Curioussquared reads off her own shelves in 2024, part 4

Hello everyone! I'm Natalie. I have participated in the challenge on and off over my 15+ years on LT, and consistently over the past several years.

I'm located in Seattle, where I live with my husband and dogs. I do most of my reading curled up on the couch with my retired racing greyhounds Otter and Kermit, or listening to audiobooks while doing chores and walking the dogs.

I read mostly fiction, with a heavy emphasis on fantasy and sci-fi, romance, YA fiction, general fiction/literature, a scattered mystery here and there, and the occasional non-fiction title.

I've been keeping track of my books read since 2008, and I have traditionally aimed for 100, but I think these days I'm usually hoping to hit 150. I'm on track to hit 225 in 2023, which is an all-time high and I would be surprised if I get there again.

Another typical reading goal for me is to prioritize books off my shelves. I'm pretty evenly weighted so far in 2023, but I think library books will win out in the end (darn audiobooks!). It would be great to read more of my own books than library books in 2024. I have a separate thread I maintain in the ROOTs group, and in addition, I have a selection of books off my shelves I'd like to get to this year, which you can see in a post below.

Here are Kermit and Otter living their best life up at the beach cabin:

Favorite Books of 2023

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
Possession by A. S. Byatt
Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
The War that Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
Hidden Figures by Margo Lee Shetterly
The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik
The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate Di Camillo
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Bad Feminist by Roxanne Gay
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angelline Boulley
Painted Devils by Margaret Owen
Legendborn by Tracy Deonn
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
System Collapse by Martha Wells
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
This Rough Magic by Mary Stewart
The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard

Books read in 2024

January
1. Take the Lead by Alexis Daria (library)
2. At the Feet of the Sun by Victoria Goddard (off my shelf)
3. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers (off my shelf)
4. Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade (library)
5. A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark (off my shelf)
6. Saturday by Ian McEwan (off my shelf)
7. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (off my shelf)
8. Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho (library)
9. Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig (off my shelf)
10. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro (off my shelf)
11. Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai (library)
12. A Night to Surrender by Tessa Dare (library)
13. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland (off my shelf)
14. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (off my shelf)
15. The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells (library)
16. The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan (off my shelf)
17. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn (off my shelf)
18. Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren (library)
19. The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal (off my shelf)
20. Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey (reread)
21. Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire (off my shelf)
22. Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake (library)
23. Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey (reread)
24. Illuminations by T. Kingfisher (library)
25. Arrow's Fall by Mercedes Lackey (reread)
26. Slippery Creatures by K. J. Charles (off my shelf)
27. They Called Us Enemy by George Takei (library)
28. Spinning by Tillie Walden (library)
29. Just Kids by Patti Smith (library)
30. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (off my shelf)
31. River Secrets by Shannon Hale (off my shelf)

February
32. Forest Born by Shannon Hale (off my shelf)
33. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (off my shelf)
34. Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb (off my shelf)
35. Idol Gossip by Alexandra Leigh Young (library)
36. Across the Green Grass Fields by Seanan McGuire (library)
37. Who Cooked the Last Supper? by Rosalind Miles (library)
38. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (off my shelf)
39. Have Dog, Will Travel by Stephen Kuusisto (off my shelf)
40. A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher (library)
41. The Whispering Mountain by Joan Aiken (library)
42. Bride by Ali Hazelwood (library)
43. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths (off my shelf)
44. XOXO by Axie Oh (library)
45. The Sugared Game by KJ Charles (library)
46. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (library)
47. Nothing Else But Miracles by Kate Albus (library)
48. The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (library)
49. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (off my shelf)
50. Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune (off my shelf)
51. Baudolino by Umberto Eco (off my shelf)
52. I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai (off my shelf)
53. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb (reread)
54. Subtle Blood by KJ Charles (library)
55. Brooms by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall (library)
56. Slow Horses by Mick Herron (library)

March

57. A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare (library)
58. Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree (off my shelf)
59. Witchmark by C. L. Polk (off my shelf)
60. Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce (reread)
61. Heartstopper Volume 5 by Alice Oseman (library)
62. In the Hand of the Goddess by Tamora Pierce (reread)
63. Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray (off my shelf)
64. Seafire by Natalie C. Parker (off my shelf)
65. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (off my shelf)
66. Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber (library)
67. The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart (off my shelf)
68. Stargazy Pie by Victoria Goddard (library)
69. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (off my shelf)
70. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (off my shelf)
71. At Blackwater Pond: Mary Oliver Reads Mary Oliver by Mary Oliver (library)
72. A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown (off my shelf)
73. The Woman Who Rides Like a Man by Tamora Pierce (reread)
74. Lioness Rampant by Tamora Pierce (reread)
75. A Lady By Midnight by Tessa Dare (library)
76. Stormsong by C. L. Polk (off my shelf)
77. The Second Stranger by Martin Griffin (library)
78. The Memory of Babel by Christelle Dabos (off my shelf)
79. Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl (library)
80. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (off my shelf)

Books read in 2024

April
81. Always Only You by Chloe Liese (library)
82. Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire (library)
83. Dragon's Bait by Vivian Vande Velde (off my shelf)
84. Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake (library)
85. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson (off my shelf)
86. Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q. Sutanto (library)
87. Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft (off my shelf)
88. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison (off my shelf)
89. Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb (reread)
90. A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales (library)
91. Rabbit Redux by John Updike (off my shelf)
92. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman (off my shelf)
93. Hey, Hun by Emily Paulson (library)
94. Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire (library)
95. Ever After Always by Chloe Liese (library)
96. American Royals by Katharine McGee (off my shelf)
97. Solitaire by Alice Oseman (library)
98. The Serpent Sea by Martha Wells (off my shelf)
99. The Housekeepers by Alex Hay (library)
100. Do You Want to Start a Scandal? by Tessa Dare (library)
101. How to Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter (library)
102. The Magicians' Guild by Trudi Canavan (off my shelf)
103. A Psalm of Storms and Silence by Roseanne A. Brown (library)
104. Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker (library)
105. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon (off my shelf)

May
106. Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb (reread)
107. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross (off my shelf)
108. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (off my shelf)
109. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (reread)
110. Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater (library)
111. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose (library)
112. Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare (library)
113. Funny Story by Emily Henry (library)
114. Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold (library)
115. Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher (library)
116. Bee Sting Cake by Victoria Goddard (library)
117. She Gets the Girl by Rachel Lippincott and Allyson Derrick (library)
118. Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire (library)
119. A Power Unbound by Freya Marske (off my shelf)
120. Majesty by Katharine McGee (library)
121. With You Forever by Chloe Liese (library)
122. Rakkety Tam by Brian Jacques (off my shelf)
123. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett (off my shelf)
124. You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo (off my shelf)
125. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (off my shelf)
126. The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon (off my shelf)
127. The Dark Lord's Daughter by Patricia C. Wrede (library)

June
128. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi (off my shelf)
129. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (library)
130. The Once and Future King by T. H. White (off my shelf)
131. The Book of Merlyn by T. H. White (off my shelf)
132. The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint (off my shelf)
133. Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday (library)
134. Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid (library)
135. If Only You by Chloe Liese (library)
136. Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood (off my shelf)
137. Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
138. Borders of Infinity by Lois McMaster Bujold (library)
139. Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
140. An Immense World by Ed Yong (library)
141. Whiskeyjack by Victoria Goddard (library)
142. Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina (off my shelf)
143. The Magician's Daughter by H. G. Parry (off my shelf)
144. The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai (library)
145. Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey (reread)
146. Magic or Not? by Edward Eager (off my shelf)
147. Loveless by Alice Oseman (library)
148. Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (library)

Books read in 2024

July
149. The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (off my shelf)
150. Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (library)
151. Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare (library)
152. The Appeal by Janice Hallett (off my shelf)
153. What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher (library)
154. Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (library)
155. Soulstar by C. L. Polk (library)
156. Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow (library)
157. Caliban's War by James S. A. Corey (library)
158. Blackcurrant Fool by Victoria Goddard (library)
159. First Test (Graphic Novel) by Tamora Pierce (off my shelf)
160. Only and Forever by Chloe Liese (library)
161. The Secret Place by Tana French (off my shelf)
162. When the Crow's Away by Auralee Wallace (library)
163. Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up by Charish Reid (library)
164. Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare (library)
165. Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik (off my shelf)
166. At First Spite by Olivia Dade (library)
167. Arthur & George by Julian Barnes (off my shelf)
168. Once Was a Time by Leila Sales (off my shelf)

August
169. Cosmoknights by Hanna Templer (library)
170. A Collection of Essays by George Orwell (off my shelf)
171. March by Geraldine Brooks (off my shelf)
172. Eva Luna by Isabelle Allende (off my shelf)
173. First Test by Tamora Pierce (reread)
174. Evicted by Matthew Desmond (off my shelf)
175. The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez (library)
176. How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith (library)
177. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by K. J. Charles (off my shelf)
178. Hola Papi! by John Paul Brammer (library)
179. Yours From the Tower by Sally Nicholls (library)
180. Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner (off my shelf)
181. Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall (library)
182. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs (off my shelf)

September
183. Longshadow by Olivia Atwater (library)
184. Page by Tamora Pierce (reread)
185. Squire by Tamora Pierce (reread)
186. The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley (library)
187. Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce (reread)
188. Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur (ilbrary)
189. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey (off my shelf)

Books read in 2024

October
190. The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix (off my shelf)
191. The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson (library)
192. Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht (off my shelf)
193. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (reread)
194. Wolf-Speaker by Tamora Pierce (reread)
195. Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce (reread)
196. The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce (reread)
197. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich (off my shelf)
198. Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long (library)
199. A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab (off my shelf)
200. Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (library)
201. Love in a Mist by Victoria Goddard (library)
202. Plum Duff by Victoria Goddard (library)
203. Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare (library)
204. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi (off my shelf)
205. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende (off my shelf)

November
206. Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu (library)
207. Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase (library)
208. Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto (library)
209. Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher (reread)
210. Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by T. Tui Sutherland (off my shelf)
211. The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore (library)
212. Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher (reread)
213. Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder (library)
214. Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher (reread)
215. Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (library)
216. Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker (off my shelf)
217. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfield (library)
218. Pentimento by Lillian Hellman (off my shelf)
219. Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (library)

December
220. Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare (library)
221. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo (off my shelf)
222. I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons by Peter S. Beagle (library)
223. Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson (library)
224. The Burning God by R. F. Kuang (off my shef)
225. The Conductors by Nicole Glover (off my shelf)
226. The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan (library)
227. Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo (off my shelf)
228. Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto (library)
229. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (off my shelf)
230. The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson (library)
231. We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian (library)

2024 Reading Goals

I finished all 40 books I wanted to read in 2023! For 2024, I tried to limit it to a similar number but ended up picking a few more than intended. Here's the picture of my physical TBR cart, and the list! Most of these are just books that were calling my name from my TBR shelves. Many are sequels to books I read in 2023 or series I've been working through. A few were chosen to align with specific 2024 Popsugar Reading Challenge prompts, another challenge I'll be working on this year. 55 is more than I intended to pick... but hey, it's about half of the total number I read off my shelves this year, so I think I can do it!



1. A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
2. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
3. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
4. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
5. Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
6. Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb
7. Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
8. Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
9. Forestborn by Audrey Becker
10. I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai
11. Pentimento by Lillian Hellman
12. Baudolino by Umberto Eco
13. The Secret Place by Tana French
14. Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs
15. Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
16. Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
17. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
18. The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon
19. The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
20. Saturday by Ian McEwan
21. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
22. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
23. The Night Watchman by Louise Erdich
24. Have Dog, Will Travel by Stephen Kuusisto
25. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
26. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
27. A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
28. Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree
29. The Burning God by R. F. Kuang
30. Magic or Not by Edward Eager
31. The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman
32. Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht
33. The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
34. The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix
35. The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
36. The Memory of Babel by Christelle Dabos
37. Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
38. The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio
39. A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab
40. The Serpent Sea by Martha Wells
41. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey
42. The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan
43. The Dreaming Place by Charles de Lint
44. Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik
45. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
46. The Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan
47. The Once and Future King by T. H. White

I also have a few books I'd like to read off of my Kindle this year:

48. Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig
49. Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire
50. Forest Born by Shannon Hale
51. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
52. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
53. Piranesi by Susannah Clarke
54. Witchmark by C. L. Polk
55. Summers at Castle Auburn by Sharon Shinn

DONE: 54/55

Welcome to my thread #4!

Happy new one!

>9 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita!

Here are a few more puppy photos from our beach trip, featuring the greyhounds from our meetup, Brandon, who we were dogsitting, and Loretta, who belongs to my friend who just moved here.

And an update: I finished my secret cross-stitch project and gave it to my best friend for her birthday! It's a possum tea party, and she loved it.

Your cross-stitch looks great! And kudos for stitching on black fabric. That is not for the faint of heart.

Happy new one, Natalie.

The dogs look like they don't appreciate too much the summer sun!

Happy new thread Natalie!

AHHHHH it's a doggie overload and I love it!
And good work on the crosstitch project! I'd be happy to hang that up if someone made me that. I love the possums, they are so cute 😍

Happy New Thread, Natalie! Always love the dog photos and that's a cute design on your crossstitch.

>13 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! The black was definitely a challenge; it went better for me if I kept my pattern on my lap so the white paper would show through the holes 😂

>14 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Yes, they definitely don't like like sunbathers, do they? 😉

>15 Ravenwoodwitch: Hi Angela! My friend was really happy with the gift :) She loves possums so when I saw the design I knew I had to make it for her.

>16 ronincats: Hi Roni! Thanks -- definitely happy with how the cross-stitch turned out :)

Happy Friday! I had an 8am meeting today (boo) but relaxed a little and walked the dogs after it was over. Now trying to convince myself to get some more work done. In the afternoon I'm driving my dad to his follow-up appointment for his second cataract surgery yesterday. In the evening my best friend is coming over for the first time in like a month and a half -- she's been traveling a lot and then got covid. Should be a good hangout!

I only owe one (1) review currently, which is kind of a miracle for me!

Currently reading: I haven't been very good at concentrating on print books this week, but I'm about 2/3 done with a reread of First Test. Also reading The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen and started Kushiel's Dart, but I need to really make inroads still. On audio, I finished Eva Luna on Wednesday and am not working on Evicted.

Currently watching: Lots of Olympics! And we also watched the first episode of Poker Face on Wednesday.

Happy New Thread! Yay pupper photos! The cross stitch looks great. I cruised your books read and added a few to my wishlist.

Happy new thread Natalie!

>11 curioussquared: Oh yeah!

I'm guessing that the two light brindles are Otter and his bro?

>12 curioussquared: The cross stitch looks lovely.

>20 humouress: Nope, Otter and his brother Tesla are the two black boys :)

>21 curioussquared: 🤦‍♀️ Of course (makes note: need more sleep). They all look gorgeous.

I put Cosmoknights from your previous thread on hold at my library, thanks for the rec!

>12 curioussquared: Oh my goodness that's SO cute! I love it!

Happy new thread, a little late! Looks like the doggies really enjoy the sunshine. 😀

Happy new thread! I love the cross-stitch! Also, in some of those photos, somebody has clearly been deflating your dogs.

>25 foggidawn: 😱 (I suspect the chihuahua.)

>23 norabelle414: Hope you enjoy it, Nora! And thanks re: the cross-stitch :) My friend loves it, so that was a win.

>24 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! They are definitely sunbathers.

>25 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi! Oh, jeez. I'm going to have to track down whoever has been on a deflating spree...

>26 humouress: Hmmm.... a likely culprit.

Happy Wednesday! Let's see, what's been going on...

On Saturday I went to a birthday dinner for my best friend and then over to her house for a game of Pictionary afterward. My other friend and I won Pictionary -- woohoo! On Sunday I went to the zoo with some friends and their two daughters, which was a lot of fun. I was the chosen adult to accompany the 5-year-old on the carousel :) After that I went and got a much needed haircut at my aunt's house.

Monday I discovered the new cabinet I bought for the kitchen is about a quarter inch too tall to fit in the space 😭 Luckily the contractor is still around doing a few touch-up tasks and he's going to cut a little height off so it will fit. He is my hero. Yesterday Tim and I went to go see Deadpool and Wolverine with friends, which was fun. We got ramen beforehand :)

Work is still going well and so far it seems like I've been able to make a big impact with minimal effort, so that's good. Led a meeting this morning and am going to try to put in a few more hours but still make it to the grocery store during work hours. Ideal!

Currently reading: I feel like I'm kind of in a reading slump? But not actually, it's just that my physical reading speed seems much slower than usual. Really hoping to finish up The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen today and get further into Kushiel's Dart soon. I also need to read Ink Blood Sister Scribe and Moira's Pen before the end of the month to finish my SPL Book Bingo Blackout, so those four books are my reading priorities for the moment. On audio, I'm listening to How the Word Is Passed, which is excellent so far.

Currently watching: No more Olympics :( But enjoying Poker Face before we cancel Peacock and I'm still working on finishing Season 11 of Love Island UK.

We saw Deadpool & Wolverine on Sunday night and enjoyed it. The cast just seemed to be having so much fun with it, it was hard not to share the enthusiasm :)

I hope you like Kushiel's Dart. I reread it last year right before reading Cassiel's Servant and I liked it as much as the first time.

>29 katiekrug: That's how I felt about it, too :) And I of course loved Dogpool.

>30 elorin: I'm enjoying it so far, Robyn! It's just such a big book that I feel like I need to really make a dent in it. I'm only about 50 pages in.

Happy new thread!
Look at all those happy pups. 🥰

Glad to hear the work life balance has been good with the contracting gig.

Wishing you some concentrated reading time this weekend!

Hello Natalie :)
>28 curioussquared: Loved that movie. Seeing Hugh Jackman back, and in the OG costume is like a second birthday.
I have a copy of Kushiel's Dart myself and I'm unsure on weather to pick it up. I will wait and see what you think before I crack it open.

>12 curioussquared: Ahhhh! This makes me want to cross-stitch again. It's perfect!

>32 clamairy: Thanks Clam!!

>33 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! That weekend I had a funeral and a wedding on Saturday (what is this, a Hugh Grant movie?) and then spend most of Sunday lying on the couch watching Love Is Blind UK with my best friend, so not a lot of reading was done, unfortunately. I seem to be in something of a slump right now.

>34 Ravenwoodwitch: It was a fun movie, Angela! I'm enjoying Kushiel's Dart, but I've put it to the side for now because I'm reading too slowly and I have other things to read to finish my book bingo blackout.

>35 ursula: Thanks, Ursula!! I had a lot of fun with it :)

Happy Tuesday! Sorry for disappearing most of August. Let's see, what's been going on...

- Went to a funeral and wedding on the same Saturday two weekends ago. Both events were nice in their way, but it was a looong day. We had about 45 minutes of break time in the middle of the day to lie prone and do nothing before dressing for the wedding.

- Work is getting busier but I also feel like I'm fully back in the swing of things now, which is nice.

- I got to meet up with Humouress yesterday evening and we had a lovely time shopping for books and chatting. Pictures on her thread :)

- I've been reading, but not as much as I'd like. Since I last posted, I've finished How the Word Is Passed, The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen, Hola Papi!, Yours From the Tower, and Moira's Pen. Currently working on Ink Blood Sister Scribe and Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble. I owe lots of reviews!

- I've gotten back into LoZ: Tears of the Kingdom and have been having fun running around, doing side quests, and finding shrines before actually going to defeat Ganondorf because that sounds scary.

- Tim and I watched all of Poker Face (fun!) and I binged season 3 of The Bear (good! not as good IMO as season 2).

Plans for this week include trivia tonight (should be fun even though it's not my fave location) and hanging out with my friend tomorrow night. On Friday we get custody of Beast the greyhound for the weekend while his owner is out of town and then we're heading up to my in-law's beach place for labor day weekend, which should be a lot of fun :)

The catch up was lovely, Natalie, and I'm glad the sun came out for a bit. We should do it again - maybe Singapore next time?

Sounds like a busy time overall.
Have fun at trivia night and hope things go well at work.

>11 curioussquared: I kept thinking as I was looking at the dog pictures, "one of these things is not like the other," lol

>12 curioussquared: Oh, that is adorable! I am glad your friend loved it. I cannot blame her.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

>38 humouress: I'm in!

>39 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks Angela!

>40 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia!

>41 curioussquared: Great! And you can meet Jasper in person ... er, in canine?

>42 humouress: :D Yes please!

172 books read: Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

In true Allende fashion, the novel follows Eva Luna as she grows up, from her childhood in the home of a sort of mad scientist professor to her brushes with political revolution to her eventual escape from her life of servitude through her natural talent for storytelling.

I really enjoy Allende's tales and colorful characters and this was no exception. I enjoyed following Eva's story and Allende's trademark magical realism. 4 stars.

All caught up here again! Glad you got to meet up with Humouress. I just couldn't make it to Seattle after my Wisconsin trip. Dang it.

Love all the doggie pictures! And I am an Allende fan, too. Wishing you happy reading in September. : )

>45 Berly: No worries, Kim! I was talking with Nina and I don't think she realized just how far Portland is from Seattle even though we're neighbors by US standards ;) One of these days I'll make it to an Oregon meetup!

Sorry to disappear again, friends! Things have been busy around here and will only stay busy for the foreseeable future -- our offer on a house was accepted on Friday night! Tentative closing date will be October 8th. It's actually the same house we made an offer on back in June, but this time the owners came down in price to a level we were comfortable with and we were able to achieve mutual acceptance. We had the inspection yesterday and everything is looking good, fingers crossed. It's about 25 minutes north of our current place and closer to a lot of our family members, and it has a lovely view and is much more updated than our current house, so we're very excited. But lots of work to come! TBD on whether we try to sell our current place this fall/winter what with the election and holidays coming soon, or wait until better selling season in Spring.

>47 curioussquared: Oh my gosh, I'm so happy for you!
Congrats!!

So exciting about the new house!

Oh congrats on the offer being accepted! And yikes, what a lot of packing and planning you must have in front of you. Hope everything goes smoothly through to closing.

>47 curioussquared: Oh, fingers crossed for you. I hope you get it.

>47 curioussquared: Congratulations! It's a big deal to buy a home in this city. Don't forget to do a sewer scope!

Congrats on the house!

Thanks, everyone! We're excited. Inspection didn't turn up anything too damning -- we requested some money from them to repair a few items, but they held firm on price, which we expected and were OK with, so we're still proceeding. Just trying to figure out mortgage terms now.

>50 bell7: Yep, not looking forward to all that packing... Selling our house in the spring would be a pain because we'd be floating two mortgages for a few months, but it might be worth it because our house might go for quite a bit more during peak selling season. And I'll admit it would be nice to not feel rushed on getting everything out of our current place!

>52 Kyler_Marie: Thank you! Technically we'll be in Edmonds -- it'll be my first time without a Seattle address! But don't worry, that won't stop me from participating in book bingo ;) And already done on the sewer scope and it looked great :)

173 books read: First Test by Tamora Pierce

Keladry of Mindelan works through her first year of page training at the palace in her journey to become a lady knight, despite prejudice, bullies, and an unfair year of probation.

I'd been itching to reread the series since I read the graphic novel adaptation. I'm not able to fairly judge these books -- they are true comfort reads. 5 stars.

>54 curioussquared: Edmonds is a gorgeous place and has a great bookstore. 🙂 Great news on the sewer scope!

Glad you'll still participate in book bingo. I'm not sure if any other people on here participate.

>56 Kyler_Marie: Yes, love the Edmonds bookstore :) Not sure if anyone else here does SPL book bingo either. Which reminds me, I still need to post my completed board from this year...

As always, I had a great time doing Seattle Public Library's summer book bingo and discovering some new reads! Here's my completed 2024 board:

>7 curioussquared: I have four of those carts like you posted. I purchased them at Michael's Craft store. I haven't put them together yet, but seeing them on your thread, encourages me to do so.

Congratulations on reading so many wonderful books thus far in 2024!!!

>44 curioussquared: Definite BB for me!

>47 curioussquared: Congrats on getting your offer accepted.

>47 curioussquared: Congrats on having the offer accepted! Good luck with the pending move!

Congrats your successful offer! That's very exciting!

>55 curioussquared: Kel's series was my entry point to Tamora Pierce, so I probably wouldn't be too objective, myself!

Congratulations on the new home!

>58 curioussquared: Are those Paper Mate Flair medium point felt tip pens? I use black ink for daily writing, but I have a collection of other colors that I use for recording book quotations in a notebook.

>59 Whisper1: Hi Linda! I like the carts a lot. Mine are from IKEA and they're useful for lots of things.

>60 figsfromthistle: Hope you enjoy the book, and thanks, Anita!

>61 elorin: Thanks Robyn! I am not looking forward to the moving part :) Wish I could snap my fingers and just be in the new place!

>62 MickyFine: Thanks Micky!

>63 foggidawn: I read the Alanna books when I was 9 or 10 or so and went from there, so reading Pierce just always feels like coming home to me.

>64 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana! No, they're a European brand called Stabilo. I got a set that rolls up in a carrying case that I like to use when I want to feel fancy :)

Hi friends! Not much going on over here -- just figuring out all things house and working. Worked out mortgage terms and insurance policy this week -- feeling very lucky that the Fed decided to drop interest rates this week before we locked in terms :) I really, really want to catch up on reviews today... we'll see what happens. My friend is coming over to hang out tonight, we're going to a family birthday tomorrow, and then a couple friends are coming over to hang out on Sunday, so should be a full weekend.

Currently reading: Still working veeeery slowly through Kushiel's Dart and am about 25% through The Well of Ascension on audio -- my previous loan expired so I had to wait a few weeks to get it back, but as of today we're back in business (and with perfect timing since I finished my previous listen yesterday). My reading pace has definitely slowed in the last month or two, but I think that's just due to life being busy. As long as I can finish the remaining 12 books on the list I identified to get through this year, I'll be happy.

174 books read: Evicted by Matthew Desmond

Desmond explores the housing industrial complex in the poorest cities of Milwaukee, taking the reader into the lives of the evictees and also the evictors, the landlords making their money off of turning people out in the street.

This was a powerful, accessible book that exposes the utter injustice of the American housing system. Recommended -- 5 stars.

175 books read: The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

Sloan hasn't been herself since her fiance died in a motorcycle accident. When she finds a lost dog, she does her best to return him, but his owner doesn't respond for weeks -- and Sloan grows attached, starting to feel more normal than she has in years. But then, Tucker's owner shows up -- and he's not giving up his dog without a fight.

This was cute! So far I'm not as in-love with Jimenez's books as the rest of the internet seems to be, but I enjoyed this more than The Friend Zone and will keep reading for the moment. 3.75 stars.

176 books read: How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith

Smith visits several locations across the US (and one in Africa), from former plantations to prisons to cemeteries, to explore the legacy of slavery across the country and how its impact is hidden in plain sight in places we see every day.

I thought this was a captivating, well-crafted narrative with a unique perspective on the history it shares. I think this would be a good book for classrooms -- really, it's a good book for anyone. 5 stars.

177 books read: The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

Gareth Inglis has been shunned by his father for years and wasn't expecting anything when he died -- and he certainly wasn't expecting to suddenly inherit his father's minor title, move to Kent, and become Sir Gareth. Nor was he expecting his new home of Romney Marsh to also be the home of the mysterious man he'd fallen a bit in love with in London months ago. As Gareth works through his new life and status and tries to figure out his place in a society he doesn't understand, he also works through his feelings for Joss -- and for Joss's involvement with the local smuggling activity.

KJ Charles writes really lovely queer historical fiction and this was no exception. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and more of her work. 4 stars.

178 books read: Hola Papi! by John Paul Brammer

Advice columnist Brammer crafts a memoir through advice column framing, answering big questions with relevant anecdotes from his own life about his lived experiences coming to terms with his sexuality and his half-Mexican heritage.

This was fun but didn't stick with me. I liked the advice column framing but felt like a lot of the stories took a loooong time to get back to the initial posed question. As an ally but not a queer person myself, I found myself drawn more to the sections where Brammer is exploring his identity as half-Hispanic person who doesn't speak Spanish, which is somewhat similar to my own heritage. 3.5 stars.

179 books read: Yours From the Tower by Sally Nicholls

In this epistolary novel, three best friends from boarding school begin their adult lives in very different ways -- Tirzah is trapped in Scotland as a companion to her cantankerous grandmother, Sophia begins her first season in fashionable London, and Polly begins a career as a school teacher at an orphanage. Through their letters, they express their hopes, dreams, and worries for the others.

This was a surprisingly delightful book that captured some of the same charm for me as classic epistolary/journal novels like I Capture the Castle and Daddy Long Legs. 4.5 stars.

180 books read: Moira's Pen by Megan Whalen Turner

A collection of short stories, vignettes, recipes, and research notes surrounding the Queen's Thief series, interspersed with lovely illustrations. I felt this collection didn't really satisfy as a whole and I don't think it would recommend it for anyone but the biggest fan of the series, but I enjoyed my time back in this world and it DID make me want to reread all the books again. 3.5 stars.

181 books read: Paris Daillencourt Is About to Crumble by Alexis Hall

A loose sequel to Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake set in the same world on the same Great British Baking Show knockoff. Paris is a neglected rich kid who grew up with everything and nothing, just trying to make it through uni while dealing with (undiagnosed but what is clearly) crippling anxiety, when his roommate and only friend Morag enters him in the baking competition. Baking and cooking are two things Paris is actually good at, but being on TV sounds like his worst nightmare -- but Morag's entered him so now he has to do it. Then he meets Tariq on the show, and for a few weeks Paris's life seems like it could almost be close to normal and he could maybe even have an actual boyfriend... if he can keep from screwing it all up and ruining his entire life on television.

I think the baking show frame story saved this one for me; I objectively didn't like it as much as the first book, but I enjoyed the setting so much I think I put up with a lot of lackluster character stuff. This needed to be cut down by 1/4 or even 1/3 and Paris needed help way sooner than he actually got it. It was a decent listen, but I might have put it down if I was reading it physically. 3.5 stars.

182 books read: Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs

Joanna has lived alone in her small Vermont house ever since her father died, blood sucked dry by one of the magical books they custodian. Her half-sister Esther left when she turned 18 and refuses to come home, traveling the world, and Joanna doesn't know why. Meanwhile, Esther was told by her father on her 18th birthday to leave and never come back, and to spend a certain day each year traveling, never settling in one place for long. When Esther breaks that promise and decides to stay at her Antarctic research facility and allow that day to pass by, nefarious things start happening -- and Esther wonders if she's put herself and everyone she loves in danger, and if she'll manage to escape this time.

I love books about books and this was a really good one. Unique magical books, mysterious legacies, deadly stakes -- what more could you want? 5 stars.

Phew! That's all my August books. September will have to wait a little longer.

Congratulations on purchasing a new home, and what good luck to be able to buy a house you previously looked at and liked! Good Luck!!!

Great reviews. I'm interested in a few of those.

Yours from the Tower sounds good. I've added it to my library WL. Enjoy your busy weekend!

>77 Whisper1: Thank you Linda!

>78 elorin: Hope you enjoy them, Robyn!

>79 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie! Hope you like it. Busy weekend was good, but now I'm sleepy on a Monday :)

>72 curioussquared:, >75 curioussquared: Glad these both worked for you!

Just dropping in to say "Congratulations" on the new house! I hope all works out well for you, your husband, and the pups, of course.

>81 libraryperilous: :)

>82 alcottacre: Thanks Stasia!

>82 alcottacre: I'll second Stasia's best wishes, Natalie. xx

Sounds like things are moving on the new house, best of luck!

You got me with Yours From the Tower.

>84 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

>85 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks Angela!

>86 foggidawn: I hope you like it, Foggi. I think it's up your alley.

Happy Monday! I think we finally have the mortgage rate figured out and locked in (Tim has been waging battle with the bankers for a few weeks) and the appraisal came back good so all is well on the house. We are scheduled to close on October 11, so less than 2 weeks!

Work has been ramping up by which I mean I'm working about 4-5 hours a day, lol. As decidedly not a morning person, not having to get up early for a job is clutch -- I still get my leisurely mornings in bed with the dogs :)

Currently reading: I managed to finish Kushiel's Dart yesterday! It took me about a month to read the first 300 pages and 4 days to read the last 600 pages, lol. I'm going to see if I can do all my September reviews today -- I won't finish anything else this month. 65% through The Well of Ascension on audio, and I've started The Sinister Booksellers of Bath for something somewhat lighter after Kushiel's Dart.

Currently watching: Tim and I are caught up on Only Murders in the Building and about halfway through the season of Mr. and Mrs. Smith, which is good but I don't like to watch it while we're eating dinner because it can be gory. On my own I've been watching The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives which is honestly awful and I may not finish it, and S4 of Taskmaster UK which is delightful.

>88 curioussquared: S4 of Taskmaster UK is one of my favorites (along with S5 and S7 and S13 and all of the other serieses)

>89 norabelle414: I've only watched a few seasons so I have lots to catch up on! I was trying to choose a really good season to get Tim into it, but it just doesn't hold his attention, so I'll probably go back and watch them all chronologically after this. But I've been loving this season. Just watched the episode where they have to put a stuffed camel through the smallest gap possible and Mel makes them drive her to the high street so she can take it into Baby Gap. I was SO glad she won the task for that.

>90 curioussquared: Mel might be my favorite contestant ever. The camel through the Baby Gap is SO GOOD!! I also love her solo task in the same episode.

>91 norabelle414: Yes! The solo task was hilarious. She is just great.

183 books read: Longshadow by Olivia Atwater

Young ladies of London have started mysteriously disappearing, and Abigail Wilder, daughter of the Lord Sorcier, is determined to find out why. She finds an unlikely partner in Mercy, a laundress/street rat and self-taught magician, who Abigail is initially suspicious of but doesn't seem to have a choice in working with her. Their investigations will take them all over London and into Faerie -- where Mercy may turn out to be more than she seems.

Another delightful entry in the Regency Faerie Tale series. I don't think this one is my favorite of the series, but I enjoyed it quite a bit nonetheless. 4 stars.

184 books read: Page by Tamora Pierce

Another enjoyable reread. Nothing really to say -- I enjoyed this just as much as I always do. 5 stars.

185 books read: Squire by Tamora Pierce

Again, not much to say. This might be my favorite in the series, just because I love Lord Raoul. 5 stars.

186 books read: The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist by Ceinwen Langley

When Celeste's family is unexpectedly ruined, she sees her future disintegrate before her eyes -- no longer will she be able to pursue her dreams of being a famous naturalist by making her name at the Parisian Exposition. Instead, she and her family move into a dank, tiny flat, and her only hope is that her sister Genevieve gets an offer of marriage from their old friend and lifts them out of poverty. When Celeste is faced with a choice that will save her family but crush her dreams, she makes that choice -- at first. But when she starts to lose herself, Celeste decides to run away, faking her own death to preserve her family's name. Lost and alone in the woods, Celeste is sure she will freeze to death -- until something unexpected comes to her aid.

This book was recommended by someone I follow on TikTok and she said it reminded her of the Lady Trent diaries. I went into it knowing nothing else about the plot, so imagine my surprise when 1/3rd of the way through the book it turned into a Beauty and the Beast retelling! I don't really see the Lady Trent comparison, but this book did manage to surprise me and I enjoyed it overall, so if anything about it seems intriguing, I recommend picking it up but going in without knowing too much about it. 4 stars.

187 books read: Lady Knight by Tamora Pierce

Book 4 in Kel's saga wraps everything up nicely. This one might be my least favorite, just because it's darker than the rest, but still great as always. 5 stars.

188 books read: Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Romance novelist and certified romantic Truly agrees to give dating advice on a popular podcast -- but right before she's due to be on the show, she walks in on her long-term partner with another woman. Disillusioned and upset, Truly still goes on the show, but it's a disaster -- particularly since her host's brother, a divorce lawyer named Colin, is also giving advice on the show -- and they do NOT see eye-to-eye. Truly ends the show early and declares Colin to be her arch-nemesis, but Seattle is a small town and somehow, she keeps running into the guy. Then she gets the news that her parents, her romance idols, may be separating, and her world starts crumbling around her. When she and Colin start texting, she doesn't think anything of it, until suddenly, they're texting all the time, and maybe he's not enemy number one after all. As Truly launches a plan to parent trap her parents back together, will Colin be there to pick up the pieces?

I kept hearing great things about this romance novel on TikTok and honestly, it was just fine. Nothing special. I was annoyed at some of the audiobook narrator's pronunciations of local stuff -- it's Chel-anne, not Chel-ahn, and we say U-Dub, not U-Double-You. Overall, it was a fine listen, but I'm not going to be seeking out more of Bellefleur's stuff. 3.5 stars.

189 books read: Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Phedre is an anguissette, one cursed by Kushiel to derive pleasure from pain. Born into the service of the Night Court of the City of Elua, she is raised knowing she will one day become a full courtesan in the service of Namaah until she earns enough to purchase her own marque. When her marque is purchased by a new patron, Anafiel Delaunay, she's not sure what to expect -- but Delaunay is the only one to recognize her for her true talent as an anguissette, and in his hands, she becomes a true weapon. Phedre is trained not only in the arts of Namaah, but also as Delaunay's spy, learning languages, politics, and history alongside Delaunay's other protege, Alcuin. Phedre's role puts her into the hands of some of the most dangerous characters in Terre d'Ange, and she's able to hold her own and gather the information Delaunay seeks. But as the political situation more dire, Phedre will be cast into situations she never would have imagined, and she will need to use every scrap of learning to survive.

This is not an easy book to summarize, partly because it's 900 pages, and partly because Carey's worldbuilding is extensive and complex. This started slow for me; it took me about a month to read the first 300 pages, and then I flew through the last 600 in four days. This is a masterful fantasy epic that I'm sure doesn't always get its due because of the graphic sex and Phedre's profession and proclivities, but if you're looking for a complex, detailed fantasy world to get lost in and don't mind a little sex, I would recommend it. This is not a romance/smut novel; the sex serves a purpose and is part of the plot/worldbuilding. I'm looking forward to reading the sequels, although I'm glad they're not quite as long as this one. I'd like to read them sooner rather than later due to the complexity of the world and politics, but we'll see when -- I need to make some progress on my books to read this year list first. 4.5 stars, a half star off for the slow start.

That's it for September! May October be better for my reading -- moving aside, lol.

>88 curioussquared: Good luck on the mortgage! And I hope you don't have too much work to pack and move.

Taskmaster is fantastic. Are you watching season 4 for the first time? They just started a new season and it's great, but every season of that show is great. We sometimes watch while eating dinner and I'm worried I'll choke from laughing mid-bite. Happy October!

>99 curioussquared: I'm thrilled you liked this book! Phedre is one of my favorite characters. Glad you plan to read more.

>101 Kyler_Marie: Thanks Kyler! I'm not looking forward to moving, but we will definitely hire movers to hopefully make it easier, and I'm glad about the fact that we won't sell our current house until next year so we won't be in a rush to get everything out.

Yes, I'm watching S4 of Taskmaster for the first time! I've watched a few seasons here and there but am going back to watch them all now. So good.

>102 elorin: It took me a while to get into it, Robyn, but once I did I was totally hooked. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

>93 curioussquared: I really need to get to the Atwater books. I own several of them. Thanks for the reminder, Natalie!

>96 curioussquared: Adding that one to the BlackHole. Thanks for the review and recommendation.

>99 curioussquared: Well, I would have sworn that one was already in the BlackHole, but I did not see it. That is now fixed.

Have a terrific Tuesday, Natalie!

>99 curioussquared: I really want to get to this one but the size is intimidating. Thanks for the nudge. Maybe I will try it as an audio

The very best of luck to you with the new home! I'm so happy for you.

>105 clamairy: Thanks, Clam! My best friend listened to the Kushiel's books on audio and really enjoyed them. It would probably be easier to get through the slow beginning that way.

>106 curioussquared: That is good to hear. That first book is 31 hours long!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy birthday Natalie!

Happy Birthday!

Thanks all! It was actually yesterday -- I had a pretty normal day with a few treats mixed in :) We might go out to eat to celebrate this week.

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Natalie! :o)

Happy belated birthday!

Happy birthday! Do you celebrate all month?

Happy belated birthday, Natalie!!

>99 curioussquared: so I'm gonna be blunt and ask, with a spoiler tag for others purposes. I hope this question doesn't come off as judgemental, it's not supposed to be, I'm just clarifying for my own sake. I'm glad you enjoyed it either way :)

What has made me nervous about this one is I've heard, from online, that it involves children beng taught how to be courtsans, which I'd rather not read about. Is there any truth to that here, and/or how is it handled?

And happy belated birthday!

>112 clamairy: >113 drneutron: >115 norabelle414: Thanks, all!

>114 elorin: Thanks! No, not really, but I'll have a little belated celebration with my family next week.

>116 Ravenwoodwitch: Definitely reasonable to ask! I also wouldn't be comfortable if this was done badly, but I think it was handled pretty well. The courtesans in question practice that art in service to a god, so it's looked at as a religious thing in this universe. Children grow up in these courtesan houses knowing what goes on in them, but Phedre and her fellow trainee Alcuin don't begin their training in actual courtesan arts until they are 14, when their patron asks them and confirms that they still want to dedicate their service to the god Namaah before they begin training. They are not forced into it and can choose to opt out and serve in a different way. They are not allowed to actually engage in sexual acts until they are 16, which is obviously still a child in our world but is an age that is usually considered adult/ready for marriage in more medieval fantasy worlds, which this is. So depending on your ick level, this might be too much for you, but I didn't find it to be icky in this context.

>118 curioussquared: thank you for laying that out for me :)
My sympathies/congrats on getting all the horse stuff sorted by the way. I'm moving myself here soon and I know packing and getting everything all set up can be a pain as much as it could be exciting.

Happy belated birthday, Natalie!

Belated happy birthday wishes!

Also, I hope everything is going smoothly with closing on your new house.

>119 Ravenwoodwitch: No problem! We haven't started packing yet and I'm dreading it, but I started the search for a painting contractor and that's a pain too. Hopefully will figure it out soon.

>120 libraryperilous: Thanks Diana!

>121 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Everything is going smoothly and we're on track to get the keys on Friday :)

Happy belated birthday, Natalie!

Have a super Saturday! Glad to hear that everything is going well with your new house acquisition!

>123 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia!

We took possession of our house on Friday afternoon :) We're so excited! We were welcomed with a gorgeous sunset that promised many more sunsets to come. We want to paint the entire interior before moving in, so I'm working on coordinating that with a few contractors and getting quotes. It's going to be pricey but worth it, I think.

Unfortunately possession day was darkened a little by some health/personal loss news I got on Thursday. I don't want to go into details and I'm going to be fine, but it definitely put a damper on what should have been an exciting day. We have a path forward and I've been recovering with the help of Tim, my two greyhound nurses and my constant author companion throughout my life, Tamora Pierce, whose books are always my favorite comfort reads -- somehow totally not challenging because they are so familiar, but still totally engrossing and ready to provide the perfect distraction whatever I'm going through. I devoured Wild Magic and Wolf-Speaker over the weekend and am 2/3 through Emperor Mage. I'm going to finish my reread of the Immortals quartet before returning to any new, more challenging reads.

>125 curioussquared: I'm so sorry you received difficult news. I hope you feel better physically and emotionally in the coming days.

Congratulations on the closing and on the gorgeous view it affords you!

I'm so sorry the excitement of the new house was marred for you. Be kind to yourself and take care!

>126 libraryperilous: >127 katiekrug: Thanks, Diana and Katie.

Here are a few photos we took on Friday when we brought the pups over to see their new home. Otter especially loved his new yard and succumbed to zoomies immediately, which was very gratifying.

Congrats on the new house and sending hugs for the health stuff.

>128 curioussquared: Wow, gorgeous views! Congratulations on the house! Sorry the day was marred by health stuff -- take care of yourself.

>125 curioussquared: Congratulations on getting the house! I didn't want to jinx it before. You're right, what a gorgeous sunset - and you have water views. No wonder da boys love it.

I'm sorry you had bad news especially on such a special day, but happy to hear you have a way forward.

>129 MickyFine: Thanks Micky!
>130 foggidawn: Thanks Foggi!
>131 humouress: Thanks Nina! And that was before the sunset got even better :)

Congrats on the new house! I hope you feel better soon

>133 norabelle414: Thanks Nora!

Happy Wednesday! House stuff is proceeding apace. It looks like we'll be able to choose a painting contractor by end of week and two companies have already said they could start next week, which is great. It's a pretty big job so I think they're excited about getting the work, which helps.

Currently reading: Finished Emperor Mage and now on to The Realms of the Gods. On audio, I'm a little over halfway through The Night Watchman. I have Love-In-The-Mist teed up on Kindle. I'm hoping to get back to exercising next week so my Kindle might see more use when I'm back on the elliptical.

Currently watching: On my own, I binged the new season of Heartstopper (still delightful) and watched some of Taskmaster UK S1 and more of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, which continues to be awful in a can't-look-away kind of way. Also started The Perfect Couple with Tim and my best friend, and the new season of Love Is Blind with my best friend.

Hi Natalie :)
>125 curioussquared: Whatever the news is, I'm so very sorry you're hurting. I hope things improve for you soon.
>128 curioussquared: gorgeous views and beautiful dogs. Congrats!

>136 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks Angela!

Happy Monday!

We chose a painting company and they will be starting the job tomorrow or Wednesday. Exciting! I guess I actually need to start packing now since theoretically we will be able to move in in a few weeks...

About a week ago my best friend was severely attacked by her landlord/neighbor's dog, so she's been staying with us on and off since then since she lives alone and right next door to said dog. She'll be fine, but needed to go to the ER for stitches in three places. This isn't the first time the dog has bitten somebody, so it looks like animal control will be taking some action -- either legally binding the owner into some kind of routine where the dog is more controlled, or removing the dog from city limits. Not fun circumstances, but it's been nice having her around and I'm glad we were able to be there for her.

While she was staying with us for the weekend, she and I went out on Saturday for some retail therapy and she treated me to a belated birthday book shopping spree at my favorite indie. I picked up:

Red Side Story
The Will of the Many
An illustrated edition of The Princess Bride to replace my sad paperback from the 70s with a weird topless woman on the cover
The Bear and the Nightingale
The Girl in the Tower
The Twyford Code
Prophet Song
Shark Heart
The Half Life of Valery K
And my preorder copy of Swordcrossed that I hadn't picked up from the store yet.

A good haul!

Currently reading: Finished The Realms of the Gods and The Night Watchman over the weekend. Now reading A Gathering of Shadows in print, Love in a Mist on Kindle, and Lady Derring Takes a Lover on audio.

Currently watching: Some Love Is Blind, some The Perfect Couple, and some Taskmaster UK S1. I died when it was revealed that Josh was the only one forced to count a can of beans, a can of spagetti-os, and grains of rice in a bag.

>138 curioussquared: The one-person tasks on Taskmaster I always find SO FUNNY

>139 norabelle414: They're always so good. Tim was sitting next to me while I was watching -- for some reason the Taskmaster humor doesn't always click for him, but he was genuinely laughing out loud at this.

>128 curioussquared: Looks like they already feel at home. What a wonderful outdoor playground they have.

>128 curioussquared: What a glorious view. (And lovely pups.)

I am sending good juju your way. And hugs.

>138 curioussquared: Oh my gosh, I hope everything goes okay for your friend. That's so scary. I was attacked by a neighbor's dog last year and it was traumatic. Glad you are able to give your friend a safe spot to stay.

And hope the home painting effort goes smoothly!

This weekend is the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair at Seattle Center. It's only ten dollars to enter. I highly recommend it if you like seeing very old books and old book collectors.

>141 figsfromthistle: They love their new yard, Anita! Makes me feel like we definitely made the right decision in moving :)

>142 clamairy: Thanks, Clam!

>143 Kyler_Marie: Thanks, Kyler! I think my friend is doing OK. She's healing and went back home yesterday. She was already thinking of moving sometime in the next year and I think this might hasten that process. Painting has started and I think is going well so far! Thank you for letting me know about the book fair -- I think I'm too busy to go this year, but I'll keep in mind for the future!

It's Thursday! This week is going by fast. Painting is in full swing. I met with a plumber at the new house this morning to discuss a few things we need done -- most importantly, capping off the lines to a sink in one of the bedrooms (no, we don't know why there was a random sink in one of the bedrooms, but we're getting rid of it) so the painters can patch the drywall over it and then paint. The guys from the plumbing company were nice enough, but their bid felt high to me. I texted our normal plumber who is out of town and he confirmed he charges half as much for the same services and he can come on Tuesday, so we're just going to go with him since the painters confirmed that's soon enough for them. Now I need to purchase some new bathroom faucets before then.

After the plumber appointment I went to Costco on the way home and picked up some necessities and some stuff for dinner -- salmon, salad, and potatoes. I haven't been cooking much lately and it'll be nice to get back to it.

Work has been steadily busy (I've been averaging about 5 hours a day) but should calm down in the next few weeks. So far I've really enjoyed having some work to do but still having time in the day to do other things.

Currently reading: Still working through A Gathering of Shadows in print -- hoping to finish tomorrow. I'm about a third of the way through Love in a Mist and loving it. Finished Lady Derring Takes a Lover on audio and now almost halfway through Killers of the Flower Moon.

190 books read: The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix

In this direct follow-up to The Left-Handed Booksellers of London, Susan once again finds herself pulled into bookseller business (despite wanting to stay as "normal" as possible despite her half divine origins) when Merlin is pulled into a situation from which only Susan can save him -- with the help of Vivien and the other booksellers.

I enjoyed this, perhaps even a little more than the first book in the series. These books don't quite hold up to Nix's Old Kingdom series for me, but I do like them more than some of his other books (Keys to the Kingdom, Angel Mage, etc). 4 stars.

191 books read: The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

Elend is in charge of Luthadel and Vin is his mistborn and romantic partner, but things are far from settled as the city is besieged by threats from all sides -- and Vin must worry about the threat of another mysterious mistborn and the strange behavior lately of the mists themselves.

I liked Mistborn well enough but didn't love it, and this second volume felt lacking to me. What am I missing about Sanderson? He's so hyped and universally loved but while I can recognize the competency of his writing, his books fail to grab me and make me love them. They're fine, but Vin is just OK character-wise (honestly, she's WAY too powerful) and nobody else in the cast of characters really captures my attention, either. I'll finish this trilogy but at this point IDK if I'll continue with the Stormlight Archive. 3.5 stars.

192 books read: Mother Courage and Her Children by Bertolt Brecht

During the 30 years war, Mother Courage sells provisions and supplies from her wagon, following the armies and profiting off the bloodshed while the war slowly takes her children from her.

Very much not my thing. 3 stars.

193 books read: Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce

Daine learns about her powers with animals and how to trust again as she finds her place in Tortall. A total comfort read for me and I think my favorite of this particular quartet. 5 stars.

194 books read: Wolf Speaker by Tamora Pierce

Daine and Numair travel to Fief Dunlath to aid Daine's wolf friends, who report that humans are destroying the valley that is their home. 5 stars.

195 books read: Emperor Mage by Tamora Pierce

Daine travels with the Tortallan delegation to the land of Carthak in hopes of helping to aid peace talks by using her powers to help cure Emperor Ozorne's sick birds. My second favorite of this quartet. 5 stars.

196 books read: The Realms of the Gods by Tamora Pierce

Daine and Numair must find their way back to the human world after Daine's divine parents spirit them to the divine reams to save Daine's life. Definitely my least favorite of this quartet, partly because we don't get to see many past favorite characters since a lot of this book is just Daine, Numair, and various gods. I do love the darkings, though. I am also a little squicked out by the Daine/Numair romance; I just wish she had been a little older. I like them as a couple in theory but it feels too much like grooming when Daine is just 16. I think Tammy has even said in the years since this came out that she regrets writing this relationship the way she did. Still 5 stars for nostalgia and comfort's sake.

>148 curioussquared: I saw a production of this in college (not at my college, some kind of theatre field trip) and remember very little about it, except not enjoying it at all.

>153 foggidawn: Yeah, I can see its value as an anti-war piece but did not enjoy it at all, either.

>138 curioussquared: oh wow, I hope they're okay. It's such a sad thing for everyone when something like this happens with dogs.

Glad to see things are moving along with, well, the move. Good luck with all the packing!

>155 Ravenwoodwitch: She's doing OK, but it's definitely taken a toll on her. Very scary. Tim and I took over the first load of random things on Saturday night so I guess the move has officially started!

Happy Monday!

Over the weekend Tim and I took a few things to the new house, so the move has officially begun. Still need to pack all the stuff we have somehow accumulated over 6.5 years in this house. Yesterday my best friend and I went couch shopping. We found some nice ones from Room and Board and Pottery Barn, but I'm not convinced of their quality after reading some reviews online and for the prices those places charge, I definitely want our new couch(es) to be quality. It's so frustrating that nothing feels like it's built to last these days. If anyone has any leads on where to buy actually well-constructed furniture, I'd love to hear about them.

Work is calming down a bit but it should still be a busy week ahead. The painters are aiming to be done on Friday but might need to go into next week. Tomorrow I'm meeting a plumber at the house to get some work done and then on Wednesday I'm meeting a custom closet company to look at redoing the falling-down wire shelving in the walk-in closet and installing some shelving in the pantry since the sellers took theirs even though it was mounted and I'm pretty sure they that means they were supposed to leave it. 🤷‍♀️ oh well.

Currently reading: Finished A Gathering of Shadows and Killers of the Flower Moon on Friday, and Love in a Mist on Saturday. Now reading The Death of Vivek Oji in print, Romancing the Duke on audio, and Plum Duff on Kindle. It's rare that I move straight onto the next book in the series after finishing the previous one unless it's a reread, but I just wanted to hang out with Jemis and Mr. Dart a little longer. Very sad that I'll have to wait for the next book in the series to be published once I finish this one!

Currently watching: Some Love Is Blind (this season is a trainwreck), some The Perfect Couple, and some Buying the View.

Years ago, we had good luck with Ethan Allen and a couch and reading chairs. Not sure if they're still any good, as so many places seem to have declined in quality lately...

>158 katiekrug: That's the problem I've been running into. I like the Reddit sub BuyItForLife for researching this kind of stuff but all the couch threads are people saying "We bought this brand 15 years ago and it's still amazing!" and then people replying that they bought that brand post-COVID and it's crap now. It makes me just want to buy a cheap couch in the first place if the expensive stuff is just as cheap.

>157 curioussquared: Biltwell has very sturdy couches built locally (Portland). I did it the expensive way and picked out the fabric and design and they built it for me. I love that couch. We had to make that order at Greenbaum Home Furnishings in Bellevue.

Biltwell couches can also be purchased (pre-built) at Ballard Consignment (or Monroe Consignment, Bellevue Consignment, Everett Consignment, or Furniture Guy Seattle - all under the same owner). Good luck finding a couch and furnishing the new place!

How are you liking the Shades of Magic series so far? I bought the books but haven't read them yet because it's such a commitment to start a trilogy.

>160 Kyler_Marie: Ooh, thank you for the tip! This is super helpful and I will definitely check out Biltwell. I foresee lots more sofa shopping in my future.

I'm enjoying the Shades of Magic series well enough and would say it's pretty good, but not fantastic. They're big books, but they read quickly. I find that if I read them fast enough and get sucked in I really enjoy them, but if I take a break or give myself time to think too hard I start to question some stuff or find little niggles that bother me about the plot or worldbuilding. But they're fun romps and I'll probably read book 3 in a few months.

It's Tuesday! I spent most of today going back and forth to the new house to meet the plumber and then pay him when the job was done and running some errands in between, then doing some work for the past few hours. I got some good audiobook listening while driving, at least! I also went to my new home library branch (we're moving to the county north of us) to pick up a new card. I already had a digital reciprocal membership with this system, but wanted to get a physical card for physical checkouts. I got a super cute one with mushrooms on it! Very cottagecore.

Currently reading: Finished Romancing the Duke and Plum Duff. Still working on The Death of Vivek Oji and now listening to A Long Petal of the Sea on audio. New read on Kindle will probably be Not Quite a Ghost or Empire of Sand. Leaning toward Not Quite a Ghost due to the season :)

>157 curioussquared: I know what you mean about quality of furniture. I am looking for a loveseat power recliner. The stuff I see that would last has an astronomically high price tag. I did see some lovely things at lazy boy ( I am not sure if there is a location near you?)

Have fun moving.

>125 curioussquared: I am very happy to hear that you have possession of your new house, but equally as sorry for the bad health/personal news.

>128 curioussquared: Thanks for sharing the pictures of the pups. They look extremely happy with their new residence :)

Skipping a ton as I am far behind. . .

Have a wonderful Wednesday, Natalie!

>163 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! I hope you find a recliner you like. I will look into LaZBoy! I am thinking of purchasing a well-reviewed couch from Costco -- while I can't try it out in advance, it has about 500 good reviews and Costco has such a good return policy that I could easily send it back if I don't end up liking it.

>164 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! Hope you're having a nice week.

Busy few days! Met with a closet company and an HVAC company yesterday. The closet company sent a quote for a custom closet in our master bedroom and shelving in the pantry. It's a little more than I'd like to spend, so I'm getting at least one more quote to compare. HVAC guys said the issues with the heating in the new house are due to the fact that it looks like the previous owners both did not install the furnace filters correctly (they were totally the wrong size and not put in right) and never really replaced them (they are CAKED with grime) which allowed the furnace to get caked with grime inside and also affected the blower fan. So we need a new fan and a deep cleaning service. That was supposed to happen today, but they rescheduled, which I would have been fine with except they didn't notify me! Finally called the tech an hour and half after they were supposed to arrive (during which I was working off my mobile hotspot on the floor of the master bedroom) and he was very apologetic -- his boss was supposed to call me and just didn't. Anyway, they're coming back tomorrow. Another closet company will be coming at the same time to give me another quote.

After meeting with the closet company and HVAC guys my mom and I went couch shopping yesterday and looked at some higher-end made in America brands. There's some really nice stuff out there, but I'm not sure I'm prepared to spend 10k+ on a high quality sectional when we're hoping to have kids soon and it will just be trashed for the next ten years. So we might go for something cheaper right now and make this kind of investment later.

Currently reading: Very close to finishing A Long Petal from the Sea and almost halfway done with The Death of Vivek Oji, which is a quick read, so I might be able to add it to my October total. Still haven't started a new Kindle read.

Currently watching: Not much -- some Buying the View after getting home last night and an episode of Taskmaster while eating lunch today when I needed a break after sitting on the floor waiting for the HVAC guys for an hour and a half.

>166 curioussquared: Oh my gosh, the air in that house is going to be cleaner than it's ever been when the HVAC company is done. Glad you got that checked out.

>167 Kyler_Marie: Me too! The heat was already working so much better when I left on Friday.

Happy Monday! I can't believe it's November. I have a bunch of October reviews to catch up on -- hopefully today or tomorrow. I'm trying to keep myself occupied for the next few days (I voted a few weeks ago -- we're mail-in only here in WA). I started a new cross-stitch project, and I want to start a new Stardew Valley farm today now that the new patch is out on Switch. Also need to really start packing and schedule movers. The painters are hoping to be done by Wednesday!

Had a pretty lowkey weekend after such a busy week. Otter had a dental cleaning and minor surgery on Friday so I just hung out with him most of the weekend. He got a tooth extracted and his surgery was on his foot, so he's on soft food and short walks for the next two weeks. He is already rebelling, lol.

Currently reading: Started Forestborn in print and Dukes Prefer Blondes on audio. Wrapped up Not Quite a Ghost on Kindle and need to start a new digital read. I'm leaning toward The Return of Fitzroy Angursell or Empire of Sand.

Currently watching: Some Taskmaster UK S2 (I love that Greg makes "Richard Osman is tall!" jokes when he's actually taller), some Love Is Blind, some Outlander S4 (for some reason I tend to watch this show in chunks and then forget about it for months at a time), some What We Do In the Shadows (so far this season is much better than the last, IMO).

>169 curioussquared: I just realized tonight that there is a new season on What We Do In The Shadows. Glad to hear it's better because last season was a let down!

Ooh, what's the new cross-stitch project?

>170 Kyler_Marie: Agreed! I'm enjoying this one so far.

>171 MickyFine: It's pretty simple -- just a quote from Emma and some framing florals. I wanted something easy for the next few days, lol.

>172 curioussquared: That sounds lovely!

Hi all! It's been a week. I really didn't think we were going to get the result we did last week, but here we are. After seeing that Washington was one of only two states (and the only blue state) to get bluer this election, I guess I shouldn't be shocked that I live in a bubble. I've been taking shelter in good books, Stardew Valley, and house stuff. The painting is done and we might be moving as soon as this weekend. Still working to schedule movers. On Thursday we're getting a custom closet and pantry installed and a couch delivered.

Currently reading: Paladin's Grace was just the comfort read I needed this week. I think it might be my favorite T. Kingfisher book. I'll definitely reread the next two books in the series in short order. Not sure about the 4th book since I read it more recently when it came out a little less than a year ago. Still reading Forestborn in print -- I've been preferring my comfort reads. On audio, I finished Dukes Prefer Blondes and Well, That Was Unexpected and am nearing the end of Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy. I imagine I'll get a lot more listening done this week and we're full speed ahead on packing.

Currently watching: Some What We Do in the Shadows, and I finally finished the latest season of Love Is Blind.

Currently playing: A LOT of Stardew Valley. I basically hid from the world on Wednesday and just played Stardew.

So where did you end up finding a couch?

197 books read: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

Thomas is the night watchman at a factory near the Turtle Mountain reservation in North Dakota. During the day, he works tirelessly to try to stop the government from taking even more land from the Chippewa tribe, trying to understand and stop a new bill. Patrice, another Chippewa, also works at the factory, desperately trying to earn enough money to both support her family and go to Minneapolis to try to find her missing sister Vera.

This was my first Erdrich novel and I hope to read more from her. I enjoyed the characters in this novel and the intertwined storylines illuminating the native experience. 4 stars.

>175 katiekrug: I ended up ordering a well-reviewed, less expensive one from Costco. We're hoping to have kids soon and I figured we could shell out a ton of money for a really nice couch now and let kids and dogs destroy it, or wait 10 years or so and hopefully get one with more of a chance of survival at that point, lol.

>177 curioussquared: - That totally makes sense. We tend not to spend much on upholstered furniture because we have a cat who, despite having multiple scratching posts, seems only to want to scratch furniture *le sigh*

Some of the biggest swings to the GOP were higher-income areas in Democratic cities. Suspect the lies about crime + the failure to build housing caught up to us. That does not excuse voting for a dictator, but Democratic cities and states need to combat this by going all in on social democracy. Will they? LOL, lmao even.

Congrats on the sofa! My mom spent several weeks looking for a recliner. Furniture shopping is stressful!

I know a lot of people who got a sofa from Costco and it has held up a good long time (even with big dogs) and they really like it. I think you made the right choice!

Hi Natalie, I've enjoyed catching up with you. Congratualtions on your new home - wow, those views are just beautiful. Lucky you! And lucky dogs to have such space to zoom:) I am sorry your happy day was tempered by loss.

You got me with How the Word is Passed and Yours From the Tower.

Love all of the dogs up top!

>178 katiekrug: Yep. Our dogs think the couch belongs to them...

>179 libraryperilous: Yeah, the reddest neighborhood in Seattle has always been the super high-income gated community on a golf course 🙄 And lol at your spoiler. Sounds right. Thanks for the congrats on the sofa!! Hopefully we like it. The good thing is Costco will come pick it up for free if we don't.

>180 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora! I am honestly a total Costco stan (the perils of being from the PNW, the land of Costco) so when I saw they had a fairly nice one with good reviews in the style I was looking for for a good price, it seemed like the way to go.

>181 AMQS: Hi Anne! Thank you for the congrats :) Hope you enjoy the book bullets!

Well, we're officially moving on Saturday! I won't be around much this week because I'm going to be frantically packing up our house, but I'll be getting some good audiobook listening in :)

Also, this is the only time you will ever hear me say that I own too many books. The great migration has begun.

Best of luck with last-minute packing and the official move on Saturday! I think I've had more books with every move and tell myself I need to downsize but...

>174 curioussquared: My household is also hiding with stardew valley. We restarted this past weekend and have been playing every day since. It's a good escape.

Good luck with the move!

Good luck with the move this weekend, Natalie.

Will be thinking about you because it is tiring and stressful and ultimately rewarding. xx

Wishing you a super smooth move today, Natalie!

Good luck with the move!

Good luck today, Natalie!

Thank you everyone! It was a loooong day but we (and 95% of our stuff) are in. There is endless unpacking ahead, and we still need to do a final load or two from the house (I think somehow our silverware did not make it 😂), but we're starting to get settled. The dogs are a little confused but happy!

>190 curioussquared: Huzzah! Have fun unpacking.

>190 curioussquared: Congrats! I am so happy for you all.

I too have been wallowing in comfort reads, comfort listens, and comfort movies. I only have to keep it up for four years. (Also so relieved my kids and I all live in Blue States.)

Hey Natalie!
Congrats on the new home! I feel your pain on moving and hope that the second round goes smoothly.
And I love to hear that you're looking to have kids soon! Just given how kind you've been to me, I think you'd be an excellent mom.
Hope to see some new photos of the dogs enjoying their new digs!

>190 curioussquared: Hoorah! Happy unpacking and re discovering!

Congrats on the move! May you unpack quickly!

>191 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! Define "fun"... 😂

>192 clamairy: Thanks, clam! I definitely relate to "I only have to keep it up for four years"!

>193 Ravenwoodwitch: Hi Angela! That's so sweet ❤️ Photos of the pups hopefully coming soon!

>194 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita! Definitely looking forward to unpacking my books most 😁

>195 elorin: Thanks, Robyn!

Natalie, I hope you are SO happy in your new home!

>174 curioussquared: I have enjoyed several T. Kingfisher books, but I have not yet read Paladin's Grace. I am going to need to rectify that!

>176 curioussquared: Erdrich is a treat! She is one of my LT discoveries.

I hope the move has gone smoothly for all of you!

>197 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! So far it's great :D

>198 alcottacre: The Saint of Steel series are my favorite Kingfishers, Stasia. I hope you like them! And thanks on the move! Still lots of unpacking to do, but I'm getting some done every day.

Hi everyone! I'm not dead, just super busy :) The house is looking better every day. The main floor doesn't have any more boxes, and I finally got my desk set up in my library/office in the basement. The shelves still need to be arranged and books unpacked, but at least I can work at a desk now (and don't worry, I reserved some books from boxes so I still have plenty to read!) I think I may also have convince Tim that the library needs built-in bookshelves... TBC.

What's been going on... I had a lovely meetup with Nora when she was in town for a conference. It was great to meet in person and we got some good book shopping in and had a nice dinner. I picked up Tom Lake, Written in My Own Heart's Blood, The Mothers, Still Life, and I Who Have Never Known Men. Unfortunately it was the night before we were moving so I couldn't linger but I'm glad we made it work! We forgot to take a picture, oops.

Thanksgiving was nice. My parents hosted and we had something like 35+ people in attendance. It was crazy but fun. We decided to do "Bolivian Thanksgiving" this year so while we had a few traditional dishes and there was a small turkey, the main event was a Paella and a braised beef dish called Estofado, and then a few Bolivian side dishes as well. It was a hit! I'm not a big fan of turkey anyway. I thought I would miss mashed potatoes so I served myself some, but when I was finally done working my way through my giant plate, the potatoes were the only thing left -- I had only taken a bite or two.

This week I'm working on getting the house in order before I host book club on Sunday afternoon. We're reading Girl, Woman, Other and I'm loving it so far. My mom came over and helped organize and set things up today which was super helpful, but I didn't get the work done I needed to so now I'm working on that this evening, lol.

I desperately need to write reviews. I think I owe all of October and November! 😶 Maybe next week, lol.

Currently reading: Girl, Woman, Other, The Burning God, Empire of Sand on Kindle, and I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons on audio.

Currently watching: Some Outlander, Taskmaster, What We Do in the Shadows, and Episode 1 of English Teacher.

Currently playing: A LOT of Stardew Valley. I started a new save the day before the election and I'm already in my second year...

Good to see an update from you, Natalie! I'm glad the house is coming together and that you had a nice Thanksgiving.

>200 curioussquared: We forgot to take a picture, oops.
Oh no! 😂

>201 katiekrug: Thanks Katie! I'm going to try to be more present for the next few weeks :)

>202 norabelle414: We were too focused on the books :)

I'm glad to hear settling in is going well, Natalie. My ears definitely pricked up at "built-in bookshelves." If you get a ladder to go with them, I'll be drooling. 🤣

Sounds like a lovely Thanksgiving although I can't imagine a gathering of over 35. We're hosting my family's Christmas gathering this year, which will be 14 people and that feels like a lot.

I hope you love I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons.

>204 MickyFine: TBD on the ladder, Micky, but we'll see what I can convince Tim of... he seems pretty open to the shelves themselves, so that's already a win :)

>205 elorin: Thanks Robyn! I thought it was fine, but didn't love it, unfortunately. It was a case of concept over execution for me this time.

Happy Monday, everyone!

The house is looking great as long as you stay on the main floor, where there are no boxes and our Christmas tree is up if not decorated. Venture to the upstairs, the basement, and the garage, though, and things are a lot more chaotic :) I need to dig up the box with Christmas decorations! I think it's in the garage...

Book club went well and everyone really enjoyed Girl, Woman, Other. People stayed for a full three hours rather than our more usual two, so I think everyone was enjoying hanging out in the new space! I put together a charcuterie board. It's definitely a nice house for hosting, and I think we'll be doing a lot more of it in the future.

I finished a few books while getting the house in order for hosting (thank you Libby audiobooks!). Now, though, I need to focus on my final four paper books on my list to finish this year. I'm currently reading The Burning God which is good but heavy, and still need to get to Hell Bent, Bloodmarked, and The Poisonwood Bible. I'm confident I can wrap them all before the end of the year!

Currently reading: The Burning God, We Could Be So Good, Empire of Sand, The Conductors

Currently watching: Watched Our Little Secret, a Lindsay Lohan holiday romcom, over the weekend. It was mindlessly entertaining.

OK, I'm going to give myself half an hour and see how many rapid-fire reviews I can get through. Here goes!



198 books read: Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long

When Lady Derring's rather absent husband dies, she's pretty much destitute -- aside from mysterious building he owned located in a rather seedy part of town by the docks. When she goes to investigate, she meets her husband's mistress. Instead of pushing the woman away, the two decide to band together and open a boarding house. But her late husband may have been involved in some underhanded deals, and the authorities are investigating...

An adequate regency romance recommended by one of my friends. Entertaining, but I'm not sure I'll continue the series. 3.5 stars.

199 books read: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

Four months after the first entry in the series, Lila finds herself back in Red London just in time for the Element Games, a magical tournament. Luckily, she's spent the past four months learning magic, and finds a way to enter the competition. Turns out Kell is in the competition too, in disguise. As the tournament goes on, Lila and Kell must confront each other -- but they don't know someone is looking for Kell.

I enjoyed this second book in the series. I had a few questions about the worldbuilding and plot that started to bother me if I slowed down, but if I kept reading this engrossing book quickly enough, I found I didn't care. 4 stars.

200 books read: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Grann's thorough account of the horrific Osage Murders. Just when you think the last of the terrible things are over, more layers of the conspiracy were uncovered. No relationship was sacred and the Osage were betrayed by their closest friends and family members. Really tragic and the book was well done. 4 stars.

201 books read: Love In a Mist by Victoria Goddard

Finally on their way home after leaving Orio City, Jemis, Mr. Dart, Hal, and Jullanar Maebh find themselves snowed in at a country manor belonging to a very eccentric old gentleman with his young relatives in residence. When a murder occurs, the gang are at the center of a classic locked room mystery.

I'm still very much enjoying the Greenwing and Dart books and continued right on to the next book after this one. 4.5 stars.

202 books read: Plum Duff by Victoria Goddard

Finally home in time for Winterturn, Jemis and Mr. Dart are ready for a quiet few weeks. But of course, nothing can stay quiet for long around Jemis Greenwing, and he and his friends are soon engaged in fairy shenanigans and bringing back old traditions that have lain quiet too long.

I am very disappointed that I have to wait for the next book in the series! Write quickly, Ms. Goddard. At least I still have plenty of her back catalogue to get to :) 4 stars.

203 books read: Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

When bankrupt Ophelia inherits a castle from her godfather, she travels to it as her only hope for lodging and income of her own. Only to find the castle's previous owner, Ransom, still living there, unaware his home has been sold -- he's blind and unable to read his mail. Can the two coexist until they figure out their futures?

Not my favorite Tessa Dare, but still a lot of fun. 4 stars.

204 books read: The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

When young Vivek Oji turns up dead on his parents' front step, his friends and family try to piece together how he died as the book shifts from the present day to the past when Vivek was alive.

I think this is my third book by Emezi and one thing I love is how entirely different all three have been. (The other two are Pet and You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty) They can absolutely write across genres, and I look forward to reading more from them. Vivek Oji is a mystery of sorts, and I found it to be powerful and affecting. 4.5 stars.

205 books read: A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

When Franco overtakes Spain, Victor and his brother's pregnant fiancee Roser flee for France, where they live as refugees. When they get the opportunity to immigrate to Chile, they jump on it -- but in order to be accepted as passengers, they must marry. So begins their life as husband and wife, as Chileans, as they struggle to make their life in a new country.

Based off the life of a man Allende knew, this book reads more as straight historical fiction rather than her usual magical realism. I missed the magical realism a little, but still found this narrative to be compelling and well-told. 4 stars.

That concludes my October reads! Now for November...

>207 curioussquared: Sounds like you have a wonderful book group and a great location. Do you alternate houses or is it always at your place?

>209 curioussquared: I read that entire series and loved it. Hope you enjoy the third book.

Happy rest of the week

I found this while scrolling Bluesky. I don't do podcasts, but maybe it will hit the spot for some: podcast on Diana Wynne Jones' books. (Link goes to their Bluesky account.)

>207 curioussquared: Ooh I hope you like We Could Be So Good, that's one of my favorites of the year.

>216 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita! We alternate houses. The book group was dormant for a few years during and after COVID but we're back now and I'm glad to have it back.

>217 libraryperilous: Ooh. I'm not a podcast person either, but I might give this a shot. We'll see!

>218 norabelle414: So far so good, Nora!

>210 curioussquared: I am glad I read this but it was so disheartening. I couldn't bring myself to watch the movie.

>211 curioussquared: Thank you for the reminder to get to those Victoria Goddard books.

Best of luck getting your new shelves!

>220 clamairy: Yeah, I'm not rushing to get to the movie version either, Clam. Hope you enjoy the Goddards!

Happy Monday!

House stuff continues to proceed apace. My library is fully unpacked and organized -- yay! I'll see if I can post a pic soon. Just in time to organize myself for my 2025 reading :)

I'm also slowly making progress in organizing clothes, etc. in the bedroom, although there's still plenty of work to do there.

The Christmas tree is 60% decorated (lights and some ornaments on) and some other Christmas decorations have made their way out. I need to buy a new tree skirt (a dog who shall remain unnamed (*cough*KERMIT) peed on it last year and I'm afraid to use it this year in case it still smells even though I washed it) and I'm woefully behind on Christmas shopping, so I might go out and brave some stores in a few minutes.

My dad has been in the hospital since Friday. He's doing OK, but has some kind of not COVID, not RSV illness that brought his oxygen levels way down. They did a CT scan and found that his lungs are partially collapsed (hence the low oxygen), and have him doing some breathing exercises to sort of re-inflate them. Once he can maintain a higher oxygen level he'll be discharged -- possibly today, possibly tomorrow. He doesn't have a fever anymore and my mom has been able to be with him pretty much every day, so that's good.

Over the weekend we went to a Second City show with some friends -- my friend's boyfriend's sister was in the show, so we got comp tickets. Improv isn't really my thing, but it was an entertaining Christmas diversion.

Currently reading: Finished The Burning God and The Conductors over the weekend and now reading Hell Bent and The Christmas Bookshop (thanks for the BB, Katie!). Still working on and enjoying We Could Be So Good. Starting to think about planning out my must-read-in-2025 list off my TBR which I always enjoy :)

>222 curioussquared: Oh no! I hope your dad continues to recover and makes it home soon.

I finished the 2024 PopSugar Reading Challenge!

>223 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana. He is definitely on the mend and seems to be out of the worry zone, so that's good.

I'm glad your dad is doing well and will be going home soon.

And, yes, please! Post a photo of your newly organized library :) I am also looking forward to organizing for my 2025 reading when I get back from the in-laws on the 28th. I may start before I leave... Heh.

>226 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. Since my last post he's been a little more up and down -- his fever came back and he finally tested positive for the flu, so they have him on an antibiotic now and tamiflu. He probably won't be released until tomorrow at the earliest. But my mom reports that he is feeling OK at this point and back to his cantankerous self (complaining about the Starbucks she brought him for breakfast), which is good to hear. I think they're just being very cautious before releasing him, which I'm glad about.

206 books read: Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

Violet is going through a lot of changes -- she's starting middle school, and her family is moving to a new house, where she has been assigned the slightly creepy attic room. School starts OK, but she's in a different section than her two best friends, and starts to feel them pulling away from her. To make matters worse, Violet starts to have really scary symptoms of an illness that won't go away -- and she can't shake the feeling that the new house has something to do with it.

I think this was a book bullet from Foggi. A middle grade story inspired by The Yellow Wallpaper, Ursu manages to tell a genuinely creepy ghost story while also writing a realistic middle school transition novel. I enjoyed both facets of the story and read this one really quickly. 4 stars.

>228 curioussquared: Glad you liked it!

I hope your Dad is doing better. Sending hugs for you and your family during this stressful time.

Checking in, Natalie, and sorry to hear about your dad. Hope he's home and continuing to recover.

>230 MickyFine: >231 bell7: Thanks, Micky and Mary! My dad came home on Thursday and he is feeling good if somewhat weak after his hospital stay. Unfortunately that same evening my parents' dog Henry showed signs of bloat/torsion and my mom had to rush him to the emergency vet at 2 am. Henry had surgery yesterday and is doing OK, but my parents really aren't catching a break lately. And last Christmas they had COVID!

207 books read: Dukes Prefer Blondes by Loretta Chase

Lady Clara Fairfax finds herself working closely with prickly Oliver Radford, the ton's most frustrating bachelor, to unravel a mystery involving some of her pet charity cases. Hijinx and banter ensue.

This was a fun historical romance with lots of good banter between the two leads. Recommended by my friend; I'll probably check out some of the author's other work. 3.75 stars.

208 books read: Well, That Was Unexpected by Jesse Q. Sutanto

This is technically the first book in the series with Didn't See That Coming, which I read first, but I think you can read them in either order. After Sharlot's mother catches her almost engaging in some inappropriate behavior with her boyfriend, she whisks Sharlot off to Indonesia to stay with her family for the summer. There, Sharlot inadvertently finds herself fake dating a boy her mother very much approves of -- and then she finds herself falling for him, too.

I'm really getting into Sutanto's books -- they're a ton of fun. I think I liked Didn't See That Coming a tad more than this entry, but both are worthwhile. 4 stars.

209 books read: Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

Stephen is a paladin whose god is dead, and he doesn't think he deserves much -- certainly not the lovely perfume maker he can't stop making eyes at. Besides, he's busy helping investigate whatever twisted criminal keeps leaving severed heads everywhere.

Reread -- these books pretty much immediately became comfort reads for me. I think they're my favorite Kingfishers. 5 stars.

210 books read: Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

Five dragonets are prophesied to bring an end to the war between the dragon tribes and raised in secret. But when the five escape to find their original homes, secrets come to the surface...

This was OK. I've never read the Warriors series, but it felt to me like Warriors but with dragons. I think this is a middle grade series that is best read by the intended age group. 3 stars.

211 books read: The Library of Borrowed Hearts by Lucy Gilmore

Chloe works at the local library of a small Washington town while struggling to make ends meet and take care of her three younger siblings. When she starts to investigate some notes written in the margins of some old books she was getting rid of, she finds herself involved in a bookish mystery that seems to be related to the cantankerous man next door.

This was a sweet feel-good story with some light romance and lots of books. 4 stars.

>222 curioussquared: & >232 curioussquared: Glad your Dad is very much on the mend, Natalie.

Glad to hear your Dad is better and hoping Henry's recovery is smooth.

>200 curioussquared: Ahh the neverending sea of cardboard. So glad that's done on my end. My sympathies.
>222 curioussquared: I'm so sorry to hear about your dad :( I hope the exercises improve things and he can get back to functional soon.

>235 curioussquared: I read that recently-I loved that Stephen was knitting socks everywhere.

>240 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks, Angela! My dad is back home and still a little weaker than normal, but overall much improved.

>241 SandDune: Me too, Rhian :) There's something about the image of the huge, deadly paladin just patiently waiting around knitting pink socks.

212 books read: Paladin's Strength by T. Kingfisher

In this sequel to Paladin's Grace, we follow Istvhan and Galen as they continue to try to find the thing that was severing heads back in the city -- and along the way, they meet a very strange nun who needs their help.

I love this one just as much as the first book in the series and just as much upon rereading. 5 stars.

213 books read: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Yelena travels to meet the family she was abducted from as a child and gets a mixed reception on the way to the school to train her magic. At the school, she must face prejudice from other jealous students, and try to help solve a mystery of disappearing young people.

I'm still enjoying this series, although Yelena seemed like a bit more of a Mary Sue in this entry. I'll read book 3 soonish. 3.75 stars.

214 books read: Paladin's Hope by T. Kingfisher

Galen and the lich doctor Piper travel with Brindle the gnole to try to find the source of some mysteriously mangled bodies that keep turning up -- when they unwittingly fall into a trap.

Very good just like the others. This one I like maybe just a tiny bit less, just because of the limited cast of characters for most of the book. 4.75 stars.

215 books read: Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest

Leda is a travel agent who also happens to be a psychic. When her premonitions help her prevent her client Grady from getting on a flight that would have killed him, Grady, who happens to be a detective with Seattle PD, decides he can use Leda's psychic help consulting on a case.

This was a fun mystery novel -- thanks for the book bullet, Nora! I'm planning on reading the second one. 4 stars.

216 books read: Forestborn by Elayne Audrey Becker

Rora is a shapeshifter along with her brother -- she looks like a normal human, but she can take on the features of any human she has ever seen, as well as three animal forms. She and her brother have learned to be wary of people, since their kind is generally distrusted. Rora has spent the last few years in service to the crown, in exchange for protection and a place to live. But when a magical plague starts to spread and infects prince Finley, and the only cure is stardust, the king sends Rora, her brother Helos, and prince Weslyn to track down the cure before it's too late.

A solid YA fantasy novel. I'm putting the sequel on my TBR for next year :) 4 stars.

217 books read: Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Sally writes for the SNL-lookalike show The Night Owls. When musician Noah Brewster guest stars on the show and brings his own sketch he wrote, Sally is prepared to find him annoying and his sketch badly written. To her surprise, though, the sketch is decent, and when he comes to her for help polishing it, the two find themselves connecting. Sally knows a pop star like Noah would never be with a mousy writer like her, though, and later that night at the afterparty, she says something thoughtless that ruins any budding connection they may have had. Until two years later at the height of the pandemic, when Sally gets a surprise email from Noah that starts an epic correspondence. Could there be something between them after all?

I had a lot of fun with this romance. I was surprised by the lower rating and I wonder if it's from fans of Sittenfeld's previous books expecting something more. 4.5 stars.

218 books read: Pentimento by Lillian Hellman

A memoir told as a series of portraits of people Hellman knew in her life, ranging from figures from her childhood summers in New Orleans with her aunts to a friend who helped smuggle Jews out of Germany.

I liked this much more than I expected to. Hellman's writing is superb and her "portraits" capture the essence of her subjects. Interesting to learn that portions of the book were challenged as being entirely untrue, so perhaps best to read this as a fictionalized memoir. Fiction or nonfiction, it was captivating. 4.5 stars.

219 books read: Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

When Meddy Chan accidentally kills her awful date, she doesn't know what to do. Enter her mom and three Indonesian aunties, who are ready to do whatever it takes to protect Meddy. But when the body somehow ends up at the island hotel where they're working a wedding the next day, Meddy and the aunties find themselves in a nightmare situation as they try to keep the wedding going smoothly without anyone finding out what happened.

I've been really enjoying Sutanto's books lately. While this one isn't quite as polished as Vera Wong, I still had a ton of fun with Meddy and the aunties (and I'm in the middle of book 2 right now). 4 stars.

Finally made it through my November reviews! Merry Christmas Eve Eve to me :) Now just December to get through.

Happy Monday! I had a small medical procedure on Friday so I took it easy this weekend, but did some light Christmas shopping yesterday with Tim and wrapped up the shopping today before our friend came over with Beast the greyhound. I am 90% done with wrapping, but my criminal dogs decided to take it upon themselves to unwrap four dog presents (not for them!) so I have some re-wrapping to do, lol. When Beast came over we did some zoomies outside and went for a nice walk, then had some dinner and watched some Taskmaster.

My dad is doing much better and went to work today. Henry is also doing OK although he's not happy in his cone and he took it upon himself to give my mom a heart attack at 11pm last night and escape. She had to chase him down the street in her pajamas.

Currently reading: About 1/3 through The Poisonwood Bible, halfway through We Could Be So Good on kindle, and 3/4 done with Four Aunties and a Wedding on audio.

Currently watching: A Muppet Family Christmas, Love Actually, A Muppet Christmas Carol, and an episode of The Muppets (2015) while wrapping presents. Yes, you are sensing a theme.

Happy Christmas Eve! What naughty dogs unwrapping others' presents! And midnight escapes! Steal some moments for you in the hecticness.

Nadolig Llawen, Happy Christmas and Happy Holidays!

>246 curioussquared: I'm glad you enjoyed Grave Reservations! I hope she gets to write a third book at some point.

I'm glad your dad is home and feeling a bit better. I hope your parents catch a break soon!

>253 SandDune: So cute!

Winslow and all of us wish you a very happy holidays!

>256 AMQS: Winslow looking dapper amongst the plaid and deep crimson!

Thinking of you at this time, Natalie

>252 elorin: Thanks, Robyn! I rewrapped the presents on the 24th only to find three more dog toys unwrapped when we got back from our Christmas Eve celebration that night, and a felt garland removed from the tree 😂 Naughty pups! Hope you had a lovely holiday.

>253 SandDune: Thanks, Rhian, and same to you! That might be the cutest nativity scene in existence :)

>254 norabelle414: I haven't read book 2 yet but I hope so too, Nora!

>255 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana! Me, too.

>256 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! Winslow is a cutie :)

>258 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda!

>259 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

Happy day after day after Christmas! We had a nice holiday, spending Christmas Eve with Tim's extended family and Christmas day with mine, with plans to do some gift exchanging with Tim's immediate family tomorrow. Unfortunately those plans are on hold as Tim's dad tested positive for Covid today and I also seem to have caught something nasty. So far I'm not testing positive for COVID, just feeling fatigued and have a sore throat. I slept until almost 10 am today and then took a nap in the afternoon, which is very much not like me. Hoping I can fight it off soon.

Someone (Tim) had access to my book wishlist, and I got five books for Christmas: Where the Dark Stands Still, Long Island, You Are Here, The Shadow Key, and The Rosewood Hunt. I also got a few puzzles, an air fryer, and a print of a map of Tamora Pierce's Tortall. Spoiled!

Planning to take the rest of 2024 pretty easy especially since I'm now fighting off a bug. Beast the greyhound is staying with us this weekend (his owner unfortunately got laid off from their job in Seattle and managed to find a new gig, but it's in Boston, so they're in Boston this weekend looking at apartments). We're also supposed to help take care of my uncle's puppy and older dog starting Monday but I might see if one of my aunts can help instead if I'm still feeling crappy on Monday. Watching Beast, a creature who sleeps 20 hours day, vs watching a 4 month old puppy are very different endeavors energy-wise.

I WILL finish my December reviews before the end of the year.

Currently reading: Finished The Poisonwood Bible and moved on to Bloodmarked in print, my last book I need to get through to finish my list for 2024! Also wrapped up We Could Be So Good on Kindle and am now reading The Return of Fitzroy Angursell. On audio, I finished Four Aunties and a Wedding and The Christmas Guest. Not sure if I'll finish another audiobook before the end of the year.

220 books read: Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare

Engaged to the Marquess Piers Brandon for 8 years, Clio has had enough of being society's joke. Now that she's inherited a castle, she's planning to break off the engagement and start a brewery. But she needs Piers's agreement first, and in his absence, his brother Rafe, standing in for Piers while he's abroad, will do. If only she can get Rafe to agree...

Tessa Dare is fun as always. Enjoyable, if not super memorable. 3.75 stars.

>262 curioussquared: Agreed on the not memorable front. The cover was familiar but I couldn't remember if it was a TBR or an already read (it's the latter).

Wishing you a quick recovery from your bug!

>263 MickyFine: Yeah, I finished this one at the beginning of the month and had to read a summary because I 100% forgot what happened in it already, lol. Thanks for the good wishes!

Well, I made Tim go buy some new COVID tests (the ones we had were a little older) and I tested positive tonight on one of the new ones :( The pharmacy should have paxlovid waiting for me when they open in the morning. Tim's mom just tested positive, too. So far Tim is still negative. Not really how I wanted to ring in the new year! I spent the day in bed alternating between reading Bloodmarked and playing Stardew Valley, so things could be worse. Tim is doing most of the caring for the dogs, which I appreciate.

221 books read: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

A series of portraits of Black British womanhood (and one non-binary individual), interconnected through various ties between the characters.

I chose this for my December book club and when I started the book, I was worried it would be too literary for the group -- the writing style seems impenetrable at first glance, with no sentence capitalization, very little punctuation, and run on sentences and wild line breaks. But I needn't have been worried -- I was hooked a few pages in and so were the rest of the group. The writing style works once you get used to it, allowing you to get into the characters' heads. This was a powerful book and I appreciated the opportunity to look at the British Black experience when often the perspectives we get here in the USA are African American ones. I also enjoyed the small connections between various characters -- there were a lot of OH moments when I realized how one character knew another and a lot of flipping back through pages. Several people in the group listened to the book on audio and interestingly, they were not able to tell from the narration that the writing styles was different from a normal book. Anyway, I loved this and highly recommend it. 5 stars.