I'm Back....

… Or, am I?

I have been thinking for a while that I might like to try this blogging thing again. I miss talking about books and being part of the bookish community. I started this blog in 2005. If I had continued it, it would have been 15 years this year. It's hard to believe it has been that long! I still talk to people I met over the years on different platforms, but it is just not the same.

Chloe

The main reason I stopped blogging; was I stopped reading. I hardly read at all in 2017 and then 2018 was terrible. In 2019, I slowly started to find my groove again. Then, in June of 2019, my father was diagnosed with cancer. He died 5 and a half weeks later. It is something you know that you will likely go through, but to actually go through it... That is something else entirely.

I had just started to get my reading groove back and then I went into a slump again. I still managed to read 127 books in 2019, but it was mainly audiobooks on my commute. But, I wanted to read again. I just needed to get my head above water again. It is hard to say what 2020 will bring. So far, I am reading and actively wanting to pick up books, but the events of the Summer of 2019 are still with me. My father has not even been gone 6 months and I have already done my first birthday without him, his first birthday he was not around for, and the first Christmas. They were all hard.

Baby Me & My Father

I never really made this blog that personal. I mentioned things here and there, but didn't make it my main focus. I shared pictures of the cats and the dog. I mentioned my relationship here and there. I would sometimes mention work or something that had happened, but it was mostly about books. And, I think I am ready for the distraction of books again. I think I want to be back in that community I had so much fun in for years. The people that I still consider friends.

I am not sure what form that will take. In 2016, my last real reading year, I blogged every Sunday. I might start there and see where the year takes me. I am not even sure if people blog hop anymore. No one may ever see this post. But, I am going to try and come back. If only because I enjoy talking about the books I read and hoping that someone out there will enjoy it, too.

Books, Life, & Everything Else (7)

March 2015

1. | I have embraced the reading slump and am just watching a ridiculous amount of movies instead. I am hoping I will get bored of it soon and want to read again. It has been going on all year. It is getting depressing. I made a list of the movies I have watched lately and it is kind of extensive. I am still watching kids movies and have probably watched more movies in the last month than I did all of last year combined. If it does continue for a while, I think I am going to branch out to classic movies and musicals.

2. | Chloe is my movie watching companion. She sits on the back of the couch by my head and sleeps through them. She was a lap cat when we first got her, but sadly doesn't seem interested now. Hoping that changes with age because Finn still won't sit on my lap.

3. | Winter continues to be weird. We had a week of really cold temperatures and then we were supposed to have a really big storm. It started with snow, the winds were enough to shake the whole house, but then it quickly turned to large amounts of rain. Unfortunately the wind did some damage to the house, but thankfully it was a one day fix type mess.

4. | Tonight is St. Paddy's. We normally do not do much for it, but one of the guys friends is playing music at a bar in town and we are going to go for a bit. I am not sure if I will have any green beer, but it should be fun.

5. | My puzzle making continues. I found some cheap new ones online, so I am just waiting for them to arrive. I had to throw a second hand one out the other day because there were so many pieces missing I couldn't even make the border. I will luck into one with all the pieces here and there, but most of them are missing at least one piece. Puzzles are just expensive new.

6. | March was supposed to be my 'get back on track' month. I wanted to get more exercise and start doing some of the things that I have been neglecting. What has happened is I really hurt my foot and could hardly walk on it for a week and then all my other big plans just sort of fizzled because I was so depressed about the fact that I hurt myself. It is not surprising I am in constant reading slumps so far this year.

7. | I did some massive spring cleaning of the downstairs of my house. It means that keeping the downstairs in order is really manageable. I hope that continues. Our upstairs is not really that messy anyway, so that has always been manageable. It is the downstairs that is more lived in and constantly in disorder.

Books, Life, & Everything Else (6)

1. | It is hard to believe that it is March all ready. I am always happy to get through February and March because they are usually the worst months of the winter. I am not sure what is going on with our winter this year, though. We did have like 2 weeks of bad weather in February, but overall it has been a pretty mild one. It is not over yet, though.

2. | I have given up on trying to read and just have resorted to audiobooks. I am finding I have a hard time sitting still lately, which is why I am not really reading, but it means that audiobooks work. I am having a record listening streak. I finished audiobooks on February 24th, 25th, 27th, and March 1st. I am almost done another one. This is very unlike me! The best part is they were all really good, both the books and the audio narrations.

3. | I was trying to think of a Chloe story. She hasn't fallen in the toilet, but she does love the bathroom sink. You can turn the water on to wash your hands and she will just lay there. So, then she is all wet and drinks the water out of the sink after you are done. She's a strange cat.

4. | I put all my pictures from February from my phone to my computer the other day and I honestly did not take very many pictures. That is what happens in the winter. The landscape is brown and dreary and I get bored of taking only pictures of the cats and the dog. But, at the same time, I enjoy seeing old pictures of Casey on my time hop and am glad I take too many pictures of my animals. lol

5. | I wish puzzles were not so expensive. I am having a really hard time with second hand ones having all of their pieces. But, at the same time, Chloe helps with that so I wouldn't want to pay a lot of money for a puzzle only for her to walk off with the pieces. I bought the below puzzle at Value Village because I thought it was so cute and missing piece. Disappointing.

6. | I added all of my audiobooks to my Libib during my spare time the last couple days. It was a good project because I have audiobooks that I entirely forgot I had. I also have way more audiobooks that I thought. I didn't count to see how many were unread, but probably a lot. The daunting thing is the same as my physical shelves, so many series. (The fact that there was just a first book in a series sale didn't help...)

7. | My brother-in-law doesn't think Mackie spends enough time outside. I want him to live in my house for a week and experience his annoying new habit of barking to say he wants to come in. He hardly used to bark at all and I am so annoyed about it. He is barking to come in as I write this and I am attempting to ignore him so now he has moved to crying. Anyone want a dog? lol

Books, Life, & Everything Else (5)

1. | Mount Mackie is back again this year. The picture above is from last year, but we have got a lot of snow over the last couple weeks to make a new one for this year. I was trying to find how tall it was in 2015 because the dog could reach the garage roof, but my 2015 pictures are apparently not organised. Something I really should do one of these days...

2. | After January was so good with audio books, I sort of fizzled on them this month. I think it is partly because I read 4 books in one series. While I enjoyed the series, that is really not the norm for me at all. I am just meant to only read standalone books. I am currently listening to Lincoln in the Bardo and it is going really well. There are 166 narrators. It is quite the experience!

3. | My reading in general started off better at the beginning of the month and then also fizzled. I am not sure what is wrong that is preventing me from reading. I am too distracted, I guess. I started flipping through my e-reader and reading shorter works this week and I think that is going better. I guess I am just not in the mood for something that I have to work at.

4. | One of the charming animals got sick on our bed on Wednesday at some point. It blended in, so it was likely there for a while before it was noticed. So, it unfortunately soaked through a few layers. That meant that on the negative side, I had to do a lot of laundry yesterday. On the positive side, everything was nice and clean when we went to bed last night. I even washed our duvet. It is 6 years old and I was like if it ruins, it has had a good run.

5. | I am tired of politics. There is always some new drama from the US. Our prime minister is doing pretty good, but people always find something to criticise him for. And, then closer to home the teachers have been on some weird strike situation all year. It is coming to a dramatic head at the moment. I don't have kids, so I only am sort of paying attention. You cannot avoid it, though.

6. | What did everyone do for Valentine's Day? We were dealing with the aftermath of a storm, but still went out for supper. Apparently because of the whole aftermath of the storm thing, not many other people decided to go anywhere. So, it was a quiet meal. We had originally planned to go out on the 13th to avoid the crowds, but everything was closed for the snow. It all worked out.

7. | I continue to make puzzles. There is this site online where people sell stuff second hand. I get like 5 puzzles or something for 10 dollars at the thrift stores. There are people on the site asking for 10 dollars for one puzzle. I just think that is expensive. So, I will stick with the 2 dollar puzzles at the thrift stores. lol

Books, Life, & Everything Else (4)

1. | Well, I missed this post last week. My blogging is not off to the start for the year that I had hoped. But, really, last week was just a bust in all areas. I didn't even do my bullet journal last week. Last week is just lost in time.

2. | It is #ComicsFebruary and I am off to a great start. So far I have read Morning Glories - Volume 10 (such a weird series) and Black Science - Volume 1 (been curious about this series for a while, but didn't love it enough I can see me reading on). I am excited to make February about comics.

3. | Speaking of comics, I wasn't going to get the Image Humble Bundle, but then I remembered that February is #ComicsFebruary and got the bundle. Black Science is from it, so hopefully I can work my way through it in a timely manner. (The current bundle is Tank Girl. I would love to get that one, but thankfully they have made it easier to resist because it is not collected volumes of the series, just single issues.)

4. | So far February is off to a good start reading wise in general. I have read 3 books. January just didn't go well, so I am hoping February I can settle in with some of those books that I wanted to read last year and never got to. I know that graphic novels and audiobooks is still considered reading, but I just want to concentrate on some of the longer works on my shelves.

5. | The problem with my getting over my reading slump is that I want to read everything. lol On audio, I finally got a copy of Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop, so I am on book 4 in that series! Book 5 will be out in March, so all ready plan to spend a credit on it. Then, I am over 100 pages into The Last Days of Magic by Mark L. Tompkins. I got the e-copy from the library after trying it on audio last year and not clicking with it. I am enjoying reading it much more. (For the record, it was not the narrator, just the jumping around story and too many characters to keep straight.) Then, I have about 5 other books with bookmarks in them. They are mostly left over from January's slump.

6. | I went to read Black Science last night and my app that I read my e-books on was gone off my e-reader. I guess it has a new name, but not sure if they deleted it because of the new name, or when I was cleaning off my tablet to make room for a software update I was a little too thorough. I found it under its new name this morning and it is back on there and ready for me to use it again. Hopefully everything else is the same on it!

7. | Chloe continues to grow like a bad weed. She is still not a really cuddly cat, but she is a shadow cat. If I come downstairs, she comes downstairs kind of thing. She will follow Finn around a bit and deviate from that, but mostly she is always near where I am. She is sleeping on my desk while I write this post!

8. | I should mention that there was a possible Casey sighing last week, but upon receiving some pictures, it wasn't her. It has been since October so I am not really optimistic, but keep hoping she is in a house somewhere and they let her out and she comes back. She would be good for Chloe. Finn has some really annoying habits that Chloe has picked up on. (For the record, I was really tempted to take in the Casey look-alike. The people that found her said she was really friendly and she's a cat, so less likely she will be adopted. But, well, we all ready have two cats and Chloe still needs to get spayed and they were pretty sure this cat did, too. Just not in the budget at the moment.)

Books, Life, & Everything Else (3)

1. | I still cannot seem to find the hours in the day for like, well, anything. I am quieter with blogging, reading, etc so far this year and it is making me sad.

2. | I decided to reactivate my library account because I was hoping it would offset my audio listening. I went through my audio wish list last night and the library has about 3 of the books. So, there goes that idea. I can still listen through my library, but to things that are not necessarily on my wish list. I am not sure if that is a good or a bad thing? I was really surprised by the lack of big titles from last year. I thought they would at least have them... And, clearly my province is not big on fantasy and science fiction because even though I have hardly used my library in a couple years, they still don't have much from either genre.

3. | I am continuing to try and use Marvel Unlimited as much as I can to justify keeping it. I cancelled everything but it and Audible this year. And, my library has never been great for graphic novels. And, I love graphic novels. So, you do what you can, right?

4. | I have the Timehop app on my phone and I am seeing all these books that I got last January. I have hardly had anything enter my house so far this year, so yay, progress! 2017 has to be quieter because 2016 was way too much retail therapy. lol

5. |  Chloe continues to be a source of entertainment. She doesn't meow yet, she does these little squeaks. I am finding they happen more lately when she wants food or when there is a fly that she can't catch and needs help. (Or when she thinks a piece of dirt is a fly...) Casey was always big on bug catching, so it is nice we have a replacement. This morning I was like that's weird, Chloe didn't sleep with us... And then I heard purring by my head. If she thinks you are awake, she starts purring.

6. | I just detoured to put my first books on hold with my new library reactivation. For audiobook, I put Talking as Fast I Can by Lauren Graham. A book I have wanted to do the audio of, but don't need to own. Then I did 4 e-books: The Last Days of Magic by Mark Tompkins (I tried this on audio and there was just too much going on and I couldn't keep track...), Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan, Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien, and The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittal. I got Gabi, A Girl In Pieces as my e-book test on my tablet. I still haven't decided what to get to test out the audio settings...

7. | Mackie doesn't know it yet, because he is a dog, but he has a play date with Henry today. He will be very excited once he sees where we end up later. They are getting older and my mother is more willing to allow play-dates than she used to be. Henry is actually more hyper than Mackie. I am still always shocked by this fact. Mackie will find a toy and go lay down with it and Henry will be right in his face trying to get him to play still.

8. | I am trying to decide if I want to get the recent Humble Bundle. I love Image comics, but I just did a quick comparison between the recent Bundle and previous ones... And I still have a bunch of unread stuff. But, there is a lot of stuff in the recent bundle that I don't own. Decisions, decisions. lol

Books, Life, & Everything Else (2)

1. | I am sitting here blogging and also writing up postcards to send on postcrossing. I just did up one for the Czech Republic and now am doing Germany. My issue has never been writing up the cards. It is simply I never have stamps and they sit around waiting for me to get some. The plan is to do these up and then go to the post office after a bit and get whatever stamps are necessary. If I make that a habit, maybe I can keep up the postcard sending. We will see how that goes. I really enjoy receiving postcards and definitely have to make rearranging my postcards a priority for this year because there is no organization anymore.

2. | At the beginning of the year, I decided to start The Others series by Anne Bishop. I am on the third book! I definitely plan to get book 4 later in the month and then book 5 is out in March. I apparently am better at series if I do the audio instead of reading them...

3. | I am trying to clean off some short story and essay collections from my shelves. I am atrocious at both. I have two short story collections on the go right now and just read a story from each every day. One I started last year, but then neglected. The other is me finally checking out Tad Williams. Hopefully that will mean reading some of his longer works later this year.

4. | My novel reading is going so slowly. January is usually a good reading month for me, but I seem to be mostly reading graphic novels and listening to my audio. I hope I can get back on track soon because this is supposed to be the year of the TBR!

5. | I am pretty sure that I spend more time fixing my puzzles after Chloe has tore through than actually making any progress on the puzzle itself. Puzzle making with cats is an adventure! I am hoping she will lose interest because I have two puzzles that I really want to make and they will not fit on my the table I have been using, so I will likely have to take over the kitchen table for a while. We will see how that goes...

6. | Speaking of Chloe, we live in an old house and we tend to have a fly issue. She found one in the bathroom and fell in the toilet trying to catch it. (It was flushed.) She has now fell in the bath tub and the toilet. It did not stop her from trying to catch the fly.

7. | I feel like I am getting better at this purging thing. I cleaned out some random stuff in my mother's basement yesterday. I need to do more at my own house, but that always seems to be the case. I got rid of a bunch of books last week and my bookshelves look much better!

8. | So far compared to last year, my book buying has been pretty quiet for January. Hopefully I can keep this up all year!

Week in Review - Week 2

Life

The picture above is another reality this morning! We were supposed to get 40 cms of snow last night and into today. I think 10 cms is still forthcoming, but I am not sure really what will end up happening. Needless to say, we have a bunch of snow at the moment. It is the first real snowfall of winter; as our last couple storms were technically still the spring. We were told it was going to be a bad winter, but I think with the huge lull in storms, people thought the predictions were wrong. I guess we will see what happens. If it is like the year they are comparing it to from a couple years ago, there will still be snow in May. We still do not really get winters like we did when I was a child and even less than people older than me got as a child. And yet, I am pretty sure they cancel school more now than they ever did when we had real crazy winters.

I finally have my year-end post done for tomorrow. I just really struggled to settle in with it and it is kind of thrown together, but it is done! Hopefully I will look forward to recapping 2017 more than I did 2016. So far 2017 is quiet. If not for audiobooks, I wouldn't be reading at all. Usually January is one of my best reading months of the year, but I just can't seem to settle in with anything. This time last year I was not doing audiobooks, so I guess I wouldn't be reading at all if it was 2016. Hopefully I get out of this rut soon and get to some of the books on my shelves. There are so many I am excited about. It could be because I normally get a gift card for Christmas and buy books, so January is usually a very heavy book receiving month. I am trying to cut back on book purchases this year, though, so I used my gift cards on other things. Hopefully I didn't kill my reading by this decision!

We had to shave the kitten's back end. Apparently this is a common practice, but I have never had to do it before with a cat. Since then there have been no more messes, but she didn't like the hair cut. I do not look forward to having to do it again. I told the guy a long haired cat was a lot different than our two short hairs, but he was like she is so cute, though. Remember that at 2 in the morning when we are trying to give her a bath and she is screaming like we are torturing her... It traumatised poor Finn. He hid in the cat house for two days. He only came around after the baths stopped. If I ever have to give Finn a bath, predict the world to end. He would not cooperate at all. I can not even imagine trying that. lol

Currently Reading

Technically this, but I am still really early into it because of the whole hardly reading thing...

Audiobook

I really thought I would finish this yesterday, but my listening time dried up later in the day. I am really enjoying it!

Weekly Reading

Bloodline by Claudia Gray ~ Finished January 1, 2017 ~ My first read of 2017 was my last read of 2016. I almost had it finished, but had technical issues that pushed it into 2017. So, I started 2017 with a bang. This is the first time I have read a book set in the Star Wars Universe in years. And, I loved it. I have enjoyed Claudia Gray's writing in the past, but she did the vampire thing and I was sick of vampires. This reminded me that she really is a wonderful writer and I really should read more of her. It is still early days, but I anticipate this book to make my Best of 2017 post. The audio was awesome, too. I really enjoyed the narrator and the sound effects. I definitely want to check out more Star Wars books! - Strongly Recommended!

Ms. Marvel - Volume 6: Civil War II by G. Willow Wilson, etc. ~ Finished January 5, 2017 ~ Funny story. I am trying to read the books that enter my house as they enter my house. So, this book came out in December and I got my copy early in January. I settled in with it the other night and was so confused. I was thinking I caught up on Ms. Marvel in 2016, it was not that long ago, why can't I remember anything? Oh, because apparently I never actually read Volume 5. oops! So, I am reading Volume 5 now and had hoped it would make this wrap-up, too, but guess my reading is just really slow so far this year. I always enjoy Ms. Marvel, but hopefully it will make a bit more sense to me soon! - Recommended!

Written in Red - The Others, Book 1 by Anne Bishop ~ Finished January 6, 2017 ~ I decided to check out some of the books that I got back in the Audible Black Friday sale this week. Full disclosure, I own the first two books in this series all ready, but just never got around to reading them. I had heard that the audio performance on this series was really good, though, so I decided to take advantage of the sale. Thankfully, they were worth the mini-splurge. I really enjoyed this book and the narration. I get a bit burned out on paranormal type books, but this series is well-written and a bit original enough to appeal. And, I guess it just was the right time for it because I flew through this book pretty fast. I am not sure I would like the audio narrator for everything, but for Meg Corbyn, the main character, she is perfect. And, she does well with the rest of the cast. But, she is kind of a quiet speaker and I am not sure that would work well to keep your attention for everything. For now, I am really enjoying this series and look forward to more! - Strongly recommended!

New Additions

Ms Marvel - Volume 6: Civil War II

Weekly Posts

Week in Review - Week 1

December in Review

Books, Life, & Everything Else (1)

Saturday Snapshot (1)

Books, Life, & Everything Else (1)

1. | Hope everyone is enjoying 2017! This last week has been interesting. Chloe had some bathroom issues two nights this week and needed a bath. Finn seemed to be upset about her being upset and was kind of a prick. We honestly shaved some hair off of the kittens back region (with scissors because I couldn't do a razor, she squirms) and Finn was playing with her tonight. Life returning to normal! lol

2. | I am thinking about all the things that I would like to do this year. I really want to use my actual camera more. I have all sorts of books and things for bettering myself and I end up using my phone for everything. Lazy me! I also want to work on my Mount TBR, blog at least once a week, and send postcards again. I rejoined Postcrossing and my first batch of postcards are in the mail!

3. | I have also been looking for more relaxing hobbies. To achieve that I have started making puzzles again, although with a kitten that is not always as relaxing as I would hope, and I have bought a few Lego sets. I am having fun honestly. I used to make puzzles with my grandparents and it has resurfaced off and on over the years. The Lego is something I have never really done other than building sets for my little brother when he was really too little, and disinterested, to do so.

4. | The other relaxing hobbies mean that my reading is not off to a running start and I don't really mind all that much. I would like to get to my Mount TBR, but it is honestly normal for me to have a quieter reading year after a busy one. It could change, but I am still listening to audiobooks and reading here and there. It could be a lot worse!

5. | I continue the Bullet Journal, Day by Day Journal, and the Q & A: A Day quest this year. The good thing about writing notes about my day in the Bullet Journal everyday is that when I fall behind on my Day by Day Journal, I have a reference to remember what I did each day. lol

6. | I am trying to take a picture a day on Instagram. I suck a this quest and usually miss a day here and there, but let's try again! At least I have two cats, a dog, and a bunch of books as subject matters on the boring days. (Especially this time of the year where it is cold and you don't necessarily want to go take pictures outside...) If you don't follow me on there, I am bookishnerd.

7. | I kind of fell out of the habit of Litsy near the end of the year, so I am also trying to get that to be a habit because I really like the app. There are just not enough hours in a day, people.

8. | I honestly read Volume 6 of Ms. Marvel last night, only to discover I had not actually read Volume 5. Now I know why I was kind of confused. The series was one that I caught up on last year, but it was after that time that Volume 5 came out. So, now I need to read Volume 5 and see what I missed.

9. | I bought a new iPod for myself as my Christmas present to myself. It is kind of a splurge for me, but my other one was broken and old and I use it daily. The iPod stopped updating over a year ago so I couldn't update any of my apps or add any new ones. I only got it yesterday and I am all ready in love. The difference is amazing when you can get updated versions of things.

10. | I will eventually wrap up 2016. I know I will enjoy having it to look back on, but I am struggling to commit to my post. By the time I get it up, next week at this point, no one will really care, but it is what it is!

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | I am kind of behind on everything lately. I am even starting to slack on blogging after doing pretty well with it this year. I should have taken a blogging break, but there are a few things that I want to do blogging-wise before the year ends. If you are wondering what happened to Countdown to Christmas and #AMonthofFaves, I have a post saved in draft from every time I sit down and try to catch-up. Maybe today will be the day!

2. | I mentioned it on Twitter, but not on here, but my blog turned 11 on the 16th! I very rarely remember to do anything for my blogiversary, but it happened!

3. | After lots of snow last week, it is looking like it is going to be another green Christmas unless something drastic changes. I like snow at Christmas and thought maybe it would happen this year because of last weeks craziness, but in our true fashion we got a lot of rain and washed it mostly away.

4. | I finished reading all of the Y: The Last Man comics this week. I had a lot of fun with the series and am one step closer to my goal of tackling my comics in 2017. That was my goal in 2016, so maybe 2017 will go better?

5. | I made a list of the books I want to pre-order next year and it is at like 25 books and that is mostly the first like 8 months of the year. Hopefully there will not be too much that I want in the second part of the year. I really need to buy less books next year compared to this year!

6. | I preordered Morning Glories Volume 10 in February of last year. The release date keeps changing and is now saying it will be out in January. Let's cross our fingers that it comes out because I did that big read of the series earlier this year and thought I was all prepared for it!

7. | One of our early Christmas presents was a gift card to the movies. Hoping it will be used to see the new Star Wars movie as soon as we can find the time!

8. | In 2017 I would really like to watch more television, movies, and listen to more music. I am pretty sure I say this every year. Maybe this year it will happen?

9. | I am thinking 2017 will also be a good year to get back into sending postcards. I really have stalled on that and I love postcards. I would like to send more snail mail in general and maybe will even send Christmas cards in 2017. (ha) Don't be surprised if I check in for updated addresses provided I actually go the post office and get stamps... That seems to be my issue. lol

10. | We are getting periodic flurries, so while I have been writing this Chloe has been sitting on my desk watching the snow out the window... It is better than climbing the Christmas tree!

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | There have been 3 snow days this week and it is not even officially winter yet. This doesn't look promising for actual winter. I was supposed to do things today and it is very not nice looking out at the moment. Hopefully it clears as the day goes.

2. | I am pretty much done Christmas. I just need to get two more things and wrap something that isn't set to arrive until Tuesday. This is more accomplished than most years. I tend to wrap presents very last minute, so the fact that I am done that is a miracle.

3. | My cold went away and came back. Hope you do not catch the cold going around this year. The last couple years I was lucky and didn't catch one. This one has made up for that!

4. | I am determined to work on my TBR in 2017. One of my goals for 2016 was to not have any unread graphic novels in my house. I still have a few. I am bad with reading goals... This definitely has to happen for 2017, though. And, I would just like to decrease the unread books in my house in general. I am making my way through audiobooks faster, so hopefully that continues. I have a backlog of those, too!

5. | I am still quiet with my reading. I have been listening to audios and reading a bit here and there. I guess it is a way to cleanse the expectations and get back on a roll in January. Still a couple weeks left, so I could read a bit more before the year officially ends. I think it is more that I want to read many things to the point where I am just not reading anything. I am weird like that.

6. | I read a novella by Fran Wilde a bit earlier this year, so I decided to finally listen to her novels. The first one is narrated by the same narrator that did Daughter of Smoke and Bone, so this was a very good decision. I have read some really good fantasy this year. I have listened to way more audio than I normally do, too. This has all helped!

7. | With the thought of getting to all of my graphic novels before the end of next year, I started with Y: The Last Man last night. I am honestly not sure if I have read all of the volumes. I could check on Goodreads, but I am just going to go with it and read all of the Volumes to end out 2016 (and maybe start 2017). If I can stay on top of this graphic novel project, I can see me rereading some comics. I am excited!

8. | I am off to try and warm up. So cold today!

Bookish (And Not so Bookish) Thoughts

Casey, 2011

1. | Casey's birthday was in June, but we got her in December of 2011 so this was her adoption month. It's unfortunate that I didn't have Instagram or my camera when we first got her, so there are not as many pictures of her as a kitten as of Mackie, Finn, and now Chloe as they grow. Casey was my main subject for years, though, so there are no shortage of pictures of her!

2. | Chloe will not stay out of the Christmas tree. She has been forced out of it about 10 times today. Finn keeps running away like he is the one in trouble. No, Finn, Chloe. You are just sitting there watching her act a fool. Smart me for getting a kitten before Christmas. I am reconsidering that thought process. lol

3. | I am starting to plan for 2017 in the sense that I need to make more of an effort to cycle through my physical TBR and my e-book one. And, I need to read books I actually own, so I suspended my Scribd account and may just cancel it if this plan works out. I was going to suspend Audible, too, but I like using my credits every month even though I have a backlog. This year it has been a good way to read 2016 releases I wouldn't have read otherwise. And, I can think of three 2017 books that I plan to listen to on audio. So, I will keep it for now.

4. | I hate wrapping Christmas presents. Does anyone want to come do this for me? I have a rule that we cannot buy weirdly shaped objects... when that gets broken, bags for the win! I would use bags for everything, but that gets expensive.

5. | I got one of my Christmas presents early. I had to retire my Keurig and really didn't like the new ones, so I am back to a regular coffee maker. The test run was this morning and I used too much coffee. Learning curve! It's really nice. My main issue with regular coffee makers is the cheaply made pots. We even tried a metal one once and the handle fell off and I had to duct tape it on... This one seems sturdy compared to all my others, so fingers crossed it lasts.

6. | I have decided that I need new glasses and today is a glasses browsing day. I hate glasses shopping because I cannot see without my glasses. I thought my current ones looked good on me until I could actually see. I personally hate them, but my main pair got a big scratch on the lens and had to be retired. I used to love getting new glasses, but I am so blind without them that it is more of a form of torture at this point. Wish me luck!

7. | We got our first snowfall overnight. I really don't think it is that much snow, but they cancelled school. Times have sure changed when it comes to that. It was really pretty this morning, but melting now.

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | I guess I am in a bit of a reading slump. I have been doing really well with audios, but actually sitting down and reading has not really been happening. I kind of suspect that will be the month of December. It is a busy time.

2. | Last year I did the Star Wars Lego Advent Calendar. I decided to do it again this year. I also, at the last minute, decided to do the Davids Tea Advent Calendar. I have wanted to for a few years, but it is a bit of a splurge. I justified it by talking the guy into doing it with me. New Christmas tradition for the win! The first day went well. Hoping that continues!

3. | Emma the Elf is back! I didn't do a photo-a-day with her last year, but I decided to bring her back this year. Although, as I write this up Thursday evening, I haven't actually done a picture yet. I had an idea that didn't work out yet. For those that are not sure what I am talking about, I bought an Elf on the Shift in like 2013 or so.

4. | I seem to be bought in by Audible emails lately. I am listening to Free the Darkness: King's Dark Tidings by Kel Kade. I have never heard of it before, but I guess it is good epic fantasy. So far it is pretty good. Hopefully I continue to think so because it is 16 hours.

5. | I sort of started decorating for Christmas. I put the bottom part of the Christmas tree in the stand, didn't even push down the branches, and Chloe was eating it. Finn also has been chewing at it. I forgot that I have not put a tree up in his lifetime either. Casey was the only one that saw a tree. We will see how this goes when I decorate it tomorrow!

6. | I want to do all the things this month. I think it is because it is the last month of the year and I feel like there was so much that I neglected as the year got going. I feel this way every year and figure that things will catch up with me and I will get like nothing done. We will see how that goes, too!

7. | I am thinking about what I want to do in 2017. I should make a list of things that I want to accomplish... Maybe I will start one in my Bullet Journal. But, then I probably will neglect it. There are some big things I need to do in 2017...

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | I am actually kind of glad that 2016 is almost over. I am not even sure if there was one main thing I can put my finger on, but a bunch of things that all came together and made 2016 a terrible year for me. I actually went to see a doctor about how overwhelmed I was feeling, so here is hoping I can get my head clear and be myself again for 2017.

2. | I did my traditional Audible audio shopping yesterday, since Audible was nice and emailed about the sale before it started as an early special. I look forward to it every year because the guy buys me what I would like as an early Christmas present. Normally he thinks that means a couple. This year he let me buy all the ones in my cart... *cough* 12 *cough*. Usually I would have thinned them out after he told me how much I could spend. I think it is less about Christmas and more about how much audios and the treadmill have helped me with my ankle. I am excited and cannot wait to finish my current audio and dive into the new ones!

3. | If anyone is curious, I got Straight: The Surprisingly Short History of Heterosexuality, Mort(e), Packing for Mars, Hexed, Hammered, A Man Called Ove, Where'd You Go Bernadette, The Fifth Season, Salt to the Sea, Written in Red, Changeless, and The Grace of Kings. So, three rereads and the rest are new to me books.

4. | I have a desktop and I have been writing up some posts. I had a bottle of water. Chloe walked off with the lid and then became obsessed with the water bottle itself. After moving it all over the place so she couldn't knock it over and refilling her water dish, the water is in the kitchen until I am done. Silly cat.

5. | Mackie, on the other hand, is taking advantage of the fact the other human is not home and is asleep on our bed, I am pretty sure. Spoiled. lol I let him up there, you have seen the pictures, but he is technically not supposed to be up there.

6. | I am writing this on Thursday evening after starting The Comet Seekers. I am hoping to have read beyond the 100 pages I have read now by the time this post goes live. It is really good so far. This could be derailed if the kitten succeeds in her current attempts to kill herself. Her and a whole bunch of movies just went crashing to the floor. She's fine, though. She has moved on to attacking the blinds.

7. | Becky and I had so much fun with our Movie Month, even though I was constantly falling behind, that we decided to do a December holiday theme for 25 days. She has all ready posted the list on her blog. I will before the 1st! Join in if you feel like it!

8. | I have started going back over my books that entered the house this year to see how many I have read. The big thing hanging over my head is the Kevin Hearne books, but I have read a really good portion of the books I received this year. It would be nice to get through some more before the end of the year!

Bookish (And Not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. | It's been a month of no Casey. I last saw her October 17th, she went out that night, and we never saw her again. I really miss her. She had a great personality, I took a million pictures of her over the years, and even now that we have Chloe... The house just isn't the same without her. Every time I let Mackie out and every time we come home from being out, I hope she will be waiting at the door. She just would not stay in. I feel a lot of guilt about this.

The last picture. October 17th, 2016

2. | Chloe is great, though. I never planned to have a kitten because I thought Finn and Casey would be around for years, and two cats seemed like enough. So, as much as I am enjoying having Chloe around, it is all bittersweet.

3. | Finn is not only warming up to Chloe, but he seems friendlier in general. He rubs up against the dog and stuff. He still only tolerates me because I feed him and change his litter box. But, he has been playing with the kitten and he could use a little bit of weight loss... (Okay, more than a little bit...)

4. | Casey would love Chloe. I am still hoping they will get to meet. We will be in trouble when it comes to food, though. Finn has absolutely no interest in human meals, but Casey always did. She is worse than the dog. Chloe didn't seem too interested at first, but she is now. And she is still little and can climb up the sides of chairs and stuff. We feed our animals, I promise. Both Casey and Finn are chubby. (It is not me that gives them treats for the record.)

5. | Amazon gave me Prime free for a month. This is the 3rd time that has happened, but it is the first time I am considering keeping it. We use Amazon a lot because there are not many stores near here and they bumped up the limit for free shipping to 35 from 25. It would be nice to just order without having to worry. I have a month to decide.

6. | My reading is still just all over the place. I have so many good books to read, but I skip around and can't seem to settle. I have been listening to the same audiobook forever! I think the fact that I have had a cold that will not go away, added to other things happening, is to blame. I had higher hopes for 2016 than what has came to pass.

7. | On the plus side, I read with Mackie and Chloe. So, I got my wish of another cuddly kitten. Finn hovers, but he finds the cuddling thing all overwhelming. The kitten really wants to be friends with Finn, so she is determined and Finn just wants her to go away a lot of the time.

8. | I have way too many books and audio books that I want to get to soon. I clearly need to read faster... This is the slowest I have been going with audio books since I started listening to them again. Hopefully I can get back into a groove!

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | I can't believe we have a kitten. I had no plans to get one any time soon and it actually has been a while since we had one. Casey was about 5 months old when we got her, but this kitten was only 10 weeks old. And then Finn we got as a cat, so bit of a change! She is definitely active!

2. | There have been a couple reports of grey cats in the area, but none of them have turned out to be Casey. The other night I could hear coyotes really close. That is very unusual, but has made me feel even sadder about everything. Now I am nervous just letting Mackie out after they were that close the other night. And, no more outdoor cats in this house! (Not that I ever wanted there to be in the first place...)

3. | This week has seemed so long and I am behind on everything. Colds really throw off your week. Add in everything else that happened this week and I am glad the week is almost over. Hopefully next week will be better!

4. | I read the new Gotham Academy graphic novel yesterday. Yay, actually reading something! It was good, but not my favourite in the series. It is nice to finish something the same week you receive it. That definitely doesn't happen that much anymore!

5. | I think this is the most I have blogged since like 2009. Will it keep up? Probably not... But, it has been fun being part of the blogging community again.

6. | If I could have one luxury, it would be a maid. I am so sick and tired of my house always being a disaster. No one picks up after themselves. I feel like I pick up the same things over and over again everyday. I am pretty sure that I do. And now we are back to two cats, both of who are very enthusiastic litter users. I took everything out of there on Wednesday and vacuumed and mopped. You would never know it now.

7. | I am just having one of those weeks where I am not sure where the hours are going. I am not reading. I am hardly using Instagram. I have hardly been using Litsy. I haven't been listening to my audiobook. I am hardly using my planners. Even though I am pretty sure I have cleaned this week, you would never know it. Maybe next week will feel more organised.

8. | I got the David's Tea Advent Calendar this year. I wasn't going to, but Memory did and I have always wanted to do it. There is enough tea for two cups per day, I believe, so I am hoping it will be a couples thing and maybe a new tradition. I am excited to try!

9. | Chloe really wants Finn to like her. She follows him around. Mackie wants everyone to like him and doesn't understand why the kitten keeps growling at him. Last night when I went upstairs, both cats were asleep on the spare bed near to each other. Then, Mackie joined in. I am glad they are starting to get along, but it was also a bittersweet moment that made me wish Casey was there, too. The moment was ruined when the kitten started playing with the dogs tail. lol

10. | Today is Remembrance Day, so make sure to appreciate the sacrifices of men and women that have done so much for us and fought for the freedom we enjoy today. I feel like the election this week shows that we have forgotten history in many forms, but that is just my opinion.

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | Over two weeks of no Casey. Still seems pretty bizarre. I was making a ham sandwich in the kitchen the other day and I am so used to a cat under my feet wailing. And then I would give her a little piece. We have done that for years and it was so weird to not have a 'helper'. Mackie was there, too, but he is younger and always been part of a group. Casey was alone for a few years, so we have lots of traditions.

2. | I have been looking at kittens. It is probably too soon, and part of me feels guilty about it, but we do not want to replace Casey. We need another cat because Finn all alone just doesn't work. He is not cuddly or all that friendly. I need a cuddly cat. This has derailed my project to convince the other human I needed another dog... The kitten project is going better than the dog project anyway. Just, no one answers emails. Do you want to re-home these animals or not?

3. | I bought a new bookcase! I am ridiculously happy about this fact because it is has probably been 5 years since I have bought a new one. It sits on the landing and helped me finish off my organising from earlier this year. It holds some beloved series/authors and the random books I got for my birthday. I am sure that will change with time, but I think it looks good.

4. | I have been thinking a lot about Canada as a whole lately between the scary political situation in the US and the fact that I am reading The Promise of Canada. It covers 150 years of Canadian history in preparation for Canada's 150th birthday in July. We have treated people terribly over the years. But, I think we are doing better. What has me thinking is I really like this book, but I have yet to see it on any of the best of lists all ready out. And, I am left thinking is it because others do not consider it to be that great or because it is about Canada and most lists are American. There was a whole chapter on Margaret Atwood and how hard it can be to be a Canadian writer. Still early days and I definitely haven't seen all the lists. Just a thought.

5. | I have a cold, so my reading has been kind of slow. I am left choosing between nap and try to feel better or read. Hopefully the cold passes soon!

6. | I think I have bought more e-books in 2016 than I have ever. It is hard to pass up a book you were planning to get when it is like 2 dollars and the hardcover edition is like 30. I still forget about my e-books when I have shiny books on my physical shelves catching my eye. I think I have a project for 2017.

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts

1. | Another post a week later with no Casey. I called all the vets and shelters and nothing. I keep getting told that cats wander all the time, and my cats when I was a kid did, but this is the first time Casey has ever been gone for more than a few hours and I am losing hope.

2. | Still struggling with reading. I know that reading should be an escape from everything else, but I have always had a really hard time reading when I am stressed out. I just cannot turn my mind off and always feel like I should be doing something else.

3. | My Q&A a Day Journal arrived yesterday! I looked at starting it yesterday, but maybe I will wait and start it November 1st. Or, maybe I should have waited and got it in the New Year. Or, maybe I should stop overthinking things and just start it today. I hope I can keep it up. I only got it because I have been keeping up my Bullet Journal and other projects, so I figured I was safe. I still do my day by day journal that I started in 2012 and always enjoy looking back on what I did on this day in previous years.

4. | I had a lot of fun during the Readathon co-hosting the Instagram account. People take such great photos and there were lots of furry companions. I enjoyed visiting everyone and all ready volunteered for next year. Hope to see people then!

5. | My grandmother's house is on the market. A bit of a sad situation because it is closing off an aspect of my childhood, but it will be much better to have her closer to my mother and in an environment that if she falls again there is help close by. Not that we want her to fall again, but I know that she is really paranoid it will happen again.

6. | I am still continuing my 'pick random audios from Scribd' project. I started off really well, but the latest one I just could not find time to listen to it and I felt like I read it forever. I am ready to pick a new one, though! Just have to decide what I want to go with... I am still adjusting to listening at regular speed. When I do Audible audios, I speed them up or I find that I lose interest.

7. | I am going to document right here that I started my project to listen to the Vorksogian series by Lois McMaster Bujold having started Falling Free. I will be curious if a year from now I will be done the series, or if it will by my typical take forever project that never gets completed... We will see!

8. | This post isn't as depressing as last weeks. I still probably should take a blogging break and try to get my head together after everything that has happened this month, but I just got back into a groove with blogging and I would be worried I wouldn't be able to get it back... What I really need is a fun project to take my mind off all the stress. (I am not going to lie, at least two times while writing this post I thought I heard a cat cry. I am losing my mind!)

Bookish (And Not So Bookish) Thoughts is hosted at Bookishly Boisterous.

Bookish (And Not so Bookish) Thoughts

1. | As I write this, Thursday night, we still have not found Casey. I hope I edit this post tomorrow (or today as you are reading this) and say she came home. I feel so sick about it all. I have checked outside so many times, I am getting nothing else done. I am just worried because she could still come back, but there is the possibility that she won't. I am trying to stay positive, but it's hard. Over the last 5 years or so, Casey has been my one constant. I love Mackie and Finn, too, but we got Casey first. It is not a good feeling to open the door and her still not be there...

2. | So, the readathon is this weekend. I won't be reading for it officially, but I have been posting at the Instagram account and plan to over the weekend as well! I look forward to seeing what everyone reads and visiting some blogs! It is such a huge event now. I know I have said this before, but the first couple readathons I visited every blog participating and usually more than once. Now I find it overwhelming! Hope everyone has lots of fun!

3. | I got an insane amount of books in the mail on Wednesday. It was crazy. I think the mail gods decided that I needed a pick me up when Casey still wasn't back and the worrying got worse... Only one parcel said it was out for delivery and some of the books were not supposed to be here until November. I am not complaining, but you need to space orders out or other humans start noticing. lol And, I guess my whole mood is making reading even harder right now. (Not going to lie, I teared up when I wrote the first paragraph...)

4. | I think I mentioned on a previous post, or somewhere on my blog, that my grandmother had fallen? Well, things are better there. She honestly could not maintain a house alone anymore and she was 2 and a half hours from my mother. After some thought, she is moving to an apartment closer to my mother. It is another bittersweet thing, really. My dad's parents passed away like 15 years ago and my mom's mom is really the only grandparent I got a good chunk of time with. I think my October has had enough bad things happen in it and it is not over yet...

5. | Finn is missing Casey, too. He camps out by the door most of the day. He hated when she went outside before, but he has never wanted to go out himself. When I look for Casey I have Mackie and Finn standing on the doorstep with me. I feel really bad for him. He adored Casey and I doubt he knows what is happening. I wonder when he will get to a point that he stops waiting for her? We always call Casey the Queen because Mackie and Finn definitely know that she is the boss. I am a bad owner lately. Two days now I have forgot to feed Finn and Mackie supper because Casey wasn't here to tell me it was time. You just get used to something and then get thrown off when it is not there.

6. | I am struggling with reading. I haven't been listening to my audios or reading anything the last couple days. I am too distracted. I am starting to think my lofty post of audios I wanted to read next, that I posted on Tuesday, was crazy because I have been listening to the same two audios for like 2 weeks now. I need to get my head back in the game. I have been stressed in general and this whole cat thing is not helping. But, on Tuesday my house was clean and I got a bunch of reading done. I had high hopes that day for the rest of the week.

7. | I am starting to think I should take a blogging break because my posts are boring and depressing lately...

7 'Interesting' Things About Me

Jenny at Alternate Readality did this meme of sorts, and since I am always looking for easy ways to blog... I thought I would, too!

1. | I am not a flowers, chocolates, and jewellery type. But, I did get flowers for my birthday this year that were multi-coloured and really have enjoyed using them for photo-a-day prompts. I could come around to this getting flowers thing!

2. | You probably know this, but I am atrocious at TV watching. There are so many shows that I have heard good things about and want to try. I watch an episode or two and then fall behind. The only two shows still on the air that I usually manage to catch-up on are NCIS and Bones.

3. | Autumn is my favourite season. I love the changing leaves and the crispness to the air. I used to love winter when I was younger, but it loses its appeal when you have to clean out your driveway or drive in dangerous conditions. Not to mention power outages in the winter suck!

4. | I rarely actually use my cellphone for any of the phone functions. I mostly use it as a little tablet... Although, I prefer to do any reading on the larger screens of my tablet (or usually dead, e-reader).

5. | I think you have probably figured this out lately, but I am very routine-oriented. If my routine gets thrown off, it throws off my day because I feel like there is stuff not finished when I get to the end of the day. It is why the summer is hard for me, the guys son is here a lot more and I lose my 'me' time in the morning.

6. | I like making lists and keeping track of things. I still do my day by day journal that I blogged about in like 2012. I think for 2017, I am going to take it one step further and get one of these Q&A a Day journals. If I can keep it up, it would be fun to see how I change over 5 years.

7. | I have a love/hate relationship with politics. I say I am going to ignore them and not comment on them, but as time passes I am spending more and more time glancing at the train wreck. I think Canadians need to pay more attention to our closest neighbours because what happens down there ultimately affects us... I just think we live in a scary world.

Not necessarily interesting, but it is what it is!