"Oh, the places you'll go!" w/Carmenere #4 (Land, taxi and arrival)

I couldn't keep this plane at cruising altitude forever. Noooo, I need to land this baby. So, seats in upright position, tray tables up, carry on items safely stowed and lets set this sucker down.

Hi Lynda! I hope you are getting over the blues. A new thread always makes me kind of happy for some weird reason. I guess I like new beginnings. Will you keep up your geography theme next year? I've enjoyed traveling around the world with you.

>2 Donna828: Hi Donna, Nice to see you! The blues seem to be lingering and even a new thread didn't perk my interest too much. I even forgot to bring forward important stuff from my previous thread. Maybe I'll add it tomorrow or not. I'm glad you enjoyed traveling with me. I haven't made a decision about next years thread however it's looking like a lot of my planned reads take place in the UK and each picture might be redundant. I'll look through them again and make a decision.

Destination #50 A spooky alley in the UK


#51-2015
Slade House
David Mitchell
2015
238 pages
4.75/5

Why: Comments surrounding this book peaked my interest.

Synopsis in 15 words give or take: People who are invited to Slade House never leave.

What I really think: This novel is brilliant!!! It is frightening how twins Jonah and Norah lure people to their home on Slade Alley every nine years. The author slowly unveils the reason why some guests never leave and what exactly Norah and Jonah wants from them.
I found it very difficult to put this book down. It is atmospheric and spooky and I highly recommend it.

Morning Lynda! Happy Sunday! Happy New Thread! Glad you loved Slade House. What a joy and it was a shorty! Yah!

>5 msf59: Egads Mark, now I'm anxious to read other books penned by Mitchell! Are the others in the same vein?

Happy new one, Lynda!

Good morning, Amber and happy to Sunday to you and your family!

Cloud Atlas is his masterwork but it is a bit of a challenge. The Bone Clocks is long and a bit over-stuffed but there is much to admire there and it does have a similar feel to Slade House, IMHO.

>9 msf59: OK Mark, I own Cloud Atlas, just maybe I'll add it to the stack I've created for my 2016 challenge, Oh my, this is just getting undoable!:0}

"Oh my, this is just getting undoable!" This is the life we chose, Lynda! I guess we have to deal with it and I wouldn't trade it for the world. LOL.

Happy new thread, Lynda. I love the spooky alley photo, and I second Donna - love the destination photos on your thread. I have The Bone Clocks to read, so I'll probably get to that before Slade House, but I LOVED Cloud Atlas. Mitchell is inventive, in a good way.

Hi Lynda! Now I'm adding Slade House to my wish list. Total blue book bullet!

Another fan of the spooky picture. Much rather look at it than be there...

>11 msf59: I haven't found Cloud Atlas on my shelf, Mark! Aaaaa (running around in circles) I know it's there, it's got to be there!

>12 BLBera: You like the destination pics too, Beth? Hmmmm

>13 EBT1002: I hope you enjoy Slade House as much as I, Ellen!

>14 charl08: Absolutely agree, Charlotte! I imagine someone or something jumping out at me around the corner. Eeeek!

Finally checking in again just in time for the arrival thread and another great review for Slade House - def. one of my most enjoyable reads this year as well.

Happy new thread, Lynda! I've been wondering about Slade House . . . Not sure it's my cup of tea, but such good comments . . . Love the photo of the alley!

>16 Deern: Oh my gosh!, Nathalie! How are you doing? I've been such a putz about posting this year. So you thought Slade House was amazing too, yea? I've got to read more of David Mitchell, for sure!

>17 tymfos: Hi Terri, I understand what you mean. Slade House was a little out of my comfort zone but it wasn't gory or bloody, at all. Just very eerie with surprisingly thought provoking conclusion.

* My mindfulness group got together for Christmas. Awesome group, laughed till my sides split. We started on a new project, paper mache angels.
We'll finish them next month. Mine's too tall and looks eagle like. :} Hoping I can add hands holding a dove at our next meet up.

* War and Peace Update I've been too busy the last couple of days to dedicate an hour a day to W&P but when I can I do what I can. Soooo, I'm up to page 107 - Chapter 25! I really really like it and when read slowly, the names and characters embed in my ole grey matter.
Matter of fact, I'm about to pour another cup of coffee and read an hours worth right now.

* Thanks to all for visiting my thread, even if it's just to take a peek.

Ah, Lynda, I had lost track of your thread for a while. I think I've caught up on this one and the last one, but did I miss your review of The House At Sea's End? Or perhaps you haven't finished it yet, in which case I'll sit back down and be quiet. :-)

Just seen a puff interview with the very attractive stars of a new BBC production of W&P broadcasting here in Jan. I suspect there are going to be a few extra readers in 2016....

Happy Friday, Lynda! Good to see you, slowly plugging away at W & P. I snagged my ebook copy, now I am working on snagging an audio copy.

>19 rosalita: Glad you rediscovered my thread, Julia. I tend to disappear occasionally :0} No, you didn't miss my review of THASE. I've been an abnormally sluggish reader of late. I will finish it this year. So much to do. In fact, I should be cleaning the house right now!

>20 charl08: Ooooo, I'll need to google that, Charlotte! "Very attractive stars" always a pleasure! I need to check out how or if it will be shown in the US. I imagine it will be on the same channel as Downton Abbey.

>21 msf59: Looks like you'll be well covered for W&P, Mark! You'll be able to read/listen to it anytime and anywhere.

Sooooo, We saw Star Wars VII yesterday. Packed house but we got there early enough to get the seats Will discovered were the best ones to view the movie, about 3/4's of the way up. I liked it. It had enough shrouded characters to carry it into SW VIII.

Afterward, I popped over to our next door neighbor's house for a gathering of fellow neighbors. The guys stayed home to watch the debate.

OK, I've really got to clean the house! 4 days to Christmas Eve EEEEEEK!!!!

Uh hem. Not to be a book snob or anything like it but I just have to say that 4 of the 7 books in my neighborhood book swap have already been read by moi. Thanks of course to the many recommendations received from my fellow librarythingers.

OK back to cleaning :0)

BTW: Quick W&P Update: Part II Chapter 8 page 149 Action leaves the gaiety of St Petersburg and Moscow to warzone. Only 1,209 pages to go.

To all who have kept my shabby little thread alive this year. I'm leaving my blues in the past and hopefully will be a more active participant in 2016!

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Season's Greetings, Happy Kwanza and Happy Hanukah (belated) to all!

Best wishes for a lovely holiday season, Lynda.

^And may your New Year be filled with books and bookish friends!

Hope to see more of you, in the coming months, Lynda! Hugs to my pal.

Happy new thread Lynda. Sorry to hear you have been battling the blues. I find December a tough month too although I think it's more related to the Christmas stress than the cloudy skies (although we do have plenty of cloudy skies).

I think posting regular updates of W&P is a great idea and you are inspiring me to consider whether I should try reading it again. I think I'll get through the Christmas period first and then decide whether I feel like tackling such a chunkster.

Bookish Christmas wishes!

Merry Christmas Lynda, I'm looking forward to (hopefully better) following you again in 2016!

Happy Solstice and Merry Christmas, Lynda!

I'm wishing you a happy Christmas and a year full of wonderful reading.

Have a lovely holiday, Lynda

Merry Christmas, Lynda!

>25 DeltaQueen50: Thanks Judy! It's been lovely and I hope yours was too.

>26 msf59: Thanks Mark! Many best wishes to you and yours in the new year too! Hugs

>27 souloftherose: Thank you for your bookish wishes, Heather! The blues have battered me since late summer but I am determined to leave them in 2015! I can't change the world but I can change my attitude :0)

>28 Deern: I hope you had a lovely Christmas, Nathalie and will have a spectacular 2016. I hope to be a more consistent librarythinger next year.

>29 EBT1002: Thank you for the Solstice and Christmas greetings, Ellen. Hope you and P had a fabulous holiday season as well.

>30 catarina1: Thanks for dropping in catrina and for the kind wishes and same to you!!!

>31 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul, it was tops! Looks like you and your family are enjoying the holidays abroad. Enjoy and safe travels!!!

>32 ChelleBearss: Awe, thank you Chelle! I know that living closer to your family must have made this Christmas extra special for you, Nate and Chloe!!!

Well, I'm ready to move my reading into 2016 so I'm gently landing this plane and thanking you all for traveling with me. Although, Destinations won't be central to my thread next year, I will post a picture of the interesting locales my books take me.

If you care to tag along into the new year with me, I'll be right here............ https://www.librarything.com/topic/209569

Just catching up with you, Lynda, before the New Year begins - I have also not posted much this year as life got a bit crazy for us. Hoping next year is calmer. Sorry to hear about your blues, and hoping that you can put them behind you soon - sending you my very best mojo!

You got me with Slade House - I had seen it being lauded on several other threads, including Mark's, but your succinct review places it firmly on my list.

I will be joining you with the W&P read - probably start it today. I had actually started it and made it about halfway through several years ago, but I never finished it. I loved reading your brief updates of your progress! Fun.

Wishing for you a New Year that is filled with fabulous. And also with happy!

>34 Crazymamie: Thanks for your nice comments, Mamie! Ooo, great that we'll be reading W&P together. So far, quite an enjoyable read.
I hope you enjoy Slade House as much as I.
Happy New Year wishes to you and your lovely family!