Curioussquared takes refuge in books in 2023

Hello everyone! I'm Natalie. I have participated in the challenge on and off over my almost 15 years (!!!) on LT, and consistently over the past several years.

I'm located in Seattle, where I live with my husband and dogs. I do most of my reading curled up on the couch with my retired racing greyhounds, Skelly, Otter, and Kermit, or listening to audiobooks while doing chores and walking the dogs. I am lucky to work from home full-time in HR communications for a large retail corporation.

I read mostly fiction, with a heavy emphasis on fantasy and sci-fi, romance, YA fiction, general fiction/literature, a scattered mystery here and there, and the occasional non-fiction title.

I've been keeping track of my books read since 2008, and I have traditionally aimed for 100, but I think these days I'm usually hoping to hit 150. Last year I hit 200, which was an all-time high and surprising even to me.

Another typical reading goal for me is to prioritize books off my shelves. Last year I was slightly weighted toward library books and I'd like to shift that back this year. I have a separate thread I maintain in the ROOTs group, and in addition, I have a selection of books off my shelves I'd like to get to this year, which you can see in a post below.

This year started off an a very low note as we have had to say goodbye to our 10-year-old greyhound, Skelly, so I wanted to include a few photos of him as the topper for this thread.

At our wedding in 2021:





Yelling at his brother on the deck:



Being a good sport for Halloween:



In his favorite spot on the couch, very relaxed:



Ideal reading companions:



Up at my in-laws' beach house:



Sunbathing on the deck:



In one of his many pits:



And in the spotlight at our engagement photoshoot:



Sorry for so many, but I didn't want to make myself choose ❤

I had over 30 new-to-me 5-star reads in 2022. I managed to trim it down to these favorites:

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Faithful Place by Tana French
Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Cannery Row by John Steinbeck
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher
Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis

Books read in 2023:

January
1. You Have a Match by Emma Lord (off my shelf)
2. Heartstopper vol. 3 by Alice Oseman (library)
3. The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun (library)
4. A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers (off my shelf)
5. Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres (off my shelf)
6. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (off my shelf)
7. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (reread)
8. The Maid by Nita Prose (library)
9. The Jewel Thief by Jeannie Mobley (off my shelf)
10. Chaos on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer (off my shelf)
11. The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (library)
12. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood (off my shelf)
13. Heartstopper vol. 4 by Alice Oseman (library)
14. This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron (off my shelf)
15. This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron (off my shelf)
16. Possession by A. S. Byatt (off my shelf)
17. Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera (library)
18. Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher (library)
19. A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan (off my shelf)
20. The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher (library)

February
21. Enna Burning by Shannon Hale (off my shelf)
22. Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (off my shelf)
23. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (off my shelf)
24. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers (off my shelf)
25. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (off my shelf)
26. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson (reread)
27. Mysteries of Thorn Manor by Margaret Rogerson (off my shelf)
28. To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (library)

March

Books read in 2023:

April

May

June

Books read in 2023:

July

August

September

Books read in 2023:

October

November

December

Last year, I identified a list of 61 books I own I wanted to get to in 2022, and I made it to 51 of them. This year, I'm being slightly less restrictive and still picking about ~40 books I want to read this year, but in some specific categories.



The first column on the left here is a stack of series continuations and sequels I own that I'd like to get to this year. From the top of the stack to the bottom, they are:

1. All the Weyrs of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
2. Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
3. The Time Garden by Edward Eager
4. The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang
5. The Missing of Clairdelune by Christelle Dabos
6. The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
7. A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
8. Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore
9. Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell
10. Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor
11. Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
12. Rebel Sisters by Tochi Onyebuchi
13. Chaos on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer
14. Broken Harbor by Tana French
15. Forest Mage by Robin Hobb
16. The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel

And not pictured because I have them on my Kindle or forgot to include them in the photo and am too lazy to take a new picture:

17. Tongues of Serpents by Naomi Novik
18. Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
19. In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire
20. Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

The second column on the right are books I've owned for a while (some as far back as 15 years or so!) that it's high time I get to. In order from top to bottom:

21. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
22. Headlong by Michael Frayn
23. Sula by Toni Morrison
24. Possession by A. S. Byatt
25. Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami
26. The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
27. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
28. A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood
29. Long Day's Journey into Night by Eugene O'Neill
30. Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward

The final 10 books are books off my Kindle. I tend to neglect these owned digital books in favor of physical books, so I wanted to prioritize some this year.

31. Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey
32. The Nature of Witches by Rachel Griffin
33. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
34. A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
35. The Martian by Andy Weir
36. The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
37. The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
38. Hidden Figures by Margo Lee Shetterly
39. Woven in Moonlight by Isabel Ibanez
40. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

DONE: 8/40

Here are some fun charts about my reading last year, all courtesy of the BookRiot reading log spreadsheet:



No surprises here!



I'd like to shift this one to more books read off my owned TBR next year.



This is the first year audiobooks have comprised the majority of my reading. I guess it makes sense that would happen since I upped my listening speed this year.



No real surprises here, although romance has quickly risen to become my second-most read genre in just a matter of a few years!



A little surprised my YA reading isn't higher, but that's probably due to the increase in romance reading.









For these last two, I'd love to up these percentages in the new year -- I feel like I read a lot of queer fiction in 2022 so it's possible my recordkeeping on that front was faulty. LGBT+ status is often more difficult to nail down than whether or not the author is a POC.

Safe to post -- welcome to my 2023 thread!

Sorry to be a bummer in the new year, but Skelly took a turn for the worse on Friday morning and has been at the emergency vet since. I'm not sure he's going to pull through this time as it seems his cancer may have returned. I probably won't be very present here for a while.

Looking forward to a future of reading. Happy New Year, Natalie.

>10 curioussquared: Oh no! Sorry to cross post with your sad news, Natalie. I hope Skelly is not in pain. xx ((((HUGS))))

Welcoming your new thread Natalie, sorry the year's off to a poor start. x

❤

I'm so sorry to hear that Skelly is not doing well. Thinking of you both. 🫶

I'm sorry to hear your news. Hoping Skelly gets better and soon. Wishing you all all the best for 2023 Natalie.

Happy New Year, Natalie. So sorry to hear about Skelly.

Happy reading in 2023!

So sorry to hear the bad news, Natalie. Not a great way to start the year

Oh I'm so sorry to hear that about Skelly, Natalie.

Love your stats in >8 curioussquared:. It's fun to track the breakdown each year and see shifts or what stays the same, isn't it? You read much more of your own books than I did in 2022 - nearly half would be amazing for me.

Thanks, everyone. Skelly will have a CT scan today which should give us more insight into possible treatment options. It's still not looking good, but we definitely want to make sure we have exhausted all avenues.

In the meantime, we are twiddling our thumbs and going mad with worry at home. I may try to build out >7 curioussquared: today as a distraction.

>20 bell7: Thanks, Mary! The stats are definitely fun and help me see the holes in my reading.

To be fair, a little more than half of my reading being from my TBR is pretty typical for me. I think my increase in audiobooks this year led to the switch. Also, I don't work in a library, which certainly helps curb the impulse checkouts :)

>22 curioussquared: I had a lot of fun browsing my Storygraph stats for 2022. I use it exclusively for sci-fi, and I definitely have a type, even within my favorite genre.

I hope you get some concrete information this afternoon. Cancer sucks. Wishing you, Tim, Skelly, and his best doggo buddies peace and healing.

Oh, jeez, what an awful start to 2023. I hope things turn around for Skelly.

Oh no, Natalie. I'm so sorry. Putting all my good thoughts toward Skelly and you right now. *hugs*

I'm so sorry about Skelly, Natalie. Waiting is the worst, especially for such a bad situation, and I wish I could do more than say I'm sorry.
Sending all my thoughts to you know with a virtual hug.

ed again!

Obviously sorry to hear about Skelly. Hoping you find an answer soon. Love your book graphics and your long list of 5-star reads! I have only read one of them. ideas, ideas...

: )

Dropping a star Natalie!
Sorry to hear about Skelly, hoping for the best

Dropping by to say hello. I'm sorry to hear about Skelly; holding you all in my thoughts.

I thought I'd starred you but somehow missed it.

Sorry to hear the Skelly news. Sending big hugs for all of you.

Thanks everyone for keeping my thread warm. Unfortunately, all scans revealed that Skelly's stomach cancer had returned aggressively. The tumor had progressed enough that it was obstructing his digestive flow, and was positioned in such a way as to be pretty much inoperable. Since he was unable to digest food, we checked him out of the emergency vet yesterday morning and took him home for a day of cuddles by the fire, a walk around the block with his brothers, and a big dinner of steak and whipped cream before putting him to sleep before he could go downhill further.

So sorry, Natalie.

I'm so sorry, Natalie.

It sounds like you gave him the best last day possible.

I'm so sorry, Natalie.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Natalie. What a nice final day you gave him.

Thanks, all. It was of course extremely bittersweet, but he got to do all of his favorite things and go out an a high note. We're also so grateful for this last extra year we had with him which wasn't guaranteed since he was in such a bad state after his surgery last January. Really grateful for all of our excellent, caring vet teams who bought us more time and let him have a whole extra year of snuggles while Tim and I both worked from home, sunbathing on the deck during our extra long summer, excavating his backyard pit, and running with his brothers and all of his cousin dogs.

Oh Natalie I'm so sorry.
Cancer is an absolute monster and I'm so sorry it's taken a fur-baby from you, too. It's clear Skelly had an amazing set of pet parents between you and your husband, going above and beyond what many can/will do for their pets, and it breaks my heart to see you suffer this loss.
For what it may mean, I lost a fur-baby to cancer in 2019 after two years of fighting it. So, I hope I don't come across as selfish if I say that I feel your pain.

>37 Ravenwoodwitch: Of course not, Angela. I know so many people have been in this position. So sorry about your loss in 2019 -- I know from experience that while the pain dulls, it never totally goes away.

I added some photos of Skelly to my first post -- there are a lot but I couldn't choose. He lived a very full life!

I also added some details about my reading plans for 2023 to >7 curioussquared: -- feel free to take a gander. It was a nice distraction to bury myself in books today.

>1 curioussquared: What a beautiful gown, and a beautiful woman!

I am so very sorry that it was necessary to say goodbye to your beloved Skelley. You did the right thing!!! I speak from experience. When Lilly went downhill rapidly, I knew the only solution was to let her go peacefully. I miss her so very much, but I rest knowing there was no choice.

Again, I am sending hugs and warm support. Our animals provide so very much love and companionship. We owe it to them to allow them to transcend peacefully.

So sorry for your loss, Natalie. *hugs*

I'm so glad he had you to take care of him his whole life and also at the end. Knowing it was the right thing provides a small measure of comfort but oh we miss those sweet friends. I am so happy he had such a perfect final day.

>31 curioussquared: (((((HUGS))))) to you, Nathalie.

I think you made a wise and compassionate decision too. What a nice way to go - with those who loved him and replete with a steak dinner.

>31 curioussquared: Oh, I am so, so sorry. I am glad you got that last cuddle day in but it's never easy to say goodbye even when it's the right thing to do. Big Hugs.

>1 curioussquared: The yell in #3! The tongue in #5! What an awesome Skelly!

>7 curioussquared: From your Kindle list, I've read Priory, The Martian, Bear & Nightingale, and Natural Hx Dragons. I liked all four, especially Priory of the Orange Tree. It's super long and immersive, has lots of cool details about food and fashion, and there's a unique twist on dragons.

I am sorry for your loss. He had an amazing life with you and a perfect final day.

>7 curioussquared: Perusing your list, you have some excellent ones on there! In particular, I've really liked The Golden Enclaves, Seasparrow, Tongues of Serpents, Enna Burning (I should reread that series), The Priory of the Orange Tree, A Natural History of Dragons, The Martian, and The Bear and the Nightingale. If I had to pic my favorite of all those, it would probably be A Natural History of Dragons.

I'm so sorry that Skelly's cancer came back. It sounds like your last day was a good one, though.

>40 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda. I've been here with family dogs before and know how it hurts, but this is the first dog I adopted on my own as an adult. I feel for Tim as Skelly was his first ever dog and he's taking it really hard.

>41 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky.

>42 ursula: Thanks, Ursula. Yeah, no regrets and I know we did the right thing -- just really feeling the Skelly-shaped hole in my life right now.

>43 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul.

>44 Berly: Thanks, Kim.

>45 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana. Looking back at the good times is bittersweet still but I know he had such an awesome life. We were just watching some of the videos from his racing career (adopting an ex-racing greyhound and discovering the wealth of information on your dog on the internet is wild) and enjoying watching the video of his last race, where he was kicked out because he pushed another dog off the track trying to play with it instead of chasing the fake rabbit like a good racer. That was Skelly to a T!

Yeah, Priory has been on my list for a while and I know so many people love it. It's chonky and so a little intimidating, but I know I'll like it so on the list it goes!

>46 foggidawn: >47 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi. Good to know you like the Brennan so much!

>48 drneutron: Thanks, Jim, it was.

I'm working today but avoiding calls for the most part. Hopefully it'll be good to have some distraction.

On the reading front, I'm still in the middle of The Goblin Emperor and Corelli's Mandolin, but put both aside for more light-hearted reads over the past week. I'll get back to them in the next few days. My first book of 2023 will probably be either You Have a Match in print or The Charm Offensive on audio.

I found work to be a good distraction, too, when I was in the middle of it. I hope you can find some small happy moments today :)
These photos were so damn cute. My favorite is the one where he's lounging outside. That derpy tongue is too cute.

Wooh, pie charts :)

I look forward to picking up some BB. I have The Goblin Emperor on my TBR, but both You Have a Match and The Charm Offensive look good. Gah, I have too many books to read.

>51 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks, Angela :) Skelly was probably the least derpy of my dogs, but when he derped, he derped hard.

>52 dreamweaver529: Hi Amanda! I used BookRiot's reading tracker spreadsheet to create my charts :) I also have too many books to read, but that's how I like it.

>53 curioussquared: I love charts of all kinds. Which is good, as I live in excel for a living (accountant).

I, too, love having too many books to read. I love the library systems here in the great Seattle area. In Wisconsin, I only had access to my local library system. Here, as a resident of Pierce County, I can get access to 11 different systems. I have 6 library cards and am planning on getting at least another 4 this year. Which just opens up more books to digitally check out.

>54 dreamweaver529: I am Excel-literate but not proficient. I can figure out just about anything I want to do with Google and am generally comfortable working within/fixing formulas that other people set up, but I am better at working with straight words :) Good thing I'm in communications!

WOW, I am impressed at your library card collection. I thought I was doing well with just Seattle Public Library and King County Library System. Teach me your ways!

>55 curioussquared: It all has to do with Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements. Does your address get you access to the King or Seattle library system?

If your King, I'm way jealous as you have access to: Chelan County, Clallam County, Clark County (excluding Camas), Douglas County (excluding Mansfield, Rock Island), Everett Public Library, Ferry County (excluding Kettle Falls), Fort Vancouver Regional Library, Grant County (excluding Hartline, Marlin, Wilson Creek), Grays Harbor County (excluding Ocean Shores), Island County, Jefferson County Rural Library District, Kitsap Regional Library, Klickitat County, Lewis County (excluding Mossy Rock, Napavine, Pe Ell, Vader), Mason County, Milton Public Library (annexed to Pierce County Library System), North Central Regional Library, North Olympic Library System, Okanogan County (excluding Conconully, Nespelem), Pacific County, Pierce County Library System (excluding Carbonado, Fircrest, Roy, Ruston), Port Townsend Public Library, Puyallup Public Library, Skamania County, Sno-Isle Regional Library, Snohomish County (excluding Woodway), Tacoma Public Library, Thurston County, Timberland Regional Library, and Woodland in Cowlitz County

If in Seattle, then the list is: King County Library System, Everett Public Library, Kitsap Regional Library, Pierce County Library System, Puyallup Public Library, Sno-Isle Regional Library System, Tacoma Public Library, and Timberland Regional Library

Either way, you go to any of the libraries in the aforementioned systems and ask for a library card through the Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement. From there you add the new number to your Libby account and go wild.

>56 dreamweaver529: You have expanded my world today! Nope, not King unfortunately, but Seattle. I'm now the proud owner of digital cards in the Everett, Pierce, and Sno-Isle systems. The other ones had a more complicated process where I would need to submit some additional verification or visit a library in person, which I might pursue at some point but not today :) Either way, I'm very excited!

>57 curioussquared: Glad I could help. I do my best to spread the library love as far and wide as I can.

For me, the visiting the library part is a hidden benefit in a way. As I moved to the area this time last year, I'm using it as a reason to explore my new state. I grew up on Vancouver Island and moved to Wisconsin nearly 18 years ago, and last year finally got the opportunity to move back to the PNW.

>58 dreamweaver529: I love that! I'm a Seattle native, but spent my college years in Wisconsin. I didn't have a car, so didn't make it to too many libraries in WI, but took full advantage of my campus library and the local town's library, which was walkable from campus.

>2 curioussquared: I am currently re-reading Voyager myself. Great list, Natalie!

A belated Happy New Year!

Deeply sorry for your loss Natalie. Vale Skeletor!

I'm now heading up-thread to check out his photos.

ETA: well I shed a tear at the news but the photos made me smile.

>60 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! Good to see you 😊

>61 humouress: Thanks, Nina. I've been pretty down but looking through old photos of happy times cheers me up.

>62 curioussquared: So nice that you could find videos of Skelly in action online. Love that anecdote of him on the track.

when he derped, he derped hard

That's the way to do it. :)

Hello, Nathalie. I am so very sorry to read about your loss. Those photos of Skelly are so full of fabulous. It is a powerful thing to love and be loved so much. What a lovely last day you gave him.

>63 humouress: At one point I was able to have someone involved in the racing industry interpret his racing record for us, which is when we found out that he liked to interfere with other dogs and try to play with them :)

>64 libraryperilous: Agreed!

>65 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie. Skelly definitely brought a lot of light into our lives.

1 book read: You Have a Match by Emma Lord

When Abby's friend Leo convinces her to take a DNA test with him, she's not expecting much -- maybe she'll get some health insights or something. The LAST thing she expects is to find out that she has an older full-blooded sister who lives just 30 minutes away in another Seattle suburb. Abby and Savvy meet up and neither has any ideas about why their parents would conceal something like this from them, and no real ideas for how to get them to open up further. And Savvy is leaving in a few days to be a counselor at the summer camp on a nearby island that she's been going to her whole life -- so she convinces Abby to sign up for camp so they can spend time figuring out what on earth happened.

This had major Parent Trap vibes, but age them up 10 years and add a mystery element -- Abby and Savvy's parents looked like they were friends in the photos they were able to find, so what happened to drive them apart? The first third of the book felt slightly stilted to me, like the author was still finding the characters' voices, and as a Seattleite, the Seattle references felt kind of heavy-handed -- weirdly specific in some places and then super vague and wrong in other places. I kept going because I was still enjoying the story as a whole, and I'm glad I did because I couldn't put this book down by the end. There were several different storylines woven together -- the secret sister thing, Abby's spiraling grades and school problems, Abby and Leo's almost-romance -- and I thought Lord did a really good job of bringing them together and tying them all up in a very cohesive way that managed to feel like no plot element was ignored but also it wasn't TOO tidy. 4 stars.

I'm working again today before a totally unscheduled weekend. My dad turned 80 yesterday and we might go to a fancy hotpot restaurant in one of the Eastside suburbs to celebrate, but I'm not sure Tim will be up for it yet, so we might delay a week or so. It would also be nice to just catch up around the house and veg -- maybe some reading and some Pokemon Violet.

Still listening to The Charm Offensive and will probably finish that one before getting back to Corelli's Mandolin. Now that I'm done with You Have a Match, I'll probably pick up The Goblin Emperor again in print. On Kindle, A Psalm for the Wild-Built and Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls are next on the docket.

Hi Natalie, I have you starred.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

>69 kgodey: Welcome, Kriti. Thank you.

I've obviously been a little stressed over the last week, so what did I do? Placed two separate Book Outlet orders, of course. Nothing better than retail book therapy.

Here's what's coming my way:

Beasts of Prey
Blade of Secrets
Chaotic Good
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder
Sistersong
The Mad Women's Ball
The Ones We're Meant to Find
This Wicked Fate
A Choir of Lies
A Far Wilder Magic
A River Enchanted
Catfishing on CatNet
Siren Queen
Summer of Salt
The Alice Network
The Echo Wife
Victories Greater Than Death
The Witness for the Dead
The Grief of Stones

Oh, I'm so sorry that you've had to say goodbye to Skelly. As others have already said, you were wonderful owners and gave him such a good life. Seeing that our pet friends leave this world in the easiest and least painful way is one of the hardest but most important part of our jobs. Sending you all kinds of hugs.

>72 scaifea: Thanks, Amber ❤️

Dropping in to say hello. I am sorry to hear about Skelly. ((Hugs))

>71 curioussquared: I can certainly empathize with that form of therapy, Natalie.

Some on there I don't have any knowledge of so I will look out for your thoughts on them.

((((HUGS))))

>74 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita ❤

>75 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. Yes, I imagine many LTers practice some retail book therapy semi-regularly. I will make sure to report back when I get to them!

2 books read: Heartstopper vol. 3 by Alice Oseman

In this third volume of the series, Nick and Charlie are headed to Paris on the school trip and thinking about making their relationship public.

Still as cute as ever and I devoured this one, too. Can't wait for my hold on #4 to come in -- but then I'll have to wait until June for #5! 5 stars.

3 books read: The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

Dev has loved Ever After, the Bachelor-style reality TV show he works for, ever since he was a kid. Normally he works with the girls Ever After's prince is wooing, but the latest prince, Charlie, needs some serious help, and Dev is the best handler they have. Charlie didn't agree to come on Ever After to find love -- really, he's there to rebuild his professional reputation after a panic attack at work got him blacklisted and fired from the company he built. While Charlie is physically conventionally gorgeous, he suffers from severe OCD and anxiety disorder that leaves him pretty clueless and uncomfortable socially, and all he wants is to be allowed back in the tech world. Charlie seems like he's going to be hopeless as a prince, and Dev, desperate to save the show, steps in, offering to take him on "practice dates" and help him settle down so he'll be more comfortable on camera. As Dev and Charlie get closer, things seem to be improving on the show -- but the person Charlie's falling for isn't one of the girls.

This was a sweet, fun romance, if a little unbelievable in the end. I loved Dev and Charlie's relationship progression and that both had their personal demons to confront in a realistic way. I also appreciated that the last-act conflict wasn't just based on a misunderstanding, which can make or break a romance novel for me. 4 stars.

4 books read: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers

Many years ago, there was the Awakening, when robots came alive and revolted, refusing to do their work and retreating into the wilderness. Since then, humans have learned the error of their ways and for the most part, they keep to their designated areas, leaving most of the wilds to nature and the robots. Dex felt unfulfilled in their life as a garden monk, so they changed vocation and became a tea monk. Now they travel all of Panga in their bike wagon, stopping at villages to listen to the woes of the people and serve tea to heal them. But a few years later, they start feeling unfulfilled again, and a strange urge leads them to drive into the wilderness. There, they meet the robot Mosscap -- and together, the two ponder the meaning of it all.

What a lovely, heartwarming novella. Can I visit a tea monk? This is everything I love in a cozy book, and I think everyone can identify with Dex's struggles to find a purpose. I normally shy away from anything approaching a philosophical novel, but this is the kind of philosophy I can get behind -- gentle and relatable. I'll probably pick up book 2 sooner rather than later. 5 stars.

Happy weekend! It's been a pretty slow one here. We went to a few open houses around the area -- we're not looking to move ASAP, but I think we've decided to move in the next year or two and visiting houses for sale is something we both enjoy. Otherwise, I worked out, walked the dogs, and spent some time thinking about meals for the week and placing a grocery order for the week. We've had a lot of takeout of the past week for obvious reasons but trying to get back into good cooking habits. We've also started watching season 2 of White Lotus and are enjoying it a lot.

Still working on The Goblin Emperor and Corelli's Mandolin -- both have suffered a little from being put down for a week in the middle, but I'm getting back into them now.

>1 curioussquared: I am not sure how I missed that you have lost Skelly. I am so sorry.

>67 curioussquared: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation.

>71 curioussquared: Retail therapy can work wonders, right?

>79 curioussquared: I loved that one too!

>80 curioussquared: I am tackling The Goblin Emperor this month too. If you do the TIOLI challenges, I have put it under #14, if you care to join me.

Have a marvelous Monday, Natalie!

>81 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia. Yes, retail therapy can work wonders! Now waiting by the door for my books to arrive and also plotting how many books I can read before they get here so I can feel better about buying so many :)

I don't usually partake in the TIOLI challenges but thank you for the invite!

Happy Monday! This will be my first full five-day work week in a while and I'm not looking forward to it. Today's goals are settling back into my work routine, cooking risotto and tilapia for dinner, and undecorating the Christmas tree in advance of our yard waste pickup day on Wednesday.

One new thing is that Tim bought me (at my request) a walking pad/under desk treadmill for Christmas and I set up it and am using it for the first time today! Verdict's still out but I think I'm going to like this as a way to fit in some more activity into my largely sedentary WFH life. I used to his 10k steps almost every day when I would go into the office, but now I'm closer to 5-8k steps on average, and I'm hoping this will help me change that. Starting out with my speed very slow but I'm sure I'll increase a bit as I get used to walking and working. Honestly it feels pretty similar to walking and typing something on my phone right now.

Still reading The Goblin Emperor and Corelli's Mandolin and hoping to finish both in the next few days. Stared Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls on Kindle last night when I couldn't sleep.

>83 curioussquared: Sorry you are back to your full work week, but the under desk walking pad sounds awesome! I, too, have fallen off my 10,000 steps a day. I look forward to your report on it...and happy reading tonight after your yummy dinner.

>84 Berly: So far so good, Kim! I walked a kilometer during a meeting I had to join but didn't need to have my camera on for. I'll keep reporting back!

Nice!! Keep it going. : )

Adding my condolences, Natalie. I'm so sorry. Hope this work week is good for you. It's my first full week back in a while, too, and I'm already looking forward to Friday!

So sorry you lost Skelly, Natalie.

>86 Berly: Will do!

>87 aktakukac: Thanks, Rachel. I'm looking forward to Friday, too!

>88 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. It still hurts, but I feel very lucky to have goofy Otter and Kermit still to cheer me up.

Happy Tuesday!

Day 1 with the walking pad went really well. I only did two 40-50 minute sessions but had 7k steps by the end of the workday, and I finished the day with 10k after taking the dogs for a walk. I don't think I can use it when I'm doing work that requires really intensive thinking, but for camera-off meetings, answering emails, and revising stuff, which is a lot of my job, it's great. When I'm doing work that's a little boring, I often have to do something else to occupy the other half of my brain or else I get too bored and get nothing done. This can be listening to music (I prefer either music with no lyrics or, ideally, Spanish-language like Reggaeton because it pumps me up but I can't understand it 😂) or watching some mindless reality TV like Love Island or Love Is Blind. But I think walking might actually take up enough of my brain to fill that niche as well!

Dinner yesterday turned out great, but I didn't get around to taking the tree down. Today I think will be slow cooker lemon chicken orzo soup, so I'll toss that together during the workday which will give me more time in the evening to finish the tree un-trimming.

Still inching through Corelli's Mandolin (I'm about 3/4 done) and The Goblin Emperor (a little over halfway), but most of my evening free time has been occupied by season 2 of The White Lotus the last few nights. I find it both unbearable to watch and extremely compelling, lol.

I always have music playing when I work. I'm usually fine with lyrics unless I'm doing intense writing (mostly reports or my performance appraisals sometimes), and then I'll switch to instrumental.

I hope the walking while you work continues to work for you.

>91 MickyFine: Hi Micky! Very occasionally I can listen to music with lyrics while I work, but too often I distract myself my singing along :)

Walking is still going great!

Happy Wednesday! As I said above, the walking and working is going great and maybe it's a placebo, but I already feel like my body is happier. And I slept great last night, too. I'm not walking crazy distances -- I did about 2.6 km yesterday over about an hour and a half of walking; I've been ranging between speeds of 1.5-2.5 kph, depending on how hard I need to concentrate, lol.

Yesterday I ended the day with about 12k steps and also did some strength training via Ring Fit Adventure while the soup was finishing in the crockpot. The soup was OK; I don't think I would use that recipe again, but it's certainly edible. Finished the day with untrimming the tree and the season finale of White Lotus with Tim, then some Goblin Emperor before falling asleep. Still working on those two books; I have about 2.5 hours of Corelli's Mandolin left so there's a possibility I'll finish it today, but not guaranteed. When I'm done I'll probably move on to The Maid.

I'll look for your comments on The Maid, as I will be reading that one in May for the book discussion at work. Glad the walking is going well!

AMAZING pictures, Natalie! You look gorgeous in your wedding dress! And all the dapper dogs! Love it! Have a wonderful 2023!

>93 curioussquared: Re: The White Lotus season 2: RIP Tanya!!!! For a minute there I thought she was going to survive! and good for Lucia and Mia.

>94 aktakukac: Thanks, Rachel! I'll be sure to report back :)

>95 PersephonesLibrary: Hi Kathe! Thank you :) Hope your 2023 is going well as well!

>96 norabelle414: Hi Nora! OMG, I know!! I was very impressed with her aim with her eyes shut, but then I was yelling at her to take off her heels before the fatal fall, lol. Tim and I were talking in-depth about how good all the character writing was when we finished, particularly with Harper and Ethan, and how subtly yet quickly our perceptions of them changed over just 7 episodes.

Happy Thursday! More work and walking on the docket today. Ended yesterday with almost 13k steps, so walking is still going well, and even though I felt like I had trouble getting to sleep, I ended up sleeping really well. Last night we were spoiled by family as Tim's mom came and dropped off dinner for us -- chicken thighs, brown rice, and zucchini. We watched an episode of The Flight Attendant before bed -- not sure if we'll continue with the show. Then I read way too much Goblin Emperor before going to sleep -- I think I'm finally thoroughly back into it after my hiatus in the middle.

I should actually finish Corelli's Mandolin today! Finishing The Goblin Emperor as well would be a stretch but possibly doable. I also read a little bit of Rogue Protocol as a pick-me-up during lunch yesterday, continuing the Murderbot reread I started late last year. Dinner was supposed to be a new recipe, some kind of chicken quinoa enchilada slow cooker thing, but I just realized I never took the chicken out of the freezer! So that one might be for tomorrow unless it defrosts quickly.

I just realized that Monday is MLK Day and that I have the day off from work, which is great, but now I have less time to do some things I need to get done next week. Guess I need to be extra productive today!

Phew, finally Friday. Almost one week done with the walking pad treadmill and I honestly, I'm ready to call myself obsessed at this point. My body gets to move more and it's actually comical how much the walking focuses me while I'm working. I'm a horrible procrastinator and yesterday I agonized about a task for several hours while sitting down. Then I got up and started walking and in the hour I walked, I did THREE of the things I'd been agonizing over. Something about the blood flowing and having to devote the part of my brain that's bored with work to moving and not falling off the treadmill? I have no idea, but it's working right now.

I didn't cook yesterday due to said frozen chicken so that dish will happen today or tomorrow, and we had Vietnamese food instead. We watched a few episodes of Seinfeld and then I tidied the kitchen and listened to an hour of The Maid -- I finished Corelli's Mandolin while walking the dogs earlier. Finished the day cuddling the dogs on the couch and wrapping up The Goblin Emperor, which I immediately handed off to Tim as something he would enjoy. (He then proceeded to stay up way too late reading, so I'm right so far!) Finally, read a bit of The Jewel Thief in bed before dropping off.

I did get a call from the vet yesterday that they have Skelly's ashes back, which made me start crying again. Not sure when we'll go pick them up.

Weekend plans include finally finishing that painting I started back in December (!) -- I knew it would take me forever to finish if I didn't do it all that weekend. Just need to do another coat on all the edges. I'm having brunch with some former coworkers on Sunday and then Tim and I might hit up a few more open houses.

5 books read: Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

Pelagia lives with her father Dr. Iannis on the Greek Island of Cephalonia. They have a relatively idyllic existence until WWII begins, taking Pelagia's fiance to the front, and until the Italian and German occupation of the island starts in 1941. Pelagia and her father are initially suspect when they are required to host an Italian captain, Antonio Corelli, but over the course of his stay, the captain manages to win them over with his gentle charm and beautiful mandolin playing, and eventually, he and Pelagia fall in love. But the war rages on and when Antonio and Pelagia are separated, they do not know when or if they will meet again.

I wasn't sure I would enjoy this; I had lumped it in my head with The English Patient (both acclaimed literary war novels that I bought at the same time from a library book sale with movie tie-in covers, I guess?) which didn't really work for me when I read it last year. But I really enjoyed this one! The setting is gorgeous and Bernieres does a good job of balancing the parts that dive into the atrocities of war with the less gruesome but still difficult aspects of the war's effect on normal people. I also appreciated that this book didn't end with the war ending, but instead gave us closure. 4 stars.

P.S. I did NOT realize from this movie tie-in cover I have that the film stars Nicholas Cage. I am... curious about this casting, lol.

6 books read: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Maia, the half-goblin youngest prince of the Elflands, has lived most of his life since the death of his mother in isolated exile with his abusive relative Setheris. Until one day, a courier brings the sudden news that his father and three older brothers have all been killed in an airship crash -- leaving Maia as the new emperor. Thrust into his new position with no friends and no idea how to navigate the political intrigue of the court, Maia is lost and helpless. Over the first few months of his reign, he must learn very quickly the rules of his new life and who he can trust in this new position -- or the consequences might be deadly.

Everyone told me I was going to love this and guess what, I loved it! One of the most complex, well done, rewarding fantasy novels I've read in a long time. The brilliance of this book is that we spend all of it in Maia's head, being very lost right along with him; that's also the part that might turn off some readers, as for most of the book Maia's head is a very lonely place to be. But this is balanced by Maia's essential goodness, and despite everything, he never loses that, and in fact, it only grows stronger. I wish that the pronunciation and character prefix/suffix guide at the end of the book had actually been at the beginning because I think I spent longer than I should have figuring out who everyone was due to my brain refusing to process most of the names. I keep wavering between 4.5 and 5 stars; let's go with 4.75 for now.

>102 curioussquared: Yay! You might want to carry on with the novellas about Thara Celehar. I love both of them, and they're a bit different from The Goblin Emperor. Also, you get to meet everyone's favorite cheekily melodramatic opera manager.

>103 libraryperilous: Yes, I definitely want to read more in this world! I may have already ordered them both when I saw them available on Book Outlet so they are on their way to me :)

>101 curioussquared: It is... an interesting viewing experience. I watched it after finishing the book several years ago and while it's not Cage at his Cage-iest, it is still Nicholas Cage, lol.

>105 MickyFine: Lol. I can't say I'm surprised!

>101 curioussquared: Somehow I don't see Captain Corelli as Nicholas Cage! We've been to Kefalonia on holiday several times and the first time we went must have been not long after the book was first published, and it was everywhere.

>107 SandDune: Me either, Rhian! I am very jealous that you've been to Kefalonia -- Greece is on my "someday" list.

>108 curioussquared: From here of course Greece is a very standard holiday destination so I've been quite a few times. It's very much my preferred location if I want a relaxing holiday with not too much rushing about.

>109 SandDune: That sounds lovely! From Seattle, we can score flight deals to some places in Europe -- I've seen plane tickets to places like the UK, France, and Spain for between $350-500, but Greece seems to be just enough farther away that I've never seen a ticket below $700 or so. Again, I'll get there someday!

>110 curioussquared: *weeps with envy over cheap American flights*

>102 curioussquared: Oh yay! So glad this was such a hit for you, Natalie. I've read it a couple of times now and love being in Maia's head while he navigated the challenges foisted on him (I... do tend to prefer that in my fantasy and science fiction, throw me in the midst, let me figure it out). Looking forward to what you think of the Celehar books too :)

>111 MickyFine: Lol. Sorry Micky! Most of the cheap Europe flights I've had have been through Icelandair. They have a lot of flights out of Seattle and while they all connect through Keflavik, I've never had a bad experience in that airport. It's a seamless connection experience and I always feel like I'm being routed through an IKEA, lol.

>112 bell7: I usually prefer that too, Mary. I think it's a sign of better writing -- the author is able to tell the story through the strength of their storytelling rather than a big section of telling.

>100 curioussquared: I'm sure there's no rush on that one :/ I couldn't even look at my cat's collar for a couple weeks after she passed. Sorry that happened.
I do get the treadmill. I find at work when I'm stuck on something that I can solve it better if I get up and walk around the big table we have in the middle of the office. I just don't think people are meant to be so still like we are these days, you know? Just makes all that energy feed into our worries and anxieties.

>114 Ravenwoodwitch: Yeah, they didn't pressure us to come in quickly or anything. We love this vet. They sent a personalized sympathy card with notes from staff members (that made me cry, too). They really loved him there. My husband kind of wants to get the ashes over with, though, so we might go get them this week.

Agreed! I know lots of people who get their best ideas on walks so it does make sense when you think about it. We'll see if I keep loving it but I have a good feeling.

7 books read: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Murderbot makes its way to the deserted terraforming facility of Milu to investigate more of GrayCris's crimes. Turns out it's not deserted, though, and to get there, Murderbot will need to befriend a survey team's pet bot.

Continuing the Murderbot reread I started last year. Pure comfort reading. 5 stars, even though this one is probably my least favorite of the original four diaries.

8 books read: The Maid by Nita Prose

Molly's brain doesn't work like other people's. She isn't good at interpreting social situation's or other people's actions, and because of that, most people think she's strange. Since her gran died, Molly lives alone in the apartment they used to share. She has always enjoyed her work as a fancy hotel -- she is excellent at cleaning, and she understands the rules of her job -- until one day, she stumbles upon one of her clients, Mr. Black, dead in his bed. As Molly attempts to navigate the police investigation and prove her innocence, it becomes clear that she's inadvertently gotten mixed up in some shady dealings.

The strength of this book is in Molly's voice. The narrative is compelling and interesting due to her unique narration -- Prose doesn't give Molly an official diagnosis but it's implied that she's somewhere on the autism spectrum. The interesting thing about Molly's narrative is that there are things that we as the reader catch on to way before Molly ever does. Because of this, the mystery itself feels less complex than in other mystery novels, but I was still hooked. Molly almost has Amelia Bedelia all-grown-up vibes -- some of the misunderstandings she encounters throughout the book wouldn't be out of place with "draw the drapes" and "dress the chicken". Not a perfect book, but still a compelling read. 4 stars.

9 books read: The Jewel Thief by Jeannie Mobley

Juliette's father is crown jeweler to Louis XIV, the Sun King. When the King purchases the enormous Tavernier diamond, weighing in at a whopping 117 carats, Juliette and her mother think their fortunes are made -- but her father seems to despair. The King wants the diamond cut in the Mazarin style, but Juliette's father doesn't know that secret technique, and doesn't even know where to start with tracking down the gem cutter who created it. As months pass and the diamond remains uncut, the King grows impatient, and Juliette grows worried. Unable to sit back and watch her family sink into ruin, Juliette takes matters into her own hands.

This book was a major surprise for me. I have NO idea where I heard about it or what prompted me to purchase a brand new copy in 2020, or if it was some kind of impulse buy, but it sat on my shelf for a few years because I really wasn't hearing any buzz about it. I picked it up expecting a fairly run of the mill historical fiction novel, but I was immediately drawn in. Mobley has written a fresh, fast-paced adventure story featuring jewelers, of all people, and I couldn't put it down. The story is told with a sort of frame device, with Juliette recounting her tale to love interest Rene after being arrested, and the jumps in the timeline increase the urgency and had me racing toward the end. While Juliette is fictional, the diamond itself is very real, and Mobley as a historian did an excellent job of rooting her tale in history. 4.25 stars, and I'll be looking out for the companion book, The Diamond Keeper.

Happy Sunday! I'm very glad I have tomorrow off. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and Tim and I walked to a nearby cafe for breakfast. I cleaned the bathroom, then spent a few hours finally finishing the painting of the downstairs bedrooms, then took the dogs on a long walk before it got dark. Ended the day with a workout and Chinese food, then reading and playing a little bit of co-op CatQuest II.

Today I went to grab brunch with two old coworkers who are still good friends. They're both finally leaving the consulting firm we met at and I'm so happy for both of them as it's a sinking ship at this point -- just a little sad that I won't get any more updates on the gossip as they were the last two friends I had there, lol. I think I'm going to do a few more chores -- maybe some laundry and general tidying of our living room -- then walk the dogs and maybe do another workout. Tim's not feeling very good so dinner is a little up in the air tonight. Will probably do some more reading later, too.

Currently reading: Finished my audio and print books yesterday, so have now moved on to The Warrior's Apprentice on audio and Chaos on CatNet in print. Still Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls on Kindle but I haven't made any progress in it lately.

>117 curioussquared: This one is getting plenty of attention locally too for some reason. I should probably fold and add it to the shelves at some stage.

>119 curioussquared: I did a couple rounds of chores myself so I could properly veg out tomorrow, lol.
Hope the hubby feels better tomorrow, too.

>117 curioussquared: This one sounds interesting and I've been drawn to content and books that have more neurodiversity in their characters recently. Adding this one to my list.

Oh Natalie, I am so, so sorry to hear about your dear Skelly. What a lucky doggo he was that you were so devoted to his care, and lucky you to have the time with him that you did. That's a tough way to start the year, and I am very sorry.

>120 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! To be honest, I'm not sure why this one is getting so much acclaim. It was good and I enjoyed it, but I think it's just one of those cases of some excellent marketing pushing a good but not fantastic book to bestseller status. But it was certainly a compelling listen.

>121 Ravenwoodwitch: Ended up taking it easy and reading the rest of the day so chores were moved to today. Oh well!

>122 WhiteRaven.17: I hope you like it, Kro!

>123 AMQS: Thanks, Anne ❤️ I know it will get easier and I'm very grateful for goofy Otter and Kermit, who make sure I smile and laugh every day.

>117 curioussquared: That one has been on my radar.

>125 thornton37814: Hi Lori! I thought it was good but not great. Glad I read it, wouldn't plan to read it again.

Happy Tuesday! Back at work today. Tim had some friends over to play Magic yesterday, so we spent most of yesterday cleaning the house after having let it get really out of hand with all the Skelly stuff, and then the guys were here until pretty late. I let them do their thing and did some reading and made a TBR grab bag for those moments that I really don't know what to read next :) Today, I'm procrastinating preparing for a short presentation I have to give to our supply chain group on some of the communications resources the benefits team makes available to HR and our employees. I don't think it will be too bad, but I'm sleepy today and dreading it. I will probably not dread it as much once I make myself sit down and actually figure out what I'm going to say, lol.

Currently reading: Finished Chaos on CatNet (review to come) on Sunday night and moved on to This Poison Heart yesterday in print. Finished The Warrior's Apprentice (review to come) on audio while making my TBR grab bag yesterday and moved on to A Single Man. Still reading Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls on Kindle but haven't made any progress.

Forgot to mention that I did something to my right thumb joint yesterday (probably while cleaning?) and it's angry at me today. Luckily I can type OK as long as I try to do the spacebar with my left thumb. It's not intuitive, but it's doable, and I don't have to use my right thumb at all while typing if I do that.

10 books read: Chaos on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer

Everyone's favorite cat pic-loving AI is back! Since the events of the previous novel, Steph's life has calmed down. Her father is in prison, she and her mom are now settled (ostensibly permanently?) in Minneapolis, and she's starting at a new school. There, she meets another new student, Nell, who's living with her father, her stepmother, her father's girlfriend, and her stepmother's girlfriend (it's complicated) after her mother disappeared. Oh, and she and her mother have been part of a doomsday cult for several years, so normal high school is a bit of an adjustment for Nell. On her first day of school, Steph gets added to a new phone game by one of the other students -- but something seems off. The game seems to know way more about her than it should, and since Steph has ample experience with sentient AIs, she puts CheshireCat on the case to investigate. As CheshireCat digs for details, they find that this phone game is much more sinister than it seems.

I loved Catfishing on CatNet, and I loved this book too. Both have an urgent quality that kept me reading past my bedtime, and will make you consider the permissions you give the apps on your phone. I probably liked this entry slightly less than the first one, but it was still really fun and I'd gladly read more in this universe. I also appreciated that the author took the opportunity to explore what a reformed police force might look like in this book based directly on the discussions surrounding the Minneapolis police following the 2020 George Floyd protests. 4.25 stars.

11 books read: The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold

In the first book of the Vorkosigan saga actually featuring Miles as the protagonist, Miles is 17 and ready to join the Barrayaran military academy -- but his brittle bones cause him to fail the physical entrance exam. Afloat without direction, Miles' father suggests he go to visit his grandmother Naismith on Beta Colony. Accompanied as ever by Sergeant Bothari and by his daughter Elena, Miles manages to get himself into trouble almost immediately and sort of accidentally starts his own mercenary company.

It's interesting reading such a beloved series for the first time. My best friend and I are reading along together at vaguely the same pace, so we've both read Shards of Honor, Barrayar, and The Warrior's Apprentice at this point. One of the things we both really liked about the first books are that Cordelia and Aral are so accomplished and capable -- sometimes it's nice to read about middle-aged people who know what they're doing. On the other hand, Miles is the total opposite -- too smart for his own good, directionless at the start of this novel, and all too willing to bullshit his way into whatever situations catch his fancy, rarely if ever with a plan b in mind. So while I enjoyed this and still plan to continue, it was definitely an adjustment from the first two novels! 3.75 stars.

>130 curioussquared: The Warrior's Apprentice has a very different feel, doesn't it? I must admit though, I love the Miles books.

>131 SandDune: I definitely enjoyed it! It was just a bit of an adjustment after Barrayar :)

>131 SandDune: >130 curioussquared: I love the Miles books. But I love the Cordelia and Aral books (even more?).

>118 curioussquared: Adding this to my reading list, thanks!

>133 humouress: Good to know, Nina :) I'm interested to see how my perception shifts throughout the series.

>134 aktakukac: I hope you enjoy, Rachel!

CatNet was added to my list. I haven't looked at fiction thrillers as much and this seems like a good start.

>136 Ravenwoodwitch: I hope you like it! Just a note that they're definitely YA novels -- the protagonist is in high school. And I'd almost classify them more as sci-fi/thriller.

>130 curioussquared: You're going to make me reread them all, aren't you? This is not helping me get through the books I have out from the library.

>138 dreamweaver529: Lol. Sorry not sorry!

Happy Wednesday!

Yesterday was a pretty standard workday. My presentation went well which unfortunately means this group wants me to come back and present again soon *facepalm*. I walked a lot in the afternoon and ended the day with 15000 steps. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to track my steps with the desk treadmill. I've been putting my fitbit on my ankle, which seems to count the steps fairly accurately, but possibly overestimate my heart rate and also has some weird glitches where it occasionally doesn't count steps at all. I also tried putting it in a clip designed to be worn on a pocket or strap. This method works well to capture steps accurately but doesn't offer any heart rate features. To be continued!

Tim has decided he wants to convert half his office into a weight room, so after work we went to Costco because I saw a nice dumbbell set there a few weeks ago. Unfortunately they were sold out now -- everyone with their darn new year's resolutions! We still picked up a few things we needed and then feasted on Costco sushi for dinner, so it wasn't all a waste. Finished the day with a few episodes of Seinfeld and more reading in This Poison Heart, which I'm still loving.

Started work today with several camera-on meetings so haven't done any walking yet, but hoping to get a bunch in this afternoon. Our Costa Rica trip starts in just a week and a half now and I'm starting to feel the pressure at work -- all those things I keep saying I'll get done before I leave are piling up!! Guess I need to really put my nose to the grindstone now.

Still listening to A Single Man and should finish it today. Next is either Emerald Green or Possession.

Oh, and my Book Outlet orders arrived yesterday! I unboxed them after my presentation as a mini-reward. I've been doing so well on the ROOTing and donating books, but somehow I'm still up to almost 450 unread again. Oops :) I did notice I was missing one book from my order The Mad Women's Ball, so I reached out to support and am hoping they will re-send it to me.

How is Costco sushi? I don't know that I've ever seen it at my Costco, but having said that, we're a long way from the coast...

>142 AMQS: Hi Anne! Costco sushi is pretty good. It only appeared at our Costco for the first time a few months ago, so maybe yours will still get it at some point. I know Hawaiian Costcos have had sushi for a long time but I think it's relatively new to the mainland.

>101 curioussquared: One of these centuries I will get around to that one!

>102 curioussquared: I am only about 100 pages into that one, but I am enjoying it thus far. I hope I end up enjoying it as much as you did!

>116 curioussquared: I am still re-reading the series too. I love Murderbot!

>117 curioussquared: Already in the BlackHole so I do not need to add it again.

>118 curioussquared: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Natalie!

>129 curioussquared: Another one that is already in the BlackHole.

Congratulations on doing so well with the walking. I need to get back to it too - if my life ever calms down!

Hi Stasia! Glad you avoided some book bullets :) I'm surprised how well my walking is going! I thought it would be nice to fit some movement into my largely sedentary work day, but I didn't expect the extra benefits of the movement helping me focus and be more productive at work.

Happy Thursday! I had a lot of meetings yesterday so didn't get too much walking in until after 3pm, but I still got to 10,000 steps before my day was over. I love my little treadmill. After work I was thinking of doing a strength workout, but Tim was feeling pretty down so I made us dinner (teriyaki salmon with roasted potatoes and bok choi sauteed in oyster sauce) and we watched an episode of Veep. (We last started watching this show back in 2016, but then a certain someone was elected president and we felt like the show was too close to home to keep watching, but we both finally feel healed enough now to continue watching, lol.) Tim asked me to pick out a low-stress book for him to read as the Brandon Sanderson series he's been reading isn't doing it for him, so I suggested Going Postal and he took it to bed. I watched an episode of The Muppet Show while folding a basket of laundry before going to bed myself.

Today I don't have any camera-on meetings so I should be able to get a lot of walking in. I have a bunch of smaller projects I need to make progress on and produce drafts for so I'm hoping the walking will let me get a lot done! This afternoon I have an appointment with a jeweler because I recently noticed my engagement ring somehow got bent and is no longer circular, and probably relatedly, I lost one of the tiny diamonds in my pave band. Hoping they can straighten me out (literally!) and I wasn't planning on bringing the ring to Costa Rica so this seemed like a perfect time to leave it with a jeweler.

Currently reading: Still enjoying This Poison Heart in print. Finished A Single Man while cooking last night and moved on to Possession, which I'm loving so far. No progress made on Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls on Kindle -- I might focus on finishing that one when I'm done with my current print read.

12 books read: A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood

In the aftermath of his partner Jim's death, George, a gay British man who works as a college professor in California, struggles to come to terms with his grief. The novel follows a day in George's life as he persists in his everyday routines.

This is a slim novel that packs a punch. I've always enjoyed books that are rather stream of consciousness or slice of life-focused, and enjoyed this one for that reason. The day we see George on is just a normal day, and throughout it we follow his actions, motivations, and internal musings closely. I can see how this would have been a slightly shocking novel when it was first published in the 60s. 4 stars.

I might post a thread about this in The Green Dragon, but I wanted to solicit book recommendations for my husband Tim. He's very picky and our taste doesn't always overlap, so even though I own what feels like a million books, I always have trouble recommending him things from my library.

The biggest thing that makes it difficult to recommend things for him is he has very little patience for anything he deems to be bad writing, especially bad character writing. He usually says his favorite writer is Margaret Atwood -- he loved Oryx and Crake.

Things Tim likes:
- Epic fantasy -- he likes the GOT books and read several Malazan books before eventually burning out on them. Sanderson doesn't seem to quite meet his standards -- he tried Mistborn but deemed it "too YA" and started the series that begins with The Alloy of Law but declared that the awful 100 page gunfight at the end of the book ruined it for him. He liked Locke Lamora but I don't think he cared enough to continue the series. From what I've heard of Robert Jordan, I think the writing probably wouldn't be up to his standards.

- Well-written sci-fi -- he loves MurderBot and devoured the whole Expanse series. He also liked Exhalation by Ted Chiang and the Ancillary Justice books.

- High stakes -- while I love a good cozy fantasy, Tim likes his stakes to be higher. This was one of his main complaints with The Goblin Emperor -- he said he kept expecting something bigger to happen and the plot twists were too small and taken care of too quickly for him. He liked The Goblin Emperor overall, but complained that all the characters aside from Maia were underdeveloped, even though I pointed out that that was kind of the point of the book.

Things Tim doesn't like:

- As I said above, bad character writing, which I think can extend to characters he just thinks are stupid people. He DNFed The Traitor Baru Cormorant because of a choice the main character made in the middle of the book that he didn't think made any sense.

- Too much romance -- OK as a side plot, but not as part of the main storyline. I tried to start Shards of Honor on audio last year with him in the car and he wouldn't stop making fun of it *eyeroll*

- YA novels, generally -- I think he just prefers his characters to be more mature.

Other things he's read and liked: American Gods, Lord of the Rings. He liked Harry Potter and Redwall as a kid but I don't think he'd read them now.

Things I've suggested he try especially since he's looking for something slightly more lighthearted but still compelling lately: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, Going Postal.

One last note: he remarked lately that he would love to read "White Lotus but as an epic fantasy or sci-fi book," whatever that means.

I'll add to this if I can think of anything else. Appreciate anybody's help in advance!

>148 curioussquared: "White Lotus but as an epic fantasy or sci-fi book," whatever that means.
lol I have no idea what that means

Maybe try The Grace of Kings or The Witcher series (The Last Wish)? Though they're both translations so the writing may not be up to his standard. I also really loved Amberlough which I thought was kind of like Game of Thrones but set in the Weimar Republic.
Station Eleven? Annihilation?

>149 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora!

My best guess about the White Lotus comment is he wants an epic fantasy or sci-fi with a really well-written cast of characters, but that's all I got, lol.

I'll float The Grace of Kings and see what he thinks. I'm not sure if he's read the Witcher books -- I know he's played the games and watched the show -- but I'll ask! Amberlough might be a good one, too.

I think I'll have trouble pitching Station Eleven since I feel like he won't go for a plague-related book right now, even if that's not really what it's about, but I can try. We actually listened to Annihilation together on a road trip a few years ago and we both hated it, lol.

I appreciate all the suggestions!!

>148 curioussquared: Def post in the Green Dragon!

I'm pretty useless on this one, because I don't like literary fiction or super high stakes.

Lighthearted to try: Bridge of Birds and The Empress of Salt and Sorrow, Project Hail Mary, or Mirabile. Maybe Raptor Red?

Nothing I thought of quite fits your descriptions, but Emily St. John Mandel, Jennifer Egan, Lark Ascending, and Never Let Me Go were my first thought. They definitely aren't lighthearted, but maybe they would work later when he's feeling better. Robin Hobb? Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay?

Some others to try, although I would not be surprised if they all are misses: Pavane, Carol Berg's Lighthouse duology, This Is How You Lose the Time War, and The Art of Prophecy.

Maybe Robert Jackson Bennett for fantasy or Arkady Martine for sci-fi?

Is he open to non-SFF? If so, I'd recommend The Rules of Civility, The Silence of the Girls, or Grendel.

>151 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana! I also tend more toward low stakes, so you can see why I have trouble recommending for him. I think Andy Weir might be a good one for him to try -- I'll suggest Project Hail Mary. You're definitely on the same wave length on me to some degree -- Ship of Magic and The Summer Tree were two others that I suggested to him yesterday. The Art of Prophecy also sounds really promising. I thought Arkady Martine would be good too, but for some reason he read half of my copy of A Memory Called Empire and then lent it to one of his friends I don't like without finishing it and I don't think I'm ever getting my book back. Harrumph.

I don't think he's necessarily opposed to non-SFF, but I think he likes to use reading as an escape and I think he has more trouble doing that if it's not speculative fiction.

Some thoughts on things he might like:

Possibly John Scalzi? I've only read Redshirts and The Kaiju Preservation Society, which are on the more humorous end of the spectrum of his writing. Would fit the lighthearted ask. I have heard good things about his Old Man's War series though so that might scratch the sci-fi itch.

I'm tempted to suggest Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell but I'm not sure if there's enough action to keep him engaged.

The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O. might also fit his tastes.

If he likes Gaiman, Neverwhere might be one to try.

And that's what comes to mind right away.

Does your library provide access to the Novelist database? You can use it to find readalikes for books he's already read and enjoyed.

>153 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Scalzi is a good callout. I'm right there with you on Jonathan Strange -- I want to recommend it to him, but I just don't think it's his thing. I know he's liked Stephenson before so I'll suggest The Rise and Fall of DODO.

I'm not sure about Novelist but I'll look into it!

>148 curioussquared: Last year I have to say one of the best sci-fi reads for me was Andy Weir: Project Hail Mary. For fantasy perhaps Ishiguro: The Buried giant

Hope you have a fabulous Friday!

>148 curioussquared: I will go out on a limb and recommend the following three books:

Watership Down by Richard Adams
Dominion by C.J. Sansom
Magician by Raymond E. Feist

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett is a good one

>148 curioussquared: Hello hello,

If he's read and liked American Gods, have you floated any other Gaiman novels by him? Good Omens? Neverwhere? My favorites are Coraline and The Ocean at The End of The Lane. I also really liked Stardust but that does feature a romance. And for fantasy, maybe he'd liked Jim Butcher or R.A Salvatore? (that's the Dresdan books and the Forgotten Realms novels I believe.) The series I started from Timothy Zahn may also be good, Night Train to Rigel. That one's a mystery with a conspiracy and may fit the "White Lotus" idea.

I second Nora's recommendation for The Witcher. series. I will warn you that the show VERY MUCH used the book plots "more like guidelines than actual rules" so that may ruffle feathers. I could recommend more but I don't wanna be overwhelming; hope this wasn't too much, sorry!

I’d recommend:
The City and the City by China Mieville A detective story in two very strange cities. Do not read spoilers!
Jhereg by Steven Brust (and subsequent books). Individual books are short but they all link together in a fairly complex way. Gangsters in a fantasy world.
The City of Stairs Robert Jackson Bennett - again a mystery in a fantasy universe.

All three well written (in my opinion) and not Y.A.

I was going to recommend Scalzi and Weir, so I'll just second those recommendations.

Thank you all for the excellent recommendations! I'll still take more if anyone has them, but I feel like we have a really good list to pull from now -- and he should definitely have enough to read while we're on vacation, lol.

>156 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I know he's read Watership Down, but I don't think he's read the other two, so on the list they go!

>157 reconditereader: Ooh, this one looks promising. Thank you!

>158 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks, Angela. I thought about Neverwhere, but I have a feeling the main character would feel too young to him. The ones you mentioned are all Gaimans I loved, but I think most might be too young or romance-y. Good Omens would probably work, but we watched the TV show together and he's not usually big on reading a book if he's already seen the film adaptation. Dresden could be good!

>159 SandDune: Thanks, Rhian! These all look promising. I didn't like Un Lun Dun when I read it so haven't thought about Mieville much since, but your note makes me want to read this one, too!

>160 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi!

>162 curioussquared: UnLunDun is definitely YA. I enjoyed it when I read it, but then so did my son who was eight at the time. The City and the City is definitely aimed at adults and is on my top ten books list.

I haven't seen Joe Abercrombie recommended yet, but that'll probably be up Tim's alley based on what you've said. I'd start with The Blade Itself. Also Robin Hobb does the finest character work in fantasy, in my opinion, so Assassin's Apprentice might be a good fit.

Seconding City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett & Mieville's non-YA books. The City & The City is great, so's Perdido Street Station. I also enjoyed Embassytown, which is sci-fi.

I'd also recommend Anathem by Neal Stephenson. And The Warrior's Apprentice would probably be a better Vorkosigan book to start with.

>163 SandDune: Oh, that makes sense. I read it so long ago that I had no memory of it being YA since I was a YA myself when I read it :)

>164 kgodey: Thanks Kriti! I think Joe Abercrombie will be a good one. I love Assassin's Apprentice and the rest of that series and it was actually one of the books I suggested to him the other night, but he saw the dog on the cover and balked since I couldn't remember if the dog died or not, lol. Does anyone remember? Knowing Robin Hobb I figured the dog probably does die so didn't press him to read it. Maybe in a few months....

Will definitely recommend Bennet and Mieville. I know he enjoyed Snow Crash by Stephenson so will recommend Anathem. Having just read Warrior's Apprentice, I'm not 100% sure it's up his alley, but I might read a few more of the Miles books and then make a decision on whether or not to rec them.

Happy Friday! Didn't get quite as much done at work yesterday as I would have liked -- oh well. Tim went out to dinner with his best friend last night, so I did a strength workout at home and then watched another episode of the Harry and Meghan Netflix documentary before retiring to bed to read more This Poison Heart. Almost at the end and I might continue immediately to the sequel. The jeweler appointment went fine and they can repair my ring for a not totally absurd amount of money, so I left it with them (as well as my wedding band so it can be polished/checked up as well) and will pick it up after Costa Rica. The bad news is that it's likely stuff like this will keep happening since I went with a softer gold for the ring -- I wanted the warmer color that comes with 18k, but the tradeoff is softer metal. I might solder the engagement ring and wedding band together in the future to avoid continued issues like this.

More work and walking today. At some point I'd like to make a run to the library to return Heartstopper vol. 3 and pick up Heartstopper vol. 4. I also want to swing by a local woman's house who works with the greyhound rescue we got all of our dogs from. We have leftover prescription dog food from Skelly and they said they could use it, and this woman is willing to take the food up to the rescue for us instead of us driving it all the way, so I just need to drop it off.

I was also going to recommend China Mieville, I see I'm in good company! :) Maybe Blake Crouch (Recursion). I'm drawing from things Morgan has read and liked - although he also enjoyed Annihilation, which I see you say you both hated, haha.

>148 curioussquared: If Going Postal works for him, there's a group read starting in February of the Discworld: Death sub-series of Discworld.

I think he might like the first couple of the Wheel of Time books; it was a bit further in that Jordan started stretching things out so the trilogy became 14(?) books. And maybe the Miles books from the Vorkosigan saga. Miles (though he's constantly falling in love with unattainable females) doesn't have a serious romance until nearer the end of the series. But I'm afraid my tastes seem to run closer to yours than to his, so it's harder to recommend.

>151 libraryperilous: ooh, yes. Realm of the Elderlings definitely has good character writing.

>156 PaulCranswick: hmm ... Watership Down is good. And I need to get back to Feist.

>164 kgodey: Joe Abercrombie - that's the name I was trying to remember.

Maybe Stephen Donaldson?

Good Omens is so much fun ... but I think you get the most out of it if you lived in London in the '80s-'90s. Might be worth reading a while after you watched the show. (My husband was wondering if they'd make a sequel.)

>167 ursula: Thanks Ursula! I think these are on the right track :)

>168 humouress: Thanks Nina! Good Omens is getting a season 2 -- I think it's done filming and everything.

>169 curioussquared: Huh? Well, miracles will never cease. Thanks for the heads-up.

Way behind here, but excited to hear Good Omens get a second season and glad you are getting the rings restored. Happy weekend!

I think that the recommendations for Gaiman are probably safe ones, Natalie. I especially loved The Ocean at the End of the Lane and it is not even a genre I usually go for too much.

Have a splendid weekend.

>170 humouress: Of course! Looks like it might be summer 2023 for release.

>171 Berly: Thanks Kim! Happy weekend to you, too :)

>172 PaulCranswick: I loved that one too, Paul. Happy weekend!

Slow day today -- I enjoyed a lie-in with the dogs even though I woke up earlier than I would have liked. Read some of This Wicked Fate and Cece Rios in bed and also researched items I might need for Costa Rica before facing the day and walking the pups in the freezing rain. I made chicken noodle soup in the slow cooker for dinner and while it was cooking, Tim and I visited a nearby open house (definitely not the home for us, but a very cool location). Read some more when we came back and then cleaned the kitchen. My mom stopped by this evening so I could help her a little with her wedding planning business and we hung out for a bit and had dinner before she went home. I foresee more reading in my future to end the night :)

Currently reading: Finished This Poison Heart and Heartstopper vol. 4 in print yesterday and moved on to This Wicked Fate. Listened to more Possession (which I'm loving!) while cleaning and walking dogs. Read more Cece Rios on Kindle.

13 books read: Heartstopper vol. 4 by Alice Oseman

Nick and Charlie are back from Paris and looking to enjoy their last days together before Nick's family goes to Menorca for three weeks and school starts again. Both have something on their mind -- Charlie's ready to tell Nick he loves him, and Nick is, too, but he's also preoccupied with researching how he can support Charlie through what he thinks is an eating disorder. Nick and Charlie's relationship is put to the test -- but throughout their personal problems, they never get less cute.

Whenever I check one of these out from the library I can't help but sit down and read it immediately! This volume is definitely heavier than the previous three, but just as quick, addicting, and delightful. Love to see a portrayal of mental illness with a supportive partner that is very clear about the fact that loving somebody doesn't mean that you can fix them, or that it's your job to fix them. I'm excited that volume 5 is coming soon, but also devastated that it's the last one! At least we have two more TV show seasons to look forward to. 5 stars.

14 books read: This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

Briseis has always know she has a gift: plants respond to her in a strange, magical way. She can grow flowers from cuttings with a touch, and tree branches and grass lean toward her when she walks by. Her moms, who adopted her when she was born, worry about her, but they accept her gift -- and even let her put to use in their flower shop every once in a while. Summer break has started and Briseis is a bit directionless after her plans to take a botany class at the local community college fall through -- that is, until a lawyer shows up at their Brooklyn apartment and informs Briseis that her aunt, her birth mother's sister, has left her a whole house in upstate New York. Briseis and her moms are a little wary, but money's been tight, and some time away seems like it might be just what their family needs. So they pack up, find someone to run the shop, and head upstate for the summer. Once they reach the house, things are a little weird. It's dusty and needs to be cleaned out, but it's also full of paintings of Medea, from Greek mythology, it has a full-on apothecary shop in the back of the house, and strange people keep showing up outside. Briseis starts to get the feeling that her birth family might have known about and shared her strange gift -- and that the house might have been given to her for a reason.

I really enjoyed this fresh YA fantasy full of Black girl magic and cottagecore plant powers. It wasn't a perfect book, but I was hooked by the story and really enjoyed the ride. One thing I really loved was Briseis's relationship with her moms -- so many YA books have clueless parents who don't care, or at least parents the protagonist doesn't trust enough to ask for help. Briseis and her moms clearly love each other a lot and they show it with trust both ways. Briseis actually asks her parents for help! Often! Which just doesn't happen enough in YA books. Anyway, I picked up the sequel right after finishing this one, so clearly I enjoyed it. 4 stars.

>148 curioussquared: I meant to also include Six of Crows in my recommendations.

And while we're on LMB, why not the Chalion books? And the rest of the World of Five Gods but I haven't read the Penric and Desdemona books yet.

>176 curioussquared: The ending of the first one kind of needs the sequel on hand. :)

>177 humouress: I've read a couple of the Penric books. So much fun!

>177 humouress: I'm very new to LMB so will look into these! I'm not sure if Six of Crows would work for him -- I liked it but didn't love it when I read it.

>178 libraryperilous: Definitely!!

>147 curioussquared: I have had that one in the BlackHole forever, but have yet to get my hands on a copy. Thanks for the reminder, Natalie!

>176 curioussquared: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation.

>165 curioussquared: Assassin's Apprentice: There's a dog and a wolf. Neither die, although at one point the main character (and the reader) believes the dog has died. I don't remember when it's revealed that the dog is fine.

>180 alcottacre: Hope you enjoy both, Stasia!

>181 kgodey: Thanks, Kriti. I think I'll probably hold off on recommending that series to him, then. Appreciate you getting back to me :)

Happy Monday! The race to vacation is on.

Yesterday Tim and I went shopping for some last-minute things we needed before our trip. Tim needed new hiking boots, and I wanted some quick-dry shorts that would be good for hiking and lounging. We started by swinging by an open house near the mall -- we really liked the house, but it was on a too-noisy street and didn't have a great yard -- then did pretty well on the shopping front, ending at Target to get some travel toiletries. Finished the day with chicken noodle soup and then I started Wytchwood on Switch. Very cute and fun so far but it was aggravating my wrist and thumb pain so I put it down after a little bit of play.

Today I'm trying to get too many things done, so I might be walking a lot :) I still need to drop off Skelly's extra dog food, so might do that after work.

Still reading This Wicked Fate, Possession, and Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls -- made progress on all three over the weekend. About halfway through the first two and a third of the way through Cece Rios.

>181 kgodey: Of course; I’d completely forgotten about that.

>183 curioussquared: Wytchwood on Switch
Buying this now, thank you

>185 norabelle414: Enjoy!

>183 curioussquared: I will need to be doing last minute shopping for our trip soon too. We are vacationing in New Mexico in March.

Happy Tuesday, Natalie!

How many sleeps until you leave, Natalie?

>187 alcottacre: That sounds like a great trip, Stasia!

>188 MickyFine: Three! We head out Friday evening. I'm planning to work at least most of the day, so will plan to be all packed up by the time I go to bed on Thursday.

New Murderbot cover reveal!! Brb, preordering immediately:

https://mobile.twitter.com/TorDotComPub/status/1617892603088801800

Good luck taking care of all the little details before your trip. Off to check out the new Murderbot!!

>190 curioussquared: Savvy of Tor to publish this right after my birthday, when I'll have extra money to spend on books. Also, ART! Yay!

Happy holiday (in Costa Rica)!

>191 Berly: Thanks, Kim! I think we have everything we need -- now just to get organized, pack, and finish all my work stuff before Friday night! Should be simple enough ;)

>192 libraryperilous: Good thinking, Tor! Thanks, Diana :)

Wytchwood looks right up my ally; gonna treat myself to that one.

Hope the trip goes well :)
After such a rough end/beginning of the year you'd definitely earned it.

>194 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks, Angela! I hope you enjoy Wytchwood :)

>190 curioussquared: Murderbot! Aw, yes!

>190 curioussquared: Yay! That makes two books this fall that I'm planning to buy (which is honestly really high for me).

>196 foggidawn: Aw, yes! about sums up my reaction too, Foggi :)

>197 MickyFine: I preordered it from my local indie yesterday, Micky :) What's the other book? Silverborn? I have that one preordered already too since I placed it last year when the book was supposed to come out Fall 2022 :)

>198 curioussquared: I have both of those on preorder now, as well. :-) I don't do a lot of preorders, but for those I will!

>199 foggidawn: I've started preordering books more than I used to since I found out just how important they can be to a book's overall success, but I still tend to keep it to some favorite authors, and Wells and Townsend are both on that list :)

Random request: Does anyone have suggestions for authors with the initials NW?

I've started working on the 2023 PopSugar reading challenge, for the most part passively, but there's a prompt to read a book by an author with your initials and I'm totally at a loss. I don't own any authors with the initials NW, and after going through my reading tracking document I've been maintaining since 2008, I haven't read an author with the initials NW since 2008, either. So, any suggestions are appreciated!

I seem to be one of the rare readers in this group who didn't love Murderbot, but I'm happy for all of you. I am, however, very much looking forward to the next Townsend. I was so bummed when its release date got pushed back.

Hope you're getting plenty done at work and for packing for your trip!

Edited to add because we crossposted:

>201 curioussquared: 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson looks like a juvenile fantasy and the first in a series. And Then There Were Four by Nancy Werlin is a YA mystery/thriller. I haven't read either book, but they came up when I did a quick search.

>201 curioussquared: N.D. Wilson wrote The 100 Cupboards series (juvenile fantasy) -- I gave it a good rating back when I read it, though I also never followed up and read the rest of the series. Nancy Werlin writes young adult -- sometimes fantasy, sometimes not. Impossible is about a girl who must break a fae curse on her family before she gets caught in it. Rules of Survival is a gritty contemporary story about a teen boy who keeps his siblings together and safe despite their abusive mother. Both of those got high ratings from me.

>202 aktakukac: LOL, same authors at the same time! There must not be a lot of options for those initials!

>202 aktakukac: I was bummed too, Rachel. Sorry Murderbot didn't work for you but I'm sure you'll find some other books to read :)

Thank you for the suggestions -- I'll look into those!

>203 foggidawn: >204 foggidawn: LOL, looks like those two have the market cornered on NW authors. Thanks, Foggi!

>204 foggidawn: Haha, at least there are a couple of choices, at least!

I found a few other options while browsing my LT recommendations: Shelf Life and Tidepool.

The only NW author I have in my catalogue is the writer of Hench; Natalie Zina Walschots. I do have lots of MWs though.

>209 humouress: Thanks, Nina! I've seen some good reviews of Hench so that's a good option to have.

I guess I've been too busy for updates the past two days! I guess things have been mostly the same around here -- frantically trying to get all the work stuff done and prep for the trip. My best friend came home from a month-long trip home on Tuesday and we hung out last night and watched the first two episodes of The Last of Us, which were really well done but not good for reducing my stress levels, lol. I do love me some Pedro Pascal, though.

Today will be more of the same. I'm planning to be 99% packed before I go to sleep tonight. Also hoping to finish a few errands after work (picking up a preorder from the bookstore and returning a library book), and I want to trim the dogs' nails before we go. So anyway, plenty to do around here!

Finished This Wicked Fate before bed last night and probably won't start anything else in print until I'm home again. 75% through Possession on audio and really want to finish before we leave; I'll probably listen while packing. No progress made on Cece Rios on Kindle but I imagine I'll finish it on our flight if not before!

15 books read: This Wicked Fate by Kalynn Bayron

In the sequel to This Poison Heart, Briseis, Marie, Circe and the rest must act quickly to complete their quest to unite the six pieces of the heart and save Briseis's mom. The key to their quest lies in ancient Greek mythology -- there are stories we know, but what if those aren't the real stories? As Briseis learns more about her powers, she also knows that it might not be enough if Karter and his family, Jason's descendants, are already way ahead.

I thought this was a decent but uninspired sequel. All the loose ends were tied up satisfactorily, but the book was lacking a lot of what I loved about the first book. Briseis necessarily has less support from her parents and has to deceive Mo; Circe and Persephone's arrival mean that almost all the mysteries of the first book are de-mystified. Plus, they're now in charge, so Briseis just has a lot less agency in general. I was also disappointed in the development of Briseis's powers. I feel like there was an opportunity to have her truly grow (pun intended) into her own, but in the end it just felt like Bayron was inconsistent about when Briseis did and didn't use her powers to help herself or others. 3.5 stars.

>198 curioussquared: Got it in one! :)

Good luck getting all the final preparations before your trip complete! Soon it will be sunshine and beaches and I'm not at all jealous. :P

>213 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky :)

Naomi J. Williams wrote a book called Landfalls (slightly funny if I remember correctly)
I also read The history of rain by Niall Williams which was ok.

If you prefer romance-Naomi Wood would be a candidate for NW initials.

I can't think of any others though. Hope it is helpful.

>148 curioussquared: I would suggest Story of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang as well if he hasn't read that already. And it's not really light-hearted, but The Fifth Season kicks of a trilogy that's really fantastic. I shall ponder some more and see if I can come up with additional suggestions 🙂

>215 figsfromthistle: more bittersweet than anything. It's one of my favorite novels, and it's beautifully written: "Perhaps it was our passion for discovery that doomed us, drawing us too close to the Vanikoran reefs when the weatherglass was falling and the sky boiling with storm."

>201 curioussquared: I can recommend Niall Williams who I see others have already pointed out, there is also Natalie Zina Walschots who published Hench to much acclaim recently, Nico Walker whose novel Cherry was well reviewed and Nicola Williams whose novel Without Prejudice was reissued last year.

A fascinating and award winning work on non-fiction is KL by Nikolaus Wachsmann which is about the Nazi Concentration Camps. The author is currently a professor at Kyran's university Welbeck College, London.

Hope that helps. xx

>201 curioussquared: Well, here are the authors from my library that I could come up with:

Ngugi wa Thiong'o - I am not sure if this one qualifies or not?
Nik Wallenda
Nadia Wassef
Niall Williams - one of my favorite "new to me authors" that I discovered last year
N.D. Wilson - mentioned above
Naomi Wood
Neil A. Wynn

Sorry there are not more!

I hope you have safe travels today, Natalie, and a wonderful trip.

Leaving today? Safe journey and wishing you both a lovely break.

>215 figsfromthistle: >216 bell7: >217 libraryperilous: >218 PaulCranswick: >219 alcottacre: Thanks, everybody! I should have plenty of options now :)

>220 humouress: Yep, we have an evening flight. I'm finishing up some work stuff and packing a few more things, but I'm 98% good to go at this point :)

16 books read: Possession by A. S. Byatt

Roland Michell is an academic barely scraping by as a researcher, an expert on the poet Randolph Henry Ash. One day, he finds what he believes to be a previously unknown draft of a letter from Ash to an unnamed woman, who he determines from other sources to be the poet Christabel LaMotte. Not certain what exactly the letter means but with a gut feeling that it might be important, Roland does something he's never thought of doing before and takes the letter from the British Museum. Hot on the trail and determined to see if he can learn more about Ash and LaMotte's relationship, he meets Maud Bailey, a LaMotte scholar, and together they manage almost accidentally to gain access to LaMotte's ancestral home -- where amazingly, hidden away, they uncover Ash and LaMotte's passionate, previously entirely unknown correspondence. As Maud and Roland frantically continue their research, lying about their whereabouts to other scholars in their fervor to keep what they have found under wraps and solely their own, something blossoms between them. But other scholars are becoming suspicious, and it won't be long before Roland and Maud have to come clean about their discoveries.

I tried to read this book for the first time ages ago, when I was in college, and bounced off it then -- perhaps it was too close to home at the time. This time, I absolutely loved it. Byatt has so intricately crafted these interweaving stories and histories that I almost have trouble remembering that Ash and LaMotte weren't real poets. The book is composed of various types of prose -- the present day narrative, the past narrative, the letters themselves, various poetic works by both Ash and LaMotte, and a journal of a relative of LaMotte's, to name a few. I'm actually glad I listened to the audiobook because it's very possible I could have been bogged down by some of the poetry in print -- I enjoy shorter poetry, but can find longer works challenging. (Yes, I'm that person who skips all the songs when I read LOTR, sue me.) Possession is subtitled "a romance" -- but it's really multiple romances, wrapped up in a mystery, with a dose of historical fiction to tie it together, all written in the most intricate, lovely prose, and plotted and put together with exquisite detail. 5 stars.

Happy Friday and happy travel day to me! I'm working on finishing up as much work as possible today before heading out late afternoon to the airport. My mom is driving us. I stayed up late last night getting almost entirely packed and then painting my toenails before going to bed since I suddenly remembered my existing polish was in a very sad state and I would actually be wearing sandals soon, lol.

Finished listening to Possession while packing and started listening to Sorcery of Thorns -- a reread before I pick up the new companion novella, Mysteries of Thorn Manor.

>223 curioussquared: I re-read that one last year and it is definitely a keeper for me! I am glad to see that you enjoyed it so much, Natalie!

Wishing you smooth travels, Natalie!

Also your review has me adding Possession to The List.

>3 curioussquared: A great start to the year! I have A Psalm for the Wild-Built in my "To Read" list. Looking forward to that one.

>225 alcottacre: It was so lovely, Stasia. Glad to see you're a fan too. I think it's one that could stand up to many rereadings!

>226 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Ooh, I think you'll like it. It's a book for lovers of books and words and mysteries.

>227 ocgreg34: Thanks, Greg! I'm pretty pleased with how my year has started, reading-wise. I loved Psalm and wouldn't be surprised if I pick up the sequel while I'm on vacation.

>223 curioussquared: I bounced off this hard when I tried it in high school and then again after the film version was released. Your review makes me want to pick it up again!

Bon voyage! I hope you and Tim have a wonderful trip with lots of beautiful ocean and rainforest views.

I have a copy of Possession at home, but will wait until I have a little more time to focus on what I read.

Have a great trip!

Have a nice trip!

>229 libraryperilous: IDK if you ever do audiobooks, but the version I listened to read by Virgina Leishman was excellent and I think listening helped me get through some parts where I may have gotten bogged down otherwise. And thank you!

>230 aktakukac: Thanks, Rachel! Yes, it's a book that demands focus.

>231 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora!

Have a lovely trip, Natalie! You've just about convinced me to put Possession on the TBR list.

>224 curioussquared: Have a good trip, Natalie! Sorry I'm very late. But I'm glad you and Tim finally get the chance to relax and have some fun.

Hope your vacation is going well, Natalie and that you'll come back fully rested with books to report and photos to share!

>233 bell7: Thanks, Mary! I hope you enjoy it if you do read it :)

>234 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks, Angela!

>235 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! It was a great trip.

I'm back, all! Tim and I had a lovely almost two weeks hopping around Costa Rica and I'm a little tanner and more recharged than when we left, although I'm still feeling pretty tired from the actual trip home. We got home very late Thursday night (technically Friday morning) and my body keeps wanting to wake me up around 7 am Costa Rica time aka 5 am here, so I'm very glad I have yesterday and the weekend ahead to recover before going back to work on Monday.

I'll post some pictures soon, but some of my highlights included all the wildlife we saw (including three types of monkeys, coatis, agoutis, iguanas, sloths, and more), the whitewater rafting trip we did on the Pacuare river, the gorgeous natural hot springs at our hotel in the volcanic region of Arenal, and lots of delicious food. The lowlight was being stung by a scorpion in our bed in the middle of the night on our last night! Luckily the kind that stung me is not at all dangerous and hurt less than a bee sting, and now I can say I've been stung by a scorpion.

We did a lot of adventuring but also a lot of relaxing and I have nine book reviews to catch up on!

I was just wondering if you were back yet. Glad to hear it was largely a good trip. Although being stung by scorpions will be yet another thing I add to my list of why I live where the air hurts my face (although it's been really warm for February).

Looking forward to photos and updates on any of the books you managed to read between all your adventuring.

Welcome back, Natalie, and glad it was such an excellent trip! The scorpion sting doesn't sound all that lovely, though I guess "less than a bee sting" is okay (I don't like bees...).

Looking forward to your book & photo updates :)

I'm more upset at the idea of a scorpion being in the bed than the idea of getting stung by a scorpion. No thank you!

Welcome back!!

Sounds like a wonderful trip, and I will admit to being jealous of the scorpion sting. So cool! (When I lived in Egypt, one had to avoid them. They're deadly.) Seriously though, I'm glad it was minor and not super painful.

Coatis* are delightful, and the Pacuare River looks gorgeous. Looking forward to your photos, and I'm glad you had a wonderful time.

*Oooh, I didn't realize their range extends up into AZ and NM in the US!

Welcome back!

Ouch on the scorpion sting!

>238 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Honestly, same on the whole why I live where I do thing.

>239 bell7: Thanks, Mary! The scorpion sting was not fun in the moment but any pain faded pretty quickly. I think I was lucky that I had already taken a benadryl to help me sleep that night due to some itchy mosquito bites so I already had antihistamines in my system.

>240 norabelle414: Big same, Nora. I had been totally asleep when I felt something crawling on my arm and half asleep brushed it away, which is when it stung my hand and I leaped out of bed swearing. I managed to get a few more hours of sleep that night, but it took me a long time to get back to sleep because I kept feeling like something was crawling on me again *shudder*

>241 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana! Yeah, right after it stung me and we turned on the lights and realized it was a scorpion, we spent about five frantic minutes googling stuff to confirm that I was not in fact dying, lol. I loved the coatis so much! I didn't realize they were in the US either!

>242 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

17 books read: Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera

Cece knows the desert surrounding her town is dangerous, especially during the criatura months, when spirits roam in search of humans to prey on. But when her careless actions lead to her older sister being taken by one of the scariest criaturas, El Sombreron, Cece knows she'll do whatever it takes to get her back. Armed with knowledge from her Tia's old journal, Cece must become a bruja and harness a criatura of her own in order to gain access to Devil's Alley, where El Sombreron would have taken her sister. But becoming a bruja won't be easy, and Cece will need to use all her strength to stay true to herself.

BB from @libraryperilous! This was a fun middle grade novel that did a great job incorporating Mexican mythologies into the story. I enjoyed Cece's journey and the friendships she developed and will probably seek out the sequels. 4 stars.

18 books read: Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher

Nobody knows how the Clockwork Boys work -- only that they're huge, mechanical war machines that are seemingly piloted by magic and are nearly impossible to stop, and they're tearing apart the countryside. So far, attempts to stop them from the Dowager's city have failed, with the best and the brightest going missing or being killed. So the authorities take a last ditch approach and assemble a ragtag suicide squad of criminals on death row: Slate, master forger; Brenner, deadly assassin; and Caliban, paladin of the dreaming god, who accidentally murdered a bunch of people after being possessed by a demon he failed to exorcise. (He might still be a teeny bit possessed.) Oh, and the scholar Learned Edmund, but he volunteered -- the rest of the squad are marked with monstrous tattoos that will eat them alive if they go against the mission. As the motley crew ride out together, their odds of success seem dismal -- but maybe, just maybe, they have just what they need.

T. Kingfisher does it again! She's rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors. This was a fun quest novel filled with plenty of goofiness and some romance, too. I love the characters she creates -- they often seem to be normal people who have some kind of greatness thrust upon them and are really just doing the best they can given the situation. Warning that this book reads more like one half of a book and you will want to pick up the second one immediately. 5 stars.

19 books read: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

Lady Trent is old now, and one of the most respected experts on dragons in the business, but in this first of her memoirs, she recounts the beginning of her journey as a student of dragons: her childhood and initial interest, and then her first expedition with her husband.

I enjoyed this! The memoir conceit gives the story an interesting angle and I thought the adventure was compelling. I could see some being frustrated with the memoir-style narration but it worked for me and I'm excited to pick up further books in the series. 4.5 stars.

>246 curioussquared: Oh man, you too? Now I am going to have to reread this series. Not that it's going to be a hardship, I did very much enjoy this series.

Welcome back Natalie, glad to hear the trip was pleasant (minus an unfortunate bedmate at the end) and look forward to the photos as well!
>245 curioussquared: This secures that I have yet to see anything less than loved when it comes to Kingfisher, I recently ordered four of her books and I'm looking forward to each one, I can easily see myself working through her whole catalogue as she's becoming a favorite of mine too.

Nice to see you back safe and sound, Natalie.

I have shared my bed with a few scorpions but managed to avoid getting stung!

>237 curioussquared: Ooh, welcome back and looking forward to the pictures. But eek! Scorpion? In bed ?!

>245 curioussquared: That reminds me, I read most of the second book on my Kindle on holiday and really ought to finish it.

>246 curioussquared: I have the series on my shelves (because I love those zoological covers) but have yet to crack one open. Probably ought to, soon.

Glad you’re home, and that you had a (mostly) great time.

>246 curioussquared: I loved that series when I read it a few years ago!

>245 curioussquared: Oooh, this one sounds good! Adding it to the list...

>246 curioussquared: That one's already on the list. I will get to it - eventually.

>247 dreamweaver529: Lol, sorry not sorry! I definitely plan to read the rest but not sure when I'll get to them. Probably sooner if I decide to listen to them, later if I decide to read them on my Kindle or in print.

>248 WhiteRaven.17: Thanks, Kro! Yes, she's rapidly becoming a favorite with me. Just so much fun.

>249 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Yeah, it wasn't really what I wanted from my last night in CR!

>250 humouress: Thanks, Nina! I know, we hadn't even SEEN a scorpion on the trip until that one decided to crawl in with us. Hope you enjoy finishing the Kingfisher and starting the Brennan!

>251 foggidawn: Thanks Foggi! You may have been the original source of the Lady Trent book bullet :)

>252 bell7: Thanks Mary! Hope you enjoy them both :)

20 books read: The Wonder Engine by T. Kingfisher

Picking up right where book 1 left off, we once again join Slate, Brenner, Caliban, and the Learned Edmund, now with a gnole friend, as they start searching Anuket City for clues as to the origin of the Clocktaurs. But things rapidly go south as Slate's past catches up with her and she runs into the people who made her leave Anuket City in the first place.

Just as fun as the first book and as compulsively readable. I liked it maybe a teeny bit less but overall, the whole series was just an absolute romp. 4.5 stars.

21 books read: Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

In this sequel to The Goose Girl, Enna's friend Isi is now married to the prince, and Enna has returned to her forest home. But after her mother's death, she's feeling at loose ends -- she needs a new purpose, and just being the Princess's friend isn't going to be enough. Things change quickly when a neighboring country declares war, and Enna accompanies Isi and the royal family to the front. Also coming along is Enna's brother, who has developed mysterious fire powers he seems to have learned from an old piece of vellum he found in the forest. But the fire is changing him, and Enna is worried. When Enna has a chance to see the vellum for herself, the fire takes her as well, and at first, she is elated that her new powers can help her country win their war. But soon the fire wants more than she can give -- and Enna and Isi will need to travel far to restore their balance.

I enjoyed this sequel to The Goose Girl. It felt darker than the previous book but still written a little simplistically, so I wonder if it had a harder time finding its intended audience, but it worked for me. I don't know if I'd reread it but I still plan to continue the series. 4 stars.

I've finished three more books since getting home (oops) so still have seven reviews to get through, lol. I'll start a new thread and finish them over there, and post some photos there, too.

>253 curioussquared: As several of the local libraries have them as audio, I would recommend listening to them. The narration is very good.

>257 dreamweaver529: That's good to know! Thanks, Amanda.