Klobrien2 Karen O Books and Life in 2024 - Part 4

It feels like a good time to have a new picture at the top of my thread. These are my cats, watching their favorite video, "So Many Feathers." The video holds their attention like nothing else I've ever seen (not even the laser pointer). Art and I were/are both cat people, and they are providing me so much comfort as I continue my life without my dear Artie.

Welcome to my fourth 2024 “Books and Life” thread!

I've been with the 75-bookers for many years now, and I enjoy so much the camaraderie and book talk that happens here. I'm very glad to join with you all again!

The year 2023 was my annus horribilus; I lost my husband (the love of my life) at the end of March, and had scary health concerns in November. But through it all, reading has been an anchor and a beacon for my life. This Library Thing group has provided me a safe and loving place to be.

I’ve had great reading in 2023. I find myself reading pretty much as the spirit leads. I participate in the American Author Challenge, and plan to continue with them. A long-term project of mine is to accomplish reads from the "1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die" book, so that may guide my reading a little. Current 1001 Books count: 215.

What directs my reading more are my friends here on LT, so keep those recommendations coming!

This is my fifteenth year participating in the 75 Books Challenge. In 2009, I read 94 books; in 2010, I made it to 148!; 153 in 2011; 160 in 2012; 114 in 2013; 92 in 2014; 109 in 2015; 145 in 2016, 210 in 2017, 200 in 2018, 180 in 2019, 225 (3 x 75!) in 2020, 242 in 2021, 286 in 2022, 230 in 2023.

In addition to reading books, I've also discovered the world of Great Courses DVD lifelong learning courses. I love them! Below is a list of the courses I've completed, and I will try to always have at least one course going all the time.

A list of the Great Courses I have done can be found here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/331920

I've also begun some serious magazine reading, using my public library as source once again. I keep track of and read some fifteen magazines, on a range of topics: science, quilting, nature, birding, cats, news, etc.

I read two daily newspapers (St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Minneapolis Star Tribune), and I also read a lot of daily newsletters from the NYTimes.

Here's where I'll list the books I read (the number at the end of each line represents the post number where I listed the book).

MY FIRST THREAD:

The books I read in January:

1. Traveling Light: Poems by Linda Pastan
2. A Dog Runs Through It by Linda Pastan
3. An American Story by Kwame Alexander, art by Dare Coulter
4. There Was a Party for Langston by Jason Reynolds, art by Jerome Pumphrey and Jarrett Pumphrey
5. A Walk in the Woods by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney and Brian Pickney
6. The Witches' Tree (Agatha Raisin #28) by M. C. Beaton
7. The Dead Ringer (Agatha Raisin #28) by M. C. Beaton
8. You Nest Here With Me by Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y Stemple, ill. Melissa Sweet
9. The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Hadley Hooper
10. Cat Kid Comic Club Influencers (Cat Kid Comic Club #5) by Dav Pilkey
11. The Silkworm (Cormoran Strike #2) by Robert Galbraith
12. My Everyday Lagos: Nigerian Cooking at Home and in the Diaspora by Yewande Kololafe
13. The Little Match Girl Strikes Back by Emma Carroll, illuminated by Lauren Childs
14. Dinner in One: Exceptional and Easy One-Pan Meals by Melissa Clark
15. Beating About the Bush by M. C. Beaton
16. Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein by Linda Bailey, ill. Julia Sarda
17. Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco
18. Coyote's Wild Home by Lily Kingsolver and Barbara Kingsolver, painted by Paul Mirocha
19. In the Dark by Kate Hoefler, art by Corinna Luyken
20. Just One Little Light by Kat Yeh, ill. Isabelle Arsenault
21. Welcome Comfort by Patricia Polacco
22. Zilot & Other Rhymes by Bob Odenkirk, ill. Erin Odenkirk
23. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, ill. Grahame Baker-Smith
24. She-Hulk Vol. 3: Girl Can't Help It by Rainbow Rowell
25. Collected Poems by Jane Kenyon
26. Without: Poems by Donald Hill
27. Watership Down: The Graphic Novel by Richard Adams, adapted and illustrated by James Sturn and Joe Sutphin
28. Eve's Diary (short story) by Mark Twain
29. Banned Books, Burned Books: Forbidden Literary Works (DVD Great Course) by Maureen Corrigan
30. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf, ill. Robert Lawson
31. Once I Ate a Pie by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, ill. Katy Schneider
32. When Grandfather Flew by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Chris Sheban
33. Grief Is An Elephant by Tamara Ellis Smith, and Nancy Whiteside
34. Homeland of My Body: New & Selected Poems by Richard Blanco

The books I read in February:

35. Murder Most Royal (Her Majesty the Queen Investigates #3) by S. J. Bennett
36. My Indigo World by Rosa Sung Ji Chang
37. How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers
38. How to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham
39. A Good Cry: What We Learn from Tears and Laughter by Nikki Giovanni
40. Prince in Comics by Tony Laurenco, 16 illustrators
41. This Country: Searching for Home in (Very) Rural America by Navied Mahdavian

MY SECOND THREAD:

42. Hot to Trot (Agatha Raisin #31) by M. C. Beaton with R. W. Green
43. Three Men Out (Nero Wolfe #23) by Rex Stout
44. When I Was Your Age: Life Lessons, Funny Stories & Questionable Parenting Advice From a Professional Clown by Kenan Thompson
45. Sloth Slept On by Frann Preston-Gannon
46. Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andraea, ill. Guy Parker-Rees
47. Knight Owl by Christopher Denise
48. Ironheart Vol. !: Those With Courage
49. Cooking My Way: Recipes and Techniques for Economical Cooking by Jacques Pepin
50. So Late in the Day: Stories of Women and Men by Claire Keegan
51. Ancient Writing and the History of the Alphabet (Great Course) by John McWhorter
52. The Tucci Table: Cooking With Family and Friends by Stanley Tucci and Felicity Blunt
53. Down the Hatch (Agatha Raisin #32) by M. C. Beaton
54. Open Throat: A Novel by Henry Hoke
55. I Wonder If I'll See a Whale by Francis Ward Weller, ill. Ted Lewin
56. Little Red Riding Hood, adapted from The Brothers Grimm by Gennady Spirin
57. Ironheart, Vol. 2: Ten Rings by Eve L. Ewing
58. Ironheart: Riri Williams by Brian Michael Bendis
59. Artificial: A Love Story by Amy Kurzweil
60. Orbital: A Novel by Samantha Harvey
61. My Friend Earth by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Francesca Sanna
62. The Diaries of Adam and Eve and Other Stories by Mark Twain
63. Electric Arches by Eve L. Ewing
64. Dream Within a Dream by Patricia MacLachlan
65. The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of the Whole Stupid World by Matt Kracht
66. The Moon's Almost Here by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Tomie de Paola
67. Before She Was Harriet by Leea Cline-Ransome, ill. James E. Ransome
68. Snowflakes Fall by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Steven Kellogg
69. The Journey by Francesca Sanna
70. The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Alexander Pushkin, paintings by Gennady Spirin
71. Before You Came by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, ill David Diaz

The books I read in March:

72. Through Grandpa's Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan, pictures by Deborah Ray
73. My Father's Words by Patricia MacLachlan
74. Devil's Delight by M. C. Beaton and R. W. Green
75. Classic Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen, adapted by Valeria Manferto, ill. Francesca Rossi
76. Zin! Zin! Zin!: A Violin by Lloyd Moss, ill. Marjorie Priceman
77. I Am Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Brad Meltzer, ill. Christopher Eliopoulos
78. Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto
79. All the Places to Love by Patricia MacLachlan, paintings by Mike Wimmer
80. Snow White and Rose Red by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm, trans. May Sellars, ill. Gennady Spirin

MY THIRD THREAD:

81. The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Vol. 2 by Neil Gaiman, graphic adaptation by P. Craig Russell, various illustrators
82. The Middle Ages Around the World (Great Course) by Joyce E. Salisbury
83. Dead on Target (Agatha Raisin #34) by M. C. Beaton with R. W. Green
84. Three Names by Patricia MacLachlan, pictures by Alexander Portzoff
85. Pretty Ugly (Toon Books) by David Sedaris, ill. Ian Falconer
86. Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Short Stories by Truman Capote
87. Guts by Raina Telgemeier
88. The Graveyard Book Graphic Novel, Vol. 2 by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell various illustrators
89. Notes on Grief by Chimimanda Ngosi Adechie
90. Saga Volume 10 by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples (artist)
91. At First Spite: A Harlot's Bay Novel by Olivia Dade
92. Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control by Dana K. White
93. Corn Dance: Inspired First American Cuisine by Loretta Barrett Oden with Beth Dooley
94. Geraldine by Elizabeth Lilly
95. Cat Talk by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, ill. Barry Moser
96. The Sick Day by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Jane Dyer
97. Your Moon, My Moon: A Grandmother's Words to a Faraway Child by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Bryan Collier
98. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
99. Abandoned Malls of America: Crumbling Commerce Left Behind by Seph Lawless
100. Ferris by Kate DiCamillo
101. Saga, Volume 11 by Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples (artist)
102. Smile by Raina Telgemeier
103. A Commonplace Book of Pie by Kate Lebo
104. Prairie Days by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Micha Archer
105. My Poet by Patricia MacLachlan, ill. Jen Hill
106. Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting, ill. Ronald Himler
107. The Biggest Bear by Lynd Ward
108. My Elephant is Blue: A Book About Big, Heavy Feelings by Melinda Szymanik, ill. Vasanti Unka

The books I read in April:

109. The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate, ill. Patricia Castelao
110. Mexikid: A Graphic Memoir by Pedro Martin
111. No Cure for Being Human: (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler
112. King Arthur's Very Great Grandson by Kenneth Kraegel
113. The Clown of God: An Old Story Told and Illustrated by Tomie DePaolo
114. I Didn't Do it by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Charest, ill. Katy Schneider -
115. Cher Ami: Based On The World War One Legend of the Fearless Pigeon by Meliande Potter, ill. Giselle Potter
116. Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by A. S. Byatt

MY FOURTH THREAD:

117. Answered Prayers: An Unfinished Novel by Truman Capote -- 26
118. How Can I Help You by Laura Sims -- 37
119. Post-Impressionism: The Beginnings of Modern Art (Great Course) by Ricky Allman -- 40
120. One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth -- 49
121. Painting the Wind by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan, ill. Katy Schneider -- 49
122. Life in the Boreal Forest by Brenda Z. Guiberson, painting by Gennady Spirin -- 49
123. Oskar's Voyage by Laura Purdlle Salas, ill. Kayla Harren -- 49
124. Grief is the Thing With Feathers: A Novel by Max Porter -- 59
125. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate -- 60
126. Field Work by Seamus Heaney -- 81
127. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell -- 82
128. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate -- 89
129. The School Trip by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen -- 104
130. Field Day by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen -- 104
131. One Blowy Night by Nick Butterworth -- 104
132. The Rescue Party by Nick Butterworth -- 104
133. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher -- 105
134. Something About the Sky by Rachel Carson and Nikki McClure -- 114
135. The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung, ill. Hanna Cha -- 114
136. Gifts From Georgia's Garden: How Georgia O'Keefe Nourished Her Art by Lisa Robinson, ill. Hadley Hooper -- 114
137. The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney -- 114
138. Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan -- 117
139. Olivetti by Allie Millington -- 123

The books I read in May:

140. Orris and Timble: The Beginning by Kate DiCamillo, ill. Carmen Mok -- 150
141. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose -- 151
142. The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate, ill. Patricia Castelao -- 166
143. Unnatural Habits (Phryne Fisher #19) by Kerry Greenwood -- 175
144. Hello, Friends: Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs by Dulce Sloan -- 179
145. Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow by Ted Hughes -- 180
146. The Art of Rube Goldberg: (A) Inventive (B) Cartoon (C) Genius by Jennifer George -- 185
147. Michael Rosen's Sad Book by Michael Rosen, ill. Quentin Blake -- 193
148. Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey -- 194
149. Big Babies by Patrick O'Brien -- 219
150. Norman Didn't Do It (Yes He Did) by Ryan T. Higgins -- 219
151. Mysterious, Marvelous Octopus by Paige Towler -- 219
152. The Truth of Me: About a Boy, His Grandmother, and a Very Good Dog by Patricia MacLachlan -- 224
153. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto -- 244
154. The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate, ill. Patricia Castelao -- 247
155. A Wild Swan: And Other Tales by Michael Cunningham, ill. Yuko Shimizu -- 250
156. Here After: A Memoir by Amy Lin -- 258
157. Miracle Man: The Golden Age by Neil Gaiman and Mark Buckingham -- 259
158. A Map to the Next World: Poems and Tales by Joy Hargo -- 260
159. How the Birds Got Their Songs by Travis Zimmerman, ill. Sam Zimmerman -- 268
160. Mercy Watson is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo, ill. Chris Van Dusen -- 269
161. What the Bees See: A Honeybee's View of the World by Craig P. Burrows -- 282

Here is where I'll list the authors selected for the 2024 American Authors Challenge, the books I will read, and if I complete them (here's hoping!)

JANUARY: Mark Twain -- Read Eve's Diary -- COMPLETED
FEBRUARY: Susan Sontag -- not going to read
MARCH: Truman Capote -- Breakfast at Tiffany's and Three Stories -- COMPLETED
APRIL: General Non-Fiction with host Caroline Caroline_McElwee -- No Cure for Being Human: (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler -- COMPLETED
MAY: William Maxwell -- plan to read So Long, See You Tomorrow
JUNE: Queer Authors with host Dr. Laura Koons lycomayflower
JULY: Susan Power a/k/a Mona Susan Power
AUGUST: Jeffrey Lent
SEPTEMBER: Living American authors who were born outside the US but adopted this country as their home.
OCTOBER: Katharine Anne Porter
NOVEMBER: Jewish American Authors with host Kristel kristelh
DECEMBER: The Heartland (regional authors from the middle of the country)
WILD CARD: 2015 Redux Pick an author from the 2015 Challenge
EXTRA POINTS CHALLENGE
(Complete the challenge by reading at least one work from the author or category featured each month AND one work from the Wildcard list each month.)

My 2003 "Books Read" list (casually kept, and probably incomplete): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2003-reading-list.html
My 2004 "Books Read" list (see above caveats: things get better!):
http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2004-reading-list.html
My 2005 "Books Read" list (most pathetic list yet): http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2005-reading-list.html
My 2006 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2006-reading-list.htm
My 2007 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2007-reading-list.html
My 2008 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2008-reading-list.html
My 2009 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2009-reading-list.html
My 2010 "Books Read" list : http://librata.blogspot.com/2012/04/karens-2010-reading-list.html

Here is a link to my last thread from 2011: http://www.librarything.com/topic/122919

Here is a link to my last thread from 2012: http://www.librarything.com/topic/138897

Here is a link to my last thread from 2013:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/156012

Here is a link to my thread from 2014: http://www.librarything.com/topic/163564

Here is a link to my thread from 2015: https://www.librarything.com/topic/186139

Here is a link to my thread from 2016: http://www.librarything.com/topic/211096

Here is a link to my last thread from 2017: http://www.librarything.com/topic/268142#

Here is a link to my last thread from 2018: https://www.librarything.com/topic/298557

Here is a link to my one-and-only thread from 2019: https://www.librarything.com/topic/301738

The books I've read in the first half of 2020 (115 of them) are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/314888

The books I read in the second half of 2020 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/322010#

The books I read in the first half of 2021 are here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/328372#

The books I read in the second half of 2021 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/333390#

The books I read in the first quarter of 2022 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/338204#n7791489

The books I read in April and May of 2022 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/340601#n7851702

The books I read in June, July, part of August of 2022 are here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/342092#

The books I read in August through part of October of 2022 are here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/343494#n7961305

The books I read from October to the end of year are here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/345382#

Good reading to you!

Friday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (04/12/24):

Actively reading (or soon will be!)

Answered Prayers by Truman Capote -- p. 37 of 150
How Can I Help You by Laura Sims -- p. 30 of 240
A Circle of Quiet by by Madeline L'Engle -- p. 12 of 206
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher -- p. 7 of 239
The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing, ed. Kevin Young -- p. 16 of 305
The Fairy Tale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kanfro -- p. 18 of 316
Attachments: A Novel by Rainbow Rowell -- p. 93 of 331
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett -- p. 29 of 278 (mine, on Nook)
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal -- p. 81 of 253 (mine, on Nook)
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni -- p. 27 of 343
Unnatural Habits (Phryne Fisher #19) by Kerry Greenwood -- p. 62 of 255
Before Midnight by Rex Stout -- p. 7 of 172
Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith -- p. 33 of 439

I'm overbooked! I don't want to lose track of these books, but I can't truly say that I am actively reading them right now:

Braiding Sweetgrass (for Rosalita)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger -- p. 82 of 421 (Nook)
Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout -- p. 7 of 273
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan -- p. 41 of 436
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead -- p. 73 of 288 (Nook)
Agatha's First Case (Agatha Raisin #0.5) by M. C. Beaton (Nook)
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 3 of 238
Marple: Twelve New Stories by assorted authors
Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I try to participate in the American Authors Challenge. In April, we are reading Non-Fiction. I finished No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler; I am reading Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman -- p. 00 of 000; Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper -- p. 11 of 282

I usually am reading/watching Great Courses. My current Great Course is:
Post-Impressionism: The Beginnings of Modern Art, by Ricky Allman, 18 of 24 lectures read and watched.

Welcome! The next one is yours!

Happy new thread, Karen. Love your topper! Of all the cats I've had over the years, only my late great Mia (my avatar pic) loved watching TV, nature shows, even, for some reason, Jeopardy held her interest, lol!

Happy new thread, Karen.

Happy new thread Karen. Your cats look quite enthralled.

Happy new one, Karen!

Dear Karen, Your opening image made me smile. I understand your sorrow regarding the loss of Art. April 19th will be the fifth year since Will died. In addition, sadly, Will's cousin, whom I love dearly is by her partner's side as cancer is impacting her lungs. The four of us had so many wonderful vacation times. We always laughed together. That's what I miss the most -- the laughter. Today I remembered how happy I was when Will and I would be driving to a destination and he would be singing in that funny voice of his. There were times when I felt so happy I spontaneously laughed out loud.

I'm glad I had those many years of laughter and joy. And, I am proud that I was by his side throughout those nasty months when his lungs were so compromised. Every day brought a new challenge. And, every day, I would enter the hospital room and ask him to remember a happy event. I asked friends and relatives to send cards listing happy memories. It was the happy memories that got us through the sad times.

Please know I think of you and send all good wishes to you as you also remember the good times.

Happy Spring. The sun is shining and the grass is very green. I pray you hold the love you both felt, and that it sustains you when the days might be challenging.

Much Love

Happy New Thread, Karen! I'm glad you have your cats to keep your company. I have a dog, but pets are very good company.

Happy new thread, Karen!

>1 klobrien2: How nice to have a video that keeps your cats interested :-)
Nearly fourty years ago we had a ginger cat. He loved to watch the moving snooker balls on TV, when Frank was watching the game.

>4 jessibud2: Your cat liked watching Jeopardy? Funny! My girls will sometimes look at something on the screen, but it takes a video with birds or other small critters to keep them watching.

>5 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the warm welcome, Paul!

>6 Kristelh: Thanks, Kristel! Hope your trip is going well!

>7 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>8 Whisper1: Whisper1, as always I thank you for your beautiful words. You’re right, the good memories sustain us. I wish you peace and happiness in your grief journey.

>9 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deborah, and thanks for your warm words of welcome (do you like my alliteration?!☺️)

>10 FAMeulstee: Thank you! Yes, I can see my cats enjoying watching snooker, too!

Thank you all for stopping by! I’ll be by your threads later on today.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Online church service. A little cooking.

Books I read yesterday: Answered Prayers, Map to the Next World, How Can I Help You. I hope to finish the Capote today.

Magazines:

Great Course: Post-Impressionism: The Beginnings of Modern Art:

Grief reading:

Watching: So Help Me Todd 2.5, Elsbeth ep. 4, Young Sheldon 7.7, Resident Alien 3.8.

Listening:

Wordle 1,030 3/6 —I was so lucky today, and I loved my guesses! irate, shiny, blimp

🟦⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟧⬜⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #308
🟨🟨🟨🟨 pull using force (rip, tear, wrench, yank)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 U.S.-based airlines (American, Frontier, Spirit, United)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 bit of repetitive training (drill, exercise, practice, routine)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 beginning with day abbreviations (friar, monkey, sundry, wedding)

Strands #42
“Join the club!”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/14:
67/67 words (+21 bonus words)
📖 In the top 38% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 30

Happy new thread, Karen. I always enjoy new threads because I can review the reading so far; and you are reading a LOT this year.

>14 BLBera: Hello there! Yes, I’m reading a lot, but there are a lot of picture books, graphic books, smaller books in general. I’m choosing to read books lighter, lovelier in nature, “babying” my soul.

Thanks for visiting!

Happy new thread, Karen!

>16 bell7: Thanks! How goes the music listening? I’ll have to stop by your thread. Have a good week!

Happy new thread, Karen! >1 klobrien2: Very interesting picture, with all four cats enthralled by the video on the TV. Growing up, our cat didn't pay that much attention to TV, but one time some station was airing the movie Samson and Delilah. There was an early scene with a lion roaring, and our cat came charging into the room, hair standing on end, to see what was going on.

Wishing you a great week!

Happy new thread, Karen.
Thank you for the picture of your cats, they exude calmness even though they are full of attention.

Happy New Thread, Karen. I love that kitty topper. That is awesome. I might start Gentleman in Moscow series soon. I wanted a few episodes to drop first. Have a good week.

>18 atozgrl: I can just visualize your “Samsom and Delilah” scene! Your cat being a watchcat!

Have a lovely week!

>19 SirThomas: I’m just amazed when they sit for so long, and pay such close attention. It’s usually not in their nature.

Thanks for the new thread wishes!

>20 msf59: Hi, Mark! Moving from having Art’s picture up top took a little thought. At first, I thought of a nice Lake Superior pic since I had such good memories of Art and I being there. But nothing really jumped out at me. Once I came across the kitties, I felt Art’s presence there, so that was it!

“The Gentleman” hit his nadir in the third, most recent episode. His emotions are showing. Just love the show! Ewan MacGregor is awesome, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (as Anna Urbanova, the actress who meets up with him periodically) is great, too. I didn’t know that those two actors are husband and wife IRL.

Good week to you, too!

Thank you all for stopping by!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. A few errands to run.

Books I read yesterday: Answered Prayers (finished it!), Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle, Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, The Fairytale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kantra, Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood, How Can I Help You by Laura Sims.

Magazines: New Yorker (4/15)

Great Course: Post-Impressionism: The Beginnings of Modern Art: Read: 19. Odilon Redon’s Fantastic Worlds, 20. Henri Rousseau’s Jungles of the Mind. Probably watch these today.

Grief reading:

Watching: Lewis 2.1.

Listening:

>17 klobrien2: The music listening is good! I'm nearly through my first Elvis albums, and will be listening to Little Richard later this week. I've written up descriptions of the last couple of albums on my thread (thanks for the prompting!).

>23 bell7: Great! I’ll look forward to seeing what you’re hearing!

Happy Monday!

Wordle 1,031 3/6 irate, denim, equip

🟦⬜⬜⬜🟦
⬜🟦⬜🟧⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections —(sniff) Made only the first two Connections today…

Puzzle #309
🟪🟪🟨🟩
🟨🟩🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟪🟦🟦
🟦🟪🟦🟦

Strands #43
“This and that”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🔵🟡

I played https://squaredle.com 04/15:
28/28 words (+11 bonus words)
📖 In the top 22% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 31

117. Answered Prayers: The Unfinished Novel by Truman Capote



Finally finished this little book. I thought it was basically well-written, and very much Truman Capote, but I had a hard time dealing with the sleaziness and sadness of the characters (both "high class" and not "high class.") I had to follow any reading of the book with happier reading, to clear my mind and soul.

But I was glad to have read the book, as I was glad to have watched "Feud: Capote and the Swans," recently televised. It was like a historical study. Three chapters only (it is an unfinished novel; the third chapter is the infamous "La Cote Basque" article that figured so prominently in the "Feud" show.

Capote begins the book with this epigram, which explains the title, and is referred to in the book itself: "More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones. (Saint Terese of Avila).

Happy new one, Karen!

Nice job on Wordle and Strands. Connections was really hard today.

I needed to look up some help with Wordle today. I had all the vowels but was having trouble coming up with the consonants. With Connections, I had two false starts before I finally got the groups. (Your first two guesses look exactly like mine.) It was definitely a harder puzzle this time.

>27 drneutron: Thank you! And thanks for stopping by!

>28 Kristelh: Thanks, Kristel!

>29 atozgrl: I feel better when I hear others struggled with Connections—misery loves company, I guess. 😁

Great to see you here!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday: Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle, Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, How To Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter, How Can I Help You by Laura Sims.

Magazines:

Great Course: Post-Impressionism: The Beginnings of Modern Art: Watched: 19. Odilon Redon’s Fantastic Worlds, 20. Henri Rousseau’s Jungles of the Mind.

Grief reading:

Watching:

Listening: Billy Joel 100th Show special—Madison Square Garden. Billy Joel is so talented, and his music so good. I watched on Paramount+, which just sucks (lags and stops)—just horrible. Mystery why I couldn’t get it on my local CBS on Sunday, when it was live.

Wordle 1,032 3/6 irate, blank, shank

⬜⬜🟧⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #310
🟩🟦🟨🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩 bit of journalism (article, feature, report, story)
🟨🟨🟦🟨
🟪🟪🟪🟪 theater sections (balcony, box, orchestra, stage)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 flabbergast (floor, rock, shock, surprise)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 on the same plane (even, flat, flush, level)

Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/16:
27/27 words (+9 bonus words)
📖 In the top 27% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 32

>31 klobrien2: - I watched the Billy Joel special on my local affiliate and it was excellent, from start to finish. A friend in the States told me her local CBS station started it late because of some sports that was on and cut it off mid-song (Piano Man) to go to the 11 o'clock news. That would have royally ticked me off. I mean, news is available 24/7 pretty much everywhere on the planet; they couldn't wait for his finale to finish? Anyhow, it was a great show, wasn't it?

Just editing in this; my friend who told me about the mess-up at CBS, just updated:

"CBS is rebroadcasting the Billy Joel special in its entirety on Friday night. They screwed up and it was human error on the Network's watch, not the local affiliates that went to news."

>33 jessibud2: I saw that same news about the Billy Joel show! And they cut the show off right at its finish, the great “Piano Man” finale. I think I’ll watch it again, just because the Paramount+ showing was so horrible.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. A little cleaning, a little prep for Jerry being here.

Books I read yesterday: Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher, Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood, How Can I Help You by Laura Sims.

Magazines:

Great Course: Post-Impressionism: The Beginnings of Modern Art: Read: 21. Post-Impressionism Beyond France, and 22. Edvard Munch’s Emotional Palette.

Grief reading:

Watching: Bob ❤️ Abishola 5.10, 9-1-1 7.5, Call the Midwife 13.5

Listening:

Wordle 1,033 3/6 irate, thine, tithe

🟦⬜⬜🟦🟧
🟧🟦🟦⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #311
🟪🟪🟪🟪 gathered by spies (dirt, information, intelligence, secrets)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 heed, as rules (follow, mind, observe, regard)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 upright support (column, pillar, pole, post)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 allotment (interest, percentage, share, stake)

Strands #45
“The long run”
🟡🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/17:
41/41 words (+4 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 26% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 33

118. How Can I Help You by Laura Sims



Spooky psychological thriller, based in a local public library. "A dark and spellbinding descent into jolly madness."

Definitely an involving plot, as we follow a new reference librarian and her discovery of the possible serial killer she works alongside. The author really seems to know the public library and its denizens.

A very good read, but now I need to read something happier (two "downers" in a row for me, with this one and Answered Prayers).

Belated happy new thread, Karen

>38 ArlieS: Thank you! And welcome!

119. Post-Impressionism: The Beginnings of Modern Art (Great Course) by Ricky Allman



Another excellent course from Great Courses. Ricky Allman is sharp, knowledgeable, very funny, and an excellent presenter. So much great art and history here.

24 lectures of 30 minutes each.

Sweet Thursday, Karen. I heard there was a new album out by Kasey Musgraves, "Deeper Well" so I gave it a spin. It is very good. I am a fan of her. She is mostly known for being country but she can do anything. First rate songwriter. If you are not familiar with her, give her a listen.

>41 msf59: Thanks for the recommendation, Mark. And of course I’ll have a long wait at the library…do you use a music app to listen to your music? If so, which one? I really think I need to try one.

Have a great day!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Order groceries. Tend to paperwork.

Books I read yesterday: How Can I Help You by Laura Sims—finished.

Magazines:

Great Course: Post-Impressionism: The Beginnings of Modern Art: Watched: 21. Post-Impressionism Beyond France, and 22. Edvard Munch’s Emotional Palette. Read and watched: 23. Gustav Klimt’s Journey to Art Nouveau and 24. Why Post-Impressionism Matters. I’ve finished this course!

Grief reading:

Watching: The Rookie 6.6. When going back to regular TV, what show was on but an episode of Modern Family with guest star Nathan Fillion, who I’d just been watching in Rookie!

Listening:

Yikes! Just made it today. Lots of guessy-guessy.

Wordle 1,034 6/6 irate, taken, matey, valet, cadet, facet

⬜⬜🟦🟦🟦
🟦🟧⬜🟧⬜
⬜🟧🟦🟧⬜
⬜🟧⬜🟧🟧
🟦🟧⬜🟧🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #312
🟩🟩🟩🟩 have in mind (aim, intend, mean, plan)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 unit abbreviations (cal, gal, in, oz)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 sidewalk sights (curb, grate, gutter, manhole)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 golden ____ (fleece, girls, parachute, rule)

Strands #46
“Sew what?”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🔵🟡

I played https://squaredle.com 04/18:
58/58 words (+20 bonus words)
📖 In the top 22% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 34

>37 klobrien2: - Glad you enjoyed that one, Karen. I thought it was very good.

>45 katiekrug: Yes, How Can I Help You was nice and twisty! I’m sure I read about the book on your thread—thanks!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Dentist appointment.

Books I read yesterday: One Snowy Night, Painting the Wind, Life in the Boreal Forest, Oskar’s Voyage. Also read some Crenshaw.

Magazines: NYT Magazine (3/31), NYT Book Review (3/31).

Great Course: Will be starting Great Tours: Iceland. No book with this one.

Grief reading:

Watching: Jerry and I watched Ted Lasso 1.4. Later, I watched Abbott Elementary 3.10, Animal Control 2.6, Not Dead Yet 2.6.

Listening:

My first word came through for me.

Wordle 1,035 2/6 irate, raise

🟦🟦🟦⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #313
🟨🟨🟨🟨 attach with adhesive (adhere, glue, paste, stick)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 diamond qualities (carat, clarity, color, cut)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 published lines (copy, text, words, writing)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 A- ____ (list, okay, plus, rod)

Strands #47
“Get to work!”
🔵💡🔵🔵
💡🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/19:
59/59 words (+16 bonus words)
📖 In the top 11% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 35

Had a really nice Library Book Day yesterday, and here are the four illustrated books that Jerry retrieved from the library for me. Thanks to whisper1 and fuzzi and anyone who brings these treasures to my knowledge!



120. One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth



This is a beautiful "board book," made sturdy, to last. Very cute and funny, with good lessons about friendship and taking care of those you come into contact with. This book is part of a series, "Percy the Park Keeper." I'll see if I can track down others in the series.



121. Painting the Wind by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan, ill. Katy Schneider



This is the first collaboration of these three with their "dog books" -- Once I Ate a Pie and I Didn't Do It were later works. Just as lovely to look at! There are some dogs in this book, but the main story here is "holding on to those perfect moments that only summer in a place that you love can offer." This book, about life on an island, and the painters who inhabit it and work their magic, has beautiful paintings and a sweet story.



122. Life in the Boreal Forest by Brenda Z. Guiberson, paintings by Genaddy Spirin



Beautiful, beautiful paintings by Spirin, and a so-important message about preserving the boreal forest.



123. Oskar's Voyage by Laura Purdle Salas, ill. Kayla Harren



Published by the Minnesota Historical Society Press! All about Great Lakes shipping, with lots of great information and illustrations, and a cute little chipmunk named Oskar, who takes an unintended voyage.

Friday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (04/19/24):

Actively reading (or soon will be!)

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate -- p. 105 of 245
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate -- p. 00 of 000
A Map to the Next World: Poems and Tales by Joy Harjo -- p. 14 of 138
How To Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter -- p. 11 of 294
Unnatural Death by Patricia Cornwell -- p. 24 of 299
A Circle of Quiet by by Madeline L'Engle -- p. 34 of 206
Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher -- p. 42 of 239
The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing, ed. Kevin Young -- p. 16 of 305
The Fairy Tale Life of Dorothy Gale by Virginia Kanfro -- p. 29 of 316
Unnatural Habits (Phryne Fisher #19) by Kerry Greenwood -- p. 88 of 255
Before Midnight by Rex Stout -- p. 7 of 172
Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith -- p. 35 of 437
Attachments: A Novel by Rainbow Rowell -- p. 93 of 331
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett -- p. 29 of 278 (mine, on Nook)
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal -- p. 81 of 253 (mine, on Nook)
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni -- p. 27 of 343

I'm overbooked! I don't want to lose track of these books, but I can't truly say that I am actively reading them right now:

Braiding Sweetgrass (for Rosalita)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger -- p. 82 of 421 (Nook)
Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout -- p. 7 of 273
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan -- p. 41 of 436
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead -- p. 73 of 288 (Nook)
Agatha's First Case (Agatha Raisin #0.5) by M. C. Beaton (Nook)
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 3 of 238
Marple: Twelve New Stories by assorted authors
Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I try to participate in the American Authors Challenge. In April, we are reading Non-Fiction. I finished No Cure for Being Human by Kate Bowler; I am reading Where the Deer and the Antelope Play by Nick Offerman -- p. 00 of 000; Better Living Through Birding by Christian Cooper -- p. 11 of 282

I usually am reading/watching Great Courses. My current Great Course is The Great Tours: Iceland. 24 lectures, 30 minutes each. No book for this one.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday: Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, Nettle and Bone, Unnatural Death by Patricia Cornwell, Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood, A Circle of Quiet

Magazines:

Great Course: Will be starting Great Tours: Iceland

Grief reading: Grief Is the Thing With Feathers

Watching: The Conners 6.8, Ghosts 3.8

Listening: Because of their mess-up with the Sunday running of the Billy Joel special, CBS rebroadcast it last night. I rewatched most of it. Infinitely better on CBS than on Paramount+! The bandwidth/lagging/clocking trouble is a problem that others have had with Paramount—I need to get it figured out.

Stupid choice on number 4 (wasn’t concentrating enough).

Wordle 1,036 5/6 irate, blind, livid, lipid, lucid

🟦⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟦🟦⬜🟧
🟧⬜⬜🟧🟧
🟧⬜⬜🟧🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #314
🟦🟦🟦🟦 parts of a devil costume (goatee, horns, pitchfork, tail)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 balderdash (bunk, crock, hogwash, horsefeathers)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 track and field equipment (baton, hammer, hurdle, pole)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 types of knots (bend, bowline, hitch, sheepshank)

Strands #48
“Walk this way”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🟡🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/20:
42/42 words (+5 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 42% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 36

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Online church.

Books I read yesterday: Grief Is the Thing With Feathers—finished, Crenshaw—finished, Attachments, Hello, Friends, After Annie, Olivetti (new books to me)

Magazines:

Great Course: Will be starting Great Tours: Iceland

Grief reading: Grief Is the Thing With Feathers, in a major way. This book is definitely rereadable, and I think I need my own copy.

Watching: Elsbeth 1.5, Young Sheldon 7.8, So Help Me Todd 2.6.

Listening:

Wordle 1,037 4/6 irate, cloud, lowly, jolly

⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟦🟦⬜⬜
🟦🟧⬜🟧🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections (did look for a clue when I got to blue level)
Puzzle #315
🟨🟨🟨🟨 embodiment (example, ideal, model, symbol)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 related to trains (car, conductor, station, track)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 starting with the same sound (cymbal, scimitar, simmer, symphony)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 ear ____ (drum, mark, wax, wig)

Strands #49
“That’s life!”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/21:
67/67 words (+7 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 36% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 37

>53 klobrien2: Where do you get the Great Courses from? Library or online? I'm very interested in the Iceland title among others. Love the cat topper. Mine don't watch TV, though it's hardly on, but they chase the Greebles!

>55 elorin: I’ve gotten all of the Great Courses from my local library. They maintain a good selection, getting new ones in every so often. I insist on closed-captioning (there are too many accents out there).

The Great Tours: Iceland set is pretty new. Looking forward to getting started on it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Good job on your gaming today. I did not solve connections and thought it was hard. I ended up with a rhyming wordle and alpha order was not my friend.

>57 Kristelh: Thanks! Connection WAS hard, today! I wouldn't have gotten the blue level if I hadn't found a clue when I googled it. I don't consider that a pure "find" but it's about halfway there. There are sites that will give you a hint (very carefully, so as not to ruin all the fun). I've used the one on Mashable.

And Wordle was tough today, I thought (and others did, too).

Hope you're settling back in to Minnesota! It's pretty nice out there today!

124. Grief is the Thing With Feathers: A Novel by Max Porter



This was a reread for me, and I wonder if it might be a regular reread. Thanks to katiekrug for bringing it to mind for me again! I love this little gem! It resonates even more with me now than it did years ago (I've got a little real-life experience to go along with the reading now 8>)). I've tracked down a copy of Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow by Ted Hughes, to follow-up to this book. I'll also try to track down other books by the author of this book, Max Porter.

In this book, a young man, a writer, and his two sons are left bereft in a sudden and unexpected tragedy. "In this moment of violent despair they are visited by Crow--antagonist, goad, protector, therapist, and babysitter."

"You quickly forget that the book is weird as hell, because it is also beautiful as hell, moving as hell, and funny as hell." (Garth Risk Hallberg)

The book, itself, often reads as poetry, as something more than prose, anyway. Crow's words are hilarious and moving at the same time. This book would be so fun to read aloud, although some of the phrasings might be a little difficult to spit out (very tongue-twisty).

Finally, a few of my favorite passages from the book, words that knocked my socks off with their truth and strength:

"Moving on, as a concept, is for stupid people, because any sensible person knows grief is a long-term project. I refuse to rush. The pain that is thrust upon us let no man slow or speed or fix."

"A howling sorry which is yes which is thank you which is onwards."

125. Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate



I loved reading Applegate's other books--The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob-- and ReneeMarie recommended some other books by the author I might want to take a look at. Crenshaw was one of them, and I've just started the other, Wishtree. Thank you, ReneeMarie!

Crenshaw is the name of our protagonist's imaginary friend--a huge, human-sized and -shaped cat, who comes to the boy (Jackson) when help is needed. Help is needed because this family has suffered some financial downturns and has been homeless in the past and, it appears, will be homeless again.

There are no easy answers provided, but there is the strength of family, and outsiders who want to help, and the necessity for the truth to be told. This is a hopeful book, but it is not a fairy tale. It was a very nice read, and the presence of Crenshaw is indicated by some very cute little sketch-drawings throughout.

>52 klobrien2: One of the trending searches in my web browser was "is a bunk a type of knot?" -- I had to laugh because I *knew* why that was trending.

>60 klobrien2: I recommended Wishtree, but Crenshaw was recommended to you by a boy, through me.

Yesterday I had a boy (maybe 12-14?) ask me for a book that shocked me to my toes! He was looking for something by the Marquis de Sade. Acck!! We did not have the book. I could not bring myself to offer to order it for him. He didn't ask me to. Whew.

>61 ReneeMarie: Hah!

>62 ReneeMarie: I read Crenshaw first because it was published first. I remember that Wishtree was your specific recommendation. Can’t wait to get to it!

And the Marquis-de-Sade-kid is just curious, I think. Nothing in a book is going to hurt him.

Thanks for stopping by!

>63 klobrien2: We live in a country now where how you reply to "Merry Xmas" could result in a customer telling you they're not going to shop there any more. And book banners are infiltrating school boards to make sure nobody has access through school to titles they probably haven't read but object to anyway.

So, honestly, my first thought after shock was that it was either a prank or a trap of some kind.

>42 klobrien2: I use both Amazon Music and Spotify. Both are free apps but you can only listen to albums in shuffle mode, which is perfectly fine to sample an artist. I just signed up for Spotify Premium. You can listen to albums in their entirety, make playlists and they now offer audiobooks. One a month, which is worth it in itself. The perfect way to listen to music.

I also loved Grief is the Thing With Feathers: A Novel. On the listening front, I have been enjoying Neko Case. A big, beautiful voice. Give her a try. Start with Blacklisted and then go to Fox Confessor Brings the Flood.

Adding my love for Grief is the Thing With Feathers.

>66 msf59: - I love Neko Case!

>59 klobrien2: - I'm glad I could bring this one back to your attention.

>64 ReneeMarie: I can see what you’re saying, but the Marquis-de-Sade-kid might have felt a little censored. The quickest way to get a person to read a book is to tell them that they shouldn’t, perhaps.

Big issues, ReneeMarie. I don’t envy you, being caught right in the middle.

Have a great week!

>1 klobrien2: I love the picture of the cats watching the video! I will have to try that one with my cats. Mallory loves watching cooking videos. Chalfont loves watching animal videos - and is constantly walking behind either my laptop or the TV trying to figure out where the animals actually are.

Happy new (at least to me!) thread, Karen!

>65 msf59: I think Spotify Premium is the way I want to try. Thanks for the info!

>66 msf59: >68 katiekrug: I’ve certainly heard OF Neko Case, but doubt I’ve heard her music. A good test case for a new Spotify listener!

>66 msf59: >67 Kristelh: >68 katiekrug: Grief is the Thing With Feathers is at the top of my Best Reads list. It’s funny, reading reviews of the book on LT—some folks just hated it, didn’t get the point of it. I would tend to think that deep grief might not have come to them yet in life (not to judge, heaven forbid!)

>70 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! Great to see you here. Cats are great, aren’t they?! Cooking videos? It’s the motion that grabs them, I think.

Have a great week!

>72 klobrien2: Mallory has to be in the kitchen with me when I am cooking. He watches over me like a hawk!

Thanks!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell—finished, Field Work by Seamus Heaney—finished.

Magazines:

Great Course: Will be starting Great Tours: Iceland

Grief reading:

Watching: Gentleman in Moscow ep. 4. I’m really liking this show!

Listening:

>69 klobrien2: My tone was matter of fact, despite what was going on in my brain. And I did mention that most versions available required prepayment. The kid could have asked to order it, I simply stopped short of asking if he wanted to order it.

I kept using found letters in the wrong spot! Again, my concentration was off, but I eked out a solve. This Wordle was not on the “2309” list.

Wordle 1,038 6/6 irate, reach, feral, lager, layer, laser

⬜🟦🟦⬜🟦
🟦🟦🟦⬜⬜
⬜🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟧🟧⬜🟧🟧
🟧🟧⬜🟧🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #316
🟦🟦🟦🟦 stubble (fuzz, scruff, stubble, whiskers)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 collection of money (fund, kitty, pool, pot)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 slang for friend (bud, chum, mate, pal)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 adjectives for a basement (cold, dank, dark, musty)

Strands #50
“Character class”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/22:
26/26 words (+3 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 25% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 38

>71 klobrien2:. I agree, Karen. Until you have grief it doesn't resonate. I tend to like reading books of grief and death, aging, etc. Like might not be the right sounding word, but those books resonate with me.

I've missed this thread until now! Sorry Karen O.! *smooch*

>78 richardderus: Glad to see you here! *smooch*

>77 Kristelh: I agree. It's not a "like" but a need--to help think things through, help feel one's way.

126. Field Work by Seamus Heaney



Slim book of poems from 1979, recommended by PaulCranswick (thanks, Paul!). The poems are imbued with Irish places, things, feelings. I was mostly struck by phrases, more than a poem in its entirety.

For example, a stanza from "Elegy" (about Robert Lowell):

Here where we all sat
ten days ago, with you
the master elegist
and welder of English

I just love that phrase, "welder of English."

A good poetry read, for this month of poetry, and there is a bonus translation of some Dante at the end.

127. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell



I first read some of the "She-Hulk" graphic novels by Rainbow Rowell, and I really like them--they're smart and sweet and exciting. That reassured me about this novel by Rowell, enough to give it a shot.

Lincoln, Beth, and Jennifer work at a newspaper; Beth and Jennifer know each other, and communicate frequently via email on their work accounts. Lincoln works in information security, and he is privy to the emails.

I really enjoyed Attachments, and I'll seek out more books by the author. It's what our weird_o would call a "snack book," but I found it quite a tasty snack.

I'm adding Attachments to my TBR list.

Congratulations on reading 127 books thus far this year!

>83 Whisper1: Attachments is a fun, sweet read. I hope you like it if you get a chance to read it. And I can’t believe how fast the reading is going this year. I’m adoring the illustrated books!

Thanks for stopping to chat!

>82 klobrien2: I've dismissed Rainbow Rowell because her name is an embarrassing reminder of the 1970s, and her fangirls are obnoxious. This is the first marginally positive feeling I've ever had for her, or her work. Surprise!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday: Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan, Wishtree by Katherine Applegate—finished.

Magazines: Elle (2024 04), New Yorker (4/22-4/29), Bon Appetit (2024 04)

Great Course: Will be starting Great Tours: Iceland

Grief reading:

Watching: Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning ep. 5, Lewis 2.2.

Listening: Signed up for Spotify! Listened to a tiny bit of Neko Case.

Starting a new streak today! Pressure is off.

Wordle 1,039 X/6 irate, mercy, sheer, bower, joker, lover, (rover)

⬜🟦⬜⬜🟦
⬜🟦🟦⬜⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟧🟧
⬜🟧⬜🟧🟧
⬜🟧⬜🟧🟧
⬜🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #317
🟨🟨🟨🟨 throw out (boot, bounce, eject, toss)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 terra firma (earth, ground, land, soil)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 seas (Baltic, Black, Phillipine, Red)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 Tom Hanks movies (Big, Philadelphia, Splash, Sully)

Strands #51
“As easy as pie”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/23:
30/30 words (+6 bonus words)
📖 In the top 30% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 39

128. Wishtree by Katherine Applegate



Loved this book! I've read four Katherine Applegate books now, and this was the most "fantastical" of them (trees that think? and talk? animals that do that too?) Add a nice dose of American immigrant history, true friendship, and a little flora and fauna knowledge, and I was set to love this book.

Thanks to ReneeMarie for her personal recommendation of this book!

>89 klobrien2: I own this book, and it is amazing, and I'm planning on rereading it

>90 Owltherian: Oh, you should do it! Wishtree is a great read.

>91 klobrien2: It really is!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Grocery list. Jerry-do-please list.

Books I read yesterday: Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan, Unnatural Death by Patricia Cornwell, Olivetti by Allie Millington.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: Watched: 1. Exploring Iceland, and 2. Volcanic Iceland Rises from the Sea.

Grief reading:

Watching: Call the Midwife 13.6, Bob ❤️ Abishola 5.11, C. B. Strike 1.1.

Listening:

Okay, today I am feeling a little more Wordle-love than yesterday. Tried to pay a little more attention, maybe?

Wordle 1,040 2/6 irate, overt

⬜🟦⬜🟦🟦
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #318
🟨🟪🟨🟨
🟨🟨🟨🟨 taco toppings (cilantro, lime, onion, salsa)
🟦🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩 metric prefixes (kilo, mega, micro, pico)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 kinds of skirts (mini, pencil, poodle, wrap)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 words with “hill” (capitol, faith, foot, mole)

Strands #52
“This is a puzzle”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/24:
33/33 words (+7 bonus words)
📖 In the top 7% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 40

Congratulations Karen on your Wordle, nice job!

>82 klobrien2: I call them "brain candy" books, but I found I need to dip into them every now and again just for my sanity's sake, lol. I have read several of Rowell's books and enjoyed them, but have not read that one so I will have to check it out from the local library.

>89 klobrien2: I really need to read something by Applegate! Can you recommend a good starting point?

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>95 Kristelh: Thank you! Quite a relief after yesterday’s bomb-out!

>96 alcottacre: Hi, Stasia! I’ve been enjoying all of the Applegates I’ve read, but I might point you toward The One and Only Ivan. This is the book that won the Newbury, and it’s the first in a really great series.

A wonderful Wednesday to you, too!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Order groceries.

Books I read yesterday: Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan, A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle, Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher

Magazines: Consumer Reports (March, April, May/June)

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: C. B. Strike 1.2.

Listening:

Wordle 1,041 2/6 irate, intro

🟧🟦⬜🟦⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #319
🟨🟨🟨🟨 lab equipment (beaker, dropper, goggles, microscope)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 nexus (center, heart, hub, nucleus)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 spreadsheet terms (cell, formula, sheet, sort)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 ____ language (body, love, romance, sign)

Strands #53
“That’s cap!”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🟡🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/25:
54/54 words (+15 bonus words)
📖 In the top 14% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 41

Sweet Thursday, Karen. I have been listening to Cat Power. Have you heard of here? If not, you can start with Moon Pix. It is quieter album but I prefer "Sun", which is more upbeat. She is a good singer/songwriter. I have not been watching any shows the past week. I hope to start catching up next week.

>101 msf59: Hi, Mark…I’ve heard the name Cat Power. I should give her a listen.

Thanks for stopping by!

Another great day of puzzling Karen!

It was another lovely Library Book Day! the day when my wonderful son brings me books I've requested from the library(s). I'm dividing up the illustrated books into two parts; this first part are books by Nick Butterworth, who is the author of the "Percy the Park Keeper" books.



129. The School Trip by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen





130. Field Day by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen



Kids of different abilities and different approaches participate in Field Day. "No one wins. But it was good fun."



131. One Blowy Night by Nick Butterworth



A big storm uproots a big oak tree. Its residents are left homeless, but Percy the Park Keeper helps find everyone new homes.



132. Rescue Party by Nick Butterworth



Another charming rescue by Percy the Park Keeper.

133. Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher



I'm so glad that I stuck with this book! I had a little difficulty getting established in the book; the reader is thrust into the middle of a big adventure in the life of the protagonist.

But halfway through, the book gains additional characters and a lot more life and humor. Our heroes are on a quest to save the sister from a life of pain and cruelty. They all find some salvation for themselves, too.

Lots of nice world-building and fantasy.

>105 klobrien2: I really enjoy her work, Karen O. I haven't read those titles but her entire œuvre is Kindled up waiting for the right day.

Splendid weekend-ahead's reads. *smooch*

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday: Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher—finished. Also enjoyed some illustrated books—Field Day, The School Trip, One Blowy Night, The Rescue Party.

Magazines: NYT Magazine (4/7), NYT Book Review (4/7).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: Ted Lasso (with Jerry) 1.5 and 1.6; C. B. Strike 1.3.

Listening:

Wordle 1,042 4/6 irate, manic, lapis, vapid

🟦⬜🟦⬜⬜
⬜🟧⬜🟧⬜
⬜🟧🟧🟧⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #320
🟩🟩🟩🟩 catch some rays (bake, bask, sun, tan)
🟨🟦🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦 emotionally sway (affect, impact, move, touch)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 refined sensibility (elegance, grace, style, taste)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 numbers with first letters replaced by “s” (sen, sight, sine sour)

Strands #54
“Staff members”
🔵🔵🟡🔵
🔵🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/26:
56/56 words (+12 bonus words)
📖 In the top 40% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 42

Been lurking around the threads. Just for you, I'm dropping the Cloak of Invisibility, saying Hi!, then dashing away. You do stay busy. Good!

>109 weird_O: Hello, you lurker! Great to see you here. Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (04/26/24):

Actively reading (or soon will be!)

A Map to the Next World: Poems and Tales by Joy Harjo -- p. 14 of 138
How To Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter -- p. 11 of 294
Unnatural Death by Patricia Cornwell -- p. 35 of 299
A Circle of Quiet by by Madeline L'Engle -- p. 52 of 250
Olivetti by Allie Millington -- p. 45 of 246
Hello, Friends! by Dulce Sloan -- p. 39 of 240
Lannie by Max Porter
Shy by Max Porter
The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing, ed. Kevin Young -- p. 16 of 305
Unnatural Habits (Phryne Fisher #19) by Kerry Greenwood -- p. 88 of 255
Before Midnight by Rex Stout -- p. 7 of 172
Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith -- p. 35 of 437
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett -- p. 29 of 278 (mine, on Nook)
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal -- p. 81 of 253 (mine, on Nook)
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni -- p. 27 of 343

I'm overbooked! I don't want to lose track of these books, but I can't truly say that I am actively reading them right now:

Braiding Sweetgrass (for Rosalita)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger -- p. 82 of 421 (Nook)
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan -- p. 41 of 436
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead -- p. 73 of 288 (Nook)
Agatha's First Case (Agatha Raisin #0.5) by M. C. Beaton (Nook)
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 3 of 238
Marple: Twelve New Stories by assorted authors
Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I try to participate in the American Authors Challenge. In April, we are reading Non-Fiction. I read No Cure for Being Human: (And Other Truths I Need to Hear by Kate Bowler. In May, we are reading books by William Maxwell. I plan to read So Long, See You Tomorrow.

I usually am reading/watching Great Courses. My current Great Course is The Great Tours: Iceland. I have watched 2 of 24 lectures.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Run some errands.

Books I read yesterday: Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan—finished. Illustrated books, part 2! (Something About the Sky, The Truth About Dragons, Gifts From Georgia’s Garden, The Ugly Duckling); Olivetti

Magazines: NYT Magazine (4/7), NYT Book Review (4/7).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: Animal Control 2.7, The Conners 6.9; and then my cable and internet access went out (good for reading!)

Listening:

Shocked to get Wordle in two! First word that came to mind to use the letters I had and deal with the “last letter” situation. I’ll take it!

Wordle 1,043 2/6 irate, gleam

⬜⬜🟦⬜🟦
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #321
🟨🟨🟨🟨 accept as real (accept, believe, buy, swallow)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 summary (abstract, brief, digest, outline)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 power issues (outage, short, spike, surge)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 name homophones (curt, hairy, kneel, wane)

Strands #55
“Call me?”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/27:
24/24 words (+3 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 35% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 43

Part two of this week's Illustrated Book Fest! Kudos, as always, to whisper1 and fuzzi and anyone else who had anything to do with bringing these lovely books to my attention!



134. Something About the Sky by Rachel Carson, art by Nikki McClure



Amazing art (cut paper, ink), and wonderful words (from a 1956 "Omnibus" show by Rachel Carson).

Here's one passage that I just loved: "Almost all the earth's water is contained in the oceans that encircle the glove--all but a mere three percent. But to us inhabitants of the land, that three percent is vital. It is engaged in a never-ending cycle of exchange: from sea to air--from air to earth--from earth to sea."



135. The Truth About Dragons by Julie Leung, ill. by Hanna Cha



Beautiful, beautiful book! The paintings of the dragons are especially lovely. The story is "a celebration of cultural identity," of both Eastern and Western mythologies. The words of this book often read like poetry, and the message is wonderful.

I think I have to get my own copy of this one!



136. Gifts From Georgia's Garden: How Georgia O'Keefe Nourished Her Art by Lisa Robinson, ill. Hadley Hooper



"The art of care-taking--of her home and garden--nourished Georgia's art-making."

There's even a recipe! These "Pecan Butterballs" sound so good, and the recipe is presented in the book as a facsimile of the artist's own charmingly messy writing.

Pecan Butterballs

1 c. butter
1/4 c. honey
2 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. finely chopped pecans
powdered sugar

Cream butter. Then stir in honey, flour, salt, vanilla, pecans. Form into very small balls. Bake at 300 degrees F. 40-45 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Let cool, then roll in powdered sugar again.



137. The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen, adapted and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney



Charming story (of course) and excellent presentation by the author/illustrator. Another Caldecott Honor book, invoking the "patience necessary to discover one's own true beauty."

>113 klobrien2: Hiya Karen O.! I'm impressed by >111 klobrien2: because you're mid-read on almost as many books as I am. There's some comfort in knowing I am not the only ravenous reader whose pause button is hyperactive.

Weekend *smooches*

>115 richardderus: Hi, Richard! I love having multiple books going. I never know what I'm going to feel like reading. And I like to check out the new books to see if I'm really ready to read them just because they've come in at the library. Especially if there are other people waiting for them--if I'm not gung-ho about reading them right away, I'll just take them back to the library for the next person.

That said, I do need to get to some of those old-timers on the list!

Have a great weekend!

And this one wasn't even on the official "Reading Roundup"...



138. Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan



So much more than a cookbook--yes, there are recipes, and instructions, but there is a ton of history of the Jewish diaspora in America. There is religious information for those of us who might not know all about the Jewish dietary laws. And there is great depiction of the cross-cultural fusion and adaptation that always occur when different cultures come together.

I really appreciated seeing so many recipes featuring vegetables. And bakery items. Oh, they all look so good!

I've got another "cookbook" by the author on the stack--Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook. As much of a "brick" as this one.

>117 klobrien2: Her writing is very enjoyable, no? The tedious tyranny of dietary laws irks me. That's always been true for me, veggie/vegan diets do the same number on my patience. But her history lessons are really interesting.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Online church. Acctg. Errands?

Books I read yesterday: Olivetti—finished.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: Elsbeth ep. 6, Not Dead Yet 2.9 and 2.10, Young Sheldon 7.9, Ghosts 3.9.

Listening:

Wordle 1,044 3/6 irate, grove, prune

⬜🟧⬜⬜🟧
⬜🟧⬜⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections — Found the connections in reverse order (toughest to easiest). Just how it worked today for me!

Puzzle #322
🟪🟪🟪🟪 ____ Mary (bloody, hail, proud, virgin)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 analog TV interference (fuzz, noise, snow, static)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 band into (bump, butt, knock, ram)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 passionate, as a feeling (deep, extreme, fierce, intense)

Strands #56
“Coming clean”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/28:
74/74 words (+25 bonus words)
📖 In the top 12% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 44

Hey Karen! Stay indoors in this weather. It's cozier in there.

>121 The_Hibernator: I would have no difficulty in complying with this! Have a great Sunday, and thanks for stopping by!

139. Olivetti by Allie Millington



"Things feel safer when they're hidden in the dark, where you never have to see them."

A family is devastated when their beloved mother disappears after pawning her typewriter for $126, exactly. Where could she have gone? And why?

Interesting characters in this J-level book, including a sentient typewriter, who helps in a great way to solve the mystery.

(Only negative thing to report--found a couple of grievously-stupid typos, both word continuation errors (e.g. "medi- ate" rather than the correct, "medi- tate"). Brought my enjoyment to a screeching, if momentary, halt.

>123 klobrien2: - But what a gorgeous cover!!!

>124 jessibud2: ^^^what Shelley said

Sunday *smooch*

>124 jessibud2: >125 richardderus: Isn’t the Olivetti cover great?! It was a really fun book. I first heard about it on the NYT—Tom Hanks, who is also an author, and who loves typewriters, wrote a review. I have to say I didn’t read the review (I might go now and look it up). They had me with the title and the concept.

Hope you get a chance to take a read! And have a good week!

If you haven't seen the film Tom Hanks made several years ago, called California Typewriter, you absolutely have to find it somehow, somewhere. I saw it twice and it's such a delight.

>127 jessibud2: Found it! It’s on Peacock, some other services. I’ve added it to my watch list. Thanks!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Foot Care Disciples (well, one of them) here! Acctg. Errands?

Books I read yesterday: Unnatural Death by Patricia Cornwell, Mystery Guest by Nita Prose, A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: So Help Me Todd 2.7, A Gentleman in Moscow ep. 5 (so good!)

Listening:

Alphabetic order worked this time, in my guess number 4.

Wordle 1,045 4/6 irate, tramp, grant, craft

⬜🟧🟧🟦⬜
🟦🟧🟧⬜⬜
⬜🟧🟧⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #323
🟨🟨🟨🟨 exercises (bridge, crunch, dip, squat)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 ____ bee (busy, honey, queen, bee)
🟩🟦🟩🟦
🟩🟦🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩 featured in westerns (bounty, cowboy, duel, saloon)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 leaders who received the Nobel Peace Prize (carter, gore, king, tutu)

Strands #57
“Name dropping”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🟡🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/29:
22/22 words (+2 bonus words)
📖 In the top 49% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 45

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Finally, errands.

Books I read yesterday:: Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

Magazines: National Geographic (March), The Week (4/19).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: C. B. Strike 2.1 and 2.2 (The Silkworm).

Listening:

Wordle 1,046 4/6 irate, wrong, crowd, prowl

⬜🟧⬜⬜⬜
🟦🟧🟧⬜⬜
⬜🟧🟧🟧⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #324
🟨🟨🟨🟨 dipping sauces (aioli, barbecue, marinara, ranch)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 interrogate (examine, grill, probe, question)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 transaction record (bill, invoice, receipt, statement)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 what “stock” might mean (ancestry, broth, cattle, merchandise)

Strands #58
“Pour it on”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 04/30:
28/28 words (+4 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 16% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 46

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Grocery list. Jerry-please-do list.

Books I read yesterday:: Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: C. B. Strike 3.1 and 3.2 (Career of Evil).

Listening: “Hymn Sing” at my church, watched online. Beautiful, comforting music. I sang along with my hymnal in hand. Could almost consider this part of my Grief Reading!

Wordle 1,047 3/6 irate, flair, diary

🟦🟦🟧⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟧🟦🟦
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #325
🟨🟨🟨🟨 features on a pair of jeans (button, fly, pocket, rivet)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 member of a ‘60s band (animal, door, kink, supreme)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 objects in 0-, 1-, 2-, and 3-dimensional space (line, point, plane, solid)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 web browser menus (file, history, view, window)

Strands #59
“A token of our appreciation”
🔵🔵🟡🔵
🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/01:
48/48 words (+11 bonus words)
📖 In the top 23% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 47

The New York Times published an article with a list of good grieving books (I want to say, “Good Grief!”). The comments section is amazing—a lifetime’s worth of additional books. Here’s the link:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/24/well/mind/death-grief-bereavement-books.html?...

And here’s a list of the seven books:

1. Understanding Your Grief by Alan D. Wolfelt

2. It’s OK That You’re Not OK by Megan Devine

3. Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl

4. A Heart That Works by Rob Delaney

5. Notes On Grief by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie — read

6. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion — read

7. Sad Book by Michael Rosen

>135 klobrien2: I read Understanding Your Grief when BJ died in 1992. It's very factually useful, which suits me better than chummy supportive stuff does.

*smooch*

>135 klobrien2: - I read #3 and #5 though none of the others on this list. I have a pile of books on the topic though I am finding myself torn between wanting/needing to read them, and not. I expect this takes time and I just have to monitor myself and get to them as I feel ready. I have dipped into a few of them but set them aside.

Thanks for the link. I will check it out.

>136 richardderus: Understanding Your Grief sounds like a good one for me. I’m an analyzer, but also pretty “chummy” so I’ll need to read at least a few! 8>)

>137 jessibud2: I’m finding that my “grief journey” since my Art passed away is very changeable.I think you are absolutely right in your thinking and feeling. Each person’s journey is unique. Hugs and warm thoughts are wafting your way!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Place grocery order.

Books I read yesterday:: Mystery Guest by Nita Prose. Really enjoying this—should finish today.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: NYT article on grief reading books. I’ve got a few requested from the lib.

Watching: C. B. Strike 4.1, Bob ❤️ Abishola 5.12.

Listening:

After guess three, I made a list of all the possibilities I could think of (and there were a lot of them). It took a while but I carved out the word.

Wordle 1,048 5/6 irate, spike, seize, slime, slice

🟦⬜⬜⬜🟧
🟧⬜🟧⬜🟧
🟧⬜🟧⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

I found Connections pretty tricky today. The best thing to do when a guess isn’t right is to just drop it and come in from a different direction.

Connections
Puzzle #326
🟨🟨🟨🟨 highly skilled (ace, crackerjack, expert, hotshot)
🟪🟦🟪🟦
🟩🟩🟩🟩 used to fix a flat (chock, jack, tire, wrench)
🟦🟪🟦🟦
🟦🟦🟦🟦 Joaquin Phoenix movies (gladiator, her, joker, signs)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 words starting with music genres (popcorn, rapture, rocketry, soulmate)

Strands #60
“What's my line?”
🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/02:
51/51 words (+8 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 31% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 48

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday:: Mystery Guest by Nita Prose—finished. Today was “library day,” so I got some lovely new books to be reading: Orris and Timble: The Beginning by Kate DiCamillo, Crow by Ted Hughes, The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate were just the few that I started today.

Magazines: NYT Book Review (4/21)

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: Ted Lasso 1.7 and 1.8 with Jerry. C. B. Strike 4.2. Hacks 3.1 and 3.2 (so glad to see this show back!)

Listening:

Wordle 1,049 4/6 irate, venom, endow, ebony

⬜⬜⬜⬜🟦
⬜🟦🟦🟦⬜
🟧🟦⬜🟦⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Found this one a little tough. It’s the one-word-multiple-meanings thing.

Connections
Puzzle #327
🟨🟨🟨🟨 nightspots (bar, club, disco, lounge)
🟪🟦🟪🟪
🟪🟦🟪🟪
🟪🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦 units of length (fathom, foot, league, yard)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 cast off (ditch, drop, lose, shed)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 ____ sale (bake, clearance, garage, sample)

Strands #61
“A shade envious?”
🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/03:
53/53 words (+24 bonus words)
📖 In the top 17% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 49

Morning, Karen O. I'm hoping your new reads will please and delight. *smooch*

>143 richardderus: Thank you, Richard! I’m very pleased with my books lately (that’s not so new!) How is your reading going? Hope you’re feeling good and staying out of trouble! 8>)
Thanks for stopping by!

>144 klobrien2: Trouble? I started a new thread just to stir up trouble! ...like I'd ever avoid trouble...LOL

My books are treating me well enough. I've been choosing good stuff it seems.

I saw a show earlier today with someone who has written a book about grief. I thought I would share it, in case you haven't heard about it. The book is As Long as You Need: Permission to Grieve by J.S. Park. It sounded really good.

>146 atozgrl: - Thank you for that recommendation. I am going to see if my library has this book. Seems a lot of us on LT are in this space these days, at some point on the journey or another.

>147 jessibud2: Yes, a lot of us have lost loved ones recently. I guess at our age that's only to be expected. I hope you find the book helpful.

>146 atozgrl: "As Long as You Need" looks great! I'll go look for it. Thanks for thinking of me/us, who are dealing with grief!

140. Orris and Timble: The Beginning by Kate DiCamillo, ill. Carmen Mok



Charming "chapter book" with new characters Orris the barn rat, and Timble, the young owl. Orris follows the advice of the label on his sardine can and "makes the good and noble choice," thus starting his friendship with Timble.
'
As always with this author, great story and lovely illustration.

141. The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel by Nita Prose



I really liked the first book in this series, The Maid, and its heroine, Molly Gray, the maid. Anxiously awaited this book and I was pleasantly thrilled to read it. Molly has become Head Maid at the hotel where she works, and she is terrific at her job and at helping solve the murder that occurs there.

The story shifts between her current life and her life as a child. She indicates the shift to her childhood with the chapter subheading, "Before." The glimpses into her past are eye-opening, and I loved to see more of the interplay between Molly and her Gran. They are both wonderful characters.

Will there be a third book? I hope so. The author introduced new characters in this book, and many of the preceding characters remain.

Friday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (05/03/24):

Actively reading (or soon will be!)

A Map to the Next World: Poems and Tales by Joy Harjo -- p. 14 of 138
How To Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter -- p. 11 of 294
A Circle of Quiet by by Madeline L'Engle -- p. 57 of 250
Hello, Friends! by Dulce Sloan -- p. 67 of 240
The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate -- p. 47 of 215
Crow: From the Life and the Songs of the Crow by Ted Hughes -- p. 14 of 89
Lannie by Max Porter
Shy by Max Porter
The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing, ed. Kevin Young -- p. 16 of 305
Unnatural Habits (Phryne Fisher #19) by Kerry Greenwood -- p. 88 of 255
Before Midnight by Rex Stout -- p. 7 of 172
Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith -- p. 35 of 437
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett -- p. 29 of 278 (mine, on Nook)
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal -- p. 81 of 253 (mine, on Nook)
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni -- p. 27 of 343

I'm overbooked! I don't want to lose track of these books, but I can't truly say that I am actively reading them right now:

Braiding Sweetgrass (for Rosalita)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger -- p. 82 of 421 (Nook)
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan -- p. 41 of 436
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead -- p. 73 of 288 (Nook)
Agatha's First Case (Agatha Raisin #0.5) by M. C. Beaton (Nook)
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 3 of 238
Marple: Twelve New Stories by assorted authors
Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I try to participate in the American Authors Challenge. In May, we are reading books by William Maxwell. I plan to read So Long, See You Tomorrow.

I usually am reading/watching Great Courses. My current Great Course is The Great Tours: Iceland. I have watched 2 of 24 lectures.

>149 klobrien2: You are very welcome! I hope it is helpful for you.

>151 klobrien2: I am enjoying this series as well.

Happy weekend reading!

>98 klobrien2: Thank you, Karen. My local library has that one.

>105 klobrien2: I really liked that one too!

>117 klobrien2: I want to read Jewish Cooking in America too, but my local library does not have a copy. Glad to see you enjoyed it.

>123 klobrien2: That one looks interesting! Too bad about the typos.

>150 klobrien2: I love Kate DiCamillo's books but unfortunately, my local library does not have that one.

>154 figsfromthistle: >155 alcottacre: Good morning to my “early bird” friends! I love to connect with you about the books we’re enjoying! I’m so lucky to live in a large metropolitan area, with lots of libraries and access to basically any book I want. What a gift!

Hope you both have an excellent day, and the best weekend!

May the Fourth be with you! (It’s a “Star Wars” thing).

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Weekly household accounting.

Books I read yesterday:: Crow by Ted Hughes, The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate, Hello, Friends!: Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs by Dulce Sloan, A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham—a veritable smorgasbord!

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: C. B. Strike 4.3 and 4.4 (Lethal White). Call the Midwife 13.7.

Listening:

Phew!

Wordle 1,050 6/6 irate, abode, lance, maple, false (!), value

⬜⬜🟦⬜🟧
🟦⬜⬜⬜🟧
🟦🟧⬜⬜🟧
⬜🟧⬜🟦🟧
⬜🟧🟧⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

And, phew!, again!

Connections
Puzzle #328
🟨🟨🟩🟨
🟨🟩🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦 components of a lock (cylinder, pin, spring, tumbler)
🟩🟩🟩🟪
🟨🟨🟨🟨 enjoy (fancy, love, relish, savor)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 filler words (like, literally, um, well)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 homophones of units of measure (carrot, hurts, jewel, om)

Had to use lots of “hints” to get Strands today. Not my wheelhouse.

Strands #62
“The horror”
💡🔵💡🔵
💡🔵💡🔵
🟡🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/04:
44/44 words (+12 bonus words)
📖 In the top 15% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 50

>152 klobrien2: Oh myyyyy, as Takei would say...you are in for SUCH a treat with So Long, See You Tomorrow. My 4.5* review basically amounts to a coo of pleasure. May it be the same for you, smoochling.

>159 richardderus: Really? I’m so glad to hear that you liked So Long, See You Tomorrow! I’m sure I’ll love it. (I just put it on top of my stack of books)

Best of everything to you, Smoochie Smoocherson!

>150 klobrien2: A new DiCamillo! My granddaughter will be all over that one although it sounds maybe a little young for her.

>161 BLBera: Yes, Orris and Timble is meant for early readers (ages 5-8). Or adults in their second childhoods (8>)). Seriously, I think anyone could find something to like with it.

You did much better than me with the puzzles, Karen. Hope your weekend is going well.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Online church (wonderful service, with bell choirs and the RLC Brass providing music and accompaniment. Ended with “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee,” one of my absolute favorites). Doorbell rings, neighbor kid brought over hanging planter, an early Mothers Day present from Cindy. I am so blessed!

Books I read yesterday:: The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate, Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith.

Magazines: The Week (4/26), Bon Appetit (May 2024).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: “Modern Love” column in NYT featured “We Didn’t Know It Was the Last Time,” by Tina Hedin.

Watching: Lots of TV series are close to finishing their seasons: Young Sheldon 7.10, Ghosts 3.10, Abbott Elementary 3.11, Conners 6.10, Animal Control 2.8.

Listening:

Wordle 1,051 5/6 irate, gleam, legal, penal, decal (so glad it wasn’t “fecal”)

⬜⬜🟦⬜🟦
⬜🟦🟦🟧⬜
⬜🟧⬜🟧🟧
⬜🟧⬜🟧🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #329
🟨🟦🟨🟨
🟦🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩 kinds of bagels (egg, everything, plain, poppy)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 contribute to a movie (act, direct, produce, write)
🟪🟨🟨🟨
🟪🟪🟪🟪 starts of monsters (frank, mum, vamp, were)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 struggled with this level today! Something gained from hard work (benefit, fruit, return, reward)

Strands #63
“Tools for the job”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/05:
62/62 words (+13 bonus words)
📖 In the top 15% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 51

142. The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate, ill. Patricia Castelao



"If anyone wants to know what elephants are like, they are like people, only more so." (Pierre Corneille)

The third book in this series, "The One and Only ____." This one deals with little Ruby, the orphaned elephant who came to the roadside "zoo" where she met Ivan the gorilla, and Bob the dog. She's now a resident at a real zoo, where she now belongs to her own herd of elephants and can still keep in contact with Ivan and Bob. In this book, she recounts her early life in Africa with Ivan and Bob. It is sad and horrifying, but there is hope.

Ruby is growing up, and her herd's matriarch gives her a quest: "Every day," says Aunt Akella, "pick a quiet time and ask yourself these two questions, 'What gifts did the world give you today? What gifts did you give the world?'"

The author provides a bibliography and an author's note: "In a perfect world, elephants would roam free in their natural habitats, peacefully coexisting with humans. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world, and many scientists agree that as climate change continues to shrink available resources, we need well-run, accredited sanctuaries and zoos. They also agree that providing ample open space and the company of other elephants is vitally important in such situations. Sadly, often because of budgetary constraints, that is not always the case."

Have a marvelous Monday, Karen!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Run errands. Household accounting stuff.

Books I read yesterday:: Finished The One and Only Ruby by Katherine Applegate. Read from Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle, Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood, Hello, Friends: Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs by Dulce Sloan

Magazines: New Yorker (05/06).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: C. B. Strike 5.1 (Troubled Blood).

Listening:

>167 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! Hope your week is off to a great start! Thanks for stopping by!

Well, that wasn’t a great start to my puzzling today, but didn’t bomb out.

Wordle 1,052 6/6 irate, blame, shade, shape, shake, shave

⬜⬜🟧⬜🟧
⬜⬜🟧⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧⬜🟧
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Connections
Puzzle #330
🟪🟪🟪🟪 tarot cards, with ”the” (fool, lovers, magician, tower)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 nuisance (bother, handful, pain, pest)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 connect (couple, join, link, tie)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 quantity words (few, many, several, some)

Strands #64
“Signed, Sealed, Delivered”
🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/06:
29/29 words (+8 bonus words)
📖 In the top 20% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 52

Merry Monday, dear lady. It certainly started out better than mine...people are very irritating people, if you see what I mean.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Run errands.

Books I read yesterday:: Read from Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood, Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith, Jewish Holiday Cookbook by Joan Nathan.

Magazines: Rolling Stone (April), Vanity Fair (Hollywood 2024).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: C. B. Strike 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 (Troubled Blood).

Listening:

Wordle 1,053 3/6

⬜⬜⬜🟧⬜
🟧⬜⬜🟧⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #331
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪

Strands #65
“Can you dig it?”
💡🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/07:
27/27 words (+2 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 19% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 53

Hi Karen! I totally bombed yesterday's Wordle. I had 4 letters placed on the third guess, but there were too many possibilities for that last letter and I didn't guess the right one. 🤷‍♀️

143. Unnatural Habits (Phryne Fisher #19) by Kerry Greenwood



Phryne Fisher deals with the lowest of the low in this installment: "white slavery" of young fair-haired girls from Australia, rapes of young women resulting in many pregnancies (and a counter-measure of illegal (but not immoral?)) vasectomies, a Magdalen laundry at the local convent. Way too much drama and sensation for me (maybe that's why it took me so long to finish this one), but I'm coming to the end of this series. I appreciate these books for what they are.

All the regulars are here, and they are lovely.

>175 klobrien2: I hit the wall with these stories when I realized they were all about young girls in sexual jeopardy. I remember the milieu fondly, not the plots.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Make grocery list. Make “Jerry list.”

Books I read yesterday:: Finished Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood. Read from: Crow by Ted Hughes and Hello, Friends by Dulce Sloan.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: Music listening served for grief relief 😏.

Watching: Bob ❤️ Abishola 5.13 (last show of the series!), Elsbeth ep. 7.

Listening: “The Traveling Kind” (Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell). “fun On a Saturday Night” (Blasters). “Very Best of Sheryl Crow.”

Wordle 1,054 5/6 Has Wordle ever been a word with three vowels, all in a row? Wasn’t on the “2309” list, either (I was desperate). This might be a good starter word! — irate, bingo, kiosk, viols, pious

🟦⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟧⬜⬜🟦
⬜🟧🟧🟦⬜
⬜🟧🟧⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #332
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟩🟩🟩🟩

Strands #66
“Can you digit?”
🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/08:
42/42 words (+10 bonus words)
📖 In the top 24% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 54

144. Hello, Friends: Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs by Dulce Sloan



One of my favorite comics from Trevor Noah's "Daily Show." This memoir covers her life up until the present, as daughter, actor, comic, young woman finding her way. She is very funny, very sharp, and I enjoyed this book, although it took a little while for me to get going with it.

Clever writing: Here's an example (the context is, she does not like New York City, has never felt welcome there): "I don't know why humans made New York City, or what the fucking plan was. What is New York even for? Yeah, some people love it, but some people walk on hot coals. Some people eat tomatoes. It's the same thing."

145. Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow by Ted Hughes



I got hold of this little book of poetry through ILL. I wanted to read it because the character Crow, and this book of poetry, were important to the plot of Grief is the Thing With Feathers which I recently reread. I wondered if this book would give me insight into the second book.

And it did. I liked this book of poetry, although the poetry is usually violent, epic in addressing themes of death, and life, and Crow's superiority over other living things. But it's also full of humor and beautiful words.

Here's one of my favorite poems from the book:

Crow and the Birds

When the eagle soared clear through a dawn distilling of emerald
When the curlew trawled in seadusk through a chime of wineglasses
When the swallow swooped through a woman's song in a cavern
And the swift flicked through the breath of a violet

When the owl sailed clear of tomorrow's conscience
And the sparrow preened himself of yesterday's promise
And the heron laboured clear of the Bessemer upglare
And the bluetit zipped clear of lace panties
And the woodpecker drummed clear of rotovator and the rose-farm
And the peewit tumbled clear of the laundromat

While the bullfinch plumped in the apple bud
And the goldfinch bulbed in the sun
And the wryneck crooked in the moon
And the dipper peered from the dewball

Crow spraddled head-down in the beach-garbage,
guzzling a dropped ice-cream.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Grocery order.

Books I read yesterday:: Finished Crow by Ted Hughes, Hello, Friends by Dulce Sloan, and The Art of Rube Goldberg.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: Music listening served for grief relief 😏.

Watching: A Gentleman in Moscow ep. 6.

Listening: “Acoustic Classics” by Rodney Crowell. Really great music. I hasn’t realized that Crowell wrote “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight” and “Shame on the Moon”!

>180 klobrien2: I'm a crow fancier, but even that point of connection can't make me read poetry. You chose a good example, though...it's not totally incomprehensible.

Faint praise, eh?

*smooch*

>182 richardderus: Oh, I think you would like this Crow poetry, Richard. I kept being reminded of “trickster” tales, and Loki, and good vs. evil. And Hughes had such a gift with the English (e. g., “dawn distilling of emerald,” for goodness sake).

Always good to see you here, Richard! *Smooch* to you, too!

Wordle 1,055 6/6 And today’s solution is what I think about Wordle today… irate, sheer, renew, merry, derby, jerky

⬜🟦⬜⬜🟦
⬜⬜🟦⬜🟦
🟦🟧⬜⬜⬜
⬜🟧🟧⬜🟧
⬜🟧🟧⬜🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #333 (solved in (almost) reverse order!)

🟩🟩🟩🟩 duration (period, spell, stretch, time)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 I was going for the “produced by animals” thing… trademarks of a platypus (bill, egg, fur, venom)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 regulate (check, contain, curb, limit)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 container closures (cap, cork, lid, tab)

Strands #67
“Tap to play” mini-golf features

🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/09:
44/44 words (+11 bonus words)
📖 In the top 10% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 55

146. The Art of Rube Goldberg: (A) Inventive (B) Cartoon (C) Genius by Jennifer George



An amazing book, capturing the life, times, wit, and skill of the legendary Rube Goldberg. The front cover is so great--a real-life working model of a Goldberg contraption, and I spent quite a few minutes playing with it. But, what's inside is great, as well. This is a history book, a "comic book," but mostly a paean to an artist who really seemed to be a great friend and human being.

The curator of this book, Jennifer George, is Goldberg's granddaughter. The essays in the book, one of which is George's, give us so much detail into Rube Goldberg, his life and times, and there are a lot of photographs. And many reproductions of Goldberg's art through the decades.

Goldberg's college years were spent working on a mechanical engineering degree. And, although he was able to become the artist he always wanted to be, he never forgot the design side of things.

"I know that designing simple...isn't simple. We've all heard about the man who apologized for the long letter he wrote a friend because he didn't have time to write a short one. I think simplification should be an essential phase in every design process."

This was definitely a "snack book" for me, but I felt uplifted and better informed for the reading of it.

>185 klobrien2: Simplicity lessons, via Rube Goldberg! A byword for absurd overcomplexity.

I love books, don't you?

>186 richardderus: I do love books! You just never know what you’re going to find. Like Forrest Gump and his box of chocolates.

>187 klobrien2: ...only not fattening...

>185 klobrien2: Well, that looks interesting. I may have to go check it out.

>189 atozgrl: The Art of Rube Goldberg was very enjoyable. I think you would like it. If I had a complaint it would be how big the book was—a little hard to hang on to. But so much fun.

>186 richardderus: >187 klobrien2: >189 atozgrl: Thanks for stopping by to chat, both of you! Have great weekends!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Dentist (uggh).

Books I read yesterday:: Finished Michael Rosen’s Sad Book, The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey.

Magazines: NYT Magazine (04/14), (04/28), NYT Book Review (04/14), (04/28).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: Michael Rosen’s Sad Book.

Watching: Ted Lasso 1.9, 1.10 with Jerry. Abbott Elementary 3.12, Animal Control 2.9, Call the Midwife 13.8 (last episode of the season).

Listening:

Wordle 1,056 3/6

🟦⬜🟦⬜🟦
🟦🟧⬜🟧⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #334
🟩🟩🟩🟩 accessories for dog walking (collar, halter, harness, lead)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 chutzpah (brass, cheek, gall, nerve)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 leas singers of ‘70s rock bands (ferry, mercury, rock, plant)
🟦🟦🟦🟦 things that spin (carousel, globe, record, top)

Strands #68
“Like a rocket”
💡🔵🟡🔵
🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/10:
54/54 words (+16 bonus words)
📖 In the top 28% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 56

147. Michael Rosen's Sad Book by Michael Rosen, ill. Quentin Blake



One of the books listed in the NYT's "good grieving" book list (see post 135). This is a kid's book, but you know me and "kid books." Lots to find here for commiseration and practical steps to deal with grief. The artwork is simple, but it fits the story. Good book!

148. Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder by Dav Pilkey



It seems like so long since there's been a "Dog Man" volume out--and this is the 12th one? Well-done, good story, with humor and positive messages. This book warns against AI and overinvolvement with phones and other devices. A message maybe we all need to hear.

Pilkey uses a quote from Dolly Parton to explain the reasoning of the reformed former bad guy -- "We can't control the wind but we can adjust our sails."

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Household accounting. Kitchen patrol.

Books I read yesterday::

Magazines: Read a bunch of Booklist mags: (2023 11 01/15), 2024 03 01), (2024 03 15), (2024 04 01). Added many things to my TBR, reminisced a bunch about books I’ve already read.

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: I’ve got to get back to this! Maybe today?

Grief reading:

Watching: Young Sheldon 7.11, 7.12; Elsbeth ep. 8; The Conners 6.11.

Listening:

Wordle 1,057 3/6 irate, matin, tidal

🟦⬜🟦🟦⬜
⬜🟦🟦🟦⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #335
🟦🟦🟦🟦 satirical publications, familiarly (cracked, lampoon, mad, onion)
🟨🟨🟨🟨 one with top billing (headliner, lead, principal, star)
🟩🟩🟩🟩 vampire vulnerabilities (cross, garlic, silver, sun)
🟪🟪🟪🟪 club ____ (med, music, sandwich, soda)

Strands #69
“It's a date!” prom night
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵

Flashback for May 11, 2024

25 points
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟥🟩

I played https://squaredle.com 05/11:
56/56 words (+17 bonus words)
📖 In the top 5% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 57

Friday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (05/10/24):

Actively reading (or soon will be!)

A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham -- p. 15 of 135
Before Midnight by Rex Stout -- p. 7 of 172
Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith -- p. 78 of 540
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni -- p. 27 of 343
The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing, ed. Kevin Young -- p. 16 of 305
A Map to the Next World: Poems and Tales by Joy Harjo -- p. 14 of 138
A Circle of Quiet by by Madeline L'Engle -- p. 65 of 250
Lannie by Max Porter
Shy by Max Porter
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett -- p. 29 of 278 (mine, on Nook)
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal -- p. 81 of 253 (mine, on Nook)

I'm overbooked! I don't want to lose track of these books, but I can't truly say that I am actively reading them right now:

Braiding Sweetgrass (for Rosalita)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger -- p. 82 of 421 (Nook)
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan -- p. 41 of 436
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead -- p. 73 of 288 (Nook)
Agatha's First Case (Agatha Raisin #0.5) by M. C. Beaton (Nook)
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 3 of 238
Marple: Twelve New Stories by assorted authors
Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I try to participate in the American Authors Challenge. In May, we are reading books by William Maxwell. I plan to read So Long, See You Tomorrow.

I usually am reading/watching Great Courses. My current Great Course is The Great Tours: Iceland. I have watched 2 of 24 lectures.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Online church. Sister Jan over for lunch. Household accounting. Kitchen patrol.

Books I read yesterday:: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto.

Magazines: Lake Superior mag (2024 02/03)

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: I’ve got to get back to this! Maybe today?

Grief reading: Unexpectedly, the “NYT Cooking” newsletter; Melissa Clark, talking about her mother. Today, in church, the scripture with the focus on death: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

Watching: Young Sheldon 7.12 (second watching; it’s an important one), Hacks 3.3, 3.4.

Listening:

Wordle 1,058 4/6 irate, threw, steer, outer

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Connections
Puzzle #336
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Strands #70
“Picture perfect”
🔵🔵💡🔵
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/12:
58/58 words (+10 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 41% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 58

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday::

Magazines: Atlantic Monthly (April) and (May), Scientific American (April) and (May).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: I’ve got to get back to this! Maybe today?

Grief reading:

Watching: The Rookie 6.7, Doctor Who Special 1: “The Star Beast.” Watching the specials featuring David Tennant again, before starting Disney Season 1 of Doctor Who.

Listening:

Hi, Karen. You know I loved "Crow and the Birds". I will have to request that collection. I am so glad you are enjoying both Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. Both excellent artists. I hope to revisit both of them. I am on the last ep of "Ripley". It has been good adaptation. It is the only series I have been watching.

Hi, Mark! I should give “Ripley” a look. I read The Talented Mr. Ripley and watched at least some of the movie with Matt Damon.

“Crow and the Birds”—I thought of you when I read that poem. I thought you would like it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wordle 1,059 5/6 irate, shiny, pinon, unpin, cumin

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Connections
Puzzle #337
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Strands #71
“Best in show”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/13:
23/23 words (+7 bonus words)
📖 In the top 13% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 59

>180 klobrien2: Crow sounds wonderful. I will look for it.

I smiled when I saw Dog Man. When I read with the kids in third grade last year, he was very popular. Kids love the silly stuff.

>204 BLBera: Hi! Crow is great “grownup” stuff, Dog Man is great, not-so-grownup reading. Each has its place with me. Thanks for stopping by!

Greetings, Karen O. Your Wordle word #3 surprised me...especially given the answer...that it occurred to you before the final. They kinda go together in my mind being similar in geographical resonance.

*smooch*

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday:: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Miracleman: The Golden Age by Neil Gaiman, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Suranto.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: I’ve got to get back to this! Maybe today?

Grief reading:

Watching: Watched a LOT of TV today! Hazardous air warnings due to smoke from Canadian wildfires (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking with it🥴). Gentleman in Moscow ep. 7, So Help Me Todd 2.8 and 2.9, The Rookie 6.8, Doctor Who Special 2.

Listening:

Wordle 1,060 4/6 irate, shady, class, amass

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⬜⬜🟧🟧🟧
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Connections
Puzzle #338
🟨🟨🟨🟨
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Strands #72
“On board”
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🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/14:
29/29 words (+6 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 20% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 60

>194 klobrien2: I will add Michael Rosen's Sad Book to the tbr pile. And, I am so very glad that you and I share a love of children's illustrated books. The are whimsical, they are loving, they are funny, they are sad, they are beautiful, and they are not ONLY for children.

>209 Whisper1: I agree with you entirely on the worth of illustrated books. I am so grateful to you for opening up the world, the “library” of these books, to me. And I hope you enjoy the Michael Rosen book as much as I did.

Thanks for stopping by to chat!

>207 klobrien2: Good heavens! The Hate U Give is such an amazing book. I'm glad it made it to your TBR to be appreciated.

>211 richardderus: It’s been on my TBR forever! I actually started it at one point years ago, but now I’m determined to get it read. I’ve got a lot of good reading right now—a veritable plethora.

Lots of *smoochies* for you today!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Grocery list. Jerry list. Household accounting.

Books I read yesterday:: A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham, Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Map to the Next World by Joy Harjo, Here After: A Memoir by Amy Lin. Good reading day!

Magazines: New Yorker (5/13).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: Watched: 3. Frozen in Time: Iceland’s Glaciers, 4. Iceland, a Land of Water.

Grief reading: Here After: Memoir of loss and grief and love between the author and her young husband who dies unexpectedly.

Watching: Doctor Who Special 3: The Giggle and Doctor Who Special 4: The Church on Ruby Road.

Listening:

Wordle 1,061 5/6 — Alphabetic order didn’t work for me today… irate, whiny, cinch, finch, pinch

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Connections
Puzzle #339
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Strands #73
“American pastime”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/15:
25/25 words (+9 bonus words)
📖 In the top 27% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 61

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Order groceries.

Books I read yesterday:: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto, Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith.

Magazines: New Yorker (5/20), Rolling Stone (May).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: Watched: 5. How Iceland Was Settled, 6. How Settlers Modified Iceland.

Grief reading:

Watching: 9-1-1 7.6 and 7.7.

Listening:

Wordle 1,062 4/6 irate, blast, stalk, stall

⬜⬜🟧🟦⬜
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🟧🟧🟧🟧⬜
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Connections
Puzzle #340
🟩🟦🟨🟩
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🟦🟦🟦🟦

Strands #74
“Tasty!”
🔵🔵🔵🟡
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/16:
40/40 words (+15 bonus words)
📖 In the top 7% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 62

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday:: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto; “Library Day!” Books: Big Babies by Patrick O’Brien, Norman Didn’t Do It (Yes He Did) by Ryan T. Higgins, Mysterious Marvelous Octopus by Paige Towler.

Magazines: AARP (Dec 2023/Jan 2024), NYT Magazine (5/5), NYT Book Review (5/5).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: Young Sheldon final episodes. Very moving depiction of the family’s grief after the father’s unexpected death. Sheldon replays the last time he was with his father, hoping for a different ending.

Watching: Young Sheldon 7.13 (last episode of the series).

Listening:

Wordle 1,063 5/6 — A bit of a flail-about today! irate, story, throb, tumor, tutor

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Connections
Puzzle #341
🟩🟩🟩🟩
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Strands #75
“Looking for a mate”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/17:
50/50 words (+6 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 23% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 63

It's another Library Book Day (when I start reading all of the treasures that son Jerry brings me from the library). I've been grouping all of the illustrated books that I read in bundles. Here's this week's bundle:



149. Big Babies by Patrick O'Brien



Clever presentation of the "big babies"--dinosaur babies. A little cutesy, but humorous. Lovely digital illustrations. A terrific chart at the end showing relative heights of dinosaur babies and a 4' tall human kid--seems like a pretty scientific concept to provide to little ones.

Showing the baby and "toddler" dinos is a less-threatening way to show the dinosaurs! The adult dinos are represented by a limb or a tail or a snout in the picture.

Fun read! I know some kids who would like this book.



150. Norman Didn't Do It (Yes He Did) by Ryan T. Higgins



Norman is a porcupine and his best friend is Mildred, a tree. When a new tree comes into their neighborhood, Norman gets jealous and acts badly. But he makes amends and sets things right. A good book about friendship and accepting newcomers.



151. Mysterious, Marvelous Octopus by Paige Towler (National Geographic Kids)



Beautiful photography of many different octopuses. Includes a chart identifying all of the octopuses shown in the book. Foreword by Sy Montgomery, who wrote The Soul of an Octopus.

>219 klobrien2: Obvs I'm drawn to the one about my doted-upon Tentacled Americans...always glad when NatGeo stays in its informational lane.

Lovely weekend-ahead's reads, dear lady.

>220 richardderus: I thought of you when I read the octopus book! Beautiful pictures of these critters! The one on the cover looks metallic.

Happy weekend!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Administrative stuff.

Books I read yesterday:: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto, The Truth of Me by Patricia MacLachlan, Here After by Amy Lin.

Magazines: The Week (5/3), Minnesota History (2024-Spring), Threads (2024-Spring).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: Here After

Watching: Lots of TV! Gentleman in Moscow (8th and final episode). Excellent show! Abbott Elementary 3.13, The Conners 6.12, Hacks 3.5 and 3.6, Elsbeth ep. 9.

Listening:

Wordle 1,064 4/6 irate, broil, brick, briny

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Connections
Puzzle #342
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Strands #76
“Part of the equation”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/18:
37/37 words (+6 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 33% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 64

152. The Truth of Me: About a Boy, His Grandmother, and a Very Good Dog by Patricia MacLachlan



A "chapter book" about young Robbie, his family, and his dog Ellie. Robbie and Ellie spend a summer with his grandmother, Maddy, and Robbie learns a lot about life, family, and himself.

"Celebrate how our unique 'small truths' make each of us magical and brave in our own ways."

Friday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (05/17/24):

Actively reading (or soon will be!)

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto -- p. 206 of 338
Here After by Amy Lin -- p. 83 of 257
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths
The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate
Miracle Man: The Golden Age (graphic) by Neil Gaiman
A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham -- p. 47 of 135
Before Midnight by Rex Stout -- p. 7 of 172
Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith -- p. 71 of 439
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni -- p. 27 of 343
The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief and Healing, ed. Kevin Young -- p. 16 of 305
A Map to the Next World: Poems and Tales by Joy Harjo -- p. 52 of 138
A Circle of Quiet by by Madeline L'Engle -- p. 65 of 250
Lannie by Max Porter -- p. 6 of 210
Shy by Max Porter -- p. 3 of 122
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett -- p. 29 of 278 (mine, on Nook)
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal -- p. 81 of 253 (mine, on Nook)

I'm overbooked! I don't want to lose track of these books, but I can't truly say that I am actively reading them right now:

Braiding Sweetgrass (for Rosalita)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger -- p. 82 of 421 (Nook)
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan -- p. 41 of 436
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead -- p. 73 of 288 (Nook)
Agatha's First Case (Agatha Raisin #0.5) by M. C. Beaton (Nook)
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 3 of 238
Marple: Twelve New Stories by assorted authors
Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I try to participate in the American Authors Challenge. In May, we are reading books by William Maxwell. I am reading So Long, See You Tomorrow -- p. 6 of 135.

I usually am reading/watching Great Courses. My current Great Course is The Great Tours: Iceland. I have watched 6 of 24 lectures.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Church service (Pentecost Sunday). Administrative stuff. KP (prep veggies and fruits, boil some eggs).

Books I read yesterday:: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (almost done!)

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: So Help Me Todd 2.10. I’m sad because it looks like this was the last episode ever, and they left everyone and everything in cliffhangers.

Listening:

Wordle 1,065 4/6 I thought this was going to be a “bomb” day… irate, stony, cubit, hitch

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Connections
Puzzle #343
🟨🟨🟨🟨
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Strands #77
“✨🔥🌹💀🤩👀💐”
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🔵🔵🔵🔵

I played https://squaredle.com 05/19:
73/73 words (+21 bonus words)
📖 In the top 22% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 65

(This was a really tough solve today! Full 5-star difficulty.)

>224 klobrien2: Anyhting by MacLachlan is, in my own experience, a good read...even the stuff nominally for kids. I think she wrote *up* to kids, asking them to reach for ideas, not down to give them guidance. That's the secret of really, really good writing.

>228 richardderus: I agree wholeheartedly! And, wow! You have such a gift of words! I sometimes sense a little snobbishness of people regarding “kid” books, but I often find so much beauty and worth in the books. Especially with McLachlan and Katherine Applegate.

Blessings on you (and Sunday smooches!)

>229 klobrien2: There's a lot of snobbishness in reading generally...don't most of us look down on non-readers? and let's not even touch the dipole of the genre wars...but that is a particular toxicity I'm irked by.

I don't read YA or kids' books myownself because it gets tedious. "I KNOW! MOVE ON!" is a useless mantra in reading, in fact is more often than not what causes me to Pearl-Rule the books I do, but it (of necessity) happens more with younger-skewing reads. That's a far cry from not seeing quality in them, though. (and I'll read kids' books about dinosaurs and and Tentacled Americans all day long)

>219 klobrien2: Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Karen!

>231 FAMeulstee: Thanks for bringing that to my attention! I hadn’t realized. I’ve had such good reading this year.

>232 klobrien2: Good gravy! I didn't notice, either, so congrats! (I didn't notice mine, either.)

Congrats, Karen!

What a reading performance!
Congratulations on reaching twice the goal, Karen!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Administrative stuff. KP continues. Run errands?

Books I read yesterday:: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (finished), Here After by Amy Lin, The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: Watched: 7. Iceland’s Independence, 8. The Plants of Iceland.

Grief reading: Here After: Her grief “style” is different, but she is so young. I can truly empathize with her emotions.

Watching: The Rookie 6.9, Secrets of the Octopus ep. 1 (Great show! Paul Rudd narrates. On Disney+. Does Richard know about this?).

Listening:

Wordle 1,066 3/6 irate, miner, nicer

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⬜🟧🟦🟧🟧
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #344
🟪🟨🟨🟨
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🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟨🟨🟨🟨

Strands #78
“Fowl fairy tale”
🟡🔵🔵🔵
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/20:
27/27 words (+3 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 26% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 66

>236 klobrien2: I have heard good things about the Jesse Q. Sutanto book. Did you enjoy it, Karen?

Have a marvelous Monday!

>236 klobrien2: Richard does. I resist most things Mauschwitz, but not this one.

>238 alcottacre: Short answer: Loved Vera Wong! Longer answer: I’ll post my review later today. I’m seeking out more Sutanto!

Have a great week, Stasia!

>239 richardderus: I’m glad that you know about “Secrets of the Octopus.” Fascinating!

Top of the morning (and all the rest of the day) to you!

>240 klobrien2: Thanks for the input, Karen! I am going to have to see if I can get my hands on a copy.

>241 klobrien2: *smooch*

153. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jess Q. Sutanto



Funny, sweet murder mystery (what? A "sweet" murder mystery?!)

Yes, it is. Murder occurs, but it is not violent, and the victim was not a very nice person. Much good comes from the way things unfold. Sutanto gives some of her characters dialogue written in definite accents of East Asian/South Asian(?) but it is not annoying to the reader or demeaning to the characters--just very funny. This story is set in San Francisco, and the city, especially Chinatown, is almost another character in the book.

Upon finishing this book, I was immediately off to play catch-up with the author, beginning with Dial A For Aunties.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday::
Here After by Amy Lin, The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate—finished, Miracle Man: The Golden Age by Neil Gaiman, A Wild Swan by Michael Cunningham.

Magazines:

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland: Watched: 9. Iceland’s Freshwater, Sea, and Land Birds; 10. Iceland’s Fish, Sharks, and Crustaceans.

Grief reading: Here After, of course. Ivan’s grief for his old friend, Stella, in The One and Only Family. "It's been a long time now since she passed away. You'd think that the missing would end, but it doesn't. It just softens around the edges. Instead of a hurting place to avoid, it becomes a healing place to seek out."

Watching: Doctor Who 1(14).1 and 1(14).2. Pretty good—it’s always a little tricky switching to a new Doctor.

Listening:

Wordle 1,067 5/6 Ran out of words, so thank goodness I got it. I’m back up to 98% solve rate! irate, pious, limbo, jingo, dingo

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Connections
Puzzle #345
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Strands #79
“At the bar”
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🟡

I played https://squaredle.com 05/21:
27/27 words (+5 bonus words)
📖 In the top 21% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 67

154. The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate, ill. Patricia Castelao



Wonderful capstone to the "The One and Only" series. Ivan is to be a father (not a spoiler, it's right on the cover) and this brings up his past and his hopes for the future. In this book, the author revisits the history of "the one and only" friends (Ivan, Bob, and Ruby), and shows us the expanded world they now live in.

One of my favorite passages in the book is when Ivan is remembering his old friend, Stella the elephant, who inhabits the dismal "domain" of the mall zoo where they are encaged.

"It's been a long time now since she passed away. You'd think that the missing would end, but it doesn't. It just softens around the edges. Instead of a hurting place to avoid, it becomes a healing place to seek out."

Great wrap-up to the series!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Make weekly grocery list. Make “Jerry list.”

Books I read yesterday:: A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham—finished.

Magazines: The Week (5/10), McCall’s Quilting (2024 07-10), Science Illustrated (#105).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: Church service from 5/19 (so glad it was recorded although technical difficulties prevented it being seen on the day—the church sent a link to the recovered service). Doctor Who 1(14).3. Secrets of the Octopus ep. 2.

Listening:

Wordle 1,068 3/6 irate, meaty, exalt

⬜⬜🟧🟦🟦
⬜🟦🟧🟦⬜
🟧🟧🟧🟧🟧

Connections
Puzzle #346
🟨🟨🟨🟨
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🟪🟪🟪🟪

Strands #80
“Home grown”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/22:
35/35 words (+10 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 9% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 68

155. A Wild Swan: And Other Tales by Michael Cunningham, ill. Yuko Shimizu



Reworked versions of old, classic fairy tales. Really lovely reading: I didn't want to put it down. And the drawings that accompany the stories are amazing.

"The people and the talismans of lands far, far away--the mythic figures of our childhoods and the source of so much of our wonder--are transformed by Michael Cunningham into stories of sublime revelation."

I believe it was mahsdad who brought this little treasure to my attention. Thank you!

Sweet Thursday, Karen. I always enjoy seeing what you are reading and watching. On the music front- I have been listening to Bruce Cockburn. I always forget how wonderful this Canadian artist is. I listened to several of his LPs. I really like the early stuff but I have a special fondness for Nothing But a Burning Light. Check it out if you can.

I started the series, A Gentleman in Moscow. I like it well enough. McGregor is fine in the lead but I am not sure this series will capture the complete magic of the novel.

I have A Wild Swan at hand. 😁

>250 klobrien2: You make me regret turning down the DRC. But turn it down I did, so I'll have to ask the library about it.

Thursday *smooch*

>251 msf59: I’ll have to give a listen to Bruce Cockburn! I certainly recognize the name. Thanks!

I don’t think any TV or film adaptation can completely capture what happens when one reads a book, and pulls imagination and “the mind’s eye” into the equation. But I think they did a great job with “Gentleman.” I hope you’re happy with it!

Thanks for stopping by!

>252 richardderus: The only “DRC” I found was Democratic Republic of Congo. I can puzzle out the “RC” part, but haven’t a clue about the “D.” But, definitely, get a copy from your library. It’s really worth it, IMO. TTFN!

Have a great weekend, RD!

>254 klobrien2: Digital Review Copy...sorry, I just use the acronym without thinking now. I'm not secretly working for the Democratic Republic of Anywhere, I promise.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Order groceries. Today is Library Day!

Books I read yesterday:: Here After by Amy Lin—finished. Miracle Man: The Golden Age by Neil Gaiman—finished. Map to the Next World: Poems and Tales by Joy Harjo—finished. So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell—just getting started!

Magazines: The Week (5/17)

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: Here After

Watching: The Rookie 6.10 (season finale)

Listening:

Wordle 1,069 3/6 Ha-ha! irate, shiny, swish

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Connections —barely got Connections today— yikes!
Puzzle #347
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Strands #81
“No dice!”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/23:
44/44 words (+7 bonus words)
📖 In the top 34% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 69

156. Here After: a Memoir by Amy Lin



I loved this book, its structure and simplicity. This is a reading that will need to stew for a while, but what I have right now are some great wordings:

We shared a language that was all our own. I am now the last speaker of it.

Love is longer than time.

When he dies, I fall out of time.

This is exactly what I want; a sense of agency, in a life I feel grief has totally overtaken.

What are our options? We can't ball up and cry forever. We're not "okay" and what other people call "strength" is really just the fact that we do not have any choice.

157. Miracle Man: The Golden Age by Neil Gaiman, Mark Buckingham



Fun, well-done graphic, of a world and a superhero that I knew nothing of. I couldn't figure out where the starting point for this series is, so I figured I'd start with this volume (it's called "volume 1" elsewhere.)

I'm going to read more from the series, preferably in order!

158. A Map to the Next World: Poems and Tales by Joy Harjo



An okay book of a little poetry, mostly "tales" of the title. I don't think I'm the best audience for Harjo. As far as I could tell, the writing were full of ugliness and violence. I did find some of the contents that I liked. A stanza of one poem that resonated with me:

From "Four Songs":

2. The flower might appear vulnerable
as it bend with the tradewinds
drinks in the sun
the rain
but its roots extend to hell.
It keeps thinking: beautiful.

My Library Day haul:

Two CDs by Billy Strings: “Home” and “Renewal” (NYT recommendation?)

Day by Michael Cunningham

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

How the Birds Got Their Songs by Travis Zimmerman

Three Roads Back: How Emerson, Thoreau and William James Responded to the Greatest Losses of Their Lives by Robert D. Richardson

Mercy Watson is Missing by Kate DiCamillo

Pronto by Elmore Leonard

The View From Castle Rock: Stories by Alice Munro

The Stellar Debut of Galactica MacFee by Alexander McCall Smith

What the Bees See by Craig P. Burrows

AND a NYT Magazine and a Booklist!

P.s. I knew I would be sending some books back, unread. I just have too many right now. Going to hold off on the El lre Leonard and the Alice Munro.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday:: How the Birds Got Their Songs by Travis Zimmerman—finished, Mercy Watson is Missing by Kate DiCamillo.

Magazines: Booklist (4/15), NYT Book Review (5/12).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: Ted Lasso 2.2 and 2.3 with Jerry. Abbott Elementary 3.14 (season finale). Hacks 3.7 and 3.8 (season finale). The Conners 6.13 (season finale).

Listening:

Whoa! I was just trying to get the misplaced letter correctly situated, maybe get a consonant or two. Very happy with this solve!

Wordle 1,070 2/6 irate, glide

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Connections — Good result on Wordle matched with poor result here

Puzzle #348
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Strands #82
“Raise a glass”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/24:
59/59 words (+20 bonus words)
📖 In the top 18% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 70

I did not get Connections today, you did better than I did.

>264 Kristelh: Connections was tough today!

Have a great weekend! It should be nicer weather after today (fingers crossed!)

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Weekly reading roundup and mags list.

Books I read yesterday:: Mercy Watson is Missing by Kate DiCamillo—finished.

Magazines: Nat’l Geo (April), The Week (5/24), Astronomy (5/24), Smithsonian (March).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: Actually, “grief watching”: Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning ep. 8 featured woman who was grieving her lost husband. Beautiful episode, very helpful to me in moving forward. It’s kind of a game, to look for grief help wherever you may find it.

Watching: Elsbeth ep. 10 (season finale). Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning ep. 6, ep. 7, ep. 8 (season (and series?) finale).

Listening:

Wordle 1,071 3/6 irate, matin, titan

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Connections
Puzzle #349
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Strands #83
“Sounds delicious!”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/25:
42/42 words (+7 bonus words)
📖 In the top 24% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 71

159. How the Birds Got Their Songs by Travis Zimmerman, ill. Sam Zimmerman



Another lovely "kids" book from the Minnesota Historical Society Press. Beautiful words and paintings illustrate the tale of the contest among the birds to get the loveliest song. "The Great spirit presents a challenge to the birds. The winner is not the biggest or the strongest, but even today its song is the prettiest one of all."

The story is retold in Ojibwe, page by page.

Well, here's a spoiler: the winner of the contest is the Hermit Thrush. I did some research, and I found this:

"Recluse, shy, drab small brown and white bird found lurking in the understories of far northern forests during summer months, the Hermit Thrush may not be the most colorful of birds but it's certainly one of the best singers. People are often left wondering what the Hermit Thrush sounds like.

"June is the month for hearing this angelic tune. As the name Hermit suggests, these birds prefer to be hidden deep within the forest. Thanks to its not-so-striking coloration this little thrush can easily blend into its surroundings, making it difficult to locate the culprit with the ethereal voice. Without their ear-catching, mystical song, it's easy to not be aware of their presence. How sweet the honor it is to spot one in a tree singing.

"Their song is described as sounding like, Oh holy, holy, ah purity, purity ehh, sweetly, sweetly. Between each phrase is a pause."

Here is a link to hear the song of the Hermit Thrush (so cool!):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0mATRdzZSc

160. Mercy Watson Is Missing! by Kate DiCamillo, ill. Chris Van Dusen



Really fun tale of Mercy Watson, the "porcine wonder" and her whole crew of friends. I'm thinking that this is the last Mercy Watson story?: in any case, DiCamillo brings back all of the characters that we have met in the stories. Great story, and wonderful illustrations.

"Life is strange, thought Baby Lincoln. Strange and tragic and glorious."

Friday Reading Roundup!

Because I rely on libraries so much for my reading (and do so much eBook reading), what I'm reading at any given time changes often, and changes quickly.

Karen's current reading (05/25/24):

Actively reading (or soon will be!)

Timbuktu by Paul Auster
Three Roads Back: How Emerson, Thoreau and William James Responded to the Greatest Losses of Their Lives by Robert D. Richardson
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas -- p. 29 of 342
The Last Word by Elly Griffiths -- p. 11 of 338
Day by Michael Cunningham
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q Sutanto
The Guncle by Steven Rowley
What the Bees See by Craig P. Burrows
Before Midnight by Rex Stout -- p. 7 of 172
Career of Evil (Cormoran Strike #3) by Robert Galbraith -- p. 71 of 439
The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni -- p. 27 of 343
A Circle of Quiet by Madeline L'Engle -- p. 65 of 250
The Appeal by Janice Hallett
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett -- p. 29 of 278 (mine, on Nook)
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal -- p. 81 of 253 (mine, on Nook)

I'm overbooked! I don't want to lose track of these books, but I can't truly say that I am actively reading them right now:

Braiding Sweetgrass (for Rosalita)
The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger -- p. 82 of 421 (Nook)
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan -- p. 41 of 436
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead -- p. 73 of 288 (Nook)
Agatha's First Case (Agatha Raisin #0.5) by M. C. Beaton (Nook)
The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols by Nicholas Meyer -- p. 3 of 238
Marple: Twelve New Stories by assorted authors
Fairy Tale by Stephen King

I try to participate in the American Authors Challenge. In May, we are reading books by William Maxwell. I am reading So Long, See You Tomorrow -- p. 6 of 135.

I usually am reading/watching Great Courses. My current Great Course is The Great Tours: Iceland. I have watched 10 of 24 lectures.

>268 klobrien2: Very beautiful indeed. Unearthly, ethereal tones layered on top of each other to magical effect.

I'm in my heavy Burgoine-review posting. The last Sunday of the month snuck up on me.I don't think anything I've got on is likely to excite more than mild interest in you, though, if you want to just skip to Monday....

*smooch*

>271 richardderus: I always read your reviews, Richard—you’ve given me some very good leads over the years. And, I get a lot of entertainment along with the reviews. Along with vocabulary development, updates on your roommate, culinary news, …, so much!

Have a wonderful weekend…

P.s. has to go listen to the Hermit Thrush again…such a pretty song!

My “Norman Jewison Film Fest” continues:

Jewison, who recently passed away, was prolific, and directed a lot of my favorite movies. Here’s a mostly-complete list of his oeuvre (how do you like that cinema-speak?!) Jewison did a lot of TV, and I’ve omitted those shows. The films I’ve seen are in bold. I’ll be rewatching!



After a long hiatus, I’ll be watching In the Heat of the Night next. IMDB says: A black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the police chief to investigate the case. Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Lee Grant, Warren Oates. Won Best Picture Oscar in 1968, Rod Steiger won Best Actor. Jewison nominated for Best Director.

The Fabulous Fifties (1960) 7.5 on IMDB (unavailable?)
40 Pounds of Trouble (1962) (6.3)
The Thrill of It All (1963) (6.9)
Send Me No Flowers (1964) (6.9)
The Art of Love (1965) (6.1) (DVD)
The Cincinnati Kid (1965) (7.2) (Tubi)
The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) (7.0) (Tubi)
In the Heat of the Night (1967) (7.9) (Tubi)
The Thomas Crowne Affair (1968) (6.9) (Tubi)
Gaily, Gaily (1969) (5.3–might skip this one)
Fiddler on the Roof (1971) (8.0) (Tubi)
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) (7.3) (Peacock)
Rollerball (1975) (6.5) (Tubi)
F.I.S.T. (1978) (6.1) DVD? Hard to locate!
And Justice For All (1979) (7.4) DVD
Best Friends (1982) (5.5–skip?)
A Soldier’s Story (1984) (7.2) DVD
Agnes of God (1985) (6.6) DVD (ILL)
Moonstruck (1987) (7.2) (Tubi)
In Country (1989) (5.9) DVD (Kanopy, HCL)
Other People’s Money (1991) (6.2) DVD (ILL)
Only You (1994) (6.5) DVD
Bogus (1996) (5.3–skip?)
The Hurricane (1999) (7.6) DVD
The Statement (2003) (6.2–might skip, but it was his last movie) DVD (ILL)

>272 klobrien2: You're a sweet, kind friend. Thank you for saying those nice things. And my goodness YES, that bird sings a lovely song indeed.

Glad to see you had a good time with Vera Wong. Wishing you more excellent reads this weekend!

>272 klobrien2: - I have seen 7 of the films on your list. I had no idea he made so many!

>274 richardderus: The Hermit Thrush is my spirit bird, I’ve decided.

>275 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I’ve cracked open another Sutanto, Dial A for Aunties.

>276 jessibud2: I know! Jewison was fairly prolific, and he liked to try different genres, I think.

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Online church.

Books I read yesterday:: Started up some books! Timbuktu, Three Roads Back, Guncle, Dial A For Aunties, What the Bees See

Magazines: New Yorker (5/27).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading: Three Roads Back

Watching: Doctor Who 1(14).4—Excellent plot, like old-style Doctor. Focused on Ruby Sunday (the companion).
Secrets of the Octopus ep. 3 to finish the series. Very good!

Listening:

Wordle 1,072 4/6 — Fourth guess being right was such a shock. Had a hunch.
irate, fleck, lemon, bevel

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Connections
Puzzle #350
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Strands #84
“Beyond Nashville”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/26:
69/69 words (+9 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 30% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 72

Sunday *smooch* Karen O.!

>280 richardderus: And also, to you! (Sorry, but it is Sunday!)

161. What the Bees See: A Honeybee's View of the World by Craig P. Burrows



So much beautiful photography here, it brought me nearly to tears (well, that's kind of a short trip for me these days, but still...).

The photography is the focus in this book, although, besides the photos, there is "in-depth research, diagrams, and archival images, explaining the science of pollination, environmental impacts affecting bee, and the application of bee products in medicine and cosmetics."

Burrows uses something called UVIVF (Ultraviolet Induced Visible Fluorescence) to take these fantastically-beautiful pictures. He explains it, "Bees see in the ultraviolet spectrum. Their world's completely foreign to the human eye, full of electric, alien colours and luminous, vibrant light that we can only imagine."

The book is truly a "one-stop shop" for everything honeybee related. A fun, educational read.

>282 klobrien2: You got me with another one, Karen! Onto the never-ending TBR pile it goes.

I hope you are having a great holiday weekend. It's storming for us right now.

>283 atozgrl: I’m glad I got you with the ”bee” book. I really haven’t seen anything like it. National Geographic stuff comes close, ut this one is such a mix of beauty and information. I hope you can locate a copy and that you like it as much as I did.

Hope your weather improves! It’s been pretty nice here in MN.

>282 klobrien2: Looks like a great book with beautiful photos. I think this would be a good one to buy my dad for father's day.

Happy start to the week.

>285 figsfromthistle: I agree—the bee book would make an excellent gift.

Thanks for stopping by!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday:: What the Bees See—finished, The Last Word by Elly Griffiths.

Magazines: New Yorker (5/27).

Great Course: Great Tours: Iceland:

Grief reading:

Watching: In the Heat of the Night

Listening: Signed up for Spotify Premium (month free trial). Listened to Bruce Cockburn “Nothing But a Burning Light,” on msf59’s recommendation. It was a great listen.

My “Norman Jewison Film Fest” continues:

Jewison, who recently passed away, was prolific, and directed a lot of my favorite movies. Here’s a mostly-complete list of his oeuvre (how do you like that cinema-speak?!) Jewison did a lot of TV, and I’ve omitted those shows. The films I’ve seen are in bold. I’ll be rewatching!



I watched In the Heat of the Night. IMDB says: A black Philadelphia police detective is mistakenly suspected of a local murder while passing through a racially hostile Mississippi town, and after being cleared is reluctantly asked by the police chief to investigate the case. Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger, Lee Grant, Warren Oates. Won Best Picture Oscar in 1968, Rod Steiger won Best Actor. Jewison nominated for Best Director.
My thoughts: I thought it was great!

The Fabulous Fifties (1960) 7.5 on IMDB (unavailable?)
40 Pounds of Trouble (1962) (6.3)
The Thrill of It All (1963) (6.9)
Send Me No Flowers (1964) (6.9)
The Art of Love (1965) (6.1) (DVD)
The Cincinnati Kid (1965) (7.2) (Tubi)
The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) (7.0) (Tubi)
In the Heat of the Night (1967) (7.9) (Tubi)
The Thomas Crowne Affair (1968) (6.9) (Tubi)
Gaily, Gaily (1969) (5.3–might skip this one)
Fiddler on the Roof (1971) (8.0) (Tubi)
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) (7.3) (Peacock)
Rollerball (1975) (6.5) (Tubi)
F.I.S.T. (1978) (6.1) DVD? Hard to locate!
And Justice For All (1979) (7.4) DVD
Best Friends (1982) (5.5–skip?)
A Soldier’s Story (1984) (7.2) DVD
Agnes of God (1985) (6.6) DVD (ILL)
Moonstruck (1987) (7.2) (Tubi)
In Country (1989) (5.9) DVD (Kanopy, HCL)
Other People’s Money (1991) (6.2) DVD (ILL)
Only You (1994) (6.5) DVD
Bogus (1996) (5.3–skip?)
The Hurricane (1999) (7.6) DVD
The Statement (2003) (6.2–might skip, but it was his last movie) DVD (ILL)

Wordle 1,073 3/6 irate, siren, skier

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Connections
Puzzle #351
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Strands #85
“Noodle on this one”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/27:
24/24 words (+2 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 13% by accuracy
🔥 Solve streak: 73

>288 klobrien2: I actually felt the TV show with Carroll O'Connor in Steiger's role was an improvement over the film for four of its seasons.

I'm glad the film help up for you, Karen O. *smooch*

No pun intended, but you got me with a BB for >282 klobrien2:, Karen!

>290 richardderus: Yeah, I’m thinking of looking into the TV show, thanks! Also looking into They Call Me Mr. Tibbs!, a follow-up to the original movie.

>291 jessibud2: Ha! Love those bee BBs!

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises.

Books I read yesterday:: The Last Word by Elly Griffiths, Timbuktu by Paul Auster, Three Roads Back, So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell.

Magazines: New Yorker (6/03).

Great Course. Great Tours: Iceland. Watched: 11. Iceland’s Marine and Land Animals, 12. Iceland’s Non-Native Plants and Animals.

Grief reading: So Long, See You Tomorrow starts off with the death of young boy’s mother.

Watching: “Roll the Dice,” a short film about Chihuly and his glasswork (PBS)—Fascinating and beautiful; “Lewis,” ep. 2.3. Great to get back to the show!

Listening: Billy Strings “Home”—young, vibrant bluegrass/rock/a bit of everything else. I’ll be listening to more.

Wordle 1,074 3/6 irate, dimly, minus

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Connections (struggled a bit today!)
Puzzle #352
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Strands #86
“All atwitter”
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I played https://squaredle.com 05/28:
31/31 words (+4 bonus words)
📖 In the top 32% by bonus words
🔥 Solve streak: 74

I played https://squaredle.com/xp 05/28:
24/24 words (+3 bonus words)
🎯 In the top 33% by accuracy

Today: Puzzles and papers and LT (the everyday things). Mobility exercises. Grocery list. Start a new LT thread!

Books I read yesterday:: The Last Word by Elly Griffiths, Timbuktu by Paul Auster, Three Roads Back, So Long, See You Tomorrow by William Maxwell.

Magazines: Fons and Porter’s For the Love of Quilting (03-06), Science Illustrated (Issue 106)

Great Course. Great Tours: Iceland. Watched: 13. Culinary Adventures in Iceland, and 14. Noir and Beyond: Iceland’s Literature.

Grief reading/watching: Inspector Lewis and memories of his wife’s death.

Watching: “Lewis,” ep. 2.4.

Listening:

Wordle 1,075 4/6 irate, among, salad, papal

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Connections
Puzzle #353
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Strands #87
“A good workout”
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