Catzteach’s Page Turners and Plot Twists 2026 Edition

Happy New Year everyone! I’m so grateful for all of you.

My reading goal for this year is to not forget to read all those books on my Kindle. :) I’ve got quite a collection on it. I think I’ll do my best to flip flop between physical books and the Kindle.

Outside of reading, I’d like to get back into my sewing room. I just haven’t been motivated and it’s gotten quite dusty. I have a quilt half quilted - the cats have been enjoying it, though. I also have two sweaters to finish. Plenty of things to keep my occupied and busy.

And now I’m off to make my morning coffee. :)

Happy new year and happy new thread! I hope you enjoy working towards your goals this year!

Happy New Year! Happy New Thread! I hope you will read many wonderful books in 2026! 😍

>1 catzteach: Happy New Year, Happy New Thread and best of luck with your goals.

Have you considered listening to audio books while you sew? If you have a library card you can play audiobooks via the Libby app for free.

>5 clamairy: I have a hard time following a book when I’m doing something else that needs attention. If I’m doing the quilting part, I could as it doesn’t take as much concentration as the cutting and sewing of the quilt top. I’ll have to try it and see how I like it.

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

My old Singer is currently still wrapped up in moving blankets in the basement, waiting for me to need it for something. :)

>6 catzteach: I do find myself pausing a lot if I have to concentrate.

Happy New Year and new thread!

Finished my first book of the year, Tea You at the Altar. It’s the third in a series. In this one, Kianthe and Reyna are planning their wedding and a coup at the same time. Thoroughly enjoyed being back in their world. In fact, despite me thinking I’d go from physical to Kindle books this year, I’m going to go straight into reading the next book in this series. Best laid plans, eh? 🤷🏼‍♀️

>10 catzteach: Reading plans? They're more like guidelines, really. ;o)

Happy new year and happy new thread! Apologies for being late.

Oops! I'm even later, for which my apologies. Belatedly, have a happy new year, enjoying your new thread!

>10 catzteach: I have the first book in the series on my kindle. I must get to it this year.

The good news about root canals: I don’t want to do anything but read afterwards. I curled up in my reading nook and read Alchemy and a Cup of Tea. It was a great finish to the series. I bummed she has finished the series - I tend to get loyal to characters. I will look out for other books by her.

I was at a professional development thing today so was able to go grab a coffee during lunch. We went to one of our little indy bookstore/coffee shops. I left with a latte and two books. One because the cover and page edges caught our eyes and the other because of the talk of it here:

The Once and Future Queen and Life After Life, which might actually be on my Kindle, but I’m really bad at entering those into LT.

I’m listening to No More Tears because of a BB here, maybe from Bookmarque? And Oh my goodness! Yet another corporation who is awful. It’s rather sad and infuriating. I just got done with the talc section and have just started the Tylenol section.

Got my root canal on Monday. Tooth is still too sore to eat on. I’m going to give it a few more days and call if it still hurts. Ugh.

>16 catzteach: Yeah it was probably me. Just don't take Tylenol for your tooth. Kidding, but it is so disheartening. Oh and weird that the tooth itself hurts after a root canal...after all of mine it was my jaw that hurt since all the nerves in the tooth had been drilled out. Hope it sorts itself out.

>17 Bookmarque: I’m reading the Tylenol chapter right now and when I took some for my headaches this morning I did hesitate a bit. :) Oh, the jaw hurt, too. I’m wondering if it’s all the stuff around the tooth that is bugging me. I think it’s been trigging migraines and I’m so over it. :)

>16 catzteach: Sorry to hear about the root canal, I hope the pain is gone soon.

>16 catzteach: Sending healing wishes to you. I hope the pain goes away soon. And enjoy your new books!

Thanks all.

Root canal is finally feeling better. It's nice to finally be able to eat again.

I finished listening to No More Tears today while driving home from my mom's place. Holy cow! This book just shows how profit has no place in health care in any way. Profits over people. Johnson and Johnson sucks. It's sad and sickening. And yet another company I will do my best to not buy.

And I finished Snake-Eater, too. That one was good! Not as creepy as I was expecting but that was ok. I have definitely become a fan of Kingfisher.

>21 catzteach: I am glad you are feeling better!

I've been eyeing No More Tears, I'll see when I get to it.

It always makes me happy when people become fans of Kingfisher 😊

>21 catzteach: Good news! Mouth pain is no fun, I'm glad it is gone.

>21 catzteach: Glad you're healing well!

I keep hearing good things about Snake-Eater. The title kind of creeps me out, but apparently it's not that bad.

>24 terriks: The people aren't eating the snakes! Snake-eater is just another name for the bird we call a roadrunner.

>21 catzteach: I'm just catching up, and I'm sorry your mouth was bothering you for so long. Enjoy the books!

>25 clamairy: Thank you for this clarification! All I've heard is that it's very good, and maybe? a good start to reading author Kingfisher.

>27 terriks: Definitely a great intro to her writing.

Happy 2026 thread! I'm glad your tooth feels better.

Thanks all!

>27 terriks: Agreed it's a good start. My first Kingfisher was A Sorceress Comes to Call. That one got me hooked on her.

I have finished listening to No More Tears and am going to do my best not to buy Johnson & Johnson products anymore. It's so hard nowadays because these huge conglomerates own so many different brands and names we don't know who is actual owner company is. Erg.

I also finished Dungeon Crawler Carl. It was a great read! Carl and his ex's cat, Princess Donut, get transported to the dungeon to be part of an alien tv/entertainment show. The cat gets transformed so she can talk, and I love her snarky attitude. :) If you enjoy video games or RPGs, I think you will enjoy this book. I do not do video games and have very little experience with RPGs, but I still enjoyed it. I will definitely be reading the others.

It seems I read another book I have not yet posted about, but it escapes me. It's my rattled brain from this crazy week. It's been one of those weeks in which I wonder every day if there's another job out there I'd like better (and paid the same). Glad it's almost the weekend.

It seems I read another book I have not yet posted about This happens to me all the time! Usually it's something short where I started and finished the whole thing between posting so never mentioned starting it.

>31 Sakerfalcon: That is probably it! It was probably a quick read and I didn't write it down or post about it.

My mom's house has an offer on it, but the inspector found some places that need work, lots of work. Mold around the water heater, even had a frog living there! A sagging joist in the ceiling of the dining room, and some siding that needs repaired, which she did a few years ago. Ugh. Hopefully the buyers are willing to deal and either go lower in price or go halvsies on paying for them. My sister and bro-in-law are dealing with all of it. Thankful for that.

About a third of the way through The Green Man's Heir on my Kindle. Thanks Peter for continuing to read and talk about these books. I'm enjoying it immensely! I do have three others because they were sold as a group. :)

I'm at home today working on the kids' report cards. Luckily we can do this from home. I'm done so I'm working on other stuff, some work and some not, clearly, since I'm here. :) It does make me wish I could work from home more often, though.

>32 catzteach:
I find reading the Green Man books like catching up on old friends.

Just finished Carl’s Doomsday Scenario. It wasn’t the book I had planned to read next, but a bunch of us at work are reading the series and my friend wanted to read it so ….

Not sure what I’ll read next. Something cozy. Maybe.

In other news: my mom’s house sold! Cash sale, so we will have the money by the 10th. My sister set up a trust for it so it’ll be able to pay Mom’s rent until she no longer needs it. So relieved.

Edited to add, I love the Carl book! Donut is a great character and the writing is witty. I’ll get the third one soon and read it.

I’m also going to borrow the Red Rising series from a friend. I’m thinking it’ll make a good summer read.

>16 catzteach: I want you to know that a casual reference you made back in January about The Once and Future Queen prompted me to go look for it. Specifically, you said that the cover and the sprayed edges caught your eye and you couldn't resist it. Well, it arrived in my mailbox today and I can quite understand why you felt that way. Between the artwork and that opening chapter, I am really looking forward to reading this one!

So, watch how you throw out those book titles. Some of us are woefully susceptible to suggestion. ;>)

>35 jillmwo:
That book does look pretty.

>35 jillmwo: Yes, that cover is gorgeous, but look at those ratings here on LibraryThing!!! 4.5!

>34 catzteach: I read the first three DCC books via the library, but last I checked, they don't have any more in ebook form. Someday I'll wander down there and see if they have any more in print form. They were fun reads.

I despised Red Rising, for me it was too derivative.

Getting caught up after being sick the last three weeks. I’ve been reading and also sleeping a lot.

>35 jillmwo: Oh, I haven’t read the opening chapter yet. Now I’m really looking forward to it! Went into the same bookstore yesterday. Bought a coffee and Wendig book Staircase in the Woods. I have read his Wanderers and wanted to try another one. Plus, I have a really hard time walking into that store and not buying something. :)

>38 Karlstar: My other teammate didn’t like Red Rising either. He felt the same as you.

Ok, let’s see what books I’ve finished since my last post…

Baking Bad This was a cute cozy mystery, with dragons! The main characters and their dragon friends investigate the murder of the town’s vicar.

A Dying Fall Another in the Ruth Galloway series. I just love that Ruth is imperfect. Definitely want to start reading more of Griffiths other stuff.

The Death of Primrose Whittaker. This one is written by a friend of mine. Historical genre isn’t my thing but I like to support her. Did I like it? Eh, it was ok. Her next book, though, I loved. I’ll talk about it a little bit below.

God’s Junk Drawer Picked this one up hoping to join the group read. By the time it came in the mail, that thread was already super long. And then I got sick and just didn’t do any posting. But, whoa, did I love this one! I read it in two days because I was down and out and what else could I do? It definitely kept me entertained. Thanks to whoever on here talked about it first. :)

Green Man’s Foe These are becoming a nice comfort read. I like the main characters and all the friends he’s making. Thanks, Peter, for talking about these over the years.

The Secret Courtesan This one was not like my friend’s usual style and I loved it! It hooked me from the get go. It takes place in two timelines: current day and 1600. The current day character, Mia, is an art historian who is trying to discover the truth about a sculpture. She thinks the man who has been credited with it is not the artist. The character in the 1600 era is the courtesan and who Mia thinks is the artist. Both story lines are very good and I love the mystery the current day storyline creates. I can’t wait to go to book club on Thursday. We are surprising her by all of us reading it. It’s the first book she has had distributed by a bigger publisher so it’s pretty exciting.

And, lastly, I’m almost done with The Green Man’s Silence. Another nice jaunt into the world of supernatural creatures.

Whew. I have been busy reading. :)

>39 catzteach:
I hope you are feeling much better.

Glad you like the Green Man books. Like yourself I think of them as comfort reads and I like the main characters.

>39 catzteach: I hope you are feeling better now!

You've been reading nice books, I am happy for you 😊

>39 catzteach: Oh no! I know being sick means you have more time to read, but that's really the only perk. I'm glad you are on the mend.

Sheesh, I haven't posted in a while.

Finished Green Man's Silence. Another good one.

And then read The Wedding People. Not my usual genre and was worried at first because the main character has gone to a fancy/expensive hotel to kill herself, but then she starts meeting the people from the wedding taking place there. It actually turned out to be hopeful. I really liked the characters, even the selfish bride.

I also listened to most of Unspeakable Things. It's written by the woman who finally blew the whistle on Matt Lauer. Man, is he a monster! I think the book could've been shorter as it repeated itself quite a bit, which is why I stopped listening with a few chapters to go. The chapter headings sounded like subjects that had been discussed already.

In other news: after a CT scan last week, I stumbled and jammed my finger. It's been in a split since. The scan was for a cyst on my voice box that has gotten bigger since last year. I go in tomorrow to see the results and if there are next steps. One of my cats is currently at the emergency vet's, he has lost 4 pounds in the last month. He's getting bloodwork and an ultrasound. I'm a hot mess! And I'll be glad when March is done!

>43 catzteach: Oh goodness. Hot mess sounds about right. Best wishes for it all.

>43 catzteach: I am so sorry to hear that. Hugs and best wishes.

>43 catzteach:
Wishing you the best with your medical issues.

Eek, that's a lot to deal with all at once. I'm so sorry you're going through it. Hope all sorts out with minimal fuss.

I finished reading Everyone on the Train is a Suspect. I’m going to an author talk with Stevenson on the 27th and wanted to get at least one more of his books read before then. It was an enjoyable read. I will definitely read his others; not before the talk, though.

I got the results of my CT scan. Although the cyst does not look worrisome and will just be monitored, they found something else. Because don’t they always? This one isn’t just a monitor situation. Apparently I have something called carotid web. I had to google it as the ENT didn’t know much about it other than it causes strokes. It is the leading cause of strokes in young people. From my understanding, there is a cyst or extra skin (or something) that is blocking the artery. According to Google the best treatment is to insert a stent. I now get to have neurologist as part of my health care. :/

And we got more information on Ekho. The ultrasound revealed an inflamed spleen. The vet thinks this is an indication of cancer. We opted not to do the biopsy procedure. It sounded painful and was expensive. So we will give him steroids and fluids until he indicates he is done and then we will make that awful decision.

March can suck it! At least I’ve read some really good books. :)

>48 catzteach: I am sorry that you have so much to deal with.

>48 catzteach: Oh no... I am so so sorry both for your medical woes and for what your poor kitty is going through. Sending good juju your way.

Thanks, gang. It’s hard not to sit and just think about it all and go down the negative rabbit hole. I’m doing my best to see the CT results as a blessing because we found it before something did happen. It’s still scary, though.

Ekho has perked up since his liquid infusion and his steroids. Hopefully we can keep him chugging along for a while with this regiment. Teddi lasted 5 years with it so I’m crossing fingers. Someone sent him a care package from Chewy. We got it today. Some fun catnip toys and some yummy salmon snacks.

Finished reading Life After Life. Thanks, Peter, for this BB. It was really good! I enjoyed how Ursula grew and changed in each timeline and how one small change in an event can make a huge difference. I will definitely be checking out her other books.

I’m also listening to Mona’s Eyes and really enjoying it. It will take me a while to finish it because I want to listen to it in long stretches. It’s not one to listen to in short going-to-work spurts so I’ll be listening to it on walks.

>43 catzteach: Sorry to hear about your health issues and your cat's. I hope both of you improve soon! Wishing the best for you both.

>48 catzteach: That's a lot of health news. I hope everything goes as well as possible for both you and Ekho and that you both improve soon!

>48 catzteach:
Very sorry to read about the issues you are dealing with. Hoping your treatment is not too strenuous. Books are great respite.

Enjoy your author talk with Stevenson. It should be fun.

>48 catzteach: I'm sorry to hear all your sad news. Sending healing wishes to you and Ekho, and hoping for a better April.

Oh I feel your pain and totally understand the negative circling the drain syndrome we can fall into. Husband is awaiting further prognosis of something not great and it's so hard not to google. Wishing your strength and calm.

>51 catzteach: I’m doing my best to see the CT results as a blessing because we found it before something did happen.. Exactly. That was a fortunate outcome and one that allows you a bit of a breathing space. As @Bookmarque notes, the whole circling-the-drain thing is totally unproductive.

Give some extra love to Ekho and I'm sure he'll give it back to you in volume! (((Hugs)))

Read The Antidote during this spring break. My friend had checked it out from the library and wasn’t in the mood for it. She thought I’d like it. The blurb on the jacket sounded like I would like it, too: takes place during the Dust Bowl, had a prairie witch, a thinking scarecrow, and a time-traveling camera. All things that would make for an interesting read. Bummer it wasn’t. If you like magical realism, you might like this book. I’m not a fan of that genre so this book didn’t do it for me. I found it a bit interesting for a while but then I was bored by the end. Wanted to finish it, though, so I could give my friend a review. I’m returning it to the library for her tomorrow. :)

>56 Bookmarque: I hope your husband hears good news. The wait is so hard!

Went and saw Project Hail Mary today. It’s been six years since I’ve read the book so I did like the movie. The Husband asked which I like better: book or movie. Book, of course. The reader always gets more details and more knowledge of the characters. They made Rocky just as lovable as in the book. :)

>59 catzteach: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Has it really been that long since the book came out? I'm flabbergasted.

>59 catzteach: Glad you enjoyed it, hopefully we'll get to see it in the theater.

>59 catzteach: That's good to hear. I'm planning to see it soon and was hoping they didn't butcher the book too badly.

>60 clamairy: It's crazy how time flies! I remember picking it up from a bookstore with the worker out front behind a table because we couldn't go in due to Covid.

>63 catzteach: Yowzer. I find it so hard to wrap my head around how fast the last decade in particular has flown by.

>64 clamairy: It's gone so fast! I still feel like it should be the early 2000s!

Just finished The Staircase in the Woods. I'm sure it is considered horror. The plot: years ago, a group of teens find a staircase in the woods. It leads no where. One of them decides to go up it and he disappears. As adults, one of them finds the staircase and coaxes the others to go up it. They are then trapped in the staircase's world and need to find an escape as well as find their friend.

I enjoyed it. It was actually a good story about friendship and sticking together through the thick and thin and supporting one another.

I will definitely read more of Wendig.

>65 catzteach: I'm glad to see that you enjoyed this, as a copy is waiting on my TBR pile! I've enjoyed the books I've read by Wendig so far - The Book of Accidents was the darkest IMO, but very good. I really liked Black River Orchard. I'd say Wanderers is more dystopian/post apocalyptic, and also very good.

>65 catzteach: He's ventured into different genre aspects with his writing. My first encounter with him wa an urban fantasy series that starred a foul-mouthed heroine called Miriam Black (loved it). I've also read the Wanderers/Wayward duology which as stated above fits in more with the dytopian/pos-apocalyptic area (1st book is better than the 2nd). The straight out horror also mentioned above I had different feelings for. Of the three I think Staircase was my least favourite and Accidents I enjoyed most. He's also written books within the Star Wars universe that I haven't read.

>66 Sakerfalcon: and >67 AHS-Wolfy: This is the second of his I’ve read. The first was Wanderers. I have Wayward on my shelf waiting for summertime because it’s big. I’ll have to look for Black River Orchard and The Book of Accidents. He’s my latest favorite find.

I’m halfway through The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook. I love these books! I have a few friends and their husbands reading them right now, too, so we are using quotes from the book to communicate, which is fun. :)

I went to the neurologist today. He put me on baby aspirin, is having me get another CT scan called a CTA that is supposed to give more information, and is referring me to a vascular surgeon. I’m guessing I’ll be getting a stent sometime in the future. He did say we are in a good place because we caught this before I had a TIA or full stroke. And I know that I am very fortunate to know about it before something major happened.

>68 catzteach: That is a lot to wrap your head around. I hope everything goes smoothly and they get that stent in at some point. Sending lots of good juju your way.

>68 catzteach:. A treatment plan regarding next steps can be very reassuring. Your doctor seems to be very much on top of things. You'll weather this storm.

>68 catzteach: It sounds like you are in good hands. I'm sending healing hugs.

>68 catzteach: Wishing the very best.

>68 catzteach: Sending healing wishes to you, and purrs from William.

Oh stent surgery. I hope that goes well. I have one in my left lower Iliac vein to keep it open because of May-Thurner syndrome. It's in my abdomen and is about the size of a Sharpie marker. I was awake and watched the whole procedure on the monitor (they use X-rays to see what they're doing in there). The surgeon explained everything while he was doing it. Oddly, it was sort of fun. YMMV, but getting things done before you have an issue is the best outcome!

>69 clamairy: >70 jillmwo: >71 Alexandra_book_life: >72 pgmcc: >73 Sakerfalcon: and >74 Bookmarque: Thanks all! I’m glad I have a support group IRL and one here. It’s been a lot to take in and I’m doing my best not to spiral. I will say I’ve had days where I feel like I’m on the verge of tears all day long. Glad I have peeps holding me in their hearts.

>74 Bookmarque: Awake! That sounds scary. I don’t know if I’d want to be awake. I doubt I will be since it’s on my neck, but I’ll let you know. :) What are stents made of anyway?

On top of all of this, our washer is broken so I’ve been going to the laundromat periodically to do a load. First world problems on this one. I will be very grateful when it gets fixed in a week or two.

And I found out my cat Ekho doesn’t have cancer (did I mention that here), but he does have advanced kidney disease. So I’ll be giving him fluids once a week. Teddi lasted 5 or 6 years on fluids so hopefully we get the same results with Ekho.

Hang in there. I'm sure it's overwhelming. So it seems the kidney disease diagnosis is better than cancer, especially since you already know how to deal with it. Sending good thoughts to Ekho, too.

Finished The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook last night. I’m so enjoying this series! Carl and Donut have made it to the fourth level. It’s a bunch of trains. Various fights and other shenanigans ensue.

In health news: I have my CT angiogram scheduled for next Wednesday. I have yet to schedule with the vascular clinic as their message said to wait ten business days after a referral. That will be next Wednesday. So, if I haven’t heard from them, I’ll give them a call then.

We started Ekho on liquids today. He’s been acting funky again so hopefully the liquids help. Poor kitty.

>77 catzteach: Sorry to hear about your health troubles, I hope you get only good news from the testing next week. Sorry to hear about your cat too, I hope the fluids help.

>77 catzteach: I hope there will be good news next week!

I hope Ekho will feel better soon, too.

Belatedly, our best wishes for your own health problems, and Ekho's.

What >80 haydninvienna: said

We had a scare with Ekho today. He was declining quickly: not eating or throwing up everything he ate, hiding, whimpering when picked up. We thought it was the end, so we made an appointment with the vet. She had a few ideas to try so he’s back at home and outside sitting in the sun.

I’ll try the image button to show you guys our sick baby:

Oh no!! I'm so sorry. I've been through this before and it's never easy. I hope there ins't prolonged suffering for him or you. He's a handsome boy.

>82 catzteach: Sorry to hear that, I hope he improves.

>82 catzteach:
Wishing Ekho well.

>82 catzteach: Oh, poor Ekho, I am so sorry. Healing hugs!

>83 Bookmarque: >84 Karlstar: >85 pgmcc: and >86 Alexandra_book_life: thanks peeps. He’s like a different cat today. He even ate his new Renal Support food! Yay! I am going to enjoy every extra day I get with him and he’s going to be even more spoiled than before. :)

>87 catzteach: That's wonderful news! I hope you have many extra days with Ekho. He's a gorgeous void!

>82 catzteach: Oh no! & >87 catzteach: Yay!! I hope he continues to improve!

Here's to bouncing back! Most excellent.

>87 catzteach: Good news, I hope it continues!

>82 catzteach: Ekho looks just like my Feline Overlord, Mr Inky Mistoffelees, the Maharajah of Muddipore. Knowing how special he is, I can only wish you and him the best of health for as long as possible.

>87 catzteach: That is good to hear. I hope you have a lot more time left with Ekho :)

Thanks all!
He’s a bit grumpy today, but we gave him some tuna (it’s a very special, rare treat) and he scarfed. I think the challenge will be trying to get Ekho to eat something without our other cats pushing him out of the way (I’m looking at you, Witten).

I finished a book I got from a friend at school The Cat Who Saved Books. Japanese books are so interesting. This one was basically a story about why books are so important and how much power a book has. I loved the message and some of the quotes, which I don’t have on hand, and it was not full of action like the back of the book made it sound. I do think many here in the pub would appreciate it because of its message and it’s talking cat. :)

>94 catzteach: I'm so glad he's eating. And that book does look good. I see quite a few other GD members have enjoyed it as well. Going on my Libby wishlist.

>94 catzteach: I am happy to hear that Ekho is eating! Fingers crossed.

The Cat Who Saved Books is a very nice one, I agree. I'm all for talking cats in books :)

>94 catzteach: That title has shown up in my recommendations both here and on Amazon. Who doesn't like a talking cat?

And I am sending get well wishes to Ekho. (Perhaps some more tuna would help...)

Ack! I left my book at work! And it was a good one - I read half of it yesterday. Sigh. Guess I’ll have to start another and just finish the other one a different day. :/

>98 catzteach: Oh, that's annoying! :(

I finished the book I left at work the other day: I Am Watching You. I got this book through a book exchange night. It actually was pretty good. Ella is on a train one day and sees two teenage girls on a trip to London. When two young men, fresh from jail, board the train and start flirting with the girls, she listens in and wonders if she should intervene. She doesn’t. Then one of the girls goes missing. A year later, Ella starts getting scary postcards from someone referring to the missing girl. And so it begins. It was good brain candy with a satisfying ending.

I got my angiogram today. And appointments for a neck ultrasound and the vascular doctor. Sadly, neither of them are until June. The ultrasound is on the day school gets out for the summer. :) Kinda wish I didn’t have to wait so long. I guess if today’s test comes back showing I’m super blocked, I’ll hear something???

I guess the bright side is I won’t have to worry about surgery (and sub plans) during the school year.

>100 catzteach: Hopefully they will let you know whatever it is they find. Fingers crossed you're all clear.

>100 catzteach: Hugs! I hope everything will go well.

>100 catzteach: I agree with >101 clamairy:. If there's anything alarming, most likely they'll follow up quickly. In the meantime, keep calm and keep busy. We're all keeping our fingers crossed for you.

>100 catzteach: Sending my best wishes to you. I hope the long wait is a good sign that everything is stable.

>100 catzteach: Here's hoping you receive the best news possible from today's test.

>100 catzteach:
I am hoping for the best results.

What they all said. Hoping for the best for you.

>105 Narilka: >106 pgmcc: and >107 haydninvienna: Thanks all. Haven’t heard anything yet. Hopefully that’s good news.

I had an MRI today to see how the cysts on my pancreas are doing. Not sure when I’ll hear about those. I did take a personal day for it so my weekend chores are almost all done. Why don’t we always have three day weekends? :)

I did finish an audio book while driving to errands: You’ve been pooping all wrong. A podcast the doctor did was recommended by a friend and the information was interesting so I decided to listen to the book. It was interesting and informational. I told The Husband not to be surprised when a little footstool shows up in the bathroom.

Now I need another nonfiction book to listen to.

>108 catzteach: Good grief! You miss a little around here and you actually miss a lot!

I'm so sorry for everything that's been going on with you and Ekho over the last several weeks. I'm glad you have your appointments lined up and are through some of them already. Ekho sounds like he's holding his own.

Hoping for all the best for you. ❤️

While running errands today, I decided to stop at the Goodwill (thrift store for those outside of the US). I found Lock In for $2.99 and A Case of Life and Limb hardback for $9.99. I’ve been wanting to read more Scalzi and I really enjoyed A Case of Mice and Murder and have been wanting to get the next one. Looking forward to both of these!

>110 catzteach: I understand some people who love Scalzi don't like Lock In but I found the whole concept fascinating. And you really lucked out with that Sally Smith hardcover! That book is still relatively new.

>110 catzteach:
Great find in Goodwill. I enjoyed A Case of Life and Limb and am looking forward to her third book in the series.

>110 catzteach: I wish my local thrift store offered such good titles! Ours is decidedly disappointing.

>110 catzteach: I'm reading A Case of Mice and Murder at the moment, and I can already tell I'll be looking for A Case of Life and Limb - great find! I'm sure $9.99 isn't what the publisher has printed on the jacket cover. Great find!

>111 clamairy: I agree - it's not my favorite of his, either, but conceptually it was very entertaining, and a decent enough storyline and characters. For $2.99 @catzteach got a bargain.

>108 catzteach: Good luck with the MRI results. My daughter has/had that problem and had to have part of her pancreas removed and her spleen too, so they could get at the area with the worst of the cysts.

Also wishing you luck with your future scans.

I thought Lock In was good, I hope you enjoy it!

>111 clamairy: I was excited to land a Scalzi for so little! It sounds quite different than his others. And the second book was purchased in February from a local bookstore. The receipt was still in it!

Finished A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping. I really like her books and the concept of family and love she sends out into the world. Family is who you feel at home with and are loved by, not necessarily who birthed you or whose DNA you share. Loved her characters, too! In this one, Sera is a witch who lost her magic when she resurrected her aunt. Fast forward 15 years: she has been keeping an inn, has collected a few borders that had no other place to go, and has found a spell to get her magic back. Of course there is a foe and a bit of action and romance. I still found it a nice cozy read. I wonder how many other books this author has written.

We just got back from the vet. We had to put Ekho down. I came home and he was hiding. And when I picked him up in yowled in pain. It was time. I’m going to miss him. He was such a good cat. He followed Kevin around like a dog; we should’ve named him Shadow. He gave us 12 great years. Rest easy, little buddy.

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear this! Losing a pet is so hard. Hugs!

I'm so sorry for your loss.

>117 catzteach: Oh no. I'm so so sorry, Cindy.

>117 catzteach:
My condolences. It is always hard to lose someone close. Big hugs.

>117 catzteach: I am so sorry for your loss. It's so hard losing a loved one. My deepest sympathy.

>117 catzteach: I am so sorry for your loss. My condolences...

Oh no! That's rotten and the worst. I'm so sorry. Hope you can find some peace after your grief. They do get to us, don't they?

>117 catzteach: Very sorry to hear that, my condolences, losing a beloved pet is very hard.

>117 catzteach: It's so hard to lose an animal companion like that. (((Hugs)))

I'm so sorry. Every cat is the best cat, and it sucks when they leave us.

(((((Hugs!))))) Loads of sympathy -- more so as a cat of my acquaintance is washing me and chewing my hair as I type

>117 catzteach: I'm so sorry Ekho had to leave you. It's so hard to lose our four-legged friends.

Almost done with the fourth Dungeon Crawler book. I’ll finish it this weekend.

I did visit our new library today. It’s pretty amazing. Here’s a pic looking down into the lobby from the third floor. There are lots of sitting areas, a Makerspace for the kids, the second floor is all for kids, meeting rooms, and a coffee shop on the main floor. I checked out three books while there.

>130 catzteach: That's incredible! What a wonderful space.

Finished Gate of the Feral Gods this morning. I will say, with everything going on with Ekho, my mind wasn’t as focused as it could’ve been. I missed some things while reading this one. But I was able to focus at the end and it did end well. I will find the fifth one and start it after school ends. Some of the next ones are rather large so I want time to devote to them. This one took forever because work kept getting in the way of my reading schedule. :)

>131 clamairy: I’m anticipating spending many hours there this summer. It’s only 2 miles from my house.

>130 catzteach: That is indeed a wonderful space. And the things you mention -- meeting rooms, maker spaces, etc. -- indicate a really positive and progressive way of thinking as to how a library supports the community.

>132 catzteach: YAY! Don't forget to let me know when you read "the scene" in book 5. I think you'll know :) It's fairly early on.

>130 catzteach: Wow! That looks like a great space.

>133 jillmwo: I was talking to some friends yesterday about how libraries are no longer quiet places for kids. And I like how libraries are starting to include puzzle checkouts and other checkouts, like a "learn to bake" kit that includes mixers and things.

>134 Narilka: Just put book five on hold at the library. The ebook was available, but I tried that and I wasn't able to tell the difference between the different fonts. It made the book confusing. I look forward to "the scene."

I finished listening to The Witches are Coming. It was a good listen. I really would like her take on the last couple of years. I will be listening to her Adult Braces after my current listen, which is Tidy the F*ck Up. This one is a more practical and hilarious way of thinking about tidying up. The biggest piece of advice: stop buying sh*t you don't need. I've been able to trickle my emotional spending habit down to include just books and an occasional kitchen "need", which I try to find at a thrift store before buying new.

I'm halfway through The Astral Library as well. It's a pretty cool concept - being able to escape into a book and live there as a fringe character. I'm not sure what book I'd choose. Maybe something cozier like Legends and Lattes. What book would you choose?

>136 catzteach: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within. I love the Five-Hop One-Stop so much.

>136 catzteach: Let us know how Adult Braces goes.

And I'm a sucker for new kitchen accessories. Not anything huge, just shiny chrome spatulas and such. But then I hang on to my shitty old one that's coming apart because that's the one that works perfect for eggs...

I'll have to think about what books I'd like to visit. I don't have to stay forever, do I?

>130 catzteach: I love this! What a wonderful library...

>136 catzteach:. I wouldn't mind being a character in Legends and Lattes. I was once featured as a character in a comic book on the opening splash page. Of course, now I cannot recall which comic book it might have been. Maybe a Spiderman? It was decades and decades ago.

>138 clamairy: The intent is to stay as long as you want. The Patrons have to up their library card every year so they check in with the Librarian once a year to decide if they want to go back. And you get three books to try before landing on a permanent one.

I love a good kitchen gadget! Right now I'm on the lookout for a moka pot even though I already have an espresso maker. And I need a better food processor. I have a Ninja, but it doesn't process very well. My dates don't get mixed into the batter and it doesn't turn my oats into flour, it just chops them up a bit. Erg.

>140 jillmwo: a comic book character, now that would be fun!

>141 catzteach: Ahh, the mocha pot conundrum. I have one of those little Italian aluminum jobs. I do want a better (or at least bigger) one, but my stomach rebells after too much coffee. They had a really nice electric one on sale at Target for $40.00. I had it in my cart, but on closer inspection I saw the top was made from clear plastic instead of glass. :o(

I don't think I would last long in a book world. I would miss my kids too much. I would love to visit for a few weeks at a time, though.

>132 catzteach: I just finished Gate of the Feral Gods yesterday. I saw them all at a bookstore recently and they do get a lot longer.

>143 Karlstar: Just put the fifth one on hold at the library. Not sure I'll be able to wait for it, though.

I did manage to finish The Honey Witch the other day. Reading is rather hard right now as I'm so exhausted from the end of the school year (more babysitting than teaching going on) that all I want to do is sit and watch tv. I did enjoy this book, though. I will give it four stars. The main character, Marigold, is a Honey Witch. That means she uses honey in her magic. While she is learning her magic, she learns about a curse that means as long as she's a Honey Witch, she will not have true love. In the meantime, she is helping her friend find his soulmate. Well, he has a friend he brings along who is a skeptic - she doesn't believe in magic. Marigold makes it her mission to convince Lottie that magic exists. And you can probably guess the ending. Still enjoyable, though.

I also listened to part of Dungeon Crawler Carl. I'm on the 5th in the series but had heard the audiobook was really good. And it is. The voices that man does! Boy howdy! I stopped about halfway through, though, just because I've read the book and I hardly reread books.

Did I mention I read Middle of the Night? That one was a thriller, I guess. The main character's best friend was kidnapped when they were 10. He's back in town and tries to figure out what happened to his friend. A quick, entertaining read.

I'm now reading The Stranger Times. I'm really enjoying it. McDonnell's sense of humor is fun.

2 1/2 days left of school. I'm so looking forward to reading on my porch, riding my e-bike around, and spending time in our new library! And just de-stressing.

>144 catzteach:
I hope you enjoy The Stranger Times and its sequels. He has created some great stories and characters.

>144 catzteach: The Stranger Times is so much fun! I hope you enjoy it.

>144 catzteach: You are going to love that series! It's just such a blast.

>144 catzteach: I really liked The Stranger Times! I wish you a great time with this series :)

I finished The Stranger Times yesterday. So good! I wanted to immediately go to Libby to see if it was available as an ebook. But I went to my shelves instead and found a different book to read. I liked the characters in Stranger Times. And the ending! I do hope Simon shows up in the other books.

The book I’m reading now, Spitting Gold, has started out pretty well. Two sisters who used to swindle people by being fake mediums are back in action. It’s turning out there may actually be a spirit in the house, though. I have no idea where I got this one. I think it just magically turned up on my shelves. *questioning shrug* I’m glad it did, though!

And now that summer is here, I have tons of time to read! Bring on the iced lattes!

>149 catzteach:
I have no idea where I got this one. I think it just magically turned up on my shelves.

Spooky. Is the spirit in your house or the sisters’ house in the book.

>149 catzteach: So glad you enjoyed The stranger times! It's so funny and clever.

>149 catzteach: Every book that Stranger Times series is a blast. Enjoy.

Can you check to see when you entered Spitting Gold into your catalog for a clue as to where/how you acquired it?

>152 clamairy: I’m really bad at entering books in my collection. I really should just enter them when I get them, but I tell myself I’ll do it later and later rarely comes. :)

I did figure out where I got Spitting Gold. It came from my neighbor/friend/book club member. We love the same kind of books. And this one was right up my alley! I loved it. Two sisters are spiritists back when. One gets out and becomes a baroness. The other stays with their father and takes care of him. She needs to make some money and asks the baroness to help. Then some twists and turns and is it really a ghost? Highly recommend this one! And it’s been passed off to another neighbor/friend/book club member. She’ll love it!

And I think I’ll go through my books and enter the ones I haven’t: goal for the week.

>153 catzteach: Have fun! If you put the LibraryThing app on your phone you can use your camera to scan in the barcodes. It's as fast as lightning.

>154 clamairy: Wait, what?

Ok, I didn't know you could do that and I tried it. I tried adding a paperback copy of Axis - and it added it and 2 other books, but it did work.

>155 Karlstar: LOL I have never had it add other books. Were they in the vicinity and your camera caught the barcodes, or did it add books you don't have?

I should have posted a warning that it is super sensitive. I have added the same book twice without realizing it.

>156 clamairy: Two totally unrelated books I don't have, not sure how it got that out of one barcode. It does seem very sensitive.

>154 clamairy: I have used that feature. It definitely makes it quicker to add books. >155 Karlstar: I haven’t had it add two books at once. I wonder how that happened?

I read All The Colors of the Dark and, boy howdy, was it good! I didn’t know much about it, just that it was getting good reviews and was on my book club list. I’m so glad it was! It’s a story that covers quite a few years. Patch, a boy with just one eye, saves a teenage girl from getting kidnapped. As a result, he gets kidnapped. While in the dark, he meets Grace. Then there’s Saint, Patch’s best friend. When Patch gets kidnapped, she makes her mission to find him. I don’t want to give anything away, but the books spans the life of Patch and Saint and how the kidnapping affected them both. I got invested in all the characters and couldn’t put this book down.

In other news, visited the Farmer’s Market last night and bought some strawberries. So good! Then this morning on Insta, I saw that one can make strawberry syrup with the strawberry tops. So I have tried it. It’s sitting on the counter cooling. I think with the sugar, it’ll be super sweet, especially since I don’t eat much refined sugar anymore. Don’t know what I’ll use it for. Hopefully it lasts a long time in the fridge.

Finished Quicksilver the other day. It was your basic romantasy book: torture, damaged male that acts like a dick to the female; strong (ish) female that melts whenever said tortured male smiles at her (please, if she was that strong, she’d go for the very attractive, nice one); governmental foe/war going on; and pages of sex. Personally, these books are just ridiculous now. I bought this one quite a while ago, before ‘romantasy’ was even a thing. I like the fantasy plot elements: finding out she is an Alchemist, going to a Fae realm, learning about magic, etc. But I don’t need three pages of sex scene, which I skip, and I don’t need the “oh, if we just have sex/fall in love, he’ll be fixed” nonsense. No, he’s a dick, move on. Anyway, this one goes in the donation pile and I won’t be seeking out the sequel.

I have moved on to reading the classic square on my summer reads bingo card. I have chosen Pride and Prejudice. I am almost halfway and am liking it. I will admit there have been some times I’ve had to reread and the language is something I have to think about. I actually do love how formal they sound sometimes. I’ll also admit sometimes I get confused as to who is speaking or being discussed because there are so many Miss Bingleys or Miss Bennets. But overall am enjoying it.

Oh, and I forgot to share my thrift store haul from the other day. Four book for $12, three of them hardbacks. Here’s a pic:

>159 catzteach: Nice finds!

>159 catzteach:. I see you've been bitten by the Kate Atkinson bug. Have you already gotten through those three titles of hers? Or will they be new reading experiences?

>159 catzteach: Oh, very nice haul! I see three Jackson Brodie books in there! Enjoy!

>159 catzteach:
Enjoy the Atkinson novels. I have just started Big Sky. Really enjoying it.

>161 jillmwo:, >162 clamairy:, and >163 pgmcc: I bought the Jackson Brodie ones because you all keep talking about them and for $2 a piece, I couldn’t pass them up! I think the second one is not in that pile, so I’ll have to get it from the library. It will be my first time through the series. How many are there?

>164 catzteach: So far there are six.

>165 clamairy: Oh, I can catch up fairly easily then.

I finished Pride and Prejudice. There were things I liked about it and things I didn’t. I liked the language, even though I had to stop every once in a while and digest what was being said. I can’t remember how it was phrased, but at one point she called a man an idiot and it was done so elegantly. :) I didn’t like how the sister was treated when she eloped: like she was the monster and it was solely her fault. She was 16! Barely! And the way the women treated each other as competition. I know they were, but still. Will I try another Austen? Perhaps. I hear Mansfield Park is a good one.

I am now on the 5th Dungeon Crawler book. It’s a big one so it’ll take me a few days.

In other news: I had an ultrasound on my carotid web (I’ve named him Carl) and he is not causing problems yet so no surgery needed. I go back to the neurologist next month and assume I’ll get on a monitoring schedule. Also, I had the cyst in my throat, now named Norman, checked on and he’s holding his own, so we will look at him again in 6 months. So all my little friends are all status quo.

But then this happened: The Husband texted me, “I was just told my replacement was hired and they’ll be docking my pay.” Um, ??? He wasn’t given any more info. So he went back to work for the next couple of days while we both stressed a bit about finances. Then yesterday he gets told by his bosses that he’s a “valuable part of this company.” Oooookaaaayyyy. He then gets a phone call from a board member and gets the full story: turns out, the board decided to create a new position for The Husband. He will no longer be purchasing, he will be inventory control (not sure of the difference) and he won’t lose pay. Um, couldn’t they have led with that three days ago???? So, it was a weird week. I do have places in our budget that I will be cutting the fluff (do we really need so many streaming services?), so that was a good kick in the pants. I could’ve done without the stress, though.

>166 catzteach: All good news! Love the names.

But sweet baby cheeses, why would they do that to your husband? Someone dropped the ball there.

>166 catzteach: What a crappy way for your husband to have been treated! Pointless drama and stress - I'm glad it turned out well, at least.

I get what you're saying about Pride and Prejudice - it can be hard to appreciate the weight that was put on young women of the time; one false step can lead to family ruin. I love it though, partly because of those elegant put downs! ;)

Glad the ultrasound and other medical issues were good.

>166 catzteach:
That is dreadful management. Someone needs retraining, and not in a nice way. I hope your husband enjoys the new role and that he is not harassed by poor managers again.

>166 catzteach: I am happy to hear all your good news!

Someone at your husband's company needs to be taught a lesson... Good luck with his new role, I hope there won't be any more drama.

I love the banter in Pride and Prejudice :)

>166 catzteach: What a mix of good and bad. That's unbelievably unprofessional behaviour from your husband's company. Heads should roll. I'm glad your medical news was good though. Re: your specific criticism of P&P - I recently read Pride and Prejudice in space and that plot thread was adapted in a way that I think you would approve of.

>166 catzteach: Good news on the medical front, I hope things continue to hold steady or improve! Shouldn't one of them been called Princess Donut? :)

Also good news on the job, sounds like that was actually a promotion, but handled in the worst way possible?

>166 catzteach: That's a lot to be dealing with. Maybe "Carl" and "Norman" are behaving, but then you've got the stress from that kind of back-and-forth with your husband's job. Management needs to get a wake-up call on that one. (But yes, the cost of all the streaming services is sky-rocketing.)

>172 Karlstar: I just had another CT done on a “node” that showed up in an earlier CT. If it turns out to still be there, perhaps I shall name it Princess Donut. :) Or Mongo ;)

It has been a lot. He went back to work today and now he thinks they were just yanking his chain on Friday. He said they are treating him pretty poorly today so he’s going to start putting resumes out. There is a job for his skill set available at an insulated water bottle place. They’ve been around for quite a while and are now national, so that one might be promising…

He and I are too old for roller coasters, damn it.

>174 catzteach: Mongo might be more appropriate! However, I hope it is not there to name.

Ugh on your husband's job. That's just ridiculous, why can't they be honest? A change might be due, I know that is hard, but maybe the right step.

>171 Sakerfalcon: Hmm, I will see if the library has that one. Thanks for the suggestion.

I’ve been enjoying my summer reading:

The Butcher’s Masquerade The 5th Dungeon Crawler book. Princess Donut and Carl, along with their friends, have to conquer the hunters that are on this floor. These books are huge but fun. So glad I started this series.

Case Histories Finally diving into the Jackson Brodie series. I did enjoy this book. The different cases and how they tied together was right up my alley. I like books that do that. I think I will save the other of these for during the school year. They are short reads; just what I like during the school year.

Yesteryear Holy cow, this was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be more like Outlander. Nope. I don’t want to say too much because I’ll give things away, but it’s about a tradwife influencer who is put back into actual pioneer/homesteading times. There were some good twists and turns and a completely unexpected ending. So good!

And now I’m reading Startup Hell hoping it’s a lighter read. I’m a bit worried after reading how @Sakerfalcon felt about it, though.

Sadly, none of these fit any boxes on my Summer Bingo Card. Ah well, plenty of summertime left. :)

In other news: The Husband’s work asked him to commit to three more years. ???? He doesn’t know what’s going on now. I told him to get it in writing that they commit to him for three more years. He’s going to continue to look for something else, but he doesn’t feel so stressed about job searching now.

>176 catzteach: I have The Butcher’s Masquerade waiting at the library, hopefully I can pick it up Monday.

Congrats on the job news!

>176 catzteach: The Husband’s work asked him to commit to three more years...I told him to get it in writing that they commit to him for three more years. Abso-fricking-lutely get in writing. With signatures.

That said, I'm glad you had a nice set of reading options to relieve some of the stress.

>166 catzteach: >179 jillmwo: I didn't comment on the job imbroglio, but What Everybody Else Said. Jeez, some people ... if it were me, I'd be reflecting on the motto about not assuming malice if incompetence is a sufficient explanation. And yes, get the signatures, preferably in blood.

>166 catzteach: >179 jillmwo: Chiming in with what @haydninvienna said. Don't rest until you have several signed copies in safe places!

Finished Startup Hell. I agree with @Sakerfalcon, it wasn’t as good as her others. I wonder, though, if it would appeal to the people who are working in startups?? It wasn’t horrible, it just wasn’t as good.

Then I read The Revenge Party. This one fills my “PNW author” box on the summer bingo card. It was good. I don’t know what I’d classify it as, maybe thriller? It follows two women: Isabella and Katie. Isabella is an intern/assistant to Shane, who is managing the election of the next governor. She is also his mistress. She has set herself up as his mistress to get back at him for something we eventually learn about. Katie is Shane’s wife. She is learning what a slime he is and figuring out how to leave him. It shows the slimy part of politics, for sure. But I liked it and it was a satisfying ending.

Husband job news: he hasn’t committed. In fact, he asked them what he’d be committing to and they couldn’t answer him. He checked his email and has 48 emails that are interested in his resume, so that’s good. I feel for him, though. To have to look for a job at his age. Ugh.

>176 catzteach: Glad you enjoyed Case Histories. And congrats on the three year thing for your hubby. He does like it there, right?

>183 clamairy: Sadly, not so much. He’s been unhappy there for a while. So in some ways, this is a good kick in the pants to look for something else. Still, looking for a job sucks.

I’m about halfway through The Lies of Locke Lamora. The story has been ok, but the author uses italics way too much. It’s been hard to get into a character’s voice because of them. It makes it forced or something. I don’t like it. So when I’m done, I will probably not seek out the other books in the series.

>184 catzteach: I am sorry to hear that, and I hope his job search proves fruitful!

I've tried to read that book twice so far and bailed. So you are not alone.

>182 catzteach: I think the touchstone you've got in this post for The Revenge Party goes to the wrong one. The one in your post goes to a children's book.

One day at a time.

>186 jillmwo: Thanks. I don’t know why it did that. I remember choosing the correct book when I posted. It should go to the correct book now.

>184 catzteach: I hope he has good luck with the job search. It certainly sounds like he cannot trust his current employer.

I finished The Lies of Locke Lamora last night. I ended up skimming the last few chapters. I just didn’t care about the characters anymore. :(

And now I’m cleansing my brain with a quick murder mystery, The Postscript Murders. It reminds me of the Thursday Murder Club although the “sleuths” are different ages.

>189 catzteach:
I read The Lies of Locke Lamora because my two sons loved the book. While I enjoyed it well enough I have no desire to read the subsequent books.

>189 catzteach: You know, I've never read any of the Elly Griffith titles and I'm wondering if I ought to rectify that oversight. You describe The Postscript Murders as being light. Are her novels mostly "just entertainment" or does she offer a certain degree of complexity in working out whodunnit?

I read the first Locke Lamora but haven't read any of the others. The first one was fine but not more than that.

>182 catzteach: It sounds like we are in agreement on Startup Hell. I wonder if we'd have enjoyed it more if our expectations hadn't been set so high by the first two books?

>184 catzteach: I read The lies of Locke Lamora and really enjoyed it. So much so that a few years later I decided to reread it. I couldn't finish it. It was so bleak and violent and nasty. Not sure why that didn't get to me on the first read, but hit me so hard on the second.

Sending my best wishes and positive thoughts to your husband and his job situation. I hope the right thing turns up soon.

About The Lies of Locke Lamora: I started it because my elder daughter recommended it. Gave up after a chapter or so because I didn't like the MMC. Are we seeing a pattern here?

@catzteach, best of luck to your husband with the job search.

Glad I’m not the only one unimpressed by Locke Lamora. :)

>192 Sakerfalcon: Maybe. I’m also not out in the business world so maybe I just don’t understand the humor?

>191 jillmwo: I never figure out who is the culprit in Elly’s books. This one was no different. And the characters are always likable.

Just finished A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic. So delightful! I would say it’s a cozy fantasy with a hint of romance. Arleta is a human that gets into the annual Baking Battle. She does not have magic and no one without magic has ever entered, let alone won it. The Battle was similar to The Great British Baking Show, which I watch a loved. The recipes baked at the Battle are included in the back of the book, so I may have to try them; some sounded rather yummy. A quick, fun, light read. I think this series will stay on my list and when I need a cozy comfort read, I’ll search one out. This one checks of “book about food” box on my summer bingo card.

>194 catzteach: I read The Lies of Locke Lamora, it was all right, but I've forgotten it entirely. I kind of like this part of my review - "Oceans Eleven meets The Sopranos in a vaguely Venice-like setting. Lots of people end up swimming with the fishes. Well written, but this trope has been done before and it didn't need to be done again. I just wasn't that impressed."

>194 catzteach: There is definitely a pattern here, I was unimpressed as well ;)

>195 Karlstar:
For some reason your post reminded me of my reaction to The Lies of Locke Lamora. I felt it was a book that I would have liked when I was a lot younger and had not read many other books of its ilk. My feeling was that I did not care to get into the series as I did not care enough and how there was nothing new in it. I felt this explained why my sons enjoyed it so much, they had not read as many other similar books as I had. I gave it a 3.5 stars rating.

Out of curiosity I had a quick check to see when I read it; eleven-and-a-half years ago. I would have thouhgt it was five or six years ago.

I could have sworn we had a group read for this, but I could not find it anywhere in the discussions list. Further snooping and dredging turned up these two threads.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/128183
https://www.librarything.com/topic/129342

The spoiler thread does not have a lot of actual spoilers, and a lot of people bailed after starting it. (I was one of the people who bailed.)

>192 Sakerfalcon: " It was so bleak and violent and nasty."

This was my issue with The Lies of Locke Lamora as well. I did go on to read the 2nd book, Red Seas Under Red Skies and it was more of the same. At least both titles were library loans so I only feel regret at the lost time. I think I was being generous giving them both 3 stars. In hindsight, I would likely rate them 2 or maybe 2.5 today.

>199 ScoLgo: I’m totally giving it a 2.

>199 ScoLgo: >200 catzteach: After reviewing what I wrote, I downgraded my rating too.

>197 pgmcc: Agreed. I tend to feel that way about Islington's The Shadow of What Was Lost too - if I hadn't read other books before it, I would have enjoyed it more and I find that folks who are relatively new to the genre like it much more than I did.

I finished Great Big Beautiful Life last night. Nice little ending on this beach read. I liked that it had a plot: the two main characters vying to write a biography of a recluse. I tried to listen to this book when it first came out and couldn’t handle the narrator. Enjoyed it much more reading it myself.

So, the timing isn’t the best, what with The Husband’s job situation, but I did a thing today: (pay no attention to the very messy kitchen behind me :D)

Meet the new boss.
Same as the old boss.

>202 catzteach: What a beautiful furbaby!
Name?

>204 clamairy: Merlin

>202 catzteach: Oh, congratulations! Merlin is wonderful.

>205 catzteach: I love it!

Welcome to the group, Merlin! What a handsome boy you are!

He’s super cuddly and talks a lot. The other kitties are not happy with me, though. :(

>209 catzteach: I was afraid to ask!

Obviously, Merlin is going to be a great addition to the household! Give the other kitties some time to adjust.

>202 catzteach:
Lovely cat.

>202 catzteach: Merlin's beautiful! Long may you and he enjoy a loving relationship. (In this country white cats tend to be prone to a form of skin cancer, especially in their ears, and caring hoomins try to keep them from spending too long at a stretch in the sun.)

>213 hfglen:
We had a white cat and the vet suggested we put sun block on its ears for that very reason.

>213 hfglen: & >214 pgmcc: I don't believe Cindy lets her cats go outside. (I don't.)

>202 catzteach: Hi Merlin! Welcome to the pub :)

>213 hfglen: The Husband and I were just talking about how his little ears might be sensitive to the sun.
>215 clamairy: Surprisingly, we do let them go out. However, only in the backyard or nearby. Skippy is the only one who jumps the fence and he only goes next door when he does. We have trained them well. :)

We were thinking we might need to train Merlin to wear hats that cover his ears. Or I need to learn what sunscreen to buy for cats - do they make that?

>217 catzteach: Trained them well? Nah. They're just thinking that they need to keep the staff contented so the goodies keep coming.

>218 haydninvienna: Probably true. Skippy does get a treat when he comes in when I call. Here he is enjoying his tent:

>219 catzteach: Awwww ...

>219 catzteach: That's adorable!
If I had an adequately fenced in yard I might let my cat out as well.

>217 catzteach: " I need to learn what sunscreen to buy for cats"

I asked DD, who says she can't remember whether a zinc-based sunscreen is essential or a total no-no. She says before human kindness unintentionally bumps poor Merlin off, please ask your vet.

>182 catzteach: interestingly, I liked Startup Hell quite well. It felt a little...meatier to me.

Merlin is a love! What a sweetie.

>219 catzteach: That little tent is absolutely adorable :)

>222 hfglen: I will definitely ask my vet. I never give my cats anything like that without checking first.

The Husband took an adorable video of Merlin yesterday asking to go outside and complaining that the answer was no. He’s currently curled up on The Husband’s lap.

Read What Moves the Dead the last couple of days. She based it on The Fall of the House of Usher. I have not read The House of Usher. This book made me want to, though. I have been wanting to read it for a while and finally did because the second one What Feasts at Night has a horse on it and will fill one of my summer reading Bingo squares. :) BTW, it’s a deadly, sentient fungus that moves the dead. I’m assuming it will also be what feasts at night.

In other cat news: Witten isn’t eating today. I was at Mom’s this weekend and The Husband said Witten threw up everywhere. There were also a few pee spots he had to clean up. I take Merlin to the vet tomorrow so I might take Witten as well. Wit had diarrhea last week and got blood work. Nothing showed up so I don’t know what’s wrong with him. :(

>225 catzteach: I am certainly intrigued by Kingfisher's ideas of the Gothic so I'm going to go ahead and add What Moves the Dead to my Wishlist. That might well do something for me come November and the darkening days of autumn. I thoroughly enjoyed The House of Usher which is really just a short story or maybe it's as long as a novelette. Whichever. Don't let any concerns of length hold you back from the experience.

>225 catzteach: So sorry to hear about Witten. Hope it's something minor and easily treatable. That Kingfisher series is a lot of fun. @jillmwo I think you will enjoy it as well. I definitely preferred the first two to the third in the series, but I seem to be alone in that.

>225 catzteach: A belated welcome to Merlin! That tent is cool, we'd get one but I bet neither cat would use it. Bella is really good about going out, she stays very close to the house and never leaves the yard. We can't let Loki out any more, he'd wander.

I hope Witten is all right.

>225 catzteach: I am sorry to hear about Witten. I hope he is feeling better.