Well, I ended up skipping last week, so I'm starting the year with a double week. It's actually a bit shorter than usual, since after the Cybils I had a brief spurt of rereading some old favorites and then a reading slowdown. Speaking of the Cybils, check out the finalists! My nonfiction team met in a marathon session and hammered out our lists; hope you like them!
Anyway, Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a good holiday or holidays, whatever you celebrate. It was a quiet one for us; the first time my boys have had a Christmas without the Gramma, and I think only my second time not to be with extended family for the holiday. It's also the first time in over a decade I rang in the New Year with my sons; usually they have Christmas with me and New Year with their dad, but we aren't even combining the household bubbles this time.
For Christmas Eve dinner Alexander and Paulos made fresh pasta and Paulos made a sauce (veggie version for Alexander, sausage for the rest of us. I had ordered in some Nabisco chocolate wafers so we had an ice box cake. And an apple pie. And a pumpkin pie (from Costco).
For Christmas Day my sister baked a ham, and I heated up some brie so Alexander could also have a special dish. And there were lots of sides. Then we opened up our presents and got a lot of fruit and chocolates. My sister gave me a Roku! And I got books and a pizza stone and a creme brulee torch. I got the kids mostly warm clothes and a few books.
I went to Han's Deli here and got some bockwurst, and then drove to my little brother's house to share some with him. Well, not to his house, but to a nearby spot, where I did a contactless exchange with my sister-in-law who surprised me with the apple pie. So I could have bockwurst for Boxing Day just like last year. Only all by myself because no one but me around here likes it.
New Years Eve was spaghetti, which is a favorite among everyone but me. So I showed up with some crab-stuffed mushrooms, which I barely had to share since everyone else dislikes either crab or mushrooms. But I was happy! We played games until we got tired (we made it to East Coast New Year) and then went to bed.
For New Years Day I put lucky foods on the menu, but then hid the black-eyed peas so Paulos grabbed the wrong ones. He says he just assumed I had gotten strange organic peas or something and that was why they looked weird. Unfortunately they were much slower cooking so after we nibbled on some greens and enjoyed the taste of the bean dish but not the crunch beans I ordered us some Thai Food. But the Vasilopita came out well!
We also got my nephew to run a Dungeons and Dragon session for us. It took us two sessions to get through the whole thing since we wasted a lot of time goofing around, but everyone was happy. This year my niece joined us, and so did my brother-in-law. I stayed with my healer role, and the entire group deeply committed to the basket weaving back story that Paulos created. I'm also still playing my brother's Tribes game, and it looks like we will make it to the end this time.
I had my triple book club meeting on Zoom last Saturday, but it was relaxing because one group did a pot cast (Ear Hustle) which I listened to while doing some last library runs, and the other two picked books I had read a few months ago. So no pressure.
My currently reading is 26, which is lower than last time? So that's a move in the right direction at least.
The Book Date does a weekly roundup of what people are reading, want to read, or have read each week called "It's Monday! What Are You Reading" so I'll sign up there. Ditto for the children's lit version at either Teach Mentor Texts or Unleashing Readers.
Started
Wolfpack, Abby Wambach. (Young Reader). 2020 Cybils nominee.
Radium Girls, Kate Moore. 2020 Cybils nominee.
Earth Day and the Environmental Movement, Christy Peterson. 2020 Cybils nominee.
Also a frantic leaf through another bundle of books, some of which I'll actually read normally in the next few weeks.
Storm Cursed, Patricia Briggs. A comfort read after the whirlwind. Actually I picked it up to put it away, but then I got stuck.
All Systems Red, Martha Wells. I got a new ipad for Christmas! Guess I'd better practice reading on it.
Artificial Condition, Martha Wells. Practice makes perfect!
Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells. Hmm, I seem to be getting the hang of this ipad reading.
Exit Strategy, Martha Wells. OK, the ibook reader definitely works.
The Magpie Lord, K.J. Charles. I should test the NOOK reader on the ipad as well.
The Doughnut Fix, Jessie Janowitz. Cybils finalist from 2018.
Network Effect, Martha Wells. I mean, obviously I had to keep going, right?
Cog, Greg Van Eekhout. Cybils finalist from 2019.
Completed
Normal, Nathaniel Newman & Magdalena Newman. 2020 Cybils nominee.
Wolfpack, Abby Wambach. (Young Reader). 2020 Cybils nominee.
Radium Girls, Kate Moore. 2020 Cybils nominee.
Walk Toward the Rising Sun, Ger Duany. 2020 Cybils nominee.
Earth Day and the Environmental Movement, Christy Peterson.2020 Cybils nominee.
The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh, Candace Fleming. 2020 Cybils nominee.
Edgar Allan Poe's Tales of Death and Dementia. 2009 Cybils YA Graphic Novel finalist. This is a clear example of a book that is great and that I don't like at all. It completely succeeds in marrying grotesque and distorted sketches with Poe's stories of lunacy and grim demise, but I didn't want to be there while it did it. But I can think of several friends who I would happily give this to and expect them to enjoy it immensely.
A Lady's Code of Misconduct, Meredith Duran. Although I was charmed by the premise, I found their resolutions of their emotional problems a bit of a slog. He was great as an evil mustache twirling villain but not quite as interesting when he started recovering from his amnesia. But it went fast once I actually had time to read it so it's fine for what it does. Amnesia and fake marriage (or maybe it's real!) make for a fun combination.
All Systems Red, Martha Wells. I like reading on the ipad. I had fun messing a bit with fonts and display while hanging out with Murderbot and seeing it fall for Dr Mensah's team.
Artificial Condition, Martha Wells. There's something very comforting about Murderbot in 2020. I wish it patrolled my neighborhood (it would hate patrolling my neighborhood).
Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells. Murderbot fans: Do you think ART would have been sarcastic at Miki?
Exit Strategy, Martha Wells. OK, the iBook reader definitely works on my ipad.
The Magpie Lord, K.J. Charles. I should test the NOOK reader on the ipad as well. And also, I really enjoyed seeing these guys romp around doing magic and adventure.
The Doughnut Fix, Jessie Janowitz. Cybils finalist from 2018. I really liked this, both for the realistic bits and the slightly exaggerated bits. It shows kids with different kinds of smarts (Tristan's sister is Gifted and Talented, but Tristan is better at compassion and morality). There's independence and strength, and a good doughnut recipe. I like how Tristan understands the flaws of his family but loves them anyway.
Bookmarks Moved (Or Languished) In:
Uncompromising Honor 43/??, David Weber. Baen Free Radio Hour's serial. All my podcast time went to Ear Hustle because one of my book clubs did that podcast for December.
Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James. Sword and Laser pick.
A Long Time Until Now, Michael Z Williamson.
Children of Time, Adrian Tchaikovsky.
The Pleasant Profession of Robert A Heinlein, Farah Mendelson. Hugo finalist.
The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton. I have optimistically rechecked this out. So far no time.
Someplace To Be Flying, Charles de Lint.
The Bourne Supremacy, Robert Ludlum.
Return of the Thief, Megan Whalen Turner. ACK!
The Wine-Dark Sea, Patrick O'Brien. My Tuesday book club book.
An Extraordinary Union, Alyssa Cole.
Sucker Punch, Laurell K. Hamilton. Anita Black is a sweet summer child who is learning the emotional intelligence kids here discover in kindergarten and now she is excitedly sharing it with her equally clueless serial killer co-workers.
Games of Deception, Andrew Maraness. Cybils 2020 nominee. World War II books are my jam.
Frederica, Georgette Heyer. We're due to read it in December and discuss in January. Oops, it's January so I'd better finish it.
A Bride's Story Vol 9, Kaoru Mari. Out of sheer defiance.
Picture Books / Short Stories:
Modern Art Explorer, Alice Harmon. 2020 Cybils nominee.
Leaves, David Ezra Stein. 2007 Cybils picture book finalist. Simple and sweet story about a bear who gets scared when the leaves fall because they are his friends. Reassuringly, after a quick nap (winter) he wakes up to find them restored.
Clear parallels to toddlers who have misplaced something, because they should just go to bed and maybe get lucky in the morning. But the gentle pictures do not tend towards this symbolic meaning; sometimes a cosy bear is just a bear.
Katie Loves the Kittens, Jim Himmelman. 2008 Cybils picture book finalist. This was a cheerful and good natured book with a great sibling message. The dog loves the new arrival, but it's very hard to act appropriately when there is so much excitement and your body just wants to bound and howl. I liked that the adult (well, the kid) also gently accuses Katie of not liking the new kittens, which is hard for Katie when she actually just loves them a little too much. I think there should be a steady diet of books where capable little things love their new siblings even if they aren't that maternal about it.
Great book, and a great message underneath.
Harlem Grown, Tony Hillery. Picture book about the gardening project started in Harlem to give kids both something to do and something to eat, by encouraging kids to grow gardens in abandoned lots. True story!
Abe Lincoln Cross a Creek, Deborah Hopkinson. 2008 Cybils picture book finalist. The tall tale aspect is my favorite part, especially when she rolls the story back to try a different tact, or she begs the illustrator to lower the risk level. It's a fun story of a historical figure and his lesser known sidekick.
Chester's Back, Melanie Watts. 2008 Cybils picture book finalist. Fun if not as innovative as the first one. Kids would have a lot of fun reading this with a parent or friend. I mean, mine would’ve.
Wabi Sabi, Mark Reibstein. 2008 Cybils picture book finalist. The cat is a great character, and I loved approaching the feeling of wabi sabi from so many different aspects and through the collage illustrations and the haikus. And I assumed the Japanese characters were translations of the haikus on the page but the back says they are from famous Japanese haikus, so cool!
I'm not sure I could have sold my kids on the picture book when we were reading aloud, though. The sideways illustrations might have interested them, and if they were in a philosophical mood I could get them thinking about the concepts. A bit hit or miss though.
A Visitor For Bear, Bonny Becker. 2008 Cybils picture book finalist. I see where this is great for kids, but I was very stressed. I strongly disliked that mouse, and was annoyed to see that the bear needed it. I hate when people ignore my wishes, and hate it even more when they are right. So a great message, and apparently I'm still learning it.
Jeremy Draws a Monster, Peter McCarty. 2009 Cybils picture book finalist. I have many questions. Why did Jeremy never leave the house? Is the Monster the projection of his anxieties? Where did he learn to play soccer? This sounds like I didn't like it, but on the contrary I found it a lot of fun to read. The overall effect was a bit surreal but very satisfying.
"Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory," Martha Wells. Murderbot as seen from Dr Mensah's eyes.
Palate Cleansers
These books I'm barely reading; I use them as palate cleansers between books I'm actually reading.
The Educated Child, William Bennett. How to communicate with the school, and what to do if you think the teacher isn't doing the right things.
Wool, Hugh Howey.
Sorcerer to the Crown, Zen Cho.
Under the Eye of the Storm, John Hersey.
Dates From Hell, Kim Harrison & others. Short stories from my shelves.
Reading and Learning to Read, Jo Anne Vaca. I like reading about evaluations from the teacher side of things.
Reading Challenges
- Cybils 2017. None. I just need 3 YA books to be done. But YA is hard.
- Cybils 2018. Finished Middle Grade Fiction. Hooray!
- Cybils 2019. Started Cog.
- Cybils 2020. Well, I've already finished all the nonfiction books...
- Early Cybils: Read some picture books.
- Reading My Library. Nothing.
- Ten to Try. Restarted!
- Where Am I Reading: 33/51 states. Added Maine and Illinois. 29 Countries. Added Portugal.
I'm putting this at the end because I suspect it's complete fiction, but I feel I should attempt some structure.
I am reading:
- Book I own: Return of the Thief. Next: A Deadly Education
- Library Book: The Bride Vol 9. Next: No idea.
- Ebook I own: An Extraordinary Union. Up Next: No idea.
- Library Ebook: Games of Deception. Next: Luminaries
- Book Club Book: Frederica. Next: The Chai Factor.
- Tuesday Book Club Book: Wine Dark Sea. Next/also: Somewhere To Be Flying until we pick something.
- Review Book: None. Up Next: Not sure.
- Hugo Book: The Pleasant Profession of Robert A Heinlein. Next: Joanna Russ.
- Rereading: The Network Effect. Up Next. Storm Cursed
9 comments:
I love that Dungeons and Dragons is still often played and popular. I’m sure part of that has to do with Stranger Things. My husband had a big D&D game night with several other adults and they had such fun — keep meaning to have another game night. For Christmas, my husband bought it to play with our 15 year old. Since then, our son has been talking about how much he’s enjoying just reading all the details of the game. On books, let’s see. I keep thinking the Radium Girls book everyone’s talking about is what I have, but I just double-checked and I guess I have the adult edition. Hmmm. And I giggled over your comments on the Martha Wells Murderbot Diaries books — glad they can be of assistance with your new iPad! HAHA! I really enjoyed book #1 and need to carve out some time for the rest of the series. Hope you have a fantastic week, Beth!
I love your reading challenge s for the year. I'm working my way through CYBILS books too.
So many lists and I pulled some titles to put on mine. I love Bonnie Becker's bear books & have them all, really sweet books! And Wabi Sabi is a favorite, too. It sounds like you had a wonderful time on Christmas and New Year's. I hope you continue to have lots of fun reading and getting together with family, no matter the way in 2021.
Wow! What a great assortment of books! Having so many that are started but not finished would produce a lot of anxiety for me. I either have to finish what I start or firmly decide to abandon it (and get it off my list!) Come see my week here. Happy reading!
I'm impressed with how many books you've been reading! Amazing!
I'm glad you were able to make the best of the holidays despite the pandemic! Congrats on getting a Roku—it's always nice to be able to watch TV on an actual TV instead of an iPad like I usually do. It sounds like you're reading a great selection of books! Thanks for the great post!
That's a lot of books at once. Enjoy.
Thanks so much for being a first level Cybils judge. I've put holds on all the books I can get to read to read all the graphic novels as a judge for the finalists in the graphic novel category. Luckily I have read most of them already, but I will still end up reading them again.
I am so excited to see that you have become a Murderbot fan! I adore this series and am somewhat evangelical about spreading the word.
My sons play Dungeons and Dragons. I contemplated asking if they would start a new game with my husband and myself so we could learn, but then gave my head a shake. Both have two small children.
I really enjoyed The Doughnut Fix. One of those books that made me laugh out loud. I have the sequel, just haven't gotten to it yet.
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