Humouress sweltering in the tropics - second quarter 2026

Welcome to my thread. I'm Nina, currently living in Singapore with my husband, my two boys and - the star of the show - Jasper their/ our dog. My sons are @superboy - but, sadly, he's given up reading though he used to be keen - and @firelion; for Christmas 2021 they got Kindles in my desperate hope to use their love of technology to 'rekindle' their love of reading but ...



I met the 75 book challenge in 2020, for the first time since joining the Challenge in 2010 and exceeded it, finally reading 89 books in the year. In 2021 I made it again and read 92 books. I started a new hobby during the pandemic; I bought a die machine and started making birthday cards for family and friends as a hobby; it takes a lot longer than it looks like it does to put them together so it cuts into my reading time (I really should try more audio books) but I'm enjoying the creative process. I did actually manage to read (exactly) 75 books in 2025 - the first time I've met the challenge in a non-pandemic year.

My preferred reading genres are fantasy and sci-fi with a touch of golden age humour, mysteries and the occasional school story though I'll venture further afield (very) occasionally; after the pandemic, I'm giving romance a bit more leeway, though it's been hit and miss. I also have a heap of cookbooks which, really, I ought to crack open and experiment with. We renovated our kitchen in 2023 and I do manage to try out a few recipes at Christmas time; generally I'm more of a baker so cakes and biscuits. I've finally been allowed off the carnivore diet for my skin issues though I think I might still follow it somewhat (I want to sample my experiments, after all) because I did lose weight on it (no carbs).

With superboy moving overseas I've done some travelling in the last few years and had some LT meetups. It's been lovely to meet people face to face that I've been talking to online for so long. In February this year I caught up with Paul (Cranswick) in Kuala Lumpur.



So here's to more LT meet-ups and another 75 (at least) books this year! 🥂

>2 humouress: ticker & covers (this thread)

>3 humouress: books (this thread; 2nd quarter) June
>4 humouress: May
>5 humouress: April
>6 humouress: books (1st quarter)January - March

>7 humouress: constellation
>8 humouress: icons

>9 humouress: series to continue
>10 humouress: bookmarks & book bullets
>11 humouress: reviews outstanding

>12 humouress: Alphabetical roots
>13 humouress: Acquisitions for the year

>15 humouress: welcome in!

2025 threads
1️⃣ 75 Challenge Humouress hops Down Undah in 2025 - first thread
4️⃣ 75 Challenge Humouress at home for the holidays - fourth thread
🌳 ROOTs humouress ROOTing (and re-ROOTing) in 2025
🐉 Green Dragon Humouress popping in and out of the pub in 2025

ticker & covers (this thread)


Books read; target 75


Days in 2026



April

Books (second 2026 thread) 2nd quarter April - June

review posted/ rated/ written/ read/ (released)
✔ /  / (#) / Title

June
 
 23) The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown (2024)
 22) 16 Forever by Lance Rubin
 21) Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye (1957)

Books (second 2026 thread) 2nd quarter April - June

review posted/ rated/ written/ read/ (released)
✔ /  / (#) / Title

May

 20) On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers (1988)
 19) Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart (1991)

Books (second 2026 thread) 2nd quarter April - June

review posted/ rated/ written/ read/ (released)
✔ /  / (#) / Title

April

 18) The Midwatch by Judith Rossell (2024)
 17) Murder at Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer (2021)
 16) The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen (2020)
 15) The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman (2026)
 14) The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer (2019)
 13) Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko (2020)

Books (first 2026 thread) 1st quarter January - March

review posted/ rated/ written/ read/ (released)
✔ /  / (#) / Title

March

 12) First Class Murder by Robin Stevens
 11) Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
 10) Innocence Lost by Patty Jensen
 9) The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig (2025)
 8) Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

February

 7) Spring Tides at Swallowtail Bay by Katie Ginger (2020)
6) Plum Duff by Victoria Goddard
✔        5) Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran (2022)
 4) Love in a Mist by Victoria Goddard
January

 3) Sinister Stranger at St Brides by Debbie Young
 2) Honor Among Thieves by James A. Corey
 1) Blackcurrant Fool by Victoria Goddard

The constellation:

  You have got to read this one!                           
  Really good; worth reading                                 
     Good, but without that special 'something' for me   
      Very nice, but a few issues                                    
         An enjoyable book                                                   
         Um, okay. Has some redeeming qualities                   
              Writing is hard. I appreciate the work the author did    
             (haven't met one - yet)                                              
                  Dire                                                                            
                  Rated only as a warning. Run away. Don't stop.              

Purple stars, from Robin's thread:

5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5

Robin has made coloured stars for me (happy dance) and the codes are now enshrined in my profile.

7/17 icons

icons/ library holds



Reading at home :

Kindle :

Downtime : Skulduggery Pleasant

Sometimes I make notes on Litsy (also as humouress) as I'm reading so I tuck them in after my reviews.

school parents' Book club (on holiday)(it seems to have faltered)

SF/F Book club Six of Crows (we haven't had a chance to meet & discuss for a while)(this was pre-pre covid; doesn't look like it's gonna happen)

online story

LT Early Reviewers

e-book

audio book

own book/ ROOTs (Read Our Own Tomes)

Overdrive start line & bookmarks:

 
The Tiger's Daughter
The Game of Kings


Holds
{none}

Holds released:
(The Storyteller’s Death
Psalm for the Wild-built
Lost Tribe of the Sith
Things in Jars
Dune)

 

Holds
The Whispering Skull

Holds released:
(The Librarian of Crooked Lane)



Holds
{none}

Holds released:
(Daughter of the Moon Goddess)

Litsy Notes
The Husbands
Call of the Sword

Libraries:

       

(Hornsby, Kuringai)

9/17 - series to continue

10/17 - bookmarks & book bullets

March 2026
7, 8, 9, 10

February 2026
4, 6

January 2026
1, 2, 3

12 - Alphabetical roots

13 - Acquisitions for the year

14 - (just in case)

13) Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko

{first in series; fantasy, multi ethnic, magic, elementals}(2020)

really enjoyed this one.

Tarisai is a girl who has been raised almost in isolation except for occasional tutors and a mostly absentee mother who trained her to become a Raybearer; one of the crown prince’s council of eleven who will succeed as the next government and who are connected by a ray which, amongst other things, gives them the power to communicate telepathically.

But Tarisai’s mother, known only as The Lady, has borne for the purpose of bringing down the emperor and his council from the inside.

can she overcome her upbringing and change everyone's lives for the better?

(April 2026)
4.5 stars ****

The fortress had twenty pristine bedchambers, and we used every single one for storage. Sleeping separately, after all, meant eight hours apart, and the resulting nausea of council sickness was too steep a price. Instead we slept on the floor of the keep banquet hall, rolling out pallets as we had in the Children’s Palace and snoring together in a sweaty pile.

Happy new thread, Nina!

>17 quondame: Thank you Susan!

Happy new-thread wishes, Nina!

>19 richardderus: Thank you Richard!

Happy new thread, Nina!

Happy new thread, Nina!

Happy new thread, Nina!

Happy new one, neightbour!

>21 Familyhistorian: Thank you Meg!

>22 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>23 atozgrl: Thank you Irene! (I just caught up with another Irene at RDA this morning.)

>24 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

So - how about that return visit? ;0)

Happy new thread Nina! I hope you have some great books to report on!

Happy new thread, Nina.

Happy new thread, Nina!

Happy new thread!

>30 BLBera: Thank you Beth!

>31 Dejah_Thoris: Thanks Dejah!

>32 foggidawn: Thank you foggi!

It looks like these guys are back; or at least some members of the family. This was the photo I took last year (in May) of a green necked pink-necked green pigeon mum and chicks. This year the chicks are younger, but then it is April.

ETA - correct name

>36 humouress: What an interesting mix of avian and architecture!

>27 humouress: Oh, nice! There aren't that many of us. At least, it's not a common name over here.

>37 quondame: Thank you :0)

They're sitting on my balcony railing (with the big curlicues) with our neighbour's gate (across our garden and the road) behind them.

>38 atozgrl: Oh really? I wouldn't have thought that 'Irene' was that unusual.

>36 humouress: I looked up because one of the babies was flapping against the wall, probably trying to sit on the door lintel which is too narrow, but then it decided to go to the camellia bush which is on the balcony. But then the mynahs, which usually pop over to browse through the plants, decided to get territorial. I realised that both chicks were in the bush but the mynahs called up reinforcements and chased them off.

...

Looks like the pigeons are back, with a parent to supervise.

There's one mynah, chuckling away on my balcony, that still seems bothered that the pigeons are sitting in the camellia bush.

Oh, and a bulbul has dropped in to visit too.

>36 humouress: Nice picture Nina!

>43 The_Hibernator: Thanks Rachel!

14) The Unlikely Life of Maisie Meadows by Jenni Keer

{stand alone; family, Suffolk, rural England, auction house setting, magical realism, romance}(2019)

Maisie has just joined an auction house as their head of marketing (staff of one) after quitting her previous job after finding her boss/ boyfriend kissing someone else. She comes across an unusual teapot that used to belong to her elderly neighbour Meredith and, remembering a legend attached to it coupled with the fact that she always gets goosebumps in its presence, starts to believe it can help bring her dysfunctional family + currently scattered across the globe, back together again. Along the way she learns the stories of the Mayhew sisters, of whom her neighbour was the eldest.

A gently paced book. I enjoyed the English setting - maybe a personal thing. I liked the side cast; I felt they were well rounded out.

(April 2026)
3.5 ***

I’m fairly certain tea got the British population through two World Wars and the Thatcher years.’ (Meredith says)

He was an excellent listener and it was important to have something to talk to, even if it was a four-inch lump of hyperactive fluff that had Olympic-level gymnastic aspirations. (Nigel, Maisie’s hamster )

>36 humouress: I much prefer your green pigeons to the only ones I've seen here (grey). I think we must have nests in some of the large trees visible from our garden but not seen any evidence beyond the parents coming back and forth to our feeders.

>46 charl08: We do have the ubiquitous grey pigeons here (I call them 'London pigeons' because that's where I first saw them) though they're a mix of grey, white, black and brown in various proportions. But the pink-necked green pigeons (I realise I misnamed them in my earlier post) are pretty.

This is the picture from Wikipedia of a male pigeon:



The family seems to take an outing to my balcony of an afternoon; the babies with a parent en garde. I think their nest is close by, in the creepers in my garden (which isn't very large).

Happy New Thread

Belated happy new thread, Nina! Love your green pigeons :)

>36 humouress: I like your pigeon visitors. >47 humouress: The male is very pretty indeed. I wouldn't mind seeing them here, though they obviously don't live in my side of the world.

>45 humouress: That sounds like a very gentle and pleasant read - I'll keep it in reserve for when I need just that!

And your pigeons are very pretty!

>48 elorin: Thanks Robyn!

>49 curioussquared: Thanks Natalie!

I take full credit for the pigeons ;0)

>50 atozgrl: Thanks Irene.

Yes, I'm afraid the pink necked green pigeon is native to South-east Asia.

>51 Dejah_Thoris: It was a gentle read Dejah. I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

The pigeons are cute. The other day I saw the mum and at least one chick in the window box on the other corner of the house - maybe the mynahs chased them away from the balcony. I didn't want to look too closely for the other chick in case I scared them.

15) The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman

{stand alone; urban fantasy, library, words, romance} (2026)

This was (another!) gentle story about Stella, who moved back to her home town when her dad fell ill and took a job at the library that she was overqualified for. Though she feels fulfilled, her brother feels that she's treading water and Arnie, her boss, keeps putting college brochures in front of her. Then she starts hearing voices in the library after hours when there shouldn't be anyone there and discovers that Arnie has been keeping a secret from her.

This was an enjoyable story and an intriguing concept. The words that Stella (but no one else) can see were interesting though I couldn't always relate them to the situation. As the story starts Stella is angry because her boyfriend recently left her but we weren't really told why - though, I suppose, he didn't really tell her why either. There were some word choices that tripped me up (like 'he walked towards her and slipped on his glasses'). There's a romance but it is closed door.

(April 2026)
3.5***

Quote

Dedication To you, the one who’s always wanted to have a slumber party in the library and magic your favorite fictional character out of a book. I’ll bring the snacks.

Litsy notes

I‘m up to ch 7 of 26 and, though it‘s not slow, I‘m still waiting to find out why her boyfriend dumped her, what happened with her mother, why does she see words and how does that work - but most of all, where are these characters who inhabit the library, as the blurb promised?

16) The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen

{second in Bridge Kingdom; fantasy, adventure, kingdoms}(2020)

Lara has fulfilled her father's mission and betrayed the kingdom of Ithicana but now regrets her actions. But her husband Aren, king of Ithicana, has been captured by the Madrinians. Lara has to earn forgiveness from him and the Ithicanans and I couldn't see how they would reach their happily ever after together.

Lots of action and derring-do especially by Lara and her sisters. And, of course, a bedroom scene. Told in third person from Aren's and Lara's points of view in alternating chapters.

(April 2026)
3-3.5****

>36 humouress: Glad the pigeons are back! I think they're very cute.

>58 norabelle414: Thank you :0)

There seem to be several around, so maybe more than one member/ pair have returned. I've seen one bird chasing another away on occasion.

17) Murder at Wedgefield Manor by Erica Ruth Neubauer

{second of 7+1? In Jane Wunderly series; England, 1926, murder, mystery, historical fiction, romance}(2021)

Egypt 1926:

told in first person POV by Jane Wunderly, a young American widow. set in 1926, following on a few months after the first book. Jane is staying at the country estate of Lord Edward Hughes, where she is also learning to fly a de Haviland Moth. Unfortunately one of the staff is killed in a car crash and it is very quickly apparent that the car was sabotaged. Naturally Jane investigates. Her romantic interest, Redvers, just happens to turn up and helps with the detecting.

Though it was after the Great War, I thought it odd that Jane dressed herself and didn't have a maid to help her, in the house of a member of the peerage.

Gentle but fun.

(April 2026)
3.5***

litsy

Enjoying this. Gently paced between-the-wars mystery; I'm not in a rush to finish it except that there's someone waiting for this e-library book. Continues a few months after the 1st book (which was set in 1926); a young American widow staying at an English baron's estate & a maybe romantic interest.
I do keep stubbing my toes on expressions which possibly were used because they're a bit old fashioned but don't quite slot in.

I think I saw a tiny monitor lizard crossing my lawn this afternoon. When I say tiny, I mean about twice the size of the standard garden lizard. I was trying to get a better look at it from inside the house but I think it spotted me because it froze and it obviously wasn't going to move while it could still see me, so I gave up on trying to identify it.

>61 humouress: You have such interesting wild visitors, Nina!

>61 humouress: So cool!

>62 atozgrl: >63 Dejah_Thoris: Thank you, ladies :0)

When I first came to Singapore we lived in an apartment, so we had far fewer visitors; mainly birds. When we were looking for somewhere to move to, I loved it here because it's right on the edge of the catchment area for the reservoirs so there's much more greenery here than you get in the majority of Singapore, which is dense urban sprawl.

And for some reason, for the first year whenever we had guests over for dinner (only a few times), we always seemed to get mini visitors. Once, I remember, we had a pair of frogs just inside the front door.

This afternoon while I was having brunch some olive-backed sunbirds visited my heliconias. They're tiny, similar to hummingbirds (I suspect - I don't think I've seen a hummingbird in real life) but they land on flowers to drink nectar with their long, scimitar-shaped beaks. One male came along to have a drink from the heliconias (I have both upright and crabclaws, which hang down). After he left, another one came along but he was enthusiastically chased off by (I suspect) a third male.

Sunbirds (and bulbuls) seem to get on with humans and often nest close to houses. I had hanging baskets outside our windows when we lived in an apartment and one pair built a nest, which hangs down, on one of those. We were in New York at the time (about 23 years ago), so we weren't here to disturb them. But we also had a pair that nested right outside the front door of our house (about 18 years ago) so I always tiptoed past, and a nest on my study balcony a couple of years ago. My neighbour told me that there's a Sri Lankan superstition that if birds nest close to the house it means the (human) occupants are going to have a baby; there may be something to that ;0)

>65 humouress: Great story, Nina! And I love hummingbirds, but have never seen an olive-backed sunbirds. They look charming.

>66 Dejah_Thoris: This is a photo of the male and female olive-backed (or yellow-bellied) sunbirds from the internet:



ETA: they're sitting on a heliconia flower.

18) The Midwatch by Judith Rossell
aka The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls

{stand-alone?; children's, steampunk, adventure, orphanage, boarding school, friendships, teamwork}

loved this! I hope there are more books in this series to come. written and illustrated by an Australian author.

told in 3rd person from Maggie's point of view. We join her and Sister Immaculata as she's being taken to the Midwatch Institute for Orphans, Runaways and Unwanted Girls because, as one of the least-promising girls in her orphanage she had been headed for a job in the fish cannery until she pushed the owner's son into the water for bullying other children. There are two other girls waiting and it looks a dreary place, with girls in grey uniforms marching sombrely past.

But as soon as Sister I leaves the gloomy organ music that has been playing erupts into fireworks and Maggie, Nell and Sophie discover that they will be joining the first years and learning Useful things, such as Hiding, Fencing and Safe-cracking.

Soon a mystery is brought to the Institute and despite their new friend, Harriet's, despair that the second years get to work on it, Nell (who taught herself to read when she wasn't allowed to go to school) works out a clue which results in the first years also getting to work on the mystery. So, in between lessons and pretending to be miserable when they have visitors such as the Inspector of Orphanages, Maggie and her friends work on the mystery and have adventures in the city.

Set in an alternative steampunk universe with airships (and telephone booths), maybe similar to our 1920s-30s; possibly a German city since the roads and buildings have German-sounding names.

Rollicking good fun. Recommended.

(April 2026)
5*****

litsy

OMG, this is so much fun! I‘m only on ch 6 of 37 but I‘m loving it so far. The illustrations are simple but very expressive. And I do like the way each chapter ends with a diagram of something ‘useful every girl should know‘ such as Morse code or how to dance the Charleston.

Full of obscure … er, useful German phrases such as: In Ihrem Akkordeon ist ein kleines Feuer. (There is a small fire in your accordion)

I might buy this book for myself just for the ‘useful things every girl should know‘ section at the end of each chapter.

Quotes:

‘Crumbs, Herr Schnecke, you are the camel’s corset.’
‘And that is a good thing?’ he asked.
‘The best,’ said Harriet.

Bedauerlicherweise ist der Konzertflügel im Treibsand verschwunden

Regrettably, the grand piano has disappeared into the quicksand.

ETA: I think this was a BB from @foggidawn

>68 humouress: Glad you liked it! I thought it was a lot of fun, too.

>68 humouress: The Midwatch sounds a hoot!

>68 humouress: This sounds brilliant! What age group would you say it's suitable for? My goddaughters are (nearly) 11 and (nearly) 14 and it sounds like their kind of thing.

>71 Sakerfalcon: I think it would be great for them. There is a night monster that scratches people up but, though some people go to hospital, nobody dies. There's one scene at the end where the girls are helping each other escape from the monster but I don't think it's too scary - just exciting - and the book is described as being aimed at middle grade.

>69 foggidawn: Thanks for the BB ;0)

>70 quondame: It is a hoot!

>72 humouress: Thank you, that's really helpful!

>75 Sakerfalcon: You're welcome. I hope they enjoy it ;0)

19) Eight Skilled Gentlemen by Barry Hughart

{Third of 3 in Chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox; fantasy, alternative Ancient China, legends, magic, Forbidden Palace}(1991)

Third and last of the Chronicles; as ridiculous fun as ever. Disreputable sage Li-Tzu is called in by his old friend and teacher the Celestial Master to investigate some odd goings on - and find even more, even odder things happening including old legends coming to life (again). Lots of fun (and too hard to explain). The 'eight skilled gentlemen' of the title belong, according to this story, to the pantheon of gods of the aboriginal people who lived around Peking before the people who became the Chinese invaded and were absorbed (by agreement in heaven) into the Chinese pantheon.

There are strings of names and dishes purportedly translated from Chinese but I don't know (and am not too fussed) about their authenticity; this book was published first in 1990, almost a decade before Britain returned Hong Kong to China. The Wikipedia article on Hughart indicates that he spent a lot of time in Asia so I assume his research was thorough though, of course, some of the legends he uses in his stories he must have invented.

It starts with a beheading - or, rather, Master Li's and Ox's attendance at the beheading, which is interrupted by a vampire ghoul (as it would). And then they discover that it partially ate a mandarin (ie a palace official) and the Celestial Master seems to confess to the mandarin's murder, so Master Li starts to investigate and finds corrupt officials and a long-lost legend which seems to be connected to the drought and the sandy winds blowing in from Mongolia.

(May 2026)
4****

Quotes

Ch 1

Executions in Peking are public occasions, held at the Vegetable Market that forms the western boundary of Heaven’s Bridge, the criminal area of the city.

The answer wasn’t long in coming, because seven more figures were running slowly and exhaustedly through the Gate of Prolonged Righteousness. I recognized the one in the lead, Sergeant Hsienpo of the City Guard, with six of his men behind him. They were panting like a pack of winded hounds when they reached us, and dripping with perspiration. It was clear that the sergeant was delighted to find the monster dead, and almost equally delighted to find a First Rank official to take responsibility. He saluted Master Li smartly.

Ch 2

“It happened right before my eyes, and if something that horrible has to happen it’s just as well the victim was somebody like Ma Tuan Lin. Awful ass, you know, and a disgrace to scholarship,” the Celestial Master shouted.
From the sudden gleam in Master Li’s eyes I assumed he shared the Celestial Master’s opinion of the late Ma Tuan Lin, but he tried to be diplomatic.
“Oh, I don’t know. Ma had some good qualities when it came to research. It was only his conclusions that were idiotic.”
“Kao, you’re too damn generous!” the Celestial Master shouted. “He was a donkey from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, and his self-esteem was as bloated as was his body.

Ch 13:

The bright sunlight seemed to be swallowed by a long slitlike mouth as we climbed down a narrow ravine. Cicadas were demonstrating why they’re called “scissors grinders,” and lizards with eyes of coral and agate and turquoise practiced push-ups as they watched Yu Lan study the area’s feng-shui

Ch 15:

Ever hear of Ma before this mess?”
“The honor was never mine,” Yen Shih said.
“You were lucky,” said Master Li. “To know Ma was to invite ulcers.

>77 humouress: I read the first installment in that series & enjoyed it, but haven't gotten back to it.

>78 ChrisG1: The first is the only necessary one. As you know it is over the top great, and not much even gets close.

>78 ChrisG1: >79 quondame: It's been a while since I read the first (decades) and second (at least one decade) instalments in the series, so I didn't compare this one directly; and I'd forgotten a bit about Number Ten Ox's story.

>77 humouress: This series looks right up my alley, I'm surprised I've never heard of it!

>81 Ape: That is a bit surprising. Bridge of Birds was the first one, which was a lot of fun and keeps popping up. It won the Mythopoeic Award (comes back from checking) and was nominated for the World Fantasy Award. In 1986.

Welcome back Stephen! I hope you’re planning on staying this time.

20) On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers

This is not the book of the film but the book that the pirates of the Caribbean franchise was based on, and then gave its title to the 3rd film. We meet John Chandegnac, who used to be a puppeteer, as he is nearing Jamaica with the intention of recovering the fortune stolen from his father by his younger brother. On board is Beth Harwood, travelling with her father. But the ship is take by pirates and, having defied them, Chandegnac - now called Jack Shandy - is forced to join them.

Even though they are both, effectively. Captives he and Beth are attracted to each other but she has attracted the attention of sorcerous men - magic and voudon being alive and well in this part of the world at this time - one wants her to replace his mother, one wants her to replace her mother and one wants her as a source of magical power. After a visit to the Fountain of Youth Beth is subdued by sorcery and stolen away and Jack has to do his best to, working within the pirate code, to rescue her.

Descriptive and well written.

It’s not quite the same story as the films but you can see where the characters of Jack sparrow and will turner came from. The descriptions evoke a time of - not innocence, but when the world was less developed and industrialised. Excellent story, lots of swashbuckling. There is a fair bit of blood and gore but I got past it by not focusing on it. There are a few loose ends, possibly intentionally left hanging - maybe he intended a sequel?

Bb from the green dragon. Recommended

(May 2026)
4.5-5*****

Quotes:

Ch 2
“Ah, damn me,” remarked the toothless young man who was stumping along next to Chandagnac, “I smell some lively grub.” Chandagnac had gathered that this young man’s name was Skank.
The ship behind them groaned loudly as her timbers adjusted themselves to the new stresses, and birds—Chandagnac supposed they must be birds—cawed and yelled in the dim jungle.
“Lively’s the word,” Chandagnac agreed, reflecting that, considering the flames, smells and shouting up ahead, it seemed that the dinner being cooked was not only still alive, but unsubdued.

Ch28:

One of the clerks, prodded forward by his white-haired superior, approached the group. “Wh-what are you doing here?” he quavered. He stared in horror up at Woefully Fat. “What d-do you want?”
The Navy officer started to speak, but Woefully Fat’s earthquake-rumble voice easily overrode him. “Ah’m deaf, Ah cain’t hear,” the bocor announced.
The clerk paled and turned to his superior. “Oh, my God, sir, he says he’s going to defecate here!”
Chaos erupted on all sides as clerks and bookkeepers knocked over tables and inkstands in their frenzy to get to the doors—several simply leaped out of the windows—

>83 humouress: I do like Tim Power's books!

>84 quondame: Yes - a new author for me. I'll look out for more of his books.

>85 humouress: The Anubis Gates is so much a favorite. I like his Los Angeles/Las Vegas series The Fisher King trilogy.

>86 quondame: Thanks Susan; I was wondering where to jump in.

Well, I am only 80+ posts behind. Hopefully I will keep up with this thread better than I did the last!

>77 humouress: I love that series!

>83 humouress: Dodging that BB as I have already read it.

>88 alcottacre: Welcome back Stasia! Well, I'm threads behind with quite a few people and am slowly trying to catch up.

Darn, no BBs this time ;0)

Also catching up here! Let's see...I love hummingbirds and Tim Powers and you got me with >68 humouress: The Midwatch. : )

>90 Berly: Hi Kim!

Yay - a BB :0)

21) The Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye

I've gone from the East India Company in the West Indies to the East India Company in India. I didn't know that the Company (frequently referred to as 'John Company' in the story) administered India for a century until the Sepoy Mutiny - which this story centres on - in Victorian times, after which the Crown took over. The main part of the story takes place around 1856? (about a century before it was published) when Winter is 17 years old. Though I haven't read The Far Pavilions myself (I vaguely remember the mini-series showing on TV when I was still at school) I can see parallels to this story - the time period, the setting, a protagonist of English and Mediterranean descent whose early years in India enables them to pass as Indian if necessary)

After a brief recap about her immediate ancestors, this is the story of Winter de Ballesteros de los Aguilares who was born in India and returns there at seventeen. Her story forms the framework for Kaye to write about the mutiny. Alex Randall, the Commissioner of Lunjore's second in command who actually does the work of running the district, is her device to show us events leading up to the incidents.

Well written, though (since this was an e-library book) I hadn't realised that it's longer than my usual fare and for a few brief spells it dragged a bit, though it quickly picked up again. I have to confess, despite the mention of crinolines (usually being ditched because the hoops were too impractical) that in my minds eye the characters were probably more 1950s than 1850s.

The ending was a bit abrupt - Winter could hear the sounds of the rioting from her place of safety as it dragged on to a close and suddenly the book was over. I did wonder what direction her life would take and also - since she's the Condessa de Aguilares - about her Spanish inheritance, which we didn't hear much of after her parents died (which I thought was rather inconsiderate, of her father especially). There's a slight whiff of paranormal à la du Maurier. I didn’t think that the villain of the piece got his just comeuppance.

(June 2026)
4-4.5*****

Litsy notes

- Starts off with the story of Winter‘s immediate ancestors and mainly how they died in quick succession; the ladies mainly of childbirth (this being Regency times and recent history for Kaye). The opening passages of the book being about how she got her name, we know that her mother, too, died. Chapter 3 is about Sabrina, Winter‘s expectant mother… and I can‘t bear the tension. It‘s full of detailed descriptions of the city but I‘m biting my nails

- Well written, detailed and evocative; some passages suddenly have me seeing vistas in my mind‘s eye. She builds the tension well, constantly putting our heroine into danger and rescuing her at the last moment. Winter doesn‘t meet her intended (whom we know is an entirely unsuitable fortune hunter) until halfway through the book.

- Winter has been engaged since she was 11 to a man 26 years older but, going by the jacket blurb, she‘ll fall in love with someone else - but he‘s 29 to her 17. Doesn‘t appeal to the romantic in me 🤗

- (Phew - this book is at least twice as long as my usual fare, but it's keeping me engaged and wanting to know what happens next)
Winter is no damsel in distress - but she is a victim of circumstances, as a woman at the end of the C19th, with few rights of her own or relatives willing to support her (not helped by most of them having died off; see point 1)

- The photo is from our trip to the Alhambra in Granada, Spain last year. Not Victorian India but the architectural styles are derived from the same source - and Winter herself is part Spanish - so it seemed appropriate.

Last year my dermatologist went on sabbatical and transferred me to another doctor who, thankfully, isn't a proponent of the carnivore diet. So, since we renovated our kitchen a couple of years ago, I decided that I ought to go back into the kitchen and make more of an effort at home cooked meals more often. As part of that strategy, I'm cooking extra and freezing half for future meals. My first batch was beef in beer - which my son was looking forward to - but it only used 150ml of Guiness out of a whole can. My husband said he could taste it, anyway; let's see what happens to the frozen batch.

Yesterday's effort was lemon-crumbed chicken which was quite lemony for the juice and zest of only one lemon. Today was Hawai'ian flavoured ribs, which I'd bought pre-marinated, but I made a purple potato and pineapple salad to go with it which was quite nice - though both my son and husband said there was too much potato (it's a potato salad). My son thought it was spicy but there was only pineapple, ginger, lime juice and a dash of fish sauce in the dressing.

>93 humouress: I had a friend who liked making Guiness soaked beef and would do it for an event I put on once a year. There was always a lot of left over beef, which was not the case with any other meat dish, so my dislike of it wasn't at all singular. I've long decided that a taste for Guiness was something I could do without.

>94 quondame: My son likes beer but Guiness isn't his favourite. I've always found it too bitter and never had more than a sip. It's true, though, that it makes a difference where you have it. On our trip to Ireland (Northern and ROI) last year we tried it a few times; it tastes better in the land than it does outside and best at the source, in Dublin.

>95 humouress:.Did you ever try Guinness in Nigeria? I was surprised how popular it was.

I love lemon chicken but have not been successful making my own...

>96 charl08: I've never seen my parents drink Guiness and I wasn't even 10 years old when I left - so, no :0)

This lemon chicken recipe was pretty straight forward - melt butter with crushed garlic, then add juice and rind of a lemon. Dip the chicken pieces, coat in breadcrumbs and bake.

>92 humouress: The East India Company started out early as a trading company but then became a major force in India starting in the 1700s. They were also involved in the opium trade as in selling it to China. The Company had a long and fascinating history with the power that some major corporations of today would like to have.

Nice to see your colourful visitors, Nina!

>28 humouress: I have some issues to resolve here but hopefully I will be paying a visit to Singapore in August if that works.

Unsurprisingly, I do like Guinness very much but agree wholeheartedly that Ireland is definitely the best place to drink it. Steak and Ale pie is just better with Porter (Guinness is a type of stout that my antecedents called Porter).

>99 PaulCranswick: I'll keep my fingers crossed! Now that we've actually managed to meet, maybe it'll happen again.

22) 16 Forever by Lance Rubin

{stand alone; young adult, time loop, romance, second chance romance, friendship, sisters, brothers, families, teenagers, audiobook} (2026)

Carter Cohen wakes up on his 16th birthday, excited about starting the day, and bounds downstairs to meet his family. Only, his parents aren't as excited about his birthday because he's turning 16 - again. In fact he should actually be 22 but every birthday since his 16th, he's woken up as a 16 year old. His memories reset, his body regresses but everyone else moves on.

The book takes us through the year, month by month. We see the effect it has on the people around him and on Carter himself; while he leans into being a rambunctious teenager, he also feels the gaps in his experiences. We get three points of view; Carter's, his brother Lincoln's and his ex-girlfriend Maggie who tries to avoid him because it's too painful. Lincoln and the boys' parents have had to support Carter through the six years he's repeated and Lincoln has gone from being 13 years old to being, in this iteration, 3 years older than his older brother. Maggie misses the Carter she knew before his birthday but she doesn't seem to be too impressed by his current version - he is rather immature. The things she previously found funny irritated her when she saw Carter goofing off with his friends. I was waiting for her to give up on him and move on with her life.

As a romance, it was okay. I felt that the strengths of this book were in the relationships - between Carter and Lincoln, between Maggie and her sister Vivianne, her friendship with Stella, and even the various parents. I thought Carter was well drawn and well narrated - he was quite similar to my 17 year old son. I listened to the audio book in which Carter was narrated (very well, I thought) by the author, Maggie by Katie Schorr and Lincoln by Dustin Rubin (Lance Rubin's brother, maybe?). I found Maggie a bit angsty initially; whether it was the writing, the narration or a bit of both I don't know.

I liked the way that when we were in one character's head we could hear their thoughts and insecurities but when they saw the other characters, we saw a different facade of their personalities through their eyes. For instance, when Carter got drunk, Maggie caught sight of him acting like an idiot. But when we saw the same scene from Carter's point of view, he was playing for laughs and desperately trying to come up with something new to give to his audience.

We never definitively find out why Carter keeps regressing or how to stop it although the characters do work out some possibilities.

(June 2026)
3.5*** (for the story) - 4**** (for the characters and writing)

Litsy

ISBN 9780063330405

I'm 2 minutes into the audio of a boy who thinks it's his 16th birthday but actually he's reliving the year - again (for the 5th time). The narration and writing (thus far) is true to life - sounds just like my 17 year old son 😂

We see Carter's POV as well as his younger brother's - who was 3 yrs younger but is now 3 yrs older and Maggie, who was his girlfriend the previous year and whom he's forgotten. Maybe you've always wanted to stay 16 but we see how Carter's 'condition' affects those close to him.

Maggie misses the Carter she knew last year, but she doesn't seem to be too impressed by his current iteration - he is rather immature. I'm waiting for her to give up on him and move on with her life

Good news (I think)! I've had so many BBs for the Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion but none of my Overdrive libraries carry any of the books. I see now, though, that they've been given a publishing date of 30th July 2026 - so maybe soon!

>77 humouress: I think Number Ten Ox is the best character in fantasy fiction.

Stay well and cool this summer!

>93 humouress: Hi Nina!

Good job cooking! I know that's a lot of work. I only manage a few times a week, myself.

>103 richardderus: He is pretty amazing. I had forgotten what he was like, since it's been a while since I read the other books, and remembered him as the brawn rather than the brain but (in this story at least) he does have some good ideas.

Thank you! Wishing you the same.

>104 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel!

Thank you; I'm thinking that if I keep practising it'll get easier.

I meant to make a beef dish this week but I forgot to take a photo of the recipe before I went shopping so I looked up a recipe instead and found Jamie Oliver's recipe for beef, Guiness (yes, again) and cheese pie. It came out nicely; it used a whole can of Guiness this time which made it taste quite rich. My son doesn't like mushrooms but he was halfway through before he noticed they were in there. He said he couldn't taste them - but after that he pushed the pieces he found aside.

I've also made a Mexican chicken dish but yesterday my (younger) son volunteered* to cook and made us his scrambled eggs, so we had that for dinner and tonight it was just me so we'll have it tomorrow instead.

ETA: * and I hadn't even asked him to

Huh; I've just discovered that I've missed reviewing Plum Duff. It looks like I read it around the time we went to KL and when we came back I had just a couple of days before my eldest son and I flew off to Australia. Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed it but I may have to re-read it to review it properly.

>105 humouress: It's odd how characters change in one's estimation over time, isn't it. I keep hoping my hatred for Hastings will retro-causally make Agatha Christie write him out of all Poirot's stories.

>108 richardderus: Aw, poor Hastings. My mental image of him (now) is based on the television series with David Suchet as Poirot; Hugh Fraser’s Hastings is benign and benevolent but not as incompetent as Poirot’s comments about him in the books make him seem. Though, I believe, he appears more often in the series than he does in the books.

>109 humouress: TV Hastings is nowhere near as ghastly, beef-witted, and noxious as book-Hastings, it's true...there'd be lynch mobs out for blood if book-Hastings was directly translated onto our screens, or book-Poirot for that matter. Proof that adaptation is not *always* a bad idea.

Today has been a bit weird. I stayed up late to watch England play Croatia in their first match of this World Cup and then caught some shut-eye but my day has been a bit squiffy.

I had some not so good news from my dermatologist; I had a bad eczema flare when I came back from Sydney and it was getting quite gross and frustrating but we finally decided that I would go on tablets instead of just relying on topical creams. It all cleared up like magic and I was so happy. But they did a blood test yesterday and this morning informed me that my blood count is low so I have to stop the tablets immediately and go back for another blood test next week. I'm hoping that the itchiness and etc etc don't come back 🤞

Tomorrow is my son's school's Global Food Festival day (catchy title; it used to be called International Cultural Event day for years but ...) and I've never done anything for it before but, since it's the last year a child of mine will be in school, I thought I should do something this year. So a few other ladies and myself have been cooking up a storm making Sri Lankan short eats and putting stuff together for the event. None of us have done it before, so we're looking forward to seeing how it goes!

23) The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

{stand alone; fantasy, urban fantasy, time travel, friendship}(2024)

In New York, Cassie comes into the possession of The Book of Doors and learns that ‘any door is every door’ and she can travel anywhere - and, she discovers, any when - in the world just by opening and stepping through any unlocked door using the book.

The door she had just come through was still ajar and she saw the interior of Kellner Books there, an impossible sight that made her heart race with excitement.
“It’s real,” she said. “It’s all real.”
She closed the door, watching New York all the while through the narrowing gap like someone trying to catch the fridge light going out. Then she stood on the spot and just breathed in the Venice air. It was the hours before dawn and the streets were dark and quiet. Cassie felt tears welling in her eyes, tears of joy, tears of amazement.

Drummond Fox is the Librarian of the Fox Library in Scotland which collects the magical books - for the Book of Doors is not the only such book with magical properties; just the most powerful. He carries, amongst others, the Book of Luck and happens to encounter Cassie and her friend Izzy as they are experimenting with the powers of the Book of Doors and decides that he has to protect them or at least warn them.

“Welcome to the Fox Library,” he said. He turned away from her and walked out into the daylight.

CASSIE FOLLOWED DRUMMOND, HER FEET crunching on a gravel driveway as she stepped out of the house. She took a few steps and turned around to look at the building, standing next to Drummond as he gazed upward at his library, his hands in his pockets and an unreadable expression on his face.

The building was a large country house built of red sandstone, with dark gray roof tiles and ironwork and guttering painted in bloodred. The doorway they had just emerged from was an archway at the bottom of a tall tower that sat on the corner of the building, with windows high up that made Cassie think of a lighthouse. On either side of the tower the building stretched away to far corners, large bay windows on the ground floor revealing glimpses of bookcases and wood paneling, and on the upper floor dormer windows turned the roofline of the building into a jumble of peaks and valleys.

Azaki and Lund are book hunters who search for the magical books and the Bookseller is one of those who hires them so she can auction the books.

And the woman is evil personified. She exists to cause pain and despair; she wants to collect all the books and will do anything - especially if she can cause suffering to do so - to acquire all the books.

(June 2026)
3.5 - 4 ***

litsy

The blurb tells us that Cassie acquired the ‘Book of Doors‘ but we very quickly discover that other people have other magical books (and yet others want them) and learn their stories too; it‘s not just about Cassie.

Well, I stayed up late again to watch England play their last group match. They tied their previous match with Ghana, which was disappointing but, to be fair, the Ghanaian defence was solid and we couldn't break it though our boys worked hard, I thought. So, at 4 am this morning, we watched England play Panama while Croatia played Ghana at the same time. At half time it was nil all, which was a bit nail biting, but they finally came through with two goals.

I did feel bad for the Panamanians who, apparently, have only had one ball in the net and that was an own goal. Once we had our two goals I wouldn't have minded if they had scored one back (the commentator claimed they're the only team with no goals to their name in this World Cup).

Despite the prices (and FIFA's insistence on covering up brand names that don't have an advertising contract with them) the stands have been full. My BIL in Seattle went for a match and my football crazy cousin in Toronto (he supports Germany but never mind) has also sent photos from a couple of matches.

Well, it's July and I'm about 37 posts short of getting my continuation link to start my third quarter thread. I'll have to have a piffle party.

Part of the problem is that during the covid lockdowns I bought a die cutting machine so I decided to make cards for the kids in the family; ie the children of my cousins. I've since decided to limit it to those under 30 but I also intend to send cards to the older generations on their significant birthdays and anniversaries. Which means about 50+ cards a year. As I'm enjoying the process (and waiting for inspiration to hit), it can take two or three days to make a card (though I have been known to rush out two, maybe three in one day) but that cuts into my reading and LT time. I haven't even got a third of the way through the challenge and we're halfway through the year.

Here I am......where are the balloons, the ice cream and the jelly?!

I am a bit worried about England's chances if they get past Congo. Mexico in the Azteca is quite a task!

I did start The Wizards of Once by Cressida Cowell (of How to Train Your Dragon fame) and, to be honest, it's targeted squarely at children so some words are CAPITALISED and some phrases are italicised which makes for an uneven reading experience as an adult. But either I got used to the conceit or it faded away after the first couple of chapters. I remember enjoying How to Train Your Dragon which I read to my kids when the film came out (and is quite a different story) - so it was a while ago now.

However I did like the way that the sprites' speech was printed in a smaller font while the giant's speech was printed in a larger font. There are a lot of pen and ink drawings to illustrate the story as we go along so, although my e-library book said there were 400+ pages, there was usually a blank page before and after each illustration which, I think, were included in the word count.

Unfortunately, just as I got going (around chapter 6), my e-library book expired and there are 5 people waiting on 2 copies so it looks like it'll be a couple of weeks before I can continue my reading.

>116 PaulCranswick: Ooh, Paul - still setting up. Here you go:

>117 PaulCranswick: I'm taking it one match at a time and letting the rest of the family let me know who we're playing next. We have the talent to go all the way; I just hope we get our strategy together. We're playing looser and more forward than we did with Southgate, though that didn't help us with Ghana. Southgate's tactics allowed us to defend well and push forward slowly, which served us well and got results. I'm still getting used to the way the team is playing using Teuchel's tactics - but it's getting us to where we want to go.

And we had better get past the DRC.

I have started Pride and Prejudice in Space. (I think that was a BB from Claire?) That also has a time limit on it but I'm enjoying it so far (just past the Merryton ball which is on a space station).

As @sakerfalcon said, it does stick closely to Austen's work, down to many of the phrases the characters use. I can't tell, because I've read P&P so many times, but I wonder if it works for a modern audience reading a work set in the far future in a space-going society?

Instead of towns and districts, Lampley has set her story on a planetary system of moons orbiting the planet Londinium. She has annotated it with useful diagrams, of the system and of Jane's and Elizabeth's gowns (thus far).

I like the way Lampley gives Mary, Kitty and Lydia more agency and even Mrs Bennet isn't lampooned too much (I feel screen adaptations have tended to do that). Although the girls wear ball dresses (floor length gowns) to the ball, Lampley accessorises them with interesting materials and headgear. Lydia gushes over fashions but I'd say with more authority than the heedlessness of Austen's character.

For some reason the cover reminds me of space operas of the '70s.

I'm not watching any World Cup but it's not like I can get away from it since it's here. The crowding on transit has been brutal.

Hmm; not quite, but something like:

>122 Familyhistorian: I've been reading about your travel woes, Meg. I'm sorry you have to suffer with it.

Maybe just give in and watch the football (safely at home on your telly)?

>122 Familyhistorian: Oh, and welcome to the piffle party ;0)

>124 humouress: I wasn't going to watch football I was going to visit my son in the hospital so I didn't have a choice to stay home.

>125 humouress: More than happy to help with the piffle party, Nina!

>126 Familyhistorian: I do know that. I'm just saying - go with the flow.

I'm sorry it interfered with your Canada Day celebrations though. I'd have thought they'd have done something special and maybe bring the two events together.

>127 Familyhistorian: Thanks Meg!

Only 21 posts to go ...

It's been a while since I posted a photo of our boy, Jasper; so here's one now:

He does tend to snooze a lot these days, even with both boys at home (mind you they're either on the PS playing games or on their new PC upstairs - where he's not supposed to go - playing games).

When he's deeply asleep his eyes seem to scrunch shut and it looks like - to me - he's trying to blend in with the floor. (You know, like 'I'm not here, you can't see me'.) And for some reason, these days he seems to often like to sleep with his head butted right up against something solid, like the step or a plant pot.

Another drop of piffle..
Of all the P&P redos, my favorite is Pyeongchang and Prejudice, a book length fanfic. But there have been some other delightful ones. Naomi Novik’s Captain Elizabeth Bennet as a dragon rider novella is up there.

>132 quondame: Thanks for the piffle :0)

I've generally been wary of P&P continuations but I thought I would give Pride and Prejudice in Space a go because I can't really complain about the author not sticking to the manners of the day, can I? And Claire confirmed that it sticks fairly closely to source.

But if it works out (looking good - so far) I'm willing to give the ones you've suggested a fair go. Especially since all of these are not continuations but re-imaginings.

More piffling ....

Someone rang our gate bell with a delivery but they've run scams here before, where they ask for a small amount of money on delivery. Since lockdown especially, we've all got into the habit of ordering things online so we never know if someone else at home is expecting something or not. But, as not everyone was at home and it's usually pre-paid anyway and no-one knew anything about it, I refused the delivery. We'll find out if it was genuine later, but no-one said they were expecting anything 🤗

Ooh, are we piffling?

I'll be interested to hear what you think of Pride and Prejudice in Space when you finish it. P&P adaptations/continuations/re-imaginings are a mixed bag, but that sounds like a fun one.

>130 humouress: Sweet Jasper!

>119 humouress: Thanks neighbour!

>120 humouress: Not looking great so far half time approaches and we are 1-0 down and not playing well.

Only twelve to go now!

>137 PaulCranswick: Oh. My. Gosh.

That was a nail-biter of a match. I hope to goodness we find our game before we head to Mexico.

>138 PaulCranswick: And now ten.

Thanks for the assist everyone!

>135 foggidawn: So far it looks good - though I took a break to watch the England match.

>133 humouress: I haven’t encountered an Austen continuation that I didn’t want to toss hard against a wall, including the P.D. James one. But rewrites with elements from fantasy or moved to a different time period like Eligible or Bridget Jones’s Diary have been enjoyable. Another fanfic that has Elizabeth first married to Colonel Fitzwilliam due to a soul mark is An Ever-fixed Mark. I stuck links to the fic versions in the wiki.

I have not been paying any attention to the World Cup. Of all the sportsball games, soccer/futbol is probably the one I dislike the least, but I'm still not invested enough to watch it. I just hope they all have fun! ;-D

>130 humouress: Sploot! Jasper looks as though he's doing his best to stay cool.

I'm glad you're enjoying Pride and Prejudice in space. I liked the SFnal additions and the diary entries, texts, etc that give more insight into the characters' thoughts and inner lives. I questioned whether such old-fashioned etiquette and customs were reasonable for a far-future society where we see female pilots and doctors but then I thought of the British upper classes which are still quite self-contained and, on the surface, traditional.

>142 quondame: I will keep An Ever-Fixed Mark in mind too then, thanks Susan.

>143 foggidawn: Well I'm glad you dislike football the least. It was actually the one sport, apart from horse-racing, that my dad didn't 'watch' when he was fast asleep in front of the TV on weekends (and wouldn't allow us to change the channel). Maybe you'll watch the final at least?

>144 Sakerfalcon: Oh - yes, he does do that 'froggy back' pose a lot. I was worried it was bad for him, since golden retrievers have a tendency to hip issues but the vet thought it might actually feel more comfortable for him.

One of his favourite places to sleep is with his spine along the bottom step of the stairs down; the risers are concrete and there's a store cupboard under the stairs so maybe it's cooler. But he does give you a hurt glare if you happen to knock into him despite the fact that he tends to nap in the most trafficked corridor at any point in time, and he's not the smallest.

I've been away from my own piffle party. Yesterday I had to go to the dermatologist for a fasting blood test and then hang around and go back for the results. Fortunately I can continue with the medication that has finally (almost) cleared up my latest eczema flare which was getting very irritating and frustrating. (My son nearly fainted when he caught sight of my hands last week when I had to come off the medication after a week.)

But I do have to go back for another blood test. Yay. I hate needles anyway and I have small veins and doctors' offices tend to be cold because of the air-conditioning and some of the locally trained doctors/ phlebotomists tend to slap your skin to make the veins pop which I dislike intensely (plus it actually damages your veins).

Maybe I should revive that old 'First world problems' thread ...

More football - I was vaguely aware as I surfaced this morning of my husband watching the Croatia - Portugal match with two old legends (Luka Modrić and Christiano Ronaldo) pitted against each other. It went down to the wire with the score at 2 - 2 until right to the end of full time.

And there you go!

Not quite ...

ETA: ahh - there's the continuation link.

Thanks everybody!

Oh, I am too late for the piffle party! Will just add that I have downloaded the sample for Behind Five Willows which claims to be a Joseon-set reimagining of P & P.

>152 charl08: No worries. Welcome anyway, and thank you.

I'll see what you think of Behind Five Willows. Meanwhile, my P&P in Space has expired so will have to wait for it to come back :0/

Alrighty - now that I have a few minutes, let me set up my new thread!

Thank you to everyone who helped with the piffle party! My new thread is open for business (pretty much).