2024, Catzteach’s many adventures, reading and elsewhere

Happy New Year everyone!

It’s a new year so a new thread. Last year I didn’t read near as many books as my usual. Only 49! I usually read around 70. Too much time stressed and just not having the brain to read. I’m hoping to make it to at least 60 this year.

I started reading Warbreaker last week. I have decided to stop reading it and put it off till the summer. It’s very big and I want to be able to sit and focus on reading it. I was enjoying it. I want to give it the time it deserves.

I’m starting the new year with Bookshops & Bonedust. A good way to start the year, I think. :)

Happy new year, and happy new thread!

Here's to reducing stress and more reading. I hope it happens for you!

>1 catzteach: I hear you about reading less due to stress last year. Here's to happy reading in 2024 :)

Happy New Thread!

Happy New Year! Happy New Thread!

Isn't Warbreaker a doorstop? Definitely hold off on that one for a bit. (I've been holding off for over a decade!)

>1 catzteach: & >6 clamairy: I read it and enjoyed it a lot. I don't recall it feeling huge, but I can well understand wanting time to give it the attention due. Each new world I climb into takes more and more concentration from me, which is in short supply now. Still, >6 clamairy: you should move it up the pile, it is a good read. I bought it when it came out and put off reading it until 2022. Well worth the wait.

>7 MrsLee: I believe it is my daughter's favorite Sanderson. Part of me wonders if that's because she felt she had a little bit of a hand in helping advise him which cover to pick back in the day. (I'm not sure if you recall but he came in here with several samples.)

>8 clamairy: I remember reading it as a pdf, which he shared with us before it was published, if I am not mistaken.

>8 clamairy: I had forgotten that! There were some lovely covers as I recall. I do love the one that was chosen.

Happy reading in 2024!

Happy New Year! I hope it brings you great books and good times with your kids in the classroom.

Warbreaker is big but I found it to be a fast read. I think I like that and Elantris the best of his novels so far.

Happy new thread! And coincidentally, happy new year too.

>8 clamairy: & >9 littlegeek: Wait, what? He used to be a Dragoneer? Too cool! You guys are lucky you were able to hobnob with him.

Had to go back to work today. I did miss the kids. They are such a great group! I tried to do a rules reminder activity with them. It was supposed to be loud and silly and just chaotic so they would realize rules and expectations are to keep things safe and learning easier. These guys are so sweet, they couldn't do it! The lesson fell flat. Part of me was actually disappointed. :)

I started two new novel groups with them: Hatchet and Kenny and the Dragon. I've read Hatchet plenty of times and have read the others that follow it. It's my first read and teaching of Kenny and the Dragon, though. I hope it's good and that the kids like it. The Spiderwick Chronicles were very good so crossing my fingers for this one.

>14 catzteach: He spent a lot of time with us in the beginning. And then suddenly he couldn't. I met him a few years ago in NYC at the book expo, and I told him I was from the Green Dragon on LibraryThing. He told me how much he misses being able to chit chat like that, and he looked very wistful. I know fame has its price, and that was part of it.

It sounds as though you're off to a great 2024 in your classroom! I'm so glad you have a good bunch of younglings this year.

>15 clamairy: what a bummer he couldn’t continue to stay here. Happy for his success as an author, though.

Just finished Bookshops & Bonedust. Great read! I hope we get more books about Viv, her friends, and their adventures.

Now off to read Dirty Thirty. I borrowed it from a friend and another friend is waiting for it. If I take full advantage of today’s Snow Day, I could get it back to said friend tomorrow. But I really do think I should clean some today. :)

>17 catzteach: Cleaning on a snowday?! Blasphemy! This day is an unexpected gift, savor it.

Just finished listening to Rob Lowe's Stories I Only Tell My Friends. He reads it himself. He's very talented with voices! I really enjoyed listening to it. Now to find another book to listen to on my way to work.

Sitting here watching it snow and waiting for my tea to steep. I spent two hours at the doc’s yesterday going over general health test results. Overall, my health seems to be good. He ordered a heart CT just to make sure my high cholesterol, which I’ve had since I was 19, isn’t causing anything alarming. I have to lose 20 pounds. He recommended a Mediterranean way of eating. I have one cookbook for that, but would like to get some others. I’m already realizing not snacking is going to be really hard. Hence the tea. I’m hoping that helps. It was a nice kick in the butt for me to get back on my running and strength routine. I weigh the most I ever have and it is messing with my confidence and how I see myself (I look in the mirror and see someone who weighs 300 pounds, not good).

I’m about done with Dirty Thirty. Not sure what I’ll start next.

Finished Food for the Gods. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I really liked it.

I am now reading An Inheritance of Magic.

In other news, the thaw has occurred. Last week we had an ice storm. Schools were closed, but I still had to go to a bargaining session. Driving on ice is so not fun. The bargaining teams are getting closer to a settlement but did mutually decide to call for mediation. It may take a couple of months to get a mediator. We will continue to meet and bargain in the meantime.

I’m also dealing with hives. Through learning about them, I’ve realized that I’ve been dealing with them for as long as I can remember. My skin doesn’t break out in them, it just gets super itchy. I didn’t realize not everyone itches when they take their socks off at night or when they take their watch off. They have gotten worse recently. I go to the allergist in two days and have been off allergy meds since last Thursday. I’ve been itchy like crazy and have bruises and sores from scratching so much. I’ll be glad when I can take some Benadryl Thursday after the appointment. And hopefully get a reason and a solution for them.

>21 catzteach: Aargh, I hope you get the itching under control. That sounds super annoying and distracting.

>21 catzteach: Ugh. Icy roads, mediation delays, no wonder your hives are acting up! May you find a solution soon to one or more of these problems. I suppose the icy roads are gone for now, so that's one, but you know what I mean.

>21 catzteach: Oh no! Which allergy medication were you taking? It wasn't Allegra by any chance, was it? My daughter's housemate went off Allegra and part of the withdrawal symptoms were itching from head to toe, and for quite a while. I think she ended up having to take something else and then wean herself off that. Best of luck to you with that and with the negotiations.

>24 clamairy: I’ve been on Zyrtec (Allertec, Costco version) for years. I suppose it could be partly withdrawal. I had an allergic reaction in July and they’ve been active ever since. Just worse now that I’m not taking anything. I mentioned them to my dentist today and the hygienist noticed I’m allergic to sulfur. She thinks it may also be all the soaps. There are sulfas in most liquid soaps. I’ve been using bar shampoo and bar body soap for a few years, but our laundry detergent still has sulphates. I bought a sulphate free one today.

Finished Butts: a backstory today. I listened to it on a whim. It was actually really interesting. It was the history of how women’s butts are viewed by society. There are a lot of racist ties to how we view butts. And, did you all know twerking is not a modern phenomenon? It’s been around for hundreds of years! I had no idea!

>25 catzteach: I did some Googling after I posted my comment. Zyrtec is one of the few antihistamines that is supposed to be safe to take long-term, but it can still trigger intense itching if you stop taking it cold turkey. Perhaps try taking a ½ or ¼ of one? (I had only been taking a ½ of the same Costco one for the past year because studies indicate it helps with hot flashes. I didn't notice much of a difference, so I stopped. Doesn't seem to make much sense but my nose is running less than it was when I was taking it. LOL ) I wish you luck! And yes, sadly there is all sorts of extra crap in over-the-counter products. I have been searching high and low for a good sensitivity toothpaste that doesn't have sodium lauryl sulfate in it because it messes with my gums.

Twerking is centuries old? What name did it used to go by?

>26 clamairy:
Is Sensodyne toothpaste available in the US? Its website states that most of its products do not have sodium lauryl sulfate.
https://www.sensodyne.com/en-us/about-sensodyne/ingredients/#:~:text=Most%20Sens....

I worked in the plant that manufactured Sensodyne and supplied the the product to most countries. I cannot recall if they supplied the US. It was a fascinating assignment. I have been using the product ever since.

>27 pgmcc: I use Sensodyne. I had stopped using commercial toothpaste quite a few years ago, making my own paste, but it was too hard on my enamel and my dentist recommended Sensodyne. Been using it ever since with no issues.

>28 MrsLee:
Good to hear that. Our dentist recommends it too.

I heard a funny story when I was working in the factory. This story goes way back. I do not know if it was the 60s or 70s. Regardless of the decade, the story relates to a rumour in Germany that fluoride was causing illness. At the time every commercially available toothpaste except Sensodyne advertised the use of fluoride in their product. This led to the perception that Sensodyne did not have fluoride in their product. There was a big shift from other products to Sensodyne. As it happened, the product did contain fluoride but the company very quickly changed its formula and excluded fluoride.

It must have been the 60s or 70s because since them products have to have a list of their ingredients on the packaging.

>26 clamairy: Interesting info. I bet that’s part of my current problem. Ugh. I am just looking forward to taking something this evening for relief and hoping to have some sort of answer.

>27 pgmcc: I have been using Sensodyne for a couple of years now. Yesterday’s hygienist wasn’t sure if it had sulfates. Glad to hear it doesn’t. She was having issues with other toothpastes because of the sulfates and had to stop using all but the natural ones.

>26 clamairy: I believe the book said it was called twerking. It originated in Africa and migrated to New Orleans, if I’m remembering correctly. It didn’t become known mainstream until the Miley Cyrus debacle. There was a chapter on that, too. But there are a people who teach classes on how to do it.

>27 pgmcc: Yes it's available in the US, no it does not have the same ingredients as the European variety. Some of them have sodium lauryl sulfate, and some of them do not. You have to read the label for each box to find out. Right now the one I am using is called Sensodyne Pronamel.

Well, the last two days were rather busy:

Dentist - need to get a filling redone because it has worn down too much.

Allergist - the hives is an autoimmune issue. Nothing to do about it except take more Allertec. If that doesn’t work, then another med on top of that. If that doesn’t work, then a shot about once a month. He did find it interesting that my sister and brother both suffer from hives and itching; might there be a gene responsible for this condition? And we are going to investigate whether I’m truly allergic to sulfas. I get to go to the office, get injected with some sulfa solution, then sit and wait to see what happens.

Heart scan - Arteries are clear (woohoo!), found scarring on my lymph nodes (apparently nothing to worry about), saw my “tiny” hiatal hernia (glad it hasn’t gotten worse over the years), and then did find some calcification on two of my heart valves. I’m now going to go see a cardiologist to make sure it’s nothing to be too concerned about it. Waiting for the referral to go through so it’ll be a while.

>32 catzteach: Wishing you best of luck with everything!

>32 catzteach: That's a lot on your plate. Best of luck with all of it!

Thank you for the well wishes.

Finished An Inheritance of Magic the other day. It was a BB from here, but I can never remember who hit me with BBs. Must’ve been someone who is stealthy. :) I really liked this book. I will keeping an eye out for the nest one. I think I saw that it’s coming out in June?

I’m now reading The Wager for book club and listening to Making It So.

>35 catzteach: An Inheritance of Magic sounds brilliant - just snagged it from the library! Thanks for the BB. :)

>27 pgmcc: I am using it now. Got it at Walmart.

>35 catzteach: Is the audio of Making it So narrated by Sir Pat himself?

>35 catzteach: Glad to be of service. :) I hope you enjoy it.

>38 clamairy: It is. I love his voice, even creaky with age. It’s a long listen, though. 18 hours. I’m afraid I’m going to have to figure out how to buy it. I don’t have Audible but I do have Prime. Maybe I can get it from there. It’s too long to finish before it’s due back at the library.

>39 catzteach: Oh, I guess there are too many people waiting for it for you to be able to renew it. When that happens to me I do a marathon listening session.

>40 clamairy: wish I could do a marathon listening session. I don’t have time during the day. I did remember that Spotify gives 15 hours of audible books to members. I looked. They have it! So I’m listening to it through that. :)

Finished Fourth Wing last night. Very good. Definitely read like a YA, though. I loved the idea of bonding with dragons. I’ve put a hold on the second one. Hopefully it comes soon.

Still trying to get in to see a cardiologist. They didn’t receive the first referral. Sent a second referral. Didn’t hear back. Called yesterday. Got a call from the cardiologist office today. They still hadn’t received the referral. I told her I was referred because of a scan that showed calcification. She took my doctor’s number and said she would call him. Hopefully I get a call back early next week and can make an appointment. Sigh.

>41 catzteach: Glad you are following up on that! If there is anything I have learned, it is to be the squeaky wheel in a kind way. Persistence is needed to get a response.

>41 catzteach: Yikes. That's terrible. I wonder if they are sending the referral to the wrong email/fax number/whatever. (A lot of the offices around here still use fax machines for some unknown reason.) I hope you get it all sorted out, and get your appointment scheduled soon.

>43 clamairy: I’m wondering if it’s getting lost in the shuffle, too. Wrong fax number, someone else picks it up. Why they can’t just put it into a portal and it send is beyond me. My PT can get my bone scan results via the computer; why can’t a referral be sent that way?

>41 catzteach: You'd think records could be transferred more efficiently. Good luck, I hope that mess gets straightened out soon.

DNF’d The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store last night. I gave it the first 100 pages. Just couldn’t get into it. So I started Spare, which is my book club book this month.

In other news, still haven’t been able to get an appointment with the cardiologist. I’ll call again tomorrow.

I had some excitement in my classroom yesterday when I caught my little Spanish speaker looking up porn on his (school issued) iPad. Erg. Luckily he doesn’t know to clear his browsing history. Made his “it was an accident” excuse very unbelievable. Little stinker had been looking things up on YouTube as well. I really wish IT would figure out how to make these things safer.

>46 catzteach: Best of luck getting the appointment. That's very discouraging.

And yikes. These are 2nd graders? He's what, 7 or 8 years old? If they take the iPads home it might not have been him that looked it up the first few times, but an older sibling or friend. Just trying to give the kid the benefit of the doubt.

>47 clamairy: he’s 9; third grade. And he was looking on purpose. We found other things in his history. I guess his mom was mortified. He will not have iPad privileges for a while.

How does your school-issued tablet not have nanny software on there? I'm so sorry this has to become your problem.

>49 reconditereader: Good question! It does have some filters. But, unfortunately, kids have free rein over the internet and YouTube. I do have Apple Classroom so I can see their screens. But it doesn’t always work correctly, either. I have about half my class that shows up on it. Thing is, all the streaming providers (Prime, Netflix, etc) have blocked us from streaming in the classroom. If that’s possible, how can we not block iPads better? Especially in elementary schools.

The plus side has been that he’s been forced to interact more rather than sit and “learn” on his iPad.

I finally got an appointment with the cardiologist. It’s on Thursday. Hopefully I get a “it’s normal for your age” response.

>50 catzteach: It's rather surprising your school hasn't set up stronger web content filtering, which should work as long as kids connect to the school's network for internet. It won't help much if the kids bypass it using a cellular carrier. Then it would be on the parents to put some filters on the device.

>51 Narilka: Maybe after this, they will. I know my principal is lobbying hard for more protection measures. This one iPad is going to come back with all parental controls set. It’ll be interesting to see what the kid has access to.

I finished Spare last night. I knew Meghan was treated poorly, but I didn’t know it had gotten that bad. I don’t blame Harry for getting his family out of that situation. I hope they have a wonderful life outside of the Royal spotlight. This was a book club read for February, but I’m glad I read it.

Now onto Iron Flame. It’s a big one so it’ll take me awhile to read.

Finished listening to Making It So this morning. A very good book. I was disappointed that Patrick Stewart cheated on two of his wives. He has had an interesting life. And I really like hearing about his days on Star Trek. He ended the book well.

Finished Iron Flame. It was a good second book. I’m assuming a third one will be written.

And now I’m reading The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England. I am really enjoying this one! This is my first Brandon Sanderson book. If all of his are this good, than I’m a fan!

Just finished Frugal Wizard. It was a really fun read. I’m glad it was my first foray into Sanderson’s writing. I’ll definitely be exploring his other writings now. :)

In other news, the cardiologist does indeed think I’m just a “watch and monitor” patient. I am getting an echocardiogram done in April, but she isn’t worried. She is happy with the fact that I’m a runner and have started really watching what I put into my body.

I have decided to start training for a running event in August, Haulin’ Aspen. It is a trail run of 13 or 26 miles. I’ll be training for the 26 miler with a friend. We are up to 6 miles right now. We have lots of work ahead of us. :)

>55 catzteach: Good luck with the training! You have plenty of Sanderson books to choose from. He's VERY prolific.

>56 clamairy: the training will be easier than my last marathon training as it’ll be in the spring and summer. No running on ice and snow.

I’m looking forward to reading more Sanderson.

So many books, so little time. :)

>57 catzteach: Another short Sanderson is The Emperor’s Soul. It is the only book of his I have read but it made me immediately purchase Elantris, (currently on my imminent TBR). Highly recommended.

>58 ScoLgo: Yes, that still remains my favorite of his. I believe I've read 13 or so of his...

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave The 12th of the Charley Davidson series. Charley and the gang solve another mystery while also fighting supernatural forces.

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave The last in the Charley Davidson series. A satisfying ending, but I’m a bit sad, too. I really enjoyed this series and Charley’s snark.

Hopefully this week I’ll get another book or two read. That and getting some stuff I no longer need out of my house are my only plans for Spring Break. Well, ok, maybe sleeping some, too. :D

>60 catzteach: I didn't get a chance to congratulate you on the delicious eggplant dish in the weekend thread. I'm glad it turned so well. Did you like it enough to make it for just yourselves? It freezes beautifully.

>61 clamairy: I didn’t like it much. :) I have since talked to a friend who also wasn’t crazy about eggplant at one point. She has since learned to brine her eggplant first. So I might try it again but brine the eggplant this time. Or maybe try eggplant in another dish as I have also heard that eggplant soaks up the flavor of what’s around it.

You have to heavily salt eggplant before cooking it in order for it to be tasty.

>62 catzteach: I have grown very fond of it. Especially the slender white ones. They are very mild in flavor.

>62 catzteach: Maybe it's simply not your kind of vegetable?
I adore eggplant, though. As reconditereader pointed out, it's good to put some salt on your eggplant slices before cooking - at least for some varieties.

>63 reconditereader: ... and throw away the fluid that comes out. It's bitter.

>62 catzteach: I used to salt the large ones after I sliced or cubed them, let them sit 10 or 15 minutes, rinse, dry, then cook. I didn't need to do that with the slender Japanese or smaller varieties. My favorite way to eat them was cubed, put on a baking sheet with other veggies like zucchini, tomatoes, onions and garlic, drizzled with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roasted at about 375° until deeply browned.

I don't eat it now because it irritated my arthritis.

Thanks, All! I’ll try it again and be sure to let the salt soak in before I cook it. The recipe did have me salt it, but it didn’t have it sit for very long before cooking. It may not be my kind of vegetable, but I don’t want to give up on it just yet. :)

I have actually been reading. :)

Valdemar: The Founding of Valdemar Book 3 The continuation of how Valdemar was created. It took at least half the book before the Companions came along. I will always have a soft spot for the Valdemar books. They were among the first fantasies I read when I was younger and just starting to read fantasy.

Also read Consort of Fire. I believe this was read by someone else here on LT. I’m horrible at keeping track of who recommends what. It was on ok read. Kind of an erotic Beauty and the Beast, except Beauty is supposed to kill the Beast.

And I just finished Zodiac Academy. Darcy and Tory are twins who were orphaned when babies. Spent their lives growing up in foster care. At the age of 18, they find out that they are actually changelings and are royalty in the Fae world. They go to Zodiac Academy to find their powers and receive their inheritance. But wait, they have enemies who do not want them on the throne. It was a quick, fluffy read. There were quite a few grammatical and editing errors. That always drives me nuts. I mean, really, what writer and/or editor doesn’t know that neither and nor go together? That said, I am kinda hooked and want to know how and when the twins get their powers under control and who is there real enemy. So, yeah, I’ll probably read the others.

Now to choose my next read. :)

>69 catzteach: Fantasy nostalgia and quick fluffy reads - it sounds perfect :)

Just finished The Man Who Died Twice. Ah, the Thursday Murder Club. Love them! It seems the authors on the other side of the pond are much better at writing mysteries than the ones over here. I like all the twists and turns and how I rarely, if ever, figure out who did it. Usually over here, especially in tv shows, it’s one of the first people they ever talk to about the crime.

My goal for the next few months is to read a library book, then read one I own. Since this was a library book, I now need to pick one of my own. Think I’ll turn to the Kindle for this one.

The Husband took me to my favorite bookstore today. Then he left me unsupervised! Silly man! I bought four new books: Wanderers, The Familiar, The Hunter, and Cloud Cuckoo Land. There was a cook book there I almost bought. It was called A Whisper of Cardamom. I may have to go back and get it. It looked really informative, and it had some delicious sounding recipes. And now to sit back and enjoy the rainy cold day with a blankie and finish my current read Empire of the Damned.

Finished Empire of the Damned. I am a fan of Jay Kristoff. This one started a bit slow but then picked up pace and got really good.

I finally read Starter Villain. It did not disappoint! Sentient cats! I don’t know if I want to know what my cats really think. :)

And now I’m about halfway through Cloud Cuckoo Land. I was worried about reading it during the school year because of all the storylines, but it’s May’s book club book so …

I was able to start it at the Silent Book Club event. It’s help at a small pub downtown. I ordered one of their chicken pot pies (very good), sat with a friend, and read for an hour and a half. So relaxing! And I’m really enjoying the book!

What else has happened? Oh, The Husband bought me a new car. We didn’t really need it, but he never liked my Outback. He always wanted me to have something sportier. So we got a Crosstrek Wilderness. It’ll be great on the trails and forest service roads, and it looks really sporty being a nice red color. :) The tech inside it is crazy!

>73 catzteach: Starter Villain was so much fun! Cats! Dolphins! Villain lairs!

Congratulations on your new car :)))

>73 catzteach: "I don’t know if I want to know what my cats really think."

It's a safe bet that it involves world domination (by themselves) and enslavement of the hoomins they live with.

>75 hfglen: Aren't the hoomins already enslaved ...?

>73 catzteach: I saw the new car on FB. It's lovely. What did you name it? (My hybrid RAV 4 is named Moana.)

>74 Alexandra_book_life: Thanks!

>75 hfglen: Exactly!! I think two of mine would definitely be able to accomplish their mission if they just had the rights tools. The other two are too lazy. :)

>77 clamairy: It’s named Charlie. Still haven’t quite figured out the personality so a neutral name. :)

Just finished Cloud Cuckoo Land. What a good book! I’m so glad I was able to devote a nice chunk of time when I first started it. So many characters. I wouldn’t have been able to really enjoy it if I read it in small chunks. Books with multiple story lines that eventually come together are so interesting. I read this one for book club and am glad it was on our list.

After reading Cloud Cuckoo Land, I pulled Beneath a Scarlet Sky off my shelf. I received this one from a neighbor. I was reluctant because it takes place during WWII and I feel that place in time is so overwritten. However, this one focused on Italy. Based on a true story, as many are. I hadn’t read one about the resistance in Italy so that kept my interest. Also, knowing from the start that Pino was an actual person helped keep my interest. All that to say, it was really good! Highly recommend.

I then read the Monk and Robot books. I know a few of you have read them. They were really good! Fast reads as they are so short. I would love to have more stories about Monk and Robot.

I’m now a few pages into The Golem and the Jinni. I think I’ll like it, but it is taking some mental concentration right now.

It’s the end of the school year. 12 days to go. The kids and I are both getting excited to be done. Although, I’m going to miss this group. They are so sweet and lovely. I haven’t had a group like this in years!!

>80 catzteach: Oh, Becky Chambers writes wonderful books! I am happy that you liked Dex and Mosscap :)

Hugs to you and your group of kids!

>80 catzteach: Well you've had a couple of rougher batches of kids in the last few years, so you definitely deserved a 'golden' batch. But now you have to say goodbye, and that must break your heart.

I will await your verdict on your current read. It's been on my Kindle for ages.

>82 clamairy: It will be hard to say goodbye to this group. I am looking forward to summer, though. :)

Finished The Golem and the Jinni. It had a bit of a slow start for me, but once the two met up, it got a bit more interesting. I believe I saw that there was a sequel. If I stumble upon it, I'll read it, but I probably won't go searching for it. I give this book 3 1/2 stars.

I'm now a few pages into Gilded and am having a hard time with it. My mind kept drifting. It's a retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. I guess I just have too much end of the year stuff on my mind. Or it's just kind of boring so far. I will keep reading in the hopes it gets better.

Gilded got better near the end, but I won’t be searching out the others.

Bone Season, however, was great and I will be buying the next two books. I read the 10th anniversary revised edition.

My next read will be The Familiar. I’m looking forward to this one!!

Finished The Hunter last night. I was so excited when I saw this one! It continues Cal and Trey’s story from The Searcher. But now I want another one about them!

Oh and it looks like I forgot to talk about The Familiar! It was great, too!

I love summer and getting to just sit and read for as long as I want. The house is still a mess, but I’ve read some good books already! :)

>85 catzteach: I'm happy to hear you enjoyed The Hunter. I didn't love the first book in that series, so I wasn't planning to keep going, but now I see that second book has a much higher rating than the first one does. I'm glad you're enjoying your Summer so far!

>85 catzteach: Nice! I liked The Searcher very much, but haven't read the sequel yet. I am glad you enjoyed it!

Summer is a wonderful thing :)

>87 Alexandra_book_life: I really enjoy all of Tana French’s books. I was so excited when I saw The Hunter come out!

I’m halfway through Wolfsong now. The book itself is really pretty. Love the cover and the edge of the pages have artwork on them. If I can find the others in the series that look like this, I’ll get them too. They will look fantastic together!

Finished Wolfsong last night. I really enjoy TJ Klune and am looking forward to reading the others in the series.

I also read The Soul of an Octopus today. I know many here in the pub have read it. It was interesting. I have long thought there is more to animals than many people think.

Mime Order The second of Shannon’s Bone Season series. This one is really good. There is a species of being that has infiltrated Earth front the Netherworld. They are trying to take over and are capturing clairvoyants, people with different powers, and using them for their benefit. Of course, the clairvoyants have started to rebel. The second one had a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming and one that hasn’t been revealed yet. I have the third book up in my TBR pile. I’ll read a couple of others before I dive into this one as to get a bit of a break and not burn out on the series. And I also have to go hunt for the fourth one. Not sure my indie bookstores will have it in stock. Maybe they can order it for me.

Grounds for Murder I’m not even sure how I acquired this book. It is an old discarded library copy from Chatham-Kent Public Library. I don’t even know where Chatham-Kent is. It’s described as a “cozy mystery” and has a series of at least 13 books. I probably won’t look for the others. It was a typical non-detective person solving a case kind of book. The writing was nothing special. There were typos, which drive me nuts; seriously, what editor doesn’t catch that “neither” needs a “nor” not an “or”? I kinda felt like I was reading a Hallmark mystery tv show. My mom loves those things. It was a fast read, though, so I finished it.

Now to search the TBR pile for the next read of the summer. That’ll happen after the cat gets off my lap. :)

Just finished When the Moon Hatched. It is quite the tome at 690 pages. I’m glad I had time to just sit and read. It was very good! Raeve is an assassin for a rebellion group. She gets noticed by a mysterious stranger. We soon find out why he takes an interest in her. The world is pretty cool. The planet doesn’t rotate to there is the Shade, the Fade, and the Burn. There are dragons. When the dragons die, they curl into a ball in the sky and become moons. The second book is due out fall of 2025.

Read Weyward the other day. It was really good! There are three different timelines of three women who turn out to be related. I like books like this because I like the anticipation of how the stories will weave together. One thing I noticed, no trigger warning. Why do some books have them and others don’t? When the Moon Hatched had one. At the end it explains why. Some of those scenes I barely noticed. But Weyward didn’t have one and there were things in it that would trigger some people (violence against women).

I then read Starling House. So good! I love stories about magical houses. This one was magical and kind of haunted.

I never know how much to explain about a book. I have been told by a friend that I say too much and that has made me hesitant to say too much here.

I’ve bought quite a few books in the last few days. On a whim I picked up Elantris. It was sitting on a table at Barnes and Noble. :) I hope I can get to it before the end of summer as I think it’ll be a book that I will want to read more than a chapter a day.

Starling House was SO good! I read it on kindle but will definitely buy a paper copy to read again. And Elantris may be my favourite of Sanderson's books that I've read so far. I hope you enjoy it!

>93 Sakerfalcon: I’m definitely a Harrow fan for life. I’ve read three now and have enjoyed them all.

Matterhorn I received this one for my kindle for free. It’s a spy novel. Spy novels aren’t my cup of tea, but as it was free…. It was an ok read. It took a while to get the characters straight. Once that was done, the story became more entertaining. I won’t be seeking out others, though.

It’s going to be another hot weekend so I’ll probably be inside reading a lot.

Just finished A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon. I read Priory of the Orange Tree a year or two ago and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, this one was really hard to get through. My mind just kept wandering when I was reading. I don’t know if it was the book or me just having a lot on my mind. It did start to get better once the dragons and wyrms showed up.

>96 catzteach: Oh, that's too bad. It has a higher rating than the first one here on LT, but I haven't read any reviews.

>97 clamairy: I think it was more me than the book. It has four different story lines and I had a hard time remembering whose storyline I was reading about.

Haven’t posted in a while and have a few books to report on.

Please See Us This was an impulse buy at Barnes and Noble. I think it was on the buy one get one table. It’s a mystery thriller, although it wasn’t very mystery. It takes place in Atlantic City and follows Clara and Lily. Clara is a 16 year old clairvoyant who lives with her aunt and helps run the psychic shop. Lily is older and has just left her boyfriend and job in NYC. She has moved back home with mom. The mystery/thriller part comes in because there is a serial killer. We learn about this person through the lives of the prostitutes (Jane Does) he kills. The story was ok, but it was super depressing because it made it seem the only thing a woman can do in Atlantic City to make a living is prostitution. Even Clara and Lily get sucked into it. Would I recommend it? Eh, if there wasn’t anything else around to read. Too many other good books out there.

Then I read Heartsong. I am really enjoying this series. I love the way they are written. They take place in Oregon, although in a fictional town. And werewolves! Do not read if homosexual sex scenes bother you. The series follows the Bennett Pack. Each book focuses on a different character yet moves the Pack along in life and in the underlying story of getting the bad guy. I did buy Brothersong to read, then promptly spilled water on it. I bought a new copy yesterday and hope to get to it soon.

I followed that up with Remarkably Bright Creatures. What a lovely book! Especially after reading Soul of an Octopus. I think the octopus was my favorite character in this book. I would say more but am afraid I’d spoil it and can’t remember how to put the spoiler block on.

I also listened to The Anxious Generation. This was recommended to me from a fellow teacher. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a child in their life in any way. Teachers have been saying it for years, but he has data to prove it, that screens and smartphones are ruining our children’s brains (and stamina and imagination). This book made me rethink my use of screens. I took FB and Insta off my phone. I also limited the notifications I get, not that I allowed many to begin with. I really hope humans wake up soon and realize the damage social media and too much screen time is doing.

I’m currently reading Elantris. It was an impulse buy as well. I’m about 5 chapters in and am enjoying it so far.

I also bought four more books yesterday and picked up four at the library. Don’t know what I was thinking. With school starting, my mornings of reading on the porch in the morning (or all day, really) are over. :( Ah, but I am going to be limiting my screen time so …. :)

>99 catzteach: I love books about octopi. (Both fiction and nonfiction.) I hope you enjoy Elantris. There was a great group discussion of this one in here back in the day, and Brandon Sanderson himself took part. I would wait until you are done with the book to read the discussion.

>100 clamairy: That’s cool that Sanderson actually took part!

Finally finished Elantris. I did not read the extra couple of chapters in the back. It was weird to go backward and read about a time that I had already read. I liked the book and will check out Sanderson’s Mistborn books. There was one thing I had a hard time with. It seemed like the timeline was weird. I felt like a lot more time should have passed than two months. Overall, an enjoyable read.

Oh my, it's been a month since I posted??

I read The Last Devil to Die. I love the Thursday Murder Club! Did you all know there is a show in the works? David Tennant is playing one of the characters. Not sure which one, though. And didn't I see that there's another book coming out?

I'm almost done with Somewhere Beyond the Sea. I'm in the Epilogue and just haven't had the time this morning to finish. I'll finish it after an appointment. :) I can't say enough how much I love TJ Klune and his books! This one did not disappoint. And Lucy is still my favorite character. I hope he figures out how to keep telling their stories.

Took me forever to read because school started. I have a great class with a few challenges. They are all adorable, though, and we'll have a great year!

>103 catzteach: Sounds lovely! These books/series are all on my list.

Good luck with your new class :)

>103 catzteach: It's good to have you back. I hope the school year is an awesome one!

>103 catzteach:
I am delighted you have a good class. A year with a challenging class must be very wearing.

I’m about halfway through The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. I would love to spend more time reading right now, but I’m exhausted. Last night I literally fell asleep while reading. The Husband woke me up by taking the book out of my hands. :)

Today was a challenging day with a couple of my kiddos. One has autism and needs more support than he is getting. He had three behavior instances that needed office interventions. I really hope my principal sees that this kiddo needs a one-on-one EA in order to be successful (and stop hurting others). Then I had another kiddo also have two physical behavior situations. That one had his grown up get a phone call. Luckily, the Vice Principal took that one on.

The other kids did a great job on group projects today. That was super fun to watch! Working together and working hard, learning and having fun doing it! Loved it!

>107 catzteach: Oh yikes. How do they determine which students require their own aides? Best of luck going forward.

>107 catzteach:
Wow! You certainly have your challenges with the class, but I sense you really like them all.

I know the feeling about wanting to spend more time reading but falling asleep. That is why I am so slow in finishing Mortal Love, not that my challenges are anywhere near yours. Mine are more to do with interruptions for things that my wife feels need immediate attention, such as, and I have mentioned these before, gardening, visits to IKEA,...

Hopefully you are enjoying The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.

>107 catzteach: Oh, I am sorry to hear that. I hope the situation gets better! I have the greatest respect for everyone working with children that need special assistance. (I am very impressed by teachers that have been working with my boy.)

I am looking forward to reading The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. I hope you're enjoying it!

Once again, it’s been a while. I’ve been lurking, but not posting. Cutting back on screen time has been great for my sleep, not so great for time on LT. I’m spending some time today catching up on threads. And now for my own…

I finished The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. I did enjoy it. I will definitely be reading anything else she writes.

I then read The Cautious Traveler’s Guide to the Wastelands. I liked this one. I was able to start it the night of the Silent Book Club. This means I was able to really get into it and enjoy the beginning without interruption, like sleep. :D

After that, I read I’m Afraid You’ve Got Dragons. I bought it because the cover is very eye catching. This one was a bit different than I was expecting. I think I was expecting it to be more action packed and felt it was more character building. Still good, though. I do like dragons. It made me curious about his other book, The Last Unicorn. I have heard about it but haven’t read it.

Next I moved on to The Witching Tide. This one was given to me. Martha, the main character, is a mute midwife in a small village in the 1600s. When the witching man comes, the village gets stirred up into a witch finding frenzy. Martha gets recruited to search the women for witch marks. It’s so sad to know this actually happened.

I have now started Brothersong which will wrap up the Green Creek series.

I had parent-teacher conferences last week. It’s always nice to get more info on the kiddos. But two 12 hours days followed by a full 8 hour day was exhausting. I’ve done a lot of just sitting around and sleeping the last couple of days.

>111 catzteach:
Glad to hear you liked The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi.

Your parent-teacher conference days followed by a full working day sound exhausting. Such days are very intense with little or no space to grab a breather. I hope you have enjoyed your sitting around and sleeping. Those days can be so rewarding in terms of getting some energy back.

>111 catzteach: Glad that you too enjoyed The cautious traveller!

Today was pretty stressful. First, we get an email about a Lockdown situation at one of the High Schools. Someone phoned in a person was walking around the school with what looked like a pistol in their hand. Police came and checked it out. All was safe.

(a week ago we had a middle schooler bring a gun to school and decide to turn himself into a teacher before he acted on his "kill list.")

Then later, my school gets put on a Secure situation. Turns out we had a driver going the wrong way in our pickup area. She then "parked" (crashed?) in our staff parking lot, taking out the "caution: children" sign. Our principal called the police. It was determined to be a mental health situation. They took her to a crisis center.

Not to mention the first snow and election day.

I'm worn out.

>114 catzteach: A middle schooler with a gun? It's horrific that a child so young could think that way AND be able to get his hands on a weapon.

No wonder you are worn out. Sending best wishes to you.

>114 catzteach: Oh, I am sorry to hear about this. Scary and stressful. I am sending you hugs.

>114 catzteach: Hoping that you'll be able to find some space in your life that will allow you to decompress from all of the upheaval. (((Hugs)))

>115 Sakerfalcon: the middle schooler’s father gave him the gun. He is under charges as well.

>114 catzteach: Yikes! This kind of repeated stress is not conducive to learning much. I hope things settle down in your district.

Things have definitely been calmer around here since my last post. Thank goodness.

Just finished The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. I was a bit disappointed. An easy read, though, so I kept at it. I thought it would have more sci-fi and less romance. Not so. And I wasn’t a fan of the main character, Carlota. This is the second book I’ve read by this author. Both have had some hype around them. Both have not been my type of book. I will not be reading another one of hers.

>120 catzteach: Thanks for the warning. (I've been avoiding Mexican Gothic after my daughter read it and said it was just okay.)

>120 catzteach: As >121 clamairy: said. Thanks for the warning.

>121 clamairy:
I read Mexican Gothic and agree with your daughter. I will not be reading anymore of her books.

Welcome. :)

Was at a bookstore earlier today. I saw and picked up a new-to-me Martha Wells book: Wheel of the Infinite

>123 catzteach: Oh, I had not heard about this one!

>124 clamairy: I thought you might have. It says it is a revised addition so I’m wondering if it is actually one of her first books.

>125 catzteach: Probably. I think I want to start that other series of hers, my daughter has been telling me how good it is.

>123 catzteach: I just bought this one too! It's great that she's been revising her early works so they are back in print again! This was the last one I was waiting for, having got City of Bones earlier this year.

You can imagine my expression when reading various books in the 80s that said Brits had 'pot plants' basically all over their houses!

>128 Bookmarque:
Lol!

>127 Sakerfalcon: I’ve seen that one before. I can’t remember where, though. Hmmm…

Just finished Winter Lost. The latest in the Mercy Thompson series. It was good to get back in that world.

Now I’m just waiting for the blind cleaner guy to come. I’m looking forward to having clean blinds and not having to do the work to do it. :) He comes in, takes them down, takes them to his van to clean with something sonic, then hangs them back up. It’s been a few years since I’ve taken the time to clean them. They are in dire need.

Finished You’re the Problem, It’s You. I was given this in a bag of books during a Teacher’s Night Out. It’s an ARC and was published in August. It’s not something I would’ve picked up myself because it’s a romance, but I did enjoy it.

I am now trying to get into reading Butter. It’s been hard because I haven’t had a lot of time and I’m so tired at night I only read maybe a couple of paragraphs before I fall asleep.

I have Silent Book Club tomorrow night so I’ll be able to read it for an hour straight. That should help.

I did start listening to We Solve Murders on Spotify. Having a 3 hour drive to Mom’s helps. I am really enjoying it. I love the character Rosey.

Finished listening to We Solve Murders. Loved it! And it ends on an open note so there will probably be more books with these characters.

I also finished Butter yesterday. That one took me almost a month. Not because it wasn’t good, it was, but because I’ve been so tired this month (work) I’ve been falling asleep while reading it! I did enjoy it, though. It definitely made me curious about butter and I will try a couple of the more expensive brands just to see if I can taste a difference.

Went to two of my favorite bookstores for my birthday. Bought six books and a journal:

Children of Ruin and Children of Memory. He gave me 10% off the second one because I bought both.
Strange Beasts recommended by one of the workers
To the Bright Edge of the World I liked her The Snow Child so thought I’d try this one.
Night Angel Nemesis the cover caught my eye.
Service Model AI Robots go awry.

And the journal is for fans of Fourth Wing. It has a dragon on the front and says “You’re really a violent little thing aren’t you?” It’s perfect for what I intend. :)

A very fun day!

>133 catzteach: Happy belated birthday!

That's a really nice list :) Enjoy!

>133 catzteach: A wonderful bunch of books to celebrate your birthday. Did you add to the stack on the 25th?

We may need to have a Piffle Party in here...

>136 clamairy:
A small gathering. Only fourteen posts required to reach the magic number. Always happy to chip in the odd piffle or two.

I had no idea that it was the name of a game.

>138 clamairy:
Very appropriate!

>139 pgmcc: I thought so!

>136 clamairy: >137 pgmcc: Do we know how much weight in badgers was added to her library this year? That's useful piffle.

> 138 What is the goal of that game?

>141 jillmwo: I went through my Kindle and added all those books the other day, so my count for actual purchases/reads in 2024 is off. Plus, I have a stack in my sewing room that I have not yet entered. :)

I did read 25,338 pages. My smallest books was A Psalm for the Wild Built and my longest was A Day of Fallen Night.

Sadly, I did not make my goal of 65 books. I’m going to be about 4 short. I know I’ll finish my current book before the 1st.

As The Husband and I were eating lunch he asked if I wanted to go to Barnes and Noble. Silly man, of course I do!

He cut me off at four.

I would love to continue a piffle party!! I’ve never made the magic number of posts. :)

>142 catzteach:
You are almost there. Only a little mire piffle and you’re there.

I assume I can add to my own piffle?

The Husband has found his next travel adventure. He wants to go to the Faroe Islands. We already have another trip to Iceland planned for 2025, so this one will be a few years off.

>144 catzteach: You have a pile of books to get through before you go on any adventures, young lady.

My 3-year old grandson came out of his room the other day talking to his new kitty, Marsha, said kitty has been quarantined in his room. He said, "You out, young lady, haha, good girl." Parents have no idea where the phrase young lady came from.

Just piffling through.

>145 MrsLee: it’s kinda scary how kids pick up phrases and language. He may have just heard it in the grocery store. :)

I’ll take the Kindle on the adventures with me. :D

>144 catzteach: Of course you can!