Mary's (bell7's) Reading Log in 2024

Hello all, and welcome to my first thread of 2024! I've been participating in the 75 Book Challenge since 2010 and look forward to seeing what the 15th (!) year in the group will bring.

Should you have missed any of my previous intros, my name is Mary and I'm a librarian in western Massachusetts. I'm part of a large family (oldest of five), single, and live in my own home.

I like to read fantasy and science fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, a smattering of mystery and romance, nonfiction about books and history and... basically, pretty widely and eclectically. I usually have some form of reading goals for the year, and I've decided that this year I want to intentionally read more globally. I'm going to focus on France (thanks, Ursula, for the suggestion of focusing on a country!) and aim to read 12 books by authors from that country, plus 12 more books from other countries that are not the US, UK, or Canada. Since I typically read about 120-130 books a year, this will not be a hardship for me.

Outside of reading, I enjoy watching sports (football, hockey and tennis in particular), I dogsit as a side hustle, I knit for fun (usually gifts for friends and family), and research genealogy (as very much an amateur, but I'm learning).

Hope you'll make yourself comfortable and chat with me about books and life. Happy 2024!

2024 Book Club Reads

One of my work responsibilities is facilitating one of our book discussions. Here's what we're reading in 2024 (we take a break for the summer):

JANUARY - Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher - COMPLETED
FEBRUARY - The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin
MARCH - Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny
APRIL - The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende
MAY - Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder
SEPTEMBER - The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
OCTOBER - The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
NOVEMBER - The Soloist by Steve Lopez
DECEMBER - The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Completely subjective (and this could change tomorrow) favorites 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.

Random things I'm tracking

Bookish articles:
1. Oulipo: Freeing Literature by Tightening Its Rules
2. Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words
3. 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Awards
4. 75 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2024

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 (I stopped counting graphic novels separately)
2017 - 114
2018 - 105 (Note: my first full year as Assistant Director)
2019 - 116
2020 - 153
2021 - 138
2022 - 131
2023 - 180

Currently reading
The Postcard by Anne Berest

January
10. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
9. Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher
8. A Girl's Story by Annie Ernaux
7. Big Tree by Brian Selznick
6. The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling
5. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
4. The Pachinko Parlor by Elisa Shua Dusapin
3. In the Company of Gentlemen by Victoria Goddard
2. The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
1. The Tower at the Edge of the World by Victoria Goddard

DNF

Global reads in 2024 (author's country of origin):
Canada - Victoria Goddard
France - Herve Le Tellier, Elisa Shua Dusapin, Annie Ernaux
Malaysia - Tan Twan Eng

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.

You may now post!

Here's a question to get us started: what are you most looking forward to in the new year? (Does not have to be book-related)

I'm most looking forward to 45 being convicted and imprisoned.

If that doesn't happen, I will be one pissed off puppy.

Happy new thread, Mary!

Hi Mary. Pleasure to see your thread. Currently I am most looking for to traveling to see my parents in the new year.

Welcome back, Mary! Headed to see the son and daughter-in-law-in-waiting. Happy if we get there safely and have a good time!

Hi Mary. I like that idea of choosing a country to read from, will star your thread.

Looking forward to: spring! It has been raining and raining here. I’m looking forward to some sunshine.

Hello, Mary.

I’m looking forward to my son’s visit in late January, and trying to plan another for July.

Also looking forward to reading from my shelves.

Hi Mary! Wishing you happy holidays and hoping for an eventual BC meetup so we can visit each other once again. Have a great 2024.

I'm looking forward to trying fun new things in 2024. I've already signed up for a drawing class and am thinking about signing up to find out the basics of pickleball. And, of course, doing more genealogy.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Lovely to see you back again for 2024, Mary.

I will be following less threads this year as I want to try and keep up with friends more properly. Yours will of course be one of those.

>9 richardderus: Unfortunately I think it's going to be hard to convict a former president, whatever he's done. 2024 is gonna be another tough election year, and I'm not looking forward to that.

>10 elorin: Welcome, Robyn! I hope you have safe travels on your visit.

>11 drneutron: Thanks, Jim, and thanks for all you do setting up the group! Hope you had a great time visiting family over the holidays.

>12 EllaTim: Thank you, and welcome! I am looking forward to spring as well... always nice to see the end of snow and my garden coming back.

>13 Matke: Hi, Matke! Oh that's great, I hope you have wonderful visits and discover some gems on your shelf. I'm terrible at reading my own books, since I'm always seeing the newest ones at work, and they have a due date to keep me honest (or return them unread, which happens semi-frequently as well).

>14 SqueakyChu: I'm hoping to get down for the National Book Festival, Madeline. We'll see how it goes, and I'll keep you posted.

>15 Familyhistorian: Oh that sounds really fun, Meg! Looking forward to hearing how the drawing class goes, and I've been hearing about the joys of pickleball from some of my patrons, so I'll be interested in hearing what you think if you try it.

>16 PaulCranswick: Welcome back, Paul! I can understand having to cut back a bit. Even with fewer members than we've had in some years, there's a LOT of activity here and it gets hard to keep up with it all.

Well, as you can see, I set up shop and then promptly disappeared for a busy holiday weekend. I'm back!

I'll be keeping up more with my last 2023 thread until the end of the year, but I'll at least be more regular checking in and answering posts here until then :D

>14 SqueakyChu: Very cool! I hope that works out this year. This past year I was still afraid to be in crowds.

>17 bell7: Yeah I got some pretty sharp criticism on one thread for posting without reading which was partially fair, I suppose and I want to concentrate on no more than 50 threads this year rather than trying to keep up with everybody.

Dropping off a star, Mary! Looking forward to following your reading in 2024. I really like your plan to read more globally! If you need some recommendations for French books, let me know -- I read some good ones in college in my French courses.

What I'm looking forward to in the New Year... We have a few relaxing trips planned (Hawaii, and the Washington coast) which should be nice and full of reading and lounging.

>19 SqueakyChu: That's fair, Madeline. The biggest factor for me was my vacation hours and timing that just didn't work out. But I'm hopeful that this year will.

>20 PaulCranswick: Concentrating on about 50 seems reasonable, Paul. I generally have some folks I've followed for years, star their threads right away, then add on based on the Introductions of who reads like me or who follows my thread for the first time. And then try to keep up haha. This week of finishing up threads and starting new ones is always a bit of a whirlwind here.

>21 curioussquared: Hi, Natalie! I have a nice lineup of books both owned and planned I'm hoping to get to including:

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
The Postcard by Anne Berest
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
Another book by Annie Ernaux
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Any recommendations to add to that would be welcome!

Can't wait to hear about your trips to Washington and Hawaii :)

Of your French books, I've read and really liked (and thus recommend), The Postcard, The Anomaly, The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Years, by Annie Ernaux. You have some treats ahead of you. I have Suite Francaise on the TBR pile.

>22 bell7: >23 arubabookwoman: I really enjoyed the experience of reading Suite Francaise although historical novels are not my first choice of genre. After reading about the author, though, I went on to read more of her books as she was a popular novelist at the time.

>23 arubabookwoman: Oh, that's great to hear, Deborah. The Years sounds intriguing, I'll keep it in mind for the potential Ernaux book. I've read both A Woman's Story and A Man's Place and really liked both.

>24 SqueakyChu: I like historical, and remember when the English translation of Suite Francaise came out. When I was in college, I read about half of it, and I've meant to go back and try it again now that I'm not under time pressure to read it during the semester.

>22 bell7: Of your list, I've only read the Dumas, and I read it in English ;) Off the top of my head, I remember really enjoying Trap for Cinderella (Piège pour Cendrillon) by Sébastian Japrisot, a sort of twist on a mystery novel featuring a victim with amnesia. I also really liked Boumkoeur by Rachid Djaidani, about a young French Arab living in the projects outside of Paris, but I did a quick Google and I'm not sure that one was ever translated ☹️ I remember also liking Green Wheat ( Le blé en herbe) by Colette, but she also has a number of other novels to choose from. Happy reading!!

>26 curioussquared: Oh goodness, yeah, I'm not fluent enough in French to read them in the original, it'll all be English translations.

Trap for Cinderella sounds interesting, and my library system has a copy of "Short novels of Colette" that includes Chéri, The last of Cheŕi, The other one, Duo, The cat, and The indulgent husband. I'll see what I can do there. Thanks for the recs!

Good luck with your 2024 reading. I will watch for any genealogy reads or comments as that is a project/hobby I would like to tackle in the near future.

>28 Tess_W: Welcome, Tess! Familyhistorian (Meg) and thornton37814 (Lori) are more experienced genealogists than I am, but I hope you'll find some things here to interest you. I've had a lot of fun learning more about my family history in the past few years.

>28 Tess_W: >29 bell7: Ooh, another genealogist in the making! There are many and various things to be learned depending on where your research takes you.

Hi Mary, I'll be doing my best to follow along and keep up in 2024.
I'm going to try and get away each month, even if it's just for a day trip, so I'm looking forward to that. The first one is to see a new exhibition in London.

Dropping off my star, Mary!

Looking forward to making more time in my life for things other than reading (I know, I know... I was just a bit too reading-centric this year and let other things fall by the wayside!) :)

And we're hoping to travel for our milestone wedding anniversary this year, so I'm looking forward (with fingers crossed!) to finally visiting Ireland in the autumn!

>30 Familyhistorian: I know I sure have a lot to learn! (And a lot I don't know because I haven't had to research it)

>31 charl08: Hi, Charlotte, I'll be attempting to keep up with you, too! Day trips sound really lovely, and I hope you enjoy the London exhibition!

>32 katiekrug: Oooh, a visit to Ireland sounds spectacular! I hope you're able to sort out your time the way you want it to be, and that the milestone anniversary travel works out into a memorable trip for the both of you.

Oh hey! I got a shoutout! It was funny, I was half-skimming and saw that you were planning to read from a specific country and thought "hey that sounds familiar" and realized I had totally missed my own name up there in your first message. ;) France is one I considered for this year but decided against it. Hope you enjoy the experience.

I will be around, hopefully a little more noticeably than last year.

Happy New Year Reading!

>34 ursula: You did, haha! Did you choose a particular country this year, and if so, which one? I have The Anomaly out from the library now, so I'm hoping to get to it soon and start the year off well. I stopped at the library today and picked up The Pachinko Parlor off the new book shelf, too.

>35 Kristelh: Thanks, Kristel, same to you!

Happy New Year, Mary! Have a great year, my friend. To answer your question- We are looking forward to finally going to Glacier National Park. Yah!!

>37 Berly: welcome, Kim!

>38 msf59: happy new year, Mark! That sounds like a fabulous trip to look forward to. I'm assuming you have some Lifers to look for when you go?

>36 bell7: I think I'm still going to read a little Japanese stuff intentionally but I am going to be boring and focus on Germany this year.

Happy new year, Mary!

Hmm, what am I looking forward to in 2024? Finishing the cross-stitch tree skirt so I can tackle some other projects (the yarn stash grew again due to Boxing Day sales).

Hi Mary!

Wishing you a great one!

>40 ursula: Nah, Germany's not boring! (I say, because I only remember reading one book by Jenny Erpenback and being less than impressed - I do know what you mean) I'll look forward to seeing what you read & discover along the way.

>41 MickyFine: Finishing the tree skirt is an accomplishment to be proud of! I can completely relate to being ready for something different (and a growing yarn stash...)

>42 quondame: Thanks, Susan! Happy New Year!

I put this in the placeholder of post #3, but thought I should include it here as well -

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.

Happy New Year!

Yesterday I went to the Giants/Rams game with my friend, who is a Rams fan. She left happy - it was her first NFL game, she LOVED the experience, and the Rams secured a playoff spot with their win. Afterward, we had tickets for an on-the-field experience, where we were allowed (with several other season ticket holders) to go on the field itself for about a half hour and wander around taking pictures. THAT was absolutely surreal, and really fun to do even after the loss. The drive down and home were largely uneventful, no traffic issues at all, and I was back home a little after 9.

I did not stay up to ring in the new year - I read for a bit and went to bed. Today I'm off from work, and have not decided what to do yet, which is kind of a fun place to be in. Reading, knitting, tidying up the house, visiting my parents are all on the list of possibilities.

Reading: The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier

Listening: Continuing the LOTR soundtracks, on to The Two Towers

Watching: I started season 1 of Call the Midwife a couple days ago - and Giants (in person) yesterday

Crafting: Making a pair of mittens before I move on to a couple of Christmas stockings

Bit of a hearbreaker, that game... I was mad Daboll went for the 2-point conversion but The Wayne thought it was a good choice.

Happy new year!

>46 katiekrug: I was just posting on your thread too hahaha... I was pissed about the 2-point call. I get the stats on going for the 2-point conversion after the penalty, but the team is not good enough for that. Get the dang point and hope for the best in overtime. It was... not a good football game. I told my friend the Rams need to beat the Eagles for me now lol.

>47 bell7: - Glad we are in agreement!

At least you didn't have bone-chilling cold...

>48 katiekrug: Yeah, it was a more exciting game than I'd bargained for and I was reasonably comfortable for the duration, which was nice. My dad and brother have the tix for the Eagles game next week, and I am SO glad I'm not going...

>50 katiekrug: - The Eagles are imploding, and I'm mad because I hate Dallas more :)

>50 katiekrug: Bahahaha, it's a close call between the two teams, but Eagles edge out just a little as most-hated for me ;)

>51 bell7: - Fair enough!

1. The Tower at the Edge of the World by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Stasia and I are continuing our read through Victoria Goddard's works

This novella finds an unnamed young man (though readers will recognize the Emperor Artorin/Fitzroy Angursell prior to his being either) stuck in a tower at the edge of the world who discovers a shiny object and discovers the freedom to be himself.

This doesn't really stand alone, but is a lovely look at part of the back story of a beloved character. 4.5 stars

Happy New Year! I have you starred again, Mary. I fizzled out with posting last year but I do like to stop by and see what you are reading. Love the long list. I “cheated” and added some extras in a Non-fiction category as I didn’t want them taking up space in my Top Ten. Ha! I hope 2024 treats you well.

Happy New Year, Mary! I feel like my favorites can change by the day, too.

Happy New Year, Mary! Looks like you’re off to a great start!

>53 bell7: I just finished that one myself and while I did not like it quite as much as you did, Mary, I did very much enjoy the "look at part of the back story of a beloved character."

Happy New Year! Happy New Thread! Looking forward to continuing our exploration of Victoria Goddard's works.

Happy New Year, Mary. Great list of favorites. I hope 2024 is a good year for you.

Happy New Year, Mary! Great list of favourites.

>43 bell7: I mean, I confess I'd probably not be terribly interested in Germany anyway but it's extra boring because I'm living here. But I guess maybe I'll discover cultural depths I never would have guessed at, haha.

Happy reading in 2024, Mary!

Besides the usual, discovering new great books and our vacations, not much else I look forward to. Just hoping for a nice and quiet year :-)

>54 Donna828: Good to see you, Donna! I started breaking down categories and then I thought, eh, just list 'em all (you'll notice that a couple of fantasy titles and nonfiction titles are grouped together in the list, that's why).

>55 AMQS: Happy new year, Anne! Right? So hard to pick, especially over the course of the year when the books from the beginning of the year fade from memory and I find myself picking from what I read in the last three months instead...

>56 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary! Happy new year to you, too.

>57 alcottacre: It's harder to rate the short stories/novellas, I think, but ultimately the answer to "Would I reread it?" was yes, so 4.5 stars it is. Looking forward to starting the other one today :)

>58 BLBera: Thanks, Beth! Happy new year, and may 2024 bring you some good reads :)

>59 vancouverdeb: Happy 2024, Deb! Thanks for visiting

>60 ursula: Maybe so! And if not... well, you make the rules, right? You can always change which country you focus on.

>61 FAMeulstee: That sounds like a lovely wish for the year, Anita, and I hope you enjoy your vacations and discover new great books.

Happy Tuesday! It's back to work after a weird week plus (holiday, worked, two days out sick, one day worked, three day weekend), and I'm not exactly hitting the ground running, but I'm here. Already had one timely change to make in payroll, but all's good and we're back to the regular busyness of the day after a holiday. I'll probably have a second cup of coffee and a snack in a bit. I'm working 9-5, after which I want to pick up a handful of things at the grocery store (my real shopping will be tomorrow morning, but I need a red onion and chicken bouillon for a recipe tonight) and cook dinner and tidy up a bit here and there before relaxing the rest of the evening.

Reading: The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier, and I'll start In the Company of Gentlemen later today

Listening: LOTR soundtrack, The Two Towers

Watching: when I was visiting my parents' yesterday, they introduced me to Pawn Stars. I'll probably try to get an episode of Call the Midwife in today

Crafting: didn't pick up my knitting over the last couple of days, but if I do get some watching in tonight I'll continue working on the pair of mittens

>44 bell7: Excellent reading done in a decidedly not-excellent year, Mary! Happy Tuesday. *smooch*

Hi Mary! Dropping a star and looking forward to decluttering my life in 2024

Happy New Year, Mary! Thirteen seasons of Call the Midwife ahead of you - what a gift! It's pretty consistent all the way through.

>64 richardderus: It was certainly a good reading year for me. I may not get the quantity again in 2024, but here's to both of us reading some excellent books! *smooch*

>65 vikzen: Happy new year and best of luck with the decluttering, Victoria!

>66 norabelle414: Happy new year, Nora! That's good to know re: Call the Midwife. I'm not sure that I can binge it like I do many shows, but having something nice and consistent to watch throughout the year will be fun.

2. The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier
Why now? First put on my TBR list by a publisher's "book buzz" that I attended for work - got it out of my local (ie., non-work) library not too long ago when I saw it on the shelf, and decided it would be the first French book I read of 2024

The beginning chapters move quickly from one character to the other over the course of months: a man starts his profession as a hitman; an author and translator writes a book, then kills himself for reasons unknown; an architect and his girlfriend break up; and more. As time slowly moves on, however, we realize that all of them have something in common. They were on the same flight, that hit turbulence, and landed in New York in March. But three months later, another plane with the same 200+ passengers emerges from the clouds.

A fascinating "what if" that explores the nature of reality, individuality and second chances. Exactly what caused the "anomaly" becomes less important than what each character decides to do with it. Some manage to get along with their doppelgangers, some most definitely do not. Some have to live with a similar set of circumstances all over again, while others can learn from the first person's mistakes and make other choices. And the ending... I will be pondering this one for some time, and may have to reread it to feel like I've fully comprehended it. A lot of characters and moving pieces without a lot of answers, this is a good recommendation for fans of Lost and Annihilation. 4.5 stars.

>68 bell7: First BB of the year!

Happy New Year and happy new thread!

>68 bell7: It definitely sounds like a good read to greet 2024 with, Mary. The evergreen of what to do with second chances plot is always a lot of fun to read.

>68 bell7: I really liked that one when I read it too. It won the Prix Goncourt, which I thought was surprising since I found it a bit more science fictiony than literary. But as you say, thought-provoking.

>69 Storeetllr: I hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Mary!

>70 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi, happy new year!

>71 richardderus: I'm rather pleased with the start to the year, Richard. The Anomaly has a middling rating on LT, but it worked for me.

>72 arubabookwoman: I think it's one of the things I liked about it, leaning into the science fiction. I'd be curious to read more of the Prix Goncourt award winners and see if it's a bit of an anomaly itself, or if they give more genre books awards than, say, US judges tend to.

3. In the Company of Gentlemen by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Continuing my joint reads with Stasia through the Nine Worlds universe

While visiting his nephew at Stoneybridge, Zorey recounts the story of how he came across the Red Company, and became one of many defeated by a great swordsman, giving him a place in their lore.

I expected a more straightforward telling, so having an old soldier recount his tale was an unexpected surprise, as was the return of another familiar character. It's not my favorite story in the world, it felt too disconnected from most of the characters I know & love. But I'll read anything Victoria Goddard writes at this point, and it's always a pleasure to see what else she can do. 3.5 stars.

Hi Mary

It is so good to see your thread. I am very interested in The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin. I like to read books about art heists. The Isabella Stuart-Gardner museum is such a sad story of stolen art that is not return. In particular I am fascinated by the stolen painting Christ in the Sea of Galilee.



It is so very sad that items are stolen and in the case, all the leads have lead to nothing. I'll be sure to visit often. It is my New Year's resolution to be more active in the group than I was in 2023. Your thread certainly is one I hope to visit on a regular basis.

All good wishes for a wonderful 2024!

Happy New Year, Mary! Here's to some more good reading.

>73 bell7: The other Goncourt winners I've read are more "literary" which is why I was surprised that this was also a winner.

Happy Wednesday, Mary. I hope your year is off to a fine start. I love your favorite list up there. So many good titles. I still NEED to get to The Covenant of Water and I think I would like to try Solito on audio.

>74 bell7: I'm not accustomed to seeing you fangirling over anyone, Mary, it's quite surprising. I'm going to have to catch Greenwing & Dart at some point to get in on the fun.

Wednesday orisons, dear lady.

>75 Whisper1: happy 2024, Linda! I'm looking forward to that one, too. I read The Gardner Heist some years ago (I believe on your recommendation), and had the opportunity to see the museum - and the empty frames where the stolen art pieces belonged - some time after that. It's well worth a visit if you make a trip out to Boston.

>76 ronincats: Happy new year, Roni! Looking forward to seeing what you're reading in 2024.

>77 arubabookwoman: Ahhh, that makes sense. I'm glad it was, I think it's a great example of what science fiction can explore compellingly.

>78 msf59: Happy Wednesday, Mark! So far so good, and hope 2024 is treating you well so far. I look forward to your thoughts on The Covenant of Water and Solito. I can definitely recommend what I heard of the audio of Solito, though I don't focus well auditorily and mostly read the e-book.

>79 richardderus: I'm generally a bit more measured in my comments, hmm? I do look forward to your thoughts on the series. I think Goddard's work is great, a detailed world with good characterization and complexity in when and where it overlaps that just adds to the delight no matter which series you start with. Happy Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I'm a little later posting than usual because I got up this morning to do my prior-to-doctor-appointment fasting labs right after I got up so as to have coffee as soon as possible.

I made a Cumin-y Chicken & Rice dish from Dinner in One, which came out fabulous, as every recipe I've tried from that has. The one downside is somehow my chicken doesn't cook through with the timetable she uses - I've done two separate dishes, one with boneless and one with bone in, and I've had to cook the chicken longer. Oh well, in this case I just cut the mostly-cooked chicken in strips and stuck them in the microwave for a couple of minutes to finish. One serving was today's lunch, the other three are packed and ready to go for lunches at work the next couple of days and will need reheating in the microwave anyways, so the chicken will be fine. That small complaint aside, the dishes are some of the most flavorful I've ever had, and I love that she gives options for "vegging up" a dish with almost every recipe.

I'll head out soon to go to work - today's my 12-8 day at the library - and hopefully I'll remember to log in to my genealogical society's meeting at 6 tonight while I'm there (my boss has okay'ed this, saying it's work-related because I am in charge of our local history collection and all our genealogy questions are referred to me).

Reading: The Pachinko Parlor by Elisa Shua Dusapin and The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

Listening: LOTR soundtracks, The Two Towers

Watching: continued with another episode (Season 1, episode 4) of Call the Midwife yesterday, and hoping to watch another tonight

Crafting: knitted mittens

>81 bell7: - I've put a hold on Dinner in One to try it out. If I like it enough, I'll definitely get my own copy. My current favorite cookbooks is Milk Street The World in a Skillet. I'm a sucker for not having a lot to clean up :)

>80 bell7: Yes indeed, "measured" is le mot juste for your usual opining. Makes the series more intriguing to me, for sure.

>81 bell7: Both your current reads are going to be fascinating to see your thoughts on.

Enjoy that cumin-y chicken!

>81 bell7: I also put a hold on Dinner in One -- I'd like to try some new recipes over the next few months, as I feel that my old ones need a little shake-up.

Officially getting time to log in to a genealogy meeting at work sounds wonderful, Mary. Not like my workplace when I was gainfully employed.

>81 bell7: I’ve put a hold on Dinner in One too—sounds like a great cookbook, and I love reading cookbooks!

Karen O

>82 katiekrug: Oh excellent, hope you enjoy it. I'll have to look up Milk Street The World in a Skillet too!

>83 richardderus: I should have thoughts on The Pachinko Parlor soon, as it's another short one. The House of Doors will most likely not be completed 'til the weekend. And thank you, I will enjoy the chicken & rice dish for sure!

>84 foggidawn: I hope you find some you like, foggi!

>85 Familyhistorian: Yup, and last year I went to a genealogy conference for work - paid for by work, paid for my time there - which was pretty fabulous as well. Unfortunately, tonight's meeting was canceled, but hopefully future meetings will work out for me to attend virtually. I do learn things I can turn around and tell my patrons about!

>86 klobrien2: Oh good, I hope you find lots to enjoy about it, Karen.

4. The Pachinko Parlor by Elisa Shua Dusapin, translated by Aneesa Abbas Higgins
Why now? Found it browsing my local library's new book shelf, and picked it up after realizing it would help me meet my goals this year to read more international fiction

Claire is visiting her grandparents in Japan and trying to get them ready for a trip to Korea, where they haven't been since they left in 1952 because of the war. She lives in Switzerland and has challenges communicating with them - despite speaking several languages, she does not know Korean, and her grandmother doesn't like to speak Japanese. Meanwhile, Claire gets a job as a French tutor for a young girl during the summer holidays.

A quiet, spare book and character study. Claire's hard to get to know, going through a lot of motions passively (she spends a lot of time in her room, if she's not tutoring), showing her disconnection: from people, and from her family history. This is Dusapin's second novel to be translated into English, and it won the Swiss Literature Award. The author was born in France but lives in Switzerland, is of French-Korean ancestry, and was about the age of her protagonist when she wrote the book, so it was hard not to wonder how much of her own story informed her writing. While I didn't always enjoy every minute of reading, there's a lot to ponder. This is a story that would reward rereading. 4 stars.

This one was a little more what I expected from works in translation, which seem to lean towards the literary end (at least when they're not Scandicrime). Dusapin's debut, Winter in Sokcho is even more acclaimed, winning the Prix Robert-Walser, the Prix Régine Desforges, and the translation by Aneesa Abbas Higgins won the National Book Award for Translated Literature in 2021. My local library owns that one, too, and I may look for it later this year.

Happy Thursday, everyone! I woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground (and needing to be brushed off my car), a harbinger of what's to come this weekend. I'm working 9-5 today and may try to run some errands on my way home so I'm not, say, grocery shopping and getting gas with a rush of people on Saturday the day before a snowstorm.

If I do grocery shop, I'm not cooking. If I don't go to the store, I'll be making taco soup tonight. Either way, should be a fairly quiet evening of reading/knitting once I get in.

Reading: The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng

Listening: LOTR soundtrack, ready to move on to Return of the King today

Watching: next episode of Call the Midwife

Crafting: mittens - I'm almost done mitten #2, and if I get some TV watching in tonight, I'll probably start a Christmas stocking for my niece due in March

>88 bell7: I liked this quiet story a lot. Winter in Sokcho, however, was a better story, and more to my personal taste.

>89 bell7: Have a relaxing day, Mary! *smooch*

>68 bell7: Oh! He's a member of Oulipo! Weirdness is promised then. I just put it on my list to check out from the library.

>89 bell7: Who is your favorite midwife so far?

>88 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary!

Happy New Year Mary! Slowly getting around to visiting threads in the New Year.

>73 bell7: Thanks! I was able to find a copy from the library and hope to get to it soon.

>90 richardderus: Oh that's good to know, perhaps like you I will like it better.

>91 ursula: I had to look up Oulipo, as I'd never heard of them, and found this interesting article from The Guardian with a description and potentially more authors to try. Fascinating! And hope you enjoy The Anomaly - I'll look forward to your thoughts.

>92 norabelle414: Oh man, you're coming in with the hard questions. Do I have to pick one? I like the quiet one with brown hair who seems very competent (is it terrible that I don't remember her name?), and I like Chummy's storyline so far quite a bit. For the sisters, I like Sister Julienne a lot, and Sister Monica Joan makes me laugh where she seems to be in her own world but always has very pointed quotes that relate anyways.

>93 alcottacre: You're very welcome, Stasia!

>94 Oberon: Happy new year, Erik! Thanks for the visit - I'll come by your thread shortly, too.

>95 Storeetllr: Oh excellent! I'll look forward to your thoughts on it.

>82 katiekrug: Hi Mary, having a visit over here by another Mary! I have the Milk Street Noodles home from the library right now and it is a winer! I plan to make the orzo recipes. Finished House of Doors last night and thought it was wonderful so will peek at your thoughts about it soon.

>97 mdoris: Welcome, Mary! I've seen some of the Milk Street cookbooks but have never delved into it. I do usually have a bit of orzo on hand for a chicken orzo soup I enjoy. The House of Doors is coming along nicely so far, I got up to about page 68 last night and am looking forward to having some dedicated reading time over the weekend to really focus on it.

TGIF! I'm working 9-5 today, followed by a grocery shopping so that I won't be fighting the crowds tomorrow before a snowstorm comes in Saturday night into Sunday.

Reading: The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng and The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling

Listening: LOTR soundtrack, The Return of the King

Watching: watched the final episode of the 1st season of Call the Midwife yesterday. I thought about getting season 2 out from the library this weekend, but I'll be dogsitting starting Tuesday at a home where I've never figured out their DVD player, so I'll probably pause that and watch something else from one of my streaming services in the meantime

Crafting: just about finished the mittens (I need to weave in all the ends, which is my least favorite part of knitting haha) and then I'll start on a Christmas stocking

Came across Merriam-Webster's list of Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words and figured I'd share, knowing that more than a few of you appreciate sesquipidalians.

boooo end-weaving!

>100 bell7: Cool! I enjoyed that. Thanks, Mary!

Hi Mary! Happy New Year!

I'm always interested in what your library book club plans to read and how they are received. I wasn't at the meeting to pick our library's books for the upcoming year as I had to have a tooth removed the day before. But books were picked and the list is on my thread - I think you may have commented on them.

I'm still working on the list of my favorites from last year. Demon Copperhead, Yellowface, and Ducks will very probably be on my list, too.

Congats on finishing four books, already! That's impressive!

I'm also reading The House of Doors and purchased The Lost Journals of Sacajewea after hearing Ms Earling speak last fall.

>101 norabelle414: Right? I'm still putting it off haha.

>102 richardderus: Excellent, I thought that would be right up your alley (and mine).

>103 streamsong: Oh, do you all pick on one day? I hand out (and email) ballots for everyone and give them time to get it back to me. Your book group reads such a wide variety of things, it'll be interesting to hear what they make of your 2024 picks. Three of the four books were pretty short, so I started with a bang and I'll slow down from now on lol.

I'm looking forward to watching the new Season of Call the Midwife, but as far as I know, it's not yet in Canada yet. Fingers crossed.

>105 vancouverdeb: I hope you get a chance to watch it soon, Deborah! I'm just getting started my first watch-through, so it's nice to know I have several good seasons ahead of me.

Happy weekend! It's Saturday, and I have a nice long to-do list to keep me busy before the snow comes. The most important errands are a dump & recycling run and getting my car inspected. Other things are just prep for snow - I bought a new feeder and want to fill it, and I need to move some things out of the garage to make room for my car, that kind of thing. All in all, it should be enough to keep me pleasantly busy and still have plenty of time for relaxing and reading.

Our forecast is saying at least 5 inches of snow overnight and tomorrow. My plow guys are all set, though, and I went grocery shopping last night so I have plenty of food and books and plan on a cozy, quiet day on Sunday.

Reading/Watching/Listening/Crafting: all the same as yesterday

>107 bell7: Being just that bit farther south, it's going to be rain here, but it id c-o-l-d and icky. I'll be indoors reading if anyone wants me...and they better not.

*smooch*

Hi Mary my dear, i have starred you and hope to visit often throughout 2024, Happy New Year dear friend.

>99 bell7: I hope you enjoy The House of Doors as much as I did, Mary!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hi Mary! I hope you get lots of reading done on your snow day!

>22 bell7: I read Suite Francaise a while ago and it's one that stuck with me. I may re read it sometime this year.

Happy weekend reading!

Happy new year of reading Mary!

>107 bell7: Five inches of snow....impressive, Mary.

I am of course no awaiting any snow here in Kuala Lumpur but that doesn't stop me shivering reading your frosted posts nor does it preclude me from wishing you a lovely Sunday.

>108 richardderus: Yuck! The rain sounds equally unappealing for going out, so I hope you're able to hunker down and enjoy staying in.

>109 johnsimpson: Happy new year, John! Hope to see you here often as well a visit your thread throughout 2024.

>110 alcottacre: I finished it last night, Stasia, and thought it was really well done. Review to come soon!

>111 cbl_tn: Thanks, Carrie! I hope so too - I certainly have a stack from the library to keep me motivated haha.

>112 figsfromthistle: Oh that's good to know, thanks, Anita. Happy weekend's reads!

>113 WhiteRaven.17: Thanks, Kro, you too!

>114 PaulCranswick: Yeah, we got more than that overnight and it's still coming down, Paul. I'm not planning on going anywhere today, just have to do a touch of shoveling that the plow guys don't take care of and cook enough to have meals today. Other than that, it'll be a low key reading day.

>115 bell7: Yeah stay warm and safe, Mary. xx

Hello, everyone! I woke up to a winter wonderland this morning, with a fair amount of snow on the ground and it's still coming down, though not hard. Since I don't have anywhere to be, it looks beautiful. My church canceled services, not that I would have gone out in this even so. The snow's coming down slowly now, but we'll still have it continuing 'til early afternoon, and the forecast says we may get another couple of inches, for a total of 6-10.

I'm planning on a leisurely day all around, with a touch of shoveling involved (I have the plow guys do the top driveway and shovel my walk, and then I take care of a lower driveway to get my car out of the garage), and a bit of cooking.

Reading: I finished The House of Doors last night and anticipate finishing The Lost Journals of Sacajewea today

Listening: LOTR soundtrack, Return of the King

Watching: I did end up getting Season 2 of Call the Midwife at the library yesterday, and treated myself to both the Christmas special and the first two episodes

Crafting: started on a Christmas stocking

Happy Sunday, Mary. Good luck with the snow. Yikes. I am more than happy with the 2" we got. Wasn't The House of Doors a treat? We watched and loved the first 5 or 6 seasons of Call the Midwife. It was an excellent show.

>118 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I'm fortunate with the snow, I have good plow guys and I don't have to go anywhere today (when it's a work day, that's a whole 'nother ball game, as we don't close for much...). I've had some juncos and a chickadee discover the new feeder, and all is well in the world. The House of Doors was really fantastic, and it made me want to read more of Somerset Maugham, though I couldn't get through Of Human Bondage (I found the main character irritating, if I remember correctly). I put a hold on The Casuarina Tree, though, so I'll let you know how that goes.

5. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
Why now? All the LT love made me want to try it - I was originally going to read it with Mark and Stasia, but as you can see I'm a little behind

Lesley Hamlyn looks back on 1921, when she and her husband Robert had Willie Somerset Maugham and his secretary (lover) Gerald for a visit in Penang. Though she knows that Willie takes people's stories and makes them her own, she decides to share with him a story of her own from 1910, explaining her relationship with the Chinese revolutionary, Sun Yat Sen, and the murder trial of her friend, Ethel Proudlock.

I haven't read anything by Somerset Maugham, so I was going into the story blind about his writing and his life, and enjoyed watching the story unfold. I think the brilliance of it is that it can be equally enjoyed by someone like me or a Somerset Maugham aficionado, who would recognize the elements of his own stories in this one, a feat I think that author would be bemused to see in action. The descriptions of Penang are beautifully evocative, the story immersive, as we learn about Lesley and Robert's unhappy marriage and infidelity. Their tale is melancholy, exploring how little we can truly know another, and the isolation one can feel even in the most intimate of relationships. 4.5 stars.

The current stats for nation of origin of the authors I've read in 2024:



These percentages will shift dramatically, of course, but it's a good start to the year to have finished five books by authors outside of the U.S., and already have 2 from France. My first U.S. author will be indigenous (Debra Magpie Earling is Bitterroot Salish).

>120 bell7: Interesting to see how much the luuuv for a book goes viral around here, too. Another new bookish app has shown up, https://www.bookwormreads.co/home, and is getting some buzz. I am actively dodging book-bullets so I doubt I'll be joining it, any more than I use The Storygraph, but isn't it telling that more social media is focusing on books?

*smooch* from dank, cold Long Island.

>120 bell7: I am so glad to see that you enjoyed the book, Mary! Mark and I are talking of reading some of Maugham's work at some point this year, The Painted Veil and possibly The Razor's Edge. If interested, let us know!

>122 richardderus: It does, doesn't it? But it's introduced me to authors and titles I may not have read on my own, so you won't see me complaining. I tend to get really good recs from my LT friends, where what's popular at my library is more hit or miss for me (and truthfully, I'd rather read the just-under-popular books that I can recommend to new readers than the latest that everyone already knows about).

I haven't heard of bookwormreads, but I did succumb to Storygraph late last year. One of the benefits is my sister is on it, so I can see what she's been reading too. And they have different graphs than my BookRiot spreadsheet, giving me a new way to visualize my reading. But yeah, I like seeing the interest in bookish things, whether it's through social media or podcasts or what have you.

>123 alcottacre: I may join in depending on my mood and the timing, Stasia. As I told Mark, I tried Of Human Bondage and stopped reading it - I seem to remember getting really annoyed with the main character. But I definitely want to try a collection of his short stories, and put a hold on The Casuarina Tree.

6. The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling
Why now? It was on the short list for The Tournament of Books, which I enjoy following but never manage to read the books. Thought it sounded intriguing, and got the digital copy from the library (and paper copy from my local library to supplement)

A bright, observant Shoshone girl, Sacajewea is only nine when she's taken from her home, and must navigate a brutal world.

In a poetic rendering of a first-person journal, Earling reimagines Sacajewea's story, weaving in the few historical details of her life, and refuses to whitewash or gentle what must have been a really hard and frightening experiences. A difficult read at times, but well worth engaging. 3.5 stars.

Enjoy your snowy day, Mary! We haven't really had any snow since Christmas Eve, but it looks to be cold and snowy this next week.

We received The Lost Journals of Sacajewea from my brother-in-law, so I am glad for your review. You also got me with The House of Doors.

Hi Mary! Hockey and soccer are really the only games I enjoy watching. My 5yo is in soccer, so that's nice. I hope this year brings many great books!

>126 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! Our second incoming storm will be rain on Tuesday-Wednesday so quite a bit of the snow will go away. It was quite a storm for #1 of the season, though. I haven't seen any official snow totals for my town, but I would guesstimate close to a foot based on what I shoveled off my lower driveway (before a kind neighbor came over and snowblowed the rest of it).

>127 The_Hibernator: I played soccer some when I was a kid, Rachel, but despite that it's not my favorite to watch (though I daresay that would be different if I were watching my kid play!). I'll watch some football tonight, but with the Giants out I won't go out of my way to watch the playoffs. Happy 2024, and hope you get some great reading in, too!

7. Big Tree by Brian Selznick
Why now? I've enjoyed several of Selznick's other books, so when I found one I didn't know about at a library I was visiting, I snagged it. Figured it would be a good snowy-day read, and I can bring a pile of finished books back to work tomorrow.

Louise is a sycamore seed in the Cretaceous period, and she dreams of the stars and the moon talking to her, though she can't see anything from her perch. When their mother is threatened by coming fire and dinosaurs fleeing from it, Louise and Merwin are sent out into the world, where they hope to find a safe place to grow.

I really enjoy Selznick's unique mix of text and pencil drawings - it's not quite like a graphic novel, because it's not in one continuous comic story, but trades back and forth between the two media, letting you take in all the details of each. I was intrigued by a story whose main characters were seeds, and seeing the world through their eyes. There's a lot of science included, and reading it as an adult I would nitpick that it wasn't incorporated in the text very subtly, but as a kid I would have been entranced and not cared. The author's note explains where the origins of the story idea came, which was fascinating in and of itself. 4 stars.

>129 bell7: I’m a big fan of Brian Selznick, and I really liked Big Tree. Glad you did, too!

Karen O

>130 klobrien2: I really enjoyed The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, so I do look for his work, though I have yet to read The Marvels.

I saw Earling speak at the Portland Book Festival, Mary, and bought a copy of The Lost Journals of Sacajewea. I hope to read it soon.

HI Mary, Happy New Year. Your book club selections look really good. In reading the list, I am aware that I placed the Marie Benedict book the First Ladies last year. I am going to look for this one in the library and hope to read it soon.

>131 bell7: I also enjoy the books of Brian Selznick

A snowy Sunday is a perfect time for reading, Mary. I hope that everything is navigable tomorrow.

>87 bell7: Your work paying for you to attend a genealogy conference is amazing but understandable if you are the library genealogy guru.

>132 BLBera: Oh very cool, I hope you enjoy it, Beth!

>133 Whisper1: I hope you're able to get your hands on The First Ladies, Linda. Benedict's writing style isn't always my favorite, but I do like that she highlights the sometimes overlooked women in history.
>134 Whisper1: They are good, aren't they? Lovely art work!

>135 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! We should be in good shape, my street appears to be well plowed out, which bodes well for my commute (all main roads) to work.

Happy Monday! I'm out of here shortly to work 9-2, and then I have some errands to run in the afternoon. The town where I live and the town where I work have all dug out from the snow, and I should have a smooth commute to work (it's all main roads anyway).

I start a dogsitting job tomorrow, so I need to pack and want to do some cooking so I have things already made before I watch, um, five or six labs and a cat. If I have time, I might also take the Christmas tree down.

As you can see, I was a busy beaver reading yesterday in the snow day. I will probably finish another (short) book today, and then I expect things to slow down dramatically.

Reading: A Girl's Story by Annie Ernaux and The Postcard by Anne Berest

Listening: didn't go anywhere yesterday (I primarily listen to music in the car), but I'll probably finish up listening to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack today and move on to something else

Watching: football yesterday; the Giants beat the Eagles, which made no different to the G-men, but helped mess up the Eagles' seeding in the playoffs, so they have a wild card and the Cowboys won the division

Crafting: I didn't pick up anything yesterday

The Lost Journals of Sacajewea was among this year's Pacific Northwest Award Winners. Some of the other books on the list look pretty good, and Doppleganger is on my TBR list. Has anyone read any of the award winners?

>137 bell7: I loved The Postcard when I read it last year, so I hope you do too. And the year before I read my first book by Annie Ernaux and was blown away. (The Years). I want to read more by her.

>139 arubabookwoman: I'm not very far in The Postcard, but expect I'll make sure progress throughout the week before I have to focus on my book club book. I was trying to remember which Annie Ernaux you recommended - The Years! I wasn't sure I'd be interested in the subject matter of A Girl's Story, but she's got me wrapped in the story and sympathetic to her 18-year-old self. I really liked A Man's Place and A Woman's Story when I read them last year.

Well, I was super productive today and I'm ready to wrap it up and do nothing for the rest of the night. On the way home from work, I did errands, then got back and cooked a bunch of food, and had dinner. I packed most of what I need for dogsitting, did all the dishes, and have some laundry going. I'll have to do some folding and a little more packing (I needed socks...), but I'm packing it in and spending the rest of the evening reading. I did not have time to take the Christmas tree down, so the decorations are just going to have to wait 'til after I get back. *shrug*

Good morning, all! I have a few minutes of quiet over my coffee and breakfast before I have to get going for the day and pack up the car. I'm working 9-5 and then off to dogsit for a week and a day. I live only 5 minutes from where I'm watching them, so I've decided to leave most of the food here (I'll bring lunch and dinner to work) today, and pick it up tomorrow morning after the dog walks and before I work 12-8.

For this job, I can sometimes get some reading in the evenings after they've all walked off some energy, but it's not guaranteed, so I'm bringing the books I'm reading, two books that are due on the 16th (with the acknowledgement that I might return them to the library unread), and the book club book that we're discussing a week from tomorrow.

Reading: A Girl's Story by Annie Ernaux (I really thought I'd finish it yesterday, but I never could sit down and focus) and The Postcard by Anne Berest

Listening: between CDs, I'll have to pick something out. Maybe I'll read a book on CD since my commute from dogsitting is just long enough to make it doable

Watching: last night I fit one episode of Call the Midwife in, and had the first half of the college football game on as background noise while I read

Crafting: just weaving in the ends of the mittens, so I can call that project done. I won't bring any with me to this dogsitting job.

Happy soggy Tuesday, Mary. I hope it's not as ghastly as they're predicting.

>22 bell7: Hi, Mary! Finally made it over to your new thread and I'm dropping a star. Good luck with your reading of French authors; that sounds like a fun idea. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my all-time favorite books. Anything by Dumas is good. The first other thing I thought of was Madame Bovary. Unfortunately, I'm not good with recommendations, as my reading of French authors has been pretty much limited to classics by authors like Victor Hugo and Jules Verne. I really need to up my game on French authors from the 20th-21st centuries. I'll be interested to see what you read and like this year.

>124 bell7: Of Human Bondage--like you, I started it and didn't finish. I didn't get very far. Just really couldn't get into it. I guess I need to try again someday.

Have fun with the dogsitting! Wishing you a great new year of reading, and everything else!

>142 bell7: Coincidentally, I've just picked up The Postcard yesterday. Enjoying it so far.

Hope the dogs do give you a chance to sit and read.

>143 richardderus: It was pretty soggy dog walks last night, but thankfully this morning cleared up and it's getting warm. The places I thought would be icy were mostly clear, and I had my boots on to walk through slush.

>144 atozgrl: Nice to see you, Irene! It's been a fun start to the year, and I'm surprised to find how motivated it's making me to read a few books that have been on the TBR list. I started with more current titles, but I do want to read at least one classic, too, so Victor Hugo and Jules Verne are definite possibilities.

>145 charl08: Oh fun! We'll be reading in tandem. I'm enjoying it so far, too. We'll see how the dogs go, some nights are better than others, but so far today they're pretty calm.

>120 bell7: I am currently reading this one. Glad you enjoyed it. I have just started it.

>121 bell7: Nice presentation of your stats!

Seven books already! Well done :)

Happy Wednesday! It's hump day...

So, apparently I was off by a day of when I was to start dogsitting. The husband left yesterday (the date she texted me), but the wife wasn't planning on leaving 'til today. We discovered the miscommunication yesterday when I was at work, and she was basically like, "well, why don't you come anyway, I have a bunch of changes to go over and I'm fighting a migraine, so the help would be great." So that's what we did, we were able to team up the dog walking in the rain, and then at night I just took the two dogs that didn't poop after dinner for a longer walk, let the rest out to pee, and went to bed.

I had a rough night's sleep, but so far I feel okay. I half suspect that I got more sleep than I think, and that part of the time I was dreaming but thought I was awake. I got up early because one of the dogs was barking (an "I need to poop" bark rather than just morning grumbles), then went back to bed for a bit longer before getting up around 7:30 to feed and walk all six. I then went out for coffee and got my food for the week at home. I have about an hour or so before I have to leave for work, so I'm hanging out 'til then, and the owner will be officially leaving in the afternoon.

I'm working 12-8 today, and don't yet have any particular plans for how I will use my off-desk time, but I'm sure I'll find a bunch to do when I get in. Yesterday was busy with a webinar and getting financial numbers and annual stats to my boss, and by the time I got to the end of the day, I was mentally done. Today... well, maybe I'll play around with some of the things I learned in the webinar about customizing our new catalog (to be rolled out in the spring), or start looking at some local history projects. After I get back in the evening, I'm hoping to call my sister to wish her a belated happy birthday before giving the (now five, one of them is going with the owner) dogs before-bed walks.

Reading: The Postcard by Anne Berest (I finished A Girl's Story last night, and I'll most likely start Women Rowing North today)

Listening: radio, I got Iron Flame out of the library as an audio, so hoping to start that today

Watching: I have a TV here! Jeopardy and Finding Your Roots last night

No crafting for the week, I didn't bring it any knitting with me

>147 figsfromthistle: Oh good, I'll look forward to your thoughts on it, Anita. I handed it to a library patron yesterday with my recommendation, so hopefully she enjoys it! Thanks re: the stats, I can't take credit for that, I just copied an image from a spreadsheet BookRiot set up for me.

And I'm actually up to 8 books as of last night, though half of those were under 200 pages. My number of books finished will slow some as I read some longer books :)

8. A Girl's Story by Annie Ernaux
Why now? One of my goals this year is to read globally and investigate French literature, plus I liked what I read by Annie Ernaux last year, so I was pleased to find this one at my local library

Some fifty years later, Ernaux looks back on herself in 1958, the summer she turned 18 and worked as a camp counselor. She had a sexual encounter there, which was deeply meaningful to her at the time, and reflects on both what happened and her distance now from the girl she was then.

This book appears to be more a straight up memoir than the autofiction of the books of Ernaux's I've read before, but still has her signature style of writing about her memories and also talking about the writing process as she goes ("On this gray November Sunday in 2014, I watch the girl who was me watch him turn his back on her in front of all the others..."). It's especially effective here in illustrating that weird sort of dichotomy that happens as you look back at a memory that once held deep emotion in the original experience, but now has a sort of remove. Which is, essentially, what the book is about.

The "girl of '58" leaves her small town and parochial school, works as a camp counselor, and has sexual experiences. One other counselor, H, is the object of her affections, but though he has sex with her, he's largely indifferent to her (and has a fiancee whom he tells her is the only girl he loves) though this summer is a life-changing experience for her. I didn't expect to be as pulled into her story as I was, as Ernaux was able to make me sympathize with her naivete (even while I thought her choices foolish), and she largely keeps from judging her younger self - and H himself. The second part of the book, outlining the year or two that followed that summer, were less compelling and didn't have that same immediacy. It was almost like she wasn't sure where to stop the story, and maybe carried on a little too long before a rather abrupt ending. Though it's not as soon as A Man's Place or A Woman's Story, it was well worth the time spent reading. 4 stars.

>148 bell7: I want to start Iron Flame soon; maybe after my current fantasy read. Glad the dog miscommunication turned out OK!

>148 bell7: Hi, Mary! Happy New Year! I just started listening to Iron Flame today. So far so good, but I'm only three chapters in.

>121 bell7: Nicely done! And I do love me some French authors.

>125 bell7: I am going to be reading The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling in March and I heard her talk here in Portland in November during our Book Festival. I liked her a lot!

>129 bell7: I am a fan of Brian Selznick, so Big Tree goes onto the WL!

Hope you get some reading in while you dog sit!

>151 curioussquared: Oh good, maybe we'll be book buddies haha. I have to concentrate most on my book club book, but I am hoping I will get some chances to read Iron Flame this week

>152 aktakukac: Happy new year, Rachel, good to see you! I won't get far today, I went to put it on and realized I don't have the right aux cable for it and had to borrow the cord from the library where I work today :P So I'll start it tonight on my way back to the dogs.

>153 Berly: Thanks, Kim, I've been enjoying the exploration so far, as you can see. I look forward to your thoughts on The Lost Journals of Sacajewea and Big Tree! I should get some reading in... they calmed down a bit last night after walks, so we'll see how they do the rest of the time. And I'm off on Monday, so if nothing else I will finish my book club book.

I'll post this at the top of the thread in my list of articles as well:

75 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2024

Some of these are already on my TBR list, and I will have to add several more.

Happy New Year, Mary! I'll definitely follow your thread more closely in 2024.

Nice review of The House of Doors; I loved it as well.

I haven't read A Girl's Story, even though I've read most of Annie Ernaux's books, so I'll add it to my wish list.

Thanks for the list of 75 Books of Women of Color to Read in 2024; I've saved that link, and I'll look at it more closely later today or tomorrow.

ETA: Have you read any books written by Reinhold Niebuhr? He's one of the authors I'll focus on this year.

>156 kidzdoc: Happy New Year, Darryl! Thanks for stopping by. I'm going to have to read more by Tan Twan Eng and Annie Ernaux for sure. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the 75 Books by Women of Color list, and any authors you recommend in particular. There were several that looked interesting to me.

And I haven't read Reinhold Niebuhr, but his works list looks intriguing, and I see he lived & died in Massachusetts - Stockbridge is about an hour from me, I've visited it before. Thanks for the recommendation! Any titles you'd suggested starting with?

Happy Thursday, everyone! Kind of a nutty day today, after I walked all the dogs I had some glass plate negatives to take out about an hour and a half away to see about getting some conservation/rehousing done for them (they're in brittle envelopes that are falling apart). Total driving was a little over three hours for what turned out to be about a fifteen minute meeting, but I basically got paid to listen to Iron Flame, so it's not all bad. I got to work, had lunch, and am wrapping my brain around the rest of the day. Tax forms have started to come in, so I'm getting them set up in the building and on a table outside (something we did during COVID, and people seemed to really like having access 24/7, so we've kept it up). I'll be on the desk the last two hours of the day, and then I'll go back to the dogs and hold the cat while she gets subcutaneous fluids from a vet tech. If I get any more reading in, it's going to be my book club book only. Tomorrow should be a little less running around, just the 9-5 work day and a night in with the animals.

Reading: The Postcard by Anne Berest and Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher

Listening: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Watching: did I watch anything last night? I seem to remember having the TV on before night walks, but I can't remember an actual show

>155 bell7: Wow, what a list. I've just added a stack to my wishlist, and will have to go back to finish this list and (probably) add some more. Thanks for posting it.

Hope you have a less busy day tomorrow!

>159 charl08: Oh good, I'm glad you were able to find some good ones, Charlotte! I certainly added to my TBR.

Happy Friday, everyone! I'm taking a few minute out of my work break to catch up a little.

The dogs were good on their walks this morning, the cat took her pill, and I was able to eat breakfast and get ready for work without absolutely rushing (though with not quite enough time to post here). I'm working 9-5, and will go back and feed and walk the dogs, but should be able to hang out and read my book club book tonight. Women Rowing North definitely focuses on the 65+ crowd, but I can relate to the idea of transitions in life (I'm just starting middle age and can notice changes in my body too) and will look forward to hearing what the other ladies in my book group have to say about it. I imagine I will be listening more than talking, and for once I don't think it will be a terrible thing if I don't quite finish the book before we meet.

It's been the kind of work week where I thought I didn't have a lot on my plate, but things came up. Tax forms arrived a few days ago, so I put those out (we're still waiting on instructions). I had originally planned on prepping for book discussion today, and suddenly remembered that I have a volunteer training this afternoon. We also received the applications for our Senior Tax workers. So this morning, I made the selections for that, contacted them, and also printed out everything I need for the volunteer training this afternoon. And yeah, my whole week has kind of been like that: I want to do ___ but better do ___ first! Ah well, at least I haven't been bored.

Reading: Women Rowing North Mary Pipher and The Postcard by Anne Berest

Listening: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Watching: nothing last night

>81 bell7: I made the Cumin-y Chicken and Rice from Dinner in One, and it was delicious! Thanks for the recommendation. John and I both loved it. I’ll have to try some other recipes from that book.

>162 foggidawn: Yay! So glad you liked it. I have Katie's recommendation out of the library now, and I'm hoping to try a new recipe next week after I'm home again (I'll cook at other people's houses, but I have enough going on with five dogs that I tend to keep it simple).

It's the weekend! Today was a pretty busy day. I woke up and got the dogs set, then the vet tech came over and I had the cat ready for her to give subcutaneous fluids. I stopped at home to water my plants and pick up the gift for my SIL's baby shower. I had said I'd pick up the cake, so I drove out to that, and then went to the shower early to help set up.

The shower itself was really fun. It was at a local brewery that lets you rent out half the place (or the entirety of the place, but you have to have a minimum of 50 guests for that) and bring your own food. Her mom and sister did a fabulous job putting food and decorations together. They even remembered my mom's allergies, and had a separate platter all for her with things she could eat.

It's always fun to see the gifts, of course, and she got some really cute clothes. My sister A. and I pitched in for the bath tub, some washcloths, and a bath thermometer. The games are usually my least favorite part, but they kept it simple. One was with a ball of yarn, for us to cut a piece and guess the size of her baby bump. They used a measuring tape to get the size and then compared each string of yarn to the measuring tape, so there was no awkwardness of each of us wrapping it around her or anything. And there was a gift bingo but instead of filling in blank spots, one of her friends had pre-typed bingo boards out for us, so we just grabbed one to play along. SO much easier. My brothers, dad, and a couple of friends' husbands came at the end to help load up the cars and bring the gifts back to her house. I skedaddled to take care of the dogs, who are now sleeping on the couches. And that's been the day. Looking forward to a quiet evening. Tomorrow should be pretty low key too.

Reading: Women Rowing North and The Postcard

Listening: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Watching: Australian Open starts today! I had a little trouble getting into my ESPN+ for a bit, but I'm all set now to watch some early round action.

I just finished The Postcard, so I'll watch for your comments.

>165 BLBera: It's getting pushed back to the last thing I read, mainly because of my book club reading and upcoming due dates, but my hope is to focus on it after Wednesday and have it completed by next weekend.

Happy Sunday!

I had church this morning - the first time I've gone in three weeks between family over for Christmas, a football game, and the snow last week - and it was really nice to go. My parents have recently started attending the same church, and I spoke to them afterwards and made plans to go over tomorrow to plan a trip in May with my mom. The dogs and cat, thankfully, were cooperative this morning and I had them all fed, walked and medicated as needed with plenty of time to get there on time.

The rest of the day, I'm planning on staying put and walking/feeding the dogs as needed, reading my book club book and, when what I need to of that is completed, the other books I'm reading.

Reading: Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher (said book club book), Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros and The Postcard by Anne Berest

Listening: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (I'm switching back and forth between the book and audio now)

Watching: Australian Open, baby! I am taking full advantage of having a TV and have the replay on the Tennis Channel now, nice background while I'm reading

Happy Sunday, Mary. With these arctic temps, we have been hunkered down for the weekend. It looks like we will be stuck in this weather pattern for most of next week too. Well, lots of book time, right?

>167 bell7: The Australian Open! What luxury to be able to indulge your interest.

I have been political posting so I expect to be all alone on my thread soon...but MLK Day weekend is just not something I can allow to pass without honoring his ideals. At least a bit, anyway.

*smooch*

>168 msf59: Happy Sunday, Mark. I'm glad you're staying warm and hunkered down. Hope you get lots of book time and don't have to go out in the frigid cold.

>169 richardderus: Yeah, I watch on my laptop every evening and today and tomorrow I'll put the replay from Tennis Channel on. I'll be home again on Wednesday, but having ESPN+ means I can still enjoy (just on a smaller screen).

I get that on the posting. I've been following along, it's just harder to comment on books I won't be reading. *smooch* back

Happy Monday! Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, so I was off from work. It was a bit of a morning with dogs loose during morning walks and the cat being stubborn about her pill, but I eventually got it all done.

In the late morning, I went to my parents' for a couple of hours where my mom and I fleshed out our plans for visiting the Cape Ann area of Massachusetts in early May. Top on our list is going to a couple of locations that have some good birding opportunities, and I'm hoping to add a bunch of shorebirds to my life list. We won't know what guided tours are available until March or so, but we made a couple of reservations in Rockport and Ipswich. We also plan on going on a whale watch.

Now I'm back with the dogs, watching Australian Open replays and reading.

Reading: Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher (about 20 pages left! I'll have a review soon), Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (due on Wednesday, oops), and The Postcard by Anne Berest

Listening: radio the past couple of days, though I'll go back to the audio of Iron Flame tomorrow, I expect

Watching: Australian Open and a little of the football playoffs after all (it was gratifying to see Dallas lose yesterday... I'm kinda going for a Bills/Lions Super Bowl now). Both games today look like good ones, so I'll probably put them on and then choose a tennis match to put on my laptop at 8.

Your trip plans sound lovely, Mary. How long are you and your Mom planning to be away?

9. Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher
Why now? For book club on Wednesday

Clinical psychologist Mary Pipher reflects on women growing older, in their sixties and seventies, and living their best lives.

I am... well, not the audience for this book in more ways than one. But my book club - which I facilitate as part of my job - chose this to read, I thought it would be a good kickoff to the year. At the beginning, when she talked about transitions, I could relate. I'm entering middle age, however, and in some ways the busiest time of my life with work responsibilities, home ownership, and a growing family (in my case, nieces and nephews).

But mainly, I didn't connect with the book because it stays on the surface, talking about the attitude one should have as life changes and new challenges begin even as the busy-ness of life starts slowing down. For example, when writing about how older women can take the long view of life, she writes:

We don't see the world as it is, but rather as we are. If we are angry and bitter, we find proof of hostility wherever we look. If we are trusting, we look for evidence of kindness. Growth requires us to constantly expand our points of view....If we are curious, we don't just look for evidence that confirms our narrowest opinions, but rather we try to understand more about everyone and everything. We yearn to see the world through the broadest of all lenses. By taking the longest possible view, we can experience gratitude, wisdom, and a sense for the moral continuity of our lives. This strengthens our identities and brings us peace and connection" (238-239).

All well and good. She's not wrong, exactly, but she stays with pat sentences like that and doesn't delve into the practical ways in which one should go about taking the long view. She stays on the surface about all the topics she addresses, gives us case studies from her own lives and others' experiences, instead of telling you how to do it. And maybe, as a psychologist, that's her strength. For me as a (task-oriented) reader, though, I prefer the type of self-help book that will give me practical steps (how) and studies (why) that will show me what to do.

See, the thing is, I've been privileged to live close to family two and three generations older than me. I saw firsthand the way an adult over 60, in their retirement age but still with vitality, could experience the world as my great-grandmother continued knitting into her 90s and enjoyed seeing her grandkids for visits, and my grandparents were active gardeners and brought me along to iris society meetings and taught me about our family history while we drove the back roads. I look forward to aspects of that time in my life, even though I also like the stage I'm in now. I don't really need a feel-good book to tell me what I already know. So, it was an okay read for me. The other ladies in my book club are of the age that she describes in the book, however, and I'll be interested in hearing their perspectives. 3 stars.

I expected early on that I would be asking questions and listening a lot more for this month. There's plenty we can talk about, but I daresay our discussion will be deeper than the book. It was only 251 pages long (plus acknowledgements and index), but it felt a lot longer.

>172 MickyFine: We're planning on leaving May 1 and coming back May 5, spending two nights in each town. There are a few "must sees" (a beach we can walk the dunes and bird, Motif No. 1, the whale watch), but we're building in a lot of time to meander, take photos and fit in other things as we decide to. Should be a lot of fun!

>173 bell7: Someone telling you what you already know, and doing it without grace, is definitely going to make you feel each pixel is hard won. Great discussion to be had, though, so hope that will be the experience of the meeting for you.

*smooch*

>175 richardderus: Yeah, I think it just wasn't a good match for me. I am admittedly task oriented - tell me what to do, give me a list, and give me a reason, and I'm golden (somehow I expect that description does not surprise readers of my thread in the least). Get too touchy-feely, broad, and basically tell me "what" without the how... Not my thing.

But yeah, I can literally remember being, like, ten watching a bunch of "old" folks (maybe 60 and up, my grandparents retired young) volunteering in a garden at UMass thinking to myself what a meaningful life one could still have at that age (in the way a ten-year-old can put that into a thought, and with a similarly skewed perspective of what "old" was). Still, I can imagine having a good discussion about it, and I really like the ladies in my book club, so I'm eager to hear their perspectives, what they agree and disagree with, what resonated with them.

Happy Tuesday!

Rough start to the morning. One of the labs got sick yesterday - she had gotten out earlier, and I think she ate a crapton of, well, crap. She threw up in the afternoon, and again after dinner. Her owner told me not to feed her the rest of the night, just water. So I did, and then watched her carefully this morning after I got up. She ate her food and walked just fine - energetically, even - and didn't throw up while I was there. It took longer than usual to walk all the dogs and give the cat her pill, so I was already running late and then had to drive in the snow. We're only supposed to get a couple of inches, so I didn't expect the library/town to close, but it also meant that the driving was the worst because the plows weren't out yet. I got in a half hour late.

I'll make up my time and stay 'til about 5:30, I think. I'm spending the morning on the second part of a webinar teaching us about the new catalog that will start in March. Then I'm on the desk off and on in the afternoon. I haven't planned much of what I'm going to do specifically, but there's plenty to choose from and I will not be bored. When I get back, I'll feed and walk the dogs again and get as much as I can packed and prepped for leaving tomorrow.

>176 bell7: Mary, I think I never told you about Nancy Peske's book This Chair Rocks!, did I? She ghosted it for the cover name. I think it did more than this book to deal directly with ageism and its counterstrategies, which I found much more involving.

I hope the ill pooch is mending. Have a much less stressful day! Our snow totals are meager, but it is nice to see some, any at all really. *smooch*

Nancy Peske or Ashton Applewhite? Both authors look intriguing, though for different interests.

Edited to add:
>178 richardderus: I looked up the title in our local catalog, and it seems there's a book available written by Ashton Applewhite that seems more my speed.

By the way, for anyone interested in the discussion, here's a couple of very different reviews:
The Washington Post has one by Sibbie O'Sullivan which matches my own take, and says it better.
Kirkus Reviews loved it, because of course they do, whenever I'm critical of a book and look up their reviews (in libraryland, they're notoriously tough).

>177 bell7: I'm curious about your catalogue switch: are you changing your ILS or OPAC? Or both?

>180 MickyFine: Just the OPAC. Our ILS is Evergreen, and that's staying the same. (For non-librarians, the translation to the previous sentence is: our public-facing catalog is changing, while what staff uses to check out and sees in the catalog while logged in is staying the same.) We're adding Aspen Discovery to the patron catalog. It should work out really well, with better results on misspellings and cleaner lists. We also have the ability as library staff to create lists and personalize the catalog in ways we can't right now. I just finished the training on all that, and I'm hoping to use some of it, but I'm also hoping that I won't have to do it all as admin. I asked if they could tell me what permissions admin vs. a regular staff login had, and the answer was, "Oh, that's a good idea! We'll add that to our documentation." Ummmmm... did no one ask before? Though truthfully it's a bald-faced attempt not to have ALL the work put on my plate, because I am the admin.

>181 bell7: The system we were using when I retired was Evergreen. I knew there were some libraries in your area running that system. I had been the system administrator for two previous systems that we ran, but we joined a consortium for Evergreen, and I was restricted in the number of things I could do (the consortium handled a lot of what I used to do for the other systems), so it changed my job duties quite a bit.

>182 atozgrl: I do like Evergreen, by and large. They've made some nice updates over the last couple of years and the folks from our consortium are really helpful when I have questions and they actively try to get member input on development.

My position is Assistant Director, and it's changed a bit from past people in that roles, where I have a lot more to do with Circulation than others have in the past (there's a longer explanation there, but that's the upshot). There are certain things, like making lists, or tweaking catalog records, that I want to make sure all staff is empowered to do, rather than relying on me as admin to do it all.

>183 bell7: It's always a good thing when more staff know how to do things in the system! I'm glad you're empowering them in that way. It's also good to hear that the Evergreen folks are continuing to make improvements.

I'm happy to hear you're hopefully going to be able to offload list making. As fun as it is, it's nice to spread the responsibility around.

We use SirsiDynex for our ILS (Sympohony for the nerds who care) and Bibliocommons for our OPAC.

>184 atozgrl: Yes, always happy to spread the knowledge!

>185 MickyFine: Those are not systems I'm familiar with as a user, though I've heard of SirsiDynex. Before we had Evergreen we had Millennium by Innovative Interfaces (usually Triple I for short). Most of the libraries in this area are part of our consortium, so it's all the same catalog and they can use their library cards and I can see all the info for items checked out and holds, etc. (Incidentally, Massachusetts is one of the best US states for resource sharing.)

Hiya, welcome Wednesday!

It's been a busy day so far, and it will end busy too. I walked all the dogs, then headed out for my annual physical. That ended in time for me to grab lunch and go to work, where I'm working the 12-8 shift and have book club tonight. We had a staff meeting, and I need to contact a couple of new volunteers to confirm that their background checks are good to go and they can start next week. The folks I was watching the dogs for asked me to go back tonight after work, but I dropped off all my clothes at home on the way to my appointment, so I'm stopping at home (it's on the way) to change, then heading over to possibly feed and probably walk the dogs. Then I'm headed home, though I don't think I'll unpack. I do have to put sheets on my bed before I can sleep, however. I expect I'll crash pretty quick after getting home.

Starting tomorrow, I'm not staying at the dogs' house, but I am walking them every morning and evening before and after work. Starting next week, I'm the adultiest adult in the library (as Micky calls it) - my boss is on vacation, so I am the most senior staff whenever I'm in the building. The joke is something always goes wrong when that happens, but at this point it's happened enough that I'm ready for most occurrences if and when I become director of a library. It's always a little more stressful, though. I have a quiet weekend, but don't be surprised if you don't see me posting daily updates for the next two weeks.

Reading: The Postcard and Iron Flame

Listening: Iron Flame

Watching: Australian Open

Hi Mary! I excited for you that you are the most adultiest in the building today! I hope nothing goes wrong, but it if does, I'm sure you can deal with it.

>186 bell7: We ran a Dynix system for many years. We implemented it not too long after I started working there, and I eventually became system administrator when our head of Information Services retired. We changed systems well before Dynix eventually merged with Sirsi. Evergreen does a really good job with resource sharing, which was a big reason why it was chosen as the automation system for the public library consortium in NC.

>187 bell7: Good luck with taking over the library next week--I hope everything runs smoothly. But it sounds like you've gotten great experience in case you do have the chance to become a director!

>188 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah! Not quite in charge yet - that'll start Monday, officially, for two week while the director is on vacation. Last time (last year about this time, actually), she ended up being out five weeks out of seven with either vacation or sickness and the water heater in our meeting room died. That was really the facilities' manager's problem rather than mine, o in the course of things that could go wrong, it was small potatoes.

>189 atozgrl: The first time I went to a department head's meeting in her stead, we prepared to close for COVID, after which I was pretty certain I was able to handle anything hahaha.

Morning, all. I'm flying out the door shortly to walk the dogs and go to work. From work, I'll walk the dogs, then do a (quick? full? TBD, as I may meal plan on my lunch break) grocery shopping before finally heading home. I'm out of milk, so I drank my coffee black this morning. It wasn't half bad.

Reading/Listening/Watching: all the same

>191 bell7: Learning to love my coffee black was a rite of adulthood I actually enjoyed. My desire for milk in coffee is more to enhance the earthy notes in it, but it is an indulgence now because it tends not to last in my fridge what with the poacher I live with....

Enjoy your enhanced real-job duties! Walking the dogs would not be my idea of fun in this windy cold.

>190 bell7: Now that is quite the introduction to department heads! After that, there probably isn't much that would surprise you.

>192 richardderus: I will still put milk in by preference most days, but it is nice to know it's an option for when I've run out or need to get blood work done. I used to be able to get through only about half a mugful before the bitterness would be too much for me. Sorry you can't keep milk on hand without sticky fingers helping themselves. And no, walking the dogs in the cold is not particular fun, but even after a week and a half of regular walks, I can feel myself feeling good and energetic, which is not my norm for winter (I think I have a bit of SADD that comes out primarily as lack of energy when the sun goes down, and regular exercise makes a definite difference).

>193 atozgrl: Yup! I knew pretty much from that point on that I could be a director if I wanted to.

Happy Friday, everyone! I walked the dogs this morning, I'm working 9:30-5 and have some time to make up next week (probably staying late on Monday), but that'll be my life for the next ohhhhh six weeks or so, so we're good. I'll stop back and walk the dogs again before I go home for the night, but since I did all the errands yesterday (gas, groceries), I don't have anything I must do tonight when I get home. I *could* cook if I want to, but I also have leftover pizza from last night. Gotta love nights like that :D

The weekend will be quiet, and I'll be taking advantage of it, reading at home and giving myself a fairly short to-do list of cooking a couple of meals and taking down all the Christmas decorations. And of course, still dog walking, so I'll get my steps in.

I myself am enjoying a second cuppa. My cup is a flask that retards the heat-loss. I pour in the full output of a small, undemanding "espresso" maker and add a dollop of whole milk. Snowing here again, and I'm wondering if my choice to forgo driveway plowing was wise. It's a long drive that ascends from the road, then descends to the house.

>196 weird_O: I hope your coffee was enjoyable and the snow not too onerous, Bill. I decided early in home ownership that paying someone else to plow was worth the price... which reminds me, I need to pay the latest invoice from my plow guy.

Happy weekend! I have walked the dogs, had breakfast, and started on some easy home chores (dishes, paying bills). I'm still deciding how productive I feel like being today, but I'm planning on cooking and getting a fair amount of reading in. I'll go back to feed and walk the dogs tonight, but other than that have no reason to leave home today, which is good because we've got a high of 20F (-6C) today, and a windchill of 0 currently.

Reading: Iron Flame and The Postcard (I feel like a broken record here, but I expect to finish one or both over the weekend

Listening: Iron Flame

Watching: Australian Open

Sounds like a perfect plan for aSaturday! Enjoy!

Enjoy your weekend and good luck being the adultiest in the building!

Happy weekend, Mary! Interested to hear your thoughts on Iron Flame. I keep teetering on the edge of starting it. I think it'll be one of my next five print books, but not sure where in there it will appear :)

>199 Storeetllr: Thanks, Mary! It's been a lovely day.

>200 AMQS: Thanks on both counts, Anne.

>201 curioussquared: I finished it up today, Natalie. I was really excited to get my hands on it in November, but then when it finally showed up from the library I wasn't in the mood, haha. Finally got to it when the library due date was breathing down my neck.

10. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
Why now? Second book in a series, after Fourth Wing which was much hyped last year

Beginning right where Fourth Wing left off, we find Violet Sorrengail in the secret place where her brother, Brennan, leads a resistance. After much discussion, Violet, Xaden and the others agree to go back to Basgiath, the war college for dragon riders, for their second year. But Violet can't tell her best friend, Rhiannon, or any of their friends that the real enemy - magic wielders called venin - are out there, and coming for them. She's determined to do what she can to help the resistance, even as she and Xaden are at odds since he isn't telling her everything. And Andarna, one of the dragons to which Violet is bonded, has grown after the battle they were in and has reached adolescence.

Where to start with a 600+ page epic romantasy that has a lot of action and revelations? The story seemed to me like it could have been two separate book, as halfway through things change dramatically, and where I thought the story was going was only part of it. The dragons are fantastic, and Andarna as a "teenager" is hysterical. I was disappointed that there weren't more interactions with her, because whenever she was present she stole the scene completely. Violet annoyed me for the first half of the book, being mad at Xaden for the exact same thing she does to her friends. I enjoyed learning more about the world, how magic works, and what Violet learns about the wards and the history of Navarre. So overall, it was a bit of a mixed bag but one that I mostly enjoyed... and of course, I'll be waiting for the next one with everyone else. 4 stars.

I'm a little bemused by the hype surrounding these books. They're fine for what they are, and I like a good romantasy, but they're not that earth-shattering either.

>203 bell7: Honestly I just Do Not Get the fuss, as I thought the first one was modestly competent at best, and if I wanted to express myself about it, I would give in two stars for being indifferently indistinguishable from its entire genre's other output. As it was, it was a DNF with prejudice. There is little to no chance I will bother with Yarros's other work.

Windy, cold Sunday *smooch*

>204 richardderus: Yeah, I could see it decidedly being Not Your Thing (I wonder, what is the opposite of a book bullet?). I like the romantasy genre, but it's very much what's expected of it. I have to be in the right mood.

From what I understand, Yarros's other work is more straight up romance, but TBH the relationship is becoming the thing I like least about the story, so I'm unlikely to read beyond this series.

Happy Sunday! I gave the dogs their morning walks, went to church, came home and cooked shrimp & orzo for lunch, which was delicious. Spent some time watching Call the Midwife and, doing dishes, and folding the laundry I did yesterday, and now I'm watching a little NFL playoffs while reading my book. In a couple of hours, I'll walk the dogs again, come home to leftovers from yesterday, and relax for the evening. I'm in charge at work starting tomorrow.

I should have some new books on the list soon, too, as I only have about an hour of reading left in The Postcard according to my Kindle.

Reading: The Postcard by Anne Berest

Listening: the radio, 'til I find a new CD or audiobook

Watching: Call the Midwife, Season 2 episodes 4 and 5; NFL playoffs; Australian Open (Gauff's match last night, end of Rublev's this morning)

Crafting: haven't picked anything up in a bit, but I want to make progress on the Christmas stocking for my coming niece soon

>205 bell7: I wonder, what is the opposite of a book bullet?

Book Kryptonite?

>207 richardderus: Maybe so! If a certain genre is my catnip I could see another being my kryptonite.