My secret stash

There's nothing wrong about my book stash but I feel guilty, if that makes sense?

Our local library has an ongoing sale: $1 for as many books as you can fit in a grocery bag. I filled a Brown paper bag with books, some old favorites, some interesting non-fiction, some history. My teenage granddaughter patiently waited while I filled my bag. I paid and we left. The bag resides in the floor in the back seat of my car. The only thing...

I bring a few books into the house but every time I go to the library I pay $1 for another armful and just top off the bag. When my granddaughter asked if I bought more books, I said "no".

I think I have a problem.

A couple of old favorites:

The Pride of the peacock

From the bag:

A couple of old friends, The Pride of the Peacock and Mistress of Mellyn, both by Victoria Holt.

Iron Butterflies by Andre Norton

From the bag:

A couple of old friends, The Pride of the peacock and Mistress of Mellyn, both by Victoria Holt.

Iron Butterflies by Andre Norton

Well, I thought I was editing but apparently I've been posting just new versions of the same message. Obviously time to call it a night!

Glad you joined us here, Kim.
Do you know how to touchstone? No fair listing titles without letting us go to it easily!

It’s awful that you have to pack a temporary library. Hope you find a permanent place soon. But your public library sounds like a treasure.

>1 kendallone: I think I have a problem: What would that be? Arms not long enough?

Well, the books appear as a link when I preview them, and I see the touchstones to the left of my message, but they don't appear in my post. What am I doing wrong?

Oh, I think I have it!

>8 kendallone: By "problem" I took you to be referring to going to the library sale repeatedly and coming back with far too many books. Many people on LT have similar problems. I don't, I just keep buying books. No problem!

Lol, well, I feel like not admitting I keep buying books is the problem. If my daughter or my oldest granddaughter were living with me, they would totally get it, but my middle granddaughter just thinks I'm nuts. 15 is a very judgemental age!

>10 kendallone: I just rolled eyes for you. When my oldest was 15, it defined my life. Introducing myself in a meeting, I said my name and that I was the mother of a 15 year old girl. Audible groans of sympathy.

She's still at school and I hear eyes rolling as I laugh at your comment.

Snuck a few more books into the house tonight!

Arundel by Kenneth Roberts. My mom had Rabble in Arms and I read it over a long summer in the late 60s. Since then I've read (and owned) several others like The Lively Lady and Lydia Bailey.

Sickill

Snuck a few more books into the house tonight!

Arundel by Kenneth Roberts. My mom had Rabble in Arms and I read it over a long summer in the late 60s. Since then I've read (and owned) several others like The Lively Lady and Lydia Bailey. I think I've started the book before but never finished it.

Sixkill by Robert Parker. I went through a streak years ago of reading Parker's books but I don't think I read this one.

The Healing Hand: Man and Wound in the Ancient World by Guido Majno. Not sure how far I'll get with this. I'm a history fanatic but ancient history is really my daughter's field, I've just gotten in the habit of picking up anything I think she'd appreciate too.

Also trying to read my regular library books:

The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern by Lillian Braun. I've read all of the books in the series but decided to re-read the early books as I think they were the best.

Something by Donna Andrews, maybe Toucan Keep a Secret? Because I need something light and distracting when the eye rolling and heavy sighs are out in force.

A Better Man by Louise Penny. One of my favorite modern mystery writers.

The last two books of the Vorkosigian saga by Lois McMaster Bujold, Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen and Flowers of Vashnoi. I've been a fan of this series since the first book was published in 1986. Quirky and funny space opera!

Is granddaughter a reader? When we couldn't discuss anything else without breaking things, I could always talk books with my girls.

Unfortunately not right now. She was in the past but is too busy for reading right now. Her older sister is like their mom and I: at least three books in progress and always a book at hand. One in the car, a stack on the end table, a few by the bed, more in the bathroom and at least two in a purse when we have to go somewhere. Plus my kindle loaded with free downloads of mysteries and suspense.

When things get too tense, I simply remind her that her options are to return to her mom or stay with me at a school that she loves. To stay with me means she has better adjust her attitude or we can start packing. I moved across country at the drop of a hat and am willing to do it again.

I finished and returned my library books. I don't think I'll bother to reread any more Lillian Jackson Braun books. They just don't hold my interest now. I really enjoyed reading the last two Vorkosigan saga books by Lois McMaster Bujold. I wish she was more prolific.

Of course I grabbed another bag of books from the library sale table. They had advertised the sale the previous week so there wasn't a huge selection but I picked up about a dozen paperbacks. Most are just Recency romances to carry in my purse to pull out when I'm waiting at an appointment but there were a few others that look interesting. One is Death Be Not Proud by John Gunther. I might have read it 40 years ago but I don't remember it. I also bought Northwest Passage by Kenneth Roberts to add to my library.

Currently reading one of the books I picked up from the clearance bin at Goodwill this week.

My Just Desire by Anna Beer - The life of Bess
Throckmorton, wife of Sir Walter Raleigh. Non-fiction, well written and holds my interest, although keeping all of the family connections straight is taxing my brain. Beer is a lecturer at Oxford and this is her second book on the Raleighs. Well documented and I may try to get a couple of books listed in the bibliography that discuss women in the Elizabethan era.

Since they closed all of the libraries and I'm social distancing since I am susceptible to bronchitis (dirt in the air? Bronchitis. High pollen? Bronchitis), I'm hoping I'll get thru some of my books piled around the house. However I need to stop downloading from Amazon, lol. I'm a sucker for cosy mysteries and Regency mysteries, and Amazon has tons of free Kindle books to download. I also share a Kindle unlimited account with my daughter so there is always another book to get. I also bought The Viceroy's Daughters by Anne de Courcy. It is about the three Curzon sisters, daughters of the viceroy of India. It's been on my wish list for a while now and Amazon was offering the Kindle version today for only $0.99.

What are you doing to prepare for self-isolation or quarantine? Besides books, I've picked up a few new jigsaw puzzles and yarn to crochet an afghan. I'm also looking for a yoga or tai chi program that I can do with a knee that can't be knelt upon and randomly collapses. I took tai chi for years but the version I studied is impossible to do with my current knee problems.

I'm looking forward to spring! I've gained too much weight and long for garden activities and mowing. My only exercise at home nowadays is shifting piles of books and papers and rummaging in the attic trying to winnow the load of possessions.

I wish I had someplace to garden, a couple of raised beds would be great!

Just started reading The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon. So far interesting and easy to get into. I've always enjoyed reading about women's issues in patriarchal societies. I've read a lot about Iranian women after the Islamic revolution. In college a girl in the dorm room next door was the daughter of a high government official under the Shah and our friend group closely followed the fall of Pahlavi. I think this book is only the second I've read about Afghani women.

When we lived in Geneva I had window boxes. Some were herbs, some were flowers (generally edible) mixed with leaf lettuce. Obviously, I get more out of my current garden, but we had lots of great salads from the lettuce and herbs.

There is a family of squirrels that live in the tree next to my balcony. They Since The I'm my balcony. I'm afraid they'll eat anything I try to grow out there although I may try a window box of herbs. I'll have to see what they avoid.