Curioussquared continues 2021 with some books: part 3

Dit is een voortzetting van het onderwerp Curioussquared continues 2021 with some books: part 2.

Dit onderwerp werd voortgezet door Curioussquared continues 2021 with some books: part 4.

Discussie75 Books Challenge for 2021

Sluit je aan bij LibraryThing om te posten.

Curioussquared continues 2021 with some books: part 3

1curioussquared
Bewerkt: jun 30, 2021, 2:41 pm

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. I do most of my reading curled up on the couch with my retired racing greyhounds, Skelly, Otter, and Kermit, or listening to audiobooks while doing chores and walking the dogs.

I'm currently busy planning our wedding for the end of August, so expect a lot of wedding stuff on my thread :)

I read mostly fiction, with a heavy emphasis on YA, along with some fantasy and sci-fi, general fiction/literature, a scattered mystery here and there, and the occasional non-fiction title. I've been keeping track of my books read since 2008, and I have traditionally aimed for 100. In 2020, I finally managed to both hit and surpass my long-time goal of of 150, with a total of 166!

Last year I also read 72 books off of my own shelves, an all-time high for me. I'm going to keep this goal at 50, in case I do end up very busy with wedding planning, etc. (I'll have a thread in the ROOTs group as well where I cross-post reviews of books off my shelves.)



Please enjoy this photo of three greyhounds squeezing themselves into half a sectional couch instead of using the whole couch like sensible creatures :)

3curioussquared
Bewerkt: okt 27, 2021, 5:47 pm

Books read in 2021:

January
1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (off my shelf)
2. Jack, the Giant-Killer by Charles de Lint (off my shelf)
3. Drink Down the Moon by Charles de Lint (off my shelf)
4. The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins (off my shelf)
5. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (off my shelf)
6. The Camelot Betrayal by Kiersten White
7. The Flip Side by James Bailey
8. The Burning Bridge by John Flanagan
9. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith
10. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman (off my shelf)

February
11. A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow (off my shelf)
12. In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
13. The Iliad by Homer (off my shelf)
14. The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary (reread)
15. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (off my shelf)
16. The Icebound Land by John Flanagan
17. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia (off my shelf)
18. Dogsbody by Diana Wynne Jones (reread)
19. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright
20. The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal (off my shelf)

March
21. Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene (off my shelf)
22. A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
23. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (off my shelf)
24. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (off my shelf)
25. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
26. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin (off my shelf)
27. The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis
28. The LongDogs by Louisa Crook
29. All Systems Red by Martha Wells (reread)
30. The Dragon Egg Princess by Ellen Oh
31. Artificial Condition by Martha Wells (reread)
32. Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells (reread)
33. Exit Strategy by Martha Wells (reread)
34. Network Effect by Martha Wells (reread)

5curioussquared
Bewerkt: sep 29, 2021, 4:11 pm

6curioussquared
Bewerkt: okt 18, 2021, 4:08 pm

Books read in 2021:

October
92. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (off my shelf)
93. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik (off my shelf)
94. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (off my shelf)
95. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson (off my shelf)
96. Firebug by Lish McBride (off my shelf)
97. The Shadow Glass by Rin Chupeco
98. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome (off my shelf)
99. Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood (off my shelf)
100. Havenfall by Sara Holland (off my shelf)

November

December

7curioussquared
Bewerkt: okt 18, 2021, 4:08 pm

Finally, I have a pool of books off my shelf I'd like to get through this year. It's a mixture of books I've owned forever and want to finally get to, some newer titles I'm excited about, and everything in-between.

27 to go with 6 months left -- time to pick up the pace!



Here is the list -- it is truly random, just a bunch of titles I pulled off my shelves when they caught my eye. We'll see how I do!

1. The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal
2. Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
3. The Secret Commonwealth by Phillip Pullman
4. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia
5. Angel Mage by Garth Nix
6. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
7. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
8. Havenfall by Sarah Holland
9. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
10. The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake
11. Children of Blood and Bone by Toni Adeyemi
12. Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami
13. A Room with a View by E. M. Forster
14. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
15. Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
16. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
17. Darkwing by Kenneth Oppel
18. Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
19. LAMB: The Gospel According to Biff by Christopher Moore
20. Firebug by Lish McBride
21. Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
22. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
23. Rosmersholm by Henrik Ibsen
24. Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
25. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
26. A Very Long Engagement by Sebastian Japrisot
27. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
28. A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos
29. The Sisters of Straygarden Place by Hayley Chewins
30. A Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik
31. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins
32. Moreta: Dragonlady of Pern by Anne McCaffrey
33. Shaman's Crossing by Robin Hobb
34. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
35. Small Gods by Terry Pratchett
36. Jack of Kinrowan by Charles de Lint
37. Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia McKillip
38. The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope
39. The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
40. Slay by Brittany Morris
41. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender
42. A Sudden Wild Magic by Diana Wynne Jones

8curioussquared
jun 30, 2021, 2:45 pm

Welcome to my third thread!

9MickyFine
jun 30, 2021, 3:11 pm

Happy new thread, Natalie!

I can say that while remember almost nothing of the plot of Bel Canto, I do remember adoring it when I read it as a teen.

10curioussquared
jun 30, 2021, 4:53 pm

>9 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! I must get to that one soon.

11humouress
jun 30, 2021, 6:07 pm

Happy new thread Natalie!

12libraryperilous
jun 30, 2021, 9:10 pm

Happy new thread!

13curioussquared
jul 1, 2021, 12:07 pm

>11 humouress: >12 libraryperilous: Thanks, Nina and Diana!

14drneutron
jul 1, 2021, 2:31 pm

Happy new one!

15PaulCranswick
jul 1, 2021, 3:15 pm

Happy new thread, Natalie!

16FAMeulstee
jul 2, 2021, 12:25 pm

Happy new thread, Natalie!

>1 curioussquared: Skelly, Kermit and Otter look very relaxed together.

17curioussquared
jul 2, 2021, 12:35 pm

>14 drneutron: >15 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Jim and Paul!

18curioussquared
jul 2, 2021, 12:37 pm

>16 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Kermit and Otter cuddle regularly; Skelly looks ok with having Kermit's paw on his back in this picture, but if he moves too much he'll get mad and leave the couch :)

19curioussquared
jul 2, 2021, 12:49 pm



61 books read: A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djeli Clark

I actually managed to squeeze one more in for June; this one was short, more of a short story or novelette, but I'm counting it anyway :)

In an alternate, steampunk Cairo full of djinns, ghouls, and magic, Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha'arawi must traverse the city to get to the bottom of the strange case of an immortal djinn found dead, drained of blood.

I've been wanted to try Clark's books for a while now and I'm really glad I did. Super interesting and unique storytelling and worldbuilding and left me hungry for more -- good thing I had The Haunting of Tram Car 015 on deck! 4 stars.

20curioussquared
jul 6, 2021, 2:16 pm



62 books read: The Haunting of Tram Car 015 by P. Djeli Clark

Back in alternate Cairo, Senior Agent Hamad Nasr of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities and his new partner Agent Onsi are called to investigate the strange case of a haunted tram car on the djinn-run tram lines. But neither is ready for the reality of the creature that has taken up residence in the car.

Another solid story in this series; I'm still really enjoying the unique setting and worldbuilding, and look forward to getting to A Master of Djinn soon. 4 stars.

21curioussquared
Bewerkt: jul 7, 2021, 12:26 pm



63 books read: Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

Felix Love has never been in love, even though he desperately wants to be. Heading into his senior year of high school, college is on everyone's mind, and he and his best friend Ezra are attending their private high school's summer art program to prep their portfolios for college applications. Felix is trans and came out when he was twelve; with his dad's support, he's on T and had top surgery last year, and most of the time, he feels pretty secure in his identity. But lately, he's felt an occasional, small niggling -- most of the time he feels like a boy, but every once in a while the label "boy" doesn't feel quite as right. Struggling to figure out the more detailed aspects of his identity, Felix is unprepared when some cruel person at school puts up a gallery of photos of him before he transitioned featuring his deadname, as well as persistent hateful messages from an anonymous instagram account. As the summer spirals out of his control, Felix feels like everything is falling apart, and starts fixating on figuring out who put together the hurtful gallery, convinced it's Declan Kane, Ezra's ex-boyfriend who hates both of them.

This is such an important book! Felix is a believable young trans character with a colorful cast of friends and classmates. There's typical high school drama peppered with frank treatment of the issues specific to a young LGBTQ protagonist working through identity questions. Callender wrote in their author's note that their goal with this book was that it might help just one young person realize some truths about themselves, and I'm sure they have succeeded with Felix. 4.5 stars.

22scaifea
jul 7, 2021, 9:21 am

>21 curioussquared: I need to get round to that one soon...

23bell7
jul 7, 2021, 10:05 am

Happy new thread, Natalie! I really enjoyed the Cairo series too, and will look forward to your thoughts on A Master of Djinn.

24curioussquared
jul 7, 2021, 12:27 pm

>22 scaifea: I hope you enjoy it, Amber!

>23 bell7: Thanks Mary! I haven't decided if I want to buy it or get it from the library yet, so we'll see when I get to it.

25curioussquared
jul 7, 2021, 5:28 pm



64 books read: The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante

When Olga's husband Mario suddenly leaves her after 15 years of marriage, alone with the children and the dog she never wanted, Olga slides into a spiral of depression that touches on insanity as the months go on.

This was a tough read. This book has been on my list ever since I read and loved Ferrante's Neapolitan novels. In some ways, this book is very similar to that series. But while there are recognizable themes and characters, this novel is much more raw and angry. Over the course of the book, Olga becomes a danger to herself, her children, and even the family dog, acting in ways that surprise even herself and scaring the children and passersby. While she eventually comes to the other side of the worst of her breakdown, the middle of the novel up to the climactic Saturday was hard to get through for me. Not a bad book, but not one I can see myself reading again, and for me, not on the same level as her excellent series. 3.5 stars.

26humouress
jul 8, 2021, 12:13 pm

>19 curioussquared: My library hold just came in on that one, so I should get to it soon.

27curioussquared
jul 8, 2021, 1:54 pm

>26 humouress: I hope you enjoy!

28curioussquared
jul 13, 2021, 2:25 pm

Well, I'm officially unemployed as of around 3pm yesterday! I vacillate between being excited for some time off and stupidly anxious that I'll never find another job again. Fun! I did get a call to schedule a phone interview for a job I applied for a few weeks ago about half an hour after officially leaving old job, so that was reassuring.

I went straight from turning in my work gear to my parents' house to help with wedding prep. Less than 50 days and I'm starting to really stress! Good thing I'll have all this free time for a bit.

No books finished since my last post; what with wrapping up work projects, having some friends over for a barbecue on Sunday (and the accompanying house cleaning), and helping at the parents' place yesterday, there hasn't been a ton of time. But I'm about halfway through A Sky Beyond the Storm on Kindle, and 2/3 of the way through Dance Dance Dance on audio, and finally making a little progress in Children of Blood and Bone in print. I also got my preorder of Any Way the Wind Blows late last week so I'm excited to dive into that one!

29MickyFine
jul 13, 2021, 4:32 pm

Hopefully the break from work is as restful and productive as you need it to be. Has the phone interview happened already or is it still looming?

Exciting that you've got Any Way the Wind Blows already. I'm waiting on my library hold for that one. :)

30curioussquared
jul 14, 2021, 12:50 am

>29 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! The phone interview is still looming. Currently playing phone tag with the recruiter to schedule it.

I hope your hold comes in soon!

31humouress
jul 14, 2021, 3:35 am

>28 curioussquared: I vacillate between being excited for some time off and stupidly anxious that I'll never find another job again.

Always happens :0)

32curioussquared
jul 15, 2021, 4:26 pm

>31 humouress: Glad to know I'm not alone with unfounded anxieties!

33curioussquared
jul 15, 2021, 4:31 pm

So busy the past few days that I still feel like I don't have any time despite lack of job!

Tuesday I went shopping all over town to try to find Tim something to wear for our engagement photoshoot tonight. (A little late -- thanks, COVID! -- but I still wanted to do one so we would actually have some nice photos of the two of us.) He's super picky and I had to go to three different malls to find the specific brands and sizes of shirts and pants that he likes. Ah, the glamorous life of a stay-at-home dog mom. Are all men like this?

Then yesterday I went to do more helping at my parents' house to get the place in tip-top shape for the wedding. Lots of hauling and a couple of dump runs. Today I was thinking of going to help over there again, but I think at this point I'm just going to focus on getting myself, Tim, and the dogs ready for the photoshoot.

I did manage to finish one book -- review coming soon.

34curioussquared
jul 15, 2021, 4:40 pm



65 books read: Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami

In this follow-up to A Wild Sheep Chase, our unnamed narrator cannot stop dreaming of Kiki, the mysterious girl with whom he had visited the rundown Dolphin Hotel in Sapporo. Determined to find her, he makes his way to the Dolphin only to find that while there is still a Dolphin Hotel there, it is now a high-class establishment, and not the rundown motel he had known before. Confused, he starts to investigate, befriending one of the hotel receptionists, which leads him to a strange, hidden floor of the hotel...

Like Murakami? You'll like this. Wacky, unexplained happenings, mysterious girls, cats, spaghetti -- all the Murakami hallmarks. This is technically a sequel to A Wild Sheep Chase, but they can pretty much be read as standalones. Probably not my favorite or least favorite of his books that I've read, but good all the same. 4 stars.

35AMQS
jul 15, 2021, 5:47 pm

Hi Natalie, I came over here because I knew I would see the boys and I wasn't disappointed. You're getting so close! And yes, there's so much to do! I hope your photoshoot went well!

36MickyFine
jul 15, 2021, 5:59 pm

I hope you have a great time doing your engagement photos. It's a great chance to get to know your photographer before the wedding, plus it's nice to have some good quality couple photos where you're not (as) dolled up. I love the ones we had done and I hope yours turn out awesome.

37curioussquared
Bewerkt: jul 16, 2021, 3:14 pm

I meant to post this with my review yesterday -- I think Dance Dance Dance got 15/25 squares :D Let nobody say Murakami's not consistent.

38curioussquared
jul 16, 2021, 3:15 pm

>35 AMQS: Thanks, Anne! The boys were the stars of the photoshoot last night so I'll have to post some of their best shots when we get the pictures back :D Our photographer loved them and requested a picture of herself with the dogs at the end :)

39curioussquared
jul 16, 2021, 3:17 pm

>36 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! Tim was definitely a little skeptical of the idea but I think he warmed up to it when I explained people usually suggest it as a way to get to know your photographer away from the stress of the big day. It was good to get to know her a little better and confirm that we do in fact like her a lot :) I'm excited to get the pictures!

40curioussquared
jul 18, 2021, 5:40 pm



66 books read: A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

In this finale to the Ember in the Ashes series, Laia, Elias, Helene and all the rest near the end of their journey to defeat Keris Venturias and her partner, the terrifying Nightbringer.

I wish I had waited to read this series until all the books were out; I think I would have enjoyed it more one book after the other, but honestly they're so long I didn't have any interest in diving into a reread. So I started this having forgotten a lot of the previous books (and maybe mixed them up with some other series along the way) and didn't feel like I had totally remembered everything until about halfway through. At which point I realized I didn't care much about what happened, but felt like I'd invested so much time that I should just finish. So I did, skimming a bunch. I think a ton of this book should have been cut down; it felt like it dragged a lot. I think I felt this way about book 3, too. I did enjoy seeing how everything wrapped up at the end, but it just felt like such a drag to get there. 3 stars.

41libraryperilous
Bewerkt: jul 18, 2021, 7:13 pm

I just discovered this while cataloging forthcoming children's releases: YA retelling of Robin Hood set in Jerusalem. It's part of a Reclaimed Classics series that looks super interesting all around.

I thought you might be interested since we both enjoyed McKinley's retelling.

Edited: link

42libraryperilous
jul 18, 2021, 8:31 pm

Sorry, one more! There are tons of great books coming this autumn!

Clarice the Brave: for the mouse adventurer in all of us.

43curioussquared
jul 18, 2021, 8:43 pm

>41 libraryperilous: > 42 Ooh, these both look scrumptious. Adding both to the list! I definitely have a soft spot for mouse books.

44humouress
jul 18, 2021, 10:09 pm

>38 curioussquared: Ooh, wedding photos of the boys! I'll look forward to seeing those.

45Whisper1
jul 19, 2021, 12:44 am

Hi Jennifer, I've added Felix Ever After to my tbr pile. Thanks for such a great review!

46souloftherose
jul 25, 2021, 7:04 am

Belated happy new thread Natalie! >21 curioussquared: I've been meaning to read Felix Ever After for a while and your review has bumped it up the list.

47curioussquared
jul 26, 2021, 5:19 pm

>44 humouress: I'm eager to get them back! Hopefully in the next few weeks :)

>45 Whisper1: I hope you enjoy it, Linda!

>46 souloftherose: Enjoy, Heather!

48curioussquared
jul 26, 2021, 5:28 pm

Man, I thought I would have more time now that I'm not working for the moment, but things have been crazy around here.

I've been running around doing lots of wedding stuff; I think I've finally booked all my vendors, so that's good. Now getting down to the nitty gritty and putting together a timeline, buying alcohol for the bar, booking our mini-honeymoon to Hawaii, and scheduling lots of pre-wedding meetings with important vendors. Oh, and I still need to write thank you notes for my bridal shower!

Last Thursday through Sunday we spent in a town on the Olympic Peninsula with my whole extended family; it was a welcome break from wedding stuff. Lots of reading, beach time, and walking.

Enjoy this picture of Hamish the Irish Wolfhound with my grandparents' new Golden Retriever puppy, Macarena. She's a little blurry because she never stops moving. Hamish is very good with her.

49curioussquared
jul 26, 2021, 5:48 pm



67 books read: Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron

Reena's muslim family is always in her business; at nearly 30, they're appalled she isn't married yet, and her parents are always trying to set her up with another eligible muslim bachelor. Reena prefers to spend her time creating space between herself and her nosy family and focusing on things she can control, like baking bread and cooking, her passions. When a new guy moves into the apartment next door -- one who happens to look like a brown Captain America -- Reena is initially intrigued, until she realizes it's yet another set-up. She refuses to fall for Nadim, and tells him to his face she'll never marry him, even though he actually seems quite normal and nice. But Reena sticks to her resolution not to get involved -- until the opportunity of a lifetime presents itself in the form of a cooking competition through Food TV. The catch? The theme is family, and Reena needs to have a significant other she's cooking for and with in her entry videos. Soon, the two are fake engaged for the competition, while also trying to hide the fake engagement from Reena's family... and things only get more complicated.

This was a fun rom-com of a book. Reena definitely has some issues at the beginning and I appreciated that the book was about her own personal journey as well as her romantic one. The competition is fun, the side characters add flavor, and the ending was sweet. I could see this as a movie someday. 4 stars.

50curioussquared
jul 26, 2021, 5:50 pm

Currently working my way through Any Way the Wind Blows, Cemetery Boys, Dragonfly in Amber, and The Bostonians; we'll see if I actually manage to finish any by the end of the month.

51libraryperilous
jul 26, 2021, 6:41 pm

I'll be interested in your review of Cemetery Boys! I DNFed it, but I can see why people would love it.

52humouress
jul 27, 2021, 1:19 am

>48 curioussquared: Macarena looks cute - much like Jasper's puppy photos, which I was just looking at. I may be in love with Hamish (shh!)

>49 curioussquared: That seems pretty popular; I get as far as typing 'accide' into Overdrive and that's the first one that pops up. It's on hold for me, while I focus on catching up with my ROOTs target. *sigh* And, yes, that was a BB.

53scaifea
jul 27, 2021, 8:07 am

Aw, Macarena is adorable, but I. Love. Hamish. *sigh*

54curioussquared
jul 27, 2021, 11:55 am

>52 humouress: Macarena is a total sweetheart, but I'm also in love with Hamish. Whenever I go over to my parents' house he basically pins me down on the couch and licks my face until he's satisfied 😂 I think the wolfhounds just don't live long enough for me to consider getting one myself, buy Tim and I have talked about getting a Borzoi or Deerhound puppy at some point in the future -- slightly longer lifespans is always a good thing. And who doesn't want essentially a fuzzy greyhound?

Enjoy Accidentally Engaged!

55curioussquared
jul 27, 2021, 11:59 am

>53 scaifea: I'm with you, Amber! Hamish is a special guy. My family had a wolfhound when I was in high school and college -- I think you can see some pics of Finn on my profile page -- but I had forgotten how much attention they draw! We took Hamish to the downtown area of the town we were staying in and I held him some of the time while my mom did some shopping. The barrage of questions and comments is endless -- what kind of dog is that? How much does he weigh? How much does he eat? Do you have a saddle for him? Etc. I can't really blame anyone because he IS stunning and I would also fangirl over a wolfhound I saw in the street, but it does make me want a t-shirt or sandwich board for Hamish to wear with the answers to all the common questions 😂

56MickyFine
jul 27, 2021, 3:41 pm

Love the photo of Hamish and Macarena. Both such good puppers.

And you got me with your review of Accidentally Engaged - fake dating is one of my favourite tropes.

57curioussquared
jul 28, 2021, 12:53 pm

>56 MickyFine: I hope you enjoy it, Micky!

58humouress
jul 28, 2021, 11:52 pm

>55 curioussquared: Well, if he can do a saddle, why not a sandwich board?

Also:

59Whisper1
jul 29, 2021, 9:12 pm

>58 humouress: I had to smile at this image!

60curioussquared
aug 1, 2021, 9:30 pm

>58 humouress: Looks like he's got some subwoofers!

61curioussquared
aug 1, 2021, 9:31 pm

Happy wedding month! I'm freaking out a little bit. I know it'll come together, but still.

62curioussquared
aug 1, 2021, 9:46 pm

I did manage to finish one book before July closed:



68 books read: The Bostonians by Henry James

A decade after the Civil War, former Confederate soldier turned lawyer Basil Ransom visits his cousin Olive Chancellor in Boston, where he happens to accompany her to a gathering in support of the women's suffrage movement -- a movement which Olive vehemently supports, and at which Basil scoffs. There, both encounter the lovely Verena Tarrant for the first time. Young Verena is a gifted, magnetic speaker, and Olive immediately recognizes the impact such a speaker could have on the suffrage movement. Basil, on the other hand, is taken with Verena despite her feminist beliefs. In the coming months, Basil returns to his struggling law practice, while Olive befriends Verena, pays her parents to back off, and takes the girl to live with her, educating her in both traditional subjects and the latest and greatest in feminism. But Basil is not done with Verena, and Olive is unable to stop them from seeing each other no matter how hard she tries.

This is a really long book for what is an essentially simple premise, which makes sense when you learn it was originally serialized. There were interesting bits, but also a whole lot of unnecessary stuff thanks to its magazine origins. Not really my thing in the end, though the sort of love triangle battle for Verena's affections is engaging. I hated the ending. I think I prefer James' shorter works. This is apparently where the term "Boston marriage" originated. 3 stars.

63MickyFine
aug 3, 2021, 10:49 am

>61 curioussquared: How many days left in the countdown, Natalie?

64curioussquared
aug 3, 2021, 1:10 pm

>63 MickyFine: The date is August 28 so I have most of the month, at least. Which is good because there's still plenty to do!

65curioussquared
aug 3, 2021, 6:58 pm

Mercedes Lackey's Last Herald Mage series is being adapted for TV: https://bookriot.com/mercedes-lackeys-valdemar-fantasy-books-to-be-adapted-for-t...

Let me tell you, middle school Natalie is losing her mind right now.

66MickyFine
aug 4, 2021, 10:43 am

>64 curioussquared: Nice! Hope everything comes together and it's an awesome day. :)

67curioussquared
aug 10, 2021, 12:45 am

>66 MickyFine: Thanks Micky :)

68curioussquared
aug 10, 2021, 12:50 am



69 books read: Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

Ava Bigtree's family lives and owns at Swamplandia, a gator-wrestling theme park on an island in Florida. Ava has always wanted to follow in her mother's footsteps as the star of the wrestling show. Her father acts more as an emcee, her older brother is more studious, and her older sister has a strange obsession with the supernatural world and has taken to dating various ghosts. In the wake of their mother's early death from cancer, the Bigtrees and Swamplandia itself are adrift. As her father leaves the island to try to save the park, Ava and her siblings drift further and further apart, until they find themselves in various dangerous situations.

I enjoyed this overall; it has a kooky, almost magical realism-esque setting, and Ava is a fun narrator. The book definitely takes a darker turn in the second half; reading some reviews, I can see how those events made many people downgrade their ratings. It stayed at about 4 stars for me, though.

69curioussquared
aug 10, 2021, 12:57 am



70 books read: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

In the second book in the Outlander series, Claire and Jamie head to Paris to thwart Bonnie Prince Charlie's attempt at the throne in order to prevent the Scottish losses in the Jacobite uprising, but things don't go as planned and they learn it may be harder to change the flow of history than they thought.

Not sure why I waited so long to read this second book! Gabaldon is a born storyteller. I haven't had much time to read but having been snatching bits of this whenever I have a moment. 5 stars.

70curioussquared
aug 10, 2021, 1:03 am

Still running around doing lots of wedding stuff! Last week involved a lot of yard work and dirt hauling. Weddings are glamorous stuff, let me tell you.

This weekend my friends threw me a bachelorette party and it was really fun! I felt very loved. I wasn't sure how the group would mesh as I had invited some friends from high school, some from work, some from college and some from post-college life, but everyone got along really well, which was great :)

This week is more yard work at my parents' place to prep it for the big day and other assorted wedding prep, but first I have a bunch of interviews to get through! I had a phone interview with one recruiter this morning who has already scheduled me for a video interview with the hiring manager on Wednesday. Tomorrow I have a video interview with the hiring manager at another company where I've already had a successful recruiter phone interview and writing assessment. I'm definitely more excited about the job I'm interviewing for tomorrow, but keeping my options open with the other one too. It's just really nice to feel like I'm actually getting a lot of hiring interest even if it's adding a layer of stress during the wedding planning stuff. My last job search took so, so long; I don't know if it's just a different market this time around or what, but I'm not complaining.

71curioussquared
aug 10, 2021, 1:05 am

Reading friends, I have a request: do you have any favorite love poems?

Tim and I are not religious but we're looking for some readings for our wedding ceremony. Let me know if you have a favorite love poem that you think might work well for that situation! My current top contenders are from Pablo Neruda but I'm open to others for sure.

72libraryperilous
aug 10, 2021, 11:05 am

>71 curioussquared: LOL, how many do you want, because the well is bottomless.

Neruda has a problematic legacy. His poems are beautiful and so saturated with imagery! I just know you're conscientious about literary jerks, so I wanted to mention it. Paz or Lorca would be good comps re: saturated poetry.

Some random favorite love poems of mine are listed below. They range from jaunty to lush, and I tried to limit to romantic but non-erotic and non-brooding. Not looking to shock your parents with something like Marge Piercy's "Exactly How I Pursue You." :)

"The Good-Morrow" (John Donne)
"To Be in Love" (Gwendolyn Brooks): I also love "The Bean Eaters," but I think it's a bit too sad for a wedding
"Rent" (Jane Cooper)
"Never Again Would Birds' Song Be the Same" (Robert Frost)
"Having a Coke with You" (Frank O'Hara)
"dive for dreams" (ee cummings): more a wish for a happy life than a love poem like "i carry your heart with me"
"Love Letter" (Sylvia Plath): this would probably come the closest to Neruda from my list
Sonnet 29 (William Shakespeare): I'm also partial to Juliet's "Give me my Romeo" lines, but it might be a bit much for a wedding.
"Reprise" (Ogden Nash)
"Futility" (Helene Johnson)
"Recipe for Happiness Khaborovsk or Anyplace" (Lawrence Ferlinghetti)

A few additional choices:

Sonnet VI (Elizabeth Barrett Browning): about parting, but it's lovely and fierce
"The Unknown" (Edward Thomas): ignore Thomas' label as a war poet; he wrote mostly pastoral works
"Love Song for Lucinda" (Langston Hughes)
"Late Fragment" (Raymond Carver)
"Jenny Kiss'd Me" (Leigh Hunt): Hunt wrote this about his unrequited crush on Thomas Carlyle's long-suffering wife, but I doubt most people would know that
"Natural History" (E. B. White): best to avoid, I guess, since it's about a spider, and arachnophobia is common :(
"To You" (Kenneth Koch): killer (ha!) opening lines, and it just goes on from there

73curioussquared
aug 10, 2021, 12:10 pm

>72 libraryperilous: You are the best, thank you!! Going through these today 😊 yeah, I was shocked how many suggestions on wedding websites were fairly erotic. Like, no, actually, I don't want to share that poem with my grandparents?

74libraryperilous
aug 10, 2021, 8:04 pm

>73 curioussquared: You're welcome! I hope one of them suits, or at least leads you to something that does.

LOL, wedding websites out there trying to play practical jokes on grandparents everywhere.

Also, one has to watch out for randy poets engaging in sly metaphors, à la Robert Browning's "Meeting at Night": 'As I gain the cove with pushing prow, / and quench its speed in the slushy sand.' My guy, no one is fooled here. We know you still have some fields to cross, but we all know why you're going there.

75MickyFine
Bewerkt: aug 11, 2021, 4:32 pm

I'll just add that Mr. Fine and I had a dear family friend read Sonnet 116 at our wedding, which has always been one of my faves. :)

Also, Gabaldon makes great honeymoon reading. I read a big chunk of An Echo in the Bone while lounging by the pool on our trip to Fiji. Only had to bring one book on the trip.

76curioussquared
aug 12, 2021, 6:52 pm

>75 MickyFine: I love it, thank you!

77humouress
aug 14, 2021, 2:51 am

I’m not on the go-to list for poetry but Shakespeare and R&J sprang to mind. I see that is already well covered here. Good luck with everything wedding and job hunt related.

78Berly
aug 15, 2021, 3:45 pm

Good luck with all the wedding details!! My oldest just got engaged and I have entered the wedding frenzy with her, just a little. Helped give input on the venue and I know she wants me to help look at dresses. Also steered her on the food and beverages. But she has found the photographer and is looking at invites, etc, etc. Don't know what she wants to do for music. Since she is paying for most of it, I have limited say in who I get to invite. Dang it! LOL. Oh well, enough about me and mine. Wishing you the best!

79curioussquared
aug 17, 2021, 2:55 pm

>77 humouress: Thanks, Nina!

>78 Berly: Thanks, Kim! That is so exciting :) We are also paying for most of ours, but since the venue is my parents' house they still got a little too much say in who was invited, haha. Oh well!

80curioussquared
aug 17, 2021, 3:16 pm

Well, bad news... one of the girls who came to the bachelorette party ended up having COVID, and five out of the other seven of us managed to catch it, despite everyone being fully vaccinated. Perfect timing. I had a few negative tests before the PCR test I took Wednesday came back positive on Thursday. So far, it's been like a moderately bad cold with various symptoms; started with a sore through Tuesday night, then turned into major congestion Friday/Saturday. Sunday and Monday the congestion was better but I was achy and tired, and I have lost a lot of taste and smell. Fun times -- thanks, Delta variant!

The only good news: I should be fully recovered and not contagious as long as my symptoms are gone by Saturday morning. Tim seems to have escaped infection, so I'm quarantining with his sister, who also came to the party and got it, up at their family's beach house to make sure we don't give it to anybody else. And, I have an amazing family who are all doing so much to get everything ready for the wedding now that I'm out of commission for a while. Everyone who did get sick has had a fairly mild case and is on the mend, so the vaccines are working in that regard.

My takeaways from this experience:

1. The delta variant is no joke. To be fair, the bachelorette party was pretty much the perfect incubator for it, since we all got drunk and had a living room dance party in a small, unventilated space while we screamed, sang, and danced and jumped around, all of which are like the three worst things you can do to increase the spread of COVID. The viral load in that room was HIGH.

2. Do NOT trust the at-home rapid tests. This happened because my friend had mild cold symptoms, but we all agreed it would be ok if she tested negative before coming to the party since she was vaccinated. Not the case! If someone is symptomatic, they likely have COVID. I also took an at-home rapid test that was negative at almost the exact same time as my PCR test that came back positive.

81curioussquared
aug 17, 2021, 3:20 pm

The other good news is that I had three great interviews last week (ironic that like the best interviews I've ever had I had while I had COVID?) and have moved on to the next round for both jobs I'm in contention for. They're really similar roles; both are basically internal communications manager jobs and both are new positions are their respective companies, so it would be a chance to come in and kind of define the role and program itself. Definitely new for me but I think I would be good at it. One of the jobs I really really want, the other I want less but am continuing in the process since it's good practice. I have more interviews coming up but have scheduled them after the wedding; turns out "I have COVID this week and am getting married next week" is a pretty good excuse for scheduling two weeks out.

82MickyFine
aug 17, 2021, 3:38 pm

Sorry to hear you came down with COVID, Nathalie, but glad to hear your vaccination is helping to keep it at the mild end of the spectrum. Fingers crossed you're completely recovered by the necessary window.

Wishing you all the luck with your ongoing job hunt. Hopefully the gig you really really want also really really wants you. :)

83curioussquared
aug 17, 2021, 3:49 pm

>82 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I definitely feel on the mend today so am pretty confident I should be good to go once the 10 days of recommended CDC isolation are up. The only good thing about this is that I'm getting some reading time when I really didn't think I would get much downtime pre-wedding.

I hope so too! The job I really want is at a company with great benefits and a famously great culture, so that would be a nice change from the job I quit. It would also be a sizable pay increase which wouldn't hurt at all, and I really liked the hiring manager. It's also local and would probably be hybrid in-office/remote for the long-term. The other job is still a cool opportunity, but the headquarters is in Ohio and everyone I'd be working with on a daily basis is also in Ohio, so there'd be a significant time difference to contend with and I am not a super early riser, plus they would want me to do some fairly regular travel to Ohio and other locations around the country. And I didn't really like the guy I interviewed with; he's not the hiring manager but I'd be working with him a lot. And the pay and benefits are worse than the other position.

84libraryperilous
aug 17, 2021, 5:11 pm

>83 curioussquared: Fingers crossed you get the good one.

Sorry about the breakthrough infection! Yay vaccines for working like they should! It's amazing science, and they're launching clinical trials on an mRNA HIV vaccine in the next few weeks.

I've seen other mentions of false negatives with the at-home tests, which seem like pure profit drivers for the companies that make them. :(

85libraryperilous
aug 17, 2021, 5:13 pm

Oh, book recommendation since you have some unexpected reading time: Journey Beyond the Burrow. Middle grade mouse adventure! I recently read it and rated it five stars.

86curioussquared
aug 17, 2021, 5:23 pm

>84 libraryperilous: Thanks Diana! I saw that about the mRNA HIV vaccine and it's so exciting. I wonder if the rapid tests were more accurate for previous strains of COVID. A few of my friends who got it did get positives with the rapid tests, which is nice because you don't have to wait 12-48 hrs for your results to come back and you can just be sure you have it, but I just definitely will not trust any negative result from a rapid test if there are symptoms involved.

I will keep an eye out for Journey Beyond the Burrow! You know I love me a mouse adventure.

87drneutron
aug 17, 2021, 10:17 pm

Yikes! Sorry you got a breakthrough, but glad you’re on the milder symptom side.

88scaifea
aug 18, 2021, 7:58 am

Oh yoicks, I'm sorry about the Covid, but I'm so glad it's a mild case! Vaccines are the best.

89curioussquared
aug 18, 2021, 5:22 pm

>87 drneutron: Thanks, Jim! Still waiting to be totally symptom-free but feeling pretty good today.

>88 scaifea: Thanks Amber! Vaccines are definitely the best. The Delta variant wins the award for being the worst.

90humouress
aug 18, 2021, 9:53 pm

>80 curioussquared: Oh no! But I’m glad you had a blast at the actual party.

>81 curioussquared: Yay! Continuing good luck wishes.

91curioussquared
aug 19, 2021, 6:48 pm

>90 humouress: Thanks, Nina! I know, the actual party was so much fun and I'm sad it was somewhat spoiled by this!

92curioussquared
aug 19, 2021, 6:50 pm

I'm definitely feeling better and better each day so am pretty confident I should be good to go and symptom-free by Saturday morning as predicted by the CDC :) My only remaining symptom is some sinus congestion that is definitely improving.

93curioussquared
Bewerkt: aug 19, 2021, 6:56 pm

I've finished some books over the past week or so!



71 books read: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Michelle Zauner writes of her relationship with her Korean mother through the lens of food as she recounts her childhood and the devastating changes that arrived when her mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when Michelle was in her early 20s.

I picked this up to satisfy the Seattle Public Library book bingo prompt of BIPOC food writing. I thought it was really well done, but man, really, really sad at a time when I needed distraction more than anything else. Not the book's fault, it just wasn't the right time for me to read it. It did make me really want Korean food, though. Rounding up to 4 stars; based solely on enjoyment I'd give it 3.5, but there's definitely more worth there.

94curioussquared
aug 19, 2021, 7:44 pm



72 books read: The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary

After one rear ends the other on the way to a wedding in the Scottish highlands, two exes, Addie and Dylan, are forced to spend hours with each other in a cramped Mini Cooper if they're both to make it to the wedding on time -- along with Addie's breast pumping older sister, Dylan's ne'er do well best friend, and a random dude they found on Facebook who needed a ride to the wedding as well. Along the way, both Dylan and Addie reminisce about their past relationship and think about what went wrong, while trying to stay as civil as possible in the confines of a tiny car. And, it seems like everything that can go wrong on this road trip.... is going to go wrong.

Beth O'Leary is an automatic read for me after The Flatshare and The Switch and I was eager to get to this one. Unfortunately, I didn't love it as much as her previous two books, but it was still a fun romance. The characters read as younger to me, and more of the conflict was based on poor communication, which is never my favorite part of a romance novel. The story and side characters still had enough charm for me to enjoy it overall, but I can't see myself rereading this one as a comfort read like either of her previous two books. 3.5-4 stars, I can't quite decide.

95curioussquared
aug 19, 2021, 7:58 pm



73 books read: Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize by Margo Rabb

Lucy's parents have never had time to raise her. She spent her childhood with her Nana, and it was a good one -- until her Nana unexpectedly died of a stroke, and her parents shipped her off to boarding school instead. School is terrible, and her only consolation is her friend Dyna. But then, the Incident happens, and Lucy is blamed. The headmistress and Lucy's parents decide it's a good idea to ship Lucy to New York for an internship, where she'll stay with her cousin and help an old lady named Edith with whatever she needs. Lucy is nervous, but Edith turns out to be amazing -- and Lucy is soon up to her elbows in learning how to garden, navigating her new life -- oh, and solving the mystery of who is trying to kill Edith.

This book is so hard to summarize -- lots happens in a short amount of time, not to mention the complicated backstory. But it's so good! I loved Lucy as a young narrator getting to know and like herself. The mystery feels old-fashioned in the best of ways; the book is very modern, but there's something timeless about it, too. And there's a great cast of side characters and possible nefarious villains. 4.5 stars.

96bell7
aug 19, 2021, 8:21 pm

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear that you and others at the party got Covid! But I'm glad it was fairly mild for you. Best of luck with the job interviews, and here's hoping you get the one you want!

97curioussquared
aug 21, 2021, 1:06 am

>96 bell7: Thanks Mary!

98curioussquared
aug 21, 2021, 1:29 am



74 books read: Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

Simon, Baz, Penny, Agatha, and Shepherd are back in the UK after their American adventure, and it's time to figure out the interpersonal things. Baz and Simon have never really had the time and space to figure out their relationship, Agatha needs to find herself now that she's neither with Simon nor in a cult, and Penny and Shepherd... definitely have something between them, but there's also a demon standing in the way. As everyone works on their personal stuff, there's also something going on with a supposed new Chosen One...

This was a fun romp, and it was satisfying for storylines to truly come to their full fruition and to a close. I enjoyed the series overall, but this entry felt more disjointed than the previous books. After so much time with everyone together, it was weird to have the characters mostly coupled up for the whole book. It also felt a little like there just wasn't as much point to this entry in the series; it all felt a little like a series of fluffy fanfic one shots rather than a well-plotted novel. Overall a fun read, but just not super well put together, and I think that's partly why it took me so long to get through, aside from the obvious wedding stuff. 3.5 stars.

99libraryperilous
aug 28, 2021, 11:00 am

Happy wedding weekend!

I hope the covid issue sorted itself in time and that you have a lovely wedding.

100MickyFine
aug 28, 2021, 4:22 pm

Happy wedding day, Natalie! I hope it's everything you hoped and more. ❤

101bell7
aug 28, 2021, 7:10 pm

Couldn't've said it better than Micky, so ditto from me!

102curioussquared
aug 30, 2021, 2:40 am

>99 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana! Everyone who caught Covid at the party has fully recovered and I don't think any of us gave it to anyone else, so I'm calling that a success :)

>100 MickyFine: >101 bell7: Thanks, Micky and Mary!

103curioussquared
aug 30, 2021, 3:19 am

It's been a long week -- I came back from quarantining on Sunday night, and have been in constant prep mode since then right up until the wedding day! I don't really have photos yet -- I think our photographer will send us a sneak peek soon -- but I'll just say that it truly felt like everything was perfect. Our families worked tirelessly to get the house in gorgeous shape before the event while I was out of commission, and it was so gorgeous. Some people just assumed it was an actual wedding venue. The ceremony was authentic to us (down to a few whines from Otter the crybaby) and we both cried. Dinner and cake were delicious, the toasts and dances were perfect, and the dance floor was crowded all night -- my feet are not happy with me today! We were of course missing some people, but there were so many people we love there to celebrate with us, and we couldn't be happier.

We're supposed to go to Hawaii in a few weeks, but with the Covid situation there what it is and the governor asking tourists not to come right now, we may postpone. In the meantime, we'll enjoy most of our first week of married life at home together -- I'll have those interviews I've been pushing to the back of my brain until now -- and then head off to Chicago on Friday for a college friend's wedding until Tuesday, so we'll have least have a fun little trip to celebrate.

104curioussquared
aug 30, 2021, 3:22 am

It's not great, but here's a photo I do have that our wedding coordinator snapped while we were watching the anniversary dance -- the DJ invited all the married couples to the dance floor and then dismissed them in order of how long they had been married, so we were of course first to leave :)

105scaifea
aug 30, 2021, 7:43 am

>104 curioussquared: Ohmygosh, beautiful!! I'm so glad that your day went so well! And congrats!!

106libraryperilous
aug 30, 2021, 11:11 am

>104 curioussquared: Lovely! I'm so happy everything was perfect for you. I hope the case count in Hawaii goes down by the time your honeymoon date arrives.

107MickyFine
aug 30, 2021, 11:47 am

Glad to hear your day was perfect. You look gorgeous in the photo you shared. I hope the rest of your wedding photos turn out fantastically.

I hear you on the sore feet. Even with switching to flats for the dance, my feet were tender for a couple days after our wedding. Enjoy your staycation honeymoon and good luck on the job interviews this week!

108humouress
aug 30, 2021, 4:55 pm

I’m so happy for you that your day was perfect. You both look beautiful.

109FAMeulstee
aug 31, 2021, 5:09 pm

>104 curioussquared: Lovely couple, beutiful dress!
Congratulations on a perfect wedding day.

110curioussquared
sep 10, 2021, 4:00 pm

Thank you everyone! We're still riding the wedding high :) My interviews went pretty well, but I got notified a few days ago that I didn't get the job I really wanted :( Still haven't heard back about the other gig, but again I don't think I actually want it. I did apply last week for a Communications Specialist job with the Seattle Public Library, which honestly would be a dream job. Fingers crossed I get an interview!

111curioussquared
sep 10, 2021, 4:11 pm

We got a sneak peek of our wedding photos, and I'm in love. Here are a few!










(yes, we set off a wacky waving inflatable tube man as we walked back down the aisle :D)



112MickyFine
Bewerkt: sep 10, 2021, 4:14 pm

Welcome back, Natalie!

Sorry to hear the job you wanted gave you a no. That's always rough. I'll cross my fingers for you for the Seattle Public Library job.

ETA: Gorgeous photos! You both look fantastic. Thanks for sharing. :)

113curioussquared
sep 10, 2021, 4:17 pm

We got back from Chicago on Tuesday -- the wedding was really fun, and it was great to see some college friends I hadn't seen since I graduated! I will say that fresh off our own wedding, we couldn't help but compare the two and felt a little smug that to us, at least, our wedding was better :)

Given that the COVID situation in Hawaii is not improving, we made the choice to postpone our trip yesterday. Since there's no official mandate asking people not to come, the rental company is refusing to refund our payment or give us any kind of credit, which is frustrating when local government and residents clearly don't want tourists there right now and ICUs are full and running out of oxygen. Ugh. We're going to try to fight it a little more and see what happens. Frustrating to be penalized for doing what is clearly the right thing. In the meantime, we're looking to book something for next week closer to home so we can still have a little honeymoon -- maybe the Oregon coast.

Believe it or not, I've also managed to read a bunch of books since I last gave an update! I'll try to get those posted soon.

114curioussquared
sep 10, 2021, 4:20 pm

>112 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! I'm bummed about the job but at least now I can enjoy a little time off; my last day at the old gig was July 12, but I've been full time on wedding planning and having COVID since then ;) And thanks for the good vibes on the SPL job!

115aktakukac
sep 10, 2021, 4:38 pm

What beautiful photos! It looks like it was a lovely, wonderful wedding :) Also rooting for you to get the library communications job!

116drneutron
sep 10, 2021, 7:07 pm

Beautiful pics! I’m sorry Hawaii didn’t work out - I hope you get a chance to go when things get better.

117curioussquared
sep 10, 2021, 11:52 pm

>115 aktakukac: >116 drneutron: Thanks, Rachel and Jim! We postponed our Hawaii flight to early December; hopefully case counts will be a little more under control at that point. The airlines at least are being super generous about rescheduling, so we can just postpone that piece again if it doesn't work out for December.

118curioussquared
sep 11, 2021, 12:00 am



75 books read: Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

Jane Mansfield is a wellborn woman from the early 1800s -- until one morning where she inexplicably wakes up in the body of Courtney, a woman from the mid-2000s who's going through a bad breakup and lives alone in a crappy apartment in LA. Jane must rapidly adapt to her new surroundings and the new social norms of the era if she's going to figure out how to get home.

I didn't realize this was a sequel until pretty far through; the first novel follows Courtney going back to Jane's time, which makes sense. This definitely wasn't high literature, but it made for reasonably compelling, easy listening pre-wedding when I was trying to distract myself from freaking out while I was quarantined and unable to do much. 3 stars.

119curioussquared
sep 11, 2021, 12:08 am



76 books read: The Sorcerer in the North by John Flanagan

In the fifth book in the Ranger's Apprentice series, Will is now a full-fledged Ranger. Soon after his first assignment, where he saves a hurt dog and takes it as his companion, he is assigned to a new mission to investigate reports of magic in the north -- but he must go undercover as a travelling musician, or jongleur, since people typically don't talk much to rangers. But when he arrives at Macindaw, things at the castle are not what they seem, and Will must quickly figure out who he can trust.

These stories are still fun; again, easy pre-wedding listening. 3.5 stars.

120curioussquared
Bewerkt: sep 11, 2021, 12:16 am



77 books read: The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

In this first Bridgerton novel, Daphne Bridgerton and Simon, the Duke of Hastings, hatch a plan for a fake courtship that benefits the both of them: Daphne will become popular and attract more suitable offers of marriage, and Simon, who doesn't want to marry but is eminently eligible, will get a rest from the barrage of eager mothers looking to marry off their daughters. Their plan seems to work perfectly -- until both of them start to catch feelings.

Just as fun as the first season of the Netflix show. I'll plan to listen to the others, too. This was my last pre-wedding easy listening book :) 4 stars.

121curioussquared
Bewerkt: sep 11, 2021, 12:30 am



78 books read: Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire

Before Jack and Jill got to Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, they lived in another world, one where they were forever changed. This is the story of that world, how they got there, and how they left.

I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the first entry in the series; this one felt more like a fractured fairy tale than the sort of "what comes next" that appealed to me about the first book. Still good, though, and I'm planning to read the others. 3.5 stars.

122curioussquared
sep 11, 2021, 12:33 am



79 books read: Giant Days: Early Registration by John Allison

A cute prequel to the Giant Days comics showing how the girls originally meet, and how Esther breaks up with her boyfriend. 3.5 stars.

123curioussquared
sep 11, 2021, 12:42 am



80 books read: War Girls by Tochi Onyebuchi

In a future Nigeria in a world devastated by climate change, with parts rendered uninhabitable by radiation, Onyii was a child soldier for the Biafran army before leading the war girls in creating a safe haven where the Nigerian army cannot find them. There, she cares for her younger sister Ify, who she saved and now protects. But when the Nigerian army breaks through their defenses and kill many of the girls, Onyii believes Ify is dead -- and swears to exact revenge on the Nigerians by becoming a force of nature in the Biafran army. But Onyii doesn't know that Ify is alive, living among the Nigerians who are in fact her birth people, enjoying the riches of their culture but always longing a bit for Onyii. As the war gets worse, the sisters get closer to reuniting -- but may destroy each other first.

I loved this. Fantastic sci-fi with a fascinating historical backdrop and action sequences I'd love to see on the big screen. Definitely will look out for the sequel soon, and more by Onyebuchi. 4.5 stars.

124curioussquared
sep 11, 2021, 12:54 am



81 books read: Beyond by Mercedes Lackey

In this latest installment in the Valdemar series, we go all the way back to the beginning -- the founding of Valdemar as a country. Duke Kordas lives under the eye of the emperor, a self-serving, cruel leader. His duchy escapes a lot of notice because Kordas and his father and his father's father have spent years building up a reputation of being country bumpkins, interested only in horse breeding, when in fact, since his grandfather's time, they have been working on a Plan -- a magical plan to transport Kordas, his family, and all of his subjects to a new place to live, somewhere beyond the long, cruel arm of the emperor. It's been years in the making, but Kordas's mages have finally figured out one of the last remaining obstacles, and it seems the plan is ready to go. But at the last minute, Kordas is summoned to the capitol to report to the emperor. While his family and friends work tirelessly to put the plan into effect without him, Kordas must survive the devastating political intrigue at court -- and save some other innocent souls he encounters along the way.

I really think Mercedes Lackey is getting back into the swing of writing; this was another enjoyable Valdemar book, while some recent-ish ones in the last decade or so were less than stellar. I enjoyed this story a lot and found myself neglecting chores to finish it. There were some holes in the story, and some stuff didn't make a ton of sense; there were so many last minute changes to a plan that took generations to prepare that I started to question a little, but overall it was just an enjoyable ride and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. 4 stars.

125scaifea
sep 11, 2021, 8:47 am

Wow, so much going on here! Those photos are so beautiful!! I'm sorry that you didn't get the job you were hoping for, but the library job sounds excellent, so fingers crossed for that one!

I need to get back to the Ranger's Apprentice books - I've only read the first one so far.

126libraryperilous
sep 11, 2021, 11:08 am

Lovely photos, Natalie. I'm glad the wedding was perfect.

Sorry you didn't get the cool job, but fingers crossed for the library one.

Happy mini-honeymoon, and I hope you see Hawaii later this year!

127curioussquared
sep 11, 2021, 2:36 pm

>125 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! Honestly, I've put so little effort into this job search that getting that job would have felt a little too easy. I'm hoping for the library job, but I'm sure lots of other people want it too! Seattle loves its libraries.

128curioussquared
sep 11, 2021, 2:37 pm

>126 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana. I hope so too! Fingers crossed that actual vaccine mandates going into place will start to make a difference soon.

129FAMeulstee
sep 11, 2021, 3:02 pm

Lovely pictures, Natalie, you look stunning in your weddingdress! And so nice the dogs were included.

>118 curioussquared: Congratulations on reaching 75!

130curioussquared
sep 14, 2021, 8:02 pm

>129 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! We couldn't have the wedding without the boys :) they were just there for the photos and ceremony, and then we had hired a sitter to take them home and watch them.

131curioussquared
sep 16, 2021, 4:14 pm



82 books read: SLAY by Brittney Morris

Kiera is used to being one of only a few black kids at Jefferson High in affluent Bellevue, WA -- which is partly why she created SLAY, on online video game designed as a space for black gamers only and dedicated to celebrating black excellence in all of its forms. When she's not spending time with her boyfriend Malcolm, her family, or friends at school, Kiera spends most of her free time on the game, making updates, creating new cards for the in-game battles, and working with her fellow mod to keep things in line. SLAY is growing and has lots of users, and it's taking up more and more of Kiera's time. But everything changes when suddenly, SLAY is all over the news -- a black teenager was killed when he demanded money in exchange for SLAY cards. Kiera has always been anonymous as the creator, and now she's afraid -- afraid for herself, for the virtual haven she created, and afraid of what might happen to other SLAY players.

This was SO good. A teeny bit slow to start, I couldn't put it down after I hit page 50 or so. If you're at all familiar with online gaming, there's a little bit of necessary suspension of disbelief -- the idea that Kiera and her friend Claire can together run a popular online role playing game on 6 rented servers is a little ridiculous. But if you can look past that, this is a compelling read that had me on the edge of my seat the whole way. 4.5 stars.

132curioussquared
Bewerkt: sep 16, 2021, 4:44 pm



83 books read: Flamefall by Rosaria Munda

In this follow up to Fireborne, Annie is the new firstrider, while Lee struggles with his identity and choices after the events of the first novel. Together, they're struggling to deal as Callipolis deals with a famine and rebellion against the class system from within. Meanwhile, the old dragonlords are anxious to take back Callipolis and their rightful places, and Griff, a lowborn rider, must figure out where his loyalties lie and how far he's willing to go to dismantle the system.

I really enjoyed Fireborne when I read it in early 2020; Flamefall didn't hit as hard for me. Not sure if it's just typical middle book syndrome or what! Fireborne felt very fresh and different, but I had trouble feeling like Flamefall was very different from all the other rebellion-plot YA fantasy novels that have come out the past few years. It didn't help that the cover redesign for the series makes it look like every other YA fantasy novel from the past few years, too. I'll probably still read the sequel out next year. 3 stars.

133curioussquared
sep 16, 2021, 4:49 pm



84 books read: When the Men Were Gone by Marjorie Herrera Lewis

It's 1944, and Tylene Wilson can't for the life of her find a coach for her small town Texas high school's football team. She wants more than anything to give the seniors one more chance at a low-stakes, fun activity before the year is over and they, like their older brothers before them, enlist to go overseas. But the men simply aren't there. Finally, Tylene -- who's been football-mad her whole life -- decides that if she wants there to be a football team this year, she'll have to coach them herself. But she'll have to fight prejudice from off the team and on before the first game is out.

I've never watched Friday Night Lights, but this felt like historical Friday Night Lights to me. I picked this up to fulfill the sports category of my Seattle Public Library book bingo card, and while I didn't get around to finishing it by the deadline, I still enjoyed it. A short, inspiring read even if you don't like football. 4 stars.

134curioussquared
sep 17, 2021, 6:56 pm



85 books read: While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory

Ben Stephens is focused on winning the contract for a new ad campaign when who should walk into the pitch meeting but Anna Gardiner -- one of Hollywood's biggest stars and the face of the campaign. Anna is charmed by Ben, and her influence leads Ben's company to being selected, but only if Ben is the one leading the whole thing. Both Anna and Ben know they have chemistry with the other, but Anna is focused on her career, and Ben doesn't want to get involved with anyone he's working with. But when Anna's dad has a health scare and she can't get on a flight to Palm Springs, Ben offers to drive her down to see him at the hospital -- and this road trip has the potential to be the start of much more than a friendship.

Another sweet, fun romance from Guillory. Our protagonist this time is Ben, the brother of Theo, who featured in The Wedding Party. I love the lightly interconnected nature of Guillory's world -- when do we get the Guillory cinematic universe? Listen up, Netflix! 4.5 stars.

135curioussquared
sep 17, 2021, 7:07 pm



86 books read: The Siege of Macindaw by John Flanagan

In this immediate follow-up to The Sorcerer in the North, Will is joined by Horace in their quest to overturn Keren's rule and free Alyss from her imprisonment.

I think I like these books because they're just undemanding, gentle reads, all while being a good story. You know the good guys will come out on top. Flanagan originally wrote these stories for his kids, and they have the feeling of bedtime bedtime stories; easy listening and engaging, but not particularly stressful. 3.5 stars.

136bell7
Bewerkt: sep 17, 2021, 7:13 pm

Looks like you've been reading some excellent books, Natalie. And I'm belated in commenting, but your wedding photos are beautiful! I love your dress 😊

Edited to fix my spelling, darn typing on a phone!

137curioussquared
sep 17, 2021, 7:17 pm

Kept busy this week applying to more jobs and getting various things done that had been put aside in the big push to get all the wedding stuff done, including taking two dogs to the vet and getting a plumber in to fix a leak in an upstairs bathroom. I also started the arduous process of changing my name.

Today I've been planting a ton of succulents; we had them as favors at our wedding, and we had a lot left over. I had just had them in their little plastic pots on our porch, but the weather is starting to turn and they needed to come inside, so marathon potting session it is. It's been nice to have time to read, too.

We did book a trip to the Oregon Coast to make up for not going to Hawaii, but it's not until the end of the month, so we have a little time. Should be fun of lots of beach walks, eating, and reading :)

138curioussquared
sep 17, 2021, 7:20 pm

>136 bell7: Thanks, Mary! We're so excited to get the rest of the photos back :) Our photographers had twice the number of weddings this year that they normally do, so they said it would probably be about 8 weeks before we get the rest, unfortunately, but I get it -- so many delayed weddings! And like I said above, it's been so nice to have some reading time again!

139libraryperilous
sep 17, 2021, 11:29 pm

>137 curioussquared: LOL, how are you so motivated to send applications? Congrats! I keep second-guessing my cover letter and my CV instead of sending in apps.

Glad you've read some enjoyable books, and I hope you have a lovely mini-honeymoon with more time for reading and beaching it.

I've posted my thoughts on Hollow Chest, a middle grade title that might interest you. I feel it did something unusual within the genre, and did it well. Also, the cat's name is Biscuits.

140MickyFine
sep 18, 2021, 7:59 pm

>134 curioussquared: So I tried The Wedding Date but abandoned it because the writing style felt under polished and not my jam. However as it's a first novel, I should probably give Guillory another shot before I write her off as not for me. Which of her books is your favourite? I'll add it to The List.

141curioussquared
sep 18, 2021, 11:50 pm

>140 MickyFine: I think my favorite is Party of Two, followed by The Proposal. Sorry, no touchstones as I'm on my phone!

142curioussquared
Bewerkt: sep 18, 2021, 11:53 pm

>139 libraryperilous: Lol, my application style is more to just yeet out as many as I can without worrying too much about tailoring, though of course I'll spend more time if it's a job I reeeally want or that needs a slightly different approach. Most of the jobs I've been applying to are very similar, so my application materials don't change too much.

ETA: I will check out that book and your review!

143humouress
sep 19, 2021, 12:49 am

>111 curioussquared: Ooh - wedding photos; thank you. You both look beautiful, the boys look handsome and if that's your parents' place I'm very jealous. And I love that lace detail on the back of your dress.

I hope you manage to recoup the money from postponing your trip.

And, to top it off, lots of book bullets. I'm going to have to sort through those ...

144libraryperilous
sep 19, 2021, 1:48 pm

>142 curioussquared: LOL. I know this is what I need to do, but I keep over-analyzing each position instead of spamming applications. Ugh, job hunting sucks. Hope your search ends soon with a fabulous position!

145curioussquared
sep 21, 2021, 4:35 pm

>143 humouress: Thanks, Nina! I can't wait to get all the photos back. Yep, that's the house I grew up in, albeit VERY spruced up for the day. It's a very strange, almost Spanish-villa inspired construction style; built in the 1920s in what was at the time pretty far from the center of the city of Seattle (these days it's right on the edge of city limits). I've never seen another house like it in this area. The yard is also huge for the area and what's more, it was even bigger when they bought it 32 years ago -- they've since sold off two lots that have whole other big houses on them now. A very unique property that I know I'm lucky to have grown up on. I'm going to miss it when they eventually sell it.

Sorry not sorry for the book bullets!

146curioussquared
sep 21, 2021, 4:39 pm

>144 libraryperilous: Same to you! My small piece of advice that I've been thinking about recently is that I've found it can be really hard to know if I want a job just from the job listing or the company website. The job I really wanted that I didn't end up getting I had applied to on a whim; it was an internal comms job at a game design company and nothing particularly spoke to me about it, but talking to the folks I interviewed with and and some people I know in the industry, I realized it would be a really good fit. Anyway, that's why I support the "yeet out as many as possible" application style ;) I also know the people I'd be working with are a huuuge factor in whether I want a job or not, too.

147curioussquared
sep 21, 2021, 4:49 pm



87 books read: The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

Tea really didn't mean to raise her brother from the grave... shunned in her own village for her powers, she and her newly raised from the dead brother Fox are taken under the wing of Lady Mykaela, an older, established Bone Witch who takes them away to start Tea in her studies. As we follow Tea in her studies, we also get fast-forwarded scenes to the current time, where a banished Tea is living alone and visited by a man who is trying to figure out what happened to her.

I thought this book was intriguing and very different in terms of plot and magic system; I don't think it's going to run together with many of the other YA fantasy novels I read. Perhaps because of that, there's definitely a LOT of worldbuilding. I've read a bunch of reviews where people complain about that worldbuilding and pacing and a lot of people apparently DNFed it in the middle. I never had that urge, but there was definitely a lot to get through and learn about this world. Overall, I enjoyed it, and plan to finish the series, but I'm going to start listening to the second book ASAP so I don't lose all the context before making it through the series. 3.5 stars.

148curioussquared
sep 21, 2021, 4:54 pm



88 books read: Erak's Ransom by John Flanagan

In this flashback novel that takes place before Will is promoted to a full ranger, Halt is getting married and everyone is at the celebration when Svengal, one of their Skandian friends, interrupts the party to let them know that Erak has been taken prisoner and the Araluens need to come and ransom him. The gang's all back together again as Will, Halt, Horace, Gillan, and Evanlyn all set off to rescue Arak -- but things won't go quite according to plan.

Another fun entry in the series! I don't have much else to say; these books are just enjoyable stories. 3.5 stars.

149libraryperilous
sep 21, 2021, 5:18 pm

>146 curioussquared: I actually almost applied for a package copy editing job at a games designer (prob the same one) before I decided that Seattle wasn't where I wanted to move. Really great advice to apply for some things on whim and also to think about the culture of the company. Thank you!

I started an application at a university that turned out to have massive ties to Trump. My bad. They sent me an email a few weeks later prompting me to finish the app, so I terminated the process with them. There was a mandatory "Why are you no longer interested?" box, and I told them the truth as politely as possible. I just saw on Indeed yesterday that the job still is open. It's been months, lol.

>148 curioussquared: I only read the first one in the series. It was fun, but I could tell I wasn't going to be invested in the full storyline, and there are so many books.

150curioussquared
sep 21, 2021, 5:34 pm

>149 libraryperilous: I'm actually pretty sure I know the exact job posting you're talking about, lol. If it's the game designer associated with Pikachu, you dodged a bullet -- the company is notoriously toxic.

151PaulCranswick
sep 25, 2021, 2:17 am

>146 curioussquared: Definitely the people you work with will help determine whether any job is ultimately fulfilling or not, Natalie.

Have a lovely weekend.

152libraryperilous
sep 28, 2021, 11:22 am

>151 PaulCranswick: Agree! Hopefully, Natalie won't have any coworkers like this person who wrote to Ask a Manager!

At my last job, the group thought you were supposed to be friend with your coworkers. I prefer a friendly work environment but like to keep my work and personal lives separate. So, they were mad about that but they had been *abysmally rude* to me from the first day because they were a clique. Like, didn't even say 'Good morning' when I was introduced levels of rude. Why would you then be mad that I'm uninterested in friendships with you outside of work if you don't even like me? It was so confusing.

153curioussquared
sep 28, 2021, 2:14 pm

>151 PaulCranswick: Absolutely. Thanks, Paul!

>152 libraryperilous: Ugh, the worst. Any workplace where they describe their employees as a family is a red flag for me.

154curioussquared
sep 28, 2021, 2:16 pm

We're at the Oregon coast until Saturday. Dreary weather, but I don't mind the coast in the rain. Today was out first morning here and we got some brunch and stopped in at the local bookstore. Will report on my haul later!

155curioussquared
sep 29, 2021, 3:24 pm

Minimoon is a success so far. Yesterday, we had breakfast and I picked up The Witch Haven, Iron Widow, and The Thursday Murder Club. Tim got The Year of the Flood; I still need to get to Oryx and Crake. After, we drove down the coast and stopped at a few beaches, including Cannon Beach for the imperative visit to Haystack Rock. We spent some time relaxing and reading inside and then did dinner; I had the necessary fish and chips. Ended the night trying to watch Rain Man but Tim started falling asleep about 20 minutes in, so we'll finish it tonight, maybe.

Today started with some lounging around the Airbnb followed by breakfast and a walk on the beach. Today is supposed to be the rainiest of our days here so we'll probably do more lounging and reading and gaming inside; we brought lots of board games, including a few new ones we haven't played yet. I'm particularly excited to try Sagrada and the Splendor expansion pack. There are also a few new jobs posted that I'm really interested in and I might take an hour or two to apply to those even though I'm on vacation, since postings can move quickly sometimes.

156curioussquared
sep 29, 2021, 3:36 pm



89 books read: The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco

In this second installment of the Bone Witch series, Tea is now a full-fledged asha, and her powers just continue to grow. She is in control of the azi, the giant dragon daeva she pacified at the end of the last book, and keeping its existence even from Fox, her dead brother familiar. But things will get more complicated when Prince Kance is taken ill, and Tea and her companions, fellow asha, and the heart forger's apprentice must go on a journey to find the heart forger and learn how to cure the prince. Meanwhile in the present, Tea is dominating daeva left and right and is ready to taken on the emperor.

I think I liked this book about the same as the first entry, and I'll probably read the third book just to finish up the series. Really interesting magic, still, and unique worldbuilding. I just wish the book wasn't told with alternating chapters from the past and the present; I find the style pretty confusing and abrupt, and I much prefer the storyline from the past. I would be ok with like interludes every so often during the book, but the time period switching every other chapter is intrusive. 3.5 stars.

157curioussquared
sep 29, 2021, 3:44 pm



90 books read: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

In these short stories, Lahiri explores the diverse Indian-American refugee experience.

Why did it take me this long to read Lahiri? Every story in this collection reaffirmed my initial perception that Lahiri is an absolute master of the short story craft. Every word and every sentence were perfectly placed and effectively used. Many stories were bittersweet, but nothing was devastatingly depressing in a way that made me want to stop reading, which I appreciated. 5 stars, and I'll be looking out for more of Lahiri's work.

158curioussquared
sep 29, 2021, 4:07 pm



91 books read: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Zelie was a child when the Raid happened, killing diviners, including her mother, and banishing magic from Orisha. Since then, her people, the magi, have been oppressed under the rule of the evil king. But when Zelie goes to the capital to sell a fish, she ends up leaving with the crown princess Amari, on the run for stealing a scroll with instructions to bring magic back to Orisha. Suddenly, Zelie, her brother Tzain, and Amari are on a journey to find the other artifacts and bring magic back -- closely followed by the ruthless royal guards and Amari's brother Inan.

I really, really wanted to like this; I loved the Nigerian influences and had been looking forward to the book for a long time, but I was pretty disappointed at every turn. The writing was lackluster, the story was unoriginal and uninspired, the characters were one dimensional and I didn't really understand any of their decisions. Bummer because I always want to support YA POC authors, but this one wasn't doing it for me. If you want to read some excellent YA fantasy with Nigerian influences, Nnedi Okorafor is the way to go. 2 stars.

159libraryperilous
sep 29, 2021, 4:34 pm

>157 curioussquared: I dislike short fiction, but I had the same reaction to this collection as you did. She also has such a gift for telling complete stories, even in the short format, so I never felt cheated by the endings.

160curioussquared
sep 29, 2021, 4:40 pm

>159 libraryperilous: Yes, agreed. I wouldn't go so far as to say I dislike short fiction, but I definitely don't gravitate toward short stories. I think also the overarching theme of the collection really made it feel cohesive, even though the stories were clearly distinct.

161libraryperilous
sep 29, 2021, 5:56 pm

>155 curioussquared: Sagrada is so pretty. I'm thinking of buying the digital version. It looks relaxing!

Good luck on the job applications! So many companies require references up front, plus a cover letter and resume, plus filling in employment info, etc on their website. I know it's because a bunch of venture capitalists sold everyone on the automated hiring scam. Really just dismal to know that people aren't even passing 'go' for most jobs if they leave out a keyword. Recent WSJ reporting found that nurses were being rejected for not having computer programming on their CVs!

Seems like something a functioning Congress would want to regulate, but we have Sinemanchin instead. :(

162scaifea
sep 30, 2021, 7:21 am

>158 curioussquared: You know, I just looked back at my review of this one and apparently I really liked it at the time, but I've since convinced myself that I didn't? I have zero interest in reading the rest of the series. Mostly the middle dragged on too long for me and I didn't think the love interests were at all necessary to the story. *shrug*

163curioussquared
sep 30, 2021, 11:19 am

>162 scaifea: That is funny! Yeah, the romance was very out of left field for me, too, and the middle was definitely too long; I loved the bit where they were like, omg, we have only three more days until the solstice! But let's stop and have an extremely long party. I think there's only one more book in the series and if I were feeling charitable I might listen to it, but I just don't feel the need. I don't know if it's because I read a lot of this kind of YA romance fantasy or what; if this was my first time diving into the genre some of the tropes might have seemed more fresh, but as it was it all felt very derivative.

164scaifea
okt 1, 2021, 7:37 am

>163 curioussquared: Yeah, agreed about it feeling derivative. And the romance felt as if it was added because it's a YA book and oh, those *have* to have at least one angsty romance, right? *eye roll* If you're going to write a YA book, don't subscribe to false stereotypes about the genre maybe?

165curioussquared
okt 1, 2021, 12:49 pm

>164 scaifea: Seriously!

167curioussquared
okt 1, 2021, 12:54 pm

Yesterday started super rainy, so we drove to one of the cafes further away for breakfast rather than walking to a closer one then came back to the airbnb for some lounging time. I made good progress on Pachinko, which I'm loving. Then the sun came out around 2:30, so we headed out to a nearby state park for a shortish hike and some gorgeous views of the beach. Ended the day by picking up a pizza from a local place, cracking open a bottle of wine, and more hanging out.

Today is my birthday (RIP my 20s); we're going to get breakfast again, then probably visit another state park and get dinner at some point. And the sun came out for me!

168aktakukac
okt 1, 2021, 2:56 pm

Happy Birthday! Sounds like an enjoyable day, and yay for some sun!

169libraryperilous
okt 1, 2021, 3:18 pm

Happy sunny birthday!

170MickyFine
okt 1, 2021, 6:12 pm

Happy 30th birthday! As someone (almost halfway) through 'em, I can say they're pretty darn enjoyable. :D

Hope the minimoon continues to be lovely.

171scaifea
okt 2, 2021, 8:25 am

Happy birthday!! I hope you had a fantastic day!!

172humouress
okt 2, 2021, 9:30 am

Happy birthday!

173curioussquared
okt 2, 2021, 12:25 pm

Thanks everyone! The rest of my birthday was lovely, with a beach visit, some gaming (Switch featuring a hilarious multiplayer game called Phogs, where each player controls one head of a two-heades dog; and another game of Sagrada), and some reading (review to come of Pachinko). We finished the day with Mexican food, ice cream, and several episodes of Only Murders in the Building, which is excellent so far.

Today we're headed home, probably via Portland; it's a slightly longer drive but I have been promised a birthday shopping spree at Powell's!

174humouress
okt 3, 2021, 4:31 am

>173 curioussquared: a birthday shopping spree at Powell's! Woo hoo! Way to be spoiled by your new husband.

We're watching Only Murders in the Building which is the first time we've watched a streaming program while it's still being released so it startled us a bit when we got to the end of the available episodes and things hadn't been resolved :0)

175scaifea
okt 3, 2021, 8:44 am

It sounds like you had a great day!

Tomm and I are slowly working through Only Murders and absolutely loving it.

176curioussquared
okt 4, 2021, 6:08 pm

>174 humouress: Right? Tim is doing well at husbanding so far. Only Murders is so good; we haven't had time to watch more since Friday but I'm excited to get to more!

>175 scaifea: I did, thanks, Amber! I think we got through five episodes on Friday and had to tear ourselves away to go to bed. So good.

177curioussquared
Bewerkt: okt 4, 2021, 6:41 pm

Here's the report of what I got at Powell's!

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
The Ogre Downstairs by Diana Wynne Jones -- was really excited to find this, as I believe it's out of print and it's one of three (now two) DWJs I don't own
Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
Once Was a Time by Leila Sales
A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix
Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith -- I didn't want to buy this new since I don't want to give JK Rowling any more of my money, but I did want to own it for my collection and they had a bunch of used copies.

178curioussquared
Bewerkt: okt 4, 2021, 6:26 pm



92 books read: Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

This family saga traces the lives and family of Sunja and Isak as they immigrate from Korea to Japan, where Isak's brother has secured him a place as a Christian pastor. In Japan, they face discrimination and racism along with the rest of the Korean community. The book follows them as they eke out a life in whatever way they can, raising children Noa and Mosazu, and eventually follows their grandchildren, covering about 1910 to 1989.

This was such a compelling read; I think I knew some of the history between Korea and Japan, but I definitely wasn't aware of just how bad Koreans had it in Japan right up to very recent history. This is a family saga up there with the best of them; I cared about each and every one of the characters. 5 stars.

179curioussquared
okt 4, 2021, 6:33 pm



93 books read: The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

It's senior year at the Scholomance, and El is in a better position than she ever could have expected. She has actual friends, and the New York enclave is actually being nice to her since their golden boy Orion Lake won't stop fawning over her. But despite their success at the end of last year of repairing the graduation hall machinery, El knows this year won't be any kind of cakewalk, and as senior year gets going, it really seems like the Scholomance has it out for her. She's being attacked by mals left and right (and is repeatedly forced to save freshmen from being viciously eaten), she has the worst senior year schedule she's ever seen, and the Shanghai enclave is convinced she's out to get them, so she's not safe even from her fellow students. As graduation draws nearer, El starts to think the school might have something different in mind for her...

I've been waiting for this book basically since I finished the first one at the end of 2020, and was devastated when its publication was pushed back a few months from June -- so I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations. I spent almost all of yesterday just reading it, which is something I haven't done in a while. So good. My only regret is that I read it so fast, now I have to wait who knows how long for book 3! 5 stars.

180libraryperilous
okt 4, 2021, 6:38 pm

>177 curioussquared: I really loved Rules of Civility. Towles is one of my favorite authors, and I think he writes female characters well, which is refreshing. I'm torn on reading his new one, because I've heard it's rather unsettling. It was written during the Trump years, so ...

>179 curioussquared: I liked the school setting of the first book, but the romance put me off. He was a stalker and she was verbally abusive! Is it any better in this one?

181curioussquared
okt 4, 2021, 6:45 pm

>180 libraryperilous: I think you still won't like the romance. There's a little more context as to why he acts like he does, but it's still generally the same idea. It still doesn't feel like the main point of the book to me, though.

182Whisper1
Bewerkt: okt 4, 2021, 6:51 pm

Natalie, I am so excited for you as you plan your wedding to Tim!

I send a wish for bright, happy moments, days, years!

183Whisper1
okt 4, 2021, 6:54 pm

And, one more that I think appropriate at this time in your life:

184curioussquared
okt 4, 2021, 8:56 pm

>182 Whisper1: >183 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda! You always have the best illustrations :)

185MickyFine
okt 5, 2021, 10:24 am

>179 curioussquared: Glad to see you enjoyed the second one, Natalie. I'm getting closer to the front of the holds queue at my library so I'll be reading it soon (hopefully).

186curioussquared
okt 5, 2021, 2:03 pm

>185 MickyFine: Yay, I hope you love it as much as I did!

187alcottacre
okt 5, 2021, 2:08 pm

Natalie, I posted some comments about Betrayal at House on the Hill and Mysterium on my thread. In case you did not catch them there, here they are again:

"I have played Mysterium and very much enjoy it, although there is now a streamlined version of it out called Mysterium Park that I would recommend over the original. I have never played Betrayal at House on the Hill because the game has a likely probability of a traitor, and my family does not care for that kind of thing. If you have any other questions that I can answer for you, PM me and I will be glad to help!"

I apologize for the delay in posting here. I thought Mamie had asked the question and posted on her thread. Doh!

188curioussquared
okt 5, 2021, 2:21 pm

>187 alcottacre: Thanks for tracking me down, Stasia, and for your thoughts on the games! I will keep an eye out for Mysterium or Mysterium Park. I'm also not too into traitors, so I'll avoid Betrayal for now.

189alcottacre
okt 5, 2021, 3:42 pm

>188 curioussquared: Mysterium Park is available through Amazon for $29.99, cheaper than Mysterium, another reason I recommend it over the earlier game. Target also sells Mysterium Park for the same price. On the other hand, Mysterium is about $15 more expensive.

I would say that both games take imagination and a willingness to talk to each other about what you think. My husband and daughter Beth do not care for Mysterium - they have not either tried Mysterium Park - but my daughter Catey and I enjoy it. It is one of those games that really takes the right group of people.

190curioussquared
okt 5, 2021, 5:59 pm

>189 alcottacre: Good to know! There is a local game store near us with a cafe that offers games that you can check out and try for free at the store; maybe we'll test it out before buying.

191alcottacre
okt 5, 2021, 6:13 pm

>190 curioussquared: Color me jealous! I wish I had a board game cafe close by. Let me know what you think if you get a chance to try either of them.

192curioussquared
okt 11, 2021, 7:37 pm



94 books read: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Years ago, in a tiny Italian fishing village on the edge of the Cinque Terre, a young, ill actress checked into the Hotel Adequate View. The owner, Pasquale, was astounded; they never had American guests at their little backwater hotel, especially not actresses. During their brief acquaintance, Pasquale helps the young actress, and their encounter ends up changing the course of his own life. In the present day, Claire is a disillusioned assistant Hollywood producer on the brink of quitting her job at the end of her last wild pitch Friday, when a much older Pasquale shows up waving her boss's business card and demanding he help him find the actress who stayed in his hotel so long ago.

This was an OK read. I don't know that I ever quite found any of the characters to be believable; Claire especially felt pretty 2-D, but maybe that was part of the satirical nature of the novel. Maybe it was the satire that didn't really work for me. I wanted a sincere story and it kept feeling like it was almost that and then it would start leaning toward satire again. 3.5 stars.

193curioussquared
okt 11, 2021, 7:45 pm



95 books read: Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson

Leah Westfall and her parents have a secret: Leah has the gold sense. She can sense gold hidden in the earth around her, a particularly important skill in a gold rush. But the Georgia gold rush is pretty much over, and Leah rarely finds gold on their homestead anymore. The California gold rush is just beginning, but Leah's father has been ill, and she knows he'd never survive the arduous journey. But everything changes when Leah comes home from school to find her parents murdered, and her uncle Hiram waiting in the wings to take over her life, her home, and her education. Worse, he knows about her abilities, and Leah knows he must want to use her to make himself rich. Left with no options, Leah knows she must follow her friend Jefferson's footsteps to Independence, MO, where most wagon trains are leaving from. To get there, she cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy -- and she knows her journey is just beginning.

I loved this! I read so much YA fantasy and so much of it can feel trite. This was a fresh story, well researched and interesting. It's almost more historical fiction, as Leah's abilities don't play too much of a part in this first book in the trilogy. I read some complaints about the travelling nature of the book, but I actually thought Carson did a really good job of making you forget they were travelling and focusing on events rather than the routine. I'm also always a sucker for the girl disguises herself as a boy trope (I think reading Tamora Pierce at a formative age will do that to you). I'm looking forward to the rest of the trilogy! 4.5 stars.

194curioussquared
okt 11, 2021, 7:53 pm



96 books read: Firebug by Lish McBride

Ava is a firebug -- she can start fires, throw fireballs, create sparks, you name it, all with the power of her mind. For years, she and her mother were on the run from the Coterie, a sort of underground magical mafia that desperately wanted Ava and her mother's power. Firebugs are particularly useful to the Coterie as assassins -- all creatures, even magical ones, are afraid of fire. Eventually, though, the Coterie caught up to them. Ava's mother was killed, and Ava ran to her guardian, Cade. But she could no longer run from the Coterie, and these days, she serves them as an assassin, hunting down the targets they request. She hates it, but she knows it's the only way to guarantee Cade's safety. But when Venus, the leader of the Coterie, gives Ava an assignment she could never complete, she knows it's time to go on the run again -- and maybe even time to finally take a stand, with the help of her dryad and were-fox friends, not to mention a drove of were-hares.

This was a fun book! I haven't read a lot like it, and I like that. Great characters -- I really want to meet Lock and Ezra. I'm looking forward to the sequel. 4 stars.

195curioussquared
okt 11, 2021, 8:18 pm

I'm still job hunting, but somehow the days are still flying by :) I've been doing a lot of home organization stuff; especially with all of the very generous wedding presents we got, I feel like our house is overflowing a bit and we definitely now have some duplicates of things we can get rid of. So I'm working on downsizing a little and also finding all of the new stuff its place. Today I'm washing all of the new plates, bowls, and mugs and choosing which items out of our old ones will be relegated to backup duty and which ones will be given away.

I had one interview last week where they told me the salary within 2 minutes, I told them it would be too low, and we ended the meeting, lol. No time wasted, but why would they have a recruiter interview like that over video? I got all dressed up for a two minute conversation. Phone screen, please.

Then I had the opposite experience the next day when another recruiter called me for an in-depth phone screen with no warning; I don't mind being asked some basic background/demographic questions on a surprise phone call, but he was asking me very detailed questions about why I wanted this specific job in this specific department at this specific university, and I did NOT have answers prepared for those questions aside from "uh, well, the job itself looked interesting and I don't really care otherwise." I made something up, but still. Get it together, recruiters!

After starting all the washing of new dishes, I applied for some more jobs today. Hopefully something works out! In the meantime, I've also been keeping myself busy scrawling away at an outline for a novel idea I've had percolating for a while. I've never really thought I wanted to write a book, but I figure now might be a good time to try! If I have enough outlined/researched by the end of the month, I might try to do NaNoWriMo in November.

196curioussquared
okt 11, 2021, 8:19 pm

Oh, and on Saturday we went up to Tim's family's beach house and participated in their annual cider pressing of the apples in their orchard, so now we have lots and lots of cider waiting for us in the basement freezer. Very autumnal! The dogs had a good time, too.

197alcottacre
okt 12, 2021, 12:27 am

>192 curioussquared: Sounds like I enjoyed that one slightly more than you did.

>193 curioussquared: My local library has books 2 and 3 in that trilogy, but not the first one. Ugh!

>194 curioussquared: Another one into the BlackHole!

>195 curioussquared: Good luck with the book writing. I hope you do NaNoWriMo when it comes around. Best of luck with the continued job hunting too.

198scaifea
okt 12, 2021, 7:32 am

Oh, yay for novel writing! But boo to the ridiculous recruiters. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the perfect job falls into your lap soon.

199MickyFine
Bewerkt: okt 12, 2021, 10:28 am

I also continue to keep my fingers crossed for your job hunt. Last night while trying to fall asleep I was also flirting with the idea of doing NaNoWriMo but I'm not sure if I'll attempt. There's multiple family birthdays in November (including Mr. Fine's and my own) so free time is often booked with things. I hope it's a fun experience for you if you tackle it.

200libraryperilous
okt 12, 2021, 10:30 am

>195 curioussquared: The carelessness with which employers conduct their job searches is annoying—especially because it ends up wasting their time and resources, too. I hope you find something soon!

>196 curioussquared: That sounds delightful!

Also, if you want to do some novel writing this November, I too have decided to be an Author, so perhaps we could encourage each other. I'm working on some fiction and also setting up plans for my Substack (lol).

201curioussquared
okt 12, 2021, 1:00 pm

>197 alcottacre: That's annoying that they would have books 2 and 3 but not book 1! Seems counterintuitive. Do you think it's something like they had the whole trilogy but the first ebook's license expired and they didn't renew it, but the second two still have checkouts left?

Thanks for the positive wishes! I haven't really tried writing a book since 7th grade so we'll see what happens. I think NaNoWriMo might be a good idea for me because it'll force me to just get words on a page rather than overthinking things.

202curioussquared
okt 12, 2021, 1:02 pm

>198 scaifea: Thanks, Amber! The job hunt could definitely be worse; at least I'm getting fairly consistent interest from recruiters. I'm sure the right job will show up soon, but in the meantime I'm trying to make the most of my break, hence the novel :)

203curioussquared
Bewerkt: okt 12, 2021, 1:05 pm

>199 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! NaNo is a big undertaking so I definitely understand the hesitance. Up until I started my new job in 2020 my old job was crazy busy August through about mid-November so I never had the energy to even think about attempting. Let me know if you decide to do it -- we can have an LT support group :)

204curioussquared
okt 12, 2021, 1:08 pm

>200 libraryperilous: Thanks, Diana! I think there are a lot of bad recruiters out there. According to Tim, at least in the Seattle tech circles, there's such a massive software engineer shortage that every company is desperately trying to hire. This had translated into a recruiter shortage as every company is hiring more recruiters so they can hire more developers faster. Since most of the places I'm talking to aren't tech shops, I'm sure the recruiters at these companies are the sub par ones since they'd probably be making more money if they could get hired at a tech company, lol.

Yes, I'm all for the LT author support group, lol. I guess I really need to double down on my outlining and research now!

205curioussquared
okt 12, 2021, 1:15 pm

On the agenda today: dog walking, more organization. I'm also working on setting up a guest bedroom in our basement as we got a new bedframe and mattress for the room, but I want to give it a thorough scrubbing and cleaning first. It's also where I had been shoving a lot of wedding supplies/decor pre-wedding and a lot of wedding presents that didn't have a home yet post-wedding. So first I need to empty it, then clean it, then set up bedroom.

I'm also going to try to make it to the vehicle licensing office to update my car title with my new name, and fit in an hour long workout, which I haven't done in way too long. Posting it here to keep myself accountable ;) Throwing white chicken chili in the slow cooker for dinner tonight. No job applications today unless a dream job pops up; four applications yesterday was enough!

I'm listening to the final book in the Bone Witch series, Shadow Glass; I think I've decided to decommission the first book as I can't see myself rereading this series ever. And I'm reading Swallows and Amazons in print, which is enjoyable but probably has too much detail about sailing to keep the attention of today's children.

206humouress
okt 12, 2021, 2:21 pm

Wishing you luck with the job hunt.

I started reading Swallows and Amazons to my 12 year old about a year ago (so he was 11) and we still haven't finished. That's partly because I haven't been consistent with bedtime reading as he's got older/ he falls asleep quite fast once I start reading/ he wants other books. But you're right, the sailing descriptions are too detailed for his patience. I think it's easier to read those yourself rather than listen, so you can go back and read it again or look at diagrams and pictures.

207aktakukac
okt 12, 2021, 4:46 pm

>193 curioussquared: I listened to the trilogy when I was on maternity leave with my oldest. I really liked it and have recommended it to patrons at work. I think you'll like the next two books.

208libraryperilous
okt 12, 2021, 4:51 pm

>204 curioussquared: I'm also discovering that jobs expire on Indeed but are still open on company sites, so that's a pain. Of course, if I submitted applications daily, I wouldn't miss out on so many. Really need to motivate, but it's so hard to know if you've written a good cover letter and if your resume shows achievements, not just job responsibilities. Anyway, good luck to both of us so the job hunt is over soon!

Yes, definitely will try to scratch out some things to prepare for next month. Yay! :)

209MickyFine
okt 13, 2021, 1:08 pm

>205 curioussquared: Oof, 4 applications in a day is a task worthy of Hercules. Back in my job hunting days I was pleased if I churned out one a day. Hopefully you find a great fit.

210alcottacre
okt 13, 2021, 6:44 pm

>201 curioussquared: My local library has the print copies of the second and third books. I suspect the first book went missing at some point and it has never been re-purchased.

211curioussquared
okt 15, 2021, 2:39 pm

>206 humouress: Thanks, Nina! Yes, I was reading in print and I will fully admit to skipping the more detailed sailing descriptions.

212curioussquared
okt 15, 2021, 2:40 pm

>207 aktakukac: Glad to know you enjoyed the rest of the trilogy, Rachel! I have book 2 lined up on audio once I get through Cat's Eye and This Coven Won't Break.

213curioussquared
okt 15, 2021, 2:47 pm

>208 libraryperilous: Oof, I have the opposite experience fairly often on LinkedIn, when a job appears to be still open for applications but doesn't exist when I get to the company website. I'm also finding that as more and more companies are going remote-first and posting positions as available nationwide, the application period for those positions gets shortened to a few days at most as I'm sure they're inundated with several hundred applications just within those few days. So especially for those positions, I've been trying to apply quickly.

And yay! I'm getting closer to a full outline. Obviously needs a lot of fleshing out and tweaking and lots more research, but I'll probably try to do NaNoWriMo whether or not I feel ready, because I feel like this is one of those situations where you never feel ready and that's actually what NaNoWriMo is good for.

It's interesting getting back to creative writing after not really attempting anything of the sort since middle school or high school. As a teenager I scoffed at outlines and never really got anywhere in my stories partially as a result of that disdain. In college I really developed my academic writing and outlines became an integral part of my process, and I've carried that over to my professional writing. Hopefully my creative writing endeavors will now benefit!

214curioussquared
okt 15, 2021, 2:48 pm

>209 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky! It helps that I'm applying to fairly specific types of positions so while I'm customizing my application materials, I'm not customizing as much as I would if the jobs were super different.

215curioussquared
okt 15, 2021, 2:48 pm

>210 alcottacre: Makes sense, Stasia! I hope you're able to get your hands on a copy at some point.

216curioussquared
okt 15, 2021, 3:14 pm



97 books read: The Shadow Glass by Rin Chupeco

In this final book of the trilogy, we finally learn why Tea was exiled, and what happened to bring us to the events in the present day timeline.

It was nice to get the resolution, but I still don't think the timeline/pacing of the whole trilogy worked for me. There were definitely some fun bits, though. 3.5 stars.

217alcottacre
okt 15, 2021, 3:24 pm

>216 curioussquared: I hope your next book turns out to be better for you, Natalie!

Good luck with NaNoWriMo. Sounds like you are making a great start on being prepared for it.

218curioussquared
Bewerkt: okt 15, 2021, 3:34 pm



98 books read: Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

John, Susan, Titty, and Roger are delighted when word comes from their sailor father that they should be allowed to sail the Swallow and camp on their own on an uninhabited island in the lake they are staying at for summer holidays. Soon, they declare war on the Amazon, another sailboat captained by two girls, and the curmudgeonly Captain Flint, who lives on a nearby houseboat and is convinced the Swallows stole his parrot's feathers and set off a firework on his boat.

This book stood the test of time in that I enjoyed the story and it held my attention. It has that feeling of a classic children's novel; a sort of sepia-toned feeling of bygone days. But I think there are many aspects that are just too outdated to really work for modern children. The sailing is endless and too complicated for anyone but the truly nautical-obsessed, which is just not as in vogue these days, I think. The kids are a little too sugary -- four siblings never fight, really? And I know it was published about a century ago, but I would have liked if Susan wasn't the only one doing the cooking and washing up all the time. The children's games are a little out of reach for today's kids, too; constant talk of natives and savages and playing Robinson Crusoe. Overall, not a bad read, I think it's just really feeling its age. I'm not planning to read any others in the series. 3.5 stars.

219alcottacre
Bewerkt: okt 15, 2021, 3:35 pm

>218 curioussquared: Despite my ancientness, I have never read that one and I really should. One of these days I will track down a copy.

220curioussquared
okt 15, 2021, 5:54 pm

>219 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! We'll see how this writing thing goes :) I hope you enjoy Swallows and Amazons when you get to it!

221alcottacre
okt 15, 2021, 6:09 pm

>220 curioussquared: Swallows and Amazons has been in the BlackHole for a while now, but I have not been able to lay my hands on a copy.

222curioussquared
okt 18, 2021, 3:23 pm



99 books read: Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood

Artist Elaine Risley is back in Toronto for a retrospective show of her paintings. Her return to the city and the look back at her works from various points in her life act as a jumping off point for a reflection on her past, her childhood and young adulthood through the birth of her first child and divorce from her first husband. As older Elaine walks the streets she remembers from long ago, we follow young Elaine as she makes her first girl friends, discovers the remarkable ability for cruelty present in young girls, and grows past it, learning about herself, feminism, and the power of women. She also thinks back on the particular influence of her friend Cordelia, who she last saw years ago in a mental hospital, and about whom she has never truly stopped thinking, and as her show grows closer and gets press, Elaine can't help believing that Cordelia will come.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this novel; the cover makes it look almost fantastical, but this isn't a fantasy at all. I think overall it is a reflection on growing up as a girl, the expectations of peers and society, and how our pasts can shape us in ways we may not even recognize. The section that focuses on Elaine's bullying at the hands of her "friends" is tough to read, and her trauma shows later in the ways she has fully erased those experiences from her memories. In some ways, this is a book where not a lot happens, but I was glued to the story. 5 stars.

223Whisper1
okt 18, 2021, 3:28 pm

>192 curioussquared: Natalie, You saved work for me. I own a copy of this book, and I was debating reading it. Now, I will give it to the library. Thanks!

224MickyFine
okt 18, 2021, 4:02 pm

>222 curioussquared: Margaret Atwood intimidated me for years until I read Alias Grace for a required Canadian literature course during my undergrad. Glad to see you enjoyed this encounter.

225curioussquared
okt 18, 2021, 4:04 pm



100 books read: Havenfall by Sara Holland

Maddie has grown up knowing about other worlds -- her uncle runs the inn at Havenfall, the idyllic spot in the Colorado Rockies where beings from other worlds can cross over for treaties and summits. Earth, as a world with no magic, is treated as a neutral ground between all the worlds. Her greatest wish is to move to Havenfall when she's done with high school and start training to become the next innkeeper when her uncle decides to retire. This summer, her dad wants her to get some work experience in Omaha instead of spending the summer at Havenfall, but Maddie disobeys him and heads to the inn instead. But as soon as she gets there, things are different from years past; her best friend, a fjorden named Brekken, goes missing the first night -- the same night that someone attacks her uncle and breaks open the door to Solaria, a door that has been sealed for years after the Solarians turned dangerous and attacked the other races. Maddie's uncle won't wake up, so Maddie's the closest thing the inn has to an innkeeper at the moment -- and she's not exactly prepared. In over her head, Maddie struggles to figure out who opened the door to Solaria, how to shut it, and who she can trust, as the place she thought of as home becomes more and more like a nightmare.

I'm not always super into portal fantasies or urban fantasy; I think it can be more difficult to mesh a fantasy world with our existing world than to create a whole new one with different worlds. I think Havenfall really succeeded in this respect -- I was very interested in the premise and the setup, and wanted more about the other worlds and the inn itself. Aside from this, the story fell a little flat. Maddie was in maybe a little too over her head. There was a lot of hand wringing and feeling like she was all alone, which she was to a point, but I'm not sure I understood why some of the other more competent adults who weren't innkeepers couldn't have helped a little more. 3.5 stars.

226curioussquared
okt 18, 2021, 4:05 pm

>223 Whisper1: Happy to help, Linda!

227curioussquared
okt 18, 2021, 4:07 pm

>224 MickyFine: I read The Handmaid's Tale back in college, but I'm not actually sure I've read anything else by Atwood. She is one of those authors who seems intimidating, isn't she? But that definitely melted away for me right after starting the book. The writing is so good. I'll have to get to Alias Grace at some point!

Also, I follow her on Instagram, where she is the cutest. I'm pretty sure she runs her own account, complete with accidental double postings and cut-off captions fairly often.

228curioussquared
okt 18, 2021, 4:19 pm

Agenda for this week includes an interview tomorrow, which I'm prepping for today. The job looks interesting, and it's at the local university, which I feel like would attract just better people than the insurance industry in general. We'll see!

I probably would have read a little more this weekend, but I got back into Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. It's definitely not the same caliber of game as Breath of the Wild, but it's interesting to see just how much it influenced Breath of the Wild in a lot of little ways that weren't super fleshed out in SS but became huge parts of BotW (i.e., the sailcloth, collecting materials to improve weapons/make potions, etc.) It's definitely an awkward, sort of poorly designed game in general; the controls are so difficult from being mapped to a controller from the wii remote that it took me a good few hours to get back into the game after not playing for a few months, and I'm still utterly terrible at throwing bombs. So I might try to play some more this week since I have the controls mostly ingrained right now.

Other goals for the week include making a serious dent in our wedding thank you notes and working more on the novel outline to prepare for NaNoWriMo. I think I'm definitely planning to participate at this point -- if not now, when? It'd be nice to get all of the thank you notes out of the way before November; my new return address stamp and postage stamps came in this week, so no more excuses to wait!

229MickyFine
Bewerkt: okt 18, 2021, 4:26 pm

>227 curioussquared: She's basically CanLit royalty up here, which ups the intimidation factor. But I usually end up enjoying her work. A while back I had to listen to a CBC radio interview she did (I was trying to figure out what title a customer was trying to recommend that they'd heard mentioned in the interview but had mangled in their suggestion) and she was delightfully charming. And also did a palm reading for the interviewer. LOL.

ETA: Good luck on your interview!

230alcottacre
okt 18, 2021, 5:07 pm

>222 curioussquared: Adding that one to the BlackHole!

>225 curioussquared: Giving that one a pass for now.

>228 curioussquared: I hope all goes well with your interview tomorrow.

Congratulations on hitting 100 books read for 2021, Natalie!

231curioussquared
okt 19, 2021, 1:35 am

>229 MickyFine: Lol. I love that she did a palm reading! And thank you!

232curioussquared
okt 19, 2021, 1:36 am

>230 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia! The wedding planning definitely put me behind where I'd normally be this time of year but not working right now is definitely letting me catch up a little ☺️

233scaifea
okt 19, 2021, 7:32 am

Best of luck today with your interview!!

234libraryperilous
okt 19, 2021, 9:40 am

235Berly
okt 20, 2021, 1:27 am

>154 curioussquared: You were here at the Oregon coast! And I missed you! Whahhhhh. ; ) I have been largely MIA for the past 6 weeks. Including a trip to NY to look at wedding dresses among other things. Your wedding looks like it was amazing! And I am hoping the interview went well.

236humouress
okt 20, 2021, 1:31 am

Good luck Natalie!

237curioussquared
okt 20, 2021, 1:44 am

Thanks all for the good wishes! I think the interview went well; the hiring manager sounded like she wanted to take concrete next steps toward setting up interviews with a few other people, but she and another key player will be out of town starting Thursday so follow up interviews would probably be the first week of November. But I really liked her and the sound of the role and the team so fingers crossed things do move forward!

238curioussquared
okt 20, 2021, 1:45 am

>235 Berly: I know, Kim! Just the wrong week for the Portland meetup, too. Next time!

Ooh, wedding dresses in NY! Did you go to Kleinfeld's? I will admit to having watched waaaaay too much Say Yes to the Dress in my lifetime...

239curioussquared
okt 25, 2021, 9:28 pm



101 books read: The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay

Mary has been close with Isabelle for years and years -- almost more like sisters. She's always been more of a sidekick to Isabelle's strong personality, which is usually fine with her, but lately things haven't been going well. The engineering startup where she's been working for years is undergoing a reorg, and the new manager really has it out for her and doesn't have time for her experiments anymore. Plus, cute consultant Nathan hasn't shown any interest in her, even after he's been consulting at the startup for over a year. When Isabelle shows up again and basically demands that Mary accompany her on a trip to Bath, England, to an Austen-esque estate where visitors wear period dress and assume an Austen character's persona, Mary is skeptical. It seems like one of Isabelle's big schemes again and she's kind of tired of following along. But her dad points out that she needs a break and some change, so she decides to go, taking a leap and falling into another world.

I wanted to like this; I love me some Austen-inspired chick lit, but it didn't really work for me. It felt like it wanted to be Austenland but none of the rest of the storytelling, plot, or characters were developed enough to get there. 2.5 stars.

240curioussquared
okt 25, 2021, 9:34 pm



102 books read: This Coven Won't Break by Isabel Sterling

Sequel to These Witches Don't Burn -- In the wake of her father's death and the witch hunter attack on her coven last year, Hannah is still trying to recover from the poison she was injected with. Her magic isn't gone, but it's harder to reach. Luckily, her new girlfriend Morgan, a blood witch, somehow makes it easier -- when Morgan's around, her magic feels back to normal. But as much as Hannah wants to focus on recovery and going back to normal, she can't -- the witch hunters are still out there, and they're targeting more witches than ever. Plus, they've reportedly refined their magic-killing drug, and soon they won't be able to hide. Even though she's underage, Hannah might be the key to recruiting some important players to help stop the witch hunters, so she starts working for the council to try and take the hunters down.

I want to call this book fun and almost silly, because in a lot of ways it is -- half the time it reads as a lighthearted, queer YA romance. The other half of the time Hannah and her friends are dealing with a pretty horrifying threat while members of their community are permanently deprived of their magic, and it's actually pretty dark. I'm not sure these two halves of the book meshed super well for me, but I still found it enjoyable overall. 3.5 stars.

241libraryperilous
okt 25, 2021, 9:43 pm

>239 curioussquared: I read Reay's The Brontë Plot and liked it. It's too bad the Austen-inspired one was a miss.

242curioussquared
okt 25, 2021, 9:45 pm



103 books read: Hollow Chest by Brita Sandstrom

It's been a tough war for twelve-year-old Charlie. His father died in the blitz, and he left school to help run the household alongside his grandfather, who has the beginnings of dementia, while his mother works and his older brother Theo is away fighting. He's grateful for his cat Biscuits, his constant companion, but more than anything, he's just waiting for Theo to come home, when he's sure everything will be all right again, even though his grandfather has warned him that people come home from war changed. Sure enough, when Theo arrives, he's... different. Distant, dismissive, and lacking the heart Charlie loved so much. Convinced Theo will be ok if he can recover his heart for him, Charlie goes on a mission around London, where he starts seeing war wolves -- wolves who haunt soldiers and others and steal their hearts if they're not careful. Charlie begins hunting the wolves and making terrible bargains in the name of getting Theo's heart back, all the while not sure if it will work, but knowing that he has to try something.

Thanks to Diana libraryperilous for the recommendation! This book tore my heart out and put it back in again; I ached for poor, sweet Charlie, trying so hard to hold his world together and willing to do just about anything to fix things. I hope this title gets more recognition, but I do worry that the subject matter is just a little too bleak for the intended middle grade audience. Then again, I know kids can often handle more than you think they can. Definitely recommended if you are an adult who enjoys middle grade! 5 stars.

243curioussquared
okt 25, 2021, 9:54 pm



104 books read: Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey

Ivy Gamble and her sister Tabitha are twins -- but they haven't really spoken in years. As a child, Tabitha learned she was magic, and Ivy learned she was not. It was Ivy who stayed with their mother while she died of cancer, and Tabitha who just sent home emails detailing how well she was doing at magic boarding school. Since then, the twins have traded holidays with their dad and kept their distance. Now, Ivy is a Private Investigator, and Tabitha teaches at a nearby magic school. Ivy is shocked when the headmaster shows up at her office to hire her to solve a gruesome murder at Tabitha's school, and doesn't want to accept, but the retainer is too big to say no to, and it would be her first murder case... Before long, Ivy finds herself on her way to the school, eager to start on the case, but not so eager to see Tabitha again.

I loved this! Magic school from the point of view of the adults. Sort of has a Magicians feel to it, but less dark. 4 stars.

244curioussquared
okt 25, 2021, 9:57 pm

>241 libraryperilous: It could have been me, too; this was the book I was reading on my Kindle whenever I woke up in the middle of the night, so it took me a while to get through and I was never very invested.

245curioussquared
Bewerkt: okt 25, 2021, 10:31 pm

Not much going on since I last posted; we had a friend stay with us while his fiancee's family was in town (hilariously, they have been together for a decade or so but are still unmarried, and her very Catholic family 100% believes that they do not live together, so he needed a place to camp while they were here), so I spent some time getting the guest area ready for him.

Friday I celebrated October birthdays with my family, which was me and my aunt -- it was good to see people and I got some nice gifts. Saturday we went out to a delicious Italian dinner with two friends to celebrate one of them getting a new job, and then did drinks after. It was the first time I think I've been really "out on the town" per se since the pandemic started, and it was nice! The Seattle mandate for proof of vaccination for indoor dining goes into effect today, which is great; most places we went to already had signs about it.

Sunday we had plans for some friends to come over to play some board games; that still ended up happening, but our power went out around 3pm due to a windstorm, so it was board games in the dark. They left around 6:30 when it was too dark to see, and we hunkered down for the night. 28 hours later and we're still without power, which is fun. We spent most of today at Tim's parents' house, since they're currently up at their beach house. We'll probably head home to sleep. Hopefully power will be restored in the night, but I'm not too hopeful as the city light outage page currently estimates our restoration for 11:44 am tomorrow :(

Still waiting to hear back from the job interview -- I'm not TOO worried since this recruiter is weird and I know the hiring manager is out this week, but still would like some news soon!

246curioussquared
okt 26, 2021, 1:13 am

Woohoo, came home at 9:45 and our power was back on!!

247scaifea
okt 26, 2021, 7:45 am

>242 curioussquared: At first glance I thought the title was Hollow Cheese and I'm not ashamed to admit that I was interested...

Yay for the power being back on by the time you came home!!

248libraryperilous
Bewerkt: okt 26, 2021, 10:23 am

>243 curioussquared: Ooh, this sounds fun!

>242 curioussquared: I'm so glad you loved it; it's an extraordinary story and it feels different than most middle grade novels I read—perhaps because it is a bit too bleak. My mom thought it was grim and weird. :(

For such a quiet book, and one filled with Biscuits' antics, the tension in Hollow Chest is just relentless. I spent every page caring about Biscuits and Charlie, and I would have been heartbroken if Charlie hadn't had enough love left for Biscuits at the end. At its heart, it's a coming of age story, and Charlie must learn to love Theo quietly and steadily, the way he already loves his mom, grandpa, and Biscuits. Charlie's great heart and extra love mean he can share it with the wolves and still have enough left over for everyone. He loved Theo a little fiercely and selfishly. I think this could have been explored more deftly? Charlie views Theo as a savior, so he's less forgiving of Theo than he is of the other people he loves. Part of growing up is learning to control your emotions, and Charlie finally realizes it's not the emotions that are bad, it's what you do with them. I didn't love the fairy tale stories that took up a few pages, and I didn't think the connections always were clear. Pages that could have been spent on more of Biscuits! Also, I loved Remorse and Dishonor.

Anyway, I am so happy someone else read it and loved it! I have not been that wrecked by a book in ages, but it also is the kind of book that stitches up the pieces.

Edited: html

249curioussquared
okt 26, 2021, 11:45 am

>247 scaifea: I definitely would also read a book called Hollow Cheese!!

250curioussquared
okt 26, 2021, 11:50 am

>248 libraryperilous: Yes, very much agree with your analysis. Charlie has already grown up so much during the war, but at the cost of putting Theo on a pedestal -- once Theo is back, everything will be okay. To finish the coming of age process, he needs to move past that last hang-up.

Yep, I was reading through tears for many pages. I was reading on the couch while our friend was staying with us and speeding along before he woke up so he wouldn't catch me crying over my Kindle, lol.

251humouress
okt 31, 2021, 12:48 am

>248 libraryperilous: >250 curioussquared: Now I don't know if Hollow Chest should be a book bullet or not.

252alcottacre
okt 31, 2021, 8:27 am

>242 curioussquared: Adding that one to the BlackHole.

>243 curioussquared: I went to add that one to the BlackHole only to discover it was already there :)

Thanks for the reviews and recommendations, Natalie!

253libraryperilous
okt 31, 2021, 12:42 pm

>251 humouress: If it helps, I'm sensitive to books that are too grim or sad, and this fell solidly on the 'fine for me' side. It was a quiet kind of tension, if that makes sense.

254curioussquared
okt 31, 2021, 7:54 pm

255humouress
nov 1, 2021, 12:05 am

>253 libraryperilous: >254 curioussquared: Alright then, thanks. I could give it a go.
Dit onderwerp werd voortgezet door Curioussquared continues 2021 with some books: part 4.