I’m so far behind I barely remember what was going on. I marched in a rally (No Kings!), gave blood, met my new Ukrainian friend so she could practice English with me, went to see Patricia Briggs talk about her new book (and bought said new book), and complained about my slowly de-numbing face. Oh, the power went out for a day so we went out to brunch and they let us recharge all our devices. Thank you, Countryside Cafe!

thinks I am currently reading 77 books, but I’m so far behind at marking things as complete that who knows. The library thinks I have 80 physical books checked out. In unrelated news, I have completed my quest to visit all KCLC libraries (in real time, not back in October).

Books Completed Oct 24 - 30

I Survived the American Revolution, Lauren Tarshis. An I Survived book. Once again I prefer the original to the graphic novel retelling, despite the latter’s great illustrations. I enjoy seeing the interiority of the character, and Tarshis makes each one individual and complex. I felt his friendship with the Black workers was earned, not just pushing modern sensibilities back into the past to make a character more,sympathetic.

Blind Date With a Werewolf, Patricia Briggs. I went to hear the author talk about this book and her writing in general, and she was great. Then I wandered over to buy a copy, and my friends joined me although they have moved completely digital in their reading. I thought she did a great job taking some stories originally written as a lark and building a book with an arc and a theme from them; I expected a book of short stories and got a novel.

Where the Woods End, Charlotte Salter. I met this author so I went out to get her book, and it was good and powerful and far too scary for wimpy me. The danger to the kids, both physical and psychological, was very real and conveyed with skill and yikes, it was hard to finish. But I think it would be great for kids.

Give Me a Reason, Jayci Lee. The Tacoma Extreme Library Challenge has a Slot for K-drama, so I grabbed this book about a star returning to California where she has a second chance romance. It was fun, but emotionally the couple came across more as the late teens they were when they tragically parted so she could go off and save the family fortune by become a K-drama star. Hey, I don’t think she ever learns about the zillions he made as a nebulous investment guy before becoming a fireman.

Books Started

Lily and the Great Quake, Veeda Bybee. A Girl Survives book.

Spook, Mary Roach. For Torches & Pitchforks book club.

Bluebird, Ciel Pierrot. Partner read for a book club.

Blind Date With a Werewolf, Patricia Briggs. Buy on sight author.

I Survived the California Wildfires, 2018, Lauren Tarshis. Only a few left.

North Woods, Daniel Mason. River Runs Under It pick.

Mary Anne Saves the Day, Graphic Novel, Ann Martin and Raina Telgemeier. Fun but not as good as the original.

Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, Lisa See. River Runs Under It pick.

Bookmarks Moved

The Way of Kings, Brandon Sanderson

Track Changes, Abigail Nussbaum

Coyote Dreams, C.E. Murphy

Arabella of Venus, David Levine

Hearts Still Beating, Brooke Archer

The Farwalker’s Quest, John Sensel

Interview With the Vampire, Anne Rice

Hundredfold, Anthony Esolen

The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton

Some Sunny Day, Adam Baron

This Tender Land, William Kent Kruger

An Exchange of Hostages, Susan R. Matthews

Come See the Fair, Gabriel Savin

Heavenly Tyrants, Xiran Jay Zhao

So Let Them Burn, Kamilah Cole

Inventing the Renaissance, Ada Palmer

Bookmarks Languished

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

Into the Vast Nothing, J. Bruno

True Colors, Abby Cooper.

South Riding, Winifred Holtby

Calypso, Oliver K Langmead

The Hunger and the Dusk, G. Willow Wilson

Speculative Whiteness, Jordan S. Carroll

Bourne Supremacy, Robert Ludlum

Death in the Spires, K.J. Charles

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

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, David Mitchell

Read Dangerously, Azar Nifisi

One Jump Ahead, Mark L Von Name

The Last Witchfinder, James K. Morrow. Scintillation book club.

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel

Lepunia: Kingdom of the Gallopers, Kevin Ford

Picture Books, Poems, and Short Stories

Super Goat Girl, Tracey Baptiste. Recommended by the podcast Even the Trunchbull, this is a fun book about a new kid in a class of superheroes. She’s unsure of herself but has hidden strengths, yet her classmates are a little hesitant to accept her. There are great illustrations and clever puns (the teacher, who gets rescues a lot, is Miss Damsel) and goats are cool.

Books on Slow Mode

Home Comforts, Cheryl Mendleson. I read one section a day. On to picking the right material for a household linen job. Or a carpet.

At the Feet of the Sun, Victoria Goddard. Long slow ending is like finishing a milkshake; good to last drop.

50 Great Poets, ed. Milton Crane. Mail bribe.

The Writer's Stance: Reading and Writing in the Disciplines, Dorothy U. Seyler. Mail bribe.

Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James.

War Cross, Marie Lu. Mail bribe.

Teaching With Caldecott Books, Scholastic books. Mail bribe. I like that I remember these books. Or not; I had confused Last Stop On Market Street with a different book.

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: Red Dragon Codex
Library Book: Tom Lake
Hugo Finalist: So Let Them Burn
Foolscap Book Club Book: Hugo Short Stories,
Sword and Laser Club Book: Floating Hotel, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn
Scintillation Book Club: Fangirl
Cloudy Book Club: What Feasts At Night, The Gilded Crown
Torches and Pitchfork Book Club: Moon of the Crusted Snow, Canticle For Leiberwitz
River Runs Under It Book Club: Barracoon
Talbot Hill Book: Animal Stories, nonfiction
Friday Book Club: Some Sherlock Holmes pastiche