Mary's (bell7) Reading in 2025, Page 2

Welcome to my second thread!

If you haven't already been following me, here's my introduction: My name is Mary and I'm a librarian. I read widely and eclectically, some for work (I facilitate a book group) and most for fun. I tend to choose fantasy, historical, and contemporary fiction, while also enjoying some mystery and romance, and a bit of nonfiction besides.

My reading goals for 2025:
-Over half of books read to be by authors born outside of the U.S.
-Read 12 books by indigenous authors.

Outside of reading, I enjoy watching sports and knitting. I started a project last year of listening through the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums list (2023 iteration) and I’ve been going roughly chronologically through it (I’m up to 1969 now). And I have a large family of parents, siblings, and niblings who will be mentioned frequently.

2025 Book Club Reads

One of my work responsibilities is facilitating one of our book discussions. Here's what we're reading in 2025 (we take a break for the summer):

JANUARY - South to America by Imani Perry - COMPLETED
FEBRUARY - The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon - COMPLETED
MARCH - Rivermouth by Alejandra Oliva
APRIL - Devotions by Mary Oliver
MAY - Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
SEPTEMBER - The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede
OCTOBER - The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
NOVEMBER - Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo
DECEMBER - The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Favorites of 2024

Fiction
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Foster by Claire Keegan
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
James by Percival Everett
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
The Postcard by Anne Berest

Nonfiction
Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie
How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair
Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder
Red Paint by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Inciting Joy by Ross Gay

Poetry
Above Ground by Clint Smith

Best of 2025

5 stars

4.5 stars
The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Balancing Stone by Victoria Goddard
Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takacs
Terec and the Wild by Victoria Goddard
Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Random things I'm tracking

Articles of interest and book lists:
1. How to Critically Read a Press Release from the Federal Government
2. International Booker Prize Longlist 2025
3. Most Banned Books in the 2023-2024 School Year
4. Ontario librarians discuss book banning
5. More Borrowed Library Books in the US in 2024

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 - 131
2025 - ???

Global reads in 2025 (author’s country of origin):
Canada - Victoria Goddard, Heather Fawcett
Denmark - Olga Ravn
France - Alexandre Dumas
Hungary - Bogi Takacs
India - Sangu Mandanna (could also count towards UK)
UK - Adrian Tchaikovsky, Elizabeth Macneal

All time (since 2022):


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, 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

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.

Currently reading
The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Bible/Devotional Reading
Genesis, Job, Matthew

DNFs in 2025
1. A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

March
17. The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
16. A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

February
15. Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
14. The Employees by Olga Ravn
13. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
12. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
11. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
9. Balancing Stone by Victoria Goddard
8. Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takacs

January
7. The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill
6. Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett
5. The Forbidden Book by Sacha Lamb
4. South to America by Imani Perry
3. Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky
2. Terec and the Wall by Victoria Goddard
1. Serving Herself: the Life and Times of Althea Gibson by Ashley Brown

Next one's yours!

If you missed it on my last thread, I'm coming down with a cold and taking a sick day today. Will have a few things to do, but will keep it non-strenuous with lots of breaks for reading and tea.

Happy New Thread, Mary. Congrats on getting to the halfway point in Monte Cristo. It just keeps getting better, so keep turning those pages.

>9 bell7: Feel better soon, Mary. I hope your current read of Bogi's new book is a good one for you.

>10 msf59: It's been a fun read, Mark, I'm glad we chose the title to kick off the new year.

>11 richardderus: I'm very much enjoying it, Richard. I'll definitely have to check out eir other work, though they're hard to find in my library system. Only two copies of this book are available and none of The Trans Space Octopus Congregation.

Happy new thread, Mary!

Sorry you are under the weather...

How do, Ms. Librarian. I'm optimistically looking forward to a glorious day. I intend to make noise and dirt, and to do some reading. I sampled The Praise of Folly yesterday. Today I'll sample some E. B. White. One Man's Meat. Hoo hoo.

Happy new thread! Hope your cold clears up quickly.

Happy new 🧵, May! Hope you feel better after a day of relaxation and hot tea. Echinacea sometimes works if you take it early enough.

Happy new thread, Mary! Hope that your cold makes a quick getaway!

Karen O

>13 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I'm still hopeful I can nip the cold early - we'll see how I feel tomorrow, but I was hoping to get together with a friend to exchange very belated Christmas gifts.

>14 weird_O: I hope you have a wonderful day and enjoy your reading, Bill. I own One Man's Meat but have yet to delve into it.

>15 foggidawn: Thanks on both counts, Misti!

>16 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary! I am low energy and sneezing a lot, but fortunately feel pretty good otherwise. I'll remember that tip about echinacea.

>17 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen, nice to see you!

8. Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takacs
Why now? I was visiting my friend and when we went to the library, I picked this one off the new books shelf because it looked interesting. Love those serendipitous finds!

A collection of 11 short stories and one novella, exploring different consciousnesses, gender identities, and Jewish thought. They are all in some way speculative, often blending science fiction and fantasy.

"Four-Point Affective Calibration" told as the recounted thoughts of a person prompted to think about four different emotions.

"An Errant Holy Spark" is the story of a construct with a soul, as they tell their story to the person who kidnapped them.

"And I Entreated" in which the narrator is a mother who's been transformed as a houseplant and can only communicate imperfectly while she watches her non-binary child practice for a bar mitzvah.

"Folded into Tendril and Leaf" is a very different tale but also has a character transformed into a plant. Also hints at the devastation of war.

"The Third Extension" only two pages long, told from an alien point of view.

"On Good Friday the Raven Washes Its Young" was probably the hardest for me to wrap my mind around the setting, as I couldn't really picture a bathysphere. But for all that, it's about a being who finds themselves the subject of bullying for being Other.

"Volatile Patterns" is set on the planet Eren, and the Ereni are similar to humans but magical. In this one, a pair has to go to another planet to figure out why there has been protests and disruption.

"The Ladybug, In Flight" may have been my favorite as the construct of a ladybug, part of a swarm, makes a friend.

"The 1st Interspecies Solidarity Fair and Parade" is a surprisingly hopeful tale set in a future where aliens have invaded, and now other species have come and want cooperation. The description of the fair/parade was pretty funny, too.

"A Technical Term, Like Privilege" in which our main character needs to give its sentient house blood to feed on magic. Explores how hairy "privilege" can actually be - the protagonist is trans and male presenting, so others assume they have a certain amount of privilege, but they are also very much abused by the system they live in.

And finally, the novella "Power to Yield," which is set in the same location as "Volatile Patterns" and gives readers of a glimpse of how the planet was founded and how imperfect its system is. The characters do their best with what they are given, but it was hard to read about the violence and pain involved. This was my least favorite of the bunch.

All in all, I enjoyed the creativity showcased in this collection, and I'll be tracking down more of Bogi Takacs's work in the future.

Happy new thread, Mary!

>20 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Mary.

Thanks Jim, Anita, and Paul!

Bogi's Eren setting is, I think, not used for the first time here. I'm thinking it's all going to grow into something bigger. I hope you enjoy more of eir work soon.

Happy new thread, Mary! I'm sorry that you are under the weather. I hope you'll be feeling better by tomorrow.

>26 richardderus: There was definitely a feel to Eren that there was more thought out about it than made it into the story, but I love how that brings depth to the glimpses you do see. I'd be very interested in reading a full-blown novel set there.

>27 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene! One of the dogs unfortunately suffers from separation anxiety and was barking 'til about 2:30 this morning, so I woke up dead tired and with a sore throat. I'm taking another sick and and instead of going to work, I'm going home to nap for a few hours this afternoon.

Good morning, all! Happy Wednesday. I took another sick day and I'm planning on taking it as easy as possible today, with a nap definitely thrown in after having a horrid night's sleep last night. Hopefully I can sleep well tonight and be well enough to go into work since I have a one-on-one appointment with someone to show them the basics of searching Ancestry Library Edition (this was someone from the waitlist to last week's program that took me up on my offer). And I know people will be anxious for the desk schedule for not this coming week but the one after...

Off to get a late breakfast and read.

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas and A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

Listening: really should pull out one of those albums today, I need a third listen through The Stooges' self-titled album

Watching: a Project Runway season on Netflix (one without Heidi Klum or Tim Gunn, which I haven't seen before)

Sorry you're under the weather! Hope today's nap was restorative.

>30 curioussquared: thanks, Natalie! Unfortunately the nap was more like a short doze, but I am feeling better today.

>29 bell7: How'd Project Runway go? I'm leery of it. No Tim?! ::side-eye::

Feel better!

>32 richardderus: Yeah, Christian Siriano simply isn't Tim. He doesn't have the same approach and tends to get a little snarky, though he does give good advice and the way he gave his save of a designer that eliminated was actually kinda funny. Just a different personality *shrug*

Happy FriYAY! I went into work yesterday and today, though I'm masking up 'cause I'm still coughing a little though feeling much better. Dogs were cooperative on their walks today, but I was late enough getting started that I was a little late to work, so I have about 20 minutes to make up next week.

After working 9-5 today and walking dogs again, I'm planning on making dinner and winding down the rest of the night watching a couple more episodes of Project Runway.

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair, and Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal because my library borrow of A Broken Blade ended and I needed another e-book to keep my Kindle streak going

Listening: podcasts this morning

Watching: Project Runway Season 18

I am glad to hear that you are feeling much better, Mary.

Happy new thread! Have a fabulous Friday!

Good to hear you are feeling better, Mary!

I ended up rather liking Christian Siriano on PR. He was definitely different than Tim, but he had a good perspective as a successful designer and former PR competitor.

Now I'm tempted to watch some random seasons :)

>35 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! Hope you have a good day too!

>36 katiekrug: I think the cuts they take make it seem more snarky/antagonist than his relationships with the designers actually are. I found him mildly annoying at first, but now it's mostly amusing. He does have a good perspective, and the advice he's given has been solid. Any random season is gonna be fun haha, the personalities and absolutely wild challenges are always good comfort watching. Netflix apparently has seasons 18 and 19 available for streaming.

Happy new one, Mary! I am glad that you are feeling better and hope you can kick the cold to the curb very soon.

>38 Crazymamie: Thanks, Mamie! I've been waking up feeling very chesty and coughing, but after coffee and being upright for awhile, feel better, so I'll take that as a win.

Happy weekend! Because of the snow in the forecast for tonight into tomorrow, it's going to be a very quiet one (hooray!). I've finished morning dog walks and am going to meet a friend to walk, then have cooking plans and more dog walking in the evening. Tomorrow... well, the only thing not officially canceled as of now is church, but whether I go in person or not will be entirely dictated by when the snow stops and gets cleaned up. It's not a great drive when the roads aren't clear, so I won't push it. So hanging out and reading is the name of the game, and I'm not complaining.

Reading/Listening/Watching: nothing new to report since yesterday, though I did crack the 1,000 page mark in The Count of Monte Cristo.

Morning, Mary. Happy Saturday. Glad you are feeling better. May it continue. Getting close to finishing Monte Cristo?

>41 msf59: Ha, we cross-posted, Mark! Yeah, I have roughly a book-length left to go in pages, I'm at 1,044 out of 1,462. Haydee has just related her story to Albert, who is seeing that Cavalcanti/Benedetto may be supplanting him as Mademoiselle Danglers' suitor. And I am left on tenterhooks waiting to see what happens with Valentine's story now that her grandfather has revealed himself to Franz as his father's killer. Very compelling, and I'm hoping to have good reading time this weekend.

" And I am left on tenterhooks..." That is Dumas' secret power. He sure keeps those pages turning and right to the end too.

Good luck hitting the finish line.

>43 msf59: Yeah, he does a really fantastic job of keeping all those storylines going in suspension so you feel the propulsion to read without really feeling the length of the book.

I hope your cold continues to improve. Glad to hear you've got a pretty quiet weekend ahead, as well. Enjoy that quality time with the Count. 😊

>40 bell7: Please Br'er Snow don't force me to stay abed and read!

Enjoy it, no matter what the weather Mary!

Dropping in to say hello. I hope you are beginning to feel better!

>45 MickyFine: It's been sooo nice. Thanks, Micky!

>46 richardderus: Please Br'er Snow don't force me to stay abed and read! Right?

>47 figsfromthistle: Hello, and thanks, Anita!

Well, good morning from snowy Massachusetts. Wonder of wonders, I slept in today and didn't get up 'til close to 8. The plow guys are currently at the dog house, so morning walks are delayed until they've left, and then church has been delayed 'til 11, leaving me with a delightfully leisurely morning compared to anything I've done all year.

I am close to 1100 pages in with the Count, and paused to return to Victoria Goddard's world with the short story Balancing Stone last night (I couldn't keep my eyes open and finished it when I woke up early morning before going back to sleep for a bit). I also finished the season of Project Runway that I was watching and was very pleased with the finale.

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo, A Broken Blade, Circus of Wonders

Listening: podcasts on dog walks, I may try to listen to The Stooges through once more this afternoon

Watching: maybe the Super Bowl, if I can figure out a way to when I don't have a TV service

>49 bell7: The Pooper Bull is streaming free on Tubi.com today. *shudder*

>50 richardderus: Oh thank you for that, I shall check it out if I have no alternative means of watching, and especially welcome since I know you are Not a Fan. *smooch*

If nothing else, I need to see if my work Super Bowl square and/or prediction in the family pool pan out.

9. Balancing Stone by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Stasia and I are continuing our read through Victoria Goddard's works, and this was our choice for February; meets the TIOLI challenge to have the first letter of a word in the title match the first letter of my name

Hope is spending time with Jemis Greenwing and the Darts, and hopes to marry Hal soon, so she's happy but has one niggling problem: she's an adopted orphan and doesn't know her true name. The reason this is an issue is that she is the Ironwood heiress, a cursed legacy in which she needs to know her true name to take possession of it and lift the curse. But how can she discover what it is?

Sometimes short stories leave you wanting more, but this was the perfect length for the story Goddard has to tell here. It's basically a side quest in the Greenwing & Dart series and doesn't make a lot of sense if you haven't read the novels. And it did leave me wanting to read more about Hope and see what happens next, but in a way that I was still satisfied by the story of her discovery. I'm really looking forward to see where the story goes next. 4.5 stars.

Happy new thread Mary!

I'm not watching the Super Bowl because it is on FOX and I won't watch anything on that network.

Hi Mary, happy newish thread. I hope you are feeling much much better and have a great week ahead.

>53 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

>54 benitastrnad: Well, you didn't miss much in the end. It was pretty much a blowout and kinda boring if you weren't a fan of one of the teams.

>55 AMQS: Thanks on all counts, Anne! Still a little residual rough-sounding voice, but feeling a lot better for sure.

I'm happy to learn you're feeling The Thing again, Mary, and may it stay that way.

>52 bell7: I am glad to hear that you enjoyed that one too! I really liked it and cannot wait to see what happens for Hope next either.

>57 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>58 alcottacre: Yeah, definitely a good one (can she write a bad one? I'm thinking not...).

Well, what a Monday. I got the dogs all walked and got in to work about 20 minutes late. I worked 'til 3 to make up some time, then had an email regarding the foster care application and sent in what I needed to. After that, it was time for yoga, then walking the dogs. I am beat and pretty much counting down 'til bedtime.

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair, and Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

Listening: radio

Watching: Super Bowl last night, nothing today

Happy newish thread, Mary! I hope you are feeling better. Thanks for your review of Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales on your last thread. I've now been altered to the next book in the trilogy and have it on hold at the library where they have it on order.

>61 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! I'm feeling a lot better, and fortunately it stayed pretty mild even when I was at my worst. I hope you continue to enjoy Emily Wilde! Glad I could put the newest book on your radar.

Happy Wednesday! Dog walking, work, dog walking was the name of the game yesterday. It wasn't quite as constant a day as Monday, but I was tired enough that I could only watch an episode and a half of Project Runway before dozing before going to bed. I am making progress in The Count of Monte Cristo still, and have a little over 200 pages left.

Dog walking then working 12-8 is my day today. We don't have any programs, but I have a couple of projects to keep me busy that both need stretches of attention, which tends to be in short supply. Have I mentioned that I take a week off in March for no particular reason and I'm looking forward to it like you wouldn't believe? Wish me luck!

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair, and Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal (I haven't actually picked up that last one in a couple of days, it was to have an ebook when I had to send A Broken Blade back to the library, and then my hold came in)

Listening: has just been radio because the last two albums I have left are Hoopla borrows and I haven't had the time to listen on my phone

Watching: Project Runway Season 19, episodes 2 and 3

Wednesday orisons, Mary!

Thanks, Richard! Nice to see you.

Mary, you are closing in on the end of your adventures with The Count.

Dog walking and then working 12-8 sounds like a very full day. I can see why you are looking forward to March and that vacation time.

Ooh, I love a good staycation! And it's always nice to have something to look forward to during dreary February...

We're twinning, Mary. I'm also taking a week of staycation in March. If I go too long without a break from work, I find I tend to get a little cranky.

Work bookended by dog walking sounds tiring just reading about it, Mary. One way to get your steps in though.

>66 Crazymamie: indeed, I'm closing in on the final 100 pages and everything is wrapping up. The dog walking is a lot, but it does keep me moving in winter, which is a nice side benefit.

>67 katiekrug: yes! One of the days I will probably try to do some pruning, but I don't have a lot planned otherwise.

>68 MickyFine: I also need to work breaks on there, sometimes only a day or two is sufficient but other times a vacation week is necessary, plans or no plans. Fortunately I've been here long enough to have a generous amount of leave.

>69 Familyhistorian: definitely a way to get my steps in, Meg, and a little extra cash to boot.

Happy Thursday! Dog walking, work and dog walking some more are the name of the game today. I might grocery shop after that? Which means I won't cook, as I don't allow myself to do both in one day (assembly of snacks or throwing a frozen pizza in the oven do not count as cooking for this rule). Same drill tomorrow, except I'll only grocery shop on one of these days, of course.

Saturday I'm getting a haircut and color, and that's all I'm planning on doing other than walking the dogs and reading my book club book for next week.

Reading: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair, and Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal though at this point I may just re-start it in a week or so

Listening: radio

Watching: nothing last night, I stuck to reading

Hi Mary. My life seems like a Staycation these days. I'm not complaining. ;-)
I also count on my dog walks with Penny to "step up" my step count. It is soooo cold today that I might have to do the quick walk around the block.

It looks like your book club will be reading The Frozen River which might be a reread for you? I have been on the library wait list since early January. Good thing I have plenty of books to keep me busy in the meantime. My main goal is to finish Roots this month as I'm reading it for Black History Month. It's a chunkster!

>72 Donna828: I look forward to the day when my life might be a Staycation, though I know myself well enough to admit I will probably find ways to keep myself just as busy in retirement. Some dog walks are definitely abbreviated when it is cold, but I hope you and Penny at least got a little time out. And yes, The Frozen River is a reread for me. I started it today and am looking forward to the discussion. Hope your library hold comes in soon for you! It's still very popular here as well (there's over 400 holds on 200 copies in my consortium of 160+ libraries), and I placed the holds early in order to definitely get them on time for book club.

10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Why now? Mark and I agreed to buddy read it, starting in January - and yes, it took me about 6 weeks to finish

Edmond Dantes has it all: a good job, chance of promotion, and a lovely girl he plans to marry. But when two jealous men conspire to have his arrested as a supporter of Napoleon Bonaparte, he loses everything and is imprisoned for years. Making a daring escape and coming into some money, he returns to get his revenge on the people who wronged him.

My Modern Library edition of The Count of Monte Cristo is a true doorstopper by all definitions, clocking in at 1462 pages, and it took me six weeks to read. That being said, this is a really excellent tale of human nature and revenge, and with all the different side stories of the various characters, I remained riveted throughout. It starts as almost a wish fulfillment - yes, Edmond, get back at the people who harmed you, they'll get what's coming to them! But it's much more nuanced than that. Edmond Dantes is changed by prison and while he may be more cunning, I would not say he's a better person. He sees himself as God's avenging angel and above the law, but some of his revenge tactics have unintended consequences and should leave him - and the reader - unsettled by what he's done. Deservedly a classic. 4.5 stars.

By the way, I looked up how long I've had this in my LT library, and I added it over 14 years ago. I remember buying on my cousin's recommendation, and knowing that it was a book that would take me longer than a library due date. So thanks to the push from Mark and the rest of you to finally pick it up after all these years. I rated it in the "would reread" lane, but as much as I enjoyed it, I think I will probably not reread it anytime soon.

Congrats on knocking out that chunkster! I read it when I was in high school (on my own, not for class) and really enjoyed it. Still not sure if I'm ready for a re-read though.

>74 bell7: Well done, but I agree with Micky that a re-read is quite a commitment.

>74 bell7: Yay, Mary, you finished it! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

>75 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I was glad that even though it took me awhile to finish, I never really got to the point where I was just glad to be done with a big book/long read, you know? It was satisfying all around.

>76 PaulCranswick: No, I doubt I would for a good long while. I'll be putting my copy in my Little Free Library soon.

>77 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene! I found it a good, satisfying read with the extra accomplishment of finishing a chunkster.

Happy weekend! It's a three-day weekend for me with the President's Day holiday observed on Monday, and I'm looking forward to a fairly laid back one where the biggest focus is finishing my book club book.

I have dog walking today and an appointment to get my hair done. This will be my drastic cut (10 inches to be donated), and I'll get color done besides. I have a few other errands I might try to run, but I'm going to play it by ear and see what I really want to do. We're supposed to get snow and ice overnight and into tomorrow, so I anticipate the grocery stores being wild today (I only need tahini and anchovy fillets, not for the same recipe). Tomorrow should be pretty low key overall.

Reading: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair; Circus of Wonders has pretty much taken a back seat and I'll start over when I'm ready to read it

Listening: radio and podcasts

Watching: more Project Runway the last couple of nights

Happy Saturday, Mary. Getting close to the finish line on Monte Cristo? I really enjoyed The Frozen River. Good luck with that haircut. Share a pic. 😀

>74 bell7: My biggest takeaway from the read was, in decades past, how eagerly people devoured m/m S&M material, and how extremely dangerous the illusion of Being On A Mission truly is. I wouldn't re-read it, or re-experience the story in other Media, absent force majeure.

Enjoy your Saturday!

>80 msf59: I finished it early yesterday morning and posted a review (see >74 bell7:) I will certainly post a picture (will try to remember to get before and after, even).

>81 richardderus: There were elements of it that made me wonder if it was an influence on Crime and Punishment. Certainly that question of whether anyone is ever above law, morality, what have you, is present in both and when your main protagonist is sympathetic yet doing awful things you as the reader feel somewhat implicated. If I thought Dumas found Dantes completely justified in what he did, I would like it less, but since he seems to acknowledge the danger of Being on a Mission, I felt less icky about it, if that makes sense. I don't feel the need to keep a copy around the house for a reread, in any case.

>82 bell7: It's necessary to believe Dumas was not valorizing the Mission in order to give the thing brain-space; it's one of my core story-squeams, though, a line from there to Lord of the Rings to Dune and on. I possess no copy of it, nor digital file. Once was enough.

Enjoy your three day weekend, Mary. It's also a long weekend here as Monday is Family Day.

I love that in >1 bell7: you mention siblings and niblings :) :) :)

>83 richardderus: It's necessary to believe Dumas was not valorizing the Mission in order to give the thing brain-space
This is fair

it's one of my core story-squeams
I get and can respect that, as I have different story-squeams of my own.

>84 Familyhistorian: I hope you enjoy your long weekend as well, Meg!

>85 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan :) My family is important to me and I'm used to being part of a large one, so it was fitting. I *love* being Auntie, too.

Here's how long my hair was before the cut:



And here's the results:


My waves haven't bounced back yet from the manhandling of bleach and color, so I can't quite tell what the cut is going to look like regularly, but I'm super happy with how the color came out. If you can't quite tell from the photo, there's three shades: purple, blue, and teal.

First DNF of the year:
A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

I put this one on my list after seeing a BookRiot list of indigenous authors, and I had high hopes going into it. The gist is that Keera is part Mortal part Elf - known as a Halfling - and as such, her life belongs to the king. She has become the King's Blade, which means he sends her out on missions and she's often had to kill her own kin as a result of his orders. She's wracked with guilt, addicted to alcohol, and carves the names of those she's killed into her own skin. When Keera's given the order to kill the Shadow, a mysterious figure that has been helping the Halflings, she reaches the end of what her conscience will allow and instead teams up with him and his allies to bring down the kingdom. Halfway in, though, they're still at a tentative alliance and traveling to kill the king and... there's been no real character or plot development otherwise. But the real tipping point came for me when Keera killed yet another person because "they've seen all our faces and could betray us" and though it's first person narration I for the life of me cannot figure out what her motivation is for who she trusts and doesn't.

I would have liked to see more development of the anti-colonialist Elves and what they've lost as well as the gender norms that I think the author delves into later in the series (in one interview she tells the questioner to assume all the characters are "queer in some way unless stated otherwise"). But this first one stays pretty basic fantasy, evil king that must be destroyed, and I don't have the patience to see it develop. For anyone looking for an anti-colonial indigenous take on the fantasy genre, I recommend To Shape a Dragon's Breath instead.

Happy Sunday! We have had a couple of inches of snow and now have freezing rain coming down. I'll be walking the dogs shortly and church has been moved to 11 a.m. We'll see what this road looks like a little later this morning if I venture forth or not. I had originally had plans with my Little, but we canceled due to the weather. So it should be a pretty low key day, maybe tidying up the house some and reading my book club book.

Update: in-person church service has been canceled, so I'll be watching the online services at home

Reading: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and possibly starting The Bromance Book Club tonight. I'm considering Circus of Wonders paused rather than DNF for now.

Listening: radio and podcasts

Watching: a couple of episodes of Project Runway and a bit of the USA/Canada hockey matchup last night

Your cut and colour look awesome, Mary!

If you start Bromance Book Club, I hope you have fun with it. Enjoy your snow day!

>87 bell7: Your hair is gorgeous!

Happy Sunday!

Karen O

Love the cut and colour, Mary. Enjoy the Bromance Book Club. I did!

>90 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I started it last night as my e-book before bed, and am enjoying it so far.

>91 klobrien2: Thanks, Karen!

>92 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg! And yeah, it's enjoyable so far for sure.

Happy Monday! It's a holiday, so after dog walking i originally had plans to go out with my Little. But unfortunately the garage door is iced closed and I can't get out, so I called and canceled. I've put down ice melt and if worst comes to worst, I'll ask the people I've been dogsitting for to help me get out.

But it does make my day a little more relaxed. I have about 150 pages left in The Frozen River for book club, I'm watching the finale of Project Runway season 19, and have a little packing to do to be ready to go home this afternoon.

Reading: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon and The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

Watching: Project Runway Season 19

Listening: podcasts, though I'm really looking forward to getting back to the Rolling Stones project

>59 bell7: If she ever writes a bad one, I am immediately going to suspect a ghost writer, lol.

>63 bell7: I hope you enjoy your time off in March, Mary! Kerry and I are heading to Orlando, FL in the middle of the month and from there to NC before heading back home. I am going to need a vacation from my vacation when I get back. Oh wait, I am retired - is that a permanent vacation??

>74 bell7: Congratulations on completing The Count. You mentioned how long you have had it - I am listening to Kristin Lavransdatter, which I bought on our trip to NYC, 15 years ago. I still would not have gotten to it if not for Paul's Grand Tour Challenge. Isn't LT wonderful for making us look at books we otherwise might not have?

>87 bell7: I love the hair cut - and the new hair colors!

>88 bell7: One that I never need read. . . I hope your next read is better for you, Mary!

Have a marvelous Monday!

>95 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! I hope you have a good vacation. And yes, I totally get the need to take a vacation after your vacation. *Is* retirement really a permanent vacation? I see retirees with pretty busy lives, by and large, and don't expect I personally will be any different. I have plans for my time in retirement haha. Thanks re: the Count and the haircut. I'm glad you enjoyed Kristin Lavransdatter. I'm not making any commitments on more chunksters anytime soon. And thankfully, yes, both my current reads are humming along better than A Broken Blade.

>96 bell7: Plans for retirement? Well, all of mine have "Gang aft agley" as Robert Burns might say. I hope yours all work out - and that I am here to see them!

Glad to hear that your current reads are going well!

>97 alcottacre: Oh, I expect mine will too. I'm approximately 20 years out, but it's not to early to plan, right? My thoughts are I'd love to travel, research my genealogy (probably a combination of the two), and take free college classes. And I hope you're here to see that, too, Stasia!

11. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Why now? For book club on Wednesday

Here's what I said when I read it last year:

A body is found in the ice, and local midwife Martha Ballard is called to examine it. She knows it's murder - there's evidence the man, Joshua Burgess, was hung - but another physician immediately contradicts her findings. To complicated matters, Joshua and another man, a respected judge who has a lot of clout in the small community of Kennebec, stands accused of raping Rebecca Foster, the wife of the recently dismissed minister in town who himself is suing to get the remainder of his fee.

It's been awhile since I read such an immersive book. I found myself reluctant to put down this story and eager to pick it up again when I could. There's a claustrophobia in this small, gossipy town in the winter of 1789 when the river froze and many days that Martha wasn't birthing babies, she is at home. But she's also a respected woman in the community and knows many folks' secrets. The mystery itself takes a back seat to the historical details of midwifery and legal proceedings in the newly fledged United States, but these never overwhelm the story of a community and the double standards in the expected behavior of men and women. Ballard herself was a real midwife who really kept a day book, and Lawhon does an excellent job of bringing her to life and imagining a mystery she might have investigated. The author's note - which she warns you in the beginning not to look at 'til you've finished - breaks down fact from fiction thoroughly. I'm really looking forward now to turning to the nonfiction account in "A Midwife's Tale" by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich.

I never did pull out my copy of A Midwife's Tale, but I'm going to this time around. I will say it suffers a little from my rereading it close together (the first time I read it was in June), and there's definitely some wish fulfillment in exactly what happens to the man accused of rape.

I, too, find the hairs most attractively arrayed and pigmented.

Awake briefly to accomplish one internet task...so naturally it turned into an hour of cruising. Steam is not replenishing so off to snooze more.

>100 richardderus: Thank you, good sir. And hope you're able to get some good rest in. Feel better!

Happy Tuesday! I'm off to work shortly and have a bit of a break from walking the dogs, since the road where they live is so icy and it's not expected to melt for a few days at least. I'll be checking in with the owners and our schedule to see if that changes, but I'm not complaining of having a little more time in the morning to wake up and get ready for the day.

Working 9-5 today, where I'm planning on prepping for book club tomorrow. The plan for dinner tonight is portobello caps stuffed with chickpeas.

Reading: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams and The Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Listening: I think I'll try to put The Stooges on for my final listen through today

Watching: season finale of Project Runway Season 19 yesterday morning

The new cut and color look great, Mary!

I read the first two (three?) in the Bromance Book Club series and enjoyed them.

>101 bell7: Rested and rejuvenated, Mary, so since this rotten virus cost me so much of a week, shall we agree to reset to Monday? I think it'd do the world some good to retake the days we've lost to stress, fear, outrage, and misery, no?

...wait...that means it's 1158...never mind.

Love the cut and color, looks really good on you and you look happy about the results too!

>87 bell7: Gorgeous haircut and color!

Hi Mary my dear, a belated Happy New Thread and what a lovely hairstyle and colour, dear friend.

>103 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! I'm liking it pretty well so far, though not sure I'd read more in the series.

>104 richardderus: If I were to reset to a certain day of the week, I might consider resetting to Thursday... then it's almost Friday and the weekend. Glad you're feeling better! *smooch*

>105 ursula: Thanks, Ursula! I'm definitely happy with the results (I have so much fun with color especially), and today I got some of the waves coming back so I'm even more pleased.

>106 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi!

>107 johnsimpson: Thank you, John! Good to see you here.

Love the hair - I missed what the cut hair it is donated for? (No worries if that was deliberate). Glad your waves are returning too. I always have a moment coming out of the hairdresser wishing I'd just asked them to leave it to dry by itself.

A belated comment re the Monte Cristo discussion. I am a big fan of the non fiction Black Count, about the life of the amazing Dumas who inspired author-Dumas to "borrow" aspects of his life for the CoM. It's the kind of non-fiction that you wouldn't believe (or I wouldn't, at least!) was plausible if it was fiction. A bit timely for now as well given the way the narrative explores how the equality aims of the Revolution were wiped out by Napoleonic policies - and what that meant for a man like Dumas, the son of an enslaved woman.
Perhaps time for a reread for me. Although I will have to *find* my copy first!

Oh, your hair is gorgeous, both before and after, Mary! Wow! Congratulations on finishing The Count. That is a chunkster. I really loved Frozen River and I hope it makes a great book for book club discussion.

>96 bell7: As busy as you are now, Mary, wait until you hit retirement!

>87 bell7: Wow! that's a lot of length chopped off. Looks great. The three shades turned out nice.

Happy mid week!

>109 charl08: Oh! No, it just didn't occur to me to mention. There are a few places that will take donated hair to make wigs for various folks - with alopecia, or hair loss after chemotherapy, that kind of thing. There's one place that I know of that accepts colored/bleached hair, which is Locks of Love, and they'll sell the hair they can't use for wigs (gray, too short, colored/bleached) to offset the cost of making wigs for kids with alopecia. I've been donating every couple of years for awhile now. When I just get a cut, I often ask my hairdresser to play up the natural waves, but this time it was reacting in part to the bleach and color, and it still hasn't completely bounced back, though it's not as straight as it was. I'll have to look up Black Count while the details are still fairly fresh in my mind. Thanks for the recommendation!

>110 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah! I am feeling pretty accomplished having that chunkster under my belt. And I look forward to hearing what my book group makes of The Frozen River. It is, perhaps, not as meaty as some of the other books we tend to read, but I think it made a good February read for all that, and there's definitely things to talk about.

>111 Familyhistorian: I don't doubt it, Meg. My parents are retired and my dad loves that he can linger over his morning cup of coffee without rushing out the door, but he's hiking, playing pickleball and (with my mother) babysitting his granddaughter on a regular basis. I definitely expect to keep myself quite busy with various pursuits.

>112 figsfromthistle: Over ten inches, maybe 11 when it's all stretched straight. I go for a drastic cut every 2-3 years and grow it out again, which is fun for my and my hairdresser.

Morning, all! I woke up in the middle of the night and had trouble getting back to sleep, so I'm fed and caffeinated but kinda dragging so far this morning. Fortunately I don't have to be at work 'til noon today. Book group to discuss The Frozen River is tonight.

The plan for today once I can get myself moving is finish tidying up in advance of the home visit for the foster care process, which is tomorrow after work. I'd like to make a meal, too, so I have lunch ready for tomorrow, but it'll likely be something simple. So a fairly low key day as far as mine go haha.

Reading: Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal (I started over last night on e-book) and A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Listening: finished up The Stooges last night and starting The Flying Burrito Brothers

Watching: nothing last night

Crafting: finally picked up the pair of socks I've been working on and knit a few rows. I'm about two inches away from turning the heel

12. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
Why now? My friend recommended it to me while I was visiting her some weeks ago and I borrowed it from her library

Gavin's wife Thea kicked him out of the house recently after he realized that she'd been faking orgasms for three years and he reacted badly. He wants to get back together, though, and a couple of his friends on his major league baseball team convince him that he needs to read romance novels to be a better husband. After all, they are by and large written for women, by women and have a lot to say about what women want. So he and Thea make a deal - he'll move back in for a month, and he has until Christmas to convince her to take him back.

This was a fun premise and I liked what meta elements that really championed the romance novel and women's joy. I could root for both Gavin and Thea, though I found her reasons for the breakup, which were rooted in her childhood sense of abandonment and her father being a less than stellar guy, more believable between the two. The main disconnect was an utter lack of communication on both their sides, and I despise that trope in any story, so that was a big hurdle for me to get over. The story in the Regency romance that Gavin was reading mirrored his and Thea's a little too much, and Thea's epiphany was a little too easy (let's be honest, they probably both needed therapy). But it was a fast-paced, enjoyable read overall. 3.5 stars.

>109 charl08: I will second the recommendation for The Black Count. That was one of my favorite reads from last year, and it was partial motivation for me to join in reading The Count of Monte Cristo. I agree also that if it were fiction it would seem almost unbelievable.

Lovely haircut and coloration, Mary! Several of my fellow pediatricians in Atlanta, male and female, cut or completely shave their heads on St Baldrick's Day in support of the St Baldrick's Foundation, an organization which raises funds for childhood cancer research.

>116 atozgrl: thanks for the recommendation, Irene! It certainly sounds like quite a story.

>117 kidzdoc: thank you, Darryl. I love that tradition many of your fellow pediatricians participated in.

Happy Thursday! I'd started out having plenty of time to get myself ready for work and posting here, but then I started tidying up for the visit tonight and found it necessary to mop my kitchen floor and ended up a few minutes late to work. I'm heading out right at five to get home and have the first home visit for working towards becoming a foster parent. Hopefully more info soon to come!

>119 bell7: Exciting! Good luck!

>120 foggidawn: Thank you! Things went well, I think. There are a few things I will need to get and do - like a fire alarm for the basement (there's only carbon monoxide), lock box for my medications. But she measured the room, explained next steps and I start my training on Saturdays, March 1!

>121 bell7: Looks like that part of the process went well, Mary. How long is the training for?

>122 Familyhistorian: It's an accelerated training, so it's every Saturday in March from 9-3.

>121 bell7: That sounds great, Mary.

>124 quondame: thanks, Susan!

Happy Friday, Mary. Good review of Monte Cristo. It was great reading it along with several buddies. I like your haircut pics. I like the longer hair look but that's just my preference. You are rockin' the colors.

I ended up loving The Woman in White. My second classic chunkster of the year.

>123 bell7: Woo hoo! This is very very good news, and I'm really happy for you. Good weekend-ahead's reads!

>121 bell7: Congratulations, Mary, and good luck on the rest of the process!

>126 msf59: It was really fun to all read it together, and I'm glad it worked out. Thanks for organizing all of us! And thanks re: the hair. I like messing around with my hair length and color; it'll be long again in only 2-3 years. The next big book I'm planning on reading is The Rediscovery of America, but at this rate it's going to be late March or early April.

>127 richardderus: Thank you, that's really sweet of you *smooch* and happy weekend.

>128 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene! I knocked out my first "next step" today by buying a lock box for my medications, and one of my co-workers offered me a couple of closures for cabinets that I can use in the kitchen.

TGIF, and happy weekend-to-come! Tomorrow I need to make a dump run and I'm planning on meeting up with a friend to walk. I also want to go to the gym (it's been a couple of weeks, and I haven't dog walked since Monday, either) and make kale & white bean soup. This will be a little more relaxed than Sunday. The plan is nursery in the morning, hanging out with my Little, going to my parents to celebrate my dad's birthday, and Sunday night small group back near the church again. When I'm going to bake bread I don't know, but I am going to try!

Reading: A Midwife's Tale by Lauren Thatcher Ulrich, Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal (I started over and it's my e-book before bed) and Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

Listening: has been radio and podcasts lately

Watching: last night I stayed up for the "4 Nations" final between the US and Canada. It was a great game, but it went into overtime and I didn't get to bed 'til 11:30

Crafting: a row or two on the socks

>87 bell7: Love the new look! I've been letting my hair grow over the winter to keep my neck warm. ;-) I will probably get it cut fairly soon. Sure wish I had the nerve to color it.

>121 bell7: Sounds like the process to become a foster parent is moving right along. It will change your life dramatically and I wish you all the best. Thanks for letting us follow you in the process.

Thank you, Donna! I've been making up for the lack of hair over my neck with a nice scarf. I have very much enjoyed coloring my hair over the last few years - the first time, I put a streak of purple underneath so that if I didn't like it, it would be subtle until I could cut it out. But as it turned out, I loved it, and I've stayed much more bold ever since.

Yes, the process is going much quicker than I'd anticipated. We'll see what the timing ends up being, but as I have some dogsitting jobs I'd agreed to in July, I may end up going on hold until later in the summer.

Happy weekend!

It's been a busy day so far, and I'm sitting to take a break before I make dinner. I won't repeat my list of what I did from the list of what I planned to do as I typed out yesterday, but will just say the only thing left from my to-do list is cooking. The day has gone by quickly, and I'm looking forward to reading and knitting in the evening.

Reading/Listening: all the same as yesterday

Watching: I might put something on tonight, haven't decided what yet

Crafting: I'm about to pick up my socks again (or more properly "sock", I knit them one at a time and am still working on the first)

Glad to hear things are still going well on the fostering front. That's very exciting.

Sounds like a full weekend on the books for you so I'm glad you get a quiet evening tonight.

>134 MickyFine: The next five weekends are pretty well booked haha. I'll have to get in some rest when I can, and thank goodness for that vacation week in March...

Happy Sunday! I have nursery at church this morning, this one with the babies, so I'll have fun (and probably end up sitting with a crier whose mom is singing this morning, but we'll see how things go). I'm then getting together with my Little, celebrating my dad's birthday, and I haven't yet decided but may or may not get to my small group tonight after that. Somewhere in there I'm baking bread? I'm nothing if not ambitious with my to-do list.

Reading: Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal and A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

Listening: radio and podcasts

Watching: I randomly put on a hockey game last night that was not the Bruins as background noise while I read/knit

Crafting: a couple more rows on the sock

13. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
Why now? When I learned a third book in the series was coming out, I decided a reread of the first two books was in order

Here's my review from when I read it in 2021:

Oh, and if you're interested in The Witness of the Dead, it's currently an Amazon deal for $2.99. I caved and bought it yesterday (I'd been reading the library book before that) and since I had some points racked up it was all of 74 cents.

>138 bell7: Those points really do keep one in the Amazone, don't they? But 74¢ is unusually cheap, so all the yay! Sunday orisons, and may The Crier surprise everyone and not.

>139 richardderus: Indeed, I even gave myself an extra day to think about it and ultimately decided it was too good a deal to pass up. And thank you! I hope so.

In either case, I should be able to hang out with my friend's almost-two-year-old who rather adorably insisted that I read her a book at the library and was not happy when I explained I had to go back to work. (Two weeks ago, her six-year-old cousin saw me walk into church and exclaimed, "Did you walk all the way from the library?" So it's probably about time I invite my friends over to my house so their kids know where I actually live hahaha.)

>140 bell7: I cracked up that your friend's kiddo thinks you live at the library.

>141 MickyFine: I know, right? Sadly, he doesn't anymore as I didn't have the presence of mind to go with it and just blandly explained that I drove from my house.

14. The Employees by Olga Ravn
Why now? A library volunteer read it during our "Blind Date with a Book" display and recommended it to me - because it was both short and in translation, I figured it would be good weekend reading and help me meet my goals for the year

Here is more about Lea Guldditte Hestelund's art installation that inspired The Employees.

I gave the book four stars but I have a feeling this one will stick in my memory a bit more than some others.

Happy Monday! I woke up before the alarm this morning and decided to get up and get going, having breakfast and coffee and finishing The Employees, which I almost finished yesterday but then couldn't keep my eyes open after such a busy day.

I've got another packed schedule today. I'm working 9-2, getting a massage, babysitting my niece, and going to yoga. I got to see R. yesterday at my parents', and she's grown taller and bigger since I last saw her (was it only a month ago?) and can walk pretty well all of a sudden. She's quite proud of it, too - she would walk for awhile and then clap for herself, looking around to make sure we had watched her prowess and were clapping for her as well. They left not long after I got there, so I'm looking forward to some one-on-one niece time today.

Reading: A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal

Listening: "The Gilded Palace of Sin" by the Flying Burrito Brothers

Watching/Crafting: nothing last night

>143 bell7: You got me with a BB for The Employees. Thanks for the review!

Karen O

>143 bell7: I enjoyed your review, Mary. I won't be reading it but I'm happy to thumbs-up that piece! I'm delighted by this innovation, and how very simple it is to use. Splendid Mondaying to you, my dear lady.

>146 klobrien2: You're welcome! Hope you enjoy it.

>147 richardderus: Thanks for that, Richard. I'd normally been working out my review on my thread and then copying & pasting it into the work page, but for the ease of attaching a review, I'll probably start swapping how I do it. One thing that seems to be a side effect of being able to attach threads in our review is it seems to increase the ease of thumbing them. It'll be interesting to see if that continues when it's not such a novelty.

Happy Tuesday! I'm back to dog walking this morning, so I did that and now I'm working 9-5. I'm planning on getting to the gym tonight after work and have leftovers for dinner tonight.

Babysitting my niece yesterday was fun. She enjoyed crawling (only a little walking) around the house, occasionally in her room but mostly exploring the living room. She would bounce to get me to put music on and wanted to steal my phone. She's getting big and too heavy for me to hold for long periods of time.

Reading/Listening, etc. - nothing new to report

>148 bell7: It's a really low investment now, so I expect it'll increase and stay higher than before. I don't think it'll get HUGE like it is on Goodreads because people here are so knee-jerk opposed to new things, and really have animus for Goodreads.

>150 richardderus: it makes me more likely to thumb in the moment rather than taking that extra step to go to the work page, so it makes sense to me that it'd go up a bit. I like thumbing, I will be unhappy if LT ever makes comments on reviews a thing. I had someone correct my (perfectly legitimate) word usage on Goodreads once and I'm still salty about it 😂

Wow, happy to see that the process for fostering is flying right along. I'm sure they can tell that any child would be lucky to be placed with you.

>143 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mary!

>152 ursula: Aw, thank you! It sounds like they don't make a definite decision until after the classes are over, but they certainly have been moving the process right along.

>153 alcottacre: You're very welcome, I look forward to your thoughts whenever you're able to wedge it in, Stasia.

Have we already reached mid-week? Wow, that doesn't seem possible. I am dog walking this morning, and then meeting a friend for more walking so I'll definitely get my steps in today. Work is 12-8 and while I don't have a particular task on my agenda off the top of my head, I'm sure it will fill with things that need to be done. I have a lot of volunteers coming in today and will coordinate their shelving and other projects.

Once again I woke up before the alarm today, and am getting an early start to the day. This often happens to me leading up to Daylight Savings Time with the result that by the time the clocks change, I simply readjust to waking up at 7:15 instead of 6-something. I finished Circus of Wonders this morning, and I think this is the first time since I've tracked the stats that I read more books in February than January. It's a bit of a false comparison, of course, since one of the books I was reading in both months was The Count of Monte Cristo.

Reading: A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
I had thought to start Rumor Has It by Cat Rambo the other day since it's next due at the library, but I only read a page and might put it aside for a reread of The Grief of Stones instead.

Listening: has been radio and podcasts, but I should get back to "The Gilded Palace of Sin" for a final listen through

Watching: put on the Bruins last night. They went from a 2-0 lead to losing 4-3 in overtime which was a bit disappointing

Crafting: progress on knitting a sock. I think I'm going to repeat the pattern once more before beginning on the heel

Happy Wednesday, Mary. Glad to hear that the week is humming along. You sure keep yourself busy. No problem with that.

>156 msf59: Probably a little too busy, to be honest, Mark. But I sure don't get bored!

15. Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
Why now? Trying to whittle down the ARCs on my Kindle, plus this fit the TIOLI challenge to read a book of historical fiction published after 1980

>151 bell7: Pedants abound online. It's always fun to get nastygrams from people you don't know, don't want to know, and wish were absent.

*sigh*

>159 richardderus: Indeed! Thankfully my experience here has been an overall positive one.

>119 bell7: Nice! Exciting news! Congrats. I am sure everything will work out. Any foster child would be lucky to have you as their parent!

Happy mid week.

>161 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita! Hope you have a lovely day.

The International Booker Prize Longlist was announced. I shall have to look up more about each title to see which would interest me most, but I thought it would be interesting to note given my goal to read more internationally this year.

>161 figsfromthistle: I agree.

>163 bell7: Yeah, I had a book voucher before I saw that announcement...

>164 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte! Sounds like a most excellent use of a book voucher, and I'll look forward to any reviews forthcoming :)

Happy Thursday, all. Another busy day ahead, I'm leaving shortly to dog walk, then work, then Bible study.

Reading: A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison, and The Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Listening: I finished with the Flying Burrito Brothers and will be picking my first 1970s album today

>166 bell7: ...what...what is happening to me?! I actually thought, "Sangu Mandanna's book sounds like a fun read," before shrieking aloud and throwing my laptop across the bed. Did you throw some sort of gynergetic spell across your thread?

*skedaddles*

>167 richardderus: I mean... it is a fun read, though perhaps you'd rather wait 'til you can get a library copy and not have an obligation to review it if it turns out to be Not For You? Plus there's a reanimated rooster and a talking fox rather than a c-a-t like some witchy books. *smooch*

TGIF! I missed Bible study last night, I am definitely getting a cold and decided to go home and have soup to try to fend it off for the weekend, where there are lots of fun plans I don't want to miss.

Today I work 9-5, walk the dogs, and then go to my parents' to hang out with them and my youngest sister and her boyfriend who are up for the weekend. My other sister's family will be coming up tomorrow and staying overnight with me, all to celebrate niece R.'s birthday tomorrow afternoon. And I will be attending the first of the virtual foster care classes tomorrow. So... wish me luck with all that lol.

Reading: A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison, and The Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Listening: "Cosmo's Factory" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Watching: Bruins last night

Crafting: a few more rows on the sock

February in review
15. Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
14. The Employees by Olga Ravn
13. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
12. The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams
11. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
10. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
9. Balancing Stone by Victoria Goddard
8. Power to Yield and Other Stories by Bogi Takacs

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

Because I want to awards:
Longest books I've ever read - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Just as good the second time around - The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison

YTD stats -
Pages read: 5,418
Avg pages a day: 91.8
Books by authors of color: 3 (20%)
In translation: 2 (13%)
Indigenous authors: 0 (0%)
Countries of origin: US - 7 (46.67%); Canada - 3 (20%); UK - 2 (13.33%); France - 1 (6.67%); Hungary - 1 (6.67%); Denmark - 1 (6.67%)
DNF: 1

Thoughts: It is not often that I can say I've read more books in February than in January, but reading The Count of Monte Cristo at the beginning of the year is simply having an outsized effect on my stats in 2025 so far. Eight books in February is a pretty average number for me. I've been really pleased with how consistently I've kept up my international reading, though I still haven't read a book by an indigenous author (the DNF was going to be my first one) and I need to get on that to meet my goal this year. And last but not least, I generally enjoyed what I read. The lowest rating was 3 stars (Circus of Wonders), but five out of the eight rated 4.5.

>168 bell7: *shiver* I think I'm recovered from the Urge. I hope so, anyway. Had you not mentioned the absence of...Them...I'd be over it.

>169 bell7: Keep that cold away! Weekend fun, that's the ticket!

>171 richardderus: *snort* well, if the books I'm currently reading don't tickle your fancy, I'm certain I'll come across something soon to tempt you. And thanks for the well-wishes! Hope your foot is behaving itself and you're feeling better after last weekend's yuckiness.

I don't usually do this, but because I put so many books in the TIOLI challenge for March, here's a "note to self" of where I put them all (with the full freedom to toss books and sub others in because I'm much more of a mood reader than a planner) -

Challenge #1: In Vitro: On Longing and Transformation by Isabel Zapata
Challenge #2:
Challenge #3: Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi
Challenge #4: Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed, My Grandmother's Braid by Alina Bronsky, A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, The First Special Service Force by Robert D. Burhans, and The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
Challenge #5: Rivermouth by Alejandra Oliva and South to a Very Old Place by Albert Murrah
Challenge #6:
Challenge #7: The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
Challenge #8: A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
Challenge #9:
Challenge #10: In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf and Table for Two by Amor Towles
Challenge 11:
Challenge 12:
Challenge 13:
Challenge 14:

Couldn't find a challenge for it:
Till Human Voices Wake Us by Victoria Goddard
The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly

PEN has come out with the list of the most banned books in the 2023-2024 year. Nineteen Minutes tops the list. The full index is also available if you want to get really mad, breaking it down by state, date of the challenge/removal, and the initiating action ("formal challenge" or "administration" were the reasons I saw). And don't think it's not happening where you live - both New Jersey and Massachusetts had one each on the list, and that's just what was reported, not every informal challenge or book not purchased to avoid the whole rigamarole.

Hi Mary! Looks like you had a good reading month in February. Congrats on moving forward in the fostering process -- hopefully it continues to go smoothly!

>174 bell7: Challenge #4: Read a book with a four-letter word embedded in a longer word in the title.
A Midwife's Tale by Lauren Thatcher Ulrich
The First Special Service Force by Robert D. Burhans
The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

I know you already have one for that challenge, but at least it leaps your frog.
I love Grief of Stones

Crossing my fingers your cold doesn't put a damper on all your weekend plans.

>175 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! It's hard to believe the first class is today...

>176 quondame: Ooh, thanks for the help there, Susan. I probably won't read all of the books I've planned anyways, but the fact that they fit in the challenge will help.

>177 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! So far today, I'm feeling a little better than yesterday so I'll take it as a win.

Happy weekend, all! I'm having my coffee now and shortly will be getting up and moving, making beds for my sister's family staying here, and then start my classes for the foster care process. It's unbelievable to me that I'm actually at this point. I'll be in (virtual) class 'til about 1 when I leave early to go to my niece's first birthday. Her actual birthday is a few days away, but it is the weekend. All of my family will be here, a feat in and of itself, as well as her family from her mom's side. Time to party!

Tomorrow after my sister A's family leaves in the morning, I'll head out to church where I have toddler nursery and it'll be a slightly extended service, then meeting up with my youngest sister who will still be here and my parents to go to a flower show. I'll hang out with them till my sister has to go to her flight, then go where I've been dog walking to learn the new procedure for the cat's meds for when they're traveling later this week.

Phew! With that said, I better get going.

Reading: The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly, The Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna, The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison and A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (yes, it's a little much even by my standards)

Listening: "Cosmo's Factory" by Creedence Clearwater Revival

Watching/Crafting: nothing yesterday

>179 bell7: "Cosmo's Factory!" Is this still the cover they're using?

I remember buying it in 1972. Such a weird thing to recall so clearly but it was one of six (SIX!!) albums I bought that day. First time in my life. Funny what sticks, no?

>180 richardderus: Indeed, that is the cover on the CD I have from the library. It is funny what sticks, but I have kind of a similar memory... the day after my youngest sister was born, I bought the sophomore album of the band that I still name as a "favorite" today, thus can tell you exactly what day I bought it. (And shockingly, I still have it and it's playable some 25+ years later)

Happy Sunday *smooches*

Happy Sunday! The family staying with me was up early and left already, so I'm putting things back to rights, taking sheets off the beds and clearing the table from breakfast. My niece was really sad to come and leave so quickly, but she'll adjust going back to her routine tomorrow. The birthday party for R. was a lot of fun. There were a lot of people, between family and friends, and she often just looked around with her "take it all in" expression. But she'd also play a little and interact, booping her cousins' noses, and smiling when Grandpa showed up. She thought everyone singing "Happy birthday" to her was the greatest, and looked around at us all with a huge grin on her face for the duration of the song.

The schedule today is as described yesterday: nursery, time with family, and learning the cat's meds before I dog-and-cat sit for them next. Tomorrow's back to work of a five-hour shift will feel like a break haha.

Reading/Listening/etc. all the same as reported yesterday, though I'm almost done a couple of books so expect reviews soon despite all the business.

Happy Sunday! The family staying with me was up early and left already, so I'm putting things back to rights, taking sheets off the beds and clearing the table from breakfast. My niece was really sad to come and leave so quickly, but she'll adjust going back to her routine tomorrow. The birthday party for R. was a lot of fun. There were a lot of people, between family and friends, and she often just looked around with her "take it all in" expression. But she'd also play a little and interact, booping her cousins' noses, and smiling when Grandpa showed up. She thought everyone singing "Happy birthday" to her was the greatest, and looked around at us all with a huge grin on her face for the duration of the song.

The schedule today is as described yesterday: nursery, time with family, and learning the cat's meds before I dog-and-cat sit for them next. Tomorrow's back to work of a five-hour shift will feel like a break haha.

Reading/Listening/etc. all the same as reported yesterday, though I'm almost done a couple of books so expect reviews soon despite all the business.

>183 bell7: Flying visits are The Best, really, lots of work but no time to get tired of the interruption of the routine.

Sunday *smooch* twice to match the double post

How did your first foster care class go?

Enjoy your busy day!

>184 richardderus: Yeah, I'm currently washing all the sheets and it was a whirlwind, but you're right that the longer the visit the more upended everything feels. When I visit now, I don't go for more than a week - anything longer seems too much for everyone (me included) except the kids lol.

>185 katiekrug: Yikes, in all the weekend busy-ness I forgot to mention. It was really good! The content is practical and useful, we talked about the process in general, what happens when a kid goes into the system and what the timeline is for different check-ins with birth parents, the fact that a kid's goal can change between reunification and adoption depending on various factors. They had a ton of information for us, and some discussion questions to get us thinking (for example, in thinking about how a child might feel walking into a new house/family setting, they asked us to talk about what it was like walking into a new job for the first time, and they also asked about the conversation we would have telling our parents we were fostering).

One thing I didn't have an answer for right away were what your house rules are. I haven't had to articulate them since I've lived alone for so long, but as my sister's family was here, I paid attention to what I had to tell the kids or what behaviors got under my skin. I can confidently say that "clear your dishes" is going to be a house rule haha. I daresay I will discover others as I go. And the parents were a nice variety - couples, singles, folks asking for older children and others babies, and a wide variety of life experiences that made for interesting discussion. I suspect a full 9-3 is going to leave my head spinning, but it was definitely a good start.

>174 bell7: Thanks for the link, Mary. I am stunned that Looking for Alaska was the second most banned book. We read that for my Challenged Books Club in October last year, and I honestly didn't see any reason to ban that book. I hadn't heard of Nineteen Minutes before, but now I want to read it.

I started going through the index to see what was happening in NC, but I got stuck because there were so many pages devoted to Florida that I couldn't get past them. When I searched NC there were only 4 pages, and only one book on the last page. Not good, but at least it's not like Florida.

>187 atozgrl: You're welcome, Irene. I think when most folks seriously engage with the full texts, it's much less likely to lead to challenges and banning. But bad actors take things out of context, make a moral outrage out of it, and all of a sudden we've got folks calling librarians "groomers" on the Internet and claiming that we're giving porn to children. It's really disgusting how far it's gone. And yeah, it's pretty appalling to see how many pages Florida has. There were so many coming through that they ended up passing a law in 2024 that stated if you didn't have a child in school, you could *only* challenge one book a month.

Good Monday morning, all!

The busy weekend is now over, and I can recover going to my normal busy routine. Ha! Today I work 9-2:30 so I can make up a little time, then I'm meeting a friend for a walk and have yoga class to round out the day. I have some reviews to catch up on, both on books I finished in the last two days and the music I've been listening to. I'll try to get to that today or tomorrow while it's still reasonably fresh in my mind.

Reading: The Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

Listening: "Moondance" by Van Morrison

>188 bell7: Moral panics are a well-established high-control group's social wedge...no one can speak against Maude Flanders when she whines, "Won't somebody think of the children?" after all. It is ALWAYS disingenuous. It is also always effective among the "I'm not prejudiced, I just don't like Those People" set.

>186 bell7: - Sounds like good and useful information and lots to chew on!

>190 richardderus: I've become increasingly suspicious of Moral Outrage of almost any kind. And I read as many of the books as I can to be able to intelligently discuss it with others who ask me about it... it gets exhausting some days.

>191 katiekrug: It was! I'm looking forward to the next session and will probably be making a point of taking a good long walk afterwards to work out the kinks from sitting so long and help absorb everything.

Lest we think it's just a US problem - Ontario librarians discuss book banning.

And for a little lighter fare - More Borrowed Library Books in the US in 2024.

>194 bell7: We're all a bit Cassandra-ish, for good reason!, but it's honestly nothing short of amazing how wonderful the times we live in actually are. It's worth remembering that as the scum risen to the top do their goddamnedest to enshittify everything for the ones they don't like. That's the reason they do this every generation. The idea that people might be happy and prosperous gives these gollums the collywobbles, so they go into overdrive to take as much as possible away.

>193 bell7: Yup, it was Freedom to Read Week last week (the Canadian version of Banned Books Week) so intellectual freedom and book bans got more press. This investigative news piece from a few weeks ago about a small town in northern Alberta and the divisions that have sprung up over the library (and the gay-straight alliance club that was meeting there) is a longer read but worth it.

>188 bell7:
And not only bad actors but interfering busybodies. One of the interfering busybodies that caused a ruckus in Birmingham, Al wasn't even from Alabama. He came to a local school board meeting to complain about a book and had the audacity to introduce himself and tell those assembled that he lived in North Carolina. Nevertheless, he filed a complaint about a book that the school district had in its library. At the next school board meeting a group of local mother's who are against the Mom's For Liberty group stood up for the books in the school district. I am not sure how the fracas has been resolved because I moved from Alabama, but I was happy to see that somebody stood up to the book bully for out-of-state.

>195 richardderus: I tell myself joy is resistance, too.

>196 MickyFine: I'm going to read that today if I have to *make* the time to do it. Thank you!

>197 benitastrnad: I find it maddening that someone from out of state could even have the power to file a formal complaint that the school would take seriously. I thought this was all about parental control and local standards? (No, I know it's not.) I hope the complaint was thrown out and the book stayed.

Happy Tuesday! I'm back to dog walking after a few days off, so the schedule today gets a little hectic. I'm working 9-5, may be taking a few minutes to go over the presentation I'm giving tomorrow on researching genealogy at the library, but otherwise will do what I need to do as it comes up. Then it's time to walk the dogs, and I need to do a grocery shopping.

I started Beneath the Rising as my e-book last night, but I don't think it's going to be a great before-bed tale, so I may have to switch formats (I have the print book out from the library) and find a different option. The reviews/ratings on this one are really divided, so it'll be interesting to see what I make of it. And I have less than 100 pages left of The Grief of Stones, which makes it likely I can finish it tonight or tomorrow.

Reading: The Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison and Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed

Listening: "Moondance" by Van Morrison

16. A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
Why now? I was very excited to see this as an ARC and moved it right to the front of the TBR list when my request for it was approved - I really enjoyed The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and have had this on my radar since I learned it would be published

17. The First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly
Why now? I try to stay current with all the Newbery Awards, and it won this year

>200 bell7:
That's a BB!

>200 bell7: I'm looking forward to that one -- glad you enjoyed it!

>188 bell7: You are so right, Mary. I'm sure most of them have never read the books they are pushing to ban. And calling librarians "groomers" is simply intimidation. It is all very disgusting, as you say. As a retired librarian, I can't imagine how difficult it is to be a public (or school) librarian in some parts of the country these days. I never worked in a public or school library, so I didn't have to deal with these issues first hand, and I retired before it got so bad in any case. But it is truly appalling how bad things have gotten.

>197 benitastrnad: I am very disturbed that the out-of-state busybody who is interfering in the Birmingham library came from NC. I certainly hope the complaint was thrown out!

>202 benitastrnad: I hope you enjoy it, Benita!

>203 foggidawn: I'll look forward to your thoughts on it, foggi. I need to read her backlist at some point...

>204 atozgrl: Fortunately we haven't had a lot of direct challenges at the library where I work, but just knowing how much it's happening and that it easy could "happen here" so to speak can be stressful.

18. The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
Why now? Rereading the series before the newest one comes out

Hm, I can't seem to attach this one, so here's what I said about it when I read it back in 2022 with a few edits for clarity:

Thara Celahar has another investigation on his hands when a marquis asks him to Witness for his dead wife. Her death was ruled a coronary but the husband is certain she was murdered.

It was a lot of fun to revisit this world and these characters as Celahar embarks on yet another set of interwoven mysteries. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and my one quibble is there is no list of characters or glossary for honorifics to help me along. But it was such an enjoyable ride following Celahar on his adventures and meeting new characters. The story wraps up well and leaves an opening for a sequel.

Happy Wednesday! It's been a busy morning with dog walking and trying to catch up on things. I feel terribly behind on a lot of things, and I'm realizing that just trying to keep them all in my head to remember to do them is part of my stress level. I'll start writing out all the undone things that are bothering me to prioritize and put aside the things that don't really *have* to be done now, probably pretty soon after I write out the rest of this message.

Today I work 12-8, and I'm giving a presentation on researching your genealogy at the library. I have about five people signed up, but it's also the first time I've given this particular presentation, so it will be a good "guinea pig" group to see how it goes and if I offer it again. I'm going to briefly mention online resources but really focus on other things we have in our local history collection, such as street lists and tax records. My trouble with this one, for once, will be having more than I want to say than will fit in about an hour presentation (I made a PowerPoint and can speak an average of 5 minutes a slide). Wish me luck!

Reading: The Midwife's Tale by Laurel Ulrich Thatcher and Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed

Listening: "Sex Machine" by James Brown

Watching: an episode of Schitt's Creek last night, and today I'm catching up on two Bible study videos that I missed by not going the last two meetings

>206 bell7: I've run into a few instances where, for some reason, I couldn't attach a current review, but I knew it wouldn't be possible to attach older reviews. I guess some limitations were inevitable.

Spend Wednesday splendidly, my dear Mary.

>208 richardderus: at least one of my old reviews that I had edited recently was attachable, so I tried it with this one and got nothing. Not a big deal, though, copy and paste is easy enough!

Wednesday *smooch*

Edited to correct "ready" to "easy"

I'm taking a short break at work to post since if I don't, I probably won't post at all today. Busy day, working 9-5, book ended by dog walking, and then ending with Bible study. I have done one day (out of five) of the homework, and that's all that's getting done this week.

Tomorrow is more of the same, though no Bible study, and I'm planning on watching the foster care videos I missed before the Saturday classes.

Reading: Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed, A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, and A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

Listening: "The Band" by The Band

Watching: catching up on Bible study videos yesterday, and foster care videos tomorrow

>197 benitastrnad: >198 bell7: Ironically, I've just found out that NC librarians have created a support site to help in the current climate. https://readfreenc.org/ Apparently someone complained about an LGBTQ display for Pride month at a library in the western part of the state, and it turned into a public fuss, leading to more complaints including some from people who didn't live in the community. The new website has this suggestion:

"Every library should have a clear Reconsideration of Materials policy that outlines procedures to be followed when a patron wishes to challenge a book. A good rule of thumb is to include a stipulation that complainants must be residents of the county the library serves. Another would be that the person must be a library card holder. This helps eliminate complaints from people who don’t have a stake in that community."

>211 atozgrl: Great ideas! I hope the wider library world adopts these ideas.

>211 atozgrl: and >212 richardderus: Our library trustees did recently revisit/update our collection development policy, that includes the request for reconsideration of materials. I agree, it's helpful to have a stipulation that the person complaining should be among the residents the library serves. The other big thing is, once that policy's in place, do you follow it, and does your administration (whether school principal or board of trustees) adhere to it? It's super important that admin has your back.

Happy Friday! Yesterday was a bit nuts, today will be a little less so. I'm working 9-5, bookended by dog walks. I will be cooking dinner today and need to watch the video(s) that I didn't at last week's training. Tomorrow is training modules 3 and 4, and I'm planning to treat myself to Dunkin coffee, because it's Saturday and I want to (also I ran out of Keurig cups and need to do a quick grocery shopping for more). I'll have a little more downtime in the evening tomorrow, but plan on doing the bare minimum of getting myself dinner and calling it a night.

Reading: The Midwife's Tale by Lauren Thatcher Ulrich, Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed and A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal

Listening: radio this morning, but I'll get back to "The Band" soon (I am listening slightly out of order, as this is a 1969 album I missed before moving on to 1970)

>213 bell7: I hope they decide they will have y'all's collective back, Mary. This pernicious plague of populism must be resisted and, ultimately, squashed.

I know you probably said how long the fostering courses run for but was it indicated how long after the course is over before they let you know if you can become a foster parent?

All the book banning info is interesting and concerning.

>215 richardderus: Fortunately the board we have now would be very supportive, but it is an elected position and things can change quickly, as you know. Local elections are super important!

>216 Familyhistorian: I am in classes every Saturday in March, Meg, and I'll probably know sometime in April. They will also be doing a caregiver assessment, though I haven't yet submitted references and the like towards that. So actually I'll be the one slowing everything down, as I have dogsitting jobs planned and wasn't closing up the business 'til August. They may have to put me on hold, and then I'll let them know when I'm ready.

I was just reading Micky's article about the shadow war's in Canada's libraries. I am not aware of that being a problem in my city, but I am sure things happen that I am not aware of. There a Pride Flag decals' on the all of the libraries in my city, and I always think it is sad that you have to indicate that everyone is welcome. Best wishes with your foster classes.

>218 vancouverdeb: I'm glad to hear it's not currently an issue where you are, Deborah, and hope it stays that way!

Another busy weekend in store for me! Today was dog walking, modules 3 and 4 in the foster care classes, and more dog walking. I'm planning on making green shakshuka for dinner tonight (it's a nice fast recipe).

Tomorrow is bookended by dog walking, and I have church, plans with my Little, and my church small group in the evening. Much like last week, going back to work will probably feel like my break 😂 But I'm only working Monday and Tuesday, and then I took a full week off for a staycation. I'm very excited to a few days to get some tasks done but at a more relaxed pace.

Reading/Listening: nothing new to report

Watching: Bruins this afternoon

Crafting: I had quite a bit of time to get some knitting in while participating in the MAPP training today, I've turned the heel of the sock and finished most of the gusset.

Hi Mary, I've been in a reading slump for the past couple of weeks, so I'm still working on A Black Women's History of the United States. However, I could put it aside and start South to a Very Old Place whenever you'd like.

>221 kidzdoc: Sorry to hear about your reading slump, Darryl! I think I can reliably start South to a Very Old Place on Monday, if that works for you?

>222 bell7: Thanks, Mary. Yes, Monday is fine with me.

Happy Sunday, Mary. Just checking in. I am sure you are enjoying your books and music. We are expecting a BIG warm-up and I am looking forward to it.

Sunday orisons, Mary!

>230 curioussquared: Enjoy your staycation when it comes, Mary. Is it warm enough to be doing gardening yet? I'm just starting to see green shoots here (and a few early bulbs).

I hope your staycation doesn't turn out like my spring break week staycation did last week. I was sick half the week.

>223 kidzdoc: Great, Darryl. I have it ready to go and will start tonight. What kind of pace do we want to aim for? If it's dense like Niebuhr, do we want to go a chapter a day, or something like 50 pages?

>224 msf59: Hiya, Mark, things are good, just extra-busy! We're getting a similar warm-up with highs in the 50s and 60s for the next week or so. That and the fact that it's still light out when I give the dogs their after-dinner walk makes me very happy!

>225 richardderus: Monday *smooch* back

>226 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte! I really should be out pruning the grapes and blueberries, which is on my to-do list for the staycation. We'll see if I can see any rhubarb or early flowers coming up, but my flowers typically start in April unless we have unseasonably warm weather.

>227 thornton37814: Oh I'm sorry to hear that, Lori! I've had two mild colds in the past month, so here's hoping I'm done being sick for awhile. Hope you're feeling better, too!

Happy Monday! As mentioned, today was a bit of a break after a pretty busy weekend. We had a couple of people out (most planned, one not), and the desk schedule was a little nuts as a result... in a five-hour shift, I was on either circ or reference for 3.5 hours, and one of our circ staff will be on for five out of her 7.5-hour shift, counting tonight. I'll see if I work my normal 9-5 tomorrow or switch to a 12-8. Either way, it will be busy with one (if not two) meetings, and the goal to have a monthly email scheduled and two desk schedules prepped before I start vacation.

I have a bit of a break now before I walk the dogs and go to yoga.

Reading: The Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed, A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal and South to a Very Old Place by Albert Murray (I'll start tonight)

Listening: radio today, though perhaps tonight I'll put on "The Band" again

Watching: I started the first episode of the first season of Welcome to Wrexham after listening to an interview with Rob McElhenney, and last night I also watched about an episode and a third of the Great British Bake Show holiday episodes

Crafting: I haven't picked up the socks since Saturday, but I started working on the foot of the first sock

Hi Mary -- you have a lot going on, as always! I hope your staycation is nice :) Grief of Stones is on my list to read this year (for the first time for me).

>228 bell7: Hi Mary, perhaps we should play it by ear and set an initial goal of one chapter at a time. I have the Library of America collection Albert Murray: Collected Essays & Memoirs, so I don't know how many pages that translates to in the edition you're reading.

I'm going to get started now, as I gave my mother dinner and put her to bed.

>231 kidzdoc: I am just starting the prologue myself. Roughly a chapter a day sounds good to me, and I believe I have the same book, if not the same edition. In my copy, South to a Very Old Place begins on page 197.

>230 curioussquared: thanks, Natalie! I'm most looking forward to catching up on my Bible study and bringing my taxes in to my accountant 🤣 but I will do some fun things, too. I'm meeting a friend too go hiking tomorrow.

Join me on my new thread.