Katie's Reading Retreat - Chapter 5

Leonard looking for a belly rub and Nuala relaxing with DogTV on YouTube (again with the inset pictures - argh!)

___________________________________

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

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

Thanks for being here!

Currently Reading
(Kindle) (Audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED

Books Off My Shelf: 12
Books Off My Kindle: 8
Books from Audible/Chirp: 1
Library Loans (print/e-books/audios): 29
Friend Loan:

MARCH
50. Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter (audio) (4 stars)
49. Goodbye Without Leaving by Laurie Corwin (audio) (4 stars)
48. Trash: A Poor White Journey by Cedar Monroe (3.75 stars)
47. Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan (5 stars)
46. Charm City by Monica McCallan (audio) (3 stars)
45. Wednesday Walks & Wags by Melissa Storm (2 stars)
44. Death on Demand by Carolyn Hart (audio) (3.5 stars)
43. The All-Night Sun by Diane Zinna (audio) (3 stars)
42. Kala by Colin Walsh (4.25 stars)
41. Slippery Creatures by K.J. Charles (audio) (3.5 stars)
40. Alias Emma by Ava Glass (3 stars)
39. Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle (audio) (2.5 stars)
38. Sky Burial by Xinran (3.5 stars)
37. The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney (audio) (4 stars)
36. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood (4.25 stars)
35. The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell (3.25 stars)
34. Days of Awe by Lauren Fox (audio) (4 stars)
33. The Cactus League by Emily Nemens (4.5 stars)
32. A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde (audio) (3.5 stars)
31. Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham (3.75 stars)
30. Scoreless by Skye McDonald (3.5 stars)

Did Not Finish (YTD)
01. Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen
02. The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton
03. The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis (will try this one again at some point)
04. This Is My America by Kim Johnson (might try in print; did not enjoy audio narrator)
05. The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin

Q1 COMPLETIONS

FEBRUARY
Favorites:

29. Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl (audio) (5 stars)
28. Looker by Laura Sims (audio) (4.5 stars)
27. The Body in the Dales by J.R. Ellis (2.5 stars)
26. You Say It First by Katie Cotugno (audio) (3.5 stars)
25. At the Edge of the Orchard by Tracy Chevalier (4 stars)
24. Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley (audio) (4 stars)
23. Broken Harbor by Tana French (4.25 stars)
22. No Baggage by Clara Bensen (audio) (2.5 stars)
21. Ghosts by Dolly Alderton (audio) (4.5 stars)
20. A Day at the Office by Matt Dunn (4 stars)
19. Tar Baby by Toni Morrison (3.5 stars)
18. Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris (3.75 stars)
17. Perennials by Julie Cantrell (audio) (2.5 stars)
16. Clash of Civilizations Over an Elevator in Piazza Vittorio by Amara Lakhous (4 stars)
15. Just a Heartbeat Away by Cara Bastone (audio) (3.75 stars)

JANUARY

Favorite:

14. Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay (audio) (3 stars)
13. Intercepted by Alexa Martin (3.5 stars)
12. Go Back to Where You Came From by Wajahat Ali (audio) (3.5 stars)
11. Ruined by Sarah Vaughn et. al. (3 stars)
10. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro (4.25 stars)
09. Day by Michael Cunningham (audio) (4.5 stars)
08. The Birdcage by Marcia Willett (2.5 stars)
07. London't Number One Dog Walking Agency by Kate MacDougall (audio) (4 stars)
06. The Summer of Katya by Trevanian (2.5 stars)
05. Let's Be Just Friends by Camilla Isley (audio) (2 stars)
04. Police at the Station and They Don't Look Friendly by Adrian McKinty (audio) (4.5 stars)
03. The Betrayers by David Bezmozgis (audio) (4.25 stars)
02. The Adults by Caroline Hulse (4 stars)
01. Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (audio) (3 stars)

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

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

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

Welcome!

5/4

>5 richardderus: - Hi Richard :)

Happy new one!

>7 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita!

Hallooo Katie. Cheers on new threadings.

Happy new thread. That picture in picture thing is very odd.
And what is the viewing like on Dogtube?!

>9 weird_O: - Hi Bill!

>10 Helenliz: - I reported it in the Bug Collectors group, and it went away for a bit, but it's super inconsistent. I uploaded the Nuala and Leonard photos right after one another, so not sure why one got the inset and the other didn't.... Grrr.

DogTV is relaxing music and videos of different doggos doing different things. She seems to like it and it keeps her sort of entertained when we are out, I think.

>11 katiekrug: Does Leonard react at all to DogTV? My cats love bird videos (which sometimes have small critters meander by the screen). I might check DogTV out.

Happy new thread!

Karen O

>12 klobrien2: - No, Leonard can't be bothered with anything not tailored exclusively to his tastes, LOL. He does go crazy in TW's office when the birds perch outside the window, though :)

Happy new one, Katie.

Happy New Thread, Katie!!

Happy new thread, Katie! Love the topper photos ☺️

Happy New Thread, Katie. I am enjoying Raven Black. 😁

>14 BLBera: - Thank you, Beth.

>15 vancouverdeb: - Thanks, Deborah.

>16 curioussquared: - Thanks, Natalie :)

>17 msf59: - Hiya, Mark. I have RB in the stacks somewhere..... Glad you're enjoying it!

Happy new one, Katie :)

Happy new thread, Katie. The only time one of our cat's got interested in the TV was when there was hockey on. Lots of fast movement.

Our cat used sit in front of the TV and try to bat a paw at the balls that were heading towards her in the snooker. >:-)

>19 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

>20 Familyhistorian: / >21 Helenliz: - The only time I ever saw Leonard react to something on TV was during the Inauguration in 2017 when he was batting at Trump's face. I kid you not. It was hilarious.

TGIF, friends. Sadly, it is not an agenda-free Friday since I need to make some phone calls. But I am determined to do it so I can feel virtuous all weekend :) I also need to go to the post office, but I think I will walk there, as the weather is supposed to be sunny. Dinner is something involving meatballs and carbs (either sandwich or pasta). The shells and broccoli rabe last night were great. The greens had whole roasted cloves of garlic in them and were delicious. Very pleased so far with the meal deal.

Books:
I'll finish Scoreless today; not sure what I'll pick next. I always feel some pressure to have a really good read at the beginning of the month! On audio, I finished Danny the Champion of the World. I'll start A USeful Woman today.

Viewing:
The last episode of the most recent season of 'Welcome to Wrexham.' Bring on April and season 3!

Happy new thread!

>23 katiekrug: Oooo, they did the broccoli rabe the best way then! I hope their meatballs are as good as their veggie preparation leads one to suspect it will be.

I’m glad the meal bundle was a bit, Katie. It’s nice to have something easy and delicious like that in the rotation.

>24 foggidawn: - Thanks, foggi!

>25 richardderus: - I have high hopes :)

>26 lauralkeet: - As a supremely lazy person, I am thrilled not to have to cook 3 meals!

February in Review
(Numbers in parantheses are YTD)

Books Read: 15 (29)
(Puzzles Completed: 7 (15))

Mine: 7 (12)

Library: 8 (17)

Male authors: 5 (11)
Female authors: 10 (20)

New-to-me authors: 7 (19)
US/UK authors: 14 (28)
Other: 1 - Algeria (3 - Algeria, Latvia, Japan)

Print: 3 (8)
Ebook: 4 (5)
Audio: 8 (16)

General/Popular Fiction: 2 (5)
Literary Fiction: 3 (5)
Historical Fiction: 1 (3)
Romance: 2 (4)
Crime/Thriller: 3 (6)
Juvenile/YA: 2 (2)
Classics: 0 (0)
Speculative: 0 (0)
Nonfiction: 2 (4)

Publication:
New (2023 or 2024): 0 (2)
2020-2022: 4 (6)
2020-2019: 7 (14)
2000-2009: 2 (3)
1980s-90s: 1 (3)
1950s-70s: 1 (1)
1900-1949: 0 (0)
19th c.: 0 (0)

Re-reads: 1 (1)
DNFs: 3 (5)

Once again, lots of puzzles and lots of audio books completed! I had a relatively high number of DNFs this month; not sure if I'm being more picky or what, but I don't feel bad about it. There are several books I have slated for March that I'm excited about, so here's hoping for another good month!

Best of the month (not counting re-reads): A tie between Looker and Ghosts (two very different books!)
Worst of the month (not counting DNFs): Perennials

My last two puzzles of February, both 1000 pieces. The bottom one is a new favorite and is by Ridley - I love the feel and quality of their puzzles....

Looker by Laura Sims

I loved Sims' most recent novel, How Can I Help You, when I read it last year, and it prompted me to see what else she had written. Looker is her only other novel, and I loved it just as much as HCIHY.

The unnamed narator (I am pretty sure she is unnamed - it's a first person narrative and very interior so her remaining unnamed would make sense...) has just been left by her husband after a long struggle with infertility. This event has sent an already fragile woman into a downward spiral, most obviously displayed in her obsession with her neighbor, "The Actress." The Actress seems to have it all, and the narrator wants some of it. Even if it's just something small, pilfered from the yard. Or even if it's just The Actress' husband, with whom she imagines having an affair...

In sharp, strong, and sometimes funny, prose, Sims paints a stark portrait of a woman on the edge juuuuust.... as she.... begins to..... tip.... over it. It's really well done, and the excellent narration of the audiobook added a lot to my experience of the novel. I can see a lot of people not loving this one like I did, but if it sounds up your alley, or you liked Sims' latest novel, give it a whirl.

4.5 stars

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl

Yep. Still love it.

Listened to it this time, and the narration was excellent.

5 stars

Happy new one, Katie!

Scoreless by Skye McDonald

Skye is a friend of mine, so reviewing her books is always a bit tough. I do love me a sports romance, though, and the male lead in this one is a goalie (often eccentric players), so I was looking forward to it. I enjoyed most of it - both leads are people you want to root for, and I enjoyed seeing how they would get to their Happily Ever After. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed and the event that spurred their public declaration of love was kind of silly. But my biggest complaint (and really, it's not that big - maybe I've just read too many of this series too close together) is that the female leads in the 5-book-and-counting series all sound very similar. Their conflicts and hang-ups and angst are different, but their "voices" (most of the books are told in alternate first-person narration from the male and female POVs) don't have a lot of distinction.

That said, I'll keep reading 'em, as long as Skye keeps writing 'em!

3.5 stars

>32 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim!

I had a good night's sleep last night and was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed when I got up at 8:00 (decadence!). Not sure what I'll get up to today; it's grey and damp out at the moment but I'd like to get at least a short walk in. Yesterday, I ran my errands on foot, and it felt good to be out in the fresh air. Of course, it was sunny yesterday... We have tentative plans to go out to dinner with friends tonight at a new Turkish place not too far away. We'll see if that actually happens - the friends are more last-minute/fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants than we are, so... *shrug*

Books:
In print, I started Up at the Villa which is good. And on audio, I started A Useful Woman, which is fine so far.

Viewing:
Two episodes of 'Death and Other Details'

Hello Katie and happy new thread.

Skimming to get caught up.



>1 katiekrug: Nice to see pics of the fur kids.

>22 katiekrug: Leonard has good taste.

I love the puzzles, Katie. >31 katiekrug: I don't think I've read this Dahl.

>36 karenmarie: - Hi Karen! Good to see you feeling better.

>37 BLBera: - Oh, it's wonderful, Beth! It was a childhood favorite and it holds up. I re-read it in 2020 and then listened to it this time around. Do check it out - Scout might enjoy scrappy Danny and his wonderful dad.

I am so not a last-minute seat-of-the-pants kind of person. Chris is much more spontaneous than me, but only when planning things for the two of us (or family, when the kids were growing up). We wouldn't do that to someone else.

At the other extreme is a long time friend who reached out this week about getting together as couples, and proposed a date six weeks from now. OF COURSE our schedule is open but ... wow. That's serious advance planning.

>29 katiekrug: I like the look of the Ridley puzzle. I'll have to have a look for those jigsaws.

Happy new thread, Katie! As far as I know, my mother who does puzzles every day has not done a Ridley one. Her favorites are Ravensburger. She loves the large piece format ones (after all, she is 80+).

>39 lauralkeet: - My ideal "in advance" time is about a week :) Enough time to plan for it but not so much time that I forget why I wanted to do the thing in the first place!

>40 Familyhistorian: - They're great quality, Meg. I've found them on Amazon among other places.

>41 alcottacre: - Everyone seems to like Ravensburger more than I do! I find their fit kind of off sometimes, but almost any puzzle is fun to do so I try not to be too picky :)

This weather is just gross. Cold and rainy. We went out to lunch and were then going to go to the hardware store, but I talked TW out of that since what he was going to get was a few steps down the road in his current project, and it's just too gross to be in and out of the car a lot. So back home now, in my fleecy sweats, and ready for a cozy afternoon. Still no word from our friends about dinner, so even if they get in touch soon, I think we'll just bow out. I really don't want to go outside again!

After yesterday's disgusting weather, it is now sunny and warmish, and going to be in the low 60s today! I'll be heading to the grocery store soon and starting laundry. The only other thing I have to do today is drop The Wayne off at whisky club this afternoon. He'll take a Lyft home, unless I am nice and decide I don't mind driving into Newark again to pick him up (doubtful). So I should have most of the afternoon to myself, which will be a treat.

Books:
I finished Up at the Villa and started my Julia Memorial Read for March - The Cactus League. It's very good so far. I spent a lot of time puzzling yesterday and so listened to a good chunk of A Useful Woman which is fun.

Viewing:
Nothing

>44 katiekrug: I'm currently half was through Conversations with Friends from Julia's library. When I finish, someone will need to remind me where to find the thread to mark it as read.

We've been on a run of crap weather. Very very wet and lots of long term flooding. Freezing this morning, then a sunny morning and overcast afternoon. We'll take a day with no rain.

Hi...enjoy this beautiful weather for all it is worth! I coddiwompled hitherward to ask if you knew already that Clear by Carys Davies, author of West, which I recall we both enjoyed, was coming out in April.

Hi Katie! I am jealous of your puzzles - I have not had time to indulge and really need to find some!

>31 katiekrug: Who narrated this one?

Thanks Katie. I will ask my daughter if they've read this Dahl.

Hi! Thanks for stopping by my new thread.

>45 Helenliz: - I think the thread is in the ROOTS group. I'm doing my own memorial thing for her, so I'm not positive, but that would be my first place to look.

Ugh to your weather!

>46 richardderus: - Yesterday really was gorgeous! Still warmish today but it's overcast here.

Thanks for the tip on Davies new one. I wasn't aware of that. I still have The Mission House to read. I did indeed love West.

>47 AMQS: - I finished another puzzle yesterday! I love doing them.

I listened to DtCotW read by Peter Serafinowicz.

>48 BLBera: - If they haven't, I hope they will!

>49 dianeham: - You're welcome!

I had a really nice afternoon/evening yesterday after I dropped The Wayne off for whisky club. I did a lot of reading and puzzling/listening, and I air fried some chicken for salads this week.

I have a pretty long To Do list for today but none of it is very onerous. Dinner will be garlic and herb marinated chicken, couscous, and asparagus.

Books:
I finished the audio of A Useful Woman yesterday, so will choose a new audio today. I'm still really enjoying The Cactus League.

Viewing:
When TW got home, we watched a couple of episodes of the new season of Drive to Survive.

Good luck with your to do list today, Katie.

Trying not to be too jealous of your weather. Woke up to -25°C according to my phone. 😒

Happy new thread, Katie! Dinner sounds delicious, and hope your to-do list goes smoothly.

>52 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky!

Sorry about your weather. But, I mean, you live in Alberta for goodness sake! ;-)

>53 bell7: - Thanks, Mary. I've always hated cooking chicken because I tend to over-do it out of fear of under-doing it. But I've perfected thin-sliced breasts in the air fryer, and they are my go-to now.

Up at the Villa by W. Somerset Maugham

This novella is about a young widow in Florence in the late 1930s. It's beautifully written, and the descriptions of the city and surrounding countryside will make you want to visit (or re-visit, in my case) tout de suite. The action of the story surrounds Mary Panton and three men - her significantly older suitor who has known her since she was a girl; an impoverished violin player; and a ne'er-do-well gentleman attracted by Mary's beauty. I don't want to say too much, as I can't figure out how to do so without spoilers; suffice it to say, I enjoyed the read. I went into it knowing nothing about it and was surprised by the fast pace and gorgeous writing.

3.75 stars

>54 katiekrug: Snort! It is true.

>55 katiekrug: This sounds good. I haven't read it. I just started a Julia book Word by Word, which she gave me a few years ago. So I will join you.

>55 katiekrug: Ooh, I think that's a book bullet for me. Hope you did well on the to do list!

>56 MickyFine: - :)

>57 BLBera: - Word by Word is one of the books I chose from her LT catalgoue to read this year. Great minds....

>58 curioussquared: - Hope you like it! I did so-so on the To Do list, but I'm ok with it.

We are back to some dreary, wet weather in my part of the world. Blech. I'll be inside most of the day, only leaving to take Nuala to her grooming appointment this afternoon. And then going to trivia of course.

As I mentioned to Natalie, I did so-so with my To Do list yesterday, so some things have carried over. Say it with me now: phone calls. Beyond that, not much *needs* to get done so we'll see what does.

Books:
I'll be finishing up The Cactus League this morning and then selecting something new. On audio, I started Days of Awe, which is good so far.

Viewing:
This week's 'University Challenge' match. There was a question related to Heart of Darkness *happy sigh* And I got it right. *double happy sigh*

>60 katiekrug: That was a decent UC match, Katie. I liked both teams but had grown a bit tired of the team captain with the funky specs.

Get on those phone calls already! Ha. I hate them too.

>61 lauralkeet: - I agree about UC, Laura. Neither team was high on my list.

I know, I know! And one of them should be relatively painless - I just don't wanna..... :)

A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde

This was a pleasant listen - set in Regency London, it's a mystery related to the vaunted assembly rooms, Almack's. Rosalind Thorne is a penniless former member of the ton who now survives by being useful to society matrons - helping with events, correspondence, etc. There is a lot of detail about society mores and what was allowed and not. I found some of the detail to be a tad much, but overall, this was fine. I don't think I liked it enough to seek out more in the series, though.

3.5 stars

The Cactus League by Emily Nemens

I picked this one up in a Kindle sale a few years ago, but finally got around to reading it, thanks to Julia rating it so highly (I have picked 12 books rated highly by Julia which are also in my stacks and am reading one a month in memory of her). I really enjoyed this novel about spring training and a spiraling out of control star outfielder. Except it's about so much more. I might have rated it 5 stars but for the very abrupt ending; I wanted a little more closure.

4.5 stars

Julia's review is worth reading. Her love of and appreciation for baseball really shines through, and she always has such a way with words:

"Spring training is a time of hope and renewal in baseball, when fans of even the most inept teams allow themselves to dream that this might, at long last, be The Year. It’s no less so for the players themselves, and the other people whose lives revolve in and around the game.

Emily Nemens’ The Cactus League (2020) plays upon some classic themes of a baseball novel—the ways off-field struggles translate into on-field performance, the repercussions of high expectations and celebrity, the inevitable physical decline and its accompanying mental rollercoaster. But she shines her spotlight into corners of the game rarely explored by writers in this genre, and that makes for compelling reading beyond the usual audience of sports fans.

The Cactus League is structured like a baseball game, in nine “innings” that are not so much chapters in a seamless chronological narrative as they are interconnected stories, told from the viewpoint of different characters. Events are sometimes recounted more than once, from different points of view, and each re-telling adds depth to our understanding of what happened.

Each chapter/inning opens with ruminations (seemingly excerpts from an unpublished memoir) by an old sportswriter who was involuntarily retired. Like a good leadoff hitter, the old sportswriter sets the table at the start of each inning. He blends the history of Arizona from before the Ice Age and human settlers with what’s happening on and off the field in today’s desert environment, where the Los Angeles Lions are working themselves into shape to make a run at the World Series. Each excerpt builds upon the previous to make it clear that Lions star outfielder Jason Goodyear is the sun around which the satellite characters in each subsequent narrative revolve.

Other characters include a former big league hitting coach whose career trajectory is on the downhill side, former wife of a professional ballplayer and current groupie, who loves the game of baseball even more than the men she collects each spring, the personal assistant to Jason Goodyear’s agent, who tasks her with the job of keeping an eye on his prime client, the black partial owner of the Lions who sees himself as a mentor to up-and-coming black players, a pitcher trying to work his way back from arm surgery, a hotshot rookie from whom too much is expected in his first spring training, the wives and girlfriends of Lions players who are expected to put their own lives on hold so their men can focus all their attention on baseball, and the aging stadium organist whose own career never got out of the minor leagues.

Can the agent save his most famous client from himself? Can the groupie find someone to save her from a lifestyle that she’s aging out of? Can the players on the edge of reaching the next level save their careers? Do some people have to be sacrificed so that others can realize their dreams?

In baseball as in life there are only winners and losers. The trick is not to get caught on the wrong side of that line."

>55 katiekrug: That is one by Maugham that I have not read yet - and it already in the BlackHole. I just need to get hold of a copy.

>64 katiekrug: Oh, I definitely need to read that one! Thanks for the review and recommendation, Katie - and for posting Julia's review.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>63 katiekrug: I will say, the subsequent books (that I've read so far) are stronger. But either way, I'm glad you had a good time with it.

>64 katiekrug: Thanks for posting Julia's review Katie. Not one I would pick up, but the review is lovely.

>65 alcottacre: - Both of those reads are quick ones, Stasia. Easy to slot in :)

>66 MickyFine: - My library has a few more of them. Who knows? I might be moved to borrow another one in the future...

>67 charl08: - You're welcome, Charlotte.

We came in 4th (tied) of 15 teams at trivia last night. We would have won if The Wayne had listened to me in the first round - his obstinance cost us 9 points! Harumph. Still fun, though :)

We are supposed to get a bunch of rain this afternoon and overnight, so this morning, we double-checked the sump pump and two auxiliary pumps in the basement. All are ready to go. Fingers crossed nothing bad happens!

I'll be making a quick grocery run this morning and then hunkering down inside. I need to do some tidying up before Maribel comes tomorrow.

Books:
I'm still enjoying Days of Awe on audio. In (e-)print, I started The Golden Spoon, which is described as a mash-up of Clue and 'The Great British Baking Show.' It's very light fare but I'm liking it so far.

Viewing:
Nothing

>64 katiekrug: I don't even like baseball and this sounds good.

>59 katiekrug: Great minds, indeed. I will be happy to send my copy your way when I am done with it, if you don't have a copy.

Sending good thoughts for no issues with the rain! I'll be interested in your thoughts on The Golden Spoon, which has intrigued me but not moved me to pick it up so far.

>70 BLBera: - You definitely don't have to like baseball to enjoy the book.

I have Word by Word on my Kindle, but thanks for the offer!

>71 curioussquared: - Thanks re: the rain. The ground is absolutely saturdated, so I expect it will get a bit dicey around here *sigh*

I forget who put The Golden Spoon on my radar, but I know they didn't like it much. Still, the description was enough to intrigue me, and the library had it, so....

>69 katiekrug: re your first paragraph -- isn't it fun when that happens :>

>73 RebaRelishesReading: - I was less than thrilled :)

Morning, all! Second night in a row of not great sleep, and I am dragging. Thankfully, there's not much on the agenda for today, so I might take a nap this afternoon. The Wayne is going into the city to meet one of his colleagues at a co-working space, so I'll take him to the train in a bit and drop Nuala off at day care. Maribel's coming at 9:30 to clean, so I'll be chilling in my office most of the morning. Not sure what the evening will look like - TW might get dinner in the city but if not, we'll probably go out after I pick him up at the train station.

Books:
I should finish up The Golden Spoon today. On audio, I've started The Great Unexpected.

Viewing:
An episode of 'Drive to Survivie.'

>75 katiekrug: Sounds like you had a very nice day planned. Hope it all worked out as expected.

>76 RebaRelishesReading: - Well, the nap didn't happen and I was dragging all day, but it could have been worse :)

TGIF! Beautiful day here and I got osme decent sleep, so I'm feeling much better. I need to make a quick trip to the grocery store to get taco paraphernalia for dinner tonight. I also have some odds and ends to take care of, but I should still have plenty of time for the books. And I get to start a new puzzle, which is always fun.

Books:
I finished The Golden Spoon and started The Love Hypothesis. Still enjoying The Great Unexpected on audio.

Viewing:
Nada

Days of Awe by Lauren Fox

From jewfaq.org:
"The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim) or the Days of Repentance. This is a time for serious introspection, a time to consider the mistakes of the previous year and repent before Yom Kippur."

Lauren Fox's novel, Days of Awe, is the story of a friendship, of a family, of grief, of pain, of betrayal, and of acceptance. It is Isabel's story, as she grapples with the recent death of her best friend, the disintegration of her marriage, and the resentment of her daughter. I thought Isabel was a great character - believably flawed but good, exhausted by life but always striving to do better, and wryly funny, as well as self-aware. The novel's main flaw, to me, was that I occasionally got confused by the muddled timeline so that I wasn't sure when what was being described happened in terms of previous events. As a flaw, it's a pretty minor one, though. This was an all-around satisfying read - funny and sad and bittersweet and tender. I will be looking for more by Ms. Fox.

4 stars

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

I couldn't resist a book described as a mashup of the movie Clue and 'The Great British Baking Show.' Sadly, I should have paid more attention to the lukewarm reviews I saw of it and at least tempered my expectations...

The Golden Spoon started off well enough, setting up the plot and characters. Betsy Martin is a grande dame of American baking and hosts a baking competition at her family home in Vermont. This year, 6 contestants will be vying for the coveted Golden Spoon. We meet the characters in alternating chapters as they prepare for and arrive for the show. And then weird things start happening - someone is sabotaging some of the bakes, strange footsteps are heard at night, some people appear to be keeping secrets.... It really could have been a fun novel, but the characters are incredibly flat, the writing barely rises above pedestrian, and the ultimate denouement is just kind of dumb. I'm not sorry I read it, as there were some good moments, but overall, it was a big bowl of meh.

3.25 stars

>80 katiekrug: yeah your thoughts mesh pretty well with mine on that one. Not sorry I read it, but definitely could've been better.

>81 bell7: - Ah, I was trying to remember whose thread I'd seen it on! Must have been yours.

>80 katiekrug: oh hell...I wanted to like that one and mouldering mound of ~meh~ stories just waste my eyeblinks.

>80 katiekrug: I guess I will continue to stay away from that one!

>80 katiekrug: Sounds like a fun concept. Too bad the execution didn't follow through. Enjoy the weekend, Katie!

>64 katiekrug: Interesting read. Excellent review. Not one I would have picked up while browsing. BB for me.

Happy weekend reading !

>83 richardderus: - I'm glad I could save you the eyeblinks.

>84 curioussquared: - Yeah, it's really not worth it.

>85 Familyhistorian: - Thanks, Meg. Hope you have a good weekend, too!

>86 figsfromthistle: - You really don't need to be a baseball fan to enjoy the book, Anita. I hope you like it.

And it's Saturday again... We are supposed to get another rain storm this afternoon/evening, which is stressing me out. The Wayne is planning to go see 'Dune, part 2' at the theater, so I'll be on my own in the evening. Fingers crossed I have a calm and stress-free few hours to myself! I'm planning to order Chinese and veg out in front of the television.

Books:
I'm loving The Love Hypothesis - it's smart and funny, just how I like my romances. On audio, I'm also enjoying The Great Unexpected.

Viewing:
A couple of episodes of 'Drive to Survive.'

Hi Katie!

>64 katiekrug: (I have picked 12 books rated highly by Julia which are also in my stacks and am reading one a month in memory of her). Wonderful. I really miss her.

>88 katiekrug: I’m sorry that every threat of a rain storm is stressful. I hope your hours of calm and alone time today are good.

>89 karenmarie: - I miss Julia, too.

Thank you for the good thoughts re: the rain. It's not fun...

Hi Katie. Our rain has been steady but not heavy, so I hope it's the same for you with no repercussions.

I miss Julia, too. I thought of her the other day while I was reading Joyce Vance's Substack, Civil Discourse. I was thinking about what an excellent, informative newsletter it is and remembered it was Julia who first told me about it. Such a well-read and thoughtful person.

I hope you have a restorative, pleasant, calm evening with your take-out and the TV :)

It's raining here too but it's 52/11 degrees outside - even made it to 60/15 yesterday!! There's still a lot of snow on the mountains but down here in the valley spring seems to have arrived.

Crossing my fingers your solo evening is very chill with no water drama.

Also, yay for The Love Hypothesis! 😍

Word By Word is so good, Katie, and I can Julia laughing at some of the passages. I need to look at other books she loved and follow through.

>91 lauralkeet: - We survived the rain but it was pretty fraught for a while...

I love hearing how we all continue to remember Julia!

>92 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. It was a stressful night, but we survived!

Enjoy your spring :)

>93 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! And I am loving TLH!

>94 BLBera: - I look forward to reading it, Beth! These are the nine I have left to read of the original 12 I selected:

This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell
The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin
A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell
Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
The Lost Man by Jane Harper
Word by Word by Kory Stamper
Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

Happy Daylight Savings Time to all who celebrate :)

We had a loooong night, and I won't bore you with the details. But nothing terrible happened, other than not getting to bed until 2am, which was 3am, thanks to the time change. Needless to say, we slept late. I did enjoy my Chinese dinner and lots of TV. And The Wayne loved the Dune movie.

Today, I'll make a grocery run - it's going to be busy because I didn't get up in time to go early, so I think I'll just get what I need for dinner tonight (I'm making beef stew in the IP) and leave the other stuff for another day. I'm planning on an early-ish dinner so I can watch the Oscars, which start earlier than usual. Other than the supermarket trip, I anticipate a relaxed day.

Books:
I'm really enjoying both The Love Hypothesis and The Great Unexpected.

Viewing:
Hoo boy! A LOT.

- F1 race
- end of the FAU men's basketball game
- first 2 episodes of the very first season of GBBO/S which is available on the Roku channel and which is fun to watch to see how much it has changed
- 6 episodes of 'Sex Education'

Speaking of Julia, I saw this post about an effort of some of her friends in Iowa to memorialize her. I'm going to try to join.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/357293#8458718

>96 katiekrug: Hi Katie, I'm glad to see you were okay, water-wise. But sorry for the very late night.

>97 katiekrug: That's lovely. FYI, the link goes to the top of the thread (or the first unread, if you've visited before). Details are in message #133.

>98 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura.

And thanks for clarifying about the link. It goes right to #133 for me, as it's supposed to. I thought the number after the # sign was supposed to take care of that. *shrug*

>95 katiekrug: Of your list, I am interested in A Thread of Grace, Crossing to Safety and Queen Lucia. I own all of them and have been meaning to read them, so this is a good excuse.

Happy Sunday, Katie. I have The Summer Guest on shelf. I really enjoyed A Thread of Grace, Crossing to Safety and People of the Book. Just sayin'...

>100 BLBera: - Excellent, Beth! I'm not great at shared reads, but let me know if you want to pick months to read them together-ish :)

>101 msf59: - I've had all of them on my shelf for quite some time, so I'm excited to finally get around to them.

>99 katiekrug: I'm not sure why that didn't work, Katie. Maybe it's just me.

>103 lauralkeet: - LT does weird stuff sometimes. I'm just glad you shared the actual post number so people could find it!

Hi Katie. You get the inset pictures and I got a grayed-out overshadow of one of my photos. So weird.

>95 katiekrug: That's a good list. I loved Crossing to Safety when I read it several years ago. Also, The Great Unexpected looks interesting.

>95 katiekrug: Whew! Glad to hear you survived the storm OK. I didn't know Julia but I love that you all are remembering and honoring her. What a great list of books you have there.

Hi Katie, I also fell for the description of The Golden Spoon but I guess it can sit on my Kindle until it fits one of my many challenges!

>105 EBT1002: - Yep, so weird!

The Great Unexpected is good - lots of Irish pathos and humor.

>106 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba.

>107 DeltaQueen50: - It definitely does not need to move to the top of your reading pile, Judy :)

We are having crazy winds, and they woke me up and kept me up for a bit in the wee hours. And then I had dreams of trees falling on the house, so yeah. That was fun :-P

I'll be going to TJ's today, since I haven't been in a while, and I have a hankering for chicken piccata. We'll have that for dinner with a little bit of pasta and some asparagus, I think. I also need to do some laundry, as I kicked that can down the road yesterday.

Books:
I'll be finishing up The Love Hypothesis today. And I hope to listen to another chunk of The Great Unexpected.

Viewing:
The Oscars, which were a total snoozefest, except for Ryan Gosling performing "I'm Just Ken."

>109 katiekrug: I thought John Cena's bit was amusant....

>110 richardderus: - Yeah, that was pretty good.

Happy Monday, Katie. We've had those crazy winds since yesterday, and there's a wind advisory in effect until 5pm today. It makes us both anxious. We had a couple of high risk trees taken out the year we moved in here, but we'd hate to lose any of our trees even if they aren't close to the house. We've also had extended power outages because of downed trees on the road. So yeah ... ugh. But tomorrow is expected to be unseasonably warm, so we have that to look forward to!

Enjoy your TJs run. That reminds me I read about the possibility of a new TJs closer to us. I can't remember when that's supposed to happen but I can count on the neighborhood FB group to lose their s**t when it opens.

>112 lauralkeet: - Hi Laura! I hope all your trees stay upright and your power on. We've had some smallish branches fall, but the wind seems to be abating somewhat now, so hopefully that will be the worst of it.

Nieghborhood FB groups are great for drama ;-)

>109 katiekrug: Your day sounds a lot like mine. I'm doing laundry which I've been putting off for a couple of days. We went to the center where TJ's is at lunchtime but didn't go in -- ate a delicious Yumm Bowl instead. TJ chicken piccata is indeed good as I know since following your advice a couple of months ago. ENJOY!!

I used to get pretty anxious when the winds kicked up (which they are wont to do around here from time to time) because the neighbors had a row of HUGE tres just a couple of feet from our house. I was sorry to see big mature trees taken down but, truth be told, I'm much more comfortable with wind now.

>114 RebaRelishesReading: - Hi Reba! The chicken piccata was as good as always :)

We have a lot of very tall trees around us, which I love, but they can be a source of stress at times for sure.

Nothing much to report from yesterday. It mostly went according to plan, though I didn't get the laundry done. No biggie. I'll finish it today. Other plans include a trip to the PO - the weather is supposed to be gorgeous (sunny, highs in the low 60s) so I'll probably just walk there. Not sure what else I'll get up to. Trivia tonight. Two other couples are coming to play with us, so that'll be fun.

Books:
Sky Burial is interesting and a pretty fast read. I should finish up The Great Unexpected on audio today.

Viewing:
'Univeristy Challenge' and an episode of 'Sex Education.'

>116 katiekrug: Crush and dominate at the Tuesday triviation-time, Krugs and friends!

Enjoy trivia.
Sorry about the wind worries.
mmmm Asparagus. Not in season yet. I ought to see if mine's going to do anything this spring, or if it's been just too wet for it.

Hiya Katie! I thought yesterday's UC was a bit unexciting. Just one more match before the semis, and it's two teams I like: Birkbeck and Trinity College Cambridge. I was just looking over the results so far and realized that after yesterday's match, Trinity is the only remaining Oxbridge college. Interesting.

>117 richardderus: - We'll do our best!

>118 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen. The wind is gone now - yay!

I've been surprised by the last two bunches of asparagus I've gotten - it's not in season here yet, but they've been quite good.

>119 lauralkeet: - I thought it was a good match. Nice and close for much of it. And I liked both teams.

Perhaps Oxbridge schools are over-rated, like the Ivies? :)

>120 katiekrug: ooh, I don't have a dog in this but some might say "them's fighting words"! There was some controversy about this last year, with someone accusing the BBC of "rigging" the show in favor of Oxbridge colleges. Here's an article from December:
BBC Called to Defend Elitist Format of University Challenge

In light of that, I find the current situation mildly amusing.

>79 katiekrug: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Katie!

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>121 lauralkeet: - I don't have a dog in the fight, either, though I got into the one Ivy applied to and chose NOT to attend it :) Smart people can learn anywhere.

When I did College Bowl quizzing as an undergrad, we competed against Yale (which has distinct residential colleges like Oxbridge) and it was just Yale, not a specific college. (PS: we beat them ;-) )

>122 alcottacre: - Hope you enjoy it, Stasia!

Our team, "Erin Go Bragh-less," won trivia last night! We just beat the 2nd place team by one point. It was a lot of fun.

Nothing much on the agenda today except some of the usual recurring stuff.

Leftovers for dinner.

Books:
I'll be finishing up Sky Burial today. On audio, I've started Twice Shy.

Viewing:
Nada

>124 katiekrug: CONGRATULATIONS!
(Is that a rare TW sighting on the LT?)

>125 laytonwoman3rd: - Thanks, Linda!

Yes, TW is the grumpy-looking one on the right :)

>124 katiekrug: Congrats on your trivia win!

>127 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita!

Woo hoo! Congrats on the trivia win. Your team name cracked me up.

>129 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. I suggested the team name, and they all loved it :)

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

This is exactly how I like my romances - smart, funny, with great secondary characters, and two main characters you want to root for. I really liked the STEM setting and the context of women in science, the pressure of academia, and found families.

My one, minor quibble is that bits of it got a little repetitive.

4.25 stars

The Great Unexpected by Dan Mooney

This was a really nice surprise. I can't remember how it ended up on my library WL, and I didn't really know what to expect, but it's a lovely story of friendship and aging and grief.

Joel lives in a retirement home and has pretty much given up on life. He's tired of just waiting to die, so he decides to leave on his own terms. Aiding and abetting him is his new roommate, Frank. How these two very different men come to be friends and what that friendship means to each of them is the heart of the story. It's filled with typical Irish humor and pathos, and the audio, read by Aidan Kelly, is excellent.

A very satisfying read.

4 stars

>124 katiekrug: That does sound like fun. Congrats.

>124 katiekrug: Love the team name!! love that you won!! Congratulations!!

Nice quizzy win.
>132 katiekrug: hmmm, tempted. And the library has it...

>133 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth!

>134 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, Reba :)

>135 Helenliz: - And thank you, Helen. Do give the book a try. Does the library have the audio?

Good morning! I have a few errands to run today, and I need to drop Nuala off at day care this morning. Other than that, much of today will look like yesterday - odds and ends to do at home, plus some book time.

Yesterday evening was quiet - we had leftover beef stew for dinner and then I watched some TV.

Books:
I finished Sky Burial yesterday and started on Alias Emma. I also listened to a decent chunk of Twice Shy while finishing my puzzle.

Viewing:
A couple of episodes of GBBO s1.

This made me giggle.



- Pia Guerra for The Washington Post

Happy Friday! I'll be running some errands (PO, wine store...) this morning and then taking care of some admin-y stuff in the afternoon. The Wayne's alma mater plays their first game of their conference tournament (men's basketball) tonight, so we'll order pizza and watch that.

Books:
I should finish up both my current audio (Twice Shy) and my current print book (Alias Emma) today. I love a double book turnover day!

Viewing:
An episode of 'Drive to Survive.'

Happy Friday, Katie! We've been pacing ourselves on Drive to Survive (we've only watched 4 eps so far). It's such a great series!

Enjoy your pizza & hoops night.

>138 katiekrug: If she can photoshop, he can do arts & crafts!

>140 lauralkeet: - We're pacing ourselves, too. I think we just watched ep 4 or 5...

Happy Friday!

>141 ursula: - *snort*

It's times like this when Twitter re-lives its glory days... ;-)

Not sure what's on the agenda for today. The weather is beautiful, so I expect The Wayne will be doing stuff outside. I won't because dirt. Heh. His team won the game last night, so they play again today, so I need to figure out dinner around that (they play at 5pm). Not sure I can justify ordering in again...

One thing I do need to start on today is making plans for my nephew-ish's visit at the beginning of June ("nephew-ish" because he's technically my first cousin once-removed, but his father is like a brother to me, so...). They finally booked his ticket, so now I have definite dates and can go from there. His main request is to go to a Yankees game, which I am happy to oblige.

Books:
I started Kala yesterday, which was the pick of the book group I'll be testing out this month. And on audio, I started Slippery Creatures.

Viewing:
College basketball

The nephew-ish visit in June points up the ever-more-obvious need for reform of the vocabulary of family. Given todays political climate it seems likely to cause a lot of screeching and stroking out on the right.

When do we start?

Are you enjoying GBBO s1? Very different animal was it not.

>143 katiekrug: A first cousin who is like a brother -- I have one of those! He came to CA when he joined the Marines and stayed for several years. I think he missed his many siblings at home and I was an only child so he served as my big brother through my pre-teen years. He never had any children though so I wasn't lucky to get a "nephew". Have a great time with him (which I'm sure you will).

>144 richardderus: - I am enjoying s1! Very interesting to see how it started and compare it to where it is. No star baker?!!? Moving the tent week to week?!?! Historical side trips (I like these)?!?!

>146 katiekrug: I miss the history bits as well. The moving about is, I confess, irksome to me though in all likelihood just because I started with s3 years ago and they were plonked at Harptree Court by then. *smooch*

>147 richardderus: - I can understand axing the history bits, as they added more bakers and focused more on them. But I am learning a lot!

Sky Burial by Xinran

I had this slotted into March as a nonfiction read, only to discover after finishing it, that it's fiction. Weirdly, some sources on the internet still note it as NF, which is what it was originally published as, I think? Weirdness.

It's an interesting story, beautifully written in parts, about a Chinese woman who travels to Tibet in the 1950s to search for her husband, a doctor with the Chinese army. She ends up spending decades in Tibet, and the best part of the book, for me, was learning about the history and culture of the area. As a novel, it doesn't quite work because there are so many gaps in the narrative and Shu Wen is not fully developed as a character. But as a meditation on love, loyalty, and the essence of what makes us connected to others despite so many differences, it is a nice read.

3.5 stars

>131 katiekrug: Hey, my local library actually has that one! I will have to get to it some time. Thanks for the recommendation, Katie.

>132 katiekrug: I wish my local library had that one. . .

Congratulations on the trivia win! Have a wonderful weekend of gloating :)

Twice Shy by Sarah Hogle

Fair warning: my experience of this book may have been colored by an annoying audio narrator. Without her interpretation of Maybell as a character, I might have liked it more.

This is a very typical grumpy-sunshine/enemies to lovers/opposites attract contemporary romance that suffered from not enough character development and a lack of chemistry. Two people jointly inherit an old estate in the Smokey Mountains and have very different ideas about what to do with it. Conflict ensues. And then all of a sudden, they're in love. And it ends in Scotland....?

2.5 stars

>150 alcottacre: - Happy weekend, Stasia!

>149 katiekrug: This does sound interesting. The fiction/nonfiction thing is odd.

>151 katiekrug: Pass.

>151 katiekrug: But... how does it end up in Scotland, Katie?

>131 katiekrug: I'm delighted that you were delighted.

Happy Saturday, Katie. Did you listen to The Vaster Wilds on audio and if so, how was it? I am considering trying it, in that format.

>153 BLBera: - It was very odd, Beth. And yes, >151 katiekrug: is a definite pass.

>154 MickyFine: - Througha convoluted storyline that didn't make much sense, IMO :)

Looking forward to Love on the Brain!

>155 msf59: - Happy Sunday, Mark. I haven't read TVW in any format, sorry.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all who celebrate :) And remember, it's not St. "Patty's" Day, but "Paddy," and "Black and Tans" and "Irish Car Bombs" are offensive drink names. Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

I'll be headed to the store in a little bit to get groceries. I'm making colcannon with bacon for dinner, and The Wayne is making an Irish cream pound cake, bless him. I'll probably do some laundry today, as there is nothing really on the agenda. TW's basketball team lost by one point yesterday, so we won't be planning our day around a game today. I expect I'll do a lot of reading and puzzling/listening.

Books:
Kala is pretty good so far, as is Slippery Creatures.

Viewing:
Basketball and an episode of 'Drive to Survive.'

Irish cream pound cake?! We don't really celebrate the occasion but OMG that sounds to die for. Enjoy!

I just had it stuck in my head, that you had listened to The Vaster Wild. Heck, I am almost 65. I have my lapses.

Hope the cake lives up to billing.

>157 katiekrug: Also, green is NOT the real Irish national color. The harp is on a field of St. Patrick's blue.

It was adopted as shade of green by late-eighteenth-century Irish home-rule advocates because the Union Jack used this blue as its background and that pissed off the Irish.

Anyway. Glad you are enjoying KJ Charles!

>158 lauralkeet: - He was going to make Nigella Lawson's Guiness Chocolate Cake but we don't have a spring-form pan. I found this pound cake on the NYT Cooking site. I'm excited to try it!

>159 msf59: - No worries, Mark! I'm 45 and I have lapses :D

>160 Helenliz: - Me too! I will report back.

>161 richardderus: - Well, I learned something new today :)

Mmm I saw the Nigella cake online earlier in the week. It looks great, but what do you do with the rest of the Guinness? 😂

I found the pound cake recipe on the NYT app and have saved it for future reference! I've made two of her other recipes, and both were excellent: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, and Blueberry Streusel Loaf Cake.

Hi Katie! Congrats on the Trivia win!! And thanks for picture. : ) You got me with The Love Hypothesis and The Great Unexpected. I need some light reads and especially a good audio rec, so thanks.

And I should have read your thread earlier because I have been wishing everyone Happy St. Patty's Day! But now I'll wish you (and others moving forward) Happy St. Paddy's Day!

>163 lauralkeet: - Conveniently, TW had purchased an Irish Pub variety pack of beer, and he likes Guinness :)

I have high hopes for the cake!

>164 Berly: - Hi Kim - thanks for the catch-up!

>157 katiekrug: Oh my!! Irish Cream pound cake -- lots of reading and puzzling/listening -- sounds like a perfect celebration ... and.. Happy Paddy's day from one Celt to another (you are, right?)

>163 lauralkeet: I too have now printed off the Irish Cream pound cake recipe. I looked for Blueberry Streusel Loaf Cake by Nigella but only found one by Erin Jeanne McDowell

>166 RebaRelishesReading: - Hi Reba! Belated St. Patrick's Day wishes to you, too. I am 100% Irish on my mother's side, so that counts I think :)

I had a really nice day yesterday, topped off with a delicious dinner. The Wayne wasn't feeling great (he had slept poorly) but he rallied to make the cake. And it is So Good.



The colcannon I made (for the first time, tyvm) was also very tasty. And filling.

The good day was capped off by the FAU (TW's alma mater) Owls making the NCAA tournament as an 8 seed in the East. They'll be playing the first round in Brooklyn on Friday, and we are hoping to go.

Anyway, today will be mostly devoted to laundry and other odds and ends. I am making a recipe Amber shared several years ago - Samosa-inspired Beef and Potato Soup. It's been in my recipe folder for ages, but this will be my first time making it. I also have some garlic naan from TJ's to go with.

Books:
Kala continues to be very good. I'm about halfway through and eager to see where it goes. I finished Slippery Creatures on audio and immediately put the next in the series in my library queue.

Viewing:
An episode of 'Drive to Survive' and one from s1 of GBBO.

>166 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, the recipes I referred to were both by Erin Jeanne McDowell. I thought the pound cake was, too ?

>168 katiekrug: Wow, that looks amazing. I need to buy some Baileys!

>169 lauralkeet: - I just enjoyed a slice with coffee, and it's still delicious!

>170 katiekrug: STILL delicious?! Will there ever be a day that sour-cream poundcake with Irish cream icing will *not* be delicious? I mean, in this dimension of spacetime, it is unlikely to be anything but....

>171 richardderus: - I guess I should have said "just as" good...

NB: It's not a sour cream cake :)

>172 katiekrug: Its still a poundcake, so...just as scrummy and besides a coating of Irish cream makes everything more delightful.

>169 lauralkeet: Me being confused...looking back Nigella referred to the Guinness cake (which doesn't appeal to me in any way). I missed the step to McDowell.

Looks like your St. Paddy's meal hit the spot, Katie. I went to a St. Patrick's Day potluck so, while we didn't have Irish Creme Pound cake, there were 3 desserts. Yum!

>173 richardderus: - Indeed!

>174 RebaRelishesReading: - Hi Reba.

>175 Familyhistorian: - It was delicious, Meg :)

Not much going on around here. Yesterday was pretty much as expected and today will be more of the same. At least there is trivia to look forward to!

Books:
On audio, I started The All-Night Sun which I don't hate but am not loving. I read another good chunk of Kala yesterday, and it continues to be intriguing.

Viewing:
Some 'Drive to Survive'

Alias Emma by Ava Glass

Secret agent Emma Makepeace (not her real name) must get the son of Russian dissidents across London to safety, while avoiding the city's all-seeing CCTV network, which has been hacked by the bad guys. The whole plot is implausible, but if one can suspend the sense of disbelief, this is an action-packed, reasonably entertaining thriller. The writing is okay, but I probably won't seek out the sequel.

3 stars

Slippery Creatures by K.J. Charles

I forget how this one ended up on my library wish list, but Natalie's recent raves about it and others in the series compelled me to finally borrow it. I listened to it on audio, and the narrator was very good.

This first in the series introduces Will Darling, a veteran of the Great War, who has inherited a bookshop from his uncle. He is unknowingly in possession of a dangerous secret that various groups, including some anarchists and the War Office, would like to get their hands on. The whole messy business brings Kit Severton into his orbit, a seeming wastrel of an aristocrat, but one who might be able to help. And to whom Will is attracted.

I really enjoyed this historical "thriller"/queer romance. The writing is good, the plotting is well done, and the dialogue often very humorous. I'm looking forward to picking up the next one.

3.5 stars

>179 katiekrug: This series is probably her most heterofriendly one. The streaming industry is sleeping on a great tale, and a good character-through-dialogue writer.

>178 katiekrug: Ouch! I will pass on that one.

>168 katiekrug: Looks delicious!

Wow, you have been doing lots of reading, Katie. The Great Unexpected appeals to me. I like books about older people, perhaps because I am 63 ? Anyway, I will keep an eye out for it. Reading about good food on your thread is making me hungry, so I think I"m going to get something together for dinner. It's 5:20 pm here, so why not ?

>180 richardderus: - The streaming industry is sleeping on a lot of good stuff! I'd love to see this adapted.

>181 figsfromthistle: - It wasn't terrible but probably not worth seeking out.

The cake is disappearing, but there's about a quarter left. I plan to have a slice with my coffee in a bit :)

>182 vancouverdeb: - It was a good read, Deborah. I think you might like it.

Hope your dinner was good!

Trivia report: we came in 5th of 18 teams. Not bad considering we had a terrible first round (only got 3/20 points). We had two perfect rounds to end the game, which helped. The pub was still doing St. Patrick's Day specials, so I got a corned beef reuben. I wish they'd put it on their regular menu....

Today will be pretty quiet. I need to tidy up for Maribel, and figure out where to take The Wayne to dinner for his birthday on Sunday. Or what to cook for him... He's very swamped with work so we decided not to go see the basketball in Brooklyn on Friday :( He has, however, blocked off the time on his calendar so he can watch from home. I'm sure there are other things I could get up to today; I'll just see what I feel like doing.

Books:
I'll finish Kala today - it's been quite a ride (in a good way). The ending is fast-paced and it was hard to put it down last night. On audio, The All-Night Sun continues to kind of annoy me but also kind of intrigue me.

Viewing:
Nada

After a first round like that, fifth is a great finish. Congrats.

I am very glad that I am not a gun owner because I would go on a rampage today. My blog ate my review and did not even give me a draft of it...had to rewrite the whole thing. Maddening.

>178 katiekrug: I recently read this one as well, Katie, and my reaction was similar to yours.

>185 richardderus: - Oh, how frustrating!

>186 BLBera: - I remember you were also underwhelmed, Beth.

>187 katiekrug: Coda to my whine...the missing review somehow got posted on 20 February 2024...a month ago...which is something one cannot do. The software tells you politely that the date selected is in the past.

So...my computer has a wormhole in it.

Bow down in fear of this mighty machine! It could decide to port anyone anywhen without notice! ...weirdness...

>188 richardderus: - Cue The Twilight Zone music...

>189 katiekrug: Im a little afraid to use this magical instrument anymore...the Twitter day started with a glitch that turned out to have posted the tweets I wanted to schedule all at once....

>179 katiekrug: Your description makes me want to run over to Audible but 3.5 stars makes me pause. I'm wondering why.

>190 richardderus: - Yeah, maybe leave it alone and give the demons time to flee :)

>191 RebaRelishesReading: - 3.5 stars for me is "not a waste of time." I tend to rate first in series on the low side, anticipating that later entries will be stronger.

Happy Thursday!

It will be a bit of a busy day here, as Nuala goes to day care, Maribel comes to clean, and I have some errands to run in the afternoon. I am also trying out a new book group tonight - we'll be discussing Kala, which I finished yesterday.

Books:
After finishing Kala, I started a book I won from the ER list in January - Trash: A Poor White Journey, as well as something a bit lighter - Wednesday Walks & Wags. On audio, I should finish up The All-Night Sun today.

Viewing:
Nothing

Sweet Thursday, Katie. I can recommend another Irish novel- Wild Houses, which I am currently enjoying. His story collection, Young Skins was very good too. A fresh new Irish voice.

>194 msf59: - Hiya, Mark. Thanks for the tip about Wild Houses. It sounds good.

I think you'd like Kala - I'm waiting until after the book group discussion to type up some comments on it.

After reading that the NC governor candidate from, guess which side!, said he absolutely wanted to go back to an America...already I feel mad at him...where women couldn't vote, I need some kind of tranquilizer.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/north-carolina-gop-mark-robinson-women-vote_n_65e...

>196 richardderus: - Yeah, I saw that when it first came out. I try to keep that stuff on Twitter so LT can be my safe space :)

>192 katiekrug: Thanks for the explanation, Katie. I'm feeling almost overwhelmed by my "read soon" stack right now so I think I'll just wait and see how you feel about the second in the series.

>198 RebaRelishesReading: - Sounds like a plan!

TGIF, friends! A beautiful sunny day here before we get a bunch of rain tomorrow. Boo!

Today will be organized around the FAU basketball game at 12:15. I'll get a couple of things done this morning, and then after the game, run some errands. I need to pick up some wine, stop at a local shop to pick up the "handmade" peanut butter cups TW loves (his birthday is on Sunday), and then pick up the "family meal" from the local Italian market (this week it's 4 chicken cutlets, lasagna bolognese, broccoli rabe with garlic, and minestrone soup, plus 4 rolls or a loaf of bread). I plan to make chicken parm for dinner with two of the cutlets...

I'd also like to catch up on my book reviews - I think I am 2 behind. I didn't end up going to the book group last night because I was not in the mood to people and I'd been out the past two nights and just wanted to hibernate at home for a bit.

Books:
The same two in print. On audio, I finished The All-Night Sun and have started Death on Demand.

Viewing:
The first episode in the new season of 'Top Chef' (they're in Wisconsin, so I expect a lot of beer and cheese ;-) ) and the first episode in the new season of 'Full Swing'.

PSA:

Day by Michael Cunningham, my favorite read of January, is currently $2.99 on Kindle (and, presumably, other e-book platforms).

>201 katiekrug: What a great deal!

Hoping TWs birthday gift from FAU is a win.

Hi Katie! I won't try to totally catch up, but I'm glad you liked Slippery Creatures! The Italian meal sounds excellent again. Top Chef: Wisconsin is cracking me up for some reason.

>202 richardderus: - Alas, FAU lost in OT.

>203 curioussquared: - Nice to have you back, Natalie!

Good morning. It's grey and rainy here. We are supposed to get pretty heavy rain most of the day, and the river is already pretty high, so once again, my fingers are crossed that we don't get any water in the house. We were going to go out for a movie and dinner but that's been pushed to tomorrow. The silver lining is that I can watch my alma mater's women's basketball team lose to Caitlyn Clark this afternoon, LOL. Still, it's fun to see my little no-name school in the tournament.

Dinner will be some combination of what we got from the Italian market yesterday. The chicken parm last night was excellent.

Books:
I'll probably finish up Wednesday Walks & Wags today. Still working on Trash: A Poor White Journey and Death on Demand.

Viewing:
FAU lost in over-time yesterday. They played terribly. In the evening, we watched two episodes of 'Full Swing.'

Hiya Katie, I hope the rain leaves you alone today. It's rainy here, too, so we'll be holed up indoors. I love your Italian market family meals, especially because you get enough food for two dinners! I would love to find something like that here.

>206 lauralkeet: - Thanks for the good wishes, Laura!

I think we are getting four meals out of this one - I still have two chicken cutlets left, a quart of soup, broccoli rabe, and lasagna, plus four rolls. Good eats for a while :)

I am once again jealous of your Italian market dinner, even though I made ricotta and spinach stuffed shells yesterday and had the leftovers for my lunch.

Your Italian sounds (and looked over on Insta) delicious. Hoping your toes and everything else stayed dry today!

Hmm, I'm not familiar with Drive to Survive. I will investigate. Our current favorite is Vigil on Peacock. So good.

>200 katiekrug: My sister was a professor at FAU back in the 1970s and 1980s. I lived with her in Boca Raton for the second half of my senior year of high school. I have a tender spot in my heart for that school. :-)

>208 foggidawn: - Oooh, I love stuffed shells. My late aunt, who was like a second mother to me after mine passed away, made a wonderful version. I often requested it as my birthday dinner when I lived in Dallas.

>209 MickyFine: - We did stay dry! It's a minor miracle, but one for which I am grateful :)

>210 EBT1002: - I'll have to take a look at 'Vigil,' Ellen. I'm not familiar with it.

Laura is partly responsible for my love of 'Drive to Survive.' I had zero interest in auto racing, but now I'm hooked :)

The Wayne graduated from FAU, after spending his first year of undergrad at FIU. He was a commuter student and likes to tell me how different things were there when he attended. When we watch games, and the broadcasts show parts of campus, he's like, "We didn't have that. Or that. Or that." We are bummed FAU didn't make it past the first round. I didn't expect them to repeat last year's performance, but still.....

>210 EBT1002: I'm not familiar with Drive to Survive. I will investigate.
You should absolutely give it a try, Ellen! I didn't give a hoot about Formula 1 when we first started watching but I really enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look at the sport, the teams, and the drivers. Each season covers the racing season from the year before, so the current season 6 is about the 2023 racing season. You can start there, no need to go back to season 1.

>211 katiekrug: Laura is partly responsible for my love of 'Drive to Survive.'
And proud of it!

Maybe we should check out Vigil. I like Suranne Jones (she was great in Gentleman Jack).

>212 lauralkeet: - The other Netflix sports series are pretty good, too. We really enjoy 'Full Swing' and 'Break Point.'

It's a beautiful day here, AND it's The Wayne's birthday! Today will be all about him - a leisurely morning, then lunch at a wings place, a movie (the new Ghostbusters), and maybe takeout for dinner (he hasn't decided that part yet).

Books:
I finished both Death on Demand and Wednesday Walks & Wags yesterday. I'm still reading a couple of chapters a day in Trash: A Poor White Journey.

Viewing:
Basketball

>213 katiekrug: Good to know, Katie. Break Point has been on my watch list for a while.

>214 katiekrug: HBD Wayne!! Sounds like a fun day ahead Katie -- enjoy it!

>215 lauralkeet: - I'm a sucker for a sports documentary, and I love all the behind-the-scenes stuff. BP is a no-brainer for me because I love tennis, but 'Full Swing' is similar to DtS in that it's not a sport I regularly watch or know much about, but it's got me hooked.

Thanks for TW's b-day wishes. I will pass them along :)

Happy birthday to TW. Hope he has a great day and you get to enjoy it with him.

>214 katiekrug: Happy birthday to TW! Your leisurely day sounds like the break one needs from his grueling schedule. Enjoy the sunwashed glory of the Sunday.

Happy Birthday to the Wayne. Does he get cake?

Happy birthday to the Wayne!

>214 katiekrug: Happy b'day to TW. Hope you both have a lovely celebratory day!!

>217 Helenliz: - It's been a nice day, thanks! The movie was terrible, though.

>218 richardderus: - Thank you, RD. It was a lovely day, weather-wise and otherwise :)

>219 BLBera: - I made him brownies with peanut butter chips AND got him hand-made chocolate-covered peanut butter candies, so he didn't too badly!

>220 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky!

>221 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, Reba! We are waiting on our Thai food delivery and will have brownies for dessert to wrap up a nice day :)

It's a new week! The weather is, once again, beautiful. I'll be doing a few Sunday things that I couldn't do yesterday, as I was focused on The Wayne's birthday. So laundry, grocery shopping, etc... Lasagna from the Italian market for dinner tonight, with a Caesar salad.

Books:
I still have Trash: A Poor White Journey on the go. Yesterday, I started Emily, Alone in print, and today I'll start Charm City on audio.

Viewing:
S2E1 of 'Invasion.'

>223 katiekrug: Is this your first time with Emily, Alone? I know you're an O'Nan fan. I remember really loving this one. Isn't it a sequel to another book about the same family?

>224 vivians: - Yes, it's my first time reading it. It's a follow-up to Wish You Were Here, which I read a couple of years ago. I ration my O'Nans because he doesn't write fast enough (and his newer stuff hasn't been as good....). He also wrote a novel about Emily's husband - Henry Himself. Did you read that one? It's on my shelf.

Wow, such self-discipline! I don't think I could ration a favorite author or series. I just tend to gobble them up and then am sad when I'm done. I think I read all 3, with my favorite being Emily, Alone. I might revisit them if I get a lull in current reads.

I didn't know there were follow-up novels to Wish You Were Here. Noted!

>226 vivians: - It's one of the few areas in my life where I exercise discipline :)

I'm really enjoying Emily, Alone!

>227 lauralkeet: - You're welcome :)

I'm 4 books behind in commenting, so I'm not going to do this one justice, but....



Kala by Colin Walsh

This is a great read for anyone who likes smart, intricate suspense novels, where the puzzle is almost less important than the characters and their relationships. It reminded me a bit of Tana French's books where the setting becomes a secondary character and where secrets and relationships are as tangled as Ireland's history.

Fifteen years ago, a group of six teenagers formed a close friendship. Then one of them disappeared. The circle fractured and the reverberations of the disappearance are still being felt. It was tricky, at first, to keep track of all the characters and their familes (there is a handy list at the front of the book, to which I referred back a lot), but once that was worked out in my head, I settled into this taut narrative, told through multiple points of view. The ending got a bit convoluted but still a worthy read.

4.25 stars

TW/CW for some animal abuse and graphic violence.

The All-Night Sun by Diane Zinna

A lonely and grieving adjunct professor becomes friends with one of her students and accepts her invitation to visit her home in Sweden over the summer break. Okay, sounds straight forward enough. But then, Zinna couldn't seem to figure out what kind of book she wanted to write - there were romantic elements, for a time I thought it was turning into a thriller, but in the end, it was a pretty run-of-the-mill wannabe literary novel with overly self-conscious writing. The point of it all, which the author decides to elucidate over several pages at the end rather than writing a good enough book where it was clear to the reader, hinges on a friendship that wasn't fully formed enough to allow me to buy the whole thing.

3 stars
(Bonus for the gorgeous cover)

Death on Demand by Carolyn G. Hart

This is the first in a series of cozy mysteries featuring the owner of a bookstore specializing in mysteries. It's a bit dated now (this one was published in 1987), but I enjoyed some of the humor in it, as well as all the references to classic mysteries and mystery writers. I also had a hard time keeping track of all the characters, but I was listening to the audio which probably contributed to that. I'm not sure I'll seek out the second in the series, but I wouldn't kick it out of bed for eating crackers, either (i.e. if it falls into my lap at some point, I'd be happy to read it) :)

3.5 stars

Wednesday Walks & Wags by Melissa Storm

I'm just going to list all the things I didn't like about this book:

1) The title bears no relation to the story except there are dogs in the book. Wednesdays don't figure into it. Whyyyyy?

b) Quote: ""'Cilantro is the leaf of the plant. Coriander is the stem.'" Uh, no.

iii) There is zero chemistry between the two main characters and no relationship development; we hardly see them together; and then abracadabra, they are in love.

Fourth) Quote: "... and even her dogs -- for animals were people, too" No, they are demonstrably not people.

42) It was so short, I felt like I might as well just finish it, and it wasn't even a satisfying hate read.

2 stars

Happy Monday, Katie!

>232 katiekrug: Sorry this was a dud, but I appreciate your hate review!

>231 katiekrug: I read several of the "Death on Demand" mysteries when they were first published. I don't remember much about them now, but I do have good feelings about them.

>233 curioussquared: - Thanks, Natalie!

>234 BLBera: - It was a good cozy, Beth.

Morning, all. I didn't get the laundry done yesterday, so that tops today's list. I also need to run a couple of errands this afternoon. Some friends will be joining us for trivia tonight, so that should be fun.

Really not much to report.

Books:
I started Charm City on audio, and it's fine. I'm loving Emily, Alone, and Trash: A Poor White Journey is interesting and infuriating.

Viewing:
My preferred team lost in their 'University Challenge' semi-final - boo! I also watched an episode of 'Sex Education.'

Haven't shared in a while because it's been all 4s or more...

Wordle 1,011 3/6

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YEAST, CANDY, MAYOR

Nice Wordling, Katie. Last night's UC was wild wasn't it? I really like the team that lost, too. But the winning team was impressive. They look unstoppable.

>238 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. I didn't dislike the team that won, but I love the cute little Polish guy on the losing side :)

I also remember loving Emily, Alone. I think I did it on audio, about 13 years ago. I have not read an O' Nan in a number of years.

>239 katiekrug: OMG yes me too. He's REALLY good. But Lee (far left on the other team) was a freakin' machine.

>240 msf59: - You should read another O'Nan stat, Mark. He's so good.

>241 lauralkeet: - He was a machine, but I always find that kind of boring. And I don't like their captain... No pleasing me!

Yesterday was good. I got my errands done, as well as all the laundry. I even had time for the books :) We came in 5th of 18 teams at trivia. I had a Greek chicken wrap.

Today will be quiet. I don't have much on the agenda and don't even need to leave the house. Sweatpants all day! Ravioli with a vodka arrabbiatta sauce for dinner tonight.

Books:
I finished Charm City on audio and will pick my next listen today. Still really enjoying Emily, Alone and still getting infuriated by Trash: A Poor White Journey.

Viewing:
Nada.

Not even trying to catch up, Katie - a week at my mother's with her terrible Internet means I am behind everywhere - but wanted to wish you a wonderful Wednesday!

>243 katiekrug: I enjoyed Emily, Alone too. I hope you continue to do so.

>243 katiekrug: Happy dank Wednesday, Katie.

Morning, Katie! Hope you enjoy your quiet, sweatpants-y day (I'm a little jealous, will have to go get dressed in a bit...)

>244 alcottacre: - No worries, Stasia. You haven't missed much :)

>245 richardderus: - And to you, RD!

>246 bell7: - Thanks, Mary!

Today will likely be much the same as yesterday, though I do need to make a quick run to the grocery and wine stores. Nuala is supposed to go to day care, but she was favoring one of her legs yesterday, and I'm thinking of keeping her home to rest it. I'll see how things look after she has her breakfast. Air fryer chicken and bell peppers for dinner tonight.

Books:
I'm almost done with Emily, Alone and will finish it today. I'll also read a few chapters in Trash: A Poor White Journey. On audio, I started Goodbye WIthout Leaving, and I'm enjoying it so far.

Viewing:
An episode of 'Full Swing.'

Haven't shared a puzzle in a bit. I finished this one a week or so ago. It was a lot of fun to put together - challenging but not overly so. It's a 1000 piece eeBoo called "Peacock Garden."

>249 katiekrug: Vivid! Deffo cheery to look at on a dank day like today.

What a cool puzzle Katie! Sending head scritches to Nuala.

>250 richardderus: - The picture doesn't quite capture how bright the colors were, but anything looks better than the grey outside :)

>251 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. Nuala appreciates the scritches. She is staying home today - her leg seems better but I decided it was better to give it another day of rest.

Hi Katie,
Seeing you put O'Nan on my book buying list last year with Last night at the Lobster, what of his do you suggest I add to this year's book buying list?

Hope Nuala's leg fixes itself with some rest and not wild zoomies.

I have read six of O'Nan's books, including the wonderful Lobster. My favorite might still be The Circus Fire. I have still missed a few.

>253 Helenliz: - I'd recommend Songs for the Missing or Emily, Alone. EA is a follow-up to Wish You Were Here but it can definitely stand alone. WYWH is also very good but not *as* good.

Thanks re: Nuala! She is doing better.

>254 msf59: - I didn't love The Circus Fire myself. I actually found it a bit boring. *ducks*

TGIF. Looks like it will be a beautiful day here. It's Agenda-Free Friday, so I'm not sure what I'll get up to. Stay tuned, I guess...

Books: I finished the excellent Emily, Alone yesterday and will finish Trash: A Poor White Journey today. I could possibly also finish up my audio, too. Excitement!

Viewing:
This week's episode of 'Top Chef.'

>2489 I love that one, Katie. It must have been fun.

>258 BLBera: - Hi Beth! It was a lovely puzzle.

Hope you have a great weekend.

Charm City by Monica McCallan

Carson and Taylor are two very different kinds of women, but they are both carrying some emotional baggage. Forced to work together on a Valentine's Day event, they end up helping each other to unpack that baggage and move forward, together.

This was a perfectly adequate queer romance, but it was too short. There was so little character development and the timeline was so compressed that it came off as a bit far-fetched.

3 stars

Emily, Alone by Stewart O'Nan

Stewart O'Nan is one of my favorite contemporary American authors. His genius is in how he illuminates ordinary lives, revealing the humanity, along with the wonder, of everyday life. I also love how he uses small, telling details to bring his characters and their stories to life.

Emily Maxwell is an 80 year old widow, living alone in the house she had shared with her husband and their two children in Pittsburgh. Her days follow a regular routine, and her most faithful companion, besides Rufus her dog (a wonderful character in his own right), is her sister-in-law, Arlene. The reader follows Emily over the course of several months as she contemplates her own mortality, her relationship with her children, her loneliness, and her regrets. It's a very quiet novel - nothing much happens - but Emily is a brilliant, fully realized character who felt incredibly real to me. How O'Nan managed to turn this story into a compelling page-turner is a mystery to me, but he did it.

5 stars

"She would be judged by how she'd lived her life, not how she wished it had been. She accepted that completely. She was painfully aware of her failings. Every Sunday she confessed them, and while by no means clear, her conscience was no heavier than most, or so she hoped."

NB: O'Nan's earlier novel, Wish You Were Here, introduces Emily and her family, shortly after she is widowed. It's a very good book, but Emily, Alone can stand on its own. And there is a related noved, Henry, Himself about Emily's husband. I haven't read that one yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

You got me with that one, Katie. Onto the list it goes.

>262 lauralkeet: - I think you'll love it, Laura.

It looks to be another beautiful day here. I think spring has sprung. (I probably just jinxed it.)

Yesterday was predictably quiet, though I did manage a trip to the wine shop :)

I am not sure what we'll get up to today. The Wayne was making noises about working on one of his (many) projects - this one involving our storage room. I will probably encourage him, so that at least one of the projects will be finished... I expect we'll go out for dinner tonight.

Books:
I finished Trash: A Poor White Journey and started The Boys in the Trees, as I "needed" a historical fiction read to fill my self-imposed monthly genre spread. I have about an hour left of the audio of Goodbye Without Leaving, which is kind of odd but I like it.

Viewing:
Some 'Full Swing.'

Happy gorgeous Saturday, Katie. Emily, Alone vaulted onto my TBR...drat. I hope April is a more smooth reading month for me....

Thank you for calling Stewart O'Nan to my attention.

He's on my "to Do" List

>265 richardderus: - It was a really satisfying read, RD. I hope you find it so, too.

>266 magicians_nephew: - Happy to share my love for O'Nan. I wish he were more widely known and read. If you've not read anything by him, don't start with any of his newer stuff. They aren't bad, but I find his older catalogue much stronger.

>249 katiekrug: Pretty puzzle!

Happy weekend! Good luck with TW's project(s).

I've really enjoyed a couple of books by Stewart O'Nan, Katie. Both Emily, Alone and Henry Himself. But I have not yet read Wish You Here . Onto the wishlist it goes.

Happy Easter, Katie! And belated birthday wishes to TW. I love your recent puzzling! I've just finished one with a spiral shape in the middle and I'm ready for something very different. I hope Nuala is feeling better after a couple of days of rest. I bet things get boisterous at daycare :-)

>268 curioussquared: - Thanks, Natalie!

>269 vancouverdeb: - I hope you like it, Deborah.

>270 susanj67: - Hi Susan! I made the mistake of playing catch with Nuala on Friday, so her leg got sore again, but she rebounds quickly. I'll be trying to make her rest until she goes to day care on Wednesday. It does get a bit boisterous there, I think!

Happy Sunday, everyone. We aren't Easter people, but if you're celebrating, I hope you have a nice day. March 31st is Trans Visibility Day, which I am noting in honor of my cousin and all individuals who deserve to be recognized and loved for who they are.

The Wayne leaves for Boston tomorrow, so I'll be doing a bit of laundry and thinking of things I need him to take care of before he goes. He's hoping to hit up the golf range in a bit and will go to store on his way home, so I don't have to. Thai red curry for dinner.

Books:
I finished Goodbye Without Leaving on audio yesterday, and started the very short Grief is the Thing with Feathers to finish out the month. In print, I am almost done with The Boys in the Trees and will definitely finish it today. And then it'll be on to April's reading!

Viewing:
Some men's and women's college basketball, and the last 2 episodes of 'Full Swing.'

Hi Katie, and happy Sunday to you. Thanks for raising awareness of Trans Visibility Day. I did not realize that was today.

Good luck with TW's "honey do" list LOL.

>273 lauralkeet: - Happy Sunday to you, Laura!

It sounds like you've been spared all the faux outrage over President Biden "canceling" Easter in favor of TVD *serious eye roll*

So far, TW is tearing through the list :)

Trash: A Poor White Journey by Cedar Monroe

I received a copy of this book from LT's Early Reviewer program.

Monroe grew up poor in the Pacific Northwest and after finishing at an Episcopal seminary in Boston, they returned to their home and served as a chaplain to the unhoused population occupying land along the river in Aberdeen, Washington. This book, while repetitive in places, is an important look at the intersection of race, ethnicity, powerlessness, unfettered capitalism, and how people living in poverty or on the edge of it - whether black or white, Indigenous or not, rural or urban - would be well-served to join forces to demand basic needs like health care and housing. Monroe's central thesis regarding white supremacy and poverty is an interesting one, and their voice is an important one.

3.75 stars

ETA: My ER copy is an actual hardcover of the book, and I'd be happy to pass it on to anyone interested.

Goodbye Without Leaving by Laurie Corwin

What a fun novel. It tells a familiar story of a woman who becomes a wife and mother and feels like she's lost her own identity. But Corwin provides such an interesting back story for Geraldine that it feels fresh. I loved the inclusion of her work with African-Americans and a German-Jewish group, as well as the wry humor throughout the story. The audio, read by Renata Friedman, is excellent.

4 stars

NB: This was my first Corwin but won't be my last. Julia (rosalita) was a big fan, and I think she would have loved this one, given her love of music.

Grief is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter

An odd little novella about a family mourning their wife and mother and a crow that moves in to help them deal with their grief. The Ted Hughes allusions went over my head, though I know he wrote a "crow" book. The title, of course, refers to Emily Dickinson's poem, which begins:

"Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -"

I don't think I totally "got" this book but I enjoyed the listen. Grief is such a hard thing to write about - so complex and personal - but Porter does it well.

4 stars

Welcome to April, my birthday month!

I'm up and about early, as I have to take The Wayne to the train. He's headed to Boston until Friday night for work, so I'll be flying solo for a while. After I drop him off, I'll hit the grocery store - he went yesterday, but our usual one was closed so he had to go farther afield and ended up just getting what he needed to make dinner. I'll get everything else today (most important: coffee creamer). Other plans for the day include a couple of phone calls and some cleaning. I have one more review to do to wrap up March's reads, and then I'll do my monthly summary.

Not sure what's for dinner - probably leftover curry.

Books:
I finished Grief is the Thing with Feathers on audio yesterday, and will start Piglet today. In print, I finished The Boys in the Trees and started How to Be a Girl in the World, a recommendation from Amber.

Viewing:
Basketball

Wordle 1,017 3/6

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POISE, FLOOD, FROND

>278 katiekrug: all the best people have April birthdays >;-)
Have fun by yourself. What mayhem is planned?!

>279 katiekrug: pretty pattern!

>278 katiekrug: The red curry paste you posted on FB looked like a good brand. They get online compliments anyway. Read hearty this week, since you will be solo. I hope the rain stays moderate for your anxiety levels.

>280 Helenliz: - No mayhem, but lots of reading and TV watching :)

Yay for April birthdays!

>281 richardderus: - It's a great curry base. Our town has an excellent Asian market, which we have fun exploring. My favorite are the products with zero English on the packaging, though I haven't been brave enough to try any.

Thanks re: the rain. As long as it's not stupid heavy over a sustained period, it should be okay... *crosses fingers*

The Boys in the Trees by Mary Swan

This historical novel focuses, initially, on a family in England who suffer tragedy and move to Canada in the second half of the 19th century. They end up in a smallish town where the husband works as a bookkeeper. Tragedy strikes again. After that, the book is about the repercussions of that tragedy and how it affects several people in the town. This is a really bad description, but I don't want to give anything away.

I really loved Swan's writing, which is elegant and almost poetic at times. This could have been a 4.5-star or more read for me, but I wanted a little more insight, a little more detail, and a little more closure. Some things were left just a bit too ambiguous for my liking. Still, it was a good read.

4 stars

March in Review
(Numbers in parantheses are YTD)

Books Read: 22 (51)
(Puzzles Completed: 10 (25))

Mine: 10 (22)

Library: 12 (29)

Male authors: 5 (16)
Female authors: 16 (36)
Non-Binary: 1 (1)

New-to-me authors: 18 (37)
US/UK authors: 17 (45)
Other: - 5: Ireland (x2), China, Canada, Italy (8 - Algeria, Canada, China, Irealnd x2, Italy, Japan, Latvia)

Print: 7 (15)
Ebook: 5 (10)
Audio: 10 (26)

General/Popular Fiction: 4 (9)
Literary Fiction: 4 (9)
Historical Fiction: 2 (5)
Romance: 5 (9)
Crime/Thriller: 5 (11)
Juvenile/YA: 0 (2)
Classics: 1 (1)
Speculative: 0 (0)
Nonfiction: 1 (5)

Publication:
New (2023 or 2024): 4 (6)
2020-2022: 7 (13)
2020-2019: 6 (20)
2000-2009: 2 (5)
1980s-90s: 2 (5)
1950s-70s: 0 (1)
1900-1949: 1 (1)
19th c.: 0 (0)

Re-reads: 0 (1)
DNFs: 0 (5)

Best of the month (not counting re-reads): Emily, Alone
Worst of the month (not counting DNFs): Wednesday Walks & Wags

You did have a great month of reading, Katie. Trash sounds great, as does Grief is the Thing with Feathers. You did 10 puzzles in March?!

I also have a book by Colwin on my shelves, thanks to Julia! I should dust it off. I loved Word by Word, which I read last month. I should keep my Julia streak going.

You are home alone! Enjoy your alone time this week. Be good. :)

>285 BLBera: - Happy April, Beth!

Would you like my copy of Trash?

I really liked the Colwin and look forward to reading more by her. Julia's gifts keep on giving :)

Yep, 10 puzzles but some were only 500 pieces and some not too challenging. This is my most recent completion - that's about my limit for sky and water in a puzzle :)

Happy April, Katie! Enjoy your solo week.

>286 katiekrug: ooooo

lurvely

>277 katiekrug: Grief is the Thing With Feathers was a five star read for me, a few years back. I’m so glad you brought it back to my attention, because now I can read it again, with new insights, perhaps.

Karen O

22 books last month?! Damn!

I'll do my best to send you some of our current sunshine while you're running solo.

>287 lauralkeet: - Thank you, Laura!

>288 richardderus: - *Almost* makes me want to go to the beach, but not quite. Too much sand :)

>289 klobrien2: - I am glad to be of service, Karen!

>290 MickyFine: - Yeah, that's an unusually high number for me. I listened to several short-ish audio books, which accounts for it.

Some sun would be most welcome!

>249 katiekrug: Oo, very pretty!

>261 katiekrug: I am fairly sure that I gave that one 5 stars when I read it too. I am glad to see that you enjoyed it!

>276 katiekrug: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Katie!

>278 katiekrug: Happy birthday, Katie!

>283 katiekrug: I just went and pulled my copy of that one. Maybe I will actually get it read this month.

>284 katiekrug: Nice stats! I wish I had the patience to do them, but nope. Lol.

>292 alcottacre: - Hi Stasia!

Thanks for catching up here :)

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

New thread is up!