KatieKrug Reads in 2016 - Part 18

Seasonal images of parks in our new home in Nutley, NJ.

Hello Old Friends and Welcome New Ones!

About me: I'm in the process of re-locating from Dallas to the New York metro area and very much look forward to being more settled soon! I live with my husband and two cats and a dog. The cats are his; the dog is ours. He (the dog, not the husband) is a black lab mix named Louis and may just be The World's Best Dog. I work in association management, currently at a membership association for engineers and other professionals in the upstream energy industry. In my spare time, I enjoy traveling (my job usually takes me to interesting places!), snark, participating in shenanigans, and drinking wine. I have over 3000 unread books on my shelves and Kindle and a very understanding husband.

I have been a 75er since 2011. This year, I plan to participate in the American Author Challenge and the Nonfiction Challenge, as well as a few of the challenges in the Category Challenge group, where I will also be maintaining a thread. A few of my goals for the year are to read more of the Pulitzer winners on my shelves, to read more global lit, and to be more selective in my reading - both in what I pick up and in giving myself permission to put things back down if they are not engaging me.

CURRENTLY READING
(Print) (Audio) (Kindle) (Kindle - year-long project)

BOOKS COMPLETED in NOVEMBER
74. A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
75. My Southern Journey by Rick Bragg (audio)
76. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren (audio)
77. Being There by Jerzy Kosinski (audio)
78. Nutshell by Ian McEwan
-- Oh My Stars by Lorna Landvik (DNF)
79. The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni (audio)
80. Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down by Anne Valente

BOOKS COMPLETED in OCTOBER
-- Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale (DNF)
68. $2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America by Kathryn Edin (audio)
69. Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
70. Manhood for Amateurs by Michael Chabon (audio)
71. The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (audio)
72. Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
73. Grunt by Mary Roach (audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED in SEPTEMBER
62. Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America by Diane Roberts
-- Radiant Angel by Nelson DeMille (DNF)
63. This is the Story of You by Beth Kephart
64. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson
65. The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins (audio)
66. Run to You by Rachel Gibson
67. A Finer End by Deborah Crombie
-- Born in Ice by Nora Roberts (DNF)
-- Something Light by Margery Sharp (DNF)

BOOKS COMPLETED in AUGUST
55. Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte (audio)
56. Carthage by Joyce Carol Oates
57. Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (audio)
58. The Midnight Assassin by Skip Hollandsworth
-- Moonwalking with Einstein (audio) (DNF)
59. Heft by Liz Moore
60. The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger
61. The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais (audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED in JULY
46. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
-- Sounds Like Crazy by Shana Mahaffey (DNF)
47. The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore (audio)
-- Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay (DNF)
48. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (audio)
49. Did You Ever Have a Family by Bill Clegg
50. The Relic Master by Christopher Buckley
51. Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson
52. Sprig Muslin by Georgette Heyer (audio)
53. Dear Mr. You by Mary-Louise Parker
54. City of Secrets by Stewart O'Nan

BOOKS COMPLETED in JUNE
40. The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig
41. My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse (audio)
42. The Jaguar's Children by John Vaillant
43. 12 Random Words by Fabiana Elisa Martinez
44. The Shipping News by Annie Proulx
45. The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert (audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED in MAY
32. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (audio)
33. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
34. The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths
35. Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye (audio)
36. Songs for the Missing by Stewart O'Nan
37. Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming (audio)
-- The Postman by David Brin (DNF)
-- And After Many Days by Jowhor Ile (DNF - but it was good and I'll try again some time)
-- Hidden River by Adrian McKinty (audio) (DNF)
38. The Devil in Denim by Melanie Scott
39. The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens (audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED in APRIL
20. Seduction in Death by J.D. Robb
21. The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World by Daniel Yergin (audio)
22. Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer
23. The Love Letters of Phyllis McGinley by Phyllis McGinley
24. Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks
25. Sky Bridge by Laura Pritchett
26. The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy by Julia Quinn (audio)
27. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
28. The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger (audio)
29. The Mermaid's Sister by Carrie Ann Noble (audio)
30. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (audio)
31. The Travelers by Chris Pavone

BOOKS COMPLETED in MARCH
15. 40 Love by Madeleine Wickham (audio)
16. Nobody's Fool by Richard Russo
17. The Winter Girl by Matt Marinovich
18. The Age of Grief by Jane Smiley
19. The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street by Helene Hanff

BOOKS COMPLETED in FEBRUARY
7. American Meteor by Norman Lock
8. How to Speak Dragonese by Cressida Cowell (audio)
9. A Night Like This by Julia Quinn
10. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (audio)
11. Please Ignore Vera Dietz by A.S. King (audio)
12. The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn (audio)
13. Cold Earth by Sarah Moss
14. Among the Missing by Morag Joss (audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED in JANUARY
1. Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler
2. The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller (audio)
3. Kamchatka by Marcelo Figueras
4. The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henriquez (audio)
-- Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh (DNF)
5. Chill Factor by Sandra Brown
-- Secret Sisters by Jayne Ann Krentz (DNF)
6. The Girl in the Blue Beret by Bobbie Ann Mason (audio)

Ratings: I've stolen my star scale from Ellen and slightly modified it.

5 stars = I connected with this book in a special way. It may not be perfect, but it was perfect for me.
4.5 = A great read, among my favorites of the year.
4 = A good read and one that I recommend; truly enjoyable and/or worthy.
3.5 = Pretty good, with a few things done very well.
3 = Good for what it is.
2.5 = Average, and life is too short to read average works.
2 = A bit below average. A waste of time.

Anything worse I probably didn't finish and so wouldn't get a rating.

Monthly priorities (in order):

1) 100 pages in the Penguin History of the World
2) American Author Challenge
3) Nonfiction Challenge
4) GeoCAT Challenge

This is a reminder to myself so that I don't become overwhelmed with various group reads, challenges, monthly themes, etc.

Happy new thread, Katie! I love the pictures at the top. What a pretty place you're moving to.

Hi Susan! Thanks for being my first visitor!

It is pretty, isn't it? I'm so excited. I hope your job will bring you to NY again soon, so I can show you the beauties of Nutley in person :)

Happy New Thread, Katie!

Nice pics up top. Congratulations on selling the house as is, at the full selling price. How great is that?

It's pretty great, Joe :D

Thanks for stopping by!

Just droppin' my star, Katie.

Happy new thread, Katie! Your new stomping grounds look lovely. :)

>1 katiekrug: Nutley is a wonderful town and makes for an easy commute into the city! That's where my dad was transferred when I was 14. While we lived in Clifton those years, we did spend every weekend in Manhattan. Very exciting for us coming from a small town in NC.

>12 lit_chick: - Good to "see" you, Nancy!

>13 MickyFine: - Hi Micky!

>14 Dianekeenoy: - Yep, the commute was the main consideration, Diane, balanced with my desire to not be in a completely urban setting :)

Happy new thread!

Thanks, Jim!

Hey Katie I am so behind on people's threads now I am caught up here. I was so thrilled that the Giants won last week against the Eagles. My brother supports the Eagles and was not so thrilled by the outcome.

The photos are nice. I think I'd prefer it "sans" snow although it is lovely with it.

Happy new thread, Katie!!

>18 GeezLouise: - Hi Rae! I'm looking forward to another win tonight!!

>19 thornton37814: - I'm excited to have some snow again, Lori. Not too much, mind you... ;-)

>20 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber!

BOOK UPDATE

Oh My Stars was not really holding my attention, and based on some of the comments during book club yesterday, I don't feel really compelled to finish it. Not that it sounds bad or anything, just kind of meh, with a side of saccharine....

Instead, I picked up Nutshell by Ian McEwan which I had out from the library, and this morning on audio, I started Pippi Longstocking, which I never read as a kid. I do have a vague memory of seeing a TV show based on it, though...

Congrats on 75, Katie. I love your sign.

Happy new thread and well done for passing 75.

>21 katiekrug: Around East Tennessee and Western North Carolina, we'd settle for rain to put out all these wildfires. It's really hard to breathe when outside. A thick haze envelopes the area from all the smoke.

Happy New Thread, KAK! Love the park toppers!

From the last thread: Please move All Over but the Shouting up in the stacks. One of my all-time favorite memoirs.

>23 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth :)

>24 PaulCranswick: - Thank you, Paul!

>25 thornton37814: - Lori, I just heard about the fires there. Stay safe, and I'll keep my fingers crossed for rain.

>26 msf59: - Yes, sir, Mr. Mark! Of course, all my books are in boxes, so it may be a while... :)

I loved Pippi Longstocking as a kid, Katie. There were a couple of good sequels, too, as I recall.

Stopping in to find a spot Katie. My foster puppy leaves tomorrow. I'm a tiny but sad but so happy for her.

>28 jnwelch: - I'm enjoying it, Joe! Pippi should be annoying, but she's so endearing!

>29 luvamystery65: - Welcome, Ro! Hooray for forever homes and double hooray for foster homes and moms with big hearts :)

Love Pippi. She's so anarchic.

Happy new thread!

>30 katiekrug: Ha! On my good days, that's what my wife says about me. :-)

>31 charl08: - I love her joie de vie!

>32 jnwelch: - On his good days, that's what I say about my husband :) And I'm sure, vice versa!

Happy new thread!!

Happy new thread, katiekrg!

>2 katiekrug: Pippi Longstocking should be a fun audio. I hope you are enjoying it.

>34 SuziQoregon: - Thanks, Juli!

>35 brodiew2: - Hi Brodie! It's been a great audio - lots of fun :)

Belated congrats on 75 and selling your house. Also... What a fantastic Monday night game!!!!!

Hi Mary! Thanks! And yes, crazy game. I watched the first half at a bar with a bunch of Giants fans (wish I had discovered it before I was about to move - ha!) and then listened to the end of it on my phone through the Giants app. The first part of the game, The Wayne was on the bus home to New Jersey from New York and got stuck in traffic right in front of MetLife where he watched part of it on a screen they have on the outside, apparently. We were texting back and forth :)

I am starting to think about reading ''plans" (I use the term loosely) for next year. Maybe more like goals... I am toying with ways to increase the diversity and global nature of my reading. I have plenty of options on the shelves and Kindle, but somehow I never seem to make much time for them. Challenges are something else to consider. I enjoy finding books for them, but I don't actually participate much in discussion surrounding them (if there is any), and since I usually only get to 6-8 books a month, they are starting to feel somewhat limiting. I may focus on some of the thematic ones, since that would allow me more freedom of choice in what I pick up. The Category Challenge has an intriguing CultureCAT challenge going next year, and I've signed up to host the December theme of "Cultural Flow and Immigration." I will likely stick with Suzanne's nonfiction challenge, and may just give myself permission not to be a "purist" with the AAC. I'll wait to see who Mark selects before deciding for sure. Some of the suggestions have not excited me at all, especially ones with very limited bodies of work from which to choose.

So I guess we'll see..... I'm just ruminating at this point :)

ETA: Oh, and if Ellen decides to do the re-read challenge she was thinking about, I will probably do that, too. I've already created a collection of possible re-reads for that!

>39 katiekrug: It's that time of year. I've been thinking about my goals for next year too. I was actually able to participate more in the challenges than I thought I would, in terms of reading at least. But like you, I'll wait and see what names are thrown out there for the year before I decide anything about them. I was mostly able to read things this year that either I needed to (1001 Books) or at least was curious about the author. As long as I can kill two birds with one stone, I'll probably follow along. Luckily I have no illusions about being a purist at any of them. :)

I have got my 2017 reading plans all settled: fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever suits in the moment. Oh right, that was my plan last year, and the year before that ... and the year before that.

>39 katiekrug: I'm hosting one of the category challenge scifi months. I hardly participate over there but the challenges this coming year do look good. I like Paul's BAC challenge though I'm not a regular participant.

>40 ursula: - I love this time of year because I have so much fun planning. The fact that I rarely follow all the way through seems unimportant :)

>41 lit_chick: - Nancy, I like the planning, but I'm usually pretty good about giving myself permission to just do what I want in the moment. Usually.

>42 avatiakh: - There are some great people over at the Category Challenge. I had a thread there this year, and one a few years ago, but I'm terrible about keep up with it. I love coming up with my categories but then I tend to lose interest... Still, I will plan to participate in some of their group challenges...

Morning, Katie! Thinking about next year's reading, eh? Ooof, I love this time of year!

Morning, Katie! My life is spinning completely out of control these days - we really need another car. I love thinking about next year's reading plans - no challenges for me except Ellen's if she does that one she was talking about. Other than that, I am going to sit back and read whatever grabs my attention.

>44 scaifea: - I love it, too! *awkward high-five*

>45 Crazymamie: - Mamie, with as many drivers as you have in your house, with various jobs and activities, I'd say, um, YES! you need another one :) I like your plan for next year. I can't yet judge if I'll be able to unpack and shelve *all* my books in the new place, so I probably shouldn't make too many plans dependent on specific books, but I can't seem to help myself :)

BOOK UPDATE

Nutshell is fantastic! So weird and inventive and well-written. I am really loving it.

And on audio, I started Being There by Jerzy Kosinski, read by Dustin Hoffman, and I'm already loving it, only 20 or so minutes in.

Happy Katie!

Oh! I love just the thought of you getting to unpack and arrange all your books - here's hoping they all fit!

I loved Being There - that Dustin Hoffman narration is just fabulous. Looks like I need to get my hands on Nutshell.

>48 Crazymamie: - I am excited to do it, Mamie! Sort of hoping we stay home for Christmas so I can have some time to get things sorted....

>49 Crazymamie: - I'd love to hear what you think of Nutshell!

Staying home for Christmas sounds lovely - I highly recommend it. I requested Nutshell from the library!

>38 katiekrug: Ha, love the picture of you and your husband texting back and forth while he watched it on the big screen! Sunday 1 o'clock games are most of the family (minus my sisters in DC) at my parents' house, but I tend to stay home and watch from my bed on Monday night games so that's what I did. I texted back and forth with my dad a little during the fourth quarter, and one of my brothers sent me "Football is curious!" at the end. (That would be a family joke... my dad when he was in elementary school would take just about any topic his teacher gave him and wrote about football. One of the assignments was to write about something that was "curious" and he wrote about... you guessed it ... football. So every time something ridiculous happens, one of us will shout out "Football is curious!" For the life of us, we can't figure out why his teacher was so annoyed with his choice of topic ;) I mean, really, all sorts of sports have curious elements.)

Annnyyyyway, don't mean to hijack your thread. Glad to see you're enjoying your reading and I hope the move and transitioning to working long distance goes smoothly for you.

Mary, I love that story! I may steal "Football is curious" as my all-around exclamation :) My husband is a Dolphins fan, and his all-purpose interjection is "F**k the Jets!" :-P Maybe I can get him to switch!

Hi Katie, I am so pleased that you are going to keep one foot in the Category Challenge next year, so to speak. I have labelled next year my "Year of Freedom" but I am already hooked on the many different Challenges that are on offer. I like the CAT challenges because in most cases they are about subject matter or themes so the participant can choose a book from their own stacks. I am also hoping that Ellen is going to go ahead with a re-read challenge, I have even made a category for re-reads next year.

>39 katiekrug: I've started to 'plan' as well, Katie, but not necessarily in the same way. I read at a much slower pace than it sounds like you do. 2-3 books a month is my rate and that includes audiobooks. I am wantind to broaden my perspective, but I don't read a lot socio-political books. A more global perspective, for me, means travelogues or novels written by international authors. That is just how may reading habits have rolled of late.

>54 DeltaQueen50: - Judy, you are so right about the theme challenges being more conducive to "free" reading. I am looking forward to next year!

>55 brodiew2: - It's so interesting how reading plans and reality develop, isn't it? And how one book or a comment from someone else can send us down a rabbit hole in an unexpected direction. This is why I am a reader :)

Hey! My Thingaversary is on the 19th! I may save up my allotted 7 books for once I'm settle up north....

Who am I kidding? I think maybe I'll indulge in some more expensive Kindle books. I usually rebel against the idea of spending more than about $5 on a Kindle book....

Happy new thread and congratulations on 75!

I love all this reading planning. You've seen my Category Challenge for next year and it's very specific. I'm excited! I plan to put library time in my calendar next year to devote to reading. It's my me time that I desperately crave. Instead of Thingaversary next year I've subscribed to a book box. I also have pulled back from spending at my bookstores. I'll still make budgeted purchases but I'll spend some of my budget on Audible. I love my audiobooks and Hoopla and Overdrive don't always have what I want.

I know I host the AAC but I really don't make long term reading plans. I have my Must Read Now Shelf and I like following along with the BAC & CAC, since I've been discovering new authors that way. I also like reading what my LT pals are crazy about. Sharing books is a big highlight for me.

Obviously, my biggest goal, year in, year out, is reading off the TBR stacks. It is such an onward battle but it is war I have chosen and glad to be part of.

>56 katiekrug: It would be interesting to make a preliminary list and see how many planned reads are actually accomplished.

>58 nittnut: - Thanks, Jenn! Any progress with the house hunt?

>59 luvamystery65: - Oooh, Ro, I love the idea of subscribing to a book box! Must consider..... I sometimes fear I don't quite get my money's worth with Audible, but I do love their sales, and it's nice to have when there is something I really, really want, and the library doesn't have it.

>60 msf59: - Mark, I'm thinking of starting a Must Read Soon shelf when I start unpacking my books :) I do like making long-range plans, but I obviously don't like sticking to them!

>61 brodiew2: - Yep, I'm thinking about it. The problem is that as soon as I make a list, I tend to lose all interest in what's on it!

I subscribed to the Book Riot quarterly box for a while but in the end decided it was too much money to pay for books that, while I might want to read most of them someday, are far from the top of my TBR. I buy so few books that I'd rather spend my money more thoughtfully. But for someone who is an inveterate book buyer, it might make sense.

>53 katiekrug: Ha! I know a lot of Patriots fans around here that would like to use that interjection. The Jets really suck this year though so no worries, right? I don't think I'll be getting to a game this year, but we should definitely plan a football meetup sometime especially now that you're living much closer to Giants/Metlife stadium ;) Football with my family *is* curious though we're a little more subdued in public.

The other regular exclamation is a sarcastic "These guys are good!" when the Giants do something stupid. Or sometimes when they're losing and they score a touchdown finally. It's sort of an all-purpose declaration.

Katie, a friend told me about this "book spa" experience yesterday - a bookshop offers a session with one of their staff talking about your favourite books and then they "curate" a stack of books for you to consider/buy. New York is bound to have something like this: http://www.mrbsemporium.com/index.php/info/reading_spa

And, as you're reading Pippi Longstocking, this book, from the shop's home page, may be of interest: http://www.mrbsemporium.com/index.php/books/9781782272311/world_gone_mad It's the WWII diary of Astrid Lindgren. Ooh, I want it now :-)

Are any of those book spa places hiring, do we think?

Liking all the planning of reading found on around here. Might just head over to the category challenge to get some ideas...

>63 rosalita: - Julia, good point about the book box and books not near the top of the TBR. I think some people love the introdcution to things they might not otherwise know about or pick up, but I'm a bit of a curmudgeon in terms of "I like what I like" and don't want to be pressured into trying something I am fairly certain I *won't* like! If that makes sense.... I know Kim (berly) loves her Indispensable Books subscription from Powell's...

>64 bell7: - Mary, YES! A football meet-up would be so much fun! And your family sounds awesome to watch games with, in public or otherwise :)

>65 susanj67: - I love that idea, Susan. If I can't find it in NY, I might have to start one myself :) And I am now obsessed with that website and making it to Bath next summer!

I finished Being There in the car this morning and really enjoyed it. I want to watch the film now...

Oh, dear! Now I want to go to that book spa - what a fabulous idea.

Morning, Katie!

>66 charl08: Charlotte, not that I can see, sadly. It sounds like the sort of thing that Daunt Books could do. I looked up their website to check, but they don't. And obviously it would be wrong of me to note that they have a number of subscription packages, or to post the link to the page, so I won't.

>67 katiekrug: Katie, I'm so glad you still plan to come next summer! Bath is gorgeous, if you haven't been before (or even if you have). Super-Fit Friend's parents live there, which is how she found out about the spa. I suppose it's a "book spa" because Bath is a spa town - that hadn't occurred to me :-)

>66 charl08: - Oops! Sorry I missed you up there, Charlotte! Wouldn't that be such a fun job. I sent my husband the link to the page and told him I was going to start a business. His response was, "Remember the first rule of drug dealers: stay away from your own product." Heh. I love him.

>70 susanj67: - Susan, as long as I am still employed with the same place, I will be over next summer. We have a Board meeting in Aberdeen 6-9 July, and I plan to take a little time off afterwards to go to London. And I'd love to visit elsewhere, too. I'll keep you posted!

>71 katiekrug: The Wayne is so funny!

>65 susanj67: Love the book spa experience. Must see if the local independents do that. My Murder Books calls me if they think there is something I might be interested in. Super personal service. Love them.

Ahem. LOVE The Wayne's response to your proposed new business!

>72 luvamystery65: and >73 Crazymamie: - The Wayne is The. Best. I miss him lots.

>72 luvamystery65: - That is some mighty good service, Ro! Lucky duck!

>71 katiekrug: Lol. I think I should take that advice too, Katie.

>65 susanj67: What a cool idea! I would definitely take advantage of something like this. I have bookmarked the website for later review.

Katie - you need to start a book spa.

Hehe, love his response too! Priceless!

I wish I'd known about the book spa when I was in Bath! I shall be attempting to convince my boyfriend we need to head down that way. I'm already working on him to attend a cider festival in the vicinity, so maybe I can encorporate that as well.

You have my sympathies about a conference in Aberdeen. It is a bleak, bleak place. It isn't nicknamed Abergloom in this house for no reason (my housemate's family all lives up there). Granite City is another name, and it's certainly that!

>75 charl08: - We all probably could, to some extent ;-)

>76 brodiew2: - When I start up my own book spa, Brodie, I will invite you to the Grand Opening!

>77 BLBera: - I know, right?!?! It combines my love of reading and my love of ordering people around AND my love of being secretly judgmental ;-)

>78 lit_chick: - The Wayne is a treasure, Nancy :)

>79 lunacat: - JENNY! I have been WAITING and WAITING for you to make your way over here! So good to see you, my friend. I have actually been to Aberdeen once before, and I rather liked it. But I'm a gloomy sort of person... Also, it was early September, so not too gloomy!

>80 katiekrug: I'm easing my way slowly back in! Just working down the list, and trying to skim read various ridiculously long threads in order to catch up with vital news, but here I am. It's taking more energy than I'm willing to admit, coming back to LT, and I'm feeling a little like a fish out of water, but I'm sure I'll get there. Anything to help me get back to reading, and my boyfriend is very supportive of that as an aim, so he'll encourage LT time as well. Glad to be back among good friends though :)

I'm a very gloomy person too, but Aberdeen is too far, even for me. I love the bleakness of the Highlands, and various moors around the UK, but I find, with the buildings also gloomy and sullen, it's too much. And I've never been when it hasn't been raining, so maybe that makes a difference!

>39 katiekrug: As one who makes so many plans only to fail or break with them subsequently, I hear you.

I know you don't really follow the British Author Challenge (poor little cousin to Mark's AAC), but I have tried to adopt more flexible precepts into its planning for 2017 with some months looking at themes more than specific authors. Like you I have far too many unread books on the shelves so I need to do a little organising in order to pick up what's likely to be next.

>71 katiekrug: Perceptive as well as funny.

Morning, Katie. We made it to Friday!

>81 lunacat: - Note to self: don't invite Jenny to Aberdeen ;-)

As for LT, several people have cut back on their participation and there is nothing wrong with that. I'm just glad to see you, even a little bit, so you do what's best for you!

>82 PaulCranswick: - Paul, I'll have to check out your themes for next year and see how they might fit with my so-called plans.

>83 Crazymamie: - Yes, indeedy, Mamie! I'm at work but between the layoffs and it being Friday so half the people don't work anyway, it's nice and quiet :) I have to go to the tax office later today to get a copy of my car registration receipt to submit to VW as part of the claims process for getting them to buy back this POS scandal-ridden car I purchased :-P So that should be fun...

Well, poop. Hope it goes smoothly and quickly.

Well, it turned out to be fairly painless, so hooray for that!

*happy dance*

I finished Nutshell this morning - loved it. Just brilliant. But I'm a McEwan fan (having read all of 3 books by him!) and I know he is usually loved or loathed...

I am waiting for that one from the library - I have not read any McEwan before.

Mamie, I loved it! It's very dark, but funny and smart, with several tips of the hat to Hamlet...

Oh! Now I am wishing I had it for this weekend.

Good morning, Katie! Happy Friday!

>80 katiekrug: I'd be happy to be a guinea pig. The spa idea is about spoiling oneself. It would be very alluring to have someone ask me about my specific tastes and then try to make recommendations. The engines can do it, but the personal touch is what would make this a really cool experience.

I've only read Atonement and liked it, so I'd be open to trying another.

>91 Crazymamie: - Mamie, somehow I am confirdent you will still have lots of options for the weekend ;-)

>92 brodiew2: - It does sound awesome, doesn't it?

>93 rosalita: - I loved Atonement and liked a collection of his stories I read. I think I own all his books, so I should get cracking!

I loved Atonement and thought The Children Act was ok, but have been underwhelmed by the three others I've read. I think I just want him to write Atonement over and over again, so it's my fault...

Charlotte, I think you might like this latest one. It's not like Atonement at all, of course, but gosh, I thought it was just brilliant.

"... when Austin caught the look Violet lunged at him."

OPINIONS, PLEASE!

Is this sentence fragment reason enough to quit reading a book? How does one "lunge" a look?!?!?

It's taken from Oh My Stars which I've been reading seemingly forever. I think it may be time to give up the ghost.

>97 katiekrug: I've ditched books for less.

>98 MickyFine: - Oh, good!

I guess book spa, lit boxes, curated reading is the thing now. Brazos Bookstore just sent me an email about this.
http://www.brazosbookstore.com/flights

>97 katiekrug: Um...YES.

Nutshell sounds great, Katie. My favorite McEwan is Saturday.

>97 katiekrug: 'Lunge' is, indeed, hideous. How does one lunge a look? It would be rather a spastic movement, wouldn't it?

>100 luvamystery65: - Ro, I love the idea of the book "flights"! It would be neat to structure a challenge around a similar idea.....

>101 Crazymamie: - Kicked it to the curb, Mamie-o!

>102 BLBera: - I have that one, Beth. Of course, it's in a box somewhere, but I am determined to read more McEwan next year.

>103 brodiew2: - Yeah, I just couldn't get past it, so I deleted the book off my Kindle :)

>103 brodiew2: LOL!

>104 katiekrug: I do have my feminist category next year and of course there is the CATWoman so I am so tempted by the Woman Flight. The Travel flight sounds like it would be so interesting too.

>104 katiekrug: Katie, good decision. There are too many good books clamouring for our attention. We have no need of lungeing (sp?) looks. I just checked to make sure I don't have it, and I don't. Just 599 things on the Kindle now, although I have read a lot of them. We still don't have that collections management option from the "your devices" page (according to the folks on MobileRead, they're rolling it out gradually) but I have been motivated to have a look at what I actually have and to delete things that I've read and that I don't want to keep. I should aim to keep my items under 600 because otherwise it all gets a bit daunting, and it's tempting just to read what's on the top.

I like the flights too. Although I would want to see more detail about what I was getting!

I've read Nutshell. I don't think I liked it as much as you did. All the pregnant drinking put me off. Clever idea though.

>107 charl08: I also want more detail. Since it's a local bookstore, I think I'll head over there after Thanksgiving and get the scoop.

>105 luvamystery65: - I think they all sound interesting! Too bad I'm not rich and a lady of leisure with unlimited reading time!

>106 susanj67: - Just 599? I think I have over 1200. So, um, yeah. Good for you!

>107 charl08: - Oops, my bad, Charlotte! I get what you mean about the drinking, though I just saw it as part and parcel of Trudy's complete disregard for the narrator...

>108 luvamystery65: - Do share what you learn, Ro!

After a lazy morning, I was rather productive today in getting the house ready to close on. Lots of random things to take care of, and the hubs basically left the garage a disaster (not really his fault - he just ran out of time). I have some friends of friends coming over tomorrow to pick through it and see if they want anything (I won't even begin to describe all the crap that's left in it; I say crap but a lot of it is perfectly good stuff....). After that, I'm just calling a junk removal company to come and get whatever is left. I'll be so glad when this whole process is over!

Things are certainly moving fast for you, Katie. Congrats on selling your house and reading past 75. Looks like things are trending in the right direction for you.

>109 katiekrug: Katie, I'm down to 550 now! And if I deleted all my Sarah Morgans, I could clear another 30 or so. But I can't do that... I'm discovering all sorts of things I'd forgotten about. Maybe I'll have to extend No!vember a bit :-)

>110 katiekrug: The garage plan sounds like a good one. My father always used to make us promise that we would contact his friends x and y to deal with all his workshop stuff if anything happened to him, because we wouldn't know what it was all for :-)

Happy Sunday, Katie! Hope the work week went well and you are enjoying the weekend. Another big thumbs up for Nutshell, eh? I have it saved on audio. Might be time to place it in the rotation.

>111 Familyhistorian: - Meg, I got this weird sense of dread last night, like something was going to go terribly wrong because so far, it's been too smooth... I talked myself out of it, but am keeping my fingers crossed that things continue in the right direction!

>112 susanj67: - Susan, you're an inspiration! And all I can say re: the garage is that I am going to put my foot down in the future over the acquisition of stuff for the sake of having it and possibly needing it in the future! (This does not apply to books, obvs...)

>113 msf59: - Mark, Id love to hear how Nutshell is on audio! I will likely revisit it in the future and audio might be just the ticket...

Morning, Katie! The Wayne sounds just like Craig in regards to the garage - especially the part about "needing it for the future".

>114 katiekrug: Yep, been there done that. It all seems too smooth when it works out doesn't it. That's because you planned it well and made the move at an advantageous time.

>110 katiekrug: I'm about to embark on this process with my mother. She has been a hoarder for 10+ years and it got so bad, I haven't been able to bear going into my childhood home for at least 18 months. She had some kind of breakdown in May of this year, hasn't lived in the house since, and has finally admitted she's not coping. So we're moving her in to a rental house 70miles away for a fresh start, and once we've had the house completely gutted and renovated, she'll be able to buy a house in that area.

But I'm dreading the process. The unearthing of 25 years of life, 10 years of hoarding and a completely run down home. Plus her reluctance to get rid of anything, and I'm not sure how I'm going to cope.

So hey, bet that garage doesn't feel so bad now ;)

>1 katiekrug: LOVE the photos of your new neighborhood park across the seasons. If when I come visit, I would like to go walk around in that park please.

>39 katiekrug: May I just copy and paste your tentative reading plans for next year? I resonated with them 100%!
Oh, and I do need to think about whether I'm actually doing the re-read challenge and, if so, what it's going to look like. I will do some thinking and plotting during my Thanksgiving holiday travels to Tennessee.

(kidding about the copy and paste thing but honestly, I'll just be repeating your sentiments on my own thread)

>88 katiekrug: Oh good. I'm in the queue for Nutshell and, now that I think about it, Atonement is one that I might reread in 2017.

>115 Crazymamie: - Drives me bonkers, Mamie! I think the limitations of being in a rental for a year may help us break the habit of accumulation....

>116 Familyhistorian: - Thanks for the vote of confidence, Meg! I guess I'm struggling a bit because I didn't really plan anything! At least I didn't think I did :)

>117 lunacat: - Ooof, that's tough, Jenny. I wish you good luck and lots of patience!

>118 EBT1002: - Copy and paste away, Ellen ;-) I love all the planning and plotting this time of year...

I'll be interested to see how Nutshell lands on you.

Hi, Katie. Sometimes things go smoothly because they were just meant to happen! Something to be thankful for. ;-)

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Oddly, I never read this as a child, and its really the kind of story I would have liked - I had a thing for stories with imaginative and slightly anarchic (someone used that term to describe Pippi earlier on this thread, and I think it's perfect) girls. This was good fun, and a very diverting audio.

3.5 stars

>120 ronincats: - A good reminder, Roni. Thank you!

Being There by Jerzy Kosinski

I loved this odd tale of a man sheltered his whole life suddenly thrust out into the world. Most of what Chance knows, he knows from television, and its the only way he can understand the world. Thrown into the path of the rich and powerful, his simplicity is taken for brilliance, and he comes to the attention of high-level political actors on both sides of the Cold War. It's a brilliant little novella, and wonderfully narrated by Dustin Hoffman.

4 stars

Nutshell by Ian McEwan

I really loved this brilliant novel, a kind of ode to Hamlet. I thought the narrative voice was wonderful - not just the fact of it (a fetus in utero) but the rich language McEwan used; it shouldn't work but it does. And everyone is so loathsome, you don't know what end result to hope for. I love that kind of thing, which can be frustrating when not done well, but in this case, it makes the story complex and fascinating. I may bump this up to 5 stars...

4.5 stars

And I'm caught up on reviews!

Currently reading an ER book about the aftermath of a school shooting - Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down - and the next (for me) in the "In Death" series - Reunion in Death. On audio, I'm listening to The Lightkeepers which is kind of a mystery, but rather over done and too ruminative so far...

And I'm still plugging away at PHW, though I may not make my November goal of pages read. I can always catch up in December. I *have* to catch up in December, as I am not toting this one into the new year!

Hi Katie! Just dropping by to wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving week.

Thanks, Jenn!

Just saw on Facebook that William Trevor has died. This is my equivalent of the devastation people felt with Prince, Bowie, etc. this year.

His The Story of Lucy Gault is one of my all-time favorite books. I am glad I still have lots of his work left to read.

>128 katiekrug: that was a great book, wasn't it, Katie? I don't think I've read anything else by him. He might be a good addition to next year's BAC unless he's been "read" already.

>128 katiekrug: - I remember reading it with a lump in my throat for almost the whole thing. So beautiful...

I may add Trevor to my own "Collected Authors" challenge next year - this is where I try to be better at reading books by authors I tend to collect but not read very often...

In dental news, no cavities, but I need to get a crown replaced sometime in the near future. Not an emergency, so I have time to get settled in my new home and find a dentist... My hygienist gave me a big hug when I left and thanked me for being a good flosser. I thought that was hilarious and very sweet.

You do realize that Vivian's hubby is a dentist?? :-)

So, when do you get back to the tristate area? I'm going back to NYC tomorrow, will be there for a week this time, but will largely be based there between now and mid-Jan, I think.

Not so sure about "fetal literature", I confess. I thought it was fun and creative, but once I got over the novelty, and in spite of McEwan's superb writing, it felt like yet another literary homage, with perhaps an overly creative narrative device. Didn't quite do it for me.

>132 Chatterbox: - Suz! Hi friend :)

I forgot Mr. Vivian was a dentist. Thanks for the reminder. Does he practice in the city? Westchester might be a bit of a hike from where I am in Jersey...

Right now, my plan is to drive up sometime the week of December 5. This is being complicated by having lots going on at work around that time, so I may make a slow trip of it - drive a half day and then stop and work for the rest of the day at a hotel. I'm just ready to be there and to be with The Wayne, so I'd like to get on the road asap, even if it's slow progress over several days...

ETA: Re: Nutshell, I think I have the benefit of not reading as much, so things seem new and different to me that someone better and more widely read, like yourself, will find less interesting or fresh. Also, I'd been reading a lot of mediocre stuff, so it was nice to be engaged by something of high quality!

Good morning, Katie! I hope all is well with you.

I'm glad you enjoyed Pippi. She is a bit anarchic for sure. Sometimes it takes a shake up to remind people of what is really important.

I had the opposite the last time at the hygienist. Mine told me it got really boring doing teeth that didn't need proper work.
Lol. She redeemed herself with the comment that my calcium levels were apparently as good as an 18 year old.
Woo me (!)

>134 brodiew2: - Can't complain, Brodie. Well, I could, but it would be all small and petty stuff, so I won't bother :)

>135 charl08: - Very good, Charlotte!

That's sad that William Trevor died. I also loved The Story of Lucy Gault and I also really liked Felicia's Journey. I plan to read many more of his books.

>137 japaul22: - I liked Felicia's Journey, too. I've read a few short stories of his, but that's it. But I still consider myself a fan! I will try to read a few more of his works next year (assuming I can find them in all the boxes....).

I'm so happy for you that you don't have cavities. No, really, super happy. Not at all bitter. Nope.

But a crown replacement! That's no fun! Come back, Amber, come back.....

>140 katiekrug: *snork!* Oho, you can't get rid of me that easily...

>141 scaifea: - *grin*

Thinking more about next years reading, I've thought of six priorities I have:

Nonfiction
Re-reads
Diversity
Series
Favorite Authors
Collected, but unread, authors

I am thinking I will try to hit at least four of these each month - doesn't matter which four or when - but I would hope by the end of the year, they will be fairly well-balanced.

Still thinking on it....

>142 katiekrug: B.A.G. right back atcha!

Hi, Katie!

Mark and I were just talking about what a golden age of nonfiction we're in. You'll (we'll) have a lot of good ones to pick from next year.

I don't have any cavities either (fluoridated water growing up?), but I've made up for it recently with gum infections. Maybe Amber will go easy on me.

Ooh I am enjoying all the reading plans. I like your headings Katie. The rereading sounds good. I am even up for an essay!

Hi Katie - I've been following along with your move and am thrilled to welcome you (back) to the area! Hope this will bode well for future meet-ups!
I was just in Austin for a couple of days at a conference where Bloomberg was broadcasting live so I was thinking of Wayne. Hope he's settling in there.
Have a great Thanksgiving!

>145 jnwelch: - Gum infection doesn't sound fun, Joe. But I presume that at least the remedy doesn't involve drilling....?

Hooray for good non-fiction! My NF reads are invariably some of my favorites, which is why I can't figure out why I don't read more of it...

>146 charl08: - Ha ha! I hope I didn't hurt Ellen's feelings about the essays. I was (mostly) teasing... I like my categories/headings, too. I think they allow for enough flexibility so that I won't feel constrained...

>147 vivians: - Wayne is loving his job, Vivian. Thanks for asking :) He moves into the rental place this weekend and has about two weeks to get it in shape before I arrive - ha! I expect I'll arrive to a maze of boxes and furniture in random places. *deep breaths*

I'm definitely in for more meet-ups. I also hear you can recommend a good dentist, so once I'm settled, expect a PM about that!

Happy Thanksgiving!

>143 katiekrug: I like your plans, Katie.

Happy Tuesday to you, and hooray for no cavities. I always feel like a little kid at the dentist - please no cavities, please no cavities...

>148 katiekrug: I don't think any offence was taken. What amused me was that I think I'm actually a bit sad I don't get to write an essay. Can you tell I liked school?!

>149 Crazymamie: - It's like the old game show, Press Your Luck. "No whammies, no whammies, no whammies!"

>150 charl08: - I liked school, too, Charlotte! I'm sure you can still write an essay. My tongue in cheek comment was about it being a requirement or something :) Some books I want to re-read purely for comfort, and some I want to re-read for a new perspective. I have a feeling the depth of my thoughts on each will be very different...

Based on a few comments on Amber's thread, I thought it would be fun to list all the books I remember reading in high school (assigned books for English class). Also, I am procrastinating at work...

III Form English (freshman year, age 14-15)
Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
An anthology of "100 Great Short Stories"

Weird that I can't remember anything else... This was my least favorite year of English because my teacher - Mr. Borden (or Mr. Boredom as we called him) was AWFUL.

IV Form English (sophomore year, age 15-16)
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (this was part of a section on colonial America, I think, because I also dimly recall having to read angry Puritan sermons like "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." No wonder I'm an atheist ;-) )

This was the 2nd worst year of English; the teacher - Mr. Sims - was only marginally better than Mr. Borden... But we got to read Beloved, so there's that!

V Form Honors English (junior year, age 16-17)
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (this was read as part of a team teach thingy with US History when we covered civil rights; we also watched 'The Prize' documentary which was excellent.)

Wish I could remember more because this was a great English year. My teacher - Ms. Havard - was awesome and we still keep in touch. When my mother passed away, she sent me a copy of Wait Til Next Year which was just about perfect... We did a whole section on nature writing in the spring, and two days a week, we got to go outside and find a place on campus to sit and observe and journal.

VI Form AP English (senior year, age 17-18)
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (this was summer reading)

Mr. Zeiser was my AP English teacher. He had a handlebar mustache and walked around campus whistling "Ode to Joy." He was Robin Williams' character in 'Dead Poets Society' made flesh. Only way older. He was cool and ignited my love for HEart of Darkness which y'all know, I ADORE.

Unsure what year:
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

I really wish I could remember more...

>152 katiekrug: This is hilarious (to me). I was thinking about making the same list!

Yours is very different from mine, I can tell that already.

Good Afternoon, Katie!

>143 katiekrug: I like this idea, too. I will be treading more NF next year than I have in the past. NF covers a lot of genres. I'll be doing at least one reread that I solidified.

>151 katiekrug: I used to love Press Your Luck. It was such a fun show.

>153 ursula: - Do it! I'd love to see!

>154 brodiew2: - Hi there, Brodie. Nonfiction is nice and broad, isn't it? And PYL was my *favorite*.

Interesting - it's good fun to see what different people got assigned!

Let's see what I can remember:

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo (age 11-12 maybe)
Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (11-12 or 12-13)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Blooming constantly. I first did it in year 8, which was 12-13, then it happened to be assigned reading for my first year of Upper School, year 9. That was bad enough, but then I was in the half of the year that did it as one of the texts for GCSEs, so I had two more years of it. The other half had Of Mice and Men instead of Jane Eyre. Then I got it as the text for my AS level English Literature. That's 5 years of the bloody book. No wonder I can't stand it now. It was just pure fluke that I landed in the classes that did it for the last 4 years, as we were always split in two, but honestly...........too much!

Daz 4 Zoe by Robert Swindells (13-14)
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (13-14)
Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe (14-16)
Twelth Night by William Shakespeare (14-16)
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (14-16)

There was also an Anthology which was half short stories and half poetry, specifically chosen by the exam board for GCSEs. Everyone did the stories and poetry in it but I can't remember anything of them, other than there was one poem by Carol Ann Duffy. I couldn't tell you what it was though. And another by Simon Armitage maybe.

A series of WWI writers for my A levels (16-18):

Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Journey's End by R. C. Sherriff

Othello by Shakespeare (16-18)

Poetry was William Blake for A levels, absolute nonsense. I did a comparative study of Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway as coursework, we simply had to choose two books with similar themes to compare and contrast.

Some more may come to me as I think harder!

Oooh, interesting, Jenny! I am going to go back and add ages to my post. I should have thought of that....

Funny about Jane Eyre. I mean, not funny. Poor you!

I never read any of the Brontes in school, which is kind of odd. I read both JE and Wuthering Heights when I was in high school (ages 14-18) but probably over the summer or on a school break...

Hi Katie, I'm dropping by to wish you a Hapy Thanksgiving! I love your list of reading priorities for next year. I haven't read William Trevor yet but I am planning on finally getting to The Story of Lucy Gault next year.

I barely remember going to high school much less what I studied while there! I have a vague memory of Oliver Twist, there seemed to be lots of short stories such as The Pearl, The Red Pony, Of Mice and Men so we must have being doing John Steinbeck at some point. I know they tried to force-feed me some Shakespeare but unfortunately it didn't take. However, I do remember loving The Lord of the Flies.

>156 lunacat: I'm wondering how I managed to avoid Jane Eyre at school reading this.

I went to three schools between the ages of 11-16 (we moved) so you would have thought (I would have thought) I'd have repeated some but I guess I dodged that bullet.

I'm not sure how much I remember reading between 11-13. I know we did A Midsummer Nights Dream and Romeo and Juliet (embarrassingly I mostly remember that we saw these, rather than reading them). We also read a children's historical story where they met Shakespeare. (I only remember this because one of the class pointed out this was a bit of a stretch and I was gobsmacked. Cynicism? About stories?!).

When I moved, the first class I went to was reading My family and other animals. I read it in two days and then got moved to another school. We had a rubbish teacher , Mr W. I wanted to be in Mrs X's class (but I think everyone did!). One of the reasons I didn't like the class was it was unbelievably slow. We read a lot of stuff about northern boys in the 1960s e.g. A Kestrel for a Knave, Henry V (and I'm writing this and thinking how pathetic I never noticed or complained how male the curriculum was).

We also read war poetry in an anthology. Also male. And white.
I'm getting quite cross now.

I did A level English so more Shakespeare (x2), plus Chaucer, Sheridan, EM Forster (gah), and a glimpse of light relief, Alan Bennett.

Mr Kenny was my favourite teacher. He could read as if he was on the stage. Just wonderful.

I think in my California school district they read The Crucible freshman year, but I missed out on it because I was in another state. We had no Dickens, no Austen, and certainly no Dostoevsky!

I think the Dostoevsky and Austen were on the "list" for AP English that year. I don't know precisely how it worked, but I think teachers were provided a list of possible books that could appear on the exam that year or something...

Dostoevsky. Wow.

My big guns in high school were The Grapes of Wrath, Huckleberry Finn & Great Expectations. These were great reads but I think my school fell short in getting us to read the classics. Many of them, I read, as an adult, later on.

Good luck on your reading plans, Katie! Besides the AAC, I am not making many other plans, other than reading off my TBR shelves. Now, that is a Challenge!

>161 katiekrug: I remember getting a reading list for AP English too. I read a number of the books on it, I think, but I don't remember what they were except Heart of Darkness, because it didn't make any sort of impression on me at all reading it on my own. Then when it was taught to us, WOW.

>159 charl08: My congratulations on missing JE! Unfortunately, I think there were only 2 in a year group of 400 that managed to do the whole 5 years of Jane Eyre, and I was one of them. You'd think I'd be brilliant at it after all that, but I was so sick of reading it, I gave up trying or caring. It's a shame, as a lot of the girls I socialised with simply adored it, and Austen, but I'd been so put off that era of female authors, I can't read them now. I've never understood the adoration of Austen or the Brontes, and I'm positive it's because of my experience with JE.

I'm glad we did The Handmaid's Tale and the Carol Ann Duffy poetry as there was a definite leaning towards white male authors, though I didn't see it at the time. I still don't understand the incessant desire to force Shakespeare down English students throats in such vast quantities........it just made me hate it, and I know nearly all of my classmates felt the same. It takes a special teacher to be able to teach Shakespeare well.

Ah, finally caught up with you, Katie. And I will be delighted to meetup with you in the greater metropolitan area. Can't wait til you arrive.

I'm trying to recall what books I read in high school, and having little success, except that I know my class read 'Great Expectations', because the teacher outlined it on the board just in case the book might surprise us. We hated her. And we read 'Moby Dick', which I loved. Nothing else comes to mind, except I know I read 'Catcher in the Rye' and 'Lord of the Flies' somewhere in there. But I was reading so much not in the curriculum that the titles might not have been assigned.

Nowadays, I find it hard to plan out reading for the year, partly because of the two F2F groups I'm in. One of them gets titles set for about four months at a time, the other is strictly a last-minute choice for the coming month. So not really predictable. I shoehorn my mysteries in between.

Have a good Thanksgiving with your Dallas crowd and a safe trip, whenever you start it. Looking forward to you being here.

oh, and so glad Wayne likes his new gig!

Freshman year: David Copperfield (big mistake, no one read it)

Sophomore year: Midsummer Night's Dream, Medea, Lord of the Flies, 1984

Junior Year: American literature focus - The Scarlet Letter, Billy Budd. Then these were broken up and small groups taught one book each. We were supposed to read all of them though most didn't: The Sound and the Fury (I was in this group - an amazing and challenging experience), The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, The Red Badge of Courage, and there must have been one or two more but I don't remember.

Senior Year: I think Hamlet and Macbeth. I know I read Emma for a paper off a list of choices.

When I started writing this I though "oh, I remember all of mine" and now I realize that there are gaping holes. Probably if I wasn't so lazy and got up to look at my physical bookshelves I'd see some more because I would guess I kept all or at least most of the books. Also, all of these years we would have a textbook full of short stories, essays, poems, etc.

>162 charl08: - The teacher, Mr. Zeiser, was amazing and really helped us make sense of C&P. I still have my high school copy, and I'm hoping to re-read it next year....

>163 msf59: - Ah, yes, Mark - the ultimate challenge of trying to whittle down the TBR!!

>164 ursula: - Love, love, LOVE Heart of Darkness! There is so much fascinating stuff in there....

>165 lunacat: - Interesting about Shakespeare, Jenny... I was assigned Romeo and Juliet in 8th grade (age 13-14), and then had two in high school, as noted. I read much more in university as part of more targeted, "niche" courses, and that worked well.

>166 ffortsa: - Hi Judy! Can't wait to get up there! I spoke to my boss today and told him I was planning to have December 2 be my last day in the office. I'll take the first half of the following week to make my way (slowly) north, allowing time to get some work done each day, too.

Great Expectations does seem to have been a popular pick for high school!

>167 japaul22: - Jenn, it's funny how little I actually remembered. Like you, I was sure I could recall all of it! Sounds like you had some good and varied reads...

Just got off the phone with The Wayne. Ooof. We were both just kind of down. This being apart is the pits, I tell you. Only a couple more weeks to go!

Sorry to hear you're down. Hope the time apart goes quickly.

Will you have time for some fun stuff when you move north? I think I would be overwhelmed by choice having NY on my doorstep!

I have very few memories from high school, really, and I can't remember at all, beyond what I mentioned in my thread, what we read in my classes. I know we read some Shakespeare, but I can't remember which ones. Gah.

And I'm sorry that you and The Wayne are down. Here's hoping these two weeks go crazy-fast, eh?

>170 katiekrug: awww. The long distance thing does suck, and especially during a holiday week. I'm glad you were able to sell the house so quickly though, since it will bring you together sooner!

>170 katiekrug: I know what it's like. Morgan and I are no good at being apart. Every day marked off is a good day. :)

Sorry that you and The Wayne are blue - I'm not surprised because it's hard to be apart, especially at the holidays. And I am in awe of you driving so far by yourself - I am a BIG chicken. And driving over bridges is a thing for me, although I am trying to get over that. (See what I did there? I crack me up!)

I am impressed that so many of you can remember what you read and what year in high school - I am guessing my age is showing. I can remember some things specifically, but others I just know that I read in school, but not particularly which year. Here goes:

Jr. High (7th and 8th grade):
Of Mice and Men
Pride and Prejudice
The Great Gatsby
The Old Man and the Sea
Lord of the Flies
The Canterbury Tales - not all of it, but selections from it
Beowulf
David Copperfield

Freshman Year:
Romeo and Juliet
Our Town
Tom Sawyer
The Scarlet Letter - I remember I hated this

Sophomore Year:
Julius Caesar
The Glass Menagerie
Huckleberry Finn
The Mayor of Casterbridge - really hated this one

Junior Year:
Macbeth
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Odyssey

Senior Year:
Hamlet - I really loved this
The Taming of the Shrew
A Tale of Two Cities - this was my favorite book forever until I read it again a few years ago, and then not so much
All Quiet on the Western Front - really loved this
Death of a Salesman
tons of poetry

I am surprised that we did not read 1984 in 1984 - I was the Class of '85

Books I know I read in school, but can't remember what year:
Frankenstein
Diary of a Young Girl
The Iliad
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Call of the Wild
Animal Farm

>171 charl08: - Thanks, Charlotte. I'm just over-tired and slightly stressed, I think. I feel better this morning :)

I plan to do LOTS of fun things and take advantage of the location. Wayne is on board, too. We are really excited. Christmas nerd that he is, he is planning to go to the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree since it's only a few blocks from his office...

>172 scaifea: - I think the time will go by fast - it already has. I am feeling better today. He and I probably shouldn't talk at the end of long days of work :-P

>173 lauralkeet: - Amen to that, Laura! I'm still shocked how quickly we sold the house. I go in next Wednesday morning to sign all the paperwork. And I have Wayne's Power of Attorney - BWAHAHAHAHA! I promise to only use it for good. Heh. I think part of my background stress is that I'm convinced that osmehow the sale will fall through.... My parents used to call me "Stew Pot" because I was a worrier. I still borrow trouble all the time.... *sigh*

>174 ursula: - "Every day marked off is a good day." Yes! And the days do go by quickly, which helps. I think like you and Morgan, Wayne and I are just not good apart. When I travel for work, he usually goes into a funk... Ah, well. I'll take the occasional funk and blue period for all the joy he brings me :)

>175 Crazymamie: - Holy schnikeys, Mamie! You remember A LOT. The only books I remember reading in middle school (which was 5th-8th grade for me) are Island of the Blue Dolphins and Romeo and Juliet. You read a ton of good stuff in school! I'm jealous... And you should give The Scarlet Letter another try. I like it :) I think I might re-read it next year for Ellen's challenge...

And very nice on the bridge pun! Bridges don't bother me, but I hate driving through tunnels... I am kind of looking forward to the drive, because, um, audio books :)

Xmas lights in NY sound wonderful. Will there be bookshop shopping?

I forgot the Dickens. I did David Copperfield and Great Expectations. Argh. Loved A Tale of Two Cities though (I read that on my own).

Katie, it looks like you're moving from Dallas just in time. the municipal pensions are in real trouble.

I was lucky to go to fairly large school for both Jr. High and High School (over 400 in my graduating class), so there was a truly excellent honors English program that I got to be in for all of those years, I honestly didn't realize what a great English program I had access to until Craig and I started comparing notes on what we read in school.

That's a good idea about The Scarlet Letter - maybe I'll give it another go next year. It would probably be an excellent one for Ellen's challenge because it has been SO long since I read it.

You were in school much more recently than I was, and I have to admit, I remember very little of what assigned reading I did.

Reading Mamie's list, I recalled I did The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank when I was 12-13. It wasn't a book I particularly enjoyed but I suspect I'd get more out of it now as I could educate myself along the way about the details and situations.

>177 charl08: - Oh, I think bookshops will be on the itinerary most certainly! I need to read A Tale of Two Cities - never have....

>178 ffortsa: - Yeah, they've gotten themselves into quite a fix. I haven't followed the story as much as I probably should have. Bad Katie!

>179 Crazymamie: - I'm still shocked you can remember that much. I have no idea what I had for lunch yesterday.... ;-) I once tried to talk to The Wayne about what he read in school, but he couldn't remember but did admit he rarely did the assigned reading. *sigh* I hated kids like him in school :)

>180 BLBera: - Well, Beth, as it turns out, I don't remember all that much either!

>181 lunacat: - I'm not sure anyone "enjoys" Anne Frank, Jenny. I think I must have read that one on my own, as I don't recall any talk of it in a classroom setting...

>182 katiekrug: Enjoyed was the wrong word I think - appreciated might have been a more appropriate one. Anyway, I didn't take much from it back then, but I might well give it another go at some point.

I absolutely LOVE long drives on my own, especially if it's to somewhere I've never been before. Makes me feel all adventurous and adulty. Hasn't really happened post-Charlie much (a couple of times when I was still working and went to conferences).
And I'm with you on being shocked at how much Mamie remembers about her school reading! Wow! I'm also starting to wonder why my school's curriculum was so crappy - we hardly read any of these! We did read a bit of Anne Frank's Diary and excerpts of The Scarlett Letter (I always really disliked excerpts - why not read the whole thing?!), and I loved both of them when I came back round to read them later.

>183 lunacat: - Jenny - give it another go! It's worth it, I think. And the format makes for good reading when one is otherwise distracted or stressed :)

>184 scaifea: - I was thinking of making the drive not all on the interstate, but that would really make it too long, but it would be nice to see something different... Maybe I can map out a different interstate itinerary, like heading north first, and then east.... Hmmmm.... This will be my longest drive by myself. When I moved to Dallas from DC, my best friend drove down with me. I did all the driving, but I had her company. I guess my longest solo drive was DC to Cape Cod one summer. That was 9 hours maybe?

>185 katiekrug: Katie: A different route sounds fun! How long will it take you?

Well, if I was with The Wayne, we could do it in two longish days. But since I don't like to drive as much as he does, and I am in a crazy busy time for work, I've decided I'll work a few hours in the morning, drive 6 or so hours, and then get a little more work done in the late afternoon/evening. I was planning to go Dallas-Little Rock-Nashville-Roanoke-Nutley, so that would be four days. I'll have to check alternate routes....

>121 katiekrug: you know, I have not read that either, even though I dressed as her for a party years ago. My long hair helped, I plaited over some bent wire and actually had to turn sideways to walk though a doorway!

>123 katiekrug: as in the film, Being There? Peter Sellers? I saw that one fairly recently, andnenjoyedmits slow measured pace. And the story of course :)

The ONLY books I read in h ugh school were the ones prescribed: Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, Catcher in the Rye, the one where the kids are left to fend for themselves on a desert island.....and.....there must have been more?! I read my dad's man book, Chickenhawk, and Trinity also as a teen, but didn't take up reading properly til my late twenties.

Be safe during your drive, Katie. I'm sure everything will be put away when you get to your new home. ;)

Hi Katie! Sorry you were feeling a bit blue. I know the feeling about worrying the sale will fall through. I have some kind of throwback instinct - like the Chinese not naming their babies until they were 100 days old and then calling attention to the ugliness and worthlessness of the baby - don't tempt fate, or expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised. Something like that. So, I'm sending good vibes your way.

Now I am thinking about what I read in High school. I don't remember a lot though, which is weird because I read a lot.

Freshman - Mrs. Fish was ancient and retired at the end of the year. She had a lot of rules. 1. No chewing gum, sucking on gum, smelling gum. 2. No crumpling up paper and throwing it out the window. And more like that.

A Tale of Two Cities - loved it
Romeo and Juliet - hated it then and hate it now
The Scarlet Letter - this made me so angry!

Sophomore - I don't remember much other than Mr. Yung, made us write every day for 10 minutes and we were not allowed to use any prepositions.
Canterbury Tales
The Old Man and the Sea
Of Mice and Men
Julius Caesar - loved it
some short stories that I only vaguely remember

Junior - No memory of English class at all. None. It's rather shocking.

OK - wait - maybe this is when I read Grapes of Wrath. Maybe...

Senior AP - this teacher was fabulous, but prone to pointing out phallic symbols. She saw them everywhere. Our class got her a male stripper for her birthday (they didn't tell me what they had planned because they thought, correctly, that I would be a wet blanket) who came to our class and did about half his show before she stopped him. But that's another story...

Hamlet - fabulous
Shakespearean Sonnets - snooze
Heart of Darkness - more fabulous
A Portrait of the Artist As A Young Man - dreadful
Moby Dick - fabulous
Canterbury Tales - again
The Chosen - fabulous
Native Son - eye opening
Gulliver's Travels - fabulous
East of Eden
Crime and Punishment

I must have read more English lit in there somewhere, I know I read it on my own, but where is it in school? No idea. Probably in that misty Junior year. I feel like I read Jude the Obscure in there too.

Well, thanks. That was fun. Now I just have to go find the box of stuff that has my HS transcript and see who my Junior year english teacher was.

Oh yeah - I stopped by to say that I have finished PHoftheW. I just got distracted by everyone's HS reading lists Lol. I finished it between naps on the plane this morning. Woot!

>188 LovingLit: - Re: Being There - yep! Same as the film :)

Funny, in my mid- to late 20s, while you were reading properly, I was regressing and reading utter crap! Mostly trashy romance novels...

>189 BLBera: - Ha! That's a funny joke, Beth. I'll be glad enough if the bed is set up and I can find my cold weather clothes!

>190 nittnut: - Great list, Jenn! But I'm sort of sad you didn't like A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - I read that for a BritLit course in college and loved it. I expect, though, that I would have hated it in high school, too... I am also a fan of Gulliver's Travels! Thinking about re-reading it next year....

>191 nittnut: - Good on you! This is the first month I probably won't get the 100 pages read, so I'll play catch up and finish it in December. I wont be sad to have that one in the rear view mirror ;-)

I had a nice evening with my family. The night before Thanksgiving, we traditionally have pizza and then make the ice box cake. These days, my nieces and nephew make the cake, and my cousin Chris supervises, and I add color commentary about how Chris is doing it wrong. It's fun :)

Tomorrow I plan to sleep in, get things organized for the junk men to come Friday morning and haul away most of the remaining random stuff in the garage, and then head over to my aunt and uncle's around 2-ish. We won't eat until about 5:00 because Chris and Miranda and Abby are doing Thanksgiving #1 with Miranda's family in the early afternoon. I am glad I don't have to juggle multiple family obligations like that!

Depending on wine consumption, I may go home with Chris and Miranda and spend the night at their house. They've assured me Abby will get me up nice and early and in time to get back to my house to meet the junk haulers - ha!

To all my US-based LT friends...

The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni

This wasn't terrible, but I really didn't like it. The narrator was unbelievably annoying - omniscient in some sense and then stupidly naive. She did not feel at all real, and the secondary characters were completely under-developed, which was really bad when they came to take on much more import in the end. All in all, just not very well done at all, on any level.

2.5 stars

I am thankful for your forthrightness and integrity in all your posts, Katie, and your presence in the group.

>197 PaulCranswick: - Ha! That's just a nice way of saying I'm blunt and have a low tolerance for BS. Guilty as charged....

Happy Thanksgiving, Katie! Hope you make the best of your day. Got your stretchy pants on?

Katie--Long time no see! My bad. ; ) Enjoy your day and good luck with de-junking.

Good fortune on the drive. You could drive up to Oklahoma City and pick up I-40 there, or all the way to Kansas City and take I-70 east. Don't know how many miles that would add, though.

>199 msf59: - Happy Thanksgiving, Mark! And yep, had my stretchy pants on :) We had a great family dinner.

>200 Berly: - Good to "see" you, Kim! Thanks for the good wishes :)

>201 ronincats: - Wonderful, Roni! Thank you! As for the drive, the more I think about it, the more I think Ill just go the usual way - 30 to 40 to 81 and then I forget what....

Me with my "nieces" and "nephew" (I use " " because technically they are my first cousins once removed...):



Peter (7), Abigail (2.5), and Olivia (11).

I am going to miss them when I move.

Heart-tugging moment of the day: Little Abby looked around the table at dinner and said, "Mama, where's Wayne?" Soooo cute!

I decided on the spur of the moment to go see 'The Edge of Seventeen' today. It was really good, though the ending was a little too pat. But overall, really funny and moving.

And now it looks like I'll be going to see another film tonight with a friend. We are still deciding which one...

Oh! And the garage clean-out was a total success and only cost me my first-born (ha! joke's on them!)....

Great picture, Katie. It sounds like you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. What did the Wayne do? I imagine he will be very happy to see you.

Thanks for taking one for the team with The Lightkeepers. I'll pass on that one.

No, really, I'm sure your house will be all set up and your winter coat will be hanging in your closet.

Hi Beth! The Wayne went to Thanksgiving at some family friends' house. And yes, I think he'll be almost as happy to see me as I will be to see him :)

He does have my winter coat with him because I didn't want it to get packed, so it could be haninging in the closet when I get there. The rest of that prediction however....... nope!

Hi Katie, I think you may have missed me back there at >158 DeltaQueen50:. Glad to see you had a nice Thanksgiving and I too send tons of wishes for a safe drive and arrival at your new home.

>204 katiekrug: I went to see Fantastic Beasts with my mom last night and had a good time. I'm contemplating a potential double feature on Sunday of Moana and Rules Don't Apply (my film tastes range widely).

>207 DeltaQueen50: - ACK! I"m sorry, Judy. I rarely do that. Bad Katie!

>158 DeltaQueen50: - Thank you for the good Thanksgiving wishes - they worked! I had a lovely day :)
I hope you love Lucy Gault as much as I did. I may re-read it next year, along with some other Trevor... And funny about Lord of hte Flies - Amber has just read it and liked it. She and Linda (who hated it) had an interesting back-and-forth about it. I need to move that one up my list....

Happy Weekend to you!

>208 MickyFine: - Hi Micky! My friend and I were thinking of seeing 'The Rules Don't Apply' but the showtimes didn't work with our dinner plans, so we are going to see 'Loving' instead. Do let me know how 'Rules' is, as I really want to see it!

Lovely photo of you with nieces and nephew, Katie : ). You will miss them for sure! Love the little one asking where Wayne was at dinner.

Thanks, Nancy!

Hi, Katie.

We have a three-year-old with us, so we're all going to the movie Moana. The sexiest man alive, animated. How great is that? (Rhetorical - the answer varies).

I cannot believe how big Abby is! They are all cuties, and I loved the photo, so thanks for sharing. Wishing you safe travels and fun adventures as you make you way back to The Wayne.

>212 jnwelch: - Who is the sexiest man alive these days? I'm so out of it...

I've heard good things about Moana, so I hope you enjoy it!

>213 Crazymamie: - Hi Mamie! I agree about Abby - shes practically grown up! And she'll be a big sister in March :) I'm still here for a bit before I head north. I think I'm leaving a week from tomorrow...

Ah, a week still. My bad. Hoping it goes quickly for you as I know you are missing The Wayne. And GO GIANTS!

No worries, Mamie! I can't expect you to keep track of my schedule... I can barely keep track of it. Heh.

I wish the GIants had the late game tomorrow afternoon - I don't think I'll be done with my final clean up at the house before they start. Tomorrow I move into a hotel for the week. Looking forward to having somebody make my bed for me ;-)

Last night, my friend and I went to see 'Loving,' which is about the interracial couple in Virginia whose case went to the Supreme Court and overturned the miscegenation laws in the US. It's a powerful story but the film was a bit too ponderous in too many parts. It felt like a three hour movie. Still worth seeing, though...

Enjoy the hotel week, Katie.

Just remember not to stay in anything like this:



I know, I know, it looks charming...

>218 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth!

>219 Crazymamie: - Oh, dear. Do you think it's too late to cancel my reservation? The young man at the front desk was so nice...

Hi Katie, I have been lurking and commiserating with you being stuck in Dallas while DH is in NYC. Your time will come soon enough. I drove to Denver --one time-- all in one day, about 12 hours. I like your leisurely driving idea much better. I know it will enable you to keep up better with work but it will also be much safer. I was a driving Zombie by the time I got to Denver. Thank goodness it was after rush hour! Now I break up the trip by staying with daughter and family in Kansas City. Much more sensible.

Thanks for the movie reviews and the lovely picture of you and the kiddos. Hey, if you're not busy on Tuesday, you could drive up to Joplin for our annual meet-up. I know you're too busy, but I'm afraid there won't be many people joining us this year...

>192 katiekrug: My problem with Portrait of the Artist is chronic and spreads to other books. I. Can't. Stand. Streamofconcsiousness. Not at all. I haven't grown out of it. Sorry not sorry.

What adorable "nieces" and "nephew" you have. I've just been getting reacquainted with mine, and they are growing up into lovely people. Good luck with the final moving details and your drive. :)

>217 katiekrug: I am wanting to see Loving. Too bad it drags in parts. I have a friend whose little boy is an extra in the film. I am more excited to see Hidden Figures. Probably because I like a good geek film.

>221 Donna828: - Nice to "see" you, Donna! Afraid I can't make it to Joplin - it's my last week in the office, so things are hectic, to say the least.

>222 nittnut: - Jenn, it's been so long since I read Portrait, I remember very little. But I had a wonderful professor for the course in which I read it, and that must have helped me appreciate it!

If you have a chance to see 'Loving,' don't hesitate. It's such an important story...

I've checked into the hotel and am about to drop from exhaustion. But everything is pretty much done with the house. I'll go back on Tuesday after work to sweep the floors and put out the last bag of trash. Such a weird feeling....

I have a book to review (not favorably), but I'll have to see if some dinner revives me. I'm pooped!

Get some sleep! You are on the home stretch with the cleanup. : )

I definitely want to see Loving and Moana!

Hope you have a relaxing night Katie.

Thanks, Kim and Charlotte!

Our Hearts Will Burn Us Down by Anne Valente

I don't really know where to start. This novel has an interesting premise (following a school shooting, the homes of victims begin to burn down) but was so completely overwritten that it was a struggle to engage with it. I didn't really care about any of the characters, I hated the plural first-person narration, I hated that it would then switch to third person, I hated the overly formal dialogue that rang so false, I just kept rolling my eyes... Etc. Etc. Etc. I am probably being overly generous with a 2.5 star rating, but something kept me reading. I don't know exactly what, but....

Not recommended.

2.5 stars

Hope your final week goes quickly, Katie. The posts about books in school were interesting and helped me to remember some of the books that we had to read, like The Scarlet Letter, The Pearl and The Crucible. What I found really strange about the lists was that most of the books were the same as the ones I read but I went through high school in the '60s.

>228 katiekrug: I had to laugh, because sometimes I feel the same way - I start writing "I hated (thing)", "I hated (other thing)" and as I get further down the list, I wonder why I gave it any stars at all. But if something besides sheer stubbornness kept me reading, I guess it deserves something. :)

>229 Familyhistorian: - Meg, I guess it's either a lack of imagination on the part of schools or the reason why these are "classics"!

>230 ursula: - It was a weird experience, Ursula. Such a drag to read, and I knew it wasn't going to have a satisfactory ending, but I had to keep going... Took me over a week, which is annoying, as I probably could have gotten one or two ones finished in that time. *sigh*

Back to work this grey and rainy morning :(

On the bright side, my hotel is about a 3-minute drive from the office...

PSA

Amazon is having a giant Cyber Monday sale on Kindle books HERE.

Hi, Katie!

>233 katiekrug: Nice tip. I'll go looking.

Who is the sexiest man alive these days? Dwayne Johnson (the Rock). He voices Maui (sp.?) in Moana.

We loved Moana. A lot of the music is by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and once again he's really impressive.

Hi Joe!

I always found the title of Sexiest Man Alive funny because it seems like previous winners should have died before a new one is declared ;-)

I'll put 'Moana' on the watch list....

>233 katiekrug: I got some good ones and was able to add the audible for about $1.99 on most of them as well. Very exciting. Thanks for the tip. Safe travels to your new home. You will probably pass close by my house on your way.

>235 katiekrug: That cracks me up, but you're right. It seems like "Sexiest Man This Year" or "Current Sexiest Man" or "Flavor of the Year" would be more appropriate, all things considered.

>235 katiekrug: Ha! Good point!

Reminds me of my wife's favorite book title, "If You Can't Live Without Me, Why Aren't You Dead Yet?"

>236 Dianekeenoy: - Diane, glad that tip got you some goodies :) Where in Jersey are you? I'll be coming up 81 into Pennsylvania and then across something or other.... :)

>237 ursula: - Oooh, I like "Flavor of the Year"!

>238 jnwelch: - Love the book title, Joe!

>236 Dianekeenoy: I am in northwest Jersey in Long Valley (near Hackettstown) You will probably be taking 81 (almost forever!) to Rt 78 west to the NJ Parkway north, I think.
I live off Rt. 57 which becomes Rt 22 in PA. If you need a rest or even somewhere to spend the night, we have a wonderful guest suite you're welcome to stay in! We can invite Linda (Whisper1) and have a book party!

Aww, thanks, Diane! I do hope to join y'all sometime at one of those epic book sales you go to :) I am taking the drive nice and easy, so the last day will just be about 7 hours from Roanoke, VA to Nutley. I think I will be ready to get there by then!

>241 katiekrug: I would imagine you would be anxious to get to your new home! Would love you to join us at one of the Bethlehem book sales, they are wonderful. We're going this Saturday although I have literally no room for any more books unless I start moving some out! Safe travels.

>242 Dianekeenoy: - I hear you about the space issue. All our worldly goods were delivered to our rental yesterday, and the hubs said the boxes of books almost took up an entire room :)