had an enjoyable weekend, Stasia. Last night I played Batman Love Letter and Sushi Go with The Boyfriend (the latter with his progeny too) and they were both fun, quick games.

Whizzing through, trying to catch up. Do you own all these board games or do you use a library?

You'll be happy to know, I'm sure, that my daughter and I were playing "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night" last week, and came across an author of hard-boiled detective fiction whom I had never heard of (but should have)--James Crumley. That game gives you the first lines of works of literature, from which you have to get either the title or the author to win a point. The first lines of Crumley's The Last Good Kiss were so intriguing I had to order the book immediately!

Stasia--Postings, games played, books read...you are doing a great job of keeping up! The games I have played lately are Mah Jong, the Mexican Train Game, Cards Against Humanity and card games like bridge or Crazy Eights. I have the Exploding Kittens waiting for me.

There was an article in the Singapore papers yesterday taken from, I think the NY Times (?) about how board gaming is getting more and more popular - and cool. Maybe I should re-introduce the kids to whatever we have.

>91 Berly: My parents loved Mexican Train dominoes.

Can you recommend us a board game? (supporting 2-4 players atleast)

We (me, wife, brother, his wife, sometime other brothers and their wives) have played Monoply, Ludo, Chess, Dominoes and few card games. I introduced them to Risk and then Settlers of Catan and Dominion (which they all love, Dominion somewhat more than SoC because of it's quick turn around) and are now interested in something new.

Problem is, these games aren't available here and importing is very costly, which means we can get only one or two in an year, so a recommendation from someone who has played lots of games will be very helpful :)

Any suggestions?

>94 aqeeliz: is Scrabble available?

>95 fuzzi: We play scrabble too! Forgot about that one :)

>96 aqeeliz: that's our favorite game for 3-4 players. For 2 people, we like cribbage or backgammon.

I've never taken an extra pain pill in the nine years I've been on medication. As I mentioned, I feel so darn defensive because those who abuse make it difficult for those of us who don't.

Hoping you are fine! Missing you1

Stasia, I was thinking of you on Friday night, as Sarah and I were playing Munchkin Steampunk with some friends. We may not be as ambitious as you with the number of games we have/play, but we're going to try to make this a regular event! We had a ton of fun. No wonder you play so many games!

Oooh, board game suggestions? I'll take some! Games good for 5 year olds, but interesting to adults. I'm going to start a "family night" tradition once a weekish on Mondays, and want to have a variety of games. So far, we have a few not-so-fun ones, then Catan Junior and Mouseguard. I was thinking of getting Apples to Apples Junior. There are several other junior games that I might try out, though of course games are expensive so I'll have to keep it down to one new game every couple of months, I think.

That must be some board game marathon, Stasia!

Hope all is well and that you'll have a great weekend.

Gotcha! will tread daintily so as to avoid BB's.

>89 humouress: Yes, I own them all. My board game library right now numbers somewhere around 300-400 games.

>90 laytonwoman3rd: Woot! There are quite a few board games that lead to books and vice versa.

>91 Berly: I love to see games hitting the table, Kim!

>92 humouress: There are a ton of great kids games being made these days. I am not sure how old your kids are, but you might want to check out the board company Haba, who caters almost exclusively to children and family games.

>93 thornton37814: My husband does too.

>94 aqeeliz: It might be easier and cheaper for you to import games from someplace like the Tokyo Game Market rather than from the U.S. and European sources. If your family enjoys Dominion, you might try another deck builder, like Edge of Humanity or Thunderstone Advance. Since they enjoy Settlers of Catan, you might try something like a beginner worker placement game. Stone Age or Lords of Waterdeep would be examples. Also, be sure and check out Board Game Geek. You should be able to find gamers in your neck of the woods.

>98 Whisper1: I am finally on the upswing, lovey. I think the flu is finally letting go of me.

>99 tapestry100: Sounds like you had a great time, David! I am glad you are making gaming a regular event!

>100 The_Hibernator: I gave some kids games to my nephew's kids. Push a Monster and Leo Goes to the Barber were big hits. Their boys are 4 and 6.

>101 PaulCranswick: Thanks for stopping by, Paul!

>102 tututhefirst: Since it is more board game than books any more, Tina, that should not be hard.

OK, so January is finally over. After sinus issues, tendinitis problems, and the flu, I am glad to be done with it. Hopefully February will be better for me! I have an appointment to see a neurologist in a couple of weeks and the problem in my right arm will be addressed then, since the tendinitis has lead to nerve problems in that arm.

I have actually got some reading in and will post the books once I am home :)

Hi, Stasia. My older son and his friends have started a board game club at their HS. They meet once a month. Yesterday they played the game Bob Ross: The Art of Chill. I think the consensus was that it was interesting yet a little complicated.

>84 msf59: We love Code Names too. It is a new favorite in our house.

Have you ever played The Game of Things...? It is also a favorite. It is supposed to be for 4 players and up, but we find it is difficult to be a family of 4 and play because everyone knows everyone else's handwriting. If there were a way that it could be played by somehow typing out answers it would be better.

Hoping February is kinder to you!

>106 rretzler: Good on them for starting a board game club. Might I suggest that they try something like Pandemic? The rules are fairly straightforward and it is a cooperative game - they either all win together or all lose together. They might try a dexterity game like Junk Art or Rampage.

>107 ChelleBearss: Me too, Chelle!

Books read recently:

7. - The Racial State by Michael Burleigh and Wolfgang Wippermann - nonfiction; I was reading this book about the time that President Trump was making his ignorant, racist comments about immigrants and how we here in the U.S. only want ones from 'nice' countries like Norway - the parallels that can be drawn between his statements and the focus of this book are frankly frightening; the authors do a good job of explaining the underlying theory of the racism that overtook Nazi Germany and how and when those theories progressed into fact for the German people; Recommended, 4 stars

8. - 13: Promises in Death, Kindred in Death, Fantasy in Death, Indulgence in Death, Treachery in Death, and New York to Dallas all by J.D. Robb - Yes, I am continuing my listening to the In Death series in audiobook form. I am not going to talk about all of these books, but the last 2 mentioned are some of my favorites in the series. I cannot get enough.

14.: The Hounds of Spring by Lucy Andrews Cummin - this is a simple, beautiful book - a day in the life of Poppy as she checks in with her dogwalking clients, deals with her family, and attempts to evaluate her future not only for herself, but for her boyfriend, Clive. I loved it and will definitely be picking up a copy when it is officially released; Highly Recommended, 4.75 stars

Games played recently:

Legendary: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/210290/legendary-buffy-vampire-slayer)

Merkator (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39684/merkator)

Xanadu (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/132817/xanadu)

Terraforming Mars (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/167791/terraforming-mars)

Macao (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/55670/macao) - one of my all-time favorite games

Tokaido (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123540/tokaido)

Rococo (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/144344/rococo)

That catches me up to the end of January!

Hi, Stasia. I hope everything is going well in your world. Thanks for the games suggestions. Have you ever played Robo-Rally? It is one of our favorites but it can be tough on the brain.

Sorry to hear you've been under the weather Stasia!
We had a bad run with colds at the end of 2017 but 2018 has been treating us much better. Happy readings to you. :)

>111 msf59: No, I have not played that one yet. I have a bunch of brain burners in my game library though :)

>112 jolerie: Glad to hear the run of colds has ended, Valerie! I hope you have a wonderful reading year.

Good to see you here, Stasia! I love all the board game talk, as we love to find new ones. We just picked up Codenames but haven't gotten to play it yet.

Glad you are finally feeling better, and so sorry about the tendonitis - I have that, too, and it is NOT fun.

>108 alcottacre: I will suggest those, Stasia. We have a board game store here in town that has been going for several years now and it provides tables and games that can be checked played at the store, as well as lots and lots of games to purchase. I'll have a look to see if any of those games are at Beyond the Board.

Happy Valentine's Day, Stasia.

>114 Crazymamie: Mamie, I think you'll enjoy Codenames! We've been taking turns being each other's partners and the pairings that I thought would be the best were actually not!

>114 Crazymamie: Yeah, the tendinitis is really causing problems for me. It has aggravated the nerves in there, which is why I have to go see a neurologist. Enjoy Codenames when you get to it!

>115 rretzler: If the guys are big Harry Potter fans, the Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle card game is very fun. It is played out over 7 games, each game increasingly more difficult.

>103 alcottacre: Oh, wow!

(My boys have just turned 9 and 14.)

Be well.

^Happy Sunday, Stasia. I know you are an owl fan. I saw my very first owl in the wild today, (perched anyway) and it was a Northern Saw-whet Owl. Beautiful little guys.

>117 humouress: Thanks, Nina. You and yours be well too!

>118 msf59: So very jealous! How beautiful. Thanks for sharing, Mark.

My BAD kicked in yesterday, especially since I had a gift certificate that my husband gave me (at Christmas!). I picked up Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders and Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer.

I have heard good things about the Saunders book, but no nothing of the other. Has anyone read it? Thoughts?

Hooray for the BAD! And I hope you love Lincoln in the Bardo as much as I did.

>120 alcottacre: I have both of them on the shelves, Stasia, but heaven knows when I'll get round to reading them.

Have a lovely weekend.

>122 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. You too!

Picked up from the library today: Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts by Christopher de Hamel. This book looks awesome!

Books finished this week include:

15-18: Celebrity in Death, Delusion in Death, Calculated in Death, and Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb - the beat goes on. . .

19: Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion - Thank you, Mark, for recommending this one! I very much enjoy Didion's writing and this book of essays was no exception. I found her essay "On Morality" to be especially thought provoking; Highly Recommended, 4.25 stars

Games played this past week include:

Orleans (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171905/orleans-deluxe-edition)
Bastion (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181236/bastion)
Rome: City of Marble (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/179385/rome-city-marble)
Yedo (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/117915/yedo)
Century: Spice Road (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/209685/century-spice-road)
Charterstone (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/197376/charterstone)

Rulebook currently being read: Edge of Humanity (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/185262/edge-humanity)

Happy Sunday, Stasia.

>123 alcottacre: I've heard good things about Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts - looking forward to your thoughts.

Happy Sunday!

>125 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. I hope you have a great week!

>126 souloftherose: I started the book yesterday, Heather, and although I am not that far into it, I am really liking it. I will let you know once I am done with it.

>120 alcottacre: Hi Stasia--Hope all is well with you. I read Here I Am last year and enjoyed it. My review is on the book's page. I concluded the review with this:

"This is not a perfect book, but it is a good book, and I did not find its focus to be too narrow or religious. The characters of Jacob, Julia and their sons are all very real, and I cared about their problems. Although it's a fairly long book, it's easy to read, well-written, and the pages practically turned themselves. (Although I do note that I found it started slowly, and took some easing into)."

>128 arubabookwoman: Thank you for the input, Deborah! I appreciate it. Hope all is well with you too.

^I am not sure if you have visited my thread lately, but if you did, you would have seen that I added a Great Horned Owl to my Life List! that made 3 owls in one week! Yah!

Hi, Stasia! How is your father doing?

Hi Stasia!

Congratulations on all the board games. I hope you like Lincoln in the Bardo as much as I did - I gave it one of my rare 5-star ratings.

I'm just stopping by to say hi, Stasia!

Hi, Stasia. Hope life is treating you well. How is the arm doing? Dad? Board games? Books?

: )

Just waving *hello!*

I noticed Kim was following me about the threads yesterday and I seem to be returning the favour today.

Wishing you a happy Easter, Stasia!

Have a lovely Easter weekend, Stasia.

UPDATE: Stasia was home after the surgery on her arm by a bit after 10:00 and posting that on fb. Apparently, that nerve was really, really stretched, and apparently, all went well.
BIG RELIEF!
Now heal and take care of yourself, Stasia!

Get well soon, Stasia!

>137 LizzieD: Thanks for the update, Peggy. I was a bit concerned. I hope this will bring on the end of the tendinitis and associated problems, Stasia!

Get well soon!

>137 LizzieD: Thanks for the update, Lizzie!

Glad the surgery went well, Stasia. Check in, when you are able.

Feel better!

I've been largely absent in the group not just this year but for a while, in part due to less time on social media in general due to life being bananas, and in part because I use Litsy for easy bookish socializing. CONVENIENTLY, we now own Litsy, but I still want to try to re-engage with you wonderful folks and you, Stasia, are one of the first people who comes to mind when I think about the 75ers! Glad to have the update that your surgery went well, and looking forward to hearing from you when you're able.

Glad to hear the surgery went well--rest up and heal quickly!!

Yes, get well soon!

::waves at kgriffith::

Happy Sunday, Stasia! Glad to hear the surgery went well and hope the recovery is smooth.

What Mary said, Stasia. I'm glad you've had positive developments.

Happy Sunday, Stasia, and hope your recovery is going smoothly!

Hope you are now fully recovered, Stasia. Please come and see us all soon. xx

Hi Stasia!

I, too, hope your recovery has been going well.

Hope you are healing well, Stasia!

Thinking of you my friend. I hope you are feeling better!

Much Love

Hi Stasia! Hope things are well with you.

I was at Powell's Bookstore recently and my daughter got an expansion pack for the game Cards for Humanity--so I thought of you twice!! Hope you are winning the war.

Just *waving*

*knock, knock* Can Stasia come out and play?

Hello???

*waving* again

Saying hi, Stasia!

I've fallen off the radar myself Stasia, but I do hope my somewhat belated reappearance could be joined by a return of the first mega poster in this group.

Keep well dear lady.

Hope you're keeping well, Stasia.

*is concerned*

>163 laytonwoman3rd: Me, too.

Just a note to say that I talked to Stasia last week and she is doing well. Her arm is getting stronger, so that's good. She's still really tired by the end of the week, but she manages to game anyway - and read a little.

Thank you, Peggy. I hope you mentioned that we miss her and wish her well.

Good to hear, Peggy. Sending positive thoughts to Stasia for healing.

>165 LizzieD: Good to know. Thanks for the update.

Still missing you. Sending healing vibes!!!

What an unhealthy year for you. I do hope you get better soon;;;;very soon.

Hi, Stasia! I'm just here to help keep your thread warm . . . take care!

*waves to Stasia*

Thinking of you Stasia on this Thanksgiving Weekend.

Thank you all for checking in on me throughout the year. It has been a rough one. I still have not recovered fully from my surgery, which I was told could take anywhere from 6 months (it has been 7 now) to 2 years. I still cannot hold books properly. All in all a frustrating year, although board games have saved my sanity :)

It is wonderful that I can check in here after months away and find heartwarming, thoughtful messages. Thank you so much!

So nice to see you checking in on your thread, Stasia! I often think of you and your Sunday updates. Glad to hear you're still up to board games at least, and hope your recovery starts speeding up for you.

I'm so sorry it has been such a difficult healing process. You remain in my prayers. God bless!

Dear One..I am so very sad that you still are not healed as well as you should be. I think of you and send lots of love

Adding my best wishes for continued (and speedier) healing Stasia. I'm glad you have been able to enjoy board games, sorry that reading has become difficult.

Best wishes to you for healing, Stasia!

Stasia was here!! I am so sorry the surgery is taking so long to heal AND that it is making it hard to hold a book. >: (

I am not-secretly hoping we will get to see more of you here in 2019. Miss you. Wishing happy holidays ahead. Big Hugs.

Stasia, we are counting on you coming to the Joplin meetup next year. 2019 just has to be a better year for you. I can't imagine how frustrating it is not to be able to hold your precious books for long. Audiobooks might be a lifesaver. Sending you love and some healing hugs as well...

I’m sorry to hear that healing is taking so long and your reading is affected. Hoping it all gets better soon and ‘yay’ for board games. On that note, my younger son recently picked up a couple of games when we were out shopping, completely out of the blue, with no prompting from me. Maybe I’ll use these holidays and strike while the iron is hot!

Thank you all for the good wishes regarding my healing from surgery. In a couple of days, it will be 8 months since my surgery. I was told 6 months to 2 years to completely heal - it was a nerve surgery, after all - but the 6 month mark has come and gone. I am just hoping it does not take 2 years!

Thank you Mary, Sandra, Linda, Terri, Kim, Donna, and Nina! LTers are simply the best!

Stasia! It is so good to have you among us. Nerve damage of any kind is slow to heal, but it sounds as though you are still well within the zone where optimism is warranted for recovery. And, of course you have all this LT mojo going for you!

Great to hear from you, Stasia. Nerve surgery - that's got to be tough to recover from. I hope you're able to divert yourself with some good reading.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Find the Light—Reflect the Light—Be the Light

Happy Yule 2018!

Hoping your holidays are filled with good friends and good books

Hi Stasia, we would like to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and festive season and send seasonal love and hugs from both of us dear friend.

Merry Christmas, Stasia! I hope the arm is improving.

Hope you have a great Christmas!

Happy holidays, Stasia.

Or in other words, Happy Christmas!

Seasons Greetings from Singapore! Wishing you and your family joy, peace, good fortune and good health now and in the coming year.

Wishing you and your family good health and much joy in the upcoming year, Stasia. It stinks that Beth lost her job shortly before Christmas. What is wrong with people? I'm counting on your presence at Joplin the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Don't make us drive down to Sherman!!!

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Hi Stasia, we would like to wish you and your family a very happy new year my dear and hope that 2019 is a good one, sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Happy New Year!

Hi Stasia!



Wishing you a new year filled with joy, happiness, laughter, and all the wonderful books you could wish for.