Katie's 2022 Reading Room - Part 7

I usually save my political posts for Twitter (you're welcome!), but I love this image of Ukraine's national flower against a gorgeous blue sky, evoking the country's flag. Slava Ukraini!

CURRENTLY READING
(Kindle) (Audio)

Hello, friends! Glad to have you joining me on another year’s reading (and life) journey.

For anyone new to my thread, I’m Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog, Nuala/Noodles. Last year, I left my job in association management to explore life as a domestic goddess. I hope to do some writing, too, but that requires discipline and motivation, neither of which has ever made a permanent home with me…

My reading varies widely - I love genre fiction (romance and crime), contemporary and historical fiction, and narrative nonfiction. I try to balance my reading in all these areas. I also use my thread as a bit of a life journal, which mostly means I talk about what I’m cooking, eating, drinking, watching, doing, and avoiding doing.

Thanks for being here!

Books Completed

Books Off My Shelf: 3
Books Off My Kindle: 4
Books from Audible/Chirp: 6
Library Loans (print/e-books/audios): 14

March
27. Wilder Girls by Rory Power (audio) (2.5 stars)
26. A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh (3 stars)
25. State of Terror by Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny (half audio) (3.5 stars)
24. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (audio) (4 stars)

Did Not Finish (YTD)
1. These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant
2. This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett (will come back to this one; was just not in the mood)
3. Breathless by Beverly Jenkins
4. Find Me by Alafair Burke

COMPLETIONS - Q1

March

February
23. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (audio) (3.5 stars)
22. Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard (audio) (3.75 stars)
21. Isabel's Bed by Elinor Lipman (audio) (4 stars)
20. Love & Saffron by Kim Fay (4 stars)
19. Kiss Me Tonight by Emma Hart (audio) (3.5 stars)
18. The Wedding by Dorothy West (audio) (3.75 stars)
17. Last Best Hope by George Packer (audio) (4.25 stars)
16. Here For It by R. Eric Thomas (audio) (4 stars)
15. Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag (audio) (3.5 stars)
14. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (audio) (4.5 stars)
13. The Fell by Sarah Moss (4.75 stars)
12. Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen (audio) (4 stars)

January
11. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (4.25 stars)
10. As You Wish by Cary Elwes (audio) (3.5 stars)
9. The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (audio) (3 stars)
8. Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd (audio) (4 stars)
7. Mindful Drinking by Rosamund Dean (3 stars)
6. Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne (3.75 stars)
5. Aliens of Extraordinary Ability by Maeve Higgins (audio) (4 stars)
4. I Loved You First by Various Authors (audio) (3 stars)
3. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness by Peter Kuper (4 stars)
2. Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty (4 stars)
1. Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys (3.5 stars)

Around the Year in 52 Books:

TITLE
A book with a language or nationality in the title
A book with a time-related word in the title
- A book that uses all five vowels in the title and/or author's name - Passion on Park Avenue by Lauren Layne
2 books with the same word in the title
2 books with the same word in the title
- A book with 22 or more letters in the title - Aliens of Extraordinary Ability by Maeve Higgins

COVER
- A book with an image of a source of light on the cover - Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd
- A book with one of the Monopoly tokens on the cover - Henrietta's War by Joyce Dennys
- A book without a person on the cover - I Loved You First by Various Authors
A book with handwriting on the cover

THEME
- A book that features loving LGBTQIA+ relationship - Here for It by R. Eric Thomas
A book related to mythology
- A book with a theme of food or drink - Love & Saffron by Kim Fay
A book related to a game
A book related to Earth Day
- A book related to psychology, neuroscience or the mind - Mindful Drinking by Rosamund Dean

SETTING
- 3 books set on three different continents - Ghachar Ghochar by Vivek Shanbhag (Asia)
3 books set on three different continents
3 books set on three different continents
A book set in a small town or rural area
- A fiction or nonfiction book that is set during 1900 -1950 - Her Royal Spyness by Rhys Bowen
A book set on or near a body of water
A book with an academic setting or with a teacher that plays an important role

CHARACTER
A book where the main character is a female detective or police officer
- A book that involves aging, or a character in their golden years - Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
A book with a non-human as one of the main characters
A book about a woman in STEM
- A book with a main character whose name starts with A, T, or Y - If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (Tish)

GENRE
A book that involves alternate reality, alternate worlds, or alternate history
A book with gothic elements
A book from the historical fiction genre

AUTHOR & PUBLISHING
A book published in 2022
A book published at least 10 years ago - The Wedding by Dorothy West
A book by a Latin American author
A book by an Asian or Pacific Islander author
- A book with a Jewish character or author - Isabel's Bed by Elinor Lipman
A book by an author with two sets of double letters in their name

GOODREADS & RECOMMENDATIONS
A book posted in the 2021 or 2022 ATY Best Book of the Month threads
- A book connected to a book you read in 2021 - Gun Street Girl by Adrian McKinty
- A book that fits your favorite prompt that did not make the list - The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin (Book with a character who loves books)
- A book with fewer than 5000 ratings on Goodreads - The Fell by Sarah Moss

AWARDS, CHALLENGES and LISTS
A book that won an award from Powell's list of book awards
A book from NPR's Book Concierge
A book from the TIME list of 13/500 Best YA Books of All Time

OTHER
A book connected to the phrase "Here (There) Be Dragons"
2 books related to flora and fauna
2 books related to flora and fauna
The next book in a series
A book related to one of the 22 Tarot Major Arcana cards - Kiss Me Tonight by Emma Hart (Lovers)
A book related to glass
A book related to inclement weather
- A book less than 220 pages OR more than 440 pages - Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness by Peter Kuper

My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

2 stars = Whyyyyyy?
3 stars = Eh, ok.
4 stars = Definitely worth the time.
5 stars = Perfect *for me*

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)



WELCOME!

Nice shiny new thread, Katie!

>6 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura!

Happy new one!

Thread the seventh duly benisoned.

>8 drneutron: and >9 richardderus: - Nice to see you both, gentlemen!

Happy new thread, Katie!

>5 katiekrug: Yup. I have a rather too expressive face. No poker face at all.

Happy new thread.

>11 FAMeulstee: - Thanks, Anita!

>12 Helenliz: - Same! And thanks :)

The fence is in and looks good. It will look better once it's stained/painted, of course. It's a 4' split rail with mesh wire in between the rails. My in-laws have something similar, which is where we got the idea for it. I like it because it will keep the dog in but isn't solid and obtrusive. We didn't take it all the way to the river bank, and it's nice to still be able to see the rest of the yard.

Nuala was in heaven when we took her out just now. She ran zoomies and barked and tried to eat several sticks :-P

FEBRUARY STATS
(#s in parentheses are YTD)

Books
Completed: 12 (23)
Mine: 4 (10)
Library: 8 (13)

Print: 2 (5)
Ebook: 0 (3)
Audio: 10 (15)

Pub Year
- 2022/2021: 3 (5)
- 2010-2020: 4 (12)
- 2000-2009: 1 (1)
- 1980-1999: 2 (3)
- 1950-1979: 1 (1)
- 1900-1949: 0 (0)
- 19th c.: 1 (1)

Category:
- Contemporary Fiction: 5 (8)
- Historical Fiction: 1 (3)
- Romance: 1 (3)
- Crime/Suspense/Thriller: 1 (2)
- Speculative: 0 (0)
- Juvenile/YA: 0 (0)
- Classics: 1 (2)
- Nonfiction: 3 (5)

(DNFs: 3 (4))

Authors
Male: 4 (7)
Female: 8 (18)
Multiple Authors: 0 (1 (3 female))

US/UK: 11 (20)
Other Country: 1 (3: India -1, Ireland - 2))
New-To-Me Author: 6 (18)
Own Voices: 4 (4)

The giant flashing neon elephant in the room is that I only read two print books in February. All the rest were audio. And while I firmly believe a book is a book is a book and format-shaming is the work of the Devil and associated morons, I would like to get back to "eye reading" more, if for no other reason than all the thousands of books I have sitting unread on my shelves and Kindle. So that will be the goal for March!

Hurray for the new fence! We had to remove a lot of dilapidated fence around our property, most of which we don't want or need anyway. But we do want a fence around the barn/veg garden area, for aesthetics and so we can have Alys outside with us while we're working in the garden. Chris got started on it before winter set in, but is now waiting for the ground to thaw in order to continue. I think our design will be similar to yours.

I humbly request a photo of Nuala cavorting inside the fence.

Happy new thread!

>1 katiekrug: Quite beautiful!

>16 lauralkeet: - I will try to get a photo tomorrow, Laura (it's too dark now). I did try to take some video of her running around, but she was too fast!

>!7 - Thank you, Anita!

Love the Ukrainian flower field photo!! Happy new thread. Glad you have your fence in. I'm sure you and Nuala will all enjoy it.

>19 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba! She did some more running around after dinner, so I think it's safe to say she's very happy.

>14 katiekrug: Post-staining photos? With Nuala romping? Pretty please?

Some of the puzzles I've completed in the last couple weeks:

>21 richardderus: - Well, those will probably take a while since I need to find someone to do the work first. But I will try to get a photo of Dum-Dum zooming tomorrow morning :)

Happy New Thread, Katie! I love the Ukraine flower topper!

Happy new thread, Katie!

>5 katiekrug: Same. (Schitt's Creek gifs are the best)

>15 katiekrug: Nice stats, and nice job of balancing our your own books with library reads. I am the complete opposite and haven't finished anything as an audio and will have to get knitting or puzzling to get those numbers up.

>24 msf59: - Thanks, Mark!

>25 bell7: - Schitt's Creek is the best :)

Re: the stats, the other thing I noted and was pleased about was after no "Own Voices" books in January, I read 4 in February. I'll try to keep that up this month.

Morning, all! Today will be a weird day because I'll be without power for most of it. Try not to miss me too much ;-) Nuala is going to day care and getting a bath and nail clip today, so at least she won't be underfoot, barking at every odd sound she hears coming from the basement. The Wayne will be headed to a coffee shop with internet so he can get work done, and I plan to read and maybe make a pass at the bookshelves to see about purging any titles. Unsure about dinner tonight.

We came in 5th of 17 teams at trivia last night, so not bad.

Happy new thread, Katie. Yours moves right along!

>28 BLBera: - Nice to see you, Beth!

Wordle 256 2/6

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Boom!
First word was TRAIN

>30 katiekrug: and here I was happy I got it in four 😂. Though my first word was route and I went slow and steady from there.

Hi Katie! Happy new thread.

>1 katiekrug: Love the image of Ukraine’s national flower evoking their flag.

>14 katiekrug: Yay for the fence being in and Nuala being in heaven.

>27 katiekrug: Life Without Electricity. I’m glad it’s only for most of the day.

>30 katiekrug: Impressive. I was a sloppy 4. I always use the same starting word.

>31 bell7: - My starting word was lucky, plus I just got lucky in what popped into my head with the letters I got!

>32 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! Glad you like that image. The yard is rather muddy at the moment from all the digging, but we had fun with a bouncy chew toy this morning (pics to follow).

I am also glad we won't be without power for too long. At least the weather is relatively mild!

As I said to Mary, I just got uber lucky with Wordle today.

Nuala running zoomies and chasing her Kong after breakfast this morning:

>34 katiekrug: Aww quite adorable. The fence looks excellent as well.

Morning, Katie! Happy new one - I love the topper. Your new fence is a winner - I really like the looks of it, and Nuala's happiness is evident.

Nice stats - I still need to do mine. SO interesting about the audio. I started the year off that way either last year or the year before. I say whatever works. I love audio because it allows me to still read when I am feeling restless.

>5 katiekrug: You gotta love Stevie! I am the same - just can't be bothered to fake sincerity. Heh.

>34 katiekrug: I love it! That is just as cute as anything could get.

>30 katiekrug: I got it in 3:
Wordle 256 3/6

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What a perfect word for today's word.

New thread? Nice. Fenced-in yard for da poochie? Nice nice. Being left powerless for most of the day. Ugh. Hey! I have an idea! You could read a book. (You can thank me later, Katie.)

The fence looks good and seems to work with the landscape - not jarring. Good on you.

Did you post anything about Cranford? Did you ever happen to see the 2007 mini series with Judi Dench?

>30 katiekrug: Lol -- I've been using that first word for a while and it hasn't been very helpful so I decided to change it up today ... shudda stuck with it .

I like the open look of your fence and appreciate the practicality of having it actually keep Nuala in. Here's wishing you all many years of pleasure with it.

Nice job with the Wordle, Katie, and THANK YOU for the Nuala pics. She looks so happy to be running around. Alys wrangled a second walk from me this morning, acting all "I gotta pee" when I came back from the dentist. Chris was working outside but he'd walked her a bit early. Cheeky pup.

Hope the power outage hasn't been too onerous.

Yay for zoomies!

The fence looks great! I love the look of those. And yay for happy Nuala!

>35 figsfromthistle: - Thanks Anita!

>36 Crazymamie: - Glad you like the topper and the Stevie gif, Mamie! And the fence! I found my stats for last month so interesting. It will also be interesting to see how they evolve over time, of course.

>37 richardderus: - It was a good Wordle word today, wasn't it.

I'm always happy to share the joy that is Nuala :)

>38 weird_O: - Bill, would you believe I didn't even crack a book today?!?! What is wrong with me?

>39 magicians_nephew: - Jim, I haven't posted anything "formal" about Cranford, but I did enjoy it. I plan to seek out the adaptation soon.

>40 RebaRelishesReading: - Ain't that always the way, Reba? Grrr.

>41 RebaRelishesReading: - We are very happy with the fence. I think we'll give it a darkish stain to finish it off. The Wayne says we can do that ourselves. I'll be getting some estimates from local people, because of course I will!

>42 lauralkeet: - Glad you liked the photos, Laura. I actually said to Nuala this morning as we were going out that I had to take photos of her "for Laura". Heh.

I survived the powerless day. It wasn't too bad, but I am glad to be back in the 21st century.

>43 Helenliz: - Yes!

>44 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber :)

So my day without power was okay. There was some confusion at the start of the day with the electricians that needed to be sorted out, but it all worked out fine in the end. I read a lot (of Twitter, not my book unfortunately), tidied up around the house, and worked on a puzzle while listening to The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgerton season 2 drops in about 3 weeks!). Nuala came home from day care smelling lovely and no longer capable of scratching me up when she jumps. I treated myself to Chinese delivery for lunch so will probably just have the leftovers for dinner...

>5 katiekrug: You're incapable of faking sincerity? Now you tell me Katie lol.

>48 brenzi: - I know! Shocking, innit?!?! :)

Happy new thread, Katie. I love the shots of Nuala doing the zoomies. I forgot about Bridgerton coming up. Thanks for the reminder.

>50 Familyhistorian: - You're welcome for the reminder, Meg. My best friend and I are all agog waiting for it. Some of the promo shots have been gorgeous.

Hello, friends - it's a sun-filled morning here, relatively mild, and I am thinking about taking a long walk today. I feel the need for some vitamin D.

Very quiet night last night, as I spent a couple of hours working on a puzzle and listening to my audio. I sound like a broken record about the jigsaws and the audios, but I find the combination so relaxing, and I love the total absorption it affords. The audio (The Viscount Who Loved Me) is read by Rosalyn Landor who does a lot of historical romances, and I don't love her as a narrator (she does male characters oddly), but the story is SO good. I don't think I appreciated it as much when I read it (twice!) in print. I think I'm definitely blocking out March 25 on the calendar and just binge watching Bridgerton series 2...

I also managed to read a whole chapter (!) in State of Terror. I am foregoing all puzzling today, and when I get the urge, I am going to retreat to my reading nook and pick up my Kindle. So there.

Virtual happy hour tonight and it should be a doozy! All sorts of shit hitting the fan at my former place of employment - I can't wait to get the scoop. It's so nice not to have to care or worry about it anymore :)

>52 katiekrug: I used to love putting puzzles together but then Charlie came along and toddlers and puzzle pieces don't work well together. And then I never got back to it. I love the idea of just having a designated puzzle table... I may need to make that happen...

Ooooh, work drama that's not your drama anymore! That'll be fun!

>53 scaifea: - My puzzle table it our dining room table, because we never use it. I have a puzzle caddy I can do them on and move them if necessary, but I kind of hate it, so I usually just leave them right on the table.

Happy hour is now basically me embodying the Jon Stewart eating popcorn gif as my friends dish the dirt. Add a glass of wine and.... it me.

Wordle 257 4/6

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Sweet Thursday, Katie! Go Nuala! I love it. I just learned that Sue is also playing Wordle. LOL. It looks like I am one of the rebel holdouts.

>34 katiekrug: That looks great, for the yard and of course for Nuala.

>52 katiekrug: Work drama where you're familiar with all the players and situations but you don't have to care sounds amazing. Enjoy!

>56 msf59: - Morning, Mark! Wordle is a fun, 3-5 minutes out of my day :)

>57 ursula: - Thanks, Ursula! I am so glad to be done with the drama. I feel bad for friends in the midst of it, and I try not to gloat too much. Heh.

Got wordle in three today. Also I've been playing Spelling Bee every day and I'm finally getting the hang of it. Hitting genius level more often, at least.

>59 japaul22: - 3! That's a great result for today's word. And hooray for Spelling Bee! It gets easier the more you play for sure, especially as you get familiar with the more obscure words that are often included.

>55 katiekrug: Wordle 257 4/6

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Hm. On the nose, this one.

*smooch*

Wordle 257 5/6

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>61 richardderus: and >62 Helenliz: - Well done, both of you! This is one where I used a pencil and Post-It to make sure I didn't waste guesses.

Hi Katie!

>34 katiekrug: Sweet pics of Nuala enjoying her new domain.

>47 katiekrug: Nice to know about Bridgerton season 2.

>52 katiekrug: I don't love her as a narrator (she does male characters oddly), The reason I rarely like female narrators.

>63 katiekrug: I opened up my Wordle spreadsheet again and did a split screen with it Wordle. Got it in 4, too.

Katie, about the Spelling Bee. Chris just started seeing short motivational messages when he gets to Genius. Today’s was “Genius again! No surprise here.” Are you getting those too? He doesn’t try for Queen Bee so I’m wondering if it rains confetti or anything like that now. If not, it should!

>64 karenmarie: - Thanks re: Nuala and the yard, Karen. And you're welcome for the reminder about BS2. Interesting about narrators. I probably listen to mostly female-narrated books and usually find their male "voice" perfectly fine. And hooray for 4 in Wordle!

There, I am caught up with your catch-up :)

>65 lauralkeet: - HI Laura - yes, I have been seeing new messaging. No confetti for QB, though. I do get a "Long may you reign!" message when I achieve it, though :)

I went to get more coffee and found Leonard sleeping like this. The "arm" on the desk and the face buried cracks me up!

>67 katiekrug: Cute! At first I thought that was his tail wrapped around the post and thought, "Wow, he's got a long tail!"

>68 rosalita: - I did a double-take, too, Julia. It's sometimes hard to tell where the cat tree ends and Leonard begins, since they are the same color :-P

Love the topper and the fence.

Funny story. Years ago, we had a lab-pointer mix and my folks fenced in the backyard to a height of about 4 1/2 feet. As my father was paying the fences, the dog neatly jumped the fence, without even a running start, to sniff the other side. The men looked at each other.

The fence guy suggested a tipped in topper would make it harder to jump.

On a trip to the vet for an unrelated issue, the vet said, 'Oh, this guy? He's a Nijinsky!".

>66 katiekrug: "Long may you reign" is pretty good too, Katie.

>67 katiekrug: I love that photo of Leonard striking a caption-worthy attitude.

>67 katiekrug: "What? It's MY house and MY sunshine. I'll enjoy 'em how I please!"

I took four tries to Wordle today. I think the Times is putting its subliminal messaging on loudspeaker.

>70 ffortsa: - Thankfully, Nuala does not seem very interested in breaking out (yet). I'll probably never be comfortable enough to let her just go out without supervision...

>71 lauralkeet: - Leonard is quite a character...

>72 richardderus: - I thought the words were picked randomly from the famous list?

And yes, that's a good summary of Leonard's (any cat's) attitude!

>73 katiekrug: If so, the words showing up just now are evidence of a malevolent Providence having a laugh at our expense. Neither is a comforting thought.

I've decided to go to Trader Joe's this afternoon (after the lunch rush) and see if I can find something to replace frozen pizza for our usual easy Friday dinner, just to mix things up. TJ's is right by my favorite wine store, where I need to stop in to get something for HH tonight anyway. Maybe I'll do a little smorgasbord of yummy appetizers or something...

I'm enjoying your days and doings, Katie. Some of them are familiar to me in my days. I got a puzzle for Xmas and spread the pieces out on the dining table, but progress is slow. I made a second pot of beef stew yesterday, goosed the seasoning amounts, and it is goooood. So I know what's for supper.

>52 katiekrug: Glad you're enjoying your revisit with TVWLM. It's funny how enjoyment of a book can change with time and medium.

>67 katiekrug: Pretty jealous. I'd love to curl up in a patch of sunshine but alas working in the basement and watching the snow come down through the windows instead.

>63 katiekrug: A pencil and ruled paper definitely helps THIS Wordle-er

>68 rosalita: My thought exactly!! I never could actually see what was going on there.

Apparently, the secret to getting some reading done is not a dedicated reading nook in your house but to treat yourself to lunch out 🙂 Just spent a lovely hour with my book and a Reuben sandwich.

>76 weird_O: - Bill, what is your puzzle an image of? I got into doing them because I bought one at Barnes & Noble that was book covers, so it was especially fun to me, being the nerd that I am :)

Extra seasoning is always the answer! Enjoy your stew.

>77 MickyFine: - I always liked TVWLM but this time around, it's really hitting the spot. Maybe the first season of the TV series has enhanced my affection for it because Anthony is so terrible in that, and then the book (and presumably season 2) explains why he is the way he is and ahhhh. It's just lovely. And of course I adore Kate.

Yeah, Leonard is living the life. #spoiled

>78 magicians_nephew: - I don't always try to work it out by hand, Jim, but it did help today!

>79 RebaRelishesReading: - LOL, Reba. I swear, we don't try to color coordinate our cats and their playgrounds :)

Trader Joe's update: I ended up getting a TJ's frozen pizza and salad kit (NOT caesar though!) so I guess Friday dinner will be the usual :-P I also bought a bunch of random things to try, including JoJo's which someone said were better than Oreos, and after a careful tasting, I must disagree. The Oreo is still the best. I think JoJo's appeal to people who like the cream best, but I'm one of those odd ducks who thinks the crunchy cookie is the best part of the Oreo. My God, I am thinking way too hard about this...

Also bought some chili garlic cashews for The Wayne, dark chocolate covered graham crackers with sea salt (DELISH), and a jar of harissa paste because the last brand we tried was not very good, and we love harissa.

/exciting grocery update

I miss Newman's Own ginger-snap creme cookies. Like you, I want gooey creme with my cookie not cookie holding together a wodge of gooey creme.

Have a fascinating VHH! I will just *bet* there's a chaotic screaming derby in their world!

>83 richardderus: - Last night, I noticed the org's FB account had posted a CAll for Papers for the Russian Technology Conference and I really wanted to comment, "Read the room!" But now I don't see it, so I wonder if they took it down or if FB's algorithm is just messing with me. Also yesterday, the Instagram account posted photos from a North American student event, but the logo was in blue and yellow (blue is their main color and yellow is often used as a compliment to it, but it just jumped out at me given current events). I messaged the VP of Communications and she was clueless about whether it was intentional or not but marketing and social media don't fall under her (which is a whole other issue!). I think it was just an oopsy, because I also note their silence on BP and Shell pulling out of Russia when the social media team often links to major industry news.

And then of course, there is drama around the merger with the sister society which appears to be dying an agonized death.... I'll be all ears tonight!

ETA: Oh, this is a long response. Sorry!

>84 katiekrug: No need to be sorry since it's your thread...but it's also quite interesting.

the VP of Communications...but marketing and social media don't fall under her

Omigawd

I really never want to be in one of THOSE meetings ever ever ever again. The decisions are so incredibly fungible and ineffective.

>85 richardderus: - It's totally whack. They are under Sales and Business Development.... *eye roll*

>80 katiekrug: For me, it's breakfast. A book and a breakfast burrito is heaven...

>86 katiekrug: That's really, really stupid.
***
It's been like fifteen months since I last gotcha with a solid hit.
Eartheater by Dolores Reyes is $1.99 until 4 April.

Set in an unnamed slum in contemporary Argentina, Earth-eater is the story of a young woman who finds herself drawn to eating the earth—a compulsion that gives her visions of broken and lost lives. With her first taste of dirt, she learns the horrifying truth of her mother’s death. Disturbed by what she witnesses, the woman keeps her visions to herself. But when Earth-eater begins an unlikely relationship with a withdrawn police officer, word of her ability begins to spread, and soon desperate members of her community beg for her help, anxious to uncover the truth about their own loved ones.

Surreal and haunting, spare yet complex, Earth-eater is a dark, emotionally resonant tale told from a feminist perspective that brilliantly explores the stories of those left behind—the women enduring the pain of uncertainty, whose lives have been shaped by violence and loss.

It's really more YA than lit-fic IMO but you can't go wrong for $1.99. Dark enough to be interesting, surfacey enough to be less than grisly.

>87 drneutron: - Any meal works for me, as long as I'm by myself :) I miss work travel and the solo meals with my book!

>88 richardderus: - 15 months my foot, Evil Man! But that is intriguing, and I do love Argentina....

>81 katiekrug: Toucans.

>90 weird_O: - Ack! I hate repetitive images like that. But on the positive side, it's only 386 pieces. Most of mine are 1000 :)

Love the shot of Leonard basking! Hope you're meeting is going/went well and you got the latest scoop.

>92 Familyhistorian: - Thanks, Meg!

Happy Friday, friends! Virtual happy hour was good last night, though I feel bad for my friends. They all seem pretty burned out :( For dinner, The Wayne decided to go Mexican, so I had two tacos - a chicken and a beef piccadillo. HH didn't go overly long, so afterwards I hung out with TW and then started a new puzzle, mostly because I wanted to listen to more of my audio :)

Today is the gym and some niggly little tasks. I have one more load of laundry to do, and today's cleaning focus is the guest room aka my office. Bag o'salad and frozen pizza for dinner, after which we'll watch the season premier of Top Chef. Exciting stuff!

Happy Friday, Katie! Ooh, virtual Happy Hour sounds fun. Have a good weekend and enjoy that pizza.

Happy Friday back at ya, Katie. We're doing takeout tonight and you have me thinking about Mexican food. For some reason I haven't been able to convince Chris to try one of our local places.

I get together with 3 former work colleagues once in a while. When I first retired we tended to talk about office drama and it was kind of fun in a snarky way. After about 6 months I lost interest in that line of conversation, because due to merger activity I no longer knew the key players. It does take effort to keep those relationships going once you no longer have work as the "glue". In my case, over time we all retired from the company and other topics took precedence.

Hi Katie!

>67 katiekrug: Awww, a Leonard sighting. How sweet.

>82 katiekrug: We finished the last of the Double Stuf Oreos last week. I used most of them for the Turtle Cheesecake. Bill doesn’t know about the as-yet-unopened bag of Mint Oreos lurking on a bottom shelf in the pantry. Yay for the exciting TJ acquisitions.

>94 katiekrug: I keep saying I’m going to get two takeout tacos but haven’t done it yet. Maybe today if I go out to run a couple of errands.

>95 msf59: - Hiya, Mark and thanks!

>96 lauralkeet: - Spot on, Laura. The conversation is getting less interesting for me as I become more removed and new people are hired and I don't know the names. That's part of the reason I was okay with moving to once a month from twice.

Get the Mexican!

>97 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen! I know, I neglect poor Leonard sometimes in my LT threads, but rest assured he's not neglected in real life!

It's probably good that I don't love these TJ's Oreo rip-offs, because I can't be trusted with Oreos in the house. About once a year, I will buy a package of Oreo Thins and make that suffice to feed my craving :)

The tacos came with rice and beans, but I didn't eat it because I had had a late-ish lunch. I think TW is going to have them with his lunch today.

Great workout at the gym today. Julian the Angel said he was pleased with my weight increases (not *my* weight but the weights I use :-P) and that I was obviously getting stronger. Result! I really just need to up my cardio on my own and stop buying Trader Joe's stuff to try, and I'll be all set....

>99 katiekrug: And there's this little thing called Reality waiting around the corner....

I'm just hoping we can overcome the anxiety-triggering events causing us all to revert to truly awful patterns. It would be completely understandable, after all, when existential threats are mounting up.

Me, I'mma go read some more.

Hi Katie, I've circled March 25th on my calendar and I am all aflutter waiting for my Bridgerton fix!

>100 richardderus: - I should also have mentioned drinking less would help, but given the state of the world, THAT'S not happening any time soon...

>101 DeltaQueen50: - I just finished my re-read of Anthony and Kate's story and am even more excited for the new season!

Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

Cranford is a village in England, not too far from London but far enough. It is dominated by women who quarrel, cajole, gossip, support, and keep the community together in their own way. The novel is told in a series of connected vignettes, and the insight into village life, coupled with the gentle humor and sharp observation, made for a charming listen.

3.5 stars

>103 katiekrug: How much of Victorian novel-writing was about making sure men didn't figure out their actual powerlessness against the Matriarchy. Not one single thing a woman truly opposes ever happens in Cranford. And it's just...unremarkable.

>103 katiekrug: That one has been on The List since I finished North and South ages ago. I really must get around to it sooner rather than later.

Also how delighted were you by NYT crossword your name making it into the crossword today?

>34 katiekrug: I like the looks of your fence and Nuala looks so happy! I'm afraid our Penny is used to her freedom and might feel confined but I would so love to put a fence up for peace of mind. She comes in when we call her...unless she has gone to the neighbor's tennis courts to forage for food that their 4 kiddos drop in the yard. The fence is under discussion at our house. I discuss it and DH looks vague.

Ma vieille Poirotesse! A third Branagh film is in the works (surprisingly, given this one's financials)...but they say it'll be in "...post-war Venice and an adaptation of one of the lesser-known novels."

I have cogitated. I have cudgeled. I have looked at Wikipedia lists of Poirot novels. Venice? I am so utterly not to comprehending...please to using extensive categoricals of your brain-thing to explicating mysterious bloviateable studio yip-yap for elderly brain-free self?

>104 richardderus: - I obviously need to read more Victorian novels!

>105 MickyFine: - I am pretty certain you'd enjoy Cranford, Micky.

And yes! about the crossword :)

>106 Donna828: - We aren't allowed to let dogs out off leash, Donna, unless of course it's in a fenced yard. So no roaming for Nuala. Thankfully, we have a ginormous backyard.

>107 richardderus: - I am afraid, RD, that you are over-estimating my familiarity with Christie's novels. I've only read a half dozen or so...

Good morning! Who's got two thumbs and woke up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning? THIS GIRL. Boo. I doom-scrolled on Twitter for a bit before actually getting up and now I'm waiting on the coffee to finish brewing.

Unsure what's on the agenda today beyond a few household chores. The weather is supposed to be decent, so we might work on cleaning up the deck a bit. We'll probably go out for an early dinner and then watch a movie or two.

I need to decide on my next audio. I did make some more progress in State of Terror yesterday, so that's good.

Wordle 259 4/6

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Good morning Katie. I got the Wordle in 4 as well. We don't have much on our agenda either other than hoping to enjoy the expected nice weather. Yesterday was pretty cold so it will be a welcome change.

>110 katiekrug: hem, hem in best Umbridge voice
Wordle 259 2/6

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*happy sigh*

>108 katiekrug: I don't feel near so much like a big lumpen igmo, then. I still wonder if the guy wasn't talking about a story, not a novel.

Morning, Katie! Sorry about the early rising today. Blech.

Sorry about the early rising! Dogs whined at 7 instead of 6:30 for me today, but I was extremely bleary pre-coffee even so. Hope you're having a good Saturday!

>111 lauralkeet: - Morning, Laura! It's going to be in the mid-40s here and sunny today and tomorrow's going to be 70! But rainy... Hopefully we'll take advantage of the better weather.

>112 richardderus: - Well done!

>113 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber. I don't feel too draggy so I thing the sleep I got was pretty good at least.

>114 bell7: - Morning, Mary! So far, my Saturday has consisted of coffee and computer time :) I do not wake up quickly...

Nice of the dogs to give you a bit of a sleep-in! And you're in the home stretch of the gig now. Hooray!

I've decided to try listening to State of Terror on audio. Surprisingly, it was available from the library so I've downloaded it. Penny's style (the much talked about sentence fragments) was really grating on me during the read, and a thriller deserves to be read in big gulps, I think, because of the momentum. I'm just not getting big gulps of reading time, but my listening time is ample, so we'll see how that goes. The Audio is narrated by the actress Joan Allen, so I have high hopes for it. Now to find my place...

>117 katiekrug: I don't feel the way so many do about Penny's style, but I can definitely see that the audio version could make a virtue of it very easily. I don't know Joan Allen's work, I don't think I do anyway, but if she's got the right voice for it I can see this being better in audio.

Thanks re: Wordle!

>118 richardderus: - Allen was prbably best known in the late 90s, early 00s for movies that weren't necessarily indie but not huge blockbusters.

I'll start listening in a little bit when I disassemble a completed puzzle.

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn

This was my 3rd time reading this second novel in the Bridgerton series, and I like it more each time. This is Anthony's story - oldest son, head of the family, bearer of much responsibility, and harborer of a deep sense of mortality. He knows he must marry but he is determined not to marry for love because he is convinced he is going to die young and he doesn't want the heartache. So we know, of course, what will happen.

Anthony starts out as kind of a dick (and the first season of the TV series really accentuated his dickishness, no doubt so his redemption will be all the greater) but a sympathetic one to a certain extent. He was traumatized by his father's death and is convinced he can never live up to the legacy. I'm focusing on Anthony here, because I think this reading was really enhanced by the first season of the TV series and his secondary story there. But Kate, the heroine, is equally compelling, and I love her relationship with her stepmother and half-sister. The classic enemies-to-lovers trope is well done, and as Anthony and Kate discover each others' vulnerabilities, there is actual emotional depth to the story, as well as character development and relationship growth. (Tell me again how romance novels are trash...)

4 stars

Note: Bridgerton season 2 drops on Netflix on March 25 and all the promotion indicates that the two best parts of TVWLM (Nelson the corgi and the uber-competitive pall-mall match) will be included.

And another note: If you are going to read any of the Bridgerton series for the first time, or are only partially through it, DO NOT READ the second epilogues if they are included. They spoil other books in the series. The regular epilogues, included when the books were originally published, are fine, but Quinn later wrote a series of short stories about each couple in the series and called them second epilogues and they are very, very spoiler-y.

>119 katiekrug: She was Georgia O'Keeffe in the biopic about her, the mom in The Ice Storm (I loved the book and the movie), and the lead in the uterus-grower The Mists of Avalon! I've seen her a lot and never, not one time, bothered to learn her name.

I hope this is the perfect narrating gig for her.

>120 katiekrug: - The only role I could remember off the top of my head was Pat Nixon in 'Nixon.' I think she won an Oscar for it maybe.

The short audio sample was pretty good, so I'm sure it'll be fine.

Hi Katie!

>109 katiekrug: Sounds like a good day ahead.

>122 katiekrug: She was nominated for that one but didn't win. She's been nominated three times, no wins, but that shows you the quality of performances she turns in!

Hi Katie - I also liked Cranford. I keep meaning to read more by Gaskell. Maybe this year? Love your fence.

I am so excited for the pall-mall match! It's so good on the page that having actual physical comedy can only enhance it (I hope).

>123 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! I've got one chore out of the way, so I'm off to a good start :)

>124 richardderus: - I always liked her. She reminded me of my mom in some way I could never put my finger on...

>125 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! I am hoping to get to North and South this year, but we'll see...

>126 MickyFine: - I know! I'm so interested to see how they adapt the story. As I was listening, I could totally picture Jonathan Bailey in my head as Anthony, but Simone Ashley is so unknown to me, I couldn't slot her in as Kate.

The second epilogue for TVWLM re-visits the pall mall match and made me snort out loud a few times, too.

I have dusted - and I do mean DUSTED (blinds, baseboard, etc) - the guest room/my office. I find dusting so annoying because despite my heavy duty Swiffer duster, I can see the dust being stirred up and resettling as I go. I feel like Sisyphus...

Zelensky texting the whole country "I'm here" after the nuke was captured was brilliant. But it makes me think he already knows he's not likely to live when Little Vladdy Pu-Pu's thugs get to him.

And Ukraine will never, ever forgive the cowards who didn't stop this from happening back in 2014 when it could've AND SHOULD'VE been done.

>129 richardderus: - He's been very clear that he pretty much expects to die, either in a shelling, during the near-inevitable battle for Kyiv, or by assassination.

I am increasingly angry at the entire situation, most especially the stooges and useful idiots who think Ukraine should have just sat down, shut up, and did what Russia told it. The only way NATO or the EU is a threat to Russia is if Russia has expansionist plans which *of course it does because it's Russia.* And anyway, the whole argument that Russia acted out of fear of increased Western influence in Ukraine is laughable. It's a red herring. Putin just wants to get the old band back together, whether the others are interested or not.

Anyhoo, I really try not to talk politics here because it's not what I come to LT for and I don't think most others do, either. Or they do but confine it to groups like "Pro and Con." I would just say that some of what I have seen is very ill-informed and/or misleading, so I hope no one is relying on LT for their political news or international affairs analysis...

I listened to the audio of State of Terror and quite enjoyed it but it wasn't the kind of book that stayed with me, meaning I me I don't remember much about it🤷‍♀️

Good idea to avoid political discussions. It's the one thing that has made me avoid certain threads. I get enough of it in the news I watch.just awful what's happening in Ukraine. Awful. Can't even imagine it.

Morning, Katie!
You've reminded me that I need to get back to the Quinn books (and I still need to watch the first season!).

Dusting is the worst, but bonus points for the classical myth reference!

Ukraine: There's nothing like reliving your childhood cold war fears, and this is bringing it all back. So anger-inducing and frustrating and scary. I will say that I'm really impressed with Charlie's social studies teacher, who took a break from the curriculum last week to spend several days talking with them about the situation and the history behind it. Tomm and I have been talking with Charlie over the dinner table about the whole thing and I'm happy about how his teacher has gotten them to think about things.

>131 brenzi: - Hi Bonnie! I don't think thrillers ever really stay with me - I just read them for the in-the-moment fun. A little escapism never hurts!

>132 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! I think you'll like Bridgerton #2 so do try to squeeze it in. I must admit I htought of you as I tried to think how to spell Sisyphus :-P

That's great that you and Tomm (and Charlie's teacher) are talking to him about Ukraine. I don't have any memories of Cold War fears from childhood, but I am a year or two younger than you, I think, and in the 80s that would have made a big difference I think. I do remember the fall of the Berlin Wall very clearly and can actually mark my interest in international relations to that and the subsequent developments in Europe.

Morning, all! It's grey and warmish (47F) here this morning, with rain expected. I need to make a grocery run sometime today but that's the only major thing on my To Do list. The Wayne is making Ants in Trees for dinner tonight and I am so here for it. We haven't had it in a long time. For those curious, it's based on this, but we usually add a bit of veg to feel virtuous and TW plays around with the sauce: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ants-in-trees-recipe-1923962).

Yesterday, we ran a few errands and went out for lunch. After that, I did a bit more cleaning, some puzzling, and some reading. I've started a historical romance on my Kindle because my brain, apparently, can't handle anything very taxing... Since we had a late lunch, we didn't really have dinner - I had a yogurt around 7:30. We finally watched 'Free Guy' with Ryan Reynolds which was fun. I think I missed part of the entertainment value because I've never played video games, but The Wayne thought it was really great. And I love anything with Ryan Reynolds, so it was a win-win. Then he watched the new episode of Picard while I doom-scrolled, and then went to bed.

Wordle 260 3/6

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>133 katiekrug: I've read #2 - I need to get to #3!

Yeah, early 80s kids had The Fear of nuclear attacks. Good thing we had those sturdy desks to hide under. *eye roll*

>134 katiekrug: We LOVED Free Guy, but we're all video gamers here. I would have loved it anyway, though, because Ryan Reynolds.

>136 scaifea: - Oops! Well, yes, get to #3 because it might just be my favorite :)

I never had to do the hide under the desk thing, but I do remember my elementary school had a designated bomb shelter with the yellow and black triangular nuclear symbol.

RR has a new one out on Netflix - The Adam Project. It looks fun, too.

>137 katiekrug: I saw the preview for The Adam Project - it looks great!

>135 katiekrug: Me three!

Good-Sunday-reading *smooch*

Hi Katie!

>130 katiekrug: Good point about talking about politics in the Pro and Con group. I only occasionally talk about politics here on LT anymore, and lately even rarely read anything in depth on my news sources. Don’t watch TV news, but do listen to NPR. The one thing I’ll mention is that I participated in the duck-and-cover nuclear war drills in 3rd grade for sure, 1961, possibly 2nd grade the previous year. Yes! Getting under your desk is going to save you!

>134 katiekrug: Only reading your first 4 sentences, my first duckduckgo search of ants in trees yielded bugs climbing wood, but I got smart and added the word recipe. Sounds absolutely yummy. What did TW do with the sauce?

>135 katiekrug: Brava. I guessed sloth before cloth, so got it in 4.

I had no idea what Ants in Trees was, so greatly appreciate the link. It's seems similar to a dish I make now and then:

Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles

"Similar" in the sense it uses ground pork and sambal chili paste. But also ramen, different mix of liquids, and no scallions.

Am caught up...that's one happy dog you got there! And it's great to see Leonard make an appearance.

>138 scaifea: - Yup!

>139 richardderus: - Thank you, RD. xx

>140 karenmarie: - I occasionally make passing mentions of political things but try not to go in depth. It's easier now that there isn't a sociopath in the White House :) I read a lot of news, as I've always been a bit of a news junkie and my background is in international relations so I am particularly interested in things right now. But like I said, there are plenty of other outlets for that stuff, both here on LT and elsewhere.

Ants in Trees is a great dish - very easy but probably super high in sodium given some of the ingredients (though I could be wrong so worth checking?). TW likes to try different proportions of ingredients and sometimes he adds different things like fish sauce or Thai chili oil, that sort of thing.

I probably would have tried that same word first, too :)

>141 lauralkeet: - That does sound very similar, Laura, though your link just takes me to my own thread :) We'll probably add some thinly sliced bell pepper and shredded carrot to the dish tonight.

>142 laytonwoman3rd: - Hi Linda! Both our bets are Excellent Animals, I am happy to say :)

The Wayne wanted to go out for breakfast, so we did that before hitting the grocery store (ugh, Sunday mornings are NOT the time to go). I then worked off my Belgian waffle with a bunch of vacuuming and dusting. Woot?

Going to relax for the rest of the day, I think.

>143 katiekrug: Oops, I typed the html code but forgot to copy/paste the actual link. Fixed!

>130 katiekrug: Yes to all of what you said about talking politics. I was excited to participate in the Asian reading challenge but instead … I’ve just been telling myself if I can get through March it will all be better for me.

Anyway, it was nice to see Leonard!

>145 lauralkeet: - Thanks! I'll check it out. I'm a sucker for noodles :)

>146 ursula: - I'm not following that challenge, but I'm sorry if there is drama or it's causing you annoyance. I would bail, but I'm a weenie...

I'll try to include Leonard more. He is quite a character!

Monday, Monday... As Mamie says, it's best to keep your head down and not look it in the eye :)

I've been making decent progress on my master To Do list, so I'm hoping to continue that and check off a couple of more things today. I need to find a rug cleaner/refurbisher - one that will take an area rug away and do some magic and return it clean and beautiful again. Surely, that can't be hard to find in a major metropolitan area, right? We shall see...

I am almost done gathering documentation for our flood insurance to request additional compensation. It's been A Process. And one I have a feeling I've put a lot of time into and will see nothing for it, which has made me seriously procrastinate on the whole thing. Anyway, I'm almost done and once it's sent off, I'll have a load off my mind.

So those are my major "projects" for today.

Change of plans last night because TW didn't feel like cooking, as he lost track of time working on a project. We walked to our neighborhood hangout, where I got the Thai chili shrimp appetizer for dinner - it's a thick slice of sourdough, toasted perfectly, and topped with 5 big shrimp in the most delicious red curry. It's the perfect size for when one is not too hungry, and the flavor is amazing.

So now I have to rearrange meal plans a bit, but I think I'll just throw the pork for the Ants in Trees into the freezer, and we'll have that on Thursday or Friday. If the scallions don't last, I can buy some more when I go to the store on Wednesday. Tonight I'm trying something new - tostadas with black beans, pickled onion, and queso fresco.

When we got back last night, I watched last week's episode of 'Somebody Somewhere,' which was a great one - it made me laugh AND cry. Such a good show. Then I read for a bit. I did listen to a big chunk of State of Terror yesterday, which is fun but slightly ridiculous, and I'm settling into my "eye" read, which is A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh.

Hi Katie!

>143 katiekrug: I don’t mind reading political posts, because, frankly, most of the people I follow here on LT are of the same mind I am re #HeWhoShallBeNamed. (I am not on Twitter, but love the names Colbert's followers have come up with). I don’t think I can low-sodiumize Ants in Trees, but love reading recipes. I accept that there are some things I just shouldn’t eat, although there might be a cheat day once a month or so – I’ve been told by everybody that cheating once in a while will keep me on the straight and narrow most of the time. So far I haven’t felt the urge.

>148 katiekrug: After Georgette Heyer, Mary Balogh is my favorite romance author.

>149 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen!

I mind reading them when they are ill-informed and there's a lot of it right now :-P

I definitely subscribe to the cheat day philosophy of it keeping you "honest." It's unrealistic to say "I will never eat x." It just makes you want it more (at least in my experience!).

I think I've read one other Balogh before, but I can't recall what it was and I'm too lazy to open up my spreadsheet and search.

Good gym session - increased weight on my leg presses and pull downs. And I realized I've been doing more reps on a few exercises than I am "supposed" to. Go me.

Now I'm going to eat something and then shower and then run errands. I remembered I needed to drop off some books at the library, and I need to get gas and pick up a prescription for TW. Suddenly, my day has gotten very full *frown*

>150 katiekrug: I’ve got 57 by Balogh on my shelves. The first one I read was The Temporary Wife, which opened up my eyes to Regency Romances with sex scenes. Now you probably can't buy any Regency Romances without sex scenes.

>151 katiekrug: Congrats! I’m getting ready to head off to the Senior Center to spend 30 minutes with the treadmill and then go grocery shopping. I don’t like full days either.

>152 karenmarie: - Oh my. You must really like her!

Enjoy the treadmill :)

>151 katiekrug: Full days aren't generally delightful to me, either.

Mmmday isn't usually a problem for me but this week it is. It feels very Mmm and not so much day.

>154 richardderus: - I hope you end up getting more day than mmm from the remaining hours!

I've decided to defer my errands to tomorrow when I have to go out to drop off Nuala at day care anyway :) The Wayne will go to the gym first, so we'll see if he stops to get gas. We tend to play a game of chicken over who will fill the tank. He hates having to do it because in NJ, you aren't allowed to pump your own gas. I hate having to do it because I'm always worried they'll put the wrong type of gas in the car :-P

>156 katiekrug: Good plan to wait and see if TW is brave enough to experience the sticker shock at the gas station, Katie.

>157 Familyhistorian: - LOL, Meg. We are both prepared - I made note as we passed a gas station on the way to the gym this morning - the premium our car takes is at $4.40/gallon.

>152 karenmarie: I used to have a friend who wrote for Harlequin Romances.

She showed me once for a giggle their writers Bible on what kind of sex scenes are allowed in what kinds of Harlequins. tres funny.

>148 katiekrug: We’re really enjoying Somebody, Somewhere here—can it be there’s only one episode left?? (Sob!)

Karen O

>159 magicians_nephew: - Hi Jim!

>160 klobrien2: - Hooray, Karen! You're the first person I've encountered online or in real life who is watching the show. I love it so much. It's funny and awkward and bittersweet but somehow hopeful. I didn't realize there was only one episode left in the season. I hope they do another one! When Sam sang to Joel, I totally lost it.

>147 katiekrug: Yeah well as you might have seen across people's threads (I don't necessarily expect you to know though!), the first three months were Turkey, then Israel and Palestine, and now 'the Arab world'. What you said about ill-informed ideas.

Anyway! I'm excited because we are supposed to get snow this week. We'd pretty much accepted that the storm we had in January was going to be all we got this year, but there might be a last hurrah after all!

>162 ursula: - Yeah, that's a NOPE from me!

Enjoy the snow. I am hoping for one more snowfall before spring truly arrives here.

Morning! I'm a bit draggy at the moment, as I've been awake since about 5:30. It was very windy and I never sleep well with wind. Plus, Nuala was all weird about the wind, so we let her sleep in the bed and that also doesn't make for a sound sleep. Anyway, so here I am.

The black bean tostadas last night were a big win - two (four, counting The Wayne) thumbs up! Definitely a new addition tot he dinner rotation. I finished up State of Terror yesterday evening, so need to pick a new audio.

After my 1000 errands this morning, I am hoping to spend a chunk of time in my reading nook. If I do, there is a distinct possibility I'll fall asleep, which is fine by me. Trivia tonight so no need to think about cooking. Hooray.

Good morning Katie! I was up way too early this morning, too, scrolling my phone in bed because I couldn't get back to sleep. But at least we didn't have a dog in the bed. 😀

Black bean tostadas sound pretty tasty. Did you use a recipe or just wing it? I'm sorry you have 1000 errands to do today!

Morning, Katie! Sorry about the early morning again today - I hope you get that nap later on.

>165 lauralkeet: - Morning, Laura! Nuala is a pain in the bed, as she likes to sleep with all her legs fully extended :-P Our previous dog, Louis, would just curl up at the bottom of the bed and we'd barely notice he was there...

I was "inspired" by a recipe in a cookbook I have (Two Peas & Their Pod) but I simplified it by not bothering to make the jicama slaw or to add smashed avocado. I just did refried black beans, pickled red onion, cilantro, and queso fresco. I love things like this, though, because you can really do whatever you want with them. The tortillas themselves came out great, so I definitely plan to use that method again.

I can't find the exact recipe from the book, but here's a similar one from their website: https://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/easy-tostadas/.

This was my finished product. I should have wiped the plate before photographing :)

>166 scaifea: - Thanks, Amber! I hope so, too. Gotta be fresh and on point for trivia :D

>167 katiekrug: Yum! Thanks for the recipe. I like versatile recipes like that.

>169 lauralkeet: - You're welcome!

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My errands are done, and I'm giving myself permission to take it easy for the rest of the day, as I am pretty tired.

And this is why I feel so at home here ;-)

>171 katiekrug: I am so very empathetic. My annual seasonal sleepies are here early, and made a lot worse by the fact that I need to come off my thyroid meds until we figure out why I'm losing weight I'm not trying to lose. Occam's razor says it's most likely that the thyroid's getting too much go-juice. I'm still sleepy, though.

>167 katiekrug: ...or spread more toppings around in little trails...but no matter, they look really tasty.

>172 katiekrug: Snort!

>173 richardderus: - The nap is looking better and better...

Thanks re: the tostadas. I am always stupidly proud of myself when something turns out to be quite good and easy to make.

>174 MickyFine: - I mean, it's funny anyway, but for the official state government account to tweet it is just *chef's kiss*. Also, I love that its profile image is Baby Yoda :)

>172 katiekrug: I appreciated one of the replies, which said "Their six-year-old was their four-year-old when they entered the Lincoln Tunnel." :-D

>176 rosalita: - Ha! I missed that. #accurate

At least the getting gas chore is off the table for a while, Katie. I hope the wind died down and Nuala won't be making sleep difficult tonight.

>167 katiekrug: Looks delicious!

>178 Familyhistorian: - Thanks, Meg! I did have a better sleep last night.

>179 figsfromthistle: - It was!

Good morning! We came in 6th of 18 teams at trivia last night, so not bad. I had a California club sandwich. I am also pleased to report that they now have a decent cabernet available - their wine selection is terrible, which is fine, because it's just a bar, but I like to have a halfway decent glass with dinner :)

I don't have too much planned for today other than a trip to the grocery store for a few things I need for dinner tonight. I'm making ginger lime chicken with carrots and broccoli. It's a bit gloomy here, weather-wise, which is my ideal reading weather, so I think I'll prioritize that. I may finish A Matter of Class on Kindle and then I'll either start another romance or a mystery. Genre fiction seems to be all I want to read right now.

Hi Katie!

>153 katiekrug: I read most of the Baloghs before joining LT, but read 5 in 2009 and 2 last year. I also went to the Senior Center yesterday afternoon after going on Monday. And so two of my three visits for this week are out of the way.

>156 katiekrug: Gas chicken! I can’t believe you can’t pump your own gas. I filled up two days ago and it’s already gone up 10¢ per gallon since then.

>158 katiekrug: Yikes. $4.40/gallon. I paid $3.99/gallon.

>159 magicians_nephew: How amusing, Jim! A writer’s Bible on sex scenes.

>182 katiekrug: Sounds like a reasonable day - yum to the dinner plans and I can relate to the need to read genre fiction. I’m currently at 68% thrillers so far this year.

>183 karenmarie: - Hi Karen!

This Balogh I'm reading is pretty good. It's short, which I didn't realize at first. Just over 200 pages, according to my Kindle.

I love not having to pump my own gas, especially in the winter :)

My fill-up yesterday was just under $99 (premium grade, large tank). We have an electric hybrid SUV, so we don't have to fill up too often. It's been over a month since the last time, I think.

I will report back on how dinner turns out. It's a sheet pan recipe, so at least not too much clean-up!

Blimey. We've had a fuel price increase and are playing over £1.50 per litre. That equates to ~ $9 per gallon. It's his heavy right foot that kills my fuel economy, I'm usually at 60 to 65 mpg. I can see my next car being at least hybrid, if not actual electric. But she's got a way to go before replacement yet. I've driven each of my previous 2 cars for 100k miles, I've had this one for 32k...

Here the fuel tank opening and fuel nozzles are different sizes, so you can't put diesel in a petrol tank. You can do the reverse, if you try.

Nice quiz result and a drinkable wine as well - so much the better.

>161 katiekrug: Re: Somebody, Somewhere: Beautifully moving moments abound, don’t they?! I love all of the portrayals, but Sam’s father may be my favorite. Such a good heart! Here’s hoping for a second season!

Karen O

>185 Helenliz: - Hi Helen!

I know fuel prices are way higher elsewhere. We have gotten spoiled, and most people here have no idea how little they pay, relatively speaking. I am certainly not complaining, but I do feel for people in more precarious economic situations for whom even smallish increases can add up.

I love our hybrid. I was wary of getting a full electric because the infrastructure here isn't (yet) super accommodating, though one does see charging stations more and more.

The size for diesel vs non here is the same, though the diesel nozzle/handle is usually a different color. But my concern about the wrong type being pumped was more about regular vs premium, as regular in our car would not be good for the engine (or so I'm told).

ETA: I don't know if you use regular/super/premium to denote the different octane-levels in fuel? If not, to translate, our car needs the higher octane fuel.

>186 klobrien2: - Oh, yes, totally agree, Karen!

I know it's been popular with critics but I never see it talked about on social media by "normal" people so I don't know if it has a decent viewership. Though that seems to matter less to HBO than to other channels....

The 3-minute (!) trailer for Bridgerton season 2 has dropped and I. Am. Dead. Can't wait!

https://youtu.be/qYNCws-a6CQ

>187 katiekrug:, ahh, got ya! Yes, we do have unleaded and super unleaded, although the Super is much harder to find.
My work trip is ~ 106 miles round trip, so would be perfectly doable with an electric now that even on a small car the range is 200+ miles. It's the longer trips and weekends away that present the greater problem. Infrastructure is exactly the concern there. Hence maybe my next car.

>189 katiekrug: GQ is having the vapours over young Mr Bailey/Viscount Bridgerton: https://www.gq.com/story/gq-hype-jonathan-bailey

>190 Helenliz: - We like to take road trips, so having the hybrid option is great.

>191 richardderus: - I love him so much. I am sort of sad they got rid of his sideburns, though :(

Nice write-up of Stewart O'Nan's new novel.

>189 katiekrug: Wet shirt! *swoon*

>194 MickyFine: - Yaaaasssss.

Good morning from the land of frozen fog! It's quite eerie outside right now, but it's supposed to warm up into the upper 40s today, so it won't last. I'm sure the roads will be fine for me to get to the dentist for my root canal. Ugh. I've had root canals before, but this one has me freaked out , and I really think it's because I was traumatized by the tooth extraction I had done late last year. Different office, different doctor, but I'm all shudder-y about it. So send me some good mojo, will ya?

I made ginger lime chicken and roasted vegetables for dinner last night, and it was pretty good. I love ginger and don't use it nearly enough because it's so fiddly to deal with. This time, I just bought a tube of ginger paste and it worked a charm. I foresee a lot of ginger in my future :-P

I'm still plugging away at the same books but should finish A Matter of Class today. I could also finish my audio if I decide to indulge in a couple of hours of puzzling. My dentist appointment is at 12:30, so we'll see what I feel like doing after that. Unsure about dinner, but will probably just have soup because I expect my mouth will be sore.

>196 katiekrug: Ouch! Good luck at the dentist, Katie. May everything go smoothly and quickly.

The ginger paste is a great idea to have on hand. Anything to make cooking easier is a bonus.

Sweet Thursday, Katie! Good luck at the dentist. I hope it goes smoothly.

Good luck at the dentist today Katie!

Best of luck at the dentist today, Katie.

Ginger lime chicken sounds fabulous!

Thanks for the good wishes, Anita, Mark, Laura, and Mary!

I've given myself a good talking to and am feeling a bit better about it.

MOJO for Katie.

Hi Katie!

>189 katiekrug: Oooh, thank you. Now I can’t wait, either.

>196 katiekrug: Good mojo heading your way. I hope you get good drugs, too.

Thanks, Linda and Karen!

State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny

If you read a lot of political thrillers, this book will likely be pretty average for you. It was for me. The pacing was (mostly) good, the standard characters were decently drawn, and the plot was just ridiculous enough. It hits the right notes, but where it didn't work for me was in Penny's signature writing style (the sentence fragments were SO over done) and in some of the basic real-life stuff that was wrong (stuff that probably wouldn't bother most people). I get why the choices were made to bend reality a bit, but when a co-author is a former Secretary of State, I guess I expect it to adhere a bit closer to how things actually are. What I did like was the occasional exploration of the moral ambiguity inherent in diplomacy and foreign affairs. I thought that was well-handled.

Anyway, it was a fun ride while it lasted, but I certainly won't remember much about it and would probably not read a sequel, if there is one.

3.5 stars

>205 katiekrug: I just can't work up any enthusiasm for this one. I don't care for political thrillers in general, and don't like Penny in particular, so I will just pass. You have eliminated any puny guilt feelings I may have had about it.

>206 laytonwoman3rd: - I think you can safely skip it, Linda!

Hi Katie, Chiming in with some Somebody, Somewhere love. What a charming series! We binged it in a couple nights and I was so sad that there were so few episodes. (Such a good ending, though!) It’s been renewed for another season, thankfully.

>208 Copperskye: - Hi Joanne! Glad to find another fan, and that's great news about it being renewed!

Root-canal positivity *whammy*

Plus a "will March just make up its gorram mind already?!" grumble, a "you made it through a whole book you didn't have to" victory lap, and a "Saturday Snow Snark."

*smooch*

Adding my well wishes for the dentist visit. When I had my wisdom teeth out, I asked the dentist if it was ok for me to bring headphones and listen to something and he was cool with that. I cranked up a musical soundtrack really loud, kept my eyes closed, and it was a decent experience. Maybe an option to try?

>210 richardderus: - Thanks for the whammy and the other stuff, RD!

>211 MickyFine: - I am going to wait and see how I feel when I get there, Micky. Often, it's the anticipation of something that freaks me out and once I'm in the situation, I'm fine.So we'll see.

They put me under for my wisdom teeth because they were impacted and it was a mess. I wish they'd do that for all dental stuff beyond a cleaning ;-)

>196 katiekrug: With the time difference you're probably on your way to the dentist as I write so here a HUGE dose of MOJO flying eastward!! Also good wishes for a smooth, easy process and quick recovery.

"a tube of ginger paste" ?!? I had no idea there was such a thing. Must check that out.

Hope the teef behave and you're not having to slurp dinner for too long.

I hope the dentist visit goes well, Katie!

>205 katiekrug:, >206 laytonwoman3rd: Political thrillers are not my go-to genre, so I don't know good from bad. I think I liked this one more than Stacy Abrams' effort, because it seemed a bit more realistic (but then I don't have your experience, Katie). And while the Penny-isms are noticeable, they don't bother me too much.

Best of luck for a swift and painless dentist visit, Katie. Thanks for posting the Bridgerton trailer. Can't wait!

>212 katiekrug: When I had a tooth out last year I had sedation. So I was conscious, but couldn’t remember any of it!

>213 RebaRelishesReading: - Hi Reba! I read your message while in the waiting room :)

I got the ginger paste in the produce section (refrigerated). They also had a garlic one and a cilantro one.

>214 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen! I just took a pre-emptive ibuprofen and spilled half the water out of my still-numb mouth :-P

>215 alcottacre: - Thank you, Stasia. I survived!

>216 lauralkeet: - I haven't read the Abrams one - guess I'll keep it that way! I should pick up one of her romances, though....

>217 Familyhistorian: - Thank you, Meg!

I am unashamed to say that I have watched the trailer 4 times now :)

>218 SandDune: - Oooh, lucky! If I ever have to have another extraction, I am going to ask for sedation or at the very least a Valium. It was a miserable experience for me.

I survived the root canal, and it was fine. I have The Best dentist. She is super patient and gentle and always checks in with me to make sure I am doing okay. There was a trainee hygienist in the room, and it was interesting to hear the dentist and hygienist explaining what they were doing. Somehow, it calmed my nerves a bit. I did have a weird reaction to the anesthesia which has never happened before. When she administered the "blocker," my heart kind of jumped and raced a bit. The dentist explained it was a fairly common reaction and should settle down in a few minutes. I was fine after about two minutes, but it did freak me out a bit!

Anyway, I have a temporary crown and an appointment for the permanent one on the 24th. On the way home, I stopped to buy wine because I deserve it.

Glad the procedure went mostly smoothly! Have an excellent and relaxing afternoon. Maybe watch the Bridgerton trailer a few more times? ;)

>221 MickyFine: - Ha! I am about to watch episode 4 of the first season :)

>220 katiekrug: Excellent. Having confidence in your dentist makes a HUGE difference.

I wanted to thank you Katie, for suggesting Somebody, Somewhere. I've only watched the first episode so far but will definitely watch the rest. I love Brigette Everett. Have you ever seen her stand up comedy? She's hysterical. I first saw her on Amy Schumer's old series on Comedy Central years ago.

I read Joe Adalian's New York column about the Golden Age of Streaming coming to an end...one of Netflix's bigwigs failed to reject the merest hint of a notion that they would accept advertisers' vile bloviations and The Sky Is Falling.

It hadda happen. No one except the very richest can be allowed to escape advertisers' deathgrip. The Midas Plague predicted this almost seventy years ago.

Anyway. Don't read this until tomorrow when it won't injure you to clench your jaw.

>223 lauralkeet: - Absolutely. She looks like she's about 14, which was disconcerting at first, but even the Wayne likes her and he's a tough customer.

>224 brenzi: - Bonnie, I'm so glad you liked the first episode! It only gets better. Everett was vaguely familiar to me, maybe from Amy Schumer's show? I would love to see her cabaret act in NYC. I'll have to keep an eye out...

>225 richardderus: - TBH, there's more in the world I want to save my mad energy for, I'm afraid.

>220 katiekrug: Yeah, the anesthetic they generally use has epinephrine in it, which can make your heart race. Since I have a condition that involves tachycardia anyway, I have to ask for the anesthetic that doesn't have epinephrine. It doesn't last as long and isn't as effective, so yay. On the other hand, I had a dentist use the regular stuff on me even though he knew I wasn't supposed to have it, because it's more convenient for him. Thanks, asshole.

Glad your root canal was fine. :)

Happy Friday! Glad everything went well at the dentists office!

>227 ursula: - Ugh, I'm sorry that happened to you, It must have been frightening.

I'll have to remember it could happen so I don't freak out again next time.

>228 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita! I'm glad, too :)

Friday! I still love me a Friday. It's sunny and a reasonable 34F this morning, but will be going up to the mid-50s today. It's positively spring-like. Sadly, I am one of those weirdos who doesn't love spring - it's wet and muddy and means summer approacheth and that's just gross. Bah humbug.

I enjoyed penne with vodka sauce from our favorite Italian place that delivers. Nice and easy on the temporary crown. Also, delicious but not as good as The Wayne's. After dinner, I decided to sit down with my puzzle and try to finish my audio book, which I did. And since I had finished my eye-read earlier, I downloaded an old favorite - See Jane Score - and started reading that before bed. I loved this contemporary romance in the 00s and am eager to see if I still do.

Today is the gym, paying the 2 bills I have to pay manually (it's 2022, people, this is nonsense!), and I need to call our county court jury office to see how one defers jury duty. The Wayne got a summons but it's for the week his team is doing a retreat on the West Coast next month. I looked at the FAQ page which helpfully provided instructions to defer one's service, but when one follows them, the button "Defer Service" is no where to be found. Because of course. *eye roll*

Frozen pizza and bag o' salad for dinner tonight.

A Matter of Class by Mary Balogh

This was fine. Ok, it was actually kind of boring. But it was only a novella, so I guess there wasn't enough space to include much happening. The writing was good and the story cute. I think I prefer my romances with more banter.

3 stars

Wilder Girls by Rory Power

I love the cover of this book. It is my favorite part of the book. It may be the only good part of it. I think this was supposed to be something of an allegory about young women discovering their power. Or something? Maybe? I dunno. It was so over-written in that way that will make teenage girls swoon and feel like they are reading a smart book. I know, because I gave a copy of the book to my 15-year old cousin and she LOVED it. And she's a good kid but at that age where she thinks she's mature and smart enough to be an adult but to an adult she just sounds like a child play-acting at being grown-up. ANYHOO, I did not like this book because I am not 15. This will teach me to read female-empowering YA novels.

2.5 stars

>230 katiekrug: I am delighted that it's warm enough to go to the store today! I'll be happier when it's fall again. This summer isn't likely to be much fun.

I tried Worldle, got it on my second guess, and spent 45min trying to figure out what the heck kind of lame-o list they were working off of. No Cornwall, Brittany, Anglesey, but they've got Guernsey?

>233 richardderus: - I had a similar problem with a similar geography Wordle rip-off. It didn't recognize Malta or Lichtenstein. Thank you no very much.

Hi Katie!

Glad you survived the root canal and temporary crown.

>230 katiekrug: Sadly, I am one of those weirdos who doesn't love spring - it's wet and muddy and means summer approacheth and that's just gross. Bah humbug. Sisters in weirdness.

>232 katiekrug: It's a sad day when you discover that you are not 15. I feel your pain.
*offers a consoling hug*

Hope the must-dos are out of the way quickly and the rest of your Friday is luxurious!

>235 karenmarie: - *high five*

>236 Helenliz: - I'm okay with not being 15 :) I'm not sure I would have liked the book at the target age, tbh....

>237 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky. I just have to make the one phone call and then I'm freeeeeeee!

What passes for exciting news around here: The Wayne is going into the office next Tuesday! Which means I can do whatever I want and not feel bad if I don't appear to be productive ;-) I'm going to drop Nuala off at day care, see a movie, and go to the bookstore to buy Stewart O'Nan's newest. Probably lunch out somewhere and then a few hours of nothing in the afternoon before heading to trivia, where TW will meet me (it's near a train station).I am all a-flutter!

>239 katiekrug: That is definitely exciting news! Chris had to run to Baltimore and back this week, and I luxuriated in my alone time.

>240 lauralkeet: - I'm glad someone understands my oddness, Laura :)

__________________________

Aaaaaaaand, he is going to a team "retreat" the second week in April so I'll have 5 whole days to myself! (I'm sure I need not say that I adore TW and we have weathered lockdown and WFH beautifully, so it's not really about him, it's more about me getting to indulge my inherent laziness...).

>239 katiekrug: Oh, alone time. I've forgotten what that feels like. *sigh*

And next Tuesday is the Ides of March! And Charlie's half birthday! A very special day...

>216 lauralkeet: I will admit that I find the "Pennyisms" pretty reflective of the way people talk and they don't bother me at all.

>219 katiekrug: Thanks for the info re ginger paste. I always use the frozen garlic cubes from TJ's and am wondering now if they have cubes of ginger...must check since I don't use ginger often so frozen would probably work better for me than refrigerated. Otherwise, our local Kroger (Fred Meyer) may have the refrigerated tubes you use. Must check that out too.

Glad your root canal went well but the heart skipping episode sounds unsettling. Glad it settled down quickly. Here's to a good, easy recovery!

>230 katiekrug: I can relate to your feeling about spring although I do enjoy the flowers.

>233 richardderus: I had my own little rant about that Richard, agree with you completely. That's only the name of part of the actual place they're showing!

and WOW, TW to the office. It's been what, two years now? Enjoy your day :)

>239 katiekrug: Woohoo! I know exactly what you mean. I had a weekend without the husband last weekend and it was complete bliss.

Hubby is going away on a guy trip for a week in April. I love the man but there's a lot of togetherness between a retired couple especially in the Time of Covid so I too am really looking forward to that week :)

>233 richardderus: Well I can sort of see that. Your first three territories are part of other countries but the last one isn’t. Guernsey isn’t part of the United Kingdom (but Anglesey and Cornwall are) - it is a self-governing dependency of the crown.

>242 scaifea: - Hooray for the Ides!

Sounds like for your next birthday or Mother's Day or whatever special occasion comes first, you should ask for a night at a hotel on your own. I've done that before and it's so indulgent and lovely and a perfect re-charge.

>243 RebaRelishesReading: - I agree about the Pennyisms and they didn't bother me on the audio at all. I think it's the reading vs hearing them that makes the difference for me.

We always have a giant jar of minced garlic in the fridge because we use so much of it. I bet TJ's has ginger in some sort of convenient form.

TW made a brief foray into the office in January to pick up his box of stuff that had been packed, but other than that, we've been joined at the hip pretty much. I totally get why he has opted for permanent WFH, but it would be nice to get more Katie time. He's going in on Tuesday only because his new boss will be in town and he's never met him.

>244 Helenliz: and >245 RebaRelishesReading: - I'm glad it's not just me who is excited by these things. I'd feel like a bad wife/spouse/partner otherwise ;-)

>246 SandDune: - You should have seen the mental gymnastics I was doing trying to figure out what the heck it was!

>248 katiekrug:, >246 SandDune: *mmmf*

Color me unimpressed.

>249 richardderus: - Grumble, grumble...

>244 Helenliz:, >245 RebaRelishesReading: YES to both of these! I tell myself it's normal because of how much time we are together. And with so many here feeling the same way, I'm now convinced it's perfectly normal.

The retreat weekend will be so much fun for you, Katie.

You're normal, just like us, Laura! 😜

And I must point out, it's a whole WEEK not just a weekend. Heh.

>252 katiekrug: oooh, wow.

>241 katiekrug: and following…

Mrsdrneutron is away at her sister’s next week. I love her dearly, but I will *so* enjoy a few days to myself.

My father traveled a lot for business, usually a week or less at a time, and my mother once said it was nice to have a vacation. She still cooked for us kids (although she would gleefully broil mackerel for herself for the occasion), but it still felt like a vacation for her. And they were an extremely devoted couple.

Jim and I have been pretty much joined at the hip, and we rarely spend a night apart, but it's good for both of us when he goes out to his studio apartment in Queens. People need alone time.

>247 katiekrug: Ooooh, I like the idea of a night in a hotel by myself...

>253 lauralkeet: - I know, right?!?

>254 drneutron: - Perfectly understandable! When I used to travel for work, The Wayne would enjoy the first few days without me but then not so much :)

>255 ffortsa: - I think being able to be happy and occupied while away from each other is the sign of a healthy relationship.

>256 scaifea: - Do. It.

Grey and drizzly here, with a changeover to a bit of light snow expected. I've got no where to be, so bring it on. We went out for dinner (sushi) last night, figuring we'd be mostly housebound today. Nothing major on my To Do list, and it's so dark and dank, it'll be a good reading/puzzling day. I started a new audio yesterday - Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala - and hooo-wee, it's a tough one. The author lost her husband, two sons, and parents in the 2004 tsunami while on vacation in Sri Lanka. The writing is very powerful and I've already gotten teary-eyed a couple of times.

Happy Saturday, Katie! I remember liking Wave, when I listened to it a few years ago but agree it is a "tough" one. We have a big warm-up arriving tomorrow, (only 23F here today) and I CAN NOT WAIT!!

>259 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I think after this weather today, we will be headed for spring here. I'm sure you'll be enjoying your warm-up out on the trails :)

New thread!

https://www.librarything.com/topic/340246#

>258 katiekrug: OMG I remember when that happened. I'm not sure I would be able to make it through that one.