Juli (SuziQoregon) Reads - Thread 1

I'm Juli and this is my 7th year with the 75 books group. I didn't make it to 75 books in 2019 for a variety of reasons. I expect that to change in 2020 because I have retired from my job and plan to read much more.

I live in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon with The Hubster and two very spoiled cats.

Books Read January through . . .

January
1. Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews
2. Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein narrated by Jeff Woodman
3. The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde
4. Ascender Vol. 1: The Haunted Galaxy by Jeff Lemire
5. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei
6. Educated by Tara Westover
7. Our House by Louise Candlish
8. Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill narrated by Clive Chafer

February
1. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
2. The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde
3. Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn narrated by Jonathan Hogan
4. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

March
1. The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown
2. Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez. narrated by the author
3. Mightier than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer
4. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain narrated by the author

April
1. Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews
2. Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
3. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson narrated by the author and others
4. Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger
5. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
6. Dear America : Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas
7. The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett
8. Whack-a-Mole by Chris Grabenstein narrated by Jeff Woodman

Currently Reading



Currently Listening To

The 2020 Nonfiction Challenge

JANUARY
Prizewinners & Nominees
Educated by Tara Westover narrated by Julia Whelan

FEBRUARY
Heroes and Villains
Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn narrated by Jonathan Hogan

MARCH
Food, Glorious Food!
Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez narrated by the author
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain narrated by the author

APRIL
Migration, Nationalism and Identity: New category dealing with emigration, immigration, nationalism, refugees, national identities, etc.
Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas narrated by the author

MAY
Comfort Reading

JUNE
Books by Journalists

JULY
The Long 18th Century (1688-1815) (anywhere in the world...): The term is a British one, stretching out the 18th century to cover the period from the Glorious Revolution (which brought William & Mary to the throne but also sealed a new balance of power between the crown and Parliament) and the battle of Waterloo. The period saw the birth of capitalism as a concept, of colonialism, the end of China's status as an independent empire (ahead of the 19th century wars), the collapse of the Moghul empire, the birth of "reason", revolutions and the birth of the concept of the rights of man.

AUGUST
Books About Books (and Words, and Language, and Libraries)

SEPTEMBER
Science & Technology: From medicine to Galileo. History or current breakthroughs/research.

OCTOBER
The Byzantines, the Ottomans and their empire(s): The Ottomans took over from the Byzantines in 1453, and the former's empire collapsed circa 1915/1918, after WW1. Read anything set in this era, and about the region covered. So, you can read about Byron at Missalonghi, or the attempts to push the Turks back from Vienna. But not about Crete or Athens during the classical era (pre-Byzantine.)

NOVEMBER
Group Biography: you can read about a family, about a mother/daughter relationship, about a literary group, etc.), about siblings or a family.

DECEMBER
As you like it… A catch-all category for the end of the year.

The Monthly Motif Reading Challenge

This one is hosted at the GIRLXOXO blog. I participated for the first time last year and it was fun so I'm in again for 2020.

MOTIFS (THEMES) FOR EACH MONTH

JANUARY- Winter Wonderland
Focusing on ‘wonderland’, read a book set in a truly wonderful place- somewhere you’ve always thought was beautiful, somewhere with a wonderfully rich culture, a snowy setting, or maybe even a magical realm. It’s your interpretation, so have fun with it.
The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde

FEBRUARY- Seeing Red
Read a book with the word ‘red’ in the title OR a book with a red-ish cover. Bonus if it has both.
The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown

MARCH- Sub-Genre Sound Off
Choose a sub-genre of your favorite genre and read a book from it. Make sure you mention the sub genre you chose in your review. (Ex. Sub Genres of Fantasy could be Magical Realism, Fairytale Retellings, or Epic Fantasy to name just a few.)
Cozy Mystery Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews

APRIL- Classics or Currents
Read a book published before the year you were born (classic-ish) OR a book published between April 2019 and April 2020 (current.)
Classic: Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Current The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

MAY- Author Introduction
Read a book written by an author who you’ve never read anything by. Bonus if its been on your TBR for more than a year.

JUNE- Name or Number
Read a book in which a name OR a number is part of the title. Bonus if the title includes both a name and a number.

JULY- Around or Out of this World
Read a book set in a country other than the one you live in OR written by an author who is from a country other than your own OR read a book that takes place in space or on another planet.

AUGUST- Creature Feature
Read a book that includes a creature of some kind on the cover or in the story. Cat, dog, dragon, werewolf – mythical or real – find a book that features a creature.

SEPTEMBER- When Text Just Isn’t Enough
Read a book that includes more than just text. Maybe it’s a map, a family tree, illustrations, documents like emails or letters- something else that helps to paint the picture.

OCTOBER- Thrills and Chills
Ghost stories, haunted houses, true crime, murder mysteries, a thriller keeping you on the edge of your seat- it’s up to you!

NOVEMBER- Dynamic Duos
Read a book with a couple of characters that make the perfect pair whether in business or in love. (Ex. Sherlock & Holmes, Elizabeth & Darcy)

DECEMBER- Sugar, Spice, Everything Nice
Holiday or winter themed reads, love stories and romances, happy cries, comedies; round out your year with a truly feel good read.

What's in a Name 2020 Challenge

Andrea at Carolina Book Nook hosts this challenge. I've participated every year since the challenge started in 2008.

The challenge runs from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. You can sign up any time, but only count books that you read between those dates.

Read a book in any format (hard copy, ebook, audio) with a title that fits into each category.

Don’t use the same book for more than one category.

Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!

You can choose your books as you go or make a list ahead of time.

Here are the categories:

An ampersand – & (ex. Blanca & Roja, Rot & Ruin)
Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

An antonym (ex. Big Little Lies, Wicked Saints)

4 letters or less (ex. Feed, Vox)

A given/first name (ex. Tess of the Road, Flowers for Algernon)
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman

Reference to children (ex. Baby Proof, Children of Blood and Bone)

One of the 4 natural elements – water, air, fire, earth (ex. The River at Night, The Name of the Wind)

Five books every season

I do personal list every season of 5 books I'd like to read. Sometimes I read them all and sometimes I don't.

Five Books I Want to Read This Winter (before the Spring Equinox on March 19th)

1. Mightier than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer
√2. Educated by Tara Westover
√3. Go Down Together by Jeff Guinn
√4. The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde
√5. The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown

My Rating Scale

This has been my rating scale as posted on my blog since 2009 but I'm posting it here not only as information for others but as a reminder to myself to look at this carefully before assigning a rating to books I read.

- No stars – I couldn’t even finish it

- 1 star – I didn’t like it but I managed to finish it. I probably finished it out of some sort of misplaced sense of obligation due to having the book on a challenge list.

- 2 stars – It was OK. Not good, but seriously just OK. I probably kept reading hoping I would like it better or there was some plot point I had to know the answer to even though getting to that answer was maybe more work than pleasure.

- 3 stars - I liked it. I didn’t think it was great, but I thought it was good entertainment. Many of the series books I read are in this range – they’re enjoyable, but not great literature. These are books I might recommend, but only if I really know that your reading taste meshes with mine or if you already have an interest in the subject.

- 4 stars – I really liked it. I really think you might like it too. These are books I’d recommend but maybe with a caveat that ‘it’s not for everyone’. Many of these I pass along to The Hubster. I’m more comfortable recommending these books to a wide audience.

- 5 stars – It was amazing. I’d recommend this to just about anyone. These are the books that really made an impression and I’ll remember them for a long time. I’ve probably handed my copy to someone or said “you really should read this”.

Saving this one

This one too. Next is yours.

Best wishes for 2020!

Happy reading in 2020, Juli!

Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!

Welcome back!

Happy new year, Juli! I hope to keep up with you better this year :)

Happy new year, Juli!

Congratulations on retirement!!

Love all your category challenges! Have fun checking them off. ; )



Wishing you 12 months of success
52 weeks of laughter
366 days of fun (leap year!)
8,784 hours of joy
527,040 minutes of good luck
and 31,622,400 seconds of happiness!!

Happy New Year and HAPPY RETIREMENT, Juli!

Happy New Year and congrats on retirement!

Happy 2020 Juli!

Congratulations on retirement!

Happy 2020, Juli!

Your first year of retirement! Enjoy!

Happy new year, Juli! I am dropping off my star and formally expressing my envy at your new retired status. Still, really, I hope you enjoy!

I expect to be in Portland in June of this year (assuming my boss doesn't change my plans for me this time around). Hopefully we can arrange for a meetup!

And Happy New Thread & Happy Retirement, as well, Juli! I am very excited for you. I go in eight months. I am sure it will go fast. Hope to see you around more often, now that you are a woman of leisure.

Happy reading, Juli! You've certainly laid out ambitious plans!

Enjoy your retirement!

>11 DianaNL: Thank you!

>12 FAMeulstee: Same to you :-)

>13 PaulCranswick: I love that Paul. Need to copy that to my journal. And that addendum is my resolution too. The latter part of 2019 was a real struggle for me and I'm happy for a refresh in 2020.

>14 drneutron: Thanks Jim and thanks for all the work on keeping us up and running every year.

>15 katiekrug: And I hope to do the same with you too.

>16 richardderus: Thank you!

>17 arubabookwoman: Thanks - it's going to be an adjustment.

>18 Berly: It's the same challenges I did last year and they're all fun.

>19 BLBera: Thanks - it's going to take a few weeks for it to sink in.

>20 banjo123: Thank you!

>21 RebaRelishesReading: And the same to you too.

>22 thornton37814: Thanks - it doesn't seem real yet.

>23 jnwelch: Same to you Joe. I'm planning to.

>24 EBT1002: I'll be keeping watch on your plans and hope to get together when your'e down here. It's been way too long.

>25 msf59: Eight months will go fast Mark. I plan to be around her much more this year. The whole second half of 2019 was just kind of a lost cause.

>26 ffortsa: It looks way more ambitious than it is. I can often use books for more than one of those challenges and usually pick my seasonal five to check off a few so there is lots of overlap.

>27 figsfromthistle: I plan to!!

So today was really the first real day of my retirement due to the holiday yesterday. I was busy catching up on things that have been neglected around the house over the holidays and packing up the remainders of Christmas decorations. We usually take down all the Christmas stuff on New Year's Day but this year the Ducks were in the Rose Bowl so that changed our plan for the day.. We took the outdoor decorations down last weekend and I took the indoor stuff down today. The Hubster will need to dismantle the tree and haul it up to the attic but the rest is done.

The Hubster is still working so my retirement doesn't mean sleeping in. We do get to sleep about 15 minutes later now and the alarm is set for 5:15 instead of 5am. It was nice to head out for a walk this morning once the sun came up. I had hoped to do 4.5 miles but the drizzle turned into a steady rain so I skipped the last loop of my 1.5 mile route and called it good at 3 miles.

I was busy with cleaning and packing up Christmas but managed some audiobook time. I'm listening to Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein - it's the second in his John Ceepak mystery series set in a beach town in New Jersey. I really enjoyed the first book and I'm liking the second so far too.

Once I post this I'm going to go read and watch the rest of this bowl game. I'm reading Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews. It's one that has been on my TBR list for years so I'm glad to finally be reading it.

>31 SuziQoregon: It's nice of you to get up with the hubster, Juli. I get up around 5:40 and P usually sleeps until around 7 or even 7:15. BUT, she makes my lunch most days so I have no complaints. I actually rather enjoy the 60-90 minutes I have to myself in the mornings. I read and drink my coffee, and in 2020 I am hoping to walk on the treadmill more while listening to audiobooks. P also does much more of the housekeeping and cooking than I do, so it works out well.

Enjoy your free time as the year progresses, Juli!!

Hi there - still haven't finished a book yet this year but there's a good chance I'll finish two today. I'm within sight of the end of my print book and once that's done I plan to start a new jigsaw puzzle which means audiobook time.

I'm working on establishing a new routine. Along with my retirement came discontinuing our every other week housecleaner so I'm trying to get a cleaning schedule worked out for myself that gets everything done between Monday and Friday. The Hubster will still be working for a couple of years so I'm trying to get chores and errands done during the week so that his weekends are maximized and we don't have to spend those days doing things like that. Well except for yard work. He'll still have to take care of that. I made it clear before we got married and bought a house that I don't do yard.(other than reading in it).

Anyway, started out my day with a 4.5 mile walk and audiobook. Time to tackle the few things on my to do list and then relaxing and reading.

>32 Berly: Thanks Kim. It hasn't sunk in yet. Right now it still feels more like a vacation. I haven't adjusted to the idea of not going back there ever.

>33 EBT1002: I actually don't mind being up early. I don't like hearing the alarm go off but once I'm up and awake I'm glad to have an early start on my day.

Finally finished my first book of the year. I really enjoyed Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews and will likely continue with the series. It's a fun combination of mystery and silliness.

I started and finished a jigsaw puzzle but didn't quite finish my audiobook. I'll wind up listening to Mad Mouse while running errands today. Next up on audio is Educated by Tara Westover. I'd planned to read the print edition but when I found out that Julia Whelan narrated the audiobook I decided to get that instead. I really enjoyed her narration of Evvie Drake Starts Over last year.

Morning, Juli! Congrats on your retirement - most exciting. I also don't do yard.

>37 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! So good to see you back here.

I finished listening to Mad Mouse yesterday. I started listening to Educated. I've heard so much about this book. I'm glad to finally be reading it.

I also read a bit of The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde. Kim is the one who got me started on this series. I need to wind up this series he wrote for younger readers then I want to start his Thursday Next books.

This is the jigsaw puzzle I finished the other day - it was a quick one day 500 piece puzzle.



I started a new one yesterday so I'll get some good audiobook time this afternoon while working on that.

Hi there - got busy last week and then spent the weekend reading and watching football.

I'm almost done with the 6th cd out of 10 in Educated. Audiobook time = jigsaw puzzle time and I finished another quick puzzle last week.



My next puzzle is going to be more challenging so I'm looking forward to listening to much more of Educated this week.

I finished The Song of the Quarkbeast and enjoyed it. I need to get to the last one in this trilogy soon. Unfortunately my library is doing an online catalog upgrade and I can't access that to check availablility until sometime tomorrow. Boo!

I read Ascender Vol. 1: The Haunted Galaxy by Jeff Lemire. As most of you know, I'm a huge fan of Lemire's work. This is the first collected volume of a newer comic series. It takes place in the same universe as the Descender series (which I LOVED) but 10 years later and things are very very different. This first volume was a lot of set up and stage setting but there were some interesting twists and I'm eager to find out where this story will go.

I also read They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. Absolutely one of the best memoirs in graphic novel format that I have ever read.. Heartbreaking and breathtaking.

I started reading Our House by Louise Candlish and I'm intrigued even though I'm only a couple of chapters in so far.

>40 SuziQoregon: I like the jigsaw puzzle! Those cats are so cute!

>40 SuziQoregon: They Called Us Enemy was one of my top reads last year for sure. Love the puzzle shots you are including. ; )

I'm another Jeff Lemire fan, Juli, and I'm nearing the end of the very good Descender series. Good to hear your positive reactions to Ascender Vol. 1.

>41 thornton37814: Thanks - that kitten puzzle was adorable.

>42 Berly: Yep - that one was amazing. Glad you're enjoying the puzzles. It's my favorite way to get some audiobook time.

>43 jnwelch: Glad you're enjoying Descender.

1.



Murder with Peacocks by Donna Andrews


I have had this book on my TBR list for ages. I've checked it out from the library multiple times, but it always seemed to fall victim to all of my other holds coming in at the same time and went back to the library unread. I was determined to get it read in 2019 but didn't finish it until January 7th (oops). I am so glad I finally read it. It was just fun. Yes, it's a mystery and yes there are murder victims, but it still managed to be fun.

Meg Langslow is a decorative blacksmith. The summer that the events of this book take place she's back in the town where she grew up because she's managed to get herself named Maid of Honor for not one but three weddings all a couple of weeks apart. The first wedding is her best friend, the second is her brother's, and the third is her mother's. To say Meg's family and friends are quirky is an understatement.

When the sister of her mother's fiancé’s deceased wife turns up and no one likes her it's awkward. When she ends up dead on the shoreline of the river it's annoying.

Meg and her father end up pretty much taking charge of the investigation and the screaming peacocks are just a minor part of the chaos.

It's a fun beginning to a series and I'm looking forward to reading more.

2.



Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein narrated by Jeff Woodman


This mystery series is set in a Jersey Shore resort town. The main characters are Danny (the narrator0 who grew up in Sea Haven and is currently a summer cop hoping to become a full-time member of the police department. His partner is John Ceepak, a former army MP and straight arrow police officer. He's got a code. "I will not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those who do."

This time around Danny and his friends seem to be targets of a sniper who starts out shooting paintballs but quickly switches to bullets. This one is a little darker than the first book in the series and there's a little less humor because this one is personal and more dangerous.

It was a decent mystery with some fun characters and an interesting setting. I plan to continue with the series. I'm going to stick with the audio editions because Jeff Woodman is a wonderful narrator.

3.



The Song of the Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde


This is the second book in Fforde's Chronicles of Kazam trilogy. It's written for young readers but it's a lot of fun for adults. I read the first book about a year and a half ago but for some reason hadn't continued with the series. I decided it was time to finish it.

Jennifer Strange is still managing the Kazam House of Enchantment and is essentially an agent for the sorcerers who work and live there. The other house is called Industrial Magic and between the two they manage the only eight licensed sorcerers on the planet. Thanks to the events of the first book there has been a return of magic to the Ununited Kingdom but it's still not widespread.

The leader of the other house is plotting with the King to control magic for profit. A challenge between the two houses involving rebuilding a bridge will determine which side will win.

These books are witty and fun and full of interesting characters and creatures. You don't have to be a kid to enjoy them.

4.



Ascender Vol. 1: The Haunted Galaxy by Jeff Lemire


It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Jeff Lemire's comics and graphic novels. Fortunately, he's a very prolific author and artist and keeps the new stuff coming fairly regularly. I loved his Descender series that he wrapped up at the end of 2018. That final volume ended with a tease that a new related series was in the works. This is the first collected volume of that comic series.

Ascender is set in the same universe as Descender but begins ten years after the events of Descender's final issue. Things are very very different. There are some familiar characters but it's very much the beginning of an entirely new setting and story.

This first volume which contains the first five issues of the comic is much heavier on stage setting and world building than it is on the story. There's plenty of story and some major things happen but it's clearly the starting point. It's absolutely a story I want to continue.

As with Descender, Lemire works with artist Dustin Nguyen for this series. His watercolor artwork continues to be varied and interesting. He's clearly playing with some softer tones and different palettes in this one. It's still just as beautiful.

5.



They Called Us Enemy by George Takei with Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott


I've read quite a few excellent memoirs and biographies in graphic novel format. This is one of the best.

I knew George Takei's family was sent to an internment camp during World War II. I've read a few books about those camps and that blight on our democracy. With those same sentiments and excused becoming part of our current history this is an excellent time to learn more about what we did.

The story of Takei's family and their internment in Arkansas and later in Northern California is the story of just one of thousands of families. They actually had it better than many of their fellow prisoners since George's father became a camp manager in both of the camps where they were incarcerated.

This quote is the one that will stick with me.
“Years later, the trauma of those experiences continued to haunt me. Most Japanese Americans from my parents' generation didn't like to talk about the internment with their children. As with many traumatic experiences, they were anguished by their memories and haunted by shame for something that wasn't their fault. Shame is a cruel thing. It should rest on the perpetrators, but they don't carry it the way the victims do.”

Read this one.

>45 SuziQoregon:, >46 SuziQoregon: Both series are a lot of fun!

>49 SuziQoregon: It's an amazing read, considering where Takei is today. His continued engagement with the country that aggressively rejected all of him time after time makes me humble.

You are going to read 300 books this year if you continue at this rate, Juli. And I echo what Ellen says: you are very nice to rise with your husband in the morning.

The Quarkbeast series sounds like a fun one. I also loved the Takei memoir.

>46 SuziQoregon: I really wish my local library had the books in that series! I sounds like I need to get the audio book editions. I "read" a ton of audio books at work and greatly appreciate wonderful narrators!

>48 SuziQoregon: Again my local library fails me! Not a single one of Lemire's books do they have. It is simply not right! lol

>49 SuziQoregon: I currently have that one on hold at the library. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did.

A belated Happy New Year, Juli!

>50 richardderus: Good to hear on both those series. Both The Hubster and I are enjoying Grabenstein's Ceepak books. Donna Andrews won't be his thing but I plan to continue reading.
Agreed re: Takei.

>51 BLBera: LOL - not a chance. I will definitely read more than last year though. The whole second half of 2019 was kind of an extended reading slump induced by the chaos at work.

>52 alcottacre: Thanks for stopping by!! Sorry to hear your local library doesn't have those. Glad you could get on the wait list for They Called Us Enemy though. It's just excellent!

I haven't read that much of my print book lately but I did finish listening to Educated. It was very interesting. Glad I did the audio. Julia Whelan is an excellent narrator.

Minimal reading today because we went to see Knives Out and do a few errands. Loved the movie.

Tomorrow we're staying home and watching football which means I'll be reading and watching.

My next audio (probably starting on Monday) will be the second Dr. Siri book - Thirty Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill.

You've done some great reading so far this year, Juli!

And thanks for sharing the puzzles. I am hoping to get into doing them once we have things more unpacked and organized in the house.

Hi Juli! Congratulations on all the reading. It seems like you are settling into retirement a little. Knives Out was really good, I thought.

>55 katiekrug: Glad you like the puzzles - it's a great way for me to get some audiobook time. I've had a pretty good string of book so far this year.

>56 banjo123: Thanks! I'm settling into my new routine. We really liked Knives Out.

6.



Educated by Tara Westover narrated by Julia Whelan


This one had been on my list pretty much since it was first released. When I found out that Julia Whelan narrated the audio that was enough to convince me to listen to the audio edition. She's an excellent narrator.

Tara Westover was raised in rural Idaho by parents who didn't trust doctors, the government, or the public education system. While they didn't have formal education Tara and two others of her six siblings managed to enroll in college and earn post graduate degrees. This memoir is Tara's story.

This was a fascinating memoir. At times it was tough to listen to due to the abuse she suffered at the hands of her older brother. This was only part of the troubling events of her childhood (and adulthood for that matter, until she discontinued contact with some of her family members).

>53 SuziQoregon: I finished They Called Us Enemy last night and agree, it is excellent!

>58 SuziQoregon: I get to dodge that BB as I have already read it. Glad to see you liked it, Juli.

>59 alcottacre: Yay! It's so good. LOL on the BB dodging!

>45 SuziQoregon: Oh! I have forgotten about that series--they are really fun. In fact, you are reading so many of my favorite reads! Since we seem to have the same taste in reads, I will keep my eye out for any new-to-me recommendations you have. : )

Missing you around the threads, Juli.

Hope all is well and that you will have a lovely weekend.

>61 Berly: I definitely enjoyed the first one and plan to read the next.

>62 PaulCranswick: Yes, all is well. I haven't been around much but hope to change that.

Well, Oopsies
I didn't intend to be away for more than a month. I've been scanning random threads occasionally but haven't been posting here or elsewhere. Seems the new habits with retirement include not firing up the laptop and posting here. I tend to do my online stuff from my iPad and haven't been very good about posting with that because the on-screen keyboard makes me crazy. I did buy an external keyboard for the iPad so I'm hoping to get back into the habit of posting more regularly.

So . . . . anyway . . . February happened. We spent the first weekend at the coast with friends. The weather was crappy but we still had a great time. We do an annual beach trip with them the weekend of the Super Bowl every year and get home on Sunday in time to watch the game. Other than that the month has been fairly uneventful. Lots of cold and wet weather. We had spring for a couple of days which was nice.

I've been doing a skin cancer cream treatment on my nose for the past three weeks. It's ugly and painful but way better than letting things go until they need to cut chunks out. I sent some photos to my dermatologist today and I'm hoping she'll tell me I'm done with the cream and can heal up in time for family photos at my niece's wedding on March 14th.

We finally saw The Rise of Skywalker a couple of weekends ago. Glad we got in before it left the theater because the big screen and sound system makes a big difference. The other day I went to see Parasite - The Hubster wasn't interested in that one, and now that I've seen it I know it's not his thing so going by myself was good. What a movie. Last weekend we re-watched The Right Stuff for the first time in years. I listened ot the book last fall and he just finished listening to it last week so it was fun to see the movie again.

Reading - yeah - we talk about reading here, don't we? Let's see where I left off . . .

I listened to Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill narrated by Clive Chafer. I love Dr. Siri. I usually don't do well with books with mystical elements but I like him and the other regular characters so much I don't care. I'm glad I listen to the audios. The narrator does a good job and I don't have to struggle with trying ot figure out pronunciations.

I read Our House\ by Louise Candlish. What a twisty turny thriller. It's no spoiler to say there is a twist because there are several and it was a roller coaster ride all the way. I really enjoyed it.

When we went to see Knives Out last month we saw the trailer for the new The Call of the Wild movie. I'm not sure I have any interest in the movie but it made me think about the book. I know I read it in school but I can't even remember how old I was when I read it. I didn't remember that much about it so I checked it out from the library and read it. I'm glad I did. I think I got way more out of it as an adult than I ever could have as a kid.

I finished off the third book in Jasper Fforde's Chronicle of Kazam series, The Eye of Zoltar. It was definitely my favorite of the first three books. According to his website he has another book wrapping up Jennifer Strange's story but it likely won't be out until 2021.

I listened to Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn narrated by Jonathan Hogan. This one has a "Mark's Fault" tag and I read it this month for the "Heroes and Villains" category for the nonfiction challenge. I've heard good things about Jeff Guinn's books and definitely plan to read others. It was very good. The narrator was just OK but listening at 1.25 speed worked well for me with this one.

I'm currently reading:
In print-
The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown. I picked this up as a free ebook ages ago and so far it's kind of fun.

On audio:
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson narrated by Marin Ireland. I'm only a couple of chapters in but so far I'm enjoying both the story and the narrator.

I think that catches me up. Reviews and recent jigsaw puzzles that make up the majority of my audiobook time these days to be posted soon.

7.



Our House by Louise Candlish


This one had me hooked from the first few pages. Fiona Lawson and her husband are separated but in order to minimize disruptions for their children they have agreed to “birds nest” custody agreement in which the kids live in their house full time and Fi and Bram take turns staying with them there. When Fi arrives at the house after a few days out of town she discovers a new family moving into her house and no sign of her ex, her kids, or her belongings.

From there the story moves back and forth between Fiona attempting to find out what has happened and a document from Bram that tells his side of what led up to this situation.

There are so many twists and turns in this one it will make you feel like you’re on a roller coaster ride in the dark.

Beginning with Fiona discovering strangers moving into her house and moving back and forth between present day events and a gradual reveal of let up to this makes for an interesting thriller. Candlish doles out the pieces of the story gradually with several surprises along the way. Just when I thought I had everything figured out she’d slip in another reveal to keep me guessing. I enjoyed the ride with this one.

8.



Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill narrated by Clive Chafer


This is the second in Cotterill’s series featuring Dr. Siri Paiboun. He’s a 70 something physician who has been conscripted by the new Communist government in late 1970’s Laos to be the national coroner. He doesn’t really want the job and is delightfully sarcastic about the whole thing. One nice thing about listening to the audio editions of a book with unfamiliar names of people and places is that I can just enjoy the story without having to figure out how to pronounce them. Clive Chafer is a good narrator for this series. He manages to convey the wry wit very well.

I’m getting to know and enjoy the recurring characters. There’s a bit of mysticism involved in this series and while that’s not usually something I enjoy; it works here because I like Dr. Siri so much.

There are some scenes in this one involving mistreatment of animals that are difficult to listen to so be aware.

Despite that the story was once again an interesting mystery as well as a glimpse into a culture that is very different from my own. I look forward to continuing with the series.

9.



The Call of the Wild by Jack London


When we saw the trailer for the new movie version, I told The Hubster that I know I read the book in school at some point, but I didn’t remember that much about it. I’m not sure whether I’ll see the movie, but I decided I wanted to reread the book. I’m glad I did. As I said, I know I read it in school and I don’t remember what grade I was in but whenever it was I’m sure I appreciated it more as an adult.

I loved this story of Buck, the half St. Bernard, half Scotch Shepherd dog. He’s stolen and sold to be a sled dog in Alaska. I vaguely remembered parts of the story but not much. Buck’s confusion when he’s stolen and sent to Alaska to be a sled dog. He’s passed along to several different owners, learns to be a member of a sled team and connects with his feral ancestry.

I’m glad I read it again. It’s just an incredibly well told story.

10.



The Eye of Zoltar by Jasper Fforde


This is the third book in this series for younger readers by Fforde. According to his website there’s a fourth book planned but probably not until 2021.

Jennifer Strange is 16 years old and an orphan. She’s under an indentured servitude contract to manage the Kazam House of Enchantment. In the Ununited Kingdoms, magic exists but is mostly used for things like house renovations and construction projects. Magical creatures also exist but some are better managed than others.

This one was my favorite of the three books so far. The wit and humor are delightful. Even though these are intended for young readers they are delightful for adults too.

This time around the Mighty Shandar has come out of his life extending stone state to make a demand of Jennifer. Bring him the Eye of Zoltar (a jewel) or he will eliminate the dragons forever.

This leads to a journey (not a quest! – that would involve much more paperwork) through the dangerous kingdom adjacent to the Kingdom of Snodd with an entertaining and sometimes shady cast of new characters.

This was just a hoot and all three books are well worth your time. Trust me.

11.



Go Down Together: The True, Untold Story of Bonnie and Clyde by Jeff Guinn narrated by Jonathan Hogan


A friend recommended this one and it fit perfectly for this month’s Heroes and Villains category for my Nonfiction challenge.

The reviews of the audio edition almost made me go with the print, but my friend listened to it and enjoyed it. I listened to a sample and the narrator was fine. Once I started listening, I bumped up the speed to 1.25 and was quite comfortable listening it that way.

The book itself is quite interesting. If the only thing you know about Bonnie and Clyde is the 1967 movie with Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, then you don’t know much that’s true about Bonnie and Clyde.

I’d heard good things about Jeff Guinn’s books and after listening to this one I am positive that I will be putting his other books on my TBR list.

He provided plenty of fascinating information about both Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker as well as their extended families. The families are definitely part of the story because Clyde and Bonnie (it was never Bonnie first until Beatty’s movie put her first) made regular trips back to the Dallas, Texas area to visit their families.

I learned a lot about them and also about the men that eventually ambushed them in rural Louisiana. Once they were established in their life of crime neither Clyde nor Bonnie expected to live very long. They expected that they would be killed by law enforcement officers.

I thought this was a fascinating book. As I said the narration was fine but not anything that would make me seek out other books narrated by the same person. Listen to the sample at Audible and make your own decision regarding audio or print but if you have any interest, I do recommend the book.

Juli--I am hoping my bookclub will vote to read "Nothing To See Here"!! And glad you had so much fun with Jasper Fforde--he's a favorite. ; ) And Bonnie and Clyde, or make that Clyde and Bonnie sounds intriguing.

It seems that retirement is agreeing with you--carry on!!

Looks like you got reading accomplished while you were away. We're glad you're back though.

Hi Juli! Nice to see you back here. Looks like you've been taking good advantage of your retirement by doing some good reading and traveling. Keep on enjoying!

>70 Berly: The audio edition is wonderful - great narrator. I loved the book.

>71 thornton37814: I did!

>72 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks - I need to be better about checking in.

Well, I finished a couple more books.

On audio I thoroughly enjoyed Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson narrated by Marin Ireland. I had a feeling I would like it but really didn't know what to expect going in so it was a delightful surprise.

In print I finished The Housewife Assassin's Handbook by Josie Brown. I picked this up as a free ebook ages ago and finally got around to finishing it. It's not by any means a 'good' book but it entertained the heck out of me. Enough that I'll read the next in the series.

Yesterday I started listening to Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez narrated by the author. I'm enjoying it so far.

Today I started Mightier than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer it's the 5th out of 7 books in his Clifton Chronicles series.

12.



Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson narrated by Marin Ireland

I first heard about this on in an email from Audible and it sounded fun. Lillian has an occasional correspondence with her former roommate from boarding school. This time Madison asks Lillian for help. Madison’s twin stepkids are coming to live with Madison and her wealthy Senator husband. She wants Lillian to be their nanny. It all sounds pretty normal until Madison mentions that the kids catch fire when they get agitated. Spontaneously combusting kids are going to be more of a challenge than Lillian bargained for.

This was simply a delightful audiobook. Marin Ireland does a fabulous job on the narration. She does Lillian’s clipped sarcasm perfectly. She manages multiple southern accents from varying backgrounds and makes them all feel spot on.

I was prepared for this book to be funny. I was prepared for this book to be a little quirky (Fire Children!). I was not prepared for this book to tug at my heartstrings and make me care so much about these characters.

This is just wonderful, and I cannot recommend the audio edition enough.

13.



The Housewife Assassin’s Handbook by Josie Brown

I got this as a free ebook download several years ago. I loved the cover and the email blurb made it sound fun. The tagline “Murder, Suspense, Sex, and some handy household tips” made me giggle. Donna Stone’s husband worked for the CIA. When he is killed, she becomes an assassin for the CIA so that she can help find her husband’s killers.

This is a bit of a mix of romance, suspense, satire, humor, mystery, and Desperate Housewives. I went into it expecting it to be rather light and it was. It’s definitely not something that is anywhere close to literary. The plot has holes big enough to drive several trucks through at the same time. The good guys and bad guys can change sides with the flip of a page and the main character just accepts it without much question.

Normally that kind of thing would make me give up on a book or give it a lower rating, but I can’t because I absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve requested the second book in the series through interlibrary loan because neither of my libraries has a copy or the ebook. I’m a little embarrassed to say I want more but I can’t help it.

>75 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli. I've been wondering what to do with this month's Audible credits. You've helped me solve that problem :)

>75 SuziQoregon: great review!

Morning Juli!

>75 SuziQoregon: I have wondered about Nothing to See Here. Your review puts it on the wish list.

I hope you are doing well!

>75 SuziQoregon: Loved Nothing To See Here!!

Unfortunately, my book club cancelled our talk about it because of COVID19. Postponed until who knows when....

Hi Juli - Nice to see you back. You've been doing a little reading, I see. Take care. It sounds like you are enjoying retirement.

>77 RebaRelishesReading: Yay! Hope you enjoy it.

>78 banjo123: Thanks!

>79 EBT1002: It's really good - the audio is wonderful.

>80 Berly: Glad you liked it too. Too bad the book club discussion can't be done online while it's fresh in your memory - plenty to discuss with that one.

>81 BLBera: Thanks for stopping by - clearly I picked a great time to retire. Although, if I was still working I'd just be working from home full time but glad I'm not.

Hi there - I'm here. We're doing fine. Staying home as much as possible but when I have to go to three times as many grocery stores to get everything I need it feels like it's defeating the purpose but oh well.Social distancing the best I can. The Hubster is still having to go to work which I'm not happy about but I'm not in control of that and he's being good about washing his hands as soon as he walks in. They did ask him on Friday to survey his team on what their computer setups were at home so they're at least realizing that this is not a short term situation and maybe they need to figure out a way for the employees who logistically can work from home actually do so. We'll see. He's on vacation tomorrow so it's nice to have a long weekend and three days to sleep in. We were originally supposed to have been in Ashland this weekend seeing a couple of plays but that obviously got canceled. I'm was proud of him for not canceling the vacation day.

I have been staying home but not reading that much because . . . *gestures vaguely at the world* . . . .
I'm finding it so hard to concentrate.

I finally finished reading Mightier than the Sword by Jeffrey Archer this afternoon. I'm starting Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews tonight. The lighter the better for me these days.

I finished listening to Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez. narrated by the author. It was very good and I enjoyed it. I like him as a TV personality and it was interesting to learn more about his background and history. Staying in that mode I started listening to Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. It's one I've been meaning to read or listen to for ages so it's nice to finally get to it.

Anyway . . . that's my update for now. This past week has been rough but we're hanging in there. Hope all of you are too.

Hi Juli -- sounds like you're doing well. Hope the Hubster's company finds ways for at least some of staff to work from home. Even if the Hubster has to go in he will be in contact with fewer people which will be better for you too.

Keep reading!

>84 RebaRelishesReading: As of today he's now working from home. Yay!

Take care, Juli!

>80 Berly: Bookclub is resuming tomorrow night using Zoom. Going virtual!! I'll let you know how it goes.

>83 SuziQoregon: Glad you enjoyed Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef by Aaron Sanchez.

and Hurray for working from home!! And still having a job!!!

>87 Berly: We had a virtual lunch with friends today which was fun. Of course that's much easier to arrange than a book club where more than two locations are involved. Hope you have a great time.

Glad you are being careful, Juli!

Hope you have had a lovely, peaceful, safe and healthy weekend, Juli.

I hope your staying home is going well, Juli. Keep taking good care of yourself.

I wanted my message this year to be fairly universal in a time we all should be pulling together, whatever our beliefs. Happy Celebration, Happy Sunday, Juli.

>86 BLBera: We are. You too!

>87 Berly: Yep - very glad he still has a job. In fact they're having record sales and have added another shift so his job is fairly safe. He's actually working from home every other day and going into the office on alternate days. I'd prefer him to work from home full time but they're alternating people to make space. How'd your Zoom book club go? I had a zoom happy hour with a bunch of friends last week. Fun.

>88 RebaRelishesReading: I like your virtual lunch with friends.

>89 banjo123: Thanks - same to you.

>90 PaulCranswick: >92 PaulCranswick: We did. Thaks for the seasonal greeting - you covered everything perfectly!

>91 EBT1002: So far so good. I'm only going out for groceries and to the pharmacy. At least the weather got nice again so we can get out for walks.

Once again, too long between check ins. The whole second half of March was kind of a lost month for me. Couldn't even read because I couldn't concentrate for more than about a page and a half. Last week I joined an online reading challenge that involved setting 30 minute reading appointments 3 times a day and reporting our progress on Twitter. That seems to have reignited my reading mojo. That and careful selection of books. I'm finding that humor is best for me right now and short and humorous is even better.

Since my last update I've finished a several books.

On audio I finished:
Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain narrated by the author

Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson narrated by several people

In print I finished:
Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers - I'm not sure I've ever actually read the book. We watched the movie a few weeks ago and then I wanted to read the book before we watched Saving Mr. Banks this past Sunday. Now we just need to watch Mary Poppins Returns soon.

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger my first steampunk novel and it was just a whole lot of fun and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman which I got because if Judy's (Ffortsa) comments. It was just exactly the kind of book I needed and thoroughly delightful.

So currently I'm reading The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett. I've never read anything by him and it seems likea good time to finally dive headfirst into the Discworld series.

I'm listening to Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen by Jose Antonio Vargas. It works for this month's topic for the Nonfiction challenge and I picked it because the audio was available from the library and it's less than six hours. I need to start a jigsaw puzzle so I can finish the book before it's due.

and now I have a ton of reviews to catch up on. Oopsies.

>94 SuziQoregon: Wow, looks to me like you're doing fine with your reading, Juli! I know what you mean by needing reading that is on the lighter side -- I'm having a terrible time concentrating on anything serious right now. They say you shouldn't sit too long without moving around, right? Well one good thing is that I pick up a book read a few pages and immediately think of something I "have" to see to and pop up and go do it -- back to reading for a few pages -- repeat. So, it's all good for my health, right?

>95 RebaRelishesReading: Yep - I do a lot of the same. Makes my Apple Watch happy that I stand up enough times every day.

Hi Juli! Glad you got your reading mojo back! Zoom has been working really well for happy hours and bookclubs. And work. But I prefer the first two. : ) My reading has been going pretty well, although I am tending to like lighter stuff right now. Taking a Literary Arts class that starts tonight (also Zoom) and I am excited for that.

No Kentucky Derby today plus stay home orders meant no Derby Party with our friends. The weather was cold and wet so we couldn't even enjoy being outside.



We managed to fake it with the Derby events. The Arkansas Derby races were today on TV and we were able to make a couple of online bets. We got some mint from the neighbor's garden and made mint juleps and had a pandemic version of Derby Day.

That's the spirit!! Love the hat. : )

In the 1980s I was seriously into horse racing and "followed form" almost religiously. I bought my first serious race bike with winnings from a racecourse in Stratford upon Avon and I was convinced that I could have made a living at it! Thankfully I matured a little but the Classics in England and racing's wonderful propensity to statistics always piques my interest.

One thing I didn't much like about some of the racing in the USA was the tendency to race on dirt. We call our governing body in the UK, The Turf club, with good reason.

Cool that you still virtually celebrated!

>98 SuziQoregon: I love the hat, Juli!

I love your hat and it seems like you made a great day of it in spite of obstacles

Lovely hat and terrific fighting spirit!

Hi, Juli. I'm another one impressed by your figuring out a way to celebrate Derby Day, and by the hat.

I'm glad you enjoyed The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. Me, too. I think a lot of folks are reading lighter book fare as the quarantine drags on. I've been on a mystery binge, with a Dick Francis one underway right now.

At this time of the end of Ramadan I want to give thanks for your friendship in this wonderful group, Juli.

Enjoy the long weekend.

In this difficult year with an unprecedented pandemic and where the ills of the past intrude sadly upon the present there must still be room for positivity. Be rightly proud of your country. To all my American friends, enjoy your 4th of July weekend.

Crawling out from under my virtual blanket fort where i’ve been hiding from all the anxieties that are 2020.

It’s been a rough several months. I’m just glad I retired and haven’t had work to add to all the other stuff that has felt so overwhelming. 2020 can just bite me.

Nothing is awful but it’s just the accumulation of everything.

We’re mostly well. I am loving being retired but with the pandemic and staying home, I’ve been battling some mild signs of depression, thankfully minor and intermittent. Again nothing awful.

The Hubster was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation in mid-June and it’s been a long slow process of multiple testing scenarios each several weeks apart. He had an angiogram last Monday and one area of his heart has about a 60% blockage but not enough for them to put in a stent. Next step for him is a consult with a different cardiologist who specializes in the procedures to get his heart rhythm back to normal. The first opening for a consult with this guy is October 6th. Frustrating doesn’t cover how we feel about that. Anyway, he’s on the waiting list in case of a cancellation for an earlier app I but we have idea how likely that is. He’s feeling OK but not sleeping well and tires easily.

I haven’t been reading a lot. I find it extremely difficult to concentrate so reading but reading at a much slower pace than I used to.

We did get away for a week at the coast in July which was wonderful. We’d love to plan a long weekend over there again but until his medical situation is handled it’s a bit challenging to plan anything. We’ll see.

So . . . Long way around to say I’ve missed reading threads and hope to be back at it in some way.

Hey there! From one MIA to another, hope your reading and LT visiting pick up again. Fingers crossed for a better September. And best wishes to the Hubster.

>108 Berly: Thanks Kim!

Hi Juli! Glad to "see" you around these here parts.

>110 richardderus: Thanks. Hope to make it a habit again.

I vote yea. All opposed? No? Motion passes unanimously.

So good to see you again Juli but sorry to hear about your husband's heart issues. I hope you get that all resolved soon.

>112 richardderus: ;-)

>113 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks! Hope to get around to your thread soon.

Sorry to hear about your husband's medical woes. Atrial fib is definitely treatable, and stents are coming under question these days, so the best is if you can get in to see the cardiologist sooner than October. Good luck!

>That’s what we’re hoping. Thanks!

Hi Juli! That's really scary about your husband's heart issues. Hope it is all resolved soon, to the good.

>117 banjo123: Thank you!

Sorry to hear about your husband's A-Fib, Juli. Good luck with your doc. appointment. I hope you are safe from the fires. I'm sending thoughts of rain your way.

>119 BLBera: Thank you. We’re safe from the fires and yesterday was a real turning point for air quality.

We had a solid week of hunkering down at home due to very unhealthy to hazardous air quality because of the wildfire smoke. None of the fires were close enough to us to put us in any sort of evacuation alert but the air was just awful. We finally broke out of it yesterday thanks to some favorable air flow and some much needed rain. It was so nice to see our AQI in the good range again.

Then I heard about RBG.

2020 just keeps on 2020ing, doesn’t it? *sigh*

Yes, Juli, 2020 doesn't quit does it? So glad your air quality is better. It sounded just awful Two-year-old grandson regularly took his favorite fiction character doll to the window and said to it "can't go outside, too smoky". Poor baby -- can't play with other kids because of Covid and now can't even go into the yard because of smoke.

>121 SuziQoregon: I thought 2019 was the stinking abscess on the butt-crack of reality and 2020 had to get better. And I said so out loud.

I will not make that mistake again.

>121 SuziQoregon: Right? I thought 2020 would be all focused on a bright and shiny future, but....no. I am enjoying the cleaner air. Hang in there.

>122 RebaRelishesReading: Yep. It was the worst I’ve ever seen here.

>123 richardderus: LOL

>124 Berly: you too!

There was a goldfinch festival in my back yard yesterday.



I finished reading Less. I started In Cold Blood. I read it eons ago when I was in high school. I decided to reread it because true crime is this month’s topic for one of my reading challenges.

I’m listening to Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization by Lars Brownworth. I know next to nothing about the Byzantine Empire so this overview is a perfect place to start.

Wow! Look at all those birds! How fun. :) Wishing you happy reading.

>126 SuziQoregon: Love your goldfinch festival!! It makes me want a bird feeder.

There is a tremendous amount of work to be done but for today I’m celebrating!

>129 SuziQoregon: Absolutely! It is a day for champagne!

Hi Juli - I love your birds!

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

At this point I’m just hanging in and waiting to roll into 2021 with hopefully a feeling of a fresh start. I just feel like the reading part of my brain has been broken for months. It was difficult to abandon reading goals and challenges but it’s also very freeing to not be setting goals and joining challenges for 2021.

I have not figured out how many books I’ve needed up actually reading this year. I will at some point but I’m positive it’s the lowest number since I started keeping track.

In other news we had to say goodbye to our senior cat Howie several weeks ago. It was sad but he had a long and adventurous life. His health had been failing for a long time so it was not unexpected.

We have known for a long time that when Howie died that we would not let Abby be an only cat for very long. This past Friday we added a new member to our family. Abby’s little brother is a 12 week old red tabby Siberian kitten named Steve. He’s tiny but will eventually be a very large cat. I need to get a photo uploaded.

You had a lot going on this year. Sorry about Howie, can't wait to meet Steve.

>134 ffortsa: Thank you!

This is Steve



The only good photos I have of him right now are of him sleeping because when he’s awake he’s usually moving too fast to get a photo.

>136 SuziQoregon: Meow!

Steve is so cute!

A rare (at this point) photo of Steve awake but not running



It’s been 18 years since we had a kitten I’m out of practice for that particular adventure. Abby was about a year old when we adopted her so we skipped over this stage.

>139 SuziQoregon: Kittens are so cute though! I missed that stage when I adopted Brumley at about a year old. I got the full experience when I took all three from my brother's cat's litter though.

>140 thornton37814: Three kittens at once. That’s brave.

Tachyon Publications, an SFF house, posted this on Twitter. Says it all, no?

>142 richardderus: Perfect!

>143 SuziQoregon: So totally agree.

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
May 2021 bring you less need for masks, loads of peace and joy, good health and, of course, books!

I hope you get some of those at least, Juli, as we all look forward to a better 2021.

Steve is adorable, Juli.

Happy Holidays - and especially a happy 2021. It has to be an improvement, right?

Steve is ADORABLE!!!!!

I didn't get round for all the holiday wishes so I'm leaving my Happy New Year sentiment here now. A few days early. *smile* I agree with Beth, it has to be an improvement, right?

I hope you are safe and well and happy, Juli.

>145 Berly: Thanks Kim! Same to you!

>146 PaulCranswick: That's lovely Paul. We dad manage to get that. Our usual small and low key Christmas with my brother and The Hubster's sister met teh current gathering guidelines and was a nice bit of normalcy.

>147 BLBera: He is a cutie - he currently alternates between napping and "agent of chaos" but really is quite a sweetie. Happy Holidays to you too!

>148 EBT1002: Well I think so but I'm a bit biased. Happy New Year to to you too!

What a cutie Steve is. If cats could stay kittens I wouldn't mind having one :)

>149 SuziQoregon: I am entirely objective and I can coolly state that Steve is one of the cutest cats ever.

Juli

As the year turns, friendship continues