Amber's (scaifea's) Thread #7

Hey, everybody!

I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor, turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure, turned part-time library assistant, turned once again Classics professor, and now soon to turn librarian again. I spend my free time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading.

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

I'm 46 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our son, Charlie; Mario, the Golden Retriever; and the newest addition to the family: Agent Fitzsimmons, the Border Collie.

The haircut isn't all that new anymore, but, well, here I am:



Favorite Books from 2021
Spinning Silver
Far Away Across the Sea
The Book Thief
Return of the Thief
Mister Impossible
Something Wicked This Way Comes
The House in the Cerulean Sea
Under the Whispering Door

What I'm Reading Now:
-Les Miserables (books by year - 1862)
-The World of Tibetan Buddhism (Buddhist reading list)
-The Portrait of a Lady (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob)
-Tell Me It's Real (romance list)
-Stradivari's Genius (wishlist book)
-A Court of Thorns and Roses (a Beauty & the Beast retelling)
-The Last Unicorn (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-Grendel (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-The Last Cuentista (Newbery Medal)
-The Black Gryphon (audiobook)
-The Raven Boys (family bedtime read-aloud)

Books on Deck:
-Richard III (Shakespeare re-read)
-Word to the Wise (cozy mysteries)
-(an unread book from my shelves)
-(a book from my Read Soon! shelves)
-The Land of the Free (100 Banned Books)
-Lest Darkness Fall (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-Titan (Locus SF Award)
-The Thief of Time (Boyne bibliography)

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

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

2. 13 years ago I started working my way through a handful of awards lists for children's books. I've finished a fair few of those, but I'm still working through the 1001 Children’s Books You Must Read Before You Die list, and I try to stay up to date with several of the YALSA awards each year.

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

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

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

6. An unread book from my shelves.

7. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

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

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

10. A cozy mystery.

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

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

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

14. A romance novel.

15. A book from my wishlist (it's *so* long).

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

Books Read

JANUARY
1. The Cave Children (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10
2. Conan the Barbarian (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10
3. Beauties, Beasts, and Enchantment (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10
4. The Paradise War (audiobook/Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10
5. What Fresh Hell Is This? (impulse read) - 8/10
6. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (I reread this one with Charlie, who's reading it for his ELA class) - 8/10
7. The Hidden Face of Eve (100 Banned Books) - 7/10
8. Guilty Pleasures (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10
9. Cue for Treason (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10
10. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 9/10
11. Metropolis (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10
12. Timescape (Nebula Award) - 6/10
13. A Fatal Grace (mysteries) - 9/10
14. A Loyal Character Dancer (mysteries) - 8/10

FEBRUARY
15. Beetle and the Hollowbones (Stonewall Honor Book) - 8/10
16. More Fool Me (Fry bibliography) - 8/10
17. The Ghost Writer (wishlist book) - 9/10
18. Chimera (National Book Award) - 8/10
19. Cat's Cradle (unread book from my shelves) - 9/10
20. Mockingjay (reread with Charlie) - 10/10
21. Solutions and Other Problems (Alex Award) - 10/10
22. Heartsong (audiobook) - 9/10
23. Beat the Reaper (an unread book from my shelves) - 10/10
24. One More Thing (a book from my Read Soon! shelves) - 8/10
25. Darius the Great Deserves Better (Stonewall Honor Book) - 9/10
26. In the Woods (mysteries) - 9/10
27. The Cloven Viscount (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10
28. Hyperbole and a Half (just because) - 10/10

MARCH
29. This Book Is Gay (impulse read) - 9/10
30. Brothersong (audiobook) - 9/10
31. Into the Land of the Unicorns (audiobook) - 7/10
32. We Ride Upon Sticks (Alex Award) - 10/10
33. Hitting the Books (mystery) - 8/10
34. Beyond the Pawpaw Trees (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10

Mario, Agent Fitzsimmons, and Charlie:

Next one is yours!

Well, since I missed the entirety of the last thread, I am getting in early on this one!

Happy new one, Amber.

My package from King Arthur arrived this morning. I am now the proud owner of 6 scone mixes and 2 muffin/quick bread mixes. I blame you and Laura!

>7 alcottacre: Ha! It's good to see you on this thread, Stasia!

>8 katiekrug: Woot! I'll happily share the blame with Laura - you're gonna love those mixes!

Happy new thread, Amber!

Happy new thread! I was going to say on the last thread, what a neat story about the translation error (post 256).

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Amber! If Charlie opens a cookie business, I’ll subscribe.

>11 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>8 katiekrug: ME?!
>10 scaifea: Yeah but just to be clear, you're the root of this KA love, because your mention of their products inspired me to take a peek and fork over my credit card details!

>12 foggidawn: Thanks! I love that Ovid manuscript story. It reminds me that actual humans being human were a part of the tradition that has handed down the texts, and I think that's easy to forget sometimes.

>13 thornton37814: >14 quondame: Thanks!

>15 jnwelch: Ha! I'll put you down on the client list, Joe!

>17 lauralkeet: *snork!* Fine, I'll take ALL the blame, then! I should be on commission with them...

>17 lauralkeet: and >21 scaifea: - The Wayne looked at what I ordered and said, "I don't even know if I like scones" and I was like, "Yes, and?"

>22 katiekrug: *SNORK!* It's not about you, TW.

Hi Amber my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend. Yay i got to post on a new thread of yours before the 30th post, that must be a record for me of late, lol.

For realz.

A little jealous of all the scone talk. I can't even try them as King Arthur is not a thing on this side of the border (and based on a cursory look, they don't ship outside the US).

Happy new thread, Amber. Congrats all round to you and your family! (I just caught the highlights on your previous threads). Looks like lots of positive changes coming your way

>24 johnsimpson: Ha! You're on top of things, John!

>25 katiekrug: *snork!*

Happy new thread, Amber.

>26 MickyFine: Well, you'll just have to come visit sometime, yeah?

>27 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg!!

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Amber! And congrats to Charlie for making the high school band, that's a fantastic achievement and I'm sure you're all super excited.

Happy new one!

>22 katiekrug: It's late and I'm tired, but that one made me laugh out loud. And I'll bet I will still find it funny in the morning when I'm caffeinated! Poor TW.

Happy new thread Amber!

>33 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>34 bell7: Thanks, Mary! We're so excited for and proud of that kiddo. (And super excited for a Disney vacation in December!)

>35 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>36 laytonwoman3rd: Poor TW, nothing - bold of him to assume they were for him in the first place!

>37 fairywings: Thanks!!

On the agenda for today:
Class prep and teaching, menu planning and getting my grocery list ready for tomorrow's shopping, then maybe some writing. Leftovers for dinner (we have a fridge full of stuff).

Yesterday's dentist visit was less than awesome: I have a small place on my gum where a super-deep pocket has developed, even though just three months ago it was fine. They're baffled. I'm some sort of medical enigma, apparently. So I have to go back in a month (because insurance won't let me go earlier *eye roll*) for a "deep cleaning" of that area. Sounds SO fun. I'm annoyed at my teeth - I take good care of them and do everything I'm supposed to do and this is how they thank me. Ungrateful, really. And rude. *sigh*

On the reading front:
I started Hitting the Books while in the waiting room at the dentist's office, and so far it's happily cozy and easy. Still slowly working on We Ride Upon Sticks, which I'm enjoying so far, and still listening to Brothersong, which is also great but just loooong.

What We're Watching:
Tomm's pick last night, so a couple of 30 Rock episodes.

Happy Wednesday, Amber! Happy New Thread! Bummer about the dental issues.

Sorry about the dentist visit. I get annoyed at my teeth, too, because I do my part and all I ask is that they behave. My current issues stem from some work I had done in my late 20s after a period of not going to the dentist because I didn't have insurance. Anyhoo, I have a root canal tomorrow, so see? It could be worse :)

>36 laytonwoman3rd: and >41 scaifea: - Ha! I'm pretty sure he'll discover he likes scones. Who doesn't?

>44 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Yeah, I'm annoyed about the dental thing. Hopefully the dentist can fix it.

>45 katiekrug: Ooof. Sorry about the root canal. I've had a couple of those and they're more annoying/time consuming than anything else, really. I had the same issue with my 20s and not going to the dentist. *sigh*

I agree that not liking scones doesn't really seem to be a viable option.

Hi Amber, and happy new thread!

>5 scaifea: Sweet pics of all three.

>43 scaifea: Boo hiss to the super-deep pocket. How rude of your teeth to treat you this way! Insult to injury - I’m sorry that the insurance is making you wait.

Ugh, sorry about the dental woes, Amber. All this scone talk has me thinking about making them for breakfast soon. Maybe this weekend. They're pretty heavy and not at all healthy, so we're trying to consume them in moderation.

>50 lauralkeet: - I feel like Laura is judging me and my six boxes of scone mix ;-)

>49 karenmarie: Hi, Karen! Thanks for the dental sympathies. It's a never-ending struggle for me. Blerg.

>50 lauralkeet: The scones I made this weekend used up the last of my mixes so I need to put in another order soon... And thanks for the sympathy. It would be nice if my teeth would behave but not terribly likely, it seems.

>51 katiekrug: Ha! No scone judgement allowed on this thread, so you're safe.

Happy number 7, Amber!
Sorry to read about your new pocket. Our dentist used to give us a shot of some kind of mojo juice into the pocket. I guess it's like an antibiotic.
Hope your next appointment goes well.

>55 Carmenere: Thanks, Lynda!

I'm a bit surprised that my dentist didn't mention antibiotics, to be honest. Maybe at the deep cleaning he will, if it doesn't look like it's getting any better?

Ya know, Amber, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but our dentist told us the pockets tend to develop with age. ...............(Ducks and runs for cover)

>57 Carmenere: *snork!* Honestly? That makes me feel a bit better. Even though my dentist tells me that I'm doing everything right, it's still nice to know that it's not really my fault.

Happy new thread Amber! And yikes about the teeth. Good luck and have fun?

>59 swynn: Ha! Wow, thanks for that, Steve. I'll...do my best?

>51 katiekrug: Hmm, perhaps I should elaborate on my post! I received 4 mixes for Christmas, and had one on hand already. I made scones two Sundays in a row (at Santa's request, I might add), and then he went into a sort of post-holiday diet clamp-down and the mixes have sat on the shelves, lonely and ignored. But I sense sanity returning so I'm thinking of suggesting scones for Sunday.

So honestly, my scone judgement is mostly aimed at Santa for being no fun whatsoever.

>61 lauralkeet: "But I sense sanity returning..." *snork!* Indeed.

>61 lauralkeet: - Santa is such a buzz kill.

>63 katiekrug: As if he doesn't eat a steady diet of milk and cookies. That dude is fooling NO ONE.

Jolly old elf, my ass.

I'll help anyone who needs help eating scones. As will the husband. He persuaded me to buy a book of scone recipes and remains disappointed that I'm yet to actually make any.

>65 katiekrug: HAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!

>66 Helenliz: Oooh, a scone cookbook! That sounds fantastic!

>63 katiekrug: - >67 scaifea: LOLOLOL you two are so funny.

Boo to the less than good dental news. So much of dental health seems to come down to genetic luck in some ways - you can do everything right and something like weak enamel can still do you in. Hopefully your deep clean is painless when it rolls around!

Hmm, maybe I need to hunt down a scone recipe...

>70 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. They'll numb me up for the cleaning, so I'm not too worried about the pain part.

On the agenda for today:
I have a doctor's appointment first thing this morning (NBD, just a check in on how the new meds are doing) and then I'll do the grocery shopping on my way home. Writing this afternoon. One more day of leftovers for dinner to clean out the fridge.

On the reading front:
I read bits of A Court of Thorns and Roses, which I'm loving so far, and more We Ride Upon Sticks, which is also excellent. I'll be able to get some good Brothersong listening in in the car today.

What We're Watching:
My pick last night, so more OUAT.

Nice when you can get the doctor's appointment out of the way first thing. Hope the rest of your day is as chill as it sounds.

How's Tomm liking OUAT so far?

>73 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. Yesterday was, in fact, fairly chill.

Tomm wasn't ever going to be a big OUAT fan; it's not enough of his jam for him to be able to ignore all the atrocious acting. I'm in it *for* the atrocious acting, the ridonkulous plots, and, of course, Robert Carlyle. It's fun to watch it with him, though, for all the eye rolling.

On the agenda for today:
Class prep and teaching (last day before spring break!), weekly bill sorting, baking (Soft Lemon-Ginger Cookies), and then hopefully some reading. I may pop into the library to pick up holds or I may wait until Monday for that. Frozen Friday for dinner.

The appointment went well! We both agree that the anxiety meds may be starting to work for me, slowly but surely, so she's upped my dosage and I'll go back in a few more weeks to check in again.

On the reading front:
Yesterday was Les Miserables day in my book rotation, but I didn't want to lug that chonky book to the doctor's office with me, so I took The Portrait of a Lady instead and then read a bit of Les Mis in the afternoon. I listened to a good bit of Brothersong in the car, so now I have less than two hours to go.

What We're Watching:
An episode each of West Wing and My Hero Academia.

Happy Friday, Amber. I found Les Miserables a bit of a chore, mainly because of the length. I may have to rethink my failure to read Sarah Maas.

>77 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! After how much I loved The Count of Monte Cristo, I don't shy away for the chunky reads as much, and so far I'm loving this one. This is my first Maas, but it's great so far, too.

Good to hear the anxiety meds seem to be having positive effect.

Today's Friday snack sounds delicious. I weighed myself this morning and will, um, not be breaking into any of my scone mixes anytime soon. :(

>79 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I'm happy about the meds, too.

Ooof, to the scale results. I'm pretty much in the same boat, although I suspect I'll give in and have a cookie or two anyway.

>75 scaifea: Happy Spring Break eve! Does your break line up with Charlie's or are you on your own (as much as you can be with Tomm on WFH)?

Glad to hear the meds are helping. Sounds like an excellent Friday ahead for you.

>79 katiekrug: ugh, same here re: the scale. Just before the pandemic, I was more fit than I'd been in years. I lost some of that in 2020-2021, and during our move we lost all dietary discipline and stopped exercising. I have no intention of getting back to my pre-pandemic state, but I could stand to lose a few.

I still want scones.

>81 MickyFine: Nope, Charlie's break isn't for another couple of weeks. I'm okay with that as it means I have more of an excuse not to do much of anything on my own break.

>82 lauralkeet: I gained some over the pandemic, too, and I'd love to get rid of it again, but then, well, scones.

For all my brave talk, I do note that I actually have milk and eggs in the house, so I will probably make a batch this weekend :-P

>85 katiekrug: Yes! Do it!

#badinfluence

>87 katiekrug: *snork!* #sorrynotsorry

All this talk of scones has me browsing the King Arthur website and I am NOT typically a baker!

I'll be interested to see your thoughts on ACOTAR, especially if you continue in the series. I'm veeery slowly working my way through book 3 right now.

>89 curioussquared: Oooh, KAF has all kinds of good stuff!

I'm really enjoying this first book and I'll probably keep going with the series!

I fell in love with Les Miserables on stage, when I was taken to see it in the 80's. I do what ever it takes to see it every time it comes to Australia, but I've been reluctant to read the book. I think I feel I won't love it as much. Either way I should probably suck it up and get on with the read sooner or later. Look forward to your comments when you've slogged through it.

Amber, if you don't have a water pik I would consider trying one for your gums. It was strongly suggested to me and has done wonders for my gum health the last few years. I only wish I had known years ago. My hygienist is amazed at every 6 month cleaning.

>91 fairywings: When I was in high school band, one of our shows was a compilation of Les Mis songs, so as a band we went to Chicago to see the musical and I feel in love with it. I still have the soundtrack and know all the songs by heart! So far I'm loving that the book is filling in so many details, of course.

>92 RBeffa: Thanks for the tip, Ron. My dentist a few years ago suggested that I use the interdental brushes and those are working great and have really helped my gums; this, he says, seems to be a bit of a fluke (the deep pocket issue, I mean).

On the agenda for today:
We've had French Toast for breakfast already this morning, made from leftover Italian bread, which makes my favorite kind of French Toast. So good. I'll spend the morning puttering around here (I've gotten behind on a few threads in the last couple of days) and then I think I'll do some knitting and some reading today. Nothing big on the list and no baking this weekend since Charlie's half birthday is Tuesday so there will be cake baking then (he's requested Carrot Cake). Breaded Chicken Breasts with broccoli on the side for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
The Portrait of a Lady is coming along and I'm still enjoying it more than I thought I would. I also made more progress with We Ride Upon Sticks and the mystery is building there, which is fun.

What We're Watching:
A couple of Wandavision episodes and a couple of My Hero Academias.

30. Brothersong by TJ Klune (audiobook) - 9/10
The last in the Green Creek series, this book follows the story of Carter, one of the brothers of the Bennett werewolf pack, as he searches for Gavin, who sacrificed his freedom to save them all.
Like the rest of the books in the series, this one is way longer than it needed to be and I stand by my belief that Klune's early stuff could really have used a much better editor, but by the time I arrived at this last book in the series, I was so in love with the story and the characters that I didn't so much care about the overly-repetitive bits. So in the end, his wordiness is worth it.

On the agenda today:
Not much and I am HERE for it. Laundry and house cleaning, but then I'll probably divide the rest of the day between knitting and reading and napping (I took two naps yesterday and it was glorious). It's really, really cold here at the moment and we have a couple of inches of snow on the ground, which makes for excellent crawl-back-under-the-covers-and-sleep conditions.

On the reading front:
I read bits of Tell Me It's Real and We Ride Upon Sticks yesterday, and this morning I started listening to Into the Land of the Unicorns.

What We're Watching:
Charlie's pick last night so it was a marathon of My Hero Academia.

>97 scaifea: Knitting and reading and napping, oh my! Sounds like a perfect day to me. Take it from your friend to the west who has just lived through that cold, snowy snap (SO rude of March to be that way) — the warmer weather will return soon. It was 7 degrees when I woke up yesterday morning and it is already 40 today, on the way to the low 50s. Hang in there!

>98 rosalita: Ha! Thanks for that, Julia! I do love a good snow, but this is ridiculous. I'm ready for spring, please.

>43 scaifea: I'm some sort of medical enigma
Not what anyone wants to hear, right?

I have only recently stumbled upon 30 Rock. Previously I couldn't watch it for the arbitrary reason that its title is too similar to Third Rock from the Sun. 'Couldn't' is a strong sentiment; but still, I couldn't ;) But now that I can, I am quite enjoying it! I really like Tina Fey.

{Sidenote: I missed your whole last thread!!!}

>75 scaifea: I also missed West Wing! Have never seen an episode. Sheesh, where was I in the early 2000s!? I am watching War of the Worlds at the moment....it is a little scary for me though, so I find myself muting quite often. I really am a nervous Nelly when it comes to suspense. It is very clever though, with the aliens (so far) looking like robot dogs rather than the looming tripod thingies that other treatments have portrayed.

>100 LovingLit: No, it's not a great thing to hear from the medical community, and it seems that we women hear it way too often (although the tooth thing isn't all the dire).

Yay for 30 Rock! I adore Tina Fey and I *am* Liz Lemon is so many ways.

Oooh, the West Wing is amazing - I highly recommend it. Is this a new War of the Worlds? A TV series?

On the agenda for today:
I have a doctor's appointment this morning (nothing serious, just an annual mammogram - do I know how to start my spring break off right or what?) and then I'll run a few errands before coming home. I may try to do some writing and some knitting this afternoon, but I definitely want to save time for reading, too. Shepherd's Pie for dinner tonight.

Last week when I stopped into the library, a couple of my once-and-future colleagues were sitting at the circ desk crocheting sea creatures - the summer reading program theme this year is going to be An Ocean of Possibilities, and they're making a bunch of ocean animals to fill a fish tank as a display. I decided I'd try to contribute, so right now I'm working knitting up a tropical fish buddy. I may finish him up today - photos if he turns out halfway decent.

On the reading front:
I spent my reading time yesterday with We Ride Upon Sticks and I think I may be able to finish it up today. I don't really know how this one is going to end and I'm excited to find out. I may also get through Into the Land of the Unicorns today, which is a little lackluster but thankfully fairly short.

What We're Watching:
We watched the new Pixar movie last night, Turning Red. It was...okay. A little disappointing for Pixar, though.

>102 scaifea: Have fun storming the ... mammogram center, Amber! :-)

I just saw that Zest the Border Collie has won the Crufts agility championship in the UK. She was flying through the course in the video I saw on YouTube. Maybe an extra treat for Simmons to celebrate?

Morning, Amber! I hope you had a nice weekend. Sorry, to hear "Turning Red" was a letdown. I was seeing pretty good reviews. Ooh, Shepard's pie. Yum.

>103 rosalita: *snork!* Thanks, Julia!

And yay for Zest!! I'll have to look that up on YouTube, and yes, I suspect both Simmons and Mario will celebrate with a treat today...

>104 msf59: Morning, Mark! I was surprised that the movie wasn't better. Pixar usually hits it out of the park.

I was able to finish up my knitted fish this morning. I think I'll call him Odysseus:

Odysseus is adorable!

So cute!

>107 scaifea: He's awfully cute!

>108 katiekrug: >109 lauralkeet: >110 rosalita: Thanks, all!

>107 scaifea: That is adorable and amazing!!! I love him!

>112 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba!

31. Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville (audiobook) - 7/10
When Cara and her grandmother are suddenly pursued by an unknown man, the grandmother gives a precious amulet to Cara and tells her to jump through a portal and into a new world, one filled with magical creatures and monsters, including dragons and unicorns. Cara sets off on a quest to take the amulet to the queen of the unicorns, and she and the friends she makes long the way must face dangers and wonders to get there.
It reads like an early outline for a fantasy novel, but one that needs a lot of work. The story idea is good, but it's told in the barest of bones way, with very little in the way of details, and the characters are completely flat.

>107 scaifea: Aww! Cute.

>114 scaifea: I definitely read this one as a kid and I definitely have zero memory of it, except that there was maybe supposed to be a third book in the series that never materialized and I was mad about it? Anyway, definitely not memorable!

Love Odysseus the fish. I've never mastered more than a scarf and that was pretty rough!

>115 ArlieS: >117 Helenliz: Thanks!!

>116 curioussquared: I kept reminding myself that it's probably more of a kid's book, but even so it wasn't well written. It's too bad, really.

Hi, Amber. In Metamorphoses, poor Actaeon just got turned into a stag after seeing Diana bathing, and then chewed up by his own unknowing pack of hunting dogs.

I like that Envy leads a miserable life, and “is herself her own punishment”.

>107 scaifea: Daaaaawww!! (Is it weird to want to hug a fishie?)

Love Odysseus, he is so cute.

>119 jnwelch: Hoo boy, yeah, Actaeon gets a raw deal, doesn't he? The gods are petty and fickle and dangerous. And I agree that that's a fantastic description of envy.

>120 laytonwoman3rd: He's very huggable, Linda!

>121 johnsimpson: Thanks, John!

>107 scaifea: How cute! What great colors. Little critters are good for the bits leftover yarn too.

>107 scaifea: Very cute! I like the friendly colours.

>124 quondame: >125 figsfromthistle: Thanks! I love those colors, too. At first I was thinking about going with clownfish orange/white/black, but decided to go a bit more whimsical with it.

On the agenda for today:
Happy half-birthday to Charlie and happy Ides of March, everyone!

I need to do some baking today - the carrot cake for Charlie - and I'll maybe try to do some writing, but I also may just sit around and read, too. We'll see how it goes. Odysseus was a big hit when I dropped him off at the library yesterday, and I started knitting a stingray yesterday afternoon, so I may work a bit on that. While knitting I finally watched the first episode of Bridgerton, which was pretty good! Maybe I'll watch another today, too. Ha! Clearly I don't really have my day sorted just yet...

On the reading front:
I finished up We Ride Upon Sticks (review to come), read a bit of Stradivari's Genius, started Beyond the Pawpaw Trees, and started listening to The Black Gryphon.

What We're Watching:
The new Ryan Reynolds movie, The Adam Project. It was pretty good. Not fabulous, but still, Ryan Reynolds, so worth it.

Good morning Amber! Have you received the latest King Arthur Catalogue in the mail? Mine arrived yesterday and I swear they've been eavesdropping on our conversation. "Springtime Scones" are featured on pages 4-7, featuring some mixes I didn't know about, special ingredients for made-from-scratch scones (with recipe), etc. Further into the catalog is their more typical 2-page spread listing all the mixes and pans.

I didn't make scones on Sunday because I ended up making brownies on Saturday, but man, I'm still hankering for scones.

>128 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura! Yes! I have the catalogue, too! I love that they include recipes and I'm saving this one for a couple of them. Oooh, brownies sound good, too...

I'm enjoying Bridgerton much more on my re-watch, but I do think the first season gets better as it moves along.

Happy half-birthday to Charlie! My Ides-a-palooza celebration has been derailed, sadly.

>130 katiekrug: For a first ep, I think this one was pretty good. I'll probably watch the next one today.

Oh no to the derailment! You could go with the spirit of the day and get stabby with someone. Might make you feel better...

32. We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry (Alex Award) - 10/10
It's the fall of 1989 and the Danvers High School Field Hockey team, despite having a history of losing much more than they win, want so badly to go all the way to states this year. So these Salem-adjacent girls, true to their ancestral natures, make a pact with the Devil (aka Emilio Estevez on the cover of a notebook) and suddenly their lives will never be the same.
I loved this novel, with its clever plot and unforgettable characters. The magic is there and important but also subtle, and it takes an easy backseat to these amazing high school girls, with their massive hair and love for Janet Jackson. I was a freshman in 1989 and these characters brought so many memories rushing back - they're true to their age and the late 80s. Highly recommended!

Hi Amber!

Happy half birthday to Charlie. Yay for getting the mammogram out of the way and following up with the doctor on your anxiety meds.

Odysseus is absolutely adorable. I could no more make something like that than I could drive to the moon in my SUV. I am in awe.

>133 karenmarie: Morning, Karen!
Thanks for the half-birthday love and the doc encouragement!

And for the Odysseus love, too. I'm pretty happy with how he turned out.

(Bonus points for anyone who knows why I named him Odysseus...)

Happy h-l- b-r-h-a- to Charlie (decided to just use half the letters for a half birthday). I saw this on Twitter today and for some reason thought of you. Actually, I thought of you because of the Ides of March bit, but I thought of Katie because of the stabby bit. I'm only posting it once, here on your thread, because I am not a spam-monster. I'm sure Katie will stop by and see it eventually.

>135 rosalita: HAHAHA! That popped up on my memories today and I think I repost it every year - I love it!!

I also really love this one:

I haven't seen that one before!

This one is a perennial favorite, though, and it just showed up in my timeline:

This is the one that popped up in my memories today:

Loving all the Ides of March memes. You'll excuse me if I keep my back to the wall around here today, though. :)

>138 rosalita: Yes! That's a great one!

>139 foggidawn: That one, too!

>140 MickyFine: *snork!*

Sparknotes did a round-up of Julius Caesar memes today. I think this was my favourite:

>135 rosalita: - Ha! Julia's commentary ("spam monster") is almost better than the meme itself!

>142 MickyFine: SparkNotes has The Best twitter account. Hands down. I love 'em.

>143 katiekrug: Agreed!!

After a late work finish and dire drive home, that was just the pick-me-up I needed. Thank you all.

>143 katiekrug: I knew you would appreciate that!

>147 rosalita: - :D

_____________

The Wayne got a chicken caesar wrap for dinner tonight, and I couldn't resist:

>146 Helenliz: Ha! You're welcome!

>147 rosalita: Me, too!

>148 katiekrug: *SNORK!* Perfect!

On the agenda for today:
It's been two years of pandemic comfort eating since I worked at the library last, so I need to go shopping for, um, slightly roomier pants. That's what I'll be doing today. Not my favorite thing in the world, shopping, but it must be done. I'm hoping for some reading time this afternoon, though, so that will make up for it.

Yesterday was a lovely ides for me: lots of reading and knitting, I watched the second episode of Bridgerton, which was fun, and I even did some writing. Plus, carrot cake. Yum. 13.5 candles is a lot of flames, though. Wow.

On the reading front:
I made good progress on Hitting the Books yesterday, plus a read a bit more of Beyond the Pawpaw Trees and listened to The Black Gryphon.

What We're Watching:
My Hero Academia. What else?

>152 scaifea: Urgh, shopping for clothes. Blergh! Especially shopping for trousers. I need new ones too - I've worn out most of the pairs I own.

>153 PawsforThought: It's the actual worst, isn't it? Blech.

Hi Amber!

>152 scaifea: I’m sorry about your clothes shopping requirement, but excited about the new job that you need them for. I’ll probably watch Bridgerton in one fell swoop after it’s all been aired.

Oh my. Carrot Cake. I've just converted my recipe to low sodium, and it's totally doable!

>155 karenmarie: Morning, Karen! Yay for low-sodium carrot cake! And I agree that Bridgerton is very bingeable, so that's a good plan.

>155 karenmarie: - But, but, Karen - that'll be YEARS from now (all of Bridgerton available)! I mean, I sort of doubt they'll do 8 seasons, but they had better at least get to Eloise's story, because I love it and I love Claudia Jessie, the actress who plays her on the series.

Morning, Amber! Sorry about the pants shopping. I think pants and dresses are The Worst to shop for.

>157 katiekrug: Morning, Katie!
Oh, I agree about Eloise - I LOVE her character so far and I think it's mostly because I love the actor.

>148 katiekrug: *spits coffee on everything* You KILL me, Katie.

>153 PawsforThought: I really should look over my clothes, and probably replace some. Quite a few have become battered and frayed enough, in the past 2 years, to be only suitable for wearing at home. Ugh @shopping though.

>159 laytonwoman3rd: *grins*

>160 ArlieS: Yeah, shopping isn't fun, but I managed to find a couple pair of pants and some tops that I didn't hate. *sigh*

33. Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay (mystery) - 8/10
The ninth in the Library Lover's Mystery series, this cozy sees the resident library director once again getting involved in a criminal investigation when she is witness to a Briar Creek resident being the victim of a hit-and-run. Another fun entry in the series.

>152 scaifea: >153 PawsforThought: I have almost the opposite clothes issue, not that I'm any smaller, just that almost all my clothing started out roomy and while I've purchased less in the last 2 years, I've worn a lot less, and so have almost nothing discardable, and a few things still packaged.

>163 quondame: Since we've gone practically nowhere in the last two years, I've bought zero clothing items and have pretty much worn out my comfy pants and sweatshirts. *sigh*

34. Beyond the Pawpaw Trees by Palmer Brown (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10
A Young girl leaves her home for the first time to pay her aunt a visit but gets caught alone in a runaway train which takes her to a magical land.
Meh. A product of its time and genre. Flat characters skipping along in a plot that is just one silly thing after another, clearly meant to entertain the very young with no real appeal to audiences older than, say, 8.

Some people I know have a Summer wardrobe and a Winter wardrobe. I have a fat wardrobe and a thin wardrobe. Covid has caused a swop to the fat wardrobe. Ho hum.

>166 Helenliz: Same.

On the agenda for today:
Grocery shopping this morning, then possibly some writing. I'm going to try to finish up the little stingray I'm knitting, too. And then as much reading as I can manage this afternoon. I watched about half of a Bridgerton episode yesterday before leaving to go shopping, so I'll probably finish that ep today while knitting. Sloppy Joes for dinner tonight.

On the reading front:
I read a bit of A Court of Thorns and Roses, listened to some of The Black Gryphon, and started The Impossible First.

What We're Watching:
More My Hero Academia.

Morning, Amber!

I'm assuming your Sloppy Joes are not the distinctive northern NJ variety. I had no idea this existed until we moved here.

Morning, Katie!

>169 katiekrug: Yeah, nope. Mine is more like this:

https://www.thechunkychef.com/best-homemade-sloppy-joes/

>169 katiekrug: I can just picture my poor husband in a diner in north Jersey, excited to order a sloppy joe, and then outraged when THAT was set down in front of him. I'm not a fan, so I don't make them very often.

Hi Amber!

>157 katiekrug: I wasn’t explicit enough – I’ll wait for season 2 to be available.

>170 scaifea: When Jenna was little, she liked the sloppy joes at daycare. I was proud of the scratch sloppy joes I made at home one time, but she didn’t like them because they didn’t taste like daycare’s out-of-a-can ones. Harrumph. I didn’t learn the lesson well, and so made a Red Velvet Cake from scratch because it’s her favorite, but she likes cake-mix Red Velvet Cake. I stopped trying to make real versions of the shite she ate other places.

>172 karenmarie: - OIC! It drops a week from tomorrow :) Amber is watching the first season (FINALLY! but don't tell her I said that).

>171 laytonwoman3rd: I think I'd be a bit nonplussed, too, to be honest.

>172 karenmarie: Ha! I've never had Sloppy Joes from a can, but I wouldn't rule out liking it. I kind of like shite food.

>173 katiekrug: I KNOW. FINALLY. I'm loving it so far.

>175 scaifea: The man will eat those in a pinch. In fact, when we were first married, I used to feed them to him occasionally. Then I got a real recipe, and found I could stand to eat them if I made them myself.

The "loose meat" version is the Sloppy Joe I know. I can't remember the last time I had one.

>177 laytonwoman3rd: We love 'em here at Scaife Manor, although we have varying ways of enjoying them: Charlie wants a scant layer of the stuff in his hamburger bun, but Tomm and I eat them open faced with lots of the sloppy joe part.

>178 katiekrug: We used to have them a lot when I was a kid and I thought I was the most sophisticated jokester for coming up with the idea of calling them "Stevie Joes" because my brother's name was Stephen Joseph. *eye roll*

>180 scaifea: Well that IS pretty clever.

>181 laytonwoman3rd: Ha! Well, *he* didn't think so.

What Linda said.

All I really remember about them is how soggy the hamburger bun would get. I might look for a recipe to try and then do it on ciabatta or something. With cheese.

Did I just invent something?

>183 katiekrug: The bun does get soggy, but I like it that way. Tomm sometimes puts cheese on his, so I think you've just made a variation on the theme. A Sloppy Giuseppe, perhaps...

Dammit, Tomm!

Definitely going to put this on the list for next week's menu.

>185 katiekrug: *snork!*

I think ciabatta sounds amazing for it, to be honest.

I finished Gordon the Stingray - he's a bit wonky but I love him anyway:

Gordon’s not wonky - he’s quirky!

>187 scaifea: Cool!

>188 drneutron: Ha! I like that spin!

>189 quondame: Thanks!

On the agenda for today:
We're getting a new AC unit installed today, which means that I'll be hanging out on the second floor with the dogs for 3-5 hours, which hopefully will mean either some good reading time or some good knitting-and-Bridgertoning time. (We'll be up in my room pretending we don't exist, Harry Potter style.) Once the AC folks are gone I'll make some Chocolate Butterscotch Cereal Bars and do the weekly bill sorting. Frozen Friday for dinner.

On the reading front:
I made some progress on The Portrait of a Lady yesterday, read more of The Impossible First, and listened to some of The Black Gryphon.

What We're Watching:
We watched an ep of West Wing and then started the second My Hero Academia movie last night.

It's such a challenge to manage dogs during home improvement projects. We're sequestering Alys when the bathroom guys are here. Sometimes we visit with her but she's also alone a lot. So far she doesn't mind, and it's better than the alternative (a yippy jumping dog pestering the hell out of the crew).

>191 scaifea: The inconvenience will bring good benefits in the summer, and it sounds like you have a good plan for the down time.

>192 lauralkeet: >193 thornton37814: Simmons would be just fine in isolation because she isn't fond of strangers and would rather hide anyway, but Mario gets *so* whiny and upset - she LOVES people and hates being left out. We do put them away on their own for shorter times when workers are here, but this will be such a long span that I'd feel bad leaving Mario to be sad by herself.

Our current AC still works okay-ish, but we were told last fall that it's old enough that the gas it uses is no longer readily available, plus it's not very efficient. So we're trading up, plus getting a Nest thermostat.

I try to schedule service calls and such for days when Nuala usually goes to daycare, especially if it's going to be an all-day thing. But otherwise, yep, we try to keep her and her tendency to jump on people away from the poor workers :)

You've reminded me that I need to call our HVAC company to get the ball rolling on a replacement for the outside part (compressor?) which was flooded. We didn't replace it last fall because we were already spending so much money and it covers only a small portion of the house (we have two separate systems because when an addition was put on the house, they did it very, very oddly...) and the heat wasn't affected, but now that spring is arriving, I need to get that done. *sigh*

We have workmen coming to our house today, too, so Lottie will get in some good barking, I am sure. (I'll be at work; John will be home to handle things.) Lottie does not appreciate strangers entering Her House, and she lets them know about it.

Daisy loves people coming into her house - the more the merrier as far as she is concerned - although she doesn’t like it if they make any high pitched noises. When I was working and we had some larger works done we usually just left them to it, and it worked fine, apart from an unfortunate day when they accidentally set off the fire alarm to beep periodically. Then one of the workmen had to be allocated ‘comforting Daisy’ duties for the rest of the afternoon.

>195 katiekrug: This HVAC guy told us that if we had called to schedule it just a couple of weeks later then we'd be pushed deep into summer before they could come out because they start getting really busy here really soon. So you may want to call pretty quickly to get fast service.

>196 foggidawn: Lottie sounds like Simmons; Mario loves all people and wants to 'help.'

>197 SandDune: Aw, I love the idea of comforting Daisy duties! I want that job.

Hi, Amber. I thought you were talking about the second season of Bridgerton, and was going to let Debbi know it had started. Not yet, but soon. I suspect you’ll find yourself seguing right into it from the first.Pretty irresistible.

I’ve been watching The Last Kingdom, a very good Bernard Cornwell historical series set in 9th-10th century England. The lead, Alexander Draemon playing Uhtred, is outstanding.

We Ride Upon Sticks sounds like a really good one. Adding it to the WL.

>194 scaifea: We did the AC update about 3 years back and only just this year got all the permits and approvals sorted enough to apply for local rebates. But I think we're caught up now on AC & Solar. And I've nixed more major updates except urgent repairs, none of which are now pending. Putin's adventures have also wounded our portfolio, so Mike is in much less of a spendy mood.

>202 quondame: Yeah, between that and the pandemic, prices have gone sky high for home improvements, as we found out this week when a guy came to give us a quote on adding a 3 seasons room. Yoicks. We're...rethinking that now.

On the agenda for today:
A bit of baking (Biscoff Pie), the weekly bill sorting that I forgot to do yesterday, some laundry, and then hopefully a lot of reading. I want to try to make the most of my last two days of spring break by doing as little as possible. Mole Chili for dinner tonight.

We now have a new AC unit after only five (?!) hours of installation work. The gals were really good, though, and we took two naps as a pack on the bed, with a bit of knitting and Bridgerton watching in the middle.

On the reading front:
I read a bit of Stradivari's Genius and a bit of The Impossible First, which I've decided to abandon because I can't get into it at all.

What We're Watching:
For Family Game Night we played Quixx and then we watched the second My Hero Academia movie.

Morning, Amber. Happy Saturday. Rain here, so it will keep me indoors. We had a great Jackson Day yesterday.
He is our angel boy. Enjoy your weekend.

>205 msf59: Morning, Mark! Yep, rainy day here, too. Perfect for reading. Yay for a great Jackson day!

Also rainy farther east :) Your Saturday sounds pretty good!

>207 katiekrug: Wow, that's a bit front, then, from Chicago to the coast! Cool.

And yes! I'm excited about my do-almost-nothing day.

I finished Sam the Seahorse. I think it turned out pretty well!

Hi Amber!

>187 scaifea: and >209 scaifea: Side business. Seriously.

The advantage to having kitties instead of dogs is that the kitties hide when strangers are in the house so I don't have to retreat with them.

>209 scaifea: Your knitted sea animals have made me smile. I'm sure the library patrons will love them.

>209 scaifea: Look at you -- making all those knitted animals and you're not even getting a paycheck yet. The library must be over the moon that you're coming back, Amber!

>210 karenmarie: Hi, Karen!
I used to have an Etsy shop, but I closed it down when I started work at the library the first time around.

My cat, Susie, used to try darting out the door when people came over, so I always had to tuck her away, too.

>211 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! I hope so.

>212 lauralkeet: Ha! I will say that the first time I walked into the library after being offered my job back, it felt like a surprise party - everyone started cheering. It made me feel pretty great.

>209 scaifea: The darling!

I love variegated yarns. I'm tasked with darning a sock that's almost 20 years old, one of the first I made out of a very variegated yarn - navy to chrome yellow, with splashes of pink. My mends will be in burgundy.

>216 quondame: Yes! Self-striping yarns are so wonderful! I love how this one turned out with the seahorse. Seems perfect.

>202 quondame: *sigh* Yeah, I sure hear you on he wounded portfolio.

>209 scaifea: I like it!

>219 ArlieS: Thanks!!

>215 scaifea: Awww ... that's wonderful, Amber.

>221 lauralkeet: It really was. My coworkers there are so lovely.

On the agenda for today:
Last day of spring break for me, so I'm going to try for another do-as-little-as-possible day. Knitting while Bridgertoning, reading, possibly napping. Tomm's in charge of dinner, so I don't have to worry about that, even.

On the reading front:
I started two new ones yesterday: The Last Unicorn, which is excellent so far, and I'm finally getting round to this year's Newbery Medalist, The Last Cuentista.

What We're Watching:
We watched the newest Spider-Man movie last night and it's pretty good! Intense, but good.

Morning, Amber. Where are you in Bridgerton (just curious)?

I hope your last day of break is full of nothing :)

>224 katiekrug: Morning, Katie! I can't remember when ep I'm on, but Daphne just cowgirled Simon into going, um, all the way.

>225 scaifea: - Ah, so only a couple of episodes left!

>223 scaifea: I just got The Last Cuentista frim the library! I’ll look forward to your comments.

Karen O

P.s. I love your knitted creatures! Great job!

>226 katiekrug: I just finished the season this afternoon - so good! I need to get back to the books - I've only read the first two.

>227 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen, for the knitting love!

I'm only a few pages into the book so far but it's good already.

>228 scaifea: - Glad you enjoyed it! I know I've said it, but the next two books are probably my favorites :)

>215 scaifea: Wow, how nice! I can imagine it made your day.

>230 katiekrug: It seems like they're setting up season 2 to follow the second book, but I feel like I should get in gear and at least read the next one in case they go farther.

>231 RebaRelishesReading: It was wonderful!

>232 scaifea: - Given that they revealed Lady Whistledown in season 1, when it doesn't happen until book 4, yeah, I wouldn't put it past them!

And I messed up my numbering. It's books 4 and 5 that are my favorites, not 3 and 4. In case you actually care :-P

The seahorse is adorable! I love making knitted animals... so much fun :D

Love that your co-workers at the library were so happy to have you back, too. When do you officially re-start the job?

>233 katiekrug: I *do* care, Katie! I'll make a change to my mental notes...

>234 bell7: Thanks, Mary! These are, if I'm remembering rightly, the first little animals I've knitted, and I agree that they're so much fun. It's great to see them taking shape with each round you knit!

My first day back at the library is April 19th.

On the agenda for today:
The Monday after spring break is a special kind of terrible. Blech. Plus, sometime over the weekend I napped a little too aggressively and hurt much shoulder, so that's awesome. The good thing about teaching online is that the students can't smell the Icy Hot. Anyway. Class prep, teaching, then a trip to the library to drop off Gordon and Sam. Possibly a nap this afternoon because I'll probably be exhausted from the first day back teaching after a week. Definitely some reading. Chicken tacos for dinner tonight, I think.

On the reading front:
I started Grendel yesterday, which isn't terrible so far, but also isn't spectacular yet either. And I read a bit more of The Last Cuentista.

What We're Watching:
Charlie's pick last night, so more My Hero Academia.

Sorry to hear about the impending doom of a terrible day. I hope it's not as bad as you fear, Amber. A nap should help!

Sorry about your shoulder, but I do love the phrase "aggressive napping!"

I hope the return to routine isn't too awful.

>238 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura. I'm already looking forward to that nap and it's only 830...

>239 katiekrug: Ha! Tomm says I don't know my own napping strength. I'm sure the day will be fine; it's just the dread of it that's bad.

>209 scaifea:. Nice!

I probably asked you this already: did you read (and like) The Last Cuentista? I just started it. It was the Newbery winner. I did not expect a spaceship to the stars!

>242 jnwelch: Hi, Joe! I've just started this year's Newbery winner myself! I'm enjoying it so far, and I love seeing more scifi-like stories making it onto the list!

*lurks around with both ears tuned to the Newbery book discussion*

>244 foggidawn: *grins*

Oof, I hate when you sleep wrong and hurt yourself! It feels so counterproductive, lol.

I just finished The Last Cuentista myself and loved it. Not at all what I expected!

I hope the students are extra good for you today, Amber, and that the chicken tacos are an excellent reward for making it through the day.

>246 curioussquared: Right? Sleep is supposed to be restorative, not hurtful! Gah.

I'm glad you enjoyed the Newbery winner!

>247 MickyFine: Thanks, Mickey. They were cherubs today and I'm very much looking forward to those tacos.

On the agenda for today:
I'm going to try to do some writing today, so we'll see how that goes. I'll probably also do some knitting and some reading, but otherwise I don't really have much on the menu. I'm trying to take my down days seriously for the next few weeks, since those couple of weeks when I'll be working both jobs will be slightly brutal. Lots of leftovers in the fridge, so no cooking needed today.

On the reading front:
I read more of A Court of Thorns and Roses yesterday and I've decided that I love it. Unless things go really downhill in the last 1/4 of the book, I'll definitely be continuing with the series. I also read a bit more of The Last Cuentista, which is promising so far, too.

What We're Watching:
Tomm's pick last night, so a handful of 30 Rocks.

>250 scaifea: It's important to take some down time! Enjoy your day.

Writing, eh?

Show-off ;-)

>251 thornton37814: So true, Lori! And thanks!

>252 katiekrug: *snork!*
Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've spent the morning playing word games on my phone and haven't typed a lick yet...

'Morning, Amber!

Sorry about the hurt shoulder. I smiled at an image of Icy Hot wafting over Zoom, and hope you're fully recovered.

>215 scaifea: Wonderful.

>255 karenmarie: Morning, Karen!

Thanks for the shoulder sympathy. It's not completely gone, but better than yesterday, so improvement is good.

On the agenda for today:
Class prep, teaching, menu planning, prepping my grocery list for tomorrow, then I'll probably do some knitting and some reading. Not sure what we'll do for dinner tonight; maybe eggs and toast?

On the reading front:
I finished up A Court of Thorns and Roses (I'll try to get to a review today), read a bit of Les Miserables, and listened to some of The Black Gryphon.

What We're Watching:
My pick last night: OUAT.

The new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/340693