Curioussquared reads off her own shelves in 2024, part 3

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 posing on a recent walk:

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)

June

Books read in 2024

July

August

September

Books read in 2024

October

November

December

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: 34/55

Welcome to my third thread of 2024!

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Natalie!

Happy new thread!
The girl is on a roll, man...

>9 foggidawn: >10 katiekrug: >11 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks Foggi, Katie, and Angela!

Happy Wednesday, happy May, and happy new thread day to me!

Monday I did some yard work and did a workout during the day before going to trivia in the evening, where we won! We had a tiebreaker at the end but managed to pull through. It was one of those nights where the the trivia felt really easy, but I think it was just that the questions happened to be really good for our specific knowledge sets.

Yesterday I finally did the big grocery shop I've been needing to do and stocked up on stuff at Costco. But I used my executive member rebate, so it was almost free! (Aka $50 instead of $200+, lol.) Then I did more yard work -- I am waging war against the invasive species army that has been taking over our backyard. Specifically, English Ivy, Himalayan Blackberries, and holly bushes. I filled two big yard waste containers so I'm calling that good for now. Too bad I could probably fill 30+ containers and not have tackled all the ivy and blackberries... Finished the day with a lasagna from Costco and wrapped up The Fiery Cross before bed.

Today I tidied for the cleaners in the morning and am now hiding in my office waiting for them to be done. At some point I'd like to work out. I also need to plant some more stuff -- I bought some catmint to go in my raised beds and a few other places in the yard, and some regular mint to go in a container on our deck, and my MIL bought me some sweet peas. Got two more bags of soil at Costco yesterday so the mint planting at least might happen today.

This weekend we're going to the Washington coast with the dogs, which should be fun. Hoping to find a good enclosed beach where they can run!

Currently reading: I'm between print and audio books! Memoirs of a Geisha is probably up next on audio. Maybe Divine Rivals or A Power Unbound in print next. I'm just a few pages into Ten Thousand Stitches on Kindle.

Currently watching: An episode of Fallout with Tim and an episode of Never Have I Ever on my own.

>13 curioussquared: - I went to Costco yesterday, too. And we had a similar experience at trivia last night - most of the questions solidly in our wheelhouse...

Happy new thread, Natalie!

Congrats on finishing Fiery Cross. How are your wrists? When I first went down the Gabaldon rabbit hole seriously, I read a few in quick succession and pinched a nerve in my finger from holding those chunksters, lol.

>14 katiekrug: I guess we're just in sync this week!

>15 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! Wrists are feeling a little taxed and all the yard work I've done this week hasn't helped, lol. I have weak wrists to begin with -- maybe this is why I only read about one Gabaldon book a year!

Happy new thread, Natalie.

Happy new thread, Natalie!

Loved the Irish Wolfhound puppies in your previous thread. A good breederknows how important socialisation is. Good you could help, and enjoy some puppybreath :-)

Happy new one, Natalie!

Thanks Paul, Anita, and Jim!

Not too much going on today. Did more yard work (it is neverending) and need to decide what to do with the rest of my afternoon. I'm contemplating stripping our couch to wash the cover but to do that I will somehow need to remove the greyhounds first which is much easier said than done. We're going to see a house in the evening and then my friend is coming over for a workout.

Currently reading: Started Divine Rivals and Memoirs of a Geisha yesterday and also read more Ten Thousand Stitches. Really enjoying all my reads right now 😊

Happy new thread, Natalie!

I will be curious to see what you think of Ten Thousand Stitches. I own that one.

>13 curioussquared: That sounds like quite the Costco run! Glad that the cost was less.

I don't envy your gardening task culling invasive species. Just be careful with the mint....it's great to have but it likes to spread wherever it can if it's not contained.

Have fun with your gardening/planting this week

Happy new thread.

>20 curioussquared: Yay for Ten Thousand Stitches! I hope you have a lovely time with it. ❤️

Happy New Thread! I hope you found that beach and the darlings ran like mad.

>21 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! I really enjoyed it -- review to come.

>22 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita! Hopefully I contained the mint well enough -- it's in a container on our garage roof deck, so pretty far away from any other dirt, lol. Still hacking away at all the evil weeds!

>23 MickyFine: It was so good, Micky 😊 Looking forward to Longshadow!

>24 elorin: Thanks, Robyn! We didn't end up letting them off leash, but they still zoomed a bit. Otter more than Kermit, who hates rain 😂

Happy Thursday! Really didn't mean to disappear for a week again...

We had a nice time at the coast, despite the literal constant rain. I guess that's just the authentic Spring at the Washington coast, though. The pups got some on-leash zoomies and good cuddles inside.

We did stress ourselves out on Saturday trying to decide whether or not to offer on the house we saw last Thursday evening. The location and view were incredible, the yard was good, and the price was well under our budget, but to make it perfect we would have had to do a major renovation touching pretty much every inch of the house and we decided that just wasn't for us, despite the potential we could see. Hopefully something comes on the market in the next few weeks since we're entering peak listing season.

Monday night we went to trivia to defend our title and did not do well, lol. Next time! Tuesday I started working on cleaning up our back deck -- I cleaned all the furniture, windows, and windowsills, and yesterday I swept. Today I'm planning to pressure wash. This afternoon we have a contractor who has done a bunch of work for family members coming by to bid on our minor kitchen update and then in the evening I'm getting takeout and heading to a local beach to eat with my best friend and our friend from college who just moved to Seattle.

Tomorrow I'm getting lunch with an old coworker who just had a baby a few weeks ago and then in the evening we're having some friends over for a game night, so in between all my other plans I need to work on tidying the house up for that. Saturday we're celebrating my cousin's 7th birthday so I need to get her a present at some point too. Sunday is mother's day and I should see if my mom wants to do something.

Currently reading: Finished Divine Rivals over the weekend and Memoirs of a Geisha Sunday night. Took a detour back to high school for a reread of An Abundance of Katherines and finished that one and Ten Thousand Stitches on Monday. Finished listening to The Mystery Guest, Once Upon a Winter's Eve, and Funny Story while doing various clean-up and yard work tasks the past few days. Now reading A Power Unbound in print, Bee Sting Cake on Kindle, and Brothers in Arms on audio.

Currently watching: Over the past week, a few episodes of S3 of Suits, a few episodes of S4 of Never Have I Ever, and a few episodes of Fallout.

Look at you powering through the books!

I hope the birthday party today was fun.

>27 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! The birthday party was a good time :)

Happy Monday! It's been a busy couple of days but I think it's finally calming down now.

Lunch with my friend and her newborn on Friday was good. She is very much in the trenches (the baby is 5 weeks old, I think?) and her husband is back at work now and her mom went back to the east coast so she's struggling. I was honestly surprised she reached out to hang out, but I also get that feeling like an adult human when all you are doing is talking to an infant is important! I think we'll probably hang out more soon -- the baby is usually good around 12-3pm and I am one of her few friends available then since I'm not working.

Game night was also good. We had over my best friend and then a friend of Tim's from elementary school and her husband who we've only hung out with a few times but they're back in Seattle after some years away so we thought we'd reach out. We talked, had pizza, and played a game of Tortuga, which was fun. I was scrolling Twitter before bed after they went home when I saw a post from the National Weather Service about the northern lights and headed outside to check them out. I was able to get a decent view just looking up from our back deck!

Saturday I went to Target to pick up a gift for the birthday girl (a Lego Friends Dog Rescue set) and then we went to the party in the afternoon, stopping at an open house along the way. The house was honestly incredible with a gorgeous property abutting a beach park and we are very tempted to put in an offer... but while talking to the listing agent, he mentioned that about half of what is being presented as the property's yard actually belongs to the city and is not part of the yard even though the owners have landscaped it and put up a fence! Apparently this encroachment has been happening "forever" but there's nothing saying the city couldn't take it back at any point. We're investigating further but I don't think we would want to buy without that portion of the yard, and definitely not at the asking price.

Sunday we took my parents out to breakfast and then went up to the beach park adjacent to the house to check out how accessible it is from the park. The land they have encroached on is up a steep path from the main park and not very buildable, but it's definitely still accessible. In the evening we went out to dinner with my best friend and another friend and her boyfriend who are in town looking at apartments before they move here in July! This is one of my best friends from college and I'm very excited that she's finally moving out here after wanting to for years.

Phew, that was a lot! I don't have as many plans this week. I didn't get around to pressure washing the back deck so that's definitely on deck (lol) for this week. Also want to get some good reading time in -- I'm enjoying my current print read but it has been sadly neglected.

Currently reading: A Power Unbound in print, Bee Sting Cake on Kindle, and I think I'm planning to start She Gets the Girl next on audio.

Currently watching: Finished the last season of Never Have I Ever on Saturday night and wrapped up S1 of Fallout yesterday.

Currently playing: A little Tears of the Kingdom last week.

A few pictures of the aurora -- it was not this bright to the naked eye, but you could definitely still see it.







Bonus -- a sunset I caught last night while walking the dogs :)

I am desperately behind on book reviews (I think I owe you... 12 or so? Oops 😬). Hopefully will catch up in the next few days!

104 books read: Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker

After the events of Seafire, Caledonia Styx finds herself rescued by a group of reformed Bullets. Can she learn to trust them -- and gain their trust enough to help them escape Aric and rescue her crew along the way?

I enjoyed this sequel almost more than the first book -- it had a better plot arc and felt less episodic, and kept things interesting the whole way. I have book 3 on hold to read next. 4 stars.

105 books read: The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

It's 1771, and the Fraser's Ridge community is growing. Jamie is charged with forming a militia to combat unrest in the colonies, with Claire at his side as always. Meanwhile, Breanna and Roger deal with raising Jemmy, and Roger works to earn his father-in-law's approval. Together, they both continue the hunt for Stephen Bonnet, determined to get revenge.

This was definitely a chunkster at 1443 pages, but even though it probably could have been cut down somewhat, I still very much enjoyed the ride. Gabaldon is a natural storyteller, and made me interested even in the less interesting parts of homesteading in the colonies in the 1700s. Although, as some reviewers have mentioned, I probably could have done with a few less mentions of Breanna's constantly lactating breasts, lol. 4.5 stars.

106 books read: Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

Now believed dead by everyone except Chade and Burrich, Fitz sets off on a quest to find Verity -- and hopefully kill Regal along the way.

I had such a good time rereading this trilogy and each book was just as fantastic as I remembered it to be. I thought the narration of the audio versions I listened to (read by Paul Boehmer) was well done. I'd like to continue my reread with the Tawny Man books, but apparently those audios are Audible exclusives 🙄 so I'll just have to read my paper copies, lol. 5 stars.

Happy Tuesday! I got dinner in the slow cooker before 11am and then headed out to a workout class at 11:30, so I'm already feeling productive today. Dinner is a new recipe from a Whole 30 slow cooker cookbook I found on super clearance at Barnes and Noble on Saturday. I don't do Whole 30, but I appreciate healthier slow cooker recipes (most of them seem to involve an entire block of cream cheese), so I picked it up. Testing the Mexican pork stew today.

Plans for the rest of the day include tidying up the house before the cleaners come tomorrow. I'd also like to get some more of A Power Unbound in. And make more progress on my outstanding reviews! While I wrote 3 yesterday, I have since finished 2 more books, so I still have 11 to write, lol.

Currently reading: Still working on A Power Unbound in print. Finished Bee Sting Cake on Kindle last night; I think You Sexy Thing will be next. Wrapped up She Gets the Girl this morning and tried to start We Could Be So Good, but I hated the narration even though I've enjoyed Joel Leslie's performances before -- maybe because he's doing an American accent in this one. I'll probably return it and borrow it on Kindle instead, and move on to Mislaid in Parts Half-Unknown instead.

Currently watching: S4E1 of Sex Education last night.

107 books read: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

When Iris's brother goes to war to fight for the goddess Enva, the one thing he tells her to do is stay in school -- but when her mother loses her job and succumbs to drinking, Iris is forced to get a job at a newspaper, where she's competing for a columnist position with the insufferable Roman Kitt. Iris takes out much of her frustration by sending letters to someone she hopes is her brother -- all she knows is when she types them out on her old typewriter and puts them in her wardrobe, they disappear. But then, someone writes back -- someone who isn't her brother. When Iris's situation changes once more and she becomes a war correspondent, her mysterious letter writer becomes her only constant in her life -- especially when Roman shows up on the front lines, too.

I have some quibbles with this book if I think about it hard enough, but honestly, I just really enjoyed the whole thing and I absolutely loved the overall vibe -- a sort of steam-punky world with just a hint of magic, with two protagonists who love writing and words and eventually each other. I'm really looking forward to book 2 -- just need to get my hands on it! 5 stars.

>36 curioussquared: Nice review, Natalie.

Not sure it is my thing but the cover is splendid!

108 books read: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

The fictionalized story of Sayuri, a successful geisha in Kyoto's Gion district in the 1930s, starting with her humble origins in a fishing village and stretching through to her retirement many years later in New York.

I didn't really know what to expect from this, but I found it to be a compelling story. I think it was enhanced by the fact that I actually did a tour of the historic Gion district while I was in Japan late last year, so it was the perfect time for me to read this book and understand the history of geisha in comparison to their role today. 4 stars.

109 books read: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Washed-up child prodigy Colin Singleton, age 17, has dated 19 girls, and each one of them has been named Katherine. No alternate spellings, no Katies, no Kathys. Only Katherines. When K19 dumps him the evening of their high school graduation, Colin is devastated in directionless. So, he sets out on an aimless road trip with his best friend Hassan. All Colin wants to do is contribute to the world and be remembered, and he knows that most prodigies do this at a young age, so his time is running out. Stuck in Gutshot, Tennessee with Hassan for the summer, Colin starts working on a theorem to mathematically graph out love -- but he may find love is a little less straightforward than math.

I think of this as a comfort read, although I'm not sure I've read it more than once or twice and not since pre-2008, but this held up for me. I know a lot of people think of this as Green's weakest novel, but that's probably Paper Towns for me -- or at least, I like that one less. I think Colin and Hassan are genuinely funny and Green does a great job at depicting realistic teenage male friendships. There are a few things that feel VERY 2007 and probably wouldn't make it in the book today (Colin and Hassan's usage of the word "r*tard") but it didn't bother me in the context of the time period as I remember that word being used a lot when I was in middle and high school. I do wonder if it was removed from later editions of the book. 5 stars.

>37 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Good to see you. No, I don't see YA fantasy romance as really being your thing, but stranger things have happened! :)

>7 curioussquared: I recognize this book cart. I have three of them I purchased from Michael's craft store, but haven't had the time to put them together. Was it a difficult task to put them together?

>41 Whisper1: Hi Linda! My cart is from IKEA, but I imagine they are pretty similar in construction. It was pretty easy to put together.

>39 curioussquared: I agree about Paper Towns. I used to say AAoK was my favorite John Green book, but it's been a while since I read it, or any of his other YA books for that matter, so I might have to rearrange my list of preferences. But I still like PT least (unless you count Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which I did not enjoy at all).

>30 curioussquared: So jealous!! I missed it the first night and then stayed up until 1 the following night in hopes of seeing it, but nothing. Glad you saw it though!

>43 foggidawn: Man, I always forget about Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I haven't read it since it came out. I think I thought it was OK? But yeah, if you count Will Grayson it's my least favorite.

>44 Berly: I almost missed it too! Luckily I saw a Twitter post from the National Weather Service Seattle right before I went to bed.

>30 curioussquared: Your aurora pictures are great! We drove out of town to escape the city lights for the aurora, and ended up missing the best part because we were driving! It was still gorgeous from the country, but I'm envious that you saw it from home. Glad you were able to catch a glimpse of it.

>39 curioussquared: What a great summary and review of this book! I have read several John Green Books (Paper Towns, An Anthropocene Reviewed, The Fault in Our Stars, and Turtles All the Way Down), and I've rated all of them 4 stars, but I remember liking Paper Towns and Turtles All The Way Down a bit less than the others. This one sounds like it is worth checking out! Do you have a favorite John Green book?

>46 Kyler_Marie: I know -- such a surprise to be able to see it from my own home within Seattle city limits. I never expected that in my lifetime!

I've read all of John Green's books at least once, and I find it hard to rank them, except that Paper Towns and Will Grayson, Will Grayson are my least favorite, as I mentioned to Foggi above :) Oh, and Let It Snow, another collaboration, was cute but nothing to write home about. An Abundance of Katherines resonates with me as a former "gifted" kid who thrived off of praise and school accomplishments and kind of floundered once I stopped getting As in the real world. I enjoyed Turtles, but I've only read it once and something about it didn't really hit me in the same way as his other stuff. I think Looking for Alaska is also very worthwhile, though I haven't read it in a long time, and The Fault in Our Stars was excellent, but I think has suffered a little as it aged and got kind of meme-ified. And The Anthropocene Reviewed was so so good, but so so different from his other stuff. I think they're all worth a read except maybe the two books he collaborated on.

I missed you starting a new thread - happy new thread Natalie! I see you're blitzing through your TBR cart.

>30 curioussquared: Those are stunning pictures. I would love to see the northern lights. My son showed me a photo he took of them on the horizon as he was flying to Seattle last year. Even our Australian cousins (in Melbourne) saw the aurora australis.

>36 curioussquared: *sigh* Alright, let me see if I can find this one in the libraries.

>1 curioussquared: And it goes without saying that the boys are looking as handsome as ever.