So obviously I just stopped blogging on this platform. I'll get back to it eventually. Or not. I'm taking a break from all social media. It seemed necessary for my mental health.
The last few years have been busy and … challenging:
- 2015 Happened. - 2016 Let's call it The Lost Year. (Obviously words failed me.) - 2017 about broke me. Literally. Mentally. - 2018 was ridiculous, proving 2017 was just a warm up. (Good thing I was already broken so it couldn't hurt as much.#2018TrashCanFire I thought things were going okay, but maybe not?)
- 2019 was such a blur. I know there were highlights, but then stuff happened and carried into the next year...
- And then in March#2020 really took a turn. Who can even categorize 2020? Do we dare?
I kinda want a do-over of some of the last few years. But life doesn’t work that way.
So for now, I'm hunkering down. Regrouping. Trying to stay safe and sort some stuff out.
Sorry, Geoff -- not so keen on poetry, but I did try to read other things. The Festival killed my momentum on library books, so I immersed myself in first in "adult crack" of the Twilight Series (judge me not, lest ye be judged) and then spent many happy hours back in time in The Worlde of ye Gabaldon's Outlander. Then my August/November extended vacations and insane work schedule for December also killed my momentum. Alas. Alack. Resolutions for 2016 abound - as does my reading "wish" list.
The usual caveat applies: If you are just finding the blog,
please note that this list was maintained mainly so that I could
remember what I've (or NOT) read this year. The record does not fully represent
me or all of my interests, so don't judge my reading habits. My
interests change quite frequently. Also, as a general rule, I don't do
book recommendations or link to major retailers or publishers. Except
for the ARCs listed below [thanks major publishers!], most of these
books came from MY library (now noted) or a public library. Go forth and READ!
July through September The Twilight Series by Stephanie
Meyer (I know, I know -- whatever, mine, reread)
Circling the Sun: A
Novel by Paul McLain (ARC) A Desperate Fortune
by Susanna Kearsley (ARC) Outlander by
Diana Gabaldon (mine, reread) (long reads) Dragonfly in Amber
by Diana Gabaldon (mine, reread) (long reads) Voyager by
Diana Gabladon (mine, reread) (long reads) Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
(mine, reread) (long reads) The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
(mine, reread) (long reads) A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana
Gabaldon (mine, reread) (long reads) An Echo in Bone by Diana Gabaldon
(mine, reread) (long reads) Written in my Heart’s Own Blood by
Diana Gabaldon (mine, READ - FINALLY) (long reads) This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by
Jonathan Evison (ARC) The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne
(Mine, reread) Cleopatra's Shadows: A Novel by Emily
Holleman (ARC) The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson
(ARC) (didn't finish) Since You've Been Gone by Anouska
Knight (ARC, reread) The Lake Season: A Novel by Hannah
McKinnon The Book of Lost and Found by Lucy
Foley Ever After: A Nantucket Brides Novel
by Jude Deveraux It's Not Me It's You by Mhairi
McFarlane The Woman Who Stole My Life: A Novel
by Marian Keyes Nobody's Baby But Mine by Susan
Elizabeth Philips (reread) Re Jane: A Novel by Patricia Park You're Never Weird on the Internet
(almost): A Memoir by Felicia Day Midnight Crossroad (Book 1) by
Charlaine Harris Black Dove White Raven by Elizabeth
Wein (didn't finish) The Care and Management of Lies by
Jacqueline Winspear (didn't finish) The Little Free Library Book: Take a
Book- Return a Book by Margret Aldrich For All Time: A Nantucket Brides Novel
by Jude Deveraux True Love: A Nantucket Brides Novel
by Jude Deveraux
October through December Landline by Rainbow Rowell Play for Me by Celine Keating (didn't
finish) Ever After: A Nantucket Brides Novel
by Jude Deveraux (reread) The Japanese Lover: A Novel by Isabel
Allende (ARC) Day Shift: A Novel of Midnight (Book 2)by
Charlaine Harris Blueprints: A Novel by Barbara
Delinsky Once Upon a Summertime by Melody Carlson Beach Town: A Novel by Mary Kay
Andrews If You Only Knew by Kristan Higgins** Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And
Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling Bending the Rules by Susan Andersen
(didn't finish) The Other Daughter: A Novel by Lauren
Willig Casting Off by Nicole R. DicksonLet's Pretend This Never Happened (A
Mostly True Memoir) by Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess The Sparrow Sisters: A Novel by Ellen
Herrick Steadfast: An Elemental Masters Novel
by Mercedes Lackey (reread) The Rosie Project: A Novel by Graeme
Simsion The Rosie Effect: A Novel by Graeme
Simsion BossyPants by Tina Fey The Little Paris Bookshop: A Novel by
Nina George Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about
Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson, The Bloggess [Whoops I forgot to write things down at some point mid-November] The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth
(ARC) Hidden Riches by Nora Roberts (didn't
finish vintage Readers Digest condensed book version at my auntie’s house) Star of Fortune (Guardians Trilogy
Book 1) by Nora Roberts (mine) The Epic Adventures of Lydia Bennett
by Kate Rorick and Rachel Kiley (mine)
Huh. Looking at it like this, maybe I DID read a lot at some point this year.
** Can I just say how weird it is to be reading along and the author a) mentions the place you used to work***, so that throws you out of the story and then b) also mentions a real-author that you kindof knew of in real-life when you were growing up, who lived about 6 houses away up the hill, who your brother delivered papers to and babysat his kids - so that REALLY throws you out of the story? No, just me? As you were. *** The Big J / Juilliard and Wally Lamb.
I made a concerted effort to pick up more books this quarter. Though the looks at the local library when I went in to pick up my interlibrary loans "holds" were a tad judgey (look, just because I'm picking up 10-20 books at a TIME...), I did made some progress on my "to be read list" -- at least this month. Once June turned the corner, with Festival ...All bets were off.
The usual caveat applies: If you are just finding the blog,
please note that this list was maintained mainly so that I could
remember what I've (or NOT) read this year. The record does not fully represent
me or all of my interests, so don't judge my reading habits. My
interests change quite frequently. Also, as a general rule, I don't do
book recommendations or link to major retailers or publishers. Except
for the ARCs listed below [thanks major publishers!], most of these
books came from MY library (now noted) or a public library. Go forth and READ!
April
through June
The Cookbook Collector: A Novel by
Allegra Goodman (reread) The Yarn Whisperer: My Unexpected
Life in Knitting by Clara Parkes
(didn't finish) Eat Cake by Jeanne Ray The Collector by Nora Roberts Northern Lights by Nora Roberts Love by the Book: A Novel by Melissa Pimentel First Impressions: A Novel of Old
Books, Unexpected Love, and Jane
Austen by Charlie Lovett Light of the Moon: A Novel by Luanne Rice (reread) The Book Mobile: A Novel by David Whitehouse Cure for the Common Breakup by Beth Kendrick The Week Before the Wedding: A
Novel by Beth
Kendrick A Pinch of Ooh La La: A Novel by Renee Swindle The Deep Blue Sea for Beginners:
A Novel by
Luanne Rice The Ashford Affair: A Novel by Lauren Willig Winter Street: A Novel by Elin Hilderbrand (didn't
finish) The Lodger: A Novel by Louisa Treger (didn't finish) How to be a Heroine, Or What I've
Learned from Reading Too Much: A Memoir by Samantha Ellis Impulse & Initiative: A Pride
and Prejudice Variation
by Abigail Reynolds A Murder of Magpies: A Novel by Judith Flanders A Scent of Triumph: A Novel of
Perfume and Passion
by Jan Moran Kitchen Chinese: A Novel About
Food, Family, and Finding Yourself
by Ann Mah Mastering the Art of French
Eating: Lesson in Food and Love From a Year in Paris by Ann Mah Not My Father's Son: A Memoir by Alan Cumming Spinster: Making a Life of One's
Own by Kate
Bolick (didn't finish) Life from Scratch: A Memoir
of Food, Family, and Forgiveness
by Sasha Martin My Mad Russian: Three Tales by Steven Key Meyers (didn't
finish) {1st tale read, was about Caramoor and the founders, HIGHLY Hopefully
fictionalized) Pemberley by the Sea by Abigail Reynolds Sister of Shiloh: A Novel by Kathy & Becky Hepinstall Amherst: A Novel by William Nicholson (didn't
finish) I Heart New York: A Novel by Lindsey Kelk Mrs. Grant & Madame Jule by Jennifer Chiaverini (didn't
finish) The Guest Cottage by Nancy Thayer
This Book is Overdue! How
Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson
The Dead Beat: Lost Souls Lucky
Stiff and the Perverse Pleasures of Obituaries by Marilyn Johnson
Travels in Vermeer: A Memoir by Michael White
The Royal We: A Novel by Heather Cocks and Jessica
Morgan
Behind the Scenes: A Memoir by Judi Dench
Oh! You Pretty Things: A Novel by Shanna Mahin (didn't finish)
Love and Miss Communication: A
Novel by Elyssa
Friedland
Northanger Abbey by Val McDermid (didn't finish)
Find the Good: Unexpected Life
Lessons from a Small-town Obituary Writer by Heather Lende
A book
or two I forgot to write down The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Why am I sad about an actor playing a character? An actor I never met? Because ... He was "my" Gilbert. Even now, I can spend hours comfortably binging on the hours-long series watching him - as Gilbert - tease and taunt and grow up and in love with his "Carrots." And, apparently, unlike some actors who feel "pigeon-holed" or "type-cast" or "resentful" for only being known for one role, he embraced the spirit of the Anne-fandom. And, at 43? 48 is just a blink away. And feels too young. You grew up with him. The boy next door is not supposed to die. EVER. He and Anne grow up, get married, and grow old together. Here's more, by other more eloquent people. Per The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/19/arts/television/jonathan-crombie-actor-known-as-romantic-lead-in-anne-of-green-gables-dies-at-48.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=nytimesarts&_r=0
Jonathan Crombie, Romantic Lead in ‘Anne of Green Gables,’ Dies at 48
Jonathan Crombie, a Canadian actor who was known to a generation of fans as Gilbert Blythe in the mini-series “Anne of Green Gables,” died on Wednesday in New York City. He was 48.
Mr.
Crombie rose to fame as a teenager when he was cast as the handsome and
confident love interest in the 1985 Canadian television adaptation of
“Anne of Green Gables,” Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 novel about an
orphan (played by Megan Follows) growing up on Prince Edward Island. It
was shown in the United States on PBS the next year.
The
role made him a household name in Canada, and he reprised it in two
sequels: “Anne of Avonlea” in 1987 and “Anne of Green Gables: The
Continuing Story” in 2000.
“I
think he was really proud of being Gilbert Blythe and was happy to
answer any questions,” Mr. Crombie’s sister, Carrie Crombie, told the
CBC. “He really enjoyed that series and was happy, very proud of it. We
all were.”
Mr.
Crombie appeared on numerous TV shows and in stage productions in both
the United States and Canada. He made his Broadway debut in 2007 in the
hit musical comedy “The Drowsy Chaperone.”
He
was also well known in his home country as the son of David Crombie,
who was mayor of Toronto from 1972 to 1978. After leaving the mayor’s
office, his father represented the city in the Canadian Parliament and
later held several cabinet positions.
“On
behalf of the people of Toronto, I extend to the entire Crombie family
my deepest sympathies on sudden death of actor Jonathan Crombie,” John
Tory, the current mayor of Toronto, wrote in an update posted to Twitter.
Mr. Crombie was born in Toronto on Oct. 12, 1966. Survivors include his sister and his father.
Kevin
Sullivan, the producer of “Anne of Green Gables,” told the CBC that Mr.
Crombie was chosen as Gilbert at the age of 17 after the casting
director saw him perform in a school play.
“I
think for legions of young women around the world who fell in love with
the ‘Anne of Green Gables’ films, Jonathan literally represented the
quintessential boy next door, and there were literally thousands of
women who wrote to him over the years who saw him as a perfect mate,”
Mr. Sullivan said. [emphasis my own]
Like the author of this article in the New Yorker, I had a girl-friend with whom I bonded over hours of the Sullivan films in the mid-80s. I had fond memories of a sleepover, those innocent teenaged sleepovers, with popcorn, and a copy of the films that some parent had taped (on a VCR) during the PBS pledgefest that inauguarted the films to USA audiences. To this day, we're still friends. We still talk every week. It was she that I immediately turned to for comfort. (She was sad, but not sad, sad like me. We're bosom friends, but like Diana - she had her Fred. I had dreams of a Gilbert.) Per The New Yorker, http://www.newyorker.com/culture/sarah-larson/jonathan-crombie-why-we-loved-gilbert-blythe?mbid=social_twitter
In “Anne of Green Gables,” Jonathan
Crombie, who died Wednesday, gave Gilbert Blythe caring, intelligence,
and dreaminess: qualities that enchant seventh-grade girls.Credit PHOTOGRAPH BY DICK LOEK / TORONTO STAR VIA GETTY IMAGES
Many were saddened, this weekend, to learn of the death of Jonathan Crombie,
the forty-eight-year-old actor who played Gilbert Blythe in the CBC’s
film adaptations of the “Anne of Green Gables” books. People on the
Internet were using the phrase “depths of despair,” as Anne Shirley
would. Gilbert was many people’s first love.
A
kindred spirit of mine—a bosom friend I’ve known since girlhood—once
observed that the best kind of romantic movie involves impassioned
gazing. (She told me this while recommending the 2004 BBC red-hot
starefest “North & South,” which features I-see-into-your-soul
staring of the Mr. Darcy variety, the kind that says, I see you—and I am too respectful to do anything but dream from afar until I deserve you.)
“Anne of Green Gables” isn’t a romance, exactly; it’s a series about
growing up. But it’s no coincidence, I realized yesterday, that this
same friend first alerted me to the phenomenon of Crombie as Gilbert
Blythe. It
was 1986, and she and I were in seventh grade, in an airport. We were
taking a trip to Disney World with my mother during our spring vacation.
We were excited, but, my friend told me, we were missing something very
important on television: part something-or-other of the PBS broadcast
of “Anne of Green Gables,” which had just burst on the scene from
Canada, a gorgeous agrarian world allowing for both puff sleeves and female ambition. She told me about Gilbert Blythe in great detail. When we were able to watch, I admired it all for myself. L.
M. Montgomery, the author of the “Anne” series, described Gilbert as “a
tall boy, with curly brown hair, roguish hazel eyes, and a mouth
twisted into a teasing smile.” Crombie was kinder—lively eyes, nothing
twisted about the mouth. His affection was evident all along. Crombie
gave Gilbert caring, intelligence, and dreaminess: qualities that
enchant seventh-grade girls. As in “Pride and
Prejudice,” things begin badly between our heroes. Gilbert admires Anne
(Megan Follows) when she arrives at their one-room schoolhouse; she
registers his handsomeness but ignores him, in part because of his
cockiness; he calls her Carrots; she smashes a slate over his head. The
“Carrots” slate-smash is “Anne” ’s “tolerable, I suppose, but not
handsome enough to tempt me” moment, setting in motion a whole course of
standoffs and shenanigans which, after many years, finally end as they
should—with mutual understanding and perfect bliss. In between: oh, the
staring. Crombie was an expert gazer. Through
meaningful looks and other subtleties, he showed that Gilbert wasn’t
threatened when Anne could spell “chrysanthemum” and he couldn’t; he
appeared deeply concerned when she fell off the ridgepole, and didn’t
mock her for braving it; he was kind during the “The Lady of Shalott”
escapade, while executing a dashing rescue. In this video, a young Crombie explains that the moment Anne breaks a slate over Gilbert’s head is the moment he starts growing up. For
girls my age, that was an important moment, too. The “Anne” series let
us dream about adolescence while holding on to childhood. The world of
Avonlea—Matthew and Marilla
Cuthbert, the apple blossoms and the knickers and caps, dance cards,
hay rides, Gilbert’s patient and steadfast heart—was gentler than what
we might have imagined about adolescence. It wasn’t “The Breakfast
Club,” and that was, on some secret level, very exciting—a last moment
of being able to enjoy gentler childhood ideals. “Anne of Green Gables”
appealed to those impulses without condescending to us. It wasn’t
exactly cool. It had no edge. You didn’t want to race into school and
announce that you were obsessed with “Anne of Green Gables.” But, to
your bosom friend, you could discuss its many joys to your heart’s
content. And Gilbert Blythe, because he was the
romantic ideal and a feminist, in his way—always respecting Anne’s
intellect and ambitions, competing with her and admiring her
academically—was an encouraging example of what teenagerdom and a loving
gaze might have in store. Here he is calling her “Carrots” and getting his just desserts.
[emphasis my own.]
My nieces are reaching the age at which Anne-girl and her friends enter their lives. I was looking forward to introducing them to "my" Gilbert. I still will. But when I start crying, that will be harder to explain. Until they are older and can read this.
Much to the detriment of regular blogging, I have been bringing home "homework," because there just isn't enough time during "working" hours. "Working hours" should be renamed: MEETINGS or "Endless REPLY ALL free-for-alls." Once I have "worked" during "working hours" and done "homework," I just haven't had it in me to blog.**
I HAVE been trying to give myself a break by reading ye old-fashioned books. Since I have at least four bookshelves full, a nightstand with a pile underneath it AND on top of it, an Amazon.com wish-list pages long, and a To-Get-From-the-Library list that's 10+ pages long, I've been trying to place "catch-up" on my reading, just a bit. I think this quarter shows quite a difference from this time last year.
The usual caveat applies: If you are just finding the blog,
please note that this list was maintained mainly so that I could
remember what I've (or NOT) read this year. The record does not fully represent
me or all of my interests, so don't judge my reading habits. My
interests change quite frequently. Also, as a general rule, I don't do
book recommendations or link to major retailers or publishers. Except
for the ARCs listed below [thanks major publishers!], most of these
books came from MY library (now noted) or a public library.
Go forth and READ!
January to March Crystal Line by Anne McCaffrey (mine, reread) All Emergencies, Ring Super by Ellen Emerson White (mine, reread) The Christmas Bus by Melody Carlson The Aviator's Wife by Melanie Benjamin The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (ARC) (Have tissues) Texts from Jane Eyre by Mallory Ortberg The Mermaid of Chelsea Creek by Michelle Tea (mine) A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy Book 1) by Deborah Harkness (mine, reread) Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy Book 2) by Deborah Harkness (mine, reread) The Book of Life (All Souls Book Trilogy Book 3) by Deborah Harkness (mine) The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale (mine, reread) Friends for Life by Ellen Emerson White (mine, reread) Life Without Friends by Ellen Emerson White (mine, reread) Stately Pursuits by Katie Fforde (mine, reread) Long May She Reign by Ellen Emerson White (mine, reread) Picnic in Provence: A Memoir with Recipes by Elizabeth Bard (ARC) The Runaway Princess by Hester Browne (reread) *** Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer A Perfect Proposal by Katie Fforde Dear Mr. Knightley: A Novel by Katherine Reay Lizzy and Jane: A Novel by Katherine Reay The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris: A Novel with Recipes by Jenny Colgan Carrie Goes Off the Map By Phillipa Ashley Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School 1) by Gail Carriger Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School 2) by Gail Carriger Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School 3) by Gail Carriger The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger (didn't finish) The Matchmaker by Elin Hilderbrand At Bluebonnet Lake: A Novel by Amanda Cabot Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega Novel) by Patricia Briggs (reread) Hunting Ground (Alpha and Omega Novel) by Patricia Briggs (reread) Fair Game (Alpha and Omega Novel) by Patricia Briggs (reread) The Witch with No Name (Final Hollows Novel) by Kim Harrison The Book Stops Here (A Bibliophile Mystery) by Kate Carlisle Dead Heat (Alpha and Omega Novel) by Patricia Briggs Prudence (Custard Protocol Book 1) By Gail Carriger
** I will "retro-blog" soon or "back-date" stuff, so if you check in the archives, eventually, I may fill in the blank past of the blog.
One can never have too many books, but the price of soft covers and hardbacks these days is ... OUCH! Therefore I haven't been keeping up with adding books to my collection. I actually only collect a few specific authors, and I am behind in some of the additions to their various series. Wouldn't it be great if I could find some gently used and/or reduced priced copies of some of the books I haven't collected? Thus, a shopping spree at The Strand would be super fun. Haven't heard of The Strand? Shame on you.
You lose time in wandering the stacks at the Strand. One could spend a whole day just perusing sections ... Say, the Fiction: Science-Fiction/Fantasy or Crafts or ...
The usual caveat applies: If you are just finding the blog,
please note that this list was maintained mainly so that I could
remember what I've (or NOT) read this year. The record does not fully represent
me or all of my interests, so don't judge my reading habits. My
interests change quite frequently. Also, as a general rule, I don't do
book recommendations or link to major retailers or publishers. Except
for the ARCs listed below [thanks major publishers!], most of these
books came from MY library (now noted) or a public library.
Go forth and READ!
October to December Top Secret Twenty-one by Janet
Evanovich Save the Date: A
Novel by Mary Kay Andrews
The Late Starters
Orchestra by Ari L. Goldman Catching Air: A
Novel by Sarah Pekkanen The Ice Cream Queen
of Orchard Street by Susan Jane Gilman (didn't finish) The Supremes at
Earl's All-you-can-eat: A Novel by Edward Kelsey Moore (didn't finish) A Quilt for
Christmas: A Novel by Sandra Dallas (ARC) For All Time
(Nantucket Brides Novel) By Jude Deveraux Secrets of the
Lighthouse by Santa Montefiore A Nantucket
Christmas: A Novel by Nancy Thayer
Definitely Not Mr
Darcy by Karn Doornebos
The Bookstore: A
Novel by Deborah Meyler Where She Went by
Gayle Forman (reread, mine)
Does This Church Make
Me Look Fat? by Rhoda Janzen
When We Were on
Fire: A Memoir by Addie Zierman (didn't finish)
One Day: A Novel
by Gayle Forman (mine)
One Year: A Novel
by Gayle Forman (mine)
How to Be Alone: A
Poem by Tanya Davis
Someone Else's Love
Story: A Novel by Joshilyn Jackson
The Vintage Teacup
Club: A Novel by Vanessa Greene
Bliss: A Novel
by Hilary Fields
Love Overdue: A
Novel by Pamela Morsi
Knitting Under the
Influence by Claire LaZebnik
A Family Place: A
Hudson Valley Farm, Three Centuries, Five Wars, One Family: By Leila Philip
(non
fiction) Somewhere in
France: A Novel of the Great War by Jennifer Robson
The Paris Winter: A
Novel by Imogen Robertson (ARC)
Code Name Verity
by Elizabeth Wein (have tissues. lots of tissues)
Truth Kills: An
Angelina Bonaparte Mystery by Nancy Rathburn
Romance Is My Day
Job: A Memoir of Finding Love at Last by Patience Bloom
Saturday Night
Widows: The Adventures of Six Friends Remaking Their Lives by Becky Aikman
I Shall Be Near To
You: A Novel by Erin Lindsay McCabe (have tissues)
My Wish List: A
Novel by Gregoire Delacourt (translated from the French by Anthea Bell)
Here and Again: A
Novel by Nicole R. Dickson
Nerilka's Story
by Anne McCaffrey (mine, reread)
Moreta: Dragonlady
of Pern by Anne McCaffrey (mine, reread)
Dragondrums by
Anne McCaffrey (mine, reread)
The People of Pern
by Robn Wood (mine, reread)
Rose Under Fire
by Elizabeth Wein
A Paris Apartment:
A Novel by Michelle Gable
Vienna Nocturne: A
Novel by Vivien Shotwell
With Every Letter:
A Novel (Wings of the Nightingale Vol. 1) by Sarah Sundin
Paris Letters: One Woman's
Journey from the Fast Lane to a Slow Stroll in Paris by Janice MacLeod (memoir)
***
Illuminations: A
Novel of Hildegard von Bingen by Mary Sharratt
Get off the Unicorn
by Anne McCafrrey (mine, reread)
When in Doubt, Add
Butter by Beth Harbison (reread)
Killashandra by
Anne McCaffrey (mine, reread)
The Secrets of
Midwives: A Novel by Sally Hepworth (ARC)
Catherine by
April Lindner (mine)
Vision in White
(Book 1) by Nora Roberts (mine, reread)
Bed of Roses (Book
2) by Nora Roberts (mine, reread)
Savor the Moment (Book 3) by Nora Roberts (mine, reread)
Happy Event After (Book 4) by Nora Roberts (mine, reread)
Well, usually I read a lot. This has been an interesting, let's say, transitional regrouping year, wherein I have had to re-prioritize my energies.
Now that the Summer Festival is well over, the 3-day Fall Festival is over, and the calm before the fall schedule really picks up, I have been enjoying the library again and reading on the commute. I'm reading a bunch of what would be considered "summer beach reads." No prize-winners or "best ofs X lists" for now. Just fun reads. At the beginning of the summer I had huge stacks of books that I just kept renewing because I couldn't get to, or into, them. It was, as the librarian and I both agreed as I shamefacedly returned them at the end of the allowable renewal cycles, a bit too ambitious. So ... this instead. A mix of fluff, chick-lit, some ARCS, some of my collections, and some books from friends.
c. 9/6/2014
I'll get to some of my serious series soon - once I reread the 500-800 page books leading up to the end of the 3-7 book series (maybe the holidays?).
The usual caveat applies: If you are just finding the blog,
please note that this list was maintained mainly so that I could
remember what I've (or NOT) read this year. The record does not fully represent
me or all of my interests, so don't judge my reading habits. My
interests change quite frequently. Also, as a general rule, I don't do
book recommendations or link to major retailers or publishers. Except
for the ARCs listed below [thanks major publishers!], most of these
books came from MY library (now noted) or a public library.
Go forth and READ!
April through September 2014 (2nd/3rd quarters' worth)
A
Fine Romance: Falling in Love with the English Countryside by Susan Branch (mine) The
Fault in our Stars: A Novel by John Green[Do NOT read in public - and DO NOT READ WITHOUT TISSUES] (mine)
Stitch in Snow by Anne McCaffrey (mine,
reread) Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
(mine, reread) The Ocean at the End of the Lane by
Neil Gaiman (mine) Since You've Been Gone by Anouska
Knight (ARC) Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery (mine,
reread) Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery
(mine, reread) Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey (mine,
reread) The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness
Orczy (mine, reread) The Family Man by Elinor Lipman The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson
Burnett (mine) If I Stay by Gayle Forman (mine, reread) Where She Went by Gayle Forman (mine) Famous Last Words by Annie Sanders Don't Want to Miss a Thing by Jill
Monsell The Fortune Hunter: A Novel by Daisy
Goodwin (ARC) Ghost Gone Wild (A Bailey Ruth Ghost
Novel) by Carolyn Hart Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing
School Book the Second) by Gail Carringer After Dead: What Come Next in the World
of Sookie Stackhouse by Charlaine Harris Joy for Beginners: A Novel by Erica
Bauermeister The School of Essential Ingredients: A
Novel by Erica Bauermeister (reread) Shadow Spell: Book Two of The Cousins
O'Dwyer Trilogy by Nora Roberts The Lost Art of Mixing: A Novel by
Eric Bauermeister The
Undead Pool (A Hollows novel)
By Kim Harrison
The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet by
Bernie Su and Kate Rorick (mine) Confessions
of a Latter-day Virgin: A Memoir
by Nicole Hardy
Skin
Game (A Dresden Novel) by Jim
Butcher
(did I skip a few? Apparently, maybe yes?!) The Other Half: A Novel by Sarah
Rayner (didn't finish) Made to Last by Melissa Tagg The Apple Orchard, A Novel by Susan
Wiggs For Once in my Life: A Novel by Marianne
Kavanagh (didn't finish) The Bridesmaids: True Tales of Love,
Envy, Loyalty ... and Terrible Dresses by Eimear Lynch (ARC) 2 a.m. at the Cat's Pajamas: A Novel
by Marie-Helen Bertino (ARC) The Last Breath by Kimberly Belle
(ARC) Elemental
Magic: All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters
edited by Mercedes Lackey (mine)
Elementary
(All-New Tales of the Elemental Masters)
edited by Mercedes Lackey (mine)
Introvert Power: Why Your Inner Life is
Your Hidden Strength by Laurie Helgoe, Ph.D. (mine) A Shiver of Light (Merry Gentry Novel)
by Laurell K. Hamilton A Good Year for the Roses: A Novel by
Gil McNeil Rare Bird: A Memoir of Loss and Love
by Anna Whiston-Donaldson (ARC) (Also have tissues handy) The Sweet Spot: A Novel by Stephanie
Evanovich Driving with The Top Down: A Novel by
Beth Harbison The Last Original Wife: A Novel by
Dorothea Benton Frank The Last Summer of the Camperdowns: A
Novel by Elizabeth Kelly (didn't finish) Bet Me: A Novel by Jennifer Cruise Love Water Memory by Jennie
Shortridge To
the Letter: A Celebration of the Lost Art of Letter Writing by Simon Garfield (mine, non-fiction)
Sweetshop
of Dreams: A Novel with Recipes
by Jenny Colgan
Etta Mae's Worst Bad-Luck Day by Ann B. Ross Goodnight June: A Novel by Sarah Jio The Glass Kitchen: A Novel of Sisters by Linda Francis Lee Night Broken: A Mercy Thompson Novel by Patricia Briggs That Summer: A Novel by Lauren Willig The Geometry of Love by Jessica Levine (didn't finish) Heroes Are My Weakness: A Novel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips Charlie Glass's Slippers: A Very Modern Fairy Tale by Holly McQueen The Summer Kitchen: A Novel by Karen Weinreb (didn't finish) The Appetites of Girls: A Novel by Pamela Moses (didn't finish) a couple of e-books from my iTouch
Now that the Summer Festival is well over, the 3-day Fall Festival is over, and the calm before the fall schedule really picks up, I have been enjoying the library again and reading on the commute. I'm reading a bunch of what would be considered "summer beach reads." No prize-winners or "best ofs X lists" for now. Just fun reads. At the beginning of the summer I had huge stacks of books that I just kept renewing because I couldn't get to, or into, them. It was, as the librarian and I both agreed as I shamefacedly returned them at the end of the allowable renewal cycles, a bit too ambitious. So ... this instead. A mix of fluff, chick-lit, some ARCS, some of my collections, and some books from friends.