Spring Break of Delicious Idleness

Spring break had me and my Paulos hanging out and ignoring all responsibilities. He did about half of his homework (saving the last half for late Sunday). He dragged himself to visit one college. I nagged about colleges, homework, and the lawn.

We actually tackled the lawn, buying a new lawn mower and he managed to mostly mow the grass despite unceasing rain, so Yay! If he mows again on Thursday I think we'll be in good shape.

I dodged cooking completely, taking people out on Wednesday and then talking a friend into hosting book club so I didn't even have to pick which pizza to order. This means I didn't even enter a grocery store and we are reduced to dry toast for breakfast but it was worth it. Luckily we get milk and eggs delivered to our door so we won't starve. Book club was with some of my favorite people and we talked about the Clean Sweep series and then also other books, our jobs, and life.

I took Paulos to see Ready Player One although we hit an afternoon showing, not the trendy late night adventure with Alexander.

I finished the last Cybils book from last year! Well, I think I have to buy a board book but whatever. My currently Reading is back up in the thirties for unknown reasons. Hmm.

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 join in there. There's also a version that is kidlit focussed at either Teach Mentor Text or UnLeashing Readers. I finished one YA, which is about my only connection to kidlit this

This Week I started:




Elfhome, Wen Spencer. I've also subscribed to her patreon page so I could read all the Elfhome snippits and short stories. I'm all in here.

Six Wakes, Mur Lafferty. Lafferty is nominated for a Hugo this year. She is also married to the roommate of one of the guys in my Tuesday book club, so we are reading her book.

Master of Crows, Grace Draven. For my book team.

All Systems Red, Martha Wells. Tor gave this to me for free!

Clean Sweep, Ilona Andrews. My monthly book club picked this.

Sweep in Peace, Ilona Andrews. We don't require you read the whole series, but we don't mind if you do.

One Fell Sweep, Ilona Andrews.  I mean the fourth one is in progress, so I should be prepared.

I finished:




Weight of Zero, Karen Fortunati. Cybils YA. I now declare victory in last year's Cybils read (although I'm still missing a board book, which I'll try to buy). I found the protagonist in this annoyingly selfish, which I guess is not uncommon in teenagers but usually I don't have to sit in their thoughts. Eventually she realizes this about herself and tries to improve. And the twist is she has bipolar disorder, but that's a minor problem compared to the self-centeredness and also treatable.

Silent in the Sanctuary, Deanna Raybourne. This is a bit of a failure of a murder mystery, in that not all the baddies get punished, and it also doesn't really work as a romance, in that there is only a glimmer of hope of a HEA, but as a historical it's a densely immersive tale of an eccentric rich family and the protection and security their heritage and wealth bring them in late 1800's England. I enjoyed it but would have preferred it to be about 150 pages shorter.

Elfhome, Wen Spencer. I really liked the deeper look at Oilcan and how he ended up in loco parentis to the Stone Clan, and the deeper explanations of Elven society, assumptions, and prejudices. I like how Spencer can look at any character, and with a deep sense of sondor explore their drives, interactions, and internal truths. And then I liked going all over all the short stories, false starts and possible next steps Spencer put out for her readers on her home page.

Project Elfhome, Wen Spencer. This is an interesting group of stories, including some explicitly marked as false starts or experiments, giving us both a great group of characters but also some insights into the writing process. And now I'm deeply invested in Forest Moss and Olivia (his child bride) as well as in Jane and her extended family of misfits, tengu, and war correspondents.

Clean Sweep, Ilona Andrews. Dina has an inn, a friendly werewolf neighbor, and unfriendly cop acquaintance, and a beef with an intergalactic assassin. I have a good time.

Sweep in Peace, Ilona Andrews. Did I mention the vampires who also argued with the assassin? Well they are back and need someplace to host their delicate peace negotiations with their ancestral enemies and some goofballs. How about a nice quiet inn? Hey, is that the werewolf coming back?

One Fell Sweep, Ilona Andrews. I didn't actually finish this until the day after book club, but I figured why stop? Dina saves a sentient species from extinction, proposes to the werewolf, and loses a baby. And teaches a mean species a thing or two along the way.

All Systems Red, Martha Wells. This novella snuck up on me and then grabbed me and held me enthralled. Murderbot is my best friend, except I wouldn't want to annoy it by looking at or speaking to it. I'll just recommend some good fanfic and go away. I immediate went to buy all the sequels only to discover that they aren't out yet! At least they are scheduled...

Bookmarks moved in:





Alliance of Equals, Sharon Lee & Steve Miller. Episode 40. Chasing lost AIs is also difficult.

London Rain, Nicola Upson. RML audio book. It picked up a little and then the library called it home with one disc left to go! I'll have to reload it tomorrow.

Giant Pumpkin Suite, Melanie Hill. Still reading with my eyes shut, so it's slow going.

Scythe, Neal Shusterman. In the future, DEATH is outlawed. Our heroes consider walking away from Omelas.

Wolf Who Rules, Wen Spencer. I'm not sure when I can declare this done, since I'm not reading it lineally but hopscotching all over the place.

Shadow of a Doubt, Norah McClintock. I like the mystery parts, but I'm a curmudgeon who gets bored during the teen romance parts.

Harmful to Minors, Judith Levine. I'm in the homestretch, where the discussion moves to a better reality than the one America is carving for itself.

All By Myself, Alone, Mary Higgins Clark. And the characters are dropping like flies -- BOOM. BOOM.

Fledgling, Octavia Butler. Our protagonist appears to be some sort of vampire. Cool.

Tinker, Wen Spencer. Same problem -- I'm reading all over the place. Do I just stop or do I count it as a reread? Ethical problems in tracking my reading.

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



Kenilworth, Sir Walter Scott.

A Traitor to Memory, Elizabeth George.

The Quantum Universe, Brian Cox. The hydrogen atom and how it looks.

Sammy Keyes and the Art of Deception, Wendelin Van Draanen.

Change of Heart, Norah McClintock.

Reading and Learning to Read, Jo Anne Vaca.

2018 Challenge Progress:

1. Cybils 2017! 7/104-ish. I read another hundred pages in Scythe.
2. Cybils 2016!  105/106. I declare victory! Although I still hope to trip across the board book Follow the Yarn.
3. Reading My Library: Working slowly on London Rain which at least at added a possible mystery. Read a few chapters of All By Myself, Alone.
4. Where Am I Reading 2018?: 27/51. Added Texas. I have no idea where Scythe is taking place.