Katie's Reading Retreat - Chapter 1

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For anyone new to my thread, I’m Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog, Nuala/Noodles.

My reading varies widely - I love genre fiction (romance and crime), contemporary and historical fiction, and narrative nonfiction. I try to balance my reading in all these areas. I also use my thread as a bit of a life journal, which mostly means I talk about what I’m cooking, eating, drinking, watching, doing, and avoiding doing.

Thanks for being here!

Currently Reading
(Print) (Kindle) (Audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED

Books Off My Shelf:
Books Off My Kindle:
Books from Audible/Chirp:
Library Loans (print/e-books/audios): 4
Friend Loan:

JANUARY
04. Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty (audio) (4.5 stars)
03. The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis (audio) (4.25 stars)
02. The Adults by Caroline Hulse (4 stars)
01. Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (audio) (3 stars)

Did Not Finish (YTD)
01. Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen

My Ratings (revised, once again, as I continue the fruitless search for the perfect scale...)

5 stars = Perfect, for me
4.5 stars = Excellent read
4 stars = Good read
3.5 stars = Not a waste of time
3 stars = Some redeeming qualities, but I wish I’d read something else
2.5 stars = Didn’t work for me
2 stars = Why didn’t I DNF it?

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

I don't really have any goals for my reading in 2024 other than the perpetual "read off my shelves/Kindle" one. I would like to read a little less this year, as I was hyper-focused on it in 2023 and other things and ways I want to spend my time sort of fell by the wayside (writing, volunteering, etc.). So here's too fresh starts!

Hello Katie,
Dropping in to follow along for another year of reading and other stuff.
Love the topper, that ought to be enough to rein in even the most enthusiastic... but probably doesn't.
Happy new year.

>4 Helenliz: - Hello, Helen! I'm glad you'll be here for another year :)

Best wishes to you and Himself for the new year!

OMG that topper!
Happy new year, Katie! Let the snarky good times begin.

>6 lauralkeet: - Ha ha! Glad you like it :)

Snark? Moi?

Freshening up the sarcasmotron, I see...well, no sense whatsoever starting life anew at your age. Way too hard.

*smooch*

Happy new year, Katie!! Looking forward to sharing 2024 with you :)

>8 richardderus: - Heh.

Happy new year!

>9 RebaRelishesReading: - Right back at ya, Reba!

Starred! Looking forward to your 2024 reads and life updates!

Happy New Year, Katie! Love the topper!

>11 japaul22: / >12 msf59: - Great to see you here, Jennifer and Mark!

Happy New Year Katie!

>14 SandDune: - Thank you, Rhian, and the same to you!

>1 katiekrug: ha! I love it!

Happy new year, Katie!

>16 EBT1002: - Thanks, Ellen! I look forward to following your adventures in retirement :)

(Copied from my last thread of 2023)

It was very difficult to identify my top reads this year, but here they are:



I didn't include re-reads, but shoutout to Beloved, The Graveyard Book, and Last Night at the Lobster for holding up so well.

(Also copied from my last thread of 2023)

My favorite end of the year tradition: fill in the prompts using titles of books you read in the past year.

1. Describe Yourself:
The Not So Nice Girl

2. Describe How You Feel:
Cabin Fever

3. Describe Where You Currently Live:
Happy Place

4. If you could go anywhere, where would you go:
This Other Eden

5. You favorite form of transportation is:
Planes, Trains, and All the Feels

6. Your favorite food is:
Like Water for Chocolate

7. Your favorite time of day is:
Breaking Night

8. Your best friend is:
Beloved

9. You and your friends are:
Scatterlings

10. What the weather is like:
Five Tuesdays in Winter

11. You fear:
Old Baggage

12. What is the best advice you have to give:
What We Remember Will Be Saved

13. Thought for the Day:
Death is Hard Work

14. What is life for you:
Romantic Comedy

15. How would you like to die:
Burning Bright

16. Your soul’s present condition:
Mapping the Edge

17. What was 2023 like for you:
The Year of Second Chances

18. What do you want from 2024:
Don't Want to Miss a Thing

Welcome back, Katie!

>20 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim!

Happy new year, friends!

We had a nice day yesterday - both of our football teams lost but the evening was good :) We watched Trading Places and then played Deer in Headlights until a little before midnight, at which point we put on the TV and watched the ball drop in Times Square (and shook our heads at the crazy people who went there in person!).

Today is mostly a lazy day - I'm not getting out of my pajamas until late afternoon. The Wayne wants to go see Godzilla Minus One so we have tickets for 6:15. Until then, I'll be getting my reading spreading sheets ready for the new year and you know, actually reading.

Books:
My first books of the year will be The Adults (print) and Shady Hollow (audio).

Viewing:
Football and a movie.

Happy new year, Katie!

The Giants game was less than stellar (why... did they go for two? I get the stats. But the team is not that good. Get the dang extra point), but hey ho, one more week and then we can look at draft picks haha.

Hope you have a fantastic lazy day and good books to read.

>23 bell7: - That's what I said to TW - "they aren't good enough to get those two points!"

Oh, well. Poor TW was undone by the Dolphins terrible showing. He expected Baltimore to win but not by so much...

Morning, Katie!

Shady Hollow looks interesting...

>25 scaifea: - Morning, Amber!

Yeah, we'll see. I saw it in a bookstore and was intrigued enough to remember to check for it on Libby. I'm hoping it won't be too twee....

Hi Katie! Happy New Year.

>1 katiekrug: Well. *blinks* I’ve never thought about it like that before. There’s always something exciting here, that’s for sure.

>22 katiekrug: Glad you had a good day yesterday. My soccer team lost, too. Sigh. We had friends over so I didn’t watch any TV, which doesn’t break my heart at all. Yay for Jammies.

I gave The Adults 4.5 stars – I absolutely loved it in 2022.

>27 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen!

The graphic in >1 katiekrug: made me laugh. What can I say - I'm twisted like that ;-)

Sorry about Arsenal. I have a friend in London at the moment and he and his family went to the game, I believe.

I think The Adults landed on my WL thanks to you!

Hello!

Let's be motivated, but not too motivated, together.

>29 ursula: - It's a deal!

Hi Katie, we've seen good reviews of Godzilla Minus One. We'll undoubtedly wait for it to be streaming somewhere. Nonetheless I'll be interested to see your thoughts about it.

Happy New Year! Hope 2024 is kind to you

>19 katiekrug: AHA! It's you I'll steal that from this year. I always forget about it until someone else does it. Thanks.

>31 lauralkeet: - It wouldn't be my first choice of movie, though I don't mind a good monster flick. TW is very excited for it. I'll let you know what we think!

>32 ChelleBearss: - Nice to see you, Chelle! I hope your new year is a good one, too.

>33 laytonwoman3rd: - You're welcome :)

I'll be following along, Katie in 2024. I like your title meme: I think I've only read three of those you named.

>35 charl08: - Glad to have you along, Charlotte!

Happy New Year, Katie. I love your topper.

>18 katiekrug: What a great list; you have some of my favorites there as well.

I look forward to following your reading again this year.

Happy New Year, Katie!

>37 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! Glad we can share another year of good books.

>38 AMQS: - Thanks, Anne!

Hi Katie. I had put How Can I Help You on hold at the library based on your review. I now have it on my Kindle and I'll read it after I finish North Woods.

And Happy New Year!! Sorry the games didn't go well today, but I'm hoping you got some PJ time. : ) Love your top reads and look forward to seeing what else you come up with this year!

Happy reading in 2024, Katie!

>40 EBT1002: - I hope you like it, Ellen!

>41 Berly: - Thanks, Kim!

>42 FAMeulstee: - Thank you, Anita!

Godzilla Minus One was really well done, and we both enjoyed it. The only theater near us that was showing it is "old school" with uncomfortable, non-reclining seats. I've gotten spoiled by the heated recliners, I guess. Heh. We got Mexican for dinner afterwards.

I'm hoping to get a pedicure today, and I need to clean out the fridge. There's a dichotomy for you. Assuming there is trivia tonight (they cancelled the day after Christmas one), we'll be in attendance.

Books:
I started Shady Hollow on audio, and so far it's fine. Not too cutesy/twee. Still enjoying The Adults.

Viewing:
Just the movie.

I'm glad to see you enjoyed the movie, Katie. I am by no means a fan of Godzilla movies, but the review we watched on YouTube really piqued my interest.

Enjoy your pedi and ... um ... fridge-cleaning. 😂

>44 katiekrug: Hope you get a chance to show off your 2024 trivia skills tonight, Katie. Back to the higher-education salt mine for me.

>45 lauralkeet: - The monster is almost secondary to the story of a haunted WWII veteran. But the monster is pretty bad-ass :)

>46 rosalita: - Thanks, Julia! Boo to the salt mine.

I hope you get to triviate tonight to make up for the tedium of fridge-rejuvenation. I need to defrost the fridgelet in my room but that day is not today.

Hi Katie, dropping my annual star. Some good reads you had last year! I loved The Dutch House as well

I defrosted my kitchen freezer before Christmas. It's a fun old job (not).
The fridge is still groaning under rather too much Christmas cheese. I have a tendency to over order. I make up for this by having cheese sandwiches in January until it's finished.

Happy New Year, Katie!

>48 richardderus: - I have confirmed that trivia is a go tonight :)

>49 vikzen: - Hey, Vik, good to see you!

>50 Helenliz: - Thankfully, no defrosting of freezer is required with ours.

One can never have too much cheese...

>51 norabelle414: - Thanks, Nora!

Happy new year, Katie. I'm looking forward to following your reading, your interesting life and your sassy humor again this year :)

Happy New Year, Katie! I have you starred and am looking forward to seeing what you read in 2024 😊

Hey, Katie, I don't know if you have a subscription to The Athletic, but they have a fun behind-the-scenes story today about how the Giants' travel to road games. Unlike the regular NYT, it doesn't seem that The Athletic offers a way to "gift" an article to non-subscribers. :-(

Happy New Year! Love your meme answers in >19 katiekrug:

>53 RebaRelishesReading: - I'll do my best to satisfy all three, Reba!

>54 curioussquared: - Thank you, Natalie!

>55 rosalita: - I think I have a subscription through my NYT subscription? Will investigate - thanks for the tip!

>56 foggidawn: - Thanks, and Happy New Year to you, too!

Hello Katie! I love your topper, which just about sums up my own energy this week :-) Now I just need to find someone to say it to...

>58 susanj67: - So great to see you, Susan!

I just said it to myself, as I thought about making reading plans for the year ;-)

Great topper, Katie. Best of luck with your plans for reading less and doing more!

Break a leg tonight at trivia!

Hi Katie. I hope you had fun at trivia night. And I'm happy to side chat about Ireland any time you want!

I'm not very far into How Can I Help You but I think it's going to be a fun read.

>60 Familyhistorian: - Thank you, Meg!

>61 richardderus: - Your good wishes helped (see below) :)

>62 EBT1002: - Thanks so much, Ellen.

HCIHY was so funny and sharp. I hope it's a winner for you, too.

We came in FIRST at trivia last night! I think it's the first time we've done that with just the two of us playing. And to make it even sweeter, we were dead last after the first round. So that was fun :)

Today will be full of odds and ends - grocery run, some picking up around the house, maybe the pedicure I didn't get yesterday... I'm making chicken parm for dinner.

Books:
I should finish up Shady Hollow today, and I'm about halfway through The Adults. I hope to read a chunk of that today.

Viewing:
Nada

>64 katiekrug: Woohoo on winning at trivia!

>64 katiekrug: All the YAY!! Go Team Krug!!

That's great, Katie, and yes it's all the sweeter for having roared back from last. I think I got The Adults somewhere, and it sits on my Kindle. Was it on sale at some point, do you recall?

>65 rosalita: - Thanks, Julia. It was a close match, and very low scoring, but a win's a win!

>66 richardderus: - We had 2 points after the first round (of a possible 20). It wasn't looking good :) But it was a very low-scoring game and we won with 65 total (of a possible 100).

I don't recall it being on sale - I got a copy from the library. I do know Karen put it on my WL, though. It's a good read!

Congrats on your trivia win! Enjoy your day

>68 ChelleBearss: - Thanks, Chelle!

Since I mostly listen to my audiobooks while puzzling, I thought I'd share my most recent completion. It's a 1000 piece eeBoo brand puzzle, "Music in Montreal."

OK, in order:

1. Happy new thread/ year!
2. Your topper made me snort laugh.
3. Yay for the trivia win!
4. Lovely puzzle.

OK, I'm officially caught up now.

Congrats on your trivia first - how exciting!

Love the Montreal puzzle, too. Now that Christmas has been cleared away there are a couple of puzzles I want to do, too.

>71 MickyFine: - Thanks for taking the time to get caught up, Micky :)

>72 AMQS: - Thank you, Anne! I love puzzling and getting lost in a good audio...

Congrats on the (most satisfying) come-from-behind win!

The puzzle is a neat one!

>74 bell7: - Hi Mary! And thanks re: trivia. It's always fun, just more so when we do well 🙂

eeBoo jas great puzzles. I've done several and have more in my stash...

Trivia #1!!!! Nicely done. Especially coming from behind. : )

Woohoo, congrats on the trivia victory!!

Hurrah for the trivia win & nice puzzle.
For Christmas I found the dining room table again, so it now has a jigsaw puzzle on it.

>76 Berly: - Thanks, Kim!

>77 curioussquared: - Thanks, Natalie!

>78 Helenliz: - I have a puzzling board that I can move around as needed. It's currently on the dining table because my usual spot has a Christmas tree in it :)

So maybe I'll actually get that pedicure today? Stay tuned... I am definitely getting my hair cut - trying a new place because I'm tired of spending over $100 when I don't do anything very complicated with my hair. I liked my stylist but yeesh. My plan is to take Nuala to day care and then get coffee and a pastry at a nice little place near the salon and maybe kill some time at the used bookstore across the street. Should make for a nice morning!

My chicken parm came out pretty well last night. I did the cutlets in the air fryer, and they came out great. After dinner and cleaning up, I watched some TV.

Books:
I finished up Shady Hollow yesterday and have to pick a new audio. Not sure what I'm in the mood for... If I get the pedicure and the accompanying 45 minutes of uninterrupted reading time, I should be able to finish The Adults today. Again, not sure what's next. Decisions, decisions...

Viewing:
A not very exciting University Challenge match and one episode of 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke.

Sweet Thursday, Katie! Congrats on the trivia win. Impressive. Keep us posted on the pedicure...😁

>80 katiekrug: Hi Katie! "Not very exciting" is about the best one can say about this week's UC. I was happy with the outcome, because the losing team--especially their captain--failed to impress. It will be interesting to see how the winning team fares in the next round. They scored the highest of all teams in round 1. You'd never know it by their performance this week.

>81 msf59: - I'll send out a Breaking News bulletin when the pedicure happens, Mark ;-)

>82 lauralkeet: - Yeah, the losing captain was not great. I wanted to root for Aberdeen because I've been there but *shrug*. I am surprised that was the high-scoring team from Round 1. Both sides were uninspiring...

>80 katiekrug: Have a fun day. I hear you about the hair. My stylist charges 135 for a wash and a cut and an extra 50 to style it ( blow-dry). She retired from the salon and now I am looking for a new place.

The chicken part sounds delicious. I have not used an air fryer before. Does it taste deep fried or is it more of a roasted oven finish?

>84 figsfromthistle: - Holy schnikeys, Anita! That's a lot for a cut and blow dry! The person I am trying today charges $80 for it, and then of course there is the tip, but I'll still be under $100 (just).

I breaded the cutlets, so they were sort of fried-like. When I leave them "naked" it's more like grilled. I love my air fryer and use it a few times a week, at least. It's great with vegetables, too. And re-heating leftovers...

Morning, Katie!

I just made appointments for both me and Charlie for haircuts soon. The last time I got one I switched to a new stylist in a new salon and I really like her and the sort-of fancy place, so I booked Charlie there, too. We'll see how he likes it. I loved my former stylist, too (she was very punk: sleeve tats, cool punk clothing, and she's also a boxer!), but she bought out the owner of the salon at which she had been renting her chair and so now she doesn't take as many appointments and it was getting nearly impossible to get a time with her.

Good luck with your new place - I hope it's fabulous!

when I moved into town I had lady do my hair, now her daughter does it. Changing hairdresser can be hard if they don't seem to listen to what you want or understand your hair. On a previous occasion I had to change hairdresser, I grew it out as I couldn't find one I got on with, although that I was living in 2 places didn't help.
Hope your new person does a job you're happy with.

Happy New Year, Katie! Congrats on the trivia win. An advantage to being in small town, middle America--I get highlights, cut and style for $53. I was pretty much in your range in San Diego.

Congrats on the trivia win, Katie. I am also finishing a puzzle.

Good luck with the hair cut.

Oof now I'm grateful for my stylist, as my cut and blow dry cost $55 (before tip). I've been with her forever and hope she never retires!

I feel like a feral swamp creature -- I go to the cheap places when I need a haircut, and don't usually pay more than $30.

I'm gagging a little bit over the hair cut prices noted here. I go to a small owner-operated salon with 4 stylists, and the same woman has been doing my hair for years. She's awfully good at remembering what I like, what I hate, and what simply doesn't work with my hair. (My husband goes to one of the other stylists, who has also done my cuts occasionally when mine is on vacation.) I pay 38$ for shampoo, cut and blow-dry. I think I'd be wearing a braid wrapped around my head if I had to pay upwards of 100$ to get it cut. I realize I'm not living in a huge metro area, but this salon is patronized by a lot of professional people who would probably tolerate a much higher fee schedule.

Wow! Hair cuts really get the conversation going!

>86 scaifea: - Bummer about having to switch, but I'm glad you found someone you like! I'll be going back to this new place, I think. Hayli was a bit chatty, but I was just able to smile and nod and murmur appropriately while enjoying having my hair played with :)

>87 Helenliz: - Generational continuity - love it! I've gotten better about putting my foot down when a stylist goes to do something I don't like (mostly involving putting in product of some kind - I hate having stuff in my hair...), though I did let the new person put a little mousse in, mostly because I like the feeling when my hair gets scrunched up.

>88 ronincats: - Don't even get me started on highlights! I used to do it but finally decided I could just live with my darkening blond hair. It was less about the cost than the amount of time it required...

>89 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! Are you a regular puzzler, too?

>90 AMQS: - That's about what I paid in Dallas (well, the suburbs) when I lived there. A stylist one likes is worth their weight in gold...

>91 foggidawn: - LOL, foggi. I'm sure you bear no resemblance to a swamp creature. The only cheap-ish places around here are at malls, and I avoid malls like the plague :)

>92 laytonwoman3rd: - Lucky you, Linda! Some of it is relative, of course. My friend, Kate, works in NYC so finds it more convenient to get hers cut there, and that price made me gag.

I'll call the hair cut a success, though it's never a sure thing until after I've washed and dried it myself :-P But I like the location - ample parking garage nearby in a town with great restaurants, the artsy movie theater, etc. I can see myself "making a day" of hair appointments and going out to lunch and to see a movie. Which might defeat the purpose of finding a cheaper place, but whatever.

While I killed time, I enjoyed a cappucino and pain au chocolat from the French(ish) bakery and then wandered around the used bookstore. I was excited to find a nice paperback of The Marriage Portrait but less excited to see that the price was only about 85 cents less than the cover price. Annoying!

I switched to my current stylist last year after the one I'd been seeing cut my hair too short and then didn't listen when I asked her not to cut so much the next time. I was never 100% pleased with her, but dreaded trying to find another. My current stylist has worked with me to grow my hair out a bit and there's something about the cut that just styles better. As an added bonus I pay $65 plus tip, which is a little less than what I paid the previous person.

I hope you like today's stylist, Katie!
ETA: we cross-posted. I'm glad it was a success.

I had to translate my sterling costs to USD, as your prices seemed a lot, and I worked out that I pay about US$70 for a cut and blow-dry. There are a couple of places where we live that are a little bit more expensive, but not much, and we live in a fairly prosperous area. So I still think it seems very expensive - but then because my hair is so short so have to get it done pretty frequently, so perhaps it balances out …

>95 lauralkeet: - I had to drop my stylist a few years ago because she always over-booked herself and I'd be sitting around waiting with half a wet head. It was very annoying but I dreaded finding someone new so much, I put up with it longer than I should have!

>96 SandDune: - So the $80 I paid today isn't so terrible! My previous place had different stylists at different price points, and when I first started going to Jill, it was $85, I think. I thought about just going to a less experienced person at the same place but thought it would be too weird if I saw Jill. I'm such a weenie :)

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

Hear me out: a mystery set in a small town in which all the inhabitants are animals. Vera Vixen, a fox and reporter for the local paper, investigates the death of a curmudgeonly toad since the police force (made up of bears) don't seem to have a clue about what to do. And then a beaver, owner of the local mill, also turns up dead. This could have been really clever or really bad. In the end, it was a little of both, and not enough of the former to make me want to try the next in the series.

3 stars
(According to my "new" rating system, 3 stars means "Some redeeming qualities, but I wish I’d read something else")

>98 katiekrug: I've seen this around but haven't been drawn to it, and this only reinforced my opinion :) sorry it wasn't better!

>98 katiekrug: oh nay nay nay... sounds twitzy twee to me... The series I just finished was no great shakes either. Too much badly thought through sex for me. Too bad, the time would've been better spent elsewhere.

Glad for the new haircut joint being cheaper and thus enabling a splurge on the same money.

>44 katiekrug: Very pleased to see that Godzilla Minus One made your New Year plans. Large lizards smashing things are good for the soul.

>98 katiekrug: Sorry the execution was lacking -- I could see myself reading that, if it had been good.

>99 curioussquared: and >100 richardderus: - I think there's a good idea here, but it would need to be edgier and funnier to work for me. This wasn't exactly twee but it was borderline...

>101 Oberon: - Godzilla itself was great, but the depiction of post-war Japan really made the movie for me.

>!02 - Oops, sorry - almost missed you foggi! Exactly - I was hoping for something more and it did not deliver.

>98 katiekrug: I would read the heck out of a series like that if it was good. Thanks for saving me the trouble of finding out it isn't. :-)

Have you ever read Three Bags Full? It involves a flock of sheep investigating a mystery and I remember thinking it was cute and clever when I read it back in 2009-ish. I see I only gave it 3.5 stars on the book page, but heaven only knows what my rating scale meant back then!

>98 katiekrug: oh deary deary me. Not going to run out looking for that. The surmise sounds like it could have been good, shame it didn't live up to the potential.

>70 katiekrug: Nice puzzle up thread, Katie. The one I'm working on is also music related but of a music room so there's lots of instruments, cats, dog. Nice that your new haircut place worked out but too bad about the used book store prices. A come from behind trivia win sounds exciting!

>105 rosalita: - I know, it could be *so* good!

I haven't read the sheep book, but I have a copy in my stacks!

I know what you mean about ratings over time. I'm always shifting mine, so they are essentially meaningless at this point :-P

>106 Helenliz: - I guess they can't all be winners. I'm just glad I didn't buy a copy...

>107 Familyhistorian: - Hi Meg and thanks! My current puzzle is a collage of old-timey travel posters. It's a lot of fun.

The trivia was exciting, though some of the teams we ended up beating were less than happy about it. Heh.

By the way, Happy National Trivia Day!

>109 ronincats: - Thanks, Roni! Some friends invited us to a trivia competition tonight, but TW had to work late, so we missed out on celebrating...

Exciting news! We've booked hotels for our (potential) trip to Ireland in October. This is an indication that The Wayne has not just been humoring me while I talk about it ;-) Next up will be booking flights and then he's really committed. Woot!

We'll be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary in late October.

>111 katiekrug: So exciting!!!!

>112 curioussquared: - I mean, it's no Japan ;-) (That'll probably have to wait until TW retires or this start-up he's working on makes it big, LOL) But since we basically had zero vacations in 2023, I think we are due!

>70 katiekrug: Nice puzzle! I like eboo brand. I also recommend Jac-a-roo puzzles for bright colors and fun images.

I enjoyed How Can I Help You. I definitely wanted to know how it was all going to end!

You're going to love Ireland. So many sheep!

>111 katiekrug: We are off to Northern Ireland in April Katie. We've booked three nights in Enniskillen, three nights in Derry/ Londonderry and three nights in Belfast. We visited very briefly on our cruise last year and it was so interesting.

Hurray for Ireland bookings! That's exciting.

>114 EBT1002: - I'll have to check out that brand of puzzles, Ellen. I don't think I've come across them before.

I'm glad HCIHY was a good read for you!

I'll be interested to hear from you how the number of sheep in NZ compares to Ireland :)

>115 SandDune: - We are doing two nights in Belfast at the start of the trip, Rhian, so I hope you'll report back on your visit! Sadly, we only have a week, including the flights there and back, and there is a lot we will miss out on. We'll just have to go back!

>116 lauralkeet: - Very much so, Laura. I love having a trip to look forward to!

Mostly errands today and a little tidying, I think. Our long national nightmare is over - I got a pedicure yesterday :D Before I left, I asked TW what color I should get and he said blue. I think he might have been joking, but my toe nails are now a lovely shade of brilliant blue. It might be my new favorite shade. Anyway! Mostly a relaxed day today. I'm planning to make a quinoa and white bean soup for dinner. Or we might go out, since we are supposed to get snow starting tomorrow afternoon and will miss our usual Saturday dinner out.

Books:
Yesterday was book turnover day for both print and audio. I've started The Betrayers on audio and Death of Riley in print.

Viewing:
An episode of 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke.' In a funny coincidence, Death of Riley is about a young woman trying to set herself up as a private investigator and feuding/flirting with a detective in the police force. Serious echoes of 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke' (or vice versa). The book is set in 1901 in New York, rather than 19th c. London, though.

Happy Friday, Katie! Hooray for booking your October Ireland trip. Sounds perfect.

Morning, Katie!

Tomm and I are looking at 20 years together this summer. We're thinking about just a weekend trip somewhere not too far, and I'm pushing for a fancy resort/spa in the middle of nowhere, so there's no pressure to do anything but lounge and read and spa. We'll see how it goes.

>119 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I hope our trip works out!

>120 scaifea: - That sounds like a great plan. I'd love that kind of down time. TW would probably get bored - he's not always good at relaxing :-P

Hi Katie!

>44 katiekrug: Cleaning out the fridge is never ending and thankless, IMO. I need to do it again today or tomorrow before a grocery store run. In hindsight, I should have put a refrigerator-only in the kitchen with the full-size freezer only in the garage. And, if this stupid side-by-side conks out any time soon 🤞, that’s what I’ll do.

>64 katiekrug: Ooh, look at you guys go. First in Trivia – congrats

>91 foggidawn: feral swamp creature … that sounds like the type of haircut I’d get in Pittsboro for $25. *smile*

>94 katiekrug: Congrats on haircut success, but I definitely agree that it’s only a done deal once you’ve washed and dried it yourself. I finally found a Great Hair Stylist named Bridget, who works in Winston-Salem, about 1 hr 15 minutes away from me. She doesn’t charge $100, but at $75 + tip, we’re getting there. She got me my curls back, so I’m pumped.

Yay for the Ireland trip, early congrats on 15 years in October.

How exciting! Have a lovely time. I've never been to Ireland.
As of our last anniversary, our marriage is now old enough to drink and vote. I refuse to think about the fact that this summer it'll be 30 years since I met him.... I must be due an upgrade by now >;-)
Having a wedding the tail end of November means we never do much to celebrate it. A winter wedding seemed like a good idea at the time.

Five days into the new year... You've created a magnet thread.

I just got my haircut. My cutter is the wife of Judi's brother. I always get a good hug, so there's that. I don't get 'em at home anymore.

Trip to Ireland will be grand. I've been there twice, thanks to my elder son and his family.

Congrats on getting the Ireland trip booking started and the pedicure in! And best of luck getting everything you want to done before the snowfall (I have unrelated-to-snow errands to do tomorrow, but for some reason it feels even more important to get them done if I'm gonna be snowed in on Sunday? Idk...).

>122 karenmarie: - Morning, Karen!

I didn't get to the fridge earlier this week, so I'll be doing it today. Trash pick-up tomorrow...

We have a not-very large fridge/freezer (old-school with freezer on top) that came with the house. I hate it and keep hoping it will die so I can get a new one. But until we reno the kitchen, the size will be limited, given the cubby it has to sit in...

Thanks re: trivia!

With that drive to get the haircut, the cost is probably nearing mine :)

And thanks for the early congrats!

>123 Helenliz: - I've never been to Ireland either, but have always wanted to. I'm looking forward to putting together a list of books to read (or re-read) in anticipation.

I wanted to get married in October because I love autumn, but I forgot that the autumn of my dreams doesn't happen in Dallas :-P

Congrats on almost 30 years!

>124 weird_O: - Hugs are always good, Bill!

>125 bell7: - Thanks, Mary! I don't think the snow will amount to much, but we are in a zone of uncertainty (or were as of last night; I should ask The Wayne for an update - he's a weather nerd...). I'd like a few inches, just to make it look pretty and feel like winter :)

The Adults by Caroline Hulse

A divorced couple with a seven year old daughter decide to go on holiday as a family over Christmas, bringing their current partners along. What could go wrong?

This one grabbed me right away - the premise has a lot of promise and Hulse mostly delivers on it. We see things from multiple perspectives - all the good intentions, the grinning-and-bearing it, the tension and animosity. The writing is sharp and the characterizations strong. I especially appreciated how there were no absolute good or bad guys and my sympathy kept shifting around based on the evolving character development.

My thanks to Karen for putting this one on my radar.

4 stars

>111 katiekrug: How wonderful! Ireland is someplace I have always wanted to visit.

>128 AMQS: - Me too! I'm super excited - not just need TW's job to cooperate...

>127 katiekrug: this sounds good, Katie.

Hooray for blue toenails and a good haircut. I've been with my current stylist for over ten years, and she is a good listener, which is so important.

I like puzzles but don't do them too often because it takes me forever, and then I can't use my dining room table. Also, it cuts into my sewing and piano practice...and reading of course.

Huzzah for the early stages of the Ireland trip!

What season of Miss Scarlet are you on?

>1 katiekrug: Your energy going into 2024 reflects my own, Katie!

>18 katiekrug: Thanks for the list!

Have a fantastic Friday!

Blue! I've always thought of blue nails as a worrisome thing, a sign of very scary health issues, but that shade can't be called "brilliant" by any measure.

Debut mystery happiness ATM, making up for the crash and burn of the last one. Weekend happiness and fun be yours.

Hi Katie, I seem to be moving quite slowly this year but I have placed my star here now. I guess I am spoiled as my elder daughter trained as a hairdresser and so cuts my hair - it used to be free in exchange for my babysitting but nowadays I slip her a $20 or so. Maybe I should start paying her more.

>130 BLBera: - My excuse for doing puzzles is that I listen to audiobooks while doing them, so it's not taking away from time with the books :D

A stylist that listens is so important! I was pretty direct with my new one - I won't put anything in it, and I will blow dry it, but not with various special brushes. I want a cut that requires minimal effort but still looks decent. It shouldn't be that hard!

>131 MickyFine: - I'm still on season 1. I came to it late :)

Super excited about Ireland! I started putting together a reading list for it today...

>132 alcottacre: - HI Stasia! Glad you liked that topper and my best reads of 2023 list. Have you read many of them?

>133 richardderus: - Non-painted blue nails would be worrisome indeed :)

Hope you have a good weekend yourself! I'm DNFing my current mystery series read...

>134 DeltaQueen50: - Good to "see" you, Judy! I wish I had an in like yours with a reliable stylist :)

Hi Katie, fellow jigsaw puzzle enthusiast and reader! I'll be starring you.

>70 katiekrug: Lovely puzzle ! I did that one a couple of years ago. Like you, I really enjoy Eeboo puzzles. I have done quite few - maybe 12 ? Is that too many to admit to doing ? I'm checking out your favourite reads, and I also really enjoyed Nora Webster a couple of years ago, and I was not so fond of The Dutch House, but I know many people loved it.

I loved the 1 st and I think the 2 series of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. Great taste! There is a new season out shortly - I'm looking forward to it.

I'm looking forward to the new series of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. And Death of Riley looks like a fun read. I've not read any Rhys Bowen.

Your blue toenails sound fun, too!

Happy 2024, Katie!

I loved Nora Webster, too. Toibin's follow-up to Brooklyn will be out this spring. Have you read The Blackwater Lightship? I finally read it last month.

I should give Miss Scarlet and the Duke another try. I watched the first couple of episodes but never went back to it.

We bought a new puzzle yesterday, a Ravensburger. They're cheaper here, haha. We found them for a euro cheaper at a nearby department store than they were at the Ravensburger store. Although it felt a little weird, we bought one with a picture of San Francisco. We had also bought some other brand of puzzle at the TK Maxx recently, so when we finish our current one we'll be ready to move on to the next, always exciting. :)

Morning, Katie!

I don't think I said it yesterday, but I love the puzzle. I've pretty much got one going all the time, but it's been slow going lately. We have a Take a Puzzle Leave a Puzzle table in the library for patrons, but there are three of us who work there who trade them around first before they get set out for the public. The perks of being a librarian...

>136 vancouverdeb: - Nice to see you, Deb! I've done quite a few eeBoos myself, so no shame in 12!

Good to know you liked Nora Webster, too. Such a quiet, powerful novel. I thought the same of The Dutch House but know it didn't work for everyone.

I believe the 4th season of 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke' starts here soon. I have a lot to catch up on!

>137 EBT1002: - Death of Riley was fine, but I'm not going to finish it (more on that later). I've really enjoyed Bowen's "Royal Spyness" series on audio.

I love my blue nails!

>138 Copperskye: - Hi Joanne! Ooh, I didn't know there was going to be a follow-up to Brooklyn! I loved that one, too. I haven't read Blackwater Lightship but will keep my eye out for it.

'Miss Scarlet and the Duke' is pleasant, though there's not a lot of depth (at least not yet?). With so much good stuff to watch, it's hard to prioritize...

>139 ursula: - I have a hoard of puzzles, Ursula, and just got 4 more yesterday (Mudpuppy ones). I also keep ones I really like and have been known to do them again. For ones I don't want to keep, there is a local puzzle swap group on Facebook, which is a good resource, too.

>140 scaifea: - Cross-posted, Amber - almost missed you :)

I love the idea of a leave-and-take table at the library, and I love that you and your colleagues swap among yourselves. I mentioned a local swap in my response to Ursula just now. It's so handy!

Hmph. It looks like our forecast has changed again, and now we'll get more rain than snow this afternoon/into tomorrow. For a while, we were in the 3-5" band, and I was excited! Now I have to worry about rain and flooding, especially with another wet system set for mid-week. Sigh.

I don't have much planned for today. I'll start taking down the Christmas stuff, which I hate doing. I'll miss having the tree lit in the evening. It's so cheery. We went out for dinner last night, so I'll be making that quinoa and bean soup for dinner tonight, with ciabatta rolls (store-bought, not made by me). Other than that, probably a lot of time with the books and my current puzzle, which I'm almost finished with.

Books:
I decided to DNF Death of Riley. It wasn't bad, but I didn't care enough about it to justify the reading time. I'm trying to be more strict about this, with so many books I want to get to. It's also part of a series, and I know I won't read more of the series, so there seemed little point in finishing this one. I read about 80 pages of it. In its place, I've started Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris, the second in his trilogy of T.R. biographies. I read the first a few years ago and loved it. I'll be reading this off and on for a few months, probably. It's chonky.

On audio, I'm really enjoying The Betrayers, which is about a disgraced Israeli politician on holiday in Yalta with his mistress, who runs into the former friend who betrayed him to the KGB when he was a dissident in the Soviet Union.

Viewing:
More 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke.' I have one more episode in season 1 to go, and I'll keep with it. I really liked the episode last night, which had some great back-and-forth between Eliza and William (swoon!).

>143 katiekrug: My year-starting mystery series was a flop, too. But The Betrayers sounds really good for your recovery, and Northwoods is putting my disappointment into the pooptank. I'm going to pause the plague book because I'm raising my blood pressure too much.

Hi Katie!

>127 katiekrug: Glad The Adults worked for you.

>143 katiekrug: I hate it that you and TW have to worry about flooding again. Fingers crossed for snow or light rain. I need to continue with the TR series by Morris too. The thing I most remember about the first in the series is that they had a snake named Emily Spinach. My brain is weird.

Congrats on starting to plan your trip! Must be exciting that solid plans are forming!

We leave in 17 days for our first family tropical trip to Dominican! We are all very exciting, and the kids are bugging me non-stop about what to pack lol

>144 richardderus: - Hurray for better books for both of us!

>145 karenmarie: - It was an entertaining read, for sure.

I hate that we have to worry about it, too :(

Ha! I don't remember Emily Spinach...

>146 ChelleBearss: - Thanks, Chelle! I hope your trip goes well and you have a chance to relax and rejuvenate.

>141 katiekrug: I liked when we could check them out of the library in Michigan. We have always been poor/cheap so we would get our puzzles mostly from Goodwill or yard sales. A swap group sound like a nice thing for puzzles too!

Sorry to hear your snow forecast is turning into rain. Em said the same thing happened to her forecast in Kentucky.

>148 ursula: - I haven't checked my library for puzzles. I should do that. I tend to pick them up in various sales, so rarely pay full price for them.

We might get snow overnight, but what good does that do me?!?!

>143 katiekrug: I loved all three volumes of Morris' Teddy Roosevelt bio but they are for sure chonky bois!

>143 katiekrug: Glad you're enjoying Miss Scarlet and the Duke! Swoon indeed. Season 4 starts in the US tomorrow and I'm so excited

A new season of Miss Scarlet! I don't think I'm finished with the third one. Yay! Something to watch now that Shetland is done.

People donate puzzles to the library and we sell them in the book shop. My niece is an avid puzzler, so she is always bringing puzzles to my parents, who then pass them on to me. Then, I either pass them on to my daughter or donate them. Ravensburger ones are the best.

I hate taking down Christmas decorations. It means we have a dreary few months ahead with no holidays. :(

>150 rosalita: - Well worth the read, though! I'm glad to have them on my Kindle and not in paper...

>151 norabelle414: - I really just watch it for The Duke. The mysteries themselves aren't all that compelling to me :)

>152 BLBera: - I'm so far behind on MSatD that I have lots to look forward to!

Ravensburgers aren't my favorite, mostly because I don't like most of their images. I'm very particular about the pictures :-P

Totally agree about the dreary months, but I mostly hate taking the decorations down because it's a lot of work...

I ran out to the store just now, and it was a zoo. And it had started snowing by the time I came out! I love snow...

>154 katiekrug: Yay for snow! Hope it doesn't get too inconvenient once the pretty bit is done.

>155 Helenliz: - I think we are only getting a few inches at most. The problem for us will be that it will make the ground wet when it melts right before a big rain storm is due...

Yay for snow! I hope it stays that way and doesn't switch to more liquid precipitation.

Ireland is great! I predict a wonderful trip coming up!!

>157 MickyFine: - It's raining lightly off and on this morning, which is a sadness...

>158 RebaRelishesReading: - I hope so, Reba!

We ended up with about 1.5" of snow, I think? It was really pretty, but now it's raining lightly on and off, so I don't expect it will linger much. I'm not sure what I'll get up to today, other than laundry. The Giants play at 4:30, and I'll probably turn the game on but do other things while listening to it - maybe undecorate the tree. I'm planning on making a German lentil stew today, so that will be dinner sorted. The soup I made yesterday turned out pretty well, but as usual, it was pretty bland as written. I swear, every recipe I print out ends up with me writing a note on it that says, "Needs more seasoning!"

Books:
I started The Summer of Katya yesterday and of course still have the T.R. bio going. On audio, I might finish The Betrayers today, so I need to think what will be next.

Viewing:
An FAU mbb game and the last episode of season 1 of 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke.'

Sorry you didn't get the snowfall you were hoping for, Katie. I'm hoping to undecorate our tree today, too. I've been procrastinating.

>161 lauralkeet: - I'm not complaining - it was enough to be pretty and not enough to be a pain in the ass :)

I LOATHE undecorating the tree. It's so fiddly and needlessly time consuming with the ornaments that need to be wrapped, finding the right boxes, etc.

>160 katiekrug: It was all rain here, and it's still coming down. A dank, cold day, but since I have no need to rush out, let it refresh the earth.

Northwoods was a decent first mystery, I'm glad to say, so all the YAY. I'll be going back to the plague book because it's interesting if deeply disheartening.

Happy Sunday, Katie. It looks like we got the same amount of snow, which suits me just fine. BTW- I picked up Happy Valley S3 from the library yesterday. Looking forward to it.

>163 richardderus: - I too have nowhere to be, so I'll just cozy up inside...

Glad your latest read was a better one!

>164 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! It was enough snow to need tending to - all my neighbors have cleared their sidewalks and driveways, and I'm still drinking my coffee. Heh.

I think you'll like the end of Happy Valley. I thought it concluded pretty well.

Morning, Katie!

We've got a dusting on the ground and it's still coming, although it's very light at this point. It's really pretty right now, but I don't think it'll last. Fingers crossed that you don't get any flooding!

I agree that taking down the tree is just horrible. The absolute worst.

>166 scaifea: - Morning, Amber! Thanks for the crossed fingers. Tuesday night looks to be fraught... *sigh* I hope it doesn't force us to skip trivia! #priorities

I need some house elves to take care of the tree. I'd make TW do it, but he just went out to shovel, unprompted, so he's done his good deed for the day :)

>167 katiekrug: Oooh, I'll take a couple of house elves, too. But I think I'd rather shovel than do the tree - I'd switch with him...

You make trivia night sound like so much fun. I'd never get the Scaife Men to go with me, though. Maybe I should try to get my library colleagues to go sometime...

>168 scaifea: - Shoveling would require me to get dressed and that's not happening for at least another hour ;-)

Trivia is the best! Well, some of it is lame. Lots of places have it here, but they aren't as good or fun or well-run as the one we go to. Definitely try to round up some (smart) colleagues for an evening! And report back!

ahh, just the right amount of snow, enough to look pretty, not enough to disrupt life.
Wet here. Just very very wet. Turned colder though.
Surely nothing gets in the way of trivia? We're quizzing on Thursday, first time with new landlords in the pub, we'll see how it goes.

>170 Helenliz: - It's snowing again!

If the rain on Tuesday is bad enough, TW won't want to leave the basement pumps unmonitored...

Do the pub landlords run the trivia? Around here, there are various companies that are hired to do it.

>141 katiekrug: Pretty much what we felt about "Miss Scarlet and the Duke"

Aimed at the people who have watched all of Bridgerton and need a fix. Our lives would be just fine without it.

Though we will watch Season 4 when it hits here. We have Passport so we can watch it whenever we want without having to DVR it.

>172 magicians_nephew: - Interesting - I don't see it as comparable to Bridgerton at all, other than it being a costume drama. But I'm enjoying it. It's nice to have something light to watch.

I haven't made it out of bed yet to look, but in theory we got some flurries overnight. We'll see how delighted I am soon.

It is also undecorating day around here with the added fun of re-organizing the storage room under the stairs (which we usually refer to as Harry's room).

>174 MickyFine: - I hope you are delighted!

Good luck getting Christmas put away. I used to dread it but now I don't mind. We always get a fresh tree, so by the time it comes down it is really ready to go.

So you did get some snow. Hurray. I just hope for your sake that it doesn't revert to water too quickly.

>176 AMQS: - Thanks, Anne! I've made a start... Now I'm taking a break - ha!

>177 weird_O: - It's still around, though I think it's warming up as the day goes on. Ah, winter!

Hi Katie!

>167 katiekrug: I need some house elves to take care of the tree. We got our Christmas stuff put up on Friday. My house elf is named Jenna.

I, too, need a house elf -- Jenna or whomever :)

Enjoy your snow, Katie, but keep it there okay. The trip to Ireland sounds exciting. The cruise I took in 2019 started in Dublin and took in Belfast and Cork but our time was limited so we had to stuff a lot into every stop except for Dublin, of course, where we had days before the cruise. It was a good overview and I do want to go back at some point.

>175 katiekrug: Just a light skiff so I'm pleased rather than delighted, lol.

We are supposed to get some snow , perhaps mixed with rain this week, Katie. I am not looking forward to it. It seldom snows around here, maybe once a year for a couple of days, maybe not at all, or maybe a two or three times a year. So the City is not set up for it, and thus few plows, the bridges have " snow and ice bombs" and even transit runs into big trouble. No snow tires on the buses, and our equivalent of a subway is mainly on an elevated track and that gets stopped by the snow too. Well, I hope we will get very little, or maybe none?

>179 karenmarie: - I need a Jenna!

>180 RebaRelishesReading: - Same.

>181 Familyhistorian: - I need the snow to be gone before the rain comes, Meg. Things are not looking good.

We are excited about Ireland!

>182 MickyFine: - Better than being disappointed :)

>183 vancouverdeb: - I hope you get your preferred outcome, Deb!

Not looking forward to this week at all. We are supposed to get really bad rain tomorrow afternoon/evening, with already saturated ground and snow still lying on top. Please spare some good thoughts for Casa Krug. The Wayne spent most of his weekend trying to prepare as best he could. I believe I might be spending some time today filling sandbags :-/

Books:
My concentration has been garbage lately. Still reading the same two in print/e-print. I am hoping to start a new audio today - #6 in the Sean Duffy series. I haven't read this one before, and I have it on my Kindle, but I've so enjoyed the audios of the first 5, I am going to try the new-to-me one in that format.

Viewing:
Football. Giants won. Dolphins lost.

Good morning Katie! I have the 5th Sean Duffy, Rain Dogs, waiting for me at the library today. I'll probably start reading it this afternoon or evening. I didn't realize you hadn't read #6 yet.

I just heard about the rain forecast this morning (we will have similar weather to you). Here, I worry about high winds which are also in our forecast. We have a lot of mature trees and the road closest to our house has some very tall, old pines that have been felled in storms before. I know how stressful heavy rain is for you and will be sending all the positive thoughts I can muster.

Sending dry thoughts your way, Katie! I wish I could send you our weather forecast instead: 5-10 inches of snow beginning this evening through tomorrow.

Good luck tomorrow. It does look like it'll be quite ugly there. I think being on a sandbar does have some advantages, unless one wishes to garden....

>186 lauralkeet: - Rain Dogs is so good! Yep, I still have #6 and #7 to get to.

Thanks for the good thoughts, and I hope you don't suffer any negative effects either!

>187 rosalita: - Thank you, Julia! I would love to have the snow instead of rain... I've got such a pit in my stomach right now. Ugh.

>188 richardderus: - I hope you stay dry, RD. Coastal flooding is a worry.

The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis

I can't remember how this ended up on my library wish list, and in reading the description as I was searching for a new audiobook to listen to, I wasn't sure it would be for me. I'm glad I gave it a chance, as it is a smart, thoughtful AND page-turning novel about morality, culpability, sacrifice, and identity.

Baruch Kotler is a former Soviet dissident who spent years in jail after being betrayed to the KGB by a "friend." Once released, he fled to Israel, where he became a notable politician. The book opens with Baruch in Yalta with his young mistress; their affair has just been exposed in the Israeli press, pay-back for his refusal to agree to the government's plan to withdraw from some settlements. While in Yalta, Baruch meets the man who betrayed him so many years ago.

In fewer than 250 pages, Bezmozgis paints a compelling portrait of a man at once undone by, and celebrated for, his imprisonment and subsequent re-emergence. I found the discussion of Jewish identity and the complex realities of Soviet, post-Soviet, Ukrainian, and Israeli society fascinating, especially given the current situation. The serious themes and dark history are alleviated by some dry humor and the real humanity of Baruch, the good and the bad, shines through.

4.25 stars

Does anyone do the NYT Spelling Bee? Today was a doozy!!

>190 katiekrug: Never heard of this but sounds intriguing and good! Once again, thanks for the rec.

>191 katiekrug: I don't really "do" the Spelling Bee, but the NYT Morning newsletter always includes an image of the letter honeycomb and I try to find the pangram every day. I've been on a pretty good streak lately, but I gave up today.

>191 katiekrug: I do the Spelling Bee! Today was really something. Do you use the “Hints” feature? Today it said there were four pangrams (I only have three so far) I normally keep at it until I find all the pangrams and the “bingo” if there is one.

Just like with Wordle, there’s a whole culture of Spelling Bee solvers. Pretty funny.

Karen O

If there's such a thing as an anti rain dance, I'll be doing it for you. Water's beginning to subside here. Still very high, but hopefully on its way back down. Not walking round the lakes ay time soon, they're currently just one enormous lake.

>191 katiekrug: Chris does the spelling bee around here and sometimes will ask me to help. I took a peek and he's currently at amazing, but hasn't asked me to help yet ...

Sending good vibes for water control program!

I do the same thing as Julia 😂 playing the actual game stresses me out, but I like to open it and try to find the pangram.

>198 curioussquared: I'm glad to have company in my quirks, Natalie!

>192 vivians: - I think you'd really enjoy it, Vivian!

>193 rosalita: - There were four pangrams today, including the longest one ever (I think)!

>194 klobrien2: - I sometimes use hints, but not until I've hit "Genius." I got all the words today, with a little help.

>195 Helenliz: - I appreciate it, Helen!

>196 lauralkeet: - I sometimes have TW look at it to see if there is anything obvious I'm missing. He doesn't have the patience for much study of it :-P

>197 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, Reba!

>198 curioussquared: - I love the Bee. I think it's my favorite NYT game...

>199 rosalita: - Happy to bring you quirks together ;-)

>135 katiekrug: I have read both the Erdrich and the Patchett books. Mark and I are going to be reading Yellowface together when I get back from my trip, but the others I have no plans to read (yet) and have to find available copies.

>185 katiekrug: It is pouring down rain here (which does not help our plumbing issues at all) so I can sympathize. Good thoughts wafting your way at Casa Krug.

>190 katiekrug: Adding that one to the BlackHole.

I hope you have a wonderful week despite the weather!

>201 alcottacre: We had lunch shortly after I posted, and sure enough I was consulted ... AND contributed the word that took us over the top. But wow, it took a lot of words to get there.

>190 katiekrug: Oh you got me with The Betrayers. Thanks for that.

>191 katiekrug: I do the Spelling Bee, but I don't have a subscription to games, so I play what I can play for free. Spelling Bee cuts me off after a certain number of points whether I've found the pangrams or not. It's probably enough:) I haven't gotten far enough today to be cut off.

>201 alcottacre: - Hi Stasia! Thanks for responding about which of my Best of... list you had read.

I'm sorry about the rain exacerbating your plumbing issue and appreciate your good thoughts that we don't have too horrible a time of it tomorrow.

Given your interest in Jewish reading, I think The Betrayers would be a good fit for you.

>202 lauralkeet: - I was about halfway through it when I was convinced there were no more words to be found :-P I left it for a couple of hours and came back to it and powered through. Good feeling!

>203 AMQS: - I know a few people who do the same thing, Anne - play what they can. I think I'm too much of a completist for that. If I didn't have full access, I probably wouldn't bother.

I've started the audio of Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly, and it is SO good already. It was hard to tear myself away from my puzzle to get some other things done...

>205 katiekrug: Yes! SO good.

>201 alcottacre: Saw a woman on the subway today intently reading a big hardcover book of Yellowface

after our book group read both Interior Chinatown and Native Speaker This one is looming large on my TBR

>206 rosalita: - I am *enthralled*!

>207 magicians_nephew: - I thought it was a great read, Jim. Very biting.

>208 katiekrug: As you may remember, I held off on reading #6 until last year, and I'm so glad I did because as soon as I finished it I wanted more and there was #7 patiently waiting for me on my Kobo!

>209 rosalita: - I am already sad at the prospect of no more Duffy (and especially McCrabben!) in a few books' time... :(

>210 katiekrug: Me, too. Even Lawson has grown on me — I disliked him heartily when he first showed up.

>211 rosalita: - Sweet baby Lawson?!!? Such an eager beaver, and I love his deadpan humoring of Duffy.

Hi Katie--returning the visit and dropping a star. I skimmed through your thread and saw your plans for Ireland. Exciting! We're also going to Ireland this year but in June.

I do the Spelling Bee every day--one of a mounting series of compulsions. I allow myself to look at the word grid when I get to Amazing and community hints after Genius. I can't stop until I get to Queen Bee (with help).

>212 katiekrug: I think when he first showed up I was mad he was taking time away from Crabbie. :-)

Good review of The Betrayers. Another one to add to my morbidly obese TBR.

>213 AnneDC: - Thanks for visiting, Anne!

Where are you going in Ireland and for how long? We only have a week and are focusing on Dublin and Belfast, with a couple of day trips.

I don't stop with the Spelling Bee until I get Queen Bee too, with various levels of assistance :)

>214 rosalita: - Fair enough! I love Crabbie, too.

>215 msf59: - It was a good one, Mark. You're welcome :D

>143 katiekrug: I agree, taking down Christmas decorations is not fun. I took down the tree today. A bit later than I normally would but it was the first day I had time and patience.

Agreeing with the comments about "Miss Scarlet & the Duke" - enjoyable but not amazing. I do think it got better after the first half-season or so.

>205 katiekrug: Oh good -- another one to look forward to!

>217 figsfromthistle: - I got all the decorations off (with an assist from TW who has to do the highest bits because he's tall and the tree is even taller...) and packed away and back in the attic, so I am feeling very accomplished :) The tree is still up but I expect TW will take it down in the next few days.

>218 EBT1002: - I agree the second half of the first season was better than the first. I do love me some romantic chemistry/tension :)

Where are you in the series, Ellen? They are all great but get stronger as they go on.

Hoping for a decent night's sleep tonight (unlike last night) so I can get up early and get going. My tasks include going to get gas for the generator, re-stocking wine, and taking Nuala for a long walk before the rain sets in. We have three auxiliary pumps set to go, plus the sump pump and its back-up, so hopefully we won't have to deal with more than a few inches of water in the basement. The big question is about the already wet ground and how saturated it is...

I love my house, but I really hate this location... *sigh*

>219 katiekrug: I'm only on the second one! It's on hold, should be one of my on-the-plane reads as we head to Kauai next week.

>220 katiekrug: Restocking wine. SO important!!!

>219 katiekrug: - Perfect vacation reading!

>222 EBT1002: - IKR?

I hope the rain situation stays manageable!! And echo the dislike of taking down Christmas. We always leave ours up until after Epiphany at which point our real trees are probably a fire hazard. I finally got Tim to help me take it down today and then spent a while vacuuming up lost needles.

>225 curioussquared: - Thanks, Natalie!

When we got real trees, I remember finding needles months later... Obviously, I was not very good at vacuuming!

I've got flood duties to attend to this morning, and then I guess I'll just be sitting around, catastrophisizing in my head for the rest of the day/night? Heh. TW says our rain total has been revised a bit downward, which is good. Enough boring flood talk (for now)!

I had a cooking fail last night - I tried to make baked rice but I only had parboiled rice and it, um, did not work. It was a soupy mess. The flavor wasn't bad, so I might try making it again with the correct rice. No cooking today, as we have a ton of leftovers (mostly soup) in the fridge.

Books:
Same, same.

Viewing:
Nope.

Morning, Katie!

Ugh, I'm sorry about the flood fretting. I really hope it comes to not much at all, but I know even if that's the case it won't keep you from worrying about it now.

Also sorry about the cooking fail. I think rice can be tricky sometimes.

>228 scaifea: - Morning Amber! Thanks for the commiseration. We've done all we can, or will have done by the afternoon, so yes, it's just fretting now. Not my favorite activity, but I seem to be very good at it :)

Rice can be tricky for sure and sometimes it doesn't pay to improvise...

Good luck with today's weather, Katie. I'm hunkered down at home today as well, and not looking forward to taking dogs for walks in the wet.

>230 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. Nuala will get a long-ish walk this morning and then will have to brave the rain in the yard on her own :)

Sending you best wishes for no or minimal flooding!

>232 bell7: - Thanks, Mary! I'll take minimal, since I don't think there's any way we'll escape scot-free!

Hoping for minimal rain there, and zero flooding. Yay for accomplishing the de-xmasing on a practical level, waaah on an emotional one...I do so love all the bright shiny baubley stuff.

Latest mystery read since Northwoods is keeping me happy: He Wasn't There Again Today by Canadian Candas Jane Dorsey. The Epitome Apartments sound like a fun place to live, a lot like Midsomer or Cabot Cove do.

>234 richardderus: - Oh, we'll get flooding! The question is how much and if just in the basement... We've done what we can - I even went and got gas for the little generator that we'll use if the power goes out. All those pumps need power :)

Glad your current reading is good. Mine is just okay, though my current audio is fabulous!

>221 EBT1002: and >223 katiekrug: I totally misspoke. I have three series in which I'm actively engaged at the moment. I've read four Sean Duffy novels; Rain Dogs is up next and I own it in book form.

I'm on the second installment of both the Slough House and Cork O'Connor series.

We took our tee down on New Years Day and there are still needles appearing.

Good luck with the flooding situation. I hope it turns out to be NO flooding!

>236 EBT1002: - Rain Dogs is great, Ellen. You'll love it.

>237 EBT1002: - I miss the scent of a real tree at Christmas, but not the needles...

Thanks re: the flooding. It would be a minor miracle if we didn't have ANY.

Good luck today, Katie. Fingers crossed any flooding is minimal.

Got our tree down and today is one of our many wet days to come. Which switches to snow later this week. Ugh. Hope your basement stays dry!!

Hoping you're still dry (and not in a dry January stylee)

>239 Familyhistorian: / >240 Berly: / >241 Helenliz: - Thank you for the good thoughts, Meg, Kim, and Helen!

Still okay, but the heavy stuff hasn't hit yet. It's been drizzling since about 11am and the wind has picked up. I think the big part is supposed to come around 8pm or so and last until about 1am.

Sending my best wishes things stay as dry as possible in Casa Krug.

Thinking of you and TW with the extreme weather, Katie.

I feel so terrible for the stress the rain inflicts on you. I know how I would be - I hope you're holding it together better than that. ;)

Hi Katie!

I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you and TW that the rain mostly skips around you and that any flooding is minimal and easily handled by the pumps.

Thank you, Micky, Charlotte, Ursula, and Karen!

We survivied :) It was a long day/night... I didn't get to bed until about 2am. The basement only got some seepage (as opposed to the sump pit overflowing like in December) and the river over-ran its banks but not by much. We still have a good size pond in the back yard. The wind wasn't as bad as in some places, so the power didn't even flicker. It was stressful and not ideal but worked out pretty well in our favor. More rain expected over the weekend, so we'll keep things in place for now, including all the stuff we moved from the ground floor up to the main floor. I've canceled Maribel's cleaning tomorrow, since most of the areas she takes care of are a maze of things.

Thanks for everyone's good thoughts! They worked :)

Morning, all!

Flood report above, and now I vow not to talk about it ever again. Or at least until the next big rain event. Which is this weekend. Heh.

Today will mostly be spent nursing my elbow and butt. Yesterday morning, I managed to slip on our front (stone) steps and landed hard. I have a big old knot on the inside part of my elbow and a giant bruise on my ass. Whee! The fun never stops here at Casa Krug.

Leftovers for dinner, or we might go out to play trivia since we missed it last night. It depends on how tired we are.

Books:
Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly was excellent company while I distracted myself from the storm. I actually finished it already. So, so good. My new favorite Sean Duffy novel. I am hoping to finish The Summer of Katya today, and I'm still doing my 1 or 2 chapters o f Theodore Rex every day.

Viewing:
None. I was going to binge some 'Miss Scarlet and the Duke' but my puzzle and audio were too engrossing to tear myself away.

>227 katiekrug: A cooking fail? Oh my! I have not tried baked rice before. I usually cook my rice by boiling in water in corning ware on the stovetop. Do you add anything into the rice?

>247 katiekrug: Glad you only had a minimal amount of water in the basement.

>248 katiekrug: Sorry to hear about your fall. Hope you heal up fast!

Seems like good news about flooding (so far) and bad news about the fall. A friend who is a nurse once told me that is called an "unplanned descent" and that's what I think of every time I fall. Hope you feel better very soon.

>249 figsfromthistle: - Hi Anita!

I figure if I talk about my cooking successes, I should also own up to my fails :)

The baked rice is made with broth and butter and is supposed to get sort of crispy around the edges in the oven. I normally just make normal rice but wanted to try this.

Thanks re: the rain and my fall. I'll live :)

>250 AMQS: - Yes, definitely good news, Anne. We (mostly The Wayne) did a lot of work to prepare for something worse. I'm sorry he spent so much time doing so, but better prepared than not...

I like "unplanned descent" and will use that for sure!

I am sooo sorry to hear about your fall, but immensely relieved that there was no flooding.

I love the phrase "unplanned descent" and am making note of it for future reference!

Glad you stayed mostly dry.
Sorry to hear about the fall. At some point you go from "falling over" to "having a fall". I'm not quite sure you've reached that second stage quite yet.
He went flying recently in his mother's house' yard. It's slate and slippery at the best of times, but he slipped, did a comedy both feet in the air, landed on his bum thing. Between helping him up, I did have a bit of a giggle. The bruise was impressive.

>252 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura! The fall could have been worse. I'm just super sore now :)

>253 Helenliz: - Oh, I definitely would have giggled, too (once I was sure he wasn't actually injured, of course)!

I think I'll start a new thread...

New thread's up!