Monday, June 11, 2018

Not Really Summer Yet

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?
With the start of June the weather reverted to norm -- chilly, wet, and dreary. I guess officially it's still spring, so go flowers? At least it makes for better sleep.

It's been fun having Alexander around for fun and movies. He's gotten some nibbles on his summer job search, so his leisure time may be limited soon. Paulos is ready for any remaining exams (most of his classes wrap up around AP time last month, in an example of hideously designed school schedules).

I made Alexander's favorite lasagna for Wednesday dinner and it turned out well. It involves pesto and about a year ago the store changed where the keep the fresh stuff so I'd been substituting canned. But now I've tracked down my favorite supplier. Occasionally I make pesto from scratch but I'm really too lazy for that.

Somehow my currently reading is still at 32, so I guess I should finish some of them. Especially the rereads. Finishing some things is made harder by the library wanting their books back.

The Book Date does a weekly roundup of what people are reading, want to read, or have read each week called It's Monday! What Are You Reading so I'll sign up there. There's also a version that is kidlit focussed at either Teach Mentor Text or UnLeashing Readers. My Cybils reading keeps me eligible for that (at least for a few pages) so I'll sign in there as well...

This Week I started:

Night's Master  (Tales from the Flat Earth #1)Prince Joe (Tall, Dark & Dangerous, #1)Ancestral Machines (Humanity's Fire, #4)Yanked! (David Brin's Out of Time)
King and JokerGrunt: The Curious Science of Humans at WarThough Hell Should Bar the Way (Lt. Leary, #12)

Night's Master, Tanith Lee. The May Sword and Laser pick, which I forgot to pick up last month so am reading late.

Prince Joe, Suzanne Brockmann. Leftover that I didn't need for a book team.

Ancestral Machines, Michael Cobley. My next RML book, from the Co- shelf.

Yanked!, Nancy Kress. Kress will be the next Foolscap GoH!

King and Joker, Peter Dickinson. For my book team.

Grunt, Mary Roach. My next audio RML book.

Though Hell Should Bar the Way, David Drake. A new Leary/Mundy, and from a fresh perspective!


I finished:

Prince Joe (Tall, Dark & Dangerous, #1)I'll Be Your Blue Sky
How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It HappensKing and JokerYanked! (David Brin's Out of Time)

Prince Joe, Suzanne Brockmann. Fun with super-fit military guys and royal impersonations, and I only had to wade through slightly tedious misunderstandings.

I'll Be Your Blue Sky, Marisa de los Santos. I found the characters a bit hollow. Dev is spun of pure sugar and I'm not sure he's really a good idea as a partner; living with perfection must be exhausting. And Edith also recedes faster than she can be approached.

How We Learn, Benedict Carey. Finished the first shelf of nonfiction in my Reading My Library quest, audio edition. It was a lightweight discussion of learning techniques and what works, perfect for listening to while driving.

King and Joker, Peter Dickinson. Dickinson is always good for nuanced characters, who sometimes mean well but succumb to temptations towards meanness or gluttony or other vices. They can also rise to greatness when necessary. Louise learns this truth about both herself and her family in the fun setting of being the daughter of the King of England.

Yanked!, Nancy Kress. Somehow I missed this YA series put out by David Brin (?) that started with this story of two teenagers pulled forward in time to save the world through grit and determination. What they learn helps them confront their lives back home, of course. But within the tropes and set pieces are real characters that have individual ways of using their talents. I still can't figure out the cover -- maybe that's one of the mysterious aliens?

Bookmarks moved in:

Alliance of Equals (Liaden Universe, #19)Marry in Scandal (Marriage of Convenience, #2)Cold Welcome (Vatta's Peace, #1)
Song of the Current (Song of the Current #1)Too Like the Lightning (Terra Ignota, #1)New York 2140Wolf Who Rules (Elfhome, #2)

Alliance of Equals, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. Episode 54. Magical torture!

Marry in Scandal, Anne Gracie. OK, they are engaged now. This is not a fast moving, witty romance.

Cold Welcome, Elizabeth Moon. I really like seeing competent people deal methodically with extreme problems, which is a Moon specialty.

Song of the Current, Sarah Tolcser. Ha! I called the first plot twist. I am smarter than a 9th grader.

Too Like the Lightning, Ada Palmer. There are many interesting pieces in this story. I keep getting distracted.

New York 2140, Kim Stanley Robinson. For my Tuesday bookclub. I thought something exciting happened but maybe not.

Wolf Who Rules, Wen Spencer. Tinker watching The Wizard of Oz is a wonderful scene.


These I'm barely reading; I use them as palate cleansers between books I'm actually reading.

KenilworthA Traitor to Memory (Inspector Lynley, #11)The Quantum Universe: Everything That Can Happen Does Happen
Sammy Keyes and the Art of DeceptionChange of Heart (Robyn Hunter, #7)Reading and Learning to Read

Kenilworth, Sir Walter Scott. Kenilworth is losing his honor through his hesitating fingers.

A Traitor to Memory, Elizabeth George.

The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox. I find myself resisting acquiring any of this knowledge, since I went to such effort to forget it years ago.

Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception, Wendelin Van Draanen. I like Sammy's willingness to take the artists seriously. And a fight with a nemesis is always pleasant.

Change of Heart
, Norah McClintock.

Reading and Learning to Read, Jo Anne Vaca.

2018 Challenge Progress:
  1. Cybils 2017! 11/104-ish. Still reading Song of the Current.
  2. Reading My Library: Finished How to Learn and picked up Grunt. Started Ancestral Machines.
  3. Where Am I Reading 2018?: 32/51.  I'll Be Your Blue Sky stayed in Delaware! Prince Joe wandered around so much I couldn't count it anywhere.

1 comment:

2Shaye ♪♫ said...

I had to open up Goodreads so I could get a better look at that Yanked cover. Having not read the book before, I have no idea what I'm looking at. Just thought it funny that you mentioned it. lol PESTO! Ahhhh.... we used to grow a ton of basil and make pesto in the summertime. Our friend had us put it on various pasta and WOW was that yummy! Now I might have to make some, but borrow basil from a friend (since we aren't growing it this year--at least not so far). Have a great reading week, Beth!