Alcott Acre's More Board Games Than Books

My name is Stasia and I have been a member of the 75ers since the group's inception in 2008, although my participation has been limited in some years. I seriously debated whether to have a thread this year as I continue to have some health difficulties, but in the end, decided I would stick. I will unable to visit the threads diligently as I once did, but I remain hopeful that people will come visit me!

I am going to do something different this year as I want to be able to track the paper books I read - and I am hoping to hit 75 - from the audiobooks I listen to, so I will be labeling them P and A, respectively.

Without further adieu, grab a cuppa and come on in!

Here are some of my best reads from last year, in the order in which I read them:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern - 5 stars

The Undefeated by Kwame Alexander - 5 stars

Know My Name by Chanel Miller - 5 stars

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - 5 stars

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - 4.75 stars

Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb - 4.75 stars

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel - 4.75 stars

The World that We Knew by Alice Hoffman - 4.5 stars

Dr Seuss Goes to War by Richard Minear - 4.5 stars

The Women Who Wrote the War by Nancy Caldwell Sorel - 4.5 stars

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei - 4.5 stars

Dream Makers, Dream Breakers by Carl T. Rowan - 4.5 stars

Witness: Lessons from Elie Wiesel’s Classroom by Ariel Berger - 4.5 stars

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell - 4.5 stars

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb - 4.5 stars

When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald - 4.5 stars

Unexampled Courage: The Blinding of Sgt. Isaac Woodard and the Awakening of President Harry S. Truman and Judge J. Waties Waring by Richard Gergel - 4.5 stars

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel - 4.5 stars

Dead Wake by Erik Larson - 4.5 stars

Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis - 4.5 stars

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel - 4.5 stars

Little Big Man by Thomas Berger - 4.5 stars

I do not understand why my Touchstones are not showing up!

The first 3 audiobooks that I have listened to this year have all been a continuation of last year's series listens that I was doing and all brain candy books, so I am not going to comment on them:

1-3A: Dark Demon, Dark Celebration, and Dark Possession all by Christine Feehan

I promised myself I would not post until I had finished at least one paper book and I finally did yesterday!

1P: The Fox Hunt: A Refugee's Memoir of Coming to America by Mohammed Al Samawi - Nonfiction; I discovered this book through Paper Brigade, a publication of the Jewish Book Council. It would have been a shame had I missed it - the book was nominated in the Autobiography & Memoir category of the 2018 National Jewish Book Awards, although it did not win. This is Al Samawi's life story - how he grew up in Yemen, started to challenge the beliefs he had grown up with, the consequences of his decisions to explore other faiths, and his desperate attempt to escape the country once civil war broke out. I found the book completely engrossing and am so glad my local library had a copy that I could read!; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library

Now, let's talk about the board games I have been playing since the beginning of 2021, although these are not listed in the order I have played them:

A Touch of Evil
Pandemic Legacy: Season 0
Pioneer Days
My City - Kerry and I already have 4 plays of this one in thus far in the new year
Doodle Quest
Rune Stones
Charterstone
Sagrada
Karuba
Roll for Adventure

Almost all of these are lighter, family-style games. For those interested in more information, I keep a Geeklist of all my plays on Board Game Geek: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021

And keep up with my friends here, Stasia. Have a great 2021.

>5 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

Good to see you back Stasia, wishing you a healthier 2021.

Happy reading (and listening) in 2021, Stasia!

Happy New Year, Stasia. Happy New Thread! Glad to see you back. Currently, what is your favorite board game? We are big fans of Code Names and play it regularly. We have also been enjoying Pegs & Jokers. Have you played that one? It is kind of a smarter version of "Sorry".

Welcome back!

Nice to see you here, Stasia.

Hi Stasia!! My husband and I are currently playing through Charterstone, I think we're set to begin game 6. It's fun! Though I think it would definitely be better served by having at least one more player. Alas... :P

Hello Dear Friend!

May 2021 bring better health to you. I will check back frequently. I looks like you read some very good books last year. I hope to be more active this year. Much Love!

Welcome back, Stasia! Hope you have a great year of reading!

It is good to see you back Stasia. I look forward to reading your comments.

Happy New Year, Stasia. Welcome back.

Good to see you Stasia! Happy New Year.

>7 calm: Thanks, calm!

>8 FAMeulstee: Thank you so much, Anita. I am hoping for a better 2021 in regards to everything for everyone!

>9 msf59: I think our current favorite board game is My City. The game plays very quickly and I love legacy/campaign style games. I have not played Pegs & Jokers, although I have played Codenames. We have Codenames Duet, which is exclusively 2-player, and Codenames: Harry Potter, which is basically Duet with a Harry Potter theme.

>10 drneutron: >11 ffortsa: Thanks, Jim and Judy!

>12 dk_phoenix: Glad to hear that you are enjoying Charterstone, Faith. The game does give you an option to add in AI players to bump up the player count. You might want to consider doing that. I agree that the game plays better with more.

>13 Whisper1: Lovey, thank you for stopping by!

>14 thornton37814: >15 meanderer: >16 BLBera: >17 leperdbunny: Thank you so much, Lori, Tony, Beth, and Tamara!

Reading this week:

4A - Dark Curse by Christine Feehan

2P - Jews of Oakland and Berkeley by Frederick Isaac - Nonfiction; this book is part of the Images of America series and I actually received it accidentally from PBS. I have read several books on the immigration of Jews to the eastern part of the U.S., mainly NY, but nothing about the west coast, so I read the book (it is less than 150 pages) before sending it on to its rightful owner. The book is primarily pictures with captions - in tiny little print (it took me 4 days to read this one!) detailing the beginnings of the Jewish community in the Oakland and Berkeley areas of California and following them throughout the years. I found it interesting, but doubt that it is a book for the wider audience. I wish there had been more detail, but understand the restriction of the series; Recommended (4 stars) Borrowed

3P - The Way Back by Gavriel Savit - This book was a finalist for the National Book Award/Young Adult category in 2020 and deservedly so. It is a dark fantasy based on the folklore of Eastern European Jews. Bluma, whose grandmother dies, runs into the Angel of Death, stealing from it something precious, which it is determined to get back. Yehuda Leib is running away from his hometown of Tupik when he meets up with a stranger who is not a stranger. These 2 children must battle to get out of the Far Country before they can no longer escape it. That is a very simplistic outline of the book, but there is so much more to it. I cannot recommend this book highly enough, not just for young people. The book has a somewhat slow start, which is my only negative for it, but other than that, it is terrific; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library

My daughter, Catey, was in town this week, so a lot more game playing going on than normal. Since last week, I have played:

Marvel United x2
Fast Sloths
Codenames: Harry Potter x2
Atheneum: Mystic Library x2
Timeline Challenge x 3 - this is a game designed to make anyone feel stupid, lol
Reef
Mandala x2
Karuba
My City x3

All in all, a great gaming week for me. It will not be nearly as good this next week.

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

Tomorrow is the day that we in the United States celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr Day. I posted this list last year, but I am posting it again this one in case anyone is interested. It is a list from the Jewish Book Council on Civil Rights and Race: https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/books/reading-lists/civil-rights-and-race

From the list, I am currently reading You Need a Schoolhouse by Stephanie Deutsch, which is excellent thus far.

I have no idea what happened to my posts 18 & 19 where I thanked everyone for stopping by??!! LT is doing weird things to me!!

ETA: And now they are back again. Weird. . .

Happy Sunday, Stasia! Glad to see you are enjoying the games and the books. I will have to look into My City.

>24 msf59: Happy Sunday to you too, Mark! My City is a great tile laying game. You can either play the campaign mode or you can play 'Eternal City.' I hope you like it if and when you play it. Have you tried Wingspan yet?

Books recently added to my library:

From Left to Right by Nancy Sinkoff
Little Women in India by Jane Nardin
Hindoo Holiday by J.R. Ackerley
The Talmud: A Biography by Barry Scott Wimpfheimer - part of the Lives of Great Religious Books series

Lovely to see you posting Stasia.

>27 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

Hello, Stasia! SO happy to see you here - just found your thread today. Dropping a star so I can find my way back.

>20 alcottacre: Stasia, The Way Back looks great. I hope to find it either online or at my library soon!

I hope that your eyes are on the mend, Stasia, as you so often give me reading prompts via your reviews.

>29 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I am glad to see you here.

>30 Whisper1: I hope you enjoy The Way Back when you get to it, Linda, but keep in mind that it is dark.

>31 PaulCranswick: I am not sure my eyes are ever going to be the way they were, Paul, but staying off the Internet other than for work purposes has certainly helped. Unfortunately, it also means I am never on LT.

5A - Dark Slayer by Christine Feehan

6A - The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin - Nonfiction, Audiobook; this is one of the books that I read this week in honor of Martin Luther King day. The Fire Next Time is actually comprised of 2 essays, one written in 1962 (the year I was born) and the other written in 1963. For how old these essays are, they are still very relevant in today's society. "America has a bill to pay," Baldwin says in one of the essays. I think that America is still paying that bill. One of the things that really struck me is what Baldwin learned in church. No, I grew up in an independent Baptist church and the things I was taught were strikingly different from some of the things Baldwin was taught. I really need to read this one again. It certainly made me think and that is always a good thing. If you have never read it, I highly recommend The Fire Next Time; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library

4P - You Need a Schoolhouse by Stephanie Deutsch - Nonfiction; Again, this was reading in honor of MLK day. The book is the true story of the relationship between Booker T. Washington, of whom I had heard, and Julius Rosenwald, of whom I had not. The book gives brief biographies of both men - frankly I wanted more - and explains how Rosenwald, a president of Sears & Roebuck, got involved in the establishment of schoolhouses for black children throughout the southern US. I found the book very interesting reading and understand how Rosenwald, from a disenfranchised group himself being a Jew whose forebears had suffered from immense prosecution, could relate to the plight of blacks. The story of how these schoolhouses, many of which we used until the Brown v the Board of Education case in 1954, became the hearts of their communities. I thought the book was very good; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Books recently added to my library:

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
Good Talk by Mira Jacob
This Kind of War by T.R. Fehrenbach

Games played over the past week:

Splendor with the Cities of Splendor expansion
Doodle Quest
Pandemic Legacy
On the Underground
La Granja
Nova Luna
My City
Karuba

All of these games, with the exception of La Granja, are family games I would say. La Granja is a euro, very much in my wheelhouse, in which the players are running a farm, gathering and selling resources, in an effort to collect victory points. I play it solo as it is not a game that appeals to Kerry.

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

I'd play more games, but my cats generally only like to push the pieces around or roll the dice. It's really hard being single sometimes. I tend to substitute things like logic puzzles for games.

Finally popping in to say hi.

>20 alcottacre: I'm just about to start The Way Back so good to know you liked it.

>36 thornton37814: I hear you, Lori. I do not blame you for not wanting to go through the hassle with the cats!

>37 avatiakh: Hey, Kerry! Thanks for stopping by!

It has been a rough couple of weeks for me, both personally and professionally, so I apologize for my absence last Sunday. My daughter, Beth, who some of you have met, suffered a miscarriage of what turned out to be an ectopic pregnancy and, despite not being able to be physically there for her, we had a lot of Google Hangouts together as we mourned her (our) loss and spent many hours together there, so not a lot of reading was happening.

On the professional front, I am feeling very boxed in with my current position and am actively looking to go elsewhere. This is probably not the best time to be attempting that, but that is where I am.

7A - Dark Peril by Christine Feehan

5P - Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates - Nonfiction; I was not sure what to expect from this small book, but I wanted to continue my reading in honor of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr, so I picked this one up. There is a quote from Toni Morrison on the back cover that "the language of Between the World and Me is. . . visceral" and that is how I felt as I read it. This was a hard book for me to read. I am not and will never be, an African American or male. The experiences that Mr Coates describes in this book and the way he feels, I can never feel, but while reading this book, he put me in his position and made me feel the way he does. It is indeed a book that you feel down to your bones, at least for me. I am still striving to understand it all; Highly, highly recommended (5 stars) Library Book

"I devoured the books because they were the rays of light peeking out from the doorframe, and perhaps past that door there was another world, one beyond the gripping fear that undergirded the Dream."

Games played over the past 2 weeks:

Pandemic Legacy - We finished our campaign of this one!
Pioneer Days
51st State Master Set (x 2) - I play this one solo
Glass Road - by my favorite designer, Uwe Rosenberg - I play this one solo
Sagrada (x 2) - Beth and I play this one together via Steam
Alubari: A Nice Cup of Tea - I play this one solo
Kingsburg
My City - Kerry and I are about halfway through the campaign
CloudAge - Kerry and I are starting the campaign of this one after a couple of plays to get the rules down
A Touch of Evil - Play 92 for my 100 Games Challenge
Le Havre - another game by Uwe Rosenberg - I play this one solo
World's Fair 1893 - a new edition introducing African-American characters is on the horizon. You can pre-order it from Amazon if you are interested. We are sending on our copy of this one to Beth, who loves the game, and buying the new edition.

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

New books in-house recently:

Silent Victory by Clay Blair
Pacific Crucible by Ian W. Toll
A City in Its Fullness by S.Y. Agnon
The Art of Leaving by Ayelet Tsabari

So sorry to read about your daughter's miscarriage, Stasia. Hani and I lost twins back in the day and it is incredibly tough - especially for the mum.

Give her a virtual hug from Hani and I.

I'm so sorry, Stasia, I'll be keeping you both in my thoughts and in my heart right now. *hugs*

Sorry to read about your daughter's miscarriage. Prayers for all of you as you mourn the loss of the unborn child.

>39 alcottacre: So sorry to read about Beths miscarriage, Stasia, not able to be there physically makes it extra hard.

>40 alcottacre: Completely agree. I immediately got my own copy after reading Between the World and Me from the library.

Has anybody heard from Stasia since winter hit Texas? I'll keep trying!

I’m so sorry to read of Beth’s miscarriage, Stasia.

Seeing the news of the Texas weather, I hope you are managing ok. What a nightmare.

I did get e-mail from Stasia. She's fine. Her Internet is off and on though, so she's not able to do sustained work or come here. I was relieved to hear from her!

^Thanks, Lizzie!

I hope your Internet gets on and stays on, Stasia. You're missed.

I just read the newest in Death Eve Dallas mystery, Faithless in Death, and it's another corker.

>49 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy, glad to read Stasia sended an e-mail to you.

I am alive and kicking. Our snow melted yesterday, a cap to what has been a pretty ugly week around here. I have lived in Texas for over 40 years and have never seen anything like it! We still do not have a lot of water pressure and are not sure when we will, so it makes things like bathing, washing clothes and dishes interesting.

Thank you all for checking in on me!

>43 PaulCranswick: Virtual hugs have been given, Paul. Thank you. I am sorry to hear of your own losses.

>44 scaifea: >45 thornton37814: Thank you, Amber and Lori.

>46 FAMeulstee: I bought a couple of the books that Coates referenced in Between the World and Me, Anita. I am glad to hear that someone else felt the impact of his book and it was not just me.

>47 LizzieD: Thank you for trying, Peggy!

>48 Copperskye: It was a nightmare, Joanne, and continues to impact us even though the snow has now melted. Thank you for your thoughts of Beth.

>49 LizzieD: The Internet seems to be behaving itself over the past couple of days, so here's hoping it continues to do so.

>50 jnwelch: I read it too, Joe, and I agree, it is another corker!

>51 FAMeulstee: Thank you for your concern, Anita.

Finally, some books read:

6P - Faithless in Death by J. D. Robb - Yes, she is back - Eve Dallas, that is - in the 52nd book of her adventures. Surely you had to know that I would read it as soon as I got my hot little hands on it! In this one, Eve begins investigating the murder of an artist but as usual, there is a lot more going on than just a simple murder and Eve finds herself embroiled in investigating a cult, rescuing an FBI agent who was trying to infiltrate the cult, and dealing with federal government agencies. It was a terrific ride!; Recommended for fans of the series (4 stars) Mine

7P - Anatomy of a Genocide by Omer Bartov - Nonfiction; this was an interesting, if extremely difficult, book to read. I learned of the book because it won the Yad Vashem International Book Book Prize for Holocaust Research a couple of years ago. The author's mother was from a small town, Buczacz, and he went back there (his mother immigrated to the U.S.) to try and discover what happened to his family during WWII. While he did not find any remaining family members, he did learn the history of the town and how slow and steady genocide that began long before WWII began started to wipe out the Jewish population of the town, which was finished off during the war; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library

8P - Apeirogon by Colum McCann - I was reminded of this book when I read The Fox Hunt earlier this year and since Apeirogon has been in the BlackHole for a while, finally got up the gumption to read it. Stylistically, it took a bit for me to get into the book as there were seemingly random chapters - more snippets than anything - strewn throughout this story of two fathers, one Israeli, one Palestinian, who each lost a child due to the random violence that so permeates the Middle East. These fathers find that grief unites them in a common goal, to help each other's peoples come to know and understand each other, and they travel to educate people. This is a terrific book, based on real people; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library

I am not reading much these days, but what I have been reading has been terrific!

You are going to need to indulge me here as the list of the games played over the past couple of weeks is a long one. Kerry has been off all week long due to the weather, so we have played multiple games practically every day this past week:

Kingsburg (x 2) - a dice placement game that is one of Kerry's favorites

CloudAge (x 3) - by one of my all-time favorite designers, Alexander Pfister

Rune Stones (x 2) - I got a solo play in and then played a game with Kerry

Blackout: Hong Kong - another solo play of another Pfister game

The Manhattan Project: Energy Empire - another solo game

Nemo Rising: Robur the Conqueror - A cooperative game that Kerry likes more than I do - and I absolutely hate the rule book

My City (x 9) - we played this one a bunch as we finished off our campaign

The King's Guild - this one is new to our collection and it turns out that Kerry loves it

Karuba (x 2) - a favorite tile laying game

Citrus - another new game to our collection, I think this one is going to take a few more plays to determine whether it stays or not

Imperial Settlers Roll and Write - I am not a huge fan of roll and write games, but every now and then I enjoy pulling one out. I played this one solo

Raiders of Scythia - a big, sprawling historical euro game that I played for the first time this past week and really enjoyed it. Another solo play.

Doodle Quest (x 2) - a silly drawing game that Kerry and I both have fun with

It's a Wonderful World - a card drafting game that is on our 10x10 Challenge list for this year.

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

New books added to my library recently:

The Destruction of Black Civilization by Chancellor Williams
Out of the House of Bondage by Thavolia Glymph

^Both of those books were talked about by Ta-Nehisi Coates in his book Between the World and Me

Improbable Libraries by Alex Johnson
Jews in Nazi Berlin by Beate Meyer

^The University of Chicago Press was having a sale. What can I say? I am a sucker for book sales!

Stasia, I’ve realised that I’d managed to completely miss your thread somehow. So sorry to hear about your daughter’s miscarriage.

>57 SandDune: Thank you for stopping by, Rhian. Thank you as well for you compassion over Beth.

>54 alcottacre: You almost single handedly make JD Robb / Nora Roberts one of the most popular series/authors on LT.

She is the 8th most popular author in terms of books catalogued on LT.

>59 PaulCranswick: People can say what they will about Roberts, but she knows how to tell a good story and, in most instances, tell it well.

Thanks for dropping by, Paul!

Hey Stasia! I just now noticed your thread atop everyone else's this morning and I realized I haven't popped in here this year. Well, looks like your enjoying the games and books, both so enjoyable these days.

Well, we have both water and the Internet these days. I spent pretty much all of this past week catching up on the 2 weeks behind I was at work. I did get some reading in though:

9P - Rediscoveries by David Madden - Nonfiction; this was an interesting book to me. It was published in the mid-1970s and asked some well-known novelists of the time about books and authors that they felt needed to be rediscovered and why. The sad thing is, some 50 years on, I have heard of maybe 2-3 of the authors approached, so now they in turn need to be rediscovered. Still the book made for interesting reading and the reasons the authors/titles were chosen were picked were diverse. One person chose an author because she felt like the author's books deserved to be reprinted and wanted to bring some attention to them. If you enjoy older books and might want to catch up on some you missed out on, Rediscoveries is not a bad place to start; Recommended (3.75 stars) Library

8A - Dark Predator by Christine Feehan

10P - Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker - I have owned this book for several years now and finally got around to reading it. I think Gail is the person who originally recommended it to me, so 'thank you,' Gail! The book starts with Norman and his friend Henry go to Ireland for a trip. Along the way, they stop off in Lusk and admire the cathedral there, speaking with one of the caretakers there and inventing out of whole cloth Miss Hargreaves, who was purportedly a friend of the late pastor(?, sorry not sure of the correct terminology here) After the trip, Norman arrives back in England to his normal life there - only to have the 'fictional' Miss Hargreaves show up on his doorstep and proceed to wreak havoc on his life. I liked the overall premise of the book, but I felt it went on a bit long for what it was. Still, the book is well-written and the premise interesting, so I recommend this one; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

11P - Browsings by Michael Dirda - Nonfiction; I seem to be a bit on a 'books about books' kick here lately and Michael Dirda is a great one to read from in that category. Browsings is a collection of essays that he submitted to American Scholar magazine. There is really no coherence to them, as they were published over the course of several years. The essays will make your book wishlist grow though! I very much enjoyed reading them and have pulled one of Dirda's books that I own down off the shelf. Maybe I will actually get it read!; Recommended (4 stars) Library

Games played recently:

Covert (x 2) - who does not love a game about spies?
The Artemis Project
Karuba (x 2)
Expedition to Newdale - this one I did not care for at all and have already sold my copy
Charterstone - played with Beth using Steam
Qwixx (x 2)
Roll for Adventure
Glass Road
Quests of Valeria
Splendor
Empires of the North
Grand Austria Hotel

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

>61 Carmenere: Hey, Lynda! Thanks for popping in. You caught me just as I was doing my weekly (although these days it seems to be biweekly) summary. Hope all is well there!

New books in-house recently:

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman
Dear Zealots by Amos Oz
The Case of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge
The Safe House by Christophe Boltanski
The Jewish Intellectual Tradition: A History of Learning and Achievement by Alan Kadish and Michael Shmidman

Nice to see you posting, Stasia. Browsings looks a winner.

Stasia,

I have been remiss at stopping in to say hi!
These are difficult times for everyone, but especially when tragedy hits a family and we are unable to be there physically to share our love and support. Hoping Beth, you and your family keep safe and share their love and support remotely for the near future. When the time comes and you are together again, those hugs will mean so much more.

>66 PaulCranswick: I think you would like Browsings, Paul. Thanks for stopping by!

>67 cyderry: Thank you so much, Cheli!

I am returning from a weekend visit book-buying, er visiting my mother, whose Internet is terrible, so no post this past weekend. I will catch up next Sunday, but I did want to post the purchases that I made or that arrived at my house while I was gone. These are in no particular order. . .

The Literary Life: A Scrapbook Almanac by Robert Phelps and Peter Deane - this one was mentioned in Browsings, so I picked up a copy through ABE Books

The Longevity Economy by Joseph F. Coughlin - I recently saw a lecture by the author and the subject matter intrigued me, so I also got this one through ABE Books

Science Fiction: The 101 Best Novels 1985-2010 by Damien Broderick and Paul di Filippo - another book mentioned in Browsings

The Real War Will Never Get in the Books by Louis P. Masur - this book has been in the BlackHole for quite a while, so I finally decided to get a copy through ABE Books

The 100-Year Life by Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott - another ABE Books purchase

No Time to Look Back by Leslie Greener - another book that was in the BlackHole for forever - 12 years or so - that I finally decided to get through ABE Books

The Music Room by William Fiennes - this one was in the BlackHole but I did not realize it until I got back home to catalog it. I purchased this at the Hope's Closet in Longview where my daughter Catey works.

So Big by Edna Ferber - I picked this one up for no other reason than I have never read it. I purchased this at the Hope's Closet in Longview where my daughter Catey works.

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder - another one that was in the BlackHole, but I did not realize it until I came back home. Another purchase from Hope's Closet.

Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill - I read this book about 11 years ago under the title The Book of Negroes, but since it was such a long time ago, decided it was high time for a re-read. Another purchase from Hope's Closet.

Eleanor Roosevelt, Volume One by Blanche Wiesen Cook - another book that has been in the BlackHole for far too long. My local library has a copy, but I would never get it read before the time on it expired given my ongoing eye issues, so I bought it for myself. Another purchase from Hope's Closet.

The Lost Continent: The Story of Atlantis by Cutcliffe Hyne - another book mentioned in Browsings and bought through ABE Books

Second Reading by Jonathan Yardley - another book mentioned in Browsings and bought through ABE Books

9A - Dark Storm by Christine Feehan

12P - The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue - Donoghue has been hit or miss for me - I loved Room, but was not as fond of The Wonder - so I was curious to see how much I would enjoy this one. I liked it quite a bit, this story of a nurse (I have a soft spot for nurses as both my mother and mother-in-law were nurses) during a pandemic, in this case it was the Spanish flu that broke out during World War I. The only thing I did not like was the ending - I thought it was too abrupt and on some level, too pat; Recommended (3.75 stars) Library

13P - Points North by Howard Frank Mosher - This short story collection was a delight for me. I thoroughly enjoyed these stories about the Kinneson family (relations of yours, Jim?) and the world thst they inhabit. This was Mosher's last book, but I intend to go back and read more of his work, if I can get my hands on it; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

14P - Rescue Board by Rebecca Erbelding - Nonfiction; this book won the National Jewish Book Award in 2019, I believe. So much is made of what America did not do during WWII to save European Jews, but this book highlights what the country did do - although as time passes by, you can feel the urgency begin to build as bureaucracy takes infinite amounts of time and you can feel the lives being lost dut to it. Erbelding does a good job concentrating on John Pehle and his efforts with the War Refugee Board to help what people in need that they can; Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Library

Games played since March 7th:

Kingsburg - a dice placement game that Kerry and I both really like

Africana - a pick-up-and-deliver family game

Decktective: The Bloody Red Roses - a card game in which the players try and solve a mystery

Atheneum - a mystic library is involved, so who could not love that?

Pusheen Purrfect Pick - not a game of mine, but one that I sent to Catey based on the theme alone

Wayfinders - another pick-up-and-deliver game

La Granja - this is a euro game that I play solo

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

>70 alcottacre: Rescue Board caught my eye, Stasia.

It is a fair comment that there is a great deal of revisionism in history trying to re-write what actually happened and to downplay for the scoring of political points the often heroic efforts made by a great number of people with regard to helping European Jewry.

I do not know much about the American response (so I perhaps should read the book!) but in the terms of my own country we did take a lot of Jewish refugees from Europe in the period and I think that one of the biggest problems was simply that no-one really believed that Germany would go as evilly far as it did to eliminate an entire belief system. The British Empire fought on alone for two years against the all-conquering Germans to rid the world of Nazism and there is little doubt that, had we capitulated European Jewry may have been completely annihilated. Roosevelt had a strong isolationist faction arrayed against him in the States, but there is I believe a lot of statistics to show that the US did welcome many Jewish families fleeing the Germans.

Could more have been done? Undoubtedly with the benefit of hindsight, yes and especially in the lead up to the war, but a war to the very end was fought against the scourge of Nazism in the final reckoning.

>72 PaulCranswick: Could more have been done? Undoubtedly with the benefit of hindsight, yes and especially in the lead up to the war, but a war to the very end was fought against the scourge of Nazism in the final reckoning.

Yes, definitely we could have done more and I think that Erbedling does a great job in the book of making that sense of time of going by and lives being lost (especially early in the book where bureaucracy is raising its ugly head) felt. I agree that getting rid of Nazism had to be the ultimate goal because in the end, Hitler was going to come for anyone that was not him or his.

10A - The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters - Audiobook; this one sees the Peabody-Emersons come up against an old enemy and Amelia almost loses her life in the process; Recommended for fans of the series (4 stars); Mine

11A - Seeing a Large Cat by Elizabeth Peters - Audiobook; this one reintroduces us to the Frasiers, who were seen in one of the earlier books, and it also allows for the first time for narrative from Ramses' point-of-view; Recommended for fans of the series (4 stars); Mine

And because Tolkien Reading Day was this past week. . .

12A - The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien - Audiobook; I wanted to listen to this on audio rather than read it because the narrator, Rob Inglis, is superb - and I wanted to listen to him singing all of the songs again. It is not the same as reading the songs at all. For me, The Hobbit was the Tolkien that I was introduced to first and it remains my favorite. The characters of Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf are among my favorites in literature as well; Highly Recommended - especially in audio form (5 stars); Mine

Books acquired recently:
Vincent's Books by Mariella Guzzoni - a birthday book

The Road to September 1939 by Jehuda Reinhartz - another birthday book

Giza and the Pyramids: The Definitive History by Mark Lehner and Zahi Hawass - the last of my birthday books for this year

The Points of My Compass and The Second Tree from the Corner - both by E.B. White

Glad to see you still posting! Looks like some interesting books you acquired there!

>76 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori. I am hoping to get to them soon!

15P - The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee - Young adult; I started reading this book before the recent events in Atlanta took place. I did not realize the history of the Asian people within that city - I knew of the prejudice against them on the west coast, especially in California, but this book made me realize after recent events how deep-seated that the bigotry is. The book deals with a teenage girl who was orphaned at an early age, living with the man who raised her in the absence of her parents. The title of the book refers to the fact that she and Gin live (illegally) underneath a house. She gets fired from her job and has to find another way to make some money on which they can live. For the most part, I liked this book, but I found the ending too pat and rather unbelievable, but then again, it is a young adult book; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

13A - The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters - Audiobook; I think this book marks the beginning of a story arc that lasts through the next couple of the Peabody/Emerson books. It is also the book that sees the death of one of my favorite characters in the books and revisits one of Amelia's old adversaries, finally seeing her demise; Recommended for fans of the series (4.25 stars) Mine

16P - Simeon's Story by Simeon Wright - Nonfiction, Young adult; Simeon Wright is the first cousin of Emmett Till, who he called Bobo, and was present both when Emmett was at the store where he supposedly whistled at the proprietor's wife and when Emmett was kidnapped from the house, after which he was ultimately murdered. Wright was also present at the trials of the murderers, who escaped from justice, and the reopening of the case in later years, as well as the exhumation of Emmett's body. Even though this is a young adult book, he pulls no punches about what it was like to live under Jim Crow laws and see those laws protect his cousin's murderers; Highly recommended (4.5 stars) Library

17P - My Reading Life by Pat Conroy - Nonfiction; I have only read one other of Conroy's books, South of Broad, which I loved, so I cannot say that I was a huge fan of his writing, but I love books about books, so this book is definitely up my alley. I love seeing the course of how a person comes to love reading and the books that have impacted them the most. Conroy does not let me down in this regard. A couple of my favorite chapters are toward the end of the book, The Count and The City. The first details his love affair with Tolstoy and War and Peace, the second of these chapters talks about the city he has built from the books he has read; Recommended (4 stars) Mine - thanks to Linda P who gave me this book as a Christmas present 11 years ago!!

18P - The Ring of Words by Peter Gilliver - Nonfiction; this book examines J.R.R. Tolkien and his input into the OED and the etymology of the words that he uses in his Middle Earth books, which is my favorite part of the book - how Tolkien either invented a word or transformed a word to make it work in the stories he was telling; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

A few of my favorite quotes from Pat Conroy's My Reading Life:

"Here's what I love: when a great writer turns me into a Jew from Chicago, a lesbian out of South Carolina, or a black woman moving into a subway entrance in Harlem. Turn me into something else, writers of the world. . .Tell me everything I must know. Hold nothing back." (p 243)

"Here is what I want from a book, what I demand, what I pray for when I take up a novel and begin to read the first sentence: I want everything and nothing less, the full measure of a writer's heart." (p 310)

"I have built a city from the books I have read. There are thousands of books that go with me everywhere I go." (p 318)

Games played recently:

A Touch of Evil - I am up to 93 plays for my 100 plays challenge!

CloudAge - Kerry and I are continuing our campaign

The King's Guild - a recent new favorite

Forbidden Desert - a great cooperative game

Elder Sign - a dice-chucking cooperative game

Recent book acquisitions:

The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear

Time Travelers edited by Adelene Buckland and Sadiah Qureshi

And a bunch by Farley Mowat: Owls in the Family, Ordeal by Ice, The Polar Passion, and Tundra

>82 cyderry: Thank you, Cheli. I hope you and yours had a wonderful Easter holiday!

Not much to report this week as I am in something of a reading/listening slump:

14A - Guardian on the Horizon by Elizabeth Peters - Audiobook; one of the books that was published out of chronicological order, this book finds the Emersons returning to the lost oasis from which they rescued Nefret in The Last Camel Died at Noon. This is probably one of my least favorite books in the series; Guardedly Recommended, and then only for fans of the series (3.5 stars); Mine

Two new recent acquisitions:

The Road to Middle-Earth by Tom Shippey

The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes 2 by Alan K. Russell - I also have the first volume on order, but it has not arrived yet

Recent game plays:

Karuba (x2) - Kerry loves this game, so it gets played fairly frequently and most of the time at least twice in a sitting

Ascension: Realms Unraveled - a pure deckbuilder that I enjoy playing solo

Everdell - a tableau builder with absolutely wonderful artwork

CloudAge - Kerry and I are continuing our campaign

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

>84 alcottacre: I enjoyed the first few in this series but got bored with them the farther I went. Guess it just wasn't a great match for me.

Hope that all is well on the Acre, Stasia and that your reading slump has been banished.

>87 cyderry: I think that the series improves once Ramses is an adult, Cheli, so you might try jumping in again later in the series. Of course, that could just be me.

>88 PaulCranswick: Nope, the reading slump is still here unfortunately, Paul.

15A - A River in the Sky by Elizabeth Peters - audiobook; this book is unusual in the series as the Emersons are not in Egypt, they are in Palestine for this entry; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

Recent acquisitions:

Alone Against the North by Adam Shoalts

Rivals of Sherlock Holmes by Alan K. Russell

The Jewish Decadence by Jonathan Freedman

16A - The Falcon at the Portal by Elizabeth Peters - Audiobook; lots of drama in this entry in the series, some of which I cannot mention because of spoilers. At the beginning of the book, David and Lia are finally to be married and then charges of forgery are laid at the feet of David which, of course, means the Emersons must discover the evidence to clear David and discover the real miscreant. Ups and downs ensue in a typically Peabody fashion; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

I am thinking that my reading slump may finally be gone, although it took some not-so-serious reading to break through it:

19-20-21(P) - Year One, Of Blood and Bone, and Rise of Magicks by Nora Roberts - Say what you want about Nora Roberts, but this woman knows how to tell a good story and this trilogy, written 3 years before COVID, tells a dandy. In the first book, we learn of a worldwide pandemic that wipes out 2/3rds of the world's population. Some of those who remain are immune, some now have special, magical abilities that they did not have previously, and then there is The One, who is supposed to be the saviour of this world. I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Board Games played in the past 2 weeks:

Renature (x 2) - a new one to Kerry and me

A Touch of Evil

La Granja (x 2)

Shadowrun: Crossfire

CloudAge - We finished out the campaign of this one

Seastead

Legendary: Buffy the Vampire Slayer - I have never seen a single episode of Buffy, but I still enjoy this game, lol

It's a Wonderful World

At the Gates of Loyang

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

Recent book acquisitions:

All 3 books in The Chronicle of the One trilogy, Year One, Of Blood and Bone and The Rise of Magicks

The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes - I have never read any of Moyes' books before. Is this a good place to start or does it matter?

Missing you loads, Stasia.

What's happening on the acre?

Now four months without updates from the Acre. I hope all is well, Stasia.

I am alive, believe it or not. There have been some changes going on in my life, not the least of which was that I was forced to retire because of the ulnar neuropathy in my right arm. I was not ready to retire from an emotional standpoint and am still angry about the whole thing. I have not been in a good frame of mind and it has taken me some time to work through it. I apologize for my lack of good grace.

I had intended to pop up yesterday, but I had another health scare earlier in the week and my family has been quite upset about it, so I have been taking it easy for a few days to appease them :)

>97 alcottacre: Good to see you, Stasia, but would the circumstances be happier. I also have considerable pain in one of my arms and am a little worried as to the source of it.

Take good care of yourself. x

I have decided to eliminate the whole audio vs paper thing - it was too confusing anyway - so all the numbers from here on out will be starting with 38 (after combining the audio and paper book numbers). I am not going to comment on all of these, just putting them down as a record.

38 - Poirot's Last Cases by Agatha Christie
39 - God of the Hive by Laurie R. King
40 - Demon under the Microscope by Thomas Hager
41 - Agent Sonia by Ben Macintyre
42 - Midnight in Peking by Paul French
43 - Education of an Idealist by Samantha Power
44 - Among the Headhunters by Robert Lyman
45 - Fast.Feast.Repeat. by Gin Stephens
46 - Citizens of London by Lynne Olson
47 - Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu
48 - Driving While Black by Gretchen Sullivan Soren
49 - The Pirate King by Laurie R. King
50 - Vanishing Act by Thomas Perry
51 - Forget the Alamo by Bryan Burrough
52 - Dance for the Dead by Thomas Perry
53 - A Time to Stand by Walter Lord
54 - Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
55 - Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King
56 - Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
57 - What Angels Fear by C.S. Harris
58 - Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb
59 - Dreaming Spies by Laurie R. King
60 - The Aspirin Age, 1919-1941 edited by Isabel Leighton
61 - Great Contemporaries by Winston Churchill
62 - Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler
63 - Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
64 - Death in Focus by Anne Perry

DNF - The Painted Queen by Joan Hess
Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterell

I am not sure that I got them all, but that is the majority of them anyway.

>98 PaulCranswick: You take care of yourself too, Paul. I hope whatever the issue is with your arm, it is fixed sooner rather than later.

Stasia, sorry to hear that you are still not in a happy place.
I can only hope and pray that the future will take a turn for the better for you and your family.

>101 cyderry: Thanks, Cheli. I appreciate the kind words.

>97 alcottacre: Sorry to read life hasn't treated you well, Stasia.
I hope there are better times ahead, and know I am very grateful you are back with us here.

Hi Stasia! It's good to see you around the threads again. I'm sorry you're not in a good place right now and I hope things improve for you soon.

Sorry to hear about the forced retirement and health issues Stasia. Here’s hoping that things improve.

>103 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I am coming to terms with retirement. It was just not what I was hoping for any time soon!

>104 humouress: Hey, Nina! Happy to be seen again. Thanks!

>105 SandDune: Things are on the upswing, Rhian. I hope all is well there too.

Hitting the table today:

Ancient Terrible Things - Since it is Halloween month, Kerry and I are going to play some of our "scary" games this month, although truth be told, this one is about as frightening as Scooby Doo. It is a fun, dice-rolling fest.

As always, if you have any interest in the games, you can find my thread on Board Game Geek here: https://boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/280955/gaming-dosters-2021. If you have any questions, be sure to ask! I can talk about games nearly as long as I can talk about books.

Hi Stasia!

Wow. I did not realize that you had a thread this year, so an almost-2022 Happy 2021 Thread!

>2 alcottacre: I see that both you and I read and thought very highly of Dr. Seuss Goes to War in 2020.

I’m sorry for all the sad and distressing things that have been going on this year for you and your family. I hope the rest of the year is kind to you and that you are feeling better about being retired.

Lots of good reading though, and, almost more important for you, I think, lots of games.

Happy Sunday to you!

Hi Stasia! Sorry to hear about the forced retirement and medical issues -- I hope things look up soon.

Speaking of spooky games, have you played Mysterium or Betrayal at the House on the Hill? I've seen them in stores and been tempted to buy one or the other but would love to hear your thoughts!

Nice to see you on the threads, Stasia, but sorry it's for such frustrating reasons. I read Firekeeper's Daughter not long ago and really enjoyed it - hope you did too!

So sorry about your arm and retirement situation, but I’m glad you’re back!

>108 karenmarie: Yes, I have had a thread since the beginning of the year, Karen, I have just neglected it since May. The games are very important to me and help keep me on my toes :) Thanks for stopping by the Acre!

>109 curioussquared: I have played Mysterium and very much enjoy it, although there is now a streamlined version of it out called Mysterium Park that I would recommend over the original. I have never played Betrayal at House on the Hill because the game has a likely probability of a traitor, and my family does not care for that kind of thing. If you have any other questions that I can answer for you, PM me and I will be glad to help!

>110 bell7: I did enjoy Firekeeper's Daughter, Mary. Glad to see it has another fan!

>111 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Finished this one today:

65 - Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain - Nonfiction; this book of essays, composed by some 90 different African American writers, gives the history of blacks in the United States, starting from the early 1610s when they first arrived and on through 2019. I cannot recommend it highly enough. If you are at all interested in this history, read this book. It gets you right up front as to how the U.S. is in the racial mess that it continues to be in after all this time; Highly Recommended (5 stars) Library Book

New books in house today: I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel and, thanks to Joe, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey

From the essay "The War on Drugs" by James Forman Jr. in Four Hundred Souls: "Instead of asking, 'What kind of people are they that would use and sell drugs?' the nation should have been asking a question that, to this day, demands an answer: 'What kind of people are we that build prisons while closing treatment centers?' "

Well, Stasia. I can't really catch up, and you know what I think. See how loved and valued you are here, and take care of yourself!
And now I'm off to bed. Too late again. Too late!

>114 LizzieD: I promise to take care of myself, Peggy. Hopefully no more brain blips in future :)

Sorry to hear about your ulnar neuropathy. Perhaps it will be a blessing that you have to retire as it will relieve some stress on your arm. I am sure given time you will get used to retirement and begin to enjoy it :)

Sending *hugs* your way.

Stasia, I am so happy to see you posting - you have been missed. I am very sorry about the that medical matters forced you to retire before you were ready. It's very hard when life takes us where we did not intend to go. Hoping that you find something happy making to fill in that gap. My daughter Abby has CRPS, so I understand the frustration and the anger and the sadness of not being able to do what you want so badly to be able to do. Wishing you well and keeping you in our hearts and in our thoughts.

>113 alcottacre: Adding Four Hundred Souls to The List - excellent comments.

>116 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita. All hugs are appreciated!

>117 Crazymamie: I am not sure what CRPS is, but I certainly wish Abby all the best with it. I grew up with degenerative joint disease, so I was used to that. Just not happy with the new loop life threw my way. I do hope you enjoy Four Hundred Souls. I thought it was excellent!

Hi, Stasia! It is so nice to see you back, for whatever length of time. Sorry about the health issues and forced retirement, but I am glad to see plenty of books being read. What are a couple of your favorites from the past few months?

>119 msf59: I just finished one yesterday that is terrific, Four Hundred Souls. Nothing recently is even close in comparison, Mark.

New books in house from the local library:

Burned by Edward Humes

Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

How I think I am going to get these read on top of my other commitments for this month, I have no idea! Has anyone read any of the three? If so, what did you think?

Finished today:

66 - A Death on the Barrens by George Grinnell - Nonfiction; I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I expected a straightforward survival story, but what I got was a lot of introspection, philosophy, and too much "woo woo" for me. The book was also repetitive - I do not need to be told the same thing repeatedly to get the point. I found this a disappointing read and likely would not have finished it if I had not been reading it for one of this month's TIOLI challenges; Not Recommended (2 stars) Mine

Hi Stasia, Here for a visit and looking at your highly rated books in >2 alcottacre: and getting ideas. I am glad that you have a thread this year but very sorry to hear about your health challenges. Sounds like you are having to make some adjustments with retirement before you were ready. Fingers crossed things go well for you!

>123 mdoris: I am all for getting ideas, Mary! I hope you find something to like. Thanks for the good thoughts.

Woot! Amor Towles' latest, The Lincoln Highway, arrived this afternoon. Looking forward to reading it. I hope it measures up to A Gentleman in Moscow, which I loved.

Looks like some big hitters are publishing this year in Towles, Franzen and Doerr. All three have something to live up to.

>125 PaulCranswick: Based on Lynda's (Carmenere's) and Richard's comments on the Doerr, I am taking it back unread. Not sure if I will come back to it or not.

>125 PaulCranswick: Yikes! That is a shame after he hit pay dirt so spectacularly with his previous novel.

>127 PaulCranswick: It was on the strength of that one, which I loved, that I checked out Cloud Cuckoo Land. Too bad it has proved to be such a disappointment with people whose opinions I respect.

I went to the library this morning and from the free book display, picked up Moonlight & Vines by Charles de Lint. I have not read this one by him yet.

I'm glad you're up to posting again, Stasia. I'm sorry you've had a rough time, though, and hope the recent health scare comes to nothing. It's rotten to have to stop working before you're ready---a thing that has happened to an awful lot of people I know. At least you do have interests to occupy yourself. I know some who have no idea what to do if they don't have to get up and be somewhere at least 5 days a week. I also hope you'll continue to feel like sharing your reads and games with us. We miss ya when you're not around!

>130 laytonwoman3rd: I think my husband is going to be one of those who does not know what to do once he retires because he has no hobbies. We shall see.

Thank you for the kind words, Linda!

New books in-house today:

From the library:
Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Front Desk by Kelly Yang - this is a shared read with Mary for TIOLI

From ABE Books:
A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison
The Women of the Copper Country by Mary Doria Russell

>132 alcottacre: I enjoyed A Spell for Trouble by Esme Addison.

>133 cyderry: Good to know, Cheli. Thanks!

New books in-house today:

Lincoln and the Abolitionists by Fred Kaplan
The New Negro: Voices of the Harlem Renaissance edited by Alain Locke
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
When We Ruled by Robin Walker

Finished today:

67 - Front Desk by Kelly Yang - Juvenile; I saw this book mentioned on Mary's (bell7's) thread, so thought I would try it. As improbable as the story of a 10-year-old manning a motel desk it, the book is based on the author's own experiences doing just that from ages 8-12. Although the story started slowly, once it got going I was along for the ride! Definitely worth checking out if you are at all interested in the ongoing immigrant stories to the US; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

Thanks for the recommendation of this one, Mary!

68 - The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America by Ethan Michaeli - Nonfiction; an indepth look at how the Chicago-based newspaper came to be and how it follows the history of blacks in 20th century America, especially where the Civil Rights movement is concerned. The book is extremely well-written and detailed about the newspaper's history. A long read, but a good one; Highly Recommended (4.25 stars) Mine

HERE you are! I got lost trying to find your thread but I'm in now.

*smooch*

>137 richardderus: Thanks for finding me, RD! *smooch* right back at you!

Completed today:

69 - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz - I very much enjoyed this mystery within a mystery. The story begins with an editor whose author has just finished - or has he? - a book that is ready for the editorial stage, but the manuscript she is given is incomplete and the author has killed himself - or has he?; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

Duplicate post

Hi Stasia!

>131 alcottacre: My husband says he wants to continue working even though he turns 66 in February. 🤞 He remembers when he was laid off in 2016-2017 and was bored out of his mind even as he was looking for work. I hope your husband finds a hobby for his retirement.

>139 alcottacre: I loved Magpie Murders and its sequel, Moonflower Murders. I also liked his series The Word is Murder and The Sentence is Death, but not as much.

Hi Stasia! I've just discovered your thread was no longer starred and that's why I couldn't find you. All is fine now :)
Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

>141 karenmarie: Hey, Karen! I hope my husband finds a hobby too or I may have to find one for him, lol. Thanks for reminding me to put Moonflower Murders on hold at my local library. I hope I enjoy it as much as I did the first book in the series.

>142 Carmenere: I am glad that all is fine now, Lynda! I hope you have a wonderful weekend too!

Just speaking............ Hi, Stasia! I'm glad to see things going on over here. You have been missed!
Happy weekend!

>139 alcottacre: Every time my hold comes up there's some RUSHURGENTZOMG thing that prevents me from reading it. I'm taking the Muses' hint and giving up. Author Horowitz has staggered along without me so far, I don't guess he'll crater without me now.

>144 LizzieD: Thanks for stopping by, Peggy! Happy weekend to you too!

>145 richardderus: I guess he will but that is too bad, RD.

New books in house today:

The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros - recommended by RD himself

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker - a shared TIOLI read for this month which I originally had on hold at the library. Unfortunately they called me the other day to let me know that they could not find it. . .

>147 alcottacre:

>148 richardderus: I was just on my way to your thread to let you know it was here. . .

Finished tonight:

70 - Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Nonfiction; Adichie's father died in 2020 due to complications from his kidney disease caused by COVID-19. This short book is an introspective look at her reaction to her father's death and the grief caused by it. Reading the book made me think of what my reaction is going to be to my mother's death. I am not close to my father as she was, but I am very close to my mother, so I have a feeling the depth of my grief is going to be as hers was to her father's death; Highly Recommended (5 stars) Library Book

"There is grace in denial. . .words that I repeat to myself. A refuge, this denial, this refusal to look. Of course, the effort is its own grieving, and so I am unlooking in the oblique shadow of looking, but imagine the catastrophe of a direct, unswerving stare."

I am glad to see you back posting. I am sorry about the retirement and health issues. I hope that reading and talking about books will help!

>150 alcottacre: I loved that too, Stasia.

Have a wonderful Sunday. x

>150 alcottacre: I myownself think the catastrophe of looking away is almost 100% worse than the cataclysm of looking right at one's grief.

And on that cheery note, happy Sun's Day.

>150 alcottacre: I greatly appreciated her book too! ( a recent read)

>151 torontoc: Thanks, Cyrel!

>152 PaulCranswick: I thought it was a terrific book, Paul. I am glad to see that you loved it too.

>153 richardderus: I think I agree with you, RD.

Finished today:

71 - Mayday by Nelson DeMille and Thomas Block - this is one that I am glad to have done with - I like thrillers just fine, but they need to at least have a modicum of believability to them or be so well written that the lack of believability can be dismissed. This book is neither from the Navy people who, rather than accept responsibility for shooting a civilian craft, to the insurance people who are actively rooting for the plane to crash, to the contrived ending. Ah, well it is one more off my shelves; Not Recommended (2 stars) Mine

Gaming this past week:

Ancient Terrible Things (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/137031/ancient-terrible-things) - From BGG: "In Ancient Terrible Things, a pulp horror adventure game for 2-4 players, you play the role of an intrepid adventurer, exploring a dark jungle river. Each turn you must travel to a Fateful Location, face an Ominous Encounter, and attempt to unlock its Ancient Secrets. If you succeed (using a combination of dice, tokens and cards), you add the Secrets to your score; if you fail, you unleash a Terrible Thing, which counts against your score at the end of the game. The object of the game is to be the player with the most Ancient Secrets when the game ends at the Unspeakable Event."

51st State: Master Set (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/192458/51st-state-master-set) - From BGG: "51st State is a card game in which players control one of four powers trying to build a new country. Players put new locations into play, hire leaders, and send people to work in buildings to gain resources and new skills."

Glass Road (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/143693/glass-road) - From BGG: "The game Glass Road commemorates the 700-year-old tradition of glass-making in the Bavarian Forest. (Today, the "Glass Road" is a route through the Bavarian forest that takes visitors to many of the old glass houses and museums of that region.) You must skillfully manage your glass and brick production in order to build the right structures that help you keep your business flowing. Cut the forest to keep the fires burning in the ovens, and spread and remove ponds, pits, and groves to supply yourself with the items you need. Fifteen specialists are there at your side to carry out your orders."

It's a Wonderful World (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/271324/its-wonderful-world) - From BGG: "In It’s a Wonderful World, you are an expanding Empire and must choose your path to your future. You must develop faster and better than your competitors. You’ll carefully plan your expansion to develop your production power and rule over this new world. It’s a Wonderful World is a cards drafting and engine building game from 1 to 5 players."

Sunday is the day that I try and stay away from technology, so I will be back tomorrow. In the meantime, I wish you all a wonderful day!

>157 alcottacre: They all sound very un-eco-friendly *shakes head disapprovingly*. Except ‘Ancient Terrible Things’ which is just general catastrophe ;0)

>157 alcottacre: I want to play Glass Road! That sounds fascinating.

Week-ahead well wishes, Stasia.

>159 humouress: They are all very fun, Nina! Even 'Ancient Terrible Things' which tends to be frustrating when the dice do not roll your way.

>160 richardderus: Come on down, Richard, and I will teach Glass Road to you. I am terrible at it, but I still love it. I will be playing it again this week.

Morning, Stasia. We are back and I have some catching up to do around here, plus I fell way behind in my reading. Thanks for keeping my thread warm, while I was away, galivanting in the wet woods. I loved The Women of the Copper Country. I heard this is her last novel. Sad face.

>162 msf59: I am sharing the sad face with you! She is such a talented writer - another of my LT discoveries. I loved The Sparrow and have not looked back since then. I am going to have to be sure I have her entire ouvre in my collection. Doc is now on the way. I ordered it yesterday when I discovered I did not own it and have not yet read it.

Welcome back!

OMG! Doc is absolutely wonderful. It might be tied with The Sparrow as my favorite MDR.

We played some games while camping. Have you played Pegs & Jokers? It has become our favorite game. Kind of an adult version of Sorry. We also played SkyJo. Have you heard of that one? As you can see, nothing very complex. Grins...

>164 msf59: I have not played either Pegs & Jokers or SkyJo. Glad you had a good time with them though!

Good to know that Doc is so good. I cannot wait for it to arrive!

Finished today:

72 - 100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Writeby Sarah Ruhl - Nonfiction; this book of essays was recommended a mere 6 years ago or so to me by Amy (porchreader) and I am glad I finally got around to reading it. I know very little of live theatre - I can probably count on 1 hand the number of live plays I have seen - and know even less of play writing, so it was interesting to see Ruhl's take on both. Her mother was an actress/director so she grew up with the theatre in her life. Not only does Ruhl give her perspective on the theatre she gives it from someone with 3 small children and very limited time (thus the "I Don't Have Time to Write" portion of the title); Recommended (4 stars) Mine

New books in-house today:

From the library:
Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz

From Amazon (finally!):
Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead

>167 alcottacre: You should enjoy those. I'm afraid I read the sequel to Holm's book--not realizing it was a sequel. It was cute. I need to go back and read the first one.

>168 thornton37814: Good to know. Thank, Lori! I appreciate you stopping by the Acre.

Finished this morning:

73 - Unstoppable: Siggi B. Wilzig's Astonishing Journey by Joshua M. Greene - Nonfiction; this book is a biography of Siggi B. Wilzig who survived Auschwitz (59 of his family members did not) and arrived in America with $240 in his pocket. He went on to become a multimillionaire. His experiences in Auschwitz comprise less than a quarter of the book. The majority is concentrated on his life in America. While the story of his success is interesting, it was not really what I was looking for. In addition, although the story is terrific I did not feel like the writing was. If you read this one, read it for a wonderful success story; Guardedly Recommended (3.5 stars) Mine

New books in-house today:

From the library:
The Wreck of the Mary Deare by Hammond Innes
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky by Margaret Verble

For my personal library:
Fugitive Telemetry by Margaret Wells - Who doesn't love more Murderbot?
The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami - Reading with Caroline & Paul in November
The Norton Anthology of African American Literature edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Nellie Y. McKay - I figure this 2000+ page book will take me forever to read

>171 alcottacre: Murderbot, Murderbot! Rah rah rah!

>172 richardderus: I just discovered on Tui's thread that there was a new one out, so I had to have it.

Quote for today from A Splendor of Letters by Nicholas A. Basbanes: Quoting Vartan Gregorian who said, " I believe that libraries are sacred places, and the reason they are sacred is because they enable us all to extract what is important from the past and to preserve our collective memories."

I could not agree more!

>74 alcottacre: Gosh, I do love the Elizabeth Peters books! Might have to revisit them. I had started reading through EVERYTHING she had written, but stopped...

You've been doing some great reading! Now I have your thread starred, so I shouldn't lose track of you again.

Karen O.

I found you!! Now that I have you starred, I can go back and read the thread. LOL

>171 alcottacre: The Wreck of the Mary Deare is a re-read for me, Stasia - I read the occasional Hammond Innes adventure together with Fuzzi who managed to buy a job lot of them last year. Hope you'll be able to find time to join in too.

I have made a fair start on Great Circle - it is a big book literally as I bought it in the oversized format I usually avoid but finish up often getting when it comes to Booker shortlists. I am about 30% in and whilst I like it - I don't think it will take home the prize.

>175 klobrien2: >176 Berly: Thanks for finding me, ladies!

>177 PaulCranswick: I am not sure how much is 30% of an oversized format book, Paul, so not sure where you left off, lol. My copy is almost 600 pages, but I am not sure if that is what you are considering to be oversized format, which to me means "large print." Could you elaborate as to where you left off?

>131 alcottacre: my retired FiL has hobbies galore, but most of them are simply work! Glad he likes it, but I would be getting more reading time if it were me retiring :)

Good to see you back posting, Stasia. Sorry to see that you had to retire before you wanted to. Looks like your reads are helping fill some of the time you would have spent working.

>179 LovingLit: That is exactly what I am doing! Getting in the reading while the getting is good, Megan.

>180 Familyhistorian: Yeah, it was not good to "have" to retire. I hate "having" to do anything - I am just contrary that way. I am catching up on the reading though! Thanks for visiting the Acre, Meg!

>178 alcottacre: We are at a similar place, Stasia. What do you think thus far?

>182 PaulCranswick: I am enjoying it so far. How about you?

>183 alcottacre: Yes I do like it and I do think that I will enjoy her other couple of novels which I have on the shelves. It is long but not dauntingly so. I have started another couple of the Booker shortlist and they are really good too. It is going to be a tough choice for the judges, I think.

>184 PaulCranswick: As far as I know, Great Circle is the only Booker shortlist book that I am reading or have to read. I will have to look at the others on the list. My local library is not very good at helping me out in that regard though.

ETA: My local library does have Bewilderment, which is already on my list to get to soon. The only other one it has is No One is Talking about This, so I will need to check that one out too.

New books in-house today:

For my personal library:
Network Effect by Martha Wells - I have not read the last 2 in the Murderbot series, so I think I will start at the beginning and read them all

Writers & Lovers by Lily King - Not sure who recommended this one to me

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys - Anita Meulstee (spelling?) recommended this one and I have read and enjoyed other of Sepetys books, so I was interested

The Writer's Library by Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager - I just flat out love books on books (I have an entire shelf that is nothing but books on books), so I just had to have this one

Finished today:

74 - Death to Dust by Kenneth V. Iserson - Nonfiction; I am not sure who recommended this book to me, but I had a great time with it despite the subject matter. The book is very readable, at times funny, at times sober. Iverson covers just about every single topic regarding death from "I'm Dead - Now What?" to epitaphs and quotations regarding the subject; Some of the information is likely out-of-date at this point, but the book is still worth the read; Highly Recommended (5 stars) Mine

>186 alcottacre: Some really good books, Stasia, and I hope they'll all give you chills and thrills.

Happy Friday. Stasia. Hooray for When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky. I am looking to hearing what my LT pals have to say about this one. I loved Writers & Lovers. I also have an advanced copy of her new one, Five Tuesdays in Winter which comes out next month. I better get to it.

>188 richardderus: Thanks, RD! I hope they do too.

>189 msf59: Not sure when it is going to get to the top of the stack, Mark, but it will be soon I am sure.

>186 alcottacre: Glad you got The Fountains of Silence, Stasia.
And yes, you spelled my name correct.

>191 FAMeulstee: Good! I hate misspelling people's names.

I have been spending part of my afternoon/evening with the Norton Anthology of African American Literature in hand and listening to spirituals that it quotes on YouTube. There are worse ways to spend the day than listening to the likes of Mahalia Jackson and Paul Robeson.

Hi Stasia!

Even though it was forced on you, at least your reading has increased because of your retirement.

>192 alcottacre: Sometimes it's YouTube, sometimes it's just duckduckgo-ing a phrase or word, but reading and checking out things referenced in a book is one of my favorite things to do.

>193 karenmarie: That is true, Karen. The reading has gone up since retirement and I also do not spend 8 solid hours online to further damage my eyes which makes it easier for me to actually read.

I also enjoy checking out referenced things on YouTube. It is such a great resource!

Finished today:

75 - I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel - Nonfiction; the subtitle for this book is "The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life" and I suspect that any person who reads this book and considers themselves to be a reader can relate to both; I absolutely loved this book! Her idea of having a list of every book she ever read - even the library books she has checked out - is delightful (if impossible, but still); Highly Recommended (4.5 stars) Mine

>195 alcottacre:

>186 alcottacre: Yes, definitely read all of the Murderbots, in order. I love that series! Most are little things, so they go fast.

Karen O.

>196 richardderus: Thanks, RD. I was not sure if I was going to make it this year.

>197 klobrien2: I have read the first 4 Murderbot books, Karen, although it has been a while. The last 2 are completely new to me. I am hopeful of reading the series in its entirety soon. Thanks for stopping by the Acre!

Congrats!

>199 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Congratulations Stasia for your renewed vigour and for passing 75!

Really is great to see you back.

By the way I will finish Great Circle by today (your tomorrow).

>201 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I will try and finish Great Circle by tomorrow too. I appreciate you letting me know. We can compare notes when I am done if you like.

>202 alcottacre: Okie dokie. It is a loooong book.

>203 PaulCranswick: Too long, IMHO, and I am not done with it yet!

Congrats on 75, Stasia!!!

>205 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

Congratulations on 75 Stasia!

I've read the first Murderbot novella but now I'm waiting for a print version that isn't exorbitantly priced, and preferably in paperback, so I can buy the whole series for myself. And waiting ...

>207 humouress: Thanks, Nina. I think that you will enjoy the Murderbot series so I hope you can get your hands on them soon.

Happy Sunday, Stasia! Congrats on hitting 75! A perfect book to do it with too. I have been meaning to read that one. How is Great Circle coming along?

congratulations on reading 75 books this year!

Congrats on 75. I read the first Murderbot book earlier this year. I was happy to see my library finally got the rest of the series. I have books 2-4 on my nightstand and will hopefully get to them soon!

Hi Stasia! Happy Sunday to you, and congrats on #75.

Happy week-ahead's reads, Stasia!

>195 alcottacre: Congratulations on reaching 75, Stasia!

>209 msf59: Great Circle is now done, Mark. See my thoughts on it below.

>210 torontoc: Thanks, Cyrel!

>211 jayde1599: I hope you do too. It really is a great series - at least the 4 that I have read previously were!

>212 karenmarie: Happy Sunday to you too, Karen, and thanks!

>213 richardderus: I will do what I can to make them happy, RD

>214 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

Finished today:

76 - Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead - Here were my thoughts as I jotted them down while reading the book: "I find both the main characters, Marian and Hadley, to be believable, but think that Hadley’s sections could seriously have been trimmed especially since I consider Marian to have the stronger story although I find her passivity around Barclay hard to take. Overall, the book could have been shortened and still told the tale, I think. I like both of the character’s voices and I could easily differentiate between the two. I find the coincidence that both main character’s parents left them orphaned at an early age a bit too contrived.

I thought the minor characters of Jamie, Caleb, and Barclay were all well-drawn and believable.

I love the name Barclay MacQueen for a character!"

I would recommend the book although, like Paul, I wish Shipstead had just stuck with Marion's story. I gave the book 4 stars. Mine

Gaming this past week:

Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/146312/ghost-fightin-treasure-hunters) - From BGG: "In Ghost Fightin' Treasure Hunters, four intrepid treasure hunters are on a quest, searching for precious hidden jewels, but the phantoms in this house do not give up their bounty easily. As their ghoulish numbers grow, the treasure hunters must work together to acquire all eight jewels and escape the house before it becomes fully haunted or else face their own gruesome demise."

Imperial Settlers: Empires of the North (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/270844/imperial-settlers-empires-north) - From BGG: "Imperial Settlers: Empires of the North is a new, standalone card game in the established Imperial Settlers universe, with players heading to the far north where three different factions live: Scotsmen, Inuits, and Vikings. Take on the role of leader, and make your faction into the best empire in the world!" This one is going to show up a lot as I am doing a 100 plays challenge of it.

Glass Road (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/143693/glass-road) - From BGG: "The game Glass Road commemorates the 700-year-old tradition of glass-making in the Bavarian Forest. (Today, the "Glass Road" is a route through the Bavarian forest that takes visitors to many of the old glass houses and museums of that region.) You must skillfully manage your glass and brick production in order to build the right structures that help you keep your business flowing. Cut the forest to keep the fires burning in the ovens, and spread and remove ponds, pits, and groves to supply yourself with the items you need. Fifteen specialists are there at your side to carry out your orders."

At the Gates of Loyang (https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39683/gates-loyang) - From BGG: "At the Gates of Loyang is a trading game in which you are able to produce goods by planting them and later selling them to customers. You can use the abilities of some helpers to increase your income or production."

Just a reminder, I typically spend my Sundays offline, so I will be back either later tonight or tomorrow. Happy Sunday, everyone!

>216 alcottacre: I must say that our impressions of the book are very similar, Stasia. I do think the Marion story alone would have made a five star novel. If Shipstead had had a pitiless editor she would have gotten five stars from both of us, I'm sure.

Thank you so much for reading along with me. x

Just popping in to stay current. Congrats on 75!!

Congrats on reading 75 books! Nicely done :)

>218 PaulCranswick: Great minds and all that jazz, right, Paul? Completely agree - I have no idea why she decided not to let the Marion storyline stand on its own.

>219 Berly: >220 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Kim! Thanks, Anita!

Finished tonight:

77 - Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen - Another chunkster that I have been reading this month and it suffers (IMHO) from the same problem that Shipstead's book does - it is too long. I understand why the book is as long as it is - Franzen is telling the story from the standpoints of multiple people within the same family - but it ends up bogging the book down more than anything. I can relate to the people in the story - I grew up active in the church - but I do not need everything told from everyone's perspective and seriously could not wait for the book to end. The book is the first in a series and I have no intention of going on with it. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one; Not Recommended (3 stars) Library Book

>222 alcottacre: I still haven't ventured to read any of his books but have three on the shelves and will try to read one of them to see if there is any point in adding his latest.

>223 PaulCranswick: This is the first of Franzen's books that I have read and based on it, I have no desire to read any more. I hope he works better as an author for you than he did for me!

Hi Stasia, thanks for the review of the Franzen book. I've been reading about what a great writer he is and feeling that I should be reading one of his books but you've given me a good excuse to put that off!

Have a good week.

>222 alcottacre: I've read a lot of books lately that needed a lot tighter editing. Too many suffer from similar problems.

Hello dear friend! I am sorry to learn of your eye problems.

Thinking of you often, and sending lots of love.

>225 Oregonreader: I am not saying that he is not a good writer, Jan, but he definitely needed a better editor, IMHO. I do not think that the book needed to be almost 600 pages long!

>226 thornton37814: I am wondering what is going on with the editors. Did COVID have that big of an impact on the publishing industry? I find the same problem in game rule books on occasion - they need better editors.

>227 Whisper1: Lovey! It is so good to see you here!!

I am going to my mother's on Thursday this week and will pretty much have no Internet - it is terrible there. I will be lucky if I can get online one day of the four. Just a heads up so that everyone does not think that I have disappeared again :)

>229 alcottacre: Okay, we won't alert the NSA this time. That domestic-terrorism hotline has such long wait times!

>230 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. I do appreciate your forebearance. I hate to disturb the people at the NSA again. They have a lot on their plates these days!

New books in house today:

For my personal library:

The Lark and the Wren by Mercedes Lackey

Sisters in Crime edited by Marilyn Wallace

Doc by Mary Doria Russell

Master of the Mountain by Henry Wiencek

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

Thoughts? Good additions or not?

Oh my heck! You're in for such a treat when you read Doc! Even if you don't fall in love with it, you're enough of an MDR reader (The Sparrow, IIRC) to know how much range she has. And I secretly expect you'll fall in love with it.

But y'know can't really say stuff like that out loud...people feel all pressured and junk.

>233 richardderus: Evidently I have already read Doc as I discovered when I went to add the book to my library - I gave it 5 stars - but I will be dadgummed if i remember it. Obviously I am going to have to read it again soon.

Finished this evening:

78 - Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome - This was a re-read for me and I enjoyed it just as much this time around as i did the last. It is a tale of 3 completely inept men and the dog, Montmorency, the only one who seems to have any sense whatsover. The men decide to take a punting tour of the Thames. A lot of hilariousness ensues. There is mild racial language in the book, which was originally published before 1900, so caution there; Recommended (4 stars) Mine

I agree with you about the Hadley sections in Great Circle but it didn't bother me as much. The sheer ambition of this novel makes up for any short-comings or is that long-comings? Sorry to hear about Crossroads. I had my eye on it but was waiting on some LT feedback. You settled it.

>236 msf59: YMMV with Crossroads, Mark, but it just was not for me. I saw one review that gave it 5 stars here on LT.

As far as Great Circle goes, I just think the novel could have stood on its own without the contemporary sections. I agree about the novel being ambitious. For the most part, I think it lived up to its ambitions.

Congrats on reaching (surpassing) 75! Nice book to reach 75 on, too. It sounds like one I would enjoy :)

>238 bell7: I daresay you would, Mary, and it will not take you long to read as it is pretty short. Thanks for the congratulations!

Finished tonight:

79 - Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz - This is the second book in Horowitz's Susan Ryeland series and while I liked it ever so slightly less than the initial book in the series, it is still very good. In this one, Ryeland, who has been busily running a hotel on Crete is asked by the parents of a missing woman to investigate their daughter's disappearance. Once again, Horowitz uses the trope of a fictional novel providing clues to help solve the mystery. All in all, good stuff, although I wonder how long Horowitz plans to use the dead author supposedly providing clues to help Ryeland solve crimes; Recommended (4 stars) Library Book

>240 alcottacre: I'm afraid that felt, um, *twee* to me. But there's nothing wrong with the man's plotting, is there!

Happy Tuesday. *smooch*

>241 richardderus: I am not sure what *twee* means, Richard, so you will have to enlighten me there.

*Smooches* right back at you!

>240 alcottacre: I wonder, like you, how long that plot device will hold up. But it's an intriguing premise.

>242 alcottacre: twee adj.

Overly precious or nicey-nice.

Overly quaint, dainty, cute, or nice.

Affectedly dainty or refined.

There's the best word you'll add to your vocabulary this year.

100 posts behind!!! This is the Stasia that I've missed for ages and ages!

YES to Doc, but I still haven't read Epitaph or Women of Copper Country. I despair of myself.
I can buy books with the 2nd or 3rd level of us though.

>243 Berly: It is and I hope he can sustain it if for no other reason than that I enjoy the Atticus Pund parts of the books.

>244 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>245 LizzieD: Hey, Peggy. Thanks for stopping by. If you want a read along partner for either Epitaph or Women of Copper Country let me know as I own them both.

>246 alcottacre: I think your opinions of the two Horowitz books line up with mine. And yeah, first thing after finishing the second book that I thought of was whether he can pull off another one like this...

>247 drneutron: I hope he can, Jim, but I am not betting on it.

Finished this evening:

80 - All the Windwracked Stars by Elizabeth Bear - This is a book that drew me in from the very beginning with its mixture of Norse mythology, magic, and technology. If the paragraph "Maybe it wasn't a very good plan, but it was the only one Muire had. Considering her resources - two magical swords that weren't much use for anything practical except cutting through their path; a spell-casting, mechanically inclined rodent; a catgirl with a whip; a retired cyborg tavern-keeper; an animate steam engine; and a deeply depressed nineteen-year-old - she though she had done as well as could be expected" works for you, then I would say you would probably enjoy this one. There are a lot of names coming at you early on, but if you can get over that hurdle, you would be rewarded because it is a darn good read; Recommended (3.75 stars) Mine

I am going to be reading through quite a few of my series books as I am trying to decide if they are going to stay in my library or not. This is just the first of many.

>249 alcottacre: Loves me some Bear! The "catgirl with a whip" line cracks me up every time.

>250 richardderus: This is the first of her books that I have read, but it will not be the last! I love the "catgirl with a whip" line too.

Not sure if it is smart to start another thread this late in the year, but here goes nothing. . .