As the year flies by, I am over here in my happy little corner reading like a crazy person. Often four books at a time. This seems to be working well for me. Usually at the end of the year I start to taper off but I don’t see that happening this year. I have just been reading so much good stuff.
Add to that the re-read/read-along for 1984. Whew! I’ve read the book at least three times before but this time. Wow. It’s a little alarming and mirroring what I’ve seen of that “project” that everyone talks about since the election. It is definitely a book for our times but it was written in 1948!
Right Now:
My Sundays are pretty static. Student ministry. Fueled by coffee. Post church nap.
This Week:
This is a short week for me. We have a work party on Wednesday, and then I am out from Friday well into January. End of the year vacation is always so nice. I do try to take time off during the year but I don’t want to take time just to take it. You know?
On Saturday 12/14 we do the annual Christmas Light tour with friends. I need to make molasses cookies for that. Add it to my list.
My adult kids will be down 12/23-12/25. Super short visit.
Reading:
- Like Mother, Like Mother by Susan Rieger
- 1984 by George Orwell (read along)
- Burn by Peter Heller
- Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll (book club)
Watching:
Christmas movies here and there. So far, Christmas with the Kranks, and Christmas Vacation. Both seen a million times but always funny.
Grateful for:
- My Spotify wrapped, year of listening was ALL Chappell Roan. Her music is like a Girl Anthem for all girls.
- Time – part of my vacation will be purging the garage. I joined a site on FB where I can post stuff and people will come right away to pick it up. Let’s get rid of stuff!!
- Tamales. Especially the green chile and cheese ones. We have friends that sometimes bless us with tamales at Christmas. They are delightful.
Recently reviewed books in case you missed them:
Something new! I started a Bookshop on Bookshop.org! It’s fun to add books and I’ve been a supporter of Indie stores for a long time but this is too cool.
What are you plans for the holidays? Any trips or family visiting? Have you chosen your “first book of the year” yet? I have not.
Book Chatter 
“Reading like a crazy person.” I get that, as there are just too many books for a person to read at once! Have a great day!
Harvee https://bookdilettante.blogspot.com/2024/12/han-kang-witness-literature.html
Wow, four books at a time? You are reading like a crazy person, lol.
Glad your kids will be down for Christmas, even if it is a short visit. We’ll have all three girls here, the two sons-in-law, my sister-in-law, and 3 canine guests… thinks are going to be crazy! My SIL decided to stay in a hotel this time – smart woman! 😉
Oh, three canine guests! How exciting. My pup is still hanging in there. Every time I think it’s that time… it isn’t. I am confident that she will let me know.
On the four books. I seem to be on a roll with that method so as soon as I finish one I add another to keep it going. I have reading:
1984 (re-read read-along) Burn by Peter Heller (dystopian and strange) The Reading List (delightful book about books) All the Water in the World (new and more dystopian)
You can see what my focus is.
Hmmm…I’m not very good at reading more than one book at a time unless one is on audio and one in print. I’ve done it, but these days I do a lot of listen/reads. Sounds like you’ve got some good plans and I’m happy your kids will get to be with you even if the visit is short.
We are not hosting Christmas (husband’s brother and sister-in-law will do it) and our daughter and son-in-law will be able to come to that. They live here in our area, but she was working Thanksgiving and couldn’t come. She usually flipflops Thanksgiving/Christmas from year to year as those are big holidays that hospital staff want off. We really never get both with her, but we are used to it.
Hope your good reading continues! Have a good week!
Your plans sound lovely. Lots of visiting. Ours will be nice, and short but worth it. Trying to figure out what to do for my in-laws. They are 85 and not well. We offer to drive them to our house but they don’t care to leave their house so we will go there. They ended up falling asleep after we brought them food for Thanksgiving. Quite okay. I suspect they will do the same on Christmas Eve. Only I plan to pick up take out!
I have four books going right now too, Ti! One is a memoir on audio, two are novels, and another is a biography. I’m able to keep all four separate in my mind, which is a good thing!
Sounds like you’ll have a nice long break from work. Well-earned, I’m sure! A short visit with you kids, but it’s great that they can be with you.
Thanks for the reminder about First Book of 2025. I have a few ideas, depending on how much I get read in the next few weeks.
I’m probably going to be adding three books to my end of the year total so I haven’t quite looked at the beginning of the year. I usually pick a book that has been long on my list. Like Infinite Jest!
I absolutely love that your read mojo is back, that must feel so good!
And so much time off. I am taking just Christmas and New Year’s Day so I can take time off during the rest of the year (we’re opposites on that one).
1984 is hitting hard. It is so good and well done.
Oh, I always earn a ton of vacation since I have been here so long. I will be going to church camp this year so that will be a vacation week and who knows what else. I am horrible about taking time off.
I just wrote up all my posts for 1984 and scheduled them. I am blown away by so much of it.
I need to decide upon the first book of the year (that’s always fun). I’m still working on last reads of 2024, lol. I like your Bookshop and think it looks good … can you also put a list of upcoming reads on there? I hope you enjoy your Christmas vacation. So much to do right? We are enjoying our time in SoCal so far – both in the inland empire area and the OC. Hopefully the less driving, the better, lol. Happy holidays.
I am trying to wrap up my end of the reading too. I want to review what I’ve read as well so I need to get cracking. I was thinking about adding a Currently Reading or Upcoming category to my bookshop. I think I will do it now! Helps me keep track too.
The tamales sound so good! I always got tamales when I was working. Loved eating them at this time of the year.
I have three or four books left to read, and then everything else is going onto my 2025 Books Read list.
I think I will follow your lead. I am going to wrap up the three books I am reading and hopefully get them reviewed before the end of the year as well. Then, off to 2025 we go.
My tamale yesterday was just ok. I need to find a good one soon. It was good but this year our work party was not in a facility that had a kitchen and the tamale was cold.
The rest of my PTO was used up in mid-Dec. for my daughter’s biggest swim meet of the year. So I will be at work unless the office is closed. We do get 4 wellness days for Dec. 26-31, but I will be working 2 of those because of client needs. 😦 That will benefit me in 2025 with more PTO.
I am so glad your reading has caught fire. I’m deep in poetry books for the local book festival in May, and I need to help make the selections before Feb.
I’m always having to take a few weeks at the end of the year because our cap is 440 hours and anything over that gets lost so even though I take days here and there, and even had brain surgery (LOL) I was still over. It’s a good problem but they still email me from work sometimes as I am the only one to do some things.