Mary's (bell7's) Reads in 2022 - Thread #4

If you've never met me, hello and welcome, my name's Mary and I live and work in western Massachusetts. I'm a librarian, a home owner, the oldest of 5, and Auntie Mimi to Mia and Matthew. I'm a fan of Giants football, Bruins hockey, and tennis. I read all sorts of fiction and nonfiction, though SFF and books about books are among my favorites. Horror is about the only genre I avoid on the whole (I am a wimp).

If you've been following all year, welcome back! I hope you'll find lots of bookish discussion here.

My 2022 reading goals:
-Read at least half books by authors of color
-Complete the BookRiot ReadHarder challenge
-Read at least one book a month in the Asian Book Challenge
-Read at least twelve books from countries outside of the US/UK

As you can see, some of those goals will overlap significantly. I also have a lifetime reading goal of reading all the Newbery Award and Honor books, so you’ll see me whittling away at that as well.

Favorite Books of 2021 -
I couldn't narrow down my top ten titles of 2021, so here's a top ten fiction and a few more categories as well:

Fiction
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Nonfiction
This Time Together by Carol Burnett
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Nine Nasty Words by John McWhorter
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

Graphic Novel
Umma’s Table by Yeon-Sik Hong

Poetry
The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems by Billy Collins

YA
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Middle Grade
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Rough guide to my rating system:
I'm fairly generous with my star ratings - generally a four is a "like" or "would recommend" for me, while a 4.5 stars is a book I would reread. I break it down roughly like this:

1 star - Forced myself to finish it
2 stars - Dislike
2.5 stars - I really don't know if I liked it or not
3 stars - Sort of liked it; or didn't, but admired something about it despite not liking it
3.5 stars - The splitting hairs rating of less than my last 4 star book or better than my last 3
4 stars - I liked it and recommend it, but probably won't reread it except under special circumstances (ie., a book club or series reread)
4.5 stars - Excellent, ultimately a satisfying read, a title I would consider rereading
5 stars - A book that I absolutely loved, would absolutely reread, and just all-around floored me

I see it more in terms of my like or dislike of a book, rather than how good a book is. My hope is that as a reader I convey what I like or what I don't in such a way that you can still tell if you'll like a book, even if I don't. And I hope for my patrons that I can give them good recommendations for books they will like, even if it's not one I would personally choose.

2022 Book Club Reads

For work -
January - Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri - COMPLETED
February - Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison - COMPLETED
March - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer - COMPLETED
April - Pale Rider by Laura Spinney
May - People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Summer break
September - Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
October - Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
November - The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
December - Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

The Other Book Club with my SIL and friends -
January/February - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal - COMPLETED
April - Taste by Stanley Tucci
June - The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Random things I'm keeping track of -
Bookish articles:
1. Books Like AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (includes a Japanese book recently translated that may make an interesting Asian Book Challenge choice)
2. Japanese Books in Translation (BookRiot)
3. New and Upcoming Must-Read Memoirs by Black Authors

How to make pretty block quotes (directions from Richard):
{blockquote}TYPE OR PASTE QUOTED TEXT HERE{/blockquote} and replace the curly braces with pointy brackets.

Number of books read since keeping count on LT:
July - Dec 2008 - 65
2009 - 156 (plus over 70 graphic novels and manga volumes)
2010 - 135 (Note: in June, I started working a second part-time job for full-time hours)
2011 - 150
2012 - 108 (Note: accepted a full-time job in February)
2013 - 107
2014 - 126 (plus 8 Graphic Novels)
2015 - 120 (plus 6 Graphic Novels)
2016 - 141
2017 - 114
2018 - 105 (Note: my first full year as Assistant Director)
2019 - 116
2020 - 153
2021 - 138

Asian Book Challenge

JANUARY - Europe of Asia - Turkish Authors
Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk
Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci
FEBRUARY - The Holy Land - Israeli & Palestinian Authors
Native: Dispatches from an Israeli-Palestinian Life by Sayed Kashua
MARCH - The Arab World - Writers from the Arab world
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (Lebanon)
Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi (Oman)
APRIL - Persia - Iranian writers
Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi
MAY - The Stans - There are 7 states all in the same region all ending in "Stan"
JUNE - The Indian Sub-Continent - Essentially authors from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
JULY - The Asian Superpower - Chinese Authors
AUGUST - Nippon - Japanese Authors
SEPTEMBER - Kimchi - Korean Authors
OCTOBER - INDO CHINE - Authors from Indo-China
NOVEMBER - The Malay Archipelago - Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian and Filipino Authors
Fairest: a memoir by Meredith Talusan
DECEMBER - The Asian Diaspora - Ethnic Asian writers from elsewhere
Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri (she was born in the UK to parents from India and grew up in the US; this book was written in Italian and set in Italy)

Other countries I've visited in my reading:
It can get a little dicey to figure out if a book fits as a "global" read or not, so here's how I'm counting it -
-The country I'll identify is that which the book was published in or the author is from, rather than the setting of the book
-The author currently lives in their country of origin, which for my purposes is not the U.S. or U.K.
-If the work had to be translated into English, regardless of where the author is currently living
-If the author is an expatriate, they had to move in adulthood (as a college student, refugee, or any other reason), and I'll count the country of origin as where the book is "from"

Portugal - Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo
Spain - City of Mist: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Ireland - Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Trinidad and Tobago - When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo

BookRiot Reader Harder Challenge

Read a biography of an author you admire
Read a book set in a bookstore
Read any book from the Women’s Prize shortlist/longlist/winner list
Read a book in any genre by a POC that’s about joy and not trauma
Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

Read an anthology featuring diverse voices
Read a nonfiction YA comic
Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci

Read a romance where at least one of the protagonists is over 40
Read a classic written by a POC
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Read the book that’s been on your TBR the longest
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

Read a political thriller by a marginalized author (BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+)
Read a book with an asexual and/or aromantic main character
Read an entire poetry collection
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Read an adventure story by a BIPOC author
Read a book whose movie or TV adaptation you’ve seen (but haven’t read the book)
Read a new-to-you literary magazine (print or digital)
Read a book recommended by a friend with different reading tastes
Read a memoir written by someone who is trans or nonbinary
Fairest: a memoir by Meredith Talusan

Read a “Best _____ Writing of the year” book for a topic and year of your choice.
Read a horror novel by a BIPOC author.
Read an award-winning book from the year you were born
Read a queer retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, folklore, or myth.
Read a history about a period you know little about.
Read a book by a disabled author
Paperboy by Vince Vawter

Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat!
City of Mist: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (a collection of short stories)

Currently reading
Shadowshaper Legacy by Daniel Jose Older
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar

Bible reading/Devotionals
Proverbs, 2 Corinthians

April
39. Pale Rider by Laura Spinney
38. The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter
37. Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
36. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
35. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
34. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi
33. The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick

May

June

March
32. Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff
31. Gallant by V.E. Schwab
30. The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty
29. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
28. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
27. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
26. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
25. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

February
24. Fairest by Meredith Telusan
23. Native: Dispatches from an Israeli-Palestinian Life by Sayed Kashua
22. When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
21. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
20. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
19. Wow, No Thank You by Samatha Irby
18. These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
17. Oddball: A Sarah Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen
16. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
15. The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
14. Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds with artwork by Jason Griffin
13. Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
12. Letter to My White Friends and Colleagues by Steven Rogers

January
11. Paperboy by Vince Vawter
10. The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker
9. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci
8. Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times by Azar Nafisi
7. City of Mists: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
6. Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk
5. Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
4. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
3. The River of Consciousness by Oliver Sacks
2. The God of Lost Words by A.J. Hackwith
1. Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo

DNF in 2022
1. Hell of a Book by Jason Mott
2. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
3. Frontier Justice by E. Fuller Torrey
4. All About Me! by Mel Brooks
5. War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

Next one's yours! What's everyone up to this weekend?

Happy Mary. With the rain and chilly temps, I am enjoying a quiet afternoon with the books.

Happy New Thread, Mary!

I hope to keep up better on this one.

I'm currently listening to Braiding Sweetgrass. I'm glad it made a good discussion.

That's interesting that everyone was intrigued by the gift economy which just happens to be exactly where I am in the book. Perhaps people would be interested in bringing books each month to exchange within the group? Or perhaps starts from a houseplant? Herbs they've grown? Something they've baked? Starts from their garden?

I've also thought about 'adopting' a nursing home patient who doesn't have family in the area. But I haven't done it yet .... easier perhaps now that Covid restrictions are lifting.

ETA: what am I doing? getting the taxes together, sigh. The cat is delighting in unpiling my piles. Ka-pounce - skid ....

HI Mary. I enjoyed your lists, realizing how long it must have taken to compile all of them!

Happy new thread, Mary. xx

Happy new one!

Happy new thread Mary

Happy new thread, Mary!!

Happy new thread!

>11 msf59: Sounds lovely, Mark! I'm going to catch up on a couple of reviews here, and then I'm hoping to read the rest of the evening myself.

>12 streamsong: I like those ideas, Janet. The discussion question about gift economy really stumped people, but ever since I've been thinking of how it would work in my own situation. I'm volunteering in a few different places, and I think of my yard/garden/house very much as a gift, especially thinking of the raspberries and blueberries and three season garden that I have simply because, well, I bought the house and it was already designed and there for me to maintain. I gave away a lot of blueberries and rhubarb last year, and I expect I will again. Sorry about the taxes. I had a panic moment this afternoon (more in the post below), though I have no cat to "help".

>13 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda! I always wonder if they're interesting to anyone but me, so I'm glad you enjoy them. They can be hard to set up the first time, but now I save myself a certain number of posts and copy and paste whenever I make a new thread - it does take a bit to fix all the touchstones, though.

>14 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

>15 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>16 fairywings: Thanks, Adrienne!

>17 curioussquared: Thank you, Natalie!

Well, today's original plan was to hang out with my Little, but I got a call a couple nights ago to cancel, since she had family plans after all. With a newly open schedule, I could have kicked back and read all day, but y'all know me better than that by now. I went to a women's prayer breakfast at church, and came home to work on updating my resume... I'm not really looking to leave my position, as I love my library job, but there's a director job opening up nearby and I figured I should at least apply and see what comes of it.

While I was doing that, I received an email from someone working on my taxes asking about a form for my 2021 IRA contributions. I scrambled through all my papers, filing a bunch of papers I'd just let pile up and cleaning off my desk. No dice. I called the retirement company... and was told no, you don't get a form unless you took a distribution. The contribution is on your W-2. So, relief and suddenly very clean filing cabinet.

Now in an organizing mood, I continued various projects puttering around and cleaning things up that had been waiting patiently. I worked right through lunchtime and got takeout, did a little more, and then watched Encanto.

And now, I've got a couple of reviews to write, and I'm going to read and call it a night.

28. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Why now? This month's book club book

Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and botanist, reflects on our relationship with the earth, indigenous teaching about our interactions with the environment, what has broken and what might heal. In lovely prose and with astute observations, her essays challenge us to rethink mainstream American culture and imagine another way of treating everyone - human, animal, plant - on earth.

The subtitle "Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants" made me imagine a science-y book that explained how indigenous folklore meshed with how plants worked. That's not at all what this book is. Don't get me wrong, there is science (the essay on lichens especially taught me a lot), and perhaps because it was the antithesis of an academic paper I probably learned more than I realize. What Kimmerer does is gently challenge us to reevaluate our relationship with the natural world. In one essay, she discusses the differences in creation narratives and its effect on how we treat the earth. In another, she talks about how she cleaned out a pond, restoring an ecosystem but also making trade-offs, knowing that she was killing organisms to get there. There's a lot to mull over or discuss with a book club. 4.5 stars.

29. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
Why now? Apparently the title never made it onto the official TBR spreadsheet, but it was a title I was aware of and noted good reviews when it came out a couple of years ago. It became available as an ebook and audio borrow from the library when I was looking for my next read in those formats.

The narrator speaks to you, Eolo, a young soldier and aide to Mawat who is the Lease's heir come home to Vastai because the Raven is about to need a new Instrument. The Raven, the powerful god who has protected the Iraden people for generations, requires a blood sacrifice of the Lease - so it's a position with a lot of power, but ultimately one of service to the god. But all is not well when Mawat returns: his uncle is sitting in the Lease's bench, his father is missing, and the last Instrument (a raven that the Raven inhabits) is dead while the next is still not hatched.

It is extremely hard to summarize this book without spoilers or making it sound ridiculously complicated. And well, it is complicated. I've read few books in second person, which takes some getting used to as I wrapped my head around what was going on. The speaker's identity once revealed creates a lot of tension for the reader, who knows more than any of the characters what's going on. The slow unfolding of the larger plan in which Eolo and Mawat are small players is simply brilliant. 4.5 stars.

Wordle 274 3/6

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I'm incredibly pleased with this one

I got it in 3, too! I returned to my standard two starters: ADIEU, NORTH.

Tip o' the hat on your new thread, Ms. Mary.

Happy new thread, Mary. Great comments on Braiding Sweetgrass. It gave me a lot to think about as well.

Happy new thread, Mary. Good to see you got the Wordle in 3 today. I haven't tried it yet but I'm anticipating one that is hard for me as I did the last two in 2.

Happy new one Mary!

>24 katiekrug: I always start with ATONE and my second guess is based on what, if any, letters appear after that. Today I lucked out with GREEN.

>25 weird_O: Nice to see you, Bill!

>26 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. I'm glad you got a lot from Braiding Sweetgrass too. I kind of want to go back and read her book on mosses now.

>27 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! I've only ever got the Wordle in two once. Two days in a row is impressive!

>28 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte!

Well, today was nursery, church, work, and I stopped for gas and came home to cook. I'm now in pajamas and just about ready for bed. The good news is, I did get my Keurig to work over the weekend. Apparently there's a little thing on the bottom of the water reservoir with a spring where the water comes through, and I had to clean that out.

Tomorrow I'm off from work after working today. I've got plans to work in the garden, and I offered to bring snack to Bible study, so I'm going to do a small grocery shopping too.

>30 bell7: Glad you were able to get the coffee machine working again.

Have a wonderful day off.

I did a little grocery shopping after church too. I was just getting a couple of things from the deli counter to use as sides when I'm tired and some chicken. I took one of the breasts and cut it into something between nuggets and strips in size and served it with mac and cheese for a late lunch--just plain comfort food. I had some fresh fruit on the side too. I found a New York strip steak on markdown which I'll probably cook Tuesday night.

>31 figsfromthistle: thanks, Anita!

>32 thornton37814: mmm that does sound good, Lori! I've got to do a little bit of meal planning and think about what to make snack tonight before heading out.

Wordle 275 3/6

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One thing I kind of glossed over in my weekend doings was that I'm sprucing up my resume and getting ready to apply for a job as the director of a library in a neighboring town. I'm not really actively looking to leave my position, but it would be a great opportunity and was at the very least worth trying to get an interview and see how it compares. My job pays significantly less, but also on July 1 I'll be eligible for 5 weeks vacation, for example. But... I won't know if I don't try, right? My current director is super supportive (she actually forwarded me the announcement to make sure I saw it) and is willing to be a reference. I'm waiting to hear back from one other reference (yes, they required three at the outset, ugh!) and then I'll send it along. The deadline is Wednesday.

In the meantime, the main plan today is to get gardening! I've had a lazy morning so far and have just finished my breakfast and coffee. There's a lot on the to-do list (isn't there always?) so we'll see how far I get today. Pruning always takes longer than I think it should haha. So... I'm getting up... getting dressed... see me goooo?

>35 bell7: If it is meant to be, I hope it works out.

>35 bell7: Best of luck on your application, Mary!

I hope your day off treats you well and there's some chill time in between all the pruning.

>35 bell7: Just think how many stellar references you can get through LT, Mary. And people with pertinent work experience: librarians, some writers, bookstore workers, a logistics expert. People from around the world.

Heck, I’d give you a reference if you think a rocket guy would help! 😀

>36 thornton37814: thanks, Lori!

>37 MickyFine: thanks, Micky! Unfortunately, I didn't give myself much of a break yesterday, and my muscles are protesting now.

>38 weird_O: thanks, Bill!

>39 drneutron: thanks, Jim!

All my references got back to me, so after I get some coffee, I'll give it a final look and send it in.

Wordle 276 4/6

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I had a moment of "no, it can't be this word, can it?" And it was.

>41 bell7: For 3 times I only had the second letter. I finally came up with most of the word the 4th time, but I had 4th one wrong. Needless to say, I got it the next time. Frustrating sometimes. That's the worst I've done in a while.

I think it's always a good idea to keep your resume updated, your references on the back burner, and your interview skills sharp. It certainly can't hurt - good luck!

Oh, that's an exciting opportunity! Good luck!

Good luck with the new job possibility.

>42 thornton37814: I sort of lucked out with the order I found the right letters in, and managed to eliminate a lot of options with my first couple of guesses. I had a couple days in a row of 5-or-6 so it's a little nice to get some 3-4 days in.

>43 katiekrug: Yup, exactly my thinking... and honestly, I really enjoy what I do, so no harm, no foul if I don't get an offer.

>44 scaifea: Thanks, Amber!

>45 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!

Hi, Mary. Keep us posted on the possible new job opportunity. Never hurts to keep a few fingers in different pies.

>47 msf59: will do, Mark! It was funny when I went through my resume... My last couple of promotions were all on years that ended with 7s or 2s lol

Oh boy...oh boy...you might be A Director this year!

>49 richardderus: that'd be something, eh? When I took the job in December 2017, I told myself I would give myself 5 years to decide if I'd want a director job or not. About three years in, I realized I could definitely do it. I'd be a little surprised to find myself in the director seat before the five years is up lol.

Wordle 277 5/6

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>50 bell7: I'll cross my fingers for a good kind of a surprise, then.

Ooh, a Director! Good luck, Mary. They'd be lucky to have you.

Happy new-ish thread, Mary!

>35 bell7: Good luck in pursuing the director position, Mary!

>52 richardderus: Thanks! I'm in a place where I'd still be happy if I *didn't* get the job, which always makes me more relaxed in interviews haha. I do expect to get an interview; whether I get an offer or not depends, of course, on the pool of applicants.

>53 charl08: Aw, thanks, Charlotte!

>54 alcottacre: Thanks on both counts, Stasia!

Wordle 278 5/6

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I felt a little lucky to get the word at all!

Good Thursday morning, all!

It's been a hectic week, of my own making of course. I did about three hours of work in the garden Monday, focusing on the raspberry bushes, pruning them back, raking out the patch and weeding. I got started on pruning the rose bushes that have become completely overgrown. Then I had to run to the grocery store and make snack for Bible study. I was in the mood for Brie and made it difficult for myself adding in chocolate chip cookies (both were a hit, but it did not make for a relaxing day).

Tuesday I was sore from all the garden work, so I gave myself a morning essentially off and read before I had to go to work.

Yesterday was a 9-5 day, where I finished a draft of a three-year plan for the local history collection (yay!). I spent the evening daylight pruning the rest of the rosebushes. They're not completely done, but they're much improved. I had some time to read after dinner (a sandwich, I know my limits), which was really enjoyable.

Today I'm working 11-7:30 and have a program tonight showing 16 people how to search Ancestry Library Edition and then letting them go to town searching for records. I do it after hours (5:30-7:30 on a day we close at 5), allowing us to take over the computers for a couple of hours, and a volunteer helps me by letting people in while i give the 15-20 minute presentation portion. Then when they're searching, we wander among them helping with computer questions (how to do I get back to the search? how do I print?) and research questions. The volunteer generally sticks to the easier computer questions and then gets me for more detailed things, helping me keep from getting too involved with one person and mingling more. It's a lot of fun, but exhausting.

All I did this morning was make some Southwest quinoa salad, which was enough, and which will most likely be dinner scarfed down before the program. I've got just a little bit of time now before I've got to head out to work. It's not enough for me to focus on a book, so I'm hoping to catch up on threads a little.

>57 bell7: The Southwest Quinoa Salad sounds great. Care to share the recipe?

Have a wonderful day, Mary!

>58 alcottacre: Sure thing, Stasia!

Southwest Quinoa Salad
from Kristine's Kitchen Blog

2 t. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. quinoa, rinsed
1 3/4 c. vegetable broth
1 c. canned corn, drained
15 ou. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
2 T. minced fresh cilantro

Vinaigrette:
3 T. fresh lime joice
2 T. olive oil
1 T. honey
1 t. chili powder
1/2 t. cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the 2 t. olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sate until fragrant, stirring, about 1 minute. Ad the quinoa and vegetable broth (or water) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 12-16 minutes (or according to package directions). Drain any excess water. While the quinoa cooks, prepare the lime vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients until combined. Transfer the cooked quinoa to a large bowl and stir in the corn, black beans, bell pepper, green onions, and cilantro. Add the dressing and stir gently to combine. Serve warm or cold.

As I'm writing this out, I realize I added more oil to the pan when I cooked the garlic and I typically double the corn. I also cut down on the chili powder a little bit, because a whole teaspoon is a little spicy for me, and I prefer it cold.

>59 bell7: Substitute some pasta for the quinoa and it sounds like a delicious recipe!

>57 bell7: Ah, the *good* kind of busy day! I hope your volunteer is a good fit for the task.

>57 bell7: Sounds like a very full day. Nice that you have so many patrons who sign up for these sessions though, that's awesome.

Good luck on the director application!

>60 richardderus: I could see it also tasting good with some orzo and the like. I don't live quinoa plain, but when it takes on the flavors of cumin and the other spices, I enjoy it quite a bit. And she is, thanks! She's helped me with this program before, and it's so helpful having a second person!

>61 MickyFine: oh yeah, it's in high demand! This was our first back from Covid, and it filled up so quickly I open up the sign ups for another program in June. I'm also contemplating what I could do for another program on our other offerings - we also have newspapers.com Northeast, for example.

>62 curioussquared: thanks, Natalie!

Wordle 279 4/6

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I had to think long and hard after #3 wasn't it, but finally the obvious fit came to me.

Wordle 279 3/6

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Nice to get it in three. AEONS--DETOX--DEPOT

>65 richardderus: mine went ATONE, TOWER, PESTO, DEPOT . Who knew there'd be so many options for where three letters could be?

>59 bell7: Thanks, Mary. I do not cook with oil at all - I water saute everything, which does not change the flavor and cuts the fat (an issue for me!) Like you, I do not like too much spice and will likely cut down the chili powder too. Thank you for mentioning that.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

>64 bell7: >65 richardderus: It was also a 3 for me PEONY, REPOT, DEPOT

>68 MickyFine: Omigawsh I'd never so much as considered REPOT as a valid possibility! Woohoo! New word added.

>66 bell7: I received a surprise via the USPS today! The new Lillian Li mystery series, Beijing Duck House, has my attention. Thank you for fattening my lists!

>67 alcottacre: oh good! I could definitely see it modified without the oil, and I hope you like it!

>68 MickyFine: Ooooh, nice! Also a new work for me in there.

>69 richardderus: Oh excellent! Looking forward to your thoughts on it if/when you get to it.

Dropping in to wish you a wonderful weekend :)

>71 figsfromthistle: thanks, Anita! Hope you have a lovely weekend.

Wordle 280 3/6

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Are you kidding me? Was my honest response here, despite the three. I literally could not think of another word and kept putting final two letter possibilities together on the board till I realized what it had to be.

My default first word really helped me here and I got it in two. I'll take it as a sign of a good day. :)

>74 MickyFine: Oooh, nicely done! My default first word gave me O and E so really my second word was much more helpful and I'm still kinda shocked that it wasn't right with EPOCH.

Yesterday was my birthday, but it was my normal busy work-and-then-volunteer schedule.

Today I got up, enjoyed my coffee, and spent about an hour out in the garden cleaning out the rhubarb patch. There's still some grass to pull up around the edges, but I got a good amount done before I had to stop. I then got cleaned up and dressed up and went to a friend's wedding. What a lovely celebration that was!

Now I'm home for the day, and I'm expecting one of my sisters to call at some point. My parents and brothers and SIL are coming over tomorrow for dinner for a family birthday celebration, so I have some tidying and prepping I'd like to do beforehand, but nothing too strenuous. In fact, it's rainy and gray out now after a sunny morning, and curling up with a book sounds about perfect. I might even be able to finish one over the weekend.

Happy belated birthday, Mary!

Books and preparing for a birthday celebration sound like a wonderful way to spend the day. It sounds like your actual birthday was fun, too, as you got to attend a wedding...and have some cake I presume? Happy Belated Birthday, Mary. I'm crossing my fingers for you on the new Library Director's job.

Belated birthday wishes, Mary!

Belated happy birthday, Mary! Apparently you and I — and Rhian — are a day apart, as I was born on the 24th.

>77 MickyFine: thanks, Micky!

>78 Donna828: I did not have cake at the wedding, but they had a most delicious brunch for the reception at the church afterwards. Thanks for the finger crossing! I'm not actively looking to leave so I'm being very picky about any director jobs I apply for, but this definitely seemed worth learning more about.

>79 katiekrug: thanks, Katie!

>80 kidzdoc: I'm in excellent company, then! I was glad to see you had a good birthday too, Darryl, and the food you've been cooking this week sounded phenomenal.

Wordle 281 4/6

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Considering how this started, I was awfully pleased with getting it in 4.

>83 bell7: Nicely done. It's a tricksy one today.

>73 bell7: I did it on my phone!! Now my streak is broken and it's just too much trouble to get them synced.

Wordle 281 4/6

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I had to exhaust every option before I'd believe the answer was the answer.

>84 MickyFine: Indeed it is!

>85 richardderus: I had to exhaust all the vowels and had the "n" and the "p" to come up with it in four.

Happy Sunday all! I had nursery for first service, went to church and now I'm home eating lunch and preparing for my family to come to dinner. "Tidying" is consisting of hiding some things (that tend to stay on the dining room table and kitchen counter) in my room and actually putting away some others (the stack of books on the stairs waiting to be brought into the storage room and the ice melt and shovel that was still in the porch). I'll cut up the chicken and make the marinade now, and then I can decide how thorough to clean versus how much to relax.

I relaxed yesterday late afternoon and evening after the wedding and finished The Cooking Gene, so review to come on that. And if I don't check in tomorrow, it's because I have to run errands after my short work day - my taxes are ready for me to sign.

Happy belated birthday, Mary. Hope you got some books?

Happy belated birthday! And good luck with the director position - I think you would be amazing, but it sounds like you are in the best possible position with this opportunity and being satisfied where you are. Can't wait to hear!

I enjoyed your comments on Braiding Sweetgrass, and it's been on my list since Beth read it. I think I'll suggest it for my book club the next time we choose our books.

Belated happy new thread, and belated happy birthday, Mary!
I try to catch up after a week away. Good luck with the job application!

>88 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte! Well, I guess I'll find out in a few hours haha. One of my sisters sent me some gift cards that I'm excited to use, and my parents and brothers and SIL will be over for dinner shortly.

>89 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! Aw, how kind of you to say. I'm being picky about which ones I apply for, though I have to admit I always feel like I do my best interviewing when I'm in this place of, "Well, I'll still be happy if I don't get it!" instead of the pressure of needing a job. I'll look forward to your thoughts on Braiding Sweetgrass - I hope your book club goes for it!

>90 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! It gets easy to get behind, so good luck catching up on all the threads :)

30. The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty
Why now? Belatedly reading it for a librarian group that was discussing food memoirs at the beginning of this month

Blogger and cook Michael W. Twitty investigates southern food through his own life and the genealogy of his ancestors - Black and white - who have influenced his plate today.

This book, a blend of memoir, history, food writing, and genealogy is hard to categorize, but was truly fascinating. It's a history lesson in slavery and the food that people brought from Africa or modified when they found something similar in the U.S., or influenced the way the white Southern population ate when they became cooks for them - or, heartbreakingly, the ways in which slavery decimated a people's diet and caused severe malnutrition. It's one man's genealogy, traced with help from family, friends and professionals, reclaiming some of the past and discovering some of the food, religious and other traditions passed down despite an attempt to erase it. As a result, it's sprawling, dense, thoughtful and chock full of information. I enjoyed it and was challenged by it in equal measure. 4 stars.

Wordle 282 3/6

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I got a little lucky with this one

Happy Belated Birthday, Mary. Sorry, I missed it. I hope you had a good weekend and have a smooth work week.

::gnaws knuckles until Mary makes with the job news::

>94 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I had a good weekend, slept poorly last night, but I'm making it through the day so far :)

>95 richardderus: Well... I got a letter in the mail with six (!) stamps on it (four 13-cent stamps and two 3-cent stamps, because I know you were wondering) informing me that my application had been received and would be carefully reviewed, and the head of Trustees would be in touch with me regarding the process.

>96 bell7: ::gnaws knuckles until the dratted Trustees hire Mary as the Director::

>87 bell7: Ah yes. This is the tidying my mom and I both refer to as the "fluff n stuff" lol.

>96 bell7: Not sure if I'd be impressed or concerned that they sent their response via paper letter rather than by email...

>96 bell7: This does seem unusually polite in this context, I'm so used to the one line automated email!

I'm not sure if I mentioned that I got hold of a copy of Native. I don't usually do so well with essay / column collections, but thought this was really powerful. So thank you for the review and recommendation!

>97 richardderus: :)

>98 MickyFine: right? In 20+ years of being in the work force, I have never not ever had notification by letter. I realize it was once the way to do it, but it feels so...quaint. I like "fluff n stuff", that's apt.

>99 charl08: I submitted it all by email and was expecting the same! I'm glad you got a lot out of Native despite it not being a format of preference for you.

Wordle 283 5/6

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I'm a little annoyed it took that long to figure out the penultimate letter.

Good Tuesday morning!

I slept like crap Sunday night, but I kept going going going yesterday - I'm paying for it today, tired and sneezy and taking the morning easy before I head out for my 12-8.

Yesterday I worked 9-2, and managed to accomplish a pretty good amount of work for a short day, if I do say so myself. After work, I ran some errands: going to my accountant's to sign off on my taxes, and running from bank to bank to close out one account (it kept going dormant because it's my emergency fund and I don't touch it, but the final straw was losing $5 over it last month), and moving it into another that I use more. I let myself rest a bit and read Gallant, then went to Bible study. I finished Gallant in the evening before bed.

I slept better last night, but woke up a little after 6 and couldn't get back to sleep so now I'm tired and draggy. I've been taking it easy this morning, catching up on threads a little and planning April TIOLI reads.

I'm reading The Mask of Mirrors as an e-book, and have been enjoying it. I started it in fits and starts, but when I'm having trouble sleeping I read it, so the last couple of days I've read a lot more and now I'm a little over halfway through. A couple of nights ago, I started listening to All About Me! read by the author, Mel Brooks, and I have to say the audio with his delivery makes this collection of anecdotes much more entertaining than reading it on the page. I have the book out, too, but I'm seriously considering focusing on the audiobook almost exclusively (which I don't often do) and making progress by knitting while I listen instead of just before bed and using the book/e-book to keep progressing, which is my norm. Finally, having finished Gallant in two days (oh, it felt so good to sink into a book like that again!), I started Underfoot in Show Business this morning - it's been on my TBR since a patron recommended it years ago, and after I've finished it I'll have read everything by Helene Hanff.

31. Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Why now? I believe I was reading through book emails or new book descriptions, came across this one, realized we had it currently available in the library, and checked it out that same day.

Olivia Prior lives as an orphan in a "school" for poor girls. She is mute but intelligent, with the ability to see ghouls. Her most precious possession is her mother's journal, which devolves into fragments of unintelligible thoughts, but contains the warning to her daughter, "you will be safe as long as you stay away from Gallant". Then a letter comes from an uncle Olivia never knew she had, inviting him to his estate - Gallant. Olivia arrives to a house with two servants, and a cousin, Matthew, none of whom expect her and know anything about any letter, but definitely keeping a secret.

The atmosphere in this book is its driving force, and if you're a reader of books with Gothic feel and a shadow over the story, drop everything and put Gallant on the top of your TBR. If I was going to quibble, I would tell you that the character development is not as important as the feel and the main plot conflict takes a long time to reveal itself, but the honest truth is that for the two days I read this book at every moment I could, it didn't really matter. A clever and fun story I would recommend to fans of The Graveyard Book. 4 stars.

>103 bell7: Ok, you definitely got me. Going on the list!

Hope you feel better after taking it easy today!

>70 bell7: The salad is on my lunch meal plans for this week. I will keep you posted.

>76 bell7: Happy (very) belated birthday from me!

>92 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Sounds like one I would enjoy.

>103 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole too.

Happy Tuesday, Mary!

>103 bell7: Ooh, you got me with Gallant! Looks great—thanks!

Karen O

>103 bell7: ...and I *declined* the DRC...! Oh hell.

*sob*

>103 bell7: Schwab is on my automatically read authors list so this is already in my holds queue but I'm pleased to see you enjoyed it.

>104 curioussquared: Oh excellent! Hope you like it, Natalie. And thanks, I've been sneezing like crazy all morning and into the afternoon, but I seem to have righted myself and am blaming it on allergies. (I did take a rapid Covid test and check my temp this morning before leaving for work, just to be on the safe side.)

>105 alcottacre: Happy Tuesday, Stasia! Looking forward to hearing about the salad and books when you get to them. And thank you for the birthday wishes!

>106 klobrien2: Hope you enjoy it, Karen!

>107 richardderus: Well darn, Richard, but here's hoping you can get it from the library.

>108 MickyFine: Looking forward to your thoughts on it, Micky! I think you first got me reading Schwab with your enthusiasm for A Darker Shade of Magic. I still have several of her backlist titles to read, and I really loved The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (and believe it or not, in my not-many-fantasy-readers town I had to buy two copies to keep up with demand!).

>109 bell7: Oh nice! I do think Addie LaRue has plenty to make it appealing to the literary fiction set. Sort of like The Time Traveler's Wife which could also be classified as fantasy but typically ends up in general fiction.

>110 MickyFine: It made a fair few "best of 2020" lists which helped it along, too. I've definitely noticed an uptick in fantasy readership over the last few years in the town where I work where thrillers/mystery and historical fiction (everything WW2) mostly dominate the genre reading. Game of Thrones' TV success, some transplants from other towns, and folks of my generation reading SFF have helped.

Interestingly I deleted The Time Traveler's Wife at some point, and recently re-purchased a trade paperback copy because of the HBO series.

Wordle 284 5/6

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Well that was harder than expected!

32. Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff
Why now? A library patron recommended this book to me over ten years ago, and I love her 84, Charing Cross Road and sequels. I requested it from the library back in February and can't really remember what prompted it in that moment.

As a young adult, Helene Hanff won a contest and a $1,500 prize from the Theatre Guild that sent her to New York and an attempt to make it as a playwright in the 1940s. But as she tells you at the beginning, she completely failed at this and learned the "immutable truth" of Flanagan's Law: "whatever happens to you, it's unexpected."

Hanff's memoir is an absolute delight. She may not have made it as a playwright, but her stories of dealing with agents and producers, becoming friends with a usually-out-of-work actor named Maxine, or the shenanigans an aspiring playwright goes through to have a roof over her head and still watch as many shows as possible, are unfailingly entertaining and frequently hilarious. 4.5 stars.

I'm not super familiar with Maxine Stuart, but it turns out I've watched the episode of The Twilight Zone that she's in, so that was fun to discover. And apparently she's mentioned in 84, Charing Cross Road which of course I now want to reread.

At work today, I spent the morning working on local history policies, followed by desk time and other tasks in the afternoon, but overall I was pleased with what I was able to accomplish.

I came home to make dinner (farro apple salad) and read 'til I'd finished Underfoot in Show Business, which is the second book in a row I've managed to read in two days.

Tomorrow is another 9-5 work day. Since it should be warmer than the last few days have been, I'm going to try to get back out in the garden and get some raking and weeding done before having leftovers for dinner.

>114 bell7: At least I know you are in favor of local history! ;-)

>115 thornton37814: ha! Yes, very much so. I'm following through on the preservation assessment that we got a grant for last year. I've completed a strategic plan and now I'm updating policies that I need to talk to my boss about trustee approval for once they're completed.

Wordle 285 6/6

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Phew!

>113 bell7: I really need to get around to 84, Charing Cross Road (I watched the film last year and finally put it on The List). Glad to hear you're enjoying more of Hanff's bibliography.

>117 bell7: Looks pretty similar to my graph today. :)

The Hanff sounds good! I'll look for it at the library.

>117 bell7: I did it in 5 but this was another frustrating one, no? *smooch*

>118 MickyFine: ooh, I do hope you get to 84 Charging Cross Road soon. It's one of my all-time favorites. And yeah, we did get a pretty similar result yesterday, didn't we?

>119 katiekrug: hope you enjoy it, Katie!

>120 richardderus: it was a bit frustrating, Richard, there was definite relief when I got it at last

Wordle 286 3/6

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I can't take complete credit for this one. I started with my normal first word, which indeed was helpful but I'd accidentally reviewed a spoiler last night and remembered.

Happy April, Mary. I hope you have a nice weekend and find some time with the books.

>121 bell7: I got it in three as well! I tried SNORT before SNOUT *sigh*

Happy weekend! Maintenance told me there won't be wifi before Monday, because Optimum needs to do some rewiring outside. ...suuure...

>121 bell7: >123 richardderus: 3 for me also. But my 2nd guess was spout/

>122 msf59: thanks, Mark! I'm certainly hoping to fit some reading in today, though I'll see how the day goes.

>123 richardderus: re: spoiler I did the same

>124 thornton37814: nicely done! Three guesses feels like a nice balance of luck and smarts to me haha

Speaking of luck -
Wordle 287 2/6

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March in review
32. Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff
31. Gallant by V.E. Schwab
30. The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty
29. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
28. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
27. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
26. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
25. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Did Not Finish
Frontier Justice by E. Fuller Torrey
All About Me! by Mel Brooks

Books read: 8
Rereads: 1
Children's/Teen/Adult: 0/2/8
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 4/3/0/1
ABC Challenge: One book by a Lebanese author

Because I want to awards:
Can I... award all the books this month? The Prophet wasn't, for me, the reads the others were - but it was truly an excellent bunch of books

YTD stats -
Pages read: 9389
Avg pages a day: 103
Books by POC authors: 12 (37%)
DNF: 4

Thoughts:
Well. With "only" 8 books read, this is my lowest reading month so far in 2022. I did struggle a bit with a couple of reads, having 2 DNFs, BUT the books I finished were really good, generally getting 4-4.5 stars from me and ones I would recommend. The Raven Tower and The Cooking Gene both took me a loooooong time to finish, and then I read the final two books of the month over two days apiece. The one thing I'm disappointed with is that I didn't read many books by authors of color this month. I'd like to get that number up over the next couple of months.

My stats of the year are shaping up to be interesting (and a little atypical for me) as well - so far, I have read about 60/40 fiction/nonfiction, 75% of books read were for adults, and my reading was 75/25 print/digital. With three of the books I read in March being fantasy, I have upped that percentage overall but General Fiction (27%) and Memoir (20%) have still accounted for more of my reading. Looking forward to seeing what the next quarter brings!

33. The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick
Why now? I didn't make a note of where I first heard of the book, but I added it to my TBR list in Oct. 2021 and put a hold on the library e-book. After postponing the read a couple of times, I finally started reading it after I finished my last e-book (The Raven Tower) and figured I had enough time to finish it before the library hold was up

Ren comes to town planning to con one of the noble families, acting the part of a long-lost niece, but soon finds herself part of a much larger game. The Traementis family is down to only three members and face an enemy in the Indestors. Son Leato Traementis is good friends with Grey Serrado, a member of the Vigil who has a strong sense of justice but who is stymied because Indestor is ultimately his boss - but who still is investigating missing street kids. And Vargo, a ruthless and cunning man, looks for Ren's help but his exact motives and ultimate goal remain elusive.

Fun characters and complicated world-building make this fantasy book an absolute delight. The world includes a ruling class of nobility and the conquered, Leganti and Vedezran, who each have their own religions, naming conventions, and way of speaking. The political tensions and intrigue become central to the story, but at its core is Ren and her friends and allies, fascinating and complicated characters you can't help but root for. 4.5 stars.

>127 bell7: Oh, I'm intrigued by this one! Adding it to the list... You may have hit me with the Hanff, too, but I'm ignoring that one for now so I don't have to say you hit me with three BBs in a row 😂

>127 bell7: Wonderful read indeed!

>126 bell7: It was far and away my slowest month as well. It was always going to be slower than February, but it was just...not great. But I didn't Pearl-Rule anything, which is a surprise.

>125 bell7: Two for me, too! *hi5*

>129 curioussquared: ha! Well, I'll take it whether it's two or three and look forward to your thoughts on them when you get to them, Natalie!

>130 richardderus: oh yay, you've read it too! Have I missed a review or have you not posted one? I'll have to go look. February was a ridiculously high reading month for me and I wasn't surprised March was lower numbers (for awhile it was looking like six, so I was happy with eight). I've been Pearl-ruling at a faster rate than last year, but a book or two a month is fine, especially when seven out of eight reads were four stars or higher.
Wordle *fist bump* and weekend *smooches*

>127 bell7: You got me with that one, too, Mary.

Have a lovely weekend.

>132 PaulCranswick: oh good, hope it's one you enjoy, Paul!

Wordle 288 5/6

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Oof, that one took some thinking

>131 bell7: No, I never reviewed it. I was about 3*-worth unimpressed when I finished but it's one of those slow-build positive result books. Maybe I'll crack the DRC and refresh so I can Burgoine it.

Hi Mary! You got me, as a fan of The Graveyard Book, with Gallant. Sounds good!

>135 richardderus: Yeah it definitely had a slow build and a lot going on at the end so I could see that.

>136 AMQS: Oh good, I hope you enjoy it, Anne! The events were quite different, but I thought the mildly creepy feel of it similar in tone. I'll look forward to your thoughts.

Hi Mary, I sure like the way you post your 'thoughts' on your monthly reading. I wouldn't worry about the lower number for the month because you can easily make up for it later. I really really want to read Braiding Sweetgrass. I plan to buy a copy and take my time with it. It will give me an excuse to visit our local independent bookstore which I am surprised was able to stay in business through the Covid outbreaks.

>138 Donna828: Thanks, Donna! I do have some time to get my reading by authors of color up to my goal of 50% or more. I was mostly disappointed that I started out the year at about 40% and it's decreased slightly. That's a trend that can't continue for much longer! I hope you enjoy Braiding Sweetgrass, and I'm very glad to hear your independent bookstore stayed in business. I did a little extra book buying in 2020 myself and made sure to buy independent online to do my part.

Wordle 289 4/6

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Satisfying

Good Monday morning! It's been a busy weekend, and I'm looking forward to a few days off now.

Saturday I woke up around 4:30 and couldn't fully get back to sleep. I had a ladies' breakfast at church, and after that I came home to do my garden project for the day - spraying the nettles in my yard with vinegar hoping to eliminate some of them. Then I was exhausted and took a nap, getting up in time to go to my brother's band's show at a local brewery. I got home from that and went to bed.

Sunday was church and work. It was rainy when I got home, so no outdoor projects for me. I made quinoa bowls with chard and roasted red pepper for dinner, which came out delicious. And then I read and did laundry in the evening.

Today... I've got to finish my laundry, and I need to call my boss today about a few things that came up over the last few days and we haven't been working together to talk about them. Someone's going to be coming over sometime today to get some rhubarb and raspberries. My main goal for the day is to get a lot of garden work done without throwing out my back. I'll start with digging out the side garden that I left all overgrown and full of goldenrod last year, and see what I have time for after that. Maybe raking out more gardens and weeding, maybe digging up some partially-dead nettles. Garden work always takes me longer than I think it will, so I'm trying not to commit to too much, and I hope to work on more tomorrow if I'm not too sore (the rest of the week, it's predicted to rain). Finally, in the evening I have Bible study.

>141 bell7: I need to get tomato plants before the 15th-20th. I don't want to start them too soon. I'm thinking I might be able to plant them Easter weekend.

Enjoy your days off!

>113 bell7: Maxine is indeed in 84, Charing Cross Road. She is in a play in England and sneaks into the bookstore to leave nylons for the female employees.

If you do reread the book, please let me know. I would love to read it along with you!

>127 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary!

Have a wonderful week!

>144 alcottacre: ah, that indeed sounds familiar, Stasia! I'll let you know, it's such a quick read that I may just fit it in this weekend. Hope you enjoy The Mask of Mirrors weekend you get to it!

Edited to get touchstones to work

Wordle 290 4/6

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Guess number three was just to eliminate some letter possibilities and turned out to be quite helpful.

>146 bell7: I got it in five...it surprised me because NATCH is a real word! not the *right* word, but a real one!

>147 richardderus: I love that NATCH is a real word. I had a, t, and n from my original guess, and realized I had too many options so guess number three was PLUSH just to eliminate more letters, so from there NATAL was a natural choice.

Yesterday and today, gardening took center stage. I spent a few hours in total yesterday, raking out and weeding. I finally tackled the side of the house, which had been totally overgrown with grass last year and I just didn't have the time to deal with it. Someone I know through work came over in the afternoon and took some raspberries and a couple of rhubarb plants, by which time I was so sore that I watched his dog while he did the digging.

I half expected to be super sore today, but my back was fine while my calves were a little tight. The morning was shot, since I had my annual dermatology appointment at 10:30, so I just took my time over my coffee and breakfast and headed out. I stopped by the library where I worked ten years ago (!) and said hello to the former-children's-librarian-now-director, and then I went grocery shopping and picked up some bird seed and plant holders, and some lupine seeds because I think I pulled up the lupine here when I weeded out the raspberry patch a couple of weeks ago.

After lunch, I spent a little time in the garden raking out a couple more areas, so now the daffodils can breathe and they're looking just about ready to bloom. Then I just hit a wall, decided I was done, and spent the rest of the afternoon reading, knitting, and listening to podcasts. I got takeout (crab rangoons and Thai basil fried rice) for dinner. There's crocuses blooming in the one area - a long one - that I have yet to rake out, so flower season has officially begun!

Tomorrow's forecast, and the next several days, are for rain so I'm officially done gardening for the week. Next week I will have to mow :(

If I have the energy, I'm thinking of going out tomorrow and doing some clothes shopping, which I don't love but I'm in desperate need of a pair of jeans and good sneakers (both my pairs are pretty beat up, though one is still usable as yard work shoes. But it's not a pressing need, either, so I might just hang out at home and do some cooking. We'll see what I feel like when I get up.

>145 bell7: Sounds good, Mary. Let me know if you want to read Charing Cross over the weekend.

34. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi
Why now? I first came across the title from one of the book-related emails I subscribe to for work, and made note that it was set in Oman; I'm belatedly reading it for the Asian Book Challenge, despite the mediocre reviews it got from others

Three daughters, Mayya, Asha, and Khawla, who grew up in a small town in Oman, get married and have children. In short chapters, switching among the women, their family members, and some of the villagers in third person while almost every other is Abdallah, Mayya's husband, in first person, we're given the story of their lives and history.

This was a complicated novel, made even more so by the format of the story. The timelines are one that begins with Mayya's marriage to Abdallah (all told in third person); the second is sometime in the future, Abdallah as a first-person narrator recounting his memories (which become strange and don't always appear reliable to me) of the same events. In addition, sometimes in the third-person storyline the memories of a character would tell us something about the past or the omniscient narrator would jump forward twenty years to tell us what happened later to a character. The translator's note praises the format, but I'm not convinced it served the story well. There are many characters and their relationships with each other, and the history of the slave trade, are important, and I found myself referencing the family tree often and wishing for a longer list of all the characters and their relationships, because I had trouble following it. I kept reading because it was, despite the complicated structure, really easy to read. The prose was straightforward, the chapters short, and I was at least mildly interested in learning what happened to the sisters in particular. I would have liked them to be fleshed out a little more, even, especially Khawla, whose story we get in glimpses and then suddenly get about a ten-year update in one chapter. The ending left me confused and unsettled. So on balance, while I'm not sorry I read it, I am hesitant to recommend it. 3 stars.

>151 bell7: Yeah, I could not really recommend that one either.

BTW - I think you take part in the TIOLI challenges, don't you? If so, I am adding 84, Charing Cross Road to Challenge #11 since it was published in 1970. Unless you have it added somewhere else?

>150 alcottacre: Left a message on your thread :)

>152 alcottacre: I liked the beginning okay, but it kind of fell off from there, I thought. Thanks for the note on TIOLI, I'll add it to the 1970 challenge as well. I didn't have a book in mind for that challenge, so that's perfect.

>149 bell7: My gracious goodness me! You're practically lolling in slothful inactivity! Wordle will keep you sharp, at least.

*smooch*

>149 bell7: I spent a couple hours today on yard work, mostly pulling ivy and blackberry bushes, so I sympathize with the sore muscles! I will be very surprised if my back is not sore tomorrow.

>154 richardderus: *snort* When I reached the point this afternoon where I pondered working more in the garden and my mind and body just went, "Nope, you've done enough," I thought of how proud you and others who follow my thread would be that I listened.

But, a lot of what I wanted to do on my days off this week was work in the garden, and I am pleased with what I've been able to accomplish. Some of what's left can be tackled in after-work hours now.

*smooch*

>153 bell7: Perfect! Let me know which day you would like to start the book. It is so slim we can probably both polish it off on the same day.

>155 curioussquared: I was honestly surprised at how good I felt this morning, Natalie. Yard work (and mowing) quite frequently leaves me feeling it the next day. Hope you are pleasantly surprised and feel good tomorrow.

>157 alcottacre: I'm planning on starting it Saturday night, finishing it same day or Sunday.

>151 bell7: I would say we rated this one very similarly, Mary. Not bad certainly but not memorable or particularly striking either. I really don't see it as the stuff that awards were made for but it did win the Booker International.

>160 PaulCranswick: Yeah, I'm kinda flummoxed with that one. From the shortlist that year, I've only read Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead and I was mixed about that one, too. I've heard of The Shape of the Ruins but I haven't read it. I wondered if it was a tough year for books in translation, or maybe the folks that judge such prizes like more Literary tomes than I do.

Ah...tis the season of yard work. Enjoy :)

>162 figsfromthistle: It is! I don't always enjoy the process, bit I'm happy with the results 😊

Oh forgot to mention, I also put a bird feeder out and I'm going to get visitors.

Wordle 291 4/6

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Kinda pleased with this one

Hi, Mary. Happy Newish Thread.

You got me with that Gallant review, too. I sure liked her Addie Larue book. She’s an author who seems to get better and better.

I was happy to see Dictionary of Lost Words and Firekeeper’s Daughter among your listed favorites. The first was a pleasant surprise; for some reason I hadn’t expected it to be as good as it was. FD is one of my top favorites of the year. So well done!

Hi Mary! >164 bell7: I thought today's was a real challenge, and I was very pleased to get it in 4 today. I had A, C, and O after three guesses, but none in the right position. But I had also eliminated lots of letters.

>165 jnwelch: I hope you enjoy Gallant too, Joe. I thought Addie Larue was great, and look forward to seeing what else she'll write. Glad that you enjoyed Dictionary of Lost Words and Firekeeper's Daughter so much - I was the opposite, the first was one I expected to really like, and I was really surprised by how much I liked Firekeeper's Daughter. I will definitely read any other book Angeline Boulley comes out with!

>166 cbl_tn: I was pleased with my four, too, Carrie. I had the A and the O with my starting word and focused on figuring out where they belonged. Guess number three was MOCHA and gave me the right positions for the vowels, so from there COMMA was a sensible result.

Besides cleaning out the garden yesterday, I put up a shepherd's hook with a few different bird feeders, and wonder of wonders it's already been found! I spotted a pair of cardinals and a chickadee partaking of the suet this evening. It's gonna be a lot of fun to see what I get in the yard. I decided to put the feeders not super close to the house (since I already get mice), but towards the back of the rhubarb patch where I can see it from the kitchen and sun room windows.

Rhubarb patch! Like asparagus, one of those plant-and-forget permaculture things.

It took me all six. *grumble* And for a word I've used every single day of my adult life!

>169 richardderus: most of the garden is, thankfully, plants that are fine with benign neglect so I'm not afraid of completely killing anything. I actually gave away some of the rhubarb, there's something like eight plants still there.

Wordle 292 4/6

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This one took a think between the third and fourth guesses but it finally occurred to me that the final letter was probably "y" rather than the other consonants I was pondering, and then I had it.

Whoops, between LT being wonky this morning and me not being patient, I managed to double post.

So, here's a quick life update instead. Yesterday I ended up taking a lazy day, which was a weird experience. I found myself restless but also not particularly wanting to go out and do anything. I watched King Richard, which was a really well-done movie overall, but for whatever reason I couldn't quite suspend disbelief and let myself forget that this was Will Smith playing the part of Richard Williams. Maybe I'm just too aware of the real story? Idk... but the actors for the five girls and the tennis doubles, and especially the woman who played their mother, Oracene, were phenomenal. I kept looking details up and finding out they were quite accurate. I knew Venus and Serena had given their stamp of approval to the movie, but what I didn't realize was that their older sister Isha was extremely involved in the making of the movie.

I have been reading The Menopause Manifesto mostly before bed, so during the day I was generally trying to read War Girls and for whatever reason I couldn't get into it (it was going swimmingly yesterday, honest). So instead of trying to force it, I spent the evening reading Julius Caesar instead, one of Shakespeare's plays that I have not yet read and that satisfies the BookRiot challenge of reading a book that's been on your TBR the longest. I don't have a single book to fit that, so I went with anything in the oldest year I had dated additions to the TBR, which is 2006.

Today I'm heading out to Boston! I have some books to pick up from the BPL that belong in our local history collection, and while I'm at it I'm meeting a friend for lunch. Then I'm heading home, see what I've got time for in the afternoon, and heading to a wake. Then it's back to work tomorrow, getting ready for Saturday's volunteer breakfast.

Sweet Thursday, Mary. Glad you enjoyed a lazy day. I am a big movie fan but I am going to take a pass on King Richard. I was all ready on the fence before "The Slap".

You mentioned setting up your feeders. Keep me posted on anything exciting...or not. Do you get winter juncos?

>172 msf59: Sweet Thursday, Mark! Sorry that King Richard is not for you. I'm a huge tennis fan and remember how the announcers used to mock Richard Williams for saying that his daughters would be No. 1 and 2 in the world - and that Serena was going to be better than Venus - so I was interested as soon as I saw the previews.

So far, I've seen a chickadee and a pair of cardinals, all on the suet. I haven't noticed any new activity this morning, but I'll keep my eyes peeled. I'm already thinking I want a pair of binoculars! The hook came with a suet feeder, a seed feeder, a water bowl, and a tray. I'm thinking of getting another feeder or two - maybe one to keep the thistle in and use the tray for fruit, plus a hummingbird feeder. We'll see... grand plans for everything house and garden, I'm afraid, and I have to budget for it all haha.

35. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Why now? I couldn’t focus on the books I was reading yesterday, so I decided to read one of Shakespeare’s plays and knock one of the BookRiot challenges out (read a book that’s been on your TBR the longest); also continuing on my quest to read all of Shakespeare’s plays in my lifetime.

This is one of two of Shakespeare’s better-known plays that I somehow missed in high school and college (the other is King Lear, which I have yet to read). Despite the title, most of the action centers around Brutus, his decision to throw in with the conspirators, Caesar’s death, and the aftermath.

Perhaps the most famous lines in this play come from Mark Antony, mourning Caesar’s death and allowed by the conspirators to eulogize, as long as Antony does not blame them for the act. He does so, brilliantly getting the plebeians on his side while he talks about his friend, all the while repeating variations of “But Brutus says, he {Caesar} was ambitious; / and Brutus is an honorable man.” A couple of other phrases I was delighted to discover were “it is Greek to me” and “give up the ghost,” neither of which I realized were so old. I read it in one sitting, as is my wont, with a fair amount of help from the notes. I have the “Wordsworth Classics” edition which, instead of having notes on the opposite page or footnotes, had them in the back, so I had to keep a finger there and keep glancing back and forth. The glossary was separate and alphabetically rather than by line number, which was irritating, but despite that I mostly followed the meaning on my own from the context.

I would include the play among the history plays rather than calling it an all-out tragedy. Certainly there is a lot of death, but unlike Hamlet where audiences have sympathy for the main character yet everybody dies, no one comes out completely sympathetic in Julius Caeser. The conspirators are not great people, yet Antony and the others taking over government after Caesar’s death can also be ruthless and bicker among themselves. All in all, it’s rather unsettling and as modern as any current book with unlikable characters. The introduction to my edition discusses this and also has some pointed things to say about politics that could have been written today rather than 2004: “To this day, human beings are, all too often, sacrificed pointlessly on the altar of one political ideology or another. Again and again, men of slogans and ambition seduce and delude their more decent auditors; the many are swayed by the hypocritical rhetoric of the few. Repeatedly, violence generates yet more violence.” Not much has changed since 1599 - or 44 BCE, for that matter.

I watched King Richard and, to my great dismay, Will Smith really did a fine job portraying Mr. Williams (at least Rob and I thought so)...and deserved his Oscar...that he's more than likely going to have to return now that he's played the ass in a public, undeniable way.

Sad.

Have a great trip to Boston! *smooch*

>175 richardderus: He did a fine job, it was my own hurdle honestly.
While I didn't actually see it and hesitate to comment as a result, I will say that it seems unfair to me that a man who hit another man with an open-handed slap is getting more backlash than one who sexually assaulted women. Our priorities as a nation are entirely messed up (see also, heavier penalties against football players that bet on a game they're not playing in than those guilty of domestic abuse).

>176 bell7: While I agree with your point entirely, I'll point out that 1) Smith isn't a very nice person, b) he's Black so is held to a vastly different standard, and iii) it was public, undeniable, and filmed...so there's no need to reserve even a modicum of judgment. (NOT THAT I THINK WE SHOULD NOT BELIEVE WOMEN!!!! but there are those whose desire to "be fair" engages when private conduct is involved...not this time.)

I hope the trip to Boston is lots of fun. Audiobook, podcast, or music for the drive?

>177 richardderus: To be honest, I don't know much about him as a person but my brother did tell me that having read his recent autobiography he actually liked him less as a result, which makes me less inclined to want to know. I just... really hate double standards, and seems like this one has at least two (race and public vs. private violence) going on. And then I wonder to myself what standards I hold to in enjoying books or plays or movies by less than perfect or downright awful people, and I don't really have a clear answer of where and when the line gets crossed and what the consequences should be.

>178 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Lunch was great, I loved catching up with my friend and an hour was far too short. I went with audiobook - the nonfiction book on menopause that I'm reading - though I was flagging a bit at the end and don't know how much I absorbed on my ride home. I only listened on the highway - I REALLY hate city driving, so Boston and Cambridge were frustrating. Glad to be home again!

I'm going to get changed and bring the accessions books back to work and then go to a wake, on the early side of the visiting hours, and then have a quiet evening to myself before going back to the full swing of things tomorrow.

Yay for an evening to yourself. I hope it's super chill after your very full day.

>180 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Relaxing now while I have a quiche in the oven for tomorrow's dinner since it'll be a very busy day out.

I'll give you my update for the next couple of days since tomorrow will be pretty hectic:

Tomorrow I am back to work. I'm starting the day shopping for the volunteer breakfast, and then back to work to catch up on emails and more. After work, I'm heading straight to church volunteering, for our penultimate lesson before the celebration and end of the program for the year - we're on this week, off next week for Good Friday, off the following week for school vacation week, then have one final lesson April 29, and celebration the first week in May. And then I have Friday nights free for the summer!

Saturday is the volunteer breakfast. The breakfast itself is 9-10. I'm planning on going in around 8:30 to get the coffee started and put the food out, hoping that I can clean up quickly in about a half hour, and then I'm heading out to pick up my Little and hang out with her for a few hours before heading home.

I'm currently reading War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi for my fiction title. It's set in a future Nigeria where Nigerians and Biafrans are in a civil war with child soldiers. This was the one that was going well two days ago, but for whatever reason I couldn't get into yesterday, so stopped and read Julius Caesar instead. I'm trying to read it for a librarian group that will be discussing it Tuesday, but if it doesn't work over the next few days, there's no real pressure and I'll stop. I've been reading The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter - it's kinda the medical equivalent of What Fresh Hell Is This?, having a similar take on women's health and the history of medicine, but focusing more on the medical reasons behind the menopausal transition (and half terrifying me about the potential cardiovascular issues I could develop). I'm trying to read that one before my OBGYN appointment in a little over a week, and have all my questions ready, and in that sense it's already been quite helpful. I've also got the e-book and audio out from the library, so yes, when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep, I've been reading about why I can't sleep perfectly right now.

Next on the docket is Pale Rider, which we'll be reading for my work book club on April 20.

Wordle 293 5/6

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The multiple options threw me for a bit but I got there in the end.

Sounds like a very full couple of days. I hope the volunteer breakfast went well.

>184 MickyFine: I'm leaving for it in a little over a half hour and will let y'all know how it goes 😊

Wordle 294 3/6

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A little lucky on this one

Mine was four...I chose STAID before STAIR so there' that.

>187 richardderus: I did the same!

>186 bell7: I had a big old horseshoe in my back pocket for the Wordle today, apparently.

Hope the breakfast is tasty and fun!

I hope you had an enjoyable busy Saturday, Mary.

>189 MickyFine: I guess so! I was pretty happy with me three, though I do find it funny that I have a habit, shared with Richard, of coming up with the more unusual word first.

The breakfast was lovely, by the way. One of my Friday volunteers offered to help, she was there right at 8:30 when I arrived and help me both set up, keep food going, and clean up. It was lovely, and the fastest clean up I've ever had at one of these things (I also purposely bought food that would be easy to clean up and left a fair amount for my co-workers to polish off). I was easily out of there at 10:30, said goodbye to the retiring co-worker who was there on her last day, and headed off to hang out with my Little.

>190 Familyhistorian: I did indeed, Meg, thank you!

Whew, what a day!

Volunteer breakfast in the morning, so I was at work at 8:30 and, with the help of one of my kind and chatty volunteers, got it all set up for people to arrive at 9. We had 29 people come out, I gave the short speech highlighting two of our volunteers, thanking everyone for coming etc., and everyone left by ten. I have slips to go through for book plates that we'll be putting in honor of volunteers in the genres of their choice - I'm going to keep a master list, but then I have to give them to the folks who buy the nonfiction/teens/children's (I'll select the fiction), and start putting book plates on books as they come in over the next few months. From there, I headed out to hang out with my Little.

We ended up going to a few different shops and had lunch about a half hour away, decided what we want to do next time (we have a plan for both nice and rainy weather), and I brought her back home around 3. While we were out, I'd found a nice pair of sneakers for about $45 and decided while my luck was good, I'd find a pair of jeans too. That was harder, but after trying on all the pairs in my size that were acceptable (not too tight, no latex, no rips, no whiskering on the thighs, etc.), I found a pair and for $25. I am delighted, to say the least, as I'd budgeted myself more than that for clothes this month knowing I needed both, and now I can move that into Miscellaneous and buy fun things at tag sales.

I got home, took a walk up to the cemetery about a mile away and said hello to my family, took a few photos, and came back. I was still pretty full from the meal out, so I skipped supper and made a different quinoa salad from the last one (this one has avocados and spinach) to have for lunch tomorrow. And then I finally sat down and read 84, Charing Cross Road with Stasia.

And now it is bedtime, and well-deserved at that. Tomorrow should be a little more restful. I have nursery and church services, and I want to take a walk again - probably back to the cemetery to see if I can find my other great-great grandparents, the ones whose daughter married into the Bell family. That one's harder to find, it's a flat stone in a different section from the others, and I only saw it once years ago on a rainy day where I had the cemetery folks help me find it. But if I don't quite feel like that, there's always gardening to do (that's exercise too!).

36. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Why now? After reading Underfoot in Show Business, Stasia mentioned a reread and we decided to read it together today

Here's what I wrote in my last read, 2009:

In 1949, scriptwriter Helene Hanff chanced upon an advertisement for a used bookstore in London. Thinking that she might be able to find some out-of-print books that she was interested in for a decent price, she wrote a letter asking for some particular books she was interested in. What follows is a long correspondence between Helene and "FPD," one of the workers at Marks & Co., the bookstore located at 84, Charing Cross Road.

I have now read this book twice; it was a favorite read last year that I ended up purchasing because I loved it so. Helene's sense of humor is fabulous, and I loved her descriptions of her beloved books as well as the friendship that develops over the course of these letters. An absolute must read for book lovers.

This was an LT find, by the way. I'm not sure who first recommended it, but so many of you loved the book that I had to check it out for myself, first from the library in 2008, and then the very day I bought my own copy from Borders in 2009. I have since enjoyed four of Helene's books - I think the only ones I haven't read are The Apple of My Eye, Letter from New York and her children's books. I should dearly like to read a biography of her, but the one in existence according to Wikipedia was not well-reviewed, and based on the LT page and one review, I'm inclined to leave it unread. Ah well... more books to read, and probably a reread of The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street and Q's Legacy in my future.

>193 bell7: An absolute must read for book lovers.

Absolutely!! :)

>194 alcottacre: I was thinking as I read it of a friend of mine who lives reading, and I wonder if she has ever read it. I'm going to ask her today if I see her at church.

Wordle 295 5/6

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Could have got it in four but thought of CLACK first. Oh well, there were also many letter options after three so I guess I could've missed it entirely too.

I had nursery and church this morning, and stayed after to catch up with a few people since I didn't have to work. You'll all be proud of me: this afternoon, I had leftovers for lunch, watched the Bruins, dozed off a bit, and took a walk to the cemetery. I searched but didn't find the Talmadge stone I was looking for, said a quick hello to the Bells, and came back home to supper.

I tried to read a bit in War Girls, but I'm just not getting into it some 160 pages in. It's a little hard to follow (may be my fault for reading it in fits and starts), and I just don't particularly want to read a book about child soldiers right now. It was for a librarian book group meeting Tuesday morning, and I'll just attend without having finished it and listen to all the spoilers.

I read Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley tonight to mix things up, and I'll start The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree as my next fiction.

37. Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
Why now? I've liked Knisley's previous work (graphic novel memoirs) and got this from the library when I heard about it on a book podcast recently.

This middle grade graphic novel tells the story of Jen who unwillingly moved from the city to the country with her mom after her parents divorced. She helps out with the chickens and the weekend farmer's market, and her mother's boyfriend's daughters come for the weekends and upend her life further.

I really enjoy Lucy Knisley's adult graphic novel memoirs, so when I learned she'd started a middle grade series, I had to check it out. I loved that Jen experiences a full gamut of emotions, getting frustrated with her mother's boyfriend, Walter, when he's a know-it-all or calls her "Jenny", but also finding moments of joy with her sort-of stepsisters, Andy and Reese. It was a fun read, and I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series when it comes out. 4.5 stars.

Wordle 296 5/6

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Slow and steady to figure this one out

>199 bell7: I got it in a flash...on try #4. But it could easily have been an X day!

*smooch*

Honestly, knowing that you *actually*rested* this weekend (more than you usually will!) does make me feel more at ease in my mind. Working hard is a good thing, at least I've always found it to be, but so is resting!

>200 richardderus: I am making an effort to be better about resting on a regular basis. When I don't, I know I tend to wear myself out and get a cold (which forces me to rest!).

Wordle 297 3/6

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I'm pleased with this result

Morning, Mary. I hope your week is off to a good start. I would love to revisit 84, Charing Cross Road.

>202 bell7: I took one more step than you did to get there.

>201 bell7: I'm very glad to know that, Mary. It's only going to get more urgent to do this as COVID settles in to become endemic.

>195 bell7: Enquiring minds want to know what happened. . .

>198 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole. My local library has a copy so hopefully I can get hold of it soon!

>203 msf59: Good morning, Mark! The week is off to an excellent start. And you should definitely reread 84, Charing Cross Road! It won't take long...

>204 richardderus: I was a little surprised, but pleased with a three - the first in awhile! My most common result is 4. Busy week as always, but I've got a slower-than-usual day on Saturday starting a more relaxed dogsitting job, so that will be good.

>205 alcottacre: Oh! I asked her on Sunday if she'd read it, she had not but was intrigued and told me last night that she'd downloaded it to start as soon as she'd finished the Inspector Gamache book she was rereading. I'll let you know what she thinks :) I will look forward to your thoughts on Stepping Stones.

The week has started off with a bang. Yesterday I worked 'til two, went to my local library to pick up a book on hold, and then came home to yard and garden work. I did a really half-assed mowing job, because there were pockets of grass that had grown long enough that if I didn't mow them now, they'd be impossible for my push mower to get through at the end of the month when I get back from a couple of dogsitting jobs, and just skipped whole swaths of the yard that didn't really need it yet. So it only took me an hour or so instead of two and a quarter, and I decided that I'd rake out the last of the garden as well. Then it was time to eat (leftovers, no need to cook) and go to Bible study.

This morning I had some chores at home and a librarian book chat to keep me busy. I'm dressed for work and have had lunch and will head out soon. I'm working 12-8 today and tomorrow. Thursday I have a hair appointment, Friday is Good Friday services, so I'm trying to cook enough today and tomorrow so that I don't have to those nights and can otherwise relax when I get home from work.

>206 bell7: Fantastic! Always great to introduce Hanff to another reader. I hope she thoroughly enjoys it. As for Stepping Stones, my local library has a copy and I now have it on hold. It has been a while since I read a graphic novel, so it is about time.

>207 bell7: Glad to know your week has started off well, Mary!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>208 alcottacre: Hope you had a wonderful Tuesday, Stasia! I'll keep you posted on how my friend likes 84, Charing Cross Road. Hooray for your library have Stepping Stones! If you enjoy the style, I really like Lucy Knisley's memoirs (also graphic novels). Displacement, about going on a cruise with her aging grandparents, is among my favorites. Her newest is Go to Sleep, I Miss You about new parenthood, and I have that on hold myself.

Hi, Mary. Great idea to re-read 84 Charing Cross Road. What a charming book.

>210 jnwelch: isn't it though? It overlaps a bit with Underfoot in Show Business, and it would be fun to have both books in hand and map what she was reading when.

Wordle 298 3/6

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Another three! Though I got a little lucky with guess number two, having those letters in place along with the ones I'd already eliminated didn't leave many options.

Excellent wordeling!

>212 bell7: Ooo, me too me too!

>207 bell7: A sensible use of your time, goodness knows...but more dogsitting gigs makes that risky, no? Won't leftovers go squiffy if they're not all eaten? Although I seem to recall there being a quiche involved here...no way could that go to leftover heaven. Never mind, comment withdrawn.

I've just read & reviewed Violets and Bath Haus, neither of which would I even mention except to say "you're not likely to enjoy these bleak, nihilistic reads." There's a visit saved! Time is precious in Tornado Mary's Alley!

*smooch*

>213 figsfromthistle: thanks, Anita!

>214 richardderus: the quiche will be finished today. I have some pizza that I made yesterday morning and I'll make a farro apple salad (probably tomorrow at this point) which is usually three meals, so I should be just about finishing everything up by the time I leave for dogsitting on Saturday.

Wordle 299 4/6

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I sort of messed up with my third guess forgetting to use one of the letters I already had, but fortunately it gave me a fourth letter that helped me get it on the next.

Good Thursday morning! The next few days should be...steady, if not busy.

Tonight after work I'm getting the once every 2-3 years drastic haircut, so that'll be fun. I'm planning on making a farro apple salad for dinner after, and then reading my book club book.

Tomorrow is work, leftovers for dinner, and Good Friday service.

And on Saturday morning, I'll be getting some electrical work done at the house before I head off to three back-to-back dogsitting jobs that'll keep me busy through May 2.

>217 bell7: Wowzers! Three jobs in a row! Nice for the wallet but I think I'd miss my bed. :P

>218 MickyFine: yes, though in total I won't be gone as long as I was in the winter. And now my May is filling up as well...

Wordle 300 3/6

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A little bit of luck there as there are lots of options for that penultimate letter.

Happy Friday, Mary. I hope you have a nice weekend planned. My feeders have been pretty busy but with no new visitors.

>221 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark! I thought I spotted a goldfinch for the first time the other day, but other than that I seem to be getting the standard repeats: cardinals, chickadees, and catbirds. I spotted a chickadee out there before I headed out for work, and the feeder is half-empty so I'll probably try to fill it before I leave on my dogsitting jobs. It's a little too far away for me to identify birds comfortably from the house, so I may need to invest in a pair of binoculars!

Happy weekend-ahead's reads, Mary...and get those binocs!

Agreed - I picked up a decent pair a couple of years ago and have not regretted it. Been very nice for when we go kayaking to see eagles and such.

>223 richardderus: I am hoping to get some excellent reading in during the long weekend, Richard. And I'll do my best, I've added them to my tag sale list :D

>224 drneutron: Any recommendations as someone who's recently purchased them, Jim?

Reading for you all - "I'm Breaking Up With 3-Star Reads" from BookRiot.

Do you DNF or no? Get to a point of no return? What do you think?

>209 bell7: Unfortunately my local library does not have either one of the Knisley titles that you mentioned.

>226 bell7: Thanks for the link. I will check it out.

Have a wonderful weekend, Mary!

>226 bell7: to begin with, I don’t even pick up a book rated less than 3.5 on LT. That said, I use the passage of time—how long books sit in my stack—to determine how I feel about finishing them right then. I may just take a break from the book. I can’t remember the last book I completely wrote off, forever.

Karen O

>226 bell7: Yep...though lately it's been harder to because I'm having a lot of just-good-enough luck. And, knowing I've been grouchy lately, I've set things aside instead of Pearl-Ruling them. No sense letting my mood ruin *every*thing!

>227 alcottacre: Ah too bad, Stasia. Fortunately there's always plenty of books to choose from. Have a great weekend!

>228 klobrien2: Oh I hadn't even thought of using the LT rating, Karen. That's fascinating, though I could see the aggregate (especially of a title read/rated by many members) being very helpful. Like you, I can be a mood reader and if I'm not in the mood for a book, no matter how good, I won't finish it just then either.

>229 richardderus: "Just good enough" is what made me pause over the article, Richard. I have thought of myself as giving generous ratings (most of the books I finish are 4 stars and above), but maybe I just have high standards :P And I'm with you about being grouchy affecting reading - that's when I'm most prone to return all the library books and start from scratch.

"I may need to invest in a pair of binoculars!" Come on! You gotta do it! I had a brown thrasher visit my backyard yesterday. First time ever. Have you seen one of these big beauties?

Happy Saturday, Mary!

My own thoughts on the BookRiot article... I was pulled up short and read it because "3 star reads" was the cutoff. And I agree with the author, if I figure out quickly - say in the first 50-100 pages or so - that a book isn't for me, either in general or in the moment - I have no compunction about not finishing and moving on to another book. I've had 5 DNF's so far this year, just over one a month. But I also do find when a book is "just good enough" and I have passed the halfway point I also feel a certain amount of obligation at that point to keep going, even when I know it won't be a 4 or 5 star read.

The books I've read this year and rated 3, 3.5 stars primarily includes books I felt obligated to complete for one reason or another: book club, ABC challenge, fits a BookRiot category. And yes, as I reflect on my reading, they were by and large books I wasn't excited to pick up and they took me longer to read. I had reached a point (usually past halfway) where I realized I wasn't going to rate it 4-5 stars but I've got this far, so might as well finish - it's good enough.

I'm not sure the article is enough to really change my reading habits there, but it is fun to reflect and think about letting myself off the hook more, especially for various challenges and reading goals where at a certain point I feel "locked in" to the title I'm reading.

>231 msf59: Oh how cool, Mark! I have not, to my knowledge, seen a brown thrasher. I did see a bald eagle on my way to work a couple of weeks ago by the river (FOY, probably only the third I've seen in my life). Yes, binoculars are definitely on the wishlist. Anything in particular I should be looking for in a decent pair? Happy weekend!

I also find it easy to DNF a book when it's obviously a bad fit or just not working. It's much harder to give up on a "just good enough" book, especially, as you say, more than halfway in.

>234 katiekrug: Solidarity, Katie! Fortunately there really haven't been that many - out of 38 books finished this year, I've rated 11 less than 4, and several of those were for book club, so I was stuck finishing them regardless. (At least, that's true for the work book club - I personally cannot facilitate well when I haven't finished the book.)

Wordle 301 5/6

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Not bad overall

I got the Vortex Diamondback 10x42 binoculars from REI - lightweight, really nice optics. Though good binoculars are pricey.

https://www.rei.com/product/169995/vortex-diamondback-hd-10-x-42-roof-prism-bino...

I've seen that 3-star article before and I'm still not sure where I sit on it as when I push myself to read outside my comfort zones those are more likely to be 3 stars for me, whereas a romance novel from a favourite author is more likely to be 4. So how much do I stretch my reading? I don't have an answer, really.

>237 drneutron: Ooof, you're not kidding - they do look nice though! I'll keep an eye out and see what I can find this summer (and there's always my Christmas list if I decide it's not something I'd get myself...)

>238 MickyFine: I agree, Micky, several of the 3 stars are stretching my comfort zone a little. Sometimes it's enough to know about a book, and other times (like Asian Book Challenge selections) I do want to read to the end. It's an interesting conversation to have, though!

Welp, the electrical that we'd hoped would be straightforward took a little longer than anticipated, but I do indeed have a new box and GFCI outlets in the kitchen. Upstairs bathroom was a little more complicated. I need to buy a new box, possibly mess up the wall a little bit (it's okay, I haven't painted the upstairs bathroom yet so we can patch), and have a friend come back for round two. I showed him a box that's just hanging around in the garage and he was confident that either mounting it or capping it would be very easy, so I may just have him do both another day.

I'm off now to pack up the car and start a dogsitting job. The first is four nights and fairly low key, then on Wednesday I go from there to work to dogsitting job number two, which will be five dogs in need of walking. I've talked to my boss and put on the calendar that I might be coming in by 10 some mornings as a result, and I'll make up the time later. Then I'm home for one night before leaving again for a few more days. I've packed all I can think of that I'll need, and I'll make note of what I forgot to potentially pick up on Monday, depending on how critical it turns out to be.

Rather than pick out which library books to bring with me, I decided to just bring 'em all, mostly in case I decided to return some, not because I really think I'll read them all.

That all sounds very hectic (and it is), but once I'm settled in the first 'sitting job tonight I'm planning on binge-watching some This Is Us, as I've still only seen the first episode of the new season and my family is sick of avoiding spoilers.

>240 bell7: *whew*

Time for a Tornado Mary cycle!

>236 bell7: I'm in the same place today. Glad to be there, too.

See you around....

Happy Easter, Mary, and enjoy your upcoming dogsitting jobs.

Regarding the DNF books... they are rare for me because I have finally learned to stick with the books I know I will like. I don't necessarily have to love every book; in fact, that might get boring, but I don't often read outside of my comfort zone.

Next month's book club book might be an exception: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Fantasy is hit and miss for me. I remember struggling through parts of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but that may have been due to the length of it. At least her new book is fairly short. I will give it a fair shot and hope to have a good discussion about it.

>242 Donna828: Thanks for your thoughts on DNF books, Donna. It's fun seeing how different each person is in choosing their reads and what they like (and don't). I hope you enjoy Piranesi! I liked it very much, but I'm an avid fantasy reader. I can say it's very different from Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrel which I also enjoyed quite a bit.

Edited to get touchstones to work

Wordle 302 5/6

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Slow and steady today, but I'll take it!

And now I'm curious what your starting word was to get the first and last letters correct?

Also, Happy Easter, Mary!

>245 MickyFine: I use the same starting word every time: ATONE.

Happy Easter!

>246 bell7: Nice! I also use the same starting word every time: PEONY

>247 MickyFine: ooh, I like that one too

Wordle 303 4/6

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>249 bell7: *wistful sigh*

It was another "Phew" day here.

Enjoying this dog? A good one, I hope. *smooch*

>250 richardderus: they are fairly good dogs...a Yorkshire terrier and one of the smallish white mop ones. They like to hang out when I watch TV but will pee/poop in protest of their family being gone so I have to clean up here and there. If I can fit a walk in to tire them out, they're much better.

Wordle 304 5/6

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Who knew there could be so many options? A little relieved I got this one.

>252 bell7: *sigh* I didn't. Oh well. New streak starts tomorrow!

>251 bell7: Oh.

Well.

I'm glad you already know what to expect. *smooch*

>253 richardderus: Dang... good luck on your next streak! I am afraid when I miss for the first time I'm going to be very put out.

Hopefully I didn't sound too much like I was complaining haha. The dogs are a mixed bag sometimes, but they're being pretty good for me right now. Their people are my most laid back clients, so it's one of my favorite jobs regardless.

Hi Mary. I've been out of touch, and I setting aside time each day to visit threads to try to catch up on happenings. Our group is so much more than reading, it is very much about events in our life, and happenings with those we love.

Ah the joys of pets protesting their humans absence. Thankfully our cats just become super affectionate with whoever is catsitting and give us the cold shoulder for a bit when we get home.

I hope the dogs continue to behave for you.

>255 Whisper1: So nice to see you, Linda. You're right, we've become a true community around our shared love of books, and my friends here are pretty special!

>256 MickyFine: Aw, poor kitties, but I'm glad they're affectionate for the sitters. The folks here have three cats, but only one has been coming up and been super affectionate. He was actually annoying this morning - I was trying to do my Wordle in bed and he was on my chest nuzzling my hands for pets. But then, I catsat for someone (really just checked in every two days to empty the litter box and change the water), and I never saw the cat at all she hid so completely. I only knew she was there because I could see she'd been eating and drinking and doing her business. Pets are so funny.

Wordle 305 5/6

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I really thought I had it with guess 3, but no. Then I blanked so completely that I decided to eliminate letters with guess number four and finally got it after that.

38. Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter
Why now? I wanted to read it in anticipating of my OBGYN appointment this week, and be armed with my questions about perimenopause and potential treatment options for my symptoms

Dr. Jen Gunter systematically takes you through the symptoms you may experience during menopause and what medically causes them, then addresses ways you can treat them if you so choose. Along the way, she busts myths and encourages women to fight the patriarchy in how they advocate for and think about their health.

Since my doctors had been less than forthcoming when I asked about the menopause transition, I went and found some material of my own to check out. Thankfully, BookRiot came out with a list of menopause books that have come out in the last couple of years, and this is the second of the two books I've read so far. And though I've only read two, I think this would be the one that I recommend those going through perimenopause read first. It gave me the language to talk to my doctor about my symptoms, familiarized me with the various treatments she might suggest, and helped me frame the questions I still had. I usually rate books in a sense on how likely I'd be to reread them, and though I don't know that I'd read this book over from cover to cover (it did get a little repetitive, written more in a way that you could dip in and out of the chapters that interested you), I would nevertheless consider having it in my personal library to reference over the next several years. 4.5 stars.

39. Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World by Laura Spinney
Why now? Our April book club selection

Towards the end of World War 1, an influenza pandemic racked the globe. The strain was virulent, deadly, and affected young adults even more than children or the elderly. Science journalist Laura Spinney takes you on a bird's eye view, starting with stories of during the pandemic, and then reflecting back on it and arguing for its affect on politics and art across the world in its wake.

If I had not been reading this for a book club, I would not have finished it. I picked it up with some trepidation. Having just lived through two years of pandemic and sitting at what might be near the end or the beginning of a new wave, I was reluctant to read something that would draw parallels in my mind and have to discuss it. Thankfully, the first 100 pages or so was a fast read and though she described the flu symptoms and experiences around the world, I was not bogged down by memories of 2020.

Unfortunately, from there it becomes a disorganized slog. Though she tries to explain in the introduction why a linear narrative wouldn't work, I truly believe she would have been better served by a linear narrative. For example, though she briefly touches on the potential start of the pandemic, primarily talking about the name of the flu and why "Spanish" really isn't correct, she doesn't really address it until about halfway through the book when she spends a whole chapter explaining why it could have started in the U.S., China, or Germany. Spinney clearly has done a lot of research, and her narrative suffered, I think, in that she expects her readers to have more of a baseline knowledge of the 1918-19 pandemic than I did. Making discrete chapters out of the search for patient zero, scientific experiments, animals that can pass the flu, and more meant a lot of going back and forth in time and I didn't have a clear timeline to keep it all straight. And finally "how it changed the world" was a tall order that the book doesn't live up to. The final chapters really try to make the argument, but the strongest correlations are not causations, and there are a lot of "mights" and real stretches in politics and literature in particular. 2 stars.

Take it with a grain of salt - this book makes more than one "best of" lists about the pandemic, and a PBS list of books to read in the time of coronavirus, so my opinion is very much in the minority.

One thing that was interesting, and I may ask my book club book about tonight, is the afterword "On Memory" where she reflects on collective memory and asks, "Why does memory for a pandemic take time to develop?" That's one place where this last couple of years does give us some insight. In my opinion, an event like a pandemic results in a sort of collective trauma that, unlike a war, doesn't have an easy narrative arc with a beginning, middle, and end or possibly some heroic figures. We want to move on, in some fashion, even if we do want to preserve some of what we've learned. Some of us are ready to tackle it and reflect it; others want to leave it behind or need time and space to process. I have purposely read little that features the coronavirus (essay collections written during it being the odd exception, and not on purpose); heck, I still haven't read much on 9/11. When she addressed how flu "changed the world", I was surprised to see that while she highlighted somber stories and books that addressed disease published in the 1920s and 1930s, she didn't have anything to say about the Roaring Twenties and the jazz age. And I think that, too, a sort of celebration of life and carefree attitude after war and disease, was also in reaction to the pandemic.

So here's my prediction for tonight: everyone else likes it (or those who didn't don't come), and we have a lot to talk about whether we address the current pandemic or not.

Happy hump day, y'all! The Yorkshire terrier had me up early this morning, whining before 6 and I eked out another half hour of rest before getting out of bed. I've caught up on my reviews, Wordled, and had my breakfast and coffee.

I'm in for a busy day, as I have to pack this morning, work 12-8, and head out to another dogsitting job tonight. I'll be doing a lot of walking for the next seven days. I'll find out tonight if I have four or five labs, and they are walked singly when I'm there.

My sister's family is up for a few days. They stopped at my parents house last night (and my BIL brought my niece and nephew to the library for a bit last night, so I got a chance to see them), and then they're going to Boston for a couple of days. They have plans to maybe go to the aquarium and some other places dependent on the weather, but of course my niece and nephew are most excited about staying at a hotel. Mia picked out an easy reader and read it to me - there were some words she didn't know, but she really impressed me with what she was able to figure out and I helped her with the longest words. I'll see them more on Friday night when we celebrate my mom's birthday.

I also got an email last night - I've been invited to an interview for that director position I applied to a few weeks back. I'd sort of expected it, but I'd let it go in my mind, so getting that email brought out alllll the nervous energy I didn't realize I had over it. I'll call my boss today and ask about taking some time off the afternoon of April 27 for the interview, and then get back to them to confirm it. I guess the good thing about being so busy this week is that I'll get plenty of exercise with the dogs to work out some of the nerves, and I'll have enough time to prepare but not enough to get too stressed about it.

Anyway, that's it for me for the day (that's enough, yeah?). Tomorrow after work we have a retirement party for one of our compatriots, and on Friday I'm getting off a little early to make my mom a wacky cake, walk & feed the dogs, and then go to her party in the evening. Saturday is a day with my Little, and again after I walk & feed the dogs I'll probably head to my parents for a bit.

>261 bell7: *pshaw* Today's flat nothin' for you, Mary. Your directorship meeting? Fuhgeddaboudit! All you need to do is answer them honestly and they'll see that you know your stuff. (Try not to talk about your youthful molotov-cocktail-throwing days, if you don't mind one tiny piece of advice. Oh, and permaybehaps don't share the information that you're actually a crypto-hacker worth trillions.)

Seriously. You'll be great with them.

Have a great time with the flu folk...that book, while I understand what she said about her reasons for going non-linear, needed a concordance. I abandoned ship at 7%.

>262 richardderus: annnnd my day just got easier, the new dogsitting job is postponed to Friday. I never love interviews, but I've always done my best when I didn't really mind *not* getting the job, which is the case here. Don't get me wrong, I'd like it, but I'd also be perfectly happy doing what I'm going and that takes the pressure off. Glad to know I'm not the only one who had trouble with Pale Rider. I've rated it the lowest and given it the most scathing of its reviews on the LT page 😬

Edited to correct my grammar

>263 bell7: A really good surprise! I'm glad it's taking some stress off your shoulders.

I'm putting my review of Pale Rider under my Pearl-Rules. I'll post it here on the 24th and yours won't be the least laudatory any more.

>264 richardderus: Yeah, sorry for them but happy for me (I might even make the wacky cake before Friday? wouldn't that make life easier!). I'll look forward to reading your review and not being the lone dissenting voice anymore haha.

Woot for getting the interview! Congrats!

>266 scaifea: thanks, Amber!

Wordle 306 4/6

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Back to my most common result

Congrats on getting the interview! I hope it doesn't add too much stress to life for the next week.

I must ask, what is a wacky cake?

Hooray for an interview! I'm definitely the same in that I have to convince myself I don't care whether or not I get the job to do well.

>269 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! A wacky cake is a slightly more modern name for a Depression-era cake made without butter, eggs or milk. Here's an example. There are various recipes with or without icing, but we generally put whipped cream on top. We make it for my mom due to her egg allergy.

>270 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! Thankfully it's really true in this case - well, in this moment, because what I learn at the interview will help me decide too - and I am truly happy in my job now. Takes the pressure off for sure!

>268 bell7: My score as well. It was a strange word today.

>272 richardderus: It was, but somehow I often come up with those before the more common ones.

>260 bell7: I feel secure in skipping that one!

Congrats on the interview. I hope it goes well!

>274 alcottacre: yeah I think that's a good call, Stasia. And thanks! I'll keep you all posted 😊

Wordle 307 3/6

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Luck of the first word choice today (and I thought of SCANT instead of PLANT despite just watering all of mine!

>276 bell7: I got it in three today as well :)

Happy Friday!

>276 bell7: My second guess was CHANT even though I think we've had that word already!

Yay for three! *smooch* for a good weekend-ahead's reads.

>277 figsfromthistle: happy weekend, Anita!

>278 norabelle414: I usually forget them instantly, but I think you're right, Nora.

>279 richardderus: thanks, Richard! Tonight or tomorrow should be able to get some reading in after visiting with family

Wordle 308 3/6

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Got it in three again! That felt good

Wordle 309 3/6

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Kinda proud of this one

>282 bell7: I got it in 4, because you have to be INERT before we can INTER you I forgot.

>282 bell7: Wow! You are on a roll! Congratulations!

Karen O

>283 richardderus: I could have just as easily made that switch of letters too. Little bit of luck there.

>284 klobrien2: thanks, Karen! With today's, I'm now tied for 3 and 4 being the most common guesses with 19 each. My streak is up to 64 and I'm going to be pretty unhappy when it ends lol.

Happy Sunday!

I'm taking a quiet moment with the hyper dogs to catch up on my own thread and prep for Wednesday's interview.

It's been a busy weekend. On Friday, I got off at 3 p.m. to make my mom's birthday cake (it turned out great!), walk all the dogs, and spend the evening with family. It was... chaotic. My brothers both came, my SIL, my sister and BIL and their two kids, my parents, and my grandfather and his girlfriend. We got to visit some, then around 9 I left to go back, walk the dogs, and fall into bed. Before I left, I told Mia I'd come over on Saturday.

Saturday I'd originally planned on being out with my Little, so I told the folks I'm sitting for that I'd be gone from 10-4 and they had the dog walker coming at 1 p.m. We'd rescheduled, so I just planned on visiting with my sister's family 'til whenever they left. I managed to get the dogs all walked and fed and got myself coffee, getting to my parents a little after 9. Mia was ecstatic to see me, and needed me to come along while they fed the birds (Dad gave them each handfuls of birdseed to put in two different feeders, and then we came back inside to see what birds turned up). She wanted to play Yahtzee on my team (Dad won, but we did get a Yahtzee) and was generally my shadow for the morning. When I took my shoes off after feeding the birds, she took hers off two and placed them right beside mine. They left around 11:30 or so, and then I decided to go home and mow because I knew the grass was starting to get longish and I had the afternoon off. I picked up a few things at the grocery store and came back to the dogs around 4:30.

I got up early this morning 'cause I was pretty sure I had nursery, and actually managed to have the dogs situated and left in time to get there for 9. The person who thought she'd be away was there, and gave me the day off instead so I went to early service, said hello to a few friends, and headed back.

My life basically revolves around dog walks for this job, so I'll try not to be repetitive, but I am walking a LOT. I had 13,000 steps yesterday and I'm up to over 8,000 already with two walks down and two to go. The dogs are dozing now, so I'm getting a little breather and trying to use it well. As you might guess, I haven't been able to read much. I did watch two episodes of This Is Us last night, and I've been listening to lots of podcasts while I walk.

>286 bell7: *snoooooooooooooore*snorp*smacksmack*
whuzzat huh whassitmean

...oh Mary...yeah, I hadda have a li'l nap cause you're just entirely too active for my old-man self.

And you should watch Heartstopper on Netflix cause it's cute.

*smooch*

Yeah, frankly, this dog thing sounds exhausting. 😀

>287 richardderus: I know. Next weekend will also be busy but in a different way and will almost seem calm in comparison. I'll make a note of Hearstopper to watch at a dogsitting job with Netflix. I'm pondering getting streaming, but leaning towards the Hulu/Disney+/ESPN+ bundle when I finally bite the bullet.

>288 drneutron: this job really is. The next one will be a little more laid back. The retired K9 German shepherd likes his walks, but he had hip problems and doesn't get more than a half mile in the morning and again after supper.

Wow, Mary, you sound like you're really putting the steps in. Hope the interview goes well. I know what you mean re "wanting" a job. A couple of times I have been the second (or at least, that's what the kind person has said in the post interview contact) for jobs I've really wanted and just found that devastating. It's nice to be in the "position of power" where you feel like you can pick if you want the job in/after the interview as well as them deciding about you.

>290 charl08: yeah, it definitely takes the pressure off to know I'd be happy either way. And I do truly have questions that will help me decide if I want the job. Their long range plan mentions expanding hours, for example. What day(s)? What would be the impact on staff? (If they want to be open on Sundays, would that be any better than my current schedule?)

There's always so much out of one's control during the process - you don't know the other candidate's credentials or exactly what skill set is most important to those hiring... So frustrating when you really need a job. Slightly less so with my position of, "well, it would be a great opportunity so let's try it out and see what happens and if I'd like it."

Wordle 310 6/6

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PHEW indeed! Of course I fit it in between dog walks, I have a streak to keep going 😜

>292 bell7: It was my first 3 in a good long while. Funny how that works.

The advantage of streaming bundles is they go with you wherever you go! *smooch*

>289 bell7: You're welcome to my Hulu password if you want it! I don't have Disney or ESPN though. I'm debating switching from Netflix to HBO Max but I'll give you a heads up before I do (and you're welcome to that password too)

>293 richardderus: yep, it is funny! Makes you wonder how our brains work, both seeing patterns and containing our own personal vocabularies. The bundle would be one I use pretty regularly, too, with a decent amount of tennis and a free hockey games on ESPN+

>294 norabelle414: thanks, Nora! I've been seeing all the articles about Netflix password sharing and have been not using it much so as not to get you in "trouble" but honestly there's only a few shows I care about and can usually manage to catch up while dogsitting for people with Netflix. I should probably write down which seasons I've seen of Great British Baking Show before you switch though. I'd been going back and making sure I saw every episode, but I only got partway through that project and don't remember where I am.

Wordle 311 4/6

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I probably should've been able to get it in three, as my third guess kept a letter in the wrong place and I didn't notice at first

Well, I thought I'd have more of a relaxing morning because I'm not working till 12 and could take my time on the dog walks.

I woke up to a puppy with explosive diarrhea and had some clean up to do. The dog room still stinks, and I've given her a little rice and bland food to see how she does this morning. I'm going to start walking them all shortly and, as long as she deals with it well, feeding her a little more before I leave for work around 11:30. I woke up the owner calling her this morning to tell her and double check that it was okay to feed the rice 😞

I go home tomorrow night and let me tell you I will sleep WELL. The next dog I'm watching this weekend is much easier, and then I get a little break.

>295 bell7: The password-sharing kerfuffle is just Netflix posturing to scare people. Don't let them win! The worst thing they'll do is add 2-factor authentication and/or auto-logout but they don't have any actual plans yet.

>297 bell7: what >298 norabelle414: said...PLUS it's not like they'd succeed with any serious crackdown that didn't start with the sharers.

Icky-ptoo-ptoo way to start the day, Mary, I'm sorry for your morning surprise's nature.

>297 bell7: I hope your doggy improves. I had a cat hairball in bed the other morning and had to wash all the bedding.

>298 norabelle414: Ha! I won't let them win, then. Though TBH I'm still more in the "watch nothing" mood but one of these days it'll switch to "binge watch everything in a week" (there's no in-between).

>299 richardderus: True. I had to laugh when they complained about all the money they'd "lose" because of password sharing... as I described above to Nora, I either watch nothing or I binge-watch a season in a week. If I didn't password share I just wouldn't have Netflix. And thanks for the sympathy! She seems okay and I didn't hear about anymore blowouts from the dog walker, so hopefully she'll have normal poop tonight and tomorrow morning. I'm done with this particular job tomorrow night.

>300 thornton37814: Ewwwww sorry to hear that Lori! The cat has been sleeping with me, but no hairballs to date, and let's hope we can keep it that way!