Here’s a look at my Maplewing shawl progress. I know, it’s not really that obviously different than it was last time, but trust me, there IS progress here. I’m into section C, about halfway through the first repeat, but the rows are getting progressively smaller (finally), so I keep expecting that it’s going to FEEL faster any time.

I really need to get this done, too, because I theoretically have another shawl waiting in the wings. I say “theoretically” because (1) I don’t actually have the yarn yet and (2) I only have one, tiny piece of the pattern.

Let me explain.

Last month, Susan at MVFF posted about their special Dyer-of-the-Month offer and showed this gorgeous colorway from the folks at Unique Sheep. A colorway whose picture I didn’t think to save, so I can’t show you what it looked like, but trust me when I tell you it was stunning. It was based on one of Susan’s Martha’s Vineyard photos and was yarn that shaded from beach sand down through ocean blue–because, yes, it’s one of the Gradiance Colors–a series of handpainted yarn colors you really need to see to believe. I held out as long as I could, but you already know that I love putting blues and golden browns together. I also can’t resist colors that blend from one shade to another. It’s a week spot. So I took some of the money I got for selling my Lendrum and bought the yarn. I’m just not sure when it’s going to arrive.

But, there’s more! The Unique Sheep is doing one of those mystery knit-alongs for a Secret Garden shawl. All I know is that it’s designed to be knit in one of their gradiance colors (or some other yarn, if you choose) and that it’s based on the circular Pi shawl. And that the pattern will arrive in tiny, weekly batches in my email over the next however-many weeks. I’ll just be starting well after everyone else because not only  has my yarn not arrived, but I HAVE to finish my Maplewing first. You KNOW that I can’t have two lace projects going at once!

I actually got a little plying done tonight, too. I’ve been having the hardest time finding time to spend at my wheel lately, but I took a little bit tonight to work on this bobbin of yarn. It’s not quite done, but it looks good … if a little underplied. I might decide to send it back through the wheel to add a little more twist … or not! We’ll see what I think when it’s completely done. (The fiber is from Jessica, called “Thinking About Fall.”)

You know how I’ve told you how Chappy loves to steal things like facecloths, napkins, and, say, slippers? He hit the mother lode the other night and got FOUR of them. Three of which he carried from Mom’s open closet down the hallway, and one which he left just outside their bedroom. (We’re thinking he was tired by then.) On the plus side, he made his grandma laugh when she came upstairs and saw him with all his loot.

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Tags: Eye-Candy Friday by --Deb
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I haven’t done a Booking Through Thursday post in ages, so …

An idea I got from The Toddled Dredge (via K for Kat). Here’s what she said:

“So here today I present to you an Unread Books Challenge. Give me the list or take a picture of all the books you have stacked on your bedside table, hidden under the bed or standing in your shelf – the books you have not read, but keep meaning to. The books that begin to weigh on your mind. The books that make you cover your ears in conversation and say, ‘No! Don’t give me another book to read! I can’t finish the ones I have!’ “

This is particularly timely for me, since you know that I’m in the process of winnowing out at least a third, if not half, of my 3,053-volume library, and I can tell you that the long-term residents on this list of Unread Books will definitely be going bye-bye. It’s no reflection on them, I’m sure, just … I’ve obviously lost interest.

So, here they are, the poor 28:

1. Angels & Demons, Dan Brown (It’s an old copy, I’m not really sure how it got into my library in the first place)
2. Flesh and Spirit, Carol Berg (Definitely a keeper, her books are great. I’m just waiting for the rest of the series.)
3. Dark Mirror, Juliet Marillier (Ditto.)
4. Stardust, Neil Gaiman (Not sure about this one)
5. Windhaven, George RR Martin and L Tuttle (Lost what little interest I had)
6. Guinevere: Queen of the Summer Country, Rosalind Miles (Ditto)
7. Perilous Gard, Elizabeth Marie Pope (Bought 2 of her books at one time and hated the other one)
8. Diamond Age, Neal Stephenson (I tried but couldn’t get into it, which really disappointed me.)
9. Household Gods, Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove (Lost interest–it’s time travel, which I love, but seems pretty depressing.)
10. Fresco, Sherri S Tepper (Sadly, Tepper is one of those authors I admire and feel I should love, so I keep buying her books and then, um…)
11. Singer from the Sea, Sherri S Tepper (Ditto)
12. Beyond Bullet Points, Cliff Atkinson (One of these days I’ll read this and my nonexistant business presentations will sing.)
13. Western Canon, Harold Bloom (This was a Christmas gift, and I tried, but honestly, I was bored by the end of the prologue.)
14. John Adams: Party of One, James Grant (Really not sure why this one isn’t read yet. I love John Adams and it seems like a perfectly good bio … maybe it’s just that I’m still full from David McCullough’s excellent book?)
15. Bookseller’s War, Heywood and Anne Hill (Honestly, can’t even remember why I bought this one)
16. Postwar, Tony Judt (A good history book waiting for the correct time)
17. Dreadnaught, Robert K Massie (Ditto–though this one is a lot more “warlike” than I usually enjoy. I can only handle so many details about military strategy at a time.)
18. Asthma-free Naturally, Patrick McKeown (No idea why this one is still unread–what am I waiting for?)
19. Battle Cry of Freedom, James M McPherson (Same as the last history book–it’s excellent by all accounts, I just haven’t summoned up the moral courage to tackle it yet)
20. How I Learned to Cook, Kimberly Witherspoon and Peter Meehan (I think I’m still having trouble getting past the typo on the cover.)
21. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte (No, it’s true, I’ve never read this, but feel I should–pity it sounds so depressing. I’m really not a dark-and-moody romance kind of girl.)
22. Red Moon and Black Mountain, Joy Chant (A fantasy book I’m not certain why I bought in the first place)
23. Ragtime, E.L. Doctorow (Purchased because I adore the musical, but I’m guessing they don’t burst into rousing choruses in the book, right?)
24. Bucking the Sun, Ivan Doig (I’ve only read one other book of his and adored it, so this one is waiting for just the right day)
25. Eventide, Kent Haruf (I don’t know why I’m waiting on this one, except the fact that there are no capital letters and quote marks for the dialogue keeps putting me off)
26. Infamous Army, Georgette Heyer (Um…)
27. Trivium, Sister Miriam Joseph (A little too school-textbook-y, but still sounds interesting.)
28. 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel, Jane Smiley (Yes, I really do plan on reading this one day!)

Interesting variety, huh? And, honestly, every other book in my library is one I’ve read or at least read part of, for the ones that I hated and couldn’t finish. You know, not counting the dictionaries because I will NOT try to make you believe I’ve read every single word in the dictionaries. Or in every knitting pattern, either, but you know what I mean!

And, um, so what if it’s not Thursday yet. It’s my blog, I can post when I want to (grin). Besides, since I took Monday and Tuesday off from work and had a short week last week, I’m not really sure WHAT day it is. But I DO know that I worked hard today and am tired! So, take what you can get and be grateful… (bigger grin)

Tags: Reading by --Deb
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It’s a serious thing, turning 8.

In sharp contrast to the frivolity of the weekend, Chappy spent the day in quiet contemplation of the responsibilities an eight year old must face….

Okay, maybe he wasn’t THAT serious, but he has been kind of quiet today. I had the day off from work, you’ll remember, but he’s spent most of it napping. Except for the walk, of course. And that period when the thunderstorm with the heavy rain went through, when he huddled in the corner of the dining room until it was over. I don’t know … maybe he’s not enjoying this “getting older” thing. Or maybe he’s just stiff from all that romping!

Check out the loving post his Grandma wrote today.

And, go wish Amy a happy birthday, too!

I got two things in the mail today, though, which is always a plus.

Three Rowan magazines (#25, 27, 29)–which count as one item–which I won from Claudia’s MS Ride contest extravaganza. Woohoo! I never expect to win anything, so this was a special treat, even if I AM in the middle of trying to get rid of books and magazines. (Irony, anyone?)

The other was my copy of “Notes from the Underwire” by Quinn Cummings, of the QC Report (a hilarious blog you really should be reading). I will further attest that–even though I’m only on page 55–this book is so darn funny, my parents were complaining that I was laughing too loudly. By all means, you must check this out! Wondering why? (If my opinion isn’t good enough?) Check out the first stop on her Blog Tour and note the witty, funny answers and then try to tell me you’re  not curious.

And, darn it, now I’m in the mood to watch Goodbye Girl again.

Speaking of old movies, Mom and I watched 1972′s What’s Up Doc the other night, with a very young and good looking Ryan O’Neal and a very young, good looking Barbara Streisand. With the exception of poor Madeline Kahn’s hair and wardrobe, it stood up remarkably well. SUCH a funny movie, with the obligatory car chase up and down the hills of San Francisco.

Did you hear the Knitting Song? Sweet and folksy.

Okay–have a good night, everyone!

Tags: Chappy, General, Reading by --Deb
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I took the day off from work today but did NOT spend it lounging around on the couch with Chappy (as much as he wanted to). No, I spent a good portion of it sorting through books and trying to figure out which ones I’m willing to get rid of.

This is NOT an easy process. And I’ve only just begun. I sorted through the books in my bedroom closet, and through the cookbooks, but have yet to touch the rest … part of the problem? The sheer logistics of where on earth do I PUT all the books I’m willing to part with until they’re actually out of the house?? The table in the office is, as you can see, already pretty full, and I’ve only barely begun. We’re talking 1,000 or more books, you know?

Once I sort a little further, I WILL be offering some of these to you folks, because I’d like to see them go to friends.

One thing I must do, though, before parting with any knitting or spinning books? I absolutely MUST write reviews for them first for Knitting Scholar. Because, of course, anything else would be just … short-sighted.

I’m enjoying looking at all the books, though, and I find some of the categories to be interesting. Like, I have quite a few books about homes, architecture, and what makes a HOME. Not to mention the importance of having space of your own. I have books on decorating, even though I’ve never had a home to decorate. Books on manners. Books on etiquette. Books on hair styles and makeup. Books on fashion, even though I’m not remotely a “fashionista.”  Not to mention knitting, spinning, sewing, embroidery, quilting, weaving, beading, dyeing, and bobbin lace.

And that’s JUST from the closet in my bedroom.

(And, um, we won’t discuss how I knocked over my sewing basket and spilled all the thread and straight pins on the floor, right? But if we WERE discussing it, I’d be sure to tell you how very, very good Chappy was in not coming near the pile to check out the thread while I scooped up pins. Would you believe that I have spools of thread that date back to my grandmother? The one who died when I was 9?)

I actually got some spinning done yesterday, by the way. (One of the advantages to pot roast and baked potatoes is that all the hard part is done way before the guests arrive, so there’s plenty of time to sit and relax.) I finished the second bobbin of Jessica’s “Thinking about Fall” that I bought last autumn–the braid of roving that served Mom as a scarf on a chilly, NJ day.

I techically started to ply it last night but that pretty much means I dug out the next bobbin, threaded the leader, and spun a few yards to get it started, and then more or less stopped. Because, well, I’m a little tired!

One other thing I found in the closet? However many years ago, I had one of those 365-page calendars of New Yorker cartoons and I kept a stack of my favorites. Mom and I went through them today and chuckled and chortled, and well, here are four of my favorites (which, yes, belong to New Yorker magazine). I love the Mrs. Coffee one, and Mom almost fell over laughing at the one with the cow bell…

1. Top Left, 2. Top Right, 3. Bottom Left, 4. Bottom Right

Look! New baby lambs–Dakota and Delaware!

And, you know, of course, that tomorrow’s Chappy’s actual birthday, right??

Tags: Reading by --Deb
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Today’s mission, if you’re willing to accept it:

Watch episode 1.6 of CHUCK!

Chuck vs the Sandworm

One of my favorite season 1 episodes–as Halloween approaches, Chuck meets a fellow nerd who’s escaped from an underground CIA bunker and tries to help him begin a new life … except that Lazlo is not what he seems. And, who put an ejector seat in the Nerd Herder?? (One of the funniest scenes in the entire series.)

Since Chuck isn’t slated to come back for Season 3 until March, that gives just enough time for everyone to watch all 35 existing episodes, one week at a time, to be all set and ready for Season 3. If you don’t have (or can’t beg, borrow, steal, or rent) the Season 1 DVD, you can watch season 1 at the WB.com. And … not only should you watch … but if you Twitter, join in and tweet about it to all your friends.

Tags: General by --Deb
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You know that I don’t dare throw a birthday party for myself, but that doesn’t mean that Chappy doesn’t get one! Although, really, it’s just family.

There was a new toy (made out of fire hose–but with a squeak, which Chappy considers absolutely vital in a toy).

Followed by romping. (Can I just tell you how much I adore this not-altogether-perfect picture? Mostly because it embodies sheer happiness.)

Romping in the yard with Tyler (here, apparently explaining the rules to Chappy).

Romping in the yard with Tiffany.

Followed by a brief hiatus when the tennis ball rolled juuuust under the fence.

There was even romping with his Uncle Mike.

Not to mention pot roast for dinner.

And lemon pound cake with fresh berries for dessert. (Yum)

Chappy really enjoyed his.

There were games, too.

And knitting! Here’s my niece working on her Ingenue (which I made last year). Isn’t it  nice to know that I’ve got somebody else in the family who knits?

Really, everybody had a good time.

Especially the birthday boy!

Honestly, I don’t know how we’re going to top this on his actual birthday on Tuesday… Though it should help that I’m taking the day off from work.

Added:

Mom snapped this picture of me and said I should add it to the post to show that I was there and having fun, too … which means Dad is the only one NOT shown, but trust me, he was here, too!

Tags: Chappy, Family by --Deb
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Mom and I took Chappy out for coffee this morning, as a birthday-weekend treat. Although, of course, WE are the ones who drank coffee. He drank water. But he shared my cinnamon roll and her scone while we sat outside on a lovely July day. Then we walked to a new, gourmet kind of dog store and bought Chappy a bag of pizza-flavored biscuits, baked right there at the shop.

After we came home, I ran out again because somehow the cream cheese I picked up at the store yesterday disappeared between the checkout counter and the refrigerator, and I absolutely had to have some for his cake … which I baked once I got home. (Lemon pound cake , from the best recipe for lemon pound cake I’ve ever found. The lemony scent just from mixing the lemon zest with the sugar makes me swoon. Then I gave Chappy a bath and threw together some supper from some chinese food leftovers the other night.

Oh, and I squeezed in a nap in there, too.

Tomorrow, my sister’s family is coming down for Chappy’s birthday “party.” No barbeque, though. I think we’re the only family in America that not only does not own a grill but who has no desire to own one! We’re having pot roast and baked potatoes, followed by lemon pound cake with fresh berries …. mmmm.

(I know, no pictures … I don’t know how that happened, either!)

Hope everybody is having a wonderful Saturday, whether or not July 4th means anything extra to you!

Tags: Baking, Chappy, General by --Deb
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Today would have been my grandfather’s 106th birthday. (And yes, I know, he probably wouldn’t actually have lived that long.) As it is, though, he didn’t live nearly long enough. He passed away in 1967 when I was about 10 months old.

Obviously, I didn’t have much of a chance to get to know him, but sadly, neither did my mother or my older sister, because he died of Alzheimer’s back before they even knew it was Alzheimer’s, and when Mom started dating Dad and met his family … well, according to Dad, his father was already not the man he had been.

Still. I’m glad that he and I overlapped, at least a little. I hope he and Susan are having a great time up in heaven, with my other grandparents, and our other dogs. (Of course I believe that dogs go to heaven!)

Speaking of Grandpa, I let him inspire my guest post today about communication over at Joyful Jubilant Learning, if you care to go read it.

So, what have I been doing today? The office was closed, which is always a plus for a holiday, and this morning, Mom and I went into town. Well, first, we went for coffee. Then I called (after calling home to ask Dad to look up the number) my hair salon to ask if my stylist was in today because I needed a little adjustment to my haircut. It was too long around my face, especially on the right side, and just needed some tweaking. They said to come by at 12:30. Which was fine, but … our other stop for the day was going to be the grocery store, and we couldn’t leave the milk in the car, so … we dawdled some time away by doing a little shopping instead.

After we got home a little after 1:00, I cut up some berries for dessert for Sunday, and threw together a Banana-Blueberry Bread (Blueberry Banana Bread?) to salvage the three, dying bananas in the fruit bowl. I sat with Chappy in our favorite chair and read for a while, and then I made tomato sauce for supper.

I really like homemade sauce SO much more than any sauce that comes out of a jar. No comparison. I have no objections to starting with canned tomatoes (much easier than trying to peel and dice them myself–especially since I don’t love lumpy sauce), but I like the actual sauce to be fresh. It’s so easy, too. Saute an onion and some garlic–maybe some pepper, celery or carrot, too. Brown some meat if you want to add it. Then add two big jars of crushed tomatoes, some basil, some oregano, salt-and-pepper. Maybe a little sugar to counteract the acidity of the tomatoes. Or, another trick, a little baking soda to do the same thing. A splash of red wine is good, too. But, ultimately, it’s easy. The most strenuous part is cutting up the onion.

Actually, that IS the most difficult part. A couple years ago, my niece and I made a batch of French Onion Soup, and cutting up that many onions made my eyes tear dreadfully, and ever since then, they’re really sensitive to onions. Except for using contacts (which I don’t wear), I’ve tried all the tricks, but still … Even if my eyes don’t tear while chopping them, they’ll sting while stirring them as they begin to cook. One of these days I’m going to cave and buy a pair of those ridiculous onion goggles … (grin).

(And, no, sorry, I don’t have a picture of the tomato sauce.)

Tomorrow? I’ve got a birthday cake to bake for a certain, almost-8-year-old gentleman we all know. (You know, the furry one stretched out on my floor.) He also needs a bath, but first, Mom and I plan on taking him out in the morning for some coffe… er … some water and maybe a few bites of a cinnamon bun or something like that. He’ll enjoy that. His actual birthday is Tuesday, but we decided that the whole weekend should really revolve around him!

Remember last Fourth of July when one of my favorite independent bookstores burned down? Well, they just, finally, reopened a few weeks ago and then yesterday–the very start of Independence Day weekend–they got hit by lightning! What are the odds?

Tags: Baking, Family, General by --Deb
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And, yes, this instrument I was really able to play. Lessons for years in elementary and middle-school, though I stopped when I got to high school, where the only “band” to play for was the one that marched.

As further evidence that I really DO take good care of my things–does it surprise anybody that I have the original “How to care for your Flute” book from when my parents bought this for me when over 30 years ago?

Chappy, however, is a music critic. I tooted a few notes (badly), and he BARKED at me. I think if he could have put his paws over his ears, he would have. I am SO insulted…

Text here

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Tags: Eye-Candy Friday by --Deb
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See? I finished Section B of my Maplewing shawl last night. (And no, that shade of green is NOT accurate. One of these days I’ll try taking a picture of it in daylight and see if it’s any closer.)

I know, it just looks like a big blob, as lace shawls tend to do while being knit. On the plus side, since the needle is at the top, I can spread the bottom out to get an idea of what the lace really looks like … or, well, I can try. I’m not fooling myself, though. I know it’s only going to look like it should once it’s done and blocking. But at least progress is being made.

I’m very excited that, starting with section C, the rows get smaller with every one knit–that hasn’t been the case so far. The idea of being able to knit more than two rows a night is making me giddy.

So, since I AM going to be getting rid of bunches of magazines, knitting books, and cookbooks (not to mention all sorts of other books), one of the things I’ve been worrying about has been that most of them have at least ONE article/pattern/recipe that I’d like to hang on to. But, I don’t have a scanner at home, and judging by the one I have at work (and the Adobe scanning/pdf interface), scanning anything more than a page or two is a laborious process. but, still … it would be paperless, right?

So, I bought a new scanner today. Wanna see?

Yep. I’m tricky like that. That’s an 11″x14″ sheet of glare-resistant glass from the local framing shop. It cost me $10, and laid on top of a book or magazine, it keeps it flat and cuts down on glare. Then all I need to do is snap a picture–SO much faster than scanning it! And as long as the camera’s resolution is high enough, the text is definitely clear enough to read. If I had real, photographer’s lighting, I’d have it made.

But see what I get? Here’s the glossy cover of the latest Spin-Off magazine–the only glare is a little reflection from my window in the top left corner. It’s not perfect–since the magazine was lying flat in front of me, it’s got that perspective thing going on–the top is narrower than the bottom in the photo, but this was just a test of the system, and I’m encouraged.

I need to play with this idea a bit to figure out the best configuration. Use a tripod for the camera? Maybe with my handy-dandy remote to take the pictures? Prop the magazines/books on something so they’re straight in front of the camera lens, rather than lying flat? Can two pages be photographed together, or should I focus on just one at a time? What IS the best (available) lighting? Ideally, I’d have two, neutral lights on each side, but will have to make due with what I’ve got.

Encouraging, though, huh? And I can made a pdf from the photos in Adobe (though the test print of one on the black-and-white printer was less than ideal, since the background of the pages in the picture printed as gray). But, again, I’m fine-tuning, but you’ve got to admire the do-it-yourself-scanner, right?

I’m really tired tonight. I had to actually WORK today. (grin) The office internet was down almost all day, so I couldn’t amuse myself by checking in on my email or quick looks at Twitter or Ravelry. I hadn’t realized how much I actually use that as a way of taking a break or relaxing. I even took a shorter lunch because I had to leave a little early, and so  … well, tired! Of course that was even before my extra errands, like feeding the car, picking up my “scanner,” and getting my haircut.

Because, yes, my hair had a busy day, too. This was my first haircut since January and then colored it after supper. I think it’s in shock. My checkbook is, too. I don’t know about your salon, but the one I go to (after trying a multitude of hair-stylists before finding one I liked) prices their cuts according to the “level” of the stylist’s skill. Well, the woman I go to has been promoted since the last time I was there, so my cut cost $20 more than it did in January. (Sigh)

On the plus side, I found out that she and Chappy share the same birthday. And, interestingly, she and her three-years-younger sister have the same birthday, too! July 7th is a GOOD day for birthdays.

Okay, some links for you:

I thought this post at the QC Report was hilarious in a “God, what a bad date” kind of way. How can you not love a post that includes the line, “I’d love to go out with you again. You’re exactly the kind of woman my analyst has been hoping I’d meet.”

Much as the carving apart of books grieves me, you’ve got to be impressed when it’s done with as much artistry as these. Beautiful!

Did you know you can get a chance to win a Macbook Pro … just by Twittering about it?

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Here’s what I read in June:

1. The Eyre Affair: A Thursday Next Novel by Jasper Fforde (374 p.)
2. Lost in a Good Book (A Thursday Next Novel) by Jasper Fforde (399 p.)
3. The Well of Lost Plots (Thursday Next Series) by Jasper Fforde (360 p.)
4. Something Rotten (Thursday Next Novels) by Jasper Fforde (393 p.)–Yes, well it’s FUN reading all of the Thursday Next books, one right after the other. Granted, I think the first one is still the funniest and best, but the second is nearly as good. The third is the weakest, in my opinion, but the fourth is a good comeback. And, regardless, they are ALL wacky, creative, and totally unlike anything else that’s out there.

5. The Unicorn Hunt: The Fifth Book of the House of Niccolo by Dorothy Dunnett (656 p.) The 5th Nicholas book, and a heart-breaker, as Nicholas tries to track down Gelis and find out whether her child is really his …

6. Archangel (Samaria, Book 1) by Sharon Shinn (390 p.) One of my long-time favorite books, part sci-fi, part romance, and purely wonderful.

7. The Tall Pine Polka by Lorna Landvik (440 p.) I like so many of Landvik’s books, but this is the one I go back to most often. Something about the Hollywood fairytale of Fenny being discovered and making a movie, alongside a delightful cast of characters … and I still want to know what’s in that Cup O’Delight!

8. A Place of My Own: The Architecture of Daydreams by Michael Pollan (301 p.) A charming book about the author building his own “hut” to use as an office when his son is born. Bits and tidbits about architecture and construction, and wholly entertaining. I don’t know what it is about this little mini-niche-genre, but I just love reading books like this.

9. Highland Laddie Gone by Sharon McCrumb (209 p.)
10. Paying the Piper by Sharon McCrumb (179 p.)
11. Windsor Knot by Sharon McCrumb (217 p.)–Light weight little mysteries with Elizabth MacPherson getting mixed up with murder investigations. The Highland Laddie book is a hoot, with the murder taking place at a Scottish Games weekend. (Love when they try to replace the ducks used in the herding competition with wild ducks. And the scene where the sheriff–who happens to be a Civil War reenactor–rides over the hill in his 1860s uniform to confront a bunch of scots in kilts is delightful.) I love the Windsor Knot, too, which has Elizabeth throwing together a wedding at the last minute to make herself eligible to go to the Queen’s garden party … and this was my first introduction to a “travelling gnome.” I’ve still never forgiven the author for killing off Cameron in later books.

12. Patriot Games by Tom Clancy (540 p.)
13. The Cardinal of the Kremlin by Tom Clancy (547 p.)
14. Clear and Present Danger (Jack Ryan) by Tom Clancy (688 p.)
15. The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy (914 p.)
16. Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy (990 p.)
17. Executive Orders by Tom Clancy–Yes, well, everybody needs a Jack Ryan fix once in a while, right? And yes, these ARE huge books and I read a lot of them, though I’ll confess to you that I mostly skim over the military battles–all that techno-babble military jargon pretty much goes over my head anyway. I stick to the spy stuff and the actual ‘story’ parts. Really, for such door-stoppers, these are pretty quick reads, you know!

18. Spin Control by Amy King (119 p.) Another excellent, intermidiate book about spinning. (Review here.)

19. Knit it Together by Suzyn Jackson (144 p.) A look at social knitting in America–past and present. (Review here.)

Tags: Monthly Reading List, Reading by --Deb
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