foggidawn's Books & More, 2024, Part 2

Hi, all! Welcome to old friends and new. For the latter, I'm a children's librarian in a small Ohio town. My reading tastes range from children's and young adult literature, to fantasy and some sci-fi, to mysteries, to historical fiction and literary works, to romances, to biography and memoir, with a smattering of other nonfiction (it's been a pretty light smattering, of late) and anything else that catches my fancy. I'll also occasionally post about the picture books that I use during story time or school visits, though I don't include picture books in my count of books read during the year.

I live on a farm with my husband John, who is also an avid reader, though his tastes run towards graphic novels, golden age sci-fi, and nonfiction, mostly about history or chicken husbandry. We have a Springer Spaniel, Lottie, above, who is immensely spoiled and loves being a farm dog. We also have about 50 chickens and too many rabbits (what they say about them multiplying is true) and about 43 acres of hayfields.

For 2024, my main reading goal is to read at least one book a month off my existing TBR shelves. According to my To Read collection here on LT, I have 231 books on shelf to read, though I suspect I may find as I read that some of them didn't get entered when I acquired them. (Oops.) The good news is that only 8 of those 231 were added last year. I suspect I'll easily exceed this goal, but I don't like to make strenuous reading goals and stress myself out. I read 181 books last year, so I expect I'll read around 175 in 2024, but if I don't, I will try not to be too sad about it.

As for the "& More" part of my thread topper, you may also see me posting here about board gaming, gardening, cooking, and theatre. I'm not involved in a local theatre group, nor am I surrounded by board gamers, but I'm still interested in the topics and hope to at least view some theatre and maybe do some solo gaming this year. I have plans to slightly expand my gardening efforts this year, so the summer and fall will be full of garden updates. My non-book "resolution" for 2024 is to get outside more, whether that be hiking and kayaking, gardening, or just taking a little walk through the fields with Lottie. I've become too much of an indoor cat this past year, especially when the weather is not a pleasant 70 degrees and sunny. I'll also keep up with my menu planning, posting about it here once a week or so.

I look forward to chatting with you all and hearing about your reading (and other) plans for the year!

Books Acquired in 2024

1. Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth. Purchased/trade. Bkmns.
2. Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi. Purchased/trade. Bkmns.
3. A Brave Little Quakeress by E.P. Roe. Purchased/trade. Bkmns.

Books Read in 2024

1. The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith
2. Meredith, Alone by Claire Alexander
3. Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
4. Have Sword, Will Travel by Garth Nix and Sean Williams
5. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
6. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
7. The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin
8. The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemisin
9. Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
10. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
11. Three Tasks for a Dragon by Eoin Colfer, illustrated by P.J. Lynch
12. The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Older
13. Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan
14. Simon Sort Of Says by Erin Bow
15. The Girl I Am, Was, and Never Will Be by Shannon Gibney
16. London's Number One Dog Walking Agency by Kate MacDougall
17. Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
18. The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn
19. The Vanderbeekers Ever After by Karina Yan Glaser
20. The Witch of Woodland by Laurel Snyder
21. Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
22. Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
23. Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede
24. Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett
25. The Afterward by E.K. Johnston
26. Alebrijes by Donna Barba Higuera
27. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
28. Mexikid by Pedro Martin
29. The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht
30. Bride by Ali Hazelwood
31. Yes, No, Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed
32. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

(Re-reads in italics)

You can post below! Welcome!

Happy new thread, foggi!

Happy Spring! Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Foggi. I love reading the details of your small farm. Sounds wonderful. I hope you enjoyed Rules of Civility. I liked it but A Gentleman in Moscow is his masterpiece. Towles has a new novel coming out soon.

Happy new thread Foggi!

>1 foggidawn: Marvelous pose, Lottie! Farm dogs are special.

Happy new thread! Love the Lottie yawn ☺️

Hello Stasia, Dana, Mark, Owl, Linda, and Natalie!

>7 msf59: I enjoyed Rules of Civility a lot, but I agree that it's not quite as good as A Gentleman in Moscow. I haven't read anything else by him yet, but I'll keep an eye out!

Happy new thread, Foggy.

>12 PaulCranswick: Hello, Paul!

Goals update:

I'm doing pretty well with my goal to get outside more, which usually means taking a 20-30 minute walk after work. I haven't let the weather deter me too much, though if it's raining hard or bitterly cold I stay in. Lottie thinks it's just the best addition to our routine, and when I go to put my hiking boots on (like Mr. Rogers, I come home and change my shoes) she gets immediate zoomies (which I have been calling "boot-citement").

On the other hand, I've failed for two months in a row to read a book off of my physical TBR shelves. I've read quite a few off of my TBR list, since I created a tag in Libby so I can quickly look whenever I need an audiobook and see which of my TBR titles is available for checkout. Hopefully, making this post will serve as a reminder to me that I need to read some physical books off of my shelf. I overdid it on library checkouts last month, but I'm getting those down to a manageable point, as well.

As for menu updates, you may have noticed on my last thread that I've been sporadic with them this year. I'm still trying! But when there's other stuff going on, it's easy to fall back on the standards. And that after-work walk does take a chunk out of my cooking time.

Good luck with those goals, Foggi. You can do it!! I was glancing through your gallery photos, looking for any photos of your farm and was reminded that you were at the Chicago LT event a number of years ago. That was such a fun time. I wish we could do that again.

>15 msf59: Thanks! I don't think I have put any exterior photos of the farm on here -- I'll have to dig some up (or take some new ones, but March is not a photogenic time of year, by and large).

Edit: Also, maybe I'll come to Chicago again next time there's an ALA conference there. They happen fairly often, since ALA is headquartered in Chicago. I'll be sure to let you know if I do!

Okay, here's one I took last spring (a little later in the spring). It's the view of the barn from the back porch. The little bush in the foreground is an azalea; I'm hoping it comes back this year.


Here's one of the side of the house, taken from the road that leads to the barn. It was taken in early summer a couple years ago, when the catalpa trees were in bloom. The cinderblock structure in the foreground is the first of my raised garden beds (it looks a little different now that we've added more). The chicken coop and rabbit hutches are to the far left, and the small building is a tool shed.


This is my most recent picture taken outdoors, from a different angle off the back porch. We get some lovely sunsets. You can see a few of the chickens at the far right of the photo.

Happy new thread!

>17 foggidawn: Loving the pictures of your farm.

>18 figsfromthistle: Thanks!

>17 foggidawn: love it, thank you.

Happy new one! Your place is beautiful.

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread! I love dogs, and we have one. Lottie is beautiful and so is you place!

Happy new thread, Foggi!

Lottie may be spoiled, she is still adorable.
Thanks for sharing the pictures of your lovely place!

How are you today Foggi?

Happy New Thread! The pictures of your farm are great! I love pictures of barns :)

Do you think you'll ever read The Lincoln Highway? That's the only Towles I've read so far (for book discussion at work) but I'd like to eventually read more by him. I'm curious how you'd rate The Lincoln Highway.

Lovely photos of the farm! Thanks for sharing :)

>20 fuzzi: You're welcome!

>21 drneutron: Thank you!

>22 quondame: Thanks!

>23 vancouverdeb: Aw, thank you!

>24 FAMeulstee: She's hard to resist, so we probably do spoil her a little.

>25 Owltherian: Busy, but good, thanks. You?

>26 aktakukac: I might read The Lincoln Highway eventually. The setting and description didn't grab me right away, but I'm sure the writing is strong, based on his other books.

>27 curioussquared: Thanks!

>28 foggidawn: Annoyed, and panicking

>29 Owltherian: That's too bad!

>30 foggidawn: My friends are making me both, but more annoyed and also add in pain to that list now

>31 Owltherian: Sorry to hear it! Sounds like it may be time to get some distance from these friends.

I hope so, and i possibly started my period today, which is weird due to it only being the 6th and i don't usually start this early.

Happy new thread!
>17 foggidawn: Such pretty views!

Happy new thread, Foggi!

Love the photos you shared of the farm. It looks lovely.

I hear you about trying to fit in walking time. I can do it easier on my work from home days and take a walk during my coffee break. On the days I'm in the office, it can be harder to make myself go for a walk when I get home, especially when we've had a cold snap like this past week.

I love your farm photos, Foggi! What a beautiful, peaceful setting. I am glad and flat-out jealous that you get those views every day.

Happy new thread!

>33 Owltherian: Sorry to leave you hanging; it's been a busy few days. Hope you are feeling well.

>34 mstrust: Thanks! Yes, it is a pretty place.

>35 MickyFine: Thanks! I have to force myself to go on a walk immediately, because if I decide to "sit down for just a minute," it's all over. Fortunately, Lottie's enthusiasm for the prospect helps me keep going.

>36 msf59: Thanks! The views are lovely.

>37 The_Hibernator: Thank you!

(33 books read)



Straw into Gold: Fairy Tales Re-Spun by Hilary McKay -- A reread; I was hoping that I might use some of these stories with the school group that I read to, but most of them are longer than I have time for (I need ones that can be read in 15-20 minutes). Excellent fairy tale retellings, though -- don't miss them if you're a fan of that sort of thing!

>38 foggidawn: Its fine Foggi, and im a lot better than i was on the 6th

>40 Owltherian: Glad to hear it!

>41 foggidawn: Not cramping as much, and im happy to report i got to watch at least 3 episodes of The First 48 before i was told to let someone play the Xbox or something.

Happy New Thread!
Love the photos!

>42 Owltherian: That's good!

>43 clamairy: Thanks!

Happy new thread foggi!

Lovely photos of your place and of Lottie too.

(34 books read)



Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin -- A fictionalized account of the life of Alice Pleasance Hargreaves, nee Liddell, the woman generally supposed to be the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland. Her childhood friendship with Charles Dodgson, her brief romance with Prince Leopold, and her eventual marriage to Reginald Hargreaves are all part of this novel, but the thread that runs through the whole thing is the question of whether Dodgson behaved inappropriately towards her, and what caused the sudden break between him and the Liddell family when Alice was 11 years old.

This was a fascinating, sometimes uncomfortable read, skirting the edges of the historical record and playing around in the hazy places left by destroyed letters and missing diaries. It sent me down many Wikipedia rabbit holes (yes, see what I did there), and I feel like I learned a lot about several Victorian figures and the Oxford of the mid-1800s. I was also freshly irritated at Victorian social mores as embodied in Alice's mother and older sister, just as the author intended. If you enjoy reading about this period, or like to look behind the curtain at the creation of beloved literary classics, I would recommend this book to you.

Heya Foggi, how have ya been?

>45 humouress: Thanks!

>47 Owltherian: Pretty good! Still adjusting to the time change. How about you?

>49 foggidawn: In school so cant go to the bathroom, forgot to eat breakfast, and cramping a little + only got 10 mins of sleep so I'm not that great. But i am looking on Amazon for chest binders to help with my problems so that's gonna be fun to try and see if my mum can get it for me if i use my own gift card.

(35 books read)



Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines -- Isaac has been working as a librarian for the past two years, cataloging works for both his small-town library and the secret society of magic users that he used to be part of. After over-using his magic, he almost got kicked out, but was allowed to remain on the fringes in this auxiliary role. All of that changes when a couple of vampires show up at the library and try to kill him. He's fortunate that Lena, a dryad, is following the vampires. Between Isaac and Lena, the vampires are dispatched (including the other vampires that were waiting at Isaac's house), and the two set out to figure out what's gone wrong with the treaty that usually keeps the vampires more or less in check. They discover that the aforementioned secret society, the Porters, is in disarray, with agents killed or kidnapped, including 400-year-old Johannes Gutenberg, the founder of the Porters. Could a rogue agent or former agent be behind it all?

That's kind of a sloppy summary, as I don't want to give too much away. There's a lot going on in this book, with the sort of plot that dashes from one big fight or disaster to another, with some witty quips in between. I loved the idea of Libriomancy, the magical ability to reach into books and pull out anything small enough to fit within the book's covers, though I am still confused, after finishing the book, about some of the rules and limitations of the magic. This is straight-up mind-candy, with not a lot of substance behind the flash -- and that's just fine; sometimes one needs just that kind of read. If it's what you're looking for, go right ahead. I probably won't read more in the series, but I don't regret having read this one.

>50 Owltherian: Oof, lack of sleep and lack of breakfast, with cramps on top of that, sounds like a rough start. Hope things even out for you soon. Good luck finding a binder that will work for you.

>52 foggidawn: Yeah, and then i have to ask my mother to order it for me as well.

(DNF)



My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh -- Our narrator, a young, beautiful, and wealthy New Yorker, hates everything and everybody, so she decides to take a sort of gap year and just sleep. With the help of many, many different medications prescribed by an absolutely batty psychiatrist, she does just that.

It's absolutely true that you can enjoy a book with zero likable or relatable characters, especially if it's well-written and full of witty social commentary. It's just not for me right now.

>53 Owltherian: I hope things go well for you.

>54 foggidawn: - I DNF'd that one as well. I also DNF'd her novel, Eileen. I wouldn't have even picked up My Year... but it was a book club pick.

>56 katiekrug: Yeah, I won't be going after any of Moshfegh's other books in the near future. I can see struggling through it for book club -- but I'm not in a book club right now, so I'll happily pass!

>55 foggidawn: Yeah, i think i found one that will work, but afterschool i may ask my mother to stop by my dads so i can get my wallet for the money to buy it.

>58 Owltherian: Great!

I eventually quit the book club because I had several DNFs/books I finished but didn't like in a row, and I figured why waste my time. I'm trying out a new book club this month, so 🤞 they make better picks!

>60 katiekrug: I was in a book club once, where I used to live. We met at a local winery that had really good wine slushies, so that may tell you something about how serious of a book club we were! (We did read some good books and some less good, and also griped about work because we all worked together as well.) Good luck with your new book club!

Wine slushies?!

>62 mstrust: I know, right?!

>61 foggidawn: - When I joined that book group, they met at a coffee house. Another woman and I convinced them to move to a restaurant, so we could have wine during the discussion :)

I had a fun book group when I lived in Dallas - it was mostly people I worked with, so there was a lot of work talk as well as book talk. Inevitable.

>64 katiekrug: Yep! Both of those sound like fun book club scenarios to me.

(36 books read)



Instead of Three Wishes by Megan Whalen Turner -- In my continuing quest for short stories to read to the elementary schoolers, I reread this slim volume. Some of the stories are too long for my purposes, some had elements that were a bit dated at this point, but a couple -- the first and last, in fact -- worked well. Of course, I had to read all of them, just to be sure. ;-)

Trying to play catch-up on threads this evening. Hope you are doing well. Looks like you've been reading a lot!

>62 mstrust: Wine slushies!? I think we should start a book club right here. (And right now.)

>66 foggidawn: But of course.

Some of the Tashi books might work, if you can get them there.

>67 thornton37814: Thanks for visiting!

>68 humouress: The Tashi books look really interesting, but I've never seen them over here. I'll have to see if I can get my hands on them.

(37 books read)



The Empire of Dreams by Rae Carson -- Red was an orphan and a slave before Empress Elisa found her, freed her, and made her her ward. Now, Red is about to be officially adopted into the royal family in front of the whole court. Red's adoption requires a council vote, but the royal family is certain that they have the votes. When something goes wrong and the adoption is rejected, Red asks instead to join the Royal Guard. Elisa and her consort Hector are scheduled to go on a journey, leaving Prince Rosario in charge. While they are away, Red begins to notice some strange things about what's happening in the palace, and in the training of the new Guard recruits. Is there a traitor lurking in the shadows?

It's been years since I read the first three books in the Fire & Thorns series, and I was concerned that I would have forgotten too much about the previous books, but this book stands on its own fairly well. Carson's writing is strong, and as with the previous books, she doesn't pull her punches. In reading about Red's experiences as the only female Guard recruit, I couldn't help think of Tamora Peirce's Song of the Lioness and Protector of the Small quartets, so if you enjoyed those stories, you might like this one. I'd recommend reading the whole series, just because they are so good, but this book could be read as a stand-alone.

>70 foggidawn: I've only read one Rae Carson book, but perhaps I should try some more..

>51 foggidawn: Too bad. It's a good concept - if maybe a little Dresden-sounding. (Not that I dislike Dresden Files - it just reminded me a little of how things work in Dresden files, though magic is pretty clearly defined in DF.)

>70 foggidawn: Oh, alright. BB'd. I'll check out the series.

>71 quondame: I like her Fire & Thorns series better than anything else I've read by her, though I haven't read everything she's written.

>72 The_Hibernator: I've seen that comparison elsewhere. I haven't read the Dresden Files yet.

>73 humouress: Enjoy!

(38 books read)



Barely Floating by Lilliam Rivera -- Nat figures her summer will go according to plan: she and her best friend Joanne will hang out at the pool. Joanne will read manga, Nat will earn money by betting older kids that she can beat them in swimming races, and they'll make plans for the anime con they'll attend in the fall. But everything changes when Nat sees a demonstration by the L.A. Mermaids, an artistic (formerly called synchronized) swim team. The costumes, the glitter, the coordinated moves... Nat is immediately in love, but her parents are skeptical. They're of the opinion that synchronized swimming puts too much emphasis on appearances. Nat is confident in her body: she knows she's fat, strong, and fabulous. She's passed the audition for the Mermaids, and she has some money saved up. So, she decides to lie to her parents. With the help of an older cousin, she starts attending practice, and learns how much work goes into those effortless-looking moves. But she can't keep up the lie forever...

I really loved the character building here: Nat's a great lead, and the secondary characters are all well fleshed out, with their own lives and problems. I do think the scope and duration of the lie was a little hard to believe, since Nat's parents are cast as being involved and interested in Nat's life. However, I was willing to suspend disbelief for the sake of the story, and I found it well-plotted and paced. Recommended to readers of middle-grade realistic fiction.

(39 books read)



The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett -- True crime writer Amanda Bailey has the golden opportunity to write one of the first books in a new true crime series, and she's all set to focus on the Alperton Angels, a cult killing from twenty years ago that may not be all that it seems. Unfortunately, a long-time rival, Oliver Menzies, is set to write a book on the same topic for a different publisher. Their editors encourage them to work together and take different angles, saying there's plenty to be found in the case for two different books. Amanda isn't convinced, but she's determined to get all the information she can, even if some of it has to come through Oliver. As she delves into the case, she finds some loose ends that might even prove that the wrong man is behind bars. But the deeper she digs, the more it seems like someone powerful doesn't want the truth to come to light...

This epistolary mystery is presented as a set of case files: interview transcripts, text message logs, emails, all pertaining to the Alperton Angels case. It's up to the reader to sort through and determine what really happened, and there are definitely some twists and turns before the end. If you're up for this kind of narrative, I'd recommend this one.

(40 books read)



North Woods by Daniel Mason -- A young Puritan couple flees to the wilderness, where they build a little cabin in which they can live and love in peace. Thus begins the long history of a tract of land in rural Massachusetts which will see love and hate, murder and betrayal, prosperity and ruin over the course of the next three centuries.

The writing style is fascinating, since Mason takes up the different voice of each character and era. There's also a thread of the supernatural running through, as ghosts and other uncanny occurrences pop up in many of the tales. A recurring theme is the interaction between nature and humans, and the way the land is shaped by the people who live on it and vice versa. Most of the stories end on a sad note, though there are happy moments, of course. An enjoyable read, well-written, but not one that I think I would ever revisit.

Glad you got to North Woods, Foggi. I really enjoyed that one and it prompted me to read his earlier work.

>78 msf59: I might also seek out his other writings, Mark.

(41 books read)



Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman -- A master storyteller interprets the ancient legends of the North. I listened to this book in audio format, and it went down remarkably smoothly, especially considering that I had relatively low interest in the subject. (I've always been more of a Greek mythology kind of girl.) Gaiman's retellings have a great deal of humor and wit, and I appreciated his narration of the audiobook as the perfect interpretation of his writing style (and a helpful guide to pronunciation, as well). The stories flow perfectly together, from the beginning of the world to Ragnarok. I found as I listened that I have absorbed bits and pieces of the mythology from popular culture, but this helped me set the individual pieces within a framework. Recommended.

I'm on team wine slushie! I mean, I also like to read books or whatever ...

>81 Deedledee: Yes, that was the general attitude among the club! ;-)

(42 books read)



An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green -- April May is on her way home after a late night at work when she discovers what she assumes is an ambitious art exhibit. It's New York City, after all, and sometimes things like this Transformer-looking robot dude just show up. She calls her friend Andy to come and bring his camera and recording equipment, and they put up a quick video about the statue, which she cheekily names Carl. The video goes viral within 24 hours, because it's not just New York City where Carl has appeared -- 60 of them have appeared simultaneously in cities across the world, disrupting surveillance cameras and confounding scientists with their mysterious chemical makeup. Could they be . . . aliens?

I read this book because I've been listening to the backlist of the podcast "Dear Hank and John," where authors and brothers Hank and John Green answer questions and just have generally goofy conversations, and of course the episodes from around this book's release included a fair bit of chat about it. I enjoyed the read, but I'm not sure how I would have felt about it had I not been listening to the pod. The book's narrative gets very explain-y in spots, and that's totally Hank. I didn't mind it in the book because I'm used to it in the pod, but I can see being put off by it if I were coming to this book with no prior knowledge of the author. I also feel like a few plot threads were left dangling. (Like the uranium -- why did the Carl ask for three elements if all it needed for the Dream was the iodine? What was the point of the americium, if it didn't really do anything either?) I'm trying to decide if I would consider the ending of the book a cliffhanger, and I kind of would, as it left me wanting the next book right away. Fortunately, having dragged my feet on reading this, the second volume is readily available, so I'll be taking a look at that one soon.

Hi Foggi!

>76 foggidawn: I have The Appeal by this author on my list to read soon and I'm looking forward to it!

>83 foggidawn: I think I felt similarly about this one -- liked but didn't totally love. I did read both books, though.

>68 humouress: What, like we all line our beverages up at the same time and keep typing passages of our current reads until everyone can tell the alcohol has kicked in and we just start rambling about old times? I can tell you, it's already been done on LT ;-D

>85 mstrust: And I missed it?!

>84 curioussquared: Ooh, I really liked The Appeal -- it's set in a community theatre group, which I enjoyed very much.

>85 mstrust: Sounds like something that could be done again! Despite my starting all of this with my talk of wine slushies, I don't drink wine very often any more because one of my meds says not to take it with alcohol. But I can be plenty goofy/maudlin/whatever without help from a beverage!

>86 humouress: Right? Me too!

>77 foggidawn: I've been on the fence about trying this one. I'm not sure you've convinced me to get off my perch.

>83 foggidawn: I may try this as an audiobook so the explainy bits aren't as painful.

>86 humouress: >87 foggidawn: I only know about it because this member, who is also a friend, would get pixelated on bourbon and leave some long and entertaining stories of past romances on my thread. They would disappear the next day.

(43 books read)



Of Salt and Shore by Annet Schaap -- Emilia, or Lampie as everyone calls her, grew up in the lighthouse. Her mother is dead, and her father is missing a leg, which makes it hard for him to climb the steps, so Lampie mostly tends the light. On one stormy evening, Lampie realizes that they are out of matches because she forgot to go out and buy them. She tries to get to the store and back, but the storm overwhelms her. Worse, a ship crashes on the rocks because the lamp wasn't lit. As punishment, Lampie's father is imprisoned inside the lighthouse, and Lampie is sent to work at the Black House on the cliff, the Admiral's residence, where it's said a terrible monster dwells. What Lampie finds there, however, is something she never could have expected...

This book has the feel of historical fiction, but once Lampie is at Black House, the fantastic elements start inching their way in. The story reminded me a lot of The Secret Garden, though it nods toward The Little Mermaid as well. This book is a translation from the Dutch, and I felt that the writing generally flowed well. If you're intrigued by the premise, it's worth a look!

>88 clamairy: Hmm. I was a little on the fence, myself, and I think I'm okay with leaving you there -- I don't feel like I need to tip you one way or the other.

>89 mstrust: Hilarious!

(44 books read)



Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon -- Castle Hangnail's minions have a problem: there is no Master of the castle, and the Society of Magic is on their backs to get one, because without a Master, magical places can go a bit... wonky. So, it's a relief when Molly, Wicked Witch, age 12 shows up. Sure, she's young, but she demonstrates the ability to do magic, and she has an invitation. Plus, she's an Evil Twin, so she's probably some sort of prodigy. Most of the minions are relieved and willing to work with her, though the Majordomo has some qualms. There are some immediate problems, though, not the least of which is that the castle is without funds, and the ancient plumbing has just given out. There's a real estate developer lurking, just waiting for the castle to be decommissioned and go on the market. Plus, Molly may be hiding just a few secrets from her new companions...

This was a very fun read. Vernon (who publishes for adults as T. Kingfisher) has a delightful writing style, and I loved getting to know these characters. There's lots of humor, and the plot moves apace, with interesting (if sometimes predictable) twists and turns. If you enjoy middle-grade fantasy, this one is a pleasure to read.

(45 books read)



Nothing Else but Miracles by Kate Albus -- It's 1944. Dory Byrnes lives in New York City with her brothers Fish and Pike. Her mother is dead, and her Pops has gone to war, so the three siblings are supposed to look out for each other and listen to Fish, who's 17. 12-year-old Dory finds this hard at times, and the siblings get in a few scrapes, which leads to their new landlord reporting them to Child Protective Services. The siblings are afraid that they'll be sent to orphanages, until Dory makes a discovery. She learns that the third, fourth, and fifth floors of Caputo's, the restaurant where Pops arranged for the kids to get a meal once a week, are closed off, accessible only by an ancient dumbwaiter that nobody has used in upwards of thirty years. When Dory sneaks in one night, she's hoping to find treasure. Instead, she finds an abandoned hotel, which becomes the Byrnes kids' sanctuary. But when the letters from Pops stop coming, they start to wonder what will become of them.

There are lots of books about World War II for kids, but few about the US home front. This one is delightfully Old New York, with all the character and bustle of the city. I did think it glossed over the difficulties of getting in and out of the abandoned hotel, but on the other hand, what kid wouldn't love finding a secret hideout and outsmarting mean adults like Dory did? There's also lots of complicated growing-up emotions that are portrayed so very well. This book isn't quite as heartwarming as A Place to Hang the Moon, but it's all kinds of charming.

(46 books read)



Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution by Todd S. Purdum -- From their early success with Oklahoma! through flops and triumphs, this book takes a look at Rodgers and Hammerstein's collaborations and how they were received by critics and the public. The author's tone is respectful of the duo's achievements, while making note of some of their flaws and foibles (Rodgers' womanizing, for instance, and Hammerstein's temper). Purdum makes the case that Rodgers and Hammerstein were revolutionary for their era, and paved the way for the creators who would follow in their footsteps on the Broadway stage.

I was introduced to The Sound of Music when I was probably 8 or 9 years old, and have been a fan ever since. I've seen most of the films of their major works, though I wish I could have seen the original staged versions. I do generally consider the R&H musicals as "safe," sentimental, and a little old-fashioned, so it was interesting to see the ways in which they were groundbreaking and perhaps a little shocking in their time. Moreover, it had me singing bits of some favorite melodies whenever they were mentioned. I'd recommend this to theatre buffs and musical aficionados.

>94 foggidawn: I didn't fit this into my review, but I was surprised to learn that Stephen Sondheim was a protégé of Oscar Hammerstein. I always think of Sondheim's work as being basically the opposite of R&H.

>93 foggidawn: Yay, glad you liked this one! I agreed that it wasn't quite up to A Place to Hang the Moon, but still great.

>96 curioussquared: Yeah, I enjoyed it.

Storytime update:

I did bunnies this week -- nothing Easter-specific, but it's a good time of year for a bunny theme.

     

Bunnies on the Bus by Philip Ardaugh, illus. Ben Mantle
Everybunny Dance by Ellie Sandall
Pete the Cat: Five Little Bunnies by Kimberly & James Dean
Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes

There are plenty of bunny songs and rhymes to go with this theme. It went well.

>94 foggidawn: Oh, this looks like fun. You did it as an audiobook? Were there any musical interludes?

>99 clamairy: Only the ones that I myself provided. ;-)

>100 foggidawn: I'm sure they were wonderful.

Appreciating the Bunny theme. : )

>101 clamairy: Well, I enjoyed them, and Lottie pretty much ignored them. (John was at work.)

>102 Berly: Thanks!

(47 books read)



Bone Gap by Laura Ruby -- Finn's been different all his life. He's been called Moonface, Sidetrack, Space Boy... but he's never felt so unwelcome in his small town as he has in the months since Roza left. Roza was his older brother Sean's girlfriend, and she disappeared one night. Finn saw her get into a car with a strange man, but he can't describe the man's face, and nobody seems to believe him -- not even Sean. Finn thinks Sean should try harder to look for Roza. As Finn pursues a romance with Petey, a sharp-tempered and sharp-faced girl from down the road, he begins to wonder if he's the one who should be trying to rescue Roza.

I didn't know a lot about this book going in, so the magical realism that builds throughout the novel was a surprise to me. A pleasant one, just unexpected. Up until things start getting magical, it's a pretty typical, if well-written, story of a small-town boy who doesn't fit in. I'm not sure everything completely came together for me in the end, because I liked this but didn't love it, and I suspect that I won't remember many details a few months from now. Still, if YA and/or magical realism is your jam, you'll probably like it better than I did.

>90 foggidawn: Glad to see you enjoyed Of Salt and Shore, Foggi. I read it a few years back. There was also a lovely Dutch TV-adaption in 2023.

>1 foggidawn: I'm only just noticing - is that Lottie doing a Kermit & Otter impersonation? (im'dog'ation?)

>105 FAMeulstee: When I saw that it was in translation from the Dutch, I wondered if you had ever read it. :-)

>106 humouress: Pretty much! I caught her mid-yawn-and-stretch.

(48 books read)



An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson -- Isobel lives on the edge of Faerie, and the Fae crave the portraits she can paint of them. She bargains carefully for enchantments that will protect and provide for her family, carefully worded to avoid ill effects. When Rook, the Autumn Prince, arrives for a portrait session, things are somehow different. There's something about his eyes -- sorrow, she finally realizes, an emotion that the Fae aren't supposed to be able to feel. Isobel is drawn to the faerie prince, but she knows that they cannot break the Good Law, which forbids faerie/human relationships. When the portrait, with its telling revelation of Rook's sorrow is unveiled before the court, a furious Rook returns, dragging Isobel to his court to stand trial. Surrounded by the Fae court, who can Isobel trust?

I enjoyed this story, though it has some flaws. I liked the setting and descriptions, and the conceit that the Fae can't make art (Craft, as the book calls it, which can include things like Isobel's paintings, but also food, clothing, furniture, etc.) and therefore bargain with their human neighbors to obtain it. I thought there were some pacing issues, and I wasn't entirely convinced at the insta-love that characterizes the romantic plot. I listened to the audiobook, and I always enjoy Julia Whelan's narration, which may be part of the reason the book's shortcomings didn't bother me until after I finished listening. All in all, if you enjoy stories of humans in the faerie court, you might like this one, if the things I mentioned aren't deal-breakers for you.

>108 foggidawn: I read Sorcery of Thorns a few years back and did not think it worth the time. Significantly not worth the time.

>109 quondame: I liked Sorcery of Thorns a little better than An Enchantment of Ravens, but I have a higher tolerance for some of that nonsense than you do, I think. ;-)

(49 books read)



A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green -- I don't feel quite up to summarizing this, the second book in a duology, as I don't want to give any spoilers. So, straight into the review: I enjoyed this about as much as the first book, meaning that I found it a pleasant but not mind-blowing read. It had many of the same positives, and some of the same flaws. It did wrap up a few of the questions I had after reading the first book, and provided a satisfactory resolution of the story arc. It reminded me strongly in several ways of Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline, which is interesting since that book and this one came out within a few months of each other -- perhaps a sign that the greater culture was grappling with these issues at that point in time. All in all, if you liked the first book, you'll probably want to read this one as well.

>111 foggidawn: Ooh the ending of Ready Player Two made me really angry so now I'm inclined to give this duology a miss. I like Hank but I have to admit his novels have never called to me.

>112 MickyFine: To be clear, I liked this book better than RP2, but I didn't like the first book as much as RP1. I feel that the ending was cleaner in ABFE than in RP2. Mostly, the similarities were about full-body immersive VR worlds and what effect that would have on society/the economy/etc. I think you're safe giving the duology a miss, though.

I am very far behind again, foggi, but came by to check on you. I may give the Hank Green duology a try.

I only ever read Ready Player One, which I loved, but not hearing a ton of great things about the second book, elected not to read it.

>114 alcottacre: Hope you enjoy the Green! As for RP2, I'd say that was a good call.

Menu update:

I have skipped a week or two of posting my menu plans here, and have been doing a lot of my basic staples lately. My brother and his family are coming for a visit tomorrow through Tuesday, for the eclipse (we're not in the totality zone, but right on the edge of it, so they can easily drive to a good viewing place). I've planned kid-friendly meals for my nephew, so we'll be eating tacos, hot dogs, mac & cheese, chicken nuggets, etc. while they're here (and probably going out to eat once or twice). Once they leave, I will re-assess what is left in the fridge and pantry and go from there.

(50 books read)



The Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann -- Joy has been in love with Malcolm since college, but he's also her best friend. Both identify as asexual, though they express it in different ways. Now that they're in their 30s, Malcolm is strongly motivated to find a partner and start a family. Joy's not interested in having children at this point, but she's still sure that nobody could be as perfect for her as Malcolm -- why can't he see it? When she notices him planning a romantic weekend getaway, she's hoping that he's finally decided to give her a chance -- until he mentions Summer, a woman she's never met, but with whom Malcolm has become close over the past few months. Summer has invited along her own male best friend, Fox, and Malcolm asks Joy to come along to keep Fox occupied so he can have some time with Summer. Joy's hoping she can do a My Best Friend's Wedding-inspired confession during the weekend and move her and Malcolm's relationship to a romantic level -- but there are just two things that may throw a wrench in those plans: Summer. And Fox.

This was a fun, trope-y, romantic read (we've got a love triangle, fake dating, a grumpy/sunshine romance...). I love the weekend getaway setting and the ace representation. I felt like things moved quickly, but that's kind of in line with the setting and with Joy's personality. I didn't love that the story is written in present tense, but I was able to look past it, possibly because I was listening to the audiobook and the narration was very good. Recommended.

(51 books read)



Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer -- In this book, Dederer looks at the question of what audiences are to do with the work of "monstrous" creators, those who do terrible things that stain their public image and, therefore, the public perception of their work. Can one still love the music of Michael Jackson? The art of Pablo Picasso? Roman Polanski's films, or Woody Allen's? The list goes on, but the question is always pretty much the same.

I was a regular viewer of The Cosby Show when I was growing up. As an adult, you can at least try to separate actors from roles they play, but to my child self, Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable was "America's Dad." So, that's the #MeToo revelation that hit home hardest for me, though of course there have been many others. I think most people these days have experienced the sinking feeling in their stomach that comes with reevaluating some favorite work of art when faced with new biographical information about the artist. So, what do you do? The portion of this book that focused on this question was smart and thought-provoking. I was less enamored with the parts of the book that veered into memoir, or to trying to explore "monstrous" behavior in women (usually related to abandoning their own children, though there were other examples). There are a few repetitive bits, and occasionally Dederer's rarified language use comes off as pretentious. Though I basically agree with her conclusion, I'm not left with a strong feeling about the book, or that it helped me explore the topic in any significant way beyond the mental work I've already put in to it. So, somewhat recommended?

>118 foggidawn: Interesting. I personally try to separate the author's behavior from my enjoyment of their work. But I might avoid further enriching them by buying their books.

>108 foggidawn: My daughter was just suggesting I read this. She says it was a very pleasant read, with good vibes. Thanks for the nudge.

>118 foggidawn: I only made it about half of the way through this one. Some of her arguments didn't sit well with me. I can't watch Woody Allen movies, and I can't listen to Michael Jackson anymore, and at this point in my life I'm not willing to try.

>119 The_Hibernator: That's about where I come down as well, for authors at least. It's trickier with other media.

>120 clamairy: That's fair.

(52 books read)



Golden Hill by Francis Spufford -- It's a rainy evening in the fall of 1746 when Mr. Smith arrives in the bustling little city of New York. He's immediately a man of mystery: he arrives at a counting house on Golden Hill street with an order for a thousand pounds, an almost unimaginable fortune in the Colonies. Is he a fraudster? An eccentric, wealthy businessman? What is his business in New York, and why is he so hesitant to talk about it?

I can't quite remember how this book got on my radar (a conference speaker some years ago, perhaps?), but I'm glad I finally got to it. The ups and downs of Smith's trip to New York and the mystery of his business there kept me intrigued the whole way through, as well as the turbulent, spiky romance between him and Tabitha, daughter of the counting-house on Golden Hill. I did guess at one of the twists from a dropped clue, but was still generally surprised at how things turned out. The book does have some flaws -- for one thing, the narrator is revealed at the end, but that person would have had no way of knowing about certain conversations and events that are recorded. Smith is also amazingly forward-thinking and tolerant for his time. The audiobook narration is likewise good but flawed, with a couple of mispronounced words and a few awkward bits of phrasing where the last word of a sentence gets tagged on as an afterthought. Still, I'd recommend both the book and the audiobook to readers who enjoy historical fiction set in this era.

>122 foggidawn: I am another one who really liked that book, Foggi. I have heard good things about his next two novels too.

>123 PaulCranswick: I'll have to take a look at them sometime.

(53 books read)



The Magician's Daughter by H.G. Parry -- Biddy has grown up on the magical, disappearing island of Hy-Brasil with her guardian, a mage named Rowan, and his familiar Hutchincroft. However, magic is fading from the world, and Rowan, who has been pursuing a Robin Hood-like existence of stealing bits of magic from the remaining powerful magicians and giving it to the common people, is now in grave danger. Biddy has always wanted to venture out into the "real world," but she knows nothing of its dangers -- and she's soon to learn that maybe Rowan hasn't told her everything she needs to know...

I very much enjoyed this coming-of-age fantasy, with its strong characters and well-developed magic system. Would it be possible for me to go live on Hy-Brasil now, do you think? I would adore it. Also, I will seek out more books by this author. Recommended.

>125 foggidawn: Oh, I have this waiting for me on my Kindle so I'm glad you loved it!

>126 curioussquared: Hope you like it as much as I did! I've occasionally had trouble getting into fantasy, especially YA fantasy, lately, so it was refreshing to find one that I solidly enjoyed. (Maybe because there's no romance for the main character?)

>125 foggidawn: Darn. BB'd

(54 books read)



Well, That Was Awkward by Rachel Vail -- Gracie kind of maybe likes AJ, but Riley also likes AJ, but AJ likes Sienna, who... maybe likes AJ? But doesn't know what to say to him? So Gracie texts AJ using Sienna's phone, because Sienna is Gracie's best friend. But Emmett, Gracie's second-best friend, is also AJ's best friend, so Gracie can kind of use him to get info on AJ, too. But maybe there's someone Emmett likes...

Middle school is generally miserable, and some of these kids are, too, but most of them are actually very likable for all that. I think this got put on my reading list because of the hat-tip to Cyrano de Bergerac (my long-time fave), and it's a cute, lighthearted handling of that angle. There are also some serious bits: Gracie deals with body image issues, as well as some complicated feelings about the older sister who died before Gracie was born, and about feeling like she has to be her parents' little ray of sunshine because of that. It's cute and funny and only a little bit angsty, and I would recommend it to middle-schoolers, and also those who enjoy reading books written for middle-schoolers.

>128 humouress: Mwa-ha-ha!

>130 osamabeenbombin: Okay, blocked.

>125 foggidawn: That looks really good.

>133 The_Hibernator: I hope I'm not over-selling it to you all! It may have been a case of just the right book at just the right time for me. Also, the audiobook narrator does a pretty convincing Irish accent (maybe they're Irish, I didn't look at their details) so that may have contributed to my good feelings about it. I stand by my enjoyment of it, and I hope anyone who reads it on my recommendation enjoys it as much as I did!

Garden update:

I finally got my peas planted! Also, I got the lovely box of plants I ordered -- a dwarf fig tree that I'm hoping to grow in a big pot, and 20 bare-root strawberry plants (Mara Des Bois, for those who want to know what kind of strawberries, and Fignomenal for the fig tree). I decided that one of my raised beds will be given over to the strawberries, but for this spring I planted my peas down the middle, with strawberry plants on either side. By the time the strawberry plants are big enough to spread, the peas will be long gone. I won't get any strawberries this growing season, since with new strawberry plants you're supposed to pinch off any blooms so they will put their energy into growing strong root systems, but maybe in the fall I will get a few.

Looking forward to starting some lettuce and carrot seeds soon. It's garden season!

Edit: I planted the carrots and the first batch of lettuce today. Planning to plant more lettuce in a couple weeks to extend the harvest.

Your garden sounds great! I'd love to have a fig tree.
I didn't get around to planting strawberries this Spring as I became totally wrapped up in how many tomato and lettuce varieties I could grow. I'm getting the hang of growing on the low desert, but then one of our landscaping guys went among my growing carts and containers with a leaf blower the other day, blowing off blooms and tomatoes.

>136 mstrust:, Ooh, infuriating! I'm cautiously excited about the fig tree. I'm only growing one type of lettuce this year, because last year I grew a mix and there was a clear winner of which we liked best. As for tomatoes, usually my mom starts a whole lot and gives me some (and some to my aunt, and some to my cousin... she starts a LOT of tomatoes), but this spring she is traveling and not starting as many garden plants. I plan to just buy a few tomato plants from a nursery, so I'm reliant on them to see what varieties I can get. I find that Romas and heirloom breeds have worked well for me in the past.

(55 books read)



Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan -- Summer lovin', having a blast / Summer lovin', happened so fast...

Sam's first love broke her heart. When they were teenagers, spending summers next door to each other in cottages on Long Island, Sam and Wyatt were inseparable. Especially those last few summers, when childhood friendship turned into young love. Now, fourteen years later, Sam doesn't even like to go to the family beach cottage, because it brings back too many hurtful memories of the way it ended between her and Wyatt. But now Jack, her fiancé, wants to go there to check out possible wedding venues, and Sam hopes that she can put her old ghosts to bed. What she doesn't expect is to find Wyatt, who left for California years ago, back in the house next door. Is Sam's carefully constructed safe existence about to crumble like a sandcastle?

Of course it is. This is a perfectly adequate romance, but there are no surprises here. Monaghan has written Jack as so blatantly unlikable that it's obvious that Sam's not going to end up with him, in the same way that it's obvious that Wyatt is not some washed-up surfer bum/gas station mechanic, as Sam's whole family seems happy to assume. (A quick Google search could have cleared up so much, but the reason given for not doing one was pretty flimsy.) The summer beach house setting is well-written, and the interactions between Sam and Wyatt are believable. Recommended for romance fans, but not very picky ones.

>135 foggidawn: catching up on threads, loved seeing your gardening news.

I'm in zone 8a, so my peas are about 4' tall and blossoming.

Sweet Thursday, Foggi. We had similar thoughts on Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma. Such a fascinating and thorny issue. I am a film buff so I will probably continue to enjoy the films of Polanski and Allen but they will also be shadowed somewhat by their behavior.

Glad to hear you have sandhill cranes hanging around.

>139 fuzzi: I probably could have planted my peas a little earlier, but I was waiting on John to haul in more well-rotted horse manure to freshen up the beds. We're in zone 6b.

>140 msf59: I'm less of a film buff (don't know that I've seen anything by Polanski, for instance), but it's an issue that we run up against in any form of art these days.

I just realized that I only posted my crane picture over on Mark's thread, so here it is:


John took this picture from an upstairs window when a couple of sandhill cranes were wandering through our back yard. We've spotted them nearby a couple of times since, so they seem to be hanging around for a while at least. I've never seen them in this area before, and they're considered endangered in Ohio, so it is so cool to see them here.

>125 foggidawn: I enjoyed this one as well. I was getting over COVID when I read it though, so I think I got a bit impatient with it at times. I did love the setting.

>141 foggidawn: Yay sandhill cranes! I saw a few when I was in Wisconsin last month.

>142 clamairy: I can see how that would happen -- I do remember thinking that the climax/denouement was going a little slowly. But yes, I can picture Hy-Brasil so clearly!

>143 norabelle414: So neat! They have a very distinctive call.

(56 books read)



There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool -- Long ago, the Seven prophesied that a great darkness would befall the world. The order of paladins who have kept that final prophecy are now seeing some of the harbingers that were foretold. It's time for the Last Prophet to arise, the only hope of averting the darkness and saving the world.

This is one of those sprawling fantasy epics with lots going on, lots of point of view characters, a sprawling fantasy world, and complex systems of magic and religion. The author did a good job of differentiating all of the characters and making me care about them (some more than others, of course). I didn't feel that the ending was really the ending; this is really just one big book divided into three, I think. At any rate, I dove straight into the next one. I don't love the audiobook narrator, but he's tolerable. Recommended for those who like a big chonky epic fantasy.

In other news, John has been suffering with a dreadful cold for about a week. I had hoped that it had passed me by, but no such luck -- I was up much of the night with a sore throat and a stuffy nose. Having watched him go through it, I'm anticipating a wracking cough and loss of my voice within the next few days. Bleah.

>146 foggidawn: Ooh; poor both of you. Hope you're both better soon.

How dreadful. You have my wishes for minimal cold symptoms and a speedy recovery for both of you.

Oof, sorry for John's cold and yours. I hope it passes quickly and you're able to get lost of rest.

Hope you feel better soon!

Wishing you a quick recovery, Foggi!

>147 humouress: and >148 quondame: and >149 bell7: and >150 katiekrug: and >151 MickyFine: Thanks, everyone, for the well wishes. I think I'm through the worst of the cold. I took medicine which knocked me out for the last few days, and now I'm left with only lingering effects. As to how long they linger... we'll see. But at least I'm well enough to function now.

(57 books read)



As the Shadow Rises by Katy Rose Pool -- Second in the series; see above for my review of Book 1. This one has some Indiana Jones-style ancient temple exploration.

(58 books read)



Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolan -- Jake Semple has been kicked out of every school he's ever attended -- in fact, it's rumored that he burned one of them down. Now, his only options are juvie or the Applewhites' Creative Academy. The Applewhites are like nobody Jake has ever met: a multigenerational conglomeration of artists who believe in creativity and independence. And then there's E.D., who shares none of her family's creative genius, but is instead the only one who appears to be capable of organization and administration. When Randolph Applewhite, E.D.'s father, agrees to direct a local production of The Sound of Music, it at first just seems like another layer to the chaos -- until Randolph hears Jake singing one day and insists that he has the voice he needs to fill an empty space in the cast. Jake gets his first taste of being part of a larger endeavor, but then the show is in peril when the technical staff walk off en masse, and the entire Applewhite clan dives in to lend a hand.

I would have read this book a lot sooner if I'd known it was about community theatre, you all. As it is, I rescued it from the discard pile at my library because it's a Newbery Honor book and gave it a perfunctory read. I love a story about a big, quirky, creative family (Hilary McKay's Casson Family series being my favorite example), and the Applewhites are that in spades. Plus, as stated earlier, books about theatre are catnip to me, so this was bound to be a hit. Even if those things aren't your specific jam, the plot, characters, and setting are bound to draw you in. Highly recommended to readers of middle grade fiction.

(59 books read)



Applewhites at Wit's End by Stephanie S. Tolan -- When an unscrupulous manager absconds with most of the Applewhite family fortunes, Randolph Applewhite hatches a plan to turn their finances around: hosting a summer camp for creative children. After all, their particular brand of insanity worked for Jake, who's now pretty much an honorary Applewhite. Between the lot of them, they can teach workshops in pretty much any art that kids could care to learn, and they have plenty of space in the cabins on-site (Wit's End, the Applewhite homestead, was once a motor lodge). They all dive into preparations, with E.D. coordinating schedules and everyone else planning curriculum and fixing up the property. Of course, what nobody thinks to do is arrange for permits from the state, so when a man purporting to be a state inspector shows up, everyone is thrown into a bit of a tizzy...

This is another fun foray into the world of the Applewhites. I knock off half a star for something unnecessary that happened at the very end of the book, but still, an enjoyable read for fans of the first book.

Glad you're over the worst of the cold! I think I read the first Applewhites book when I was in middle school and I remember enjoying it, but I don't think I ever continued the series.

Also, love your crane visitors :)

>156 curioussquared: The first book fell into what I think of as my "dead zone" -- juvenile fiction that came out between about 1996 and 2006 was unlikely to catch my attention because I was pursuing other avenues of interest (college, Shakespeare, books for grown-ups). It ended in 2006 with library school, but I never made a concentrated effort to catch up on that period in children's publishing.

>141 foggidawn: how exciting! The first time I saw Sandhill cranes was on a trip to Michigan's upper peninsula.

I had the opposite reaction to the Applewhite's book, wound up rehoming it after about 50 pages.

>158 fuzzi: As I recall, you and I have similarly opposite opinions on the Vanderbeekers, so this appears to be an area where our tastes diverge considerably.

(60 books read)



The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley -- Miri's family moved from Berlin to Paris after Kristallnacht, hoping that France would be safer for Jewish families. Their tiny apartment in the Pletzl is a far cry from their home in Berlin, but at least they are together, and they have developed a close friendship with their next-door neighbors. When police arrive at the apartment to round up Jewish citizens, Miri is separated from her family and placed on a bus with her neighbors. The woman convinces Miri to take the toddler Nora, whom Miri has always considered a sister, and run before she can be herded into the vélodrome, where people are being detained. With help from a passing nun, Miri and Nora are rescued and sent away from the city. They are split up, and Miri is placed at a Catholic boarding school while Nora is adopted by a local Catholic family. Miri is determined to get Nora back and escape to Switzerland, where Nora has family, but she is under the strict eyes of the nuns at the school, and she doesn't even know where Nora has been placed. She'll need cleverness, luck, and help from surprising sources if she is to succeed in getting Nora and herself away to safety.

Bradley is an author that I count on for excellent historical fiction, and in this case she has once again delivered. Great characters, an interesting setting, and a compelling plot. I sometimes think that there are already too many World War II novels for middle-grade readers, but there's always room for a book this good.

(61 books read)



Funny Story by Emily Henry -- Daphne and Peter's meet-cute involved her hat blowing off in a park, and it was adorable. Too bad Peter has now jilted Daphne on the night of his bachelor party, when he decided that he was actually in love with Petra, his long-time platonic best friend. Daphne had moved to the picturesque town in Northern Michigan where Peter grew up, and now she's out a fiancé and a place to live, since the house is in Peter's name. She still has her dream job (children's librarian), and she's determined not to leave the library in the lurch with a major fundraiser coming up, but as soon as that's over, she's out of there. As a temporary measure, she moves in with Petra's ex-boyfriend Miles, who has a spare bedroom and a really long playlist of very sad songs. Despite the sad songs, Miles is a generally cheerful person and convinces Daphne to give Michigan a try, taking her around to local sites and introducing her to some of the area's characters. She also starts a work friendship, realizing that all of her local friends were actually Peter's friends. Despite her intentions to leave at the end of the summer, she's starting to love her new town. And then she gets Peter and Petra's wedding invite, and in a fit of panic when Peter calls to ask about her RSVP, she tells him that she and Miles are in a relationship. Oops!

I've read enough Emily Henry now to expect her to deliver, and so far, she always does. Book Lovers is still my favorite of hers, but this is pretty high on the list (even if I could maybe do some nitpicking about the children's librarian stuff -- but I won't). All in all, a fun romance using the fake boyfriend trope. Fans of the author should not miss out -- and if you're new to Henry, this would be a fine place to start.

>161 foggidawn: - Henry is hit or miss for me. I liked Beach Read and Book Lovers but found People We Meet on Vacation and HAppy Place kind of tedious. If the pattern holds, I should like Funny Story!

>162 katiekrug: Sounds like we are on the same page as regards which of her books we like best, though I might like them overall better than you do -- I agree People We Meet... and Happy Place were not as good as the others.

>161 foggidawn: Just finished it! The choices for story time were a little off, but Henry really knew her N. Michigan stuff! I loved it!

>164 compskibook: It did remind me a lot of Petoskey and the other stuff I saw when I came to visit you!

>141 foggidawn: What a great pic! I had two behind my home last year which was a rare sighting. They certainly were loud!

Perhaps they will be regular visitors to your yard.

>152 foggidawn: Hope you are feeling better and the grips of the cold has loosened.

>166 figsfromthistle: Yes, the cranes have a loud and startling call! They seem to be sticking around the area so far. And thanks for the well-wishes. Either the cold is hanging on, or it has transitioned smoothly into spring allergies. I don't have John's deep cough, though, so I feel like I've gotten off easy.

(62 books read)



Into the Dying Light by Katy Rose Pool -- Third in the series; I grew impatient with it but was determined to finish it to see how everything played out. The angst grew tiresome. I used to love falling into these long epic fantasies, but now I don't have as much tolerance for them. Your mileage may vary.

I have less patience for long epic fantasies these days, too. They have to be really really excellent for me to love them.

>169 curioussquared: Yeah, I really enjoyed N.K. Jemison's Broken Earth trilogy earlier this year, but that's written for adults. I think part of the problem is that lately I just don't have a high tolerance for YA in general, either fantasy or realistic fiction. Perhaps I am entering my grumpy old codger era. :-D

General update:

In the garden, my peas are up and the strawberry plants are looking good. The lettuce and carrots should make an appearance any time, I hope. I strolled through the plant selection at the local hardware store, and the tomato options are good there, so I'm excited about that. I didn't buy any, though, because I'm going out of town for the weekend and won't have time to plant them. Once I get back, I'll be doing some big planting, because I think we're probably past our last frost.

This weekend is Orthodox Easter (Pascha), so I'll take my usual trip to visit friends in Kentucky. This may be my last year for this trip, though that's dependent on a number of factors, some of them not in my control. I plan to make the most of this trip, and have scheduled a get-together with one of my old college roommates as well as all of the church services I will be attending.

With that in the works, I haven't done any menu planning lately, but I plan to get back on that bandwagon after Pascha. I did make a nice rhubarb crumble last night because John's mom gave us a bag of fresh rhubarb that I wanted to use up.

>170 foggidawn: If it's any consolation, I also appear to be in my grumpy old codger era when it comes to YA. *solidarity fistbump*

Wishing you safe travels and a lovely Pascha celebration.

>171 foggidawn: My Black Strawberry and Early Girl tomatoes seem to be my only indeterminates and they're producing while my other varieties have mostly dried up. Some have withered away with ripening tomatoes still on the branches.
I've moved all my lettuce, which is a lot, to the shade and most of it is doing really well there.
Over the weekend I bought an "ice cream" banana tree of about twelve inches tall. The flavor of the bananas is said to be just like vanilla ice cream. Fingers crossed I can keep it alive.

Hope you're having fun in Kentucky!

How's Kentucky?

I got my tomatoes planted (in pots) on Friday. I also planted a watermelon (at IL5's request) and will do carrots for the same reason. The tomatoes are all me, though. I planted 6 of them.

>172 MickyFine: Grumpy old codgers forever! *fist bump*

>173 mstrust: I may have to make covers for my lettuce -- it gets a lot of sun in my garden, and there's no moving it. Good luck with the banana tree! I'm excited for my little fig tree, and checked out a book on edible houseplants that may inspire some future purchases.

>174 clamairy: I did, thanks!

>175 The_Hibernator: Kentucky was good, though a little rainy. Good luck with the garden!

I had a lovely weekend in Kentucky, where I saw a lot of friends and attended a lot of church. Lexington is always beautiful in the spring, though I missed the height of the spring blooms, what with Orthodox Easter falling so late this year. I'll probably go down next year for one last Pascha, then settle in to doing Pascha here with my current church. I got to catch up with my college roommate and hear about how her family is doing. I also ate a lot of delicious food -- there's always a Pascha feast, and a big party the day after, and my friend and I had a tasty Indian dinner as is our custom. We also went to Half-Price Books, but I was not in a book shopping mood and nothing stood out to me as being worth purchasing. But then I stopped at Kroger the next day to grab something to bring to the party and bought a cookbook (Milk Street: The World in a Skillet, which someone around here has raved about). It was in the sale bin.

Now I'm excited about all of the things I want to do in my garden over the next few weeks! I did a little essential grocery shopping today, but will finish out the week with easy meals and shoot for better menu planning this weekend.

(63 books read)



In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire -- Katherine Lundy has always been a serious, bookish little girl, the kind who doesn't quite fit in. When she wanders through a door in the woods, she finds herself in the Goblin Market, where the rules are everything, and everything she's ever wanted can be hers, if she's willing to pay the price. Over the years, she goes from that world to this one and back, grappling with what fair value means in each world, and if she can somehow have the best parts of both.

I read the first book in the Wayward Children series a few years ago, long enough that I didn't remember a lot of the details. This book is billed as a stand-alone, but serves chronologically as a prequel, in that it focuses on the character of Lundy and the story of how she found and lost her door. I really loved this story, as it focuses on the Goblin Market and its denizens. A delightful read for fans of the series -- and if you haven't found your way into it yet, this might be your door.

(64 books read)



Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire -- Twin sisters Jack and Jill played a major role in Every Heart a Doorway, the first book in the Wayward Children series. This is what came before: the story of how they found their door to the Moors, the land of vampires and werewolves, drowned gods and mad scientists. Of how Jack chose one path, and Jill another -- and how they became themselves, shaped by a world of twisted horror and surprising tenderness.

This is another sort-of stand-alone book, a prequel to the main action of Every Heart a Doorway, but a fully realized story in its own right. I didn't love this book quite as much as the others I've read, possibly because there's nothing about Jack and Jill's world that intrigues me. I wouldn't want to spend so much as an afternoon there. However, the writing is strong, and I enjoyed the reading experience and the better understanding of these characters. Recommended to those who like the series, or are fascinated by classic horror.

That Milk Street cookbook is a favorite of mine!

>180 katiekrug: Hah! I knew someone had been raving about it, maybe over on Mary's thread. Thanks for the recommendation!

>125 foggidawn: Re: The Magician's Daughter I really enjoyed this book and will likely read it again some year soon. H.G. Parry has two more books that are sitting on my shelf awaiting for me.

I really enjoyed the slanted take on the -- not sure how to phrase it, but the trope of "the One", the savior, the single person who can make everything right. Biddy wasn't that, but she was still important, and it was a lot more interesting watching her go through the world Parry created.

>182 Murphy-Jacobs: -- Oh, I agree! Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

>179 foggidawn: Pretty much everything McGuire writes seems great to me, although my particular favorite is her Ghost Roads trilogy (which I got in both book and audio, go figure). I haven't wandered into her other series very far, but they sit on the shelf, taunting me. I got to meet the author some years back and she's a terrifying, terribly funny, terribly sharp woman.

(65 books read)



Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire -- One of the rules at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children is No Quests -- but what else can you do when a girl falls out of the sky and into the turtle pond, wearing a dress made of cake and claiming to be the daughter of a student who died? Rini's mother was supposed to save Confection from an evil queen, then marry her true love and return to his candy corn farm to, well, make a baby -- but that didn't happen, and now Rini is disappearing by inches, and she's come to Miss West's to find out what happened to her mother. Is it possible to bring someone back from the dead?

This was a fun romp, but it's the immediate sequel to Every Heart a Doorway, and I was lacking context since it had been so long since I read that one that I didn't remember all of the characters. So, while some of the books in this series do stand alone, this one benefits from having the background information provided by at least the first book in the series. I enjoyed it in spite of some momentary confusion.

(66 books read)



Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire -- A reread, so I can go forward with the series without being confused. Just as enjoyable as my first read through.

>184 Murphy-Jacobs: Oh, I imagine it would be so interesting to hear her speak! Her books that I've read so far have an edge of horror to them that I don't always go for, but for me this series, at least, is still on the enjoyable side of that line.

(67 books read)



The Last Word by Elly Griffiths -- When one author dies, and then another, it could just be coincidence. But when there are several other deaths, and there are threads of connection between them, things start looking suspicious, to say the least. Edwin and Natalka are now officially working together as a detective agency, with Benedict helping out in a pinch. When they're asked to look into one of the murders, they discover that a nearby writers' retreat was visited by several of the dead authors. When they reach out to Harbinder, now working on the London police force, they discover yet another connection. Can they all work together to solve the puzzle before the murderer strikes again?

I always enjoy Griffiths' mysteries, and this was no exception. As with her other books, I like the character development and the through-running plot as much as I enjoy the mystery aspect, or maybe more than (this one seemed a little shaky to me, but I was enjoying the read, so I didn't nit-pick). A fun mystery with a variety of interesting characters, technically the fourth book in the series, but you really only need to read The Postscript Murders to get the background on these characters.

(68 books read)



Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire -- It's a dark and stormy night at Miss West's, at least inside Christopher's basement room, where lightning has just struck, creating a door through which Jack appears -- or is it Jill? In a way, it's both: Jill has forced Jack to switch bodies with her, so that Jill can become a vampire like she's always wanted. Being in Jill's tainted body is wreaking havoc on Jack's OCD, but even worse, Jill's actions have created an imbalance in the power structure of the Moors, which can't be allowed to continue. Jack is asking her friends at the school to help her with one more quest -- one which could put a permanent end to Jill's schemes and ambitions.

This book completes the Jack and Jill story arc within the Wayward Children series. It hasn't been my favorite part, but it's been an interesting ride. I didn't feel that the secondary characters got quite as much page time or character development in this book as they did in some of the other ensemble/quest stories, but they each had a part to play. Recommended for fans of the series, especially the Jack and Jill fans.

>189 foggidawn: The Jack and Jill bits were also my least favorite parts of the series so you're not alone!

>190 curioussquared: I've started listening to the next book, and I'm really liking it so far.

>191 foggidawn: I really liked that one too! I have just one more book left in the series and have it checked out to listen to soon. Luckily I think she's still writing more 😊

>187 foggidawn: I haven't been able to get into her Mira Grant "newsfeed" books as yet, but I have a good friend who loved them as well as anything else McGuire writes. Listening to her talk is...an interesting experience. I wish I had the chance to sit with her over good food and wine. I'd be laughing and wincing in equal measure!

I do love her Ghostroads books, though. I've read through them all at least twice.

>193 Murphy-Jacobs: Perhaps I'll have a look at the Ghostroads series in the future.

I'm going to get back into the Wayward Children series as soon as I'm caught up on Murderbot. Sounds like I should plan to re-read the first one since it's been many years.

>193 Murphy-Jacobs: I really loved the Newsflesh series when it first came out but the books are about how politics would be affected by a deadly global pandemic so I bet they have not aged very well.

(69 books read)



Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire -- Regan is 10, fleeing from school after a conflict with her ex-best-friend, when she stumbles through a door to a magical world. The Hooflands are populated with unicorns, centaurs, fauns, kelpies, and all manner of equine-like beings. Regan's love for horses ("What are horses?" inquires one of her centaur friends) helps her to accept her new circumstances, and the centaur herd that first finds her is kind and loving, adopting her as one of their own. There's just one problem: humans are only known to appear in the Hooflands when a big change is coming. Everyone seems to think it's Regan's destiny to be a hero . . . everyone except Regan, who doesn't believe in destiny.

This may be my favorite of the series so far, right up there with In an Absent Dream. I suspect I just want every permutation of portal fantasy that McGuire can cook up, though I do love the stories based at the school, too. At any rate, this is a true stand-alone, so if you are just intrigued by the Hooflands, read without fear of missing any key details. My only criticism of this book is that the ending was pretty abrupt, and I want to hear more about what happened after.

>195 norabelle414: Yeah, a reread is probably in order. It depends on where you left off, and whether your memory is better than my weak and hazy one.

I just read In an Absent Dream recently and also really enjoyed it. I'll probably muddle through the series with my fuzzy memories of the early books rather than re-read.

>198 MickyFine: I think your review prompted me to pick up In an Absent Dream, so, thanks! You'll probably be okay to go from there; so many of the books stand alone.

(70 books read)



Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire -- Cora knows that there's another school beside Miss West's, one where the students who don't want to find their doors again go. After her recent adventures, she feels she can't return to the Trenches without bringing danger trailing behind her, so she asks for a transfer to Whitethorn Institute, and Miss West reluctantly allows it. At Whitethorn, the rules are strict and privacy is nonexistent, and nobody finds their doors. Is this really what Cora wants? And if it isn't, how can she get out?

This series just gets better and better. This is one of the books that relies on knowledge of what happened in previous books, particularly Come Tumbling Down, but it introduces a new setting and many new characters, and promises stories yet to come.

>194 foggidawn: If you like audio books, the audio versions of the Ghostroads books are excellent. (I have them in print and in audio because, yeah, I liked them that much, plus my husband is an audio book addict.) The Girl in the Green Silk Gown is the first book, and a very strong start.

>195 norabelle414: Yeah, although McGuire has some very interesting ideas (that she discussed at a convention I attended years back) about how to really get a pandemic started ;) so they might still swing. I think she has added a book or two to the original three, but I'm not sure.

>201 Murphy-Jacobs: I'll keep that in mind. I've listened to all of the Wayward Children on audio so far, though I'll read the last one in print since it's more readily available to me in that format.

(71 books read)



Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire -- Antsy wasn't safe in her own home -- in her own bedroom -- so she ran. Down the street and around the corner and through the door of a welcoming-looking thrift shop, where she thought she might be able to call her grandmother for help. Instead, she found herself in The Shop Where Lost Things Go, an impossible jumble of shelves full of objects, all lost by their owners. And among the shelves are Doors, all leading to other worlds. Antsy can open these Doors and go through, leaving them propped open so she can return to the Shop. An old woman and a talking magpie are the Shop's proprietors, and they make her welcome, teaching her the ways of this strange but comforting world and the markets that often appear through the Doors. However, all magic has a price -- and Antsy doesn't even know, yet, what she might be paying.

This is a heart-wrenching story of innocence and childhood lost, even more explicitly so than many of the other Wayward Children stories which focus on trauma and loss. It's also lovely and comforting in many ways. It's one of the relatively stand-alone volumes of the series, in that it explores Antsy's life before she reaches the safety of Miss West's, but I don't know that I would suggest it as an entry point to the series. Highly recommended to fans, though!

(72 books read)



Mislaid in Parts Half-Known -- Antsy is safe at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward children -- at least until Seraphina, the school's resident Mean Girl, discovers that Antsy's gift for finding lost things might mean that she has the ability to find Doors. Kade, Cora, Christopher, and Sumi have been looking out for Antsy, expecting just such an issue to arise. They get her away from Seraphina for the moment, but when Antsy opens a door to get the whole group to safety, they end up in the last place that one of them wants to be...

Another solid ensemble/quest story, full of the delightful camaraderie that is the hallmark of this part of the series. It's always fun to see the characters interact, and now there are a few new additions to the pack. If you've enjoyed these books so far, keep going!

(73 books read)



A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher -- Samantha Montgomery is worried that her mother is losing it. Sam was looking forward to a nice long visit with her mom while on furlough from her job, but now that she's back home, things seem off. The house has been painted shades of cream and ecru, instead of her mom's chosen bright colors. Gone are the funky art prints her mom favored, and in their places are family photos and the old artwork her grandmother loved. In fact, the whole house looks just like it did back when her grandmother was alive, and Sam's mom has started praying before meals and giving Sam dirty looks when she swears, which she never did before. And then, there's the jar of human teeth that Sam finds buried under a rose bush...

I'm super not into horror, but I'm to the point where I trust T. Kingfisher's writing, and I don't regret it. This book definitely leans into the Southern Gothic, and there are definitely some scary elements, but I listened to it with great enjoyment and no nightmares after. Mary Robinette Kowal does an excellent job with the audiobook narration. I liked the affectionate mother/daughter relationship, and the tiniest hint of possible romance. There's also plenty of humor. Recommended, even for the squeamish.

(74 books read)



Edible Houseplants by Laurelynn G. Martin -- This book is what is says it is: a guide to edible houseplants. The bulk fall into the citrus category, but there are other fruits as well as plants like tea, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, and sugarcane. Each plant gets 2-4 pages of informational text with very nice photographs, growing info, and even the occasional recipe. There are troubleshooting tips in the back of the book for common issues, pests, and diseases (relatively rare when these plants are grown as houseplants), as well as information on hand-pollenating and pruning. I found it very instructive, though I didn't rush out to buy more houseplants. I liked that they listed which ones are easiest to grow, and which were more finicky. I'll probably try some of them eventually, but for now, this was a pleasant informational read. Recommended if you're interested in the topic!

Updates:

Garden -- John and I did so much satisfying work on the garden on Friday evening! We went to the local hardware store that has a really good plant selection. I got 10 tomato plants (more than I intended, but they came in packs of 3 or 4): La Roma II, Hillbilly, and a yellow variety I can't remember the name of -- Golden Queen, maybe? Anyhow, I am excited to try some new varieties (the Romas are not new to me, of course, but the others are). I also got some Bell Boy peppers (another variety new to me), some basil, and some flat-leaf Italian parsley. We planted all of those, and I also planted my yellow squash and cucumbers -- just two hills of each, as John is not a big fan of either. And I put flowers in my porch planters: impatiens in the ones on the front porch that get a lot of shade, a white and red double petunia in my hanging basket, and dwarf zinnias for the planters that get full sun. I think I still have another hanging basket or two down in the basement, so I may have to go buy more plants. I also have a couple of empty pots to devote to more herbs, when I decide which ones I want. I never have great luck growing rosemary, but maybe I will keep trying, because I love to cook with it.

Menu -- This week I'll be making rabbit stew in the Instant Pot, a turmeric-seasoned chicken recipe from the Milk Street cookbook, and stuffed shells with meat sauce.

Oh, I also did some work on my book collection yesterday, resulting in me getting rid of 18-20 books from my TBR shelves. I went through all of the old ARCs that I have picked up at conferences over the years, and looked at the ones I wasn't specifically interested in because of the subject or author. I looked them up and got rid of ones with low star ratings, because in general anything under a 3.6 average probably won't thrill me. Many of the ones I weeded were YA fantasy, and since I am in my Grumpy Old Codger phase, as mentioned above, I feel no sadness saying goodbye to them. It was also a good way of reminding myself of what I have on those shelves, since one of my goals for the year is to read at least 12 of my own TBR books (number read so far: 0). I did actually pick one up and start reading, so perhaps soon I will make some progress toward that goal!

>206 foggidawn: Glad you liked this one too! I just finished another T. Kingfisher yesterday :) She hasn't had a single miss for me so far.

Hooray for getting so much done in the garden! I planted some sweet peas that desperately needed to get in the ground in a spare moment yesterday but I still need to set up stakes/string for them.

I've been speculating about Kingfisher, and this is a point toward possibly reading. The garden sounds lovely. We have a small one in large pots, because DOGS and lots of semi-feral cats. Cherry and grape tomatoes, snow peas, snap peas, lima beans, chickpeas (I hope -- they look a little sketchy at the moment), and we just put in zucchini and straight neck squash.

>210 curioussquared: "She hasn't had a single miss for me so far." -- Me neither! Good luck with your own gardening endeavors!

>211 Murphy-Jacobs: If you want to give Kingfisher a try, I think Nettle and Bone is a good starting place, or A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking. Your garden sounds nice. Mine is mostly pots and raised beds (except for the sprawling things like squash and cucumbers). I do have some snow peas, planted last month. I've never tried growing chickpeas.

>212 foggidawn: I'll put it in my recommendations. :)

We haven't had luck with cucumbers, so it's squash this year. My husband grew up with a proper garden in a large yard -- his parents had ambition! Also, some years too many tomatoes. He's told me stories of sneaking bags of tomatoes onto neighbor's porches because they had so many.

>213 Murphy-Jacobs: Usually it's the zucchini that show up on my porch! My mom has that kind of large garden, and makes enough tomato sauce to share it with me, but my own garden is much more manageable (from my perspective).

>206 foggidawn: I need to get to that one, it sounds perfect.
>207 foggidawn: You found it!
>208 foggidawn: Wow, lots of tomatoes! I've don't think I've ever heard of Hillbilly.
I've tried to grow rosemary many times but failed, until now. I can only guess that maybe keeping it in the one gallon container it came in, keeping it in indirect sunlight and watering twice as much as before has kept it alive. There's even a tiny purple flower on one branch. Everything I read about rosemary says it loves lots of sun, but indirect has worked for me.
Most of my garden is winding down for the summer. We're having 100F days now, but my Early Girl tomatoes are producing.

(75 books read)



All the World's a Stage: A Novel in Five Acts by Gretchen Woelfle -- Pickpocket Kit Buckles is caught plying his trade at the Theatre playhouse, where the Lord Chamberlain's Men perform the plays of William Shakespeare. To avoid being sent to prison or the workhouse, Kit agrees to work for the players, sweeping the stage and running errands. Trouble is brewing for the Chamberlain's Men, who own the building but not the ground it sits on, and are in disputes with their landlord. While he is out of London for the holidays, they hire carpenters and carters to dismantle the building and take it away, to be reassembled into the playhouse that would become the Globe. Kit is drawn into the life of the playhouse, but could he ever become one of the company? Or is there another trade out there for him?

I was in grad school when I learned of this real-life heist performed by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, when they disassembled the Theatre playhouse, moved it to the other side of the river, and reopened it as the Globe. I thought at the time that it would make a great children's book, and I'm glad to see that that's been done. I enjoyed this story, especially the child's perspective. Kit has a hair-trigger temper and his own reasonable angst about what's to become of him, but those details help make him into a fully rounded character. I didn't care much for the illustrations, which don't serve the story particularly well, but the text is strong and the real-life history behind it interesting. This book has been languishing on my to-be-read shelf, but I'll find a home for it in my permanent collection because of the Shakespeare connection.

>215 mstrust: Thanks for the recommendation about Edible Houseplants! I got it through the library after I requested it for purchase, so hopefully other library users here will benefit as well. I'd never heard of Hillbilly tomatoes either, but they're an heirloom breed, and I've had better luck with heirlooms in my raised beds than I've had with hybrid varieties. That's interesting, about the rosemary. I may not have watered mine enough in the past.

Congrats on 75!!

Yay for 75 reads!

>218 curioussquared: and >219 quondame: Thanks!

(76 books read)



Grace and the Fever by Zan Romanoff -- "Long ago, and oh, so far away / I fell in love with you before the second show. / Your guitar, it sounds so sweet and clear / But you're not really here, it's just the radio..." Grace Thomas has been leading a double life since she was 14. In person, she's Grace: a good student, shy, not much fun at parties. Online, she's Gigi from the Fever Dream fan boards, a superfan of the hottest boy band of the past four years. All of her friends were into Fever Dream as young teens, but Grace never grew out of it. Now, at 18, she protects her secret at all costs, because she's sure social ostracization would follow if she were outed. Not that she has much of a social life, since she can see on Instagram that her two best friends are out at a party without her. She goes for a moonlight stroll through her neighborhood, and stumbles upon a shockingly familiar face: Jes, one of the boys from Fever Dream, is sitting on his car and smoking in a quiet spot near her neighborhood park. They fall into conversation, her pretending that she doesn't know who he is, when a photographer shows up. That's the incident that launches her into a sort-of friendship with Jes and the other members of the band, and throws her summer into complete turmoil. As her relationship with Jes grows deeper, she starts to learn things about the band that she could never have guessed -- but what would happen if they learned about her superfan secret identity?

Despite my recent grumbling about YA, I picked this up because I wanted something different from what I've been reading lately, and I did enjoy it. Grace is, indeed, full of angst, but to be fair, she does find herself in a unique predicament. If you can buy the coincidence of their initial meeting (Jes is established as having been from the area originally), the plot does move organically, carrying Grace along. I occasionally got irritated at her for being a little passive, and whenever she did make a decision, it felt like a bad one -- but it all made sense for a teenager thrown suddenly into a completely different world, while still trying to function in her existing one. I like stories about fandom occasionally, and this was an interesting examination of it. Recommended for YA readers who are interested in the premise.

>214 foggidawn: well, I am hoping that 3 plants will be enough and not too much! I cannot, unfortunately, eat tomato sauce anymore (tomatoes are fine, but the sauce? The sauce hates me and lets me know as soon as I try to go to bed). Right now I'm awaiting the arrival of the "June Bugs" and Japanese beetles, which especially like our young fruit trees. This year the blossoms weren't frozen off, so we are hoping we might get pears and cherries (yeah, right!)

>215 mstrust: When I lived in Florida, I had a small rosemary hedge on the walk to our front door. In South Carolina, I had a large rosemary bush on the side of the house. Now that I'm in Kansas, I can't keep one alive no matter what I try!

>222 Murphy-Jacobs: That's rough, about the tomato sauce! I feel like I make a lot of things with tomato-based sauces.

>223 Murphy-Jacobs: I think I've heard that rosemary likes a sandy soil, so perhaps that was what worked so well in SC and Florida? But I have killed them in various potting soils, so... *shrug*

Congratulations on 75 foggi!

Felicitations on reaching the magic number.

>224 foggidawn: Ah, the joys of acid reflux! and I loooove me some tomato sauce. Pizza and chili were favorite foods, but at least there are "white" versions of both. My husband makes a mean white chicken chili.

Rosemary, as far as I know, tends to like a slightly dryer soil, and in SC where we were it was mostly red clay. The bush was HUGE. I can't figure out what to do with it in a pot, though. It can't take the cold here and the soil is very dark and wet so I can't plant outside. I've killed three so far trying to keep them inside :/

Congratulations on reaching 75 books (and beyond) already. xx

Congrats on getting past 75. I'm slow this year, but with it being summer, I should make a little more progress. I should finish one sometime today.

>225 humouress: and >226 MickyFine: and >228 PaulCranswick: and >229 thornton37814: Thanks!

>227 Murphy-Jacobs: Yeah, I don't think rosemary would make it as an outdoor plant here. Maybe I should just treat it as an annual, since one growing season is usually about as long as I can keep it alive.

My luck with the rosemary likely has something to do with our weather on the low desert, with the very low humidity. I have a watering gage and every morning I check and the rosemary is bone dry, so it gets watered, and the next day it's dry again. But it's doing well. I think that if I have to transplant it, I'll use cactus/palm soil.

Foggi--Congrats on the magic 75 (and more)! Hope you can keep the rosemary plant alive. Otherwise, yup it's an annual. LOL. Love how they smell in the garden. Happy Wednesday!

>231 mstrust: That's sort of what I had in SC. In Florida, honestly, I hardly noticed it after we planted it, except when we trimmed. We had friends who ran a little lunch shop in the town where we lived, so we'd take the rosemary to them and they would do WONDERFUL things with it! I kinda miss that!

>216 foggidawn: Congratulations on reaching 75, Foggi!

>231 mstrust: That sounds about right, in terms of weather suited to rosemary.

>232 Berly: Thanks! Yes, the smell is a big plus. I also love the smell of thyme, though I don't cook with it very often. When I grow it, it's more just so I can run my hands through it occasionally.

>233 Murphy-Jacobs: That sounds delightful!

>234 FAMeulstee: Thanks!

(77 books read)



Illuminations by T. Kingfisher -- Ten-year-old Rosa Mandolini lives with her extended family at their studio. Nearly all of her family members are artists who create illuminations: magical artworks that bestow a spell where they are mounted, whether that is keeping mice out of a pantry or purifying the city's water. Rosa dreams of becoming an illuminator herself someday, though she's not quite there yet. While searching the basement for a stuffed armadillo, she comes across a mysterious box with a powerful illumination on the lid, one that makes her want to stay away from the box. What is the mysterious box hiding, and can she figure out how to open it?

Another delightful Kingfisher story. This one I would class as juvenile fiction, since both the age of the main character and the subject matter are suited to all ages. I got strong Magicians of Caprona vibes from the setting and characters. I did feel like the pacing dragged a bit in the middle, but since I listened to the audiobook, this may just have been a result of my fragmented listening time and not the book itself. Fans of this author, and especially those of her juvenile works, will want to check this one out.

>233 Murphy-Jacobs: Nice of you to supply a local restaurant!
>236 foggidawn: Congrats on surpassing 75! And I didn't know Kingfisher wrote children's books. She's so prolific!

>235 foggidawn: I'm not a fan of mayonnaise, but they did a home made rosemary mayo that was delicious. I haven't had much luck growing thyme, either. I'm good with mints, and I can get catnip going (which is good, as I have a lot of cats). Right now, I'm fighting these little fuzzy white bugs that attack everything. They are pernicious!

>237 mstrust: Kingfisher wrote many juvenile books under the pen name Ursula Vernon. I've only read a few of them so far.

>238 Murphy-Jacobs: That sounds yummy. I might have to try making a little bit of rosemary mayonnaise, but my husband won't eat mayo at all, so it would be just for my use. Good luck fighting the bugs!

>238 Murphy-Jacobs: My tomatoes and peppers were really getting it from the aphids this Spring, but I just kept spraying the Neem oil and after a few coatings of that, it was over.

>239 foggidawn: I agree that Ursula Vernon wrote many good books. And some more good ones under the nom de plume T. Kingfisher.

Congrats on hitting the 75 book mark. I want to put in a plug for the only one of the Ghost Road books that I have read, Sparrow Hill Road. It was quite good!

Congrats!

>240 mstrust: Good stuff, that.

>241 quondame: Oops, I got it backward as to which was the pen name. Thanks for the correction!

>242 clamairy: Thanks! I will look into that sometime.

>243 drneutron: Thank you!

(78 books read)



Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne -- When Reyna is seriously injured in the queen's service and the queen brushes it off as if it were nothing, Reyna decides that she's out. She's going to take her girlfriend up on the offer of running away together and starting a bookshop/tea house in some remote place. Problem is, Kianthe, Reyna's girlfriend, is the most powerful magic user in the world, and that's a position she can't exactly step away from. Can they find a place for their dream bookshop that is close enough for Kianthe to still be able to make occasional trips into work, but far enough away that the angry queen won't be able to trace them?

The success of Legends & Lattes was bound to spawn a run of cozy fantasy books of varying quality. This one is not terrible, but neither is it the top of the form. I felt like every problem the characters solved wasn't really solved, just pushed off for later. I didn't feel like the characters were particularly well differentiated, and I had trouble staying engaged in the story. If you're super into cozy fantasy this is still worth the read, but I won't be seeking out the sequel.

(79 books read)



The Housemaid by Freida McFadden -- Millie has a secret. Well, not much of a secret, since it comes up if you run a background check or do a Google search: she's spent the last ten years in prison. She really needs a job, but who's going to hire an ex-con? When she gets the job offer from Nina Winchester, it seems like a dream come true: she'll be a live-in housekeeper doing cleaning, some light cooking, and occasional babysitting. However, as it turns out, the Winchesters have some secrets of their own, and Millie could be in serious danger...

This is a gripping, fast-paced read, good for fans of women-centered thrillers. I found the writing to be unsubtle, and some of the details to be more than a little farfetched. However, I read the whole thing in just over a day, so it does its main job. Popcorn.

>245 foggidawn: Oh that's too bad. I put this on The List because a) cozy fantasy and b) great title but your lackluster review has me thinking I'll be better off skipping it. Thanks!

>245 foggidawn: I've seen this one around but had a feeling it wouldn't quite hold up to Legends and Lattes. Thanks for taking one for the team!

I'll have to take pictures later, but as of today we have teeeny tiiiny tomatos and our first sweet snap peas!

I am not even trying to catch up, foggi, but just wanted to drop by for a quick "Hello!"

>245 foggidawn: Too bad about that one. I loved Legends & Lattes.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

>247 MickyFine: It does seem that many people enjoyed it more than I did, but I stand by my rating.

>248 curioussquared: Ah, well. I don't mind taking one for the team occasionally.

>249 Murphy-Jacobs: Ooh, lovely!

>250 alcottacre: Hello!

Just checking in to see what you've been reading. Have a great day!

>252 thornton37814: Thanks!

(80 books read)



Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan -- Megs Devonshire is not much of what you'd call a reader -- as a student at Oxford in physics and mathematics, she has little time for novels. But her little brother George, who has a heart condition, has just read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and he wants to know where Narnia comes from. Is it real? The answer that it comes from Mr. Lewis' imagination does not satisfy, so Megs, who would do anything for her little brother, goes on a quest to find the answer. Her path takes her to The Kilns, home of C.S. Lewis and his brother Warnie. When she asks Mr. Lewis her question, he does answer her -- but he does it with stories.

I found many parts of this book charming. Because the stories Lewis tells of his early life serve as a story within the story, Megs and George's actual story are slighter than you might expect, but there's still time for character development. George does fall into the trope of the angelic invalid child, too wise for his years, too good for this world, but without his illness, Megs wouldn't likely have the impetus to keep trying to ask Lewis her questions after her first attempt to catch him after a public lecture failed. The ending is drawn out, but it does answer every question the reader might have. Recommended for those interested in the life of C.S. Lewis, and for fans of historical fiction set in post-war Oxford.

(81 books read)



Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice by Elle Cosimano -- In her classic chaotic style, Finlay gets involved with way too many dead bodies for someone who has not actually killed anyone. This time, in Atlantic City!

This is the fourth book in the series, so obviously don't start here. For fans of the series, this one is just as strong, and wraps up several long-running plot elements. However, the epilogue makes it clear that a fifth book will be forthcoming.

I know this thread is getting long-ish, but I'm holding out until June to start a new one. I'll be at my parents' farm for part of next week, so probably not posting much (I'll have my phone, but writing long posts on it is unwieldy).

Garden update: John's been planting cannas and dahlias all week. These plants are heirlooms in his family and have to be planted every spring and dug up every fall. I think the dahlias are lovely, but must admit I don't love the cannas -- and there are so many of them. So. Many. I think I've convinced John to let them overwinter this year and see how they do, which may at least reduce their numbers somewhat. Other than that, the garden is doing well. I haven't planted anything new lately, though I still have one small bed (actually an old horse trough) that I'm trying to decide what to do with. My lettuce and carrots are coming up slowly, and the tomatoes and peppers all seem well-established. The houseplants have made their annual migration to the front porch, so it is very green and cheerful out there now (and very airy and spacious in my living room).

It sounds like your garden is doing great!

>257 mstrust: I'm pleased with it! Next week, I'll be helping Mom tackle hers.

Glad to hear the garden is starting to take off and pleased you've had a couple good reads since your previous "meh" one.