Curioussquared continues 2021 with some books: part 2

Hello everyone! I'm Natalie. I have participated in the challenge on and off over the years, and consistently over the past few years.

I'm located in Seattle, where I work in marketing for a healthcare company. I used to get a lot of reading done during my bus commute, but of course am working from home presently, and when I do return to office work, my new commute will be via car, so I expect to get through lots of audiobooks. Otherwise, I do most of my reading curled up on the couch with my retired racing greyhounds, Skelly, Otter, and new addition Kermit, or listening to audiobooks while doing chores and walking the dogs.

Aside from the pandemic and its obvious implications, 2020 was actually a great year for me on paper. In order, my boyfriend and I got engaged, I changed jobs and am happy at my new company, and we acquired greyhound #3, Kermit. Tim and I are both able to happily work from home and so far, our families are safe and doing okay.

2021 will of course bring its own challenges. I'm still hopeful we can have a decently sized, normal wedding at the end of August; we'll have to make a call on that sometime, depending on how vaccine rollout is going. If it does look like we'll be able to do it, I'm sure wedding planning will cut into my reading time in the new year.

I read mostly fiction, with a heavy emphasis on YA, along with some fantasy and sci-fi, general fiction/literature, a scattered mystery here and there, and the occasional non-fiction title. I've been keeping track of my books read since 2008, and I have traditionally aimed for 100. In 2020, I finally managed to both hit and surpass my long-time goal of of 150, with a total of 166!

Last year I also read 72 books off of my own shelves, an all-time high for me. I'm going to keep this goal at 50, in case I do end up very busy with wedding planning, etc. (I'll have a thread in the ROOTs group as well where I cross-post reviews of books off my shelves.)



Reposting this photo of the boys in Discovery Park from my previous thread for now; I might swap it out with a more Spring-y photo if I can get all three dogs to cooperate for one soon!

Here are my top books of 2020! I usually do a top ten, but I couldn't narrow it down past 15 this year. In the order I read them:

The Flatshare
Behold the Dreamers
In the Woods
The Guinevere Deception
My Sister the Serial Killer
The House in the Cerulean Sea
Kindred
We Were Eight Years in Power
Half of a Yellow Sun
Network Effect
The Poet X
To Say Nothing of the Dog
Return of the Thief
Gideon the Ninth
A Deadly Education

Books read in 2021:

January
1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (off my shelf)
2. Jack, the Giant-Killer by Charles de Lint (off my shelf)
3. Drink Down the Moon by Charles de Lint (off my shelf)
4. The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins (off my shelf)
5. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (off my shelf)
6. The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White
7. The Flip Side by James Bailey
8. The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
9. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
10. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman (off my shelf)

February
11. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow (off my shelf)
12. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
13. The Iliad by Homer (off my shelf)
14. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary (reread)
15. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (off my shelf)
16. The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
17. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia (off my shelf)
18. Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
19. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
20. The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal (off my shelf)

March
21. Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene (off my shelf)
22. A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
23. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (off my shelf)
24. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (off my shelf)
25. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
26. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (off my shelf)
27. The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
28. The LongDogs by Louisa Crook
29. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (reread)
30. The Dragon Egg Princess by Ellen Oh
31. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (reread)
32. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (reread)
33. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (reread)
34. Network Effect by Martha Wells (reread)

Books read in 2021:

April
35. When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
36. The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (off my shelf)
37. Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb (off my shelf)
38. Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett (reread)
39. Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown (off my shelf)
40. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (off my shelf)
41. Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend (off my shelf)
42. Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer (off my shelf)
43. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (off my shelf)
44. The Deep by Rivers Solomon (off my shelf)
45. Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (off my shelf)

May
46. Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
47. A Very Long Engagement by Sebastian Japrisot (off my shelf)
48. How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge by K. Eason
49. Across the Pond by Joy McCullough
50. Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
51. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore (off my shelf)
52. The Necessary Arthur by Garth Nix (off my shelf)

June
53. Every Heart a Doorway by Seanen McGuire (off my shelf)
54. One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston (off my shelf)
55. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver (off my shelf)
56. Finna by Nino Cipri
57. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (off my shelf)
58. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
59. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones (off my shelf)
60. The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan

Books read in 2021:

July

August

September

Books read in 2021:

October

November

December

Finally, I have a pool of books off my shelf I'd like to get through this year. It's a mixture of books I've owned forever and want to finally get to, some newer titles I'm excited about, and everything in-between.



Here is the list -- it is truly random, just a bunch of titles I pulled off my shelves when they caught my eye. We'll see how I do!

1. The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal
2. Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
3. The Secret Commonwealth by Phillip Pullman
4. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
5. Angel Mage by Garth Nix
6. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
7. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
8. Havenfall by Sarah Holland
9. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
10. The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake
11. Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi
12. Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami
13. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
14. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
15. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
16. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
17. Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
18. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
19. LAMB: The Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore
20. Firebug by Lish McBride
21. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
22. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
23. Rosmersholm by Henrik Ibsen
24. Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
25. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
26. A Very Long Engagement by Sebastian Japrisot
27. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
28. A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos
29. The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins
30. A Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
31. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
32. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
33. Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb
34. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
35. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
36. Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint
37. Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip
38. The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
39. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
40. Slay by Brittany Morris
41. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
42. A Sudden Wild Magic by Diana Wynne Jones

Aaaand welcome to my second thread!

27 books read: The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis

Upon her mother's death, Beth Harmon, 8, is sent to an orphanage, a loveless place where the children are given tranquilizers to "keep their mood stable." There, she is aimless, until she chances upon the janitor playing chess by himself in the basement where she is sent to clean the blackboard erasers. Beth is drawn to the game, quickly working out how the pieces move, and eventually the janitor teachers her how to play. It soon becomes clear that Beth is not only a natural at chess, but a prodigy. Through the restrictive orphanage, her eventual adoption, and addiction, chess is Beth's driving force, and as soon as she is able, she takes the chess world by storm -- starting small in Kentucky, and moving through the US and then the world.

I put this on the list after watching the excellent Netflix miniseries late last year. The novel is good; it's fast-paced and hard to put down. Not really what you'd expect from a book featuring lengthy descriptions of chess games, but somehow Tevis makes you care and makes the moves and strategies riveting. My chess knowledge is limited to how the pieces move and a vague idea of what castling is, so I'm by no means an expert, but I was riveted all the same. Written in the 80s, there were still some rather dated 60s stereotypes, but nothing too bad. Really, though, the main thing that struck me while reading the book was just how faithful the miniseries adaptation was. The plot, pacing, and even large parts of the show dialogue are identical to the novel; aside from a few framing devices used in the show, I had trouble identifying more than two or three very minor story differences. I enjoyed both book and show, but if you're like me and you've already watched the show, you might not need to read the book (not something I say often!). If you've been eyeing the show, I recommend reading the book first and then enjoying watching it come to life on the screen afterwards. 4 stars.

Happy new one, Natalie.

I bought that one recently mainly because of its striking cover and before I realised it was a Netflix sensation.

Happy new thread!

>10 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I hope you enjoy the Tevis. It seems like it's been something of a quiet cult classic for years that's just now hitting the big time with the miniseries.

>11 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

28 books read: The LongDogs by Lousia Crook

When catastrophe strikes, two humans are forced to leave their beloved pack of four sighthounds behind in an inhospitable desert land. The dogs, Layla, Ami, Brodie, and Mia, are heartbroken that their humans are gone, and must quickly figure out how to find food, water, and shelter -- while contending with packs of fierce, feral cats, other streetwise strays, and unsympathetic humans.

This was written by a woman who runs one of my favorite Instagram accounts. She's a British expat living in Qatar with her five dogs and various foster animals and she just posts her adventures with the dogs and fostering. There always seems to be a new dog in trouble and she is totally devoted to helping them and finding them homes -- we even flirted with adopting a stray Saluki mix she rescued before we adopted Kermit. The dogs in the story are all her own; she told me the book is based on a recurring dream she needed to get out of her head, and when she said it was being published and she needed advanced reviewers, I volunteered. The story is a little unpolished, but the writing is fairly sound, and I was on the edge of my seat as the dogs fended for themselves and each other. I think my reading was enhanced because I know these dogs well from following her Instagram for a few years now, but it wasn't a bad story for a first attempt. 3 stars.

Happy new thread, Natalie. Happy to see some decent reads here already.

Happy new thread! And happy soon-to-be-weekend.

Congrats on getting vaccinated! I'm scheduled for my first Moderna shot on April 3rd. My state just opened up for my age range this morning. I'm willing to get the Johnson and Johnson vax, but the state's scheduling website is clunky, so I just went with the closest vaccination site and the earliest available appointment. Since I'll have two doses, I'm hoping "have a job by the second vaccine date so you can move" will be motivating!

I recommend bumping A Gentleman in Moscow up your TBR pile. It's both delightful and thoughtful. Towles is one of my favorite authors, and he has a new novel out this fall. Also, while The Sherwood Ring can't compare to The Perilous Gard, the Revolutionary War plot is tons of fun. Those Venetian glasses ...

>14 MickyFine: Thanks Micky!

>15 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! The weekend is gone now but it was a good one :)

Happy new thread, Natalie! Belated congrats on finding your dress! I'm so happy you had your "this is the dress" moment! It's stunning!

>16 libraryperilous: Woohoo!! We love to see it. That second shot motivator is a good one. Tim's birthday is about a week before our second dose will be in full effect, so we're planning a belated celebration for once our vaccines are fully effective. Will we... go to an actual restaurant??? Or start small with a coffee shop??? We haven't been going to stores or restaurants even to eat outside, and I can even count the number of times I went in a restaurant to get takeout on one hand, so the possibilities are thrilling.

It has been interesting to see how the vaccination rollout has differed across various states. My job is marketing for my company's individual market members (aka those people who purchased their own coverage on the exchange) and one of the things I've been working on lately is a COVID-19 vaccine campaign to encourage people to get the shot when they're eligible and point them toward resources from the health departments of the two states we operate in. I think it's super important work, and a lot of what I've done has just been trying to cut through the red tape and get people the facts. The rollout has been so fast and so sporadic; systems vary from state to state, county to county, and even pharmacy to pharmacy. What a mess! But I think they're really working as quickly as they can.

ETA: OK, OK, I'll try to put A Gentleman in Moscow and The Sherwood Ring on deck soon!

>18 aktakukac: Thank you, Rachel! :D I'm very glad I got that moment too!

Happy new thread, Natalie!

>2 curioussquared: Hmm, I recognise a few of those.

>13 curioussquared: How nice that you have a personal connection to that book (although sometimes it makes it harder to evaluate them objectively). I was thinking of getting a Saluki before we got Jasper - but there aren't breeders here so you just have to choose between whatever puppies are brought in or, of course, rescue dogs. Maybe I'll look for her Instagram account.

>19 curioussquared: Your work is important but it sounds like it can be frustrating a lot of the time.

>7 curioussquared: Love several of your books for this year! And some of your favorites from last year, too. : )

>9 curioussquared: My Hubby and I are watching THe Queen's Gambit on TV -- about halfway through. Thumbs up.

>19 curioussquared: Fun plans! I get my first shot this Sunday. Can't wait.

Happy new thread!

>21 humouress: Thanks Nina! Her instagram account is @crooklock if you're interested. In addition to the dogs featured in the book, she also has old man Winston as part of her permanent pack, a saluki she rescued with some pretty severe leg issues. Then she's fostering Stella, an american bulldog she found close to death after something went wrong while she was giving birth on the streets (you'd NEVER know it now, she's a gorgeous, fat, happy dog), Rocky, an older great dane she rescued from an abandonment situation, and mama cat, an older kitty who was living in the same home as Rocky. She's a really incredible woman -- people seem to abandon dogs all the time in Qatar and she's always up to her ears in new fosters and strays.

>22 Berly: Thanks Kim! I'm glad you're enjoying The Queen's Gambit :) and congrats on the first shot appointment!! I need to start making more headway on the list of books I chose for this year -- I got through a few books this weekend, but two of them were rereads and one was a library book :)

Me: I should make progress on my unread books I want to get through this year.
Also me: No. I will reread Murderbot.



29 books read: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Murderbot is a security robot who has hacked its governor module and now has control of its own thoughts and actions. When rogue SecUnits are depicted in the media, they always end up going wild and killing all the humans. Murderbot could do that, but for the moment, it's just continuing to do its job as normal so its human clients don't suspect anything and it can be left to watch its favorite TV shows in peace. But when things start to go wrong on the planet its humans are doing research on, Murderbot can't just let the humans fend for themselves... after all, humans are so soft and fragile.

I can't really rate these objectively anymore. Murderbot is just my favorite. Fugitive Telemetry comes out next month (eeeeeeeeee!!!) and I figured I'd give myself plenty of time to do a reread beforehand, but of course I'm flying through them instead. This time I'm reading the gorgeous box set hardcovers Tim got me for Christmas. Five stars as usual!

30 books read: The Dragon Egg Princess by Ellen Oh

Five years earlier, the princess Coco disappeared into the mysterious, magical Kidahara forest. Most of the residents of Johon have given up on her ever returning. Meanwhile, change is coming to the country, as other nations are pressuring Johon to allow them to cut down swaths of the Kidahara to finally bring the railroad and other modern technology to Johon, where magic is more the norm. Jiho is a Park, and unlike other people who use magic in their everyday lives, his family's gift is negating magic -- they cannot use it, and their touch and even mere presence can cancel it. As a big company starts venturing into the Kidahara to cut it down, Jiho is brought along to help combat any of the mysteries of the forest they don't know about. But it soon becomes clear that the Kidahara has more depths than anyone suspected, and its denizens won't take threats lightly.

This was a sweet middle grade book inspired by Korean mythology. Very Ferngully, Princess Mononoke vibes. I thought the story was fun and moved along at a good pace; the characters are definitely a little juvenile and take a while to come to realizations, but hey, it's middle grade. 3.5 stars.

31 books read: Artificial Condition by Martha Wells

Now on its own, Murderbot sets off to learn about some of the shadows in its past, before it hacked its governor module. It uses its vast media stores to bride a bot pilot on a research transport ship to let it ride along on a cargo journey... but soon realizes it may have underestimated the bot pilot.

Just chuggin' along on the Murderbot train. I love ART. That is all. 5 stars.

I’ve only read the first Murderbot book as an e-book but now I want it for my shelves. Waiting ... and waiting ... for the series to come out in paperback.

>28 humouress: Hopefully soon, Nina! A paperback box set edition of the first four books would be nice. I like my little hardcovers but they were a bit pricey, which is why I waited for Tim to buy them for me :D

Anyone remember the jerk of a contractor from my last thread, who was super condescending (to me more than Tim) and really bad at social distancing? He was supposed to come back tomorrow to give us a final quote (not really sure why that can't be an email, but ok). But, I just got a call from the owner of the company asking if we could reschedule because he had to let the rude guy go yesterday. I don't wish ill on the guy, and I know it's not a good time for anyone to lose their job... but it's kind of satisfying when the worst interaction I've had as a customer in recent memory is followed up by the sales guy being fired.

>30 curioussquared: I'm with you that I don't wish unemployment on anyone, but it is pretty darn satisfying that the guy is paying for his behavior!

Also, I *need* to get round to these Murderbot books...

>31 scaifea: Definitely! I'm not celebrating or anything, but honestly, this put that company back in the running to actually do our project. Before this, Tim and I had agreed that we would take their quote as a data point, but we definitely weren't hiring them.

Yes! Read Murderbot! This is my third reading of the series in less than two years, I think? I don't do that with many books. They're that good.

I have Fugitive Telemetry pre-ordered and I'm also super excited. I bought myself the boxset of the first 4 with Christmas gift cards but haven't cracked them. But I think for my re-read I'll give the audiobooks a whirl since my library has them all checked in and I'm listening more when I do daily walks. :)

Also, I too love ART. Probably my favourite character after Murderbot.

>33 MickyFine: Yay! My first Murderbot experience was on audio and they were great. Discovering I can listen to audiobooks while I walk the dogs definitely changed my reading life!

I read the first Murderbot book last year, and thought it was good but not great. I am waiting for my hold on the audiobook for the second book to come in, and hope I will like listening to it more than reading it. I'm hoping to get to it sometime next month.

>34 curioussquared: I did a lot of audio plays last summer when I had surgery and was doing a ton of cross stitch. I'm still dabbling with actual audiobooks figuring out what types work for me but given that so much of the Murderbot books are internal monologue, I think they'll be all right. I tried Anna and the French Kiss on audio (a book I love in print) and found tracking who was saying what too hard to track in the audio format so I've been more leery of fiction.

>35 aktakukac: I hope you enjoy book 2, Rachel!

>36 MickyFine: That makes sense! I feel like I had to train my brain to listen to audiobooks and do a lot of testing to figure out what speed, etc works for me. Growing up I always scoffed at audiobooks because they went too slowly; being able to easily raise the speed to 1.3x or 1.5x was a game changer for me. It's funny that audio plays work well for you but you have more trouble tracking who's speaking in fiction, as I have the opposite problem. They work best for me when I'm walking, cooking, cleaning, or doing puzzles.

>35 aktakukac: The second one is my favorite because ART is my favorite character, and I love their relationship with Murderbot.

>36 MickyFine:, >37 curioussquared: I sometimes think I'd like to try an audiobook. I worry that I'd feel a bit like I was listening to talk radio, which I don't enjoy. Any suggestions for a good one to try?

Natalie, I finished Tamsin. It was perfect, although I do wish the ending with the actual Wild Hunt chase had been longer and, well, wilder.

>32 curioussquared: There is a good feeling knowing there is justice. Rude behavior by someone you are paying to do a task is simply bad!

All good wishes for happy days of reading.

>38 libraryperilous: Stephen Fry reads his books Mythos and Heroes and between his lovely voice and the voices he does for each of the gods, goddesses, and heroes he really knocks it out of the park. I also love the BBC radio play series Cabin Pressure - great sit com in audio format with Benedict Cumberbatch in one of the lead roles. All of them are available for purchase in OverDrive, so if your library doesn't have them you can always make a suggestion for purchase. :)

>38 libraryperilous: I'm so glad you liked Tamsin! It's been probably a decade since I read it so I don't remember the specifics of the ending, but you're making me want to pick it up again :)

Micky's audio recommendations are probably good ones! For me, I notice good narrators less; I only notice when something about them annoys me. I do think it's easier to start listening to audiobooks with some less complicated stories; a middle grade or YA book might be a good jumping off point. I also have enjoyed doing some rereading via audiobooks; it's a fun way to revisit some favorite stories. As I mentioned above, the Murderbot audios are great :)

ETA: I also am not a big fan of talk radio, but I like audiobooks.

>39 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda! Yes, there is a little sense of justice, isn't there? :)

32 books read: Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells

Having said farewell to ART, Murderbot heads to Milu to try to dig up some incriminating evidence on GrayCri, where it will be once again too busy dealing with some humans trying to kill themselves and an annoying pet bot to watch as much media as it would like.

Still enjoying my Murderbot binge! I hope Martha Wells keeps writing these forever and ever.

Update on the wedding front: Given that COVID-19 vaccines should be available to all Americans age 16 or older by May 1, we've decided to start moving full steam ahead toward an August 28 wedding date! I'm excited but also of course freaking out a bit about planning a wedding in five months. I know I'll feel better once I start crossing some stuff off the list.

Wedding goals for this weekend are:
- Finalize guest list and gather as many addresses as possible. I got an imperfect list into a spreadsheet last night, but want Tim, my parents, and Tim's parents to look at it this weekend.
- Browse and possibly pick a few invitation options
- Browse and inquire with some photographers
- Start a wedding website if we have time, but this is definitely a stretch goal :D

>44 curioussquared: So exciting!! Do you have a venue?

>25 curioussquared: Squeeeeeee I just put Fugitive Telemetry on hold at the library! I knew it was coming out this spring but had sort of forgotten. I'm 19th in line and there will be 7 copies so it won't be too long to wait!

Do move A Gentleman in Moscow up - it is so wonderful.

>45 AMQS: Hi Anne! We're planning on getting married in my parents' backyard, which is actually where they had their wedding 30+ years ago. That's the main reason we've been able to delay setting a date for so long :) So far we have a venue, a tentative agreement with a caterer (a local Cuban restaurant, who offered to hold our date without a deposit a few months ago which was super nice), and my dress, and that's pretty much it, which is why I want to start checking stuff off asap!! Oh, and I've picked out bridesmaid dresses and have just about decided on flower girl dresses. And of course I've already purchased little bow ties for the dogs to wear :D I'll post a picture of Otter modeling when I'm not on my phone!

Yay, I'm so excited I could remind you about Fugitive Telemetry! And I promise I'll get to A Gentleman in Moscow soon!!

Belated happy new thread, Natalie

>44 curioussquared: How exiting you have set a date!

>46 curioussquared: Can't wait to see Otter with his bow tie :-)

Things are coming along! Great kind in the flexible caterer and Cuban - YUM! We had an excellent Cuban place right near me that did not survive the pandemic. It's a huge loss.

>47 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita!

>48 AMQS: Oh, that's too bad about the restaurant closing! So far our favorite local spots have survived, but I'm sure they're struggling. We try to support our top favorites by sacrificing and getting takeout ;) The Cuban place we're having cater the wedding is one of our absolute favorite spots in the city, and when we found out they do catering, we were sold. I've never been a fan of traditional wedding menus so I was excited about the idea of something a little different that we know is delicious!

As promised, here is Otter modeling his bow tie :) It's not a great photo, but you get the idea!

>40 MickyFine:, >41 curioussquared: Thanks for the recs!

The bow tie is super cute, and Cuban food for your wedding sounds amazing and delicious. Happy wedding planning weekend!

>50 curioussquared: What do you mean it's not a great photo? I think it's brilliant and that bowtie is so adorable!

>51 libraryperilous: Thanks! I feel good about the amount of stuff I got done, but also feel a little bit like my weekend disappeared before I knew it!

>52 scaifea: Haha, I guess I just have high standards, Amber! It just felt a little blurry to me, plus my hand is in there posing Otter, and his tags are obscuring the bowtie collar. But it gets the main idea across, which is the adorable bowtie!

33 books read: Exit Strategy by Martha Wells

After narrowly escaping from Milu without being detected, Murderbot races back to Dr. Mensah and the others, hoping it's not too late to stop GrayCris from doing whatever horrible things it has planned.

Just as good as always; this time I really appreciated Murderbot's interactions with its human teammates after being gone for a while and working on its ability to have emotions. This is the first time I've read the novellas in print -- my first reading was on audio, and second on Kindle, and I've been really cognizant of trying to read more slowly this time. These are short little books, but every sentence packs a punch. Plus, Muderbot has so much more processing power than me -- gotta work hard to keep up! ;)

>54 curioussquared: Ha! We're flipping our experiences. The first time I read the series was largely as ebooks or in print and now I'm trying audio. :)

>55 MickyFine: I just said basically the same thing on your thread, but now I want to reread the series again on audio. Is... is it bad if all my books read this year are Murderbot? Hmm...

Okay...Murderbot series added to the list. : )

Good luck with the wedding plans--so exciting that we will be able to be in-person later this year!!

>50 curioussquared: LOVE the bow tie!

34 books read: Network Effect by Martha Wells

Murderbot is kind of starting to figure things out. It's working on a Preservation survey with some of its human frien -- uh, clients. Everything is going according to plan on the way back to Preservation system... until their ship is attacked, and Murderbot and Dr. Mensah's daughter Amena are kidnapped and taken away on the attacking ship through a wormhole. Murderbot has no idea what's going on, or how they're going to get back to Preservation -- and something is strangely familiar about this ship...

I loved this even more than the first time I read it last year. Bring on Fugitive Telemetry, ASAP. Please never stop writing Murderbot, Ms. Wells!

>57 Berly: Yessss, we got another one! I just want everyone to read this series :) Thanks for the wedding well-wishes, Kim!

>56 curioussquared: I will never discourage someone from reading Murderbot...

Reading is going slowly; working my way through a bunch of things right now, including Shaman's Crossing, When You Trap a Tiger, Black Girl Unlimited, and The Sherwood Ring.

Wedding planning stuff is moving along. Guest list is filling out and addresses are getting filled in, though I need to poke Tim and my future MIL to start filling in their side. (Or make my future MIL give me her address book so I can do it myself, lol.) I ordered a bunch of sample invitations a few days ago, so hopefully we like one of those. I also ordered a ton of stamps in preparation. Last night we interviewed two photographers and really, really liked one of them. The other one was reeeally unimpressive, at least over the phone; definitely emphasized why you want your vendors to be real professionals! We have another photographer interview tonight and are emailing with one more. Lots going on!!

And we're still trying to work on our roof deck project, too; I finally got a third company to say they would come out and give a quote (in two weeks) so after that hopefully we can make a decision.

Happy to hear wedding planning is going well, Natalie. I had a friend who was a photographer whose work I love so while I poked at quotes from a few other photographers, we went with who we knew and it was lovely.

Good luck with the roof project quotes. Our (much simpler) roof work should be done today. :)

>62 MickyFine: Ooh, that's a good connection to have! A friend of mine's dad is a professional photographer and she offered his services, not in a pushy way; I said I would definitely consider it, but I've seen his work and it's just not my style unfortunately. I even looked into who photographed the weddings of other people I know who've gotten married in the past five or so years, but none of them really stood out to me, so we're forging ahead into unknown territory!

Congrats on getting the roof work done -- that's awesome!

>50 curioussquared: Oh! He's so handsome!

>57 Berly: Yay!!

>64 humouress: Otter says thank you :)

My yard work supervisors today. Skelly is barking at Kermit to get him to play :)

35 books read: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller

When Lily's mom moves her and her older sister, Sam, away from their friends in sunny California to rainy Washington to move in with their Halmoni, their grandmother, Lily isn't sure what to think, and Sam is furious. Lily is excited to see her Halmoni, who tells her Korean folk tales that have always seemed real and calls her Lily Bean, but she's not sure why they're making the move so suddenly. When they arrive at Halmoni's house, things are a little off, and to top things off, Lily has been seeing visions? hallucinations? of a threatening tiger. Lily tries to settle into her new life, but her mom is acting weird, Sam is being impossible, and Halmoni seems to be forgetting things...

I found this middle grade novel well deserving of the Newbery. I liked Lily as a protagonist and appreciated the window into Korean culture and folk tales that seemed natural and unforced. This is a sad book, but done in a way that's appropriate for a middle grade audience. 4 stars.

>66 curioussquared: *swoon* Kermit is obviously having none of it.

>68 humouress: He says, brother, please. I am trying to keep watch on the humans walking on the street below. He is something of a guard dog -- always on alert!

36 books read: The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope

When Peggy Grahame's father dies, she is sent to live with her uncle Enos at the ancestral estate of Rest-and-be-thankful, where George Washington himself and many another founding father once stayed. There, her uncle largely ignores her, caught up in his research and academia, and Peggy is left to wander the drafty old halls herself. But before long, she discovers she's much less alone than she thought, as the ghosts of her ancestors start appearing to her, and she is caught up in a Revolutionary War-era plot as her ancestor Richard Grahame strives to catch the outlaw Peaceable Sherwood. And while Peggy is caught up in the past, some mysteries in the present start to unfold as well...

Thanks to Diana LibraryPerilous for insisting I get to this one sooner rather than later! This is a fun, historical romp, and while I loved it now, I wish I'd read it earlier as I'm sure I would have loved it as a kid, too. 4.5 stars.

>70 curioussquared: Oh, I'm glad you loved it! Pope's such a fascinating author: only two novels, and both carefully written, but twentyish years apart, and you can see really her growth as an author between them. I discovered her as an adult through an LT Name That Book query. I think I would have loved The Sherwood Ring in elementary school and fallen hard for The Perilous Gard as a preteen. And the books were around then, so I don't know how I missed them!

I have When You Trap a Tiger on my Kindle, but I'm not in the mood for sad at the moment. The cover is gorgeous.

>71 libraryperilous: I didn't read The Perilous Gard until I was in college, either, and I agree that I wish I'd read it earlier! I remember a fellow bookish friend urging me to read it in middle school, and I wish I had listened to her.

>72 curioussquared: It's my favorite novel ever, and I sometimes feel cheated that I didn't have all those extra years of reading it!

I didn't read The Perilous Gard until just a few years ago, but boy did I love it. I need to check out The Sherwood Ring, too...

>74 scaifea: I'm glad I read The Perilous Gard first. I've read The Sherwood Ring 3-4 times now, and it definitely has its own charms—and those Venetian glasses. I hope you enjoy it!

37 books read: Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb

Nevare Burvelle is his father's second son, and so fated to be his family's soldier son -- the first son is always the heir and scholar, the second is the soldier, and the third is the priest. His father is a new nobleman and Nevare grows up on the frontier, learning a soldier son's ways as well as the survival and warrior tactics of the plainspeople. Nevare knows he will attend the soldier son academy when he comes of age, and he looks forward to it, but he's not prepared for the prejudices and difficulty he'll face when he finally gets there.

I went into this book with pretty low expectations; I've really enjoyed Hobb's other books, but common consensus in the reviews for this one was that it was just bad. I was pleasantly surprised, maybe because my expectations were low. It's not as good as Hobb's other books. Nevare is a passive protagonist and could be more interesting, though I do think some of it was due to an aspect of the plot involving part of his personality being split by magic. But the worldbuilding is strong and I enjoyed learning about Gernia, and the school story part once we got to the academy was also fun. A lot of reviews complained that the book was repetitive, and I did catch on to that; for the first third of the book Hobb repeats over and over that Nevare is a second son, a soldier son, and he has certain duties and a fate he was born into, and I definitely wondered where Hobb's editor was as this could have been fixed pretty easily. But maybe because I was listening on audio, I found the repetitions pretty easy to ignore, and overall enjoyed the story. I'll plan to read the rest of the series but probably not immediately, and probably also on audio. 3.5 stars.

Oh our reading is overlapping a bit, I just finished When You Trap a Tiger and I've started a reread of Murderbot as well (I've been reading the e-book/audio mostly right before bed, so I've kinda taken my time this time through, at least so far).

Congrats and best of luck with wedding planning!

>77 bell7: Glad to see you also enjoyed When You Trap a Tiger! I felt like I reread Murderbot faster than intended but still slower than other times through the series, so that was good. Gotta appreciate my favorite sassy anxiety-ridden killing machine.

Thank you for the good wishes! Right now I alternate between "everything will be fine, we're making good progress" and "oh god what have I done we'll never get everything done in time" so it's a rollercoaster.

>78 curioussquared: Sounds pretty similar to my experience planning our wedding a few years ago. Because your window is a bit smaller than mine was (I had 8 months) you might not have this but I had about a month where everything had been planned and booked and I didn't need to do anything until closer to the wedding. Lots of paranoia in that month that I was missing something. :P

Things are moving along here! Currently reading Black Girl Unlimited and Guards! Guards! in print, and started North and South on audio. I have How the Multiverse Got its Revenge on my kindle but haven't been compelled to pick it up yet.

Yesterday was a little rough; Kermit had an upset stomach the night before and had to go outside 6 times during the night, so I was a zombie the next day. It didn't help that work is super busy right now. Since my job deals with health insurance sold on the exchange, we're directly affected by the insurance-related parts of the American Rescue Plan Act (aka Biden's covid relief bill). It's all really good stuff, making health insurance more affordable and more accessible for many Americans, but it's resulting in a ton of work for us! So I slogged through a bunch of deadlines yesterday in between staring sleepily into space and taking Kermit to the vet. The good news is that the meds we got seem to have worked and he was fine last night -- we both slept like babies.

Wedding stuff is coming along. Hopefully will make our final photographer decision this weekend. We got a bunch of invitation samples and several of them are nice options, so just need to make the final choice. I also started our wedding website and registry. It feels weird to register for gifts when really, we've lived together for five years and have owned a home together for three years, we have plenty of stuff, but I know a lot of traditionally-minded family members will be annoyed if there's no registry, and also that if you don't register, people will still get you gifts and it will be random stuff you don't even want. So I'm looking at it as an opportunity to upgrade a few of our more starter home-style items.

I think next to do items are to continue finalizing the guest list (Tim needs to get all his friends' addresses and I need to go through my mom's list and classify people into definitely coming, likely to come, and almost definitely not coming categories, because the number of invitees is terrifying right now), research and book a day-of coordinator, and start looking into bartending/event staff after confirming what the caterer provides. I'm pretty sure since they're a restaurant they just drop off the food and go, so we'll need people to set up and possibly serve if we still need to have COVID safety measures. I should also start looking into officiants.

We're getting our second vaccine dose on Saturday and can't wait :D I felt bad enough two days after the first dose that I took Monday off preemptively; hopefully I feel bad enough that I don't want to be productive but good enough to do a lot of reading!

>79 MickyFine: Ooh, hopefully I can get that month of peace! It seems supremely unattainable right now, though, and I have a feeling we'll be working out tiny details right up to the day since we're doing it at my parents' house.

Even if you register you'll probably still end up with random stuff. We got 3 pizza stones between our shower and wedding.

>82 MickyFine: LOL. That is hilarious.

I'm so glad to hear that Kermit is okay, but ooof to the lack of sleep. I do *not* do well at all without a full 8 hours, so I sympathize.

And woot! for dose #2! We get ours at the end of the month, and in fact it's the day before my last day of teaching for the semester, which has me slightly worried. Not a great day to have to cancel class, so I'm really crossing my fingers that I'll feel well enough to make it through my two classes.

>84 scaifea: Thanks Amber! I do well on 7 hours and fine on 6 hours, but any less than that, especially if it's fragmented and interrupted... well, it's best just not to talk to me the next day.

We did get some disappointing news from the vet that he did end up testing positive for hookworms, though she doesn't think it was related to his upset stomach. Those were the exact words I did not want to hear... a lot of greyhounds are plagued by hookworms, especially off the track, and Skelly had them so bad when we got him that it took months to eradicate them and they left him with permanent irritable bowel disease. Kermit didn't test positive for them when we got him, but they're sneaky, horrible little parasites that don't always show up in tests if there are only live ones present and no eggs. We're starting him on an immediate, aggressive deworming and testing the other dogs to make sure they don't have them too. Fingers crossed. Luckily Kermit had only "a few eggs" show up in his test, so hopefully we can get rid of them quickly. Ugh.

I hope you're not too knocked out by dose #2! Did you have side effects with dose #1? We got ours Friday night, felt ok until about 24 hours later, and then felt pretty bad 24-60 hours later. And since dose #2 is supposed to be worse... I figured it was best to just be out of commission on Monday.

Oh no for the hookworms! Here's hoping it's a quick and easy fix for sweet Kermit.

I didn't have anything but a very slightly sore arm after shot #1 and I usually don't feel flu vaccine symptoms, so I'm hoping that I'll be okay. Tomm, though, is just assuming he'll be sick because he *always* gets sick after a flu shot.

>86 scaifea: Thank you for the Kermit good wishes! I will pass them on in the form of ear scritches :D

>69 curioussquared: Who's the oldest dog? I know Skelly has seniority in the house.

>85 curioussquared: Poor old Kermit. I hope the hookworms get sorted out soon.

>88 humouress: Skelly is oldest by far -- he will be 9 in November. Otter turns 3 next month and Kermit is 2, 3 in December.

I hope Kermit's hookworms are sorted soon too! The good news is Skelly and Otter both tested negative for also having them. They'll still also get the deworming medication treatment series for good measure, but I'm just glad it's not a full-on infestation.

Second Moderna shot done on Saturday... and guys, it took me OUT. Got the shot around noon on Saturday, was feeling achy, headachy, and tired a few hours later, and feverish by the time I went to bed. Had an awful night of tossing and turning and sweating and shivering, then spent Sunday laid out with every part of my body hurting with no energy for anything except watching stupid videos on my phone, and I kept falling asleep doing even that. Tim was the same if not worse, though I think I'm a pretty stoic sick person while (ahem) I would classify him as a total wimp sick person. Finally started to feel a teeny bit better on Sunday night and slept much better that night.

I had taken Monday off and I'm glad I did; I felt a lot better by noon on Monday, but it was nice to have a little more time to catch up on stuff I usually do on the weekend before launching back into work. I did manage to finish one book over the weekend, and on Monday I ordered our final wedding invitations and told the photographer we like that we officially want to book them, so wedding progress is slowly being made.

Sorry to hear your second shot knocked you on your butt so hard. But yay for being fully immunized (in two weeks)! Also kudos on knocking out more things on the wedding to do list.

>89 curioussquared: I'm glad the other two don't have it, too.

>90 curioussquared: Oof! I'm glad it's done and dusted, then.

My husband is a total wimp when it comes to being sick and he assumes the rest of us are, by extension. My youngest (firelion) fell and scraped his palms on gravel yesterday and called me to ask if he could come home. Since he only had one or two classes, I told him to finish the school day but he kept asking so I told him to talk to his dad (who was working from home). Anyhow, he came home just in time for me to take him back out to pick up his brother from school and go for our dental appointments. But since then, my husband has told him he doesn't have to go for football or swimming and apparently has been asking our older son to help him carry everything. So he and I spent dinner time teasing my husband by pretending that firelion couldn't do anything (like walk over to the kitchen and get the water glasses) because of his hand.

Woo woo for wedding progress!

>91 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! Yes, the benefits definitely outweigh the cost of getting vaccinated and I'd do it again if necessary! I'd much rather spend one day on my back watching TikToks than get Covid.

>92 humouress: Lol. Tim is the opposite where because I'm not moaning as much as him he assumes I'm not feeling as bad as him. It drives me crazy. He was also refusing to take any over the counter pain/fever reducer medications because he was worried it would lower his immune response to the vaccine, even though the CDC says it's fine to take if you need to. He finally agreed to some Tylenol when his fever hit 102.5.... *shakes head*

38 books read: Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

The Night Watch of Ankh Morpork has fallen far since its glory days, dwindling to just a few shabby members: Captain Vimes, Sergeant Colon, and Corporal Nobby Nobbs, and soon to be joined by Carrot, a human who has been raised by dwarves. But somehow, the watch find themselves at the center of things as a new threat emerges in the city. All signs suggest it's a dragon... but how is that possible? Dragons haven't been seen for centuries...

It's been a while since I've read any Pratchett; I read almost all of Discworld at some point (with I think the exception of Small Gods, which is why it's in my list of books to read this year) and I was feeling like I wanted to revisit a bit before trying the new BBC Watch series. The Watch is my favorite Discworld series within the series, and this one did not disappoint on the reread. I forgot that Lady Sybil is introduced so early in this one, and it was fun to see Vimes, Colon, and Nobby stumbling along and Carrot before he loosened up a bit. I'll be continuing the reread at some point!

Yay for being vaccinated! I'm sorry you had side effects. (I just had a sore arm, lol. *Ducks.*)

>95 libraryperilous: Curses! *shakes fist* No, I'm glad you had an easy go of it!

Glad you were able to get your vaccination boo on the side effects though. Hope you're back to 100% soon!

Ooof, I'm sorry you had the side effects from the second shot, but yay for being vaccinated! And Woot for Pratchett! The Watch is my favorite sub series, too, and we *loved* the BBC show - I hope you do, too!

>97 bell7: Thanks Mary! I'm feeling great now :)

>98 scaifea: Thanks Amber! I'm excited to get to the show :) Do you know, does it mostly go off of one or two plots of the books, or is it an amalgamation of a lot of them?

Still working my way through North and South on audio, which continues to be excellent, and Black Girl Unlimited in print, which is also excellent, but pretty heavy stuff. I should be able to finish it in another good reading session, but yesterday I was feeling a little in a funk and anxious about some work stuff, so instead of reading I worked late while watching old episodes of Queer Eye. The fab five look like such babies in season 1!

Then before bed I still didn't want to read anything sad, so I started a little of Hollowpox in print, but switched to Catfishing on CatNet on my kindle when I decided I wanted to turn out the lights (and also Kermit was lying on me in a way that made it difficult to hold a physical book, lol). Enjoying both so far!

>99 curioussquared: From what I remember of The Watch books (details are shaky for me), it's pretty much just the first book? And there are minor differences, but for the most part I think they did a fantastic job with it and the casting is AMAZING.

>101 scaifea: Good to know, thanks!

>98 scaifea: Oh, you liked it? I might give it a go then. I had got the impression it wasn't a good adaptation.

39 books read: Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown

Echo is from the poor side of Cleveland, struggling to make it out of a neighborhood where drugs, violence, and poverty are the norm, not the exception. Her mother and stepfather do the best they can, but both are struggling with their own addictions and health issues, and they cannot always protect their children from the things that haunt them. But Echo has a secret: she is a wizard, someone who can see the light and the darkness within her fellow humans and perform small miracles. But miracles only plant seeds, and seeds are not always enough -- they must be nurtured. With everything against her, Echo struggles to keep the darkness off of her, to make her light shine, and to succeed where most do not.

This is billed as fiction, but it's heavily autobiographical and reads almost more as a memoir infused with magical realism. I think the style was effective; at times brutally honest, at other times lovely and poetic, and the magical interludes worked well to break up some of the tougher scenes and offer an additional perspective. It's a quick read, but it took me a while to get through just because some of the subject matter was very heavy. 4.5 stars.

40 books read: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

Margaret has spent most of her life living at her father's parsonage in a peaceful, gorgeous village in the south of England, or in London, living with her Aunt Shaw and cousin Edith. Upon Edith's marriage, she returns to her childhood home, looking forward to returning to the peaceful village life she loves with plenty of time spent on long walks in the countryside. But her circumstances change suddenly when her father announces that he has lost his faith and no longer feels comfortable working as a man of God. Deprived of their livelihood, the Hales uproot themselves to the northern factory town of Milton, where Mr. Hale has a lead on some work as a tutor. There, Margaret and her parents must accustom themselves to a different way of life with what they perceive to be a coarser class of neighbors, all in the smoky, unhealthy air of the factories and mills.

I really enjoyed this classic novel! The version I listened to was read by Gemma Whalen, who played Yara Greyjoy on Game of Thrones, and she did an excellent job. I enjoyed Margaret as a heroine and watching her grow over the course of the novel. Mr. Thornton has a feeling of Mr. Darcy-lite; he's a little grumpy and closed-off, but it stems from his sensitivity over his background and the perceived class divide. I also liked that we got a window into his mind and life as well. 5 stars.

>105 curioussquared: I have an edition of this on my shelf and have thought about bumping it up the TBR. I've watched several enthusiastic BookTube reviews.

>106 libraryperilous: I really enjoyed it! It's like Pride and Prejudice with a heavy dose of industrial revolution and workers' rights. I'm here for it!

>105 curioussquared: So happy to see you enjoyed the book. I highly recommend the miniseries adaptation with Richard Armitage. *swoon*

>108 MickyFine: Ooh, I'll look out for the series! It doesn't seem to be currently available on any of my streaming platforms :(

>109 curioussquared: Might be on DVD at your public library...

>110 MickyFine: I'm sure it is. I think both of my library systems are still on curbside pickup protocol for physical items, and only at certain branches; I've been sticking to my own shelves or library e-books or audiobooks during the pandemic, but I might have to see what the deal is with curbside and if any branches near me are doing it to get my hands on this one!

Reading a bunch of things right now; Still working on Hollowpox and Catfishing on CatNet, and have also started Children of Blood and Bone in print, and am a little over halfway through Girl with a Pearl Earring on audio. Audio is my best friend right now; there's so much wedding stuff to do that I feel a little guilty when I'm just sitting down and reading instead of getting something done, so being able to listen to books while I'm cooking or walking the dogs is a nice guilt-free respite right now.

Happy Monday all! I had a nice weekend and hope you all did too :)

On Saturday we celebrated our fully vaccinated status by going and hanging out inside my fully vaccinated parents' house, masks off, for the first time in over a year :) It was so good to hug both of them and just hang out without feeling weird or constrained or super worried. Their Irish Wolfhound puppy (yes, puppy!) Hamish is now ten months old and 150+ lbs, and not being able to see him much as he grew up does not seem to have affected his enthusiasm for me and Tim.

Here's how Hamish greeted me:




And slightly more calm with Tim:


As you can see, he is very unaware of his size and is mostly concerned with aggressively cuddling and giving as many kisses as possible. Highly recommend for a serotonin boost!

After hanging out at my parents' house and also scouting out the backyard to determine how many people we can realistically fit back there for the wedding, my also fully vaccinated best friend and I went shopping and I hit up HomeGoods and Target for the first time in over a year. It's the simple things, right? Then we picked up some takeout from one of our favorite hole in the wall restaurants and went back to my place where we hung out on the couch with the dogs and played some Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which was one of our main activities in 2019. It all felt very comforting and normal and I loved it :)

Sunday was much more relaxed and I mostly hung out with the dogs, played a little Stardew Valley, and did some wedding planning stuff. I also managed to finish three books over the course of the weekend, so all-in-all a good one.

41 books read: Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend

In this third installment in the Nevermoor series, Morrigan is finally really beginning her training as a Wundersmith, and her unit has fully accepted her, even if the Wundrous Society still has some holdovers. Everything seems to be going well! Until a mysterious illness starts affecting Wunimals -- people of fully human intelligence and mannerisms who happen to look like animals, and who have only recently been accepted into mainstream society. Unfortunately, the culmination of the disease appears to be that the Wunimal is reduced to an animal-like, frenzied state, attacking those around it and hurting itself. As everyone strives to contain the disease and find a cure, prejudice against Wunimals rises. Morrigan becomes more and more certain that the only way it will be eradicated is if she takes the evil Wundersmith Ezra Squall up on his offer to cure it -- IF she becomes his apprentice.

Honestly, these books just get better and better. I had been putting this one off a little bit because I knew it involved an outbreak of disease, and given the current state of the world, I wasn't sure I was in the mood for that, but Jessica Townsend pulls it off. The world she has created is so zany, fun, and creative, all the while effortlessly weaving in important messages of diversity and acceptance. I loved this, and am just sad that book 4 doesn't have a release date yet! 5 stars.

42 books read: Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer

Steph and her mom have been on the move for as long as she can remember, never living anywhere for longer than six months, on the run from her scary stalker father. Their latest move finds them in New Coburg, WI, a dead-end factory town with an uninspiring high school. Steph has never really been able to make real friends, but she has CatNet -- a social media network where she mostly hangs out with the other teenagers in her Clowder chat room, trading fun pictures of animals. But when Steph starts to make friends with a few girls in New Coburg, they start asking questions about her past, prompting Steph to start questioning the story her mother has always told her. Poking the past becomes scarier than Steph intended -- but luckily Steph has her clowder, her new friends, and CatNet itself on her side.

This book is hard to describe, but so much fun. Set in the near future, it reads like the present day but with more robots. I loved Steph and her internet friends. The danger Steph's father represents in genuinely scary, but never too much to make the book not fun -- just enough to make me unable to put it down and stay up until 2am finishing it, oops. Apparently I read this just in time as the sequel comes out tomorrow! 5 stars.

43 books read: Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

After Griet's father's eyes are irreparably damaged in a kiln explosion, he cannot work as a tile painter any longer -- and Griet must go to work as a maid. Her parents find her a position in the house of the famous painter Johannes Vermeer. At first, Griet is skeptical; the Vermeers are Catholic, and she is Protestant. But her parents need her to go, and so she does, navigating the complicated household politics. Griet is specifically hired for her attention to detail, as only someone precise can be allowed to clean Vermeer's studio without disturbing any of the carefully placed objects he is painting. As Griet becomes established in the house, Vermeer uses her more and more as an assistant, and rumors start flowing that he will paint her. But Griet knows that would be the end of her job, as Vermeer's wife is already jealous of Griet -- his wife is not allowed in the studio for fear she will disturb something. As things come to a head, Griet knows she should want to keep her job -- but she also cannot help but want to be painted.

In this short novel, Chevalier brings to life the famous painting of the wide-eyed girl with the pearl earring. I enjoyed the story; I like Vermeer's work, and can see why Chevalier was inspired to create a backstory for the girl. 4 stars.

>113 curioussquared: Hamish looks like a very happy boy (also perfect name for an Irish Wolfhound) and I love the pictures. Glad to hear you had such a wonderful weekend.

>114 curioussquared: I read this one around Christmas last year, which was great for the chunk of the novel set around the holiday but agree that reading the disease outbreak section felt a little too close to home at the time. Still loved it though.

>113 curioussquared: Yay! I'm glad you were able to celebrate your post-vax state in style. That is a very affable dog!

This summer is going to be so lit. The EU just announced last week that it will allow US travelers if they are fully vaccinated. I'm crossing my fingers the UK will get its shit(e) together so I can see London one more time before the Tories wreck it.

>114 curioussquared: I'm glad she pulls it off. The plague plot is why I haven't read it yet. Rough luck on the timing for her. I imagine the topicality is why they pushed back the release date by several months.

>115 curioussquared: Look at you with the casual collective noun usage.

>117 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! Yep, Hollowpox was just good enough that I didn't mind the plague part.

>118 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana! I saw that about the EU and definitely started daydreaming about traveling again :) I hope you get to London! I still have never been and it's near the top of my list. Yeah, I wasn't sure if I'd be ready for the disease part of Hollowpox, but it ended up being fine for me; I think the overall tone of the book and the middle grade target audience made me feel like all would certainly be OK in the end. Haha, I had definitely heard the word clowder before but would not be throwing it around so casually if it weren't the term for the chat room groups used in the book!

Wow, that’s a big dog! 😀

Oh, yay for getting to hang out with your parents, and I LOVE Hamish!! I want an Irish Wolfhound so, so badly...

Happy Murderbot Day!

>120 drneutron: And he's still growing! :D

>121 scaifea: If you ever decide to get one, you won't regret it. They are the sweetest dogs. We had one while I was in high school and college, Finn, and he was a big baby. The downside, of course, is the lifespan; Finn lived to 9 and that's pretty good for a wolfhound.

>122 libraryperilous: Same to you!! I called my indie bookstore where I preordered to see if I could pick it up today instead of waiting for them to ship it, and they said yes! So I'm planning to head over there this evening. I may also leave with some other books... who can say?

Have fun at your indie bookshop!

>113 curioussquared: 150+ lbs of love was certainly happy to see you, Natalie!
Is there a second dog in the first picture?

>126 FAMeulstee: Good eye, Anita! My parents' other dog, Henry, was also leaping around excitedly. Here he is a little calmer with Skelly:

44 books read: The Deep by Rivers Solomon

Yetu is the historian for her people, merfolk born from pregnant slaves tossed overboard during their journey across the ocean. As the historian, Yetu carries their traumatic memories for the rest of the group so they can live freely, with the tribe meeting once every year to relive the memories and remember their past and origins. But carrying the histories has never been easy for Yetu -- she is often lost in the memories for days at a time, to the detriment of her health and leaving her to the mercies of sharks and other dangers. When the group meets this year, Yetu, who is supposed to remain and guide them through the remembering, instead leaves, freed from the burden of the memories and on a mission to find herself.

This is a powerful book just in its concept, and I think Solomon's writing does it justice. I enjoyed Solomon's An Unkindness of Ghosts a few years ago so this novella has been on my radar for a while, and I knew that Daveed Diggs narrated the audiobook, so I wanted to listen to it. What I didn't know is that the concept of an underwater civilization populated with people descended from slaves thrown overboard actually originally came from a music duo called Drexciya, who often referred to it in their music. Then the hip hop group clipping., of which Diggs is a part, wrote a song called The Deep as an homage to that concept. An editor from Saga Press decided it needed to be fictionalized and with the blessing of clipping., searched for an author to write it, and came up with Rivers Solomon. So it's a really interesting background, and I was glad I listened to the version narrated by Diggs to get another sort of facet of the story since it originated as an audio experience. Recommended, 4 stars.

I ended up not being able to go to the book store until yesterday night, but I got my copy of Fugitive Telemetry and started it last night, yay! I also picked up these:

Ninth House
The Constant Rabbit
Broken Harbor
The Secret Place
Elatsoe
Kingdom of Back
You Had Me at Hola
Early Riser

All are new to me except Early Riser -- I found a nice used copy of that one and figured I'd like my own to add to my Fforde collection.

>129 curioussquared: I've only read the Ffordes on your list but enjoyed them both.

Nice haul! I should be able to start Murderbot soon. I'm behind on the book club I'm in with my mom. She always finishes the reading 'assignments' and I ... usually don't. I feel like a terrible daughter.

I spent today working up my nerve to do an unhaul. I can't quite get over the hump and just take about 50 more books off my shelves. They're nice looking hardcovers! But I'll never read them!! Help!!!

I hope you like The Kingdom of Back. I'm still thinking about it. It's so thorny yet lyrical.

>130 MickyFine: I'm excited to get to The Constant Rabbit! Most of the rest were used finds; I so missed browsing used books. This indie is my favorite partly because they do both used and new.

>131 libraryperilous: Thanks Diana! I love my book club, but hate when a book club book gets in the way of something else I really want to read, especially when I'm not feeling that particular selection.

Oof, unhauls are hard. Would it be easier to do in slightly smaller chunks? I go through spurts where I unload about 20 books at a time.

Thanks again for the Kingdom of Back recommendation! I'm excited to get to it, whenever that happens :D I was just celebrating getting my physical + ebook owned TBR list below 420 books... and then I went to the book store.

>132 curioussquared: I mean, Jasper Fforde definitely buttered me up with his first chapter of that one. Note: it never hurts to be nice about librarians in the first few pages of your book. ;)

45 books read: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells

When a body is discovered on Preservation Station, Murderbot is encouraged (ahem -- forced) by Dr. Mensah to help Station Security with the murder investigation. Murderbot wants to run its own investigation, of course -- what if GrayCris is behind this? -- but cooperating with humans that don't trust it is not something it's really looking forward to.

This was everything that I wanted from a new Murderbot book, and I loved it just as much as the others. I only wish it had been longer :) The only tiny quibble I can think of is that because it takes place before Network Effect in the timeline and is a contained story unrelated to the other books, the stakes felt a little lower than the story told over the course of the first four novellas or the longer plot of Network Effect. So it felt a little like its own contained side quest, or like the Murderbot Christmas Special or something. But that didn't affect my enjoyment at all, it just made me want more books that take place after Network Effect. 5 stars.

>134 MickyFine: A smart man! I am always careful to be kind to all the librarians in my life :D

>135 curioussquared: Glad to see you were just as pleased as you expected to be with this one.

>137 MickyFine: Me, too!

Tonight I'm getting my first haircut since... January or February 2020, maybe? My hair has been at "oh my gosh why does it keep growing" levels for at least 6 months now and I'm so looking forward to not having my neck jerked back all the time just because I was leaning or sleeping on my hair and not realizing it, and being able to really wear it up again since it will be lighter. This is probably the longest it's ever been. I'm only disappointed I have to leave it semi-long for future wedding styling.

My aunt is a trained hairdresser who doesn't work currently due to taking care of and homeschooling her kids, but is always willing to do family hair, so I'm headed to her house after work. Bonus: they are currently raising baby chickens who will go live on my other aunt's country property once they turn into full-grown chickens, but right now they're in the adorable fluffy stage and I get to hang out with them :D

Also, New Pokemon Snap is out on Switch today and I am so. excited. The first game on N64 is totally nostalgic for me so I'm really looking forward to this one. Probably won't play it until tomorrow when my best friend is coming over to hang out.

>133 curioussquared: Yes, I ended up sorting through about 25. I'm planning on selling the lot at the end of May, so I have some time to sort through more titles. My problem is that I have a ton of nonfiction that I no longer seem to want to read. But I can't tell if that's stress talking or if my reading tastes have changed.

My library tastes certainly have. I mostly want my personal library to be favorites and books to reread. You, on the other hand ... 420+ unread! I remember those days. My shelves were groaning.

Happy haircut and time with the fluffernutters!

>140 libraryperilous: I feel you! Especially this past depressing year. I have a bunch of heavier fiction that has just not appealed at all because I haven't been in an emotional state to even think about it.

The 420+ unread is about half ebooks, so at least a little lighter on the shelves :)

>141 curioussquared: Haha, and I thought my 100 unread e-books were the absolute limit. :)

I put a sci-fi novel about the Black Plague in my to sell box. It's been on my shelves for 3ish years. I probably would have liked it if I had read it in the before-times. Alas, I did not.

Today is my Murderbot evening, though, so I am cheerful about reading. I'm glad you enjoyed it, but I can't wait for more post-Network Effect stories. I need more ART!

>142 libraryperilous: Lol, I'm all about pushing limits ;) Really, though, I'm about due for another book purge. There's a new little free library that someone put up just a block over; I might put some kids and YA books in that one when I amass a pile to donate.

Doomsday Book? I haven't read that one yet for the same reason, even though I read and loved To Say Nothing of the Dog last year. If it helps, I didn't miss not reading Doomsday Book at all when I read that one, and I loved it enough that I almost immediately bought Blackout and All Clear. I might read Doomsday Book someday... just not anytime soon. I was puzzled when I saw that Journal of the Plague Year got really popular at the beginning of the pandemic. Why... why would you want to read that NOW?

Enjoy your Murderbot evening!

>143 curioussquared: Oof, yeah, some people do well with framing current events through fiction, but I've never been able to read dystopian novels about gender, climate, etc. I'm sure for the right readers, it helps, but for me it would add stress.

I really need to get to Say Nothing, especially because I'm super interested in Blackout. The book I weeded was Quietus. Oh, and I also ditched A Canticle for Leibowitz as too grim. I really, really like medieval settings in sci-fi and would love to read in that subgenre, but not super sad ones.

Off to check my telemetry now!

>144 libraryperilous: Ooh, yeah, I had to read Canticle for book club and was not a fan. Too grim and too much in the old hard sci-fi tradition for me. I have never really been into sci-fi that seems like it's more about ideas than stories. I think truly successful sci-fi does both well.

>135 curioussquared: I liked the way Wells touched on Preservation System's own flawed polity: how even a society that views itself as open has prejudices and paternalism. Also, she's just so good at writing the emotions of bots and ships. I missed ART, though.

>145 curioussquared: I've read a few classic sci-fi novels and loved them. But, I've found that I don't like other books by those same authors. Far fewer hits than misses for me. I agree that the best sci-fi has both stories and science. There are so many fresh, new titles to occupy us as readers anyway.

Edited: sentence structure

>113 curioussquared: Well, that would certainly be a pick-me-up! When Jasper goes cuckoo and starts barreling around it can look a bit intimidating; I don't think I'd want to be hit by a flying Hamish. Is he going to grow any more? He looks gorgeous.

>126 FAMeulstee: Oh, good eye Anita! I had to go back and look again and then search some more to see Henry - I assumed he was part of Hamish. No wonder you're our animal expert.

>128 curioussquared: This is a powerful book just in its concept That is an unusual concept. I like the history behind it that you've researched.

>146 libraryperilous: Same. I need ART and Murderbot go on adventures, stat. I read an interview with Wells where she said she was trying to write another one last year, but ran into pandemic writer's block, so she's finishing a fantasy novel and then coming back to Murderbot. But the fantasy novel is projected for late 2022, so I have a feeling next year might be a MB drought.

>147 humouress: Hi Nina!

Hamish is gorgeous, a total puppy in a 150 lb body. He's a gentle giant, though. I think he's about hit his full height, but he will probably fill out a little more. I'd say 150-180 lbs is about standard for males and he's on the big side of average, so he'll probably be closer to 180 lbs when all is said and done.

Re: The Deep, I know! I'm glad I listened to the audiobook or else I probably would have missed all the context; Diggs had a bit at the end where he explained some of it, but I was still confused enough after listening to the explanation that I went and read the whole wikipedia article before really understanding the concept and it's origins.

Didn't get a lot of reading done over the weekend, aside from listening to Act Your Age, Eve Brown on dog walks. What with haircut and seeing my grandparents inside in person for the first time since COVID started on Friday night, helping Tim's sister move Saturday morning and hanging out with my best friend Saturday night, and doing some wedding guest list trimming and wedding house/backyard prep with various family on Sunday, it was a full weekend.

Up next are A Gentleman in Moscow and Children of Blood and Bone, and How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge on my kindle.

Oh I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and I'm sure you'll be delighted by How the Multiverse Got Its Revenge. A good reading week ahead for you!

>150 curioussquared: Oh, one of my favorites, as is Towles' Rules of Civility. Since I pressed it on you, I hope you aren't disappointed. I mean, I never hope someone is disappointed in a book, but you know what I mean.

Meanwhile, my weeding continues. One additional good thing about reading two great books in a row: It's easy to see when you're *not* into a book. I even got rid of some sf/f titles today. If I had read the blurbs for Winter's Orbit, I probably would have saved myself from the purchase.

>151 MickyFine: Lots to look forward to! :)

>152 libraryperilous: I'm almost certain I'll like it :) And don't worry, you're not the only one who pressed it on me -- I feel like the whole world has been telling me to read this book the last few years. But I know what you mean!

Oh, sorry to hear you weren't into Winter's Orbit -- That's on my "read soon" list. My best friend is listening to it now and said she's enjoying it, but it was more political intrigue-y than she expected.

>153 curioussquared: Haha, it was too romance-y for me! And when I skimmed some of the later chapters, almost every page I landed on had a swoon and/or angst scene. I hope you like it! I just really don't like even bits of romance in my sci-fi.

>154 libraryperilous: Oh, got it! I definitely bought it on the promise of a good romance so I'm ready :D

>150 curioussquared: Ooooh, you have some good reading ahead of you! Looking forward to your thoughts on those. I'm also interested in reading Winter's Orbit, but I've gotta read down my library stack a little before I get anything new out.

>155 curioussquared: I'm going to try it again before I take it to Half Price Books. Now that I know it's a romance, I might be able to enjoy it. I've pulled a couple of nonfiction titles out of the sell pile, too. Oh, and it's Children's Book Week, so I ordered Cece Rios and the Desert of Lost Souls and Glitter Gets Everywhere. So much for the reducing unread books thing, lol.

>156 bell7: I know that feeling! I think I need to take a readcation soon and read down my TBR. Somewhere like a cute cabin where there's not THAT much to do so I don't feel like I'm missing anything when I just read all day.

>157 libraryperilous: I hope it works for you! Hey, gotta celebrate Children's Book Week :) I say any reduction to the pile is good work, even if you add a few more along the way.

Okay, fine, the second shot got me. I foresee a day or two of staying in bed reading in my immediate future.

We all must sacrifice and do our part. How terrible to have to read some books!

>159 libraryperilous: Yay! I think I'm going to put it next in my pile of print reads, after the aforementioned Gentleman in Moscow and Children of Blood and Bone. Unfortunately I haven't made any progress in either lately; too busy enjoying being able to go places and playing Pokemon Snap.

46 books read: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert

Eve has never really been successful at anything in her life... so often, she just stops trying. When her latest venture, a wedding planning business, implodes, she decides to lie low in her parents' mansion for a while to recover. But her parents are finally frustrated with her giving up, and suddenly, Eve finds herself with a deadline to move out and get and keep a job. Angry, she just starts driving until she hits a cute town in the Lake District and happens to see a sign advertising chef interviews at an adorable bed and breakfast. There she meets Jacob, the stiff, exacting, and oh-so-annoying owner. Determined to show her parents she can succeed, Eve starts cooking at the B and B, butting heads with Jacob and telling herself that she'll only stay for a bit until another party planning gig starts up. But soon, she starts liking her job -- not to mention liking her boss...

This was just as fun as the previous Brown sisters books! Hibbert has a talent for writing fun, sexy romances with representation that feels effortless and natural. I enjoyed listening to Even come into her own and start to figure out what she likes and wants to do in life, and the gentle ways in which Jacob supported that. I think my only wish with this book would have been a little more of Chloe and Dani showing up. Otherwise, this was pure fun. 4 stars.

Happy Tuesday! Not much reading happening over here. I'm making slow progress in How the Multiverse Got its Revenge but it hasn't really managed to grab me yet. I got a couple hours into A Room with a View on audio, but got frustrated because I could tell it was my kind of book, but I couldn't stand the narrator, so I'll just read it in print eventually. I usually only notice narrators if they're very good or very bad, so... take that as you will. I've switched to A Very Long Engagement on audio, which is going much better. Otherwise, I've only read a few pages of A Gentleman in Moscow and a few Flannery O'Connor stories.

I can tell I'm really going to like A Gentleman in Moscow, but I just haven't had a chance to really sit down and sink my teeth into it. Lots going on! Friday Tim and I had a movie night. He has gotten really into cooking steak lately and I'm not complaining, so we had that and watched The Maltese Falcon, which was a new old movie to both of us.

Saturday, I tackled a ton of yard work and did a lot of weeding and trimmed the bushes that line our front steps as they were starting to make the steps feel a little narrow. Then, my friend and I hit up a local furniture store that is closing and having a liquidation sale, and I scored a really nice 1.5 size armchair for an excellent price. We're planning to rearrange our living room and mount the TV on the fireplace in the next few months, and once we do that, the chair will fit really nicely where the TV was before. For the moment it can go in the basement until we have space for it upstairs.

Sunday was mother's day. Tim and I started it off by going to our first restaurant meal since COVID started and had brunch at a nice local place. We still ate outside to ease our way back into the experience, and it was really nice. I forgot how much I like it when someone else (who isn't Tim and can actually make decent eggs, lol) makes me breakfast! Then I picked up a couple bouquets and headed to my grandparents' house. There, my grandma, mom, and aunt and I spent some time working on addressing our wedding invitations, which started to make things feel very real and reminded me that we need to finish our wedding website! We got through probably 1/3 of them. I had texted Tim's mom asking for some clarifications on how to address some of the invites to their side of the family, and she responded and also passed on the first "are you registered yet?" question from a cousin. So there's one more thing to do. I also handed my grandma her invitation and she opened it immediately and then surprised me by calling from the other side of the table to RSVP, lol.

I took Monday off from work because I had a morning doctor's appointment and figured I might as well. After the appointment, I spent some time puttering around the house, walking the dogs, making dinner, and exercising, and then the day was basically already over. I did spend a little time starting a silly game on Nintendo Switch called Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion, in which you are a Turnip who has refused to pay taxes to Mayor Onion and you go around ripping up various tax documents and letters.

Sounds like a lovely long weekend. Your grandmother calling you from across the table to RSVP is adorable!

>162 curioussquared: Sounds busy and lovely! It's so nice to see people and industries coming back to life. LOL, Turnip Boy.

>163 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! My grandma is the cutest. She had a bad fall and head injury a few years ago and has been somewhat homebound since then (we don't let her go anywhere with just my grandpa as he just doesn't move or think quick enough to catch her if she trips), and she lives for her kids and grandkids, so I'm so glad we're all vaccinated and can see her again.

>164 libraryperilous: Agreed! I have... plans with MULTIPLE friends next week??? It's definitely good, but weird.

>162 curioussquared: I hope your grandma accepted ;0)

When you said 'registered' I first thought you meant the civil registration - but I'm guessing you meant wedding gift registry? I wish they had had that in Singapore when we got married. We have some odd but interesting gifts still around although we had to work out what to do with the duplicate toasters. (Well, not actually, but you know the joke about getting multiple toasters and kettles.)

>166 humouress: She accepted with pleasure! :)

Yes, I meant the gift registry. I don't really feel like we need to do one; after six years of living together and three years of owning a home together we have a lot of traditionally gifted stuff already. But like you said, if you don't register (and even if you do!) people will just give you random things like multiple toasters. I'm trying to look at it as an opportunity to upgrade some of the stuff we originally received as hand-me-downs and to get some stuff we normally wouldn't spring for. I'll probably work on the website and registry this weekend; both our RSVP system and registry are through the website so everything is intertwined. I will say it's nice we don't have to go to a department store and scan random things in, we can just add stuff to the online registry that pulls items from lots of different stores.

I finally finished some books! I also somehow wrote most of this review and then lost it :(



47 books read: A Very Long Engagement by Sebastien Japrisot

Mathilde, a young disabled frenchwoman, was engaged to Maneche, who was reportedly killed in a trench during WWI. But Mathilde is unwilling to give up on him, and she begins an investigation into his death, tracking down those who knew him and who knew the other four soldiers he was apparently with at the time of his death. Slowly, Mathilde begins to unravel the puzzle, finding the inconsistencies, tracking down those who might know more, and piecing together a timeline.

Told partly in prose and partly in letters with her informants, this book reads as historical fiction slash mystery novel with Mathilde as our unlikely detective. This makes sense, as the only other Japrisot novel I've read was also a mystery, A Trap for Cinderella, though that one I read in French in a college course years ago. I enjoyed this, and the translation was well done. I'll probably seek out the movie with Audrey Tautou at some point. 4 stars.

48 books read: How the Multiverse Got its Revenge by K. Eason

Rory Thorne has been living off the grid as a privateer, having renounced her title of Princess, acting as a salvager with her small crew of Jaed, Thorsdottir, and Zhang. But that life doesn't seem meant to last long, as Rory and her friends, as well as Rupert and Grytt, will soon be faced with a technology that could threaten all of colonized space -- not to mention the ruthless expansion of the Vakari people, who are intent on acquiring the technology and using it as a weapon.

This took me way too long to get through; I felt like I was working away at it for weeks without really being grabbed. I definitely didn't find it as compelling as the first entry in the series, and wasn't really engaged until halfway through the book. There were interesting ideas, but sometimes conceits of the writing style would turn me off. I also wonder if this book suffered in comparison to my recent Murderbot reread, which has really set the bar for sci-fi for me right now. I'd say I overall enjoyed it in the end, but I'm not sure I'll read additional books in the series if they're published. 3.5 stars.

We had another busy weekend! Saturday we drove to purchase a new roof rack and cargo box for our car. We drive a little Honda Fit which, amazingly, does fit all three greyhounds with the back seats down, but absolutely does not fit anything else. Hence the need for a cargo box now that we have Kermit and also can start going places again! After we got the rack and box installed, we had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant and drove home. I spent most of the rest of the evening working on How the Multiverse Got its Revenge.

Sunday I had an appointment to pick up the arm chair I bought last weekend about 30 minutes north of Seattle. On the way I had to stop to borrow my grandma's minivan (aforementioned tiny car would not fit the new chair). I drove the van to the store, the guys loaded it in, I drove the half hour home, Tim and I unloaded the chair, then I drove the van back to my grandma's to drop it off and pick up my car, and also stopped to hang out a little with the grandparents and a few other aunts and uncles and cousins who had come over. Then I drove home and my best friend came over; we took the dogs for a walk, went to my parents' house to feed and let out one of their dogs who they hadn't brought on a day trip, then picked up some Thai food and rented Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, which was entertaining if weird.

I think I'm going to hit up Trader Joe's tonight for some much-needed groceries. Other plans for the week include seeing a friend I haven't seen since pre-COVID on Wednesday for dinner and drinks, and hopefully finishing up addressing wedding invites on Thursday evening. Otherwise, normal work stuff.

>170 curioussquared: Sounds like an excellent weekend and I'm a little envious of all your plans. Third wave is still going strong here and even though more and more people are eligible for first vaccination doses anything approximating normal life feels very far away some days.

>169 curioussquared: I'm sorry to see you didn't enjoy this one more. I missed the quieter character moments of the first novel but did enjoy all the action going on and am looking forward to future installments.

>171 MickyFine: You'll get there soon! I feel like a switch has been flipped and it's nice if a little stressful to have so much going on after a year plus of nothing going on. I'm a little worried we'll have another surge if anti-vaxxers start lying about their vaccination status to go maskless, but feeling like we're getting closer to normal is doing wonders for my mental health.

I wonder if I would have enjoyed the second Rory Thorne book more if I'd had time to sit and knock it out all in one go; I think it suffered from being dragged out over a couple of weeks.

>172 curioussquared: I know the feeling you're talking about. You start resenting the book for taking so long...

>173 MickyFine: Yes, that's exactly it!

This week I'm working on Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff on audio, finally making headway (and loving it) in A Gentleman in Moscow in print, and started Across the Pond on my Kindle, which is delightful so far. Dinner and drinks with my friend Sam tonight, then double checking the wedding guest spreadsheet to make sure we have all the necessary info to finish up addressing tomorrow.

>175 curioussquared: Yay for A Gentleman in Moscow and Across the Pond, which definitely is delightful! So glad the Towles book is working for you.

>176 libraryperilous: Oh I'm glad you already found Across the Pond! I thought you would like it :)

>177 curioussquared: My mom bought it for me. She sent me four books from my 2021 TBR most wanted list as a surprise.

From my notes about it: "This story has it all: moving abroad, a castle, birding, a girl who loves to read, and a mysterious trunk that contains the former owner's birding notebooks. All that's missing is the ocean, and I do wish the author had taken advantage of the nearby village's coastal locale." It was just about perfect. :)

ETA: I thought you would like it ;)

>175 curioussquared: I love Christopher Moore's books so much - I hope you enjoy that one!

>178 libraryperilous: That's so sweet of your mom! I'm still only about a fifth of the way through but just the inheriting a castle premise is so, so good.

>179 scaifea: This is my first Moore and I'm really enjoying it so far! It's a fun listen.

Hi Natalie, just trying to get caught up on your thread! Glad to see you are enjoying Across the Pond. It's one I want to read later this year.

>182 aktakukac: Hi Rachel, good to see you! I hope you get to Across the Pond -- so far it's a really easy, relaxing read for me, which is just what I need right now!

Lots happening this week! Wednesday I got a call that my wedding dress had arrived about a month earlier than expected, and I could pick it up at a fitting appointment as soon as Thursday. The Thursday appointment happened to work for me and I was allowed to bring 4 guests, and it happened to work out that my mom, grandma, maid of honor, and future mother in law could all make the appointment time as well, which seemed like fate. So I got to go in and try on the dress in front of everyone and pick out a veil. I loved the dress just as much if not more than when I was trying it on at home, so I'm really pleased, and it was fun to have a little piece of the shop try-on experience.

Wednesday evening I had dinner and drinks with my friend Sam and it was really good to see her. The highlight was when I told her our wedding date... and she said, "um, no, you're joking, right?" Turns out she's getting married the same day! She and her fiance are eloping in Hawaii. We laughed and said we'd go to each other's showers. I'm sad she can't come, but happy for her, too.

Yesterday evening I went to my grandma's house and my grandma, mom, aunts, and my cousin's girlfriend all helped with pretty much finishing up the invitations. I think we have about ten or so left where we were still confirming addresses, but the rest are all done. I'm just going to go through the spreadsheet and make sure everyone's invite that I marked as done was actually done before mailing out a big stack this weekend or next week. I also need to make sure our website and RSVP system are officially live before they mail. Exciting!!

Today has been a struggle; I don't think I've had plans two weeknights in a row for a year and a half and I am EXHAUSTED. No plans tonight except tidying up a little before we get our new washer and dryer delivered and installed tomorrow morning. And maybe making chicken noodle soup. Or ordering in. Who knows!

I'm so happy for you about your wedding dress.

I'll keep an eye out for my post ;0)

>184 curioussquared: Planning a wedding sounds wildly fun but also very stressful. I think I would be like your friend and just elope in Hawaii. One-stop shopping for a wedding + honeymoon.

Also ... I'm sorry ... but I stumbled on this and snickered.

Natalie--Hurray for wedding plans moving ahead so smoothly! And how nice that you got to have family come to the fitting of the wedding dress. I can't believe your friend is getting married the same weekend you are. Yay! Boo! My oldest just got engaged last weekend, so I see wedding planning in my future. : ) Love the books you are reading: Biff and A Gentleman in Moscow--enjoy!

Also, I started a new thread for Portland get-togethers. Don't know if you would want to come down from Seattle, but...The link is on the my thread. The_Hibernator is coming down end of summer. : )

>185 humouress: Thanks Nina! Hmmm, we seem to be missing your address in the spreadsheet... ;)

>186 libraryperilous: "wildly fun but also very stressful" is an excellent description of it! Tim sort of wanted to elope but I'm not sure my family would ever forgive me, and I did kind of want the big party. Although I'd probably cut out 150 people or so who are on the guest list if I was truly having my way with things. The number of times I've had to ask my mom and grandma who somebody on the guest list even is.... There are only so many people who could have held me as a baby, right? And lol, Eurovision!cat.

>187 Berly: Thanks Kim! Congrats on your oldest getting engaged -- that's so exciting! Biff and A Gentleman in Moscow continue to be excellent :) Ooh, thank you for thinking of me for Portland get-togethers! There's definitely a possibility I would come down; I mean, who can resist a trip to Powell's? End of summer is wedding for me this year so I might be a little busy but I'll keep an eye on the thread!

49 books read: Across the Pond by Joy McCullough

Callie hasn't fit in with her friends in San Diego for a while now, so the news that her parents have surprise inherited a castle in Scotland and they're moving there is scary, but also welcome. In Scotland, the castle is everything she hoped for, although maybe a little dustier than expected, but Callie is worried about making new friends at her new school. Meanwhile, she finds some very interesting journals in her bedroom, which she thinks belonged to the Lady Phillippa Spence as a child, who left the castle to Callie's parents when she died.

This is a totally delightful middle grade novel that left me wanting more. It's very modern, recently published, but it has the air of those timeless classic children's novels where you can't quite place what year it is. Full of crumbling castle mysteries, birdwatching (or "twitching," as the locals call it), and potential new friends, this was a perfect little escape. 4.5 stars.

ETA a side note: McCullough seems to be quite prolific with a lot of range. I didn't even realize that I've actually read something by her before, Blood Water Paint, a YA novel in verse about Artemesia Gentilleschi, and she also wrote Champ and Major: First Dogs, a picture book about the Bidens' German Shepherds. I was just impressed with the variety of stuff she's published!

50 books read: Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas

Years before the events of The Hate U Give, Starr's future father, Maverick Carter, is struggling to graduate high school. His father is in prison, and he joined his father's old gang for protection, as the neighborhood knew he would. Things are going OK, even though Maverick has started dealing harder drugs on the side to help his mom out with the bills a little, until it turns out that a child who was supposed to be his best friend's is revealed by a DNA test to be his. Thrust into fatherhood when the mother disappears, Maverick flounders his way through raising an infant, his senior year of high school, and his new, clean job with Mr. Wyatt, the owner of the neighborhood corner store.

Not sure why I took so long to read this! I've had it on hold for months and kept delaying the delivery. I guess I wasn't super interested in the premise, but I should have trusted Angie Thomas -- she's so good. My wrist tendonitis has been flaring up the past week and I didn't want to hold my big copy of A Gentleman in Moscow, so I started this on my Kindle on Saturday evening and had finished it a few hours later, albeit past my bedtime. I guess I just need to remember that I should read everything Thomas writes! According to her Twitter she's currently working on a middle grade fantasy novel (working title "Literal Black Girl Magic") so THAT should be excellent. 4.5 stars.

Yesterday my best friend and I visited our other friends and their one and a half year old, Charlotte, who is a total cutie. I had met her once briefly before the pandemic but she was only a few months old then, so it's so much fun to see her now, totally mobile, saying some words, and wreaking havoc.

On the docket for this week: Mostly work and preparations for our annual (well, it didn't happen last year) camping trip with Tim's family and friends. We're leaving midday Friday, back Monday evening. Kermit is coming and Skelly and Otter are staying with my parents, so we'll see how Kerm does. First order of business is to get him some anti-nausea meds because he does NOT travel well, even for 20 minutes or so. But I think he'll have fun actually camping.

Glad to hear the wedding prep is coming along and that the dress fitting worked out so well, Natalie. Hope you're continuing to enjoy A Gentleman in Moscow when your wrists allow. And I really should get to more of Angie Thomas's books - I was blown away by The Hate U Give last year but haven't picked up any others.

>189 curioussquared: Oh, I *loved* Blood Water Paint, so I need to put this one on my list!

>192 bell7: Definitely still enjoying A Gentleman in Moscow! If I don't finish it this week I'll take it camping; I'm hoping to get a lot of reading done this weekend, although we also always do some hiking and messing around the lake, and lots of board games. Angie Thomas hasn't disappointed me yet!

>193 scaifea: They are VERY different books but I really enjoyed both of them, Amber. I know that Rachel aktakukac really liked her other middle grade novel, A Field Guide to Getting Lost, and I need to get to that one too.

Ooh, Tor is offering When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain as a free e-book for the next few days. Empress of Salt of Fortune was excellent so I'm excited for this one!

51 books read: Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore

You've read the gospel, yes, but have you read Biff's gospel? Turns out John, Matthew, and Luke left out a LOT. Never fear, the angel Raizel has resurrected Jesus's friend Levi, who is called Biff, and is keeping him in a hotel room until Biff finishes writing his side of the story. (The angel spends most of his time getting too invested in soap operas.) And Biff has a LOT to write; after all, he and Joshua (Jesus's Jewish name) knew each other as kids, and he knows all about what Jesus was up to in his early years, before the other gospels start when he was 30. Because Biff was right there with him, taking on all the sin involved so Joshua could stay pure. It was only right.

Hilariously irreverent. Very much a Good Omens vibe. I wonder if I would have gotten a little tired of the humor and story by the end if I had been reading in print, but it was easy listening on audio. Obviously you know how it's going to end, but the journey is super fun, especially the first half of the book. 4 stars.

>188 curioussquared: Oh. Well, just take it as a given that I'm a 'yes'. ;0)

Hi Natalie!

>25 curioussquared: 'Me: I should make progress on my unread books I want to get through this year.
Also me: No. I will reread Murderbot.'

Hah! I don't think rereading Murderbot is ever the wrong answer :-)

>50 curioussquared: Sending good wedding planning wishes to you both and that is such a cute photo of Otter and his bow-tie.

And congratulations on both being fully vaccinated!

>105 curioussquared:, >108 MickyFine: Glad you enjoyed North and South - it's been ages since I read it but I remember enjoying it a lot. And seconding Micky's recommendation of the miniseries with Richard Armitage.

>113 curioussquared: Your parents Irish wolfhound puppy is amazing and cute but so huuuge (I can't get over the size of his feet)!

>114 curioussquared: I think I've seen the Nevermoor series before but not read any of them. Will put the first book on my library list.

>115 curioussquared: I loved Catfishing on CatNet when it came out last year. I ended up rereading it this year in preparation for the sequel because it's such a good comfort read. No spoilers but I also really enjoyed Chaos on CatNet although I haven't caught up with my reviews enough to mention either read on my own thread....

>184 curioussquared: Great news about the wedding dress and finishing the invitations! More things ticked off the list :-)

>198 souloftherose: Hi Heather! Thanks for stopping by :) I think you'll really enjoy Nevermoor! I need to get to Chaos on Catnet, too.

Oof, it's been a busy few days!

Last week I sent out a bunch of inquiries for quotes for bartenders/bartending + event staffing services. On Thursday I got a quote from a company at 9am, was really excited about it, told Tim I thought we should book them, and then got another email from them at 9:59 letting me know that actually they had just filled their last slot for our wedding date. *facepalm* So that was a blow. On Thursday night, just as I was about to really make myself pack before our camping trip, I got a call from another bartending service. The woman asked if I had time to talk; it was after 8 and I had a lot of packing to do, but I figured it would be a 15 minute conversation at most and said sure. Um, mistake. This woman had the worst case of won't-shut-up-itis I've ever encountered. She grilled me about our event, offered all kinds of information I absolutely did not need this early in a quote process, and repeated herself at least three times about each thing she talked about. I tried to end the conversation at least three times with a variation of "Ok that all sounds great, Janet, thanks! If you can just send us a quote we'll take a look and get back to you!" but each time she countered me with "I'm going to give you your quote RIGHT NOW!" and proceeded to keep talking. Finally got her off the phone after an hour and a half. If you've seen the What We Do in the Shadows TV show, I'm pretty sure she was an energy vampire.

After those two setbacks, we did end up talking to a company on our drive up to the camping destination that offers both bartending and staffing services and they gave us a good bid, so we signed a contract with them last night. One more thing done, phew!

Camping was great; so nice to have a forcibly unplugged weekend (yay no cell service) and get away from feeling guilty about not working on wedding stuff at all times. What with taking care of Kermit (who also had a great first camping experience; poor pup was so tired yesterday night that he wouldn't even get up to eat dinner), enjoying hikes and the lake, talking to (all fully vaccinated) friends we hadn't seen in far too long, and playing lots of board games (mostly Azul, Splendor, and Lord of Waterdeep for me), I didn't get a huge amount of reading done, but I did finish a little Garth Nix novelette, made progress in A Gentleman in Moscow, and started Every Heart a Doorway. What with being fully vaxxed now and going full steam ahead on the wedding stuff, my reading definitely took the hit I anticipated it would when wedding planning got into full swing.

I got a little bit of a shock when we got into cell range on the drive home and I checked my email to find that people had started RSVPing to the wedding! I guess that happens when you mail invites, huh, but for some reason it made everything feel VERY real. Time to get all the details ironed out!

>200 curioussquared: *sigh* figured it would be a 15 minute conversation at most and said sure. Um, mistake. Doesn't that always happen, and at the worst time possible?

people had started RSVPing Woo woo!
(You got my reply, right?)

I'm glad you had such a good break.

>201 humouress: Of course!! See you at the wedding :D

52 books read: The Necessary Arthur by Garth Nix

In this novelette, a young archaeologist finds herself designated as Merlin in a game she didn't know existed, fighting against the other side in organized, 7-year turns for the fate of humanity and the Earth. Her first task is to find, kidnap, and make safe the baby who will be the game's necessary Arthur...

This was short, but I'm counting it as a book because I catalogued it as one and I can do what I want :) Very interesting premise; reminded me of The Homeward Bounders. The flaw was that I wanted more, and honestly, I could see Nix expanding this into a full-length novel at some point. 3.5 stars.

Sounds like your camping trip was great. I'm also a fan of Lords of Waterdeep! :)

>204 MickyFine: It was my first time really playing (I had helped/watched Tim play a game online before) and I really liked it! It feels like a deeper game than those I usually gravitate toward (like Azul and Splendor) but also not sooo long and heavy like some others that Tim likes.

>205 curioussquared: When I lived in Lethbridge for a couple years I had a group of friends who were super in board games and they got me into Lords of Waterdeep. I was pretty psyched to find a copy of it a few years ago as I think it may be out of print now.

>206 MickyFine: Oh, nice! It's definitely one I'd like to add to our collection!

>202 curioussquared: I'll be there! Um, you don't mind if I bring a few LT friends as my plus ones, do you?

>203 curioussquared: Intriguing.

>204 MickyFine: >205 curioussquared: I keep thinking I should get the kids into board gaming. We do actually have some games; we just never seem to remember to play them.

>208 humouress: The more the merrier! That honestly feels like what our guest list is; the problem with having the wedding at your parents' house is that your parents and grandparents feel entitled to invite whoever they want, and there aren't any guest count limits set by the venue. Oh well!

It definitely feels like we are in something of a golden age of board games, sparked by Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride, and there are so many fun options out there now. Here in Seattle we have several board game cafes (our favorite is Cafe Mox in Ballard) where you can eat, drink coffee or alcohol, and check out a game to play with friends. It's a fun way to test drive a new game without spending the hefty price tag some of the newer board games can have. And then they also have an attached shop with one of the best selections in the city, for when you're ready to buy.

53 books read: Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

Nancy went through a door to an underworld, where she learned to stand statue-still, slow her heartbeat, and respect the dead and their Lord. But then she came back to the real world, and her parents didn't know what to do with their runaway, anorexic, goth child, so they sent her to a boarding school for other children like her. Very much like her, in fact, as all of these children have also been through doors and portals, to fairylands, goblin kingdoms, or underworlds like Nancy. And all of them have come back, and all of them desperately want to find their doors again. But as Nancy struggles to find her place and fit in, someone starts killing the students...

I really loved this! It felt like McGuire asked the obvious question of what happened when Alice came back from Wonderland? and just ran with it in the best way. I loved the diverse, inclusive cast of characters, the Narnia bashing, and the variety of other worlds represented. I'll definitely be continuing with the series. 4 stars.

>210 curioussquared: Glad to see you enjoyed that one.

>209 curioussquared: What a smart idea to have the game store attached to the cafe! I love it! We have an excellent game store here, but we haven't been in over a year, of course. It's on our list of top places to visit first, though! All three of us love it.

>210 curioussquared: I have that one on my list - I hope I can get to it soon!

>210 curioussquared: I've read three of the Wayward series. The Goblin Market one is my favorite, but I'm waiting for a spider world story. A tiny spider queen! Wasp armies!

>211 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! I own the others on Kindle already so I imagine I'll get to them fairly soon.

>212 scaifea: Right? I'm not sure if they started out connected or if one came first but it's a great concept. I hope you enjoy the McGuire when you get to it!

>213 libraryperilous: Oh a spider world one would be great!

Seems like you had quite the busy week at the beginning of this month Natalie! Glad that you're okay, and yay for RSVPs to your guest list!

>215 vikzen: Hi Vic, thanks for stopping by! Yep, this month (and the next few months) are shaping up to be very busy. It's a bit of a shock after being so NOT busy in quarantine for a year.

54 books read: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

August Landry has just moved to New York and is busy settling into her Brooklyn apartment, getting to know her new roommates (including a psychic, an electrical engineer-turned-artist, and a night-shift working recluse with a dog named Noodles), and working on finally finishing college. She commutes daily on the Q line, and that's where she meets her: Subway Girl, also known as Jane, who's gorgeous, friendly, and way too cool for August -- and seems to share the exact same commute as August. No matter when she takes the train, Jane is there. And that's when August starts to suspect that something might be wrong -- how is Jane literally ALWAYS there, no matter what time of day or night? As August starts digging and gets closer to Jane, before she knows it, she's falling hopelessly in love with a girl who seems to only exist on the subway.

I've had this preordered since October or something, so you could say I was a little excited for this book. Red White and Royal Blue has quickly become a comfort read of mine and I was eager for more McQuiston! One Last Stop absolutely did not disappoint. On the surface, it's totally different from RW&RB, but what it has in common are fantastic, living, breathing characters you want to befriend and hug, and a sweet, passionate romance. The time travel aspect gave me Kate and Leopold vibes, which is definitely a good thing. Recommended if you enjoy romance novels at all and are looking for a fun, escapist treat of a book (not to mention an alternate universe pandemic-free 2020). 5 stars.

>217 curioussquared: Oh, yay!! Adding it to my list!

>218 scaifea: Yay! :D

55 books read: Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

Prodigal Summer follows three interconnected storylines in Zebulon County in Appalachia. First there's Deanna, a ranger living alone on the mountain as a steward of nature, nurturing the wild beauty around her and fearlessly promoting its growth, even when others can't see the beauty in something like a coyote. Then there's Lusa, a Lexington girl who sticks out like a sore thumb among the county inhabitants who've known each other their whole lives. She'd stick out even if she wasn't twice or three times as educated as the rest of her new family, with a ridiculous interest in bugs. But she married Cole Widener and the Wideners have always lived in Zebulon county. Finally there's old Garnett Walker, stubborn and set in his ways, mostly interested in his project to create a new, blight-resistant line of Chestnut tree -- but also interested in butting heads with his crazy neighbor Nanny Raleigh. Twining between the three storylines is the ever-present backdrop of the natural world and humanity's place in it, in the past and in the future.

I thought this was a totally lovely, immersive read; I listened to the audiobook read by the author and she did a fantastic job. Kingsolver's admiration of and fascination with nature comes through beautifully, but in a *cough* natural way; nothing about it feels forced. I read reviews criticizing the ending as too loose, but I thought it worked well -- just enough resolution and just enough hints at other resolutions to be satisfying without being forced or feeling trite. I really must read more Kingsolver! 5 stars.

I consistently find myself adding books that you have read to my TBR! Yay for similar tastes! I've got a Kingsolver stashed away somewhere, think its The Poisonwood Bible, but I'm tempted to look for it!

>221 vikzen: Yay, happy to add to the TBR :D I need to get to The Poisonwood Bible, too. The only other Kingsolver I've read is The Bean Trees, which I also really enjoyed.

>220 curioussquared: & >221 vikzen: I have read The Poisonwood Bible and it justified the hype.

Nice to see you posting so regularly this year, Natalie.

>223 PaulCranswick: Thanks for stopping by, Paul! My reading and posting speeds have both fallen since wedding stuff has cranked into high gear but I'm still trying to be around :)

56 books read: Finna by Nino Cipri

Ava and Jules work at LitenVarld, an Ikea-esque home store with a maze of distinct showroom rooms. Both of them hate their jobs, and Ava and Jules happen to be going through a breakup. Ava shouldn't even be at the store at the day it happens since she rearranged her schedule to not overlap with Jules, but idiot Derek called in sick and she drags herself in. When an old woman goes missing in the store, Ava and Jules end up searching near each other... and discover that LitenVarld is holding a lot more secrets than either of them expected.

Doesn't Ikea seem like a natural place for wormholes to occur? That's what Cipri suggests in this fun novella. I enjoyed the creative story and casual queer rep -- this was an entertaining, quick listen. 4 stars.

>224 curioussquared: You can be excused that, Natalie. So many of us are looking forward to your nuptials in August - a virtual celebration by us is always to be treasured.

It's good that you're able to squeeze in some reading, Natalie, even if it's not your usual amount!

It's almost 4 pm here and I have spent all day on exactly one (1) job application. I do not think this rate is conducive to finding a job. And a new book, Hollow Chest, arrived today. I think I'm showing great restraint in even sending one application when there is a fresh book waiting for me. :)

I hope the wedding planning is going well.

Edited: punctuation

>226 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! That's very sweet. I'm in the "excited but also massively stressed" stage of planning and I'm definitely ready to get closer to the just excited stage.

>227 libraryperilous: Good to see you, Diana! :) Even if I don't have a ton of time for reading physical books right now, dogs always have to be walked and dishes always need to be done, so I can at least always squeeze in some audiobook listening.

I am impressed that you managed to complete an application with a brand new book waiting in the wings! It's been a little over a year at my new job and... I've become pretty convinced this is not the place for me long-term. Just not a culture fit. Plus they want us to start coming back to the office in a little over a month, and that made me realize that I just have no desire to meet any of my coworkers in person. So I've started sending out a few applications myself. You know, just to make myself even more stressed.

But back to your comment about your application rate -- I guess you have more cities to consider so more options, but I find that the limiting factor for me is the number of jobs out there I actually want to apply to, rather than the number of applications I can complete. I am narrowing my focus a little in terms of the type of work I'd like to do, so that doesn't really help.

>229 curioussquared: Yes, I'm kind of just applying to anything that sounds interesting and like the company would not be a terrible employer. Of course, I doubt I'll get this job because I found a mistake on the resume after I'd spent so much time editing it—and bragged about my editing skills. Sigh.

Good luck with the job search! It sounds like you're making the right decision. No desire to meet coworkers seems like a red flag! I hope you find a job with a more comfortable environment soon.

re: application rate, I think it will be better going forward. I'm applying to jobs in different industries, and it's a bit tricky to show transferable skills. I think I've managed, although I may still do two or three separate CVs that focus on various kinds of skills. And then I get stuck on the cover letters, trying to craft really outstanding ones. Overthinking as usual!

It seems like the market is ticking back up, at least for the kinds of white-collar jobs we do. Maybe you'll see an uptick in available interesting positions this summer. Fingers crossed. ;)

>230 libraryperilous: That all makes sense! Ugh, cover letters will be the death of me. I swear I'm a good writer, but writing a fantastic cover letter is HARD. I hope you get some traction on applications soon!

>231 curioussquared: Ugh, one of the jobs for which I applied required me to submit a LinkedIn profile. Just why?!?!?!? I had to make a LinkedIn account, and I already hate it there.

>232 libraryperilous: Rude! I've seen plenty of applications that offer the option of including a LinkedIn profile, but never one that required it. I never take them up on it. I have a LinkedIn, and I actually do like the job search experience on their site, but my profile is not as up-to-date as my resume, and I never use any of the social functions (and find most of them cringe-y).

>233 curioussquared: Thanks for the tip! I've been using Indeed and Idealist, but I'll add the LinkedIn job search too.

Do you have any cover letter tips? I'm struggling with the balance between 'excited about company job' and 'specific examples of my skills.' I know you're not supposed to just repeat your resume bullet points, but that's where I keep landing. Also, I keep using the word 'I' in my cover letters, which you are not supposed to do.

I really hate job searches. I just spent two hours on one application. And I have seriously good writing skills. If I'm struggling this much ...

>234 libraryperilous: Huh, I've never heard that you're not supposed to use "I" in your cover letters so it's possible I'm doing something wrong.... My go-to job hunting and cover letter advice resource is Alison Green of askamanager.org. I agree that it's REALLY hard to write a cover letter that's more than reiterating your resume. Green's advice that I try to put into practice (sometimes successfully, sometimes not) is that you should show how the skills from your resume apply to the description of the job you're applying for, with concrete anecdotes and examples if possible. Easier said than done! She also will sometimes feature real-life excellent cover letter examples that she sees, which can be helpful to read sometimes. I used to religiously read her blog just because some of the questions she gets are HILARIOUS. Others are hilariously horrifying. She also has a lot of interview prep information and a guide, and I've just found all her resources to be really valuable.

57 books read: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by the Bolsheviks, Count Alexander Rostov is sentenced to live out the rest of his days never leaving his home, the Hotel Metropol. And he won't be living them out in his suite, either; instead, he will stay in an attic servant's room, only keeping those possessions he manages to fit in the space. Facing down the rest of his life within four walls, deprived of the grand existence and splendid events he is used to, the Count must examine his new reality and find his place in his much reduced world.

I knew I would love this, and I did even though it took me way too long to read, mostly just due to being busy. Towles expertly treads the line between heartwarming and saccharine; what could easily have been too much is just enough. Count Rostov is a character for the ages. 5 stars.

Catching up a little, Natalie. Glad to hear you had a good camping trip, and yay for wedding RSVPs coming in. Oh, you're a fellow Ask a Manager fan! This sort of thing doesn't come up often in LT but I started reading it a few years ago and have followed her blog regularly since. I also like her book recommendations.

So glad to see you loved A Gentleman in Moscow as much as I did. I'm looking forward to reading his new book out in October, I think... The Lincoln Highway.

>236 curioussquared: Oh I'm so glad to see that even though it took you a while to get through it that you loved A Gentleman in Moscow.

>237 bell7: Thanks for stopping in, Mary! Isn't Ask a Manager great? I stopped reading daily when I was feeling kind of burned out from work last year, but I've been a regular for years. I like her book recommendations, too. I did buy her book when it came out, but haven't made it through yet. It didn't quite seem to have the same charm as the blog, but I'm planning to give it another chance. Have you read Towles' Rules of Civility? Thinking of picking that one up at some point too.

>238 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Me, too.

I'll chime in on Rules of Civility and say that, based on my review from back when I read it, I enjoyed it a lot. I have the impression that it had a bit of a Gatsby vibe in that it is about the elites in New York although it's set in the late 1930s rather than the roaring 20s.

>241 MickyFine: Good to know! Thanks, Micky :)

58 books read: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

Olive's twin Amy has always been the lucky one. She paid barely anything for her lavish wedding, winning everything from the venue to her dress to the seafood buffet in various sweepstakes. But Olive and Amy's luck seems to flip when, thanks to her shellfish allergy, Olive is spared the horrific food poisoning that immediately affects all the wedding attendees who partook in the buffet. The only other person unaffected is Amy's husband Dane's brother, Ethan, who has a buffet aversion. In between bouts of puking, Amy convinces Olive to impersonate her and enjoy the non-refundable and non-moveable honeymoon trip to Maui. Unfortunately, she'll have to go with Ethan -- and she and Ethan HATE each other. Forced together by the desire to escape the icy tundra of Minnesota for the sun and sand of Maui, Olive and Ethan suck it up and agree to ignore each other for the sake of the trip -- but things immediately start to go awry.

I really wanted to like this book. I thought the premise was really fun, and I loved Olive's huge, up-in-your-business latino family -- definitely reminds me of my own. But something about it just never really clicked for me. It might be that I'm not super duper into the enemies-to-lovers trope that's everywhere these days; it has to be done really really well for me to be a fan. I felt like Ethan and Olive both made a lot of really questionable decisions, and they both chose to ignore some red flags in order to start really liking each other, which didn't make sense to me given their history of hating each other. Anyway, this was an OK listen but not really my thing. I much preferred the author pair's In a Holidaze, and would be interested in hearing from other Christina Lauren fans if they preferred their other books to this one. 2.5 stars.

I haven't read The Unhoneymooners because I also am not an enemies to lovers trope fan. I will say Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating was really enjoyable.

>243 curioussquared: I liked In a Holidaze (could have been a book bullet from you) so I read this and also didn't like it as much. However, looking at my reviews, I gave them both 3.5 stars - I must have been in a good mood when I reviewed this one because I definitely liked the first one better. (Maybe they were 3.74 and 3.26?)

>239 curioussquared: I read it during quiet moments at work, my justification being that it has, in fact, helped me be a better manager. I received her book as an ARC and I thought it was pretty good, but definitely not the same charm as the blog.

I haven't read Rules of Civility yet, but it's on my TBR list, as is the new book he has coming out in the fall, The Lincoln Highway. I heard him talk about the book, which sounds like he purposely made more of a road trip after feeling a bit claustrophobic with A Gentleman in Moscow!

Thanks for the Askamanager tip. The site seems cool! I finally have sorted my resume templates, so the cover letters are next.

I think you would like Rules of Civility. It's a bit sadder than A Gentleman in Moscow, and it's sharper in its explorations of wealth and commerce. They both have fizz and decadence in their plots, but Civility has more of a Gatsby-esque critique of high society.

>244 MickyFine: Ooh, I'll check that one out. BookTok got me on The Unhoneymooners. Everyone there is obsessed with enemies to lovers so I should have known, but I saw a really clever TikTok where someone introduced the story acting like they were the main character and then at the end revealed it was a book. Oh well, I know better now.

>245 humouress: I wavered between 2.5 and 3 stars, Nina, but ultimately decided I enjoyed it less than some other 3 star books I had this year. But I am also pretty all over the place with ratings sometimes.

>246 bell7: Agreed -- it was invaluable to me as someone new to the workforce to learn what is normal and what was weird about my first jobs.

>246 bell7: >247 libraryperilous: Thanks both -- I think I'll keep an eye out for both of Towles' other novels!

59 books read: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Roy and Celestial have barely been married a year when Roy is wrongfully accused and convicted of raping a woman and imprisoned. Their relationship continues through letters and occasional visits during Roy's prison stay, but over the course of five years, Celestial draws slowly further away. When Roy's conviction is overturned and he is released, he emerges as a free man, but one who is uncertain of his marital status.

As the title suggests, An American Marriage is primarily the story of Roy and Celestial's relationship, how a marriage can fail despite best efforts if not given the proper care or attention it needs to grow. It's also a commentary on the American justice system and incarceration problem; these issues are addressed, but they're not the main focus. I wasn't sure how this book would hit me going into it; it sounded sad and depressing, and I wasn't sure if I would be in the mood for something like that right now while I have a lot of other stressful things happening in my life. But I was totally drawn in by the story and somehow it wasn't too heavy, despite heavy themes. The ending was satisfying. 4.5 stars.

It's been a busy few days. Lots of wedding stuff happening; last week, a bunch of family and I got together to make mini salteñas, a traditional Bolivian dish that's like an empanada but filled with a sort of beef stew filling. We froze them and will serve them at the wedding as appetizers during cocktail hour. It was fun, but we were working until 12:30 AM and will need to do another round as we haven't made enough yet! I was exhausted the next day.

On Thursday night we went to a high school graduation party for one of Tim's cousins. We hadn't seen this side of the family since before the pandemic, so it was good to see everyone.

Friday we didn't really have plans; Tim's company had the day off for Juneteenth and he headed out during the day to spend some time with some friends. I stayed in with the dogs and did a little cleaning in preparation for my dad staying with us for a week or so. My parents are refinishing their hardwood floors and can't stay in the house until the fumes are all gone. My mom is staying with my grandparents; she's over there several nights a week anyway to help take care of my grandma. My dad decided he'd rather stay with us than his in-laws :) So he came over on Saturday and will be here for a while -- just in time for Father's Day. We went and got sushi to celebrate yesterday evening.

Sounds like a very busy stretch of days, Nathalie. Are you starting to feel like most of the wedding things are set and it's just small last-minute things waiting for you?

Hope you have a great time with your Dad while he stays with you.

>253 MickyFine: We're getting there. I still need to find a DJ and figure out flowers. Tim's mom actually used to be a florist so we're thinking just wholesale flowers and she can help us actually put the arrangements together, but I need to talk to her to confirm she thinks that's a good idea! I'm also still trying to track down a black and white dance floor as the company we're getting the rest of our rentals from only does oak parquet ones that are indoors-only. I got one quote earlier today that was pretty high, and am waiting on a quote from another company before we commit. So... getting closer!

Glad to hear you're feeling more set. Fingers crossed you find a reasonable dance floor rental. Are there any swing dancing clubs in your area? I used to swing dance and the club I went to had a portable floor they used for community engagement events outdoors. I'm not sure if they rented it but I wouldn't be surprised.

>255 MickyFine: Ooh, that's an idea! I'll look into it.

On the agenda for this week: I'm getting happy hour with some old coworkers on Thursday; it'll be our first in-person meeting since pre-pandemic and I'm excited to see them! Saturday Tim's mom is hosting my bridal shower at their cabin outside of Seattle with help from my family, so that should be most of that day. In between I'm working, doing wedding stuff, and reading A Sky Beyond the Storm and listening to The Battle for Skandia.

Oh, and another thing I've been up to -- the Seattle Public Library released their annual book bingo challenge a few weeks ago. Here are the categories I've filled so far:

Romance: The Unhoneymooners
On Your Shelf: An American Marriage
Beach Read: Across the Pond
Made You Laugh: Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff
Recommended by Library Staff/Peak Picks: One Last Stop
Recommended by a friend: Finna
SAL Speaker: Prodigal Summer
Olympics Host City: A Gentleman in Moscow
A Book from a Series: Every Heart a Doorway
Recommended by a local bookseller: Concrete Rose

I usually try to fill as many categories as possible with books I already own; I'm eyeing White Fragility for the Activism or Social Justice category, Cemetery Boys for the QTBIPOC category, a Tana French for the Mystery or Crime category, War Girls for the Cli-fi category, Pachinko for the AAPI author category, and the next Wayward Children book for the second Book from a Series square.

And I'm sure I have some that would fit Black Joy, Coming of Age, and Speculative fiction. I'll need to do a little digging for Small Press, Graphic Novel or Comic, Poetry or Essays, BIPOC food writing, and sports, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.

>257 curioussquared: Bridal shower already; gosh! Exciting!

>259 humouress: I know! We were planning on having it a little later in July or August, but when we sat down and looked at dates this was the only weekend that would really work for all the key players. I'm lucky to have great family on both sides who came together to make it happen!

Happy Monday everyone! We had my bridal shower on Saturday and it was gorgeous, if SUPER hot. Seattleites are not really functional once it gets to 90 degrees or so; we don't have AC or even really any good fans. Today was projected to get to 108 in my area, which would be a local record; I just checked my weather app and it said the new high was 100, so that's good at least. We spent yesterday in our cool basement chugging Gatorade to stay hydrated and I expect today will be similar except I'll be working down here. Tim elected to go into his office, which has AC, even if he has to wear a mask. The dogs have adapted to their new existence in the basement and are coping by sleeping a lot as usual, and enjoying early morning and late-night walks :)

The big news is that I gave notice at my job on Friday. I just couldn't see myself there long-term and I was not handling work, wedding planning, and job searching all at the same time well, and things were about to get more complicated as they're transitioning people back to the working in the office at least part-time in mid-July. I figured there was no reason for me to deal with that transition if I was planning to leave anyway, so I made the decision. I was a little worried because I've never quit a job without something lined up before, but everyone (including my manager) has been super supportive, and I'm confident I'll be happier at my next gig if I can take a little time to think about what I want instead of blindly taking the first job offer I get.

Book-wise, I'm still slowly working through A Sky Beyond the Storm, which is not really capturing me 20% in but I feel a little obligated to finish since I put a bunch of time into the series. And I have a few hours left in The Battle for Skandia; fewer, shorter dog walks has cut into my listening time :)

>261 curioussquared: Glad to hear your shower went well. Wishing you luck on surviving the heat dome. Are they still predicting you'll be out from under it by Wednesday-ish?

Wishing you all the luck with your job hunt!

>262 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! Yes, Wednesday's high should be a more manageable 82F, so still hot for us but not unheard of.

Yay for a fun shower - and for making a decision about your work! Just having decided must be a relief, yeah? Sending good vibes that you'll find The Perfect Job for you.

>264 scaifea: It's a relief, but I'm still feeling a little nervous about it too. I think it will work out well but it's been so long since I didn't have a defined direction that I'm a little anxious.

>265 curioussquared: Oh, I definitely get that. (Says the person who is *always* anxious. *ALWAYS.*)

>266 scaifea: I feel you!! Anxiety high-five ;)

>261 curioussquared: Yay for your bridal shower!

Giving your notice is a big step so of course you'd feel a bit unanchored and nervous but it sounds like it was the right thing for you. Now it's out of the way, you can relax (!) and focus on enjoying your wedding with your family.

I thought I'd put this here because I have a vague idea that I've had BBs for some of these authors from your thread:

Barnes & Nobles have a lot of interesting looking ticketed talks over Zoom with authors.

The link is https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/virtual-events-for-all-ages-with-barnes-nobl...

This month's virtual talks are with:
Rainbow Rowell
CC Sabathia
Jasmine Guillory
Zakiya Dalila Harris
Daniel Silva
Richard Marx
Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Karin Slaughter

>268 humouress: That's the plan! I'm still going to do some job searching in the meantime but it would be nice if I could wrangle whatever I do next to start after the wedding.

Ooh, I do really like Rainbow Rowell and Jasmine Guillory -- I will look into the talks!

60 books read: The Battle for Skandia by John Flanagan

In this fourth entry in the series, Will and Evanlyn are preparing to figure out how to head home after surviving the winter in the Skandian mountains, while Halt and Horace are still determinedly traveling to save them. But all their plans will be thrown apart when Skandia, and Araluen next, are threatened by the Temujai warriors, fierce fighters who will claim all the land they can. Araluen and Skandia have never been allies, but their forces must combine to fight back the Temujai and keep both countries safe.

This entry seemed to go a little long for my tastes, but it might have just been that by coincidence I wasn't able to make much listening progress around the same time the long, complicated battle got started, and it seemed like it went on forever. But this is still a strong series and I very much enjoyed the ending, and I'm planning to continue the books. 3 stars.

That'll probably be my final book for June -- onward into July! Seems like it might be time for me to make a new thread :)