Mary (bell7) Reads in 2023 - Thread 11

Welcome to my 11th thread of the year!

I'm a librarian living and working in western Massachusetts, who also dog sits on the side. I have a large family of origin, but live on my own. I am officially middle aged and I'm enjoying living in a home that happens to be in the neighborhood my ancestors were living in 100 years ago. I knit, research genealogy, enjoy watching sports and read - a lot. You'll get a little bit of my life here, so I hope you'll join in the conversation.

2023 Book Club Reads (library)
January - Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann - COMPLETED
February - The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris - COMPLETED
March - Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown - COMPLETED
April - Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr - COMPLETED
May - All We Can Save edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katherine K. Wilkinson - COMPLETED
June/July/August - a low key "what are you reading now?" meeting where participants can tell us about their current book(s)
September - The Overstory by Richard Powers - COMPLETED
October - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver - COMPLETED
November - Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford - COMPLETED
December - The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb - COMPLETED

2023 Book Club Reads (SIL and friends)
January - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - didn't reread, but did go
February - The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - COMPLETED
March - The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer - Nobody read it, we just met for dinner, and have been so busy we haven't met again since

Best of 2023:

4.5 stars
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
Normal Family by Chrysta Bilton
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld
A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux
Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World by Barry Lopez
Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
The Redoubtable Pali Avramapul by Victoria Goddard
Say I'm Dead by E. Dolores Johnson
The Real Dada Mother Goose by Jon Scieszka
Index, a history of the by Dennis Duncan
Manifesto: On Never Giving Up by Bernardine Evaristo
This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says About You by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire
Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland
Bee Sting Cake by Victoria Goddard
Stone Speaks to Stone by Victoria Goddard
Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan
Witch King by Martha Wells
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard
You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux
The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
Love in a Mist by Victoria Goddard
Solito by Javier Zamora
Out of the Sun: On Race and Storytelling by Esi Edugyan
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
An Hour Before Daylight by Jimmy Carter
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay

5 stars
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Bookish articles:
1. Alternatives to Book Depository
2. CBC Massey Lectures - Esi Edugyan, "On Race and Storytelling"

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

Number of books read since keeping count on LT:
July - Dec 2008 - 65
2009 - 156 (plus over 70 graphic novels and manga volumes)
2010 - 135 (Note: in June, I started working a second part-time job for full-time hours)
2011 - 150
2012 - 108 (Note: accepted a full-time job in February)
2013 - 107
2014 - 126 (plus 8 Graphic Novels)
2015 - 120 (plus 6 Graphic Novels)
2016 - 141
2017 - 114
2018 - 105 (Note: my first full year as Assistant Director)
2019 - 116
2020 - 153
2021 - 138
2022 - 131

Currently reading

December
180. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
179. In the Form of a Question by Amy Schneider
178. Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
177. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
176. You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
175. The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay
174. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
173. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
172. Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
171. Menopause: A Comic Treatment edited by MK Czerwiec
170. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
169. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
168. Clary Sage by Victoria Goddard
167. Zero Sum Game by S. L. Huang

November
166. Blue Willow by Doris Gates
165. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
164. System Collapse by Martha Wells
163. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
162. The Warrior of the Third Veil by Victoria Goddard
161. When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
160. An Hour Before Daylight by Jimmy Carter
159. Hild by Nicola Griffith
158. Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
157. Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford
156. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
155. Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
154. The Bride of the Blue Wind by Victoria Goddard
153. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

October
152. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
151. Africa Risen edited by Sheree Renee Thomas et al
150. Devil's Gun by Cat Rambo
149. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
148. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
147. Out of the Sun: On Race and Storytelling by Esi Edugyan
146. My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich by Ibi Zoboi
145. Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
144. City of Bones by Martha Wells
143. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
142. Plum Duff by Victoria Goddard
141. Unstoppable Octobia May by Sharon Flake

September
140. The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
139. Blue Horses by Mary Oliver
138. Happy Place by Emily Henry
137. Solito by Javier Zamora
136. The Overstory by Richard Powers
135. The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa
134. Love-in-a-mist by Victoria Goddard
133. Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi
132. How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
131. Something's wrong with us, volume 5 by Natsumi Ando
130. The Fragile Threads of Power by V. E. Schwab
129. Something's wrong with us, volume 4 by Natsumi Ando
128. The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E. M. Anderson
127. Network Effect by Martha Wells

August
126. The Easy Life in Kamusari by Shion Miura
125. A Woman's Story by Annie Ernaux
124. Something's wrong with us, volume 3 by Natsumi Ando
123. Something's wrong with us, volume 2 by Natsumi Ando
122. Something's wrong with us, volume 1 by Natsumi Ando
121. Emergent Properties by Aimee Ogden
120. Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse
119. Eden's Outcasts by John Matteson
118. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
117. The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis
116. Blackcurrant Fool by Victoria Goddard
115. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
114. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

July
113. Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
112. A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks
111. We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen
110. The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
109. The Ogress and the Orphans by Kelly Barnhill
108. Books and Islands in Ojibwe Country by Louise Erdrich
107. Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
106. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
105. The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Shulz
104. You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo
103. The Woman They Wanted by Shannon Harris
102. Akata Woman by Nnedi Okorafor
101. The Late Americans by Brandon Taylor
100. Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
99. The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel
98. Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard
97. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

June
96. Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi
95. Witch King by Martha Wells
94. Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen
93. Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan
92. The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman
91. A Corner of the Universe by Ann M. Martin
90. Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango
89. Stone Speaks to Stone by Victoria Goddard
88. Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley
87. Bee Sting Cake by Victoria Goddard
86. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
85. Well Matched by Jen DeLuca
84. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
83. The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

May
82. The Bookbinder by Pip Williams (looks like the non-US title is The Bookbinder of Jericho)
81. The Humans by Matt Haig
80. Rust in the Root by Justine Ireland
79. The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix
78. Well Played by Jen DeLuca
77. How Can I Help You by Laura Sims
76. All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis edited by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson
75. The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
74. Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire
73. Stargazy Pie by Victoria Goddard
72. Well Met by Jen DeLuca

April
71. This Is What It Sounds Like by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
70. Fruits Basket Another, Vol. 4 by Natsuki Takaya
69. Fruits Basket Another, Vol. 3 by Natsuki Takaya
68. Fruits Basket Another, Vol. 2 by Natsuki Takaya
67. Fruits Basket Another, Vol. 1 by Natsuki Takaya
66. Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
65. Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner
64. Manifesto: On Never Giving Up by Bernardine Evaristo
63. Fruits Basket Volume 23 by Natsuki Takaya
62. Fruits Basket Volume 22 by Natsuki Takaya
61. Fruits Basket Volume 21 by Natsuki Takaya
60. Fruits Basket Volume 20 by Natsuki Takaya
59. Fruits Basket Volume 19 by Natsuki Takaya
58. Index, A History of The by Dennis Duncan
57. Fruits Basket Volume 18 by Natsuki Takaya
56. Fruits Basket Volume 17 by Natsuki Takaya
55. Fruits Basket Volume 16 by Natsuki Takaya
54. Fruits Basket Volume 15 by Natsuki Takaya
53. Fruits Basket Volume 14 by Natsuki Takaya
52. Fruits Basket Volume 13 by Natsuki Takaya
51. Fruits Basket Volume 12 by Natsuki Takaya
50. Fruits Basket Volume 11 by Natsuki Takaya
49. Fruits Basket Volume 10 by Natsuki Takaya
48. Fruits Basket Volume 9 by Natsuki Takaya
47. Fruits Basket Volume 8 by Natsuki Takaya
46. Fruits Basket Volume 7 by Natsuki Takaya
45. Wingshooters by Nina Revoyr
44. Fruits Basket Volume 6 by Natsuki Takaya
43. Fruits Basket Volume 5 by Natsuki Takaya
42. Fruits Basket Volume 4 by Natsuki Takaya
41. Fruits Basket Volume 3 by Natsuki Takaya
40. Fruits Basket Volume 2 by Natsuki Takaya
39. The Real Dada Mother Goose by Jon Scieszka illustrated by Julia Rothman
38. Fruits Basket Volume 1 by Natsuki Takaya
37. Make Me Rain by Nikki Giovanni
36. Out of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez
35. My Years at The Gotham Book Mart with Frances Steloff, Proprietor by Matthew Tannenbaum

March
34. Say I'm Dead by E. Dolores Johnson
33. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells
32. The Redoubtable Pali Avramapul by Victoria Goddard
31. The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
30. Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson
29. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
28. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
27. Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries by Rick Emerson
26. Musical Tables by Billy Collins
25. Facing the Mountain by Daniel James Brown
24. Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
23. Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World by Barry Lopez

February
22. A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux
21. The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten (out Mar. 7)
20. Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld
19. We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
18. A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung (out Apr. 4)
17. I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
16. The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
15. The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
14. The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard
13. Normal Family by Chrysta Bilton
12. Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper

January
11. So Many Beginnings by Bethany C. Morrow
10. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
9. The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland
8. No One Goes Alone by Erik Larson
7. Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura
6. Petty Treasons by Victoria Goddard
5. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
4. The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner
3. The Emma Project by Sonali Dev
2. The Cancer Journals by Audre Lorde
1. Black Candle Women by Diane Marie Brown

DNF
1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (it was a reread and I wasn't in the mood)
2. Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien
3. Independence Day by Steve Lopez
4. Voyages from Chatham by Bob Ryder
5. The Long Game by Elena Armas
6. Auburn, New York: The Entrepreneurs' Frontier

Global reads in 2023 (author's country of origin):
Unites States - most of my reading
Canada - Petty Treasons and other books by Victoria Goddard
Japan - Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura and the Fruits Basket series
UK - Revenge of the Librarians by Tom Gauld
France - A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux
Indonesia - Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Australia - The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix
Armenia - Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan
Nigeria - Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi
India - The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese (born in Ethiopia to Indian parents, got his college degree at Madras University)

All time (since 2022):


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, France, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

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

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

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

As we go into the last month of the year, what stands out to you as you reflect on your 2023 reading? What goals (if any) do you anticipate having in 2024?

For myself, I'm surprised by the sheer number - both my total, and the fact that I haven't had a month where I read fewer than 11 books (so far in November I have 10, but I will finish another book by Friday). I've done pretty well keeping up with my goals to read diversely. But next year, I want to expand even more and try to read more non-U.S. authors and non-English books in translation. I haven't decided the exact goals/numbers/percentages, but that's going to be my focus in 2024.

Happy new thread, Mary.

>12 bell7: I am never entirely satisfied with my reading as I have so much in the way of work distractions and sometimes when I plan to spend a weekend just reading I then find myself simply too tired to concentrate for long periods. One thing that stands out for me this year is that my reading is becoming more gender balanced and genre balanced - which is surely a good thing.

Happy new thread Mary!

New 🧵 orisons, Mary.

Happy new thread, Mary!

What stands out for me in my reading this year is the amount I've done, helped by audios listened to while I work on jigsaw puzzles, of course. I won't hit 200, but I can't remember when, if ever, I've read this much in a year.

Happy new thread!

I feel like I've read a lot of really good books this year. Picking a top ten may be a challenge for me when the year end rolls around.

>13 PaulCranswick: Sorry to hear that you've been too tired to read when you'd like to, Paul. But I agree, having a nice balance of gender and genre, is a good thing!

>14 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

>15 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>16 katiekrug: You have been doing a lot of listening - that's great that it's been such a good reading year for you, too, Katie.

>17 foggidawn: I'm going to have the same problem, foggi! Sometimes it feels like a top ten of the day, where, sure, my top maybe 3 books stay put, but there are so many others that were SO good and in a different mood, I may make an entirely different list...

163. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
Why now? I put the e-book/audio combo on hold to fit a Kindle challenge a couple of months ago, and though it didn't come in then, I still had it on my list to read when it became available and I had time, which was now, in my travels over the weekend

June Heyward and Athena Liu have been friends and rivals since college. Athena has been the more successful author of the two, and June has been struggling with her jealousy, feeling that Athena's identity as a queer Asian American has helped her in her career where no one wants to hear a cishet white woman anymore. When Athena dies in a freak accident while celebrating her newest success - a Netflix deal on one of her books - June impulsively picks up Athena's latest work-in-progress and starts polishing it herself.

Yellowface explores the world of publishing through June's experience publishing Athena's work. She narrates, justifying her stealing the work and making a more and more elaborate story blending her truth and the truth. The reader can see her double standards and racism, but June doesn't really interrogate herself and her entitlement. The deceased, too, was not a perfect person, and exactly how far a writer goes before they're "stealing" is part of the exploration here as well. Well done all around. 4.5 stars.

>19 bell7: I've been seeing that one on a lot of best of the year lists, and just put it on my TBR list earlier today.

Happy New Thread, Mary. I am trying to catch up after being offline for a few days. You have been reading some good books. I liked Crooked Hallelujah but can't remember much about it. LOL. I have added Yellowface to the TBR and I still NEED to get to The Covenant of Water.

>20 foggidawn: I look forward to your thoughts on it!

>21 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I have been reading some good books. Hope you enjoy Yellowface and I look forward to your thoughts on The Covenant of Water. It's been a VERY popular book at my library and I was surprised when the e-book version became available as soon as it did for me.

Glad you liked Yellowface, too!

>23 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I actually was kinda thinking while I was reading it... hey, Katie and I have a book in common :D It's a little surprising, I would've expected myself to read Babel first - but it's still on my list.

>19 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mary!

Happy new thread!

>19 bell7: I have seen this one around and it looks like a fantastic read. Bb for me.

Happy new thread!

>25 alcottacre: and >26 figsfromthistle: Yay! Hope you both like it.

164. System Collapse by Martha Wells
Why now? New Murderbot book that I pre-ordered and read as soon as I could fit it in.

Picking up soon after Network Effect leaves off, the newest Murderbot tale finds our favorite SecUnit and friends still on the planet trying to convince the colonists that Baresh-Estranza does not have their best interests at heart.

The latest in what has become one of my favorite stories has a bit of a slow start as Murderbot has redacted something that's bothering it and only admits what happened part way through. I'm curious to see if that redaction becomes important in a later installment. The last third of the book picked up the pace astronomically, and I will of course be following any further adventures. 4 stars.

>28 bell7: Your thoughts on the book rather echo mine, Mary. It did start off rather slowly.

I'm curious to see if that redaction becomes important in a later installment. I am curious about that as well!

>12 bell7: Partway through the year, I stumbled into focusing a bit on literature from one place: Japan. I think it's given me a bit of a better sense of the "feel" of literature from there. I'm toying with the idea of doing something like that again next year with a different country maybe. I haven't reached any conclusions yet.

I also read a ton of short story collections (for me - it's not a preferred form), and had pretty good results with them. I imagine it means I won't shy away from reading them in the future like I usually have in the past.

I also read more this year than I have any year since 2017 - I will definitely hit 75, which I haven't since then.

Late to the game, buuuut happy new thread!

You are on FIRE. You and all that reading. I may have read 11 books in a month, but never every month. Kudos!

I've got a boxed set of the first four murderbot books on my Christmas list. My DiL checked the first volume from the library for me. I wanted to see what I was getting into, and Lafayette College was the only library in the region that had any of the books. Weird.

I also have designs on my son's copy of Babel. Just as a loaner. Don't know if he has Yellowface.

>29 alcottacre: I have a feeling it will be important - smaller parts of the story than that have reappeared and been explored in later installments.

>30 ursula: Oh that's a really interesting thought, Ursula. I like the idea of focusing on one country and may kick that possibility around more. France would be interesting, I think... I could explore Annie Ernaux more and tackle The Count of Monte Cristo. I'm curious about the short story collections. Did you read primarily collections of all one author or anthologies? I like th eform when it's well done, but it can be tricky in an anthology especially since I'll like some more than others. And congrats on making it to 75 this year! (I know it's not about the numbers, but it still feels good, no?)

>31 drneutron: Not that late, Jim, I only just started the thread yesterday!

>32 weird_O: It's pretty unusual for me, too, Bill. I've had lower numbers somewhere in the 4-8 range for a single month even in an overall good year, so this consistency has surprised me. Hooray for Murderbot! I will look forward to your thoughts on Babel. I'm always amazed when an author can successfully write in more than one genre, and R. F. Kuang certainly seems to have those writing chops.

Happy Wednesday morning, all! I had originally planned on going out on a day trip today, but woke up late and decided I didn't feel like it. I got a lot of what I wanted to done yesterday, but didn't decorate the tree. So I'm thinking today I will decorate, maybe do a little more cooking, and plan out some budget and gift lists. Tomorrow or Friday I can do the day trip/shopping and know exactly how much I have to play with.

I'm going to try to finish at least one more book this month, so I'll be focusing on Starling House over the next couple of days.

Reading: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow and Zero Sum Game by S. L. Huang

Listening: Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Christmas Eve and Other Stories)

Watching: nothing last night, decided to focus on reading instead

Crafting: didn't pick it up yesterday, but still working on the knitted hat and hoping to make progress today

>28 bell7: Glad to hear that the tempo of the book picks up! I’m currently reading System Collapse and I’ve been stuck in the slow-moving beginning. I’m at page 111 and I think it’s starting to pick up, thank God!

Happy new thread!

Karen O

>22 bell7: Happy new thread, Mary! My book club met yesterday and The Covenant of Water was mentioned as one of the books we might read next year. We'll be voting on suggestions received for possible reads next month. I hope that one gets added to the list.

>33 bell7: The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my all-time favorite books. I highly recommend it!

Happy new thread, Mary!

>33 bell7: I've been reading collections by a single author. I'm not that interested in anthologies, for better or worse.

>35 klobrien2: Thankfully I'd seen a couple of reviews mentioning the slow start, so I expected it going in. Hope you still enjoy the book overall, Karen!

>36 atozgrl: The Covenant of Water was so good! But if your book club reads it, I hope they aren't put off by the length or the library wait list.

>37 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>38 ursula: That's perfectly fair. I haven't read that many this year myself - only 3 short story collections in total, and one was an anthology.

Happy Thursday! Yesterday I decorated the tree and went out briefly in the afternoon to do most of my Christmas shopping. Today I'm planning a day trip out to Yankee Candle (with limited shopping, potentially, but mostly for the vibes at their Christmas Village). I might stop at a craft store for some buttons for the hat I'm working on, as the only ones I have are colorful ones for baby sweaters. No other set plans, other than finishing Starling House and maybe watching another Christmas movie or cooking, if I feel like it (there are plenty of leftovers).

Reading: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow and Zero Sum Game by S. L. Huang

Listening: Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Christmas Eve and Other Stories), plus some Spotify playlists

Watching: It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas

Crafting: knitted hat

165. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Why now? I've enjoyed previous books by the author and knew I'd want to read the newest by this author as soon as it was out - I managed to book horn it in at the end of the month for a matched TIOLI read

Starling House has long been part of Opal's dreams, and when the reclusive owner offers her a job after a chance meeting, she decides to take it in the hope that she can use the money to better the life of her teenage brother, Jasper. But as she experiences the quirks of the house and starts to learn the history, Opal isn't sure who - or what - she can trust.

A beautifully told modern Gothic tale that is set in the author's own home state of Kentucky. I enjoyed the ride, trying to figure out the mystery of the house, and rooting for Opal every step of the way. Possibly my favorite of Harrow's books so far. 4.5 stars.

166. Blue Willow by Doris Gates
Why now? Picked up when I was visiting another library, since it was a Newbery Honor winner and fit the TIOLI challenge for a title with a final word that's an animal or plant

Janey Larkin and her parents have moved around a lot over the last few years as her father follows the harvest. Most recently, they've found a shack in the San Joaquin valley and a job picking cotton. The only thing Janey owns of value is a blue willow plate that was in the family for generations. As Janey makes friends with Lupe Romero, she starts to wish that they could settle here for good.

This Newbery Honor book from 1940 was a mixed bag for me. It's praised for being one of the first children's literature of its kind, focusing on migrant workers, having a problem the child addresses, and including Mexican Americans one of whom is Janey's best friend. However, for today's sensibilities it's also very much of its time: a little slow to start, moralizing, having a happy ending that stretches credulity, and including some casual racism (a dress Lupe wears makes her look "darker" but Janey chooses not to mention it) and sexism. 3.5 stars.

November in review
166. Blue Willow by Doris Gates
165. Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
164. System Collapse by Martha Wells
163. Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
162. The Warrior of the Third Veil by Victoria Goddard
161. When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
160. An Hour Before Daylight by Jimmy Carter
159. Hild by Nicola Griffith
158. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
157. Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford
156. The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford
155. Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
154. The Bride of the Blue Wind by Victoria Goddard
153. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman

Books read: 14
Did not finish: 0
Rereads: 0
Children's/Teen/Adult: 1/1/12
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 13/1/0/0
Massachusetts Center of the Book Challenge: An Hour Before Daylight fit the October challenge, and I found a recommendation from a local indie bookstore for Happiness Falls, which I read early this year, to count for November's challenge

Because I want to awards:
Most anticipated book that did not disappoint: The Covenant of Water
Unlikable narrator and I STILL liked it: Yellowface
Impressive debut: When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
Read with bated breath: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

YTD stats -
Pages read: 38,806
Avg pages a day: 116.5
Books by POC authors: 81 (48.8%)
In translation: 37 (22.29% - though most of that is manga translated from Japanese)
DNF: 6

Thoughts:
I'm most impressed with how well my reading fit with the TIOLI challenges this month. I fit 13 of the 14 books I read into them, in 10 different challenges, and had 5 shared reads. I read long books and short books, a nice mix of genres including fantasy, science fiction, mystery, historical fiction, linked short stories, and a children's classic. And some of them were truly excellent reads that will vie for favorites of the year. I am a little sad to see that the authors of color is ticking under 50% for the year, but I'm hoping to make up for that in December.

Oh and by the way, my numbers look like the highest they've ever been, but in some years I was counting manga and graphic novels separately. So if you take out the comics, as of today I'm up to 131 books read for the year. Still not too shabby, and among one of my best years when working full time.

Happy December!

Today is the last weekday of my vacation. I've done the various projects I had hoped to get to during the week, so today is mostly going to be puttering around the house tidying up and wrapping Christmas gifts while I plan out the last shopping I have to do. In the evening, I have tickets to a local stand-up comedy show where my friends are the opening band, so I'm going with my brothers and their significant others and another couple that's friends of ours.

Reading: Zero Sum Game (which is turning out to be a very poor before-bed choice, so I may have to add another e-book/audio combo) and Poison Study

Listening: Spotify playlists (Christmas and instrumental, depending on what I'm doing), and I'll start a new Christmas CD borrowed from the library today

Watching: Put Elf on last night

Crafting: finished the hat and going to start a scarf to go with it with the remaining yarn

I like your "Because I want to awards". It's a great category. A feather in Mary's hat, please. A flamboyant feather.

>41 bell7: I am going to have to find that one. I loved The Ten Thousand Doors of January. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mary!

>42 bell7: Yeah, I think I will give that one a pass.

Have a fantastic Friday, Mary!

>45 weird_O: Thanks, Bill! *Doffs hat and takes a bow* I want to highlight special reads that may or may not be "favorites" of any given month, so this is the way I've chosen to do that.

>46 alcottacre: I hope you enjoy Starling House as much as I did, Stasia!

*Weekend waves*

We got in late last night as expected, but it was a fun evening. I'm headed out in a few to pick up my Little and we're going to a holiday bazaar and getting lunch. The rest of the weekend is pretty quiet by my standards. Sunday is church and I'm contemplating going to a local lecture/event on Victorian Christmas Traditions in the early afternoon, if I do anything else.

Reading: Zero Sum Game and Poison Study

Watching: yesterday's viewing was A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott version)

Listening: Nat King Cole "Christmas favorites" though I'll switch to something new today, it was only 10 songs and I heard it twice through in driving yesterday

Crafting: scarf

>48 bell7: Sounds like the kind of weekend where you're going to need No-Dōz to remain conscious, Mary!

*smooch*

>49 richardderus: Oh, you know I'll find various projects to keep me busy even if it's not planned, per se.

Today, for example, I stopped by some shops down the street that are rented out rooms from a building that used to be a Grades 1-9 school. I got talking with the owner of a frame store, who told me all about how the landlord was big into the history and is collecting photographs of the classes that went there and trying to identify kids in the photos. I spent a pleasant couple of hours going through old newspapers to figure out what years an aunt and uncle of mine were in what grade from about 1915-1920, and made note of a few more names to look up. I'm going to have to contact a couple of family members to see if they have any photos that will help in the identification process and a whole new family history project to keep me busy for awhile.

Short story: The Saint of the Bookstore by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Continuing my joint reads with Stasia in the Nine Worlds

This short story set after the Greenwing & Dart series has Sister Mirabelle coming from her convent to determine if Mr. Dart truly performed a miracle. What she finds is much more - and different - from what she expected. This was a really sweet story, and for once I think it was the perfect length for what it was.

167. Zero Sum Game by S. L. Huang
Why now? A bit of an impulse borrow - I was looking at my TBR spreadsheet, picked this one to look up in thee library's digital catalog, and found the e-book and audio to borrow. I put it on the list in 2021 but didn't specify a reason or where the title was mentioned.

Cas Russell is good at what she does: retrieval. She also just so happens to be able to see mathematical equations, which comes in handy for fights in which she can predict the trajectory of a bullet or the angle at which she needs to attack from. When Cas takes a job to retrieve Courtney Polk from a drug cartel and then Courtney disappears, she learns that Dawna, the woman calling herself Courtney's sister, is actually a telepath and manipulates Cas into doing her bidding. And, there's whispers of something called Pithica, a deeply hidden network that may be pulling the strings. Cas is determined to find out more, despite the fact that Rio - a psychopath who's still the closest Cas has to a friend - tells her to stay out of it.

A wild ride of a near-future science fiction thriller. To be honest, it's very light in the science fiction side of that and I probably wouldn't even mention it if it weren't published by Tor. Fast-paced and violent, with not a lot of character development but a compelling enough storyline that I wanted to know what would happen, even if the revelations (what there were of them, as there's clearly some left for sequels) were somewhat predictable. 3 stars.

The version I read was the updated (2018?) edition.

Happy Sunday! My last day before I go back to work - and yes, I did have a work dream last night in which I was magically caught up on email before the day was out. Ah well...

Yesterday was a really pleasant day. My Little and I had fun at the holiday bazaar and decided that our next get together we would like to try another craft fair, so that's what we have planned for the next couple of weeks. I got home early enough that I decided to pop my head into some shops down the street that I've driven past but never walked into, despite the fact that one of them is a permanent space for the local library's book sale. Well, it turns out that the building used to be one of the town's Grades 1-9 school, and they have a collection of photographs of many of the graduating classes. And my great-grandparents' younger siblings went to the school. So, I have some research ahead of me which could be a win-win of 1. helping them identify people in the photos and 2. seeing photos of my relatives as children that I wouldn't have had access to otherwise. What fun!

I'm headed out shortly for church, and will probably go to the lecture I mentioned in the afternoon, followed by a quiet evening at home of wrapping Christmas gifts, maybe watching a movie, and reading.

Reading: Poison Study and Murder Your Employer (the theme is unintentional, I assure you)

Listening: Finished up the Nat King Cole CD (enjoyed it, all but the last song were familiar to me, and I liked the lullaby sort of song at the end), moved on to a Celtic Christmas CD that sounded so fake and blah that I didn't even finish it and listened through Sarah MacLachlan's Wintersong. It was... okay? The only song I really liked from it was her cover of Happy Xmas (War is Over), the rest weren't really to my taste. Now I have some Renaissance Christmas CD in, and I'll probably decide today if I'm going to bother listening through to the end (I have sung in choir before but I'm not super partial to listening to choral music...).

Watching: last night's choice was While You Were Sleeping

Crafting: scarf

Happy Sunday, Mary! The Giants are on a bye, right?

I like that Sarah Maclachlan Christmas album, especially 'In the Bleak Midwinter.' It's one of my favorites of the season...

>54 katiekrug: Yup, Giants are on a bye and play next Monday night.

Actually, yeah, "In the Bleak Midwinter" was a really pretty arrangement, and not often on popular Christmas albums. I think my main complaint about most of the songs was that she changed the melody, timing or words enough that I had a tough time singing along. I daresay if I had heard it more as a kid and knew the way she sang it (like I do with, say, one of Anne Murray's Christmas albums), I'd like it a lot better.

>53 bell7: Very interesting about the shops in the old grade school. It sounds like it has inspired an intriguing project for you. I hope you make some great discoveries there!

>56 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene! I hope it turns out to be useful side research. It's been very fun since purchasing my house to see how my own town connects to my family history.

168. Clary Sage by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Continuing my read of Goddard's Nine Worlds books with Stasia - we chose to finish up the stories related to Greenwing & Dart this weekend

Hal has been Duke of Fillering Pool since he was seven, and now that the test scores have come out, he finds himself deciding between what's expected of him and where he wants to go to college.

A fun novella focusing on one of the side characters of the Greenwing & Dart series a few years before the events of that series. Though it means the end result isn't all that surprising (if you've read the series, you know where he went), it was especially fun to see his first meeting with some of the characters from the main series. 4 stars.

I would very much enjoy some stories set in the colleges...

A little ambitious of me, but I'm going to try for a December sweep in TIOLI, with the following potential reads (wish me luck!):

Challenge #1: Read a book with a word, phrase, clause, prefix or suffix of negation in its title
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez - COMPLETED

Challenge #2: Read a book you mean to get to earlier in 2023
Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

Challenge #3: Read a sequel to a book you read earlier in the year.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (need a little luck for my hold to come in on time) It arrived from the library!

Challenge #4: Read a book that is a re-telling or based on another story or character
Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley READING

Challenge #5: Read a book with a connection to the number 3
Clary Sage by Victoria Goddard - COMPLETED
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
Making It So by Patrick Stewart

Challenge #6: Read a book connected to this season of the year
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - COMPLETED

Challenge #7: Read a book that it's easy to dip in and out of (short stories, poetry, essays, photo book, recipe book etc)
The book of (more) delights by Ross Gay (essays) - COMPLETED

Challenge #8: Read a book that fits any of the "page 2" challenges for 2023
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder - COMPLETED

Challenge #9: Read a book with a musical instrument in the title or author's name
The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb - COMPLETED

Challenge #10: Read a book with "tomorrow" or "future" in the title
A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey - COMPLETED

Challenge #11: Read a book with at least three letters of "December" in the title
Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes - COMPLETED

Challenge #12: Read a book with some connection to 12
Zero Sum Game by S. L. Huang - COMPLETED

Challenge #13: Read a book with a variant of death in the title
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone - COMPLETED

Challenge #14: Read a book whose title or subtitle or author’s name includes the word “men”
Menopause: A Comic Treatment edited by MK Czerwiec (have to say, I'm especially proud of that selection) - COMPLETED

Challenge #15: Morphy's Reindeer Rolling Challenge
You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky (Cupid - romance) - COMPLETED

I doubt I'll get to all of them, but it will be fun to try!

Good morning, all! I'm back to work today, but it's my short five-hour day, so I will be able to ease back into things. After basically catching up on email from 9-2, I will pick up a few things at the grocery store and head home.

Reading: Poison Study and Murder Your Employer

Listening: a Renaissance Christmas CD that I'll finish & return today, after that probably radio or a playlist

Watching: yesterday I ended up putting on some football and Bruins hockey as mostly background noise while I read. We'll see what I do today - maybe the most recent Doctor Who special or another Christmas movie

Crafting: scarf, though I didn't pick it up yesterday

>58 bell7: I enjoyed it too!

>59 bell7: Good luck with the sweep, Mary! I hope that you make it.

>59 bell7: I'll cross all the crossables for your success, Mary. *smooch*

>61 alcottacre: Once again, we had very similar thoughts on it, Stasia :)

>62 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

169. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Why now? I asked a couple of librarian friends for romance recommendations, and this one sounded right up my alley

Yelena is up next for execution, but is offered a reprieve if she's willing to become the Commander's food taster. The only catch: she's been poisoned and needs an antidote from Valek, the Commander's chief of security daily to not die a slow agonizing death.

Very fun fantasy with some political intrigue and a slow burn romance that's much more in the background than in more current romantasy titles (fortunately I like it that way). Yelena grows a lot over the course of the story, and I had a blast learning along with her. There are a couple of fight scenes that get pretty gory, but I was enjoying other aspects enough that I could gloss over them. 4.5 stars.

Reading the rest of this series may be one of my projects next year.

170. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

My annual reread - a little earlier than usual, but I felt like it, and read it in an evening. I started tracking my reading in 2006, but read it more than once before then, so I'm up to over 20 reads of this classic.

>65 bell7: A Christmas Carol is oh-so-re-readable! Hmm...I should dig out my copy. My favorite movie version is the musical with Albert Finney as Scrooge.

Your posting of your Christmas music listening prompted me to request "Christmas at Downton Abbey" from the library. It's got a lot of traditional music, but a real variety.

Your thread has a wealth of good ideas!

Karen O

>65 bell7: >66 klobrien2: Karen is right, A Christmas Carol is so readable! I've read it several times, but 20 or more certainly outpaces me! My favorite movie version is the British one with Alastair Sim. It may be my favorite Christmas movie of all.

>66 klobrien2: I don't think I've seen the musical, though I've seen (and own) a few versions. They all have such interesting takes. One of my favorite lesser-known versions is An American Christmas Carol with Harry Winkler that brings it to the Great Depression. Christmas at Downton Abbey sounds delightful, and I just put a hold on myself. So right back atcha with the good ideas!

>67 atozgrl: Oh, I like my traditions and have reread it every year since sometime in high school or college, I've forgotten which. Before I owned my own copy, my library had a copy that had a photocopy of the original manuscript on every other page and I used to check it out every year to read (and then when we discarded it, I bought that copy for myself until it was completely falling apart). I have a couple of Christmas movies on hold throughout the month of December, and I decided a rewatch of the Sim version was in order (I've only seen it once, I think), to come sometime in the middle of the month.

Happy Tuesday!

My new work schedule starts this week, so I'm working 9-5 today and 12-8 tomorrow. If I keep saying it, maybe I will remember haha. I was able to get caught up on my emails yesterday, but I have a long to-do list of things that were waiting for me to return, so I'll start to tackle some of the longer planning things, such as seeing if I can come up with a project for an intern who's taking an archives class for the spring semester. And I need to reschedule the American Ancestors lecture that I canceled when the site stopped working properly.

I still have some leftovers from last week, so no cooking needed tonight. I want to make macaroons either tonight or tomorrow for a cookie swap we'll be doing with my Bible study on Thursday. We're having a social get together, but nothing else planned this month since it's so busy for us all.

Reading: Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes and The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay
My email signature at work includes the books I'm reading and it's a good thing I tend to read more than one book because including the first title just seems like a bad idea all around

Listening: My Christmas playlist right now - I borrowed a couple of albums using Hoopla, so I'll probably put one of them on in the car today

Watching/Crafting: Not yesterday, I focused on reading instead

>65 bell7: My family has a tradition of reading A Christmas Carol aloud together, which we have continued even now that my brother and I are "grown up." We tend to do it by phone mostly, though this year we'll read the last couple staves together on Christmas day. So I'm up over 20 rereads of it, as well -- probably more like 30-something, accounting for a few years we may have forgotten to do it. My favorite movie version is the one with Patrick Stewart, though I do love the Muppets as well.

>70 foggidawn: What a lovely tradition, reading Christmas Carol aloud, together!

Karen O

>68 bell7: I hope you enjoy the Alastair Sim version when you see it. Our local TV station used to run it every Christmas Eve when I was growing up, so I got to watch it every year back then. I've seen a lot of other versions since, but found most of them disappointing in comparison. Of course, chacun à son goût as my father used to say.

>70 foggidawn: Oh I like that a lot, foggi. Enjoy your reread this year. I own both the Stewart and Muppet versions - both are great!

>71 klobrien2: Agreed, Karen :)

>72 atozgrl: There was one year I saw every version I could get my hands on, and I'm pretty sure I watched it then, but my visual memory is not great so it will be fun to revisit it in a couple of weeks.

>41 bell7: BB for me.

>53 bell7: Ugh! Work dreams are the worst except your seemed to be pleasant-all caught up on those e mails!

>59 bell7: Good luck with the challenge. You seem to have quite a few of them completed.

Hope the rest of your week goes smoothly.

171. Menopause: A Comic Treatment edited by MK Czerwiec
Why now? I've been paying attention to recommendations for books on menopause since just starting the beginning of perimenopause symptoms myself over the last couple of years. This was mentioned in an bookish email received through work at the library, and I added it to my TBR list. I read it now because it fits the TIOLI challenge to read a book with "Men" in the title/author's name

MK Czerwiec has been writing comics for years under the moniker the Comic Nurse and helps run the Graphic Medicine website. Here, she collects 26 pieces from a variety of perspectives (including genderqueer and a trans man) that illustrate, celebrate, commiserate the experiences of going through menopause. Some was really uplifting, other parts not so much. I didn't always relate, but when I did it was nice to get affirmation of my own experience. I enjoy seeing a subject that's been taboo or the butt of jokes be so celebrated. It won the Eisner award in 2021 for best anthology and one of the comics won for "Best Short Story" as well. 4 stars.

>74 figsfromthistle: I hope you enjoy Starling House, Anita.

Work dreams, thankfully, are not frequent, but when they do happen I realize I'm stressed about something haha. Fortunately I am caught up on emails.

And I'm certainly going to enjoy trying to complete the sweep. I've read a couple of short books to start, including the graphic novel, and will probably have a harder time as we get closer to Christmas. We shall see!

Morning, all! This morning was a pleasant one, I was able to linger over my coffee and around 9 decided I wanted to go for a walk, so swung up to the cemetery where my great-grandparents and 2nd-great grandparents are buried, and then to a Little Free Library where I picked up a copy of Suite Francaise.

I had enough time to do a quick grocery shopping and have lunch, and now I'm heading out to go to work. I was very pleased with everything I was able to do at work yesterday, so today should be a little less stressful. I'll mostly be making sure there's enough for all my volunteers to do.

Reading: The Book of (More) Delights and Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes

Listening: radio/Christmas music

Watching/Crafting: nothing lately

Morning, all. Just reporting in before I have a long day out: work, dinner at my parents, Christmas get together with my Bible study.

Reading/Listening/Watching/Crafting: Nothing new to report. I'm enjoying my books and trying not to read The Book of (More) Delights too quickly.

Still playing catch up after my LT pause so jumping way back to Sarah McLachlan's Wintersong, like Katie it's an album I really enjoy (my personal favourite track is River (I always like the most depressing songs - it's my superpower)). However, one of my other favourite Christmas tracks of hers is a duet of "What Child Is This?" with the Barenaked Ladies from their album, Barenaked for the Holidays.

>79 MickyFine: I love the one they do of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". I may see if I can find the CD at the library.

Happy Friday!

I had a little trouble getting up this morning after a rough night's sleep, but I've had breakfast and coffee and will be heading out shortly. I'm working 9-5 and have nothing huge planned for the evening, just making dinner (popping cod in the toaster oven and baby carrots for a veggie) and possibly getting some laundry done, but that can wait 'til Sunday if needed.

Tomorrow I'm heading out to a friend's to help her out with her baby - I went earlier over the summer when her preemie was in the hospital. He's been home for a few months now and I'm looking forward to visiting & being able to interact with him more.

>81 bell7: Happy Friday, Mary, I hoe you can manage to stay awake when you're already tired and utterly unoccupied, too. *smooch*

Have a fantastic Friday, Mary!

>80 bell7: It's a staple Christmas album up here. But of course, BNL are more of an institution in Canada.

Enjoy your quiet evening!

>82 richardderus: Not quite unoccupied, but I think Friday was a slow day for more than just me at work. Some days you just can't get into a rhythm, ya know? Ah well, Tuesday was extra productive (at work) to make up for it.

>83 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! It was a good day.

>84 MickyFine: Funnily enough, I'd just seen the CD at work on Thursday on a recently returned cart, and it was still there yesterday when I went to look, so I nabbed it to listen to next.

172. Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes
Why now? Jim (drneutron) put this title on my radar, and it happened to be available as an e-book/audio from my library when I was looking for a pairing

Framed as a how-to manual from the McMasters School, which helps people learn how to delete (they're not so crass as to say "murder") the one person in their life who the entire world would be better without, this tells the story of Cliff Iverson, Gemma Lindley, and Doria Maye, our case studies for how (or, perhaps, how not) to go about murdering one's employer successfully.

My mother doesn't read murder mysteries because she has a problem with making murder entertainment. In my mind, mysteries are more about the puzzle, and the real entertainment is seeing how they're solved. This book, however, makes murder the entertainment, full stop. The whole idea of a McMasters School is done in such a (darkly) humorous way, though, that the reader becomes complicit with the characters completing their "thesis" successfully. I found myself straddling the line between cringing at the whole idea and laughing along. And the ending, I have to say, was pitch-perfect. 3.5 stars.

Edited to add: While I'm not great about listening to audiobooks (this is why I get the e-book out at the same time), what I heard of this one is great. It's dually read by Simon Vance and Neil Patrick Harris.

Good morning, everyone! As you can see from the time stamps, I'm up earlier than usual. I woke a little after five and ended up finishing the above book and then decided since I wanted to be out of the house early anyways, I might as well get up.

Today's plan is just to visit my friend and her family. I told her to put me to work, but we'll see how much help I am versus holding and playing with her baby. The travel and visit will pretty much take up the whole day, though some of the travel is on public transportation and I will be able to read. Tomorrow is church, chores at home, and going out in the evening with another friend's family to see a free play of A Christmas Carol.

Reading: The Book of (More) Delights and What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez

Listening: Christmas at Downton Abbey (thanks for the idea, Karen O!)

Watching: Last night's viewing was It's a Wonderful Life (one of the few cases where the movie is better than the book)

Crafting: knitted scarf to go with the knitted hat for my friend (I will probably bring this along on my travels today, I'm hoping to finish it soon)

Have a grand time on your visit, Mary. I hope the public transit time is tame enough, you can read.

>88 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I did some reading on the way in, but was too tired on the way out...

Happy Sunday! I had a very nice visit with my friend, her husband, mother-in-law and new baby. He's a cutie, and was pleased to let me hold him (though he hadn't slept well the night before and was overtired and not taking his naps), gnawing on my chin and smiling for me. I was very surprised to be just about immediately accepted by the little one. There was even one time I held him while his mother, father, and abuela all held out hands to him, and he wouldn't go... until a few minutes later, when he started rooting and realized that was one thing I couldn't give him! I stayed for dinner and we started watching Single All the Way on Netflix (which I may have to find a way to finish now...).

I left much later than I expected to, but realized if I didn't I'd be walking through the baby's room after they'd gotten him to bed for the night. I think I got a little dehydrated and was tired myself from waking up around 5:30, so most of the time on the train I was closing my eyes and fighting a headache/nausea. But by the time I got to my car, I was mostly okay and the trip home was uneventful.

Today I briefly woke up at quarter after five but thankfully got back to sleep and up at a normal hour. After I finish writing this, I'm heading out to church for the morning. The afternoon will be puttering around the house (laundry, dishes, watering the plants, the sort of things that need regular tidying), wrapping what's left of Christmas gifts, and writing Christmas cards to send out tomorrow. Some friends have invited me to a free showing of A Christmas Carol at a local church, so I'll meet up with them and their kids in the evening to finish off the (apparently very seasonal) day.

Reading: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez, The Book of (More) Delights, and A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Listening: Barenaked for the holidays (Barenaked Ladies' holiday album - thanks, Micky!)

Watching: the beginning of Single All the Way (Netflix)

Crafting: knitted scarf

Yay for BNL!

We're twinning today as I am also getting my Christmas wrapping done.

>91 MickyFine: Oh how fun! I have just a little bit more to buy for the person I'm Secret Santa for, and then I'll be done. (Love being done early)

Happy Monday!

Yesterday I got a lot of what I wanted to done at home and enjoyed the show in the evening. Today I'm hoping that productivity continues so I'm in good stead for the rest of the week when work picks up. I'm working 9-2, will stop at my local library (I'm trying to make that a regular part of my routine, plus I have some items to return FROM that library and I refuse to drive by it to drop them off at the library where I work and have it get sorted and sent back, that just seems like such a waste) and the post office to send Christmas cards and gifts to friends and family farther away. I also want to do a grocery shopping and will probably do a little meal prep (may be as simple as making a tuna salad) so that I have dinner ready and can go to a library program tomorrow night in another town if I decide I want to.

Reading: What the River Knows, The Book of (More) Delights and A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Watching: Giants/Packers game tonight

Listening: Just about done with Barenaked for the Holidays

Crafting: hoping to finish the knitted scarf tonight and get started on a pair of Christmas bears for my friends' twins

I love the album title! Makes sense and still makes one laugh.

Happy, busy week ahead for sure. I'll make my one self-imposed goal of posting more reviews than I did in 2013 despite the dratted strokes.

It *does* make for a lot of posting every day....

>94 richardderus: Yep, it's a fun name and a funny album, you can tell they had a blast with it. I've been mostly keeping up with *reading* your thread if I've been commenting a little less than usual, though I rectified that today. *smooch*

Dropping in to say hi, Mary! I enjoyed A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow and am looking forward to your thoughts on What the River Knows as I'm intrigued by that one.

>96 curioussquared: Nice to see you, Natalie! I'm enjoying both so far and will hopefully have thoughts to report by the weekend.

Good morning, all! I stayed up late to watch the Giants game and was surprised as anyone not to go to bed disappointed. It was an exciting game, with lots of mistakes by both teams, but they are not *quite* out of the playoff picture yet.

Today I'm working 9-5. I had been thinking of going out to a library program in the evening, but I have decided what I actually want to do is be home tonight. I might read, I might knit, the possibilities are endless haha. Tomorrow morning my dad's going to come over for breakfast and we'll have fish and eggs (two things my mother can't eat, so he shares his trout fishing catches with his kids) before I go to work 12-8. I doubt he'll stay terribly late, but I'm blocking off the morning in any case and not anticipating getting anything else done.

Reading: What the River Knows, The Book of (More) Delights, A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Listening: I started "The Ultimate Classical Christmas", a compilation I thought would be mostly instrumental but it's not, there's a lot of opera singers on it. I'll probably listen to it once through and move on.

Watching: Giants last night, baby! Not sure if I'll try to watch a movie tonight or not

Crafting: I finished knitting the scarf and need to block it and weave in the ends. Started on a Christmas bear

Morning, Mary! Sounds like a lovely, low-stress kind of day. I hope it goes exactly as you hope it will.

Five more today...one I might convince you on...I'm still aimin' my book-bullets at you...

*smooch*

I hope you have a lovely breakfast date with your dad tomorrow!

>99 richardderus: Thanks, Richard, it turned out to be pretty low key, which was nice. You got me with a couple of book bullets in the last two days. Was the one from yesterday the one you expected?

>100 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

Yesterday after work, I did indeed go home, did some very basic meal prep (nothing fancy) to have lunch at work for the next couple of days, and read and relaxed. It was lovely to have a night at home to myself.

This morning, my dad came around 8 and we had trout and eggs and visited a bit until he left around 10. I want to leave a little after 11 to make sure I have time for some errands before work, and then I'm working 12-8. I have projects for volunteers in the afternoon and in the evening I'll need to set up the projector for folks who are using our community meeting room for a presentation, but I expect the evening itself to be pretty quiet. Maybe I can catch up on reading my book-related emails and work on my TBR list... I mean, my fiction ordering for March and beyond.

Reading: same

Listening: same

Watching: nothing yesterday

Crafting: started on a Christmas bear on Monday and I'm hoping to make some progress today

>101 bell7: Nope! That was a surprise hit! ::NAIL-BUFF:: Damn I'm good.

Good progress on the bear! *smooch*

>103 richardderus: Bahaha, go figure. Well, your meant-for-me hit ended up getting added to the list as well. Hope you're happy :P

Happy Thursday! Today I'm working 9-5, will head home and make dinner, and I've got a Zoom holiday party with my local genealogy group. Should be fun, and I'll finally make some knitting progress after not picking it up since Monday.

Reading: same, plus I started The Violin Conspiracy for book club

Listening: Put in a James Taylor Christmas album

Watching/Crafting: nothing since Monday. I may try to get a holiday film in tomorrow night

>86 bell7: I already have that one in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

I finally finished Poison Study last night and while I did not like it quite as much as you did, I liked it enough to order the next 2 books in the series :)

>106 alcottacre: Oh good, Stasia, I'll look forward to your thoughts on it.

I will probably read the sequels in the new year. I don't give quarter stars, or I would've said 4.25, I oscillated between 4 and 4.5 for so long for my rating.

TGIF! Last night was a fun one, my lemon orzo chicken soup was ready right in time for the Zoom party, but by the time we were done, I was ready for bed too. I switched from paper to Kindle book for my book club book and I'm reading it faster now. I don't know why, maybe it's a timing thing of when I pick up my Kindle to read, but I have seemed to be reading my digital books faster lately. Anyway, I've made good progress and will have no trouble finishing prior to Wednesday's meeting.

I'm working 9-5 today, and since I cooked last night, I don't have to today with plenty of leftovers to choose from. I am leaning towards watching a Christmas movie tonight since I'm far enough "ahead" of where I want to be in my book club book that I can do it without guilt.

Reading: The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb, A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez, and The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay

Listening: went back to an old faithful, the first Mannheim Steamroller album (ends with Stille Nacht)

Watching: nothing yesterday, TBD tonight

Crafting: made some progress on the first of two Christmas bears, and hoping to continue that tonight and over the weekend; the scarf is blocking now, and if it's dry, I'll take it out and weave in the ends

>108 bell7: The Violin Conspiracy is for book club, then. I wondered why that one after its moment of fame faded.

Have a lovely, just-busy-enough day at work, Mary! *smooch*

>109 richardderus: Yeah, it's our December book club pick. Based on the description, I thought it would be an easier read than some of the others while we're all busy with holiday prep, so slotted it in (rather than, say, The Overstory which we read in September). So far so good - we will have things to talk about, and it's not a taxing read.

Happy weekend! I already had time out with my Little today, and now I'm waiting to hear back from my brother about what the plan is to celebrate his birthday. I believe we're hitting up some local breweries, and while I don't do beer, I expect his girlfriend will give me recommendations for cider, and I daresay I won't be imbibing much anyways 'cause I'll be one of the designated drivers, if I'm not mistaken.

Not sure how long that all will take, but once we're done the rest of the night should be quiet (or, if it's late, I'm going right to bed).

Reading: same as before, though getting close to finishing a couple of books

Listening: Borrowed "The Christmas Attic" by Trans-Siberian Orchestra today

Watching: Last night's choice was Remember the Night which was funny at times, racist at others, and a little too long? But mostly enjoyable. Irritatingly, subtitles weren't even an option on the DVD I had from the library.

Crafting: I made good progress on the first Christmas bear

>111 bell7: Local breweries?!

How I miss the existence of such civilized things, Mary. Next year, hopefully!

>112 PaulCranswick: Yeah, it's more my brother's thing than mine, though I did try a maple cider that I liked pretty well. Hope you're able to make your moving plans a reality soon, Paul!

Hey y'all, I'm still here, it's just been a hectic weekend. I went to church, my brother's for some football (Giants lost, and their chances of playoff-making are next to nil now), then came home and watched a Christmas movie. Gonna read some and call it a night.

Reading: same as before - I'm really close to finishing two, one might happen tonight

Listening: "Christmas Songs" by Jars of Clay

Watching: The Apartment which was... okay? I'm watching from the top 10 of a top 50 Rotten Tomatoes list (this one was #8), and have to say this top 10 is suspect. Almost any version I've ever seen of A Christmas Carol beats this one out, as does Joyeux Noel. Ah well, after I watch March of the Wooden Soldiers, I'm calling the list finished, as I only have movies I have no interest in watching left.

Crafting: I started a baby sweater while watching the Giants but had to take it all out when I realized I'd forgotten the buttonhole. Oops. I'll go back to the Christmas bears tomorrow.

173. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
Why now? December's book club book for work (we'll be discussing Wednesday)

When Ray McMillian's Stradivarius violin is stolen in the weeks leading up to a prestigious competition in Russia, he is desperate to get it back. After the theft is discovered, the story goes back in time to reveal all that led Ray to where he is now: how a Black boy fell in love with music and despite being discouraged by his family, having a school-loaned instrument for years, receiving no private lessons and dealing with racism, he became one of the world's best classical violinists. Oh, and there's a family history piece of exactly how he came in possession of a Stradivarius and the other family that think they have a claim on it too.

This was a debut that came out last year that my library book club voted to read (it was on my TBR list too, so a win-win). My reading of it suffered a little from the publisher buzz and descriptions, because I knew certain things that get revealed halfway through and yet are less the point of the story than I expected. Because the mystery of the missing violin isn't the focus of much of the book - it's actually Ray's journey with music against all odds, and the tension of finding out what happened to the violin is more from the delay of getting back to it, which happens about three-fourths of the way into the book. The writing is mostly straightforward telling, not just what happens but how we should think about it. I wouldn't have noticed as much except that the descriptions of music really soar (Slocumb himself is a violinist, and it shows), and I wish that the same craftsmanship was evident throughout. The pacing and storytelling are uneven, the "mystery" not really that mysterious in the end, and Ray makes questionable choices in his desperation. But it is a debut, and gives a window into the classic music biz and the fact that there are very few people of color in that space. Slocumb is at work on his third novel now, and it will be interesting to see how his craft develops. 3.5 stars.

Morning, all! I'm working a weird shift today instead of my normal 9-2. On Friday, my boss had to change her own schedule to take someone to an appointment, so I'm going in roughly at 11, leaving for the oil change I'd scheduled for when I would normally get out at 2, and then coming back to be on the desk from 3-5. Yes, I'm working a five-hour shift as a split. Ah well, this is part and parcel of the job I signed up to do as assistant director, and I'd have to do even more of is as full director, so.

This is assuming that the rain and wind storm we're getting doesn't cut out power and change any or all of the above plans. My lights have already flickered a couple of times, and I don't lose electricity often. Non-work plans of running some errands (among other things, I need to figure out a gift for my brother's girlfriend's son, a realization that just hit yesterday...) and cooking are also dependent on how this storm plays out.

As you can see from >115 bell7:, I finished one book, and have only about an hour left to go on another (I've read more digital than paper books this month...), so expect to see another review soon.

Reading: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez, A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, and The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay

Listening: "Christmas Songs" by Jars of Clay

Watching (if I have electricity): my hope is to watch March of the Wooden Soldiers tonight, and then I'm caught up on library DVDs

Crafting: planning on more work on the Christmas bears

>116 bell7: Really weird shift, Mary, but at least it is all daytime. Sorry about your Giants being out of serious playoff contention. Not quite the Yule gift you would hope for, eh what?

>115 bell7: Very much a debut novel, but there will be another one....

*smooch*

>117 richardderus: Yeah, makes for a weird day, but at least I still get out at five and I get the errands I need to done. I'm early on the oil change, but since I'm driving to New Jersey and back on New Year's Eve and my car's an oil guzzler, I didn't want to be going over the 5,000 mile mark on the trip itself. It is too bad about the Giants, but we'll still watch them play the Eagles as a family on Christmas even if the only one going to be happy with the results is my nephew haha.

And yeah, it had it's ups and downs as a debut for sure (oddly enough, I scheduled us for two debuts in a row, with last month's being Crooked Hallelujah), but I'd read his other book(s).

174. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
Why now? I'm attempting a TIOLI sweep (it probably won't happen), so I went through my TBR list looking for a book with "future" or "tomorrow" in the title, and this was the one I chose.

Lila Reyes knows exactly what her life has in store for her: she is going to carry on tradition and her Abuela's legacy by baking at La Paloma and running the family business with her sister. But when her Abuela passes away, her boyfriend breaks up with her, and she has a falling out with a friend, Lila is self-destructive enough that her family decides a complete upheaval is best. They send her to a friend in Winchester, England, hoping the change of scenery will help her. At first, Lila is angry and wants nothing more than to go back home to Miami, but as she starts to make friends - and especially as she meets a boy, Orion, who agrees to be her tour guide - her clear plan for tomorrow suddenly looks less black and white.

This was a really sweet friends-to-lovers slow burn romance, with a nice character arc for Lila as she grows, learning to let go and live in the moment. There's nothing new or life-changing here for adults with life experience, but it's a book for teens and one that I would have found comforting as I, like Lila, prefer a plan mapped out over uncertainty and change. And it does it all well, with fleshed-out characters and believable development in more than just Lila's story. A warm, enjoyable read that left me smiling. 4.5 stars.

When I was looking up the book to enter the pub date in my spreadsheet, I learned that the movie is in post-production. I think it will translate well to the screen, so I'm looking forward to watching it at some point.

Happy Tuesday! I woke up early (around 5:30) and read for an hour before going back to sleep for a bit, just enough that it was tough to get up from my alarm. So I'm writing this from work and I'm super sleepy and getting myself a Trader Joe's spiced chai to wake up a bit more. Working 9-5, I didn't cook last night, so I need to today, but otherwise should have a fairly quiet night.

Reading: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez, The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay and You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

Listening: I don't remember which CD I have in at the moment, but it's instrumental Christmas music and very pretty

Watching: Last night I fit in March of the Wooden Soldiers (not my thing, and also not Christmas? There's a Christmas present "given", but the response was "It's July?" "Yeah, we like to get our shopping done early!" Well, and Santa appears to check in on the Toymaker's work) and American Christmas Carol because I've been really wanting to rewatch it this year and I wanted to keep knitting

Crafting: Christmas bear #1 - the knitting parts are all done, and I started some of the assembly last night. I have to sew & stuff the arms and legs.

>120 bell7: Oh, I hope the Janovsky's a good one. Harlequin keeps turning me down, so I stopped asking, but the earlier ones are still on my list.

*smooch*

>121 richardderus: I'm enjoying it so far! It's a quick holiday read that was recommended to me as a Schitt's Creek readalike.

Morning all, and happy Wednesday!

I have a few things to do this morning before work, a quick grocery shopping and packing for dogsitting among them. I would've been reminded by my calendar, but I almost forgot that I'd agreed to an overnight on Thursday 'til I got a text from them yesterday. I'm working 12-8 today, have book club, and I'm not planning on doing anything productive when I get home tonight.

Reading/Listening: same as yesterday

Watching: the Bruins were on yesterday, and I streamed most of the game

Crafting: Finished the first Christmas bear and started on the second

Here's the finished Christmas bear (colors aren't quite true, the red is darker, not as bright as it came out in the photo):



It's a bit of a tradition now that I knit something for these twins' birthday and Christmas. The original pattern for the bear was brown with a blue sweater, but I thought it would be fun to make these Christmas bears instead. I made some small mistakes in the construction, but it's not noticeable to anyone but me and I'm happy with how it came out. The other one will flip the colors, red body and green sweater.

The Christmas bear is adorable!

>125 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>124 bell7: What a great tradition! The bear is completely adorable in this colorway.

Enjoy your day, Mary!

>124 bell7: That is adorable! The twins are lucky :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Mary!

>127 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>128 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia!

175. The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay
Why now?

As he did in The Book of Delights, poet Ross Gay spends a year writing out everyday things that delight him. Eighty-one are included here, ranging widely in topic and tone, and including an appendix of "short" delights that didn't make a full essay and books that he mentions in the text or was reading while he wrote these.

Each essayette is only about 2-3 pages long, making it perfect to dip into at busy times. Even so, I could have finished it faster, but held myself back, wanting to savor the read and engage with Gay's thoughts. Despite the name, not every essay is happy and it's not at all twee. There's real life here, including grief and racism and the full gamut of human experiences. But, without that, can we really experience what we call delight anyways? Gay makes me want to do something similar myself, to ruminate on quotidian delights and enjoy them all the more. Highly recommended. 4.5 stars.

Good morning! It's Thursday, and there's two more work days 'til Christmas. Now, that's a weird feeling!

I'm working 9-5 today, followed by an overnight dogsitting. It's weird to pack for one night, I feel like I still end up with as much stuff as for a week because I still need meds, toothbrush, charging cords, etc., even if I have fewer clothes and books. You'll be proud of me, I'm only taking what I'm reading (though that includes my Kindle, so there's options if I finish a book). I am not, however, packing food. I have lunches in the fridge at work and I'll pick up takeout tonight. I won't be bringing the laptop, either, so if you don't see a post from me 'til Saturday, don't be surprised.

Tomorrow I'll leave dogsitting and work 9-5. I'm hoping to pick up my youngest sister from my parents' and do some baking (she's visiting for about a week, I think). I have the ingredients for about four different options, but we'll see what we have the energy for. Some my mom can have, but I wanted to make peanut butter blossoms and she can't be around when I cook those, or she'll have an allergic reaction. My other sister and her family should be arriving sometime on Saturday, and I'll plan on spending most of the long weekend at my parents, with Christmas Eve dinner at my brother and SIL's.

Reading: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez and You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky

Listening: an instrumental Christmas CD, I've forgotten the name of it (I'll switch it out today, probably going for the Mannheim Steamroller album that ends with O Holy Night, which is one of my favorites)

Watching: I put on the Alastair Sim version of Scrooge/A Christmas Carol last night. It's not my favorite adaptation, but it was enjoyable

Crafting: made good progress in the second of the Christmas bears

>124 bell7: How cute!

I see that you are reading What The River Knows. I quite enjoyed that read. Hope it is working for you so far.

Happy rest of the week :)

Morning, Mary. Sweet Thursday. Still making the rounds after our trip. It always takes a while. Sorry, to hear about your squirrel situation. You made need another feeder. An armor-clad one this time.

I hope you get to The House of Doors soon. It is a good one. I may add the Roos Gay collection to my audio list. I have not read him.

>131 bell7: I think A Christmas Carol is the only reason I even knew Alastair Sim had ever existed.

I just finished all my thriller reading for Yule...Ma'at has been served. Enjoy your overnighter! *smooch*

>132 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! What the River Knows has suffered a little from stopping and starting while I had to focus on my book club book, but I'm about halfway through and hoping that some concentrated reading time tonight will help me make significant progress.

>133 msf59: Welcome, Mark, nice to see you! Yup, definitely time for a feeder upgrade. Ah well, this little one made it through about two years before the squirrels really did a number on it, so we'll see if I can get a better quality one to replace it. Those squirrels are smart, and I'm sure will get to it, but maybe not bite it to pieces quite so thoroughly. I do hope to get to The House of Doors soon and will look forward to your thoughts on Ross Gay. I enjoyed Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude when I read it a couple of years ago too.

>134 richardderus: Yeah, I'm completely unfamiliar with his other work, Richard. I'm not much of a thriller reader, but I'll enjoy looking over your reviews all the same.

TGIF!

Working today 9-5, not a lot I'm expecting to do other than corralling volunteers and working an hour or two on the desk. It'll probably be pretty quiet, and then we're headed into the long weekend for Christmas (the Trustees voted to be closed tomorrow through Monday).

In the evening, I'm hoping to pick up my youngest sister to bring her to my place and bake a bunch.

I didn't get as much reading done last night as I'd originally hoped, but I did watch a movie and knit.

Reading: What the River Knows and You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince

Listening: Mannheim Steamroller album that ends with O Holy Night

Watching: Single All the Way on Netflix, which was a cute holiday romcom

Crafting: lots of progress on Christmas bear #2. I only have the legs left to knit, and then all the stuffing and sewing up

Just passing the word... The 2024 group is up!

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/24188/75-Books-Challenge-for-2024

>137 drneutron: Most excellent, I'll find my way over to join, though it'll probably take me a bit to setting up shop there.

Happy holidays, Mary! I hope the season is full of peace and joy for your and yours. :)

>139 PlatinumWarlock: Thanks, Irene, the same to you!

176. You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
Why now? Put it on my TBR list when I read about it in my work emails and it was compared to Schitt's Creek; figured it could be my non-Christmas Carol seasonal reading of the year

Matthew Prince is a rich kid, and at age 21 after a big breakup, he decides to buy an island. His parents are horrified, hush the whole thing up, and pack him off from New York to a small town in the Berkshires to spend Christmas with his grandparents. There, he meets Hector, a not-as-well-off college student staying with Matthew's grandparents since he can't afford to go home for break, and they immediately get off on the wrong foot. But when his grandparents convince them to work together on a gala to benefit the town's small business association, sparks start to fly.

A mixed bag of a romance for me. I appreciated the portrayal of generalized anxiety disorder GAD, and liked seeing Matthew's progress from being self-absorbed and all about image to being able to have something real. But as I reach the point of being twice his age, it was hard to relate to a couple of college-age kids, especially one with lots of money and little sense, and it was hard to give him grace as a character when I could see plot points coming a mile away. I thought the misunderstanding near the end was a little over the top, but not dealing with GAD myself, I may be selling Matthew short. A feel-good Christmas romance I would recommend to the right reader. 3.5 stars.

Morning, everyone! My sister came over last night, we baked the cookies that can't be baked at my mom's house (peanut butter blossoms - she's allergic), and decided to save the rest for today. I gave her her birthday gift early, a Shakespeare-themed escape room, which we solved together, and then watched The Shop Around the Corner before heading to bed.

I woke up early needing to pee, and she can sleep through anything, so I'm currently in my room catching up on LT and reading logs while she rests. She wanted to get back to my parents sometime before noon, so I expect we'll have a leisurely morning before plunging into all the events of the Christmas weekend. My other sister and her family are arriving in the early afternoon, and I expect I'll be spending as much time as humanly possibly with them over the weekend.

Reading: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone and What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez

Listening: Mannheim Steamroller / Christmas music

Watching: Charlie Brown Christmas and The Shop Around the Corner last night

Crafting: nearly done the 2nd Christmas bear, I just have the legs to finish knitting & stuffing

>141 bell7: That's about what I thought given Janovsky's œuvre to date. Pleasant, light reading.

Happy Saturdaying!

Sounds like an excellent start to the Christmas break. Enjoy all the quality family time this weekend!

Merry Christmas, Mary!

Thinking about you during the festive season, Mary

Mannheim Steamroller was in Knoxville on December 23. I only wish I'd still be in the area so I could have purchased tickets and gone to the concert. I knew I'd already be in Mississippi by then because of my brother's foot surgery.

*smooch*

>143 richardderus: Yup, definitely fits the bill for pleasant, light reading.

>144 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! It was a lot of fun all around - hope your holiday was, too.

>145 ronincats: Thank you, Roni! Hope yours was pleasant and full of good books.

>146 quondame: Thanks, Susan! Same (if belated!) to you.

>147 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! Hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday.

>148 thornton37814: Oooh, that's neat. I've never gone to see them in concert, though I've made it out to Trans-Siberian Orchestra a few times.

>149 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! *smooch* back

Hello, all! It was a busy, festive weekend as I'm sure you've guessed by my absence here. Spent a lot of time at my parents' house over the weekend visiting family. On Christmas Eve, we had dinner at my brother and SIL's, Christmas breakfast at my parents, and watched the Giants game in the afternoon. I am beat and probably coming down with a cold (pretty sure we all shared germs with each other), but should get back to my normal busy over the next few days. My parents, siblings, SOs and niblings were all together for Christmas Eve dinner, we were a little more split up on Christmas, but still got to see everyone and exchange our Secret Santa gifts. I had my youngest brother, and got him the new book about Siskel and Ebert since he's a huge movie buff, and he was pretty excited about it having never heard of it. My other brother had me, and I only got part of my gift, but it's a book/author I hadn't heard of (shocking, I know), so I'll probably try to prioritize it over the next couple of months to be able to tell him what I thought.

Today I'm one of only five working today in a skeleton crew, so I'm on the circ desk for four hours and reference for one out of a 7.5 hour shift. It'll be quiet, but the desk time will keep me moving and the day going quickly. I believe my youngest sister and I will be meeting up with my youngest brother and his wife to go out to dinner. My other sister and her family are driving home now.

Reading: Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone and What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez (I should be able to finish the latter today)

Listening: radio while I decide on a new, non-Christmas album

Watching: yesterday's viewing was A Muppet Christmas Carol (I couldn't watch it on Christmas Eve, I kept falling asleep) and the Giants/Eagles game. Sad result, not unexpected, and closer than we thought it would be

Crafting: nothing over the last few days, hoping to get back to the Christmas bears, probably tomorrow

Merry Christmas to you, Mary! Your reading is just astounding.

>152 AMQS: Merry Christmas, Anne! And thank you - no one's more surprised than me at how many books I've read haha.

>151 bell7: Apparently the Giants losing was distressing to Old Stuff, too. He actually made noises while apparently catatonically staring at the TV.

Hoping today's pleasantly busy, not rushed, despite the skeletonized staff. *smooch*

>154 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! Yesterday was the skeletonized staff, but your wishes were realized - the day went by quickly without being completely overwhelming.

177. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
Why now? I picked this up entirely based on the cover (and then the description sounded intriguing), though I realized after I'd started that I have two different titles on my TBR list by the same author

Inez Olivera lives in Argentina, and her parents leave her behind about half the year to go to Egypt, a place they adore. But they won't bring her with them. Receiving word that they have passed away and determined to find out what happened to them, Inez leaves propriety behind to travel alone to Egypt and meet her unknown uncle, Tio Ricardo.

For an adventure story, this has a rather deliberately-paced start, and I got impatient with how long it took before the pacing really took off. Inez is fun to root for but often naive, and I got frustrated with her uncle not telling her much but getting angry with her choices - which were clearly based on her not having all the information - all the same. Still, it was intriguing, with a bit of a romance with the mysterious Whitford Hayes, her uncle's helper, thrown in for good measure. There's a lot of loose ends and an extra little cliffhanger in the epilogue leaving me reasonably sure I'll at least pick up book #2. 3.5 stars.

Happy Wednesday!

I've had a cough since Christmas (some of us were getting over colds and such, and I think we just shared all our germs...), but managed to get through the skeleton day at work yesterday (and five hours on the desk) with a lot of water. I went to bed early and slept in today, but cannot stop coughing, so I called out of work. It'll have a lot less impact today, as I was only on the desk for an hour and there are enough people tonight to close without me.

I expect the day will end up being a lot of rest, fluids, reading, etc. I might try to get some very light housework done, like the laundry that has piled up or some online bills, but that will be my limit.

Your Christmas sounds like it was fun, Mary. Hope you feel better soon.

>158 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg. I got a nap in and took it easy. Right now I'm feeling pretty good, though tired, and I'm hopeful I'll go back to work tomorrow.

178. Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
Why now? It's been on my TBR list for awhile (and also recommended by librarian friends who know what I like to read), but I finally got to it to fit the TIOLI challenge of a variant of "death" in the title

Tara Abernathy, recent graduate and worker of Craft (basically magic, but with more than a whiff of necromancy), begins working for Elayne Kavarian, who brings her to the city of Alt Coulumb where a God, Kos, has died. She must use all her ingenuity to figure out what really happened, alongside the priest, Abelard, who was there when Kos expired.

The intricate world-building from the rules of magic to the role of divinity in everyday life is the main strength of this book, the first in a series. The pacing stays fast, switching perspectives often between the main players who are in different places investigating the death of Kos, and of a judge, and constantly having the reader guess who they can trust. The characters could be more fleshed out, and it was a little on the violent side for me. But the genreblend of fantasy and legal drama worked really well, the ending was satisfying, and I'd be willing to continue the series. 4 stars.

Happy Thursday! I planned on going in to work, at least for the morning, and see how it goes but my boss convinced me to stay home one more day (it's rainy and blah and I definitely still have a cold, so it didn't take much convincing).

Yesterday was quiet. I read some, accomplished a handful of things that mostly involved being online, took a nap in the afternoon, and did not do laundry at all.

Today I expect will be similar, though I do have a little more energy at the moment, so we'll see if I tackle any small chores or not. Planning on going back to work tomorrow, unless I feel absolutely horrendous when I get up.

Reading: Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley and In the Form of a Question by Amy Schneider

Listening: audiobooks (yesterday, Three Parts Dead and today, In the Form of a Question)

Watching: put on the Bruins last night, but the stream kept buffering and I gave up; maybe a movie today if I can't concentrate on reading?

Crafting: didn't pick up my knitting project

>161 bell7: Sounds like a good boss, Mary. Enjoy your further day of recovery.

>162 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg, it's been a good day!

Good morning, all! My cold still feels pretty blah in the morning, but both days I was out I was feeling pretty good after a day of being upright (and mostly resting), so I'm back to work today. Yesterday I was able to get the laundry done, and some dishes, so the house isn't a complete disaster either. Working 9-5 today, and then I agreed to a last-minute overnight dogsitting.

Reading: In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life by Amy Schneider and Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley

Listening: LOTR soundtrack

Watching: Doctor Who specials 2-4 (you didn't think I was entirely productive yesterday, did you?)

Crafting: finished the Christmas bears and started a pair of mittens

Sorry you've been sick, Mary. It's the pits. My BIL and SIL were both not 100% over Christmas and I'm keeping my fingers crossed I didn't pick up any stray bugs...

>165 katiekrug: *Fingers crossed* you stay well, Katie! A few of us were getting over/fighting something prior to the holidays, so I think having all our germs from 3 different states together over the weekend meant a few of us leaving sick too. Ah well, it was a really fun weekend and worth spending as much time with far-away family as possible. Fortunately I haven't been SO sick as to be absolutely miserable, but instead enough to remind myself to rest, and get to read/watch TV without feeling like I should be doing something else.

Just here to wave goodbye. "So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye, to you and you and you." I believe I'll take the rest of 2023 off, and commence to begin anew in 2024. See you again. Then...

Happy holidays, Mary! I wish you all the best in the new year!

A few more days and we'll be into 2024's clutches.

May it be your best year yet.

Hope you feel better soon, Mary. I have been battling something since the beginning of Thanksgiving break. At this point I'm pretty sure it's been back-to-back somethings but I am over it and would like to enjoy what's left of my break without coughing. Blech.

>167 weird_O: Hi and bye, Bill! Looking forward to seeing you in 2024.

>168 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! Happy new year!

>169 richardderus: Indeed, 2023 is winding down. Hope 2024 is kind to you and brings lots of good books.

>170 AMQS: Thanks, Anne. I'm feeling pretty good today, though still coughing myself. Hope you're feeling better soon, too.

Happy Saturday, Mary. I hope you are feeling better. Lots of illness going around. We are getting together with the kids tonight, to celebrate our Christmas. See you on the other side, my friend.

179. In the Form of a Question: The Joys and Rewards of a Curious Life by Amy Schneider
Why now? I enjoyed watching (parts of) her Jeopardy! run and was interested in reading her memoir when it came out - put it on hold, and finally got to it this week

Amy Schneider was a contestant on Jeopardy! and made history there, becoming the most successful woman on the show and second only to Ken Jennings' run for most consecutive wins. She also happens to be trans. This is her story, told as a series of essays, each starting with a question, and then telling a story (or a few) related to it.

From talking about her realization that she was trans to polyamory to the teachers that made a difference in her life, Amy leaves no subject taboo in this unique memoir. I was most interested in reading about the Jeopardy! experience, which is the final essay and arguably the smallest part of the book. I found the memoir a mixed bag, and the frank discussion of sexual experiences and drug use was frankly more than I bargained for, nor did I really care about Tarot. However, there are also some really interesting essays - for example, the one on ADD made me laugh because I could so completely relate and it illustrated the way in which my brain works so very well. I also really appreciated the author's note at the beginning in which she rather humbly states she is "open to being wrong, to reconsidering my beliefs. It is my hope that, in the future, I will come to disagree with, and perhaps even disavow, some of the statements I've made in these pages, because it is my hope that I will never stop learning." I like and admire that willingness to learn and improve. Whether you were a fan of Amy on Jeopardy! or not, if you're at all interested in her story, I do recommend it. But if, like me, you find yourself less interested in some essays - well, go ahead and skip some. It's written in such a way you can jump in and out, read what interests you, and not feel like you have to read every word front-to-back. 4 stars.

>172 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I'm on the mend, though still fighting off a cough. Hope you have a great celebration with the kids tonight, and happy new year!

>173 bell7: The Amy Schneider book looks interesting and made it onto my library list. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary.

>175 Familyhistorian: hope you enjoy it, Meg!

180. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
Why now? Because it fit the TIOLI challenge to read a book that was a retelling, and I was trying for a sweep this month (I'm two books short, but that's okay)

Beauty and her sisters Jeweltongue and Lionheart have to restart their lives after their merchant father loses everything and they move to Rose Cottage, outside a small town. They begin to rebuild their lives as one sister discovers a talent for sewing, the other for horses, and Beauty herself brings back the garden - and the roses - of the cottage. But then their father leaves on a journey and, on his return, gets caught in a storm where he finds shelter in a castle. And... well, you know the rest, don't you?

A delightful retelling of Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite fairy tales, and not the first time McKinley has tackled it (indeed, I read Beauty back in 2008, but alas, I wasn't writing reviews for every book at the time and I don't remember it). Some of McKinley's style is lost on me, unfortunately, because I don't picture what I read clearly, and she writes with intricate detail about the castle and garden and... it kept slowing me down and made it hard for me to follow when I just wanted to know what would happen next. But I did love the sisterly bonds, and the way in which Beauty makes friends at the castle with the animals and roses. 4 stars.

And with that, I've read the last book of 2023. That's 180 books read - a nice, even number - including 36 graphic novels/manga. I'll be back soon with end-of-month and year stats.

December in review
180. Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
179. In the Form of a Question by Amy Schneider
178. Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
177. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
176. You're a Mean One, Matthew Prince by Timothy Janovsky
175. The Book of (More) Delights by Ross Gay
174. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey
173. The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb
172. Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
171. Menopause: A Comic Treatment edited by MK Czerwiec
170. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
169. Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
168. Clary Sage by Victoria Goddard
167. Zero Sum Game by S. L. Huang

Books read: 14
Did not finish: 0
Rereads: 1
Children's/Teen/Adult: 0/3/12
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 11/3/0/0
Massachusetts Center of the Book Challenge: Murder Your Employer was published in 2023 (so were a few others, but this was the first one), so I met my goal of reading a book a month for the challenge

Because I want to awards:
Most delightful read of the month - The Saint of the Bookstore by Victoria Goddard
Oh good, someone else had that experience - Menopause edited by MC Czerwiec
Why yes, I'll read any retelling of this fairy tale - Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley
Sweet teen romance - A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey

2023 stats -
Total books read: 180
Total DNF: 6
Pages read: 42,571
Avg pages a day: 117
Books by POC authors: 86 (47.8%)
In translation: 37 (20% - though most of that is manga translated from Japanese)

Thoughts: This was a really good reading year, by any way you measure it. It's the most books I've read since 2009, when I was out of school and underemployed, and I really enjoyed my reading by and large. (Interestingly, in 2020 I read more pages and DNF'ed fewer books.) I didn't get to quite half of reading authors of color, but I'm pleased that I kept the percentage high, though it wasn't a hard-and-fast goal I set myself this year.


About 62% of the books I read were by authors originally from the U.S., with Canada showing up pretty high because I started reading through Victoria Goddard's works, and Japan also getting a showing because I reread the Fruits Basket manga. Next year, I'm planning on being more intentional about reading outside of the U.S., but I anticipate the percentage shift will be more in my purposely reading French authors than it will reading fewer U.S. authors.


And here's how my genre reading shook out. Nonfiction was about 15% of my reading, and most of that was memoirs. I leaned into fantasy, but also had a strong showing of general fiction, science fiction, historical fiction and romance. All other genres were four books or less, though probably the thing that surprised me most about that is I read one more poetry book (4) than mystery (3).

Looking forward to 2024, I'm going to be more intentional about finding books in translation. It'll stretch my comfort zone some, and as a result I may DNF more than usual, but I'm looking forward to seeing what the year brings.

Well, tomorrow I'm off to the Giants game, so I'll be getting up early, gone much of the day, and not anticipating reading much of anything, thus my wrap up for the year a little early.

If you haven't already found me in the 2024 group, I've set up my thread and look forward to continuing to talk about books and life there.

I do still want to post a top books list of 2023, and I'll post that on both threads. Happy 2024!

Favorite books of 2023:

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
A Man's Place by Annie Ernaux
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten
Rust in the Root by Justina Ireland
Witch King by Martha Wells
When the Angels Left the Old Country by Sacha Lamb
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Greenwing & Dart series by Victoria Goddard
This Is What It Sounds Like by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
Solito by Javier Zamora
Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

Okay so it's more like a top 20, but I couldn't narrow it down anymore than that. The top three make my favorites every time (they were five-star reads), and the rest were 4.5 star reads (which is what I use for books I would willingly reread someday) that somehow stuck with me throughout the year, if only that I remember closing the book and thinking, "Wow!" Other than the top 3, they're in no particular order.