Laurel’s Comments (group member since Dec 30, 2013)

Laurel’s comments from the All About Books group.

Thanks, Joan! Never too early to start celebrating!

Finished All's Faire in Middle School

Another quick read to get off my Mount TBR! Here's my review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Given the cold weather right now, I think I am going to hibernate and settle in with The Frozen Thames.

Not much snow here in Minnesota, but I am getting heartily sick of the cold weather. I live in a basement where all the heat goes upstairs, so I have an electric heater in each room (living room, kitchen, bedroom. I have a large front window (garden level) which leaks tons of cold air. I could try putting that cling film stuff on the windows, but the cats would probably shred it. Anyway, it's fine really, except when the temps outside are below zero, which it has been for days now. Supposed to warm up tomorrow finally! (At least up to 10 degrees, if you call that warm!)

At least one good thing from the cold - it makes me want to hibernate and read! I just finished my second book of 2018 (okay, one was a collection of a comic strip and the other was a children's graphic novel - but finishing them is motivating!) What to read next... One of the randoms reads I drew from my TBR slips is The Frozen Thames. That seems appropriate. And it is a cute little book - maybe won't take more than a day or two...

Got this at the library, but I have to finish another book first and it is nearly 500 pages. So it may be awhile before I join you.

First book of 2018 read: The Barn: From the Beginning

A long time favorite comic strip of mine. Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Happy New Year!

I'm so eager to get going on those random reads now that 2018 is here. There are several that I think I could knock off in a day, and it's too cold to go anywhere today...

READ The Barn: From the Beginning - a collection of my favorite comic strip by Ralph Hagen.
READ Virgins - a short story in the Outlander series
READ All's Faire in Middle School - a children's graphic novel. Shouldn't take too long!

Need to finish:
Yseult: A Tale of Love in the Age of King Arthur to finish a 2017 challenge... but it's going to get set aside, for other things today at least...
READ Conspirata and
READ Dictator- audiobook
READ The Wine of Angels - but probably won't happen this month. I've left it sitting too long and should start over. Would like to find it on audio - that's the only guarantee I'll get it read. I do like it and I like the characters - it's just so long....

For book clubs this month:
READ A Man Called Ove
READ The Essex Serpent

To start soon, hopefully:
READ The Frozen Thames - a fairly short little book.
Library of Souls - I've had this checked out from the library forever, so it's another one I'd like to get to sooner rather than later
READ 44 Scotland Street - to kick off my reread of this delightful series

So those are my January plans!
-------------------------------------------
End of month update:
Read 6 books. Excellent! Two more in progress.
Favorite book of the month was A Man Called Ove

Edited message #5 - besides spelling out the name McCall Smith, I'm making it a goal to reread the 44 Scotland Street (1-6) and then continue with #7. Will also be reading Corduroy Mansions for an online group read in March. May or may not try and reread and continue the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. I'm only on #4 in that series...

Updated my plans in message number 5.

Ohhh, I should. This has been on my TBR forever.

That sounds equally lovely, Greg. I do enjoy the Muppets!

Greg wrote: "Back at home in California now. This morning we bought a huge amount of Chinese bow, shu-mai, ham siu gok, and har gao at the Hong Kong Deli near our house. Now throughout the day we're sitting in ..."

Hibernating here. It is up to minus 10 F. toward a high of minus 6. I thought I had to work today, but my boss forgot he had scheduled me and scheduled two other people - being the 5th Saturday of the month there's no regular person scheduled. Two of us were chatting on Facebook yesterday and realized we were both scheduled to work the same shift. She called him and learned there was even a third person scheduled! Ha ha! So neither of us ended up having to work. I am quite happy to not have to go outside in this bitter cold.

So I may not even get dressed today. Hanging out with my kitties, reading email, thinking about maybe working on a jigsaw puzzle today while I binge watch old Outlander episodes or something. Or maybe I'll bake something so I have an excuse to turn the oven on! Ooh - good idea. I got a salted caramel scone mix in my Christmas "stocking" from my sister. Going to go make that.... Bye.

Carried over from December:
Yseult: A Tale of Love in the Age of King Arthur
READ Conspirata

Coming up:
READ Dictator
What Happened
READ A Man Called Ove for book club

Possibly:
READ The Frozen Thames

Edited, now that it is Jan. 1. Happy New Year!
Besides A Man Called Ove for my f2f book club, an online group is reading The Essex Serpent so I'd like to add that one. Another group is reading The Alice Network. I probably won't get to it, but it sounds interesting. Not sure I'm in the mood for another WWII book...

Besides The Frozen Thames, I am anxious to start on my list of 30 random reads. There are a couple I could knock off in a day, and I just might do it today!
READ The Barn: From the Beginning
and a short story: Virgins by Diana Gabaldon

Finally finished The Witch's Daughter. It was the October book for another online group. So it won't count for 2018, but it'll count as one of my goals (#3) above.

Here's my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Still trying to finish The Witch's Daughter which was an October book group read... In the car, I'm listening to Conspirata which has me thinking not much has changed in politics in over 2000 years.... !

One more day of work for me. Off at 7 pm. Then a week off. I come back to work on Dec. 30th - have to do the Saturday shift - then 2 more days off for New Year's.... Happy Solstice, Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year everyone!

I'll do the 22nd. The 21st is my birthday.

Monthly themes at the library, July through December:

July 1: PATRIOTIC Read a book with red, white, AND blue on the cover. Read a book set during the Revolutionary War era in America.

July 2: BASTILLE DAY (July 14) Read a book with a person with no head showing on the cover. Read a book set in France.

July 3: Head to the BEACH Read a cover with beaches, sand, or swimming. Read a book with SUMMER in the title.

August 1: DOGS Read a book with a dog on the cover, or read a book with a dog as a major character.

August 2: HEAT (and summer weather) Think hot, summer sun, sunburns… Drought, thunderstorms, fever…

August 3: GRILLING (Hotdogs, anyone?) Backyard cooking, food associated with summertime… or maybe camping, campfires, etc.

READ The Dog who Came in from the Cold

Sept 1: LABOR DAY Read a book with an occupation in the title.

Sept 2: Back to SCHOOL Read a book set in a school, or featuring a teacher or professor. Or read a book with a school on the cover.

Sept 3: BOOKS Read a book that features a bookstore or a library. Or reread a book you had to read in school, or read a book you were supposed to read but didn’t.

A Wrinkle in Time

Oct. 1: FALL is here Read a book with fall or falling in the title. Read a book with leaves on the cover, or with the colors of autumn leaves.

Oct. 2: HAUNTED HOUSES Read a book that features a house. Gothic is good - houses can be haunted by memories or past tragedies, not just ghosts….

Oct 3: GHOSTS Read a book that features a ghost, or scary creature – witches, vampires, zombies…

The Templars: The Rise and Spectacular Fall of God's Holy Warriors

Monthly themes at the library, January through June:

Jan 1: COZY Read a cozy mystery. Or a book with a cozy sounding title or something cozy on the cover (a crackling fire? an armchair? )

Jan 2: WINTER/HOLIDAY Pick a book with a winter or holiday theme. Or read a book with winter, snow, ice or something wintery in the title.

Jan 3: CRAFTS Read a book that features a craft (knitting, quilting, yarn shop, etc.)

READ The Frozen Thames (winter)

Feb 1: LOVE / ROMANCE Read a love story or romance. Or read a book with love, romance, roses, or hearts in title or on cover.

Feb 2: JEWELS Read a book with a jewel or jewels in the title or on the cover. (Examples: diamond, amethyst, garnet….)

Feb 3: February is the SHORTEST month. Read a short story or collection of short stories, or read a book with short in the title.

READ Virgins (Bonus points: heart on cover AND short story)

Mar 1: CELTIC holidays -- St. David’s Day (Wales), St. Piran’s Day (Cornwall), and St. Patrick’s Day (Ireland) are all in March! Read something Celtic or with Celtic motifs on the cover, or a book with a green cover.

Mar 2: EASTER is April 1st. Read a book with a rabbit or eggs on the cover or pastel colors on the cover.

Mar 3: March is WOMEN’S HISTORY Month. Read a biography of a woman, or read an historical fiction book with a real woman as a character.

READ Espresso Tales (set in Scotland AND green cover)
READ Caroline: Little House, Revisited (historical fiction about Caroline Ingalls)


Apr 1: RAIN / SHOWERS Read something with Rain or Showers (or similar) in the title. Or read a book with BOOTS or an UMBRELLA on the cover.

Apr 2: SPRING BULBS Read a book with tulips, daffodils, crocuses, etc. on the cover or in the title.

Apr 3: March is National POETRY Month. Read a book of poetry, or something to do with poetry in the title.

The Long Walk Home (boots on cover)

May 1: GARDENS / FLOWERS Read a book about gardens or gardening, or a book with a flower in the title or flowers on the cover.

May 2: BIRDS Spring migration brings lots of birds through Minnesota. Read a book with a bird in the title.

May 3: MOTHER’S DAY Read a book that reminds you of your mother – an author or setting she likes, or a character/author/title that shares your mother’s name, or set in her home state,
or ???

READ The Language of Flowers
Gilead (to reread - reminds me of mother - minister's wife and set in Kansas)

June 1: SOMETHING OLD

June 2: SOMETHING NEW

June 3: SOMETHING BORROWED

June 4: SOMETHING BLUE

READ The Wine of Angels (bonus, bonus, bonus, bonus points: 1. old - on my TBR for a long time, 2. borrowed several times from the library, then purchased 3. new as both ebook and from audible, and 4. it has blue lettering on the cover)

On the Porch Swing 2018 Challenge

1. Read a book with Widow or Widower
The Widow Makers

2. Read a book with your birthstone or birth month
Miss Garnet's Angel

3. Read a book with a direction
Queen By Right

4. Read a book that is set around a bookstore or library
Library of Souls

5. Read a book with a scent/smell
READ Feb The Language of Flowers

6. Read a book with adjective

Spell STACKS:
S
T
A All's Faire in Middle School
C Caroline: Little House, Revisited
K
S