Storeetllr Mary Keeps Track in 2024, Q2

Is it spring yet?



Oh, well. Soon, I guess. Then it’ll be



Ah, well. Spring will also bring these, so it’s all worth it, right?



Happy Spring!

Reading Journey Continues

April



33. What Cannot Be Said by C. S. Harris. 4 stars.

32. Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. 4.5 stars.

31. Archangel’s Lineage by Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars.

30.Chenneville by Paulette Gilles. 5 stars.

29. No one Will Come Back For Us by Premee Mohamed. 4 stars.

28. Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall. 4 stars.

May



35. Lake of Souls by Ann Leckie. 3 stars. I love Leckie’s Imperial Radch series, but this collection of short stories left me disappointed. I enjoyed a couple early on, but, toward the end, I was considering just stopping. Only because there wasn’t much left did I finish it. The stories were just too much of the same, and her world of small goods just bored me after awhile. I’m still going to read everything she writes, but I do prefer her novels and novellas.

34. People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle. 3.5 stars. In this Harmony installment, crystal artist Molly (a gatekeeper) teams up with Joshua (an explorer) to find her sister whose expedition, that had been led by Joshua, is lost. Not great literature, but fun.

Currently Reading

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn

On Deck

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (Joanne)
The Flatshare (Judy)
Ghost Station
Love Bites
The Demon of Unrest
The Saint of Bright Doors

On Hold

Passions in Death by JD Robb
Table for Two (Joanne)
The Reformatory (Richard)
Say Hello to My Little Friend (Beth/blbera)

Wishlist

Primal Mirror
The New True Crime

DNF

A House With Good Bones (Didn’t like the narrator; wasn’t hooked by 20% in)
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night (Too YA-ish; MC called another protagonist “boy.” It was a young man, not a boy.)
The Invocations (Too weird, and not in a good way.)

Welcome to my second thread for 2024! Depending on where you live, grab a warm drink or an iced one, find a comfy chair, and sit a spell.

Happy new thread Mary!

Happy New Thread, Mary. Love the toppers and that gorgeous calendar. I really enjoyed Chenneville. Just sayin'...

>9 quondame: All hail Queen Susan, my first visitor!

>10 msf59: Hi, Mark! Thanks! I’ve got Chenneville on hold, so as soon as it comes up, I’m grabbing it. Glad to know you enjoyed it.

Happy new thread Mary!

>11 Storeetllr: How magnificent! I shall be feeling top heavy for the rest of the afternoon!

>13 Owltherian: Hey! I was thinking of you (and Mark) When I posted that top meme. How are you doing today?

>14 quondame: It does look a bit heavy, doesn’t it. Just be like the British monarchs and stick it on a shelf to admire it.

Happy new thread, Mary

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Mary.

>1 Storeetllr: The answer over here is yes....and no. There are not four seasons here and in fact no discernible seasons at all these days.

HAppy new one!

>11 Storeetllr: Nice crown, Mary! It's warming up here. I was going to say not quite shorts weather yet , but actually I saw several people wearing shorts while out walking today. Lovely picture of your daughter and grandchildren.

Happy new thread, Mary!

>8 Storeetllr: I'll grab the warm drink, still chilly outside. Although over here all months this year have been warmer than ever before...

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new thread, Mary!

Hey Mary, about Libby- how do you add a Library Card if you don't have one?

Thanks, Shelley, Jim, Paul, Anita, Deborah, Anita, Beth and Lily!

>19 PaulCranswick: I remember that being more the case than not when I loved in Southern California. People who lived where there were seasons used to say we were missing out, but, frankly, now that I live where there are definite seasons, I think seasons are overrated. 😁

>21 vancouverdeb: Thanks! That calendar pic is from last Mother’s Day, and the kids are a lot bigger now, but it’s fun to look back and remember. When I lived in Colorado, I’d be in my puffy coat and boots and there would be people wearing shorts. Honestly! Some people are nuts!

>22 FAMeulstee: Same here, Anita. I’m not a beef big fan of winter, but it’s a little freaky when you live in New York and you get only one or two relatively light snowfalls all winter, and it hardly ever goes below freezing.

Adding to my question when i click 'add library card' it says "500 - Internal server error.
There is a problem with the resource you are looking for, and it cannot be displayed."

>25 Owltherian: I’m sorry, Lily, but you can’t. I’m not sure where you live, but it should be pretty easy to get an online library card. If you message me, I’ll be happy to help you with that.

>28 Storeetllr: Thanks, i live in Norwood Ohio and apparently its super hard to get one-

>29 Owltherian: Teens can only apply for a card for your county’s library system with your parent’s help, but it looks like it can be done online. https://apps.chpl.org/Get-A-Card

>30 Storeetllr: It still says that error message, and I'm not sure how to fix it, but it says the error is internal.

Just got an earthquake warning on my phone. Apparently NJ was shaken by a 4.2 quake that was felt in parts of NY. I felt nothing, but my parrot was acting unusually weird this morning. Could it be she sensed it?

She could have sensed it, which i think is very intresting.

Yes. She’s calm now, but for awhile she was low-key freaking out. Birds are amazing creatures. Well, all animals, really.

Yep, they really are.

Here she is, being calm.

Oooh- thats a really pretty bird

I'll bet your parrot could sense or feel the earthquake, Mary. She is a lovely bird!

>32 Storeetllr: - Mary, I heard on the news yesterday that here in Toronto, in Montreal and someplace in Texas, they are setting up a study in the zoos to watch and monitor behaviours of the animals there in the lead-up to Monday's total eclipse to see if and how they sense or react to the phenomenon. It doesn't surprise me at all that Nickel would sense something. Animals truly are amazing, on many levels.

I'm with you--seasons are overrated! I'm the summer/fall type of gal 24/7!

>37 Owltherian: Thanks, Lily! Funny story: I used to volunteer at a parrot rescue in Colorado. One time, we had a booth at an event. We brought a few of our more socialized birds, and I brought Nickel. They put us right next to the birds-of-prey (hawks, owls, and falcons) rescue booth. Talk about an uproar! They had to move us across the room before our poor little prey birds would settle down. 😂

>41 Storeetllr: I bet that was LOUD but it sounds super fun!

>38 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deb! Greys really are amazing, and Nickel’s one of the best.

>39 jessibud2: That’s interesting! I’ve heard warnings to keep your pets inside during the eclipse because the day getting dark when it’s not supposed to could freak them out. I’m definitely keeping the kids inside!

>40 Tess_W: Yep! I prefer spring/summer, because fall always makes me sad and Spring is gardening time, but definitely summer!

>42 Owltherian: Oh! Yes! We had anywhere from 200 to 300 birds in the main building at any given time, and the cacophony could be deafening sometimes.

>46 Storeetllr: Oh wow that would be loud, and my grandpa has worked around airplanes and i bet they both were extremely loud.

>47 Owltherian: I bet they were! We had to wear earplugs or earbuds to keep our hearing from being damaged.

>48 Storeetllr: My grandpa never did, and his hearing is okayish, i think its getting worse though sadly.

Paul C. posted lists of his favorite fiction and nonfiction reads since joining LT. That got me thinking, not always a good thing, so I went back over my own list on my profile page and picked the ones I love(d) the most over the years since I joined in 2006. Here is my nonfiction list, with the most recently read at the top.

Nonfiction

Prequel by Rachel Maddow
Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson
Truman by David McCullough
Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery
The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
Doing Justice: A Prosecutor's Thoughts on Crime, Punishment, and the Rule of Law by Preet Bharara
On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
March by John Lewis.
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson.
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (audio)
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
Devil in the White City by Erik Larson

Favorite Fiction Since 2006:

The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Race The Sands by Sara Beth Durst
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The Murderbot Diaries 1-4 by Martha Wells
Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner
The Girl With All the Gifts and The Boy on the Bridge, both by M. R. Carey.
Lamentation by C. J. Sansom
The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
The Martian by Andy Weir (scifi)
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
Fledgling by Octavia Butler
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
The Book of Night Women by Marlon James
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Doc by Mary Doria Russell
Maus by Art Spiegelman
Essential Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel
Sovereign by Sansom
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
A Drink Before the War by Dennis Lehane
The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Push by Sapphire
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
Find Me & Judas Child, both by Carol O'Connell
The Lions of al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin
The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

In creating my “favorites” list, I thought about what that means to me. Sometimes I mark a book a “favorite” just because I enjoyed it so much. Other times, it’s because it made me think or feel in entirely new ways, or it taught me something important. Still others, it was because the writing was so wonderful or the subject matter so important. It is, in the end, an entirely subjective designation. I look forward to seeing your “favorites,” if you decide to share them.

Hi Mary, I see that Stars Uncharted is on deck fro you - I do hope you enjoy it, I thought it was a fun read.

Happy Total Eclipse of the Sun Day! Enjoy, but be safe. Wear your protective lenses.

>53 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy. I think I was hit by that BB on your thread.

>54 Storeetllr: Glad the family was able to enjoy the eclipse

Favorite books are so subjective! Sometimes they are immediate favorites and sometimes they fade. Some have to sit and simmer for a while. Some are just so memorable and some just make you feel good to remember them, even when the details have faded. I find it so hard to choose - good for you making the lists (some are also books I've loved or are on my tbr).

Glad to see you had good weather to experience the eclipse! It's so fun to watch with kids.

The most memorable thing for me about the 2017 eclipse we had out this way was the trip home. 17 hours from Casper to Littleton! We could have driven to San Diego (the ocean!) in less time. We had Skye with us and John would take her out to walk every now and then while I crawled along on I25 (Wyoming has so few roads). Good times. The eclipse was cool though! :)

What a cute picture of Ruby watching the eclipse! Not much happened here, as we are too far west. I think I would have a difficult time coming up with my favourite reads. So many choices.

Sweet Thursday, Mary. Love the Ruby pic. I also love your favorite reads lists. So many good books on there.

>56 figsfromthistle: We did, Anita! I especially enjoyed Ruby’s excited enthusiasm.

>57 Copperskye: Glad you enjoyed my favorites list. I agree with your assessment of the meaning “favorite.” I do want to reiterate that the list includes only books I’ve read for the first time since joining LT in 2006, which is why some all-time favorites—like The Sparrow—aren’t on it.

I don’t remember the 2017 eclipse. I was living alone in Pueblo by then. Apparently, I didn’t get excited about it. What a long drive back from Yellowstone! Had you gone specifically to see the eclipse or to visit the park?

>58 vancouverdeb: SO many choices! I keep track on my profile page of my favorite reads from each year I’ve been on LT, so all I did was choose the favoritest ones from that list.

Thanks! Ruby really got into it. It was so fun to watch both the eclipse and her reaction to it.

>59 msf59: Hey, Mark! Thanks! So many good books, many of which I might have missed out on if not for LT BBs. Did you make a list? I’ll have to come by your thread and look.

>54 Storeetllr: Ruby will love 2045's eclipse! I hope she remembers this one then.

>61 Storeetllr: Actually, the miles was way less than Yellowstone (you may be thinking of Cody?). Casper is just about 4 hours from here on a normal day. We drove up just for the eclipse and intended to meet Chris in Fort Collins for dinner. LOL, we rolled through Ft Collins well after midnight.

>64 richardderus: I hope so too! With all the pics I and my daughter took, she should have at least the idea of experiencing this eclipse. Of course, since the pics are digital, who knows if they will still be accessible in 20 years.

>65 Copperskye: Heh. I skipped right over the Casper and just assumed Yellowstone. Yes, midnight’s a little late for dinner. I’m sure by that time you just wanted to get home and go to bed!

>50 Storeetllr: & >51 Storeetllr: Thanks for sharing those, Mary.

I have read some of your fiction picks and liked all of them.

We shared a couple of non-fiction picks.

>68 PaulCranswick: My pleasure, Paul! Thanks for nudging me to do it by sharing yours.

28. Stars Uncharted by S.K. Dunstall. 4 stars. The beginning just draaagged, and I had trouble getting into it, but about 20% in, it got so exciting I couldn’t stop listening and stayed up way too late reading. The denouement was fun, and the whole evil corporations bit was reminiscent of Murderbot. The only reason I didn’t give it a higher rating was because I thought it needed a bit more editing to make the writing tighter. Thanks to Judy (DeltaQueen) for the reccie.

29. No one Will Come Back For Us by Premee Mohamed. 4 stars. A collection of short horror fiction. Love me some Cthuhlu action! Also other horror tropes. As with all collections, I enjoyed some more than others, but I’m glad I read them all. Lots of food for thought as well as enjoyable stories. (I didn’t read all the stories in one big gulp because it got a bit much. Instead, I read a couple different books in between, and that was perfect.) Big thanks to Richard D. for introducing me to this author.

30. Chenneville by Paulette Gilles. 5 stars. Man! This is one hellava story! Wealthy landowner Lt. John Chenneville, Union soldier in the Civil War, is badly injured and spends a year recovering, during which time the South surrenders and Lincoln is assassinated. He returns home to find everything in his life changed by a terrible tragedy. This is the story of what he does about it. Thanks to everyone who recommended this fantastic novel, including Mark and Joanne. Now it’s my turn to recommended. Highly.

>70 Storeetllr: I'd heard the Murderbot-vibe thing before, so had it on my list. Moving up now.

>71 Storeetllr: I really enjoy her work, so this is in reserve...in case she stops writing, you know...

>72 Storeetllr: Oh, so they're wrong, it's terrible and I can ignore it...good good good! Thanks for telling me so, Mary! *smooch* flees

>73 richardderus: Hope you enjoy them when you get to them!

You can run, Richard, but you can’t hide. 😏

31. Archangel’s Lineage by Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars. The end of the main arc, this ties up all (or most) of the threads and leaves us with a HEA good feeling mixed with a little sadness as Elena watches her loved ones age, knowing she will lose them all one day. But at least we’re sure now that Sparkle and Bluebell are a happy couple and look to remain so for a long time.

>70 Storeetllr: I'm glad that you enjoyed Stars Uncharted, Mary. I am looking forward to the second book and hoping for more of the same!

>72 Storeetllr: I haven’t read it yet but I do keep checking it out from the library! I’ll get to it soon. I don’t know why I keep putting it off except that I’m trying to read my own books (maybe I should buy it? Lol).

How’s your hip doing?

>76 DeltaQueen50: Me too! Thanks again for the recommendation!

>77 Copperskye: Sometimes you just have to be in the right place to start a book. I think you’ll like Chenneville when you get to it.

My hip is great, thanks for asking! Finished with the post-op PT and now am starting to prepare for knee replacement surgery the end of July. I’d get it now, but logistically I have to wait (till kids are out of school and someone can be around to help me until I’ve recovered). I’m hoping I’ll be able to walk again without pain by the end of the year.

32. Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. 4.5 stars. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the book, having read it when it first came out back at the dawn of time in the 1980s and might have given it a 5, except I found the narrator difficult to listen to. Now I want to go on with the next book, which I happen to have on my own bookshelves in hardback. While I don’t believe anyone like Ayla ever actually lived, much less was as innovative as the character in the story, her character and the characters of the Mog-Ur and the Medicine Woman and the clan leader are fascinating, as is the prehistoric world Auel created. I hated parts of the story—did girls really begin menstruating that early? How did children that young survive childbirth? And did people really live only into their late 20s/early 30s?—as well as the leader’s son, what he did to Ayla, and the acceptance of the violence by the others in the clan, but for the most part, I loved reading about what life might have been like at the actual dawn of time.

>79 Storeetllr: - Oh, I loved that series when it first came out. I read the first 3 or 4, I think, then she seemed to take a very long break. I did buy the next one that came out but haven't read it yet. I am not a re-reader, generally speaking so doubt I'd go back and revisit them but I did love them.

>80 jessibud2: I read the entire series when each came out, though really the first book was the best, with Valley of Horses coming In a close second. I was never much of a rereader either but have been since 2016 as I find rereading books I’ve loved to be a comfort in these difficult times.

>79 Storeetllr: I've read quite a few and just interpreted them as fantasy. As for menarche, it occurs often well nourished 9 year olds of our branch of homos, and who can say for our distant cousins. I found the genetic memory memorably implausible from back when this was the only book of the series published.

>82 quondame: I wasn’t put off by the Clan’s genetic memory so much as the telepathy ability, but I enjoyed it in spite of the fantastical elements. I somehow don’t remember starting menarche so early; more like around 12. My memory of childhood isn’t all that reliable though. I’ve forgotten so much.

>83 Storeetllr: 12-13 is what is announced as normal, and at about 14 parents paying attention should get afab children checked out. But I was much earlier and hid it (at least I thought I did and wasn't called on it) for about 2 years. My 2nd niece had to go on inhibiting hormones when she was 7 and got an extra 1.5" height before menarche stopped her at 5'2"

Last book read in April:


33. What Cannot Be Said by C. S. Harris. 4 stars. As England is celebrating the victory at Waterloo, a reformer mother and her eldest daughter, still not “out in society,” are shot and killed while picnicing in the park. Their bodies are then laid out in a macabre mirroring of medieval burial effigies. This was done in the same park as another mother and daughter were killed 14 years earlier and laid out in the same way. Did the wrong man swing for those earlier murder, or is this a copy cat killing? Sir Henry of Bow Street asks St. Cyr for help, much to St. Cyr’s father-in-law’s—and the Prince Regent’s —annoyance.

April stats

Books read: 6

New reads: 5
Rereads: 1

•Historical mystery: 1
•Scifi/fantasy: 3
•Historical fiction: 2

Favorite read:

30. Chenneville by Paulette Gilles. 5 stars. (Mini review at >72 Storeetllr:.)

>86 Storeetllr: Your favorite read of the month calls to me all the more after seeing her talk about her work on YouTube. Very interesting how she came to learn of the story.

Happy May Day!

>87 richardderus: I’ll have to look for that.

Happy May Day to you too!

>88 Storeetllr: Here you go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E66_e_U7oq0&list=LL&index=72&ab_chan...

Just stopping by to say hi, and Happy May Day, Mary!

>72 Storeetllr: I'm happy to see another Chenneville fan, Mary. Jiles owns post Civil War Texas!

>89 richardderus: Thank you, sir! *smooch*

>90 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah! Hope your May Day was happy too!

>91 BLBera: She does! And she’s a very good writer. I’ve only read two so far, but I’ll be reading all she’s written.

Hiya Mary

>95 Owltherian: Hi, Lily! Hope your weekend is going well!

>97 Storeetllr: I got some new comics but other than that it went okay, i have been pretty stresses so i may take a mental health break from social things

>98 Owltherian: Good idea. I do that sometimes too. I think it helps. Then I can return all refreshed and strong—until the next time. Because there’s always a next time, you know?

>99 Storeetllr: It doesnt seem like it and on another site i had been kicked from 3 groups and it seems like i cant vent anywhere so I'm stuck bottling it up but yeah i guess i also have those comics to read.

I’m sorry you’re having a hard time. When it gets to that point, it’s always a good idea to take a break. The comics you got look like fun! Enjoy!

I will! Especially the Hellboy one, i like his stuff a lot!

I haven’t read those comics, but it sounds exciting.

it really is

>85 Storeetllr: That's a series I keep meaning to start!

Hope you're having a great Sunday, Mary!

>105 Copperskye: I have enjoyed the St. Cyr mysteries since the first book, which was a gift from one of my ESL students when I was volunteering as a tutor at the L.A. Central Library. I still have the book, as it meant a lot to me.

I’m nowhere near the gardener as some of my LT friends, but I’m really proud of this!


First blooms ever on the Hoya that I’ve been growing indoors for years. I’d about given up on it ever blooming. And the scent is heavenly! So happy!

>107 Storeetllr: Oh, that's lovely and heavenly scents are so welcome!

>107 Storeetllr: ...hoyas bloom...? Go know from this! Quite lovely, Mary!

>108 quondame: It is! My sister warned me, though, that the blossoms turns stinky after they starts to wilt, and they drop sticky stuff all over the floor under it. 🫤 The price is worth it, though. I think.

>109 richardderus: Thanks! They do bloom, but apparently they not often for me. I think they needed more sun than they were getting.

I’m trying to be better about attributing my book choices to those whose reviews prompted me to read them, but I’m not doing very well. If you see a book I’ve listed in >6 Storeetllr: that you’ve recommended recently but haven’t been credited for, do let me know so I can note it. Thanks!

It's always exciting to have something - anything! - bloom when you are not expecting it! Congrats!

>107 Storeetllr: Happy Hoya, happy Mary!! Very pretty!

I'll look forward to your review of Brotherless Night, Janet. I finally posted mine but it took me about a week to get to it. I had some sort of writers block , I guess. But it was an excellent read. I've finished another book and need to cook up another review. At least I seem to have quite a few good books on deck, but that is usually the case for those of us on LT.

>113 jessibud2: >114 Copperskye: Thanks! It is exciting! Especially when you’ve given up after 5+ years.

>107 Storeetllr: Thats really pretty

>115 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deb. I think you meant to post this on someone else’s thread. (I will take a look at this one, though, since you loved it so much!)

>117 Owltherian: Thanks, Lily! Hope you’re doing better today after your short hiatus from SM.

>119 Storeetllr: Im doing better but its storming again and its a lot worse than last weekend and I'm shaking.

>118 Storeetllr: Yes, you are correct, Mary, I posted on the wrong thread! I meant to post on Janet's thread, streamsong. At least I got your name right. I hope you enjoy it if you get to Brotherless Night. I did love it!

>107 Storeetllr: Looks lovely!

Happy mid week :)

>120 Owltherian: Oh, that sucks. I myself love storms, the louder the better. Except when it’s really windy. I don’t like wind. But that’s not the worst. I lived in California for most of my life, and what scares me most are earthquakes. I lived through the 1994 magnitude 6.7 Northridge quake, and THAT was terrifying!

Anyway, hope the weather’s good today.

>121 vancouverdeb: It’s easy to forget where you are. So many threads!

>122 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>107 Storeetllr: >110 Storeetllr: Hoya flowers have a lovely scent, Mary. I had one for years, long ago, that had flowers each year. The sticky stuff is nectar, and I could not resist to try back in the days. It tasted well as I recall ;-)

>125 FAMeulstee: Wow! I’d never thought of tasting the nectar, Anita. If the hoya wasn’t twined all around the curtain rod and planter, I’d take it outside so the hummingbirds could try it.

>107 Storeetllr: Nice.