Roni's Reading in 2024

Hi, I'm Roni. I've been a member of LT since 2007 and an active member of the 75 Book Challenge groups since June of 2008. I read mostly in genre, science fiction and fantasy, but also try to read some nonfiction and mystery.

Welcome to my thread. I love visitors and promise to visit you back.

My 2023 thread is here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/347205.

Goals for 2024:

Read 90 books and 23,000 pages.
Read at least 20 books off my own bookshelves (BOMBs).
Post daily on my own thread and that of at least 2 friends.

Books Read in 2024

1. Butter, Sugar, Magic: A cozy paranormal women's fiction story
by Jessica Rosenberg
2. The Five-Minute Marriage by Joan Aiken
3. Demon Daughter by Lois McMaster Bujold
4. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
5. Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes by Rob Wilkins
6. Death and Relaxation by Devon Monk
7. A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner
8. The Cosmati Prophecy by Jane Thornley
9. Tea and Sympathetic Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts
10. Organizing for the Rest of Us by Dana K. White
11. How to Manage your Home without Losing your Mind by Dana K. White

Welcome. Help yourself to goodies. Here's to reading and friends in 2024!

Happy 2024, dear Roni! *smooch*

Happy reading 2024 😀📖

It’s good to see you here, Roni. I will be traveling to Colorado with DH on Friday. I will wave as we blast by Salina. 👋🏻

Happy New Year of reading. It was so good to catch up with you in Joplin.

Welcome back, Roni!

Hi Roni!

Wishing you a great one!

Good luck with your 2024 reading. You have an ambitious goal!

Happy New Year, Roni!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, Roni! Good luck with your ambitious goals. Actually, 90 books should be relatively easy to read, depending, but getting on LT and posting on 2 friend’s threads every day sounds a bit more than I’m capable of. It’s a good goal, though. I’ll try to do that too. Cheers!

Thank you, Richard, Barbara, Donna, Jim, Susan, Tess (Hi, you're new!), Anne, Beth and Mary! Good to have you drop in. Mary, as you know, 90 books is relatively low for me, but it is what it is. I will read. Where I have fallen down is in my presence on the threads, so that's where I'm putting my effort. And that is NOT ambitious, as it will take me several months to get around to all of you at that rate!

Yay - I found your thread! Happy New Year, Roni!!!

Happy New year Roni!

Looking forward to seeing what new-to-me science fiction and fantasy novels you read this year.

Happy reading in 2024, Roni!

Happy New Year, Roni.

Hi, Ellen, Ardene, Anita and Beth! Welcome!

Day 2 of the new year--ready to head over to Abilene as it's a Mom day, as Tuesdays and Fridays normally are. Mom is 92, in assisted living, and we go out to lunch, I take her to appointments and run errands for her and fill her pill box and get her drinks into the refrigerator and all that. But for the second day in a row I've done my stretches before sitting down with coffee at the computer and playing my computer games. So that's good.

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Currently reading Terry Pratchett: A Life in Footnotes for the nonfiction challenge.

>1 ronincats: love the kitties.

And I've dropped a star.

Happy New Year reading.

Happy new year, Roni, and looking forward to seeing your 2024 reads. Last year saw me reading through a lot of Victoria Goddard books, primarily off your recommendation, so thank you for that!

Happy new year, Roni. Looking forward to your news of reading and potting in the coming year.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year and happy new thread! I look forward to the BBs I always get from you.

Happy new year, Roni! Starring you!

Dropping off my star. Happy reading in 2024!

Hi Roni. It is so very good to see so many returning members of our 75 challenge group. I hope to be more active this year and to visit threads more often. And, certainly yours is one I aim to vist frequently. All good wishes for a wonderful 20204;

>20 ronincats: "...for the second day in a row I've done my stretches before sitting down with coffee at the computer and playing my computer games."

Wow, good for you. I just get up, pour my coffee, and prop up on the couch to do Wordle, Connections, and the Mini Crossword. Maybe I'll start stretching after that little routine!

Happy new year, Roni.

I hope to be better at keeping you company in '24.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Two of my boys kicking back.

Love the cat stretches on your topper, Roni. Good luck with your LT goals, they do seem doable.

Happy new thread and happy new year, Roni.
Chilling like a cat is also a good goal...

>33 ronincats: brothers?

Hi Roni! Happy New Year to you.

>1 ronincats: Of course, cats! Gingers, too. I have two, and love ‘em to pieces. My 3rd is a dilute calico 16.5 years old.

>2 ronincats: Good goals.

>33 ronincats: Sweet boys.

Hi, Meg, Thomas and Fuzzi! Littermates, no, but brothers yes--same feral mom and I would bet the same father, given the coloring. Motley, on the left, is a long-hair, while Gordo has the shortest, sleekest fur ever.

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Just want to say that on Dec. 28, my starter word was word of the day!

Happy New Year, Roni. And hi to your kitties!

>33 ronincats: Love the boys!

Happy New Year! Happy New Thread! I will be looking out for your science fiction and fantasy recommendations in 2024.

Happy New Year Roni. Dropping off a star.

Found and stared.

>33 ronincats: Aww! I miss having at least one cat in the house, but we've had bad luck with our dogs - three out of three could not be convinced to treat a cat as part of their family, rather than prey or a cleverly animated dog toy. Our current dog is so elderly that she probably wouldn't manage to damage any reasonably alert cat, but it still wouldn't be fair to the cat.

So we feed various feral and stray cats, but they don't come into the house, and every once in a while the dog notices one of them in the yard but utterly fails to catch it.

Happy new year, Roni and happy new thread. 42 messages already! Iam dropping my star.

Happy New Year Roni! Wishing you happiness, health and lots of reading adventures in 2024.



Love the cats. It looks like you're off to a great start with your resolutions. I'm hoping you'll be able to post your reading on your thread so ... I can get hit by book bullets ... (wait, what am I saying?)

Happy new year Roni! I hope the year will be good to you and full of good reads.

Hi Roni, I am a little late but Happy New Year. I've placed a star here and I am hoping for a year of good reading, good health and happiness for you.

Best wishes for the New Year. Hope we all have a good year reading.

Thanks for stopping by, Diana, Stasia, Eric, Arlie, Stephen, Nina, Paws, Judy and Ron. I am still getting around to threads for the first time as well.

Currently reading:
Terry Pratchett: A life with footnotes for the nonfiction challenge
Equal Rites for the Witches group read

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>33 ronincats: SO cute!!!

>48 ronincats: Enjoy! I need to get back to the Discworld series. I think I have Sourcery up next, or Wyrd Sisters depending on which timeline one follows. Apparently there are different recommended orders.

Chelle, it's more that there are several themes, each of which have recurring characters and little overlap with the other themes. So you can read in publication order, no problem, although Terry begged readers not to start with The Color of Magic or The Light Fantastic, both written when he was a teenager, but with one of the later ones where he halfway knew what he was doing, or follow the Witches or Vimes or Death or Rincewind through their adventures.

I attempted the Wordle before coffee this morning--never a good idea.

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>51 ronincats: At least you got it in the end :)

Hi Roni! May 2024 yield many a good book!

Hi Roni, Happy New Year and I hope you get off to a good reading start.

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I'm working on several different books and keeping busy with lots of other stuff, but at least I'm getting some reading done. Thanks for stopping in, Reba, Rachel and Kerry!

>33 ronincats: What beautiful cats! I've had dogs most of my life. This past year, when Kayla moved away to live with her boyfriend, I inherited her cat. Now, I am officially a cat person, and loving it. Bisquit comes out of hiding when I call Meow, Meow. She was originally raised in a barn, and her previous owner told me to call Meow when I wanted her to come to me. She has some feral traits as a result of living in a barn for awhile. She will let me pet her on her own terms.

There are a few instances when she jumps on my lap and stays there for awhile. I count this as a blessing when it occurs.

Happy 2024 to you Roni. I hope you have lots of time for your pottery and reading.

Hi Roni. I love your description: "I'm working on several different books and keeping busy with lots of other stuff, but at least I'm getting some reading done." Me too! Yay!

>56 Whisper1: sounds like Bisquit is a typical cat. I've had lap cats and don't-touch-me cats, and even whatever-just-don't-wake-me cats. Most of them will allow petting when they're in the mood.

Hi Roni! Hope your New Year is full of wonderful books and wonderful times. I'm so glad you get to spend time with your mom each week.

I had no idea that Terry Pratchett wrote The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic when he was a teenager. I've read about half his Discworld books.

Book #1



Butter, Sugar, Magic by Jessica Rosenberg. 357 pp.

There has been an avalanche of cozy fantasies centered on middle-aged women suddenly left by their husbands and just as suddenly discovering their magical heritage. Some are quite good, some are quite bad and most are like this one, solidly in the middle. At least most of them don't jump into a new love interest right away (most are becoming series) but some of the women are just silly.

Book #2



The Five-Minute Marriage by Joan Aiken 264 pp.

I didn't know Joan Aiken wrote any Regency romances! I was looking at her books for this month's British Author Challenge and decided to give this a try. While not Heyer (NOBODY is Heyer), it's pretty good in holding my interest without too much in the way of silliness to turn me off. Above average.

Thanks for coming by, Linda, Ellen, fuzzi and Janet! It's been a wet day around here, alternating between rain and snow, but it's supposed to be snow now for the whole night and 4-6 inches on the ground in the morning. I've been putting away Christmas clothing and accessories and jewelry upstairs, and the ornaments off the office tree downstairs. Miles was good enough to choose a different place to sleep today, i.e., NOT on top of the pile of Christmas sweaters on the spare bed.

Miles is a handsome cat!

>61 ronincats: ha! Love it.

I'll keep an eye out for Aiken's other books. I read Wolves of Willoughby Chase as a juvenile, reread it as an adult and the next two books in the series.

>61 ronincats: What a handsome cat Miles is. We have a fair number of books in common in our libraries, so I am dropping a star to see where the year takes you in reading.

Miles is, isn't he, Ellen and Robyn? Fuzzi, I also read Wolves and several of its sequels back when they were first written in the 60 and 70s, but none of the later ones written in the 80s and later. I'm thinking of checking them out.

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Book #3



Demon Daughter by Lois McMaster Bujold 152 pp.

Susan (quondam) mentioned that this novella had dropped on the 7th, so when I saw that yesterday, I immediately put it on my Kindle and read it. The latest Penric and Desdemona episode continues to engage and engross!

Book #4



Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett 255 pp.

Picked this up for the Witches group read here in the 75ers. It had been years and years since I last read it, and I had forgotten everything about it pretty much, so it was lots of fun to get reaquainted with it. This is the first book chronologically where Pterry is in full Pratchett form.

Hi there, Roni. I see you're reading well and with pleasure. What else I see I will not deign to comment upon.

*smooch*

Hello!
Thought I'd drop by and wish you a happy new year, give a star, and what do my eyes behold but a pair of beautiful cats!
And your reading speed impresses me very much.

>66 richardderus: Hmph, considering you actually featured one on your thread this week! And my guys are so handsome. *smooch*

>67 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks for stopping by, Angela.

>61 ronincats: Awww, what a sweetheart. Named after Miles Vorkosigan, right? I loved that series so much and still thank you for the recommendation, Roni. Best road trip companion ever!

You got it in one, Donna. Not nearly as hyper, thank goodness.

Couldn't resist this!

>60 ronincats: I also read Aiken's The Five Minute Marriage and am now onto book #3 in her Paget Family trilogy. I also was unaware of her Regency books till now.

>60 ronincats: "Nobody is HEYER!" So true!!

>71 ronincats: LOL

Continue to enjoy the cats and books!

>71 ronincats: IJBOL

There's the reason a lot of people also—or instead—track progress using pages read.

>65 ronincats: I did enjoy my visit with P&D and Nikys as well. I'd love even more Nikys time.

>71 ronincats: Heh. Well it shouldn't be about the numbers, but we're only human.

>71 ronincats: Love that! Stealing...

>71 ronincats: How true!

Book #5



Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes by Rob Wilkins 435 pp.

Pratchett's long-time personal assistant relates Terry's early life and upbringing, and then his professional career from Rob's perspective up until his death. Using materials from Terry's autobiography file plus his own history and observations, this is often amusing and makes ample use of Terry's favorite device, footnotes. It does not cover Terry's inner life or familial relationships. The last few chapters chronicling Terry's decline from early onset Alzheimer's and his death are heart-breaking.

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>79 ronincats: Ooh, a little scary Wordle-ing there…but a perfect Connections! And getting the hardest connection first! Good job!

Karen O

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So today I finally got to the task of de-Christmasing the house. That's a major task, folks. And it's taken me all day, but everything is binned up and carted down to the basement shelves where they live except for the bare trees. No reading in all that activity, but I hope to have some down time for reading when I finish here.

We are predicted to set records over the next few days. The highs will be in the single figures, and the wind chill warnings are out.
"* WHAT...Dangerous wind chills of 25 to 35 below.
* WHERE...Central Kansas.
* WHEN...Through noon on Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills could cause
frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes."

Wish I could just stay in, but my sister's MIL died last week and her funeral is tomorrow. No gravesite visit though. So it's just a matter of picking up Mom, going to the church, and getting inside. Brrrrrr!

Hope you and your mom can get in and out quickly. I do not miss those cold spells!

>70 ronincats: LOL

>82 ronincats: We're expecting dangerous cold this weekend, too. I have grocery shopping, etc to do, but I made sure I got gas tonight when it was in the 20s so as not to suffer unduly. Stay warm. I am sorry about your sisters MIL.

We’re right there with everyone. We put a cat bed in the garage off the floor on a sturdy table so the cats can snuggle. Added extra hay to the “stray cat” shelter (though other small mammals are welcome to use it). Will be putting out cob corn and outdated dates for extra calories for night critters for a few days. Got to care for the creatures great and small.

>82 ronincats: Wow! and I thought it was cold here (currently 19 and snowing)! We are stocked up, the power is still on and we have no need to go outside today -- so I'm really enjoying looking out at the beauty of it all.

>82 ronincats: I’m sorry about your sister’s MIL, Roni. Go early to the funeral so you can park as close as possible.

It’s cold here in Southwest Missouri as well. Minus 7 degrees tonight with a high of 2 on Sunday. It warms up to 9 degrees on Monday and a balmy 17 on Tuesday. The overnight lows are all in the minus zone. Those are actual temps. I don’t even want to know what the wind chill factor is. Brrrrr… we have a light covering of snow with more on the way. So glad to have my books and Penny to keep me warm.

I can picture you snuggling with your fur babies.

I did get home safely, friends. Thanks for checking in, Ardene, Anne, Cassie, Reba and Donna! It was -1 and wind chill at -25 when I got home; now, at sunset, it is -4 but the wind chill is only -24. The roads were clear, but a STRONG north wind was blowing snow all across it on the highways out of town. (It was a 50 mile round trip.) Glad to be home with nowhere to go for a few days. Supposed to be -13 for a low overnight.

I put birdseed out on the ramp railings coming up to the house (I had dress shoes--flats but low--and wasn't going to wade through the snow to the feeders) and the birds had it all gone within an hour. The feeders are empty so I suppose I will put on proper boots tomorrow and refill. Mostly sparrows, but a junco or two and the cardinal couple put in an appearance.

>88 ronincats: glad you got home unscathed.

And Bless you for feeding the sparrows.

>82 ronincats: Congrats on de-Christmasing the house and even organizing everything!

>88 ronincats: Glad you made it ok to the funeral and back home

Hope you are able to stay cozy at home today1!

Happy New Year, Roni! Hoping for a safe and healthy 2024. Glad to have met you last year. Hope we can do it again.

Ooh, bitter cold Chiefs game! Brrrrrrrr...

I am glad that you have returned home safely, Roni.
I'm always happy when I see birds at our bird feeder.
Have a wonderful day!

>88 ronincats: I really can't imagine those sort of temperatures. I am complaining that it is cold here today and the temperature is 4°C (39.2°F). And the coldest that I ever remember it getting is -10°C (14°F) and that was in the middle of the night.

Thanks, fuzzi, Anita, Mark, Thomas and Rhian. Rhian, remember that I spent 42 years in San Diego prior to returning to Kansas two and a half years ago, and in all that time, it never froze at my house (32F, 0C). I've had two fairly mild winters to get acclimated at least.

Today I plan to stay in my warm cozy house except for a brief foray out back to fill the bird feeders. I did finish another book yesterday, and have to decide which to pick up next.

Book #6



Death and Relaxation by Devon Monk 326 pp.

I read this author's Magic to the Bone back in 2008 when both she and the field of paranormal romance were starting out, and wasn't that impressed so never followed up on that series. Now she is up to 9 series and seems to be very popular and so when I got a chance to pick up this first of a new series for free, I thought I'd check it out and see if she'd developed as a writer.

First of all, I love the concept of Ordinary, Oregon as a town where the gods go for vacation, having to lay their powers down during their time there. Cute. But I guess my problem is with the genre. Main character angst, sexual tensions, not making good decisions just don't balance out the setting and characters. Still not going to be reading her.

>94 ronincats: That is one of the new, developing subgenres that are about to become full genres, and one like you I do not find too terribly compelling.

Still, no one is making me read it except me, and I insist on trying stuff to keep my reading from becoming too deeply echo chambered. Stay warm, dear lady. *smooch*

Hi Roni! Stopping by to wish you a wonderful 2024!

>60 ronincats: - I also did not know Joan Aiken wrote Regency romances. Good to see The Five-Minute Marriage is above average (making it worth the look)!

*smooch* Richard.

Thanks for coming by, Lori.

Another snowy day, some blowing but not as bad as Saturday. Another 2-3" accumulation. I got out mid-afternoon to put out fresh seed for the birds and squirrels as they had completely emptied the two big feeders I filled yesterday. It's been a picking up around the house sort of day. Got all the back filing done and my desk is clear. Kitchen is clean, living room is dusted and wood floors are clean. What hasn't happened is any reading, but maybe a bit before bedtime!

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Sounds like you are very productive, Roni. Nice to be able to feed the critters. We can't in our city, not even bird feeders so it's a good thing we don't have snow covering everything up too often. Hope you are able to get some reading in!

>60 ronincats: I love that review of book 1!

Book #7



A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner 313 pp.

After the success of Legends & Lattes, the proliferation of book titles using "&" AND the genre of cozy fantasy have blossomed big time. This story is rather cutesy and without much depth, but the descriptions of baking plus the recipes at the end (a feature of many cozy mysteries as well) lift it slightly above average as simply light entertainment. But the one true love trope depresses it slightly; although it does not trespass too greatly into the story, it cause a great deal of angst in a decidedly immature female protagonist. There IS character growth, however.

>98 Familyhistorian: I didn't know that, Meg. Is bird flu prevalent there?
>99 sirfurboy: Thank you, Stephen.

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Despite serious hermitting during our arctic blast, I appear to have picked up a head cold. Hence the focus on light reading...

>94 ronincats: I love that title! And the premise sounds creative and fun.

>100 ronincats: On today's Connections, I don't yet know anyone who identified those four colors as the ones on Brazil's flag before seeing it. Even a (very smart) friend who got the purple category second didn't see that particular detail.

Oh my, this cold has me topsy-turvy and ignoring my thread here, despite getting some light reading done.

Book #8



The Cosmati Prophecy by Jane Thornley 180 pp.

While I liked the main character, an irascible professor emeritus with an attitude, she did not rescue this book for me. Too much, thrown together too fast, this is like Dan Brown on steroids, and I do not like Dan Brown because his writing is way too ADHD for me.

Book #9



Tea and Sympathetic Magic by Tansy Rayner Roberts 72 pp.

This is a novella, the first in a series, in an alternate Regency England. Very light, I found it entertaining but would be perfect for pre-teens. Won't be continuing.

I answered you call on my thread, but here is the verbatim in case you need it fast.
215 Roni! How lovely to see you!

I would say your mother might get a kick out of 208 if she is down with the humor...go read the Kindle sample and that should tell you whether it fits her sense of humor. Some others to look at might be Ann Cleeves's Shetland Islands Mysteries. They aren't as long as Grisham's books, but are very well paced. White Nights is the first.

I would also see if the Kindle sample tells you if THE LAST REFUGE, first of Chris Knopf's Sam Acquillo Hamptons Mystery series, suits her known taste. I think it has a Grishamly spanking action edge but in fewer, more pungent words. I shall cogitate further and advise of other suggestions, shall I? *smooch*

Book #10



Organizing for the Rest of Us by Dana K. White 223 pp.

Dana is my favoritest author in this area of all of them. Her writing spoke right into my heart and has helped me maintain my "new" house in comfort and style. This book is her third and there really is nothing new except in how the book is organized, in 100 bullet points. Excellent as always, but I would recommend getting (I had to buy these in dead-tree format as reference works) the first two instead. Indeed, after reading this, I had to go and immediately reread...

Book #11



How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind by Dana K. White 240 pp.

...and it was just as good as always. Clutter is "anything that gets out of control in your home". "Stop treating your house like a project. Do the dishes." Declutter the most visible areas first. Never pull everything out. Pull out one item and make a final decision about it. Trash, donate or in its home. Never put anything anywhere temporarily. View your house as a container. Let the container set the limits.

>104 ronincats: Clutter! Anything can be clutter. Even books.

***

That is a bald faced lie.

I thought of another series to try Mama out upon...Andrea Carter writes an Irish solicitor series that starts with Death at Whitewater Church. There are six so far and they are character driven and have an excellent sense of place.

Just hello to you and yours!

Or maybe that should be ALOHA!!!! :-)

>104 ronincats: That last one may be a must-read for me. My usual solution to clutter is buy more boxes to put it in (Lol).

>105 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. I have put samples of all three on her Kindle fr her to try out.

>106 EBT1002: Aloha, Ellen. I was so happy when you made it out of snowy Washington to Kauai in a single day.

>107 Ravenwoodwitch: Then Dana is your gal. She'll convince you that is NOT the answer!

I am still coughing and draining, but haven't been feeling terribly sick other than tiring out quickly. I got by the library on Wednesday and picked up these two.

Book #12



I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf by Grant Snider 128 pp.

I have seen many individual cartoons posted both here and on Facebook, always book related, and love Snider's work, so when Richard posted about this book I got it through my library on Inter-Library Loan. A delightful browse!

Book #13



A Pale Light in the Black by K. B. Wagers 423 pp.

This book called out to me from the shelves at the library, and I brought it home, but once I got into it, I realized I had already read it. A re-read was not a chore--Wagers does very entertaining space opera--with the bonus that at THIS point in time there are now two sequels that I have not read and the first of those is now downloaded on Hoopla!

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Aren't I feeling clever today!

>108 ronincats: I've never heard of K.B. Wagers, and since I collect the names of women who write F&SF, just shows how many more there are than was once the case.

Wordle in two always makes me feel clever! :-)

Waving hello as I stop by. Glad you survived the recent cold spell.

>108 ronincats: I need to get to Wagers one day soon....

*smooch*

Hope you feel better soon, Roni!

>108 ronincats: I have done that! Taken a book home because it looked good only to find I had read it before. Of course, the fact I didn't recognise it might have suggested the story was not wholly memorable. Glad you enjoyed your re-read though.

>109 quondame: I do like her books for entertainment, Susan.
>110 EBT1002: Yes, I got it twice in the last week, but 3 is my norm, Ellen.

Waving back, Ardene. I'd be interested in your review of them, Richard. Not feeling bad, Rachel, just still some drainage and coughing. It was a couple of years ago, Stephen, which might excuse it, but the good thing is it alerted me to the two newer ones in that series!

Book #14



Valdemar by Mercedes Lackey 484 pp.

This is the third book of the trilogy chronicling the establishment of the nation of Valdemar. In general, I have not found these terribly exciting, partly because we live too much in the headspace of Kordas, who agonizes and philophises about everything, but the climax of this book was moderately exciting, and the series certainly fills in an empty space in the chronicles of Valdemar and its Companions. For those who already love the series only.

Book #14



Hold Fast Through the Fire by K. B. Wagers 432 pp.

Book 2 in what is so far a trilogy involving the Neo-G, based on the Coast Guard, ups the stakes and continues to be a very fun and fast moving space opera. On to book 3!

I hope you get well soon, Roni!
At least you have good books...

>115 ronincats: The one before Valdemar was so lame, still I have it reserved....

Just stopping by to say hi. Hope you’re all recovered from whatever it was that got you down.

Thanks, Thomas and Mary. Still draining and hacking, but still a nuisance as opposed to just feeling bad.

Agreed, Susan. This one is better, a bit. Always difficult to make filling in backstory both interesting and meaningful.

And I missed Ardene, Richard, Rachel and Stephen above. Hi!

Haven't done one of these for a while (like all of 2023)

January Stats:

Books read: 15
Pages read: 4288
DNF: 1

First time books: 12
Rereads: 3
Books from library: 4
Books from Kindle Unlimited: 5
Books acquired: 6
Books off my shelf: only 2 of my rereads.

Genre: science fiction-2, fantasy-8, nonfiction-4, romance-1

Authors:
Gender: female 12, male 3
Country of origin: USA-10, Britain-4, Australia-1

Hey there! Hope you're feeling much better.

>60 ronincats: I had a Joan Aiken Regency in my collection for a number of years. I can picture the cover but can't remember the title. I never connected it with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, which I loved as a child, enough so to pick up a copy as an adult when I stumbled over it at a used bookstore. Somehow I didn't connect the dots. Or I could be remembering completely wrong. Maybe it was a Jane Aiken Hodge Regency? It would help if I could remember the title.

>94 ronincats: You're not wrong about the paranormal romance subgenre. I've been diving into it lately thanks to the black hole of Libby, and definitely lots of angst with poor communication and decisions. Apparently, I have a high tolerance for trashy popcorn. But some of it has been fun and charming.

Hello! My names Owl. How are you?

>51 ronincats: Sir Pterry wrote the first two Discworlds as a teenager? I bought them from my university bookshop (a sub-branch on campus) when they first came out.
>78 ronincats: And, of course, the footnotes are essential.*

>61 ronincats: As in Naismith? ... >65 ronincats: ... but of course.

>73 Berly: Correction. Nobody is Austen.

I seem to have fallen off the Wordle wagon, at least for now. Good on you for feeding the birds. We don't really have to worry about that over here.

I'm sorry to hear about your sister's MIL.

>96 lkernagh: >60 ronincats: Her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge also wrote. I read a couple of her YA thrillers as a teen and tried them again when I first got my Kindle but I found them a bit dated. As in firmly in the 70's-80's, period-wise.

>108 ronincats: Hmm, I might give that a go at some point. I read another of her space opera trilogies a couple of years ago which was fun.
ETA: The Indranan Wars

>115 ronincats: I read the first of the Valdemar, the founding books but I wondered, at the end of it why they continued with the evacuation because it seemed that all the reasons for it had been dealt with. Or maybe I had lost focus by then.

I hope you're feeling better by now Roni.

* well, okay, not essential. But entertaining nonetheless. And occasionally unobfuscating.

Hi there. Just dropping in to say hello :)

Okay, it's been a week--I really have to do better on my posting goal. I have stopped by and read the messages from Chris, Owl, Nina and Chelle during that time, just not posted a response.

>120 justchris: Always good to hear from you, Chris. And to see the progress you're making on the Organizing thread! I read The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (featuring Bonnie Green, Sylvia Green and Simon) (1962), Black Hearts in Battersea (featuring Dido Twite and Simon) (1964), and Nightbirds on Nantucket (Dido Twite) (1966) as a child with glee, but never read the much later sequels after I was grown. I would like to reread the first ones and read the whole series at some point--might be a good topic for a year-long group read! I don't think I ever read any of her regencies before, though.

>121 Owltherian: Hi, Owl. It's been good to see you around on the threads. Welcome to the group. I appreciated your post on the Organizing thread--I never knew about the Take Inventory function before people responded to you!

>122 humouress: I was wrong, Nina. He wrote his first two books as a teenager, but not any of the Discworld ones. He still always recommended not starting with his first two Discworld books, though. And I agree--they are parodies of existing fantasy tropes/books and if one is not familiar with the genre, often fall flat. Equal Rites is the first where his style really emerges.

Of course, Miles.

Well, the Empire was going to be a hot mess with lots of power struggles for a long time, and besides, if they didn't go on with it, how would Valdemar ever come to be?

And see below re: the new Wagers series.

>123 ChelleBearss: Hey, Chelle, hope all is well in Ontario and Elissa is better. Glad to see you enjoying the Rivers of London series. I thought the second was the weakest and they just get better from there.

Book #15

The Ghosts of Trappist by K. B. Wagers 551 pages

I am unfortunately at the end of the currently written books in this series, as I have enjoyed them immensely. Her Indianan series was enjoyable, but not as immersing as this series. Wagers does great characters and sets them in an engrossing space opera setting. Give the series a try!

Hi Roni!! Sounds like you're enjoying a busy, fun-filled life in KS! Hope we get to see you in the spring or summer.

>124 ronincats: Another space opera author to add to my TBR? Excellent!

Hey!
Sorry to hear you were sick. I hope you feel better now.
I had a nasty flu in January, and onenof my coworkers had a real rough time wjth COVID in December. The viruses are really bad this season.

>124 ronincats: I'm up for a Wolves Chronicles group read; it's one of the series I'm collecting slowly.

Re the first two Discworld books, I really couldn't work out the 'sound as of underground drains'/ insurance (sewer) pun until I found it written out for me recently and it's used many times in those two books.

Re Valdemar, I know, since this was a prequel, that they had to move and found the country but it just seemed, while I was reading, that they were moving because the empire was corrupt and a few other things but they sorted all that out on their way out. I can't remember now and I didn't read the sequels but maybe he could have stepped into the power vacuum and saved them? I remember feeling that the plotting was a bit circular.

And, oh, alright. I will go and look for the K.B. Wagers series. BB - provided I can find it on Overdrive.

>124 ronincats: I'd probably be up for that group read. I never got beyond The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and didn't know there were other books when I was a kid. It would be interesting to see the progression.

Hey, Reba, Chris, Angela, Nina and other Chris, thanks for dropping in.

I got the Wagers books from my library on Hoopla.

I'm thinking the Wolves Chronicles might be a good summertime group read?

And I've finally gotten out in the studio enough to have finished off a few pieces. With a show in 6 weeks, I've GOT to do a lot better. A plant pocket, a plate and a succulent pot.

Keeping current and wishing you happy Friday!

We cross-posted -- love the artwork!

>130 ronincats: Very nice. The succulent pot looks, to me, kind of like the Arizona desert somehow.

I found the Wagers on Overdrive, thanks. I should investigate Hoopla, though, and see if I can get it on this side of the world.

>130 ronincats: They look great, Roni!
Have a wonderful weekend.

>130 ronincats: Lovely Roni!

>130 ronincats: Love them all, Roni. I still miss my wall vase/plant pocket :( I think of you often when having tea in one of my beautiful "Roni cups". Hope the show goes well.

>130 ronincats:
These look really cool!
Is it pottery? I wasn't sure and am genuinely curious.

Thanks, Kim, Nina, Thomas, Ardene, Reba and Angela.

>135 RebaRelishesReading: I'm practicing, Reba. This one isn't good enough to bring out there with me.

>136 Ravenwoodwitch: Before I moved back to Kansas in 2021, Angela, I was producing pottery very regularly. You can check out my gallery to see a lot of my pieces from back then. Now that I have my studio set up (for the last year and nearly a half) I'm trying to get back in the groove.

Part of the problem has been that I'm working with new clays and new glazes, the latter in smaller amounts than I'm used to, and I haven't been happy with the results. I like these. I think I will use that combination on the small succulent pot on a number of pieces I have ready to glaze as I really like it on that clay.

>130 ronincats: These are lovely! Do you have a link to your gallery?

>138 arubabookwoman: If you click on Roni's name (on one of her posts) that should get you to her home page and then click on the 'Gallery' tab from there.

*smoochiesmoochsmooch* For your week-ahead's reads being delightful

>130 ronincats: I like the color combination of the succulent pot. Have fun creating for the show.

>137 ronincats: the pot looks fantastic for what its worth.
I crochet. And I knowbwhay you mean about getting back into the swing of things. I imagine its harder on your end, given the equiment needs. I can't wait to see what else you can make (I love seeing other artists work)

Good luck with your de-cluttering. For about the last 5 years I started on a de-cluttering campaign, downsizing, or whatever one wishes to call it. Why? Because it was exhausting to maintain cleanliness and order with so much "stuff." I got rid of all books (gasp) that I could get at the library or that I could get in ebook form. I'm down to about 200 real tree books now. (It was 1500 when I joined LT in about 2009) I got rid of 15 tablecloths and matching napkins (kept 3), 2 car trunks of clothing that I said I only needed to loose 10 pounds to get into........when hell......well you know! I sold two sets of china that I inherited and had never used. Neither of my sons wanted them. I am ready to begin the "second sweep" of the house and today I'm beginning with 2 large tubs of DVD's. Some I may keep, but some I will watch one last time and donate! It has actually been very freeing.

>139 humouress: Thanks, Nina, for explaining so succinctly how to access my LT gallery! I hope, >138 arubabookwoman:, you were able to do so.

*smooch* to you, Richard! I haven't been able to settle to reading this week, but at least I'm getting some pottery done.

Thanks, Anita. I really like that combo too, and plan on using it on several more pots I have ready to glaze.

Thank you, Angela. I crochet too, mostly during college basketball season, but pottery is my main emphasis.

Tess, you weren't around then, but 3 years ago after my husband died, I bought a house back in Kansas, 1500 miles away, to be near family and had to clear out the house we had lived in for 40 years. Took me 6 months. I had 26 bins of clothing, an SUV full of kitchen stuff, and over a thousand books (I still brought nearly 2000 with me) as well as carloads of cat themed stuff and craft materials and most of my furniture. So this house is relatively decluttered, as what I brought fit easily into my new house, which is actually larger. You are right; it is terribly liberating to have all that stuff gone. But after several years in this house, I see the need to fine tune several areas so they don't reclutter. I did the kitchen in depth last year and need to look at clothing again soon, as well as craft stuff.

>144 ronincats: 😇

>143 Tess_W: wow, impressive.

>143 Tess_W: What fuzzy said! And please copy this and post it to our support thread over at https://www.librarything.com/topic/358567. Be sure to go back and scroll through the first thread--we just started the second for the year.

Hi Roni

I'm loving the decluttering conversation (and I will swing by the support thread). I'm engaged in a low-level decluttering campaign but I'm also still acquiring art supplies and books (fewer than in the past, though). It felt wonderful to get rid of most of my work clothes and I am determined not to replace them! Of course, one can fill drawers with t-shirts, too. Haha.

There have been so many discussions of decluttering that I fully expect to have a switch flip in my head and find myself willing to part with rather than accumulate stuff... but it hasn't happened yet.

>144 ronincats: Living with few people in the house really helps for decluttering purposes. We have 6, and stuff piles up!

>130 ronincats: YAY!!! I finally got here, and I'm happy to see you potting and experimenting.

Glad you’re back in the pottery hobby! Your creations are always fun to look at. Like just about everyone else on this thread, I really need to declutter. I am planning on doing a serious look at my wardrobe because ever since my doctor said I should wear compression hose or leggings for the varicose veins in my upper legs, I find I wear a lot fewer shorts and heavy pants when I’m home, because why wear sweats over leggings unless you’re going out into super-frigid temps, and why wear shorts in 90+ if you’re already wearing leggings? I will keep a few sweats and shorts but most will head to Goodwill.

Love the cat plate. Have added Wagers to the WL and also the Aiken! The Willoughby Chase books were huge favourites!

Today's unloading from the kiln. Plant stakes and spoon rests.

>154 ronincats: Oooh, beautiful, Roni! I love the plant stakes, and especially the spoon rests of the dark-blue color.

>154 ronincats: Pretty! I particularly like all of the bowls! Both the shapes and glazing choices.

>154 ronincats: I do love the flaired pot.

Yes! Every glaze is lovely!!!! My eye keeps going back to that blue/black combo, but I really like the chive-color too! Well done, Roni!!!!!

>158 LizzieD: Inorite! Hard to pick!

>158 LizzieD: I like that blue/black color as well.

Oh I like every single thing! The markers for herbs especially.

It all looks lovely Roni!

>154 ronincats: So lovely, especially the plant stakes!

>154 ronincats: I lurve the plant stakes and you know the dark blue glazes get me every time.

Still doing beautiful work I see :)

This round of plant stakes has even better colors than the earlier ones.

*smooch*

Beautiful pottery, Roni! I love the colours!

>154 ronincats: ... and actually, I'm wondering if I can commission some plant stakes. I just wandered out to look at my back garden after breakfast and the herbs my gardener put in for me a couple of weeks ago (because it never worked when I planted them) are looking good.

I, too, love the plant stakes! I have to do a major redo of my garden since last fall we had to have our septic tank and field redone, and they chose to direct it right through the edge of my garden, taking out the south edge. I’m thinking that stakes might even help with planning….

>154 ronincats: Gorgeous! I love it. Happy Sunday, Roni.

Off to Abilene to set up for my spring show tomorrow! This is this morning's kiln unloading.

>171 ronincats: Best of luck with the show. I'm liking those deep/ bright coloured mugs and bowls.

>171 ronincats: I hope your colorful offerings sell briskly! They all look so appealing.

Been a good while since I have been here, Roni, and I am glad to hear about your Abilene show!

>171 ronincats: Hope the spring show is a success!

>171 ronincats: 😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻😻

Beautful pottery, Roni! If I lived closer , I would come to your spring show.

>171 ronincats: I hope Abilene is wowed by your wares...if I was there, I'd buy that big platter on the left, what a handsome piece that is.

*smooch*

>178 richardderus: The one with two cats on it? You must really love Roni ;0)

>171 ronincats: Those plates with the multicolored cats are gorgeous, and the tea drinker in me loves those mugs.
Best of luck at your show!

>179 humouress: good gad

NONONONONO...the LARGE platter under the one with...them...on it. *shudder*

>171 ronincats: Again beautiful pictures of beautiful things.
I hope everything went well and that you are doing well, Roni.

Thank you, everyone, for the support and good wishes. I did have a good show. But Richard, the "platter" is a turntable I use when glazing to turn my pieces as I work. Sorry.



Had a day to relax mostly (finished planting seed flats to go under the grow lights in the mud room, couldn't work outside because of the strong winds) and then today actually did get out to start conditioning my straw bales for my garden and coincidentally watch the eclipse with my special glasses. We had 84% occlusion, a lovely crescent shape at totality!

Yay for the good show (love the photo of all your goods!) and for the eclipse!! We only had a partial and it was covered by clouds. Sadness.

>171 ronincats: >183 ronincats: As always beautiful pottery, Roni!
I love the blue and the yellow mug, next to eachother at the first picture, and second from left and second from right at the last picture.

Congrats on a successful show! I personally love the double-cat platter—but your turn table is quite lovely, too!

Waving hello!

Thanks to Nina, Susan, Stasia, Deb, Angela, Richard and Thomas for the good wishes for the show, and to Kim, Anita and Cassie for the after-show support. Hello back to Ardene.

Now that the show is over, it's time to concentrate on the garden. I have the straw bales in place and am on day 4 of conditioning (of 10). Seeds started indoors and under lights have had nearly 100% germination.



Today's project was to fill a dip in the ground at the south end of my garden that always gets weedy and muddy and is where my new water pump for the garden has been installed, so that I can use it without getting my shoes all muddy. Both gravel and pavers were heavy--it took me two days and I used my wagon to get them back there. But I'm happy with the result!

The paving looks great

I continue to be impressed by your pottery, Roni and your garden seems to be coming along nicely.

Have a great weekend.

>183 ronincats: That's a stunning display. I hope you had a successful day. (That banner doesn't say 'crotchety cats' does it?)

That's nice, that you could watch the eclipse while gardening. You've done a lot with the garden especially with laying it out; fingers crossed for a bountiful harvest.

Fingers crossed for a good harvest! This looks like you did a lot of intense work.

>183 ronincats: What an incredible setting for your pottery. You amaze me!

>183 ronincats: That's an impressive and lovely display of your pottery! I wish you lived closer. My sister loves cat and sadly , she recently had to put her cat to sleep as Harriet the cat was suffering with kidney failure for over a year now. Harriet was at least 16, so she had a good, long life. My sister has spoken of getting another cat, but she says when she sees the right one. I'd gladly some of your pottery for my sister, once she is past the worst of her grief and decides on another cat, she'd love it. I'm sure I could find a mug or two I'd love as well.

>188 ronincats: and I thought your pottery looked good...nice job!

>188 ronincats: Looks nice! Good job.

Lovely job with the paving stones Roni! I've got six straw bales this year and have them planted. My bean seeds are sprouting this week!

>183 ronincats: Wow, that table looks great! Glad to hear the show went well. That straw looks like an awful lot of gardening is planned -- has the weather turned spring-like yet?

Waving hello. I've not been here on LT much, as I've been spending time hacking, er, pruning the bushes in my front yard and watering my straw bale garden. One of these days I'll take some photos to share.

I also purchased and planted both a mayapple and Eastern red columbine from the Georgia Native Plant Society. They're planted under the azaleas near my watering spigot so I can keep an eye on them - here's hoping they will produce seed and spread in a year or two.

>183 ronincats: What a beautiful display of your work! I hope you did well at the show.

>188 ronincats: And wow! Great job with the pavers and moving the garden forward!

I bought herbs and perennials over a month ago and still haven't managed to get them in the ground. So I'm impressed with how much you get done!

Wow, you are doing a lot of work in your garden. I cringe every time I look out the window to mine. I need to get onto it, though for me winter is just setting in.

Hi, Robyn, Paul, Nina, Angela, Deb, Linda, fuzzi, Rachel, Ardene, Reba, Chris and Kerry! So glad to have visitors even though I haven't been posting regularly. The garden is really going but this is the big project that just got finished today to complete my back yard.



I have been reading, although many are rereads, and I will get them posted one of these days. I had started to do so a couple of weeks ago and then I lost the post after I had typed in about half of them and gave up in frustration. I want to do monthly summaries for March and April as well.

>202 ronincats: Roni, Did you put the gazebo together by yourself? If so, I am VERY impressed.

No, I hired someone to do it. Above my pay grade.

>202 ronincats: That looks so pleasant! I hope you have many happy hours in it's shade!

>202 ronincats: That does look lovely, Roni.
What a great place to sit and read.

>183 ronincats: Congratulations on the good show, Roni! I wish I could have made it.

>188 ronincats: Looks like your garden is off to a great start. I wish I had a green thumb.

>202 ronincats: Lovely!!

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Roni!

>202 ronincats: What a great entertaining space...for your family visits or just your own mind with a book.

*smooch*

>202 ronincats: Wow - it is marvellous!
I wish you many wonderful hours in it.

>202 ronincats: Beautiful spot to hang out (free of bugs)!! Are you about finished with new-home projects now?

>202 ronincats: Nice! Looks like a great reading spot, as others have said.

The gazebo looks glorious! Especially the bug net -- as someone who is loved by mosquitos :)

>202 ronincats: Wow! Neeto! (as my Californian cousin used to say). Did you do that yourself?

>204 ronincats: Ah, I see. Phew!

>212 curioussquared: Good point. I have the same problem.

>202 ronincats: Eh, post when you want. I'm always happy to see the progress on your stuff.
And that is a nice enclosed space ya got there. I'm jealous,

The gazebo looks fabulous!

>202 ronincats: Roni, this looks like a wonderful place to sit and read and/or ponder nature, life, or whatever you want. I may keep this in mind for my garden area that is way too much work for my stage in life...and usually looks awful most of the year. I love to be outside, but the mosquitoes love me way too much!

>202 ronincats: What a gorgeous place 😍. Congratulation. 🙌

>202 ronincats: Gorgeous! What a lovely refuge! I hope you get much use of it this season! I hear you on falling behind on LT updates. Given how I'm racing through ebooks, I am perpetually behind on documenting my reading.

>202 ronincats: Looks nice and cozy-most importantly, mosquito proof.