Colonel Brandon Level 101-199 Books

[James]

The first 2 or 3 books in the assassin series by Leo Charles Taylor are great fun and somewhat interesting.

[Teresa]

Anji you're amazing. I was dismal this year. Had long spells when I couldn't read. Finding it hard to concentrate this last week or so. Our lovely Irish Wolfhound is very ill and I think we're near the end. I just haven't the heart for anything at the moment. Be glad to see the end of this year.

[James]

People will love their dogs, won’t they. In 97 my family packed up and moved to Mendocino, Ca. We were in a rural area so my 8 year old son and 4 year old daughter would be playing outside in a pretty unwatched situation since we were on 20 acres. The wife and I decided to get a good guard dog to hang out with the kids and keep an eye on them. So we got a 9 month old German Shepherd. We named her Duchess. Man, what a dog she was. She and the kids were constantly out having a great time.

In 2009 she got cancer and we had to let her go. It was like losing a family member. That dog made the kids safe and they had a pet that showed unconditional love to them everyday. Their childhood ‘glowed’ because of that dog.

[Debbie]

I had a black lab who was royalty too - my son named her Princess. He was an only child, so having a dog was the next best thing to having a sibling. She was amazingly patient and gentle with him and his little friends no matter how rough they played with her. We were devastated when she died.

[Debbie]

Anji wrote: "Short stuff, long stuff, unpublished, published. Not managed to finish an audiobook in November as I've not been doing as much driving recently. I'm going to be keeping company with the lovely Colo..."

Lots of good stuff on your list, Anji, both those you've read and those that are next up. Well done!

[Elin]

Great numbers Anji! A lot of good ones too, judging by your rating. Saw a couple I will nick ;)

[Sophia]

Sounds like a good game plan for the end of your year, Anji!

[Teresa]

Yes James and Debbie the hardest thing is you know you're going to loose them at some stage. The heartbreak is hard to take. We've been amazingly lucky with our guy. They're total limit in life is six years, seven if you're very lucky and our chap was nine in August. Our vet said he's the oldest one he's ever seen. He's been in great health other than arthritis in his back legs. But he's gone down hill hugely in the last six weeks and we thought he was gone last night. He rallied again today though so it's just wait and see now.

[Anji]

Oh Teresa, my heart goes out to you. Tomorrow, it'll be two months since we lost our boy. It seems like forever. I'll be thinking of you.

James - firstly, hello and welcome! I think it's that unconditional love you mention that makes it so hard to lose a dog in particular. We had ours for nine years and it was the younger of the two that's gone first. We still have his dad, who's at least thirteen.

Debbie - the one we lost was closely bonded to our son and though he doesn't live at home any more, the joy whenever they got together was wonderful to see.

[Teresa]

Thanks Anji, I was actually thinking of you and your loss when our dear guy started going downhill. Hard at any time but this time of the year intensifies everything.

[Barb]

My records show I read 126 JAFF during 2018. I have been lax in not recording them here, but I am happy to have made it to the Colonel Brandon level. Phew... I'll make 2019 a better year, but will set my goal a little lower than last year.

[Sophia]

Barb wrote: "My records show I read 126 JAFF during 2018. I have been lax in not recording them here, but I am happy to have made it to the Colonel Brandon level. Phew... I'll make 2019 a better year, but will ..."

That is still a fabulous amount of reading, Barb. Way to go on shaking hands with our gentleman Colonel. :)

[Jeannine]

Final two for this year:

101. Love, Letters, and Lies by Renata McMann ***


102. Seasons of Waiting by Christina Morland ****

[Sophia]

Looks like you ended on a good one. I definitely want to read Christina's latest.