Amber's (scaifea) Thread #3

Hey, everybody!

I'm Amber, a one-time Classics professor, turned stay-at-home parent/lady of leisure, turned part-time library assistant, turned once again Classics professor, and turned librarian again. I spend my free time sewing, writing, knitting, baking, and, of course, reading.

My reading life is happily governed by lists, which means that I read a healthy variety of things across various genres.

I'm 48 going on 12 and live in Ohio with my husband, Tomm; our son, Charlie; Mario, the Golden Retriever; and Agent Fitzsimmons, the Border Collie.

Favorite Books from 2023
A Court of Silver Flames
Radio Silence
Given
The Cat Who Saved Books
Bad Feminist
Snow, Glass, Apples
Greywaren
The Lost Library
Shakespeare for Squirrels

What I'm Reading Now:
-In the Key of Us (Stonewall Honor Book)
-Fatal First Edition (mystery)
-Mistress of Mellyn (romance)
-Black Butler vol 3 (manga)
-Year Million (wishlist book)
-The Farthest-Away Mountain (Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy Books)
-Beastly (Beauty & the Beast retellings)
-Daughter of the Moon Goddess (audiobook)
-Dancing in the Streets (from the library displays)
-Sinner (Stiefvater Bibliography)
-Wayward Son (series read)
-A Good Girl's Guide to Murder (mystery)

The books I have going at once and the On Deck books nearly all come from the following categories and lists:

-The yearly winners of a handful of the YALSA awards (Newbery, Caldecott, Schneider, Stonewall, Printz, Alex)

-A mystery

-A romance novel

-Manga

-A book from my wishlist (it's *so* long)

-A book from the Green Dragon 1001 Fantasy List

-A Beauty and the Beast retelling

-An audiobook, which I listen to as I knit/sew/otherwise craft/clean/drive/pack and unpack cargo at work

-a book from my library's monthly displays (two of my colleagues are in charge of the adult displays and I like supporting them)

-Agatha Christie's bibliography

-Stephen Fry's bibliography

-John Boyne bibliography

-Neil Gaiman's bibliography

-Christopher Moore's bibliography

-Maggie Stiefvater's bibliography

-The NEH Timeless Classics list

-The National Book Award list

-The Pulitzer list

-An unread book from my shelves

-A book from my Read Soon! shelves

-Book-a-year challenge: A few years ago I made a year-by-year list to see how far I could go back with consecutive reads. I've since been trying to fill in the gap years.

-A full-on re-read through Shakespeare's stuff.

Books Read

JANUARY
1. Fangirl (audiobook) - 9/10
2. $2.00 a Day (audiobook) - 7/10
3. By Your Side (audiobook) - 8/10
4. Light from Uncommon Stars (Alex Award) - 10/10
5. My Hero Academia vol 14 (manga) - 9/10
6. Anna and the Swallow Man (audiobook) - 9/10
7. The Last Mapmaker (audiobook/Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10
8. Maizy Chen's Last Chance (audiobook/Newbery Honor Book) - 8/10
9. Linger (Stiefvater bibliography) - 9/10
10. The Ten Thousand Doors of January (audiobook) - 8/10
11. N or M? (mystery) - 9/10
12. The Prince and the Dressmaker (from my Read Soon! shelves) - 9/10
13. The Words We Keep (audiobook) - 7/10
14. Practical Magic (wishlist) - 9/10
15. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (audiobook) - 6/10
16. Snow (library display book) - 8/10

FEBRUARY
17. Breathe and Count Back from Ten (audiobook) - 9/10
18. Honestly Elliott (audiobook) - 7/10
19. When the Angels Left the Old Country (audiobook) - 6/10
20. Katherine (romance) - 7/10
21. Iveliz Explains It All (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10
22. Galileo's Middle Finger (audiobook) - 7/10
23. Carry On (series read) - 10/10
24. I Kissed Shara Wheeler (audiobook) - 9/10
25. Camp Damascus (audiobook) - 6/10
26. Unwind (because Charlie just finished it and told me I *had* to read it) - 9/10
27. Black Butler vol 2 (manga) - 9/10
28. Life with Father (NEH list) - 4/10
29. Attachments (audiobook) - 9/10
30. A Stroke of the Pen (audiobook) - 8/10
31. Forever (Steifvater bibliography) - 9/10
32. And Then There Were None (Christie Bibliography) - 9/10
33. All My Rage (Printz Award winner) - 9/10
34. The Moth Keeper (from my Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10

MARCH
35. Billy Budd (audiobook) - 8/10
36. Icebreaker (Printz Honor Book) - 9/10
37. Cruel Beauty (Beauty and the Beast Retelling) - 8/10
38. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting (Alex Award) - 8/10
39. The Seven Year Slip (Library Display Book) - 8/10
40. My Hero Academia vol 15 (manga) - 9/10
41. Cross My Heart and Never Lie (Stonewall Medal) - 8/10
42. Stars in Their Eyes (Stonewall Honor Book) - 7/10
43. The Eyes and the Impossible (Newbery Medal) - 6/10
44. The Three-Body Problem (audiobook) - 8/10
45. How to Be a Girl in the World (a favorite of one of my Tuesday Teens) - 10/10
46. Friends for Life (a favorite of one of my Tuesday Teens) - 9/10
47. Babel (Alex Award) - 9/10
48. Library of the Dead (Alex Award) - 8/10
49. A True Princess (a favorite of one of my Tuesday Teens) - 8/10
50. True Biz (Alex Award) - 8/10
51. Check & Mate (Charlie's school book club selection) - 9/10

April
52. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot (Alex Award) - 9/10

Sweet Mario having a bit of a relax:



Simmons being Simmons:



Another cool shot of Charlie in last fall's Varsity Show (he's right in the foreground, sax up in the air, rockin' out):

Welcome - come on in!

Happy new thread, Amber!

>5 scaifea: I would love to sit next to Mario on de floor and cuddle her!
Simmons would prefer an extra ball I presume ;-)

Happy new thread! Yes, I like big dogs! (And most small dogs. Chihuahuas accepted on a trial basis, based on individual temperament.)

>7 FAMeulstee: Mario would LOVE that, Anita! And you've got Simmons pegged: she'd much prefer to play ball and only endures the indignity of cuddles occasionally.

>8 foggidawn: Thanks, foggi.

Happy new thread Amber!

>10 Owltherian: Thanks.

Your so welcome!

21. Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango (Newbery Honor Book) - 7/10
Iveliz is suffering from PTSD and bouts of depression from an accident she was in with her father. She’s on meds and goes to a therapist, but is still acting out at school and at home, where her grandmother, who has dementia, has just moved in from Puerto Rico. She makes a To Do list of ways to be better, but struggles to reach her goals.

Hm. I get what this middle grade novel is trying to do – portray mental health struggles in a realistic way to a middle grade audience from the POV of a young person (plus how to deal with an elderly family member suffering from dementia, plus being Latinx in a predominately white school) – but I don’t think it works. Iveliz comes off as way too selfish and rude, and so outright mean to her mother, who isn’t being portrayed as anything but a parent trying desperately to find a way to help her child through a rough time, that she crosses over into unredeemable for me, even if the resolution wasn’t milquetoast-like (and it is). It felt too much like the message was that it’s okay to be shitty to your friends, family, teachers, and therapists if you’re Going Through Something, and you don’t really even need to apologize later because they should Just Know. Not a great message for the intended audience (or any audience).



22. Galileo's Middle Finger by Alice Dreger (audiobook) - 7/10
This one started out good, with the promise of being a deep dive into the history of how medicine has misunderstood and mistreated the trans population and what can and should be done to change that. But at some point it took a left turn into a sort of tell-all about a particular activist who went off the rails and spread all sorts of slander and libel about a couple of researchers, including the author. It got weird. And while the scandal was sort of interesting, it felt more like it belonged elsewhere. *shrug*

>6 scaifea: - Big dogs are The Best dogs!

Happy new one, Amber.

>14 katiekrug: As the owner of a medium-sized one as well, I'll say that Big Dogs are Very Good Dogs and leave it at that. No one who knows what's good for them would say anything to annoy Agent Fitzsimmons. She *is* bred for keeping one in line, after all.

Thanks!

Happy new thread, Amber! I love all big ass dogs, but also most dogs of every other size, too. Sometimes I think I would like an Italian greyhound to go along with my regular ones so I could have a little lap warmer 😊

>16 curioussquared: Thanks, Natalie! I love all dogs, too, and I definitely think you need a little one to compliment your big ones! I love it when Simmons just trots right underneath Mario like it ain't no thing. Hilarious.

>15 scaifea: - By big dogs, I just meant any that aren't pocketbook-sized. Nuala is medium-sized, too, and I'm very fond of her. TW wants a "real" big dog, preferably a Bernese Mountain dog but the thought of all that hair....

>18 katiekrug: Oh wow, yeah. That's a lot of hair. I mean, Mario is bad enough...

I want a Irish Wolfhound.

>19 scaifea: - My grandparents had an Irish Wolfhound. He was the sweetest dog. And I could practically ride him like a horse when I was a kid...

Hi Amber! Your thread made me smile. Funny dogs.

>20 katiekrug: Yes! They're supposed to be gentle giants and I love that.

>21 EllaTim: I'm so glad Mario and Simmons made you smile!

Happy new thread.
I'm not a huge fan of dogs, always rather hesitant around them, they're always rather unpredictable to me. Happy to see the pictures, not so keen in real life.
But friends had a St Bernard that stood hip high and had a habit of just leaning on you. If you weren't prepared he'd easily knock you over. Learnt to always go round in old trousers, as he shed like nobody's business.

>23 Helenliz: Ah, well good thing I put out the mat...

Happy new thread! Love the photos!

>19 scaifea: When I was a young there used to be an Irish Wolfhound (called Murphy) living near me. (This was in the days when people let their dogs wander about). It was a very quiet area in the winter and sometimes I would just hear this breathing near my ear as I walked down the road. A little alarming, but it was just the dog walking up behind me. It was very quiet and good-natured though.

Speaking of Irish Wolfhounds, I have to share Hamish, who belongs to my parents. I had the pleasure of watching him this past weekend! He is 180 lbs and a sweetheart.

Happy new thread, Amber!

>27 curioussquared: Aw, look at that big baby :)

>25 ChelleBearss: Thanks, Chelle!

>26 SandDune: Yep, they're gentle giants.

>27 curioussquared: I thought of you when I typed that, because I knew you had a couple in your family somewhere and I'm so jealous!

>28 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly Shift, so nothing else on the list today. Frozen Friday dinner!

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Carry On and loving it, and I listened to some of I kissed Shara Wheeler yesterday.

The Crafting Report:
I made some progress on the cowl, which has a weird set of instructions, but I think I finally get how it'll all turn out (I was worried for a bit).

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details, then we finished the second season of Only Murders, which was FABULOUS.

HAppy new thread!

>5 scaifea: Such cute dogs.

>31 figsfromthistle: Thanks, Anita!

Happy Friday, Amber. Happy New Thread. Have a great weekend.

Happy new thread Amber!

>33 msf59: >34 quondame: Thanks, folks.

On the Agenda for Today:
I made Ginger Lemon Scones for breakfast this morning (hat tip to King Arthur Flour mixes), and I'll be doing more baking later today (heart-shaped sugar cookies and a chocolate cake). I'll also sort through the weekly bills, brush the dogs, do some laundry, and maybe have some crafting time. Tacos for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
Still reading Carry On and listening to I Kissed Shara Wheeler.

The Crafting Report:
Nope. Nothing to report here for yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny and a couple of Attack on Titan episodes.

I love those King Arthur scone mixes. The lemon ginger is my favorite. I might do some baking today - just oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, nothing fancy :)

Have a good Saturday!

>37 katiekrug: KAF knows where it's at. The cake I'm making today is also one of their mixes, and it's always fabulous.

I do love a good oatmeal cookie...

>37 katiekrug: Oatmeal cookies are great but last time i made Oatmeal Rasin cookies only my father liked them. (I'm not too fond of raisins)

Hi Amber! Hope your having a good weekend already!

Happy new thread, Amber!

Another KA mix fan, and Amber I'm pretty sure I have you to thank for that. I made their lemon poppy muffins last week, and I have a few scone mixes in my pantry. I bought them in a sale and then somehow forgot about them. I can't explain myself.

>39 Owltherian: I'm one of those people who adore raisins and prefer them to chocolate chips in my oatmeal cookies.

>40 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>41 lauralkeet: They have the very best mixes. I've only tried the cake and scone ones, but I really should check out some of the others at some point.

>42 scaifea: I just dont like Raisins, they feel and taste kinda weird when I'm eating them

Happy new thread, Amber! I loved raisins as a kid, but just don't as an adult, though I like other dried fruit. I make my own muesli and always have lots of dried mango.

>43 Owltherian: >44 AMQS: They are, indeed, a controversial fruit.

On the Agenda for Today:
More weekend baking (Coffee Cake Muffins for this week's breakfasts, and maybe some ciabatta), meal prep for Charlie's lunches, some house cleaning, some laundry, organizing my schedule and To Do lists for the week, then maybe some crafting and hopefully some reading. Curried Chicken Fried Rice for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I'm hoping to finish up Carry On today (and I've already ordered a boxed set of the entire trilogy because I love this one so much). Still listening to I Kissed Shara Wheeler, which is also excellent.

The Crafting Report:
Work on the cowl is coming along nicely.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, and we started a Twilight rewatch last night.

>45 scaifea: Although on the other hand, i will eat dried cranberries, i like the taste more but the texture is still the same

>47 Owltherian: You are welcome to all the cranberries. I'm not a fan. Too sour for my tastes.

>48 scaifea: Yeah, my sister gave me some of theirs and i liked it.

I'm loafing on the sofa doing admin and I'm peckish (probably because I'm not fully engaged). Having read about your baking I'm now really peckish.
Intrigued by the ginger lemon scones. I like ginger & I like lemon, but I'm not sure I'd have thought of combining them.

>30 scaifea: So glad to see Always Sunny being mentioned here, it's one of my favorite comedy shows.

>50 Helenliz: KAF rarely makes a baking misstep, so you can trust that it's a good combo.

>51 shadabejaz: Yay for another IASiP fan! That show is so stupidly ridiculous and we all adore it here in my house.

On the Agenda for Today:
A bit of house cleaning, some laundry, some writing, possibly some crafting, and hopefully some reading. Pork Meatballs in a Cream Curry Sauce for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I finished Carry On yesterday, started Unwind, and listened to some of I Kissed Shara Wheeler.

The Crafting Report:
I worked a bit more on the cowl yesterday.

What We're Watching:
More It's Always Sunny, then we finished Twilight and watched another episode of Only Murders.

23. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell (series read) - 10/10
In Rowell’s Fangirl, the main character writes fanfic for a HP-like series about a school of magic and a Chosen One. Carry On is the first book in a trilogy that is Rowell’s version of that fanfic. So it’s fake fanfic of a fake series, and it is amazing. I adore it. And in fact I love it more than HP these days, what with Rowling being a turd. Think Harry and Draco as roomies with an enemies-to-lovers story arc and as much more interesting characters as well.



24. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston (audiobook) - 9/10
The most popular girl in an Alabama christian high school kisses three different people then vanishes, leaving clues for those three teens to solve her disappearance. One of the kissed is her next-door neighbor, one is her bitterest rival for valedictorian, and one is her actual boyfriend.

I’m beginning to think that McQuiston belongs in my Writers Who Can Do No Wrong category. This was a delight. A fun little mystery, excellent characters who take interesting and believable self-discovery journeys and whom your rooting for all along the way.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 12-8 and running Teen Tuesday. Today we'll be making felt fortune cookies and I'll be teaching them about the history of fortune-telling using Homer, Vergil, and Shakespeare. I'll have copies of all of those, if they want to write their fortunes using the old methods, and I'll invite them to roam the stacks for other books to use, if they'd like. Should be fun.

On the Reading Front:
I read some Unwind, which is great so far, and I'll start listening to Wildoak today.

The Crafting Report:
Because of the unexpected trip to the doctor's office (see below), there wasn't time for crafting yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny and some Attack on Titan.

Yesterday took a bit of wild turn in the afternoon. I was in the car pickup line at school when the school nurse called and told me I should come inside. Charlie had come to her not feeling well (something he never does), and he was very pale except for his hands, which were completely purple to the wrists. His blood pressure was extremely low, and he was visibly shaking. So I took him straight from there to the doctor. By the time we got there (he drank a bottle of Gatorade on the way), the purple was all gone, as was the shaking, and he said he was feeling better. Turns out he was just really dehydrated - the kid won't drink water while at school because he doesn't want to have to enter the boys' bathroom. So all's well, but boy, that was scary.

Welp, I listened to ten minutes of Wildoak before deciding to jump ship. I'm sure it's a perfectly wonderful book, but there's an animal as a main character and that's a huge NOPE for me. So, I'm switching to Camp Damascus for my audio.

>55 scaifea: Oh no ... that's scary, Amber. And my heart goes out to Charlie re: the bathroom situation. Poor kid.

What Laura said.

Hope the TT program goes well this afternoon!

>57 lauralkeet: It was one of those parent moments that you really don't want to repeat. Ugh. But at least he's not getting bullied or anything in the bathrooms - he just thinks they're super gross, plus he doesn't want to walk in on dudes doing stuff they shouldn't (vaping, or just generally goofing off). Makes him uncomfortable. I was able to convince him to take water today; we'll see if he drinks it. I think he may, just because that scared him yesterday, too.

>58 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. And yeah, I think the TT will be fun.

Golly, poor Charlie. I know where he's coming from, though, I used to not drink at school to avoid the bathrooms. It was a bit of a hang up for quite some time.
It's a bad habit that means I still have to think about drinking enough liquid.

>56 scaifea: at least it was just 10 minutes invested, better to find out early.

Ugh, sorry Charlie went through that and hope it doesn't repeat :(

Yikes, that is scary. I hope he feels better soon. I remember avoiding the bathrooms at all costs at his age, too. It was frustrating then, sad and infuriating now.

Thanks, everyone. He's feeling better and went to school yesterday, water bottle in hand. We'll see how it goes.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 12-8 again today and hoping for a quiet shift so I can get some stuff organized for the Summer Library Program. Before I go in I'll probably do a load of laundry and maybe some crocheting.

On the Reading Front:
I read a bit of Unwind yesterday and started listening to Camp Damascus, both of which are excellent so far.

The Crafting Report:
I did some crocheting on a christmas project yesterday.

What We're Watching:
A few old SNL skits before bed.

And also:

Happy new thread!
>27 curioussquared: Talk about "woof". That's a big and beautiful boy.
(I'm VERY partial to large dogs that are sweethearts.

Hi Amber my dear, a belated Happy New Thread my dear friend.

>67 Ravenwoodwitch: >68 johnsimpson: Thanks, folks!

On the Agenda for Today:
I have my annual exam this morning, then I need to do my menu planning and get my list ready for tomorrow's grocery shopping. Tonight we have parent/teacher conferences, which is always a good time. I love listening to teachers tell me what a rock star Charlie is. Not sure what's for dinner; we'll pick up some takeaway on the way home from the conferences.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Unwind and listening to Camp Damascus.

The Crafting Report:
I managed a tiny bit of work on the SLP crochet project yesterday, but work was pretty busy.

What We're Watching:
Nothing last night, since when I got home after 8 I helped Charlie review for his history test today (1920s US history: flappers and prohibition and suffrage and the Red Scare. Good times.)

>70 scaifea:
Oh hey, Unwind is on my TBR list. Part of the 'disturbing books' iceberg I've been pulling from. You'll have to tell me if its worth the read.

>71 Ravenwoodwitch: Charlie read it in record time and then immediately handed it to me and said I *had* to read it. And it's pretty great so far.

On the Agenda for Today:
Grocery shopping this morning, and then Charlie, who has a four-day weekend, has requested a shopping trip, so we'll head to our favorite spots and have lunch and try to beat the snow we're supposed to get this afternoon. Frozen Friday dinner!

On the Reading Front:
Still chugging along with Unwind and Camp Damascus.

The Crafting Report:
I made a little bit of progress on the cowl yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details, and some Only Murders.

25. Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle (audiobook) - 6/10
I was so excited for this book when I heard about it – a horror story about a gay conversion camp written by a person named Chuck Tingle, I mean what more do you need in life? – but I was disappointed with the actual thing. The premise is so promising: the fundamentalist a-holes who run the camp are both metaphorically and literally evil, using demons to keep the kids from gaying it up via Pavlovian torture. But Chuck doesn’t seem to be able to deliver the goods. The actual story he writes around that premise is weirdly unimaginative; for example, the solution to getting rid of the demons seems too simple and too easily executed, and the explanation for their existence involves poorly explained Science and Latin (?) thrown in for good-intentioned purpose. Also, there’s just no palpable tension. I wasn’t ever all that nervous or scared for the characters. And then there’s the writing itself, which is…not great. Not every single noun needs an adjective, and you don’t always have to go for the $20 word when the buck-fifty word is perfectly fine and in fact the better option. So, in the end, I did need more and that’s sad.

>74 scaifea: Sorry to hear this wasn't a hit for you! I love Chuck's Twitter presence and find the concepts of his self-published erotic novels funny (Google a couple of them -- the titles are hilarious) but haven't actually read anything from him.

>75 curioussquared: I know of his previous writing adventures, and before reading this one I had planned on giving them a try. But no, not now.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Saturday shift, so no much else on the list today. I'll likely have a nap when I get home, and Tomm is in charge of dinner (hamburgers).

On the Reading Front:
I'm hoping to finish Unwind today, and I'll start listening to Attachments, too.

The Crafting Report:
Nothing to report here.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny and an ep of Attack on Titan.

Hopefully the Saturday shift flies by! Also wishing you a much more enjoyable next read.

>74 scaifea: That's annoying, a great surmise that the book fails to live up to. I had one recently and it left me feeling like I'd been swindled.
Hope Saturday behaves itself.

Hi Amber! I thought of you this morning when I made KA's lemon ginger scones for breakfast. So good. Enjoy your weekend!

>74 scaifea: That's unfortunate about this one. It sounds like good ideas with less-then-great execution.

>78 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky.

>79 Helenliz: >81 Ravenwoodwitch: It's really a let-down when this happens.

>80 lauralkeet: Ha! Aren't they good? And so easy.

On the Agenda for Today:
Laundry catch-up, a bit of house cleaning, meal prep for Charlie's lunches, baking (Mexican Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake), organizing my schedule for the week, bills, hopefully some reading and crafting. Croissant Grilled Cheese for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I finished Unwind and listened to a bit of Attachments.

The Crafting Report:
More work on the cowl.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details, and New Moon. Plus, I watched an ep of Lucifer, then a couple of silent films (A Trip to the Moon and The Great Train Robbery) while knitting.

26. Unwind by Neal Shusterman (because Charlie just finished it and told me I *had* to read it) - 9/10
In the near future, after a second civil war over reproductive rights, the US lives under the Bill of Life, which makes life inviolable until the age of 13. From 13-18, though, a person’s parents can choose to have their child unwound, a process by which every bit of the body is harvested and used as grafts and transplants. Doctrine states that his isn’t death, but that the Unwound live on through the lives of the various people who receive those…parts. The book follows three teens who have been scheduled to be unwound and find themselves thrown together as they try to escape.

Charlie read this one and immediately handed it to me, saying that I *had* to read it. So, of course, I dropped all other books and read it. And he has excellent tastes when it comes to books. This was fantastic, and I’ll absolutely be continuing with the series (Charlie’s already halfway through the second book). The characters are really well drawn, the story is unique and interesting and really uncomfortable (in the best way) in parts, and there are some wild twists along the way.

>84 scaifea: So, yes to this. It sounds my tastes exactly.
That is...SUCH a disturbing concept. I'm mad I never thought of it in my own short stories.

I am now craving ginger lemon scones--and I've never had one--nor have I ever seen the King Arthur mixes in the stores. We are lucky to occasionally find the bagged flour here.

>85 Ravenwoodwitch: Right?! *So* disturbing, and in fact there's a chapter near the end that bothered me more than any book has bothered me in a long time. But in a good way, of course. It's such a cool idea and it's very well executed, so to speak. I've wanted to read his Scythe series for a long while, and now, once I get through this one, I'll be bumping that one up the list, for certain.

>86 thornton37814: I order my KAF stuff directly from their website. Fair warning: they're not the cheapest mixes, but in this case you do get what you pay for.

On the Agenda for Today:
I have a doctor appointment this morning (just a routine thing), and then I'll come home to bake some cookies for the Tuesday Teens (I try to provide treats for book club week), do some cleaning, some laundry, some writing, some crafting, and maybe some reading. It'll be nice having Charlie in the house again today, too, just hanging out. Old Dirty Basmati Rice for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
After finishing the Shusterman, I read through Black Butler vol 2, which is weird and excellent. I also listened to more Attachments yesterday.

The Crafting Report:
More work on the cowl...

What We're Watching:
I watched an ep of Lucifer while knitting, and then Charlie and I decided to try What We Do in the Shadows last night and we both instantly loved it. We also watched a couple of eps of Attack on Titan.

Sounds like a nice day at home for you and Charlie, Amber!

>88 scaifea: Isn't What We Do in the Shadows great?! I love that show. I might have to start a rewatch, maybe with my son.

Hope you are having a great day!

Karen O.

>91 klobrien2: Yes! It's fantastic! I'm going to get the movie out of the library for us to watch, because I can only imagine that Taika Watiti as a vampire can only make it even better.

I loooove What We Do in the Shadows. So excellent. The movie is great, too.

I watched the first few episodes of WWDitS and enjoyed them. I should get back to it...

>93 curioussquared: >94 katiekrug: It's definitely a hoot.

27. Black Butler vol 2 by Yana Toboso (manga) - 9/10
Master Phantomhive and his…interesting…butler take up – and solve – the case of Jack the Ripper.
I adore this manga. Fun story and gorgeous art.



28. Life with Father by Clarence Day (NEH list) - 4/10
This memoir of the author’s father is supposedly famous for its gentle humor, but I didn’t find anything at all funny about the bigoted, sexist, selfish ass.

Number 28 was not on my list, it's certainly not on my list now. Eww.

>97 Helenliz: Yeah, it's a real stinker.

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Tuesday, so you know what that means: 12-8 shift and the Teens. Today is Book Club day, and they'll be talking about their all-time favorite books, convincing the rest of us why we should read them. Should be a good time. Nothing else much on the list for today, although I do have a meeting with other teen librarians in the system to talk about summer library program ideas.

On the Reading Front:
Still listening to Attachments, and I started Forever yesterday.

The Crafting Report:
Nothing to report from yesterday.

What We're Watching:
More What We Do in the Shadows and more Attack on Titan.

>96 scaifea: Fun twist on Jack The Ripper, eh?
The lady-doctor being the killer was one of the first dark gut-punches of the series that REALLY got me hooked.

>99 scaifea: Have I ever mentioned how much I adore that you're doing this book group?
When I was a teen, I sorta got looked at with a side-eye for my reading habits; I think the fact that I would cackle out loud or look shocked visibly probably didn't help. But this whole thing you do gives me hope that those days are behind future kids in similar habits.

>100 Ravenwoodwitch: It was a very cool twist! The basic premise of the series is also just totally cool and I'm loving it so far.

>101 Ravenwoodwitch: Aw, thank you! It's such a great group of teens, but of course the kinds of kids who voluntarily hang out at the library for a weekly teen program are my tribe anyway, so. In general, the kids are alright, I've found.

>74 scaifea: Back when Twitter existed and I was on it, I followed Chuck Tingle and adored his take on absolutely everything. I sampled his "tinglers" -- stories about improbable sexual pairings with dinosaurs, cryptids, inanimate objects, and personifications of abstract ideas, delivering morals about love, inclusivity, and self-acceptance -- and adored the idea even if the execution was repetitive. Sorry to hear his novel underdelivers, but I think I'll still try to make some space for it sometime.

>84 scaifea: I read Unwind some time ago, and liked it but never continued the series. Hope it delivers for you and Charlie!

Aww, I love Attachments. I hope you're having a good time with it.

Looking forward to hearing what BBs the teens send you home with tonight. :)

>103 swynn: You may love it; I just have an extremely low tolerance for not-excellent writing, which I think is amplified even more when I'm listening to a book instead of reading it myself.

>104 MickyFine: Attachments is great so far. I love her dialogue style.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm not working today so I'll just be puttering around the house, mostly. I need to do the menu planning and get my grocery list ready for Friday's shopping (I can't do it tomorrow because I'm working), I'll do some laundry, some cleaning, and then hopefully some crafting and reading. Charlie and I will get some sort of takeaway for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I read a chunk of Forever yesterday, and I'll probably finish up Attachments today.

The Crafting Report:
Nope, nothing.

What We're Watching:
More What We Do in the Shadows.

29. Attachments by Rainbow Rowell (audiobook) - 9/10
Beth, Jennifer, and Lincoln all work for the same newspaper, but only Beth and Jennifer know each other. They send a constant stream of personal emails back and forth, using their work accounts, about every personal subject under the sun. Lincoln’s job is to monitor company emails and report usage violations. But he can’t make himself turn Beth and Jennifer in. Their conversations are funny and witty and wonderful, and he knows he shouldn’t be reading them, but he can’t seem to help himself. And then, one day, Beth emails Jennifer about the super-cute guy she saw in the break room. And it turns out she’s talking about Lincoln.

I adored this novel. Rowell has an absolute knack for clever dialogue, and also for fabulous love stories. I loved every single character and felt like a Lincoln myself, on the outside looking in on their lives and wanting to be a part of it. So engaging and delightful.

>108 scaifea: Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it so much.

There's a great story in Scattered Showers that features Beth and Jennifer if you want a little more time with them.

>108 scaifea: *sigh* *heart eyes* I just adore that book.

I'm another fan of Attachments! I might do a re-read soon.

I'm happy to see so many other Rowell fans! It was definitely a great read.

>108 scaifea: Wow! After reading your review I was all set to go find a copy of Attachments and then seeing the other accolades confirmed that! And this is the same Rainbow Rowell that wrote the recent She-Hulk graphic books, along with other things, of course. Looking forward to the read.

Karen O

Echoing all the Attachments love! One of my all-time favorite romances.

>99 scaifea: What are the hottest must read teen books these days? I wish there would have been a book club when I was a teen!

>113 klobrien2: I can't imagine there's another Rainbow Rowell, to be honest...

>114 curioussquared: Yay for the Rowell love!

>115 figsfromthistle: Well, I don't think my group's favorites are all exactly hot teen reads, but a couple of them certainly are (Heartstopper and A Court of Thorns and Roses).

On the Agenda for Today:
Grocery shopping this morning, then baking (Lemon-Pepper Shortbread), the weekly bill sorting, maybe some writing, maybe some sewing. Tomm's getting home from his week-long business trip today and promises to bring dinner home with him.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Forever. I finished A Stroke of the Pen yesterday and started listening to All My Rage.

The Crafting Report:
Nothing, again. *sigh*

What We're Watching:
More What We Do in the Shadows. Charlie and I are hooked.

30. A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett (audiobook) - 8/10
A collection of formerly-misplaced short stories by Terry Pratchett, from his very early writing years.

These were fun, but also clearly early writings. The best part was David Tennant reading one of them and Neil Gaiman reading his foreward.

>118 scaifea: Are these set in Discworld?

>119 lycomayflower: Mostly no. But there is one set in a sort of proto-Morpork, so purists may want to read it.

On the Agenda for Today:
Charlie's solo & ensemble competition is today, so that's what we'll be doing for at least part of the day. He's performing just a solo this year, so we'll be in the audience for that, then Tomm and I will head home for a bit while Charlie stays on to support his friends. I'm annoyed, though, at the unpredicted snowing that's happening right now. I don't really want to drive in it this morning. *sigh*

On the Reading Front:
I finished Forever and started And Then There Were None. Still listening to All My Rage.

The Crafting Report:
I actually spent some time in the sewing room yesterday! Quilting!

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny and the movie version of What We Do in the Shadows.

31. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (Steifvater bibliography) - 9/10
Third in Stiefvater’s werewolf series. Any attempt at a summary would contain all sorts of spoilers, so I won’t.

You all know how much I adore Stiefvater, but this book came close to being too much in the “I love him/her SO MUCH, but we’re SUPER star-crossed and it probably won’t work out and of course it seems best not to communicate any of these feelings” category. But still, it’s a great story and I’m excited for the next book. Maggie can write a character so well, and all the ones in this series are excellent.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 9-2 and don't have any plans after that, really. Teriyaki Grilled Cheese Sandwiches for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on And Then There Were None and All My Rage.

The Crafting Report:
I got a fair amount of crafting in this weekend, including some quilting, working on the SLP crochet project, and knitting. It felt good to make progress on multiple projects.

What We're Watching:
This week's SNL, which was pretty awful. The show seems to be in a run of not-great episodes, and then to invite that Gillis idiot to host was such a bad idea. *tsk*

>121 scaifea: I competed in that at his age (I was a flute player. Solo and flute choir.)
I hope he gets an excellent score!

And WHY did I never think of adding Teriyaki to my grilled cheese. That's brilliant.

>124 Ravenwoodwitch: I did, too! I'm a percussionist, though. Charlie's bff is a flautist!

I can't take credit for the addition; it's a new-to-me recipe from Did You Eat Yet?.

I too went to solo & ensemble contest, for violin, back in the dark ages (1970s). It was held at Miami University of Ohio at the time, and I just loved walking around campus like I was a student. No one was fooled of course ... but it sure was a great experience.

>126 lauralkeet: Violin! Very cool. I remember ours being held on the Indiana State Univ. campus, but I didn't feel glamorous about it. Too nervous.

I forgot to mention that the S&E contest didn't happen on Saturday. We woke up to an unexpected snowstorm (!!) and the band directors decided to cancel. Instead, there will be a concert of all the pieces on Thursday night, which will be fun. I love being able to see all the kiddos' performances, especially since almost all of Charlie's friends are in the band.

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Tuesday. Again. So I'll be working 12-8 and running Teen Tuesday. It's a game week, so they'll be playing Exploding Kittens. Not much else on the To Do list.

On the Reading Front:
I'm still working on And Then There Were None and listening to All My Rage.

The Crafting Report:
I actually had a few minutes at work yesterday to work on the SLP crochet project, and I did some knitting in the evening.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, an episode of The Reluctant Traveler, and some Attack on Titan.

I was at best a mediocre flautist. Used to have really bad stage fright, so never enjoyed the performing bit and would never have coped with a contest. Hope the concert goes well, after the unexpected snowfall on contest day.

>129 Helenliz: It's really surprising that Charlie enjoys performing so much (and he really does), because otherwise he's a shy kiddo.

Oh, we love Exploding Kittens! Such a silly, fun game.

>131 katiekrug: Right? I think the teens will have a good time with it.

>132 scaifea: >131 katiekrug: I had to look the game up, because it sounds horrible! I suppose that’s the twist that makes the game funny—nobody wants the kitten to explode.

Have a happy day!

Karen O

>133 klobrien2: Yup, that's the point of the game, and it is very silly.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm not working today, so I'll try to get some stuff done around the house. Some cleaning (I think I'll try cleaning out the pantry today), some laundry, menu planning and prepping my grocery list for Friday's shopping, some writing, maybe some crafting. Three Cheese Baked Ziti for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I finished both And Then There Were None and All My Rage, so I'll try to get the reviews posted today, too.

The Crafting Report:
I made some progress on the SLP crochet project yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Just some old SNL skits.

>117 scaifea: Lemon pepper shortbread sounds delicious!

>121 scaifea: I used to love competing in ensemble and solo categories ( Piano, French Horn and Saxophone). Now I prepare my students for such competitions. I get so excited for them as if I was the one competing again. Good luck to Charlie! I am sure he will do well.

>136 figsfromthistle: Well, you'd think they'd be delicious, but as it turns out, they were awful. WAY too much pepper. But still, it's fun trying new recipes.

Yay for solo &* ensemble love! I'm excited for the concert tomorrow, and several of my Tuesday Teens will be performing, too, and I'm jazzed about being able to cheer them on, too.

32. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (Christie Bibliography) - 9/10
Ten strangers are lured to a small island by various means and an unknown host, their secret past crimes are revealed, and then they are killed off, one by one. Who is this maniacal, justice-seeking host? Is it some eleventh person, somehow hiding on the island, or is it…one of them?

Ooooh, this is now my second favorite Christie ever (after Murder on the Orient Express), and one of a few of hers that actually packs a bit of a scary atmosphere. Think Clue, but without the hilarity and with a lot more spookiness. I adored it.



33. All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir (Printz Award winner) - 9/10
Two Pakistani teens living in California, who have been friends since they were little, struggle with issues of racism, mental and physical abuse, grief, and drug abuse. Can their friendship last when it all culminates in a fateful encounter with the police?

This Printz Award winner definitely deserves all the praise. The subject matter is sometimes brutal, but Tahir handles it beautifully, all while creating believable and complex characters and crafting a first-rate story. Definitely recommended.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly Shift, and then this evening is the Solo & Ensemble Concert, so a full day.

On the Reading Front:
I read through The Moth Keeper and started both Cruel Beauty and Billy Budd.

The Crafting Report:
I did some knitting on the cowl yesterday, which is coming along nicely, I think.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Reluctant Traveller, and an ep of Only Murders. I also watched a bit of Lucifer while knitting.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Saturday shift, then coming home for an afternoon nap, likely. Tomm's in charge of dinner and is making his famous smoked sausage & potato in oil and herbs concoction.

On the Reading Front:
I'm about halfway through Cruel Beauty and enjoying it so far, and I finished listening to Billy Budd and started Icebreaker.

The Crafting Report:
Work on the knitted cowl and the crocheted SLP project has been done, and I'm hoping for some crochet time today at work, although I have a lengthy To-Do list as well, so we'll see. Hopefully soon I can actually *talk* about what I'm making for the library - I'm just waiting for them officially to announce the theme.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, plus we started New Moon Part 1 last night after a rousing Family Game Night of Fluxx: Monty Python.

On the Agenda for Today:
Lots of kitchen time, I think: meal prep for Charlie's lunches this week and some baking (Spiced Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Buttercream and a Lemon Drizzle Loaf). I also have tons of laundry to catch up on, plus the weekly bill sorting, some house cleaning, and organizing my schedule and To Do lists for the week. Oh, and I'm a couple of reviews behind here, too. So, you know, a regular lazy Sunday. Unstuffed Burrito Rice for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Cruel Beauty and Icebreaker.

The Crafting Report:
The SLP project has arms!

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Reluctant Traveler, a couple of eps of Attack on Titan, and we finished New Moon P1.

34. The Moth Keeper by K. O'Neill (from my Read Soon! Shelves) - 9/10
Middle grade graphic novel about a young girl learning to take over the Night Village responsibility of tending the night moths. It’s a gentle, warm read about friendship, love, and the importance of self-care, self-worth, and belonging. I adored it.



35. Billy Budd by Herman Melville (audiobook) - 8/10
I went into this one blind other than suspecting that it would have something to do with ships and sailing, and what I got was that, but also a story about the unfairness of Rules, the power of rumor, and a fantastic character study. And Melville could craft a sentence.

>142 scaifea: Having read Moby Dick, I've steered clear of Melville. I did not need to know that much detail about the dismantling of a whale. And I can't quite forget the queasy feeling. Whale rating on that one?

I know what you mean about sunday vanishing under a list of things to do. laundry, ironing, dinner & writing a set of minutes should have featured in today's activities. Dinner got cooked, the rest still a work in progress...

>143 Helenliz: Not a whale in sight in Billy Budd, but it may give you a queasy feeling for other reasons...

Well, not to rub it in or anything, but I've marked 11 things off my To Do list today. Feeling pretty smug about it, to be honest.

>144 scaifea: Smug mode deserves to be enabled there! 11 things ticked off - my list wasn't even 11 items long!!

>145 Helenliz: Well, today's list has at least 15 items, so we'll see how it goes...

On the Agenda for Today:
A bit of cleaning, some baking for tomorrow's Teen Tuesday (Black Bottom Pecan Praline Bars), laundry, some errands (picking up an Rx, picking up the dry cleaning, dropping off a couple of packages at the PO), some writing, some crafting, and I have a doctor appointment this morning. Teriyaki Fried Rice for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Cruel Beauty and Icebreaker.

The Crafting Report:
I made a little progress on the cowl yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details, and the week's SNL.

Black Bottom Pecan Praline Bars? OMG those sound good.
Is this reasonably close to your recipe?
https://www.foodlustpeoplelove.com/2012/05/black-bottom-pecan-praline-bars.html

Have a great day Amber!

>146 scaifea: *waves pompoms* Go Amber!!
That's far too energetic, I'd better have a sit down. With a cup of tea & a little smackerel of something...

>148 lauralkeet: Yep, except I'm using a box mix for the brownies. It's a new-to-me recipe, so we'll see how it goes, although I can't imagine it not being good...

>149 Helenliz: Honestly, most of my daily To Do lists are at least that long. Some days I get more marked off than others, but I generally get through most things. I'm not sure why I'm always so busy, but...*shrug*

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Tuesday, so I'll be working 12-8 and hanging out with the Teens. Today they'll be doing a writing exercise: I'll ask them to list off novel/movie/TV genres and I'll write them on slips of paper while we chat about tropes and themes in each. Then I'll ask them to list as many nursery rhymes as they can and I'll write those down as well. The genres will go in one bowl and the NR in another, then I'll pass round the bowls and they'll pick one of each. Their task will be to brainstorm a retelling of their nursery rhyme in the genre they picked. Should be fun, and if not, there's always the praline bars as consolation, which turned out great!

On the Reading Front:
Still plugging along with Cruel Beauty and Icebreaker, but I'm enjoying both.

The Crafting Report:
I worked a bit on the SLP crochet project yesterday. Arms and legs attached; now I'm working on the clothes...

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny and an ep of Only Murders, plus I watched the 1933 King Kong while crocheting.

>151 scaifea: ah, back when the kaiju looked like they could guest star on an episode of power rangers. Love it.

I also really like tour teen Tuesday activity and may borrow it for my next short story. Sometimes coming up with scary prompts is half the work.

>152 Ravenwoodwitch: Kong is adorable in that one, no?

The teens had fun with the exercise, and we decided that some nursery rhymes are already horror stories. I pulled Mary Had a Little Lamb and Psychological Thriller, and honestly, you wouldn't need to tweak the original much... They also were mind-blown when I told them that the Itsy Bitsy Spider is just Sisyphus retold.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 9-2, then picking Charlie up from school, then doing my menu planning and prepping the grocery list for tomorrow's shopping, then probably some knitting or crocheting before getting dinner started (Beef Stew).

On the Reading Front:
Nearly finished with both Cruel Beauty and Icebreaker.

The Crafting Report:
I got some work done on both of my current crochet projects, the xmas one and the SLP one.

What We're Watching:
I started watching an old silent film yesterday while crocheting: Intolerance. It's...interesting.

>154 scaifea: I have seen Intolerance. Once was enough. It's not "Birth of a Nation" thank goodness but.

>155 swynn: Ha! Birth of a Nation is a nadir, for certain. I admit I'm only half paying attention to this one.

Hiya Amber! How are ya?

>157 Owltherian: I'm fine, if a little busy today.

so am i and i wish i wasnt

On the Agenda for Today:
I've already been grocery shopping and I have some cookie dough made and chilling in the fridge; in a few minutes I'll head out to run some errands (the bank and then the fabric shop, which is having a sale on patterns, which is when I stock up). When I get home again I'll bake the cookies, do some laundry, sort through the weekly bills, and maybe work up the couple of reviews I owe here. I'd also like to carve out some time for working on the Latin book, then actually *reading* a bit of Latin. We'll see how it goes. Leftovers for dinner.

On the Reading Front:
I finished up both Cruel Beauty and Icebreaker, and I've moved on to Mozart's Ghost and A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting.

The Crafting Report:
I managed to get some work done on both the current crochet and knitting projects yesterday.

What We're Watching:
While crafting yesterday I finished up Intolerance (oof) and started a Netflix documentary about this crazy guy trying to climb 14 mountains in something like 6 months: 14 Peaks. Bananas. We also watched some It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details, and a couple of Attack on Titan eps.

'14 Peaks' sounds like something I'd like, arm chair adventurer that I am :)

Thanks for mentioning it!

>161 katiekrug: You're welcome! I keep shaking my head at the guy, but he's also really adorable and...happy. So it's hard not to root for him, too.

36. Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei (Printz Honor Book) - 9/10
The story of two first years from very different backgrounds playing on the same college hockey team and both vying for the next #1 NHL draft pick. So naturally, they hate each other. Until they…don’t. But can their budding romance survive their passion for the game and the status that comes with being picked first?

I adored this – and the youth are apparently calling it – Boy Love romance. It’s both a feel-good warm-hug read while also tackling issues of depression and anxiety in college-age folks. Definitely recommended, if you like this sort of thing (and why wouldn’t you? It’s lovely.)



37. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge (Beauty and the Beast Retelling) - 8/10
Nyx has been raised as the disposable twin, the less adorable one, who has trained all her life to be married off to the demon tyrant and to find a way to kill him and free her people. She’s resented every second of it, and although she hates the idea that she’ll very likely die along with her enemy, she’s determined to do what needs to be done. And then she meets her new husband and falls in love. And then she meets his shadow and falls in love again. So things are…complicated.

A solid Beauty and the Beast retelling, with some fairly strong Howl’s Moving Castle vibes. My only quibble is that the ending drags just a bit, and it didn’t sweep me off my feet as much as I wanted it to.

>160 scaifea: Bizarrely, 14 peaks is up my street too. Least likely mountaineer ever. Although I have spent most of the afternoon trying to decide why 14. I'd decided it could be those over 8000 m - google tells me that's the right number at least.

>164 Helenliz: Yup.

Sweet Thursday, Amber. I loved the original King Kong but the Peter Jackson remake (2005) was pretty good too.

>166 msf59: Freaky Friday, Mark! I can't believe that I've never watched the Pete Jackson one, and I'm such a fan of his! I'll get there, though. Next up is Son of Kong...

On the Agenda for Today:
It's a Dolly Shift day for me, but I get to spend it with one of my favorite colleagues, so it'll go by fast. Since next Tuesday is a craft week for TT, I'll spend at least some of the time getting my supplies prepped for that, along with the usual daily stuff. Frozen Friday dinner (but probably a salad for me - I'm clearly not eating enough vegetables because I'm craving one), followed by Family Game Night here at Scaife Manor.

On the Reading Front:
Welp, I read about 40 pages of Mozart's Ghost and decided to jump ship. The writing is poor and the story bland. It's so frustrating when the premise sounds so good but the book really doesn't deliver. On to The Seven Year Slip. I'm enjoying A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting on audio, though.

The Crafting Report:
I made progress on the SLP crochet project and the cowl again yesterday. I'm hoping for more time for each again today.

What We're Watching:
I finished up 14 Peaks - not the best documentary ever, but still pretty darn interesting, and Nims (the climber) is a fascinating guy - and started watching an old Disney movie, Amy. We also watched more It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details, and an ep of Only Murders.

Gonna check out 14 peaks. I did a little climbing (nothing that crazy) back when I was skinny and young. Ain't happening now... 😂

>169 drneutron: You're way ahead of me, then! I was exhausted just watching the documentary, thinking about just *packing* for such a trip. Yoicks. Also, it would involve *way* more being outside than I enjoy.

On the Agenda for Today:
Woke up with a bit of a headache, so I'll take it easy this morning and hope it goes away. Otherwise I've got laundry to do, some odds and ends at my desk (cleaning up email and such), brushing the dogs, and I'd like to get into the sewing room some this afternoon. Cuban Sandwiches for dinner tonight with Apple Crumble for dessert.

On the Reading Front:
I started The Seven Year Slip yesterday and listened to more of A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting.

The Crafting Report:
More work on the SLP project and on the cowl yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, and then we finished the Twilight Saga.

Sorry about the headache. I had a low-grade one for about two days this past week, and it really dragged me down.

Amber, I made Black Bottom Pecan Praline bars the other day ... yum. Thanks for the inspo! I bet a batch of those would cure your headache.

>172 katiekrug: Thanks, Katie. Mine is a little better now; I think it's the weather - the change to rain will generally do it for me. I'm sorry you suffered this week, too. Ugh.

>173 lauralkeet: Oh, yay! Weren't they good?! My teens left only crumbs, so they must have approved, too. I'll definitely be making them again.

38. A Lady's Guide to Fortune-Hunting by Sophie Irwin (Alex Award) - 8/10
With both parents gone and the massive debt left by her gambling father looming over her, Kitty finds herself responsible for her four younger sisters, all of whom – including herself – will be without even a home to call their own in just a few short months. And so she decides to travel to London for the season in search of a wealthy husband, all thoughts of a love match for herself abandoned as absurdly unrealistic. She quickly finds a likely target in a bungling-but-kindly second son in a landed gentry family, but finds an obstacle in the older brother, Lord Radcliffe. She soon strikes a deal with the lord, agreeing to leave his younger brother alone in exchange for help navigating a society of which she is sorely lacking in understanding. You can guess the results.

A fun and happy entry in the genre. The characters are instantly likable and the story unfolds with nice pacing and just the right amount of conflict.

>175 scaifea: I liked that one a lot, too, Irwin's next book, A Lady's Guide to Scandal, was also fun. It features different characters.

>175 scaifea: - Added to the list!

>175 scaifea: I read A Lady's Guide to Scandal and loved it but haven't read this first book yet. Glad to see you enjoyed it.

>175 scaifea: This one sounds fun!

>176 foggidawn: I'm glad you enjoyed it.

>177 katiekrug: Ha! I was thinking about you when writing up the review - I think you'll like it!

>178 MickyFine: You'll probably like this one too, then.

>179 curioussquared: I think it's right up your street! You should give it a go.

On the Agenda for Today:
Laundry, as always, meal prep for Charlie's lunches, some baking, some house cleaning, prepping my To Do lists and schedule for the week, hopefully some sewing and some reading. Tomm's leaving for a business trip this afternoon and Charlie's having a friend over, so pizza delivery for dinner! Woot!

On the Reading Front:
I read some more of The Seven Year Slip and started listening to The Three-Body Problem (I want to have read the book before watching the show).

The Crafting Report:
The SLP project is really coming along and I wish I could show you what it is. Alas, the library still hasn't made the official announcement yet, so I can't jump their guns. Soon, hopefully. I also knitted a couple of rows on the cowl, which is finally starting to look like something, too. *And* I'm close to having the top of another quilt put together; if only I could get caught up on the actual quilting - I have two that are all pinned and ready. *sigh*

What We're Watching:
I finished up Amy (the older Disney movie with Jenny Agutter), which was...interesting but fine. We also watched more It's Always Sunny, some Death and Other Details (we finally got the big reveal and it was *fabulous*!), and some Attack on Titan.

The cowl, so far:

>182 scaifea: Love the colours!

>183 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly shift, so not much more on the To Do list today. Pasta with Indian-spiced sauce for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on The Seven Year Slip and The Three-Body Problem.

The Crafting Report:
More work done on the SLP project, but I didn't get into the sewing room yesterday. *sigh*

What We're Watching:
Some What We Do in the Shadows and then we finished Attack on Titan. Woooof. What an ending. But at least Levi didn't die. I would have been flipping tables.

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Tuesday, so I'm working 12-8 and hanging out with the TTs. Today they'll be making gift bags out of old book pages. Should be fun.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on the same two books: The Seven Year Slip and The Three-Body Problem.

The Crafting Report:
Still working on the SLP project.

What We're Watching:
What We Do in the Shadows and Demon Slayer.

I watched 14 peaks. Thanks for bring it to my attention. I'm confirmed in my resolution to only climb mountains virtually. Clearing his mother's house I found The Ascent of Everest, which is now on my to read pile.

>187 Helenliz: I'm glad you enjoyed it!

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm picking up a couple of hours at work this morning for a colleague who had something come up at the last minute, which has discombobulated my plans for the day. Not sure what I'll be doing this afternoon, but it will probably involve a bit of crafting and reading, hopefully. Chicken Pot Pie for dinner tonight, I think.

On the Reading Front:
Still plugging along with The Seven Year Slip and The Three-Body Problem.

The Crafting Report:
SLP project is coming along. I've learned a new crochet stitch for this project, which had been a source of frustration for the last couple of days, but I'm finally getting the hang of it now (for crocheters: it's a loop stitch for making hair).

What We're Watching:
More What We Do in the Shadows. I *adore* Nandor and want to hang out with him and Guillermo.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm heading back to the fabric shop for another pattern sale, and I think I'll hit up a couple of thrift stores between here and there, too. Then I'll come home to do the menu planning and get my grocery list sorted for tomorrow's shopping, and I may try to do some writing this afternoon. We ended up just having leftovers for dinner yesterday, so I'll make the pot pie tonight, which works out nicely as a celebration for Pi day.

On the Reading Front:
I finished up The Seven Year Slip yesterday and started My Hero Academia vol 15. Still listening to The Three Body Problem.

The Crafting Report:
More loop stitching on the SLP project...

What We're Watching:
Some What We Do in the Shadows (Nandor saying "F*cking guy!" gets me every time!) and some Demon Slayer.

39. The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (Library Display Book) - 8/10
Clementine has inherited her beloved aunt’s NYC apartment, and as she unpacks her boxes and tries to figure out how to come to terms with her grief, she soon finds herself also trying to remember – and life by – the two rules her aunt set down for her about the apartment (which, by the way, if magical): 1) Always take your shoes off, and 2) Never fall in love with whomever you may find when you walk in the door. It only takes a few days before Clementine needs to put Rule #2 into practice, when she comes home to find a strange man in her apartment and quickly realizes that the magic has happened to her: the apartment transported her back in time 7 years. Can she keep herself from falling in love with a man she knows she’ll lose again very soon, and if he loves her, then why hasn’t he tried to find her in the present? And would he be the same person?

A sweet little romance with a neat premise. No real depths here, but the story is fun and decently written. If you like this sort of thing, you’ll like this.



40. My Hero Academia vol 15 by Kohei Horikoshi (manga) - 9/10
The story is now getting into one of my favorite arcs (I’m up to date with the anime, but not the manga yet), and so I really enjoyed this volume.

On the Agenda for Today:
Well, we had some tornados come through the area last night, and so Charlie and I spent a large chunk of the night in the basement while Tomm was trying to get home from his trip to Iowa. Thankfully nothing touched down just here (although the surrounding towns have damage) and Tomm got home just fine. But we didn't get much sleep here at all. I sense a nap in my afternoon. I do need to go get groceries this morning, sort through the weekly bills, and bake a half-birthday cake for Charlie (he's requested carrot cake). Happy Ides, everyone!



On the Reading Front:
I read through Cross My Heart and Never Lie yesterday evening, and started The Otherwoods. Still listening to The Three-Body Problem.

The Crafting Report:
I did some crocheting yesterday, both on the SLP project and on the xmas project for Charlie. I also somehow walked out of the fabric shop not only with patterns but with three cuts of really lovely knit fabric that I think I'll maybe someday make into dresses for work:



What We're Watching:
A couple of What We Do in the Shadows eps, and we also finished up the most recent season of Demon Slayer.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Saturday shift and hoping for a slow day so I can get some crocheting done. Then I'll probably come home and take a nap before Charlie and I go to the high school musical (a bunch of his friends are in it and we're excited to support them). There's also a district-wide art exhibit going on at the same time, and one of Charlie's photographs has been chosen for display, so I can't wait to see that, too. Mexican takeaway for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I read through Stars in Their Eyes and The Eyes and the Impossible yesterday, plus I finished up The Three-Body Problem on audio and started listening to Babel, which means I'm now way behind on reviews.

The Crafting Report:
I worked a bit on knitting the cowl yesterday.

What We're Watching:
I watched (500) Days of Summer, which I think was supposed to be a 'touching' love story but super-wasn't and instead just made me annoyed, and I finally caved and watched the first episode of One Piece. Last night, after Family Game Night (we played Here to Slay), we watched Masterminds, which was completely stupid and really, really fun.

41. Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dåsnes (Stonewall Medal) - 8/10
A sweet little middle grade graphic novel about the awkwardness of growing up at a different rate than your friends and negotiating your way through your first crush.



42. Stars in Their Eyes by Jessica Walton (Stonewall Honor Book) - 7/10
A middle schooler goes to her first con with her equally-geeked out mom, which is exciting but also stressful because she (the kiddo, not the mom) is an amputee/cancer survivor/bisexual who suffers from panic attacks. She meets and falls in love with a nonbinary teen, and all-in-all has a good time at the con.

I love how much we’re seeing more diverse representation in middle grade books, but the novels that are so laser-beam focused on it are a little exhausting. Can we maybe now skip to the era of having diverse characters in a story without constantly referencing their diversity? That feels like true progress to me. There’s a scene in this GN in which the MC is trying to have a nice swim in the hotel pool in peace, but an obnoxious adult interrupts her to say that she’s “an inspiration,” and the point of the scene is that such do-gooders aren’t doing anything good at all by pointing up a person’s difference. I feel like possibly the author could ponder their own advice here, because the story (two teens meet at a con and gently and sweetly fall in love over their shared geekiness) would have been much more successful if it were, in fact, allowed to be the main story that just happened to have LGBTQ and disabled characters in the main roles.



43. The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers (Newbery Medal) - 6/10
This year’s Newbery medal winner. I barely made it through. The main characters are animals (a dog is the narrator), and normally I would NOPE that after the first page, but since I have read *all* of the Newberys I felt obligated to continue. And of course there’s animal abuse. Ugh. Also, Eggers commits the literary since of winking just a little too hard at his own cleverness. This one firmly goes in the Newbery Duds column for me.



44. The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu (audiobook) - 8/10
I don’t even know how to describe this one well enough without giving stuff away. It’s a scifi novel set in china over several decades starting during the Cultural Revolution, and it involves a cult conspiracy, a VR video game with a more sinister purpose, and lots and lots of physics.

I enjoyed the plot (although I confess I was hoping for a more twisty reveal of the mysterious bits), but I could certainly have done with a great deal less science exposition. Hoping that the Netflix rendition leaves all that to the imagination.

>93 curioussquared: What musical are they doing at the school? I hope you and Charlie have a great time!

>195 MickyFine: The Little Mermaid. Last year was Mary Poppins and it was fabulous, so I'm sure we'll have a blast.

>194 scaifea: Welp, you've saved me from picking up The Eyes and the Impossible.

>194 scaifea: Yeah, The Eyes and the Impossible was a Newbery Dud for me, too, but since I've read all of them since 1989 now, I felt compelled to finish.

Love the fabric, and hope if/when you get to the project, that you make some fabulous dresses!

>197 lycomayflower: Ha! You're welcome. Man, it was *such* a struggle to finish it, but how could I not and then ruin my perfect record?! I've now discovered the danger of being a Newbery Nut: I am a slave to the Newbery Medal.

>198 bell7: Aw, since 1989! Well done! Are you going to keep going and read the all?

Isn't the fabric pretty? And I can't even describe how buttery soft it feels. If I ever get round to making the dresses, they'll be *so* comfortable.

On the Agenda for Today:
Ooof, I had a lovely sleep-in and didn't get up until 8! That's crazy for me, kids. The musical wasn't over until 10, though, and it was a long day. I do love supporting the high schoolers, and they did such a great job, especially the junior who played Ursula, who can belt out a tune like a professional. So impressive. And it was fantastic to see Charlie's two photos honored in the art show! Anyway. I'll do some baking today (Chocolate Chip Bread for breakfasts and some breadsticks to go along with dinner), meal prep for Charlie's lunches this week, some house cleaning, some laundry, taking down the St. Patrick's Day decorations and putting up the Easter ones, organizing my schedule and To Do lists for the week, and then maybe some crafting and hopefully some reading. Beef Stew for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I started How to Be a Girl in the World, which is one of the books that came up as an all-time favorite for one of my Tuesday Teens, and so far it's excellent. I also listened to more Babel. I'm a bit overwhelmed at the moment over my audiobook list; I had put holds on a handful that were spread out over several weeks as to when they'd come available, and then they all came in at once, I panicked and clicked "borrow" on them all, and now I need to. Listen. Fast. It helps, of course, that Babel is a doorstop. *sigh*

The Crafting Report:
More hair work was done on the SLP project. Nearly finished with the actual character and will only have a couple of accoutrements to make to go with him.

What We're Watching:
The Little Mermaid!

Charlie's photos:

>201 scaifea: Charlie's photos have a real haunting quality.

>202 quondame: Well, he's kind of a spooky kid, so... (/kidding)

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working 9-2, then probably just puttering until time to start dinner, which will be BBQ Chicken Kheema Tacos.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on How to Be a Girl in the World and Babel.

The Crafting Report:
The SLP crochet project is really coming together and I can't wait to be able to show you what it is. Soon, hopefully. I also got some work done on the cowl yesterday.

What We're Watching:
I watched the first episode of an anime called Monster, which is on a lot of top anime lists, and it was pretty good. I'll likely keep going with it. We also watched some It's Always Sunny, finished up the first season of Death and Other Details, watched an ep of Only Murders, and the latest SNL.

What did you think of the end of Death and Other Details? We haven't finished it yet, but some people have been really disappointed with it, so I haven't felt compelled to keep going. I want to know what happens, but I'll be mad if it's a big let-down...

>205 katiekrug: Disappointed? Weird. I thought the reveal of whodunnit was fabulous. The very end just keeps it open for another season, which is just fine by me. The whole show was very well done.

>206 scaifea: - Okay, we'll probably finish it up. We liked it well enough, just didn't love it (at least so far).

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Tuesday, so you know what that means. And it's book club week, so we'll be discussing our favorite (or most recent reads in) science fiction. Before I head into work I'll bake some chocolate chip cookies for the teens, too.

On the Reading Front:
I finished up How to Be a Girl in the World and listened to more Babel.

The Crafting Report:
More work was done on the SLP project. Nearly there, I think.

What We're Watching:
While crocheting yesterday afternoon I watched Conspiracy (a 2001 movie with Kenneth Branaugh, Stanley Tucci, Colin Firth, et al, about the Wannsee Conference), and it was really good. We also watched some It's Always Sunny.

>199 scaifea: Thank you! I am trying to read them all - and all the Honors too, but we'll see if I give up on that part of the goal - and find reading the newer ones a good way of keeping a hand in children's books now that I don't work at all in that department.

>201 scaifea: Oooh, love Charlie's photos!

Looking forward to your thoughts on Babel (it's on my list) and the reveal of the crochet project :)

>209 bell7: As someone who *has* read all the medal winner and honor books, I know it's a feat, so good luck.

I am *loving* Babel so far.

Howdy Amber!
>193 scaifea: Thoughts on One Piece? As a fan of the OG anime I had plenty of nits to pick, but it's actually loyal enough that I do think its an excellent introduction to the series for anyone turned off by the length.
>201 scaifea: I'm getting dreamy vibes from the photos. That sorta "there but not there" feel they always have. Well done to Charlie!
>204 scaifea: Oooooh, buckle up on Monster. That's another one that likes to punch you in the gut.

>211 Ravenwoodwitch: One Piece (mind, I've only watched the first episode) has 80s Pokemon cartoon vibes. It's...okay, but I don't adore it right off the bat. I'll keep going for a little while, at least, though. And yeah, I'm kind of excited about Monster. I need something to replace the "oh god what did I just watch?!" feels now that we're done with Titan.

On the Agenda for Today:
Menu planning and prepping my grocery list, possibly a bit of house cleaning, some writing, some Latin, and maybe some reading. Moo Shu Pork for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I started Friends for Life yesterday and listened to more Babel.

The Crafting Report:
Just one more element of the SLP project to go, then I'll move on to the next SLP project.

What We're Watching:
The first episode of Cowboy Bebop.

Cowboy Bebop! I got that question wrong on LL this season. Heh.

I love moo shu pork! Please set out some chopsticks for me...

>192 scaifea: That gave me a god laugh. Thank you :)

>201 scaifea: What cool photos!

Happy mid week

Hiya Amber.

>214 katiekrug: Ha! I didn't!! Woot! I feel like I didn't do too badly for my first season (I finished 7th). I'm taking a break from the next season, but may come back to it later.

*sets out the good chopsticks for Katie*

>215 figsfromthistle: Ha! You're welcome! The Ides of March is pretty much a holiday here at Scaife Manor since I'm a classicist and it's also Charlie's half birthday.

>216 Owltherian: Hi, Owl.

>217 scaifea: How have u been doing? I know its been a while since i have visited ur thread

>217 scaifea: - 7th is great! I did pretty badly and might get bumped down a Rundle. Oh well.

Thanks for making room for me at the table!

>218 Owltherian: I'm doing just fine.

>219 katiekrug: I struggled the first couple of days, but then I felt like I understood the point system a little better. Sometimes I think the questions are worded terribly, but in general it's fun!

45. How to Be a Girl in the World by Caela Carter (a favorite of one of my Tuesday Teens) - 10/10
Lydia has spent the whole of summer vacation wearing long-sleeved turtlenecks and sweatpants because after the boys at school started commenting on her body she hasn’t felt comfortable or safe in her own skin. And worse, her mom’s boyfriend is starting to give her over-long hugs and uncomfortable stares. She’s too afraid that the adults in her life won’t feel the same way she does – that these things are wrong and she’s right to feel unsafe – and so she keeps it all to herself. When her mom surprises her and her live-in cousin with the news that she’s bought a house for them, they start cleaning it up on the weekends since the former owners seem to have left all their belongings behind. Lydia finds a small room in the basement filled with little jars of dried herbs and flowers, and a book of hand-written spells. Could this be the solution to her problem? Could she fight off unwanted male attention with magic? She’ll try anything to make the idea of going back to school in the fall even remotely palatable.

Easily the best read of the year so far for me and it’ll take a lot to top it. This is one of those middle grade books that every single student, no matter their gender, should read, and every single parent should read it, too. It perfectly captures the horror of being a middle school girl in the world, one who sees the injustices against women, feels them keenly, but also sees that this is the norm and she’s meant to accept it as such. So powerfully written, with a so-wonderfully told story. I loved every word of it and I urge all of you to read it for yourselves.

>221 scaifea: - Just added it to my wish list on Overdrive.

>221 scaifea: Onto my TBR it goes!

Karen O

>221 scaifea: I might have to buy that one. And it's almost the annual book buying spree... Although I'd not be back in my teenage skin for any amount of money. Age has been accompanied by some compensations.
I'm currently listening to another side of the problem, Dame Helena Kennedy, a KC, in her book Misjustice. I feel she and I aren't going to agree on everything, but she is interesting, knowledgeable and informative. And well worth listening to.

>222 katiekrug: >223 klobrien2: Oh, I hope you both love it as much as I did!

>221 scaifea: Oh dang, that sounds really good.

>213 scaifea: Oh, another classic :) You must be in a real anime mood.
I saw that one on Adult Swim when I was much-too-young and still loved it; hope you like it too!

>220 scaifea: Thats good, i just got home from visiting my mums grave since i haven't been for a few years.

>226 lycomayflower: I think you'd love it. One of my Tuesday Teens talked about it as one of her favorites, and I had a fantastic conversation with her about it last night.

>227 Ravenwoodwitch: Yes! I'm a list person, dontchaknow, so I've decided to work through a list of all-time best anime shows. Charlie and I loved that first ep - we're both sold.

>228 Owltherian: Sounds good.

On the Agenda for Today:
Grocery shopping and a few errands, a bit of house cleaning, some laundry, some writing, and probably some crocheting. Leftovers for dinner.

On the Reading Front:
Still working on Friends for Life and Babel.

The Crafting Report:
I think I may finish up SLP Project #1 today, and then move on to SLP Project #2. Soon, folks. Soon I'll be able to share.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Daredevil, and a couple of eps of Cowboy Bebop. I also watched an ep of Lucifer while crocheting yesterday and started watched Son of Kong.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly Shift, so that's pretty much my day. Fingers crossed that it's a slow Friday so I can get some crocheting done. Frozen Friday dinner.

On the Reading Front:
I finished up Friends for Life and started A True Princess. Still listening to Babel.

The Crafting Report:
The last piece of SLP Project #1 is on the blocking board and I started crocheting SLP Project #2 yesterday.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, an ep of Only Murders, and Tomm and I watched the first ep of The Three Body Problem. It's good so far, but weirdly they've turned the one main character into...a group of 5 friends? Why? Oh, and I watched Broken Blossoms (a silent film from 1919) and Son of Kong while crocheting yesterday.

Hi Amber! Catching up here. You got me with How to Be a Girl in the World, too.

>232 curioussquared: Oh yay! I hope you love it!

On the Agenda for Today:
Charlie and I drove out to Indiana and back yesterday to visit my parents, so today will be a full weekend of To Do stuff. Yoicks. Baking (I made Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Scones for breakfast and I'm going to try my hand at Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert tonight), weekly bill sorting, several loads of laundry, some house cleaning, organizing my To Do lists and schedule for this week, writing up a few reviews, and hopefully some crafting and reading. Carnitas with baked potatoes and cooked carrots for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I finished up Babel, listened to all of The Library of the Dead, read some more of A True Princess, and started listening to True Biz.

The Crafting Report:
I made good progress on SLP Project #2, and I think I'll be able to put the finishing touched on SLPP#1 today. I can't wait to show you all - I'm excited.

What We're Watching:
We watched the Tetris movie, which Tomm had seen already and loved and Charlie wanted to see and loved. I...thought it was okay. Russian espionage is not really my jam. On my own I've been watching an anime movie called A Whisker Away, which is pretty cute so far.

46. Friends for Life by Andrew Norriss (a favorite of one of my Tuesday Teens) - 9/10
Francis is sitting alone in the schoolyard, head in his hands, when a strange girl he’s never seen before walks up and sits next to him. Jessica is shocked when he speaks to her because she assumed that, like everyone else, he wouldn’t be able to see her. Because, well, she’s a ghost. They become immediate and fast friends, and then incidentally gather two more outsiders to them to form a group of best friends. As they all start to open up to one another – and when they discover how Jessica died – they begin to realize just why it is that they are the only ones who can see Jessica. And then they begin to wonder why she hadn’t been able to move on…

A sweet and lovely little middle grade book that had a little bit of everything: a slice-of-life friendship story, a little bit of mystery, and an important message about mental health for youth. Definitely recommended.



47. Babel by RF Kuang (Alex Award) - 9/10
Set in an AU Oxford College where the world runs on the combined magic powers of silver and language, this is a story of the evils of empire and the sacrifices that are made by those who oppose them.

I *adored* this book. Think His Dark Materials but make it LINGUISTICS. Perfection.



48. Library of the Dead by TL Huchu (Alex Award) - 8/10
A girl who can communicate with the dead makes her living by charging them and their living relations for the privilege of her gift. But when a ghost who can’t pay begs her to find her missing son, she breaks all her rules against charity cases and sets out to investigate the series of mysterious disappearances in the neighborhood. She also gets her friend to sneak her into the members-only secret library where he works (and for which his father is president), and soon realizes both that the two things are related and that she very well may be in over her head.

I had a little trouble staying on top of the plot with this one, but it was still an okay read, if a little scattered.

>235 scaifea: I consider myself very lucky to have gotten by with one BB (Babel). Library of the Dead grazed me, but I avoided a direct hit. Thanks!

Karen O

>235 scaifea: The linguistic aspects of Babel were fabulous. I was less thrilled by, not the focusing on British Imperialism, but the implied dismissal of imperialism from other sources, and so did not feel it perfection, but worthwhile.

>236 klobrien2: Ha! I hope you love Babel! And I think you'll be fine and not miss too much for skipping Library of the Dead.

I figured you’d love Babel… 😀

>239 drneutron: Ha! I'm just so happy that the linguistics in it are correct! Plus, it's a cool story, too, of course.

On the Agenda for Today:
Charlie is on spring break the week and we're starting out things in an exciting way with a dentist appointment this morning. But afterwards we'll stop by our favorite gaming store, so it won't be a complete drag. Otherwise today I'll do some cleaning, some writing, maybe I'll read some Latin, hopefully some crafting. Tacos de Alambre for dinner.

On the Reading Front:
I finished A True Princess and started Check & Mate, and I'm still listening to True Biz.

The Crafting Report:
No crafting yesterday. Too many other things on the list.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, and then I introduced both Charlie and Tomm to The Breakfast Club, on the 40th anniversary of its setting.

I can't believe Tomm had never seen The Breakfast Club! Did they properly appreciate it?

Hope Charlie has a good spring break!

>242 katiekrug: Right?!?!

Charlie loved it (yay!) and I think Tomm liked it okay. He was having too much fun making fun of me for being in love with the bad boy, as I always am.

Charlie's putting together a murder mystery party for his friends for Wednesday, so I suspect they'll have a blast. Otherwise he's just chilling, but that's his favorite anyway, so it should be a good week.

Excellent!

That film! Glad it works for later generations. It was one of those films for my generation.

>243 scaifea: Ohhh The Breakfast Club. That takes me back! I'm glad it holds up after all these years (I can no longer watch Sixteen Candles for a variety of reasons).

>245 Helenliz: Yup. I suspect we're of the same generation.

>246 lauralkeet: Yeah, a lot of John Hughes films haven't aged well, and there are a couple of slurs in this one, too, but overall it's still a powerful and fun movie.

49. A True Princess by Diane Zahler (a favorite of one of my Tuesday Teens) - 8/10
A retelling of The Princess and the Pea couched in the traditions of Norse Myths and fairy kings and changelings. There were some fun twists involved, too.

I really need to get to Babel soon! And ooh, I hope you love Check & Mate.

>249 curioussquared: You do - it's so excellent! And so far I'm loving Check & Mate. I'm here for all the grumpy/sunshine stories pls.

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Tuesday, so you know what that means. Today the Teens will be playing a game: Chameleon. I've never played before, but it sounds really fun. We'll see how it goes. Before I go into work at noon I'll probably mostly just putter around, although at least one load of laundry is on my To Do list.

On the Reading Front:
I'm about a third of the way through Check & Mate and enjoying it so far, and I'm still listening to True Biz.

The Crafting Report:
SLP Project#1 is finished! And I made some progress on #2 yesterday, too.

What We're Watching:
I finished up A Whisker Away yesterday while crocheting - slightly strange but mostly just very cute - and we watched some It's Always Sunny plus we finished season 3 of Only Murders.

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Dolly Shift, then coming home to a house full of teens - Charlie's throwing a murder mystery party - so no much else will get done.

On the Reading Front:
Still reading Check & Mate and enjoying it, and I finished up True Biz.

The Crafting Report:
Work on SLP Project #2 progresses...

What We're Watching:
The first episode of Murderville.

>252 scaifea: Ooh, a murder mystery party! Charlie and his friends are so cool.

>253 foggidawn: Ha! Right? So funny.

On the Agenda for Today:
Menu planning and prepping my grocery list for tomorrow's shopping, laundry, and hopefully a nice chunk of crafting and reading time. We're going out to see the Dune movie tonight, so dinner will probably be out as well.

On the Reading Front:
Still reading Check & Mate. I finished up True Biz and started listening to The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot.

The Crafting Report:
So at Teen Tuesday this week, one of the new gals, who is pretty shy, ended up beating the absolute pants off the rest of us at the game. To celebrate her victory - and to let her know that I'm so glad she's part of the group - I'm going to try to crochet up a little chameleon (since that's the name of the game we played) as a dumb little trophy. I made a head yesterday but I don't think I like the yarn, so I think I'll choose something else from my stash and start again today.

What We're Watching:
An ep of Cowboy Bebop.

I hope you enjoy the new Dune movie! The Wayne liked it a lot.

>256 katiekrug: We loved the first one, well, Charlie and I did. Tomm thought it was too long and not enough happened, which, fair. But it was gorgeous. I'm expecting more of the same with this second one and I'm okay with that.

>257 scaifea: - He liked the first one but thought the second was even better, so I'm sure you're in for a treat. Enjoy!

>258 katiekrug: Woot!

50. True Biz by Sara Novic (Alex Award) - 8/10
Charley has been battling her hearing parents over her cochlear implant for as long as she can remember, and finally she’s won the right to go to an actual school for the deaf. But she quickly discovers that she’s far behind her peers because her parents didn’t let her learn ASL. Once she begins to learn, so much more of the world opens up to her and she realizes the extent of what of life her mother has denied her in the name of appearances. Parallel to Charley’s story are those of the headmistress of the school, which is dealing with caring for an elderly deaf mother and a jealous wife, and of a fellow deaf student, whose family legacy – everyone is born into the family deaf – and his relationship with his parents is shattered when his baby sister is born hearing.

The more I learn about the deaf community the more I realize I don’t know and want to. There are chapters scattered throughout this novel that detail some of the history behind ASL and the deaf community in the US, and I appreciated those while also really enjoying the story and the characters. My only quibble is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt and a little pat, but otherwise this was a great read.

On the Agenda for Today:
We're getting a new furnace installed, so The Gals are locked away upstairs in our bedroom and whining like they're being SEVERELY mistreated, and workmen are stomping in and out of the front door. Awesome. I've done the grocery shopping (on the Friday before a churchy holiday. In the Midwest. Serenity Now.), and soon I'll get myself into the kitchen to bake some cookies (Lemon Cookies with White Chocolate Chips). I've got the laundry going, but otherwise I'm hoping for a lazy day of crocheting while watching movies and then reading. Frozen Friday Dinner!

Dune 2 last night was very good, but also very, very, extremely very long. My butt was not happy with me, even in one of those fancy recliner seats.

On the Reading Front:
I'm hoping to finish up Check & Mate today, and I'm still listening to The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot.

The Crafting Report:
The tiny chameleon is coming along nicely; I'm hoping to finish it today.

What We're Watching:
Well, Dune 2, obvs. But I also watched a cool animated movie called 9 yesterday while crocheting, and I've started a spectacularly bad (in a delightful way) disaster movie called 10.0 Earthquake.

Ooh, lemon cookies with white chocolate chips, you say? I'm intrigued! Have you made them before?

>262 foggidawn: No, I haven't, but I love anything lemon so I'm expecting them to be good.

Found The Breakfast Club & watched it. Still a perfect film. Thank you for the prompt.

Happy new furnace day!
Those pups will need extra cookies and cuddles after being so poorly treated today ;P

>264 Helenliz: You're welcome.

>265 ChelleBearss: Well, as it happens, it's Simmons' birthday today, so they've had all sorts of treats, plus we eventually let them out of the bedroom so they could 'help' the furnace guys, who in turn lavished them both with all sorts of ridiculous attention.

The Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookies came out great:



And I finished the chameleon for my Tuesday Teen:



And here's the birthday gal with some of her presents:

>267 scaifea: Love, love, and love.

Aww, sweet Simmons! That chameleon is really cool, too.

>267 scaifea: Yum, aww, bless. In order.
Happy birthday doggo.

Sweet Simmons!

>267 scaifea: I love lemon flavored anything -- or just about. I did discover that the lemon flavored fizzy water that our Aldi store sells is too strong for my taste. I much prefer the limoncello in the LaCroix brand. (I like the limoncello so well I've never tried the lemon it it. Aldi's was just so much cheaper I decided to give it a try.)

Happy birthday Simmons! Love the pic. And the chameleon is adorable!

Thanks, everyone! Simmons had a pretty great day and *loves* her new toys (Mario is happily helping her enjoy the treats, too). The Chameleon was a pain - crocheting with sport weight/sock yarn is not my favorite thing in the world - but I think the TT will like it okay. And the cookies, if anyone is interested, are really easy and really good: 1 lemon cake mix, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, two eggs. Mix. Fold in 1 cup white chocolate chips. Scoop out on cookie sheet and bake at 325F for 15 minutes.

>272 thornton37814: I also love all things lemon (although not fizzy water of any kind). Lemoncello always makes me think of the guy who made his own and did an unbottling video that...didn't go as he planned. Hilarious:

https://www.thepoke.com/2020/06/26/disastrous-limoncello-tasting-viral-hilarious...

On the Agenda for Today:
I'm working the Saturday shift then probably coming home to a nap. Tomm's in charge of dinner - all I know is that it involves pork chops and red potatoes. It's supposed to be thunderstormy today, so everyone keep your fingers crossed that that means a slow day at the library - I'd love to get more done on SPLP#2...

On the Reading Front:
I finished Check & Mate and loved it, listened to more of The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot, and started reading The Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

The Crafting Report:
(See above chameleon.)

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, then after Family Game Night (Uno) we watched Paint, the Owen Wilson Bob Rossesque movie from a couple of years ago. Silly but fun. While crocheting yesterday I finished 10.0 Earthquake (bad but hilariously so) and watched one ep each of One Piece and Monster, then started a Hiddleston movie called The Gathering Storm.

>221 scaifea: This book awakened a memory from its description. In middle/high school, I had a friend who was a practicing wiccan. Being the fantasy nerd that I was, I was fascinated by the whole affair. I still find practical magic like this curious to this day.
This sounds like I would have loved it as a kid. I'll tuck it away in my memory for any kids I have in the future.

>252 scaifea: That sounds super cool. Is everyone in costume?
>261 scaifea: 9; is this the ragdoll movie by any chance? Loved that one. Super spooky and sad.
>267 scaifea: Those cookies look delish. I adore the Chemleon and also the birthday girl who looks a tad confused, lol.

>276 Ravenwoodwitch: Oh, don't just tuck it away - read it for yourself! So good.

>277 Ravenwoodwitch: One of Charlie's friends arrived all dressed up and I LOVED it, but no, not the rest, despite my offering to make costumes for everyone. I may need to do something similar for Teen Tuesday at some point, just so I can create some costumes.

YES! The spooky/sad ragdoll movie! I loved it.

Ha! Simmons wasn't confused, but instead really focused on the ball that Tomm was holding up just behind me (the secret to my dog photography success).

51. Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood (Charlie's school book club selection) - 9/10
Mallory’s life is full of taking care of her two younger sisters and her ill mother while working a minimum-wage job and worrying about the unpaid mortgage. So she has no time to spare for her former pastimes, such as chess, which she is very, *very* good at. Like, child prodigy kind of good. Then her best friend asks her to participate in a charity tournament and she just happens to play against the #1 ranked player in the world, and win. And everything changes.

An adorable sort-of-enemies-to-lovers story that’s also not quite a grumpy-sunshine trope as well. The romance is lovely and fun, and the parallel plot of being an outsider in the chess world is legit interesting as well. This one pleasantly surprised me with how much I enjoyed it.

On the Agenda for Today:
Charlie has today off as his last day of spring break and I don't work today either, so it's the rare but adored Second Sunday here at Scaife Manor! We slept in and I'm enjoying my first leisurely cup of coffee still in my PJs. Once I actually get going I'll do a couple loads of laundry, meal prep for Charlie's lunches, take down the Easter decorations, the weekly bill sorting, organize my To Do lists and schedule for the week, some baking (Banoffee Pie), maybe some sewing but probably just more crocheting, and hopefully some reading. Steak, mashed potatoes, and roasted Brussel sprouts and carrots for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I'll probably finish up The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot today. Still reading A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

The Crafting Report:
SLPP#2 is coming along nicely.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny, some Murderville, some Three Body Problem, plus I finished Battle Royale, watched the first silent film by a Black director (Within Our Gates), and watched more of The Gathering Storm while crocheting yesterday.

>280 scaifea: can't beat a second Sunday. Enjoy.
We've had several days off, so I'm on Saturday 6 (I think). Easter is a 4 days weekend in the UK, with Friday & Monday as bank holidays. Then his holiday year runs from 1st April and he had some holiday to use up, so we had Wednesday & Thursday off as well. I have got so much done while also loafing around! I am not looking forward to tomorrow's alarm call...

Belated birthday wishes to Simmons!
Good to see she was treated well on this special day :-)

>281 Helenliz: That first day back to Real Life is always hard.

>282 FAMeulstee: She had a rough night last night, though, with thunderstorms coming through. They don't bother Mario at all, but Simmons needs her thundershirt and lots of burrowing into our bed in between us. She's exhausted this morning, poor thing.

52. The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin (Alex Award) - 9/10
Lenni is 17 and a patient in the terminal ward of a Glasgow hospital. Margot is 83 and a patient in the same hospital, awaiting heart surgery. This is the story of their friendship and of how they ended up sharing their collective 100 years with each other.

An excellent story (or pair of stories, really), beautifully told. Both Lenni and Margot are fascinating and wonderful characters, and they’re so well drawn that you quickly feel that they’re your friends as well, which makes losing them all the tougher. I haven’t full-on wept because of a book in a long time, but I cried for this one and I don’t regret a second of it.

>284 scaifea: - Adding that to my library WL. Did you listen to it or read it? I have both options available and I quite like the sample of the audio...

Also, I wanted to let you know that I'm reading How To Be a Girl in the World right now and very much appreciate your recommending it!

>285 katiekrug: I listened and loved the audio version. The Glasgow accents are fabulous.

And yay for HtBaGinW!! I hope you're loving it!

On the Agenda for Today:
It's Tuesday, so 12-8 and hanging with the Teens. I'm giving them a choice today: we can either do a writing exercise or we can use up the leftover peeps and have a peep jousting tournament. I honestly don't know which they'll choose. Before going into work I'll probably mostly putter. We've got thunderstorms on the forecast all dang day, so I'm already groggy and will stay that way, I suspect.

On the Reading Front:
Nearly finished with A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and I'll start listening to Daughter of the Moon Goddess today.

The Crafting Report:
I actually worked a bit on my cowl yesterday, which I haven't touched in a couple of weeks. Nearly finished with it, I think.

What We're Watching:
I finished The Gathering Storm while puttering at my desk yesterday, and then we watched some It's Always Sunny and a couple of eps of Cowboy Bebop.

>286 scaifea: - I finished it last night and thought it was really good!

>288 katiekrug: Excellent!

On the Agenda for Today:
Menu planning and prepping my grocery list for Saturday (since I work tomorrow and Friday), some house cleaning, some writing, some reading Latin, writing up a couple of reviews (and maybe starting a new thread), and hopefully some crafting and reading. Butter-Glazed Chicken for dinner tonight.

On the Reading Front:
I finished A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, read through Black Butler vol 3, and started listening to The Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

The Crafting Report:
I think SLPP#2 is nearly finished. I also did a little work on a crochet project for xmas.

What We're Watching:
Some It's Always Sunny and we finished up Murderville.

The new thread is up:

https://www.librarything.com/topic/359792