Mary's (bell7's) Reads in 2022 - Thread #6

Welcome to my sixth thread of the year! Thanks to all of you for keeping the conversation hopping.

If you've never met me, hello and welcome, my name's Mary and I live and work in western Massachusetts. I'm a librarian, a home owner, the oldest of 5, and Auntie Mimi to Mia and Matthew. If you'd like to see what's up in my garden, please feel free to check out the shared Google photo album. I'm a fan of Giants football, Bruins hockey, and tennis. I read all sorts of fiction and nonfiction, though SFF and books about books are among my favorites. Horror is about the only genre I avoid on the whole (I am a wimp).

My 2022 reading goals:
-Read at least half books by authors of color
-Complete the BookRiot ReadHarder challenge
-Read at least one book a month in the Asian Book Challenge
-Read at least twelve books from countries outside of the US/UK

As you can see, some of those goals will overlap significantly. I also have a lifetime reading goal of reading all the Newbery Award and Honor books, so you’ll see me whittling away at that as well.

Favorite Books of 2021 -
I couldn't narrow down my top ten titles of 2021, so here's a top ten fiction and a few more categories as well:

Fiction
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

Nonfiction
This Time Together by Carol Burnett
The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Nine Nasty Words by John McWhorter
Somebody’s Daughter by Ashley C. Ford

Graphic Novel
Umma’s Table by Yeon-Sik Hong

Poetry
The Trouble with Poetry and Other Poems by Billy Collins

YA
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Middle Grade
Fighting Words by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Rough guide to my rating system:
I'm fairly generous with my star ratings - generally a four is a "like" or "would recommend" for me, while a 4.5 stars is a book I would reread. I break it down roughly like this:

1 star - Forced myself to finish it
2 stars - Dislike
2.5 stars - I really don't know if I liked it or not
3 stars - Sort of liked it; or didn't, but admired something about it despite not liking it
3.5 stars - The splitting hairs rating of less than my last 4 star book or better than my last 3
4 stars - I liked it and recommend it, but probably won't reread it except under special circumstances (ie., a book club or series reread)
4.5 stars - Excellent, ultimately a satisfying read, a title I would consider rereading
5 stars - A book that I absolutely loved, would absolutely reread, and just all-around floored me

I see it more in terms of my like or dislike of a book, rather than how good a book is. My hope is that as a reader I convey what I like or what I don't in such a way that you can still tell if you'll like a book, even if I don't. And I hope for my patrons that I can give them good recommendations for books they will like, even if it's not one I would personally choose.

2022 Book Club Reads

For work -
January - Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri - COMPLETED
February - Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison - COMPLETED
March - Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer - COMPLETED
April - Pale Rider by Laura Spinney - COMPLETED
May - People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry - COMPLETED
Summer break
September - Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
October - Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
November - The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
December - Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

The Other Book Club with my SIL and friends -
January/February - The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal - COMPLETED
April - Taste by Stanley Tucci (skipped - couldn't make the meeting)
June - The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett - COMPLETED (back in December)
July - True Biz by Sara Novic - COMPLETED

Random things I'm keeping track of -
Bookish articles:
1. Books Like AND THEN THERE WERE NONE (includes a Japanese book recently translated that may make an interesting Asian Book Challenge choice)
2. Japanese Books in Translation (BookRiot)
3. New and Upcoming Must-Read Memoirs by Black Authors

How to make pretty block quotes (directions from Richard):
{blockquote}TYPE OR PASTE QUOTED TEXT HERE{/blockquote} and replace the curly braces with pointy brackets.

Number of books read since keeping count on LT:
July - Dec 2008 - 65
2009 - 156 (plus over 70 graphic novels and manga volumes)
2010 - 135 (Note: in June, I started working a second part-time job for full-time hours)
2011 - 150
2012 - 108 (Note: accepted a full-time job in February)
2013 - 107
2014 - 126 (plus 8 Graphic Novels)
2015 - 120 (plus 6 Graphic Novels)
2016 - 141
2017 - 114
2018 - 105 (Note: my first full year as Assistant Director)
2019 - 116
2020 - 153
2021 - 138

Asian Book Challenge

JANUARY - Europe of Asia - Turkish Authors
Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk
Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci
FEBRUARY - The Holy Land - Israeli & Palestinian Authors
Native: Dispatches from an Israeli-Palestinian Life by Sayed Kashua
MARCH - The Arab World - Writers from the Arab world
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (Lebanon)
Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi (Oman)
APRIL - Persia - Iranian writers
Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi
MAY - The Stans - There are 7 states all in the same region all ending in "Stan"
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Pakistan)
JUNE - The Indian Sub-Continent - Essentially authors from India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam (Bangladesh)
JULY - The Asian Superpower - Chinese Authors
AUGUST - Nippon - Japanese Authors
SEPTEMBER - Kimchi - Korean Authors
OCTOBER - INDO CHINE - Authors from Indo-China
NOVEMBER - The Malay Archipelago - Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian and Filipino Authors
Fairest: a memoir by Meredith Talusan
DECEMBER - The Asian Diaspora - Ethnic Asian writers from elsewhere
Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri (she was born in the UK to parents from India and grew up in the US; this book was written in Italian and set in Italy)

Other countries I've visited in my reading:
It can get a little dicey to figure out if a book fits as a "global" read or not, so here's how I'm counting it -
-The country I'll identify is that which the book was published in or the author is from, rather than the setting of the book
-The author currently lives in their country of origin, which for my purposes is not the U.S. or U.K.
-If the work had to be translated into English, regardless of where the author is currently living
-If the author is an expatriate, they had to move in adulthood (as a college student, refugee, or any other reason), and I'll count the country of origin as where the book is "from"

Portugal - Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo
Spain - City of Mist: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Ireland - Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Trinidad and Tobago - When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
Australia - The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
South Africa - Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg (set in London)

BookRiot Reader Harder Challenge

1. Read a biography of an author you admire

2. Read a book set in a bookstore
84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

3. Read any book from the Women’s Prize shortlist/longlist/winner list

4. Read a book in any genre by a POC that’s about joy and not trauma
Wow, No Thank You by Samantha Irby

5. Read an anthology featuring diverse voices

6. Read a nonfiction YA comic
Dare to Disappoint by Ozge Samanci

7. Read a romance where at least one of the protagonists is over 40

8. Read a classic written by a POC
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

9. Read the book that’s been on your TBR the longest
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

10. Read a political thriller by a marginalized author (BIPOC, or LGBTQIA+)

11. Read a book with an asexual and/or aromantic main character
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

12. Read an entire poetry collection
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

13. Read an adventure story by a BIPOC author

14. Read a book whose movie or TV adaptation you’ve seen (but haven’t read the book)

15. Read a new-to-you literary magazine (print or digital)

16. Read a book recommended by a friend with different reading tastes
The Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield

17. Read a memoir written by someone who is trans or nonbinary
Fairest: a memoir by Meredith Talusan, Gender Queer: a memoir by Maia Kobabe

18. Read a “Best _____ Writing of the year” book for a topic and year of your choice.

19. Read a horror novel by a BIPOC author.

20. Read an award-winning book from the year you were born

21. Read a queer retelling of a classic of the canon, fairytale, folklore, or myth.
Spear by Nicola Griffith

22. Read a history about a period you know little about.

23. Read a book by a disabled author
Paperboy by Vince Vawter

24. Pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat!
City of Mist: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (a collection of short stories)

August

July

Currently reading
On Sal Mal Lane by Ru Freeman
The Memory Librarian by Janelle Monáe

Bible reading/Devotionals
Song of Solomon, Galatians

June
66. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
65. A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
64. The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam
63. Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan
62. Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg
61. Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language by Nora Ellen Groce
60. Spear by Nicola Griffith
59. The Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield
58. Apple Crush by Lucy Knisley
57. Between the Lines: Stories from the Underground by Uli Beutter Cohen
56. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
55. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
54. The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony
53. The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
52. Bookish People by Susan Coll

May
51. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
50. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
49. True Biz by Sara Novic
48. Recitatif by Toni Morrison
47. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
46. Blended by Sharon M. Draper
45. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
44. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
43. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
42. The Guncle by Steven Rowley
41. Go to Sleep (I Miss You) by Lucy Knisley
40. Shadowshaper Legacy by Daniel Jose Older

April
39. Pale Rider by Laura Spinney
38. The Menopause Manifesto by Dr. Jen Gunter
37. Stepping Stones by Lucy Knisley
36. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
35. Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
34. Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi
33. The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick

March
32. Underfoot in Show Business by Helene Hanff
31. Gallant by V.E. Schwab
30. The Cooking Gene by Michael W. Twitty
29. The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie
28. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
27. At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon
26. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
25. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

February
24. Fairest by Meredith Telusan
23. Native: Dispatches from an Israeli-Palestinian Life by Sayed Kashua
22. When We Were Birds by Ayanna Lloyd Banwo
21. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
20. The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
19. Wow, No Thank You by Samatha Irby
18. These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
17. Oddball: A Sarah Scribbles Collection by Sarah Andersen
16. Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
15. The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
14. Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds with artwork by Jason Griffin
13. Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
12. Letter to My White Friends and Colleagues by Steven Rogers

January
11. Paperboy by Vince Vawter
10. The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker
9. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey by Ozge Samanci
8. Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times by Azar Nafisi
7. City of Mists: Stories by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
6. Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk
5. Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri
4. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
3. The River of Consciousness by Oliver Sacks
2. The God of Lost Words by A.J. Hackwith
1. Ballad for Sophie by Filipe Melo

DNF in 2022
1. Hell of a Book by Jason Mott
2. The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
3. Frontier Justice by E. Fuller Torrey
4. All About Me! by Mel Brooks
5. War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi
6. The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar
7. Hello, Molly! : a memoir by Molly Shannon
8. Virgin River by Robin Carr

You may now post!

Today was the first Saturday I've worked in... wow, a couple of years, I guess. We were closed weekends in 2020, and when we reinstated full library building hours in 2021, it was late enough that I was working Sundays instead. Anyway, it was an interesting contrast. The first hour was pretty quiet, and it picked up in the afternoon so I was quite busy on my hours on the desk. It went by fast - and then we left during a thunderstorm. I'd originally planned on going home to do tidy up and cook, but decided that going out in the rain was not worth it.

Tomorrow I have church and I've switched to the 10:30 service for nursery. I'll then run to the grocery store and home to cook a bit, back to the dogs I'm sitting for, and I have a cookout at my brother and SIL's. Monday is a holiday, I finish the dogsitting job and go home in the morning, and then in the evening I have a cookout at my parents.

I was going to dogsit this week from Tuesday-Friday, but the owner decided not to go away on a trip and has asked me to walk and feed the dogs without staying over for the same price. So I'll get all the exercise and be able to sleep in my own bed, which is not a bad tradeoff.

HAppy new thread!

>12 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

Happy new thread, Mary!

Happy new one, Mary. Your posting numbers continue to be on an upward trajectory.

Happy new thread, Mary!

>11 bell7: How nice of the owner to reduce your dogsitting work and not reduce the pay.

>14 curioussquared: thanks, Natalie!

>Thank you, Paul! As you know, my book numbers have been all over the place since joining the 75ers but by and large my posts have increased year by year. Thanks to you and the others helping keep conversation going here!

>16 FAMeulstee: it was a nice surprise, Anita. These owners are good about that, they sometimes change their plans last minute but they're mindful of the fact that I've possibly turned down other jobs or plans to schedule them, and they will pay the full amount. I do suspect I'll be walking all five (separately) instead of staying with three, though!

Wordle 344 3/6

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What you can't see in that result is the length of time it took me to come up with another word for guess number three.

Happy new one, Mary!

Happy new thread!

Happy Holiday Weekend, Mary. Happy New Thread. I hope you are getting plenty of book time in.

>19 katiekrug: thanks, Katie!

>20 drneutron: thanks, Jim!

>21 msf59: thanks, Mark! Yes, getting done reading in this weekend and this coming week that I'm taking as a staycation too.

Wordle 345 2/6

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Well that was all the luck of what I'd chosen as a first word!

>23 bell7: I was delighted with three: AEONS, ABORT, ATOLL

Happy new thread. Our library was all decorated with bunting for the jubilee this morning, looked very jazzy.

>24 richardderus: ATONE got me started on the right path, and I was pretty sure that your starting word would be helpful in a quick solution as well.

>25 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte! Oh, that must've been nice and festive. Is it true that Stonehenge had projected images of the queen, or was that just a weird Internet share thing?

51. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
Why now? Because any book she writes is pretty much an auto-read for me

Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar have just saved their world and been told by those in power, the Asteri, that they need to lie low. They're trying, but trouble seems to find them. First, Connor is a Fae male who introduces himself to her as her betrothed - her father, the Autumn King, seems to have plans for her. And then she finds out a boy is missing and various factions, including the human rebels who want to overthrow the Asteri, are after him. Bryce, her brother Ruhn, Hunt, and friends will have to use all their ingenuity to stay a step ahead of their enemies.

If you've been following Sarah J. Maas's series up to this point, you pretty much know what you're in for, right? Horny faeries - or, well, in this case angel and half-human, half-Fae - plot twists, and lots of banter in a very long book. And that's exactly what this book delivers. It took me a very long time to read, it takes several hundred pages to actually set up the story (while I fortunately followed along because I like the characters), and then the ending basically left me gasping and ready for the next book. 4.5 stars.

Edited to add: Also at 800 pages, I'd like to take credit for 3 books here.

Wordle 346 3/6

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ATONE, LABOR, MANOR and I got a little lucky on guess number two when I forgot to use the "n".
Brings my streak up to 99.

Happy Tuesday and happy last day of May! I'm off this week, and I've been enjoying both getting stuff done and hanging out at home (trying to find that happy medium...though today the weather being pretty hot is helping that happen). This is my first day of walking/feeding dogs while I'm staying at home, which I'm doing through Friday. I'm hoping to get back there around 4:30 tonight (unless they text me and ask for a later time) and get the walks in before some thunderstorms come through or, alternatively, I go to my brothers' softball games.

I've also unpacked from my last dogsitting job, set up my June budget, and I'm changing my sheets and getting my bed into "summer" mode (no blankets, just a quilt) while listening to Roland Garros radio. I have a to-do list for the week that I'm hoping to whittle away at it over the next few days, and then I'm dogsitting away from home Friday-Tuesday. That dog is extremely easy, and I expect I'll get some good reading in those days, if I don't manage it over the next few.

Yay for being homebound! At last. Almost a week.

*smooch*

Yep! And I'll be home most of June (though I'll have a dog here for about a week), which is a nice break too.

Wordle 347 5/6

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Happy June! My peonies started blooming today, and the mountain laurel is not far behind.

Today was a busy day, starting with walking the dogs, then mowing and cooking, and back to the dogs. I've just had dinner and I'm just about ready to relax - but I also have some laundry to fold. Tomorrow I'll take it a little easier.

May in review
51. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
50. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
49. True Biz by Sara Novic
48. Recitatif by Toni Morrison
47. The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
46. Blended by Sharon M. Draper
45. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
44. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
43. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
42. The Guncle by Steven Rowley
41. Go to Sleep (I Miss You) by Lucy Knisley
40. Shadowshaper Legacy by Daniel Jose Older

Did Not Finish
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree and Hello, Molly!

Books read: 12
Rereads: 0
Children's/Teen/Adult: 1/2/9
Fiction/Nonfiction/Plays/Poetry: 10/2/0/0
ABC Challenge: The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Pakistan

Because I want to awards:
Aw man, I liked so many I don't even know where to start. The Guncle and True Biz were a lot of fun to read, and I read them in only a few days each. House of Sky and Breath took me over a month all told and was way to long, and yet at the end I was left impatient for the next book. Elatsoe was a great mystery/fantasy by a new-to-me author, and Recitatif was a thoughtful piece by an author I admire greatly. Gender Queer was a fantastic memoir. And Shadowshaper Legacy was a satisfying ending to a trilogy.

YTD stats -
Pages read: 15,178
Avg pages a day: 100.5
Books by POC authors: 18 (35%)
DNF: 7

Thoughts:
I had a blast with my reading this month. All but one were books I rated 4 to 4.5 stars - the one that wasn't, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, is still one I'm glad I read but I just didn't have the same enjoyment in reading as the rest. Half of the books I read this month were by authors of color and upped my YTD percentage, though I still have some work to do there. Mohsin Hamid was my author for the Asian Book Challenge, originally from Pakistan, though I believe it was originally written in English and not translated. The other global read was The Woman in the Library, as the author is from Australia. I'm on pace for meeting my global reading goal and completing the BookRiot Challenge.

52. Bookish People by Susan Coll
Why now? Who can resist a book about a bookstore? Not me! I requested the ARC from the publisher, and decided to read it now because it's one of 3 that haven't come out yet - it's due out in August

*E-book ARC received from the publisher through Edelweiss Plus - thank you!*

Sophie owns an independent bookstore in Washington, DC, but between mourning her husband's death and hearing about the violence at the protests in Charlottesville, she's ready to move into a nook in her bookstore. One of her employees, Clemi, is working hard at event planning and has a controversial poet coming: people are protesting their event, but she really wants him to come because she suspects he's her father.

The narrative switches back and forth between Sophie and Clemi in this quirky tale. I had a hard time buying the more and more over-the-top situations Sophie (with a vacuum cleaner) and Clemi (with running the events, dealing with the bookstore, and a tortoise named Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.) find themselves in. Having such hijinks up against the serious issues that Sophie and Clemi were going through was probably supposed to make me laugh and lighten the mood, but instead I had a bit of whiplash. This would make an excellent screwball movie, in fact, but for some reason it doesn't quite work for me on the page. 3.5 stars.

Wordle 348 4/6

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Solid result today

Solid indeed! I took 5 to get there but am still on my current best-ever streak. I had a couple rounds of "guess the letters we're thinking of, g'wan guess!" Ugh.

>37 richardderus: yeah, I like it better when I feel like a certain amount of my own skill was involved in coming up with the answer, though I know there's always an element of luck in there too.

Wordle 349 3/6

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Happy Friday, everyone! After this weekend, I'm back to work. It's been a nice week off and I've accomplished a lot of what I wanted to. Yesterday I had a friend come over and help me put up bunk beds in one of the bedrooms, and then I finally hung curtains in the kitchen. (Such a small thing, but it makes me so happy walking by them.)

This morning is my last dog walking run, and then I'm heading to the house where I'm dogsitting (staying) for the weekend and through Tuesday morning. I have elected *not* to pack the food I just bought at the grocery store, and instead I plan to come back here after checking in on the dog to do a little cooking, and then head over "for real" with the rest of my packing.

Tonight is book club, and I'm bringing BBQ cups - literally hamburg, BBQ sauce, and cheese wrapped in crescent rolls. That I will do where I'm dogsitting, because the timing is such that I want to walk and feed the dog while they're cooking, then head out to book club with them still warm. This month's book is The Vanishing Half, which I read back in December for work and haven't reread, but I've printed out some chapter-by-chapter notes and I'll breeze through them sometime today.

Boy, this was going to be a more relaxed day compared to some of the others this week, but now that I write it all out, I have filled my time, haven't I?

Glad you've had a good week off, Mary!

The BBQ cups sound delicious - anything with a crescent roll involved always sounds good to me :)

>33 bell7: Nice! I planted peony bulbs last fall and all but one have put up fair-sized plants so far. We've had a cooler spring so everything has been later than usual (my lilacs have yet to bloom) so no signs of any buds yet. I've been told it can take peonies a year to really establish themselves so I'm not necessarily expecting flowers this year but I'll be delighted if I get them.

Have an excellent last weekend of your vacation!

>41 katiekrug: I've never made them before, but they looked simple and delicious! Win-win.

>42 MickyFine: Thankfully my garden was already established (more like overgrown...) when I bought the house, so I am benefiting from work that was not mine. The pink peonies look absolutely gorgeous - the white ones are much smaller plants, and only have a flower or two on them right now. Here's hoping that your lilacs bloom soon and your peonies establish themselves and flower for you soon!

Well, I decided to take it a little easier than I'd originally planned today, helped along by the fact that the house where I'm staying has the Tennis Channel and I can watch the men's semis on the big screen. I turned it on just before the first tiebreak in the Nadal-Zverev match, which was shaping up to be a doozy (3 hours in, they hadn't yet finished the second set) and then ended in a sudden and heartbreaking way when Zverev turned his ankle badly and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair for evaluation. Rough, rough way to end a semi, though I am glad to see Rafa in another final.

>44 bell7: - I'm rooting for Cilic in the second semi, and either him or Ruud against Nadal because I'm not a big fan. I used to really dislike him, now I just find him mildly annoying. And, no, I don't know why. It just is. :D

>45 katiekrug: That's fair, Katie (I mean, in the weird way that we can like or dislike a player or team for no particular reason). I'm more of a Federer fan, but since he's not playing, I'm going for Nadal. I find Djokovic mildly annoying, so I would also not be sorry to see Nadal be the one of the Big 3 who ends up with the most majors at the end of the career. On the other hand, we see history no matter what at the end of the men's final, which will make it a fun match.

>46 bell7: - I'll be rooting hard for Coco Gauff (in vain, no doubt), but I don't dislike Swiatek.

I used to like Djokovich more than Nadal, but now I loathe him, which is part of the reason Nadal has moved up in my estimation :) I think Djokovich lacks the class of both Federer (my favorite) and Nadal.

PSA/Reminder: US Open tickets go on sale on Monday :)

>47 katiekrug: I completely agree about the women's final. I expect Coco to be great, but probably not to win this one. Federer is my favorite and I will be sad when he officially retires and I have to decide who to go for instead, and I agree both he and Nadal have a lot of class, while Djokovish, hm, doesn't really.

And thank you for that, I should touch base with my parents and see if they want to go in on tickets again this year. Though now that I look at my calendar, I'm doing some dogsitting that would make the early rounds a no-go for me. Oops.

Weekend-ahead's reads *superwhammy*

I guess the fact that Djokovich is a COVID-conspiracy vaccine denier made me switch from "mmm, who's he again?" to "kill it with fiiire" since I still think he's a muffin.

>49 richardderus: Yeahhhhh, all that certainly didn't help my opinion of him. And thanks for the reading "whammies". I may plan on going home occasionally to get some stuff done there, but I'm watching the easy dog and expect I'll get a good amount of reading in.

>49 richardderus: - Yep, that's why I loathe him now.

>48 bell7: - My best friend and I are doing our traditional 2 days of the opening rounds, with an overnight or two in the city to make the trip in and out easier. Fingers crossed for no floods this year!

You've thrown a gauntlet at my feet, Mary. I hope I can respond appropriately.

You finished May having read 51 books. Finished #52 in the first three days of June. I am but one book behind you—50 books through May, 51st book finished yesterday. Given our comparable reading this year, I'm looking at your annual totals. Yes, and thinking I could maybe bust through the Century Mark REAL good. You be my pacer.

>51 katiekrug: I had blocked the Aussie Open shenanigans out until Richard reminded me, honestly. And hooray, I hope you and your friend have an absolute blast and make up for last year.

>52 weird_O: Well, Bill, it'll be fun to pace with you through the remainder of the year. Usually Paul and I are closer together, but he hit the ground running in January and I have not caught up. Looking forward to seeing what the rest of the year brings!

Happy weekend! My only plans with a definite time are getting together with my Little, mostly to drive around and maybe hit some shops or tag sales, and get lunch. I'm having my coffee now and will walk the dog shortly (a very short one, he's old with arthritis) and then I'll settle in for the French Open women's final. I've got to stop at home at some point to pick up things I forgot to pack (socks...) and water my house plants. Not having to leave to walk the six dogs is making my morning feel downright luxurious.

Wordle 350 3/6

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Pleased with this one

53. The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Why now? Probably work-related emails put this on my radar originally? I wanted to actually read a DRC or two "on time", and this one comes out in August in the U.S. and U.K.

*Free e-book ARC received from the publisher through Edelweiss Plus - thank you!*

How far would you go for the people you love? That's what Devon has to decide when her son, Cai, is born not a book eater like she is, but a mind eater. Her people call them "dragons," and they feed leaving humans, if alive at all, a shell of themselves with no memories or real mind left at all when left to their own devices. On the run from her Family, Devon needs to get the drug Redemption for Cai, which will allow him to eat books like her, but the Family who makes it has disappeared and doesn't want to be found.

The narrative stays with Devon's point of view, and we go back and forth between the present, with Devon and Cai on the run over the course of just a few days, and the backstory of exactly how we got here, starting with Devon's childhood of eating fairy tales and being raised to marry and produce more book eaters. I really enjoyed immersing myself in Devon's world and wrestling with her morals and choices. It's grim and Gothic and very good. 4.5 stars.

I'm sorry I missed the deadline to nominate this debut novel for LibraryReads. I got my months confused - the deadline to nominate for August is July 1, so I nominated this for LibraryReads in plenty of time. I'll be interested in seeing what Sunyi Dean writes next, and if there were to be a sequel in which she goes back to rescue her daughter, I would be extremely happy to read it.

>56 bell7: Heckuva dark premise! Like a fantasy version of Chouette.

Spend a lovely lovely-weekend of reading and pooching! *smooch*

>57 richardderus: I had to double check the description of Chouette, but yes, I think that's an apt comparison. I tagged The Book Eaters fantasy because, well, no one in this world eats books and it's published by Tor, but it's also... kind of not?

And thank you! Great start to the weekend so far, and I'm ready to curl up with a book for awhile.

Wordle 351 5/6

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>59 bell7: It was a 3 day for me, thank goodness for my starter words...every letter I got was in its proper position!

*smooch*

>60 richardderus: My number 3 guess was a bit of a throwaway, but it let me know exactly where the "E" needed to go, which helped things along some. I was hoping to notice more when I reached an even hundred, but when I thought to look today, I'm already at a streak of 104. Oh well.

Back to work tomorrow, and I'm almost ready to be, I think.

Today was church and nursery, a quick stop to the grocery store for a forgotten ingredient, and I went to meet the dog I'll be sitting for next week. We had originally talked about bringing the dog to my place, but when the owner started telling me about his schedule, I asked if it wouldn't be easier for me to stay there. So we ended up changing it, but I think that'll be easier all around. He has an outdoor pen at home where he can run around for hours, and I don't have a fenced in yard.

After that, it was around 2, and I came back to the dogsitting house to have lunch, watch the French Open final that I'd DVRed, and read. It's been a nice, relaxing weekend overall to cap the busy week of getting things done at home. Tomorrow I'm working 9-2 and have just a few errands to run before coming back to the dog, so it'll be a nice way to ease into the work week. The rest of my schedule this week is mostly normal, except that I am working 11-7:30 or so on Thursday for a program.

54. The Kids Are Gonna Ask by Gretchen Anthony
Why now? A group of librarians is discussing it as our "happy literary fiction" title on Tuesday

Savannah and Thomas are seventeen-year-old twins who live with their grandmother, Maggie, after their mother Bess died four years ago. They have a podcast interviewing Maggie's variety of dinner guests, but one evening they get the idea to start a new podcast in which they hunt for their biological father, a man whose identity Bess never revealed. But then the series takes off, and they have to deal with the newfound fame - and notoriety - that their very public search draws.

What can I say? I read this compulsively over a weekend and was invested in knowing how the story would turn out for Savannah, Thomas, and Maggie. The third-person narration switches between their perspectives, allowing the reader a fuller understanding of their motives and knowledge. I really liked all of the characters, the exploration of family, and the commentary on the good and bad of social media and the way it brings parts of our lives into public view (though maybe not quite as thoroughly as the twins' podcast does). A good choice for book clubs. 4.5 stars.

I never even heard of this book before the librarian group assigned it for this month. I'll definitely check out her debut Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners - and she has a new book coming out in September, too.

Wordle 352 6/6

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Phew, indeed! This one was tough

Happy Monday! The dog is walked and settled on his bed. I'm heading out soon to work 9-2. I want to stop at home and get some food containers, then I'm making a quinoa avocado spinach salad this afternoon. One more night here, and then I go home for a few days. My dogsitting schedule has been a week on a week off (roughly), but then in July I'll have a two-week gig followed by vacation to keep me busy.

Reading is going well. I finished two books in two days (reviewed above), and I just started Between the Lines: Stories from the Underground which is a fun read of a collection of Subway Book Reviews - Uli Beutter Cohen takes a picture and asks someone to talk about what they're reading. Some of them are just folks, and others are famous, but it's a fun collection of life and books in New York. I think someone who knows New York subway stations may enjoy recognizing the places (which I have no frame of reference for whatsoever), but it's very enjoyable getting a window into a lot of different lives. My e-book/audio for the past several days has been The Thursday Murder Club, and I think I'll try to start reading more of it before bed to make some progress. It's about a group of friends at a retirement community who are investigating a murder and it's laugh-out-loud funny in places.

>63 bell7: This sounds good, I'll have a look for it. I've read a few novels recently with podcasts as a key part of the plot. I wonder how quickly these will date?

>66 charl08: That's an interesting questions, isn't it, Charlotte? I saw one review refer to podcasts as "new" and I had to look it up... apparently podcasts as we know them now (discrete episodes that can be downloaded when a new one comes out) have been around since 2004. But I suppose ten years from now talking about starting a podcast might sound as odd as reading a book now about someone starting a blog (not that someone wouldn't, but it had a set period of time where it was more popular). Guess we'll have to wait and see! I'll look forward to your thoughts if you can get your hands on a copy.

I added my 2700th book to LibraryThing today.

Wordle 353 4/6

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ATONE, SPOIL, CHORD, FLOOD. I messed up a little on guess number three but it worked out in the end.

Good morning, all! I've had my coffee for the morning but that's about it. In a bit, I'll give the dog a quick walk and I'm contemplating driving a few minutes away to a reservoir trail to give myself a longer walk before packing up the car. I've got an online librarian book group that starts at ten, and when we finish up I'll get ready for work, which is 12-8. Going home tonight.

It's nice to have such an average busy day without cramming in all sorts of extras. Both books I'm reading are still coming along nicely.

>70 bell7: Sounds positively ordinary, Mary!

>69 bell7: I got it in 4 as well. It was so irritating to me when my accustomed second word MIRTH returned nothing, that I stumbled on the correct answer! BLOOD, FLOOD

>71 richardderus: I don't like when I get NO letters on a guess. So frustrating! And yes, ordinary with just the right amount of busy-ness. I'm headed out to pack the car and go to work now.

Wordle 354 4/6

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Not bad on this one!

>73 bell7: Well, thank goodness! I've been getting more and more disheartened as I've toured LT because everyone's moaning about this puzzle. I'm still caffeinating (read: procrastinating out of fear) but will force myself to tackle it soon.

*smooch*

>74 richardderus: If you're curious, my guesses were ATONE, TAILS, TIBIA, TRAIT with my third guess helpfully telling me where the vowels must be. I'll head over and peek at your results.

>75 bell7: ...and pay special attention to the review in #117!

>76 richardderus: yeah, you got me with a book bullet on that one!

>77 bell7: You will really appreciate this book, Mary. It's like he's a male you.

>78 richardderus: Color me intrigued 🙂

Wordle 355 5/6

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Morning, Mary. Sweet Thursday. Thanks for stopping by and supplying your bird report and congrats on seeing and IDing the redstart. Warblers are tough. I hope the work week is going fine.

>81 msf59: Morning, Mark! Redstarts are neat to me because they're almost-but-not-quite like a Baltimore oriole. I've seen one once before, but this was a FOY. Work's keeping me busy, but the week is good so far!

Yesterday after work, I had the energy and motivation to do ALL the things. I stopped at a Farmer's Market on my way home, and while I didn't buy a lobster meal at the food truck (I could not justify to myself blowing half my takeout budget in one meal on the 8th of the month), I did buy some asparagus to roast and pepper plants. I came home and baked a quiche (I used heavy cream for the first time because I was following a new recipe, and let me tell you, I can't go back to just milk now...), and then it was 7ish and I realized I needed to plant some tomato plants a co-worker gave me and the pepper plants then because Thursday's (today's) forecast was rain. So I did that, took some pictures of the gardens, cut all the rhubarb and pinched off some chive blossoms for vinegar until it got dark. I cut up the rhubarb but stuffed everything in the fridge to deal with today.

Basically when it's sunny and I have energy, I take advantage because on days like today with the rain, I just move a lot slower and don't want to do anything. I'll probably try to freeze some of the rhubarb, and I'll make some chive blossom vinegar. I'm working 11:30-7:30 because I have a program tonight, showing people how to use Ancestry Library Edition. Oh, and sometime over the next few days I need to get tomato cages for the new plants.

I'm progressing in both my books - I'm nearly finished with The Thursday Murder Club and expect I can finish it up today. It's a good mystery for people who don't want gruesome violence but also aren't sold on cozies, though it does play with some of the cozy conventions, I found it much more believable how Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim are able to sleuth alongside the police and sometimes have access to information the police don't. I'm over halfway through Between the Lines: Stories from the Underground - I'd thought I would only want to read a few interviews at a time, but they're each so short and it's hard to put down. I love getting these glimpses into so many lives.

>83 bell7: Sounds like a lovely few days. Chive-blossom vinegar is a real pleasure to have around. If you haven't before, you could also try two or three blossoms in a table-cruet of corn or canola oil. It takes the curse off using not-olive oil on one's salads.

Something to consider asking for for Yule is a food saver. Rhubarb's so crisp that it can mush up in the freezer which isn't as lovely as it mushing up in cooking for some strange reason. I mean, isn't mushing up the same?! But nooooooo

*smooch*

>83 bell7: Rainy days make me feel blah too, Mary. Do you do registrations for your programs or do people just show up? Either way, I hope you have good turn out!

>84 richardderus: oooh, I'll keep the oil tip and the food saver in mind. Thanks, Richard! I've got one chive blossom vinegar finished - it's with white vinegar and quite... potent, though I think I'll enjoy it on salad greens. Today's batch was with white wine vinegar, and I'll look forward to the comparison when it's ready in a bit.

>85 MickyFine: it depends on the program, but I require it for this one because I have a limited number of computers. I had five altogether tonight, but the small group worked well because it was only me (I usually have a volunteer let people in the locked doors and run around alerting me who needs help). I was able to give really individual attention, everyone found something, and all were really happy in the end, so I'd say it was a success.

Your rhubarb and quiche cooking / gardening sounds wonderful. I love rhubarb fool (another recipe with cream, though!)

>87 charl08: growing up we had rhubarb crisp, but I've never heard of fool. Do you have a recipe you like to use?

Wordle 356 5/6

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It was in a separate email today but still let me play. Streak is up to 109.

>87 charl08: My rhubarb is never successful enough to lead to home cooking! But there are some here that look amazing. https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/rhubarb_fool

>90 charl08: Oooh, thank you, Charlotte! Always excellent to have recipe options. I ended up using much of it in a really simple rhubarb jam recipe a neighbor gave me (as sort of a thank-you for letting her cut some for herself which - gosh, I have around 8 plants, I can't go through it all!), so now I've got a couple of jars of that in the freezer. At this rate, I'm going to need more canning supplies.

Happy Friday, everyone! This week has flown by and I'm looking forward to not only the weekend but a couple of days off next week as I use up some of my vacation before the new fiscal year starts July 1.

Today's plan is work, run for a few quick groceries, and cook dinner tonight. We'll see if I have the energy/time for anything else, but that's all the have-tos. Tomorrow I want to mow. And Monday I start a dogsitting stint that'll last through Saturday.

55. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Why now? I've been interested in trying out this series, and the e-book/audiobook combo was available through the library when I was looking for that format

Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim collectively make up the Thursday Murder Club, a group that gets together in the community room of their retirement home to discuss cold cases. Elizabeth and her friend Penny started it, using files Penny copied during her time in the police force, but now that Penny has dementia the others are carrying on the project. Then a murder happens in real time - Tony Curran, who had a part ownership with Ian Ventham in their home, is bludgeoned in his home. The four are determined to figure out whodunit, and their amateur sleuthing happens in tandem with the police investigation, both of which find their way to answers.

I really enjoyed this story, which has some of the quirkiness and humor of cozies but also has characters with hard pasts and police procedural elements when we're following Donna and her boss, Chris. The author treats older folks with respect and dignity; they're whip smart and we get hints of how their past jobs inform their connections and abilities. Most of the narrative is in third-person, with portions of Joyce's diary included throughout. Excellent fun, and I'll look forward to reading the sequel. 4.5 stars.

56. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
Why now? Well, sadly because the author passed away recently - I'd read this Newbery Award winner as a child, and decided to reread and make my way through the entire series, since I'm not sure I read them all.

Anna and Caleb live with their father in the plains. Their mother died when Caleb was born, and now their father decided to put an advertisement in the paper for a wife and mother for his children. Sarah Wheaton answers, and agrees to come visit from Maine. She brings joy and song to the house - but will she stay?

Rereading this was an unexpected comfort read for me. The story is very short, almost a sketch or an outline, leaving the reader to fill in some of the details. The relationships between the characters are very sweet, and you feel for young Anna and Caleb wanting to have Sarah stay, and afraid she'll be too homesick and leave. 4.5 stars.

I loved Sarah, Plain and Tall when I was a kid and was so happy that it stood up to a re-read as an adult. A comfort read, for sure.

>94 bell7: I do love it when we see different things in a book but still both love it. I didn't respond as much to the kids' longing but to Sarah's deep love for the world she found on the plains.

>89 bell7: I'm a little upset that my cookie-clearout wiped my streak. *sigh*

>86 bell7: I had a FoodSaver V2244. It worked perfectly, and probably still does.

>92 bell7: Ooh nice. Extra long weekend or just some random days off in the middle of the week?

>95 katiekrug: :) I've put Skylark on hold (apparently I wasn't the only nostalgic one in my library system).

>96 richardderus: Oh yes, I could see how that, too, would be a connection point, Richard. I was impressed with how much MacLachlan was able to convey in so few words. Now that I think on it, I believe I was able to play Wordle today because my month of free articles reset. We'll see how long they let me continue. And I'll definitely keep the rec for a FoodSaver in mind!

>97 MickyFine: Hi, Micky! Extra long weekend - I'm off on Monday for working Saturday (June 18 and the start to Summer Reading!), and then I took Tuesday and Wednesday off. I'll carry over somewhere around 20 hours.

57. Between the Lines: Stories from the Underground by Uli Beutter Cohen
Why now? I've been following Subway Book Review on Instagram and wanted to read the book featuring some of those interviews

Soon after Uli Beutter Cohen moved to New York City, she began riding the subway and getting to know the city. In a chance encounter, she happened to make eye contact with a fellow commuter and asked her what she was reading, finishing their conversation with a photograph to commemorate the moment. From this, what would become the Subway Book Review - a collection of photographs of people with their books, and an accompanying interview - began.

This collection of some of the interviews meanders topically investigating themes such as "Arrivals," "Legacy," "Fabric," "Love," and much more before reaching "The End of the Line." This allows for juxtaposition that pure chronology wouldn't create, such as having someone reading one book and then following it with an interview of the author of that book. Each one is only 1-3 pages long, a snapshot of a person and a part of the city. Some people show up more than once. Some are just everyday people, and others are famous, and all of them showcase a piece of the diversity and vibrancy and life that is New York City. As Cohen's project became better known, she sometimes had people meet her at a particular subway station, or in some cases in 2020 she conducted phone interviews. Someone more familiar with New York's subway system may have gotten more out of the geography than I did, but even so I found this collection a warm and enjoyable reading experience connecting with people I will most likely never meet. 4.5 stars.

58. Apple Crush by Lucy Knisley
Why now? Continuing a middle grade graphic novel series by an author I enjoy; decided to read it today so I could return a couple of books to the library over the weekend.

Jen and her step-sister Andy have a fall job at the next door pumpkin patch. Jen is worried about starting sixth grade at a new school, especially because it seems like so many people - including Andy - are interested in boyfriend-girlfriend relationships.

Wow, reading this brought me back in time to that awkward part of middle school when some of my friends went boy crazy and I just didn't get it. For all that Jen isn't interested in romance (yet), it's pretty affirming of letting people develop in their own way at their own pace, while capturing the particular way she felt about many kids and adults around her pushing towards romantic relationships. I'll look forward to seeing where the series goes from here. 4 stars.

I'm at a point I don't get to often, so it's notable enough to comment on: I am completely between books. I have finished all the books I was reading in all formats, and I'm even between books in my Bible reading, having finished Ecclesiastes and 2 Corinthians but not starting Song of Solomon and Galatians until tomorrow.

Next up for paper book is The Woman All Spies Fear, a nonfiction account of a code breaker in World War 1. One of my co-workers recommended it to me, and as we tend to have very different reading taste (except for a small overlap, and usually we like the same books for different reasons), I'm counting it towards the BookRiot challenge for that category. My next e-book will be Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder, and an audiobook is still to be determined (I downloaded A Wizard of Earthsea late last night just to have something, but I think I'd rather read the paper book alone).

I did the quick shopping trip I meant to after work, and decided to buy sushi and give myself the night off from cooking. While I was at work, the master gardener who's working on our landscaping came in, and I asked her about dividing my iris seedling (a dark purple one that I hybridized myself). She suggested I do it that day, since the landscapers are coming on Monday. One of my co-workers helpfully offered a trowel he had in his car (!), so I went out and dug it up, and have irises to put in tomorrow. I'll bring some back to the library too. Since I got home, I've been sitting comfortably in my sun room reading and listening to bird song, and am putting off all chores 'til tomorrow.

I've been reading up a storm this month, though reading a couple of short books over the last two days and finishing a couple of books I started in May helped that stat along. Still, I've already read as many books in June as I did for the entire month of April. Next week I'm off Monday-Wednesday and have plans to meet up with friends two of those days, but I'm looking forward to some reading time too.

>83 bell7: Wow! You certainly had a busy/productive day!

>101 bell7: I quite love the iris. I have one in a dark blue. Your own personal hybrid!? It must be stunning.

Have a great weekend

>102 figsfromthistle: Yeah, haha, for whatever reason on Wednesday night I just had alllll the energy and couldn't sit down. Irises are wonderful, aren't they? Starting when I was around 10 or so, my grandparents would give me a membership to the local Iris Society, bringing me to events and showing me how to hybridize them. Here's my baby:



It's got the more modern falls that stick out straighter instead of drooping, and has very good branching allowing the flowers to stand out from the stem. It's one of two babies that I really like and have kept alive in someone's garden - finally this year, I can add them back into mine!

Wordle 357 5/6

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Almost thought I'd break my streak today, but I got it!

>103 bell7: Beautiful!

>104 bell7: It was a five for me too, today.

>105 MickyFine: thank you, Micky! It's a very traditional color but I love it, and there's another in my parents' yard that I want to cross it with next year and see what happens.

Amazingly, I have three or four seed pods in my yard right now from bee crosses (well, some kind of insect anyway), and it'll be interesting to see what comes of that.

>104 bell7: 4-day for me, but it was a guessing game. *sigh*

>103 bell7: I loooooooove the color and, while I'm usually more into the old-fashioned fall-type falls, the combination of the color and the ratio of falls to uprights makes this the most pleasing modern iris I've seen yet.

xo

Not even trying to catch up, Mary, but stopping by to wish you a wonderful weekend!

>107 richardderus: yeah, stressful when it comes down to a "guess the last letter in time" game. And thank you for your kind words about my iris baby! I'm excited to start hybridizing again now that I have a sunny garden of my own to play in 😊

>108 alcottacre: happy weekend, Stasia! Hope you have some time to rest after all your travel.

Wordle 358 2/6

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Only the fourth time I've had this kind of luck! Streak up to 111, and if I'm only able to play until I run out of free "articles" for the month, I'm nearly finished.

Good Sunday morning! I'm realizing as I look at my thread that I never did give a rundown of Saturday, so here you go:

It was a gorgeous day, and the forecast for today was rain, so I made myself do all the outside work: I weeded out some ferns and goldenrod and divided on my iris to make room and planted about seven rhizomes (clumps or individual) in my gardens. Then I mowed the lawn. I had lunch in there somewhere, but basically - with breaks - I worked from about 10 to 4 and that was plenty. I got takeout and spent the evening reading 'til I went to bed.

I woke up at 5 a.m. this morning for some unfathomable reason, so I've been reading (first hoping I'd fall back asleep, and then after about an hour of that getting up and making coffee). I finished The Woman All Spies Fear and I'm about 30% into Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder. Now, of course, it's not supposed to rain until 4 p.m. or so, so I probably could've done some of the garden/mowing today. Oh well. Church this morning starts with a breakfast at 8:30 and one big service for everyone at 10:30 as we say goodbye to one of our long-time associate pastors and his family. He's the son of our former head pastor who retired in 2020 and was in charge of all our music, directed Easter and Christmas choir prior to Covid, and did a LOT of building maintenance, so finding a replacement for him will be a tall order. After all that, I'm keeping the afternoon low key. I may need a nap, but if not, I have some tidying and will possibly tackle installing more curtain rods and hanging some curtains today.

I love the iris, Mary. I love the blue ones, have a few in the garden, some that do better than others. Hope you have a good Sunday.

>112 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. So far, Sunday has been nice. I love that iris can be so many colors, and I'll look forward to adding more to the garden where I can.

59. The Woman All Spies Fear by Amy Butler Greenfield
Why now? My co-worker and I were talking books, she recommended this one and it was on the shelf so I took it home. It fits the BookRiot challenge to read a book recommended by someone with different reading tastes than you and the TIOLI challenge to read a book with a person on the cover.

This biography tells the incredible true story of Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a cryptanalyst during both World Wars, who worked to crack codes and ciphers used to mask military and spy messages.

Keep bringing on the stories of overlooked folks who made a big difference! Elizebeth (and no, that's not a typo, apparently her mother really didn't want her nickname to be "Eliza") is a fascinating woman, and I loved the story of both her and her husband William who both worked for the U.S. government in various capacities. In a time where women seldom went to college and ended their careers when they had babies, Elizebeth bucked the norm with the full support of her husband. The prose sometimes made me want to pull out an editor's pen, and maybe cross out one or two of those sentences that compared researching a part of Elizebeth's life to decoding. But this YA biography will have a lot of appeal beyond that age group. 4.5 stars.

Wordle 359 4/6

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Good morning, everyone! Today I'm planning on meeting up with a friend and her almost-four-year-old twins, and then going from there to my dogsitting job. I'm bringing lots of books.

The morning will be spent packing and tidying up a bit here. Right now I have some laundry that I started last night finishing up, and I'll ponder other tasks after coffee.

>116 bell7: Are these fun dogs or job-dogs?

>115 bell7: Heh. *smooch*

>117 richardderus: to be determined! Smokey is a new-to-me dog, he was so excited to see me he peed a bit and knocked me over, but he's settling down now. We'll see how this week goes, I'm being extra bossy with him and hoping he'll be good.

Wordle 360 1/6

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>119 bell7: - BOOM!

>120 katiekrug: if today's the last day I can play, I'm more than satisfied 😂

MARY!!!!! Congrats!

My mom got it in 1/6 a month ago but she was mostly annoyed because that meant she couldnt play for the rest of the day AND she felt like she needed to come up with a new starter word

>119 bell7: Wow! The legendary Wordle-in-one! Congratulations!

Karen O

>119 bell7: Because I know your word, my first word told me what the answer was right away. Bless you!

>119 bell7: As soon as I solved it, I had to come by and make sure you'd managed the magic 1/6. Congrats!

>119 bell7: Woohoo!! This happened to me a month or so ago and it felt truly magical.

>122 norabelle414: thank you, Nora! I was delighted, though I did try a new starter word this morning. We'll see if it sticks.

>123 klobrien2: thanks, Karen!

>124 richardderus: 😁 I confess, I Wordle before LT because I know a few people's starting words.

>125 MickyFine: thanks, Micky! I tried your starter word today, actually.

>126 curioussquared: it is a pretty fun feeling, no?

Wordle 361 4/6

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Today's was a much more run of the mill result. Odd word though.

This won't be long cause I didn't bring my laptop and I'm typing on my phone. Yesterday was a very busy day. I went in to Boston to update my Boston Public Library card, and met a friend for lunch. She had a tight schedule but we had a little over an hour to catch up, and then I went back. Most of my time was driving or on the T, but it was worthwhile and my card's all set for four years now.

I then came back to the dog, let him out and fed him, and then went to my brothers' softball games. They lost both to one of the best teams in the league, but they kept it competitive both games.

I then came back to the dog, gave him his final quick walk, watched some TV and went to bed.

Today is much more relaxed. I want to cook some turkey burgers and make a watermelons cucumber salad to have some prepped food for work the next three days, but other than that I'm hanging with the dog, reading and knitting. I started season 3 of Virgin River and though I don't love it like I did season 1, I'm still invested enough to want to know how things end up.

>129 bell7: A very pleasant day!

>128 bell7: A *very*unpleasant* word.

>130 richardderus: yesterday was busy pleasant, and today was quiet pleasant. I lazed around watching Netflix while the dog was in his fenced-in area outside, did the cooking I had to do, and have been reading all afternoon.

And yup. Bizarre word today.

>114 bell7: I am curious to see how this book compares to Jason Fagone's book The Woman Who Smashed Codes, which I read last year. It is not a young adult book though.

>132 alcottacre: ooh, I haven't read that one but I'll have to add it to the list.

Wordle 362 3/6

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I went back to my usual starting word without thinking about it, but it worked well.

Back to work today! Other than catching up on emails, I believe I'll be going through applications for the open library page position today. Not really sure what else will be on the agenda.

>135 bell7: I hope it's a solidly productive and not-irritating day, Mary. *smooch* PS I got it in 3 too!

>136 richardderus: thanks, Richard! So far, so good. My boss is out today and she didn't leave me anything about the applications, but I've caught up on email and have been whittling away at the to-do list.

I got a fat envelope today...it doesn't look like it's from the Lottery people...so, any thoughts?

>138 richardderus: it would've had a NY Review of Books but I didn't finish it in time... Next package *smooch*

Wordle 363 4/6

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I tried Richard's method for the heck of it.

Wordle 364 5/6

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"Are you serious?" Said aloud after solving this one (as you can see with guess #3 I was completely stumped and went with a different word just to use up some letters). Just glad I solved this one at all.

I'm working today, the first day of summer reading sign ups, so absolutely nothing is on my agenda otherwise. I went through the page applications yesterday and selected people to interview, which will happen in a couple of weeks after my boss and HR and I come up with some dates. Interesting being on this end of the process... I've hired senior tax abatement workers before, but only interviewed two and that was just me.

My dogsitting gig finishes up today, and then I'll be home for a couple weeks before a busy July.

I have a couple of reviews to write - I finished Spear on Wednesday and Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language last night. Currently reading Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder (almost done) and The Startup Wife (just started).

Edited to get touchstones to work.

>142 bell7: Yay for a few weeks at home! And the hiring process is a very interesting one from that side of the desk. I don't think there's a lot that will surprise you, given that you know the senior parties pretty well...though someone will throw you a curveball, guaranteed.

>141 bell7: I took 4...I was so irked when #2 came up totally dry that I thought "it's a CABAL afainst me!" and CACAO emerged as the only possible answer.

>143 richardderus: my hangup was that the O either went at the beginning or the end, and I couldn't for the life of me figure out a word that ended in AO and the only one I could think of that started with O was OFFAL but I'd already eliminated the L. It was a stroke of luck that OCCAM was accepted and told me that there were two C's and the the I was indeed at the end. From there it was obvious.

The process is pretty similar, but the stakes are higher and more official for a regular part-time job instead of 125 hours in a calendar year. Plus we had over 50 applicants...

Fifty! Is that all...I'd think there'd be hundreds! Still a daunting task, no doubt. *smooch*

>145 richardderus: For a page's job at 12.5 hours/week averaged out for less than minimum wage? I thought over 50 was pretty impressive. :)
I think it's mostly daunting because it's a "first". Once I know what to expect, the next time around will be that much smoother - and it's experience that will come in handy when I'm director someday. *smooch*

60. Spear by Nicola Griffith
Why now? I was intrigued enough to ask for a DRC from the publisher (didn't get it), and grabbed it from the library before taking an extended weekend because it's a short novella I knew I could read quickly

A girl lives with her mother in a hidden place, but strikes out to find adventure in this gender-flipping and queer version of Arthurian legend.

I don't want to say too much about the book, because it was really fun to discover Griffith's spin on the tale as it unfolded in this short novella. Her author's note, explaining the origin of Arthurian myth and what tropes she was playing with, was at least as much fun as the story itself. 4 stars.

>147 bell7: I'm glad you liked that one! I've had my eye on it :)

61. Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language by Nora Ellen Groce
Why now? I first put this on the TBR list in 2013 at cammykitty's recommendation - I started college as a Deaf Studies concentration and am always interested in reading more about the Deaf community, but was finally prompted to read this account after finishing True Biz

There were communities in Martha's Vineyard, starting sometime in the 1600s, that had a large number of deaf individuals due to what we now know was a recessive hereditary trait. But instead of being isolated or uneducated, they were fully integrated into their communities, where everyone had at least a basic knowledge of an indigenous sign language that pre-dates American Sign Language. With exacting historical research, bringing together some written material but also the recollections of hearing folks who remembered the deaf islanders (the last one died in the 1950s, and Groce began interviews in 1979), Groce outlines the history of the Vineyard, the genealogies of the family and the potential origin of the hereditary recessive gene that caused this particular deafness, and the way in which everyone speaking sign language allowed the deaf members of society full access and integration in a way that's seldom seen in the U.S.

I've long had an interested in the Deaf community and American Sign Language, so the subject of this book was of interest to me. I recognized some of Groce's notes on history - notably, Alexander Graham Bell's interest in oral education and wanting to eliminate the "deaf race" by forcing deaf people to marry hearing (she was... very carefully neutral about the same, I thought), deaf education in the U.S., and that the indigenous sign language is no more now merged with American Sign Language. I was disappointed with the academic tone, as I was expecting something a little more narrative nonfiction with more anecdotes about life on the island rather than the more dry facts and figures. Only one chapter really talked about "what it was like", through the memories of the anonymous folks interviewed. Still, I was interested in reading her take on both genealogy and genetics, guessing where the trait may have originated. I couldn't help but think that an update with the improved understanding of genetic testing and the human genome since 1985 could help determine if she was right about some of her conclusions of where the recessive trait originated. 3.5 stars.

As Stasia would say, guardedly recommended.

>148 curioussquared: Definitely worth a read! I'll look forward to your thoughts on it, Natalie.

>142 bell7: You are reading some great books!

Thinking of you and hoping your weekend is a good one.

>151 Whisper1: So nice to see you, Linda! It's been good so far, and I'm hoping to get to see my grandfather and father tomorrow for Father's Day. I am reading some good books! One more review to come.

62. Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg
Why now? I don't remember, as I didn't add this to my TBR list or give a reason, I just requested the e-book. I think a librarian from another library might have recommended it when we were talking books? Maybe.

Marion Lane has a most unusual job - she's ostensibly working at a bookstore, but really she's in training to become an Inquirer. In 1950s London, Miss Brickett's Investigations and Inquiries is located in tunnels under the city, operating in secret but available to investigate jobs the police can't figure out. But then one of their own is murdered.

This was a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed the mystery and the setting, which is a London very similar to ours but with a lot of gadgets and alchemy giving it a fantastical feeling yet without magic. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, but the solution surprised me (even if most of it depended on the perpetrating explaining it all) and I'll be interested in seeing where the series goes next. 4 stars.

>149 bell7: Sounds like a fascinating subject for someone to pick up and do a new NNF book, as you said, updating the DNA alone would be worth a read. I studied basic sign (BSL) for the first qualification level when I was at school. The teacher was brilliant, full immersion.

More recently, our local MP has been campaigning to get BSL officially recognised by the government. I was a bit shocked to find it wasn't already, but hopefully will mean more interpreters available in healthcare etc.

>154 charl08: Oh, that's really neat, Charlotte! My first two years of college were at a community college that offered a Deaf Studies concentration, and I took five semesters of American Sign Language (ASL) before I transferred and found out that it didn't count towards my language requirement at the new school and I had to start over to have four semesters of French. Unfortunately, I'm not fluent in either anymore. But it was the same, full immersion, and I had Deaf teachers and was required to turn my voice off when I came into the classroom - we could gesture, fingerspell, or write if we didn't know the sign, but no talking. That is surprising to me that BSL isn't recognized as a language. I hope it can change and that interpreters are made available. Interpreting - especially in health care and legal settings - is a good paying job here for the language that's third-most used in the U.S. (after English and Spanish), but at 18-19, I was afraid I'd make a terrible mistake that would impact someone's life and I chose not to pursue it.

Good Sunday morning! I'm enjoying my coffee and getting ready for the day. Slightly busy one today, as I have church and then will be visiting my grandfather and my father for Father's Day. I'm off tomorrow and looking forward to getting things done around the house - covering the blueberry bushes is high on the list of "things to do soon", though I will need to enlist a little help. Thankfully I have a stepladder and a larger covering this time.

Garden report: I want to get out and take some pictures today! My roses are covered in blooms, the coreopsis is thriving, and the sweet peas are showing off. The raspberries and black raspberries will be producing soon, and the blueberries are not far behind.

Wordle 365 3/6

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>157 bell7: Me too!

>152 bell7: It sounds like a fun twist on an alt-hist mystery! I am putting it on my library list.

Sunday orisons, Mary, and a happy-you're-home *smooch*

>158 richardderus: It was, and I hope you enjoy it too! Hope you had a wonderful weekend, Richard.

For those following along with my garden, I've posted a few new pictures from this evening.

My parents (well, mostly my dad, though my mom's coming along for the ride) and a couple of church friends are coming over tomorrow to help me with the blueberry bushes, so I'll be doing a little gardening before and after their arrival. I really want to hack away at some of the weeds that have grown up around the blueberry bushes before we, um, cover them all up. So that'll be our morning. Then I'm thinking about hanging some curtains and cooking some food (I did the shopping today).

Covering the blueberry bushes? It seems an odd thing to do in summer, but I suppose you are trying to keep birds away?

>161 thornton37814: yes! It's a netting that goes over them, so you still see them and they still get sun, but fewer birds get in.

Wordle 366 3/6

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Today I had to write out the four letters in the wrong place in every order they could be in before I finally thought of the word.

63. Skylark by Patricia MacLachlan
Why now? After the author passed away, I realized I'd only read part of this series so I decided to reread/complete it

Their father and Sarah have married, but Anna and Caleb still find life difficult on the plains when a drought threatens their farm and neighbors start moving away when the wells run dry.

Rereading the first two books in this series as an adult has been delightful. I wonder if MacLachlan's spare style and way of sketching a story in broad strokes and leaving the reader's imagination to fill in the details impacted what I look for in a story now. I remembered most of what happened in Skylark, but it was surprising to me to realize that the part that I remembered most (when Sarah and the kids traveled to Maine) was actually a small percentage of the whole story. Now I'm wondering how much of my memories are affected by the movie, which I want to go back and revisit as well. 4.5 stars.

Next in the series is Caleb's Story, which I read so long ago it's not listed on LT. Unlike the first two books which I read more than once as a kid, the other books to follow have either been read once or not at all (and all prior to 2006).

Alright, I'm up and have had my coffee and I'm getting myself ready to go out and work in the garden. Goals before folks come in an hour and a half are filling the bird feeders and clearing out some of the large weeds that have grown up around the blueberries.

I'm currently only reading The Startup Wife and am halfway through - it's really good so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. Next up is Remarkably Bright Creatures as a library e-book and Out of My Mind as an e-book/audio combo as a reread before reading the new sequel, Out of My Heart.

>160 bell7: Oh, that was fun! Like being on a stroll around the beds with you. *smooch*

Aw, thanks, Richard! Glad you enjoyed them 😊

Good luck with all your gardening tasks today!

>168 MickyFine: thanks, Micky! I got what I wanted to done, though tomorrow I should rake up the weeds that I just left on the grass cause I was tired.

Wordle 367 3/6

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64. The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam
Why now? ABC Challenge - the author is originally from Bangladesh

Asha Ray had a huge crush on Cyrus Jones, and when they meet again while she's in grad school, everything seems to fall into place. Cyrus creates rituals, particularly for people who don't follow any particular kind of faith but want to have something meaningful in their life. When Asha and Cyrus's friend Jules create an app that does the same - first asking questions of the users to see what's important to them, and then suggestion a ritual for a special event be it a funeral, a wedding, or something else - they have to convince a reluctant Cyrus to go along with it. But as they become more and more successful, it's Asha who starts wondering if all this was really worth it.

There is a lot to unpack in this story. I kept thinking about the title, "The Startup Wife", whose meaning seems to shift was Asha and Cyrus's roles change during the life of their startup. It makes you question whether something started with the right intentions can ever stay "pure" as it becomes more successful - and is that because of our society, because of individual's choices, or something in between? What was inevitable and what wasn't? And ultimately, I was cheering for Asha as she grows and changes, grappling with her role and culpability. This would make an excellent book club choice. 4.5 stars.

I understand this is a bit of a departure for Anam, but I'll be very interested in going back and reading some of her other books now. I also really liked that, though the book is set primarily in Boston and New York, there's also a scene at a bookstore in western Mass that I have been to, and it was really fun to have that moment of recognition.

>171 bell7: Purity is an artifact of isolation, IMO. And that's north of sixty summers' observation speaking.

>170 bell7: I did it in 4...and was slightly shocked by the word, no idea why really.

>172 richardderus: For whatever reason after guess #2 didn't work and I knew there were few options, I thought of the word but double guessed myself on the spelling?

Purity is an artifact of isolation.
I think.... hm. I think I agree with that in a broad sense. This probably gets into my own faith and belief about how the world works, but I don't think any person can ever be entirely "pure" if we're defining it by... let's say perfection. Humans don't, I think, have the ability to have completely pure motives or actions. We're influenced by our biases, by wanting what is best for ourselves, by wanting others to think well of us, and lots of other stuff. If someone has lofty goals, does something, and finds success in that something, I think it's very hard to NOT be influenced by that success as Cyrus - and Asha, though differently - is.

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I'm back to work today, 12-8 and so far have spent the morning doing what I think of as "puttering" - working on small tasks here and there rather than large projects, but that nonetheless need to get done sometime. I'm going to head out for a walk soon, as much of what else I want to do today can be done after dark, and the walk can't.

On the work agenda, I have a new volunteer I who is training this afternoon and I need to touch base with my boss about times we can interview for the page position (the HR person is out this week, so it will be sometime next week or later). The evening shift will probably be quiet, but it'll be two of us and I'll most likely be on the circ desk for the last three hours of the night.

I should check one thing off my work list about an hour after lunch and then move onto another.

>174 bell7: Sounds like a perfectly pleasant day, Mary, I hope it's busy enough not to be boring.

>173 bell7: There are no "pure" in the sense of "unmixed" things on Earth. Unless they are refined, refined again, then wrapped in some sort of isolation, things are mixed and impure. It is the nature of reality while entropy is in total control!

>133 bell7: I hope you like the book when you get to it.

>147 bell7: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the recommendation, Mary!

>149 bell7: Woot! I am being quoted by Mary! Lol

>153 bell7: That one sounds fun. Into the BlackHole it goes!

>164 bell7: I did not even realize there was a series. I have only read Sarah, Plain and Tall. I will have to get to the others.

>171 bell7: I have a trilogy of hers that I need to get to before I check that one out, but I appreciate the recommendation, Mary.

Have a terrific Tuesday!

Wordle 368 5/6

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For some reason, my streak reset, so while I have played and not skipped a day for 120 days and am still at 100% my longest streak is 116 🤷‍♀️

>175 thornton37814: I hope you were able to get what you wanted to finished, Lori!

>176 richardderus: Agreed! (On both counts)

>177 alcottacre: Always a good day when I can get you with that many book bullets, Stasia. Enjoy!

>179 bell7: Yes. I didn't make quite as much progress as I wanted today, but that's simply because we had a strange Internet outage. It appeared to affect staff computers but not the lab ones. It took quite a while for them to get it fixed. The other thing on my list also required using the computer/Internet so I couldn't work on it. I was watching the front desk because we had a staff shortage so I finally just grabbed my lunchtime cross stitch project and worked on it while periodically checking to see if the Internet was back up.

Oh, it was a 3 day for me...I got so irked that I accidentally entered the correct answer.

>180 thornton37814: Oof, sorry about the Internet woes! My volunteer ended up canceling on me and deciding to volunteer somewhere else (long story...), and today I had a training and staff meeting, and between the two I was kept quite busy today!

>181 richardderus: Nicely done!

Well, it's been quite a day. I had a training in the morning for an annual report I work on. Then I touched base with my boss, who had a trustees meeting the night before, and at the meeting they voted to get rid of a lot more fines (we'd had this hybrid thing where you had a grace period for 28 days, but after that you were charged $3 or $5 depending on the item after it was returned, and now we're not doing that - we're only charging fines for really big/expensive items). So I had to contact the network and change our fine rules for various items, and that back and forth kept me busy. Then we had a staff meeting and I spent my last hour and a half or so on the desk.

I came home, decided to take a walk and headed up the cemetery not far from me where some of my family is buried. I took some pictures and added memorials to FindaGrave, said hello to my family, and walked back home... only to find that my car key had come off my carabiner. So then I retraced my steps, still didn't find it, and didn't get home to eat 'til close to 9.

I've since had supper, texted my boss to let her know I may have to use some personal time tomorrow, texted my parents to see if - worst case scenario - they can give me a ride to the dealership tomorrow. And tomorrow when I get up I'll start making calls. I'm thinking to the cemetery in case it turns up there in the meantime, and a locksmith. I have another key that works in the door but it doesn't have the chip, so the car alarm will go off and I don't think I can actually start the car with it (it's mostly for when I lock my key *in* my car, not when I completely lose it). So that'll be my fun tomorrow. Thankfully I have the PTO I can use, but what a pain.

>183 bell7: Sorry about the key. It would be great if you could find it before you get to the dealership. We'll be getting rid of fines within the next year--but we are waiting until we migrate to the new system to do so. I guess technically it will be at the start of next summer's term in May.

>184 thornton37814: Unfortunately it's somewhere either on the mile walk to the cemetery or in the grass among the gravestones. I called the police (which sounds goofy, but a couple of cop cars were driving in when I was walking away and I figured it might have turned up while they were there) last night, and left a message at the cemetery office. The locksmith opens at 8 a.m. and I'll see if they can work with this type of car. If not, dealership is a last resort and I'll have to figure out a ride to it :/

That's exciting about fines! My community college didn't charge fines, but on the one occasion I completely forgot about a book and still had it, they did charge a replacement fee and everything got cleared when I returned it.

>185 bell7: That's what we'll be doing. We haven't decided how overdue it will have to be to trigger the replacement charges--probably 1 to 2 months?

My library, where I've been a serious user for almost seven years, says I didn't return two books at the beginning of the pandemic. I said I did, they said "well, we can't prove it and you can't prove it so we'll leave the replacement costs on but you can still check out ebooks."

Seems weird, but I can't read tree books anymore so who cares!

>183 bell7: Boo! Hiss! on the key absconding from your caranbiner. I hope it's all fixed by now. *smooch*

Sweet Thursday, Mary. Good luck taking care of stuff today. How are those books treating you?

>186 thornton37814: Yeah, ours (public) by default is 28 days. I think the college library sent me a letter at the end of the semester with a note that they wouldn't release my grades 'til it was paid for or returned.

>187 richardderus: Well that... completely stinks, honestly. We will check the shelf and make sure first, and then everyone gets 3 freebies we call "claims returned" - basically an acknowledgement that we couldn't find it, you couldn't find it, but you're sure you returned it. At least you can still check out the e-books!

The key remains unfound - I took a walk this morning to retrace my steps and look more thoroughly in the grass, but no luck. I've called the dealership, purchased a replacement, and am having AAA tow my car to said dealership. It'll be ready tomorrow or Monday, and then I just have to figure out getting to said dealership. So I'm taking two personal days and stuck at home in the meantime.

>188 msf59: Thanks, Mark! It looks like we've got a plan in place, which is good. I'm stuck at home without a car 'til possibly Monday, which is frustrating. The books are good though! I finished A Spindle Splintered last night and owe a review.

>189 bell7: Sorry to hear that the key is still missing. At least it is an easy fix, if still a pain in the rear end.

Oh I'm sorry to hear about the pain of the lost car key. Fingers crossed the dealership can get the replacement to you on Friday so that you don't have to spend the weekend carless.

Thanks, Stasia and Micky!

And good news... When AAA came to tow, we discovered that though turning the lock made the alarm go off, I can in fact drive with my spare... It's a valet key. So I'm waiting to hear from the dealership and will be able to drive myself to it to get the key programmed. Also, apparently I lucked out having the year I do (2013) because any newer and they would've had to do something more complicated with the computer 😬

So now I'm at work, and I'll just take a couple of personal hours on each of the affected days.

>192 bell7: Oh that's some happy making news! Glad it's become a slightly less painful turn of events.

>192 bell7: Far better than expected news!

>193 MickyFine: Yes, the prospect of being stuck at home for five days was not a pleasant one!

>194 richardderus: Indeed! I was so pleased, I high-tailed it to work rather than take a full personal day. Though I'm mostly thrilled it means I don't have to cancel my weekend plans.

65. A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow
Why now? I've liked what I've read by the author so far and can't say no to a fairy tale retelling. Grabbed it at work on Tuesday instead of starting the book I'd brought for my lunch break.

Zinnia Gray has an unusual genetic disorder that no one has survived to the age of 22. Maybe that's why she's always felt an affinity for Sleeping Beauty and went on to study fairy tales in college. Today is her 21st birthday, but when she sleeps from her own story into another's, she and the Princess Primrose decide to take their fate into their own hands.

I have enjoyed Harrow's novels, but I liked this novella even more. It's a feminist and queer retelling, and I loved how many references to fairy tales and other fantasy stories were included. The illustrations of silhouettes by Arthur Rackham have been redesigned in unsettling ways but fit with the story beautifully. And though there is a sequel out, the ending was pretty satisfying on its own. 4.5 stars.

>153 bell7: Hi Mary. I've added Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder by T.A. Willberg to the tbr list.

>197 Whisper1: I hope you like it, Linda! Good to see you visiting the threads.

>196 bell7: I think Harrow's strongest writing is at the shorter lengths.

>195 bell7: *confetti toss*

Sleep thee well, m'dear Mary.

>199 richardderus: I'm gonna have to check out her short stories, but in the meantime I'm excited to read A Mirror Mended soon.

And thanks! I've been unmotivated all evening, but I figured I'd more than earned some down time. I do have to make a black bean salad so I have food tomorrow, however.

Wordle 370 4/6

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Figuring out this one was oddly satisfying

66. Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Why now? Reread so I can read the sequel

Here's what I wrote when I read the book about five years ago:

Melody is confined to a wheelchair and can't talk, but she's actually brilliant and synesthetic. She narrates the story, sharing with readers about her family, her school, and her experience as a person often overlooked, ignored, and underestimated.

Readers get a sense of Melody's physical challenges and the way people misunderstand her, not realizing that her mental abilities and personhood aren't affected by her limitations. Melody is a wonderfully complex character, and I loved getting to know her. I laughed, I cried, and I cheered for her resilience. This powerful story is a great readalike for fans of Wonder.

The book holds up on a reread, and though it's middle grade (Melody is in 5th grade) I think it has a lot of appeal for all ages. For whatever reason, the part of the story that I remembered the most was a relatively small moment well into the bookwhen Melody's quiz team goes out to dinner and the restaurant isn't equipped for her wheelchair, so her mother has to pull her up the stairs. It really struck me the first time reading it, and this time around I realized how much Melody narrating it herself kinda downplayed it like, yeah, we're used to that. Bit of an indictment of how inaccessible public places are to those with physical handicaps.

I'm looking forward to reading the brand-new sequel.

TGIF! I'm getting ready for work shortly and will hope to hear from the dealership that I can get my new key programmed today (if not today, it's a wait 'til Monday). I might try to mow tonight after getting back from work.

Tomorrow, my friends' twin kiddos (a boy and a girl) have their fourth birthday party and I've still gotta get gifts for them, so combined that will be much of my day but it should be a quiet evening afterwards. Church on Sunday, but otherwise quiet. I'm looking forward to a mix of tidying up the house and reading and knitting. I gotta get going on finishing up a baby blanket for a friend who's due this month.

Yesterday I had a fun encounter. I met someone who told me I had a doppelganger who lives in another town (but it happened to be the town I live in) and works as an ASL interpreter. I mentioned that I had actually started college with a Deaf Studies concentration and considered interpreting before deciding to go in a different direction. Turns out she works in Deaf education and knew some of the teachers I'd had 20+ years ago. And now I'm wondering if someday I'll meet my doppelganger interpreter in town. Small world.

DNF #8: Virgin River by Robyn Carr

Started last night as an e-book/audio combo primarily to fit the BookRiot challenge category "Read a book whose movie or TV adaptation you’ve seen (but haven’t read the book)". There aren't many books that fit this category, and most were classics like Around the World in 80 Days. But the writing style annoyed me and the beginning follows the first season very closely for the first two chapters anyway. I've been reading so well this month, I wasn't willing to force myself through something that would end up with a mediocre rating at best, so I'll be looking for a new e-book/audio combo tonight.

I've barely started the two books I'm reading now - The Memory Librarian and On Sal Mal Lane. I'll hope to make progress in both over the weekend.

>192 bell7: Terrific news, Mary!

>196 bell7: The only one of hers that I have read is The Ten Thousand Doors of January, which I liked a lot. I will have to see if I can find any others of hers at the local library. Thanks for the reminder, Mary.

>202 bell7: Too bad my local library does not have that one. It sounds like one I would enjoy.

>204 bell7: I hope your next read is better for you. I hate having DNF books.

Have a fantastic Friday, Mary!

>204 bell7: Yay! I feel vindicated.

>203 bell7: Weird...I am really surprised by the doppelgangers of me I get told about. But this one sounds like a more-than-visual doppelganger!

I hope the key gets done today. It's great not to have to use the valet key.

>201 bell7: I got today's in 3 because all five letters, one in proper position, are in my first two! AEONS, MIRTH, SMITE

>204 bell7: I don't blame you. I enjoy the soapy-ness of the show but the writing in the original book is... not great. I finished it but had absolutely no intention of reading more. I've kept watching the show though. :P

>203 bell7: I'm told we all have doppelgängers - I really do feel sorry for mine!

Have a great weekend, Mary.

>205 alcottacre: I will look forward to your thoughts on any of the Alix E. Harrow books you can find, Stasia! And if you get a chance to track it down, I think you'd find Out of My Mind worth it. I don't mind DNFing when I'm not into a book - there are too many other books out there, and I'm too much of a mood reader so sometimes it's a stopping-reading-for-now. In this case, though, the best parts of this one were already in the show, so I didn't feel the need to continue.

>206 richardderus: Yeah, it started as "you look just like" and became a "what my life might've been" doppelganger and that was a really weird feeling, Richard! When I was 19-20 I was not confident enough to be an interpreter. Medical and legal interpreters get paid the most, and I was TERRIFIED of the prospect of making a mistake and ruining someone's life as a result. Now, I have a little more faith in myself - not that I wouldn't make mistakes, but that upon realizing it, it would get sorted out. It's actually on my list of "things I could do if I decide to totally change fields" but I'd have to go back to school to re-learn ASL first.

>207 MickyFine: You'd warned me that the writing wasn't great, Micky, so I didn't have high expectations going in. I found Season 3 disappointing. I hate the miscommunication or no communication tropes in books, so I was really irritated by the weird communication: the "let me tell you all my feelings and then let you think about it but be insulted you're thinking about it," the "okay now I've thought about it and we have to talk about it in this really awkward place", and the "you've told me directly what you feel and need, but I think you really meant something else." Is it really so wrong or surprising that Jack would... gosh, want to wait to have more kids while he has twins on the way? And after they'd had that talk while climbing among freaking trees, why on earth would Mel make such a big decision without talking to him first? What is the rush, exactly?. So I think I'm done and won't watch anymore unless you can convince me otherwise when Season 4 starts haha.

>208 PaulCranswick: Happy weekend, Paul!

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The key did not arrive yesterday (it wasn't super likely to anyway), so I've still got the valet key for the weekend. The plan today is to go to the twins' birthday party - they turned four this week, a boy and a girl - and visit with friends for the afternoon. I was thinking of mowing this morning, but I'm putting it off and that means Tuesday morning or Wednesday evening because of the weather forecast (in the 90s for the weekend, rain on Monday). I was thinking of mowing last night, too, but I did some raking and gardening 'til close to 7 and called it good enough. I need some down time sometimes, right?

Tomorrow is just church. I might try to visit my parents in the afternoon, since it'll be hot and I won't want to do much anyway. Plus they have air conditioning and mine is still in the basement waiting for stronger people to lift it.

And that's it - overall, a quiet weekend, and then Monday will be some combination of work and getting the new key. I'll be reading the same two books mentioned in >204 bell7: as I'm only a few pages into each of them.

Stolen from Richard's thread:

1. HOW MUCH HAVE YOU READ?

66 books; 19,035 pages

2. WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN READING?

All sorts, but lately children's books, general fiction, historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy

3. Best book you’ve read so far in 2022.

Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and Jason Griffin

4. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2022

A surprising number of books I've read this year have been standalones or first in a series, but I'll give a tie to Skylark (a reread) and The God of Lost Words by A.J. Hackwith, which I liked more than most readers, I think

5. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.

So many! A Mirror Mended by Alex E. Harrow and Out of My Heart by Sharon M. Draper come immediately to mind, though. Oh, and The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

6. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

7. Out of Your Comfort Zone read

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran probably most so (poetry)

8. Biggest surprise

The Startup Wife by Tahmima Anam

9. New Favo(u)rite author (debut or new to you)

Sara Novic (new to me with True Biz)

10. Underrated gems you’ve discovered recently.

I haven't seen much of Between the Lines: Stories from the Underground by Uli Beutter Cohen here on the threads, and I think it's one LTers (and book lovers in general) would appreciate

11. Rereads this year.

Five altogether, three this month: At Home in Mitford; 84, Charing Cross Road; Sarah, Plain and Tall; Skylark; and Out of My Mind.

12. Book that made you cry.

Out of My Mind and The Guncle had me tearing up most recently

13. Book that made you happy.

Going back a bit and finding a book I haven't mentioned yet, These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett (84, Charing Cross Road also)

14. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received).

Oooh, that's tough because I've only acquired 3 physical books (I'm not counting ARCs on my Kindle) this year - Fugitive Telemetry, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill and The Angel's Game. Of the three, I guess The Angel's Game has the best cover, though I enjoyed reading the other two more.

15. Your goals for the rest of the year.

My reading goals for the year were to read at least half books by authors of color, read at least 12 books from around the world, read a book for each month in the Asian Book Challenge, and complete the BookRiot Challenge. I've done really well on the middle two. I might scrap the last. So I guess my goals for the rest of the year is to keep reading through the ABC Challenge and to read fewer white authors for the rest of the year.

>213 bell7: Wow! The Hackwith was...not a good reading experience for me. I'm very glad it was for you, though.

Your rest-of-year goals sound very reasonable and achievable. This listicle is a good one, isn't it?

>211 bell7: I'm a little miffed for you that the key didn't arrive, but the valet key will let you get where you need to go. It sounds like a lovely, even comatose, weekend by Mary standards.

I'm amazed to report that, unless I pull one of the rough reviews I've got posted on my blog waiting their day, I'll finish June with FORTY-SEVEN reviews posted on there. My goal was 33! The Cavalcade of Queerness benefited from my deciding what I wanted to do early and getting a lot of the rough reviews done ahead of time.

>214 richardderus: Yeah, I knew that selection would draw some response ;) On balance, though, I'd rather be in the minority liking a book than disliking it hahaha. And it is a good list! Really made me reflect back and forward on my reading, and I like that about it. The answer to rereads surprised me the most. I felt like I've been rereading a lot, but really three of the five were rereads of children's books (in series I wanted to continue/finish) just this month.

Meh, on the key, I didn't *really* expect it to arrive yesterday, though I would of course have been thrilled if it did. Yay for having a valet key in the meantime. I would've gotten a lot done stuck at home, but I would've been a little stir crazy by now.

Congrats on surpassing your goals for June reviews! I remember that was a bit of a stretch goal for you, so I'm happy that you were able to meet the challenge so well.

Weekend *smooches*

>215 bell7: I'm with you on the preference for being in the minority of "like"rs.

Thanks, I'm really pleased with my results. I am not trying for a July equal to it! Three a week, and a Burgoine/Pearl summary the last Sunday, just like usual. My Feedly stats are way, way higher than before...it claims I update an average of nine times a week! (Up from four.)

*smooch*

>213 bell7: I really enjoyed The Grief of Stones! But, then, I'm in love with The Goblin Emperor and Witness for the Dead.

Hope your key situation gets sorted out soon! I had to use my valet key for the last few years I drove my (old) Honda. I don't remember why, exactly, but I couldn't get a key from the dealer without a whole lot of rigamarole so decided to forget about it. Luckily, the alarm didn't sound every time I used it or I would have gotten a new one, no matter how hard it was.

>216 richardderus: Well here's hoping even with fewer reviews in July you still get a good number of hits on your blog posts!

>217 Storeetllr: Glad to hear that The Grief of Stones is good! I have a hold on it at the library, but most libraries put a waiting period on their copies where it will only go out to their patrons for two, four, or six weeks so I'll have a wait before it will come in. And thanks, re: the key. Between the alarm and my own absentmindedness, I need a spare key. It's an inconvenience, for sure, but thankfully I can drive in the meantime!

>218 bell7: Heh. I doubt I'll ever have many that get 1,500 hits in a day. And when it's one of the oldest reviews that gets them, that's when I can't help but scratch my head. As of today, though, I've posted 1,111 times on there!

Happy Sundaying, valet-driving Mary. *smooch*

>219 richardderus: It is always surprising when an old one gets notice, isn't it? Congrats on reaching 1,111 posts - that's quite an accomplishment!

Well, I managed to fill up the weekend pretty well despite having few "have tos" on the list. After the kids' party, I went to a show my brother was playing at a brewery with his band, and got to catch up with more friends. It was an outdoor venue and very nice. Food was pretty good, though the tater tots were not hot, which was weird. Sunday after church, I had planned on calling my parents and seeing about going over, but I'd forgotten my phone at home and had to come all the way back. Someone I dogsit for asked me if I could swing by and just let their dogs out to pee (no need to walk in the heat). I texted folks back, got lunch, and set up my brand-new dehumidifier that arrived while I was out. By this time it was around 3 p.m., and I did end up going to let the dogs out, and then got to my parents around 4. I ended up staying chatting 'til 9 and didn't do much when I got home but go to bed.

Today's another steady day. I'm up and getting ready for work, which is scheduled to be 9-2 and I'm on the desk 'til noon. I'm hoping for a call from the dealership that my key is ready, and if I don't hear from them before my work shift is over I'm going to give them a call. If I do, though, I may leave work early to get it done and over with. I should do a grocery shopping. And tonight some siblings and friends are planning to get together for hibachi for my SIL's birthday. Should be all good things.

My books are going so slowly - partly that I just haven't had time to sit down and read a chunk - that I'm thinking of stopping both The Memory Librarian and On Sal Mal Lane not because of anything wrong with them but just the place I'm in at the moment. I started listening to Iron Widow, which I also have as a paper book, and it's hooked me a little more.

Wordle 373 3/6

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Not bad today! I don't have time to do it this morning, but hopefully sometime today I'll start a new thread.

>221 bell7: My books are also going slowly - partly because I got distracted by the TV version of Station Eleven. I think I need to reread the book, as I can't remember what's from the original and what isn't. I quite liked the first Virgin River, although I did think it was a bit dated. I read it before watching though, so I at least had the element of not-knowing how things would get where they were going. I found the mystery id subplot annoying in the second book and in the series, so at least I'm consistent in that way.

Glad to read that you were able to sort out the car key!

>222 bell7: I got the same result. Four letters in the first two guesses, one in the proper position (in my case the E so it was a 3 day here too.

I'm glad you had a lovely Sunday, and hoping today's got better-for-you reading in it.

Fingers crossed you get your key today!

>223 charl08: It's been so long since I've read Station Eleven that I would have the same problem, Charlotte. Often - especially for romance - I will like a movie/TV version but I'm extremely picky about book romances, so it's not really a surprise to me that I preferred the TV version. Somehow I seem to look for something different in my watching vrsus my reading.

>224 richardderus: Well, I had two and a half hours at the car dealership, so I got a fair amount of reading in then, Richard.

>225 curioussquared: Not quite, unfortunately, Natalie.

I got the call today on the way to work that the key was ready, and made an appointment for one to get it programmed. I only worked 9-12, the entire time on the desk (and it was busy, so the morning went fast!), then ate lunch and headed out. While I was in the waiting room, we were informed that a couple of the technicians had gone home sick (!) and there would be delays. Two and a half hours later, my key's ready, and as I'm driving away, I'm thinking, huh, that little fob with all the buttons isn't on it, but whatever, as long as it works, right? Annoying, but I bet it costs more to replace that too.

Well, fast forward to getting through the grocery store and I go to unlock my car, and the alarm goes off -_-

I called the dealership and apparently my particular car *needs* keyless entry, but the parts supervisor was done for the day by then, so I have to call tomorrow morning and order that too. And then also get it programmed. I mean... I would've had to pay for it anyway, so I can't really get annoyed about that. Though I am annoyed that nobody told me when I ordered the key and I have to go back in a second time.

My brother reminded me that it's really just an inconvenience and it could be worse, though - he's playing a benefit for a four-year-old with brain cancer in a couple of weeks. And I thought, yeah, quite frankly I'm mostly annoyed because the money I was hoping to use to raise a bedroom window is now being used to replace my car key. And it now delays it by what, months? I'll be okay.