2022, the year in which Catzteach gets her reading mojo back

Starting my thread for 2022. I feel like I turned a corner the last couple months, and especially the last week, and have found my reading mojo. I’ve read four books this last week. Feels so good! I just haven’t been up to putting tons of brain power into reading and have spent way more hours on streaming apps the last couple of years than I normally would. Looking forward to many DNBR days in 2022.

Starting the year with We Have Always Been Here. I’m only 15 pages in so nothing much has happened.

Happy Reading Year for 2022.

>1 catzteach: Good for you! I hope you keep it going.
Happy New Year, Cindy!

Have a great 2022 in every way!

Finished my first book of 2022! We Have Always Been Here. Oh my gosh, what a good start to the year! I would say it’s a psychological thriller set on a spaceship and planet. Park is a psychologist assigned to a ship that is investigating a planet for future colonization. While there, things start to happen. The crew starts having nightmares and hallucinations. And the solution is to put them in cryo. But Park wants to investigate. Things get tense. It kept me on my toes and wanting to keep picking it up to read more.

Now I need to decide what to read next. I’d get up and go look at my TBR pile, but I have a cat curled up on my lap.

You first read of the year sounds good and you're off to a great start. Good luck staying off the streaming apps a bit, that's a lot of my problem!

Happy new year and happy new thread! I hope that 2022 is a better year for you in every way!

>5 catzteach: That does sound like a good start to 2022 reading. May it bode well for your reading choices for the rest of the year.

Another good read! Malibu Rising a story about a family in Malibu. Mick Riva is an aspiring singer. He meets 17 year old June. They fall in love, get pregnant, then get married. The story follows Mick, June, and their four children. Saying much more would require spoilers, but I will say that there are secrets among them. Still a hopeful read. It’s nice to read a story about siblings who love and support one another.

I’m now moving on to The Becoming

>5 catzteach: Oh, this sounds creepy and suspenseful.

Happy reading in 2022!

Two good ones under your belt. An auspicious start!

>9 catzteach: I'm listening to The Becoming on Audible. Great story. I'm taking it slowly though since the 3rd book wont be out until next year!

>12 Silversi: I’m a little over halfway. It’s due back at the library on Saturday so I have to focus on getting it done. I hate turning in books late. :)

>13 catzteach: Enjoy! I like this series much better than The One. It was a bit too dark. I did finish and enjoy it for the most part but it took me quite a while to get through it.

>14 Silversi: I started The One in January of 2020! Not an easy series to read that year.

>15 catzteach: Exactly. I actually had to give it a break, it was just too close to home.

>9 catzteach: This is on my TBR pile! I really enjoyed The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo by the same author.

>17 Sakerfalcon: I haven’t read that one yet. I did listen to Daisy Jones and the Six and it was awesome! Would highly recommend audio because it is read by different actors. The book really came to life!

The Becoming the second in the Dragon Heart Legacy series. It took me a while to remember some of the first book. I like that the book didn’t blatantly remind me of details fo the first book, but it did have reminders. Books like this make me wish I could find a secret portal to a different world with magic, fairies, and dragons. I’d rather not have to fight a Big Bad, though.

Finished The Sentence this morning. It was a BB from Clam. I liked it. It was a character story. The main character wasn’t my favorite person, but she wasn’t horrible, either. I think I liked Pollux best. It was interesting to read about Covid and all the protests in a fiction book. Made me wonder how it’ll effect other books and how history will portray it all. I’m glad I read this one.

Now I’m reading one that my neighbor wrote, Daughter of the King. My book club likes it. I’m hopeful that I will, too.

Happy new year! I'm getting my mojo back somewhat slowly (but steadily). It cheers me up to see you going gangbusters.

>20 catzteach: Yes, that was one of the oddest things about the book. Though I sympathized with Tookie I didn't really love her. Her husband was awesome. Having not ever read anything by Erdich before I don't know if this is something she usually does or not.

>22 clamairy: I wondered that, too. I guess we’ll find out if we ever read another one of hers.

Finished Daughter of the King last night. I really enjoyed it. The main character, Isabelle, is a survivor. I never know how much of the plot to include because I don’t want to give too much away. It’s a historical fiction. It takes place in 1661. I like how it ended and I’m curious to see how Isabelle handles the challenges that are coming her way.

Now I’m diving into Skin Game.

>20 catzteach: I had that one on hold at the library for kindle but apparently they've stopped offering it because it removed my hold and just says unavailable so I guess I'll get the physical copy someday.

>24 Silversi: I wonder how and why that happens? I had read somewhere that when an OverDrive library consortium acquires the digital rights to loan a title they can only loan it to a specified number of people before they have to renew it themselves. I might be misunderstanding what I read about how this works.

>25 clamairy: That sounds about right. Although I work in an academic library some of the ebooks we have to purchase are on a similar model, where you only have access for a year, or for a specific number of uses. They are a royal pain in the butt.

>24 Silversi: >25 clamairy: >26 Sakerfalcon: what a bummer (and pain in the butt). Kinda makes me glad I prefer physical books.

>27 catzteach: Don't get me wrong. I love holding the physical books. But my poor eyeballs just get less stressed when I can make the print a bit larger.

>28 Silversi: Agreed. I've gone pretty much completely digital. (But if the zombie apocalypse comes I've still got enough physical books to keep me happy for the rest of my days.)

>29 clamairy: Haha same.. As long as we don't lose all of the reading glasses.

>30 Silversi: I wear contact lenses, so I can read anything when I don't have the lenses in. (But I wear them about 12 hours a day.) The reading glasses are very necessary for labels and recipes, etc.

>30 Silversi: >31 clamairy: I'm the opposite: I need my glasses for distance but I take them off to read.

>32 Jim53: My contacts are for distance.

Luckily I can still read a regular print book with my contacts and a pair of low power glasses. My glasses are progressives so I can read with them, too. I am not looking forward to the day that e-reading is easier. Large print books will be an option, but …

My contacts are for distance as well but reading anything up close is completely impossible. I do have progressive glasses but I dont' wear them very often.. about 12-13 hours a day I'm in my contacts. Cat - I used to be unhappy about it but you know, when I realized that I now have about 100 books at my fingertips I don't mind so much. Plus the fact that I love reading with the black background and white letters, it is so much more comforting to my eyes.

>35 Silversi: and e-readers are easier for traveling. I don’t have a kindle so I use my iPad when I do read an e-book. I don’t know if I could do white on black. I might like that better. I’ll have to play with it and see. I don’t know if I want to spend money on a kindle. I did have a Sony e-reader a long time ago and liked that, but I missed turning pages and the feel of a book in my hand. :)

>5 catzteach: That most definitely looks like a book bullet to me!

>37 Peace2: :)

Finished Skin Game. Pretty typical Harry. He has an unpleasant job to do and he miscalculates a few things.

Game On the 28th Stephanie Plum. This one was short. I did like the return of Diesel. Wulf made a cameo appearance as well. I’m wondering how many more of these Evanovich can do. At the back of the book there was a teaser for a new series. Does this mean Stephanie’s run will come to an end? Will she finally marry Morelli? I guess we’ll find out eventually.

Apples Never Fall I loved this book! The Delaneys are a tennis family. Joy and Stan ran a tennis school before they sold it and retired. Their four children all ended up not being tennis stars despite Joy and Stan’s efforts and dreams for them. One day, Joy disappears. The kids finally file a missing persons report and, of course, Stan is a suspect. Then there’s the matter of the mysterious houseguest Joy and Stan had a year before she disappeared. Loved all the characters despite their faults. Would recommend this book, especially if you’ve read Moriarty before and liked her.

>39 catzteach: I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I've read two of her books, and watched several of the series based on her books. Her sense of humor, which makes the books so great, doesn't seem to translate well to screen.

>40 clamairy: I recently watched Nine Perfect Strangers. I think it’s on Netflix. I don’t remember the book being so weird. I laughed out loud at parts of Apples Never Fall. I plan on reading more of hers.

Finished A Virgin River Christmas. I’m not a huge romance fan, but there’s something cozy about these books.

>41 catzteach: That looks touching and sad! I also think I have it on my bookshelf from a library book sale but I haven't read it yet.

Had book club last night. We read We Are the Brennans for January, but decided to postpone the meeting until Covid numbers went down. So we met last night. Tracy Lange was able to join us. She lives in Bend. She was super nice and it was really fun to hear her take on the characters and how she writes.

>43 catzteach: Oh! You had book club with the actual author? Did you get to discuss it yourselves, or did you listen to her talk about it? (Or a little of both?)

>44 clamairy: yep, the actual author! We asked questions, but she also just talked some herself. We got to hear about her huge Irish family and her trips to Ireland to visit them. And she gave some advice to one of our members who is also a published author, just with a tiny publishing company. She said she visits local book clubs all the time. For free! It was pretty cool!

>45 catzteach: That sounds wonderful. Did you enjoy the book? I see it's tagged 'large dysfunctional Irish family' and 'New York' so it might be hitting a bit close to home for me. Ha ha

>46 clamairy: I did enjoy the book! The family was dysfunctional, but I felt like they all loved each other. They weren't abusive to each other, they just didn't necessarily talk about every thing that bugged them.

>47 catzteach: Thanks! I might try to borrow this as an ebook.

It's available but I put it on my wish list. I think Arcadia will take up a lot of my brain power for the next week or so.

>48 clamairy: I hope I have enough brain power to read Arcadia. I think I’ll be able to start it this weekend.

>49 catzteach: There is a lot going on across multiple timelines. I've started making notes. LOL

>49 catzteach: >50 clamairy:
I started taking notes but got so caught up in the story I abandoned the note taking. So far I have managed with only occasional "Oh! Who is that person and where did I come across them" moments. I am about 140 pages from the end and loving it.

The notes I was taking, and probably the most useful notes to take, focused on the names of characters and where they first appear in the story.

>51 pgmcc: Yes, my notes are nothing more than character names and where/when they appear to be living.

I decided to read a different book first. This was a week (full moon, Valentine’s Day, and spirit/dress up week) and I needed something a bit less complicated for now. I’m really enjoying this book, The Song of Achilles so far so I think I’ll get through it pretty quickly. Then I’ll get started on Arcadia.

>53 catzteach: I read that a couple of years ago. Her writing style is wonderful. Enjoy!

>54 clamairy: I tried to read Circe but didn’t like it. This was during the last couple of years when I needed light and fluffy. I’m wondering if I should give it another try, especially since I’m liking Achilles so much.

>55 catzteach: I read Circle first, and I enjoyed that more. Perhaps you should try it again.

Arcadia joined GD’s group read for this one and am so glad I did! What a book! It’s definitely one that the reader needs to pay attention to, so it’s not brain candy. It has several different storylines. It was fun finding the connections. I have a book hangover today and will be reading a brain candy book for recovery.

>57 catzteach: Ha, yes! I read some YA! It was well worth the mental gymnastics though.

So worth it! I’m reading a Darynda Jones book now.

Sixth Grave on the Edge another Charley Davidson book. A perfect brain candy read after Arcadia.

The Clockwork Crow this one is an ER. I received it in 2020, put it on my TBR pile, and forgot about it. Oops. It’s for kids 8 to 12 years old. It was cute. Seren is an orphan on her way to stay with her godparents. On her way a strange man leaves a parcel with her. Eventually she unwraps it. It’s a bunch of parts which she puts together. It makes the Clockwork Crow. Together, they solve the mystery of a missing boy.

The Velvet Fox the second Clockwork Crow book. Also received as an ER book. Just recently, though. It was better than the first because the world and characters were already established. Seren and the Crow battle the Fair Folk again.

I’m trying to read one of my books in between the library books I get. So now I’m off to look at the pile of library books in my room to choose my next read.

Finished The House in the Cerulean Sea last night. I had heard this book was amazing. I was not disappointed. It was so good! Linus goes to the island to investigate the orphanage there. It is the home of some magical youth who are deemed dangerous. He finds some rather enjoyable characters. My favorite was Lucy. This book has a wonderful message and is laugh out loud funny. Highly, highly recommend!

The Nobleman’s Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks this is the third, and final, book of the Montague siblings. This one focuses on Adrian, the youngest Montague. He doesn’t know Monty and Felicity exist. He is searching for answers to his mother’s death when he runs into Monty. They team up, find Felicity, and go on an adventure. Adrian has extreme anxiety and OCD tendencies. As one who suffers from anxiety, I was able to relate to how his mind spirals with all his thoughts. I know how hard it is to stop the spiraling. I hope Mackenzi Lee writes more.

Read The Maidens today. I didn’t care for The Silent Patient because the ending/twist was the same kind I’d read in two other books that year. I really enjoyed today’s read. I did not guess who was the murderer. I spent many hours in the warm spring sunshine reading. It was a good day. :)

>62 catzteach: This seems to go on sale somewhat often. Will keep an eye out for it.

Glad you're enjoying some 'read outside' weather!

>65 clamairy: the outside weather is hit or miss this time of year. We have a winter storm coming in that’s supposed to bring 4 inches of snow (20 in the mountains).

Just finished Before We Were Yours. Man. Great book, horrible premise. It’s based on the stories about the Tennessee Children’s Home Society adoption scandal. I had no idea babies and children were stolen from poor people and adopted out to rich people. This happened in the 1930s and 40s. Sometimes people really suck.

We Were Never Here this is a book club read. I read a little over half of it, then started skimming it. It is a psychological thriller, I guess. The main character was having to deal with her anxiety over two deaths that happened while she was traveling with her BFF (not a spoiler, it’s on the book jacket). Said BFF was very controlling and cringe worthy. I just couldn’t deal with the gaslighting and the plot. For me, it was pretty obvious where it was going. And I was fairly correct, the ending was not a surprise. Now I need a nice, fluffy read so I can relax.

I haven’t posted for a while, but I’ve been reading and posting on other threads. I’ve been focusing on my running and have gotten busy with work related stuff. Plus, parent-teacher conferences were last week. Those are good but exhausting.

I did run a half-marathon event last weekend. My best time ever and it felt good! I’m hoping to keep that up for my marathon in a couple of weeks.

Read The Midnight Library last week. It was enjoyable. I had seen it mentioned in a FB group I’m part of. It had a bit of a depressing beginning as the main character is distraught and decides she wants to die. Through this experience, she gets the opportunity to try on different lives where she made a different choice. Parallel universes and all that. It ended well.

Now I’m off to continue my training with a 15 mile run. I hope it goes well. I’ve been under the weather the last week so today could be rough.

It's good to see you back! Good luck with the running!

>68 catzteach: I'm happy to hear the running is going so well! Best of luck with that marathon.

I started The Midnight Library and found the beginning so depressing that I didn't finish it. I'm glad it ended well for you, though.

>69 Sakerfalcon: thanks!

>70 clamairy: it definitely wasn’t the light, fluffy read I was hoping for. And I know the beginning would trigger some people. The end was a good moral.

I haven’t updated my thread in a bit. Since I’m in my hotel room for the rest of the evening, I thought I’d do just that. :)

Read The Quicksilver Court. I really enjoyed the first one in this series, so my notes tell me. :) but I didn’t remember much so this one was hard to get into, but once I did, I really enjoyed it, too.

I was wandering the library and thought I’d check out Mercedes Lackey’s section. I didn’t realize she had written more Valdemar books! Those were the books I got into after finding Mary Stewart’s King Arthur books. Between the two, I got hooked on fantasy. So I was super excited when I saw the other Valdemar books. I picked up The Hill Has Spies. Although it was nothing like the story described on the jacket, it was good. Mags and his son Perry go to the edge of Valdemar to investigate why people have been disappearing. They discover the Master. He can control people’s minds. They know they need to figure out how to stop him.

And now I’m reading Mask of Mirrors. Just started it and it’ll take me a while to get through it. It’s huge!

>72 catzteach: I’ve never heard of this Mercedes Lackey. I’ll have to check out their books.

>72 catzteach: Mask of mirrors was soooo good! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

>73 Volt875: I discovered her in late high school. I loved that her characters could bond to animals and then Mindspeak with them.

>74 Sakerfalcon: I’m enjoying it so far!

>72 catzteach: & >73 Volt875: I've never read anything by her either, but I've heard good things.

Finished Mask of Mirrors last night. It was a beast, 600+ pages, but worth it! Ren is a river rat who decides to play a long con on a noble family. She pretends to be a cousin. She gets involved in the intrigue of the nobles. There is scheming, sword fights, and a mysterious hero called The Rook. I’m requesting the second book today and hope the third one is out soon!

>77 catzteach: The second book is just as good! So glad you enjoyed this!

>77 catzteach: I’ve requested the second one from the library. Can’t wait!

>77 catzteach: *pew-pew-pew* I'll put it on my list, but I'm saving it for Winter. LOL

>80 clamairy: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! I picked the second one up yesterday.

Brief Cases a return to the world of Harry Dresden. This is a book of short stories. I liked getting some stories of other characters. And Bigfoot! I love Bigfoot!

We Were Liars a YA novel a friend gave me. It’s about three teen cousins and their friend who spend summers on their private island near Martha’s Vineyard. The narrator is one of the teens. She’s had an accident and is trying to remember it. Something bugged me about this book. Not sure what. Did I like it? Well, I finished it. Will I look for others by this author? Probably not.

>81 catzteach: I read We Were Liars a couple of years ago, and the memory I have of it is more "Meh" than the review I gave it.
"I read it in one sitting. It is a good YA novel. I classify it as such because of the subject matter and the simplicity of the reading, but the complexity of the events and the characters is what makes it "good" IMO. It is not written down to young adults. The big mystery of it was not a mystery to me, but I'm not sure it was meant to be. It is a complex look at family dynamics and forgiveness, with a smattering of coarse language."

When I classified it as "good" I was killing it with faint praise. Probably I felt that I needed to be fair to the author and other readers because my dislike may have been personal. Apparently, both of us are giving it faint praise.

>82 MrsLee: I understand why it was written the way it was now that I’ve finished it. It was weird and bugged me a bit while reading it.

And I just finished another whackadoodle book. I’m still trying to decide if I liked it. The Last House On Needless Street almost put it down around page 40. Then thought I’d read to 100. By then, I had made a prediction and I was understanding the style of writing. The beginning of the book was hard because the character is written very, I guess, chaotically. I can’t really find the right word. Turns out, that’s on purpose as all the characters have mental health issues. The end turned out better than I thought it was going to.

Now I’m going to read Janet Evanovich’s new one. I’m hoping it’ll be less crazy than the last two books.

The Recovery Agent a new series by Evanovich. It started a bit slow and serious, then picked up in wittiness. Gabriela Rose recovers lost and stolen things. She is much more successful and more competent than Stephanie Plum. It was refreshing. But that lent to less humor. It was a quick, entertaining read. I’ll read more during those times when I need a lighter read.

Stephanie Plum gives me the impression that she would fit a description of someone else coined by an uncle of mine; "if you look into her eyes you see straight out through the back of her head". Highly entertaining, nonetheless.

>85 hfglen: ha! So true! This new character takes risks and does some dangerous things, but she’s much more capable of handling them.

Fan Fiction picked this one up at Barnes and Noble because, well, Brent Spiner. But it was really odd. The back of the book says “laugh out loud funny.” Hmm, nope. It’s written like a memoir, so it feels like non-fiction. It’s not. It’s made up. It takes place during the Next Generation era. Brent is the main character. He starts getting threatening fan mail. The FBI gets involved, etc. It was a short, quick book. Would I recommend it? Eh, probably not. But maybe it just wasn’t my cup of tea and others would love it.

The Miracles of the Namiya General Store this one was so good!

Not sure how to explain this one so I’m using Amazon’s summary:

“From exactly midnight until daybreak, the Namiya General Store advice box will be reopening for one night only.” When three delinquents hole up in an abandoned general store after their most recent robbery, to their great surprise, a letter drops through the mail slot in the store’s shutter. This seemingly simple request for advice sets the trio on a journey of discovery as, over the course of a single night, they step into the role of the kindhearted former shopkeeper who devoted his waning years to offering thoughtful counsel to his correspondents. Through the lens of time, they share insight with those seeking guidance, and by morning, none of their lives will ever be the same. By acclaimed author Keigo Higashino, The Miracles of the Namiya General Store is a work that has touched the hearts of readers around the world.”

I picked it at the library because I liked the cover. :) the connections of the characters’ stories was part of the beauty of the story. I would highly recommend this book!

>88 catzteach: Oh I've seen this one at Forbidden Planet and come THIS close to buying it! I will definitely do so next time I'm there!

>89 Sakerfalcon: I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

>88 catzteach: Going on the Libby wishlist!

>91 clamairy: I hope you like it!

The Trespasser the last Dublin Murder series. And the last Tana French book I had left to read. I’m sad there aren’t any more. I really like her stuff.

In other news: summer is here! The last two years have been so exhausting. I’m planning on taking time to organize my house and just read and read and read. I need rest.

I've been meaning to ask for some time: How did the kids cope with Johan Badenhorst and Voetspore Zambezi?

We watched snippets of it. Their attention spans were pretty small the last couple of weeks. Kids are always fascinated by Africa.

DNFed The Kitchen House. I was reading it for book club. It just didn’t do anything for me. It was too depressing.

So now I’m reading A Deadly Education. Liking it now that I’ve got into it a bit more, but I was distracted for the first few chapters. I’m having a hard time turning my brain off for summer. It does usually take me a week or so to realize I’m getting a new bunch of kids and I no longer need to worry about the old batch. (I always wonder how they are doing after leaving me.)

Just finished A Deadly Education. Think Harry Potter where the entire school is all about defense of the dark arts. These kids go into the boarding school not knowing if they’re going to survive. There are monsters everywhere. They have to make alliances to have life be safer. The main character, Galadriel, is super powerful. She doesn’t want others to know that, though. Then Orion Lake, the class hero, starts hanging out with her. She’s never had friends before so this is new. And it helps her make other friends.

There’s at least one more. My library has it so I’ll check it out this summer.

>97 catzteach: I've been on the fence about starting this series. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Finished The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek last night. It was a good book. I had to google about the Blue people of Kentucky, though. Crazy that it’s a real thing! My mom is from the hollers of Kentucky and she never mentioned them. I need to ask her about them.

I’m now reading the first book in the Discworld. I got about two pages in when I realized I was too tired to be able to remember what I was reading and went to sleep. I’ll start over this morning.

>99 catzteach: My friend gave me the sequel for my birthday! She said I don't need to read the first book. She too googled the Blue people and was thrilled to find that they were real.

>100 Sakerfalcon: there’s a sequel? Hmm, I wonder what the plot is as this one had a pretty wrapped up ending.

The Knowledge Gap read this one for work. It was interesting and made some really good points. It is very true that content has been put on the back burner in order to teach reading skills and math. I’m going to do what I can next year to change that.

>101 catzteach: It's about the daughter. If the first book wrapped things up maybe that's why my friend said I could read this one as a stand-alone.

>103 Sakerfalcon: I wondered if it would follow the daughter. I’ll have to see if my library has it.

Read Playing with Myself today. It was really good! Lots of laughing out loud. I did cry during the chapter about his kitty.

>105 catzteach: I'm really looking forward to that one! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it. (Despite the tears.)

>106 clamairy: I think he’d be a hoot to hang with!

Finished Verity today. Sometimes these psychological thrillers trigger my anxiety. This one did a bit. I did keep trying to figure out the twist at the end, because there’s always a twist to these. It is a dark book, for sure. I don’t know if I’ll be seeking out others of this author because I do not need this genre in my life on a frequent basis. It was a fast, keep-your-attention read.

The Rift is a book about two sisters, Selena and Julie. Julie went missing when she was 17 and Selena was 15. She was never found. 20 years later, Julie shows up and tells Selena she was on another planet. Selena wonders if she should believe her and whether she is Julie at all. I really liked this book and would’ve finished it in two days but I got sick (home test was positive for Covid) and didn’t feel like reading for a couple of days. Feeling better enough to read again. :)

Seasonal Fears
Another good read by McGuire. It was a bit confusing at first and is a weird story, but I liked it.

Finished The Lincoln Highway last night. I’ve read all three of Towles’ books and each one was better than the last! Highway was really good! I loved Billy, the 8 year old brother. So cute and smart! If you like Towles, you’ll enjoy this book.

I really need to get to that one. Good to hear it's good!

Finished Sea of Tranquility this morning. Whoa! It was good! Loved the different timelines and how they were connected. And the hope that she gives for humankind.

>111 catzteach:
I loved A Gentleman in Moscow and I have Rules of Civility on my shelves. Your comments have increased the chances of my reading Rules of Civility sooner rather than later, and you have me intrigued about The Lincoln Highway.

>114 pgmcc: I think you’d really enjoy Lincoln Highway.

>111 catzteach: & >114 pgmcc: I loved A Gentleman in Moscow differently than Rules of Civility both were excellent, but I think those going into RoC with the idea it would be similar to GiM were very disappointed. I didn't know about The Lincoln Highway, will keep my eyes open for it!

>116 MrsLee:
I have heard RoC is quite different. A friend who loved it gave a brief description that left men knowing not to expect the same type of thing. >111 catzteach:’s comment about each book’s being better than the previous one has me inclined to give RoI a go. If I like that I will be tempted to give >111 catzteach: credit for a BB with regards to Lincoln Highway.

Peace Talks got me through the weekend. Harry is always a good read. Now I have to get my hands on Battle Ground.

It’s been forever since I’ve posted anything. Sheesh, where does the time go? I guess I’ve just been caught up with life. I have been reading and commenting on threads, just not keeping up with my own.

So here goes:

Library of the Dead I picked this one up at the bookstore because I liked the cover. It was a whim buy and boy do I regret it! It was awful. I did finish it, sort of. I ended up skimming it to get to the end. I can’t even remember what it was about, but I do remember hardly any of it was about the Library.

A Lullaby for Witches now this one was good! Museums, haunted houses, is it a nice ghost or a mean ghost, and witches. Not scary. I would recommend this one!

To Be Taught, If Fortunate I’ve read the Wayfarers series and really enjoyed them, especially the first one. I was at the library hoping they’d have the first int the Monk & Robot series and I found this little gem. Planet terraforming, different worlds to visit, and something going on back on Earth. But with limited communication it’s hard to figure out what. Another good read by Chambers.

Signal Moon at the urging of Clamairy and ScoLgo, I downloaded this one to my Kindle app on my iPad. It also had the option of being an audio book. So I took that option and ran with it, literally. I listened to this one on a run. It is a novella so I was able to complete it during just one run. It was so good! I love it when an audio books uses different actors for different voices/point of views. This is the first of Kate Quinn’s I’ve read. I will be searching out more of hers.

Falling don’t read this one if you’re flying anywhere soon. Bill is a pilot. He starts on a routine flight, but he is soon contacted by a terrorist who has kidnapped his family. This guy is giving Bill a choice: crash the plane or he’ll kill Bill’s family. Which choice will Bill make?

Beyond: The Founding of Valdemar I loved the books when I was younger. Lackey was the next fantasy author I read after Mary Stewart’s King Arthur books. I read all the Valdemar books that existed back then. Im catching up on the others. :)

Crown of Swords I’m picking my way through this one. A chapter here, a chapter there. I read it years (decades) ago and decided in the last of couple of years to reread and then finish the series. But, boy, this one has been hard to get through. I’ll keep picking at it, but am wondering if I can just skip it or skim it. Nothing seems to be happening in it to move the series forward.

The It Girl almost done with it. I’ll fishing it sometime today. Not her usual creepy vibe, but a good book. If it finishes the way it’s leaning, I might be disappointed in it.

So I have been reading, just not posting. :)

>119 catzteach: Which Library of the dead did you read? The one set in Edinburgh? I was disappointed with that too. As you said, not enough library!

I'm glad you read more good books than bad.

>119 catzteach: If I recall correctly, A Crown of Swords was the book that soured me on The Wheel of Time. I decided at that point nothing was going to happen in way too many words.

>120 Sakerfalcon: I fixed the touchstone. Yes, the one in Edinburgh.

>121 Maddz: I’m wondering if I felt the same way years ago when I read it. Maybe I’ll just skim it to the end. I’m halfway through already.

>122 catzteach: To be honest, when I read A Crown of Stars I still owned The Belgariad and The Mallorean. I was less picky then than I am now; all 3 series went years ago. Even when I first read The Eye of the World I thought it rather derivative (sort of the bastard lovechild of The Lord of the Rings and The Belgariad). By the time I got to A Crown of Swords, I'd rather lost my appetite for the Cook's Tour style of writing in which the party is criss-crossing the landscape and not apparently moving the plot forward.

I confess to picking up The Eye of the World in a Kindle deal some years ago, and New Spring more recently; not that I've bothered opening either so far. Unfortunately (or should that be fortunately), I lost my Hugo packet downloads for the 2014 Loncon in a hard drive crash... At the time, I was between ereaders and was reading on the Mac otherwise I would have had back-up files on the ereader.

>122 catzteach: >123 Maddz: Have either of you read any of Sanderson's Way of Kings series? I'm wondering how you'd compare them to WoT, if you have.

>124 Karlstar: I've got a couple via TOR freebies but so far not felt like opening them.

>122 catzteach: & >123 Maddz: But what about all the braid pulling and skirt straightening that you'll miss out on if you don't finish the series?

>126 AHS-Wolfy: Euw, sounds dire. If that's the case, that's pushed them down my TBR...

ETA: Guess what's on Tor.com as a freebie... Oh well, not taking up precious shelf space.

>123 Maddz: I read both of those Eddings series way back then, too. I liked them at the time, but I wonder how they’d hold up now.

>126 AHS-Wolfy: hahahaha :)

>124 Karlstar: I haven’t read any Sanderson.

Maybe I should just watch the WoT series. Is it on Prime or Netflix? :)

The It Girl I have to say, this isn’t my favorite Ruth Ware book. It wasn’t as creepy/suspenseful/scary as her others. It felt like many other suspense novels. She did keep a few characters in the “did they do it” category, but I definitely figured out which one did it earlier than her other books. A bit of a disappointment. :/

>128 catzteach: It's on Prime and I loved it. Afterward I listened to the audio of the first book read by Rosamund Pike (who plays Moraine) and thoroughly enjoyed it. They just released her reading The Great Hunt on Audible, and I snapped that up, too.

>128 catzteach: hmm, maybe listening to them would be the way to go. I hadn’t thought of that option. I’ll check out the series, too. Thanks!

>130 clamairy: I've been really tempted to listen to those, despite reading the first 2 books 4? times. I have listened to about half of the series on audio, but it wasn't a great narration.

>128 catzteach: Give it a try, the TV series was good!

>132 Karlstar: I'm pretty sure you can request to download a sample to decide if you like it. I just looked and the new version is available through OverDrive/Libby, at least where I am. I loved it because somehow Pike manages to do great impersonations of most of the actors' from the miniseries.

>124 Karlstar: - I've read both. Well I start WOT and managed two books, and am only one book behind WoK. Reviews in my library if you're really interested. WoK is better compared to Game of Thrones. It's not as dark, but features the same quality of writing (eg vastly better than Jordan) and same jumping between characters. Both od these unlike WoT are not characters on a quest style fantasy more people going about their lives trying to survive and better their own situations.

>134 reading_fox: I liked your reviews for WoK. I am far more critical than you when it comes to Sanderson and his word count. I had to give up after book three, I just could not take the endless stream of words to no point any more. That and I actively dislike 7/8ths of the characters. To me, even though long, Wheel of Time was never this pointless, not even in the middle books.

Eek, been a while since I posted.

I’ve been reading, though.

Mother May I this was a suspenseful one. Bree, the main character, is a mom of three kids. The youngest being a baby. While watching a performance of one of her other children, her baby is kidnapped. The kidnapper wants Bree to help with a crime. Bree has to decide what to do. Very good and I would recommend.

Upgrade I was very excited for this book. I was disappointed. It was an ok read. Certainly not as gripping as some of his others. I was told by one of the bookstore workers that all the DNA science was very accurate. Apparently Blake Crouch had an expert help him with it.

Gone to the Crazies I read this one for book club. It was a very interesting memoir about a high school girl that gets shipped off to a boarding school in Northern California. The school is to help troubled teenagers, but none of the workers are actually trained or educated in psychology. In fact, some are abusive. One of my book club members also attended the school.

Under the Whispering Door hmm, I’m not sure I can describe this one. It has some interesting characters, one of which really grows through the book. It took me a bit to really get into it, but, oh, the ending was worth it. I will continue to read this author.

I’m currently reading Vicious. I’m not too far into it yet, but I think it’s going to be very good.

If you liked Under the Whispering Door, you might really love The House in the Cerulean Sea.

>138 reconditereader: I read that one first for my book club. I did love it! I’m hoping TJ Klune writes many more books. I really like his style.

Vicious I want to read more of VE Schwab. This one had two main characters. Victor and Eli. They are college buddies. While doing their research projects, Eli figures out how to make someone into an EO, and ExtraOrdinary, which is a person with special abilities. They eventually become enemies and the rest of the book is about them hunting each other down. It was an interesting read.

The Diamond Eye A historical fiction book about a real-life sniper in the Russian army during WWII. What a fascinating person she must’ve been! It took me a while to get into the story, but that’s more because I have a lot going on right now, not because of the book. Once I had time to focus on the book, it ended up being very good. I’m so glad I was encouraged to read Kate Quinn by people in this group.

The month of September has been a tough one. I have a very difficult class this year. 21 kiddos, 7 of which are girls. A third of them had a teacher last year who didn’t bother with any classroom management. And boy, do they argue!! With me and each other. I’m exhausted.

I also need foot surgery. I have a screw in my foot that has come loose and needs repaired. A week off work, which doesn’t sound too bad right now, and 4 weeks in a boot. Sure hope I can get back to running once it’s all healed.

Oh no, that's a lot to deal with all at once. I hope you can get the surgery scheduled quickly and that it goes smoothly.

>140 catzteach: Oh, yikes! Do you have a classroom aide that can help when they get out of hand? Sorry about the lose screw. I've never heard of that happening before. I hope it's a quick painless procedure, and that the healing time is minimal.

>140 catzteach:
Sorry for the bad things in September. I hope your food can be quickly sorted out. Good luck with the class.

>140 catzteach: Einaaa! And more sympathy over the kiddos. Hope you get to sleep off the strain while you're off work.

Thanks, all.

The surgery is less complicated than the one in which I acquired the screw. That was to fix a bunion. I’m not sure why or how the screw is coming loose. I just know it’s no longer flush with my bone and there is space around it. I could see both things on the x-ray. Not sure if the doc will take it out and put a new one in or what.

Did I mention The Husband will be getting a new knee in December? I’m hoping I can have my surgery first. I can’t imagine what things will be like if we are gimpy at the same time! :)

>142 clamairy: oh, I wish I had an aide! I do have two Social Emotional Teachers working to help me. They are taking a couple of the kids in the afternoon for short breaks. I did a class reset this week and am just really buckling down with them. I think the majority will respond. But it sure is exhausting!

The weather has been scary nice. It was 84 F (29 C?) today! In my area, we should be almost cold enough to snow this time of year.

someone else’s love story This one wasn’t what I was expecting, but I really liked it! Shandi is a single mom. She is in a Circle K with her son when it gets held up. That’s when she falls in love with William. During the robbery he uses himself to shield Shandi’s son from the robber. She thinks he’s her destiny. He’s not so sure. I really love Jackson’s books. This one started a bit slow but got really good about a third of the way through. Highly recommend.

Gallant I’ve recently become a VE Schwab fan. This is one she wrote for teens. The main character is an orphan. One day the headmistress gives her a letter from her uncle beseeching her to return home to Gallant. She has a journal her mother left her that tells her she will be safe if she stays away from Gallant. Oh, and she can see ghouls. She is lonely and wants a family so she goes. She finds Gallant is also filled with ghouls. And it has another mystery to it. This book was sufficiently creepy for October.

>145 catzteach: Good luck to both you and your husband on the upcoming surgery! Thanks for your efforts with your class, too.

I have a lot going on right now. I’m getting things settled before my foot surgery. I’ll be laid up for only a week, but I feel like there’s so much to get done before Friday! I managed to read a couple of books.

The Forbidden Library This is a kid’s book. It would appeal to 8 to 12 year olds. The main character goes to The Library. She eventually learns she can enter into books and can get powers from them. There is an evil that she is fighting. It was a cute book. I won’t be seeking out any others, though.

Mexican Gothic This one has been recommended in many groups I’m in. I didn’t really like it. I felt it was slow and nothing really happens until the 1/4 of the book or so when the secret of the house is revealed.

I started Fire Keeper’s Daughter two nights ago and am really liking it! I didn’t want to put it down, which is bad because I soooo need the sleep right now. But I love that I’m loving the book!

>149 catzteach: Oh, Firekeeper's Daughter looks good! Adding it to my OverDrive wishlist.

Good luck with that foot!!

>149 catzteach: Firekeeper's daughter was amazing! Glad you are loving it too.

Finished Firekeeper’s Daughter this morning. Oh my gosh! What a good book! I don’t want to give a synopsis because I’ll say too much and spoil it. Highly recommend it, though!

Dragon Rider: The Griffin’s Feather I was disappointed in this one. I loved Dragon Rider and have even used it as a read aloud, which the kids really enjoyed. This second one, though, just didn’t resonate with me.

It’s now Thanksgiving Break. I’m hoping to get some reading done in between appointments and meeting with friends. I’m still recovering from foot surgery so I’ll have to still take things easy.

The Christie Affair I don’t know much about Agatha Christie. I’ve never read one of her books. I tried when I was young but couldn’t get into it. This book is a fictional telling of what happened those days she disappeared. It’s told from the point of view of her husband’s mistress. It’s a very good book. And it made me curious about Agatha. I wonder if I’d be able to read one of her books now. Hmmm

>154 catzteach: You might be interested in her autobiography. An autobiography I found it not only interesting, but charming.

>155 MrsLee: I was thinking of checking out her autobiography. I bet she was an interesting person.

>156 catzteach: I would love to read one or two of the books she wrote of her time in Egypt with her second husband, but they are not easy to find. Not that I've looked terribly hard. Too many other books on my shelves clamoring for attention.

>156 catzteach: I'll add a vote for Agatha Christie's Autobiography. It was a surprisingly enjoyable read. She includes one story about her time in lodgings near one of the archaeological digs where they were experiencing a serious mouse issue. They bring in a cat to resolve the problem and the cat is settling down to hunt the unnecessary vermin amidst too much noise from the human beings. The cat looks over her shoulder at them with a clear expression as Christie notes that says "Hello? I'm trying to work here!!!". It's such a small thing and I'm sure forgettable for many in reaching the book, but I found it indicative of Christie's general sense of humor in the midst of an imperfect environment.

>157 MrsLee: and >158 jillmwo: you two have convinced me! I will be reading Autobiography soon!

>159 catzteach: Me, too! It sounds like my kind of read.

Edited to add: luckily for me it looks like I bought this one for the Kindle back in April. Haha...

Running With Sherman I just finished this delightful book about a man who rescues a little donkey and decides to teach it how to run a marathon. I loved this book! I cried at the end of it. It made me want a donkey. It also made me miss running so much! (Stupid foot.) I think anyone who loves animals would really appreciate this book. Highly recommend it!

>161 catzteach: Uhoh... I'll have to add this to my wishlist.

>162 clamairy: :)

Read Death and the Girl Next Door yesterday. I picked this one from Libby as I wanted to try the Kindle out, and I thought I’d try a new Darynda Jones series. I really like her Sunshine Vicram series and her Charley Davidson series. This series, though, was written for teenagers. It reads like a YA and feels like a YA. It was not her usual witty, funny writing. I was disappointed. It does appear to be among her first published books. I wonder if the later ones are better as she has definitely grown as a writer. She still writes “fluffy” books, they are just more entertaining now.

>164 catzteach: Well at least you got to test drive the Kindle! What did you think?

>165 clamairy: I liked it! Definitely will be used when I read bigger books. It is super easy to buy books, though. That can get dangerous. I’ve already put 5 books on it! :D

Just finished This is how it Always is. It’s the story of a transgender child and how the family helps her be her. It was very good. I need to sit with it for a bit before starting my next read.

>166 catzteach: I read This is how it always is. I too thought it was a good read.

>166 catzteach: & >167 Sakerfalcon: That is going on my wishlist.

Yes, keep track of the purchases. I've forgotten a lot of what I've bought, at this point, and I have to look them up. And if you have Amazon Prime there are those monthly free ones you get to pick, plus all of the classics have free versions!

>166 catzteach: "I’ve already put 5 books on it!"

Oh, you sweet summer child... ;)

As >168 clamairy: says, there are a lot of inexpensive and free sources for e-books. One thing to watch out for on Amazon is re-packaged classics being sold for cheap, ($0.99, $0.49, etc). I usually avoid paying for those by going direct to the source at Gutenberg Press. Adding them to your kindle is not automagical but it's fairly easy to accomplish.

Have just added This Is How It Always Is to my library wish list. Thank you for the BB.

>169 ScoLgo: Yes, let's have her check back in a year and give us her total. *cackle*

Amazon has the free classics, too, but you have to sort by price (low to high) to get at them. I haven't had any trouble with the free Amazon versions, and they load automatically.

>168 clamairy: I do have Prime but have not yet figured out how to find the free ones. I have not done the Kindle Unlimited thing.

>169 ScoLgo: & >170 clamairy: you two are going to be bad influences on me. :)

>171 catzteach: I also have Prime - but not Kindle Unlimited. There are way too many titles available via Overdrive lending for me to consider paying a monthly subscription to read books. My book purchasing budget is mostly reserved for print format. I also figure that I already (gladly) pay property taxes to fund the library system so I may as well avail myself of that resource.

To receive free and bargain e-book content via e-mail, you can subscribe to services such as Bookbub or Book Gorilla.

How's that for bad influence? ;)

>171 catzteach: & >172 ScoLgo: I do not have Unlimited. I would never get anything done. Maybe if I have to be laid up for a while I will give it a try. LOL

To find the free classics you type in the book title name, then click on the kindle edition and then sort the price "Low to High." The Amazon free version should pop up with a cover that looks like this:



They all look similar, but come in different colors on the bottom with cream color on top.

PS Don't forget Book Riot! :o)

>172 ScoLgo: & >173 clamairy: Totally agree on your viewpoint for library use! And now having a Kindle, I won’t even have to leave my house to pick up a book! Although, I love exploring the stacks. I joined Bookbub a while ago. I don’t know if I even remember how to get into my account! I’ll have to check. I think I’ve heard of Book Riot before. So many options! So little time! :)

>172 ScoLgo:, >173 clamairy:, >174 catzteach: A friend of mine has read an unimaginable number of those free books from Project Gutenberg on her Kindle. I would swear she knows more about 19th century novels than any academic I hang out with.

>175 jillmwo: >174 catzteach: & >172 ScoLgo: I'm going to start a thread about this topic.

Finished Blitz last night. Not sure if it’s my brain and all the distractions while reading this, but I thought a good chunk of it was boring. All the Chequey history I could’ve done without. I did like the two storylines, and when it was just those, it was very entertaining.

The Husband’s knee is healing well. He’s already walking with just a cane. The PT guy says they’ll transition to no cane by the end of next week! He’ll be able to drive next week, too.

I’m still in my walking boot. I tried shoes for a couple of days last week. Just too painful yet. I go to the doc tomorrow to see how I’m progressing. I’m kind of bummed because I was hoping to start getting back into running, albeit small amounts, in January. I’m now thinking that won’t happen till at least February. :(

I am grateful that we have the doctors, tools, and replacement parts to fix our issues.

Just finished Ink and Bone. Very good story about an alternative reality here on Earth. It’s set in present times, but the history of the world has been altered. The Alexandria Library is in charge of things. They control the books and, therefore, the knowledge. People are allowed to read books, they just can’t own them. So there are smugglers of books. There are those who oppose the library and are Burners of books. And there are those who are part of the Library system. Jess goes to be part of the Library system and learns more than he wanted to. This was a good read and I’ve already put the second one on hold. :)

>178 catzteach: Oh, interesting! My wishlist is already sixty miles long, but that does look good.

Sorry you aren't recovering as quickly as you'd hoped to. You'll get there. Try to enjoy that extra reading time.

Just finished Legends and Lattes. What a cute book! I hope he writes more. I would highly recommend this one; I know many of you have already read it. :)

Over the Christmas weekend I read three books: Betwixt, Bewitched, and Beguiled. Fast, easy, brain candy reads. But just what I needed for right now. The main character, Defiance, was adopted when she was three. She is now 44 and inherits a house from a total stranger. Turns out the stranger is her grandmother. She then finds out she is a very powerful witch. And then adventures ensue from there. I really liked that the character was 44 before coming into her powers. So many of these books have the person get their powers when they are teens. It was nice to see it be someone older come into their powers. I am now reading the 4th in the series that features Defiance’s best friend as the main character. Shouldn’t take me long to read it, especially if I ignore everything else around me like I’ve been doing. :D

I hope you all had wonderful Christmases and other celebrations!!

Just finished Horrorstor. It was good. Quirky and a bit creepy. Might make a good October book. But, boy, does Grady Hendrix have a thing for rats. He had a scene in The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires with rats that really creeped me out. The one in this book wasn’t as creepy, but it was still rats.

I’ve almost made my goal for the year. I always set an 80 book goal. I’ve read 77. I don’t know if I’ll make it because I do have a few busy days coming up. But it’s still possible. :)

>180 catzteach: Oh, I'm glad you liked it. I think it was tardis who shot me with that bullet, but I vaguely recall that libraryperilous and/or sakerfalcon posted about it first.

>183 clamairy: I knew it was recommended by someone, but I couldn’t remember who. He’s one author that I’ll continue to read.

Moon Called The first of the Mercy Thompson series. Shapeshifters, werewolves, vampires, and lesser fae, what more could you ask for? I think this series is considered urban fantasy but not sure. I enjoyed it and have already downloaded the second one.

I have two days to read two more books to get my goal. Fighting a migraine at the moment, so I don’t know if I’ll be in the mood to read. I’m gonna try, though. :)

Sorry about the migraine. When I have one, audiobooks are the best thing. I can lie there with my eyes closed and listen. The migraines don't make me sensitive to sound, though. Listening is slower than reading with my eyes, but better than not reading :)

>185 tardis: Hmm, I didn’t think about doing that. I’m not usually sensitive to sound too much. It’s light that does me in. Laying in a dark room listening to a book might be just the ticket. Luckily, the Excedrin did its job and the pain is gone for now. That tells me I got to the meds in time. :)

>186 catzteach: Yeah, early medication is critical. I tend not to recognize that I've got a migraine until it is well established, because I don't get an aura and early symptoms tend to feel like sinus. Glad you're feeling better!

>187 tardis: I tend to take the medication as soon as I feel a headache coming on. I just don’t want to take a chance at not getting to it soon enough.

Just finished my 79th book of the year: Loving Edie. The author and her wife got a puppy and got more than they bargained for. Edie has serious anxiety and fear issues. This book is how they were able to help Edie and learn a few things along the way. It was a good story.

I did it! I finished my 80th book! Granted it was a brain candy book so a very easy read, but I did it. :)

Blood Bound the second Mercy Thompson book. I’ll be making my way through this series, especially when I need a fluffier read. Now that I can start my 2023 reading, I can read something with a little more substance.

>189 catzteach: congratulations!

Patricia Briggs is one of my comfort reads, I've enjoyed all of her books that I've read, and I think I've read them all.

That's impressive! Congrats!

>189 catzteach: Isn't it funny how we like to finish off the year with a completed book? I feel the same way. The new year lies ahead so I hope the migraines recede and that all the good books flow like a river to you.

Congrats on a satisfying ending to 2022!