Mary's (bell7's) Reading Log in 2024 - Thread #3

Hello all, and welcome to my third thread of 2024! I've been participating in the 75 Book Challenge since 2010 and look forward to seeing what my 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 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.

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 - COMPLETED
MARCH - Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny - COMPLETED
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

Top 20ish 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

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
5. Romantasy Books (BookRiot)
6. An interview with Moniquill Blackgoose
7. The Scandalous Legacy of Isabella Stewart Gardner
8. Nonfiction books for SFF fans
9. Tournament of Books 2024 Championship Round

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
2024 - ???

DNFs in 2024
1. Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. Jacobs
2. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

Currently reading
The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

Bible/Devotional Reading
With Us in the Wilderness by Lauren Chandler

March
33. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
32. Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
31. And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohamed
30. The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard
29. The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
28. The Bible
27. Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny
26. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
25. Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
24. House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
23. Foster by Claire Keegan
22. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
21. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

February
20. Making It So by Patrick Stewart
19. Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
18. The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin
17. The Casuarina Tree by W. Somerset Maugham
16. Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers
15. The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
14. Derring-Do for Beginners by Victoria Goddard
13. The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

January
12. To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
11. The Postcard by Anne Berest
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

Global reads in 2024 (author's country of origin):
Canada - Victoria Goddard
France - Herve Le Tellier, Elisa Shua Dusapin, Annie Ernaux, Anne Berest
Malaysia - Tan Twan Eng
New Zealand - Chloe Gong
UK - W. Somerset Maugham, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Worth

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, New Zealand, 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!

Saturday update: As I mentioned towards the tail end of my previous thread, I originally had plans today, but they are canceled, which leaves me with some found time and a fairly quiet weekend - dog and cat care, but only going to church is on the calendar. After the dogs were fed and walked, I spent the morning getting various errands done, bringing some things from home that I needed, going to the dump, and picking up a prescription. I stopped at my town's library to drop something off, and while I was there, I picked up a copy of Making It So because I left it behind at work and didn't feel like taking a trip out to get it over the weekend. I'm not sure if I'll finish it this weekend or not, but I wanted to give myself the chance, and I'll just return one of them on Monday anyways.

Oh, and I decided since I essentially had found time, I would bake another loaf of bread. It's currently on its first prove, and I'll run home (it's five minutes from where I'm staying) later this afternoon to stick it in the fridge for the second, overnight prove, and bake it tomorrow after church. It's all good, I keep remembering things I need from home, so I've been picking things up with every stop.

Reading: Making It So by Patrick Stewart and Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong (I have only a little over an hour left and should finish it today)

Listening: radio while I wait for some CDs to come in at the library

Watching: I've mostly been putting the Tennis Channel on in the evening, not really watching the warm up tournaments so much as having the background noise while I read or watch the dogs

Crafting: I did bring a couple of projects, but haven't pulled it out yet

Happy new thread, Mary!

>10 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

Happy new one, Mary!

>12 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

Hi Mary my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend.

Happy new thread, Mary!
Enjoy your uexpected quiet weekend.

Happy new thread!

Thanks John, Anita, and Misti!

19. Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
Why now? Received an ARC of this last summer, and finally reading it now as I try to work through some of the books I "owe" reviews on - though I downloaded the e-book from my library's Libby collection and read that copy

August is the heir to the empire of Talin, but he has plans to depose the current ruler, King Kasa, with some help from Calla Tuoleimi - a princess who killed her own parents and is believed to be dead. She's entered into the games, an annual event in the twin cities of San-Er, allowing the last person alive to gain an enormous amount of money and leave the impoverished populace behind. The plan is for Calla to win, with August's help, and as the victor when she's given access to the King, to kill him. But Anton Makusa, a former friend of August's, may just foil that plan as he enters the games with motives of his own and forges an alliance with Calla.

I'm ambivalent about this book, which has some elements that I very much enjoy, but doesn't quite live up to its promise. It's one of those blended science fiction/fantasy stories that seems to be set in the future, but also has magic elements, in this case the ability of people with really strong qi to "jump" into another body and take over for a period of time (or for good, if the stronger person so decides). The games will sound familiar to anyone who has read The Hunger Games, though decidedly more violent in this adult book where, to keep the person from jumping, they must be killed quickly, often decapitated. Added to that the nods to Antony and Cleopatra, which this is inspired by rather than a retelling of, and you just get A Lot thrown into a plot. The romance aspect kind of came out of nowhere, when all of a sudden they were attracted to each other, and was never developed to my satisfaction. And I'm not a huge fan of narratives told in present tense. I never quite got to the point where I could sink in and enjoy the story, but I remained intrigued throughout. That all being said, the idea of what one can do with their qi leaves much to be explored in future volumes of this planned trilogy, and the ending of this one left me curious enough to read the next one. 3.5 stars.

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new thread, Mary! Enjoy your weekend!

Happy new thread, Mary!

>18 bell7: ...ummm...on balance I think I just walk on by this one...

New-thread orisons, Mary. Enjoy your normal person weekend!

Thanks, Jim, Irene, Ella, and Richard!

>22 richardderus: Yeah, I don't blame you on that one. I waffled about my rating (I was originally going to give it four stars, but decided there were too many flaws to ignore). And truthfully while they ending left me wanting to know what would happen next, I'm not sure that I'll feel that same urgency when Vilest Things comes out in September. So many books, after all...

Happy new thread :)

Happy new thread, Mary.

Love all the lists, of course!

>24 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>25 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I find them useful to keep track, and I'm glad someone besides me likes them!

Happy Sunday, Mary. Happy New Thread! I know you enjoy listening to a variety of music. I have been slowly going through my hefty music collection and I am having a fantastic time with it. If you get a chance, listen to Bettie Seveert. A Dutch rock band. Their debut "Palomine"(1996) is a good place to start or just listen to some of their top songs. Good band and one I completely forgot about.

Happy new thread, Mary. Nice to see you having a largely laid-back weekend.

Every time I see you talking about music, I'm tempted to share albums I've been obsessed with lately, so I'm just going to do it. Plain White T's newest (self-titled) album is delightful and every track makes me happy. I've also been really into Stick Season by Noah Kahan. The lyrics are often a bit bleak but they have such fantastic wordsmithing that I adore - "I'll dial drunk, I'll die a drunk, I'll die for you" is dark but such a lovely juxtaposition.

Happy New Thread, Mary.

Happy New Thread, Mary! I think I'll also pass on the Gong book--sounds like just too many flaws to invest the time into the trilogy. Nice review, though.

>27 msf59: Thanks for the recommendation, Mark! I'll have to see what I can do to find Bettie Serveert (apparently the name translates into "Bettie Serves" or "Service to Bettie," and is a tennis reference). Their album are not in my library system, and most of my listening is CDs in the car, but I'll see what I can do to get them.

>28 MickyFine: Please do feel free to share your current albums, Micky! I actually recently asked a couple of folk on the library staff that I knew listened to a lot of music for recommendations and I enjoy branching out. I like what I've heard of the Plain White T's single, and I went ahead and put the self-titled album on hold. I have never heard of Noah Kahan, and there are a few copies in our system and also a couple of holds, so it may be a bit bit for I get to that one.

>29 BLBera: Thanks, Beth!

>30 ronincats: Thanks on the thread and review comments, Roni. Sorry to steer you away from the trilogy...Gong is only 25, so maybe some of her later book will appeal to us more. By and large, some folks that didn't love Immortal Longings do seem to prefer These Violent Delights, which I haven't read.

Happy Sunday! I got the dogs walked, prepped the bread to bake, and went to church this morning. I've given the dogs their afternoon walk, and am about to head out to bake the bread and do a grocery shopping. I'll get back in time to feed and walk the dogs, feed myself, and then have a quiet evening before heading into the work week.

Reading: Making It So: A Memoir by Patrick Stewart and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Listening: radio 'til I get new CDs at work tomorrow

Watching: Bruins yesterday, and various non-major tennis tournaments on the Tennis Channel

Crafting: nada

My review today was 4* but only because I needed that exact book at this exact moment...any other time 3.5 would have felt generous. Mood reading at its finest, eh what? Really hope the shopping and the walking all go well and simply.

*smooch*

Happy new thread Mary!

Happy new thread!! And I am interested on both of your current reads--eager to hear your thoughts.

Happy New Thread, Mary! I hope you enjoy Fox Wife when you get to it. Your life sounds very busy with full time work, baking bread and looking after dogs and cats. I've been watching a kind of crazy mystery /police show. It's called Detective Forst and it's made in Poland and translated into English. I can't really recommend it without some caveats though. It's a serial killer and some yucky sex scenes. No sex please,I'm Canadian. And yet , I am still watching it. And I'm of the bentonite faith. I'd blush if any of my church friends knew I watched this. I nearly blush when my husband is home and I'm watching it. I like mystery / police shows with lots of action though.

Morning, Mary. Do you use Spotify? You can find nearly every artist on that streaming service. I have an immense CD collection but I listen to those albums on Spotify or Amazon Music, it is just easier.

>28 MickyFine: I have heard a couple of songs by Noah Kahan, including Dial Drunk, which I really like. I have not heard the entire album.

>33 richardderus: Duly added to the TBR list. Thank for visiting, Richard!

>34 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

>35 Berly: Hopefully I'll get some time between dog walks to read them and report back soon, Kim!

>36 vancouverdeb: Well, the baking itself didn't take very long, it's the waiting around for it to rise which takes a fair bit of planning. But now I have fresh bread for the week, which I'm very happy about! I think I'll skip your current watch for now, as serial killer does not really appeal (I say, but watch Only Murders in the Building which is also about murder). Had to smile about how it's not one you'd mention to your church friends. There are definitely books I've read I've been... selective, let's say, about who I share it with. And I was *shocked* one day to talk to my then-pastor and know that he was enjoying Game of Thrones. (Haven't watched it, might read it)

>37 msf59: Morning, Mark! I do have a Spotify account, but it's the free version so when I listen to an album on my phone it plays the songs on random, which I don't love as a first experience of it (at least theoretically, they're in a particular order for a reason, right?). I'll see what I can find on Hoopla or YouTube, though.

Happy Monday, everyone! The dogs are fed and walked, the cat had her pill, I am fed, and I'll be leaving shortly to go to work. I'm going in 10-3 because my boss has a bunch of meetings and it made the desk schedule difficult if I didn't. Plus, I don't mind the extra time in the morning not to be rushing through dog care to be at work on time.

When I get back, the vet tech will come to give the cat her fluids for a kidney issue, and I'll plan on doing some cooking before evening dog walks. I didn't read much yesterday, but I'm hoping to rectify that today.

Nothing new since yesterday on the reading/watching/listening/crafting reports. I'm hoping the CDs I placed on hold will come in delivery this afternoon before I leave work, so I'll have new music to talk about soon.

I agree with you about the free Spotify, Mary. I still find it useful for sampling an artist and just going through some of their top songs. I got Amazon Music free for 6 months, not as user-friendly as Spotify-Plus but they offer an amazing amount of music.



^I was listening to Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville. One of the great albums of the 1990s and still packs a punch, 30 years later.

>40 msf59: well, and most of the time when I'm listening to music it's in the car, so I still find CDs the easiest way. Very child of the 90s, I know 😂 Good news, though, I found a couple of Bettie Serveer albums outside of our system, so I should be able to listen in the coming weeks.

I haven't watched Game of Thrones, so I don't know what that is like, Mary. You must be wondering what denomination "bentonite " might be . Well, that is a mistype. My paternal grandma was Baptist , so I sort of grew up in the Baptist church, my parents didn't attend any church , and my dad an avowed atheist. But I had a close friend from grade 3 on who was Mennonite, and in my early 40's , I switched to the Mennonite Church, which is very similar to the Baptist Church. I guess I guess I was thinking of both when I typed " Bentonite" . Oh well.

I really love Spotify too and pay for the ad free version. My current fave is Coldplay, Music of the Spheres. I'm so old school . I haven't set up Spotify in my car yet, and it's doesn't have a CD player, so its the radio for me in the car. I regretted that as I was out driving a distance today. Child of the 70's here .

>42 vancouverdeb: Game of Thrones is known for being violent and having a fair amount of sex (including incest), though I haven't yet read it myself. I did wonder about bentonite, Deborah, and rather love your description of how the mistype came to be. I attend a Baptist church but don't really think of myself as belonging to any denomination, more of a "mere Christian" as C.S. Lewis says.

My car radio is not a great one, most of the places I drive I can only get a handful of stations, so I often listen to CDs. My Spotify is used primarily as a way to keep a "Just Because" list of all the songs I like, as well as a selection of Christmas songs, and I listen primarily as my alarm in the morning.

Happy Tuesday! The dogs woke me up just a little before my alarm, but it was fair - I'd put them to bed early last night. I did what I needed to with dogs and cat, and now I'm working 9-5. I cooked enough yesterday that I have leftovers for dinner tonight, and should have a pretty quiet one after I get the dogs walked.

Reading: Making It So by Patrick Stewart and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Listening: "Be the Cowboy" by Mitski, a recommendation from one of my co-workers. It was interesting listening and I didn't skip any songs, but the synthesizer and atonal qualities are not to my taste, and I'm returning it to the library after only one listen through.

Watching/Crafting: nothing new to report

>44 bell7: I usually like a couple of songs off each Mitski album, but not really more than that. The latest one didn't even have that - I thought it was boring all the way through.

>45 ursula: I liked the last song, "Two Slow Dancers," better than the rest, but not enough to add to the playlist. I didn't find the album boring, at least, just not to my taste.

I'm having an interesting time figuring out where my happy place is between music that I enjoy listening to, and music that is interesting enough I want to keep listening to it. I liked Delta and Babel by Mumford & Sons as easy listening while I was driving, for example, but I was hard pressed to distinguish one song from another and ended up only adding "I Will Wait" to the master playlist. In contrast, I didn't like all of the Japanese Breakfast songs on "Jubilee", but each song was unique and really stood out from the other (I added two to the playlist). There's some sort of happy medium between novelty and my preferred timbre, I think, that I'm still discovering.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Mary!

>46 bell7: To be clear, I don't find all of Mitski's music boring. I liked Puberty 2, at least enough that it's the only complete album of hers I have in my library. But this latest one, ugh!

I'm frequently still surprised by what hits the sweet spot for me, and conversely things that I listen to and think "yep, this sounds like something I would like ... but I don't." It's one of my favorite things when something unexpected really works for me.

I have 2 songs favorited on both Japanese Breakfast albums in my library (Jubilee and Soft Sounds from Another Planet). I liked her previous project, Little Big League, at least the album These Are Good People. I haven't heard the other one.

>47 alcottacre: thanks, Stasia, same to you!

>48 ursula: I got what you were saying, though my response was probably less than clear. The one I listened to today and yesterday isn't her latest, so I think we're agreeing that it isn't boring 😂 It's also interesting to see where folks tastes overlap (for music as with books). I think you and I listen to some very different things, but where we do like the same artists we also seem to like the same songs. Or maybe that's just a sampling bias because we only tend to comment on each other's choices when we also like it haha.

Jubilee was my first Japanese Breakfast album, and I'll definitely check out some of her other work.

Good morning, all! It's a happy Wednesday here. The dogs are walked, I've had my coffee and breakfast, and can take a little bit of a leisurely morning before heading to work at 11:30. I'm hoping to finish Making It So today or tomorrow and wrap up my February reads. I've started to put planned reads in the March TIOLI challenges, and it looks like a couple of big books and nonfiction are in my future. Wish me luck in reading all I hope to!

Reading: Making It So by Patrick Stewart and The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

Listening: "Titanic Rising" by Weyes Blood

Watching/Crafting: Put on some of Jeopardy last night, otherwise nothing new to report

>50 bell7: My last read of February was a continuation of my hot streak...but only because I feel generous about it. Coulda gone either way...review tomorrow, but let me just say I think it is one you will like for a variety of reasons. *I* did, after all....

Wednesday orisons, Mary, enjoy the Stewart read. I myownself am liking the McBride, too.

>51 richardderus: Oh excellent, I'll look forward to reading your review tomorrow then. I have a meeting in the morning tomorrow and as a result will be leaving a little later than usual, so I may have time to check in before starting the rest of my nuttiest day of the week. I finished the Stewart read on my break at work today, and did indeed enjoy it (hopefully a review to come tonight). I'm very much enjoying The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, and will probably finish it this weekend.

I am so glad you are enjoying The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. It is such a terrific novel. I have been listening to and LOVING Car Wheels on a Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams. If you have not heard of it or of her, give it a spin. She is a National Treasure.

>53 msf59: I will add her to my "to listen" list, Mark. Thank for the tip! And yes, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is a wonderful read so far (I'm about a third of the way in). This seems to be the year for me to read a well-known author's newest book and have it be my first. I did that with House of Doors last month, and now The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is my first of McBride's. At least I know there are more good books in my future!

20. Making It So by Patrick Stewart
Why now? On my TBR list as soon as I knew the book was coming out; grabbed it from the library new shelf one day, and finally read it when it was the next book due

Patrick Stewart describes growing up poor in Mirfield in the north of England, how he became an actor, and the highs and lows of his career from British theater to Star Trek and beyond.

I really enjoyed reading this memoir. Stewart did not utilize a ghostwriter, and the style is like he's sitting there telling you about his life, loosely chronological, but sometimes going on a bit of a (delightful) related tangent about something that happened later. He spends a fair amount of time on his childhood and training in acting prior to joining the Royal Shakespeare Company, and I found it fascinating to read about what he learned and what his process was for certain roles. Stewart has a way of telling you stories where, yes, he meets all sorts of famous people, but usually there's some sort of funny, self-deprecating anecdote that I found delightful. I am most familiar with his work in X-Men and A Christmas Carol, though of course I know he was Jean-Luc Picard. It's just that my family didn't really watch The Next Generation, so I've only seen random episodes 30-plus years ago when my babysitters were watching it. He clearly expects that his readers will be familiar with his Star Trek work, and has observations to make about specific episodes, rife with spoilers. Whether talking about that or his theater work, he's generous to his fellow actors. He's reflective, and talks about both what he's proud of and what he regrets. I ended the book feeling like I'd gotten to know and appreciate someone whose work I've enjoyed. 4.5 stars.

I'll probably try to watch some Star Trek soon, maybe over the summer.

Hiya Mary! How are you?

>56 Owltherian: Fine, Lily.

Happy Thursday! A busy day for me, though a little slower start in the morning is nice. The dogs are situated for the morning, and I'm going in to meet with the pastor of the church I've been attending since September. I had attended a membership class some months ago, and had some questions about their statement of faith before I turned in the application... but they've since updated the statement of faith, so I expect this will be a much shorter meeting than it would have been if we did it back in November/December. Anyway, I'm taking a little personal time off work to go in to meet with him at ten, then I'm headed into work where I'll be the person in charge while my boss is out sick.

After work, it's back to feed and walk the dogs, then Bible study in the evening. Tomorrow is back to the regular schedule of dogs and work, with nothing planned for the evening, thank goodness.

Reading: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride and The House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

Listening: "Titanic Rising" by Weyes Blood

Watching/Crafting: nothing new to report

>55 bell7: It is on my TBR and will be my Full-Price Kindle buy for March. I have points to use, so...plus I am already familiar with his TNG work. I hope you like the show! *smooch*

>59 richardderus: Most excellent news, Richard! Hope you like the book.

Good morning, happy March, and TGIF!

The dogs have me up early this morning. I woke up enough to read my Kindle book at about quarter to six, and I swear the dogs hear the slightest stirring in the bed and decides it means we're all up for the day. One of them started barking, and I finally got up around 6:20 to let them pee, and when they started barking again, I held out 'til about 5 minutes before my alarm would go off at 7 to let them out of their kennels and start my coffee. I can already tell daylight savings time is going to be quite the adjustment - try telling them that it's really 6 in the morning and we can all sleep an extra hour! After I post this, I'll need to get going giving them breakfast and walks so I can get to work on time.

Today is my last day at work before I take a much-needed staycation. My boss was out sick yesterday, and I don't know if she'll be back today or not to have our monthly one-on-one or not. So I'll have a few things to either gather for her for next week or go over with her at our meeting. The main things I'll be trying to accomplish are leaving my desk in a mostly organized state for when I get back from vacation and adding some lists of books to our new catalog, going live on Monday (yes, while I'm out). We're not changing the whole checkout system, thank goodness - for you librarians out there, our ILS is Evergreen - but our consortium is adding the Aspen Discovery layer to our public-facing catalog. It will have a lot of great features, but it's also very different and there's going to be a learning curve for staff and patrons.

Tonight I have no plans, just dog walks and dinner, and tomorrow I had had tentative plans but those got canceled, so it'll be a quiet day with hopefully a fair amount of reading, as well as putting something together for a potluck on Sunday.

Reading: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride and House of Flame and shadow by Sarah J. Maas

Listening: Plain White T's self-titled album

Watching/Crafting: nada

Happy weekend, everyone! Today turned into a semi-productive day. After morning dog walks, I did some cleanup around here such as changing out the litter boxes, and brought some clothes home to swap out. I went to a funeral service (no one I knew personally, but I knew her nephew's family and wanted to support them), and did my grocery shopping. I have laundry going, and other than that I'm done for the day. I've got a frozen pizza for dinner tonight.

I haven't reported back on much of the music I've been listening to in the past week or two, so here's a quick rundown:

"Titanic Rising" by Weyes Blood was an interesting one that one of my co-workers had recommended I try. I'm not a huge synth fan, so there were some songs I didn't care for, but it kept my interest throughout and each song was very distinct from the other. I added "Everyday", "Something to Believe" and "Picture Me Better" to the playlist. I'd definitely try another by this artist.

"Plain White T's" by Plain White T's - can't say I've listened to much of their stuff outside of the singles that made it to the radio, and that was "Hey There Delilah" years old. It was entertaining listening for the most part, though not always my favorite style or sound. My favorites were "Would You Even", "You Plus Me" and "Fired Up." Micky's recommendation - thank you!

"For Emma, Forever Ago" by Bon Iver - hmmm, not sure what to say about this one. It was fine, nothing too exciting or terrible but kinda boring. I didn't add anything to the playlist, and was done after just two listens through. I like some of what Bon Iver has done with other artists, and may give a different album a try.

That's it for CDs I currently have out of the library right now, though I have a couple on hold. I may see what I can find at my local library on Monday so I have some things to listen to on my week off.

Nothing new to report on reading/watching/crafting. I'm hoping to make very good progress in (if not finish) The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store today, and will put the Bruins on tonight.

Happy Newish Thread, Mary! Debbi loved Making It So and I loved The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Between the two of you you’ve convinced me that Making It So is in my reading future.

Hope you’re having a good weekend.

Hi Mary, I feel like I turned around and you were already 60 posts onto a new thread! I'm not so great at keeping up just now, apologies for that.

The spotify discussion interested me because I recently gave up the paid version. I listen on my commute, and am finding its not a problem for podcasts or music I know, but I don't seem to have worked out a way to find newer stuff using the app. I end up just adding artists or songs I've heard on the radio (which seems like a very old fashioned way to do things!)

I hope you have an enjoyable staycation, and that the catalogue changes go well.

>62 bell7: Musical tastes are funny aren't they, Mary? I love Bon Iver's album and in particular "Skinny Love" and "For Emma, Forever Ago".

Hi Mary, interesting discussion on music, and finding new music. I listen to podcasts a lot, and one of those has a playlist on spotify. It’s mostly classical music, I don’t recognize any of the names you are mentioning. But I like it for giving me new options. And sometimes, on relistening, I find that some music just has to grow on you.

Have a good week ahead!

>63 jnwelch: Hi Joe, I hope you enjoy Making It So when you get to it. I finished The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store on Saturday and really loved it - hopefully I'll review it today!

>64 charl08: I'm equally as guilty of getting behind on threads, Charlotte, so not to worry. I don't particularly use Spotify to find something new and tend to stick to only one or two playlists that I've created. I do tend to find new things by listening to full albums of artists whose singles I've enjoyed, asking for recommendations, or even just picking at random CDs that look interesting at the library. I used to use Pandora, but I found that no matter what I used as a starting song or artist, eventually anything I gave a "thumbs up" to made for a very similar rotation of songs instead of getting me outside the box. And thanks re: the staycation and catalog changes!

>65 PaulCranswick: It is funny, Paul. I kept listening feeling like I should like it more, but each song kind of blended into the other for me.

>66 EllaTim: Hi Ella, thanks for sharing! I don't listen to a lot of classical music, and would like to get more acquainted with it (as well as jazz, another style I enjoy some by sound alone but don't know a lot about). I've been thinking it might be interesting to find some lists to work my way through. I definitely agree about some music needing to grow on you. Unless I have a really strong visceral "don't like" reaction, I try to listen to each album about three times through before fully forming an opinion and saying what my favorite songs are.

Morning, Mary! Monday *smooches* slightly weird weather today, contrast to Sunday’s warm and sunny it is cloudy and still just a bit too warm. I think the crocuses think they missed their window because I have seen none blooming.

Be well, dear lady.

February in review:
20. Making It So by Patrick Stewart
19. Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong
18. The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin
17. The Casuarina Tree by W. Somerset Maugham
16. Hot Comb by Ebony Flowers
15. The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers
14. Derring-Do for Beginners by Victoria Goddard
13. The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

Books read: 8
Did not finish: 2
Rereads: 0
Children's/Teen/Adult: 1/0/7
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 7/1/0/0

Because I want to awards:
An example of why I love memoirs - Making It So by Patrick Stewart
Great read from a reliable series - Derring-Do for Beginners by Victoria Goddard

YTD stats -
Pages read: 6,549
Avg pages a day: 102
Books by POC authors: 6 (30%)
In translation: 4 (20%)
DNF: 2

Thoughts: I'm back to my typical February of reading fewer books, and what I read was mostly 4 stars or less, the two book I gave awards to being the exceptions. I did not read any books in translation, but my reading of Canadian and UK authors (and Chloe Gong grew up in New Zealand) has kept my percentage of US authors just under 50%. I'd like to see my POC authors percentage tick up a bit.

I am pleased by the range of genres I've been reading. Fantasy tops the list, as usual, but right now it's tied with General Fiction and Historical Fiction (each 25% for the year), with memoir next at 10%. Of course out of 20 books, that 10% is only two titles, so I will be interested in seeing how the genres change/settle over the next few months. I'm also interested to see that my Digital and Print reading is currently 50/50, which is the highest my Digital reading has ever gotten, but a reflection of the fact that much of the time, I'm reading from my Kindle before bed.

On to March reading - I've finished one book already, and have two very long books in my immediate future so I won't be surprised if my page numbers are up while my books read remain on the low side. I also seem to have a lot of nonfiction out from the library this month.

Glad to hear you largely enjoyed the Plain White T's album.

Hope your staycation is off to an excellent start.

>68 richardderus: Monday morning *smooches*, Richard. My first flowers to peek their heads out are the hyacinths, and now that you say that about the crocuses, I realize it's about the time I should go out and look for them in the garden. It's been such a mild winter I'm not sure any of the plants know what to do. Yesterday was gorgeous, today not rainy but rather blah with cloud cover, and the rest of the week we're forecasted to have rain 'til Friday.

>70 MickyFine: thanks, Micky! So far so good, I had grand plans for the day, but don't feel like doing anything after all, so I will embrace my desire to be lazy haha.

I had a whole long "daily post" I'd written out before I posted the February in review, but it has been eaten by the ether, which is just as well, 'cause I woke up grumpy and it showed.

Yesterday was a busy day with dogs, church, potluck, and making myself dinner taking me through 7 o'clock, at which point I didn't really feel like posting.

Today kicks off my vacation week from work, which I typically take around now to prune my grapes and blueberry bushes. My original plan was to do it today, but I woke up tired and irritable, so I'm letting that go, despite the fact that it's supposed to rain the rest of the week and only leave me Friday to tackle the pruning. The dogs are fed and walked, I have eaten breakfast, and haven't really done anything else yet. I have a few errands and things that have been rather hanging over my head annoying me that they're unfinished, so I may whittle away at things, but I'm largely giving myself the day off from being productive.

Reading: The House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas and Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

Listening: radio, though I'll probably try to pick up a CD or two at the library when I go to print out some things (no, I'm not going to work - just the library in the town where I live)

Watching/Crafting: nothing to report

>72 bell7: Sorry you woke up grumpy! Hope you were able to enjoy your lazy day.

>73 curioussquared: I did, thanks, Natalie! It wasn't entirely lazy, but it was a good balance of getting stuff done and reading a bunch.

Happy Tuesday!

I'm in a much better mood today - I slept better, and I'm not super annoyed with the dogs like I was first thing yesterday. The rain held off, and I was able to stay dry while walking the dogs. They're enjoying being out of their kennels now while I decide what to do for the day. I'm hoping to finish getting my tax documents ready to drop off with my accountant, and may go home just to hang out dog-free for a few hours.

The big news, though, is this is the day that my SIL goes in to get induced, so I will have a new niece soon (very likely tomorrow, since her appointment is later today).

Reading: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas and Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

Listening: Sarah Vaughan Anthology

Watching: Bruins game last night

Crafting: nada. I should probably just bring my knitting home at this rate

21. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Why now? I have to admit, I put the e-book on hold at the library thinking it would fit one of my Kindle challenges (Goodreads Choice Award) this quarter. It didn't; however, it was an excellent read, so I'm not at all sorry.

The Prologue begins telling readers about a skeleton found at the bottom of a well in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, with a mezuzah pendant, and the main suspect was a local Jewish man named Malachi. A hurricane washed everything away soon thereafter, but the story takes us back a couple of decades and introduces us to Moshe and Chona, Nate and Addie, and many of the Jewish immigrants and African Americans living and working in the same community on Chicken Hill. Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, and she and Nate work to keep his deaf nephew, Dodo, from being taken away to an institution. While telling this story, many different characters - white, Black, and Jewish - are introduced, giving a nuanced portrait of a community in the margins, making a place for themselves.

What a beautiful, well-told story. I loved the characters, loved seeing how the story unfolded, and experienced so many emotions while growing to know the inhabitants of Chicken Hill. This is my first book by James McBride, and definitely won't be my last. 5 stars.

I hope everything goes smoothly for your SIL and everyone is healthy.

>77 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! The plan was to admit her in the hospital last night as long as there is a bed - I haven't heard differently, so I expect she's there now and hope to hear more today when baby makes her appearance.

Happy Wednesday! In a little bit, I'll feed the dogs and start walking them. I'm planning on hanging out at home much of the day, getting started on bread (I'll bake it tomorrow) and making chicken soup. Yesterday I spent much of the afternoon at home, and it was blissful not to have the dogs (five labs, remember) vying for my attention and making it hard to do whatever it was I wanted to do. I did some knitting and reading, too, and should have a book finished today.

Reading: House of Flame and shadow by Sarah J. Maas and Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

Listening: Sarah Vaughan Anthology

Watching: Bruins last night

Crafting: I took the opportunity at home to get started on the Christmas stocking I'm making for my niece, and made very good progress on it

22. Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth
Why now? Since I watched the first three seasons of the show, I figured it was time to try the memoir(s) it was based on

Jennifer Worth reflects back on her time, 50 years prior to writing, working as a nurse and midwife in the East End of London in the 1950s. In mostly episodic chapters (a few stories carry over a little longer), she describes the poverty and challenges but rich life to be found among the people she served.

Though the stories can be a bit uneven, Worth bring an immediacy to the time and place, particularly the docks in Poplar, where many families lived in condemned housing and the community was still deeply impacted by the second World War and the evil of the workhouses. It was, perhaps, a little unfair to the book that I'd watched the show based on it first and recently, because I couldn't help but compare and contrast in my head. Many of her stories stay the same or are only slightly more dramatized, though the order she writes them in is not followed, nor is it necessarily chronological in the book, either. Worth sometimes jumps around from one type of birth to another, and puts three times when a mother was concerned the baby might be Black when her husband was not in a row. And while Worth generally treats people with respect, attitude of the time about various ethnic backgrounds do come through in her writing. Some characters, such as Mary, Sister Evangelina, and Sister Monica Joan, get a lot of attention, while fellow midwife Trixie is barely mentioned and Cynthia only a little more so. Still, midwifery in general interests me, and Worth writes about the experience in loving and sometimes dramatic detail, as well as contrasting current and past practices in medicine, making for a fascinating memoir. 4 stars.

New niece -- so exciting!! Hope everything goes well :)

Is the baby here yet?

>81 curioussquared: thanks, Natalie!

>82 The_Hibernator: not to my knowledge... I'm waiting on tenterhooks!

Speaking of bundles of joy being delivered....*smooch*

>84 richardderus: oh good, glad to hear it's arrived! My niece has not yet...

My niece is born! The parents aren't sharing pics on their social media, so I'll be following their example. My brother did not send details beyond her name 😂 But I should get to meet baby Ramona soon.

Hi Mary, I've enjoyed catching up. The Patrick Stewart book looks really good. I have Call the Midwife somewhere in the pile and I've not seen the show, so I should pick it up. I did read and love The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and I'm so glad you did too! Congratulations on your soon to be new niece!

Ooh she's here! Congratulations!

Congratulations on the birth of baby Ramona, Mary! I very much enjoyed watching Call the Midwife on tv. Perfect stuff to read given that your niece was just born.

Hooray! Welcome baby Ramona!

Congratulations all around on your new niece!

I love the name Ramona! Congrats to the family.

Sweet Thursday, Mary. Good review of Grocery Store. I agree it is a complete winner. Listening report: I gave a spin of Bjork's Debut. Another 90s masterpiece. I know her next two albums are just as good but haven't heard them yet. Our you familiar with her music? She is definitely an original.

>87 AMQS: Nice to see you, Anne! I have had a run of some good books. I hope you enjoy Call the Midwife, and glad to see you loved The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store too.

>88 AMQS: And thanks!

>89 vancouverdeb: It was very good timing, Deborah, and probably a little on my mind since I knew she was to be induced on Tuesday.

>90 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>91 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

>92 katiekrug: I like it too! She has a lot to live up to with the character, and now of course I want to reread all the books haha.

>93 msf59: Thank you, Mark, it was a hard review for me to write and explain just what made it such a special read. You're mentioning all sorts of 90s artists that are not on my radar, and I'll have to check out Bjork as well.

Is her middle name Quimby? She *does* have an impeccably bookish family tree....

Good morning, everyone! I've been up and walked the dogs in the rain, ran home to get the bread ready for its second rise, and will soon head out to the hospital to meet Ramona. Yesterday I was super productive (which probably had something to do with the anxiety of waiting for news all day), but today I have very little on the agenda in comparison. That being said, besides meeting my niece, I'm baking the bread, taking care of the dogs, and going to Bible study tonight. So, you know, it's all relative.

My sisters and family in DC will be coming up tonight and staying at my parents' through Saturday. I expect the next two days I'll spend as much time as possible with all my family between dog walks.

Reading: The House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas and Foster by Claire Keegan

Listening: Sarah Vaughan Anthology (it's a long one, and I haven't been driving as far lately)

Watching: put on some tennis again last night, but it's really been more background noise for reading

Crafting: working away at the Christmas stocking for Ramona

>95 richardderus: Hahaha that really would've hit the nail on the head, but no, it's Ann. And indeed we are a very bookish family, so I really wouldn't expect anything less :)

I recently re-read all the Ramona books, via audio. It was a lot of fun :)

>98 katiekrug: I remember seeing some of your posts about the books, and was happy to see they held up well.

Well, before I head out for the dog walking and the rest of the day's plans, a quick update to let y'all know that my niece is adorable. I only got to visit for about a half hour, but I got to hold her, and she was awake and squirmy. She has just a bit of fuzzy brown hair, and baby blue eyes that could still become any color in the end, as well as the "Bell" nose. She was 8 lbs 8 ounces, and after a day of the inducing not causing any more dilation, she came by C-section (my poor SIL...). And while she was squirmy when I held her, she settled right down for her dad, who she is going to have wrapped around her little finger.

Happy Friday! My vacation week went by way too fast haha. I had a quiet morning after walking the dogs, and used it to make progress in House of Flame and Shadow. It's been a largely frustrating read, but I want to know how the trilogy ends so I am pushing through... my SIL's sister also read it, though, and offered to let me send her snarky texts, so that is helping. I may find myself reaching the saturation point with these books, however. (In a lot of long-running series, I will find myself having enjoyed much of it, but just kind of done at a certain point and not willing to go back to it.)

Anyway... I'm not at the hospital because it looks like they might be coming home today, though if they don't, I mind swing by this afternoon. My parents and visiting family had morning plans that didn't work for me to join because of the dog walking timing. So I'm planning on going over for the afternoon, then coming back to feed and walk the dogs, and then go back to spend the evening with a bunch of family. And we'll see what tomorrow holds.

Reading: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas and Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Listening: might trade out for a new CD today, not sure yet

Watching: not much

Crafting: not yesterday

>55 bell7: I wish my local library had a copy of that one as I would love to read it. Maybe one day!

>76 bell7: I have that one on hold at the library, but I am number 3 in the queue so it may be a while before I get to it. Knowing my luck, it will probably turn up when I am out of town. I am happy to see that you thought so highly of it!

>86 bell7: Congratulations to your family on its latest member!

Have a wonderful weekend, Mary!

>86 bell7: Congratulations to your family on the new arrival!

>96 bell7: Enjoy your time with your family this weekend.

Congrats on the arrival of a new family member!

>101 bell7: Vacation always goes by fast. Interesting how one week of work goes by extra slow ;)

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy weekend of auntie-ing, Mary!

Enjoy your family time, Mary!

Belated congratulations to you and your family on the arrival of your newest member. Ramona is an excellent name!

Snarky texting is the best way to get through Maas' writing, I find, lol. (And I will send you those PMs, I haven't forgotten).

>102 alcottacre: Does your library let you suspend holds, Stasia? Mine does and basically it keeps your spot in the queue, but it won't fill it until the date you set to activate it so it doesn't show up while you're away. If not, I hope your hold arrives at a good time and not while you're gone! And thank you!

>103 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene!

>104 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! TBH while some hours while working can go by slow, the week goes by very fast regardless, as I find myself with plenty of things I want to do.

>105 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>106 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>107 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Hahaha, thank you, I enjoyed reading through them the other night but haven't had a chance to respond (and honestly don't remember much about Book 3). You've read the best 3 of Maas's books, imo, and got to a good stopping point to not go back to them ;)

Thanks for all your visits and notes while I was MIA over the weekend! I've had a chance to visit with my parents, siblings, and niblings, and was very glad that the staycation I'd put in for months ago turned out to be a great time to get us all together for my niece's birth. My middle sister was joking that she finally gets to be an aunt (she was the only one with kids 'til now).

Today I felt like I gained an hour 'cause the dogs started whining at 7:30 to go out (yeah, they'd gotten to 6:30 leading up to the time change). I'm hoping I can keep them kinda on this schedule for the next week so I'm both sleeping well and on time for work. Wish us luck! After dog feeding and walks, I had church, came back to walk all the dogs, and did a grocery shopping. I may have to pick up a few things at some point, but I'm hoping I planned enough meals to get me through the end of the dogsitting job, which is a week from today. I have a pizza in the oven for a late lunch and will have leftovers for dinner.

Reading: House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas, Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher, Ribsy by Beverly Cleary, and The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard (oops... I'll finish up at least one today so it won't be this many for long - usually 3 is my limit)

Listening: "More Love - songs from Season 1 of Little Voice" Sara Bareilles

Watching/Crafting: nothing to report

24. The House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
Why now? as this is the highly anticipated third book in the Crescent City series, I'd put a hold on the library copy a couple of months before it came out

***spoilers ahead for earlier books in the series***

Bryce finds herself not in Hel, where she meant to go, but to the Night Court being held by Rhysand, where she learns important information about the history of Midgard how to beat the Asteri. Meanwhile, Bryce, Ruhn, and Baxian are being held - and brutally tortured by Pollux - in the dungeons, and the Hind, Lidia, is working to free them. Their other friends, including Tharian, Ithan, Declan, and Flynn, will also be working towards the ultimate goal of upending the corrupt government set up by the Asteri to use everyone's firstlight for their own power.

What I generally like about Sarah J. Maas's books is that she writes characters I care about and plots her stories with twists I don't see coming but in a way that makes perfect sense upon reflection. This book doesn't do any of that. Almost nothing of note other than Bryce's discoveries in the other world happen after 400 pages, and I almost put the book down then. I wish I had, because it doesn't get better. To be fair, it's been almost two years since I read the last book, so I'd forgotten who some of the characters were and how they got where they were. But there are an awful lot of characters to follow, and the point of view changes between them frequently, sometimes only a couple of pages at a time, for no discernible reason. A brand-new character gets introduced halfway through the book, and only really has a role for another 200 pages or so. Characters don't talk when they could and then have really awkward conversations at stupid moments when they should be concerned about other things, like surviving. The story is fairly predictable and even felt jerked around to get characters to the right place or the right thing to happen, with the magical abilities of a character just conveniently being what was needed at a particular moment. I kept reading because I knew that things got resolved with the Asteri and Bryce & Hunt's story wraps up in this book, and I wanted to know what happens. But I was annoyed with the characters most of the time, not invested in the story at all, and by the time I got to the action at the end, I didn't really care. The book needed a good editor and about half as many pages, and sadly could've much better. 2 stars.

I often get to the point with an author or series where I've read enough of it and don't want to go on, even if I've been enjoying it up to now. I may have gotten there with Sarah J. Maas. Prior to this one, I'd never rated one of her books less than 4 stars. I like the A Court of Thorns and Roses series the best and *might* continue with that one when the new book comes out. We'll see after that.

23. Foster by Claire Keegan
Why now? I liked Small Things Like These, and it fit one the TIOLI prompt to read a book with a polysyllabic one-word title

A young girl who's part of a large family is brought by her father to live with a childless couple, relatives of hers, who are caring for her while her mother is pregnant with yet another child. At first unsure, she comes to love and trust these kind folks who take her in.

This novella packs a punch. The story is from the unnamed child's point of view, and the characters are so well drawn. It's a quiet, everyday kind of story but filled with such emotion that the ending had me rereading, making sure I fully understood. This one will stick with me for awhile. 4.5 stars.

I messed up my numbering... I finished this one in one day, on the 7th, but with everything going on I didn't get a chance to review it.

>110 bell7: The first one squicked me out too much to even *consider* reading the others.

>111 bell7: oh hell

*trudges off to Ammy*

>112 richardderus: You made the right decision, on both counts. Nice to know I can still get you with a book bullet here and there. *smooch*

Heya Mary! How are ya?

A belated daily checkin...

I didn't set the alarm, thinking between the dogs and my body clock, I'd get up in plenty of time (and hopefully not ridiculously early). Well, one of the dogs that doesn't usually bark in the morning started up and I thought hmmm, I should check what time it is... and it was 7:44. I got the dogs fed and walked and gave the cat her pill, then had to hightail it to work with no coffee or breakfast for me. Fortunately I was only a few minutes late (and, importantly, got coffee from the Keurig). I worked 9-2, caught up on my email, and got the beginning of the desk schedule started, as well as a couple other smaller projects. I checked in with my brother, and was told I could come by for a visit. My parents came too, and we each got to hold the baby for a bit. My parents left before I did, and I got a good long hold at the end, while she slept. I expect I'll see her next over the weekend.

Tomorrow I'm working 9-5 and go in first to our every-other-year anti-harassment training.

Reading: The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard and Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Listening: "To the Faithful Departed" by the Cranberries

Watching: Bruins tonight

Crafting: nada - looking forward to going home next week and working on the Christmas stocking more!

>114 Owltherian: I'm good, Lily! You'll see more in >115 bell7: - we cross-posted :)

>116 bell7: Seems like have :)

Sounds like a busy day, Mary. I am glad you got to hold the new baby today!

New baby snuggles are always a delight!

Good luck with keeping the dogs at 7:30 wake ups until the end of the week!

>108 bell7: I'm going to try 4 and 5 but then I think Maas and I are done.

>116 bell7: and >117 Owltherian: I corrected my numbering there, oops.

>118 vancouverdeb: Always busy lately, Deborah, though when I get home from dogsitting, I will suddenly find myself with about 2 hours extra a day to... well, I'm sure I'll fill them, probably mostly by slowing down my morning prep and cooking longer meals! And visit the baby some more, of course.

>119 MickyFine: New baby snuggles are the bestest feeling! Toddler and older snuggles are still pretty special too, of course. And thanks, 7:30 isn't a bad wake up for me, thankfully. At home, I set my alarm for 7:15, but figured if they're used to hearing the alarm go off at 7:30 maybe I'll only have to get up at 7:20...
I will look forward to your reviews on 4 and 5.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! The day went by super quickly and I didn't get to everything I wanted to. I had a mandatory training on harassment in the workplace and Town policy this morning. The presenter they had is one we've got before and he's the best we've had for something that can be, let's face it, dry and we have to be there. He does a good job keeping things engaging and answering questions.

Then the afternoon was a fair amount of time on the desk because others had to go to the same training in the afternoon. I came back, fed & walked the dogs, then fed myself. I tried a new recipe for green shakshuka from Dinner in One, which was delicious and easy. Definitely something I'll make again.

Tomorrow, I work 12-8 so I'm planning on using the morning after dog walks to run the dishwasher and finally fold the clothes I washed over the weekend. At work, I've got a department head meeting and I'm covering a program (the sourdough guy is coming back for folks on the waitlist from the January program), plus volunteers to keep busy and desk time. Next week is my book club, so I need to think about starting that book soon, too.

Reading: The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard and Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Listening: "Sing Into My Mouth" by Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell

Watching/Crafting: Nothing

Happy Wednesday! Today went as expected, buy at the dogs' house and at work. I am beat, and currently sitting it the dogs' room in front of the TV ready to eke out a few pages before I head to bed.

Reading: The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard, Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher and Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny

Listening: "Oh, Mayhem!" by Bettie Seeveert

Watching/Crafting: still nothing

Edited to fix touhstone

Listening update:

"Anthology" by Sarah Vaughan was an interesting and enjoyable one. I'm not super familiar with jazz classics, but I recognized her name from an NPR interview with a current performer whose style was compared to Vaughan's. Some of the recordings were from the '40s, and the quality was such that you could hear the skips and crackles. I added "Perdido," "In a Sentimental Mood" and "Favourite Things" to my playlist.

"More Love. Songs from Little Voice Season 1" by Sara Bareilles was new-to-me. Bareilles has become one of my favorite artists over the last year or so. I liked this one a lot as a whole, and I added several songs to my playlist: "I Don't Know Anything," "King of the Lost Boys," "Simple and True", "Ghost Light," "Coming Back to You" and "Little Voice" all made the cut. I've had "Coming Back to You" stuck in my head off and on the last couple of days, though "King of the Lost Boys" and "Little Voice" are my absolute favorites.

"To the Faithful Departed" by the Cranberries is hard to categorize and to explain why it didn't quite work for me, but I did not add any song from this album to my playlist. I'm only familiar with a song or two of theirs ("Zombies" is one my brother's band has covered), and I'd try another album or two to see if the album or the artist wasn't a great match for me. I didn't hate it, but nothing really stood out.

"Sing Into My Mouth" by Iron & Wine and Ben Bridwell. Meh... I liked the sound of a few songs, but the lyrics didn't do anything for me, for the most part. I did put the first song, "This Must Be the Place" on my playlist.

25. Ribsy by Beverly Cleary
Why now? My oldest niece wanted me to read it to her when they were up visiting last week; we got about halfway through, and then I had to finish it on my own...

When Ribsy manages to get out of the car at a shopping center, collarless, he ends up going on many adventures before being reunited with his boy, Henry Huggins.

I read all of the Ramona and Henry Huggins books as a kid, so this was a reread for me as I read it to my niece, who enjoys the Ramona books and is also a huge dog fan. This one is mostly told from Ribsy's perspective, though we do get some chapters catching us up on what the Huggins family is doing to try to get the dog back. The whole idea of putting a lost and found ad in the newspaper may have to be explained to kids today. Other than that the lost animal finding its way back is a classic story, and this one holds up well. Cleary does a great job of writing things in a way that a child and adult can both relate to, and I especially laughed over the way Ribsy thinks about using "patience" with young children. 4 stars.

My nephew doesn't much get into reading, but he was listening enough that any time I said Ramona's name, he exclaimed, "Like the baby!" I think they're both pretty excited to have a cousin.

Edited to fix my spelling.

Hi, Mary. I’m glad Heaven and Earth Grocery Store turned out well for you. That was a 5 star for me, too. The others of his I’ve read are The Color of Water (a memoir) and Deacon King Kong, both of which I liked a lot.

Nice review of Foster; I loved it, too. I still think about it and know what I’d liked to have happen after the ending. That somehow the little girl got to stay with the couple that was kind and loving to her. . Like you, I was quite taken by Small Things Like These. She has an impressive discipline in knowing when she wants to stop a story. I want to read more of her.

I hope you’re enjoying Nettle and Bone; i sure did. I’ve been encouraged on my thread to read another one by T. Kingfisher, called A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking. I’ve got it teed up.

>125 jnwelch: Hi Joe, both those McBride titles are on my list, and I'll look forward to reading them. The Color of Water has interested me for years but for whatever reason, I have not gotten to it.

I think you're right re: Foster, the ending was ambiguous and left me wondering if she ended up with the sweet couple or at home. I wonder, too, how much of her experience was the novelty of being an only child instead of one of many - there can be plenty of love, but will certainly be less resources of both time and money. Though her father seemed a not-great guy in not providing and lying about it.

I read A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking and remember enjoying it. There's a very smart sourdough starter that makes an awful lot of sense to me now that I have starter myself 😂 I'll look forward to your thoughts.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Yesterday was a massively busy day with dogs, work, and Bible study. By the time I got back, I was beat and only read about a chapter in my book club book before going to bed.

Today is still busy, I went into work about an hour late so I didn't have to rush out the door, and the vet tech will be coming tonight to give the cat her fluids. I might do a small grocery shopping to get things for making a meal for my brother and SIL tomorrow and Sunday's potluck, because the evening after 6 is much less busy than a Saturday.

Reading/Watching/crafting all the same.

Listening: Lamprey by Bettie Serveert

Happy-weekend *smooch*

>123 bell7: I am also a Bareilles fan. I don't know if your library acquired it but there's a recently released DVD of a recording of her doing Waitress on Broadway (she did a limited run as Jenna in, I think, 2023). I added it to my personal collection as I'm a big fan of both the musical and Bareilles and it's highly enjoyable, IMO.

>108 bell7: Thank you for mentioning suspending the hold, Mary. Until today, I did not realize my local library did that. I have now suspended the hold until I get back from Longview :)

>111 bell7: I have really got to get that one read! I have owned it for at least a year now.

>124 bell7: Oh, I so remember the Beverly Cleary books. My favorite was always The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

Have a wonderful weekend! I am still trying to catch up to you in The Hands of the Emperor.

>128 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! *smooches* back

>129 MickyFine: I have the DVD out from the library now, and am very excited to watch it once I'm home! (I have never been able to figure out the DVD player where I'm dogsitting)

>130 alcottacre: Oh good, Stasia, I'm glad that was helpful for you! Nothing worse than holds you've been waiting for showing up when you can't get them. I think you'll like Foster when you get to it.

I LOVED Beverly Cleary as a kid. I read all the Ralph books, Henry & Ribsy and Ramona. Some of the other standalones I'm reading as an adult, and they've been just as enjoyable. My brother and SIL were telling me they've already started collecting some for their Ramona.

You'll get some chances to catch up with me over the weekend, as I'll be prioritizing Brave the Wild River 'til I finish it for book club. I'll still read some, but last night, for example, I read only one chapter.

Happy Saturday! I spent a very productive/busy morning and early afternoon: dog care, then packing much of my stuff in the car, doing a grocery shopping, going home, getting bread started, and cooking. I know, I don't like to shop for food AND cook the same day, but I'd told my brother and SIL I'd make them dinner. I put together a tossed salad and made Spiced Chicken and Couscous Soup from Dinner in One by Melissa Clark. I saved a little bit for myself, then brought the food over and got to hold baby for a short visit. She's already bigger than her birth weight and showing her personality. She prefers being held upright, and curled up tight on my chest with her ear above my heart, makes funny little sounds and is a bit squirmy even while contented. She's already very strong and holds her head up like she's older than newborn, and she loves movement & bouncing.

I left when it was time to feed her, and bought the retirement gift from the group for my co-worker, then went back home to pick up the food I need for the weekend and put the bread dough in the fridge (I'll cook it Monday).

I'm now back with the dogs, have pre-made stuffed mushrooms in the oven now for a very belated lunch, and in about an hour and a half I'll feed & walk the dogs. I'll get to relax the rest of the evening, then tomorrow is church and potluck. The dogs' owners are returning tomorrow late, so I'll hang out here for the evening and go home to go to bed. I'm very much looking forward to going back to my own regular busy schedule without working in the dog walks until I return in a couple of weeks.

Reading: Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny, The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard and Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Listening: Lamprey by Bettie Serveert

Watching: Bruins & tennis

Crafting: Nada

That is a very FULL day. Hopefully you can relax a bit on Monday?

>133 MickyFine: somewhat. I'm working 9-2 and I'm planning on going from there to sign my taxes, but I'll get home before five and plan on doing very little otherwise.

>134 bell7: The temptation to needlepoint the definition of "relax" on a cushion for you as a constant reminder is suddenly high, lol.

>135 MickyFine: 😂 fair. In defense of my answer, though, it will be somewhat more relaxing than today. I'm going to my accountant's just to sign the taxes (I *used* to do it myself), and when I get home at 3ish I have just a Me to take care of, not five dogs and a cat with renal & thyroid problems.

>190 atozgrl: (Thread #2) regarding The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin. I also read this book. I thought it was a good depiction of her younger years when she really didn't fit it. I admired her spunky personality and the feeling that she didn't really care if she fit in or not.

I'm very interested in the subject of art heists, and her museum's travesty of taking so many unrecovered jems, is still so very sad. I do hope that the Rembrant Christ On The Sea of Galile is recovered some day. I thought it was interesting that Rembrandt painted himself in the painting. He was a cheeky man in an red/orange tam close to Jesus. I had to laugh at the hubris. This point I believe I found from another book, but it was one that led me to want to learn more about her.

>136 bell7: Regarding your cat with renal and thyoid problems..I am sad about this. Our cat (only will be two in July,) has asthma. She hates the taste of the medicine no matter what he try to hide it in. We have a new medication that the vet said tasts like cat nip, still she refuses to eat it.

It's good to catch up on books you are reading, and snipets of your life. All good wishes! I'll try to visit more often.

>136 bell7: Your "quiet" days still sound busy to me, Mary! I hope you have a good Sunday.

Happy Sunday, Mary. How do you like Bettie Serveert? I have been listening to Blur, a British pop band from the 90s. If you haven't heard them, give 'em a spin.

>137 Whisper1: I'm so glad you caught up, Linda. Our book discussion talked quite a bit about the museum and the heist. Apparently one of the guards on duty that night passed away recently, and there was a NY Times article about him and how suspicion fell on him after the event. It would be nice if they solved the case and recovered the art in my lifetime! I also would especially like to see Christ on the Sea of Galilee.

The cat isn't my own, but one I was watching while her owners were away. She's a very sweet cat who sleeps with me when they're gone, and I will be very sad when I hear she's passed away - hopefully not for awhile yet! She did really well with the fluids and for the most part, took her thyroid meds without a problem.

>138 charl08: I didn't say it was a *quiet* day, just not as busy as yesterday ;)
I know, though, I'm due for a "do nothing" day. I think next Sunday I might try to take it as easy as possible. I currently have no plans after church.

>139 msf59: "Oh, Mayhem!" was a little rocking for my taste, but I'm enjoying "Lamprey" currently, Mark. Thanks for the rec! I'll add Blur to the "To Listen" list.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

The folks I was dog and cat sitting for surprised me and returned yesterday night instead of today. I had fortunately brought most of my stuff home already in preparation, and just had a little more packing to do to get everything back home. I slept in rather gloriously this morning, getting up with just enough time to get my coffee and go to church. Before & after service, I met with a couple of folks who will be putting me on the rotation for baby nursery and toddler classes, now that I'm nearly-officially a member (they haven't announced my name in service yet, but apparently the meeting I had with the pastor a couple of weeks ago asking about their constitution/statement of faith was enough). My parents had their meeting with folks on staff today, so looks like we'll all be officially joining together. They had been going to a different place from me the past six years ago or so, and in different ways we found ourselves in the same church again, so that's been neat.

I'm headed out soon for potluck and Bible study. My friend's kids all made sure I knew it was today and that I was coming :D They'll be thrilled to bits (though their parents perhaps less so) to know I don't have a time limit to go back and walk the dogs hahaha.

*smooch*

*smooch* back

Happy Monday! I'm working 9-2 and probably on the desk most of that time, and on top of answering folks' questions, my main goal for the day will be collecting addresses and mailing postcards inviting the many volunteers, Trustees, and active Friends of the Library members to a volunteer breakfast in April. I usually try to have this done weeks ago, but I forgot with a lot of stuff going on and then my vacation week to get started on it.

After work, I'm going to my accountant's to sign my taxes. There's a part of me that wants to relax and read my book club book and eat leftovers tonight, and there's another part that wants to finish unpacking, do the laundry, and grocery shop. We'll see after work which side wins... Oh, and I got bread dough ready this morning to bake this afternoon.

Reading/Listening/Watching/Crafting: pretty much all the same. I finished Nettle & Bone last night and owe a review.

I'm rooting for the relaxing side to win. 😊

>145 MickyFine: I kinda split the difference haha. My brain wouldn't quite let me settle down right away, so I did meal planning and grocery list, but the actual shopping can wait 'til tomorrow. So can the laundry. AND I finished my book club book, so I did sit down at least for a little while :D

26. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
Why now? It's been on my TBR since it came out, and I bought it on Kindle sale earlier this year. I was thinking it was a novella and started reading it when I'd finished Foster and still had a day before I'd start The Hands of the Emperor.

Marra, the youngest princess, doesn't really love palace life and is rather relieved when her mother sends her to a convent. While there, she learns that her sister, Kania, wed to a prince in a treaty keeping her kingdom from being at war, is being abused by her husband and has been pregnant several times now with miscarriages. After completing impossible tasks, Marra enlists the help of a dust-wife to attempt to rescue her sister.

A clever tale that subverts a few fantasy expectations, Nettle & Bone may be Marra's adventures with a found family, but it also lets readers behind the scenes of the Great Quest to reflect on the drudgery and difficulty involved. Don't let that be a turn off - the journey is enjoyable for the reader, with a witty narrator reminding us of the quotidian without getting bogged down in boring details. It reminded me a little of Diana Wynne Jones' way of writing books firmly in the fantasy genre while also playing with the tropes and being wholly original. Marra is a fun heroine to follow, one that at age 30 is a little older than most, not always sure of herself, but still attempting to do the right thing even if she's not sure how or if she'll succeed. And, at just under 250 pages, it's rather spare and a refreshing change from some of the bloated fantasy tales out there. 4.5 stars.

27. Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny
Why now? March book club choice

Elzada Clover and Lois Jotter were botanists, which was allowable for women in the 1930s, though they were generally discouraged from more than leisurely walks in the fields. Both where well-educated: Clover was a professor at the University of Michigan with a specialization in cacti, while Jotter was a graduate student whom Clover mentored. In 1938, these two women went on a trip down the formidable Colorado River, to collect plants and learn about the plants in and around the Grand Canyon.

Sevigny's account of the trip is fascinating, as much about the river itself as about the Nevills Expedition - the one Clover and Jotter were on with Norm Nevills and a few others with disparate goals for the trip. Including stories of other expeditions and giving enough history and science for lay readers to appreciate the importance of the trip, Sevigny grounds the story in its time and place, letting us see the challenges of women in their field - many thought they shouldn't be on such a dangerous river at all, and when newspapers covered it, they sensationalized and often glossed over or didn't mention that the women were scientists. National parks' complicated history and ignoring of Indigenous peoples' knowledge (indeed, often moving tribes off the land to make the park) add to the details of the history. Sevigny also does a great job of balancing the science as known then versus now, detailing the changes in understanding of ecology through the changes in the river, as dams were added after the 1938 expedition. A compelling story about people that deserve to be remembered for their scientific contributions. 4 stars.

Good morning, all! I'm back to a fairly normal Tuesday, working 9-5, and then I plan on going grocery shopping on my way home from work.

I listened to a couple of Bettie Serveert albums over the past week - "Oh, Mayhem!" and "Lamprey" were the two I was able to get from the library. The former was, as you may guess from the title, really rocking out. I tend to prefer acoustic over electric guitar, and when it has to be electric, less distortion. "Lamprey" was a bit more to my taste, and I added the final song, "Silent Spring," to my playlist.

Reading: The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard

Listening: Radio 'til I select a new couple of CDs from the library

Watching: I will probably put the Bruins on tonight

Crafting: Finally got some more work done on the stocking - I've started the instep and am nearly done the colorwork.

>148 bell7: Ooh, that sounds right up my alley

Happy Tuesday, Mary! I think the Nevills expedition needs better press...Id never heard of it before now, let alone these two members of it!

*smooch*

>147 bell7: Nettles & Bone looks like a winner—I’ve got it requested! Thanks!

Karen O

>150 norabelle414: I think you'd like it, Nora

>151 richardderus: glad I could bring it to your attention! I hadn't heard of this book before one of our book club members suggested it for this year, and I'm glad she put it in our radar!

>152 klobrien2: oh great, I'll look forward to your thoughts on it, Karen!

Happy Wednesday!

I... think I tried to do a little too much today, and I am beat. I spent a very productive morning at home, and cooked up a new salmon dish that I will try at lunch tomorrow. Work was busy, we had a goodbye party for our children's librarian who is retiring next week, and I had book club tonight. We had a great discussion on Brave the Wild River, a couple of people had done some hiking and rapids in the Grand Canyon and shared some of their experiences, which was neat to hear. We had a lot of admiration for the explorers in the 1930s dealing with all that they did, and expressed both how much has changed and stayed the same in how women are treated in that kind of scenario.

And now, to bed. Tomorrow is another busy one - work, dinner at my parents, and Bible study. Oh, and since I'm doing a two-night dogsitting stint over the weekend, I need to pack.

Reading: The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard and The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann

Listening: "In the End," Cranberries

Watching/crafting: nothing today

What kind of salmon dish did you make? I don't do a lot of seafood at home because The Wayne doesn't like it, but he has said he doesn't hate salmon, so I'm trying to find recipes that might appeal to him...

I hope you have a restful night and don't overdo it tomorrow :)

>155 katiekrug: I used the recipe for roasted tuna in Melissa Clark's Dinner in One, which suggested salmon fillets as a substitute. But I have a couple of salmon recipes I use, one with garlic and dill and another with maple syrup (this gets mixed reviews online, but I liked it, and find the maple gives it less of a fishy flavor, which might appeal to The Wayne).

Edited to add: let me know if any of those sound appealing, and I'll send the recipe along.

Happy Thursday! I have a couple of busy days upcoming, followed by a fairly quiet weekend. After working 9-5 today, I am going from there to pick up the key for dogsitting, then to my parents' for dinner, and to Bible study. I'll get home basically in time to go to bed. Somewhere in there, I need to pack for dogsitting over the weekend, or at least enough to for an overnight 'til I can come back on Saturday to sort things out.

I'll be dogsitting over the weekend, but it's an easy dog who will pretty much hang out with me while I read or watch TV. I may try to bake bread and do laundry at home, but even those are fairly passive and it should be a pretty relaxed weekend. There's some possibility I'll get together with my Little on Saturday, and I have church on Sunday, but that is the extent of my plans.

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

My youngest sister created a group for the family to fill out the March Madness brackets and sent the link in a text last night that simply read "Mandatory". We used to do it when I was a kid (winner got ice cream), but we haven't done it in years and it was rather fun to do a bracket again. I expect I'll be watching some of the basketball now to see how I do (it's not a sport I follow, but I do like the bragging rights if I do well).

>158 katiekrug: - If they are easy to pass along, I'd love the two recipes you mention (the garlic/dill and the maple). Thanks!

I hope you picked FAU to win their first round match on Friday! We were going to go, but TW has too much work. Boo.

>158 katiekrug: I'll make a note to take photos of the recipe cards and send them to you 🙂

>157 bell7: When isn't your day a busy one, Mary? Even your fairly lazy days (for you) sound quite busy to me. Nettle and Bone sounds like a good one. On to the list it goes.

Happy Friday, Mary. I hope your reading and listening is going well. In regard to music, I would like to recommend the Canadian band Blue Rodeo. They are similar to the Gin Blossoms and the Bodeans. I think you would really like them. I have just been listening to their greatest hits.

>158 katiekrug: Oh and also, no, I didn't think of it and picked the opposing team (legit went on vibes and did it in 5 minutes) but now my picks are locked in so can't change it. Best of luck to them in any case, and boo on not being able to go because The Wayne has too much work.

>160 Familyhistorian: It's true, I tend to fill even my quieter days with stuff to do, and I tend to be "all or nothing" - either I do all the chores, or I do absolutely nothing but read and knit and watch TV all day. The days that I'm out of the house for 12 hours or more seem especially busy to me, however. And I hope you like Nettle and Bone!

>161 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark! Reading and listening are going well (though I'm one of those people who can't do both at the same time!). I finished with the Cranberries CD and put in a Coldplay one. The first of the two Bjork CDs I requested came in the other day, so I'll be starting that in the coming days. I'll add Blue Rodeo to the listening list, though I can't say I'm familiar with either band you compare them to either.

TGIF! Yesterday few people could make it, so we canceled Bible study. I still had dinner with my parents, and they had to go to their small group, so I came home and did some laundry and packed while I had the Bruins game on. I also finished The Romantic Agenda before I went to bed, so I'll be starting a new paper book today.

Getting the laundry done last night/today actually eases up things for the weekend even more so, because I needed socks and pants that were in the laundry to finish packing. Now if I come home tomorrow, it's really mostly because I want to bake that bread again and do some cooking instead of schlepping all the food to where I'm dogsitting for two nights. I expect I will have plenty of time for reading this weekend, plus knitting and maybe even watching a movie. Actually, I'll probably try to fit in a visit to see my niece, too.

My NCAA bracket took a major downturn when Kentucky lost, as I'd picked them to upset at least one team and make it to the finals. So now, though I'm in third and only 20 points behind the current leader, the max amounts of points I can get is 1740, while everyone else still has the possibility of scoring over 1800 in correct picks. But of course, it's still just the first round and all of that can change quickly. (I don't even watch basketball, but I'm nothing if not competitive.)

I've decided in my listening to music fun that after I finish the current CDs I have out, I'm going to listen to the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums List, the 2023 version. Instead of going 500-1, I want to go in roughly chronological order (I'm only really paying attention to the year) so I get a sense of artists' contemporaries and, if they have multiple albums in the list, how their music developed over the years. I have only listened to a handful of the albums in the top 500, and it cracked me up to discover that it was Simon & Garfunkel, Alice Coltrane, and Taylor Swift that I was most familiar with. I knew the Beatles albums, of course, but with the exception of Sergeant Pepper, I believe I've only listened to my dad's favorite songs from each, rather than the complete album. Anyway, that project will keep me happily occupied for awhile.

Oh... I never actually mentioned what I'm doing today, did I? I'm working 9-5, and will probably get takeout because I only have one meal prepped and it's lunch. I'm going from work to the place I'm dogsitting, and hanging out with the dog for a quiet evening.

Reading: The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard

Listening: "A Head Full of Dreams," Coldplay

Watching: Bruins game last night, possibly a movie tonight if I can figure out their system

Crafting: I'm bringing along a scarf I started awhile back for an easy project and break from the stocking

28. The Bible

This feels like cheating a little bit, because I read the bulk of it in my latest read through in 2021 and 2022, but I did indeed finish my reading plan last night with the last chapters of Malachi and Revelation. I'll be a starting a new reading plan soon, though it tends to take second fiddle to whatever Bible study I'm doing with my group, so it takes me 2-3 years to complete each one.

29. The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann
Why now? I asked some librarian friends for romance recommendations, and this one was on the list

Joy and Malcolm have been best friends for ten years: they went to college together, work together, and they're both asexual. But Malcolm has been in multiple relationships, while Joy has had a crush on him for ages, and he seems completely unaware despite the fact that they share everything. After his latest breakup, Malcolm's been in a funk, but this weekend - he tells Joy to clear her schedule, and he takes her along to meet Summer, his latest girlfriend. The catch? Summer's friend Fox is coming along, and Malcolm wants Joy to keep him occupied. Fox is grumpy and reserved, but convinces Joy to fake date and see if they can make Malcolm jealous. She agrees, but the setup starts to bring on feelings that are all too real.

I liked this contemporary romance with ace representation. Joy is a fun character, very secure in herself, and willing to tell it like it is, though she does get frustrated with people who assume things about her identity - like that she'd never date. The complicated feelings that she and Malcolm have for each other lasts throughout the book to the point of being a love triangle, which isn't my favorite, but also felt realistic for a close friendship that had lasted as long as theirs had. I would have liked to see more of Fox's personality fleshed out. I could see why he liked Joy, but it was less obvious what she saw in him, other than a mystery to crack. And it's written in present tense, which is not my favorite, but I managed to mostly overlook it because I liked the characters. 4 stars.

Note to Richard: there's enough winking in this one that I noticed, so be aware

>162 bell7: - Oh, well. It was nice knowing you! Heh.

I also did my bracket in about 5 minutes, relying on vibes. I think I am doing better than TW right now, so there's that.

>165 bell7: - I'll keep an eye out for this one. I've not come across it before.

>165 bell7: *flees shrieking*

>163 bell7: Great idea for the Rolling Stone Top 500 “listen”! That will be a lot of listening, but you will have such an understanding of, and appreciation for, the music. Good luck!

Karen O

>166 katiekrug: *snort* Sorry - at least there's no question of going for different football teams! I'll be interested in your thought on The Romantic Agenda if you get to it. I might've convinced one of my co-workers to read it too.

>167 richardderus: You're welcome!

>168 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen! I'm looking forward to the project :)

As it turned out, you were wise not to pick them 🙄

>170 katiekrug: How's your bracket going? I'm currently tied for second, but my family chose a lot of the same teams to win today and tomorrow, so I'm waiting to see how later rounds play out still, and hoping for a few upsets to make my chances of winning greater.

Happy Saturday!

I went home this morning to do some cooking and baking, and decided to visit my niece (and brother and SIL) for a bit this afternoon. I got sleepy baby snuggles for a good long time, too. She prefers being held upright, head under my shoulder and her legs curled up tight like she's a little loaf. Such a snuggle bunny!

Spent the rest of the afternoon reading and hanging out with the dog I'm watching. Tomorrow after church I'll be hanging out at my parents' for a bit.

Reading: between books, I finished The Hands of the Emperor tonight

Watching: Fruits Basket (2019) on Hulu

Listening: the Coldplay CD, nearly done with it

Crafting: knit scarf

30. The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Reread in tandem with Stasia, in preparation for reading At the Feet of the Sun

My review from 2022:

Cliopher Mdang left his island people behind and now works for the Emperor of the entire realm. And he's very good at his job, having made sound decisions and incredible reforms to the government while not losing sight of where he came from (not that his family would ever acknowledge that or even knows what he does). When he invites the Emperor on vacation, however, this one simple act will upend the world as he knows it.

This was a warm, cozy read of a book about a fantastic group of characters, their friendships and love for one another. It drops you right into the middle of the world, with hints of its history and Cliopher's past to figure out as the story unfolds. Though almost 900 pages long, I never tired of reading or thought there were parts that could've been tighter. No, the book is as long as it needed to be, and when it ended I wanted to keep exploring the world and learn more about all the people I'd come to love. Okay, so it's not perfect - or, rather, in a way things are too perfect on multiple levels - but it was such a fun read. I was left wanting to spend more time with this characters and in this world.

Having read several other books set in the world now, I have an even deeper understanding of the characters and their backstories, and how much Goddard is doing here. So, so good. 5 stars.

>173 bell7: I have been spending so much time with Cliopher and HR both Victoria's books and all the fanfic. It's good that the characters are so good to spend time with - and somewhat unreliable as narrators.

Glad to hear you're having a more laid back weekend, Mary. Like Katie the ace romance you read isn't one I've heard of and I might give it a look at some point.

Happy Sunday, Mary. You mentioned, that you had not heard of the BoDeans. I think you would really like them. I am currently listening to Outside Looking In, which is really good but you could start with their greatest hits.

I hope you are enjoying your laidback weekend.

>174 quondame: I'm really looking forward to reading At the Feet of the Sun for the first time next month (no spoilers, please!)

>175 MickyFine: I'll look forward to your thoughts if you get to it, Micky!

>176 msf59: Happy Sunday, Mark! You're definitely adding to my "to listen" list 😂 I have a Bjork CD that's up next.

Happy Sunday! I'm still here... My parents invited me (and my siblings, but they didn't make it) over to their place while my dad's cousin was visiting. We haven't seen her since I was about 3, so it was interesting to hear them talk and hear about my dad's family. His parents died before I was born, so when he gets together with his cousins (to a lesser extent with his brothers), it's how I sometimes hear the family stories that I haven't before. Anyway, I ended up staying late, but I'm home now and ready to head to bed. Back to work tomorrow!

Happy birthday Mary!!!!

>173 bell7: I should be finishing it off today, Mary, and completely agree with your assessment. Definitely a 6 out of 5 book for me!

Thanks once again for sharing the read with me!

Happy birthday to you, dear Mary! 🎂🎂🥳🥳💜

>171 bell7: - I'm doing surprisingly well. I have 13 in the Sweet Sixteen, to TW's 10. I'm rather chuffed :)

>179 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora!

>180 alcottacre: Oh it was a blast to revisit it, Stasia, and it's been really fun sharing the Victoria Goddard books with you over the last year plus. Looking forward to reading At the Feet of the Sun!

>181 richardderus: Thank you, Richard!

>182 katiekrug: Ooooh, congrats! I'm in between you with 12 teams left.

Happy birthday!

Happy Birthday! 🎈🎈🎈

Happy birthday Mary! Glad The Hands of the Emperor is just as good upon reread :)

Happy Birthday Mary!

>184 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte!

>185 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>186 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie. If anything, even better on a reread :)

>187 quondame: Thank you, Susan!

Whirlwind of a day, but yes, I managed to fit some fun things in too. My parents took me out to breakfast, I worked 9-2, I ran a few errands (joined a gym, even), but also took myself out book shopping and watched the musical version of The Waitress with Sara Bareilles. It was enjoyable, if a little long, and I didn't realize it was based on the movie which I haven't seen, oops.

Things should be a little calmer tomorrow, though I did promise to stop by the gym on my way home from work, so. That should be interesting. I'll try to remember to post the books I bought, too.

Happy birthday, Mary!

>190 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene!

Happy Tuesday! I had a nice day on my birthday, fitting in some fun among the errands, and getting all your messages and texts from family and friends. Thank you!

I am working today, and as I mentioned parenthetically yesterday, I joined a local gym, and I'm planning on stopping in there tonight after working 9-5 for my first workout and learning all the machines for a circuit. It's directly on my way to work, and my hope is that even if I stay pretty basic using the treadmill and doing some strength training 2-3 times a week, it will motivate me to move some (even when the weather is crappy and I can't take a walk) and help keep my cholesterol in good ranges. Leftovers for dinner tonight, and maybe watching the David Tennant version of Hamlet tonight.

Reading: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin and possibly picking up a paper book to bring to work too.

Listening: I forgot to grab the Bjork CD on my way out the door yesterday, so I started the Rolling Stone 500 Albums project with "In the Wee Small Hours" by Frank Sinatra

Watching: last night was Waitress the Musical

Crafting: just a little on the scarf, though I really should get back to the Christmas stocking for my niece

Happy belated birthday! Fun that you're going to tackle the Rolling Stone 500. I'm currently at #38. I understand the appeal of going chronologically - I didn't bother because I'm also listening to the 1001 Albums You Must .. blahblah and those are chronological.

Happy Birthday, Mary. Glad you had such a nice day. I was surprised how much I liked Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Enjoy!

>193 ursula: Thanks, Ursula! I saw that it was one of your lists, and figured it might be a good place to start (I'm not quite ready to commit to 1001 just yet, considering how slowly I listen). Out of curiosity, how much overlap is between the two lists?

>194 msf59: Thanks, Mark! I'm not very far in Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, but it's been on my list and it fits one of the Kindle challenges for this quarter, so I'm hoping very much to finish it by the end of the month!

Tuesday *smooch*

>197 richardderus: *smooch* back

31. And What Can We Offer You Tonight by Premee Mohamed
Why now? Richard recommended the author and starting with this book, which was available as an e-book through my library's offerings, so I read it after finishing The Hands of the Emperor

Sometime in the future, society has devolved to the point where the rich have all the power and it's clearly coded in the law to stay that way. Jewel, our narrator, is a courtesan who is making the best of her situation, but she knows that her keepers have all the power and resources. Her friend, Winfield, dies and comes back to life, determined to visit revenge on her murderer.

This powerful, award-winning novella stretched my brain cells reading. You're dropped right in, and Jewel's stream of consciousness thought process is elliptical, not explaining a lot of the things she already knows. The writing style was tough for me, and the characters are not quite as important the idea of the story and exploring what the end result of a corrupt capitalistic society could look like. It's not exactly an enjoyable read, but it's the kind of story you want to talk about once you've read, and it'll stick with me for awhile. 4 stars.

>199 bell7: I'm glad you liked it as much as you did, Mary. It really walloped me, and seems to have made you Think, too...even if it wasn't a peak read for you. *smooch*

Happy Wednesday!

I let myself "sleep in" and finished Beezus and Ramona this morning (I'd started it yesterday since I had the e-book and audio out from the library). I have already paid some bills so feel quite virtuous, and now have to get myself going to cook at least one meal (maybe two) so I'm all set for lunch and dinner the rest of the week. We'll see what I have time for... I'm working 12-8 today. No book club, just volunteers, and I think I'll probably see how we're doing in creating themed lists in the catalog for April, as well as updating handouts like bestsellers and such by the new books.

I did not get to Hamlet last night and probably won't tonight either, to be honest. I am enjoying the books I'm reading, though neither of them fit into TIOLI challenges. Oh well *shrug*

Reading: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Listening: "Biophilia" by Bjork. It's... unique, I don't think it's my thing and I don't like her voice much, but I'll listen through once before returning it to the library. Sorry, Mark!

Watching: Bruins game last night (sort of, I only really paid attention to the end)

Crafting: Did a little work on the Christmas stocking for Ramona

>200 richardderus: I doubt I would have found it without your recommendation, Richard, so thanks for putting it on my radar! *smooch*

>199 bell7: Hi Mary! Your review has made me curious. The kind of book that makes you want to talk about it, sounds good.

Like your Rolling Stone project! And listening chronologically sounds interesting.

32. Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Why now? I don't doubt the Ramona books are on my mind because of my niece. I read Ribsy with Mia not long ago, and borrowed this first in the Ramona series from the library e-book collection recently.

At the age of 9, Beatrice Quimby - known as Beezus to everyone, because that's how her 4-year-old sister Ramona pronounced her name - has to deal with all the trials of having an annoying younger sister.

I LOVED the Ramona books as a kid, though the ones that stick out for me most are the later ones. I'd forgotten what a pest toddler Ramona was and how exasperating she was to both her sister and her parents. This one is really told more from Beezus's point of view, and you sympathize with the older sister for sure (though a lot of the trouble Ramona gets into is hilarious to read about, if not actually experience). This book was first published in 1955, and it definitely shows its age in some ways - Mother goes "marketing" not (grocery) shopping, and there's a radio and phonograph store, and Beezus plays Sacajawea for the PTA. But it also nails family dynamics and complex emotions between siblings, and so much of it is very funny. 4 stars.

>203 EllaTim: I hope you'll give it a shot, Ella. It's definitely got some ideas to grapple with, and I could see why it won awards. And thank you! I do think it will a fun listening project - I have thoughts on the Frank Sinatra CD to come soon.

"In the Wee Small Hours" by Frank Sinatra
#282 on the Rolling Stones 500 Albums list - 1955

I confess, I know very little of Sinatra's works other than his most famous songs, such as "My Way" and maybe a Christmas song cover or two that's been on the radio. What I noticed about the album is that I liked the sound of his voice. The music was often orchestral-sounding, strings or piano prevalent, and the mix such that it was much quieter than the vocals. The songs themselves surprised me a bit for being a fair number of breakup songs or looking back on a love, and one that made me roll my eyes about his plan to ask a woman out while knowing she'd want to put him in the Friend Zone. The attitude towards woman in general seemed rather... possessive? I didn't love that, and that was kinda my big takeaway from the album, of which I didn't choose any songs to add to my playlist.

Next on the list: Elvis Presley's self-titled album from 1956

Edited to add the link above. And also, I meant to look at some other reviews after writing mine and just have. It's an early concept album, which I kinda missed listening through on my own, but I can see it now that I know that.

Good morning, all! I'm working 9-5 today, going from there to dinner at my parents' house, and finishing out the night with Bible study. Nothing else on the agenda today; even I have limits ;)

Reading: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Listening: "Biophilia" by Bjork, I'll be finishing that up today and starting "Exile in Guyville" by Liz Phair while I wait for the Elvis Presley album to come in

Watching/Crafting: Nothing yesterday or likely today

TGIF! I'm working 9-5 and have a 7 p.m. Good Friday service at church. Thank goodness this weekend should be very quiet, as I'm planning on reading and knitting and watching a movie and going to the gym (on Saturday) and basically getting in all the relaxing I can.

Reading: The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Listening: "Exile in Guyville" by Liz Phair (I'm not quite through the first listen - it's rocking, and I've decided on two songs I *don't* like, but will probably need another listen through to have any favorites)

Watching/Crafting: nada

Not sure if folks here have been following the Tournament of Books, but I always find it an interesting read of the judgments even when I haven't read the books involved. This time, I had read one of the books in the final. Here's the championship round, with picks made by all the judges. (If you'd like to look back, I recommend going to the first link, scrolling down and hitting the + sign by the 2024 Tournament Schedule to select each day individually.)

>209 bell7: I noticed that Blackouts is more commented upon than reviewed in the 75 threads. Looking at all those kudos does suggest that it offers something both timely and involving.

>201 bell7: Happy Friday, Mary. Bjork is an acquired taste, that is for sure. I should have made that clear. At least you gave it a try. In "In the Wee Small Hours" is a wonderful album. Sinatra at his best.

Good luck with Exile in Guyville. It is a tough, raw album but I think it is a classic.

>210 quondame: I'm not sure if I want to read it or not hahaha... I was pulling for The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and was kind of bemused by the comments that it was... a novel. Well yes, when I read a book, I do indeed want a story!

>211 msf59: Ah, I kinda knew from some comments on Paul's thread. I enjoy trying new things even when I don't end up loving it, so feel free to recommend away! There's another album on the Rolling Stone 500 list (as is Exile in Guyville), so I'll be revisiting her work at some point.

I hope you are enjoying The Fox Wife , Mary. I really did when I read it earlier this year.

>213 vancouverdeb: I am! I'm not very far... maybe 40ish pages? But I'm hoping to really make some progress reading this weekend. I LOVED The Night Tiger and so far this one has a similar atmospheric feel to it.

Happy-weekend *smooch*

>212 bell7: The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store has been mentioned and reviewed in several of the 75 threads I follow, and is now ready for me to checkout from the library. But I hadn't noticed the mentions of Blackouts before. So I should have my own opinion in a couple of months.

>204 bell7: This one was always my favorite Ramona book -- as an older sister with a pesky younger sibling, I relate to Beezus!

Have a nice weekend, Mary :)

I loved The Sugarcubes when I was 17 (Bjork's band before she went solo), but I cannot deal with Bjork at all since then. Morgan loves her. I find it interesting the way she uses her voice but I don't want to listen to it!

I just recently listened to Exile in Guyville. Now I want to listen to it interspersed with Exile on Main Street, since she said it was a song-by-song reply to that album.

I like the Sinatra album, but there's a whole lot of attitudes toward women to consider as part of their time, definitely.

>215 richardderus: *smooch* back

>216 quondame: Ahhh, I see what you're saying. I'll be interested in your thoughts on Blackouts. It's been on my radar, but I don't go for things that are too experimental, either, and quite often the tastes of the Tournament of Books judges are wildly different from my own.

>217 curioussquared: Ha, that's too funny! I was just talking to a co-worker of mine who said she liked the books, but her kids (two daughters) could never get into them, and she thought the sibling dynamics may have been too relatable. My sibling dynamics were very different (I am the oldest of five, and the first four are very close in age, so we didn't even have the age difference between Beezus and Ramona), and I always related with the way in which Ramona saw the world.

>218 ursula: I find it interesting the way she uses her voice but I don't want to listen to it! Yeah, that was my reaction as well. I'll maybe try The Sugarcubes at some point though. The album I listened to put me in mind a little bit of Jubilee (Japanese Breakfast), but taken even further.

I'll have to remember that about Exile in Guyville... maybe when I re-listen as part of going through the Rolling Stone 500 Albums list, I'll try that too.

Re: Sinatra, I liked his voice and overall sound very much, but didn't care for the lyrics of this particular album. I may have had a slightly different reaction if I'd realized I should approach it as a concept album, but I went in blind wanting to make my own observations before reading about it.

Edited to fix the italics

Happy weekend!

I have a pretty quiet day planned today. I already feel very accomplished, as I put together the dough for bread I'll bake tomorrow, and when I went to clean out my work bag, I discovered some soup I'd brought back home last night spilled over a bunch of papers (thankfully not my book), so I had to go through and take pictures of what I wanted to save and recycled the rest. As a result, some of the genealogy stuff I was working on is one step closer to being organized (I still have to sort through the pictures, of course, but progress!).

Speaking of genealogy, I made a serendipitous discovery the other day. I looked up a pension record for someone that may be related to me, hoping I'd find a connection. I didn't, but since I was just clicking right through the images of the pension application, I stumbled on the one that was next. It was a Civil War pension application made by Melissa Hamilton and I thought, "Huh, that's a name I know" and kept going. It WAS my Melissa! Her son John had served in the war, was captured at Mile Run, VA, and died at Andersonville. She was a widow and made the application, arguing that after her husband's death, John helped her out financially and she needed the pension. My direct ancestor, her daughter Sarah, was one of the listed witnesses, and I now have a death date and location for Melissa's husband, Ezra, that I didn't have before, as well as all the information about John (I had no idea he'd enlisted, let alone died a prisoner of war).

So what am I up to the rest of the day? I'm leaving soon to run to the post office for a money order (I'm in search of a death record for another ancestor), hopefully pick up a prescription, go to the gym and maybe make a stop at my local library. When I get back, I'll see how I feel like filling the rest of the day, but various genealogy organizing projects, reading, knitting, and watching Hamlet top the lit of possibilities. I'm sure it'll be some combination of that, plus cooking dinner.

33. Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Why now? It fit a Kindle challenge for this quarter, so I wedged it in before the end of the month

Sam and Sadie became fast friends when he was in the hospital recovering from a bad break of his foot and Sadie's sister, Alice, was a cancer patient. They bonded over games, but fell apart after Sam learned Sadie had been tracking her hours as volunteerism for her bat mitzvah. Years later, with both in college on the East Coast, a chance meeting leads to collaboration, and they decide to make a video game together.

Spanning 20 or so years and ostensibly about friendship, it's also about gaming and how stories are easier than real life and people. Sam and Sadie's friendship is a strained one, with plenty of misunderstandings, and assumptions, and I had a tough time understanding why they kept reuniting. Except, well, the story itself becomes a sort of video game, with the stops in their friendship but the redo of an extra life, so to speak. I'm a little younger than the two protagonists, but enough of the games were familiar to me that I could appreciate the references, and did enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at what goes in to making a video game. It's a well-crafted story and one I'd enjoy talking about with other readers. 4 stars.