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I read it a few years ago for Big Book Summer, Jess. It's an unusual novel with a dark sense of humor. I hope you enjoy it!

Oh, that sounds like a fun way to read! I've only just recently begun requesting new audio releases that I really want to read (like The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich) through Libby, and it's a nice surprise when one with a very long wait list suddenly becomes available!

I loved that!! Especially when I looked up what it meant. That sign was fabulous!

Thanks, Kevin!

He's such a good writer!

Clear and cold here, too :) You can't tell what's through the window because our bushes have grown so tall that they cover that window completely! We're having them all taken out this winter (all about 40 years old) so we can replant some prettier native shrubs for spring. Yes! I was trying to think of Six-Thirty (we also mentioned him at book group), but the brain fog and especially word-finding difficulty were bad when I recorded this - just to come up with the octopus in Remarkably Bright Creatures (you must read it if you haven't yet!) required about 5 minutes of staring into space that I had to edit out ha ha. We thought it was interesting that Doyle wrote so compellingly about Chicago and also about Oregon (according to you, which I told them). Mink River is definitely on my list! Thanks for your kind thoughts. Yes, this flare-up has been a bad one - about 2 months now. Worst part is that I still don't know WHY which makes it impossible to treat. Same thing happened to me at this time last year, and yes, you're right - it's a very difficult time to be sick with so much I want to do! I was a tiny bit better today (other than recording this, I rested all day yesterday) and was able to go to a tiny store near us for a few minutes today :) Small victories.

Hope you enjoy Chicago! Let me know what you think. sigh ... yes, the weather is unfortunately a factor - frustrating since we can't do anything about it. I crashed at the same time last year, so I'm wondering if the change in season is a factor - and possibly mold exposure since I got worse about the time we had to close up the house instead of having the windows open. The constant guessing game is exhausting in itself! I hope your fibro flare calms down soon.

@@SueJacksonDE I totally agree, the guessing game is exhausting. Hopefully the month improves for us both. :)

Thank you! That's very kind. I've had this immune disorder for 23 years, so I know the cause, and I have found plenty of treatments that help a little bit. Unfortunately, sometimes, there is just nothing to do but rest and wait. I appreciate the kind words. Merry Christmas to you, too!

I've heard great things about Starter Villain - hope you're enjoying it. Glad you liked the view :) Windy, cold, and bitter here in Delaware, too!

Nowhere for Very Long is definitely intriguing! Our longest road trips with our pop-up camper have been 3 week trips each summer when our kids were young (they're adults now). We got a new-to-us hybrid camper this year (so a bit easier to travel with), and next year, we hope to take some month-long road trips and travel a lot more. So, keep an eye out for more travel vlogs next year!

@SueJacksonDE That sounds like great fun, Sue! I look forward to following along with your travels. 😊

I definitely want to read Framed, though I agree - it's a very upsetting topic. I read Grisham's NF An Innocent Man, and my #1 NF book last year was The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton, an innocent man who lived on death row for decades before finally being exonerated. It's such an important - and yes, disturbing - topic. Hopefully, Grisham's huge reader base will bring even more attention to the issues. So glad to hear you're getting some good reading ideas from my book videos!

Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Ann! And, wow, what an incredible experience to have at such a young age. Maybe volunteering like that should be a requirement when kids are young to help build life-long empathy!

Thanks, Todd!

Sounds great! Memoir is my favorite kind of NF book. I just bought The Boys for my husband for his birthday, so I look forward to reading it when he's finished :)

Yes, me, too! Especially Devil in the White City and In the Garden of Beasts.My husband says The Splendid and the Vile is his favorite, but I haven't read it yet.

Definitely count it!!

Mine, too!! As I explained in the video, I've had flu-like aches every day for 6 weeks (going on 7 now) - ugh. Hope you get some relief soon and that diet helps :) It's a tough time of year to focus on diet, but cutting down on inflammatory foods can help you feel better for the holidays :)

Wow, that's great! I hadn't heard that, but that could be life-changing for some since the meds have side effects. Thanks for the info!

Glad to hear keto has helped you! I was stunned by how much better my bloodwork was this year after carnivore/keto since I was already eating a fairly strict, "healthy" diet. With the yeast overgrowth, I can't have anything sweet at all (I miss fruit!) - just stevia. So glad you found what works for you!

So interesting! I am mostly familiar with our own immune disorder (my son and I) and other similar diseases. Great to hear these kinds of diets work for other health problems as well. My thyroid is a LOT iffy (and the whole endocrine system, thanks to the immune disorder), so it's good to hear low-carb has helped you in that respect. Thanks for taking the time to comment and sharing!

This is a fun one!

Thanks! Glad it was clear 😀

Yes! It’s one of our favorites! Glad you found what works for you!

true

Hi, Ruby - thanks for taking the time and energy to comment! No I haven't tried lymphatic drainage but I've heard others mention it, too. To clarify, my book is more about emotional coping and how to find joy even in a life limited by illness - it's got lots of practical tips but is for anyone with any kind of chronic medical condition that limits them, not ME/CFS specifically. However, my blog has LOTS of information on treatments, testing, new research, etc. specific to ME/CFS. In the notes below this video (click on "... more" at the end of the video description below the video), scroll down to the Effective Treatments for ME/CFS link - that will take you to my blog page that provides a summary of all the many treatments that have helped my son and I - he's working full-time now (!) and I am usually able to function pretty well. The links on that page will take you to more information on whichever treatments you want to learn about or look into. I recommend beginning by 1) Correcting Sleep Dysfunction and 2) Treating Orthostatic Intolerance - those 2 areas brought the biggest improvements for us.

@ Thanks again!!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Me, too! It was starting to get chilly!

Oh it came back on, I commented too soon! 🎉

ha ha No problem - I comment as I watch, so that happens to me all the time! Wow, that's awful - I didn't realize they did that in CA. Those fires have been just horrific the past few years especially. We've been in this house for 30 years now and used to have very steady, reliable power - underground wires and NEVER went out for more than a minute or two. Then, in 2020, the electric company changed the back of our neighborhood (where we live) to connect it to the neighborhood behind us - which has above-ground wires and lots of trees! Now, it goes out constantly. Worst was 7 days in August 2020 when it was 95+ degrees and high humidity all week.

@@SueJacksonDEyes they started doing it out here after the Paradise fire when the power company was liable! I live in the town that had the gender reveal fire and I actually work for the Fire District. It’s nonstop! In the town I used to live in we had underground wires and they’d still turn it off - we were soooo frustrated! I’m not sure of the logic behind it but they continue to do it.

@@melissachapman7027 Sounds rough. Those CA fires on TV always look horrific. Glad you are safe!

I have all of his too and I think I’ve read one…😅

Yeah, if I also had a novel going, I'd probably never finish the NF book! ha ha In the Garden of Beasts was an excellent Larson book.

@@BooksInkandPaper My favorites are Devil in the White City (reads like a thriller) and In the Garden of Beasts. I haven't yet read The Splendid and the Vile (about Churchill during WWII), but my husband said that's his favorite. Interestingly, Larson talks about Churchill in Dead Wake (WWI), too.

I just finished that one yesterday. It was a nice palate cleanser for me.

Hope you're enjoying it!

You would LOVE Booktopia!! Wish you lived on the East Coast :)

Thanks! Very exciting to have heat and wifi back :) I haven't read any Elizabeth Strout since Olive Kitteridge, but I really want to catch up on her books. This one sounds best for those whp have read them all and know the characters. Hope you enjoy it!

I know! I talked about that in the video :) Big excitement for me ha ha I'm enjoying Nowhere so far.

Yes, that's just what I was thinking! I hope you enjoy this tag as much as I did!

Great! I'll have to check out your video. I probably missed it because this tag video has been in my backlog for a long time, even though I answered the questions and chose who to tag a LONG time ago!

@ happens to me all the time because there’s so many great tags and so many booktubers I follow 🙂

Thanks for creating this fun tag! I enjoyed doing it.

Wow, it sounds like some very complex medical issues - I can relate! So glad you have some good doctors and have found some treatments that help. Thank you for sharing your story.

Ooooh! Yeah, I want THAT!

Thanks, Kim! Still in rough shape but enjoying Booktube while I rest today :) Booktopia is this unique (and amazing) annual event held in Manchester, VT - a whole weekend with about 100 or so readers and about 8 authors. It's very interactive - the authors hang out with us all weekend, we eat meals together, play book trivia, plus each author does multiple "talks" -but not traditional one-way speeches, more like book group discussions. Really fun and many of us go back each year! Hope you enjoy the tag and get some new subscribers, too.

@SueJacksonDE That sounds so cool, Sue! It reminds me of the Cozy Mystery Festival in Oregon, but more casual and interactive. 😊

Almost all M.E patients have flu aches 24/7 every day. I've been having them for years non stop

Thank you, Pat - I appreciate your kind words and your thoughts.

@@AlbaLynxQueen Those are symptoms of immune dysfunction and there are lots of treatments that can help! That's why this is unusual for me right now, and I normally function quite well. I included links in the notes (click on ...More in the description below the video) to articles on Treating Immune Dysfunction in ME/CFS and Effective Treatments for ME/CFS. Most of the treatments are inexpensive and readily accessible, so check it out. Treatments can take some trail and error to find just the right combination for you, but it is so worth it!

@@SueJacksonDE thank you, Sue. But I've tried almost everything known in this community. Nothing has made a big difference. In my country there is no such diagnosis as M.E. No doctors to help. But most drugs can be bought OTC, except for psych drugs. So I have tried everything except for LDN and similar at this point. Your diet would be the death of me, because I have very high uric acid and prone to gout. So no huge ammounts of meat or inosine for me, lol.

So glad to hear you enjoyed the video, and it made you laugh! Conor's whole book is like that - he has a great sense of humor. Thanks for the rec - I hadn't been to Ania's channel yet.

Thanks for the kind words. Wow, that must be really hard to have doctors constantly leaving. I've had the same one for 22 years! I've written a lot about how nature helps health. And as I type this, I am back out on the deck, catching those last few minutes of sun!

Debbie, that is so fabulous!! Menopause just about killed me, until my doctor (another great one who just retired, my OB/GYN) put me on estrogen patches & progesterone. She said I'll probably have to stay on them long-term, but luckily, she passed me onto another excellent GYN who understands my situation. Yes, I told my doctor last week that she is mentioned in the very first chapter of my book for her role in improving my life! I'm so happy for you that your illness is behind you now :)

Interesting that it made you feel weaker. All that protein should have helped with energy. Have you considered keto? That's high fat, moderate protein, and low carb - very good for those with chronic illnesses. I have a video that I need to finish editing all about diet for chronic illness, covering paelo, keto, and carnivore. I hope to finally get it posted next week! Have you tried audio books?

Thanks for your kind words. Yes, the sunshine and sights & sounds of nature help! I wish it were still camping season :) Did you say you have chronic health problems as well? The mystery crashes are definitely the worst!

@SueJacksonDE I don't have any chronic health problems. I subscribed to your channel after your Trap Pond video and it was a great surprise to see you post reading stuff too. I love hiking and reading.

@@hikingoutdoorfamily Yes, I remember that. But it's been amazing how many people I meet on here who make travel, outdoors, or book videos but have chronic health issues behind the scenes. I mis-remembered! Glad you are healthy :)

Yes, I talked in this video and in many previous ones about diet. Stricter than keto right now - about 95% carnivore, in order to help control the yeast overgrowth (yeast feed on carbs). I linked in the notes to my video on carnivore diet, and I have one coming up next week on. Paleo, Keto, and Carnivore diet options for chronic illness.

@@SueJacksonDE Thank you I will watch.

Have you ever been vegetarian or vegan? If so how did you do on that diet

I hope you feel better soon. I too am in a flare and seem to been in one for most of the time now. I rarely have good days. I seem to get worse every year.

@@premadimauro2691 definitely not - I need as much protein as I can get! My body has enough trouble making energy :) Plus, I have to strictly limit carbs, as I explained in this video, due to severe chronic yeast overgrowth (very common in ME/CFS due to our kind of immune dysfunction). I'm eating about 95% meat, fish, poultry, eggs right now with just small amounts of cruciferous veggies with lunch and dinner (yeast doesn't like those).

Thanks! Hope you are well.

Thanks! Still struggling but trying to get my daily dose of nature! (and books)

No, I don't, though it's very common in those with ME/CFS - the two likely share some genes.

Thanks - I've never heard of that. Probably depends on the test - some are specific to the bacteria that cause Lyme.