I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted by the wonderful Kim of Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where participants recap our week, talk about what we are reading, share any new books that have come our way, and whatever else we want to talk about. I am also linking to Stacking the Shelves hosted by the great Team Tynga's Reviews and Marlene of Reading Reality a meme in which participants share what new books came their way recently. I am linking up to Nicole of Feed Your Addiction's Monthly Wrap-Up Post, where any book bloggers who write monthly wrap-up posts can link up and visit other bloggers to see what they have been reading.
Happy New Year! I hope December ended on a high note for all of you, and January got off to a great start. We brought in the New Year in our usual quiet way. This year we gave my daughter the choice of staying up until midnight or celebrating early at East Coast time. She chose to celebrate early. I think we actually rang in the new year just before 9:30 p.m. We banged our pots and pans, enjoyed hot fudge sundaes, and I think only my husband was awake at midnight to see the actual new year begin. Did you do anything special to bring in the new year?
If you haven’t already, be sure and check out my 2018: A Year in Review post, in which I talk about some of my favorite books read this past year. Can you believe 2018 is already over? How did your 2018 in reading shape up?
I have not thought too far ahead into my reading year for 2019. My reading goals are fairly loose, which means I have quite a bit of wiggle room. And as we all know, there is not shortage of books out there for us to read. I look forward to seeing what all of you end up reading--as well as myself.
Have a Happy New Year, and here’s to another great year in books!
New to My Shelves:
All of us made out this Christmas book-wise.
Mine:
I Love Coloring
The Witches of New York by Ami McKay
This Side of Murder (Verity Kent, #1) by Anna Lee Huber
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Mouse’s:
Break the Fossil Record (Ivy + Bean, #3) by Annie Barrows & Sophie Blackall
Take Care of the Babysitter (Ivy + Bean, #4) by Annie Barrows & Sophie Blackall
Ivy + Bean by Annie Barrows & Sophie Blackall
Magic Kitten: A Christmas Surprise by Sue Bentley
Magic Puppy: Snowy Wishes by Sue Bentley
Stick Cat: A Tail of Two Kitties by Tom Watson
The Princess in Black and the Science Fair Scare by Shannon Hale & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms: The Dance of the Realms by Calliope Glass, illustrated by Marco Bucci
Disney’s Nutcracker and the Four Realms: A Center Stage-Pop-Up Book
Anjin’s:
Endless Quest: Big Trouble by Matt Forbeck
Wrong Time, Wrong Place (Criminal, Vol. 7) by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips
Anthony Bourdain’s Hungry Ghosts
Eat Like Walt: The Wonderful World of Disney Food by Marcy Carriker Smothers
Art & Arcana: A Visual History by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, John Peterson, & Sam Witwer
What I Am Reading: I began my year with Anna Lee Huber’s This Side of Murder, my first by the author. I thoroughly enjoyed this historical mystery set just after World War I. Verity is a formidable heroine, and Huber seems destined for my favorite historical mystery author list if her other books are this good.
I had thought about taking a break from the bigger classics this year after doubling up on such big ones this past year, but Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra is calling to me. Everywhere I turn lately there are references to this book and its characters, not to mention my daughter’s dance studio is putting on a ballet version this summer (not that Mouse will be performing in it--that's still up in the air). It must be a sign! I am really looking forward to giving this book a try. I am reading the Edith Grossman translation. Have any of you read it? If so, what did you think? I have seen the musical, The Man of La Mancha, which I liked, and so I am a little familiar with the story. [Edited to add: I just discovered Nick of One Catholic Life is doing a Chapter-A-Day Read-Along for Don Quixote. I am so out of the loop! I may have to jump in on his schedule to read the book. He always does such amazing posts about the backgrounds of the books he reads.]
Next up on my TBR pile is Pam Jenoff's The Lost Girls of Paris. I have been avoiding signing up for too many virtual book tours, as tempting as they might be (I only did two last year), but this one caught my attention, and I am really looking forward to reading it.
I had thought about taking a break from the bigger classics this year after doubling up on such big ones this past year, but Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra is calling to me. Everywhere I turn lately there are references to this book and its characters, not to mention my daughter’s dance studio is putting on a ballet version this summer (not that Mouse will be performing in it--that's still up in the air). It must be a sign! I am really looking forward to giving this book a try. I am reading the Edith Grossman translation. Have any of you read it? If so, what did you think? I have seen the musical, The Man of La Mancha, which I liked, and so I am a little familiar with the story. [Edited to add: I just discovered Nick of One Catholic Life is doing a Chapter-A-Day Read-Along for Don Quixote. I am so out of the loop! I may have to jump in on his schedule to read the book. He always does such amazing posts about the backgrounds of the books he reads.]
Next up on my TBR pile is Pam Jenoff's The Lost Girls of Paris. I have been avoiding signing up for too many virtual book tours, as tempting as they might be (I only did two last year), but this one caught my attention, and I am really looking forward to reading it.
What I Am Watching: On Christmas Day, we went to see Mary Poppins Returns. Mouse loved it. I enjoyed it too—although maybe not quite as enthusiastically. It was a bit darker than the original, but follows a very similar format as the first movie.
My mom was nice enough to give my husband and I that rare opportunity to go out just the two of us, and so we enjoyed dinner out and then went to see Aquaman. These superhero movies are my guilty pleasure you could say. We both liked the movie quite a bit.
For Christmas I received a copy of The Greatest Showman and so finally got to see it. I love the music. I think we all enjoyed it for the most part, although weren’t quite as blown away as we perhaps hoped to be given all the praise it’s received.
My mom was nice enough to give my husband and I that rare opportunity to go out just the two of us, and so we enjoyed dinner out and then went to see Aquaman. These superhero movies are my guilty pleasure you could say. We both liked the movie quite a bit.
For Christmas I received a copy of The Greatest Showman and so finally got to see it. I love the music. I think we all enjoyed it for the most part, although weren’t quite as blown away as we perhaps hoped to be given all the praise it’s received.
Off the Blog:
December started out quite busy for us with all things dance related. The Nutcracker performances went well, and I am so glad my brother and his wife were able to come, as well as my mom and aunt. I was able to get off work early one afternoon to attend Mouse’s school holiday concert. It was a lot of fun seeing the five second grade classes come together to perform. We had a small, quiet Christmas, which was nice. Not that our Christmases are every rambunctious and loud events. Mouse was all smiles, which made this mother’s heart glad. We finished off the month by attending Disney On Ice: Dare to Dream show, which we enjoyed, Mouse especially. It is back to school this week for Mouse. Getting her up tomorrow will be hard, I am sure. We all had a nice visit with my mom and are sad to see her go.
Our new tree topper
New napping spot?
Disney on Ice (too bad those books aren't real . . . )
One of our house guests over the holidays
December in Review:
Here is what I finished reading in December:
- Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
- War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- A Holiday Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
- A Brazen Curiosity by Lynn Messina
- Wishing Crossing Station by February Grace
- Educated by Tara Westover
- Tales of the Fae by L.J. Hamlin
I ended up reading all three of my December TBR List selections last month. Of the three, the regency mystery, A Brazen Curiosity was my favorite. Thanks to everyone who voted in the poll (be sure and vote in this month’s)!
I also finished my two year-long reads, Les Misérables and War and Peace. When I finished War and Peace, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. It was a long journey, but well worth it. I loved Les Misérables. I can see myself reading it again someday.
I hadn’t intended to read the memoir Educated any time soon, but my mom loaned me a copy, and I started it one afternoon since it was the closest book around. It’s gotten much love since it came out this past year, and I can see why.
Then I was so close to hitting the 60 book mark for the year, that I slipped in the book Tales of the Fae, which is comprised of three romantic short stories. There wasn’t much to them, and I ultimately was disappointed. But, hey, I reached 60! Overall, December turned out to be a good reading month. I managed to finish more than three books!
On the blogging front, I was able to post more than I anticipated, but I was not able to do much blog visiting, unfortunately. Too little time on the computer. I hope to remedy that this month. I have missed our visits and seeing what you all are up to.
I also finished my two year-long reads, Les Misérables and War and Peace. When I finished War and Peace, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. It was a long journey, but well worth it. I loved Les Misérables. I can see myself reading it again someday.
I hadn’t intended to read the memoir Educated any time soon, but my mom loaned me a copy, and I started it one afternoon since it was the closest book around. It’s gotten much love since it came out this past year, and I can see why.
Then I was so close to hitting the 60 book mark for the year, that I slipped in the book Tales of the Fae, which is comprised of three romantic short stories. There wasn’t much to them, and I ultimately was disappointed. But, hey, I reached 60! Overall, December turned out to be a good reading month. I managed to finish more than three books!
On the blogging front, I was able to post more than I anticipated, but I was not able to do much blog visiting, unfortunately. Too little time on the computer. I hope to remedy that this month. I have missed our visits and seeing what you all are up to.
This Past December In Reading Mews:
- Sunday Mews: Happy December & December TBR List Poll
- Bookish Thoughts: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
- Waiting to Read Wednesday (#26)
- December's TBR List Poll Winner!
- Bells, Spells, and Murders by Carol J. Perry
- Waiting to Read Wednesday (#27)
- Season's Greetings!
- Bookish Thoughts (Mini Reviews): A Holiday by Gaslight, A Brazen Curiosity, & Wishing Cross Station
- Bookish Thoughts: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
- Bookish Thoughts: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
- Books Read in 2018
- First Sentences of 2018
- Last Sentences of 2018 (*Spoiler Warning*)
Tell me what you have been up to! What are you reading, listening to and watching? How was your December? Do you have anything planned for this month?
*
Thank you for helping me decide what book from my TBR collection I should read next:
My TBR List is a meme hosted by the awesome Michelle at Because Reading. It’s a fun way to choose a book from your TBR pile to read. The 1st Sunday of every month, I will list 3 books I am considering reading and take a poll as to which you think I should read. I will read the winner that month, and my review will follow (unfortunately, not likely in the same month, but eventually--that's all I can promise).
I thought I would start off the year with a poll featuring books in three of my favorite series. I am anxious to read all of these and hope to get to them this year. Which do you think I should read first?
Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.
Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.
Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap… [Goodreads Summary]
New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop returns to her world of the Others, as humans struggle to survive in the shadow of shapeshifters and vampires far more powerful than themselves…
After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness…
As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings.
With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave. [Goodreads Summary]
In the latest novel in Genevieve Cogman's historical fantasy series, the fate of worlds lies in the balance. When a dragon is murdered at a peace conference, time-travelling Librarian spy Irene must solve the case to keep the balance between order, chaos . . . and the Library.
When Irene returns to London after a relatively straightforward book theft in Vienna, Bradamant informs her that there is a top secret dragon-Fae peace conference in progress that the Library is mediating, but that the second-in-command dragon has been stabbed to death. Tasked with solving the case, Vale and Irene immediately go to 1890s Paris.
Once they arrive, it seems that the murder victim had uncovered evidence suggesting that he may have found proof of treachery by one or more Librarians. But to ensure the peace of the conference, some Librarians are already hostages in the dragon and Fae courts. To save the captives, including her parents, Irene must get to the bottom of this murder—but was it dragon, Fae, or even a Librarian who committed the crime? [Goodreads Summary]
Thank you for voting! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Reading!
© 2019, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
You had a wonderfully busy holiday. I do enjoy seeing picture and videos of the cats that climb the Christmas trees. I just love those furry house guests, they don't complain, lol. I also need to read Etched in Bone, I'm not sure why I've been holding out on finishing it. Have a lovely week ahead and enjoy your new reads.
ReplyDeleteJovita - Yes, they are the best kind of house guests. LOL
DeleteI am glad I am not the only hold out on Etched in Bone. Hopefully we both love it when we do read it.
Have a great week too!
Aww what a fun New Years! And hot fudge sundaes haha- that sounds awesome! Glad it was great.
ReplyDeleteLove the pics with the cat and the tree. My cats were fascinated with ours too and are going to miss it when we take it down (yes it's still up haha). Soon though... maybe tomorrow. :)
Greg - You cannot go wrong with a hot fudge sundae. :-)
DeleteDid you get your tree down? I'll be curious to see if my husband pulls ours down while I am at work today (he has the day off).We got most of the other decorations down this weekend.
Thanks for stopping by!
Yes it is down now! We took it down a couple days ago and I love having the space back, but I think the cats miss their favorite hiding spot!
DeleteHappy New Year Wendy!! It sounds like you've got a good new start of the year. I had to work December 30th till January 1st so I stayed up, but went strayed to bed after it hit 12. LOL!!
ReplyDeleteI definitely would like to start reading the The Others series by Anne Bishop. I have the first book on Audio but haven't been able to listen to it so far.
Have a great week and happy reading!
Maureen - Happy New Year to you as well! I'm sorry you had to work on 12/31. That'll probably be me this year given the way the holiday falls.
DeleteI hope you love the Others series when you get to it. I just love it.
I hope you have a great week too!
Happy New year. I had a quiet new years in which I love to do. I read 78 books in 2018 which am happy with but I will get to 80 this year. Have a great week.
ReplyDeleteMegan @ reading away the days
Megan - I prefer the quiet ones too. :-)
DeleteSounds like you had a good reading year! Good luck with your goal for this year. I know you can do it!
Have a great week too.
I loved Aquaman as well. I am glad Mouse enjoyed Mary Poppins. Have a great week ahead.
ReplyDeleteGayathri @ Elgee Writes
Gayathri - Thank you! I hope you have a great week too.
DeleteEducated is amazing!! I'm glad you had a quiet Christmas - it sounds great!! And congrats on all performances having gone well!!
ReplyDeleteEustacia - Educated was good. I am glad you enjoyed it too!
DeleteIt was a relief to have a break after the performances. Dance classes have resumed and auditions for the summer shows are on the horizon. Mouse is still trying to decide if she wants to be in one.
Thanks for visiting!
All the best to Mouse, should she decide she wants to be in another performance!
DeleteLol, we used to have a kitten that climbed our tree all the time. We had to tie on the fragile ornaments. Now our cats are too chunky and lazy to attempt it.
ReplyDeleteI voted for you to continue The Others series. I love it!
I also have that same coloring book :) I do enjoy chilling out while listening to the tv sometimes. And Anna Lee Huber is one of my favorite authors, but I've only read her Lady Darby series. I am nervous about starting the Verity Kent one and then not enjoying it as much as the others. Enjoy them all!
Rita - My other cats would nestle into the lower branches for a nap in the past, but Nina is the first to aim for the top. LOL We ended up taking the decorations down soon after she discovered how fun it was to climb the tree.
DeleteThank you for voting! I need to get back to the Others series. I don't know why I string these series along when I like them so much ...
I really enjoyed Huber's first Verity Kent book, but I have nothing to compare it too yet. I do want to check out her earlier books,and am glad you enjoy her Darby series.
Thanks for stopping by!
Your holiday season sounds fabulous! I love all those books under your tree. Our nephew was the only one here to receive a book. :/
ReplyDeleteI tried to go to bed early but the fireworks around here woke me up before midnight. Large fireworks are legal here and people go crazy with them certain days of the year.
I loved the first Mary Poppins so much, I just don't think I want to see the new one.
Kathy - I can always count on my husband to gift me a book or two for Christmas. :-) And then my Aunt knew I wanted Michelle Obama's book and warned me not to get it. Most people just give me bookstore gift cards because they are afraid to buy me books. Haha
DeleteI was surprised I didn't hear any fireworks as we usually do. They aren't legal where I live, but people usually do set them off or shoot their guns anyway.
Thanks for visiting!
I like your house guest but your tree topper is scary. (I'm also deathly allergic to cats) Your three choices for January are OUTSTANDING. I have read and loved them all. I went with my favorite author Ilona Andrews but The Mortal Word is current and I gave it 5 stars. It's my favorite in that series. Anne - Books of My Heart
ReplyDeleteAnne - I'm allergic to cats too. Although my system has grown to tolerate my two-with the constant help of allergy medicine. I know though some people have it worse though. Whenever I visit my in laws who have cats, my nose and eyes immediately react. :-(
DeleteThank you for voting and stopping by!
I saw your comment on another blog. The Passage by Justin Cronin is free on Audible until February 1. If you don't have an account you could do the 30 day trial, pick anything for free and then also get this for free. I am not an affiliate or anything I just wanted you to know it's free right now. Carole told me. The link is on my blog facebook page.
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/BooksofMyHeart/posts/328894261048293
Thank you, Anne!
DeleteLove that you all had book from Santa! Books are such a great gift, don't you think! :)
ReplyDeleteI hope your furbaby didn't knock over the tree, ours were so good for their first Christmas. They only bothered with it a few times but never climbed it.
I hope you have the most wonderful week ever, Wendy! Happy Reading! xx
Michelle - Books make the best gifts. :-) This is the first year I didn't give everyone on my gift list books and I felt bad about that. At least my daughter and husband got books from me.
DeleteOur tree miraculously remained standing even with our little climber. LOL She sure made it shake though. I'm glad yours didn't try to climb your tree. I knew Nina would. She's just that kind of cat. Fearless and crazy.
Have a great week too!
Did your tree fall down? Kitty looks precarious!
ReplyDeleteJeane - No, amazingly enough she didn't bring it down. It shook a little as she scrambled up, but not enough to worry us it would tip.
DeleteThanks for visiting!
The kitty in the tree!!!! I love that you guys had hot fudge sundaes to celebrate NYE! I'll take that over champagne any day!
ReplyDeleteJinjer - You can't go wrong with hot fudge sundaes. :-) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWe stayed home and rang in the New Year with the pups. We always pop a bottle of champagne and the boys get so excited and run around chasing the cork. Books are always awesome gifts no matter what the occasion. The guest is just so darn cute and I love the new tree topper :)
ReplyDeleteBarb - We had Martinelli's apple cider to ring in the new year. :-) I can just picture your dogs chasing after the cork. That's too funny.
DeleteThanks for visiting!
It sounds like you enjoyed the holidays. I stayed up for the traditional ringing in the new year but almost missed it until the neighbors set off their fireworks. LOL Enjoy all of those lovely new books and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteMy Sunday Post
Laura - Thank you! We had a nice holiday. More or less quiet,which I like. I hope you have a Happy New Year too!
DeleteI've never read Anne Bishop, but I love those covers! The hair, especially.
ReplyDeleteThis Side of Murder sounds good...and someday I want to read War and Peace...again. It has been many years.
Don Quixote reminds me of the musical I saw in Sacramento way back when I was young...Man of La Mancha. It was theater in the round.
Your cat in the tree is the cutest!
I enjoyed Educated. Have a great week, and thanks for visiting my blog.
Laurel-Rain - I really like the Meg's hair on the cover of Etched in Bone too. :-)
DeleteThis Side of Murder was so good! I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Was it the Music Circus? I used to love to see shows there when I lived in Sacramento. The Man of La Mancha is a great show.
I hope you have a great week too!
Oh, I'm jealous of your being able to finish Les Mis. I'm familiar with the story, having read abridged versions in French class and I've seen the musical (which is wonderful), but I petered out around 400-some pages. Victor Hugo's writing style just KILLS me; his constant side-chapters about things like architecture are enough to make my brain scream (I read Hunchback out loud to my son when we were homeschooling and both of us were ready to throw the book during some of the 372489374932-page long asides). Maybe I'll try to reread it one day...
ReplyDeleteThe cat in the tree!!!! I always duct tape my tree down because I'm *so* terrified of my cats doing just that- fortunately, they never have...yet. Your kitty is seriously adorable, I love torties. :)
Happy New Year!
Stephanie - I can see how Les Misérables wouldn't be for everyone. I loved it though. There actually wasn't a lot about architecture in this one, but I've heard in Hunchback, Hugo does go on about the various Paris structures a bit. That's not one I've read yet.
DeleteYou really take precautions with your tree! Our tree was never at risk of falling over. It was pretty sturdy in its stand. Maybe if our kitty was older and bigger ... I almost hate to take the tree down. She gets so much fun out of having it up.
Thank you for stopping by!
Look at all those lovely books underneath the tree for everyone! Your new tree topper looks great :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you are having a great start to the year and I look forward to hearing about all of your adventures!
Iliana - Thank you! We are all eager to dive into our new books. And in some cases already have. :-)
DeleteThanks for visiting.
Glad you had a lovely Christmas and New Year.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed Aquaman and I loved The Greatest Showman... Mostly because of the music!
Nicci - The music in The Greatest Showman is really good. :-) Thanks for visiting!
DeleteWe had a low key new years eve as well - though we did stay up until midnight. Smart of Mouse to pick the early celebration, as she probably wouldn't have made it to midnight!
ReplyDeleteHope you have a good week, with Mouse going back to school!
Berls - She very nearly ended up staying up until midnight anyway, but I'm glad she decided to celebrate early. :-)
DeleteI hope you have a good week too! My husband sends Mouse to school in the mornings since I'm usually already gone by the time they wake up. I heard she had a rough start this morning. I think we all did. :-(
Happy New Year to you, Wendy! So happy to hear about your time with your family. Mouse is thriving and your kitty in the tree pics are hilarious! I'm so in awe of your quests to read those long, long classics, though I have been reading/listening to a long saga myself by Herman Wouk (WWII saga). Good luck with Don Quixote. I read that in college and that's all I'll say about that. Ha! By the way, I love the superhero movies too, though we haven't gotten to see Aquaman and may not before it leaves theaters. We're in the middle of football playoffs and basketball - both college and professional. If we don't see it at the theater, we'll catch it at home when it comes out. Have a good week!
ReplyDeleteKay - Happy New Year to you too, Kay! At least Don Quixote is under 1000 pages. :-) I hope you have a great week!
DeleteNew books are the best. And I love that pic of your cat in the Christmas tree! It'd make a great card. :)
ReplyDeleteLark - I may have to use that photo for next year's card :-) Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWhat can I say? I'm a sucker for libraries, librarians and invisible things so THE MORTAL WORD is a natural pick :) And OOoooo to Disney on Ice. Went when my son was little, maybe 30 years ago. Beautiful. Magical :) And so are STACKS of BOOKS! Love seeing the pics :D
ReplyDeleteDonna Marie - It is a good series so I don't think I can go wrong with that one. Besides, like you, I can't resist a library.
DeleteMouse loved Disney on Ice. Now she wants to go ice skating. 😊
I’m glad you are reading along with the Don Quixote group. I’m enjoying DQ very much. It feels so relaxing to simply read a chapter a day.
ReplyDeleteDeb - I'm so glad you mentioned the read-along on your blog. I am enjoying DQ too. A chapter a day makes these longer reads less daunting. It helps that the chapters aren't too long. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteI always do low-key New Year's celebrations as well. This year I worked at pajama party at work, where we rang in the 2019 at 9pm, then came back to where I'm staying and worked on getting my new theme ready to go live. I was in bed by 12:15.
ReplyDeleteMichelle - Sometimes the quiet New Year's are the best. Thank you for visiting!
DeleteHappy New Year! That's so cool that you're tackling another big classic this year. It has been ages since I read Don Quixote but I remember enjoying it. I hope to be starting The Lost Girls of Paris sometime in the next week or so. It sounds so good!
ReplyDeleteSuzanne - Happy New Year to you as well! I am enjoying The Lost Girls of Paris so far and hope you will too.
DeleteHaha, look at that kitty in the tree. I’m glad you had a good Christmas. Enjoy your new books!
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
AJ - She's a ham. :-) Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteI really loved Michelle's book. I found that I could pick it up and put it down in between things but each time I was eager to get back to it. It's pretty darn good and makes me miss that family even more.
ReplyDeleteTi - I am looking forward to reading it. I miss them too. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteBelated new year greetings. It has been very hectic in my house from the last week of December as hubby fell ill. Hopefully things will change for the better. I liked your long post as it is so warm.
ReplyDeleteMy reading has been good. Nothing like hours spent on a hospital bench to spend reading!
Mystica - I hope your husband is feeling better. I was sorry to hear he has been ill. You must be worn out too. Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteBelated Happy New Year :) I can see you had an awesome Christmas holiday celebrations. Loved all your pics.
ReplyDeleteYou are having an amazing reading time. Wow, you read so many huge classics. I hope 2019 is even better for you :)
Sim - Thank you! I hope you have a great new year too!
DeleteSounds like you had a great holiday. I really need to read Becoming sometime soon. I was signed up to do the year-long reading of Les Mis but I never got close to finishing last year. LOL I might give it a go though as I didn't mind it and I feel like it's going to get even better.
ReplyDelete-Lauren
www.shootingstarsmag.net
Lauren - It was a nice holiday. I hope we both enjoy Becoming when we read it. I think once you get past the chapters about Waterloo, the book really picks up. Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteHope the new year is treating you well so far. I'm looking forward to reading Becoming too. And omg, your cat in the tree. lol!
ReplyDeleteChristy - So far so good. Hopefully it will be a good year over all. I hope we both enjoy Becoming. I've heard only good things about it. We still haven't taken the tree down so Nina can get in her climbing exercise. LOL Thank you for visiting.
DeleteYou've been busy! We were at friends for NYE and Gage came up from playing with his friend and told us he was ready to go at 10:07, lol. I got Becoming too and we're reading it for my book group in February.
ReplyDeleteStacy - It seems a lot of us are going to be reading Becoming this year. :-) It's good to know Mouse isn't the only one who likes to go to bed "early" on New Year's Eve. Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteIt sounds like you have been the best kind of busy lately. I didn't make it until midnight on New Years either. I love your tree topper. Did the kitty ever come close to knocking the tree over? That happened at our house one year. I think you should read all 3 of the books from the list!
ReplyDeleteCarole - She never did knock over the tree. I think if she'd been a bit heavier she just might have though. I want to read all three too! Thank you for visiting!
DeleteWow, looks like you had a great reading month! I still need to watch Mary Poppins Returns and Aquaman, I'm happy to hear you enjoyed them! Loved The Greatest Showman as well!
ReplyDeleteHave a wonderful week!
Lynn - I hope you enjoy both movies when you see them. It was a good reading month overall. Hopefully this month will be too. I hope you have a wonderful week too. Thank you for stopping by!
DeleteFor some reason my comment didn't post from last week. I vame to see if there was a reply. Weird.😕
ReplyDeleteHappy to see everyone received books! The new tree topper is purrfect, ha ha. 😸
Happy New Year. 🎉
La La - I wonder what happened. :-( Hopefully I didn't delete it on accident instead of approving it. She makes a great tree topper, doesn't she? Haha Thank you for visiting. Have a Happy New Year!
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