Roberta's (luvamystery65) very, very full plate 2021 Challenge

Roberta's very, very full plate 2021 Challenge



Hi, I'm Roberta. I live and work in suburbs of Houston, Texas USA. 2021 is going to be a busy year for me. I am studying for my Nurse Executive certification exam. I also, started my Masters in Nursing Leadership at the beginning of the month. I'm hoping for a promotion at work soon. Fingers crossed.

On the home front, I pray I can get my house remodeled this year. I've been going through every nook and cranny and purging things since mid September. The house needs some work and I want the main bathroom to be wheelchair accessible. My Aunt Dora lives with me and she isn't in a wheelchair, but she is heading in that direction. She's a tough cookie. We have four dogs between the two of us. They keep us busy.

With my plate so full, I am going to do my best to do something nice and healthy for myself. I don't want to burn out. Reading for pleasure is definitely one of those things. That's what this place is about. I don't think I'll be reading a whole lot for pleasure, but I can't live without it. I've been scarce in these parts the last couple of years. I'll probably be so again, but I want to make an effort to pop in regularly even if it isn't as often as I used to.

You'll find me hosting the Audiobook thread. 2021 thread starts right after Christmas. I'll post a link here. Thanks for visiting.

May every book be just what you're looking for when you pick it up - rabbitprincess

January

What I'd like to read
Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Peace Talks Jim Butcher
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin will read in Feb for a SFFKit
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown (Magnet Committee 2020 book read) Going to read this in March
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury started in 2020 and would like to finish.

What I actually read
The Lost Soul of Lord Badewyn by Mia Marlowe (started in December)
Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Earl I Ruined by Scarlett Peckham
Driven to Distraction by Edward Hallowell M.D.
Peace Talks by Jim Butcher
Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - up to Chapter 2

Book Club Pick
Fierce Free and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker DNF

February

What I'd like to read
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin - SFFKit
Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye - MysteryKit
The Five by Hallie Rubenfold - ScaredyKit
Literary Witches by Taisia Kitaiskaia
Battle Ground by Jim Butcher

What I actually read
Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye
The Five by Hallie Rubenfold
Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
Forged by Benedict Jacka
False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
Compulsory by Martha Wells
All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - zero progress this month

Book Club Pick
The Guest List by Lucy Foley - read last year

March

What I'd like to read
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown (Magnet Committee 2020 book read) this one is going to be read in the middle of summer. I want time to read and enjoy her podcast on this subject.
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker started but not finished yet
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias started but not finished yet

What I actually read
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Network Effect by Martha Wells
What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear by Danielle Ofri - reread

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - Chapters 2-14

Book Club Pick
The Lake House by Kate Morton Wasn't interested in this book this month. Too much studying to do.

Short Stories, Anthologies and Essays
Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery edited by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn Deering
Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers by Taisia Kitaiskaia
Folk Songs for Trauma Surgeons by Keith Rosson

April

What I'd like to read
The Good House by Tananarive Due
Think Again by Adam Grant Ch 1-4 for Magnet Committee shared book read
Lock In by John Scalzi
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

What I actually read
Think Again by Adam Grant Ch 1-4
Books 1-9 of Ministry of Curiosities by C.J. Archer

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens Part 2, Chapters 1-4

Book Club Pick
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas I thought this was very complex and I'm glad we read it. The book club was very lively.

May

What I'd like to read
Perfume by Patrick Suskind
Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell
Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan Pinsky
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Home, Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
Think Again by Adam Grant Ch 5-7 for Magnet Committee shared book read

What I actually read
Perfume by Patrick Suskind DNF Yuck
Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell - Orwell was at his best as an essayist.
Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan Pinsky skimmed - some helpful solutions, but a little preachy.
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells Loving this series
Home, Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
Think Again by Adam Grant Ch 5-7 for Magnet Committee shared book read. I'm really enjoying this read and the discussion at work.
Ministry of Curiosities Book 10 by C.J. Archer reread
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
The Very First Damned Thing by Jodi Taylor

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens Part 2, Chapters 5-9 Still enjoying this

Book Club Pick
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell re-read. Read in high school. Prefer Orwell's non-fiction.

June

What I'd like to read
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse DNF I can't with the main character.
Think Again by Adam Grant for Magnet Committee at work

What I actually read

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

Book Club Pick
The Last Flight by Julie Clark

July

What I'd like to read

What I actually read

Serial Reader app

Book Club Pick
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

August

What I'd like to read

What I actually read

Serial Reader app

Book Club Pick
The Authenticity Project by Clare Podey

September

What I'd like to read

What I actually read

Serial Reader app

Book Club Pick
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

October

What I'd like to read

What I actually read

Serial Reader app

Book Club Pick
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

November

What I'd like to read

What I actually read

Serial Reader app

Book Club Pick
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towes

December

What I'd like to read

What I actually read

Serial Reader app

Book Club Pick
Comfort and Joy by Kristen Hannah

Under Construction but the next one is all yours

*waves*

Hi, Roberta!!

Welcome Roberta! Thanks for sharing your pleasure reading with us! I remember many years ago when I was in school I was the only one of my circle of friends who made time for pleasure reading--they didn't know how I did it, I didn't know how I could do without it.

Hi Roberta! That is going to be a very busy year for you and I hope it treats you well on the reading for pleasure part.

Howdy, Ro!

Welcome, whenever you can pop in and out. Dogs are the best!

That sounds like a jam-packed year. Good on you for carving out time for reading for fun. May every book be just what you're looking for when you pick it up :)

Hi Roberta,
Reading whatever you want to read whenever you feel like it is a great way to fill in your reading time in your very busy life. Best wishes in your endeavors.

A little just for fun reading most days is essential.

Great to see you back again, Ro!

Good to see you again, Roberta. Congratulations on having achieved so much in your studies.

Welcome back, Roberta. Hope you have a great year of reading!

>15 scaifea: *waves back* Hi Amber!

>17 NinieB: Exactly! I really don't know how I can do without it. When I did my associates degree in nursing many years ago, I let my reading for pleasure go. I was so miserable. I'm so happy that I discovered audio books. That has helped me keep up with my reading for pleasure. At the very least, I can listen on my way to and from work.

>18 MissWatson: Thank you. I also hope the year treats me well on the reading for pleasure and everything else if I'm honest. :)

>19 katiekrug: KAK! I miss you and I've been a terrible EFF.

>20 markon: Thank you and I agree about the dogs.

>21 rabbitprincess: Yes it is going to be busy RP. May every book be just what you're looking for when you pick it up This is a fantastic wish/blessing. I'm going to borrow it. Thanks.

>22 sallylou61: Yes it is, especially when you want a break from reading about ethical issues and budgets.

>23 hailelib: I completely agree with you. Also being around bookish people.

>24 DeltaQueen50: Thank you Judy!

>25 VivienneR: I appreciate it.

>26 thornton37814: Thank you. I hope my year is filled with great reading and some fun brain candy reading too.

Good luck with your 2021 reading!

Roberta long time no see!

Hope to be able to keep up in two groups next year and I'll try to visit you more often.

>28 Tess_W: Thank you Tess. The same to you.

>29 PaulCranswick: Paul! So nice of you to pop in. Thank you. I mainly lurk, but I'm going to try to post something more often this year.

2021 Audiobook thread is up. https://www.librarything.com/topic/327741

Dropping a star, Roberta. You do have a very full plate - wishing you the best of luck with all of it.

And keep up with my friends here, Ro. Have a great 2021.

Happy New Year, Roberta! I love that your focus will be reading for pleasure and good luck with your studies and home renos.... you do have a very busy year ahead of you!

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

Welcome back, Roberta! Good luck with all your plans, and I hope you find the time to enjoy some books.

Good to see you! I'm sure I'll see you in the audiobook thread; I find them most useful while doing chores like dishes. I like the month-based top posts; that will make it really easy to see at a glance the sort of books in mind and how much things diverged. And good luck with renovations this year!

>1 luvamystery65: Wishing you good luck with your certification exam and continuing studies. I hope you are able to carve out some spare time to read for pleasure.

Happy New Year everyone!

>32 Crazymamie: Thank you Mamie. Nice to see here.

>33 PaulCranswick: Paul I sure do hope we have time for all those things this year.

>34 lkernagh: Lori I hope you had a pleasant New Year's Day. My reading for pleasure is the thing that preserves my sanity.

>35 ronincats: Ro! Happy New Year to you as well.

>36 Chrischi_HH: Thank you! My commute to work is dedicated to listening so I at least get some of my reading for pleasure done that way.

>37 pammab: I'm trying to do the chores/listening thing, but I get distracted and miss out on details. Normally, my brain can piece it together, but if it's an important plot point, I fear to miss out. LOL

>38 This-n-That: Thank you. I'm waiting to hear on my test date for certification exam.

Checking in on my thread today. Currently, I'm listening to The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. It's been on top of my TBR pile for a year. I don't know that it would be very engaging for everyone. Gawande is a good writer/storyteller, but the subject matter may not appeal to everyone. Since I work in healthcare, this is right up my alley. I started Fierce Free and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker for my book club. I know she is beloved by many, but I feel very meh about this book right now. I'll give it a few more chapters before I give up. I requested Peace Talks by Jim Butcher from my library. I'm up next so I expect to get it soon.

I finished The Lost Soul of Lord Badewynby Mia Marlowe. Last summer I subscribed to Audible Romance to binge listen to some series and try out some Heyer. It was fun. They made it free for a couple of months at the end of the year and then phased it out. What I learned was to take some chances with my listens and so now I am trying out some of the freebies on Audible and I tried some of the bonus listens Hoopla had last year too. It seems Hoopla has phased out their bonus listens, but it was nice while it lasted. I found a couple of YA series that I listened to and I tried a Regency romance trilogy with supernatural elements. The above mentioned was the last in the trilogy. All silly fun. I have found that my ADHD brain does tasks better when I have something else to distract me. Audiobooks make great fidgets for my brain. I probably should really try to listen while I do chores. It might make my work go faster!

On the personal side, I had my first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. I get my next dose on January 11th. Minimal side effects for me. I had a sore arm, some very mild body aches the first evening and I was very sleepy that night. I take Aunt Dora for her first dose on Friday. She will likely get the Moderna vaccine, but we will see.

I'm waiting on ANCC to give me my authorization to test for my certification. They received my transcripts so I'm hoping I get my test date very soon. Work is really busy due to increase in COVID hospitalizations again. It's rough out here. Stay safe wherever you are. I'm about to get started on one of my courses for school.

Nice to see you all here. I thank you for your visits.

I finished The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande. I really liked it. Gawande talks about how healthcare took the checklist idea from aviation and applied it to surgery. The end result was lives saved and many errors prevented.

I started my book club pick for January Fierce, Free and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker. I sort of know who she is (but I confuse her with a couple of other speaker/writers/bloggers). I did listen to her on Bishop Michael Curry's podcast and she was interesting, but not enough to make me run out and listen to her or buy her books. So far, I'm not very interested. She is a bit over the top. She does acknowledge this, but I am having difficulty engaging. It's a crazy time right now in the world and at work and home so that may be it.

I started Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell. It's funny. I need funny right now.

>40 luvamystery65: - Congrats on getting your first dose. Hope it continues to go well.

>41 luvamystery65: - I’ve been interested in The Checklist Manifesto since hearing him interviewed on the Freakanomics podcast. Glad to hear it’s worthwhile.

Glad to hear that you got your first dose of the vaccine. Good luck with your goals this year!

Happy new year and happy reading 2021. Good luck with your goals.

>42 LittleTaiko: I hope you get to read it. I love listening to him. He is a very good speaker as well as writer.

>43 mathgirl40: Thank you so much.

>45 luvamystery65: Thank you Barbara. I'm so pleased you came by.

I finished Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury. I will add it to my list of books to revisit for October/Halloween. I love to listen to The Halloween Tree. I finished Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell. It's short and funny. I decided to DNF Fierce, Free and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker. My book club will meet on a different day this month so I don't feel bad since I'm at work that day. It actually gave me the incentive to make it a DNF. I am going to give myself permission to DNF more often this year. My time with my personal reading is limited so I want to read and listen to books that bring me joy or help me in some way.

I had my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. It went well. I made sure I was well hydrated since the day before. I drank a lot of water and Gatorade before and after. I took extended release Tylenol alternating with Advil and I experienced arm pain at the injection site, some fatigue and muscle ache, but very mild. My symptoms were less than my first dose so I think the hydration and pain reliever regiment are key.

Work is a bit mad with the COVID cases rising. I am working nightshift on Friday and Saturday. Not my usual shift. See you all on the other side of that.

ETA: I started The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin and Driven to Distraction by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. and John J. Ratey, M.D.

Glad to hear that your vaccine(s) weren't too bad!

Hooray for getting the second dose of vaccine, and I appreciate your sharing your experience with us. Craig and newest daughter (she is an x-ray tech at the hospital) have both received the first dose of the Pfizer, and he experienced the same stuff you did, so I will mention the hydrating and routine pain meds to him.

I love Something Wicked This Way Comes and read it every few years. I also love his Dandelion Wine. I think you are smart to give yourself permission to stop reading what isn't working for you. I never feel badly about setting a book aside if it isn't working for me. I am a mood reader, so sometimes it's just a matter of a book not being right for me in that moment.

Good luck with the nightshifts - that's what I used to work all the time back in the day. Hoping they go smoothly for you.

A second from me on thanks for sharing the vaccine experience, and luck with the night shift!

I haven't read Bradbury in a long time (decades?). It sounds like maybe I should reconsider that....

Yay for the vaccine!!

I plan on dosing us all up on advil/acetaminophen before and after we get our shots, as I always do for flu shots and Charlie's other vaccines, but making sure that we're extra hydrated is an excellent idea! Thanks!

I think I haven't visited your thread before, but I wanted to say that I love the Meghan quote you chose and it's exactly my spirit for this year, too!

As others have said, thank you for sharing your experiences. I hope your shifts go well, and all the best with your work and all you do!

>47 Tess_W: Thank you so much.

>48 Crazymamie: Mamie I used to be a nightshift baby also, but not anymore. I'm working 4 nights in a row, but 8 hours instead of 12. Then I hope I can put the nightshift behind me. The most hilarious thing is that I'm working on my sleep hygiene right now and this will throw all my hard work out the window. At least for a couple of weeks. I have Dandelion Wine and I really want to read or listen to that this year.

>49 pammab: I can't wait until the vaccine is more widely available. The two Bradbury's I've read have been almost old fashioned and they gave me a sweet sense of nostalgia even though they were supposed to be a bit spooky. Both would be nice autumnal, October reads.

>50 scaifea: Awesome Amber! They advised us at work not to pre-medicate, but to medicate afterwards. The analgesic can interfere with your immune response and weaken the vaccine. Here is a link to our systems FAQ page. If you scroll all the way down it addresses it. https://www.houstonmethodist.org/vaccine/ I also found this that says you should not pre-medicate for any vaccine for basically the same reason. The exception is if you take analgesics for a chronic condition, then you should continue to do so. This page explains it in layman's terms. It's on page 6, #15 https://www.som.uci.edu/docs/COVID%20Vaccine%20FAQ%2012.17.2020%20v2.pdf

>51 MissBrangwen: Thank you so much for visiting. I really love that Meghan quote too. I'm glad you are in the spirit of taking care of yourself during these trying times. This past year has been hard on everyone and for some this new year is not any easier, but we can hope that this year will turn out better than last.

>52 luvamystery65: Oh, thanks for that! I've been pre-dosing Charlie before his vaccines and myself before flu shots for years because Charlie's first pediatrician told me it was a good idea! Yoicks.

>53 scaifea: Its very common practice. In order to increase compliance the medical community will make those recommendations. Especially if you have to come back for a second dose. We learn more every day so the recommendations change. Yay!

Found you! Hi, Roberta - Happy New Reading Year! :)

>55 lyzard: Liz! Thanks for searching. re: You and Peggy reminiscing about Our Mutual Friend and then me bumping the thread, I love when life reminds us how connected we are. It's slow going with Dicken's this year, but that is okay. I hope you have a wonderful year.

January

What I'd like to read
Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Peace Talks Jim Butcher
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin will read in Feb for a SFFKit
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown (Magnet Committee 2020 book read) Going to read this in March
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury started in 2020 and would like to finish.

What I actually read
The Lost Soul of Lord Badewyn by Mia Marlowe (started in December)
Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops by Shaun Bythell
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
The Earl I Ruined by Scarlett Peckham
Driven to Distraction by Edward Hallowell M.D.
Peace Talks by Jim Butcher
Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - up to Chapter 2

Book Club Pick
Fierce Free and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker DNF

January came and went as it does. My reading was better than I hoped it would be. The Checklist Manifesto was incredibly helpful to me. I knew it would be professionally, but adapting the checklist to my personal life is proving to be quite useful right now.

I was nervous to read Peace Talks because Skin Game left Harry in a really good place. It also revitalized the series which is a feat at number 15. Happy to report that it left me satisfied. Not so much a review of the book, but my thoughts on Harry Dresden. Harry started out as simple guy trying to make a living as private investigator. Harry's life has had many complications and as it turns out Harry isn't such a simple guy. He just likes to think he is. He always wants to the right thing, but he doesn't always know what that is. He has a small circle of true friends, but even they, have distrusted him at one time or another. Harry digs himself into a hole every time he holds back information and doesn't include his friends or family in what is going on his life, but when he does include them, they pay a price. I didn't like Harry very much when I started the series. He was such a loner and whiner, but a few of people told me to stick to it and I am glad I did. If I'm honest, I'm still not a fan of Harry. I'm a fan of Harry's story. Sometimes it's like driving by an accident. It's horrifying and yet you don't look away. Sometimes it's like watching one of those quirky videos on CBS Sunday Morning News. You just can't quite believe it's completely true, but you love it anyway. This is my relationship to the Dresden Files. Side note: I listen to the audios because James Marsters He is amazing in this series. The only thing that ever irked me was the poor choice to give Carlos Ramirez a Spanish accent. I went back to listen to Dead Beat and sure enough he has a Spanish accent. In Peace Talks he speaks with an American accent. I'm glad of that! I'm from the border, Laredo, TX and there are people that are born in the U.S. that grow up with a Spanish accent because Spanish is the language spoken at home, but even they might lose that accent once they start school and/or move away. Just a nitpick from me, but I'm happy now that Marsters is using a different accent for Carlos.

That's my reading update, now a me update. It was a brutal month. So much going on in our country, which I won't get into because if you watch the news you know. COVID peak here in Houston is brutal along with other parts of the country. At work our COVID cases went through the rough this past month. It looks like we are ont the other side of the apex of this surge, but it is a slow climb down. What is different this time, is that our staff is so BURNED OUT. I don't think a day goes by where someone doesn't quit. Some are quitting to stay home for awhile, especially our ICU and ER nurses. They haven't had a break at all. Our hospital has rotated the floor staff to care for COVID patients so those nurses have a had break in all this. We have 9 medical-surgical units so we have been able to give those nurses a break. A lot of our staff have been getting sick too. Now that the vaccines are here I'm praying that we this slows down hospitalizations. I've had to work long shifts in January, sometimes 16 hours and I worked 4 nightshifts as one of the nightshift in my department was out sick for 2 weeks.

My aunt Dora has had some medical setbacks this month so that is added on to a very stressful month. I continue to prepare for my Certification exam which I rescheduled for early March. I'm also trying to adjust to a new medication I started in October and it's been quite a journey. I had to do some very serious self-reflection and look at everything on my very, very full plate. Something had to go and the thing I was very excited about, my MSN is the only thing I can let go right now. I spoke to my advisor and let it percolate for a couple of weeks, but in the end, I withdrew from my Master's program. I have an agreement with my advisor to keep in touch and check in midyear specifically discuss when I can go back and be successful. My best guess is next January if we are in a good place with COVID. It was never going to be easy, and I will have a lot on my plate with work, the house, my aunt and our pets, but as long as I am unable to hire someone to help me with her and housework (due to COVID), it is too much. If I was alone, sure I might risk it, but I won't risk it for my Aunt. She doesn't have many years left and I want her to be safe and comfortable for as long as possible. Good new on the Dora front, is that her new insurance doesn't require prior authorization for her ablation. We schedule her procedures for March and are hoping she gets pain relief. She gets her 2nd doses of Moderna vaccine this Friday. Yay!

So that is my January 2021 which felt like the 13 month of 2020.

February

What I'd like to read
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin - SFFKit
Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye - MysteryKit
The Five by Hallie Rubenfold - ScaredyKit
Literary Witches by Taisia Kitaiskaia
Battle Ground by Jim Butcher

What I actually read

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens

Book Club Pick
The Guest List by Lucy Foley - read last year

My February list. I'm trying to keep it simple since I'm still studying for my Certification exam, but shiny books always get in the way to distract me.

I'm so sorry you have so much on your plate, Ro. And sorry that you had to suspend your studies, but having some breathing room in life is so important. Take care. xx

>58 luvamystery65: Thank you Katie. You are right about having some breathing room. I felt so sad to make that decision, but it felt like a huge relief too. I'm trying remember to guard my yes.

Hi Ro, you have had such a busy time of it for the last few years, I sure hope the Covid crisis is easing. Remember to take care of yourself as well as others and hopefully, you will be able to pick up your studies in the near future.

Now I want to re-read The Checklist Manifesto! I've read that and Being Mortal, and Complications too I think. The only one I have left is Better.

I'm relieved to hear that your aunt will be getting the second dose of the vaccine, and I hope the workload eases for you soon. You've all had to deal with so much for far too long.

>61 DeltaQueen50: Thank you Judy. You are so kind. I'll do periodic check ins with my advisor and mentor. I think together we can determine the best time for me to go back and be successful. The COVID numbers are slowly decreasing here, but it's the burnout that is making it so difficult this time around. I hope they can ramp up the vaccination rollout. The rate of vaccination will determine when this ends. That and I really think we are going to have to vaccinated annually for new strains until enough of the world population has built up enough antibodies for this to become a regular strain of coronavirus. Those are no joke, but this one is another thing entirely. Like the flu in 1918. I hope you are well. I will pop over to your thread soon to catch up.

>62 rabbitprincess: It really is good. I like Gawande's style. I must confess to hearing him speak more than reading his books. I read Being Mortal and now The Checklist Manifesto. Since I'm in healthcare, checklists are a standard thing now. It's really been helpful to me in my everyday life. As I'm trying to manage my busy schedule and get everything done, I am increasingly relying on checklists to make sure I'm keeping on tasks. I love having them on my phone so I can edit them easily. I used to joke that if my head wasn't attached, I would have lost it on the playground in 1st grade. My aunt used to reply, in the newborn nursery. I've used to do list on and off. I even tried Getting Things Done by David Allen. NO THANK YOU! The system is good, it's just not suited for me. When Gawande talked about how they made the first checklist and he took it to work and it just didn't work the light went on for me. I just need to make my own system that works for me and change it when it no longer works. I'm glad you liked the book. I plan to revisit.

I forgot to add Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney to my January reads. I read this in high school, but I've always wanted to read it again. The HistoryCAT/KIT reminded me I had a copy. Funny, but when I was listening to Peace Talks Grendel was brought up. I love it when I'm reading something and it's mentioned in something else I'm reading. Speaking of Harry Dresden, the library notified me that Battle Ground is ready for me to download. So soon! I'll be all caught up with the Dresden Files very soon. I've added it to my February reads.

Book bullet for The Checklist Manifesto. The library has it. I've been thinking about creating a checklist for maintaining the house, both regular housework and more seasonal tasks, and this may boost me into doing that.

>65 ronincats: I hope you like The Checklist Manifesto it is about safety in the healthcare industry and how they modeled the surgical checklist after the aviation and construction safety checklists. It does motivate you! Good luck with your checklist. I am working on mine and I'm so happy with them even though they are still evolving.

I started Battle Ground last night and we're back with the Spanish accent for Carlos. He does say specifically that Carlos is Spanish by way of California. Give him back his California accent please! Ugh.

>67 luvamystery65: "...and we're back with the Spanish accent for Carlos." I was just thinking this when I was reading your Dresden Files comments up thread. I liked your thoughts on Harry - thanks for taking the time to share them.

Sorry that life is so busy and so stressful for you currently. I hate that you have to pause your Masters, but also applaud you for making the decision to give yourself some breathing space. Your aunt is very lucky to have you. It is a powerful thing to be loved so fully.

>68 Crazymamie: Thank you Mamie. I finished Battle Ground and WHEW!

>69 luvamystery65: Right?! I wonder how long we'll have to wait for the next episode, which promises to be very interesting.

Just dropping by to check on you. I hope you haven't lost water and power. I can't imagine how miserable it must be for everyone down there. (((hugs)))

>70 Crazymamie: I have no idea where he is going with the series. I think he said he will stop at 20 and maybe have some universe things going on in short stories or graphic novels.

>71 BookLizard: Thanks for checking in on me Liz. We lost power for 2 hours, but one of my pipes burst. It was over the front of my garage so no damage in the house itself. I'm waiting on the adjustor to come and inspect the attic and the pipes. We were without water for two days before a plumber could come and cap the pipe. It wasn't my regular plumber who I love, so I'll wait for the repair. We showered and then I turned off the water again and drained the pipes since we had 2 more nights of below freezing. I had plenty of stored water so while it was inconvenient, we managed and consider ourselves extremely fortunate. I've always been prepared for hurricanes so I had a lot of what I needed, but I never thought I would have to prepare for a winter storm. Why I love Texas with all its faults and there are many, is that where I live we have mild winters. This was very eye opening for me. I didn't like it.

February

What I'd like to read
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin - SFFKit
Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye - MysteryKit
The Five by Hallie Rubenfold - ScaredyKit
Literary Witches by Taisia Kitaiskaia
Battle Ground by Jim Butcher

What I actually read
Dust and Shadow by Lyndsay Faye
The Five by Hallie Rubenfold
Battle Ground by Jim Butcher
Forged by Benedict Jacka
False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
Compulsory by Martha Wells
All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - read zero of this book this month!

Book Club Pick
The Guest List by Lucy Foley - read last year

What I actually read is making laugh. I guess I was in the mood for SFF this month. I loved Dust and Shadow an it led me to pick up The Five which goes into detail about the five victims of Jack the Ripper. It seems really well researched. She used surviving documents to piece the type of life the women lead and what may have led them to be in Whitechapel at the time. While most books claim them as sex workers, Rubenhold goes into detail about why they were portrayed that way in court and the papers. They were considered "unfortunates" by the law. Not all unfortunates were sex workers, but in society eyes they might as well have been. Both Forged and False Value were good entries in their series. I didn't think Battle Ground was as good as Peace Talks. The two combined were like part one and two of an arc in the series. The last quarter of the book left me in shock and I have no idea where we are going, but I'm along for the train wreck that is Harry Dresden.

I have officially jumped on the Murderbot bandwagon. I love that there are several short entries in the series. That's how she gets you, I do believe. She's an evil genius. I'm a sucker! Ha ha!!!

I didn't get to my sleep book, but I'll pick it up after my certification exam. I've schedule it for March 6th. I am taking a practice exam tomorrow and a 2nd one Tuesday. If I don't make 80%, then I'll reschedule. I really want to get this done, but I lost 4 days of internet with the winter storm. All my study guides are digital on the website, not downloadable.

No Charles Dickens this month. Such is life.

ETA: I'm still slowly going through Literary Witches

>72 luvamystery65: Ugh, burst water pipes! Glad to hear there wasn't damage in the house.

>72 luvamystery65: Glad things weren't worse. You are a survivor!

>74 spiralsheep: Me too! My co-worker's house in unlivable. They lost so much due to burst pipes.

>75 Tess_W: Thanks! I am a survivor. I've been blessed with help along the way.

March

What I'd like to read
Dare to Lead by Brene Brown (Magnet Committee 2020 book read) this one is going to be read in the middle of summer. I want time to read and enjoy her podcast on this subject.
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker started but not finished yet
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Coyote Songs by Gabino Iglesias started but not finished yet

What I actually read
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
Network Effect by Martha Wells
What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear by Danielle Ofri - reread

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - Chapters 2-14

Book Club Pick
The Lake House by Kate Morton Wasn't interested in this book this month. Too much studying to do.

Short Stories, Anthologies and Essays
Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery edited by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn Deering
Literary Witches: A Celebration of Magical Women Writers by Taisia Kitaiskaia
Folk Songs for Trauma Surgeons by Keith Rosson

My reading month has been strange. Most of what I thought I wanted to read, I did not. I'm doing a lot of reading for my certification exam so my brain is not too interested in non-fiction. I did reread a non-fiction, but that was also to gather some strategies for work. I listened to the rest of the Murderbot Diaries series. I really enjoyed it. My Aunt Dora loved it. She wants to listen again, so good thing they were just recently on sale at Audible. I had borrowed the series from the library. I also listened to Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery. There were 18 stories and they were all good. I started but haven't finished a lot of books. I did get into Our Mutual Friend. The story started picking up. I've finished Book 1 and there are more questions than answers, but that is when the story gets exciting for me.

My certification exam is on the 9th. I will be so relieved when this is over. Dad's will will be probated on Tuesday. I'm going to be able to attend by Zoom. I'm not thrilled with the timing, but it is what it is. I will also be greatly relieved when that is over too. On the good news front, the plumber finally came yesterday to repair the capped pipe from our winter storm this past February. Good timing as my dishwasher was not draining due to my garbage disposal acting up. I don't really use my garbage disposal much, but I rely heavily on my dishwasher. I throw everything in there, dishes, my aunt's BiPap supplies, containers, sponges, dog dishes, if it can survive the wash it goes in there! Dora jokes that she better not wake up and find herself in there. LOL. Pipe was fixed, dishwasher/garbage disposal was fixed and I got a new water shut off valve. Work is busy as usual. COVID hospitalizations are down. I hope they stay that way, but I'm not relaxing just yet. Next up for me is preparing for hurricane season. I'm starting early this year since storms are forming in May most years now. This year looks to be another busy storm season.

I hope everyone is having a good month and enjoying the spring weather/or autumn weather if you live further down south than I do.

So good to hear your news! Good luck with the exam and with the probate -- it sounds like a busy week ahead. Will be thinking of you :)

I hope everything went well for you.

>78 rabbitprincess: Thanks. >79 BookLizard: Thanks

Court went well. Will need to go back July 14th. Hopefully earlier. I passed my exam and now have my Nurse Executive Certification.

Congrats!

>80 luvamystery65: Congratulations on passing your exam!

Congratulations!

Fingers crossed that your next court date goes well.

>80 luvamystery65: Congrats!!

>80 luvamystery65: Congratulations!

>80 luvamystery65: Way to go, Roberta!

>80 luvamystery65: Congratulations!

>81 MissWatson: >82 spiralsheep: >83 BookLizard: >84 scaifea: >85 MissBrangwen: >86 Crazymamie: >87 mathgirl40: Thank you all for my congratulations! I got my promotion officially since I now have my certification. Our admissions nurse is out on medical leave so I have been filling in the last two months. She will be back midweek next week so I can get into my new job. It's not much different from my old job, but let's see where I can take it.

Let me catch you all up on my reading.

April

What I'd like to read
The Good House by Tananarive Due
Think Again by Adam Grant Ch 1-4 for Magnet Committee shared book read
Lock In by John Scalzi - saving this for when I host SFF
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

What I actually read
Think Again by Adam Grant Ch 1-4
Books 1-9 of Ministry of Curiosities by C.J. Archer I just needed some comfort easy reading so I re-listened to this YA series.

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens Part 2, Chapters 1-4

Book Club Pick
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas I thought this was very complex and I'm glad we read it. The book club was very lively.

May

What I'd like to read
Perfume by Patrick Suskind
Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell
Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan Pinsky
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Home, Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
Think Again by Adam Grant Ch 5-7 for Magnet Committee shared book read
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
The Very First Damned Thing by Jodi Taylor

What I actually read
Perfume by Patrick Suskind DNF Yuck
Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell - Orwell was at his best as an essayist.
Organizing Solutions for People with ADHD by Susan Pinsky skimmed - some helpful solutions, but a little preachy.
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells Loving this series
Home, Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory by Martha Wells
Think Again by Adam Grant Ch 5-7 for Magnet Committee shared book read. I'm really enjoying this read and the discussion at work.
Ministry of Curiosities Book 10 by C.J. Archer reread
Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor
The Very First Damned Thing by Jodi Taylor

Serial Reader app
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens Part 2, Chapters 5-9 Still enjoying this

Book Club Pick
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell re-read. Read in high school. Prefer Orwell's non-fiction.

I am really loving the Murderbot series. I'm gathering my thoughts on it before I post about them. I'm pretty sure I'm going to listen to the series again this year. So soon? Yes! There are layers and I want to listen again to capture them. I don't think I've ever listened to Kevin R. Free narrate a book, but he is now Murderbot to me forevermore.

ETA: I also started (FINALLY!!!) The Chronicles of St. Mary's by Jodi Taylor. I listened to the first book and the novella that takes place prior to the first book. It was slow at the very beginning, but it really picked up and I loved it. I wanted to shout at Max a few times because she is very forgiving, but that just makes her a better person than me and so I held my tongue and I'm happy for her because she deserves all the good things.

I LOVE Murderbot. Those are my comfort reads.

Hope the new job is going well.

August ScaredyKit is up https://www.librarything.com/topic/333666