Mary’s (Storeetllr's) Happy Place
This topic was continued by Mary’s (Storeetllr's) Happy Place 2.
Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2026
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1Storeetllr
Happy New Year! May we all step into 2026 with strength, resolve, and hope. We're gonna need it.
2Storeetllr
January
1. Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay. 5 stars. https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9060685
2. I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney. 5 stars. https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9067638
3. Archangel's Sun by Nalini Singh. 3.5 stars. Continuing my reread of the Guild Hunter series. This installment features Lady Shareen (sp?) aka The Hummingbird and Titus, the Archangel of Southern Africa. Not my favorite of the series.
4. Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather. 4 stars. Audio narrated by Adenrele Ojo. Novella (4 hours).
5. The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4 stars. Audio narrated by Eva Kaminsky. Novel (9 hours).
6. Archangel’s Light by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. There’s more angst in this one than all the previous ones put together when besties Bluebell and Sparkle, who had a major falling out, must work together to help new archangel Sueyin get her sh*t together. While surveying her territory, they make a gruesome discovery of probably the worst evil that Lijuan perpetrated.
7. Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge. 3.5 stars. Audio. I loved the premise of this cozy old-timey British mystery: During a house party, a guest is found dead - stabbed in the neck with a fountain pen - in the library by the housekeeper of the mansion owned by Agatha Christie and her second husband, Max Mallowan. Recommended by Meg (familyhistorian).
8. Indulgence in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. Reread. Comfort read. This is the one where people are being murdered by weird methods, like a harpoon, a bullwhip, and a crossbow.
9. Random in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. First reread. Another comfort read. I just can't seem to focus enough to start something new. This is the one where someone is randomly killing young girls by injecting them with a deadly cocktail of drugs and viruses. Satisfyingly creepy.
10 Encore in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. First reread. Who murdered the beloved movie star husband of the famous stage actress and why? Or was she the intended victim?
11. Sisters of the Forsaken Stars by Lina Rather. 3.5 stars. Novella. 6 hours. This novella, which continues the story of the women of religion who crew of a living spaceship so young it doesn't have a name yet, was really disjointed and hard to follow, for me anyway. Lots of talk talk talk about faith and forgiveness and redemption, as well as how bad Old Earth government is (and it is), but action only at the end. I was a little bored, tbh, though I really love the living ships.
12. Payback in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. First reread. A retired head of Internal Affairs is found dead at his desk, the stunner used to kill him lying on the floor under his hand and a note on his computer screen saying he couldn't live anymore with the weight of all the good men and women whose lives he had ruined. Was it suicide? Eve doesn't think so. If murder, there were a whole lot of possible suspects to choose from.
3Storeetllr
February
13. Seeking the Dead by Kate Ellis. 4 stars ebook. There were times I wanted to slap the Chief DI, and the police seemed too inept at times, but I liked DI Joe Plantagenet and, all-in-all, I enjoyed this mystery thriller. I did figure out the killer at about the 3/4 mark, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment, and there was a twist that I hadn't seen coming, although I did wonder about that character at one point, thinking they seemed too good to be true. But, I will be continuing with the series and, in fact, have the second on my Kindle as I write, though I have a slew of other books to get through before I can read that one. Thanks to Judy (DeltaQueen) for turning me on to this series. Note that this is the first written book I've been able to finish in at least a year due to my vision issues.
14. The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison. 3 stars. Audio. Read by Zehra Jane Naqvi. Let me preface this by saying I LOVE The Goblin Emperor and The Cemeteries of Amalo, the spin-off series featuring Thara Celehar. The Tomb of Dragons was one of my top books from last year. I wanted to love this novella, but the first 3/4 was just boring. I never really got invested with the main character, and, frankly, found him a bit distasteful. The last 1/4 of the audiobook was better, but honestly, if this hadn't been a novella, I doubt I'd have managed to get through it. I think a large part of my dislike of this was the reader, whose voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I hope the author goes back to writing about Celehar and his future adventures with Captain Olgarezh.
15. Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. 11 hours. Read by Vikas Adam and others. A mystery thriller with thoroughly unlikeable characters, many of whom sounded demented, and a story that was sometimes boring and sometimes unbelievable and occasionally interesting. I usually like Singh's books, so I kept going in case the next part got good, but I just never quite warmed to this one. Also, Vikas Adam read it like a slightly drugged psychotic unreliable narrator. That would have been okay if his voice hadn't been mostly monotone the whole way through. Might be better as a print book, but I don't care. I'm just glad it's over.
16. Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb. 4.5 stars. Audio. Damn, the Eve Dallas series never disappoints! Full review below at https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9133873
17. Fantasy in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. CDs. This came in from a hold I had at the brick-and-mortar library. These in Death books are not available to listen to digitally anymore, at least none of the books between like 4 and 50 (or thereabouts), so I decided to try and get the actual CDs, which is how I listened to them the first time, I guess. This came in just as I was finishing the latest, and I didn't want to leave that world yet so listened to it before getting back to the other books I'm listening to/reading. Anyway, it's a good one, though I have to say the writing has gotten even better as the series has progressed, and the characters better too. In this one, a tech gamer whiz has been beheaded in a locked room while testing a new game his company is developing, and Eve and her e-geek husband and friends must figure out how it was done. I love that Eve, the least tech savvy person in the books, except for maybe Bella (Mavis's baby), figures it out first.
18. Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire. 4 stars. In this novella, Nancy flees from the Halls of the Dead when the Hungry Dead begin devouring the living "statues," of which she is one. She recruits four students who were currently at the school to join her on a quest to help the Lord and Lady of the Dead to end the killing and restore order.
19. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. 4.5 stars. Thanks to Mark for the recommendation. Full review below at https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9133873
20. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. 4 stars. Audio (3 hours). Charming novella charmingly read by Genevieve Gaunt (who played Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), this is a portion of a journal kept by a young woman who has been very unfairly treated after the death of her parents when she was a child. Her father left her his fortune and his house, Lapis Lazuli House - a character itself - but gave one of her mother's horrible sisters guardianship over her and her financial estate in charge of an unscrupulous and thoroughly unpleasant man who married another maternal aunt and was soon left a widower. Very Jane Austen. I'll be continuing with the series.
21. Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars. CDs. Reread. This is book 4 in the Eve Dallas series which I read for the first time 30-some years ago. Not as well-written as the later books, this one has Eve, just returned from her honeymoon with Roarke, investigating the unexplained suicides of a number of people, including a U.S. Senator and the owner of a gossip rag. She and Roarke are also helping launch the stardom of Mavis, which lands them in the crosshairs of a particularly unsavory character. Worth rereading now to refresh my memory (I mean, I read this in around 1996, and only recently finished the latest book in the series, and have only the foggiest memory of the beginnings of the series), but probably won't read again. One thing, it shows how much Eve and Roarke have grown (30 years real time yet only about 4 years in the fictional world!).
22. Physics for Cats by Tom Gauld. 4.5 stars. eBook. Thanks to Shelley for recommending it! Full review below at https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9133873
13. Seeking the Dead by Kate Ellis. 4 stars ebook. There were times I wanted to slap the Chief DI, and the police seemed too inept at times, but I liked DI Joe Plantagenet and, all-in-all, I enjoyed this mystery thriller. I did figure out the killer at about the 3/4 mark, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment, and there was a twist that I hadn't seen coming, although I did wonder about that character at one point, thinking they seemed too good to be true. But, I will be continuing with the series and, in fact, have the second on my Kindle as I write, though I have a slew of other books to get through before I can read that one. Thanks to Judy (DeltaQueen) for turning me on to this series. Note that this is the first written book I've been able to finish in at least a year due to my vision issues.
14. The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison. 3 stars. Audio. Read by Zehra Jane Naqvi. Let me preface this by saying I LOVE The Goblin Emperor and The Cemeteries of Amalo, the spin-off series featuring Thara Celehar. The Tomb of Dragons was one of my top books from last year. I wanted to love this novella, but the first 3/4 was just boring. I never really got invested with the main character, and, frankly, found him a bit distasteful. The last 1/4 of the audiobook was better, but honestly, if this hadn't been a novella, I doubt I'd have managed to get through it. I think a large part of my dislike of this was the reader, whose voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I hope the author goes back to writing about Celehar and his future adventures with Captain Olgarezh.
15. Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. 11 hours. Read by Vikas Adam and others. A mystery thriller with thoroughly unlikeable characters, many of whom sounded demented, and a story that was sometimes boring and sometimes unbelievable and occasionally interesting. I usually like Singh's books, so I kept going in case the next part got good, but I just never quite warmed to this one. Also, Vikas Adam read it like a slightly drugged psychotic unreliable narrator. That would have been okay if his voice hadn't been mostly monotone the whole way through. Might be better as a print book, but I don't care. I'm just glad it's over.
16. Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb. 4.5 stars. Audio. Damn, the Eve Dallas series never disappoints! Full review below at https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9133873
17. Fantasy in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. CDs. This came in from a hold I had at the brick-and-mortar library. These in Death books are not available to listen to digitally anymore, at least none of the books between like 4 and 50 (or thereabouts), so I decided to try and get the actual CDs, which is how I listened to them the first time, I guess. This came in just as I was finishing the latest, and I didn't want to leave that world yet so listened to it before getting back to the other books I'm listening to/reading. Anyway, it's a good one, though I have to say the writing has gotten even better as the series has progressed, and the characters better too. In this one, a tech gamer whiz has been beheaded in a locked room while testing a new game his company is developing, and Eve and her e-geek husband and friends must figure out how it was done. I love that Eve, the least tech savvy person in the books, except for maybe Bella (Mavis's baby), figures it out first.
18. Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire. 4 stars. In this novella, Nancy flees from the Halls of the Dead when the Hungry Dead begin devouring the living "statues," of which she is one. She recruits four students who were currently at the school to join her on a quest to help the Lord and Lady of the Dead to end the killing and restore order.
19. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. 4.5 stars. Thanks to Mark for the recommendation. Full review below at https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9133873
20. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion. 4 stars. Audio (3 hours). Charming novella charmingly read by Genevieve Gaunt (who played Pansy Parkinson in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), this is a portion of a journal kept by a young woman who has been very unfairly treated after the death of her parents when she was a child. Her father left her his fortune and his house, Lapis Lazuli House - a character itself - but gave one of her mother's horrible sisters guardianship over her and her financial estate in charge of an unscrupulous and thoroughly unpleasant man who married another maternal aunt and was soon left a widower. Very Jane Austen. I'll be continuing with the series.
21. Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb. 3.5 stars. CDs. Reread. This is book 4 in the Eve Dallas series which I read for the first time 30-some years ago. Not as well-written as the later books, this one has Eve, just returned from her honeymoon with Roarke, investigating the unexplained suicides of a number of people, including a U.S. Senator and the owner of a gossip rag. She and Roarke are also helping launch the stardom of Mavis, which lands them in the crosshairs of a particularly unsavory character. Worth rereading now to refresh my memory (I mean, I read this in around 1996, and only recently finished the latest book in the series, and have only the foggiest memory of the beginnings of the series), but probably won't read again. One thing, it shows how much Eve and Roarke have grown (30 years real time yet only about 4 years in the fictional world!).
22. Physics for Cats by Tom Gauld. 4.5 stars. eBook. Thanks to Shelley for recommending it! Full review below at https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9133873
4Storeetllr
March*
23. Ceremony in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
24. Vengeance in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
25. Holiday in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
26. Conspiracy in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
27. Loyalty in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
28. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. 4 stars
29. A Day of Fire, a Novel of Pompeii by Kate Quinn et al. 4 stars
30. Grave Wrong by Kate Allenton. 3 stars.
31. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop. Reread.
32. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop. Reread.
33. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop. Reread.
34. After Dark by Jayne Castle. 3 stars. Reread.
35. Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher. 5 stars.
*I was messing around with the new Image feature, trying to get the image to land at the top of the post and not at the bottom, when I managed to lose the entire post. What you see above is my reconstruction of the books I read, not in order and not including any mini-reviews I wrote. I should never try to do anything online before my first cup of coffee. :(
23. Ceremony in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
24. Vengeance in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
25. Holiday in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
26. Conspiracy in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
27. Loyalty in Death by J. D. Robb. Reread.
28. Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson. 4 stars
29. A Day of Fire, a Novel of Pompeii by Kate Quinn et al. 4 stars
30. Grave Wrong by Kate Allenton. 3 stars.
31. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop. Reread.
32. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop. Reread.
33. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop. Reread.
34. After Dark by Jayne Castle. 3 stars. Reread.
35. Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher. 5 stars.
*I was messing around with the new Image feature, trying to get the image to land at the top of the post and not at the bottom, when I managed to lose the entire post. What you see above is my reconstruction of the books I read, not in order and not including any mini-reviews I wrote. I should never try to do anything online before my first cup of coffee. :(
5Storeetllr
April
36. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts. 3.5 stars. Finale to the Seven Brides trilogy. I admit I got a little bored with this one, it just seemed to go on and on, and the spark just wasn't there between the main character couples. There was also a bit more talk not show than I'm used to with Roberts' romances. I have tried a few of her fantasies, of which this is one, and I don't like them as much as I do her straight up romantic thrillers or her In Death series. Even so, it made for an easy 15 hours of listening.
37. A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. 4.5 stars. After a slow start, this short book (5 hours on audio) took off and, though I knew "what happened," I was almost breathless with tension as events unfolded. So much human error, much of it brought about by arrogance and male ego. Really good look at that night's tragedy and what unfolded in the following days.
38. Judgment in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. Reread. A cop lies dead, battered and broken, his badge beneath him in the pool of blood, 30 pieces of silver scattered around him. This is the book where Webster puts a move on Eve, who is getting ready to knock him out, and Roarke takes him on instead. Lot of marital strife in this one, to the point where Eve has to ask for advice from her BFFs.
39. Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. 5 stars. Reread. I needed this. It's been a rough couple of weeks. I love the characters and the way they blossom almost as much as the descriptions of the villa in Italy. Different narrator (Lucy Scott), whom I really liked, more than Nadia May who reads the more available audiobook.
40. Betrayal in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. Reread. A young maid working at Roarke's Palace Hotel is found beaten, raped, and strangled in one of the rooms. Eve quickly finds out the murderer's identity: a professional killer who's been wanted by the FBI and Interpol for decades. As she works to locate him, another victim is found: a man this time, and one who is also connected to Roarke.
41. Witness in Death by J. D. Robb. 4.5 stars. Reread. This one comes before Judgment in Death, but the library didn't have the audiobook. When I asked about it, though, the librarian said they'd buy it. So they did, and I was able to listen to it relatively soon after it's place in line, so it wasn't too disorienting. Anyway, in this one, Eve and Roarke are at the opening performance of a murder mystery play when the leading actress stabs the leading actor with what should have been a prop knife but wasn't. Lots of triggers for Eve in this one (CSA, incest, date rape), which brings on her PTSD, but this is the one where Trueheart shows he deserves to be on Eve's team and McNab learns from Roarke how to woo his woman.
42. Augustus by Adrian Goldsworthy. 4 stars. Reread. Not as interesting as I remember it being when I read it years ago, this was more an overview of Rome's turbulent late-Republic through the early Empire under Augustus than a deep dive into his life. I also thought it too easily excused some of his more egregious behavior. It was still good, if you like ancient Roman history and enjoy reading about parallels between that time and the current state of the world.
43. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 2 by Beth Brower. 4.5 stars. Having found Vol. 1 a bit lackluster, even a little annoying, I went into Vol. 2 somewhat reluctantly. What a relief to discover an exciting, fun, and interesting read as Emma rights some wrongs, gets into some shenanigans, and expands her acquaintances while helping her aunt snag a wealthy husband for her beautiful cousin Arabella.
44. Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant. 4.5 stars. This turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought it would be! It's a retelling of Pride and Prejudice and more or less faithful to Lizzie's storyline, though it gets a lot LOT darker and weirder and some beloved (and not so beloved) characters die, most in particularly gruesome ways (think Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), but it's really worth the ride. And there are draca! These are sort of like dragons but not quite. I listened to it, and the reader was really good, so I'm not sure how fun it would be in print, but, if you enjoyed P&P and like horror and fantasy, give it a spin.
45. The Edge of Space-time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Ph.D. 5 stars. Audio. I wish I could say I comprehended all the scientific concepts contained in the book, but the way the author - a theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist - explained them helped with more than a few that had previously been a complete mystery to me. I will still need to reread this a couple of times, and you may think that would be a burden, but no! Prescod-Weinstein's writing is a joy, even when the subject is quantum physics, including formulae. Even when the subject is slavery, colonialism, genocide, wealth inequity, war, unethical uses of science by greedy men, lack of diversity in the scientific community, global climate change, or the current U.S. regime and the terrible things it is perpetrating on the country and the world. This is a worthy follow-up to The Disordered Cosmos. Highly recommended.
36. The Seven Rings by Nora Roberts. 3.5 stars. Finale to the Seven Brides trilogy. I admit I got a little bored with this one, it just seemed to go on and on, and the spark just wasn't there between the main character couples. There was also a bit more talk not show than I'm used to with Roberts' romances. I have tried a few of her fantasies, of which this is one, and I don't like them as much as I do her straight up romantic thrillers or her In Death series. Even so, it made for an easy 15 hours of listening.
37. A Night to Remember by Walter Lord. 4.5 stars. After a slow start, this short book (5 hours on audio) took off and, though I knew "what happened," I was almost breathless with tension as events unfolded. So much human error, much of it brought about by arrogance and male ego. Really good look at that night's tragedy and what unfolded in the following days.
38. Judgment in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. Reread. A cop lies dead, battered and broken, his badge beneath him in the pool of blood, 30 pieces of silver scattered around him. This is the book where Webster puts a move on Eve, who is getting ready to knock him out, and Roarke takes him on instead. Lot of marital strife in this one, to the point where Eve has to ask for advice from her BFFs.
39. Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. 5 stars. Reread. I needed this. It's been a rough couple of weeks. I love the characters and the way they blossom almost as much as the descriptions of the villa in Italy. Different narrator (Lucy Scott), whom I really liked, more than Nadia May who reads the more available audiobook.
40. Betrayal in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. Reread. A young maid working at Roarke's Palace Hotel is found beaten, raped, and strangled in one of the rooms. Eve quickly finds out the murderer's identity: a professional killer who's been wanted by the FBI and Interpol for decades. As she works to locate him, another victim is found: a man this time, and one who is also connected to Roarke.
41. Witness in Death by J. D. Robb. 4.5 stars. Reread. This one comes before Judgment in Death, but the library didn't have the audiobook. When I asked about it, though, the librarian said they'd buy it. So they did, and I was able to listen to it relatively soon after it's place in line, so it wasn't too disorienting. Anyway, in this one, Eve and Roarke are at the opening performance of a murder mystery play when the leading actress stabs the leading actor with what should have been a prop knife but wasn't. Lots of triggers for Eve in this one (CSA, incest, date rape), which brings on her PTSD, but this is the one where Trueheart shows he deserves to be on Eve's team and McNab learns from Roarke how to woo his woman.
42. Augustus by Adrian Goldsworthy. 4 stars. Reread. Not as interesting as I remember it being when I read it years ago, this was more an overview of Rome's turbulent late-Republic through the early Empire under Augustus than a deep dive into his life. I also thought it too easily excused some of his more egregious behavior. It was still good, if you like ancient Roman history and enjoy reading about parallels between that time and the current state of the world.
43. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 2 by Beth Brower. 4.5 stars. Having found Vol. 1 a bit lackluster, even a little annoying, I went into Vol. 2 somewhat reluctantly. What a relief to discover an exciting, fun, and interesting read as Emma rights some wrongs, gets into some shenanigans, and expands her acquaintances while helping her aunt snag a wealthy husband for her beautiful cousin Arabella.
44. Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant. 4.5 stars. This turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought it would be! It's a retelling of Pride and Prejudice and more or less faithful to Lizzie's storyline, though it gets a lot LOT darker and weirder and some beloved (and not so beloved) characters die, most in particularly gruesome ways (think Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), but it's really worth the ride. And there are draca! These are sort of like dragons but not quite. I listened to it, and the reader was really good, so I'm not sure how fun it would be in print, but, if you enjoyed P&P and like horror and fantasy, give it a spin.
45. The Edge of Space-time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Ph.D. 5 stars. Audio. I wish I could say I comprehended all the scientific concepts contained in the book, but the way the author - a theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist - explained them helped with more than a few that had previously been a complete mystery to me. I will still need to reread this a couple of times, and you may think that would be a burden, but no! Prescod-Weinstein's writing is a joy, even when the subject is quantum physics, including formulae. Even when the subject is slavery, colonialism, genocide, wealth inequity, war, unethical uses of science by greedy men, lack of diversity in the scientific community, global climate change, or the current U.S. regime and the terrible things it is perpetrating on the country and the world. This is a worthy follow-up to The Disordered Cosmos. Highly recommended.
6Storeetllr
May
46. Interlude in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. Eve hates to travel off planet. Really hates it. Here we meet the security police chief of Olympic.
47. Seduction in Death by J. D. Robb. 3 stars. ABRIDGED. FFS. Honestly, why why why do library's offer abridged versions of audiobooks? Or at least why do they ONLY offer abridged versions? I have to say that skipping all the sex bits was fine with me, but they also skipped some relationship building between Eve and Roarke and Eve and her team. Even the narrator, Susan Ericson, sounded off. I mean, she made Peabody sound like Eve. It was offputting. Anyway, I wasn't going to listen to it, but it was the only choice in the entire library system, so I did it.
48. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 3 by Beth Brower. 4.5 stars. Highly enjoyable continuation of the journals of Emma Lion. For a young woman with dismal marriage prospects, she sure has a lot of eligible men hanging around her. Looking forward to Vol. 4.
49. When the Wolves are Silent by C. S. Harris. 4 stars. Latest St. Cyr mystery has young aristos being murdered in gruesome ways that mimic Druid sacrifices.
50. Platform Decay by Martha Wells. 5 stars. This may be one of my favorite Murderbot novellas. Mini-review below.
46. Interlude in Death by J. D. Robb. 4 stars. Eve hates to travel off planet. Really hates it. Here we meet the security police chief of Olympic.
47. Seduction in Death by J. D. Robb. 3 stars. ABRIDGED. FFS. Honestly, why why why do library's offer abridged versions of audiobooks? Or at least why do they ONLY offer abridged versions? I have to say that skipping all the sex bits was fine with me, but they also skipped some relationship building between Eve and Roarke and Eve and her team. Even the narrator, Susan Ericson, sounded off. I mean, she made Peabody sound like Eve. It was offputting. Anyway, I wasn't going to listen to it, but it was the only choice in the entire library system, so I did it.
48. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 3 by Beth Brower. 4.5 stars. Highly enjoyable continuation of the journals of Emma Lion. For a young woman with dismal marriage prospects, she sure has a lot of eligible men hanging around her. Looking forward to Vol. 4.
49. When the Wolves are Silent by C. S. Harris. 4 stars. Latest St. Cyr mystery has young aristos being murdered in gruesome ways that mimic Druid sacrifices.
50. Platform Decay by Martha Wells. 5 stars. This may be one of my favorite Murderbot novellas. Mini-review below.
7Storeetllr
Currently Reading
Archangels Eternity (the last Guild Hunter book
Next Up
Theo of Golden
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 4
On Deck
Reunion in Death
Purity in Death
On Hold
Your Behavior Will Be Monitored (Richard)
The Five (vancouverdeb)
Sixth Extinction (Weird-O Bill) (I couldn't finish it before it was due back, so it's back on hold at the library)
Bonds of Hercules
One of Us (Richard)
Bring the House Down by Runcie
Twelve Months
Battle Ground
He's to Die For (Richard?)
The Burial Tide
Red at the Bone
Wide Awake (Weird-O Bill)
The Murder at World's End (Deborah)
The Man Who Spoke Snakish (ebook; Richard) - My eyes are acting up/getting worse, and I just didn't have it in me to try and read it on the Kindle. It's back on hold, though, in case my vision improves.
Radiant Star by Leckie (LT) May 2026
Wishlist
Fury in Death (Sep 2026)
What Strange Paradise Judy
🎃The Exchange Judy
Lyrics 1961-2012 Judy
Locklands (Jim)
Wearing the Lion (Richard)
You Glow in the Dark (Mary Bell)
The Creation of Half Broken People (Mary Bell)
Medusa (Anne)
The Silence of Flesh (Richard)
The Golden Toad (Richard)
Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed (Meg - )
Solito (Meg)
The Book of Murder, A Prosecutor's Journey (Meg)
Bleeding Heart Square (Deborah)
Culpability (Mark)
Soft Burial (Richard?)
Invisible Rulers
How Democracies Die
Sunrise on the Reaping
How to Love Your Afro
🎄Wishin' and Hopin' (Shelly)
🎃The Devils
🎃A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
🎃 More from DocRocket: https://www.librarything.com/topic/378381#9122709
🎃And even more from the Doc: https://www.librarything.com/topic/378381#9142155
🎄A Yuletide Kiss
Archangels Eternity (the last Guild Hunter book
Next Up
Theo of Golden
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 4
On Deck
Reunion in Death
Purity in Death
On Hold
Your Behavior Will Be Monitored (Richard)
The Five (vancouverdeb)
Sixth Extinction (Weird-O Bill) (I couldn't finish it before it was due back, so it's back on hold at the library)
Bonds of Hercules
One of Us (Richard)
Bring the House Down by Runcie
Twelve Months
Battle Ground
He's to Die For (Richard?)
The Burial Tide
Red at the Bone
Wide Awake (Weird-O Bill)
The Murder at World's End (Deborah)
The Man Who Spoke Snakish (ebook; Richard) - My eyes are acting up/getting worse, and I just didn't have it in me to try and read it on the Kindle. It's back on hold, though, in case my vision improves.
Radiant Star by Leckie (LT) May 2026
Wishlist
Fury in Death (Sep 2026)
What Strange Paradise Judy
🎃The Exchange Judy
Lyrics 1961-2012 Judy
Locklands (Jim)
Wearing the Lion (Richard)
You Glow in the Dark (Mary Bell)
The Creation of Half Broken People (Mary Bell)
Medusa (Anne)
The Silence of Flesh (Richard)
The Golden Toad (Richard)
Lord Wraybourne's Betrothed (Meg - )
Solito (Meg)
The Book of Murder, A Prosecutor's Journey (Meg)
Bleeding Heart Square (Deborah)
Culpability (Mark)
Soft Burial (Richard?)
Invisible Rulers
How Democracies Die
Sunrise on the Reaping
How to Love Your Afro
🎄Wishin' and Hopin' (Shelly)
🎃The Devils
🎃A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand
🎃 More from DocRocket: https://www.librarything.com/topic/378381#9122709
🎃And even more from the Doc: https://www.librarything.com/topic/378381#9142155
🎄A Yuletide Kiss
8Storeetllr
DNFs
The Astral Library - got to 60% and just couldn't anymore.
The Harlow Hoyden (Richard (!)) - The narrator was unbearable.
The Lyrics, 1961-2012 by Bob Dylan - I read a few of the lyrics (my favorites), but the print was SO SMALL (I mean, smaller than the usual paperback) that it hurt my eyes to do more, and it's so annoying to have to use a magnifying glass to read a lot.
A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times by Grace Burrowes 4% (The reader makes the MC sound a bit annoying)
Dungeon Crawler Carl ebook (I want to read this, but I just can't. My vision is too wonky for me to concentrate. If it ever comes out as an audiobook, I'll snag it.)
Stop Pain ebook (Ditto)
Athena's Child by Hannah Lynn, read by Helen Keeley 17% (I'm a little bored by this one) (update: just didn't feel like picking it back up)
The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera 11% (I hope the MC stops acting like an idiot soon or I'm going to DNF this one) (yeah, not happening)
Rules for Visiting by Jessica Frances Kane 29% (I guess I just don't understand people who just drift through life without any strong feelings, like the MC) (just couldn't face picking it back up)
Looking at Love with Guy De Maupassant Read the first story, and it was fine. As for the second story, Don't like the reader; don't like the story. I read De Maupassant when I was young, and really don't feel like rereading him now, especially as an audiobook.
The Wayfinder (Mark) - I hated the reader so I returned the audiobook. I'm going to have to read it on the Kindle, if I can manage it.
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman Just couldn't get into it by 28%
Red at the Bone In a reading slump and just couldn't; back on hold
Wide Awake (Weird-O Bill) Ran out of time; back on hold
Dungeon Crawler Carl Large Print Paperback - I really enjoyed what I read, but the print was too small for me. I'm just not up for a long novel and doubt if I will ever be. I'll have to wait until this becomes available from the library on Kindle or audio.
Where the Axe Is Buried - Not for me; I'm resistant to getting back to it. 57%
Oberon's Bathtime Stories - Boring. 30%
A Carnival of Losses - recommended by Mark - Just can't read text long enough at a time to get anything out of reading a book unless I am deeply invested in it
All the Colors of the Dark - That was the longest 11 hours (out of 15) of my life. It just kept going on and on, often making no sense without rewinding to relisten to the passage again, trying to puzzle out "why?" without being able to find a good reason even within the world of the book, and just seemed to be trying too hard to be a high literary work. Plus, I thought Patch was an idiot. So...at 77% of the book read, I am DNFing it.
The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz - Just didn't care for the characters or the story enough to continue. Got to about 28%.
Bunny by Mona Awad - Just too YA and precious. 5%
The Silent Companion by Laura Purcell - Didn't hook me. 5%
A Yuletide Kiss - Not in the mood for romance. Also, it's a Christmas book, and Christmas is over.
The Astral Library - got to 60% and just couldn't anymore.
The Harlow Hoyden (Richard (!)) - The narrator was unbearable.
The Lyrics, 1961-2012 by Bob Dylan - I read a few of the lyrics (my favorites), but the print was SO SMALL (I mean, smaller than the usual paperback) that it hurt my eyes to do more, and it's so annoying to have to use a magnifying glass to read a lot.
A Gentleman Fallen on Hard Times by Grace Burrowes 4% (The reader makes the MC sound a bit annoying)
Dungeon Crawler Carl ebook (I want to read this, but I just can't. My vision is too wonky for me to concentrate. If it ever comes out as an audiobook, I'll snag it.)
Stop Pain ebook (Ditto)
Athena's Child by Hannah Lynn, read by Helen Keeley 17% (I'm a little bored by this one) (update: just didn't feel like picking it back up)
The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera 11% (I hope the MC stops acting like an idiot soon or I'm going to DNF this one) (yeah, not happening)
Rules for Visiting by Jessica Frances Kane 29% (I guess I just don't understand people who just drift through life without any strong feelings, like the MC) (just couldn't face picking it back up)
Looking at Love with Guy De Maupassant Read the first story, and it was fine. As for the second story, Don't like the reader; don't like the story. I read De Maupassant when I was young, and really don't feel like rereading him now, especially as an audiobook.
The Wayfinder (Mark) - I hated the reader so I returned the audiobook. I'm going to have to read it on the Kindle, if I can manage it.
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman Just couldn't get into it by 28%
Red at the Bone In a reading slump and just couldn't; back on hold
Wide Awake (Weird-O Bill) Ran out of time; back on hold
Dungeon Crawler Carl Large Print Paperback - I really enjoyed what I read, but the print was too small for me. I'm just not up for a long novel and doubt if I will ever be. I'll have to wait until this becomes available from the library on Kindle or audio.
Where the Axe Is Buried - Not for me; I'm resistant to getting back to it. 57%
Oberon's Bathtime Stories - Boring. 30%
A Carnival of Losses - recommended by Mark - Just can't read text long enough at a time to get anything out of reading a book unless I am deeply invested in it
All the Colors of the Dark - That was the longest 11 hours (out of 15) of my life. It just kept going on and on, often making no sense without rewinding to relisten to the passage again, trying to puzzle out "why?" without being able to find a good reason even within the world of the book, and just seemed to be trying too hard to be a high literary work. Plus, I thought Patch was an idiot. So...at 77% of the book read, I am DNFing it.
The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz - Just didn't care for the characters or the story enough to continue. Got to about 28%.
Bunny by Mona Awad - Just too YA and precious. 5%
The Silent Companion by Laura Purcell - Didn't hook me. 5%
A Yuletide Kiss - Not in the mood for romance. Also, it's a Christmas book, and Christmas is over.
9Storeetllr
My Favorite Reads of 2025
A Reader's Dozen*
Fiction
Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison. 5 stars. I loved this story so much, it took a week for me to find something else to read after I finished. Thara Celehar, the Witness for the Dead in Amalo, is thrust into more adventures. I was especially thrilled that Maia aka The Goblin Emperor appears in the story too! (A year into his reign, he’s doing a smashing job as emperor.) I know this is supposed to be the last Celehar book, but I fervently hope there’s at least one more. This one feels unfinished somehow, plus I don't want the story to end.
The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley. 5 stars. This was such a great read, though some of the subjects were distressing at best and horrifying at worst. I adored the main character, whose name means “light,” and who was both sensitive and brutal at the same time. He reminded me of Murderbot, because both were shaped by the cruel worlds in which they were “raised,” both were filled with (mostly) unearned guilt, and both have such big emotions they sometimes have to stare at a wall to deal with them. The ancient world was so well written, I felt sometimes like I was there. I think this is going to be a frequent reread for me.
All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay. 5 stars. Audio. I've been impressed by all of Kay's books I've read over the years, and I have to say his writing has only gotten even more impressive. This is another alternate history with a touch of fantasy, a powerful story set in a world based on medieval Europe, this time focusing on the fallout from the Fall of Sarantium to the Asherites (think Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire). The characters, world building, and story sucked me in so hard I skipped meals and stayed up much too late so I could read "just one more page" (or, tbh, "just five more minutes"). At one point, I needed a handful of tissues to mop up my tears, though most of the book was, at most, merely poignant. I seldom find myself so immersed in a book as with this one. So good!
The Wedding People by Alison Espach. 4.5 stars. Audio. Phoebe has hit rock bottom. Her husband has left her for her best friend after she miscarried and their fertility doctor told them not to try again, she has major writers’ block, and her job as an untenured professor is going nowhere. Deciding to end it all on a high note, she checks into a posh hotel only to discover she is inadvertently crashing a week-long destination wedding party. The whole thing is not my usual fare, but I loved it all the same. The characters were all variously goofy, bitchy, whiny, funny, obnoxious, sweet, lost, and basically stressed out, yet so relatable. Thanks, Anne (AMQS) for the reccie.
Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs. 4.5 stars. This one was such fun, as well as emotionally satisfying, and even a little touching. I mean, I didn't actually cry, but at one point I felt the tears well up. Anyway, as fans of Mercy Thompson know, Asil aka The Moor, is a very old, very tired, and very grumpy werewolf. He is not quite as old as Bran, but he's feeling the years more than the Marrok, and he is afraid he's getting close to turning savage and needing to be put down. To try and get him out of his funk, someone (or a group of someones) in his pack (presumably) decide to gift him for Christmas with five "dates," made through a series of dating services, which he must successfully go on (successful means he can't kill anyone and no one (including Asil) can run off into the night screaming). He doesn't want to, but he sees he must do this for the good of the pack as well as for himself. There is a betting pool, and big bets riding on it. And he doesn't want to hurt the feelings of any of those "dates" by standing them up. So he grumpily complies. Each "date" gets progressively more complex and dire. The book is a series of short stories/short novellas skillfully strung together, and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan or who just wants a little lighthearted murder and mayhem with a touch of romance to brighten their Christmas holidays.
Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop. 4.5 stars. An almost 5-star read, and what a great way to end off the reading year (though I may have one more book in me, who knows?). This is the first in what I hope is a new series from the author of the Others and Black Jewels series. Well-written, with a cast of characters--including human, finned, antlered, furred, feathered--and *other*--all of whom I want to get to know better, set in a strange and wonderful world where I wish I lived. Some might dismiss it as "just fantasy," but with the way things are going in real life, I think I can be excused for wanting a spent time in a world where "words have power" and "intentions matter," where karma is instant and often terminal, and where a bargain is a bargain and must never be broken. I can't wait to go back there whenever the second in what I hope is a series comes out.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. 5 stars. Audio, narrated by Will Patton. Reread, sort of. This is a new audio production; I sampled the old audio and hated the narrator. Will Patten, otoh, does an excellent job! I don't usually include rereads in my lists of bests, but I read this as a hardcover back in the '80s, so it's almost a "first" read as I didn't remember a lot about it. I did remember loving it and wondering why I had never read any Westerns before and wondering how they could be even half as good. I didn't remember that it was quite so violent, or that there were so many deathsof important characters whom I really loved . Anyway, it has aged really well! Listening to it brought it vividly to life, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi. 4 stars. Ebook. Yes, it is a ridiculous concept, but I enjoyed it for the way it’s done (love his style) and the sheer fun factor, plus his portrayals of corrupt (and less than intelligent) politicians and whacked billionaires and how the astronauts and scientists of the space program deal with them. It’s sort of a pastiche of SeveneveS, the film Independence Day, and just a smidge of The Last Policeman with a dollop of cheese. So, serious issues in a cheese soufflé story. The ending was just a little bit of a let down, but not enough to ruin the experience for me. All in all, just what I needed to perk me up a bit and give me a few—well, more than a few, really—laughs.
How to Read a Book by Minica Wood. 4.5 stars. This is a story about redemption and love and found families and African Grey parrots, and I cried through the parts with the parrots because I miss Nickel so much. It’s really well written, with great character development and descriptions of life in a women’s prison, of books and reading and how stories connect us, but especially of the way African Greys behave. I probably won’t reread this, but only because reading about the Greys was too emotional for me.
Nonfiction
Why We Read by Shannon Reed. 5 stars. This may be my favorite nf book about reading I’ve read so far. That may be in part because it discusses books I’ve read and enjoyed in the past, or because her ideas about the joys of reading mirror my own, but it’s more likely because it is informative and amusing and opens the mind to many new ideas about why and how we read. My gratitude to Deborah for turning me on to this lovely read.
Replaceable You by Mary Roach. 4.5 stars. Audio. Partly hilarious, partly gruesome - you know, the usual Mary Roach. I learned a lot about the quest through the centuries to find replacements for failing or missing body parts: noses, teeth, skin, organs, et al. It was especially exciting to read about the research into creating human eggs (and sperm) in a lab from a person’s own cells, since just today I read an article announcing that they have done it! Also, having had a hip replacement (and a knee replacement, but that surgery wasn’t mentioned in the book), I was particularly interested in the chapter on hip replacements. I just hope I have forgotten what I read about what takes place when it’s time to replace the other hip. Her epilogue, where she touches on the Drumpf regime’s cuts to NIH grant money, discusses how that will adversely impact vital research. All in all, another (mostly) fun and informative book by Mary Roach. (1/2 star taken off for the narration, which was done by the author, whose voice was sometimes jarring.)
Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green. 4.5 stars. Audio. Both fascinating and horrifying, Green moves from the history of tuberculosis to the crisis in present day Sierra Leone to his own issues and back again, introducing people who have or had tuberculosis, who have worked/are working to eradicate it, and who have cared for and are caring for patients, both past and present. I really liked how he presents the history of the disease and examines, through a sociological lens, how the disease still persists today, despite there being a cure, and the ways it affects those who have it, as well as their families, friends, and societies. I also like the way he shares his own mental health issues. No wonder the kids love his stuff! This is one of those books everyone needs to read. Thanks to Joanne for the recommendation.
Wordslut by Amanda Montell. 5 stars. Audio. I loved this book and wonder why I hadn't known about it sooner. Being a potty mouth myself, I identified hard with the chapter on swearing and loved her liberal use of expletives throughout the book, and I loved the part about gendered languages since I've taken Latin, French, and Italian, and am now learning (or trying to learn) Spanish, all of which use gendered words, and I knew that much of our language was shaped by the patriarchy but - and this is important - I had no fucking idea of the depth and breadth of that shaping and how it impacts society. Besides being a lot of fun, this is such an important book (but really so much fun) that I'm going to buy a paper copy so I can *gasp* mark it up and study it. It's that important.
What the Dead Know by Barbara Butcher. 4.5 stars. Audio. Imagine being a death investigator with the surname of Butcher. Imagine being the first woman to hold that position with the NYC Chief Medical Examiner's office. What a story she has to tell, and she tells it well, if a bit more matter-of-fact than I think I could have managed. At first, I was a little put off by her in-depth memoir of her own struggles with addiction and suicidal thoughts, but it all fit in as she chronicled her job, investigating how people died - whether by murder, accident, or suicide - and how addiction often played a part. It was all very interesting, but toward the end, when she talked about 9/11, it got really emotional. Well, I got emotional, having that horrible day and its aftermath brought vividly back to me. If you're squeamish, you might want to think twice, but it's less horrifying than honest about the sometimes gruesomeness of death, and I recommend reading it anyway because it is very good and very insightful. (1/2 star taken off because it was read by the author and so was a bit uneven. The text version may work better.)
*I’ve decided that, if a dozen is 12, and a baker’s dozen is 13, a reader’s dozen is 14 books. It could be stretched to 15 in a pinch, but for 2025, it’s 14.
A Reader's Dozen*
Fiction
Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison. 5 stars. I loved this story so much, it took a week for me to find something else to read after I finished. Thara Celehar, the Witness for the Dead in Amalo, is thrust into more adventures. I was especially thrilled that Maia aka The Goblin Emperor appears in the story too! (A year into his reign, he’s doing a smashing job as emperor.) I know this is supposed to be the last Celehar book, but I fervently hope there’s at least one more. This one feels unfinished somehow, plus I don't want the story to end.
The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley. 5 stars. This was such a great read, though some of the subjects were distressing at best and horrifying at worst. I adored the main character, whose name means “light,” and who was both sensitive and brutal at the same time. He reminded me of Murderbot, because both were shaped by the cruel worlds in which they were “raised,” both were filled with (mostly) unearned guilt, and both have such big emotions they sometimes have to stare at a wall to deal with them. The ancient world was so well written, I felt sometimes like I was there. I think this is going to be a frequent reread for me.
All the Seas of the World by Guy Gavriel Kay. 5 stars. Audio. I've been impressed by all of Kay's books I've read over the years, and I have to say his writing has only gotten even more impressive. This is another alternate history with a touch of fantasy, a powerful story set in a world based on medieval Europe, this time focusing on the fallout from the Fall of Sarantium to the Asherites (think Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire). The characters, world building, and story sucked me in so hard I skipped meals and stayed up much too late so I could read "just one more page" (or, tbh, "just five more minutes"). At one point, I needed a handful of tissues to mop up my tears, though most of the book was, at most, merely poignant. I seldom find myself so immersed in a book as with this one. So good!
The Wedding People by Alison Espach. 4.5 stars. Audio. Phoebe has hit rock bottom. Her husband has left her for her best friend after she miscarried and their fertility doctor told them not to try again, she has major writers’ block, and her job as an untenured professor is going nowhere. Deciding to end it all on a high note, she checks into a posh hotel only to discover she is inadvertently crashing a week-long destination wedding party. The whole thing is not my usual fare, but I loved it all the same. The characters were all variously goofy, bitchy, whiny, funny, obnoxious, sweet, lost, and basically stressed out, yet so relatable. Thanks, Anne (AMQS) for the reccie.
Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs. 4.5 stars. This one was such fun, as well as emotionally satisfying, and even a little touching. I mean, I didn't actually cry, but at one point I felt the tears well up. Anyway, as fans of Mercy Thompson know, Asil aka The Moor, is a very old, very tired, and very grumpy werewolf. He is not quite as old as Bran, but he's feeling the years more than the Marrok, and he is afraid he's getting close to turning savage and needing to be put down. To try and get him out of his funk, someone (or a group of someones) in his pack (presumably) decide to gift him for Christmas with five "dates," made through a series of dating services, which he must successfully go on (successful means he can't kill anyone and no one (including Asil) can run off into the night screaming). He doesn't want to, but he sees he must do this for the good of the pack as well as for himself. There is a betting pool, and big bets riding on it. And he doesn't want to hurt the feelings of any of those "dates" by standing them up. So he grumpily complies. Each "date" gets progressively more complex and dire. The book is a series of short stories/short novellas skillfully strung together, and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan or who just wants a little lighthearted murder and mayhem with a touch of romance to brighten their Christmas holidays.
Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop. 4.5 stars. An almost 5-star read, and what a great way to end off the reading year (though I may have one more book in me, who knows?). This is the first in what I hope is a new series from the author of the Others and Black Jewels series. Well-written, with a cast of characters--including human, finned, antlered, furred, feathered--and *other*--all of whom I want to get to know better, set in a strange and wonderful world where I wish I lived. Some might dismiss it as "just fantasy," but with the way things are going in real life, I think I can be excused for wanting a spent time in a world where "words have power" and "intentions matter," where karma is instant and often terminal, and where a bargain is a bargain and must never be broken. I can't wait to go back there whenever the second in what I hope is a series comes out.
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry. 5 stars. Audio, narrated by Will Patton. Reread, sort of. This is a new audio production; I sampled the old audio and hated the narrator. Will Patten, otoh, does an excellent job! I don't usually include rereads in my lists of bests, but I read this as a hardcover back in the '80s, so it's almost a "first" read as I didn't remember a lot about it. I did remember loving it and wondering why I had never read any Westerns before and wondering how they could be even half as good. I didn't remember that it was quite so violent, or that there were so many deaths
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi. 4 stars. Ebook. Yes, it is a ridiculous concept, but I enjoyed it for the way it’s done (love his style) and the sheer fun factor, plus his portrayals of corrupt (and less than intelligent) politicians and whacked billionaires and how the astronauts and scientists of the space program deal with them. It’s sort of a pastiche of SeveneveS, the film Independence Day, and just a smidge of The Last Policeman with a dollop of cheese. So, serious issues in a cheese soufflé story. The ending was just a little bit of a let down, but not enough to ruin the experience for me. All in all, just what I needed to perk me up a bit and give me a few—well, more than a few, really—laughs.
How to Read a Book by Minica Wood. 4.5 stars. This is a story about redemption and love and found families and African Grey parrots, and I cried through the parts with the parrots because I miss Nickel so much. It’s really well written, with great character development and descriptions of life in a women’s prison, of books and reading and how stories connect us, but especially of the way African Greys behave. I probably won’t reread this, but only because reading about the Greys was too emotional for me.
Nonfiction
Why We Read by Shannon Reed. 5 stars. This may be my favorite nf book about reading I’ve read so far. That may be in part because it discusses books I’ve read and enjoyed in the past, or because her ideas about the joys of reading mirror my own, but it’s more likely because it is informative and amusing and opens the mind to many new ideas about why and how we read. My gratitude to Deborah for turning me on to this lovely read.
Replaceable You by Mary Roach. 4.5 stars. Audio. Partly hilarious, partly gruesome - you know, the usual Mary Roach. I learned a lot about the quest through the centuries to find replacements for failing or missing body parts: noses, teeth, skin, organs, et al. It was especially exciting to read about the research into creating human eggs (and sperm) in a lab from a person’s own cells, since just today I read an article announcing that they have done it! Also, having had a hip replacement (and a knee replacement, but that surgery wasn’t mentioned in the book), I was particularly interested in the chapter on hip replacements. I just hope I have forgotten what I read about what takes place when it’s time to replace the other hip. Her epilogue, where she touches on the Drumpf regime’s cuts to NIH grant money, discusses how that will adversely impact vital research. All in all, another (mostly) fun and informative book by Mary Roach. (1/2 star taken off for the narration, which was done by the author, whose voice was sometimes jarring.)
Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green. 4.5 stars. Audio. Both fascinating and horrifying, Green moves from the history of tuberculosis to the crisis in present day Sierra Leone to his own issues and back again, introducing people who have or had tuberculosis, who have worked/are working to eradicate it, and who have cared for and are caring for patients, both past and present. I really liked how he presents the history of the disease and examines, through a sociological lens, how the disease still persists today, despite there being a cure, and the ways it affects those who have it, as well as their families, friends, and societies. I also like the way he shares his own mental health issues. No wonder the kids love his stuff! This is one of those books everyone needs to read. Thanks to Joanne for the recommendation.
Wordslut by Amanda Montell. 5 stars. Audio. I loved this book and wonder why I hadn't known about it sooner. Being a potty mouth myself, I identified hard with the chapter on swearing and loved her liberal use of expletives throughout the book, and I loved the part about gendered languages since I've taken Latin, French, and Italian, and am now learning (or trying to learn) Spanish, all of which use gendered words, and I knew that much of our language was shaped by the patriarchy but - and this is important - I had no fucking idea of the depth and breadth of that shaping and how it impacts society. Besides being a lot of fun, this is such an important book (but really so much fun) that I'm going to buy a paper copy so I can *gasp* mark it up and study it. It's that important.
What the Dead Know by Barbara Butcher. 4.5 stars. Audio. Imagine being a death investigator with the surname of Butcher. Imagine being the first woman to hold that position with the NYC Chief Medical Examiner's office. What a story she has to tell, and she tells it well, if a bit more matter-of-fact than I think I could have managed. At first, I was a little put off by her in-depth memoir of her own struggles with addiction and suicidal thoughts, but it all fit in as she chronicled her job, investigating how people died - whether by murder, accident, or suicide - and how addiction often played a part. It was all very interesting, but toward the end, when she talked about 9/11, it got really emotional. Well, I got emotional, having that horrible day and its aftermath brought vividly back to me. If you're squeamish, you might want to think twice, but it's less horrifying than honest about the sometimes gruesomeness of death, and I recommend reading it anyway because it is very good and very insightful. (1/2 star taken off because it was read by the author and so was a bit uneven. The text version may work better.)
*I’ve decided that, if a dozen is 12, and a baker’s dozen is 13, a reader’s dozen is 14 books. It could be stretched to 15 in a pinch, but for 2025, it’s 14.
10Storeetllr
Welcome to my happy place!
11richardderus
I hope 9 was enough cuz here I squat...happy 2026ing!
12PaulCranswick
New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.
Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026, Mary
13Storeetllr
>11 richardderus: Hahaha, Richard, you make me laugh. Thank you! Yes, 9 is quite enough! Looking forward to 2026ing with you!
>12 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! I wish I could say I'm looking forward to keeping up with you this year too, but the way your threads move, I'm afraid that's a wish that is doomed to failure. Even so, I will try!
>12 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! I wish I could say I'm looking forward to keeping up with you this year too, but the way your threads move, I'm afraid that's a wish that is doomed to failure. Even so, I will try!
14msf59
Happy New Year, Mary. Welcome back and Happy Reading! I love the new calendar up there. My shipment got lost in the mail so they are sending out another batch. First time we had any issues.
18Storeetllr
>14 msf59: Thanks! Happy New Year to you too, Mark! Too bad about the lost calendars. Glad you're getting a replacement shipment. I love having my calendar up all year and remembering what the kids were like the prior year.
>15 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. Glad to be back. And thank you for setting up the group and for all you do all year long!
>16 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Yes, 2025 was a good reading year for me. Here's hoping '26 is too. At least it's started out with a good one: I'm halfway into Written on the Dark and loving it!
>17 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! I'll be making the rounds of new threads soon. Can't wait to see what you're up to!
>15 drneutron: Thanks, Jim. Glad to be back. And thank you for setting up the group and for all you do all year long!
>16 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. Yes, 2025 was a good reading year for me. Here's hoping '26 is too. At least it's started out with a good one: I'm halfway into Written on the Dark and loving it!
>17 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! I'll be making the rounds of new threads soon. Can't wait to see what you're up to!
19witchyrichy
Happy new year! Happy new thread!
I just ordered Wordslut. Thanks for the recommendation.
I also loved Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out. I listened to it and the narrator did an excellent job. I can picture where I was walking while I listened!
I just ordered Wordslut. Thanks for the recommendation.
I also loved Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out. I listened to it and the narrator did an excellent job. I can picture where I was walking while I listened!
20Copperskye
Found you! Happy 2026!
I loved reading about your 2025 favorites. I’m waiting for my library to get the new Roach in. I pulled Lonesome Dove off the shelf a couple months ago to give it a reread but haven’t gotten to it yet. I’m going to check out the ebook from the library to alternate kindle and book. I don’t want to hurt myself, it’s quite a brick! But so good.
I loved reading about your 2025 favorites. I’m waiting for my library to get the new Roach in. I pulled Lonesome Dove off the shelf a couple months ago to give it a reread but haven’t gotten to it yet. I’m going to check out the ebook from the library to alternate kindle and book. I don’t want to hurt myself, it’s quite a brick! But so good.
21katiekrug
Hi Mary and Happy New Year!
I appreciated your comments on The Wedding People, as that looks to be the February choice for one of my book clubs.
I appreciated your comments on The Wedding People, as that looks to be the February choice for one of my book clubs.
22figsfromthistle
Have you starred. Looking forward to keeping up with you this year.
23Storeetllr
First book of the new year!
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay. 5 stars. Audiobook, read by Simon Vance. Another really well-done alternate-historical fantasy set in the city of Orane in a country very much like medieval France, a few decades before the fall of Sarantium. Cheeky tavern poet Thierry Villar, purveyor of scurrilous verses, is caught in a dangerous web of political intrigue when he is taken by the provost of Orane as he is on his way to commit a burglury and drafted to discover who killed the mad king's brother. As usual with Kay's novels, I loved the characters and was quickly caught up in their adventures, caught up too in the richly detailed world. A really great first read of 2026!
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay. 5 stars. Audiobook, read by Simon Vance. Another really well-done alternate-historical fantasy set in the city of Orane in a country very much like medieval France, a few decades before the fall of Sarantium. Cheeky tavern poet Thierry Villar, purveyor of scurrilous verses, is caught in a dangerous web of political intrigue when he is taken by the provost of Orane as he is on his way to commit a burglury and drafted to discover who killed the mad king's brother. As usual with Kay's novels, I loved the characters and was quickly caught up in their adventures, caught up too in the richly detailed world. A really great first read of 2026!
24Storeetllr
>19 witchyrichy: Thanks, Karen! I'm so happy you will be reading Wordslut! Can't wait to hear what you think of it. I love it when I remember what I was doing when I read a particularly good book!
>20 Copperskye: Yay! Happy 2026 to you too. I think we had a few of the same favorites last year. If you can't handle the brick of a tome, I can highly recommend the audio of Lonesome Dove read by Will Patton.
>21 katiekrug: Katie! Thanks! So good to see you here! I think you'll enjoy The Wedding People. I hope you do anyway and look forward to your thoughts on it.
>22 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! May 2026 be a great reading year for both of us!
>20 Copperskye: Yay! Happy 2026 to you too. I think we had a few of the same favorites last year. If you can't handle the brick of a tome, I can highly recommend the audio of Lonesome Dove read by Will Patton.
>21 katiekrug: Katie! Thanks! So good to see you here! I think you'll enjoy The Wedding People. I hope you do anyway and look forward to your thoughts on it.
>22 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! May 2026 be a great reading year for both of us!
25AMQS
Happy New Year, Mary! I'm so glad you enjoyed The Wedding People so much! I thought it was really well done.
26vancouverdeb
Happy New Year, Mary . I'm finding it interesting to see what your favorite reads were last year.
27Familyhistorian
All the best for 2026, Mary. I found a few of my intended future reads among you best of which makes me more eager to get to them. Also, I think I might have found where I got those BBs.
28richardderus
>23 Storeetllr: I've always enjoyed GGK's stories in the Sarantine fantasyverse.
29Storeetllr
>25 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! Hope 2026 is good to you!
I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Wedding People, because my usual fare these days is more fantasy oriented, but it was so well done! The characters sucked me right in.
I was surprised how much I enjoyed The Wedding People, because my usual fare these days is more fantasy oriented, but it was so well done! The characters sucked me right in.
30Storeetllr
>26 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah! I hope you see a few you might like to try.
31Storeetllr
>27 Familyhistorian: Oh, yay! I hope you enjoy them when you get to them. I'll be watching for your reviews.
32Storeetllr
>28 richardderus: Kay has only gotten better with the years.
33richardderus
>32 Storeetllr: It's really unnerving that he's 75...not so many more to go.
34DeltaQueen50
Hi Mary, I've come to wish you a healthy, peaceful and happy New Year's. You are right we are going to need strength, resolve, and hope to get through the next three years.
35vancouverdeb
I did read How To Read A Book and Everything Tuberculosis last year, Mary and enjoyed both very much.
36Storeetllr
>34 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! I looked for your thread in this year's Category Challenge group but couldn't find it. Can you give me the link please? (They need a Threadbook over there! :)
>35 vancouverdeb: I may have gotten one of those recommendations from you, Deborah. How to Read a Book isn't my usual fare. (I know I got the tip for Everything Is Tuberculosis from Joanne.)
>35 vancouverdeb: I may have gotten one of those recommendations from you, Deborah. How to Read a Book isn't my usual fare. (I know I got the tip for Everything Is Tuberculosis from Joanne.)
37DeltaQueen50
>36 Storeetllr: Glad to oblige, Mary. I can be found at: https://www.librarything.com/topic/375466#
38Storeetllr
>37 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! I'll be by later today. Right now, I've got to get myself in gear to go grocery shopping so I can get back in time to watch my grandson this afternoon and before the next snow/rain/sleet. Have I mentioned how little I like winter?
39Copperskye
>38 Storeetllr: I was thinking I need to go out today before our weather turns on Thursday. It’s been in the 60s most of the winter so we’re a little spoiled. Have a good day, Mary!
40Storeetllr
>39 Copperskye: In the 60s. In Denver. That is just crazy! I admit, I'm a little envious. It's been in the 20s and 30s here, usually only getting up into the low 40s on days when we get a sleety rain rather than snow.
I have to go out today to the doctor and then later this afternoon to pick up my granddaughter from the school bus stop down the street. That is quite enough outsideness for me!
I have to go out today to the doctor and then later this afternoon to pick up my granddaughter from the school bus stop down the street. That is quite enough outsideness for me!
41Storeetllr
2. I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney. 5 stars. I think I have Mark to thank for this emotional rollercoaster. Not my usual fare, but it hooked me pretty much from the start. I don't think I would have liked to live with the main character in whose voice - sometimes self-deprecating and mocking, other times self-pitying, occasionally painfully honest - we are told the story, but reading it was great. At various times, I laughed hard. At other times, I was reaching for the tissue box to wipe away tears. It was that kind of book. Not perfect, but perfect for me at this time. I mean, when you're speeding toward the end of your life like you're on the bullet train, what can be better than reading about an out-of-work obituary writer, a 22-year old in a 45-year old's body, in the midst of an of an existential midlife crisis, whose main form of entertainment is going to funerals of people he doesn't know? Anyway, the musings on mortality and the meaning of life hit home, and the characters were all memorable, especially and wheelchair-bound Tim and the boy Leo, and I'm glad I got to know them.
42katiekrug
>41 Storeetllr: - I also loved that one, Mary. Glad it was a winner for you!
43weird_O
I like the sound of I See You've Called in Dead. It's already on my WANT! list, the shooter i.d'ed as Ellen (EBT1002).
44witchyrichy
>38 Storeetllr: I was quite happy that my husband did not want to move back to his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania with its ridiculous annual snowfall and hearty souls who don't cancel anything. We get an inch or so and everything shuts down for a day or two. It has already happened once and I could live with one more before I'll be ready for spring.
>23 Storeetllr: Added to the sooner rather than later TBR as I want to branch out from my usual fare.
>23 Storeetllr: Added to the sooner rather than later TBR as I want to branch out from my usual fare.
45AMQS
Our Denver area weather has indeed been unseasonably warm, but today it is snowing. I don't know that we're supposed to get much, but everyone I know has this sense of unease about what will happen if we don't get more water soon. We've had strong winds, too, with red flag warnings about fire danger. While I certainly don't like driving in the snow, I do wish for the "normal" four seasons we used to have.
>41 Storeetllr: This looks terrific, and I'm pleased to see so many hearty recommendations!
>41 Storeetllr: This looks terrific, and I'm pleased to see so many hearty recommendations!
46Storeetllr
>42 katiekrug: It was, Katie, surprisingly so as I'm more into fantasy these days to get away at least in my mind from the horrorshow in which we're living.
47Storeetllr
>43 weird_O: Well, Ellen was right! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Bill.
48Storeetllr
>44 witchyrichy: Heh, I totally get that, Karen. I was just thinking the other day that, when I lived in SoCal, a 50-degree day meant my woolen swing coat, a scarf, a hat, and gloves. Maybe boots. Honestly, i was so spoiled. Now I'm running around doing errands in my fleece-lined hoodie in 30-degree weather. Hating every minute, mind, but still.
If you haven't read Kay yet, you're in for a treat. This one wasn't one of my favorites (that honor goes to The Lions of al-Rassan, although Tigana is a close second), but it was a good'un! And shorter than most, so it may be an good place to start.
If you haven't read Kay yet, you're in for a treat. This one wasn't one of my favorites (that honor goes to The Lions of al-Rassan, although Tigana is a close second), but it was a good'un! And shorter than most, so it may be an good place to start.
49Storeetllr
>45 AMQS: Oh, yes, that's one of the big dangers of climate change. Warm dry weather might be nice for doing outside things, but then you have to worry about wildfires. I hope you get more snow and rain soon! (And I say that in all sincerity, thought I personally am more like a cat and don't like cold and wet.)
I look forward to your thoughts on I See You Called in Dead when you get around to it.
I look forward to your thoughts on I See You Called in Dead when you get around to it.
50Familyhistorian
Nice to see that I See You Called in Dead worked for you, Mary. It was not what I expected but memorable none the less.
51vancouverdeb
A five star read so early in the year, Mary. I'm glad you enjoyed I See You Called in Dead. I read it last year, but I think I only gave it 3.5 stars.
52Storeetllr
>50 Familyhistorian: It was a pleasant surprise, Meg. I wasn't sure what to expect tbh. Horror? :)
>51 vancouverdeb: Two five-star reads, Deborah! As for I See You Called in Dead, it came at the right time for me, I guess, and suited my mood. It might not have worked so well another time, though I thought it was very well written. (I've always been a moody reader. Sometimes I dnf a book that I later pick up again and love. The Eyre Affair was one such; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was another. I started both at least three times before finally reading and loving them.)
>51 vancouverdeb: Two five-star reads, Deborah! As for I See You Called in Dead, it came at the right time for me, I guess, and suited my mood. It might not have worked so well another time, though I thought it was very well written. (I've always been a moody reader. Sometimes I dnf a book that I later pick up again and love. The Eyre Affair was one such; The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was another. I started both at least three times before finally reading and loving them.)
53PaulCranswick
I must admit, Mary, that the weather here as unchanging as it is, gets on my nerves occasionally. I miss the cooler airs of England and would be devastated without colder weather to escape to in extremis.
Have a good weekend.
Have a good weekend.
54msf59
Wow! So glad I See You've Called in Dead was such a hit for you, Mary. That is a BB well-earned. Funny, it did not grab me right away and I briefly considered doing a DNF but then it pulled me in and I ended up really enjoying it.
Happy Weekend, my friend.
Happy Weekend, my friend.
55richardderus
Saturday *smooch*
56Storeetllr
>53 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul.
I was born and raised in Chicago, land of blizzards, sleet, and icy winds off Lake Michigan in winter. When I was in my early 20s, I moved to Southern California where, though we got some weather, it was mostly mild all year, except when it was hot. I never missed the winters of my youth! I did, however, enjoy going to the mountains to ski.
Have a relaxing and restoring weekend!
I was born and raised in Chicago, land of blizzards, sleet, and icy winds off Lake Michigan in winter. When I was in my early 20s, I moved to Southern California where, though we got some weather, it was mostly mild all year, except when it was hot. I never missed the winters of my youth! I did, however, enjoy going to the mountains to ski.
Have a relaxing and restoring weekend!
57Storeetllr
>54 msf59: I know I liked it more than you, Mark, but it happens that way sometimes. All I know is that it grabbed me from the start. Maybe the writer's style? I just know I'm happy I took that BB!
Have a fun weekend!
Have a fun weekend!
58Storeetllr
>55 richardderus: Smooches back, Richard. How are you holding up with the waiting?
59alcottacre
>2 Storeetllr: Looks like your reading year is off to a very nice start, Mary! I have read several of Guy Gavriel Kay's books, but not that one. I will have to see if I can find a copy. Also adding the John Kenney book to the BlackHole.
>8 Storeetllr: So many DNFs already?! I share the sentiment about Christmas books, so I can understand that.
>9 Storeetllr: I love the list! I will have to check into those I have not read already. Thanks, Mary. BTW - I also loved Tomb of Dragons. I am going to be rereading Lonesome Dove this year. I have very fond memories of my initial read of that one.
Have a wonderful weekend, Mary!
>8 Storeetllr: So many DNFs already?! I share the sentiment about Christmas books, so I can understand that.
>9 Storeetllr: I love the list! I will have to check into those I have not read already. Thanks, Mary. BTW - I also loved Tomb of Dragons. I am going to be rereading Lonesome Dove this year. I have very fond memories of my initial read of that one.
Have a wonderful weekend, Mary!
60richardderus
>58 Storeetllr: Oh you know *gnaws knuckles* I knew it would happen *shreds sheets with ragged nails* so I figured I'd be a bit nervous *unknits blankets* but it's fine. Really. *faints from nervous-sweat dehydration*
61Storeetllr
>59 alcottacre: Stasia! How nice to see you here! Yes! My first two books were stellar! I'm hoping the reading year continues that way. Kay seldom disappoints. The only one I wasn't thrilled with was Ysabel, and I think that was my fault, since it should have been read after others that I hadn't yet read. Anyway, Written on the Dark was only recently published and takes place not long before the Fall of Sarantium. I hope you can get to it soon. It is, as are all his books, immersive.
I DNF a lot of books these days. I'm too old (and too tired) to struggle to finish a book that I actively dislike reading for whatever reason. And with the state of the U.S. these days, I need all the emotional support I can get through reading.
I wish I could join you in another reread of Lonesome Dove, but since I just reread it a couple months ago, it's too soon. Or maybe not. We'll see. As for Tomb of Dragons, it's become one of my favorite comfort reads.
Hope you're having a lovely weekend!
I DNF a lot of books these days. I'm too old (and too tired) to struggle to finish a book that I actively dislike reading for whatever reason. And with the state of the U.S. these days, I need all the emotional support I can get through reading.
I wish I could join you in another reread of Lonesome Dove, but since I just reread it a couple months ago, it's too soon. Or maybe not. We'll see. As for Tomb of Dragons, it's become one of my favorite comfort reads.
Hope you're having a lovely weekend!
62Storeetllr
>60 richardderus: *snort*
Seriously, the waiting must be maddening. Stay strong. I am - we all are - pulling for you.
Seriously, the waiting must be maddening. Stay strong. I am - we all are - pulling for you.
63richardderus
>62 Storeetllr: Thanks Mary...it is anxiety-inducing, today's the day I'm sure they All hated me and are planning to wait a month before saying "oh, you thought we'd let *you* live here?"
My mind hates me.
My mind hates me.
64Storeetllr
>63 richardderus: {{{BIG HUG}}}
65msf59
Happy Wednesday, Mary. Just got back from playing pickleball. Shoveled some snow from the driveway and now I am getting ready to hunker down with the books. Life is good.
66Storeetllr
>65 msf59: You just like imagining me giggle in my mind when you say pickleball, don't you. :)
Happy reading!
Happy reading!
67Storeetllr
Update Time!
4. Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather. 4.5 stars. Audio narrated by Adenrele Ojo. Novella (4 hours). I think I downstarred this by half a star because I so dislike religion, in general, and the Catholic religion in particular, and reading about is unpleasant, although the story isn't one that proselytizes religion - just the opposite. In fact, the sisters who pilot the living spaceship Lady of Impossible Constellations are the kind of people I believe the clergy should be - more interested in caring for the welfare of those needing their help than in pushing their beliefs on others. Unlike the priest who is sent to "shepherd" them, as if they haven't been doing a darn good job of it on their own. Well-drawn characters, and an interesting premise that lives up to its promise.
5. The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4 stars. Audio narrated by Eva Kaminsky. Novel (9 hours). Fun paranormal romantic suspense novel in the world of The Foundation and The Arcane Society. Though their families are sworn enemies, psychics Sophy Harper aka The Housekeeper, who "reads" crime scenes and can "clean" them of most traces of psychic energy, and lucid dreamer Luke Wells, the "no talent" soon-to-be-CEO of his family's security firm, together with Bruce, Luke's "hellhound", work together to try and find their missing relatives who seem to have been sleeping together and may have been abducted by a shadowy murderer. Sounds whacky, but it works.
4. Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather. 4.5 stars. Audio narrated by Adenrele Ojo. Novella (4 hours). I think I downstarred this by half a star because I so dislike religion, in general, and the Catholic religion in particular, and reading about is unpleasant, although the story isn't one that proselytizes religion - just the opposite. In fact, the sisters who pilot the living spaceship Lady of Impossible Constellations are the kind of people I believe the clergy should be - more interested in caring for the welfare of those needing their help than in pushing their beliefs on others. Unlike the priest who is sent to "shepherd" them, as if they haven't been doing a darn good job of it on their own. Well-drawn characters, and an interesting premise that lives up to its promise.
5. The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz. 4 stars. Audio narrated by Eva Kaminsky. Novel (9 hours). Fun paranormal romantic suspense novel in the world of The Foundation and The Arcane Society. Though their families are sworn enemies, psychics Sophy Harper aka The Housekeeper, who "reads" crime scenes and can "clean" them of most traces of psychic energy, and lucid dreamer Luke Wells, the "no talent" soon-to-be-CEO of his family's security firm, together with Bruce, Luke's "hellhound", work together to try and find their missing relatives who seem to have been sleeping together and may have been abducted by a shadowy murderer. Sounds whacky, but it works.
68PaulCranswick
Hope all is well with you, Mary. xx
69Storeetllr
Hi, Paul. Thanks for your kind wishes in the midst of your own grief and worries. I'm grateful that my family and I are doing alright, but I'm distressed by what is going on in my country and having a hard time dealing with it. My concentration is shattered, along with my faith in the government, and I haven't been able to start a new book for over a week, since the murder of the woman in Minnesota by a thug of the federal government, and now with the murder of the man in Minnesota by those same thugs, I don't expect I'll be cracking any new books anytime soon.
70richardderus
>69 Storeetllr: I'm very sad with you, Mary. It's vile what they're doing...not unusual, mind, but vile. It's so open and so brazen. I'm revolted but in a weird way pleased because now white folks are seeing what was once not visible to them, state violence, but common in Othered communities.
71bell7
>67 Storeetllr: Glad to see you found Sisters of the Vast Black a good read.
>69 Storeetllr: And sorry to hear that the distress is keeping you from reading. There is a lot to be angry/distressed/upset about right now. *hugs* to you
>69 Storeetllr: And sorry to hear that the distress is keeping you from reading. There is a lot to be angry/distressed/upset about right now. *hugs* to you
72jessibud2
Mary, I'm not even American and I feel as you do about what's going on. Terrifying. May I suggest that you do NOT read Timothy Snyder's latest blog (I subscribe). He is such a smart man, gets it ALL exactly right but it's depressing and scary. Instead, try reading Andy Borowitz (I subscribe to him, too). He is also smart, but deals with it all through humour and satire. And that is much easier to swallow.
{{hang in there}}
{{hang in there}}
73Storeetllr
>70 richardderus: You are right, Richard, but it's a damn shame that it has to happen to you (or your "kind") before you find empathy. Honestly, I am not very happy with people in general these days, so insulated by privilege that they can't see what's going or or, worse, so consumed by hate and fear that they like what's going on.
Hope you weathered the big snow/ice storm, Richard, and are staying warm and cozy!
Hope you weathered the big snow/ice storm, Richard, and are staying warm and cozy!
74Storeetllr
>71 bell7: Thanks, Mary! I did enjoy it, and I have Sisters of the Forsaken Stars, the sequel, on deck for whenever I can manage to concentrate enough to read a new book again.
75Storeetllr
>72 jessibud2: Oh, boy. I also subscribe to Tim Snyder's blog but will refrain from reading today's post. I usually read Heather Cox Richardson's daily letter, though sometimes I have to stop halfway through if it's particularly horrifying. I haven't tried Andy Borowitz, though I follow him on social media. I'll check his blog out. Thanks!
Thanks for the encouragement, Shelley. {{{hugs}}}
Thanks for the encouragement, Shelley. {{{hugs}}}
76Storeetllr
So, we got a goodly amount (maybe 8 inches with higher drifts) of heavy icy snow yesterday. I stayed warm and cozy indoors except around 8 pm last night when I went out to start my car and almost got stuck in a drift in front of the car door that was up over my knees. (I have been having issues with the battery if I don't use the car often enough, so I've been starting it every day even if I don't drive it anywhere. I also bought one of those rechargeable jump boxes to jump start it if necessary. Better prepared than not.)
Obviously, today's a snow day so everyone's home and running around upstairs like a herd of small elephants. The kids, I mean. Not their parents. Though my son-in-law's tread is a bit stompy sometimes.
It's a hot cocoa kinda day!
..
Views from Front Door taken just now and yesterday afternoon during the storm)
Snow almost halfway up my window frame
Obviously, today's a snow day so everyone's home and running around upstairs like a herd of small elephants. The kids, I mean. Not their parents. Though my son-in-law's tread is a bit stompy sometimes.
It's a hot cocoa kinda day!
Views from Front Door taken just now and yesterday afternoon during the storm)
Snow almost halfway up my window frame
77richardderus
It coulda been a lot worse....
78Storeetllr
Yeah. You're right. There's always worse. I could live in Minnesota.
79msf59
Happy Monday, Mary. Looks like you got some healthy snowfall. We got less than half of that so no complaints here. We are just stuck in a deep freeze which will continue into next week. Ugh!
80Copperskye
Hi Mary, Brrrrrrr! That’s a lot of snow! Stay safe out there. Also, I love all your plants in front of the snowy window.
I share your outrage about the state of our country - what a horrifying couple of weeks these have been and now the murder of Alex Pretti and the outrageous lies. Will this be a turning point finally? I’m desperately trying to remain hopeful.
I share your outrage about the state of our country - what a horrifying couple of weeks these have been and now the murder of Alex Pretti and the outrageous lies. Will this be a turning point finally? I’m desperately trying to remain hopeful.
81vancouverdeb
I'm glad you don't live in Minnesota, Mary. Lots of snow your way. 8 inches of snow - the mind boogles!
82Storeetllr
>79 msf59: Hey, Mark! I saw your temps and remember when I lived in Chicago how cold that wind chill factor made things. Ugh is right!
83Storeetllr
>80 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne! I love having plants all over the place inside in the winter. It doesn't work completely to block SAD, but it helps. I've heard that Colorado is experiencing a very dry unsnowy winter, and that is worrisome indeed. I wish I could send you half of our snow.
Renee Good should have been a turning point. But she was just a woman, and a lEsBiAn at that. Now that a straight white man was murdered, it may make a difference. Funny how quiet the 2A nutjobs are these days though. And the "don't tread on me-ers".
Renee Good should have been a turning point. But she was just a woman, and a lEsBiAn at that. Now that a straight white man was murdered, it may make a difference. Funny how quiet the 2A nutjobs are these days though. And the "don't tread on me-ers".
84Storeetllr
>81 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. Me too. My heart aches for those in Minnesota. ICE has been active just a few towns over from me too, though there hasn't been any violence like in Minnesota.
Eight inches of snow isn't that much, really, for New York in January. It's just that we had a relatively mild winter last year, and this storm dropped heavy icy snow mixed with sleet, plus we have temps in the single digits. You get worse than this where you live, don't you? Or is it milder because it's near the North Pacific coast?
Eight inches of snow isn't that much, really, for New York in January. It's just that we had a relatively mild winter last year, and this storm dropped heavy icy snow mixed with sleet, plus we have temps in the single digits. You get worse than this where you live, don't you? Or is it milder because it's near the North Pacific coast?
85Storeetllr
January Round-Up
Books Read: 12
Genres:
Fantasy - 4
Mystery - 5
Contemporary Fiction - 1
Scifi - 2
Favorites*:
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay. 5 stars. https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9060685
I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney. 5 stars. https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9067638
*I can't decide between these two, both so different one from the other, but both really wonderful in each their own ways.
Books Read: 12
Genres:
Fantasy - 4
Mystery - 5
Contemporary Fiction - 1
Scifi - 2
Favorites*:
Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay. 5 stars. https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9060685
I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney. 5 stars. https://www.librarything.com/topic/377287#9067638
*I can't decide between these two, both so different one from the other, but both really wonderful in each their own ways.
86Storeetllr
Mid-February Update
13. Seeking the Dead by Kate Ellis. 4 stars ebook. There were times I wanted to slap the Chief DI, and the police seemed too inept at times, but I liked DI Joe Plantagenet and, all-in-all, I enjoyed this mystery thriller. I did figure out the killer at about the 3/4 mark, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment, and there was a twist that I hadn't seen coming, although I did wonder about that character at one point, thinking they seemed too good to be true. But, I will be continuing with the series and, in fact, have the second on my Kindle as I write, though I have a slew of other books to get through before I can read that one. Thanks to Judy (DeltaQueen) for turning me on to this series. Note that this is the first written book I've been able to finish in at least a year due to my vision issues.
14. The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison. 3 stars. Audio. Read by Zehra Jane Naqvi. Let me preface this by saying I LOVE The Goblin Emperor and The Cemeteries of Amalo, the spin-off series featuring Thara Celehar. The Tomb of Dragons was one of my top books from last year. I wanted to love this novella, but the first 3/4 was just boring. I never really got invested with the main character, and, frankly, found him a bit distasteful. The last 1/4 of the audiobook was better, but honestly, if this hadn't been a novella, I doubt I'd have managed to get through it. I think a large part of my dislike of this was the reader, whose voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I hope the author goes back to writing about Celehar and his future adventures with Captain Olgarezh.
15. Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. 11 hours. Read by Vikas Adam and others. A mystery thriller with thoroughly unlikeable characters, many of whom sounded demented, and a story that was sometimes boring and sometimes unbelievable and occasionally interesting. I usually like Singh's books, so I kept going in case the next part got good, but I just never quite warmed to this one. Also, Vikas Adam read it like a slightly drugged psychotic unreliable narrator. That would have been okay if his voice hadn't been mostly monotone the whole way through. Might be better as a print book, but I don't care. I'm just glad it's over.
16. Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb. 4.5 stars. Audio. Damn, the Eve Dallas series never disappoints! This is what? The 62nd book in the series? And it's still compelling and fun. This one starts out all cozy, with Eve and Roarke at a charity affair in the company of Mavis, Leonardo, Louise, Charles, Nadine, and Jake, rocking out and Eve actually having fun in her fancy gown and stilletos. The rest of it is more a police procedural, with Whitney and Chief Tibble getting in on some of the action, along with the rest of the crew. Even Summerset gets to play, and he and Eve are relatively friendly. In this one, the murderer of the really nice billionaire (I know, oxymoron, but still) was a surprise, and an old adversary has crawled out of the past to menace Eve and Roarke with Roarke's misdeeds. I swear, I don't know how Nora Roberts does it.
13. Seeking the Dead by Kate Ellis. 4 stars ebook. There were times I wanted to slap the Chief DI, and the police seemed too inept at times, but I liked DI Joe Plantagenet and, all-in-all, I enjoyed this mystery thriller. I did figure out the killer at about the 3/4 mark, but that didn't take away from the enjoyment, and there was a twist that I hadn't seen coming, although I did wonder about that character at one point, thinking they seemed too good to be true. But, I will be continuing with the series and, in fact, have the second on my Kindle as I write, though I have a slew of other books to get through before I can read that one. Thanks to Judy (DeltaQueen) for turning me on to this series. Note that this is the first written book I've been able to finish in at least a year due to my vision issues.
14. The Orb of Cairado by Katherine Addison. 3 stars. Audio. Read by Zehra Jane Naqvi. Let me preface this by saying I LOVE The Goblin Emperor and The Cemeteries of Amalo, the spin-off series featuring Thara Celehar. The Tomb of Dragons was one of my top books from last year. I wanted to love this novella, but the first 3/4 was just boring. I never really got invested with the main character, and, frankly, found him a bit distasteful. The last 1/4 of the audiobook was better, but honestly, if this hadn't been a novella, I doubt I'd have managed to get through it. I think a large part of my dislike of this was the reader, whose voice was like nails on a chalkboard. I hope the author goes back to writing about Celehar and his future adventures with Captain Olgarezh.
15. Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh. 3 stars. Audio. 11 hours. Read by Vikas Adam and others. A mystery thriller with thoroughly unlikeable characters, many of whom sounded demented, and a story that was sometimes boring and sometimes unbelievable and occasionally interesting. I usually like Singh's books, so I kept going in case the next part got good, but I just never quite warmed to this one. Also, Vikas Adam read it like a slightly drugged psychotic unreliable narrator. That would have been okay if his voice hadn't been mostly monotone the whole way through. Might be better as a print book, but I don't care. I'm just glad it's over.
16. Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb. 4.5 stars. Audio. Damn, the Eve Dallas series never disappoints! This is what? The 62nd book in the series? And it's still compelling and fun. This one starts out all cozy, with Eve and Roarke at a charity affair in the company of Mavis, Leonardo, Louise, Charles, Nadine, and Jake, rocking out and Eve actually having fun in her fancy gown and stilletos. The rest of it is more a police procedural, with Whitney and Chief Tibble getting in on some of the action, along with the rest of the crew. Even Summerset gets to play, and he and Eve are relatively friendly. In this one, the murderer of the really nice billionaire (I know, oxymoron, but still) was a surprise, and an old adversary has crawled out of the past to menace Eve and Roarke with Roarke's misdeeds. I swear, I don't know how Nora Roberts does it.
87richardderus
>86 Storeetllr: It astounds me that, sixty-two books in, the series still has gas in the tank. I liked Stolen in Death the best of them I've read.
I hope you're staying warm amid the gloomy cloudy day's chills. *smooch*
I hope you're staying warm amid the gloomy cloudy day's chills. *smooch*
88Copperskye
Hi Mary! Good to see you posting, hope all is well.
I was thinking, as Richard said, that it's amazing that the In Death series is holding up at number 62! How often are the books released? I haven't read them but I know they are so very popular.
I need to check out I See You Called in Dead one of these days.
I was thinking, as Richard said, that it's amazing that the In Death series is holding up at number 62! How often are the books released? I haven't read them but I know they are so very popular.
I need to check out I See You Called in Dead one of these days.
89Storeetllr
>87 richardderus: I know, right?! 62 and still going strong is a huge accomplishment imo. Stolen in Death is up there with the best of them, though I think there have been a couple others that I liked more.
Thanks, I'm staying inside for the most part, babying myself as I try to get over a nasty cold. Had to go out today to the ophthamologist's for a laser treatment to reduce pressure in my good eye. That was so much fun (not). On the way home, the sun came out and it was such a pleasure to be outside for a few minutes in the warm sunshine.
Thanks, I'm staying inside for the most part, babying myself as I try to get over a nasty cold. Had to go out today to the ophthamologist's for a laser treatment to reduce pressure in my good eye. That was so much fun (not). On the way home, the sun came out and it was such a pleasure to be outside for a few minutes in the warm sunshine.
90Storeetllr
>88 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne. I'm doing okay except for the cold, which I hope will be gone soon, and my poor eyes, which I suppose I'll be dealing with for the duration.
Nora Robert aka J. D. Robb is amazing. She usually puts out 2-4 books a year. This year she's scheduled to put out a romantic suspense novel, two Eve Dallas novels, and a fantasy novel. She is 74 years old. I mean...insane, right?!
I thought I See You Called in Dead was really good. I look forward to your thoughts when you get around to it.
BTW, congratulations to Chris on the publication of his first book! You must be so proud of him! HE must be so proud of himself, and for good reason!
Nora Robert aka J. D. Robb is amazing. She usually puts out 2-4 books a year. This year she's scheduled to put out a romantic suspense novel, two Eve Dallas novels, and a fantasy novel. She is 74 years old. I mean...insane, right?!
I thought I See You Called in Dead was really good. I look forward to your thoughts when you get around to it.
BTW, congratulations to Chris on the publication of his first book! You must be so proud of him! HE must be so proud of himself, and for good reason!
91richardderus
>89 Storeetllr: Good for you to decide babying your illness-suffering self! I shudder at the idea of injections into the eye. It helps your vision, so it's a good choice too, but I get so anxious even thinking about it....
92Storeetllr
>91 richardderus: Oh, so do I, Richard. So do it. This was a laser treatment, no needles in my eye, thank you very much. Although I guess if injections would help, I'd deal. Somehow.
I googled what the laser treatment does, and here's the pertinent part: "Laser energy is applied to the trabecular meshwork. The trabecular meshwork is located in the front of the eye and is the natural drain for fluid. SLT stimulates the trabecular meshwork to increase the amount of fluid drained from within the eye, which lowers eye pressure." It didn't hurt, though it was a bit uncomfortable toward the end of the treatment, which took less than 10 minutes. It doesn't cure glaucoma, but it helps.
I googled what the laser treatment does, and here's the pertinent part: "Laser energy is applied to the trabecular meshwork. The trabecular meshwork is located in the front of the eye and is the natural drain for fluid. SLT stimulates the trabecular meshwork to increase the amount of fluid drained from within the eye, which lowers eye pressure." It didn't hurt, though it was a bit uncomfortable toward the end of the treatment, which took less than 10 minutes. It doesn't cure glaucoma, but it helps.
93msf59
Happy Tuesday, Mary. It looks like you have been enjoying the books. Hooray for the Thunderbolt Kid. It looks like we both had a good time with that one.
94vancouverdeb
The narrator of an audio book makes such a huge difference to how we perceive a book, I find, Mary. I just finished a book that I might have rated higher, but the narrator just turned me off. I think she was too dramatic and maybe smug sounding for my liking.
95DeltaQueen50
Hi Mary, I'm very glad that you enjoyed the first Joe Plantagenet book, it's a good series.
96Storeetllr
>93 msf59: Happy Friday, Mark! It's been great to be out of the reading slump - finally! I did enjoy Thunderbolt Kid a lot. It was quite a trip down memory lane, tbh. Were ALL families from the Midwest like that back in the 50s? I know mine was, more or less.
97Storeetllr
>94 vancouverdeb: You are so right, Deborah! There are narrators I disliked so much that, if I know they are the reader, I will not listen to the audiobook, even if I really want to read the book. Scott Brick is one such. I listened to him read The Passage, and was so traumatized by his rendition (talk about overly dramatic: I still remember how his voice shook with emotion when he was reading a passage about buying a loaf of bread. Honestly!), though I already had bought the audio of The Omnivore's Dilemma, wouldn't listen to it when I realized he was the reader. Which particular book are you referring to?
98Storeetllr
>95 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! It is a good series.
99richardderus
Merry Friday, Mary! *smooch*
100Storeetllr
And Saturday salutations to you, Richard! {{{big hug}}}
101Storeetllr
I went down to the boat launch area by Memorial Park last week and took this photo of the partially frozen Hudson River under a brilliant blue sky. In the far distance, you can just make out the new Tappan Zee (aka Mario Cuomo) Bridge, and, if you enlarge it, you can make out a bunch of birds walking out on the river's ice. I'm not a big fan of winter, but even I could appreciate the beauty!
102PaulCranswick
>101 Storeetllr: Gosh, that looks cold, Mary.
103vancouverdeb
>97 Storeetllr: I was listening to This Is Not About Us: Fiction , Mary. I will check into who the narrator was. There are a few others books where the narrator grated on me. I can't remember the titles right now.
104jessibud2
>101 Storeetllr: - It's a beautiful capture, Mary. Reminds me of a photo I took on a similar freezing cold but blue sky day, several years ago. Also snow/ice near frozen water. Absolutely frame-worthy but yeah, brrrr!
105Storeetllr
>102 PaulCranswick: It was, Paul. Still is. And we're expecting our second heavy snowstorm of the year today. *waaaaah* (Last snowfall of January 25 we got about 18 inches of snow. It hasn't all melted yet. We're expecting up to two feet of the stuff with the coming blizzard. *doublewaaaaah*)
106Storeetllr
>103 vancouverdeb: Thanks for the tip, Deborah. That's one book I won't be listening to. I wanted to keep track of the narrators of all the audiobooks I've listened to this year, but I'm afraid I've already fallen behind on that goal.
107Storeetllr
>104 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley! I was at the library, which is on a rise overlooking the river and park, and on impulse drove down to the river to see the ice close up. It was pretty breathtaking in person. I hadn't thought about getting the photo printed and framed, but you've got me thinking about it. I took the shot with my iPhone, so we're not talking about really high quality and it might not look good enlarged. I'll check it out.
108DeltaQueen50
>101 Storeetllr: A beautiful picture Mary but I don't envy you the weather. I have my finers crossed that we will get no snow this winter. It is cold right now (high 30s/low 40s) but we have crocus blooming and I can see some daffodils across the street in a very sheltered spot.
109RebaRelishesReading
We haven't had any snow yet either -- have mixed feelings about that -- and the daffodils in my front yard are fully out. Hyacinths are above ground and budding and Camillas in the side yard are starting to show color. I noticed yesterday that a peony has a shoot up about 6" too. With all of that going on I really hope they don't get damaged by cold and/or snow.
110Storeetllr
>108 DeltaQueen50: You and me both, Judy. I picked up my grandson from preschool today. The kids were out on the playground, all dressed in their snowsuits and boots and hats and gloves. I asked him if he wanted to build a snowman in the front yard after lunch. He gave me this look and told me he hates snow and hates winter and when is spring? I really love that little guy.
Isn't it a little early for crocus and daffodils?
Isn't it a little early for crocus and daffodils?
111Storeetllr
>109 RebaRelishesReading: I do envy you, though in some parts of the country it's really rough when there's not enough snowpack in the mountains and the summer ends up being all dry and the foliage like kindling.
But flowers in February in the garden! I loved Southern California for that.
But flowers in February in the garden! I loved Southern California for that.
112Storeetllr
I started watching Lonesome Dove last night. Finished the first DVD disc but couldn't continue with the second part today because I ended up watching the kids most of the day AND because the ending of Disc 1 (when they crossed the first river after the bad storm) freaked me right out. I knew it was coming, having read the book only a couple months ago, but it was so awful to SEE it. I'll get back to it tomorrow, because the film is just so well-done, as is the acting by Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, as well as the rest of the cast. And the scenery!
113msf59
Happy Friday, Mary. I love the boat launch pic. Hooray for the Lonesome Dove series. What a wonderful job they did and it might be the best thing that Duvall has ever done and that is saying a lot. I NEED to rewatch it too. We are doing a reread of the novel in August.
115DeltaQueen50
>110 Storeetllr: I was out today and see that the trees are also now blooming. Gorgeous. It's actually not too early here. They used to do a flower count in February, I think just to rub the noses of Eastern Canada in our mildness.
116vancouverdeb
I live in the same area as Judy, and flowers in January and February are usual in the Vancouver area. The cherry trees are beginning to bloom too.
117Storeetllr
>113 msf59: Hi, Mark! Happy weekend! Thank you, I just went down to the river on a whim and ended up getting a few fun pics. I will pull that one out in August when it's 100F and muggy and full of mosquitoes. :D
Yes, they did a wonderful job on the film adaptation! If I hadn't just read Lonesome Dove this past December, I'd join you. I may stop by the group read thread to see what you all have to say about it.
Yes, they did a wonderful job on the film adaptation! If I hadn't just read Lonesome Dove this past December, I'd join you. I may stop by the group read thread to see what you all have to say about it.
118Storeetllr
>114 richardderus: Yeah, winter, though sometimes beautiful (in a deadly way), is not my season. *smooch*
119Storeetllr
>115 DeltaQueen50: Haha, I get that. When I lived in SoCal, I never could understand why anyone would want to live in a place where it get so cold and blizzardy in winter. Yet here I am. I guess sometimes it just works out that way. I'll be by your thread soon; maybe I'll get to see some of that blooming stuff and dream of our spring.
120Storeetllr
>116 vancouverdeb: So very envious! II'll be by your thread too and see if you have posted and pics of those cherry trees blossoming.
121witchyrichy
>41 Storeetllr: >88 Copperskye: I See You've Called In Dead has shown up on a few people's must read lists. Thanks for the reminder.
>86 Storeetllr: >94 vancouverdeb: >97 Storeetllr: The narrator is so important, especially if you are following a series. I fell in love with Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti series partially because of narrator David Colaci. He has a bit of an Italian tilt and captures the various characters quite well. Four or five books in, they changed the narrator. I could not listen. It wasn't only my comfort with Colaci: the new narrator was flat and failed to make the characters come alive. I switched to the text. I evidently was not the only unhappy person as they switched back to Colaci for the rest of the series.
>101 Storeetllr: There is beauty in the cold. But I am ready for spring.
>86 Storeetllr: >94 vancouverdeb: >97 Storeetllr: The narrator is so important, especially if you are following a series. I fell in love with Donna Leon's Commissario Guido Brunetti series partially because of narrator David Colaci. He has a bit of an Italian tilt and captures the various characters quite well. Four or five books in, they changed the narrator. I could not listen. It wasn't only my comfort with Colaci: the new narrator was flat and failed to make the characters come alive. I switched to the text. I evidently was not the only unhappy person as they switched back to Colaci for the rest of the series.
>101 Storeetllr: There is beauty in the cold. But I am ready for spring.
122Storeetllr
>121 witchyrichy: Hey Karen! Nice to see you here! I'm ready for spring too! Really ready!
Narrators can definitely make or break an audiobook. I've listened to a couple Brunetti mysteries but somehow never got back to them. Thanks for the reminder!
I hope you enjoy I See You've Called in Dead when you get around to it and look forward to hearing what you think.
Narrators can definitely make or break an audiobook. I've listened to a couple Brunetti mysteries but somehow never got back to them. Thanks for the reminder!
I hope you enjoy I See You've Called in Dead when you get around to it and look forward to hearing what you think.
123Storeetllr
February Roundup
Books Read: 10
Genres:
Fantasy - 2
Mystery - 5
Historical Fiction - 1
Science - 1
Memoir - 1
Favorites:
Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb. 4.5 stars. Audio. Damn, the Eve Dallas series never disappoints! This is what? The 62nd book in the series? And it's still compelling and fun. This one starts out all cozy, with Eve and Roarke at a charity affair in the company of Mavis, Leonardo, Louise, Charles, Nadine, and Jake, rocking out and Eve actually having fun in her fancy gown and stilletos. The rest of it is more a police procedural, with Whitney and Chief Tibble getting in on some of the action, along with the rest of the crew. Even Summerset gets to play, and he and Eve are relatively friendly. In this one, the murderer of the really nice billionaire (I know, oxymoron, but still) was a surprise, and an old adversary has crawled out of the past to menace Eve and Roarke with his misdeeds. I swear, I don't know how Nora Roberts does it.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. 4.5 stars. I'm a couple of years older than Bryson, also born and raised in the Midwest, so, though some of Bryson's experiences were, I think, exclusive to boys, this was a real trip down memory lane that is both hilarious and, at times, horrifyingly similar to today's horrors. Thanks to Mark for the recommendation.
Physics for Cats by Tom Gauld. 4.5 stars. eBook. Really enjoyed this book of science-themed cartoons. It was just what I needed to lighten my soul this cold, dark, uncertain February. Thanks to Shelley for recommending it!
Books Read: 10
Genres:
Fantasy - 2
Mystery - 5
Historical Fiction - 1
Science - 1
Memoir - 1
Favorites:
Stolen in Death by J. D. Robb. 4.5 stars. Audio. Damn, the Eve Dallas series never disappoints! This is what? The 62nd book in the series? And it's still compelling and fun. This one starts out all cozy, with Eve and Roarke at a charity affair in the company of Mavis, Leonardo, Louise, Charles, Nadine, and Jake, rocking out and Eve actually having fun in her fancy gown and stilletos. The rest of it is more a police procedural, with Whitney and Chief Tibble getting in on some of the action, along with the rest of the crew. Even Summerset gets to play, and he and Eve are relatively friendly. In this one, the murderer of the really nice billionaire (I know, oxymoron, but still) was a surprise, and an old adversary has crawled out of the past to menace Eve and Roarke with his misdeeds. I swear, I don't know how Nora Roberts does it.
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson. 4.5 stars. I'm a couple of years older than Bryson, also born and raised in the Midwest, so, though some of Bryson's experiences were, I think, exclusive to boys, this was a real trip down memory lane that is both hilarious and, at times, horrifyingly similar to today's horrors. Thanks to Mark for the recommendation.
Physics for Cats by Tom Gauld. 4.5 stars. eBook. Really enjoyed this book of science-themed cartoons. It was just what I needed to lighten my soul this cold, dark, uncertain February. Thanks to Shelley for recommending it!
124jessibud2
Mary, I may have mentioned it before but another cartoonist I love, and often mix up with Gauld, is Grant Snider. I have his newest on its way to me from the library, Thinking About Thinking. He also wrote I Will Judge You by Your Bookshelf. Enjoy, ;-)
125richardderus
Merry sunny Monday, Mary!
126Copperskye
Looks like you had a good month of reading, Mary! The Gauld looks cute. I’ll look for it. I also enjoy Grant Snyder (and also confuse the two).
127vancouverdeb
I hope you have some spring weather soon, Mary. I let my sister know about the Bill Bryson book. I know she was a fan, and I am not sure if she has read The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid.
129Storeetllr
>124 jessibud2: I like the title I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf. I do. I mean, one of the first things I do when entering someone's house for the first time is check out their bookshelf. If they don't have one, I am immediately suspicious. If they do have one, I look to see what books they have that I loved (or hated) so we can have something to talk about, because, being a bit introvertive (shy), finding things to talk about is something I have a hard time with. Anyway, I just borrowed the eBook from the library.
130Storeetllr
>125 richardderus: Happy rainy Tuesday, Richard!
My son-in-law, who works a little north of us across the Hudson, has a snow day today. No, we do not have any snow. He doesn't know why it's a snow day either.
My son-in-law, who works a little north of us across the Hudson, has a snow day today. No, we do not have any snow. He doesn't know why it's a snow day either.
131Storeetllr
>126 Copperskye: It was a pretty good month, Joanne! As I mentioned to Shelley up above, I just borrowed a Snyder book.
132Storeetllr
>127 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah! I really hope spring comes early this year, although I could do without all the rain we get along with that.
I hope your sister enjoys Thunderbolt Kid. Do you like Bryson?
I hope your sister enjoys Thunderbolt Kid. Do you like Bryson?
133Storeetllr
>128 msf59: Happy Tuesday, Mark! I'm so glad you recommended Thunderbolt Kid! It was a real treat.
134richardderus
>130 Storeetllr: Snow day! That's weird. It's soggy here but I'll take that over snow at this point. I'm glad it isn't snowing in the forecast either.
Sending hugs
Sending hugs
135Storeetllr
>134 richardderus: It was weird. I guess we got some slush, but it wasn't all that bad. *shrug*
Hugs back! Less than four weeks now!!!
Hugs back! Less than four weeks now!!!
136Storeetllr
So I play this word game every morning called Phrazle. You have to guess a popular (and sometimes not so popular) phrase. I usually get it in three, but today, with very little to go on, I managed it in two. Not sure how I did it, but I'll take it! (I got Word in three, btw. It usually takes me 4 tries. Then I bombed on Quordle. *shrug*)
Phrazle 216: 2/6
⬜🟩⬜🟪 ⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
#phrazle
https://solitaired.com/phrazle
keep it zipped
Phrazle 216: 2/6
⬜🟩⬜🟪 ⬜⬜ ⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
#phrazle
https://solitaired.com/phrazle
137vancouverdeb
>132 Storeetllr: I think I have only read one book by Bill Bryson quite a while ago and that was at the recommendation of my sister. I'll have to look into it. I am quite fixated on the Womens' Prize for fiction at the moment .
138Storeetllr
>137 vancouverdeb: Yeah, Bryson isn't an author whose books I jump on as soon as they're out, but the couple I've read over the years have been good.
The only title on the list I've even heard about (as far as I can recall) is The Correspondent, which is on hold for me at the library. I should be getting a copy soon.
The only title on the list I've even heard about (as far as I can recall) is The Correspondent, which is on hold for me at the library. I should be getting a copy soon.
139Copperskye
>136 Storeetllr: That’s very impressive!!
I followed your link and struggled through today’s phrase. That was hard! I got it in 5 and it took me a bit to get the hang of it, but it was fun. I may add it every now and then to my current collection of games so thanks for the link!
eta: ok, then I went back and did the 4 word hurdle in 6 and the 5 word in 3. I gave up on the 6 word. lol, I couldn’t think of a word after 3 guesses. My brain hurts now. :)
I followed your link and struggled through today’s phrase. That was hard! I got it in 5 and it took me a bit to get the hang of it, but it was fun. I may add it every now and then to my current collection of games so thanks for the link!
eta: ok, then I went back and did the 4 word hurdle in 6 and the 5 word in 3. I gave up on the 6 word. lol, I couldn’t think of a word after 3 guesses. My brain hurts now. :)
140richardderus
>138 Storeetllr: I hope Sybil works her magic on you, Mary.
141Storeetllr
>139 Copperskye: Hi, Joanne! Haha, yeah, it's like that sometimes for me too. I've only ever done the daily because there's just not time enough to do all the daily puzzles and games that I do every day plus the variations on them. Oh, btw, there are two daily Phrazle puzzles - one in the morning and a different one after noon. (I usually only do one of them.) Anyway, glad you enjoyed it! (And yeah, sometimes my brain hurts too. That's why they're called "rompecabezas" (headbreakers) in Spanish! :D
142Storeetllr
>140 richardderus: Thanks, Richard! I am looking forward to it!
143Storeetllr
Testing out the new (to me) image posting feature. I’m not sure if it will work for photos, but here’s one of my wild grandson dressed up, he said, as a grandpa. He was yelling “get off my lawn!” Hilarious kid.
144Storeetllr
Oh! Yay! It worked!
145weird_O
It's somewhat like a "thumbnail". When you slide the cursor onto the image, it transforms from an arrow into the pointing finger mode. Click and a larger version of the image opens in a new tab. Now that is cool.
146vancouverdeb
>143 Storeetllr: He is really cute or maybe I should say groovy!
147richardderus
>143 Storeetllr: Hilarious "get off my lawn" face!
148Copperskye
>143 Storeetllr: Adorable!! Love the wig!
I had no idea there was a new image posting feature. Thanks for the heads up! Off to check out what’s new.
I had no idea there was a new image posting feature. Thanks for the heads up! Off to check out what’s new.
149Storeetllr
>145 weird_O: It is cool! So much easier than the old way.
150Storeetllr
>146 vancouverdeb: Cute and groovy, but also wild and crazy.
151Storeetllr
>147 richardderus: Spoken with a NY accent too. His California grandpa thinks that's the funniest part of all.
152Storeetllr
>148 Copperskye: Yes, they've got a box of wigs from old Halloween costumes that they play with all the time.
I saw the pic of Finn on your thread. Glad the image feature worked for you too!
I saw the pic of Finn on your thread. Glad the image feature worked for you too!
153msf59
Love the grandson photo! He sure looks like he means business. LOL.
Happy Friday, Mary. I hope you had a good week.
Happy Friday, Mary. I hope you had a good week.
154Storeetllr
>153 msf59: Happy weekend, Mark! Rowan really gets into dressing up. Does Jackson?
I had a busy week with the kids. I watched them every day for varying times. Yesterday, I had Rowan from 8 am to 4:30 pm. I was exhausted and went to bed early, slept 11 hours. I'm glad I had my kid when I was young enough to keep up with her! I'm just going to putter around all weekend, get some reading and maybe some film-watching and music-listening in. Next week it all starts again. (And here I thought retirement would be relaxing or even boring. Haha.)
I had a busy week with the kids. I watched them every day for varying times. Yesterday, I had Rowan from 8 am to 4:30 pm. I was exhausted and went to bed early, slept 11 hours. I'm glad I had my kid when I was young enough to keep up with her! I'm just going to putter around all weekend, get some reading and maybe some film-watching and music-listening in. Next week it all starts again. (And here I thought retirement would be relaxing or even boring. Haha.)
155Storeetllr
Book Report, of a sort
Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher. 5 stars. Well, this was a surprise. So, I guess I downloaded Snake Eater to my Kindle some time ago but didn't get around to reading it. (I tried T. Kingfisher awhile ago and we didn't click, but I guess I figured I'd try again.) Recently, I borrowed a digital copy of The Man Who Spoke Snakish on Richard's recommendation and decided to start reading it. Instead, because my eyesight is so bad, I clicked on Snake Eater instead and started reading. A few chapters in, and I was hooked, but I was wondering why the story was so different from what I had expected. I went to LT and checked Richard's review and realized I WAS READING THE WRONG BOOK. *sigh* By then, I was too invested in the characters and story of Snake Eater to quit.
Anyway, on to my mini-review of the book I actually did read (I've started The Man Who Spoke Snakish and think I'm going to like it too). I loved the characters and the way the Selena - who had been abused, not physically but mentally and emotionally, all her life - was portrayed. I felt her deep in my soul, because she is me. I loved the diverse characters who lived in Quartz Creek - Grandma Billy, old and crochety with a heart of gold and a past; Father Aguirre, priest with a secret; Lupe, who wants to feed everyone; Rosa the cranky vet; Jenny, the skeptical mayor/postmistress/chief of police; Gordon, who leads birdwatching expeditions; Galadriel, who runs the Rivendell sheep ranch; and Connor, the proprietor of the general store. And most of all I loved Copper, the faithful friendly lab for whom Selena would give her life. I also loved the descriptions of the desert and of the houses/offices and furnishings of the residents of the town. The supernatural aspects were woven seamlessly into the fabric of the story. There were parts that made me laugh out loud and tear up (not at the same time) (well, once or twice at the same time). A very satisfying and well-written story.
Snake Eater by T. Kingfisher. 5 stars. Well, this was a surprise. So, I guess I downloaded Snake Eater to my Kindle some time ago but didn't get around to reading it. (I tried T. Kingfisher awhile ago and we didn't click, but I guess I figured I'd try again.) Recently, I borrowed a digital copy of The Man Who Spoke Snakish on Richard's recommendation and decided to start reading it. Instead, because my eyesight is so bad, I clicked on Snake Eater instead and started reading. A few chapters in, and I was hooked, but I was wondering why the story was so different from what I had expected. I went to LT and checked Richard's review and realized I WAS READING THE WRONG BOOK. *sigh* By then, I was too invested in the characters and story of Snake Eater to quit.
Anyway, on to my mini-review of the book I actually did read (I've started The Man Who Spoke Snakish and think I'm going to like it too). I loved the characters and the way the Selena - who had been abused, not physically but mentally and emotionally, all her life - was portrayed. I felt her deep in my soul, because she is me. I loved the diverse characters who lived in Quartz Creek - Grandma Billy, old and crochety with a heart of gold and a past; Father Aguirre, priest with a secret; Lupe, who wants to feed everyone; Rosa the cranky vet; Jenny, the skeptical mayor/postmistress/chief of police; Gordon, who leads birdwatching expeditions; Galadriel, who runs the Rivendell sheep ranch; and Connor, the proprietor of the general store. And most of all I loved Copper, the faithful friendly lab for whom Selena would give her life. I also loved the descriptions of the desert and of the houses/offices and furnishings of the residents of the town. The supernatural aspects were woven seamlessly into the fabric of the story. There were parts that made me laugh out loud and tear up (not at the same time) (well, once or twice at the same time). A very satisfying and well-written story.
156richardderus
>155 Storeetllr: I think you'll enjoy SNAKISH, too, but I love why you read SNAKE EATER! What fun.
157Storeetllr
>156 richardderus: It's not for everyone, Richard, and it might not have been right for me another time, but it really worked for me now. As for the reason I started it instead of the book I meant to read, silver linings, I guess. :)
158AMQS
Hi Mary! Your photo in >101 Storeetllr: is just beautiful. And >143 Storeetllr: is hilarious! He's the Thunderbolt Kid!
159Storeetllr
>158 AMQS: Hi, Anne!
Thanks! That winter scene was beautiful, but I'm SOOOO glad it's pretty much over. Now we're in the rainy aka flooded basement season. *sigh* I know I shouldn't rub it in, but I'd gladly send you some of our spring rain. My sister lives in Salida, not far from the Cañon fire.
You're right, he's a really funny little guy (though he doesn't know about the Thunderbolt Kid yet. In this iteration, he was an old grandpa yelling at kids to "Get Off My Grass!"). So serious one minute, acting like a loon the next. Calm and focused on something one minute, screaming I Hate Everything the next. And, by the way, both kids LOVED that book. I read it to them twice, and then Ruby read it to Rowan one more time. So thanks for posting about it and all the other great kids' books out there!
Thanks! That winter scene was beautiful, but I'm SOOOO glad it's pretty much over. Now we're in the rainy aka flooded basement season. *sigh* I know I shouldn't rub it in, but I'd gladly send you some of our spring rain. My sister lives in Salida, not far from the Cañon fire.
You're right, he's a really funny little guy (though he doesn't know about the Thunderbolt Kid yet. In this iteration, he was an old grandpa yelling at kids to "Get Off My Grass!"). So serious one minute, acting like a loon the next. Calm and focused on something one minute, screaming I Hate Everything the next. And, by the way, both kids LOVED that book. I read it to them twice, and then Ruby read it to Rowan one more time. So thanks for posting about it and all the other great kids' books out there!
160Storeetllr
Okay, this is, like, weird. I just had to share.
Wordle 1,744 2/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
stare, chump
Wordle 1,744 2/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
161jessibud2
>160 Storeetllr: - That is hilarious. I had most of the letters by my second turn but ended up using every vowel but the right one until the fifth guess. Champ, chomp, chimp. lol. I finally got it in 5.
162RebaRelishesReading
>160 Storeetllr: Wow -- something must have been whispering in your ear!!
163Copperskye
>160 Storeetllr: Wild! Nice job! I’m finding it especially hilarious because I used the same start word and it took me 5!
stare, cough, chuff, chuck, chump (The bot was pretty grumpy about my third guess, telling me it “wasn’t likely”!) lol
164Storeetllr
>161 jessibud2: Oh! I hate when that happens! I actually was thinking of the No Kings demonstrations yesterday against the Chump-in-Chief, which is where that word came from. 🤷♀️ So, credit where it’s due.
165Storeetllr
>162 RebaRelishesReading: Heh. See my answer to Shelley just above.
167vancouverdeb
>160 Storeetllr: What great luck, Mary! Not often one gets Wordle in two, especially after playing for so long.
168Storeetllr
>167 vancouverdeb: Yes, it was definitely luck, Deborah! Today I didn't manage it until the fifth try, though I had four letters by the third try. *shrug*
169Storeetllr
Went to our local No Kings protest yesterday. It was cold and windy down by the river, but the sun was shining (most of the time), and the camaraderie and enthusiasm was uplifting. There were, by my estimate, 200-250 people, which was a good turnout, considering a much larger protest was taking place only a few miles away. Oh, yeah, and I made the newspaper! (Reuters digital edition anyway.) The photo of me crossing the bridge to get back to my car after the protest ended is "below the fold," #29/31. I look tired, because I was after standing and walking for more than 2 hours.
(https://www.reuters.com/pictures/scenes-anti-trump-no-kings-protest-across-america-2026-03-28/)
Me with my "rollator" and signs.
(https://www.reuters.com/pictures/scenes-anti-trump-no-kings-protest-across-america-2026-03-28/)
Me with my "rollator" and signs.
170RebaRelishesReading
>164 Storeetllr: Were it true that he was only "chump" ... I fear he's much more evil than that
172Copperskye
>169 Storeetllr: You’re famous! Congrats! :) And you look great! Great signs and good on you (and everyone else) for being out in the cold and wind!
John and I were at the Centennial protest, which was our closest but there were several within a few miles. Hundreds of people were at the intersection and it felt good to be there especially since our area used to be pretty staunchly R. I’ll post a couple photos on my thread if I remember!
John and I were at the Centennial protest, which was our closest but there were several within a few miles. Hundreds of people were at the intersection and it felt good to be there especially since our area used to be pretty staunchly R. I’ll post a couple photos on my thread if I remember!
173Storeetllr
>170 RebaRelishesReading: l know, Reba. I know. And I agree wholeheartedly. Chump is just one of the (and one of the weakest) words that describe him. I'm not sure we will ever get over what he's done and continues to do, with the help of the Republicans in Congress but also his MAGA enablers, not only to the U.S. and not only with regards to politics.
174Storeetllr
>171 jessibud2: Thanks, Shelley! There were more, but I didn't want to snarl up my thread with so many images.
175Storeetllr
>172 Copperskye: Famous?!? Haha *sob* I'd rather be home watercolor painting or reading or knitting or pretty much anything than getting in the paper for demonstrating against an evil, war mongering, racist, misogynist, lying, hate-filled fascist regime. Also, I'm sure I just got put on some government list. Lucky I'm not planning on flying anywhere anytime soon. But, yeah, it feels kind of good to be seen among a great crowd of folks doing what needs to be done.
Glad you and John were able to get out and protest. I will be over to your thread shortly to see your pics. I'm hearing there were 8-9 million protesters across the U.S., over a million more than No Kings 2.0, putting us closer the threshold of 3.5% of the population (which would be 12 million), which is a huge deal for change. I'm hoping the May 1 is even bigger, but we'll see. It's a Friday, and that will probably make it hard for working people to attend.
Glad you and John were able to get out and protest. I will be over to your thread shortly to see your pics. I'm hearing there were 8-9 million protesters across the U.S., over a million more than No Kings 2.0, putting us closer the threshold of 3.5% of the population (which would be 12 million), which is a huge deal for change. I'm hoping the May 1 is even bigger, but we'll see. It's a Friday, and that will probably make it hard for working people to attend.
176Storeetllr
March Reading Review
Books Read: 13
Original reads-5
Rereads-8
Fantasy-7
Mystery-5
Historical-1
Favorite of the month:
Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Books Read: 13
Original reads-5
Rereads-8
Fantasy-7
Mystery-5
Historical-1
Favorite of the month:
Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
177Storeetllr
I went to my local library and want to share what happened.
I'm doing a reread (really, a re-listen) to the In Death series. I doubt if I'll ever reread from the beginning again because the first 9 audiobooks - which is as far as I've gotten - are not as wonderful as the last 50 or so books, but I'm glad I'm doing it. It's great to see the character development, especially Eve's and Roarke's, but also the improvement in the writing. I mean, Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors, but I have to say her earlier books weren't all that well-written, and the main characters come off as unnecessarily abrasive (Eve) and a bit entitled (Roarke).
Anyway, back to the library. As I said, I listened to the first 9 books (the first 4 on Libby; the rest as CDs), but, when I searched, none of the libraries in my library's interlibrary system had the 10th book as an audiobook, so, when I went to return some books today, I asked if I had just missed it somehow. Nope. The only copy was listed as "missing." I said thanks and turned to go, but the librarian told me to go talk to the reference librarian to see if a copy could be found outside the local system. Well, they ordered a copy from Libby, just for me! I told them it wasn't necessary to spend that money for an audiobook I was only going to listen to only once, but they assured me that, being a popular item, it wouldn't cost that much, especially the digital version, and it was something others might enjoy too.
I love libraries and librarians!
I'm doing a reread (really, a re-listen) to the In Death series. I doubt if I'll ever reread from the beginning again because the first 9 audiobooks - which is as far as I've gotten - are not as wonderful as the last 50 or so books, but I'm glad I'm doing it. It's great to see the character development, especially Eve's and Roarke's, but also the improvement in the writing. I mean, Nora Roberts is one of my favorite authors, but I have to say her earlier books weren't all that well-written, and the main characters come off as unnecessarily abrasive (Eve) and a bit entitled (Roarke).
Anyway, back to the library. As I said, I listened to the first 9 books (the first 4 on Libby; the rest as CDs), but, when I searched, none of the libraries in my library's interlibrary system had the 10th book as an audiobook, so, when I went to return some books today, I asked if I had just missed it somehow. Nope. The only copy was listed as "missing." I said thanks and turned to go, but the librarian told me to go talk to the reference librarian to see if a copy could be found outside the local system. Well, they ordered a copy from Libby, just for me! I told them it wasn't necessary to spend that money for an audiobook I was only going to listen to only once, but they assured me that, being a popular item, it wouldn't cost that much, especially the digital version, and it was something others might enjoy too.
I love libraries and librarians!
178jessibud2
>177 Storeetllr: - Yay librarians! And that is one gorgeous library!!
179Storeetllr
>178 jessibud2: Isn't it a fabulous building!?! It's relatively modern (well, mid- to late-20th century modern anyway) inside.
180Storeetllr
I've got an update on my library story! The librarian I spoke with yesterday just called. He said the audiobook isn't available in digital format so they are ordering the CDs "for me" (!) if that's okay with me. I told him I didn't want them to spend a lot of money on it "just for me," and he said not to worry. It's the end of the budget year and the audiobook isn't that expensive and last year (before the book was "lost") it was borrowed 45 times (!). I said I would definitely appreciate it, and he said he'd call me when it came in. What a lovely experience!
As if that wasn't good enough, we had a short chat about LibraryThing. Yes, I told him that I mentioned it on my thread, and how everyone on LT loves librarians and libraries, and he knew all about LT. I should have asked him if he is a member and what his handle is. I'll do that when he calls back to let me know the CDs have come in.
As if that wasn't good enough, we had a short chat about LibraryThing. Yes, I told him that I mentioned it on my thread, and how everyone on LT loves librarians and libraries, and he knew all about LT. I should have asked him if he is a member and what his handle is. I'll do that when he calls back to let me know the CDs have come in.
181jessibud2
>180 Storeetllr: - Such a great story!
182Storeetllr
>181 jessibud2: It is. Librarians are the best!
183richardderus
>169 Storeetllr: "Flush the Turd Reich"!! I love it!
185vancouverdeb
>177 Storeetllr: Great story, Mary and what a gorgeous library you have.
186msf59
Happy Sunday, Mary. I am so glad you were able to participate in the No Kings protest. You are so diligent about that. I hope you have a nice holiday with the family.
You asked me up there if Jack likes to dress up- yes, if there are costumes available. We don't keep much here at the house. I know Bree has a few outfits.
You asked me up there if Jack likes to dress up- yes, if there are costumes available. We don't keep much here at the house. I know Bree has a few outfits.
187Copperskye
>177 Storeetllr: Aren’t librarians great? Everything about your library is beautiful! The building looks like it’s straight out of Sleepy Hollow. :)
188Storeetllr
>185 vancouverdeb: It is a beautiful building, that's for sure! It looks smaller on the outside than it is on the inside, partly because it is on a hill, so the facade you see in the image is really on the second floor. A new addition was built on at the back, which is accessed through a set of doors to the side of and behind the old facade. Another entrance is at the back and accesses the first floor. There's a basement floor and a third floor. Here are a couple more images of the library.
189Storeetllr
>186 msf59: Thanks, Mark! My Easter included brunch with the family and a friend of my daughter's who's visiting with her two kids (close to Ruby's age) from California. Then a nap. Kids sure can wear you out! :D Hope your Easter was lovely.
I find participating in the No Kings (and other ongoing) protests helpful, in part for showing me that there are a lot of people who care what is happening and want to change it, notwithstanding the lack of coverage in national media and the rightwing trolls who are so loud on social media.
I find participating in the No Kings (and other ongoing) protests helpful, in part for showing me that there are a lot of people who care what is happening and want to change it, notwithstanding the lack of coverage in national media and the rightwing trolls who are so loud on social media.
190Storeetllr
>187 Copperskye: Librarians sure are great! The inside of the building, especially the old part of it, is equally beautiful. The new part is also lovely, with so much light! (Old on left; new on right. What a juxtaposition, no?)
I usually go to the library with the kids or to pick up a book or attend a program so haven't seen half what the library offers. One day I'm going to go with the express purpose of looking at all these beautiful areas and things I've never seen.
I usually go to the library with the kids or to pick up a book or attend a program so haven't seen half what the library offers. One day I'm going to go with the express purpose of looking at all these beautiful areas and things I've never seen.
191witchyrichy
>143 Storeetllr: Adorable!
>169 Storeetllr: Thank you for protesting.
>177 Storeetllr: A wonderful library story. I have tried to avoid lots of commitments in retirement, but joining our regional library system's board of directors has been wonderful. I knew some of what they offered but the range of resources and activities is amazing. Librarians are a very special breed, indeed.
>169 Storeetllr: Thank you for protesting.
>177 Storeetllr: A wonderful library story. I have tried to avoid lots of commitments in retirement, but joining our regional library system's board of directors has been wonderful. I knew some of what they offered but the range of resources and activities is amazing. Librarians are a very special breed, indeed.
192Copperskye
>188 Storeetllr: I was wondering if it was a Carnegie library. Thanks for posting that photo. It looks like a beautiful space to spend some time.
Littleton had a Carnegie library which it outgrew and the new library was built in the 60s (with 60s architecture). Come to think of it, maybe you’ve visited? The old Carnegie Library building is very classical and is a Melting Pot fondue restaurant now although it was the city jail for a while. Oh, and it’s widely reported to be haunted.
Littleton had a Carnegie library which it outgrew and the new library was built in the 60s (with 60s architecture). Come to think of it, maybe you’ve visited? The old Carnegie Library building is very classical and is a Melting Pot fondue restaurant now although it was the city jail for a while. Oh, and it’s widely reported to be haunted.
193vancouverdeb
>190 Storeetllr: Nice library! The ones in my city are quite modern looking, I think. Not so much character.
194richardderus
>190 Storeetllr: How wonderful to have such a lovely space for books and readers to enjoy!
I'm experiencing spring overload of happiness as my apartment floods with morning sun, my teensy little window-opening in all that expanse of window breathes in chilly delightful air, and noise is not inane babble foisted on me without my desire or my consent.
I'm experiencing spring overload of happiness as my apartment floods with morning sun, my teensy little window-opening in all that expanse of window breathes in chilly delightful air, and noise is not inane babble foisted on me without my desire or my consent.
195Storeetllr
>191 witchyrichy: Hi, Karen! Thanks for visiting! I protest when I can manage it, which isn't every week but occasionally on a Saturday and always at the larger protests. Strength in numbers.
I wish I had the energy to get involved as a volunteer with our library. I met a woman there the other day when I was exploring. She was a volunteer doing archival work, and that day she was reading the diary of someone who lived here in the early 20th century, making notes so it could be decided whether it should be made part of the library's collection. My eyes aren't good enough for that kind of work anymore, but it sounded fascinating!
I wish I had the energy to get involved as a volunteer with our library. I met a woman there the other day when I was exploring. She was a volunteer doing archival work, and that day she was reading the diary of someone who lived here in the early 20th century, making notes so it could be decided whether it should be made part of the library's collection. My eyes aren't good enough for that kind of work anymore, but it sounded fascinating!
196Storeetllr
>192 Copperskye: I didn't visit the Littleton library while I was living there, but I wish I had visited the Melting Pot. I'm sorry they didn't build onto the old Carnegie library like they did in Nyack. I spent some time just sitting in the room with the fireplace the other day, and it is a lovely place to relax, read, meet people, think.
>193 vancouverdeb: I'm not a big fan of mid-20th-century architecture, though some more modern buildings are quite spectacular. Even when I was younger, I preferred older architecture to what was then considered new. But, libraries are great no matter what kind of building they're housed in!
>193 vancouverdeb: I'm not a big fan of mid-20th-century architecture, though some more modern buildings are quite spectacular. Even when I was younger, I preferred older architecture to what was then considered new. But, libraries are great no matter what kind of building they're housed in!
197Storeetllr
>194 richardderus: I'm so happy for you! Your new home really sounds like heaven, especially when compared to the situation you have escaped. I was over to your thread yesterday but didn't post anything; I'll try to remedy that today or tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine, cool breezes, tasty meals, and serene silence!
198Storeetllr
As I mentioned above, I went to the library last Wednesday and spent an hour wandering around the old part of the building. Here are a few images I took that I thought were interesting.
A puzzle table in a corner of the old library in the room opposite the fireplace room. Anyone can just wander in and place pieces. When I was there, three young Asian tourists (I assume they were) were fitting pieces in the puzzle. They kindly moved for a moment when I asked if they minded if I took a photo.
Detail of a sculpture titled Haitian Thinker by F. DeSormeau
Archway in the old library facing toward the entrance to the new addition.
A puzzle table in a corner of the old library in the room opposite the fireplace room. Anyone can just wander in and place pieces. When I was there, three young Asian tourists (I assume they were) were fitting pieces in the puzzle. They kindly moved for a moment when I asked if they minded if I took a photo.
Detail of a sculpture titled Haitian Thinker by F. DeSormeau
Archway in the old library facing toward the entrance to the new addition.
199richardderus
>198 Storeetllr: What a beautiful space from every angle! xo
200DeltaQueen50
Hi Mary. I love the pictures of your library that you are posting. My library is not so beautiful, added on as it is to the Mall. Luckily my lirarians are also always helpful and cheery. I don't know what many of us would do without our local libraries! Sounds like you had a great Easter, I was able to travel to Victoria and spend time with my family. My sister has three grandchildren - all boys - and yes, they do sap one's energy. Now I am back home and soaking up the quiet - I'm sure in anorher week or so I will be ready to go back!
201RebaRelishesReading
>198 Storeetllr: Nice photos, Mary. It looks like a lovely place.
202jessibud2
Mary, your library reminds me of one in Montreal that is actually situated in a gorgeous park. I only discovered it when I began to go back monthly when my mother was ill. I didn't know about it before because I never lived near it but it has the same grand classic look as yours. If I can find the photos I took of it, I will post them on my thread. They are somewhere on my computer (which means, could be anywhere!)
203msf59
Happy Saturday, Mary. I love the library photos and that puzzle table is cool. I hope those current reads are treating you fine.
204The_Hibernator
>198 Storeetllr: That statue is quite striking, Mary.
205Copperskye
>198 Storeetllr: Lovely!
206Storeetllr
>199 richardderus: I think so too. I took my two grandkids to the library the other day, and both enjoyed (for about 5 minutes) visiting the old part before begging to go to the kids' area. First thing they asked was to see the statue of the Haitian Thinker, and Ruby said "his eyes look so sad." Rowan said he'd been there before but hadn't noticed the puzzle table.
207Storeetllr
>200 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! I love libraries no matter what they look like. I have very fond memories of our local library growing up on the southwest side of Chicago. It was mid-century blah, but oh! The hours I spent there were wonderful. I remember walking there (about 2 miles) after school on a Friday afternoon, getting some books to read, then taking the bus (another 2 miles) to my grandma's house for the weekend. I think I must have been around 12 then. Life was so different then.
Glad you had a good time with your family for the Easter holidays, and that you are now able to rejuvenate in the quiet before going back.
Glad you had a good time with your family for the Easter holidays, and that you are now able to rejuvenate in the quiet before going back.
208Storeetllr
>201 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks, Reba. It is lovely.
209Storeetllr
>202 jessibud2: I would love to see the photos of the Montreal library, Shelley, if you manage to find them. It may take awhile, if your digital photo storage is as disorganized as mine is.
210Storeetllr
>203 msf59: Happy Saturday, Mark, a week later! I don't know how it happened that I haven't been doing much on LT the past week. Wait, I take that back. I was helping my daughter with the kids while she worked every day rather than just three. I love those kids so much, but being with them, even just hanging around, is EXHAUSTING!
I've been in a weird place the past month or two, doing a lot of rereading of old favorites or comfort reads. Many of the new books I've picked up just haven't grabbed me, or I can't get the ones I want to read on audio. I have a few new ones waiting in the wings until I finish Augustus by Adrian Goldsworthy, which I'm 69% of the way through and which is due back in 8 days. The one I'm really looking forward to is The Edge of Space-Time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, whose first book (The Disordered Cosmos) was a favorite of mine when I read it a couple of years ago, but, since I own it I will probably wait to read it until I finish a couple of others that are due back to the library first.
I've been in a weird place the past month or two, doing a lot of rereading of old favorites or comfort reads. Many of the new books I've picked up just haven't grabbed me, or I can't get the ones I want to read on audio. I have a few new ones waiting in the wings until I finish Augustus by Adrian Goldsworthy, which I'm 69% of the way through and which is due back in 8 days. The one I'm really looking forward to is The Edge of Space-Time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, whose first book (The Disordered Cosmos) was a favorite of mine when I read it a couple of years ago, but, since I own it I will probably wait to read it until I finish a couple of others that are due back to the library first.
211Storeetllr
>204 The_Hibernator: I think so too, and so do my grandkids! As I mentioned above, it was the first thing Ruby asked to see when we got to the old section of the library the other day.
ETA Here's an image of the full statue with the plaque on the pedestal beneath.
ETA Here's an image of the full statue with the plaque on the pedestal beneath.
212Storeetllr
>205 Copperskye: Thanks, Joanne!
213richardderus
>210 Storeetllr: I don't think I have read Chanda's work, but I'll go looking for both of them you mentioned.
214Storeetllr
>213 richardderus: I hope you enjoy her book(s), Richard. I really liked her first, which was part physics and part social commentary and part memoir, and am sure the second will be similarly thought-provoking.
ETA I follow her on Bluesky.
ETA I follow her on Bluesky.
215richardderus
>214 Storeetllr: I've followed her, too, thanks for letting me know.
216Storeetllr
>215 richardderus: My pleasure, Richard!
So, I've been MIA the past week with a lot going on, but I've gotten quite a bit of reading done, so that's good. Yesterday, we celebrated my daughter's birthday. I can't believe it's been more than 40 years since I brought home my little bundle of joy. Now she's the one with two now BIG bundles of joy (and chaos) and wondering how the years have passed so quickly. Anyway, it was a lovely celebration, which included her dad who is visiting from California, her bff and her bff's three kids, sushi from a really great place in town, and a towering, decadent red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Below is the card I painted for her, along with a bookmark now that she's started reading again. (I know I didn't do much reading when my daughter was little either. That's one of the things about having babies/little kids.) (The bookmark looks a bit dull because it's in a plastic sleeve.)
I'm listening to The Astral Library and, at 72% of the way through, just don't want to go back to it again. It's a really great concept - I mean, who wouldn't love walking through a door of your local library and finding oneself in a magical library where books are semi-sentient, ghosts who can't "move on" because they didn't finish their TBR list and are sticking around in the Astral Library reading the books they didn't get to while they were still alive, and you can go live in the (public-domain) book of your choice as long as you want? I mean, seriously. The first part of the book was wonderful, but then it started getting weird, and I don't mean fun weird. I mean stupid weird. Among other things, it's another one of those "run for your life but first let's kiss and angst over whether he luvvvvvs you" books. I mean, really?
I also stalled at 22% of The Harlow Hoyden (sorry Richard). The main character is just too much, as is the premise, and I am apparently not able to deal with it just now. I don't care much for the narrator, either, whose one of those shrill over-the-top emo readers.
I'm probably going to move on to the third volume of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion and/or the latest St. Cyr historical mystery When the Wolves Are Silent. I've been enjoying these mysteries since around 2011 after the Columbian woman I was tutoring at the library in reading (also in ESL) gifted me with What Angels Fear, the first book in the series.
So, I've been MIA the past week with a lot going on, but I've gotten quite a bit of reading done, so that's good. Yesterday, we celebrated my daughter's birthday. I can't believe it's been more than 40 years since I brought home my little bundle of joy. Now she's the one with two now BIG bundles of joy (and chaos) and wondering how the years have passed so quickly. Anyway, it was a lovely celebration, which included her dad who is visiting from California, her bff and her bff's three kids, sushi from a really great place in town, and a towering, decadent red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. Below is the card I painted for her, along with a bookmark now that she's started reading again. (I know I didn't do much reading when my daughter was little either. That's one of the things about having babies/little kids.) (The bookmark looks a bit dull because it's in a plastic sleeve.)
I'm listening to The Astral Library and, at 72% of the way through, just don't want to go back to it again. It's a really great concept - I mean, who wouldn't love walking through a door of your local library and finding oneself in a magical library where books are semi-sentient, ghosts who can't "move on" because they didn't finish their TBR list and are sticking around in the Astral Library reading the books they didn't get to while they were still alive, and you can go live in the (public-domain) book of your choice as long as you want? I mean, seriously. The first part of the book was wonderful, but then it started getting weird, and I don't mean fun weird. I mean stupid weird. Among other things, it's another one of those "run for your life but first let's kiss and angst over whether he luvvvvvs you" books. I mean, really?
I also stalled at 22% of The Harlow Hoyden (sorry Richard). The main character is just too much, as is the premise, and I am apparently not able to deal with it just now. I don't care much for the narrator, either, whose one of those shrill over-the-top emo readers.
I'm probably going to move on to the third volume of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion and/or the latest St. Cyr historical mystery When the Wolves Are Silent. I've been enjoying these mysteries since around 2011 after the Columbian woman I was tutoring at the library in reading (also in ESL) gifted me with What Angels Fear, the first book in the series.
217richardderus
>216 Storeetllr: Oh well, not every book is for every mood...and a reader makes all the difference in the experience's acceptability. Too bad, Lynn Messina might've made a better impression without an OTT emoter on the ear.
I love your daughter's card and bookmark! Lovely that she's out of the utterly all-consuming part of having kids at last. Now she gets to the worry-and-fret plateau that will be her home forevermore.
I love your daughter's card and bookmark! Lovely that she's out of the utterly all-consuming part of having kids at last. Now she gets to the worry-and-fret plateau that will be her home forevermore.
218msf59
Hi, Mary. I hope you finally got some peace & quiet after your marathon with the grands. We are gearing up for our trip and leave on Thursday. Too bad about The Astral Library. I was looking forward to that one.
219jessibud2
Mary, the card and bookmark are gorgeous! Happy birthday to your daughter!
And I agree that the narrator of audiobooks can make or break a story. A good one can make even a mediocre story worth sticking with but a lousy (or grating) narrator can ruin even the best story. And not all authors are good narrators but some are (Bill Bryson, Malcolm Gladwell, Elizabeth Berg, Simon Winchester, are a few who come to mind off the top of my head as great narrators of their own works).
And I agree that the narrator of audiobooks can make or break a story. A good one can make even a mediocre story worth sticking with but a lousy (or grating) narrator can ruin even the best story. And not all authors are good narrators but some are (Bill Bryson, Malcolm Gladwell, Elizabeth Berg, Simon Winchester, are a few who come to mind off the top of my head as great narrators of their own works).
220AMQS
Hi Mary I LOVE reading all about how wonderful (and beautiful) your library is! They really are the best, aren't they?
222vancouverdeb
>216 Storeetllr: What a beautiful card and bookmark, Mary. I agree with you, the narrator can make or break an audio book.
223Storeetllr
>217 richardderus: So true, Richard! I think I would like the book as text rather than on audio, but unfortunately my eyes are just not up for sustained reading.
Thanks! And yes, you're right, she's going from the all-consuming caretaking part of having kids to the worry-and-fret phase. I just hope there are few out-and-out blowups during their preteen/teen years. And, if there are, I will not whisper "karma" under my breath just loud enough so she can hear it. :D
Thanks! And yes, you're right, she's going from the all-consuming caretaking part of having kids to the worry-and-fret phase. I just hope there are few out-and-out blowups during their preteen/teen years. And, if there are, I will not whisper "karma" under my breath just loud enough so she can hear it. :D
224Storeetllr
>220 AMQS: Yes! Every library I have ever visited has been wonderful in its own way.
225Storeetllr
>218 msf59: Hey, Mark! Since I live with them, there is seldom real peace and quiet, except when they go away for the weekend. :D But I wouldn't have it any other way.
I bet you are beyond excited! I can't wait to hear about your trip and see pics of Portugal!
As for The Astral Library, as Richard would say, YMMV.
I bet you are beyond excited! I can't wait to hear about your trip and see pics of Portugal!
As for The Astral Library, as Richard would say, YMMV.
226Storeetllr
>219 jessibud2: Thanks so much, Shelley! I'll give her your felicitations.
Agree about narrators. I can usually manage to get through an audiobook with a disagreeable narrator if the story is interesting enough and I'm determined enough, but when both are annoying? Nope. Too much else out there to stick with an unpleasant experience, especially at my age. (I did identify with the ghost who had been in the Astral Library for decades trying to finish War and Peace before moving on.)
As for authors reading their own books, I agree on Bryson, but haven't listened to the others you mentioned. I would add John Green (who read Everything Is Tuberculosis), Amanda Montell (who read Wordslut), Jenny Larson (who read Broken in the Best Possible Way). I also like Neil deGrass Tyson and the disgraced author who wrote Neverwhere whose name I will not say. Strangely enough, Stephen King, an author whose voice is horrendous, read On Writing, and I really liked it! I will note that most of the books read by their authors are nonfiction.
Agree about narrators. I can usually manage to get through an audiobook with a disagreeable narrator if the story is interesting enough and I'm determined enough, but when both are annoying? Nope. Too much else out there to stick with an unpleasant experience, especially at my age. (I did identify with the ghost who had been in the Astral Library for decades trying to finish War and Peace before moving on.)
As for authors reading their own books, I agree on Bryson, but haven't listened to the others you mentioned. I would add John Green (who read Everything Is Tuberculosis), Amanda Montell (who read Wordslut), Jenny Larson (who read Broken in the Best Possible Way). I also like Neil deGrass Tyson and the disgraced author who wrote Neverwhere whose name I will not say. Strangely enough, Stephen King, an author whose voice is horrendous, read On Writing, and I really liked it! I will note that most of the books read by their authors are nonfiction.
227Storeetllr
>221 witchyrichy: Thanks, Karen! I do love painting sunflowers!
And the pics don't really do justice to the library. I'm going to take the kids there later this afternoon to pick up some books, and I imagine they're going to want to visit the old part again. Oh! That reminds me: I've got to put a bag of books together to drop off for the semi-annual used book sale. Tomorrow's the last day.
And the pics don't really do justice to the library. I'm going to take the kids there later this afternoon to pick up some books, and I imagine they're going to want to visit the old part again. Oh! That reminds me: I've got to put a bag of books together to drop off for the semi-annual used book sale. Tomorrow's the last day.
228Storeetllr
>222 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah! She liked it enough she wants to frame it. That makes me so happy!
Sometimes I wonder how certain narrators were chosen. Did the author or publisher even listen to them read? Are there auditions? There should be.
Sometimes I wonder how certain narrators were chosen. Did the author or publisher even listen to them read? Are there auditions? There should be.
229richardderus
>223 Storeetllr: I am absolutely on board with the whisper! I only hope we're All still around, this yam-hoo of a scummy eejit won't necessarily be the last vile warmongering fool "They" will install in the clearly purchaseable presidency. xo
230Storeetllr
>229 richardderus: I have to bite my tongue more than once when I'm with the whole family. lol I had dinner with them last night, her dad's last night here, and after dinner she relaxed on the couch with a book while my son-in-law cleared the table. She didn't get a lot of reading done, as the kids wouldn't leave her alone, but she managed a page.
I'm off all social media today (except LT), first because of the May Day protest and second because I just can't take reading about it anymore. I'm so afraid for the future. xoxo
I'm off all social media today (except LT), first because of the May Day protest and second because I just can't take reading about it anymore. I'm so afraid for the future. xoxo
231richardderus
>230 Storeetllr: Yes indeed, fearful for the future, and for the very idea of human decency. I expect it will just get worse and worse as time goes by because the human animal is a rotten-souled sleazy bastard au fond.
232Storeetllr
April Roundup
Number of books read: 10
Genres:
Fantasy 2
Mystery 3
Romantic fiction 2
Nonfiction 3
-History 1
-Science 1
-Biography 1
Original reads 5
Rereads 5
Favorite book of the month
Original Read: The Edge of Space-time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Ph.D. 5 stars. Audio. I wish I could say I comprehended all the scientific concepts contained in the book, but alas! There are some ideas that are simply too complex for my old brain to grasp. Even so, the way the author - a theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist - explained them helped with more than a few that had previously been a complete mystery to me. I will still need to reread this a couple of times, and you may think that would be a burden, but no! Prescod-Weinstein's writing is a joy, even when the subject is quantum physics, including formulae. Even when the subject is slavery, colonialism, genocide, wealth inequity, war, unethical uses of science by greedy men, lack of diversity in the scientific community, global climate change, or the current U.S. regime and the terrible things it is perpetrating on the scientific community, the country and the world. This is a worthy follow-up to The Disordered Cosmos. Highly recommended. I really liked the narrator Joniece Abbot-Pratt.
Reread: Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. 5 stars. Audio. Reread. I needed this. It's been a rough couple of weeks, and this gentle romance was a welcome balm. I love the characters and the way they blossom under the warm sun of Italy almost as much as I love the descriptions of the villa. It's a different world today, of course, with attitudes and social mores that have changed radically, so I understand why some might dislike the apparent need of the women for a man to make them whole. But I think it's more than that. This is 1922. The women have lives they must return to, and that includes husbands, suitors, parents. One of the women, Lotty, realizes that, just as she has started to cast off her unhappiness and fear and begun to transform in the beauty of the villa's fragrant gardens and surrounding countryside, so may her companions, and so may her husband and her friend Rose's husband. As Wikipedia put it: "the novel celebrates the restorative power of beauty, friendship, and self-discovery, suggesting that a change of place, and perspective, can gently but profoundly transform lives." That's my take on it. YMMV. I liked the reader (Lucy Scott) more than Nadia May who narrates the more available audiobook.
Honorable Mentions:
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 2 by Beth Brower.
Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant.
Number of books read: 10
Genres:
Fantasy 2
Mystery 3
Romantic fiction 2
Nonfiction 3
-History 1
-Science 1
-Biography 1
Original reads 5
Rereads 5
Favorite book of the month
Original Read: The Edge of Space-time by Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, Ph.D. 5 stars. Audio. I wish I could say I comprehended all the scientific concepts contained in the book, but alas! There are some ideas that are simply too complex for my old brain to grasp. Even so, the way the author - a theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist - explained them helped with more than a few that had previously been a complete mystery to me. I will still need to reread this a couple of times, and you may think that would be a burden, but no! Prescod-Weinstein's writing is a joy, even when the subject is quantum physics, including formulae. Even when the subject is slavery, colonialism, genocide, wealth inequity, war, unethical uses of science by greedy men, lack of diversity in the scientific community, global climate change, or the current U.S. regime and the terrible things it is perpetrating on the scientific community, the country and the world. This is a worthy follow-up to The Disordered Cosmos. Highly recommended. I really liked the narrator Joniece Abbot-Pratt.
Reread: Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. 5 stars. Audio. Reread. I needed this. It's been a rough couple of weeks, and this gentle romance was a welcome balm. I love the characters and the way they blossom under the warm sun of Italy almost as much as I love the descriptions of the villa. It's a different world today, of course, with attitudes and social mores that have changed radically, so I understand why some might dislike the apparent need of the women for a man to make them whole. But I think it's more than that. This is 1922. The women have lives they must return to, and that includes husbands, suitors, parents. One of the women, Lotty, realizes that, just as she has started to cast off her unhappiness and fear and begun to transform in the beauty of the villa's fragrant gardens and surrounding countryside, so may her companions, and so may her husband and her friend Rose's husband. As Wikipedia put it: "the novel celebrates the restorative power of beauty, friendship, and self-discovery, suggesting that a change of place, and perspective, can gently but profoundly transform lives." That's my take on it. YMMV. I liked the reader (Lucy Scott) more than Nadia May who narrates the more available audiobook.
Honorable Mentions:
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord.
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 2 by Beth Brower.
Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant.
233Copperskye
Good morning, Mary! It looks like you had a very good, and varied, reading month! I read The Enchanted April a few years ago and absolutely loved it. The audio version would be a perfect way to revisit it.
Happy May Day!
Happy May Day!
234Storeetllr
>233 Copperskye: Happy May Day to you too, Joanne!
The Enchanted April is a perennial favorite that I reread, rewatch, or relisten to every April. This year it was a welcome change from all the gloom and doom.
The Enchanted April is a perennial favorite that I reread, rewatch, or relisten to every April. This year it was a welcome change from all the gloom and doom.
235vancouverdeb
>228 Storeetllr: I wonder how narrators are chosen too, Mary. Some are great or even perfect for the books and others very off putting.
236Storeetllr
>231 richardderus: Hi, Richard! I almost missed you up there. So sorry.
It's painful to see the depths to which people I heretofore respected and looked up to have gone, the way they talk about and treat others. I guess the proclivity was always there; they just didn't feel comfortable showing it. Now that the orange beast has lowered the bar so far, they feel they are allowed to let it out. Sometimes I despair.
It's painful to see the depths to which people I heretofore respected and looked up to have gone, the way they talk about and treat others. I guess the proclivity was always there; they just didn't feel comfortable showing it. Now that the orange beast has lowered the bar so far, they feel they are allowed to let it out. Sometimes I despair.
237Storeetllr
>235 vancouverdeb: It's a real puzzle!
BTW, one of my favorite Spanish words is rompecabezas, which means puzzles. It literally means break heads.
BTW, one of my favorite Spanish words is rompecabezas, which means puzzles. It literally means break heads.
238richardderus
>236 Storeetllr: I quibble only with "sometimes" in that sentence.
239Storeetllr
>238 richardderus: {{{hugs}}}
240The_Hibernator
>237 Storeetllr: That's a pretty cool word!
241DeltaQueen50
Hi Mary. That sunflower card and bookmark are fantastic. You are so talented. We celebrated my hubby's 84h birthday today with a brunch out with the oldest daughter. She also brought us a huge boquet of lilacs which are now perfuming the apartment. My grandson's birthday was yesterday and lilacs always make me think of him.
242Storeetllr
>240 The_Hibernator: Right?!
>241 DeltaQueen50: A belated happy birthday to your hubby! And oh! lilacs! One of my very favorite fragrances! Last fall, I bought a lilac bush and left it over the winter in its pot, meaning to plant it in early spring. We never really got an early spring, and then it started to bud, so I didn't get to transplant it before it flowered. We got a lot of beautiful clusters of flowers, what with the cold and snow over the winter, and I'm hoping to get it into the ground early in the fall.
>241 DeltaQueen50: A belated happy birthday to your hubby! And oh! lilacs! One of my very favorite fragrances! Last fall, I bought a lilac bush and left it over the winter in its pot, meaning to plant it in early spring. We never really got an early spring, and then it started to bud, so I didn't get to transplant it before it flowered. We got a lot of beautiful clusters of flowers, what with the cold and snow over the winter, and I'm hoping to get it into the ground early in the fall.
243Storeetllr
I haven't posted a review lately, so here's the mini-review of my 50th book of the year.
50. Platform Decay by Martha Wells. 5 stars. This may be my favorite Murderbot novella yet. It starts out smack in the midst of the action, as many of Wells' books do, and it took me awhile to figure out what was going on. Turns out...well, not sure I should give any details, as it's a novella, and it would be too easy to give away too much. Let me just say that I love this one. Many characters from earlier stories show up, and some new ones, one of them an elderly woman from Preservation and a few of them children, and the interactions between those characters and MB are both hilarious and touching. An old adversary makes an appearance, plus a bunch of new corporate villains, and there is pretty much nonstop action, but the star of the show is, as always, Murderbot. Its interior monologue had me laughing out loud and also tearing up all through the nearly 6-hour audiobook. Kevin R. Free does a stellar job narrating. A satisfying read altogether, and I'll definitely be rereading it really soon.
50. Platform Decay by Martha Wells. 5 stars. This may be my favorite Murderbot novella yet. It starts out smack in the midst of the action, as many of Wells' books do, and it took me awhile to figure out what was going on. Turns out...well, not sure I should give any details, as it's a novella, and it would be too easy to give away too much. Let me just say that I love this one. Many characters from earlier stories show up, and some new ones, one of them an elderly woman from Preservation and a few of them children, and the interactions between those characters and MB are both hilarious and touching. An old adversary makes an appearance, plus a bunch of new corporate villains, and there is pretty much nonstop action, but the star of the show is, as always, Murderbot. Its interior monologue had me laughing out loud and also tearing up all through the nearly 6-hour audiobook. Kevin R. Free does a stellar job narrating. A satisfying read altogether, and I'll definitely be rereading it really soon.
244vancouverdeb
>242 Storeetllr: The lilacs look lovely, Mary.
245Storeetllr
>244 vancouverdeb: They did. I took those pics on April 17. They are just about over now. :( I really enjoyed them while they were in full bloom though! Their fragrance scented the air all around.
This topic was continued by Mary’s (Storeetllr's) Happy Place 2.
