Thanks, Melinda! Spent this morning planning our Montana trip for summer!

New York (my home state!) has so many beautiful areas to explore - Catskills, Adirondacks, Finger Lakes, Hudson Valley. I really love traveling there. Thanks for the tips on Glacier! I heard about the timed entry for Going To The Sun road - which we definitely want to do so thanks for the link! Hadn't heard about the boats, though - sounds great! Thanks for the recs!

Apparently, she always uses the same narrator - and she is SO talented! Going to listen to the rest of your comments on Writers and Lovers!

I enjoyed The Diamond Eye, too - another one that was good on audio (same narrator). There are a few Easter eggs in The Briar Club that refer back to her other books, including a discussion of Russia using women as snipers and tank drivers during WWII.

Yes, definitely! It's excellent.

That sounds like a great plan, Debbie! Road trips are great for audio. We're planning two month-long road trips for 2025, so we'll have to pile on the audio books! That NF does sound thought-provoking. One of Jodi Picoult's first novels was an Amish mystery - Plain Truth - that was excellent. Hope you enjoy The Briar Club!

Thanks, Cindy! Yes, more than a week now of feeling good (the chronic illness is always there but it's manageable like this). Very relieved! I SO enjoyed book group :) So glad you enjoy my reviews and have found some great books this way!

Glad to hear you enjoyed The Briar Club, too! My book group loved the sense of community those women created :) Writers and Lovers had a very satisfying ending. Hope you enjoy it!

Both were excellent novels!

Oh, yes! I saw that was coming out this month, and I really wanted to read it - she's such a good writer. Thanks for reminding me!

Both were SO good - hope you enjoy them, too, Starla!

@SueJacksonDE Thank you, Sue. 🤗

I enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo a few years ago for my annual Big Book Summer Challenge (runs from the end of May to early September). This is an older video, but Lonesome Dove ended up being my #1 novel read in 2024! I definitely recommend it.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll check that out :)

Thanks! Me, too! Hope you're enjoying both books :)

ha ha! I can relate! Housework comes last here, too, due to my illness. I tend to only read before my nap and before bed, so it's a real treat when I set aside "productive work" to just read during the day. Part of why I love camping so much - no work, just reading!!

You mean they won't let you set a low alarm below 60 or a high alarm above 100? That's very strange since most people are using it for exercise with much higher HRs than us. When I was deciding what to buy for my son, I had a great phone call with Garmin about setting limits on the Vivosmart 4, so you might want to try calling their customer service (when the brain fog isn't too bad).

Hey, that's great! Glad I'm not the only adult going to the orthodontist! I'm fortunate I only have to wear them for 6 months (then, of course, every night FOREVER ha ha).

Yes, a great reading year, John! And Lonesome Dove is such an amazing novel! You should give it a try. Thanks for stopping by and commenting - you made me realize I haven't seen your videos in my feed in ages, so I will come by to see what you've been up to!

Thank you!! Makes planning our 2025 trips a lot more fun :)

Wow, yes, wisdom teeth extraction at our ages sounds rough - glad it wasn't too bad for you! I have to avoid anesthesia when I can because it's makes some of my BP and HR symptoms even worse. The Invisiline isn't too bad so far - I'm getting used to it. Thanks for the encouragement - it certainly FEELS like I'm talking funny!

I was just reading some of the blurbs on the back about Euphoria - will have to add that to my list. I'm enjoying Writers and Lovers so far.

Ooh, some good mystery writers for you! And I LOVE Michael J. Fox's memoirs, especially on audio. Always Looking Up was fabulous. Is this a new one from him?

@ it was first published in 2020

I understand, Sierra. Have you tried audio books? Just for pure enjoyment! And there are a lot of great YA and middle-grade books that are sometimes easier to digest, especially on audio. I am very fortunate that I never lost my ability to read, but my brain fog was pretty bad last week - you should have seen my Friday Reads video in its raw form - 30 min of not being able to find words, staring into space, trying to think what I meant to say, etc - I edited it down to about 16 min! ha ha Have you messaged Dr W about sleep or OI treatments? I feel like the clock is ticking this month :o

@ those are great ideas! I used to be able to handle just audio, so podcasts as well, and now I need to watch a video to go along with the audio to maybe read lips and process better :( I totally understand that feeling with the vlogs I edit down! We actually have two other things out to her that I really need from her and she has yet to respond to those so trying to prioritize and not overload her until she responds :(

@@sierraryanwallick2832 Yeah, I hear you! I messaged her twice over the last few weeks about my son (forgot that he still gets all his Rx's through her!) and my last appt and also haven't heard back yet. I'm sure she's slammed this last month.

@@SueJacksonDE goodness yes, I hope we hear back soon! Fingers crossed it all gets taken care of before she leaves in two weeks or so!

@@sierraryanwallick2832 I wrote a chapter in my book about reading with chronic illness, with LOTS of great suggestions for audio, YA, and middle-grade. I excerpted it on my blog: livewithcfs.blogspot.com/2017/08/weekly-inspiration-joy-of-reading.html

Great! It's a wonderful novel. Also check out his earlier novel, Edgar and Lucy :)

@@SueJacksonDE I will, Thanks for the suggestion !

Oh, I bet Tell Me More was great on audio! I love how she can talk about deep, even difficult subjects but still make you laugh. And Somewhere Beyond the Sea was outstanding on audio! That was also on my Top 10 List for audios :) Walk in the Woods was a fun one! I miss longer hikes, for sure, but am very grateful that when I'm at my "normal" baseline, I am able to manage short hikes (usually a mile or less). It's been a rough few months, but I think I am finally coming out of this awful relapse - today is my 3rd pretty good day in a row!! And I saw such a huge difference recording this video - not just sitting up but my mind was so clear. Last week's Friday Reads was so rambling, I started with over 30 minutes and edited it down to 16 - ha ha! Brain fog was bad that day. Hope we both have a happy & healthy 2025 - with plenty of good books!

It should be a good one!

I definitely want to read the second one from here now!

My husband read The Wager and enjoyed it last year. And The God of the Woods is definitely on my want-to-read list! SO many people included it on their list of favorites in 2024. Hope you enjoy your 2025 reading!

Ooh, I haven't heard of either of those, so thanks for the recs!

Oh, so happy to hear Honey was translated! If you haven't already, check out his earlier novel, Edgar and Lucy - really great. I hadn't yet heard about the two you mentioned, so thanks for the recs! First Love does sound right up my alley!

​@@SueJacksonDE that sounds very intriguing, thank you!

I've heard such rave reviews of those from so many people! Glad you enjoyed them.

The Women was so amazing! I hadn't heard of thew MG or memoir you mentioned, so thanks for the recommendations!

We were on site 178. Nice and big - lots of room - and backed up to woods so quiet.

We do, too! There's nothing as rejuvenating as spending all that time outdoors :)

I'm enjoying it very much. I agree - it's a new way of looking at winter and very relevant to my health issues right now!

Wonderful! I'm enjoying it so far. Let me know what you think :)

Woohoo! Congrats on the new job! That's great news! In college, my minor was in technical communications (Chem engineering major), and that's how my writing career started - writing about my professional area of expertise. What a great way to start the new year! Loved your comments on hoof trimming - definitely a niche interest on YT! Enjoy your books - and the new job!

Yes! I;m so glad I finally got to it - and now I definitely want to read the sequel. Enjoy Dune - it;s my husband's #1 favorite of all time!

Oh, that's an excellent book! Great choice to kick off the year. I just listened to her newer book, Read Dangerously, on audio for Nonfiction November.

Enjoy!

Oooh, great books to kick off the new year! I love Jane Eyre and Little Women. I always enjoy Dickens but haven't read The Pickwick Papers yet. Enjoy them all!

Sounds fascinating - enjoy!

Thanks! I have a newer video about 3 diets often recommended for chronic illness: paleo, keto, and carnivore. I've tried all three (currently keto). More detail in that one on all three, including why they're recommended. Best wishes on your own journey!

Happy New Year!

Welcome back! That looks like a fun one - I'll let you know what I think!

Happy New Year, Ruby!

Happy New Year, Cindy!

Wonderful! Enjoy your books and your travel in 2025!

Happy New Year!

Oh, I hadn't heard of that movie - will have to check it out. We loved Dexter: New Blood (the last season added on)! Though, I agree the ending was disappointing. My husband and I thought it was probably realistic ... but not satisfying for the show's fans. Happy New Year!