Curioussquared reads off her own shelves in 2024, part 3

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

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

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

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

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

Here are Kermit and Otter posing on a recent walk:

Favorite Books of 2023

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

Books read in 2024

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

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

March

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

Books read in 2024

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

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

June
128. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi (off my shelf)
129. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto (library)
130. The Once and Future King by T. H. White (off my shelf)
131. The Book of Merlyn by T. H. White (off my shelf)

Books read in 2024

July

August

September

Books read in 2024

October

November

December

2024 Reading Goals

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



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

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

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

DONE: 37/55

Welcome to my third thread of 2024!

Happy new thread!

Happy new one, Natalie!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy new thread, Natalie!

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

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

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

Happy new thread, Natalie.

Happy new thread, Natalie!

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

Happy new one, Natalie!

Thanks Paul, Anita, and Jim!

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

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

Happy new thread, Natalie!

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

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

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

Have fun with your gardening/planting this week

Happy new thread.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Look at you powering through the books!

I hope the birthday party today was fun.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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







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

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

104 books read: Steel Tide by Natalie C. Parker

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

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

105 books read: The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon

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

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

106 books read: Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb

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

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

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

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

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

Currently watching: S4E1 of Sex Education last night.

107 books read: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

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

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

>36 curioussquared: Nice review, Natalie.

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

108 books read: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

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

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

109 books read: An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

>33 curioussquared: Happy New Thread. I have been listening to the Outlander books instead of trying to read them. Things that would annoy me, like your spoiler tagged bit, aren't quite as bad if I'm listening. I agree that they are incredibly looong, but I do love her sense of humor.

>48 humouress: Thanks Nina! I hope you like Divine Rivals :)

>49 clamairy: Thanks, Clam! Yeah, I'm more forgiving on audio, too. Gabaldon is a good enough storyteller that I forgive her verboseness.

110 books read: Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater

Housemaid Effie KNOWS not to trust a fairy, but when well-meaning Lord Blackthorn offers to help her marry her employer's son, Benedict Ashebrooke, it seems like too good a deal to be true. The only catch is that she must succeed within 100 days -- or serve Lord Blackthorn for eternity in fairyland. And she has to repay Lord Blackthorn for the time helping her with stitches in an embroidered waistcoat. Despite a few issues, everything seems to be going much better than she expects -- but is Benedict actually who she wants?

I enjoyed this just as much as Half a Soul and am looking forward to Longshadow. Atwater's world is fun and I love her take on fairies. Recommended if you like regency romance or fantasy and especially if you like both! 4.5 stars.

111 books read: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose

Molly the maid is back. Now head maid, things are going well -- but when a famous mystery author dies suddenly at an event at the hotel, Molly is immediately taken back to the traumatic events of 5 years before. Can she solve the mystery and protect her staff?

This was a solid follow-up to The Maid. When I first heard about this book I didn't feel like I needed a sequel, but I enjoyed seeing Molly again and being back in her world. 4 stars.

Hi Natalie!
>35 curioussquared: I don't do Whole 30 either, nor do I trust the stuff specifically labeled for it usually (That entire block a cream cheese being a prime example why) but I hope this one turns out good.

>53 Ravenwoodwitch: Hi Angela! Oh, I meant that most normal slow cooker recipes have a whole block of cream cheese in them 😊 You might be thinking of the Keto diet -- that's the one where they're always putting disgusting amounts of cheese/meat/fat in everything. Whole 30 is more reasonable; it's too restrictive for my tastes, but generally emphasizes just eating lots of different healthy foods, which is why I bought the book.

>54 curioussquared: Ooooh gotcha, yes. I got confused. Lol.

>51 curioussquared: Oh yay! I'm glad this was a hit with you. I have a feeling you're really going to love Longshadow (not to hype it up too much though).

>55 Ravenwoodwitch: I phrased it weirdly so partially my fault :)

>56 MickyFine: I'm excited for Longshadow! I have it on hold so we'll see when it comes in :)

112 books read: Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare

When a mysterious man shows up at the Spindle Cove ball, Violet is the only one who can speak his language. But is this man more familiar than she thinks?

I think this is technically Spindle Cove #1.5. It was fine. Enjoyable to listen to while doing a bunch of yard work. 3.5 stars.

113 books read: Funny Story by Emily Henry

Daphne's life was going great -- she was engaged to a great guy, they bought a house together near his parents, and she had landed her dream job as a children's librarian in their small Michigan town. Then, her fiance Peter came back from his bachelor party and let her know that he was breaking things off to be with his childhood friend Petra and that Daphne has a week to find alternate accommodations that aren't the house that's technically in his name. Not sure where to turn, Daphne ends up rooming with the other loser in this situation -- Miles, Petra's ex. Depressed and friendless, Daphne spends her time counting down the days until the library's Readathon event, after which she can quit (once she finds a new job) and get the hell out of Michigan. But when Peter and Petra have the nerve to send Daphne and Miles invites to their extremely quickly scheduled wedding, there's nothing for it but to get drunk -- and hatch a plan to go to the wedding together, as dates.

Emily Henry does it again! I think this entry is up there with Book Lovers as my favorite of her books. 5 stars.

Happy Monday! It's been a good few days. Friday I went up to my in-laws' beach house with my parents and grandparents and we helped my MIL plant her window boxes and deck boxes. Saturday I did some yard work and Tim and I had a night in with Chinese take-out and a movie (Next Goal Wins). Yesterday I went to brunch with my friend who moved here recently and then she came over to see the dogs and hang out for a bit. Today has been pretty low-key with more yard work and some puzzling.

Friday we're leaving for Tim's family's annual Memorial Day weekend so I'll be doing a lot of prep and packing for that this week. It's supposed to be pretty cold 😬 hoping the forecast warms up. Before that I have a few appointments this week and tomorrow Kermit is having a small lump on his elbow removed to be biopsied. The vet doesn't think it's malignant but we definitely want to get it checked.

Currently reading: Started The Patron Saint of Liars in print last night. Working on You Sexy Thing on Kindle and about 70% through Rakkety Tam on audio.

Currently watching: I binged all of the new Bridgerton episodes on Thursday and can't wait for part 2! Also making good progress on the new season of Selling the OC. Tim and I watched Next Goal Wins on Saturday night and loved it, as we do everything Taika Waititi. We've also been watching a show called Impossible Builds and we watched the first episode of Dead Boy Detectives.

Kermit and Oscar are so cute! Enjoy Patron Saint of Liars. I did several years when I read it.

114 books read: Brothers in Arms by Lois McMaster Bujold

Miles Vorkosigan is back. When he and the Dendarii Mercenaries arrive on Earth for shuttle repair and a rest, he doesn't expect to be detained at the Barrayaran Embassy until his request for funds to pay the mercenaries can be fulfilled. Juggling his Admiral Naismth persona with his true identity, Miles is just trying to stay above water until he and the mercenaries can get out of there -- but things only get more complicated...

I think this is my favorite Miles book so far. Just shenanigans left and right. 4.5 stars.

115 books read: Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher

Bryony is pretty sure she's going to freeze to death when she and her horse stumble upon a mysterious mansion in the woods she didn't know existed. In the morning, she tries to take a rose to remind herself that her crazy night actually happened -- and that's when everything went wrong.

This was just what I wanted out of "T. Kingfisher does Beauty and the Beast"! Familiar story with some lovely twists and the trademark Kingfisher humor. 4.5 stars.

116 books read: Bee Sting Cake by Victoria Goddard

After the events of Stargazy Pie, Jemis Greenwing is looking forward to life calming down a bit. But then a dragon shows up in Ragnor Bella and gives Jemis a riddle to solve...

I'm really enjoying this series so far! I think the writing improves from the first book and I felt much more settled in Jemis' world in this entry. Really looking forward to the next book. 4 stars.

I am not even trying to catch up to you, Natalie, just stopping by to say "Hello!"

>64 curioussquared: I am loving Goddard's books! I love finding a "new to me" author whose works I fall in love with. I am happy to see you are enjoying her too!

>59 curioussquared: - I'm so glad to hear you liked this one. I'm hot and cool with Henry, but Book Lovers is my favorite (so far).

We really enjoyed NExt Goal Wins, too.

>60 curioussquared: Ooh, I think Rakkety Tam is the oldest Redwall book I've never read (I was 16 when it came out so a little too old). Looking forward to your thoughts!

>60 curioussquared: Hi Natalie!
Hope that lump turns out harmless. And have fun on your trip this time :)

>65 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Me, too. I love how many books of Goddard's I have to look forward to!

>66 katiekrug: I hope you like Funny Story, Katie!

>67 norabelle414: Hi Nora! I think the one before this, Loamhedge, was the oldest one I had never read until a few years ago. Full review coming, but I really enjoyed the audio version of Rakkety Tam, maybe because I was in the mood for something nice and comforting. The audio is read by the author with a full cast and they sang all the songs and put them to music, which was adorable. I usually don't enjoy full cast narrations as much, but this one was very cute and I had a lot of fun with it.

>68 Ravenwoodwitch: Thanks Angela!

117 books read: She Gets the Girl by Rachel Lippincott and Alyson Derrick

Alex and Molly are both freshmen at Pitt, but they couldn't be more different. Alex is flirty and self-sufficient and has been with dozens of girls, but can't seem to keep a relationship going. Molly is anxiety-ridden and her only friend in high school was her mom -- she NEEDS college to be different and desperately wants to get with Cora Meyers, her crush. Alex offers to help Molly work up the courage to ask Cora out in exchange for showing her ex Natalie that she can make a friend and help someone without it being a hookup -- but as the two work on their plan, they start becoming closer than either one expected.

This was a very cute new adult romance with strong writing and a fun concept. Recommended! 4 stars.

118 books read: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

Antsy is now a student at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children. When the other students hear about her gift for finding anything, it's only a matter of time before some of them realize that might extend to the thing they're all looking for -- their doors. But Kade, Sumi, Cora, Christopher, and the others won't let Antsy be taken advantage of, and before long, they're on a wild journey together.

Loved this latest entry in the series. I usually like the group quest entries a little bit less than the standalones, but this is one of my favorite quest entries so far. 4.5 stars.

It's my favorite time of year -- the Seattle Public Library has released their Summer Book Bingo card! Here's a link: https://www.spl.org/programs-and-services/authors-and-books/book-bingo/2024-book...

Inspired by @KylerMarie sharing, here are my initial reading plans/options for completing a blackout this summer. Where possible I pick books from my list I'm already working on above, or another book on my shelf, but sometimes I don't own something that fits, or I want to have lots of options :)

Suggested by a Library Worker
- Ink Blood Sister Scribe

In Translation
- Mother Courage and Her Children

Seattle Arts and Lecture Speaker (past or present)
- The Patron Saint of Liars
- The Poisonwood Bible

Queer Joy
- The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

Something that Scares You
- Sisters of the Lost Nation
- Our Wives Under the Sea
- Wilder Girls
- What Feasts at Night

Body Liberation
- Light from Uncommon Stars
- True Biz
- Hunger
- Shrill

Suggested by a Bookseller
- The Secret Place
- Bloodmarked
- The Death of Vivek Oji
- The Night Watchman

Short Story Collection
- Moira's Pen

Environmental
- An Immense World

Sky Creatures
- Crucible of Gold
- H Is for Hawk

Friendship
- Hell Bent, maybe? Not sure about this one and open to other suggestions.

Fantastical
- The Spear Cuts Through Water
- Forestborn

Retelling
- The Once and Future King
- Bloodmarked
- The Chosen and the Beautiful

YA
- Forestborn
- The Sinister Booksellers of Bath
- Bloodmarked

LGBTQIA+ Poetry/Essays
- Would love suggestions for this one!

BIPOC Romance
- Recipe for Persuasion
- Mickey Chambers Shakes It Up

Housing/Poverty Injustice
- Evicted

Borrowed from a Library
- Will probably just use whatever audiobook I listen to next!

Black Art/Artists
- Would love suggestions for this one!

Cozy
- Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands
- The Murder of Mr. Wickham
- Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
- The Kamogawa Food Detectives

One Big Book
- Kushiel's Dart

Refugee/Immigrant Memoir
- The Undocumented Americans (hoping this one fits this category)

Read in the Sun
- Probably something I read when we go to Hawaii for a wedding next month :)

>30 curioussquared: Wow! excellent photos.

>52 curioussquared: It was a good sequel. I enjoyed the read as well.

>30 curioussquared: Natalie, WOW!!! These images are incredible. I can only imagine how it felt to see the sky that night!
Congratulations in reading 118 books!

>72 curioussquared: What a great list of books! I've added Sisters of the Lost Nation. I want to go back and add many. I am trying to curb my TBR list, but I'll sure, I'll find that I came back and added more.

>72 curioussquared: Great list! Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body and Shrill are both great books and worthy of reading. If you read H is for Hawk, I look forward to your review of it because it sounds so good.

I just put the physical copy of Black Built on hold from the library for the Black Art/Artists square. I'll let you know if I recommend it once it's done.

For Friendship, I recommend The Scapegracers. Start of a trilogy, also YA and queer, fantasy, small town, magic.

>72 curioussquared: Thanks for posting that link, Natalie! I will have to go take a look!

For Friendship, the first book that came to mind for me is Ann Patchett's Truth & Beauty.

Fun summer bingo prompts!

For LGBTQIA+ Poetry/Essays, if you haven't read it already, Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay is excellent.

>73 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

>74 Whisper1: Thanks, Linda! Good luck at curbing the TBR -- I'm not so good at that myself.

>75 Kyler_Marie: Thanks Kyler! Crucible of Gold is on my list of books I want to get to this year, but I might try to read H Is for Hawk for this square anyway because my uncle lent it to me literally years ago and I should probably give it back 😂 I'll look for your comments on Black Built!

>76 reconditereader: Ooh, The Scapegracers looks interesting! Thank you for the rec!

>77 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Thank you for that recommendation -- I'll check it out!

>78 katiekrug: Hi Katie! Unfortunately I read Bad Feminist last year. I loved it, but will need a different book for this year :)

For your LGBTQIA+ essays, you might try This Is Major (it's top of mind because I've been using it as an example in a course for work a lot lately).

>80 MickyFine: Ooh, I'll check it out! Thanks Micky!

Heading out for the weekend! It's supposed to be very cold 🥶 warm thoughts accepted!

>82 curioussquared: Sending warm thoughts (and also wondering what very cold is 🙃).

>83 MickyFine: There was a chance of snow tonight but I looks like it's warmed up enough that we'll avoid it. Lows in the 30s overnight though!

>84 curioussquared: That is pretty chilly for May. Hopefully it warms up soon!

>85 MickyFine: We were up in the mountains, hence the cold. It was pretty frigid on Saturday night but we had a good time aside from that!

Happy Tuesday! We're back from camping. It was a good trip, if a little cold, and it was nice to catch up with some people I only see once or twice a year (often on this trip!). I finished a book, played some board games (and won a game which is rare for me in this group), and did a lot of chatting around the campfire. Also went to town for a bit and picked up some more books, lol; the town library always has a convenient book sale this weekend 😊

On the docket for today, I need to get the dogs out for a quick walk before heading to a workout class (in addition to all of the above, I also sat around a bunch and ate a ton of food this weekend, lol). Planning to spend most of the rest of the day tidying the house before the cleaners come tomorrow. I might also give the dogs a bath; they stayed at my parents' house so theoretically they should be clean, but they came back smelling like their laundry detergent and it's giving Tim allergies. We'll see if it fades enough first.

Currently reading: Finished The Patron Saint of Liars over the weekend and need to start another print book. Almost done with You Sexy Thing on kindle and will wrap that one today. Also getting close to finishing The Mill on the Floss on audio and hopefully also wrap that one today.

Currently watching: the campfire 😉 Also a lot of Sex Education last week (I only have one more episode and I'm sad about it) and some Grand Designs last night with Tim.

119 books read: A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

Following the events of A Restless Truth, Jack Alston, Lord Hawthorn is working with Robin, Edwin, Maud and Violet to prevent the binding of the Last Contract. Alan, the rather sketchy journalist and thief character they met in book 2, continues to hang around. Hawthorn doesn't like Alan, but something seems to keep throwing them together...

A satisfying ending to this trilogy. I still liked book 1 best, but this was a good ending and I liked it better than book 2. 4 stars.

120 books read: Majesty by Katharine McGee

Since her father's death, Beatrice is now queen, though she hasn't technically been crowned yet. She's also still marrying Teddy, even though her heart is with Connor, her guard. Meanwhile, Nina and Jefferson are on the rocks, Samantha has a fake dating scheme in mind, and Daphne's plan to get back with Jeff is in full swing -- until her friend Himari, who was in a coma, wakes up. Does she remember how her accident happened?

Lots of drama in this sequel to American Royals. I still enjoyed listening, but this entry was definitely too long. I might still continue with the next book, but I'll probably wait a bit to dive in. 3.5 stars.

121 books read: With You Forever by Chloe Liese

Rooney has been an honorary Bergman family member ever since her best friend Willa started dating one of the brothers. When her ulcerative colitis flares up and forces her to take a break from law school, Willa suggests she stay at the Bergman family cabin in Washington for a while to rest up and get some peace and quiet. Willa told her it would be empty, but when she gets there, Rooney finds the cabin uninhabitable while Axel Bergman works on getting some expensive repairs done to the place. Forced to stay in Axel's house while the cabin is repaired, Rooney finds herself growing closer to the quiet, artistic Bergman brother, despite both of them resisting.

This series gets better and better with each book. I appreciate the representation Liese goes out of her way to include and the cute details, like Harry the lurcher dog and the visits from Viggo and Oliver. 4 stars.

122 books read: Rakkety Tam by Brian Jacques

Gulo the savage, a wolverine from the north, is on the hunt for his brother, who stole the mysterious walking stone that will give him the right to rule their kingdom. After Gulo and his troops ravage a squirrel kingdom, Rakkety Tam, a fearsome warrior squirrel, goes to stand against him with his faithful pal Wild Doogy Plumm. But Gulo and his army appear to be heading straight for Redwall Abbey...

This entry in the Redwall series came out after I had stopped reading them, so this was my first time with it. I enjoyed listening to the full cast audio a lot! Jacques acts as narrator with various actors doing the voices and all the songs are fully sung and set to music. The story is solid, too. I don't think we've seen a wolverine in the Redwall universe before. All in all, I had a great time with this. 4.5 stars.

123 books read: The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett

Married young, Rose slowly realizes she does not love her husband. Unfortunately, she only realizes this after learning she's pregnant. Instead of telling him, Rose leaves without a word, driving from California to Kentucky to St. Elizabeth's, a Catholic home for unmarried pregnant girls, where her life will change forever.

This is Patchett's debut novel and I thought it was excellent overall, but the ending fell somewhat flat for me. 4 stars.

124 books read: You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo

Captain Niko Larsen and her crew have finally escaped the army of the Holy Hive Mind and set up a restaurant on TwiceFar, hoping to earn a Nikkelin Star and earn enough money to buy a ship of their own. But when TwiceFar is attacked right when a famous food critic comes to their restaurant, they end up escaping on a bioship (You Sexy Thing) with a mind of its own, determined to take them to a prison planet. Can the crew convince the ship to take them somewhere else -- and once the course is changed, can they make it out alive?

I enjoyed this found family space opera! The cooking and the military stuff makes it a funny mix of cozy and action-packed. My favorite part was all of the different alien species that made up the crew. Rambo mentions in their note that part of what inspired the book was a request for a third-person omniscient space opera narrative, which this certainly is. For me, it did make the writing a little weird at times because the jumps from one person's brain to another's were often abrupt. 4 stars.

125 books read: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

Chronicles the lives of Tom and Maggie Tulliver, children of a miller, as they grow up in the countryside and deal with life's hardships.

I liked Middlemarch when I read it in college. This one... didn't work for me. Eliot can certainly write, but I found myself uninterested in Tom and Maggie's fates. Wanda McCaddon was an excellent narrator as always, though. 3 stars.

Oh my god I'm finally caught up on reviews for the first time since starting this thread 😂

Happy Wednesday! The cleaners have been and gone. I'm planning on doing a workout in a bit. In the evening I'm getting dinner with some friends.

Currently reading: Started The Ex Talk in print, read a few pages of Riot Baby on Kindle, and started Dark Lord's Daughter on audio while walking the dogs this morning.

Currently watching: We watched a bunch of Bodkin last night, which we're enjoying a lot.

Good to hear you're enjoying 'Bodkin.' It's in my queue and I'm really looking forward to it!

We are enjoying Bodkin too. Just the last episode to go.

I like the Rambo series. The third is out later this year. Definitely creative aliens!

I should reread the Redwall series. The full cast audio sounds fun.

>96 katiekrug: I hope you like it, Katie!

>97 SandDune: Yay, another fan! I think we have a couple more episodes to go but things are definitely getting good.

>98 libraryperilous: Good to see you, Diana! I need to get to book 2 in the Rambo series. Like all Redwall books, Rakkety Tam had some excellent food descriptions :) The actors playing Rakkety Tam and his friend gave them Scottish accents and it was fantastic. I've read several of the books multiple times, but I don't think I've read the whole series more than once -- maybe I'll do a big reread at some point.

Congratulations on reading so many books thus far this year!!!

>95 curioussquared: Congrats on being caught up on reviews!!

>4 curioussquared: A nice and varied collection of books! Nicely done!

>93 curioussquared: Added to be TBR
>94 curioussquared: I REMEMBER THIS. I hated it.
Oh gosh, we read this in my Britist Realism course and I just got so mad at it.
Alternate Title: Maggie's Never Ending Misery Before Death

Yay for catching up on reviews! I'm interested in the Redwall book. Onto the wishlist it goes.

>91 curioussquared: I have never read any of the Redwall books. I probably should read them at some point. . .

>92 curioussquared: Patchett gets better after that one, IMHO, but then I rated it lower than you did, giving it 3.5 stars. Bel Canto remains my favorite of hers but I will pretty much read anything she writes.

Congratulations on catching up on your reviews!

>100 Whisper1: Thank you Linda! Good to see you!

>101 norabelle414: Thanks, Nora! :)

>102 ocgreg34: Thanks, Greg!

>103 Ravenwoodwitch: Hope you enjoy the Rambo! Yeah, I was not a huge fan of The Mill on the Floss.

>104 elorin: Hope you like it, Robyn! I have a very soft spot in my heart for the Redwall series. I read them all one after the other in 3rd/4th grade, checking them out from my elementary school library, and have a very distinct memory of being ready to read The Legend of Luke -- but the problem was that the library's copy had been checked out for weeks. I persuaded the librarian to tell me who had it checked out -- it was a boy in my class! -- and then found him and demanded he return it so I could read it.

>105 alcottacre: Hi Stasia! Honestly, the Redwall books get a little same-same after a few, but I loved them as a kid and still love them today because of that. Read the first one and if you enjoy it, maybe read a few more, but there are a LOT of books and you probably don't need to read the whole series :) The ones featuring Matthias and co from the first book are the best, IMO, although I also loved Taggerung for some reason.

Sorry to disappear again, friends!

Let's see, catching up from last week... Friday I left for a bachelorette party in the San Juan islands north of Seattle for one of my friends from high school. I really only hang out with her and one other friend from high school, so the party was interesting because there were some women there I hadn't spent time with in ~10 years or so. It was nice to catch up with them, but also reaffirmed why I'm not friends with them anymore, lol. The party was Friday night through Monday morning, but I made up an excuse to go home on Sunday -- this introvert was TIRED. What's with the multiple day bachelorette party trend?!?! We did a scenic wildlife tour on Saturday that was awesome, though -- we hung out with a mama and baby humpback whale for almost an hour, and also saw sea lions fighting over the best place on a sunny rock and lots of harbor seals chilling.

Monday I had a doctor's appointment and then my mom came over and we did some gardening and yard work and went and bought more plants at the nursery nearby.

Tuesday Kermit had an early AM appointment to get his stitches out (the growth was benign, hooray!) and then I went to a workout class. Afterward I went with my mom to a city on the other side of Lake Washington to pick up something she was buying off of FB marketplace and then we stopped at the Nordstrom Rack over there to see if they had any dresses for the three weddings I have coming up. I got one, but I don't think it really works for the Hawaii wedding we're going to in a few weeks, so still on the hunt for a dress for that one.

Wednesday I met up with my friend who's currently on maternity leave with her newborn and her other friend who had a baby the same day and we chatted and played some board games -- Chronology and Deep Sea Adventure. In the afternoon we had a contractor stop by to give us a bid on redoing our kitchen. Then my best friend came over in the evening and we ordered takeout and watched a few episodes of Call the Midwife. We realized it had been over a month since we had hung out one on one due to a combination of being busy, weekend trips, and my friend being sick so we were very overdue!

Yesterday I did some yard work and repaired a fence panel that had broken in half and fallen down. The hole was technically big enough for a greyhound to escape -- I didn't think our guys would try, but we're watching another greyhound for a few days next week and wanted to make sure everything was secure for his visit. In the afternoon I had an eye doctor appointment -- no change to my eyes, hooray, but I got some daily contacts to sample as I don't think I wear them enough to justify monthlies right now but I like to have them for workout classes and outdoor activities. In the evening Tim and I had a date night at a local pizza place.

Today I'm going to walk the dogs and do a workout before heading out to pick up a prescription for Kermit, check on my SIL's cats while they're out of town, and stop at Costco for gas along the way. In the afternoon I'm meeting up with the friend who moved here recently for a walk (she has Summer Fridays) and then my best friend is coming over again in the evening.

Tomorrow I'll be checking in on the cats again before Tim and I go to my aunt and uncle's property about 45 minutes north of Seattle for my cousin and his girlfriend's birthday party. They have a big fenced area so the dogs will have a blast and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous.

Sunday I'm going with my best friend and her coworker on a moderate hike and we're bringing the dogs -- this is the coworker that owns Beast the greyhound who we're watching next week. Wish Otter and Kermit luck on their first hiking adventure!

Currently reading: I've been in something of a slump when it comes to print and digital books. I've started like four print books but made it furthest in The Dreaming Place so far. I did finish The Ex Talk mid-last week. I'm a few pages into Whiskeyjack on Kindle and also finished Riot Baby last weekend. Audio-wise, I've finished The Dark Lord's Daughter, Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, and The Once and Future King, and am currently working on The Book of Merlyn.

Currently watching: We finished Bodkin and have mostly been watching lots of Grand Designs.

>107 curioussquared: Phew! Well no wonder you've been absent. How lovely you got to see whales. And I'm exhausted just reading the rest ...

>92 curioussquared: I read this one a month or two ago. I agree that the writing was excellent, but it felt like something was missing. Not bad for a first effort though.

(And thank you for the reminder to get going on the Greenwing & Dart series!)

>108 humouress: It's been a weirdly busy week for sure, Nina!

>109 clamairy: Hi Clam! Yeah, I think that was my vague issue with the ending -- it didn't really feel like anything resolved or ended. She just stopped telling the story.

I'm really enjoying Greenwing and Dart and I bet you will too!

>106 curioussquared: I did not realize that the Redwall series was that long. None of my kids were into it. Thanks for the heads up, Natalie!

>107 curioussquared: Sorry to hear about the book funk. I hate those things! I hope you get out of it soon. (You made me tired just reading about all the other stuff you had going on. I now need a nap. . .)

Have a wonderful weekend!

>106 curioussquared: >111 alcottacre: I've never read any of the Redwall books though I've seen them around a lot. So between the two of you I've taken a BB.

>107 curioussquared: Wow, busy week!

I'm in the same boat with contact lenses. The idea of dailies seems like so much extra trash but I only wear contacts about once a week now so it won't be that different. I'm waiting until I either run out of monthlies or my prescription changes and then I'll switch.

>111 alcottacre: Lol, sorry to make you tired! Thanks re: the book funk wishes :)

>112 humouress: I hope you enjoy them, Nina! Like I told Stasia, it's probably not worth reading the whole series at this point, but they're a lot of fun and very charming stories.

>113 norabelle414: Yeah, that's how I feel about dailies, too. I also only wear contacts about once a week or even once every other week. I have a few pairs of monthly contacts left but I'm pretty sure they're technically expired now which is what prompted the eye doctor visit.

>114 curioussquared: I like reading series in chronological order so I've taken out Lord Brocktree. Would you advise starting with that one?

>115 humouress: Honestly, I would recommend reading in publication order, or at least starting with Redwall. Publication order does jump in time a little bit, but I think all the jumps kind of make sense -- Redwall introduces the abbey and world, Mossflower goes back to the founding of the abbey, Mattimeo goes back to the characters we met in Redwall. I think if you read them in chronological order, you will miss out on context from books that were published previously -- for example, I think Martin the Warrior and The Legend of Luke will carry less weight if you don't know the significance of those characters from previously published books.

>116 curioussquared: Okey dokey; I've now borrowed Redwall. But both editions of the e-book are wait-listed and Overdrive tells me it's soon to be a Netflix film; I don't know how current that is. So I've borrowed the audiobook.