pxbet jili January is the start of a new year, and it always feels like the start of a new beginning. It’s a hopeful time when people create new goals with a renewed sense of energy. This usually only lasts a few weeks, but sometimes if you create fun goals they stick with you for a little while. Last year, my goal was to read 12 books and 13 audiobooks (or 25 books for the year.) I came pretty close — if you count the two books I’m currently reading. If you do, I managed 24 out of 25 books! Yay! I managed to hit my audiobook goal ... if you count the one I’m currently reading, I actually did 14! This means I only read 10 books, but I think that’s still pretty good. Erica Rogers I know what you really want to know ... what were my favorites? My favorite physical book I read was “Everyone in My Family has Killed Someone” by Benjamin Stevenson. On the surface it’s your typical murder mystery at a ski resort during a snowstorm story. What makes it unique is back story that unfolds as the narrator explains how each family member has killed somebody and how it connects with the current mystery at hand. It has a few twists and turns and a lot of humor that kept me wanting more ... which is good because there are two more in the series! Now, picking my favorite audiobook is harder because so many of them knocked my socks off. I will instead narrow it down to three. Up first is “The Duke and I” by Julia Quinn. If you haven’t heard of this book, maybe you have heard of the Netflix show “Bridgerton,” which is based off of this series of books. This is the first book (and first season) in the series. It’s a regency love story about a girl named Daphne (who is one of EIGHT children) and Simon (a man with a past determined never to marry or have children.) Fair warning, it’s a little steamy at parts so if you’re listening to it as an audiobook, make sure there are no children around. I also read “They Both Die at the End” by Adam Silvera. This book needs to be read with a box of tissues. It’s a tragic young adult novel about two teens who find out today is their last day to live. They start off as strangers, and become so much more by the end of the novel. It’s very heartwarming and even though I read it this summer, it has still stuck with me. Finally I choose “Project Hail Mary” by Andy Weir. This is the same author who wrote “The Martian,” which was turned into a movie starring Matt Damon a few years back. This is another “lost in space” book, but very different chain of events. This story follows Ryaland Grace, who wakes up mid-mission to discover his other crewmates are dead ... and he can’t remember anything else. He can’t remember his name, let alone why he is on a mission in space. As the story unfolds, his memory returns and he discovers his mission is to save Earth and everything living on it (no pressure!). I was hooked into this story. There was an edge of mystery to it, sympathy for Ryaland as he figures everything out, and a beautiful and unlikely friendship that develops as he realizes he’s not as alone as he might think. I have always looked to find something fun to accomplish that I will hopefully stick with and be proud of at the end of the year. Many times that goal includes books and movies, and this year is no different. I discovered a reading challenge called the Alphabet Challenge. The idea is that you read 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet. It will certainly be a challenge, especially finding books that start with X and Z ... but I like a good challenge. Just for fun I checked how many I reached this year, and I managed to hit 18 unique letters without even trying! No matter what your new year’s reading or movie goal might be, make sure to checks us out to help you out! Erica Rogers serves as the technology and teen librarian for the Grand Island Public Library. Email her at ericar@gilibrary.org Receive the latest in local entertainment news in your inbox weekly! {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.STANFORD, Calif. — Andrew Luck is returning to Stanford in hopes of turning around a struggling football program that he once helped become a national power. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced Saturday that Luck has been hired as the general manager of the Stanford football team, tasked with overseeing all aspects of the program that just finished a 3-9 season under coach Troy Taylor. “I am a product of this university, of Nerd Nation; I love this place,” Luck said. “I believe deeply in Stanford’s unique approach to athletics and academics and the opportunity to help drive our program back to the top. Coach Taylor has the team pointed in the right direction, and I cannot wait to work with him, the staff, and the best, brightest, and toughest football players in the world.” Luck has kept a low profile since his surprise retirement from the NFL at age 29 when he announced in August 2019 that he was leaving the Indianapolis Colts and pro football. In his new role, Luck will work with Taylor on recruiting and roster management, and with athletic department and university leadership on fundraising, alumni relations, sponsorships, student-athlete support and stadium experience. “Andrew’s credentials as a student-athlete speak for themselves, and in addition to his legacy of excellence, he also brings a deep understanding of the college football landscape and community, and an unparalleled passion for Stanford football,” Muir said. “I could not think of a person better qualified to guide our football program through a continuously evolving landscape, and I am thrilled that Andrew has agreed to join our team. This change represents a very different way of operating our program and competing in an evolving college football landscape.” Luck was one of the players who helped elevate Stanford into a West Coast powerhouse for several years. He helped end a seven-year bowl drought in his first season as starting quarterback in 2009 under coach Jim Harbaugh and led the Cardinal to back-to-back BCS bowl berths his final two seasons, when he was the Heisman Trophy runner-up both seasons. That was part of a seven-year stretch in which Stanford posted the fourth-best record in the nation at 76-18 and qualified for five BCS bowl berths under Harbaugh and David Shaw. But the Cardinal have struggled for success in recent years and haven't won more than four games in a season since 2018. Stanford just finished its fourth straight 3-9 campaign in Taylor's second season since replacing Shaw. The Cardinal are the only power conference team to lose at least nine games in each of the past four seasons. Luck graduated from Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in architectural design and returned after retiring from the NFL to get his master’s degree in education in 2023. He was picked No. 1 overall by Indianapolis in the 2012 draft and made four Pro Bowls and was AP Comeback Player of the Year in 2018 in his brief but successful NFL career.

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The Michigan Wolverines shocked the nation by pulling off a huge upset victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Week 14. The latest edition of "The Game" ended with a 13-10 score in favor of Michigan, and they made sure to rub this victory in Ohio State's face as much as possible. Immediately after the game ended, chaos broke out when the Wolverines planted their flag at the center of Ohio Stadium. A massive brawl broke out between the two sides with the Buckeyes taking exception to that move, as Michigan successfully managed to get under their longtime rivals' skin. That wasn't all the Wolverines did, though, as the battle raged onto social media. After the Buckeyes official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, posted the final score of the game, Michigan responded by adding a subtle twist that will surely make an already bad day even worse for Ohio State and their fans. 〽️〽️〽️〽️ https://t.co/hmA8IauI6B Considering all the bad blood between these two teams after their huge fight, it shouldn't be much of a surprise to see Michigan ruthlessly trolling Ohio State in the wake of this huge win. Not much has gone right for the Wolverines this year, but they managed to upstage the No. 2 ranked team in the nation in a big way on Saturday. For the Buckeyes, this loss couldn't be more catastrophic. Not only are they getting relentlessly roasted for coming up short, but they could lose their spot in the Big Ten Championship Game if the Penn State Nittany Lions beat the Maryland Terrapins in their Week 14 contest. © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Beyond that, their standing in the College Football Playoff rankings seems set to take a big hit. While they may not fall out of the rankings entirely, there's no doubt that Ohio State is going to tumble down the list considering how badly Michigan has struggled this year. Add that onto all this trolling, and it will only make this victory better for the Wolverines. While they may not have managed to meet preseason expectations, at least the team prevailed in "The Game," while also potentially blowing up the Buckeyes' season in the process. Related: Former Ohio State Player Doesn't Hold Back on Ryan Day After Michigan LossCOP29 draft deal wants rich nations to commit $250 billion a year

Broadcom AVGO has outperformed the market over the past 10 years by 26.06% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 37.28%. Currently, Broadcom has a market capitalization of $1.12 trillion. Buying $1000 In AVGO: If an investor had bought $1000 of AVGO stock 10 years ago, it would be worth $23,662.75 today based on a price of $240.00 for AVGO at the time of writing. Broadcom's Performance Over Last 10 Years Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time. This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor. © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email For most American homebuyers , 2024 was a tough year. The U.S. is on track to record 4 million home sales in 2024 — the lowest volume in nearly 30 years . But among the country’s wealthiest homebuyers , the market is booming. Luxury home sales — including properties listed for $1 million or more — were up 5.2% in the first half of 2024. That’s compared to overall home sales volume dropping 12.9% over that same period, according to data from The Agency , a global luxury real estate brokerage. Mind-boggling records were broken in 2024 in the luxury home sales market. In Colorado, an Aspen megamansion was the state’s most expensive home sale ever. In New York City, a penthouse unit in the tallest residential building in the world found a deep-pocketed buyer. And a Malibu mansion in California sold for a whopping $210 million, breaking a record once held by Beyoncé and Jay-Z as the priciest home sale in the state’s history. Related Politics, discos, private islands: Billionaires spent big in 2024 Economic challenges keeping the average homebuyer out of the market — including higher mortgage rates , fewer available homes and flattening wage growth — aren’t deterring those with more resources at their disposal. In August, ultra luxury home sales — properties listed at $100 million or more — were on pace to break a yearly sales record set in 2021, per Bloomberg . Here are some of the priciest deals that closed in the U.S. this year. May they inspire a fair amount of envy, but not too much. Because a home is what you make it, and who says you need an in-house sauna when your apartment comes with in-unit laundry? Kendrick Lamar's $40M mansion Before dropping his sixth studio album this year, Kendrick Lamar dropped a cool $40 million on a 16,000-square-foot compound in Brentwood, one of Los Angeles’ most exclusive neighborhoods, according to Mansion Global , a trade magazine covering luxury real estate. A property listing from 2019 describes the Brentwood mansion as an eight-bedroom main house with a gym, wine cellar, pool and separate guest house. Room for a home recording studio, perhaps? We need your help to stay independent Subscribe today to support Salon's progressive journalism Ellen's high-end swap A couple hours down the coast, Ellen DeGeneres and mining tycoon Robert Friedland — more specifically, a shell company linked to Friedland — engaged in a high-end home swap in Santa Barbara. In August, Friedland’s company spent $96 million on Degeneres and her wife Portia de Rossi’s former digs: a 10-acre property with an 8,000-square-foot house and guest cottage, per Mansion Global . In exchange, DeGeneres and de Rossi paid Friedland $32 million to buy back the home they sold him earlier this year, also in Santa Barbara, Mansion Global reports. Kind of like a secondhand clothing swap, but presumably with more chandeliers. California dreamin' A few hours north, Laurene Powell Jobs — the philanthropist and widow of Steve Jobs — bought a mansion in San Francisco at 2840 Broadway for $70 million , representing the priciest home sale to have ever closed in the city. Powell Jobs’ new block boasts at least a couple tech titan neighbors; Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, owns the property next door, and Johnathan Ive, the prolific Apple designer who worked on the iMac and iPhone, also has a property on the block, The Wall Street Journal reports . A Malibu mansion that sold for a whopping $210 million in June is the most expensive home to ever sell in California But those deals pale in comparison to the Malibu mansion that sold for a whopping $210 million in June — the most expensive home to ever sell in California. James Jannard, who founded the sunglasses brand Oakley, sold the property, which Architectural Digest describes as a sprawling, 15,000-square-foot mansion with eight bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms. The buyer wasn’t disclosed, and Jannard’s sale broke a statewide record set by Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who spent $200 million on their Malibu compound in 2023. Central Park Tower sunset over Central Park (Courtesy of Evan Joseph/M18 PR) $115M for the nosebleed section In New York City, an undisclosed buyer shelled out $115 million for the two-story penthouse in Central Park Tower, the tallest residential building in the world. The duplex spans roughly 12,560 square feet and includes seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a library, conservatory, home theater, an in-unit elevator and two massive terraces. (The jury’s still out as to whether the home includes a stock supply of Dramamine — apparently, the tower is so tall that “a high-pitch whistling noise” can be heard near the windows overlooking Central Park, The Daily Mail wrote in 2022.) Aman New York Hotel Exterior, Crown Building (Courtesy of Aman) It wasn’t the city’s priciest deal of the year. That moniker goes to yet another penthouse in the Aman New York Hotel that sold for $135 million . Remarkably, the buyer was none other than the penthouse’s developer, the Russian billionaire and CEO of Aman Resorts Vladislav Doronin, The Wall Street Journal reported in July. (Doronin didn’t respond to a request for comment from the Journal.) 4736 North Bay Road (Courtesy of Luxhunters / Choeff Levy Fischman Architecture + Design) A "Posh" $80M mansion Down in south Florida, David and Victoria Beckham bought a Miami Beach mansion that includes nine bedrooms, nine bathrooms (and an additional four half-bathrooms!) for $80 million in October, Page Six reported . It’s a fitting addition to the couple’s ultra-luxe real estate portfolio, which includes a condo in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, a London townhouse and the five-bedroom penthouse in Miami’s One Thousand Museum tower, according to Mansion Global . Bezos' $90M bunker Also in Florida, billionaire Jeff Bezos snagged a $90 million mansion in Indian Creek, a 300-acre man-made island in Miami-Dade County known as “Billionaire Bunker” that counts the likes of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Tom Brady and Carl Icahn as residents. Bezos reportedly plans to live in his new $90 million home while he demolishes his other two Bezos has other property in Indian Creek — specifically, two other mansions for a combined $147 million — and he reportedly plans to live in the $90 million home while he demolishes the other two, Bloomberg reported , citing a person close to the deal. And about an hour and a half north of Miami, Australian investment magnate Michael Dorrell shelled out $150 million for a two-acre private island in Palm Beach and the megamansion atop it, according to The Wall Street Journal . The property, Tarpon Island, is accessible by bridge and includes an 11-bedroom mansion spanning nearly 29,000 square feet. 419 Willoughby Way in Aspen (Courtesy of Staslove & Warwick) Shelling out for snow In the mountains of Aspen, Colorado, two billionaire buyers paid $108 million for the sprawling compound at 419 Willoughby Way, setting a record for the most expensive home sale ever in the state of Colorado. Casino tycoon Steve Wynn and billionaire stock trading executive Thomas Peterffy bought the property, which spans 22,405 square feet and boasts 11 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms. It sits on 4.5 acres in Red Mountain, one of Aspen’s wealthiest neighborhoods that includes Bezos and Michael Dell. Read more about personal finance House hunting? This app shows how your future neighbors voted Moving to NYC cost us $10k in fees. Those fees are now banned Homeownership: tougher for millennials? By Cara Michelle Smith Cara Michelle Smith is a writer, reporter and performer living in Brooklyn. She’s spent more than a decade in financial journalism; her award-winning reporting can be found in NerdWallet, Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, the Houston Business Journal, CoStar News and other outlets. MORE FROM Cara Michelle Smith Related Topics ------------------------------------------ Best Of 2024 Home Sales Real Estate Related Articles Advertisement:Gus Malzahn is resigning as Central Florida's head coach to become Florida State 's offensive coordinator, a person familiar with the hire told The Associated Press on Saturday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Seminoles have not confirmed Malzahn's move, which is pending a state background check. ESPN first reported the decision. The Knights made official that Malzahn is leaving in a statement released a day after UCF (4-8) concluded its season with a 28-14 loss to Utah. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a weekQubetics, Stellar , and Render ($RNDR): Best Cryptos to Invest in Right Now Amid Game-Changing Partnerships and Presale Milestones