Anne (AMQS) Reads in 2022 - 2

Welcome, or welcome back! My name is Anne. I live in Colorado with my husband Stelios, and three kitties. We have two grown daughters, one of whom is in central PA attending university, and the other has recently moved home. I am a teacher librarian in a little mountain elementary school, so I read a lot of children's literature, along with adult literary fiction. I adore audiobooks and always have one going for my commutes up to school. This is my 13th year in the group (thank you, Jim/drneutron!)

Now reading: Audio:

2022 Reading (1):

June, 2022
37. We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
38. English Creek by Ivan Doig
39. The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo
40. Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega
41. Emma by Jane Austen
42. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
43. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
44. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
45. Root Magic by Eden Royce
46. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

May, 2022
30. Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson
31. An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
32. The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert
33. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
34. Starfish by Lisa Fipps
35. Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan
36. Linked by Gordon Korman
May favorite:

April, 2022
23. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
24. These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
25. Hardscrabble by Sandra Dallas
26. Molly of the Mall: Literary Lass and Purveyor of Fine Footwear by Heidi L.M. Jacobs
27. Network Effect by Martha Wells
28. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
29. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
April favorites:

March, 2022
15. Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz
16. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
17. West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
18. The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats by Daniel Stone
19. The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell
20. Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman
21. Hanna’s Daughters by Marianne Fredriksson
22. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
March favorites:

February, 2022
8. The Art of the Wasted Day by Patricia Hampl
9. Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd
10. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
11. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
12. The Lost Pianos of Siberia by Sophy Roberts
13. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
14. Stella By Starlight by Sharon Draper
February favorite:

January, 2022
1. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
2. Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin
3. Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park
4. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
5. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
6. The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin
7. The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly
January favorite:

Just in case...

2021 favorites (in order read):
The Sacrament by Olaf Olafsson
When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohamed and Victoria Jamieson
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (reread)
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London by Christopher Skaife
Persuasion by Jane Austen (reread)

Happy new one, Anne!

From your previous thread, I also (eventually) had my Wordle stats disappear. I didn't mind too much but decided to tweet at them to see what was what. I got a response very quickly and it seems most of the issue is if one hasn't gone to the old site (http://powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle) before diving into the new (NYT) one. So you might click on that link; when I did, it showed my solution for today and had all the stats and it was on the new, NYT-branded site. It just needs that redirect from the old site where your original stats were. Hope this helps!

Hi there. I am here, as usual.

*smooch*

Happy new thread, Anne. I'm also listening to Rogue Protocol right now. They are great audiobooks.

Happy new thread, Anne. Sorry to hear about all the mask mandate drama happening in your school district. We've got similar things going on in our province and I also find it super stressful (as someone who works from home). Sending hugs and hoping time flies by until spring break.

>6 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I have always loaded Wordle the same exact way, and have tried going to the old site a few times but that doesn't fix it. So my streak of course is long gone, but I wish moving forward I could have a new streak. Or even the same game to keep my progress. When I solve the puzzle I get a long string of zeros so it's not keeping new stats either and I can't share my score. I submit a report daily and get an autoreply daily that the problems have been fixed but alas.
There obviously bigger problems in the world (and in my life) but it is a bummer.

>7 richardderus: Hurrah! *smooch*

>8 BLBera: Aren't they, Beth? I almost enjoy them more on audio because they're such page turners that I'm sure I missed a lot in print as I went blazing along.

>9 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. We were directed to have class meetings Friday to prepare students for the fact that some people would likely continue to wear masks and that any harassment of anyone making that choice would be unacceptable. I don't have a homeroom so I didn't need a class meeting. Just observing people in the building today it seems that maybe 10% of students are still wearing masks and probably 1/3 of teachers are. Hoping for the best as I don't see us going back even if cases rise. I am still masking, of course. I, too hope spring break hurries along!

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Anne.

Happy new thread, Anne!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Anne! Sorry about all the mask funny business :(

>10 AMQS: I very early lost my streak as the stats got wiped and I can't be bothered to try to recover them so I will just continue a new streak!

Masks are still required to be worn here at work and nobody much bothers about it or the fact that they are lowered by most of us at our desks to get a "breather". I get the problems and controversy surrounding schools and especially depending upon the ages of the kids but it is certainly the case that those who want to continue to wear them should be allowed to do so for as long as they are comfortable with it. I may not be for mandates but that certainly goes both ways - people cannot be mandated not to wear them either.

Finally and since it is already Tuesday here I wanted to wish Callia a very happy birthday. Please pass on my good wishes to your lovely eldest daughter.

I'm still wearing a mask in public places, for sure! And that would definitely include school were I still working. My sister has gone back to wearing hers.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Anne!
Over here the masks (and almost all other regulations) will not be required anymore in 10 days...

Happy New Thread, Anne! I hope the week is off to a good start for you.

>11 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

>12 PaulCranswick:, >16 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. I was disappointed to lose my streak, but that seems like small potatoes compared to never having a streak, or even having a win acknowledged! I cannot share my score, etc. since I have zero history even moving forward. I guess it's all small potatoes but I did really enjoy playing and comparing solutions with Callia and with my brother in Germany, but I can no longer do that.

Most teachers here would take masks off when working alone in their classrooms and still do, but covid has definitely run through our school hard. But teachers here teach a lot of kids for an elementary school. They have a homeroom, but may have different kids (or teach a different grade level) for math, and also for science and social studies since our homerooms are often multi-grade. I teach about 75 kids a day and over 100 on Fridays, so the exposure is definitely there and I will continue to mask.

Thank you very much for Callia's birthday wishes. She and Stelios are going to an Avalanche game tonight (hockey) and there is a cocktail event for season ticket holders beforehand, so that should be fun for them. That means that her birthday dinner will be delayed since I won't get home in time to cook it before they have to go, so the celebration will continue:) I think I will bake her requested spiced sweet potato cake while they're gone so she can have her birthday cake when they get home tonight.

>13 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia! Are you feeling any more like yourself?

>14 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori!

>15 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! It's happening all over the country, so we're not alone, I just think it's too soon (for me, anyway) and I hate that we accelerated our ditching of the masks after a threat against our superintendent. Even if the two were not related, it looks like they are and I think that sends a terrible message. Not getting your way? Threaten someone's life!

>17 ronincats: Hi Roni! I think that many people are ready to get back to normal, but many people (who still want normal) are not ready to stop wearing masks. I don't know when I'll decide if I'm ready, but I know it's not now. I noticed that many of my colleagues who stopped wearing masks actually had Covid recently, so I guess that makes more sense for them.

>18 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita!

>19 foggidawn: Thank you, foggi!

>20 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! I think it's happening everywhere. Maybe this will help people give other people a little grace.

>21 msf59: Thank you, Mark! Stelios and I usually get a couples massage for Valentine's Day, so it was a nice start to the week.

Hi Anne. From your last thread... your upcoming vacation in Florida sounds wonderful. What a good friend you have. It will be worth the hassle of coordinating schedules and travel times for your family. How close to the beach will you be?

I also enjoyed reading about the Battle of the Books. Sounds like fun.

>23 AMQS: Regarding the mask situation ..."Maybe this will help people give other people a little grace." Well said. We can all use grace rather than animosity. I am so tired of these contentious times.

>22 AMQS: & >23 AMQS: Getting back to normal is all well and good but we cannot and should not stamp on anyone's freedom to mask if they want to or for private organisations to set its own rules. What a sad and sorry state of affairs to see people threatened over such things.
The case of children in schools is a difficult and delicate case where we need to weigh the exigencies of mask wearing on the very young, the stress it places upon them, their personal safety, the safety of those teaching them and developmental issues for the children. I have no answers on this and I am certainly not qualified to offer any but 75 kids does seem quite a number of kids and I suppose class sizes and school infrastructures are also factors. Upshot is that I think we should value the teaching profession more.

Hope Callia and Stelios have a grand time and that you enjoy your subsequent "party". I have never heard of "spiced sweet potato cake" and am intrigued.

>24 Donna828: Indeed, Donna. Grace over animosity anyday.

Having known several fully-vaccinated boosted people who got Omicron, I'm not particularly afraid of getting Covid right now. I'm more concerned about being asymptomatic and passing it on to others without knowing I have it. So, I keep masking up.

>24 Donna828: Donna, we know how lucky we are to have such a great friend! I'm not sure exactly how close to the beach. Not close enough to walk, but not more than 10-ish minutes I wouldn't think. There's also a large pool area in his neighborhood.

And yes, so contentious. People are fraying and civility is also. I am grateful for the people who are kind and considerate, and I am fortunate enough to know many of them.

>25 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! The spiced sweet potato cake is now a family favorite and the usual one requested for birthdays. It really is a delicious cake, and with enough sweet potato to justify its inclusion in a healthy breakfast:)

And yes, I wish the teaching profession was more valued. I feel protected in my school, but I know educators are under attack in our country right now, and librarians also. I did survive week 1 without masks. It is nice to see their sweet faces again, even if they don't see mine yet.

>26 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I am still masking and still planning to for awhile. At least two of our friends here in the 75ers have struggled mightily and for far longer that a typical omicron course. I am surprised I haven't caught it yet, unless, as you say, I did have it and was asymptomatic.

11. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells, audiobook narrated by Kevin R. Free. 5 stars

I love Murderbot and that is all. I am tremendously enjoying my reread in audio format this time. Callia is blazing through the books and is reading aloud her favorite bits to me. So much fun.

12. The Lost Pianos of Siberia by Sophy Roberts. 4 stars.

This book took me awhile to get through, but it was absolutely fascinating. Like the author (and many other authors), I found Siberia to be utterly fascinating, even though I had known very little about it. What a strange, enchanting. dangerous, wild, and breathtakingly diverse place. The pianos were almost like an afterthought - something to occasionally ground the fascinating travelogue and history, and provide the author and the reader with quirky, generous, and often heartbreaking personal stories. The journey began as a way to procure a piano for a gifted Mongolian pianist. The reader crisscrosses thousands and thousands of miles in the capable hands of the author, who writes just beautifully. Recommended.

>27 AMQS: Didn't mean to imply I don't mask up because I do, all of the time, with K-95's, but with my mask firmly over my mouth and nose I just pretty much go ahead with my normal life. Except, I only go to inside large events if they require, and check for, full vaccination -- and have only done that a couple of times.

Hi Anne! Just dropping in to say hello. I’m sure you’re counting the days to your spring break. It’s well deserved. I can’t imagine how hard working in a school has been these last few years. At least you’re not in DougCo.

Sorry to hear of your Wordle woes. I’d be sad to lose my 45 day streak although I know I will eventually.

>29 AMQS: That does indeed look fascinating, Anne.

Have a great weekend.

>30 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I didn't "read" that - like you, I mask all the time, but we rarely go out. Except that I teach, so there's my risk quotient! Teaching in an N-95 is a bear. The NYT recommended the Korean KN94 masks and I seem to do well with those, but I also do a triple-ply cloth mask with a filter. When it's all day every day you get by however you can!

>31 Copperskye: Joanne, we're watching DougCo with a sick dread because that was us a few years ago. Jeffco voters elected a horrible school board that we were able to recall a couple of years later but we're still recovering from the damage they did. It was another tough week at school with a parent death (ALS and it was a long time coming but of course his child is devastated) and two teachers out having surgery for tumors/cancer. One (stomach surgery) turned out to be benign but the other is a positive lymphoma. We're still limping along but yes, very ready for spring break.

>32 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. It really was fascinating, and I do recommend the book.

13. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells, audiobook narrated by Kevin R. Free. 5 stars.

When the going gets tough, the tough need Murderbot and I certainly do. Callia is almost bereft that she finished the series. An audio does allow for a slower read and I am enjoying them thoroughly.

I started a new Wordle streak - it's at one game now, but after a couple of weeks of all zeros after solving the puzzle I am excited!

>35 AMQS: woo hoo! All is right in the world now.

>33 AMQS: Oh my, such awful news from your school, Anne. Mental hugs to all involved.

Yes, I can imagine that teaching all day in a N-95, of KN-95 or triple-mask would be tough. Just wearing one all day in a plane leaves me with a wet lower-face and strong desire to be freed.

Hope spring break is very restorative.

>29 AMQS: That sounds fascinating! And just imagine having the experience of rediscovering a belovèd series anew in a different format...whee!

Now if Life would just leave us the heck alone to get on with the good bits....

Happy new(ish) thread, Anne! Glad you're enjoying rereading Murderbot.

Hi Anne - When is your spring break? Mine is March 7-11. One more week...

The Lost Pianos of Siberia sounds good; luckily it's already on my list. I just finished listening to Exit Strategy and it was another good Murderbot book. I'm waiting for the next audiobook to become available. The narrator does a fine job with them.

>36 lauralkeet: Yes, I still played, but always felt sad when I got all zeros after a win. Happier now!

>37 RebaRelishesReading: It's been a rough go, which makes me so grateful to be part of such a supportive community. I still am not crazy about the mask requirement dropping, but I think people are just over it. I'm not there yet. Are you home yet?

>38 richardderus: Hi Richard! Yes, it's annoying how often life's obligations get in the way of the good bits!

>39 bell7: Thanks, Mary, I am enjoying it a lot! I am taking a Murderbot break to listen to the second Aristotle and Dante book, which I messed up my hold for in January and was determined not to do it again!

>40 BLBera: Oh Beth, you're so close! Are you going to travel for your break? Does Scout have the same break as you? Mine is the week of March 21 so still a little time. This week has been bitter cold and snowing. Yesterday the high was two degrees below zero at my school and today we topped out at 4. I am dreaming of the Florida sunshine!

>22 AMQS: our kids have had to wear masks at school for the first time in classes just this year. The Omicron variant has resulted in mandated masks at school, on public transport and in shops etc, and although I feel for the kids, am impressed at how they all just go "OK, we're all doing this" and then do it. There's no drama, I don't have to remind them, and they don't complain at all. (There is, however, an ever larger group of protesters who oppose vaccine mandates outside our main government building- and *they* are abusing school kids and others walking past with masks to the extent that the local school and university has closed- and are having to do home learning!).

Sorry the Wordle woes continue! Have you used the Wordle Archive (just google that phrase). You might be able to access them via that...they are loaded daily and the numbers match with the 'real' one.

>42 LovingLit: kids have done so well in masks. I guess I can’t speak for high schools but my elementary kids just wore them. For 2 years. Those adults harassing the kids… that makes me so angry, and so sad. Adults in general have failed kids so badly. And healthcare workers, and front line workers, and the vulnerable. I can’t see how we’ll ever recover from it.

But on the Wordle front my news is actually good- I now have a streak as if this past weekend. It’s a new streak but I’m ok with that- the game works like it’s supposed to and I’m happy.

Hope your week is going well, Megan!

Awake at this hour because weather woes are making my pain levels ugly. I did get a good deal of digital housekeeping done and will end February with 29 blogged reviews! One a day on average. Most chuffed with my productivity.

Several of them got better as I rooted out some weirdly phrased and incompletely reasoned stuff...and then I Wordled:
Wordle 250 3/6

⬜🟨🟩⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
No more whinging about American spellings from the Brits will be allowed. You'll see why.

>44 richardderus: Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that, Richard. I hope your pain eases and that you can get some rest. And wow - 29 reviews! You're amazing!

Glad to have my Wordle back, and you're right about todays' word... that hint was helpful!

>45 AMQS: I'm so glad it helped! Apparently I wasn't considered for evisceration by the mildly irked Katie because my hint (honestly didn't think it was very helpful myownself) was less unsubtle than some Twitterers. That was a relief.

I've given in, drunk some strong coffee, and will now treatmthis like jet lag: keep moving until you crash then sleep until you can't anymore.

14. Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper. 4.5 stars

In the dedication, Ms. Draper says this is the story she promised her father she would write, and that it is his and his mother's tales combined. And she starts with a bang:
Nine robed figures dressed all in white. Heads covered with softly pointed hoods. Against the black of night, a single wooden cross blazed. Reflections of peppery-red flames shimmered across the otherwise dark surface of Kilkenny Pond.

This is the first paragraph of a middle grade story set in 1930s rural North Carolina, a time when Black citizens were completely segregated and lived in constant fear of both the terrorizing Klan, and every day dangers and hardship. Yet amid the fear, there are wonderfully uplifting stories of love and joy and the community coming together to take care of one another. What can they do in the face of such overwhelming hatred? How can they thrive when everything is so stacked against them? How can families hope? When some of the community's men decide the best gift they can give their children is a vote, the community steels itself for the promised consequences, which will be exacted, along with other barriers like a citizenship test and a prohibitive poll tax. This is outstanding historical fiction, and unfortunately still relevant.

>46 richardderus: I hate to start the day with a friend eviscerated, so I'm glad you escaped. I spent a lot of time considering US vs UK spellings, which wasn't helpful, but your hint did help me narrow down, and I think the more people in your corner, the better. I'm joining you for coffee with my thermos at my desk during my planning period.

>48 AMQS: I'm at the caffeination point where I can hear colors and see sounds, so I might even make it to sundown before I crater!

>41 AMQS: Hi Anne. Yes we got home last night. It was interesting in Hawaii. On Oahu and Maui we were required to show our vaccination card and id every time we entered a restaurant and on all three island people were masked up all the time. Folks on the plane yesterday were masked and considerate too.

I'm really glad you have LT and that it's a good support for you. Readers are generally good people and I know this group cares about you and yours a lot.

>47 AMQS: Ooooh, that sounds like a good one. Adding it to the ever-growing TBR list. I loved Out of My Mind and haven't read anything else by her yet.

>44 richardderus: whingeing!?? I am (mock) outraged!!! ;)
'Favor' was a steep learning curve for me with Wordle, as was the whole 'let's use letters multiple times in the same word'. We live, and we learn :)

Stella by Starlight is definitely one that goes on Scout's list! Thanks.

No, Scout doesn't have the same spring break that I do. :( Still, maybe I'll get to eke out some extra time with her.

I am so sick of the cold temps. I wish I were traveling, but no, I'll be home. One of my colleagues is going to Venice!, and I am feeling very envious.

>49 richardderus: Any chance you were able to sleep in today? Hope you have a great day, Richard.

>50 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I hope you just had a wonderful time. I love reading about the masking and the vaccination checking. Nice to know there is one sane place out there! We're tentatively eying a trip to Hawaii in 2023. My mom will turn 80 that year and she wants the family to go there. We have a long family history in Hawaii (my brother's name is Kimo) that goes way way back to the beginning of the 1900s and possibly before and we used to go there often when I was a kid to visit grandparents and cousins, etc. Now grandparents are gone and the family is mostly in CO and I haven't been back since I was 13.

And Reba, I am grateful every day for the for the supportive community here. So many caring people and I can feel it. I hope I am contributing to that as well.

>51 bell7: Hi Mary! Did you know there's a sequel to Out of My Mind? It was just released recently and is called Out of My Heart. I have it on order for the library and I know it will be in demand when it gets here. Stella by Starlight was really good, and I can also recommend Blended.

>52 LovingLit: Repeated letters seem like a risky gamble in Wordle, don't they, Megan? And as I've played I've wondered about US vs everywhere else spellings, but as with (probably too many) things, I quickly discovered it is US-centric.

>53 BLBera: Beth, I can recommend anything by Sharon Draper, and Stella by Starlight is a great addition to her shelf. We are expecting temperatures in the 60s next week, and after a week of bitter cold, we are ready! That's typical for Colorado, though, and we're very lucky for it. I was supposed to go to Venice in June of 2020 with the Chorale, along with Slovenia and a beautiful area of northern Italy we had toured before. I was disappointed that the tour was canceled, but then again, everything was. I hope you are able to enjoy your spring break at home.

>54 AMQS: yes! That one's definitely on my list! And actually when I went through the spreadsheet last night, I discovered that Stella by Starlight was, too... I put it there a few years ago! (But with 2600 titles and counting, it's not surprising I can't remember them all)

>54 AMQS: OMG -- interesting to hear about your family's history with Hawaii. I had no idea. The "OMG" came from the fact that our cottage on Maui was on Lower Kimo Road!! BTW, if you want a good-sized house for a family gathering that might be the place for you. We had a two-bedroom cottage and right next door (20 feet away) was a larger house on the same property.

>54 AMQS: It was a lovely sleep last night, thank goodness. I was delighted that I got today's Wordle in 4. And >52 LovingLit:'s outraged whinging aside I think we can all be glad that sensible heads are in control so pointless "U"s dotting the master list of words will not artificially inflate them above the five-letter limit.

>56 RebaRelishesReading: Was it in Kula? That's where my grandmother ended up and had a large property. Kimo is the Hawaiian name for James, which is the family last name on my dad's mother's side, and many places in and around Kula are named either James or Kimo. My great-grandfather owned and started I think the Kula Lodge, which still operates today. His father - my great-great grandfather was a vet and a doctor and served with (eventual) President Teddy Roosevelt in the Rough Riders and the Spanish-American War. After the war he was appointed the surgeon-general of the Philippines, and after that he requested to be transferred to Hawaii, where he set up the first quarantine station to try to protect native Hawaiians from western diseases. (Stop reading if you've had enough, but I love this stuff). The family lore goes that the Australian opera singer Nellie Melba stopped in Hawaii on her way to the mainland and being a VIP, wasn't required to stay on her ship, but was welcomed into the family compound. Her friend was traveling with her, and at the first night at dinner my great grandfather announced that Dame Melba's friend was the woman of his dreams and that they would marry. This is my great-grandmother, who went back to Australia, married my great-grandfather, moved with him back to Hawaii, and promptly discovered that she had made a terrible mistake. They were unhappily married for many years before divorcing maybe in the 1950s, by which time they were grandparents.

>57 richardderus: yay for lovely sleeps and *snerk* for pointless "Us."

>58 AMQS: That is some delightful family lore, Anne.

>58 AMQS: Yep, we were in Kula. Had breakfast at the Kula Lodge (which was pretty much right around the corner) last Tuesday morning. We did notice "Kimo" on a lot of signs but had no idea what it meant. (My husband's name is James in Hungarian). What a fascinating story. We were at the Haleakala Princess Cottage which claims some interesting background too

>58 AMQS: How fascinating, Anne!

>60 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! We think it's kinda cool:)

>61 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, that's awesome! That's right where my grandmother lived. I hope to get back there soon.

>62 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! We do enjoy our how-we-got-to-Hawaii story, which comes up when people want to know how my brother got his name. There are some interesting WWII/Pearl Harbor stories as well.

February Reading Recap

8. The Art of the Wasted Day by Patricia Hampl
9. Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd
10. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
11. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
12. The Lost Pianos of Siberia by Sophy Roberts
13. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
14. Stella By Starlight by Sharon Draper

February Favorite:

>64 AMQS: The favorite is, frankly, inevitable in any month one reads it.

Wordle 256 3/6

🟨⬜⬜🟨🟨
⬜🟩⬜🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Great word today!

>65 richardderus: You're right about that, Richard. And I *almost* guessed that word in 2 guesses today. I think my elementary school teacher brain kicked in because I thought to myself, "we don't need to use negative words." LOL.

Just had a hilarious interaction with two third graders in the hall. I walked alongside them and one of them did a total double take. He stopped in his tracks and said, "Why do you look so old today?" I told him that I am getting older every day but he doubled down. "No, today you look so much older than you did yesterday!" Meanwhile the other student is horrified and hissing at him to stop because he's being rude. He said, "I'm not trying to be rude, but you look so much older." So yeah. I did pin up a section of my hair because I have a bit of blue and silver tinsel that can be hard to see with my hair down. Maybe that side of my head has more white hair when it's pinned up? In any case, I was cracking up, trying to tell the other student that she was sweet and telling the first student to tell me tomorrow if I look even older because maybe there's some kind of time-travel explanation or something, or maybe I need to see a doctor. I'm still chuckling.

>66 AMQS: I'm torn between gut-busting laughs and getting Stelios to give you the GRIN test!

>67 richardderus: I don't know what the GRIN test is, but I'm sure I need it. And I could definitely use a belly-laugh. Thanks for laughing with me:)

>66 AMQS: Kids can be so painfully and brutally honest, Anne, but I'm sure that you look great!

It is Hani's birthday today and she pulls off looking so much younger than me even though I have only a six year start! Not telling my age so technically I am not going to get castigated for giving away a lady's age!

Have a lovely weekend.

>66 AMQS: Gotta love the kids, Anne. :) Great story.

Hi Anne, I loved hearing about your family on Maui. I love reading family stories and seeing old photos of the islands. I’ve been to the Kula Lodge a couple of times. And, an aside, our very favorite restaurant on Maui is Kimo’s in Lahaina.

>66 AMQS: Lol. Kids. Gotta love ‘em.

>69 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. Yep, the kids call it like they see it:) Happy birthday to your lovely and ageless Hanni. I hope she had a wonderful day.

>70 BLBera: I chuckled about that story for a few days.

>71 Copperskye: Joanne, if I'm not mistaken, Kimo's has been there forever. At one time my brother Kimo had a t-shirt from there. I'm sure I've been there, as we would go to Lahaina and Ka'anapali from my grandmother's house, though more often we'd be in Keihei, Wailea, and Makenna. I'm not sure what my mother has in mind for her 80th birthday, but I'm sure it will be Maui. It will feel bittersweet, I'm sure, with so many memories.

15. Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz, audiobook narrated by Lin Manuel Miranda. 3.75 stars.

After a false start (I neglected to check out my audiobook hold in time and lost my place in line), my turn came around again. Aristotle and Dante navigate their new life and begin their senior year of high school. The boys are anxious about their future - it is 1988 at the beginning of the book - as the world clearly does not support them as they are, and the AIDS crisis makes a lifetime of pain and an early death seem inevitable. Against this backdrop, Aristotle and Dante celebrate love, experience angst, and cope with tragedy. I enjoyed the book, but didn't love this book as much as I had loved the first. I was able to overlook some criticism I had read of the first book that the kids didn't talk like kids, but I would definitely say that criticisms applies here. If only I could be as eloquent and poised as these 17 year-olds. But the things I loved about the first book I still love here - namely what a kind, loving, supportive cast of characters. Teens getting ready to leave the nest enjoying closeness with amazing parents. If you are a fan of the first book, this one is a must-read.

16. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. 4.5 stars.

This one's a page-turner. It took me a bit to get into it - I was so charmed and hooked by The Martian, and this one didn't grab me in quite the same way. At first. Part of the problem is the protagonist. Yes, he does need to spend some time figuring out who he is, but what does come through is that he is an obnoxiously G-rated school teacher. The slow buildup has a terrific and heart-pounding payoff, though, as well as a wonderful relationship, and some dazzling interstellar science. Recommended!

>74 AMQS: "an obnoxiously G-rated school teacher" hahahahaha! Yes, he is that!

Hi, Anne! I hope all is well. I am listening to Project Hail Mary and really enjoying it. A reminder- We will be starting The Siege of Krishnapur in a week or so, if you are still interested in joining us.

>75 foggidawn: Come to think of it, I am also, but I am also capable of speaking like an adult when not surrounded by small children:)

>76 msf59: Yay, thank you, Mark! I would like to join you and I will keep an eye out for the group read thread. I'm so glad you're enjoying Project Hail Mary.

>77 AMQS: Yeah, most of the teachers I know are able to code-switch. ;-)

>74 AMQS: Heh. You hit Ryland Grace spang in the middle of his character for sure.

But oh, what a wonderful ending!

>75 foggidawn:, >77 AMQS:, >78 foggidawn: I, on the other hand, thought it was a response to complaints about The Martian being too swear-y and thought it was hilarious :)

I liked Wordle 264- you will know why once you see it for yourself (mainly the last 4 letters). I usually get it in 4, I love it when it's 3, but as often, it's in 5 moves.

⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜
⬜🟩🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

>78 foggidawn: Yep.

>79 richardderus: Yes, I thought it was terrific!

>80 bell7: Mary, I actually did think of that as I was reading. I remember when the movie was made they only allowed one f-bomb to be able to get the PG-13 rating. And this made me think of when PBS aired a comprehensive look at 9/11 - something that schools and families could use as a teaching or discussion tool, etc, but the complaint was that people "on the ground" filming planes flying into buildings and the aftermath of the attacks were swearing as they filmed. I actually remember reading a critique of that critique somewhere. Like, presumably no one has ever seen a 767 jet fly into a giant building before and they're supposed to exclaim "golly gee" or something?

>81 LovingLit: That's awesome, Megan, and your clue helped me solve it in 3! And I loved the Worldle today also:)

Your clue helped me solve it in 3!
Sorry! (not sorry?)
:)

>84 AMQS: I got a kick out of a hint from a friend across the world and pretty much from the future!

17. West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. 4.25 stars.

This is a gripping tale of a Woody Nickel, a Dust Bowl orphan who has hoboed his way east and nearly drowned in the Great New England Hurricane of 1938. Also battered by the hurricane, improbably, were a pair of giraffes who had made their way across the Atlantic and who soon were en route to the San Diego Zoo with its famed lady zookeeper Belle Benchley. What follows is a rickety and harrowing road trip in a truck towing handmade giraffe crates. Accompanying the awe-inspiring, nearly mystical creatures is an assortment of characters with secrets to keep: Woody, who follows at first to steal the giraffes' onions and somehow blusters his way into the driving job, Riley Jones, the gruff and mysterious Old Man and giraffe whisperer, and Red, an aspiring journalist and photographer who shadows them, falls in love with the giraffes, and grabs hold of Woody's heart and imagination. This is a great story, thoughtful, illuminating of the past, and heart-pounding, and even better that is is based on true events. The giraffes, the hurricane, Belle Benchley, and the cross country trip were all real, while the other actors and events of the trip were imagined by Ms. Rutledge.

>85 AMQS: Anne, West With Giraffes made my "Donna's Dozen" list of favorite books from 2021. I was hesitant to read it because it sounded so hokey, but I succumbed to the charm and was pleasantly surprised that it was based on factual events. That would have certainly been a sight to see, wouldn't it?

Oh, and Project Hail Mary also made my list. Yes, Ryland Grace was a flawed character and an average middle school science teacher, but he could think outside the box.

Both of your last two reads were fun and memorable. I hope the good books continue for you. I also hope your spring break is warm and wonderful.

>85 AMQS: I'm so glad it worked for you!

Happy week-ahead's reads. *smooch*

I, too, am delighted to hear you liked West With Giraffes. We used to live walking distance from the San Diego Zoo plus giraffes are one of my favorite animals both of which made an already good book extra special for me :)

>86 Donna828: Donna, I remember - I had my inspiration to read it from you and Reba and Katie, so thank you!

>87 richardderus: Thank you, Richard! I am traveling later this week, so I should have lots of time to read:)

>88 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, our Denver Zoo is wonderful, but the real treasure is the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs. They have lots of giraffes there, and an up close and personal viewing platform and the ability to touch and feed the giraffes. It's so wonderful. We have this great picture of Callia at probably 9 years old with a giraffe kissing the top of her head. The last time we were there we brought our exchange student, who was amazed. They're just wonderful creatures.

18. The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats by Daniel Stone, audiobook narrated by the author. 3 stars.

This book was interesting, but not fascinating. Having said that, it is remarkable how many different foods we owe to David Fairchild, who traveled the world bringing new things to America in an effort to help American farmers diversify and be profitable. Fairchild introduced broccoli, mangoes, Bavarian hops, Egyptian cotton, kale, nectarines, avocados, Japanese cherry blossoms, pistachios, dates, soybeans, quinoa, and countless other things to America from the 1890s through the early 1910s. Fairchild was an unapologetic globalist, eager to find and try new things, and wanting to bring his country along. However, isolationist leanings stymied the efforts at plant introduction around the time of WWI, and a boyhood friend and government entomologist wanted to put the brakes on the free and unchecked importation of foreign plant material due to the risks of importing diseases, fungi, and destructive insects. This section is handled a bit heavy-handedly by the author, who clearly sympathizes with Fairchild and depicts this colleague-friend-nemesis and any who wanted to exercise caution as a xenophobe. I'm generally a globalist myself, but anyone looking from our contemporary vantage point should understand that exploration AND caution need to be considered when introducing new life - whether flora or fauna - into an environment. Interesting, if imperfect book.

>89 AMQS: "The World Famous San Diego Zoo" (what it always calls itself and Hubby and I find very funny) has a second location at the edge of the metro area which used to be called the Wild Animal Park but changed its name to Safari Park a couple of years ago, has one of those feeding/touching platforms for the giraffes. I'm like a 9 year old which I get to do that :)

>90 AMQS: HE INFLICTED KALE ON US?!?

I rain anathema on his evil memory!! In this light, even three stars is generous whatever other longueurs might be there.

West with Giraffes sounds great, Anne. I've also heard lots of favorable comments about Project Hail Mary here, so onto the list it goes. I don't read much SF, but I did like The Martian, and I have become a Murderbot fan.

I was just reading about your and your husband's story on BLBera's thread. I had no idea your and his life was so nearly....not entwined. War huh? It throws people into disarray and they have to land somewhere. As I mentioned in BLBera's thread, I wouldn't be here (neither alive, nor in this country) if WWII hadn't ravaged that side of my family tree.

I guess I am feeling philosophical (well, pensive, more like) because of the Ukraine situation. It is such a mess.

>91 RebaRelishesReading: I think I've been to the (former) Wild Animal Park many years ago. Like in the 80s. There are so many amazing things in San Diego, but when we went to school there we didn't have a car so didn't get to take advantage of so many things. We had planned a visit to the LA/San Diego area for spring break in 2020 but that never happened for obvious reasons:)

>92 richardderus: LOL, well sadly for him it never caught on in his time, and was only used for garnish. Quinoa didn't take either. Now they're trendy superfoods. For those who like them, or pretend to:) Hope you have a kale-free rest of your week, Richard!

>93 BLBera: I don't think of myself as a sci-fi reader, either, Beth, but I have sure discovered some sci-fi books I've really loved recently, so maybe I need to try more.

>94 LovingLit: Megan, it is a mess. A horrible, heartbreaking mess. And yes, it is interesting and reflective sometimes to think how we all got where we did. Stelios's grandmother was made a refugee by Turkey twice in her lifetime, and so many of us have war and its displacement somewhere back in our family trees.

>95 AMQS: ...AND QUINOA?!

The deepest, coldest pit of Hell is too good for this, this heresiarch!

Happy Wednesday, Anne. Nearing the halfway point in The Siege of Krishnapur. I am enjoying it. He really is a terrific writer.

>96 richardderus: *cancels Kale-Quinoa-put-a-smile-on-someone’s-face Surprise for RD*

*sends smooch instead *

>97 msf59: Hi Mark! I’m halfway to page 70… but I like it so far! Tomorrow I travel so I’ll have lots of time on trains and planes and hopefully I’ll get caught up. Forecast is for up to 15 inches of snow so think good thoughts for me!

Safe travels, Anne.

>99 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! We're enjoying Florida a lot. Today we were guests at a private beach that was just lovely. We enjoyed watching dolphins, eagles, pelicans, sandpipers, blue herons, muscovy ducks, turtles, and tiny lizards.

>100 AMQS: Hi Anne, just delurking to say hello. That private beach sounds pretty amazing.

19. The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell, 3.75 stars.

It's a rare writer who can make such a grim and dire situation so compelling and even humorous at times. This is the story of the Sepoy Rebellion or First War of Independence against the ruling British in 1857. First incredulous (why would these simple people choose to reject a superior and civilized way of being?), then grudgingly accepting (but clinging to their old ways, comforts, and hierarchy), then finally doing whatever it takes to survive, the people who take refuge in the Collector's residence fortify, strategize, ration, and endure - or not. This is a well-told and thoughtful story of culture and examination and hardship. Recommended, and thanks to Mark for inspiring the group read!

>101 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! It was lovely, and we enjoyed a great day.

20. Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman. 3.75 stars

I've enjoyed everything I've read by Elinor Lipman, and there have been a few by now. Her books fall into the category of complex, thinking-readers' chick lit, which sounds like a contradiction, but fits for her books. In this one, 36 year old April is a single, cardigan-wearing, flannel loving high school Latin teacher with a very quiet life. She is also the adopted daughter of deceased Holocaust survivors who were sponsored and taken in in the Boston area after the war, where they found one another and fell in love. Her mother, Trude, had a body ravaged from years of the privations of concentration camps, and left unable to bear children. So her parents find an agency willing to adopt to Jewish parents and raise April, who grew up knowing she was adopted, chosen, and cherished, and who never had the slightest interest in the mother who had given birth to her at age 17 and given her up. Until that mother, the brash, spotlight-loving Bernice, host of a local morning talk show, decided to find her and April's life is turned upside down. Good beach read:)

Dropping in to say hello and wish you a happy spring equinox.

I'm also a fan of Lipman, Anne. I've only read a few so far, but they've all been winners.

More on Then She Found Me: this is what my book's cover looked like:


but for some reason I really dislike movie tie-in covers. Maybe I'm a snob? But I enjoyed the book so much and love the actors featured (Bette Midler, Helen Hunt, Matthew Broderick, Colin Firth (!)) that I decided I wanted to see the movie when I get home. Until I looked it up and discovered the story was completely changed. Ugh. Why mess with a good thing? And so I will likely pass, but still recommend the book.

>105 figsfromthistle: thank you, Anita! Is it spring-like where you are? It's lovely in Florida, but spring at home can be snowy and I actually had a snow day the day I flew here!

>106 katiekrug: Me, too, Katie, which is why when I see one at a library sale or something I usually pick it up. They tend to be a sure thing, and books I know I can save and enjoy on a vacation!

Glad to hear you're having an excellent spring break, Anne, and getting in lots of beach reading.

So glad to hear you're having a nice break. Enjoy the sunshine and critters, read a lot, be extra good to yourselves, and come home rested.

>107 AMQS: That cover's nowhere near as bad as I would expect a tie-in cover to be. But the reason's obvious: The movie isn't closely related to the book!

Happy break-time! *smooch*

>102 AMQS: Ooh, I have never ever heard of anyone reading this one! It's been on my Booker radar for ever :)

>111 richardderus: Ack. I super-dislike tie-in covers.

>100 AMQS: That sounds lovely, Anne.

The Siege of Krishnapur has been on my shelf for a long time. Maybe this year?

I also enjoy Lipman. I haven't read this one. Onto the list it goes.

>109 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! It's winding down, but we've sure enjoyed it.

>110 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba, that's our plan! Some neighbors came by to warn us there was an alligator in a nearby pond. I'd love to see one... from a safe distance:)

>111 richardderus: It doesn't seem like it, Richard, and so I shall likely pass on the movie, which is just as well - I don't watch much anyway. Enjoying my break a lot, though it is winding down now. It's looking like I will not need my winter coat, hat, and gloves that I needed for the trip to the airport when I came out!

>112 LovingLit: I hadn't either, Megan, but saw that Mark proposed a group read, do I took that excuse to pull it off the shelf and brush off the dust. It's not very long and very engaging.

>113 BLBera: Maybe this year:) My vacation has brought many long timers in the TBR pile out. As with most of my trips, I try to bring books I'm pretty sure I can leave behind. So far I've donated 3 books to the library in our friend's community center.

I was surprised to learn that Then She Found Me is Ms. Lipman's first book! It has certainly been on my pile for a long time, but I hadn't realized it was her first.

21. Hanna's Daughters by Marianne Fredriksson. 4.75 stars

I LOVED this book - I regret that it languished on my pile for so long. This is the story of 3 generations of Swedish women whose lives are very different from one another, whose relationships with each other are complicated, but whose emotions are closely intertwined. As the women live their lives, experience their small joys and great sorrows and burdens, they change along with their country - from fairly primitive farming communities carved into inhospitable but beautiful mountains to a more industrial society to the modern age of information economy, and from a famine in the 1800s through two world wars and unimaginable changes. Ms. Fredriksson muses on this in an interview at the end of the book when reflecting on its global appeal for a book so rooted in Swedish history. I found each of their stories just fascinating and achingly sad. I so regretted finishing this book and saying goodbye to the women.

The author also mentions in the interview at the end that the title of the book in Swedish, Finnish, Dutch, and Norwegian editions is Anna, Hanna, and Johanna which is a far better title, I think. Not sure at the end of the day that this is a perfect book, but it was the perfect book for me, and l loved it.

>115 AMQS: Very, very tempted. Glad you enjoyed it so much.

>116 RebaRelishesReading: Hope it does tempt you, Reba. I enjoyed it very much, and much more than I expected to.

22. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. 5 stars

Another book that has been on my shelf for awhile. This is outstanding young adult historical fiction, telling a little-known history, which the author hopes to correct with this book and other recommended reads. The Baltic countries were essentially removed from world maps in the 1940s when they were occupied by the Soviet Union until their independence in the 1990s. The Soviet efforts to Sovietize their entire empire resulted in the suppression of the languages, and the arrest and deportation of hundreds of thousands of people accused of being anti-Soviet. Predictably, they went after the educated - professors, teachers, librarians, doctors, writers, military officers, artists, business owners. They also went after their families, including children and infants, transporting them like livestock across Siberia where they were sentenced to years of hard labor in grim and dangerous conditions. Of course, during Stalin's Reign of Terror, many millions of people, including Russians, Ukrainians, Finns, and more were sentenced to the same or outright executed.

In Lithuania in 1941, 15 year-old Lina's father doesn't return from work, and shortly after she is arrested along with her mother and younger brother. Though fictionalized, Lina's story follows that of many Lithuanians. A grueling transport across the whole of Siberia, backbreaking labor expected for unsustainable rations, and unimaginable cruelty. If you were lucky. But pockets of kindness, generosity, ingenuity, thievery, and subversion that gave their lives meaning and hope. This is a heartbreaking and harrowing story that also manages to be hopeful as well. Highly recommended, and I know Ruta Sepetys is highly regarded here on LT. I also have her Salt From the Sea on my TBR and will get to it at some point.

And thus concludes my vacation and vacation reading. We had a lovely time, and soaked up the sun and the restorative relaxation. I did, especially - Stelios still had work to do, and helped our family friend who hosted us with various projects around the house. Travel was long but fairly uneventful, with the exception of Marina, who was the closest of all of us, being on the East Coast already. But she left during the big storm the East Coast had - her train to Philadelphia had numerous power outages, and just before she got there her flight was canceled. We were able to book a new flight for her, but it was the next day, super early in the morning, and had a long connection. But the biggest problem was finding a hotel room, as no hotels would agree to let her check in as she is only 20. We called - and had hotel managers call - dozens, and the only one who would take her required me to sign a waiver and did not have an airport shuttle, which would mean a 3:30 am Uber to the airport by herself, which was not okay with me (or with her). Finally our friend who hosted us was able to use some premier membership program and book himself a hotel room and add her as the second guest. Ugh. Then her return flight experienced mechanical difficulties and a several-hours delay while sitting on the airport tarmac which caused her to miss both her train and her shuttle back to school. She called on a classmate who lives in Philadelphia, and her friend's family picked her up and drove her back to school the next day. She's a bit traveled out!



Thanks to all who kept my thread warm while I was gone!

>115 AMQS: Hi Anne, it sounds like a lovely vacation, at least until Marina's travails on her way home. I'm so glad everything got worked out.

I read Hannah's Daughters in 2005 and kept it for my permanent library. Since then I have purchased an earlier book by Fredriksson called Simon's Family. They look nice together on their shelf. I will get the second one read one of these days.

That is a lovely picture of you and Stelios. You both look so relaxed and happy. Hooray for Florida sunshine!

I'm glad you and the family had such a nice vacation. So sorry to read about Marina's travel. I know there are reasons hotels have policies like that but wow, that definitely complicated matters.

Happy Sunday, Anne. Glad you had a wonderful and restorative time in FL. Sorry to hear about Marina's travel woes. I am glad you enjoyed The Siege of Krishnapur and were able to join us on that one and I agree with you on Between Shades of Gray. Excellent book.

Oof Marina's travel woes are intense. Maybe she's used up her lifetime quota?

Lovely photo of you and Stelios. Glad to hear it was a relaxing trip all around.

Great photo, Anne. You both look relaxed. Poor Marina!

Both books have been on my shelves for a while as well. Good to know I have some great reading ahead. Good luck going back to work.

>115 AMQS: Good to see you loved this book, I have it in Dutch translation (Anna, Hanna en Johanna) on the shelves. I should get to it.

>118 AMQS: Ruta Sepetys writes very good YA historical fiction. I have read three books by her and liked/loved them all.

>119 AMQS: Lovely picture. We were away last week too.

>119 AMQS: OMG, poor Marina!! A traveler's nightmare, or series of nightmares rolled into one. Glad she made it back OK.

Well, I am 100+ messages behind, Anne, and not even trying to catch up. Hopefully I can keep better track from here on out. Being sick the entire month of February and then traveling and getting sick again at the beginning of March have done me in as far as threads go!

>120 Donna828: Donna, we were relaxed and happy, and grateful to soak up some Florida sunshine:) I always use vacations to try to move some books from my shelves. I end up deliberating over vacation books way more than over vacation clothes. The idea is that I take books I know I will enjoy, but books I can leave behind (suitcase is always lighter on the way back). So I left Hanna's Daughters. My copy was used and worn and stained in places, so it wasn't a copy of a book I would want to keep anyway, even though I did love it.

>121 lauralkeet: It certainly did, Laura! I know there are kids who travel alone, and of course college kids often travel. I knew *some* hotels would have a policy, but it never occurred to me that all of the PHL airport hotels would! She'll be 21 in December, and she's due some smooth travels, so we'll cross our fingers.

>122 msf59: Hi Mark! Thanks again for organizing the read. When are you doing Singapore Grip? Krishnapur was a great opportunity for me as the book had been on my shelf for a long time, so I was glad to dust it off, read it, and then pass it along.

>123 MickyFine: Let's hope so, Micky! It was lovely - I hardly lifted a finger the whole week.

>124 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Marina is back at school and busy busy. She called last night and we were discussing her finals (only one exam - the rest papers) so pretty soon we'll arrange her travel home. You do have some great reading ahead of you - enjoy! I am back at school now. No students today, which was the district's rather late response to positively packing school schedules to compensate for the weird schedules the past two years. But teachers were at breaking points with no planning time, no time for professional learning, and from covering for one another, so the district gave us two non-contact days. We might lose one to make up for the snow day the mountain schools had on St. Patrick's Day, or they might extend our school year. We'll likely find out in the next few days. Taking advantage of some quiet to visit LT:)

>125 FAMeulstee: Anita, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Where did you get away to?

>126 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. I'm sure she's glad to be back and in place for another 7 weeks (she counted last night). I feel bad she had such a hard time, but I do think you learn some valuable skills going through what she did. We've certainly had travel misfortunes as a family, but this was a challenge she made it through on her own.

>127 alcottacre: Oh, Stasia I did the same - started at the top of new threads rather than catching up on previous ones as I sometimes do. If I had I might have known you were sick again. I'm so sorry! Hope you are much better now and able to enjoy spring.

>119 AMQS: Oh my heck. What a hellish time Marina has had! I'm glad the whole experience was worth the effort.

Still hot-spotting with the phone. *smooch*

>128 AMQS: I like "you learn some valuable skills" by dealing with travel issues. My 19-year-old granddaughter had some uncomfortable encounters traveling home by bus/train last Thanksgiving which I hated hearing about but it sounded like she did OK and, hopefully, is now better able to cope comfortably with such things. She did the reverse trip on her own yesterday going back from spring break -- I'll be talking to her this week and am anxious to hear how it went.

>118 AMQS: I read this one a few years back now...being drawn to the Lithuanian connection. I can't for the life of me remember where I sourced it though!

>119 AMQS: Oh my goodness- what a palaver! She'll be a seasoned traveller now, and will be able to handle any old situation. You can't book a hotel room in the US unless you're 21??!! How to international travellers handle that, there must be heaps that are younger than 21 (I would have thought).

>128 AMQS: I am doing much better now, thank you, Anne. I picked up some kind of bug at the convention we were attending and it took about a week to throw it off. Luckily, I am the only one of the five of us who got sick - probably because I spent all of February getting over COVID!

>119 AMQS: What a pain for Marina! It would never have occurred to me that hotels had under 21 policies. Surely under 21 year olds travel pretty frequently? How does this work in practice? I’ve never come across one that is anything but over 18 here. Places do have restrictions on groups of single sex young people (as they tend to be more raucous) but nothing more.

>129 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. I think she'd say it was. I'm sorry you're still hot-spotting - that's awful. Hope wifi is restored soon.

>130 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I hope it went well. Delays and logistical problems are hard enough, but uncomfortable encounters are something else. I hate that women can be vulnerable or that people make them uncomfortable.

>131 LovingLit: It was good, wasn't it, Megan? As for hotels, they will happily book a room but checking in is another matter. I was wondering about young travelers also, as I have been one on many occasions. The chain hotel websites say the policy is left to the individual hotels and to check before attempting to check in. A colleague suggested that she could have gone and checked in (they do ask for ID) and no one would have noticed that she is only 20, though drivers licenses now are vertical in orientation for drivers under 21 so no one selling alcohol needs to do any math. Over 21 licenses (and the way all licenses were printed for eons) are horizontal in orientation. With the storm and so many flights canceling and hotel rooms getting booked I really didn't want her to have to shuttle back and forth between hotels and the airport after not being able to check in - I was just hoping to find a hotel that would allow her, even if I had to sign a waiver or pay a deposit or something (or rely on a premier-membership friend). You'd think that in the 21st century travel would be getting easier, but in many ways it's the opposite.

>132 alcottacre: I'm so sorry, Stasia, and I imagine you're right - battling COVID for a month would leave your defenses down. I hope you have good health in upcoming months!

>133 SandDune: Hi Rhian! Because of confusing information about shuttles on her school's website, we had thought at some point that Marina might have to stay overnight in Philadelphia, and out of curiosity I Googled it. As I told Megan in >134 AMQS: the hotel chains don't necessarily have policies, but individual hotels do. I was actually thinking that a downtown hotel might have the policy but surely an airport hotel would not - what about all of the under 21s who travel? What about university students going to and from school? What about missed connections, weather delays, flights canceled and the thousand other things that can occur when traveling? So when we did have just such a situation I thought I would err on the side of caution and make sure before booking and boy was I surprised. The Hilton manager who was calling around for me thought it might be because some hotels have bars, but if the front desk will check IDs then surely a bartender can. I think it's liability. So much of the whys these days are because a corporation does not want to be sued. If something happens to a young person in a hotel, the hotel does not want any responsibility for it.

>135 AMQS: I suppose the difference in the U.K. is that an 18 year old is legally an adult and there are no restrictions on anything after that age.

>134 AMQS: Yeah, this year has not started off wonderfully on the health front - especiallly when you consider that I had both shots for COVID and the booster, which made me sick - and the week after I took the booster, I got COVID. Geez louise.

I do hope that Marina is recovering from her traveling woes!

>136 SandDune: 18+ are legally adult in the U.S. too, except for alcohol consumption.

>136 SandDune: Could be. 18 is legal adulthood here, too. 18 year-olds can vote, join the military, smoke... parents can no longer see medical or educational records without written permission, etc. I discovered I couldn't even make appointments for Marina at Children's Hospital once she turned 18! But they can't purchase or consume alcohol, and apparently they can't check into hotels, though this last is corporate policy, not law. The US is weird.

>137 alcottacre: Stasia, that's the scary part. You were as protected as you could be, and still got so sick! I was thinking that I might stop wearing a mask after spring break - I was so careful before we went so that I would not expose our host, but masking is rare to unheard of in Florida, and though our friend doesn't eat out much, he certainly goes to the grocery store, Costco, the hardware store, and more. I did not wear a mask yesterday as we did not have students and my colleagues are all vaccinated. I have my mask in my lap... I think I'll wear it when my classes come in. There's that new variant and all. Ugh.

ETA: thanks for chiming in, Reba:)

>138 RebaRelishesReading: >139 AMQS: Looking from the outside, it seems that if there are things you can’t do because of your age, then you’re not completely adult!

>139 AMQS: Yeah, the entire state of Texas seems to believe that masks are no longer the fashion accessory they once were and you rarely see anyone with them any more. Idiocy, sheer idiocy.

>140 SandDune: Yep. Like I said, the US is weird. In many ways!

>141 alcottacre: There are fewer and fewer masks in Colorado also. I don't love it, but I get it if cases are low and vaccination rates are high, which they are in my area. I went grocery shopping Saturday and to Costco yesterday and could count on one hand the number of people wearing masks in both places combined. So now I'm the outlier.

Hooray for a planning day, Anne. I can't believe how quickly this semester is going. I don't teach on Fridays, so I use that as a planning/grading/catching up day.

I'm reading Oh William! and it is lovely. Have you read the Lucy Barton books by Elizabeth Strout. I think you would like them.

Scout is currently reading and loving Percy Jackson.

Glad to see you had such a good trip, Anne, though sorry to hear about Marina's travel woes.

I have a copy of Between Shades of Grey and still have not read it... maybe this year? I can highly recommend Salt to the Sea, though, and I'll look forward to your thoughts on it.

>143 BLBera: Hooray for Fridays, then, Beth! When I worked full time for the Colorado Children's Chorale we had Fridays off in an attempt to make up for long hours worked on tour and weekends (there was really no way to make up for those hours/days/weeks but Fridays off were nice). That's actually why our book club meets on Fridays. But if you go to work anywhere else, then you can't do book club on Fridays:)

I am embarrassed to say that the only Elizabeth Strout I've read is Olive Kitteridge which I really enjoyed. I know I will like the Lucy Barton books and Oh William! and they are all on my list, but I've not read them yet. The good news is that I will likely never run out of things to read next.

I'm so thrilled Scout is enjoying Percy Jackson! I love that those books are still popular, and there are a lot of them. Even better, he now has a publishing label with Hyperion/Disney I think that champions less-well represented world mythologies. These are nearly universally starred by professional publications like School Library Journal and Booklist, and the ones I've read have been outstanding.

>144 bell7: Thanks, Mary! I'm eyeballs deep in school, and it's testing season so my days are busy. My husband is also very busy but he works from home and has time to mourn Florida. I don't know that he would necessarily want to live there, but what he (and I) want is to be independently wealthy and retire and be able to lounge poolside in Florida whenever we choose. That's what he's really mourning. The snow this morning didn't help!

I moved Salt to the Sea from the pile to my nightstand, which increases the likelihood that I will read it in the next 5 years about 35% ;) I am actually really looking forward to it.

>145 AMQS: Hi Anne! I read once that you will never die as long as you have books left to read -- I use that idea to justify acquiring books:)

>146 RebaRelishesReading: exactly, Reba! And think of all the people who love you and need you and rely on you. It's like public health.

>147 AMQS: Indeed.

>148 BLBera: lol

>128 AMQS: We walked a part of the Pieterpad again, Anne, a Dutch long distance trail.
We have been doing this since March 2020, a week in spring, and a week in autumn.

>146 RebaRelishesReading: Oh gosh, if you are right, Reba, I made myself immortal!

Have a great weekend, Anne and I hope your lovely family are all well.

>148 BLBera:, >149 RebaRelishesReading: Yep!

>150 FAMeulstee: Anita, that sounds lovely! Do you do the same portions each time, or do you do different sections? Are you trying to walk the whole thing?

>151 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. We are all well. We're enjoying a quiet weekend which suits us just fine. Hope you are well, my friend.

23. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman, audiobook narrated by Lesley Manville. 4 stars

More from the Thursday Murder Club. This one could probably be called a caper, with derring-do and intrigue and spies pulling out a variety of spy tricks. And the characters I had come to love from the first book - centered around four friends living in a retirement community getting together once a week to try their hands at unsolved murders. But when the murders get fresher and closer to home they join forces to crack the case and dispense the justice. So fun.

24. These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett. 4.5 stars

This was so well-reviewed by several friends here that I put it on hold at the library. I waited so long that I had forgotten it as I made my way to the front of the line, and when it came, I was on my way to Florida. I asked Callia to pick it up for me, and it sat there, languishing on my desk until I decided I should just return it, as the holds continued, and I would not be able to renew it. But opening the front cover, and reading Kate DiCamillo caught my eye, so i decided I would read that essay, and that's all it took. I loved this collection of essays, and loved Ms. Patchett's voice. I found the essays to be funny, touching, personal, fascinating. Well worth the praise here. I have so many of her books in TBR piles, but I think I've only read one. Here's another. Recommended.

>154 AMQS: I love those discoveries: "oh, just this one page" and the next morning you look like Louis Vuitton mugged you but you couldn't be happier.

>153 AMQS: Osman's UK panel show didn't prepare me for Thursday Murder Club! His voice is deep and resonant and, while he can be funny, he Sounds Serious even in the middle of a laugh. The book is effervescent amusement from giddy-up to whoa.

Happy week-ahead's reads!

>154 AMQS: I'm in a very slow-moving library queue for the Patchett essays, Anne. I can't remember when I requested it but there are still 14 people ahead of me. Sigh. Fortunately I have plenty to read while I wait.

Hope you have a great day / week!

>155 richardderus: Me, too Richard. And I agree that Mr. Osman's books are very funny. I know you're not an audio type, but Lesley Manville is simply outstanding. I've never heard Osman speak.

>156 lauralkeet: Well my queue was so long I forgot I was in it! And it could be slow-moving because of people like me: pick up the book, let it sit unread for a couple of weeks, decide to return it, crack it open and change mind. Hope your hold comes in soon!

March Reading Recap

15. Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz
16. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
17. West With Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
18. The Food Explorer: The True Adventures of the Globe-Trotting Botanist Who Transformed What America Eats by Daniel Stone
19. The Siege of Krishnapur by J.G. Farrell
20. Then She Found Me by Elinor Lipman
21. Hanna’s Daughters by Marianne Fredriksson
22. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

March favorites:

It was a good reading month because of the flights and the leisurely vacation! I left three books in Florida. Always glad for an excuse to read and release my own books:)

Happy Sunday, Anne. We will probably read The Singapore Grip sometime in the fall. I also loved These Precious Days: Essays. I hope you can find more time to read more of her work.

>152 AMQS: We walk the whole trail from north to south, Anne, around 70 km each time. We are over halfway now.

>153 AMQS: I just reserved The man who died twice at the library. Glad you liked it.

>158 AMQS: I also liked Between Shades of Gray, and all other books I have read by Ruta Sepetys.
I have a copy of Hanna's daughters (Anna, Hanna en Johanna in Dutch) on the shelf. Looks like I should get to it.

Hi Anne, well you're back from your beach vacation and it snows on you. Pffft! I remember those spring snows in CO and a few in Missouri (like snow showers earlier this week). I know you get more sunny days than we do here. It is supposed to be cloudy and rainy here for the next 3 days.

I like your idea of releasing books while you are on vacation and freeing up some space for possible souvenirs or whatever. You read some good books last month. I enjoyed our shared read of The Siege of Krishnapur.

>159 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I'll keep an eye out for a copy. The Siege of Krishnapur was perfect as I had the book languishing on the shelf.

>160 FAMeulstee: That's so cool, Anita! How long is the entire trail? Do you stay places along the way or do you camp? One lifetime goal of mine is to walk the Wales Coast Path, and I'm sure there are companies that help people do it, as far as getting things from place to place. I'm not much of a camper. I hope you do get to Hanna's Daughters soon. It was the perfect book for me and I hope your experience with it is as good. The Dutch title is certainly a better one than the English title.

>161 Donna828: Hi Donna! Yes, but the warm weather respite was lovely. And we do get a lot of sunshine and have had some beautifully warm days mixed in with cold and wet. Stelios even asked a week or so ago if we should start planting... apparently there's some optimistic amnesia after having lived here for 30 years but I told him it's generally not safe before Mother's Day:)

And yes, it frees up space, and is a good excuse to move some books that have been on the TBR pile awhile. But this means I spend more time picking vacation books than I do vacation clothes. They have to be books I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy but not books I'll love so much I don't want to part with. Many years ago I left a book in Cyprus that Callia picked up and brought back, so that's a well-traveled book!

>146 RebaRelishesReading: I am a firm believer in this philosophy! And if heaven does not have a humungous library, I am going to be very disappointed.

>153 AMQS: I still need to read that one. I enjoyed the first book in the series quite a bit.

>154 AMQS: I loved that one too!

Have a marvelous Monday, Anne!

>162 AMQS: Anne, you could try Contours Holidays at contours.co.uk. In 2019 my bff and I walked the Kennet and Avon Tow Path and they made great arrangements for our hotels and taxi's to transfer our luggage. They do walks all over the U.K.

I am desperately behind on visiting threads. March was tied up with a little travel and a lot of event planning. Just getting caught up and back to having some free time.

Glad you enjoyed your vacation!

>18 figsfromthistle: I have this book on my shelf with a bunch of other food related books. Maybe won't read it first.

>115 AMQS: Hanna's Daughters sounds wonderful! Adding it to the pile.

>153 AMQS: Can't wait for the next book. I love the gang at Cooper's Chase.

>154 AMQS: Ann Patchett is on my shelf. May take it on my road trip to Nashville next week.

Happy School Librarian Day, Anne! I certainly loved and appreciated the school librarians in my life, and I know your students and teachers value you as well. Live it up!

>163 alcottacre: You have some great reading ahead of you, Stasia! Hope your Monday was a good one also:)

>164 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks for the tip, Reba! I knew those companies existed. I may be back to ask you again when we're actually ready to plan the trip. Could be awhile!

>165 witchyrichy: Hi Karen - glad you're here! I really enjoyed my vacation. Sounds like your March was super busy! If I were going to Nashville I might want to stop at Ms. Patchett's bookshop Parnassus Books!

>166 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! Here's a cool coincidence: it is also my birthday! If I had made that connection a lot sooner my life might have taken a very different path, or at least a more direct one:)

>162 AMQS: The whole Pieterpad trail is almost 500 km. We stay in holiday cottages located about halfway our planned distance for the week. A friend comes with us, and he drves us to our starting point (where we ended previous time), and picks us up where we end. This way we can plan small parts to walk, as we can be picked up anywhere where a car can come.

>167 AMQS: Happy birthday, Anne!

>167 AMQS: Many happy returns, Anne! I'm sure you'll enjoy your forties...don't listen to all those fuddy-duddy kids, this is a good decade.

>168 FAMeulstee: Anita, that sounds lovely. How close are you to finishing the whole trail?

And thank you!

>169 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! Ah yes, I remember my forties... not being in pain, sleeping through the night... those were the days! I am celebrating my 26th for the second time (!)

Happy, happy birthday, Anne!!

>171 Copperskye: thank you, Joanne ❤️

>170 AMQS: It is a lovely way to spend our vacations, Anne. We are at 314 km now, and 184 km left to go.

Happy birthday! I hope it was full of great cake ;)

Happy birthday Anne. x

Happy belated birthday, Anne. I hope you got cake! I have both of your March favorites on my shelves, so I have some great reading ahead. I was sure you would love the Patchett essays. I think that will be one of my favorites for the year. I'm glad you got to it. She made me want to read all of DiCamillo's work!

Happy Belated Birthday, Anne. I've been lost in a good book for over a week now. Time to come out of hibernation and see what I've missed. What did you do to celebrate? It was very cool to combine it with School Librarian Day. I'm sure your kids at school let you know how much you are appreciated.

I am hopelessly behind as I went to a conference in Nashville and did lots of touring and conferencing! I did get to go to Ann Patchett's bookstore and bought her book about Nashville. I already have the other one on the shelf. Mostly stopping by to say hello!

I myownself am celebrating double-31. This year's personal new year will render it a half...but what the heck. I mostly ignore it.

Hello, friends! Ugh, despite my best efforts I cannot seem to stay caught up! I have hit an extremely busy patch at work which is likely to continue until the end of the school year. Much of the busy-ness is due to required state testing. I was just resigning myself to having to stay away from LT for awhile when I unexpectedly got a welcome/unwelcome reprieve in that our school has achieved "covid outbreak status" and we are forced to close for the rest of the week (a lot of the busy-ness also came from covering my many colleagues who have been out with covid). So yay and boo all at once, and a long weekend for me. The district drove up covid tests for all today before school ended and I have been asked to test on Sunday.

>173 FAMeulstee:, Anita, that does sound absolutely lovely!

>174 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, and yes, there was cake! Just the right amount, too:)

>175 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.

>176 BLBera: Thank you - I did get cake, Beth! Yes, Ann Patchett's essays were just wonderful, and the ambition to read all of Kate DiCamillo's work is a good one. I will be reading her latest: The Beatryce Prophecy soon.

>177 Donna828: Thank you, Donna! Which great book have you been lost in? Do tell! As for birthday celebrations - we don't go crazy around here. I only ask that whatever dinner will be, I want nothing to do with it. Restaurant choice, meal choice, PB&J... whatever it is I don't care and I do not want to have even the smallest involvement. So I was thrilled when Callia cooked dinner and Stelios picked up a cake!

>178 witchyrichy:, Karen, I'm so glad you did stop and say hello! And I can't imagine you could be farther behind here than I am. Glad you made it to Parnassus books! I've never been to Nashville, and now that I think of it, I don't think I've ever been to Tennessee either. Maybe someday. Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos of your lovely Bottle Tree Farm!

>179 richardderus: Richard, counting stinks, and I've heard math in general has been infiltrated by CRT anyway so best to avoid.

Some book reviews to catch up on...



25. Hardscrabble by Sandra Dallas. 3 stars.

I do like Sandra Dallas and pioneer/prairie stories, particularly for young readers, but this one was something of a miss. Seven children and their exhausted mother arrive in the middle-of-nowhere Mingo, Colorado to meet their father, who has started a new life for them after their Iowa farm failed in 1910. While they were accustomed to a comfortable home, then must all now live in a "soddie" - sod house - while their father attempts dry-land farming in an inhospitable place. Their existence, as the title suggests, is hardscrabble, and the hardships are many. I enjoyed much of the book, but it felt way too pat and formulaic, with an ending tied in an absolutely perfect bow. For a middle grade prairie/pioneer story, you'd be better off with Linda Sue Park's Prairie Lotus.

26. Molly of the Mall: Literary Lass and Purveyor of Fine Footwear by Heidi L.M. Jacobs, audiobook narrated by Dayne Cornwall. 3.5 stars.

This was a fun audio, curtesy of Micky (thank you!). Set in Edmonton in the 1990s, Molly was named by her English professor father after Moll Flanders, one of the most unromantic heroines in all of literature. So how can Molly, who consults Miss Austen and all of her heroines for advice (well, not Catherine Moreland or Fanny Price, obviously), owns two copies of each of her novels and buys a third when an emergencies arise, possibly be able to write the Great Canadian Novel when she is stuck in the impossibly unromantic Edmonton working for a shoe shop in The Mall? Funny and light and full of literary yearnings, the book is very enjoyable, yet I felt jarred whenever Molly switched from the mall to the University of Alberta. Yet, while not a best-read for me, it was fun and light and enjoyable.

27. Network Effect by Martha Wells, audiobook narrated by Kevin R. Free. 5 stars.

I have Murderbot fever and there is no cure. I am so enjoying my reread of the series on audio. This one goes even further in exploring the nature of humanity and personhood, as well as of relationships (but not in a weird, gross way, as Murderbot would say). Love.

>182 AMQS: Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

>182 AMQS: I already have that one in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again!

>183 AMQS: I love the Murderbot series too!

Sorry I missed your birthday. Happy belated one from me :)

Glad you have a bit of a break to catch up even if it's not for the best reason! I have murderbot fever, too... I think it's quite contagious. I was just thinking it might be time for a reread -- after all, it's been a year since my last one before Fugitive Telemetry came out!

Glad you're getting a tiny break, Anne. Hope the colleagues who have had Covid had a mild form. I know a few people who've had it while fully vaccinated recently but were hardly sick -- just tested positive for a bit.

Hi Anne: Fingers crossed that your test is negative. I haven't read Network Effect yet; it is longer than the others, right? But it sounds like it's still good.

I plan to read The Beatryce Prophecy soon as well.

>184 MickyFine: Thanks again for the recommendation!

>185 alcottacre: Aww thanks, Stasia.

>186 curioussquared: A bit of a break is very nice. I did a mix of work and projects I need to get to at home. Nice to actually have a weekday for those! I think a reread may be in order. I read them in print the first time, this time audio. My family insists we need to buy the series and they may be right:)

>187 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. The colleagues I know about have been able to come back in 5 days if symptom-free, and aside from being super tired they have been fine. One thing they have in common is that it came on like getting hit by a bus. They woke up feeling fine and by 9:00 they were clearly sick.

>188 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I feel good, but will definitely test. I may test tomorrow also so I can go to book club for once:)

Yes, Network Effect is longer, and someone I know is insisting that it be read last - AFTER book 6 Fugitive Telemetry as it happens chronologically before book 5. Honestly, it was a long time when between when I originally read books 5 and 6 and I read them so fast I could hardly remember what happened in the stories. That's one reason an audio reread is so fun - I have to go at the narrator's pace and I'm getting a lot more:) I just finished Network and just started Telemetry so I can let you know if I agree with her.

>189 AMQS: I have only read the first four books in the series, but I am hoping to get them all read (and re-read as the case may be) before the end of the year.

>189 AMQS: Then you know you have great reading ahead of you, Stasia!

28. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells, audiobook narrated by Kevin R. Free. 5 stars.

Ah, Murderbot. I'm done with the series. Again. Just love these. A colleague of mine bought the series for her sister who loves sci-fi (and he colleague is also reading them herself. She said her sister insists that #5 needs to be read before #6 but I don't know that it's all that urgent, except that #5 is a really lovely and emotionally satisfying way to end the series. What does everyone else think? Read 6 before 5? Does it matter?

>192 AMQS: read'em how you want'em? There are not rules, imo :)

Glad you loved it either way!

I’m sorry to hear that your school was hit so hard with Covid, Anne. :(

If I'd had the chance to read #6 before #5, I'd've taken it, and it is the way I'd recommend people read the series. But *have* to? Not really.

Happy Humpday! *smooch*

I hope you are still COVID-free and that cases go down in your school.

>192 AMQS: I read them in the order published because #5 was the newest one out at the time, but since the events in #6 happen first, I don't think it much matters one way or the other.

I have only read the first in the series -- off to the library to find #2!!

Wishing you and your school well, Anne

Dear friends,
I can't even believe I haven't visited my own thread since April. I've missed everyone. The end of the school year was something to be survived, and it's looking like I did. The Uvalde school shooting happened the day before our last day of school for students, so it was a shaky and extremely emotional day for everyone, and a tough way to close out a tough school year. Though students' last day was May 25, mine was June 3 for a variety of reasons. This week - my first week of break - I loaded the schedule with as much unpleasant stuff as possible to get it out of the way. So gum graft surgery for me, eye surgery for Marina, Pap smear and pelvic exam for me... I am thinking I should had a mammogram last week. Ah, well. The big joy is that Marina's surgery should be life-changing. Her vision was so bad she wasn't even a candidate for LASIK, and instead had lenses implanted into her eyes. Yesterday was the day after, and waking up and being able to see (after removing the protective goggles taped to her face) was an absolutely joyous moment for her. I think the anesthesia did a number on her, though, and she's still recovering from it, not helped by the fact that we're blistering under the same heat wave scorching the west/southwest part of the country with no air conditioning. We're laying low and I'm slogging through a soft-food diet. I sought a second opinion on my foot and have decided to put off surgery for now and do some PT instead.

The Callia news is good: everything now is complete and wrapped up, the last pieces of which involved Callia flying to Maryland to sell Raja's car (what a trick it was to get insurance for a driver residing in Colorado and a car registered in Oregon but located in Maryland with the other owner in Pakistan...) and then getting a court order to be able to finally close their joint bank account from which the bank would not let her remove herself. So now she's officially DONE and making good progress with physical and mental health. She goes back to Oregon next week for her best friend's wedding and is really excited. It will be a quiet summer for Callia and for me, which is just fine.

Marina has a remote summer internship with Slow Food International which she just started this week and is enjoying so far. She will be spending the 2022-2023 school year in Bologna, Italy. She and Stelios will go to Cyprus in early August to visit family and renew EU passports, and then will spend a few days together in Venice before he drops her off in Bologna. Stelios is planning on spending perhaps as many as 8-10 weeks in Cyprus, helping his mother, attending a family wedding in September, and bringing some people to look at the land he owns to make some preliminary inroads on perhaps building a house there.

That's the news from here. Evenings I might have used to catch up on LT I have found my computer commandeered for hockey (a stream on my computer and hooked up to the TV). We are SO excited about our Avalanche and will be watching tonight to see if they will meet the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Finals or if the New York Rangers will force a game 7. Whichever opponent we face, the finals will start next week and I will be watching as usual from behind my hands over my eyes. You'd think at my age I'd meet sports matchups with more equanimity but no. I'll be behind my hands except when they're knocking wood and Stelios will be drinking Sierra Mist, brought into our soda-free house when he with much trepidation ordered a Sierra Mist instead of his usual Avalanche beer at the last home game and they shut out the Oilers 4-0. So Sierra Mist it is. Go Avs!

I have 10 reviews to post... will try to knock out a couple before ECF game 6 begins...

Let's go, Rangers!

Glad most of your news is good, Anne. I hope you have a restful summer.

>201 katiekrug: Katie - we're cheering the Rangers also:)

29. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn. 4 stars

Read for book club. This is a back/forth kind of book looking at three young women who meet doing ultra secret war work at Bletchley Park, an the fallout some years later from secrets, lies, and devastating events that changed all of their lives. I admit I sniffed somewhat at the book (chosen for our book club) but was impressed - even more so after reading the author notes and seeing how much of the story is based on real people. A big, sweeping, women-centered WWII story to sink your teeth into.

>200 AMQS: So good to get an update from you, Anne. So pleased to see that the news of Marina and Callia is positive. xx

Long weeks in Cyprus sound idyllic.

>200 AMQS: *smooch*

More activity would be just too much given the way things're trending! Enjoy the game. (I'm hoping for game 7 of course.)

>204 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. I agree that long weeks in Cyprus sound idyllic - sorry I can't go and will be back in school! Actually, it will be very nice for Stelios to tend to his family without the pressure of vacationing with all of us. He's pretty sure his mom will drive him crazy, but I think it will be a good thing for him. Hope you are well.

>205 richardderus: *SMOOCH* Yes, we're down for low activity levels, particularly in the heat. I'm sorry the Rangers lost tonight. From our end the Lightning definitely looked like the stronger team, but the Rangers were right with them.

30. Ways to Make Sunshine by Renee Watson. 3.5 stars.

The successor to Ramona Quimby is Ryan Hart. This is the first of a few books about the Portland 4th grader as she navigates life, her family downsizing after her dad loses a job, her best friend moving to a wealthier, whiter area, and her paralyzing fear of public speaking. Ryan tells her own story of life and love and empowerment. A quick read and a good one.

31. An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor, audiobook narrated by John Keating. 3 stars.

I was hoping for something as charming as the James Herriot stories, and this wasn't it. It was a fun tale of a newly minted doctor arriving to assist a long-serving, crusty GP of a small northern Irish village. Dr. Laverty arrives with his modern training and his up to date knowledge and is quickly and repeatedly schooled by the realities of country practice. And he needed so much schooling it became tiresome, as did his slavering, entitled courting of a girl he happened to glimpse on a train. There are lots of sequels, but I think I'll pass.

Glad you are finally on break. Have a great summer. No travel for you?

32. The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert. 4.5 stars.

This was my top read for May - a well-crafted middle grade story about Alberta, a middle schooler living in a small coastal California town. Her town is a popular tourist spot in summer, and quiet the rest of the year. She and her dads are nearly the only Black people in town, until the B&B across the street is purchased by a Black woman looking to start a new life after a divorce and her daughter Edie, who left her former life in Brooklyn very reluctantly. Alberta and Edie could not be more different from one another and are hesitant friends, just as Alberta begins having friend problems with her best friend Laramie. Also, the arrival of Edie brings odd microaggressions for both girls to the surface - teachers confusing them for one another, many people assuming they must be cousins, etc. When Edie discovers a box of old journals, the girls cement their bond over their investigation of them - and explore the issue of passing.

I thought this book was terrific, and one I'll enthusiastically recommend to students. There's a lot here my students can relate to - particularly as students in a very small, predominantly white community. I hope they might be able to put themselves in the shoes of the few ethnic or racial minorities in our community. I do wish the book had explained passing just a little more fully, though maybe that would have steered the book into didactic territory. Recommended.

>209 BLBera: Hi Beth! Are you a retired person?? I hope it's just wonderful.

Probably little travel for me this summer. I am hoping to go to the Los Angeles/San Diego area this summer for a short college reunion - one of the girls I shared a suite with freshman year is hosting a lunch for us at her home and I'd really like to go. That's probably it, other than perhaps some Colorado weekends. Stelios and Marina will be the travelers this summer, but we're thinking about perhaps Christmas in Europe - either in Italy, where Marina will be, or Germany where my mom and brother live, or somewhere in between. Which I guess would be Austria:)

What about you - any travel?

Welcome back, Anne!

33. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson, audiobook narrated by Katie Schorr. 3 stars.

Selected for our book club. I have had this one on my radar for awhile, and was a bit disappointed. The story follows Cussy Carter, a depression-era packhorse librarian serving the poorest, remotest hill people of Kentucky as part of the WPA packhorse librarian program. She is also one of the last of the Blue People - folks who have a rare, genetic blood disorder than causes blue skin. Which in 1930s Kentucky makes them colored, with the usual prejudices and racism. The history here is fascinating, as is the portrayal of the Blue People. But the story itself I found lacking, or perhaps lacking's opposite.

>212 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! I hope to be here awhile:) How are you?

The Only Black Girls in Town goes on Scout's list. We just finished The Beatryce Prophecy, which she loved, especially the demon goat, of course. And guess what? On testing at the end of the school year, she scored off the chart on vocabulary and reading. What a surprise. :)

I don't have any travel plans yet. I'm still getting used the fact I can go any time. I am pretty much done. I have a couple of tasks to do and LOTS of paperwork to fill out. Right now I am just enjoying my break.

So happy to hear you made it through another school year, Anne! I hope your quiet summer is full of all the relaxation you need.

Anne, I always enjoy reading your updates. I’mvery happy to see that all is well with you and yours, and especially that Callia has emerged on the other side so to speak. I wish you a lovely summer.

>215 BLBera: Hi Beth! I just finished The Beatryce Prophecy today! I loved it too, and yes, especially the goat:)

I am not a bit surprised that Scout scores so highly in reading. How many studies are out there that say reading to children is the number one predictor of literacy proficiency scores? Yet, those of us who read to children do not do it because of scores. We do it because we love it and THEY love it. I was reading The Beatryce Prophecy and thinking how much the girls would have loved it when they were growing up. I read the first chapter aloud and they did love it. Callia slipped it out of the box of Parmalee library books and is now reading it herself.

>216 MickyFine: Thank you, Micky! So far so relaxing:) There is this little voice in my head trying to shame me into cleaning out cabinets and getting to other summer chores, but given the heat and the surgery recovery, I am happily ignoring it! I hope you have a wonderful summer also. You're going to Newfoundland, right? It's on my list and I hope it is wonderful!

>217 lauralkeet: Thank you, Laura. Now she needs a little nudge to do something - work or volunteering or a combination of the two. I hope you have a wonderful summer also! I'll be by to see all of the happenings on the farm.

I'm so glad to hear that Callia's life is getting back to normal. After Scout and I finished The Beatryce Prophecy, I asked her if she wanted to take it home, and she said, "Yes. I think Mom would like it." So she'll get to read it again. Now I have to find another one...

And yes, reading aloud to my kids was one of my greatest joys.

34. Starfish by Lisa Fipps. 4 stars.

This one will be read by a majority of our 5th graders next year, and I am so glad. I picked up this novel in verse at bedtime intending to read a few pages to get it started but before I knew it I was turning the last pages while ugly crying. At 5 years old, Ellie performed an unfortunately epic belly flop in the pool that earned her the nickname Splash, bestowed upon her by her sister and used from then on by everyone she knew. It was the first time Ellie realized she was fat and that fat is a thing to be ridiculed. And she is ridiculed, devastatingly so, and bullied even by members of her own family, who can't help making snide comments, taping messages around the kitchen, and forcing her to try an endless cycle of diets. Ellie's life really starts to fall apart when her best friend Viv moves away, and the bullying at school intensifies. With the support of her dad, a wonderful new friend who moves in next door, and an unflappable therapist, Ellie learns to find her voice and love herself.

The cruelty in the book is unrelenting. The author explains in the afterword that she experienced every bit of cruelty that Ellie did and more. This will be a great book for my students.

>219 BLBera: Thank you, Beth - me, too. It hasn't been an easy journey, but we have definitely made progress and things feel good.

I love the idea of Scout reading The Beatryce Prophecy again, and I bet she's right - I think mom will love it! Have you read The House With Chicken Legs? It's also in the box I brought home from school. I haven't read it yet but it looks promising.

35. Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan. 4 stars.

This is a dream-like book by an outstanding author. Set "somewhere in the Américas," Max has the summer stretched out before him, soccer-obsessed and ready to share legends and stories with his grandfather. He has an invitation to attend a competitive skills camp with his best friend, but Papá won't permit it. Papá and Buelo keep a sharp, overprotective eye on Max, particularly since the mysterious disappearance of Max's mother, which Papá also refuses to discuss. When Papá has to travel for work and Buelo is visiting family, a stranger appears at their door asking for help to accompany a political refugee through the looming, crumbling La Reina Gigante tower overlooking their village and to safety beyond. Suddenly, the old legends Max and Buelo share don't seem like stories anymore, and Max accepts, hoping to learn more about his mother. Recommended.

36. Linked by Gordon Korman. 3.5 stars.

This book was chosen by a student as his birthday book, and he checked it out again and again, even finding me in the hall to confess he had taken it from the library when I wasn't there because he needed it for a project in class. This is a really cool kid, and I wanted to read the book he loves so much. Like many of Mr. Korman's books, this is a fast-paced realistic fiction story with a boy having to ask himself who he really is and who he wants to be. Bonus that it is set in a tiny Colorado mountain town.

In the tiny Colorado mountain town of Chokecherry, nothing really happens until the discovery of what turns out to be dinosaur poop, then a dinosaur footprint, and then bones. An east coast university sends a team of paleontologists to do a dig, and their kids are now the new kids in school. Popular jock Link's father is the town's biggest champion, and is hoping that the dinosaur find will bring the world to Chokecherry, possibly even to a dino-theme park Link's dad sees in his head. Until the town's "optics" are ruined by a giant swastika painted in the middle school, which forces the school to implement a tolerance education project. This inspires a lot of great conversations and brings the community together, but the swastikas keep appearing, threatening to tear the town apart.

This book is thought-provoking and very relevant, if a bit over the top, and should appeal to Gordon Korman fans, which is just about everyone 3rd grade and up at my school. I can picture exactly what kind of remote mountain town the author is describing - and its remoteness is an important factor. My school is located in a small Colorado mountain town, but it can hardly be called remote, as it is only about 35 minutes from downtown Denver. Chokecherry could be a place like Gunnison, or Cotopaxi, so one very dissonant piece for me was the size of Chokecherry's middle school - about 600 students. A town as small and remote as Korman is describing would likely have a middle school a tenth of that size, if it even had a middle school (and not a K-12 school). Those quibbles aside, it would be a great book to capture students' attention and could lead to great discussions.

Here are April and May reading recaps:

April, 2022
23. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
24. These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
25. Hardscrabble by Sandra Dallas
26. Molly of the Mall: Literary Lass and Purveyor of Fine Footwear by Heidi L.M. Jacobs
27. Network Effect by Martha Wells
28. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
29. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
April favorites:

May, 2022
30. Ways to Make Sunshine by Renée Watson
31. An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
32. The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert
33. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
34. Starfish by Lisa Fipps
35. Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan
36. Linked by Gordon Korman
May favorite:

37. We Ride Upon Sticky by Quan Berry, audiobook narrated by Isabel Keating. 3 stars.

Recommended here by Benita and many others, this book tells the story of the 1989 Danvers High School Women's Field Hockey team, perennially near the bottom of the standings, until the girls summon some dark forces and with the aid of Emilio Estevez and rings of blue tube sock, give in to their desires and dominate the competition en route to their best season ever. Fittingly, Danvers was called Salem Village until 1752, and the witch trials and the ensuing hysteria and enduring fascination loom large. Told in first person by the collective "we" (the team), the reader/listener is awash in 80s pop culture and delightful snark. Remember those 80s bangs? Well one set, known as "The Claw" is practically a character. But for me, the delight wasn't sustained, and I tired of the team and their antics. Some reviewers have criticized the book for being too long and I have to agree. This was exacerbated for me with an audiobook, for although the narrator was OUTSTANDING, an audiobook brings the listener every syllable - no skimming. This was a fun read that I cautiously recommend in print, particularly to relive the fun of the 80s.

38. English Creek by Ivan Doig. 4.75 stars.

I just love Ivan Doig. You just know you are in for a good read in his hands. Set in Montana in 1939, an important summer for 14 year-old Jick McCaskell. It begins with a family breach - his brilliant brother choosing to forgo college for marriage and cattle ranching in a time when ranches failed in bunches. While the family processes Alec's choices, life goes on and Jick accompanies his father on a sheep counting trip, one of his father's responsibilities as a National Forest ranger. On the trip, they encounter crusty, enigmatic Stanley Meixell, who accepts Jick's help to perform campjacking duties, having severely injured his hand. Jick's time with Stanley is transformative, but leaves Jick with more questions about his family and Stanley's connection to it. The rest of the summer unfolds - the town's 4th of July celebration, Jick's employments as a hay raker, and his father's professional nightmare - a forest fire.

I LOVED the book. Throughout the gorgeous writing is an abiding love for Montana and the fictional Two Medicine range. The love of place is palpable, as is the affection for the colorful characters who make their home and living in the inhospitable landscape. Highly recommended.

ETA thanks to Mark who introduced me to Ivan Doig and sent me the copy of English Creek many years ago. I still have the note he attached, hoping I would enjoy the book as much as he did.

39. The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo. 5 stars.

It is written in the Chronicles of Sorrowing that one day there will come a child who will unseat the king. The prophecy states that this child will be a girl. Because of this, the prophecy has long been ignored.

I LOVED this book. If you've been reading until now, you may have seen my discussion of this book with Beth. This is a book my girls and I would have loved to read aloud when they were little. Callia nabbed it from the box of books I bring home from my library every summer, and has already finished and delivered it to Marina's eager hands.

The book begins in a monastery that has a resident goat the brothers are convinced is a demon. The only reason the goat has not been slaughtered is because they are more afraid of the goat's ghost than the actual fearsome goat. But one day, Brother Edik finds a girl asleep in the goat's pen, so traumatized that she does not remember anything except her name: Beatryce. But the girl is hunted by the king and so must leave the monastery and confront her fate and fulfill the prophecy

Outstanding middle grade literature by the outstanding Kate DiCamillo.

Glad it sounds like a quiet summer!

>228 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! How's your summer shaping up?

I haven't read The House with Chicken Legs; I'll look for it. Scout has a chicken and a rooster right now. After reading The Beatryce Prophecy, she has decided that she has a demon rooster; he likes to chase her.

So good to hear from you again Anne. It sounds like you're all doing well, even though recovering from various medical procedures. Do you live a most international life, I must say!! And Callia dealing with that car -- wow!! I do hope things settle down a bit and that you and yours can enjoy all of the planned travel in peace. Happy summer!

>218 AMQS: It's technically summer as we fly out the Friday night of Labour Day weekend but our trip will take up most of September so I still have a few more months of anticipation.

Looks like you're settling in well to summer reading! :)

>229 AMQS: Not too bad - busy at work, but we’re getting some biking and kayaking in. Plus a trip to visit family in Louisiana in the hottest part of the summer. 😀

>214 AMQS: I'm doing well! Slowing down a bit reading-wise what with this pesky new job thing :)

>227 AMQS: I keep delaying the delivery of my hold on this one -- I need to buckle down and read it!

>230 BLBera: LOL Beth:) Though, a rooster would be a great candidate for demon possession. A turkey would be right up there, too. I was attacked by one some years ago.

>231 RebaRelishesReading: Happy summer to you, too, Reba! Is yours shaping up to be peaceful or busy?

>232 MickyFine: Oh Micky, that sounds wonderful! And it should be a lovely time to be there, right?

>233 drneutron: Louisiana in the hottest part of the summer... yikes! Maybe you can cool off in your kayak when you get back:) Where do you kayak?

>234 curioussquared: Yes, I'm familiar with that pesky work thing, Natalie! How is the new job going? You'll love The Beatryce Prophecy when you get to it.

40. Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega. 2.5 stars.

According to Babette, there were four basic rules to ghost hunting:
1. Be prepared.
2. Don't go alone.
3. Respect the dead.
4. Always have a cat.

I so wanted to love this book, billed as a spooky action-adventure story steeped in Dominican folklore, but alas. Perhaps it suffered from following Kate DiCamillo, but this book was kind of a mess.

Hi Anne, Good to see you back and to read your updates. Sounds like things are busy, but in a good way. Enjoy your down time!

>226 AMQS: English Creek was so good! The follow-up, Dancing at the Rascal Fair is one I’m sure you’ll love, too.

Go Avs!

>235 AMQS: Yes, Mr. Fine's family keeps telling me that September is the most beautiful time of the year there so we're optimistic we'll have good weather. I'm a little sad we won't get a shot at seeing icebergs IRL (that's purely a spring thing) and our odds of seeing puffins in real life will be a little lower as September is the tail end of their season there, but the trip will be great regardless.

>235 AMQS: Pretty busy I think, Anne. Starting tomorrow when two visitors arrive (separately) and continuing with trips and visitors every couple of weeks through September.

>236 AMQS: I fail to be surprised that it failed as a read. I mean, look at #4! Who could possibly take that kind of book seriously.

Sending heat-easing whammys

>226 AMQS: I am also an admirer of Ivan Doig and regret that his novels are so difficult to get hold of over here.

Hope all is well, Anne. x

Dropping in to say hello!

Hi Anne, it's so good to read about Callia and her "new" life. I hope she finds a job, either paid or volunteer, that she can settle into now that her life is back on track again. I'm glad Marina's eye surgery was successful. I remember the joy of not having to wear contacts that irritated my eyes in the dry Colorado air or the thick lenses I had worn since the age of 3. Good for her studying abroad in Italy this next year. Sadie has applied for spring semester in Prague. Crossing my fingers...

The story of the boy with the book he loved was very heartwarming. You are in the right place to inspire kids to read. Enjoy your summer vacation so you can return and work your magic in Evergreen!

What a night!!! What a game!!!

>200 AMQS: woah, you've been gone a while! I was gone for a month of that so, I didn't feel your absence as keenly as others would have. Still it's good to be back and for you to too!

Your summer plans sound good, I too love the quiet times :)

I'm happy for Callia and for her little sis's health issues improving! What trials you lot have had in recent times. Seriously, as if the current political climate wasn't already enough for you over there.

>237 Copperskye:, >244 Copperskye: Hi Joanne! I have Dancing at the Rascal Fair on my pile also. Have you read the third one in that trilogy?

OMG we were SO excited about the Avalanche! I "watched" much of the game with my hands over my eyes - but wow! What a great team. I felt that this was their year and they did it! So exciting for them and for Colorado!

>238 MickyFine: Oh, it sounds wonderful! I'll keep my fingers crossed for Puffins - I'd love to see them also.

>239 RebaRelishesReading: That is a busy summer, Reba! Hope you can get a little down time also.

>240 richardderus: LOL Richard. The cat part was a draw for me, but the book was a let down. A librarian I follow on IG is raving about another book she wrote: Witchlings, so I may give her another try, especially if the book is well-reviewed and I select it for the library.

Your heat-busting whammys did the trick, I think! We've had much milder weather since. It is hot today but not the upper 90s nonsense we had earlier. We fully expect that in July and August but not June! Hope you are well.

>241 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Well I know there are a few US cities/bookstores on your list, so maybe there's hope for you to get your hands on a Doig. We're all doing fine, just working my way through my list of summer reading and summer tasks to accomplish. How are you?

>242 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, and thanks for dropping in!

>243 Donna828: Hi Donna - how cool for Sadie! I will keep my fingers crossed that she is able to have that opportunity.

Callia is coming home today after about 10 days in Portland for her best friend's wedding, and all of the activities and preparation that accompany that. It was a good but emotional trip for her and she was so happy to be able to celebrate her friend. I am really hoping she will find something to do. The wedding was the last block on her schedule, so now she needs the nudge. She is also considering going to Cyprus to be with family, but I think it would be better to go with a definite plan for employment, and Stelios is working on it. We'll see. Marina is busy with her internship and getting very excited about Italy. She is beyond thrilled with her new vision!

>245 LovingLit: Hi Megan! I'm glad we're both back! I am enjoying a mostly unscheduled summer for sure. But oh boy, what is happening in our country... yikes! I swear that is affecting my girls' health and especially spirits more than anything else lately. Marina is looking forward to getting away from everything for awhile. Being in Italy she will miss the elections in November and the nonstop coverage of them and it's just as well.

So glad to hear that Callia had a good time in Portland and that she is getting her life back on track. How fun for Marina to have Italy to look forward too. Being away from this country while it implodes sounds like a good idea.

>247 RebaRelishesReading: Doesn't it, though? I wish everyone could have the experience of living abroad.

Happy Wednesday, Anne. Thanks for stopping by my thread. It reminded me to stop over here and say hi. Glad you liked English Creek.

>250 AMQS: I loved English Creek, Mark, so thank you again for passing along your copy all those years ago:)

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