Mary's (bell7's) Reading Log in 2024 - Thread #8

Welcome to my eighth thread of 2024!

Should you have missed any of my previous intros, my name is Mary and I'm a librarian in western Massachusetts. I'm part of a large family (oldest of five), single, and live in my own home.

I like to read fantasy and science fiction, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, a smattering of mystery and romance, nonfiction about books and history and... basically, pretty widely and eclectically. I usually have some form of reading goals for the year, and I've decided that this year I want to intentionally read more globally. I'm going to focus on France and aim to read 12 books by authors from that country, plus 12 more books from other countries that are not the US, UK, or Canada. I'm currently on pace for that, and in the second half of the year, I'd like to focus more intentionally on finding books in translation.

Outside of reading, I enjoy watching sports (football, hockey and tennis in particular), I dogsit as a side hustle, I knit for fun (usually gifts for friends and family), and research genealogy (as very much an amateur, but I'm learning).

Hope you'll make yourself comfortable and chat with me about books and life.

2024 Book Club Reads

One of my work responsibilities is facilitating one of our book discussions. Here's what we're reading in 2024 (we take a break for the summer):

JANUARY - Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher - COMPLETED
FEBRUARY - The Lioness of Boston by Emily Franklin - COMPLETED
MARCH - Brave the Wild River by Melissa L. Sevigny - COMPLETED
APRIL - The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende - COMPLETED
MAY - Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder - COMPLETED
SEPTEMBER - The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson - COMPLETED
OCTOBER - The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel - COMPLETED
NOVEMBER - The Soloist by Steve Lopez
DECEMBER - The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Top Reads of 2024 (in order read)

5 stars
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard (reread)
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
The Shadow of the wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (reread)

4.5 stars
The Tower at the Edge of the World by Victoria Goddard
The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
The Postcard by Anne Berest
To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Derring-Do For Beginners by Victoria Goddard
Making It So by Patrick Stewart
Foster by Claire Keegan
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Above Ground by Clint Smith
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard (reread)
Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary (reread)
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
Red Paint by Sasha LaPointe
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
The Game of Courts by Victoria Goddard
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Inciting Joy by Ross Gay
A Bookshop in Berlin by Francoise Frenkel
Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope, and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Sterritt
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
James by Percival Everett
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
Traveller's Joy by Victoria Goddard
Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary (reread)
Erasure by Percival Everett
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander by Victoria Goddard
Company: Stories by Shannon Sanders
The New Girl by Cassandra Calin

Random things I'm tracking

Bookish articles:
1. Oulipo: Freeing Literature by Tightening Its Rules
2. Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words
3. 2024 Pacific Northwest Book Awards
4. 75 Books by Women of Color to Read in 2024
5. Romantasy Books (BookRiot)
6. An interview with Moniquill Blackgoose
7. The Scandalous Legacy of Isabella Stewart Gardner
8. Nonfiction books for SFF fans
9. Tournament of Books 2024 Championship Round
10. Top 10 Most Challenged Books in 2023
11. Thoughts on "Beach Reads" (CNN)
12. The Problem with Comp Titles
13. LibraryJournal's 2024 Stars so Far
14. 15 Books to Read Instead of Hillbilly Elegy (BookRiot)

How to make pretty block quotes (directions from Richard):
{blockquote}TYPE OR PASTE QUOTED TEXT HERE{/blockquote} and replace the curly braces with pointy brackets.

Number of books read since keeping count on LT:
July - Dec 2008 - 65
2009 - 156 (plus over 70 graphic novels and manga volumes)
2010 - 135 (Note: in June, I started working a second part-time job for full-time hours)
2011 - 150
2012 - 108 (Note: accepted a full-time job in February)
2013 - 107
2014 - 126 (plus 8 graphic novels)
2015 - 120 (plus 6 graphic novels)
2016 - 141 (I stopped counting graphic novels separately)
2017 - 114
2018 - 105 (Note: my first full year as Assistant Director)
2019 - 116
2020 - 153
2021 - 138
2022 - 131
2023 - 180
2024 - ???

Global reads in 2024 (author's country of origin):
Australia - Sophie Gonzales
Canada - Victoria Goddard, Premee Mohamed, Nalo Hopkinson, Heather Fawcett
Chile - Isabel Allende
France - Herve Le Tellier, Elisa Shua Dusapin, Annie Ernaux, Anne Berest, Christelle Dabos
Hungary - Magda Szabo
India - Salman Rushdie
Ireland - Claire Foster
Kuwait - Bothayna Al-Essa
Malaysia - Tan Twan Eng, Yangsze Choo
New Zealand - Chloe Gong, Tayi Tibble
Pakistan - Mohsin Hamid
South Africa - Trevor Noah
Spain - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
UK - W. Somerset Maugham, Patrick Stewart, Jennifer Worth, Sangu Mandanna, Richard Osman

All time (since 2022):


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, China, France, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States

Currently reading

Bible/Devotional Reading
Take Courage: A Study of Haggai by Jennifer Rothschild

DNFs in 2024
1. Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. Jacobs
2. Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
3. Leaving Lucy Pear by Anna Solomon
4. How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
5. Fourteen Days edited by Margaret Atwood
6. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum

November
115. Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary

October
114. Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
113. Holes by Louis Sachar
112. Twenty-four seconds from now by Jason Reynolds
111. A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman
110. The New Girl by Cassandra Calin
109. The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa
108. A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
107. Katalin Street by Magda Szabo
106. Company: Stories by Shannon Sanders
105. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
104. Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander by Victoria Goddard
103. The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
102. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
101. Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon
100. Erasure by Percival Everett

September
99. Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
98. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
97. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
96. Traveller's Joy by Victoria Goddard
95. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
94. Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
93. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
92. Where the Language Lives by Janet Yoder

August
91. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djeli Clark
90. The Last Mapmaker by Christina Soontornvat
89. James by Percival Everett
88. The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
87. Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
86. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
85. The Black Stallion by Walter Farley
84. Seeing the Body: Poems by Rachel Eliza Griffiths
83. A History of What Comes Next by Sylvain Neuvel
82. Funny Story by Emily Henry
81. The Door by Magda Szabo
80. Unbroken: My Fight for Survival, Hope and Justice for Indigenous Women and Girls by Angela Steritt
79. The Barbizon by Paulina Bren

July
78. Moral Man and Immoral Society by Reinhold Niebuhr
77. A Bookshop in Berlin by Francoise Frenkel
76. Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
75. Inciting Joy by Ross Gay
74. The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
73. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
72. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
71. The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
70. The Game of Courts by Victoria Goddard
69. Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
68. Knowing God by Name by Mary Kassian

June
67. The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
66. Red Paint by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe
65. Poūkahangatus by Tayi Tibble
64. Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
63. The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec
62. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
61. Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim
60. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
59. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
58. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
57. Amber & Clay by Laura Amy Schlitz
56. Those Who Hold the Fire by Victoria Goddard
55. The Years by Annie Ernaux
54. A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

May
53. The Best Man by Richard Peck
52. The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson
51. Thunder Song: Essays by Sasha taqwšəblu Lapointe
50. The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
49. Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun
48. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
47. Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder
46. The Return of Fitzroy Angursell by Victoria Goddard
45. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
44. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

April
43. Above Ground by Clint Smith
42. The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monae
41. The Perfect Guy Doesn't Exist by Sophie Gonzales
40. How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
39. The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo
38. Sharks in the Rivers by Ada Limon
37. The Wind Knows My Name by Isabel Allende
36. At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard
35. Dominicana by Angie Cruz
34. With Us in the Wilderness by Lauren Chandler

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

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

January
12. To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
11. The Postcard by Anne Berest
10. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
9. Women Rowing North by Mary Pipher
8. A Girl's Story by Annie Ernaux
7. Big Tree by Brian Selznick
6. The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling
5. The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
4. The Pachinko Parlor by Elisa Shua Dusapin
3. In the Company of Gentlemen by Victoria Goddard
2. The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier
1. The Tower at the Edge of the World by Victoria Goddard

Rough guide to my rating system:
I'm fairly generous with my star ratings - generally a four is a "like" or "would recommend" for me, while a 4.5 stars is a book I would reread. I break it down roughly like this:

1 star - Forced myself to finish it
2 stars - Dislike
2.5 stars - I really don't know if I liked it or not
3 stars - Sort of liked it; or didn't, but admired something about it despite not liking it
3.5 stars - The splitting hairs rating of less than my last 4 star book or better than my last 3
4 stars - I liked it and recommend it, but probably won't reread it except under special circumstances (ie., a book club or series reread)
4.5 stars - Excellent, ultimately a satisfying read, a title I would consider rereading
5 stars - A book that I absolutely loved, would absolutely reread, and just all-around floored me

I see it more in terms of my like or dislike of a book, rather than how good a book is. My hope is that as a reader I convey what I like or what I don't in such a way that you can still tell if you'll like a book, even if I don't. And I hope for my patrons that I can give them good recommendations for books they will like, even if it's not one I would personally choose.

*dusts hands* And now, officially welcome! I don't have time this morning to wait for the touchstones to load, so I'll try to remember to go back through later today and finish setting up.

My last post from the previous thread, in case you missed it:

Happy Tuesday! I'm on the desk this morning and have interviews for one of our part-time positions in the afternoon. After that, I'm leaving early to go babysit my niece before my SIL gets out of work.

I did all the errands yesterday and felt really accomplished, but didn't get a lot of reading in. I'm hoping to make up for that tonight. I very deliberately did a grocery shopping of mostly prepared foods so that I'd just have enough for the next couple of days, so I just have to pop some stuffed mushrooms in the toaster oven for dinner tonight and should have time to finish The Warmth of Other Suns, which I accidentally left at work yesterday.

I also woke up today to discover I'd managed to win my first fantasy football game of the year. I had miscounted, and Saquon Barkley just had to have 13 more points than the Eagles defense - in the weird counting that is fantasy football, he had 17.6 to the defense's 2.7 and I won by about 2.5 points. AND the Eagles lost, so bonus.

Reading: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Listening: "Wild Honey" by the Beach Boys

Watching/Crafting: nothing to report

Happy new one, Mary!

Lookee here, I'm first! New-thread orisons, Mary.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mary.

I hope there's good candidates at the interviews you're running today.

Happy new thread Mary!

>12 bell7: The open position for a part-time librarian reminded me of a couple of romances where the woman has moved to and is stuck in a new place when her initial romance goes sour and now needs a job quickly! I don't guess disappointed fiance is any sort of a job qualification though.

Happy new thread, Mary xx

Happy new thread, Mary!!

Checking in on the new thread, Mary. I also wanted to let you know that I am hoping to finish The Warmth of Other Suns tomorrow.

Happy new thread!

>13 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>14 richardderus: You and Katie made it in the same minute! Good to see you, Richard *smooch*

>15 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi!

>16 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! We had good candidates and a clear favorite we all three agreed on so *fingers crossed*

>17 quondame: Thanks, Susan! Hahaha, no, I'm afraid disappointed fiance is not a job qualification :)

>18 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

>19 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>20 alcottacre: Nice to see you, Stasia. I just finished it tonight, I'm hoping to write up a review and will look forward to your final thoughts.

>21 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy Wednesday, Mary. Happy New Thread. I am sure you are enjoying Warmth. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

>23 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene!

>24 msf59: Happy Wednesday, Mark! Just two more days - looking forward to seeing you & Wrigley.

Happy Wednesday, all! Soon I'll have to get started on my to-do list - most importantly, packing! - but for now, I'm finishing up my coffee and breakfast, and I will review The Warmth of Other Suns. I'm working 12-8 and have book discussion tonight. Since there are only two of us working, I'll move the discussion into the library proper rather than our meeting room so I'll be available for backup if needed.

Tomorrow I'm headed out to a, well, not a conference exactly. There's basically an exhibit hall of businesses who have a contract with libraries in the state and we can purchase things from them without going through the bidding process we usually have to do as a town department. My boss asked me if I'd like to go to look specifically for library signage information, so I'll be doing that, leaving after lunch, and then going to the library for the rest of the day.

I'll be dropping off my car at the mechanic's to get a bunch of brake work done over the weekend (fun, fun!), and then I'm staying over my parents' that night because my dad, brother and I have an early morning flight out to Chicago on Friday morning. The plan will be Wrigley for the Cubs on Friday (and meeting up with Mark and Joe, as well as one of my dad's cousins), going to Indiana on Saturday and watching Notre Dame, heading out to Cleveland on Sunday and watching the Giants (if you've been following, this is the first Giants game this season I'll actually be able to watch), and then to the Football Hall of Fame on Monday before flying back. Phew! I also took Tuesday off to recover. I'm not sure how much Internet access (or time) I'll have, so probably won't be checking in 'til we return.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Zami: A new spelling of my name by Audre Lorde, and Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon

Listening: "Wild Honey" by The Beach Boys and "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" by Aretha Franklin

Watching/crafting: nothing to report

95. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Why now? For my book discussion - though a book I've been interested in reading for awhile in learning more about race relations in the U.S.

The Great Migration was the movement of Black Americans from southern states to the north and west of the country. It occurred over several decades from World War 1 through the 1960s when the Civil Rights movement demanded change to the Jim Crow laws in the south. Isabel Wilkerson documents this history through the stories of three people - Ida Mae Gladney, Robert Pershing Foster, and George Starling - to illuminate the reasons people left and their experiences in their new, chosen homes.

The three people we follow were very deliberately chosen. They each left in a different decade and settled in a different place. Their stories are compelling and help a large movement become personal. Wilkerson doesn't focus on the chronology, but on the emotion and individual experiences, interspersed with narrative that zooms out and gives context with census information, laws, or sociological writings about the Great Migration as a whole. The everyday racism encountered by Ida Mae, Robert, and George was appalling, not just in the south - where Robert couldn't practice medicine in a white hospital in the 1950s, and lynching for the smallest infraction was a real possibility - but once they reached their new location. Because in the north, there may not have been separate water fountains, but there were still unwritten expectations of where Black families could live and work.

Through her narrative, Wilkerson challenges the common narratives of the Great Migration, that there was one simple reason people left or that they brought broken families and crime to the north. In fact, as illustrated by Ida Mae, Robert, and George and shown be recently-released census data, the southern Black families were more likely to be two-parent homes, be better educated, and have a job than their northern counterparts. The children of immigrants and their descendents brought arts, music, and sports achievements we may not have seen without that movement. While it's impossible to say if the Great Migration made life better or worse for the families that moved - or stayed - it profoundly affected the country and their lives in ways that we still see today. 4.5 stars.

Well... this was a book I'd originally thought I'd give 4 stars to, as one I'd recommend but not necessarily reread from beginning to end, but I've revised it a bit as I was reviewing it and realized how much I really respect what Wilkerson does here. I still think Caste is just a nudge better, but they're both well worth reading, and we'll have a ton to discuss tonight.

>27 bell7: Lots and lots to discuss, for sure. I'm glad it made your grade go up to write the review...I need to open it up and start from where COVID caused me to leave off.

Have a wonderful time on your Chicago trip!

>28 richardderus: I hope you do get a chance to complete it, Richard. The one criticism I'd give her is that she repeats phrases, almost verbatim, like describing someone as a man who made women forget about their husbands. But it's also a technique that can be useful in reminding me who someone was if I were reading the book over a really prolonged period of time, so I can't fault her too much for it.

>29 bell7: It does feel a bit tiresome to modern ears, but the Homeric phrase is ancient and came to be for the purpose you describe. People really do not change....

>27 bell7: I'm going to start this book as my next nonfiction. I'll finish Turing's biography next week, and start then. Glad you liked it.

>30 richardderus: True!

>31 The_Hibernator: Oh good, Rachel, I'll look forward to your thoughts.

I was a big fan of The Warmth of Other Suns. Haven't read Caste yet.

Have a great time on your trip! I'll look for you on TV on SUnday ;-)

Happy newish thread, Mary, and safe travels. Sounds like fun! I have had The Warmth of Other Suns on a wishlist forever, and your review makes me want to get to it sooner rather than later.

>27 bell7: I just now finished the book and am so glad that I read it. My thoughts echo yours and I too am giving it 4.5 stars. I look forward to reading Caste in the future given how highly I thought of this book by Wilkerson.

It looks like I will be finishing The Shadow of the Wind tomorrow. I hope you enjoy your re-read of it!

>26 bell7: Wow, that sounds like a busy and fun trip! Wishing you all good weather and safe travels.

>27 bell7: Having recently finished Caste (which I highly recommend), I'm looking forward to reading Warmth of Other Suns. But it won't be soon.

Hi Mary my dear, Happy New Thread dear friend.

Happy New Thread, Mary! Looking forward to our Meet Up and the Cubs game. Safe travels, my friend. Go Cubs!

Happy new thread, Mary!

What a great time, Mary! Have fun with Greg and Ryan at the Notre Dame game, and the Cleveland - Giants game. What a trip!

^Great time hanging out with everyone yesterday, Mary. I really enjoyed meeting your Dad and brother too. Have a good time at the game today and tomorrow. Safe travels.

Hello everyone, just checking in to let you all know we're doing well and enjoying our travels. We met up with Joe and Mark, as well as my dad's cousin Mark and two of my cousins. Yesterday we went to Notre Dame and saw another win. Can we go three for three at the Giants game today?

I'll be home on Tuesday and respond to everyone's posts individually. It's a little harder to do on my phone and I didn't bring the laptop with me 🙂

>42 bell7: Crossing my digital extremeties that you'll get a hat trick of wins! *smooch*

Hoping the last leg of your travels go well and you have a restful recovery day tomorrow.

>33 katiekrug: Any luck finding us, Katie? We were in the end zone where Devin Singletary scored his rushing touchdown :D

>34 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! We had a really great time, and I hope you do get to The Warmth of Other Suns soon.

>35 alcottacre: Glad we were able to read it together, Stasia. I'm still working on The Shadow of the Wind, as I didn't have much time for reading on our trip, but I *think* I'll be finishing it today or tomorrow.

>36 atozgrl: Busy and fun for sure, Irene! I second you in highly recommending Caste.

>37 johnsimpson: Thank you so much, John! Hope you're having a good day.

>38 msf59: Thanks, Mark! It was great to meet up with you and Joe.

>39 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>40 jnwelch: Yes indeed, quite a trip all around.

>41 msf59: Thank you for posting the pic in my absence, Mark! We had an absolute blast at the Cubs game and getting dinner afterwards, as well as the rest of the weekend.

>43 richardderus: We did, we did! The Giants were 6.5 point underdogs and when the first kickoff was a turnover and the Browns scored the next play, we thought we were in for a long one. But it turned out to be a very exciting game, and a win to boot!

>44 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

Happy Tuesday, all!

We got back late last night from a busy but very satisfying trip. We started on Friday, as you know, meeting up with Joe (and a brief hello to Debbi) and Mark, and then going to the Cubs game. My dad also has a cousin in Chicago, and he and his daughter met up with us for the game. Then we went out to dinner (my "The Fig Is In" burger was phenomenal) and breweries, where we continued to socialize for a couple more hours. We left a little before dark to head out to Indiana, where we stayed about an hour away, in between Chicago and South Bend.

Saturday we were able to sleep in a little, but we lost an hour between our hotel and Notre Dame. We got to the campus early enough to look around, take photos by the "touchdown Jesus" mural on the library, and walk around the stadium concourse. There was no score after a quarter, but Notre Dame ended up winning fairly comfortably. My brother is the big fan, so he was happy, though Dad and I went for them too. Then we headed to the next stopover in Ohio.

This hotel was probably the most disappointing of the three. After a suite where I had my own room the first night, this was an old-school motel with the entrances to each room to the outdoors. We'd requested adjoining rooms, but I was several doors down from my dad and brother. But, it was also the place we stayed for the least amount of time, getting there in time to go to bed and leaving after breakfast.

Cleveland was, for us, the most important game of the three, though the Giants were 6.5 point underdogs and already lost the first two games of the season. The opening kickoff was to to the Giants, and the player fumbled to give the Browns the ball right off the bat. They promptly scored on the next play, and we were ready to be in for a long game. However, that turned out to be the only lead the Browns had all game. The Giants' defense looked excellent with 8 sacks altogether, and the offense - especially in the first half - looked pretty solid, with a nice drive downfield right towards us in the first quarter to tie up the game. Being the away fans can always be tricky, but we cheered quietly among ourselves, and the folks around us were fine. If anything, they were tougher on their own team, cursing out the quarterback (I'm sure as much for his personal life as his playing) and booing at times. But they'd also get really into it at exciting moments, to the point where I'd say that was one of the louder crowds I've ever been among. And then the Giants won!

We went to our last hotel about an hour south so we were closer to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and it was the nicest of the three. It was another suite, and this one had a full living space with a couch, TV, and galley kitchen. We ordered pizza delivery and enjoyed watching more football (going against division rivals, natch) until my dad and brother fell asleep on the couch. I went to my room and watched a little bit more before calling it a night as well.

Our final day was going to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which was a first time for me. It was really fun to see all the memorabilia, and they'd even done some special things for the Giants' 100 season. Each of the displays with something from the Giants had the "100" logo put next to it. And the busts for all the players who are HOF members was moved to a separate location of just the Giants guys. So that was really fun.

I took a ton of pictures over the course of the trip, so after I get some loaded I'll share more visuals.

I slept in today and got up around 9:45 which is ridiculously late for me, but probably the closest I'll get to catching up on sleep. I had to stop at the bank and then get my car from the work I had done, and visited with my parents all morning. I left a little after noon, went to Xfinity to talk to them about my bill (I got it lowered some, but ugh I hate how expensive it is), and then went home.

I had the foresight to buy a frozen pizza and a frozen meal to have food when I got home, so while I unpacked I cooked the pizza and am now sitting down for a late lunch. The rest of the plan today is to do some meal planning and grocery shopping and get to the gym. That'll give me a pretty light day to ease into the rest of the week, and I'm hoping to read quite a bit in the evening.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon and Zami by Audre Lorde

Listening: I'll probably download a couple more albums off Hoopla today and pick up with "Wild Honey" by the Beach Boys again

Watching: well, all the sports this weekend, of course.
I was just listening to a podcast that mentioned Sarah Polley's new book, Run Towards the Danger, and mentioned that she played Ramona on a TV series that I remember from when I was a kid. A few minutes later, I had the jaw-dropping realization that she was Ramona AND the main character on "Road to Avonlea" and I had NO idea... so I may be getting some DVD series to go down memory lane a bit. I put a hold on the first series of "Road to Avonlea".

What a fun trip! It sounds like a great time (except for the sports stuff, yuck 😂)

>48 bell7: What a trip! You had an amazing piece of luck getting to watch the Giants/Browns game.

Lovely shortened work week to you, smoochling.

>50 norabelle414: Hahaha, well, you know that was right up my alley. We had a great time for sure :)

>51 richardderus: We really did have amazing luck with that game. Malik Nabers is looking fantastic (and doesn't hurt that he's on my fantasy team). *smooch* back

I'm not counting it in my book totals, because it's only 43 pages, but I read Traveller's Joy by Victoria Goddard (book #96) on Friday & Saturday (I meant to read it on the plane and forgot).

In this novelette, Hal and Marcan decide that they need to propose a walking tour with Jemis, who is recovering after being stoned (they use pebbles, but still) by his fellow university students and breaking up with Lark.

Though the events happen before, it makes most sense if you've already been introduced to the characters in at least Stargazy Pie and Bee Sting Cake if not the whole series (I forget where Marcan turns up, book 5 maybe?), and you see these three young men's friendship deepen in satisfying ways. I would love another short story of the rest of Jemis's adventures on the walk, as there are hints that this only covers the beginning. And as always, there's the delightful nod to Hal's interest in plants in the titles that center on his - "traveller's joy" is Clematis vitalba, also known as "old man's beard."

Retroactively adding the book number after all, as I went through what I've read this year and realized I'd counted a slightly shorter novelette as well, so I'll count it for consistently. After all, I read a couple of 500-page books this month, too!

I loved Shadow of the Wind, Mary. Very atmospheric.

>53 bell7: I don't think I would be so scrupulous!

>54 PaulCranswick: yeah, I've really been enjoying the reread of The Shadow of the Wind.

I'm not usually super scrupulous about book counting, but it took me only about an hour to read and I've been counting some other short books already 😂

Edited to get touchstone to load

Happy Wednesday, Mary. Glad you got to see 3 wins, especially with the Giants. How awesome is that? Good luck getting back into your usual routine.

>56 msf59: Hiya, Mark! Thanks for the well wishes in getting back to routine. I woke up to some work texts to sort out before I go in, so I'm jumping right in. Thankfully just a three-and-a-half day week (I have to go in for a couple of hours on Saturday) to start with.

Happy Wednesday! Since I went grocery shopping and to the gym yesterday, I don't have to leave the house for errands today before work. I have some chores to catch up on like laundry, washing the dishes, and watering my plants. Nothing too onerous. I'm working 12-8 and in charge 'cause my boss is off today, and already fielded some texts this morning from folks who are out. I expect it'll be a busy afternoon on the desk covering. Wednesday used to be a very quiet night but lately we've been getting more families in and it's passed quickly, so we'll see what happens tonight.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories and Zami by Audre Lorde (a little less than hour in this one, I should finish it soon)

Listening: Going back to "Wild Honey" by the Beach Boys

Watching/Crafting: nothing to report

>58 bell7: The Lorde should be interesting to hear about when you're done. I'm pretty sure Continuum: French Science Fiction will be one we agree on....

Enjoy your busy day, Mary. *smooch*

>53 bell7: I finished that one over the weekend too. I am very happy to have done so, but as usual, I wanted it to be longer!

I am so glad to hear that your trip was a great one for the most part. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

It sounds like you had an absolutely fabulous trip! Hurray for time to get settled back in at home, and I hope your short work week goes smoothly.

...smoochling...? is all well?

>59 richardderus: I should have a review of the Lorde one up soon. Continuum has been fine, but I've been voting with my eyes. I'm only two stories in and never pick it up. I do want to read at least one other story because I think it was the second story in particular that was a hold up for me.

>60 alcottacre: I think she does well with telling the story she wants to in the length it needs to be, but at the same time, I do want more about all of the characters! I'll look forward to her next full length novel. And I will get back to you about October reads, I just haven't had a moment to look through the books left. I'm open to your ideas! I think the few we have left I need to buy anyways.

>61 atozgrl: thanks, Irene, I am making progress settling back in at home and work

>62 richardderus: all is well, just a busy day of work and Bible study starting up again tonight. And I finished Zami before work instead of posting 😂 I appreciate your checking in *smooch*

A truncated post as I'm on my phone...

I worked 9-5 today and had a fair amount of work to both catch up on and prepare for a volunteer training tomorrow. My Bible study starts up again tonight, so I'm getting dinner and reading in between. And when I get home tonight, the Giants are playing Thursday night football. I succumbed to a free month of Prime because I needed to buy a book yesterday and it saved me paying shipping and gave me access to the game.

Tomorrow I have an appointment in the morning and will probably post in the evening again as a result. Busy busy, as always 🙂

>64 bell7: Yay for getting the Giants game! Stay well and happy, dear Mary. *smooch*

>65 richardderus: Well, it ended in late night disappointment but could've been worse! *smooch*

Happy Friday! I had an annual doctor's appointment this morning, so had to leave about forty minutes before I normally would and took some sick time for it before working the rest of the day. The appointment was smooth and quick, and I was back to work by 10:30. I trained nine new volunteers at orientation today, which is the largest group I've ever had, and it looks like we'll be at around 30 volunteers come next week. Yikes!

Tonight cooking was in order. I made a baked herbed catfish that came out delicious with roasted broccoli, and potato salad to bring to the family dinner tomorrow night. I now have some time to relax a bit, and plan on finishing The Shadow of the Wind.

Reading: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon and Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary (I needed a new e-book last night and was too tired to get creative, so decided to continue my reread of the series)

Listening: radio today, I finished up with "Wild Honey" and need to start "Reach Out" by Four Tops.

Watching: last night was the Giants-Cowboys game. Watching on Prime was painful, it kept reloading and the sound would cut out, though eventually I figured out that hitting the up or down key would put it back on. And then the Giants lost and Malik Nabers is in concussion protocol. Ugh. It's going to be a long season, isn't it?

Crafting: I finally got out the knitted top I'm making again. I finished one shoulder and started on the other.

97. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
Why now? It was shared read for TIOLI and an author I'd tried once and meant to read more of, so I was happy to see that I could get it as a library e-book when I was ready for that format.

In this "biomythography" Lorde explores the various women who impacted her life, starting with her mother in her childhood, her friend Gennie, and as she grows into young adulthood, the various lovers she had over the years.

This seems to be one of those books that straddle fiction and nonfiction, though it reads like a memoir and includes the emotional truths Lorde experiences as a Black lesbian woman, starting with growing up in Harlem and moving through her young adulthood. The first half of the book dealing with her childhood, her mother, and her school friends connected most with me. She kind of lost me when she started talking about her relationships, but I could appreciate the way they each helped her become more herself. It was sometimes harrowing to read - she has an unsafe abortion, and the FBI just casually show up at her door. Lorde explains how, despite being lesbian, she still experienced racism in the gay community and had to deal with not fitting into the molds that even the "gay girls" as she calls them had for relationship roles. Being a Black gay woman in the 1940s and 50s was no easy thing, yet Lorde also experiences joy and love. A powerful read that will stick with me for a long time. 4 stars.

You may also enjoy the Lesbrary review by Danika Ellis.

98. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Why now? Stasia and I decided to reread it jointly this month - I was a little behind when I hoped to finish it, but my excuse is that I read a couple of very long books in September

Here's what I wrote in 2008 when I originally read the book:

As a young boy, Daniel Sempere reads a book by a mysterious author, Julian Carax, whose works were barely bought when published but now collector's items due to their rarity. The book literally changes Daniel's life: because of it he is introduced to his first crush, he embarks on a quest to find out more about its author, and an odd character appears to be dogging Daniel's steps.

The writing is lyrical, making you want to sink into the story. Its Gothic elements and lovely writing style often reminded me of The Thirteenth Tale, though the pace picks up faster in this story. The Shadow of the Wind has elements of mystery, historical fiction, and a classic coming-of-age story. Definitely one of my favorite reads of 2008.

This is one of the books that I read after seeing all the chatter here on LT, and y'all didn't steer me wrong. I went on to read the whole quartet, and though I liked some more than others, it was fun reading these Gothic tales steeped in the history of the Spanish Civil War. This latest read was prompted by reading George Orwell's memoir of his service in the Spanish Civil War. I'd forgotten about all the horny men in it, and would probably retroactively make it 4.5 stars rather than 5 (I've gotten pickier in many ways since 2008), but it was still an enjoyable read and one I'm glad I own to revisit whenever I like.

Retroactively deciding to count Traveller's Joy, as I updated my reading spreadsheet today and realized I'd counted a 42 page novelette earlier this year. For consistency, then, I will count it. And after all, I have read some long books this year, too!

>70 bell7: Good :-)

>71 norabelle414: Hahaha thanks for the enabling ;)

99. Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
Why now? Needed an e-book and was too tired to be searching for a book that appealed so decided to continue my reread of the series

When Mr. Quimby loses his job, Ramona and her family need to adjust to tighter finances and stress. The family gets grouchy and Ramona, now in second grade, wishes she could do something to help. But through it all, there is trademark humor and a lot of love.

I'm continuing to have a lot of fun rereading this series with adult eyes. I'd forgotten that Mr. Quimby smokes and that Ramona and Beezus go on a campaign to make him quit. I can relate more to the adult stress but still remember the kid stress of tough times like the Quimbys experience here, which adds to the richness of the books. 4.5 stars.

Happy Saturday! It's one of those days that's busy but in a relaxed way. I'm working for a couple of hours, coming home for lunch, and then going out to go apple picking with my youngest sister who's up visiting for the weekend. From there, we're going to my brother and SIL's and having dinner with them and my brothers and parents. Should get some baby time in, though I'll let my sister as the not-local visitor have the bulk of it.

In case I don't have time over the next few days to post, here's the rundown of plans:

Tomorrow we're going to the Big E, sort of a state fair but for all the New England states. It's the last day of it so I expect it to be pretty crowded. My mom has some photographs in it, so I want to track those down, as well as see other crafts and things, and buy delicious food at the state buildings. After that, I'm coming back to go to my first small group meeting at church. It'll be the first one I've joined where I don't know anyone else from my previous church (some of you may remember I changed churches last year) and run by the lead pastor so... wish me luck? It'll be a bit of a stretching experience. My Bible study on Thursdays continues to be people I know (and isn't affiliated with any church in particular), though it's a smaller group than last year.

Monday I'm working 9-2 and have my appointment for my COVID and flu shots afterwards. I found out that my sister will still be here Monday, so I'll probably drive back to my parents' after that to hang out before she leaves.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon (which means I'll be choosing a new paper book AND e-book today)

Listening: I'll try to remember to start "Reach Out" by Four Tops today

Watching/Crafting: nothing last night

>69 bell7: I am so glad to see that you enjoyed the re-read as much as I did!

>70 bell7: Good on you. Angela (back in 2009 or so, I think) once told me that if it is between covers, it counts, so I have used that maxim ever since. I normally read at least 1 long book in a year, after all :)

Have a super Saturday!

>75 alcottacre: That's a good maxim! Mine is - if I can catalog it and write a coherent review of it, it counts.

>75 alcottacre: I mean, The Warmth of Other Suns and The Shadow of the Wind kinda make up for it just this month, no? I like Angela's maxim :)

>76 norabelle414: That's a good one, too. I'm not always coherent writing reviews of poetry books, but I do count those.

I'm still here, it's just been a busy few days, as expected. Work went by fast today. I was on the desk three out of five hours, our calendar was completely out, and I needed to run CORI checks for some of our new volunteers. My shots went fine. Then I went out to hit a tennis ball (I won't say we played, 'cause we didn't even attempt to keep score) with my dad, sister, and her boyfriend. I figured it was good for my arm, though I am still a bit sore from the shots and may take some Ibuprofen before I go to bed tonight.

My parents got us all pizza for dinner, then I brought my sister and her boyfriend to the airport. And now I am home. I have Monday night football on at the moment, but pretty soon I'm going to head to bed. Tomorrow I'm working 9-5 and making a new recipe for dinner.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon, Erasure by Percival Everett, and A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sophie Cathrall

Listening: radio

Watching: A little football tonight

Crafting: nope

Happy Tuesday! I worked 9-5 today and made a new recipe - a phyllo pie with beets and chard and feta & brie. It was a lot of work, but quite yummy. I've been listening to podcasts while I fit my library stack into TIOLI challenges, and I'm about to read for a bit and call it a night.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon, Erasure by Percival Everett, and A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sophie Cathrall

Listening: "Reach Out" by The Four Tops tonight, though it's still be radio in the car

Watching/Crafting: nothing today

September in review
99. Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
98. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
97. Zami: A New Spelling of My Name by Audre Lorde
96. Traveller's Joy by Victoria Goddard
95. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
94. Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
93. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
92. Where the Language Lives by Janet Yoder

Books read: 8
Did not finish: 0
Rereads: 2
Children's/Teen/Adult: 1/1/6
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 6/2/0/0

Because I want to awards:
Proud I read the whole thing, with a deadline - The Warmth of Other Suns
Sequel as fun as the first - Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands
New author discovery - Sorcery of Thorns

YTD stats -
Pages read: 30,983
Avg pages a day: 112.6
Books by POC authors: 36 (36.73%)
In translation: 11 (11.22%)
DNF: 6

Thoughts: September tied February for fewest books read, but part of that was tackling two long books in the same month. The Warmth of Other Suns was for book group and The Shadow of the Wind was to reread for fun, and I read both as joint reads with Stasia. We also read the much shorter Traveller's Joy, continuing our read through Victoria Goddard's books. I didn't complete any books from France, though The Shadow of the Wind is a translation from Spanish. Other books were pretty much in my comfort reading zone of fantasy, a memoir, and continuing the Ramona series reread. Hopefully I'll have a little more time for reading in October!

>79 bell7: Happy Wednesday-to-come, Mary!

>81 richardderus: Wednesday *smooch*

Happy Wednesday! I've been pondering what to do with my morning. I was contemplating the gym, but it's starting to get too late for that to be feasible before work, so I'll probably putter around the house tidying up, fill the bird feeders, and pick tomatoes before moseying on to work. I work 12-8 and the big things on the to-do list are finishing the desk schedule for the week of Oct. 14 and setting up for the Cookbook Club meeting tonight.

Reading/Listening/Watching/Crafting: all the same as >79 bell7: reports

>83 bell7: Hoping your later shift and cookbook club are just busy enough, Mary. *smooch*

>76 norabelle414: That works too, Nora!

>77 bell7: Oh, yeah, they do.

>80 bell7: Hopefully I'll have a little more time for reading in October! I hope you do too!

>84 richardderus: It's been a hectic week all around, but the day went by quickly and the weekend's nearly here :)

>85 alcottacre: We'll see, work's been busy and weekends are full. All good things, but not as much down time as I'd like!

Happy Thursday! I work 9-5 today, and have Bible study this evening. I've got a little time to kill between. In past years, I've got to my parents' for dinner, but they have a small group that meets tonight and does dinner together. So I have my gym clothes packed, though it'll probably just be 40 minutes on the treadmill rather than going through the circuit machines.

I finished Erasure today and will attempt to write up my thoughts about it sometime soon.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon and A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Listening: mostly radio the other day, though I do want to get back to the Rolling Stones project

Watching/Crafting: nada

Sweet Thursday, Mary. Were you still up for The Count of Monte Cristo in January? It looks like we will have a few others join us too. 😀

Sounds like you had a fun trip -- sorry it didn't work for us to meet up this time.

>88 msf59: oh good, Mark, that'll keep me honest. And with a good New Year's Resolution to boot 😁

>89 foggidawn: I'll definitely keep you posted if we head your way again, foggi!

Happy Friday! I didn't get a chance to check in before work today, but here I am briefly. I'm working 9-5 today, planning on using my lunch break to do my meal planning (and eat lunch, of course), then go to the gym and the grocery store before heading home for the night. Tomorrow I've got plans with my parents, brother R and his girlfriend, to go to a game at the Yale Bowl.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories by Annabelle Dolidon, A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvia Cathrall, and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Listening: radio

Watching/Crafting: not really, though I did turn Thursday Night Football on last night (watching it on my Kindle in my bedroom was much easier than my laptop in the living room)

Oooh, I loved Exit West!

Have a great weekend, Mary.

>91 bell7: Merry Friday, and a happy weekend to come, Mary! *smooch*

Hope you had a lovely day with the fam, Mary.

If you do end up watching Road to Avonlea, I'll be fascinated to hear how it holds up for an adult viewer. It was a Sunday night staple on CBC when I was growing up but I haven't watched it since I was probably 10.

>92 katiekrug: I'm liking Exit West so far, Katie, though I feel like I'm maybe not reading it as carefully as I should as an e-book and may want to revisit it at some point to fully get what he's doing with the story. There's almost a dreamlike (turning nightmare) quality to the narration, and it's interesting that the place is never defined.

>93 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>94 MickyFine: We had a good time, Micky. I watched the first couple of episodes of Road to Avonlea last night, so it's not looking likely that I'll finish the first season before it's due back to the library haha. It's... fine? I think we must've recorded the first episode when I was a kid, because I've watched that one multiple times and it was very familiar, but as soon as I started watching the others, I did not know what was going to happen. Some of the Anne characters that reappear like Marilla and Rachel Lynde are a lot of fun, but the kids in particular can overact a bit and it's a little sickly sweet at times. I enjoyed the episode on Quarantine quite a bit. I want to at least get to "Malcolm's Baby," which is the only other episode I remember seeing besides the pilot.

Happy Sunday! I made bread dough this morning, went to church where I helped out in toddler nursery, and stayed for a bit of the fall festival that the church put on for families and the community. It was fun to play with my friends' kids and visit a bit. I'm home now, but will head out shortly to my brother's girlfriend's house to watch the Giants.

Reading: Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories by Annabelle Dolidon (just a couple more stories left!), A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall, and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Listening: radio

Watching: last night I put on Road to Avonlea and watched a few episodes

Crafting: knit top for myself continues. I've officially finished the neck, and have moved to the front of the top (it's knit from back to front all of one piece and then sewed together on the sides).

>95 bell7: That sounds about right. Glad it's sort of enjoyable. 😊

>97 MickyFine: I'll probably try to watch a few more, but won't go out of my way to finish the series, I think. And I did enjoy having the time to work on my knitting haha.

It's Monday - I worked 9-2 and came home to bake bread and did a little bit of prep work cutting things for what will be dinner (eggplant rice pilaf). I'm heading out again shortly for the first in a six-week series of yoga classes I signed up for through work. And I want to get started on some laundry too...

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

Listening: radio

Watching: Giants, baby! I went to CT with my brother and his girlfriend and watched them beat Seattle in an absolutely wild game

Crafting: not yesterday, but might pick it up tonight

>99 bell7: Happy Monday, Mary! *smooch*

>100 richardderus: Tuesday *smooch* back!

Happy Tuesday! Things have been kinda hectic between work and trying to prioritize getting to the gym regularly. I enjoyed the yoga class last night, but I was back at 7 p.m. and still had to cook dinner. Today I worked 9-5, went to the gym, and decided the pizza I had in the freezer was enough. I have some laundry in and will shortly watch some TV on DVD and read a bit before calling it a night. I might try to wedge in a couple of reviews that I still owe, too.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid and The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel

Listening: radio

Watching: a couple more episodes of Avonlea

Crafting: continuing on a knit top for myself

Happy hump day! I have a dentist appointment this morning, so I'll be leaving for that shortly and I'm hoping to get a short walk in between that and work. You'll be proud of me not trying to crowd too much in this morning - after breakfast, I filled the bird feeders and folded some of the laundry from last night, but that was about it.

Reading/Listening/Watching/Crafting: same as >102 bell7:

>103 bell7: Not chore-cramming...making an effort to be mindful of energy budgets...going to the gym regularly....
...
...
...
...who are you and what have you done with our Mary?!

I enjoyed Exit West, Mary, so I hope you do too.

>104 richardderus: Indeed, I'm making a real effort to prioritize certain things and simplify where I can in a sustainable way. Wish me luck!

>105 vancouverdeb: I finished it early this morning, Deborah and really did enjoy it.

Happy Thursday! Today is my whirlwind day, working 9-5, then stopping briefly by someone's house to meet the dog about a potential new dogsitting gig (I know, I know, I'm trying to wind that down - I'll tell her I'm only available through July), picking up snack for Bible study and going to Bible study. I'll probably be home about 9 and be ready for bed.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall (taking a back seat to my book club book) and The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel (said book club book)

Listening: radio lately, though I re-downloaded "Reach Out" by the Four Tops from Hoopla. I'd like to try to listen to it twice more through and then move on in the Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums list - after this album, I will have reached 1968

Watching: About an episode and a half of "The Road to Avonlea" got me 9 episodes into Season 1. It's due back at the library today and I'm not planning on continuing at this point. I would have greatly enjoyed it as a child, but my adult brain can't take the plot holes, wide variety of acting ability, and overall saccharine nonsense that runs throughout.

Crafting: the positive of watching "The Road to Avonlea" is that I've made good progress on the top I'm knitting for myself (I probably watched more than I would have otherwise because I was enjoying knitting)

I didn't know you were trying to wind down the pet-sitting gig, Mary. Good luck!

Hi, Mary! I've been off of LibraryThing for nearly a month, so I didn't see your review of The Warmth of Other Suns until just now. The maternal side of my family was part of The Great Migration, and benefited from it. My maternal grandparents lived in Troy, a medium sized town in southeastern Alabama close to the Florida border; it also happened to be the hometown of John Lewis, who was my U.S. congressman for most of the years I spent in Atlanta. Both grandparents only went to school until they were old enough to work in the fields during harvest season, although each was able to read, and my love of reading the Sunday newspapers comes directly from Dan Daddy, the name we gave to my grandfather before we could say "Granddaddy." Back in the 1930s the Deep South was strictly segregated and Blacks who didn't stay in their places were subject to beatings, burning of their homes, or worse. IIRC my maternal grandfather, who was a skilled and sought after carpenter, ran afoul of a White man who wouldn't pay him what he had promised after completing a piece of furniture, which put him, his wife and three daughters at great mortal risk, which occurred at the onset of World War II. My grandfather enlisted in the United States Navy, and shortly afterward "Nana" traveled by train from Troy to NYC with her eldest daughter, both to escape the Jim Crow South and to ensure that all three daughters could get good educations that were all but impossible to obtain there. After Nana had saved up enough money, by cleaning houses and offices, to rent an apartment in Manhattan she sent for her two youngest girls, who had to travel at quite young ages to NYC, which was quite a harrowing trip! My grandfather joined them after the war, and he ultimately rented a space in the North Bronx where he made furniture and cut glass for home use. Thanks to Nana's years of frugality and backbreaking work she was able to purchase a house on E 222nd St in the North Bronx, with the help of a kindly Italian man, and my grandparents' goal of ensuring that all three girls earned college degrees and worked in professional settings was realized, at a time when it was unusual for working class young women of any racial background to make that claim.

One book I purchased for my mother but haven't read yet is The Ditchdigger's Daughters: A Black Family's Astonishing Success Story by Yvonne S. Thornton, as it closely paralleled her family's life. IIRC the family had five daughters, all of whom graduated from college, and four became physicians, including the author of this book.

>108 katiekrug: Yeah, I'm hoping to take the first steps in applying to be a foster parent next year, so it's time. And as it turns out, I found out soon after I'd given myself that deadline that my boss is also retiring next year, and I expect I would apply. So the next 12 months will be filled with changes.

>109 kidzdoc: Darryl, thank you for sharing your family story. I'm sorry it was for such a terrible reason, but glad that the move meant success in purchasing a home and the girls earning college degrees. It was absolutely harrowing to read the various reasons folks moved during the Great Migration and frustrating to realize that even now some Americans refuse to see the outcomes of racism (whether blatant through individuals or more hidden through policies) that still affect us today. I'll have to add The Ditchdigger's Daughters to my TBR list as well.

Good morning, all. I officially gave in and turned on the heat today. It was 36 degrees outside and about 58 in my house when I got up this morning. I've had breakfast and will be heading out to work 9-5 shortly. After that, I'm planning on going to the gym and coming home to make dinner. The meals I had planned take awhile to make - mostly because of all the prep work and chopping of vegetables that needs to be done - so I might pick up something simple at the grocery store to eat right after my workout and just make the soup to put right in the fridge and have for the weekend. Tomorrow I'm hoping to go to a Fall Festival, and will possibly do a little cooking and/or baking after I get back. I also would like to catch up on reviews and update my reading spreadsheet over the next few days.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel (less than enthused with this one, but it's for book club so needs must)

Listening: "Reach Out" by the Four Tops on my way to work yesterday, and I'll put it on again today as well

Watching/Crafting: nothing yesterday, and probably not tonight either

>110 bell7: - Exciting!!

>112 bell7: I hope the slide into the weekend is smoothed by the warmer house! That Harmel thing lost me at 8%...not even a Pearl-Rule review because I was so p.o.'d about the sheer vapidity of it. It's not nice to say out loud what I was thinking.

>113 katiekrug: exciting and stressful 😂

>114 richardderus: If I were reading it for myself I would've quit several pages ago. As it is, I'm mostly skimming. But I don't feel prepared for book club if I don't finish. At least it's better than that terrible Jonathan Cahn book we read one year, though admittedly that's a very low bar.

>110 bell7: Wow! That's wonderful, Mary! I hope that you are able to become a foster parent.

>111 bell7: Thanks, Mary. My maternal grandparents lived hard lives, but they were successful ones, as they were able to escape the worst effects of Southern racism. I remember them fondly, as they showered me with immeasurable love during my early childhood, but sadly each of them died before I entered high school, so they weren't able to see their grandsons grow up, graduate from college, and have successful careers.

>116 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl, I hope so too. I'm glad to hear you have such good memories of your grandparents. I was fortunate enough to have my maternal grandparents very much a part of my life well into adulthood, though they've both passed now. My grandmother was the huge genealogist and she instilled a love for history and the family stories (and learning in general, for that matter) in me from a pretty young age. My paternal grandparents died before I was born, and I do wonder what they would've made of their grandkids and what kind of grandparents they would've been.

Happy weekend! I woke up on the early side this morning, but I've been taking my time over my coffee and looking over some Ancestry DNA results. There seems to be some indication that one of my great-grandparents is not, in fact, biologically related to me. Hmmm... So that's been interesting digging up the family dirt and trying to figure out how I might gently broach the topic with my dad's cousin that perhaps we're about half as related as we thought? Not to mention a whole 'nother family to start researching. Also, one of my direct ancestors had a first child before he married my great-great grandmother, as both a paper trail (her birth certificate and marriage record) and DNA indicate. So those were my surprises for the day yesterday, and I've been off on a rabbit trail last night and this morning.

After work, I did get to the gym but I wasn't feeling great and kept it short. I stopped at the grocery store to pick up an easy heat-it-up meal and a pasta salad, and did not make the soup. I'm planning to go to a fall festival in the next half hour or so, hang out there 'til I'm ready to go home, and possibly cook in the afternoon. I'm also planning on catching up on my reading spreadsheet and reviews, which are fun projects for me.

I've gotten more than halfway through my book club book and I don't like it at all, so wish me luck getting through the discussion on Wednesday.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel

Listening: "Reach Out" by the Four Tops (last time through will be today, I believe)

Watching/Crafting: not last night

>118 bell7: Fascinating! This "fallen world" has been around a lot longer than today's screeching Stupids would have one believe.

>117 bell7: Thanks, Mary. I do have two photos of my maternal grandfather alongside me, and the pride he displayed in them corresponded with the love he showed me. I'm glad that your maternal grandparents were a part of most of your life.

>118 bell7: "Reach Out" is one of my all-time favorite Motown records. Someone, either my parents, my two closest uncles or their families, must have had that album in their homes, as all of its songs, even the "B" songs (the ones on the back of 45 records) are familiar to me (I quickly surveyed "Reach Out" on Spotify a few minutes ago). There are plenty of great songs on it, although "Bernadette" has been one of my favorites for years. I would have been 6 years old when it was published, so I was old enough to remember it, but too young to have bought it; the first 45 record I bought was something by the Jackson 5, and the first 33-1/3 album was "Still Bill" by Bill Withers.

I meant to mention that Abdul "Duke" Fakir, the last surviving member of the original Four Tops, died this summer, a story that numerous media outlets covered in tribute to him.

NPR: Abdul 'Duke' Fakir, last of the original Four Tops, dies at 88

>119 richardderus: Indeed. I haven't confirmed my suspicions about the great-grand, but will continue to evaluate info. But certainly I've found a few generations who got married after a pregnancy, and one of my mom's ancestors had a whole second family after moving south - we're not sure if he ever divorced his first wife or not.

>120 kidzdoc: and >121 kidzdoc: I think if I had to pick one song, it would be "I'm a Believer", which I just had to look up to confirm that it was a cover (I'm most familiar with the SmashMouth version, but I knew that was a cover). I like "Reach Out I'll Be There" and "Bernadette" too. And thanks for the info on Abdul "Duke" Fakir!

100. Erasure by Percival Everett
Why now? Since I had read and enjoyed James last month, I decided I should read from Everett's backlist, and started with this one, which was the basis for the film American Fiction

Thelonious "Monk" Ellison is an author of literary fiction whose works are often considered not "black" enough. When family circumstances bring him unexpectedly caring for his aging mother, he decides to pen an urban fiction title and ultimately publishes "My Pafology" under a pseudonym. But things begin to spin out of control when the novel - meant as a joke and a parody, and not something Monk is proud of in the least - becomes a best seller.

Erasure is a satire with a unique format, written as Monk's journal, in which he includes story ideas and the ten-chapter "My Pafology" as a whole. It skewers publishing for both dictating what stories authors of a particular genre can write, and which ones get celebrated and by whom. Monk is struggling to be a good son and brother as his mother's cognitive decline becomes worse and worse, and he ponders his own identity and feeling different than the person he was expected by society to be. 4.5 stars.

101. Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon with Tessa Sermet
Why now? I saw this come up as a recent library purchase, and thought it would be a good one for my French reading project this year.

Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories collects nine tales translated from French, spanning over half a century from 1957 to 2017. The chosen stories show a breadth of styles and sf tropes from aliens to AI, though there's more diversity in the tropes than the authors, who are all white. It started off well with "Bubbles," the oldest story of the collection but one that felt just as relevant as ever. Then the next story, almost a novella, was so depressing it bogged me down and took forever to finish. But soon it picked up again, and most of the stories that engaged and interested me. Each story ends with a couple of pages to give readers more information about the story and author, and some potential discussion questions. My one potential criticism is that, having enjoyed some of the stories, it's hard to find other books or short stories by these authors in translation. But that was, in fact, part of the reason for the collection, to bring awareness to authors and a genre that isn’t often translated. 4 stars.

The publisher Ooligan Press, by the way, is worth looking into. They are a student-run trade press out of Portland, Oregon, and they have an eclectic catalog.

102. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Why now? I was ready for a new e-book, and it fit the TIOLI challenge to read a book with a connection to the Booker Prize (it was shortlisted)

Saeed and Nadia meet and fall in love. But they live in a city where militants are taking over, and soon the two decide they must leave, going through one of the doors to, hopefully, a better life. In each place they journey, they find themselves with fellow refugees and migrants, dealing with the attitudes of the "natives" in the places they arrive. Each door is a chance - will they end up someplace better? And as they change, react, and carve out lives for themselves, their relationship morphs along with them.

Through his story, Hamid challenges the reader to think about the arbitrary boundaries we make between countries, between "us" and "them". The form of their travel from place to place, going through doors and just ending up in another country, reminded me a little of the magical realism aspect of The Underground Railroad. I enjoyed the spare prose and grappling with the situations in which Saeed and Nadia find themselves as they try to make a place for themselves in the world. 4.5 stars.

A quick update on the Rolling Stones project, with the last couple of albums I've listened to ("Wild Honey", "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You", and "Reach Out" by the Four Tops), I'm now through 1967. I've put a few albums on hold at the library and will start listening once they arrive in the coming week. I'm not looking forward to another Velvet Underground, as I really strongly disliked the first one.

And with that, I am caught up on reviews and have added the books I'm reading to my library on LT and my reading spreadsheet.

I went to the fall festival and enjoyed myself. I stopped at the library book sale, but mostly bought books to add to my Little Free Library, since it's been stagnant and had some pretty beat up paperback books I was looking forward to taking out. I bought a couple of skeins of a really pretty yarn I'm hoping to use to make a cowl (have a made a pair of socks out of the yarn I bought last year? No, I have not).

And on the way home, I stopped by another place to buy a Venus flytrap I'd been thinking about getting for a month when I saw the plants. Apparently they do better with distilled water, so that went on my grocery list. Wish me luck... I've become a bit of a nutty house plant lady.

I made a yummy chicken couscous soup for supper. I love this soup, but chopping all the veggies and separating the cilantro leaves and stems takes for-ev-er so I can't do it weeknights.

I'm a bit proud of myself for both keeping my to-do list doable AND doing it all, including something fun.

Tomorrow after church, my family is heading down to New Jersey for the Giants game. It's my week of the pair of season tickets, but all but one sibling will meet up for tailgating before the game, and then we're splitting up and either going to our seats in the game (up to four of us sitting together at a time) or the hotel (my SIL, my mom and baby niece). Should be a fun get together, though I'm nervous about the game itself!

103. The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
Why now? Book club on Wednesday

Elise LeClair is a wood sculpture married to an artist, Olivier, who swept her off her feet and took her to Paris. Juliette Foulon is also an American, married to Paul, with two living children (a daughter died in infancy), and running a bookstore. The two meet in a chance encounter in 1939, when they are both pregnant and Elise goes into false labor, but soon become close friends and their daughters, Lucie and Mathilde, grow up together. Germany invades and Olivier is killed due to his activities with the Communist resistance, Elise has to run for her life - and makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave Mathilde behind with the Foulons.

I read The Book of Lost Names a couple of years ago, didn't really like it, and didn't plan on reading any other books by Kristin Harmel, but my book club had other ideas. The one thing I will say for Harmel is that she researches extensively and it is generally an unobtrusive part of the narrative - I don't realize how much is either completely true or based on truth until I read the Author's Note at the end. That is the entirety of what this book is getting stars for. It's my least favorite style of expository writing where the narrative (and dialog!) tells me what I should know and think about the characters instead of showing me and allowing me to come to my own conclusions. I'm told that Olivier's actions for the resistance are out of selfishness and ego, for example, but only in a conversation where Elise is afraid that his activities will bring harm to their baby. Is he really that selfish, then, or is that his wife's fear talking? The story ostensibly explores the lengths a mother will go for her child and the trauma of war, but the characters' choices and motives never felt organic to me as a reader but manufactured to tell a story that was more soap opera than historical fiction. I am mystified as to why this author is so popular. 2 stars.

Oh, and the big twist was one I got accidentally spoiled for me by flipping ahead, but then I started seeing all the foreshadowing and rolling my eyes. Turns out that the woman living as Lucie is really Mathilde, and Juliette has been lying all this time about it, because she's so damaged from the war. She talks to her dead sons and husband and recreates their old bookstore in New York to the book, but her second husband (conveniently rich to let her do whatever she wants but also removed) never notices that she's having this much of a mental crisis. Mathilde was 3 years old when all this happened, clearly old enough to her own name, but we're only told after the big reveal that "Lucie" stopped trying to protest and Juliette whispered to her that all her memories were just a dream and first she just went along with it but eventually those memories are repressed, until she starts painting and then of course meets Elise, and it all comes out before Juliette is killed by a plane crashing into Brooklyn (an event that apparently really happened). The end. Yes, the last words are Juliette dying right after Lucie is revealed to be Mathilde, and there's no time to take all that in if you had been surprised like I wasn't. WHAT? I have not felt so manipulated as a reader in a very long time.

Happy Sunday! I woke up early (like 5 a.m., thanks perimenopause) and finished The Paris Daughter, but the good news is I can now leave it behind. At this point, the review above seems a little mean-spirited, so I'm not planning on putting it on the book page. Harmel is a very popular author and her books have been translated into multiple languages, but she does NOT work for me at all.

I need to get myself breakfast and get packed for the overnight in New Jersey before church today, as we're headed out this afternoon for tailgating and football. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone, and hope it will be a good game.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Listening: probably radio and/or podcasts for the next couple of days

Watching/Crafting: nothing yesterday, football today

I'm so glad you liked Exit West! And if you can track down the film, American Fiction, it is really good. I haven't read Erasure, but it's on my list.

Have fun in my neck of the woods today :) The weather is perfect. I'll be in the city most of the afternoon, but will wave in your general direction on the way home!

>128 bell7: I'm so so glad I bailed when I did....

>129 bell7: Have an excellent trip, dear lady! (Maybe the Giants won't disappoint?)

>118 bell7: My uncle discovered some shenanigans like that in our family tree when he was doing his research. There was a stepfather who turned out to be the biological father, meaning the relationship started before the first marriage broke up...

Well, I started Warmth of Other Suns, but my commute has decreased by 2-3 hours a week, so it'll take a long time. 🤦‍♀️

Oh dear, Mary. I'm sorry about your Giants.

>130 katiekrug: I would like to watch the film at some point. It looks like it's on Prime, so maybe I'll try to watch it before my 30-day trial is up.

>131 richardderus: Indeed, I would have bailed if I had the option, but when I'm facilitating the book discussion, I don't feel fully prepared if I haven't finished the book. I'm glad i didn't drag it out over the long weekend, though.
>132 richardderus: The tailgating with family was fun.

>133 foggidawn: Yeah, I think there was a lot more of that happening generations before than we like to acknowledge! I should say that I haven't definitely proven anything, it's just that several cousins that would usually share more DNA with me do not, and cousins I would expect to come up as decently close matches (2nd cousin once removed) are not showing up as matches in my results.

>134 The_Hibernator: It's a long book! But it's good, and I hope you find it works for you even stretched out like that, Rachel.

>135 richardderus: Thank you for your condolences! Getting together with family was fun, at least.

Happy Monday! We left New Jersey this morning, and I drove back up with my brother and his girlfriend. They talked me into staying for the Bruins game (they lost too). I had been planning on cooking a meal and getting some stuff done at home this afternoon, but I didn't. I'll go to bed early since I had a short night last night. Back to work tomorrow, and I'm hoping to go to the gym, too.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and Company: Stories by Shannon Sanders

Listening: my brother's music and podcasts while we drove - I'm hoping a new album or two comes in for me tomorrow to continue my Rolling Stones project

Watching: the Giants in person last night, Bruins this afternoon

Crafting: no, maybe tomorrow

Interesting DNA family news. I didn't find any with mine, but my husband found out he is of Polish descent, rather than a mix of German and Polish. We knew his mom had immigrated from Poland, but Dave's last name sounds much more German, and Dave says he remembers his paternal grandma spoke German, and his dad spoke a bit of German as well . His dad's name was Adolf, so it was a quite a surprise to Dave. At first he couldn't quite believe it , and thought maybe his dad was not his biological dad. But then we saw that Dave's brother has the same results as Dave. So I'm sure his dad is his biological dad.

Great that you are planning to become a foster parent. I am sure there is always a huge need for that.

>110 bell7: Just catching up with you! I did not realize that you are seeking to be a foster parent. What wonderful news.

Happy reading ahead.

Happy Tuesday, Mary. I also loved Exit West. Company: Stories sounds really good. Speaking of 1967- have you listened to I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You? An amazing album by the great Aretha Franklin. I just listened to it myself.

>138 vancouverdeb: Oh that's interesting, Deborah. I know the ethnicity percentages can be a little tricky and change as more people take the tests. My dad's family has a few branches in New York and New Jersey where I don't know for sure what the ethnic makeup of my ancestors are, though I expect a fair amount of English and Scottish there. I looked up German-speaking areas in Poland, and apparently there are some sections of Poland where German-speaking people moved in the Middle Ages and still have a German minority. Maybe his family is from that region?

>139 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita! I'm looking to put in the application early next year to start the process and crossing my fingers that there is no major house upgrades if and when I get to the home visit.

>140 msf59: Nice to see you, Mark! Wasn't Exit West good? I think you'd like Company: Stories. I first heard one of the stories, "Dragonflies", on LeVar Burton Reads and have wanted to read the full collection since. It's very good so far. I did listen to "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You" recently. Aretha Franklin's voice in incredible, and I'm looking forward to listening to more by her. Her covers of "Eleanor Rigby" and "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" are fantastic.

Happy Tuesday! I'm getting dressed and getting outta here shortly to work 9-5, and I'm planning on stopping at the gym on the way back. Potentially just reading or knitting and otherwise relaxing tonight after that.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and Company: Stories by Shannon Sanders

Listening: radio on the way in, and hoping for an album or two to arrive on interlibrary loan today

Watching/Crafting: not sure if I'll get to it today or not

Happy Wednesday! Yesterday after work, I hit the gym and enjoyed my workout, then had a supper of various leftovers. I woke up today feeling kinda meh and my period's started, so the morning has been mostly taking it easy so far. I'll get going in a bit and tidy up a little in the house. I'm hoping to have some folks from church over on Saturday to help me move furniture to the upstairs bedrooms, and I need to start preparing for that by moving things out of the way.

I'm working 12-8 today and have book discussion. Wish me luck, as I didn't like the book. There are differing philosophies about how much a facilitator should participate in giving their opinions, and I generally do - especially since there's usually about six of us, it helps keep the conversation going. But when I really didn't like the book, I sometimes have to bite my tongue and just ask more questions so I'm not a wet blanket on discussion. Perhaps I'll come away with a greater appreciation for the book? It happens sometimes...

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall, Company: Stories by Shannon Sanders, and Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander by Victoria Goddard

Listening: "White light/white heat" by the Velvet Underground - I'm not a fan, I'll probably give it one listen through and finish it today

>143 bell7: Velvet Underground. Hm. I was never a *big* fan but I had a boyfriend who was a Goth before we had the word, so I was sort of required to listen to their stuff.

I hope you don't explode tonight. *smooch*

>144 richardderus: Velvet Underground reminds me one of my brother's good friends in high school who had a bit of a dark, twisted sense of humor and absolutely no filters. He would like their stuff. It's not for me. But it's on the Rolling Stones list and only about 45 minutes of listening while I'm driving anyways.

The plus side of the book discussion is that after I get back, I can read Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander to my heart's content.

>145 bell7: Portrait is such a fun book. I would enjoy quite a bit more Buru Tovo.

>146 quondame: I like him, too, Susan, and enjoyed his insight into Kip's character.

Happy Thursday! The plan today is working 9-5, followed by gym (just going on the treadmill, not the full-on set of machines I usually do), and making coconut fish curry for dinner tonight. If I remember, I'll put on the Thursday night football game while I have the 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

Last night's book discussion went fine. There were four of us, including a new member who has a high involved talking style compared to most of the group's more deliberate style. She often inserted a comment before, I think, someone was finished and with a small group, I redirected the conversation or tried to bring it back, but with a larger one I may need to be a bit firmer in stopping her before someone's quite finished their thought. The talk almost immediately went to the ending and while everyone else liked it more than I did, we did agree about some of the weaknesses in the book as well. We'd finished what we had to say about it in 45 minutes. Next month's choice is The Soloist by Steve Lopez.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and Company: Stories by Shannon Sanders

Listening: finished with The Velvet Underground (one listen through was enough) and have moved on to "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" by the Byrds

>148 bell7: Enjoy the Byrds! Compared to Velvet Underground it's hard to see how they could fail to please.

Happy Thursday, Mary dear.

>143 bell7: I quite like when someone hates the book in book group, but I get that it's a bit different when you're facilitating the group in a professional capacity.

Hope the meeting went well, either way.

>126 bell7: I should reread this one, I remember very little about it beyond the existence of the doors.

>148 bell7: I agree with Richard. “Sweetheart of the Rodeo” is one of my favorite albums of all time.

Karen O

>149 richardderus: The Byrds are much easier listening, for sure!

>150 charl08: Yeah, I think it's different as a facilitator in that people can be reluctant to talk about what they liked if I make it obvious I didn't. But the discussion was fine and I did still mention some of the things that bothered me the most hahaha.

>151 klobrien2: Country isn't my favorite genre, but it's pleasant listening, Karen!

104. Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Continuing reading through Goddard's works jointly with Stasia - we decided to read this one this month

Buru Tovo travels the islands, and as he does many ask him about Kip, the one who left. He always tells concerned islanders that he will return, and holds faith that Kip will take his place as the one who Holds the Fire for his community. But Tovo finds himself wondering, and travels to the emperor's palace to see for himself.

Readers of The Hands of the Emperor will remember the scenes when Tovo arrives out of the blue, and how much his visit means to Cliopher (Kip). Now, we get the story from Buru Tovo's point of view, why he decided to go, and what his trip was like. I enjoyed seeing glimpses of Kip's character from his point of view, and found a lot to make me smile while reading this novella. 4.5 stars.

105. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Why now? I like to read on my Kindle while I'm on the treadmill, and chose this as a shared TIOLI read and seasonal story

Ichabod Crane, schoolteacher and would-be suitor of Katrina Van Tassel, is haunted by the tale of the Headless Horseman, who is said to go riding by night in search of his head.

I think I knew this story more by reputation than from ever reading it myself. I enjoyed the sly humor and atmosphere used by our loquacious narrator as he spins his story. It's hard to say anything about it without spoilers, but I'm glad I finally read it. 4 stars.

106. Company: Stories by Shannon Sanders
Why now? I heard one of the stories on the LeVar Burton Reads podcast, and decided to check out the full story collection

A collection of thirteen short stories that all involve some type of visit with company, most of which revolve around three generations of a Black family that lives in Atlantic City, New York, and Washington, D.C.

When the story collection opened with a genealogy of the family, including a cross-out and correction of a first name, I was immediately intrigued. Most of the stories center on the four Collins sisters - Cassandra, Felice, Lela and Suzette - and their children, though a few are about other families, and they're not always chronological. The structure reminded me a little of Olive Kitteridge, though instead of a portrait of one person, we get a whole family and the breadth of their relationships with each other and the world. Two stories, for example, focus on a party for Cassandra becoming provost. One gives us Cassandra's perspective and the other, that of her nieces. Sanders' assured prose and character development is impressive in this debut collection, and I will definitely be on the lookout for more by her. 4.5 stars.

Happy Friday! I'm leaving shortly to work 9-5. We're starting the morning closed to the public for a staff development day, then I have volunteers and a local history intern coming in right at noon, and I'm wrapping up the day with an hour at the desk. I didn't end up cooking last night after the gym, so I'll cook tonight after coming home earlier (this'll be a day off from exercise). As you can see, I've been reading a couple of short books and finished reading a short story collection, so I'm already at nearly as many books as I read last month with two weekends to go.

Today is the second day in a row that we've had a frost and I need to scrape my car. I was late yesterday and will endeavor not to be today.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and Katalin Street by Magda Szabo

Listening: "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" by the Byrds

Watching: I kinda put the football on as background noise last night while I was finishing books

>153 bell7: ...gosh, I'd think about reading one of these if only you and Stasia actually liked them, but those half-star ratings dissuade me from getting one to try.

>154 bell7: *ew*

>155 bell7: hmm...a blank space...

>156 bell7: Enjoy the normal-as-rocks day! And the weekend ahead! *smooch*

>157 richardderus: *snort*, well, I hope you like whatever you choose to read from the latest reviews. I could see you not loving Sleepy Hollow. I think I was more relieved that it wasn't as scary as the movies (which I've never watched) than anything else, but the prose is... over-complicated for the fairly simply tale it tells.

And thank you, I've punted on cooking again tonight and am enjoying a quiet evening.

Happy Saturday! I finally made the coconut fish curry I've been talking about for a couple of days, and it came out delicious, if I do say so myself. I've also made apple pie filling to put in the freezer, apple sauce, green tomato pickles, and the dough for bread I will bake tomorrow. Oh, and I did my grocery shopping. Believe it or not, that's after I simplified the to-do list and instead of making something to bring to a cookout, I purchased salsa and chips. I'm resting for a bit but will probably try to do at least some of the dishes 'cause it's a mess now. I think I might get takeout for dinner.

Tomorrow I'm attempting to keep it simple with no chores or cooking involved. I'll be going to church, hanging out with my mom to watch the Giants (I think it's the first time it's been on TV locally all season), and going to my church's small group/cookout.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and Katalin Street by Magda Szabo

Listening: I didn't really have a long enough car ride to put on music, but I've had podcasts on while I cooked

Watching: I think I'll put on season 4 of Only Murders in the Building, which I haven't started yet

Crafting: and while I watch, I will work on my knit top

Saturday orisons, Mary! *smooch with my head turned for fishbreath avoidance*

>160 richardderus: I did not realize you're not a fish fan. I rather love fish and seafood myself. But then, I refuse all things squash so there's no accounting for taste 🤷‍♀️

Happy Monday! Yesterday's events were as planned, and by the time I got home I was ready for bed.

Today I'm working, meeting a potential new dogsitting client, and have a yoga class to go to in the early evening. Dinner will probably be avocado English muffins or some such, unless I find within me the energy to cook at 7 p.m. tonight.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall and Katalin Street by Magda Szabo

Listening: Eli and the thirteenth confession by Laura Nyro

Watching: sadly the Giants yesterday

>161 bell7: More of a person without love for finny foods...I've had so many meds for so long that seafoods and iodine leave, um, unpleasantness in their wake. I'd love to eat salmon again but the consequences are so dire I just avoid it. ::sad trombone::

New-week *smooch*

>163 richardderus: oooh, yes any kind of unpleasantness like that should certainly be avoided. *Smooch* back

Happy Tuesday! I've been fighting a bit of a cold this week, and today left work at 3 after I had gone through some work an intern did yesterday and I was on for my desk hours. I actually woke up with less of a sore throat today than yesterday, but I am beat and may actually try to take a nap shortly.

Reading: A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall

Listening: Finished up "Eli and the 13th Confession" by Laura Nyro today, a Rolling Stones album comes next

Watching: Only Murders in the Building - watched episode 3 yesterday which was fairly diverting. The first episode took off slowly IMO, as they had already showed us Sazz getting shot, but for most of the episode our 3 sleuths did not know for sure that she was dead. And Jan is back apparently? (episode 2) I did enjoy the three actors chosen for the "biopic" on the Only Murders gang. Eugene Levy in particular is always a delight, and Zach Galifianakis; constant annoyance with Oliver amuses me. I'm a little surprised at how very blatantly they'll break the fourth wall (at one point a character says "after three seasons, I've got that"), I don't mind as such but I tend to prefer it... subtler than that? But I'm enjoying it enough to keep going.

Crafting: not yesterday, we'll see if I pick it up today

107. Katalin Street by Magda Szabo
Why now? I read The Door earlier this year and liked it, so tried this one on Charlotte's (charl08) recommendation

The novel begins with the Elekes family - the elderly parents, Iren and her second husband, Balint, and her daughter (by her first husband) Kinga, settling into a new flat but still able to see where they used to live, the old neighborhood on Katalin Street.

Katalin Street has a hold on them, and in chapters told from various perspectives in a non-linear fashion, we are eventually given the story of three families - neighbors who lived on Katalin Street in Budapest through World War 2 and the Soviet occupation of Hungary. Though larger world events happen, they are never identified in the narrative itself, and I probably missed some of the nuances I might have picked up on if I were more familiar with Hungarian history. The focus of the novel, though, is how these larger events affected the lives of individuals, particularly the children of the three families: Iren and Blanka Elekes, Balint Temes, and Henriette Held. Their relationships, jealousies, and missteps throughout the years bring them into conflict but ultimately together through their shared experienced on Katalin Street. I could appreciate the story more than enjoy it, and in the end I was a little annoyed with Iren and Balint rather than sympathetic. 3.5 stars.

108. A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
Why now? I had first heard about the book in a publisher preview of upcoming books and thought it sounded intriguing, then checked it out from my local library when I spotted it on their new book shelves a month or two ago

A year ago, E. Cidnosin and Scholar Henerey Clel disappeared in a seaquake. Now, E.'s sister Sophy and Henerey's brother Vyerin, share their siblings' letters between them and attempt to figure out what happened.

This book has elements of all sorts of things that I like: an inventive fantasy setting (in this case, underwater), letters, a slow burn romance, positive representation of mental health issues. There are a few that I don't, such as unique fantasy names and Capitalization for items such as Malady of the Brain and Point of Interest. I enjoyed the characters of Sophy, Vyerin, E. and Henerey, getting to know them through their letters as Sophy tells Vyerin about her wife and he talks about his husband and children, and seeing the blossoming relationship between E. (who, like the author, has severe OCD) and Henerey (who seems to have some social anxiety of his own). The main issue for me was that it took an awful long time to get to the point. And when it did, nothing was resolved: you have to read book 2. I had figured out a major plot point early on, and while another surprised me a little, it was close enough to my guess that it wasn't the huge revelation it should have been after all the build up. A little tighter plotting and a little more resolution would've made this a stronger book. 3.5 stars.

Happy Wednesday! I would normally work 12-8 today, but I've already made the call not to take a sick day. I am coughing and sneezing and tired. I need to cook enough to have food to eat and I should do a load of laundry to have socks, but I shall try my best to rest and not overdo.

As you can see, I finished up a couple of books yesterday and will be selecting a new book or two to start.

Reading: The Book Censor's Library by Bothana Al-Essa

Listening: Mostly my instrumental playlist on Spotify for background noise, though I don't usually like to listen to music and read at the same time

Watching: Only Murders, Season 4, episode 4. There was... a lot of random things all going on at once, even for this show (I just had to read a recap to remember). I will probably watch at least one episode today while I'm home from work.

I didn't have the energy for knitting yesterday, but we'll see how the day plays out.

>168 bell7: a lot of random things all going on at once, even for this show
That's how I feel about this season overall. I think they're trying to do too much with both the movie plot AND the west tower plot.

I hope you get some rest and feel better soon!

>165 bell7: Oh no! So many people around me right now have sore throats. I hope yours improves. I usually put a couple cloves in my mouth and slowly chew on them when I feel a tickle in my throat. So far it's worked quite well.

Happy rest of the week

>169 norabelle414: Yeah, I like a complicated show but it's too many threads to keep track of and get invested in. Thanks for the well-wishes!

>170 figsfromthistle: Oh I had never heard that with cloves, Anita, I'll have to try it sometime. I definitely have a full-blown cold now, so lots of tea and rest for me today!

Here's a rundown of what I've been listening to lately:

"White light/white heat" by The Velvet Underground - Nope, I am still not a fan. Brett Schewitz has a more coherent review, and while I appreciated the information he has on the differences between this and their debut album (they parted ways with Andy Warhol and Nico), I can't say I noticed that much of a difference in the sound. It was still very atonal and way too much about drugs and sex. "The Gift" was incredibly weird and I could see that disturbing ending coming a few minutes away from the end. #272 on the Rolling Stones 500 Albums list

"Sweetheart of the Rodeo" by The Byrds - well, it was quite a change to go from the previous album to this one. It was easier listening overall, though I was very surprised to realize The Byrds did a country album. I'm not a huge true-country (as opposed to pop country) fan, and I don't love the twang. I did add "I am a pilgrim" to my playlist, though. Brett Schewitz's review, giving more than I knew about the differences in the band in this album compared to "Mr. Tambourine Man." #274 on the Rolling Stones list

"Eli and the 13th Confession" by Laura Nyro - I'd never heard of Laura Nyro before, and while I didn't find an individual song on here that I thought, "Oh, must add this to my playlist," I must say I'm glad to have been introduced to her work. I generally liked her voice, and wouldn't have been surprised to hear an album that sounded like this much later in the project. Brett Schewitz hadn't heard of her either, but apparently she was pretty influential in her time. #463 on the Rolling Stones list

Next up is "Beggars Banquet" by the Rolling Stones

Only Murders thoughts:

Episode 5 - What amused me most in this episode is that the Detective Williams character also pointed out that they have way too much going on with multiple murder boards, multiple suspects and, heck, multiple intended victims. At least if the show is going to be this over the top it can have the decency to recognize that about itself! It mostly focuses on the film side of the story and casts suspicions on the Brothers Sisters far too earlier for them actually to be the murderers, but does point out that it makes more sense for two people to have been in on the murder. Oliver attempting to prove the timeline was one of the funnier set of scenes in this season so far.

Episode 6 - Ooooh, I do love when the actual cinematography breaks with convention to tell a story (one of my favorites from Season 1 was the one that was muffled/silent told primarily from the perspective of a Deaf character). We get the Brothers Sisters story here, and they have hidden cameras throughout the Arconia. They're filming themselves and narrating the frame, plus we get the perspective of the hidden cameras to be "behind the scenes" in the film, and Howard filming while the podcast 3 investigate. We finally get a connection between the film and the West buildings (Dudenoff was a bunch of their film professors). Then we get the big reveal that there are more cameras than the film directors hid - left by none other than the killer! Also Dudenoff is played by Griffin Dunne, who was Nicky from This Is Us, so that was a funny moment of recognition for me. This was probably my favorite so far.

All-purpose *smooch*

>174 richardderus: *smooch* back

109. The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa
Why now? I came across the longlist for the 2024 National Book Award for Translated Literature, and this was one of the two I decided to try in meeting my goal this year to read more translated/outside of the U.S. books

An unnamed book censor becomes a reader and finds that he can't quite believe in the government banning books like Zorba the Greek, 1984, Alice in Wonderland, and Pinocchio. Meanwhile, his daughter suffers from an excess of imagination, and the book censor knows that this could be a dangerous situation for all of them - for not only his family, but the mysterious "Cancers," the group following the white rabbits and attempting to save banned books from being burned.

Of the books this references, the only ones I've read in their entirety are Alice in Wonderland and Fahrenheit 451, but even so most of them are part of the collective memory of story that I was able to follow along with the various nods to these books and dystopian literature in general. Al-Essa clearly points out the danger in book banning and ludicrousness of attempting to tamp down on imagination. A few other things, such as whether it's worth saving books if you can't save other people, seemed a bit more muddled to me and the ending overly clever. An intriguing story overall. 3.5 stars.

Good morning! Today is another sick day. I'm feeling much improved over yesterday, but didn't want to tax myself overmuch and find myself worse off tomorrow. I'll putter around home much of the day and still plan on going to Bible study tonight.

The sick time means extra reading and TV watching time. I finished The New Girl by Cassandra Calin this morning and plan on starting Twenty-four Seconds From Now next.

Reading: A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Listening: probably podcasts today, plus starting the Rolling Stones album

Watching: Besides Only Murders, I started watching the latest season of Doctor Who on Disney+

Crafting: working away on a knitted top for myself

110. The New Girl by Cassandra Calin
Why now? When we were visiting in Chicago, Joe (jnwelch) mentioned this as a good read, and I put it on hold after I got back to work - read today as I work through my library stack

Lia moves with her family from Romania to Montreal, Canada, where she enters a French immersion class and begins to adjust.

This graphic novel is based on the author's own experiences as an immigrant. The full-color illustrations are realistic and really well done. I especially enjoyed the detail of the speech bubble being a different color for the languages represented (Romanian, French, English, Mandarin), and how it would be gibberish except for the words Lia can make out, less and less so as she learns more French. It covers several months from the beginning of the school year to Christmas and includes friend drama, crushes, and periods. I'll be recommending this regularly at the library. 4.5 stars.

I hope that you're feeling better, Mary.

>179 kidzdoc: thank you, Darryl. I'm much improved after taking a couple of sick days and am back to work today.

>180 bell7: Happy to hear you're feeling The Thing again and are back doing something useful...a few more days of not working and you'd've been a basket case from inactivity.

I'm going down for a nap to recover from the awful car I rode around in this week.

>181 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! If it makes you feel better, I made up for it today by not only working but cooking stuffed mushrooms and moving some furniture in preparation for having folks come to my place tomorrow and move, um, furniture (there was a bookshelf I am capable of moving myself that needed to move because a bureau that I can't move myself is going there). Sorry about the Rogue not treating you well. My parents have one, and I'm pretty sure that's the one that they each had a special seat cushion for.

Happy Friday! I was feeling a lot better even yesterday, but took the extra sick day and just ran some brief errands and went to my Bible study (more sitting, less activity than work would've been).

Today I was back to work and while I still sound sickish, I feel good and clear-headed and energetic. I even cooked dinner (stuffed mushrooms) and prepped some for the folks who are coming tomorrow to help me move furniture. I am SO excited that I will have all three bedrooms (my own, with new-to-me furniture and the upstairs bedrooms) set up finally, with beds and bureaus in all. I still need a couple of mattresses for the bunk beds but, hey, progress is coming!

Tomorrow after the furniture is moved/assembled and the house is somewhat put to rights, I have a fundraising dinner I'm going to for a local group that helps refugees and an overnight dogsitting gig.

Happy weekend! Busy day today, as mentioned. Most of the furniture has been moved, but the bureau and nightstand apparently got mold from being in my basement too long (I... knew fabric could mold, did not know about wood). So, I'll try to clean it up a bit before bringing it, you know, strictly speaking in the house. In the meantime, my clothes are upstairs while my bedroom is on the first floor, so things will be interesting for awhile. I have a little more putting-rooms-back-together work I'd like to do after lunch, and then I'll head out to dog sit overnight.

Reading: Twenty-four seconds from now by Jason Reynolds and A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman

Listening: finishing up "Beggars Banquet" by the Rolling Stones

Watching: another episode of Only Murders in the building - the one where the gang runs to Long Island and stays with Steve Martin's sister, who tries to seduce Martin Short, while Mabel reluctantly allows the actors to start working on the murder board and I liked that one pretty well

Crafting: while I was watching last night, I was working on the knit top for myself, though I won't bring it dogsitting with me at this stage (I don't trust the cats)

All my clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc are on the floor above our bedroom in a converted attic room above dubbed my dressing room. It's kind of a pain but our master is small, and the two other bedrooms in the same floor are our offices/guest room.

>185 katiekrug: It'll be what I do for a little while, anyways, until I can get a bureau! I'll probably be organizing off and on all week.

Happy Sunday!

I am back from dogsitting. In a little while, I'll put bread to bake in the oven. I'm listening to a 1 p.m. game on the radio through my phone, and watching my fantasy football team as if I have anything to do with how good my players play this week and I might be able to figure out who wins before tomorrow, when our last players play. Anxious? Me? Nahhhh

I had nursery this morning and have small group tonight, otherwise I am taking it easy, reading and knitting.

Reading: Twenty-four seconds from now by Jason Reynolds

Listening: Finished with "Beggars Banquet" and "Something Different from the Kinks" over the weekend, now I have "Cheap Thrills" by Big Brother and the Holding Co. in

Watching: Maybe another episode of Only Murders tonight?

Crafting: Knit top for myself - it's knit all of a piece, and I've got past the halfway point, ready to cast off the stitches that are the sleeve and just finish working down the front of the top (another 10 or so inches, I think, so still hours worth of knitting).

Happy Monday! I only worked a couple of hours this morning, then went to a funeral for my friend's grandmother. I've known various people in her family (including her grandmother and aunt, as we went to church together until I left last year) for over 20 years, so it was important for me to be there. I'll shortly leave for a yoga class, and then will come home to watch Monday night football.

Reading: Twenty-four seconds from now by Jason Reynolds and Holes by Louis Sachar (the latter a reread, to get a potential shared read and sweeplette in the TIOLI challenges this month

Listening: "Cheap Thrills" by Big Brother and the Holding Co

Watching: did not get to Only Murders last night, and will watch Monday night football tonight, though how late I stay up watching the terrible Giants is up in the air. I have a little extra stake in the game in that the last two players in our fantasy football matchup are playing, but I need Malik Nabers to outscore George Pickens by 30+ points and that ain't happening

Crafting: have been steadily working on the knit top for myself, and will most likely have it out again while I watch football

>188 bell7: Monday...Night...what now? During the World Series, someone in the TV world thought it was not lèse majesté to schedule a mere blip of a sport like handegg?

The funeral's goodbyes being over I hope you'll find some sad comfort in visiting the former church companions.

>189 richardderus: Monday Night Debacle, I meant, of course. And thank you for the kind words. It's still pretty awkward going to my old church for events, but my friend who lives in the eastern part of the state was glad to see me, so it was worth it. We were able to talk briefly after the graveside service and made tentative plans to get together next month.

It's Tuesday... plan today is to work 9-5 then go to the gym for the first time in over a week, since I was sick with a cold. Looking forward to getting back into that routine. I'll pick up a few things at the grocery store on my way home and make taco soup for dinner.

Reading: Holes by Louis Sachar and I'll bring Looking for Love in the All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann to start on my break

Listening: finished with "Cheap Thrills," and hoping a new album or two is ready for me when we get our library deliveries this afternoon

Watching: Watched the Giants simply fall apart and lose to the Steelers last night, which was painful enough but now I'm tired too

Crafting: didn't pick up the knitting after all

>191 bell7: *there there, patpat*

It will all get better soon. Tuesday orisons.

Glad you're over your cold! I need to get back to the gym after a break as well.

>192 richardderus: Tuesday *smooch*

>193 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! It felt good, though I went a little easy on myself and only went through the machines twice through (I usually try for 3 sets of 15). Hope you're able to get it back into your routine soon!

111. A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman
Why now? The last couple of months, I've used the TIOLI challenges to help me find an e-book, usually looking for a shared read that helps me meet a challenge I haven't found a book for - this one met that criteria for the challenge to "Read a book whose title breaks a law or a commandment"

Frances Wynn, Dowager Countess and American heiress, has just got out of mourning from her husband and decides to let a place of her own out from the money-grubbing hands of her brother-in-law, Graham, and his wife. Her mother sends her sister, Lily, along with her Aunt Hetty as chaperone, to enjoy the London Season under Frances's care, and Lily soon has multiple suitors. But all is not well, as police questions lead Frances to believe that her husband's death may have been murder rather than natural causes. Plus, there have been a series of thefts in Mayfair society, and all three of Lily suitors are among the suspects.

This uneven historical mystery is a series starter and introduces Frances and a group of quirky characters including her younger sister Lily, her aunt Hetty, her friend Fiona, the handsome next-door neighbor (and Fiona's brother) George Hazelton, and more. Frances' narrative voice kept me amused, the historical setting has potential, but the mystery itself fell rather flat and there was just too much going on with two mysteries and a potential romance. I figured out the thief very early on and was extremely annoyed with Frances for missing an obvious turn in the case. I was less than impressed with the way her husband's murder was resolved as well. I won't turn you away if there are elements that intrigue you, but I won't be recommending it to all and sundry either. 3.5 stars.

112. Twenty-four seconds from now... A LOVE Story by Jason Reynolds
Why now? I will read anything Jason Reynolds writes, and I picked up this free ARC from a cart of books a library was giving away a month or two ago - finally reading it now for the TIOLI challenge to read a book about a measure of time

Neon is in the bathroom feeling overwhelmed and trying to get back under control. He and his girlfriend, Aria, have decided to have sex after being together for two years and he's ready, but he's really nervous, too. The narrative then goes back 24 seconds... then 24 hours... then 24 days... all the way back to 24 months ago, when Nee and Aria first met. Along the way, we get to know these two, their family and friends, their hopes and dreams, and everything that has brought them to this moment.

Okay. So let me just say at the outset that this book is not for me. I, as a middle-aged white woman with no children, am not the audience for a book about seventeen-year-olds navigating their relationship and the decision to have sex for the first time, and in many ways, I really did not care. On the other hand, I'm really glad the book exists. The format of working our way back in time was really well done and gives a full picture of these kids' lives. Nee's parents are supportive and have conversations with him about his relationship and about sex. Nee is a great character, a Black boy who gets nervous and vulnerable and has healthy relationships with multiple people. I love that kids can see themselves in these pages and potentially have those conversations with trusted people in their lives. Reynolds has a way of talking to his readers exactly where they're at without talking down to them, and I admire his craft. But this particular title will not be making my reread list. 3.5 stars.

Happy Wednesday! I've had a good morning so far, sleeping in a little and finishing up a book, then making taco soup and getting some laundry started. I'm working 12-8 today and have a long to-do list there, so don't expect to be at all productive after I get back tonight.

Reading: Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann, which I'm hoping to finish tomorrow to get one more shared read in for TIOLI

Listening: TBD - I'll start a new album today

Watching: Finished the last two episodes of Only Murders last night. I was disappointed that the identity of the actual murderer hinged on information that we didn't actually have until the second-to-last episode. I don't love when mysteries pull that surprise kinda ending. Having the happy ending of Oliver's wedding was very sweet, and I'm slightly annoyed at who the newest murder victim is. Also, I'm a little confused by the "plot holes" from season 1 being brought up and then never fully resolved? Like, it's not possible that the "writer" of the movie script actually left those "I'm watching you" notes then, is it? Doubtful I'll watch anything tonight

Crafting: slow and steady progress on the knit top pretty much whenever I watch TV

113. Holes by Louis Sachar
Why now? Shared read for a TIOLI challenge that gives me a sweeplette (six challenges in a row)

Stanley Yelnats' family has been plagued with bad luck ever since his pig-stealing no-good great-great-grandfather couldn't keep a promise. Finding himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, Stanley is accused of stealing sneakers that were part of a charity auction and sent to Camp Green Lake. The camp is actually in the middle of the desert, and the boys there are required to dig holes every single day.

I've read this a couple of times in the past in my quest to read all the Newbery Award winners, but apparently not recently enough to have reviewed it before. This one won in 1998, and despite its age, is still a pretty good story that I wouldn't hesitate to share with kids today. There's a smattering of magical realism and an intertwining of three separate stories that tell the reader more than any one character knows about Stanley's family and the history of the community around Green Lake. 4.5 stars.

>198 bell7: I think the only time I read it was in 1998, but it lives in my memory as a very good read. In fact, I might've read it again or I'm conflating watching the film with reading the book a second time...?

Anyway a good story well-told.

Wednesday *smoochings*

>199 richardderus: I also enjoyed the movie, Richard, though it's been many years since I've seen that, too.

>198 bell7: Thanks for the nudge to read Holes—I can’t believe that I’ve never read this! Time to remedy that situation.

Karen O

>200 bell7: It's the kind of story that leaves a mark, isn't it?

Happy Thursday, Mary!

>201 klobrien2: Oh good, I hope you enjoy it, Karen!

>202 richardderus: Yes, it is, at that!

A late Thursday check-in to run through my day. I started early, picked up some candy just in case I got trick-or-treaters, then to an annual appointment before working 'til 5. It was a steady day at work, then I stopped at my car place to see about ordering tires. (They have them in stock but they were closing, so I'm going back tomorrow.) I got home, had dinner, and spent the rest of the evening reading. No trick-or-treaters showed up, so I'll probably bring in candy to work tomorrow.

My goal was to finish Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann tonight, and I'm very pleased with myself for having done that. This brings me up to 15 books in October, the most of any month in 2024 so far.

Reading: Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary

Listening: "Lady Soul" by Aretha Franklin

Watching: I put on Thursday Night Football as background noise tonight

Crafting: not tonight, I was concentrating on finishing my book

114. Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
Why now? I hadn't realized she had a new book out until I saw it on my local library's new books shelf. It took me over a month from that initial checkout to actually be able to read it, but I wanted to finish it for October/a TIOLI challenge and did!

Lucky Hart has a special ability to be able to read people - she thinks of it as a "first impression" in which she can see their core personality. Used to being ostracized for this, she has nevertheless dived into a study of the supernatural and ESP. When a production team is looking for a caretaker for Hennessee House, where the previous ones have left screaming within three nights, Lucky jumps at the chance to investigate what makes the place tick and to get her name out in public. What she doesn't expect is the potential for love with Maverick Phillips, a fellow worker on the show.

I like a slow burn romance with other things going on, and I appreciate Kann's portrayal of asexual characters in her stories. I enjoyed seeing the relationships Lucky builds with the production team - not just Maverick and his daughter, Rebel, but also Georgia (a producer on the show) and Xander (the would-be owner of the house with deep pockets). And of course, the sentient Hennessee House itself. What does it want, and why does it seem different with Lucky than the previous caretakers? It was mostly fun - and a little spooky - to see it all unfold. 4 stars.

October in review
114. Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann
113. Holes by Louis Sachar
112. Twenty-four seconds from now by Jason Reynolds
111. A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman
110. The New Girl by Cassandra Calin
109. The Book Censor's Library by Bothayna Al-Essa
108. A Letter to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall
107. Katalin Street by Magda Szabo
106. Company: Stories by Shannon Sanders
105. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
104. Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander by Victoria Goddard
103. The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel
102. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
101. Continuum: French Science Fiction Short Stories edited by Annabelle Dolidon
100. Erasure by Percival Everett

Books read: 15
Did not finish: 0
Rereads: 1
Children's/Teen/Adult: 2/1/12
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 15/0/0/0

Because I want to awards:
Closest I'll ever get to reading horror - Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
Just as fun as a reread - Holes by Louis Sachar
Fantastic recommendation - The New Girl
Ensures I'll read more by the author - Erasure

YTD stats -
Pages read: 34,725
Avg pages a day: 113.5
Books by POC authors: 41 (36.28%)
In translation: 14 (12.39%)
DNF: 6

Thoughts: With fifteen books finished, that's the most in a month this calendar year. Surprisingly, all of the books I read were fiction. Two of the five short story collections I've read were in this month. It's an interesting mix of genres, which I always like to see. Except for the book club book I had to read, I didn't rate anything lower than 3.5 stars, and I didn't DNF any books. And I managed to read three books in translation, including one from France. I have definitely made my goal of at least 12 books from outside of the US/Canada/UK, though with only 7 from France, I'll miss that goal unless I'm really deliberate about it the next couple of months. But overall, I'm pleased with how much I was able to read outside of the U.S.

I'm starting to think about goals for next year, and I think I will be continuing to looking for ways to expand my global reading, perhaps tweaking the goal to say "less than 50% by authors born in the U.S." and increasing the percentage of books in translation. It's been a fun project that has led me to new-to-me authors, which I've really enjoyed.

Happy Friday! I've got a busy day ahead and am already on the go, sitting waiting while the tires get changed on my car. From here I'll go to work and the gym. I was originally planning on grocery shopping, but the more I think about it, the more I realize I should wait till Monday. Tomorrow I'm working, filling in for someone who is out.

Reading: I'm perfectly between books at the moment, but plan on starting Somewhere Beyond the Sea and Turtles All the Way Down today

Listening: "Lady Soul" by Aretha Franklin

Edited to get the touchstones to work

>207 bell7: I'll be interested to see your thoughts on Somewhere Beyond the Sea. I loved the first one but have seen mixed reviews of this entry!

>207 bell7: I hope the rest of your Friday was less stressful and more pleasantly busy, Mary.

>208 curioussquared: I'm only about 50 pages in, but so far so good, Natalie, and I've chuckled a few times.

>209 richardderus: Thanks, Richard. The tires were a needed purchase, but I had expected to wait for an order to come in, and they urged me (at a car place where I know and trust the folks there) to get them *before* driving to New Jersey, so tires this morning it was.

Edited to correct my post numbering, oops!

Well, I got through the work day and have things settled for when I'll be out on Monday. After work, I made it to the gym and while I only did two sets of the machines, I was pleased with what I was able to do, and then met up with my brother, his girlfriend, and a couple other friends for trivia at a local place. First time I've done that, and it was fun. We apparently were among a large group of teams in 3rd place, so no prize but we didn't do as terrible as I thought (it was all Halloween themed, and between the references to horror and movies, I knew very little).

The next couple of days are extra busy, so don't be surprised if I don't check in again 'til Monday... I'll still be reading, though.

115. Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary
Why now? Continuing my reread through the series - it's a good go-to e-book library borrow, and only takes me a day or two to read each one

Now that her dad has a job at the grocery store, things are settling a bit more back to normal at the Quimby household. But Ramona wonders, if Beezus is her mother's girl, where does that leave her? She's not a pest like her friend Howie's sister, Willa Jean, but she's not as sensible as her older sister, either.

I'm continuing to enjoy my reread through these books with their realistic portrayal of family and growing up. I was surprised to see that Ramona is learning cursive in this one (I remembered more clearly that she complained about the look of a cursive Q in a later book, but she doesn't seem to have any qualms about it here). And I completely remembered the toothpaste incident, and found it funny how small of a story it was in the whole of this one. Cleary does an excellent job, as always, of portraying each character's emotion in a real way that I can relate to, whether I see it from the parents' perspective or the child's. 4.5 stars.

The listening report:

"Beggars Banquet" by the Rolling Stones - I liked the overall sound. It was softer rock than I'd been expecting, and made for good background music while driving. The album kinda had that classic/timeless feel to it. I didn't save any individual songs, though, as nothing really jumped out at me. A music critic's review. #185 on the Rolling Stones Top 500 Albums list.

"Something Else by the Kinks" by the Kinks - it was fine, but I liked it a little less than "Beggars Banquet". Apparently I listened a little out of order, as this was actually a 1967 album. Oops! Music critic's review. #478 on the list.

"Cheap Thrills" by Big Brother and the Holding Company - So this was my introduction to Janis Joplin. The vocals are gritty and it was harder rock than the last two. It was fine, but not really my cuppa overall. Music critic's review. #372 on the list.

"Lady Soul" by Aretha Franklin - Oh, I liked this one very much. Very soulful quality to Franklin's voice and lyrics. My favorites that I will add to my playlist are "Chain of fools," "People Get Ready" and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman". I was more familiar with the Carole King recording of that song before now, but I really liked this one too. See what Brett Schewitz says about it (and note which song has Eric Clapton on it! didn't realize that when I was listening). #75 on the list.

I'm currently listening to "Music from Big Pink" by The Band and put holds on the last four or so albums left for 1968.

>213 bell7: I really agree about the Kinks and the Stones albums...the Aretha album is one on continuous rotation in my head, and I don't care about Janis Joplin even a little bit.

On to your new thread!

>214 richardderus: Oh interesting, I'm more surprised when musical tastes overlap than books and find it similarly fascinating to compare and contrast.

Have already replied to you on the new thread and will switch over to it myself 🙂