Katie's Reading Room - 2026 - #4

Currently Reading
(Print) (Audio)

BOOKS COMPLETED

Books Off My Shelf: 16
Books Off My Kindle: 6
Books from Audible/Chirp: 9
Library Loans (print/e-books/audios): 18
Friend Loan:

JULY
049. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (audio) (3 stars)
048. Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard (4 stars)
047. Moderation by Elaine Castillo (audio) (4.25 stars)

Did Not Finish (YTD)
12. The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews (62 pp)
11. The Measure by Nikki Erlick (106pp)
10. Denison, Iowa by Dale Maharidge (60pp)
09. The Blondes by Emily Schultz (70pp)
08. We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker (70pp)
07. At Paradise Gate by Jane Smiley (84pp)
06. Bitter is the Wind by Jim McDermott (45pp)
05. The Five by Hailie Rubenhold (75pp)
04. The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy (75pp?)
03. The Real Liddy James by Anne-Marie Casey (1:50 on audio)
02. Marlena by Julie Buntin (~45 minutes on audio)
01. This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald (~1 hour on audio)

For anyone new to my thread, I’m Katie: reader, wine drinker, food appreciator, pub trivia player, shenanigan-ator, and non-sufferer of fools. I live outside New York City with my husband, "The" Wayne, our cat, Leonard, and our dog, Nuala/Noodles. I have been a member of the 75ers since 2011. I left the workaday world (in non-profit mmanagement) a few years ago and now fill my time with reading, jigsaw puzzles, and volunteer work (I volunteer with three different organizations, all related to food insecurity in my local area).

My reading varies widely from genre fiction (primarily romance and crime) to contemporary and historical fiction to nonfiction (primarily memoir, essays, current events, and history). I try to balance my reading in all these areas. I also use my thread as a bit of a life journal, which mostly means I might talk about what I’m cooking, eating, drinking, watching, doing, and avoiding doing, as well as reading and bookish topics.



My amended* ratings:
5 stars - perfect for me
4 stars - a very good read
3 stars - better than meh
2.5 stars - meh; didn’t hate it, didn’t love it
2 stars - should have DNFed it

* - I think I change my rating scale every year...

Q1 Completions

MARCH
Favorite:

025. Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell (3.25 stars)
024. Tell Everyone on This Train I Love Them by Maeve Higgins (audio) (3.5 stars)
023. Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci (4.5 stars)
022. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie (audio) (3.5 stars)
021. Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel (4.5 stars)
020. The Names by Florence Knapp (4.5 stars)
019. Sex of the Midwest by Robyn Ryle (4 stars)
018. The Roommate by Dervla McTiernan (audio) (2 stars)
017. America the Ingenious by Kevin Baker (3 stars)
016. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (audio) (3.5 stars)
015. Marking Time by Elizabeth Jane Howard (4.25 stars)
014. New Beginnings at Wildflower Lock by Hannah Lynn (audio) (2.5 stars)

FEBRUARY
Favorite:

013. Black Birds in the Sky by Brandy Colbert (audio) (3 stars)
012. Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell (4 stars)
011. The Wedding People by Alison Espach (4 stars)
010. Treachery in Death by J.D. Robb (4.25 stars)

JANUARY
Favorite:

009. Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey (3 stars)
008. Writers and Liars by Carol Goodman (2.5 stars)
007. All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg (4.25 stars)
006. The Austen Affair by Madeline Bell (3 stars)
005. Dark Ride by Lou Berney (4 stars)
004. Happiness by Aminatta Forna (3.5 stars)
003. Just Like You by Nick Hornby (audio) (3.75 stars)
002. The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard (4 stars)
001. Brown Girls by Daphne Palasi Andreades (audio) (4 stars)

Q2 Completions

JUNE
Favorite:

046. Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman (3 stars)
045. Girl Logic by Iliza Shlesinger (audio) (2.5 stars)
044. Whistler by Ann Patchett (4.5 stars)
043. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol. 2 by Beth Brower (audio) (3.5 stars)
042. The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (4 stars)
041. Wrecked by Joe Ide (audio) (3.5 stars)
040. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (3 stars)

MAY
Favorite:

039. The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol. 1 by Beth Brower (audio) (3 stars)
038. To the Bridge: A True Story of Motherhood and Murder by Nancy Rommelmann (3 stars)
037. That Swoony Feeling by Meghan Quinn (audio) (3 stars)
036. F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton (2.5 stars)
035. Good People by Patmeena Sabit (4.5 stars)
034. Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard (4 stars)
033. Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney (audio) (3.5 stars)

APRIL
Favorite:

032. The News from Dublin by Colm Toibin (3 stars)
031. The Center of Everything by Laura Moriarty (2.5 stars)
030. James by Percival Everett (audio) (4.5 stars)
029. How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair (audio) (4 stars)
028. Is This a Cry for Help? by Emily Austin (3.5 stars)
027. Hungered by Amanda Rizkalla (4 stars)
026. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (3.75 stars)

Welcome to my thread!

Glad to be here!

Hi Linda! I was just over at your thread...

I'm pleased to be getting in early, Katie. Happy New Thread! Hard to believe that we are starting into June already!

>10 DeltaQueen50: - Hello, Judy! Time seems to have sped up for me. On Thursday, I had no idea this was Memorial Day weekend. I thought it was the following weekend. Oops...

Happy new thread!

Ref temperatures, it's been over 30C here the last day or two. And a nice Bank holiday Monday, which is almost unheard of! It's been warm enough for me to have shed my cardigan. >:-0 I once went to Italy with a colleage to audit a supplier. We were in the carpark, on our way out, and Mathias stopped and took a picture of me. I asked why and he said that he had to take a photo of me without a cardi, as no-one would believe it otherwise. >:-)
Hope the weather returns to comfortable territory for you asap.

Happy new thread, Katie!

>12 Helenliz: - This afternoon turned out to be lovely, Helen-the-Cardigan-Lady :) The rain cleared out and temps are in the 70s...

>13 Familyhistorian: - Thanks, Meg!

Happy new one, Katie!

Happy new thread, Katie.

>10 DeltaQueen50: Judy is right; this year is whizzing by and I notice that time seems to accelerate as we get older.

>7 katiekrug: Love this. More people should take this advice.

Happy new thread!

New-thread orisons, Katie, and a load of good outdoor fun since it's pretty perfect out there.

Happy new one, Katie!!

#33
Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Audio (library loan)
3.5 stars

#34
Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Paperback (mine)
4 stars

#35
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
Hardcover (library loan)
4.5 stars

Thank you, Jim, Paul, Beth, Richard, and Reba!

___

I was behind on reviews, despite my snail-like reading pace, so I just made some quick comments for the three books up there. I liked them all. I would especially encourage anyone interested in Good People to not read any reviews or much else, really, about it. It benefits from going in "blind."

I'm so happy to see you still enjoying The Cazalets, Katie!!

I'm on the library list for Good People and you've confirmed it will be worth the wait (I'm #30 in line). Your advice to go in blind is duly noted! Vivian had the same advice for Ruins and I can see why. It's interesting we even need to say that isn't it? We see so many reviews and opinions on LT and everywhere, and have become so accustomed to looking up reviews before deciding to read a book that it's second nature. But maybe not always necessary.

I am looking forward to Good People, Katie.

Happy new thread, Katie!!

>22 katiekrug: well that sounds worth seeking out.

>24 lauralkeet: - I do love a meaty family saga!

I also noted Vivian's advice about Ruins (too many touchstones to wade through...)... I hope you enjoy Good PEople when your number comes up :)

>25 BLBera: - I think you'll like it, Beth.

>26 curioussquared: - Thank you, Natalie!

>27 Helenliz: - I hope you can get hold of a copy, Helen.

Happy Almost Friday! We are enjoying some beautiful weather here, by which I mean it looks very pretty out the window, and I am not too hot :)

Maribel is here, so Nuala and I are hanging out in my office. Nuala hasn't been to day care in a while because she has a sore leg, and I don't want her over-doing it. But I think she's bored out of her gourd, so if I can get an appointment to get her her bordatella booster in time, she'll be going to day care next week. I have zero plans for today until playing mahjong tonight (with actual people, not bots online).

Tuesday, we had a spur of the moment trivia evening, as a friend got some disappointing work news and wanted to drown her sorrows. We came in first, so I'm sure that made her feel aaalll better ;-)

Last night, we went out to a political dinner. We are having a very contentious primary for town council, with three progressive Dems running against the Democratic "machine" candidates. We're supporting the former, and the guy running in our ward was having a dinner at a local restaurant for supporters and undecided voters. I was already decided, as I have a yard sign up for him, but it was nice to meet other people with similar views about our township politics. We are an overwhelmingly Dem town (and county), but our mayor and most of the council members are awful, so it would be good to get some outside thinkers in. Interestingly, the three insurgent candidates have been endorsed by our new Congresswoman, who won a bit of an insurgent campaign herself, though she now has the mainstream party backing her, and Senator Andy Kim. It's the first time a sitting US Senator has endorsed candidates for local office not backed by the party apparatus. So exciting stuff in Jersey politics! (Apologies for the boring tangent, but I'm a politics nerd...)

Tomorrow, I am serving lunch at the community kitchen where I volunteer, and maybe then going bowling. Saturday, I am going into the city to see a play (by myself because my BFF whose idea it was, can't go now; I don't mind, as I like to have Katie time)...

Occasional cooking update: I haven't been trying much new, as I've been so busy. I do have a cookbook out from the library - Milk Street Cook What You Have - and I've bookmarked several recipes to try. First up for dinner tomorrow: "Fried White Beans with Bacon, Garlic, and Spinach."

Occasional viewing update: Besides sports, I've only been watching the current seasons of "Top Chef" and "Taskmaster." Just not in a watching mood, I guess...

Books!
I finished F is for Fugitive and have started To the Bridge. Still listening to the same romance on audio, but I should finish up today or tomorrow...

You are amazingly busy. Volunteering, politics, Mahjong, Trivia, and even reading!! I'm impressed. Keep on having fun.

Hi Katie. I'm determined to dig back into LT. I was realizing today that I'm particularly missing and wanting to reconnect with folks I've met in person. It may be weird but that meetup in Philly was such a special event for me.

I see that you are reading the Kinsey Milhone series. Are these a reread for you or your first time through?

Hi Katie! Hopeless behind, but here. : )

Happy new thread!

You sound like you're doing things that interest you, Katie. That sounds wonderful. I hope you enjoy the play.

>30 RebaRelishesReading: - It's weird to me how things just suddenly took off, but I'm having fun and feeling engaged with the world in a good way :)

>31 EBT1002: - Good to see you, Ellen! I understand wanting to prioritize connection with people you've met (and we've met twice so you have to double prioritize me ;-) ), but I also understand having outside interests, which is good and healthy! That Philly meet-up was great - so many people gathered, thanks to your visit...

This is my first time reading the Alphabet Series.

>32 Berly: - Hi Kim!

>33 figsfromthistle: - Thanks, Anita!

>34 Familyhistorian: - Thanks, Meg. I may have too many things that interest me... ;-)

I had a lovely afternoon in the city on Saturday, though I missed the play because I'm an idiot and messed up the time. Oops. But I enjoyed brunch, visited a couple of book stores, bought some nice pens and a notebook at a stationery store, sat and enjoyed the sunshine and people-watching in Washington Square Park, and then had a delicious Hugo Spritz while waiting to catch my train.

Sunday was boring, as TW was putting together a new garden shed. I did start and finish the first Emma M. Lion book while working on my jigsaw puzzle...

The first part of this week should be fairly quiet. Thursday evening, I am going to see Ann Patchett speak and get her new book. Friday morning I may be playing mahjong with some friends. And this weekend, we have ZERO plans, but it is the New Jersey Bookstore Crawl weekend, so I might indulge...

Books!
I have a few "reviews" to post to close out May and then I'll do my monthly stats. I'm currently reading The Blondes and need to pick something on audio.

#36
F is for Fugitive by Sue Grafton
Paperback (mine)
2.5 stars

#37
That Swoony Feeling by Meghan Quinn
Audio (mine)
3 stars

#38
To the Bridge: A True Story of Motherhood and Murder by Nancy Rommelmann
Ebook (mine)
3 stars

#39
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol. 1 by Beth Brower
Audio (mine)
3 stars

Here's a question for my librarian friends: why did Overdrive take away the ability to sort one's Wish List by what books were available to borrow?!?! I loved that feature and found it so useful... *sigh*

>36 katiekrug: I had missed that Ann Patchett has a new book -- thanks for mentioning that. My list for next trip to bookstore keeps growing.

>41 katiekrug: Grrrrr.

May Wrap-Up
(Numbers in parentheses are YTD)

Total Books Read: 7 (39)
Mine: 5 (25)
Library: 2 (14)
Re-Reads: 0 (2)
DNF: 0 (8)

Female Authors: 7 (32)
Male Authors: 0 (7)
New to Me Authors: 3 (22)
Diverse* Authors: 1 (9)

US/UK Authors: 6 (32)
Other Countries: 1 - Afghanistan (7: Afghanistan-1, Canada-1, Ireland-3, Jamaica-1 Sierra Leone-1)

Pages read: 1466 (8565)
Hours listened: 21:49 (101:08)
(Puzzles completed: 1 (8))

* authors of color, LGBTQ+ authors, etc.

Best of the month: Good People
Worst of the month (not counting DNFs): F is for Fugitive

"Musts" for June:
Rebecca for MBW book group
The Virgin Suicides for WWS book group

Thoughts:
Basically, the same as last month... Too much going on, need to find balance, blah blah blah.

>42 RebaRelishesReading: - No problem, Reba. It's called Whistler.

>43 Berly: - So annoying!

My most recently completed puzzle. I'm not getting as much puzzling time lately, but I'm trying to carve out a little time most days, at least...

>46 katiekrug: Oooh...I like that ! Looks tricky, though.

That's like 14 puzzles in one!! : )

>46 katiekrug: that's pretty! What brand?

>41 katiekrug: I had missed this, so I just looked at my Libby app, and I'm still seeing my "wishlist" tag and at the top I can tap on "available now" to see what I can borrow right away. Are you not getting that? I wonder if your individual library changed some settings which, if so, makes absolutely no sense to me. I use that feature all the time.

Also, hooray for jumping on the Emma M. Lion bandwagon! Looking forward to seeing your thoughts as the series develops.

>47 laytonwoman3rd: - It was the perfect balance of fun and challenging.

>48 Berly: - I like collage puzzles like this. It makes them slightly easier than ones with great swaths of landscape or colors...

>49 japaul22: - It's an Elena Essex. Not a brand I was familiar with. The puzzle was a Christmas gift. I'll seek out more, as I love the image and the quality was very good.

>50 bell7: - I don't keep my WLs in the Libby app because I find it clunky. I use the Overdrive site. I've tried to see if I can locate my WLs on Libby but no luck :(

I spent a chunk of time yesterday cleaning up my office/the guest bedroom. It becomes such a dumping ground for "stuff" that it was driving me crazy. I made good progress. Today, I'm working at the food pantry and tonight I'll be seeing Ann Patchett speak about her new book (I'll also be getting a copy of it as part of the ticket price). A mahjong/book club friend is also going, and we might get a drink afterwards. Tomorrow, I'm getting my hair cut and going bowling with friends. Zero items on the calendar for the weekend, and I am very glad of that. We might go see a movie. We might go to the farmers market. We might do very little... :)

Books!
I DNFed The Blondes because the main character/narrator was insipid. I gave it about 70 pages, which I think is fair. Now I'm reading Rebecca for one of my book clubs. This is a re-read, but I first read it as a teenager, so it's been - ahem - a while... On audio, I'm listening to Wrecked by Joe Ide, the third in a good crime series.

>46 katiekrug: It's really cool-looking now it's all puzzled up, but the complexity looks fiendish to me. In the lowest bottom-left corner, do you think those animals are riffing on the red-background unicorn and lion image from the tapestry?

Is it that kind of puzzle, I guess is a better way to ask...an artist doing "inspired-by"s?

>52 katiekrug: Patchett was terrific in Brooklyn last night. Audience was packed (I heard 850-900) with rabid fans, complete with merch (hats, T-shirts, etc.) Not a male in sight. Lots of bookshop talk as Emma Straub was the interviewer. Hope your evening is as light-hearted and enjoyable!

>53 richardderus: I was thinking it looked a bit William Morris, who was inspired by the medieval, so that's possible.

Balance, ahh, that rare and elusive thing. If you find the magic solution, don't forget to share! The tidying sounds productive and I know all about dumping rooms...

>52 katiekrug: I have lots of rooms over here -- want to come supervise? ; )

>51 katiekrug: Oooh okay, I made the switch over to Libby awhile back because I needed to be able to help my patrons who were only able to go through the new app to get e-books. It wasn't a seamless transition, unfortunately, you do have to import, but there's a way to do it if/when you want to.

Hope you have an excellent, relaxing weekend!

Seconding >57 bell7:. You have to sync your "wishlist" smart tag in Libby with your Overdrive Wish List, but you only have to do it once and then it works great.

I'm reading Good People right now, Katie and I am really loving it. I think your review helped nudge me towards it, so thanks!

<46 & >51 katiekrug: Very nice puzzle Katie! It seems to me that separate smaller area with individual background colors would make the puzzle a little less difficult.

All of the puzzling going on here on LT makes me wish my granddaughter would come for a visit because it seems I only find/make time to puzzle when she's here to work with me -- makes for great conversation/together time

>53 richardderus: - It wasn't fiendish at all, just pleasantly challenging :)

No idea about the inspiration.

>54 vivians: - Wow, that's a huge event. Where was it? We were in the sanctuary of a Congregational church, so not as big a crowd, though they did say it was the largest they'd had in 10 years of doing this series (it's a public library thing). Patchett was great, but I wish I'd also seen Emma Straub! Instead, we got Jeanine Cummins of American Dirt "fame" (eye roll). At least she mostly asked good questions and allowed Patchett to take center stage.

>55 Helenliz: I'll be sure to share if I ever find the solution :D

>56 Berly: - Ha! No, thanks! I've got enough going on here :)

>57 bell7: - Oh, Mary, thanks for that link! I did it, and it worked, and I only had to do it once, even though I have two separate library cards loaded in Libby. Thank you, thank you! Feel free to charge me for asking for help, but... do I just abandon Overdrive now or if I add something there, does it automatically sync now with Libby? I really hate the Libby interface and usually open the app only to listen to audiobooks I've borrowed, but if I need to make friends with it, I will.

>58 norabelle414: - Thanks, Nora! I appreciate the advice and am much less cranky now :)

>59 vancouverdeb: - Yay! I've heard so little about the book here. I'm glad you are enjoying it, Deborah. I was happy to hear Ann Patchett mention it as one of her top books of the year.

>60 RebaRelishesReading: - You're exactly right about the multiple images helping to bread the puzzle up into decipherable bits. But then the floral backgrounds were tricky, so it was a good balance.

I hope you get a visit from your granddaughter soon!

>62 katiekrug: In theory, OverDrive and Libby should sync across but it can be tetchy in my experience. I will say making friends with Libby is probably for the best as OverDrive the company is putting all of their focus into the Libby app/interface (you can also access Libby on desktop, which they push pretty hard). General speculation at my work is that they'll stop supporting the old OverDrive public facing interface at some point in the next few years.

>63 MickyFine: - Good to know, Micky, thanks!

Somehow, the interface is less annoying on my laptop than on my phone, though it seems identical. I think I'm just old :)

As mentioned, I saw Ann Patchett interviewed by Jeanine Cummins on Thursday as part of the Montclair Public Library's "Open Book/Open Mind" series. Patchett is just as warm and funny and self-deprecating as one would expect. She took some questions from the audience at the end, and someone asked her, as a bookseller, what books she was most excited about this year. I didn't get them all, but here are several she mentioned:

Good People by Patmeena Sabit (woot! I just read this and loved it)
Kin by Tayari Jones (Jones will be taking part in the same series in September, and I already have my ticket!)
John of John by Douglas Stuart
Land by Maggie O'Farrell (@vivians and I are going to see O'Farrell at NYU later this month!)
Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead
Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li (Patchett predicts this will win the Pulitzer and says it's her favorite 2026 release)

She also mentioned that she finally read Lydia Millet and is kicking herself for having waited so long (she did not mention what book...).

>65 katiekrug: Oooo, thanks for sharing Patchett's recommendations. Too bad I didn't look at LT before going to the book store (well, probably, it's a good thing 😟). I have made notes though.

>65 katiekrug: I am loving Good People Katie, so thanks for the nudge. I think it may be my favourite read this year. I'm not quite finished yet. I have Land out from the library, and I'll have to look into Music Against the Night.

>65 katiekrug: I can't wait to see her. She is coming to Minneapolis in a couple of weeks. I saw her on Seth Meyers last week, and she was great. They mostly talked about the cover of the book. That's a great list of recommendations.

>66 RebaRelishesReading: - See below for more!

>67 vancouverdeb: - I'm so glad you liked Good People, Deborah. I hope more readers give it a shot.

>68 BLBera: - And there's more...

__________

The organizers of the Ann Patchett event captured all the books she mentioned at various points during her talk:

“Horse” by Geraldine Brooks
“American Dirt“ by Jeanine Cummins
“Speak to Me of Home: A Novel” by Jeanine Cummins
“Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted” by Suleika Jaouad
“Kin“ by Tayari Jones
“Music Against the Night“ by Yiyun Li (coming out October 2026)
“Things in Nature Merely Grow“ by Yiyun Li
“Exit Party“ by Emily St. John Mandel
“The Color of Water” by James McBride
“Deacon King Kong” by James McBride
“Fair Ones: A Double Novel“ by Lydia Millet (coming out October 2026)
“Land“ by Maggie O’Farrell
“Run” by Ann Patchett*
“John of John“ by Douglas Stuart
“20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” by Jules Verne**
“The Left and the Lucky“ by Willy Vlautin

* this was in response to a question about which of her books she thought would be best for a high school English class

** she didn't really recommend this, just noted that she used a quote from it in her dedication in "Whistler"

I finished Whistler last night - couldn't put it down and read it in two sittings. I really loved it. Are you really going to put off reading it? I need to talk about it....
Much of the conversation during my Wednesday night talk was about bookstores, I guess because the interviewer was Emma Straub. I wish more time had been spent on recommendations so I'm glad to have your list. I'm listening to Land now.

>65 katiekrug: and >69 katiekrug: That is a great-sounding list. I'm putting Good People on hold at the library.

I remember reading and liking Lydia Millet back in grad school.

>70 vivians: - I will try to read Whistler before I see you later this month :)

Which reminds me, LMK how much the O'Farrell ticket was, so I can bring cash with me to reimburse you!

>71 EBT1002: - I've not read Millet at all. I know Beth is a fan, too.

I love Millet! I am so happy she has a new one coming.

>62 katiekrug: Micky's given a more complete answer than I would've been able to. But yeah, they've really moved things over to Libby and aren't developing anything on Overdrive now. It took some getting used to, but I'm liking it pretty well now. Learning how to add the labels to the pictures at the bottom was a game changer.

Sounds like the Ann Patchett event was pretty fabulous! I've only read one of the books she recommends, but a couple are on my TBR list.

>69 katiekrug:. Thanks for the putting the list together, Katie. I have "Kin" in Audible and should get to it soon. I've read a couple of the other books she mentioned but I have not read most of them so I'll hang onto the list for future reference :)

I gazed longingly at the hardcover copies of Whistler in my local bookshop today. I purchased a softcover edition of All Fours instead. I'm so virtuous haha.

>73 BLBera: - I really must read something by her...

>74 bell7: - I am working on getting more familiar with the Libby app. For some reason, I just don't find the UX very intuitive.

>75 RebaRelishesReading: - There are several on there I've been intending to read.

>76 EBT1002: - Oof, All Fours. I'll be interested to see what you make of it. A very polarizing book!

Happy mid-week! Not a huge amount going on here. Nuala had her annual exam yesterday, and the vet suspects her ongoing leg issue is a torn or partially torn ACL. Poor pup. A surgery consult is in our near future. In the meantime, I'll be selling plasma. Or the family jewels. Or robbing a liquor store...

I made two new recipes in a row for dinner so far this week, and both were excellent. One was a broccoli and white bean caesar from NYT Cooking and the other was a stir-fried broccoli and noodle dish from the Milk Street cookbook I borrowed from the library. We are now broccoli-ed out, LOL. Tonight, we are going on a date to the bowling alley, to take advantage of our summer passes and their pizza and a pitcher of beer deal. I don't like to cook the night before Maribel comes to clean, so this is perfect. I'll be bowling again Friday afternoon with friends, and then maybe seeing a movie with another friend. We were going to play mahjong, but we couldn't rustle up anyone else who was free. I am still obsessed with mahjong, in case you were wondering. I have ordered my own set, which should arrive today.

Occasional viewing update:
Sports (F1, basketball - GO KNICKS!, baseball), Taskmaster (one episode left this season *sad face*), Top Chef (watched the finale last night and was pleased with the winner). My To Watch list grows ever longer, but I have a hard time just sitting and watching things. I'd rather be playing mahjong, er, reading.

Books!
I'm listening to Wrecked on audio and reading Rebecca for book club next week. That group meets on Thursday. My other book group meets on Tuesday, and I haven't started the book for that, so I might have to set Rebecca aside and start on The Virgin Suicides. Dumb me for agreeing to having the second group meet the same week as the first...

>78 katiekrug: after the hometown crowd booked felonious yam I regained interest in the proceedings.

Enjoy the rest of the week, and skritch Nuala a few extra times from me!

Sounds like a busy, happy life!! Enjoy!!

Oh, sorry to read about Nuala's torn ACL. That sort of surgery is very expensive. Good luck raising the money, Katie. Like you, I have more Elena Essex puzzles in my future. I purchased 3 at once.

Ugh, sorry to hear about Nuala’s maybe ACL issue. Our first golden had to have both sides repaired. We opted for two different surgeries, they were a year apart (that’s apparently a thing), but both turned out fine with good results.

I just started Whistler!

Poor Nuala :( I hope the surgery consult goes better than expected.

>79 richardderus: - They definitely understood the assignment :)

Ear scritches delivered!

>80 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, Reba!

>81 vancouverdeb: - I was kidding about raising the money, Deborah, but thank you for the sympathy :) I need to see where I can purchase more EE puzzles. The one I did was a gift.

>82 Copperskye: - I think retrievers are prone to ACL issues, Joanne? Nuala is mostly labrador, so that would track. So far, her other leg is fine but the vet did say it was not uncommon for them to have to the other treated eventually.

I hope Whistler is a winner for you!

>83 curioussquared: - Thanks, Natalie. She's a trooper and such a good dog. You'd never know anything was wrong, except she favors that leg.

I stayed up too late last night to see the Knicks comeback to win a game they were down, at one point, by 29 points. The game winner was amazing. Before that, TW and I went bowling, where he kicked my butt but we had fun. I made him buy me a glass of wine afterwards on our way home.

Today, my house got cleaned by the wonderful Maribel, and Nuala enjoyed (and was exhausted by) her three hours at day care. She was so excited to go back - I guess she missed her friends :) Tonight's been quiet - I made dinner, the highlight of which (for me) was a random radish salad I made to go with the seasoned black beans and cilantro-lime chicken. I love radishes...

Tomorrow I'll be bowling again and the evening is up in the air, as I haven't heard back from my friend about definitive plans. The US men's soccer team plays their World Cup opener tomorrow night, and it's the season finale of Taskmaster (well, tonight, but it doesn't go up on YouTube until tomorrow, I think), so I'll be entertained regardless.

Books!
I finished Rebecca this afternoon and have started on The Virgin Suicides. I'm about to head into bed to read some more. Still listening to Wrecked on audio.

>84 katiekrug: Yes, unfortunately.

>85 katiekrug: That was quite a game last night. Glad it ended two hours earlier here. :)

Was that your first time reading Rebecca? I loved it when I was younger but recently attempted a reread and didn’t get very far.

Hi Katie, I'm back and catching up. I love all the Ann Patchett event chatter and am jealous of you and Vivian for getting to see her. And Maggie O'Farrell too, wow!

Hopefully today I'll catch up on my own thread. I've been slow getting back into the groove.

Happy Friday, Katie. Go Knicks! Hooray for Ann Patchett. So glad you made the author event. I have been lucky enough to meet her twice. Can't wait to read her latest.

I managed to snag a Kindle copy of Good People. Looking forward to that one too. Enjoy your weekend.

>86 Copperskye: - I read Rebecca as a teenager and don't remember my reaction to it, though I did love (and still do) the Hitchcock adaptation of it. I struggled with it in the beginning this time, and overall didn't love it. I read the afterword in the edition I had and that helped me appreciate it more, but it's not a favorite...

>87 lauralkeet: - Great to have you back, Laura!

I'm looking forward to seeing O'Farrell. And Vivian, of course. She and I always have a good time :)

>88 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! I'll be getting to the new Patchett sooner rather than later. And hooray for GP! I think you'll like it.

Finally heard back from my friend, and we are going to dinner and to see 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' tonight. Between that and bowling this afternoon, I think I'll be peopled out :)

I hope you enjoy any further EE puzzles that you find, Katie. Our dog has two luxating patellas. They are grade 2 , which is fairly mild. They may be fine all of Muffin's life, or they may need surgery, which would be about $4000 per patella. So I have an idea of vet bills.

Good morning Katie! Thanks for recommending NYT Cooking's Broccoli and White Bean Caesar. I made it last night and it's a winner!

I hope your weekend is going well.

>90 katiekrug: How was DWP2?

>91 vancouverdeb: - I found some EE puzzles, but they're a bit more spendy than I like for a puzzle. I've put them on my list for Christmas gift ideas.

I hope Muffin can preserve her patellas!

>92 lauralkeet: - I'm glad you liked it! It's definitely going into our regular summer rotation.

>93 MickyFine: - Umm, not good?

Happy (?) Monday! We're enjoying a cool down, with temps in the 70s, clear blue skies, and a lovely breeze. We've thrown open all the windows in the house.

We had a good weekend. The movie on Friday was bad, but my friend introduced me to a new restaurant that was great, so we'll call it a win. Saturday, TW went to see the Mandalorian movie and run errands, so I had the afternoon to myself. Then we went out to dinner and came home and watched THE KNICKS WIN! So much excitement. There were fireworks set off nearby, cars honking, etc. And we're not even in the city.

Sunday, we watched the F1 race and then TW had a whisky club meeting that I drove him to and then killed time with some retail therapy and dinner before picking him up again.

This week, I have 2 book club meetings (one group always meets the 3rd Thursday of the month and the other sort of floats; I didn't think it would be a big deal to meet the same week when I agreed to the date for the second one, but now I'm trying desperately to finish the book in time, LOL). I also have a shift at the food pantry scheduled, but might need to call in my back-up because Nuala is having her x-rays the same day, and I'm not clear on the process for that and how much time to allow. I'll be calling the vet's office today to get some more detail. And that's about it as far as scheduled things.

Today will be pretty chill, with just a trip to the grocery store and maybe a walk in the park on the way, since the weather is so nice. Chickpea curry and brown rice for dinner tonight.

Books!
I'm about halfway through The Virgin Suicides, which is very good. On audio, I finished Wrecked and have started Volume 2 of the Emma Lion books.

Sounds like you're busy as usual! Good luck with getting ready for two book club meetings in one week.

Since weather usually moves from west to east I'll warn you that we're having unusually hot weather this week (in the upper '90's) so enjoy the cool-down while it's there.

>96 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks for the heads-up, Reba :)

#40
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Ebook (library loan)
3 stars

#41
Wrecked by Joe Ide
Audio (library loan)
3.5 stars

>98 katiekrug: a connection between Rebecca and Jane Eyre eh? I've never known that either and I read both books so long ago I remember very little about them. You've made me a little curious but probably not enough to re-read them both but I'm still glad to know about it.

>98 katiekrug: I have never read Rebecca, Katie. I'm not sure why. Sounds like I need not rush to it.

>100 RebaRelishesReading: - First wife hanging over the scene, house on fire, problematic male lead, etc...

>101 vancouverdeb: - Lots of people like it, Deborah, so YMMV :)

My book club session last night was really good. It's such a great group of women and the perfect size (6) for meaningful conversation. Comments on The Virgin Suicides below. Our next read will be The Measure.

Today has been boring - laundry, groceries, etc. I'm making a sheet pan chicken shawarma dish for dinner. Tomorrow morning, I'll take Nuala in for her x-rays. Tomorrow evening, my other book group meets. Friday, I'm bowling in the afternoon and then watching the US-Australia World Cup match.

Books!
I am loving Ann Patchett's new novel, Whistler. On audio, I'm enjoying the second volume of Emma M. Lion's journals.

#42
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides
Ebook (mine)
4 stars

Hi Katie! Oh, poor Nuala! I hope she feels better soon.

Like many others here, you got me with Good People and I have it on hold. Did you read it in print? Do you think it would make a good audio? I will suggest it, as you suggested, for our book club - we will choose our reads for the next year in August (without me, for alas, I will be back in school).

>46 katiekrug: Beautiful puzzle! I've discovered that puzzling is a fall/winter activity for me.

>78 katiekrug: I love broccoli so much I think my family is often broccolied out but I can never get enough. I was known for it as a toddler.

>104 katiekrug: I know so many people just loved The Virgin Suicides but I just couldn't read it. Like I put the book down and it quickly left the house.

I hope you love Emma M. Lion as much as I do!

>105 AMQS: - I did read Good People in print. A couple of people in my book group struggled with it in the beginning on audio. It's told in very short "interview" excerpts, so each chapter is headed by a person's name and association with the story. I would personally find that challenging on audio, but I think you listen to a lot more audios than I do, so it might not be an issue?

If you like broccoli, I highly recommend this recipe (link is a gift article, in case you don't have a subscription): https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/773768265-broccoli-and-white-bean-caesar?unl...

Laura liked it too :)

The Wayne used to refuse to eat broccoli, and then he tried it at a restaurant in the city and discovered that it's delicious if it's not boiled/steamed to death and unseasoned, lol.

I understand about not being able to read TVS. It was tough going for me, and I imagine it would be worse for anyone with children.

I've always wondered about The Virgin Suicides. It's not calling to me though, despite your positive comments.

I started the 2nd Emma Lion book but only read a chapter or two before being sidetracked by library holds. I think I'll set it aside and start again later.

Sorry to hear about the movie. After such a long wait, what a let down. I will wait until it's on a streaming platform for free to watch. Did you see the first movie?

Happy weekend reading!

>107 lauralkeet: - I had picked up TVS during a Kindle sale several years ago, but it never called to me to read it. I'm not sure I ever would have if it hadn't been chosen for book club :)

The EML series is fun on audio. I don't think I'd bother with them in print, personally, but they could certainly work as excellent "in between" reads...

>108 figsfromthistle: - Thankfully, I wasn't waiting for it with bated breath, LOL. I saw the first ages ago and remember being very meh about it. I'm not sure I would have bothered to see the sequel if a friend hadn't wanted to go.

#43
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, vol. 2 by Beth Brower
Audio (library loan)
3.5 stars

We're enjoying a few days of beautiful weather here, though I think we are supposed to get heavy rain on Monday (ugh...). Other than sitting on the deck and reading, I'm not doing much outside because I'm me. The Wayne has several outdoor tasks to tend to this weekend, though. I wonder if he'll ever get started...?

Yesterday was a good day. TW had it off for the Juneteenth holiday, which means he only worked half a day (eye roll). Then we met friends to go bowling and after that, he and I went to a bar to watch the US-Australia match. The evening was chill with some more soccer and Chinese delivery for dinner. Tonight, I am actuall cooking (very rare for me on the weekend!) because I need to use up the stuff I bought to cook on Wednesday night... sheet pan chicken shawarma. Tomorrow will probably be similar to today, taking care of stuff around the house. We'll probably go out to dinner, though.

The coming week will include some fun things - we are going into the city Tuesday night to have dinner at Craft, before it closes permanently. And Thursday evening, I'm meeting Vivian in the city for dinner and to see Maggie O'Farrell at NYU. Then more bowling on Friday. And probably lots of World Cup viewing all week. I also need to be better about cooking and not finking out and going out to eat. This week's dinner plans include Korean beef and rice bowls, pasta with pancetta and peas, and spicy pork and oyster sauce noodles. Now that I've typed that out, I realize it's kind of carb heavy, so I might sub something out.

Books!
I'm really loving Whistler and finding that I don't want it to end, so I'm rationing it. On audio, I started listening to Girl Logic by Iliza Shlesinger, a comedian I am not familiar with. So far, it's okay.

All your plans sound lovely and I wish you a quick recovery from what sounds like an inevitable good book hangover when you finish Whistler.

Report back on O'Farrell. And say hi to Vivian. :)

>111 katiekrug: OK, Whistler is sitting over there looking at me - sounds like I'd better pick it up soon :)

Latest puzzle completion. A bit of a bear to do. It's a Ravensberger, and I know I'm in the minority, but I don't love this brand....

Latest book completion. A delight, from start to finish.

>116 katiekrug: can I admit that even though I’m dying to read this, I don’t like the cover and think I’ll just wait for the book through Libby rather than purchasing it. I think it looks like a children’s book with that horse and simple background!

I see Patchett on Tuesday, thanks to you, Katie, for mentioning it, which prompted me to discover that she is appearing here. She spent a lot of time on Seth Meyers talking about the cover, and she was very funny.

>116 katiekrug: I could not agree more, Katie. An absolute delight.

>117 japaul22: >118 BLBera: I saw her on Seth Myers, too, and loved hearing her discuss the cover art and also horse behavior (and I agree, the behavior is plausible). Hearing her talk, I understood that it wasn’t going to be a horsy book so I was perplexed by the cover choice but in retrospect, I get it now. And I’m an old horsy girl, so I like it. It’s the same artist who did the cover for The Dutch House, which I also loved, except for the cover…

>115 katiekrug: Great puzzle, Katie. What brands do you like best ? I do like Ravenburger a lot , as well as Eeboo and several others.

>112 MickyFine: - Thank, Micky! I was worried about a book hangover, too, so I picked up something I felt fairly certain wouldn't be AS good, but good enough :)

>113 BLBera: - Will do!

>114 RebaRelishesReading: - Yes, you had better ;-)

>117 japaul22: - You can admit anything here, Jennifer, it's a safe space :) I actually don't hate the cover. I don't love it, but it makes sense for the story. And I love the typeface of the text, which is in such opposition to the colors and brush strokes of the art...

>118 BLBera: - I need to look up that Seth Meyers interview!

>119 Copperskye: - When I heard her speak here in Montclair, she also talked a bit about the horse behavior. She didn't talk about the cover art at all, but she did say, if you were looking for a "horse book," this was not it and you should read Geraldine Brooks' novel, Horse instead. And if you didn't like horses at all, don't worry, it's not about a horse. But she said it all very amusingly...

>120 vancouverdeb: - I like Gallisons, Blue Lobster, Cross and Glory... There is something about the texture of Ravensbergers and the way they fit together that annoys me. But I'm weird like that.

Monday, Monday...

We are supposed to get some pretty heavy rain here today and are under a Flood Watch. So you know the denizens of Casa Krug will be living with background anxiety all day due to our flood issues. Fun!

Present Me is very pleased with Past Me for going to the grocery store yesterday, so I don't have to go today. I am planning to go to our Town Council meeting this evening to register my displeasure at a few things during the Public Comment period. IF I can brave the rain... Other than that, it will be a laundry and World Cup day.

I made this (https://www.skinnytaste.com/chicken-shawarma-sheet-pan-dinner/#recipe) Saturday night and highly recommend it. I served it with baby spinach, tzaziki, whole wheat pitas, and sliced red onion. I made a little sammy and TW ate it over spinach like a salad. There were a ton of leftovers and it was tasty straight out of the fridge yesterday. The only change I made was to cook the chicken on its own for about 15 minutes before adding the chickpeas and veggies because we like a "bite" to our veggies and I felt like they'd be mush if they cooked the whole 30 minutes. Oh, and I also upped the seasoning because I always do :)

Tonight we're having Korean beef and brown rice bowls.

Books
I finished the lovely Whistler yesterday, and started Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman. I've not done any listening/puzzling the past couple of days, so I'll add that to my plans for today. My current audio is Girl Logic.

Hi Katie! Congrats on knocking out that grocery shopping. Good for you, registering your point of view in the Town Council meeting. Our town council is filled with DRAMA but we live just outside the town so while I enjoy reading about the latest shenanigans and counter-shenanigans, I don't really have a stake.

I really hope the rain isn't as bad as forecast!

Crossing my fingers your rain isn't too bad. Our latest deluge is supposed to wrap up today. Second time this month that we've received a month's worth of rain in just a couple days. Thankfully no flood concerns at my house but I expect the mosquitoes will be inescapable in a couple weeks with all the standing water everywhere.

>115 katiekrug: OMG I'll bet that one was a bear!! Interesting to look at probably but blind-making to work.

>114 RebaRelishesReading: I decided to make some more progress with my self-assigned Austen project first so I'm reading Mansfield Park. Whistler next :)

The cover doesn't call to me either - so I'm glad to hear it relates to the story. I do like horses and I have read Brooks' Horse but I didn't like it much (even though I usually like her work).

Hope the rain is just enough to keep the flowers happy without causing trouble.

>121 katiekrug: Thanks for letting me know. I like Gallisons, and do them, but i tend to avoid them because they are all two in , two out pieces. They do have great images though. So many positive reviews about Whistler I have put a hold on at the library. A long wait though.

>123 lauralkeet:, >124 MickyFine:, >125 RebaRelishesReading: - Thanks, ladies! The rain turned out to be pretty tame, so all is well :)

>126 vancouverdeb: - Interesting, Deborah. I've never paid attention to the types of pieces in the puzzles I do.

I'm dragging this morning, as we were out kind of late, thanks to the dodgy train schedule. Our dinner at Craft was amazing - one of the best meals I've ever had, and the service was impeccable. And I got to see Tom Colicchio in the flesh! As we were leaving, he was passing through the dining room, so I stopped and thanked him for a wonderful meal. He smiled and thanked me, so now we're basically best friends.

What we had:
Pre-dinner cocktails (me - a grapefruit and vodka concoction that was fab; TW - old-fashioned)
Amuse-bouche: gazpacho
Shared: Ricotta agnolotti with spring peas
Warm sourdough bread with cultured French butter
Wine: a French grenache
Me: monkfish with pancetta, spring vegetables, and farro verde
TW: duck confit with strawberry and gochujang
Shared: potato gratin that might be the single most delicious potato-based dish I've ever eaten
Shared: spiced sugar donuts with caramel and dark chocolate sauces (these were kind of meh and I would have skipped if I had known we'd each get the below)
Amuse-bouche: one bite cream puffs (so much better than the donuts...)

And upon departure, every diner gets a muffin to enjoy in the morning. Class!

So then we had time to kill before catching the PATH to Hoboken to catch the NJT train, so we stopped in for a nightcap at a random restaurant we passed. It was a lovely evening, and TW even said I might convince him to go to another fancy dinner again, because he enjoyed it so much. Result!

Today is less fun - groceries and tidying for Maribel's cleaning tomorrow. I am meeting a friend from book club to lend her my copy of Whistler. We're meeting at a bakery and it's so nice out, I expect we'll sit outside with iced coffees and have a bit of a chat, so at least that's one fun thing for the day!

Books!
Still Girl Logic on audio and Seventh Heaven in print.

That sounds like an amazing dinner, Katie. What a memorable experience. I hope you had a good, if less fun, Wednesday.

Sweet Thursday, Katie. I enjoyed your thoughts on The Virgin Suicides. I really liked the book too and that reminds me- what happened to Eugenides? I haven't heard a peep from him in years.

I have Whistler waiting nearby. I should get to in a few days. Patchett Rocks!

>128 katiekrug: Your evening sounds absolutely fabulous!! and a bonus that Himself is willing (anxious?) to do it again. Revel in it.

>128 katiekrug: That dinner does sound amazing.

Dinner sounds amazing. Shame that it took the place closing for you to go. but good that TW is open to another trip.

I may have missed it, how did the election go? I saw results of some US elections recently, but I didn't know if yours was the same time or not.

>129 lauralkeet: - Thanks, Laura! At this point, I can barely remember Wednesday, but I think it was fine :)

>130 msf59: - Good question, Mark. I guess The Marriage Plot was his last novel? Ages ago!

I hope you like the new Patchett when you get to it.

>131 RebaRelishesReading: - Definitely willing, probably not anxious :D

>132 BLBera: - It was!

>133 Helenliz: - I am sad, too, that we only went once.

The election was as expected, with one bright spot. Most of the "machine" Dems won in my town, but my ward voted for the non-machine candidate for Council. It was only a primary, so there will be a general election in November, but Republicans are so scarce here, most Council candidates run unopposed.

Well, it's been a minute since I last updated... Bright spots of the last several days include:

Dinner with Vivian (at a cute Italian place in the Village, where we shared a caprese salad and a flight of lasagnes - fun concept!) and seeing Maggie O'Farrell in conversation with Mary Beth Keane. O'Farrell was fabulous and I am really looking forward to reading Land. Keane seemed like she was drunk or drugged or something - very odd and sort of vacant? Glad we weren't there to see her.

I bowled my best ever game on Friday and won a free beer off a friend who thought he could beat me. Ha!

Quiet weekend doing/helping with stuff around the house.

Made a new favorite recipe - spicy pork and oyster sauce noodles from a Milk Street cookbook. Delish!

This week will be mostly quiet. And HOT. We have an extreme heat advisory Wednesday to Friday. Gross. I'm working at the food pantry on Tuesday and the community kitchen on Friday. No big plans for the Fourth. I expect there will be more bowling and lots of World Cup watching.

Books!
I'm listening to Moderation and enjoying it (thank you, Beth, for being the impetus to try it since I probably wouldn't have otherwise...). In print, I'm almost done with Seventh Heaven, which is fine but no great shakes.

I am highly envious of a lasagne flight. That sounds amazing!

Glad to hear life is treating you well.

Glad you are enjoying Moderation. I thought you might appreciate Girlie.

Lucky you to have seen Maggie O'Farrell. I did see Ann Patchett, and as a bonus, Louise Erdrich was also there. :)

>136 MickyFine: - It was nice to try a selection of their specialties. My favorite was the one with pancetta and peas :)

>137 BLBera: - Moderation is reminding me a bit of Yellowface and I'm not sure why. The snark? The assimilation and appropriation themes? Anyway, I'm enjoying it!

#44
Whistler by Ann Patchett
Hardcover (mine)
4.5 stars

#45
Girl Logic by Iliza Shlesinger
Audio (mine)
2.5 stars

#46
Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman
Ebook (mine)
3 stars

>139 katiekrug: It's sitting two feet from my left elbow...you are definitely encouraging me to get to it!!

>139 katiekrug: Sounds like another winner from Patchett :)

>142 RebaRelishesReading: - Good to hear, Reba!

>143 curioussquared: - I thought so :)

June Wrap-Up
(Numbers in parentheses are YTD)

Total Books Read: 7 (46)
Mine: 4 (29)
Library: 3 (17)
Re-Reads: 1 (3)
DNF: 1 (9)

Female Authors: 5 (37)
Male Authors: 2 (9)
New to Me Authors: 2 (24)
Diverse* Authors: 2 (11)

US/UK Authors: 7 (39)
Other Countries: 0 (7: Afghanistan-1, Canada-1, Ireland-3, Jamaica-1 Sierra Leone-1)

Pages read: 1322 (9887)
Hours listened: 20h54m (122h2m)
(Puzzles completed: 2 (10))

* authors of color, LGBTQ+ authors, etc.

Best of the month: Whistler
Worst of the month (not counting DNFs): Girl Logic

"Musts" for July:
The Measure for WWS book club
The Vanishing Half for MBW book club (but I'm thinking of skipping this month...)
Casting Off to continue my read of the Cazalet Chronicles

Thoughts:
The Wayne is putting me to shame with his reading lately. He'll read for a solid two hours every night while I'm picking up and putting down my own book, playing on my phone, watching soccer... Sigh. I did gobble up the new Ann Patchett, so my slower pace may have something to do with being too willing to continue on with books that aren't fully engaging me. I've already DNFed a book in July, and my goal for the month is to be ruthless about doing that more!

My friend wrote this, and it captures my feelings pretty well on this 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence:

"I have complicated feelings towards the United States. I'm neither a nationalist nor a jingoist; I rarely chant "USA! USA!" at sporting events... America, for all her promise, is still the country of slavery and Jim Crow, of ethnic cleansing disguised as "Manifest Destiny," of ICE and xenophobia. But America is also the country of civil disobedience and MLK, of global immigration and fresh starts, of the Bill of Rights and constitutional government. It's a mess, but it's my mess, and I'm glad to call it home. To paraphrase Cory Booker, if America hasn't made you cry, then you don't love her enough."

And this:

>146 katiekrug: I love this! I am experiencing such mixed emotions today, and I know why, but I hate that our Independence Day is tarnished.

Thank you for posting this!

Karen O

Thanks Katie, for both of those posts.

>146 katiekrug:, >147 katiekrug: Yes, thank you Katie. It's a hard day to celebrate, but on the other hand, I don't care to let the bastards take it over. We watched a bit of coverage of the parade of tall ships through NY harbor this morning, and it did a lot to dispel the funk. (Sound OFF, most of the time, to avoid the inane commentary, but there was some historical information of interest at times.) My husband, former Coastie, did not serve on the U.S. Eagle because he wasn't Academy but it is still a source of particular pride here.

>146 katiekrug: Thank you for sharing that -- it also captures my feelings.

>146 katiekrug:, >147 katiekrug: Thanks Katie. Well said.

>148 klobrien2:, >149 lauralkeet:, >150 laytonwoman3rd:, >151 RebaRelishesReading:, >152 BLBera: -

I'm glad those posts struck a (sort of positive) chord for you all. They certainly did for me!
______

Our holiday weekend was pretty quiet, what with the heat dome and all. We basically hermited. I watched a lot of tennis and soccer...

Our weather has turned, thankfully. It's very rainy today but rather cool, and the rest of the week should see more normal temps.

Today, I need to run to the grocery store in the morning. This afternoon, Nuala is meeting a potential dog-sitter for when we are out of town at the end of the month. With her leg issue, I don't want to have her at her usual boarding place with a nunch of other dogs where all she'll do is play and wear herself out. Tonight, I am going with a couple of friends to a board game night at a restaurant, where I have been assured they will be showing the USMNT game against Belgium.

Other plans for the week include a food pantry shift, bowling, and a mahjong night. So a bit busy, but not too bad.

Books!
I finished Moderation on audio and liked it a lot. I really wasn't sure it would be my cuppa, and I only gave it a try because Beth recommended it. Not sure what I'll start next. In print, I'm reading Casting Off, #4 in the Cazalet series. It's a long one, and I've not been doing a lot of reading lately, so it's going to take me a while!

I hope the dog-sitter meeting went well and that your next reads suck you in. :)

Looks like your reading is picking up a bit, Katie. Author events are helpful that way. Love the idea of that flight of lasagnes.

>153 katiekrug: I am happy you liked Moderation, Katie. I thought Girlie might be someone you would appreciate.

Sweet Thursday, Katei. I think that is so cool that you got to see Maggie O' Farrell and with Vivian too. Nice. I just finished Land and it was excellent but if you are looking for something uplifting, you might want to wait. It is a tough one. I bet Vivian would be a perfect dinner companion.

>154 MickyFine: - Thanks, Micky! The dog-sitter meeting went great, and Liz has been engaged to take care of Nuala while we are gone :) And my current read has definitely sucked me in!

>155 Familyhistorian: - IT is picking up, Meg. Thank goodness. Of course, I've not started the O'Farrell book yet...

The lasagnes were all very good.

>156 BLBera: - Thanks for the rec, Beth. And for the reminder that I need to write up some comments on it!

>157 msf59: - Hiya, Mark! Doing anything with Vivian is always a treat. I think we've met up about half a dozen times now. I really loved hearing O'Farrell speak, and I'm looking forward to getting to Land - probably next month. Like you, I don't mind the darker, sadder books :) I also have several of her backlist to get to.

Good morning! Maribel is here to clean, so I am ensconced in my office with the dog. For those keeping track, Nuala has a surgery consult on Monday. It's 40 minutes away, which is not ideal, but the surgeon comes highly recommended by our vet. In the meantime, her leg has gotten worse :( We've started dosing her to try to keep her more calm, but it doesn't seem to be doing much. Silly labrador.

After Maribel finishes here, I'll run some errands, including a stop at the library, which seems to think I still have two books checked out, but I returned them on July 1, so.... that's annoying. I also have a hold to pick up. And I need to get a bottle of wine for mahjong tonight.

Tomorrow, I'll be bowling in the afternoon, and we'll probably go out for dinner. No big plans for the weekend.

Occasional viewing update:
Lots of soccer, but I'm also slowly watching 'The Other Bennet Sister,' which is mildly diverting. We gave 'Widow's Bay' a try, but the first episode didn't grab us, so I don't think we'll continue. TW has really been into reading, so most nights, we just put on music and read together (well, I also play on my phone...)

Books!
I am almost finished with Casting Off, which has really sucked me in. Good thing, too, since it's 600+ pages! On audio, I started Too Old for This, but then decided to switch to The Vanishing Half for book club next week. I wasn't going to go, but changed my mind. I'm almost certainly not going in August, and I didn't want to miss two months in a row. I'll go back to TOfT, as the premise is fun.

#47
Moderation by Elaine Castillo
Audio (library loan)
4 stars

Great comments, Katie. I would love to hear Castillo narrating.

Poor Nuala :( I hope the surgery consult goes well. I enjoyed The Other Bennet Sister quite a bit for its silliness and fresh take but YMMV.

>161 BLBera: - Maybe you can re-visit it on audio in the future!

>162 curioussquared: - I'm enjoying it, mostly. I just don't love any of the characters. Well, maybe Aunt Gardiner... :)

I forgot to mention that I got a (unpaid) gig writing reviews of New Jersey-related books for a website! Granted, friends of mine run it, but they were really excited when I proposed adding some bookish content to their music/food heavy site :) My plan is to read/review one book every month or so... I'm having fun creating a list of possible titles.

>159 katiekrug: Al, poor Nuala. I hope they can fix her leg.

Book review gig sounds fun and I'm sure you'll do a great job!

>165 RebaRelishesReading: Congrats on the writing gig. That sounds awesome!

I hope Nuala's consult goes well and you're able to come up with a treatment plan that works for her.

>164 katiekrug: how fun! I have to say, I haven't thought much about NJ-themed books so I'll be interested to see what titles you choose. This is a perfect gig for you.

>164 katiekrug: How cool is that!

>164 katiekrug: That sounds like fun, Katie. And perfect for you. Yes, you will have to let us know what titles you choose.

>165 RebaRelishesReading: - We had the surgery consult this morning - more below.

Thanks re: the new gig. I'm excited for it!

>166 MickyFine: - Thank you on both counts, Micky!

>167 lauralkeet: - I'm going to start easy and just pick books either set in the state or by an author from here (currently or formerly). And I'm just going to review them like I would anything (well, better than I have been doing here on LT!), not try to tease out Jersey specificity or anything :)

>168 laytonwoman3rd: - *grin* I'll be sure to post links...

>169 BLBera: - Thanks, Beth! I have a few dozen in a spreadsheet now, but my short list is:
The Sacrifice by Joyce Carol Oates
Ghost Town by Tom Perrotta
The Rope: A True Story of Murder, Heroism, & the Dawn of the NAACP by Alex Tresniowski
Nemesis by Philip Roth
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver

Gah! I'm an idiot. I just wrote a long update and then forgot to hit "post." Grrrr.

Short version:
We took Nuala to see the vet surgeon this morning. We really liked him. He recommended a more complicated procedure than the usual CCL repair, due to her size and activity profile. So she'll be having a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy, probably some time in August or early September. This procedure should give her the best chance at full recovery and reduce the risk of re-injury. *fingers crossed*

We had a quiet weekend, for the most part. TW did a bunch of yard work. We went bowling yesterday. Dinner out Fri, Sat and Sun because I've just not felt like cooking :-P It's going to heat up this weekend, so I have planned a few no-cook meals.

Books!
I don't love the audio narrator of The Vanishing Half, but I'll finish it. Book club #1 is meeting Thursday to discuss it. In print, I'm reading The Measure, which I also don't love. The premise is intriguing, but the writing is mediocre, at best. BC #2 is meeting to discuss it a week from today. I am considering not finishing it, but we'll see if it starts to improve. I'm only 60 pages or so in...

Hi Katie, I have had fun catching up with you. I tend to remember Rebecca as one of my favorite books but I haven't read it since I was an impressionable young teen so I am very leery of giving it a second go. I think this is one that I will just keep shelved in my memory as I am not a fan of re-reading as so often I have been disappointed. I can barely keep up with all the newer books from my list and now I am adding Good People as well.

I thought the idea of The Measure was intriguing, but thought it didn't quite hit the mark. There are some interesting bits though, especially the politics related to it. I did like The Vanishing Half, but I read it, didn't do the audiobook.

>171 katiekrug: Glad to hear the consult for Nuala went well.

Wishing you better reads once you finish your book club books. Maybe time for a palate cleansing romance? 😊

>172 DeltaQueen50: - I think you are wise not to re-visit Rebecca, Judy. I don't think you would enjoy it nearly as much as your younger self did :)

I hope you like Good People when you can get to it!

>173 BLBera: - I've decided to give up on TM. I gave it 106 pages and just found the writing to be increasingly bad.

Despite the audio narrator, I am liking TVH more.

>174 MickyFine: - I just checked and I haven't read a romance since May! I think your suggestion is a good one. Now to decide historical or contemporary.....

>171 katiekrug: Hi Katie, we choose TPLO surgery for Copper’s second CCL tear. The surgery went well and she had no further problems with it. It’s been a few years, but the aftercare wasn’t as bad as I had feared. Good luck to you and Nuala!

>170 katiekrug: I also have Ghost Town on my TBR. I am a fan of Perrota. The Rope: A True Story of Murder, Heroism, & the Dawn of the NAACP sounds really interesting. That is a new one for me. I added it to my audio list.

I hope the week is off to a good start for you, Katie. Hot as hell here.

>175 katiekrug: The eternal question, lol.

#48
Casting Off by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Paperback (mine)
4 stars

>176 Copperskye: - Thanks for that, Joanne! It is reassuring to hear others' experiences.

>177 msf59: - I also love Perrotta, Mark. Have you read The Wishbones? It's an early one and I read it recently(ish) and really enjoyed it.

We are also having some hot weather. But I'm not playing pickleball ;-)

>178 MickyFine: - I went historical!

Heal-fast-and-forever *whammy*s for Nuala, and some fun reviewing for you!

Stay cool. Going outside is almost as appealing as it used to be in Texas....

>179 katiekrug: I'm so glad The Cazalets have continued to deliver for you, Katie. Such a great series!

>179 katiekrug:. Ditto Laura :)

>181 richardderus: - Thanks for those whammys for Nuala, RD!

The smoke haze yesterday was awful. A bit better today. And cooler!

>182 lauralkeet: - It's all thanks to you I'm reading them :)

>183 RebaRelishesReading: - I'm in good company :)

Happy Friday! We are getting a break from the heat, but not from the smoky skies. Yesterday was really awful - not just hazy but with a strong scent of smoke in the air. Poor Canada :(

My big book club met last night to discuss The Vanishing Half. The group was too large, IMO. Lots of side conversations, noise, etc. Still, I enjoyed the social interaction before and after the discussion. This afternoon, I'm doing my regular bowling with friends. I'm trying to convince TW to knock off work early and come along, but he is at the dentist right now to have a filling re-done, so he probably will feel the need to stay at work once he starts. Tomorrow night, he is hosting his whisky club here. I will likely take myself on a date for part of the evening :)

Books!
I DNFed The Work of Art, a historical romance, after about 60 pages. Except for a few select authors (Looking at you, Tessa Dare), I think I'm over historical romances. They just feel boring to me these days. In its place, I started Today Will Be Different, which I'm enjoying. On audio, I'm back to Too Old for This, which I had paused so I could listen to The Vanishing Half.

Hi Katie, bowling sounds like a great activity in this summer heat. The poor air quality reached us this morning, but it's not as gross as the photos I've seen from the NY/NJ area.

BTW, the new season of University Challenge began this week. You may not be following it anymore, but thought I'd mention it just in case. I'm looking forward to watching F1 this weekend, especially since I no longer care who wins the World Cup.

Enjoy your weekend!

"I will likely take myself on a date for part of the evening"--
I love that!

>185 katiekrug: I had a sparkling clear start to the day and in the last half-hour the haze has returned. I'm so so sad about this disaster.

Your DNF sounds deeply disappointing but it brings up an award I've never heard of: The HOLT Medallion, which I'm guessing is named for Victoria. (Update: nope. Kinda skeeves me how very WHITE it is.)

Nuala noogies!