scaifea's 2019 Thread #7

A courtyard in the palace/museum in which Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy is set.

Hey, everybody!

From the Introductions Thread:
I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure. I spend my time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading. Oh, and I run an Etsy shop and I'm co-writing a Latin textbook with a former colleague. So I keep busy.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 43 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our 10-year-old son, Charlie; and our two dogs, Tuppence the Border Collie and Mario the Golden Retriever.



Favorite Books from 2018
The Hate U Give
We Are Okay
Revenge
Uprooted
Doc
Trigger Warning
Sacre Bleu
The Sleeper and the Spindle
You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)
84 Charing Cross Road
In a Sunburned Country
Becoming

The five-ish or so books I have going at once and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

1. A book from the 100 Banned Books book (at least currently. As soon as I finish this list, I'll replace it with another, and oh, I've got tons of lists).

2. A children's book, for Charlie's library. I'm trying to collect books from various award lists, and I like reading them before reading them to Charlie or deciding to add them to Charlie's shelves. For this category, I’m currently working through three lists:
a. 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die
b. The Newbery Honor books
c. Cooperative Children's Book Center list

3. A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List, in chronological order.

4. A book for the Presidential Challenge. Books for this category are read in chronological (presidentially) order.

5. A list I'm working through together with my best friend, Rob: The Hugo/Nebula/WFA/Bram Stoker (and other) lists (combined, in chronological order)

6. For this category, I cycle through 9 different stacks:
a. Agatha Christie's bibliography (in chronological order)
b. Stephen Fry's bibliography (in chronological order)
c. John Boyne bibliography (in chronological order, sort of)
d. Neil Gaiman's bibliography (in some order other than chronological (don't
ask)).
e. Christopher Moore's bibliography (in chronological order)
f. Maggie Stiefvater's bibliography (in chronological order)
g. The NEH Timeless Classics list
h. The National Book Award list (in alpha order by title)
i. The Pulitzer list (in alpha order by author)

7. An unread book from my shelves.

8. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

9. A book on Buddhism or from the Dalai Lama's bibliography.

10. Book-a-year challenge: Three years ago, along with a few others in this group (*cough* Paul *cough*), I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've since been trying to fill in the gap years.

11. A book from the couple of series that I'm reading together with my mom.

12. A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

13. A read-aloud-to-Charlie-at-bedtime book (or two).

14. An audio book, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/drive.

15. A Discworld book (so many of these are coming up soon on various lists, so I'm just diving into it)

16. This slot is reserved for books that just grab me and shout that they need to be read Right Now.

What I'm Reading Now:
-Lincoln (U.S. Presidential Challenge)
-Song of the Pines (Newbery Honor Book)
-The Name of the Wind (SFF Awards)
-Night Watch (Discworld read)
-On My Honor (audiobook)
-Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy (Charlie's bedtime book)
-The Left-Handed Fate (Read Soon! Shelves)

Books on Deck:
-Angels and Visitations (Gaiman bibliography)
-(an unread book from my shelves)
-The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six Others (from my Read Soon! Shelves)
-Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism (Buddhist reading list)
-Uncle Silas (Books by Year, 1864)
-Read It and Weep (series that my mom wants me to read so we can chat about it)
-The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare re-read)
-Peyton Place (Banned Books)
-The House on the Borderland (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)

Books Read

JANUARY
1. The Trivium: The Liberal Arts of Logic, Grammar, and Rhetoric (Read Soon! Shelves) - 7/10 = C
2. Viking's Dawn (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
3. Journey Outside (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
4. Leader by Destiny (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C-
5. Eugenie Grandet (audiobook) - 8/10 = B
6. The Man Who Was Thursday (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10 = B+
7. The Letter, the Witch, and the Ring (Charlie's bedtime read) - 8/10 = B+
8. Bhimsa the Dancing Bear (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
9. Carpe Jugulum (Discworld) - 8/10 = B
10. All the Crooked Saints (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A
11. Boy with a Pack (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+
12. The Robber Hotzenplotz (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
13. The Wonderful Year (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
14. Treasure of Green Knowe (Charlie's bedtime book) - 9/10 = A
15. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10 = B+

FEBRUARY
16. The Night Diary (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
17. The Poet X (Printz Award) - 9/10 = A
18. The Puppy Place: Cody (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud) - 8/10 = B
19. Next of Kin (Boyne bibliography) - 10/10 = A+
20. Darius the Great Is Not Okay (Morris Award) - 8/10 = B
21. The Fifth Elephant (Discworld) - 8/10 = B
22. The Knife of Never Letting Go (recommended by my BF) - 8/10 = B-
23. The Book of Boy (Newbery Honor Book) - 10/10 = A+
24. Wish (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
25. Crime and Punishment (Books by Year, 1866) - 8/10 = B+
26. Merci Suárez Changes Gears (Newbery Medal Winner) - 8/10 = B+
27. What the Night Sings (Morris Award) - 9/10 = A-
28. Big Tree (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B

MARCH
29. Storm Front (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10 = C
30. Young Mac of Fort Vancouver (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
31. This Is Water (Read Soon! Shelves) - 10/10 = A+
32. In the Company of Cheerful Ladies (series I'm reading with my mom) - 8/10 = B+
33. The Battle of Bubble and Squeak (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B+
34. Nicholas Nickleby (audiobook) - 9/10 = A
35. The Two Princesses of Bamarre (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A
36. A Study in Emerald (Gaiman bibliography) - 9/10 = A
37. Howl's Moving Castle (Charlie's bedtime read) - 10/10 = A+
38. The Collectors (Schneider Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
39. Unstoppable (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
40. Gold Dust (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 7/10 = C-
41. George Washington's World (Newbery Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
42. The Heavenly Tenants (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
43. The Two Gentlemen of Verona (Shakespeare Re-read) - 9/10 = A-
44. The Truth As Told by Mason Buttle (Schneider Award) - 8/10 = B+
45. The Truth (Discworld) - 8/10 = B-
46. The Swerve (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A-
47. A String in the Harp (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B-
48. Knight's Fee (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10 = A-
49. Lolita (Banned Books) - 9/10 = A
50. Pancakes-Paris (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B+

APRIL
51. New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
52. The Firefly's Lovers and Other Fairy Tales of Old Japan (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 8/10 = B
53. The Book of Three (Charlie's bedtime read) - 9/10 = A-
54. A Visit from the Good Squad (Pulitzer Prize)
55. The Well of the Unicorn (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy list) - 6/10 = D
56. The Seeing Stone (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
57. Down Ryton Water (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10 = B
58. Thief of Time (Discworld series) - 9/10 = A-
59. The Puppy Place: Bear (Charlie's bedtime read-aloud selection) - 8/10 = B
60. The School at the Chalet (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
61. How the Whale Became (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
62. The Mysterious Benedict Society (Read Soon! Shelves) - 8/10 = B
63. Ghosts of Greenglass House (Read Soon! Shelves) - 10/10 = A+
64. Noughts and Crosses (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
65. Anger Is a Gift (Schneider Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
66. The Winged Watchman (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10 = B-
67. The Last Hero (Discworld) - 8/10 = B
68. Witch Child (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 9/10 = A
69. Have You Seen Tom Thumb? (Newbery Honor Books) - 6/10 = C

MAY
70. Uncle (1001 Children's Books) - 6/10 = D
71. The Jazz Man (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10 = C
72. When Breath Becomes Air (Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10 = A
73. My Friend Mr. Leakey (1001 Children's Books) - 6/10 = D
74. The Witches of Worm (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10= B-
75. Ficciones (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books list) - 10/10 = A+
76. Dogsong (Newbery Honor Book, audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
77. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents (Discworld) - 8/10 = B+
78. Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World (Stonewall Honor Book) - 9/10 = A
79. Smile (the book that Charlie let me borrow as a Mother's Day present) - 9/10 = A

The Latin I'll give you today is not my own, but is original to the novel itself and seems fitting now for a few reasons...

"Spira, spera."

(Bonus points for knowing the context in which this appears.)

(And for the love of all that is sancta, no mention of Google Translate, please.)

Happy new thread!

>6 scaifea: That rings a bell, but I don't think I'll be able to figure it out without resorting to . . . ah . . . online research. ;-) So I'll wait for somebody with superior knowledge and/or recall to come along and enlighten me.

(ETA: I did Google it (though not the dreaded GT) and I find that I have made a sort of pun without realizing it -- "rings a bell" hah! I am cleverer than I knew.)

Happy new one, Amber!

>7 foggidawn: Thanks!

*snork!* to your spoiler! You are quite clever, you know.

And for the love of all that is sancta, no mention of Google Translate, please. Aw, pleeeease? 😀

Guessed that one, used non-translating Google to check. Was right!

>10 drneutron: Well done, Jim!!

Happy new thread.

Breathe and hope. The Hunchback's home is gutted but not forever!

>12 richardderus: Well done, Richard!

Hi Amber my dear, happy new thread and great photos once again. I hope all is well at Chez Scaife and we send love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Okay, guessing here again, that it is either the sound of the Hunchback of Notre Dame's bells or "I hope, she hoped."

Happy new thread, Amber!

>5 scaifea: Tuppence looks so sweet, she makes me want to give her a hug when she wakes up :-)

Happy new thread Amber :)

Happy new thread!

Sweet Thursday, Amber! Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread, Amber.

>6 scaifea: Got the hump that I wasn't quicker to your new thread today. xx

>14 johnsimpson: Thanks, John! Hugs right back to you and Karen!

>15 m.belljackson: Right book, and you're close with the translation: They're commands, not first person singular forms, and the first is breathe, the second, hope.

>16 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Isn't she a sweetheart when she's sleeping?

>17 fairywings: >18 figsfromthistle: >19 msf59: >20 PaulCranswick: Thanks, folks!

Grocery shopping and library visits this morning, and then I'm hoping for an afternoon of reading. It's gloomy and rainy here, so I need that reward after trekking around in this weather. *sigh*

On the reading front:
I'm hoping to finish up The Mysterious Benedict Society today. We'll see how it goes. Oh, and I finished up How the Whale Became last night - mini-review sometime today, maybe.

61. How the Whale Became by Ted Hughes (1001 Children's Books, 94 pages) - 8/10 = B-
Hughes turns his hand to writing origin stories for animals. I feel like I should have liked this one more than I did. Then again, nope. I liked it just the right amount, regardless of its author, and honestly, I've read much better animal myths.

62. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart (Read Soon! Shelves, 485 pages) - 8/10 = B
A brilliant philanthropist secretly recruits a group of ultra-smart kids to help him save the world from an equally brilliant bad guy with mind control issues (and machines). I quite liked the beginning, which was satisfyingly mysterious, but the cleverness and suspense got lost somewhere about midway for me. If it had stayed strong throughout, it would have been a nice mix of The Westing Game meets The Prisoner, so it's really too bad that it didn't, to be honest. There's a strong possibility that Middle Grade kiddos would love it, though.

>23 scaifea: The real story of how whales became whales is amazing enough: When Whales Wlaked

In just over 6 minutes, the highlights get hit but that was enough for me to spend a dazed hour contemplating how very weird the world is.

Happy new thread, Amber!

>25 richardderus: Thanks for the link, Richard, I'll check it out later (right now it's Charlie Brown Easter watchin' time).

>26 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl!

Happy new one, scaifea! I hope all is well with you.

Just wavin' "hi". I thought the Latin was He breathes, he hopes". The kind of error easily made when your Latin is as rusty as mine.

>28 brodiew2: Thanks.

>29 laytonwoman3rd: Hi, Linda - those endings are important, no?

Happy new thread, Amber! Have a great weekend!!

>31 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda!

>30 scaifea: Yeah. I think I always had a little trouble with the imperative.

Happy New Thread, Amber!

Agreed re The Mysterious Benedict Society. Your BFF liked it “in a way that I don’t feel I need to read the others”.

Happy Easter weekend, Amber.

>33 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: I've always preferred the passive aggressive subjunctive command, myself ("Would you mind not...").

>34 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Yep, BFF knows what she's talking about.

>35 Ameise1: Ha! Hi, Barbara!

Happy Easter, all! We've been up for a couple of hours and Charlie's found everything The Bunny left for him. He's having his bath now and I'm relaxing with some blueberry bread and a cup of London Fog. Later today we'll head down to Cincinnati to spend the afternoon with Tomm's brother and his family (plus the in-laws).

On the reading front:
I started two yesterday - Anger Is a Gift, one of this year's Schneider Honor Books, and Ghosts of Greenglass House. Both are pretty good so far.

Morning, Amber! Happy Easter. I hope you having a fine weekend, at the Scaife Manor. Ooh, blueberry bread. Sounds wonderful.

>38 msf59: Morning, Mark! The bread was very good. And thanks - I hope you and yours have a great Sunday, too.

>24 scaifea: That's very much how I saw The Mysterious Benedict Society as well - the last member bothered me, and after that things kind of went off the rails. Great concept, not quite execution. I haven't bothered to read any of the others. But yeah, kids might like it a lot.

>40 jjmcgaffey: The reveal about that last member was cool, though. But for me, once they're on the island, I lost most of my interest.

Charlie has one last day of vacation today before heading back to school tomorrow. We'll be taking down the Easter decorations and just having a low-key day at home, by request from Vacation Boy. I'll likely try to get some writing done, but we'll see how that goes.

On the reading front:
Not much reading happened yesterday with the traveling and family stuff, but I did manage a few pages each in Anger Is a Gift and Ghosts of Greenglass House.

Morning, Amber! Happy new one! Great photos, as always - please tell Charlie that we LOVE his shirt!!

>43 Crazymamie: Hi, Mamie! Thanks! I'll definitely pass on the t-shirt love - it's his favorite right now.

Happy Easter Monday, Amber and Charlie.

>45 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! Right back at you!

Charlie starts school up again today and I'll be on my usual routine: treadmilling, laundry, writing. Clearly spring break is over, since I had a nightmare last night that we forgot about the science fair project until the night of the science fair. And there isn't even a science fair here at this school. *sigh*

On the reading front:
Still plugging along with Ghosts of Greenglass House and Anger Is a Gift, and still listening to Noughts and Crosses.

Happy newish thread, Amber.

Sounds like your Easter went well even if the family visit did include the in laws. Are Tomm's brother and family on similar wave length to you when dealing with said in laws?

>48 Familyhistorian: Meg: Tim's wife isn't too keen on our MIL, but she doesn't stand up for herself with her as much as I do, and Tim gets along better with his parents than Tomm does (he goes to church and we don't, and that's a huge problem for the in-laws).

My daughter is temporarily moving back in until she can find a house, so I have been clearing a big room next to her bedroom where reside 25 Teaching years of crates containing books, materials, photographs, toys, supplies, folders, personalized Teaching Guides, Rocks, Minerals, Fossils, endless Astronomy, electric boards, Shakespeare's Mid Summer Night's Dream, a 3 foot turkey, and more...reading through the many assignments I created, I keep finding ones that you and Charlie might well enjoy since they involved food, friends, family, and a lot of creative fun.

With your Wisconsin roots, here's a recent one featuring Glacier Landforms: drumlin, kettle, esker, kame, and moraine:

First, we brainstorm to learn what a glacier is (memorized, along with a simple poem, for spelling test) and define each of the landforms in the normal way.

Then students chose which landform they wanted to research and to create a large memorable & colorful drawing or painting to present to the class -
along with an edible representation of the landform. These were made at home as each group met after school and were spaced over a few weeks to prevent sugar overload.

Extra credit was given if Erratics were included, as in this KETTLE CAKE: a round base of chocolate cake surrounding the (eventually) melting center Kettle of ice cream & fresh cherry erratics!
We took photos of everything and hung them with the charts in the hallway.

On our field trips, we traveled past each of the landforms.

>50 m.belljackson: Aw, cute. We lived in the Driftless area, and I think they did some projects last year based on that, too.

Treadmilling, writing, and a trip to our two libraries to pick up some holds today. I made Keema Alu last night, for the first time since I started substituting ground turkey for ground beef in my recipes, and it turned out great! I think it's safe to say that we're converts at this point.

On the reading front:
Nearly finished with Ghosts of Greenglass House and will hopefully polish it off today. Still working on Anger Is a Gift and Noughts and Crosses.

Morning, Amber! Happy Wednesday. I am enjoying the day off and getting ready to head out on a bird stroll. I know you weren't thrilled with your revisit with The Big Sleep last year, (I was reminded, by your comments on Good Reads) and I agree with your assessments but I am still having a good time with it, heathen that I am.

>51 scaifea:

The Driftless Area! We lived near Hollandale, on Sandy Rock Road, a paradise much like the Dordogne Valley.

>53 msf59: Hi, Mark! I certainly don't begrudge others for enjoying Chandler, and I wish I could get past the misogynistic bits myself, because his mysteries are good ones. I'll likely try him again someday.

Enjoy your bird stroll!

>54 m.belljackson: The Driftless is a beautiful area and we loved taking drives just for the view.

Today's agenda:
Tuppence has her monthly laser treatment today, so we'll be driving to the vet's office this morning (she absolutely loves my heated seats, so the whole venture is akin to a spa day for her). Then it's laundry and packing for our weekend trip to Indiana, sorting the weekly bills, menu planning for next week and prepping the grocery list for Monday. And then as much writing as I can squeeze in this afternoon - it'll be a few days before I can get back to it and I really want to get to a certain stopping point today.

On the reading front:
I did finish Ghosts of Greenglass House (mini-review to come) and started The Last Hero. I've been told that I should try to get to Night Watch this next month, since it takes place on May 25, and that's two more books down the Discworld line. I also want to try to bookhorn in a reread of Good Omens by the end of next month, so, yoicks. We'll see how things go.

63. Ghosts of Greenglass House by Kate Milford (Read Soon! Shelves, 456 pages) - 10/10 = A+
In this sequel to Greenglass House, Milo, Meddy, and the old gang reunite to solve another mystery, which is brought on by a heist-gone-wrong. Just as inventive and fun as the first one, with elements of RPGs, the supernatural, and a healthy love of folklore. So much goodness here, folks. Definitely recommended.

So glad the sequel lived up to the original! Have a low-stress busy day, Amber, and a good trip to Indiana.

>58 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! Here's hoping I get everything on the list done today...

>57 scaifea: - I have the first one saved on audio, I think. Must get to it!

>60 katiekrug: It's so good! I hope you love it, and I hope the audio is good.

Good luch with your list today and hope you have a good weekend away!

>62 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! Tuppence and I are off to the vet in a couple of minutes. Several things crossed off the list already, so it's going well!

News, everyone!

I've just finished edits on the first draft of the Latin textbook! It has taken absolutely forfrigginever and I'm so excited and relieved to hit this mark. We still need to tweak a few things, and I want to do at least another once-over to check for tone consistency, but I think we're close to the looking-for-a-publisher stage. WOOT.

Ooh, VERY exciting! Congrats!

>65 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I'm practically giddy! I've been texting with my co-author just now and there have been lots of kermit-arm-flailing type gifs.

>64 scaifea: How delightful! Happiness in waves and tides!

>67 richardderus: Richard: So. Much. Giddy. Happiness. I mean, that thing took me FOREVER.

>64 scaifea: Great WOOTS!

Wow - Pride and relief join with joy - bet your Family is ready for a celebration!

>69 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: *high fives*

>70 m.belljackson: Yeah, we'll see. I think they may want to wait until we find a publisher...

Hi Amber my dear, very excited for you with the Latin textbook, congratulations. Hopefully the once-over won't take you too long and then you can get onto the finding a publisher. I have said it before but will say it again, you are a very talented lady.

Hope all is well with Tomm and Charlie my dear and send love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Congratulations on the almost-there!

Hi, Amber!

Adding my congratulations on the Latin textbook!

Are you excited about David Tennant-Michael Sheen Good Omens tv series? Tennant seems so busy - apparently he's back with Olivia Coleman in a third season of the excellent Broadchurch.

>64 scaifea: You did it! That is amazing :-)
Good luck with the next step.

Congratulations, Amber! That's quite an achievement.

>72 johnsimpson: Aw, thanks, John! I'm hoping the couple of things we need to do next won't take too long, either. We'll see.

>73 swynn: Thanks, Steve!

>74 jnwelch: Thanks, Joe!

I'm extremely excited about the Good Omens show, and that's why I want to squeeze in a re-read before it comes out. It looks so, so amazing - that casting is unbelievable. And I really need to watch Broadchurch at some point; I love David and Olivia is such a hoot.

>75 FAMeulstee: Thanks so much, Anita!

>76 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! I've used (and groused about) so many language textbook, but creating one is so daunting. It feels like a pretty big accomplishment, honestly (for me, at least).

Congratulations on finishing the first draft of the Latin book, Amber! What a tremendous accomplishment for you and your co-author.

You might remember that I picked up a copy of Good Omens at our last meetup at Prairie Lights. I also want to do a re-read before the series debuts.

And Broadchurch is fabulous, all three seasons. I think you’ll love it when you have a chance to watch.

>64 scaifea: Booyah! Congrats on finishing that draft, lady!

>78 rosalita: Thanks, Julia!

And yay for Good Omens! I need to find my copy in all the boxes of books...

And I'm happy to hear that you like Broadchurch, too. I've heard so many good things about it.

>79 lycomayflower: Thanks, Laura!

Charlie and I are headed to Indiana later this morning, so I'll be scarce here until Monday. Enjoy the weekend, all!

>64 scaifea: Oh, congratulations. Good luck with the project, and I'll happily buy a copy as and when it is available.

>82 sirfurboy: Thanks so much!

Morning, Amber! Happy Friday. Have a great visit with your folks. See you, when you get back.

And congrats on the Latin textbook. How exciting.

>84 msf59: Morning, Mark! And thanks!

Ha! I love that your statement sounds super-sarcastic (although I'm pretty sure you didn't mean it that way): "Oh, sure, SO exciting." *cue eye roll*

That make me laugh right out loud!

*snerk* "Classical scholars: tormenting undergrads since 1201"

Safe journey, fun visit, happy homecoming.

>64 scaifea: FANTASTIC! Congratulations. That's a big, serious milestone you've reached there.

Hope you have a lovely visit with the Hoosiers :)

Congrats on finishing!! Exciting :)

Let us know when we can pickup copies!

>86 richardderus: Thanks, Richard.

>87 RebaRelishesReading: Aw, thanks Reba - and yes, we had a great visit in HoosierLand, as always.

>88 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>89 drneutron: Will do, Jim!

64. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 8/10 = B+
Romeo and Juliet in a world in which the Noughts (whites) are ruled and oppressed by the Crosses (blacks): the Cross daughter of a leading politician is in love with the Nought son of a member of the resistance. Things start going pear-shaped for them both when legislation makes school desegregation mandatory and Callum (our Romeo) starts attending Sephy's (the Juliet) high school. Intense and engaging; I liked this one, although I thought the tone was a bit uneven - there was a tipping point about halfway through that made the story take a much darker turn than I would have thought possible from language in which the first half was settled. Otherwise, a good read, and I think an interesting one for white privilege kiddos, who may need help seeing things from a not-so-privileged side of vantage.

65. Anger Is a Gift by Mark Oshiro (Schneider Honor Book, 464 pages) - 9/10 = A
Moss is a black, gay teen living in Oakland, California. You don't really need much more than that to guess that life isn't easy for him, but then let's add that his father was murdered by the police, because of which Moss now suffers intense anxiety attacks when confronted with the cops or large crowds of protesters. And then his school - beat up and and derelict, with old or completely-missing equipment, books falling apart - decides that random locker searches and metal detectors at the doors are a necessity to keep the student body in check. Moss just wants a normal life, to explore his feelings for his new boyfriend, and to learn to feel comfortable in his own skin, but the world he lives in just doesn't seem to make any of that possible. This one is a doozy, folks. Honest and open and brutal, and it should be required reading for every high school kid in this country.

Treadmilling, grocery shopping, laundry, and writing today. Ballet class for Charlie this evening - the first dress rehearsal for his recital.

On the reading front:
We had a great time in Indiana, and as usual, I worked in some good reading time, too. In addition to the two reviewed above, I read The Winged Watchman and started both Have You Seen Tom Thumb? and Witch Child.

Morning, Amber! I hope you had a nice weekend with the folks. I did mean "exciting" up there. LOL. Wrong superlative? Or is that an incorrect term too? Grins...

>94 msf59: Morning, Mark!

Ha! I knew you were being sincere; it was the period at the end of the statement that made it sound possibly less than enthusiastic - it just struck me as funny, more so because I know you aren't at all the snarky type! I have a weird sense of humor sometimes...

We had a great time in Indiana, as we always do.

(P.S. "Most exciting/very exciting" would be the superlative form, which you wouldn't need here, anyway. *steps off language prof. box*)

66. The Winged Watchman by Hilda van Stockum (1001 Children's Books, 191 pages) - 8/10 = B-
In Holland during the German occupation, a family living in and taking care of a windmill struggle to make ends meet while also helping those with even less. The youngest son discovers a downed American pilot and helps him hide until his family can help get him into allied territory. So many children's books of a certain era are set in WWII Europe and explore the hardships therein, which is understandable, but it's easy to get bogged down in such an embarrassment of riches. This one hits somewhere in the middle of the pile - not exactly weak, but not exactly outstanding, either.

67. The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett (Discworld, 160 pages) - 8/10 = B
A band of heroes who have gone wrinkly and grey decide on one last hurrah that will allow them to go out with a bang - a very big bang. The Patrician isn't keen on the idea, as it will inadvertently destroy the world, so he sends a small crew in a flying contraption to stop them. More of a novella, really, but a pleasant visit to the Discworld, if a short one, with a few of the major players present.

Amber, great going on the Latin book! I hope you find a publisher soon and the book is a hit with Latin teachers.

>78 rosalita: Julia, are you speaking of the British Broadchurch or the US version?

>98 ffortsa: Thanks!

I assumed Julia was talking about the UK version, mostly because I didn't know there was a US one...

68. Witch Child by Celia Rees (1001 Children's Books, audiobook) - 9/10 = A
After her grandmother is tortured and murdered as a witch, Mary Newbury escapes England disguised as a Pilgrim headed for the New World. She finds that her new companions can be just as rigid in their rules and narrow-mindedness, and she must watch herself and hide her abilities as best she can.
Written as a series of diary entries found in later years, this YA novel does a good job of giving a sense of urgency to the story; I found myself rooting for Mary from the first page and worrying for her safety in nearly every page thereafter. It also showcases the ridiculous amount of danger the simple fact of being a woman could place you in and the insanely various forms that danger could take, from childbirth to accusations of witchcraft for appearing to be too smart or too independent for your gender.

>100 scaifea: That's the part of the witch hysteria (see what I did there?) that's always made me screechingly furious...isn't it *odd* that all these women were witches as well as healers, land owners, lesbians (as we'd call them today)? All, in other words, threatened male domination.

So they had to die.

Nauseates me and infuriates me and makes me sad for my species. Not, however, for my co-genderists. They should rot in the xian hell.

>101 richardderus: Richard: That gets a big 'ol YEP from me, friend. It's infuriating and terrifying.

>98 ffortsa: >99 scaifea: Yep, I was referring to the British version, responding to Amber's mention in >77 scaifea: of David (Tennant) and Olivia (Colman). I've never seen the American version; is it any good?

>103 rosalita: Julia: I thought we'd mentioned Coleman, but then I couldn't remember (and clearly couldn't be bothered to read back through my own thread! Yoicks.)!

Broadchurch (UK) has been on my list for a long time and I hope to get to it soonish, but not I've just started Supernatural and there's something like 15 seasons of that and I'm completely hooked and absolutely in love with Dean Dean (also Sam Dean is lovely, too) and there's no turNING BACK.

On a related note, if anyone here is a Supernatural fan I'd love to have someone to OMG! with (although of course I'm WAY behind so you'll have to endure me being clueless and freaking out about things you've known for yonks). I watched the first episode of season 2 today and spent the whole time seat-edging the fact that Dean Dean was Mostly Dead the whole time and then the dad?! And the Deal?! AND THE CAR!!.

Well, now you've got me wondering about Supernatural, which I've never seen but your fangirling has me intrigued!

>104 scaifea: Waaaay back between my first and second years of PhD school, one of my bestest college friends came to stay with me for a few days, bringing along with her the first season of SPN on DVD (it must still have been very new then, I think). Aaaand we watched ALL OF THAT SEASON in two days? A day and a half? I loved loved loved it. It also gave me the nightmares liek whoa so I've never watched any more of it. I keep telling myself to try again, especially as I don't live on my onesies in a strange city any more and it might be okay now. You tempt me greatly to finally go for it.

>105 rosalita: Julia: I've fantastic, but a little on the scary side sometimes - I can't watch it at night, so I watch an episode each day while I eat my lunch and it's fine.

>106 lycomayflower: Laura: Oooh, yes do it!! I need to talk to you about it! And yeah, I tried to watch the first episode by myself, at night, while Tomm was on a trip, and NOPE. But in daylight it's okay. Plus Dean Dean and Sam Dean make everything okay.

Treadmilling, laundry, and maybe some time in the sewing room? I haven't been down there in a good while because I've been working toward getting that first draft done. Now that I'm at a place where I need to wait for my co-author to do his thing for a bit, I've got time to get back to my sewing projects.

On the reading front:
I started When Breath Becomes Air yesterday, and I'll start The Witches of Worm on audio today, likely.

Hi, Amber!

I re-read Good Omens too - and in audio, which is unusual for me. I can’t wait for this tv adaptation either. What a cast!

Broadchurch is serious business, but really, really good. You might want to check into what it’s about before taking it on.

I’m watching the second season of American Gods. I wish I could recommend it more; the cast is great (Ian McShane as Odin, Ricky Whittle as Shadow, Crispin Glover as Mr. World, Orlando Jones as Mr. Nancy (best work I’ve ever seen from him), Emily Browning as Shadow’s wife Laura, Yetide Badaki as the goddess Bilquis, and on and on), and it has many brilliant moments. But the pace is slow (Madame MBH got bored), and it’s way more violent than it needs to be. I’m going to stick with it, but I wish it had been thought through better.

First, you gotta read some David Mitchell. I highly recommend Cloud Atlas. I've read it three or so times now. I love how all the stories weave together - though if you don't read it consistently, it can get confusing.

Second, happy Snoopy dance congrats on finishing the Latin text book. I know you've been working on that a long time. It must bring you much satisfaction (and relief) to have gotten to this point.

Lastly, I'm thinking about starting to watch Supernatural. I've been hearing about it everywhere. I'm even doing a challenge in Good Reads based on it even though I don't know anything about it. I could be convinced to start watching it. Maybe a thread?

>109 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I haven't re-read Good Omens yet - I need find it in my boxes of books first - but I want to get to it this next month, of course.

That's sad about American Gods, because the book is so excellent. I do love Orland Jones, too, and he's perfect for that role. And Gaiman was involved throughout, so it's weird that it doesn't resonate. I'm okay not watching it, though, because the book was fairly violent. I'll look into Broadchurch before I leap, but it'll be a good little while since I'm hip-deep in Supernatural at the moment.

>110 Morphidae: Morphy: Did the Mitchell come out of nowhere or is it apropos of something? Either way, I'll add him to the list. Actually, I think Cloud Atlas is already on a couple of my lists...

Thanks for the Snoopy dance! It felt weird not having it to set down to today (I need to wait on my co-author to do some stuff before I can do more stuff), but it also felt good getting back into my sewing space! I worked on making some literary light switch plates for the Etsy shop today and that was fun.

And YES! Watch Supernatural! And let's have a thread (if you want to, that is)! What's the Good Reads challenge?

>111 scaifea: Mitchell was mentioned in the last thread. I got a little behind!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/305156#6795277

and

https://www.librarything.com/topic/305156#6795465

If it would be more than just you and me watching Supernatural, it would be fun to have a thread. Otherwise, we can just talk here. I'll need to start ordering them from Netflix.

The Good Reads challenge was a bit complicated. In March we "earned" weapons with various book challenges like:

Salt: (pick one)
Read a book with the letters of the word Salt in the title
Read a book with a white cover
Read a book with the word "Salt" in the text

And I picked:

Starless by Jacqueline Carey
Task: Salt: Read a book with the letters of the word Salt in the title

Then in April we "killed" monsters with the weapons plus a different challenge. For instance, Demons, Elves, Fairies, Leprechauns, Poltergeist, and Revenant can be killed with Salt. So I look at those challenges and picked...

Elves:
Read a book with an elf in it
Read a book whose title starts with an E
Read a book with a character who is referred to as short

And I picked:

The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan
Read: 4/22
Task: Elves, Read a book with a character who is referred to as short
How it fits: "He was a short, stocky man, dressed in furs..."

I don't know if you can see our thread or not. It was a partnered challenge.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/19735929-m3---norabear-diane

And I made the longest post on your thread EVAH! Bwhahahaha.

>112 Morphidae: Ah! I'd forgotten all about that Mitchell mention.

If Laura joins us we could do a thread, or we could also, as you say, just chat here. Either is fine with me!

And your reading challenge sounds cool! Those Winchester cuties use salt a ton - they even have shotguns with salt shot. Clever!

>112 Morphidae:, >113 scaifea: I'm going to try to watch the first ep in the next day or so and see if I think I can handle the horror elements. I shall report back!

>114 lycomayflower: Laura: You probably remember, but just in case you don't, I thought that first episode was the scariest in the first season by a long shot, so maybe try at least the next one, too, if you think #1 too much. It could just be me, though - haunted houses are particularly scary for me.

I could get in on a Supernatural group thread, too, if y'all are starting one. I haven't watched any episodes yet, so it might not make sense, though.

>116 rosalita: Julia: Woot!! Maybe watch the first couple, see what you think, and report back?

Another glorious Comfy Pants Day for me, with no errands to run and no pressing need to leave the house. It was great to get back into my sewing space yesterday and I'll likely spend most of the day there again today.

On the reading front:
I read just a few pages in the Lincoln biography, listened to a bit of The Witches of Worm, and finished up Have You Seen Tom Thumb? (mini-review to come).

69. Have You Seen Tom Thumb? by Mabel Leigh Hunt (Newbery Honor Books, 260 pages) - 6/10 = C
A biography for kids of Charles Stratton (a.k.a. General Tom Thumb), who was groomed from a young age into an traveling attraction by P.T. Barnum. For its subject matter, this Newbery Honor Book could have been really interesting. Reader, it wasn't.

Morning, Amber. I LOVED that Lincoln bio. Great choice. I have a copy on my "keeper" shelf, alongside, Truman.

>120 msf59: Morning, Mark!

I'm not too far into it yet, but I can already tell that it's excellent. I'm glad you enjoyed it, too!

I need to watch a Netflix DVD tonight - probably The Terminal - then I can order the first disc of Supernatural.

>122 Morphidae: Great!

>119 scaifea: Oh boo. I hate the sense of letdown that a cool idea poorly or inappropriately executed brings.

>124 richardderus: Richard: Right?!

Hi, Amber.

For what it’s worth, I’ve become a big David Mitchell fan in recent years, as I hadn’t read him before. I just read his Murakami-ish Number9Dream, and I’m going to try to get to all of his before I go to that big library in the sky. Cloud Atlas, as Morphy mentioned, is a good place to start.

70. Uncle by J. P. Martin (1001 Children's Books, 169 pages) - 6/10 = D
A rich elephant riches it up while also being irritated by his poor, trashy neighbors. How is this a fun book for kids, again? The only redeeming quality = the illustrations by Quentin Blake.

>126 jnwelch: Thanks for the tip, Joe! He's definitely on my radar - he must be worth reading if you're out to completely the set!

>126 jnwelch: >128 scaifea: I’m also going to try to read all of his books as well. So far I’ve read Cloud Atlas, The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, The Bone Clocks, and Slade House. I’ll probably try Black Swan Green next.

Then there will just be Ghostwritten and Number9Dream left.

>129 Morphidae: Morphy, Oh, he's the Bone Clocks guy! Interesting. I know that on some list somewhere...

Today's agenda:
I need to do the menu planning for next week and prep my grocery list for tomorrow, but otherwise I'll be in my sewing space for most of the day again, I think.

On the reading front:
I read a very few pages in The Name of the Wind and started and finished The Jazz Man (review to follow).

71. The Jazz Man by Mary Hays Weik (Newbery Honor Book, 42 pages) - 7/10 = C
A young boy in living in Harlem spends his days looking out the apartment window across to other windows, keeping up with the neighbors' lives. He's particularly intent on waiting to see who moves into an empty place and is delighted when it turns out to be a jazz pianist. He also struggles with his unhappy parents and is even abandoned by them for a short period (? The narrative is fuzzy here). The premise is good, but the writing is wonky, it seems. Zeke's abandonment seems sudden and not really in line with where the story was going, and then the ending is way too abrupt and pat, making the arc even more strange and difficult to follow.

>115 scaifea: Okay, I've watched the first two eps. The ghosties definitely freak me out more than the monsterbeasties, but I think I should be okay. Am trying out watching them over breakfast, and that seems to be keeping the freakouts/nightmares at bay. So count me in for watching, at least for the nonce. (*sigh* Dean with his jacket and his car and Deanery.)

Hiya, Amber.

Did you recommend The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle? I'm pretty sure you did. I'm about to start it.

Have you read the Rosie series by Graeme Simsion? I'm over the moon about how much I enjoyed the third and final one.

>134 jnwelch: Third one?!? *runs off to the library to check*

ETA: ARGH! TEASE! It's not even out yet! (in paper) *crazy Kermit flail*

>133 lycomayflower: Laura: Woot!! Yes, Dean Dean is just the...Deaniest. (Sam Dean is nothing to sneeze at, but he'll always be GG Dean to me and that complicates matters.) I either became attuned to the scary factor after a few episodes or it quickly became actually less spooky. I'll be interested to see what your experience is.

>134 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I *did* recommend Buttle! I hope you love it. I think you will.

I've not yet read any of the Rosie books, but I think I have the first one on my shelves (read: still in boxes)...

Grocery shopping this morning, then the weekly bill sorting, a bit of cleaning, and some cookie baking. Tomm and Charlie are going Mother's Day shopping this evening, so I'll have some extra reading time, too.

On the reading front:
I finished When Breath Becomes Air yesterday, so I'll try to find time to write up my mini-review later today.

Morning, Amber. Happy Friday. I remember really loving When Breath Becomes and especially enjoyed the coda, written by his wife.

>138 msf59: Morning, Mark! I'm just getting ready to post my review now, and yes, that coda was a lovely and loving way to end the book.

72. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (Read Soon! Shelves, 224 pages) - 9/10 = A
This memoir of a young neurosurgeon who discovers that the roles have reversed as cancer invades his body was difficult for me to read. I have long had issues with thinking about death, and the thought of terminal illness and time spent in hospitals brings my anxiety-ridden brain to its proverbial knees. I knew going into this one that it would be a rough read for me, but I also knew that I wanted to give it a go because I'd heard so many fantastic things about it. And I found that it was also, unexpectedly - and despite the worries it dredged up for me - an absolute joy to read. What an impressive person Kalanithi was: so driven and compassionate and keen for all sorts of knowledge. His mix of interests and studies in the humanities and sciences shows through so beautifully in his writing. I'm awed by his eloquence, his intelligence and talents, and devastated by the thought of what the world lost when it lost him so early.

>140 scaifea: Nice review, Amber. That was a very moving book for me, too.

>141 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I'm so glad that I braved up and read it.

Happy Friday, Amber!

>135 Morphidae: Sorry, Morphy. I didn't know they held up the hard copy of The Rosie Result! It already has 65 reviews on Amazon, for goodness' sake. It says May 28 for the hard copy release, so hang in there. You're going to be happy when you get your hands on it.

Oh, When Breath Becomes Air. So good. Good review. I agree. The only thing I'd add is I thought that his wife did the book - and him - justice with her part of it.

>143 jnwelch: Morning, Joe!

I agree that his wife seems just as amazing as he does. To decide to have a child while helping him through his last stages - amazingly brave and strong.

Nice review of When Breath Becomes Air, Amber. I also loved that book, particularly the epilogue by his wife, which left me shattered and in tears.

That book was chosen for the Wellcome Book Prize shortlist in 2017, and that year I attended a session of 5 x 15 in London that was dedicated to the Wellcome Book Prize shortlist; five speakers are supposed to give 15 minute talks, but only four speakers were in attendance that day. Jeevan Kalanithi appeared in his late brother's place, and he gave a memorable and uplifting talk about Paul, which you can watch via this link: https://vimeo.com/214972095.

>140 scaifea: I'm joining the chorus of praise for your review, Amber. I share your sadness that the world lost Kalanithi so soon. My sadness is tempered with outrage that useless bores like my unloved roomie are sucking oxygen at advanced ages and he's dead.

>143 jnwelch: And I’m going to have to reread the first two, of course.

>140 scaifea:

So wonderful to read the words of a Doctor with so much personal and professional respect for women - and all of humanity.

>145 kidzdoc: Darryl: I thought of you often while reading the book, because it was so interesting and thought provoking to get a glimpse of the other side of hospital visits; the devastation of a loss, and how he was so thoughtful about guiding people who have just been given the worst kind of news about their health. I'm grateful to you and all hospitalists who put yourselves through so much to help others.

And thanks for the link! I'll definitely watch that soon, and how cool that you were able to be there!

>146 richardderus: Richard: I was floored by the breadth of his interests and studies, coupled with his talents and compassion. A rarity, and so that much more awful that he's gone.

>147 Morphidae: *Waves*

>148 m.belljackson: Yup.

Add me to the list of those who love When Breath Becomes Air. His widow and mentor from med school spoke at Chautauqua a few years ago (I think they were on the book tour then) and were wonderful too. I will never forget the book or them.

>150 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: How wonderful that you were able to attend a talk with them!

I got a fantastic surprise in the mail today - a former student/current friend sent me a package of books! Here's the loot:

Savage News
Call Me Evie
Whisper Network
Naturally Tan
The Moment of Lift
Notes on a Nervous Planet

Surprise Book Package Days are the Best Days!

>152 scaifea: How extra-delightful that it was a surprise! Nice haul, too.

>152 scaifea: Naturally Tan must be an ARC. Lucky lady!

>153 richardderus: Richard: When it comes to former students, I have an embarrassment of riches.

>133 lycomayflower: I watched the first seven seasons and stopped, but I really enjoyed Supernatural while I watched. My brother got me into around the time the 5th season ended and I blazed through the first 5 seasons on DVD. I'm not usually a horror genre guy, but I was touched by the family dynamic and the brotherly humor drama, and trauma. I was also enamored of their supporting cast along the way. Very much an extended family. But, to repeat, Sam and Dean made the show for me. I hope you continue to enjoy, lycomayflower.

>152 scaifea: What a lovely surprise!! I looked at The Moment of Lift on my book crawl Monday but ended up choosing something else. I"m looking forward to your comments to help me decide whether I should go back for it after all :)

So, I watched the season 1 ep of SPN about Bloody Mary and Dean's eyes bleed at the end when she shows up and THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT what his secret involving someone's death is. I'm dying here. Deeeean.

>159 lycomayflower: Laura: Do you mean Sam Dean or Dean Dean? I can't remember - do Dean Dean's eyes bleed, too? If so, I'm in season 2 and they still haven't mentioned it.

ETA: I just braves some discussion boards to see what I could see without seeing things I don't want to see yet (success!) and people have said that Dean Dean's eyes pretty much don't get addressed. Weird.

>157 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Well, don't hold your breath. I'm not great at getting round to new books very swiftly.

>158 Morphidae: Morphy: I can't see whatever picture that is.

Today we're meeting Tomm's family for lunch to celebrate one of Charlie's cousin's 7th birthday. So not much else will get done, I suspect. Hopefully some reading?

>160 scaifea: Auuugh. A casualty of early showness, I suppose, when they didn't know yet all they were going to do/maybe were laying crumbs for threads they ultimately chose not to follow. Oh well. I'm sure there's 8,000 fanfics that address it. :p

I'm fascinated by the fact that all the spirits so far are actually meting out justice, even if that justice is cruel and excessive. (They aren't just *evil*, like the the demons or pursuing their own nature like the monsters.) I wonder if that is deliberate and/or going somewhere or if it's just coincidence (I've only seen six eps so far) or if it's merely a function of season one's strong reliance on urban legends.

>163 lycomayflower: I think the urban legends theory is the best one, and part of what makes me like this show so much so far, even in the purely episodic early period. Unlike Buffy, where the bads were just bads at first, but the point even at the beginning was to convey the High School Is Hell and Being a Girl Is HARD themes and so they didn't need to interesting-up the background monsters as much. Whedon is the master, of course. That and, well, DEAN.

ETA: There will be much comparing of SPN to Buffy if we continue this and I refuse to apologize for that. Consider yourself warned.

>161 scaifea: Hmm, I’m going to try a different version.

ETA: Aaaaand there isn’t a way to do it on my iPad. It’ll have to wait until I’m back on my laptop.

>165 Morphidae: No worries!

Happy Weekend, Amber.

Wouldn’t you know it, your BFF loves Supernatural, too. I know something about it from her, but not enough to chat with the cognoscenti about it.

I’m a little more than halfway through Mason Buttle and liking it very much. Good tip!

Oh how fun, you're watching Supernatural! The way you watch it sounds pretty much like my method... all the lights on. I still have two episodes of the most recent season left, I kept forgetting to turn the TV on when it was on and don't have DVR.

I may have to start watching Buffy to be able to follow your comparisons - I was juuust a tad to young to be watching when it was on.

>167 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Of course she likes Supernatural! She's a cool lady, that BFF.

And yay for Buttle! I'm glad you're enjoying it.

>168 bell7: Mary: Oh, do watch Buffy - it's so wonderful!

>166 scaifea: How about now? :D

>170 Morphidae: Yep! There it is!!

We're off to see Endgame this morning, then have lunch at one of our favorite spots ( https://www.konagrill.com/ ), and then I'd like to spend the rest of the day reading. We'll see how that last part goes, but I'm very excited finally to be seeing Endgame! I've made it so far without spoilers, thank goodness.

On the reading front:
I started Ficciones yesterday, listened to more of The Witches of Worm, and started and finished My Friend Mr. Leakey.

Morning, Amber! Happy Sunday. Nice review of When Breath Becomes Air. Such a good book. Nnacy is driving down from Milwaukee today and we are taking her to the Morton Arborteum. It looks to be a beautiful day and we look forward to showing her around.

Enjoy your day.

>173 msf59: Morning, Mark! Have fun with Nancy today - I hope you have good weather for it.

73. My Friend Mr. Leakey by J. B. S. Haldane (1001 Children's Books, 179 pages) - 6/10 = D
Stories for little ones about a magician named Leakey. Getting silly just right for a kids' book isn't easy, and this book is proof.

>175 scaifea: That's sad to learn...Haldane was such an amazing person, I hate to know that he had normal human limitations. *sigh* I read Possible Worlds in the 1970s and was awed by his ability to explain the abstruse without making it sound simplistic.

Have a great time at the movies!

>172 scaifea: I looked at the restaurant’s menu. You are so much more adventurous food-wise than I am! Though the kid’s bento boxes look pretty yummy. What are your and Charlie’s favorite’s there?

>176 richardderus: Richard: Don't despair - it could just be that I have a very low tolerance for non-stellar children's books at this point, to be honest.

And thanks! The movie was fantastic; the migraine that kicked in with 45 minutes to go was not...

>177 Morphidae: Morphy: It's less adventurous than it seems on paper - we love it because it has a good pad thai (my favorite), Tomm loves the sushi (blech), and Charlie LOVES the bento boxes, which are unbelievably cool (oranges cut into the shape of a teddy bear?! So cool.).

So, End Game was great! Loki has a very cool scene that opens up possibilities for his character, so I'm happy, and most characters' stories were tied up satisfactorily, and I loved all the nods to previous movies. But, as I mentioned to Richard above, with about 30 minutes left of the movie, a migraine hit me, the likes of which I haven't experienced in years. I insisted that we go ahead to the restaurant because I knew Charlie and Tomm were really looking forward to it, so I held it together as best I could and only vomited in the bathroom once. Ordered my pad thai but didn't eat a bite (I'll have it for lunch tomorrow), made it home without yarffing in the car, and slept the rest of the afternoon away. Still have a significant headache, but the powerful meds have kicked in and I can function on a basic level now, at least. Hoping that a good night's sleep tonight will help.

>179 scaifea: Oh dear. That sounds awful. I've never "yarffed" from a headache but have had ones so bad all I could do is lay in bed in a dark room with tears streaming from my eyes. Don't you hate when you know crying will make it worse but it hurts so bad you can't help but cry? I hope you wake tomorrow feeling considerably better.

>180 Morphidae: Thanks, Morphy. Yes, it's awful knowing crying will make it worse, and then being in a movie that's making you cry doesn't help, either! I'm feeling *much* better this morning, thank goodness.

Today's agenda:
As long as I stay okay this morning, I need to run a quick shopping errand, and then I'll spend the rest of the afternoon in my sewing space (or napping, as the case may be). Ballet class tonight for Charlie, which means bonus reading time for me.

On the reading front:
Nothing to report for yesterday - too much brain pain to crack open a book.

Oof. Sorry about the headache; that sounds miserable. I get bad ones sometimes, but never that bad, I don't think.

Oh, gosh, Amber. Sorry about the wretched migraine. I haven't had a "sick headache" in many many years, but few things wreck a day like one of those, especially when you feel compelled to power through something and can't just give in to it. And then there's the hangover.

So sorry about the headache. I hope you continue to be OK today.

>183 foggidawn: Thanks - I haven't had one that bad since college, so thank goodness they're pretty rare for me.

>184 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: I'd take a hangover before one of those headaches again any day. Yoicks.

>185 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. So far so good today, although I'm completely exhausted. I gave up the idea of going on my errand and I'm resigned to taking it easy today.

>186 scaifea: Good plan, Amber. Take care of yourself.

Sorry to hear about the migraine strike, Amber but happy to hear you enjoyed End Game. I literally fist-pumped when all the ladies of Marvel lined up to back up Captain Marvel. Such an awesome moment. Hopefully your recovery day is restful.

Hi, Amber. Mason Buttle was great, thanks. I thought that would be the culprit(s). Satisfying. I recommended it to Debbi.

We plan to get to that new Avengers movie soon.

I'm sorry that your Sunday was ruined by your headache, Amber. I hope that you feel much better today.

>185 RebaRelishesReading: I meant the headache hangover---do you not get those? Shaky and worn out from the pain and/or the meds you took to get rid of it?

>187 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! I've had a restful day of mindless youtube-ing and reading and tea-drinking. Perfect!

>188 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. And YES!! That was definitely one of my favorite parts of the movie, too! Even through the migraine that part made me happy.

>189 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I'm so glad you enjoyed Buttle, and I agree that the ending was satisfying. I hope Debbi loves it, too!

I hope you get to the movie soon, too - it's definitely one to watch in the theater with other people, because their collective reactions are so fun. At one point, as I was crying over one of many of the scenes that made me cry (happy and sad and all kinds of cries), I heard a little boy behind us say to his dad, "Daddy, Mommy's crying for some reason." Ha! I thought, "I'm right there with you, sister."

>190 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I'm so thankful to be feeling tons better today.

>191 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Oh! Ha! Of course! I am completely worn out today and also fairly shaky, but I always associate that with the relief of the headache being gone, so I've never minded that part. Plus, good excuse to have a relaxing day without feeling guilty about it. The meds make me shaky, too, and also had me running to the toilet off and on all night, but still I'll take that over the pain.

I took a little time just to sit and listen to the rest of this one with my eyes closed this afternoon:



74. The Witches of Worm by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (Newbery Honor Book, audiobook) - 8/10= B-
Jessica lives in an apartment building with her neglectful mother, and their neighbors include a crazy cat lady/potential witch, a nosy landlady who likes to think of herself as the mothering type, and a boy who used to Jessica's best friend before leaving her for some boys who share his new music interests. Jess is lonely and discontent and interested in witches. So, when she finds an orphaned and ugly kitten in her secret cave hideout behind the building, she decides that it must be possessed because it tells her to do things like lie to people and push her ex-friend's trumpet out of the window. It's a cleverly-told story about a girl who clearly has some emotional issues stemming from the unhealthy relationship she has with her mother, and I really wanted to like it - I've read others of Snyder's books and liked them tons. But I couldn't bring myself to like Jess or any of the other characters, or even the cat, for that matter. So this one fell a little flat for me.

>193 scaifea: This book is the source of a favorite quote of mine:

Belief in mysteries, any manner of mysteries, is the only lasting luxury in life.

I remember reading some books of hers in younger years, but not what they were or what I liked about them.

>194 richardderus: Richard: That's the one line that stood out for me, too. Her stuff tends to be is-it-supernatural-or-is-it-just-in-their-heads? kind of stuff, which is generally pretty well done. It is here, too, but she fell short with the character drawing this time around.

Today's agenda:
Feeling stronger this morning, so I think I'll try again today to get that errand done. Sewing space time for the rest of the day, likely.

On the reading front:
I finished up Ficciones yesterday and started The Left-Handed Fate. I'll probably start Dogsong today (and may also quickly abandon it; we'll see how it goes. Dog stories and I don't generally get along, but this one is on a list, so...)

Morning, Amber! I hope your week is off to a fine start. Woke up to chill & rain again. Ugh! I can't wait until we turn the corner, once and for all. I am starting an historical crime thriller today, called The Darwin Affair. It sounds fun.

>197 msf59: Morning, Mark! Sunny and in the 70s here again today - Charlie is excited to be able to wear shorts finally! Your thriller sounds pretty good; I can't wait to see what you think of it. I've just finished Ficciones and if you haven't read it, I think you'd love it.

And #75 is a winner!



75. Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books list, 174 pages) - 10/10 = A+
I generally stay away from short stories. For some reason I tend not to enjoy them, but I made an exception here because I've heard so many fantastic things about this particular collection. I'm so very glad that I did. Borges combines fantasy with the world of books in a way that makes me absolutely giddy: reviews of books that don't actually exist, the discovery of an encyclopedia detailing a country that never was, the description of a(n) (possibly) infinite labyrinthine library that includes every possible book that could ever possibly be written,... And he does it all so beautifully. If heaven itself were a book, it would look something like this.

If heaven itself were a book, it would look something like this.

Yes! For some reason I've never finished Ficciones, even though it's one of the oldest books in my current library. "Funes the Memorious" is one of my favorite short stories. Thanks for the impetus to dig it out, Amber.

ETA: Congratulations on hitting the 75 books mark!

>200 kidzdoc: Hi, Darryl! Oh, do get it out and finish it! So. Good.

>199 scaifea: For fear of triggering that migraine again, I'll forego the customary "you-did-it" fireworks GIF.

YOU DID IT! Brava!

And what a terrific book to make 75 on. I loved that collection. I'm also a short-story lover, though, so I'd be the least likely to dislike it.

Congrats!

>199 scaifea: Congrats for both the 75th book and hitting me with a book bullet! (I'm not much of a short story reader either - but BOOKS!) Onto my recommended list it goes!

Dang, that migraine sounds intense. I'm so glad you're feeling better!

(I'm up through s1 ep16 of SPN, by the way.)

>202 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! It *is* such a terrific book. So much to think about.

>203 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>204 Morphidae: Thanks, Morphy! These stories are very cool - I think you'd like them.

>205 lycomayflower: Laura: Yeah, it wasn't wonderful I'm sure glad it's over.

Oooh, #16 is a good one! Stuff. Happening.

Felicitations on reaching the magic number, Amber!

Congrats on 75! I'm on a really good pace this year, but not that good :)

>207 MickyFine: >208 katiekrug: Thanks, ladies!

It's a stay-at-home, comfy-pants day and I'm here for it! Treadmilling this morning and then some sewing space time for most of the day, I think, after I get the Lemon Basil Chicken in the slow cooker for dinner.

On the reading front:
I started The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents yesterday and intended to start Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World before bed, but conked out instead. I'll try again today.

Hi, Amber.

I read Ficciones way too long ago, as a lad. You’re reminding me that I need to re-read it. Thanks for the enthusiastic review.

P.S. Adding my congratulations on reaching 75!

>211 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I'm not surprised that you enjoyed the Borges - its seems like it would be right up your street. And it's definitely one that could be re-read many times.

And thanks!

Happy Lemon Basil Chicken Day! (Sounds better than Humpday, at least to me.)

>210 scaifea: Oooh I'm super jealous of your day.

>213 richardderus: Hi, Richard! It's a great - and super-simple - recipe: chicken breasts, grated lemon zest and juice, fresh basil, and chicken broth, in the slow cooker for 6 hours on low. I'll steam some broccoli and that's that. One of Charlie's favorite meals.

>214 MickyFine: Micky: It's been fair-to-middlin' because the headache is trying to make a comeback. So far I've managed to keep it at bay, but we'll see how the rest of the day goes. Tons of water (and I sneaked in a coffee for the caffeine) and meds every 4 hours... I wish you a comfy-pats day but not the brain pain.

>215 scaifea: NUMMERS! I will do that soon.

Boo for the ongoing headache!

My pants may not be yoga pants level comfy but they're not too bad. Plus they're bright red which makes me super happy. Now if only the pesky work thing would go away. ;)

>216 richardderus: Richard: Plus it makes me feel all adulty because it's fairly healthy...

>217 MickyFine: Micky: Yeah, at least the pain is manageable this time around (so far), so I'm not complaining too much. And yay for red pants! I love it!

>218 scaifea: Heh, I promise not to mess with your denial.

>219 richardderus: What's healthier than chicken breasts and broccoli?! C'mon.

Lentils, without oil or fat; steamed kale without adornment; cauliflower "rice" enlivened by plain lima beans; all the "healthy" crud that the professional food-haters plug as "delicious! You'll never miss the meat or the fat!"

Yes, I will. And I will be vocally unhappy.

>221 richardderus: (I love lentils.)

I do too, when properly soaked in olive oil.

I like mashed cauliflower. And lentils. And lima beans. I grew up on succotash (sweet corn plus lima beans.)

>223 richardderus: Nah. Cooked in chicken broth, with some chopped green pepper, a little cumin...

>224 Morphidae: Morphy: I've never had mashed cauliflower, but I bet I'd like it, since I do like plain old cooked cauliflower. But I can't do lima beans because the texture drives me nuts. I thought succotash could be corn mixed with any kind of beans (my mom used to make it, too, but not with lima beans)...

Well, the headache seems to have backed down, at least for now, so we'll see how today goes. If it stays out of the way, then I'm hoping for more sewing space time (I didn't really get in there yesterday much). I also need to do my menu planning for next week and prep the grocery list.

On the reading front:
I spent a little time with the Lincoln biography (excellent so far), listened to a bit of Dogsong (meh, we'll see), and started Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World (also pretty good here at the beginning).

Morning, Amber. Sweet Thursday. Waking up to rain here. Big shocker, right? Hooray, for the Lincoln bio! Bummer about Dogsong. Say Nothing has been excellent on audio. I am sure this will end up being a 5 star read.

>227 msf59: Morning, Mark! Dogsong may get better - sometimes it takes me a little while to get into audiobooks, plus I have a good amount of faith in Paulsen (I've read others of his and loved 'em), which is the only reason I'm giving a dog book a try at all.

Yay for potential 5-star reads!

>224 Morphidae: Succotash has a fatal flaw for me: Corn. Yech. I'll eat it, unlike corn on the cob, but never ask for it.

>225 scaifea: As long as there's plenty of fat to take the sandy dryness quotient down, I'm happy with most any spice preparation of lentils, peas, beans, etc. I actively love dilled limas cooked with rice in chickiebroth, then generously sour creamed.

I hope Thursday's head-pain-free reading pleases and diverts you.

Sweet Thursday, Amber.

I’m glad the headache is backing down.

How’s Charlie doing?

I’m giving a go to a standalone by the author of the Ruth Galloway mystery series, Elly Griffiths. It’s called Stranger Diaries, and vancouverdeb loved it.

>229 richardderus: Richard: For me, the best way to eat lentils is to load a spoonful onto a Stone Wheat cracker, then add a slice of havarti cheese. Yum.

>230 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Thanks! The headache is better, but I sense it's ghost hanging around waiting for me to forget to hydrate or caffeinate... CONSTANT VIGILANCE!

Charlie's great! He has a speech to give at school today; all the 4th graders are giving demonstrative speeches and he chose How to Take Care of and Enjoy Comic Books for his topic. Love that nerdy kiddo. He's been practicing the speech for me all this week and he's doing great.

I'll look for your review of the standalone mystery!

Glad your headache is going and hope Charlie's speech went well.

Hi Amber my dear, belated congrats on hitting your 75th book of the year, I am doing pretty well so far this year and am currently reading number 34 which is not bad for me and I am in front of Karen for the first time this year. I will make the most of being in front of Karen as she will pick up her reading soon and then be back I front of me and then stretch further in front when we are away in Madeira.

Hope both Charlie and Tomm are both well and send love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

>232 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! Charlie did a fabulous job today on his speech!

>233 johnsimpson: Hi, John! I love that you and Karen are keeping track of your reading together, and I can't wait to see who 'wins'!

So, Charlie was *so* happy when he got home this afternoon - he earned a *perfect* score for his speech today! WOOT!!

Way to go, Charles!

>236 rosalita: *grins*

He's such a funny kiddo; he's so super-shy around adults, but not at all around kids and definitely not on any sort of stage (ballet performances don't phase him at all and he wasn't nervous for this in the slightest). He's signing up for the school talent show and wants to write a short story and do a reading of it. Complex little dude and I love it.

No surprise that Charlie did well!! Of course he did.

>238 RebaRelishesReading: Reba: Ha! Of course he did! His teacher mentioned that this speech project was coming up when I met with her for P/T conferences a couple of months ago, because she was concerned that his shyness would mean that he wouldn't do well. I tried to tell her that no, he'll likely do just fine because the shyness is only directed toward her (an adult he doesn't know that well) and that once he gets on any sort of stage he's fine. She looked at me suspiciously but now she knows that, surprise!, this momma actually knows her son better than she does. *sigh*

Today's agenda:
Grocery shopping and a stop at both of our libraries this morning, then sorting through the weekly bills, a bit of cleaning, some baking (Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies). Tomm has decided to work from home today, which means my schedule will likely be shot to hell. Yay? *sigh*

On the reading front:
I worked on The Name of the Wind yesterday (so good!) and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World, which is interesting so far.

Happy Friday, Amber.

I envy you reading Name of the Wind for the first time. That was such a welcome surprise - I didn’t expect it to be that good.

Charlie on How to Take Care of and Enjoy Comic Books! My kind of guy. I might have driven over for that one.🙂

Hello smoochling, I have nothing remotely interesting to say so I'll just leave smiles and hugs and a generalized beam of good wishes and happiness support over here.

>241 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! Name of the Wind is so amazing. I'm trying to read it slowly to stretch it out, since the third book seems to be a bit of a Martin situation. But every time I sit down with it, before I know what's happened, I've read 50 pages. *sigh*

Charlie aced that speech, and it was a good one (I witnessed many practice sessions).

>242 richardderus: Aw, thanks, Richard!

Today's agenda:
Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits have been baked and enjoyed already, and now Tomm is outside working on a new flower bed while I have a cuppa and Charlie is up playing in his room. We have a ballet recital rehearsal to go to at 11:30 and we'll likely have lunch while we're out - we're thinking of trying somewhere new (to us) in New Albany, which is where Charlie's ballet rehearsal will be. Then I'm hoping for an afternoon of reading. We'll see how that goes...

On the reading front:
Not much to report from yesterday, other than a few pages in Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World, and I finished Dogsong (mini-review to follow soon).

76. Dogsong by Gary Paulsen (Newbery Honor Book, audiobook) - 8/10 = B-
Russell is a young boy in an Eskimo village who is unhappy that his people have strayed from their traditions. He takes the village shaman's dogs and sled out alone, on a quest to find his own song.
I've generally enjoyed Paulsen's books, but I couldn't get into this one at all. Just not my cuppa, I suppose.

Woot for Charlie and his speech!

(Have finished S1 of SPN... and the first ep of S2 because, well.)

>246 lycomayflower: Thanks, Laura! He's pretty proud of how he did, and we are, too.

Yay for Supernatural!! What did you think?

Congrats on reaching (and surpassing) 75, Amber! I may have to see if I can get my hands on a copy of the Borges. I've been reading and enjoying some short stories lately and that sounds good. Glad you're still enjoying The Name of the Wind and Supernatural.

>248 bell7: Hi, Mary! And thanks! Do try to find a copy of Borges, because it's so stinkin' fabulous. Re: Rothfuss and Supernatural - I seem to be surrounding myself in excellent entertainment lately and I'm loving it!

77. The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett (Discworld, 241 pages) - 8/10 = B+
The Pied Piper, Discworld style, i.e. from the viewpoint of the rats (and a talking cat named Maurice. Because of course.) Fun and silly and with interesting characters, as per usual.

Congrats to Charlie on his perfect score for his speech! Public speaking and speeches were always my worst scores and I still can't do it!

>251 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle! I'll pass on the message. I was terrible at that sort of thing when I was his age, too, and it wasn't until grad school, when I was dropped into teaching a class without any training (!?) that I had to get over that shyness FAST. Now I have no problem getting up in front of groups of people.

Happy Mothers' Day, everyone!

My day started out fabulously with breakfast in bed, courtesy of Charlie (toast with butter and a perfectly brewed cup of tea (that kid *knows* how to make a cup of tea, it's crazy)), and then presents: a box of Lindt chocolates, a homemade card, and a book that he bought at the book fair this week but isn't *giving* to me, just letting me borrow - ha!. Perfect! Now, besides a few loads of laundry, I plan on spending the day in my rocking chair with my books. (The book I can borrow is Smile, which we've both wanted to read for a good while now.)

On the reading front:
I made progress on Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World yesterday and hopefully will finish it today. Then I'd better get hopping on this borrowed book, I think... I also need Tomm to help me move my book boxes around so I can find the one with my copy of Good Omens, which I want to reread before the show comes out.

>253 scaifea: (that kid *knows* how to make a cup of tea, it's crazy)) That is so neat. (And very handy!) Sounds like you have a pretty perfect day planned.

>247 scaifea: I really enjoyed it! They definitely have me hooked--I really want to know what is going on, and Iiiii might be very invested in watching to be sure that no one ever hurts Dean (Dean Dean) again (I am sure I will be disappointed on this front). I had forgotten that S1 ends on such a crazy cliffhanger, and while I was pretty sure I had seen at least the first ep of S2 before (I have no idea *when* though, as I'm sure it wasn't in that first marathon viewing of S1 with my friend, because we only *had* S1), I couldn't for the life of me remember how it all played out. I mean, I knew Dean and Sam had to survive, because fifteen seasons, but John? And then ep1 of S2!

I loved the triangulation in the relationship among Sam, Dean, and John, the way the feelings among the three of the them would shift and morph over time. I feel like we start out thinking Dean is a little messed up but pretty stable (ish) and Sam is just little Sammy who probably isn't totally up to all this demon hunting and then by the end that's largely reversed with Dean just barely holding it together. *pets Dean* So I hope that John is not gone from the show.

I'm slightly annoyed that we don't get any real answers about the demon and the kids and the women on ceilings, but hey, I get to just keep watching so that's mostly all right. And more story!

I liked that the Colt didn't turn into a McGuffin (or maybe it was a McGuffin light). It pretty much showed up and they had it rather than it being a thing they needed to hunt for episode after episode. I feel like some shows just do these mini-arcs of one McGuffin after another--for these three eps we have to find the necklace! We found the necklace! Turns out it's useless without the dagger! Let's spend four eps looking for *that*!--and it was refreshing that it wasn't that.

One of my fav eps of the season was ep17, with the ghost that kept changing when the story about him changed because the whole thing was fueled by people's belief in the story. Love the meta!

So yeah. I think it's safe to say I'm watching Supernatural now.

>254 lycomayflower: Laura: He's a neat kiddo, for sure. A couple of years ago he asked me to show him how to make a pot of tea and now he will occasionally ask me if I want one, just so he can make it for me. Knows to warm the pot first and everything. Such a sweetheart.

I'm *so* glad you like SPN! I'm loving it, too. I was worried about the Colt, too, but yeah, I like how it turned out - super-frustrating but in a good way. And I agree about the morphing of the relationships and stuff; both brothers have ISSUES and I like that. I suspect John will be back somehow, but that could just be my Buffy senses ("Hey, I died twice" sort of thing). And yeah, I think we're both in for a world of worry and hurt with our worrying about Dean Dean. That boy. *sigh*

And the ghost episode is my favorite so far, too! I love the goofy ghost hunters as an added hilarity - and the Buffy reference!

Things are getting intense in season 2 and it's excellent.

I'm excited for Morphy to get started with it, too - we'll maybe need to make that thread once she does, if she likes it.

78. Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake (Stonewall Honor Book, 310 pages) - 9/10 = A
12-year-old Ivy Aberdeen's world is turned upside down when a tornado completely destroys her family's home, all while a different kind of storm is raging inside her heart and mind. She likes girls but is terrified to talk to anyone about it, especially now that it feels like her family is pulling away from her, all too preoccupied with putting their lives back together in a way that seems not to need her, and her best friend can't seem to talk about anything but the boy she has a crush on. But then Ivy meets June and the butterflies in her stomach tell her that she has a crush of her own. She works to find a way to tell the world who she really is, and works to figure that out for herself as well.
What a lovely story. A fantastic way to show kiddos who may be going through the same things that they're not alone, and to show everyone else a glimpse into what those kiddos are dealing with. This one definitely goes on my What Should Be Required Reading in All Schools list.

>256 scaifea: What a wonderful find of a book. I hope many school libraries receive copies from broad-minded donors.

>257 richardderus: Richard: I hope so, too. It's the kind of book that could really turn things around for all sorts of kids, and the fact that it's well-written, too, is fantastic.

79. Smile by Raina Telgemeier (the book that Charlie let me borrow as a Mother's Day present, graphic novel) - 9/10 = A
A graphic novel memoir that describes life in the early 90's as a sixth-through-tenth-grade girl with braces and mean friends and crushes and obnoxious siblings and braces and, well, more braces. I felt like I was reading an account of my own life as an early mouth-full-of-braces teen in the early 90's, cringeworthy in all the right places and hopeful and funny in all the right other places. Fun and funny and thoughtful and true. I loved it.

>255 scaifea: I have the CD with the first four episodes and will be starting soon. The plan is to start tonight but I'm not making any promises.

ETA: I'm so glad you are having a Happy Mother's Day. Hope the rest is awesome!

>260 Morphidae: Morphy: If you're easily spooked, maybe wait until daytime? That first episode, I think, is a little scary (it's a ghost one).

And thanks! It's been a great day.

>261 scaifea: Nah. I don't mind being spooked. Nothing on TV (even streaming) usually bothers me. It has to be really bad, like Saw bad, for me to be bothered.

>262 Morphidae: Oh, well you'll be okay, then. It doesn't take much at all to scare me, and there's no way I could ever watch the Saw movies. *shudders*

>263 scaifea: Re: Saw movies - You and me both.

>264 Morphidae: How are those things enjoyable?! Yoicks.

>264 Morphidae: I don’t know. There are some really sick people out there.

>266 Morphidae: Morphy: Ha! Maybe just braver and more emotionally equipped to deal with that kind of scary.

Today's agenda:
Treadmilling this morning, then a quick trip to the grocery shop for, of all things, mayo (I'm making open-faced reubens for dinner and need it for the coleslaw, but didn't realize until yesterday that we're out of the stuff. Gah.). I also need to stop at the P.O. to drop off some etsy packages and then also the library to pick up some holds. I'll likely spend the afternoon in the sewing space.

On the reading front:
After breezing through Smile (such a fun and quick read), I made a little progress on The Left-Handed Fate and then started Song of the Pines.

Morning, Amber! I hope you had a nice Mother's Day. I am back to the grind, (all 6 days of it) after our camping trip in WI. I was surprised how cool it was all weekend. We made the best of it.

>269 msf59: Morning, Mark! I had a great day yesterday. I thought of you this weekend, up there in the chilly weather - Tomm's parents are camping even farther up in WI right now, and they must really be cold!

Okay, new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/306948#6818807

I was on vacation last week, so belated congratulations on reaching 75, Amber!

>272 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!