Reading and Education For All - I'm An Addict

This week's writing prompt has been whirling around in my head and I have to break down and actually write something - it's not going to be submitted on time if it's only in my head. But I'm also foot deep in decisions about photographing the next batch of crystals, finalizing my master sheets for this next shape, and exploring things like temporary adhesives, thinking use of one might make the photography easier for the round shape. 

The problem with round beads is they roll. But they're 
still going to be easier to photograph than the next shape - 
the bicone shape. I'll have to use an adhesive with the 
bicones which will add to the processing time. 

But all of that can be put off until after my swim. It's Thursday, and the final day of my swimming days this week, and I plan to enjoy it to the max. I left my audio book in a crucial place, so I'm excited to get back to the plot as well as into the water. Listening to my books while I swim is one of the better things I do for myself. I'm a voracious reader, and that's one more way to get some reading time in. 

I love nothing more than reading. I always 
have a book ready on my phone at all times, 
and I listen to books while I swim or 
fast-walk on the treadmill. I'm a proud 
addict of books. 

I was always the person in class who had to be told to put the book away. Teachers never had any problem getting me to read ... just getting me to read the assignments was sometimes tricky. If it's a book I want to read, however, no problem, ever! I've had my nose in a book since I first learned to read, and I suspect a book will topple from my electronic screen when I die. Other people knit or crochet, paint or compose, I write and I read. Yes, I bead, I work with silver and copper to make jewelry, I make multi-media art projects, and I spin and sew, but underneath everything I do is a book. 

Of all the addictions I have had in my life, books is the 
only one I celebrate and venerate. I'm unashamed at 
this addiction ... in fact I'm proud of this addiction. 

Do you have something you're addicted to? I totally and proudly admit that I'm addicted to the written word - on a page or spoken in a recording. There's nothing much better than reading - that transportation to other worlds, meeting other beings, and being in totally different situations. 

I am a firm believer in education for ALL. It worries me that 
so often the education of women is pushed into the back 
or forbidden completely. Some of our best thinkers, 
scientists, authors, and others have been women. It's hard 
to be a mover and shaker in the world if you're unaware 
of the world outside of your village or nation. 

I suppose that's one more reason why I think education for all is so important. How can someone read if they are not taught how to do so? Yes, these days they can listen to a book, but you still have to choose a title, a genre, an author. For me, reading is a gift that I'm eternally grateful for. On that note, I'm off to the pool to listen to more of my current audio book. Have a wonderful Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

It's Cold Outside and Spring is a Long Way Distant

It's cold outside, but it'll get much colder before we see those 50's and 60's once again. I'm getting used to putting on my parka when I go outside again, and the backyard has been stripped of the grill, the umbrella and the chairs. We don't have room to store the table, so we'll have to cover that with black plastic for the season. We can't find our roll of black plastic, so we'll probably have to buy another one - not a tragedy, but a short delay. 

We have a roll of black plastic sheeting somewhere, but 
DH couldn't find it the other day, and I took a look on 
Friday, but couldn't locate it either (I didn't check 
the shed, but he said that he had). We might have to 
buy another roll to protect our patio table against 
the winter storms. 

DH and I spent a lovely and relaxed Sunday together, watching football and eating Chipotle for dinner. We enjoy Chipotle because we get two meals out of it, and because he can have all of his fixings, but I can basically have a base of lettuce with meat - perfect for me. I also worked on Stage 2 of my card inserts yesterday and got that wrapped up. I'll be continuing to work on Stage 3 before I unlock the shop this morning. I won't get quite as much done as I might want, but every little bit is a step forward. 

I picked up a new 3M Glue when 
I was at the office supply a few weeks 
ago. This is my favorite one - it has 
a good fine tip which I can control 
easily. It also dries quickly. My previous 
tube was just about used up, so it 
was time for a new one. It's been 
getting heavy use over the past 2 weeks. 

I received a stamp I had ordered in Saturday's mail. Perfect timing, since I need the items within it for the final panel of this year's cards. So far when I've needed something, I've always found it in my hands shortly before I required it. Good timing all around, since I'm running a bit late with this year's Solstice cards. 

I had mentioned Elizabeth Peters to 
Chickie when I started listening to the 
series again. She also loves the books, 
so started listening to her copies too.
They are such fun. We're both 
addicted to them, and the audio 
versions are very well done. 

I also loaded the next book in Elizabeth Peter's "Amelia Peabody" series onto my AfterShokz headphones yesterday afternoon. It's always a bit of a convoluted process. I wrote myself a set of step-by-step directions and that seems to work much better. It certainly is NOT intuitive since I'm going through a third-party program to translate the ebook into MP3 format, then from that third-party program into the headset. It's well worth it, though. I love the headset, it works beautifully in and out of the pool, and I'm able to listen to books while I swim, which is a happy thing for me. 

I have to actually refer to a step-by-step list 
to get my ebooks transferred to MP3 format, 
and then loaded onto my headphones. It's 
convoluted, but it can be done, and I'm 
enjoying listening to my Amelia Peabody 
series when I have time to turn on the 
headphones. I listen often, not just in the 
swimming pool. 

So have a wonderful Monday. I'll be quite busy, as you can tell. I'll be getting in touch with a few of you directly about holiday cards, since I haven't heard from you, and I'll do a final Call Out later this week or early next. In the meanwhile, have an absolutely wonderful Monday and I'll be back tomorrow. 

Books - My Motivator, My Lifelong Friend and My Addiction

How long do you do something before it becomes a habit that you don't even think about any more? For example, I'm on the treadmill 6 days a week and have been since my broken ankle allowed me to resume activity. Today was the 197th day I fought my way through my routine. I've extended my routine to 1.75 miles now, requiring it to be complete within 30 minutes (currently I'm tracking between 28-29 minutes for my mileage). It's not a run, I'm not allowed to have anything that would be "high" impact. It's a very fast walk to build up a nice sweat. Is it a routine? Probably. A habit? Maybe. 

The audio book I'm currently listening to 
is TJ Klune's magnificent "The House 
in the Cerulean Sea". It's such a masterpiece, 
and a joy to listen to. I sometimes will 
catch nuances I didn't catch with a first 
reading when I listen to the audio. This 
one keeps me coming back to the treadmill 
so that I can listen to the next chapter(s). 

I know, for a fact, that I couldn't do this almost every day without something to keep me occupied. For the treadmill, I count on my audiobooks. I've been a fan of audiobooks since I first started on the treadmill in the early 2000's. At that time I had abdominal surgery and asked when I could start exercising. I was told I could start really slowly, so I did - R E A L L Y   S L O W L Y.   I think I was doing a pace between one and two miles per hour, and I wasn't able to do much more than fifteen minutes or so for the first week, but I was determined. I didn't have any great portable device for my audio books at that time, so endured a lot of skipped parts on CD's as my speed increased. The book I was listening to at that time? "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien, of course. A standard love of mine for more than 50 years. Books? For me they are a habit - an addiction. 

I own multiple copies of the Trilogy - hard 
cover and paperback. I own several sets 
of the movie as well, and picture books, 
magazines, and even a Tolkien trivia game. 
It's an addiction of mine for most of my life. 

In my quest for good audio books, I switched over to an iPod when it became affordable, and started downloading books from Audible.com for my listening pleasure. I've used audio books and iPods ever since (the only Apple products I own). I even have two underwater iPods that allow me to swim with either music or a book. I've kept up an annual membership with Audible.com since those early days also, and now own more than 250 audio books. If I love an author, it's a good bet I'll be buying their audio version as well as their e-book. I re-read books constantly, and re-listen to the good ones again and again. 

Some of the first books I purchased on audio were books 
by Elizabeth Peters. I think I have a complete set of her 
Egyptian books now. I had the rare pleasure of listening 
to her speak in Denver along with my friend Sharon, a year 
or so before she died. I would have loved to take a tour 
through Egypt with her - what a treat that would have been. 

That, combined with the fact that I always have an e-book uploaded into my phone at any given time, declares to the world that I LOVE BOOKS. No hesitation here - I've always loved books, and I will always love them. On days when I really don't feel like getting onto the treadmill for another workout, it's the book calling to me that gets me there. I want to listen to the next portion - another chapter or two, another plot twist or character. I'm not sure I could develop any constructive habits without a book intertwined with it. How about you? Do you always have a book at hand? Do you listen to audio books? Are you a total book addict - book worm - like I am? I've met many of my readers through my life=long love of Tolkien, but I'm well aware that I have e-friends whom I've met through other means as well. What role do books play in your life and what types of books do you prefer to read? 

I'm addicted to books and I'm NOT looking 
for a cure. From the time I learned to read, 
I've had a book either in my hands or at hand. 
I like to think it's a healthy relationship ... at 
least most of the time - LOL. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have an excellent day and please, don't be complacent. Be kind, stay safe and please, PLEASE, wear your mask. I'll be back tomorrow. 

It's 2021 - What Am I Reading Today?

I'm being lazy today. Instead of doing my 1-1/2 - 2 miles on the treadmill, I'm taking today off and I'll return to a "normal" schedule on Monday. It's a 'holiday gift' to myself (although, realistically, the treadmill workout would be a better gift to myself). I was busy with so many things over the past year, so even though I read a lot, my numbers were probably a bit down from prior years. Still, I managed to read 156 novels and 20 instructional books over the past year. Of these, only four books were marked down as total duds, so the average was pretty good. 

One of my favorite books of the year was 
also one of the earlier books - published 
in January 2020. TJ Klune's "The House in 
the Cerulean Sea" is a masterpiece. Beautifully 
conceived, wonderfully framed. It's made 
a lot of Top Books of 2020 lists and it 
deserves the accolades. Give yourself a 
treat and read it. 

The non-fiction books slowed me down. John Bolton and Mary Trump's books about our soon-to-be-leaving President were slow reads, but essential and interesting. All things considered, although some of the books I read weren't five-star, I regret few of them, and if they were awful, I usually gave up early and went on to something more interesting. 

Neither of these two books was an easy read, but I pushed 
through them because I wanted to understand who this 
President really was before I voted. I had no doubt I would 
vote against him, but I wanted to try to understand him and 
his governmental policies better. It was a total train wreck, 
and I'm glad I read both of these. I think I still have one more 
book down the pile of the pending 106. 

My problem now is that I have a bunch of books that have moved over to my 20221 TBR list and that is far more than usual. Counting them up, I have 106 books that have moved over from 2020 to 2021. You would think that with all that enforced time off I'd have read more, but apparently not. I'll have to get moving on reading this year. I have a lot of books to catch up on. 

I fully admit that Gay Romance novels may not be everyone's 
cup of tea or choice of reading material, and they aren't 
everything I read, but when I do read romance, Rhys Ford, 
Amy Lane and Andrew Grey are go-to authors for me. 

I think I've received all of my holiday cards from family and friends now. I'll try to spotlight a few of these and make sure I thank each and every one of you who were kind enough to send a physical card for my mantle. It makes my heart happy when I walk into the living room and see them hanging in their colorful array. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have a wonderful Saturday and I'll be back on Monday. 

Juggling Books and Examples Of What PIP Can Do - Playtime Was Fun

I managed to cancel the two backorders I had with Barnes & Noble. Reading their public blurb, they are back on-line once again with NookBooks, but are still having some issues with any books that were listed as "Pre-Order" before the crash. I have started a small list of those books I had in my shopping cart as "pre order" books and I'll order them when their status has changed to "Purchase Now". Right now it's only three books, but two of them are ones I really want to read ASAP. So I'm reading on my tablet instead of my phone, leaving my phone open to accept one of my pre-orders as soon as I can purchase and download them. (It's not that I can't switch from one thing to another, I just don't want to be deep into one plot and feel a need to pull away and read the new book in a series that I've been waiting for.) 

The three pieces here are what I worked on Wednesday, 
playing with PIP. I think it was maybe two hours of actual 
knitting time, vs time spent studying the manual and 
taking time out to fold laundry, etc. Still, not too bad 
for 2-3 hours of actual knitting time. If I had been 
hand-knitting this width and gauge, I might have managed 
four-six rows total in that time (I'm a horrible hand 
knitter). 

I admire all of you who said you read from paper copy. I look at what I carry back and forth from the shop every day and I'm always grateful that my library (currently at 1900+ ebooks) is so conveniently handy on my phone. I still have LOTS of paperbacks and hardcopy books, but I think I started to really hit my digital options when I was carrying around volumes of the "History of Middle Earth". Those tomes are NOT lightweight, and carrying them to work and home and dropping off to pick up take-out on the way home while reading one of them waiting for the order to be prepared ... well, it was a lot to haul around easily. "The History..." is not available on ebooks format anyway, but that's when I realized how much I loved having a library of books at my fingertips, quite literally. I know it's not for everyone, but I'm totally in love with my ebooks. 

The larger piece was where I got to play with stitches a 
bit. The purple cord is a ravel cord separating the 
actual knitted piece (top) from what's termed 
"waste yarn". The knitted fabrics need to have weights 
attached to keep things moving smoothly, and those 
initially get attached to the waste yarn piece which 
then can easily be detached by pulling out that 
colored ravel cord. 

The books I'm working through on my tablet are non-fiction - knitting, fiber, jewelry making, etc books that I'm working my way through more slowly. I'm currently working on "Translating Between Hand and Machine Knitting" by Vikki Haffenden. Although there's a LOT about handknitting in the book, as a life-long hand and machine knitter (as well as a designer for knitting factories), she's got the background to really help me wrap my head around patterns I love and move them over to PIP for knitting on my own. I'm also still spending slower times at the shop watching video after video of how to do this or that. My PIP might be a lower-end "hobby" machine, but it's fully able to make wonderful things. 

I'm very pleased with my tuck stitch. It's not perfect, 
but it was only my first time at the machine. I'm looking 
forward to working through some smaller introductory 
projects to get used to PIP, but I'm really loving how 
quickly things come together and how well it really 
knits. I'll get a handle on operation soon, I'm quite 
sure. Then I'll be off and running! 

On that note, I'm cold, so I'm going to bundle up, make my breakfast and a hot cup of tea, and get ready to head into work. The western suburbs had snow/sleet yesterday (melted by nightfall) and I'm really not ready for winter. The temps are just a few degrees above freezing, and I'm cold. I'm a winter wuss, and there's not even a single snowflake on the ground yet I'm already complaining. I guess I'm getting my complaints out of the way early - LOL. Have an excellent day and a good Sunday, I'll be back on Monday, and please, be kind, stay safe and wear your mask. 

I'm a Dinosaur and a Bookworm and That's Not All Bad

Generally, electronics are my friend. I live with my phone, my laptop and the internet in various ways, but we're in touch every day for hours on end. I might mutter now and again as I stumble through the hoops placed for me to jump through, but I force myself through or find a workaround. Most of the time. Every once in a while I get caught up in an electronics maelstrom, though. Yesterday and early today seems to be one of those times, and I'm not sure I'll manage to get out of this one. 

I fully admit I'm a dinosaur, and I'm OK with that. I'm 
closer to the end of my life than the beginning of it, and 
I suspect that when I die, I'll be grateful in many ways to 
leave the stresses behind me. But leave my books 
behind me too? NEVER. There better be books in 
the afterlife. 

I've had an e-book pending at B&N for months. It came live on Monday, but B&N's e-books were under malware attack at the time and no orders were able to be made or completed. Finally, yesterday in the late afternoon, my shopping cart was live once again and I was able to complete most of my order. Except the one book I had been waiting to read for more than two months. 

There's nothing wrong with being a dinosaur. If Earth 
hadn't been hit with a dramatic climate change, mammals 
might still be small little things weaving in and out 
between greenery, trying to avoid being eaten by very 
large and hungry lizards. I'm old, so I don't mind being 
a bit more dinosaur and a bit less darting young thing. 

Even though it was supposed to have been available beginning on October 13th, and I purchased and downloaded it on October 15th, it was still locked with a yellow "Pre-Ordered" banner, keeping me from opening the e-book. I didn't get charged for it, so after trying a few more things this morning, I went onto their website and "cancelled" the pre-order (and one other book that was hanging on for the ride). Now the big question is ... can I actually purchase it, and will it appear in my NookBook library as a book that I can read. 

Age is relative anyway, My nieces and nephews, although 
they are considered to be "middle aged" by now, I still 
remember as small children. I know they're older with 
children of their own, but sometimes it just doesn't seem 
like it's been that many years. 

I've had on-line friends suggest other reading formats to me - basic ePubs from a variety of sources, as well as Kobo and of course, Kindle. I'm rather stubborn, and I enjoy staying with my NookBook formats. One of the main reasons is my library - I have more than 1800 ebooks now, almost all of them purchased at B&N. I usually am reading two different readers at any given time - one for fiction and one for instructional. But the big thing I love is if I try to order something I already have and I forgot about, B&N won't allow me to repurchase it. It tells me that I already own it. That feature alone has probably saved me several hundred dollars. Even when I was reading paperbacks, I would sometimes find myself with more than one copy of a book I wanted to read but forgot I owned. 

The benefit of being a dinosaur is that my friends of 
many years are also dinos, just like me. In this fast-
moving, ever-changing world that we live in, that's 
a constancy that I'm embracing today. 

So, I'll continue being a dinosaur, I'll hope that I can get the book I want to read purchased and downloaded properly, and I'll eventually wander into the sunset, my library clutched in my hand, all held within the few square inches of my phone. What a wonderful thing for a bookworm. Have a great day, be kind, stay safe and please wear your mask! I'll be back tomorrow. 

A Busy Tuesday, An Apology and a Book Recommendation

It's a Tuesday, and it's a busy one - lots of things to get done before I go to the store, and a bunch of things I need to get done once I'm there. So, I set my alarm for 4:00 am and here it is, 5:30 am and I'm already running "almost" late. I still have time to write my blog and have breakfast, but I need to be at the bank when it opens at 7:30 am and it's at the far south end of St Paul (I live in a suburb at the far North end). I've got a large mail order to pull and fill, and I really hope to have a bit of time to get that taken care of between customers today. Hopes and dreams - my life is built on clouds, LOL. 

That infusion of cash from the grant sill give us
a bit of breathing room. We're still hoping the
customers come back - they are, just not in the
numbers we need. Our fingernails were hurting
from hanging on so tightly, so the grans helps
us a lot. 

I mentioned that we were awarded the County grant, The statistics were published in the paper on Sunday. More than 27,400 applications were received, and 5,780 businesses were randomly selected. Of those businesses, 70 percent were businesses with six or fewer employees. I feel very fortunate. This additional $10,000 may save my business. Our daily business is slowly increasing as people run out of products that they need, but it's a very slow grind. I totally understand - not sure I'll be going to any restaurants until there is a vaccine. 

Sorry to all of my East Coast friends. I can promise you,
however, it will get better. Yesterday was less beastly
here, and today will be downright pleasant. We'll send the
temperate weather over to you too. 

I know we sent our heat wave to the East, and friends of mine along the coast have been sweltering. I apologize, but I can tell you is it will get better. Yesterday was actually back into a "normal" summer range, and today is starting out comfortable. We're happy to send the more temperate temps your way also - because we're generous that way - LOL. 

I keep looking at my Owl Project, which of course didn't get finished because of my broken ankle and the pandemic. I'm actually pretty happy I didn't finish it because I want to tear off the lower two layers and re-do them. I was designing on the fly for this one, and don't like the patterning nor the color progressions I was doing. It's going to mean a lot of additional work, but I think I'll be much happier. In fact, I'm tempted to destroy the entire thing and start again from scratch. Maybe I'll make it my "Flying Out of the Pandemic" collar instead. 

I finished reading "Too Much - Never Enough" by Mary Trump yesterday
and I highly recommend it. She came across to me as someone who was
reasoned, thoughtful, and who had the inside track in many respects to make
her claims sensible. Were there parts that might have been pushed ahead by
personal malice? Maybe. But I felt that to be minor compared to the story
she revealed as a family insider. 

Finally, I finished reading Mary Trump's book on her uncle, Donald Trump, "Too Much - Never Enough". It was a fascinating look at our current President, an easy read about a difficult situation, and I recommend it highly. It was a much easier read than John Bolton's "The Room Where it Happened", although that was also a very interesting read. Uncertain about which to choose? Choose Mary Trump's book for a much easier read and a very insightful picture of our President. 

On that note, I'm out of here. Have a glorious Tuesday and enjoy yourselves (hopefully with less heat). I'll be back tomorrow. 

A Book Recommendation Because It's That Good!

Today's post is short and sweet because we all need something wonderful in our lives. I'm focusing today's post on a reading recommendation - something that I rarely do because people's tastes in books don't always follow my own. But I'm stepping out into that maze because this book is worth the "Read this book" shout-out.  

I couldn't pull myself away from this book. It's a
good thing we're not super busy at the shop these
days since I spent most of yesterday reading. 

TJ Klune is an author I've followed for more than a decade, actually probably closer to 15+ years. I fell in love with his book "Into This River I Drown", his first major success, and then followed him as he moved, got engaged, faced tragedy and death, but kept writing. Each book became better, each series was unique and different. 

Last summer, amid some controversy, he left his publisher and was signed by TOR/McMillan for a six-book package. The first of those books was released this week with a 100,000 copy initial run (!). It's stunning, a true delight from front to back. It's a story about finding a family and love in the most remarkable place. It features a unique cast of characters, all of which have distinctive voices and behaviors. It transcends the mundane. It deserves to be pumped and pushed. 

I normally only buy e-books these days, sometimes accompanied by the audio book for authors I love. I'll be buying the audio book AND the hardcover of this one because I want it in my library alongside his others. He's one of those rare authors - the ones I collect in all formats. 

So, give yourself permission to lose yourself in a unique and happy story. Pick up a copy of "The House in the Cerulean Sea" for yourself and urge your library to carry it. It's that good - pass the word. This one book and the love it shows towards all of the unique characters in the pages, is well worth a "shout out". 

As always, stay safe, stay well, and be careful out there. I'll be back on Monday. 

I'm Addicted to Reading

I've often said that I'm a reading addict, and as I moved my unread 2018 books onto a new listing and counted up the books I read during last year, I was a bit astounded. I guess I do always have my nose in a book! LOL. I read Nook books on my phone, and I almost exclusively buy e-books because they only take up virtual space. I guess you'll get an idea of why I insist on non-physical reading materials now. My grand total of e-books read during 2018 - 139! I also listened to more than 8 audio books, and read a variety of magazines, newspapers, and various articles (not counting surfing and researching on the internet and jumping down that rabbit hole). I've already started my 2019 TBR list of books. 

I didn't read TJ Klune's "Into This River I Drown" in
2018, I read it years ago and re-read it and re-read
it again and again. In 2018 I listened to the audio
version,  and loved it. I wept as much as the first
time I read it. 

It was a year of wonderful offerings by some of my favorite authors, and there's something so satisfying in getting a release notice about a new book in a series I've been enjoying. I have approximately 50 e-books that I carried over to my 2019 list. I already finished the first of my carryovers yesterday, starting the next in the series last night. I usually don't have that large of a carryover, so I'd better try and get caught up! 

For an outstanding audio book series, start with
"The Lightning-Struck Heart" by TJ Klune. There
are four books in the series, this is the first one,
and the rendering by Michael Lesley will have you
laughing (and crying because you're laughing
so much).  

I mention audio books because I really enjoy them too. I've learned that there are certain narrators I adore - their individual talents at separating character from character, adding appropriate sound effects, and generally making the words come alive are above the pale. Two that immediately come to mind are Greg Trembly and Michael Lesley. Both of these men are so talented, and anyone who can make the ending renditions of title, author, sound effects used, etc. interesting to listen to are talents with a capital T. 

The Broken Earth series - a trilogy - was a set
of books that I recommended to all of you last
fall. It was outstanding and worthy of the
many accolades it has been given. 

I never start the year with a reading goal - my only goals stretch to books that I know are in the process of being written, not to an end number. When I was young and my schools and local libraries did reading contests, I always won. They got to the point where they requested that I not participate "officially" so that others could win. I was pulled from a book into class roll call many times. Books suck me into their worlds and my happiest times are days when a book and I are joined in new worlds and adventures, with munchies and a beverage nearby and a comfortable place to sprawl. 

The basic story of my life since I first learned to read back
in the days of stone tablets and chisels. Once introduced to
the written word and the imaginations of authors, there
was no looking back. 

May you read something that catches your imagination today - book, magazine or audio book. May you expand your world and exercise your powers of inner vision through the words of others, enjoying that small piece of escape from the world as a whole. Sometimes escape is a necessary evil in today's tense and angry landscape. Enjoy your Friday and I'll return tomorrow. 

The Broken Earth Series - Buy It, Read It

The majority of the time, my choice in reading material is romance literature. Not really "bodice rippers", as they used to be termed in my youth, but stories of people who find their one and only and get their 'Happily Ever After' (HEA) by the end of the book. I like happy endings and need some romance in my life. DH is NOT a romantic guy ... oh well. I've never been much for thriller/adventure genre books - no Jason Bourne for me - and I'm not fond of the Western genre even though I grew up in the Western USA. No - I want the violins, the red roses, and the meshing of personalities. 

Book One of the trilogy - "The Fifth Season" introduces
the reader to an earth that is familiar, yet unfamiliar
in so many ways. The plots twist and wind, and the
characters are rich and deep, and fallible. 

Before I started reading romance lit over the past few years, I spent decades reading science fiction. I hadn't read Sci-Fi or alternative world books for quite a few years, but came back to it with a series that I'm recommending to all of you, even though I'm still in Book 2 of the three-book trilogy. Turn your eyes towards and start reading the Broken Earth series by N.K. Jemisin. In 2016, the first novel in the trilogy, "The Fifth Season" won the Hugo for best novel, making Ms Jemisin the first black novelist to win the award. This was followed by the Hugo Win in 2017 for "The Obelisk Gate", the second book in the series, and in 2018, the Hugo Win for "The Stone Sky", the final novel of the series. 

Book Two, "The Obelisk Gate" is what I'm in the
middle of reading now. I'm totally hooked within
this plot, though. This volume is half-finished
and I can't wait to see where she goes with the
third volume. 

So - three books, three Hugo award winners for best novel of the year, and one extraordinary author whose world-building skills are amazing and unique. The books themselves take place in Earth in the far future long after our own civilizations have come and gone. I can't express it as well as others, so I recommend you check out the article here because it explains things so much better than I can with minimal spoilers. I can only point out how extraordinary it is to have an author - any author - win three Hugo Awards in a row. The last time the prestigious award was awarded to the same person in contiguous years was to Orson Scott Card for "Ender's Game" and in the following year for his sequel, "Speaker For the Dead". 

The third book, "The Stone Sky" was what really
cemented it in the "I must read these" category. Having
ANY author win the Hugo for three years running
for a single series was unprecedented. 

It's the holiday season and we're all gathering our wish lists together for the various Santas in our lives. You might want to consider adding the Broken Earth Trilogy to your list, I don't think you'll regret it at all. I'll return to my romance literature after this series, I'm working down a very extensive list of TBR, but the earth of N.K. Jemisin will remain with me for a long time to come. I know it's available in boxed sets in physical copies, but also that it's available in e-formats of various kinds. Buy it - read it - or put your name on the list and borrow it from your local library or e-library. It's an amazing trilogy. 

I'm off to the pool, have to swim off some of the excellent pizza DH and I had last night. Gotta love those BOGO coupons to our favorite pizzeria, but the calories can be intense. Have a wonderful Monday and start to your week, and I'll be back tomorrow. Happy Day to You!!! 

Grab Yourself A Book and Read - A New Book by TJ Klune

Today I'm urging you to discover/rediscover one of my favorite authors who has just released a new book - his first self-published book. Many of you already know the author's name - TJ Klune. I've written about him before, and his "Into This River I Drown" has been in my personal Top-10 list since it was first published in 2013. He'a a young man on a precipice - he'll be very well known within the next year or two. He's been offered and has accepted several multi-book contracts by a major publisher. His name will be known and recognized and it's a bright future that is well deserved. 

TJ's newest book is a stand-alone, although readers who
know "Big Eddie" from "Into This River I
Drown" will be pleased to have a cameo
of this beloved character appearing here. 

That doesn't change the fact that his newest release "The Bones Beneath My Skin" is now available. Nor does it change the fact that I'm highly recommending you to go and buy it - ebook or print - settle down with the beverage of your choice, and lose yourself in a remarkable story written by one of the more talented young authors writing today. 

"The Lightning-Struck Heart" is the first book in a four-book
series. I'm actually not as fond of this series as
some of his others, but it's tremendously
popular and the characters will stay
with you for a long time. 

What makes a great author for me? It's got to be someone who can pull me into a book within the first few pages, and make me sad to leave it behind at the end. It's someone writing something I think back on - the plot or the characters - having it pop into my head at odd times, and sometimes reading and re-reading it time and time again. It's got to be someone writing a book that's well-crafted, well-researched and well edited - no typos, no mixed character names, no slippery time issues. I've read 1000's of books in my life, not many authors are on my "must read anything they write" list. TJ Klune is one of those rare authors for me. I'll read anything he writes. I enjoy his angst more than his humor, but that's just my preference. 

TJ's favorite book is this one - "How To Be A Normal
Person". If you just want to stick your toe into the
vast pond of his works, this wouldn't be a bad start
for you. 

So I'm urging you to give yourself a treat today. Purchase a unique book with characters that won't leave you for a long time, and enjoy some talented writing. It's a great way to spend your weekend. Does it have to be the one I'm recommending to you? Of course not. But grab a book - a good book in a genre you adore - and settle down for a weekend of down-time and immersion. You deserve it. Have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back on Monday. 

Books, To Be Read Lists, and Libraries

We're creeping through the month. Samhain is next week, and then it's November! I'm also creeping along - and trying to get something accomplished on my holiday cards each day. Yesterday morning I finished the first image on the cover, now I need to move onward to either the interior or the top heading for the cover. I'm uncertain about which direction I want to move next, so it's just as well I have a day at home today to work on the envelopes instead. If everything works well (my initial test was "meh") I'll have a nice decoration on the back of the envelope. If today's second test also turns out "meh", I'll scrap the initial idea and look for a different direction or a different material to work with. 

Since I'm talking about books, let's look at some libraries. This is
the Geisel Library in California. Great architecture with
lots of light through those windows. 

I made the mistake - well, not so much a "mistake" as a "giving in to temptation" - of revisiting a three-book series by a favorite author over the past week+. I don't regret the time spent with my nose in her books. Far from it - I certainly wouldn't waste my time reading them if I didn't enjoy them. I was reading them because I wanted to revisit the backstory for her current books four and five - four which I read earlier this month, and five which just got released a few days ago. It's been wonderful to dive back into her world, but the only books of hers on my TBR list were books 4 and 5, so my list keeps growing. 

I've had photos of the Kansas City library before, although this is one
of the nicer photos. I'm not sure if the library is in the Missouri or the
Kansas side, though. It could be either/or. 

I never mind having a long TBR list, though. I actually had one point earlier this year when there were only three or four books on my TBR from this year, and a few carry-overs from earlier years. I was almost panicked, but by the time I got to the bottom of those few books, the list had grown once again. It jumped a LOT, a week or so ago. I had more than 20 ebooks stacked up in my Barnes & Noble shopping cart. It took a while to enter all of those titles into my list after I checked out. Now I'm happy. I have a lot of fun books to work through on that list, and a few that I will move up the pile to be priority reads - just because - LOL. 

Here's a library I hadn't seen before. The Beinecke Rare Book and
Manuscript Library at New Haven, Connecticut, is one I'm unfamiliar
with, but it looks really interesting. I'd love a look at this building and
how it functions. 

Do you keep a TBR list? There's something wonderful about checking books off the list and looking back at the end of each year. Maybe it's a good thing there's still 2+ months left in the year, I'll be able to check off more books. I'm wrapping this up and moving along. It's my "day off" and the schedule is crowded, as usual. Have a fabulous Wednesday and I'll be back tomorrow.