frankie

Let's both make this year the best!! It can't be worse than last year!!

Of course you did! Don't be sorry, I know what it's like I've replaced your sad face with a happy face, see? ^ First off, I want to reiterate what I said on FB: I love it that you have updated your Best Books list, because I've been wanting to ask you if you have any updates. I'm pleased that you're pleased. Hopefully I'll have a good reading year and be able to add more than one book to the list!! That would be rather splendid! I don't think I added one book to the list in 2015 But I think I have to add This Is Life by Dan Rhodes for the 2016 one, hehe! Second, I love how you've organized the reference links in your first post. It's so tidy and clean and looks great. So much better than mine! Have you changed it from last year, is it more simple this year? Or am I just imagining things. Thanks. I've been doing the reference links for at least a couple of years, I think. It might look a bit simpler because I combined some of my TBR lists into longer posts (last year my TBR fiction books were in 9 separate posts; this year they're in 7 posts). I also deleted a couple of the challenge ideas because I didn't do anything about them last year. You've been doing the reference links for many years! It was your reference links that inspired me to do mine, and I remember asking you if I could steal the idea. So if I go back and see I've done the links thing since 2012, so you've done it at least since 2011. I think quite a few of us dropped some challenges because we didn't do much about them last year, hehe. Wow at TBR being close to 1500 books. Bow to the master! I wish! It's actually at 2100, which includes 1428 fiction and 678 non-fiction. Oh lord, I knew you were over 2000! I knew that! But when I was posting, I got the number 1500 from somewhere and just went with it. I was off my brain, and one can't blame me, because I've been at home with the flu and my brain's gone to wool at times. (I'm doing better by now!) Third, your selected wishlist is so short! Where do you keep the rest of the titles I culled my overall wishlist recently, but on BCF I only tend to include the books I want the most. Like Poppyshake said on her new blog, I get sick of looking at the same books over and over! My complete wishlist is kept on the Book Depository's site. Ah yes, so you still keep a complete wishlist somewhere I intend to do the same, but I'm not sure where I shall stick the list of the 'boring titles' Re: priority reads and the book jar: "This is a list of the books I'd most like to read this year. In 2015, I read 20 books (17 fiction, 3 non-fiction) out of the 81 on the list. In 2016, I read 14 books (12 fiction, 2 non-fiction) out of 77 on the list. I haven’t yet added extra books to the list for 2017." That's really well done! I did the book jar thing last year and read 0 (0. As in zero.) books based on what came up from the jar. 0. LOL. I must admit that I haven't been using my actual book jar to select books. I just choose what I want to read and then later realise that the book was on the list. Most of the books have been on the list for years, so I guess it's inevitable that I'll choose from it without realising. Ahhhahahaha And here I was, thinking you'd hand picked so many Book Jar books and actually read them after picking I also love how you've listed your TBR books according to their being on multiple challenge lists Makes prioritizing easier, should you want to prioritize! Now that took me a while to do!! And yes, I love that I can easily check whether a book is on multiple lists. It will make it feel like even more of an achievement if/when I read such books! I can totally relate to that! I wish you loads of luck with keeping your lists up to date! Thanks! I really hope I do a better job of keeping them up to date this year. It was a pain in the bum to update the thread this year because I was so far behind with updating! I'm going to try to avoid going to both bookfairs this year. It'll make me really sad on one hand, but on the other it will help me keep my TBR pile down and make it easier to keep my lists updated! Oh boy, that's going to be hard, not going to the book fairs But like you said, you'll keep your TBR down and there will be less of that tedious updating of lists

I hope you didn't get rid of all your knickers when Konmari-ing? Oooh you could totally do Rory drawer now!! I think your BSC would be perfect there And I would've totally suggested a series, so that you wouldn't be wondering which books you had in the drawer later. A series is easier to remember. Not that you couldn't always just look what's there But it would save you the trouble! I miss my Rory Drawer. I gave it away when I moved to Espoo. One of these days I will buy a new one Perhaps when I have to find a new apartment when landlord is going to move back in!

^ Seems kind of inappropriate but at the same time very appropriate There was also a Corgi that wagged it's tail, at the shop. I'm sure it's a Corgi and not some other dog for a very specific reason

I hope it's not heavy going anymore? I'm more than 100 pages into The Twenty-Three by Linwood Barclay. This is the last book in the trilogy, I'm sad to see it end

Oh thank goodness!! I was kind of worried Phew!!! (Yep, it's kinda tricky when you're quoting someone and suddenly the spoiler's there for all the world and especially yourself to see! Best to not use a quote block on those occasions, to be on the safe side! ) Edit: When I was writing the spoiler, I meant it only for peacefield, but hours later I realized that there was no way you would know that and came rushing back I'll try to be loads more careful in the future! I've started season 2! Jess has arrived.

Oh my lord, I could kick myself! I can't believe I missed the perfect opportunity to ask you why your wishlist is so short these days. Did the infantry not help you this year? Edit: Ooooh! Are they standing guard after and because of Brexit??

I hope you enjoy keeping a reading log, Autumn! I can't wait to see what you will be reading this year

That's so wonderful for you! Yes, it's a bit of a privilege to say the least (and I don't mean to sound bitter or envious ), but you've studied hard and I'm sure you'll work hard, too

I went to a bookstore yesterday, to buy a few brush pens for my Bullet Journal project, and there was a sale... It's the same sale but now it's -60%. There was a book I wanted to buy, The Sense of an Elephant by Marco Missiroli, but in the end I put it back down. Well done, if I say so myself Oh, I almost forgot! When I was checking out the Leuchtturm 1917s at the bookstore, I came upon this: She was waving her hand, very majestically!

A very Happy New Year to you, too, Paul! That was very well said, kiitos! I'm happy to have brought a little random Finnish into your life I'm glad you have decided to self-learn Finnish now, as it's never too late! There are bits and pieces in spoken Finnish on youtube and you can google some specific words to hear how they are pronounced in Finnish. For example forvo.com seems to be offering spoken Finnish words if you're interested Oh, I didn't know it would take so long to be published in English... Well, luckily you have a great big TBR on your hands to keep you busy for the time being

Apparently we crazy Finns are keeping good company with the Dutch! There will be a revolution....!

I hope you have a very merry reading year in 2017, Lilliputian!

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about how the last few months of the year are always your worst reading months, and that the first ones are the best. It was really good timing, after all! I just hope you come up for air in between books in the next months and come and say hello Indeed! I did some culling of my own yesterday. I'm not exaggerating when I say I removed about 50 titles from my wishlist, and I only got as far as the letter d! I went back to read the review... Not very promising! Yes, probably best to borrow it from the library... I did think you'd like the cover, though As long as there's no hair pulling or scratching, I'm up for it! Or pulling the other's trousers down! The cushion Claire made for you is simply gorgeous! I hope you enjoy all your Christmas books! Oh yes, and the Five Give Up the Booze! I saw this on your Goodreads account and had I been drinking coffee, a catastrophy and a damaged computer would have ensued! I'll have to see if the library has any copies, by any chance Doubt it...

So that would be 28€, ouch! Rather pricey I got mine for 27,50€ but that included postage. Which leads me to yesterday... I needed to go to the pharmacy to get a few things and as my brush pens hadn't arrived in the mail, I thought I'd pop in the bookstore to buy just a few so I could practice on the weekend. I saw Leuchtturm 1917s at the bookstore! So they do have them, just not on their online website. Oh they looked so pretty I wanted to buy one even though I wouldn't have use for it as I have my own now They cost 22,90€. I got a few brush pens and tried them and immediately thought, these are crappy pens, the lines are too thick! But then I gave them another try and realized that they are fine enough pens, I just press too hard I spent probably 30 minutes yesterday with the pens, if not 60 minutes. At one point I realized that I had best try and practice the fine lining, i.e., trying to write in fine line. That was really tricky It takes patience and you have to be concentrated and calm But I realized it's fun and it'll be a great new hobby. Especially as it might make me into more zen (Unless I have a fit and throw the pens out the window ) I also did a small drawing of a cassette player the other day, for a BuJo page that had to do with music. I haven't drawn anything in ages and I'm not good at it, but it was fun! I might try doing some other things, too. It's fun to do it just for fun, and not be in class in school, the teacher breathing down your neck and never encouraging you, but always criticizing. That's an excellent idea! Yay!! If you'd like, please post pictures!

Ah, I understand It's been quite a few years since I read the book so I don't remember many particulars about it. I'm glad you still enjoyed reading it!

Ah, I did wonder if you meant to write 'now' That would make more sense in the context! Boss's DVDs sold pretty well, except for The Sopranos sets, which I found a bit odd. And what's more odd, even one of the VHS cassettes she put there was sold!! I would've never thought anyone would buy VHS anymore. But it was a really good Finnish crime series, so that would explain it. I'm not sure if it's been released on DVD... Well it must have. But maybe someone still owns a VHS type of video...

That's so cool that you also have the months and days without the capital letter! I didn't know that! I like the sound of Kerstmis, I love the spelling

I suppose they are the sort of intelligents that thrive on that sort of brainache... Something I wouldn't know about The thing is, she knows Colin Firth just fine and loves P&P as much as the next person, but when she had to try and think what movie The Girl with a Pearl Earring was, it didn't ring any bells, not even after I told Colin was on it! I mean, he was very hot in that one, too!!! I'm glad you've finally realized what it was that was keeping you from writing all those reviews! I've now read the details about your stay at home-home, and many huggles to you for getting through it You did a splendid job! But I'm also happy that you are now back home, and have time for yourself. I'm so happy to hear that your parents have carers to help them around, and that things are finally getting back to normal for them! I'm also happy for your cousin's good eye on what's what. Sometimes we are too close to things to be able to see it from an object point-of-view.

11 pages vs. 44 pages last year?? I think you may have to make up for it this year! Looking forward to those stretches It got him angry? Bloody hell I think that might actually be more incentive for me to read the book Oh boy When I win the lottery, I'll buy you a new one and then I'll come over and I'll watch you hammer the crap out of the current one No blows The Man at the Helm I don't think was a huge disagreement... I liked the book okay but just not that much. I'm sure there is some other book we've disagreed on more than that one. But I think we can still count those disagreeable books with only two hands (if not one!), and that's saying something.

I don't much care for short stories as I do like my stories longer and meatier. I won't go for a 700+ page book very easily: that'll take a long time to read and I'm wary of whether I have the time and stamina for it. I have a few really long books on my TBR that are still there, year after year, because I'm too intimidated to pick them up: Lord of the Rings, A Suitable Boy, The Pillars of the Earth, Sinuhe the Egyptian, to name a few. And yet all of these books are supposed to be good if not great!

Actually, now that I think about it, I do recall seeing one other Kindle case (?) that she made for someone, it was a blue one? I was blown by it then, too, but I never commented because I was reading through the logs in a hurry Claire's very talented! What, there are other forums out there? I know gorgeouser is not a word, but as you used TM after it, I thought maybe it was a trademark. As TM would suggest Yes, it would normally have the capital G, but I thought maybe it's a very chic brand with an innovative way of writing English words Well here's more alien concepts: we also use no capitals for months or weekdays: tammikuu is January, maanantai is Monday Confused? You won't be after this episode of....

I'm very happy to see you've set your new reading log up! I saw it yesterday and immediately came in but I saw it was still under construction, so I tried to be patient and stay away! I wish you a truly wonderful reading year in 2017!! I can't wait to see what books you read this year, and watch how my own wishlist increases in size by ten-fold because of it! When I look at these totals... You're a lean mean reading machine! You spent three months last year reading absolutely nothing and you still managed to come to 91 read books?! You're an inspiration! I have to say I'm liking your short wishlist. I've been entertaining the idea of culling my own wishlist for a while now... There are many titles whose existence on the list makes me yawn. In my own wishlist that is!! I wonder if I have My Salinger Year on my wishlist. I must have. If not, it's going there. I noticed another book by Joanna Rakoff at the bookstore in December and wrote the title down (or rather took a picture of the cover on my smartphone, in order to then add it to my wishlist): A Fortunate Age. Seems interesting! That happened with me, too Let's egg each other on to read those challenge books, aye! Hurrah, 2017!!!

I did re-read the synopsis when I was dusting my books, as I do remember how much you love the book and want me to read it... It sounds really interesting but I fear it'll be too smart for me But I think you've said it's not hard to read? Oh you did it already, cool! I like the idea of increasing your odds I had to google Noel Fitzpatrick as the name didn't ring any bells. No, I've not heard of him or the show. I don't know if we have that series over here. If we do, it's probably allocated to a channel and or timeslot that is inconvenient for me. But that's so cool about him having worked with and for your Obi!! Oh I wish that would've been on telly! Oh no, maybe not, as I dread seeing doggies go unconscious and being operated on... But I would've loved to have seen Obi before and after! Do try and get on film!! You'll have to let us know if you'll be up! And you need to record it for me and send it to me so I can watch it, if it's not available over here!! Yes!! Awww, he sounds marvellous! Obi's not too impressed, but I think Fitzpatrick can deal with that, being a professional Re: your question about your job. I'm not artistic or decorative at all, so I wouldn't have any ideas, sorry! But what an amazing job you have! I'm sure you'll be great at it Do you get to mix in with the animals?

I'm very happy to see you've decided to create a reading log! Good luck with your studies and your job! Is the job secured already?