Karlstar's 2026 Road of Reading 3

The old one was too long, time for a new thread!

December/January reading
The Fellowship of the Ring
Limits of Power by Elizabeth Moon
A Conversation in Blood by Paul S. Kemp
City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas by Roger Crowley
City in Glass by Nghi Vo
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

February Reading
Sassinak by Elizabeth Moon and Anne McCaffrey
The Death of Sleep by Jody Lynn Nye and Anne McCaffrey
Generation Warriors by Elizabeth moon and A. M.
The Masters of Solitude by Marvin Kaye and Parke Godwin
Old Mars by G. Martin and G. Dozois
Clockwork Destiny by Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart

March reading
White Wolf by David Gemmell
Homegoing by Frederik Pohl
Stolen Crown by Dennis McKiernan
The Soul of America by Jon Meacham
Tigana by G. G. Kay (re-read)

April reading
The Berserker Throne by Fred Saberhagen
War and Peace - up to 13%!
A Pilgrimage of Swords by Anthony Ryan
Transcription by Kate Atkinson
Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennett
Worth Dying For by Lee Child
2113: Stories inspired by the music of Rush by Kevin J. Anderson

May reading
The Kraken's Tooth by Anthony Ryan
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Penric's Demon by L. M. Bujold
Penric's Shaman by L. M. Bujold
The Hallowed Hunt by L. M. Bujold
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Human Division #3 We Only Need the Heads by John Scalzi
Human Division #4 A Voice in the Wilderness by John Scalzi
Rapport by Martha Wells (non-Murderbot short story)
Human Division #5 Tales from the Clarke by John Scalzi
The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
The Gate of the Feral Gods by Matt Dinniman

June reading
Finity's End by C. J. Cherryh
Dear Future: You Can Keep the Change by Ronee Hulk (ER book)
Count Brass by Michael Moorcock
Song for the Basilisk by Patricia McKillip

July reading
City of Songs by Anthony Ryan
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Hiero's Journey by Sterling Lanier
Judgement at Tokyo by Gary J. Bass
The Butcher's Masquerade by Matt Dinniman

The usual explanation of my rating system, with updated statistics from my library here on LT.

I use a 1 to 10 rating system because I started rating books on the internet using a 10 point system and because I like the additional granularity. Checking my LT ratings, I have given out over 600 8+ ratings, but I don't think I should make it even harder give out 8/10 ratings, so it is now a Top 600. I only have about 134 books rated 9 stars or higher, so either I'm being too tough or there just aren't that many 9 or 10 star books. My most common rating is 6, I like most of what I read. Here's my rating scale explained.

1 - So bad, I couldn't finish it. DO NOT READ!!!
2 - Could have finished, but didn't. Do not read. This one means I made a conscious choice not to finish, usually about halfway through the book. Something is seriously wrong here.
3 - Finished it, but had to force myself. Not recommended, unless it is part of a series you really need to finish.
4 - Finished it, but really didn't like it. Not recommended unless you really need something to read.
5 - Decent book, recommended if you have spare time and need something to read.
6 - Good book, I enjoyed it, and would recommend it.
7 - Good book, recommended for everyone. I may have read it more than once, and would consider buying the hardcover edition.
8 - Great book, I would put it in the Top 600* of all time. Read more than once, I probably have the hardcover.
9 - Great book, top 100* all time. Read more than once, if I don't have the hardcover edition, I want one!
10 - All-time great book, top 50 material. Read more than twice, I probably have more than one copy/edition.

My ratings also include the Slogging Through The Mud (STTM) rating/index. This goes back to one of Elizabeth Moon's Paksenarrion books where she spends WAY too much time actually describing how the army spent days slogging through the mud. If there is a lot of travel in the book and too much time describing the traveling, the STTM rating will be high. The STTM rating also encompasses non-slogging travel and character growth, if there is any.

* My 8 star and 9-10 star ratings now exceed 600 and 100, but close enough.

Happy New Thread! :)

Happy New Thread! You've gotten through so many titles this year! I am beginning to feel as if I need to up my game a bit.

>2 Alexandra_book_life: >3 jillmwo: Thank you!

>3 jillmwo: I've made more of an effort this year to step away from the computer and read, plus all the hospital waiting time has given me time to read.

Happy New Thread.

>5 pgmcc: Thanks Peter.

Wishing you a very happy and bountiful new thread!

Happy new thread

According to today's post by Merriam-Webster, we call unsolicited emails and messages 'spam', because of the Monty Python spam skit. Apparently someone used the term back in the early days of the internet and it stuck.

>7 clamairy: >8 hfglen: Thank you!

>9 Karlstar:
I remember the skit:

"Spam! Spam! Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!Spam! Spam!..."

>11 pgmcc: "Spamity spam!"

Happy new thread

>13 Narilka: Thank you!

A beautiful day to sit by the lake and enjoy a little picnic. We picked up some cheese, fruit, jam and bread from a local bakery, plus some of our homemade hot pepper jelly. The weather was perfect, though a little hazy.

>14 Karlstar:
Very nice. What body of water is that?

>14 Karlstar: Gorgeous! I hope you can hang out there a while, and that your brought books to read.

>14 Karlstar: Oh my! I wouldn't want to leave.

>15 pgmcc: Lake Ontario, about 25 minutes from us and only about 10 minutes past our favorite farm stand. Toronto is across the lake to the NW, but wasn't visible today. We have been to a beach on Lake Erie, but that was a couple of years ago.

>16 clamairy: We stayed for a bit, no books, just our picnic.

>17 catzteach: I could have easily stayed longer. It is a quiet and peaceful spot.

>14 Karlstar: cheese, fruit, jam and bread. What a really lovely lunch to go with the view. I hope this was a really calming day for you.

>19 jillmwo: It was, thank you. I try to get up there multiple times once the weather warms, but this was the first time we remembered to bring a picnic. Next time we need to bring our camp/tailgate chairs, so we can choose the best spot to sit.

>14 Karlstar: Beautiful! Your picknick sounds perfect :)

Working my way through Finity's End, slowly. The beginning is slow while she uncovers the plot and we spend a lot of time in Fletcher's head.

>21 Alexandra_book_life: Thank you. The lake is always beautiful this time of year. Really, all year, but the weather was perfect.

The bakery and bookstore tour continues! I was able to get to one more of the 'bookstore passport' bookstores this weekend, Act 4 Books, in Perry, NY. It is a little under an hour and a half away, but I was driving right past Perry anyway. A very nice, small store with a good selection. I picked up a small hardcover, illustrated copy of A Christmas Carol for Trish.

There was also a nice bakery right across the street, so we had to stop in. They had a great apple coffee cake.

While I was in the area I also stopped by the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo. I only drove through, so I saw their C-47 Dakota and C-130 Hercules that are out on static display. I was surprised they had the C-130, but I believe it is on loan from the Smithsonian. https://nationalwarplanemuseum.com/

>24 Karlstar: What a lovely day out! Both bookstore and bakery. (And I am beginning to suspect that you may be more of an expert on aviation than previously recognized.)

>25 jillmwo: While I was writing that post, I realized that I should have been recognizing the significance of that day - basically my 3 favorite things all in one day - books, planes and baked goods and I got to drive around and admire the scenery in that area of NY.

I'm no expert on aviation but I have been a fan all my life. My wife and daughter will tell you that I wanted to spend a LOT more time at every single exhibit at the Naval Air Museum in Pennsacola than they were able to stand.

>24 Karlstar: Sounds like good fun. I'm assuming you are planning to go back when you have a bigger chunk of time.

>27 clamairy: Most likely, I even considered volunteering at the museum, but it is an hour and 20 minutes away in good weather.

>24 Karlstar:
That sounds like a great outing. I am still delighted with the idea of your bookstore passport scheme. It must be a great little motivator to get out there and explore places you have not been to before or in a long time.

>29 pgmcc: It absolutely was a great incentive. There is still one more bookstore in Perry and several others that were a good distance away. When we are in those areas, I'll try to get to them.

What a lot of good things you've been enjoying! The lake, bookstores, bakeries ... it all sounds wonderful!

>24 Karlstar: This sounds so delightful! I am happy for you :)

>31 Sakerfalcon: >32 Alexandra_book_life: Thanks, it was a nice little trip.

How can it be almost the middle of June? I am still working on Finity's End, but I'm really not in the mood for the nearly endless amount of time spent in Fletcher's head, while the plot plods along, slowly.

I needed a book to read while at one of Trish's appointments, so I picked up Count Brass by Moorcock. I thought this created a good image "...beneath wide skies of pastel colours, of faded reds and yellows, where the reeds were brown and dark green and orange and, in the appropriate season, bent before the mistral."

I'm about a quarter of the way through it, it is short and a quick read.

>34 Karlstar: Very nice tidbit you shared there. I had to Google mistral! I assumed it was a wind but I wanted to be sure.

>35 clamairy: For whatever reason, I have been more impressed with the prose in Count Brass than most of Moorcock's books that I have read.

The pink and lavender stage of the herb garden this year:

>37 Karlstar: Lovely!

>37 Karlstar:
Very nice. A lovely colour whatever you wish to call it.

>38 clamairy: Thank you! >39 pgmcc: Thank you! Oops, I should have said 'pink and lavender'. The foxglove flowers are definitely lavender color and the chive flowers are close. The hard to see peonies hiding behind the petunias in both shots are pink. This color coordination is Trish's doing. Later in the year, this garden is all yellows.

>37 Karlstar: So pretty!

>40 Karlstar:
Such great planning.

>40 Karlstar: This color coordination is Trish's doing. Later in the year, this garden is all yellows. What a lovely element to the landscape. Because @pgmcc is right, the planning required is remarkable and adds to the general enjoyment.

Although I must say that @pgmcc isn't always right. He doesn't properly appreciate Wilkie Collins. He's just right this one time...

>37 Karlstar: That's beautiful!

>41 Alexandra_book_life: >43 jillmwo: >44 Sakerfalcon: Thank you.

Every year when we are buying annuals, we try to pick a color scheme, but pretty much end up getting whatever catches our fancy and not coordinating colors, so it is a little unusual for us that this garden is so coordinated.

For reading, I'm almost done with Count Brass

I see @jillmwo has cornered the market on selling popcorn in the pub.

>26 Karlstar: My mom lives near a small local airport where the Blue Angels stage their shows every summer. The planes go overhead and nearby as they loop and swoop. She and the other apartment complex residents take advantage of the free show :)

>14 Karlstar: What a lovely picnic—and view

>47 libraryperilous: That would be awesome to see. There was a report that the Canadian Snowbirds were going to be practicing in the area, but I don't think they were visible here.

>43 jillmwo:
Point of information. I am very fond of the works of Wilkie Collins. Unlike some people I have read and enjoyed The Woman in White. Some people cannot claim that.

Also, I was correct on one other occasion.

>47 libraryperilous: My mom lives close to an airport that does an airshow, too. I go and watch it from her backyard. Although, now that she’s moved I don’t know if we will be able to see them.

Enough about lakes and airplanes and bookstores and plants, back to book reviews.

Penric and the Shaman
STTM: 5 - a good amount of travel, not over-done
Rating: 6 out of 10

I actually enjoyed this book, but found the switch in focus from sorcerers and demons, as started in the previous Penric book, to shamans and spirit warriors a little confusing. Yes, Penric was the main character, but the book felt like it was more about the spirit warrior side of things. I actually wish I had read The Hallowed Hunt first.

There's a bit of a time jump in this one, but not bad. Penric is now graduated and is an actual temple sorcerer and ends up trying to help resolve a situation with multiple people who have 'spirit animals' bonded with them, instead of demons. Penric's relationship with Desdemona is still the best part of these books, but it takes a bit of a back seat in this one.

Like the previous book, I liked the characters and I like her world, but I did think the magic system got a little muddled in this one and now 6 weeks later, the plot is really fuzzy.

Was it immersive: Yes, I enjoyed it.
Was it memorable? Only partially.
Would I read it again? Probably not.
Would I recommend it? Yes, if you like Bujold's writing and the World of the Five Gods.

The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
STTM: 4 - not a lot of travel
Rating: 7 out of 10

This one is considerably longer than the Penric novels and has almost nothing to do with The Curse of Chalion or Paladin of Souls, it felt like this was Bujold trying to delve into the spirit shaman/animal spirit part of her world. There are still sorcerers and at least one of them is notable, but the focus is definitely on those with animal spirits. To make things more confusing, this book is listed as the third book in the Curse of Chalion series - but it occurs far in the past. Chronologically, it is listed as the first book of the World of the Five Gods series. (that list is publication order)

Two new characters, Injrey and Injada, are thrown together when Ingrey has to investigate the death of the King's son and heir. The practice of bonding an animal spirit, or even a Great Spirit, to a warrior to make them better is heavily involved in this book. This book occurs fairly far in the past in her world, when the conquest of this part of the world is still relatively new. Some of the minor characters are actually some of the best characters in the book, including the lady sorceress who's a force of nature all on her own.

I wish I'd read this one, where the practice and purpose and implications of shamans and spirit warriors are much better explained, before Penric and the Shaman.

The characters are excellent, the plot is good, a combination of mystery and politics. As usual with a Bujold book, I find that I want to keep reading them, even when very little is happening, but even when there is little action, the book was still very enjoyable. A very good, maybe even great, read.

Was it immersive: Yes, I enjoyed it.
Was it memorable? Yes.
Would I read it again? Probably.
Would I recommend it? To anyone who enjoys her books, but don't expect this one to actually follow Paladin of Souls.

>52 Karlstar: You just made me realize I still haven't written my review for this... *sigh*
I think I liked it a little bit more than you did.

>52 Karlstar: Bujold is always good :) (At least in my experience!)

>53 clamairy: I guess my review wasn't enthusiastic enough, let me punch it up a little! I can't give it an 8 or higher yet, I haven't read it more than once and I don't even own a copy, I borrowed it from the library - which in itself is not a limitation.

>54 Alexandra_book_life: I agree, I don't think I've ever read a Bujold book I didn't like.

>55 Karlstar: You made it sound a lot better!!! I had planned to write my review this afternoon but I ended up outside playing in the dirt instead.

>56 clamairy: Thanks! Instead of playing in the dirt today we went to a plant nursery to see if they had plants on sale - they did not, so we only got a few.

I finished Count Brass and went back to Finity's End. It is moving along a little better now. I have picked at a few pages of a couple of other books while waiting, but haven't gotten far.

Happy Father's Day!

Almost done with Finity's End. I have a new (for me) Patricia McKillip to read on my Kindle, so that's what is next!

>60 Karlstar: Exciting! Which McKillip is that?

>61 Sakerfalcon: Song for the Basilisk. I should be starting today. My 16th McKillip, I think I only have a few more novels to read of hers. By coincidence, it is book 2100 in my LT library.

>62 Karlstar: That's one that I need to reread. I think I only read it the once, after I first got it. I don't remember much about it.

>62 Karlstar: I don't believe I've ever heard of that one. I hope you enjoy it.

>62 Karlstar:. A good McKillip. Read it years back.

>63 Sakerfalcon: >64 clamairy: I will give a report soon!

>65 jillmwo: Good to know. Does she have any not so good novels?

Started Song for the Basilisk and it struck me that I had to get used to reading McKillip again. Sometimes she takes a lyrical, winding way of saying something simple, but once you get used to it, it comes together and flows in her distinctive style.

"Within the charred, silent husk of Tormalyne Palace, ash opened eyes deep in a vast fireplace, stared back at the moon in the shattered window. The marble walls of the chamber, once white as the moon and bright with tapestries, were smoke-blackened and bare as bone. Beyond the walls, the city was soundless, as if even words had burned. The ash, born out of fire and left behind it, watched the pale light glide inch by inch over the dead on the floor, reveal the glitter in an unblinking eye, a gold ring, a jewel in the collar of what had been the dog. When moonlight reached the small burned body beside the dog, the ash in the hearth kept watch over it with senseless, mindless intensity. But nothing moved except the moon."

>67 Karlstar: Ooh! Going on the wishlist, but I have to finish her Riddle-Master series first!

>67 Karlstar: Oh my! That's quite a paragraph!

Another to run and check out.

>68 clamairy: >69 terriks: It is bard focused, similar to The Bards of Bone Plain and to some extent, Riddle-Master, but still very good so far. I'm overdue for a re-read of the Riddle Master series.

In the latest episode of Jim discovers books in his own library:

Last night I was looking at the export of my library, working on filling in missing reviews. I notice I only had 1 Christopher Stasheff book listed, which was a little strange as I knew I had at least 3, if not more. Off to the shelves, and staring me right in the face, in a bookcase I walk by every time I enter this room, was a hardcover version of The Witch Doctor. I don't recall seeing that book before, nor do I recall buying it. Must have been a library sale purchase? Either way, it was on the shelf but not in LT.

Then while looking for the other Stasheff books, I found a Pyramid Books edition of Skylark Duquesne, one of the old E. E. 'Doc' Smith novels. This is a 1968 paperback (pricey for the time, the cover price is 60 cents!) edition that apparently was 1 of a 4 book boxed set. Again, I don't recall ever buying this book, and it is in near-mint condition. I must have seen this one at a used bookstore and grabbed it, just for the age/condition. Unfortunately, looking at the image now, I think the corner damage means it isn't quite as mint as I first thought. This one is easier to explain than the Stasheff book, I moved most Doc Smith novels to the 2nd row of the shelves to make space, so I rarely see them.

>71 Karlstar: Curiouser and curiouser! I occasionally find things I've read that are not in my catalog. I sometimes wonder if I accidentally delete things.

>72 clamairy: I wonder the same! The strange thing about both books is that they were not in my TBR pile. I don't typically shelve books I haven't read yet. Skylark Duquesne might be an exception, I know I've read that in the past.

>73 Karlstar: Perhaps it wasn't you that shelved them.

>74 clamairy:
As Jill would say, "Bwahahahahahaha..."

>74 clamairy: >75 pgmcc: In theory that's possible, in actuality, zero chance! I'm still favoring the theory that I picked up the Stasheff book at a library sale, shelved it, then forgot about it. Maybe I shouldn't have picked it up at all. At least it is now on the TBR list.

>71 Karlstar: I went through a phase during Covid and that first year post-Covid where I neglected to catalog stuff that came into the house. No neat tidy reason except that Life was complicated. I can easily imagine that other folks may experience the same issue. But now think how many lovely books you have immediately available to read at no expense or trouble.

>77 jillmwo: That's very likely a big part of it. I did get to add to my TBR pile without buying any books!

I'm about halfway done with Song for the Basilisk. It feels like it is going slowly, but it isn't the book, we've had contractors here since last Wed, turning our patio/back porch into a screened in room. They should be done today!

>78 Karlstar: Oh, how exciting!!! Best of luck with that.

>79 clamairy: It is done and they did a great job, we love it. The cats got to roam around in it today, which is a lot for Loki now that he's mostly blind and not all there, but I think he liked it. Bella would just like to go outside and sit in the sun, so she wasn't completely pleased. The humans got to sit and enjoy it this afternoon, I think the next couple of days it will be a bit too hot to enjoy.

Now we just have to find a table and some chairs.

Bella and Loki got to enjoy the new screen patio for a bit this afternoon. The chair is for them to look out the window, Loki was the first to discover the ledge.

>81 Karlstar:
I hope they appreciate it properly.

>81 Karlstar: That looks perfect. I hope all of you enjoy your time out there.

>81 Karlstar: Oh, this looks lovely!
Enjoy :)

>82 pgmcc: I think they do! We do, if they don't.

>83 clamairy: >84 Alexandra_book_life: Thanks! It will be better when it cools down a bit, but it is still comfortable-ish out there.

>81 Karlstar: It's always nice when the beasties settle in and adjust to new situations. The space looks lovely.

I finished Song for the Basilisk, not sure what is up next, maybe one of the books I found on the shelf recently.

>81 Karlstar: What a lovely space! Like being outside, while indoors. "Bringing the outside in", as they say.

>88 Sakerfalcon: Thank you! I did lose my grilling space, but I will adapt.

I am spending the day out of the heat, because my daughter has pneumonia and is back In intensive care, on a ventilator. Respiratory care has improved since Trish went through this 10 yrs ago.

>89 Karlstar: I am sorry to hear about your daughter's illness. I am sending my best healing wishes.

>90 Alexandra_book_life: Thank you!

>89 Karlstar: Loads of sympathy! Better Half picked up the hospital strain of pneumonia while being treated for a pulmonary embolism in May, and recovery is being slow.

>89 Karlstar: Sending healing wishes to your daughter, and strength to you.

>89 Karlstar: this is called doing it tough, after all the other stuff you’ve been through. Best wishes to her and to you and Trish.

Your new screened porch looks very pleasant though.

>92 hfglen: Thank you, if I may ask, how long was she in the hospital for the pneumonia? I hope she completes her recovery soon!

>93 Sakerfalcon: >94 haydninvienna: Thank you.

>82 pgmcc:. (((Hugs))) One more thing you probably did not want on your plate. I hope her recovery moves swiftly. When I was in high school, I had pneumonia and was confined to bed for two weeks. (Felt better much sooner than that, due to antibiotics, if I am remembering correctly.)

The porch looks lovely! Lots of reading will happen there. :)

Sorry about your daughter. I hope she recovers quickly and smoothly.

>95 Karlstar: She was in the hospital for most of May, with only about a day at home between the embolism and the pneumonia, so a week or two.

The porch looks like a good place to be, and I can only agree with everybody else's comments.

>89 Karlstar: Is it only South Africans who build "indoor braais" (barbecues) into enclosed porches? Could you do the same?

>96 jillmwo: >97 catzteach: Thank you both. Status pretty much the same today.

>98 hfglen: I think it is too enclosed now. I used to have my grill right at the edge of the area, still under the roof, but close enough to the edge that the smoke went outside - just to the left of where Loki is sitting in the one picture. A lot of people these days are building outdoor kitchens with grills and such, but adding that would have been a bit out of our budget.

I finished one of the Christopher Stasheff books I discovered last week,Escape Velocity, it was fun in spots, a good cautionary tale in others. I also read another of the Anthony Ryan short novels, City of Songs. That one was good, but the title is not quite accurate, it should have been City of Statues or City of Art.

Another day of visiting the hospital, largely the same status. She's still on the ventilator, may or may not still have a staph infection. Things are slowly progressing in the right direction, slowly. There was a lot of on/off debate about an internal imaging test this weekend, I think they've finally decided it isn't possible/isn't necessary.

>101 Karlstar:
Thinking of you and your family. Wishing your daughter improvement soon.

>101 Karlstar: Hoping for a swift and positive outcome. (Staph infections are just -- ugh!) Take care of yourself and your family.

>101 Karlstar: What everybody else said. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

>102 pgmcc: >103 jillmwo: >104 haydninvienna: Thanks, all.

>101 Karlstar: Best wishes to you and your family, hoping for a speedy recovery!

>101 Karlstar: Yikes. Best wishes for your daughters continued improvement and recovery.

>106 Alexandra_book_life: >107 Narilka: Thank you.

There was progress today! She is off the ventilator, still on oxygen but breathing on her own ok. They have also decided there's no infection of her heart. Still a couple issues they are watching and the pneumonia is not over, but a big improvement.

I keep picking up different books to take with me to the hospital, or forgetting the one I was reading and taking a different one out of the car, either way.

Today's book was in the car, so I started Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia which is off to an excellent start. He has introduced some of the key judges and key defendants (and crimes) at the Tokyo war crimes trials, as well as the actions that ended the war, spending time on all three fairly equally.

Fixed the touchstone, hopefully.

>108 Karlstar:
Delighted to hear things are moving in the right direction.

>108 Karlstar: This is very good news, I am happy for you.

>108 Karlstar: As the others have said, great news! Long may the improvement continue!

>108 Karlstar: Glad there has been some progress! Continuing to send her healing juju.

>108 Karlstar: I am so very sorry to hear about this. Glad she's making progress!

>110 pgmcc: >111 Alexandra_book_life: >112 hfglen: >113 catzteach: >114 clamairy: Thanks all! She moved out of the ICU today to a regular room! There's still some concerns and a lot of recovery, but she's improving.

I finished Hiero's Journey, a re-read of an old favorite and I'm about 2/3 of the way finished with The Good Earth.

>115 Karlstar: That's great news. I loved The Good Earth. I know there is a sequel or two, and I think I even own the second book but I've never read it.

>115 Karlstar: Fantastic!

>115 Karlstar: Oh, this is wonderful news!

>115 Karlstar: Glad to see a positive update on your daughter!!!! Hang in there.

>116 clamairy: Thanks! There's only one problem with reading The Good Earth. The farmer's name is Wang Lung, which never fails to remind me of a 80's band.

>117 haydninvienna: >118 Alexandra_book_life: Thank you!

>108 Karlstar: Great news! I'm glad your daughter is making progress.

>119 jillmwo: >121 Narilka: Thank you, again! She is still in the hospital but now off oxygen. They are still trying to figure out the source of the infection and told her today she'll be in the hospital a couple more days. I think today was day 12.

Thanks for everyone's good wishes and thoughts. If I missed acknowledging any, I apologize, I actually tried keeping up on posts from my phone while at the hospital, but that wasn't ideal for me.

I made a bit more progress on The Good Earth and Judgment at Tokyo, but then my library hold on The Butcher's Masquerade was available, so I've been reading that. This is where the page count in the series takes a serious jump, but I'm about halfway through.

>122 Karlstar: That's good news! Keeping you all in my thoughts.

>122 Karlstar: I'm just getting caught up, but wanted to say I'm so sorry your daughter has been in the hospital again - but it sounds like things are improving for her now.

Your new screened-in porch looks fantastic!

Oh man. Hospitals for that long - what a slog. I hope she has good staff. That always helps. 🤞🏻