Anne’s Comments (group member since Dec 08, 2021)

Anne’s comments from the On The Same Page group.

Bill wrote: "I've only read the Moonstone but I did enjoy the TV mini-series based on the Woman in White. I may have to try the book now"

I will have to see if I can find a copy of the mini-series to watch. I do want to read The Moonstone also, but it will have to wait. I want to focus on some of my 2025 challenge books first.

Michelle wrote: "Congrats Anne! What a great way to finish up the year!"

Alondra wrote: "Congratulations, Anne!!! Woot-Woot!!! 💪🏽🥳🥳."

Thanks!

Linette wrote: "Yayayay! Way to go, Anne. I also enjoyed Woman in White quite a bit, although it was a bit slow moving sometimes it still kept my interest."

I would agree with that. I think it didn't help that my copy was one of those large trade paperbacks written in about 6 point font. If it was a more normal sized book with regular font, it would probably have been 300 pages longer (rather than my 512). I would read for quite some time yet not feel like I had made progress even though I am normally a fast reader. I used an audiobook version to help me go faster since then I could continue reading while driving or walking my dogs.

Thanks Linette and Alondra.

On The Same Page Monthly Reading Challenge JANUARY 2025
Start Date: 01/01/2025
End Date: 01/31/2025

Total Pages Read: 3,717
Bonus Points: 450

Books Read:
1. Wolves, Coyotes & Foxes: Symbols of the Wild 1/1, 160, +30 (challenge, 1, new)
2. The Zig Zag Girl 1/2, last 154, +20 (challenge, 1st)
3. The Black Bird Oracle 1/6, last 300, +10 (challenge)
4. Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium 1/7, last 185, +30 (challenge, new, green)
5. Winter Lost 1/11, 407, +20 (challenge, winter)
6. Tender Is the Bite 1/15, 272, +10 (challenge)
7. Rockin' Around the Chickadee 1/16, 280, +30 (challenge, winter, green)
8. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle 1/20, 432, +45 (challenge, new, letters)
9. War 1/21, 410, +130 (challenge, 1, red, politics w/Biden and Trump)
10. Lagoon 1/26, 307, +35 (challenge, sci fi)
11. James 1/31, 303, +55 (challenge, new, yellow, J)
12. The Lady in Glass and Other Stories 1/31, 467, +35 (challenge, sci fi)
13. Song of the Lion 40

Congrats! I finished my 12th book today too. There's nothing quite like a deadline to get you through a long book quickly.

1871. Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret
1872. We Solve Murders
1873. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
1874. Zits: Current Mood: The Complete 2022 Collection
1875. NOT GUILTY-ish: A Baby Blues Collection
1876. Edinburgh Castle: The Official Souvenir Guide
1877. Everything Everywhere...: A Baby Blues Collection
1878. The Man in Black: Stories

1865. The Man in the Iron Mask
1866. Crime and Punishment
1867. The Woman in White
1868. The Palace of Holyroodhouse: Official Souvenir Guide
1869. Between a Flock and a Hard Place
1870. Guilt and Ginataan

Thanks, Alissa and Patty. Good luck to you too.

I have about 7 hours left in the year, so it is unlikely I will finish any more books. It has been a very successful year of reading. Other than my Elderlings challenge (which was always intended to go into next year) and my past reading challenge books, I finished all my goals. In the latter case, I increased my goal for next year to reflect that I ran out of time for those. I do want to read them, and maybe I'll be more focused next year (yeah, right). Still, I am super proud of how well I did, and I read some excellent books.

December update:
1. 123/100 books COMPLETE
2. 72/40 series books COMPLETE
3. 11/10 nonfiction COMPLETE
4. 11/10 classics (novels or plays), COMPLETE
5. 12/12 2024 Reading challenge COMPLETE
6. 25/25 Motley challenge COMPLETE
7. 1/3 past reading challenge books
8. 20/20 books owned as of December 31, 2023 COMPLETE
9.a. 5/5 countries COMPLETE
9.b. 6/5 states COMPLETE
10. 1/10 Realm of the Elderlings books CONTINUES INTO 2025

Alondra wrote: "You did a fabulous job, Anne!! I love seeing those "Complete" for each challenge category!

Kudos Anne!!"

Linette wrote: "You did great this year!"

Thank you to both of you. You're both always so supportive of my overly ambitious goals, and I appreciate that.

Laurel wrote: "I'm getting really close too. 5 books to go but one I'm almost done with, and 2 are shorter novellas. So I'm sure going to try. Good luck with yours!"

Thanks! I made it. I finished a book today that completes the last 2 challenges I needed. I have a whole 7 hours to spare :) Next year, I hope I don't cut it so close, but past history says that I'll do it again.

I finished!!! I'm glad I selected The Woman in White for my final book because it was excellent. I only wish I had given myself more time to read it because I felt like I was rushing through it rather than having the opportunity to savor it.

I have about a week left, and I'm getting close. I have one reading challenge book to go, and I need to read 2 more books that I owned before this year. The Woman in White works for both, and I found a short book I've had for many years but have never read for the other. I have one challenge that was always planned to continue into next year, so that leaves only one challenge is likely to not be completed. I increased my number of past challenge books for my 2025 goals, and I'm comfortable with missing on that one. I did a great job on my challenges this year despite being very busy.

Alondra wrote: "Wow! Getting C&P out the way, probably opened up a lot of TIME. Good for you. Finish those last ones up and relax! You have 12 months to finish the next challenge!! 😂😬📚📚📚.."

I finished The Man in the Iron Mask, so I have about a week to read the last book. Too bad the shortest one is 512 pages, so I'll need to go quickly if I'm going to finish. I am not taking as many days off this time of year as I usually do, so that doesn't help. I am excited for next year's books, but I also want to finish this challenge. I'll give it my best shot.

Alondra wrote: "I repeat; you've got this!

I've heard good things about Crime & Punishment, and its definitely on the list.."

I'm feeling more optimistic at the moment. I finished Crime and Punishment today, and I have about 150 pages left of The Man in the Iron Mask. The latter is definitely a more fun book, but they're both engaging. That leaves me with 3 weeks to finish 1.25 books from this list. That feels doable. I am planning on reading The Woman in White for my final selection. I do really want to read the fantasy novels that are at the start of the list, but I don't feel like I would have time to read them. I picked too many long books, just like I have most years.

The Count of Monte Cristo is excellent. Despite its length, I found it to be a relatively quick read both times I read it. I have read the Iliad twice also. It was better as an adult than a high schooler. The Shadow Speaker is not the author's best work, but it was still worth reading.

Happy reading!

I plan to read 12 non-fiction books in 2025

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I now feel very spoiled. Our system serves about 1.3 million people, so they often buy more than 100 copies of the most popular books, and I can get a book from any of the branches sent to a branch closer to my house. I can check out up to 50 items, and up to 15 of them can be digital (e-book or audiobook). If for some reason they don't have a book, I can easily use interlibrary loan from Ramsey County (St. Paul) or one of the other counties in the metro. I can get books from farther away also, but that is rarely necessary (most of the MN population lives in the 7 counties that make up the Twin Cities metro area).

Example hold: I am currently #446 on one item that has 137 copies. I reserved it about 2 months ago, and it will be a few more months before I get it. It would be much worse if they didn't get so many copies.

Keep in mind, our winters are very long and cold, so reading is a good way to keep us busy when it is miserable outside. We are expected to get windchills around -20 F this week, so I don't plan on leaving my house unless I have to.

Only allowing 3 holds is crazy. We are able to have at least 50. The Hennepin county (Minneapolis) system tries to make it as easy as possible for people to check out and read a lot of books. That's one of the reasons they merged into a county system many years ago rather than having each city with its own system.