bell7 (Mary) reads through the library in 2018 - the second page

Welcome to my second thread of the year! I will post a new photo topper of my niece and nephew in a bit, but wanted to start fresh while it's early March.

A little about me: I'm a thirty-something librarian from Western Mass, working as the Assitant Director for the public library in my hometown. I facilitate a book club as part of my job, work with the public at the reference desk, and oversee the local history collection. No kids or SO of my own, but I'm the doting aunt of a two-year-old niece, Mia, and 9-month-old nephew, Matthew, who live outside of DC with my sister and brother-in-law.

Over their visit for Thanksgiving weekend - Mia setting up circles of styrofoam "food" for Mr. Giraffe at the dollar store (and no, the giraffe was *not* only a dollar or I'd've bought it for her in a heartbeat):


I did not get great pics of Matthew at Thanksgiving, because the lighting at my parents' was not great, and neither was my phone camera at the time. Here, however, is a goofy one because my brother kept blowing in his face:


My reading taste is pretty eclectic. My go-to reads are fantasy, but I enjoy mystery, current fiction, classics, science fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, narrative nonfiction, history, sports, and books about books... just about anything but romance or horror. I am a wimp though, so very particular about violence/gore. Books where the whole point is a love story don't tend to appeal to me, but I don't mind that being part of a larger story. I like books with relatable characters or that teach me something new, and while I don't mind a slow pace if I'm loving the characters and writing, there needs to be a bit of a plot to hold my interest (experimental fiction does not tend to be my thing). There are always exceptions to my reading "rules."

When I'm not reading, I knit and watch sports (football, baseball, hockey). You'll see photos of some of my projects throughout the year as well.

Feel free to join in the conversation! I love talking books.

From my last thread:

January in review -

1. Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
2. The Stone Sky by N. K. Jemisin
3. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
4. Penderwicks on Gardam Street by Jeanne Birdsall
5. Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
6. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
7. Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves
8. Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis
9. Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

Books read: 9
Adult/Teen/Children's: 4/2/3
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 6/3/0
Rereads: 3
Pages read from unfinished books: 170

Standouts: Out of My Mind and The Stone Sky were pretty amazing ways to start the year.

February in review -

10. Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
11. The Great Commission to Worship by David Wheeler and Vernon Whaley
12. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence
13. The Harbinger by Jonathan Cahn
14. The Rain in Portugal by Billy Collins
15. No Time to Spare by Ursula K. Le Guin
16. Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas
17. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
18. The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy

Books read: 9
Adult/Teen/Children's: 7/1/1
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 8/1/0
Rereads: 1

Standouts: Dear Fahrenheit 451 was a really fun read, and Walk Two Moons held up well for rereading. My favorite hands down was Bring Up the Bodies, just really excellent historical fiction.

March reads
19. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
20. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
21. The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
22. Ask a Manager by Alison Green (ARC - out May 2018)
23. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink

April Reads
24. Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
25. Bellocq's Ophelia by Natasha Trethewey
26. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
27. Inside Job by Connie Willis
28. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
29. The Finest Hours by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman
30. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
31. I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan
32. Cringeworthy by Melissa Dahl
33. Beartown by Fredrik Backman
34. A Masque of Mercy by Robert Frost
35. Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi

May
36. Better by Atul Gawande
37. Lost Crow Conspiracy by Rosalyn Eves
38. In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen
39. Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
40. Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart
41. Great at Work by Morten Hansen
42. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

June
43. How to Read Poetry Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
44. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
45. The Gospel of Isaiah by Allan MacRae
46. The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene
47. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
48. A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Scwab
49. Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston
50. Us Against You by Fredrick Backman

Currently Reading
Labyrinth of Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Ralph 124C 41+ by Hugo Gernsback
Robert Frost: Collected Poems, Prose & Plays
Beyond Colorblind by Sarah Shin

Next one's yours!

Hello appleblossom! Happy new thread.

Happy new thread, Mary!

>5 richardderus: nice to see you here, Richard! Latest shipment of Book page on its way Monday 😀

>6 FAMeulstee: thank you, Anita! Hope you're having a great weekend!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new one, Mary!

Happy New Thread, Mary!

My wife and I both liked Orphan Train a lot. I hope it works well for you.

Thanks foggi, Lori, Amber, Mamie and Joe!

>12 jnwelch: so far, I'm really liking it a lot! Hopefully I'll make some progress in a few titles while I'm on vacation...at least during the flights!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mary! Hope all the prep for your vacation goes smoothly!

Slightly slow to make the party, Mary, but I am here now to wish you a happy new thread. xx

>14 drneutron: thanks, Jim!

>15 MickyFine: thanks Micky! The only thing I'm sure I forgot as I sit waiting to board is headphones and on balance that's not so bad.

>16 PaulCranswick: thanks Paul! You're not so far behind!

This week's been pretty crazy with life in general and preparing for vacation. Starting a loooonnnnng book (The Black Prism) was perhaps not my smartest move but it fits in my carry-on and will most likely be what I read during the flight. I don't love flying, but it's preferable to driving, and I need a storyline that will keep me occupied and help me forget I'm high in the air. The Orphan Train is excellent, but a much quieter story in a way and I'm not sure it will fit the bill.

I'll be arriving during the work day and I'm still deciding what to do before my sister gets home from work. I might stop at Arlington National Cemetery on my way in.

Hope your flight went smoothly, Mary! Have fun killing time before your sister finishes work. :)

Wishing you safe travels, Mary!

>18 MickyFine: thanks! I didn't end up stopping anywhere after all, but I got to my sister's and am enjoying reading and getting settled while I wait.

>19 Crazymamie: thanks, Mamie! I've arrived safely and am looking forward to seeing my family when my sister gets back from work this afternoon. I'm super excited to give Mia her sweater!

Have a great first non-travelling day of vacation! :D

Happy new thread, Mary. Enjoy your vacation!

>21 MickyFine: thanks Micky!

>22 Familyhistorian: thanks, Meg!

I'm really enjoying myself, getting a good balance of sightseeing and family. I'm planning on taking it slightly easier today, going to Ford's theater but coming back earlier to perhaps nap and read. I did finish Orphan Train on Thursday.

>23 bell7: Vacation/familytime balance unlocked. Yay!

Happy new thread,Mary!

>24 richardderus: Yep, it was pretty good if I do say so myself, though by the end of the second week I was pretty happy to go home as much as I miss the kiddos.

>25 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

Jumping back into the work week tomorrow after two weeks' vacation is going to be interesting! But I've been whittling away at my home to-do list, so I'm feeling pretty good about what I've left for tomorrow. I have done a shopping so I have food in the house and lunch for tomorrow, and I've written up a reference for a friend. I also returned a call I got when I was away from a cousin looking to touch base over genealogy matters. I have yet to call my insurance company to get a new windshield (small rock on highway hit it while a friend was driving it in my absence - will get taken care of, but it's just one more thing), and tomorrow after work I'm meeting up with someone to meet dogs I'll be sitting for in April. The week back from vacation is a heck of a week, isn't it? But next Monday off will feel lovely.

I have a brand-new Chromebook that I'm getting to know this evening. So far, I'm liking the touchscreen and laptop/tablet blendedness of it. Blessedly, I have a full (laptop) keyboard back and no longer have to hit the function key to make an apostrophe appear, so posting on the threads will no longer be the typing challenge it has been the last couple of months. The time challenge still exists, however, so we'll see how that goes.

Now, I think I will run and try to finish One Thousand White Women, as we're having our book discussion on Monday Wednesday.

Edited to correct day.

Glad your vacation went so well. Hope the return to the work grind wasn't too rough!

>28 MickyFine: Thankfully when I work a Monday, it's a 9-2 day. I'm still working on catching up on emails, but I got some of the most urgent things done yesterday and I'll have some time tonight. I had a meeting this morning, so I'm working a split and will be going in for 4. I'll probably be on the reference desk much of that time, but evenings are usually kind of quiet so I'm planning on printing out and sending invitations to our volunteer appreciation event. I would have prepped some for tomorrow's book discussion, but if we close for snow I won't be having it, so I'm kinda sorta putting off the prep work 'til the day of *just in case*.

19. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
Why now? Because I own it and I was in the mood

Molly has moved from home to home as a foster child ever since her parents' death, but now after being convicted for theft she has to find a community service project or serve time in juvie. When her boyfriend's mother gets her a job helping an elderly rich woman, Vivian, clean out her attic Molly doesn't expect much - but soon finds out Vivian's story as a child on the orphan trains to the Midwest and her long and difficult life journey.

This book had a lot of hype and was a popular reading group choice a couple of years ago, so I'm a little late to the game. I enjoyed Molly's and Niamh's (later Vivian, and pronounced "Neve" to rhyme with Eve) stories and the ways in which the two women were able to make connections between their lives and experiences. Some of the side characters, particularly Molly's foster mother, struck me as caricatures and a little flat. The history of the orphan trains and the details Kline includes in historical notes at the end of the book show a vast amount of research that went into it. Without giving too much away, the ending wrapped up things a little too neatly and didn't really strike me as entirely believable. Overall, I enjoyed my time reading it though it wasn't without flaws. 4 stars.

20. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
Why now? My book club read this month

Never one to hold to conventional expectations such as matrimony, May Dodd has been placed in a mental institution and taken from her children due to "promiscuous" behavior. When the government starts a program for 1000 white women to become brides to the Cheyenne in a program meant to foster better relations with Native Americans, she jumps at the chance for freedom and signs herself up, heading to the Nebraska Territory in 1875.

The book takes as its premise the request of a Cheyenne chief for 1000 women as brides for his warriors - what if the U.S. government had filled it? - and gives us the journal of one of those potential women. Fergus's take is an interesting one that provides much food for thought in how both women and non-whites (both Native American Indian and African American) were treated at the time. How much freedom can May Dodd ever have? How much will these women influence Cheyenne culture and vice versa? Will their children really be able to carry those hopes of peace, or will there continue to be conflict and their children never really fit anywhere? The characters have varying perspectives. May herself I found a bit grating, falling head-over-heels in love with someone almost instantly, and using an awful lot of ellipses in her journaling, which I found odd. But I think it will make for an interesting book discussion book and may interest people in reading the historical record as well. 3.5 stars.

>31 bell7: That one definitely sounds like interesting book discussion fodder.

Did you end up getting a deluge of snow today? We're supposed to get a bunch starting tomorrow night. :P

>32 MickyFine: It has yet to start here - any minute! And the forecast fluctuated like crazy, but now they're saying 2-5 inches and mostly overnight.

21. The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
Why now? The fantasy series has been one my library's owned and I've been thinking of reading for awhile - when the audio (read by Simon Vance) became available, I started going back and forth between audio and reading (it's 640 pages long)

Kip is the son of a drug-addicted mother and absent father, a nobody from nowhere (a village called Rekton). Gavin Guile is the Prism, a man of incredible power and prestige but who holds a terrible secret. And Karris is his former betrothed, now a woman in the elite Blackguard that serves the Prism. Their land, where magic is wielded by some who can bend light of certain colors to their will, is in jeopardy when one of the seven satraps makes himself King over a land that has been trampled every since the Prism War sixteen years before.

This sprawling, epic fantasy has it all: world-building, great characters, complex history and storyline, and a unique magical system. Though it's a massive tome, the pages read quickly and I was entirely invested in what happened to the characters. It is pretty violent - this is war, and the author doesn't hesitate to describe what happens in battle - but I found myself so immersed in what was happening that most of the time I was able to overlook or skim gruesome details. 4.5 stars.

22. Ask a Manager by Alison Green
Why now? I'm trying to work my way through e-ARCs before they actually come out and was in the mood - this is due to be published in May

You may recognize Alison Green's name from her "Ask a Manager" blog or articles regarding workplace behavior and conversations. In this book, she takes her advice and boils it down to cover the most common conversations you might have with your boss, your co-workers, your employees, and regarding job interviews.

Green's no-nonsense, direct approach takes these potentially fraught issues and makes them more approachable and less emotional. It's not really designed to be read from beginning to end (which I did, but probably wouldn't again). Instead, when an issue comes up - how do I ask for a raise? What do I do when my interviewer is over an hour late? - check out the topics and see what applies. The conversations will be familiar to long-time fans of the blog and helpful in a myriad of situations beyond work. Also interspersed are some of the crazier blog posts she's had over the years. 4 stars.

>35 bell7: Oh I love her blog SO MUCH. I listen to her podcast as well.

>36 norabelle414: I haven't listened to the podcast yet, but I love the blog! It makes me realize how normal my workplace is haha. But it's also been super helpful in learning work norms (does this sound weird to say in my 30s? I feel like in some ways library work is very different working in an office, so that's my excuse) and just how to talk to people (co-workers, boss, whatever) in a professional manner.

I never did give a recap of my trip to Washington, did I?

Well, that first day I got in and decided I didn't want to drag my bag everywhere with me. So I went to my sister's place and relaxed and read til she came home from work. We picked up the kids at daycare and Mia saw me and ran right past her mom to give me a huge hug. They'd been talking up my visit for a couple of days and she was *super* excited to see me!

The times I spent with the family were really fun. Mia is going to be 3 in July, but she's very talkative at home and makes up all sorts of imaginative games in which she expects you to be a part (or sometimes not, she's also happy playing with blocks and singing to herself). One day we had a breakfast party with her Mia Bear (the bear's name is usually Mia, except when it's not and occasionally she called it Oso, the Spanish for "bear"). Mia Bear was eating gummies, while Mia person and I enjoyed "pancakes" from bigger "plates". I tried to take a couple of pictures, but this time she told me "No. Put the phone away." Occasionally she'd ask "take a pitcher," but not that day! We had our routines in the morning: she'd pick out my dangly earrings which she admires gently (unlike ham-fisted Matthew who grabs, ouch!) and tries to stuff in her own ears. She's decided "I want a hole in my ear," which her mother told her would have to wait until she is 10. She has started saying "Oh shit (it usually sounds like ship or chip)" in surprise when something drops. Her parents are trying to discourage this, but my sister told me one conversation where she told me "Don't say 'oh shit.' Say 'oh my goodness.'" And that smarty pants looked at her and replied, "I can say 'oh my goodness' and I can say 'oh shit.'" My sister says, "Well, technically she's right..." They'll have their hands full with this one!

Matthew is getting huge. He is tall and roly poly, crawling fast and pulling himself up to a standing position but not quite walking. The family is coming up next week, and I'm wondering if he might try toddling a bit on my parents' carpeted rooms (my sister's place is all hardwood) just like Mia did when she was his age. He's a pretty laid back, genial guy who's not really talking much but will say "Blah blah blah" and "Mama" (which really means Mama), and when I asked him, "Where's Dada?" he'd look at his dad. He also kind of says "I luv oo" when he goes in for a kiss (he loves to give open mouth kisses smack on the mouth or the chin). He has this habit of pretend crying - kind of calling out "aaaaeehhhh" and waiting 'til he hears someone on the stairs to go get him out of bed or give him food, and calling again 'til he gets a response. Both he and his sister are pretty happy kids, though she's definitely more intense in her emotions and always has been.

In sightseeing, well, there is a lot to do and see in DC. I usually have a couple of "new" places on my list each time I go, and there's always more for the next visit. This time, my goals were Arlington National Cemetery and the Holocaust Museum, both of which I made it to and were well worth my time. At Arlington I got a passport to the National Parks and then spent much of my time in DC getting as many stamps as humanly possible. New travel goals! Over the weekend, I spent time with my youngest sister before she went off on spring break. We went to the Mansion on O Street for the tour looking for hidden doors (we found about 8), to services at the National Cathedral and a really good tapas restaurant. Saturday we got like 24000 steps in going all around the National Mall and the memorials so I could get all my national parks stamps. I also spent a day with Nora and we went to the National Building Museum and the National Portrait Gallery where we checked out the new portraits of Michelle and Barack Obama (as well as the rest of the presidents' gallery, which I hadn't made it to before). We ended the day with a trip to the Library of Congress to see Margot Shetterly, the author of Hidden Figures, which was my January book club read and really fun. My brother-in-law took me to the National Harbor one day, but it was super windy and cold so I just took a few pictures and we left pretty quick.

And that wraps it up about as succinctly as I can but let me know if you want more Mia or Matthew stories and I will happily oblige ;)

Your Washington trip sounds delightful, Mary! I love the Mia stories - she sounds like someone I could hang out with. You managed to squeeze quite a bit in - I am impressed. Thanks so much for sharing!

>39 Crazymamie: She is quite a gal to hang out with. I love her now but it's fun to think about what it will be like getting to know her as she gets older too. I think she's gonna be smart and sassy.

I'll just leave this here. No particular reason. Y'know, just sharin' a little yumminess.

Happy new(ish) thread, Mary!

Your trip to DC sounds great. I loved living there. Until I didn't. Now I would move back, I think. My SIL and BIL and nephew live in the area, so it's nice to have the chance to visit.

I hope spring is starting to show its face up there!

>41 richardderus: Well thank you, Richard. I will enjoy dipping in to that scrumptious birthday cake ;)

>42 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I don't think I'd want to live there (too busy of a city life for small town, introverted me), but I do enjoy visiting. The weekend was pretty chilly, but later this week I think is supposed to get up to 50s and 60s. Plus my allergies are kicking in - so spring must be on its way!

Sounds like a fantastic trip, Mary! DC has been on my travel bucket list since I started watching The West Wing in high school. One day...

>44 MickyFine: I'm fortunate in having my place to stay taken care of, so I try to get down and visit my family a couple of times a year and always have one or two places to check out while I'm there. Make sure to check out if you can time it around the National Book Festival too ;)

23. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink
Why now? It's been getting some talk in articles I read, plus the library bought multiple copies because it's a bestseller so I decided to try it out

"Shifting our focus - and giving when the same weight as what - won't cure all ills. But it's a good beginning" writes Daniel H. Pink in his bestselling book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. His focus on "when" begins with our body clocks and how our mood and energy shifts throughout the day, then breaks things down into beginnings, middles, and endings, and even gives some focus on synchronizing with others - choir practice, anyone?

Within the chapters, Pink does a great job of timing scientific studies with stories and case studies to illustrate his points. You'll find interesting tidbits like for most people, you're going to be better at math and other analytic tasks in the morning but more creative in the afternoon (unless you're a night owl, then it flip flops). He argues pretty strongly that teens' schools should start an hour later than they do so it's more in sync with their biological clocks. After every chapter is a "Time Hacker's Handbook" that gives you practical ways to put what you've learned into practice. Want to start adding breaks to your day? There are plenty of suggestions to get you started. Want to start a new habit? Find out when is the best time for success. A fascinating, informative and even practical read. 4.5 stars.

I'm finding myself really enjoying this type of book that gives scientific studies but also insights for using them to incorporate changes into your own life. In a way, it's kind of like Better Than Before which was about "what" habits. In fact, I tried a day at work where I made an effort to have the analytical tasks in the morning and a creative project (designing a flyer for a program) in the afternoon. It actually worked out pretty well! I won't always have the ability to do that, but I'm going to start trying to plan my projects that way and see what happens.

I'm feeling incredibly adult today (which pretty much negates how adult it *is*, doesn't it?) because I not only completed my taxes I also got started on putting things together for my will.

>46 bell7: It seems Pink has a "knack" for that type book. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed it so much.

>47 bell7: Hey! Adulting is hard. Feeling proud of your adulting is entirely legit. :)

>48 thornton37814: The only other book I've read by him was A Whole New Mind which I thought was okay. I've also had Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us on my list to read for awhile.

>49 MickyFine: Hehe thanks, Micky! One of my friends who's in her early twenties told me that she admired me for being so put together with my adult responsibilities. I told her I'm still just figuring stuff out as I go along. I just happen to have been doing it for longer now.

>50 bell7: I very proudly wore my Adult in Training socks on the weekend. I think we're all figuring stuff out regardless of age.

Continuing my spate of nonfiction reads, I just barely started Your Money or Your Life the other day (I'm still in the introduction). Anyone here read it and have an opinion on it? It was recently featured in an article from the New York Times and another one in CNBC only a couple of weeks later, both of which made me curious. I've also noted an increase in holds in our system for it, though the latest edition is from 2008.

>51 MickyFine: Those socks are great!

Wishing you a lovely Easter weekend, Mary

>54 PaulCranswick: thank you, Paul! It was lovely but busy. My sister and her family drive up with my youngest sister for the weekend and we had a surprise party for my mom (we told her they were visiting for my birthday, and we were three weeks early for my mom's). Since they were only up for Friday afternoon and Saturday, I spent nearly every waking moment with them those days before going home. Sunday after church was much more low-key with my parents and neither. We are brunch, watched hockey and baseball, and hung out.

24. Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
Why now? Newest book in a series (had been trilogy) that I read back in 2014 and really enjoyed

Latest in the Shatter Me series and necessarily has spoilers for previous books in the series.

It's been sixteen days since Juliette killed the Commander, Warner's father, and took over Sector 45. Now, not sure what the next move of the other Sectors and the Reestablishment will be, Juliette, Warner, Kenji and their allies prepare for possible war.

I was a little afraid I'd have no idea what was going on because it had been so long since I read the other books, but mostly what needs to be revisited is. Plus, this book is so internal - moving back and forth between Juliette's and Warner's perspectives - that not a lot really happens that was connected to the past. It's much more about character development and Juliette & Warner figuring out how to navigate their new relationship. In fact, the one downside was that I didn't find the tension of secrets quite so believable. They've only been together for, what, a couple of weeks? And trying to reorganize Sector 45 on top of that. Of course they haven't had time for in-depth conversations about their pasts! The ending is a major turn in direction and leaves the door wide, wide open - okay, yes, it's a full on cliffhanger - for sequels. I'm looking forward on seeing what happens next. 4.5 stars.

April kind of sneaked up on me - here's a slightly belated March in review:

19. Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
20. One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
21. The Black Prism by Brent Weeks
22. Ask a Manager by Alison Green (ARC - out May 2018)
23. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink

Books read: 5
Adult/Teen/Children's: 5/0/0
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 3/2/0
Rereads: 0

Standouts: The Black Prism was well-done fantasy and When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing was a really fun read

Thoughts: So only five books. I think my record low in a month since I've kept track this way is four, and for some reason that's often in February. Or in this case, I went on vacation for two weeks and had a lot to see and not as much downtime as I do at home (or dogsitting, for that matter). Anyway. Two nonfiction reads, and all of the books I read were for adults which is a bit unusual and could also account for the low numbers - between that and The Black Prism clocking it at 640 pages, we're talking slower reading. Two were my own, one of which was an e-ARC and I'm trying to *ahem* whittle those down. I know I added two yesterday...don't look at me like that. Anyway, not too shabby as far as that goes. My YTD total is a little low for me, but we'll see if things pick up when I have a lot of dogsitting gigs over the next few weeks.

So last weekend was pretty busy with my family. My sister's family drove up and brought our youngest sister up with them (she goes to college near where our married sister lives), and visited for a couple of days. We told my mom it was for my birthday, and ended up surprising her with a party for her on Saturday. I spent every spare moment on Friday night and Saturday at my parents' house visiting. Mia loves her Gamma and Gampa (she's starting to pronounce the "r" so I really should type Grandma and Grandpa), and Matthew seemed to enjoy exploring too. He's still not quite walking, but really likes the game of toddling along while he holds your hand. He'll eventually get impatient with that and go back to tried-and-true and much faster crawling. He staked out the rug in the kitchen my mom has by the sink, enjoying sitting there and touching the texture of the rug and pulling it up at the corners. I hid a sock of his underneath it at one point and we played "peekaboo" with the sock. Mia was not quite sure what to do with all the commotion of everyone over on Saturday (my dad invited my mom's siblings so some of their families were there too), but after a little while everyone got settled, some left, and she started playing with one of my cousin's kids who's about two years older than her. They seemed to get along pretty well. Mia's uncles are rock stars in her eyes, and I took some really fun pictures with her and my brother G. I showed them to her on my phone, and she saw one and hugged the phone to her and then ran to get him and play some more.

Sunday was Easter and after church service and some time at my parents for brunch and watching the Bruins lose in overtime, I came home to relax and watch Firefly. I had Monday off, and basically gave myself permission to do almost nothing - well, I did my favorite chore, laundry - and watch maybe about half of the season all in one day. I finished it yesterday before work. Then I went to see Ready Player One (so much fun!) with my brother in theaters tonight and he told me about the movie Serenity, so I promptly requested it through the library system.

Now that I'm finished watching Gilmore Girls, my movie project is watching through all of the Marvel movies and TV shows in a nearly-chronological order I found on the Internet. I'm up to The Incredible Hulk (#4 on the list). So far it's been really fun, and I especially enjoyed Agent Carter. I was really disappointed when I tried to get Season 2 on interlibrary loan that there were no lending libraries in the U.S. I could get it from :( I still haven't quite figured out how I'm going to watch it, but I want to eventually.

So what's new in books, movies/TVs or otherwise? I continue to be lax about getting to other threads, and I'll make no promises but I would like to catch up a little over this coming weekend.

Sounds like a lovely weekend, Mary! Glad you got to spend so much time with the family.

Nicely done on the the progress through the Marvel universe. I recently bought both seasons of Agent Carter for myself through Amazon and the editions I have I think are technically for Europe (although they work in my Canadian blu-ray player so I'm happy).

>59 MickyFine: Yep, it was quite enjoyable! I have a busy couple of work days (proctoring for someone tomorrow and an event I'm working on with my boss on Saturday), have a commitment on Sunday afternoon and am looking forward to a fairly quiet Monday. Not that I live for the weekends, mind you - I love my job - but my weekdays are full of pretty much the same routine and there's not as much to report on.

I see I never commented on our last book discussion. I was mixed about One Thousand White Women, but we had a great discussion! One new lady joined us, and I hope she'll come again. Just about everyone really liked May and thought she was a strong and interesting character. I kept my own opinions fairly quiet because I didn't want to sound a lone negative voice as the facilitator, but one woman commented at the end in such a way that I thought in the end our opinions were probably similar. Questions that really took off included what did you think of May (overall very positive, and most of our group did not have the same qualms I did)? What did you think of how the Cheyenne were portrayed? Do you think a project like this would have worked (consensus seemed to be no)? We talked a little bit about the ending, and what did it mean that the one survivor of the children was actually 100% white but had been accepted by the Cheyenne as Little Wolf's child? I thought this left a sort-of hopeful town rather unsettling, and I think it's ambiguous on purpose.. With such an overall positive response, I did make sure to mention that Jim Fergus had recently published another book from a different character's perspective.

This month's read is The Finest Hours, our community read for the spring. I have a couple of related events planned, including showing a movie matinee and having the author himself come for a talk at the end.

Oh, I love Firefly! The Wayne got me into that when we were dating.

So, I totally fell for an April Fool's post about the Giants trading Beckham. I was so happy for about 2 minutes... :-P

Firefly was really fun! I was kinda happy to find out that I still have Serenity to watch too. The Giants may not have traded OBJ yet, but the Geno Smith trade was not an April fool's joke, so there's hope yet 😉

I'm glad you had a nice Easter weekend. It sounds very busy, but enjoyable.

I hope you enjoy your activities for The Finest Hours. I keep meaning to read that one.

Great to see the April Fool's tradition alive and well.

I set Kyran's alarm for four am and Belle's for 5 am. She is after all for more scary than her brother.

Have a great weekend.

>64 tymfos: Thanks, Terri! I just started The Finest Hours early this morning when I struggled with a little insomnia... it starts well and I'm looking forward to continuing.

>65 PaulCranswick: Oh yes - I was never particularly successful with April Fool's jokes, but my youngest sister once informed me that she'd made my bed for me (I didn't often, as it was so much trouble just to mess them up again at night!). When I got into bed that night, I suddenly found my feet stopping short - she'd folded the sheets in such a way that I couldn't actually get in to bed.

How weird was it to be without LT all weekend? I was hoping to catalog some books and kept checking for updates only to find continued downtime :( I'm so happy to have it back in time for me to catch up a little on books read and threads before heading back to work tomorrow!

Clocked in another DNF after about 100 pages or so? Your Money or Your Life was just... too... hm. Well, okay, let me put it this way. I'm out of debt and have a savings plan and do a written budget every month. Mind you, I might tweak it a bit mid-month if I had some unexpected purchases or dogsitting jobs and need to adjust it, but I'm essentially telling my money where it's going to go every month. But to keep me motivated and on track, I enjoy reading other personal finance articles and books to either gain new insight or just keep the ball rolling. So that's how I went into Your Money or Your Life, which starts from the premise that I have a bad relationship with money either not knowing where it's going, buying into a materialistic culture and thus running up credit card debts, or that I'm in a job that sucks the life out of me and is more costly than I think ("making a dying") they call it. Then, interspersed with the practical advice they give (which starts with calculating every penny I've ever made AND my net worth just to be able to acknowledge my past with money), there's repetitive and simply unnecessary writing, including a whole paragraph on mindfulness that ends with the advice to "Keep track of every cent that comes into or goes out of your life," and advice such as "Money is something we choose to trade our life energy for." The final straw, I think, was the non-budget. They go on and on about how budgets don't work for your uniqueness, but their method is to track every cent for a month, create the categories that work for you, write out how many "hours of life energy" those dollars translate into, and then match it up with your values. Do you get pleasure from spending this money this way? How do you want to tweak it in the future for these categories (mark + or -). How is this not a budget?

All that to say, it neither matched up with how money already works in my life nor my personality. I could see it working for a young adult just starting out or someone who had a less black and white, give me the categories and I will tell you where I want my money to go, kind of approach to a budget. But I found myself skimming to "Get to the point" and then when it did thinking, "Yeah, I'm not gonna change what I already do for that."

25. Bellocq's Ophelia by Natasha Trethewey
Why now? It's National Poetry Month and a book I own!

Trethewey's second collection of poems is inspired by a photo by E.J. Bellocq of a mixed-race prostitute known only as Ophelia. In her poetry, Trethewey imagines what the woman's story might have been and ruminates on what a photograph reveals or conceals. Beautifully crafted poems that would be a pleasure to read again. 4.5 stars.

My favorite collection of hers is still Native Guard, but this one is also excellent.

There, I've caught up on entering books into my catalog that I've acquired or am reading, and I've reviewed the one book I've finished lately. I had a rough night's sleep last night, followed by sleeping in past 9 a.m. which is nearly unheard of for me (both the waking up in the middle of the night and the sleeping in). I can't quite get my energy up and decide what I'm going to do with my day, so I'm going to eat and see if I feel like accomplishing anything or focus on relaxing, knitting and maybe watching Serenity.

I'm currently reading Scythe by Neal Shusterman, which I've had on my Kindle as an ARC for a couple of years - and finally just checked the book out of the library. I also started The Finest Hours for our community read with the goal of finishing it by next Monday for my Wednesday book discussion, and Beyond Colorblind which talks about ethnicity in the Christian church and bringing healing in places that have been divisive. A friend of mine was planning on reading it and we were planning on talking about it months ago - and I'm just now starting it. But so far so good on all of them, though I can't read Scythe at night without - well, having a night like last night waking up all wired.

Short update to say I've finished a couple of books:

Weird things customers say in bookshops (with a submission by one of our own, Eleanor Potten), Scythe by Neil Gaiman and Inside Job by Connie Willis after seeing it warbled on Mamie's thread. Clearly, I should dogsit more as it gives me more reading time.

Now I'm well underway in The Finest Hours by Michael Tougias and really enjoying this real life adventure/rescue story. Hopefully will finish soon, but the Bruins are on tonight and neat interrupt my reading time.

Edited a few times to get the touchstones to work

Look at you go! Hope your week is off to a decent start, Mary!

>71 MickyFine: thanks, Micky! Btw, I finished A Darker Shade of Magic today and really enjoyed it! Today was a holiday so starting tomorrow when I go home my reading might show down a little, but I'm looking forward to having my laptop again and catching up on reviews.

>72 bell7: Yay for another fan of A Darker Shade of Magic! So good!

>73 MickyFine: It really was! I won't wait very long before reading the next one.

Okay folks, catch up on review time!

26. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
Why now? I wanted something short and funny, and my cousin gave this to me for Christmas a year and a half ago so I decided it was time to pick it up so I could finally tell her I've read it...

Do you work with the public as a booksellers, librarian or through another bookish profession? If so, I can almost guarantee you'll love this hysterical collection of interactions between booksellers and their customers. Ranging from a slightly mangled book title to the craziest "What were you thinking???" encounters, the stories had this librarian chuckling, nodding in recognition and sometimes laughing out loud. Now I have to read the sequel! 4.5 stars.

By the way, I think Ellie first put this on my radar. When she and her mum had a bookstore, she sent in one of the stories that's included in this collection.

27. Inside Job by Connie Willis
Why now? All the warbling on Mamie's thread made me want to read it, and it's one of the few Connie Willis books I haven't read yet

Professional skeptic and psychic debunker Rob in in a pickle. His employee, a former movie star, has found a psychic who might just be the real deal. Supposedly, she channels the spirit of Isus, but when she and Rob go to what appears to be a ho-hum, same-old crystals and vibes appearance that gets interrupted by a being calling the medium a cheat and a fraud, he doesn't know what to make of it. Could the psychic indeed be inhabited by the spirit of H.L. Mencken himself? And if so, how would Rob ever prove it?

This madcap novella is a quick and entertaining read. Basically, my rating boils down to my expectations: I expected to laugh out loud, and was only amused. You might get more mileage out of it, and since it's a quick read and only 99 pages, I say, give it a try! 3.5 stars.

Hi Mary. I'm stopping by to peruse your thread and to say hello. I note you read Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. It was a five star read for me. This author is one of my favorites. I've read most, if not all of her books.

Happy Spring, that is if it ever arrives. It actually snowed for a bit today.

28. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
Why now? Honestly... well, the ARC has been on my Kindle since 2016. And then I finished the book I'd brought to work and needed something to read at the doctor's office, so I decided to get this book out of the library.

In a future where disease, pain, and need is gone, all humanity would live immortally except for Scythes. These particular humans are above the law and necessary to society - after all, the population would get out of control if there wasn't a bit of judicious gleaning. Rowan and Citra, two teens living very different lives, are suddenly brought together by Scythe Faraday, who takes them on as apprentices. They must compete with each other to become a Scythe, and soon they're drawn in to this dark and political world with high stakes for the winner and loser.

I enjoy Neal Shusterman's books for their provocative, eerily possible premises that engage a teen (or adult) audience with real-world issues. Scythe is no exception. For a book about death and immortality, it's not ridiculously graphic or gratuitously violent, but it is in a dark topic and there are some mass murder scenes, so go in with eyes wide open. I couldn't read it before bed, or I would've finished it even faster. 4.5 stars.

I have a pretty low tolerance for violence and I was okay with this, but there are some pretty tough scenes. I'm interested in following the series, but I'm waiting a bit before taking on Thunderhead.

29. The Finest Hours by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman
Why now? Book club read and community read for the library where I work - we're having a movie showing and one of the authors present a slideshow on the book in May

On Febraury 18, 1952, a nor'easter swept through Cape Cod and the seas. Caught in the storm, two oil tankers - the Pendleton and the Mercer - split in half. Back on shore, the Coast Guard launched a daring rescue on 36 foot lifeboats attempting to save both crews' lives in dangerous waters, high winds, and at great risk to their own men.

Using research and interviews with the men involved, Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman weave a taut, fast-paced adventure tale that will keep you on the edge of your seat and pages turning fast. The authors juggle the various people and pieces of the drama with aplomb. The aftermath of the rescue and catching up with both men and boats' lives was a little more muddled, but it was still an excellent read. 4 stars.

30. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Why now? I've been meaning to read this series for awhile, and the e-book hold I had came in. I finally started reading it while dogsitting, and it was a good thing I'd brought my Kindle because I very nearly ran out of books to read!

Kell lives in Arnes, a place of magic, but even there he is an anomaly - he's one of only two people who can cross between the Londons in 1819, which he things of as Red (his), Grey and White. Each has a different relationship to elemental magic, while his is driven by his own blood by which he opens doors between worlds carrying messages between the rulers. On the side, he also brings forbidden trinkets over from one to the other for Collectors. When a deal goes bad leaving him in possession of a powerful object, Kell will need all his wits and the help of a new friend to get out of this mess.

It's hard to explain the story without giving a lot away, but suffice it to says it's a fantasy worth reading with excellent worldbuilding and characterization. I enjoyed getting to know Kell, his foster brother Rhy and the tough-talking thief Lila and I very much look forward to seeing where the rest of the trilogy takes me. 4.5 stars.

>77 Whisper1: Hi Linda, you caught me in the middle of catching up on my reviews! I enjoyed Brown Girl Dreaming and I've liked the books by Jacqueline Woodson I've read, though I think I've only read a couple of others titles. We had a little bit of snow Sunday night into Monday which got washed away after it rained all day and there were a few flurries on my way home from work. I'm about ready for some warmer weather myself! Happy spring :)

Look at all those books completed. Very impressive, Mary.

Your program for The Finest Hours sounds awesome!

>82 MickyFine: I read Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops right before I went to dogsit, but the rest of them were all over that long weekend. I was impressed with myself - though I guess that's what happens when I'm not at home puttering around on other things and don't bring my knitting!

I was really happy with how the community read came together. The author is semi-local and gives slideshow presentations for most if not all of his books, and some of his programs have been the most popular I've run, so I was excited to get him back again for this one. I kept it pretty lowkey otherwise, just having our regular library book clubs read the book and one showing of the movie. But most copies of the book - both the adult and young adult versions - have been out pretty consistently all month so it looks to be a success!

31. I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan
Why now? When I read Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops I knew I shouldn't put off the other book my cousin gifted me (this past year) - these are really quick, few hours on a cozy afternoon reads

Gina Sheridan collects stories of interactions she's had with library patrons or overheard talking to her co-workers over several years of working in a public library.

If you have worked with the public or in customer service, you'll probably relate to at least some of what she writes about. But if you're a public librarian, this book will definitely resonate with you. Sheridan talks in her introduction about the idea of librarianship when she was in grad school versus the reality of everyday interaction at the reference desk. She organizes the book by Dewey Decimal (starting with - what else? - 004 for Computers) and ends the book with some heartwarming stories that I dare any librarian to read without tearing up a little. 5 stars.

We had our book discussion of The Finest Hours yesterday, and had a blast. We had seven of us present, including two new people who I'm thinking might have enjoyed themselves enough to come back next month.

I seem to have found that the last couple of months I haven't always been the one asking the questions. Some of the ladies (it is all ladies, and that's almost always been the case for a few years now) have done some research or pose questions. This time, we were discussing impressions (my first question is always "What was your impression of the book?") and had just started talking about Bernie Webber, the Coast Guard man who was pivotal in the rescue of a crew from an oil tanker in trouble. Most of the comments were positive, calling him a hero, when one of the ladies asked, "What do you think about him disobeying orders?" Well, you'd have thought someone had spoken ill of a favorite child. Four people talking at once, I'm trying to see if I can find it in the book because I don't actually remember that, and the lady (who just happened to be one of the newcomers, but clearly just loves a bantering conversation and could defend herself just fine) is saying, "I didn't say he wasn't a hero, I just asked a question!" Things calmed down a little from there, but I may have to remind folks next month that we do try to talk about a lot of things, have different opinions, but please also listen to each other and only have one person talking at a time! (It also helps us all hear...). Anyway, yes, it was rather lively. We wrapped up about ten of 8, so a little early but I think everyone felt like they'd covered what they wanted. And it did sound like the new folks would consider coming back in the future.

My group has been just a little in flux with some of my regulars not coming often for travel or other responsibilities, but if we got everyone together I think we could start having 10-12 regularly instead of the 6-8 that it's been for the last few years. We'll see. I'm very happy that i was able to keep the book group in the new position - I daresay we're one of the few libraries in which the book discussions are run by the director and assistant director!

Anyway, yes, it was rather lively. Sounds like a brilliant choice of book and an engaged debate. Who knew obeying orders was such a hot button issue?

Lively discussions aren't bad as long as everyone feels heard.

I've read some interesting internet articles on how the brains of conservative and liberals are different and how some or our reactions seen to be hardwired into our brains. Of course this makes both sides feel their reaction is the 'right' one.

I wonder if your lady who brought up following orders might possibly be of a more conservative bent than some of your other members. I know our library book club leans pretty hard to the left. :)

>85 bell7: Glad to hear about lively and successful discussion! Those are the best kinds of programs.

>86 charl08: we sure enjoyed ourselves! One lady even thanked me afterwards, though I feel a little bad for one woman who's been having greater difficulty hearing lately, so when too many people talk at once it gets tougher for her.

>87 streamsong: I suppose it's possible, though watching how she interacted with the friend that brought her, I think she enjoys mixing it up and playing devil's advocate to get some discussion going. Her comment certainly did that! Very interesting about our reactions possibly bring hardwired. I've certainly wondered to myself how very intelligent people can have such very different reactions to the same information. We don't get too political in our discussions, but I'd guess we're fairly leaning overall. I consider myself moderate, but I'm one of the more conservative of the group.

>88 MickyFine: yep! It was a fun one. Today's went really well, too. I wasn't sure what to expect for a Shakespeare performance on a Saturday morning, but I had 28 people come, and were absolutely riveted when I left to go on the desk an hour in. A couple of people asked me to have him back for another topic (he does a few one man shows and talks about some history and language, really engaging from what I saw too).

32. Cringeworthy: A Theory of Awkwardness by Melissa Dahl
Why now? I've had this on the holds list at the library since seeing a recommendation from Ask a Manager (Alison Green has worked with the author and is in one of the later chapters of the book, but I also just find that her book recommendations match my reading interests quite well) - I'm working my way through library books and holds list to perhaps concentrate more on my own books

Melissa Dahl is admittedly no stranger to awkwardness, which probably drives her fascination with it. Starting with a working definition of awkwardness as "self-consciousness tinged with uncertainty, in moments both trivial and serious." This can range from hating the sound of our own voice on a recording, feeling secondhand embarrassment for a TV character, or more serious conversations about politics or race. We call all of these "awkward," and they've probably happened to all of us. Blending scientific studies and her personal experiences (beginning with an audition for Mortified, wherein participants make a 10-minute one-person play using their own middle school journals), she shows ways in which dealing with awkwardness is simply, well, human. We've all felt it, we all relate - and probably other people don't notice those embarrassing moments the way we do. The science does also suggest ways in which we can reframe or deal with those "cringy" feelings and work through them.

It's hard to explain everything the book is about, so I won't even try. I found it fascinating, compelling reading and gobbled it up in about four days. Some of the things Dahl realizes during her experiences are things that I've come to realize too: people don't notice awkwardness as much as we think, and even if they did - they probably relate and understand. Dahl also gave me the language to explain why I don't enjoy TV shows like The Office or Arrested Development: I simply don't like feeling the secondhand embarrassment for these clueless characters. Also, it's okay to laugh and have a sense of humor about yourself! Some of the stories Dahl includes are hilarious, and she's clearly learned to be okay laughing at herself and human absurdity in general a bit more. This is entertaining, informative reading that I highly recommend. 4.5 stars.

>90 bell7: Ooh, you got me with that one.

>91 foggidawn: *cackles with glee* my work here is done ;)

>90 bell7: I also feel secondhand embarrassment/shame pretty strongly. It's why I can't watch big chunks of Never Been Kissed.

>93 MickyFine: Haven't tried that one, but I can't watch much of Dumb and Dumber either. Oddly enough, I've never had that problem with American Idol in the early rounds with the people who actually can't carry a tune. I think it's because I figure *someone* in their lives must have told these poor fools they couldn't sing, but they chose not to believe them - in which case, they kind of deserve the snark. Not that I (usually) put it out that bluntly, but I think that's what my brain's doing there. It also helps me explain my sense of humor a little more - I think Monty Python and the Holy Grail is hilarious though some might argue stupid, but there's no secondhand embarrassment for something so *completely* over the top.

>90 bell7: Adding this one to the wishlist - sounds great!

>95 charl08: Hope you like it, Charlotte!

33. Beartown by Fredrik Backman
Why now? It's been an ARC on my Kindle for over a year, and I'm making a concerted effort this year to go through the books I've been downloading and catch up on reviews. This just happened to be what I was in the mood for.

Beartown is a hockey town. It always has been... but it may not always be, if the A-team and juniors can't step it up and start winning. Places are closing down, and the new hockey club will probably be in the bigger city of Hed. But Beartown hockey has some hope - a talented coach bent on winning, a GM who loves the game, and a fantastic player in Kevin Erdahl.

The beginning of the book is slow to get started, jumping perspectives and explaining what hockey means to each person in the town. I was getting to the point of, "Okay, I get it already" and expecting a feel-good story about an underdog team, when an incident causes the book to entirely change direction. Sure, hockey is important and has brought together a whole town - but what does loyalty mean to the team mean and what kind of culture has been created in that team? What responsibilities do each player have to themselves and each other? Without making sports out to be the evil villain, but raising many questions, Backman has written a stellar, moving account of a small town and its hockey team. 4.5 stars.

There's a sequel coming out in a few months and now I'm really excited to read it. Since A Man Called Ove, Fredrick Backman's books have become hits in my library and a go-to recommendation for our patrons (when they're on the shelf).

>97 bell7: Oh, I should get back to this. I got stuck in the bit you describe at the beginning, and never picked it up again.

>98 charl08: I can see why... If I hadn't had the ARC and felt compelled to give it a little longer because I felt I "owed" the review I probably wouldn't have pushed passed it, though in my case I was glad I did.

Happy weekend! I hope everyone is enjoying this fine Saturday. It's a gorgeous day here and the one Saturday this month I have off. I'm dogsitting (since last night) until this coming Thursday, and three dogs need to be walked four times a day, so I expect I will have no trouble getting my steps in even if I just manage one in the morning, one after work, and one in the evening. Haven't quite figured out what the evening one will look like - yesterday I tried around 9 and the neighborhood was *pitch black* so we didn't go far, just around a cul-de-sac a few times. Two of them are puppies and want to eat everything, so walking can be... interesting. I had to go out to get a few groceries and stop at home to do some tidying up, so I'm taking a bit of a break and drinking my morning coffee at home before heading back.

In reading news, I'm making good progress in Bored and Brilliant, and mean to finish it soon. Despite the title, it's not really about having downtime in general. "Bored and Brilliant" is the name of a project Manoush Zomorodi started on her podcast Note to Self where they had a daily challenge to try to gain control of technology use in their lives. For example, day one is track your phone use. Another day's challenge is to delete an app (it can be temporary) that you use too much. It's okay, but what I'd really been expecting was more along the lines of Daniel H. Pink's When that gave scientific studies about timing in your day, only about boredom/down time being necessary for creative thinking. There's some of that in the first chapter, and she includes some book titles that I may pursue that sounded like they were actually about that. But a lot of the scientific studies she cites for her challenges are preliminary at best (there's not yet a ton of evidence out there for how current technology changes our brain) and contradictory at worst (phone addiction), yet she'll end with a case study of a person who agrees with her main point and when they accomplished the challenge they felt better. Not a bad book if you're looking for some ways for a technology "detox," but not really the book I was looking for.

As I write this, of course, I realize that I'm using technology to communicate my thoughts (my phone is in my bag at my feet in case you were wondering). I've already been pretty conscious about not putting apps on my phone - Facebook, I'm looking at you - that have grown to annoy me with their constant notifications and thus a need to constantly be looking at it. Soon before I started the book, I found a way to turn off *most* notification sounds from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. while still allowing phone calls to get through. My smartphone is my *only* phone and my parents need to get a hold of me in emergencies, so I can't "disconnect" the way she wants me to. A few days later (admittedly, after I started the book) I figured out how to set a couple of "rules" in the notifications so it automatically will have sound off while I'm at work (I'd been doing it daily before that). I still keep my phone near me - I work for a library whose phone policy means I can't take personal calls using the town's phones which means, again, that it's necessary for emergencies. I don't see myself shifting my tech use dramatically one way or the other - using it more or less - than I already do.

And I find myself not using technology in the way she describes - for example, though I do like getting "likes" on my photos on Instagram, I find when I give out "likes" that I often will look at a photo and decide it has enough, where I might "like" something that has fewer, that I also like, just to boost it. The study done indicated that people will respond better to a photo that has more "likes." I wonder if that's kind of how we respond in the "everyone has to read the latest bestseller" and sometimes, if it's a book I'm not particularly interested in anyway, I'll decide that enough people are reading it? I think that the way we respond to new technologies isn't all that different from how we respond to any new development, and that most of us can get all "Oooooh, new bright and shiny!" about anything, and then eventually settle down in a routine that works for them. That's certainly how I've been with everything from my laptop to my Kindle to my smartphone. That's not to say that I think new technological developments are *always* a good thing, that I'm not somewhat concerned about big data and privacy. But frankly, I probably need to take back my time from other things than my smartphone, so I'll be looking for a different book about boredom and/or time management.

Sorry to go off on an essay, I didn't realize I had that many thoughts to sort out.

>100 bell7: I feel lucky that I don't have a smartphone, Mary, I use the laptop & have a very old mobile phone (that I mainly use as alarm clock) ;-)

I find when I give out "likes" that I often will look at a photo and decide it has enough, where I might "like" something that has fewer, that I also like, just to boost it
I tend to do the same. I usually don't run for a new bestseller. If it is still popular in a few years, it is early enough to read it. I might get a bit sooner to a new book if it is written by a favourite writer.

>101 FAMeulstee: I do have a smart phone, and I use it as a phone, a GPS, camera and more. But... I need to know how to do certain things that are related to my job, like downloading library materials onto an app, so having it myself and knowing how to use it is directly related to my job. And I'm already pretty conscious about how I use my phone, purposely keeping certain apps off entirely. I fairly recently deleted a couple of game apps because I decided I didn't like having to play my turn in Words with Friends games.

As far as bestsellers go, I do read them occasionally and I will read about them to get a sense of what my library patrons are reading and interested in. But some books that I may not be extremely interested in reading, when they take off I sort of feel off the hook... Better for me to know about great books that maybe aren't bestsellers to be able to recommend them to patrons or put them on staff picks. I do still read the newest Louise Penny as soon as I can.

34. Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi
Why now? I originally saw a page-long review/interview in BookPage and was intrigued. I'm attempting to make my way through my "backlog" (suspended library holds, ARCs on Kindle, my own unread books) and this was one of the first category.

Manoush Zomorodi is the woman behind the "Note to Self" podcast, and even though she talks tech she is concerned by how much we are on our phones and how distracting it can be for our brains. Does anyone just sit around bored, thinking and planning creatively anymore? She and her listeners participated in a one-week challenge in which she suggested ways to take control over our tech use. One day might be just tracking your phone use. The next, keep your phone out of sight any time you're "in transit" (walking, driving, etc.). Another, don't use the camera - at all. This book is basically the reading equivalent of that Bored and Brilliant challenge week. Each chapter gives interviews with experts in the field and scientific studies about the related challenge: for example, for the challenge to delete an app, she talks about video games, Two Dots, Candy Crush and the like. At the end in summarizing, she gives the day's challenge.

The subtitle "How Time Spent Doing Nothing Changes Everything" really had me geared up for a different book, sort of the When (see post #46 above) of boredom, with some scientific studies, some interviews, and possibly some tips at the end with suggestions for real-life application. But it's much more about being on top of technology use than it is about the science of boredom itself. There are scientific studies, true, but sometimes they're very preliminary and other times they downright contradict each other, and there's no real attempt to bring together disparate findings. Zomorodi admits that science hasn't "kept up" with technology changes, but then at the end of the Bored and Brilliant challenge she brings in one "expert" opinion that an average decrease in phone usage of 6 minute is significant. I'm not sure I buy that, so I had a real problem with her confidence that they'd "scientifically proven" anything by the end. I don't doubt that her central argument - we need to be more intentional about our phone/technology use - is valid, and that her challenges could be useful. But she makes some pretty great claims and doesn't back them up. For what it is, and for readers who would be looking for suggestions to reclaim their mental space from technology, it's recommended with those reservations. 3 stars.

Sounds like a wonderful weekend, Mary. Hopefully your next read is better for you.

>104 MickyFine: I will say, it was a fast read and I was engaged enough to be arguing with her, and thinking about my phone/technology use and comparing it to what she was talking about. I've got far too many books going at the moment, including a couple of poetry books, and just started Lost Crow Conspiracy which looks to be just as fabulous as the first so far.

April in review -

24. Restore Me by Tahereh Mafi
25. Bellocq's Ophelia by Natasha Trethewey
26. Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell
27. Inside Job by Connie Willis
28. Scythe by Neal Shusterman
29. The Finest Hours by Michael Tougias and Casey Sherman
30. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
31. I Work at a Public Library by Gina Sheridan
32. Cringeworthy by Melissa Dahl
33. Beartown by Fredrik Backman
34. A Masque of Mercy by Robert Frost
35. Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi

Books read: 12
Adult/Teen/Children's: 10/2/0
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 6/6/0
Fiction/Nonfiction/Poetry/Plays: 5/5/1/1
Rereads: 0

Standouts: The short and humorous Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops and I Work at a Public Library for nonfiction, A Darker Shade of Magic was a fantastic read (see what I did there?)

Thoughts: Thanks to some short reads and dogsitting, I doubled the number of books read in March and have my year-to-date total back to an average number for me. Over the last ten years, I've noticed my reading shifting to primarily YA and some adult, to half and half, and now the numbers really show a swing in the other direction, with only nine reads so far this year found in teen or children's fiction. I also did a pretty good job this past month of reading some of my own books, though I confess what I often did was borrow the book from the library to count one of the old ARCs on my Kindle "read" (that was Scythe and Beartown), but three short reads had been on my own bookshelves for some time unread (Weird Things..., I Work at a Public Library, and Bellocq's Ophelia). All in all, not a bad month.

I'm currently, "actively" reading far too many books, because I started a few in the last couple of days but haven't really been able to sit down and focus on them. The three dogs that I'm sitting for now take up a lot of time and energy, needing to be walked four times a day on days I'm not working (usually 2-3 when I am), and in the evening when I let them out of their crates by the time the two puppies and one adult lab have settled themselves down, I'm exhausted and it's all I can do to read a few poems from one of the books that I'm dipping into. I don't expect to finish a book until after I get home on Thursday, probably Friday or Saturday. That being said, here's a brief outline of what I'm reading:

Lost Crow Conspiracy by Rosalyn Eves was the last started but probably the one I'll focus on the most, as it starts soon after events in the first and is a fast, engaging pace.

Ralph 124C 41+ by Hugo Gernsback is very short and a borrowed read from a friend that I brought along with me dogsitting because I've had it unread on my nightstand for far too long. I started it a couple of nights ago and literally only got a few pages in before the dogs were vying for my attention, and I finally just went to bed. I may restart this just to allow myself time to get into it.

Robert Frost: Collected Poems, Prose & Plays is my own book, and longtime followers of my threads here *might* remember that I bought it at the LT meetup in Alexandria, Va. a few years back and had been reading slowly through it, counting each book of poems and play separately. Oh, that reminds me, I finished a play I didn't count and will have to add it back into April. Anyway, I'm now in In the Clearing, and have usually managed to get a few poems in between corralling the dogs, but I stalled on "Kitty Hawk" a couple of nights ago and will have to get back to it. It's kind of nice to make progress in a book that's had a bookmark in it since 2014.

The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes is a library book I've had my eye on for awhile and finally decided to read during National Poetry Month. It's about 600 pages of poems, so I don't know if I'll be able to read the whole thing, but I'm trying to read a few poems a night. I'm not terribly familiar with his work, though I've seen "Mother to Son" and "Dreams" as epigraphs before.

Beyond Colorblind by Sarah Shin was one I started weeks ago and I'm least "actively" reading, because I picked it up to read in tandem with a friend who's currently crazy busy with finishing up her semester. It's basically about race in the Christian church, and the need for not just saying "Oh, I'm colorblind," but to recognize each others' and our own brokenness in our culture and racial journeys. The author is Asian American, and I'm looking forward to talking to my African American friend about her perspective on it.

Short thoughts (not really a review) on A Masque of Mercy:

Two plays were included in the 1949 version of the Complete Poems of Robert Frost - A Masque of Reason (the "43rd chapter of Job") and A Masque of Mercy. I found it interesting but a little confusing, because all of the characters seemed to be reincarnations of Biblical characters, Jonah, Paul, Jezebel (?) and more. Frost seems almost bitterly antireligion in both plays, so I disagree with his worldview and had a bit of a time trying to wrap my head around what he was saying in both plays. I guess i would be interested in seeing them performed sometime (were they ever? I don't even know) and see if I understand them better - much like Shakespeare which, in part because of the language and format of reading them, just makes more sense seeing it acted out.

36. Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance by Atul Gawande
Why now? I am getting to know Hoopla because my library recently described - I was really hoping to read The Checklist Manifesto, but this was the audio my library had available, so I tried it out mostly listening on walks and finally just finishing the last essay by reading

Atul Gawande is a surgeon in Boston who is now known for the best-selling book Being Mortal. Better was his second book, in which he collects essays (in slightly different form, probably expanded) that were previous published in The New England Journal of Medicine and The New Yorker. In each, he explores ways in which doctors have attempted to improve performance, through the three large themes of diligence, doing right, and allowing ingenuity.

Though the book is was published in 2007, I imagine much of what he tackles in this book is still relevant in the medical field today. These themes are broad and allow him to reflect on topics as diverse as hand-washing (you'd be shocked by how much disease still travels because medical professionals don't wash hands between patients), ethical questions regarding doctors' presence or involvement in administration of the death penalty, and the difficulty in knowing when to stop fighting a disease and let someone live out their last days without medical intervention. It's a fascinating account that I would recommend to anyone. 4.5 stars.

Dropping by to wish you a lovely weekend, Mary.

>110 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! It was busy but good, and I'm hoping to make up for it with a somewhat quiet day tomorrow.

>102 bell7: While in Michigan last week, a genealogist friend drove us to a restaurant about 15 minutes away one evening. She couldn't get her GPS to pull up the location, so I grabbed the Google maps app on mine to give directions for us. She managed to turn wrong about 3 times in spite of directions before we finally got the British person in the front seat next to her to verbally tell her left or right enough ahead that she'd get us there.

>112 thornton37814: ACK! Directions to a new place can be tough... I prefer my smartphone/Google Maps because the way I process things and when it tells me to turn usually works. But when I had an old smartphone with a poor battery, I remember getting really scared about midnight driving back from the U.S. Open in Queens and a friend of mine had to not only try to navigate but also talk me down out of panicking.

37. Lost Crow Conspiracy by Rosalyn Eves
Why now? I enjoyed Blood Rose Rebellion and book 2 in the series just came out

Soon after she's broken the Binding, an old spell that kept magical creatures bound by blood magic and gave the upper class Luminate sole access to magic, Anna Arden is now in Vienna with her sister Catherine and brother-in-law Richard. The political powers that be are holding a Congress to determine what to do with these creatures, and Anna chafes at convention and her inability to do anything. Will all that she risked - even killing her cousin, Matyas - in undoing the Binding be for naught?

This fantasy series' setting of Hungary and Austria in the mid-1800s is a really fascinating one, and the worldbuilding with the creatures from legend and almost alternate history (with notes in the back and references, thank you!) is a great strength of the book. Anna is a frustrating character, though, making very impulsive decisions and sometimes feeling a little pulled along by the plot. A second point of view is unexpectedly introduced about 100 pages in, and the back and forth kept the generally deliberate pace up, though I didn't always see when the two timelines overlapped. It could at least in part be my own slow reading, but I didn't enjoy it quite so much as the first book. 3.5 stars.

Also I could've missed it because I tend to be a speed reader and sometimes drop the ball on hints but I could not for the life of me figure out that Gabor ever told Anna he was going to find the King of Crows and I was really confused about how Anna knew to look for such a figure at all. Was he mentioned? Did Gabor say what his errand was? Because I was really confused about that part.

38. In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen
Why now? May book club selection

D. Clements Olin, a professor in the United States, goes on a spiritual retreat to Auschwitz in 1996, ostensibly to research the poet Tadeusz Borowski, but also with a personal quest of his own.

This quiet, introspective novel speaks of the impossibility of making sense of such a terrible tragedy in which, the characters seem to be telling us, all of us are guilty, culpable, or capable of great harm. Yet in the bleakness there is also hope, beauty and love. Each of the characters has his or her own reason for being on this retreat, and readers will struggle with them as they try to make sense of history and their own lives. 4 stars.

This is beautifully written and heartrending. I looked up retreats, and they really do happen on an annual basis - I showed my book group a video that had photos of one so they could get a visual of it. I don't think I'd ever read it again, as I did find it pretty depressing, but I'm glad i read it. It's a good pick for a book discussion of they can handle the sadness and the fact that nothing much happens, other than in the searching of the characters themselves. We discover Olin's story, and his coming to grips with his family's history. Our discussion ranged from the horror of the Holocaust, to human nature, to questions of identity. Matthiessen had gone on such retreats before and chose to write it as fiction, because as an American he didn't feel like he should tell the story as nonfiction. (He's probably best known for his nature nonfiction book, none of which I've read.)

39. A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
Why now? Newest book in the series

After the war with Hybern, Rhys and Feyre, their family & friends are back home, repairing the damage and dealing with the aftermath of war.

As the "in-between" book that's meant to set up the new series, this book really does not stand alone. You get an update on various characters and see some of the trauma they're still dealing with. There's not a lot of new stuff happening, but it's a quieter sort of story as they prepare for Winter Solstice. It was fun to return to the characters, and I'll look forward to seeing what happens next. 4.5 stars.

40. Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart
Why now? A library trustee recommended it to me, and as it was still checked out on his card I bumped it up to the top of the pile after I finished my book club book

Li Du is an exiled librarian traveling through China, and did not at all mean to come to the village of Dayan at the same time as the emperor. A few days before a grand festival in which the emperor - or Kangxi as he was known in 1708 - is to make a prediction of a solar eclipse, a Jesuit scholar dies under suspicious circumstances. The magistrate, who just happens to be Li Du's cousin, wants to make it all go away but Li Du is concerned for the truth - was it murder? And if so, who would have the motive and ability to kill the man?

The mystery itself took awhile to get started and I never really felt any urgency to the investigation. However, the setting is fascinating and unusual for historical mysteries and I did enjoy my time spent reading. I also liked some of the side characters, such as the storyteller Hamza, and the way in which Li Du is able to suss out each suspect's secrets. I'm intrigued enough to read more in the series. 4 stars.

This month has been incredibly busy, and yet I'm having a hard time explaining all I actually did.

Actually, one thing that's slowed things down significantly is I'm trying really hard to take walks after work, meaning I eat supper around 7 p.m. and my evening reading time is cut down tremendously. I've been making progress in my Marvel movie watching and have now watched Thor: The Dark World (which everyone told me was not great, but I really didn't mind it), about two thirds of the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and most recently Captain America: Winter Soldier which was an excellent film. Now that I write all that out, it's perfectly clear why I haven't read as many books in May.

I'm currently dogsitting (three labs and two cats), and have been taking the dogs on lots of walks so having no trouble at all getting my 10000 steps in. This weekend I'll actually have a short break and be hanging out with three cats who do not need all that walking, so I'm planning a pretty quiet weekend of catching up on laundry, cooking and reading. If I can figure out the DVD player, I might polish off the first season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. too.

Sounds like you've been really busy, Mary. Enjoy your quiet weekend!

>119 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I'm looking forward to it (and already mentally filling it with reading, watching, cooking and more! We'll see what I really end up doing).

>120 bell7: I'm a bit envious of you. The Fiancé is moving into what will be our place this weekend and then we have a bunch of social and wedding things booked for the next week and a half solid. I'm so happy that at the end of it I've got a massage scheduled. :)

Whatever you get up to with your hermit weekend, I hope it's awesome!

>121 MickyFine: Oooof, yeah I hear you. I live for my days off not in the sense that I dislike my job, but because I need the time to recharge and have some time to myself. Sounds like a fun but exhausting weekend - I hope you enjoy the massage!

41. Great at Work by Morten Hansen
Why now? It's due at the library Tuesday - I'd originally requested it as an e-ARC on my Kindle and never gotten around to reading it, so this was my attempt to catch up on said ARCs

Hansen shares research on 5,000 individuals' performances at work and uses regression analysis on the results to make the case for seven behaviors of top performers.

While I have little to nitpick over in terms of the seven principles - which include such behaviors as doing less but focusing on the things you do intensely, creating value in your work, and finding purpose and passion in what you do, to name a few - the execution of the book leaves a little to be desired. Instead of giving me a short list of seven words I could commit to memory, they each sound like a slogan: "Do less, then obsess," "Don't just learn, loop" and "P-Squared" (Passion and Purpose). Each chapter ends with a short outline reiterating the main points that I had just read, making it very repetitive. Hansen tells us in the introduction that these approaches are new, and "working smarter" rather than "harder" (more hours in the work week). This may be true, but in my personal experience a lot of the information was not new, and I thought his constant references to "work harder" mode of thinking worked as a bit of a straw man argument. For example, one study he mentions in particular was the one where 10,000 hours of practice is enough to make you an expert. He argues that you need to learn in a particular way and get a feedback "loop" going, rather than repetition. I've heard the 10,000 hour rule before, and it never would've occurred to me to interpret it in such a stringent way. If I wanted to be an expert concert pianist, I surely wouldn't practice scales for 10,000 hours or I would only get good at scales. Isn't in a given that as I become good at the basics, I would find ways to improve technique and introduce greater complexity as I went along? I would have liked to see less numbers of correlation or percentiles from the study and more concrete ways in which I could put the principles into practice. He also mentions very briefly some differences between men and women in a couple of these practices, and I would have liked to see that developed more. Perhaps because it was mostly based on this one study, that would have been outside of the scope of this book. 3.5 stars.

It's okay for what it was, but not the most stellar of books I've read on self-improvement/business and a bit on the dry side. I really prefer something like When by Daniel Pink that brought together several studies on a similar topic and developed ways in which it could be put into practice without getting super repetitive.

Today was a pretty excellent hermit day if I do say so myself. I had a few errands to run to get some food, go to the bank (my check from dogsitting wouldn't work on the app i usually use), and drop of a DVD at the library, and then I stayed home with the cats. I spent the morning cooking so I should be mostly set for food this weekend and work next week. The afternoon was spent watching Red Sox, taking a walk, and reading. The rest of the weekend will be a little busier, but not a ton that *must* be done, and then I'm back to dogsitting three labs on Monday afternoon.

Yay for hermit days!

Hermit days are vital! I’m having one today.

>125 MickyFine: Yes! How did your busy weekend go?

>126 tymfos: Hi Terri! Yep, I plan them every so often when it's been a long time since I've had a day to myself - sometimes even going so far as to plan errands all weekend to have a day that I truly have nothing I *have* to do, but not always. Hope you enjoyed your day!

Today was a half-hermit day. I met my parents for coffee in the morning, followed by reading with the cats, went home with all my laundry (I couldn't get the washer to fill and didn't want to go messing with the water lines) to do, and read some more in front of the Red Sox game while doing the laundry, then went back to where I was dogsitting. I'd expected the son of the lady I'm sitting for to be gone, but he and his wife hadn't quite left yet (their house is being shown a lot this weekend, and the last showing was later than I originally expected), so I had a longer reprieve than expected and treated myself out to dinner since I had some money left in this month's budget for fun. I ended up only walking the dogs once instead of twice, and didn't have to worry about any feedings or medicine other than giving one cat her inhaler, so it was a much more relaxed evening than I'd expected. I finished A Gathering of Shadows today and started How to Read Poetry Like a Professor. Yeah, I know, way to jump genres - the latter was just because I wanted to (it wasn't due for weeks) and this one is due at the library on Wednesday (it'll be late). The first couple of chapters were all about the sound of language, though, and had some really fun examples. I'm going to like this just as much as How to Read Literature Like a Professor, a title I dearly wish I'd read back when it first came out and I was a clueless English major who for the life of me could not figure out all this symbolism and intertextuality my professors were going on about.

42. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
Why now? Okay, so a lot of the choices I've been making lately were "It's due next at the library," but this was quite literally just what I felt like reading next. Book 1 was excellent and the only reason it took me this long to get to book 2 was because I like to space out my reading of series books so I don't get too tired of a storyline/writing style/characters/ etc. before I get to the end.

Four months after Lila and Kell saved Red London, Lila is living out her dream of piracy, while learning magic from the captain and trying not to get too close to anyone. Meanwhile, Kell and Rhy are dealing with the aftereffects of the spell that brought Rhy back from the dead and now cause them both to feel the other's pain. Both are haunted by the demons of what they went through when Astrid took over Rhy's body. Added to all this, it's time for the Essen Tasch - the Element Games - in which competitors from the three nations magically compete and show their strength, vying for power while not exactly going to war.

Where the first book spent some time in three different Londons, this one is primarily in Red London and gives us a broader view of the world, from Lila's portion on the sea to the other countries and their understanding of magic and how it works. I really liked Kell in the first book; here we get him brooding a lot, and perhaps at his most sullen. But Lila is just a fantastic character, someone I understood and liked but sort of wanted to change (mostly her distrustful nature, and the way she'll run away from anything good) at the same time. The end is an incredibly annoying cliffhanger but fortunately I waited to read this 'til the trilogy was complete so I won't have to wait long before reading the next. 4.5 stars.

It wasn't until I started listing my "Why nows" that I realized how very random my reasons for reading a particular book at a particular time can be.

>127 bell7: It went well. Got The Fiancé all moved in and he and his cat are settling in nicely. The mad week of activities every day after work continues although tonight is fun as we're going out to celebrate the one year anniversary of our first date. He's planned everything so where we're going is a complete surprise for me. :)

>128 bell7: I love that universe. Can't wait to see how you like the final book

>129 MickyFine: Oh fun, I hope you have a wonderful surprise in store tonight! Good luck making it through the week and to your massage :)

Yeah, the universe in A Darker Shade of Magic is really well done, and I find myself wondering if she's created multiple languages or only a few words here and there.

>130 bell7: It was a fantastic surprise. He took me to a fancy rotating restaurant at one of the local hotels. It was a really lovely evening.

>131 MickyFine: It sounds it - glad you had a great time!

Whew, how did it get to be nine o'clock already? I don't know about you guys, but I am ex-haust-ed and have not had a ton of reading happening since Memorial Day weekend. Back to work and dogsitting will do that - but I am getting plenty of steps in!

I'm also feeling very adult, as I finally bit the bullet and paid for identity theft coverage (it's less than a AAA membership!), and I'm looking into disability insurance.

The dogs are all walked and fed for the night, and I'm planning on putting on the Red Sox and reading in front of the TV for a bit before I crash completely. I've been dipping into How to Read Poetry Like a Professor and much to my delight have found that the dogs seem to calm down when I read it aloud.

>133 bell7: Perhaps they enjoy poetry.

>41 richardderus: mmmmmmm cake......
It looks delicious. Sadly the hundreds & thousands (sprinkles) generally have wheat in them (who knew?) so even if I find gluten free cake it tends to be rather plain.

The medical book Better: A surgeon's notes on performance sounds good. I'm very interested in medical ethics, particularly at the beginning and end of life and it's unusual to see a non-religious book tackle those issues.

>133 bell7: Weirdly, I get identity theft coverage through my tenant insurance.

Hope your weekend is full of fun and some relaxation after your busy week.

>97 bell7: Hi Mary. Thanks for the encouraging words regarding Beartown . You are right...the beginning was slow. And, the day I started to read it, I needed something with a quicker pace. I'll go back to reading it now that you highly recommend it.

All good wishes!

>134 thornton37814: *snort* actually it kind of reminded me of the dog in the Mitford series that Father Tim would yell quotes to get him to behave

>135 eclecticdodo: Jo! So good to see you. I hope you enjoy Better. I thought it was fascinating, though there's a chance that you'll find some differences between American and other countries' health care.

>136 MickyFine: Really? What a unique combo. I don't get renter's insurance because I'm really just renting a couple of rooms (practically an in-law apartment, my own bathroom but no kitchen) from family friends, so I know I'm going to have insurance increases when I get my own place. But in the meantime, I'm glad to have it. I was hoping to get disability insurance too, but am waiting to hear back to see if I am a government employee or not (small town public librarian vs. federal government) to see what I qualify for.

>137 Whisper1: Nice to see you, Linda! I hope that Beartown works for you the second time around. I almost gave up on the slow start too but now I'm really looking forward to the sequel. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Hopefully sometime soon I will update with my May recap (where does the time go?). At the moment, however, I should go take care of the dogs. They hear me get up and get dressed and one starts whining for food *instantly* and is continuing. So I'm heading downstairs to begin the day. Looking forward to a day off and possibly getting a few small errands in.

>138 bell7: I need to read the new books in the Mitford series. I was caught up until she began writing new ones again. I haven't gotten around to any of those.

>140 thornton37814: I don't remember if I got quite to the end of the original series or not, but I remember that by then I was having trouble keeping everybody straight. I'd have to go back to the beginning and reread to know what was going on at this point. I did read Home to Holly Springs back when it came out and remember liking it.

May in review

36. Better by Atul Gawande
37. Lost Crow Conspiracy by Rosalyn Eves
38. In Paradise by Peter Matthiessen
39. Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
40. Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart
41. Great at Work by Morten Hansen
42. A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

Books read: 7
Adult/Teen/Children's: 5/2/0
Library/Mine/Borrowed: 5/2/0
Fiction/Nonfiction/Poetry/Plays: 5/2/0/0
Rereads: 0

Standouts: Hmmm I think I'd have to say Better and In Paradise. Not sure I'd reread either of them, but they were definitely thought-provoking in their own way and will mostly likely be two of the books that still resonate with me at the end of the year. Also, though it left me on an annoying cliffhanger, I'm really loving the V.E. Schwab series and A Gathering of Shadows was excellent as a middle title.

Thoughts: Okay, it was kind of a weird reading month for me, bookended as the month was with dogsitting jobs where I didn't have as much reading time as I expected to, because the dogs took more walking and energy than I'd expected. So I started the month with a lot of books going at once, and then only focused on one or two at a time. And I did the same thing again at the end of the month, now dipping into, reading or listening to a whole new set of six? titles that I probably won't finish until after I'm finished dogsitting, in all honesty. Case in point: I finished the last two books over Memorial Day weekend because I had a break from the dogs and was catsitting. That being said, seven titles is not the lowest number I've ever had. Better was an audiobook that I listened to while I walked. I continued a couple of series that I've been enjoying, and I read one book (yes, I got the book from the library) of an ARC that I've had on my Kindle for too long.

43. How to Read Poetry Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster
Why now? I loved his How to Read Literature Like a Professor and was really excited to see he had a new book out, and this one about poetry which I have been trying to make more of an effort to read lately but feel very ill-equipped to do so

My favorite English professor is back, this time focusing on poetry.

Thomas C. Foster is the author of several books that take a humorous and accessible view of Literature and help those of us who are not academics make sense of all the terms that our English teachers used when our eyes glazed over and we only wanted to read the book already. Or, okay, that's why I did. Basically I wish I had these books when I was an English major, because it would have all made a lot more sense to me. Foster here turns his attention to poetry, explaining rhyme, rhythm, types of poems (sonnets, odes, elegies and more), and breaks down why poems - primarily lyric poetry, but he uses examples from The Iliad and popular songs as well - work. What i like most about Foster is his way of explaining things simply and acknowledging that literature needs to make sense and be enjoyable at face value, or really what's the point? We can enjoy a poem without being able to say that a poem uses trochees, iambs, and anapests to sound the way it does. But learning about those building blocks can expand that enjoyment even further as we realize what craft the poet put into that poem to get it to sound just as perfect as it is. Replete with examples and humorous asides, How to Read Poetry Like a Professor is enthusiastically recommended to poetry enthusiasts and - like me - slightly unsure readers alike. 4.5 stars.

A little glimpse of what I'm reading now -

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, a fantasy that's been getting a lot of buzz lately
Labyrinth of Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, ARC on my Kindle - the book's due out in September, I believe, and is the fourth in the linked books that began with Shadow of the Wind
The Gospel of Isaiah by Allan A. MacRae to go along with my Bible reading, though I'm not very far into it and it's hard to concentrate with the crazy dogs
Black Powder War by Naomi Novik, a reread and my current audio (probably will pick up the book too when I get home at the end of the week)

Sort of started or technically there's a bookmark in it:

Ralph 124C 41+ by Hugo Gernsback - borrowed from a friend and will get back to it sometime, promise (though I'll have to start over)
Robert Frost: Collected Poems, Prose & Plays - I've been dipping in and out of this (okay, mostly out) since 2014
Beyond Colorblind by Sarah Shin - meant as a tandem read with a friend, but she was really busy and I never did get past chapter 1 or so; will start over

Yeah, I've got far too many on the nightstand and it's driving me slightly batty. Usually 3-4 is my limit and based more on format than anything else - one paper book (or maybe two of very different genres or a fiction and a nonfiction), one audio, one e-book. That's what I'm actively reading now, but since I started the others they're all kind of pulling at my attention. Plus, I have several library books out and I'm thinking of returning some unread just for my own peace of mind.

I really want to pick up Children of Blood and Bone, look forward to hearing what you make of it. (I recognise "technically there's a bookmark in it" but for rather more than two books!)

I'll most likely finish it this week, so I'll keep you posted!

I don't like having too many books in the "technically there's a bookmark in it" category as I start to feel pressured and frustrated with not finishing things. I may go through my library and nightstand stack to make it a bit more manageable this week if I don't start reading faster...as it is, I'm going home from dogsitting tonight and won't be walking quite so much, so we'll see.

See that you have several on the go at the moment, Mary, as always seems to be the case with me.

Good luck. xx

>147 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I try to keep it to a reasonable number, but I'm very much a mood reader and I work at a library, both facts that contribute to my reading multiple books at a time ;) Hope you're having a wonderful week.

Lucky you, to have a ARC of Labyrinth of Spirits! I love that series! I already have the release date for the book noted in one of the lists on my phone.

>149 tymfos: I love the series too! Reading this one (ever so slowly) has made me want to go back and reread them all, which I might indulge in this fall after the paper book is released. (My ARC is an e-book)

44. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Why now? It's been getting a lot of hype, and YA fantasy is my jam

Ever since the day of the Raid, the diviners have been without magic. Standing out with their dark skin and white hair, they are still called "maggots" and treated as scum in Orisha. But the gods who once created magic wielders - maji - have bene silent for years. Zelie, a diviner girl still hurting from her mother's brutal murder, and Amara, the daughter of the very man who destroyed magic, become a reluctant team when a scroll turns up. When a diviner touches it, they awaken their magic. Can Zelie avenge her mother's death and give power to the maji once more? Or will Inan, Amara's brother and one of the king's guard, catch up to them and stop them first?

This fantasy world is richly-created and unique, incorporating Yoruba and touching on themes of oppression that will resonate with current events such as police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement. At the same time, the story follows a more or less traditionally episodic quest motif, and Zelie and her friends journey across Orisha to accomplish their goal of reawakening magic. Adeyemi is a first-time novelist who writes with assurance. I found the book a tad long at times (clocking in at over 500 pages) but I enjoyed the world and characters, and look forward to continuing the series. 4 stars.

Well, I'm still reading slowly through my stack. I started The Heart of the Matter yesterday for my book club read - we're meeting Wednesday so I've been trying to keep up a pace of about 50 pages a day and should be finishing it up on Sunday or Monday just fine, with a couple of days to mull it over and answer questions before our meeting.

My slow reading month will probably pick up as the last two weeks in June I'll be dogsitting for folks whose dogs usually let me hang out and relax rather than needing a lot of walking or attention.

I've also been watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2 and very much enjoying it so far.

Yay for mellow dogs and lots of reading time! Fingers crossed you have some great reads during those two weeks.

>151 bell7: I have Children of Blood and Bone on my library list - glad you enjoyed it!

>151 bell7: Another book bullet for me, Mary!

>153 MickyFine: Well, mellowish haha. The two that I just finished sitting are pugs that are used to sleeping with their owners, and I got woken up by a muzzle to the face at 6:30 a.m. the last couple mornings. This one is a mop (some kind of white mutt or breed, bigger than the peekapoo at home but not huge) and he's better behaved if I walk him a couple of times a day, but nothing like the 3 labs I was walking four times, separately.

>154 souloftherose: Hope you like it too, Heather!

>155 ronincats: Hurrah! Hope you enjoy it, Roni.

What I finished over the last week or so -

45. The Gospel of Isaiah by Allan MacRae
To match up with my (recently finished) Bible reading of Isaiah. MacRae focuses on Isaiah 40-56, illustrating the way in which prophecies of Cyrus, Israel, and the Servant of the Lord are introduced and expounded upon in these chapters. While I found it useful overall, I wouldn't recommend it as a starting point - MacRae definitely expects his readers to be familiar with theology, including concepts such as theophanies (an Old Testament appearance of the preincarnate Christ), and Israel's history, particularly as it relates to the Babylonian exile. Still, I enjoyed reading it and learned a lot.

46. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik was a reread and I went back and forth between book and audio (narrated by Simon Vance). I'm trying to make my way through the series this year, rereading the five that I already read and continuing on to the end of the series.

47. A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Scwab
This final book in the trilogy is absolutely fabulous and left me with a happy smile on my face. I'll try to be back with a more thorough review later.

48. Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston
Cudjo Lewis was enslaved in 1859, after the slave trade was ostensibly illegal, in the last cargo ship to bring Africans to the United States. Over a series of visits, Hurston asked him for his story, and she wrote a manuscript using her skills as an anthropologist and writer to preserve his story, growing up in a Yoruba society, coming over the U.S. and living as an exile since he could never go back home. It's a poignant, challenging, heartrending work I'm glad I read. I could have only wished it was a little longer - I have so many questions about this man's experience and want to read all sorts of books that were mentioned in the notes. The manuscript has been in Howard University archives and has only recently been published, in an edition that includes an introduction by Alice Walker and some (occasionally dry) academic notes by editor Deborah G. Plant. I read the whole thing today.

I'm messing up my numbering here, because somewhere in the above I also read my book club book, The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene.

Scobie is a deputy police commissioner in Sierra Leone. His wife, Louise, is unhappy and as per usual the rumor mill is swirling. The new arrival, Wilson, seems to be interested in his wife and when she decides she wants to go to South Africa, Scobie is willing to do anything to make that happen and make her happy. But the decisions he makes to do that send his life into a tailspin.

This is a very introspective story of a man and his choices. It's not a happy story by any means, but manages to investigate difficult subjects of suicide, religion, and happiness. Greene can turn a phrase, describing internal and external action brilliantly at times. The story was easy to read but also demands a lot of its readers. 4 stars.

My book discussion group was small (only five of us) but very lively. As one of my ladies says, "Greene doesn't wrap everything up in a bow." There's a lot of intentional ambiguity, with left us with a lot to discuss and digest - though I can't really say much without giving away major spoilers. On my own, I read the book and felt kind of so-so about it because I didn't really like anyone. But after talking with the other ladies, who thought that the way Greene gives you Scobie's sort of narrow point of view - characters like Louise turn out to be much more than you originally thought, for example. So I like it better now that I did even a week ago. It was not an easy read, but grappling with these characters and their challenges is part of what makes this such a good book. I recommended it to both my brothers (one likes more experimental or postmodern books such as Don DeLillo's, while the other likes what I think of as well-written but depressing).

Today was a short day at work and a doctor's appointment to check out a new mole on my face. It went okay, they don't want to biopsy it and leave me with a scar on my face, but they took a photo and made an appointment for me to go back in a couple of months to make sure nothing's changed. I'm still a little concerned because it was itching (though I also have dry skin) and I've had an abnormal mole before that itched, and there's melanoma in situ in the family. So I'll be watching it and looking for any changes as well.

On the reading front, I've been reading an ARC of The Labyrinth of the Spirits by Carlos Ruiz Zafon almost all month, and now I'm nearly halfway through I'm going to make an effort to really focus on it this week. A government man goes missing and, as Alicia and Vargas investigate, they find out that he once was the warden at Montjuic prison when David Martin and others were there. And of course, a book is at the center of the mystery - this one a series known as The Labyrinth of the Spirits. How is the mysterious author Mataix mixed up in all this as well? It's been years since I read the other books, so some names come in and I'm thinking I should know who they are, but the story stands just fine as the first you read. Part of the delight for me is seeing how they intertwine, so I really want to go back and reread the whole series starting with The Shadow of the Wind. The other book I'm reading is Us Against You, the sequel to Beartown which like the first has a bit of an introspective beginning, but I think it will pick up soon. And I'm listening to and reading Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik.

Last week where I was dogsitting I've never been able to figure out their DVD player, but here I was able to get the one in "my" bedroom to work, so I've watched another episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2. After I watch one more it will be time for Avengers: Age of Ultron, which I put on hold. After that I can finish season 2 and I'm a little fuzzy on what comes next. Antman maybe? I'll have to check my master list when I get home. That's probably all I'll have time to watch, anyway, since I have a few evening plans this week (watching my brothers' softball game and a wedding).

>159 bell7: Yep, Ant-Man. Which is going to feel like a breath of fresh air after all that drama in Age of Ultron!

>160 norabelle414: oh excellent! I thought Guardians of the Galaxy was great, if I haven't already mentioned that.

>157 bell7: Yay! Glad A Conjuring of Light was satisfying for you. It's been a while since I've read such a well constructed trilogy.

>162 MickyFine: It's been a while since I've read such a well constructed trilogy.

Yes! I felt the same way. I turned around and recommended it to a fantasy reader friend of mine before I'd even finished.

50. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
Why now? Sequel to Beartown, which I loved, so I got this from the library soon after the release date

The inhabitants of Beartown are still dealing with the fallout from their star hockey player, Kevin Erdahl, raping Maya Andersson, the daughter of the club manager. Now the Erdahls are moving, most of the junior team is playing for the rival town of Hed, and a politician sees an opportunity to exploit the situation.

I didn't like this book quite as much as the first. Like Beartown, the plot took a little while to get moving and for most of the beginning the connecting thread between a myriad of characters and threads was the smarmy politician. As in Beartown, there's a big reveal and fallout that get the action moving, but for some reason I didn't feel as emotionally connected to what was happening for much of the book. You don't necessarily have to have read the first book, as the beginning reveals the pertinent parts, but it doesn't hurt to keep track of all the characters. This one follows almost all the same from the first book and adds a few more for good measure. Where Backman excels, however, is in describing many characters and their motivations; no one is "the bad guy" (except in this case the politician) but they all have good and bad qualities and are just trying their best with the cards life has dealt them. I still cared enough to cry at the end, and found it an overall satisfying read. 4 stars.