Ruth continues in 2022

I couldn’t think of a catchy subject line.

I’m in the midst of half a dozen good reads, but nothing to report on yet.
We’ve got a winter storm warning today, and it’s beginning to snow. So plenty of time to cozy in and read. Stay tuned.

Oh, and those with spouses should note that today is a women’s holiday:

https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/womens-christmas-nollaig-na-mban-celebrate-ir...

Happy New Year! I hope you stay safe and warm during the storm.

>1 2wonderY: there's nothing like a snowy day to get another comfort read done.

We're expecting rain later.

Happy New Year! Hope you get to read a lot while the winter weather stays ugly.

Welcome, my friends! We already have 4 inches. I thought enough to bring the shovels and broom in from the shed and place them by the front door. Even swept the stoop and steps once. But will brobably wait now till the snowing stops.
Cocoa break!

Happy new year's thread!

I tried to do an entry a few days ago with thumbnail covers and the dang post disappeared after I had worked so hard on it. I will try again tomorrow.

>8 2wonderY: Ugh. I hate when that happens.

Yes, I’ve been pouting ever since.

Okay, deep breath and try again. Perhaps only do one book per entry.

Started with a strong title


Project Hail Mary - 1 was a joy to listen to. I’ve got the print version uploaded as well, because there is lots of action and detail to love. Someone said this is just The Martian again, and that’s somewhat fair. We know that Weir is going to push further than he should. But this is a new problem, the meshing of two alien intelligences, and his creativity shines.

That’s just harder than it should be. (Phone). It’d be easier on laptop, but my connectivity is so slow here. I’ll be going out to the library and campus on a regular basis starting this week, so I may find a cozy corner and do my entries then.

But I really want to catch up today. I wanted a holiday story, and MarthaJeanne had just posted this one -



Christmas at Holiday House - 2 was predictable, but still cozy. I do wish romance writers would give their widows longer mourning time.

Glad you enjoyed it.

This has been on my shelf for a long time. I used to scoop up the old titles by the boxfuls at the annual sale.



Divided: The Story of a Poem - 3 is a pathetic little melodrama. Except for a lovely passage in the middle, which I’ve saved in CK, the story is pretty dull. But the book itself is lovely. Each page spread has a background drawing of a meadow in green ink. I will probably try to re-home it this year.

Nature’s Best Hope - 4 Is a must read!!! I dragged the print book around last year without reading it. It’s a fast audio read. Now I need the physical book again to check his lists. Tallamy’s first book was earthshakingly eye-opening, and this one continues the argument for encouraging native plant species and gives lots of specifics.
I’m thinking of asking at the library to do a display this year encouraging the Homegrown National Park concept.
He did make two generalizations that I objected to from personal experience, but I forgive him those.
1. Trees in the woods don’t fall over because their roots intertwine. He should come walk my woods after an ice storm!
2. Ticks generally stay at waist or below. Uh, I generally find them along my hairline or neck.

A Spindle Splintered - 5 is a novella, and appears to be the first of a planned series of fractured fairytales. It’s written in first person POV and has a strong local voice. I had to text daughter ( they’re friends) to ask a question about the author, it sounded so autobiographical. Strong female characters and lovely, old-fashioned phrasings. And surprise plot turns.

“ There was a time when all the roads and bridges in Pittsburgh had been well maintained. At least, according to her grandfather, they were.”

I’ll be back to explain this quote.

This would earn a giggle or a snort from any Pittsburgher. The roads and bridges in western Pennsylvania are notorious for their crumble and potholes.

So is Spencer making an in-joke here? I think so. I found Bare Snow Falling on Fairywood - 6 as a free read on Baen’s website. Again, a badass female who marks her own path. Since this isn’t fanfic, perhaps I’ll meet Law again in future books.

>18 2wonderY: Yes, Law is going to show up in the sequel to Harbinger if not in Harbinger itself. I'm a Patreon supporter of Wen Spencer and she's very sharing about her writing progress.

We spent a day longer driving through Western PA that I scheduled after our somewhat spontaneous drive to Niagara Falls from Connecticut, trying to get to Georgetown before my brother returned to NY. Well, alas, we missed my brother an had to stay in his large luxurious house without him with only his cook to attend us (it was great!)

>16 2wonderY: Janet (Streamsong) recommended that one, not yet found its way to my shelves.

>16 2wonderY:, >20 fuzzi:

Just as long as you live on the Eastern side of the USA, and have the size of yard he envisions. I found it irrelevant to my situation.

>18 2wonderY: >19 quondame: In Wen Spencer's Patreon update today there is a long scene with Law, tracking Oni up to no good.

>22 quondame: what does it cost to enter?

Attempting to read Elfhome in order, I found Wyvern (2 pages) online. Then read Pittsburgh Backyard and Garden and it’s immediate sequel, Chased by Monsters - 7, contained in Project Elfhome.

For class, I listened to/sorta watched a performance of Right You Are! If You Think So - 8, rather than read the play. The professor was delighted to learn it was available online. It’s a very dated and random assignment to press the point he wanted. I met him briefly after the online class today. He’s an odd duck. But I think we will get along famously.

>23 2wonderY: I just do $2 a month. She gives more content than other authors I support, but that means I'm less likely to get surprised by what's in the books.

I’m returning audiobooks to the library. Neither has engaged me at 9% read. Please, of you think I should follow up another time, tell me.

Chasing Windmills
Under the Whispering Door

I’ve read both authors before.

Tossing back The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart. Ugh.

Sampled Hunger: a memoir of (my) body, enough (12%) to know it’s definitely not for me. It moves rapidly and unapologetically; and I admire the author. But it’s a theme I have no interest whatsoever in exploring. I do have another of her titles in my queue.

My cozy read for the season, and I may come back next winter too, Winter Solstice - 9.

I’ve been reading short bits before sleep for a couple of weeks. Today, I’ve devoted most of the day to finishing Wolf Who Rules - 10. I’m glad it’s mostly Tinker, continued, because Wolf is actually kinda boring in comparison. I’m glad Oilcan got more time in this story. And love the development of other species, the tengu, the half-oni and the dragon.

Went looking for Black’s Why Four Gospels? at the college library. They don’t have it, but I went to the general shelf area and pulled a couple.
Who Wrote the Gospels? - 11 was a quick read, but Helms is very dismissive of both the author origins and the texts. He claims that Luke Is a female, because of the sympathy to women in the text.

Though I skipped around in it, I read enough to count for my totals The Feast of Fools - 12.

I’m giving up on a couple of audiobooks for lack of interest
Strangeworlds Travel Agency at 21%
Not That Bad, after the first two stories. Not that I lack sympathy; I don’t need to return to my own experience.

I gave Not that Bad a high rating, (I hesitate to say that I 'liked' it. You don't like reading this stuff.) What always amazes me is that so many women don't think they have ever been harassed. "71% of women of any age said they had experienced sexual harassment in public spaces." That means that over a quarter are just so used to it that they don't even realize how wrong it is. And it's not just young women affected. Just before covid I was walking through a vegetable store with my walker when a male customer pinched my rear end! It's probably not fair to the store, but I have no intention of ever going back. A few seconds later I slammed my walker onto him.

>18 2wonderY: Pittsburghers we’re not entirely surprised this morning when the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed. It is was a two lane bridge on Forbes Avenue, which is a main thoroughfare (sp) on that side of town. Fortunately, it seems to have been a slow motion collapse and there seem to be only minor injuries. Rescuers had to rappel down to a city bus and human chain the riders up to safety.

It crossed a walking trail in Frick Park. They’re sending drones under to make sure there was nobody underneath. Praying that is so.

Built 50 years ago




I’m leaving the second photo a larger size to include details.

This is near where two siblings live.

>35 2wonderY: thankful that it wasn't worse.

It’s been a while since I’ve found books that I could dwell in for hours at a time. I’m in the middle of Elfhome. I’m loving the newly introduced cadre of characters and the development of Oilcan.
It just earned the tag ‘right living’ with Riki saying to Oilcan: “This is trying to do the right thing so I can live with what I had to do.”

>35 2wonderY: Holy cow that is scary!

>38 lesmel: I’ve been trying to imagine being in one of those vehicles. I’m surprised the news people don’t have interviews yet.

175 bridges (11%) in that county are rated in Poor condition. And this one was not considered the worst of them!

Spent the day reading.



Book 3, Elfhome - 13. Very satisfying!

>39 2wonderY: But we inspected it in September!

>39 2wonderY: There's some sort of article/expose/paper/something that condemns the US highway/road infrastructure. After that collapse in Minneapolis, a lot of talking heads were screaming about improvements. The thing I took away from all of it was don't trust the road you are driving on. Even if it isn't bridge. There's a good chance it hasn't been properly repaired since it was first built.

I found the Elfhome wiki:

https://elfhome.fandom.com/wiki/Elfhome_Wiki

but it’s incomplete.
quondame, is Discord another name for Stormsong?

>43 2wonderY: Isn't Discord a dragon? I'm probably not the one to ask, my memory not being there most of the time.

I’m reading the shorts in Project Elfhome, and they are all over the timeline. I’m going to have to draw some diagrams.

I wonder who is depicted on the cover. Is that Jane Kryskill?

Stayed up late to finish Project Elfhome - 14. I haven’t heard the first “younse” in any of the stories!
I’m going to try to take a break before I move on to Wood Sprites.

And I finished Cousin Kate - 15 on audio. I did not enjoy the narrator. She made Kate sound whinier than necessary. It might also be a weakness of the author. For such a plucky, self sufficient young woman, too many things distressed her. Aunt Matilda was a worthy opponent and the relationship between Phillip and Lord Timothy was very nice.

>47 2wonderY: Kate has never seemed whiny to me. Yes, now and then a bit depressed, however considering what she has had to deal with, that is certainly allowed. But she generally pulls herself together and moves on.

>46 2wonderY: Well, authors don't have a lot of control over their covers, so yes, that's probably Jane.

Okay, I couldn’t leave it alone. April does say “yinz” in Wood Sprites.

The Automobile Girls at Newport - 16. I finally got around to reading one of my tattered lovelys. Actually it was just this side of okay. Babs deals with a jewel thief.

But it seems I’ve gotten the knack of sustained reading back. Thanks be! There are so many unread books still.

My brother in law sent me this meme:
(that’s a pothole)

>51 2wonderY: yippee! Glad you're out of the slump.

>47 2wonderY: I think I liked Cousin Kate more than you did. I debated between 3 1/2 and 4 stars, finally gave it the extra half star.

I've seen many reviews of audio books that indicated the reader's like/dislike was influenced by the narrator.

I probably heard of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels - 17 from tardis. It was pure fluff and fun. It certainly confused the term ‘conventional.’

Somebodies in The Green Dragon we’re talking about


So I sampled it and was easily sucked in.
Blood Price - 18 seems to have been her first novel; and it has its flaws. The character relationships are so dysfunctional and not appealing. The technicalities of plot are astonishingly vague. At 56% read, my interest has faltered. I think I will forge ahead to see whether it improves, but I offer no guarantee. I’m reading it on my phone screen, which is uncomfortable.
I have read Huff’s recent Emporium books and enjoyed them a lot.

Midnight in Washington - 19 is long and sometimes tedious on audio, but I like his measured and reasonable tone. Glad I saw it through.

Now I need to find something to see me through the drive back to KY.

>55 2wonderY: Oh, that's sitting on my Kindle - it boggles a bit that an author could be confused about what's conventional.

>56 2wonderY: I just finished that one.

>57 2wonderY: Now that's Horror.

>58 quondame: I don’t think the author is confused. She just turns the idea of conventional on its head.

I lost my glasses for an hour or so this morning. I had been putting things away all over the house, from my WV trip. I can function in the house without them, but I can’t see very far, and can’t drive without them.
I kept retracing my steps and looking in the usual places. FINALLY found them tangled in the laptop cord I had put away.

I'm constantly searching for my glasses. Who keeps hiding them?

>60 2wonderY: >61 MarthaJeanne: A pretty constant problem and I'm near blind without glasses. In the last few years I have been much better about habitually putting them in one or two places, but they still fall or I fail.

Before surgeries, they were only ever on my nose or on the table next to the bed.

Instead of watching the film assigned for class, I sampled first seasons of Resident Alien and The Orville. Though I like Alan Tudyk, I was somewhat repulsed by the attitude of the former. The latter, a parody of Star Trek, is some better.

>63 2wonderY: me too.

I've been pretty good about putting them back in their case when they're not on the top of my head, but then I misplace the case...

...a small price to pay for having cataracts removed. :)

Randomly found Figure Fantasy - 20 today at a flea market. I’ve recently been picking up second hand action figures for play with T and the dollhouse. So this was just fun.

Randomly stumbled upon? I see that tardis mentioned it. It’s about a library…



Last Chance Library - 21 is kinda pathetic, kinda okay. Character development was flimsier than it could have been.

I scrambled to add audio books before I drove across state last weekend.



Shards of Honor - 22 is an old favorite. I chose it because I struck out on a list from my wishlist.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day



A Civil Campaign - 23. Thoroughly enjoyed the dinner scene once more, and lingered with Miles and Ekaterina when her brother in law forbade them seeing each other.

>69 2wonderY: I love the reset button. It's surely true that we can and do go on.

Clearing the Libby decks, tossing back
101 Dalmatians 34% too cutesy.
The Devil You Know - at 11% I recall I’ve read it and don’t find the humor promised, again.
The Sentence - 25%, the protagonist is only slightly interesting to me.

There will probably be a few more.

>71 2wonderY: I still love The Hundred and One Dalmatians, reread it recently, but do not care for the Disney movie. As a child it led me to the book, but I've never felt a desire to revisit the cartoon due to how it butchered the story.

Perhaps it depends at what stage of life one reads it. I’ve gotten impatient.

Sampled Call for the Dead - 39%. It plods along and I find I’m not interested.
However, I’m listening to my first Jeeves book and I’m delighted.

Jeeves is so much fun!

>68 2wonderY: I still have the paperback (unread) of the combined first and second book of that series. I think you are the one the prompted me to find it. Hrm. I should put it on my nightstand and read it a bit at a time.

>75 lesmel: I also encourage reading anything by Lois McMaster Bujold.

>76 quondame: The Curse of Chalion!!

>75 lesmel: I enjoyed those two books the most of any from that series.

>77 fuzzi: My favorite non-Tolkien fantasy book. It displaced The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.

My favorite Vorkosigan book is Memory.

>78 quondame: I'm not familiar with the Eld book. Ouch.

>79 fuzzi: Heh! Isn't that what LT's for?

>80 quondame: eyup. In the last few years I've been introduced to works by Lois McMaster Bujold, Robin Hobb, Martha Wells, Jeanne Birdsall, Robin McKinley, and Hammond Innes...all of which I enjoyed reading!

Stopped in the local library for some research; and they still have their Valentine’s Day display of romances up. Why not? It’s still February.



Not Like the Movies - 24 is well done. It’s a self referential romantic comedy. Chloe’s friend, Annie, has written a successful screenplay based on a fictional romantic outcome between Chloe and her boss, Nick. Winfrey gets the essence of love perfectly right. I’ve saved a few quotes on the work page that distill it.
I will go back and read the first book about Annie’s romance.

The supermarkets already have Easter displays up, and it isn't even Lent yet.

Well, they have to fill those shelves with the next thing. I think I need me some Peeps!

Blakes 7: Blood and Earth - 25, just because it’s Aaronovitch. But I didn’t really care for it. He is much better writing in his own universe.

Carry On, Jeeves - 26 was lots of fun.

Discontinuing The Raphael Affair at 46%. It’s just not holding my interest.

Revisited Working for Bigfoot - 27. Good, as ever.

I tried to watch a film about the life of Mary, mother of Jesus. Full of Grace was too artsy and disjointed to bear. It starts near the end of her life. For some reason, she is making a mound of rocks, one per day. John is not around, but she sends for Peter. He is indecisive. Really?

From the NYT:
(the article includes photos of various collections owned by staff)
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/movies/worst-person-in-the-world-generation-x...

I don’t think of myself as a shopper, but the truth is that in my time on this earth I’ve rarely been able to walk past a book or record store without going in, or to walk out empty-handed. I’ve surrounded myself with things, the most precious of which have been scratched, scribbled in, lent out or given away. As Aksel says, “I’ve spent my life doing that — collecting all that stuff,” but not because of its monetary or even its sentimental value. Those objects begin as vessels of meaning and tokens of taste, but their acquisition becomes a kind of compulsion, emptied of its original passion. “I kept doing it when it stopped giving me the powerful emotions,” Aksel reflects. “Now it’s all that I have left: memories of useless things.”

Waiting for Tom Hanks - 28 is the book prior to >82 2wonderY: and was supposed to be funnier. I've decided to quit at 75% read. It's not funny. It's kinda sad. The main character is being too pigheaded about her fantasy true love. Ick. The other returning characters are not at all developed. Nobody is interesting. Can't see what the two love interests see in the main character.

>88 2wonderY: I really like the one-off stories from Butcher.

I tried to watch The Rise of Skywalker. Is it just me? These later films do a terrible job of telling a story. They just focus on darkness and doubt. Anyway, the library wanted it back.

>93 2wonderY: I would rewatch the original three (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, The Return of the Jedi) in a heartbeat.

I've seen all the others, wouldn't rewatch any of them, I was that disappointed.

ETA: I never did watch The Rise of Skywalker, my film buff son recommended I skip it, and he's usually right about what I would enjoy.

The Last Bookshop in London - 29 turned too mawkish at the end. Spoiled an otherwise okay story.

DCing The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto at 25%. I came across it looking for another book, same title. I know I should finish it, but I don’t have the concentration right now.

The Best Bear in All the World - 30

Very fun new stories in the Woods, to celebrate a 90th anniversary. Loved especially their ramble up the river, looking for it’s “sauce.”

Looks like I’m giving up on The Grendel Affair at 5% read, as it expires today.

I’m also quitting The Hatmakers at 7%, as it’s failing to engage me.

I’m frustrated that I seem unable to download ebooks to my iPad. I’ve got Wi-Fi today, so I will try again.

>98 2wonderY: Not being able to download ebooks would put me in a panic, notwithstanding a loveseat buried in library volumes.

I’ve done it twice. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.

>100 2wonderY: Once logging out of Amazon and logging back in helped me.

I’m thinking I need to do that with Libby. But I don’t remember a password.

Double check your Libby settings are allowing for cellular downloads. Occasionally, I have to reset the setting if Libby gets an app update.

My iPad is not being helpful, so I finally read You Sexy Thing - 31 on my phone. It was blessedly, not a long book, and I’m glad to meet this universe. It does recall Becky Chambers, with a sentient ship and a collection of various species. I will look for the next installment. Though Niko and Dabry are the lead characters, Atlanta’s point of view is very important too. She is learning a lot from this gang or family. And so is the ship.

quondame told me where to find the new Elfhome novella this morning. Found and finished Monsters In Our Midst - 32. Glad to spend more time with Jane and her extended family. I want to enlist in Hal’s Heroes.

I hankered for some Spider Robinson; but rather than pick up a book, I pulled an audio from the library. I picked Calahan’s Con - 33, which I’ve only read once before. It’s at the end of the series, and not a favorite.

I sampled The Greatest Beer Run Ever. I will probably wait for the film. It’s written by the beer runner, with some help. The writing doesn’t measure up to the story itself.

My audio choices are thinning for some reason. For my car trip, I downloaded a couple of Barbara Hambly titles I haven’t yet explored.
Nightlily - 34 was a short Star Wars dramatization. I don’t recommend it.
Good Man Friday - 35 is late in the Benjamin January series. It was an acceptable read, but I’m not taken by the characters enough to read another. Odd, I love the Winterlands characters.

>107 2wonderY: I really liked the early Benjamin January novels. I gave up after Days of the Dead, but have considered continuing on.

I borrowed a thought from MarthaJeanne and listened to The Convenient Marriage - 36 on the drive home. It’s quite a mix of frank talk and embarrassment by Horatia. Luckily, most secrets don’t stay secrets for long.

Sampled How to Pronounce Knife, immigrant stories. Read 11%

>110 2wonderY: I like that one.

>111 quondame: I may have picked it up because of that.

This one has been laying around for a long while. Hide and Seek - 37 is a first person story of a Dutch Jewish youngster who survived the Nazi invasion with her family. It’s target audience is children; it’s a Scholastic publication. Confusingly, the heroine is called Rachel, so is it fictionalized? But at the very end it lists all the family members that died and at which camps. Not as powerful as I expected.

Three Ordinary Girls - 38 was a much more intense book than the last. Recent non-fiction about the Dutch Resistance during the Nazi Occupation.

I had a hankering to listen to Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, and the only book available was False Value - 39. I put a hold on a couple that are new or not quite released.

Looking for something by another author named Wright, there were all sorts of suggestions. I sampled several, and settled on The 13th Day of Christmas - 40. It was a good choice. No suspense; plenty of heart.

Only half listened to Cozy Minimalist Home - 42 while doing jobs around the house and yard. Not sure where I heard of it. It’s just okay. I don’t really need any help on this subject, as I love my spaces.

We’re essentially done in class with The Meaning of Jesus - 43. It’s a polite debate between Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright. Borg is a self-absorbed ass. I don’t know how he acquired any credibility for his poorly reasoned arguments. If he can’t fathom a belief in the ressurection, well that must mean it didn’t really happen. Wright is much more in line with what I understand in Christian theology. And his arguments seem steadier.

Nick Offerman is a fine companion when he’s reading one of his books. Not so much when he’s live on stage. All Rise: Audio Perambulation - 44 is too raunchy for my taste. His humor seems to rely on the size of his private parts and bad language, and going on about how prayer doesn’t affect the natural world. Then he started a line about nuns and sex, and I was done. It really put me off him.

The Rocking Chair Rebellion - 45 was on the top of a short stack that has no home after bringing from WV. It has always looked like a good story. And for the late 1970s, it probably was. But Opie’s (Penelope) journalism ticks and her mother’s attitude were annoying. Her mom has already decided that Opie (age 14) should decide to be an English teacher and hates the time her daughter spends volunteering at an old folks home. The rebellion itself is a good development, but nosey neighbors take it to court. Ugh.

Abandoning The Nightjar - 46 at 40% read, but taking credit for it. The plot seemed just strung together like beads on a cord and the characters were stuck without growth. Not all that interesting either.

Ha! As one reviewer puts it - delete the main character and you’d have a better book.

Listened to Eudora Welty read One Writer’s Beginnings - 47 and was charmed. This is a recording of three lectures later printed in book form.

I stayed in the attic at daughter’s house, as that’s where the spare bed is. 18 yo Olivia rules that domain, and it’s frankly the only bedroom I can stand. The other two grands rooms are pigsties. Livy is clean and organized.

But I came here to talk about Elly. The landing up to the attic is where we assembled IKEA bookshelves for the childrens books. Only nobody browses them. I pulled Eight Cousins and slipped a $5 bill at the end of the second chapter; told Elly she could have it and it was a time limited offer. She took me up on it and was quickly in love with Rose and Phoebe.

Leadership in War - 48 Was a good overview. Though I do think he shortchanged Hitler and Stalin’s raw abilities. I’ve read about Churchill and de Gaulle previously, this author added some perspective. I learned a lot about Napoleon.

Returning a couple, having sampled them to about 25%

Yearbook
One Last Stop

If I do this frequently enough, I will claim numbers read.

I’m all of a sudden awash in audiobooks that I really want to dive into. So I’m returning two more that I sampled to about 25%

Marrying the Ketchups - hadn’t really gotten all the main characters together yet.
The Pigeon Tunnel - I do like this, but I can’t focus on it now. - 49

>125 2wonderY: I enjoyed reading One Last Stop. What made it fail for you?

>127 quondame: Part is on me. I can concentrate best in the car, and I listened at home, so lost track. But though the characters promised, they just didn’t come alive for me. I was curious about Jane, but she was scarce at the beginning.
You know I follow your thread partly because I’m willing to follow where you lead.😊

>128 2wonderY: I'm flattered. Mostly I'm just chasing after what looks tasty at the moment - though I've been working on a 1001 based TBR list in order not to repeatedly see a title I've repeated told myself I'll get to 'eventually', but to have a plan and to pull titles from the list as I fancy and as they may meet one or another challenge. So far I've collected about 150 titles which I'll sieve through a different 1001 list and then run checks against evaluations by other trusted LT readers.

Sampled Eating to Extinction, but it’s expiring, so letting it go back. It repeats a story I’ve read elsewhere and is depressing.



Fated - 50 has been on my radar for a while as an urban fantasy (London). It held my attention adequately, but it’s pretty boilerplate fantasy. It’s only nominally tied to the location, and I wouldn’t label it urban fantasy myself.

Amongst Our Weapons - 51. Finally, a new meaty Peter Grant story! Leslie, the Angel of Death, and the twins are born.

>131 2wonderY: Oh goody! My largest library system reports that a copy may be available in about 2 week.

Ernie Pyle in England - 52. Not as interesting as I had expected.

>133 2wonderY: well, bummer. I just asked you if you liked it in one of your other threads...never mind.

Listened to 10% of Freezing Order. It’s interesting, but I’m gonna let the borrow lapse without renewing it.

>131 2wonderY: I listened to Amongst Our Weapons again, because I had listened at home and lost some of the story thread and details first time. Smith pronounced Aaronovitch differently than previous. Instead of the main accent on the second syllable, he placed on the third. Hmmm.

Somehow, in my decade or more, half a lifetime ago, of collecting and reading Heinlein, I missed Between Planets - 53. It is merely okay.

>137 2wonderY: I've missed that one, too. Guess I won't chase after it, though.

I think someone here mentioned the second James Bowen book, so I went and sampled A Street Cat Named Bob. Returned it at 22% read.

Don’t feel bad if I don’t finish items that you liked. I’m a chronic grazer. I worked at a public library for about 5 years, and my psyche was perfectly satisfied handling and sampling hundreds of books a day.

>137 2wonderY: Oh I love the move-overs. Between Planets is my favorite Heinlein juvenile.

>140 quondame: I might should have found the book in print. Yes, they’re a nice species; and so are the Venusian dragons. And “Grandma” was a good character.
All the other juveniles are familiar, but I’d have to put hands on them to decide which I like best. They are still on the upper hall bookshelf in WV. I will crack some open again when I’m there next week. It’s been too long.
Daughter has asked to own that entire bookshelf, and I keep waiting for her to say she’s ready. Last winter, I brought the Spider Robinsons to KY; not wanting them to be alone another year.

>141 2wonderY: I've been working on the Heinlein juveniles for a couple years since I found a bunch at a FOL book sale. Tunnel in the Sky was the best read so far.

Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking - 54. Sometimes I get around to books on my wishlist. This has been on for two years. Cute.

Sampled through chapter 5 and sending back The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum. Author has a nice touch with personal details of wardrobe, but the characters don’t rise from 2 dimensions.

At halfway, I’m returning Save the Cat. Snyder boasts of his multimillion dollar deals and drops names like popcorn; but he only sold two screenplays in his life; films I’ve never heard of. Disney films! He has some interesting takes, and built a career propounding them in the industry.

Tales from the Folly - 55 is a re-read. One of the shorts sent me back into the early part of the series for another re-read.

Foxglove Summer - 56 was that re-read. The story and other characters sit better in my memory now.

I was right about pronouncing Aaronovitch, second syllable. I wonder why the change in the newest audio.

>144 2wonderY: Wikipedia says he sold 13 screenplays. I remember watching Stop or My Mom Will Shoot. Seems only two of his scripts made it to the big screen.

>147 lesmel: I sit corrected. The book has some entertainment value. He presents scripts from a different, but functional angle. But I only picked it up in passing, looking for a similarly titled book.

Heaven’s River - 57 has been sitting in son-in-law’s Audible library, waiting for me. He always appreciates new authors and series I recommend, so the favors are mutual. There was a whole lot af work and hardship to get to chapter 29…

and then it twists!
Going back to re-listen to the climax and denouement.

Returning The Ladies of Grace Adieu at 15% read. I must have been misled by the pretty cover. I have not read the first book in the series and am not attracted to it.

I picked up a 3-in-1 romance book last time I was at the thrift store. Hey, they moved the books display to right next to the entrance.

I’ve read the first novella, and wasn’t impressed. But the second one has a bit more promise. The first is The Boden Birthright - 58.

I used to love books full of home design ideas, and spent lots of time inside them. Not so much anymore. Partly it’s the old eyes and another part is I finally have styled my own space satisfactorily.



But I still pull them out once in a while. The lovely cover of this one made me take it home from the library. And I finally did get through the whole thing, pictures and text.
Salvage Style - 59. It has just a few outstanding ideas.

I need to return this to my neighbor. It’s about her ancestors; I don’t know the intervening lineage, but her first name, Alida, appears in each generation.*



The Astor Orphans: A Pride of Lions - 60 is well written and absorbing. It covers their childhoods, but follwed them through adulthood as well. Actual last name is Chanler. Their mother was an Astor.

The book was fascinating, but ultimately unsatisfying. The individual stories were left unfinished, dropped at 1900. But the story of Armstrong (Archie) - locked up in an insane asylum - especially needed finished. I had to google to find the rest of his story. He escaped and wrote much. His interests in education and rural development are more interesting than his brothers’ adventures, but not addressed here. John Armstrong Chaloner
William Astor Chanler was an African explorer. The author got hands on the unpublished manuscript of his scientific cartographer, Ludwig von Höhnel.

*Alida’s mother was a Chanler. She lived her first nine years in New York before her parents moved them out to San Francisco.

Whenever one of you likes a book, I go check out the author and try to download an audio title to sample.

I think that’s where these two came from.
The Secrets of Love Story Bridge and The Cottages on Silver Beach - 61 Didn’t finish either, but cumulatively, it was enough for another tick.

Oh, also sampled The Thursday Murder Club.

RaeAnne Thayne could well have been from me.

But not the other two.

A Soil Owner’s Manual - 62 is a slim volume, but is just what I’ve been looking for. He clearly and simply presents the biological piece of soil science and defines new rules for maintaining soil health. I think he’s a government employee in North Dakota as well as a farmer. I’ve been hearing of progress in that part of the country.

I’ve got another book in the wings that should build on this one.

I’m enamored of N. T. Wright. I should have started reading him earlier. God and the Pandemic - 63 is brief, but rich. Chapter 4, especially, is worth meditating on. Wright focuses on our responsibility to help bring the kingdom to fruition, here on this world. God is working with us to accomplish it.

>157 2wonderY: Ordered to pick up next week. Thank you.

According to the author page I have 36 of his books entered. Not enough.

@MarthJeanne, you came to mind immediately while I browsed through a library book, Biblio-Style. It features notable libraries, and I know you would love to browse the one owned by Jordana Munk Martin. She inherited two collections focused on fabric, and opened it to the public in 2017. The book calls the place “Tatter;” but it is more properly named “Blue.”

https://tatter.org/blue-library/

Her favorite book? Blue Traditions.

I just glanced at the library receipt. At the bottom it tells me I just saved $73.93 borrowing three books rather than buying them.

>159 2wonderY: Ha ha! I may need to own this book I just borrowed. Shed Decor is so much fun! I shall see if I can get my fill of these pictures.

>159 2wonderY: What an interesting library - I maybe own 50 fiber titles, I could get so lost in Tatter-Blue.

Alas, the only style on my Kindle is the cover, though the 10' high shelves in my living room make a loud statement about my prior devotion to paper books.

Returning Excellent Women, tried to 10%, but not engaged, and four people are waiting for it.

>158 MarthaJeanne: Now I'm upset. God and the Pandemic is dedicated to Simon Barrington Ward, former Bishop of Coventry, who led a wonderful retreat for my church over twenty years ago. He died of COVID in 2020, which I just found out from the dedication. He taught us about the Jesus Prayer.

>163 MarthaJeanne: Oh, that is sad. But nice to know you and Wright shared in esteeming him. Your reading will have an extra piquancy.

Got my outdoor chores done before it got fierce out there. Spent the rest of the day relaxing inside and actually reading a tattered tome.



Doll Cottage - 64 is a lovely coming of age story from the 1930s, and it’s a young woman who discovers her direction and learns how to make it work.

I’ve only paged through it so far, but I went hunting for it today in order to make sure it’s available as needed in my family and community.
New Handbook for a Post-Roe America.
I hate that we are here. How dare anyone tell me what I can or can’t decide about my body and fertility. It’s nobody else’s business.

The staff at Barnes & Noble and again at Half-Price Books were not immediately aware of the title (B&N had just the one copy, Half-Price had none.). But it went on their need to order more list right away.

The second romance novella was a bit better than the first. A Lady of Esteem - 65. It had a cute and subtly drawn alliance of the servants in a few households. They worked quietly to facilitate Amelia’s interests.

Abandoning Kill City Blues at 23%. It’s not the first in the series, and the characters didn’t catch my interest. also, from the Pride hunt, I tried Red, White and Royal Blue - ew! Kinda nasty mouthed.

Most of what I’ve got on my Libby shelf is ebooks and I need to stop at the library to get them downloaded onto the iPad.

I loved the original Star Wars films, was just okay with the later prequels, and I’m downright confused by the Disney sequels. But I’ve picked up some of the 6” action figures, so I feel obliged to learn something about the stories.



Behind the Scenes Rogue One - 66 helped. I may donate it back to the library where I spent 50cents to bring it home.

Yes, Red White and Royal Blue was not one of my favourite reads either. Luckily I have it in LT, or I would have picked it up again.

I skimmed this biography before I added it to the discard pile. It’s interesting, but I don’t need to keep it.

Tchaikovsky 1840-1893 - 67 has lots of illustrations, most interesting photos of his childhood home and his country home. Also, I love the old family photos. Interesting life story.

Lovely book through and through! The text is almost as much fun as the photos. Several times, I used my magnifier to read spines from these bookshelves.



Biblio-Style - 68 and 69. Such pretty spaces! Pretty books! International survey of mostly private collections, but also some museums, libraries and bookstores. Occasional two page spreads on specialty collections, such as diminutive books.

Huh. I just read the other reviews, and the majority take is this is just boasting by the 1% wealthy people. I didn’t see that at all. These homes are just a little more expansive than mine.

The last of the romance novellas is At Your Request - 70, and is by far the weakest story. None of the characters acts believably and the resolutions are too easy and pat.

I will take a credit for reading enough of Peony - 71 to summarize it.

I like the occasional romance, but the audio narrator can be cloying. That’s the case here.



I chose Legacy of Love - 72 to see whether this author has a consistent positive use of servants in the story. Disappointing. The main character is a paid companion. The only thing other servants do is make sure Sarah gets plenty of cake. Very formulaic.

The Diary of a Bookseller - 73 has been a year long, almost daily visit in a small Scottish town. It really is a journal, starting with the tally of online orders, books found, and ending with the till total and number of customers that day. In between those numbers are just notes of what happened in the bookshop or environs and brief commentary about people and books. He started the journal with a reference to Black Books, and in October, Dylan Moran walks in and makes a purchase.😄. It’s a soothing listen, and we give a cheer when books found equals books ordered. We also get a real feel for the seasonality of the business. Recommended.

Okay, I’m done with Kristi Ann Hunter. She has only mildly interesting servant characters after all.



A Noble Masquerade - 74 is waaay too long and drawn out. I’m quitting at 82%. I no longer care what happens to either of them. Ryland is posing as Miranda’s brother’s valet while spying for the crown, tracking down traitors and informants working for France. So there’s that aspect of servanting. And then, in his marquis household, he has gathered a crew of extremely loyal and capable staff. But they are not utilized in the storyline. Too bad.

I’ve got a corner full of discards in the second bedroom. I dragged them out today to consider where to send them. Huh. Still some books from the discontinued Little Free Library, donations from other people. Honest, I rarely read straight romances.



Diamond Bay - 75 is trashy, but the characters were worth spending the time. A good beach read.

I’m lounging inside today, enjoying the second day of rain. The air smells so good!

>177 2wonderY: I know this thread isn't in 75 Books Challenge for 2022, but you sometimes are, so congratulations on 75 books read!

>178 quondame: Thank you Susan. I’ve been pushing myself this year to get back to my pre-Trump, pre-Covid, pre-eye surgery yearly counts of 160 or so.

>179 2wonderY: I hope you make it!

Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest and Pooh Goes Visiting and Pooh and Piglet Nearly Catch a Woozle

I’ve never actually read the Pooh stories. I find them very sweet and soothing and smiley. These are going to T’s box of books at her house.

>181 2wonderY: ooh! Glad you discovered Pooh. We had the series of books as children, and I can still quote some of the poetry.

>181 2wonderY: >182 fuzzi: I too grew up with Pooh, Piglet and what Tigger's liked and didn't like. I had the cutest little Agnes Brush Piglet and Kanga and Roo - before the dog did for them.

A Cathedral Courtship - 86 has been sitting enticingly out in the library room. I finally enjoyed it. Wiggins’ storytelling is sweetly done. This 1901 edition (improved from the 1893 version, as attested by both the author and the characters) supposedly had illustrations, but someone removed them.🤨

From the LT Pride hunt, I listened to 40% of Over the Top. I know he’s young, but we’re still examining his childhood. It’s probably best if I quit here.

Also sampled
Convenience Store Woman 7%
The Water Will Come 4%

Liv and I stopped at three libraries Monday, dropping off donations at two; just enjoying the collections at the third. Liv borrowed a YA novel and finished it the next day. She has severe dyslexia, so it was a fun accomplishment for her.



I checked out their gardening shelf. Not much there, but I brought home Floret Farm’s Discovering Dahlias - 87 for perusal. I don’t really like the classic pompom/ball form, but I’ve recently discovered there are some much better choices. I came home with a bucket of tubers last month, variety unknown. So now I have a reference when they bloom.

I learned that I should have separated the tuber clusters and I need to pinch the stems and stake the plant. I will also try to root cuttings.
Dahlias are categorized by flower form (20 of them), size (8) and color (11 of them). Some of the colors are quite nice.

Since I have heavy clay soil, and have lost several plants that should have been winter hard, I would have to dig the tubers up each fall and store them. Guess I'm not going to be growing dahlias anytime soon.

>187 MarthaJeanne: I will see if I like these. I wouldn’t normally bother to dig every fall, but they can rapidly be divided and create more. I like that idea.

Very Far Away from Anywhere Else - 88 is a successful story about friendship, introversion, teen psychology. The writing is exquisitely balanced, making the main character feel real and sympathetic. This from a youth of the 70s. I’m curious whether it would speak as clearly to this generation.

Powerful Perennials. I’m not taking a tick for this, but I did thumb through it’s entirety. The only item I haven’t tried and was attracted to is painted daisies.

Oh, and the author mostly focuses on the Rocky Mountains. She lives in Utah.
And her plant descriptions are written from the first person perspective - the plant speaking for itself. That’s annoying.

The Grief of Stones - 89 on audio. I missed some of the details, but I liked the warming friendship with Honoria (sp?)

Only a third of the way into this one, but I know I’ll finish it, and want to add commentary.



Peacock and Vine - 90. The title is a reference to the motifs both artists (William Morris and Mariano Fortuny) used in their works, I think.

Byatt begins with discussions of the homes/workspaces of the artists. First the Red House, Kelmscott Manor and then Palazzo Pesaro Orfei. At the end of the Venetian chapter, she lapses into a full discussion of Morris and his list of craft skills, particularly gilding. Someone should have edited more strictly, as it was jarring and confusing.

Very glad to be introduced to Fortuny!! Look him up and admire his fabrics and paintings of fabrics. I pant with admiration.
More later possibly.

I’m taking credit for this as a book. I abandoned the book in 2019 as too grim. The film was too, though blessedly shorter. I did like the unexpected resolution though.



The Bookshop - 91. Based on the book by the same name written by Penelope Fitzgerald. Interestingly, the film captured my head pictures from my reading of the book. I did not know the connection until I noticed that aspect.

Approaching the end of Downton Shabby - 92, and have to record the Hopwood family motto. “By Degrees”

It perfectly reflects the work pace to restore the ancestral manor house. Though the first half of the book is more about the dawning of commitment and getting himself over there from his life in Los Angeles; it’s all a good narrative.

>192 2wonderY: Byatt recounts a formative influence to Fortuny’s absorption with fabrics. His mother had a trunk full of ancient fabrics which she would open and show guests. The writer Henri de Regnier described it briefly in one of his books. (pg 52)
Ha! I have a trunk or two for that express purpose; though I open them for my own pleasures. Never considered it an entertainment to share. But my middle granddaughter will be coming for a visit soon. And she would appreciate the exercise, I think.

Another item that Byatt states that I found interesting is her obsession with Work. “E. M. Forster once remarked sagaciously that novelists do not give work the importance it has in real life, not as much as love and death. And here I had not one but two obsessive workers, endlessly inventive, endlessly rigorous, endlessly beautiful. They both made the place where they lived identical with the place where they worked. They were both hands-on…”
She goes on, but you get the idea. I will now have to examine fiction as to whether work is given adequate attention. Because she’s right.

At the end, she lists the Morris designs she’s got in her own home; chosen for her visual response and not his name or fame. She discovered Fortuny later and the connections these mens works made in her head result in this set of essays. It’s not scholarly, though there is plenty of knowledge shared. It’s a personal meditation.

>195 2wonderY: Most of my rather large fabric stash is pretty utilitarian if you're into plain linen and wool, but I have purchased a bit here and there for pure wonder and beauty, like a quarter yard of lampas or a half yard of silk satin ribbon just for fondling.

I’ve got plain good fabrics too, and they have their own pleasures - texture, color, just good quality all around. But I do have a tub that has embroidered or beaded or patchworked pieces.
What is lampas?

Wizard’s Hall - 93. I’m glad this was brief. It got to its point quickly, without extraneous stuffs. I like Jane Yolen, but I’m fatigued with wizarding schools.

>197 2wonderY: A fancy figured silk. It used to be made with gold or silver covered threads, but my bit is just silk. It has complex warps for color changes, so is like brocade but the technique makes both sides usable. Nowadays it its mostly high end upholstery.

>174 2wonderY: Legacy of Love came in an anthology titled The Christmas Heirloom. Though I was dissatisfied with the first story, I went on to the second.

Gift of the Heart - 94 was better, and by a different author. However, all four stories here are linked by a family brooch, so I will probably read the other two as well. This one has nice characters and a fairly obvious bible link. Ruth is a young widow moving to town with her daughter Naomi. She rents a small house from Beauregard (Bo) Asland. Though not a key part of the story, Ruth actually sleeps in his bed one night at his invitation, while he spends the night in a hotel. There may be other parallels that I missed.

I have no idea where I heard of A Suitable Boy. It truly doesn’t sound to my tastes, especially the length at 1500 pages. But I seem to have ordered a version of the story - A Suitable Boy: BBC Radio 4 Full-cast Dramatisation at just 5 hours duration. But it is noisy and offers very few reference points, so I’m dismissing it.

Oh, I think I heard a podcast by the author.

>201 2wonderY: I read this before LT, and recall enjoying it, but the thought of reading something this long today does not appeal. Also, I lived in India as a child, so I have my own reference points.

I recommended this title in audio two years ago, when it was first published, to the Ohio library system. It finally arrived in my Libby queue.



Last Stand in Lychford - 95 is as satisfying as the previous stories. I particularly liked the new character from Ukraine, Zoya, and her daughter, Jas.

So, is this really the end of the series?

Sped through Let’s Talk About Hard Things - 96 because it had to go back tomorrow. Best chapters are Death and Identity. The former brought tears. The latter delved into her identity as a white West Virginian first. She tells us she has the option of revealing or concealing her roots.
I need to look for her radio show on the same topics.

The third novella in the amethyst brooch stories is A Shot at Love - 97, and is set in 1958 rural West Virginia. The heroine is unusual for the times, only interested in owning a gun smithing shop. She makes a business deal with the shop owner, who proves crooked. One anachronism I had to research. In a hovel-like kitchen, one of the furnishings was a Formica table. Yes, they were made in the 1950s, but they would only have appeared in the better quality homes. Should have stuck with a rickety old wood table.

>192 2wonderY: A quote from Morris, supposedly said jokingly:

“…the constant designing of recurrent patterns is a very harassing business… A friend of mine, who is a Manchester calico-printer told me the other day that the shifty and clever designers who draw the thousand and one ingenious and sometimes pretty patterns for garment goods… have a tendency to go mad, and often do so; and I cannot wonder at it.”

I sampled Decline and Fall to 30% and I find I have no recollection or interest.

And 34% of High Conflict. Interesting in a limited way.

On to other realms.

The last novella in the amethyst brooch collection was so stinkin’ bad that I threw the book away. (They were written by different authors.)



The Domestic Revolution - 98 Was excellent. Social history almost explained from the insider’s pov. Ruth Goodman is famous for living historically, so she knows her stuff. She can put a meal together under any circumstance. She knows her way around the kitchen from medieaval times to the present. She knows the science and also how one change leads to a whole series of changes.
When wood and peat supplies were no longer adequate, coal became the fuel of choice. It changed what and how foods were cooked. Without wood ash, lye soap was no longer freely available. Cleaning regimens changed. Other manufacturing systems changed. Woodlots were plowed up, bogs were drained. Toast became a simple basis for a meal. Fascinating and well done.

>208 2wonderY: Ruth Goodman is a living treasure! That sound worth purchasing, says this dedicated library user. Compromise: I put it on my wish list.

Hasan Davis

He performed locally this evening portraying the black member of the Lewis & Clark Expedition. York was the slave of Clark.

Very powerful.
I found a recording of it online:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kyJC3KURoJM

It’s just over an hour long.

And I came home with a childrens illustrated book, The Journey of York - 99

The Kitchen Front - 100 has been okay, but just okay. I may throw it away soon though. Audrey has never slaughtered a chicken, despite having been raised on a farm, and is having a panic attack. Sorry. Just not believable. And Lady Gwendolyn has started an affair with the cook.

Huh. I did NOT intend to delete the last message.

Now I’m pissed at my phone.
Does anyone recall the content?

>213 2wonderY: nope, sorry.

Well, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t about something completed; as I hadn’t gone to 101 yet. Oh well.

I’m discarding The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules at 5%. It’s too silly and unbelievable. Not the activities, but the rest home owner as villain.

A House in the Mountains promises a story about Italian women who fought fascism in WW2. Unhappily, the author feels the need to fully explain the wider politics and history. I’m at 20% of 14 hours and most of that listening keeps focusing on the men, national, international and local. No thanks.



I am, however, fully enjoying The Enchanted April - 101 on audio. I get giddy at some of the phrasing. It’s a delicious re-visit.

I picked up this expensive magazine from an end cap display. The Ultimate Guide to M*A*S*H - 102 and read it straight through. Now I want to watch the series again, which I can do, as I own them all on dvd.

I could be embarrassed by how little I know about social philosophy. I’m remedying that with baby steps.
I haven’t finished this yet, but will count it and comment as I get through it.



Jean-Jacques Rousseau: Advocate of Government by Consent - 103 was written for middle school/high school libraries.

I’m on chapter 3, about his two discourses. I think I don’t agree about the innocence of pre-historic man, but I do agree about the source of misery - the concept of property that moved to hoarding and exploiting the labor of others. Thomas Hobbes believed that pre-historic humans were brutes and that communality and government raised us up. I think I disagree with Hobbes’ first premise and agree with his second.

They both want to characterize early humans as one way or the other. I think that is faulty and expedient for their conclusions.

Now that I have a couple of audio books to replace it, I can send Information Hunters back, read to 15%. Although it should be fascinating, there seems no substance to it. Possibly because Peiss chooses to speak in broad sweeps rather than particulars. Disappointing.

I’m nearing the end of Man-Size - 104. It’s an obscure novel written in 1922 about the northern Wild West. Raine writes very convincingly about the time and place, even inserting explanatory footnotes at times.
I had to pause to look up the history of the Montana Territory, because he never mentions when the story is set by stating a year. Fort Benton is mentioned, established in 1847, and also the diminishment of the bison herds, which became official policy in 1875 and was fully realized by 1884. Montana became a state in 1889.
The North-West Mounted Police (precursor to the Royal Canadian Mounties) play a big part in the story. That organization was established in 1873. There is no mention of gold, railroads and very little of settlers; though these were already ongoing from the 1850s. So possibly not relevant to the remote parts of the territory, which was still mostly fur traders and Indians. The two tribes present are the Blackfeet and the Cree (present in Montana, but mostly Canada.). There is blatant racism assumed and described. This author accepted the theory of inferiority.

Other than that, it’s a good story. It bogs down during the long winter pursuit of a criminal. But there is much good in the development of relationships; and there is a love story.

>220 2wonderY: if you decide to rehome that one, I'd take it. :)

>221 fuzzi: It’s from husband’s family collection. I’m preserving what I think is worthwhile to pass on.

>222 2wonderY: no problem. :)

On audio, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - 105. Brief and sweet. A coming of age story in 24 hours. Family and finding the right person.

I’m glad I finally read The Book of Three - 106, though I have a slew of criticisms. Each character had a set of annoying idiosyncrasies that never let up. I actually found Gurgi’s boasting, whining and rhyming to be the least annoying. The main character goes unconscious and the reader misses the climax with him and we get a mild re-telling afterward. The book is never explained, nor is the pig, to any satisfaction. Characters abilities and knowledge seemed to have chasms of gaps. And Taran is wrong-headed about most things. The crew get pushed and shoved and captured this way and that. It’s amazing there is a good outcome.

That said, I will probably try another Chronicles of Prydain.

I tried The Redhead of Auschwitz, but I failed to engage in the story. It goes back to the library today.

>224 2wonderY: This sounds like a book bullet to me. :)

>225 2wonderY: The Black Cauldron is the second book in the series, go for it!

I have NOT reread these since I was a young teen, so I'm not sure how well they would hold up to an adult read, but I do have fond memories of rereading them many times, and sketching my own illustrations of the characters.

>227 lesmel: Hard to believe I read something before you did. 😅

A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - 107 appeared in my Libby queue, so I jumped on it. It was just the right length for my drive to WV. Very gentle and satisfying. I don’t understand the title though.

I do like another reader’s summary: a tale of meet-cute existentialism.

I borrowed A Thousand Steps Into Night as an ebook and didn’t get far, but enough to know I will try to find it in another format and continue. Lively writing, engaging characters. Libby is taking it back shortly.

On the other hand, Space Unicorn Blues is just too weird and dark for my tastes.

>232 2wonderY: I read Space unicorn blues and found it MUCH darker than it appeared. It seemed to be marketed as humorous SF but was pretty horrible in places.

>233 Sakerfalcon: Very glad I dismissed it now.

Returning Everything and Less, which attempts to evaluate modern fiction in light of the Amazon phenomenon. Definitely too wordy for me.

>232 2wonderY: & >233 Sakerfalcon: Ok, now I have to at least try the book. Also, >231 2wonderY: is another book bullet. I've been looking for an audiobook to listen during my morning endless walk on the indoor track.

>235 lesmel: Let me know if you find Traci Chee’s book in audio. I’d prefer it in that format, but I might just buy the physical book.

>235 lesmel: Ooooh, Space Unicorn Blues is terrible and all I read was the preview. Ick.

I’m 2/3rds of the way through Landline - 108 and it’s gotten tedious. I know; I’m shocked too. I don’t recall this cropping up in any other Rainbow Rowell book.

I’d like to take a break from it, but it has to be returned soon. And with Libby, you can’t just hold on to it.

Light from Uncommon Stars. Chapter 11 breathtakingly beautiful

Officer Clemmons - 109 was disappointing. It’s a full autobiography from birth till the death of his famous friend, Fred Rogers. We got lots of detail about his awful childhood and his struggles with his sexuality. And yes, his friendship with Fred plays a big part in the story, but almost nothing about his actual performances on Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood; despite the book cover.

Light from Uncommon Stars - 110 is enchanting. Existential donuts. Aoki loves…. everything, everybody. The words caress you, comfort you.
The premise is very odd but it works!

>241 2wonderY: I just wanted to head out to the San Gabriel valley and eat everything! General slowing down of me and traffic made my visits there much less frequent, but Covid stopped them altogether. Alas. I understand the author works for an institution not far from me. I wonder if she has favorite places this side of town?

>242 quondame: Ah! I thought it was you. Thank you! Great book.

>238 2wonderY: I did just finish Landline and it ends well. Not just the plot, but the writing too.

Little Free Library - 111 turns out to be only 24 pages long. Hmmm. Maybe there will be sequels.

>245 2wonderY: Oh, I hope so!!! I loved that short story!

>246 lesmel: I got the recommendation from either you or MarthaJeanne.

>241 2wonderY: I really wanted to read this. Having read your response, now I want to read it even more!

Goodnight Racism - 112 takes only moments to read. I only ordered it because I hadn’t enough time to finish Kendi’s book for adults. It’s on hold again.

Hornblower and the “Atropos” - 113. My only criticism is that the Captain never considered the Turks until they were upon him. Of course, it allowed him another fancy escape.
The ensign, Mr. Prince, was amusing.
Mr. Jones and Mr. Turner were his main officers.
His quick action saved the funeral procession of Lord Nelson.

The canal boat adventure in the first chapter is lots of fun.

>250 2wonderY: In fact, the canal boat bit is the only part of several Hornblower books that has stayed in my memory.

Returning The Cartographers having sampled 7% of 15 hours. Sorry, I don’t need an abusive parent character. Or, I guess, an abused adult child main character.

Returning Weave a Circle Round at 11% read. Unpleasant characters, and no patience for them to grow out of it.

These small cover images are slowing down the load time. I apologize if that’s annoying. But I intend to maintain the practice and keep my year’s record to a single thread as well. It’s useful for me when I’m going back and looking for my notes.

When I signed up for weeds class in the spring, I ordered one of the textbooks. Slightly dissatisfied, I ordered the other one that is recommended.
Since May, I’ve been paging through them. Since class started, I’ve been much more intensely searching and reading. There will never be a point where I can say I’ve finished them. But since I’m spending extensive time in them, I might as well add them to the tally.



Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast - 114



Weeds of the Northeast - 115

Tears of a Tiger - 116 to visit Draper’s work again. I haven’t read her list deeply, but I see I should.

Well done story of death and depression in a black community. Most of the attention is on the teens, but Draper draws all of the characters well. Rhonda and Monty’s letters in the final chapter are the best.

Wah! I don’t have any audiobooks to listen to.

Went hunting in son-in-law’s Audible for something to listen to. Found Three Slices, an anthology based on Tyromancy (divination by cheese), and read the first and part of the second. No sense going any further. A Prelude to War - 117 is part of the Iron Druid series. The cheese needed was from wildebeest milk and rennet. Hm.

I’m a quarter through The Black Cauldron and impatient. The assistant pig keeper seems to have learned absolutely nothing from his first adventures. Still clueless and rude. Not sure I will continue.

Almost the same distance through This is How You Lose the Time War. As Red and Blue battle and taunt each other, there is not a lot to hold onto. Vaporizing seems to be their thing. Also no depth to character. Will probably dump it as well.

I’m not quite done with this one, but eager to share.



Hitler’s Savage Canary - 118 is well done!! Each chapter tells cogently an exciting, sometimes tragic incident in Danish Resistance. Very impressive stories.

Someone on another thread rated Six of Crows five stars. So I went looking for the audio. Instead, I found an OverDrive author interview and The Lives of Saints - 119. This has been done before and better. It’s reminiscent of Bujold’s World of the Five Gods, but not as cohesive. Also, at least one is completely derivative - St. Nicholas - though the backstory is radically different.

Audio book titles still scarce here, though daughter introduced me to a series this weekend.



Listened to a re-read The Warrior’s Apprentice - 120 last week, finishing it up today between naps.

>261 2wonderY: One of my most favorite authors! Immediate buy on her books and novellas.

Heck, I buy them repeatedly.

>263 2wonderY: Well, I have a few in paper and ebook. And Mike didn't start reading them until A Civil Campaign so we didn't go through the his'n'hers copy accumulation that happened with a few titles we both liked before 1987.

Nicholas Winton’s Lottery of Life - 121 is an obscure holocaust rescue story. It reminds me of the documentary Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness.

It is an amateurish production, with the author inserting himself throughout, in backstory and multiple photos. Mináč has pretty much devoted his adult life telling this story in several films, one of which won an International Emmy award.

Winton never told his story until his wife found the papers in a suitcase in the attic. Winton says he was always ashamed that his last shipment of children didn’t make it out of Czechoslovakia, because of the start of the war. A wonderful story of a man taking things into his own hands to save children.

I’m listening to Nettle & Bone - 122 just now. Just a bit over halfway, but i wanted to note the existence of the Saint of Dust, mentioned in passing.
I think my daughter ordered it. Her stuff shows in my Libby, because she lets me use her Cinci library card. I waited till I was sure she wasn’t going to start it herself.

I think I’m going to abandon The Magicians at 28% read. It seemed to have promise of freshness, but it’s pretty stale at this point, and there is nothing appealing about the characters. Cheap magic school knockoff.

>267 2wonderY: The Magicians isn't all that, but it develops into a bit more than just knockoff status - I'd say that its strengths over the 3 books come from how it refines the ores mined from classic fantasies. The main characters remain more realistic than admirable, but do show some persistent strengths.

I do love me some Terry Pratchett, but I haven’t read the whole opus. I’m trying to remedy that in a methodical way.
But I don’t necessarily want to own all of the early books. So I borrowed Mort - 123 from a WV library last month. It’s a small paperback, and tight spines, so reading it has been slightly uncomfortable.

Some of it is blissful Pratchett. I might should order a hardcover copy. I’m actually just halfway through.
Want to memorialize this paragraph -

Cutwell’s subconscious recognized that tone. It had harmonics in it that made even the woodworms in the floorboards stop what they were doing and stand to attention. It wasn’t voicing an opinion, it was saying: things will be thus.

>269 2wonderY: We have all the Discworld - well, probably not all, because there have been multiple spin-offs, but the novels and some of the spin-offs. It took me a while to get enthusiastic, not an uncommon occurrence, and Mort was about the earliest that I twigged to something worth following, though it was Reaper Man that made a fan out of me and got me buying each book as it came out.

>192 2wonderY:. I’ve been holding on to Peacock & Vine all this time because I did want to finish the chapters Pomegranate and Bird. The library wants it back; so I read them today. Lovely, lovely book.

I’ve got a stack of old SF by Jerry Pournelle. I loved all of the books he co-wrote with Larry Niven; but these are kinda agonizing to get through. I will continue to peck away at the pile, but I’ve given up on High Justice. Gah!!

In Royal Service to the Queen - 124 came out last year, as fiction, but hews very close to documented truth.

The longtime governess to the British princesses was approached by Ladys Home Journal to write about her time with the royal family. Marion Crawford asked permission of the queen mother first. The queen’s letter gave permission in a very circular way. When the articles were published, the queen (George III’s wife) felt betrayed and broke all contact between Crawfie and the royal family and all staff; even though she had had the opportunity to edit all of the text.
Crawfie never disclosed that letter; and it just came to light recently.
The book was understated and interesting. Only the last chapter was speculative and maudlin. But then there was a good afterward.

At 22% read, This Is How You Lose the Time War still is not engaging me. Returning it.

Gender Queer is a graphic novel, so it proceeds quickly. After only a few minutes, I’m at 28%. But it is so graphic, I’m nauseated. Perhaps more appropriate for someone actually experiencing gender disphoria. I just don’t need it.

I do love Claire North writing as Kate Griffin, so I decided to try The Serpent. Nope. I pass. 20% read.

For car trip listening I bought Impact on CD from the library friends room for 50cents. I kinda had a bad feeling about the author, but it had a SF sticker on it. I’m right. There is no reason to people this thriller with such a crew of unsavory characters. Tossing it in the trash after 2 discs.

I’m listening to Ron Chernow’s new biography of Washington: A Life - 125. I don’t recall why I decided to add it to my queue. It’s 14 hours, but I have nothing else in audio right now, and I’ll be in the car most of the day.
It’s not delivering much new material, as promised. But I don’t mind spending time with George.
In fact, I just acquired the 32 volume set of American Statesmen ( for FREE!), so I will grab the two volumes of Washington by Henry Cabot Lodge and browse through them as well.

>278 2wonderY: My Libby app crashed for some reason and didn’t save my place when I recovered the materials, so I ended up listening to the presidency twice, I think. Anyway, it’s done. No better or worse than any other biography of Washington. Not sure what it adds.

Picked up two Doonesbury collections for 50cents each, in pristine condition.

Peace Out, Dawg! - 126 is definitely dated. Published in 2002, we’ve seen so much worse in the years since. Despite the cover, it does not deal with 9-11, which is a blessing. It’s just normal political criticism; and fairly trivial. It’s been years since I’ve read the strip, so recalling characters was a bit of a chore at first.
Not a keeper.

>279 2wonderY: This does not make me any happier that they are discontinuing the OverDrive app. I hated Libby when it first came out, every Libby announcement still hurts my eyes, so I've never downloaded it. Now when I click on more information I get an error message. I may just stop reading ebooks.

I just wanted a quick audio comfort re-read.
Artificial Condition - 127 was available. I listened while I weeded the front slope and planted a few things.

>281 2wonderY: I've listened to all the Murderbot stories probably 5 times. Every time after the first, I've gone to them because I need something I know and really like.

Had to read Urban Shaman - 128 on my cellphone screen. I don’t like that delivery system.
It kept my interest though, captured with strength in the first chapters. Some of the action towards the end was a bit hard to follow and/or swallow. The magical realm actions had less of a “for keeps” flavor than they should have; given the entire premise of the story. Overall though, it was clear that Joanie’s intentions were pure.

Neon Gods, a modern take on Persephone and Hades, sounded interesting; but it’s got too much sex in it for my tastes. Tossing it back at 35% read.

>283 2wonderY: Is this your first read of Urban Shaman? I've read all but the last in the series. It's been ages; I think I'd have to read the whole series all over again.

>285 lesmel: It is my first exposure. It’s been on my list for a while, hoping it would come out in audio form. It’s got good solid characters and interactions. I will be looking for the next in the series.

With my shelves full, I must address the piles that are accumulating. Up in the middle of the night, I try out my new comfy chair and grab a book.

The Amazing Sacrament - 129 disappoints. For such a nice title, this is just a review of Church teachings and then Eucharistic hymns. I have much better books on the topic and I wonder that this one is not shelved with them. I might profit more from this one in a setting of group study, but it goes in the discard pile.

Btw, I was in Pittsburgh recently and my sister drove me past the bridge that fell in January (see>35 2wonderY:). My brother-in-law showed me videos of the new concrete beams being trucked in and placed across the span with gigantic cranes.

I found and read Banshee Cries - 130. I’m glad I did. It seems an important piece of Joanne’s development. What I don’t like is the continuous yo-yoing of her power from empty to full. She needs to get some control.

The Enchanted April - 131 An old favorite, this time listened to the audio version. The narrator did a good job distinguishing the characters, especially Mrs. Fisher.

When I was at that bookstore the other week, with a credit balance in my hand, I mostly bought what I knew I’d like - Discworld and Nevil Shute. But I was caught off guard by a pretty cover. It turned out to be the second in a series, so I had to set it aside and find the first book. I did find it in Libby, in print, not audio. Sigh.
But it does fill in a lot of the story that is needed to understand the action in the second book. I’m on chapter 6, and my eyes protest. The characters are interesting, though the writing is only mediocre. Some repetition and fill. ETA. Not just that. It’s trite and formulaic. Really beginning to offend me at chapter 13.



Magic Lost, Trouble Found - 132.
Oh, look at the blurber on the cover - the author of >283 2wonderY:.

Best line:
“Garadin always told me I was as stubborn as a rock. I never thought I would actually have to put it to the test.”

Holding the Line - 133. An articulate review of the important cases prosecuted from the SDNY office while headed by Berman. Low-key; but he definitely needed to get his licks in after being closed mouthed for several years.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - 134. I’d never heard of this before. Well worth reading.

But getting to the last chapter, I was disappointed. It would have been a stronger story if one friend was gay and the other straight.

I guess I’ve been busy this last week with other things. A trip to WV, a midterm, a house full of family. Not much time or energy for reading. But I managed a couple.



Armed & Magical - 135 is the sequel to the book at >291 2wonderY:. It was so mediocre I put it down last night right in the middle of the climax. Shearin lucked out with her cover illustrator; it’s the best part of the experience. Also, Raine, the heroine, has hot feelings for two men. This will probably pull some readers to read more of the series. But for me, I don’t want to see the disappointment of the one not chosen. They are both good guys and heavily invested in Raine.

Saving Us - 136 was recommended by a neighbor who has been trying to establish a Climate Action group in the community. She even dropped it off at my door, though I managed it mostly on audio while driving.
Hayhoe, a climate scientist, encourages everyone concerned about climate change to find ways to talk not about the science or the politics, but about how it it is affecting us in large and small ways locally.
Joan chaired a meeting yesterday that 5 people attended. We managed to come up with a plan of inquiry to begin pulling allies in from local schools, government, churches, business and industry, etc.

Oh, and T and I read half a dozen Halloween picture books. She chose one of the great pop-up books to take home. I wish I’d noted the title. It may be in my catalog. I’ll look.

I think I’ve mastered double-tasking relaxation.😁
FreeCell is the mindless activity when I have to rest my back on the bed. My old laptop accepts DVDs, so I’ve been sizing both windows to be seen side by side.
I’ve recently watched Justice League, 1st season of The Kominsky Method, and the most recent version of Little Women. I don’t like the blended time lines of this Little Women, nor Jo pining for Laurie after turning him down.

I can’t find a thread where someone I know mentioned Book Lovers - 137, but I saw it on the new shelf at the library, and it was already on my wishlist and on hold on Libby. So I must have wanted to try it. Opening the hard copy, I was sucked in by the clever appropriation of rom-com tropes. The romance was just standard, but the psychology of Norma towards her sister and her mother was exceptionally well done. Also the conversation and work between the two leads on editing the book ‘Frigid’ was well done; not at all labored and presented in clever shorthand.

>298 2wonderY: I may not have been who you meant, but I did post about it in September

>299 quondame: Well, it was you, Susan. I didn’t see your thread listed in the conversations on the work page.🤷

>300 2wonderY: It was wild touchstone problem.

Not done with it yet, but this quote caught my attention:
“He (Adam) wondered if he was going to go through each year of his life thinking about how stupid he was the year before.”



Blue Lily, Lily Blue - 138 is the third book of the Raven Cycle. It’s been too long since reading book 2; continuity is playing catch up. And I mistakenly read book 4 in between (which I didn’t like.)

From the shelves I emptied last week in WV, daughter loaded up two boxes of old favorites to claim for her home. I held back The Pushcart War - 139 for myself to re-read. I appreciate it more this time around. Some of the humor is timeless. Very enjoyable and I will pass it on to Rose now.

The tacks tax! And the letters to the editor. And I hadn’t noticed before that it is written as a future history. The first edition, published in 1964, is set in the summer of 1976. The most recent edition is set in 2036.

I will probably dig a couple more out of those boxes soon. I’m thinking Mama’s Bank Account, for one.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches - 140 main character is a young adult witch with an online persona as a “witch” because that’s the only way she can have fun with her identity and still keep her true self a close secret. Just a so-so story from there on.

I meant to do garden and class tasks today. But I just got the three Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse books in the mail. Before I read the newest, I’m going to re-read the first two.



It took me less than 24 hours to devour Terminal Alliance - 141, even with stopping to puzzle out a few muzzy details in the plot. Yay! So enjoyable.

And polished off Terminal Uprising - 142 again in less than a day. Rubbing my hands in anticipation of the third book. These re-reads have been fun. I find that the original scenes in my head were still fairly vivid. And there was room to appreciate the particulars even more.

I don’t recall why I borrowed the ebook Alien Artifacts, which is an anthology. It’s expiring today, so I took a stab at it and read Weird is the New Normal by Jacey Bedford. It was okay.

But since I have a bit more time, I went ahead a read another - Radio Silence by Walter H. Hunt and I’m in love!
Going to renew the book at least once more.

I was busy with house and class, so it took me a few days to read Terminal Peace - 143. This was my first read, and while it was busy and wild, it wasn’t as much fun as the other two. In fact, there was a somber theme. I found out why in the Author’s Note at the end.
Kumar leads the mission on Tuxatl, and he grows into the Mops role, but his internal thoughts are less dynamically portrayed. Prodryan Cate (short for Advocate of Violence) and Argarrar, a Jynx, shine in their roles.

I’m giving up on Stiletto at chapter 4. Thought I recall the first book in the series vaguely, it’s been too long for any enlightenment. I’m not engaged yet, and I have lots of other partly read stuff that need tended. Not to mention schoolwork that I am avoiding. (Class presentation due on Tuesday morning!)

As well, abandoning All the Queen’s Men at chapter 8. There was a terrible murder in one of the first scenes and then no mention of it at all. Unless I’m confusing two books? When I read about some nasty vandalism upon one of the staff, presumably by another staff member, I decided to quit. No thanks.

I had enjoyed the first in the series, The Windsor Knot.

507 Columbia Ave. Lexington
The Lewis House

November 14 (Monday) at 7:00pm

If N. T. Wright was visiting a town near you, would you make the effort and go?

https://www.lewishouse.org/lecture-series/

And Ben Witherington in December. I would have loved to study under him. He is so precise.

Ah! And I missed a showing of Weapons of the Spirit. Sigh.

>311 2wonderY: I didn't. Mostly because there was somebody else I really did not want to bump into.

Maggie Haberman’s Confidence Man - 144 is a long view of Trump, as she’s been reporting on him for decades. The audio was automatically returned today and I’m perhaps 60-70% through it. Don’t know if I will order it again.

I think it was tardis that first mentioned Legends & Lattes - 145 to me. Borrowing the audio version was surprisingly easy and I listened yesterday while I was tucking in the gardens for winter.
Despite a horrid crisis, it really does seem to embody “cozy fantasy.” Vacillating between the baker and the feline for favorite characters. Looks like I’m going to need to borrow the print version to record character names, as no one has bothered to do so yet.😁

>314 2wonderY: Ads for that one keep cropping up on the FB F&SF groups I'm in.

I really really like Claire North writing as Kate Griffin, so I spent an inordinate time listening to The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. It does absolutely nothing for me! Done at 45% and sadly, I have no audio books on Libby at the moment. Madly, Deeply could come and rescue me.

Watched the National Geographic fiction, but true-to-life film Amreeka. It was somber, where I expected humor. But ended hopeful.

While cleaning up in the attic bedroom today, I put in a couple of films. (That’s where the TV and DVD player live)

Forks Over Knives was interesting, but not as convincing as I expected. The library has the companion book, and I might take a look at it.

Also The Last Airbender . It was disappointing. I had heard it was an amazing film, but I thought both the story and the artwork were merely okay.

But I got some piles cleared and stuff discarded.

Black Panther: The Official Movie Special - 146, just because I thought I’d like to learn a bit about the story. This didn’t fulfill. It’s merely interview questions with the actors; and most sounded like a fan’s questions rather than an interviewer.

I think I have one of the action figures; Shuri, I believe.

>319 2wonderY: my son went to see the Black Panther sequel. He said it was very good, one of the best in the Marvel movies (of which he's seen almost 100%).

Coming from him, that's high praise.

Ugh. Quitting The Turn at chapter 14. When two false people get naked, it doesn’t interest me at all. Though I’ve read #1 in the series, this prequel was stupid. Hairy tomatoes, indeed!

There was a display of hygge books at the library. I came home with one or two.



Pale & Interesting - 147 was interesting, but ultimately unsatisfying. I approve of the furnishings and most of the details, and the color palette is okay in its own way. But there is no comfort, no vibrant colors, no actual signs of life in these buildings. The pieces are meant to be seen, not lived with. Well, except for the leather chair on the cover that has obviously been gnawed on by the dog. That’s just gross.

Haven’t been posting here, but there have been a few.



I’ve been wanting to start this series and finally came across a disc containing Her Royal Spyness - 148. The plot is preposterous, but the characters are fun to hang out with.

Was pleased to see Katherine Kellgren named as narrator, as I loved her in the Bloody Jack series. But her work here didn’t stand out.

I’ve been curious and eager to see what Chris Dunn does with The Wind in the Willows. He’s been working on it for too many years, and he is finally mailing copies out to subscribers. I’ve seen samples on his Instagram account but still unsure I want to spend $50 + shipping from England.
So I found an inexpensive picture book he illustrated.



Paisley Rabbit and the Treehouse Contest - 149 came in the mail today.
I’m not impressed or enchanted. The pictures are adequate. There are some details that make the eye linger approvingly. Paisley’s brother looks suitably wan and tired (he needs a kidney transplant). Mr. Badger, the architect, projects calm and competence. The glow of the tree is nice.
The story is kinda awkward. The contest is established among adolescent classmates, but most of the construction is done by others. Paisley gets the city to sponsor her build, and it becomes a money generator. Not really a plot kids and many adult readers can get enthused about.

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking - 150 is a re-read, but I didn’t realize till several chapters in, and the story isn’t particularly memorable, so I went ahead and listened all the way through so I can mark it off. It was still wishlisted. Great title is the best I can say. I have read another Kingfisher recently and was much more pleased with it.

The Lost Gate - 151 is a mythic world brought up to present day. The North family are descended from the Norse gods, and magical powers are varied, but gatemages are hunted and destroyed. The reasoning is never clear. Danny is a gatemage, but learning his craft on the run. Story seesaws between him and Wad, another gatemage on another world. The story itself is kinda awful, but some of the secondary characters are nice.
Jumper does this theme much better, I think.

DCing A Charmed Life at 28% read. It’s just not holding my interest.

I’m at 16% listening to Madly, Deeply: the diaries of Alan Rickman, and I may send it back. There is little of substance here. It’s just notes he jotted so as to remember what occurred. He doesn’t write the big picture here; merely details. It feels almost invasive to be here. And the reader is trying to put more there than is there.

I thought I might have counted this one already, but I don’t see it mentioned. It’s got to go back to the library this week.



Powerful Perennials - 152 is broken into 4 sections: cold-hardy, drought-tolerant, wildlife-resistant, difficult soils. There is some overlap and interspersals with things such as “choosing great garden tools.”
The plant description page is often written from the POV of the plant, in first person:
“I’m known in horticultural circles as Alchemilla mollis, but you can call me lady’s mantle.” Now that’s annoying.
Though I did learn that alchemists considered the beaded water on these leaves as the purest form of water; hence the name.

Rachel Maddow presents Ultra - 153 is an 8 part podcast. It was so well done, I listened to it straight through.
Before and during WW2, Germany was trying to infiltrate and overthrow the US government and had compromised multiple Senators and Congressmen. In fact, the Nazis were using congressional franking privileges to send out their propaganda. They were ghostwriting political speeches. The name of the US political group is America First.
I was able to find it just by googling; no subscription needed.

>324 2wonderY: that's a shame.

I linked his Instagram page on his author page, so you could take a look at his WITW pictures.

I snuck in a re-read of Artificial Condition - 154. That’s what I think to use for those fill-in times when there is nothing else in my queue. Love my Murderbot.

>331 2wonderY: I love Murderbot, too, they're good comfort reads.

I was glad to see the fourth book is now at my library.



Lady Osbaldestone’s Christmas Intrigue - 155 is just what I wanted to start the Christmas season. This story focuses on a new character, Lady Osbaldestone’s son, Christopher, more than the grandchildren. He works for the Foreign Office, and his evaluations of the war against Napoleon remind me of the Temeraire series. The story does drag a bit in the middle. But it is rescued by Christopher’s keen reading of a woman trying to reach him with an important message. So there is an initial misunderstanding, but it doesn’t build on itself as in some romances. That’s a relief.
And the color of the cover is a perpetual delight.

Rob Delaney was on Morning Joe yesterday speaking about his recent book about the death of his son. Not a subject I want to read, having buried my own infant son; but I thought to sample him generally. Nope. His first book is full of scatology and bad language. Not my brand of humor at all.

Sampled Empire of Sand and not finding it engaging enough.

I’m working on a jigsaw puzzle:


My eyes are protesting, and it’s not as satisfying as it should be.

I sampled one by Susan Brabeau, which was only 300 pieces and the pieces were larger. I enjoyed it much more and bought a couple others by her.

I finished that 1000 piece puzzle today. It got measurably more satisfying; but still too many shades of dark to discern comfortably. It goes on the discard pile.

While doing that and also while sorting piles of papers, listened to Madly, Deeply - 156, the journals of Alan Rickman. I question the decision to publish them. They were not meant for anyone to poke into. Not that they were deeply personal; they weren’t. More that they were just daily scribbles about the outlines of who what and where. I confess, I skipped a few years.

>337 2wonderY: good for you. I've never gotten into jigsaw puzzles, though I recall doing one as a teenager: a green tennis court with white lines...argh.

>338 fuzzi: It was an activity I really enjoyed doing with my dad in my adolescence. It seems to sharpen the brain, too.

Frustrated that the Dublin Trilogy is not well available, I’m going to go ahead and read them out of order.

I’ve read the first in the trilogy, but at this point there are 9 titles.



Dead Man’s Sins - 157 is prequel 2. I tried to listen to it in May, and it wasn’t working. Plus it had been recommended to read them in publication order. I’ve mentioned them to SIL who subscribes to Audible, but I don’t think he’s bought any.
McDonnell loves his characters. All of them. And thus, the reader must too.

I completed a deep reading of Lentil Underground - 158, hoping to build a paper from it for weeds class. I’m glad I dipped in again (had read it in 2016) but no paper.
Checked on the principle farmers and cooperative that are subjects of the book. They all seem to be prospering. They are working to change the emphasis of Montana U and Extension Service research from herbicide based to biodynamic based. A quick look at those sites tells me they’ve been less successful there.

Again, one of those romances advertised on the library’s search page and readily available. The Tourist Attraction - 159 was just what I expected. The best character is Ulysses, a moose.

There is a Christmas season sequel that I will probably listen to; but this one features a terribly rich young woman who has plans to build condos for wealthy out of state buyers. Not a particularly attractive main character.

>342 2wonderY: I gave both that one and the first sequel 3 1/2* Yes, I think I remember the moose, but not much else.

I’m giving up on A Daughter’s Tale. Reading the ebook on my phone is annoying; and it’s more autobiography than I expected. I’m interested in her father, not her. I can highly recommend The Splendid and the Vile instead.

I’m quitting Mistletoe and Mr. Right - 160 at 50%. It’s terrible, and I’m taking a point for enduring it this long. Plot point - moose hunting with a tranq gun and alcoholic eggnog. And the two ladies had never shot a moose, and went out without informing anyone, and a human got grazed. Not at all amusing. She gets away with it by threatening to call in her team of lawyers.
And then painting her as uncertain and shy in her relationship? Yeah, right.

Also sending back A Marvelous Light at 17%. I put it down and can’t remember anything at all about it.

I haven’t quite finished this book, but I’m taking notes.



The Case for the Psalms - 161. It’s not Wright reading the audiobook, but the narrator does justice to the scriptures. It’s a perfect listen while I wrap Christmas gifts for my family.
Chapter 4 - John 1:14 uses the Hebrew word for Tabernacle, which is translated as dwelt among us.
Goes back to First Temple theology of the Jews having a portable God. Other gods were tied to locations. Yahweh dwelt in his people, no matter how far they travelled from their temple. He lives in us, and we in him.
Chapter 5 - The transformation of the world
Hoe association and praise change us materially; just as other habits are formed and change our brains and often our bodies too.
The sacredization of the material world.

I may add more, as there is a 6th chapter.
What a perfect meditation of the Incarnation.

In the Friends of the Library room, I chose two books by Patricia MacLachlan. Read one this evening to determine if they would suit any of the grands.


Wondrous Rex - 162 is a bit simple. The idea is good, but I’m not particularly charmed with the execution.

I’ve been picking at this fantasy anthology. Although it is titled Smart Dragons, Foolish Elves - 163 I haven’t met either in 200 pages. I’m not sure I care to finish the 75 pages left. Though it promises excellence and humor, these stories are forgettable and ick. Foster dragged them from oblivion in the time range of 1939-1990.

I didn’t list this one in my new Added thread because I thought I’d be disappointed as in >347 2wonderY: and send it on its way.



But I really like Waiting for the Magic - 164. I’m not sure the grands would appreciate it though. It’s a quiet and almost subtle feel good book.

>349 2wonderY: I've liked almost every book I've read by that author. She's very consistant.

Tomorrow is my LT anniversary (13 years). I have definitely met my acquisition obligation this month.

Oddly, I had somehow ‘ignored’ this thread and a few more I had started.

A Merry Little Meet Cute - 165 Discontinued at just less than half way. Too much sex; and stupid behaviors if they were serious about keeping their butts away from scandal.

>352 2wonderY: Yup.

The End of the World Notwithstanding - 166
Anxiety is the key word here. Snakes, tornadoes, homeless maniacs, feral kittens. I abandoned her 2/3rds through. It was heightening my own anxiety about this Arctic surge.

First read in 2017, I was minded to buy the book and visit again.

Games Wizards Play - 167 is thick and rewarding. I wonder if there is a further series entry. Well, not a sequel to this one, but, yeah.
And I want to own the short stories too.

On the road, i listened to the novella A Mirror Mended - 168. Zinnia Gray returns, having spent the last 5 years wandering through the multiverse of Briar Rose stories and helping achieve happily ever afters. Here she gets pulled into the Snow White stories and helps one of the side characters become a protagonist.

Note: do slow the audio down to 85%

>356 2wonderY: I've read a couple of Alix E. Harrow's books, and I'll have to add this series now!

>357 quondame: She’s an exceptional writer, though I think she is still learning how to manage long stories.



A Short History of the World According to Sheep - 169. I’m on chapter 12 of 14 at the moment. This is in the tradition of Mark Kurlansky, describing one commodity and how it helps to craft our history. Fascinating sections about fibers. Chapter 11 though is about the great land grab for sheep grazing, the Peasants’ Revolts, the vagrancy and beggars laws. Utterly ugly history.

Chapter 13 covers the industrialization of fabric production, including child slavery and labor and ends with Anthrax. Chapter 14 begins with Syphilis.

Picked this up from a display table at the library.



Putting the Fact in Fantasy - 170 is a collection of very short essays covering how to add verisimilitude to your made-up cultures. So lots of history, language, culture, war and revolution, horses and so on.
My favorite is by an obscure SF writer, Dustin Fife, who gives tips on writing about woodworking. He covers various colors, grains and smells. Sawdust is not just one odor. He invokes Norm Abrams and Nick Offerman.

>359 2wonderY: Thar sounds like fun.

I was gonna squeeze one more title in, though I’m not done with it. But 170 is a good round number. I think I’ll leave it like that.

I may post a summary, or not. Either way, goodbye 2022. And good night John-Boy.

Happy new year Ruth!

Thank you Susan. Back atcha!

>361 2wonderY: here's hoping 2023 treats us kinder than 2022...see you on the other thread!