thornton37814 (Lori) reads 75+ in 2014 - 7th thread

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thornton37814 (Lori) reads 75+ in 2014 - 7th thread

1thornton37814
Redigerat: nov 18, 2014, 8:15 pm



Brumley (1996-2014) and Charlie enjoy Christmas.

I guess now is as good a time as any to start the final thread for the year. I'm going to miss Brumley during the Holidays. I'll be cooking his turkey next week, but I guess Charlie (his cousin) will enjoy it in his place.

2thornton37814
Redigerat: nov 18, 2014, 9:07 pm



102. The Boston Girl by Anita Diamont

Date Completed: 17 Nov 2014

Category: We've Only Just Begun

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #5: Read a book with an embedded word in the title

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Addie Baum was born to immigrant Russian Jews. She grew up in Boston. The book is a chronicle of her growing up years, her early adulthood, and her courtship. It offers a glimpse of what life was like for Jews in Boston in the early 20th century. Addie is a likeable character, and readers can empathize with her and enjoy the way that she always seems to land her feet when adversity occurs. I enjoyed the book tremendously, but it did not hold me completely captive. The story is written from the perspective of Addie as grandmother relating the story to her granddaughter. I received an advance reader's copy through NetGalley for review purposes.

3thornton37814
nov 18, 2014, 9:06 pm



103. Who's Picking Me Up from the Airport?: And Other Questions Single Girls Ask by Cindy Johnson

Date Completed: 18 Nov 2014

Category: You're the One that I Want

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #5: Read a book with an embedded word in the title

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Cindy Johnson offers advice for single women in their late twenties and early thirties through a series of letters and commentary based on experiences of her single friends. I suspect that I might have enjoyed the book a bit more if I had been twenty years younger. The title was catchy for me, and I really expected the book to be more of humorous look at singleness. Instead the book was more focused on dating experiences. The format just didn't work well for me, and to be honest, I am probably about twenty years over the anticipated target audience. It probably would work better for those in that generation. This review is based on an advance readers copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

4scaifea
Redigerat: nov 19, 2014, 6:31 am

Happy New Thread, Lori!

ETA: Wait, what? I'm confused. I think I well-wished a different new thread yesterday...
Ha! It doesn't take much to have me wandering off in perplexity, I'm afraid.

5thornton37814
nov 19, 2014, 10:02 am

>4 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. I don't remember adding another new thread for the 75 group yesterday, although I did create one for the Category Challenge at the same time I did this one.

6thornton37814
nov 19, 2014, 10:12 am



104. My Family Tree and Me by Dusan Petricic

Date Completed: 19 Nov 2014

Category: Rainy Days and Mondays

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #19: Read a book with the word "and" in the title

Rating: 4 stars

Review: This nicely illustrated volume provides good explanations of family relationships, such as aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc. in a format that younger children will enjoy. The family depicted is a mutli-ethnic family. It is a book which may create interest in family history. Parents may wish to pre-screen the book for their children if they have objections to some of the more complicated modern-day relationships. This review is based on an advance review copy provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

7Ameise1
nov 19, 2014, 11:17 am

Happy New Thread, Lori. Those are lovely photos of your cats.

8thornton37814
nov 19, 2014, 11:40 am

Well, Charlie is my brother's cat. Brumley was mine. There's nothing like a cat at Christmas, and I will miss Brumley a lot this year.

9Ameise1
nov 19, 2014, 11:52 am

That I can believe very much. Is there any chance that you can get another cat?

10RebaRelishesReading
nov 19, 2014, 2:31 pm

Hi Lori, happy new thread :)

11thornton37814
nov 19, 2014, 2:52 pm

>9 Ameise1: Barbara, I will eventually get a new cat. I was waiting until after I returned from a trip because I didn't want to leave a cat who was just getting used to me with a house-sitter. I'm now kind of on hold for another reason, but I'll be getting one before too long, just probably not before Christmas.

>10 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks.

12SuziQoregon
nov 20, 2014, 3:43 pm

Happy (relatively) new thread! Great photos!

13mitchma
nov 21, 2014, 9:39 am

Nice pictures. Still sorry about Brumley. I was going to try to post a picture of our Jamey for you, but I guess I don't know how. I have some pictures of her on my page. Somebody decided the woods near our house would be a good place to dump kittens. She showed up at our house, and we fed her. I guess we're mutually in love now. We've had her since the end of August.

14michigantrumpet
nov 21, 2014, 3:20 pm

Hello there, Lori! Happy new thread. Wishing you a lovely weekend.

15thornton37814
nov 21, 2014, 9:10 pm

>12 SuziQoregon: Thanks!

>13 mitchma: You can see this page which shows the use of the tag: http://www.w3schools.com/tags/tag_img.asp With LibraryThing, I typically only control the width so that it doesn't bleed over into the right. Your img src location in the quote marks will typically be where you have the file stored on the Internet -- in Flickr or another image storage place, in your LT images, or even on Facebook. Hope this helps. There is an HTML help page somewhere here on LT, but it's harder to find this late in the year.

>14 michigantrumpet: Thanks. I'm sure the weekend will be very nice because I get to spend tomorrow with my boyfriend! We're meeting halfway.

16Ameise1
nov 22, 2014, 8:02 am

Lori, I wish you a lovely weekend.

17Familyhistorian
nov 22, 2014, 3:39 pm

Hi Lori, great picture of Brumley under the tree at the top of your thread. Looks like he was a very well behaved cat with that straight tree skirt and items on the bottom of the tree looking undisturbed even though they are within paw reach. Our Sally thinks that the tree skirt is on the floor for her to play with just like the items on the bottom of the tree. As much of a pest as she can be at times, I would miss her if she wasn't here. Cats can be really close part of your life making your home more welcoming.

18Donna828
nov 23, 2014, 12:16 pm

I love the cats at Christmas pictures, Lori. Sharing the holidays with pets and children make them even more meaningful. I hope your memories of Brumley sustain you until a new cat/kitten takes some of that loss away. We can never replace a beloved pet but there is always room in our lives to make new memories.

Have fun on your weekend rendezvous! Is your boyfriend a cat lover?

19thornton37814
nov 23, 2014, 3:14 pm

>16 Ameise1: Barbara, I had a lovely one since I got to spend most of yesterday with Jeff. I'm getting ready to head back to church in a few minutes and will be there for quite awhile.

>17 Familyhistorian: Don't let that photo fool you. I'd find ornaments off just about every afternoon when I came home from work. I learned to put the breakable ones up higher. The straight skirt must mean that was right after I put that tree up because he'd tunnel under it too -- at least until there were enough packages there to make it harder to tell.

>18 Donna828: He is. The new cat will have to choose both of us.

20Ameise1
nov 23, 2014, 4:12 pm

>19 thornton37814: Glad to hear that you two have a gorgeous weekend.

21thornton37814
nov 23, 2014, 9:55 pm

>20 Ameise1: Thanks.

22thornton37814
nov 24, 2014, 8:50 pm



105. Killer Cruise by Laura Levine

Date Completed: 24 Nov 2014

Category: Hotel California

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #5: Read a book with an embedded word in the title

Rating: 2 stars

Review: Jaine Austen is offering a course on writing as part of the cruise activities for Holiday Cruise Lines. She is more interested in the 24 hour buffet than the cruise itself. Her cat Prozac invites himself along, and Jaine is forced to try to hide him aboard ship so he won't be quarantined. The ice sculptor's ice picks come up missing, and it isn't long until a murder has taken place. The captain and his crew detain a suspect, but Jaine is convinced of her innocence and begins to investigate. I'm simply not a fan of Levine's writing style. I dislike the e-mail exchanges at the end of some chapters. I find most of the situations rather absurd. I'm afraid the intended humor is lost on me. I think part of the problem is that Levine tries to make these novels fit too many genres--mystery, romance, and humor. She simply doesn't pull it off for those of us who are primarily interested in the mystery element.

23Whisper1
nov 24, 2014, 10:01 pm

Hello Lori

Please add my condolences to those above. I'm sorry for your loss of Brumley. I understand the loss of a pet.

24thornton37814
nov 24, 2014, 10:26 pm

>23 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda. It will be hard without him around.

25Whisper1
nov 25, 2014, 10:52 am

Happy Thanksgiving Lori. I understand how you feel. The loss of a pet is something that kicks you in the stomach.

I do hope though that you can celebrate the joy that you shared with your beloved pet.

26bell7
nov 25, 2014, 6:41 pm

>3 thornton37814: Hm, I may be in the target age range, but books about "singleness" that are more about dating experiences annoy me to no end. Why can't it just be about being happily single? ;) It is a great title though.

27thornton37814
nov 25, 2014, 8:54 pm

>25 Whisper1: Thanks.

>26 bell7: It was the title that grabbed my attention.

28Cobscook
nov 26, 2014, 3:46 pm

So sorry about the loss of your cat Brumley. It is so hard to lose a pet.

29thornton37814
nov 26, 2014, 4:22 pm

>28 Cobscook: It is lonely without him this holiday season.

30EBT1002
nov 26, 2014, 8:35 pm

Hi Lori. I'm behind but I wanted to say that I love the Christmas kitties. I'm terribly sorry to hear about your loss of Brumley. It has been more than 3 years and I still miss my Edgar every day. Brumley looks like he was an older cat in the photo. Eighteen years is a good long life for a kitty!



31tymfos
nov 27, 2014, 9:18 pm

Hi, Lori! Lovely new thread, with memories of dear Brumley. I must say your brother's Charlie is a handsome cat. Those eyes!

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving day!

32thornton37814
nov 27, 2014, 10:52 pm

>30 EBT1002: Yes. That was a fairly recent photo of him.

>31 tymfos: Charlie is a Maine Coon, and he's been sleeping with me most of the time since I arrived. Charlie actually showed up at my niece's house. She advertised in the papers and such and no one claimed him. The vet says he is full-blooded Maine Coon. It's hard to believe someone would abandon such an expensive cat, but someone did. He eventually ended up at her dad's house when she had a couple of dogs. Charlie picked my brother for his pet human.

33PaulCranswick
nov 27, 2014, 10:55 pm

Lori, I have not been my usual energetic self these last months in getting around the threads as I would like. On this day of thanks given by you Americans, I want to add my own to everyone in this group who continues to be a source of love, joy and oftimes solace to me and all our other dear friends. I am grateful for your friendship in this group, Lori, thank you. xx

34thornton37814
nov 28, 2014, 10:44 am

>33 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

35thornton37814
nov 28, 2014, 10:47 am

This morning I went to the little Walmart here in my brother's town. It's one of the older smaller stores. My main purpose in going was to get Christmas Cards for my Dad since he kept nagging us to get them. (We really wanted to avoid Black Friday.) I was surprised to get a parking place near the front door, and it wasn't too crowded. However, they had NO CHRISTMAS CARDS. I have nicknamed them the "Ebenezer Scrooge Store." Bah Humbug!

36lkernagh
nov 28, 2014, 8:38 pm

>35 thornton37814: - They had no Christmas Cards?! In late November? That is crazy! Did they run out of stock? The only reason I ask is I know our Walmart tends to run out of stock and it can take them months to replenish the product on the shelves.... or it seems that way to me anyways. Probably explains why you were able to get a parking place near the front door on Black Friday. ;-)

37thornton37814
nov 28, 2014, 11:04 pm

>36 lkernagh: Lori, They said they didn't get any last year. I just can't imagine why they would not stock at least a few.

38Whisper1
nov 28, 2014, 11:45 pm

I hope your Thanksgiving was special. I'm thinking of you and the pain of your loss. Today our neighbor mentioned Simon, our beloved Sheltie who died three years ago. I was flooded with memories of gladness and sadness.

39Ameise1
nov 29, 2014, 6:26 am

Lori, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

40thornton37814
nov 29, 2014, 9:09 am

>38 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda.

>39 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara! Hope yours is great too.

41thornton37814
nov 29, 2014, 12:10 pm



106. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

Date Completed: 29 Nov 2014

Category: Sharing the Night Together

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #10: Read a book as an act of remembrance

Rating: 4 stars

Review: Louis Zamperini, former Olympian, was in the Army Air Corps during World War II. When the plane he was in went down in the middle of the Pacific, he and other survivors drifted for days before two of them finally reached the Marshall Islands which were held by the Japanese and became POWs. Their treatment was often inhumane, particularly under one man called 'The Bird." The book also shows how the war affected him after his return to the United States, nearly destroying his marriage. Fortunately for Zamperini, his life was forever changed when he attended a Billy Graham Crusade.

I felt that the narrative bogged down in some places, but the story was fascinating. I would love to read more about Zamperini's later life. The book provides the reader with a new appreciation for former POWs and their plights.

42sjmccreary
nov 29, 2014, 5:22 pm

>41 thornton37814: I've got this book standing by, actually next in line for my car audio. But I decided to let another - shorter - book jump the line and go first. Glad to know it's a good one and now I'll be glad to pick it up next.

43thornton37814
nov 29, 2014, 7:54 pm

>42 sjmccreary: Hope you enjoy it too.

44lindapanzo
nov 29, 2014, 9:21 pm

How can they not have Christmas cards?!?

Glad you liked Unbroken. That was one of my favorite books last year and I'm really looking forward to the forthcoming movie.

45thornton37814
nov 29, 2014, 10:43 pm

>44 lindapanzo: I know. It's crazy that they wouldn't have them.

46DorsVenabili
nov 30, 2014, 4:31 pm

I know I'm late, but I'm so sorry to hear about Brumley as well. I know how difficult that is.

47thornton37814
nov 30, 2014, 8:35 pm

>46 DorsVenabili: Kerri, It's been several months since he died, but this will be the first holiday season without him. I'll probably put the tree up this week, but I'll sure miss the cat under it.

48thornton37814
nov 30, 2014, 8:41 pm

It took me longer than normal to drive home today. Traffic was at a complete standstill on I-24 right before I entered the little corner of Georgia that I have to go through. I was pretty sure that there was an accident ahead when an ambulance and 3 troopers passed on the service lane. Then when I got into the Knoxville area, I had to repeat the sitting on the interstate routine on I-40/I-75. I thought I was going to get to be at home over an hour before having to go to church to work with the youth choir. Turns out I was a few minutes late for it after all the sitting. Jeff reminded me that what was important was that I got home safely.

49thornton37814
nov 30, 2014, 9:04 pm



107. Prepare: Living Your Faith in an Increasingly Hostile Culture by J. Paul Nyquist

Date Completed: 29 Nov 2014

Category: Because He Lives

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #5: Read a book with an embedded word in the title

Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Nyquist writes about some of the cultural trends that are increasingly hostile toward Christians. He shows how Christians in other parts of the world have been facing persecution for centuries and warns American Christians that we may begin to face this same type of persecution as we stand up for our beliefs. He cites several recent events as evidence of the beginnings of such persecution and believes that it will grow worse. However, he also offers advice to Christians in dealing with these attacks on our faith and also offers hope, showing how revival and a return to God has turned the tide in American church history previously and can do so again. I found this to be a very timely book and was quite astonished to find references to the recent situation in Houston where the mayor made demands on area pastors included. It's a topic that will likely appeal to a lot of Christians and would probably provide good material for small group studies as most of the advice in dealing with the cultural threats is rooted in the Word of God. This review is based on an advance reading e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley with the expectation that a review would be written.

50SuziQoregon
dec 4, 2014, 5:50 pm

Oh I'm currently in the middle of Unbroken and wishing I had more time to spend reading.

51thornton37814
dec 4, 2014, 8:13 pm

>50 SuziQoregon: I understand. I'm in the middle of another book right now that I started right after I finished the one up in thread 49, but I've had so much going on that I feel like I'm falling behind. I might be able to read a few more pages tonight. Hoping I can finish it on Saturday, but I am probably going to have to make an appearance at a funeral or visitation for the mother of a colleague so I will not have as much time as I'd planned.

52countrylife
dec 5, 2014, 10:31 am

Glad you liked Unbroken, Lori. It was a five-star read for me. Sandy, I think you will enjoy the audio version; I found it well done, anyway. Since there were so many Japanese characters and references, I think the audio enhanced the book for me in that it continued to flow smoothly in those places that I may have bogged down in reading.

53thornton37814
dec 5, 2014, 8:08 pm

>52 countrylife: That is a good point about the audio vs. the print in this book. I simply don't listen to audio books that much. I prefer to listen to music.

54countrylife
dec 6, 2014, 9:17 am

If I had my druthers, I'd do the same, Lori. I'd rather listen to music while I work, and then read when it's reading time. But I have a husband who's somewhat antagonistic to my love of reading. When I try to read in bed at night, I find myself having to re-read paragraphs over and over again to get anything out of it, over the noise of his too-loud Maxwell Smart and Gilligan's Island style of tv viewing. Either that, or he says, "put that stupid book down." So, I satisfy my need of books by listening to audiobooks as I work around the house, instead. I had trouble engaging with them, at first (I do still prefer print), but since they're such a life-saver for me, I kept with them, and really enjoy them now.

55Ameise1
dec 6, 2014, 11:27 am

Lori, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

56thornton37814
dec 6, 2014, 11:59 am

>54 countrylife: I don't have to worry about that at the present. I also don't think that I'll have to worry too much in the future unless I'm neglecting something else. I think I would be held accountable if I'd said I was going to do something and hadn't done it because of reading.

>55 Ameise1: Thank you. It's off to a good start. I decided to try one of those 20 minute chair massages today. I may have to try one again soon!

57Ameise1
dec 6, 2014, 12:10 pm

Lori, that sounds like those chair massagse must be fantastic. Never saw one.

58thornton37814
dec 6, 2014, 7:37 pm

>57 Ameise1: If you Google "chair massage," you'll see several images of how it is done and some videos too.

59thornton37814
dec 9, 2014, 10:52 pm



108. Vanishing Grace: What Ever Happened to the Good News? by Philip Yancey

Date Completed: 9 Dec 2014

Category: Because He Lives

TIOLI Challenge: None

Rating: 4 stars

Review: In this book, Yancey takes a look at the way Christianity interacts with culture, specifically Evangelical Christianity. He makes a number of good points that will make Evangelicals consider the way they have been reacting to moral issues. He draws from the Bible and from church history to show how some of the greatest moments of the church were in times when Christians were not in political authority. The book will make a great discussion starter for small group discussions, Christian university courses dealing with society, and for Christian book clubs. While I may not agree with every point the author made, his work will make me consider why I think the way I do. I am not a fan of the hidden end note style which appears to be what this book will have, but since this was an advance e-galley provided by the publisher for review through NetGalley, that may have changed before it reached the final printing.

60Ameise1
dec 13, 2014, 7:22 am

Lori, I wish you a fabulous weekend.

61thornton37814
dec 13, 2014, 3:45 pm

>60 Ameise1: Thanks. I gave a couple of DNA lectures at the library this morning and am trying to stay off my feet this afternoon so they'll be able to stand "standing" in our Living Christmas Tree at church for 1.5 to 2 hours tonight.

62thornton37814
dec 13, 2014, 3:47 pm

I can't remember on whose thread I commented about maybe rethinking which book by Watson I'd read for the American Author Challenge based on the reviews of Montana 1948 I was reading. When I went to the library this morning to check out either the book I'd selected or that one, the one I'd selected was not available so I guess Montana 1948 is the one that is meant to be.

63DeltaQueen50
dec 14, 2014, 4:37 pm

Sounds like fate stepped in and decided for you, Lori. I hope Montana 1948 works as well for you and it did for me.

64Familyhistorian
dec 14, 2014, 8:06 pm

>61 thornton37814: Did you make it through the whole 2 hours of standing in the Living Christmas Tree without your feet packing it in, Lori? That seems like a great Christmas tradition.

65thornton37814
dec 14, 2014, 10:00 pm

>63 DeltaQueen50: Hope so, too.

>64 Familyhistorian: My feet are dead after three nights in a row of it plus 3 rehearsals in it. I'm hoping Santa will bring me a new pair for Christmas.

66thornton37814
dec 16, 2014, 10:11 pm



109. Twisted Threads by Lea Wait

Date Completed: 16 Dec 2014

Category: That's the Way (I Like It)

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #8: Read a book not in the religion genre that contains a discussion of religion, name the genre

Rating: 4 stars

Review Angie Curtis returns to Maine when her Mom's corpse is discovered in a neighbor's storage freezer. She discoverers that her grandmother and others in her Haven Harbor needlepoint business have been ripped off by a man they had trusted to get them more work. Angie uses skills learned while working for a private investigator in Arizona to locate the man. It's not long until there is a murder and the needlepointers all become suspects. Angie uses her skills to help the state police investigate. I really enjoyed the setting, the characters, and the needlepoint themes in this book; however, I was very much put off by the use of Ouija boards, particularly when it involved the town's minister. There was really nothing that they added to the plot. Even though I loved most of the book, I am concerned that the Occultic element will be present in future installments. If it is, I do not wish to read them. This review is based on an advance e-galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

Note: This book is being released 6 Jan 2015.

67Ameise1
dec 17, 2014, 12:07 pm

Sorry, to hear about your feet. I hope it's getting better soon. Take care.

68thornton37814
dec 17, 2014, 8:37 pm

>67 Ameise1: Now that I don't have to stand in a tree every night for up to two hours, they are improving rapidly.

69thornton37814
dec 17, 2014, 8:46 pm

Carrie and I met up tonight to exchange Christmas gifts and enjoy a meal together. As usual, there were books in our packages. The books in my package were:

Sleeping the Churchyard Sleep by Rett MacPherson
and
Jesus' Family Tree: Seeing God's Faithfulness in the Genealogy of Christ (Rose Publishing)

I guess I'll see how much more of the Larry Watson book I finish tonight. I'd love to finish it tomorrow so I don't have to take it with me to Mississippi for the holidays. (It also means that I could return it to the library before I leave town.) I have a couple of Christmas books that I plan to take, and then I have several things on my iPad to read.

70thornton37814
dec 17, 2014, 9:32 pm

For those of you who are curious what a Living Christmas Tree is or just want to see me, here is the link to the edited version which cuts out some of the "downtime" when moving people on and off stage. http://vimeo.com/114777905

71thornton37814
Redigerat: mar 29, 2021, 6:47 pm



110. Montana 1948 by Larry Watson

Date Completed: 18 Dec 2014

Category: Sharing the Night Together

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #16: Bah, Humbug!: Read a book that has nothing to do with Christmas

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: This beautifully written novel tells the story of a year in the life of a Montana sheriff's family that would forever change their life and their relationships with their own family. The story is told through the eyes of the sheriff's son as he remembers events later in life. The topic dealt with in this novel is not an easy one, but Watson successfully relates the story to his readers and keeps them interested in it. The reader could almost feel the situation in which the sheriff found himself -- between a rock and a hard place. The novel is not overly long, but the author's care in choosing the right words makes the story the right length. Highly recommended; one of the best reads of the year for me.

72DeltaQueen50
dec 18, 2014, 4:33 pm

So glad that you loved Montana 1948, Lori. Larry Watson is an author that really resonates with me!

73thornton37814
dec 18, 2014, 10:11 pm

>72 DeltaQueen50: I'm going to have to find some more of his works. They had a few more on the shelf at the library. I'll probably begin with those.

74thornton37814
dec 18, 2014, 10:19 pm



111. The Christmas Light by Donna VanLiere

Date Completed: 18 Dec 2014

Category: You're The One That I Want

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #2: Read a book about Christmas or other mid-winter festival

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review: Jennifer and Avery have lost their husband and father. Avery is having difficulty coping and is seeing a therapist. Ryan comes to Grandon to visit his aunt. He has custody of his daughter Sophia. An unwed mother and a couple seeking adoption are also residents of Grandon. All of their lives are brought together by a Christmas Pageant at the Grandon Community Church that Ryan's aunt and her friend Miriam are organizing. A major theme in the book is how darkness can turn to light. It also shows how God can use each of us in spite of our flaws. Donna Van Liere writes nearly perfect Christmas stories. This may be among her finest. If you need to experience a Christmas miracle, this book is for you!

I will say that sentimentally this is a 5 star read because I loved and enjoyed it so much although I know it probably deserves a 4 star rating. I compromised and split the difference.

75Ameise1
dec 20, 2014, 8:24 am

Lori, I wish you a lovely weekend and Merry Christmas.

76countrylife
dec 20, 2014, 2:19 pm

Just finished watching your Living Christmas Tree video. It was beautiful! Loved the various groups of action happening in front of the tree during the different segments. The sound was awesome. Did I spy you during the song, "I Am"?

77SuziQoregon
dec 20, 2014, 2:34 pm

Thanks for the video link - very cool!

78thornton37814
dec 21, 2014, 10:50 pm

>75 Ameise1: Thanks.

>76 countrylife: I'm so glad you watched it. I don't remember in which songs they had close-ups of me. I could probably ask my boyfriend. He probably remembers more than I do.

>77 SuziQoregon: Glad you enjoyed!

79streamsong
dec 22, 2014, 8:43 am

I enjoyed your video, too. I remember the pictures you posted last year. That's when I started lurking on your thread.

I've been to several community Christmas concerts this year. I am blown away by these gifts of time and talent to the community. Awesome!

80thornton37814
dec 23, 2014, 12:14 pm

>79 streamsong: Glad you enjoyed it!

81connie53
dec 23, 2014, 3:01 pm

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Lori.

82thornton37814
dec 23, 2014, 10:08 pm

>81 connie53: Thank you very much. The same to you!

83ronincats
dec 23, 2014, 10:10 pm

It's Chrismas Eve's eve, and so I am starting the rounds of wishing my 75er friends the merriest of Christmases or whatever the solstice celebration of their choice is.

84ctpress
dec 24, 2014, 5:22 am

Hi Lori - Wish you and your family a Merry Christmas. Thanks for all the "book-talk" in 2014.

85thornton37814
dec 24, 2014, 8:03 am

>83 ronincats: Christmas for me! Thanks for the wishes.

>84 ctpress: Thanks. It's been nice talking books.

86Carmenere
dec 24, 2014, 8:21 am


Merry Christmas, Lori!

87mitchma
dec 24, 2014, 9:25 am

Merry Christmas!!

88rosylibrarian
dec 24, 2014, 11:11 am

89scaifea
dec 24, 2014, 11:43 am

Happy, Happy Holidays, Lori!

90lindapanzo
dec 24, 2014, 2:02 pm

Merry Christmas, Lori!!

91susanj67
dec 24, 2014, 2:03 pm

Lori, best wishes for a happy Christmas and for 2015.

92lkernagh
dec 24, 2014, 8:54 pm

Stopping by now to wish you a happy holiday season and all the best in 2015!

93AuntieClio
dec 24, 2014, 9:15 pm



Lori, I'm so happy to have made your acquaintance this year.

94Familyhistorian
dec 24, 2014, 11:07 pm

Best wishes for the holiday season, Lori.

95thornton37814
dec 26, 2014, 9:56 pm

>86 Carmenere: Thanks. What cute cats!

>87 mitchma: Thank you very much. It seems a little warmer this year in Mississippi. Doesn't it?

>88 rosylibrarian: Thank you for the wishes.

96thornton37814
dec 26, 2014, 9:58 pm

>89 scaifea: Same to you, Amber.

>90 lindapanzo: Hope you had a nice one up in Chicagoland!

>91 susanj67: Thanks. Best wishes to you as well.

97thornton37814
dec 26, 2014, 10:03 pm

>92 lkernagh: Same to you, Lori.

>93 AuntieClio: Me too, Stephanie. Those penguins look like they are having a blast!

>94 Familyhistorian: You too, Meg. I just communicated with a cousin who thinks that if the autosomal DNA suggests that we are related to a guy from the late 17th century that it meets the genealogical proof standard even though her tree has no better source than Ancestry's Family Data Collection for our common ancestor's father and grandfather.

98Familyhistorian
dec 26, 2014, 11:39 pm

>97 thornton37814: Oooh, I bet your cousin has a family tree that goes back many iffy generations! The sad thing is that other researchers may latch onto that tree and treat it as proven.

99PaulCranswick
dec 26, 2014, 11:56 pm



Have a lovely holiday, Lori.

100Ameise1
dec 27, 2014, 4:05 pm

Lori, I wish you a lovely weekend.

101thornton37814
dec 28, 2014, 12:09 pm

>98 Familyhistorian: I've been shuddering just to think about how she connected the dots.

>99 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul.

>100 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. It's been okay so far. Love those penguins!

102Familyhistorian
dec 28, 2014, 5:21 pm

>101 thornton37814: It could make for some very interesting relationships. I wonder if it would work as the basis for a book of fiction?

103thornton37814
dec 28, 2014, 10:08 pm

>102 Familyhistorian: I think it would be self-published if she did attempt to do so.

104thornton37814
dec 28, 2014, 10:17 pm



112. The Names of Jesus by Warren Wiersbe

Date Completed: 28 Dec 2014

Category: Because He Lives

TIOLI Challenge: None

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Wiersbe's insights into some of the names of Jesus in Scripture make great daily devotional reads for approximately a two week period. It would be perfect for reading during the Advent season. The book does not contain a comprehensive list of names used for Jesus in the Bible. In fact, it ignores some of the more obvious ones such as Messiah or Redeemer. Instead, the book is divided into two sections. The first section are names drawn from Isaiah 9. This section was published in an earlier book. The second section are names from the New Testament and are mostly drawn from his sermons. This means that the two sections are a bit uneven in writing style as the second portion retained more of a sermon style. Wiersbe's insights are helpful for the type of use that this book is likely to receive from the average lay reader. Those seeking a more in depth treatment of the subject may wish to look to other resources which are more academic in nature.

105thornton37814
dec 30, 2014, 10:58 pm



113. Starry Night by Debbie Macomber

Date Completed: 30 Dec 2014

Category: Trying to Get the Feeling Again

TIOLI Challenge: Challenge #5: Read a book with a noun from the title of a Christmas carol in its title

Last Year's Rating: 3.5 stars

This Year's Rating: 4 stars

Last Year's Review: When her editor tells her she can cover any story she wishes if she can get an interview with a sensational Alaskan reclusive author, Carrie heads off to Alaska to try to find him. She finds a friend of the author, Finn Dalton, who flies her to his cabin. What happens under the stars is magical. Finn urges her not to publish her story. Will she give up her dream job or her man? This is a nice Christmas story that includes some reconciliation. It may not be my favorite Christmas story by Macomber, but I did love the Alaskan setting.

This Year's Review: I loved it! I suspect that being in love myself made me enjoy it more this time. I picked this up at the library thinking that I had this year's book. When I began reading it, I remembered parts of it, but I couldn't figure out why parts seemed familiar and parts did not so I decided that the old one had just been similar. Then when I went to enter my review, I discovered I already had one -- and that it was only from last year. I think it is bad when I don't remember a plot better than that after only a year and a month or two.

106SuziQoregon
dec 31, 2014, 12:42 am

Happy New Year!!

107thornton37814
dec 31, 2014, 8:16 pm

>106 SuziQoregon: Thanks! Same to you!

108thornton37814
Redigerat: mar 29, 2021, 6:51 pm



114. Holy Bible: New King James Version

Date Completed: 31 Dec 2014

Category: Trying to Get the Feeling Again

CAT Challenge: None

Rating: 5 stars

Comments: I'm not going to review this one. This was a year-long read using the YouVersion Bible app on my iPad. I used the plan, "The Bible in a Year." It's not my favorite Bible reading plan so I'll probably switch to the One Year Bible next year to give it a try. This is the one I knew would finish off my re-reads category, but I actually finished it off a day early with the Macomber book (by accident, since I thought I had the current year's book instead of last year's).

This concludes my 2014 reading! Join me over on my 2015 thread.

109ronincats
dec 31, 2014, 10:37 pm

I'm making my last swing through the 2014 threads. See you on the other side, Lori!

110thornton37814
jan 5, 2015, 9:38 pm