Thursday Thirteen 451: Recently Viewed

For this week's topic I have thirteen movies I have watched so far this year. Some of these I had seen before — though in most cases it had been years since I last saw them — and a few I had not seen before (denoted by an *). Click on any link for more information about a particular movie.


01. While You Were Sleeping (1995; Bill Pullman, Sandra Bullock — one of my favorite movies)

02. The Holiday (2006; Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Jack Black, Kate Winslet)

03. Tootsie (1982; Dustin Hoffman, Jessica Lange, Teri Garr)

04. Love Actually (2003; Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson, Keira Knightly, Hugh Grant, Colin Firth)

05. The African Queen (1951; Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Robert Morley)

06. Laura * (1944; Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb)

07. Precious * (2009; Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton)

08. Groundhog Day (1993; Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell)

09. Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003; The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Return of the King; Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchette, Viggo Mortensen)

10. Ant-Man * (2015; Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll)

11. Pitch Perfect 2 * (2015; Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld)

12. To Catch a Thief (1955; Cary Grant, Grace Kelly)

13. Murder on the Orient Express (1974; Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman)


YOUR TURN: Seen anything lately you would recommend?



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Thursday Thirteen 450: Recently Acquired — Print Edition

A couple weeks ago, I posted a list of thirteen ebooks recently acquired. This week I thought I'd post a list for the "traditionalists" — a list of some of the actual printed books I've recently picked up from the local used book store or the library's monthly used book sale. These were all in good to like-new condition. So far, I have only read one of these. Click on any link for more information about any title.


01. The Circle by Dave Eggers (Fiction; Book to Movie)

02. Spouse on Haunted Hill by EJ Copperman (Cozy Mystery)

03. Better Off Thread by Amanda Lee (Cozy Mystery)

04. Dressed to Kilt by Hannah Reed (Cozy Mystery)

05. To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway (Classic)

06. Stupid Cupid by Rhonda Stapleton (Young Adult)

07. In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume (Women’s Fiction)

08. Table for Five by Susan Wiggs (Romance/Women’s Fiction)

09. Everything is Illuminated by Foer (Lit Fiction)

10. Invisible Man by Ellison (Classic)

11. The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George (Lit fiction)

12. Hidden Figures by (Nonfiction; Basis of the recent movie)

13. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (Classic Mystery)



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Thursday Thirteen 449: Mortsafes

If you saw this week’s Tuesday Teaser, you know that mortsafes played a significant role in The Sinner by Amanda Stevens. I had heard of these contraptions previously, but reading this book prompted me to learn more about them.

01. Mortsafes were designed to protect graves from disturbance, particularly from body snatchers, who provided anatomy schools with fresh corpses from the early 1700’s.

02. It was necessary for medical students to learn anatomy by attending dissections of human subjects, but there was a low allowance of dead bodies allowed by the government—mostly criminals or the homeless who died with no known relatives.

03. Authorities turned a blind eye to grave robbing, as it advanced medical knowledge, and tried to keep publicity to a minimum so people would not know what was happening. Lonely country graveyards were particularly vulnerable. Grave-snatchers were paid to dig up and transport bodies—sometimes even across the sea.

04. Revelations led to public outrage, especially in Scotland, where the dead were revered, and where there was a literal belief in the Resurrection. It was believed by many that the dead could not rise in an incomplete state.

05. Knowledge of grave robbers led to finding ways of protecting one’s friends and relatives. The poor dug heather, branches, and rocks into new graves to make it more difficult to dig them up, and also set people to watch graves at night, when such activity was most likely to occur. Watch societies formed, with one in Glasgow registering 2,000 members.

06. The rich, however, could afford more extravagant measures such as vaults, table tombstones, mausoleums and iron cages around graves.

07. The mortsafe was invented around 1816, and were heavy iron or iron-and-stone cages that fit around graves.

08. Mortsafes were a complex design of heavy iron rods and plates that were padlocked together, and fit over the coffin. They could only be removed by two people with keys, and were kept in place for at least six weeks, by which time they deemed the body to be adequately decayed that it was no longer of use to medical schools.

09. Churches sometimes bought a number of mortsafes which were then rented to parishioners.

10. Similarly, watch societies would also buy several of the contraptions with membership dues, and hire them out to non-members.

11. Examples of mortsafes have been found close to all Scottish medical schools, as have watch towers used to watch graveyards for any nefarious activity.

12. Vaults—or morthouses—were built both above and partially below ground to protect the dead. A unique one in Aberdeenshire consists of a circular building with a thick studded wooden door and an inner iron door. Inside there is a turntable to accommodate seven coffins. A coffin would be moved round as further ones were added and by the time it reappeared the body would be of no use to the dissectionists.

13. There are only two known mortsafes in the United States, in Catawissa, Pennsylvania. This pair of mortsafes is more decorative than those traditionally found in Scotland and parts of Great Britain.

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Thursday Thirteen 448: Recently acquired

Owing to a lack of time and any other ideas, here is a list of some of the most recent ebooks books purchased. I receive daily emails from Goodreads, Bookbub and B&N featuring specials -- books that are on sale for $2.99 or less -- and sometimes it's difficult to resist temptation with prices far below the normal price. Some of these I had heard of, some I had not, and I've found a few books that looked interesting through these sources. And, as some may expect from me, it's a variety of genres: romance/women's fiction, mystery, literary fiction, and even a nonfiction selection. Now to actually read some of them . . . .

I'm linking titles to Goodreads, so that no one can accuse me of trying to sell something, or represent any particular company. Click on any link for more information!


1. Ten Beach Road by Wendy Wax (Women's Fiction)

2. A Proposal to Die For by Vivian Conroy (Cozy Mystery)

3. Shadow and Silk by Elizabeth Lowell (orig. published as Amy Maxwell)

4. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain (Historical Fiction)

5. The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure (Historical Fiction)

6. Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman (Cozy mystery series that looked fun)

7. Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult (Women's Fiction)

8. The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott (Historical Fiction)

9. Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks (Historical romance)

10. The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandria by Helen Rappaport (Collection of diary entries and letters written by the four sisters)

11. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen (Fiction)

12. The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan (Young Adult fantasy)

13. Also Known As by Robin Benway (YA; the cover and story description reminded me of Ally Carter's "Gallagher Girls" series, which I love)



Mind you, these are merely a few recent purchases for the Nook. There have been plenty of print selections, too.


So... How about you? Have you bought any books (ebook or print) recently?




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Thursday Thirteen 447: 2016 Year in Books

Hello everyone! This week I have my annual look back on the previous year's reading. About half of these have been featured for Teaser Tuesday and all have been mentioned in Recently Read posts at some point during the year, so be sure to check out those links in the right hand sidebar if you're interested in a brief glimpse at what I've been reading.



01. Number of Books read: I had a goal of 80 and read 84. That's 23,415 pages. The shortest was Walking by Henry David Thoreau (48) and the longest was The Insider by Ridley Pearson (609). Average book length was 289 pages. Among those was a mini goal of ten classics, which I also achieved.

02. Genres/Authors I read: Among genres read were Classics, Romance, Mystery, Young Adult, and Literary Fiction. I read 58 different authors, and 11.5 by male authors (one was by a husband/wife team).

03. New-to-me authors: 23, including: Albert Camus, Jacqueline Winspear, Betty Hechtman, Amanda Flower, Fannie Flagg, David Sedaris, Rainbow Rowell, Diane Vallere, Helen Simonson.

04. Authors I read more than once: Juliet Blackwell, Agatha Christie, Kate Collins, Sheila Connolly, Roald Dahl, Charlaine Harris, Julie Hyzy, Amanda Lee, Nora Roberts, Barbara Ross, Amanda Stevens, Leann Sweeney, Diane Vallere, and Marty Wingate.

05. Most-read Author: Nora Roberts, with five books. She was followed by Sheila Connolly and Roald Dahl, at four books each, and Amanda Lee, Agatha Christie and Barbara Ross at three books each.

06. Authors I plan to read again: Ellery Adams, Nancy Atherton, Patricia Briggs, Agatha Christie, Kate Collins, Sheila Connolly, Julie Hyzy, Amanda Lee, Nora Roberts, Barbara Ross, Amanda Stevens, Leann Sweeney . . . to name but a few.

07. Classics Read: Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka; Walking by Henry David Thoreau; The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte; The Return of the Soldier by Rebecca West; O, Pioneers! by Willa Cather; The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain; Third Girl by Agatha Christie; The Call of the Wild by Jack London; Envious Casca by Georgette Heyer; The Stranger by Albert Camus

08. Book I did not finish: Far From the Madding Crowd. I made it about halfway through, then set it aside to read other books and never got back to it, though I would like to finish.

09. Best reads overall: O, Pioneers by Willa Cather (a reread), The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte, United We Spy by Ally Carter (the book that made me miss my bus stop!), A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg, Starry Night by Debbie Macomber, Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson.

10. Biggest Disappointment: Criminal Confections by Colette London and Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris.

11. Most imaginative world(s): Ridley Pearson (The Insider), Amanda Stevens (The Visitor), and Charlaine Harris (Midnight Crossroad).

12. Weirdest read: Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, which I reread at beginning of 2016 for a classics group.

13. Reading goal for 2017: This is my seventh consecutive year joining the Goodreads Reading Challenge. In recent years I have set a goal of 100 books per year, but due to life changes lowered that goal to 80 books last year, and have set the same goal again this year. Within that are mini-goals, such as reading at least 10 classics and catching up on some of the favorite authors/series in Mount TBR.


What about you? What was your year in books like? What was the best book you read?

For a complete list of books read, click on the "Books 2016" tab at top of the page.



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Thursday Thirteen 446: Thirteen Cards

This week I am sharing thirteen of the 60-some assorted cards made during December and January that were for occasions other than Christmas. Every year I give a set of 50 to one of my friends who does not craft, consisting of a variety of thank you, birthday, sympathy, get well and thinking of you cards. This year I also added several baby, after coming across some dimension stickers and rub-ons that needed to be used up. The dimensionals were so old I had to doctor all of them, replacing the old, dried-up adhesives with new. A few of the birthday cards were set aside for personal use. Additional accessories include grosgrain ribbon, buttons, a scallop edge punch, and decorative brads.

LINKING TO: Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen 445: Recently Read

Below are featured the latest books read, all but two of which were finished in 2016. I exceeded my goal in the Goodreads Challenge, finishing the year with 84/80 books read. I have set my 2017 goal at 80 once again. As always, click on any cover or link for more information.














ABOUT THE BOOKS:


ROW 1: The Cat, The Collector and The Killer is book seven of a favorite series by Leann Sweeney called "Cats in Trouble," and Grace Against the Clock is book five in the "Manor House" series by Julie Hyzy. I enjoyed both of these. Hooked on Murder is book one in the "Crochet" series by Betty Hechtman, who was the November Featured Author in the Cozy Mysteries group.

ROW 2: One Book in the Grave is book five in the “Bibliophile” series by Kate Carlisle. I have quite a few more to catch up on in this series. Three Bedrooms, One Corpse is book three in the “Aurora Teagarden” series by Charlaine Harris. I plucked this one out of Mount TBR after attending a discussion with Harris during the Wisconsin Book Festival (plus, it fit a mini reading challenge). Again, several more in the series — not to mention three other series by Harris— to catch up on. Passenger to Frankfurt was the December group read for an Agatha Christie group at GR. Though written in 1970, there were many passages that eerily described what has been happening in this country (and the world) recently. Too bad the general unrest and divisiveness around the world cannot be as easily resolved as it can in a novel.

ROW 3: The Visitor is the long-anticipated fourth book in the “Graveyard Queen” series by Amanda Stevens. I look forward to books five and six, and learning where the plot is going! Rest Ye Murdered Gentleman is book one of the "Year-Round Christmas" series by Vicki Delany, and was a good start to the series. The Nights Before Christmas is an older book by Vicki Lewis Thompson and was a nice, steamy read to heat things up for the holidays.

ROW 4: Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris is a book I had heard about at Goodreads, and which many recommended. Aside from the first story, "The Santaland Diaries," and one or two other shorter ones, I was greatly disappointed. It wasn’t as funny as I’d been led to believe — or maybe it just isn’t my brand of humor. In any case, I did not like it overall. Thankfully, the next two books read were much more to my liking. A Redbird Christmas by Fannie Flagg was a December 2010 group read for TNBBC, but I only recently came across a copy of the book. I’m surprised Hallmark hasn’t made this one into a movie, as it would fit their December lineup perfectly. Similarly, Starry Night by Debbie Macomber is a perfect fit for the holiday season. While Holidays on Ice may be destined for the library monthly used book sale, these two are definite keepers.

ROW 5: The Stranger by Albert Camus was the November group read for a Classics group at GR. This book read surprisingly fast and was often difficult to put down. In fact, I nearly finished it on the bus to work, and stood at the bus stop to read the last page. The novel is divided into two parts, and people were generally disturbed by how part two played out. Definitely thought-provoking!


Your turn: What are you reading?



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Thursday Thirteen 444: Ornaments

Because I did not get to share before Christmas, here are thirteen ornaments (in six pictures) that I stitched last year -- the candy cane and wreaths were from a kit with materials to make ten, but I actually made twice that.

It's hard to see, but there is a tiny
snowman next to the red birdhouse. 

These both went to a friend's mom who LOVES white bears.

I substituted gray DMC floss for the gold and
yellows so that one of these had silver bells.

I forgot to photograph this one and the one below
after they were framed. Oops! Both were stitched
from kits that included the frames. 

LINKING TO: Thursday Thirteen

Thursday Thirteen 443: A Bookish Theme

I'm borrowing this week's topic from a Sunday Stealing of a few weeks ago . . .



01. How long did it take you to finish your last book? Five days.

02. How many times do you stare at your bookshelves each day? As there are shelves in almost every room, I see them every day.

03. Do you ever quote books in public? It has been known to happen.

04. How old were you when you got your first library card? I was in second grade, and we lived across the street from the library.

05. Do you ever re-read books? Occasionally. I am more likely to re-read a classic or book from my childhood not read in years than something more recent.

06. Do you judge a book by its cover? It has been known to happen. Let's face it, some covers are not just bad, but downright CREEPY. If I have a choice between covers, I will chose one that is a) more aesthetically pleasing and b) in better condition.

07. What are your biggest distractions from reading? Work, Crafts, TV.

08. Where is your favorite place to buy books? Most of my books come from Half Price Books or the library's monthly used book sale. I also buy a lot of books for my Nook (B&N).

09. Do you always have a book with you? Of course!

10. Do you read during breakfast? In bed? I do sometimes read during meals, and almost always read for at least a half hour in bed at night. If I have trouble sleeping, I will try reading for a while.

12. How many hours a day would you say you read? At least an hour every day, some days much more than that, depending on if I have an entire day off and no plans.

13. Do you read more or less now than you did, say, 10 years ago? Do you consider yourself a speed reader? In 2010-2015 I averaged 8.3 books a month, for a total of 100 per year. Last year's total read was down to 84, or 7 books a month, owing to changes in my work schedule. Obviously, I get more read in some months than others, depending on length and authors' writing styles. Some would say this qualifies me as a fast reader, but I know people who read 200-300 a year. Of course, I often wonder how much of what they read is actually retained.





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Thursday Thirteen 442: Holiday Cards

I had a somewhat successful card-making day this past Sunday. While I got a couple dozen done, I am nowhere near finished for this year. For those featured below, I decided to use up as many leftover pieces and paper from previous years as possible. I still have stacks of images to get rid of! 

All layers feature decorative paper, with star brads. 

Glitter paper for bottom layer. Printed greeting. Stamped Holly.

Bear is a diecut, top strip is blue grosgrain ribbon,
bottom two are paper strips. Blue brads. 

It's difficult to see, but the white panel is embossed with snowflakes.

One for Hanukkah, for an extended 
family member. Cross-stitched image.

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Thursday Thirteen 441: To-Do List

This week's to-do list (or at least one side of it) -- I have actually crossed off a couple more items since I scanned this. For example, I had over 13000 steps yesterday (6-1/2 miles!) and started a new book. . . .

LINKING TO: Thursday Thirteen