2025, Catzteach’s Page Turners and Plot Twists Part 2

I get to start a new thread! In all my years on LT, I have yet to do this. It’s an exciting day!

I finished The Aurora Teagarden Mysteries yesterday. It was just what I needed after The Women. Two cozy mysteries. The first one I had read before and the second one was enjoyable. I want to read more of them. The fun part was it being written in 1990. The characters had to go next door to call the police. :)

In other news:

Witten goes to the doc today for his post-op check in. He’s been healing well and eating more than before the surgery. I am guessing the eye was bothering him way before it got cloudy. Poor guy. Sometimes I wish they could talk so they could tell us what’s wrong.

School’s out! Yesterday was the last day of school. When I started class, the kids gave me a round of applause and told me it was a great year. That started the day off great. We watched Harold and the Purple Crayon and did some other school activities. It was only a half day for them. I will miss this group. They were tons of fun!

And now to start my summer of recharging. :)

>1 catzteach: Congrats on the new thread. May your summer be filled with rest and restoration of your spirit.

>1 catzteach: Happy New Thread!
May your Summer reading be both bountiful and satisfying!

Happy new thread!

Well done on your new thread.

>1 catzteach: Happy New Thread!

I wish you a wonderful and relaxing summer!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread and Happy Summer! I hope you have lots of lovely days ahead.

Thanks, peeps.
One of my students gave me a gift card to a local bookstore and wished me a “booktacular” summer. :) Very apt.

I finished The Murderbot Diaries Volume 1 today and have already started Volume 2. I do not yet have volume 3. I plan on going to the local bookstore mentioned earlier tomorrow to look for it.

Definitely shaping up to be “booktacular!”

Happy new thread! Glad to hear that Witten is healing well. Good boy!

I agree with your comment about wishing our critters could just tell us when something is wrong. Animals are so stoic, sometimes to their own detriment.

Hope your summer is wonderful!

>9 catzteach:
The Murderbot Diaries are very addictive. I finished vol. 2 on Monday and am saving vol. 3 for my holidays, but it is tough not plunging straight in to it.

>9 catzteach: That's wonderful, and enjoy your booktacular Summer!

>11 pgmcc: I admire your restraint, my good man.

>12 clamairy:
The restraint is killing me. My nails are bitten down to the quick. I am pacing so much I have worn a rut in the carpet. I have asked the Doctor to prescribe Valium. The sooner this holiday starts the better.

In other news I an enjoying Behold the Man.

>11 pgmcc: Not sure if anyone else has shared this yet... Murderbot has a timeline quirk. Book 6, Fugitive Telemetry, happens immediately after book 4, Exit Strategy, timeline wise. Book 5, Network Effect, occurs after events in book 6. So if you read them in publication order and wonder if you missed something, that's why.

>9 catzteach: "Booktacular!" This sounds awesome :)

I am glad you are enjoying Murderbot! Have a great book journey!

>11 pgmcc: I had to order Volume 3 as my bookstores do not have it. :( I think it will be here by Monday.

I did finish The Murderbot Diaries Volume 2 today.

>14 Narilka: Good to know. Since I will have both in one volume, I shall read them in correct events order. I assume that would be better?

I ordered most of the things I will need for the new reading nook. I couldn’t decide on a curtain so I ordered two choices knowing I will send one back. Now I need to get the paint and get that part of the project done. The Husband is going to hate the colors, they are a bit dark, but I don’t care as this is my space. :) I also need to refinish/paint a table. Pretty sure I have to strip it first. I’m wondering if I can get away with just sanding it.

>16 catzteach: That's the order I read Murderbot and thought it was fine.

Finished listening to a book. It might break our rules here so I will just give the title and won’t comment. It’s Exvangelicals.

First world problems: our water heater went out. Luckily, we have a plumber that lives across the street and he is helping us out. But it’s going to cost $2000. That on top of getting our furnace and AC serviced yesterday. The house is going to be happy though: it now has a roof that is only a few years old, new floors, a new paint color, and will be getting new windows this summer. But, yikes, homeownership isn’t always easy. The house is 21 years old so ….

I have a question for all you green thumbs out there. I was given a dahlia plant from one of my students. I am not good with plants and would like this one to survive. :) Can I replant it in a pot or do I have to put it in the ground?

>18 catzteach: Dahlias are fine in a pot. I haven't grown them often but I've seen them in pots and in ground - both happy.

>18 catzteach: Happy new thread! As >19 tardis: said, dahlias are happy in a pot, as long as it isn't one of the really large ones. We grow ours in pots, but I've stopped doing that with the large ones, they just aren't happy by the end of the season.

>19 tardis: and >20 Karlstar: Thanks. If I put it in with other plants, would it do ok in a bigger pot? Not sure what other plants to pair it with…

>21 catzteach: I currently have one with zinnias and one with petunias. They seem to co-exist well.

>21 catzteach: I'm not sure I read the threads right, but I think >20 Karlstar: was saying the larger dahlias don't do well in pots, not that dahlias don't do well in large pots. I was reading it with the second interpretation until I went back and read it again. Not sure if anyone else read it that way.

>23 MrsLee: You are right, sorry for my confusing language. The pot should be at least 12" wide, the plant will overheat in a small pot. I meant to say that the large flowered/tall dahlias are the ones I've stopped growing in pots.

See? No green thumbs. :D I do not know if this is a large dahlia or not. Right now it’s tiny. But it does have a flower and a few buds. Next week I’ll see if I can find a good pot. I want to try and make it a fairy garden for my porch.

>25 catzteach: Your dahlia should be fine in a pot - I'm growing one for the first time this year, so they've been foreign to me, as well. I just liked the color, a kind of orange-red. It had one bloom when I bought it. I put it in a very large, outdoor style pot and it’s been very happy.

Just watch it, and keep the soil moist. Anytime I plant annuals I give them a shot of plain old Miracle-Gro and they tend to take off.

With dahlias, you keep it fresh looking by deadheading the spent blooms.

Have fun! Take pictures! :)

>26 terriks: Don't you just love the word deadheading? I always feel like such a badass when I head out the door with my pruners saying, "I'm going out to do some deadheading!"

>27 MrsLee: You make it sound like something Murderbot would enjoy.

>27 MrsLee: Exactly! You end up with a little pile of dead heads. And the plant looks better. It's win-win!

>28 pgmcc: I don't know about Murderbot, but...enjoyable, yes it is! :D

>27 MrsLee: I’ve never heard the term before! I do love it, though.

Thank you guys so much for the plant advice. I plan on finding the dahlia a pot and some friends tomorrow.

I finished reading Third Wheel today. I believe it was a freebie from Kindle. It was a fast, fun read. Jake, the main character, has a YouTube business with his best friend, Sy. The go on experiences/adventures and then rate them. One day Sy notices all their followers are blokes. They decide to bring on a female to add more viewers. Well, Sy and Helena hit it off and Jake feels like a third wheel.

In other news: the items for my reading nook re-do are starting to arrive. I have yet to have time to go get paint. I think I will do that on Thursday as I can then paint on that day, too. I’m excited to see it all put together!

I haven’t posted in a while because I’m currently reading The Way of Kings and it’s not a tiny book. :)

I have managed to paint my reading nook. I think all the items I bought for it have arrived. I’m hoping my neighbor can help me hang the chandelier this weekend. It needs to be wired in and I haven’t a clue how to do that.

I am listening to Clean while I paint. It’s been really interesting. I’m learning a lot about the skin. One chapter was about the history of soap. Ever wonder how soap operas got their name? He answers that question. It’s because they were sponsored by soap companies. I have also learned why not to use antiperspirants. I ordered a natural deodorant today. There are some awful things in our body products.

>31 catzteach: What color?

>32 MrsLee: Three of the walls our a dark taupe, real name is Mink. The back wall is a dark purple called Concord Grape. I have a black chaise lounge, a cute little table I’ll be putting in there, a cat night light, a cat in a moon wall hanging, some shelves, and some wall sconces. It’ll be very gothic.

>33 catzteach: That sounds fun!

>33 catzteach: A good place to gather your thoughts around a good book.

Finally finished The Way of Kings. It was very good. I plan on picking up the next one in the next week or two.

And now I’m back in the Murderbot universe.

I’m about halfway through Network Effect. I’m enjoying it. I’m glad ART has come back into the picture.

In other news: I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy today. My throat is so sore! They did a biopsy during the endo and took a polyp. I have a follow up next week so hopefully the tests will come back by then. Also found out I have an interior hemorrhoid. Who knew there was such a thing. I Googled it and turns out having one can cause bloating. It’ll be interesting to see if that is part of my issue. And the hernia I’ve had forever is 2 centimeters, which seems big to me, but what do I know. :/

In reading nook news: my neighbor is coming over tomorrow to see if he can install the chandelier I bought and The Husband is going to help me with shelves on Friday. It’s been a slow project because I kept getting distracted by books and puzzles and needing assistance.

>37 catzteach: Good luck with all the tests! Hugs.

And I am glad you are enjoying Network Effect. Murderbot times are good times.

>37 catzteach: Hope your test results come through quickly and give the desired results.

Distracted by books? Can't relate to that at all. Nope, definitely not!

>37 catzteach: Hope all of those test results are good! Best of luck with the chandelier.

>37 catzteach: Breathe and just take one day at a time. For the record, I am *deeply* envious of a woman who has a chandelier in her reading nook. Not to mention new shelving!!

>37 catzteach:
Hoping the results are all good and that you can move on without stress and anxiety.

I was delighted when I discovered ART was back. ART was such a well drawn character it would have been a terrible waste for it to be wasted and not used again.

The chandelier has been hung but not yet turned on as I didn’t have any bulbs for it. Oops. The Husband wanted to be home when I turned it on. He’s home but watching the Tour De France to decompress from a very long day. He’s been trying to schedule a biopsy for his prostate and it hasn’t been easy. Finally has one scheduled for September 4th.

I took Witten, one of my cats, back to the eye doctor today to check his healing and his remaining eye. He’s healing well but his remaining eye is still inflamed and not doing well. To try and save it, we are trying him on two different oral steroids.

>43 catzteach: Keeping my fingers crossed that the steroids work and you can save Witten's sight.

>43 catzteach: Oh no... Poor Witten. What is causing the inflammation? Hope he heals quickly.

May the lighting of the chandelier be greeted with much hoopla, and be celebrated with appropriate snacks and bubbling beverages.

>43 catzteach: Aw, poor Witten is going through it, isn't he? I hope he - and all of you! - get through your medical issues quickly and with good results.

Your reading nook sounds wonderful! Love the Gothic style. Hope you get those lightbulbs in soon!

>43 catzteach: Oh, poor Witten! I hope everything goes well.

Thanks peeps! >45 clamairy: They think it’s just an autoimmune reaction. We are changing his steroid drops to an oral steroid. The doc thinks that’ll help stop the cataract that is forming in his remaining eye.

Almost done-ish with the nook! I need a bit of help assembling the lounge. I got the shelves up today. I will get some bookends and I need to get three more shelves.

I’m back from my girls’ reading weekend at the coast. It was wonderful! Four introverts who love reading? What’s not to love. :) I finished one and a half books, ate lots of good (yet nutritious) food, and had some great conversations when we were reading. Plus, it was nice weather so we got to watch the ocean a lot, too. Perfection!

Finished Network Effect before leaving for the weekend. Love the Murderbot stories!

While there I read Masters of Death. This one was very good. Vi is a real estate agent and a vampire. She’s trying to sell a haunted house. So she enlists a medium to get rid of the ghost. They both get involved in another quest that they weren’t planning on. It was really good. I loved the characters. It’s my first Blake novel and certainly won’t be my last. I look forward to finding and reading her other books.

I also started The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association. I’m loving it! I especially like the emails to parents from the school. They are so accurate! Well, except they have supernatural references, but the tone is spot on! I will finish it tomorrow, for sure.

>49 catzteach: Vi is a real estate agent and a vampire.: the jokes just write themselves, don't they? Library hold placed.

>49 catzteach: I really enjoyed The Grimoire grammar school...! I read The Atlas six by Blake and didn't like it at all, but Masters of death sounds good.

Finished Grimoire. So good! Highly recommend! I realized that I had read her other book, Dreadful last year and really enjoyed it, too. I’m going to follow her on a couple of sites so I know when she has a new book come out.

>50 haydninvienna: oh, I hope you like it!

Ok, y’all. I put a picture of my new and improved reading nook in my junk drawer on LT. How do I post it to my thread here? I tried and it didn’t work.

>53 catzteach:
Go to your gallery page. Near the top of the column on the left you will see "Gallery" highlighted with "Junk drawer" below it. Click on "Junk drawer" and your junk drawer pictures will appear.

Click on the picture you want to post. When the picture is displayed hover your cursor over the picture "right click". The dropdown menu will give you an option to "Copy image address".

Go to the post in which you wish to post the picture.

Within the HTML angled brackets type the following:

img src="paste the image address by using ctrl-V"

The double inverted commas are needed at either end of the image address.

I hope this helps.

The first post in the "how to do fancy things" thread gives a good explanation.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/177029#4750147

>53 catzteach: I saw it on Facebook. You did a great job!

It worked! Thanks @pgmcc!

I had been trying to do it on my iPad. I can't right click an image on my iPad. :/

I'm going to add more shelves and a bit more decorations but need to wait a bit because I've already spent a bit more than I was planning to on it. But I love it!

Your reading nook is awesome :)

>56 catzteach:
Glad to be of service.

Your reading nook looks great. I hope you have many happy hours reading there.

>53 catzteach: Looks awesome.

>56 catzteach: I am absolutely green with envy over your reading nook. How lovely!

Yay!! That looks amazing.

Thanks everybody! I really love it! I am going to try and find a mirror for it. I need to find a really cool dragon to put on the shelf, too. :)

I finished reading Moon Chosen today. It was very good. It takes place after the world has changed and there are three types of peoples now: the Earth Walkers, The Tree Tribes, and the Skin Stealers. The main character, Mari, is a mix of an Earth Dweller (her mom) and a Tree person (her dad). She lives with her mom’s Earth Walker Clan but hides her mixed identity for fear of getting killed. Nik is the Tree Dweller. They meet up and decide the world needs to be a place where the Earth Walkers and the Tree Dwellers can reside together peacefully. It’s the first of three, I think. I plan on going downtown and trying to find the others this coming week. :)

In other news: Remember when there was a group on here that walked to Mordor? Well, I’ve realized I need something to motivate my walking, running, and riding, so I want to do something similar but with the Historic Hwy 20 route from Newport to Boston. It’s over 3,000 miles. I am trying to figure out how to record my mileage. I am envisioning using a map and putting pins down for either each time I go out or for each time I make it to a city. I have no idea what format to use. Any ideas, peeps?

>56 catzteach: Wow! This looks amazing!
Now I want one too :)))

>56 catzteach: Fabulous! I really appreciate this view on my PC. On my phone looking at Facebook I couldn't get as good at look at this. Enjoy!

>56 catzteach: Too beautiful for words!! You did a great job with this - wow!

The kitties love the chaise lounge in the reading nook. :)

I have read Enigma and Emily Wildes Compendium of Lost Tales in the last couple of days.

Enigma was good and not too romancy. Salem goes to Mortimer University to become a forensic scientist and learn what really happened to her sister. She has never thought it was suicide. Caz is the tall, dark, mysterious stranger that takes an interest in her. The book was more about the mystery and secret societies at Mortimer than the romance so that was nice. And it is a stand alone!

Emily Wilde was a good read. Wendell and Em have gone to his realm to rule and stop the queen. Unfortunately, she has put a curse on the realm that can only be broken with either her murder or Wendell’s death.

Last night I had planned on going for a bike ride this morning. I’d run an errand while out. But then I woke up and just didn’t want to leave the house/yard/porch. The last couple of summers have been like this. Not sure why. I’m just content to sit and read on the porch or in the yard. I feel like I should be getting out there more. I used to. Am I just getting old? Ha.

>66 catzteach: If your summer weather is pleasant enough to sit on the porch and read - then why should you leave? A bike ride will just get you all sweaty.

Enjoy your porch.

>66 catzteach: I find myself in full agreement with >67 terriks:. If all you want to do is sit on the porch, that's entirely acceptable. That's why we have porches.

As an aside however, you know that if the kittens take over the chaise longue in the reading nook, they'll never move over and make room for you to sit there, come winter.

>68 jillmwo: I beg to differ. With suitable encouragement, they may be persuaded to act like my Feline Overlord and sit on your chest, completely obscuring your view of the book, kneading with claws extended, purring, and demanding cuddles.

>66 catzteach: I agree with what everyone else said about enjoying the porch with a book. (I save my beach walks for later in the day to avoid the sweat factor.)

I love the encouragement, you guys! Thanks! I needed to hear that it was ok. :) Sometimes I feel like I’m “wasting” my summer, then other times I realize I’m recharging from the school year so I can survive the next one. :)

I did manage a three mile walk (with weighted vest) yesterday morning so …

Read The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder yesterday. Freya was an antique hunter in her 20s. Something happened between her and her mentor and she left the business, got married, had a kid, got divorced. Well, now her mentor has passed away and has left her clues so she can solve his murder. I got this one from a friend and rather enjoyed it. It is told mostly from Freya’s point of view but a chapter every once in a while is from a different character’s perspective. I was not able to figure out who the murderer was, which I feel makes a murder mystery all the better. :)

>71 catzteach:
In the 1970s there was a newscaster on one of the Northern Ireland TV channels who always ended his bulletin with a little lighthearted saying. Having heard hundreds if his quips the only one I can remember is very pertinent to your porch reading:

Time you enjoy wasting is not waste time.

>66 catzteach: Reading on the porch sounds like the perfect summer to me! Make the most of it!

It really is so enjoyable to sit and read on the porch. I hear the kids playing in the pool. I watch the neighbors when they are out. I listen to the birds and watch the squirrels. Today I watched the storms form and then stayed out there when one hit and it started pouring. It was a good day. :)

And I finished a book through all of that. :)

Can’t Spell Treason without Tea. It’s labeled a cozy fantasy with a dose of love on the cover. I concur. It was really cute. Reyna, a Queen’s guard, and Kianthe, a High Mage, have run from their lives and gone to a small town to start a bookshop that serves tea. Of course, their old lives catch up to them and they have to figure out how to stay. If you like Legends and Lattes, you will like this one. In fact, the author says it’s what inspired her story. I plan on going to buy the second one tomorrow while out running errands (on the bike? Maybe).

>74 catzteach: *pew-pew-pew*
Adding to my Libby wishlist.

I'm so happy to hear you are getting some therapeutic porch reading time.

I did indeed go book shopping yesterday. One of the books I bought is the second in the Tea and Tomes series. I did not find the second in another series that I’m reading. :( I think I’ll buy it on my Kindle. That way I can read it while on vacation.

I’m excited: we are getting new windows tomorrow! The poor cats, though. The idea is to put them all in the bathroom while the workers are here. Four cats in one regular sized bathroom. What could go wrong? I did buy some catnip with some other things in it that is supposed to be calming so I’ll drug them with that. Any bets on whether I can get them back into the bathroom on Friday while the workers finish up? Ha!

>76 catzteach: Good luck with the windows! I hope the cats cooperate and stay in one room, with a minimum of conflict. I will not take the bet. :)

>76 catzteach: Oh boy! I do not envy you that situation. New windows will be great, though!

>76 catzteach: I want an update on this story. How well did the cats handle the situation? Did you require great quantities of catnip?

The cats weathered the window install pretty well. The first day they were all in the bathroom. I bribed them with Churu treats to get them settled. They had food, catnip, their beds, and water. The place was a mess when we let them out. The second day was a bit harder to wrangle them. Ekho hid from me. Then when I finally found him and went to put him in the room (they were in a bedroom this day), Buggy made a mad dash at the door and escaped. Never caught her. Somehow she was able to make it outside and spent the day chilling in the backyard.

While the worker worked, I entertained his 6 month old puppy and read on the porch. Got two books read: The Serpent and the Wings of Night and its sequel The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King. It’s the human/vampire kind of story. The vamps are little more human in these books. They have heartbeats and can get hurt but heal quickly. They were good books and kept me entertained while I lived through all the noise. The neighbors were getting a new roof, too, so it was really noisy!

In other news: Witten’s remaining eye is starting to cloud over. :( He’s acting normal, but I will call and see if I can get him in this week before our trip. I suppose, if he has to have this one taken out, we can board him at the vet’s while we are on our trip. I don’t like the idea of not being here for him to go through something like that, but travel insurance doesn’t cover cancellation for cats. :(

>80 catzteach:. Glad to hear that the installation day(s) went as smoothly as they did. But I'm sure you're worried about Witten. These types of issues always come up just before something big is on the schedule. (((Hugs)))

>80 catzteach: Best of luck with Witten's struggles. I'm so sorry.

At least the window installation went well! Loved the pics on Facebook.

>80 catzteach: Sending healing wishes to Witten. I've seen lots of stories of cats adjusting to blindness but I hope it doesn't come to that.

>80 catzteach: Poor Witten.... I am so sorry! Sending healing thoughts.

>80 catzteach: Enjoy the new windows. Sorry to hear about Witten's vision, wishing for the best.

Thanks all.

The last of the windows are being installed today. The installer found some dry rot in one of them. He took out some of it - decorative railing- and will fix in it the near future. I’m just sitting on the porch and enjoying reading and playing with his dog. :)

Witten is doing ok. He is getting used to not being able to see very well. His eye is still cloudy but I’m encouraged that he’s acting normally. We’ve been spoiling them with Fancy Feast instead of their prescription food because of all the weirdness around here and now they won’t eat their prescription food. *eye roll* Guess we’ll have to wean them from Fancy Feast when we get back from vacation.

I did manage to finish a book. I wouldn’t recommend it. It was very cliché/formulaic. You Don’t Want to Know by Lisa Jackson. The main character is getting gaslighted. She even mentions the old movie from which the term came. So there isn’t any suspense about that part of it. It was a book club book and not something I would’ve chosen to read on my own. I will not be seeking out any others of this author unless recommended by someone I trust to pick out good books.

>86 catzteach: I'm glad Witten is adjusting.
Ahh, yes... Best of luck with the catfood weaning thing.

Sorry about the book club bomb.

Back from our trip to Iceland. 10 days. They were wonderful. I rested up yesterday and am getting things done today.

I’ll post some picks when I get a chance to add them to the junk drawer here. I did post some on FB while away. I took a little stuffed Benny the Beaver (he’s our college mascot) and posted his pictures. He became our unofficial group mascot.

We went all the way around the island with a tour group. The group was small; only 11 people. There were five from the UK, two from Canada, and four from the US. I had fun getting to know them and learning about Icelandic culture from the guide and UK culture from the Brits (and one Scot). And their accents! I could’ve listened to any of them talk about anything and would’ve enjoyed it. :)

We saw tons of waterfalls, some huge and some small. Many fjords. A couple of glaciers. The Glacial Lagoon and Diamond Beach. Lots of smaller villages. Learned about the lore and daily life of Iceland. Ate lots of good food (some healthy, some not so much).

I’m now catching up on threads and getting some chores done. I had to take Witten to the vet this morning. Before we went away, his remaining eye turned cloudy. Turns out its lens has shifted. He is not in pain so we are just going to keep an eye on it. He can still see, just not very well. And his pretty blue eyes are no longer blue. :( But he’s still the same awesome cat so …

I did read some books while away.

Was almost done with Wanderers before we left. It was so big I didn’t want to take it so I finished it up yesterday. Good book about a pandemic, although the reader doesn’t know about the disease coming until later. It was written in 2019, but some of the things he wrote were pretty accurate as far as how some people would react to a pandemic/possible ending of human life. I will be seeking out the second one to see how the characters fair in this new world.

I also read Night Shadows in my attempt to read some books that take place in Iceland. It’s a murder mystery/police procedural. We were told, however, that there are only one or two murders in Iceland a year. It’s a good series, though. Entertaining anyway.

I am about halfway done with A Sorceress Comes to Call. I started it on the plane on the way home. Certainly have not been disappointed with my first Kingfisher book. I will probably finish it tomorrow while the windows finish getting installed.

>88 catzteach: Glad you had a good trip, I'm looking forward to the pictures. Sorry to hear about Witten, but I'm glad his attitude hasn't changed.

>88 catzteach: I loved your photos on Facebook. I was wondering what the stuffed mascot was. For some reason I thought it was a woodchuck. LOL

Oh, poor Witten! I hope he adjusts to his new normal.

I'm glad you're enjoying the Kingfisher!

>88 catzteach: It sounds like you had a wonderful trip! I am looking forward to seeing your photos.

Poor Witten, hugs to you all.

I am happy to hear you are enjoying your first Kingfisher :)

>88 catzteach: I'm glad you enjoyed your trip! Your Facebook posts were so much fun! I definitely want to go back and see more of Iceland, it's so beautiful.

Best wishes to Witten from me and William.

>92 Sakerfalcon: We now have our eyes set on Norway. I’m hoping to be able to do that in 2028 or so.

It’s Saturday. I went back to work this week and forgot how exhausting it is. All my coworkers and I were discussing how we were all falling asleep between 7:30 and 8. I also got a migraine on Tuesday and it’s still hanging on. Ugh. And I don’t have kids yet! I will have 29 of the little buggers this year unless the district decides to give us another teacher. Did get to meet a few of them Thursday night. Good thing they’re cute. :)

All that to say I haven’t made much progress on my TBR. I’ve been reading the same book all week and am only about 100 pages in. It’s hard when I read half a page and am literally asleep holding my book. :) I am hoping to sit and read all day on Monday as it’s Labor Day and I’ll be home. The book is Babel. Not a light and fluffy read, for sure. It deserves some time to dive into it.

I did watch The Thursday Murder Club on Netflix. I think they did a fantastic job with it. The casting was great! And there’s a new book out (or coming out?). I need to get it!

Witten is getting used to his new normal. We have been very aware of not moving things around. He is learning to navigate the stairs. He did bonk his nose on them the other day and has stumbled on them a couple of times. He can still get on the bed and couch. And he’s still loving tummy rubs. Hopefully we can keep him pain free and avoid eye surgery.

>93 catzteach: You're dealing with a lot. The good thing about TBR piles is that they are patient. (Although I warn you that Babel is certainly not a light read.) Glad to hear that Witten is "dealing" with the new circumstances. Perhaps he'll be willing to sit in your lap and purr while you're spending Monday with a book.

>93 catzteach: It sounds as though you are all learning to cope with the new normal. I hope it gets easier for Witten as time goes on. He must be so confused, though. Give him an extra belly rub for us, please.

>93 catzteach: I'm glad to hear that Witten is adjusting, I hope that continues. It is good that he's navigating the climb to the bed and couch by himself!

Good luck with the new school year. Thanks for being a teacher.

I'm glad to hear that Witten seems to be adjusting to his decreased vision, and still navigating his usual spots. Here's wishing all the best for him!

I'm so glad you had such an awesome trip to Iceland. Sounds beautiful.

Glad you've met some of the new kids; at least they're cute, as you say. Good luck with your new school year!

>93 catzteach: It's nice to hear about Witten - fingers crossed!

Good luck with the new school year!

I’m almost done with Babel. I’m glad I’ve been giving it my full attention and reading in longer chunks. More about it when I’m done.

I’m actually taking a day off today to get The Husband to a biopsy. It’s his prostate. :( We should get results back the first of next week.

The first day of school (yesterday) was good, but looooonnnnggg. My schedule has the kids going to Specials (Music/PE) at 8 in the morning. We start school at 7:45. This makes for a long stretch to lunch. I know it’ll feel less long when we get into actually learning, but yesterday was brutal! We were all wiped by the afternoon, especially since it got into the 90s and we have no AC in the classrooms. The kids were chatty, but they seem really sweet. Good thing since I have 29 of them!

OK, off to a cup of coffee and reading Babel on the porch. :)

>99 catzteach:
All the best for the biopsy.

Enjoy your coffee and Babel.

>99 catzteach: I'm thinking about you.

Have a good time with Babel.

>99 catzteach: Oh, that does sound like a long day, especially with the temperatures and lack of A/C. You'd think they'd quiet down and get drowsy, but I guess that's for the adults.

Fingers crossed for the biopsy. Enjoy the porch and Babel!

>99 catzteach: Good luck with the biopsy. As a male of A Certain Age, i'm acutely aware of how nerve-wracking it must be for both of you.

>99 catzteach: What Richard said.

Loving that it’s Friday! It got to 88 degrees in my classroom today. It was so hot and stuffy! We were all drained by the end of the day so I put on Winnie the Pooh.

The Husband is doing well after the biopsy. We should hear something no later than Thursday of next week. Fingers crossed.

Finished Babel. What a great read! I actually loved all the language and etymology/morphology stuff. I’ve done my share of learning about those two things the last few years in order to help my kiddos with their reading and spelling. It’s fascinating how language forms and morphs. I’m thinking of getting her The Poppy Wars. I’ve heard good things.

I’m now reading something a little lighter. :)

>105 catzteach: I'm glad you enjoyed the book. I started it once but the timing was wrong*, but I do plan to go back.

Sending all of the good juju your husband's way. I hope it's negative.

*Fixed typo.

>106 clamairy: Yeah, I knew this one deserved time and brain space. I’m glad I gave it both. It was worth it.

Thanks for all the positive vibes for The Husband. He’s been snoozing all day today. I think the stress of having the test was worse than the actual test.

>107 catzteach:. the stress of having the test was worse than the actual test.. For so many of us, that's generally the case. But as >106 clamairy: said, we're sending good juju to the two of you.

Sending good vibes to your husband, and strokes and purrs from me and William to Witten.

>99 catzteach: That sounds like an exhausting day! I'm glad you have a good class this year.

Babel was a great read. I'm looking forward to the author's new book, Katabasis, but trying to resist temptation and wait for the paperback!

Finished A Pirate’s Life for Tea yesterday. Good book! This series really is a cozy fantasy. Kianthe and Reyna are hunting for the dragon eggs when they get involved with a constable and her ex-friend who has become a pirate. Will be seeking out the third one as soon as I can.

I am already halfway done with The Final Girl’s Support Group. This is my book club’s book for October. I’m reading it early so I can focus on the Dorothy Sayers group read. I’m enjoying it. But I really like Grady Hendrix’s stuff. He’s not very horror and his characters have a likability to them even if they aren’t the best of people.

In other news: The Husband sees the doctor tomorrow to discuss his results. We did look at them on his MyChart page. We think it says he has cancer, but we aren’t sure. So we wait to see what the doc says tomorrow. If it is, hopefully treatment is easy.

Meanwhile I discovered I have ‘tissue’ on my adenoids. It may be a cyst. I also have a ‘callus’ (doc said for lack of a better word) on my vocal cords. So my principal has gotten me a microphone for the classroom and I see the doc in 6 months to see if any of it has cleared up. Not sure what happens if it hasn’t cleared up.

>99 catzteach: Best wishes for you and your husband. Good luck with the school year too!

>110 catzteach: Oh dear. Best wishes to your husband (and you too).

>110 catzteach: My best wishes for you and your husband!

>110 catzteach: Sending all of the good juju your way. Two of my brothers and one of my brothers-in-law have had prostate cancer and were successfully treated. One of them was stage four by the time he was diagnosed, and it's been over a decade.

>110 catzteach: Best wishes to you both. Hoping for good news.

>110 catzteach:. As >114 clamairy: said, if the cancer is related to his prostate, it generally is readily treatable. My husband had his prostate surgery a few years back and there has been no recurrence. Minimal time in a hospital.

For you in particular, use that mic in the classroom to fullest advantage! Keep us posted here. Your buddies here in the pub have got your back and we'll be cheering you on.

>116 jillmwo: One of my brothers was not a good candidate for surgery. He was treated with radiation and hormone therapy. The same with my brother-in-law.

Thanks, peeps!! I’m so glad I have you all!

Good news: although the cells could eventually become cancer, it’s a slim chance, especially now them some are gone. So the docs aren’t worried. :) They will continue to monitor him but think he’s out of the woods. He hit the “stress is over” wall last night and just sat and chilled. We are both very relieved!

Thanks for all your good wishes and positive vibes!!

>118 catzteach: Phew! That's wonderful news!

Oh boy I’m glad it wasn’t the big C. Having been on the receiving end it’s not something I wish on anyone. Phew.

>118 catzteach: That's great news!

>118 catzteach: Oh, this is wonderful news!

>118 catzteach:
Great news. Long may it last.

>118 catzteach: Excellent news!

>118 catzteach: Great news!

I’m participating in the group read right now but wanted to pop into my own thread and post a few things.

I went to an Educator’s Night at one of the local bookstores. They always give away books. Most of them are Advanced Readers but not all. I scored six books, one of which is Amor Towles Table for Two. Pretty excited to have gotten this one for free!

Let’s see, what else. Oh, I’m doing the work to see if we can get Mom in a residential place. They are so stinkin’ expensive! I think we may be able to swing it, if we can get her help from the VA. The catch, we have to have her already living there before she can even apply to see if she qualifies. What if she doesn’t? We wouldn’t be able to keep her there for very long. Ugh.

And school is trucking along. The class is full of sweethearts and fairly hard workers. They just talk and are constantly making noise. I think kids now are just so constantly surrounded by noise silence makes them uncomfortable. it’s sad, really.

Ok, off to make me a cup of tea, get my jammies on, and read Dorothy Sayers. :) ‘night all.

>126 catzteach: I'm so happy to hear you have a good class again this year! I am sorry they are a little noisy. I don't think that desire for noise is new thing. My husband was the same age as I am, and he had to have the TV on for the background noise. It drove me nuts. Then again he only had one sibling growing up, and I had eight, so perhaps I treasured peace and quiet more than he did.

I have not read that Towles book. I hope it is awesome.

>118 catzteach: Good news, glad to hear you two don't have to worry about that now. Good luck with the students, too.

>127 clamairy: The Towles book is a short story collection so I don’t know if I’ll like it - short stories are too short. :)

>127 clamairy: I’m so overstimulated by the time I get home, all I want is silence.

We got Mom into a place!!! Yay! I’m at her house this weekend packing and staging the house for selling. I’m so glad she’ll have people around her. She’ll have meals and socializing. She’s going to keep one of her three pets. I need to find a home for one of her cats. She doesn’t really have room for two, and we can’t keep him, the peeing in our house would double. Ugh.

I’m done with The Nine Tailors and have added comments to the group read.

Now I’m doing one a bit more light and fluffy: The Secret Society of Irregular Witches. I thought it would be a good read for October.

>129 catzteach: I'm glad you found her a spot! I'm sorry about the extra kitty, though. I hope you have the best of luck rehoming him. He's beautiful. (Saw the pics on Facebook)

Enjoy the fluff. I'm also trying to stick to spooky stuff for October.

>129 catzteach: Oh, that's good news about your mom. I've been where you are: sorting and packing my mom's home, and unloading furniture like dining room side boards that she had no room for in her apartment. It's hard to move away.

I hope your mom settles in nicely with the kitty. My mom was able to move with her small dog and it really helped with the transition. Pets always help! Hope you find a good home for the third kitty.

I'll be ready for a light and fluffy October read and have added The Secret Society of Irregular Witches to my Barnes and Noble wish list - thanks for the suggestion! :)

>129 catzteach: That's great news about the new place for your mom. I hope you find the perfect home for her kitty. He looks adorable.

finished The Secret Society of Irregular Witches yesterday, or the day before, I can’t actually remember. I really enjoyed it! Light and fluffy with fun characters. It reminded me of The House by the Cerulean Sea because of the characters and how she goes to a house where there are three little kids who have powers. Highly recommend!

The Husband and I talked my mom into keeping her male cat and letting us take her female cat. I’ll be picking Pumpkin up next week. She doesn’t really know her name so we might change it. She’s a beautiful grey tabby.

>133 catzteach: That sounds like a great arrangement for the cats. I hope they will both settle into their new situations quickly.
The secret society of irregular witches is on my TBR pile. Glad you enjoyed it!

>133 catzteach: wouldn't it be fun if you were to call her Professor McGonagall, or a grey-elvish name?

>133 catzteach: Oh, this sounds like a satisfactory arrangement for all parties involved, including the cats. I hope the transition all goes smoothly!

I've added The Secret Society of Irregular Witches to my Barnes & Noble wish list based on your review - sounds like a great winter read.

>129 catzteach: I am glad to hear you found a good place for your mom! Good luck!

>133 catzteach: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is hidden in the depths of my Kindle. Nice to hear that you liked it!

>135 hfglen: Oh, I like the idea of naming her a witchy name. I would probably want it to start with a P just because she might be used to the P sound. Hmmm. Ideas?

I was thinking maybe Poppy, but that doesn’t sound very witchy or mysterious. I’ll have to keep thinking…..

>139 catzteach: Pixie?

I like Hugh's idea. If need be, you could shorten it to Professor and only add the McGonagell when yelling at her to get down off the kitchen counter!

>140 Sakerfalcon: I was stumped until you posted that one. Poltergeist? Phantom?

>140 Sakerfalcon: Oh, Pixie is a cute idea!

I think we’ve landed on Pippy. Not necessarily witchy/magical, but it’s cute and I think it’ll fit her. But Pixie, hmm, that might take over. :)

The challenge today will be getting her into her carrier to take her home. She’s not socialized at all. I have no idea how catching her is going to go. I will get some of those Churu treats and give her some once she’s in her carrier. I may give her one every time I stop to go to the bathroom.

>143 catzteach: Good luck with the carrier! My William is an absolute sweetheart of a cuddlebug until he senses that it's time to go in the carrier, then he turns into a 20-legged demon. It's a 2 person job getting him in.

>143 catzteach: Please let us know how it went!

>144 Sakerfalcon: Oh yes. It's amazing how something so small can make itself unable to fit in the opening of a carrier.

Well, I was able to catch her. It did take two of us. Mom had to be on one side of the bed and I was on the other. We scared her out and she ran behind a recliner chair Mom had in her room. Then when Mom went to get her, she was nowhere to be found. Having experienced this before, I knew exactly where she was: she had crawled up into the mechanisms of the chair. Bad move, kitty. I was able to snag her. She went into the carrier rather easily. She did pee in it on the way home, so I got to smell that for 3 hours. Right now she is hiding somewhere in the sewing room. We have no idea where. Can’t find her. I will go in there after dinner and just sit quietly with a book and see if she comes to me.

I did finish a book yesterday. Hotel Magnifique an interesting fantasy with a traveling hotel. The hotel only comes around every 10 years. Jani is determined to get a job at it so her sister can sing and they can have a chance to move back to their hometown. Little does she know, the hotel is more sinister than people know. This was a pretty good book. I have no idea why I picked it up or where I picked it up, but I’m glad I did. I’ll pass it along at one of my book clubs; I know those friends will appreciate it.

>146 catzteach:
I find food can be a great tool in getting a cat to come out of hiding. It does not work immediately but it does shorten the hiding time.

The Hotel Magnifique sounds a bit like
Floating Hotel.

>146 catzteach: Glad the kitty wrangling was successful! Hopefully she will feel settled soon and start coming out to say hello.

>146 catzteach: I loved the setting of Hotel Magnifique but didn't like the main character, her love interest, or the plot. Doh! Main character is one of those people who is told "Don't do that, it is dangerouse and will harm other people" but goes and does it anyway ... and no consequences arise. This happens repeatedly. I'm glad it was a better fit for you.

>148 Sakerfalcon: She is definitely like that! Which usually annoys me. I wonder why it didn’t in this case. Maybe it was the setting. I loved the idea of a magical hotel.

>147 pgmcc: I’ll have to check out Floating Hotel.

Holy moly, I haven’t posted in a while! Life has been busy what with moving Mom and having parent-teacher conferences. Not to mention Halloween.

Work has been insane! My class is coming along. They’ve really improved their behavior. So nice! But we had another kid punch a teacher in the face. A third grader! He had been in the mental health area of the hospital for getting violent with his mom. The day after he gets out, he’s back at our school and hits the teacher. Not sure what the punishment for him was. This is after our Life Skills teacher left because she just couldn’t anymore. There are at least 4 teachers at my school that are thinking of quitting. Behaviors are just out of control and we’re tired of it.

Mom’s house is packed and she’s just waiting for move in day. She gets to move in on the 16th. I’m going over on the 17th to help her unpack. Her dog has a new home with a little boy, a cat, and another dog. They sent Mom a pic of him dressed up as a cowboy for Halloween. He looked happy. Pippy, her - now our- cat, is warming up to us. She is no longer hiding all day. She has even let us rub her tummy! She’s getting curious about the other cats. Ekho and Witten don’t seem to care that she’s here. Skippy hisses at her. And I’m not sure if Bug has noticed she’s in the house. We have a door gate up so Pippy can do some interacting with them but can’t get out of her room.

I’ve still managed to read a book!
I read Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. It’s the story of three women who are trying to find their independence. One in the 1500s, one in the 1800s (I think), and the other in 2019. Sabine is the first. She becomes a vampire, then turns Charlotte. Then Alice gets turned. It is how all three of their lives intertwine. I don’t think I’ve described it very well. But it was excellent!! I just love VE Schwab!

I’m now reading The Shadow Cabinet. It’s been a slow start just because I’ve been busy and oh so tired. I’m planning on taking it up to Pippy’s room when I’m done here and read some before bed.

>150 catzteach: Good luck with all of this. Sorry about the out-of-control kids in the classrooms. I hope your mom's move goes off without a hitch. And I'm glad the cat is settling in! Thanks for the mini review of the VE Schwab. I'm putting that one on my wishlist.

>150 catzteach: I am very sorry to hear about kids behaving badly at your school! I hope things work out.

Good luck with you mom's move!

I've heard good things about Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, so it was nice to read your mini review :)

>150 catzteach: Good luck with your Mom's move and the ongoing cat adjustments. Good to hear that the kids are improving, you must be doing a great job!

>153 Karlstar: Thanks! I'm sure it's why I'm so tired in the evenings. :)

Mom is moving in this weekend. I'll go over on Sunday to help her unpack. I'll stay a couple of weeks. The place replaced her carpet, painted the place, and updated the appliances. Probably just a little fridge and microwave.

The new cat is doing well but is bored out of her skull. She's been getting the zoomies in the middle of the night. We are releasing her tomorrow morning. We'll be home so we can run interference if needed.

I finished The Shadow Cabinet this morning. Turns out, I've read it before. I didn't remember anything until about halfway through when an important event happened. I went and bought the third one on Tuesday but am reading a different book before I dive into that one. Weird, though, I don't often forget a book I've read. Especially one I really liked!

Just finished 6:40 to Montreal. It was an impulse buy when I was Barnes and Noble the other day. It was entertaining. Agatha is an author whose husband treats her to a daytime train ride so she can work on her next book. The reader knows she has a plan for when she gets to Montreal but not what it is. Then about halfway there, a snowstorm hits and the train stops. And, of course, one of the passengers dies. As overused as the “trapped in a snowstorm” detail has become, this book was still good. A quick read, too.

We’ve set Pippy free. She roamed the bathroom and our room for a bit then went back into her room. She’s sleeping in there right now. We figure it will take her a while to make her way downstairs.

>155 catzteach:
Good luck with Pippy.

>155 catzteach: Oh good! No fur was flying, I assume. Will you continue to keep her separate while you are gone during the day?

>155 catzteach: Glad to hear things are progressing so well with Pippy. Roaming around and checking out a new room or two before going back to her room sounds like she's transitioning nicely at her own pace. No kitty yowling or scuffles - all good!

Hope your mom's moving day went smoothly!

>155 catzteach: Good to hear that it is going well so far!

Hoping Pippy continues to settle in well and that the other cats make friends with her.

Man, it’s been a long week. Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday helping Mom move and unpack. And Wednesday and Thursday working and having to deal with iPad misuse. I had a kiddo report another kiddo for the misuse. I investigated and found four iPads in which the kids had very inappropriate adult themed photos: couples of various sexual preferences kissing, women in bras, women in skimpy bikinis, and women in lingerie! They are third graders! My investigation consisted of taking the time to look through the photos of all 28 kid iPads. 13 of them had photos that proved the kids weren’t doing what they were supposed to be doing while on their iPads. Erg. I’m so over it! I wish the admin of the district would realize how awful these devices are and take them away.

I also found out today that one of my kiddos was sexually abused earlier this school year by his older 8th grade brother. Which means the brother was more than likely also a victim. This brother is a half brother and the mom doesn’t want to admit her son did something like this to her other son. My student’s dad came in and let the school know what was going on. Thank goodness he is acting and getting the little boy some help to deal with this. I know all too well what this betrayal of trust from a family member can do to a kid/person.

On a reading note, I have been reading The Darkling Bride on my Kindle and am very much enjoying it. I have not yet visited the group read thread, but I will this weekend. Sadly, I left my Kindle at work yesterday. I read a bit of Glow Kids last night instead. Probably didn’t help my attitude towards iPads. :/

And now I’ll watch some football and try to decompress.

>161 catzteach: Oh, such awful news about a little boy.... I am very sorry to hear it. At least there is one parent who is taking action.

I am sending you hugs, I hope you can get some rest this weekend.

>161 catzteach: What a lot of horrible things to deal with at one time. I hope you were able to rest over the weekend and clear your head of the stresses from the week.

>161 catzteach: I’m very glad I’m on Thanksgiving Break right now. A week to relax and destress.

I finished The Darkling Bride last night. Loved it! I now need to go to the Group Read thread and read all the posts. :) I didn’t want to until I was done.

I’m now reading Three Body Problem. Not a light read. It’s taking my brain power for sure. I’m a bit over 100 pages in and it’s starting to have more of a plot. I hear the Netflix show is good. I may check it out when I’m done with the book.

>161 catzteach: Ugh.

>164 catzteach: Well, hope your time off is wonderful! So glad you enjoyed The Darlking Bride.

>164 catzteach:
The Three Body Problem does get a bit heavy in places.

The Darkling Bride is getting great praise. I may have to investigate, but there are so many books ahead of it I do not know when I will get around to it.

>161 catzteach: That’s so shitty. I'm sorry for all involved, and that includes you. Good that the father has stepped up.

>164 catzteach: Glad you enjoyed The Darkling Bride! I hope you enjoy the discussion thread - it was very interesting and varied. :)

>164 catzteach: Three Body Problem never clicked with me. It was a weird puzzle but nothing to engage with emotionally.

>168 jjwilson61: Same. I could not make it past the early torture and violence scenes. Sometimes I can compartmentalize things like that, but other times I can't.

>169 clamairy: ...could not make it past the early torture and violence scenes That's a definite "no" then for me. And >164 catzteach: You definitely deserve the time away from the classroom. So much to deal with and one wonders how anyone is sufficiently brave these days to take on a teaching role. Truly, my heart goes out to you.

Well, I just DNFd The Three Body Problem. I was almost halfway and just couldn’t keep going. It just wasn’t doing it for me. Too heavy? Maybe. Too sciencey? Maybe? But I just couldn’t get into the main character and whatever he was trying to figure out. The countdown was intriguing and I guess he was trying to investigate that?

>166 pgmcc: Did you finish Three Body?

>168 jjwilson61: Definitely a weird puzzle, but I didn’t really care if it got solved.

I checked out A Case of Mice and Murder from the library today. I’m going to sit here in my reading nook and enjoy it for a while before bed.

>170 jillmwo: Thanks.

A new coffee shop just opened up near me. I’m planning on trying it out before meeting friends for the Wicked sequel tomorrow.

>171 catzteach:
Yes, I finished it, but would not read the sequels. I think it was endurance that had me finish it. I was not as impressed with it as much as other people were.

I thought the first half, though tough to read, was a good description of how things were during the Cultural Revolution. I felt the second half let it down.

>161 catzteach: That's terrible news, sorry to hear that and sorry that you have to deal with it.

>172 pgmcc: I’m glad I put it down. I’m now a little over halfway done with A Case of Mice and Murder and am enjoying it. I am actually more interested in the mouse/book case than the murder. Although the murder is intriguing as well.

>173 Karlstar: Yeah, teaching gets harder and harder because of all the mental health issues that kids have now (or we are just more aware of now). I’m not a psychologist but am asked to be one on a daily basis.

I am listening to two books as well. One is Patient Zero and the other is Replaceable You. I was listening to Patient Zero when Replaceable You came into Libby from my holds. Both very interesting.

>174 catzteach:
I was speaking to a Chinese publisher at the Small Press Fair yesterday. We discussed The Three Body Problem. He was encouraging me to read the second book as that explains a lot and, in his words, makes sense of the first book. I think I will refrain from reading the second book.

>175 pgmcc: I liked the second book a lot better than the first. But I never got around to reading the third one... Perhaps it's a sign of something or other 😉

>176 Alexandra_book_life:
The man I spoke to said the second one was better. I teased him by asking, “So the third one is not worth the effort?”
His response, while not directly agreeing, did not make me think reading the third book would be a good time investment.

>175 pgmcc: >176 Alexandra_book_life: I think I will stick with watching the show on Netflix. I can do that while doing other things.

Finished Human Rites last night. A nice ending to the trilogy.

The weather here has been crazy warm. We are getting to 65 F today! I’ll get out and enjoy it, but we should be getting snow this time of year.

My big project for the day is cleaning our closet. It mostly just needs to be straightened, but we are also on a crusade to get rid of stuff. I’m going to get rid of the things I haven’t worn in a while. I am part of a Buy Nothing group. I’ll give most of it away.

Pippy has discovered we have a downstairs. The Husband found her in the kitchen this morning. Of course, she darted upstairs as soon as he saw her. She’s getting friendlier, too. Baby steps. Or should I say Kitty Steps?

Finished listening to Mary Roach's Replaceable You. She always does such a great job with her books. And she narrated this one. It was great to listen to her. I learned some things: plastic surgery is because they used plastic for the first noses, scientists in China are trying to grow human parts with pigs, and it's possible to get prosthetics placed into the bone, though that's rife for infection. She mentioned her book Gulp and now I want to listen to it.

In other news: Pippy is coming downstairs more often but not for meals, I've been dealing with a crown issue since breaking it on Thanksgiving - it's still not in permanently, hopefully today, and the kids are nuts right now so work is extra exhausting. Two weeks off. Can't wait!

>180 catzteach: I hope you'll get a lot of rest during the holidays!

>180 catzteach: I love Mary Roach but I have not read or listened to the latest one yet. I read Gulp and it was great. I brought Grunt from Audible, but it was not narrated by the author. I did not like that narrator because she sounded like she was laughing all the time. I never finished it, but perhaps I could hold my nose and try again.

I'm glad Pippy is exploring more. Enjoy your two weeks off!

>180 catzteach: It's good to hear that Pippy is starting to settle in. I'm sure she'll feel truly at home soon.

>180 catzteach:
Sorry about your crown taking so long to sort out. Wishing you the best with it,

You deserve a good break over the holidays. Two weeks is a good spell.

Great to hesr Pippy is exploring more.

Finished listening to Patient Zero. It was so good! I learned a lot. For example, did you all know HIV was traced all the way back to 1908! Crazy!

>182 clamairy: I’m listening to Gulp right now. The narrator sounds young and sounds like she’s smiling. She is not as good as the author reading because of that. I wonder if it’s the same narrator as Grunt.

I also read The Frozen People. I have enjoyed Ella Griffiths’ other books and this one was also good. Ali Dawson is a detective that works on cold cases. Her group has an advantage, though, they can time travel. A case comes up in which Ali has to go back to 1850. And she gets stuck there.

One thing that’s on my mind for books that take place in other centuries but are written recently: the language. Most of the time I feel like author’s don’t make it formal enough. Peter did a great job in one of his posts. Why don’t modern author’s do that? Surely there are resources to help with that? Is it just because we modern people are too lazy to read more formal language? Things to ponder ….

I have now started reading The Impossible Fortune. It’s nice to be back with the Thursday Murder Club folks. :)

>185 catzteach: So I was asking myself this question the other day; did people really speak the way they do in Jane Austen's novels? I seriously doubt it. I suspect they were more formal in their address to their peers if they were part of the upper echelons of society. I would love to know what they spoke like when they were relaxed and at home with their families.

>186 clamairy: Right? And was the speaking as formal as the writing? I know the writing is so detailed because they didn’t have all the visual tech we do now and had to paint the picture for the reader, but what did life really sound like back then?

I finished Sandwich yesterday. Read it in two days. It was a quick read. Not my usual type of book. I enjoyed it, though. It was relatable. I will be passing it along to a friend of mine who is currently dealing with menopause/perimenopause issues.

This one will be my last of 2025 as I won’t finish the one I started after before tomorrow. Well, I could if I sat a read all day, but, alas, I have other things I need to do. :)

>187 catzteach:. Never let those "other things I need to do" stand in the way of a good reading experience. Holidays like New Year's Day should serve as an opportunity to sit down with a thrilling adventure or a heartwarming romantasy. Such chances don't come along nearly as frequently as they ought.

>187 catzteach: I'm glad you enjoyed Sandwich. Sounds like we had similar thoughts on it. I hope the new year brings many more good reads!