rabbitprincess stops making sense in 2021, part 2: Making Flippy Floppy

The Theme of This Challenge Is Talking Heads.

Each category is named after a song by the group. Hyperlinks go to a YouTube video featuring the song.

General fiction - "Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town"
General non-fiction - "Crosseyed and Painless"
History - "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"
Mystery - "Once in a Lifetime"
French - "Psycho Killer"
Rereads - "Take Me to the River"
Audio - "Road to Nowhere"
SFF - "(Nothing But) Flowers"
Short stories, graphic novels, essay collections, etc.: "Houses in Motion"
Plays - "Found a Job"
Group reads - "New Feeling"
Planes, trains and boats - "The Big Country"

The 2021 Pool:



Tickers:

ROOTs - Read Our Own Tomes



Going Through the Stacks ticker:




2-for-1 TBR ticker:

General fiction - Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town

I've been to college, I've been to school
I've met the people that you read about in books

Video linked is from the Best of Talking Heads compilation that turned me on to the band's work (after 20+ years).

1. Bleeding Hearts, by Ian Rankin, aka Jack Harvey
2. The Story of a Hare, by J. C. Tregarthen (Faded Page)
3. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark
4. The Gambler, by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by J. C. Hogarth (Serial Reader)
5. Ashenden, or The British Agent, by W. Somerset Maugham (Faded Page)
6. The Inimitable Jeeves, by P. G. Wodehouse (Serial Reader)
7. Son of a Trickster, by Eden Robinson
8. A Thousand Ships, by Natalie Haynes
9. Indian Horse, by Richard Wagamese
10. Blood Hunt, by Ian Rankin, aka Jack Harvey
11. Puppet on a Chain, by Alistair MacLean
12. Famous Last Words, by Timothy Findley
13. The Queen's Gambit, by Walter Tevis
14. The Witch Elm, by Tana French

General non-fiction - Crosseyed and Painless

Facts are simple and facts are straight
Facts are lazy and facts are late
Facts all come with points of view
Facts don't do what I want them to...

Video linked is from the 2005 remaster of Remain in Light.

1. On Risk, by Mark Kingwell
2. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works, by Dan Harris
3. The Secret Life of Lobsters, by Trevor Corson
4. To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure, by Henry Petroski
5. Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, by Ozan Varol
6. Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other, by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
7. Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
8. Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop, by Vic Galloway
9. Dear Life: A Doctor's Story of Love and Loss, by Rachel Clarke
10. Expert: Understanding the Path to Mastery, by Roger Kneebone
11. The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics, by Tim Harford
12. Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, by Patrick Radden Keefe

History - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)

There was a time before we were born
If someone asks, this is where I’ll be

Video linked is from the AMAZING film Stop Making Sense (my favourite version of this song).

1. Falls the Shadow, by Sharon Kay Penman
2. Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster, by Adam Higginbotham
3. Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall: A Divided People Rebel, by Werner Sikorski
4. Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike, by Charlotte Gray
5. The Art of Dying, by Ambrose Parry
6. Lennox, by Craig Russell
7. The Long Glasgow Kiss, by Craig Russell
8. Murdered Midas: A Millionaire, His Gold Mine, and a Strange Death on an Island Paradise, by Charlotte Gray
9. The Deep Dark Sleep, by Craig Russell
10. Dear Miss Kopp, by Amy Stewart
11. A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome, by Emma Southam
12. The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine, by Janice P. Nimura

Mystery - Once in a Lifetime

And you may ask yourself: Am I right? Am I wrong?
And you may say to yourself: My God, what have I done?!

Video linked is the official music video, which is gloriously 80s.

1. The Skeleton Road, by Val McDermid (Overdrive)
2. Harbour Street, by Ann Cleeves (Overdrive)
3. Cold Earth, by Ann Cleeves (Overdrive)
4. Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks, by Christopher Brookmyre
5. The Moth Catcher, by Ann Cleeves
6. Winterkill, by Ragnar Jonasson (translated from the French edition by David Warriner)
7. Rather Be the Devil, by Ian Rankin
8. A Better Man, by Louise Penny
9. The Girl Who Died, by Ragnar Jónasson (translated by Victoria Cribb)
10. The Murder at the Vicarage, by Agatha Christie
11. A Tapping at My Door, by David Jackson
12. The Doorbell Rang, by Rex Stout

French - Psycho Killer

Psycho killer, qu'est-ce que c'est?

Video linked is from Best of Talking Heads.

1. Le crabe aux pinces d'or, by Hergé
2. Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès, by Maurice Leblanc (Faded Page)

Rereads - Take Me to the River

I don’t know why I love her like I do
All the changes that you put me through

I played this song 38594850585 times before finally playing the rest of the album, which is why I selected it for this category.

Video linked is also from Best of Talking Heads.

1. Life, the Universe and Everything, by Douglas Adams
2. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley
3. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
4. The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green
5. Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
6. The Naming of the Dead, by Ian Rankin

Audio - Road to Nowhere

We’re on a road to nowhere, come on inside
Taking that ride to nowhere, we'll take that ride...

You’ll need a lot of audiobooks if you’re on the road to nowhere.

Video linked is the official music video.

1. A Legacy of Spies, by John le Carré (read by Tom Hollander)
2. One Game at a Time: My Journey from Small-Town Alberta to Hockey's Biggest Stage, by Harnarayan Singh (read by Harnarayan Singh)
3. Lost Stories: The Fourth Doctor, by Robert Banks Stewart (Big Finish)

SFF - (Nothing But) Flowers

This used to be real estate, now it's only fields and trees
Where, where is the town?
Now, it's nothing but flowers

Video linked is the official music video. Fun fact: this song features Johnny Marr of The Smiths on guitar.

1. Doctor Who: Ghost Stories, written by George Mann, illustrated by Ivan Rodriguez, Pasquale Qualano, and Dennis Calero (comic, ebook)
2. The Celtic Twilight, by W. B. Yeats (Serial Reader)
3. Doctor Who: Shadow in the Glass, by Justin Richards and Stephen Cole
4. I Am a Dalek, by Gareth Roberts
5. Tales from the Folly, by Ben Aaronovitch (Overdrive)
6. Lost Stories: The Fourth Doctor, by Robert Banks Stewart (Big Finish)
7. The English Way of Death, by Gareth Roberts

Short stories, poetry, essay collections, graphic novels, children's books, etc. - Houses in Motion

Tell us a little bit, but not too much

Video linked is from the 2005 remaster of Remain in Light.

Children's/middle-grade/young-adult books
1. The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin
2. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)
3. The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)
4. The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)

Graphic novels / comics / art
1. Doctor Who: Ghost Stories, written by George Mann, illustrated by Ivan Rodriguez, Pasquale Qualano, and Dennis Calero (ebook)
2. Department of Mind-Blowing Theories, by Tom Gauld
3. Le crabe aux pinces d'or, by Hergé
4. Spider-Gwen Vol. 0: Most Wanted?, by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez
5. Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse, by David Hine, Jason Latour, Fabrice Sapolsky et al.
6. American Utopia, by David Byrne and Maira Kalman
7. The Art of WolfWalkers, by Charles Solomon
8. Am I Overthinking This? Overanswering Life's Questions in 101 Charts, by Michelle Rial

Short stories and novellas
1. Killer, Come Back to Me: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury, by Ray Bradbury
2. A Perfect Likeness, by Richard Wagamese

Everything else
1. The Witches are Coming, by Lindy West
2. Bicycle Diaries, by David Byrne
3. Straight Outta Crawley: Memoirs of a Distinctly Average Human Being, by Romesh Ranganathan

Plays - Found a Job

They’re inventing situations that are better than TV

Video linked is from the 2005 remaster of More Songs About Buildings and Food.

1. Henry VI, Part 1, by William Shakespeare

Group reads - New Feeling

I wish I could meet, every one
Meet them all over again

I wish I could commit to all the group reads and CATs, but I'm too much of a mood reader. Regardless, I like the NEW FEELING of discovering books through these challenges.

Link is to the live version from The Name of This Band is Talking Heads.

GenreCAT
✔ January (Non Fiction): On Risk, by Mark Kingwell
February Memoirs/biography My Word is My Bond
✔ March Action & Adventure (Military/spy/war/Westerns/thrillers etc.) Puppet on a Chain, by Alistair MacLean
April Literary Fiction Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick deWitt
May Short stories/essays - Lafayette in the Somewhat United States, by Sarah Vowell
✔ June Historical fiction Falls the Shadow, by Sharon Kay Penman
July Romance
August Poetry/drama/graphic novels The Rez Sisters for drama
September Horror/Supernatural
October YA/children - Attack of the Video Villains
November SFF This is How You Lose the Time War
December Mysteries - hosted by me!! The Terrorists

HistoryCAT
January: The Middle Ages - Les poisons de la couronne
February: Modern c.1800 to now Ride with Me (set in 1805), The Splendid and the Vile?
✔ March: Early Modern c.1500 to c. 1800 - Kidnapped
April: Ancient 8th C BC to 6th AD Livy
May: Dynasties/Civilisations/Empires -
✔ June: Military/War/Revolution - hosted by me! - Dear Miss Kopp, by Amy Stewart
July: Social History - Hearing Happiness: Deafness Cures in History
August: Your Own Country - This Island in Time
September: Religion/Philosophy/Politics/The Law -
October: A country/region of your choice -
November: Events - The Longest Day
December: Adventure/Exploration and Discovery -

RandomCAT
January--LOL--Nonsense Novels, by Stephen Leacock
February--Fruits and Veggies--Oranges and Lemons, by Christopher Fowler
✔ March--It's a Surprise!-- The Doorbell Rang, by Rex Stout
✔ April--Let's go to the library without leaving the house--The Witch Elm, by Tana French (shared with madhatter22)
May--Monopoly--
June--What's old is new again--The Lost Books of the Odyssey, by Zachary Mason
July--Summertime--Long Summer Day, by R. F. Delderfield
August--Travel--Himalaya, by Michael Palin
September--
October--
November--
December--

MysteryKIT
January--Featuring Water—L’Écluse No. 1
February--Pastiche Mysteries—The Seven-Percent Solution
March--Locked Room Mysteries--
April--Senior Citizen as Detective—The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
May--Mysteries set in Europe--The Athenian Murders
✔ June--Golden Age Mysteries—Murder at the Museum
✔ July--Cops 'n Robbers--Lady Style (lady cops or lady robbers)—Dear Miss Kopp, by Amy Stewart
August--Cozy Mysteries Featuring Animals—
September--Mismatched Detectives--
October--Minorities/Diverse--
November--Historical Mysteries--
December--Detectives in Ancient Greece and Rome—All Roads Lead to Murder

Group reads
1. Henry VI, Part 1, by William Shakespeare (Litsy)

BingoDOG



✔ 1. Book less than 200 pages - The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin (182 pp. in the edition I read)
2. Time word in title or time is the subject (I'd include time travel in this square!) - Harvest of Time, by Alistair Reynolds
3. Set in or author from the Southern Hemisphere - probably a Nevil Shute
✔ 4. Book with or about magic - Son of a Trickster, by Eden Robinson
✔ 5. Arts and recreation - Rip It Up (Scottish pop)
✔ 6. Classical element in title (Western: earth, air, wind, fire, aether/void. Chinese: wood, fire, earth, metal, water) Air Bridge, by Hammond Innes
7. Book with the name of a building in the title - Murder in the Museum
8. By or about a marginalized group - The Rez Sisters, by Tomson Highway
9. Senior citizen as the protagonist - The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
10. Suggested by a person from another generation - will take a rec from my mum
✔ 11. A book about nature or the environment (includes the sea) - Dark, Salt, Clear: Life in a Cornish Fishing Town, by Lamorna Ash
✔ 12. A book that made you laugh - Department of Mind-Blowing Theories, by Tom Gauld
13. Book you share with 20 or fewer members on LT - British Sea Power (shared with only one other member)
14. Book about history or alternate history - Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
15. Book with a title that describes you
16. Book you heartily recommend
✔ 17. Author you haven’t read before On Risk, by Mark Kingwell
✔ 18. Impulse read! The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley
19. One-word title
20. Book with a character you think you'd like to have as a friend - probably a Twelfth Doctor book, haha
21. Dark or light in title - Dark Horizons
22. Set somewhere you’d like to visit - Don't Cry for Me Aberystwyth
✔ 23. Book by two or more authors - Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse, by David Hine, Jason Latour, Fabrice Sapolsky, Dustin Weaver, Clay McLeod Chapman, and Gerard Way
24. Book with a love story in it
25. Read a CAT or KIT

Planes, trains and boats - The Big Country

I'm tired of looking out the windows of the airplane
I'm tired of travelling, I want to be somewhere

Video linked is the live version from The Name of This Band is Talking Heads (which I like a bit better than the studio version).

Planes
1. Flying Free: My Victory over Fear to Become the First Latina Pilot on the US Aerobatic Team, by Cecilia Aragon
2. Air Bridge, by Hammond Innes
3. Vertical Reference: The Life of Legendary Mountain Helicopter Rescue Pilot Jim Davies, by Kathy Calvert
4. Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, by Julia Cooke

Trains
1. Death on the Way, by Freeman Wills Crofts
2. Death in the Tunnel, by Miles Burton

Boats
1. Le crabe aux pinces d'or, by Hergé
2. Dark, Salt, Clear: Life in a Cornish Fishing Town, by Lamorna Ash (Overdrive)
3. The Loss of the Jane Vosper, by Freeman Wills Crofts
4. The PS Royal William of Quebec: The First True Transatlantic Steamer, by Eileen Reid Marcil

Happy new thread!

Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, by Ozan Varol
Category: Crosseyed and Painless
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196753867

This book was all right. I do like the idea of reinforcing the material in this book through the worksheets and resources offered on the author's website. Makes it easier to add new insights and information. I have to say I preferred the parts that talked about actual rocket scientists and teamwork to the parts that talked about individuals being the primary innovators in an organization.

The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets, by Nancy Springer
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196274002

Still very much enjoying the Enola Holmes series! I like these for their lightness (for me, given that I am much older than a middle-grader, the typical audience for this series) and the fact that Watson is portrayed as smart.

>12 leslie.98: Thanks, Leslie! Figured I'd get a jump on it before posting the February recap, which will come this evening :)

Yay, Happy New Thread! I'm looking forward to your recap!

Happy new thread from me too!

>15 MissBrangwen: Thanks, Mirjam! Recap coming right up :)

>16 Jackie_K: Thanks, Jackie! It's good to get the new month started / the old month ended with a new thread.

****

I’m not going to finish any more books today thanks to playing too many computer games, so time for the February recap.

February started off slowly but I eventually made my way to 16 books.

Killer, Come Back to Me: The Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury, by Ray Bradbury (Overdrive)
Dark, Salt, Clear: Life in a Cornish Fishing Town, by Lamorna Ash (Overdrive)
The Secret Life of Lobsters, by Trevor Corson
Air Bridge, by Hammond Innes
Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (reread)
Ashenden: Or, The British Agent, by W. Somerset Maugham (Faded Page)
To Forgive Design: Understanding Failure, by Henry Petroski
Spider-Gwen Vol. 0: Most Wanted?, by Jason Latour and Robbi Rodriguez
The Inimitable Jeeves, by P. G. Wodehouse (Serial Reader)
The Loss of the Jane Vosper, by Freeman Wills Crofts
Falls the Shadow, by Sharon Kay Penman
A Legacy of Spies, by John le Carré (audio, read by Tom Hollander)
Arsène Lupin contre Herlock Sholmès, by Maurice Leblanc (Faded Page)
The Celtic Twilight, by W.B. Yeats (Serial Reader)
Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life, by Ozan Varol
The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)

The best book of the month was Falls the Shadow. It took me a while to work through, but it was a rich experience and I am looking forward to the final book in the trilogy.

I had two 2-star reads this month. I’ll call The Celtic Twilight the least favourite, because even though I wasn’t wild about the Lupin book, I am still favourably inclined to watching the Netflix series.

Currently reading

This is a rarity: a completely new list of current reads! Usually at least one book is carried over from the previous month.

One Game at a Time, by Harnarayan Singh — the memoir of one of the hosts of Hockey Night in Punjabi. I’m listening to the audio, read by the author. He speaks just a touch more slowly than I would like, so I’ve sped it up to 1.25x.
Bush Pilot with a Briefcase, by Ronald A. Keith — the biography of Grant MacConachie, a key figure in Canadian aviation. This one is on hold a bit because I have a LOT of library books out and this one doesn’t have anyone waiting for it, so it will be automatically renewed.
The Big Book of Espionage, by Otto Penzler — taking my second crack at this massive story collection.
The Shadow in the Glass, by Justin Richards — a Sixth Doctor novel set during WW2.
The Moth Catcher, by Ann Cleeves — totally thought I’d have this done today, but those darn computer games have sucked up all of my attention.

March plans

I definitely did NOT juggle my library holds properly when I reactivated the print holds. One day I had 15 items in transit, and 9 of them arrived on the same day! Oops. I’m going to have to read the ones with the most people waiting for them so that I don’t have as long to wait if I need to return and re-request them.

>17 rabbitprincess: I overdid it with library books in Feb. too - even had to return some that I didn't even start which is a rare occurence for me. Of course, it didn't help that I ended up rereading a lot this month!

Happy new thread and good speed with the library books!

Happy new thread!

>18 leslie.98: I return library books unread on occasion as well. Oh well, I can't say I'm short of choice on either the own books or the library books front!

>19 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

>20 thornton37814: Thanks, Lori!

A nice assortment of reads for February!

I haven’t been using the library lately but when I do everything comes available at the same time. It must be a universal rule.

Happy new thread!
Wow, 15 library holds! Keepin' 'em on their toes!

>22 hailelib: I think it must be!

>23 mstrust: The 9 holds in one day came in when the library was still doing curbside, so I felt the need to apologize to the library staff for having to haul out an enormous selection of books for me, haha.

First book of March finally reviewed!

The Moth Catcher, by Ann Cleeves
Category: Once in a Lifetime
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196429506

This was an OK installment in the series, but not my favourite.

Catching up on reviews on this Saturday morning.

Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster, by Adam Higginbotham
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196489563

Well researched, well written, fascinating and horrifying. Now to read Voices from Chernobyl.

One Game at a Time: My Journey from Small-Town Alberta to Hockey's Biggest Stage, by Harnarayan Singh (audio, read by Harnarayan Singh)
Category: Road to Nowhere
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/195438205

Apparently I like hockey memoirs more than actual hockey. This is a good one. I love that Hockey Night in Punjabi exists and was interested to hear about how it got started.

Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse, by David Hine, Jason Latour, Fabrice Sapolsky et al.
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196489461

I read this mostly for the Spider-Man Noir and SP//dr comics after having watched Into the Spider-Verse. The Spider-Gwen story was a repeat from the other collection I read, and the other stories didn't do much for me.

>26 rabbitprincess: I really want to read both Midnight in Chernobyl and Chernobyl: History of a Tragedy, both of which have had amazing reviews. I read Chernobyl Prayer (also known as Voices from Chernobyl) as my first book of this year and it was very harrowing, but amazing to hear the voices of all those people who were actually there.

>27 Jackie_K: Svetlana Alexievich's books are brilliant journalism and unsurpassed gut-punches.

>27 Jackie_K: Yes, absolutely! I read Second Hand Time last year, and it was just as powerful.

>27 Jackie_K: >28 spiralsheep: >29 Jackie_K: I'm really looking forward to reading Alexievich's work. I wanted to read her The Unwomanly Face of War last year but ran out of time with it.

Happy new thread! (late again).
The February reads are a nice looking assortment.
And oops on the library holds all arriving at once!

I read the Chernobyl book last year and also really liked it.

>26 rabbitprincess: I'm taking a BB for Midnight in Chernobyl. I recall reading about the disaster in the news as it unfolded in 1986.

>31 Helenliz: Thanks! Yes, I ended up having a good assortment of books in February. I am taking full advantage of the library auto-renewing books that don't have any holds on them...

>32 Tess_W: It took me a few tries to find the time, but it was so worth it!

>33 mathgirl40: It's a fascinating read! I hope you like it.

****

Another Saturday, another catch-up on reviews. And this isn't even the full backlog.

Vertical Reference: The Life of Legendary Mountain Helicopter Rescue Pilot Jim Davies, by Kathy Calvert
Category: The Big Country
Source: library
Rating: 2/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196489502

I ended up being disappointed with this book. Flat, repetitive writing. I ended up skim-reading the second half of it.

The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green
Category: Take Me to the River
Source: no idea
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/42230/reviews/70476115

Needed a re-read to perk myself up, so this did the trick. I read the heck out of this copy as a kid, as the battered spine can attest.

Son of a Trickster, by Eden Robinson
Category: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196650858

I've had this on my "read soon" list since January and finally got around to it this month. I liked it well enough to continue with the trilogy sometime.

Death on the Way, by Freeman Wills Crofts
Category: The Big Country
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196753024

One of several Inspector French mysteries reprinted by Collins Crime Club. This one features trains and is probably a bit on the boring side, but it was the right kind of boring, if that makes sense.

>34 rabbitprincess: >35 charl08: I think "the right kind of boring" makes perfect sense. Especially in covid times.

I have multiple holds here too: picked up 4 yesterday and the website says I have another 3. Fortunately the limit on loans has been waived so they can allow for the 3 day delay on returns.

>35 charl08: Glad to hear that the loan limit has been waived! The book quarantining period does make it a challenge to manage my account effectively. Books show as overdue until they're checked in, and then I have to think carefully, "did I *really* return that book or just imagine I did?"

****

Another bumper crop of books to report. I'm caught up now.

Shadow in the Glass, by Stephen Cole and Justin Richards
Category: (Nothing But) Flowers
Source: BMV, Toronto
Rating: 1/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/147110296

A Doctor Who book has to be pretty objectionable for me to give it 1 star. In this case, I ditched it because the "historical conspiracy" mentioned on the back cover turned out to be about the death of Hitler, and I was NOT INTERESTED. I don't do WW2 counterfactuals, and this particular idea felt repulsive.

The Witches are Coming, by Lindy West
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196753828

I binged this entire collection in a couple of hours. I liked Shrill slightly better but would still recommend this book as well.

Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other, by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
Category: Crosseyed and Painless
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196771594

This was a very fun book featuring unlikely friends Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish. You don't need to have any interest in Outlander (the TV show) to enjoy it, although I imagine it helps. You should probably also be caught up with Outlander if you are spoiler-averse; there are some mentions of developments in season 2 and season 5 (there are five seasons?!).

Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall: A Divided People Rebel, by Werner Sikorski
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: Rockcliffe Park book sale
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/174965403

This was a random find at one of my favourite book sales from the Before Times. Not a bad read.

>36 rabbitprincess: "The book quarantining period does make it a challenge to manage my account effectively. Books show as overdue until they're checked in, and then I have to think carefully,"

My library is using click and collect with free reservations and unlimited loan times, for which I'm very grateful, but the fact each book is checked out to my account as soon as I order it and then not checked back in for 4 to 6 days after I return it has given me pause and caused me to search my memory and my house several times.

Thanks for the warning about the Doctor Who book. I don't like that trope either.

>36 rabbitprincess: Books show as overdue until they're checked in, and then I have to think carefully, "did I *really* return that book or just imagine I did?"
Oh yes! This confuses the hell out of me on a regular basis!!

>26 rabbitprincess: >27 Jackie_K: In reference to your interest in Chernobyl, you might be interested in taking at look at the naturalist David Atteborough's latest book, A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement. There is a small section where he discusses his trip there and the response nature has had to the devastation.

>17 rabbitprincess: I had a tsunami of holds arrive too. However, the library doubled the loan period during the pandemic so none are due until the end of April.

>36 rabbitprincess: Sorry to hear you had a dud Doctor Who. Luckily not a common problem.

>37 spiralsheep: Yikes, that would be unnerving to have the books checked out to your account as soon as you request it!
Glad to be of service on the Doctor Who book.

>38 Helenliz: And it doesn't help that I am already generally confused because of pandemic time! ;)

>39 clue: Ooh yes I will definitely want to read David Attenborough's book.

>40 VivienneR: During the first lockdown, when the libraries were totally shut, we had the loan period for all materials checked out before the lockdown extended to September! Then of course I didn't want to read any of the books I had out.
Yes, I'm glad that most Doctor Who novels are good!

>36 rabbitprincess: >38 Helenliz: I've ended up taking a photo of books on the return trolley by the door so I don't forget what I've handed back in!

>42 charl08: That's a good idea!

****

Another couple of books this week to report.

A Thousand Ships, by Natalie Haynes
Category: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196897133

FINALLY read this! I thought it was great. I especially enjoyed Calliope's commentary.

Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
Category: Crosseyed and Painless
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/197041529

This book is perhaps a little bit too upbeat and a bit heavy on the individual responsibility for improving one's situation, but I am definitely in need of a refresh to figure out where I want to go in my career, so this book came in at exactly the right time.

>43 rabbitprincess: Good to see that you liked A Thousand Ships. I'm planning to read it for the April History CAT.

I am adding A Thousand Ships to my (too long) wishlist.

>36 rabbitprincess: I gave Clanlands to my husband as a Christmas present. He is still reading it in small bits and chunks, but he really enjoys it and like you, he says it's funny. I am looking forward to reading it, too!

>43 rabbitprincess: I thought A Thousand Ships was genuinely excellent, so I'm always pleased to see it's not just me that enjoyed it.

>44 pamelad:, >45 hailelib: go on go on go on go on go on, you know you want to. >;-)

Hello rabbitprincess! It's the weekend so I'm catching up on LT and wanted to drop onto your thread and say hello. And because I heard a Talking Heads song on the radio a few days ago when I was actually *gasp* driving around!!

>44 pamelad: Excellent choice! I'm considering one of my Odyssey or Iliad translations instead of my original choice (a book of Livy that I've had forever).

>45 hailelib: Yay! I really liked it. Would have liked it even more if I weren't so tired!

>46 MissBrangwen: Hurray! I really want to see the TV series now, Men in Kilts! In print I definitely related to Graham, with his love of snacks :)

>47 Helenliz: Yes, I'm actually sometimes reluctant to recommend a book I really liked because I don't want people to not like it :D But this one was a winner.

>48 threadnsong: Hello! Thanks for stopping by! Glad to hear the radio is still playing Talking Heads. I was listening to a CBC Music playlist today and it ended up playing "Girlfriend is Better" (aka the song that David Byrne is *actually* dancing to in the Big Suit).

****

David Byrne appeared on The Science of Happiness to talk music and how it connects us: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/David_Byrne_How_Music_Connects_Us

>43 rabbitprincess: A Thousand Ships goes on my wishlist too!

Not relevant to anything, but whenever I see the 'Flippy floppy' in your thread title I start humming 'Little Boxes' because it reminds me of 'ticky tacky'. (here's a version by the woman who wrote it, Malvina Reynolds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_2lGkEU4Xs )

Hey, this popped up on my Google homepage yesterday - did you see it?

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/talking-heads-10-best-songs-ranked/

>50 VivienneR: Excellent! I hope you like it.

>51 Jackie_K: Haha I like the free association! I hadn't heard that song before. Thanks for posting it! Those are some great lyrics, very well put together.

>52 leslie.98: I hadn't seen it, so thanks for posting it! I think this is an accurate assessment of their output. (Although I do have a great deal of fondness for "Found a Job", because I love the bass line and how it begins with "Damn that television!")

I have The Secret Life of Lobsters on my TBR shelf. I really enjoyed his Zen of Fish some years ago and picked up Lobsters but haven't yet opened it. Perhaps in the summer...

>54 VictoriaPL: Reading about lobsters sounds like a great plan for the summer! Lobsters always make me think of the beach.

****

FINALLY I have another review to report. My reading has really slowed down in the past week or so. I am going to blame Stardew Valley for that :)

I Am a Dalek, by Gareth Roberts
Category: (Nothing But) Flowers
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196753007

I requested this because it came up in a tagmash of archaeology and SFF, which was suggested as a starting point for the March SFFKit. The archaeology element isn't *that* prominent in this story, but it is a good one overall. It was written as part of the Quick Reads series, which is intended to get adult reluctant or struggling readers hooked on reading, and I think it is well crafted for that audience.

I'm off today so might be able to get another book in, but if not, this is a good book to end the month on.

Tales from the Folly, by Ben Aaronovitch
Category: (Nothing But) Flowers
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/197605832

I was so excited to see this available as an ebook at my library; many of these stories are exclusives that had been previously published elsewhere. My favourite was A Rare Book of Cunning Device -- it's set in the British Library AND makes a great Ghostbusters joke. Now I think I want to grab all the audios of Rivers of London and re-read the series :)

March recap

March has come to a close with another 16 books to my name.

The Moth Catcher, by Ann Cleeves
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World’s Greatest Nuclear Disaster, by Adam Higginbotham
One Game at a Time: My Journey from Small-Town Alberta to Hockey's Biggest Stage, by Harnarayan Singh (audio, read by Harnarayan Singh)
Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse, by David Hine, Jason Latour, Fabrice Sapolsky et al.
Vertical Reference: The Life of Legendary Mountain Helicopter Rescue Pilot Jim Davies, by Kathy Calvert
The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green (re-read)
Son of a Trickster, by Eden Robinson
Death on the Way, by Freeman Wills Crofts
Shadow in the Glass, by Stephen Cole and Justin Richards
The Witches are Coming, by Lindy West
Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other, by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish
Checkpoint Charlie and the Wall: A Divided People Rebel, by Werner Sikorski
A Thousand Ships, by Natalie Haynes
Designing Your Work Life: How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work, by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans
I Am a Dalek, by Gareth Roberts
Tales from the Folly, by Ben Aaronovitch (Overdrive)

The best book of the month was Midnight in Chernobyl. This was my third attempt at reading it, but I was in the right headspace and found it fascinating, horrifying, and rewarding.

The worst book of the month by far was Shadow in the Glass. It was a creepy story on multiple levels and made me feel unpleasant while reading it, which is definitely NOT the norm for anything related to Doctor Who!

Currently reading

Another currently reading list that is all new from last month! I had to reboot the stacks a couple of times and will likely have to reboot them again, but here’s what’s on the go at the moment:

Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott — a re-read inspired by re-reading The Adventures of Robin Hood.
Henry VI, Part 2, by William Shakespeare — I’m in the middle of Act 3. It’s a bit of a slog, but I think that is largely attributable to pandemic brain at this point.
Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Box Set, by Robert Banks Stewart — a set of Fourth Doctor audio dramas starring Tom Baker and Louise Jameson. These stories were apparently considered for the TV show but not used.
Puppet on a Chain, by Alistair MacLean — this is supposed to be a thriller, but it’s also a bit sloggy for me. Also depressing, given that it’s about the devastation wrought by heroin addiction.
Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike, by Charlotte Gray — hoping some Canadian historical non-fiction will be just the ticket for a long weekend.

April plans

To match my reading totals for February and March.

Yay, I hope you have a great reading month in April!

>57 rabbitprincess: Ivanhoe is on my list, so Ill be interested to see what you think. You must like it, since it's a re-read.

Looking forward to what you make of Ivanhoe. It's an interesting book, a right mixture.

>58 MissBrangwen: Thanks! Will be good to start the second quarter of the year fresh :)

>59 pamelad: I last read it in 2009, according to my records, and I don't remember much about it, so it will be interesting to see what I make of it on this go-around.

>60 Helenliz: I've seen an adaptation of it, so I'm trying to mentally cast the book based on my hazy memories of that adaptation. So far so good!

Great reading month! I'm glad you liked the Chernobyl.

Wow, you had a really good March! Only in my dreams could I get through 16 books in a month, ha!

Wow! Impressive March!

>62 Tess_W: I'm glad that it finally stuck!

>63 mstrust: >64 VictoriaPL: Thank you both! April is a bit slower out of the gate, with two books finished so far.

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At long last I have kicked my butt enough to write a few reviews.

Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike, by Charlotte Gray
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198481489

Charlotte Gray is a reliable source of readable history. Now I want to find my grandpa's copy of Robert Service poems to follow this up.

Indian Horse, by Richard Wagamese
Category: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town
Source: library, via CloudLibrary
Rating: 5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/196753568

I've been trying to read this for a while and finally managed to carve out a couple of days for it earlier this week. It is beautifully written and gut-punching. A must-read.

You’ve got a good set of books lined up for April and I see that you’ve made a start on it.

>66 hailelib: I do have a good set of books but am seriously lacking motivation!

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Haven't felt very inspired to write reviews this week, but here I am.

Blood Hunt, by Ian Rankin
Category: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town
Source: borrowed from friend as part of an omnibus
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198481523

Finally finished the omnibus! Now to figure out how to return it to my friend...

The Art of Dying, by Ambrose Parry
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: borrowed from library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198950117

This one took me a while to get to, but I finally got it from the library. Print was definitely the way to go.

>67 rabbitprincess: It's easier to write reviews of very good and very bad books.

>68 pamelad: I find it easier to add specific examples to a review of a book that didn't work for me; all my very-good-book reviews just sound like gushing.

****

After another week of trudging through molasses, reading-wise, I finally have two more books to report.

Lost Stories: The Fourth Doctor by Robert Banks Stewart (Big Finish audio drama)
Category: Road to Nowhere, (Nothing But) Flowers
Source: Big Finish Humble bundle
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/179423616

These were originally written as possible candidates for the TV series of Doctor Who but were resurrected as Big Finish audio dramas. The Foe from the Future in particular felt like it would have made a good TV story. Valley of Death would have busted the special-effects budget.

Bicycle Diaries, by David Byrne
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: Xmas gift
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198796397

This is probably a bit lighter on bike infrastructure and a bit heavier on discussions of art and architecture and culture than you might imagine based on the dust jacket. It goes off on a lot of tangents, but DB's preface warns about this, so I knew what to expect. Would love to see an updated edition once travel is safe again, maybe with some new cities (...Ottawa??).

Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson
Category: Take Me to the River
Source: probably a gift, this time read on Serial Reader
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/work/24257/reviews/71328467

I hadn't read this book in 20 years, according to my hazy memories. It is a good story, perhaps not quite as swashbuckling as Treasure Island but with a good setting and time period.

Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop, by Vic Galloway
Category: Crosseyed and Painless
Source: National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/160501799

This book accompanied the National Museums Scotland exhibition that was on in 2018. I liked this book and will have a fair number of artists to check out.

>70 rabbitprincess: I loved Kidnapped that I read when I was young and again just pre-LT. I hope to read Treasure Island again soon. Hard to beat those old adventure stories.

>It's been 50 years since I've read Kidnapped, time for a re-read!

>71 VivienneR: Now I want to read Treasure Island again! I would also like to read Catriona, the sequel to Kidnapped, which I've never read.

>72 Tess_W: Hurray! Enjoy!

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Last book of April.

Winterkill, written by Ragnar Jonasson, translated from the French edition by David Warriner
Category: Once in a Lifetime
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/199529783

This is the last installment in the Dark Iceland series, and that's probably fine with me. I liked the series well enough, but I wasn't exactly rushing out to get this one.

April recap

April was a single-digit month for me. Nine books read:

Gold Diggers: Striking it Rich in the Klondike, by Charlotte Gray
Indian Horse, by Richard Wagamese (CloudLibrary)
Blood Hunt, by Ian Rankin
The Art of Dying, by Ambrose Parry
Fourth Doctor Boxset: The Lost Stories, by Robert Banks Stewart (Big Finish audio drama)
Bicycle Diaries, by David Byrne
Kidnapped, by Robert Louis Stevenson (re-read via Serial Reader)
Rip It Up: The Story of Scottish Pop, by Vic Galloway
Winterkill, by Ragnar Jonasson (translated from the French edition by David Warriner)

The best book of the month was Indian Horse. A must-read.

The worst book of the month, rating-wise, was Winterkill. It was only 3 stars.

Currently reading

Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott — Still working on this one.
Henry VI, Part 2, by William Shakespeare — Haven’t picked this up all month.
Puppet on a Chain, by Alistair MacLean — Haven’t picked this one up all month either.
The Splendid and the Vile, by Eric Larson — I keep borrowing this from my hometown library because the ebook hold line is so short as to be non-existent. It’s hard for me to get into. Not sure whether it’s pandemic brain or not wanting to read about WW2.
Famous Last Words, by Timothy Findley — It’s all right, but not an easy read for me.

May plans

I managed to read only just over half what I read in March. I’d just like to be excited about SOMETHING to read in May. Hoping some Scottish-themed reads will cure the blahs.

>74 rabbitprincess: Aren't reading blahs the worst? Hope the Scots give you your mojo back!

>74 rabbitprincess: Nine books, with the worst a 3*, is a good reading month! This won't alter how you feel though. The blahs are blah, lol. I get through mine by reading visual books: comics, art books, pretty natural history or archaeology. Some people need the motivation of ticking classics off their list, or comforting re-reads, or exciting new travel books. You'll re-find your reading mojo when the blahs, or the blues, melt away.

>74 rabbitprincess: Scottish theme? Something a bit different? Amazon keeps recommending Highlander’s Secret Nun - a Medieval Scottish Highland Romance.

A postulant monk. A mysterious nun. A secret that can unite them or tear them apart.

>77 pamelad: LOL

I'm all here for the Scottish books! Yay!

This month has been a bit disappointing for me as well (reading wise), so like you, I hope to read more and better in May.

>75 NinieB: At the very least, pulling together a new pile of books is always exciting :)

>76 spiralsheep: Oh yes, comics and art books would be a great way to bust the slump! And yeah, part of it was that I didn't feel like reading at ALL for the first quarter of the month, and that didn't feel very good.

>77 pamelad: >78 NinieB: Haha! I read this as a "petulant" monk at first and was slightly confused :D

>79 MissBrangwen: Most excited to read Lennox, by Craig Russell. I read the fourth book in the series, Dead Men and Broken Hearts, a while ago and loved it, but the series was hard to come by. My edition is a recent reprint -- thank goodness it was finally being reprinted :)

Lennox turned out to be excellent!

Lennox, by Craig Russell
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: Christmas gift
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198796488

I really liked this book and it was just the ticket for my reading slump. I've moved it from my mysteries to my history category because it's set in 1953 Glasgow.

>81 rabbitprincess: Yay, good to hear that your slump is over!

>82 MissBrangwen: I'm not sure I'm out of the woods yet, but I do have next week off, so maybe that will help :)

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Man! This month is really kicking my butt. I'm tired. On the plus side, finally have a vaccine appointment booked! I'm not going until June, because Ontario in its infinite wisdom decided to go from 40+ to 18+ in the space of a week. So there was a lot of competition for the few spaces made available on the first day. But it's nice to have the appointment lined up.

****

A Better Man, by Louise Penny
Category: Once in a Lifetime
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/199954239

Mysteries are hitting the spot right now, so Louise Penny was just what the doctor ordered. Now I'm where I want to be in my Three Pines reading: only one book behind. I like to have a book in reserve.

American Utopia, by David Byrne and Maira Kalman
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: Christmas gift
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198796430

This is a weird niche book and may be more like a 2-star read for most people, but I was feeling charitable. Bonus: I flipped through this while watching American Utopia, and on David Byrne's birthday (May 14) no less!

Congrats on coming out of a reading slump, doing the same. Also congrats on the vaccine appt.

>84 Tess_W: Thanks, Tess! I hope to continue kicking the reading slump's butt this week.

****

Another couple of books checked off today.

Puppet on a Chain, by Alistair MacLean
Category: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town
Source: library book sale
Rating: 1.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/107475880

I've been trying to read this for 2 months. It's rather squalid, and the women spies don't have much of a useful role, so I've lost interest.

The Long Glasgow Kiss, by Craig Russell
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: Stirling Books, Stirling, Scotland
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/160767453

Lennox seems to be my best friend in this reading slump. I enjoyed this second book in the series very much and will probably read the third in short order.

I'm glad you have an appointment. Hopefully, more appointments will become available and you'll be able to get it earlier.

>86 RidgewayGirl: From what I hear from friends, the city does seem to be adding more appointments as more supply arrives, so I'll definitely look into it. Worst-case scenario is I still keep my original appointment.

****

And a couple more books! Hurray for vacation (or "not working" as I refer to it in the times of COVID).

The Girl Who Died, by Ragnar Jónasson (translated by Victoria Cribb)
Category: Once in a Lifetime
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/200570223

This may be my favourite of Ragnar's works. Perfectly creepy, great pacing and just the right length. Also Victoria Cribb doing excellent translation work. (Maybe this book was why she wasn't available to translate Winterkill.)

Death in the Tunnel, by Miles Burton
Category: The Big Country
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/133214984

A Golden Age mystery about trains? Yes please! Perfect vacation reading.

>87 rabbitprincess: Glad you enjoyed Death in the Tunnel! I remember thinking that the excellent mystery plot/puzzle made up for the nonexistent character development. :)

>88 christina_reads: I would agree with that assessment! I'd actually forgotten that The Secret of High Eldersham was the first book in the Desmond Merrion series -- I can't say he was super memorable as a protagonist!

>89 rabbitprincess: I quite liked The Secret of High Eldersham, but gave up on Miles Burton after attempting to read Death Takes the Living. The first half of the book introduces us to the main character so we become quite attached to him, then the author just kills him off. I just couldn't keep reading. It's as important for the author to choose the right victim as it is the right murderer!

>90 pamelad: I wonder if the spoiler is why the British Library has not (yet) chosen to reprint that particular book ;)

Still in the Golden Age...

Murder at the Vicarage, by Agatha Christie
Category: Once in a Lifetime
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/200753675

Surprisingly, I had never managed to read this book, despite having been an Agatha Christie reader for over 20 years. I had seen the adaptations, though (both the Hickson and the McEwan versions). A good book, just what I was after. And I still didn't guess whodunnit.

>11 rabbitprincess: - The Big Country

I'm tired of looking out the windows of the airplane
I'm tired of travelling, I want to be somewhere

That's all the way up at post 11 -- I just noticed it and it made me smile. I just adore that song.

>87 rabbitprincess: Your Miles Burton BB hit me. I've had a couple of his books on the wishlist for too long.

Congratulations on getting your vaccine appointment.

>93 Nickelini: I love the imagery in it, especially the bits that he "remembers from maps".

>94 VivienneR: Hope you like it! And yes very relieved to get the appointment :)

May recap

Another 9-book month this month, but I feel better about it!

Lennox, by Craig Russell
Rather Be the Devil, by Ian Rankin
A Better Man, by Louise Penny
American Utopia, by David Byrne and Maira Kalman
Puppet on a Chain, by Alistair Maclean
The Long Glasgow Kiss, by Craig Russell
The Girl Who Died, by Ragnar Jónasson (translated by Victoria Cribb)
Death in the Tunnel, by Miles Burton
Murder at the Vicarage, by Agatha Christie

The best book of the month was The Girl Who Died. My favourite Ragnar book so far. And nice to have one of his books be my best book this month, when I was less thrilled about Winterkill last month.

The worst book of the month was Puppet on a Chain. Bleah.

Currently reading

Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott — Still working on this one. I keep alternating between print and Serial Reader.
Henry VI, Part 2, by William Shakespeare — Haven’t picked this up all month again.
Famous Last Words, by Timothy Findley — I’ve paused this but hope to finish it in June.
Toksvig’s Almanac 2021, by Sandi Toksvig — I got this after the start of the year and was waiting for the beginning of a month to start it. I started reading in May so will finish this on April 30, 2022. Enjoying it so far!
The Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens — Started on Serial Reader. The first chapter is boring but it picks up after that.
Murdered Midas: The Glittering Life and Bizarre Death of a Man Who Owned a Gold Mine, by Charlotte Gray — This book is about Harry Oakes, who appears in Famous Last Words, so I decided to read this instead and then go back to Famous Last Words. It has a bit of overlap with Gold Diggers, another of Gray’s books, which I read in April.

June plans

Scottish reads definitely helped kick some energy back into my reading. I will probably go ahead and binge the third Lennox book this month to complete the set I have, then wait impatiently for Book Depository to have books 4 and 5 in stock again.

>96 rabbitprincess: Congratulations on a happier reading month in May! :-)

>97 spiralsheep: Thanks! :)

****

First book of June is in the bag.

Murdered Midas: A Millionaire, His Gold Mine, and a Strange Death on an Island Paradise, by Charlotte Gray
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198481569

This was a good book -- I'll read pretty much anything by Charlotte Gray. And I'm glad that I now know what Harry Oakes is doing in Timothy Findley's Famous Last Words. Part of my problem, I think, when I was reading the Findley was that I was spending the whole time wondering where Harry Oakes would show up, something like how people might spend a lot of a Hitchcock film waiting for his cameo to appear.

A Tapping at My Door, by David Jackson
Category: Once in a Lifetime
Source: Bearly Used Books, Parry Sound, ON
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/168723999

I can't resist a series set in Liverpool! This protagonist was interesting enough for me to buy the rest of the series on spec.

Famous Last Words, by Timothy Findley
Category: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town
Source: borrowed from parents
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198481538

This took me over a month to read; it definitely picked up after I'd read Murdered Midas. I think I spent most of my time with Famous Last Words wondering when Harry Oakes would show up, and then he showed up in the very next chapter once I'd finished Murdered Midas.

Just dropping by to catch up on your thread. At 9 books a month, you are still ahead of me! :)

>100 VictoriaPL: Hi, Victoria! :) Thanks for stopping by!

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Now I'm out of Lennoxes. Need to buy more ;)

The Deep Dark Sleep, by Craig Russell
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: Christmas gift
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/198796514

This is the third book in the series, and it might be my favourite that I've read so far.

Spent my Sunday afternoon devouring a quick read.

The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, by Nancy Springer
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: library, via Overdrive
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/200754397

Once again Enola Holmes delivers the goods. This series suits my ebook reading well, because each book can be read in an afternoon.

>102 rabbitprincess: Do they need to be read in order?

>103 Tess_W: I'd say so. At the very least, read book 2 (The Case of the Left-Handed Lady) before this one. But they're very quick reads.

Mostly just stopping by to say hello. Thanks for reminding me about the Enola Holmes series.

>105 hailelib: Hello! Thanks for stopping by :) I've been really enjoying the Enola Holmes books -- such refreshing treats.

****

Rattling through the books now! Ahhhh.

The Doorbell Rang, by Rex Stout
Category: Once in a Lifetime, New Feeling (March RandomCAT — it’s a surprise!)
Source: used book sale at the Great Glebe Garage Sale
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/130511154

I chose this for the March RandomCAT way back when, because the doorbell ringing is usually a surprise. This was my first Nero Wolfe book and a good choice. It is very efficiently told and gives you just enough information about the recurring characters to orient you without bogging you down. I am not sure I'll go out of my way to read more in the series -- too many series, too little time -- but I did enjoy this one.

Dear Life: A Doctor’s Story of Love and Loss, by Rachel Clarke
Category: Crosseyed and Painless
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201597617

An excellent book, recommended for those who also liked Being Mortal and With the End in Mind. If you wear glasses, you'll likely have to remove them periodically to dry your eyes (this happened to me).

>106 rabbitprincess: I've got Dear Life on the kobo, and I want to get her latest one too (Breathtaking: Inside the NHS in a Time of Pandemic).

Morning, Princess!
I've read just a few Nero Wolfe's but have liked each. I enjoy his arrogance.
I've yet to pick up an Enola Holmes but I know I will. Seems like a lot of LTers are reading those right now. I need to watch the Netflix show.

>107 Jackie_K: I imagine that one would also be powerfully told! Maybe I'll ask my library to order it.

>108 mstrust: Haha yes, I liked his occasional exclamations of "Pfui" to express contempt for someone! And I hope you like Enola! Read the first two books back to back if you can.

>106 rabbitprincess: Will take a BB for the Rachel Clarke book!

>110 Tess_W: Excellent, hope you like it!

****

Back on my plane books!

Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, by Julia Cooke
Category: The Big Country
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201739879

The cover of this book is infused with glamour, and the stories in this book have more than a tinge of it as well. But it does talk about the challenges of being a flight attendant in this period as well. I liked it, and if you have a passing interest in the period, you may like it too.

I've liked the Nero Wolfe books I've read. Always fun.

>112 hailelib: It feels like a good series to dip into periodically when you're looking for something light and fun!

****

Yesterday I joined House Moderna and feel like one of the last people in the city to get their *first* dose of Covid vaccine. Minimal side effects, just a sore arm when I raise it too much or bend it in certain ways, so I'll avoid wearing dresses that zip up at the back for a little while. On Monday I'll be able to try to move up my second-dose appointment (currently scheduled for October).

My latest read was a great one:

The Queen’s Gambit, by Walter Tevis
Category: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201740273

I devoured this in a couple of days. I know little to nothing about chess but still found this story gripping. Now to watch the Netflix series and covet Anya Taylor Joy's bob haircut!

>113 rabbitprincess: I'm a thoroughly moderna missy too. The arm ache lasted ~ 48 hours for me, so hopefully you'll be OK in a day or two. My second one is in 2 weeks time.

>113 rabbitprincess:
>114 Helenliz:

Moderna here, too. Nothing first shot, but a whopper of a sore arm with golf ball sized lump, bruise, and "hot" spot for about 3-4 weeks with 2nd one. Mine were 30 days apart.

>114 Helenliz: Good to hear on both counts (the duration of arm ache and the fact that you're getting your second appointment soon)!

>115 Tess_W: Wow, that's quite the side effect with the second shot! We can move the second shot up to be as early as 28 days after the first shot, but I've already booked a couple of long weekends this summer so mine will be later than 28 days.

My parents both got their second shots of Moderna today so I will be interested to hear about their experiences as well.

>113 rabbitprincess:,>114 Helenliz:, >115 Tess_W: Moderna for me too. I had a sore arm, and a weird red rash on my back that went away after I called the doctor for him to look at it. The second shot I was just really lethargic.

>117 lsh63: That sounds like the medical equivalent of the weird noise in the car magically going away when you take the car to the garage! Good to know about the lethargy; I'm expecting that to some degree.

Hooray for getting your first shot! I am a Pfizer girl and had a sore arm after the first shot and now after the second, only a slight sore arm that is fading daily.

It feels good to have taken that first step doesn't it!

Woot for your first shot! I actually teared up a bit at both appointments. Such a relief!

House Pfizer here! So glad that you are on your way to being fully vaccinated. It's a strange feeling when you first venture out without a mask on. Just breathe and remind yourself that without a mask is normal and okay.

>119 DeltaQueen50: It does! Now I know I am doing absolutely everything I can!

>120 scaifea: Yes, it is such a relief! I was definitely on the lower end of the priority list (in 30s, no underlying health conditions, able to work fully from home), so it took a while to get here, but hurray!

>121 VictoriaPL: Even when I'm fully vaccinated I'll keep wearing a mask as long as possible, because that Delta variant doesn't look good. Also I bought a lot of cute masks from friends who sew, and I want to keep wearing them ;) I hope wearing masks when feeling poorly with a cold or on public transit will become normalized post-pandemic.

>122 rabbitprincess: yes, I hope so too

Glad to hear you're on your way to being "shot-up". I've still been making some cute masks for my sister who is a children's librarian. I even had some fabric that sort of looks like the Olympic rings.

>113 rabbitprincess: - I loved this series on Netflix and am planning to read the book at some point.

>123 VictoriaPL: That said I do think I've developed more of a resting B face than before, because if people are being annoying when I'm out I can scowl at them and they can't see it under my mask :D

>124 dudes22: Nice! I have really been enjoying having fun masks to wear. One of my friends who sews made one to match a dress she made, so she wore the combo to her first vaccine appointment and received lots of compliments. The handmade ones feel more cozy to me; I have a couple of store-bought ones and they feel clingy and permeable :(

>122 rabbitprincess: I'm fully vaccinated (J&J "One and Done") but I plan on wearing a mask most places until we reach herd immunity-- which looks like I'll be wearing a mask forever more, but I'm good with that! I'm also wary of the Delta variant and whatever else might be brewing out there. I was at my daughter's graduation ceremony (limited number of attendees, outside venue). It was the first time I had been "out" in a crowd in 15 months and I had to keep telling myself that it's was okay, that I'm okay. I think I'm going to be suffering from quite a bit of social anxiety for a while! I can't imagine going to a movie theater or getting on a plane right now and' I'm truly grateful that my jog has always been and will continue to be WFH!

Friends of mine who have been sending their kids back to school and/or daycare in the past couple of weeks are now dealing with nasty Summer colds. Apparently, the kids, from lack of physical socialization have no resistance to the cold virus and are bringing it home?

Anyway, K95 masks are in the car, in my first aid kits and, in my purse!

>126 Tanya-dogearedcopy: Oh man, the social anxiety is real! I have that whenever I go to the grocery store. My other half does most of the grocery shopping now; I just can't deal with the big grocery store these days. Way too many people moving around unpredictably.

The thing I think will be the most challenging to get back to is the idea of dining in a restaurant. I can see myself eventually getting back to lunches and dinners with close friends in their homes, getting takeout, but eating in the same room as strangers doesn't hold the appeal it once did.

Good idea to be prepared! I usually keep a backup mask in my purse in case for some reason I forget to bring my cloth one.

Team Pfizer here - I just had a sore arm for a day both times, no other side effects. My husband had the AstraZeneca, and had flu-like symptoms for a couple of days both times. But we're both now invincible (I wish).

I'm still wearing a mask whenever I'm indoors anywhere. We have to wear them anyway at work (hospital), but we're still asked to keep them on in supermarkets and shops etc, and also when we drop off and pick up at school. Like you I got some nice masks sewn by a friend, so I'm happy enough to keep wearing them. One of them is a Doctor Who print - it's got Tardises, Daleks and a weeping angel as well as the cog wheels and other timey wimey designs.

I found a pattern for some masks that fit my smaller face. Made 4. I think that they are now living somewhere with odd socks and missing biros, as now I can only find 2. Part of me thinks I should unearth the sewing machine and make a few more; part of me hopes that I'll not need them much longer...

>128 Jackie_K: Ooh I would LOVE a Doctor Who print mask! Have to see if I can persuade my more talented friends to make me masks if I find them the fabric :D

>129 Helenliz: That is another problem with the store-bought masks, that they aren't necessarily made for small adult faces. One friend of mine has figured out a really nice pattern that fits snugly and is just the right size. I may check in with her shortly to see if she'd make me a few more masks for luck.

Congrats on getting immunized! It's a big deal! I fully agree with you on having to relearn to keep my face under control. I did kind of like the freedom to make exaggerated faces under the mask. There's an adjustment in taking the mask off, but given that we are now in the hot and humid months, I'm happy to breathe and not have maskne. And while the first time eating out was weird and fraught, there is something so wonderful in hearing people around us having a good time with friends, too. And luckily this is the time of year for outdoor dining.

>131 RidgewayGirl: Haha outdoor dining pre-pandemic was always fraught for me -- it had to be food portable enough to take inside if the insects proved too annoying. Sometimes I would eat indoors and join the rest of my crew once I'd finished. But I recognize I'm a bit weird that way ;)

Congratulations on getting your shot. My husband and I got Pfizer, the first one brought no reaction but after the second we each had a sore arm for a few hours. I still don't feel like going to a restaurant even though our back-of-beyond location is pretty safe. Masks are still the rule here. It's quite entertaining to see all the imaginative styles and patterns. I'll be glad when they are no longer mandatory because my hearing is poor and they not only muffle sound but prevent lip-reading.

I have the same problem as Vivienne above, masks make lip reading impossible and do muffle speech. Even with my new hearing aids, I still have trouble. I don't enjoy wearing a mask but I think we will be wearing them farther into the future that we think.

>126 Tanya-dogearedcopy: The Delta variant is a huge problem. Most of Sydney is locked down at the moment and every case is being traced in such fine detail that contact tracers have in some cases identified the moment of infection using CCTV cameras. The bad news is that Covid has been transferred during a 5-10 second contact as two maskless people brushed by one another in a shopping centre, and there are many other cases of transfer by fleeting contact. Masks are now compulsory in Sydney.

Take care!

>133 VivienneR: >134 DeltaQueen50: My mum is in the same boat as you with regard to hearing and the challenges posed by masks. She doesn't go places by herself these days; one of us will go with her and interpret. And then of course there's the burden on the ears themselves, trying to hold up hearing aids, glasses, AND a mask. Fortunately one of my friends was making masks that tie around the back of the head, so that helps.

>135 pamelad: Wow, that contact tracing is amazing -- and terrifying that they can spot the exact moment of infection, and that it's such a small moment. I went to the grocery store with my other half today for the first time in months and spent the whole time holding my breath as I went by people. Everyone was masked, but still.

>135 pamelad: That contact tracing is very impressive! 5-10 seconds!! I'll be making sure I'm not brushing against any passers by. Not so difficult this weekend as my street is remarkably empty during our current heatwave making it look like a lockdown of sorts is in place. Our temps are expected to go up to 44C. My house doesn't have air-con. :(

I had my vaccines in March and wore a mask for about 2 months after that. For the first weeks I went without one I always felt something was amiss when I walked into a store. Now I'm acclimated to not wearing one and walked into a medical clinic not once but twice last week without one and they vigorously stopped me after I was inside a few steps. I thought they were going to throw me to the ground! I guess they thought I was a resister! It would have been interesting to see them try to take me to the floor, LOL!

>137 VivienneR: Ewww, 44 Celsius! And no air con! I hope the heatwave is short :(

>138 clue: Yikes! I'll probably keep wearing a mask until the pandemic is officially over for everyone. So... likely forever :D

I got my second shot in April and my husband a few days later but we are still wearing masks everywhere. I don’t think they’ll be coming off anytime soon.

Although I've had both vaccines, the doctor, dentist, and hospital still requires masks as does the lab for blood work. I will still wear mine if I travel or if I go to where there are large numbers of people such as a sporting event or concert. I'm not complaining about the mask as I haven't even had a cold since 2019 and I teach in front of 30-50 students twice a week during the school year. I still carry hand sanitizer in my purse and in the car and it is used often.

>138 clue: I've a similar story but a different angle. I walked into a store today, asked for and got help in finding what I wanted. While I was paying another sales clerk said something to me. Of course with her mask and my hearing it took a few tries before I realized she was telling me to put on a mask. I was mortified to say the least. I carry a stash of hand sanitizer and masks everywhere.

>139 rabbitprincess: No end in sight and we've been told we're to have a very hot dry summer. Our house stays surprisingly cool, so the heat doesn't worry me as much as the risk of wildfire.

>136 rabbitprincess: - My husband was having trouble with glasses ad hearing aids and mask, so I have made him (and a few others) masks that are elastic that go all the way around his head. He likes them too because he can drop it down around his neck but it's still available if he needs it.

>137 VivienneR: - Wow! That's some really hot weather. And I can see why (#142) you'd be worried about fires.

>140 hailelib: Wow, April! That's awesome! And yeah, I even wear a mask outdoors. Basically, if I'm not in my house, I wear a mask.

>141 Tess_W: Yes, I haven't had a cold since the beginning of the pandemic, and that is awesome.

>142 VivienneR: Oh no! A mask anxiety dream come to life! :O Hoping for rain soon so that there are no wildfires.

>143 dudes22: That style is quite handy; I feel less worried about them coming off or being knocked out of place.

Finally managed another book in all this :)

Dear Miss Kopp, by Amy Stewart
Category: This Must Be the Place, New Feeling (July MysteryKIT - lady cops and robbers; June HistoryCAT: military/war/revolution)
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201800818

All caught up with the Kopp sisters now. This one is more of a historical novel, light on the mystery. You'll want to know the characters already first. And as always, Amy Stewart's author's notes are interesting.

One more book to round out the month.

Death in Fancy Dress, by Anthony Gilbert
Category: Once in a Lifetime
Source: library
Rating: 2.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201896529

A decidedly meh British Library Crime Classic. Light but not terribly funny.

June recap

Inching back up into my regular ways, with 11 books read.

Murdered Midas: A Millionaire, His Gold Mine, and a Strange Death on an Island Paradise, by Charlotte Gray
A Tapping at My Door, by David Jackson
Famous Last Words, by Timothy Findley
The Deep Dark Sleep, by Craig Russell
The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan, by Nancy Springer (Overdrive)
The Doorbell Rang, by Rex Stout
Dear Life: A Doctor’s Story of Love and Loss, by Rachel Clarke
Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am, by Julia Cooke
The Queen’s Gambit, by Walter Tevis
Dear Miss Kopp, by Amy Stewart
Death in Fancy Dress, by Anthony Gilbert

The best book of the month was The Queen’s Gambit. I tore through it in a couple of days and am looking forward to watching the Netflix series!

The worst book of the month was Death in Fancy Dress. But it was just meh rather than actively awful.

Currently reading

Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott — It’s collecting dust on my shelf :(
Henry VI, Part 2, by William Shakespeare — Also collecting dust on my shelf :(
Toksvig’s Almanac 2021, by Sandi Toksvig — Reading this (approximately) every day.
The Pickwick Papers, by Charles Dickens — Picking away at this on Serial Reader.
Critical Thinking: An Introduction to the Basic Skills, by William Hughes — Another picking-away-at read. This was a textbook from a course I had to take in university. Thought I’d dig this out for some brain exercise.
Harvest of Time, by Alastair Reynolds — Listening to the audio read by Geoffrey Beevers. It’s a pretty good story so far.
The Naming of the Dead, by Ian Rankin — A re-read; I last read this from the library around when it first came out. I’d forgotten that this one contained the “Rebus makes George W. Bush fall off his bike” scene.
Values: Building a Better World for All, by Mark Carney — I must be in the right frame of mind for this, because I’m finding it really interesting.

July plans

I have way the heck too many library books out, but that’s business as usual so I really shouldn’t be surprised.

>146 rabbitprincess: I thought the same. Because I'd confused Anthony Gilbert with Michael Gilbert I'd expected something quite different!

>148 pamelad: Oh yeah, Michael Gilbert is definitely the better author. I've enjoyed both Smallbone Deceased and Death in Captivity.

July is off to a good start!

A Perfect Likeness, by Richard Wagamese
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/202045554

This book consists of two novellas with similar structure but different atmospheres. Wagamese is a brilliant writer.

The PS Royal William of Quebec: The First True Transatlantic Steamer, by Eileen Reid Marcil
Category: The Big Country
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201896378

This was a quick read, especially because I skipped the appendices. The layout was attractive but I'm probably not going to remember much from the book, if I'm honest.

>150 rabbitprincess: Ohhhh, the Wagamese book sounds like a good read...off to Library/Kindle, etc!

>150 rabbitprincess: He is such a good author! Everything I've read by him has been excellent.

>150 rabbitprincess: I was traveling with some friends, all readers, in Canada in 2019. At one of the bookstores we went into they had a display of his books. I bought a couple because I had been meaning to read him for a long time (although they are still TBR) and I asked the bookstore owner how his name was pronounced. We were all in giggles when everyone in the store had a different opinion on how it was pronounced and some were so complicted they could never be repeated. That was a really fun stop!

>153 clue: Now you've got me curious as to how it's pronounced! Have to find an interview.

Edit: Pronounced "WAUG-a-mees".

The Naming of the Dead, by Ian Rankin
Category: Take Me to the River
Source: pilfered from mum’s collection (she had a duplicate)
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/139917814

This was a re-read that took me longer than expected. I think part of it was that the font was different from the "Rebus font" I'm used to from the hardback editions of Ian Rankin's novels. I am a creature of habit.

>155 rabbitprincess: That's very understandable. When Canada got a second national newspaper (the National) I gave up after a couple of editions because the font was not like that of The Globe and Mail.

>156 VivienneR: Typography is so important!

****

I've been reading, but not so much reviewing. Finally found a bit of time for reviews today.

Expert: Understanding the Path to Mastery, by Roger Kneebone
Category: Crosseyed and Painless
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201740182

Although the author is a surgeon, he is *not* an orthopedic surgeon, as I might have expected based on his name. He is also an expert on experts and how people become good at what they do. This was an interesting read, very well structured.

A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome, by Emma Southon
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201739974

This book is jam-packed with information, and I snort-laughed quite a lot, but I was exhausted by the end because the paragraphs are just soooooo long. My eyes are out of shape, apparently, and need lots of breaks and nap stations in the text they read ;)

Just catching up with your thread.
I also had a moment when I was out about without a mask after being fully vaccinated. You almost feel like one of those dreams where you are out naked in public. I had to remind myself that being out without a mask used to be normal. Of course, I do mask up when required or when asked. And who knows, another nasty bug might come along requiring us all to do the whole routine all over again.

>158 VictoriaPL: For me, "being out in public with a mask" dreams have become the new "out naked in public" dreams. Or I'll have a mask, but it's too big and it keeps falling down, or it's too small and doesn't cover my nose and mouth. Like a Covid-era Alice in Wonderland.

OK, I think I've got the hang of reading again... at least for now ;)

The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics, by Tim Harford
Category: Crosseyed and Painless
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201800860

Continuing my trend of reading about data and statistics. I'm going to have to try again with The Art of Statistics; it came in when I had zero time to read it.

The English Way of Death, by Gareth Roberts
Category: (Nothing But) Flowers
Source: used-book sale at the Great Glebe Garage Sale (pre-pandemic)
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/141824465

A delightful Fourth Doctor, Romana, and K9 story. Apparently Big Finish did an audio adaptation of this one; I shall have to grab a copy.

More books! Hurray!

The Art of WolfWalkers, by Charles Solomon
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201951251

This is a gorgeous book, and I loved reading about how all these highly skilled artists brought the world of WolfWalkers to life. Spoilers for the movie, obviously.

The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine, by Janice P. Nimura
Category: This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
Source: library
Rating: 4/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/201951687

This book ties in very nicely with the Ambrose Parry series, because Emily Blackwell spent some time studying in the practice of James Young Simpson, and the Blackwells are mentioned in that series as well. Recommended for people who have been reading that series or who are interested in 19th-century medicine.

Glad to see you've got your reading mojo back!

>162 MissWatson: Thanks, me too!

Murder in the Museum, by John Rowland
Category: Once in a Lifetime, New Feeling (MysteryKIT June - Golden Age mysteries)
Source: Chaptigo
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/133214933

A light mystery that did what I expected it, but not one I'll keep.

Straight Outta Crawley: Memoirs of a Distinctly Average Human Being, by Romesh Ranganathan
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: library
Rating: 3/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/202046060

Chalk another book up to our library's mysterious Anglophile collections manager. I liked this but it predates The Ranganation, so I was disappointed not to be able to read about that!

>163 rabbitprincess: Haha, I felt the same way about Murder in the Museum. Not exceptional, but it does what it says on the tin.

>152 rabbitprincess: I'm also a big fan of Richard Wagamese's work! We lost him way too early.

I'm catching up with your thread now and I'm so glad to hear the vaccination news from you and the others. My own family unexpectedly got all our second doses much earlier than expected because our region became the COVID hotspot of Canada for a short time! We're finally down to less scary numbers now.

Just catching up a little. It's great you had some reading days of late.

>164 christina_reads: Sometimes we need one of those books!

>165 mathgirl40: Agreed, he was a fantastic writer. Glad to hear you all were able to get your second shots much sooner, although it is unfortunate that it was because of living in a Covid hotspot :(

>166 hailelib: Yes, it feels so good to be reading again!

****

Second shot down today. Expecting to start feeling crappy tomorrow afternoon. For now, just the sore arm.

A few reviews to take care of:

The Witch Elm, by Tana French
Category: Uh Oh, Love Comes to Town; New Feeling (April RandomCAT - read a book in another user’s LT library)
Source: Pickwick Books, Waterdown
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/168674266

This has been sitting in my read-soon pile for much of 2021 and now I've finally read it. It was great, although definitely not the same as the Dublin Murder Squad. Now I have to buy The Searcher.

Am I Overthinking This?: Overanswering Life’s Questions in 101 Charts, by Michelle Rial
Category: Houses in Motion
Source: library
Rating: 3.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/202415254

This was a quick read, very creative and amusing.

Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty, by Patrick Radden Keefe
Category: Crosseyed and Painless
Source: library
Rating: 4.5/5
Review: https://www.librarything.com/review/202415056

Once again Patrick Radden Keefe delivers a masterful work of non-fiction. The endnoting in this is amazing. I ended up going on YouTube to find the Last Week Tonight episode he refers to toward the end of the book, and it was just as brilliant as I would have expected.

>167 rabbitprincess: Congrats on getting your second shot! I felt pretty bad the day after, but the good thing was that I felt too ill to do chores but not too ill to read. :)

>168 mathgirl40: I'm counting on it! As a backup plan, if I feel too ill to read, I'll watch David Byrne's American Utopia (which I bought off YouTube Movies).

>169 rabbitprincess: Excellent choice!

>167 rabbitprincess: The Sackler, have never heard of them! This goes on my WL!

>170 mathgirl40: Also watched Stop Making Sense last night to help me feel better in advance :D

>171 Tess_W: This book was eye-opening!

I've started a new thread, so follow the continuation link to join me there!