Katie's Reading Retreat - Chapter 8

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

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

Thanks for being here!

Currently Reading
(Print) (Audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED

Books Off My Shelf: 30
Books Off My Kindle: 18
Books from Audible/Chirp: 1
Library Loans (print/e-books/audios): 56
Friend Loan:

JULY
105. Death in Summer by William Trevor (3.75 stars)
104. Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell (audio) (3.5 stars)
103. The Lost Boys of Montauk by Amanda M. Fairbanks (3.75 stars)
102. The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin (4.25 stars)
101. What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad (Audio) (4.5 stars)
100. Sips & Strokes by Sarah Skye (3 stars)
99. Wonderland by Steven Johnson (audio) (4 stars)
98. Clear by Carys Davies (4 stars)
97. Where the Children Take Us by Zain Asher (3.5 stars)
96. Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard (4.25 stars)
95. The Undateable by Sarah Title (3.75 stars)
94. Iron House by John Hart (4 stars)
93. Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby (audio) (4 stars)

Did Not Finish (YTD)
01. Death of Riley by Rhys Bowen
02. The Cracked Spine by Paige Shelton
03. The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis (will try this one again at some point)
04. This Is My America by Kim Johnson (might try in print; did not enjoy audio narrator)
05. The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin
06. Upstate by Kalisha Buckhanon
07. The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore
08. From the Jump by Lacie Waldon
09. The Girl I Was by Jeneva Rose
10. The Bookstore by Deborah Meyler
11. Paris is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay
12. How to Fall Out of Love Madly by Jana Casale

Q2 COMPLETIONS

JUNE
Favorite:

92. Midnight on Beacon Street by Emily Ruth Verona (3.5 stars)
91. Dukes Are Forever by Anna Harrington (4 stars)
90. Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin (audio) (4 stars)
89. The Crocodile Bird by Ruth Rendell (4.5 stars)
88. The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson (3 stars)
87. The Hours by Michael Cunningham (4.5 stars)
86. All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan (audio) (4.25 stars)
85. Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins (3.5 stars)
84. Word by Word by Kory Stamper (4 stars)
83. Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (3.25 stars)

MAY
Favorite:

82. Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert (3.5 stars)
81. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See (3.75 stars)
80. Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara (audio) (4 stars)
79. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (3.5 stars)
78. Roommaid by Sariah Wilson (3.5 stars)
77. Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year by Rochelle Bilow (audio) (3.75 stars)
76. Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb (4 stars)
75. The Dogs of Littlefield by Suzanne Berne (4.25 stars)
74. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride (4 stars)
73. The Shades by Evgenia Citkowitz (audio) (3.5 stars)
72. B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton (3.5 stars)
71. Rumours by Freya North (4 stars)
70. The Detective Up Late by Adrian McKinty (audio) (4 stars)
69. The Lost Man by Jane Harper (4 stars)

APRIL
Favorite:

68. Rape: A Love Story by Joyce Carol Oates (3.75 stars)
67. The Appeal by Janice Hallett (4 stars)
66. Funny Feelings by Tarah Dewitt (audio) (3.5 stars)
65. Unfollow Me by Jill Louise Busby (audio) (3.5 stars)
64. Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie (3.75 stars)
63. The Red Car by Marcy Dermansky (audio) (2.5 stars)
62. The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn (4 stars)
61. The Other Typist by Suzanne Rindell (audio) (3 stars)
60. Talking to the Dead by Helen Dunmore (4.25 stars)
59. Starting from Happy by Patricia Marx (3.5 stars)
58. The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash (4 stars)
57. Our Homesick Songs by Emma Hooper (audio) (4 stars)
56. Queen Lucia by E.F. Benson (4 stars)
55. The Intimate City: Walking New York by Michael Kimmelman (audio) (5 stars)
54. The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (4.5 stars)
53. Piglet by Lottie Hazell (audio) (3.75 stars)
52. How To Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter (4.25 stars)

Q1 COMPLETIONS

MARCH
Favorite:

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

FEBRUARY
Favorites:

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

JANUARY

Favorite:

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

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

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

(Anything below 2 stars is unlikely to be finished)

Welcome!

Blessings rain upon this thy new thread abode.

Happy new one, Katie. I hope you're feeling better.

Happy new one, Kate! Hope you have a great weekend.

Hi Katie, happy new thread. I am sending wishes that your June reading is as successful as you May reading was. I am adding The Dogs of Littlefield to my own list. :)

Happy new one, Katie!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!! Thanks for your comments on the last thread about The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store and how McBride relates the plot and characters to a jazz piece. Makes perfect sense. Both of my RL bookclubs are reading this for June. That kind of synchronicity never happens!! LOL

Happy New Thread

Happy New Thread, Katie!

>6 richardderus: - Thank you, RD.

>7 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth. I am feeling better though not 100% yet.

>8 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. And you too!

>9 DeltaQueen50: - Great, Judy! I hope you like it. And thanks for the good wishes for June!

>10 drneutron: - Thanks, Jim.

>11 figsfromthistle: - Thank you, Anita.

>12 Berly: - That is lucky, Kim. I can't imagine doing more than one book club myself. Good for you!

>13 elorin: - Thank you, Robyn. Nice to see a new visitor!

>14 vancouverdeb: - Thanks, Deborah.

I did not have a good night's sleep again, so I'm annoyed. On the positive side, I feel fine otherwise. *shrug*

Today's exciting plans include early voting (we are having quite a contentious mayoral primary in town) and some laundry. And some meal planning, since I didn't get to that yesterday. I am also out of wine. HORRORS!

Books:
I'm enjoying Cold Comfort Farm, though I don't think I fully "get" it. The audio of The Bookstore continues apace.

Viewing:
Stupid Rangers lost, so the hockey season is over for me.

Count me among those who don’t really “get” CCF, Katie. I first heard about it here on LT several years ago, always accompanied by gushing praise. Maybe there was too much hype, but I was underwhelmed.

>17 lauralkeet: - I think it's a parody of a certain kind of book popular at the time, but not being familiar with those, it's just sort of going over my head...?

You may be right Katie. Similar to Austen's Northanger Abbey, where it helps to have read a gothic novel or two first (I didn't do that, and probably missed something).

>19 lauralkeet: - Good point, though I did have a general idea what Gothic novels were... I'm planning to read up a bit on CCF when I finish it. I don't hate it, I just know I'm missing something.

I didn't get Cold Comfort Farm either. I was disappointed.

Happy new thread.
Glad you seem to be feeling better. Although I am struggling with the concept of running out of wine. Surely such a thing is not posshible.

>21 japaul22: - More validation! Thanks, Jennifer.

>22 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen. The wine has been re-stocked so crisis averted :)

Morning, all. I'm still doing better but not at 100%. I took a nap yesterday, which was lovely, but then had trouble falling asleep at bed time. But I feel okay this morning, and I am coughing less. I have a few errands to run today, and some laundry to do. I also need to make a start on cleaning up/tidying the guest room (which is also my office), as our nephew-ish arrives on Friday.

Books:
I should finish Cold Comfort Farm today, and I hope to get a chunk of listening/puzzling time this afternoon, as I had none yesterday.

Viewing:
This week's episode of 'Welcome to Wrexham,' which included the fascinating story of a Welsh community in Patagonia. Very cool.

Happy New Thread, Katie. I hope you had a good weekend.

Glad you're improving but hope you feel 100% again soon.

>25 msf59: - Thanks, Mark! The weekend was pretty good.

>26 RebaRelishesReading: - I appreciate the good wishes, Reba!

I had a pretty good night's sleep last night, which was much appreciated. Leonard and Nuala decided to offer a wake-up call this morning at 6:15, which was annoying. I don't know what got into them - weirdos.

Yesterday went pretty much as expected - grocery, laundry, books, etc. I had a cooking fail, so we binned it and went to a place down the street and shared a bar pie.

Today, I'm meeting a friend for lunch and getting a pedicure afterwards. Then I expect some quality time with the books until it's time for trivia.

Books:
I finished Cold Comfort Farm and started Word by Word, my Julia Memorial Read for June. Still listening to The Bookstore.

Viewing:
I discovered I have access to T2, Tennis Channel's secondary service, through Hulu LiveTV, so I watched some French Open - specifically the Ruud-Fritz match. Very happy to see my Luscious Little Lutefisk into the quarters.

*Speaking of tennis, I am super annoyed with Ticketmaster and the USTA. US Open tickets went on sale to the general public yesterday (there had been a pre-sale for AmEx cardholders last week), and the only available grounds passes for the 1st and 2nd rounds are all re-sale tickets marked up exorbitantly. I was planning to go three days, but that would be $700-$800 just for the tickets, which is insane. Apparently, even the pre-sale was a mess, with similar re-sale ticket issues. I'll probably hold my nose and pay for one day because it's my favorite part of summer, but I Am Not Amused.

>28 katiekrug: Ticketmaster is handing the DoJ its case for breaking their immense power over major-venue sales. I hope they fail miserably at defending their case and get broken up into fifty-eight tiny little single-state, plus major cities like NYC and Chicago, entities with tiny regulated commission caps.

Dream on, right?

>29 richardderus: - Yep, pretty much...

Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons

I hate it when I have to admit I don't "get" a book. It makes me feel dumb. That said, I "get" what Gibbons was doing with this "comic" novel (and there are some pretty funny bits), but not having the background knowledge of or familiarity with English rural novels popular at the time, much of it went over my head. It's also an odd book in terms of being set in the "near future" (it was published in 1932) with tiny details to indicate as much, but I didn't see the point of those or of the conceit in general.

It wasn't a waste of time, exactly, but it was far from a satisfying read.

3.25 stars

I am constantly amazed by what tickets to sports and concerts cost these days!!! But then if you look at what the "stars" are paid I guess it's obvious the tickets would have to cost that much...but the whole thing is out of hand imo

>32 RebaRelishesReading: - Well, to be fair, Reba, I was complaining about re-sale tickets which have jacked up prices courtesy of the people selling them. The actual price of a Grounds Pass for the US Open is very reasonable.

Happy Wednesday. We came in 4th of 16 teams at trivia last night - a respectable showing. Before that, I had a nice lunch with my friend and a relaxing pedicure with my book :)

This morning, I'm taking Nuala for her annual exam at the vet, and then tidying up for Maribel and our house guest coming on Friday.

Books:
Same, same.

Viewing:
Nada.

>28 katiekrug: Ughhhhh to the US Open tix. I had been thinking of going this year, but I won't if it's that exorbitant. I could wait it out and see if the prices go down with resale tickets being "please just take them, I can't go".

>35 bell7: - Yeah, I'm hoping I can snag something for another day closer to the dates, as people look to just off-load what they gobbled up...

It's Cleaning Lady day at Casa Krug, so much of my morning will be spent in my office, staying out of the way. Not much is on the agenda, other than finishing up preparations for Peter's arrival tomorrow. I'm already tired thinking about all we are going to do this weekend, but it should be fun. I know I'll be ready for him to go home on Monday, though :)

Books:
I gave up on the audio of The Bookstore because the narrator was terrible at American accents, and the story just wasn't holding my attention. In its place, I started All We Shall Know, and it's lovely so far. In (e-)print, I'm reading Word by Word which is really interesting.

Viewing:
An episode of 'Sex Education.'

>37 katiekrug: Oh dear...that would be a killer indeed, not being good at accents central to the story. Word by Word sounds really enjoyable, so I hope it proves to be.

Tomorrow's review-book is annoying me. It might get pushed off a bit. It's interesting, and not poorly written, but jumps from assertion to assumption with an alacrity I find unsettling.

Happy new thread, Katie. I enjoyed the read about the lawyers who found each other on Twitter and are now suing Elon.

Checking in on the new thread before I get hopelessly behind again, Katie. I hope you have a fantastic Friday!

>38 richardderus: - Some of the American accents ended up sounding vaguely Australian, which was kind of funny. I'm generally somewhat forgiving of such things if I'm enjoying the book overall, but this one just wasn't good enough.

Word by Word seems like one you'd enjoy, RD. Keep an eye out for a Kindle sale.

>39 Familyhistorian: - Thanks, Meg!

Glad you enjoyed that article, too.

>40 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia!

This will probably be my last daily post until Tuesday, as our nephew-ish arrives today for the weekend and we'll be full-tilt for a few days. After he arrives this afternoon, we're going into the city for dinner and will probably walk the High Line, then come back home. Tomorrow, he and I are going to the Tenement Museum in the morning, and then meeting The Wayne for lunch and a trip to the Met. That night, we have tickets to the Yankees game. Spending the night at a hotel, and Sunday morning, TW is taking him to the Intrepid Museum, and then we'll all go to the Natural History Museum and Planetarium. Peter's a music nerd, so we have tickets to a concert at Lincoln Center Jazz, then we'll traipse back to Jersey. Not sure what Monday will bring - I'm hoping he'll be tired and want to chill in the morning. His flight isn't until 5pm, so we might go to Great Falls NHP and/or the Paterson Museum. Going back into the city is too dicy with the often unreliable trains, so I want to stay on this side of the river :)

Anyway, it should be a fun, if exhausting, few days. I really hate playing tourist :)

Books:
I'm almost done with Word by Word and will start something light to read on my phone when I have down time this weekend. No audio time for a while...

Viewing:
I finished season 3 of 'Sex Education' and will now hoard the final season. I also watched two episodes of 'The Crown' - I watched the first part of the final season but never watched the second.

That's a jam-packed few days! It all sounds really fun though. Have a good time!

>42 katiekrug: OK, I'm exhausted just reading about your plans for the weekend!!! I hope you have a great time though and can still find the energy to check back in here next week.

>42 katiekrug: Have an excellent time, Katie!

Happy Friday, Katie. Sounds like you have a perfect weekend planned with your nephew. Enjoy!

Sounds like a full, fun weekend with the nephew! Hope it's excellent.

I have had one more episode of Sex Education left for a few weeks now... I don't want it to end 😭

>42 katiekrug: Wow ... and what Reba said (>44 RebaRelishesReading:)! Still, I'm sure Peter will have a great time thanks to you and TW. Enjoy!

Sounds like a fun weekend, Katie.

Hope you've had a great weekend.

Thanks for keeping my thread warm while I was away, Jennifer, Reba, Richard, Mark, Natalie, Laura, Bill, and Helen!

It was a (mostly) fun and (totally) exhausting weekend. I had a very large glass of wine when I got home from taking Peter to the airport yesterday :D We did everything we planned, plus made a quick visit to Chinatown at his request, to get some dumplings.

I am not planning on much for today, though I do need to start the laundry and do the meal planning for the rest of the week. Trivia tonight.

Books:
I did zero reading the past few days, but my current books are Catch of the Day on my Kindle and All We Shall Know on audio.

Viewing:
Nothing much, though Peter is a big F1 fan, so we watched Sunday's race on Sunday night when we got back from the city. The Wayne is now convinced he needs to get the F1 app so he can watch the races whenever he wants...

Welcome back, Katie! You earned that glass of wine for sure.
We love having the F1 app although to be fair, since we don't have a Live TV service it's our only option.

>52 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura. I felt zero guilt over the wine, that's for sure!

Peter is a relatively interesting, communicative 15 year old, but man, trying to keep him engaged was exhausting. Luckily, we could always get him talking about F1, since he's obsessed...

We can watch the races live, but obviously, some of the start times suck, so TW is super excited to get to see every race now :)

>53 katiekrug: A fifteen-year-old boy obsessed with racing. Fancy that.

Of course, taking him for dumplings earns you and TW the place of honor in his story-bank. F1 and dumplings in Chinatown! Memorable people, y'all.

You survived, so accept my impressed honorific of "Deluxe Auntie."

Glad you survived, and even enjoyed, your busy weekend. Hope you get a chance to catch your breath this week.

" communicative 15 year old" *headshake* That does not compute. Are you sure he's from this planet? I hope my grandnieces continue to be as much fun for this old Auntie when they're proper teenagers (the oldest is just turning 11) as they are now...and that I have the stamina to continue being AUNT LINDA!!!!

>54 richardderus: - I was pretty impressed with the depth of his knowledge, tbh.

And thanks for my new honorific! I like it.

>55 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba. This week should be pretty low-key, which I'm happy about.

>56 laytonwoman3rd: - Well, I did say "relatively" :)

I have another nephew-ish (7 yo) and a niece-ish (9) and an actual nephew (7) but I've already decided I'm not doing this whole big shebang for any of them. I'll be way too old by the time they are in their mid-teens!

Hi Katie and kudos to you and The Wayne for keeping a 15 year old amused for a couple of days - although he does sound like a very pleasant version of a teen. 😊

You've earned some quiet time with your books and a glass of wine!

Glad the weekend with the nephew-ish went well, Katie, and hope you take some time to recuperate. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>58 DeltaQueen50: - Thanks, Judy! As teens go, he's not so bad :)

I'm definitely enjoying the down time now...

>59 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia! Hope you have a good day, too.

We came in 3rd of 18 teams at trivia last night, which was pleasing. I had a Greek chicken wrap for dinner.

Yesterday, I got all the laundry done and did the meal planning. Today, I'll go to the store. I also have a hair appointment this afternoon. Other than that, should be another quiet day. Chicken scampi for dinner...

Books:
I didn't get any listening time yesterday, so I hope to make up for it today. I should finish my current Kindle read and will move on to the book for book club next week - The House of Eve.

Viewing:
Nothing. I might re-watch the first 4 episodes of Bridgerton S3 before the last 4 drop tomorrow (or at least before I watch them).

Well done on the great aunty-ing. And a well deserved rest, methinks.
Nice trivia result too. We have our monthly quiz tonight.

>62 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen! And good luck to you tonight!

After my haircut yesterday, I treated myself to an iced chai latte and came home and read on the deck for a while. It was lovely. Perfect weather. It'll now be warming up a bit, so I was glad to have the time outdoors.

Today, I'll take Nuala to day care and then swing by CVS to pick up a prescription for The Wayne. I may also hit the wine store. Other than that, I don't have much of an agenda (beyond eventually picking up Nuala, of course!). Lemon pepper chicken and asparagus for dinner tonight.

Books:
I dediced I had enough time to read something short-ish before starting my book for book club next week, so I picked up The Hours. It's a re-read, but I read it around 2001 or 2002, so I don't remember much. I'm enjoying it a lot. Never got to my audio yesterday... Maybe today?

Viewing:
Last week's 'Top Chef' and then I re-watched the first episode of the current season of 'Bridgerton,'

>64 katiekrug: iced chai latte
I saw this early this morning but didn't post at the time. Thanks to you, that's the drink I ordered from the supermarket Starbucks this morning. I hadn't had chai, hot or cold, in ages. It was excellent. Thanks Katie! Enjoy your relatively agenda-free day.

>65 lauralkeet: - Chai lattes, hot or cold, are my go-to drink when I stop somewhere. Glad I could provide inspiration :)

Yesterday was good, but I stayed up until 12:30am bingeing the second half of 'Bridgerton,' season 3, part 2. I mostly liked it, but S3 is not destined to be my favorite.

Today will again be pretty chill - we are supposed to get some storms this evening, so I guess that'll be the excitement for the day. Friday nights are comfort food nights so it's spaghetti and meatballs on the menu.

(These daily reports are getting really boring - to write and, I'm sure, to read. I think I might give them a rest...)

Books:
I'm really enjoying The Hours (much more than Mrs. Dalloway!). I did finally make some puzzle/audio time yesterday. I might finish All We Shall Know today. It's very good.

Viewing:
Bridgerton.

Hi Katie!

Line in the sand, sounds like things are going apace.

I have seen the trailers and some YouTube Shorts for season 3 of Bridgerton with Penelope and Colin, but am still pissed off that they didn't do the next book, An Offer From a Gentleman, with Benedict and Sophia.

Are you liking it?

>68 karenmarie: - Hi Karen!

Overall, I liked season 3, but #kanthony is still my favorite. I liked the last half of the current season more than the first half, which I thought was pretty dull.

At the end of this season, Benedict mentions his mother's masquerade ball "next season" so speculation is he'll get the primary storyline in season 4. Personally, I was hoping for Eloise but I like Benedict, too.

I binged the rest of Bridgerton yesterday, too. I also think Benedict will be next although I thought it was weird they sent Eloise to Scotland -- I guess so she can be lonely and start writing to Sir Phillip? What did you think of the Michaela Stirling reveal? I don't hate it although I always thought Eloise would make more sense as the queer character if they were going to do one. I enjoyed the season overall, but I agree that season 2 is still my favorite.

>70 curioussquared: - I thought the Michaela Stirling reveal was kind of fun. Definitely unexpected on my part. I really loved Francesca and John's relationship in this season, despire knowing how their story ends - at least in the book! I had the same thought about Eloise in Scotland - though I am still trying to figure out how they'll connect her to Sir Phillip.

My favorite parts of this season were the Bridgerton family interactions - all of them together and then various subsets. You really got the feel for them as a family, I thought. And of course, I loved the #kanthony content :D

>71 katiekrug: Totally agree on the Bridgerton fam interactions ❤️ There's a lot of fantastic behind the scenes content that shows the actors all goofing off and acting like siblings on set -- good casting all around 😊

>72 curioussquared: - Yeah, my social media feeds have been full of it!

Yesterday, I finished both my audio and print books (comments to come). This morning, I started The House of Eve for book club on Thursday; on audio, I plan to start Hana Khan Carries On.

Have a wonderful weekend, Katie!

>75 alcottacre: - Thanks, Stasia! You too!

Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper

A fun and fascinating look at how disctionaries are created and updated, told with knowledge and humor. I liked how the book was organized around chapters devoted to specific words and lexicograhers' tasks.

This was my June pick for my Julia Memorial Read (reading a book each month that she rated highly), and I can see why she loved it. Stamper and Julia share(d) a love of words and language. And humor.

4 stars

Julia's review of this book (which is worth reading in its entirety) ends with:

"I no longer have any illusions that being a lexicographer is like getting to have ice cream for breakfast every day. It's a difficult, demanding, and rewarding endeavor that requires skills that go beyond just "loving words". Loving words is definitely a prerequisite, though, and this book will give you an even greater appreciation of the nutty ways that English has developed and evolved over the centuries. If I had my life to live over, I could think of much worse ways to spend it than writing a dictionary."

Catch of the Day by Kristan Higgins

This was a pleasant enough romance, but it's obviously an early entry in Higgins' oeuvre. The story is pretty thin, and some of the character development, especially of Malone, is practically non-existent. That said, I've always enjoyed Higgins' books because she writes relatable women, great secondary characters, and includes plenty of humor. This one was no exception.

3.5 stars

All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan

A married woman finds herself pregnant with the child of a Traveller boy she had been teaching to read. Her marriage ends, she is an outcast in her small Irish town, and she vacillates between feelings of guilt, betrayal, and hope. This was a sad but beautiful read, one in which so many mistakes are made and violence often seems the only answer to life's woes. The details about the Traveller community were fascinating, as was the intricate interior life of Melody, the woman at the center of the story.

The audio narration was excellent, as well.

4.25 stars

>79 katiekrug: Got me. Having just finished my second Donal Ryan, and loved it, and having recently watched an old Midsomer Murders episode featuring a community of Travelers, I'm all in for this one.

>79 katiekrug: you got me too Katie. It’s on my library wish list.

>80 laytonwoman3rd: And of course now I need to take a peek at those other Donal Ryan books …

>79 katiekrug: Katie, that looks a good read. I've added it to my Wishlist as well.

>80 laytonwoman3rd: - The only other of his that I've read is From a Low and Quiet Sea but I have a couple of others in my stacks.

>81 lauralkeet: - I hope you like it, Laura! I can recommend the book I mentioned to Linda just above as another worthy read...

>82 SandDune: - Wow, three people in one fell swoop. Go me :) Hope you like it, Rhian.

>77 katiekrug: That one is calling to me...

>84 Helenliz: - I think you'd enjoy it, Helen.

>83 katiekrug: thanks Katie!

...must...resist...the...Irish...story....

>86 lauralkeet: - You're welcome :)

>87 richardderus: - Resistance is futile.

What's been going on:
We had a nice weekend, with a good mix of productivity and relaxation. The Wayne got a bunch of outdoor chores done, and I did some organizing inside. Saturday night we had dinner out (Greek salad with salmon for me) and then stopped by a new-to-us ice cream place that does rolled ice cream. I am now obsessed with it. So, so good. On Sunday, I did boring stuff like laundry. TW smoked a rack of ribs, which he paired with a tangy vinegar slaw and some cheddar biscuits we'd picked up. Then we played cards. It was a really nice evening.

I haven't watched anything worth noting lately - just a bunch of sports.

I'm currently reading The House of Eve, which was my new book club's pick for June. It's not very good. I would probably DNF it if it weren't for book club. At least it's a fast read... On audio, I'm enjoying Hana Khan Carries On.

I still have to write and post some comments on The Hours. I'll try to do that today. The short version is I loved it.

>77 katiekrug: I went to add that one to the BlackHole only to discover it already there. I really need to get to it at some point.

>79 katiekrug: Adding that one to the BlackHole (it was not already there this time!) I very much enjoyed the one and only of Ryan's books that I have read.

Have a marvelous Monday!

>89 katiekrug: I need clarification - what is rolled ice cream??

>89 katiekrug: Sounds like a lovely weekend, Katie (and, yes, what in the world is "rolled ice cream'?)

>90 alcottacre: - I hope you like both books when/if you get to them, Stasia!

>91 vivians: and >92 RebaRelishesReading: - Hi Vivian and Reba! Rolled ice cream is made by pouring the mixture on sub-freezing plates and then rolling up the thin layer. It's not churned, so no air is introduced into it, so it's got a really dense, silky texture and the flavor is more intense. I highly recommend it!

This was mine. The rolls aren't as clear, because it melted a little on the way home...

>93 katiekrug: I had the same question as Vivian & Reba, so thanks for the explanation! It doesn't look like it's available anywhere near us, but maybe someday I'll come across it when visiting Kate & Julia.

Your weekend sounds pretty great. Sorry your book club book sucks though!

>94 lauralkeet: Around northern Virginia you can sometimes find rolled ice cream at boba tea shops. I get it at a shop called Panda Tea House near me; I think there's another one in Dulles Town Center

Good to know Nora, thank you!

I also loved Word by Word, Katie. I could hear Julia's voice in my head as I was reading. Boo to ticket scalpers.

Am I dimwitted? S3e7 of Bridgerton and it's the first time I've noticed that the Netfix logo and intro vamp are unique to this show. Admittedly a small thing but shows how important the show is to them.

The development of the different plot strands is amusing and slightly, um, weird...?

Just catching up here! Glad you are well again and the rolled ice cream sounds divine!! : )

I've just read one of Donal Ryan's books, Strange Flowers but you have now put All We Shall Know on my radar, as well as Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries. The ice cream looks delicious and you are making me hungry!

>94 lauralkeet: - I hope you give the rolled ice cream a try when you come across it, Laura. It's worth it.

I finished the sucky book yesterday and am happy to move on :D

>95 norabelle414: - Thanks for that, Nora.

>97 BLBera: - Same here, Beth, with hearing Julia while I was reading it.

>98 richardderus: - I hadn't noticed that, RD, though I don't know what a "vamp" is, so..... :)

What do you find weird? I just found it kind of boring overall.

>99 Berly: - *Waves at Kim*

>100 vancouverdeb: - Donal Ryan is getting quite a little following around here! Well deserved.

Go get some ice cream, Deborah!

>101 katiekrug: A 'vamp' is a phrase of music (not a theme song), like the Law & Order "dun-dun," that is associated with a channel, a show, or another entertainment entity. Not a person, then it's also called a "theme".
Cressida figured out the Whistledown mystery and the Queen can't? I don't buy it...too coincidental. Lazy plotting. The Queen bursts in on a wedding breakfast, throws her weight around, then just...leaves? That had to be workshopped and it makes ZERO dramatic sense.

Benedict? Really? Why ever choose him for this angle of representation, welcome as it is? I am not to understanding this choosing of thing.

>102 richardderus: - Thanks for the explanation of vamp!

I often find the writing, especially of the side plots, rather lazy - in every season. I watch for the main story, and if they do that well, I can forgive other things. I was going to struggle with this season no matter what, because Colin and Pen's story was one of my favorite books and they had changed Pen so much in the first two seasons, I didn't like her much. I felt a bit better about her by the end of this season, but it's definitely not my favorite.

I liked Benedict's story if only because it caused so much head exploding online among dumb people. Same with the revelation of the potential change to Francesca's story (in the books, her second husband is Michael Stirling and she's introduced to MichaelA in ep 8).

The Hours by Michael Cunningham

I first read this book back in the early 2000s, but I remembered very little beyond the broad outline (3 women, 3 timelines, inspired by Mrs. Dalloway...). I think I missed a lot when I first read it. I also hadn't yet read Mrs. D so all of that was a bit lost on me. This time, however, I couldn't put the book down. The prose was gorgeous, and I loved the connections and shared threads between the three lives Cunningham gives us. I also thought Cunningham did a wonderful job with the interiority of three very different women, especially considering he's a guy ;-) In the end, the considerations of the place and role and aspirations of women were what I took away most - and the fact that those questions are so little changed over time and circumstance.

4.5 stars

The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

I would not have finished this book were it not this month's pick for my RL book club. From the start, the writing was so pedestrian and full of awkward phrasing that I would find myself wincing as I read. The story is of two Black women, one in high school and one in college, in the middle of the 20th century, and how their lives unfold among the limiting circumstances of their race and class. It was pretty obvious how these two lives would intersect, but it took a long time to get there. And then the pace picked up and the last third or so felt incredibly rushed. I think that, as I felt with Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, the author was more concerned with relaying information than with creating a good story.

3 stars

ETA: I posted my review to the book page and had a look at other reviews. I am very much in the minority in not thinking it was very good!

I'm glad The Hours worked so well for you the second time around, Katie. I gotta say, 3 stars sounds generous for the book club dud. But at least it's behind you now.

>103 katiekrug: Oh my heck. The amount of eww-ick homophobia this teensy little sidequest has occasioned is stunning. I'm actually really interested in the Francesca storyline. I haven't noticed the laziness of the other storylines in any specific way, but now I think on it....

>104 katiekrug: What an amazing book that was, and still is.

Hi Katie! That ice cream looks delicious :)

>93 katiekrug: Interesting, Katie, thanks. If I ever come across it I'll give it a try.

>95 norabelle414: Not a boba tea fan but my granddaughter is so when she comes to visit perhaps we'll run across it.

Sorry your bookclub pick was a dud :(

>106 lauralkeet: - 3 stars for me is "Not a total waste of time but I wish I'd read something else."

I'm actually thinking of not putting stars on my comments because it's so personal to everyone. Maybe next year...

>107 richardderus: - have you read a lot of Cunningham, Richard? I have several more on my shelf, and after loving this and Day, I'm thinking I need to read more but I'm not sure where to start.

>108 curioussquared: - Hi Natalie! It was :)

>109 RebaRelishesReading: - I hope you do come across it, Reba.

Book club selections are so dicey, especially with how this group chooses them. Oh well...

I just wanted to mention our dinner last night, which I was super proud of.

I bought some lamb meatballs, and did a Build-Your-Own-Pita platter. Not picured are the hummus and tzatziki I bought at a little Mediterranean grocery in town (where I also got the pita and feta).

It was a really good meal on a hot day!

>111 katiekrug: That looks so good! And such a great idea. Good job!

Karen O

>110 katiekrug: A Home at the End of the World. Such a wonderful wonderful story! I really urge it on you.

>110 katiekrug: Thanks for explaining your rating system Katie. I agree it's very personal and subjective.

>111 katiekrug: That dinner looks amazing! Did the meatballs also come from the mediterranean grocery? Actually I'm now remembering your supermarket is a good source for fresh meatballs, lucky you.

>111 katiekrug: You've inspired me to try my hand at lamb meatballs. I have frozen ground lamb, and surely I can find a recipe for seasoning...

>112 klobrien2: - Thanks, Karen!

>113 richardderus: - Excellent! I have that one on my shelf :)

>114 lauralkeet: - The meatballs are Botto's brand, which our supermarket stocks in the meat case. Their Italian ones are excellent, too.

>115 laytonwoman3rd: - Go for it, Linda. I rarely make meatballs from scratch because we can get decent store-bought ones. I do have a recipe for red curry ones from scratch that I want to try sometime, though...

Hi, Katie. You may have sparked interest in revisiting The Hours. I must have first read it around the same time you did. I don't have a date on it, so it had to be BLT. I may have read it before the film version came out.

>93 katiekrug: I've had rolled ice cream before and enjoyed it but I didn't know what was different about it besides the form factor, so I've just learned something!

I shall have to make a note to look up rolled ice cream. Sounds amazing.

Sorry The House of Eve wasn't better. I think it might be on my TBR list but I'll keep your comments in mind if/when I ever get to it.

>117 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I think it's definitely worth revisiting. Have you read Mrs. Dalloway? I didn't much like it but reading it did add to my experience of The Hours, I think.

>118 ursula: - I am happy to provide enlightenment :)

>119 bell7: - I hope you can find it somewhere nearby, Mary. Or make a note for the next time you're in Boston...

You might like THoE better than I did, but it's definitely flawed.

>111 katiekrug: That is one photo-worthy platter! Really beautiful (and glad it tasted good too).

>79 katiekrug: I loved the two Donal Ryan books I've read and I've been searching around for an audio book that will hold my attention. I'll have to give this one a try - thanks Katie!

>121 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

>122 Copperskye: - I hope you like it, Joanne!

Are you anywhere near Piscataway? (US geography fairly poor tbh).
Is it actually said Piss - cat - away??
Work trip next month.

>124 Helenliz: - Emphasis on the -cat- syllable. pissCATaway - pronounced quickly so you don't really hear the funniness of it...

It's only about an hour away! Do let me know if you might have some free time - even just an evening. I'd be happy to drive down and meet up :)

Oh oh oh! I'll get back to you on that one once we firm up plans. >:-)

!!!!!!!

>126 Helenliz: A potential Katie-Helen meetup! Oh my that's exciting!

Hi Katie, I'm sorry to hear you had been feeling poorly. I hope that's all behind you. I am with you on Cold Comfort Farm which I read some years ago. I definitely felt like I was missing something. But my book club read it, and most of the ladies loved it. One of them was in tears laughing, so I wondered if the problem was me...

Happy summer to you! I hope you get to have a meetup:)

>89 katiekrug: “rolled ice cream?” Sounds fancy

>93 katiekrug: ooh that does look delicious

>128 lauralkeet: - You could always hop on the train, Laura.... :-D It's not often we get visitors from across the sea!

>129 AMQS: - Thanks, Anne (and it's nice to see you!) - I am over my cold and cough. Well, I still have a bit of a cough, but it's not the annoying hacking kind. I think this one is due to allergies.

It seems like CCF is the kind of book that has a very particular appeal and if you get it, you love it, but if you don't.... *Shrug*

>130 figsfromthistle: / >131 figsfromthistle: - I don't know about fancy but it was delicious!

I went to book club yesterday evening, where most people seemed to like the book (The House of Eve) more than I did. We had a good discussion, but I didn't change my mind about it :) The group meets in people's homes, and attendees are encouraged to bring a drink and/or snack to share. It's been so hot here (low 90s), that everyone seemed to have brought chilled white wine and salads, me included. It was a nice spread. My contribution was a cucumber, red onion, and feta salad. I was going to do watermelon and feta but the watermelon looked meh at the store. I'm glad, because another woman brought a watermelon and feta salad.

Not much else has been going on - the house got cleaned yesterday, we came in 3rd at trivia on Tuesday (played with friends), Wayne worked most of Juneteenth even though he could have had it off, as it's a market holiday, but I did manage to get him to stop early and we went out for an early happy hour dinner, which was fun.

In book news, I'm very much enjoying The Crocodile Bird by Ruth Rendell. My audio, Hana Khan Carries On is also good.

Haven't watched anything worth noting...

Hi Katie!! You probably mentioned it up there somewhere but I can't find it quickly so I'll just ask here: "what was your bookclub book?"

>134 RebaRelishesReading: - Oops, sorry, Reba. I'll add it to the post, but it was The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson.

>133 katiekrug: Ooooh...The Crocodile Bird was almost a 5 star read for me. Rendell rarely disappoints.

>136 laytonwoman3rd: - It's *such* a good read! I can't wait to see how it ends...

Happy Saturday, Katie. I have read Mrs. Dalloway and I really liked it. Enjoy your weekend and keep cool.

>135 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie -- I now know what not to be tempted by :)

>137 katiekrug: Is this your first Rendell? It will be interesting to see what impression it makes on you, no matter if it is or not.

>138 msf59: - Happy Sunday now, Mark!

>139 RebaRelishesReading: - It's easily skippable, Reba :)

>140 richardderus: - It's my second. I read Portobello last (?) year and liked it, but this one was even better.

We're enjoying a quiet Sunday after a busy and HOT Saturday. We'd gotten tickets to a pizza festival a month ago, and of course it was in the middle of a heat wave. We drove down to the location yesterday morning, along with half the population of Northern New Jersey heading for the shore :) It was too hot to eat much pizza, but it was being held at Monmouth Park, so we enjoyed the horse racing. And I managed not to get sunburned - score! Afterwards, The Wayne's whisky club met about halfway between the festival location and home, so that was three more hours away from home. We finally left about 10pm and got home 30 minutes later. The dog was VERY happy to see us. I don't think we'd ever left her alone so long.

Books:
I finished The Crocodile Bird this morning and started a historical romance, Dukes Are Forever. My mind can't cope with anything heavier in the heat, though I have to say our air conditioning is working like a champ, thank gawd.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend!

>142 katiekrug: Wow, that Saturday doesn't sound like much fun at all :(. Glad you had a nice Sunday in which to recuperate and that Monday continues to be pleasant.

>142 katiekrug: I'm glad yet again that my #PrideMonth reading and reviewing's been spread over the entire first half of 2024. If I'd tried to cram it all in the first half of June I'd be reduced to gibbering "wow this is awesome" or "Og think nasty writer-man laughing at Og" since it's been so icky.

Enjoy the week ahead, Deluxe Auntie.

>142 katiekrug: I would have melted - or killed someone, according to psych news.

The pizza festival sounds great, but too hot to eat pizza would have been a bit of a dampener. We're currently having a "heatwave". He's melting like an iceburg, I'm perfectly happy. Predicted to reach 26C today. Make the most of it, this could be summer.

>143 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba! Monday was weird, as The Wayne was sick (actually stayed in bed most of the day). He started feeling ill on Sunday evening, and in retrospect, we suspect the turkey burger he had for dinner... But he's better today!

>144 richardderus: - I'm glad your well-paced strategy worked :)

>145 ffortsa: - LOL, Judy. I do get cranky in the heat, but I was making a concerted effort to at least not be cranky at TW. As a born and bred Floridian (but escaped, thank gawd!), he likes the heat...

>146 Helenliz: - I want your kind of heat wave, but with my A/C :D

Glad TW is better today. I guess one advantage of food poisoning it that it usually doesn't last too long.

I HATE heat (nice anagram those too)!!! I was born and bred in inland So Cal where there is plenty of heat (albeit without FL humidity) and didn't like it then, don't like it now!! Glad TW escaped.

>148 RebaRelishesReading: - Hi Reba! Not a heat lover myself (obviously) and as a very fair-skinned person, I hate the sun in general :)

The Crocodile Bird by Ruth Rendell

This was such a creepy and compelling read - I found it very hard to put down. The writing is excellent, and I loved how seamlessly the narrative moved between the past and the present. Really well done.

4.5 stars

>150 katiekrug: Is this part of a series or a stand-alone? Sounds like a good one.

>150 katiekrug: One of the most difficult feats of writing is to move between times in a narrative without massive disruption of narrative flow. Impressive that she did it!

Don't melt today.

>151 vivians: - It's a stand-alone. Well worth the read.

>152 richardderus: - I went out earlier and now plan to stay inside with the a/c :)

I finished my print and audio books yesterday - productive day! I'm now reading a random pick from the New Books shelf at the library - Midnight on Beacon Street. It's short, so I picked it up in hopes of finishing it before the end of the month, which should be very do-able. On audio, I've started Wow, No Thank You, thanks to Linda's recent comments on it. I've already laughed out loud several times.

Not much going on here. We did come in first at trivia on Tuesday (at the less popular place; and TW skipped because he still wasn't feeling great, so I played with friends). We're planning on a quiet weekend, which will be nice after last weekend.

I haven't cooked anything worth noting (tonight is Sazon chicken breasts in the air fryer with black beans on the side), nor watched anything. Well, I did binge 'America's Sweethearts' on Netflix, because sometimes I just want to hate-watch things...

Yeah, I am 60+ posts behind again and just skipping ahead. . .

>154 katiekrug: Yay for finishing both your print and audio books yesterday. I always like when that happens.

Congratulations on the trivia win!

>142 katiekrug: a pizza festival sounds great. I would imagine that there are lots of interesting pizza combinations .

Happy weekend!

I'm glad you enjoyed The Crocodile Bird, Katie. I read and enjoyed many of her books and here on LT I can see I have also read The Crocodile Bird and gave it 4 stars.

Happy Friday, Katie. I don't think I have read Ruth Rendell is 20 years. The Crocodile Bird might be a nice way to get back to her work.

>155 alcottacre: - Nice to see you, Stasia!

>156 figsfromthistle: - Most of the places seemed to just be doing cheese or pepperoni. But we didn't explore much because it was so hot :)

>157 vancouverdeb: - I have several more Rendell books in my stacks to get to, Deborah. This was my second by her.

>158 msf59: - It was a really good read, Mark.

Congrats on Trivia win. Hope TW feels better soon.

>160 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba! TW is back to 100%.

I finished Midnight on Beacon Street and have started Iron House. Really enjoying Wow, No Thank You. on audio.

Today's exciting plans include inventorying our spice cabinet :-P

We finished season 3 of 'Welcome to Wrexham.' I love this show so much. Such heart to it, the soccer is secondary.

Cooking: I highly recommend the Sazon marinade for chicken from the NYT. I didn't follow the cooking instructions, as I prefer to air fry my chicken, but the marinade is great.

I made a decent slow cooker chicken curry yesterday - definitely a recipe worth trying again, with some tweaks.

Happy weekend!

>162 katiekrug: Today's exciting plans include inventorying our spice cabin
Hi Katie, I understand the satisfaction of these little jobs! A few days ago I cleaned my utensil drawers, including removing the inserts to get rid of all the crumbs and give them a wash.

>162 katiekrug: I'm always looking for tasty new ways to cook chicken -- have copied the recipe and will try it (fairly) soon. Thanks for the tip

Hope you're having a good weekend, Katie! Hope you had fun with the spice cabinet :) we're starting a small kitchen remodel on Monday so I'm currently taking a break from inventorying/packing up our whole kitchen, lol. I'm kind of surprised at the amount of stuff we just never use.

Happy weekend! Wasn't this initial bit pleasant? Yesterday was a stunner here, today cloudy but cool so very welcome. Tomorrow's supposed to be the same.

I rewatched some GBBO from season before last...Maxy's crash and burn in pastry week was so saddening because she could easily have won.

If you run across a spare onion powder, please send it my way instead of chucking it out, k?

>163 lauralkeet: - I need to tackle that same job, Laura. Maybe this week?

The spice project was very satisfying :)

>164 RebaRelishesReading: - Hope you like it, Reba!

>165 curioussquared: - The Wayne and I agreed our next joint project would be tackling the cabinet that's become a dumping ground for random kitchen things that we hardly use... I swear, the stuff just multiplies while we're sleeping...

>166 richardderus: - Saturday was very nice, Sunday gross, but today is lovely!

I don't remember that incident from GBBO (or any of the season, really). I'm still mad at Roku for removing the early seasons that weren't available anywhere else. *pout*

No spare onion powder, but I can offer you freeze-dried cilantro with a best buy date in 2011 :)

I still need to type up some comments for the last three books I finished in June and then do my stats. Guess I'll tackle that now...

Catching up and glad to see life (and reads) are largely good at Casa Krug.

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin

This audio took me forever to listen to, not due to any lack of enjoyment of it but I was in a bit of a puzzle funk, and that's the only time I listen. But I did really enjoy it - Hana is an engaging character, and Jalaluddin tackles issues of immigration, assimilation, racism, and famiy in an approachable and entertaining way. This was much more than "just" a romance. Excellent audio narration, too.

4 stars



Dukes Are Forever by Anna Harrington

A fun historical romance with the right amount of angst and conflict, and good chemistry between the leads. Harrington's writing is a step above a lot of what you find in the genre, which was a nice surprise.

4 stars



Midnight on Beacon Street by Emily Ruth Verona

Diverting enough, but lacked any real thrills or chills... There were a lot of call-outs to horror movies, which was fun, as I used to be a fan. The premise is straight out of one - a babysitter responsible for two kids for an evening is plagued by mysterious phone calls, unwanted visitors, etc. The book read very "cinematically" which I expect was on purpose.

3.5 stars

>169 MickyFine: - *waves at Micky*

>168 katiekrug: if you have a slow reading month, it makes that all a lot simpler...

>172 Helenliz: - Very true... And I did have a slow month...

>167 katiekrug: Roku has all seven seasons before the Netflix present on my home screen...I am verschmeckeled...

Ixnay on the ilantrosay, though thanks for the offer. I love the fresh stuff but not the dried.

June in Review
(Numbers in parantheses are YTD)

Books Read: 10 (92)
(Puzzles Completed: 3 (38))

Mine: 6 (44)

Library: 4 (48)

Male authors: 2 (23)
Female authors: 8 (70)
Non-Binary: 0 (1)

New-to-me authors: 6 (61)
US/UK authors: 8 (81)
Other: 2 - Canada, Ireland (13 - Algeria, Canada x3, China, Irelad x3, Italy, Japan, Latvia, India, Australia)

Print: 4 (29)
Ebook: 4 (25)
Audio: 2 (38)

General/Popular Fiction: 0 (14)
Literary Fiction: 2 (15)
Historical Fiction: 1 (10)
Romance: 3 (18)
Crime/Thriller: 2 (19)
Juvenile/YA: 0 (3)
Classics: 1 (4)
Speculative: 0 (0)
Nonfiction: 1 (9)

Publication:
New (2023 or 2024): 2 (14)
2020-2022: 1 (21)
2020-2019: 3 (33)
2000-2009: 1 (10)
1980s-90s: 2 (9)
1950s-70s: 0 (1)
1900-1949: 1 (4)
19th c.: 0 (0)

Re-reads: 1 (2)
DNFs: 1 (10)

Best of the month (not counting re-reads): The Crocodile Bird
Worst of the month (not counting DNFs): The House of Eve

This is the fewest number of completed books I've had this year (and maybe last, too). Twp reasons: I was in a bit of a puzzle funk so I only listened to two audios the whole month, and my nephew-ish visited, so I did no reading for nearly 4 days. What I did manage to read was a mixed bag of extremely mediocre to excellent. I"m looking forward to a better July, both in terms of quality and quantity!

The Wayne and I took first place at trivia last night (at the "easier" venue). Tonight, we are walking to the big park near our house with a picnic for a concert and fireworks show. We can actually see the fireworks from the front of our house, but the weather should be good, so we decided to make an effort. And the fireworks are always spectacular.

No plans for the Fourth, other than to eat hot dogs, because Murrica!

I'm almost done with Iron House, which has been entertaining. I finished Wow, No Thank You. on audio yesterday. I'll probably start Paris is Always a Good Idea this afternoon.

Leonard's energy matches mine...

>176 katiekrug: It's summer, low energy is part of the experience. Or should be. We don't have farms to tend, so why not be lazy?

Great news re: trivia win! Easy or not, first is a great result...like first place in the GBBO technical, doesn't matter if everyone's work stank you stank least so celebrate.

>176 katiekrug: awwww, Leonard.
Nice trivia winning.
Hope the fireworks live up to expectation. Love a good fireworks display. Always reminded of Chemistry class where our slightly eccentric teacher would make Roman Candles in class for us.

>170 katiekrug: I own Hana Khan Carries On - I just need to find it so that I can get it read. Glad to see that you enjoyed it, Katie. Sorry about the puzzle funk though.

>176 katiekrug: Yay for the trivia win!

Yeah, my cats' energy matches Leonard's.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>176 katiekrug: Hi Katie! I just bought hot dogs for tomorrow, too. I, too, am a true patriot. Ha.

>176 katiekrug: Love the photo of Leonard. Your 3rd/4th of July plans sound great and, importantly, congrats on the trivia win!

>177 richardderus: - Thanks for the validation, RD :)

>178 Helenliz: - The fireworks were excellent, Helen. And we had a perfect spot for viewing them. A really nice evening, all around.

>179 alcottacre: - Hi Stasia! Thanks for stopping by.

>180 lauralkeet: - LOL, Laura! Sadly, the store didn't have our preferred brand (Hebrew National), so I had to go with Sabrett's. Of course, if they are good enough for NYC street carts, they're good enough for us :) And they were quite tasty...

>181 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

I need to write some comments about the two books I've finished, but I don't feel like it. I'm finding LT exhausting lately, hence the step back. Things are good here - we had a nice Fourth of July, with a lot of relaxing and a movie double feature (Team America: World Police and Independence Day). Hot dogs were consumed, as was some pita and hummus because we live in a melting pot, of course :) No plans for the weekend - I'm hoping to watch a lot of Wimbledon...

Sorry you're feeling it's all a it much. It can feel a bit like you've made a rod for your own back.
Hope the weekend is suitably relaxing.

>183 katiekrug: The world is too much with you, so I hope you'll take care of you first and socials after. Such a time we're living in, eh what?

>176 katiekrug: Hmmm, it appears Leonard may be melting... You might want to look into that.

Totally understand stepping away from LT a bit. I've been trying to check in but it's easier to pop in here and there instead of sitting down for marathon review sessions, hence why I've been 12+ reviews behind for a while now 😂

>184 Helenliz: - Thanks, Helen. The weekend was relaxing, with a bit of productivity thrown in for good measure :)

>185 richardderus: - Thanks, RD.

>186 curioussquared: - Leonard is very good at the melting pose in cat yoga :)

Your 12+ reviews behind make me feel better about mine - thanks!

We had a mostly relaxing weekend, which was nice. It's been grossly hot and humid here, and I am so thankful that we have a house with central a/c. I hate to think what our power bill is going to look like, though! I am heat intolerant, but I am also cabin fever intolerant, so I do go out occasionally, but then I come home completely drained and cranky. I'm thinking cabin fever might not be so bad... I was very productive this morning, though, and got up and out early to run errands. The laundry is almost done, and there is chicken marinating in the fridage, so I feel quite productive. I'd like to work on my puzzle and listen to my audiobook, but I pulled a muscle in my shoulder/neck, and I don't think puzzling is a good idea. Anyway, that's the life update.

Books:
I am now three books behind in commenting on. Maybe this afternoon...?

My current audio is Paris is Always a Good Idea, and my current (e-)print is Count the Ways, which I borrowed from the library, when I realized my May (? June?) ER win (How the Light Gets In) was a follow-up to it. It's a good read so far.

Sorry your neck is unhappy :(. Looking forward to your comments on Paris is Always a Good Idea. I haven't heard of it but the title sounds like something I would enjoy :)

>189 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks for the sympathy, Reba.

I fixed the touchstone in >188 katiekrug:, as I had the wrong PiAaGI. It's okay so far... No great shakes, but I'm only about a quarter into it.

Hi Katie! It's grossly hot and humid here too, so much so you don't want to go out even to check the mail. I keep thinking this too shall pass, but then I check the 10-day forecast. Oof.

Sorry about the sore neck.
BTW the F1 from Silverstone well worth a look. Classic British summer day - it rained.

>191 lauralkeet: - I think we are supposed to dip back into the 80s later this week up here, which will be a nice reprieve. I know my in-laws in Virginia are not enjoying the current weather. And they live right near the Potomac, so I expect the humidity is very bad.

>192 Helenliz: - We watched the race live and enjoyed it very much :)

Wow, No Thank You. by Samantha Irby

Many thanks to Linda for putting this one on my radar! I very much enjoyed Irby's frank - often graphic - style, as well as her self-deprecating humor. A couple of stand-out essays for me were the one about the 90s mix tape (my jams!), the one about her mestruation trials, and the one about making friends as an adult.

Irby won't be for everyone, but I am eager to read/listen to more of her books.

4 stars

Iron House by John Hart

Like many thrillers, this requires the reader to suspend their disbelief to some degree, but I had no trouble doing so, thanks to its readability and pure entertainment factor. It's long-ish but read very quickly. I appreciate how Hart doesn't just use plot to move things forward - his characters are interesting and well-developed. I look forward to reading more by him.

4 stars

The Undateable by Sarah Title

This one landed on my library wish list thanks to Micky, and I'm so glad it did. It follows Bernie, who goes viral as a Disapproving Librarian in a meme, and Colin, a writer tasked with setting her up on dates. The premise is fun, though it got a bit repetitive. For me, the star of the book was the banter between Bernie and Colin. A light, breezy, perfect summer read.

3.75 stars

>194 katiekrug: I was pretty sure that one would work for you!

>194 katiekrug: I was reading We Are Never Meeting in Real Life on an airplane. I was in the middle seat between Marina and an Upstanding Gentleman who was so visibly disturbed by whatever he managed to read over my shoulder that his Bible came out forthwith. I still chuckle at the memory:)

Sorry LT is a bit much, and that your neck is painful.

Your post at >196 katiekrug: reminded me how much I like this author. I wish she would write more.

>197 laytonwoman3rd: - Spot on!

>198 AMQS: - Oh, that's funny, Anne. Serves him right for invading your privacy :)

>199 charl08: - Thanks, Charlotte. Both are better, or I am, I guess I should say...

I'll have to have a look for others by Title.

I'm abandoning my audio, Paris is Always a Good Idea. It may be the audio narrator making me not like the female main character, but I'm finding her annoying and thinking how much better use I'd make of a trip to Europe :)

Not sure what I'll try instead...

Just came over to thank you for your recommendation of All Adults Here, which I ended up liking more than I initially thought I would :)

Katie--Hope the neck is feeling better and that you are finding some Wimbledon time. I totally get feeling a bit overwhelmed by LT. You have so many fans to keep up with here. Oh, and then there are all the book reviews. ; ) Just remember this is supposed to be fun here.

Hi Katie, I too, have been stepping back a little from LT as I really don't have a lot to say these days. I enjoy lurking however and have been doing a fair amount of that so I can keep up with what everyone is reading these days. Of course no matter how fast I run through the books, there are just so many that I want to get to!

Stopping by to say hi, Katie! I'm working on a very fun puzzle and reading a great book. I hope it cools down for you soon . LT is a busy place, especially here in the 75's.

Lurky lurking. Hi.

Hi! I'm done with my German class (this segment of it) and maybe will be able to find a little time for LT too. But it does feel like things are slow this year, not sure if that's just me.

Love the Leonard photo, it's so cute when they drape themselves over the furniture.

</lurk>
Happy weekend ahead's reads, Katie.

>202 alcottacre: - It's always gratifying when a BB hits winningly :)

>203 Berly: - Thanks, Kim. The neck/shoulder is still sore, but it's not stiff, so at least I can turn my head again :) I have been watching lots of Wimbledon the last several days - it's a good excuse (not that I ever really need one) to stay in and out of the heat.

I'm trying to find the right balance with LT...

>204 DeltaQueen50: - I'm a world-class lurker, Judy, so I understand! But it's nice to "see" you :)

>205 vancouverdeb: - A fun puzzle and a good book are two of life's great pleasures, Deborah. I just finished a really enjoyable puzzle and a very good book myself.

>206 weird_O: - Hi, Bill!

>207 ursula: - Congrats on finishing the class, Ursula! I'm sure you'll be glad for a bit more free time for a while. Somehow LT feels slower but also more annoying some days. Ah, well... *shrug*

Leonard loves to drape.

>208 richardderus: - Thank you, RD!

As I mentioned to Kim, I've been watching a lot of tennis this week. None of my favorites have made it to the finals, but I'll be rooting for Paolini tomorrow (though I also like her opponent whose last name I am too lazy to look up how to spell correctly) and Alcaraz on Sunday (no comment on his opponent *eye roll*).

I finished Count the Ways yesterday and very much enjoyed it. I am glad I have the follow-up on hand. I'll read it either later this month or next. This morning, I started Where the Children Take Us, which is this month's RL book club selection. The author lives in town and will be coming to our meeting, so that should be interesting.

In the kitchen, I've been keeping it mostly simple - some air fryer chicken and veg, a summer pasta I threw together with no recipe thankyouverymuch that turned out fab, and tonight we're having the NYT slow cooker bbq chicken on onion rolls with a kale and broccoli slaw on top. We're also eating a lot of cucumbers, as The Wayne's garden production has been generous in that department :)

No big plans for the weekend.

So that NYT list of the best books of the century (so far) is complete. I've read 25, and have another 30 on my shelves waiting to be read. In scrolling through it, I noted one of the people asked to contribute was Sarah Jessica Parker, so I'm taking the whole thing with a giant slab of salt :-P

These are the ones I've read:
The Warmth of Other Suns ● The Underground Railroad ● Never Let Me Go ● Gilead ● The Year of Magical Thinking ● The Road ● Outline ● The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay ● Evicted ● Behind the Beautiful Forevers ● Atonement ● Sing, Unburied, Sing ● Salvage the Bones ● Small Things Like These ● A Mercy ● Train Dreams ● Heavy ● The Plot Against America ● We the Animals ● Olive Kitteridge ● Exit West ● An American Marriage ● On Beauty ● Men We Reaped ● Bel Canto

I rate all of these pretty highly, except for Behind the Beautiful Forevers and An American Marriage, neither of which was bad but didn't do anything new or different, IMO.

Of the ones I've read, my top 5 are:
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (read pre-LT and I'd like to re-read it...)
Bel Canto (ditto comment above)
Atonement
Salvage the Bones
Train Dreams

These are the ones I own but have not read:
My Brilliant Friend ● Wolf Hall ● The Known World ● The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao ● Say Nothing ● Erasure ● Random Family ● Americanah ● White Teeth ● The Line of Beauty ● Citizen ● A Visit From the Goon Squad ● Postwar ● Life After Life ● Nickel and Dimed ● Middlesex ● Demon Copperhead ● The Great Believers ● The Friend ● The New Jim Crow ● All Aunt Hagar's Children ● Secondhand Time ● Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow ● A Manual for Cleaning Women ● The Story of the Lost Child ● The Emperor of All Maladies ● The Return ● The Days of Abandonment ● Station Eleven ● Bring Up the Bodies

>211 katiekrug: I took a look at the list, too, and have also read 25 of them (we have a bit of overlap, unsurprisingly). These lists are always so subjective but I was really surprised at some of the books included and then some of the authors that were left off completely (to name a very few), - no Stegner, no Vonnegut, no Atwood? I guess it's always fun just to go through lists like this if for nothing more than to generate some bookish discussions

I've pulled Bel Canto off the shelf again - I really need to read that one. And I highly recommend The Great Believers!

I agree about the subjectivity, Joanne. It's the same with awards. I don't bother with most of them.

I should jote that this list was the "best" of the current century, so the 2000s...

ETA: The Great Believers is high on my to read soon list 🙂

>213 katiekrug: Well, duh!! So much for my reading comprehension! No wonder so many were missing - thanks for the clarification. Sadly, I still automatically think of the "current century" as the 1900s....

>211 katiekrug: I read Ferante's Italian series when it was "hot" and wasn't all that impressed. Surprised to find My Brilliant Friend on the best 100 list.

>211 katiekrug: I saw the list on Mark's thread and I can only boast 20 of them read. I was pleased to see Small Things Like These on the list as it packed such a punch despite its diminutive size.

Any obvious omissions for you?

The Nickel Boys, Lords of Finance, Half of a Yellow Sun and The Covenant of Water would have been on my own list.

Thanks for posting Katie. I do love a list, and the interactive options the NYT have added are fun.

I'm not a fan of Ferrante but there are plenty listed here I've not come across that I'd like to pick up. (Lydia Davis' short stories, Random Family and Hurricane Season) and some nudges to pick up the more familiar. Did seem a lot of some authors (George Saunders).

I added it to LT's lists (see above re liking lists!). https://www.librarything.com/list/45680/NYT-100-best-books-of-21st-C

I had fun looking at the books revealed each day, but I don't love the method they chose to create the list. I had somehow read 41 of these! - despite the fact that I don't feel like I read that much current literature. I didn't add much to my TBR pile though. I was familiar with most of the books on the list and had already purposely decided not read quite a few of the books I hadn't read.

>211 katiekrug: As a non-NYT subscriber who blows through my free articles in a day, I was very glad that so many folks on LT shared the titles selected so I could see the list! I have read 31, and it was interesting to realize that many of those were for my library book club. I'll be reading The Warmth of Other Suns with them in September, which will make 32. And I own The New Jim Crow and The Vegetarian. It's fun to check them off as completed, but I won't be completist going through the list, either, as I have no intention of reading The Road or The Corrections, for example, knowing either will not be to my taste.

I am glad to see some genre fiction on there like The Fifth Season, non-white authors represented, and some books in translation. One Instragrammer I follow pointed out there were no indigenous authors, and upon reflection I'd say the most glaring omission to me personally is The Round House by Louise Erdrich.

>218 japaul22: I agree with Jennifer on all points! The method is ... um ... unusual. It's not exactly a "people's choice award" but it's not a critical literary selection either. My tally was 43 and there were lots of books I'd previously decided not to read.

Much as I love a list, that's not really calling to me. 14 read.

Lots of good observations here.

I enjoyed the sidebar about the "voters" who were willing to reveal their choices and which of their choices actually made the list. (I snickered that not one of James Patterson's 10 choices made the cut.) I saw quite a few books I admire suggested but not making the cut. Educated by Tara Westover, for example, appeared on many of the ballots shown, but didn't make it onto the list.

Just today, a new supplementary article offered "voters" a soapbox to pitch a favorite book that isn't on The List. I saw a number of books there that I'm adding to The WANT! List™.

Just so...

Hi Katie - I'm missing your posts although I understand about LT fatigue. Hope you're not wilting too much in this noxious weather.

>214 Copperskye: - I understand about still thinking of the 1900s as "contemporary," Joanne!

>215 RebaRelishesReading: - I remember when those books were all the rage. I'll probably give the first one a go at some point, but will keep my expectations in check :)

>216 PaulCranswick: - It's the nature of these lists, and of award lists, to have omissions since it's all so subjective. So yeah, a lot of my favorites weren't on there - too numerous to list here...

>217 charl08: - I love Jesmyn Ward, but having three of her books on there seems a lot (though I loved all three!). I didn't bother to read how exactly they pared down all the submissions, so maybe it actually makes sense? *shrug*

>218 japaul22: - I had heard of most of the books, and the ones I wasn't interested in stayed that way :)

>219 bell7: - I'm trying to think if there was other genre fiction on there, besides the Jemison? Given that it's the NYT, probably not *eye roll* I did see on Instagram that Sarah Maclean posted how she was asked to contribute and she only submitted romance titles, knowing full well none of them would make it...

>220 lauralkeet: - I agree, Laura. And I go back to subjectivity - I don't understand why some people consider such lists, or awards list, as some kind of gospel. Read what you want, not what's on some random list, no matter how "important" it is!

>221 Helenliz: - I like lists for reminding me of books, but not for reading from.

>222 weird_O: - Glad you had fun with it, Bill!

>223 vivians: - Hi Vivian! A daily update just seemed a little much, since most of my days are the same :) Periodic updates hitting any "highlights" seems to be working better for me.

This weather is disgusting, and I just keep trying to convince myself that if it's this hot now, surely the universe will cool it off at the end of August for my US Open visit :)

The weekend was good - still too hot - but mostly relaxing. We are drowning in cucumbers; The Wayne made six jars of refrigerator pickles, but we are still drowning. I'll be delivering some to local friends soon, I think...

I'm three books behind on commenting again. Oops. I might get to that this afternoon, as I hate having them hang over my head. It's not like I ever write all that much anyway - not sure why it seems like such a chore sometimes.

I don't really cook much over the weekends, but Friday I made the NYT slow cooker barbecue chicken, and it was very good. So easy, too. Tonight, I am making a new-to-us recipe - a South Indian pork stir fry from Milk Street 365 Days Cookbook. I'll report back if it's a winner.

In other news, TW and I had decided to go away for Thanksgiving this year - just to the Finger Lakes region in New York for a few days. Feeling magnanimous, I told him we should invite his mom, as she doesn't get out much, and I know my SIL and BIL would like a break (she lives with them in Virginia). Welp, she booked her train ticket and she'll be staying for over a week! What the what?!?! That is entirely too much peopling/hosting/daughter-in-lawing for me. Katie on her best beahvior is not a happy Katie :-P

>225 katiekrug: Crikey - you have my deepest sympathies on the hosting MiL. It's occasions like that I was always really pleased not to live in an open plan house, I could at least go and "be busy in the kitchen" and shut the door! When is she coming?

Ahh, yes the glut. I know the feeling - and the feeling that you've run out of people to give them to...

>225 katiekrug: A week. Whew, that was presumptious of her. You'll survive but what a nervy thing to do.

Cucumbers are one of the best food-security plantings possible, along with zucchini and eggplant. Fecundity incarnate...only not carne. Inplantnate...? In the flesh. *shrug* I dunno which works best.

>226 Helenliz: Yikes! re your MIL. Many years ago, before we learned how to deal with my in-laws, they visited us on their way from their home in South Carolina to Boston, where they planned to visit some friends. We didn't know the details of their itinerary beyond their visit with us, which passed without incident. Imagine our surprise one evening when our apartment's buzzer rang and it was the in-laws, who decided to drop in unannounced on their way back to South Carolina! Of course we put them up for the night but were most displeased with the lack of basic courtesy. Lesson learned, we managed boundaries and such more actively from that day forrward.

Regarding your Thanksgiving travels: where in the Finger Lakes? I like that area. We've visited a Skaneateles and Seneca Lake and enjoyed both.

I'm the same with commenting / reviewing books. I am usually behind. I was so lucky with my MIL and my FIL. We used to stay with them for a day or two or so, as they lived about 2 plus hours away - a drive and a ferry ride. But we never spent a week with them. Sorry about that week away!:-)

>225 katiekrug: oh man! A few days that turns into a week -yikes!

>226 Helenliz: - Yeah, no doors to shut here, except to my bedroom :) I'm hoping not being at home the whole time will make it all more bearable...

Thankfully, my trivia team is coming out tonight, so I can offload some cukes on them.

>227 richardderus: - OVER a week! 11/23-12/3. Blerg.

I like implantnate :)

>228 lauralkeet: - She's usually pretty respectful of boundaries, but apparently these dates gave her a good deal on the train fare... Sigh. As I said to Helen, at least we won't be at home the whole times. And we're certainly not sharing a hotel room - ha!

I think we are going to stay in Ithaca as a base, since the weather that time of year will be iffy. We might need some alternatives to the great outdoors and wineries/breweries :) And then I can spend the time annoyingly lamenting how I should have gone to Cornell when I had the chance, LOL.

>229 vancouverdeb: - It's not that she's a terrible person or anything. I just don't like to be out of my hermit-y routine for that long :)

>230 figsfromthistle: - 10 DAYS! A week would look pretty good right now ;-)

Oof, 10 days is a lot of hosting. I like my in-laws a lot but would not want them in my house for that long. For that matter, I wouldn't want my actual parents in my house for that long! My mom is much younger than my dad (~23 years) and Tim and I have talked about having my mom maybe move in with us at some point in the future, but I think it would have to be a MIL unit or ADU situation.

OMG, 10 days of ANYONE other than @flamingrabbit and @lycomayflower in my house would make me crazy. My MIL....no way. 3 hours tests my tolerance these days. But you're young, Katie. You can do it. I'm sure you can...quite sure. Yes. *nods encouragingly*

>232 curioussquared: - I appreciate the sympathy, Natalie! I need to remind myself that my SIL and BIL are really doing the heavy lifting most of the time. I should be able to spare TEN DAYS. :)

>233 laytonwoman3rd: - Thank you for the faith in me, Linda! We'll see if I live up to it...

Ten days. OMG. You can do it Katie!!

I'm the m-i-l so it would be upside-down from your situation but I wouldn't want to spend that long at my son and d-i-l's house either (even though I love them both). Wishing you strength.

Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard

Count the Ways is the story of a family - first a lost one, then a made one, then a shattered one, and then - maybe - a mended one. The focus is on Eleanor who loses her parents when she is a teenager, not that it was much of a loss. Her parents had time and attention only for each other, with Eleanor always the outsider. What she wants most in the world is a family, and she gets it. She falls in love with Cam, and they live a hippie-ish sort of life on a farm in New Hampshire, where their three children are born. It's an idyllic existence as far as Eleanor is concerned, and it should be mentioned here that the sense of place in this novel is beautifully written; the farm becomes a character almost as important as the people.

Told in short chapters, Count the Ways charts the family's progress through the years with all the usual highs and lows of life, plus one truly terrible event. Through it all, Eleanor remains wholely focused on her children, to the detriment of her marriage (the reverse of her parents, essentially). As the family unit starts to break down, Eleanor is forced to question the weight of so much love and attention and the harm it can do. She is a frustrating character (as is Cam), but she seemed very real to me. Ultimately, this is the story of a lonely woman, I think.

I had a small quibble with the ending that lost the book a quarter of a star.

I borrowed this book from the library because I won a copy of its follow-up from the Early Reviewers program. I very much look forward to reading it soon to see if Maynard can recapture the intricacies and complexities of this family.

4.25 stars

"Who knew what they'd remember, and what they'd make of it, but the hope was there that if nothing else, what they would hold on to from these times was the knowledge of being deeply loved. You showed your children the world. It was up to them to determine what they'd make of it." (p. 98)

"Maybe loving her children too much was her downfall - the weight it placed on the three of them, knowing that for their mother they represented everything of greatest meaning in her life. No question their father loved them, too, but without the heavy sense of obligation her devotion seemed to carry with it." (p. 298)

>235 lauralkeet: / >236 RebaRelishesReading: - Thank you, friends! I am calming down about it. I know if I need to disappear for a few hours/a day, The Wayne will have my back :)

>238 katiekrug: and that, dear Katie, is the most important thing!!

>239 RebaRelishesReading: - Agreed! He's a peach.

10 DAYS! >:-o

Where the Children Take Us by Zain E. Asher

I probably would not have picked this one up if it weren't the July choice for my book club. The author lives locally and is friends with one of our members and will be joining us later this month for our discussion. I am glad to have read it, though. It doesn't really do anything new or different, but it was a well-written memoir.

Asher is the London-born daughter of Nigerian parents, one of 4 children. Her father is killed in a car accident when she was 5, and this book details how her mother fought through her own grief to ensure her children reached their full potential.* Much of her strategy relied on Nigerian culture and customs, and I found these details to be the most interesting. I wasn't aware, for instance, that many immigrant parents send their children back to Nigeria for a year or two to live with relatives and to "toughen" them up - however hard life might have seemed in South London at the time, Asher acknowledges it was nothing compared to living in a remote Nigerian village with intermittent power and running water.

Asher also provides details on her parents' relationship - their meeting, their separation by the Biafran war, their efforts to succeed in London. Their love story is both beautiful and heart-wrenching.

Overall, a good read. I look forward to meeting the author and learning more.

3.5 stars

* They did reach their full potential. Asher is an anchor at CNN. Her oldest brother is a successful entrepreneur. Her next brother is the actor Chiwetel Ejiofor. Her younger sister is a doctor.

>241 Helenliz: - Not helping, Helen! LOL.

>236 RebaRelishesReading: Oh, you are absolutely right about that---I am both DIL and MIL, and have never spent more than a couple nights in house with my daughter and her husband both in residence. We've visited longer a couple times when he was away at a conference for part of it. Even then, too much companionship and togetherness can get to one or the other of us.

>244 laytonwoman3rd: - You are obviously a thoughtful person :) But TBH, I think it would be different if my MIL had her own place. As it is, it's a treat for her to escape, I think. So I'll put my big girl panties on and paste a smile on my face :D

Copying this over from Mark's thread where I first posted it.

A long article but a good read. I used to be in a book club with a guy who thought anything reviewed positively in the Times was worth reading and books that would never be reviewed in it were garbage.

https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/new-york-times-book-review

I inherently rebel against anything proclaimed (self- or otherwise) as an arbiter of taste, intelligence, worthiness, etc. It's why I don't engage in the book awards discussions much. To say a list is missing something, or a judging panel got it wrong, is nonsensical to me. I sound like a broken record, but it's all subjective, so who cares?

/cranky rant

I too have grown quite tired of the New York Times telling me what I should think or do or read.

Their endless thumping about President Biden is exhausting and Not! Helpful!

>247 magicians_nephew: - I agree, Jim. And while I understand that their job isn't to "help" one candidate, a little more contextual coverage and evenhandedness would be most welcome.

Clear by Carys Davies

A beautifully crafted novella, Clear is a story of faith, isolation, and communication. Davies' prose is wonderful, and I loved how seamlessly she threaded the three strands of story together. There is a lot of depth and richness in the book, despite its brevity.

That said, I didn't connect with this as some other readers have, and as I did with Davies' earlier work, West. I think it would have benefited from more pages. For instance, the ending seemed very abrupt to me. I would have liked a bit more on Ivar's response to leaving the island. Given that that was much of the obvious conflict of the story, it bothered me that the reader is given so little.

Still, a lovely little book.

4 stars

>249 katiekrug: hurray! I'm so glad you liked this one. I guess you're right about the abruptness. It didn't bother me but the book did leave me wanting more.

>247 magicians_nephew: That "not helpful" is their purpose. Otherwise they'd stop.
***
>246 katiekrug: Like all things social, I think...to talk about it, most people need a starting point so they use the ideas of others. We just do that, us baldish monkeys.

Good link, Katie. A worthwhile read, especially in light of the Times's richly displayed and supported list of books. One nods knowingly when reading about the William Peter Blatty lawsuit that exposed the wild cards played for and against books favored (or not) by management.

>211 katiekrug: Thanks for sharing your thoughts about the NYT List. You have some great reading ahead of you and Bel Canto is a fine place to start.

I also loved Clear. A top book of the year for me. I may have to reread West and then check out her other books.

>224 katiekrug: Mmmm, yeah, you might be able to argue that Cloud Atlas is a genre read, but not having read it, I'm not sure. I think I got so excited to see the *one* fantasy title that I didn't notice there wasn't any romance. And I liked My Brilliant Friend (and have meant to go back to the series) but wouldn't put it first.

Commiserations on your MIL's visit, and hope it goes by quickly and as painlessly as possible.

The article on the NYT Book Review was interesting too. I don't tend to read through the reviews in their entirety (I don't have the attention span for that), but I trust my fellow readers' opinions on LibraryThing more than any professional reviewers.

>252 weird_O: ditto

>246 katiekrug: your post made me look up info on Current Affairs, which for some reason I thought was a right of center publication. I didn't even realize how new (comparatively speaking) it is. Thanks for the article and the impetus to take a look.

"but I trust my fellow readers' opinions on LibraryThing more than any professional reviewers." -- I second that

>250 lauralkeet: - I honestly thought I was missing pages! I was reading on my Kindle and it still showed like 10 minutes of reading time, so I thought there was something wrong. The extra reading time was the Author's Note and other end material...

>251 richardderus: - I get talking about it, but being all "X should have been included" instead of "X would be on my list" is a small, but significant (IMO) difference.

>252 weird_O: - I was not familiar with that at all, Bill. You learn something new everyday :)

>253 msf59: - Slightly confused, Mark. I've read Bel Canto :) I would like to re-read it though!

>254 bell7: - I think of "genre" reads as ones that would be in a specific section of a bookstore, and I don't see CA as being anywhere but regular fiction...?

I have several months to anticipate the MIL's visit, so that'll be.... fun :-/

I've basically given up on the NYT except for breaking news notifications, games, and cooking.

>256 ffortsa: - Interesting, Judy. I don't know anything about it. The Wayne had found the article through a Reddit post and shared it with me.

>257 RebaRelishesReading: - It's more true than not for me, too.

First place in trivia last night - it's becoming ho-hum ;-) Our friends were back in action with us, so 6 of us were on the team and it was a bit chaotic.

Busy kitchen day today - I'm making Salsa Verde Chicken soup for dinner (no, I don't care that it's 98 degrees out, I love soup) and brownies to take to book club tomorrow. I also need to tidy up for Maribel's cleaning tomorrow.

In books - I finished a very good popular history on audio - Wonderland by Steven Johnson (it ended up on my library list after I enjoyed The Ghost Map by the same author). And I've now started What Strange Paradise. In print, I'm reading a very meh contemporary romance co-authored by a friend of mine that I feel obligated to finish...

>259 katiekrug: Hooray! Sounds like you guys are the team to beat :)

Soup solidarity! I made a chicken vegetable soup last night despite the fact that it's in the 80s here. Soup is always a good idea.

>260 curioussquared: - We have been rather dominant in our various iterations :) There is another regular team that is always super close, so it's still competitive to some extent...

The soup was excellent. It was this one: https://allthehealthythings.com/salsa-verde-chicken-soup-stove-top-slow-cooker/.

Chicken thighs gross me out, but I did use them and it turned out great. Of course, I upped all the seasoning and added a little cayenne pepper :)

Judy likes chicken thighs - i think the whole idea is rather gross.

But most chicken thighs receipts can be used with sliced strips of chicken breast too

The NYT Reader's List of the best 100 books of the century, so far...

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/reader-best-books-21st-century.ht...

(The link should work for everyone, not just subscribers.)

>262 magicians_nephew: - They are weird looking and I find I end up trimming them within an inch of their life, but the meat is more flavorful. I think the soup recipe would work just fine with breasts, too. I usually make chicken tortilla soup with chicken breasts.

>263 katiekrug: Thanks for posting, Katie!

Karen O

>263 katiekrug: Thanks for the link! Unsurprisingly, the top 5 contains 2 books I really didn't like at all, one I loved, one that was solidly "ok" and one I haven't read yet. About what I would expect. ;)

As someone who moderates a book club I am always on the lookout for lists of good books. The NY Times one is pretty good but alas we've read a lot of them already.

>265 klobrien2: - You're welcome, Karen!

>266 ursula: - So a good mix, eh? :)

Of the top 5, I haven't read any. I DNF'd The Goldfinch. I do have the other four in my stacks, though... Which two did you really not like?

>267 magicians_nephew: - You should pick a Stewart O'Nan book. He's the best.

Thursday night's book club was very good. I had liked the book, but Asher herself was amazing to hear speak in person. It was all very informal, and she seemed appreciative of our questions and comments. She stayed about 2.5 hours.

The Wayne is hosting his whisky club at our house tonight, so we've been busy with prep for that. He's smoking a pork butt, so there will be good eats for days :)

Nuala is currently at the doggy spa, getting a bath and having her nails trimmed.

I have finished the excellent What Strange Paradise on audio and started a light, beach-y read. In (e-)print, I'm really enjoying The Summer Guest, my July Julia Memorial Read.

I owe three write-ups... *sigh*

Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson

This one ended up on my library wish list after I read Johnson's The Ghost Map and was interested in seeing what else he'd tackled. I'm so glad my library had it available, as it was a fascinating look at the various ways in which leisure, pleasure, and other "unimportant" pursuits ended up contributing much to the development of the world as we know it now. Johnson organizes the book around themes - "Fashion and Shopping," "Music," "Games," etc. I loved the very vivid details he provides, as well as learning new bits of historical trivia.

A fun read.

4 stars

Sips & Strokes by Sarah Skye

Sarah Skye is the pen name of a pair of romance novelists (one of whom is a friend of mine) who co-wrote a trilogy together. This is the first of the trilogy and it was fine. Not terrible, though it definitely could have used some copy editing, but nothing new or fresh about it. If you like the fake dating trope, it might appeal, but there are better options out there.

3 stars

What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad

Loved this Giller Prize winner.

An incredibly moving story about a young boy who survives a migrant boat sinking off the coast of a Greek island, and a teenage girl who helps him escape the authorities. It's about compassion, empathy, and human connection, and it brought me close to tears.

4.5 stars

>270 katiekrug: Yes The Ghost Map was some kind of wonderful - crying out to be made into a PBS documentary or something.

his The Invention of Air is another good one if it hasn't crossed your path yet. Benjamin Franklin and the last days of kitchen table chemistry -- and scientists hovering precariously over vats of beer to try to capture the escaping gases. And that just for starters.

>272 katiekrug: Whats the period on this? Modern day? Migrant boat sinkings seem to happen in many generations, alas

>263 katiekrug: I've read all of the top five and hated The Goldfinch but liked the other four.

>268 katiekrug: The two I really didn't like were A Gentleman in Moscow and All the Light We Cannot See.

>272 katiekrug: Yes, I thought that was a good one too.

Of the top 5, the only one I have read is the Goldfinch which i waded through. I stopped caring for the individuals a long while before I stopped wanting to know what happened to the painting.
Not making me want to read the rest, on that basis. Although I have read a number of Kingsolver's books and enjoyed them.

>263 katiekrug: I seem more attuned to the 'readers' than the editors of the Times. I've read 24 of these, not counting Pachinko which I DNFd. For reasons I can't actually recall, it made me very uncomfortable. I think I saw dreadful things ahead.

>273 magicians_nephew: - Thanks, Jim! I'm looking forward to more of Johnson's work in my future.

>274 magicians_nephew: - It's contemporary.

>275 RebaRelishesReading: - Not too shabby, Reba :)

>276 ursula: - Interesting, Ursula. I have both in the stacks, but the Doerr I got in a book giveaway. The Towles does appeal to me, though.

>277 Helenliz: - I've liked the Kingsolvers I've read, too, though it doesn't number many. I have several unread in the stacks.

>278 ffortsa: - I know that mounting feeling of dread, Judy. Ah well, plenty of other books to enjoy :)

Caught up again around here. Glad to see you enjoyed Undateable (when I saw it over on Insta, I wondered if that one was my fault, lol). Kudos to you for having soup during the heat wave. In our house sans A/C, we're all about minimal cooking right now. Turkey bacon BLTs on the menu for tonight.

>272 katiekrug: Sounds good to me. I've added this one to the wishlist. Thanks!

I liked The Goldfinch but remember very little more than that about it. I've just picked up Amor Towles' short story collection, and it's making me want to reread A Gentleman in Moscow. Hopefully it would stand up to being reread, and not Wreck the memory of a lovely read!

I have yet to read The Ghost Map, but I own it. One day, Katie.

>280 MickyFine: - BLTs are such a perfect summer food, Micky. We are waiting on The Wayne's tomatoes to come in before indulging :)

>281 charl08: - I think you'd like the El Akkad, Charlotte. It also has the benefit of being rather short so easy to slip in...

I still need to get my hands on the Towles collection. And I still need to read AGiM. So many books!

>282 vancouverdeb: - It was a really interesting read, Deborah. I hope you can get to it soon(ish) :)

We've had a nice few days - it's not been too hot, though a bit overcast and humid. My best friend came over on Tuesday to hang out and go to trivia with us (we did not do so well). Then we hung out some more Wednesday morning before she went home. It was good catch-up time.

I expect much of my time over the next couple of weeks will be occupied with the Olympics. They've already started some of the competitions, so I enjoyed some rugby and soccer yesterday :) More today, plus archery and handball! I love me some obscure sports I don't understand :D

In book news, I owe some comments on The Summer Guest, which was very good. I'm now reading The Lost Boys of Montauk and listening to Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay, which is frothy summer fun.

>283 katiekrug: BLTs !!!! Why haven't I made them yet?! We have some leftovers to use up for lunch today but I am making note of this as a perfect Friday lunch. I forgot to buy lettuce at the store today but that is easily remedied.

Did you watch the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend? That was quite a race.

Sounds like you're having a good week, Katie (except for Trivia - sorry that didn't go so well). I'm looking forward to the opening ceremonies tonight and hope to get some gymnastics and diving time in the next week or so.

We've having a streak of amazing weather here west of the Cascades in the NW. Blue skies, some puffy white clouds and temps around 80. I sat out on the deck for a while yesterday and had a hard time keeping my mind on my book because the sky was so beautiful. (Folks on the other side of the mountains are having horrible fires so heart goes out to them)

Enjoy your weekend-ahead's activities, Katie. I'm pretty sure you're going to enjoy all the weird sports coming up. Maybe even some books, who knows?

>285 lauralkeet: - Or you could quickly grow some lettuce, LOL!

We did watch last weekend's race. It was so crazy, but fun to watch. Can't wait for the Drive to Survive episode about that one ;-)

>286 RebaRelishesReading: - The Opening Ceremony is tomorrow night, Reba :)

Enjoy that weather!

>287 richardderus: - The books are always near at hand, RD :)

>288 katiekrug: Can't wait for the Drive to Survive episode about that one ;-)
For sure! One of the commentators even speculated on how that race will be covered in the next season.

>290 lauralkeet: - *rubs hands together in anticipation*

>283 katiekrug: Ooh garden fresh tomatoes are *chef's kiss.* I don't blame you for waiting.

>284 katiekrug: I was going through some prepub alerts from Library journal for work yesterday and there's a pickleball romance coming out this year (November, I think). Which led to a co-worker and I speculating about when it will become an Olympic sport. 😆

Love home grown tomatoes. I missed the window to get then in this year, rather too much on.

>292 MickyFine: - Well, this year will see breakdancing as an Olympic sport, so..... ?!?!

>292 MickyFine: / >293 Helenliz: - We are hoping the tomatoes make it. The Wayne has been battling voracious squirrels...

Helen - any news on your potential work trip to my part of the world?

I didn't know there would be Breakdancing in the Olympics, Katie. I rarely watch , but if I do it's usually gymnastics and diving. Enjoy your weekend

>294 katiekrug: Not happening for now. They've decided that we can do it all online. We disagree, but not a lot we can do about it when they hold the purse strings. >:-(

>263 katiekrug: I am enjoying all the discussion of the list, Katie. Obviously, it is very subjective. Where are Louise Erdrich and Margaret Atwood, two huge omissions IMHO. I've read 53 and have about twenty more on my WL. I liked the first Ferrante book, but two of hers on the list? Anyway, it is fun to discuss.

>272 katiekrug: I am adding this to my WL. It sounds wonderful.

BLTs for lunch today chez nous, Katie. Sooo good. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hope you're having a great Friday.

>295 vancouverdeb: - Have a great weekend yourself, Deborah!

>296 Helenliz: - Well, phooey :(

>297 BLBera: - Wow, 53! Go Beth!

>298 BLBera: - I think you'd like it.

>299 lauralkeet: - Cross-posted! I am soooo jealous... Hopefully, my time will come soon :)

Can't complain about my day so far - got a pedicure, bought wine, planning to order Chinese for dinner and watch the Olympics Opening Ceremony :)

The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin

Once again, Julia's list of favorite reads provided me with a winner!

This was an engrossing tale of a family in Maine who own a wilderness camp and how their lives become intertwined with one wealthy gentleman. The contemporary action takes place over a single day, but there are a lot of flashbacks, and my only quibble with the read was that I sometimes had trouble keeping clear in my mind what happened when.

There are various POVs and Cronin gives each a distinct voice, and he handles the time shifts well - that is to say, they are smooth even if a bit confusing (at least to me...). As I was reading it, I kept thinking of how the book was one in a long line of books about fathers and sons, and then reading the Author's Note, Cronin calls it a book about fathers and daughters - which also makes sense. Either way, it was a very compelling read.

4.25

All this talk of BLTs got me craving one, too!

>301 katiekrug: It's, um, quite something.

Happy Friday, Katie. You got me with a BB with What Strange Paradise. Sounds great. I also have The Summer Guest on shelf, so I am glad to see you liked it.

>303 curioussquared: - The BLT love is contagious :) Indulge!

>304 Helenliz: - The opening ceremony you mean? My best friend was watching it live and said it felt interminable. I'm going to watch the re-airing of it tonight.

>305 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I think you'll really like WSP. Did you read his American War? I liked that one, too. Can't wait to see what he does next.

And move The Summer Guest up the stack. It's a good 'un!

I had no idea that squirrels go after tomatoes. But I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

I also have a copy of The Ghost Map in the stacks. I really should pull it out one of these days.

>307 Familyhistorian: The Ghost Map is a pretty good book.

I've enjoyed almost all of Steven Johnson's writing/

>307 Familyhistorian: - I think squirrels will go after almost anything :)

The Ghost Map is a good read. I hope you get to it sooner rather than later.

>308 magicians_nephew: - Hi Jim!

Haven't posted a puzzle in a while - I finished this one a few days ago. It's a new favorite and going onto the "keeper" pile.



(1000 piece Fred puzzle, "Kyoto")

Nothing much new to report - just reading, listening, puzzling, watching the Olympics... Not a bad life ;-) I am going to Costco today, so that's exciting. Heh.

In books, I am three reviews behind again. My current print book is Howard's End and my current audio is How to Fall Out of Love Madly. I may ditch the latter, as the (often self-imposed) trials and tribulations of late 20/early 30-somethings can get on my nerves. Sometimes I just want to yell "Grow up already!" I guess I am officially old and cranky.

>310 katiekrug: Ooh, I love that puzzle

>311 katiekrug: "I guess I am officially old and cranky." Own it...and welcome to the club!

"old and cranky" -- I think not, Katie!! Love your puzzle.

>311 katiekrug: Not cranky (and definitely not old). Some characters deserve it, lol!

>313 laytonwoman3rd: We should get t-shirts >;-)

>310 katiekrug: Such a pretty puzzle! And I love a Costco trip :)

>316 Helenliz: I need an XL.

>311 katiekrug: Snarky, yes. But cranky? No! And definitely not old because if YOU are old, what does that make me? Don't even go there.

>312 norabelle414: - The photo doesn't do it justice, as the colors are much more vibrant in person.

>313 laytonwoman3rd: - Ha, thanks!

>314 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba.

>315 MickyFine: - In some ways, I was born old and cranky, if I'm being honest ;-)

>316 Helenliz: - I'd buy one.

>317 curioussquared: - I love a Costco trip during the week when it's not (as) busy!

>318 richardderus: - *Waves at RD*

>319 lauralkeet: - It's a fine line between snarky and cranky :D I'm an old soul. You're a young soul!

The Lost Boys of Montauk by Amanda M. Fairbanks

In 1984, a commercial fishing boat was lost at sea during a sudden storm with all 4 people aboard going down with it. Some wreckage eventually was recovered, but the main part of the boat and the bodies were never found.

Fairbanks takes this story as the kernel to tell a larger one about the community of Montauk on the very eastern tip of Long Island, along with that of the larger area known (not by locals) as "The Hamptons." The captain of the boat that was lost and one of the mates, were privileged young men who had spent summers in the area and ultimately turned their backs on the expected course their lives were meant to follow (Ivy League, Wall Street, etc.), so much of the book is also about the deep class divides that still exist between the year-round locals and the summer visitors.

Much of the book is interesting, but there was a lot of "filler" that felt extraneous and served only to contribute to the page count. That said, there were lots of photos, which I always appreciate. Ultimately, this was a pretty good read for me but don't expect a riveting account of a maritime disaster. The storm and what happened to the boat and fishermen is really only a small part of it.

3.75 stars

Meet Me at Beachcomber Bay by Jill Mansell

A very frothy, soap opera-y book set in a holiday resort town in Cornwall. The main romance features a couple who can't be together for various reasons, until they can and everything is tied up neatly with a bow. I enjoyed the side characters more than the leads, which is often the case for me. A fun listen.

3.5 stars

Good morning Katie! I felt compelled to stop by as soon as I read the news: University Challenge returns on August 12. Woo hoo!

Happy Wednesday, Katie. Yes, I read and enjoyed American War. I didn't realize that was the same author. Good to know.

>323 lauralkeet: - thanks for letting me know, Laura!



>324 msf59: - It's a very different sort of book, Mark, but I liked both.

Death in Summer by William Trevor

I've read two other novels by Trevor: The Story of Lucy Gault, which ranks among my top 10 favorite novels; and Felicia's Journey, which I thought very good but didn't move me like Lucy Gault. Death in Summer is very reminiscent of Felicia's Journey, with it's sense of menacing atmosphere and sense of unease. It is the story of a recent widower left with his baby daughter to care for, and a young woman who applies for the position of nanny. She doesn't get the job, but her near-instant obsession with the widower and his home in the country leads to tragedy.

I appreciated this book and Trevor's prose more than liked it. I found the writing occasionally impenetrable, but when it wasn't, it created a delicious portrait of lost and damaged people.

3.75 stars

>308 magicians_nephew: More positive feedback on The Ghost Map! I really should find that book in the stacks.

>309 katiekrug: Squirrels are evil. At least I thought so when I saw one climbing up the glass of the picture window of the house I used to live in. I wouldn't put anything past them.

Love the puzzle! I just finished one and maybe I will post it on my thread this evening. I had two more puzzles arrive today from the UK. The shipping is expensive, so I try to limit that. But some puzzles you just have to have.

>327 Familyhistorian: - Yeah, I am not a fan of them. Neither is Nuala :)

>328 vancouverdeb: - Thanks for the puzzle love, Deborah! I have a lot of different sources for puzzles, but they are all US-based so the shipping is usually free :)

Off to start a new thread...