Amber's (scaifea's) Thread #17

Hey, everybody!

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

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

I'm 47 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our son, Charlie; Mario, the Golden Retriever; and the newest addition to the family: Agent Fitzsimmons, the Border Collie.

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



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

What I'm Reading Now:
-Les Miserables (books by year - 1862)
-Cemetery Boys (an book from my Read Soon! shelves)
-The Last Samurai (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob)
-To Sir Phillip with Love (romance)
-The Linguist and the Emperor (wishlist book)
-A Court of Silver Flames (a Beauty & the Beast retelling)
-Assassination Classroom vol 1 (manga)
-Blasphemy (audiobook)
-Gate of Ivrel (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-The Words in My Hands (Schneider Award)
-The Dream Thieves (family bedtime read-aloud)

Books on Deck:
-Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness (Buddhist reading list)
-One for the Books (mysteries)
-Richard III (Shakespeare re-read)
-The Land of the Free (100 Banned Books)
-Lest Darkness Fall (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-Death's Master (BFS Award)
-The Thief of Time (Boyne bibliography)
-(an unread book from my shelves)

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. An unread book from my shelves.

7. A book from my Read Soon! shelves.

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

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

10. A cozy mystery.

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

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

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

14. A romance novel.

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

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

Books Read

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

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

MARCH
29. This Book Is Gay (impulse read) - 9/10
30. Brothersong (audiobook) - 9/10
31. Into the Land of the Unicorns (audiobook) - 7/10
32. We Ride Upon Sticks (Alex Award) - 10/10
33. Hitting the Books (mystery) - 8/10
34. Beyond the Pawpaw Trees (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10
35. A Court of Thorns and Roses (B&B retelling) - 9/10
36. The Black Gryphon (audiobook) - 9/10
37. Stradivari's Genius (wishlist) - 7/10
38. The Last Unicorn (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10
39. The Prestige (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 10/10
40. The Portrait of a Lady (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 7/10

APRIL
41. The Last Cuentista (Newbery Medal) - 9/10
42. Grendel (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 6/10
43. First Test (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10
44. Fahrenheit 451 (audiobook) - 10/10
45. Changing Planes (audiobook) - 7/10
46. Gifts (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 9/10
47. Escape from Warsaw (1001 Children's Books) - 9/10
48. Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio (Alex Award) - 8/10
49. Peeps (audiobook) - 9/10
50. Red, White, and Whole (Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10
51. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (mysteries) - 9/10
52. Waiting for the Flood (Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10
53. Moon Called (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List/audiobook) - 9/10
54. The World of Tibetan Buddhism (Buddhist reading list) - 8/10

MAY
55. The Raven Boys (family bedtime read-aloud) - 10/10
56. Wicked Lovely (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books/audiobook) - 9/10
57. The Shape of Water (mystery) - 6/10
58. Ink Exchange (audiobook/series read) - 9/10
59. The Kids Are Gonna Ask (Alex Award) - 8/10
60. A Snake Falls to Earth (Newbery Honor Book) - 6/10
61. My Hero Academia Vol. 1 (manga) - 9/10
62. The Junior Officers' Reading Club (unread book from my shelves) - 7/10
63. Fragile Eternity (audiobook) - 7/10
64. The Book of the Dun Cow (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 4/10

JUNE
65. Murder Is Easy (Christie bibliography/audiobook) - 8/10
66. The Ogress and the Orphans (impulse library shelf grab) - 10/10
67. They Do It with Mirrors (Christie bibliography/audiobook) - 8/10
68. A Caribbean Mystery (Christie bibliography/audiobook) - 8/10
69. Friedrich (1001 Children's Books list) - 7/10
70. A Night to Remember (NEH list) - 8/10
71. My Hero Academia Volume 2 (manga) - 9/10
72. The Member of the Wedding (NEH list) - 8/10
73. Love in Focus (manga) - 9/10
74. Up from Slavery (NEH list/audiobook) - 8/10
75. Ethan Frome (NEH list/audiobook) - 8/10
76. A Court of Mist and Fury (B&B retelling series) - 9/10
77. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder (mystery) - 9/10
78. The Awakening (NEH list/audiobook) - 8/10
79. Veil of Lies (mystery) - 8/10
80. Fathers and Sons (NEH list/audiobook) - 8/10

JULY
81. The Greek Coffin Mystery (mysteries) - 9/10
82. A Handful of Dust (NEH list/audiobook) - 9/10
83. An Offer from a Gentleman (romance) - 9/10
84. A Kind of Spark (Schneider Honor Book/audiobook) - 9/10
85. A Brief History of TIme (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 9/10
86. Kepler's Witch (wishlist) - 6/10
87. Titan (Locus SF Award) - 8/10
88. For Real (romance) - 9/10
89. Word to the Wise (mystery) - 9/10
90. A Court of Wings and Ruin (B&B retelling series) - 9/10
91. Too Bright to See (Newbery Honor Book) - 6/10
92. Dumb Witness (Christie Bibliography) - 8/10
93. Timaeus (a reread for a summer library challenge bingo category) - 7/10
94. Paco's Story (NBA list + audiobook) - 9/10
95. Atonement (audiobook) - 9/10
96. Deathnote 1 (manga) - 9/10

AUGUST
97. Sing, Unburied, Sing (NBA list + audiobook) - 9/10
98. My Hero Academia Vol. 3 (manga) - 9/10
99. Trust Exercise (NBA list + audiobook) - 9/10
100. Flambards (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10
101. Heathen vol 1 (impulse library checkout) - 9/10
102. The Keepers of the House (Pulitzer list + audiobook) - 9/10
103. Amal Unbound (audiobook) - 9/10
104. Clean Getaway (audiobook) - 8/10
105. Neuromancer (Nebula Award) - 6/10
106. Magician Apprentice (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books list) - 8/10
107. Three Bags Full (wishlist) - 6/10
108. Death Note vol 2 (manga) - 9/10
109. Mansfield Park (an unread book from my shelves) - 7/10
110. The Magic Mountain (books I'm reading with my friend, Rob) - 7/10
111. A Good Kind of Trouble (audiobook) - 8/10
112. Women: The National Geographic Image Collection (impulse library checkout) - 9/10

SEPTEMBER
113. Lalani of the Distant Sea (audiobook) - 8/10
114. A Court of Frost and Starlight (B&B retelling) - 9/10
115. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1001 Children's Books) - 8/10
116. Romancing Mister Bridgerton (romance) - 9/10
117. Dragon Hoops (Printz Honor Book) - 8/10
118. The Line Tender (audiobook) - 8/10
119. Heathen vol 2 (graphic novel) - 9/10
120. Heartstopper vol 1 (graphic novel) - 9/10
121. My Hero Academia vol 4 (manga) - 9/10
122. The Parker Inheritance (audiobook) - 8/10
123. Heartstoppers vol. 2 (graphic novel) - 9/10
124. Vanished Smile (audiobook) - 8/10
125. The First Books of Swords (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 8/10
126. Proxy (audiobook) - 8/10
127. The Edge of the Cloud (1001 Children's Books) - 7/10
128. Life As We Knew It (audiobook) - 8/10
129. Killing Trail (mystery) - 8/10

OCTOBER
130. Death Note volume 3 (manga) - 9/10
131. Under the Never Sky (audiobook) - 8/10
132. Legend (audiobook) - 8/10
133. Heartstopper vol. 3 (graphic novel) - 9/10
134. Hollow (graphic novel) - 9/10
135. The Belles (audiobook) - 8/10
136. My Hero Academia vol 5 (manga) - 9/10
137. Assaulted Caramel (mystery) - 8/10
138. Hot British Boyfriend (romance) - 7/10
139. Gearbreakers (audiobook) - 8/10
140. The Tea Dragon Society (impulse library checkout) - 9/10
141. The Infinity Concerto (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10
142. The Summer Prince (audiobook) - 8/10
143. V for Vendetta (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 9/10

Mario contemplating life in the backyard:



Simmons...being Simmons:



And Charlie jammin' in his new uniform:

Next one is yours!

128. Life As We Knew It by Beth Pfeffer (audiobook) - 8/10
Everyone's excited to see the meteor crash into the moon. In fact, there are block parties planned and everything. Miranda and her family are no exception, and it feels like a nice break from the normal routine of school and such. But the scientists miscalculated the force the impact would have, and the world is thrown into shock when it's apparent that the meteor knocked the moon closer to earth. First come the massive tidal waves, then the world-wide earthquakes and volcano eruptions, and then soon enough Miranda and her family lose contact with the outside world when the TV channels and radio stations become just static. Will they survive through the winter? Will things ever get back to normal?

I adore a good disaster story. And this one almost qualifies. It's a good story, for certain, and I definitely wanted to know how it all turned out for Miranda, but I want my disaster tales to have me constantly on the edge of my reading chair, and this one didn't do that for me. In fact, the middle seemed to drag a bit. Still, an interesting take on how one family deals with sudden and massive catastrophe.



129. Killing Trail by Margaret Mizushima (mystery) - 8/10
Mattie Cobb is a cop in her small, mountain hometown, and had just graduated from K-9 training school with her new partner, Robo. And a good thing, too, since a teen girl has been murdered and it seems like the new local drug trafficking problem may be involved. Mattie's rough childhood means that she plays everything close to the chest and isn't one for letting people get to know her, but she has to work closely with the town vet on this case (the murder victim's dog was shot, too), and she starts to wonder if letting her guard down with this handsome divorced dad with two young daughters might be worth the risk...

I *loved* the relationship between Mattie and Robo, and Robo is clearly the goodest cop on the force. But the mystery itself wasn't that interesting? The red herrings were maybe a little too obvious, as was the actual culprit, and the police procedural part was too much of the plot (I don't mind detective stories, but the mystery still needs to be center stage for me, and it didn't feel like it was here). I'm not sure that I'll continue with the series.

Stay tuned for Before and After backyard photos...

Okay, the Before:

And the After (in respective order):

SPiffy!! (I'm glad to see you kept the copper kettle grill, though.)

Happy new thread, Amber!

The back yard looks great. Thanks for sharing the photos :)

I felt the same way about LAWKI and never bothered with the follow-ups.

>11 laytonwoman3rd: Well of course we did. Nothing wrong with a Weber. And thanks!

>12 katiekrug: We still have some landscaping to do, but that will wait until next spring at least. Otherwise, we're really happy with it.

LAWKI: I get that telling a disaster story from the perspective of people not in a major city/coast is interesting and not one we usually get, but there's also sort of a reason for that...

Happy new thread! Love the backyard glow-up. Also, Charlie in that band photo looks impossibly grown up.

>15 foggidawn: Thanks! Yep, he looks older than 14, for sure.

The patio looks great! Happy new thread :)

The ground-level patio looks terrific and fresh — the raised wooden decks are starting to look a bit dated somehow, to me. Well done!

Is that your she-shed in the background? ;-)

Wow, just wow. Your back yard looks gorgeous Amber!

>17 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! We're really happy with how the patio turned out.

>18 rosalita: I agree about some of the raised decks. Some still look pretty cool, although ours definitely wasn't one of those.

Ha! Nope. Tomm has long wanted a separate shed to get all the crap out of the garage, so I guess you could call it a shit shed?

>19 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! We are loving it and have already spent a couple of gorgeous evenings out with a fire in the firepit!

Happy new thread and new patio!

>23 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

Happy New Thread, Amber! I LOVE the new deck photos!!

Happy new thread Amber!

>5 scaifea: Great action shot!

>10 scaifea: Looking good!

Hi Amber my dear, Happy New Thread and great photos of your backyard makeover, it looks really good. Sending love and hugs to you, Tomm, Charlie, Mario and Agent Fitzsimmons from both of us dear friend.

>25 msf59: Thanks, Mark! Clearly I need to host an LT meetup on the patio at some point...

>26 quondame: Thanks!

>27 johnsimpson: Thanks, John! Hugs all round for you and Karen, too, friend.

Happy new thread, Amber!

>5 scaifea: great new photo's of Charlie and the gals!

>9 scaifea: >10 scaifea: Love your new backyard, great new fence, and those chairs look comfortable.
Looks like it better suited for human use now ;-)

Ooops, posted on the old thread... then saw this one.
Nice backyard redo. Love your fire pit set up.

>31 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! The chairs are very comfortable, and we love the new fence! The gals do, too - they can see more of what's going on!

>32 SandyAMcPherson: No worries, Sandy. I responded to you over there.

And thanks! We are loving that fire pit.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly shift today, then picking Charlie up from band practice. So not much else on the To Do list. My mouth is feeling pretty okay, just a little sore still. Today's the last day I need to stick to soft foods and non-hot drinks, but I may go on for another day or so just to be on the safe side even though I'm desperate for a cuppa tea. Leftover Chinese for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I started A Court of Silver Flames and A Bird Will Soar yesterday, plus I listened to more Under the Never Sky.

The Crafting Report:
The spider is coming along; I've made all the parts (body, head, legs) and now I just need to stitch it all together. I'm taking it with me to work today in case we have enough down time for me to finish it.

What We're Watching:
Glee and Death Note still.

Good morning, Amber. I'm glad your mouth is still behaving itself. I always give myself an extra day of being super careful. Plus, nothing wrong with more mashed potatoes, or mac and cheese, or ice cream. Or lo mein :)

Happy new one!

>5 scaifea: What a uniform!

>10 scaifea: Love the backyard transformation!

>36 katiekrug: Right?! I'm loving the soft foods diet right now!

>37 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! And yes, those uniforms are amazing, aren't they?

Happy new thread Amber! The backyard looks great!

>40 WhiteRaven.17: Thanks!!

Yay for the new thread!
Oh, that backyard looks fantastic :0

>42 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks!

I had to dig around for this picture, which I knew I had somewhere, of our family's own Charlie in uniform with band instrument. This is my youngest cousin's son, who is a senior in high school this year. I think maybe yours and ours ought to meet someday.

>44 laytonwoman3rd: Aw, very cool! He's looking sharp in that uniform, too!

On the Agenda for Today:
Another 9-5 shift, with a quick break to pick up Charlie from band practice at 3:45. Pizza for dinner tonight for Charlie, but I'm sticking to soft foods for a couple more days, mostly because I'm enjoying my soft diet and I have leftovers. I *am* having coffee this morning, though, and it's so good.

On the Reading Front:
I didn't get much reading in at all yesterday, mostly because I used our slow time at work to crochet and knit. I did manage a few pages in A Bird Will Soar and I listened to some Under the Never Sky while packing cargo.

The Crafting Report:
I finished my little spider and made a little ghost yesterday:



I'll probably be working on more ghosts and spiders and webs at work for a couple of weeks.

What We're Watching:
More Glee and Death Note until Tomm gets home...

Morning Amber! I'm glad to see coffee is back on the menu. I'm not sure I could have done without it. It's also nice that you're able take a quick break from work to pick up Charlie. What a great workplace!

I'm enjoying watching your spooky creation come together. That ghost is really cute.

>47 lauralkeet: Morning, Laura! I made it work with those chilled Starbucks coffee drinks, but I'm so glad to be back to the real deal.

Honestly, this is the healthiest, most wonderful work environment I've ever experienced. I think it helps that all five of us are moms, but yeah, if we need to pop out to pick up a kiddo, or if the school calls because they're sick, it's no problem.

And thanks! We're all having a blast making decorations.

>7 scaifea: You scored a book bullet on me with Life As We Knew It

>46 scaifea: The ghost and spider are super cute, and I do NOT usually say that about spiders!

>49 ArlieS: Oh good! I hope you love it!

>50 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! I feel the same way about the real ones.

On the Agenda for Today:
Work 9:30-3, then Charlie has a football game tonight - homecoming. One of his friends in the tenor sax line is on the court. Should be fun.

On the Reading Front:
I finished up Volume 3 of Death Note yesterday, but we've now passed my manga point in the anime, so I may switch to something else in the manga world. We'll see. Still listening to Under the Never Sky.

The Crafting Report:
I started another spider yesterday *and* another web. The library's gonna look spooooky when we're through.

What We're Watching:
More Glee and Death Note!

Your spiderwebs and spider look so great!

>54 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

Happy new thread, Amber! Love the photos of the before and after!

Happy new thread, Amber. Nice before and after photos of the backyard!

>53 scaifea: Happy Friday, Amber :)
Hope the homecoming game is fun (and not too cold, it's starting to feel like fall where I am.)
Where are you in the show, if you don't mind me asking?

>56 alcottacre: >57 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Ladies!

>58 Ravenwoodwitch: Happy Friday!!

It's going to be chilly here, but we'll dress in layers. I LOVE that it's starting to feel like fall!

We just met the 'fake' kira.

Hi Amber! Your back yard looks terrific. We are loving ours and wish we hadn't waited so long to do it.

Love the photos of Charlie and the pets - and the projects!

>61 Ravenwoodwitch: Oh, yeah, L is *adorable*! I NEED his backstory.

>62 AMQS: Hi, Anne! YES to enjoying new back yards! I think next summer we may tackle our front porch area...

And thanks for the photo love!

On the Agenda for Today:
Not much. We're all wiped from the late football game night, plus my mouth has apparently decided, belatedly, to protest the loss of the tooth a bit. It's not unbearable pain, just annoying, with a touch of anxiety about whether it's going to decide to get even worse. I do have a pile to To Do stuff on my desk, so I'll try to work through that stuff, and I also need to do the menu planning and get a list ready for the grocery shopping tomorrow morning. I do think a nap will be had this afternoon. Some sort of takeaway for dinner tonight, I think.

On the Reading Front:
Football games give me such great reading time, and I got through a healthy chunk of Cemetery Boys, which is great so far. I also finished up Under the Never Sky on audio, I I owe two reviews...

The Crafting Report:
I finished the second spider at work yesterday:





Next up is a bright purple spiderweb...

What We're Watching:
An awesome half-time show!

Oooh, I love the spiders!

Sorry about the mouth pain :(

>66 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

And thanks for the sympathy. The ibuprofen seems to be helping.

>65 scaifea: Nice spiders, a purple web will make them eye catching.

Wishing you a happy new thread (belatedly - holiday has left me with a LOT of catching up to do).
Love the new back garden - looks lovely and practical.
Sorry about the mouth pain and the Halloween crafty creatures look great!

>68 Familyhistorian: We're thinking that we'd like to have little webs all over the library, so we're going for multiple colors to mix things up. I'll probably make a bright orange one, too.

>69 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen!

On the Agenda for Today:
I've already been to the grocery shop and back, and I've started the day's pile of laundry. I also need to do the weekly bill sorting, some baking (chocolate pots de creme), and I'm still working on getting my desk cleaned off. I also *still* haven't gotten my fabric store supplies list ready, so I want to do that today, too. I work tomorrow, but I'll probably go on Tuesday. I really need to get cracking on these costumes! Chicken breasts with sauteed pepper strips for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
Not a lot of reading time yesterday, but I did start listening to Legend.

The Crafting Report:
Nearly finished with the scarf, I think!

What We're Watching:
It's October now, which means it's time for the Annual Scaife Family Halloween Movie Marathon! We're switching things up a bit this year, demoting some old ones for some new movies, and we've decided to watch a few MST3K episodes that fit the bill, too. So last night we started The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy. Oh, and we watched the first episode of the new My Hero Academia season!

130. Death Note volume 3 by Tsugumi Ohba (manga) - 9/10
Another great entry in the manga series, although now that Charlie and I are past this point in the anime, I think I'll switch to something else.

131. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (audiobook) - 8/10
A Post-apocalyptic YA novel about a teen girl who has grown up in one of several pod cities, sheltered from the harsh realities of the outside world, a teen boy who has only known those harsh realities and is headed for a fight to the death with his brother for rule of their tribe, and what happens when they meet.

A pretty good story with good characters. It felt like it dragged a bit in the middle, but by the end I was eager to find out how it...ended. First in a series and I'll probably come back to it someday.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm still working on cleaning my desk off, but I think I can finish it up today. I'll also do a bit of housecleaning and some laundry before picking Charlie up from school and then heading into work for a weird 3-8 shift.

On the Reading Front:
I'm abandoning A Prayer for Owen Meany. It's just not keeping my attention at all. I did start Heartstopper vol 3 and I'm still loving this series, and my current audio, Legend, is really good so far, too.

The Crafting Report:
Seriously, I'll be finished with this scarf any day now...

What We're Watching:
We finished up The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy last night and it was glorious. We also watched the first Halloween Heist episode of Brooklyn 99.

Happy New Thread, Amber! Add me to the list of people who think your patio and backyard look great. I’m sure they make for good family time.

I’m sorry to see that A Prayer for Owen Meany didn’t work for you. I had a friend recommend it to me, and I did think it was a particularly good one from John Irving.

I periodically wonder why Irving hasn’t written more keepers. He’s written many novels, but I’ve only been drawn to a few (Garp, Hotel New Hampshire, Cider House Rules, Owen Meaney).

Query: Have you read Emma Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree? It’s a middle grade book featuring a neurodiverse girl that Debbi and I loved.

I’m re-reading an old favorite, Plainsong, and it’s even better than I remembered. Jeez Louise, I miss Kent Haruf.

P.S. I loved the Heartstopper books. What a refreshing tone they have.

>75 scaifea: I hope your shift goes smoothly, Amber. What time does your branch close in the evenings? Wondering if everyone's done at 8 or if you're leaving before everyone finishes at 9. :)

>76 jnwelch: Hi, Joe!

I think I'm just not an Irving fan because I really, *really* didn't like Garp either. *shrug* I know he has lots of fans out there, so I don't feel so bad for abandoning him.

I haven't read the Tarshis book, but I'll add it to my list! Thanks for the recommendation!

And yay for Heartstopper! Refreshing is absolutely right.

>77 MickyFine: We're open until 8 M-R and until 3 Friday and Saturday.

On the Agenda for Today:
I've got my shopping list ready and I'll head out to the fabric shop this morning. No other solid plans today, really. I may do some house cleaning. I may take a nap. We'll see. Sausage and Potato Soup for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I made some progress with On Apology yesterday and listened to more of Legend.

The Crafting Report:
I'm working on a purple spider web at work, and of course I finally put my supply list together for the costumes.

What We're Watching:
Nothing yesterday, since Charlie had a band performance at the HS soccer game and I worked late.

>80 scaifea: What time should I stop by to get a bowl of Sausage and Potato Soup? I can eat out on the deck (especially if you light a fire in the fire pit).

>81 rosalita: Ha! Probably about 6. I would LOVE to sit around the fire pit and chat with you over a bowl of soup!!

>82 scaifea: Someday ...

>83 rosalita: YES!

A Prayer for Owen Meany was also not for me, so solidarity there. Hope you have a lovely day!

>85 bell7: His writing style is just not mine, I think. I'm sorry it didn't work for you, either. And thanks! My fabric shop run was a definite success and I'm ready to start sewing!

Supplies sorted:

I think I'll stop in for a bowl of soup too. That sounded like a tasty variety. I ate lunch late since I was home elevating my knee.

>88 thornton37814: The soup was delicious!

On the Agenda for Today:
I work the 12-8 shift, and before that I want to get started on Charlie's costume.

On the Reading Front:
I carved out some reading time with The Infinity Concerto and Heartstopper vol 3, and I'm almost finished listening to Legend.

The Crafting Report:
(See above photos of my supply run haul!)

What We're Watching:
We started MST3K: Sampson vs. the Vampire Women last night.

Hello Amber! Catch-up time...

>65 scaifea: Those spiders are so cute! How'd you get them to stand up? (I have no experience with toy craft work of any kind so I'm curious)
Sorry you're in pain :( Tooth issues are the worst.

>75 scaifea: "The Robot vs. The Mummy"?
You have my attention. I will be doing my lookup on Google but I am intrigued.

>80 scaifea: Rest days are good too. That soup on concept sounds good (Imma big meat and potatoes person).
And the stash multiplies again, lol.

>90 scaifea: OH, be still my nerdy heart. I adore MST3K so much (it's, uh, turned me into "that guy" when watching silly movies. I can't keep my mouth shut.)
My favorite from them is actually "The Final Sacrifice" if you want one that's silly, with lots of joke fodder. And, well, I think "Manos: The Hands of Fate" is pretty infamous at this point, heh.

>91 Ravenwoodwitch: The spiders have some wire in their legs to keep them upright and bent. Easy peasy.

The Robot vs. the Mummy is also an MST3K gem. We LOVE 'em. My favorite is Space Mutiny, followed closely by Puma Man. Manos is bananas (in a good way), too. Oh, and Parts: The Clonus Horror is hilarious, too. I could go on and on.

>92 scaifea: HA! How did I forget Puma Man, holy cow. I need to re-watch that one.

>93 Ravenwoodwitch: Yes! It's so good!

On the Agenda for Today:
I don't work today and so I'm going to be in the sewing room for most of the day, with a break in there somewhere to do my menu planning and prep my grocery list for tomorrow. Baked potatoes for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I finished Heartstopper vol 3 and started Hollow, which I had forgotten that I had pre-ordered and so was a nice surprise in the mail yesterday. I love it when that happens! I also finished Legend and started listening to The Belles.

The Crafting Report:
I finished Boris's web and found him a home:





What We're Watching:
Nothing last night, since Charlie was feeling a little under the weather yesterday and we all just turned in once I got home from work.

I love, love, love the pics of Boris in his new home. Is that scene a permanent part of the library decor?

Also ... what sort of toppings do you have on your baked potatoes? We've had a hankering for them lately and I'm trying to decide whether to make a meal of them or have them in the traditional fashion as a side with plenty of butter.

>96 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! The tree et al. are permanent fixtures. If you look closely, you may be able to see that each thing is interactive for the kiddos, with little knobs to move and trace within the tracks.

We generally don't go to crazy with our toppings: butter, cheese, sour cream. Tomm likes corn on his, too. I'll also steam some peas as a side. We'll add some fruit and call it a meal.

>97 scaifea: thanks Amber!

I love Boris and his new home! I had a dog named Boris as a kid (random fact you didn't need to know).

Baked potatoes sound really good right now...

>98 lauralkeet: Of course!

>99 katiekrug: I love the name Boris, and of course all spiders are named Boris. I love that your dog was, too!

I'm *so* looking forward to dinner already!

I'm generally not much of a Halloween fan. I get candy for the Trick or Treaters but no decorations or costumes. That said, I think your spiders and webs to decorate the library are great!! You're so creative and talented with your crafts that it's no surprise but how great o just make that up from your head and have it come out so well!

That spider is so stinkin' cute. That picture makes me nostalgic for the kid's section of my local library. All those bright colors and cool things to do.

I'm pretty simple on my baked potatoes too. I like sour cream and chives, maybe some bacon bits if I don't have a separate protein. But I'll also eat a potato in almost any way you put it in front of me.

>101 scaifea: This: I love the name Boris, and of course all spiders are named Boris. Of course, even if they are girls. Your Boris looks very at home on the trees.

Love a good jacket spud!

>102 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba! My coworkers are amazing with the creative talents, too. I'll have to try to remember to take photos of their crafty decorations, too, which so far include a couple more webs and a fall-themed gnome.

>103 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks! I love a good children's library section. Ours is small but cozy.

I like to keep my potatoes simple so the potato taste doesn't get lost. Po-tay-toes are my love language.

>104 Helenliz: Yes! Even the girls!

>95 scaifea: Hollow looks really cute! Looking forward to your review of that one. I loved the Heartstopper TV show and my library hold on the first volume just came in, so I should be getting to it soon :)

>108 curioussquared: Ha! I'm the opposite - I'm trying to get through the books before watching the show!

>95 scaifea: love the crafting! Great idea :)

>109 scaifea: This was one of those rare TV shows (Outlander is another) where I thought I had no interest in the book... and then I watched the show and decided I needed to backtrack :) You're in for a treat when you get to the Heartstopper show!

>110 figsfromthistle: Thanks! It's so much fun, especially when people come in and oooh and aaah at our decorations.

>111 curioussquared: I'm really excited to get to it!

On the Agenda for Today:
Grocery shopping this morning, baking (Cherry Cobbler Bars), and sewing, sewing, sewing. Charlie has an away game tonight, and Tomm and I will be having date night at home: steaks on the grill, eating on the new patio, then enjoying a nice fire in the fire pit.

Charlie came home early from school on Wednesday with a slight fever and nausea, insisting that he'd be better the next day. He went to school yesterday, again insisting that he was better, but although he didn't have a fever anymore I was skeptical. Last night he still didn't seem to be his usual self, but again this morning he's insisting he's okay. I think he just doesn't want to miss the band performance and I'm worried that he'll overdo it tonight, but I feel like I need to let him make his own decision here. It's his body, after all, and if the worse that happens is that he learns a lesson about overdoing it, then so be it. *sigh* Parenting, eh? At least I know he knows we'll be there in a heartbeat if he calls from the game feeling sick and wanting to come home (thankfully this away game is only about 20 minutes away).

On the Reading Front:
Not a lot of reading time yesterday - most of my time is going toward sewing for now - but I did start Thieve's World, read a bit of Hollow, and listened to some of The Belles.

The Crafting Report:
I finally finished cutting out all the pieces for Charlie's costume and got the first seams sewn yesterday. It doesn't look like much yet, but it's a start:



What We're Watching:
Still working on Sampson and the Vampire Women. We also watched B99: Halloween Heist 2.

If he does overdo it, at least he has the weekend to recover!

Enjoy your date by the fire. Sounds lovely!

>115 katiekrug: Very true. And thanks! I'm really looking forward to it!

132. Legend by Marie Lu (audiobook) - 8/10
A dystopian YA novel set in a post-US in which no one remembers when it *was* the United States. In this new Republic, all 10-year-olds must go through The Trial, and extensive mental and physical test. Those who pass are allowed to attend college and become part of the respected citizenry. Those who don't are allegedly sent to labor camps, although they're never seen again. June in the only person ever to have earned a perfect score in the Trial and is training to be part of the Republic's military, just like her older brother. Day had grown up much less privileged than June and was told that he failed the Trial. He escaped before suffering the fate of the labor camps and has been living on the lam in the slums for the last five years, while also trying to keep an eye on his family and secretly provide for them as best he can. But when his family contract the plague, Day tries to rob a hospital for medicine and somehow in the scuffle, June's brother is killed. The hunt for Day brings the two of them together and leads to all kinds of secrets being revealed.

I enjoyed this one, although there isn't much that's new here. Corrupt government tells the populace that it knows best, precocious teens on opposite sides of the track find each other, fall in love, and fight for What's Right sort of thing. But still, it's well written and worth the time if you like this sort of thing. I think it's the first of a series, but for now I think I'm good stopping here.

133. Heartstopper vol. 3 by Alice Oseman (graphic novel) - 9/10
Another lovely entry in the series. Feels like a big warm gay hug and I love it.

>117 scaifea: I read this one a few years ago and felt the same way. Enjoyed it, but didn't feel a need to move on.

>119 curioussquared: *sigh* I'm chasing the high of The Hunger Games and I'm just not finding it yet.

>114 scaifea: Thieves World one of the shared world series I have on my re-reads shelf, Merovingian Nights with some of the same authors being another. What I'd like to get a copy of is the original Borderlands books - one of the original authors disappeared, meaning some pieces can't be re-printed.

>121 quondame: I'm enjoying it so far and I love the concept. I can understand the hazards of reprints, though.

On the Agenda for Today:
I have the Saturday shift today, so I'll be working until 3, then I'm hoping to get some sewing time in before starting dinner. We'll see how it goes.

On the Reading Front:
I made some progress with Assaulted Caramel yesterday and listened to more of The Belles.

The Crafting Report:
I made a little witch's broomstick to add to our library decorations:



And Charlie's costume is coming along:



What We're Watching:
Tomm and I decided to try Derry Girls last night and were immediately hooked. So. Good.

I can't remember if I share a photo of what the end goal is for Charlie's costume - he wants to be Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist:

Hooray for Derry Girls! I'm excited that season 3 just dropped on Netflix.

>125 katiekrug: Yes!! Good timing on our part, I think.

On the Agenda for Today:
Laundry, baking (Snickerdoodle Cake and possibly Blackberry Cobbler Bars to take to work tomorrow), and sewing. Carrot Soup for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I spent time with Assaulted Caramel yesterday, read a bit of Hollow, and listened to more of The Belles.

The Crafting Report:
I crocheted a witch's hat to go with the broomstick at work yesterday:



And Charlie's jacket is nearly finished - I just need to sew on the trim today. If I get that finished, I'll start cutting out my costume pieces this afternoon because I need to wait until I (hopefully) tomorrow to get help with the cricut from my boss, who is a cricut master, to cut out the symbol that needs to get ironed onto the back of the cloak before I start sewing it.

What We're Watching:
The latest My Hero Academia episode after we finished the MST3K movie.

Oh, man, snickerdoodle cake sounds AMAZING!

>128 katiekrug: Right?! I've never made it before, but I'm extremely excited!

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Staff Day at the library, so I'm working 9-5 but we're not open to the public. Should actually be a fun day: we're all having some tech training time, going out to eat for lunch, and then doing some brainstorming/chatting in the afternoon. After that I'll pick Charlie up from band practice and go home to leftovers.

On the Reading Front:
Not a lot of reading time yesterday, although I did sneak in a few pages of A Court of Silver Flames. Still listening to The Belles.

The Crafting Report:
The jacket part of Charlie's costume is finished:



Next up is the cloak, but I first need to get the emblem cut out on the cricut and ironed onto the back piece. I'm hoping to get that done today at work, so in the meantime yesterday I started cutting out the pieces for my costume.

What We're Watching:
Another Derry Girls episode - I LOVE this show! - and then The Corpse Bride.

How did the Snickerdoodle Cake turn out?

>131 foggidawn: It's delicious!

On the Agenda for Today:
I work 3-8, so I have a good chunk of the day to sew before going in. My boss helped me use the cricut to cut out the iron-on stuff, so the first order of business will be getting that transferred onto the fabric. She's inspired me to dust off my own cricut and try to learn how to use it, too. I also have a few odds and ends to get cleared off my desk and a couple of appointments to make (ick - phone calls).

On the Reading Front:
I finished Hollow and read a chunk of Cemetery Boys yesterday.

The Crafting Report:
I finished a teeny crochet cauldron for work (and forgot to take a photo! I'll try to remember today) and started crochet a pumpkin.

What We're Watching:
Charlie had quite a bit of homework, so once he was finished we just watched an episode of Death Note and called it a night.

Morning, Amber. We are back. Charlie's costume looks fantastic. Your tailoring/crafting skills are impressive.

>134 msf59: Morning, Mark! I hope you had a fantastic trip! And thanks, friend. I *love* making his costumes.

134. Hollow by Shannon Watters (graphic novel) - 9/10
A graphic novel version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow written by one of the authors who brought us The Lumberjanes. And it's just as awesomesauce as that sounds.

>136 scaifea: Oh awesome! I've had this on The List since I ran across it (probably in a Library Journal or similar?) so I'm glad to hear it's good!

>137 MickyFine: I predict that you will love it.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 9-3, then picking Charlie up from band practice, then making dinner. Not a lot else will get done. French Breaded Chicken Breasts for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I finished My Hero Academia vol 5 yesterday, and I just finished The Belles this morning. Reviews to come.

The Crafting Report:
I got the iron-on bit complete for Charlie's cloak and I'm about halfway through sewing it together:



I'm still working on the crochet pumpkin at the library.

What We're Watching:
An episode of Death Note last night.

Your dinner plan made me think of the mother in Better Off Dead...



IYKYK ;-)

>140 katiekrug: HAHAHAHA YES! Hopefully mine will be a bit more successful.

On the Agenda for Today:
I work the 3-8 shift, and before that I'll mostly be sewing, although I also need to get my menu planning done and my grocery list sorted for tomorrow.

I had a particularly good day at work yesterday. I helped a patron tidy up his resume while he shy-excitedly told me about a new job opportunity that had fallen into his lap and how he hadn't needed to put together a resume in years. Then one of our older regulars came in for her weekly batch of 5-6 books and we chatted for a bit about the kinds of books she likes and how much she reads. As she was leaving she said that she didn't know what she'd do without the library. Same, friend. Same. And then a mom with her two not-yet-school-aged kiddos came in, played in the children's area for a while, picked out a pile of books, and while I was checking them out she told me that she always loves our picture book displays because "you all always choose the coolest books and have such neat themes!" I thanked her and told her that means a lot to me, since I'm the one who creates the children's books displays! Completely made my day. I love my job.

On the Reading Front:
I started listening to Gearbreakers yesterday, which seems promising so far, and I read a bit of Hot British Boyfriend, which is, I'm afraid, not so hot but I'm committed at this point to finish it.

The Crafting Report:
I made god progress on my crochet pumpkin yesterday. And since I don't work until 3 today, I'm hoping to finish up Charlie's cloak this morning.

What We're Watching:
We started one of my favorite MST3K movies last night: Mitchell.

Sounds like a great day at work, Amber. It's obvious to all of us here that you love your job, and it's great that others see it too and take the time to comment.

I love how much you love your job. Makes me go all squeeeee inside. I love mine most of the time; I'm in audit flap mode right now. 2 in 2 weeks was a monstrous piece of bad planning!

>143 lauralkeet: >145 Helenliz: Thanks, ladies! I always knew I'd love working in a library, but I didn't realize just how much it would feel like I'm part of a place that is such a sanctuary and resource for the community. I feel like I'm actually, honestly helping people. Plus, books! It's wonderful.

135. The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (audiobook) - 8/10
In a world in which nearly everyone is born grey and ugly, Camilla is a Belle. She is naturally beautiful and has the power to make others that way as well. But her power is not her own to wield; she is under the service of the Queen and also must live under the tyranny of the psychotically unhinged princess. Camilla's rebellious and stubborn streak threatens to get her into trouble, as does the handsome noble boy who seems to be near every time she turns around. Will she and her Belle sisters successfully negotiate the dangerous world of the court, or will Camilla's rebellious spirit get them all killed?

The summary for this one sounded great and I was excited to read it, but it fell a little flat for me. Camilla has no dynamic characteristics at all, the bad guys are one-dimensionally so, and the secrets aren't nearly mysterious enough. Camilla was frequently put in harm's way but I just couldn't muster the interest to be worried, let alone thrilled to the seat's edge. I won't bother with the sequel because I suspect I could guess the plot fairly accurately on my own. It's too bad, really, because it's a fun premise.

136. My Hero Academia vol 5 by Kohei Horikoshi (manga) - 9/10
Another great entry in the series. I adore these characters.

On the Agenda for Today:
Grocery shopping this morning, then sewing. I just have to hem the sleeves on Charlie's cloak and then I'll be finished with his costume! Football game tonight with Charlie in the pre-game and halftime shows.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of The Tea Dragon Society and listened to a good chunk of Gearbreakers.

The Crafting Report:
I'm nearly finished with my little crochet pumpkin at work, and I finally remembered to take a photo of the teeny cauldron:



And here's Charlie's costume (minus the black pants and boots):







What We're Watching:
We finished up MST3K: Mitchell last night.

>149 scaifea: The costume looks great!

Hi Amber! :)

That costume looks better than what Netflix produced for it's movie (watch it if you want to laugh/get mad, They butchered the story real bad). And I'm sorry to hear Charlie was/could be sick. Given that COVID isn't gone I understand your worries completely. It's the same tough choice a lot of adults have to make now (*le sigh*).

I love the witch-hat and broom too. I'd proudly keep that on my desk year round :)

>150 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi! On to the Strega Nona costume now...

>151 Ravenwoodwitch: I saw some stills from the movie and wow. Yeah, I think I'll pass. The anime was SO GOOD, though!

Charlie's feeling better, thanks!, but now Tomm seems to have caught it. It's just a cold that's gonna work it's way through the house, which means I have that to look forward too probably next week. Awesome.

Thanks for the costume and crafting love! The broom in particular was super easy, actually, and I may whip up some more.

I love all your witchy crochet projects all gathered together!

>149 scaifea: Oh wow! Charlie is quite lucky to have such a wonderfully custom made costume! Very well done!!

Have a great weekend :)

Crossing my fingers your immune system holds up better than you expect and you get to skip the Scaife men's cold.

>154 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! They're in front of the circ desk computer that I normally use.

>155 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! I've made his costume every year and will do so for as long as he lets me. It's one of my favorite things.

>156 MickyFine: Oooh, yeah, keep those fingers crossed - I have another costume to make and can't afford the down time right now!

On the Agenda for Today:
Laundry, sewing, and then another band festival, this time Charlie's school is the host. Concession Stand food for dinner, likely.

On the Reading Front:
I finished two books at the football game last night: Assaulted Caramel and Hot British Boyfriend. Reviews to follow. Still listening to Gearbreakers.

The Crafting Report:
I'm working on cutting out the pieces for my costume now, and I'm hoping I'll get started with the sewing today, too. I also started crocheting a little mummy guy. We'll see how that goes.

What We're Watching:
Big Red Band Halftime Show!

>160 scaifea: I'm curious, what happens at a band festival?

>161 MickyFine: A handful of high school bands come together and perform for each other and the crowd. Everybody cheers everyone else on and it's an all round feel-good time.

137. Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower (mystery) - 8/10
Bailey is an up and coming chocolatier in NYC and is just about to be named the successor of her mentor and owner of a famous chocolate...place (chocolaterie?) when she gets a call that her grandfather is seriously ill. So, she drops everything and heads home to the middle of Amish country in Ohio. Her grandparents run a chocolate shop in a small Amish town, which sounds cozy and welcoming as heck, but then of course there's a murder, right in the chocolate shop's kitchen. And Bailey is Suspect Number One.

A good, solid start to a new (for me) cozy mystery series. Very Hallmark-like, what with the Big City Girl coming back to Small Town Midwest, needing to choose between the a-hole boyfriend she left behind in the city and the handsome and sweet small town deputy she finds here. Plus, I didn't at all guess correctly who the killer was, which is always a good sign. I'll likely continue with the series. Bonus: it's set in an area of Ohio that's nearby to me!

138. Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce (romance) - 7/10
A high school senior decides to run away from the embarrassment of the viral video showing her throwing herself at a boy who, it turns out, doesn't like her at all, and she last-minute joins an exchange semester abroad in England. She meets new friends, enjoys some traveling, falls head over heels for the eponymous guy, and remains fairly clueless about how relationships work, really.

This one earns a big fat Meh from me. The main character is annoying at best and the plot is threadbare. She falls for the wrong guy twice before finally realizing the Right Guy is Right There (and honestly I feel bad for RG), but still I didn't see much growth from her at all. It felt like mediocre self-insert fanfic.

>164 scaifea: she last-minute joins an exchange semester abroad in England

This makes my professional spidey-sense tingle, and not in a good way.

>164 scaifea: that's a "no" from me then.

>165 rosalita: Yep. It's not at all plausible in the real world. And part of her 'personality' is that she's not a very good student, and the trip is specifically for advanced seniors? Yeah.

>166 Helenliz: Probably a good call.

On the Agenda for Today:
Lots of sewing, hopefully. I have all the pieces cut and ready to go, so here's hoping I made good progress on the actually sewing today. There's also laundry to do (ugh) and dinner to make (Broiled Pizza Burgers), but mostly I'll be in the sewing room.

On the Reading Front:
I got some good listening in yesterday with Gearbreakers, and a read a bit of Cemetery Boys.

The Crafting Report:
See above notes on my costume.

What We're Watching:
Bands at the Band Festival!!

On the Agenda for Today:
I have a therapy appointment later this morning, and then Charlie has requested Apple Cider Ice Cream, so I'll be making that today, too. Otherwise, I'm devoting the rest of my day to the sewing room. Chicken Noodle Soup for dinner tonight.

I've been really lax about exercising lately, but this morning I got back on the treadmill for the first time in something like two or three weeks. I didn't want to, but I did it anyway and now I feel pretty good about myself. Now, if I can just make it through the day without shotgunning a bag of candy corn, I'll be golden.

On the Reading Front:
I didn't get much reading time yesterday, but I did finish The Tea Dragon Society and I'm nearly finished with Gearbreakers.

The Crafting Report:
The Strega Nona dress is coming along! I'm excited. I do love a gathered skirt, but dang, that's a LOT of fabric. I just need to finish the collar, put in the zipper, and do the hemming. And then I'll make the apron.

I worked a bit more on my crochet mummy, too. I have a foot and a leg!

What We're Watching:
The latest My Hero Academia episode and Hubie Halloween.

Morning, Amber. Just checking in. Charlie's costume looks fantastic. You are quite the artisan. Ooh, apple cider ice cream. I don't think I have ever had it.

>171 msf59: Morning, Mark! Thanks for the costume love - I'm having fun making my own now! Apple cider ice cream is so good, but a little time intensive. I don't mind, though. I love Charlie requests!

Apple cider ice cream sounds delicious!

>173 foggidawn: It really is.

Mmm, apple cider. My favorite part of fall, besides Halloween.

G'morning/afternoon Amber :) I share your frustration with getting a workout in; I just got back to some strength training this morning. I try to make cardio more attractive by using it as an excuse to watch Youtube shorts for half an hour.

>175 Ravenwoodwitch: The house smells *so* good right now after I've cooked the apples! The ice cream machine is doing its thing as I type...

Ha! I do that, too, with the videos! Plus listen to music, which I tend not to do otherwise.

Intrigued by the apple cider ice cream tell more...

Starting Medea. What do I need to know going in? Will use the same approach as previously, read it once, then read again with the notes.

>177 Helenliz: The ice cream is essentially a vanilla recipe with a syrup made from apples and spices blended in. It's so, so good.

Hm. Okay, so things to keep in mind for Medea:
1) Euripides was as close to a feminist as you'll get in Ancient Greece. Most of the women in Greek mythology who show any power at all are severely punished for it and portrayed, in the end, as monsters. Think about how Medea lines up with this...

2) This is the version of Medea that we're now familiar with because Euripides made it popular (although not in his own time - he wasn't well loved by his contemporaries), but Euripides shocked his audience with this ending, which departs from the original version of the story in a very significant way. In the earlier versions of the myth, Medea doesn't kill her children. On your second read through, look for the ways that Euripides plays with his audience's expectations here.

3) I hope you adore it as much as I do. It's one of my very favorite pieces of Greek lit.

On the agenda for today:
I'm working 12-8 and before then I'll be sewing mostly.

On the Reading Front:
I've decided to DNF On Apology. Disappointing. I was looking for an interesting take on why we approach apologies the way we do, a sociolinguistic analysis maybe, but instead it just reads like this dude decided he was interested in apologies and "studied" them for a bit and wrote stuff down. There's nothing I can see in here that's beyond a layperson's common sense. *sigh*

Anyway.

I finished up The Infinity Concerto and Gearbreakers yesterday and started listening to The Summer Prince.

The Crafting Report:
The Strega Nona dress is nearly finished - I just have to sew the hems. I still need to make the apron, but that shouldn't take too long, and then I'll be done! I also did a little bit of work on my crochet mummy yesterday.

What We're Watching:
We started another MST3K last night: The Crawling Eye.

Congrats on having the costumes all wrapped up with plenty of time to spare!

>180 MickyFine: Well, I'm not done yet - I still have the apron and the head scarf to make.

>181 scaifea: For a someone as skilled at sewing as you that should take 30 seconds or so, yes? 🤣

>178 scaifea: Golly. There's a whole lot to unpick there! Not sure I agree with the writer of the intro. I suspect there will be questions...

>182 MickyFine: *snork!* Oh sure.

>183 Helenliz: I'm here for any questions you have!

>182 MickyFine: >184 scaifea: But it's way common for us to say it'll take 20min and 2 days later.....

>186 quondame: Ha! Yeah, I know better. It *always* takes way longer than you think it will.

On the Agenda for Today:
I work the Dolly Shift today so there's not much else on the list. Leftovers for dinner, with possibly some mac & cheese in a supporting role.

On the Reading Front:
I started The Words in My Hands yesterday and listened to more of The Summer Prince. I'm behind by three reviews. Gah.

The Crafting Report:
So here's how the dress looks so far (again, I still need to make the apron and the head scarf):



I fancied it up just a little by putting a sort of secret decorative topstitch around the neck:



And here's the little crochet pumpkin I've been working on at the library:



What We're Watching:
A Death Note episode last night when I got home from work. Also, I've been watching Heartstoppers on my own when I'm home for lunch and it is *so* adorable.

Your sewing and crochet projects look great, Amber! Looking forward to seeing both costumes complete :) Hope you have a great Wednesday!

>189 bell7: Thanks, Mary!

>188 scaifea: That is the most adorable gourd I have ever seen
The costume's gonna look so cool. The character's name rang a bell for me but now I'm starting to picture it again. I think my favorite was the one with the overflowing pot of pasta?

>188 scaifea: The dress looks great and I love the secret detail you put in just for you. Also, how cute is that pumpkin?! Your amigurumi skills are super impressive friend.

>191 Ravenwoodwitch: Aw, thanks!!

I've got a little cauldron and some 'pasta'-colored yarn to have an overflowing pot to go with the costume.

>192 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

139. Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta (audiobook) - 8/10
Post-apocalyptic YA novel about a small group of resistance fighters living in the wastelands vs. the people in charge, who modify young people into living bots who can't feel pain and who pilot the giant mech that goes out to destroy the resistance. One of the pilot bots is a young woman who is secretly wanting to smash the system from the inside, and when she helps another young woman, who's been captured as a resistance fighter, to escape, they form an unlikely partnership to bring down the mech and the whole ruling establishment. They've been trained their whole lives to hate each other, but something stronger keeps pulling them toward one another.

A Juliet and Juliet story set amongst a group of excellent characters and an interesting plot. This one ends on a cliffhanger, so be prepared to want the second book right away.

140. The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill (impulse library checkout) - 9/10
A sweet graphic novel about two fairy-like girls who both find their way to a dragon tea shop and befriend the dragons and their tenders. It's warm and soothing and just the right amount of sweet, just like a good cuppa.

141. The Infinity Concerto by Greg Bear (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 7/10
In this novel, composing a certain kind of rare song will transport you to another dimension, where the Sidhe rule harshly over the humans trapped there. A young man follows the directions let to him by an older gentleman he befriended (and who happened to help write one of those rare songs) and ends up in this other dimension too. He has no idea how to get home and doesn't seem to have much luck finding anyone able or willing to help him. Instead he gets assigned to three old witch-crones who train him for he doesn't know what, and meanwhile he tries to avoid getting killed by the Sidhe and by various other nasty things.

This goes on for far too long, and so when the plot finally did pick up again, I couldn't muster the energy to care much. It's too bad; the story idea is very cool, but the execution, not so much.

On the Agenda for Today:
Menu planning and prepping my grocery list this morning, and then right off to the grocery store. Then I'll be sewing most of the day, probably, before picking Charlie up from school, hustling home to get him a snack before he changes into his band stuff and I hustle him right back to school (in a 40 minute window), because the band is going to the Circleville Pumpkin Show tonight. Tomm and I aren't going because tonight is also parent/teacher conferences. And then we'll pick Charlie up with the band gets back to town around 11:30 tonight. Whew. Not sure what Tomm and I will do for dinner; Charlie will have fair food at the show and I'm trying hard not to be mad jealous about that.

On the Reading Front:
Not much to report here - I kept pretty busy at work yesterday and crocheted in the little down time I had. I did listen to a chunk of The Summer Prince while packing cargo.

The Crafting Report:
The current crochet project is coming along - a cute little mummy - although I'm not sure I'll have him finished in time for the Halloween party on Monday. We'll see. If not, he'll just be ready for next year. I'm hoping to polish off my costume today. Fingers crossed.

What We're Watching:
We started MST3K: Final Justice last night.

Too bad you have to miss the pumpkin show, Amber. Although I too would prioritize the parent/teacher conference. Does Charlie have school tomorrow after such a late night?

>199 lauralkeet: We were torn about one of us going to the show and the other going to conferences, but Charlie said he doesn't mind us missing the parade and we think it's important for both of us to meet his teachers. Maybe next year we'll get to go. And yes, he'll have school tomorrow. And I work in the morning. I suspect we'll all be dragging our butts tomorrow morning.

>200 scaifea: oof. Good luck!

>198 scaifea: That's a day so busy I'm tired just reading it! Hope it all goes to plan.

So: Medea. Apologies this might be quite long. Don't feel obliged to fit any of this into your busy day.

Firstly, the edition I read was first published in 1910, by Gilbert Murray, in rhyming verse. I assume that the Greek would have rhymed and not all have used the same rhyme structure, so what I'm reading (or, indeed mumbled under my breath) wouldn't have been so very different albeit in a different language.

In his introduction, he describes the play as being unsuccessful as it was so laden with hate. He also strikes me as a man of his time, so there's that and we'll move on. I'm don't agree. Medea is very angry with Jason (justifiably, imo) and for now she hates Jason for abandoning her and everything that she'd done for him, including 2 children. But it feels to me that the hate is the flip side of love and that there is a path back, if they were both able to take it. I can't see it happening, I think we're beyond that point, but I sense anger at her betrayal and hatred of him because of that. I'm not sure that I see the hate as a sustaining force once the play ends, although the anger feels more solid.

To answer your question, I wonder if the original audience might have expected 3 different endings, as the play went along. 1) in the Nurse's opening speech she mentions a blade, might suicide have been a possible ending? I think of suicide due to shame as a Roman trait, but then there's Socrates and his hemlock, so maybe that's my error. 2). Exile. Creon banishes her and her boys, and then Aegeus offers her refuge at his court if she can get there herself. He seems less clear about if the boys are included in that deal. 3) They would be killed (or what ever the judicial version would be) by Creon's family for the death of Creon's daughter.

The chorus strikes me as an odd construct in this play. I could understand them in The Trojan Women, but in this, they seem to be remarkably placid when they hear of the plan for the children to present the bride with the poisoned crown, for instance. What do they represent here? Her servants? local high born women? I'm struggling with their role.

The feminist angle. Well she escapes by her own agency and she leaves on her own terms, that strikes me as probably unusual in itself. While she is subject to male whims, she makes her own decisions, which seem to rather shock them - although her actions do live up to (and probably exceed) Creon's fears which make him banish her in the first place. She feels to not be a cardboard cut out, he's invested her with the whole gamut of emotions and while I'm not sure I understand her, I do feel her to be real.

One question - how old were the children? It doesn't seem to give an age. Especially when they are reported as presenting the gifts to the bride, they feel quite young. But then the relationship between Jason & Medea feels to have been a longer one, this isn't the first flush of love, this is an established relationship. So does that make then older. Can't decide there.

Second question, why is exile with the children not the solution? and it's follow up: What happened in the tale previously?

I have Bright Air Black out of the library and will come to that shortly. Also Stone Blind, which is a shiny new library copy and I probably need to get to quickly before I can't renew it.

>201 lauralkeet: Yep, butts are *dragging* this morning. Ugh.

>202 Helenliz: Hi, Helen! Excellent questions, all. I don't have the proper time to devote to answering them this morning (or enough caffeine yet), but I'm made myself a note to come back when I do.

On the Agenda for Today:
Mostly try to stay awake and coherent. We didn't get in from picking up Charlie until midnight, and that's *way* past everyone's bedtime here. I work at 9:30 and I'm hoping the coffee kicks in a little harder than it has yet before then. We'll have another late night tonight, since it's the last home football game of the season. And then tomorrow morning we're getting our covid boosters and flu shots. Yoicks.

Warning: Giant Parental Brad Ahead. Feel free to skip if you think it may nauseate you.

Charlie's teachers all loooooove him. Like, it's almost embarrassing for other parents to overhear them gushing over him, and I swear I felt a little like a celebrity when we walked down the hall and several times staff members stopped us and asked, "Are you Charlie's parents? He's SUCH a great kid! We all love him so much here!" So apparently he continues to do really well in school. Go figure. My favorite part was meeting his art teacher, so said that she wishes she could have had him in class the last two years as well because he "has such a wonderful talent for art," and then proceeded to show us a couple of his "pieces," which are freaking unbelievable! He rarely shows us things he's working on and so I knew that he's a lot better at drawing than me, but I had no idea that he was so good at the conception and creativity side of it. I'll try to remember to ask him if he minds me sharing a photo of the watercolor he did. I know I'm his mom and so I'm likely to have a certain set of glasses on when I look at his work, but dang, it's amazing.

(end of parental brag)

On the Reading Front:
I listened to more of The Summer Prince yesterday and started reading The Last Samurai.

The Crafting Report:
The costume is pretty much finished! I just need to arrange my yarn pasta in my cauldron and I'll be ready to go for Monday's party:



This is what I'm going for - Strega Nona:



What We're Watching:
Tomm and I watched a handful of Derry Girls episodes last night. Gosh, what a great show.

That costume is AMAZING, Amber!

And brag away, my friend. We already know Charlie is amazing, and hearing about newly-discovered talents just reinforces that.

Hope the caffeine does its job ...

Oof sorry to hear about the back-to-back late nights followed by vaccinations. I hope the rest of your weekend is super chill after all that.

On the other hand, so delighted to hear your proud parent bragging. Way to go, Charlie! :)

Excellent bragging. We'll assume that you & Tomm might have had something to do with it along the way. Well done you, two too.

Love the costume. Have a great time at the party.

That's fine, my homework will wait for marking. >;-)

>206 lauralkeet: Thanks so much, Laura! I'm excited to wear it to work on Monday.

And thanks for the permission to brag. I think this kiddo will be able to be successful at anything he puts his mind to, and that's a pretty great feeling.

>207 MickyFine: Surprisingly we all made it out of bed okay this morning. Vaccines are in a couple of hours, and we don't have anything planned for the rest of the day and most of tomorrow.

And thanks for the bragging enablement!

>208 Helenliz: Aw, Charlie's made the whole parenting thing ridiculously easy, to be honest.

I've got my note to write up responses for you right here beside me. Hopefully this afternoon...

On the Agenda for Today:
Vaccinations this morning, then hopefully lots of reading and napping this afternoon. Tomm's in charge of dinner on the grill tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I didn't waste my last home game reading time and got through a nice little chunk of A Court of Silver Flames. Still listening to The Summer Prince, too.

The Crafting Report:
I did a little bit of crocheting on the mummy yesterday, but didn't have a lot of time for him since we were busy at work decorating the meeting room for the Halloween party. I was up and down a tall ladder - so brave - putting up bats and trying to figure out how to drape candy corn (not real, but triangles of paper plate we painted ourselves) banners from the light fixtures.

What We're Watching:
The last half-time band show of the season!

Charlie gave me permission to show his art work here:

>213 scaifea: Lovely!!

>213 scaifea: Oh, my! I hope I can buy some of his stuff some day!

>213 scaifea: That's amazing!

>213 scaifea: That is really fantastic, Amber.

>213 scaifea: Fantastic work!

Thanks, all! I'm mostly judging it by what I I think I could do, and this is *way* beyond that, although to be fair I'm really really awful at drawing and painting and such.

That ink piece looks really cool :) Charlie's clearly got talent and I hope he considers pursuing more art in the future. As a hobby-artist myself, I'm always keen to see what other people can make over a stretch of time.

The costume looks amazing too!

>221 Ravenwoodwitch: He loves all sorts of artsy stuff so I suspect he'll keep going. Writing is his favorite thing, though, at least at the moment.

On the Agenda for Today:
Not much of anything. I'm feeling a little achy from the flu and covid booster shots, so I want to take it easy today. So I'll stick with just laundry, making my pasta pot, working on my crochet mummy, and reading, I think. Buttermilk Fried Chicken for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I started V for Vendetta yesterday and listened to more of The Summer Prince.

The Crafting Report:
The mummy is coming along, but I'm still not convinced I'll finish him in time for tomorrow's party. We'll see.

What We're Watching:
Hocus Pocus and the latest My Hero Academia episode.

On the Agenda for Today:
Today's the day! The Halloween party for the kiddos at work is this evening, so I get to wear my costume today! I work 12-8 so I'll get some laundry done and probably work on my mummy before that.

On the Reading Front:
V for Vendetta is coming along, and I finished The Summer Prince.

The Crafting Report:
My pasta pot is ready to go, and I made progress on my mummy yesterday. I also actually worked a bit on my scarf again, too.



What We're Watching:
We finished up Hocus Pocus and watched another episode of Death Note.

>213 scaifea: I love this, Amber. It has a Chinese art feel to it. I am impressed. Go Charlie!

>225 msf59: Right?! Go Charlie!!

On the Agenda for Today:
I am completely knackered today after last night's Halloween party. Those kiddos are exhausting, but they had a lot of fun. We hired a DJ who dressed as a pretty convincing Spider-Man, and we made a haunted house in one of the book stack rows (not at all scary, of course) and they all loved it. As promised, here's Strega Nona:



Today I'm going to take it easy except for baking cookies (Pumpkin Spice Buttermilk Cookies) for my Craft and Chat program tomorrow. I'm hoping for reading and napping time today.

On the Reading Front:
No actual page turning to report, but I did listen to some Blasphemy, which is pretty good so far.

The Crafting Report:
My mummy now has legs, a body and a head; I'm now working on the arms.

What We're Watching:
Another Death Note episode.

>227 scaifea: Love your costume! It sounds like the party was a big success — gratifying given how much work it is, I'm sure.

>227 scaifea: Amazing costume, Amber! I'm glad the party was a success too. It sounds like tons of fun for the kiddos.

>227 scaifea: Excellent! You look great and so glad it went off well. Relaxing day required.

>227 scaifea: You look great in your costume, Amber. Glad the kids loved the Halloween party.

>227 scaifea: Great work on the costume, Amber - you look fab! And I'm not surprised the party was a success. You've earned some time with your feet up and your nose in a book.

Thanks, everyone! I kind of hate the photo of me, but I'm happy with how the costume turned out. And some people even knew who I was! I'm already thinking about next year - I think I may try to do stick with children's book characters for a few years, maybe. I've long wanted to make a Willy Wonka costume...

Which reminds me: Charlie's class is going on a field trip today to tour a local chocolate factory. I *begged* him to get one of his friends to take a photo of him in the place, because, well, it would be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! He flatly refused me. *sigh*

>233 scaifea: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! He's going to regret not having that photo when he's a boring grown-up trying to impress his kids. :)

>233 scaifea: Willy Wonka would be such a good costume!

>234 rosalita: Agreed. I'm hoping someone takes his photo anyway. We'll see...

>235 PawsforThought: Right?!?! I've always wanted to wear a top hat, and who could resist a purple velvet vest?!

142. The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson (audiobook) - 8/10
June lives in one of the few cities left in the world after nuclear war wiped out nearly everything, but the city she lives in is a beautiful, towering thing, run well and efficiently by a council of women, headed by a queen. As they rebuilt the city, they decided that men, who were largely responsible for the mass destruction of the war, should not be trusted with power, and so while the women rule for years and years (advances in medicine have made very long life a reality for those who want it) but kings have only one year in the 'office' and are then executed after making a mostly token gesture that marks the existing queen as the one to remain queen for the next year. But when a young, handsome, and dangerously charismatic young man from the poor depths of the city becomes the Summer King, he and June (the best artist in all of Palmares Tres) join forces to turn the establishment on its head. Can they accomplish their goals before Enki will die, and can June keep from falling for her king?

This is a great post-apocalyptic YA story. Original plot, excellent characters, and a pleasantly unpredictable ending.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- that's priceless!! Love your costume too. How nice that the library has a Halloween party for the kids!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is indeed priceless. I agree with Julia, but also sometimes you just can't knock sense into a teen.

Love how your costume turned out!!

Fingers crossed that Charlie changed his mind and took a selfie at the chocolate factory. :)

You look great in your Strega Nona costume. Glad to hear the party was a wild success.

>227 scaifea: Your costume is great! Sounds like a fantastic party. Willy Wonka would also be a fabulous costume. Sorry Charlie wasn't into taking the picture at the chocolate factory.

>233 scaifea: That would be just so perfect...

Thanks, everyone, for the costume love!

Sadly, no photo of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Yeesh. But he did bring home buckeyes (chocolate and peanut butter confections, for you non-Ohioans) and some dark chocolate salted caramels, so he's not completely in the dog house. Tomm and I peppered him with questions when he got home yesterday:

"Did you see any Oompas Loompa?" (I'm convinced that this is the proper pluralization.)
"No."
"Did you try the experimental gum and turn into a blueberry?"
"No."
"Did you ride a cool yet weirdly scary boat down a chocolate river?"
"Seriously, guys. No."

On the Agenda for Today:
I work 12-8 and have my first Craft and Chat program from 6-8. I'm excited. At best I'll have a healthy group of participants all sitting around chatting, drinking tea, eating cookies, working on various crafts, chatting and getting to know one another. At worst I'll have 2 hours to sit in the meeting room by myself, eating my own cookies, knitting, and getting paid for it. Win-win. This morning I'm determined to just putter around and not try to get much done.

On the Reading Front:
I started To Sir Phillip, With Love and Nightseer yesterday after finishing V for Vendetta. Still listening to Blasphemy on audio.

The Crafting Report:
I didn't do any crafting yesterday. I'm behind on my monthly challenge books, and so I took the afternoon to read instead.

What We're Watching:
We started Hocus Pocus 2 last night and so far it's pretty good!

Good luck with the Craft and Chat program, Amber! The fiber guild hosts a monthly group at our library. It did take a little while to build participation beyond the leader and a couple of us who were there for moral support. 😀

>245 scaifea: Oh gosh, buckeyes. They are so delicious!

I'm glad Charlie had fun at the chocolate factory even if he didn't turn into a blueberry. :-)

Happy Wednesday! The party sounds like a lot of fun! I am sure the kiddos appreciate it!

Buckeyes! *sad face* I have a real one on my desk (like from a tree), and I'm sorely tempted to bite it. Would that be wrong?

>247 lauralkeet: Thanks, Laura! I'm hoping I at least get a couple of people tonight. We'll see how it goes.

>248 rosalita: Buckeyes are great, aren't they!?

And speaking of buckeyes, did you see this?:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpg-cT4BHtU

>249 figsfromthistle: Hi, Anita! The kids seem to love the programs we put on at the library. It's adorable.

>250 laytonwoman3rd: Ha! Yeah, maybe not. But I'll play conkers with you if you want...

>252 scaifea: Yes, it was so cool! Apparently it's only the second time the OSU band has collaborated with the visiting team's marching band. I thought they all did a great job. Elton even gave them a shoutout on Twitter.

(That was also a classic example of the halftime show being much more entertaining than the athletic contest, but the less said about that game the better from a Hawkeye perspective.)

>252 scaifea: Amazing marching band show! Elton John!

Karen O

"But I'll play conkers with you if you want..." Yeah, that's a good way to put an eye out. Those things fly off the string...

Crossing my fingers you have at least a couple attendees for your first craft circle. Also welcome to the unpredictable land of library programming!

>255 rosalita: I *love* that they worked together on that! So very cool. And as a band mom who reads through the entire football game and only puts her book down for the halftime show, I concur about the show being much more entertaining than the game.

>256 klobrien2: Right?!

>257 laytonwoman3rd: There's just no pleasing you, is there. Yeesh.

>258 MickyFine: Right?! And even more unpredictable as we try to start things back up after no programming during covid.

Hoping the crafty library session goes well.

Piece of random trivia, the world conker championship was held earlier in the month not a million miles from where I live.

>263 Helenliz: Oooh very cool!!

We got buckeyes here in my neck of the woods, too. Must be a midwestern stroke of genius, lol.
(though my favorites are these things called Trinidads; Dark chocolate ganache with a white chocolate/coconut shell and a dash of salt. *swoon*)

That costume looked so cool! I'm glad all the work to make it paid off in the end. Do you reuse costumes, cause I think that one is definitely a keeper.

>265 Ravenwoodwitch: Oooh, Trinidads! Sounds good!

Oh, I keep all the costumes I make - I put way too much effort into them not to! This one is so comfy that I may just...wear it? Pull a sweater over it and go. That gathered skirt part is so comfy and the fabric is really soft.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm giving myself another day of just puttering and reading, except for menu planning and prepping my grocery list, and then I have a doc appt (just a routine thing) this afternoon.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of To Sir Phillip, With Love yesterday and listened to more Blasphemy.

The Crafting Report:
I finish one of the mummy's arms and then switched over to knitting my scarf yesterday at the craft club. I had one attendee and I'm calling it a first time success because we had a blast and I'm sure she'll spread the work. I know it may take time to build up a regular group and I'm happy that my boss thinks it's worth giving it that time.

What We're Watching:
Another Death Note episode last night.

143. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books) - 9/10
A mysterious man in a Guy Fawkes mask spreads anarchy and vengeance throughout a dystopian London while the corrupt members of government try their best to catch him. Along the way he rescues a desperate young woman and indoctrinates her into his belief system. He's arguably riding the nut wagon, but is his worldview any crazier than the moral and political practices of those in charge?

In this seminal comic of the 1980's Moore's talent shines as he paints a dark and grim dystopia, makes us love to hate The Man while also being fascinated, horrified, and a little in love with the man in the mask as well. I adored it and can't believe it took me so long to read it. And I love a Guy Fawkes mask.

>267 scaifea: Enjoy your laid back day, Amber! So pleased to hear you had at least one attendee at your craft program and fingers crossed you can entice more next month.

>268 scaifea: I love the film but I've never read the original comic. I should probably fix that at some point.

>269 MickyFine: You should definitely fix that. The comic is fantastic.

>267 scaifea: Excellent new on the start. One attendee who had fun could be just the impetus it needs.

>268 scaifea: Oooh Alan Moore. Last time I ventured into his writing was The Killing Joke. Despite the controversy around the book I thought it was good. I'll go ahead and add this one to the list too.

>271 Helenliz: Agreed!

>272 Ravenwoodwitch: Yes! Alan Moore is amazing.

On the Agenda for Today:
Grocery shopping this morning, then cookie baking for the Friday After School Snack (Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies), bill sorting, then possibly some cleaning in the sewing room. I need to get things back in order after the costume making and before I start thinking about holiday projects. We're celebrating our first everyone-at-home-on-a-Friday-night since school started (football season is over) with pizza for dinner.

On the Reading Front:
I started Nightseer yesterday and after 30 pages decided it wasn't for me, so I switched over to Les Miserables for the rest of the day. I also started Assassination Classroom, finished up Blasphemy on audio and started listening to The Serpent. Oh, and I read a bit of The Words in My Hands, too.

The Crafting Report:
I'm finally nearly finished with my scarf! Soon...

What We're Watching:
We watched another half hour of Hocus Pocus 2. We should get it finished tonight.

Yay for a Friday night in! Looking forward to your verdict on Hocus Pocus 2. I've been on the fence about watching it.

>276 MickyFine: So far so good! I was worried that it would be bad, but we're really enjoying it so far.

The new thread is up and there are cookies. Come on over.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/345455