Looking cool so far!

Ack, typo. That should be "34" were books I had re-read. Not 24.

Some of my favorite (new) books of the year were a trilogy by Katherine Addison (first one: Witness for the Dead); a series of novellas by Nghi Vo (first one, though they can be read in any order: The Empress of Salt and Fortune), and Travis Baldree's series (starting with Legends & Lattes).

Ha, I figured yours was also when you lived in Chicago! I'm very glad it wasn't my first winter here, though, as it took me several years to accumulate good enough winter weather gear to be able to handle it. I'd have been in trouble if that'd happened my first winter there!

Cool! I'm not done with the first one quite yet, but I had to go to the library a couple days ago, so I've already checked out book 2 in the series. :)

I had these big puffy mittens, and I was warm enough from walking fast that my hands got really sweaty. Then when I got to campus, I couldn't open the door of my (work) building with the mittens on, so had to take them off. My hand (very) briefly froze to the doorknob when I first grabbed it!!

My last winter in Chicago, it got down to -10, with a wind chill of -30, a couple times, and I had to walk to campus (~10-15 minute walk). Luckily, after several years in Chicago, I'd accumulated enough winter weather gear that it was manageable (but still quite unpleasant).

I'm currently reading A Pale Light in the Black (based on your recommendation) and loving it. So I'd have a pretty awesome job, too. :)

(Sorry for delayed response). We didn't have heat. Luckily, 2 of the days were very warm, but the one cold day/night, it definitely got chilly in the house (I think it was ~57 degrees in my bedroom when I was going to sleep). Luckily, hot water and the stove top run on gas, so that helped.

Really hoping we get power back soon... (it's supposed to be resolved tonight, but the power company has already missed (and revised) their goal 4 times in the last 2 days, so I'm not holding my breath).