rabbitprincess has a hard day's night in 2022

In 2022 I'll be dressing up my usual categories with quotes from one of my favourite movies, A Hard Day's Night.



The only change from last year is that I've replaced the transportation category with one for books that were nominated for or received an award.

2022 ROOTS ticker:



2-for-1 TBR ticker:

General fiction
Ringo: "You can learn from books."
Grandfather: "Parading's better."

Still not sure if this is the best quote. I'll have to watch the movie again to see if I can find a different one.

1. Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
2. Tigerman, by Nick Harkaway
3. Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (Serial Reader)
4. The Quiller Memorandum, by Adam Hall
5. The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (tr. Juliet Winters Carpenter)
6. Lady Susan, by Jane Austen (Serial Reader)
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, by Ken Kesey (Overdrive)
8. Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett (Overdrive)
9. Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes

General non-fiction
Reporter: "How did you find America?"
John: "Turn left at Greenland."

1. The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
2. Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape, by Patrick Laurie
3. Volcanoes: A Very Short Introduction, by Michael J. Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz
4. I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston
5. This Is Going to Hurt: The Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay
6. Tiger in the Sea: The Ditching of Flying Tiger 923 and the Desperate Struggle for Survival, by Eric Lindner
7. The Tenth Nerve: A Brain Surgeon's Stories of the Patients Who Changed Him, by Dr. Chris Honey
8. Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir of Asperger's and an Extraordinary Mind, by Daniel Tammet
9. A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, by Sara Manning Peskin
10. Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
11. Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, by Natalie Haynes
12. We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, by Simu Liu

Historical fiction
George: "He's very fussy about his drums, you know. They loom large in his legend."

1. Shadows on the Rock, by Willa Cather (Faded Page)

Historical non-fiction
Man on train: "Don't take that tone with me, young man. I fought the war for your sort."
John: "I bet you're sorry you won!"

1. The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream, by Charles Spencer
2. This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past, by John Kalbfleisch

Mysteries
Norm: "Hey, have you seen Paul's grandfather?"
John: "Of course, he's concealed about me person."

1. DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
2. The Journeying Boy, by Michael Innes
3. The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
4. The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
5. The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
6. The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald
7. The Darkest Evening, by Ann Cleeves
8. The Red Power Murders, by Thomas King
9. The Heron's Cry, by Ann Cleeves
10. Bloody January, by Alan Parks
11. Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett (Faded Page)
12. The Madness of Crowds, by Louise Penny
13. Death at the Château Bremont, by M. L. Longworth
14. Farewell, My Lovely, by Raymond Chandler (Faded Page)
15. Murder in the Rue Dumas, by M. L. Longworth
16. The Heretic, by Liam McIlvanney
17. Cold Skies, by Thomas King
18. 'Til Death, by Ed McBain

French
Croupier at Le Cercle Club: "Pas bingo, m'sieur, banco."

1.
2.

Re-reads
Grandfather: "I thought I was supposed to be getting a change of scenery, and so far I’ve been in a train and a room, and a car and a room and a room and a room!"

1. McNally's Trial, by Lawrence Sanders
2. The Road to Mars, by Eric Idle
3. With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix
4.
5.
6.

Audio
John: "I could listen to him for hours."

1. Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper, by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
2. The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (performed by Hugh Fraser)
3. The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama box set)
4. Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)

Science fiction and fantasy
The Beatles: "Hey mister, can we have our ball back?"

I chose this one because the Beatles are sitting in the train one moment, then the next they're running outside the train, keeping pace with it, pretending to be schoolboys to annoy Man on Train. It is never explained how they accomplish this ;)

1. Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper, by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (audio, performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
2. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian (ebook, comic)
3. Ten Little Aliens, by Stephen Cole
4. Feral Creatures, by Kira Jane Buxton (Overdrive)
5. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande (ebook, comic)
6. The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama box set)
7. The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie
8. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean (ebook, comic)
9. Amongst Our Weapons, by Ben Aaronovitch
10. Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
11. The World Set Free, by H. G. Wells (Serial Reader)
12. Doctor Who: The Ruby's Curse, by Alex Kingston

Plays, poetry, short stories, graphic novels, miscellaneous books
Paul: "Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt -- ZAP!"

Plays
1. Ivanov, by Anton Chekhov (translated by Ronald Hingley)
2.
3.

Short stories

Graphic novels and art books
1. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian
2. Emily Carr: Life and Work, by Lisa Baldissera
3. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande
4. Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean
5. Solutions and Other Problems, by Allie Brosh

Poetry and miscellaneous books
1. Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, by Shaun Bythell
2. Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, by Christof Spieler
3. Toksvig's Almanac: An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year, by Sandi Toksvig

Group reads (CATs and KITs)
Paul, about his grandfather: "He's a king mixer. He hates group unity so he gets everyone at it."

AuthorCAT
✔ January - pamelad: Indigenous Authors - DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
✔ February - Thornton37814: 19th Century Authors - Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
March - Clue: Authors First Published at Age 40 or later - Stolen Blessings, by Lawrence Sanders (first published at age 50, with The Anderson Tapes)
✔ April - lsh63: Debut Authors - The Ruby's Curse, by Alex Kingston
May - Kristelh: Authors From Your Own Country - Un jardin au bout du monde, by Gabrielle Roy
June - LibraryCin: Non-Fiction Authors
July - Tanyadogearedcopy: Asian Authors
August - DeltaQueen: Prize Winning Authors
September - Tess_W: African Authors
October - dudes22: Authors in Translation
November - DeltaQueen - Authors who set their books against real events
December - Salylou61: Favorite Authors

CATWoman
January -- sallylou61 -- Biography/autobiography/memoir by women - Between the Stops
✔ February -- Pamelad -- Women in Translation (Women authors and/or translators) - The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (translated by Juliet Winters Carpenter)
March -- NinieB -- Women Pioneers
April -- Jackie_K -- Women of Color
May -- Pamelad -- Classics by Women
June -- sallylou61 -- Books set in cities or about cities by women
✔ July -- LibraryCin -- Women in Science - The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
August -- susanna.fraser -- Children's/YA/Graphic Novels - Enola Holmes
September -- DeltaQueen -- Women during War
October -- Robertgreaves -- Women and Crime
November --DeltaQueen -- Issues as seen through women's eyes
December -- lsh63 -- Prize Winner by a Woman

ShakespeareCAT
✔ January NinieB King Lear & Its Themes (themes: ageing, madness, father-daughter relationships) - A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, by Sarah Manning Peskin
February Susanna.Fraser rom com Much Ado About Nothing
March Silver Wolf Book based on a Shakespeare Play
✔ April pamelad Hamlet Revenge - The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie
May- Tanya-dogearedcopy -Shakespeare’s Kings / Medieval History - Powers and Thrones, by Dan Jones
June miss_watson Julius Caesar. Antony and Cleopatra, Coriolanus Ancient History
July- Tess_W Measure for Measure, The Tempest, The Merchant of Venice theme: justice - or Rumpole, because of Phyllida Erskine-Trant, the Portia of the chambers
August mstrust Lesser known works
September thornton37814- Shakespeare sonnets/poems
October Christina_reads Macbeth Themes: murder, witchcraft, politics
November KristelH books fiction or nonfiction about Shakespeare/Globe Theater.
December ladyoftheLodge A Winter's Tale

MysteryKIT
✔ January—DeltaQueen50—series - DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
✔ February--clue--cold case crimes - The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
March--majkia—small towns, big secrets
✔ April—mstrust—noir/hard boiled - The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
✔ May—Robertgreaves—detectives in translation - The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
June--Tanya-dogearedcopy--historical fiction mysteries
July—christina_reads—Golden Age - The Arsenal Stadium Mystery, by Leonard Gribble
August--majkia--technothrillers
September--lowelibrary--animal mystery
October--LadyoftheLodge--mysteries featuring food
November—Tess_W—Gothic
December—thornton37814–Holiday Mysteries

RandomKIT
✔ January - Home Sweet Home - The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (name of a house in the title)
February - Cats - Tales from New Earth
March - Hobby Love - Foundations of Safety Science, by Sidney Dekker
April - April Showers
May - May Flowers - Sunny Side Up, by Susan Calman
June - Cookin' the Books - Infused: Adventures in Tea, by Henrietta Lovell
July - Dog Days of Summer - Sputnik's Guide to Life on Earth
August
September
October
November
December

BingoDOG
John: "They usually reckon dogs more than people in England. You'd expect something more palatial."



Award winner:
✔ Year of publication ending in 2: DreadfulWater, by Thomas King (first published 2002)
Modern retelling:
Book for which you'd love to see the movie:
✔ Features a dog: Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett
Title contains a Z:
✔ Published the year you joined LT: Death at the Château Bremont, by M. L. Longworth (published 2011)
By a favourite author:
A long book (for you):
✔ A gift: The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
✔ Title contains a month: Bloody January, by Alan Parks
Weather word in the title:
Read a CAT:
✔ Travel or journey: Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, by Christoph Spieler
About sisters or brothers:
A book club read: Birdie, by Tracey Lindberg (on the shortlist for my MIL's book club in 2019/20)
Flowers on the cover: Sunny Side Up, by Susan Calman (her shirt has sunflowers on it)
✔ Book in translation: The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (tr. Juliet Winters Carpenter)
✔ Non-fiction: The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
Character shares a name with a friend:
Set in a capital city:
Children's or young adult:
✔ Set in another country: The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
✔ LGBTQ+ author: Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
Silver or gold on the cover:

Award winners and nominees

Director: "I won an award."
John: "A likely story."
Director: (coldly) "It’s on the wall in my office."

This category is for me to catch up on all the award winners and nominees I have in the to-read pile. I follow Canada Reads, the Giller Prize, the Governor General's Awards, the Edgar Awards, the Daggers, and the McIlvanney Prize, among others.

1. The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald (Edgar Award nominee for Best Novel, 1962)
2. The Marrow Thieves (2017 Governor General's Award for English-language children's literature; also nominated for 2018 Governor General's Award for ENG to FRA translation)

Possible books from the to-read pile:

The Navigator of New York
The Saga of Gosta Berling
Volkswagen Blues
Undermajordomo Minor
The Diviners
Temps glaciaires
The Wycherly Woman
The Missing
A Fine Balance
The Custodian of Paradise
Halifax, Warden of the North

Other books:

D'oh! I reserved too many spaces :) Next one is yours!

What a fun theme! I feel a film session coming on. >:-)

Very nice! Good luck with it!

Great theme - I love the movie and now have a curious yearning to see it again soon!

Wonderful theme! I'm old enough to remember going to see A Hard Day's Night when it came out in the sixties. Happy reading in 2022.

We're heading towards a Group Watch! Just found it for rent on Google Play. Happy reading in 2022.

Excellent, what a great theme!

>14 Helenliz: >15 majkia: >16 DeltaQueen50: >17 VivienneR: >18 pamelad: >19 Jackie_K: Thanks, all! This is a theme I'd had stashed in my ideas box for a few years. With the recent release of "Get Back", I've been feeling in a bit of a Beatles mood so thought this was the perfect time to bring out the theme :)

>17 VivienneR: Seeing it in the theatre would have been awesome! I hope that by 2024 it will get a nice re-release in theatres and that I will feel safe to go see movies!

>18 pamelad: A group watch would be fun!

You've got a fun theme! Somehow I've never seen the movie, but the music is of course great.

Love love love The Beatles!

>21 NinieB: Oh, it is so fun! I've practically memorized it, I've seen it so many times.

>22 Tess_W: *shakes hair around like in "She Loves You"* Woooooooooo!!!

I love some of the quotes and look forward to your reading.

What a fun theme! Now I want to watch the movie again. And again.

I love your theme! Big Beatles fan here, too. I haven't watched the movie in ages, though - it may be time to introduce my 13yo to it...

Reading your thread was like a walk down memory lane! I saw the movie multiple times when it came out in the sixties. My girlfriends and I were in junior high school and stayed at the theater all day watching it. (That was when the theater management let people stay all day and watch the movie as many times as they wanted to, rather than being kicked out after one show!)

>24 dudes22: >25 MissWatson: >26 scaifea: >28 LadyoftheLodge: Thanks, everyone!

I think it would be an excellent idea to watch the movie multiple times in a row :D And yes, 13 is a good age! I was introduced to it when I was about 10 or 11 :) My parents had a CD-ROM version of the film where you could watch the whole film, selected scenes, or just the songs, and I think I wore out the part of the disc that played "Can't Buy Me Love".

I've never seen A Hard Day's Night but this thread makes me want to go watch it! I do love me some Beatles though!

This was a good idea for a theme. The Beatles are always in fashion.

Hope you have some great 2022 reads!

>30 casvelyn: It's a classic! Richard Lester's filming of the music scenes are the forerunner of the modern music video, so interesting from that perspective, and the movie is just fun.

>31 hailelib: For sure! I always get a boost whenever I listen to the Beatles.

>32 thornton37814: Thanks, and you as well!

Hooray for your year of Beatles! It's one of the greatest rock & roll movies.

Yay! What a great theme for 2022!! I finally saw "Yesterday" and I was so touched at the reverence for the music of the Beatles, all over again.

Have a great reading year and I'll be popping in as often as I can!

>34 mstrust: Totally agree! :)

>35 threadnsong: My parents and brother like that movie too, but I can't bring myself to watch it -- it feels too much like a horror movie for me, haha. I did absolutely adore "Get Back" though!

Love the quotes. Good luck with your 2022 reading.

Such a fun theme! I have not seen the movie, so I'm adding it to my list. I love the Beatles, and my husband and I each have a niece (and they are the same age!) that are HUGE Beatles fans.

>37 lowelibrary: Thanks, and the same to you! :)

>38 Crazymamie: Oh yes it is so much fun! I'm glad your nieces are huge Beatles fans too.

****

A fitting link for this thread: Christmas songs in the style of Beatles songs. So much fun identifying the Beatles songs! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn7qrEzni6s&list=PLr1onqArJGAFnz1G3ZlqSYLEdb...

Fun theme & thanks for the Christmas song link.

I'm looking forward to your reading, and possibly getting hit with some BB's along the way!

Happy Reading in 2022 and a good start into the new year, RP! :-)

>40 markon: You're welcome! It is such a delightful album and I'd never heard it before!

>41 lsh63: I'll do my best to oblige!

>42 MissBrangwen: Thanks, Mirjam! I hope you have a great reading year too :)

Love the category quotes. Happy 2022 and good luck with your reading goals! You look to be off to a great start.

Great choice of quotes to go with your categories! Good luck with your challenge this year.

>44 madhatter22: Thanks! I am indeed. I don't usually finish a book on 1 January so end up being mildly anxious until I finally finish one ;)

>45 mathgirl40: Thanks, Paulina! I can hear the Beatles saying them every time I read them :)

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Two books to get my reading going.

DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
Category: Mystery, CATs/KITs (January MysteryKIT: series)
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/210147004

The year's off to a great start with Thomas King. I'd started this series of his in 2020 by reading the 4th book, so I went back to the beginning of the series this year. I was snorting out loud frequently. Already requested the second book, The Red Power Murders.

This book can also count for the AuthorCAT, but I am lucky to have two other Indigenous authors on my shelves as well this month, so I'll count one of them for the AuthorCAT instead.

Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper (Destiny of the Doctor, #9), by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
Category: Audio, SFF
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139865028

Audio listening is off to a good start too. This audio-snack clocks in at about an hour and 20 minutes, so perfect for a late-night binge. The random number generator picked this for me, and a good choice it was.

You got me with DreadfulWater.

You're off to a good start! Looking forward to following your reading for another year.

>46 rabbitprincess: This is so interesting! I did Canadian Studies at uni and we talked a lot about Thomas King, but I have never heard of this one. Maybe because it was written under a pseudonym or because it's not "highbrow literature"? I'm intrigued and I'm definitely adding it to my list!

>47 hailelib: It's a good series! I hope you like it.

>48 RidgewayGirl: Thanks, Kay! Looking forward to following yours as well :)

>49 MissBrangwen: Ooh, which books of his did you talk about? Green Grass, Running Water is one of my all-time favourite books. I suspect that DreadfulWater might not have been discussed because of it being "genre" fiction.
Would also love to see the whole reading list for your course if you still have it! I am always curious to see what books are chosen for courses.

SIGH. Duplicate post.

Instead, here's a link to the Criterion Collection page for A Hard Day's Night. I might have to upgrade to this edition... https://www.criterion.com/films/28547-a-hard-day-s-night

>50 rabbitprincess: I did several courses and also my final written exam on Canadian Lit and if I remember correctly and haven't forgotten to tag anything on LT, I read those:

Sweeter Than All The World and A Discovery of Strangers by Rudy Wiebe
The Incomparable Atuk by Mordecai Richler
No Fixed Address by Aritha Van Herk
Medicine River and Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King
Barometer Rising, Two Solitudes and The Precipice by Hugh MacLennan
This Side Jordan by Margaret Laurence
Obasan by Joy Kogawa
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
What We All Long For by Dionne Brand
Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock
Whylah Falls by George Elliott Clarke

and also poetry by Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje and others (I don't remember now but I still have my folder somewhere).

I loved this topic and learned so much, which is why I chose it as one of the topics for my final written exam (the other was Victorian woman writers).

Regarding Thomas King, I know that we also talked about One Good Story, That One and Truth and Bright Water, and they have been on my wishlist ever since.
The genre fiction thing will probably be the reason, yes! Although I am still surprised that it wasn't even mentioned.

I saw where the Paul McCartney book was in the top 10 checked out from my public library in 2021.

>52 MissBrangwen: That's a great list! I'm marking this post as a favourite so that I can come back to it :)

>53 Tess_W: The Lyrics book? Excellent! We considered getting it for my mum for Christmas, but we ended up getting her Get Back instead.

****

Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
Category: General fiction
Source: Pickwick Books, Waterdown, ON
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/188403652

I needed a book that I could consume in half a day, and this book delivered. Definitely easier to read than her Merlin series.

Hi RP! I love your Beatles theme! Their music is timeless, but I haven't watched the movie. Should do that soon, I guess. Have a great reading year!

>54 rabbitprincess: The Lyrics book, that is correct.

>46 rabbitprincess: I've had Thomas King on my radar for a while but I haven't gotten around to any of his yet. I don't see that one in audio at any of my usual haunts, unfortunately. For whatever reason, I like to listen to my mysteries lately.

>55 Chrischi_HH: Yes! I strongly endorse watching the movie :) Thanks for stopping by!

>56 Tess_W: Now I've requested it from *my* library to see what it looks like.

>57 antqueen: Hmmm yes that one might have missed the audiobook boat. Lorne Cardinal does the audio of his The Inconvenient Indian, and I know he'll do a good job with it. The book itself is excellent.

****

A sluggish week. This was my first work week of 2022, so I've been catching up and getting back into the groove. I already want another vacation, haha.

The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/210480734

This is an excellent account of how the structure of DNA was discovered. Well-rounded, a variety of sources, and visible endnotes.

The Journeying Boy, by Michael Innes
Category: Mystery
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965334

Managed to snag this novel from one of the crime writers' associations' top 100 lists (in a green Penguin edition no less) at my favourite used-book sale a few years ago, possibly the last one I attended before the pandemic. It starts off slow and ponderous but manages to loosen up a bit by the end.

>58 rabbitprincess: I used to love Michael Innes's books, but last time I tried reading one its jocularity seemed a bit off. Murder and humour are an uneasy mixture for me these days - too callous for the times, perhaps?

ETA The racism in Decline and Fall (the book) was pretty hard to take, but no one thinks that Evelyn Waugh was a nice man, and neither are the characters.

>59 pamelad: Yes, I can imagine that if that balance isn't struck right, it wouldn't be enjoyable to read. For myself, I find it very difficult to read crime fiction that feature sexual assault or torture, especially when it involves multiple instances; I'll skip entire books in series if they're going to be too grim for me to read.

Thanks for the warning about Decline and Fall. I just picked up the miniseries today. Should be able to watch three episodes in three weeks. (I'm not great at bingeing shows.)

****

It's been a second since I popped in here. I have been reading, but being on the computer all day for work has really made me not want to be on the computer for long when I'm not working.

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian
Category: Graphic novels, SFF
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162694948

An excellent idea for me to put "a Doctor Who comic" on my TBR list for the month. Just the ticket for when I want to read but don't have the attention span.

Tigerman, by Nick Harkaway
Category: General fiction
Source: borrowed from brother
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/209485806

I borrowed this from my brother (I bought it for him with the express intention of borrowing it later) and it was good. Now I have to borrow Gnomon from him.

Ten Little Aliens, by Stephen Cole
Category: Sci-fi
Source: BMV
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/133956550

Of course I was going to pick up this Doctor Who story based on the title! It's pretty good and has a clever storytelling mechanism (a choose-your-own-adventure kind of format toward the end).

Getting my non-fiction groove on.

The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream, by Charles Spencer
Category: Historical non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/210481578

This was fine, but I didn't feel compelled to finish it. Too much else going on.

Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape, by Patrick Laurie
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/210582910

I found this interesting, especially because I've been to Galloway (Portpatrick and Wigtown). That said, it *is* about a farmer raising cattle for beef, so if you're vegetarian or vegan, this may not be the book for you.

Probably one last book to finish the month. January recap coming shortly.

This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Category: Sci-fi
Source: Perfect Books
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/172309469

This was a right-book, right-time situation. I'd had this on my on-deck pile for a couple of months, then I decided to read it this week. Loved it.

January recap

Starting off the year with 11 books read, which is pretty good given my shortage of focus.

DreadfulWater, by Thomas King
Doctor Who: Night of the Whisper (Destiny of the Doctor, #9), by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright (audio, performed by Nicholas Briggs and John Schwab)
Nine Coaches Waiting, by Mary Stewart
The Secret of Life: Rosalind Franklin, James Watson, Francis Crick, and the Discovery of DNA's Double Helix, by Howard Markel
The Journeying Boy, by Michael Innes
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 1: Revolutions of Terror, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florian (ebook, comic)
Tigerman, by Nick Harkaway (ebook)
Ten Little Aliens, by Stephen Cole
The White Ship: Conquest, Anarchy and the Wrecking of Henry I’s Dream, by Charles Spencer — 3 stars
Galloway: Life in a Vanishing Landscape, by Patrick Laurie
This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal el-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

My favourite book of the month was This Is How You Lose the Time War. It had been on the on-deck pile for a while, and I decided this was the time to read it.

I love a month with no books below 3 stars. The White Ship was my lowest-ranked book; it was fine, but I couldn’t be bothered to finish it.

Currently reading

Toksvig’s Almanac 2021, by Sandi Toksvig — I started reading this in May 2021 so will be finished with it in April 2022.
Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still buried in a pile.
Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens — I’m back to Serial Reader! Hurray!
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — I’m taking this one slowly and making a lot of notes. Up to chapter 4? now.
The Ringed Castle, by Dorothy Dunnett — After having this on my on-deck pile forever, I finally decided to make a start.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser) — A comforting re-read on audio seemed to be the ticket. I’ve listened up to the murder scene, which left a strong impression on me the first time I read it.
The Heron’s Cry, by Ann Cleeves — I’m catching up on this series then will go back to Vera.
Emily Carr: Life and Work, by Lisa Baldissera — An entry in the Canada Art Institute’s series about Canadian artists. Very good so far, conducive to picking up and putting down.

February plans

I had best-laid plans and read only one of the Indigenous books on my shelves this month, but I’ll spread them out throughout the year. I also managed to get the new Hollow Kingdom book back from the library, but of course I haven’t read it yet, haha.

This month I’ve stacked the deck with crime fiction. I also have a collection of Chekhov plays that I am going to read and will count each play in the collection separately to boost my numbers ;)

Oh, that was a great month of reading! I'm currently reading Tigerman and enjoying it.

I've made a note of This Is How You Lose the Time War.
You had a good January for reading.

>61 rabbitprincess: Despite being a vegetarian, the Patrick Laurie book is already on my wishlist. I have no problems with reading about farming, when it's done sensitively (I love James Rebanks' books for that too; his main herd is sheep).

>64 VivienneR: Hurray, glad you're enjoying it! I'm always pleased when other people are reading Harkaway; he feels like a hidden gem.

>65 hailelib: It was so good. I'm glad I took a chance on it. And Amal el-Mohtar is a local author for me :)

>66 Jackie_K: Thought it was important to add that caveat, just in case! I'll have to read the Rebanks book too; he's name-checked in Laurie's from what I recall (or maybe on Laurie's blog, which I checked out after reading the book).

Thanks for all the cats/kits pins for the month. That really makes it a lot easier, for me, at least!

>68 Tess_W: You're welcome! I thought it was a neat new feature :)

****

February is starting off with some easy reads.

Emily Carr: Life and Work, by Lisa Baldisseri
Category: GNs/comics/art
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/211011791

I say this was an easy read, but that is mainly because there were a lot of pictures and the text was constructed in a way that made it easy to pick up and put down. The art jargon was a bit impenetrable for me in places. I found the Helen McNicoll book in this Life and Work series a bit more accessible.

McNally’s Trial, by Lawrence Sanders
Category: Rereads
Source: Friends of Library and Archives book sale
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/78161557

After going through this series out of order about 20 years ago, I started a project to re-read the books in chronological order (for the most part; I read McNally's Chance more recently for a RandomCAT that it fit perfectly). These are comfort reads for me; Archy's narration is unique, the recurring characters amusing, and I can remember exactly how Past Me experienced these books. It's nice to revisit her.

Dropping in to say hi, how ya doin'?
My sister watched Get Back recently and was raving about it to me today. Ringo Starr is touring and she plans on getting tickets when he plays near her home in the near future.

>70 mstrust: OMG that would be an amazing show! I hope she tells you all about it so that you can tell *me* all about it :D

Get Back is fantastic. I watched it twice and am tempted to put it on as background noise while working from home.

Piling up a few reads this week. It helps that two were short books and the third was one I've had going on Serial Reader for a while.

Volcanoes: A Very Short Introduction, by Michael J. Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/211260368

I keep expecting that these Very Short Introductions will actually make an effort to flag up key terms when they're first used in the book, with cross-reference to the glossary or some sort of definition provided in text. This was an interesting book but I think you do need to have some level of knowledge or interest in the subject already.

Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, by Shaun Bythell
Category: Misc books
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212088410

A short but amusing book from the owner of The Book Shop. He continues to be grumpy, but there are several moments where he reveals his softer side.

Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens
Category: General fiction, Group reads (February AuthorCAT - 19th century authors)
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/209111391

My pop-culture-derived knowledge of this book did not prepare me for the intricacies of the second half. Lots going on. Not sure I followed all of it, but I got there in the end.

Stopping by to say hi and check in. I saw a documentary recently on The Beatles, the touring years, which I am guessing is in tandem with the film "Get Back"? And they mention the film "Hard Day's Night" during this documentary so I certainly thought of you ;) It's so hard to conceive of how short a time it was when the Beatles toured. I highly recommend the documentary, though - it had clips and explanations of how they rigged the sound for Shea Stadium.

>72 rabbitprincess: Congrats on getting through to the end! Dickens seems to have that ability, to really "twist" things around as his books progress.

Just an FYI....I just purchased 2 tickets to Ringo Starr and the All Star Band's concert in Pittsburg in June. Really pumped! Word is that he will retire at the end of the 2022 tour.

>73 threadnsong: Oh nice! That does sound really good. Where did you see it? We have Netflix and Disney+, and I have Kanopy and Hoopla through my library.

>74 Tess_W: Awesome! Not surprised that he would be considering retiring after this. He's earned it! I hope you have a great time :)

>72 rabbitprincess: I have several in the "Short Introduction" series and agree, some bold type or referencing would help with words and phrases that need to be remembered. I've only come across this series at The Writer's Block in Vegas. Where are you getting yours?
I've read one book from Bythell and I've got this one on my WL. Good to hear he remains grumpy.

>74 Tess_W: I'll let my sister know to check for tickets, as she wants to see this tour too.

>76 mstrust: Mostly the library, although I have found a couple at secondhand bookstores and sales. Fingers crossed that your sister gets tickets for the tour!

I just heard that Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, and Los Straitjackets are going on tour together this summer and they are coming to Toronto, so my dad has volunteered to get tickets :)

>76 mstrust: Some venues are already sold out. There are 2 concerts in Ontario and the remainder are on the US east coast and 2 in Florida.

>78 Tess_W: I did see that he was coming to Casino Rama! I'm not sure I'd haul myself all the way up there, though.

****

My library is circulating the 2 volumes of its copies of Paul McCartney's The Lyrics separately so that more people can have a shot at them. That's how I ended up with a copy of Volume 1 today despite being 117th on the holds list. The front cover has a reproduction of "Hey Jude" in Paul's handwriting, so of course I nearly burst into song in the library. Looking forward to flipping through this.

****

Feral Creatures, by Kira Jane Buxton
Category: SFF
Source: library (Overdrive)
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212597866

This sequel to Hollow Kingdom was probably not strictly necessary, but I read it anyway. I liked it well enough although it took me a while to actually pick it up.

The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
Category: Mystery
Source: Christmas gift from 2014
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/114932712

I am amused that I read the first book in the Lew Archer series second last (I have only The Wycherly Woman left, then the short stories). This is pretty good but not my most favourite.

The west coast dates for Ringo Starr haven't been posted yet. He's covering the east coast for the next four months.
>77 rabbitprincess: That'll be a cool show. I swear, I thought Lowe died a few years ago.

>77 rabbitprincess: Oh, wow! I hope you manage to get tickets.

>79 rabbitprincess: I can't believe I've never read any book by Ross Macdonald. I just added this first book in the series to my library wishlist so I can fix that gap.

I'm following the Ottawa news today and hoping that you and your neighbours are all safe and not affected too much by the chaos. Have a good Family Day weekend!

>80 mstrust: Fingers crossed for those west coast dates for you!

>81 mathgirl40: Dad got tickets this morning! Woo! I've already booked the necessary vacation ;) Hope you enjoy the Ross Macdonald when you get to it!

Thanks for thinking of us :) We're not downtown, so fortunately well away from it all. But it has been quite a time here over the past few weeks. I couldn't even read the news until today.

I have never read Ross Macdonald either but I have recently picked up a couple of his and hope to fit one in soon.

>82 rabbitprincess: Congrats on getting the tickets, and I'm glad to hear that you are far enough away from the downtown. I'm sure it must be a stressful time for Ottawa residents.

>83 DeltaQueen50: Excellent, hope you enjoy!

>84 mathgirl40: I am really looking forward to this show. Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets came here for Bluesfest a few years ago, but their show was the day of a crushing heatwave and I did not feel like leaving the house. This show will make up for it.

****

A couple of reviews on a quiet Sunday.

The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/211800878

I really like the ensemble that solves the cases in the Vera series. All of the team members have their own strengths and it is great to see them working together. This installment had a cold case that reflected on Vera's past.

Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America, by Angie Schmitt
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/210852193

Urban planning and traffic are among the many issues I'm interested in, so this book was up my alley. I've read a fair bit of this before, but overall it was well presented. Also liked the discussion of autonomous vehicles and how very far they are from being a cure-all.

I took a few days off this week and have put my time to good use so far by reading.

The Quiller Memorandum, by Adam Hall
Category: General fiction
Source: Hay-on-Wye, Wales
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/145800126

This was certainly gripping -- I read it in the space of 24 hours -- but it's not one I would keep.

>86 rabbitprincess: Good to know that you enjoyed The Quiller Memorandum as I have it waiting patiently on my Kindle ... one of these days I will finally get to it! Ha! I also have Flight of the Phoenix as well.

>87 DeltaQueen50: I preferred The Flight of the Phoenix, likely because it involved airplanes :)

Ivanov, by Anton Chekhov (tr. Ronald Hingley)
Category: Plays
Source: library, via World Oxford Classics omnibus
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212999454

Everyone in this play seemed to be shouting about something or other. My ears were ringing by the end of it. Wonder how the rest of the plays in this omnibus will go.

Running in with two more reviews to end the month.

The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212348756

I've really enjoyed all of the Yokomizo books that Pushkin Vertigo has recently translated and republished. Another one's coming out in June: Gokumon Island.

I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston
Category: Non-fiction
Source: Wordery
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/179398941

This is moving and earnest and I immediately bought the audio after finishing it so that I could read it again.

Just stopping by.

>91 hailelib: Thanks for stopping by!

****

Late with my February recap. I am taking a night course two nights a week and was doing some homework yesterday.

February recap

Found a little bit of a groove this month and got 13 books read.

Emily Carr: Life and Work, by Lisa Baldisseri
McNally’s Trial, by Lawrence Sanders (reread)
Volcanoes: A Very Short Introduction, by Michael J. Branney and Jan Zalasiewicz
Seven Kinds of People You Find in Bookshops, by Shaun Bythell
Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens (Serial Reader)
Feral Creatures, by Kira Jane Buxton (Overdrive)
The Moving Target, by Ross Macdonald
The Seagull, by Ann Cleeves
Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America, by Angie Schmitt
The Quiller Memorandum, by Adam Hall
Ivanov, by Anton Chekhov (tr. Ronald Hingley)
The Village of Eight Graves, by Seishi Yokomizo (tr. Bryan Karetnyk)
I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me, by Christopher Eccleston

My favourite book of the month was I Love the Bones of You: My Father and the Making of Me. Christopher Eccleston’s memoir is moving and earnest and I immediately bought the audio to consume again.

My least favourite book was Ivanov. Everyone seemed to be shouting and I didn’t have a great deal of sympathy for the way Ivanov coped with his problems (even if I could relate to his disillusionment at this stage of life).

Currently reading

Toksvig’s Almanac 2021, by Sandi Toksvig — I powered through February’s installments in one go, so I’ll read March’s this week.
Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still buried in a pile.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — I’m taking this one slowly and making a lot of notes. Up to chapter 4? now.
The Ringed Castle, by Dorothy Dunnett — This one is in the “hard pile” with the two above-mentioned textbooks (thanks charl08 for the “hard pile” vs. “lazy pile” distinction!)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser) — I haven’t been audio-puzzling or audio-colouring, so this hasn’t got a work out.
The Law Book, by DK Publishing — I started reading this but it’s another book in the “hard pile”. Lots to look at and absorb, so it’s a fascinating slow rather than a boring slow.
Shadows on the Rock, by Willa Cather — I got this off Faded Page but was able to load the epub file into the Serial Reader app so that it could be serialized. I’m about 6 days behind though, yikes.
This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past, by John Kalbfleisch — I’m determined to get more history read this year!
The Seagull, by Anton Chekhov — Haven’t started yet, but I’m feeling optimistic.
This Is Going to Hurt, by Adam Kay — I won’t be able to watch the BBC miniseries because visual medical gore squicks me out, but the book is great. I have laughed out loud a lot. I’m also picturing total dreamboat Ben Whishaw as Adam because he’s the lead actor in the miniseries :)

March plans

A couple of re-reads and a bunch of thrillers on my shelves. I want to catch up on series: Vera, Matthew Venn, and Lew Archer.

Hi, Princess!
All those reads while taking night classes too, wow!

>92 rabbitprincess: You had some good reading in February! This Is Going to Hurt sounds like fun! I'm looking forward to starting the Matthew Venn series. Other series by Cleeves have lost their appeal because I've watched them on tv and Netflix.

You certainly have a lot of reads on the go. It will be interesting to see how many you finish and how your series reading goes.

>93 mstrust: I only just started the night class last week, so fortunately I had most of the month to build up a cushion of reading!

>94 VivienneR: I've read the first Matthew Venn and have borrowed the second from my parents. I can finally start watching Shetland and Vera now that I've caught up with those series :)

>95 hailelib: I ended up taking back The Law Book and The Seagull, so that's two off the list. With the pandemic I find my attention span has been shot to pieces, so I pick up books here and there.

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/211454446

Medical memoirs are a strange sort of comfort read, but they are for me. This one is about life on an ob/gyn ward.

The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald
Category: Mystery, Award winners and nominees (Edgar Award nominee for best novel, 1962)
Source: Bearly Used Books, Parry Sound, ON
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/134021526

Working my way through the last of my Lew Archer novels. I bought this back in September 2016 and finally read it.

Tiger in the Sea: The Ditching of Flying Tiger 923 and the Desperate Struggle for Survival, by Eric Lindner
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212681703

The library ordered this, a book about a little-known plane crash, so of course I had to borrow it. The discussion of the aftereffects on the survivors, and particularly the effects on the survivors' loved ones, was especially interesting.

The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (tr. Juliet Winters Carpenter)
Category: General fiction, CATs and KITs (February CATWoman: Women in translation)
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/210646824

I think robertgreaves put this on my radar, and I finally picked it up from the library now. A good non-fiction accompaniment to this book would be The Word Detective: Searching for the Meaning of It All at the Oxford English Dictionary, by John Simpson; the working environment Simpson describes is similar to Gembu Books in the novel.

Shadows on the Rock, by Willa Cather
Category: Historical fiction
Source: Faded Page
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212577707

I'm on a roll with LibraryThing book bullets; my notes tell me thornton37814 read this a while ago. I liked that it was set in Quebec City, a quiet domestic sort of novel (no major upheavals), and shorter than a lot of the other historical novels I keep trying to tackle.

Did some remote book shopping yesterday; a friend of mine is in Toronto and visited Sleuth of Baker Street, so she texted me from the shop to ask if there was anything I was looking for. Now I have a copy of Mystery Man, by Colin Bateman, to look forward to next time I see her :)

Earlier this month I impulse shopped because when I was looking up The Wycherly Woman, I discovered that I was actually one book short in my Lew Archer collection. So I bought The Way Some People Die from Chapters. And to get the total up to free shipping, I bought The Ivory Grin, the one book in the series I'd read from the library.

Whew! It's been a while. Dropping by to say hello, and try to solve the mystery of the Beatles special I saw from >73 threadnsong:. It must have been on either Hulu or Roku, the two channels I watch most when not watching regular (cable) TV.

I saw that you read medical memoirs - how very fascinating! I'll sometimes grab a bit of "Dr. Pol" when I'm taking a lunch break at home. It seems counterintuitive, but it is fascinating seeing how animals are treated and healed (or not).

>99 rabbitprincess: It's a good and rare friend who texts from a bookstore and offers to pick something up for you!

>100 threadnsong: In a strange way medical memoirs are my comfort reading; maybe it helps my stress a bit if I'm reading about people who deal with "real" stress in their work?! I'm reading The Tenth Nerve right now, about a Canadian neurosurgeon.

My dad watches veterinary shows too: Bondi Vet, Vet on the Hill, The Supervet, and The Highland Vet. We even bought him The Supervet book for Christmas one year. I like seeing the cute animals but have to leave the room sometimes when the vets do surgery.

>101 mstrust: Yes, she is a truly great friend! She collects John Dickson Carr mysteries, so whenever I went to the UK on trips she'd send me an updated list of the ones she needed, and I'd keep an eye out at every secondhand bookstore.

>102 rabbitprincess: I love the Bondi Vet as well as the Yorkshire Vet!

>103 Tess_W: I'll have to ask my dad if he's watched the Yorkshire Vet!

****

The Road to Mars, by Eric Idle
Category: Rereads
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/2105562/reviews/70444209

This was a reread, no longer a favourite.

This is going to hurt is currently a series on the BBC, with Ben Whishaw in the title role.

iplayer link, for those in the right territory, or with a convenient VPN. https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/p0b6k5gx/this-is-going-to-hurt

>105 Helenliz: I saw a trailer for that! The book will probably be enough for me, because I don't handle visual medical scenes very well. I would LOVE if Ben Whishaw read the audiobook, though. He is a dreamboat.

I'm slightly behind on reviewing books.

The Darkest Evening, by Ann Cleeves
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213012600

All caught up with Vera until the new book comes out in the fall.

The Tenth Nerve: A Brain Surgeon's Stories of the Patients Who Changed Him, by Dr. Chris Honey
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213110138

Based on the title, I shouldn't have been surprised that this book felt doctor-heavy, but I was. I prefer medical memoirs that focus on the patients or the mechanisms of the particular condition the patients have or the medical system as a whole.

Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, by Christof Spieler
Category: Misc books
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213110198

This is a well-organized book with some great articles about making transit accessible and inclusive, and the Ottawa, Toronto, and Montreal sections seemed largely accurate in describing the history of how the systems developed and the layout of their networks. Admittedly, I did read this very quickly because it was due back at the library, but I don't recall the Ottawa section talking about the litany of derailments and service outages the LRT has had since its opening.

This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past, by John Kalbfleisch
Category: Historical non-fiction
Source: Black Squirrel Books, Ottawa
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/170451874

This was fine, although the writing style was heavy and it took me over a month to read. Apparently I'd intended to read this last year for the HistoryCAT and never got around to it, so that's satisfying to check off the list.

Another review dump on a weekend. It was a long month this week, so although I was able to read, reviewing was somewhat beyond me.

Lady Susan, by Jane Austen
Category: General fiction
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213785250

This was a nice short book, although it took me a little bit to settle into the epistolary format and figure out who was who.

Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir of Asperger's and an Extraordinary Mind, by Daniel Tammet
Category: General non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/212348822

A very interesting memoir. Looking forward to reading Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing soon.

The Red Power Murders, by Thomas King (writing as Hartley GoodWeather)
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213595427

Not my favourite in the Thumps DreadfulWater series, maybe because I really didn't get along with the font in my edition, but I always like hanging out with Thumps and his cat, Freeway.

A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, by Sara Manning Peskin
Category: General non-fiction, CATs (January ShakespeareCAT: madness)
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213782820

As far as brain books go, this one is pretty quick and would likely serve as a good introduction to the field.

One last book for March. I'm a bit late with my March recap; that will be coming soon.

Toksvig’s Almanac: An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year, by Sandi Toksvig
Category: Misc books
Source: Christmas gift 2020
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198796324

I started reading this in May 2021 (it was a Christmas gift, but thanks to COVID I had to wait several months to get it in my hands) and finished it this week. It was a fun book to dip into throughout the year.

March recap

Found a little bit more of a groove this month and got 15 books read.

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor, by Adam Kay
The Wycherly Woman, by Ross Macdonald
Tiger in the Sea: The Ditching of Flying Tiger 923 and the Desperate Struggle for Survival, by Eric Lindner
The Great Passage, by Shion Miura (tr. Juliet Winters Carpenter)
Shadows on the Rock, by Willa Cather (Faded Page)
The Road to Mars, by Eric Idle (reread)
The Darkest Evening, by Ann Cleeves
The Tenth Nerve: A Brain Surgeon's Stories of the Patients Who Changed Him, by Dr. Chris Honey
Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US and Canadian Transit, by Christof Spieler
This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal’s Past, by John Kalbfleisch
Lady Susan, by Jane Austen (Serial Reader)
Born on a Blue Day: A Memoir of Asperger's and an Extraordinary Mind, by Daniel Tammet— 4 stars
The Red Power Murders, by Thomas King (writing as Hartley GoodWeather)
A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the Hijacked Brain, by Sara Manning Peskin
Toksvig’s Almanac: An Eclectic Meander Through the Historical Year, by Sandi Toksvig

It was a tough call to pick a favourite book this month. I read a lot I really liked, but no five-star reads. So I went with This Is Going to Hurt because it was so deeply moving.

I am pleased that there were no books lower than three stars this month. I’ll call This Island in Time my least favourite of the month because it took over a month to read and I found the writing style ponderous.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still buried in a pile.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — Managed to get another chapter read this month!
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser) — I haven’t been audio-puzzling or audio-colouring, so this hasn’t got a work out.
The Heron’s Cry, by Ann Cleeves — Catching up on Matthew Venn. I’d hoped to read this last month, but library books took priority.
Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett — Reading this via Faded Page.
With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in the Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix — A re-read that is just as powerful on second read.

April plans

Feeling very proud of myself for knocking a whole bunch of books out of the currently reading pile! I have some open-ended plans this month and different series to start or catch up on. This month I’m hoping to check in with Armand Gamache, John Rebus, Albert Campion, and Nathan Cody.

April's started off a bit ehh, reading-wise. First book was good, others less so.

The Heron’s Cry, by Ann Cleeves
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/209435537

I liked this installment of the Matthew Venn series but strangely preferred the storyline about Matthew's mum coming for Sunday lunch over the actual mystery. Perhaps I am just in a slice-of-life mood. Anyway, I'm now caught up on all of Cleeves's series!

Bloody January, by Alan Parks
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/214850184

I gave this 100 pages and gave up. I don't like books with multiple sex scenes in the first 50 pages, and I'd heard from my mum that there were improbable levels of violence as well. The best part of this book for me was the scene where McCoy and Wattie went to Shish Mahal and ate Indian food. This book did give me a bingo square, which is the only reason I gave it as many pages as I did.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
Category: General fiction
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213998296

I borrowed this after it was mentioned in The Tenth Nerve. I should have read the back of the book more carefully first. McMurphy (aka Jack Nicholson's character) committed statutory rape and *bragged* about it.

Sorry, you didn't care for Bloody January, I don't know what it says about me that extreme violence doesn't usually bother me, but you're right, the sex scenes were a little too plentiful!

>113 DeltaQueen50: I think I could probably have dealt with the extreme violence as well, but I didn't end up encountering that much of it! Oh well, one less series to worry about, and a bingo square checked off :)

>99 rabbitprincess: I hope you enjoy Mystery Man, a good example of Belfast humour. Colin Bateman doesn't hit my funny bone every time but I remember liking this one a lot.

>115 VivienneR: I'm looking forward to it!

****

Wanted a quick read, and this one delivered.

The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande
Category: Comics and graphic novels
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162694970

Robbie Morrison is a firm favourite in the realm of Doctor Who comics writers. I like him best for Twelve, but he has a good handle on Ten as well. I liked the Scottish connections in this one. Good wink at David Tennant's being from Paisley :)

>116 rabbitprincess: Yay David Tennant! He was the first Doctor I could watch an entire episode without nodding off. Such a talented actor.

But I just. Could. Not. Deal with the weeping angels. You are a braver woman than I!

>117 threadnsong: I call David my gateway Doctor, because he was my first, but I'd consider Peter Capaldi to be "my" Doctor. Both are great :)

And yes, the Weeping Angels are terrifying. I actually couldn't watch the latest batch of Doctor Who, the six-episode miniseries called Flux, because it featured the Weeping Angels. During the first episode, I was literally holding my iPad face up to the ceiling so that the Angels wouldn't see me and I wouldn't need to not blink :P

Using crime fiction to kick my reading slump.

Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett
Category: Mystery
Source: Faded Page
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/214184846

I picked this up for hardboiled month after DeltaQueen50 read it. I liked it pretty well. Definitely very noir, though. Lots of people die in it.

The Madness of Crowds, by Louise Penny
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/215502055

All caught up with Gamache. Normally I stay one book behind, but I decided I wanted to read it now. Good as always, although it talks about a post-pandemic world and we are certainly not there yet.

Just checking in here and I am enjoying reading all your fun Beatles related themes. I still have the US release of A Hard Day's Night album, which my Aunt gave me when I was tiny tot. (Guess I liked the songs, even then.) I ended up having to buy the digital version of the album, as I don't have anything to play the record on anymore. Wishing you good luck with all your reading challenges.

>120 Ann_R: Thanks for stopping by! This was a fun theme to come up with. The Beatles are timeless :)

****

A couple more books to my credit.

The Marrow Thieves, by Cherie Dimaline
Category: Award winners and nominees
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/213998005

I quite liked this book, although I might have liked it a touch better in print. Ebooks are not always my friend.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser)
Category: Audio, CATs and KITs (January RandomKIT: has the name of a house in the title)
Source: Libro.fm
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/202047067

One of my favourite Christie novels; the death scene is still one of the most harrowing I've read. Hugh Fraser is the best choice of audio reader for any Christie novel narrated by Arthur Hastings.

Last book of April. I may do some more reading today, but it's doubtful I'll finish anything.

Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey
Category: SFF, BingoDOG (LGBTQ+ author)
Source: Tor.com ebook of the month club
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/209592761

This book was just the right length, and I loved the atmosphere and the characters. I'd read more about them if Gailey wrote more.

April recap

I slowed down a bit this month, despite the 4-day Easter weekend. Busy at work and a lot going on personally. But still, 10 books read.

The Heron’s Cry, by Ann Cleeves
Bloody January, by Alan Parks
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey
The Tenth Doctor Vol. 2: The Weeping Angels of Mons, written by Robbie Morrison and illustrated by Daniel Indro and Elena Casagrande (ebook, comic)
Red Harvest, by Dashiell Hammett (Faded Page)
The Madness of Crowds, by Louise Penny
The Marrow Thieves, by Cherie Dimaline (Overdrive)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, by Agatha Christie (audio, read by Hugh Fraser)
Death at the Château Bremont, by M. L. Longworth
Upright Women Wanted, by Sarah Gailey (ebook)

My favourite book this month was probably Death at the Château Bremont. It was a nice easy read, just what I needed, and I’ve enjoyed the TV series based on it as well.

I had two DNFs at the beginning of the month and the most disappointing of the two was One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey. Randle McMurphy is a repulsive protagonist (a statutory rapist who brags about his crime) and I had no interest in following his story.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Still buried in a pile.
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — Haven’t touched this lately.
With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in the Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix — I’ve put this re-read down for a bit but will return to it eventually.
The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, by Paul McCartney — This one is taking a while because I keep having to go listen to the songs included in the book, particularly those I haven’t heard. (I missed the bandwagon on his album Egypt Station, for example.)
The Philosophy Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained, by DK Publishing — This was supposed to be my pick-up-and-put-down book, but I haven’t even had enough brainpower for a pick-up-and-put-down book lately.
Farewell, My Lovely, by Raymond Chandler — I read this a while ago in audio but remember little about it.
The Diary of River Song, Series 5, by Big Finish — I’ve started doing online jigsaw puzzles while listening to audiobooks, and it seems to work. A 400-piece puzzle takes about an hour (it helps that all the pieces are the right way up!), which is about the length of a single story in this box set.
Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes — I bought this a while ago but left it at my parents’ place with their collection of MacInnes novels. Good when I can sit down with it.

May plans

Of the series I’d hoped to check in on, only Gamache was caught up with. I did, however, get completely caught up with all of Ann Cleeves’s series and started the Verlaque and Bonnet series. Not bad. This month I hope to get some Scottish crime in: Denise Mina, Craig Russell, Liam McIlvanney.

>123 rabbitprincess: Looks like a good April! I also have The Philosophy Book on my TBR, waiting for the inspiration to read it--so far--none! I agree that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest would probably not be a good read; although I haven't read it myself. I did see the movie back in the 1980's and think they must have rehabbed the main character for the movie. We don't know that he was a rapist, in fact, the movie makes one "root" for him. "Someday" I also want to begin the Ann Cleeves series. That is the only TV I watch (Vera and Shetland).

>124 Tess_W: It's possible they removed that detail for the movie, because in all the cultural discourse I'd picked up about the book/movie, that was never mentioned. The Ann Cleeves series are very good. I'll have to start watching the TV adaptations now that I've finished the books.

Finally getting around to posting a book for May!

Garnethill, by Denise Mina
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3.5/5
Review:
https://www.librarything.com/review/215502149

This is Denise Mina's debut, and those who've read her other works will recognize the elements that make her work as excellent as it is.

Well, it's about time! ;-D
I've barely finished anything over the last few weeks.

>127 mstrust: I'm hoping that the stretch of nice weather we're having will motivate me to find a bench under a leafy tree to get more reading done!

****

A bumper crop of reviews.

Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett
Category: General fiction, BingoDOG (features a dog)
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216467008

Of course I was going to read this, because I loved Rabbit Cake. I did prefer Rabbit Cake slightly more, but both of Annie Hartnett's books take a delightfully tragicomic look at death and dying.

Farewell, My Lovely, by Raymond Chandler
Category: Mystery
Source: Faded Page
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/215558361

I couldn't finish this one. Contains racist language and is a slow-paced story (or I found it slow, anyway).

The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama box set)
Category: Audio, SFF
Source: Big Finish
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/172785294

A fun box set that I listened to while doing jigsaw puzzles. It's a bit predictable by the end, because all the stories involve River Song meeting an incarnation of the Master, but the individual stories are great, and I love River's theme; it reminds me of James Bond.

The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie
Category: SFF, ShakespeareCAT (April: a retelling of Hamlet)
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/214108750

Almost liked this, but not quite. It's one long chapter, albeit a chapter with raven dingbats included to mark off section breaks, but I found it exhausting to read. It is a great concept for a novel, though, so if you are OK with a book that's one long chapter and has an unusual narrative structure (the first-person narrator refers to Eolo's actions in the second person), then you might have better luck than I did.

Gotta love those days where you start and finish a book the same day. This book occupied most of my Friday.

The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid, by Craig Russell
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216701824

This is the last installment in the Lennox series and ends things on a solid note. Enough loose ends are tied up that it gives a satisfying amount of closure. But if he ever came back, I would be on it immediately.

>128 rabbitprincess: Racism, and misogyny as well, are hard to read, but your being appalled shows how much the world has moved on. It's good to be able to see where we've been, but it sounds as though Farewell My Lovely had too many other negatives.

>130 pamelad: I was trying to remember if the other Chandlers I read used similar language, but to my recollection this is the only one I've read that had language like that.

****

After spending time on the gloomy streets of 1930s LA and 1950s Glasgow, I went to 21st-century France and outer space.

Murder in the Rue Dumas, by M. L. Longworth
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216199080

This is the second book in the Verlaque and Bonnet series and is still a good light read. There are still excessive-to-me amounts of exclamation marks though! So I will take that as a sign that I need to put more space between this one and book 3, Death in the Vines.

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean
Category: SFF, comics
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/162695003

A quiet Tuesday morning with a comic is a good morning to me. This is a solid comic; I'd rank it second out of the three volumes I've read so far (Volume 2 is my favourite, and Volume 1 is just third by virtue of my liking the others that little bit better).

Great to catch up on your reading. I caught a few book bullets. I've put off reading Tigerman but will look into it again seeing that you enjoyed it.

>123 rabbitprincess: "I’ve started doing online jigsaw puzzles while listening to audiobooks.. A 400-piece puzzle takes about an hour"

Impressive! I have a 500-piece puzzle I picked up and I've been listening to audiobooks while I do it for weeks now. Not working it every day, clearly. I'm starting to think I may need to actually dust it off between when I finish and when I put it away...

>133 pammab: Oh yeah, IRL jigsaws take a while. From having to figure out the right orientation of the pieces to getting back/neck pain from leaning over the table for too long, I can take them only in small doses.

Some new acquisitions to report from a used-bookstore shopping trip. My parents treated me to the trip for my birthday this month, so this is what I ended up getting. I love the kinds of gifts where you get to pick what you want ;)

Warriors' Gate, by John Lydecker
State of Change, by Christopher Bulis
Transit, by Ben Aaronovitch
Not the End of the World, by Christopher Brookmyre
A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away, by Christopher Brookmyre
Testament of a Generation: The Journalism of Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby, eds. Paul Berry and Alan Bishop
Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, by Tomson Highway

Of these books, two (A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing) were already on my to-read list. The first three, surprise surprise, are Doctor Who novels. And thanks to my catalogue, I was able to avoid accidentally buying a Doctor Who novel I'd already read through the library.

>132 avatiakh: Hope the book bullets are good! I do like Harkaway's books but find I have to be in the right mood for them. Tigerman is shorter than most of them, though, which helps.

****

Given how fragile my reading energy has been in recent months, I am bailing with abandon.

The Blazing World, by Margaret Cavendish
Category: SFF
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216771801

This is a curiosity because it is one of the first examples of science fiction, being published in 1666. But it's just a bunch of creatures standing around talking in long, winding sentences, so I'm not feeling compelled to keep reading.

Happy birthday and congrats on securing some great new books!

>135 rabbitprincess: Happy Birthday, Rabbitprincess!

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday!

A very Happy Birthday, RP. Looks like you picked up some good reads.

Happy (belated) birthday! >135 rabbitprincess: sounds like the perfect gift.

Happy birthday, and congrats on the book haul!

>137 Tess_W: >138 threadnsong: >139 pamelad: >140 MissWatson: >141 DeltaQueen50: >142 charl08: >143 mstrust: Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

A very belated happy birthday from me too! Hope it featured some good cake as well as books!

Happy Belated Birthday! I love that you were able to pick what you wanted for your gift.

Happy Birthday! Congratulations on the book haul present from your parents. Testament of a Generation: The Journalism of Vera Brittain and Winifred Holtby is a BB for me.

>145 Jackie_K: Indeed it did! It was an extremely chocolatey cake :)

>146 lsh63: Me too! And with secondhand books, the thrill of the hunt is part of the fun.

>147 VivienneR: It looks really interesting! I'll probably re-read South Riding before reading this. I should probably also read Testament of Youth, but the edition I started reading had rather small print and margins.

>148 rabbitprincess: I guess people in the old days had great vision. My kindle wishlist is long because of those narrow margins and small print.

Happy (belated) birthday, rabbitprincess. What fun to be treated to some books on your special day!

I hope you had a Happy Birthday, rp. Thought I had already wished you one but must have not hit "post".

>149 VivienneR: Line spacing is what does me in on a book; if the lines are too close together, I feel like I'm squinting.

>150 Ann_R: Thanks! My parents treated themselves to a couple of books as well :)

>151 dudes22: Thanks, Betty!

****

Home from my parents' place, and fortunately all is well. Last Saturday (the 21st) Ottawa was walloped by a massive windstorm called a derecho, causing catastrophic damage to the city's power grid, in all parts of the city. The damage was worse than the 1998 ice storm and the 2018 tornado. My place actually didn't lose power, but we were without internet until this afternoon. So I picked a good time to be out of town :D

I finished a couple more books recently.

Amongst Our Weapons, by Ben Aaronovitch
Category: SFF
Source: Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/216423327

Of course I'm going to devour a new Rivers of London novel in a day. It was just what I needed to reset my reading brain.

The Heretic, by Liam McIlvanney
Category: Mystery
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/215502191

This book was what caused my reading brain to require a reset. It's a long book, just over 500 pages, and my edition made it feel even longer than that. The story was good though, once I really sat down with it.

>152 rabbitprincess: Glad you got through the derecho without mishap. Last year, BC was hit with one catastrophic weather phenomenon after another, so I sympathized with Ottawa.

>153 VivienneR: I hope 2022 brings respite for you on the weather front!

****

Finally a re-read to add to this category.

With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix
Category: Rereads
Source: Perfect Books, I think
Rating: 5/5 (original rating)
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/20539418/reviews/163668623

I read this back in 2019 in a binge of death-book reading, but picked it up again back in March because my grandmother went into hospital and it was apparent that the end was near (she died at the beginning of April). Among other things, Dr. Mannix explains the exact physical processes involved in dying. This is the aspect of the book I recommend most, but the whole book is excellent, sensitively written and with a variety of stories to be shared. I really want to read Dr. Mannix's latest book, Listen: How to Find the Words for Tender Conversations.

>154 rabbitprincess: I'm sorry to hear of your grandmother's death, rp. I've heard Dr Mannix interviewed and really want to read this book. I'm glad you found it comforting.

I'm really sorry you've lost your grandmother. Condolences to you and your family.

I am also very sorry to read of your grandmother's passing. Condolences to you and your family.

>155 Jackie_K: >156 mstrust: >157 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, everyone. She would have been 92 in October. She was able to stay in her own home right up until she went into hospital, which I'm thankful for.

May recap

Three weeks off work didn’t really help my reading numbers like I thought they would, but what I did read, I mostly liked. Managed to read 11 books.

Garnethill, by Denise Mina
Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett (Overdrive)
Farewell, My Lovely, by Raymond Chandler (Faded Page)
The Diary of River Song, Series 5 (Big Finish audio drama)
The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie
The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid, by Craig Russell
Murder in the Rue Dumas, by M. L. Longworth
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor, Vol. 3: The Fountains of Forever, written by Nick Abadzis and illustrated by Elena Casagrande and Arianna Florean (ebook, comic)
The Blazing World, by Margaret Cavendish (Serial Reader)
Amongst Our Weapons, by Ben Aaronovitch (Overdrive)
The Heretic, by Liam McIlvanney
With the End in Mind: Dying, Death and Wisdom in an Age of Denial, by Kathryn Mannix

I had several four-star books and it’s hard to pick one as a favourite this month. I might go with The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid because it wraps up one of my favourite series.

My least favourite book this month was Farewell, My Lovely, which featured Marlowe using racist language and had a slow-paced plot.

Currently reading

Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Will I ever just declare this done?
Foundations of Safety Science: A Century of Understanding Accidents and Disasters, by Sidney Dekker — Nearly got back to it this week, but not yet.
Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes — This is an OK thriller, but I haven’t been in the right headspace for it much.
Witchmark, by C. L. Polk — I got this as part of an ebook bundle from Tor.com and it’s pretty good so far. It’s a novella, which I like.
The World Set Free, by H. G. Wells — My latest Serial Reader read. This book presents atomic warfare in the 20th century.
Cold Skies, by Thomas King — The first library book to come in after I reactivated some holds. This is the third book in the DreadfulWater series and I’m enjoying it a lot.

June plans

I read all the Scottish crime I wanted to last month. This month, I’m hoping to keep my library holds manageable as they gradually get reactivated.

So sorry for your loss, RP.

>160 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess. She was the last of my grandparents. Going through her things (and her books!) is bringing back a lot of memories.

****

After three weeks off, I was back at work this week. Getting back into that routine took a lot of my time and energy. But I did manage to finish two books!

Cold Skies, by Thomas King
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/217767136

I'm going to end up finishing the DreadfulWater series this year, library holds permitting. This is the third book. I've read the series slightly out of order, starting with book 4, then going back to book 1 and reading forward. I have two books left :)

Solutions and Other Problems, by Allie Brosh
Category: Comics and graphic novels
Source: library
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/217900806

This is a heavy book, literally and figuratively, but very well done. I would read Hyperbole and a Half first, though, if you haven't read Brosh's work before.

>161 rabbitprincess: Will definitely look up the first book in the King series.

>162 Tess_W: Great! I hope you like it :)

****

A bumper crop of books from the past few days.

Phobos, by Eddie Robson (Big Finish audio drama)
Category: Audiobooks, SFF
Source: Humble Bundle
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139865162

This audiobook kept me company while I was knitting one evening. Snappy plot and good dialogue between Eight and Lucie.

The World Set Free, by H. G. Wells
Category: SFF
Source: Serial Reader
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/217202291

This ended up being dull for me. Points for prescience, but I wasn't a fan of the extracts from the fictional novel that was a classic in the world of the story. I kept losing track of when it was the fictional novel and when it was Wells's actual narrative.

Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay, by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
Category: Non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/218066335

Loved this, just like I loved No Hard Feelings. It was what I needed to read at the moment. I'll have to buy my own copy.

’Til Death, by Ed McBain
Category: Mystery
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/123120913

A very early 87th Precinct novel. Short and snappy. Another quick win.

Hello RP and also expressing my belated condolences on the loss of your grandmother. I am glad you had some time off to deal with your situation.

And yes, aren't audiobooks great for knitting?? I need to head to the library at some point now that they are back open. I have a needlepoint project that is begging to be worked on again, and audiobooks are perfect for that.

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your grandmother. However, I am glad to also hear that you got through the big storm all right. It caused havoc here too, but not nearly as bad as it did in Ottawa, from what I heard.

Nice birthday haul! I do envy you. I've not gone browsing in a used bookstore since before the pandemic, but now I have to make up for lost time.

>164 threadnsong: Thanks, it was good to have the time off to process a bit. We also had to go through the things in her house and prepare it for sale. A lot of memories and emotions for sure.

Hope you find some good audiobooks!

>165 mathgirl40: Thanks, Paulina. When I was at my parents', they lost power for about 15 minutes during the storm but were otherwise fine. A shingle on the back deck, but not from their roof. We're supposed to have a thunderstorm tomorrow and I'm a bit anxious about it, not least because it is of course the one day I have to leave the house for an appointment!

Ooh you should go to a used bookstore! What I'm really missing is the big library book sales.

****

Lately I've been in grooves where I engage in one hobby a day rather than doing a little bit of everything. So I've had reading days, knitting days, and gaming days. This approach seems to have helped me knock off four books since my last update, of which three now have reviews.

Pandora’s Jar: Women in the Greek Myths, by Natalie Haynes
Category: Non-fiction
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/217963426

I loved this and would highly recommend it for anyone who likes Greek mythology.

Doctor Who: The Ruby’s Curse, by Alex Kingston
Category: SFF, AuthorCAT April (debut author)
Source: Wordery
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201539771

This was a fun timey-wimey romp served up with some 1930s hardboiled detective pastiche.

We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, by Simu Liu
Category: Non-fiction
Source: library
Rating:4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/217900449

The only thing I've seen Simu Liu in is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but I still deeply appreciated his memoir. He tells his story with honesty, grace, candour, and humour.

So glad you enjoyed Pandora's Jar. I loved it.
Sorry to hear about the weather woes and your grandmother.
Hope the return to work is not too big a shock to the system!

>166 rabbitprincess: I an trying to encourage my parents to clear things out a bit more rather than wait on me and my siblings to do it later on. It is a bit patchy though: I wasn't impressed when the clearing out included the family's well-read stash of Calvin and Hobbes anthologies.

More importantly, sorry for your loss.

>167 Helenliz: Thanks, Helen. It took a few days to figure out where everything was at, but my highly capable colleagues kept all the plates spinning in my absence. It's good to know that I am at least somewhat dispensable ;)

>168 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. After this experience, my parents are definitely convinced of the merits of an early clear-out of their own things. Calvin and Hobbes would not get cleared out though; that's an essential part of any household. I'm sorry your family stash got tossed.

****

I have Friday off, so I'll start a new thread then. In the meantime, have a couple of reviews.

Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes
Category: General fiction
Source: By the Lake Books, Burlington, ON
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/149484063

This Cold War thriller took me a lot longer to read than I thought it would. It's not bad though.

The Wintringham Mystery, by Anthony Berkeley
Category: Mystery
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/217900534

This was a solid Golden Age mystery if you like those tropes (country house, limited pool of suspects, etc.).

Come along to my second thread by clicking the continuation link below :)