Mary's (bell7) Reading in 2025, Page 6

Welcome to my sixth thread of the year!

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. (I got a little behind at the end of May, but I'm reading a fair amount this month to make up for it)
-Read 12 books by indigenous authors. (I've read three so far, so a little catching up to do)

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 1971 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 - COMPLETED
APRIL - Devotions by Mary Oliver - COMPLETED
MAY - Teacher Man by Frank McCourt - COMPLETED
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

Best of 2025

5 stars
The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver

4.5 stars
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
Stride Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch by Rivka Galchen
A Far Better Thing by H. G. Parry
Water, water by Billy Collins
Till Human Voices Wake Us by Victoria Goddard
Rivermouth by Alejandra Oliva
The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
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
6. Translation prizes from the Society of Authors
7. Kirkus Reviews best books of the 21st century
8. British Science Fiction Awards
9. How to Recommend Books Like an Expert

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):
Argentina - César Aira
Bolivia - Liliani Colanzi
Canada - Victoria Goddard, Heather Fawcett, Premee Mohamed
Cote d'Ivoire - Marguerite Abouet
Denmark - Olga Ravn
France - Alexandre Dumas, Virginie Grimaldi
Germany - Carsten Henn
Hungary - Bogi Takacs
India - Sangu Mandanna (currently lives in UK)
Ireland - Sarah Crossan, Frank McCourt
Mexico - Isabel Zapata
New Zealand - H. G. Parry, Rebecca K. Reilly
North Korea - Ch'oe Myong-ik
Romania - Antigone Kefala (lived most of her adult life in Australia)
South Korea - Lee Ji-min
Taiwan - Yang Shuang-zi
UK - Adrian Tchaikovsky, Elizabeth Macneal, Richard Osman, Carmella Lowkis
Zimbabwe - Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

All time (since 2022):


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, China, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, North Korea, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Zimbabwe

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
Bless This Mess by Rev. Molly Baskette and Ellen O'Donnell
The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk

Bible/Devotional Reading
Genesis, Job, Matthew

DNFs in 2025
1. A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair
2. The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

July
68. Stargazy Pie by Victoria Goddard
67. The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-min Lee

June
66. Aya by Marguerite Abouet
65. The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
64. You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi
63. The Door-to-door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
62. Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik
61. The Weaver of the Middle Desert by Victoria Goddard
60. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
59. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
58. Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis

May
57. Deacon King Kong by James McBride
56. Stride Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King, Jr.
55. How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
54. Small Ceremonies by Kyle Edwards
53. The Night Library of Sternendach by Jessica Levai
52. The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz
51. American Teenager : How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era by Nico Lang
50. Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly
49. Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
48. Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard
47. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
46. Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch by Rivka Galchen
45. Onion John by Joseph Krumgold
44. All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir
43. The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison
42. The Glassblower by Victoria Goddard
41. A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry

April
40. Festival & Game of the Worlds by Cesar Aira
39. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
38. Masks and Shadows by Stephanie Burgis
37. The Island by Antigone Kefala
36. Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi
35. Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver
34. The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
33. A Good Life by Virginie Grimaldi
32. Murder by memory by Olivia Waite
31. Water, water by Billy Collins
30. Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan
29. In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf
28. In the Realms of Gold: Five Tales of Ysthar by Victoria Goddard

March
27. In Vitro: On Longing and Transformation by Isabel Zapata
26. Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuang-zi
25. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
24. Till Human Voices Wake Us by Victoria Goddard
23. Beneath the Rising by Premee Mohamed
22. South to a Very Old Place by Albert Murray
21. A Midwife's Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
20. Rivermouth: A Chronicle of Language, Faith, and Migration by Alejandra Oliva
19. A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
18. The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison
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

The listening report -

"What's Going On?" by Marvin Gaye
I listened to them out of order, and didn't realize 'til after later that Sly and the Family Stone's "There's a Riot Goin' On" was a title reply to this album. I enjoyed the sound overall, though I didn't pick up on the fact that it was a concept album told from the perspective of a soldier returning from the Vietnam War and seeing all the challenges the U.S. was dealing with at home. At times it sounded like a live album as one song transitions into the other, but it is in fact a studio album. I generally really enjoy concept albums and the complete story they tell as a whole. My favorite song was "God Is Love". Brett Schewitz's take #1 on the list

"Hunky Dory" by David Bowie
I recognized "Changes" (from Shrek 2? I don't know... it made me think of a TV show or something and I couldn't figure it out) and "Life on Mars?" The sort of album I could appreciate but didn't exactly enjoy. Brett Schewitz appreciates it with more musical knowledge than I have. (Oh, and I do agree with him about the lyrics to the song about Bob Dylan) #88 on the list

"Close to the Edge" by Yes (on to 1972!)
With only three tracks, I wasn't sure what to expect. It definitely wasn't boring, but I'm not exactly sure what it was. Not really my thing. Brett Schewitz likes it more than I do, and actually his note about how long it took to create the 1st album with the nature sounds was pretty interesting. #445 on the list

>10 bell7: New thread orisons, Mary!

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new one, Mary. xx

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new thread, Mary! And from your last thread, also congratulations on making it to the next round of interviews. Best of luck with that process going forward!

>11 richardderus: Thank you, Richard!

>12 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

>13 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>14 katiekrug: Thank you, Katie!

>15 atozgrl: and thanks on both counts, Irene!

Good morning, all! It's back to work today, and I'll be getting ready soon. I'm working 9-5 and my major task will be writing up the next desk schedule. After work, I'm planning on making fish tacos for dinner.

I get The Morning email newsletter from the NY Times, and learned that Sly Stone passed away at the age of 82. (The link goes to an ABC News story, so it's not paywalled.) Since I had listened to a couple of albums and on the recommendation of a couple of folks here, I watched the documentary Questlove did (Sly Lives! on Hulu) a couple of days ago and highly recommend it.

Yesterday, my parents were watching niece R. for the day at their house, so I went over for the afternoon to hang out after she got up from her nap. She's learned to do the clasps on her booster seat, and snapping them closed and exclaiming "Did it!" was the game of the day. Her new favorite song is "Baby Shark" and she does the hand motions as well as a 15-month-old can. And she was talking more than I've seen before. She probably has about a dozen words now, plus she'd use hand motions (she's made up her own for "Baby Shark" and "Five Little Ducks", or she'd reach out a hand to the person she wanted to unclasp the straps for the baby seat so she could clasp them again). She'll nod or shake her head in answer to questions. I heard "Did it," "Got it," "quack," "baba" (seems to mean Grandpa), "Yeah", "no", and she signed "more" and "all done".

Reading: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik and The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Listening: "Ege Bamyasi" by Can

Watching: random episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" and "Project Runway"

Crafting: haven't picked up the baby sweater in a bit

Happy New Thread, Mary. Progressive Rock is not your thing, eh? Not surprised. It doesn't work for a lot of folks. How do you like "Can"? That is also an acquired taste. You are doing a great job sampling all this music, even if you choose to never listen to it again.

Happy new thread!

Happy new one!

>17 bell7: Oh dear, Can. mmm

I hope you survive. xo

Happy New Thread, Mary!

>18 msf59: No, progressive rock is not my thing. Apparently pop, albums that are not solely relationship songs (I'm including love *and* breakup songs in that), and experimental jazz are much more my thing haha. But it is fun to listen through the 500 Albums, and fun to talk through them with folks here and my family.

>19 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi!

>20 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>21 richardderus: Yeah, I'll probably only listen through once or twice. Interesting to listen to it right after Yes, it feels like both bands were pushing the envelope with their sound in really unique ways.

>22 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah!

Happy Wednesday! I have a little cooking I want to do today, making a new-to-me recipe of cucumber couscous salad, and then I'm working 12-8.

Reading: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik and The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Listening: "Ege Bamyasi" by Can

Watching: random episodes of "Project Runway"

Crafting: picking up the baby sweater now!

Ummh! That cucumber couscous salad sounds good. Out here the cucumbers are just starting to come in, but I love anything with couscous in it. It has turned hot and sunny - finally and by pot garden has started to take off, just as I am leaving for my week-long trek out West. My young cousin, and neighbor (8 years old) has promised to water each one of them for me while I am gone. I hope they are still pretty when I get back.

>24 bell7: Please let us know how the cucumber couscous salad turns out, Mary. I have two (or three) cucumbers in my refrigerator waiting to be used, and that may be a perfect way to use them.

Actually, now that I think about it I did see a recipe for Mediterranean pearl couscous salad recently that had cherry tomatoes and cucumbers, which I saved privately to my Facebook timeline. I thought that I had pearl couscous but I must have discarded the container I had in Atlanta before I moved back north, unfortunately. I'll buy more when I go out shopping on Friday.

Happy new thread!

>25 benitastrnad: I do enjoy couscous, and it's always nice to have some quick-and-easy cool things to eat in the summer time. I hope your pot garden still looks good when you get back! My peonies just started about a week ago.

>26 kidzdoc: Oooh, I'd love to know the Mediterranean recipe you found, too, Darryl. I got this one from Budget Bytes, which is a website I heard about from you, so it's nice to have it come full circle.

For both of you, here's the recipe. My review: it's delicious, very simple in taste but not bad for that at all. I could see occasionally mixing it up by adding tomatoes or using a different fresh herb instead of parsley (cilantro or even dill would taste great). And it didn't take long at all to put it together, which was an extra bonus. I used it as a main meal, but it could make a great side or potluck dish, too.

>27 _Zoe_: Thanks, Zoe! Great to see you on the threads :)

Happy new thread, Mary!

The NYT has a great summary salad recipe for one with farro and radishes and cucumbers. If you don't have a subscription, let me know and I'll post a gift link to it. My book club loved it.

>28 bell7: Thanks for sharing the recipe for that couscous cucumber salad, Mary. I see that it also calls for pearl couscous, so I'll be sure to buy some when I go shopping tomorrow.

Here's the very similar recipe from the Facebook website Flavorful Kitchen Adventures. One great thing about my postings of my recipes on Facebook is that I regularly receive posts from a variety of sites that show recipes on a daily basis that it thinks I might like.

Mediterranean Israeli (Pearl) Couscous Salad

Ingredients

Produce:

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cups cucumber, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh herbs (such as parsley, mint, or dill), chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely sliced or diced

Condiments:

2 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Baking & Spices:

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Oils & Vinegars:

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Nuts & Seeds:

2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

Dairy:

4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Other:

8 oz Israeli (pearl) couscous
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

Instructions

1. Cook the Couscous:

In a medium saucepan, bring salted water to a boil.
Add 8 oz Israeli couscous and cook according to package instructions (usually about 8–10 minutes), until tender.
Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Let cool completely.

2. Prep the Vegetables and Herbs:

While couscous is cooking, prepare the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, garlic, and herbs.
Toast pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently until golden and fragrant. Set aside.

3. Make the Dressing:

In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and pepper.

4. Assemble the Salad:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled couscous, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, and herbs.
Pour in the dressing and toss to coat evenly.

5. Add Toppings:

Gently fold in the crumbled feta cheese and toasted pine nuts.
Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or lemon juice if needed.

6. Serve:

Serve immediately or chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Great as a side dish or light main!
Enjoy!
_______________________________

Other than pearl couscous, possibly pine nuts, and cubed feta, I have everything here already.

I need to start looking at Budget Bytes again. Many of the recipes I made when I started cooking most of my own meals about 15 years ago came from Beth, such as her Moroccan lentil and vegetable soup.

I continue to do well with my diet in terms of my weight, protein and caloric intake, which is essentially the MIND diet, a modification of the Mediterranean diet that helps support brain health, but one thing I have not been doing well is eating enough leafy green vegetables. So, I'll start making more spinach salads, spinach mushroom omelettes, etc. and try to have that at least five times per week, which will also help with my iron deficiency anemia. As a result I may cook soup less than once a week as I have been doing.

>29 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>30 katiekrug: Oooh, would love to have a gift link Katie, thanks! I try to regularly rotate recipes and enjoy trying new things.

>31 kidzdoc: Thank you, Darryl! I would need to buy most of the produce, other than garlic, would skip the olives, and definitely have the rest on hand, including pine nuts surprisingly enough. But that definitely looks right up my alley. Love the idea of trying it with mint, too. Good luck with the spinach - I love getting spinach and strawberries for a nice salad this time of year. If you don't mind kale as a leafy green, I can recommend some soups for you, too.

>32 bell7: You're welcome, Mary. I may well have pine nuts here, so I'll have to go through our spice cabinets to look for it. I definitely used pine nuts when I lived in Atlanta but I'm not sure I've done so up here.

I would appreciate those kale containing soup recipes, so TYIA.

I'm a member of the Free Library of Philadelphia, and that gives me a link to a program called New York Times Anywhere, which allows me an unlimited number of 72 hour free access sessions to the paper's online website. Does your library have the same utility?

>32 bell7: - Here you go!

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1025610-radish-cucumber-and-white-bean-farro...

My county library system also provides free online access to the NYT for library card members, but only for 24 hours per session.

>34 katiekrug: That looks good!

>33 kidzdoc: I think I know where to get the cookbook I'm thinking of, so should be able to get you a recipe or two over the weekend.

>33 kidzdoc: and >35 kidzdoc: I'm really glad you mentioned that about access to the NYT through the library. It's not something in the library I work for/town I live in, but the Boston Public Library offers the 72-hour free access on a limited basis and I have a card there that I should be able to use. That'll be really useful!

>34 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

>36 bell7: I'm glad that I mentioned the NYT Anywhere link to you, Mary! I initially thought that it was a dumb question, as you would certainly know if your library had access to it or not, but I also thought you might have access to a larger library system or one from your alma mater.

>37 kidzdoc: The BPL offers an e-card (and physical card, which is what I have) to anyone who lives, works, or owns property in the state of Massachusetts, but I confess I have only dipped my toe into their offerings. I also have a card in the Maryland county where my sister lives, and it looks like I can get several of the NYT full-text articles that way as well.

Apparently I should try out what I can access more often! I should see what my alma mater offers alum too :)

>38 bell7: The Free Library of Philadelphia sounds similar to the BPL, as all Pennsylvania residents are eligible for online access, although I think they have to appear in person to get a physical card. Fortunately I live just north of the city, and my nearest branch is just under 6 miles away, so I go there to borrow books every now and then.

I have a Rutgers alumni card that I conceivably could use, but the campus is roughly a 45 minute drive from here. I'm also still a member of the Atlanta library system, but its offerings pale in comparison to the Free Library of Philadelphia, or even my county library system.

>39 kidzdoc: It does sound similar, Darryl. I went in person to BPL a couple of years ago to get the physical card; the e-card can be done online but has slightly more limited access.

TGIF! I'm working 9-5 today, the big task will be participating in a webinar on how to fill out the annual report that Massachusetts libraries do. It's been my responsibility since being Assistant Director, but I like to go to the training anyways because I always learn something new. They've already mentioned new questions for this year and a few that they're no longer asking, one of which was a question that it always took me a looooong time to put the answer together (usage for all of our online resources), so I anticipate this year being easier than some in the past have been. Because the webinar can be a little bit tedious (they go through every question step-by-step and I do know most of it), I'm bringing some knitting to keep my hands busy and keep my mind from wandering. I warned my boss and told her why haha.

I'm looking forward to the weekend. I have some baking to do for Father's Day, and on Sunday the local family members will be getting together at my brother G's for a cookout.

Reading: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters (I anticipate finishing this today or tomorrow), Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik and The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Listening: "Ege Bamyasi" by Can

Watching: random episodes of "Project Runway"

Crafting: baby sweater (I stopped one because I ran out of a color and started another one)

>41 bell7: Still sluggin' through Can, I see. I admire your determination. Seminar well, and I hope they start asking good questions about censorship efforts!

>42 richardderus: I haven't been driving quite as much as usual this week, so it's going slowly but I think tomorrow I'll finish up with a second listen through and call it a day.

And thanks re: the webinar. Yes, there are several questions about censorship/intellectual freedom. They started collecting the info a couple of years ago, and they ask about both formal and informal challenges to materials, programs, and displays. Thankfully we have had very few over the years, and I hope that continues.

Belated new thread wishes, Mary!

>44 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie!

>43 bell7: Interesting and very heartening that your library hasn't seen much of the crummy peoples' attempts at control. May that continue under your directorship.

>46 richardderus: Thank you! (Though my directorship isn't definite just yet, I do appreciate the sentiment)

Happy Saturday! It's been an active morning, and now I'm ready to relax for the rest of the day. I baked a sour cream coffee cake for Father's Day tomorrow, following my aunt's directions and doubled it to make in a Bundt pan. I didn't realize I needed to bake it for longer than the directions as a result, and batter started dripping out while I had it on the rack to cool. Oops! I managed to get it back in the pan and now it's probably too dry instead - oh well. At least it is cooked and looks whole. Before I cooked it, I put aside a little batter because I know my dad actually prefers that to the cooked cake haha. While that was going on, I also did a couple of loads of laundry. And I did my grocery shopping for the week. Now I'm relaxing and knitting, finishing up the two baby sweaters I've been working on lately. I also have a little over an hour left to read in The Berry Pickers and I'm looking forward to finishing that today.

Reading: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters, Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik and The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Listening: "#1 Record" by Big Star

Watching: random episodes of "Project Runway"

Crafting: baby sweaters

>48 bell7: I've never heard of Big Star. I'll be extra-intrigued to learn what you think about them!

I really hope you'll be Director Bell by Halloween. You'll be good at it.

>48 bell7: Mmm...sour cream coffee cake. My mother has a great recipe for it, which fortunately she wrote down and saved in one of the two recipe boxes that she and my late father kept. (I was blessed by having two parents who were each excellent cooks.) A dear neighbor said several years ago that he would no longer be able to have that cake for his birthday, due to my mother's dementia and my father's passing, so I found her recipe card and made it for him—in a Bundt pan—even though I had never made a cake before. Two days after I made it he returned the cake pan and a small sliver of cake, and said that my cake was okay but not as good as my mother's. 😂

The only other dessert I've ever made is strawberry rhubarb custard pie, which is my all time favorite sweet treat.

>49 richardderus: It's... fine? But not a standout either way, really. And thank you! I expect I will know sooner than that, even. The plan is for the new director to start mid-August and overlap some before my boss retires. Will keep you posted, of course. *smooch*

>50 kidzdoc: Oooh, my dad's mom was the one who used the recipe and I'd be curious to know how it compares. That's cool that you made it for your neighbor (I also had to laugh that it "wasn't as good" but what ever is as good as our mother's, right?) Mmmm strawberry rhubarb custard pie sounds delish. I have a rhubarb patch and am always looking for good ways to use it. We often had a rhubarb crisp for Mother's Day when I was growing up. So much sugar... but so good!

Happy Sunday! And happy Father's Day to those it applies to. I had nursery this morning and was solo for some of the time as my partner forgot she was in with me until partway through service. Fortunately all four kids were happy and didn't need a ton of one-on-one, so we did fine with playing, reading, and in a pinch showing them my little niece ("Want to see a baby?") dancing to Baby Shark. We also did a short dance party of our own (one of the kids wanted "Hokey Pokey" though I was the only one actually dancing).

A little later this afternoon, those of us in the area will be getting together at my brother's for Father's Day. I'll bring the sour cream coffee cake. A little bit of reading and knitting will happen before and after, and that should about do it for the day.

Reading: Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik, The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu and The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

Listening: "#1 Record" by Big Star

Watching: random episodes of "Project Runway"

Crafting: I'm just about ready to start on a wrap, but only wound the skeins so far

>52 bell7: Sunday orisons, Mary!

As it turns out I took photos of my mother's sour cream coffee cake recipe, along with the cake I made in 2022, and saved them to my LT photo library:







A portion of the cake, which you can see toward the top of the photo, did stick, but otherwise I think it turned out well. I won't pretend that it tasted as good as my mother's cake, though.

I'll look for that strawberry rhubarb custard pie recipe now...

ETA: Here you go: Strawberry Rhubarb Custard Pie

Checking in on you, Mary! Hope all is well there and that you are ready to go on Weaver of the Middle Desert today!

Have a marvelous Monday!

>54 kidzdoc: mmmmmmm

It looks yummy indeed and please may I have the stuck-on bit? It's almost always crispier, which is my favorite part of any bundt cake.

Monday well, Mary!

>56 richardderus: Absolutely, sir! I'll set that bit aside the next time I make it and ship it to you by express service.

>54 kidzdoc: Oh interesting, the ingredients were very similar but slight differences in amounts. The directions had me put the topping in the middle and the top. The original was for a square pan but my aunt often did it in a Bundt pan. And my mom said the one that my grandmother gave her was even more different - it included vanilla cake mix. I will look forward to trying that pie and certainly let you know how it goes!

>55 alcottacre: I am ready to start Weaver of the Middle Desert today! Looking forward to it.

>56 richardderus: Thanks, Richard!

>57 kidzdoc: :D

Happy Monday!

We had a good time yesterday afternoon. My SIL always makes good food, and there was grilled steak and chicken to be had, as well as some side salads and a few desserts. My dad, as expected, gave me a little bit of a hard time about cooking the cake. And it did come out tasty for all that I had to double-bake it. It was my brother's second father's day. Niece R. is a little over the year and at the age where she's learning new things and new words almost every time I see her. She climbs up and down their stairs (insisting on doing it herself, though she will hold the rail) and said "hi" and "bye-bye" for the first time in my hearing.

Today I worked 9-2. I had a substantial breakfast and didn't bring lunch, so I'm off to change into "play clothes" as we called it when I was a kid and start cooking. I'm going to try to schedule an oil change, too. The library has an event tonight that's about the history of Juneteenth and it's the sort of program that I want to support having (and I'll find interesting), so I'm thinking of going back in to attend.

Reading: Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik, The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu and The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

Listening: "#1 Record" by Big Star

Watching: random episodes of "Project Runway" but I've rather reached my saturation point with this so I'm going to try to find something else

Crafting: working on a wrap in navy and grey yarn that's coming out really pretty so far

All your current reads are new to me and sound tempting, Mary. I've added them to the wishlist.

I have been enjoying the Murderbot adaptation, I wasn't sure if you were going to watch that.

Hope the Juneteenth event was well attended. I'd like to get to more history talks than I do.

>57 kidzdoc: ...I checked with the desk...nothing there yet...::sad puppy eyes::

>59 bell7: The Juneteenth event does sound like one very well worth attending. I'd love to hear more about it when/if you decide to go. The sun is threatening to come out for the first time since I was four...well, not really, but it feels like that long, so I'm headin' out to the boardwalk to bask like an old lizard.

>60 charl08: Oh excellent, I'll look forward to your thoughts when you read them, Charlotte. I haven't watched the Murderbot adaptation as I don't have Apple TV+. Right now I'm thinking of waiting 'til they're all out and then signing up for the 7 day trial and binge-watching them all.

>62 richardderus: I did end up going, though I was running a little bit late, and it was worthwhile. There was a lot more history than just about Juneteenth as a holiday - it was much more about slavery, the compromises, the Civil War, and everything that led up to it. Good stuff, though. The historian was engaging and I was glad I went, because counting everyone (the staff member in charge and person recording for local access), there were ten of us altogether. (I'd say 20 or more is a well-attended adult program for our library users so it was on the smaller side.)

60. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Why now? It's been on my radar since soon after it came out - as I recall, it was not a book that I'd purchased for the library before its pub date, but there were enough holds that I needed to go back and purchase it. Finally read it when the digital copy became available, as it meets my goal to read books by indigenous authors AND authors outside of the U.S.

61. The Weaver of the Middle Desert by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Continuing our read of all of Goddard's works, Stasia and I chose this short story for June

Today will be a busy one. I'm working 9-5, and really need to write up the next desk schedule. Then I've got the final interview for the director position at the Trustees' meeting tonight at 6 p.m. I'll make dinner after that, and I'm sure I'll be mentally done for the day at that point.

Reading: Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik, The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu and The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

Listening: "#1 Record" by Big Star

Watching: not sure what to watch next

Crafting: "Forest Grove Shawl" (I called it a wrap earlier, but that's the name of the pattern) - I'm about halfway through by rows, but since I keep adding stitches as I go, it's probably about a third done time-wise

>66 bell7: I got curious about the origin of "shawl" as a word...turns out it's only been associated with women's clothing since 1767. I thought "wrap" would be older, but turns out it's derived from "shawl"!

Words never fail to fascinate me. Tuesday well.

Good luck with the interview tonight!

>67 richardderus: Oh that is interesting! You prompted me to look up the difference, and I hadn't really thought of "wrap" in this way, but apparently it is generally used as a more all-encompassing word that could be a shawl, stole, or scarf. I tend to use it for larger items than a scarf, myself.

>68 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie!

So I think the interview went fine - I was last of the final three, and though it was open meeting, I didn't watch and have no idea how the other two went before me. I felt like I did fine, but the group was much harder to read than the previous one had been, and I have no idea of course how my answers held up against the others'. But my part is done, and now I just wait to find out. I will truly be happy either way, and I certainly think I have as good a shot as anyone.

I hadn't had dinner, so I picked up a Philly cheesesteak calzone at the grocery store on my way home and it's heating up now. I will spend the rest of the evening trying to focus on my books lol.

>65 bell7: I would very much like to read more about Arzu too, Mary! I am glad to see that you enjoyed that one too.

>70 bell7: Yay for the interview going well!

>70 bell7: All crossables crossed for you!

Isn't it oddly backwards the way it's developed as a word? Wraps and shawls and scarves...

>71 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia!

>72 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! And yeah, I enjoy words and language change and development. It's all quite fascinating to me.

Happy Wednesday! I work 12-8 today, so I have the morning in front of me to do a little cooking and send a thank-you letter to the Trustees. At work, I'll be keeping volunteers busy and going over photos I've selected for a slideshow at my boss's retirement party. I generally tried to find ones where everyone looked good, was smiling, etc. but told one of my co-workers I'd like a second pair of eyes and give her "veto power" over any in the folder.

I'm off tomorrow for Juneteenth and have tentative plans in the morning to walk with a friend (weather-dependent) and definite plans in the afternoon to babysit my niece.

Reading/crafting: all the same as yesterday

Listening: "Young, Gifted and Black" by Aretha Franklin

Oh, and in the whirlwind of everything happening I almost forgot - I borrowed my first "parenting" books from the library yesterday and will give them a try soon.

Edited to correct spelling

Happy Wednesday, Mary. We had similar feelings about The Berry Pickers. I just wished for a bit more. What did you think of Big Star? Completely overlooked band but solid easy pop rock.

>76 msf59: Yeah, I mostly enjoyed it but like you, I wished for a bit more. Actually, I had a similar reaction to Big Star. I thought they had a very 70s pop sound, and elements that I typically enjoy like the guitar and harmonies, but it was like they sort of sounded like the Beatles but weren't as innovative? Not sure why it didn't quite connect for me. It's time for a listening round up of the last couple of albums though, so more below.

The listening report -

"Close to the Edge" by Yes
Only three tracks (the first one is 18 minutes long) and a weird, edgy listening experience. Not really my jam. Brett Schewitz loves them though, and argues for why it's a great new entry on the list. #445 on the Rolling Stones Best 500 Albums list

"Ege Bamyasi" by Can
In a way it was fitting to listen to this one after Yes, as it's just as weird and out there. Again, not really my kind of music, and I agree with Brett Schewitz's take that it's a bit of an exhausting listen. One of those influential-but-not-for-me albums. #454 on the list.

"#1 Record" by Big Star
If the last two albums were challenging listens, this one is much easier as it fits firmly into the pop rock you would expect from the 1970s. There are elements I enjoy in this album, such as the guitar and drums sound and harmonies, but it also felt a little too like they were trying to be a Beatles pop sound without the innovation. Maybe I'm being too harsh. I did like "The Ballad of El Goodo" and "Watch the Sunrise". Apparently they were critically well received, but the studio didn't do a great job of promoting the record so it wasn't commercially successful. Brett Schewitz liked them even more. #474 on the list

>74 bell7: Another really formative-for-me album up on your rotation. I hope this journey through the music of the 1970s doesn't have too many duds ahead.

Good choices for the slideshow will be hard to get consensus on, given how many people *never* like photos of themselves. I hope the event feels like the celebration it is and few people grouse about how they look...they aren't retiring....

>79 richardderus: I like what I've heard by Aretha Franklin and expect to enjoy the album. Even the ones that aren't really for me have generally been interesting in some way, for the most part.

And yeah, I'm not looking for consensus so much as a gut check. The other person approving the photos is the only other person on staff besides our current boss who has been there longer than me, and I'm not planning on vetting them with anyone else.

PS - I posted on your thread today, but suspect it got largely lost in your series of replies this morning. *Smooch*

I'm glad the final interview went smoothly.

Sounds like great plans for your day off tomorrow. Enjoy!

>81 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky, I'm really looking forward to the day off!

Well, I know you all were pulling for me, so I wanted to let you know - I was informed after the Trustees' meeting tonight that they have decided to offer the director position to another candidate. There's still some chance that the chosen candidate will turn it down (I've seen it happen before), but it's likely that I will not be the next director. And though I'm disappointed, I'm honestly okay. There are aspects of my job, such as working with local history, that I really love and would have missed. And with the foster care stuff moving along, having a new job *and* a new child in my life would be a LOT to be dealing with. My boss and the town administrator were kind enough to reach out and tell me tonight. The meeting is open meeting, so I need to let my family know, probably in the family group chat tomorrow (there's another conversation going on now that I am waiting on), so they hear it from me and not accidentally through the grapevine. I told one of the folks I was working with tonight, but everyone else on staff will know on Friday after the holiday.

I'm sorry for the disappointing news, Mary. Big virtual hugs and treats for you (or whatever your preferred source of consolation).

>83 bell7: I'm glad it's fast but not glad they decided not to offer you the job. Still your position now is one you like so no harm done.

XO

Sorry to hear that, Mary, but I'm glad you're able to look at the positives in the situation. Hope you treated yourself to something today!

>84 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I appreciate that.

>85 richardderus: Yeah, I'm glad not to have to wait long to know and also appreciated what care folks took to make sure I heard it from them and not through the grapevine (my boss came back directly after the open portion of the meeting ended, and the town administrator called me later that night). It's been a very long time since someone was selected for this position outside of the current staff, so it will be really interesting to have someone coming in with a new perspective and philosophy that hasn't been a part of the current staff dynamics. It could be good.

>86 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! No treats, but I enjoyed the holiday. I walked with a friend in the morning and babysit my niece in the afternoon.

>87 bell7: Fresh eyes are often the best at gauging the needs of the organization. Still sad you were not the chosen one.

Happy Thursday and happy Juneteenth (in the US)! I had the day off today, so I made plans with a friend to walk in the morning. After that, I ate an early lunch and made a new-to-me recipe to have leftovers for dinner. My SIL had asked me to babysit while she ran some errands, so I had a few quality hours with R. She's very definite about what she wants to do and where she wants to go and keeps me on my toes making sure she doesn't get into anything she shouldn't. She's very strong-willed and got mad sometimes if I stopped her from doing something - but she can also still be distracted easily, and got a kick out of looking at all the family members in a picture from the Thanksgiving before she was born. And I love this age for how quickly new vocabulary is added. On top of the words I've heard before, she said "I dunno" and I got her to meow. She also seemed to verbalize a few things that meant something but I couldn't figure out what she was saying and just responded encouragingly ("Oh really?" is a great generic phrase haha). My SIL and I got to visit a little bit before it was dinnertime and I headed out.

I felt a little sick when I got home, so snacked and dozed on the couch for a bit. Unfortunately I slept through a genealogy training that I'd signed up for, but feeling better after resting up was more important. Dinner was spaghetti with tuna, a Melissa Clark recipe in Dinner in One that I hadn't tried before, and it was delicious. The rest of the evening will be quiet, reading or knitting 'til it's time to go to bed. Back to work tomorrow!

Reading: Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik, The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu and The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

Listening: "Young, Gifted and Black" by Aretha Franklin

Watching: after a couple of days of watching nothing, I'm back to Project Runway for mostly background noise

Crafting: continuing the shawl

>89 richardderus: Same, but I truly do believe it's for the best. Who knows what a few years from now will bring?

>91 bell7: Perzackley!

I'm sorry that you weren't chosen as director, but it may be better in the long run if (*fingers crossed*) you become an adoptive parent.

The lantern I received after donating blood last month was extremely helpful tonight. A vicious line of thunderstorms with, I suspect, straight line winds passed throughout the Delaware Valley, which severely damaged one of our trees and knocked out power to over 250,000 customers. I found my lantern immediately and was able to use it from 6 to 9 pm, a good thing since I wasn't able to locate any of our other lanterns in the house.

>93 kidzdoc:
I was traveling on Tuesday. I was driving through eastern Montana and north to south across Wyoming. I drive all that way right behind that cold front. When I got to my motel in Wyoming and turned the TV on it was tuned to a Denver station. The news was all about the severe thunderstorms that had closed the Denver airport for several hours and caused them to shut down the light rail system for 2 hours due to street flooding in Denver. I am guessing that all of this was the storm system that hit you last night.

I was 95 here today and tomorrow will be 100. The weather at 6 PM said that more weather deaths are caused by heat than any other weather event. Right now the wind is from the south at about 30 MPH and doesn't look like it will slow any until late tonight. Tomorrow is going to be a scorcher out here on the Plains.

>92 richardderus:
I am sorry that you did not get the job. I was in that position once. If you are happy where you are then all's good.

>87 bell7: I'm sorry to hear that you weren't chosen, but it's so good to hear that they contacted you so quickly and made sure you would hear it directly from them. Sometimes it's a good idea to bring in someone from outside with "new eyes" to help improve things. I certainly hope it works out for the library.

And it may indeed work out best for you, with your plans for becoming a foster parent. Doing that and taking on a new, more demanding job might be a bit much to tackle at one time. Anyway, I am sorry that you weren't the first choice, but glad that you are seeing positives in how it turned out.

>92 richardderus: :)

>93 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl. I'm glad to hear that the lantern was useful, though sorry for the reason. Is the power back on yet?

>94 benitastrnad: Best of luck dealing with the heat, Benita.

>95 benitastrnad: And thanks. I would like the job, someday, but also like what I do very much and am aware of both professional and personal challenges that it would have brought. I was looking at it as a win-win whether I got the job or not.

>96 atozgrl: Thanks, Irene. Yeah, I told my co-worker on Wednesday the exact same thing. I knew the timing was going to be rough, and it is, quite frankly, more important to me to start fostering than the new job would have been. I hope the new director is good for the library and will try to get her acclimated as much as possible to the parts of the job I know. And who knows what will come a few years from now?

TGIF! I'm working today 9-5 and am planning a quiet night of reading and knitting after cooking dinner. We're starting a heat wave, but today should be a little cooler than yesterday with highs in the 80s. I'm nearly finished with two books - I have one short story left in Patterns of the heart and other stories and less than an hour's worth of reading in The Door-to-Door Bookstore, so reviews to come shortly. I've barely made any progress in The Creation of Half-Broken People and it's due back at the library. I'll return it today and have already put a hold on another copy, which I'll restart altogether after it arrives.

Reading: Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik, The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu and The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn

Listening: "Young, Gifted and Black" by Aretha Franklin

Watching: a couple of episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress"

Crafting: continuing the shawl

62. Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik
Why now? Spotted on a library new shelf where I was visiting several weeks back, and decided to check it out. The author is Korean/North Korean (he stayed in Pyongyang over the wars) and this is the first translated collection into English; fit in with my goal to read international authors

I'm trying to make my way around to some threads.

I'll echo everyone else's sympathy for you not becoming the new director. But I think that even if I don't subscribe to "everything happens for a reason" type philosophies, it does seem like this is the best possible time to be turned down for a job you'd otherwise want to have. You said up above that things were moving along on the fostering front - where are you in that process now? I'm sorry I've missed a lot recently.

Regarding your listening: I don't like Yes at all, but I do like Can/Ege Bamyasi. In general I would say I don't like prog rock, but combined with some more experimental-type features is sometimes okay for me.

I love Big Star/#1 Record. Thirteen is such a perfect song to me. I have toyed with the idea of getting a tattoo that says "Would you be an outlaw for my love". It's so interesting too that Alex Chilton sounds so different in Big Star than he did when he was in the Box Tops. Ironically I think he sounds older when he was 16 (The Letter)!

I'll add my condolences on the directorship, but as others have said, I'm glad you can see the positives. I've also had the experience of being passed over for an outside candidate, and though I was a little sore at the time, it turned out to be a good experience, and I count the person that got the position as a friend, even though both of us have moved on to new positions in different libraries at least twice since then. Maybe next time around...

You have such a good attitude, Mary. I'm sorry you didn't get the job, but as you've said, the fostering journey is more important in the long run.

Hope you have a great weekend!

>99 bell7: This sounds a fascinating collection Mary. I'm not sure I can find a copy, so thank you for your review.

Sorry about the directorship, but as others have said, your approach to the news makes a lot of sense. Coincidentally, I've just been reading about reframing.

>100 ursula: Nice to see you Ursula! And don't worry about missing stuff / catching up - there's a lot going on lately :)

As far as where I am in the process, I am expecting to hear from the social worker finishing the home visits in the next week or two. That'll be the final home visit, and I'll most likely have to expand on some answers from the caregiver assessment I filled out earlier. After that's done, he turns in a report to DCF and they all get together for a licensing review making the final determination. And then - I'm ready for placements.

I felt like I should've liked Big Star more than I did. It had a lot of elements I usually like, but for whatever reason it mostly didn't connect for me. I did like those two songs I saved, though. I hadn't realized that Alex Chilton had played for any other bands before this one. I looked up Chris Bell, since we share a last name, and ironically found out that we're possibly very distantly related on my mother's side. But he was yet another rocker who died at 27 (yikes).

>101 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi! Out of curiosity, I looked up in the older Trustees' minutes how long it had been since someone outside of the current library staff was hired for the director position, and it looks like it was 40 years ago. So probably about time, honestly. And who knows what a few years from now will bring?

>102 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Yeah, I'll be much more disappointed and surprised if I don't get the foster care licensing. It was much more important to me between the two. I need to look into whether parental leave/FMLA covers time after placement, and it would have been very difficult (and I would possibly have not been eligible) to do that right after accepting a new position.

>103 charl08: I hope you're able to find a copy! It was published by Columbia University Press if you decide to try to get a copy and it does look like it shows up in Amazon UK too. And thanks for the sympathy!

63. The Door-to-door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
Why now? My TBR list tells me I first heard of this by reading Shelf Awareness, and since I'm reading translated books I decided to read it now

>94 benitastrnad: You're absolutely right, Benita. The collision of a strong cold front and a strong warm front led to the violent, but fortunately not deadly, thunderstorms here on Thursday night. I was unaware that any storms were headed our way until my weather radio alarm went off that afternoon, with an alert from the National Weather Service that we were under a severe thunderstorm watch until that evening. An occupational therapist was working with my mother that afternoon, and since the weather radio sits downstairs she was also able to listen to the alert and adjust her day's plans so that she wouldn't get caught by the storms.

Last night the PBS NewsHour dedicated a large segment of its coverage to the heat dome that will affect most of the United States this weekend and much of next week. Starting tomorrow (Sunday) the high temperatures in the Delaware Valley (metropolitan Philadelphia) will hover around 100⁰ for at least four days in a row.

>97 bell7: Our power was only out for three hours on Thursday night, Mary, from 6 to 9 pm. Because our central A/C unit was running and the air temperature during that powerless time was in the low 70s we were not uncomfortable. Unfortunately many people, including households in our neighborhood, are still without power this morning, as I can easily hear home generators running from my bedroom window.

>106 kidzdoc: I'm glad it was only a short time, Darryl, and hope that you and all the households in your neighborhood stay safe in the heat.

Happy Saturday! I'm excited for the weekend and a little more downtime after a busy week. I got an oil change this morning, did the finishing on the baby sweaters I'd been working on last week, and am relaxing with books and knitting.

Reading: You Glow in the Dark: Stories by Liliana Colanzi and The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu (I switched to e-book and started over last night)

Listening: "Young, Gifted and Black" by Aretha Franklin

Watching: switching back and forth between "Say Yes to the Dress" and "Project Runway" for mindless entertainment

Knitting: completely finished off the baby sweaters this morning and going to work on the shawl more

>108 bell7: Ruh-roh, Raggy...starting over on Ndlovu's book sounds omnibus. May it snag you now.

Saturday orisons!

>109 richardderus: Eh, it's been a hectic couple of weeks since I started reading it and that's reflected in the fact that I've primarily been reading right before bed on my e-books instead of picking up a paper book. The only paper book finished in the last four was the collection of short stories that I started around the same time, and it's usually more like 50/50. I'm hoping switching to the e-book will help, and I decided to just start again from the beginning so I kept better track of the story with a smoother start.

>110 bell7: *whew* I'm glad it's a practical reason like that. Saturday orisons!

>111 richardderus: Yeah, I'm already almost as far as I was where I stopped in the paper book before returning it to the library (another copy is on the way), so that's a good sign. *smooch*

Rather than a duplicate post, here's a resource for y'all for discovering international literature: Words Without Borders. I discovered it when Googling one of the short stories in You Glow in the Dark, as it was reviewed on this website. The site includes not only reviews, but articles on such topics as Latin-Canadian literature, and you can look through reviews, interviews, or search by country to find good books to read. I already put two more holds on my library account, and future me is going to wonder what I was thinking when they all come in at once. (On that note, I'm off to go suspend a few of them so that they don't...)

Hi Mary! I am sorry you did not get the position you interviewed for - that is a disappointment, but your perspective on it is healthy, I think. I am so glad you're still pursuing fostering - that is wonderful and I am so thrilled for you.

I can confirm that the farro recipe Katie shared above is excellent. There's another that's become a family favorite, particularly when our herbs are taking off: Charlie Bird's Farro Salad

Looking through some of your highly rated reads I am thrilled to see A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping - I'l look for this for Marina (and me). You also got me with Everyone Knows Your Mother is a witch.

>113 bell7: Good resource indeed, Mme Librarian, and of course there's always the old standby https://worldliteraturetoday.org/ as well...*eville cackle*

>113 bell7: Thanks for the reminder about Words Without Borders, Mary.

>115 richardderus: YES. I received my copy of the July/August edition of the WLT a few days ago. It highlights the Mexican author Guadalupe Nettel, who was selected as this year's Peterbaugh Fellow by the University of Oklahoma, the publisher of the WLT. The issue's special section is dedicated to voices from Gaza, which consists of contributions from 38 writers, poets, photographers and translators. Included amongst the 26 book reviews is one for The South by the Malaysian author Tash Aw, who is one of my favorite writers. The WLT is my single favorite source for translated literature, and the biggest threat to my feeble efforts in keeping my burgeoning library under reasonable control.

Sorry about the job, Mary, but fingers extra-crossed for your foster care process!

>113 bell7: Tempting! Thanks for posting it.

>116 kidzdoc: my feeble efforts in keeping my burgeoning library under reasonable control.
*snort*

Give up. Be a happy guiltless hoarder...it's not *really* hoarding if it's books, after all.

>119 richardderus: True. Fortunately I have two superb library systems within a 20 minute drive from home, although they can't beat owning the books I dearly desire.

Happy Sunday! Hope you’re having a lovely weekend.

>3 bell7: I saw The Witches Guide to Magical Innkeeping on my library’s new books page but wasn’t sure. I’m going back to put a hold on it.

But the way, I agree with you on The Tomb of Dragons being a5-star read. It was wonderful, and I’m hoping it’s not the last one set in that world.

Too bad about the director job but full speed ahead for foster parenting, Mary. I’m waiting to see what you thing about The Creation of Half-broken People.

>115 richardderus: Ooh, excellent! I'll bookmark that too.

>116 kidzdoc: Glad to see it's on your radar, Darryl! And I'm glad to hear from both you and Richard about World Literature Today. I'll dig into it more in the coming months as I try to keep over 50% of my reading by authors outside of the U.S. (I'm really, really close to that right now).

>117 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora! I should be hearing from a social worker soon to set up the final home visit, so getting closer.

>118 charl08: You're very welcome, Charlotte, and hope it brings you something good to read.

>119 richardderus: >120 kidzdoc: Quite often I'll use the library to vet things I'm not sure I want to own, and then I'll go out and buy it if it's a book I want to return to someday (or just always own because it makes me happy). That being said, I still have... checks notes... 270 unread books at home. And that's not counting what's on the Kindle, which would bring that up over 300.

>121 Storeetllr: I'm having a very good weekend, thanks, Mary! Oh goody, I hope you enjoy The Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping. I thought it was even better than A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, which is also a fun read (and though the covers look alike, they're not part of a series and are quite separate stories). I really should read some of Katherine Addison/Sarah Monette's other books, but I agree, I hope there are more books set in that world. Just great stuff.

>122 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Meg! I'm making good progress in The Creation of Half-Broken People now that I've switched to the e-book and am eager to see where the story goes.

>114 AMQS: Whoops, in the flurry of posts I'm answering out of order. Sorry, Anne! Yes, I'm getting towards the end of the process in getting my licensing, so fingers crossed that the final home visit and licensing review go smoothly. Great to know about the farro salad, and thanks for sharing another. I really should start bookmarking all these great recipes to try. And hope you enjoy A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping and Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch. The Witch's Guide will be coming out July 15 (I got an early copy on my Kindle) and I'm super excited to start sharing it with folks.

Happy Sunday, all! I'm a little late in my check in, as it's been a busy day. I went to church and expected to be in service, but as I was walking in one of the greeters mentioned that there was no one in the toddler nursery yet, so I checked in with my friend and ended up filling in. There were eight kids, and I helped with someone who I haven't worked with before, but he was great with the kids and had them in stitches while he used a puppet and made it shoot Duplos out of its mouth. From there, I picked up my Little, we got lunch and I bought some gifts for family members at Barnes & Noble and looked around before I dropped her back off. I was only back home for a short time, enough to make a potato salad and then head out again. A couple who's in my small group and only recently started coming to my church invited me and my parents over for dinner, and then the husband's mom joined us and a missionary family who's staying with her came - a couple, their three kids, and a dog. The six-year-old became fast friends with me and we had fun in the pool for awhile.

So now I am home. I was planning on finishing You Glow in the Dark tonight, but we'll see, I might save the final story for tomorrow.

Reading: The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk, You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi, and The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Listening: "Music of My Mind" by Stevie Wonder

>104 bell7: Thanks for the recap of where you stand in the fostering process. That is amazing, the finish line is in sight! Or I guess really the starting line.

>127 ursula: You're very welcome! It does feel like both a finishing line and a starting line, and I'm looking forward to reaching it :)

It's Monday... we're in for a hot one today. It's already close to 80 and the high temp will get close to 100. I'm working 9-2, after which I want to get an errand or two done, including a grocery shopping with a meal plan that will involve very little actual cooking.

Reading: The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk, You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi (one story left, I'll finish this today), and The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Listening: "Music of My Mind" by Stevie Wonder

Good luck staying cool, Mary!

>130 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! My AC is working overtime today, but it's cooler in my house than outside so we'll call it a win.

64. You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi
Why now? I... don't remember. It never ended up on my TBR list with a note of why it got there, and I thought her earlier collection was dark, so I'm not sure what finally put this over to the "read" list, but I requested it from the library and it fits my goal to read international authors

>132 bell7: I just got followed on Bsky by a guy whose profile fits "The Narrow Way" to a t. unnerving. Fiction, poor ol' Muse, can't get ahead of "Reality" can she?

So glad I'm old.

>133 richardderus: Unnerving for sure. Except for the mention of some technologies we don't currently have (to my knowledge), "The Narrow Way" could happen just as easily in the past and the present as well as the future.

>124 bell7: Quite often I'll use the library to vet things I'm not sure I want to own, and then I'll go out and buy it if it's a book I want to return to someday (or just always own because it makes me happy). I do this all the time, particularly with cookbooks. Libraries are the best!

>135 AMQS: Oooh, yeah, I could see this working really well for cookbooks. I did the same for Dinner in One.

Happy Tuesday! I'm working 9-5 today and had originally planned on going to my brothers' softball games, but they had to forfeit because they didn't have enough players. Can't say I'm too cut up not to have to go out in this heat. It frees up a night for me, and I'll most likely try to use it to assemble some salads (it's waaaaay too hot to cook) so that I can go to the gym tomorrow morning before work.

Reading: The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-min Lee, The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk, The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Listening: "Music of My Mind" by Stevie Wonder

Good morning! It's Wednesday. I'm spending the morning doing some cooking before it gets unbearably hot again (I'm not quite sure why I feel the need to do it when the heat is breaking tomorrow, but here we are). I made a watermelon strawberry salad last night and decided to pickle the rind, so that's taking the longest but I'm looking forward to having a snacking treat over the next few days. I also wrapped a few gifts so I'm all ready for various festivities over the weekend.

I'm working 12-8 and have some book lists to update and other general puttering around to do. I might try to organize some local history photos that have been on the back burner for months.

Reading/Listening etc. - all the same
It's too hot to knit

A brief check in for me as I am behind everywhere, Mary. I am glad to see that you enjoyed the Carsten Henn book as I will be reading it over the next few days.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>138 bell7: Enjoy getting home to your watermelon-rind pickling, Mary. I do love it chopped and spread over strawberry and lemon sorbets.

*smooch*

Ooo! OOOOO! OOOOOOOOO! Watermelon rind pickles!!!! You apparently have enough energy for 2 or 3 people, Mary. I also need to say that anybody who goes to a baseball game out of love is a true lover.
You have me interested in the *½Broken People*. I didn't know that African Gothic was a thing. I'll be happy to see what you think about it.

>139 alcottacre: I'll look forward to your thoughts on it, Stasia!

>140 richardderus: I had wondered if you'd had it, Richard, and do like the sound of that. *makes note to look for sorbet at next grocery shopping*

>141 LizzieD: You apparently have enough energy for 2 or 3 people.
I... yeah, sometimes. I have learned that when my brain wants to do something, I should do it because who knows if I'll be able to focus on it tomorrow? I first had watermelon rind pickles at a brewery, of all things. They were offered as part of a plate that folks at the table had ordered, and I liked them quite a bit while others didn't so much. So I decided it would be fun to try to make them. Re: baseball (and in this case slow-pitch softball) it *can* be somewhat tedious to follow, but my dad taught me to keep score when I was a kid and I do enjoy that. I'm about three-fourths of the way into The Creation of Half-Broken People and can definitely recommend it so far! Hopefully I'll be finishing it and reviewing it in the next day or so.

>142 bell7: When I was a kid, Mama used to buy pickled watermelon rind in a bottle made by Schrafft's. I suspect you're too young to remember the brand. It was the only manufacturer of pickled watermelon rind I ever knew of.

I went and looked for some for sale and discovered "watermelon.org"...got too bumfuzzled by:

...and its pals to search any further. Also, did you know there's a recipe for watermelon-rind fries?

I didn't.

>143 richardderus: Oh wow, that pig is something! I'll have to remember that if I ever do a themed summer party hahaha. I had no idea there was a recipe for watermelon-rind fries. I actually got my recipe from the kitchn (link goes straight to the recipe) and I have no idea how authentic it is, but it sounded yummy. Apparently there are a few places, including Etsy, that you can buy them. Huh.

Happy Thursday! I worked 9-3 today, took two hours personal time, and picked up my niece at daycare and babysat her 'til her mom came home. Today's fun was looking at all of the photos on my phone and seeing pictures of baby Ramona, Dada, and her cousins. She has also discovered the raised mole I have that's visible with some shirt necklines. Thankfully she understands "gentle," as she was rather fascinated with it today. When I got home I made mango salsa and reheated some salmon for dinner. It's finally cool out after a heat wave, and I sat out in my sun room with an open window enjoying the nice weather.

I'm off tomorrow and planning on walking with a friend and going to the gym.

Reading: The Starlet and the Spy and The Rediscovery of America

Listening: "Eagles" by the Eagles

>145 bell7: Ooo, on to the Eagles! How I loved them! I'm still thinking about fried watermelon rind...I must say it sounds revolting to me but I'm really curious....

Enjoy the pleasant Friday weather.

65. The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
Why now? Put on the library holds list (it didn't even get to the TBR spreadsheet) by Richard's review

>146 richardderus: I only knew "Hotel California" before putting in this album, so I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that it's so completely different from what I expected.

>147 bell7: Oh yay!

>149 richardderus: It was SO good! I finished it this morning and was recommending it to a couple of my co-workers today telling them it deserves a wide readership.

duplicate post

>148 bell7: It was about that time, Hotel California that is, that I myownself lost interest in them. Still listened but passively, never bought another album, the ultimate loss of interest.

>150 bell7: It really is, and the more you marinate in it, the better it gets. She hit that one out of the park.

>147 bell7: That looks amazing.

>147 bell7: Hoping to get my hands on a copy, Mary. It sounds brilliant. Thanks for your review!

>152 richardderus: "Eagles" was markedly different from that, fairly enjoyable country/rock as an album whole even if I didn't have any single songs jump out at me to add to the playlist.

>153 richardderus: Yeah, as I was talking about it with a friend I was realizing more and more what she was doing, and it's really well done.

>154 AMQS: I hope you get a chance to read it, Anne!

>155 charl08: I hope you can, Charlotte, and that you enjoy it as much as I did!

>152 richardderus: "Eagles" was markedly different from that, fairly enjoyable country/rock as an album whole even if I didn't have any single songs jump out at me to add to the playlist.

>153 richardderus: Yeah, as I was talking about it with a friend I was realizing more and more what she was doing, and it's really well done.

>154 AMQS: I hope you get a chance to read it, Anne!

>155 charl08: I hope you can, Charlotte, and that you enjoy it as much as I did!

Happy Friday! I'm off today, using up some last vacation time before the new fiscal year kicks in July 1. I walked with a friend this morning and hit the gym for the first time in weeks for some weight training. I stopped at my local library to print out the Wimbledon draws and get info on their summer reading program. Now I'm home and about to have lunch before figuring out what I feel like doing for the rest of the afternoon.

Reading: The Starlet and the Spy and The Rediscovery of America

Listening: "Still Bill" by Bill Withers

Crafting: a little more work on the shawl now that it isn't so dang hot

>148 bell7: The Eagles were such a key part of the soundtrack of my childhood that I can't imagine just now discovering them. I suspect that you're about to get into a lot of albums and artists that will spark memories for me.

>147 bell7: Already in the BlackHole thanks to Richard or I would be adding it again!

Have a super Saturday, Mary!

>159 foggidawn: I will enjoy comparing notes with you, foggi! It's one of the fun parts of this project, seeing what other folks are familiar with and what they think about the albums, too.

>160 alcottacre: Excellent! Hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Stasia.

And here I thought I posted yesterday... well, obviously I didn't. It was a busy day, my sisters are visiting as we have a baby shower to go to today for my cousin who's having her first soon. We met for breakfast with my sisters, parents, brother G., SIL and niece R. Then my sisters went out to get some gifts, and I went back to my parents'. They came back for a little bit, then went to my brother's to watch R. while her parents prepped for a cookout. We all got together in the afternoon at G's and celebrated my SIL's birthday with the whole family and a couple of friends. And then we headed back to my parents for playing games and watching a video someone had taken back in '87 of my great-grandmother being interviewed about her life. It was fascinating to hear, I had found a lot of the papers that backed up what she said, but I loved hearing her actual take on it and the human details (like that her mom was sickly and she'd never known her well, or that she was engaged but you weren't supposed to wear the diamond if it wasn't announced so she'd wear it to bed) that you can't get from the papers alone.

Today I'm heading to church now, then the baby shower from there. Nothing else planned for the rest of the day. I'm off tomorrow, and have my final home visit and tentative plans to walk with a friend.

Reading/Listening/Crafting: all the same

>162 bell7: *puff*puff*puff*

I've posted my accomplishments summary, and was feeling pretty satisfied...then your usual steady stream of busy made me feel like a sluggardly fustilugs again. I'll go decay in a quite corner somewhere as you trot about being accomplished. *mournful sigh*

>163 richardderus: I was happy to visit with family, but I'm even more glad I'm not going back to work tomorrow hahaha. I need an extra day to recover from the weekend.

66. Aya by Marguerite Abouet
Why now? Discovered when puttering around on Words Without Borders and thought it would be fun to read a graphic novel by an author from Cote d'Ivoire

>165 bell7: Oh I love this series, so nice to see another reader on LT.

>165 bell7: I wish my local library had a copy of that one! Thanks for the review and recommendation, Mary.

Have a marvelous Monday!

>166 charl08: Oh excellent, Charlotte, glad to see someone else who's reading and loving it!

>167 alcottacre: Ah, too bad, Stasia. Hopefully one of these days you'll manage to get your hands on a copy.

Happy Monday! I had my final home visit today, and everything went well. He'll be sending in a report to DCF, then they will schedule a licensing review, and then I will hear for sure and be ready for placement. It could take up to six weeks, but that would actually be perfect timing after all of the dogsitting is over. I have done all of my part, and now I wait.

As for plans for the rest of the day, I'm meeting a friend to walk shortly and I would like to get to the gym. I'd like to do a little food prep (quinoa salad and strawberry spinach salad), but will take much of the afternoon to relax and watch Wimbledon and prep for the rest of the week. It's a short work week since we have the Fourth of July off, but I am working on Saturday.

Reading: The Starlet and the Spy and The Rediscovery of America

Listening: "The rise and fall of Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from mars" by David Bowie (after this just to be referred to as "Ziggy Stardust")

Crafting: knitting the shawl

>169 bell7: Hooray for a good home visit!

>169 bell7: I'm awfully glad the last home visit's done. You ran an awful risk having quinoa in the house! That would've killed your chances of being thought of as a suitable person even to be around a child, still less care for one. Imagine! Accidental exposure to that awful stuff...a risk Society can't afford to take....

>170 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi!

>171 richardderus: Yeah, I know you don't like the stuff. I do if it's doctored up, and this particular recipe is a "Southwest" quinoa salad where cumin is the largest flavor, with peppers and avocado and such in the mix. It comes out pretty good imo and makes a great summer dish. But I won't try to convince you - or a kid - that it's good. I expect my shopping/food intake will change quite a bit with kids.

The listening report -

"Young, Gifted, and Black" by Aretha Franklin
Oooh, I like Aretha Franklin a lot. She has a powerful voice and also knows when to pull back, and it's just about perfect listening for me. This album did have a lot of what I call "relationship" songs (getting together, breaking up, "I love you," etc.), which I won't say I don't like but I get picky about them. I did add "Rock Steady" and her cover of "The Long and Winding Road" to my playlist. The title track was also excellent, though it felt like a weird choice for a middle-aged white lady to add to her playlist. Brett Schewitz informs me she won a Grammy for her vocal performance, and that is completely fitting. #388 on the list

"Music of My Mind" by Stevie Wonder
Hmmm, somehow I'd expected Stevie Wonder to be a little like Ray Charles? But it's less piano and more rock. I liked it pretty well, though I'm not a huge synthesizer fan, and added "Happier Than the Morning Sun" to the playlist. Brett Schewitz's review gave me even more appreciation for it - he was only 22? He played every single instrument on this album? Just, wow. #350 on the list

"Eagles" by the Eagles
The only song I was familiar prior to listening to this self-titled album was "Hotel California," so I was really surprised to find out that this entire album is about as different from that as can be imagined. It's more country rock, even with banjos on a couple of tracks. Enjoyable listening overall, but no songs that really stood out to me to add to the playlist. Brett Schewitz's review goes into detail about who sings what song and more details. #207 on the list

"Still Bill" by Bill Withers
I like Bill Withers' voice, too, so this was an enjoyable listen even with all the "relationship" songs. I added "Lonely town, lonely street" and "Lean on Me" (actually I was shocked it wasn't already on there) to the playlist. Brett Schewitz's review explains that Withers was frustrated with Black artists covering white standards and decided to write his own - he certainly succeeded. #333 on the list

"Ziggy Stardust" by David Bowie
Well, this was... strange. Not that I expected any different after listening to a replay of Terry Gross's interview with David Bowie from 2002. It's a rock opera about an androgynous being sent to earth as a kind of savior, though I had to look that up 'cause I couldn't really hear all the lyrics. Brett Schewitz calls it "Bowie at his absolute best" and though it wasn't really my thing I can appreciate how groundbreaking it was. (Yes, I am now requesting the documentary/performance on DVD.) #40 on the list

June in review
66. Aya by Marguerite Abouet
65. The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu
64. You Glow in the Dark by Liliana Colanzi
63. The Door-to-door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
62. Patterns of the heart and other stories by Ch'oe Myong-ik
61. The Weaver of the Middle Desert by Victoria Goddard
60. The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
59. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
58. Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis

Books read: 9
Did not finish: 0
Rereads: 0
Children's/Teen/Adult: 0/0/9
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 9/0/0/0

Because I want to awards:
First graphic novel of the year - Aya
I'll be recommending this to everyone - The Creation of Half-Broken People

YTD stats -
Pages read: 19,190 (this nice round number pleases me)
Avg pages a day: 106
Books by authors of color: 24 (36%)
In translation: 10 (15%)
Indigenous authors: 4 (6%)
Countries of origin: US - 32 (48.48%); Canada - 10; UK - 4; France - 3; Hungary - 1; Denmark - 1; India - 1; Taiwan - 1; Mexico - 1; Ireland - 2; Nigeria - 1; Romania - 1; Argentina - 1; New Zealand - 2; North Korea - 1; Argentina - 1; Germany - 1; Bolivia - 1; Zimbabwe - 1; Cote d'Ivoire - 1
DNF: 2

Thoughts: I made a concerted effort to read books from outside of the U.S. this month and books in translation, which really paid off. Only one of the nine was by a U.S. author, and that brought my percentage back down under 50%. I'm going to try to keep about an equal U.S./international balance in July, but my reading is going to start shifting to more books on parenting and fostering, too, so we'll see how that goes. I read one more indigenous author, bringing my total up to four, so I want to step that up for the second half of the year as well to get to my goal of 12.

Unsurprisingly, I read fewer books in June than I did in May. It's been a busy month, I read a bit more out of my comfort zone, and I started a really long dense book a few days ago so the only book I finished over the weekend was a graphic novel (Aya). Nine books is on the low side but not the lowest this year (January had that with 7, followed by 8 in February). I most often gave 4 stars to my reads and had an overall enjoyable reading month, though, and I'm excited to see what the second half of the year will hold.

Good morning and happy July! I'm not sure how we're already into the second half of the year, but here we are.

The library in the town where I live kicked off their summer reading program yesterday, and apparently the adult program is keeping track of days read, so I'm figuring out ways to use the app to log my reading. I'm going to try to get to at least one program, but I'm somewhat limited in what days I can make it, so wish me luck haha.

I'm working 9-5 today. There's no softball (July 4 break?), so I'm planning on stopping at the gym to walk the treadmill for a bit before coming home, making dinner, and relaxing.

Reading: The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-min Lee and The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk

Listening: will start "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield today

Watching: Wimbledon

Crafting: continuing to knit the shawl - I'm on the last few rows, but they are long

>165 bell7: Argh, Aya looks so good but my library only has volumes 4-7 for some reason???
Actually, scratch that. They have labeled Aya: Life in Yop City as Volume 4 but it's actually an omnibus of volumes 1-3, crisis averted

>169 bell7: Congrats on your home visit!

>175 bell7: My local library's adult summer reading also counts days read. It starts on June 1 and the goal is to read for at least 30 non-consecutive days which means, of course, that I met the goal yesterday 😂

>165 bell7: You got me with Aya too!

Glad the final home visit went well :)

>176 norabelle414: oh good! I hope it's a good read for you. I think my sister T's summer reading is the same as yours, I'll have to check in with her if she's doing it this year. And thanks re: the home visit, I am so excited to be at this point!

>177 curioussquared: thanks, Natalie! I hope you enjoy Aya when you get to it. The second volume is on its way to me now 😁

Wordle 1,474 4/6

⬜🟨🟨⬜⬜
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

I haven't shared these in awhile, but it was such an odd progression, I had to today. ARISE, POUTY, RUNIC, INCUR.

Happy Wednesday!

Do you ever get to the point where you have enough on the home to-do list that you feel like you need a vacation to get it all done? I'm getting close. And the way my brain works, when my list gets that long, I feel frustrated that I don't have time for everything and it's really hard to motivate myself to do any of it because I don't know where to start. But, I have persevered this morning and finally made the quinoa salad I talked about on Monday. That'll be lunch, and then I have leftover pizza from last night (I did not feel like cooking/food prep after I'd been to the gym) to bring to work with me for dinner. I may try to do something else before work, but at least now I don't have anything that I *must* do.

I'm working 12-8 today. I'm hoping to prep for tomorrow's new volunteer training so that I'm not rushing tomorrow and forget something. It's also the time of year that I start on an annual report we submit to the state with lots of stats for the year, so I'll fit that in as I have time. Some of the questions are quick and some take more time to collect the info, but one of the hardest (how many usages of the databases that we purchase) is no longer collected, much to my relief.

Reading: The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-min Lee, The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk, and Stargazy Pie by Victoria Goddard

Listening: "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield

Watching: Wimbledon

Crafting: I'm on the final rows of knitting the shawl

>169 bell7: Yay for the final home visit, Mary! I know that 6 weeks will probably fly by.

>175 bell7: I'm not sure how we're already into the second half of the year I have yet to figure it out either! I cannot believe it is July already!

>180 bell7: I have to catch up to you in Stargazy Pie yet today. I got a much later start than I have lately.

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Hi Mary. I read Reduced Shakespeare a couple days ago. Learned a lot. Thanks for putting it atop your Christmas want list, allowing me to sample it before wrapping it and shipping it to you for the Christmas swap. 'Twas fun.

>181 alcottacre: Yes, I have a lot going on over the next few weeks, so it'll be here before I know it! The year has truly flown by. No worries about Stargazy Pie. I got up to 45% this morning, but I will slow myself down tonight reading other things. The Starlet and the Spy started to pick up when I was reading on my break at work today, so I'm going to see if I can finish it tonight.

>182 weird_O: Oh good, I'm glad you enjoyed it, too, Bill! I also own the DVD of a PBS Special of the same, and it's one of my go-to watches when I'm sick and need a laugh.

>169 bell7: this is so exciting, Mary! I am so glad you are sharing this journey with us.

Thursday orisons, Mary, and may it be as pretty there as it is here.

Hi, Mary! I've been hit by two BBs (You Glow in the Dark and The Creation of Half Broke People, so thanks for that. I'm also enjoying your thoughts on the music you're listening to. I love Aretha Franklin and have one of her albums which I listen to occasionally (when I can get my turntable hookup to my speakers to work). I also love Phoebe Snow - have you heard her? - and Billie Holiday, who was also a favorite of my mom. I guess I'm a fan of prog rock, but I also love hard rock, folk rock, 90s rock, and Classical Baroque, so I guess my taste in music is fairly eclectic.

Have a great rest of the week!

>184 AMQS: Thank you, Anne! I've been humbled by the outpouring of support here as I pursue fostering :)

>185 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! I'm glad to hear you had a nice day. I was indoors much of the day and then got out of work in time for thunderstorms, but tomorrow should be absolutely gorgeous and I'll look forward to getting outside.

>186 Storeetllr: I hope you enjoy both, Mary! I have not heard of Phoebe Snow, but I'll add her to my list. I've got a note on my phone called "to listen" with everyone's recommendations that I'll listen to after finishing the Rolling Stones project, if not before. I tend to prefer soft rock and folk rock, some pop, jazz (still discovering what I like and don't like there), and some classical baroque as well. And having listened to a lot of 90s music, I'm rather partial to it on a purely nostalgic level even when I didn't like the song or band when it was popular haha. Thanks for stopping by!

Hope everybody had a good Thursday! I got up early enough to watch some Wimbledon, worked 9-5, and went to the gym. I'd forgotten the paper I use to keep track of the weights and settings on the machines, so had to stop home first, but I'm patting myself on the back for going out again when it would've been easy not to.

Tomorrow I'm off for Independence Day, and I'm looking forward to a quiet day at home. I have a very doable to-do list, and plan on also taking time to read, watch Wimbledon, take a walk, and rest.

Reading: Bless This Mess by Rev. Molly Baskette and Ellen O'Donnell (I officially start reading parenting books!), Stargazy Pie by Victoria Goddard, and The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk

Listening: just finished "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield and will probably pop in Paul Simon's self-titled album next

Watching: Wimbledon

Crafting: still on those last couple of rows on the shawl, but I anticipate finishing it over the weekend

67. The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-min Lee
Why now? It was on display at the library where I work of books in translation, and I decided it sounded interesting

And good afternoon! It feels weird to wish my fellow Americans a happy Independence Day when many of our freedoms are under attack, but here we are. I'm planning a quiet day at home - probably one of the last I'll have for awhile, since I anticipate I'll be going to fireworks and parades with kids in a way I don't tend to by myself. I'm not opposed to either, mind you, I just don't make the effort when it's just for me rather than meeting up with family or friends.

I've gotten a lot of my to-do list done and feel accomplished as a result. I did not take a walk, but there's still time. I've also enjoyed having a lot of Wimbledon on in the background.

Reading/Listening/Watching: same as yesterday

Crafting: I finished the knitting part of the shawl and am currently blocking it. I still have to weave in all the ends, but probably won't even try 'til at least Monday. In the meantime, I've started on the second sock of the pair I began at the beginning of the year.

Glad to hear it's been a restful and productive holiday Friday for you, Mary.

Congrats on wrapping up your knitting project! Wishing you all the luck with the ends, whenever you decide to tackle them.

>190 bell7: I do not know howinahell you can endure knitting in summer geat, but bless you for doing it for the lucky recipients.

It was gorgeous here today. I hope it was there, too. *smooch*

I've been on a knitting jag too -- mainly socks, I'm finally getting the hang of them.

I am such a fan of Victoria Goddard!

Stopping by especially to thank you for stopping by my thread.

>191 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky!

>192 richardderus: Well, today was cooler than it has been and was in the 70s when I was knitting the shawl. Socks are perfect for this kind of weather as a small project I can hold off my lap and often uses lighter yarn. It was indeed gorgeous, and I even managed to read outside a bit.

>193 sibylline: Nice to see you, Lucy! I enjoy knitting socks, though I do find I get bored if I do too many similar projects in a row, thus I frequently have a couple of projects started and trade off depending on what I feel like doing. Glad to find another Victoria Goddard fan! I'm rereading the Greenwing & Dart series with Stasia (alcottacre) in anticipation of 7th book in the series coming out in December.

68. Stargazy Pie by Victoria Goddard
Why now? Rereading the series with Stasia in anticipation of the newest book in the series coming out at the end of the year

We read this back in May 2023, and I've attached the review I wrote then. I will add that I didn't find the ending quite as confusing because I understood who some of the various players were in the finale in a way I didn't the first time around. It's still disjointed, but that's also because Jemis is telling it in a somewhat addled state. But I stand by my comments that there are both pacing issues and great characters. Looking forward to continuing the series!

>195 bell7: I literally just finished the book too, Mary, and I raised my rating a hair from our previous read from 3.75 stars to 4 stars. I think reading the other books in the series has helped me appreciate the first book all the more. Like you, I am looking forward to re-reading the rest in anticipation of the new one coming out later this year!

>196 scdoster: Yeah, I think she had way more in there when I realized, and it only becomes clear after reading some of the later books. It makes for a really enjoyable rereading experience, and I'll be interested in seeing if that stays true in reading the others. Looking forward to continuing with Bee Sting Cake next month :)

Edited to add - also, what great timing in finishing together!

>197 bell7: Yeah, that worked out great, didn't it? We probably could not do that again if we tried. Over to my thread to type up my final thoughts on this one too.

>195 bell7: It's interesting that you call out Stargazy Pie as lighter than The Hands of the Emperor. I understand, though in terms of negative and troubling happenings within the time of the novels, one health crisis, vs social shunning, fleeing from cultists, running into and jumping out of burning buildings, drug withdrawal, etc...., it's a testament to tone.
My first experience with SP is that it gets bogged in complexities where as HOTE felt clear as crystal. Of course both narrators are presenting very skewed versions of their realities, and there is a great deal of humor in both.

>199 quondame: Hi, Susan. Yes, I was referring to the tone and it wasn't meant as a criticism. At the time I wrote the review in 2023, I only had HOTE, Petty Treasons, and the first two Red Company Reformed books to compare it to. Having read a lot more now, I'd say Goddard is very skilled at many tones and approaches to her books. HOTE and its immediate sequels strikes me as more of a classic epic fantasy feel; Greenwing & Dart is a bit more madcap adventure and yes, more lighthearted.

Happy Saturday! I'm up early and was watching Wimbledon 'til a rain delay started. I'll be heading out to work in the next hour or so, where I'll be in circulation for the day. After work, I've got a few options for how to spend my time and haven't quite decided yet. Perhaps a walk (I never did take one yesterday) if it's nice out, a gym run if it's too humid.

Reading: Bless This Mess by Molly Baskette and Ellen O'Donnell and The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk; I'm going to start The Djinn's Apple today to have some fiction relief

Listening: Paul Simon's self-titled album

Watching: Wimbledon

Crafting: knitting the second pair of socks

>169 bell7: Probable 6 months to placement, sounds very positive, Mary.

Thanks for the review of The Creation of Half-broken People.

>202 Familyhistorian: yes, I'm anticipating hearing about the licensing in about six weeks, and we'll go from there. It's very exciting (and somewhat nerve-wracking) to be this close to what's been a very long term goal of mine.

You're welcome, and hope you get a chance to read The Creation of Half- Broken People 😁

>200 bell7: Oh, no, I didn't take it as a criticism at all - my remarks contain more critical statements than I found in anything you said. It's just that the flow and content of HOTE seems soft and honey sweet to me, while SP was on the frenetic side, but yes, the latter is set up as madcap adventure.

>204 quondame: ahhh I see. Yeah, I would agree with that assessment of both books. SP had some uneven pacing and did get frenetic at times, though I think this evens out as the series continues.

>205 bell7: Oh yes, SP is much rougher than any G&D book that follows. And HOTE was probably much smoother for Goddard working out her writing kinks in those earlier books.

Happy Sunday, Mary. Another fine Meet Up at Joe's place yesterday, with Judy and Jim. This time we had to sit inside. Hot & muggy out on the deck. We are going to do this again next month with Stasia, which will also include another Cub's game. 😀

>206 quondame: Yeah, which is why I pointed out that it was written earlier, since that completely makes sense.

>207 msf59: Hey Mark, happy Tuesday now! Sorry for the delay. Glad to hear you had a great meetup with Joe, Judy, and Jim, and that you get to do it again with Stasia. It's been several years since I've seen Judy, Jim or Stasia, but we had a great time when we did. Hope the Cubs win for you again!

>207 msf59: Woot for LT meet ups!

Have a terrific Tuesday, Mary!

Happy Tuesday, all! I'd planned on checking in over the last couple of days, but they ended up being so busy that I didn't get a chance. Sunday I was the teacher for the Toddler class and helped out with a person who had never done it before. There were nine kids and service went a little long, so I hightailed it out of there to get back home and get ready to go on an overnight with my mom. She met me at my house and we got going. We first went to Concord and did a tour of the Old Manse where Ralph Waldo Emerson lived for a time and Nathaniel Hawthorne rented (he describes it in Mosses from an Old Manse which he wrote there). We were running a little late, but they were very gracious about catching us up and allowing us to join the tour, which was great. Our tour guide was knowledgeable and though there were only five of us, everyone was engaged and had enough questions to make it very interactive and allow our guide to expound on more details.

From there, we headed out to Newburyport where checked in to our bed & breakfast, walked along the Merrimac River, visited shops, and had dinner. Then on Monday, we got up early to go to Plum Island and go birding. When we'd gone to Cape Ann last year (and saw a lot of birds, which was a goal of ours), everyone in Ipswich kept telling us that the place to go birding was Plum Island. So, that was our ultimate destination this time around. We ran into some experienced birders who helped us along, Mom took pictures with her zoom lens and I used binoculars from the library to identify over two dozen species in total. I'll have to go over the list again to figure out which were lifers, but off the top of my head I can add the common tern, the least tern, and the glossy ibis. There were some much more experienced birders that we ran into on our travels, and I really enjoyed talking with them and learning from what they had to say, either about birds and identification or the history of the ecology of the island.

We got home and had to go through her pictures (where we decided we'd seen both mallards and black ducks), and then I got home in time to pretty much fall into bed.

I'm back to my regularly scheduled busyness now, working 9-5 today and hoping to go to softball in the evening.

Reading: Bless This Mess by Molly Baskette and Ellen O'Donnell, The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk and The Djinn's Apple by Djamila Morani

Listening: "Amazing Grace" by Aretha Franklin

Watching: hopefully turning on a little Wimbledon before I leave for work today

Crafting: left my knitting at home during our overnight and doubt I'll have time to pick it up today

>209 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia, same to you!

>211 bell7: Thanks, Mary!

>212 alcottacre: :)

Okay, upon going through the bird list, I had 7 Lifers and 13 first of the year (FOY) sightings:

Lifers
glossy ibis
lesser black-backed gull
common tern
least tern
sanderling
least sandpiper
American black duck

FOY
snowy egret
great egret
willet
piping plover
yellow warbler
killdeer
Eastern kingbird
double-crested cormorant
mallard duck
mute swan
great blue heron
American herring gull
great black-backed gull

My mom saw (and took great photos of) a cedar waxwing pair, but I was elsewhere at the time and did not spot them. We also think there may have been a whimbrel in among the willets, but I didn't identify it when I was looking through the binoculars, and neither did the birders with me at the time. The same group actually helped me with the glossy ibis, which we saw fly over us. Mom and I were spoiled seeing so many egrets, both in the water and flying overhead. And we got a really good look at the yellow warbler pair, a few killdeer, and the Eastern kingbird. It's nesting season for the piping plovers, so some beaches were closed for them but we still saw a couple, as well as the common terns who were nesting on the southernmost beach.

So much fun! I'd highly recommend the place, and would go again in a heartbeat.

Glad you had a fruitful birding trip! Definitely bookmarking Plum Island for my mom

>214 bell7: Plum Island? The one near Long Island? I had no idea it was such a birding haven!

Tuesday well, Mary.

You and Stasia are making me want to reread Greenwing and Dart, even though I just read the entire series last year :)

>215 norabelle414: It's well worth the trip!

>216 richardderus: No, believe it or not there's a Plum Island in MA as well as NY. I think it's technically Newburyport.

>217 curioussquared: I mean, we wouldn't say no to you joining us for a reread :) Our pace has been one Victoria Goddard book a month for the past couple years now.

>218 bell7: That makes more sense, given the birds you saw. Interesting but unsurprising there's a Plum Island in MA that far from the coast. Lakes have islands too, I always forget.

Good Wednesday morning! It's a little drizzly here and we should get a bit of a break from the heat with highs in the lower 80s instead of close to 90. I'm hoping to get to the gym and do a grocery shopping before work, so I've gotta get moving soon to have time for all of that. I'm starting my shift with a couple of hours at our booth at the Farmer's Market, which should be fun to check out.

I finished The Djinn's Apple last night and will hopefully get to a review soon, as well as a new thread.

Reading: Bless This Mess by Molly Baskette and Ellen O'Donnell, The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk

Listening: "Amazing Grace" by Aretha Franklin

Watching: a little Wimbledon before heading out for my errands

Crafting: might get a little sock knitting in today

>219 richardderus: Well it makes sense that the one that comes to mind is geographically close to you! We'd never heard of it before until we went to Cape Ann last year, and while we were birding in Ipswich everyone told us the real place to go was Plum Island - and while we could kayak there, it was a 40 minute drive from where we were staying. We decided it should be a separate trip someday. I could see it becoming a place we go back to occasionally, and at different times of the year to get migratory birds as well as the shorebirds.

>214 bell7: Nice bird list, Mary. Congrats on the Lifers. I have had most of these FOY birds too, with the exception of a snowy egret, which we rarely get here. The same with the great black-backed gull. I still have a tough time IDing gulls.

>222 msf59: Thought you might enjoy that, Mark. Many of the FOY were Lifers for me last year when we went to Cape Ann. Apparently the great black-backed gull sticks pretty close to the Atlantic coast, but it's noticeably bigger than the more common gulls and quite striking. I don't feel super confident in my IDing of shorebirds and relied on more experienced birders for a few of those.