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.