Susie Please Come Home

So this is a case where it’s a good thing I’m a few weeks behind. The big news of the week was my Susie-cat disappeared. We don’t know how she got out, but somehow she did. As an indoor cat, her experience of the world full of cars, dogs, coyotes, and burrs is very limited, so we feared the worst.

But one week after her disappearance a vet called and said she was found and her microchip led to our phone number. So whew! Thank goodness.

Also my phone died so now I have a replacement and spend all my time making silly emojis.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 61 books. I think that is a few books high so I’m not worried. The library thinks I have 61 physical books checked out, so I should work on that.

Books Completed  June 20-27

I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball, Brian Churilla. I forgot to add this as finished last week. I’ve enjoyed WWII stuff since I was a kid, but I thought this was a bit diffuse for the series. The kid almost dies a few too many times, and the reunion with his pal seems unearned. But still, WWII France is always a good read for me. 

Her Aussie Holiday, Stephanie London. This was a fun book that worked harder on the human stuff than the sex, although it was quite spicy, especially as the couple decided to acknowledge their attraction by having a wild fling, knowing that she’d be returning to New York. Meanwhile she was dealing with her confidence and need for outside approval, and he was dealing with his fear of rejection and any commitment that would leave an opening for that. And it wasn’t until that work was done that they could do the romance. It was definitely a good book to understand that vacation romance is a full sub genre and now I’ll go looking for it.

Watership Down:the Graphic Novel, James Sturm. I think this was a good adaptation although I wish I had either finished in time for book club or given myself a longer break. I think the rabbits were well deliniated although of course I could barely tell anyone apart. I especially liked how small Pippen and Fiver were, and the storm scenes as they escaped with the does.

Alibi, Sharon Shinn. A cute novella in the shape of a romance but really about a friendship group that helps its members be open to new interests and people. There’s a tiny mystery that doesn’t make much sense but shows how well the groups are working. And the teleport stuff is interesting.

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe. I’ve started the Juvenile Fiction section of my Renton Highlands Library Quest, where I read a book from each shelf.  This is the sequel to a book I read a few years ago, so I grabbed it to see what my old friends were up to. As an adult I’m entertained by the worldbuilding, which borrows Pokémon rules by sending the young witches out and an amazing young age. In this one Eva borrows way too much responsibility so she can angst over guilt, but she also uses her friendships, her courage, and her determination to get jobs done. Her relationship with her more magically powered rival is interesting; his emotional weakness and damaged family leave him vulnerable where Eva is strong. I do wish the magic spells scanned better though. 

System Collapse, Martha Wells. I finished just in time for our final meeting before we start watching the Murderbot TV series. Then I missed the meeting so I could go out to eat with my sister and her family. But it felt like the culmination of an emotional plot seeded in the first novellas. The plot itself was a bit muddled though.

The Wild Iris, Louise Glück. Poetry. This is the kind of book I was hoping for when I started reading poetry before bed. Short poems, one or two pages, that drop a perfect image into my mind complete with emotional resonance, 

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell. Hugo novel finalist. This moved along and I really liked the voice, but I’m a troubled by the monster aspect. Like, I get people being interested in the monsters in fairy tales, especially people who feel different from all others, but I always assumed that they imagined the monsters to be actual sympathetic but misunderstood people. In this case, the monster has actually been merrily devouring people (but they were all bad, I assure myself with a quote from True Lies). But it turns out that this is OK because the monster hunters are worse. and every time the reader might balk at the protagonist’s innocent murderous ways the author has the baddies kick some puppies so we know we can sympathize with their opponent. I’m dubious.

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, Lauren Tarshis. This worked by spending most of the book on one very bad wonderful day involving several sets of Nazis, unexpected friends, and a reunion. Then the rest of the horrid war is hurriedly passed over. Jewish kids, partisans of all flavors, even some moments of recognizing that Germans can be humans - all the hallmarks of good WWII kidlit.

Downeast Genius, Earl Smith. Fast biographies of various inventors with some connection to Maine serve as a swift overview of changing times since before statehood to almost modern days. What is needed and who can have patents are the main beats, with some fun household names spotted along the way (I had no idea L.L. Bean got it’s reputation by making terrible boots as their first offering.)

Kristy and the Walking Disaster (Graphic Novel), Ellen T Crenshaw from Ann Martin. Baby-sitter book. My favorite books are the ones with zillions of kids, so this one pleased me. I like the idea of allowing toddlers on your pee-wee team.

Books Started

Kristy and the Walking Disaster (Graphic Novel), Ellen T Crenshaw from Ann Martin. Baby-sitter book.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell. Hugo novel finalist.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Ernest J. Gaines. Next shelf pick on my library quest.

A, B, C: Three Short Novels, Samuel Delaney. The A novel is the Foolscap pick.

Downeast Genius, Earl Smith. A present from friends when I visited them.

Hell Followed With Us, Andrew Joseph White. Torches and Pitchforks pick.

I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79, Lauren Tarshis. I’m gonna get them all!

Bookmarks Moved

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Lyorn, Steven Brust

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Soul Taken, Patricia Briggs (I’m moving to audio to finish this reread)

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                                                

                                                          Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                        Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                   Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                            True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                     South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

               Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

 

Picture Books and Short Stories

The Prince and the Knight, Daniel Haack. A Prince is being dragged through the marriage mart by his parents but can’t find anyone compatible. Then he rushes home to fight a dragon and finds a knight there to help. There’s his true love! It’s a big gay romance, but I’m even more modern and read it as a guy who is only attracted to fighters. It was the sword, not the beard, that hooked him.

I must say the rhyme scansion was not great. I’ve apparently already read the sequel, and my comment was about the wonky scansion, so I guess it’s a choice?

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. I am learning about The Pantry.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Here comes the Sun.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Walt Whitman rolls on.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. 

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

I only notice when I’m caught up.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Poppy and Marigold
• Library Book: Emma-Jane Lazarus Fell in Love
• Ebook I own: Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Tribute, Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Liar’s Text
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: 
• Romance Book Club: A month off

National Holidays: Flag, Fathers, Freedom

This was a very pleasant week. Not the past week, the one before that. I’m behind again.  

I went walking in the Bellevue Botanical gardens with my friend, and the flowers and the company were both enriching. I had a nice drive with my son that included a raid of the chocolate store’s clearance section. I took myself to see the new Karate Kid movie, the one with the previous guy coming back to help train, and it hit all the right notes and had bonus pizza training. 

I enjoyed two book clubs plus my standing Tuesday night Murderbot reread. Romance book club had fun looking at the Vacation Romance genre, which I had not realized was a thing but of course can work perfectly, and my library club had our “classics” month and discussed The Sun Also Rises. Few people liked it, so we also talked about whether we wanted to keep an annual classic (yes) and how to find more pleasing ones. Also whether it’s important to like the people in the books we read.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 59 books. I’m going to try to get it below 50 but I’m pleased to keep it at three pages on GR. I did succeed this week in finishing more books than I started! Wait, that was only because I finished one last week and forgot to record it.

Books Completed  June 13 - 19

The Butcher of the Forest, Premee Mohamed. Hugo novella finalist. Great imagery, and the way it worked with the internal grief and guilt as well as the external power dynamics was really interesting. I’m not satisfied with the ending; somehow the costs and rewards don’t balance with the rest of the text for me.

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne. It’s been so long since I read this that all the plot was new and the French accent was the main nostalgic pleasure. It’s a fun historical romance with great plot and fun characters. It’s more pleasure fantasy than emotional realism but the tone supports that entirely.

The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway. This was not popular with the book club. The characters are all unsympathetic, the drinking stunned us, and the promiscuity and antisemitism made most people uncomfortable. But there was also a consensus about the power of the setting and how evocative scenes such as the bullfight and the fishing trip were. We agreed it was a good length. I remember reading this as a kid and being confused about Jake’s war wound and this time I was also confused but from the opposite direction. Like, the rest of his body seemed to work so why was his relationship with Brett so doomed? 

The Lives of Tao, Wesley Chu. Sword and Laser pick. This was a fun adventure with a rather hapless protagonist and the alien who infests him. It was a smooth read but not enough to make me go on. For one thing, the final battle scene really damseled the girlfriend in a way that left a bad taste in my mouth, so I wasn’t given that urge to grab the next book. But this one was fine.

I Escaped the Salem Witch Trials, Juliet Fry. Short and did what it said on the tin. This really leaned into the idea that the Salem girls were just petty kids having fun accusing people and the authorities were idiots and kinda evil, and I’m under the impression that things were more complicated than that, but this gave us a nice orphaned protagonist who is plucky and courageous and does the right thing.

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams. I enjoyed these stories which fill in some more areas of rabbit life. It was a good audio to clean the kitchen with.

The Baby-sitter’s Winter Vacation, Ann M. Martin. Another fun super special! The week at the fabulous lodge with unlimited winter sports sounded awesome, and I liked how the girls stepped up to help with the elementary kids. Mary Anne seems to have gone off the deep end with her crush but Kristy’s crazy competitive streak was amusing. Very much a blast from the past even though I skipped these in my youth.

Tusks of Extinction, Ray Naylor. Hey I finished this ages ago. I liked the parallels between mammoth adolescents and the boy with the hunters and the complicated romantic relationship and the unexpected but coherent decisions off the elephant loving lady.

Books Started

I Escaped the Salem Witch Trials, Juliet Fry. I got this book by accident (I meant to get an I Survived book) but I read it anyway. 

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky. Hugo novel finalist. 

The Lives of Tao, Wesley Chu. Sword and Laser pick. 

The Wild Iris, Louise Glück. Poetry. This is great. 

Her Aussie Holiday, Stephanie London. For the romance club: Vacations

The Wood at Midwinter, Susanna Clark. This book is really a short story. 

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944, Lauren Tarshis. Still reading these. 

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Lyorn, Steven Brust

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

System Collapse, Martha Wells

Watership Down:the Graphic Novel, James Sturm

I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball, Brian Churilla

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

                                                                                            

                                                          Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                        Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                   Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                            True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                     South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

               Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

      Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

   Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

   One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Picture Books and Short Stories

The Wood at Midwinter, Susanna Clark. It’s evocative and sorta seasonal for the dead of winter, but I think it’s borrowing the atmosphere of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell to work so I’m not sure it would read as well to someone who hasn’t read that. It interacted in an interesting way with the book about the autistic political movement and the social definition of disability, because the protagonist is pursuing their life and fulfillment in a way that society (even the members that love her) think is incorrect but that makes sense to her.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except currently I’m reading in the Bookworm book instead. Priorities.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip meets another hero, and again it doesn’t go to plan.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe. Robert Browning is great. And Walt Whitman is a good one to follow with.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. We are into actual books!

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

So long ago! I dunno. 

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Poppy and Marigold
• Library Book: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
• Ebook I own: Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Tribute, Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Honey Witch
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book. I need to start on the recommendations though. 
• Friday Book Club: A Sorceress Comes to Call (I've read it)
• Romance Book Club: A month off

International Traveling

Yay! Scintillation! A gathering of people deeply invested in books and thinking about story and what it means and why it matters. I’ve been going since the pandemic and it’s wonderful. It’s in Montreal and the food is amazing. So my soul and my stomach get fed to their hearts’ content.

And then I came home and had the end-of-the-year book club party for my elementary kids, and it was crazily well attended and everyone got cookies and books and had a good time. 

Goodreads thinks I am reading 58 books. I think that is accurate but I’m going to try to get it below 50. I guess that means finishing more books than I start. 

Books Completed  June 6 - 12

Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman. A fun concept and it moves along well, but there are a lot of times the tone shifts unexpectedly or the author pushes in to tell a joke. I think with a little experience and a good editor this author will be one to enjoy.

The City, Christian McKay Heidicker. Very scary and very foxy. I have some problems with the science and some of the young foxes were hard to like but I see why kids like it. And, it counts as my first Talbot Hill Recommendation item, although I finished it the week before we made the list.

The Road to Roswell, Connie Willis. Light but funny. I’m glad I read it in spurts because Willis really likes the rom com gimmick of interrupting someone right before they can reveal the important clue, and that is better in different episodes. Book club enjoyed it.

The Final Reflection, John M. Ford. Okay, this is Klingon society for me now. The world building was great and I enjoyed the Klingon diplomacy bits a lot.

Books Started

The Final Reflection, John M. Ford. Because Scintillation is the perfect place to read a Ford book.

The Butcher of the Forest, Premee Mohamed. Hugo novella finalist.

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Lyorn, Steven Brust

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Baby-sitter’s Winter Vacation, Ann M. Martin

I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball, Brian Churilla

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

Watership Down:the Graphic Novel, James Sturm

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne

System Collapse, Martha Wells. 

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                        Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.  

                                                                Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.                                   

                                                       Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                     Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                                Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                         True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                                  South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

            Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

   Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver

The Sun Also Rises, Earnest Hemingway

Tusks of Extinction, Ray Naylor

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Picture Books and Short Stories

None.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except when I’m reading a Bookworm novel.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure. Into the sea. Beautifully.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe.

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

Library:

I forget 

Bought:

The Spear Cuts Through Water

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen

Wrath Becomes Her

Tooth and Claw 

The Emilie Adventures 

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Downeast Genius
• Library Book: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
• Ebook I own: Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Devils
• Scintillation Book Club: Tribute, Wolf Hall
• Cloudy Book Club:  Honey Witch
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book:  Summer Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: 
• Romance Book Club: A month off

Is June Spring or Summer?

This was a nice week. I finished some library books that were due, checked out the farmers market, made some fresh bread, and generally enjoyed myself before flying off to Montreal for Scintillation, a small SF literary convention filled with good topics, good conversations, good people, and surrounded by good food. 

Goodreads thinks I am reading 63 books. There are a few more I haven’t marked as complete, so I should dip under 60 soon. Maybe I can hit 50 by the end of the year!.

Books Completed May 30 - June 5

Little Miss Stoneybrook… and Dawn, Ann M. Martin. This was was very silly and utterly charming. It starts with an out of character spat about who is the best baby-sitter, which is an excuse for everyone to enter random kids in a beauty contest. Luckily we spend the most time with the ones whose idea of a talent is peeling a banana with your foot.

Mickey7, Edward Ashton. Sword and Laser pick. This was an odd reading experience because I saw the movie first. Usually I’m firmly in the “read the book first” camp but I wasn’t hreally planning on reading it so I watched the movie on my trip to Texas last April, and then S&L picked it to read. I thought the movie had more interesting questions about capitalism and aliens and personhood, and the book had more interesting aliens and tried harder to grapple with the whole identity thing. The in person book club thought the movie was obviously playing up to Trump, but I thought it was more playing to a rather stock evil rich dude but since Trump also leans hard into that trope there are a lot of similarities. And the book club did wish they had gotten the Ship of Theseus stuff right.

A Dark and Drowning Tide, Allison Saft. For Cloudy book club. I liked the grumpiness of the protagonist and the setting in a magical not-1800s-German-unification country, but I thought the romance would have worked more as a friendship thing; as it was the romance dragged down the book first because I didn’t believe in it and second because there were so many problems, which the characters even discussed in their third act “we can never be together” speech but then at the end they remembered they were in a romance so they got together anyway and I have no idea how they will deal with the problems. I liked the roll the fake Jewish fantasy religion played in the protagonist’s life, even if that was one of the ignores issues at the end.

Hello, Mallory, Ann M. Martin. It was nice seeing the club be idiots from an outside point of view, with the dumb test. Jessi and Mallory’s friendship seemed real and the reconciliation with the club proceeded on track. The race stuff was handled in a very matter of fact way; people are racist, Jessi’s family is disappointed but not really surprised, and good guys like our club members reach out without thinking about it and we know they are good guys.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett. Hugo finalist. This was a fun mystery with a master detective who rarely leaves her room and her Watson who gathers the clues and is not an idiot but has his own limitations. They have biological science that is pretty much magic and the world is under attack so maybe the empire is needed. This should be an entertaining series.

Cracker!, Cynthia Kadohata. 2007 Cybils finalist. An old fashioned kind of book bu tin a good way. We get a dog-eyes view of the Vietnam War, along with the perspective of the boy who loses the dog and the older boy who inherits her when he joins the army. The boys are not much more sophisticated than the dog, so it’s a very sensory based history but that makes for a great reading experience.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot. Poetry book. I haven’t read this for some decades so I grabbed it off the library shelf, it’s got the fun stuff I remember, and also the racist bits and the occasional dip into twee. I’m still croggled by the musical.

Exadelic, Jon Evans. This will be my present to my brother on his birthday. He occasionally reads this blog, so don’t tell him!

Books Started

Hello, Mallory, Ann M. Martin. It will be a long time before I run out of Baby-sitters Club books.

I Survived the Battle of D-Day 1944 Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball, Brian Churilla. Brian is a new name to me but I guess the art does look a bit different. 

The Road to Roswell, Connie Willis. For my friends book club. The one that is my friends.

The Sun Also Rises, Earnest Hemingway. For the library’s The River Runs Under It Bookclub.

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot. Poetry book.

Baby-sitter’s Winter Vacation, Ann M. Martin. One of the supers-specials, which apparently means alternating narrators.

Tusks of Extinction, Ray Naylor. Hugo finalist novella.

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki. 

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

System Collapse, Martha Wells. 

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne

Watership Down:the Graphic Novek, James Sturm. 

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulo

The City, Christian McKay Heidicker

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Lyorn, Steven Brust

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Yu Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                     Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.  

                                                             Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.                                   

                                                        Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman. 

                                                   Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                  Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                             Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                      True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                              South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

         Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. River Runs Under It pick

Picture Books and Short Stories

“The Green Glass Paperweight,” by Sarah Monette. Great depiction of internal anger.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except when I’m reading a Bookworm novel.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure in a castle at the top of the ocean..

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe. Robert Browning slaps hard.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to December!

Books Acquired

I’m too far behind to do this.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Downeast Genius
• Library Book: I Escaped the Salem Witch Trials
• Ebook I own: Alibi
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Jewels of Aptor
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  (finished)
• Scintillation Book Club: Camp Concentration (I won’t get this in time), Wolf Hall 
• Cloudy Book Club:  Honey Witch
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: None of This Is True
• Talbot Hill Book Summer Reading! Baby-sitter Little Sister
• Friday Book Club: Sorceress Comes to Call (finished!)
• Romance Book Club: A vacation romance

Final Happy Birthday!

Well, for now. Nobody's dying or anything, it's just that the monthly birthday rounds are taking a pause. We'll get a few more in the fall, but nothing like the monthly cake the spring delivers. To celebrate my niece we went out to a fancy restaurant and toasted here and then came home for ice cream cake. 

I had some nice book clubs; the one covering Watership Down was probably my favorite.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 67 books. But I’ve been very slack an out marking things done while keeping up with books I’ve started so it’s probably not much over 60. I’d like to get below 60 though.

Books Completed May 23 - May 29

Death From the Skies!, Philip Plait. For Torches and Pitforks, a nice apocalypse book. Fun tone, interesting facts, I’ll forget them all in a week.

I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster 1937, Lauren Tarshis. This spent more time on the spies when I was rocking the voyage with bonus Kenyan farm life, but still entertained me.

Watership Down, Richard Adams. Definitely held up in the reread. The foolscap club also enjoyed it and we talked about the parallel tracks of animal stories and fantasy, and the spectrum of anthromorphic vs naturalist creatures, the Chekhov’s mice and dreams and boats, and other favorite bits.

Mallory and the Trouble With Twins Graphic Novel, Arlen Nopla. This shines as a graphic novel because the visuals of identical twins are fun and the subplot of wanting parents to acknowledge maturity is fairly straightforward. Mallory is a lot of fun.

Playlist For the Apocalypse, Rita Dove. These were a great way to end the day. Concentredated bits of experience or emotion ready to chew over,

I Survived the American Revolution 1776, Graphic Novel, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball. I like the ones that are more concentrated, but the illustrations carried me along.

Books Started

Hannelore’s Fifth Year at the Royal Academy, Miya Kazuki. My beloved author continues her most precious series!

I Survived the American Revolution 1776, Lauren Tarshis, Georgia Ball. I’m still grabbing these from libraries.

Watership Down:the Graphic Novek, James Sturm. I had hoped to read this before the book club, but oh well.

The Tainted Cup, Robert Jackson Bennett. Hugo finalist.

A Dark and Drowning Tide, Allison Saft. Cloudy book pick

Lyorn, Steven Brust. Borrowed from my brother.

Mickey7, Edward Ashton. Sword and Laser pick.

Little Miss Stoneybrook… and Dawn, Ann M. Martin.

The City, Christian McKay Heidicker. Sequel to a book club book.

System Collapse, Martha Wells

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Yu Chen (editor)

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne

Exadelic, Jon Evans

Cracker!, Cynthia Kadohata. 2007 Cybils finalist.

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                     Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.  

                                                             Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.                                   

                                                       Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman. 

                                                   Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                   Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                          Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                      True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                              South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

         Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. River Runs Under It pick

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulos

Picture Books and Short Stories

None.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except when I’m reading a Bookworm novel.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure. Into himself. Beautifully.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. 

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Still in November.

Books Acquired

Library:

Someone You Can Build a Nest In, John Wiswell

Float Plan, Trish Doller

Her Aussie Holiday,  Stephanie London

Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, T.S. Eliot

Bought:

None

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: The Final Reflection
• Library Book: I Escaped the Salem Witch Trials
• Ebook I own: Alibi
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Jewels of Aptor
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  The Lives of Tao
• Scintillation Book Club: on hiatus
• Cloudy Book Club:  Honey Witch
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: The Sun Also Rises (finish Demon Copperhead)
• Talbot Hill Book: Party Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: The Road to Roswell
• Romance Book Club: A vacation romance

Homebody

Had my penultimate elementary book club at Talbot Hill this week. The June meeting is a big party, so I just have to buy cookies and I’m ready. Still lots of kids, though!

Goodreads thinks I am reading 69 books. But I’ve been very slack about marking things done while keeping up with books I’ve started so it’s probably not much over 65. Much better, right?

Books Completed May 16 - May 22

Rissa Kerguelen, F.M Busby. Finally finished this — I didn’t not quite manage by the book club but the remit was only the first two books in this omnibus. The style was interesting in that the narrator felt like an authentic unreliable narrator but we weren’t sure that was what the author intended. Many of the things we suspected were part of the 70s zeitgeist now worked to give it an almost futuristic feel but in a “people adapt to strange circumstances” way rather than this is the natural progress of people. The sexual dynamics were often jarring. It was also fun for me to have flashes of memory, because I read some of this decades ago.

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, Sofia Samara. Hugo finalist. Definitely in conversation with River Solomon’s generation book. I enjoyed the rich, descriptive, emphatic language and how it contrasted with the setting; I’m not sure I buy the mystical stuff that was maybe advanced use of technology. But a very satisfying and contemplative read. 

Jessie and the Superbrat, Ann Martin. The title is a bit deceiving, because Jessi and the brat get along well and even help each other a lot. Instead we see a celebrity kid who keeps getting jumped back and forth between his suburban home and Hollywood, and how the reintegration into mundane world isn’t seamless. And then as he works it out he is yanked back to stardom, but we are sure it will all be fine.

Network Effect, Martha Wells. Definitely not supposed to finish this. Oh well. I like the introduction of three and how Murderbot’s friends help it navigate its relationship with Art, and seeing what Art did and didn’t tell its crew.

Saving Verakko, Victoria Avelina. I started this for the romance club but didn’t finish in time for the alien skies discussion. I liked some of the worldbuilding; the author talks in the afterward about wanting to have two beloved tropes in the same book (alpha male and matriarchy) and I think she succeeded pretty well. Both main characters had to make some silly but unquestioned assumptions but they were in character.

I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967, Lauren Tarshis. This has the protagonist’s aunt writing the crucial National Geographic article about the grizzly situation at Glacier Park, which seems counter-factual, but probably the fatal deaths had more to do with the policy changes that discouraged rather than encouraged the eating of tourists.

Stacey’s Mistake Graphic Novel, Ellen T. Crenshaw. A good match with the text version, replacing some of Stacey’s realizations with cute pictures but keeping the core of the stories, both babysitting and girl drama. It was fun seeing the changes in a fun afternoon out for unchaperoned girls with realistic budgets.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, John Scalzi. The many different characters kept me from caring too much about any of them, but I think that was intentional. It was an interesting angle on apocalyptic fiction, appropriate for this year when that’s a theme for one of my book clubs,

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, David Okrent. I liked this book my brother-in-law recommended; it put many things in context and showed me how long lasting the effects of this experiment are. 

Books Started

Mallory and the Trouble With Twins Graphic Novel,  Arlen Nopla. Still on my babysitter kick.

The Way Spring Arrives and Other Stories, Yu Chen (editor). Some friends have a book club that reads short stories so I checked this out to see if I should join. The club met in March and I’m just starting, so I guess I have enough book clubs.

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name. Baen Podcast next book. It will probably last a bit over a year.

Stacey’s Mistake Graphic Novel, Ellen T. Crenshaw. I am enjoying grabbing these from all the libraries I visit.

Death From the Skies!, Philip Plait. For Torches and Pitforks, a nice apocalypse book.

I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster 1937, Lauren Tarshis. Just because book club is over doesn’t mean I can’t keep reading these.

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Playlist For the Apocalypse, Rita Ball

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Watership Down, Richard Adams

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. River Runs Under It pick

Exadelic, Jon Evans

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

Cracker!, Cynthia Kadohata. 2007 Cybils finalist.

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulos

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                     Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.  

                                                             Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.                                   

                                                       Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman. 

                                                   Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                                  Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                             Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                      True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                              South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

         Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

   Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams

   I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Picture Books and Short Stories  

“Human Resource,” Adrian Tchaikovsky. Grim story about the future of H.R.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. Except when I’m reading a Bookworm novel.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure. Into himself. 

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. I don’t like spectator sports much.

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. Making reading analysis fun.

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Still in November.

Books Acquired

Library:

The Brides of High Hill, Nghi Vo

Alien Clay, Adrian Tchaikovsky

Navigational Entanglements, Aliette de Bodard

I Survived the Nazi Invasion 1944, Lauren Tarshis

Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby

Kristy and the Walking Disaster, Ann M. Martin

Dawn and the Impossible Three Graphic Novel, Gale Gallican from Ann M. Martin

The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

Bought:

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frank Weiler, E.L. Königsberg

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Exadelic
• Library Book: Scary Stories For Young Foxes:The City
• Ebook I own: Alibi
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Jewels of Aptor
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  Micky7
• Scintillation Book Club: 
• Cloudy Book Club:  A Dark and Drowning Tide
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Hell Followed With Us
• River Runs Under It Book Club: The Sun Also Rises (finish Demon Copperhead)
• Talbot Hill Book: Party Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: The Road to Roswell
• Romance Book Club: A vacation romance

Another Week Goes By

I’m officially a week behind. Really two. But, I had a great Mother’s Day, starting with an online book club for Tam Lin, with much discussion of how college was, or could have been, or was dreamt of being, and how magic is integrated with a story, of how a spiral plot structure works, of how the right to abortion is crucial for women, and many other things.

Goodreads thinks I am reading 72 books. But I’ve been very slack an out marking things done while keeping up with books I’ve started so it’s probably not much over 60. Gosh that’s not much better, is it? 

Books Completed May 9 - May 15

Eat a Peach, David Chang. The second chef memoir I’ve read in a year, which helps a bit with context. I enjoyed the mix of life history and chef jargon and the insight into experiences so alien to me, whether being a golf prodigy, navigating Korean immigrant culture, or caring so deeply about food.

Fatal Brouhaha, Emmeline Duncan. Although I still liked the business and family stuff, I found the murder part less satisfying. I especially grimaced at her willingness to chase suspected killer down dim and isolated fairground areas.

I Survived the Japanese Tsunami 2011, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club. I’m starting to wonder if losing a parent puts children at higher risk of natural catastrophes. But I liked this one kids were impressed that I remembered it when we talked about the timeline of these books.

Wrecking Ball: Wimpy Kid 14, Jeff Kinney. Talbot book club. Reading these close to each other really emphasizes how unpleasant the whole family but particularly Greg is. The situations are comic but too often come from people being awful to each other. The club did talk about the sibling relationships and how they were exaggerated version of real feelings.

Rogue Protocol, Martha Wells. Prepare for TV show. I finished this between elementary book clubs and was ready for Tuesday’s discussion. I managed to follow the plot this time! I’m sure I will forget all the details before this post goes up though.

Exit Strategy, Martha Wells. Tuesday Gamers Club. This time through I’m tracking Murderbot’s emotional fragility, which it kinda plays for laughs but is definitely reaching a critical point. Also I accidentally read this right away and really I should wait until next Tuesday.

Fugitive Telemetry, Martha Wells.  Oops. I’m not supposed to start this yet. Finishing it was bad form. But I liked the murder mystery tropes and also seeing more people come to appreciate my favorite SecUnit.

I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club. Prior to this book I would have doubted a reference to any shark attack in New Jersey, let alone one in a river and not on the coast. And I liked it better once I realized how young the kid was.

Books Started

I Survived the Japanese Tsunami 2011, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club.

Jessie and the Superbrat, Ann Martin. Only a zillion more to go.

Watership Down, Richard Adams. I’m reading and doing the audio so I finish in time for the Foolscap Book Club.

Fatal Brouhaha, Emmeline Duncan. Wow, the library got this fast. Well, I’m here for a cosy read.

Wrecking Ball: Wimpy Kid 14, Jeff Kinney. Talbot book club.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, John Scalzi. Looked fun.

The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain, Sofia Samara. Hugo finalist.

Exit Strategy, Martha Wells. Tuesday Gamers Club.

I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916, Lauren Tarshis. Talbot book club.

Fugitive Telemetry, Martha Wells.  Oops. I’m not supposed to start this yet.

Network Effect, Martha Wells. Definitely not supposed to start this.

I Survived the Attack of the Grizzlies, 1967, Lauren Tarshis. May as well read them all…

Bookmarks Moved

Alibi, Sharon Shinn

Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement, Steven K. Kapp (editor)

Rissa Kerguelen, F.M Busby

Playlist For the Apocalypse, Rita Ball

Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, David Okrent

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Saving Verakko, Victoria Avelina

Tomb of Dragons, Katherine Addison

Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver. River Runs Under It pick.

Eva Evergreen and the Cursed Witch, Julie Abe

Bookmarks Languished

I have not given up on these! Ignore all evidence.

 

                                                                  Poppy and Marigold, Meg Welch Dendler.  

                                                          Wow, No Thank You, Samantha Irby.                                   

                                                    Samantha Smee: A Pirate’s Life, M.C. Dingman. 

                                                Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno.

                                               Marry Me By Midnight, Felicia Grossmann. 

                                          Long Live Evil, Sarah Rees Brennan.

                                   True Colors, Abby Cooper.

                           South Riding, Winifred Holtby.                   

      Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

Cracker!, Cynthia Kadohata. 2007 Cybils finalist.

Tales From Watership Down, Richard Adams

I’m Nobody, Who Are You?, Emily Dickinson

Threads That Bind, Kika Hatzopoulos

Picture Books and Short Stories  

“Compulsory,” Martha Wells.

“Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory,” Martha Wells. For Murderbot completion.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. I’m too extravagant to freeze a single egg, let alone a single yolk or white; I’d either eat it or offer it to the cats.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Kip having an adventure. Into himself. 

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane (no picture). Mail bribe.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. (no picture). Mail bribe. I like essays.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon. Mail bribe.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe. I don’t like spectator sports much.

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. Making reading analysis fun.

Year of Wonder, Clemency Burton-Hill. Mail bribe. Made it to November.

Books Acquired

Let’s skip this again.

Future Plans

This is for the actual future, so weeks beyond the books in this post. It is also probably wrong.

I am reading: 

• Book I own: Exadelic
• Library Book: Scary Stories For Young Foxes:The City
• Ebook I own: Alibi
• Foolscap Book Club Book:  The Jewels of Aptor
• Sword and Laser Club Book:  Micky7
• Scintillation Book Club: 
• Cloudy Book Club:  A Dark and Drowning Tide
• Torches and Pitchfork Book Club:  Death From the Skys!
• River Runs Under It Book Club: The Sun Also Rises (finish Demon Copperhead)
• Talbot Hill Book: Party Time! No Book.
• Friday Book Club: The Road to Roswell
• Romance Book Club: A vacation romance