2025, Catzteach’s Page Turners and Plot Twists

New thread for a new year. I am taking my friend’s motto for this year and using it: Thrive in ‘25. Lots of focusing on how I can thrive. :)

My biggest goal is to get back to running. I miss it. I’m hoping to be able to do a half marathon in April.

I also want to spend more time in my sewing room. I have so many quilting projects just sitting there waiting for me.

And, of course, reading! I have definitely added enough to my book collection to keep me busy all year. 65 books is the goal.

>1 catzteach: Happy New Year and Happy New Thread!

Happy New Thread. Have a great 2025.

>2 Bookmarque: Love it! Sloths are cool.

I’m starting the year off right: while perusing Kindle’s deals I found A Sorceress Comes to Call for $1.99. I’ve been wanting to read Kingfisher for a while and have been eyeing this one. So I snagged it. :)

Happy new thread! And it's good to see you've started off with an author new to you!! May you enjoy many such opportunities over the coming months! (And I too like your Sloth.)

Happy New Year and happy reading!

Happy New Year and Happy New Thread! May you have lots of wonderful new books :)

Happy new year, and happy new thread!

Thanks for all the good wishes!

I finished my first book of 2025: Dragonfall. I always falter at what to write because I have been told I say too much. :) So, as to not give spoilers, I will use the summarizing technique I teach my kids, but leave some out.

So here goes:

Somebody: Everen and Arcady
Wanted: Everen is a dragon who has been commissioned to open the Veil that will let Dragonkind back into Loc and the dragons will kill the humans.
Arcady is a thief who wants to stop being a thief and go to college. She says a spell and accidentally bonds herself to Everen.
But: For both of them, the bond is a hindrance. As they try to break it, they come closer

There’s a “so” which is the character’s response to the “but.” I will leave that out because it would provide spoilers. There is also a “then,” which solves the problem, but, again, spoilers. :)

I liked this book and the second in the trilogy is out. I almost bought it the other day. I’ll get it as soon as I go back to a bookstore. :)

And off to my next read I Was a Teenage Slasher. Highly recommended by the bookstore owner.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Year and Happy New Thread! I hope this year brings you all the good things and none of the bad.

I was a Teenage Slasher was a disappointment. Not sure what I was expecting. Satire? Dark Humor? It was neither and was just boring, until the last chapter or so. I stuck with it because it was one of those books where I kept hoping it got better, but it never did. Two stars.

I’ve decided I need to go back and forth between my physical books and my Kindle books. Kindle is getting more and more books and not being read.

So I’m off to peruse my Kindle books and choose my next read. :)

**new couch is due any minute. Very much looking forward to it!

I've heard some interviews with SHG that makes me think I'd like his books, but then I see comments like yours and I just can't bring myself to read him.

>14 Bookmarque: plenty of people on Goodreads liked it. I have never been a slasher film fan so maybe that’s why I didn’t particularly care for it.

>13 catzteach: I dithered over this one when it was in a kindle sale. Ultimately I decided against it because it sounded like too much slasher without enough stuff I like to compensate. Sounds like I made the right decision.

I hope your couch is super comfy!

>16 Sakerfalcon: Sure did. :) The couch is awesome! The cats love it, too. It’s plenty roomie for The Husband, me, and all four cats. Right now, one is on top of a back cushion and one is bugging the husband. The other two? One is in the kitty bed we put below the TV and one is no where to be seen. He might be trying to get to the new cat toy that is plugged in charging. It’s a floppy fish and is laced with catnip.

Just finished The Lost Bookshop. Oh my, I loved it! It follows three characters: Opaline - she lives in the 1920s. She wants her independence, but her brother wants to marry her off. So she flees to Paris and through various events, winds up in Dublin and owns a bookshop. But, through other events that I won’t tell, the bookshop is “lost.” Then there is Martha - She is in modern times. She flees her abusive husband and is able to find a job as a housekeeper with Madame Bowden in Dublin. The house is a bit mysterious. And along comes Henry - he meets Martha when he comes to the house to look for the lost bookshop. He’s wanting to write a thesis on Opaline and her bookshop, but the shop cannot be found. By all accounts, it should be right where the house is. A story of independence, love, and books, with a little magic thrown in. Highly recommend!

>18 catzteach: I think your touchstone is pointing to the wrong book. Was it this one? The Lost Bookshop

>19 clamairy: Thanks for catching that. I have fixed it. :)

>20 catzteach: You're welcome. I am a sucker for books about bookshops. Putting this on my Libby wishlist.

>21 clamairy: I think you’ll like this one.

Just finished Children of Darkness and Light. It doesn’t have a touchstone. Not surprised, this one is a local author. I’ll attempt to add it later. It’s a true crime book on the Lori Vallow. I bought the book to support the author who is a friend of a friend. It was an interesting and fast read.

Visiting Mom this weekend. Should get plenty of crocheting done. :) I did manage to finish a book this morning. I picked it up at Barnes and Noble on a whim: If Cats Disappeared from the World. It was interesting, but not captivating or soul searching. A young postman has been given a terminal diagnosis of Stage 4 brain cancer. He knows he could die any day. He starts writing a letter (the book). The devil comes to him and offered him an extra day of life if he chooses something to eliminate from the earth. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

>23 catzteach: He picked cats? Not ticks or mosquitoes? The horror...

>24 clamairy: Or why not eliminate war or famine? >23 catzteach: Thanks for reading this so I know to avoid, which I probably would have based on the title alone but now I know for sure.

>25 Narilka: I guess I assumed it had to be something living, but I love your choices!

>26 clamairy: didn’t need to be living as he chose cell phones as one item. Another item the devil chose, he just had to agree. And the devil also gave him the option of choosing cats or dying. So he didn’t choose cats, just had to decide whether he wanted an extra day more than he wanted cats. I know I would choose to keep cats in the world.

>27 catzteach: I know I would choose to keep cats in the world.

Hear, hear! :)

I like cats too, and have been owned by quite a few, but it's contextual. If the context is "out in the bush hunting wild birds and small marsupials ", I might feel differently. Even more for rabbits. Australians tend to have strong feelings about rabbits. Nobody loves cane-toads, which are ugly and poisonous*, but rabbits, cute and floofy as they might be, have been just as much of an environmental disaster in Australia. See https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-a-pest

*Not venomous. Doesn't wear a precious jewel in its head either. Sorry, Will.

>29 haydninvienna: I know I had a neighbor once who had a sandbox for their kiddos in the backyard. They did not appreciate the neighborhood cats at all! They did eventually cover the box. :)

>30 catzteach: Sandboxes in the backyard are fairly common here. And yes, cats are not welcome round them.

>30 catzteach: >31 haydninvienna: This is what happens when people put a giant litter box in the backyard. ;)

The cats probably get confused by the fuss for performing an activity that gets them a "Good kitty" at home. Lol

>32 terriks: Ha! Probably!

Just finished The Crossing Places today at lunchtime. I was hit by the Ruth Galloway BB quite a while ago on here and stumbled across the Kindle versions of the first two on sale for $.99 a few weeks ago. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading all of them. What a treat! I like Ruth. I like that she doesn’t look perfect. I like that she has cats. :) And I like that she’s independent. I am looking forward to learning how the ending of this book takes shape in the other books.

>33 catzteach: Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Ruth is a great character. She's brilliant and quirky and such a normal human. Plus you get to learn a bit about archeology. And there's cats!

Finished Strange Beasts by Susan J. Morris yesterday. I enjoyed it greatly. Here’s the lowdown:
Sam, the daughter of Jonathan and Mina from Dracula, works for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. She is a librarian for them. But has a mystery she wants to solve about her Grandfather. She sees an opportunity for this when the Beast starts killing men in Paris. She asks to become a field agent.

She is then paired with Helen Moriarty, the daughter of Professor Moriarty. She has a history of having her partners die shortly into investigations.

They go to Paris and start investigating. I won’t say much else except they do run against many obstacles, including the son of Van Helsing following them and trying to take the glory of solving the case himself.

It’s a stand alone, but it could very well lead to other adventures of the two women. A great recommendation from a bookstore worker and it hit the spot. :)

Now onto The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Just finished The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I’m know this author isn’t for everyone, but I have enjoyed the books of hers I have read. This one did not disappoint. Evelyn is a blonde bombshell that starred in many movies in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. She decides to enlist Monique, a virtual unknown, to write her autobiography. The reader has hints that there is a connection between Evelyn and Monique and that it will make Monique hate Evelyn. We find out what the connection is right at the very end. And I was not expecting what it was! I’m glad I was able to sit down and read this book this weekend and not have to drag it out through a work week. Highly recommend to those who like her work.

>36 catzteach: That was fast! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know nothing about this author, but that book has a decent rating here on LT.

>37 clamairy: I listed to her Daisy Jones and the Six first. I really liked that one because it was a different voice for each character. I felt like it was a non-fiction tell all about a rock band. Then I read Malibu Rising, which is the one some people didn’t care for. And now this one. I definitely want to read her others.

>37 clamairy: I listed to her Daisy Jones and the Six first. I really liked that one because it was a different voice for each character. I felt like it was a non-fiction tell all about a rock band. Then I read

>36 catzteach: I really enjoyed Seven husbands! Such a compelling story and a great look at life behind the screen in Hollywood. I liked Daisy Jones too.

>35 catzteach: This sounds great!

Haven’t posted in a bit because I’ve been sick. Which means I’ve been doing a lot of sleeping and reading.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies (why no touchstone?) I’d been wanting to read this one for a while. I finally just bought a copy. It was good. Emily is described as ‘curmudgeonly’ but I don’t see it. She is an introvert and doesn’t particularly like lots of people being around. But I didn’t find her grumpy or mean.

The Janus Stone Second of Ruth Galloway books. I’m enjoying these. Fast reads, good mystery, and enjoyable characters. I know a few of you have read all of these. I plan to make my way through them.

Which brings me to The House at Sea’s End. I read this one yesterday while resting. Again, good mystery, fun characters.

And now I’m reading The Creak on the Stairs. It’s the first in a trilogy that takes place in Iceland.

I guess I’m on a mystery kick right now.

>41 catzteach: Oh no! Well, at least you weren't too sick to read. And those Ruth Galloway books don't require a lot of mental gymnastics anyway. I think I read two or three of them while I was down with Covid... Please let us know how that Icelandic mystery series is. And feel better!

>41 catzteach:
I hope your return to posting means you are feeling better. Keep well!

>41 catzteach: I'm sorry you've been sick! Hope you're doing better now that you're able to get online.

Sleeping and reading sounds like a good way to recuperate. :)

>41 catzteach: I am sorry to hear you've been sick! Keep well.

Just got home from a tech conference in Seattle. Wow. AI is amazing and terrifying. I learned some really cool ways to use it. I made some great teaching resources with it; turned a document into a presentation with one click; and had a conversation with it to learn more about Impressionist Art. Did you all know there is a Google Arts and Culture?
I feel like I need a week to process everything and play with the tools I learned about.
Bonding with the coworkers was fun, as well. I work with some great, and hilarious, people.

Two fun treats:
1. The Seattle Roasting and Tasting Room for Starbucks. Not a usually a fan of Starbucks, but this place was so cool! We went to the place in the morning and had some very lovely coffee (and pastry treats). Went back in the evening and had enjoyed a flight of different coffee Martinis.
2. To kill time before our flight, a few of us took an underground tour of Seattle. It boggles my mine that there are cities out there that built on top of the older city. Super cool, though. Sadly, no ghost sightings.

And finished A Creak on the Stairs on the flight home. It was good! I did have a hard time with the pronunciations so I shortened a couple and Americanized a couple (which I would never do in person because it's rude). So the gist of the story: Elma is a detective who has moved back to Arkanes (don't know how to do the accents on the letters). Her first case is the body of a woman found at the lighthouse. (which I've been to) Elisabet had come back to Arkanes for unknown reasons. She hated it there. So Elma needed to find the murderer as well as why Elisabet was there. We also got Elisabet's history through flashbacks. She was a very traumatized child. So three plot lines, really: getting to know Elma and why she moved, the murder and the suspects, and then Elisabet's story. It was really good and will definitely be reading the other two books in the series.

>46 catzteach: Glad you're home safely and that the tech conference was fun. I guess it would be about impossible these days to attend a tech conference without including AI. Seems like such a good, benign techie helper in so many ways- and there's the rising up and taking over part. Lol.

Seattle sounds fun! Glad it was good.

A Creak on the Stairs sounds interesting!

>46 catzteach: Your tech conference sounds interesting, I am glad you enjoyed it. It's good to be home :)

>38 catzteach: We really enjoyed the Daisy Jones and the Six television series, haven't read the book though.

>46 catzteach: Sounds like a great time at the conference.

>46 catzteach: Sounds like it was a wonderful trip, and an educational one as well. I did not know there was any substantial underground to Seattle. When was it first settled?

>50 clamairy: Oh gosh, I can’t remember all the dates. I know she told us the history of why there are tunnels. There aren’t many. Just along the waterfront. The tour didn’t go through all of them. I can’t remember all the details. I do know that they were still used by merchants after being built. I can’t remember when they closed up. There’s a lot of debris down there from one of the earthquakes, too.

I’m about halfway through When Women Were Dragons. A weird thing happened while I was reading. I was on one page, got to the end, went to the next page and realized it wasn’t making sense. Went back and reread. Still didn’t make sense. Then I looked at the page numbers. The book went from page 114 to page 221. What?! Yep. So I flipped through the book. It proceeded to go through the 200s. But suddenly page 147 showed up. From there, the book proceeded the rest of the way numbered correctly. I ended up buying the Kindle version as I wanted to continue to read that night. I will be taking the book back to Barnes and Noble and see what, if anything, they can do for me: give me a knew book, or store credit, or ….

>52 catzteach: Uh oh... I'm sure they will give you a refund. That's unacceptable.

>52 catzteach: They should definitely give you a refund, it is defective.

>52 catzteach:
This happened to a character in If on a Winter’s Night A Traveller. This is a book I strongly recommend, especially as you find yourself in the story. The character returned the book and was presented with a replacement copy. There were surprising consequences.

>55 pgmcc: Surprising but good?

I did manage to finishing When Women Were Dragons on my Kindle. It was an ok book. It was a metaphor for strong, independent women and how society reacts to the them. It was weird. Not sure I liked it. The author has won many awards so maybe her other books are better. Or this one just wasn't my cup of tea.

I'm planning on taking the physical defective book back today. We shall see what happens...

>56 catzteach:
Surprising and interesting. The book takes the reader places they would not imagine.

Finished two books recently.

One was an audio: Blind spots My doctor recommended this one. Super interesting what medicine has been wrong about, like how to prevent a peanut allergy and how hormone replacement therapy for women doesn’t actually cause breast cancer. In fact, it is better for preventing heart disease than a statin that takes down cholesterol.

I also finished reading Onyx Storm. I was thinking this would be the end of the series. No such luck. Ended on a cliffhanger. I’m assuming it’ll be about a year before the next one comes out. Let’s see, how to give a summary without giving spoilers if the others have not yet been read: Violet and her gang go looking for the seventh dragon line by scouring the southern islands. The war with the venin still rages on. Some of the struggles they’ve had in other books continue, especially Xaden’s.

And now to go complete my Google slide deck so I can teach this week. :)

>52 catzteach: That sounds like quite a misprint or binding error, not the kind of thing that happens just in one book. You may find the store is already aware of the issue and feeling a bit embarrassed about it. If B&N doesn't give you satisfaction, reach out immediately to the publisher!!

FWIW, I’ve found similar faults in printed copies occasionally and never had any trouble getting a correct replacement from the shop..

>59 jillmwo: and >60 haydninvienna: Barnes and Noble gave me a store credit. The clerk says it happens more than we would think. Hopefully someone there knows to check the batch and/or tell the publisher. The clerk didn’t seem interested in either of those happening.

>61 catzteach: That’s quite a lot of errors on the publisher's part. Glad you at least got a store credit.

Is the quality of print books going way down these days? I get annoyed just finding typos in so-called new editions of previously released books. Seems to happen often lately, and it makes me twitchy.

>62 terriks: I hate finding typos. Or errors that should have been caught, like "should of" instead of "should've." Distracts me and makes me think I could've been a copy editor (if that's what they do).

>62 terriks: I don’t think the standard of typesetting, binding and so on has changed much. What has declined noticeably is the standard of editing.

>63 catzteach: >64 haydninvienna: Agreed - whoever they are, whatever their job title is, I could have done this in another life. Gladly.

That seems to be one advantage of listening to books - your eyes can't be offended. And if the audiobook narrator ever says, "For Pete's sake - again?!?" it gets edited out. 😆

>65 terriks: As we all know, the spellchecker isn't a substitute for proper proofreading. And I well know, from working in a very error-intolerant environment, how difficult proofreading is. Back in the Attorney-General's Department, everything drafted got read again by a senior drafter and then checked by a team of editors, and still the occasional mistake slipped through.

>66 haydninvienna: At my work, we teachers proof everything before we send it home. It's embarrassing to have typos/errors when all the parents see it.

As to proofreading, I have to pass on this story. This happened very early in my time at Attorney-General’s.

We came in one morning to find the office head in a towering rage (not unusual—she wasn’t a pleasant person). A newly published instrument was gibberish—grievously wrong. We looked at it and for sure something weird had happened. Then we figured out what.

You have to know that at the time we, and the Government Printer, hadn’t quite caught up with the new technology. We were still sending final copies to printer as paper copies to be used as camera-ready copy. Someone at the printer hadn’t liked one of our page breaks, and to fix it had cut a line from the bottom of a page and then pasted it back in, but at the top of the wrong page.

>68 haydninvienna: oops. :)

Finished Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone. It wasn’t as spectacular as I was hoping, but it was enjoyable. I liked the characters. And I liked how it ended. I have his Everyone on the Train is a Suspect on my shelves. I’ll read it in a few weeks.

I started The Crash this morning before Mom woke up and am already hooked. I have heard it’s really good. I’m looking forward to getting back to it tonight before bed.

Until then, I’ll be working on crocheting a sweater while hanging with my mom.

Finished The Crash. Ended up not being too exciting. A literary genius it was not. It did have the classic thriller twist at the end. Will I read this author again? Maybe, if I don’t have to pay for the book.

I went to the bookstores yesterday. Yes, stores. I went to all three indie stores we have here. I had two Visa gift cards from students and decided to buy books. I did have to spend a bit of my own money. :D

I bought and am now reading Scalzi’s When the Moon Hits Your Eye. It’s a signed copy.

>71 catzteach: Signed copy! How exciting! I am listening to the audio read by Wil Wheaton and I am enjoying it very much.

>71 catzteach: A signed copy - how cool is that? I think Scalzi signs a lot of books at home for various indie bookstores - plus, he is either now or very recently was out on tour for this one. Pretty sure there's a lot of book signings involved.

I plan to get this one the next time I'm out in the wild. Hoping to get through at least the first few books of the "Old Man's War" series before the next installment comes out in September.

Have fun! Looking forward to both your and @clamairy's reviews.

I’m enjoying When the Moon except, not even halfway through and I’ve found two typos. One was this morning: “cartoon” of water rather than a “carton” of water.

I’m also spending my spring break watching The Great British Baking Show. My mom and I stumbled upon this one when I was over there. So much fun. It does make me want to start baking again and take some chances and learn how to do some things myself, like puff pastry. So tomorrow I’m going to make a Cherry Pandowdy, which is basically cherry filling with puff pastry on top.

>74 catzteach: Ouch. I know in the big picture typos or not that big a deal, but I hate seeing them. LOL Somehow they are worse printed on paper than they are in an e-book. At least you know with an e-book they could update the file to fix the typo.

Enjoy your baking. I have watched several seasons of that show and enjoyed it very much.

Finished When the Moon Hits Your Eye about a week ago. I really liked it. It wasn’t as funny as Starter Villain but it was an interesting concept and I liked how he had different characters reacting to the moon turning into cheese.

I just finished Magic Hour This one is a book club read. A wild girl show up in a small Washington town along with her wolf pup. Ellie, the police chief, calls in her psychiatrist sister who is dealing with an issue of her own. She takes on the job of helping the wild girl. It was a great story with wonderful characters. Highly recommend, especially if you like Kristen Hannah.

My baking journey: I haven’t yet tried puff pastry. Realized I need a food processor and six hours. :) I ordered a food processor yesterday. So maybe I’ll get to puff pastry next weekend. In the meantime, I made brownies. :)

>76 catzteach: Even most top chefs use ready-made puff pastry these days, probably for the reasons you mention! We had to learn to make it in school and I fainted halfway through the lesson. So I never did finish learning how to make it, and I never shall. I admire your intention to give it a go!

>76 catzteach:. Realized I need a food processor and six hours.. Which of the two seemed most problematic? Brownies seem much more cost-effective and more immediate in that much needed sense of delicious return.

>76 catzteach: I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I agree that he was going for something slightly more serious than Starter Villain.

>78 jillmwo: Hmm, probably the six hours. The dough does have to chill for a couple of hours at time, so I'd have time to do something else in between...

>77 Sakerfalcon: I figure I'll try it once. Then probably never make it again. Ha!

I did experiment with the brownies and put cherries in one pan. They were more cake-like. Probably because of the moisture in the cherries. Should I use dry ones next time? (things that make a baker go hmmm)

>80 catzteach: I had puff pastry on my list of things to learn, but then my hands started acting up and I don't want a food processor, so I gave up that goal. Looking forward to hearing about your adventure! The nice thing is, you can freeze it, so you won't have to make it as often.

>80 catzteach: It's definitely a challenge. Funny to come across your posts about needing the 6 hours, etc. I had baklava over the weekend and felt inspired to pull out my old Mediterranean cookbook to look at the recipe.

In a word, No. :D

I'm happy to continue to order it and send praise to pastry chefs.

>82 terriks:. >80 catzteach: Some instructions just have that effect.

>83 jillmwo: Exactly.

>82 terriks: Baklava is another I've thought of making. It sounds difficult, too.

I did buy a cookie cookbook yesterday. 365 recipes. One for every day!

>85 catzteach: oo - cookies! Now that's something I can get my arms around.

You'll have to show us pictures of your favorites. :)

>85 catzteach: I made baklava once. Delicious, but I will never make it again! Plus my teeth hurt thinking about biting into it now. Too sweet.

I finished A Room Full of Bones last night. I'm so glad I stumbled upon these books. Ruth is a fun person. I like that she's smart and strong and doesn't always think she's smart and strong. It just makes her human. And a main character that isn't perfect looking is nice, too. I will definitely keep up with this series.

We shall see if I get to the puffed pastry this weekend. That is my plan and while it's chilling, I'll get things done around the house.

Unfortunately, I've been having digestive issues and that just makes me want to lay around as being active is uncomfortable. Ugh. I will be having a CT scan to make sure there isn't some sort of blockage, but can't even get into the gastrointestinal doctor for a new patient telehealth appointment until July. Which means a colonoscopy is months away from that date. All of our GI centers have closed and the hospital is the only place to go for this.

At least it's going to be sunny and warm today.

>88 catzteach: I'm glad you are enjoying the Ruth Galloway books. She has a few other series but I don't think any of them are as popular as this one. You are spot on about the fact that she does not see herself as attractive at all, although other people obviously seem to. I just loved her.

I'm so sorry about your stomach issues. Have you tried adding probiotic foods to your diet? Drinking a little kombucha everyday might help. There are lots of capsules, too, such as Align. Do some research, because I don't know what your issues are and some probiotics are better for some conditions but not others.

>89 clamairy: I am taking probiotics. Have been for years. That said I just started a liquid one in March. I’m just constantly bloated. And not hungry at all. If I get hungry, then I’m full with just an apple. I do have a hiatal hernia, so I suppose it could be that? But the bloating is all over and there’s some pain right under where my sternum. No fun.

>88 catzteach: I am sorry to hear about your digestive issues... I hope you will find something that helps.

>90 catzteach: Yikes! Maybe stop the probiotics for a couple days to see if the bloating dissipates. Too many of those little bugs can be just as bad as not enough. I wish you luck. Getting a digestive system back on track is such a tricky business. And having to wait months before you can see somebody is terrible.

>92 clamairy: I think I'm going to start just by eliminating milk. Not dairy completely, just milk. And if that helps, then maybe more dairy? So hard to figure out the gut biome. We just don't yet know enough.

I did make my first batch of puffed pastry. I think it looks pretty good. Especially for my first time. We'll see what it taste like this evening after we eat something healthier for dinner. :)

In about an hour, we have a window guy coming to give us an estimate. They are a new-to-Oregon company and are looking for "advertisement" customers, so they are supposed to give a decent discount if we are willing to put a sign in our yard for 60 days. My HOA might not like that, but oh well. If the price is right, the complaining will be worth it.

Read Witchcraft for Wayward Girls last week. It’s my fourth Grady Hendrix book. It’s classified as horror, but not really horror. It’s 1970. Fern, not her real name, gets sent to a home for wayward girls because she had the audacity to get pregnant - because, you know, it was all her fault *eye roll. While there, she meets and befriends a few other girls. One day she gets ahold of a book of witchcraft. The girls start playing around with spells.

It was really good. And really sad and aggravating in how the girls were treated. I’m so glad girls aren’t shipped away in shame as much anymore. (I’m sure it stills happens at times.)

In other news, I saw my endocrinologist the other day. She wrote an order for a different gastrointestinal doctor. Hopefully I’ll hear back from that one soon and be able to get in before July. I have to wait for my insurance to ok my CT scan, so who knows when that’s going to happen. In the meantime, I’ve cut out milk, not dairy, just milk. Seems to be helping a bit.

Also, we are getting new windows! There is a guy coming tomorrow to do more accurate measurements so the windows can be built. They’ll be put in around August 1st. It’ll be nice not to have to seal up the windows and sliding glass door every winter.

>94 catzteach: Sorry to hear about your GI issues. Something I've come to really enjoy is plain old chamomile tea in the evening, with about a teaspoon of local honey added. My husband has also started with it and has been pleasantly surprised how much it's helped with his occasional reflux. I don't know how, but the stuff helps.

Milk is an odd thing, it seems like it would be coating and easy on the stomach but it actually has a lot of acid in it (lactic).

New windows are exciting! It's these little things (that aren't cheap!) that shore up the house.

>95 terriks: thanks for the suggestion. I’ll have to go get me some really good chamomile tea tomorrow. I’m willing to try anything.

The windows are so expensive! Even with a 30% discount. They are supposed to save us 40% on our utility bills, so hopefully that’ll help me pay for them. Ha! :D

>96 catzteach: I like honey in my chamomile; my husband says it's better plain. Good luck!

We had skylight windows replaced that had been developing leaks since we moved in 3 years ago. 4 windows, and we added battery operated blinds (they're in what we call the sun room, which is the remodeled screened in porch with a high ceiling), and the cost was...breathtaking. The saving grace was that we did qualify for some kind of tax credit, which brought the cost down by $2K.

Still. At least windows are something you only think about every few decades.

>97 terriks: oh, a tax credit. I’ll have to keep all the paperwork for my windows.

I picked up some local honey today. Hopefully that helps my issues. I did finally schedule the CT scan. It’s on Friday.

>98 catzteach: Local honey is reportedly the best - I hope it's good in the tea.

Yes, if you can show your paperwork and you're reducing utility bills, you should qualify for some kind of reduction. Worth a shot.

Good luck with the CT scan.

>98 catzteach: Good luck with the honey and the scan.

CT scan is done. I should hear results by Wednesday.

I finished The Witches at the End of the World yesterday. It was an ok book. It’s a debut novel so I might try her again to see if her writing has improved. It was a slow moving plot. Two sisters were ran out of their village in Norway during the witch trial season. The village burned their mother and their grandmother took them to live in the woods away from people. As grown women, the older one wants to return to the village. She has happier memories of it and wants a husband and children. The younger one gets jealous about this and sets a curse on the village. It didn’t really get moving until the end. It did end satisfactorily, though.

I’m now onto I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com. So far it’s pretty quirky.

>101 catzteach: Glad the CT scan is done. Hoping for a good report for you.

I’m now onto I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com. So far it’s pretty quirky.

With a title that like, could it be anything but quirky? That brings a laugh before getting started!

>101 catzteach: I am keeping my fingers crossed that they find out exactly what it is and that it's easily treatable. 🤞

>191 Is it quirky or downright eccentric? The marketing blurb isn't really clear (to me, at least).

Went to the doc today to discuss CT results. Nothing worrisome was found, which is excellent. I did learn I have a very twisty colon/intestine and that is most likely the cause of all my issues. Why now? Who knows. She gave me tips on controlling things, all of which I already do, and prescribed Citracel (a fiber supplement) that’ll hopefully help. I also learned I have a little cyst on my pancreas that will need re-imaged in a year. So all fairly good news, but no real definitive answer on my issues. It has made The Husband realize he needs to support my attempts to make our diets healthier. :)

I finished I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com. It was a fun quirky read. It was very steamy in places so if those scenes don’t float your boat, it may not be a book for you. The main character is a biologist working in Africa filming Meerkats. While filming one day, she looks over to see she’s about to get devoured by a lion. As luck would have it, she and the lion are sucked up into a spaceship instead. They end up on a different planet and run into two male habitants. And that’s where the rom-com part comes in. There is also another little story going through the book that I won’t give details on as that’ll spoil things. It was an easy, fast read. Will I pick up others of hers? Maybe. If I happen to see one lying around.

And now I’m reading Green Teeth.

>105 catzteach: This is good news!
I hope the fiber supplement will help you.

>105 catzteach: Oh, that is good news. I'm sure the healthier diet will help, along with the extra fiber. Stress has a big impact on digestion, unfortunately. I hope everything continues to improve.

>105 catzteach:
I am glad to hear you received good news. Good luck with the diet.

>107 clamairy: Stress, huh. I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if things might get better during the summer months. :)

I bought a book recommended by a vegan coworker. He does tons of research and learning about food and health, so I bought Fiber Fueled and it's corresponding cookbook. They arrive on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to learning about the gut biome and how I can get mine healthier.

Good luck!

Thanks all. I will need the encouragement as The Husband is going to get tired of a healthier diet and want “real food.” He did pick up turkey sausage yesterday instead of regular sausage, so that’s a good start. :)

Finished Green Teeth this morning. I was expecting something more along the lines of a thriller or horror even. Not so. It was a nice story about friendship and how a little understanding goes a long way. I really liked the characters and the ending was satisfying. I would recommend the book to the pub dwellers here.

Now onto The Berry Pickers. It’s a book club read. I don’t know anything about it. I have book club on Thursday so I’ll have to get on it today. Maybe some porch reading with a nice iced latte is in order. :)

>111 catzteach: I await your review of The Berry Pickers. (My sister-in-law recommended this one.)

PS I don't recall if you shop at Costco, but they have delicious chicken breakfast sausages. I found them to be a bit more flavorful than the turkey ones.

>111 catzteach: Good to hear the positive scan news, I hope your diet changes help!

>112 clamairy: I do shop there. About once a week, in fact. I’ll look for those sausages when I’m there next. The turkey ones were ok. A yummier alternative would be good.

>109 catzteach: Glad it's good news! It seems like something you can help control yourself - always good. And no drugs involved - yay!

The cookbook sounds interesting.

The cookbook is supposed to show today. I'm hoping it's on my doorstep when I get home.

I did get in to see a gastrointestinal physician's assistant tomorrow. I'm hoping that gets me in for a colonoscopy sooner rather than later and that she'll have some more advice for me. Some that's not just of the "pop a pill" variety.

Yet another life plot twist: The CT I had last week came back clean for blockage, but it did show a 15 mm cyst on my pancreas. The radiologist recommended getting it imaged in a year. Well, when I went to the GI doc yesterday, she said it was big enough to have an MRI done on it now. She flagged me as urgent and I had the MRI this morning. Have not yet heard results. It was labeled STAT so I should hear no later than tomorrow. I’m a bit anxious but also trying not to be.

Almost done with Berry Pickers. I was trying hard to get it done by tonight for book club but am finding it hard to focus on it today. Shocker. :) So I’ll not try so hard so I can enjoy the ending. I’m hoping it ends happy.

>117 catzteach: My sister is going through a similar process to yours. Her cysts on liver and kidneys. She had good (negative) results, and I am hoping the same for you.

>118 MrsLee: It’s not fun, as you know, too. I’m glad your sister got good results.

My results have already come in. Nothing better than to see that I got a “letter” in my patient portal. Letters are much better than phone calls. Turns out the cyst is 14 mm with a smaller 4 mm one nearby. I’m thinking that’s why it looked 15 mm on the CT, but I’m not a radiologist so….And biopsies happen at 16 mm.

They also both are solid, which is good news. Solid=bad. Liquid=good. And now I’m on the “get an MRI once a year” plan.

Glad it’s all turned out well and has motivated me to really look at our diet and put more fun in our life.

>119 catzteach: Blessings from Down Under, and a huge sigh of relief.

>119 catzteach: Well it's no wonder you had trouble focusing on your book! That's a lot to have going on in a very short period of time. (But then again you want it all done as quickly as possible.) I'm glad things turned out the way they did. Hopefully now you can enjoy the rest of the book.

>119 catzteach:
Glad to hear your good results.

>119 catzteach: Whew! That's quite a whirlwind you've been through. Glad it's all behind you now, and you can look for ways to go have fun! Sounds like a good plan.

It’s been a stressful month for sure. As I was going through all my stuff, The Husband was also going through his with his PSA results. For those who don’t know, that’s the prostate test. He’s fine, but he, too, had a worry and a few extra tests this last month.

We have a weekend at the coast in a couple of weeks. So looking forward to it!!

I finished Berry Pickers last night. It’s not my normal type of pick, but I did like it. It’s the story of a native family in Nova Scotia who are berry pickers during the summer. One summer, the four year old girl disappears. She becomes Norma and grows up in an affluent white family. She tells her story while we also hear how her disappearance affected her family via her brother’s story. It was sad and hard to know this probably was something that happened to Native families.

And now I’m reading Fiber Fueled to start my education of gut biomes and how to keep them healthy.

Read Fiber Fueled yesterday. I’m beginning the journey of moving toward a more plant- based diet. Today I prep the pantry. I need to go through it, see what I have and what I need, then buy some canisters for the things I’ll buy in bulk. I’ll spend this week figuring out what store carries what. I may have to order some things. I have a vegan coworker so I’ll pick his brain as to where he gets some items, like oyster mushrooms. I’ve never heard of them, do not know what they look like, and do not know where to get them. It’ll also be a challenge to get The Husband to buy in. He needs his meat. :) And then next Sunday I’ll dive into the actual 4 week plan to get started on my journey.

I'm glad your tests were done and the results came back so quickly with good news. Best of luck with your new diet. I hope you discover many delicious and healthy new dishes.

You've had quite a stressful period so I hope that week at the coast coming up serves you well. Take one day at a time and introduce just little changes -- one at a time -- so that you don't feel overwhelmed. So glad that the test results came out the way they did!!!

Thanks all. I'm going to need the encouragement. I almost caved today when they provided a delicious looking pasta meals for dinner at a meeting. I didn't, though. :) I spent yesterday cleaning out my pantry and fridge and then getting some of the staples I'll need, like barley and quinoa. My pantry is so organized right now! It makes my OCD side very happy.

In reading news: I finished Funny Story today. I am not usually a romance reader, but my friend, who also doesn't read romances, recommended this author. I loved it! It was light and fluffy and cute. There was wit and humor. It was exactly what I needed right now. I will definitely keep this author in mind when I need another "beach read."

>128 catzteach: "Beach read": you know that Emily Henry wrote a book with exactly that title, don't you? Which I will confess, under torture, to having read. And to actually have enjoyed!

>128 catzteach:. I'm tempted by Funny Story because "light and fluffy and cute" has much to recommend it! Like you, I don't usually gravitate to romance novels.

I am very glad to hear your good news! Good luck with your new diet!

Best wishes for the new diet.

>129 haydninvienna: When I wrote that, I was wondering if I had seen a book with that title. :)

Finally finished another book. Wait, the last one I entered was Funny Story. I read Cuckoo's Calling after that. I got it for free at one of my book swaps. It was not a bad mystery. I'm glad I read it because I was curious to see how JK Rowling wrote books in other genres. Will I seek the other two books out? Probably not. But if I happen to see one on the shelf at the library, I'd check it out and read it. My favorite character was Strike's assistant.

Yesterday I finished Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands. This is the second book in the Emily series. I have the third one already and will read it in a few weeks. I really enjoy Emily and Wendell. I love that Emily isn't perfect yet Wendell loves her anyway. :)

In other news, my kitty is going in to see an eye doctor today. He was sick over the weekend and his eye clouded up. The vet's office qualified the cloudy eye as an emergency so they were able to squeeze us in this evening. I am thinking they may suggest his eye be removed. :( I know he'd adjust; it still makes me sad. He has such pretty blue eyes.

Good luck with everything! Pasta is plant based, and can be a healthy part of a Mediterranean diet. I try to stay away from mammal flesh, for the most part, but I am never giving up the dairy products. LOL

>130 jillmwo: is making a great point, Cindy. If you deny yourself everything you enjoy at once it is going to be more difficult. Make a few changes at a time and allow yourselves to adjust.

>134 catzteach: So glad your results were good! And @clamairy is exactly right: pasta is mainly flour and an egg, so it's not inherently bad. Of course, it's all about what sauce is used, so you were probably right to skip it at a dinner meeting. But at home, tossed with some olive oil and a few cherry tomatoes, a little grated cheese, with a nice salad it's likely okay.

I do hope the kitty's eye gets better. My mother had a little dog who developed diabetes and eventually had an eye removed, and he adapted very well. Stayed bouncy and happy on his walks. Critters seem to adapt well as long as they're with their home folks.

Good luck!!

>135 clamairy: You two are quite right. I'm doing about 90%/10% right now. I even had a couple of bites of a donut the other day. :) And I had some cheese. That's actually going to be the hardest part. I love cheese! I'm really enjoying the different vegetable tastes and am looking forward to trying different recipes. The Husband is starting to get into it a bit more, too, so that will help.

Kitty news: he does indeed need his eye removed. :( He's already blind in it. Its pressure is way high and she thinks it's causing him pain. He will get it removed on Friday. I just want him to get through the surgery ok. He's the best cat!

>137 catzteach: aww poor kitty. I hope he will have a successful surgery. How old is he?

My sister's dog had an eye removed (cancer) and they bought an artificial eye, which was surprisingly realistic looking and the small muscles in the socket would move it around a little. THEN she had to have the other eye removed, and the expense was high so they opted to forgo a second artificial eye and just have the lid sewn shut. It confused people who didn't know, because it appeared that she would be looking right at things before walking straight into them...

>138 Darth-Heather: Oh my! That poor pup!

Witten is 12. So no spring chicken. And he started having eye issues during Covid. We were able to save it for five years. Not bad. I'm hoping we can save his other eye for a few more years.

>137 catzteach: I'm so sorry about Witten. I hope everything goes smoothly. Poor baby.

I'm not sure exactly why you have to give up cheese entirely. I think that would do me in...

>139 catzteach: Aw, I'm sorry for this news. But if he's feeling the pressure it'll likely feel better to him when it's gone. Poor kitty - but yes, he'll learn to adapt. You gave him 5 more years - impressive!

A former yoga instructor of mine was a committed vegetarian. He rejected going full vegan because asking him to give up his cheese was a bridge too far.

For him, it was all about the source of the dairy, and most organic farms treat their animals humanely. They have to be inspected to qualify for the organic certification.

>137 catzteach: Oh, your poor cat! I hope everything goes well.

>140 clamairy: I'm eliminating dairy for a bit to see if it's the cause of my digestive issues. So far, I haven't seen much change so I'm hopeful I'll be able to bring cheese back in. :)

>141 terriks: I have been learning about sources of our food, too, and am definitely more aware of where what I buy comes from. I want happy animals, not sad animals.

>143 catzteach: Exactly. :)

I hope you get your cheese back! Well, all your dairy but especially the cheese.

Well, my kitty is home from the vet. Poor guy. The meds they gave him make him restless. I was hoping they’d make him sleepy. He’s trying to get the cone off because he’s trying to take a kitty bath. I’m worried I’m going to make a mistake with his care and make it worse. Or he’s going to make it worse by not settling down. Sigh.

>145 catzteach: I saw your Facebook photo. Poor baby! Hope he settles down and heals as quickly as possible.

>145 catzteach: Ah, poor kitty. I wish him a quick recovery.

>145 catzteach: Aw, he's just wanting to do something normal like a kitty bath - which is a good thing, except he can't get there! Poor nugget.

I'm sure you'll do fine together. You're likely more anxious than he is about the eye; he just hates the cone!

Best of luck during this time. ❤️

>145 catzteach: I hope he heals quickly. I wonder if it would comfort him if you wrapped a dry wash cloth on your finger and "washed him?" Maybe mimic his tongue?

>149 MrsLee: He’s been glommy (is that a word?) all weekend. I don’t think he’s been more than a few feet from me. Mostly he’s been on my lap. Poor buddy. He’s definitely not lacking in the appetite area, though. If anything, it’s more than it has been in a while. We’ve been spoiling him with Churus.

Finished God of the Woods today. It was a book club selection but I’ve been wanting to read it. I enjoyed it. It was a decent mystery with a satisfying ending. I liked the main Inspector character. It takes place mostly in 1975 with some back stories to help move the mystery along. I would recommend this book to others especially if you enjoy a good mystery.

I hope Witten gets well again soon, poor boy.

Just finished The Women. I have a book hangover. Oh my gosh! So good! It’s about a young woman who enlists in the Army so she can follow her brother to Vietnam. She is an RN and quickly becomes a combat nurse. She is green and naive. She soon sees the reality of Vietnam.

I don’t know much about Vietnam. I was born in ‘69. I thought MASH was Vietnam and not Korea. I did know the Veterans were treated poorly when they returned but had never really thought about the women who were there. Guess no one really did. :( This novel really puts it out there. Highly recommend, especially if you like Kristen Hannah’s other books.

In other news: Witten is doing really well. He’s even been eating more and gaining weight. I’m wondering how much his eye was hurting and bothering him before it got so bad.

Also, bad news: I discovered the cats have been peeing all over my reading nook. Good news: I get to re-do my reading nook, which is something I’ve been wanting to do. Hopefully they will stop peeing in it, but I doubt it. The little buggers.

>152 catzteach: Oh my. I don't know what to respond to first. I'm so happy to hear that Witten is improving! I'm also sorry about the peeing situation. Is there any way you can gate off that reading nook?

PS That book is already on my wishlist.

>152 catzteach: Wonderful news about Witten! I think you're right about his previous discomfort making him not want to eat and just generally feel bad all over. For him, life is now pain free - time to eat! :)

Congrats? I guess? lol on getting to re-do your reading nook. Here's hoping they're just showing out because of the upheaval from Witten's issues and they'll quit once it's all changed out. Fingers crossed! Good luck!

>152 catzteach: Just a passing comment. MASH was set during the Korean War, but the producers admit that the stories provided comment on Vietnam. Like @clamairy, I have that particular book on my TBR radar at the moment.

>155 jillmwo: I can totally see how MASH did that. I was a bit young to understand all the nuances but watched and enjoyed the show. I remember when it left tv, my 7th grade teacher taped it and we watched it at school. Again, I’m sure she was trying to teach us something but not sure what.

>154 terriks: I’m actually kind of excited to re-do the nook. The chair I had in there was uncomfortable so I didn’t get to use it much. I’m thinking of putting in a narrow chaise lounge. Something like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKSHKJYT/?coliid=I1YNW7M19LJYLK&colid=WMY5TJZ6BO...

I have also found a curtain to put in the doorway, a chandelier, and a rug. I need to decide on a paint color as all the other things are black or dark purple and it’s a really tiny space. The lounge will take up most of it. I’ll be able to fit a tiny table.

It’s also where the cat food is located upstairs, so no blocking it off. The experts who say cats don’t pee where they eat and sleep are so wrong! Did they never have cats? Ha!

Oh, hey, I can actually start a new thread! I’ve never done that in all my years on LT. Exciting!

>156 catzteach: Wow - that chaise is lovely!

I have also found a curtain to put in the doorway, a chandelier, and a rug. I need to decide on a paint color as all the other things are black or dark purple and it’s a really tiny space. The lounge will take up most of it. I’ll b,e able to fit a tiny table.

This sounds great - when can I move in? :D

Glad to hear the good news about Witten. I hope he continues to recover well.

Aargh!! for the kitties peeing in your book nook. Maybe they feel the books are taking your attention away from them?! I hope you have fun with the redecoration.

Have fun with your reading nook. May I suggest abuttery yellow for the walls?

Also cheering for Witten and hoping your other cats figure out where and when to pee. I have one randomly using the apartment kitchen counter, which he's never done before. Trying to figure out if something's wrong or if he's just punishing me in a random way.

It's wonderful that Witten is feeling better!

Good luck with your reading nook! I hope there will be no more... issues.

Sounds like mostly good news - Witten's improvement and redoing the reading nook! Fingers crossed that redirects your cats back to the litter box.