Curioussquared reads on and on in 2020 - Part 2

Hello everyone! I'm Natalie. I have participated in the challenge on and off over the years, and consistently over the past few years.

I'm located in Seattle, where I do communications work for a consulting firm. I get a lot of reading done during my bus commute. Otherwise, I do most of my reading curled up on the couch with my retired racing greyhounds, Skeletor and Otter, or listening to audiobooks while doing chores and walking the dogs.

I read mostly fiction, with a heavy emphasis on YA, along with some fantasy, general fiction/literature, and the occasional non-fiction title. I've been keeping track of my books read since 2008, and I have traditionally aimed for 100. In 2019, I hit a high of 140, and I think I'm going to try to reach that elusive 150 this year!

Last year I also read 50 books off of my own shelves, and I'm going to try for that same goal this year. (I'll have a thread in the ROOTs group as well where I cross-post reviews of books off my shelves.

Above are Otter and Skelly enjoying the gorgeous weather we've been having around here!

Here are my top 10 books of 2019, in the order in which I read them:

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
March: Book Three by John Lewis
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
All Systems Red by Martha Wells
Early Riser by Jasper Fforde
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
Howards End by E. M. Forster
Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Books read in 2020:

January
1. Arcadia by Tom Stoppard (off my shelf)
2. Of Ice and Shadows by Audrey Coulthurst
3. Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis
4. Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
5. Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
6. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
7. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
8. Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore
9. The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory
10. Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst and Paula Garner (off my shelf)
11. The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende (reread)
12. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
13. Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (off my shelf)

February
14. Storm Thief by Chris Wooding (off my shelf)
15. A Dress for the Wicked by Autumn Krause
16. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (off my shelf)
17. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
18. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
19. Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis
20. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (off my shelf)
21. How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason

March
22. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling (reread)
23. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J. K. Rowling (reread)
24. Frankly in Love by David Yoon
25. The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
26. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
27. Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue (off my shelf)
28. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez
29. In the Woods by Tana French
30. The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson (off my shelf)
31. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling (reread)
32. The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss (off my shelf)
33. Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein

Books read in 2020:

April
34. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (off my shelf)
35. Dairy Queen by Catherine Gilbert Murdock
36. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling (reread)
37. Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory (off my shelf)
38. Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins (off my shelf)
39. Paper Girls 1 by Brian K. Vaughan (off my shelf)
40. Paper Girls 2 by Brian K. Vaughan (off my shelf)
41. Paper Girls 3 by Brian K. Vaughan (off my shelf)
42. Paper Girls 4 by Brian K. Vaughan
43. Paper Girls 5 by Brian K. Vaughan
44. Paper Girls 6 by Brian K. Vaughan
45. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling (reread)
46. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (reread)
47. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (off my shelf)
48. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green (off my shelf)
49. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (off my shelf)
50. The Guinevere Deception by Kiersten White
51. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (reread)
52. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (reread)
53. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells(reread)
54. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (reread)
55. The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo (off my shelf)
56. The Polar Bear Explorers' Club by Alex Bell
57. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh (off my shelf)
58. Loamhedge by Brian Jacques (off my shelf)
59. We Are the Wildcats by Siobhan Vivian
60. Unlikely Friendships by Jennifer S. Holland (off my shelf)
61. Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

May
62. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling (reread)
63. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (reread)
64. My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (off my shelf)
65. Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli
66. The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray (off my shelf)
67. The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury
68. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (off my shelf)
69. Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-Oconnell (off my shelf)
70. Inferno by Dan Brown (off my shelf)
71. The Forbidden Expedition by Alex Bell

June
72. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (off my shelf)
73. Firebirds Rising edited by Sharon November (off my shelf)
74. Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann (off my shelf)
75. We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates (off my shelf)
76. The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin (reread)
77. Kindred by Octavia Butler (off my shelf)
78. Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare (off my shelf)
79. Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat (off my shelf)

Books read in 2020:

July
80. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway (off my shelf)
81. The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare (off my shelf)
82. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (off my shelf)
83. Network Effect by Martha Wells (off my shelf)
84. Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin (off my shelf)
85. Broken Places & Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor (off my shelf)
86. Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith
87. Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge
88. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (off my shelf)
89. Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert (off my shelf)
90. The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory (off my shelf)
91. The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht (off my shelf)
92. Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson
93. By the Book by Amanda Sellet
94. Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory
95. The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey
96. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (off my shelf)

August
97. Still Another Day by Pablo Neruda (off my shelf)
98. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch (off my shelf)
99. The Meaning of It All by Richard Feynman
100. Leave It to Psmith by P. G. Wodehouse (off my shelf)
101. I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest (off my shelf)
102. Lovely War by Julie Berry (off my shelf)
103. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt (off my shelf)
104. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor (off my shelf)
105. The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White (off my shelf)
106. Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein
107. There There by Tommy Orange
108. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (reread)
109. The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang

September
110. A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green
111. The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton
112. The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer
113. The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (off my shelf)
114. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
115. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (reread)
116. Mysterious Miss Slade by Dick King-Smith
117. The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine
118. The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (reread)

Books read in 2020:

October
119. Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins
120. Spy, Spy Again by Mercedes Lackey
121. Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston

November

December

63 books read: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

The series draws to a close as Harry faces Lord Voldemort for the last time.

This is definitely the most surprising reread for me, just because it's the HP book I've read the least by a wiiiide margin. I guess surprising isn't the right word, since I remembered most of it well, but the other books are so familiar that this one feels comparatively fresh -- there are still pieces of the plot that I had forgotten, and that just doesn't happen with the other books. A satisfying conclusion, and you know, I don't even hate the epilogue -- I DO hate the name Albus Severus, though.

64 books read: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Korede's sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends, and Korede always ends up being the one helping clean up the mess and cover up the evidence. Ayoola is up to three, now, and that's when they officially label you a serial killer. Korede just wants Ayoola to see the error of her ways, and for the cute doctor at the hospital where she works to notice her. But Ayoola doesn't show any sign of changing....

I keep wanting to call this book funny, and honestly, it was a fun read. But it's definitely pretty dark when you take it at face value. Recommended but only if you enjoy seriously black comedy. 4 stars.

Happy New Thread, Natalie. Love the boys above!

>9 ronincats: Thanks, Roni. These boys are definitely making quarantine better! :)

Happy new thread, Nathalie!

>1 curioussquared: Happy to see pictures of Otter and Skelly living the good life.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Natalie. You might just beat me to 75 books!

>12 drneutron: Thanks!!

>13 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! Assuming I keep up a reasonable pace, this will almost certainly be the earliest I've reached the goal!

Me too I think, Natalie. Whilst on LT anyway. I could reach 200 as a student but never when I have been juggling work.

>15 PaulCranswick: I started keep track when I was 16 and haven't ever hit 150 -- 200 is impressive!! I'm hoping this is my year for 150 now that I'm in a new job without a crazy 3-month busy season in th fall.

Happy new thread!

Checking in on the new thread, Natalie!

>11 FAMeulstee: Oops, I missed you up there, Anita! Thanks for stopping by :)

>17 foggidawn: Thanks, Foggi!

>18 alcottacre: Thanks for visiting, Stasia :)

65 books read: Break the Fall by Jennifer Iacopelli

Audrey Lee's dream has always been to make the US Women's Olympic gymnastics team with her best friend, Emma. She's fought through a devastating spine injury to come back in time to participate in qualifiers for Tokyo, and she and Emma are finally poised to compete in the competition of a lifetime. But then, as Olympic training begins, a scandal emerges that will expose the cracks in the entire US Gymnastics Federation. Audrey is scared and confused -- how can she compete when she's been told she can't trust coaches she's known her entire life? But Tokyo is just weeks away, and Audrey knows she and her teammates have to focus and do what's best for the team.

I'm a sucker for gymnastics stories (Stick It, Make It or Break It) and this blew those out of the water. Iacopelli does a fantastic job of fictionalizing the US gymnastics sexual assault scandal, treating the topic with compassion, while also not making it the whole focus of the book. I was also super impressed with Iacopelli's ability to avoid YA tropes. I hate it when a character creates falsely complicated situations by lying when there's no need to, and there were at least two or three times in the book where I was able to breathe a sign of relief because Audrey was a normal girl with integrity instead of an annoying lying teenager. 4 stars.

Happy new thread, and yay for YA books that are refreshing and have normal characters!

Happy thread! I hope Network Effect comes soon!

>20 curioussquared: Adding that one to the BlackHole! Thanks for the review and recommendation, Natalie.

Have a wonderful weekend!

>21 aktakukac: Thanks, Rachel!

>22 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana. Still no word from the store, and it's listed as backordered on their site. I'll check in again in a week or so :( I was reading Martha Wells' twitter and it seems like a lot of independent bookstores are having this problem; she tweeted that if you were looking for a copy, Barnes and Noble seemed to be shipping them. Doesn't help those of us who preordered from somewhere else, though! The good news is that I'm doing lots of other good reading in the meantime.

>23 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! Happy to add to the BlackHole :) I hope you also have a lovely weekend.

66 books read: The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray

Gemma Doyle hasn't been able to get back into the realms, the magical dreamworld she has the power to enter, since the events at the end of the last book, and her friend Pippa is still trapped there. Together, she and her friends Felicity and Anne work to figure out how to get back into the realms and figure out what should be done with the magic once and for all, all while avoiding the rival magic groups trying to take the magic for themselves -- not to mention preparing for their societal debuts and introductions to the queen!

I read the first two books in this series years ago, back when they were first released, and found a used copy of this to complete my set relatively recently. I didn't feel the need to reread them, just wanted to finish the series, so I brushed up on plots and started this doorstop. It was entertaining enough, and I might have enjoyed it more given that I didn't remember much of the previous books, as a lot of criticisms seem to be about how it's very repetitive of the previous two. I will say I thought it could have been a LOT shorter. 3.5 stars.

>25 curioussquared: I tried to read one of her books, the one about the mad cow disease kid. Anyway, the premise was interesting, and so was the story, but I quit on it at around page 250 because I was not even close to being done and the story had run its course. You don't have to throw everything + the kitchen sink in a book to make it interesting! It also was an edgy book, or was trying to be, and after 250 pages of that I'd had enough.

>26 libraryperilous: I read that one and thought it was fine. I also listened to The Diviners, one from her newer series, and didn't like it much. I think I'm kind of done with her as an author.

67 books read: The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury

Amelia Jones' mother died when she was little, but she has always dreamed of following in her footsteps and attending the Mystwick School of Musicraft to become a Maestro and use the magic she harnesses with her flute to help people around the world. At Mystwick, though, Amelia soon loses her confidence as it becomes more and more clear that she's not meant to be there.

I loved this -- thank you Diana for another lovely recommendation! I found Amelia to be a little frustratingly young sometimes, but enjoyed her and the other characters for the most part. What really stood out was the worldbuilding -- there have been Nevermoor comparisons, and they definitely hold up. I just want to know more about this musical world! 4.5 stars.

>28 curioussquared: Ooh, yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it and that the Nevermoor comparison didn't fall flat. I hope Khoury writes a sequel.

>27 curioussquared: Being done with an author can be liberating. Or even just not being a completist about authors one likes.

>29 libraryperilous: Agreed -- it seemed like there was plenty of room for Amelia's story to continue.

PSA: Tor is giving away a free ebook of Tooth and Claw until May 23, which I usually describe as Pride and Prejudice but everyone is a dragon. It's delightful and I highly encourage downloading it if you haven't read it!

68 books read: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Linus works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, or DICOMY, as they're better known, as a caseworker, inspecting the orphanages where magical youth are held to make sure the children are treated well and make recommendations for whether the orphanages stay open. His life is dull and monotonous, and he has no friends -- his only real joys are his cat, Calliope, and the records he listens to during his free evenings. But then, everything changes when Linus is summoned by Extremely Upper Management and assigned a new, highly classified case: a month-long inspection of an orphanage on an isolated island by the sea, full of what he can only assume are highly dangerous children. Toting Calliope and his meager possessions, Linus makes the journey to Marsyas -- and he's totally unprepared for what he'll find there.

I LOVED this. Definitely one of my books of the year so far. I don't want to spoil too much since it's just such a lovely story, but I loved each and every one of the characters. A blurb describes it as a mash-up of The Umbrella Academy, 1984, and Douglas Adams; I think this is too sweet a book for those comparisons, and I was feeling more Jasper Fforde vibes. Highly recommended, and honestly, I'll probably reread it soon. 5 stars.

>32 curioussquared: You can't have Teddy. He's mine.

I'm so glad you LOVED this. I did too. The story is just so kind and warm. I suspect a lot of readers would find it comforting in this moment—although it's a wonderful book for any time. I've been pondering a reread as well.

Fforde and Becky Chambers are good reading comps, I think: Fforde for the gentle absurdities and Chambers for the authorial kindness.

(Tor has been killing it this spring: Murderbot, this one, and The Empress of Salt and Fortune all have gone on my all-time favorites list.)

>33 libraryperilous: Yes, kind and warm is exactly what I needed. I sort of gently sobbed my way through the last 50 or so pages -- I knew it wasn't going to end the way I didn't want it to, but I was just so emotionally involved with everyone at that point that I was happily crying through the bad and good. I would say it's lockdown getting to me, but I've always been a crier, lol.

(And my Murderbot STILL hasn't shipped; I'll reach out to the store again on Thursday. It's listed as "backordered" on their site.)

The Friends of the Seattle Public Library have announced that they cannot stay afloat as a solvent organization and continue to fund future used book sales, so they're discontinuing all book sale operations and dissolving all inventory, with no future plans to resume the book sales other than a vague hope that they might be able to bring them back someday. They were just about to hold their annual huge book sale when quarantine hit, and postponed it twice before realizing that August won't be safe either.

I know this is a fairly small coronavirus tragedy in the grand scheme of things, but it's one that definitely hits hard. I've been going to these sales since middle school, when I would save my allowance and any birthday money to buy dozens of 50 cent paperbacks (25 cents on Sundays!) and wander the literal airplane hangar they had filled with stock. I'm pretty sure hundreds of books from my library were acquired at their sales over the years. It's something I looked forward to without fail every year. I hope it does get resurrected in some form someday, or something arises to take its place -- I don't know where else I'm going to get that specific airplane-hangar-full-of-books high.

>35 curioussquared: Oh, gosh. I'm so sorry, Natalie. :(

Have they launched a fundraiser? If they have, I'll kick in a little bit.

It's okay to be angry and sad about these small tragedies. We can hold many things in our hearts and be angry and sad about all of them.

>36 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana. No, there's no fundraiser -- they explained that as their mission is to support the SPL, they see a fundraiser to support their own operations as counterintuitive to that mission. So, no action to be taken, unfortunately :(

>35 curioussquared: That's too bad. We've had several calls asking about the status of ours (it's typically late July or early August depending on the calendar) and wondering about dropping off donations. Our Friends group is VERY small and elderly, and I have a feeling we won't be having the sale this year. We obviously aren't accepting donations (and usually only take them for a few weeks before the sale) but people often throw them in the book return.

I hope someday library book sales will take place again. So many people look forward to them.

>38 aktakukac: Lol, of course people throw them in the book return. Classic. Our sale was on a pretty grand scale. The library accepted donations year-round and the Friends rented out a building to store and sort them, which I imagine is why they had to make this decision to cease all operations so quickly. It's too bad, too -- they just moved to a new warehouse building after a long search in the past few years or so after struggling to find a place in their price range in expensive Seattle.

It was my 13th Thingaversary on Wednesday! I have no idea how I heard about LT, but I'm so glad I found it. I would say I need to buy my 13 books, but let's be real, I've purchased almost 50 books since quarantine started... I think I'm good for now.

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy thingaversary, Natalie and I hope it contributes to a very pleasant long weekend. x

>41 libraryperilous: >42 PaulCranswick: Thank you both!

It was a nice long weekend. I caught up on a lot of housework and yard work -- less fun but certainly satisfying. And, I read a few books, took the dogs on some nice walks, and played more Legend of Zelda. I also knocked a few movies off my Netflix to-be-watched list: Saving Mr. Banks and The Duchess. I liked both of them!

69 books read: Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

Freddy, short for Frederica, feels lucky to be dating Laura Dean, one of the coolest girls in school. The only problem? Laura Dean is a totally crappy girlfriend. She's broken up with Freddy again and again, but Freddy keeps letting her come back, and her friends can only watch in dismay, as Freddy's really not herself when she's with Laura. Caught up in the latest wave of her relationship, Freddy doesn't realize when her best friend Doodle gets in trouble and really needs her friendship.

What a gorgeous graphic novel! I loved the illustrations and color palette -- not to mention the casual queer representation! I got a little frustrated with Freddy sometimes, but I think that was the point -- she's a high schooler learning about herself and healthy relationships. Recommended - 4 stars.

70 books read: Inferno by Dan Brown

Robert Langdon is astonished to wake up and find himself in Florence, with no memories of the past few days and no idea how he got there when he should be in Massachusetts. Before long, he's on the run from a mysterious group of people who appear to be trying to kill him along with the doctor who saved his life, a young British woman named Sienna. Robert and Sienna race desperately to decode a mysterious image he had in his jacket pocket before whoever it is chasing him catch up.

Not really my usual fare; I read a few other Langdon books years ago and had a copy of this on my shelf for some reason. It's entertaining enough, but I think I would have gotten bored a lot more quickly without the gorgeous Florence backdrop. This book was definitely too long, but it was a fun bit of escapism (aside from the plot point involving a possible newly developed plague, which hit a little too close to home). 3 stars.

71 books read: The Forbidden Expedition by Alex Bell

In this followup to The Polar Bear Explorers' Club, Stella and her friends set off on a dangerous mission to Witch Mountain after her guardian, Felix, sets off by himself to confront the witch who's out to get her.

I enjoyed this sequel, but it didn't have quite the same impact for me as the first novel. I still really liked the worldbuilding and fantastical elements, but they overwhelmed the plot so it felt like more flash than substance. Still a fun read and probably more enjoyable for the target middle grade audience. 3.5 stars.

My heart has been very heavy this weekend as protests continue across my city and others. I have donated to my local bail fund, and once I finish the books I'm reading now, I'm planning to spend most of June reading books by black authors.

>47 curioussquared: ♥, and same.

If you'd like to do a group read for one or two books, I'll participate.

>48 libraryperilous: I tagged some of my TBR pile with POC to help me pick books for this month. Anything there look interesting to you? No pressure if not, but that's probably where I'll be sourcing my reads.

ETA: I think this link should let you see the books. https://www.librarything.com/catalog/curioussquared&tag=POC

>49 curioussquared: I've borrowed Coates' book. It's been on my TBR for ages. I also am interested in Kindred. I own a copy of A Grain of Wheat, by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o: Perhaps we could each read a book by him and talk about his overall body of work.

I read Breath, Eyes, Memory in high school and thought it was a lovely novel. I think you probably would like it.

>50 libraryperilous: Shall we start with We Were Eight Years in Power? It's one of the books I'm seeing recommended as reading relevant to these current events. I'd like to get to Kindred and Breath, Eyes, Memory this month, too. I read Coates' Between the World and Me a few years ago and found it very powerful -- I recommend that one if you haven't read it. It's a short, quick read.

>51 curioussquared:, Yes, I think this plan is fine. Do you want to do a separate thread, or just use this one? If separate, here or in a group we create is fine. I think we'd have to be too careful w/ our comments in the Green Dragon.

I'm on hold for Coates' other book. Thanks for the rec!

>52 libraryperilous: I'm fine just sharing some thoughts here, but open to creating a new thread if you'd like. We might find more people who'd like to participate that way.

>53 curioussquared: I'll leave the thread choice up to you, and you can also pick the reading order and whether or not you want to read them at a certain time or just throughout the month. I'm easy. :)

>54 libraryperilous: Works for me! Let's just stick around here and we finish when we finish :) I'm through chapter 1.

72 books read: The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht

In a Balkan country torn by war, a young doctor travels to a small town to conduct a clinic for an orphanage. Along the way, she learns her grandfather has died away from home, and her grandmother is desperate to recover his possessions. As she deals with the situation in the town and travels to the town where her grandfather died, she muses on the magical stories her grandfather had told her of his childhood and past, particularly those of the tiger's wife and the deathless man.

Obreht writes lovely, lyrical prose and can definitely spin a story, but halfway through this book, my fiancé asked me what it was about. I tried to explain and realized I had no idea and that there wasn't really any discernible plot. Instead, The Tiger's Wife reads like a collection of folk tales held together with a thin frame story. Enjoyable, but don't look too hard for a plot. 3.5 stars.

73 books read: Firebirds Rising edited by Sharyn November

This collection of stories from authors published on the Firebird imprint is fairly strong overall. I read the first anthology years and years ago and have had this one on my shelf also for years and years. Not sure why it took me so long to get to it! My favorite stories were The Real Thing by Alison Goodman, which made me want to reread her Singing the Dogstar Blues, I'll Give You My Word by Diana Wynne Jones, In the House of the Seven Librarians by Ellen Klages, Wintermoon Wish by Sharon Shinn, The Wizards of Perfil by Kelly Link, and The House on the Planet by Tanith Lee. I was disappointed in Tamora Pierce's entry, but it was interesting to see her tackling a totally different setting from her norm. 4 stars.

>32 curioussquared: BB from this one.

>58 MickyFine: Enjoy! It's lovely.

The Guinevere Deception, which I reviewed on my last thread and really enjoyed, is on sale for $1.99 on Kindle today!

74 books read: Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

New York, 1974. A man has set up a tightrope wire between the in-construction Twin Towers, and has captivated the city as he walks through the sky. This book features a number of interconnected vignettes loosely centered around the tightrope walker. Each is centered around a different character, and it takes a while to start seeing how they are related. The characters come from very different walks of life -- from an Irishman who has followed his spiritual brother to the projects, to the rich Jewish woman living on Park Avenue, to a struggling Black prostitute and her daughter, to the hackers calling payphones from Palo Alto to check the status of the man on the tightrope.

I think I enjoyed this overall. The writing was strong, and I found it fairly easy to adjust to each new narrative voice after I realized what was happening after the first couple of shifts. I did get a vague sense of unease through some of the chapters -- at times, the whole book came off a bit pretentious to me, and I found myself wondering what kind of research McCann had done to portray the characters farthest from his own lived experiences, particularly during the chapter with Tilly, the Black imprisoned prostitute who just wants to be able to see her grandchildren. Further reading is needed. 3.5 stars.

>61 curioussquared: I think I DNFed this because it was too much domestic fiction and not enough historical fiction about NYC? I don't remember much beyond that I DNFed it.

>62 libraryperilous: Yeah, it's definitely more loosely connected character vignettes with a minor NYC background than actual fiction about NYC.

75 books read: We Were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates

This book collects eight of Coates' articles previously published in The Atlantic, all published 2008-2016 and viewed through the lens of Obama's presidency, along with newly-written intro commentary for each article.

This was an important, powerful, tough read. Coates is insightful, incisive, and doesn't hold back. He's an excellent writer, and it wasn't the writing that made this hard to read -- it was the difficult truths he highlighted in each and every article. Turns out I'm a much slower reader when I'm not reading for pleasure/escape. "The Case for Reparations" and "The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration" are the longest articles in this collection, and I think they're the two that solidified Coates' reputation and made him more of a household name. They are well-researched, and they will make you angry at the way our country has been and continues to be run. I enjoyed "American Girl" and "My President Was Black," both of which show Coates' skill as a writer of portraits. I think the latter is particularly skillful at highlighting all the ways that Coates admires Barack Obama while also pointing out the flaws he sees, and it made me want to finally read Obama's memoir. 5 stars.

Congrats on hitting the goal!

Congrats on reaching the magic number, Natalie!

>65 drneutron: >66 MickyFine: Thank you both! :D

Woo hoo for 75 books, and a good one for the target book!

>68 ronincats: Thanks, Roni!

76 books read: The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. LeGuin

As magic disappears from Earthsea, the archmage Ged sets off on a journey with the young prince Arren to find the cause of the weakening power.

I've had this one on my shelf for a very long time and I think I did read it as a child -- but out of order in the series, and I think I may have been too young the first time around to appreciate it. This is a worthy continuation of the series, and I definitely enjoyed it more this time around. Excited to continue and read Tehanu for the first time. 4 stars.

77 books read: Kindred by Octavia Butler

Dana, a 26-year old Black woman living in California in 1976, is suddenly transported back in time to a slave plantation in Maryland in 1819. There, she saves a young white boy from drowning in a river, before being threatened by the boy's father and being pushed back to 1976. She's not home for long before she's called back to the 1800s, and she realizes that somehow, she's tethered across time to the boy, Rufus, her white ancestor, and each time she travels back, she must save Rufus again. But each time she goes back, her stays become longer, and she must struggle to survive as a slave and resist trying to escape to ensure her return to her own time.

Wow -- why didn't I read this sooner? Kindred is masterful, and I was immediately immersed and engaged and holding my breath for Dana as she navigated her dangerous new existence and came to terms with being stripped of any rights she was used to in 1976. Butler's portrayal of Dana's helplessness and internal struggle made me feel like I had been punched in the stomach; the choices Dana must make are horrifying. Butler based some of the novel on actual slave narratives, and you can tell. So, so good, and highly recommended. 5 stars.

>64 curioussquared: Congratulations on reaching 75, Natalie!

Congratulations on 75!

And thank you for The Guinevere Deception book bullet.

>72 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita!

>73 humouress: Thanks, Nina! I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. I read a lot of Arthurian lit at one point and got sick of it eventually, but this version felt like a breath of fresh air to me, and I'm glad you felt the same.

78 books read: Measure for Measure by William Shakespeare

When the duke leaves Angelo in charge of Vienna, Angelo decides to reinstate an old law and suddenly, Claudio is sentenced to death for getting his girlfriend Juliet pregnant. Claudio's sister, Isabella, a novitiate at a nunnery, goes to Angelo to beg for his release, but Angelo will only do it if Isabella agrees to sleep with him. Isabella concocts a plan...

Not my favorite Shakespeare, and I don't expect I'll remember it very well or very long. I'm sure it would be better seeing it performed, but reading it, there just wasn't much that stood out. 3 stars.

Great deals on some ebooks today -- Tor.com is giving away The Calculating Stars for free, and The House in the Cerulean Sea is on sale for $2.99!

>76 curioussquared: I picked up Klune's book yesterday. A few of Tor's titles are on sale for $2.99, including Gideon the Ninth and Witchmark.

I still want a hardcover edition of The House in the Cerulean Sea so I can hug the book while rereading it for the millionth time.

>77 libraryperilous: I bought Witchmark yesterday and would have bought Gideon the Ninth if I hadn't already bought a hardcover copy last month, lol. I will admit to hugging my paper House in the Cerulean Sea upon finishing it for the first time.

79 books read: Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat

Sophie has always lived with her Tante Atie in Croix-de-Rosets, Haiti. Then, at the age of 12, her mother sends for her from New York, and Sophie must adjust to a new life with a mother she has never really known.

I loved this! Danticat emphasizes the importance of words and poetry throughout, and I thought that was fitting as the prose is gorgeous and poetic, painting a vivid picture of Haiti and Haitian culture as well as the women of Sophie's family. 4.5 stars.

I still can't stop buying books.... War Girls, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, and The Poppy War arrived today.

Can't stop, won't stop: Voyager, The Book of Phoenix, Broken Places & Outer Spaces, and Magpie Murders arrived today. (I bought these to participate in Powell's Juneteenth event, where they were donating 30% of profits, so a good cause!)

Otter says, Remember! All books must be thoroughly inspected by dog upon arrival at house.

Nice stack! Otter is an excellent quality inspector. :)

LOL. Nice book haul!

>79 curioussquared: I read this and loved it when it first was published.

>64 curioussquared: On difficult truths, so many of the comments I've seen about Coates' work (incl. here on LT—not yours!) are from white liberals who refuse to grapple with what he is saying: "That doesn't apply to me."

>82 MickyFine: >83 libraryperilous: Thanks! Otter did a very thorough inspection, sniffing the whole stack and really getting his snoot in there, as you can see. Luckily, he seems to have outgrown the habit of chewing on books -- knock on wood!

>83 libraryperilous: Yikes. It's so difficult to imagine reading something like Coates' articles, having the facts laid bare before you, and having that kind of reaction. On a related note, White Fragility is backordered everywhere, but I have a copy on order. I heard they had to reprint to the tune of 40,000 copies.

>84 curioussquared: Several of the anti-racism books are on backorder, including Stamped from the Beginning. Black-owned bookstores are reporting that customers are sending angry e-mails about the backorders, which is awful and infuriating. One bookshop in Boston said they'd received e-mails with phrases like, "I ordered this so I could show I'm an activist! Where is it?" :(

>85 libraryperilous: I saw that! So awful. I saw a tweet that said something like, "If you're complaining that your copy of White Fragility hasn't arrived yet, don't worry, your whiteness will still be fragile when it finally does." LOL.

>86 curioussquared: LOL, perfect. "The revolution cannot start until this book arrives and I place my vanity copy on my shelf" is some white bullshit.

>87 libraryperilous: But how will my coworkers know I'm woke if I don't have it in the background on my Zoom calls????

>81 curioussquared:

After finishing The Map of Salt and Stars,
I was inspired to search for more inspiration from the life of al-Idrisi.

A "near fine" copy of A SULTAN IN PALERMO tuned up online from Powell's in Chicago -
the first Powell's book I'd bought since my 1960s days at The University of Chicago!

>89 m.belljackson: These books are from the Portland, OR Powell's, but I did some googling and the stores are related! Chicago Powell's was started by the son, and Portland Powell's by the father. I'm surprised I haven't been to or heard of the Chicago store as I've spent a little time there.

>81 curioussquared: So cute! I wouldn't dare let Jasper get within sniffing distance of my books; he's more likely to see them as a snack.

Great to see your reading numbers clicking along so nicely, Natalie.

Have a lovely Sunday and Powell's Book Store is on my bucket list.

>90 curioussquared: >92 PaulCranswick:

Hello,

Thank you for your question!

We're not the same company as the Powell's Books in Chicago, but we do share an ownership history.

In a nutshell, Michael Powell opened his small used bookshop in Chicago in 1970, which grew out of his University of Chicago bookselling business. His father, Walter, worked in the Chicago store briefly, and then started his own new and used bookstore in Portland in 1971. Michael later sold the Chicago store and moved back to Portland, where he took over his father's store, and expanded it into the current Powell's Books.

Here's an interesting interview with Michael Powell, where he talks about the early days of Powell's:

https://www.pw.org/content/inside_indie_bookstores_powell_s_books_in_portland_or...

I hope this helps!

Kind regards,

Adam
Powells.com

Previous correspondence follows:

Hi - are you the same Powell’s that was first
located on the University of Chicago Campus?

Thanks,
M.Bell

>91 humouress: Otter seems to finally have stopped chewing books, thankfully. I think it helps that since I'll be working from home through September at the very earliest, I moved my office up into my library space and now Otter hangs out with me and the books all day when before he wasn't really allowed in this room. Exposure helps!

>92 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I did have a nice Sunday. I hope yours was excellent, too, and I hope you make it to Powell's someday. I get lost wandering every time I visit.

>93 m.belljackson: Thank you for emailing and clearing that up!

A little late, but congrats on surpassing 75 books!

>95 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

In this difficult year with an unprecedented pandemic and where the ills of the past intrude sadly upon the present there must still be room for positivity. Be rightly proud of your country. To all my American friends, enjoy your 4th of July weekend.

>97 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not feeling too proud of my country these days. Maybe come November.... I did enjoy my weekend, though!

80 books read: For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

Robert Jordan, an American professor of Spanish from Montana, takes part in the Spanish civil war as a dynamiter. This story chronicles the days leading up to him blowing up a bridge.

I enjoyed this! I mostly listened to an audio version (my loan expired near the end and I finished up with my print version) and I think I enjoyed it more for that reason; the narrator was fantastic and really highlighted the lyrical aspect of Hemingway's prose. He's still not 100% my cup of tea, and the romance was not really my thing, but I liked it overall. 3.5 stars.

81 books read: The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare

Two sets of separated twins meet without knowing and hijinks ensure. Two sets of separated twins! You know it's gonna be good. Plus the audio version I listened to had David Tennant, so. 4 stars.

82 books read: Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Half of a Yellow Sun follows three characters through 1960s Nigeria: Ugwu, a houseboy straight from a bush village; Olanna, the UK-educated daughter of an Igbo chief who is seeing Odenigbo, Ugwu's master; and Richard, an English expat living in Nigeria in love with Olanna's twin sister, Kainene. Over the course of the decade, the three deal with unimaginable circumstances as the Nigerian-Biafran war begins and they fight for a free Biafra.

What a gorgeous, epic, heartbreaking story. Adichie has woven a totally engrossing story, based on events experienced by many of her family members, and I was totally engrossed. This was difficult to put down, even through the parts that were hardest to read. I loved Americanah when I read it, and I loved this just as much, even though it felt totally different. Adichie is absolutely one to watch. 5 stars.

83 books read: Network Effect by Martha Wells

Do I need to summarize this? Murderbot is back for its next adventure, featuring lots of old friends, some new ones, and plenty of snark and media-viewing, as always. Haven't read any Murderbot yet? Don't start here, go back to All Systems Red.

Finally! I loved this just as much as I thought I would if not more. I love you, Murderbot, and I already can't wait for Fugitive Telemetry next year. 5 stars.

Has anyone read any of Martha Wells' other series? I love Murderbot so much that I feel like I should probably check out her other novels, but they all sound very different from Murderbot. Any recommended starting points?

>102 curioussquared: It came?!?!?! Hooray!

Glad it lived up to the hype—you knew it would. I'm a bit disappointed because Fugitive Telemetry sounds like it will be planetside and not on ART's ship. :( But still v excited, of course.

Sakerfalcon has read some of Wells' other series. Here's a comment with some recs.

>99 curioussquared: Hemingway's one of my favorite authors, and one of the reasons is that he's quite an economical writer. But you're right, the prose itself is lyrical. The Sun Also Rises is one of my all-time favorites. If anyone is interested in a readalike, the stories of Raymond Carver are perfect.

>103 libraryperilous: It came! Towards the end of May, actually. But first I was finishing up a few books for book clubs at the end of May, then I decided to devote June to Black authors (except for audiobooks), so I wasn't able to read it until now. It was worth the wait!

Thank you for the link to Sakerfalcon's post! I think I will look for the Raksura series. I have enjoyed the Hemingway I've read in the past, including The Sun Also Rises, but I think listening to this one made me really slow down and appreciate the words.

84 books read: Tehanu by Ursula K. Le Guin

25 years after the events of The Tombs of Atuan, and days after the events of The Farthest Shore, we meet Tenar again, in Gont, as she cares for an abused child -- and as Ged comes once more into her life.

I've read some of the criticism of this book, and I read the author's afterword. I think I may have liked it less if I read it 20 years after The Farthest Shore had come out, but reading it right after the last book in this day and age, I very much enjoyed Tehanu and what Le Guin is doing for the women of Earthsea within Tehanu. 4 stars.

85 books read: Broken Places & Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor

As a teenager, Okorafor was a nationally ranked athlete, and her freshman year of college, she dominated the tennis courts. But the summer after her freshman year, she underwent surgery to correct serious scoliosis -- and woke up paralyzed from the waist down. In this short book, an expansion on her TED talk, Okorafor recounts this experience and learning to walk again, and how her paralysis and recovery led her to discover her creative writing side.

Really gripping and really well done. I enjoy Okorafor's fiction and this was just as well done. 4 stars.

86 books read: Don't Read the Comments by Eric Smith

Divya is just a normal teenage girl struggling to help her mom make rent and pay for school -- except online, she's D1V, a popular streamer on "Glitch" playing the year's hottest game, Reclaim the Sun. Aaron's parents want him to be a doctor and take over the family practice, but all he wants to do is follow his dream of writing video games. When Divya's online persona is attacked and killed in the game, she starts getting real life threats, too, including doxxing, from a mysterious group calling themselves the Vox Populi. Divya is scared, but she just needs to stream for a few more months to keep her sponsorships so her mom can finish school, and she can't back down now. Meanwhile, she and Aaron meet by chance in the game, but Divya isn't sure she's ready to trust someone from the internet that suddenly seems so unwelcoming.

I enjoyed this overall, and the concept is great. Divya's character reflects the experiences of a lot of women in gaming and nerd culture, and I like that Smith makes it clear that there's no place for toxic masculinity in gaming in 2020. That said, there were a few spots in the book when Divya made some choices that just made me cringe. I love YA, but one of my least favorite common YA tropes is when huge problems are created because the main character communicates stupidly or not at all. Thankfully, the choices she made were reversed pretty quickly, but I let out an audible "uugggghhhh" while reading them and they definitely affected my perception of the book. 3.5 stars.

>107 curioussquared: I dislike this trope as well, especially in romances, although I feel it makes a bit more sense in YA. Teenagers do silly things all the time and aren't very good at direct communication. It's all hormones and side glances and ego, but no real self-confidence—or fully-developed brains.

>108 libraryperilous: True! For me it usually depends on whether I can understand their motivations or the reasoning behind the bad choices. If it's there, good, but too often I think poor communication is unexplained and just used as a way to artificially extend the book with pointless conflict.

87 books read: Jane of Austin by Hillary Manton Lodge

In this loose Sense and Sensibility retelling, after their CEO father is ousted from his company and runs away to the Cayman Islands, Celia and Jane find themselves in charge of their baby sister Margot with no job prospects in sight. Fast forward several years -- the sisters have opened a successful tea shop in their beloved San Francisco and have made a life for themselves, but all they have built comes crashing to the ground when their landlord passes away and his nephew hikes up the rent on their shop/apartment. Forced to vacate in a matter of weeks and with San Francisco pretty much out of their price range, the sisters make the decision to uproot to Austin, where a distant cousin has offered them the use of a small house on his property. There, the sisters meet new friends and new men, search for a suitable property to reopen their tea shop, and try to settle into their new lives.

I really enjoyed this -- thanks to MickyFine for the recommendation! This is a fun story and Lodge uses the Sense and Sensibility base well while also making the book her own. 4 stars.

>101 curioussquared: Agree with you on Adichie, Natalie - what a wonderful writer.

>110 curioussquared: Yay! Glad it was a hit with you!

88 books read: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Xiomara, born to Dominican parents in New York, has always struggled with finding her place -- she feels too big, like she takes up too much space, and her mother reinforces that impression and continues to push Xiomara toward God and church and away from boys and ruin. The one place she knows herself is in her notebook, in her poetry, and as her sophomore year begins, she's excited to find out that her English teacher is supportive and is even running a spoken word poetry group. But the group meets at the same time as confirmation classes, and Xiomara knows she will never be allowed to go.

Gorgeous book, told in verse through Xiomara's poetry. I couldn't put it down. Acevedo's verses and story are so, so powerful -- I'll be on the lookout for more of her books. 5 stars.

>46 curioussquared: Sorry this one wasn't as good for you as the first, but glad you still enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the third book being released in the US in November. I don't know if I will be able to purchase it for my library, as all ordering of books/materials/basically everything has been paused until who knows when.

Belated congrats on reaching 75 and then some!

>114 aktakukac: Thanks, Rachel! I will keep a lookout for your review when it does get released, and maybe that will help me decide if I read it :) This pandemic thing is really messing with a lot of stuff! I hope your library ordering gets back to normal sooner rather than later.

89 books read: Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert

After a near-death experience and years of living hidden in her family mansion due to chronic illness and pain, Chloe decides it's finally time to get a life. Being a list person, she makes a list to help herself accomplish this goal. Move out and get a flat -- check. But some other things on the list are a little tougher to tackle for one disabled girl, including go camping, travel the world with only hand luggage, ride a motorcycle, and do something bad. Luckily, Chloe has the idea that the handsome superintendent at her new flat might be able to help her with a few of her items...

This was a fun book! I found out on Thursday night that my favorite high school teacher had passed away the day before from a heart attack, and I needed something light and easy to distract me, and this definitely fit the bill. I am not a huge romance reader, but I appreciated the representation in this one -- Chloe is a plus-sized black heroine with a chronic illness, and while her illness is part of the book in the way that it's part of her everyday life, the main focus is on her self-discovery and romance, not her pain. Chloe and Red are both human people who make mistakes, but they also take time to process and acknowledge their feelings and work through them like real people, and I appreciated that aspect of the book. A fun little romp! I might seek out the new companion novel at some point, about Chloe's sister, but I'm not feeling super compelled yet. 3.5 stars.

90 books read: The Queen's Fool by Philippa Gregory

Hannah and her father are Jews who fled Spain to avoid the inquisition. Now they live in England, where they run a print shop and pose as Protestants to live safely during the reign of King Edward VI. Until one day, Lord Robert Dudley and John Dee come to the shop, but Hannah sees them with a third person -- who isn't really there. Convinced that Hannah has seen an angel and is a holy fool, the men bring her to court to be a fool for the king, then Queen Mary once Edward dies. Hannah finds herself playing a dangerous game -- beholden to Lord Robert, to Queen Mary, to Princess Elizabeth, all at once, doing her best to do what is right and support them all without betraying the others.

This was a fun listen. I enjoyed Hannah's character and I feel like she offers a new perspective on this period of history; there are so many books on the Tudors, fiction and nonfiction, and it was refreshing to see them through a new lens. Someone described Gregory's work as "historical fanfiction" and it definitely seems that way -- she does her research and creates fun stories within the confines of history. So nothing groundbreaking, but an enjoyable audiobook. 3.5 stars.

I'm sorry for your loss. Good teachers hold a special place in their students' memories.

>116 curioussquared: Glad to see you enjoyed that one as it's already on The List.

>118 libraryperilous: Thank you! He was one of the best. Not only did he leave me with a fantastic grounding in French grammar, but he encouraged and fostered other interests, too, including giving me a recommended reading list of his own making since he knew high school English wasn't really doing it for me :) We also used to have "story time" every other Friday afternoon, where we'd have our ever-present daily quiz, but then spend the rest of the period listening to him read A Year in Provence out loud to us. It was the kind of break you didn't really get much in high school, and it was always so appreciated.

>120 curioussquared: Oh, that sounds lovely. What a gentle, comforting memory to have. And a personalized reading list, too!

91 books read: The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America by Matt Kracht

Kracht hates birds and has written this guide to help others avoid horrible birds as well. Featuring entries on the White-Breasted Butt Nugget and the Goddamned Canada Goose, this was fun to read a few entries at a time, and Kracht's amateur illustrations were fun, too. 3 stars.

92 books read: Gena/Finn by Hannah Moskowitz and Kat Helgeson

Genevieve is a high school senior on her way to a prestigious college, and Stephanie is a recent college grad who just moved across the country to California to live with her boyfriend she's not 100% sure about. Their friendship begins online over their mutual love of the TV show Up Below, through private messages, journal entries, fanfiction, and emails. They fall into an easy communication pattern, and soon they're telling each other everything -- well, almost everything. But each of them is hiding something, and things start to change when they meet in person at a convention.

I really enjoyed the style of this book -- it's a sort of modern epistolary novel and I thought that aspect was really well done. I was totally caught up in Gena and Finn's fast-paced relationship and I loved the first 2/3 of the book. The last third took a turn I wasn't expecting; it wasn't bad, per se, but the tone was just very different. But I think anybody who's ever made a friend on the internet, especially over shared fandom love, will enjoy this book. 3.5 stars.

93 books read: By the Book by Amanda Sellet

Mary has spent her life attending the tiny experimental school for kids of the local college's professors. There and at home with her literary family, her obsession with old books has always been normal. But now the school has been shut down, and for Sophomore year, she's starting at the local high school. Abandoned by her old friend in the cafeteria on the first day, Mary's not sure what she's going to do for friends. By chance, she hears some girls in her year talking about a boy at school she knows, and she's able to warn them off of him -- after all, he's a TOTAL Vronsky. Suddenly, Mary has a new group of friends, and they're all interested in her interpretations of boys at school based on classic male archetypes from the books she loves so much. But things get complicated when the boy Mary denounced as a Vronksy starts showing a new side of himself, and she starts doubting the advice she gives.

This was a super fun read. Mary and her family are great -- I got shades of Cassandra from I Capture the Castle and Janet from Pamela Dean's Tam Lin. I appreciated that the female high school friendships were sweet and genuine without any cattiness or backstabbing, which can be kind of hard to find in a high school book. 4 stars.

94 books read: Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Olivia Monroe is used to being independent. She's a high-powered lawyer who just left a partner position at her New York firm to start a new firm with her partner Ellie in LA, and she's not looking for anything complicated -- she needs to focus on getting her firm off the ground. But then she meets a handsome, nice-seeming guy at her hotel bar. Nothing happens, until she realizes just who that guy is -- junior CA senator Max Powell. When fate brings them together again, Max and Olivia connect for real, and soon, they're seeing each other secretly every week, Max in "disguise" so Olivia can avoid the spotlight. But as things start to get more serious, Olivia starts to wonder -- how exactly are they going to keep making this work?

This is Guillory's newest book and I think it might be my favorite of all of them so far! I devoured it in an afternoon. Pure fun. I still love how Guillory's books are just ever so slightly connected, so we get to peek in on other characters -- Olivia is the older sister of Guillory's first heroine, Alexa, from The Wedding Date. Recommended if you like fun, contemporary, diverse romances with strong protagonists and realistic, compassionate love interests. 4.5 stars.

95 books read: The Library of Lost Things by Laura Taylor Namey

Darcy's mother is a hoarder. Their apartment is a maze of tiny pathways lined with stacks of tubs and boxes; Darcy's only refuge is her room, clean and organized and full of her books, and her friend Marisol, the only one who knows about her mom and who welcomes Darcy into her own family whenever she needs. Darcy has been able to manage her mother's illness with the money from her bookstore job and help from her grandmother, who sends checks to help with bills and groceries when her mom forgets, and from Marisol's brother, who acts as handyman so they don't have to call their landlord and risk getting kicked out of the apartment. But now there's a new landlord who is insisting on upgrades, and Marisol's brother is moving away, and Darcy's grandmother tells her the money will stop when she turns 18 in just a few months. Unsure what to do and how to deal with her new slate of problems, Darcy continues hiding them from the world and tries to take refuge in her books as she always does. But Asher, who graduated last year and is working construction across the street from the bookstore, won't seem to leave well enough alone, even though Darcy is terrified of opening up.

Typing up this summary, it seems like this book was all over the place! It read much more cohesively than I was able to convey. Darcy has been dealt a tough hand, and has much to deal with, but she has a great support system in the supporting cast of characters. The title and the cover made me think books would have more of a role to play in the novel, and they do have a small role -- just not as big of a part as I expected, and I don't know if that aspect of the plot was wholly necessary. Anyway, this was a compelling read that I didn't want to put down. 4 stars.

96 books read: This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Red and Blue are elite agents on either side of the time war -- Red works for the Agency, a technology-based society, and Blue for Garden, a plant-based community. They're both the best at what they do for their respective sides, and each has admired the other from afar. When Red finds a letter on a battlefield marked "Burn before reading," she's wary -- is it a trap? But curiosity gets the better of her, and soon she and Blue have begun a delicate correspondence across time, each finding one creative way after another to communicate with the other. But such a delicate balance cannot last, and their dalliances do not go unnoticed by their superiors....

I went into this thinking it would be a quick read; it's a slim volume with fairly large text. I had to purposefully slow myself down to fully enjoy it over the course of about a week. This is a gorgeous book, with poetic prose, and scenes and lines that bear rereading. I loved it -- every line is bursting with creativity, and every idea is layers deeper than it seems at first glance. I'll have to reread the whole thing at some point to fully grasp it all. 4.5 stars.

>127 curioussquared: So glad this worked for you! One of my all-time favorites. Like you, I found myself savoring it, but I also struggled to put it down because I loved it so much. My favorite was the teashop in the alternate imperialist London. Just a gorgeous vignette, and I wanted to be in that teashop in that moment.

Just stopping by to wish you well, Natalie.

>128 libraryperilous: Yes, the teashop was gorgeous. I'm having trouble picking a favorite! I did like Atlantis. ETA -- I heard the virtual Hugo Awards ceremony was a mess, but one good thing to come out of it was TIHYLTTW won for best novella :)

>129 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

>130 curioussquared: I saw that and was happy. I also was inspired to put A Memory Called Empire on hold. Perhaps I actually will read it this time. I've borrowed a few times and just never started it. :)

>131 libraryperilous: I'll look forward to your review once you get to it!

97 books read: Still Another Day by Pablo Neruda

This is Neruda's ode to Chile. I don't read a ton of poetry, but I'm always up for some Neruda. Gorgeous, and the translator did a fantastic job. 5 stars.

98 books read: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

Locke Lamora and his group of thieves, the Gentleman Bastards, are embroiled in several plots to take advantage of the nobility of Camorr. But then a new face shows up in Camorr, terrorizing the underworld: the Grey King. Locke thought his secrets were safe, but suddenly, he's being forced to double cross his associates to keep his own plots alive.

I've been hearing good things about this book for ages, and it's been on my shelf for ages, too. Maybe it was too built up for me, or I wasn't the right audience. I enjoyed this, but I didn't think it was brilliant. I liked Locke as a character, yes, but the first half to two thirds of the book went veeery slowly, and it took a while to adjust to the flashback storytelling style. 4 stars -- good, well done, just not my favorite ever.

>134 curioussquared: This is still on my shelves, but I've bounced off of it twice so far.

>135 ronincats: I think it was a good read and cleverly done, but I had trouble really caring about the characters, and I don't have any desire to read the sequel.

99 books read: The Meaning of It All by Richard Feynman

Physicist Richard Feynman shares his thoughts in a series of lectures on the relationship between science, religion, and the meaning of life, among other things.

I read this for the "Philosophy or Spirituality" square on my Seattle Public Library Summer Book Bingo card; neither of those topics is something that interests me and this is about as close as I get, lol. Interesting enough.

100 books read: Leave It to Psmith by P. G. Wodehouse

Freddie Threepwood has hatched a plan to make a quick thousand pounds -- in collaboration with his uncle, they'll steal his Aunt Constance's necklace. Should be simple, since they're all staying at Blandings Castle together. But Aunt Constance is intimidating, and Freddie's not keep on doing the job himself -- so he's happy to see an advert in the paper from Psmith advising his availability for any job whatsoever (so long as it has nothing to do with fish). Sooner than Freddie expects, Psmith is on his way to Blandings (under a false name, of course), and their plot is underway. But it turns out that very few people at Blandings are who they say they are, and some of those people want to get their hands on Aunt Constance's necklace, too...

This was a delight, as Wodehouse always is. The plot is intricate and devious and everyone is connected in some unexpected way. Can I please take a trip to Blandings to see the famous gardens? 4 stars.

101 books read: I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest

Three years ago, May's friend Libby died in a car accident when her mother drove off the Ballard Bridge in Seattle. May was devastated -- Libby was her best and only real friend in her new city, and she's even more devastated when she learns that Libby's dad left town and hired a service to clean and sell the house -- and the cleaners got rid of the boxes of May and Libby's comic collaboration, Princess X. But now May's back in Seattle for the summer to stay with her dad, and walking down the street, she sees the impossible -- a sticker on a building unmistakably featuring Princess X. May's not sure what it means -- Is Libby somehow alive? Did someone find their boxes of comics paraphernalia and run with it? -- but she's determined to find out.

I couldn't put this down! Thanks to Foggidawn for the recommendation. This is a mystery/thriller/scavenger hunt all wrapped up into one, with some bonus graphic novel content. Plus, I loved traipsing around Seattle with May and Patrick. The story gets to the point near the end where you need to start suspending your disbelief a little more, but if you're doing it right, you'll be so wrapped up at that point that you won't care and will just go along with it. 4 stars, and I'm interested in checking out more of Priest's work.

>138 curioussquared: Oh, a visit to Blandings is always a delight, especially at this time of year.

>139 curioussquared: Yay, glad you liked it!

102 books read: Lovely War by Julie Berry

In the midst of World War II, Greek goddess Aphrodite is meeting Ares for a tryst when they're both caught in the act by her husband, Hephaestus. Angry that his wife continually ignores him for other gods, Hephaestus puts the pair on trial. As part of her testimony, Aphrodite tells the story of some of her favorite mortal lovers who meet during World War I -- they're not people you've heard of, but she loves their stories just the same. Hazel and James, and Aubrey and Colette, whose lives and tales are intertwined.

I'd seen this book recommended quite a bit and thought it sounded interesting but never totally grasped what the plot was -- does it take place during WWI? Or WWII? And wait, there are Greek gods? After reading it... it's still really hard to summarize, because there's a lot going on. The base story is the tale of the mortal romances that takes place during WWI. I liked this aspect, but didn't find it particularly groundbreaking -- it seemed like any old war romance, and there were a few elements of the writing and storytelling that grated on me. (All the characters used really weird voices to talk to themselves -- at one point Hazel calls herself "my girl" in her head -- and I found all of the characters to think and talk in a very modern way.) Then there's the frame story with the Greek gods during WWII, which was definitely more interesting and lent a sort of greater grandeur to the book. Most reviews I've read really seemed to like this aspect. I wanted to like it, but I'm not really sure Berry totally pulled it off. Overall, an enjoyable way to pass the time at the beach, but not really groundbreaking and not one I'll pick up again. 3.5 stars.

This week we're up at Tim's family's house on an island north of Seattle. I'm still working most days, but it's a nice change of pace to work from somewhere else, especially somewhere with such a pretty view :) I'll post some pictures when I can get them uploaded -- the wifi here is so-so.

Gorgeous views! For a second I thought the photo of Skelly was a horse standing in a lake, LOL.

>144 MickyFine: LOL, it's not the first time he's been mistaken for a horse, though he gets deer more often.

103 books read: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt

In this memoir, McCourt recounts the astonishing poverty of his youth, starting in Brooklyn, NY but mostly in Limerick, Ireland, until he becomes a young man and saves enough money to move back to the United States.

This should be a sad story, and it is in parts, but McCourt tells it with such humor and grace that it never quite feels that way. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author and totally fantastic. I was laughing out loud and tearing up at alternate pages. Highly recommended - 5 stars.

Capitol Hill Books in Washington DC is doing a very cool grab bag program -- fill out the form with your info, favorite genres/books/authors, and budget, and they'll pick a stack of books for you! You can get them sent to you directly, or you can see the stack before they send it to weed out any you don't want from what they have chosen.

Based on my provided info, they chose for me:
The Dispossessed
The Awakening
The Remains of the Day
The Sympathizer
A Memory Called Empire
Midnight Robber
Pet
Felix Ever After

I thought it was a pretty good selection! I had already read The Awakening, The Remains of the Day, and Pet, so asked that they remove those, but the others will be shipped to me :)

https://www.capitolhillbooks-dc.com/

>147 curioussquared: Very fun!

104 books read: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

Cassie Logan lives with her grandmother, parents, and siblings on her family's land in Mississippi during the Great Depression. While they own half the land outright, her family is still paying off the mortgage on the other half. Owning the land gives Cassie and her family more independence than other Black families in the region, most of whom are sharecroppers, and Cassie has grown up proud of her heritage. But trouble is brewing, and Cassie will have to reckon with what it means to be Black as her family fights odds that are stacked against them.

This is a classic children's novel that I'm finally getting to, and I can see why it's a classic. This is a powerful story that I think might make a good companion to To Kill a Mockingbird for younger readers, I wish I had read this sooner! 4.5 stars.

>149 curioussquared: Such a great book, although I haven't read it since elementary school.

>147 curioussquared: Quite a few indie bookshops have done variations of this, including mystery book boxes. I've seen at least one bookstore that was booking private shopping in hour blocks for browsing. Clever!

>150 libraryperilous: Yes! I definitely appreciated it as somebody who has purchased way too many books during this pandemic and was running out of ideas. It's harder to shop online when you have to search for a specific title instead of being able to browse the shelves and fun staff displays. Many bookstores are starting to reopen in my area, but I just don't think it's worth the risk yet, especially when I already have so many books at home to read. So this was a nice change of pace.

105 books read: The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White

Louis the swan was born a little different from his other Trumpeter Swan brothers and sisters -- he has no voice! But he's a smart swan, and with the help of a boy named Sam, he learns to read and write, and then to play the trumpet so he can communicate with other swans.

Another children's classic I missed as a kid. I read Stuart Little and Charlotte's Web, but missed this one. I thought it was a little slow going at first, before the cygnets are born and travel to Montana for the first time, but once Louis sets off on his own I was hooked, and I was enchanted by Louis' interactions with humans and his dedication to his music and the enjoyment he took from performing. But I could see modern children having trouble getting past the first bit. 4 stars.

106 books read: Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein

When she was 19, Avery was the frontrunner to make the US Olympic women's gymnastics team -- until the worst day of her life, when she suffered a freak accident at the Olympic trials that ended her career and her Olympics hopes. Since then, she's failed out of college and worked part-time as a gymnastics coach while dating an up-and-coming NFL player. But when that relationship ends, Avery goes crawling home to her parents' house in Massachusetts, totally unsure where her life is going next -- until an old gymnastics acquaintance, Ryan, reaches out to ask if she would be able to help his Olympic hopeful perfect her floor routine. Suddenly, Avery has a purpose, and her life seems to be getting back on track. And it doesn't hurt that Ryan is super cute!

This was a fun romance, and I'm always a sucker for a gymnastics story. This one had a broader message of improving mental health in the sport, which I also appreciated! 4 stars.

Hi Natalie! Both Roll of Thunder and The Trumpet of the Swan were favorites when I was in elementary school. I've reread both as an adult and I agree with your comments about both. I also just placed a hold on Head Over Heels. I'm not sure when it will get here, or when I will read it, but it sounds good!

>154 aktakukac: Yay, I hope you enjoy! I know you're pretty busy right now and I think this is a perfect light read :)

>155 curioussquared: That's great, because those are exactly the kinds of books I need right now. I have a bad habit of putting too many things on hold and using the automatic renewal feature too often, but I never know if or when I will have time to read, or what I will be in the mood for when I actually do finish a book! Not that I couldn't read my own books...I should do that sometimes.

>156 aktakukac: Lol, I think we all have this problem :) I've been using the digital feature where you can delay delivery on an ebook or audiobook a LOT lately -- I feel like I always get four holds ready at once and I'm like, no, I don't have time for all of you! So it's nice to be able to pass on a few and get them a week or so later when I am ready.

Our week at the beach was great! I did equal amounts of working and relaxing. This weekend we had some friends come up for Saturday and Sunday and we did some socially distanced outdoor hanging out and grilling, which was easy to do since it was a gorgeous couple of days. Lots of beach walking, paddle boarding, kayaking, the works. I managed to hurt my shoulder somehow on Thursday so I avoided paddles, but did some low-impact ocean floating :)

It was nice to get some relatively normal (as normal as it can be when we're all distancing and wearing masks) summer friend time before summer is over! I'm worried what pandemic winter is going to do for all of our mental health when it's too cold to hang out with friends outside. We're considering investing in a patio heater so we can hang out with friends outside our house even when it's chilly.

107 books read: There There by Tommy Orange

There There follows several Native American characters in a series of interconnected stories all leading up to the big new Oakland pow wow.

I picked this up for the "indigenous author" square on my Seattle Public Library summer book bingo and I'm so glad I did. This is a powerful debut, examining and challenging Native American stereotypes throughout, and there's a sense of something building up throughout the book despite the jumping between characters. I often have trouble getting into books that are more like interconnected vignettes than a consistent story, but didn't experience that at all with this book. I don't even know that I would say there were characters I liked better than others -- they were all interesting and integral to the telling. There are probably 10-12 voices featured, and each managed to be both distinct and also connected enough to the others to carry on the story. 4.5 stars.

>147 curioussquared: So glad to see you liked what you got from Capitol Hill Books, Natalie! They are located right by the house I grew up in and they've been around for ages and everyone who works there is really wonderful.

>160 norabelle414: Oh, that's awesome! I just happened across this program when my favorite local bookstore promoted it on Twitter, and I can't resist supporting a good independent bookstore, but love hearing a great real life review. My books just arrived today :)

108 books read: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

It's 1999, and the world is preparing for Y2K. Lincoln gets an IT job at a newspaper, which turns out to mostly consist of monitoring employee email accounts. Most of the emails are boring, but there are a ton of emails between two women, Beth and Jennifer, that keep getting flagged. Lincoln knows he should issue them a warning, but he's not sure for what, and he feels creepy, but he can't seem to stop reading their conversations -- they seem so nice, and friendly, and smart, and he's so lonely...

Just slipping in a quick comfort read! I love this story and these characters. 5 stars.

109 books read: The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang

In a land ruled by the Protector, her twin children Akeha and Mokoya are promised to the monastery in return for the abbot's help in suppressing a rebellion. The Protector rules with the help of the Slack, access to magical powers, and the twins train in slackcraft at the monastery until it becomes clear that Mokoya is a prophet and the Protector recalls them. In this world, children are born gender neutral and undergo gender confirmation when they are older. This confirmation also marks Akeha and Mokoya parting ways, as Mokoya is tied to the protectorate due to her prophetic talents, and Akeha decides to increase his distance from his mother and runs away. Even as they are parted and Akeha falls in with the rebellious machinists, who are creating technology for those who can't use slackcraft, the twins are still bonded and occasionally meet as the years pass.

This novel was bursting with fresh ideas and a really interesting story, and I really enjoyed it for the most part. I think my experience was a little marred by listening to the audiobook; it's the kind of book that has a huge amount of worldbuilding done really fast, with quick pacing (there are several jumps where we skip 5-10 years), and I was occasionally a little lost trying to keep up while listening. I think I would like to continue the series, but I'd probably read the others instead of listening. 3.5 stars.

>162 curioussquared: One of my favourites too.

>163 curioussquared: I tried this one when it was published and DNFed it. I felt awful about doing that, because the plot seemed so unique. I'll try it again someday.

>165 libraryperilous: Do you remember why you DNFed it? Just curious. The pacing seemed off to me on audio, but maybe listening helped me get through bad pacing that would have been worse in print.

>166 curioussquared: Iirc, it was the infodumping and also that the writing style was either disjointed or flowery.

>167 libraryperilous: LOL, I think it may have been both a little disjointed and flowery. Another thing I was able to kind of ignore on audio.

N. K. Jemisin's newest, The City We Became, is $3.99 on Kindle today! I couldn't resist snagging it.

>169 curioussquared: Enjoy! I certainly did when I read it recently,

>170 ronincats: Thanks, Roni! Hoping to get to it soon; I am notorious for ignoring books I buy on my Kindle, oops.

I hope everyone had a nice Labor Day weekend! Mine had lots of reading and lots of yard work and now I'm very sore from pulling out piles and piles of ivy.



110 books read: A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green

In this sequel to An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, a lot of questions are answered -- who are the Carls, and why did they come to Earth? Why was April May chosen as their host and companion? What will humanity do now that the Carls and the dream are gone? In the wake of April's disappearance and presumed death, her friends are a little directionless. Andy has stepped into April's role in the spotlight and made a bunch of money, but he's not really sure how to move forward. Until he finds a book called The Book of Good Times that seems to have figured out the whole direction thing for him...

I found this book really tough to get through for some reason; I was just never fully grabbed by it. But it was satisfying in a lot of ways, since AART basically introduced a million questions and left 999,999 of them unanswered; this book basically goes through and answers them one by one while maintaining a plot and some character development. I didn't much like April in the first book so I was happy to get some additional POVs in this one. I'm not sure what it is, but I just feel like I should have liked this book more. It answered the questions I wanted it to answer, and it did it well, but something about it just never quite clicked with me. Maybe because I felt a little like I was forced into reading it without realizing it existed when I read the first one and it ended with a bunch of cliffhangers. I also had a vague sense the whole way through that the whole book was more of a thought experiment exploring some big philosophical questions all dressed up in a plot, rather than a good plot and characters used to explore philosophical questions, if that makes sense. I definitely had more of a sense of relief than satisfaction upon finishing, so I don't know what that means. With the first book in the series, I was reluctant going in because I was already familiar with Hank Green's YouTube work and didn't feel a need to read his novel, but I was pleasantly surprised when I couldn't put it down and read it quickly. This one I had the opposite experience -- reading felt like a chore and I'm not sure why. Anyway, 3.5 stars; this Green brother's writing just might not be for me.

111 books read: The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly by Jamie Pacton

Kit Sweetly works at the Castle, a Medieval Times-like dinner and a show joint with featuring turkey legs, ale, and plenty of jousting. She's just a serving wench, but she's always wanted to be a knight like her older brother -- not only is she qualified, having trained with her brother, but the knights get better pay, which would definitely help out with her college savings since her family is broke and there's no way her mom can pay. Too bad company policy says knights can only be played by cis men. One night, when her brother is running late and not feeling great, she takes his place as the Red Knight, wearing a helmet. She can't resist pulling an Eowyn move when she wins, taking her helmet off and yelling, I AM NO MAN! Soon, the video of her win goes viral, and Kit finds herself the unwitting head of a long-overdue feminist revolution at the Castle.

This was a cute book! I think I liked the concept a teeny bit more than the execution, but it was still a fun read. I didn't realize going in that Kit was in high school and I had been expecting a more mature story, but it was enjoyable all the same. 3.5 stars.

112 books read: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

Enola Holmes has always lived at home with her mother in the countryside, away from London and her older brothers Mycroft and Sherlock. But when her mother disappears, her brothers descend and instantly turn Enola's life upside down, declaring her to be a feral 14-year-old and determining to send her off to boarding school. But Enola knows she's the only one who can find her mother, and she's smarter than her brothers give her credit for, so as soon as they leave, she hatches a plan...

Such a fun book! I was inspired to read this by the new Netflix adaptation that's coming out later this month, which looks excellent, and I'm happy to report the book was excellent too. I feel like this is everything I wanted The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie to be, with bonus Sherlock Holmes content. If you like mysteries featuring independent, precocious young girls, Enola Holmes is for you. I'm excited to continue the series! 4.5 stars.

>174 curioussquared: Glad to see you enjoyed that one. I've contemplated picking it up since the Netflix trailer came out. Not sure if I'll read it before I watch it but I feel more willing to pick it up now. :)

>174 curioussquared: Yes, I wasn't sure what to expect, but I really enjoyed it and it made me more excited for the movie! It was a super quick read, too. I hope you pick it up at some point!

>174 curioussquared: Unusually, I didn't enjoy the Enola Holmes as much as I thought I would, so I'll watch for your reviews of further adventures. I'm glad you liked it. The Netflix adaptation looks fun.

>177 libraryperilous: Agreed, I would have thought it would be right up your alley! I didn't go in with high expectations so that might have helped. I'll let you know what I think of the next ones!

I loved the whole Enola Holmes series when I read it several years ago.

>174 curioussquared: Book bullet, and the library has it!

>179 foggidawn: I have the second one on hold and am excited to read more!

>180 ronincats: yay, enjoy!

113 books read: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

Narrated by Mary Boleyn, Anne's younger sister, The Other Boleyn Girl tells the story of the Boleyn family and their rise to power at Henry VIII's court -- first through Mary, who becomes the king's mistress and bears him two children, and then through Anne, whose sights are set higher than mistress. It all tells the story of their fall from grace, as Anne fails to bear Henry a son despite having convinced him to divorce his first wife.

This was a fun book. Gregory does a good job of rounding out the characters and making you root for them, especially Mary, despite the fact that you know what has to happen in the end. I never saw the movie that was made several years ago, but I might keep an eye out for it if it's on any of my streaming services. 3.5 stars.

We're all staying indoors even more than usual this weekend as Seattle is covered in smoke from fires up and down the coast. It feels pretty apocalyptic at the moment. The dogs don't understand why they haven't had a walk since Friday morning, and I'm missing our walks, too!

You would think I'd be getting a lot of reading done, stuck indoors, but I think the smoke is putting everyone in a funk and I haven't been able to concentrate very well. I'm finally making some headway on Leviathan Wakes -- I'm supposed to be done before virtual book club on Thursday night. I didn't realize it was such a long book, though, and I definitely should have started earlier!

>182 curioussquared: I really liked The Other Boleyn Girl (though it's not my favorite Philippa Gregory) but thought the movie with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson was pretty bad. However, the recent Starz adaptation of The Constant Princess (the show is called The Spanish Princess) is really good and has been renewed for another season so I'm hoping they'll overlap with The Other Boleyn Girl eventually.

>184 norabelle414: Good to know! If I watch the movie, it will probably be more for the costumes and scenery :) I'll keep a lookout for The Spanish Princess. Which is your favorite Philippa Gregory? I've found them to be fun listens so far, at least this one and The Queen's Fool.

Ugh, the air quality on the West Coast right now :(

So sorry to you and everyone going through it.

I'm keen to try Gregory's Tidelands.

I haven't been by for a while, Natalie, but I've picked up a lot of reading inspirations from your thread. Nice holiday photos and I'm glad to see Skelly and Otter enjoyed it too.

>174 curioussquared: That looks intriguing and I think I've seen other people on LT enjoyed it too. I remember liking Nancy Springer's Book of the Isle series, way back when.

>185 curioussquared: I think my favorite is The Boleyn Inheritance, which is the alternating POV of Anne of Cleves (wife 4), Katherine Howard (wife 5), and Jane Rochford (married to Anne and Mary Boleyn's brother George). I found their stories really interesting and not often told. I really liked the structure and the very different voices of the very different women.

I've never listened to any Philippa Gregory on audio! I might give it a try.

>186 libraryperilous: Thanks :( It was supposed to be better today, but apparently the rain last night wasn't strong enough to do anything about the air quality. Dogs are going stir crazy and I am too!

>187 humouress: Good to see you, Nina! I need to stop by your thread, too. Nancy Springer is one of those authors I feel like has been around forever but I've never really associated with a specific series. I think she wrote a few Arthurian novels that I enjoyed in elementary and middle school. Also, I totally read those Book of the Isle books too and enjoyed them, but 100% did not realize they were by her until you made the connection for me!

>188 norabelle414: Ooh, I will keep an eye out for that one! Jane Rochford appears in The Other Boleyn Girl, too, and not in a good light, so I'd be interested to hear her perspective.

114 books read: Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

This first novel of The Expanse series follows James Holden, newly captain of a small space crew, and Joe Miller, an experienced cop on Ceres, out in the Belt. They've never met, but Miller's newest case, tracking down Julie Mao, estranged daughter of a rich family, keeps bringing Holden and his crew to his attention. When things get complicated on Ceres, Miller decides to try to track down Holden and the crew and books a one-way ticket to Eros, where he thinks they're headed...

You can definitely tell this is the first in a long, complicated series; I felt like most of the first half was world-building and stage-setting and didn't feel truly into the story until around halfway through. (If I were reading it on my own, there's a possibility I would have abandoned it, but this was our September book club pick so I persevered and I'm glad I did!) I did really enjoy it starting then, and I look forward to continuing the series and starting the TV show at some point. 4 stars.

With all the smoke this past week (it only cleared up on Saturday!), I missed out on the audiobook listening I usually do during dog walks, so I only finished the one book last week. I am working on some others, but life is feeling a little busy all of a sudden! Work is super busy, and.... we decided to get another dog! Because we are crazy? Not sure. I will introduce our new family member later properly with pictures!

They outnumber you, Natalie! You brave soul.

>192 MickyFine: Brave or foolhardy? Lol.

Everybody meet Kermit!

He is a 1.5 year old greyhound and a total sweetheart. Adjusting to his new life very well -- he took to couches very quickly and would sleep in our bed if we let him. (He might earn that privilege eventually, but we want to teach him that we decide when he can come in the bed.) He is impossibly soft and a big, lovable derp.

What a cutie!! Hi Kermit!

Kermit looks like an excellent pupper. Give all three of your fur babies scritches between the ears from me. :)

>193 curioussquared: I am constantly tempted. The pet supply store we go to always has adoptable cats/kittens roaming the store and at our most recent visit there was an adorable long-haired Siamese who was so snuggly it was hard to leave her behind. But I'm reluctant to let our cats outnumber us, especially since integrating my and my husband's cats when we got married was a challenging process.

>194 curioussquared: Adorable! I want to give him so many hugs.

>195 norabelle414: Kermit says, Hi, Nora!

>196 MickyFine: I will pass on your scritches! It took me a good year after getting Otter to feel like, huh, I could have another dog, and I wasn't seriously considering it until Tim called me into his office a week and a half ago and showed me some available greyhounds on his computer :) But once I knew he was open to it, I was sort of like, why not? We have the space, time, and means, and as long as they all get along, there couldn't be a better time to get a dog, since we're both working from home for the foreseeable future. The thing that gave us the final push into doing it was an article about how greyhounds will be much tougher to get in the coming years now that most of the remaining tracks in the US will be closed as of January. So far these three guys are getting along -- Skelly has had to show Kermit who's boss a few times, but Kermit has responded really well and is learning his place in the pack.

>197 foggidawn: He would give you many hugs back! One of the things that led us to choose him at the adoption agency was when he jumped up and put his paws on both of our chests in order to reach our faces and give kisses. Probably something we'll need to train out of him... but it was so sweet and definitely indicative of the temperament we wanted!

115 books read: Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

An easy reread for busy times. I think this is still the only book I've ever read where I finished it for the first time and then turned around and immediately read it again -- I was probably 12 or 13. I'm not a fan of Card as a person, but this book still affects me every time I read it. 5 stars.

He's gorgeous, and he looks like a big pile of happy. Happy adoption!

Welcome Kermit!
He looks very happy with his new life. Glad he is doing well with Skelly and Otter :-)

>201 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana! Big pile of happy is a good way to describe him :)

>202 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! It's so rewarding to see a new pet settle in and get comfy!

116 books read: Mysterious Miss Slade by Dick King-Smith

Miss Slade lives all by herself with lots of animals, including her six dogs and Moke the donkey, in a dirty caravan on a messy bit of land. She's not the best at taking care of herself, and she smells. The children of the village are all certain she's a witch, and none of them will visit her, despite the fact that Miss Slade would welcome their company and treat them to chips and cookies. But then two new children move with their family nearby, and they don't know about what the other children say about Miss Slade. Soon, Miss Slade finds herself with some new friends and starts feeling like it might be time to make some changes...

This is a sweet book. My love of Dick King-Smith dates back to the age of six, when I was placed in an advanced readers course with just two other girls in my first grade class and we read Three Terrible Trins out loud to one another. (One of those girls is my oldest friend and we regularly trade book recommendations via text, even though she lives in CA right now!) Then, as a mouse-obsessed elementary schooler, I checked out Magnus Powermouse from the school library. It was a little bit of a tough read for me, so my dad and I read it together, and he helped me with the words I had trouble with. I enjoyed Mysterious Miss Slade, and even though the main characters were humans rather than animals as they are in my favorite King-Smith books, this one has some excellent animal characters as all of his books do. Recommended, but not my favorite of his books. 4 stars.

117 books read: The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine

Sophie grew up well off, but when her father died suddenly with seemingly no provisions made for her, she found herself on her own. The only thing for it was to get a job, and Sophie managed to find a pretty good one in the millinery department of the brand new Sinclair's department store, opening shortly. But then disaster strikes -- another employee is shot, and the famous jewels on display for the store opening are stolen, and Sophie, who had to run back for something the evening of the crime, is implicated. Luckily, she has her new friends Lil and Billy to help her solve the mystery and clear her name.

Thanks to Diana for the recommendation! This was such a fun book. Reminiscent of The Paradise, the TV show, but aimed at a younger audience. I'd like to read the rest of the series at some point, but my library doesn't have any other digital copies so it might be a little while. 4 stars.

Ooh, glad you enjoyed it. Bummer that the other titles aren't available.

118 books read: The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Doing an audio reread of this favorite series in preparation for the final book coming next week! I'm not going to finish the series by then, especially because my library holds are taking forever to come in, but that's ok, I'll read the new one when I finish.

Oof, not much reading happening the past few days! My new job means I'm not quite as busy as I've been the past few years at this time of year, but I'm still in the same field (healthcare communications), which means it's still Open Enrollment season :) The first half of this week was crazy busy -- I don't think it'll be as bad the rest of the month, but this felt like I was back at my old job!

Today is also my birthday! We're planning on getting some takeout and maybe seeing some family at a distance this Saturday.

Kermit is still settling in fantastically. He is a big sweetheart and is learning so fast. Skelly and Otter like to play with him already and it feels like he has made the whole house a little livelier. I love it!

Happy birthday, Natalie! At this rate I think everyone is going to have at least one COVID birthday (except for leap day babies) so we should celebrate twice as much next year. ;)

Excellent news that Kermit is settling in. Fingers crossed your work settles down soon.

Happy birthday Natalie!!!!

>209 MickyFine: Thank you! Yes, I think so too. I'm more concerned about not having a COVID wedding at this point. We were targeting next August, but I don't want to have a big celebration if the vaccine isn't above a certain effectiveness level and everyone will still have to wear masks, so if it looks like that will be the case we'll probably do a smaller wedding next summer and a big party later.

>210 norabelle414: Thank you, Nora!!

Happy birthday!

>211 curioussquared: Fingers crossed for you, Natalie. We had one friend who had a COVID wedding this year (we watched via livestream as the wedding was small and halfway across the country). We've got two weddings next year. One is seriously considering eloping and just doing a big party when such a thing is possible again. The other still has big wedding plans for now (it's in August 2021) so we'll see how that goes. Plus we have another set of friends who just got engaged but no idea about their wedding plans yet.

>212 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana!

>213 MickyFine: Yeah, we had two weddings this year, one in September and one that would have been this weekend. Both I think settled on still getting married with a mini ceremony on their original date but postponing the big party for a year or so.

119 books read: Prince Charming by Rachel Hawkins

Daisy is your typical Florida teenager, working at the off-brand Walmart with her best friend Isabel to save money to go to Key Con and meet their favorite author in a few weeks. Except her perfect sister Ellie is somehow dating Alex, the Prince of Scotland -- wait, scratch that, they're engaged. Daisy finds herself unwillingly dragged into the spotlight and bundled off to Scotland for the summer, where she'll deal with more rich, noble teenagers than she knew existed and try to make Ellie happy with her behavior despite numerous missteps. Luckily, the royal family hires snooty Miles to keep Daisy in line, and Daisy is determined to deal with him despite his coldness.

This was pure fun! It felt a little bit like The Princess Diaries told from the sidelines. Daisy is funny and real and the whole cast of characters is a hoot. 4 stars.

I have a bunch of books going right now but don't seem to be progressing too fast in any of them!

Working my way through To Say Nothing of the Dog on audio, which is totally delightful, just long.

In early days in Gideon the Ninth, which I'm enjoying so far, but might be suffering from a tad bit of hype. I think I just need enough time to get into it.

Reading Spy, Spy Again before bed on my Kindle -- so far it's another mediocre entry in the recent Valdemar books, but kind of cozy and comforting for bedtime.

Started Posh on my lunch breaks, mostly because I had neglected to bring my other reads upstairs to my office :) This is one of my oldest unread books on my shelf so I'll be glad to have it done.

I received one book for my birthday -- A Long Petal from the Sea, Allende's latest, from my grandpa, with whom I've always shared a love of books, though our tastes are very different :) I also bought Raybearer and The Left-Handed Booksellers of London as a present for myself :D

120 books read: Spy, Spy Again by Mercedes Lackey

Following yet another of Herald Mags' innumerable children, Spy, Spy Again features Tory, who is best friends with Prince Kee. Tory and Kee are both younger children with no real calling; they spend their days doing parkour-esque obstacle courses and helping Mags with his spy work, but nothing one would consider a true vocation. They share a unique gift -- together, they are able to farsee any member of their families, almost no matter where they are. When they experience the sensation of someone in danger but are unable to pinpoint who it is, they are unsurprised when Mags' and Tory's distant cousin, a member of the Sleepgiver assassin people, shows up to ask for their assistance in locating his sister, a Sleepgiver herself, who has been kidnapped by Karsite priests. So, Tory and Kee set off on the journey of a lifetime, and much more is in store than they ever could imagine.

I just can't stop reading new Valdemar books, even though they haven't been great in a while. I think I've finally broken myself of the compulsion to read Lackey's Elemental Masters books, but these, I can't resist. I read an interview with Lackey recently where she talked about worldbuilding and how she can't stand when fantasy authors don't address how the city functions or where the sewers are or how the farmers get their food there. That's great, but it felt like it got taken too far in this book, perhaps partly because I had just read that interview -- every other paragraph, especially in the first half of the book, felt like it was dripping with unnecessary, uninteresting detail, to the point where it really felt like nothing HAPPENED in the first half of the book. Once I hit halfway, the story kickstarted, and I actually enjoyed the rest of it quite a bit, but it was a long ride to get there. Also, with the conclusion of this trilogy, I'm really really hoping we're done with Herald Mags (and his kids) for a while. Omg, I just looked up how many Mags books there have been because I couldn't remember if it was 7 or 8. IT'S ELEVEN! 5 initial books, a follow-up trilogy on Mags, and then this follow-up trilogy on his kids. MOVE ON, MISTY! Mags is so far from your greatest character and I am thoroughly done. Phew, sorry for the mini-rant that very few of you will appreciate. 3 stars.

121 books read: Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston

Rosie Thorne is just your normal teenage girl obsessed with Starfield. When she meets a masked stranger at ExcelsiCon and they share a magical night of good conversation and late-night diner food, she has no idea the man behind the mask is actually Vance Reigns, the notorious bad boy actor of the Starfield franchise. Soon after, Vance drives his Tesla into a pond with his costar Darrian Freeman's girfriend. Nobody is hurt, but Vance, who's still only 17, is sent to a remote property in the middle of nowhere Florida owned by a friend of his parents with his godfather to think about his actions and cool off for a while. And it just so happens that property is in Rosie's town. When Rosie stumbles on the property while trying to return Vance's dog and accidentally damages an expensive book, she offers to repay for it by organizing the library after school. Even though Vance is rude and unwelcoming, Rosie is determined to repay her debt -- and all the while, she's unaware that Vance is actually the mysterious cosplayer from the con...

This was so much fun! Poston's Once Upon a Con series gets better and better. I'm a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and this one also featured an excellent dog, Howl's Moving Castle references, and a pair of excellent best friends, so what more can one ask for? 4 stars.

122 books read: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis

It's 2056, and Ned Henry is a historian -- that is, a time traveler who travels back to learn about the past. Lately, though, his time traveling efforts have been focused on one thing and one thing only -- the imperious Lady Schrapnell simply MUST have the bishop's bird stump back in time for the dedication of the newly rebuilt Coventry Cathedral, and despite their best efforts, none of the historians can find it or pinpoint when it may have been lost, and the inexplicable time travel slippage that's happening doesn't help things. Having made innumerable time jumps in the past few days on no sleep, Ned is showing signs of a serious case of time lag, but he knows if he stays in 2056, Lady Schrapnell will find him and send him on another useless quest for the bishop's bird stump. So it's determined that he'll go back to Victorian times, spend a week or two at an estate there resting, and then return refreshed and ready to keep searching. Only... Ned's so time lagged that when he does get to Victorian times, he can't even remember what his instructions were or who he was supposed to meet. Somehow he ends up on a journey down the Thames accompanied by an Oxford student, a professor, and a bulldog named Cyril... sound familiar?

This has been on my shelf highly recommended for so, so long, and I'm so mad it took me this long to read it. It was fantastic -- one of my books of the year. It's funny and well written and chaotic and mysterious in all the best traditions -- I was at times reminded of PG Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, Oscar Wilde, and more, and I really need to read Three Men in a Boat now. Not to mention all the allusions I'm sure I missed. I didn't realize this, while a standalone, is technically #2 in the series, but honestly, I don't really need to read a book about a pandemic right now, so Doomsday Book will have to wait. 5 stars.

>219 curioussquared: I keep meaning to read this! I've enjoyed other books by that author. I need to get to it.

>220 foggidawn: This is my first Willis, but I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more now!

>219 curioussquared: This one really does stand well on its own. Doomsday Book is my least favourite and while I own the other three books in the "series", I feel no compulsion to add that one to the collection. I highly recommend Blackout and All Clear, which are excellent and should be read close together as I believe they were originally one novel that the publisher argued to split due to length. Not as funny as TSNotD but it's a really excellent WWII time travel yarn.

Also, completely different and more on the fluffy end of sci fi, I really enjoyed Crosstalk by Willis.

I started Doomsday Book a few weeks ago and just couldn't b/c pandemic. I actually downloaded TSNotD a few days ago. I'm glad you loved it. I'll have to push it up the reading list. My hold on the Nix came in sooner than expected and I also am trying to read more of my own books. Also, more holds came in. I did push back a few of them by 7-14 days. Whew!

>222 MickyFine: Thank you for that run down! I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for Blackout, All Clear, and Crosstalk :)

>223 libraryperilous: I am constantly fighting the battle between library books and my own books! I'm about half and half this year and feeling pretty good about it. I use the "Deliver Later" feature on Libby ALL the time.

123 books read: These Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling

Hannah is an elemental witch living in Salem, Massachusetts. She and her parents belong to the only coven in town, and they are very, very careful to keep their powers hidden from Regs, or non-witches -- living in Salem, there are way too many reminders of what can happen when Regs start hunting witches. Hannah is still dealing with her tumultuous breakup with her ex, Veronica, who's also a witch and seems hellbent on convincing Hannah they need to get back together. But when Hannah and Vernonica stumble on an animal sacrifice in the woods during a bonfire party, Hannah starts to worry that there's a blood witch in town -- like the one that hunted her and Veronica on their trip to New York that led to their break up. Hannah really wanted to spend some time with Morgan, the new girl in town, but as strange things keep happening, she finds herself torn in multiple directions...

This was fun -- I enjoyed Sterling's take on witches and unique magical system. Most of the book read like a high school romance with witches, but the stakes do get pretty high, so it wasn't entirely fluff. Just what I needed for reading during a stressful week as work ramps up and the election grows ever-closer. I'll be looking for the sequel. 4 stars.

124 books read: The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Continuing my reread; my copy of Return of the Thief has arrived so I'm eager to get through these and start the new one! Always a pleasure to spend time with Eugenides, and listening to audio versions has been a delight as well. 5 stars.

Belated Happy Birthday Natalie! You're just 6 days before me.

Kermit looks like a sweetie! (How do you decide on your dogs' names?) Erm ... wonderful ... upside down photo of him. Not quite as silly as Jasper looks in that position but he's got those long legs all over the place. I'm glad he's such a nice addition to your family.

So many potential BBs - if I ever have time to read them all. By the way, your touchstone in >219 curioussquared: goes to the original book (which, at least, got me up to speed on it - I've only read the first in that series). I would use the 'delay delivery' option on Overdrive more but I'm afraid that all the books will just come in all together later and/ or I'll lose my hold because I still won't be able to get to them in time.

I read the original Mags books though it may have only been the first three or four and haven't read any since. Eleven books? I thought I read them as they came out and that wasn't that long ago; she's had time to write eight more?

>227 humouress: Thanks, Nina! Happy belated birthday to you as well :) The upside down photo of Kermit was taken his first night home and we have since learned that he prefers to spend much of his time in that position! Our dogs' names have all just felt right. Skelly is short for Skeletor because we thought it would be funny to have a Greyhound named Skeletor. Otter came with that name and with his long face whiskers, we felt it suited him. Kermit's name we chose before we met him; I've always loved the muppets and it seemed like a good name for a silly, floppy dog. I think we might have cursed ourselves, though, naming him after a frog -- turns out Kermit is a great jumper and I'm worried he's going to jump the fence one day! It's been over a month now with Kermit and he has settled beautifully; I'll try to add some more photos soon.

On the Libby app, when I delay delivery, I can still delay it again once it comes in. It basically just keeps me first in line for a hold until I'm ready for it. Not sure if Overdrive works the same!

Lackey is honestly a machine. She puts out something like 2-4 books a year, I think. The first Mags book came out in 2008 so she's just been releasing them one a year. There's been one elemental masters book each year for a while, too, as well as other projects she's working on. It's astonishing!

>228 curioussquared: Well, I flatly refused to let the boys name our dog 'Buster'; as it is, Jasper teethed on pebbles for preference - and that was his least destructive chewing.

I'll just poke my librarian nose in and say the deliver later feature works the same in the Libby app or on the web version of OverDrive (they're the same product - the app just has a different name). So yes, you can delay a hold as long as you want - you can also go in to your holds in Libby/OverDrive and pause them that way rather than waiting until you receive a delivery notification. I often prefer that method and will do it in the web version so I can pick a specific date rather than using the sliding bar in the app (works great for things like the Christmas-y reads I have on hold but don't quite want yet). And now I will disappear back into the stacks. ;)

>229 humouress: We all have to draw a line somewhere!

>230 MickyFine: Thank you, kind passing librarian! I knew they were the same product but not how closely the apps were aligned.

125 books read: The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

Just as good as always, and I always forget how much I love Costis. 5 stars.

126 books read: The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani

Sophie and Agatha live in the woods beyond, where every year two children are taken. The people of their village don't know who takes them or where they go -- they only know that later, those same children show up in the illustrations of fairy tales. Sophie desperately wants to be taken and does her best to make herself the ideal of a good person -- she makes herself beautiful, and befriends Agatha, the gross friendless girl, and brings her unappetizing health food. When the night comes for children to be taken, Sophie is taken, and Agatha is, too -- but when they get to their destination, Sophie is thrown in the School for Evil, and witchy-looking Agatha is taken to the School for Good.

I usually like a good middle grade fantasy, but this... was not good. The idea was interesting and that was where it ended. The writing was disjointed, the characters boring (ask me if I remember a single secondary character's name), the magic made no sense and had no rules, and the message was confused -- I think it was supposed to be about what you look like on the inside, but also Agatha didn't come into her power truly until she got a makeover, so... This book seems to be popular among actual children and I think that's the proper audience -- not really one that transcends age groups. 2 stars.

Lots of good reading going on over here (for the most part, at least)! Just stopping by to say hi!

>233 curioussquared: Yes, I had the same reaction to that one. I generously gave it two and a half stars.

>234 aktakukac: Good to see you, Rachel!

>235 foggidawn: I felt generous with 2 stars, honestly, but I guess I finished it, so... *shrug* Oh well, on to bigger and better books!

>233 curioussquared: I had a look at the descriptions of later books in the series and couldn't be bothered to try to figure out the plot.

Edited: corrected post #

>237 libraryperilous: I'm not sure there is any plot!

127 books read: Posh by Lucy Jackson

Posh follows several characters centered around a private high school in New York, including some of the rich, privileged students, some of their parents, and the beleaguered headmistress.

I think this book wanted to be sharp and incisive but it mostly came across as sad and bitter. The cover art is heavily reminiscent of the art for Prep, which I think it why I picked it up at the time -- I may have even thought it was a sequel. Anyway, this wasn't totally awful, but it definitely came across as pretentious. The overarching message seemed to be "rich people are stuck up" and that was kind of the big takeaway. Oh well, this has been on my shelves for 10+ years so I'm glad to have finally read it. 2.5 stars.

128 books read: A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner

As good as ever. We're getting into the books in the series I've read fewer times. 5 stars.

>240 curioussquared: One of these days/weeks/months/years I should start that series. I've seen so many readers on here recommending it and absolutely loving it, so I'll bump it up on my reading list.

>241 aktakukac: It's fantastic, and the perfect time, as the final book in the series just came out!

>240 curioussquared: I'm glad you're enjoying your reread! It's so lovely and comforting to fall into a reread of a favorite.

129 books read: The Switch by Beth O'Leary

A year and a half ago, Leena's sister Carla died from cancer, and since then, she's gone from her consulting firm's rising star to a total mess. When she has a panic attack during a client meeting, her boss insists she take a mandatory two months of leave to rest and recuperate. Drifting and unsure who she is without work, Leena decides to spend the first weekend of her leave with her grandma Eileen (for whom she is named) up in her Yorkshire village of Hamleigh. Her grandma's husband has recently left her, and while she is visiting, they get to talking about how Eileen never got to live out her dream of London due to getting pregnant with Leena's mum. Suddenly, the two hatch a daring plan -- what if Leena spends her two months of leave in Hamleigh, taking on Eileen's village responsibilities, and Eileen goes to London for two months, living in Leena's flat and exploring what London's 75+ dating pool has to offer? In a whirlwind, it's decided -- and both women will get much more than they bargained for in the other's life.

I loved O'Leary's first book, The Flatshare, and was a little worried this one wouldn't compare. I needn't have worried at all! The Switch was delightful, and just what I needed during a stressful, busy workweek pre-election. O'Leary has a knack for crafting totally loveable characters; I want everyone in this book to be my friend. Guess I need to move to Yorkshire. If I had to choose, I think I liked The Flatshare just a teeny bit more, but don't make me choose! 5 stars.

I'm hoping to finish one more book before the end of the month, which I think should put me in a good place to hopefully hit 150 for the first time this year. Fingers crossed!

>244 curioussquared: That's exactly how I felt about that book!

>244 curioussquared: I really need to read both of O'Leary's books. Maybe after I finish my current batch of library checkouts.

>264 curioussquared: Yay! I'm definitely looking forward to what O'Leary does in the future :D

>247 MickyFine: I'm pretty sure you'll love them, Micky!

>228 curioussquared: >230 MickyFine: I did try out the hold feature on Overdrive once but when the book came up again, I nearly put it on hold again but I thought it would end up being a never ending chain and I'd probably do that with more and more books and ... it was just easier to read it or let it go.

Happy Hallowe'en! (My older son says he only just realised that it was coming up and he didn't know what day it was supposed to be on. Teens! or Boys! I suppose this year there hasn't been the usual build-up in the shops from six months before the actual day to alert him.)

>249 humouress: Lol, very fair. I definitely have a few books I've been pushing that deliver later button on for a while....

Happy Halloween! We don't usually get any trick or treaters (our house is down a long driveway and just a little too annoying to get to) and I didn't really expect any during Covid halloween, except maybe the three kids who live right in front of us, but just in case I put out some candy in a muffin tin so kids could take some without touching all the rest of it. Surprise surprise, no takers. Oh well! We got pizza and watched Blade. I'll see if I can dress Kermit up in one of Skelly and Otter's hot dog costumes from last year and post a photo - I think it's his turn since he didn't wear it last year!

130 books read: Recommended for You by Laura Silverman

Shoshanna has worked at her local bookstore, Once Upon, for a few years now, and it's her happy place. She loves books, she loves talking about books, and she loves finding the perfect book for every customer. Which is why she's shocked when her boss, Myra, hires a new guy, Jake, for the holidays -- and Jake readily admits that he doesn't really read. Jake is annoying, but Shoshanna has other things to worry about -- like why her moms won't stop fighting, and how she's going to win the holiday bonus to pay for the repairs on her car, Barba Streisand. But she and Jake just keep getting thrown together, and as much as Shoshanna doesn't want to admit it, he's not so bad at this whole bookselling thing... plus, he's easy on the eyes!

This was a cute YA romance -- lots of fun holiday bookstore vibes, baking, latkes, a Christmas scavenger hunt... what more could you want? 4 stars.

131 books read: Thick as Thieves by Megan Whalen Turner

Continuing the reread! This is only my second read of this entry. Still very enjoyable, but it's not my favorite of the series. 5 stars. And now onto the new book!!

132 books read: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Andie Walker is used to pretty much being on her own, aside from her friends. Her mom died five years ago from cancer, and her dad is in Congress and constantly unavailable. But suddenly, her dad is under investigation for improper use of funds in his office, and he's forbidden to work for the summer. Andie's not worried -- she's off to a pre-med style internship program for the summer, anyway. But then her program acceptance is withdrawn, and she finds herself home, with her dad, with no summer plans. At a loss, she finds a job walking dogs -- and so begins her weirdest summer ever. One of her clients is Bertie the Great Pyrenees, who belongs to Clark, a guy who seems to be her age, but is living alone. As Andie and Clark start getting to know each other, Andie finds herself opening up more than she has to anyone but her friends in years... and maybe the summer won't be so bad after all.

I first read this a few years ago, and recently acquired my own copy and felt the need to reread it. It was just as cute the second time around! Cute, smart YA romance featuring lots of dogs, a great friend group, and a cute fantasy novelist love interest. Hits the spot! 4.5 stars.

>252 curioussquared: I've just discovered that there's an Attolian group on LT for MWT's fans which has been in existence since April 2010. I have the whole series except for the last book (on LTers recommendations) but I haven't started reading it yet. Soon, soon.

>254 humouress: Ooh, thanks for the heads up! Is it active? I will probably wait to join until I finish the new one, which I started last night, to avoid any possible spoilers.

In an attempt to distract myself from election stuff (hint: it will not work), here are some doggo pics.



Waiting for treats



Zombie dog... he sleeps like this often, weird boy.



Demanding pets. Kerm is very tall, even sitting down.



Autumnal longboys.

>256 curioussquared: I can't even make it through a page of The Perilous Gard. Sigh.

Love the doggo pics; glad your entourage's newest member seems to have fit in well.

>257 libraryperilous: Mostly I am pretending to work and just refreshing results instead. I probably should have taken the day off.

Doggo pics! Best thing I've seen today! (I'm also trying/pretending to work and refreshing results.)

>256 curioussquared: Perfect!
Even I need to be distracted from the news....

>259 foggidawn: >260 FAMeulstee: I'm glad my doggos can provide a brief respite :)

Your doggos are adorable, Natalie. The zombie sleeping photo cracked me up. My cats pull that on rare occasions.

>258 curioussquared: Live look at libraryperilous right now.

>262 MickyFine: Thank you Micky! I still laugh every time he does it even though it happens often.

>263 libraryperilous: LOL, I liked that tweet in solidarity earlier.

>256 curioussquared: Gorgeous*! How did you get them to line up like that? I can't even get Jasper (yes, just the one) to do that.

*except, possibly, for 'Zombie dog'. Mind you, my younger son does that. It freaks his brother out - but he used to do that himself when he was younger.

>258 curioussquared: >259 foggidawn: Don't bother refreshing. It's not going to change for ages and you'll just stress yourselves out. It'll happen whenever.



>255 curioussquared: It looks like the group is chugging along slowly. I just had a peek since I haven't started reading the series but I'm sure you could join in on the previous books.

>265 humouress: How did we get them to line up like that? Treats, of course! They are honestly not very well trained, but they will all reliably do "down" if there's a treat on the line. "Down" results are way less reliable with no treats involved.

I'm not reading your review of The Switch because I have it at the top of my stack of library books at home, but I did see you gave it 5 stars so that is encouraging.

Love the dog pictures!

>267 aktakukac: It was the perfect comfort read for these times, Rachel. Enjoy!

>256 curioussquared: The sleeping dog photo is an absolute hoot, Natalie! He is clearly as tired of the political process as the rest of us.

>269 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I was very glad to have the dogs during this long, long election week. They never fail to make me laugh, even when I'm at my most stressed.

This was a long week, and I'm so glad it ended the way it did. Biden isn't the democratic candidate I wanted, but it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders at the prospect of 45 finally being evicted from the White House. And I didn't expect how emotional I would be at the sight of our first female Vice President.

There's a long way to go, but I'm letting myself be a little hopeful today.

One thing I'm struggling with lately is the seeming impossibility of reasonable bipartisan discourse. I'm not sure how we're meant to communicate, let alone come together, as a nation when neither side agrees on what the facts are or believes the same media sources. I don't have any answers; this is just what's on my mind.

Anyway, enough politics. Back to books!

Somehow, I managed to get through a few books this week!



133 books read: Pigs Might Fly by Dick King-Smith

When the sow Mrs. Barleylove gives birth to a dag, or a piglet with problems, the other sows are sure the Pigman will take it away and they'll never see it again. But this dag is different, and he makes his way back to his mother, determined to survive. So Daggie Dogfoot is allowed to live, despite being a runt and his strange front forepaws without hooves. And Daggie is determined to make his mark on the world!

Dick King-Smith's animal stories are always a joy and this was no exception. The perfect thing for a stressful week. 4 stars.

>271 curioussquared:
the seeming impossibility of reasonable bipartisan discourse

That is one of the biggest challenges Biden Harris face, Natalie, you hit the nail on the head. At least I get the idea from them that they are willing to try.

134 books read: Waves by Sharon Dogar

Every summer, Hal and his family go to Cornwall and spend the months relaxing on the beach and surfing. But last summer, Hal's sister Charley was in a mysterious accident in the middle of the night where she suffered a head injury on a rock in the ocean -- and she's been in a coma ever since. With Charley still in hospital, Hal and his family return to Cornwall to make an attempt at some normalcy. But Hal is convinced Charley's fall was more than an accident, and he knows Charley wants him to find out what happened.

This has been on my shelf for so, so long, and I kind of wish I had weeded it ages ago. The story was fine to start, but the writing was weak (so many cliche metaphors, I couldn't keep count) and the story took a bizarre supernatural turn in the end that was never explained or questioned and was just a total departure from the tone of the rest of the book. 2 stars.

>273 PaulCranswick: Yes, I definitely think they are going to try their best! We'll see if they make any progress...