foggidawn's Less Mysterious Second Thread of 2022

Hey, so we're back to being able to talk about what I'm reading!

Last year I was reading for an award committee, so I couldn't post much about what I was reading. With that work behind me, I can post titles and reviews again! For the rest of the year, I'm basically planning on recovering from the arduous reading I did in 2021. I'll read a lot less, and I'll focus on reading the "grown-up" books that I set aside in favor of award committee reading. I also have a lot of non-reading to focus on, because as many of you know...
John and I are getting married in September of 2022!
We're planning a small, simple wedding, but I'm sure it will still involve a fair bit of planning.

I'm counting on you all to keep my thread alive even when there aren't a lot of book titles to talk about! I'll still post about other things in my life: my darling dog Lottie, pictured above showing off my new bookshelves; family, friends, and fiance; cooking, gardening, gaming, sewing, and theatre (or at least any of those that I get around to this year), and whatever else I get up to. It should be an interesting, exciting year!

Books Read in 2022:

1-10. {Redacted}
11. Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
12. The List of Things that Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead
13. The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde
14. Maus I by Art Spiegelman
15. Maus II by Art Spiegelman
16. Landline by Rainbow Rowell
17. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
18. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
19. The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
20. The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming by J. Anderson Coats
21. When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
22. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
23. The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison
24. The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
25. The Angel of the Crows by Katherine Addison
26. The Clergyman's Wife by Molly Greeley
27. Straw into Gold: Fairy Tales Re-spun by Hilary McKay
28. Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
29. The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary
30. Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
31. We Are All Made of Molecules by Susan Nielsen
32. Sweeping Up the Heart by Kevin Henkes
33. Molly of the Mall: Literary Lass & Purveyor of Fine Footwear by Heidi Jacobs
34. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
35. Night by Elie Wiesel

Hi! Go ahead and post below.

Happy new thread! I love seeing your bookcases.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Foggi!

I don't know about your library, but both of mine now have Cyrano on order and I'm definitely in the holds queue. :)

Third attempt to come to wish you a happy new thread Foggi, don't know what happened just now to the threads.
Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

HAppy new one!

>4 _Zoe_: Thanks! They make me happy.

>5 bell7: Thanks!

>6 MickyFine: Ooh, good reminder -- I'm now on the holds queue for it at my library!

>7 PaulCranswick: and >8 curioussquared: and >9 quondame: and >10 figsfromthistle: Thanks for visiting!

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, foggi!

>12 drneutron: and >13 alcottacre: Thanks for stopping by!

(36 books read)



Begone the Raggedy Witches by Celine Kiernan -- Mup sees the raggedy witches for the first time on the night her Aunty dies. Aunty's ghost is able to keep the witches away for now, but it's the first taste for Mup of a world she's never imagined, a world that exists right alongside hers . . . a world where her mother is heir to the throne. Warring factions want Mup's mother to come back and take the throne. When Mup's father is kidnapped, her mother takes Mup and her little brother into the forest and across the border to this other world. Accompanied by Aunty's ghost and the faithful family dog, Mup will face many adventures and learn new things about herself along the way. And eventually, inevitably, she will have to face the evil queen, her grandmother.

I found this an enjoyable fantasy in the vein of The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Readers who enjoy juvenile fantasy with strong currents of folklore and Faerie will want to pick it up.

Happy new thread, Foggi!

>16 FAMeulstee: Thanks!

Happy new thread, Foggi! I always think fall weddings are the best. Jim and I keep giving each other good reasons to make it official after all these years, but we haven't quite arranged it yet.

>18 ffortsa: Thanks! I think fall will be a good time for a wedding. I'm enjoying the planning so far.

(37 books read)



A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers -- Sibling Dex has a good life in their city monastery, but they find themself craving the wilderness. They decide to become a tea monk, traveling from village to village to offer tea and a listening ear. When even that life fails to scratch the itch, they venture even further into the wilderness, where they meet a robot -- the first robot to approach and converse with a human since the robots attained sentience and left for the wild. The robots have decided it's time to check in on humanity and see how things are going. In their ensuing conversations, can Sibling Dex figure out what they are truly searching for?

I very much enjoyed this contemplative novella. Chambers has crafted a fully realized setting, complete with religious system and social structure, explained organically as the story moves along. I'd like to be a tea monk now.

Yesterday I was off, so after spending the morning on paperwork and errands, I rewarded myself with a trip to a new-to-me used bookstore. I picked up copies of Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare, Little House in the Ozarks: The Rediscovered Writings, My Antonia, and a very nice hardcover boxed set of The Brontë Collection, which includes some books I have read, and some I have not. I traded in some books for store credit, so I splurged a little. The bookstore leans toward popular materials and classics, so it's not going to be my one-stop shop, but there are lots of interesting-looking antique and vintage books that I'll revisit in the future, and they're working on adding a café corner with a variety of teas, so I'll definitely be back in a while.

>21 foggidawn: Oh nice. Sounds like a nice bookshop visit. The secondhand shop in my burb has a so-so selection and weird hours so I don't go often. There's a great one in the city though that has two locations and much more varied collections. Plus one location has store cats. ❤

>1 foggidawn: Happy new thread! And my daughter is getting married in September, too. Hurray! Good luck with all the details, even if you are keeping it simple. ; )

>22 MickyFine: There's a used bookstore up in the city that I want to check out -- from the looks of things, I'd say it's a paperback swap sort of place, like the ones I visited in my childhood. (Not that there's anything wrong with those, it's just that I'm less likely to be interested in their specific wares now.) The hours there are much less convenient, but one of these days I will check it out and see if it exceeds my expectations.

>23 Berly: Thanks for your good wishes, and the same to your daughter!

(38 books read)



The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths -- Talgarth High, the school where Clare teaches, is not particularly prestigious. The one thing it's known for is that the old building and the grounds used to be the estate of author R.M. Holland, whose short story "The Stranger" is a prime example of the Victorian horror genre. Clare, an English teacher, knows the story well, and in fact, she is writing a biography of the enigmatic author. However, events take a turn for the macabre when people with a connection to Clare start being found murdered in ways eerily similar to those in the story.

I enjoyed this book, with its literary allusions and school setting. I was kept guessing the whole way through, though the murderer was one of my top three suspects. I was particularly impressed by the intentional way the author used multiple narrators to reveal different facets of the story. There's not too much gore (which is as I prefer it), and the suspense builds throughout the book. Recommended.

>25 foggidawn: Well, I'm hit.

>26 MickyFine: Sorry not sorry. ;-)

>25 foggidawn: You got me with this one... It's also available from Book Outlet right now and I'm using up a lot of willpower not ordering it :)

>25 foggidawn: Ah, definitely one of my enjoyable reads.

Are you anywhere near Dayton? We will probably be there for a wedding in September.

I am glad things are going well!

>28 curioussquared: Might as well go ahead and order it. ;-)

>29 ffortsa: Dayton is on the opposite side of the state, I’m afraid. I would say maybe we could meet up in Columbus, but I also have a wedding to attend in September…

>30 compskibook: Thanks!

Life update: I was in a car crash on Thursday. I’m okay — banged up pretty badly, but no injuries or broken bones. My car is totaled, I’m afraid, but it was a very good car and kept me alive. They kept me overnight at the hospital, but I’m home and resting now.

Owww! Glad the car protected you! I hope you get back to normal soon!

>32 foggidawn: Oh my goodness! Glad to hear you're mostly OK. *hugs*

>32 foggidawn: Oh drat! The shock of a car totaling wreck is nasty, but at least you aren't among the wreckage. Still it's a big shake up. I'm sorry it happened and that you have to go through getting a new car, but relieved that you are not physically hurt.

Oh no! I'm so sorry about the crash! I know those are very traumatic. I'm really happy to hear that you're okay, though. Whew!

>32 foggidawn: Glad you are okay--even if they did keep you for observation.

>31 foggidawn: I may have given in and ordered it... How did you know? :)

>32 foggidawn: Oh no! So sorry to hear about the crash. Glad to hear you are ok physically.

>32 foggidawn: Oh no, a car crash that resulted in an unfixable car, and an overnight hospital stay. I'm glad they keep you overnight to keep an eye on you. And, like others, I am glad you are doing ok.

No one needs that kind of surprise. I'm glad you weren't hurt, and a car is after all only stuff, but it must have been frightening.

>33 drneutron: and >34 MickyFine: and >35 quondame: and >36 scaifea: and >37 thornton37814: and >38 curioussquared: and >39 Whisper1: and >40 ffortsa:
Thank you all for visiting, and pardon me for not replying to each of you individually. I'm still pretty sore, but a little less so every day. I have bruises all over my body, and at this point they are all kinds of different colors: green, purple, yellow, brown, blue, red... And of course I am still feeling pretty shaky and emotional.

Fortunately, John's parents have a car I can borrow to get to work and back. I managed half a day at work yesterday and will try a full day today. This Sunday is Orthodox Easter, so I have some vacation scheduled around that, which should give me some additional time to rest.

(39 books read)



Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery -- Comfort listening, to fill all of those hospital hours.

>41 foggidawn: Glad to hear from you! I hope you continue to recuperate well. I hope the full day at work went well. Happy Easter in advance!

>42 foggidawn: Perfect choice! The films with Megan Follows are my go-to viewing when I'm unwell.

>15 foggidawn: My local library has that one. I will have to give it a shot. Thanks for the recommendation, foggi!

>20 foggidawn: I want to be a tea monk too - and I do not even know what that is! I already have that book in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again.

>25 foggidawn: Already in the BlackHole.

>32 foggidawn: I am sorry to hear the news, but glad you are basically unhurt and that someone can supply a car for your use. Take care of yourself! Baby yourself and your various bumps and bruises.

Good to see you around and glad you got some comfort listening in!

>43 MickyFine: Thanks! I made it through the full day at work, and had a very nice Easter weekend.

>44 alcottacre: Thanks for stopping by! Just the phrase "tea monk" has an appealing sound, doesn't it?

>45 curioussquared: Thank you!

(40-41 books read)

 

Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery -- Continuing with my comfort listening.

>47 foggidawn: Comfort listening to Anne sounds like a good thing. Will you continue with the rest of the series?

I have to say, while I love my Anne covers most, the covers on the audios you've posted are really lovely.

>48 thornton37814: At least the next two. I'm not sure how interested I am in reading the part where the focus shifts to the children right now.

>49 MickyFine: Aren't they? I'm not entirely loving the narrator (Tara Ward), though. I don't like the voice she uses for Gilbert.

>50 foggidawn: That is fair. I tried to listen to a BBC Radio drama adaptation of the first book and turned it off after maybe 30 seconds because my brain refuses to accept anyone but Megan Follows as the voice of Anne. I have a feeling I'd only accept Jonathan Crombie as Gilbert too and as he's sadly deceased I think print is the only way I'll ever be able to enjoy the books.

>51 MickyFine: There's not much Gilbert in Anne of Windy Poplars, so I figure I'll get along well enough with this book, and I think there's a different narrator for House of Dreams.

(42 books read)



The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman -- Lillian has been grieving her husband's sudden death for several years, but when she has to attend a gardening class for work, she can't deny that she finds the instructor attractive. But is she ready to move forward?

I really enjoyed this book. For one thing, it's spring, and I am in the mood for gardening and reading about gardens. For another, it's a lovely story, full of humor and female friendships as well as romance (it's actually pretty light on the romance). If these elements sound appealing to you, give it a try!

>53 foggidawn: Yay! I'm glad this was a good read for you. I really enjoyed it too.

>53 foggidawn: That one is already in the BlackHole or I would be adding it again!

Happy Wednesday, foggi!

>54 MickyFine: Thanks for the recommendation!

>55 alcottacre: Happy Thursday!

We have an elderly gentleman patron who recently discovered the "Anne" books and I think he's told everyone on staff how much he's enjoyed them (and he's watched at least one version of the TV series too). Glad to see it's a series you're enjoying rereading.

And I'm so sorry to hear about your accident and the car being totaled. I hope you continue to recover and are able to find a replacement car soon.

>57 bell7: I love the story of the elderly man finding "Anne."

Hello foggidawn! I am stopping by to see how you are recovering. The need for an overnight hospital stay, and the loss of your car, are two major emotional happenings. It takes awhile to adjust to these unexpected situations that cause us to have to pause and reflect. I admire your one foot in front of the other way of moving!

>42 foggidawn:, I never read Anne of Green Ables, but got hooked on the Netflix series. There is quite a lot of depth in this story!

>53 foggidawn: BB for me!

Hope you are feeling much better after your car accident.

>57 bell7: That's a nice story! Thanks for the good wishes.

>58 thornton37814: Me too!

>59 Whisper1: It did shake me up pretty well, emotionally and physically. I look to you as an example of "one foot in front of the other" when dealing with big challenges!

>60 figsfromthistle: I feel a little better every day, but I am still sore in a few places. Hope you enjoy the book when you get a chance to read it!

(43 books read)



Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano -- Finlay Donovan is back to her usual life as a writer, where the only dead bodies she has to deal with are fictional. (Well, except for her daughter's unfortunate pet goldfish.) However, someone on a sketchy web forum has put out a hit on her ex -- and it looks like a real contract killer has taken the bait! While Finlay finds Steven infuriating, she'd never want him dead, but how can she keep him safe?

I enjoyed this second entry in the series almost as much as the first. If you liked the first book, this one is worth reading.

Glad to see you're still finding plenty of comfort in books, Foggi. I hope you continue to mend well.

I'm sorry to hear about your car accident. I am glad you're okay!

>63 MickyFine: Thanks, Micky. I still feel like I'm reading less than usual, but I am enjoying the books I am reading. I took a stack back the the library today, accepting that I am not going to get to them right now.

>64 kgodey: Thanks!

(44 books read)



Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman -- Frances is the neighborhood carpool mom, so she knows some things about the other families in the neighborhood. It's a surprise, though, when she walks in on a neighbor who is having an affair with a hot younger man. When, inevitably, the husband finds out, the cataclysm shakes the neighborhood in ways nobody could have predicted.

Having enjoyed Waxman's other books, I picked this one up. I found it an oddly stressful read; while I got through it fast, I don't know that I could say that I enjoyed it. Waxman's writing is great, but it's just not the book for me.

>66 foggidawn: Haven't made it to this one yet, but I'll make sure to anticipate that it will be less cozy than my other experiences with Abbi Waxman.

>67 MickyFine: That's a good expectation. I kind of want to go back and reread Nina Hill now, as I suspect that the characters from both of her other books make cameo appearances, which would actually mean something to me now.

>66 foggidawn: Hmm, I might not go for this one. The cover is cute, though.

Foggi! Did this bit of news about The Blue Castle cross your desk?

>69 curioussquared: It does have a cute cover.

>70 MickyFine: Wait, what?!? That's so exciting! I hope they do it justice.

>71 foggidawn: *fingers crossed*

>72 MickyFine: Same.

(45 books read)



Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery -- continuing my audiobook reread. I remember being surprised to learn that this book and Anne of Ingleside were written later than the others in the series, but upon reflection, it does explain several things.

(46 books read)



The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths -- When a 90-year-old woman dies, it's not usually considered suspicious, but Peggy Smith was no ordinary woman. A crime aficionado, she advised several mystery authors on the plots of their books, calling herself a "murder consultant." An unlikely trio of her friends: her Ukrainian caretaker, her next-door neighbor, and an ex-monk turned coffee shop owner, are determined to solve the case. But when the authors Peggy advised start dying in suspicious circumstances as well, it's definitely a case for the police -- specifically, DS Harbinder Kaur.

This is the second book in a series, and I'd recommend reading the first book (The Stranger Diaries) first, but don't stop with that one! This book was a lot of fun. I loved the trio of amateur sleuths. I did think there was one rather large coincidence, and that the ending was a little jumbled, but the characters make the reading so enjoyable that I'll forgive some little snafus.

Dang it! I haven't read either of the two Elly Griffiths you mentioned recently. I just finished a book...hmmmm...headed to the library!! Happy Saturday!

(47 books read)



The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths -- Ruth Galloway, an archaeologist specializing in bones, is brought in on a police case when human remains are found in the salt marsh near her home. She identifies the bones as Iron Age remains, but soon gets pulled into a much more recent case of child abduction and murder.

Having enjoyed Griffiths' most recent series, I decided to try some of her other books, and I am liking these as well. I do think it's a little unlikely that Ruth would have been so involved in the case after identifying the bones, but that's a minor quibble.

(48 books read)



The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths -- Continuing to enjoy the series; probably won't write reviews unless I have something specific to say.

I'll keep Elly Griffiths in mind the next time I'm in the mood for a mystery. If you like her, odds are good I will too. :)

>79 MickyFine: I'd recommend you start with The Stranger Diaries -- lots of fun literary references there. I'm definitely in the mood for mysteries right now, and though I have a couple of fantasy books checked out from the library that I was originally excited about, I can't convince myself to read them at all right now. And I figure I'm unlikely to enjoy them if I force myself to read them.

(49 books read)



The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths

>15 foggidawn: Thank you for the recommendation of that one. I read it over the weekend and very much enjoyed it!

>82 alcottacre: Glad you liked it!

>80 foggidawn: Very wise. Forcing yourself to read something when you're not in the mood often has poor results.

I hope the mysteries continue to hit the spot!

>84 MickyFine: Thanks! The mysteries are hitting the spot so far.

(50 books read)



A Room Full of Bones by Elly Griffiths. I also read the short story Ruth's First Christmas Tree, but I'm not going to count it as a book in my total, seeing as it really isn't even long enough to be called a novella.

I'm sorry to hear about your accident, Misti, and hope you continue to recover quickly. Wedding plans are sounding good and you've done some excellent reading this year, and I love the way you are binging on Anne Shirley and Ruth. Did you know Kelly Barnhill just had her first novel for adults come out? It's When Women Were Dragons and sounds very interesting. Thanks for visiting my new thread.

>87 ronincats: Ooh, I hadn't heard about that! Placing a hold for it now. (I had seen her new juvenile title, The Ogress and the Orphans. She's been busy writing lately, looks like!)

(51-52 books read)

 

A Dying Fall and The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths

(53 books read)



The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths

Sorry to hear about your accident! I hope the recovery is going well. I had The Crossing Places checked out last year and just didn't get around to it, but I hope to at some point. Glad you are enjoying them!

>91 aktakukac: Thanks! I am nearly recovered now; just a few tender spots left.

(54 books read)



The Woman in Blue by Elly Griffiths

(55 books read)



Go to Sleep (I Miss You) by Lucy Knisley -- A fairly slight but enjoyable collection of comics about parenting a new baby. This would make a cute baby shower gift. If you've enjoyed Knisley's other works, particularly Kid Gloves, it's worth a quick read.

(56 books read)



Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery -- I'm continuing my Anne audio reread when I have listening time.

(57 books read)



The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths -- continuing to binge Ruth Galloway mysteries.

(58 books read)



The Dark Angel by Elly Griffiths

(59 books read)



Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery -- This is where the focus of the series starts shifting to the younger generation, and I wasn't sure I'd want to continue on, but I think I will probably continue listening to the series all the way through. I noticed on this reread that all of the Ingleside children except Shirley get at least a chapter. He seems to be the kid who gets the least attention -- all we really hear about him is that he's Susan's favorite.

(60-61 books read)

 

The Stone Circle and The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths

(62 books read)



Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery

(63 books read)



The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths -- Well, I'm caught up with the Ruth Galloway series until the next book releases at the end of the month! Having read so many in succession, I've noticed a certain sameness to them, but it wasn't enough to put me off them. I'm looking forward to reading other things now, though!

(64 books read)



The Maid by Nita Prose -- Molly works in housekeeping at a luxury hotel. She sometimes has trouble understanding social cues, but she understands dirt. She gets immense satisfaction in returning a messy hotel room to a state of perfect cleanliness. When, in the course of her rounds, she finds a shady businessman dead in his hotel bed, it leads to trouble for Molly. Because of her manner while being questioned -- and because she leaves out a few key details that she doesn't think the police need to know -- she falls under suspicion. Molly must figure out who to trust in order to bring the real criminal (or criminals) to justice.

I enjoyed this book and found it a fast read, despite the fact that Molly often slips into reverie in order to provide necessary backstory. The mystery is, I felt, secondary to the characterization, which is fine by me, though hardcore mystery readers may desire greater complexity. I have mixed feelings about how Molly's neurodivergence is portrayed (she has characteristics of autism, though it's never named as such), but that's something that each reader will have a different opinion on, I am sure. I can see this making for good book club discussion. Readers who enjoyed Convenience Store Woman and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine may find Molly to be a similar protagonist in many ways.

(65 books read)



Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery -- finished up my re-listen of the series. This final book was my least-favorite when I was younger, but as I've grown older I've come to more of an appreciation of Rilla's character growth over the course of the book.

(66 books read)



Gallant by V.E. Schwab -- Olivia Prior has spent her whole life in an orphanage. Her most treasured possession is her mother's diary, which contains a letter that her mother wrote to her. Her mother's enigmatic final message is "You'll be safe if you stay away from Gallant." When a letter from an unknown uncle warmly invites her to come home to the family estate, she's thrilled to get away from the orphanage . . . except for the fact that the name of the estate is Gallant. When she arrives, it's clear that nobody is expecting her. Her uncle is dead, the servants are kind but secretive, and her only cousin is unwelcoming and possibly mad. Still, she longs for a real home and wants to learn more about her parents. As she learns more about the house and her family, it's clear that Gallant holds secrets which could be deadly.

I found this a solid read, well-written and atmospheric. There were some good twists and turns to the plot, but I felt that the secondary characters could have been fleshed out a little more. I'm not a horror fan, and this book had just enough creepiness for me without slipping into horror territory. Recommended for fans of this author and for those who enjoy books by authors like Holly Black and Libba Bray.

>103 foggidawn: Rilla makes me ugly cry. Anne's House of Dreams gets some tears too but Rilla made me bawl.

>104 foggidawn: Glad you also found it a solid read. It's not my favourite of her works but I didn't regret my time with it.

>103 foggidawn: Oh interesting, Rilla was one of my favorites when I was younger and then when I reread it (in my 20s, maybe?) all of a sudden I was thinking, "They're all so YOUNG."

>104 foggidawn: I think we had similar thoughts on this one. I wouldn't reread it, but I liked the atmosphere and enjoyed my time with it.

>105 MickyFine: The part with Dog Monday at Jem's homecoming got me this time. And yeah, that about sums up how I felt about Gallant.

>106 bell7: I think that, when I was Rilla's age, I just saw how annoying she was at the beginning, and not how her character changed over the course of the book. I had a harder time relating to Rilla than I did to Anne (or most of Montgomery's other heroines, for that matter).

(67 books read)



When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill -- On April 25, 1955, thousands of American women simultaneously became dragons and flew away. Alex Green's mother did not leave, but her aunt Marla did, leaving behind Beatrice, Alex's adored baby cousin. Alex's mother informs Alex that Beatrice is her sister, has always been her sister, and she never had an Aunt Marla. That's pretty much how the whole country deals with the issue of spontaneous dragoning: pretend it doesn't happen, and never speak of it. After all, it's one of those feminine things, like menstruation, not to be discussed in mixed company (or at all, if one can help it). But although the 1955 dragoning event was the largest on record, it was neither the first nor the last case of women becoming dragons. Alex has questions, and she's not the only one. Her world is on the verge of a change of mindset about women, dragons, and their place in it.

I found this to be a rather more serious and message-heavy book than I was expecting, more about Alex as she grows up, with relatively few dragons appearing on the page for most of the book. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it -- the ideas the author plays with are both interesting and well-presented. (I was just hoping for more dragons.)

>109 foggidawn: More female dragons are always a plus.

>109 foggidawn: I have this home from the library now and will probably read it over the next few weeks. I'm kinda glad to have the heads up that I may not get enough dragons :)

>110 quondame: Exactly.

>111 bell7: Yes, I think I went in expecting too much in terms of dragons. :-)

(68 books read)



Very Rich by Polly Horvath -- Rupert Brown's family is extremely large and extremely poor (think: a cross between the Bucket family and the Herdmans). When Rupert accidentally finds himself spending Christmas Day with Turgid Rivers, one of the wealthiest kids in town, little does he know how his life will change over the next few months.

There's a good bit of quirkiness in this story, which readers familiar with Horvath will recognize as characteristic of her writing style. It makes for a fun, episodic story, but I never felt like it all came together. It's a fairly quick read, but there's an underlying grimness below all of that quirk that is not much alleviated at the end of the book. Kids who like Roald Dahl and Lemony Snicket might enjoy this, but all in all, I don't really recommend it.

(69 books read)



Apple Crush by Lucy Knisley -- Jen's still adjusting to life on the farm with her new step-family. She's nervous about going to a new school, and everything gets super complicated when all of the sudden it seems like everyone else her age is interested in romance and pairing up. Still, her weekend job at the pumpkin patch is pretty cool...

This is a sequel to Stepping Stones, Knisley's earlier middle grade graphic novel, but you don't have to read that one in order to enjoy this one, in my opinion. It's for a younger audience than Pumpkinheads, but it has a similar fun autumnal vibe.

(70 books read)



I Was Told It Would Get Easier by Abbi Waxman -- On a college tour with her daughter Emily, Jessica Burnstein hopes for greater closeness with her daughter, and that Emily will get some clarity about the future. For Emily's part, she's not sure she even wants to go to college. And the fact that both mother and daughter are keeping secrets from each other doesn't exactly bring them closer together. It could be a rocky trip...

I found this a pleasant read, though it's sometimes frustrating just how much the two main characters misunderstand each other. The dialogue and situations the characters find themselves in are both entertaining and true to life. I listened to the audiobook, and found the dual narration well done.

>115 foggidawn: Oh good! I wasn't sure if I'd like this one or not but I know we have similar tastes so I look forward to reading this one. You know, eventually after *gestures at the neverending stack* :)

>114 foggidawn: Oh too funny, I just read that this evening. I may have to look up Pumpkinheads now.

Happy birthday!!!!!

Just dropping by to wish you Happy Birthday, Misti! And I'm having a hard time getting into the Barnhill book due to the messaging.

>116 MickyFine: Oh, I know all about the neverending stack. I think we all have one.

>117 bell7: If you're looking for autumnal graphic novels, I definitely recommend it!

>118 norabelle414: Thanks!

>119 ronincats: Thank you! Yeah, I never found it really immersive, and I think that's why. I'll be interested to see what you think if you finish it.

(71 books read)



Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline -- Shortly after Wade wins Halliday's contest and becomes his heir, a new quest emerges. Halliday left behind a neural interface that would allow OASIS users to control their avatars with their brains, without needing a haptic rig or VR headset. Of course, there are dangers as well as advantages to this technology, and even Halliday wasn't sure that humanity was ready for it. But as soon as Wade tries it, he's hooked, and ready to share it with the world. And when a new leaderboard appears and the quest for the Seven Shards of the Siren's Soul is revealed, he's ready for a new adventure -- even though, or maybe because, things in the real world are not going so well. . .

So, I enjoyed the reading experience. The book is a lot like Ready Player One in that it involves a high-stakes quest in the OASIS. In fact, some might find it a little repetitive. I listened to the audio version, narrated by Wil Wheaton, and it was just as high production quality as the first book. The ending bothered me in several ways. The philosophical ramifications of creating digital clones, the fact that it can be done against a person's wishes or without consent, and the idea that it grants a sort of immortality to those clones all went against the grain for me, despite the seeming attitude that this was a generally good thing. But beyond that, I wanted to know a lot more details about how the story wraps up. Who inherited Og's fortune and the Rivendell house? Did L0hengrin and her friends get their home together? I wanted to hear more about the Low Five in general; I felt that the author didn't fully explore them as he could have. I'd have liked to hear about their quest for the Dorkslayer. But, speaking of the Dorkslayer, it seemed strange that Og would create such a weapon, one that only he could wield, and then hide it within another mini-quest. Why not just keep it in his item bag in case he needed it in a hurry? The quest itself was also problematic to me. For one thing, why make it a public quest if only the heirs could actually compete? All of those shard-hunting Gunters could never get on the leaderboard, so it would just be frustrating to them if they were not fans of Wade. I also thought "My heir must pay a toll" would mean he would have to give up something, not just experience a few seconds of Kira's memories. For another thing, I have to admit that I got kind of bored with several parts of the quest. The Prince part, in particular, seemed to drag on and on and on. There were parts in the first book that were not particularly interesting to me, but it always seemed to move fast enough to keep my interest engaged, even if I wasn't part of whatever fandom they were adventuring through, but in this one, considering that they were in a life-or-death time crunch, it often felt to me like they were dragging their feet a little. In addition to all of that, I thought that Wade's reconciliation with Samantha was too easy. I mean, I wanted them to get back together, but I needed him to work for it, and I didn't feel that he did. All that to say, I feel that this book has more issues than the first book. I had fun reading it, even though I did find that some parts dragged a bit. I'd recommend it to die-hard fans of the first book who are up for another quest story, keeping in mind that you may not love it quite as much.

>121 foggidawn: Yup, the ending of this one bugged me a lot. While I'd re-read the first one, I don't think I'd dip back into the sequel.

>122 MickyFine: Same here. I'd read a novella about the Low Five, though, if he ever happened to put one out.

I've been reluctant to read Ready Player Two because of the reviews and also I didn't like Armada much. I'm going to keep on not reading it, I think.

>124 kgodey: Same here. I really enjoyed Ready Player One and just don't need anything to change about that!

>124 kgodey: Probably a good decision. I had to look up my review of Armada to see what I thought about it; I liked it okay but didn't think it was fantastic. And, apparently, I found it completely forgettable, as the description only triggered some very vague memories.

>125 curioussquared: Yep, I support that decision. :-)

I've been waffling over RP2 as well - I liked the first one so much, and like Natalie, felt like it really didn't need a sequel - especially a flawed one.

>128 drneutron: I'm not sorry to have read it, but like Micky said above, I don't think I'll ever reread it, though I might reread RP1.

(72 books read)



The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix -- In the summer before attending art school, Susan moves to London to try and find out more about the father she's never known. When she starts out by visiting an old family friend, she gets caught up in some seriously weird (and dangerous) stuff. Fortunately, she also falls in with a couple of booksellers, who guard the bounds between our world and the Old World of faeries, goblins, and more.

A fun premise, deftly realized. There's plenty of action and I'd definitely call this book fast-paced, as it seemed to be mostly racing around from one danger to another. I was worried, toward the end, that there weren't enough pages left in the book to wrap things up in a satisfactory manner, but Nix managed to pull it off at the last.

>130 foggidawn: I need to get to this one! Nix just announced that the sequel is coming out March 2023 :)

>131 curioussquared: I saw that as I was working on my review! I thought it worked well as a stand-alone, thought of course I will enjoy revisiting that world when the sequel arrives.

Hi, all! I just got back from ALA Annual, so here's the book haul!


More restrained than some years, but still a hefty stack. In case you can't make out the titles, they are:

The Last Mapmaker
Jennifer Chan is Not Alone
The Ogress and the Orphans
Merci Suarez Plays It Cool
Oscar from Elsewhere
Lolo's Light by Liz Garton Scanlon
Rainbow Garden
Each Night Was Illuminated
The Drowned Woods
Oh, Sal
In the Beautiful Country
The Orphan Keeper
Drizzle, Dreams, and Lovestruck Things
The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Michael's Desserts: Sweets for a Cause by Michael C. Platt
Odder
Mihi Ever After
I Am Ruby Bridges by Ruby Bridges, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith

Not pictured: signed copies of all of our Newbery Medal and Honor books, plus various bookmarks, buttons, tote bags, etc.

I had a lot of fun, especially at the Newbery-related events. I drove to DC and back, which was exhausting but at least I didn't have to worry about how to fit everything in my luggage. I'm not sure when I'll go to another ALA conference, as I'm planning on taking at least a few years off from committee work, and it can be hard to justify taking time off during summer reading if I don't particularly need to be there. Also, I find that I get really burned out if I go go too many conferences in a row. Still, it's always nice to catch up with my library friends.

Glad to hear ALA was a good experience for you and it looks like you made out like a bandit with all your books!

I'd like to go to ALA at least once in my career but I'd likely have to do it on my personal time as my library (even before the pandemic) wasn't allowing crossing the border for PD. Sigh...

I hope wedding prep continues to go smoothly!

>134 MickyFine: Maybe some time when it is on the west coast, it would be easier for you to get to. Doesn't look like that's happening any time soon, though. :-/ I think a lot of us have to go on our own time. Makes me feel less guilty for only attending the sessions I'm super interested in, and skipping out to sight-see (or nap) as desired! And thanks! Wedding prep is still going fine. My cousin is making my cake, so she's been practicing making dahlias out of icing. She's sending me pictures -- she's way more patient and talented than I am at cake decorating skills!

>135 foggidawn: My mother made wedding cakes for contemporaries of my sister and older brother. She mostly did marzipan flowers, but tasked me with doing the icing swag work and borders. Mostly the combination worked.

>136 quondame: I requested (and received) a set of decorator tips for Christmas a few years ago, but I've only done the most basic things with them so far. I should practice with them, but I'm far too likely to eat the results!

>137 foggidawn: Yep, that's one of the hazards. It can be minimized by using royal icing, but I found buttercream deadly.

Nice haul!!!

>138 quondame: Exactly.

>139 curioussquared: Thanks!

(73 books read)



The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown -- Three sisters return to their small Ohio town, ostensibly to help their mother, who has been diagnosed with cancer. However, each one brings her own secrets. This was a reread for me, and I was completely charmed the first two times I read it (once in print, once as an audiobook), but this time I found myself not loving it quite as much. I don't know if I wasn't in the mood for it (though I thought I was) or if my tasted have just shifted slightly in the ten years (!!) since I first read it. I still think it's a solid family story and I love the Shakespeare references, it's just maybe half-a-star less than the five I originally rated it.

Hello foggi, I am getting caught up here and oh boy did I miss a lot! I am so sorry about your car accident and hope that you're fully recovered. That is such a traumatic experience and I think sometimes the mental injuries can take more recovery time than the physical injuries.

Hooray for weddings and ALA! I've never been to a conference - I feel as though I could attend one every month between library events and ed tech events, but I tend to get so bogged down in the weeds during the school year and hardly attend any.

My brother surprised me with a copy of When Women Were Dragons this past week. I will try to read it soon and I appreciate your comments!

I don't remember when I read the Anne of Green Gables books. In my teens or twenties...? I tried a reread on audio recently but it didn't take. Maybe in print sometime.

Happy almost July!

>135 foggidawn: I'm kind of tempted to do one of the DC events because then I could tie in a general trip to the area. Being able to visit the Smithsonian and the Library of Congress would be enough to tempt me (and to convince Mr. Fine to come along).

>142 AMQS: Thanks for visiting! I am pretty much recovered, physically, though you're right that the mental/emotional parts are harder to deal with. I know what you mean about conferences -- there are lots of options out there, and only so much time in a day (or a year). I haven't found an audiobook narrator for the Anne books that I truly love; I think it may be a case of me having read them so many times that I have opinions about how they should sound.

>143 MickyFine: Oh, that makes perfect sense. The museums in DC are definitely worth the trip. Doesn't look like they have another one scheduled for DC yet, though, so it may still be several years.

(74 books read)



The Unadoptables by Hannah Tooke -- Five "unadoptable" orphans flee their orphanage rather than being sold to a cruel ship's captain. Milou, who finds herself to be the leader of the group, has a plan for finding her family. It leads the children to an abandoned windmill in a small town outside of Amsterdam, and a daring plan: what if the five of them just adopted themselves?

There's a definite appeal, for children, in stories of mistreated orphans (think: the cupboard under the stairs), and this has all of the hallmarks of that kind of book: danger, adventure, fast pacing, winsome characters, a mystery to be solved. As an adult reader, I had trouble suspending disbelief in spots, but I still enjoyed the ride.

(75 books read)



The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis -- Clementine and her sister Aster were sold into slavery at a brothel as young girls. When Clem is deemed old enough to "work," her first night takes an unexpected turn, leaving her no choice but to flee. Clementine, Aster, and three other girls run to the wilderness, with only a rumor and a legend to guide them . . . at least, at first. They meet up with a friendly guide along the way, but can they trust him? Even if they do, it will take all of their courage and endurance to escape from the many people who now want them dead.

I found the pacing good and the setting interesting. I found myself picking at a few plot holes, and didn't think the characters were all as well-developed as they could have been. Also, the first chapter (maybe it's a prologue; it's the inciting incident for the story anyway) was from Clementine's perspective, while the rest of the book is from Aster's perspective. This shift bothered me for a while; I kept waiting to go back to Clementine's point of view. I also wanted more resolution of certain threads at the end of the book, but seeing that there is a sequel, I suppose those questions may be addressed in the next book. Not sure yet if I'll read it, but I found this one generally pretty enjoyable.

>146 foggidawn: Congratulations on reaching 75, Misti!

>146 foggidawn: Yay for 75 reads! Congratulations!

(76 books read)



Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman -- Laura Costello's move to L.A. has been fraught with disaster so far. When she winds up in a bookshop, rain-soaked and crying, the employees take her under their wing, one of them even helping her find a place in her own boarding house (her apartment having burned down that morning). There, Laura meets more new friends and finds herself settling in, but her past isn't done with her yet. And also, she's having some Feelings about Impossibly Handsome Bob, a fellow boarder, but it's probably just friendship, right?

This is a nice slow-burn romance set in Waxman's version of L.A., populated by many characters that readers will recognize from her other books. Delightful, and it does stand alone, but I'd recommend reading Waxman's bibliography in order if possible so you get the joy of all of those little cameos.

>149 foggidawn: Oh yay! I'm glad you liked it. I still have a few more Waxman's to read before I get to this one.

Also congrats on reaching 75!

Happy 75!!

>149 foggidawn: Ah, I found that Abbi Waxman conjured a Los Angeles that has no congruence with the one I inhabit.

Congrats on 75+ :) Glad you had fun at ALA!

Nice ALA haul! I love cookbooks so that one interests me!

>150 MickyFine: Something to look forward to, then!

>151 curioussquared: Thanks!

>152 quondame: Yes, I've always suspected it's a pretty idealized version!

>153 aktakukac: Thank you!

>154 thornton37814: Thanks! Yeah, that one was pressed on me as I walked through the exhibit hall, but who could say not to desserts, right? And I always feel a little bad for authors with no signing lines.

(77 books read)



The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison -- Thara Celehar, Witness for the Dead, is called upon to witness for a woman who may have been murdered. This leads to him discovering some seriously shady goings-on at a foundling school. But investigating the school is outside the purview of his calling -- should he leave it alone?

This is the second book in the Cemeteries of Amalo series, a spinoff from The Goblin Emperor. I'd recommend reading at least The Witness for the Dead before reading this one, as the fantasy world Addison has created is immersive and complex, and you'll want all of the context in order to enjoy the story. I found this book just as good as (maybe even slightly better than) its predecessor, and was pleased to note that the ending of this book sets up a third without venturing too far into cliffhanger territory.

Hi Misti! Congratulations on 75!!

I haven't been by in a while and I missed the news about your accident. I'm very glad you're safe but I can imagine it would have shaken you up.

Too many BBs to count and the only thing that saved me - for now - is that I didn't stop to make notes. I'll just star your thread and look through your list, if I ever run out of anything to read. But I do have The Clergyman's Wife on hold.

>157 humouress: Hi! Good to see you! The book bullets will be here when you need them. ;-)

>158 foggidawn: I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

>156 foggidawn: The Grief of Stones is clamoring ever more loudly from the table downstairs.

Slightly belated congratulations on passing 75 books, Foggi!

>159 humouress: Right? I find a healthy TBR list/pile a comforting thing. There will always be plenty of possible things to read.

>160 quondame: Yes, the clamoring grew irresistible for me!

>161 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul!

(78 books)



Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki -- A transgender girl flees an abusive home. A master violinist has made a contract with the devil, and she has just a year left to fulfil it. A family of aliens, fleeing intergalactic war, opens a doughnut shop and tries to blend in with life on Earth. And somehow all of these stories meld together in ways both tragic and heartwarming.

I picked this up hoping for quirkiness ala Becky Chambers, and there is definitely fun quirkiness there (aliens running a doughnut shop? yes!), but it didn't quite work for me. The perspective leaps around a bit, which can be jarring. Also, there's just a lot going on, and with that and the perspective hopping, it's hard to really sink into the story and get to know the characters. I felt that in general characters were too quick to accept things that would normally stretch credulity. I had some other, harder to verbalize issues with the book, but those are enough for a start. If the premise seems interesting to you, you might love it, but it's not a book I'll revisit. (It did give me a powerful craving for doughnuts, though.)

(79 books read)



Ghost by Jason Reynolds -- The night his father got really drunk and tried to shoot him and his mother was the night Ghost discovered that he could run. Fast. But he's never run on a real team or anything. He'd rather play basketball (not that he's on a real team for that, either). When he sees a group of kids and their coach practicing in the park, he's sure he can beat the time of their best sprinter -- and he does, earning himself a place on the team. But his mom says he can only run track if he stays out of trouble at school. And that's going to take some work, because Ghost has a lot of rage inside him, and sometimes it just comes out.

Reynolds writes a good, gripping story, with well-developed characters. The book does end on a cliffhanger, so if you're recommending this to a young reader in your life, be sure to have the rest of the series on hand. I'm glad I read this and will read at least the next book in the series.

>162 foggidawn: I did read it. I do wish I hadn't guessed how the foundlings were involved so early - I got impatient waiting for Thara Celehar and company to catch up. But it looks like Katherine Addison the Archprelate has interesting plans for him.

>165 quondame: Indeed. ;-)

(80 books read)



Patina by Jason Reynolds -- Ever since her father died and her mother lost her legs to diabetes, Patina has felt responsible for her younger sister Maddy. Even though Maddy and Patina are in the loving care of their godparents, Patty still has a strong independent streak -- which may be why it's so hard for her to adjust to being part of the relay team in her track club. Patty has some lessons to learn about relying on others and supporting her team, both on the track and off.

A strong second entry in the Track series. Reynolds takes the opportunity to introduce some new characters, and the dialogue is likewise strong. I did feel that track was less central to this book than it was to Ghost, as there was a lot of family and school drama going on. And, once again, the book ends on a mild cliffhanger.

(81 books read)



Sunny by Jason Reynolds -- For as long as Sunny can remember, his dad has been urging him to run, to train harder, to get stronger. Sunny's mother died when Sunny was born, and his dad wants to see Sunny achieve her dream of winning a marathon. And Sunny's good at running, no question. It's just that he kind of hates it. Sunny has other dreams -- but he also has the best friends of his life on the track team, and he doesn't want to quit. Can Coach find a solution?

This third book in the series did not work for me. It's in diary format, and it suffers from the same issues that I've seen in other books for this format. For instance, there are several entries detailing the events of a track meet. Are we supposed to believe that Sunny brought his secret diary to the meet and whipped it out to write in every few minutes? And other entries are much more believable in terms of voice -- they're basically stream-of-consciousness -- but I just don't love Sunny's narrative voice the way I expected to. As one might expect by now, the book ends on a mild cliffhanger. I read the excerpt from the next book to resolve that in my head, and don't feel any need to finish off the series. (I had these three books on hand but not the fourth, and I just don't feel interested enough to seek it out.) All in all, I can see myself recommending this series to kids interested in sports books, but I won't revisit it.

(82 books read)



Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts by Erika Lewis -- Kelcie's been an orphan for as long as she can remember, shunted from one terrible foster home to another. Then, one day, on museum field trip, her caseworker shows up in the company of a strange woman. They take Kelcie away from her school group, and then the really strange stuff starts happening...

I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but I'll just say that Kelcie ends up (as one might surmise from the title) at The Academy of Unbreakable Arts, a warrior training school that turns out elite magical fighters to protect the Lands of Summer from the Lands of Winter. The mythology is based on Celtic lore, and if you're getting a strong Percy Jackson vibe, you're not wrong. This book treads familiar ground, but it does so very well. I found the setting a little vague, but the characters and plot are solid, and it kept me engaged in the story all the way through. For readers who can't get enough of adventure fantasy, this is a strong series starter. I'll be recommending it, and I'm looking forward to reading the second book in the series, myself.

(83 books read)



Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher -- Eric's only friend in middle school was Sarah Byrnes, a girl with an acerbic sense of humor and severe burns on her face and hands. She and Eric, the fattest boy in school, made up a sort of club of rejects, banding together to use their wits against their tormentors. Now, in high school, Eric has discovered swimming and has made at least one other friend, but Sarah Byrnes is still one of the most important people in his life. And she's in a mental hospital, in a catatonic state. Eric visits her regularly, wondering all the time: what happened to make her check out like this? Is there any way he can help her find her way back?

I thought I had read this as a teenager, but if I did, a whole lot of it went right over my head! I suspect that I remember seeing the title on the library shelves, but that I never checked it out. I have such mixed feelings about this title. First off, parts of it are extremely dated. I can't really hold that against the book; in its time, I'm sure they added a lot. It's just that teens now are going to struggle with that aspect and miss out on a lot of the humor. Other parts, including some of the class discussions from Eric's Critical American Thought class, are starkly relevant. Certain plot elements are extremely predictable, like the Inspirational Teacher vs. Uptight Administration storyline, and the way Jody's story plays out (I'm being intentionally vague to avoid spoilers) -- again, they might have seemed fresher in 1993. All of the adult antagonists are pretty one-dimensional, though a kid bully gets some more nuance. All in all, I can see this book being taught in a YA literature course, as it's a strong example of a 1990s realistic teen novel, but I'm not sure I'd hand it to teens today, at least not without some additional context.

>167 foggidawn: I like the cover designs on this series.

>171 humouress: Yes, they did a great job with those. And they used the same designs for the hardcover and the paperback versions, so they realized they got it right!

>169 foggidawn: Ooh, this looks fun. I'm a sucker for a magical academy :)

>173 curioussquared: Yes, you should try it!

I'm not adding these to my count, but I at least skimmed through the whole book, so I thought I'd mention them here:

 

The Official Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea Cookbook -- Very pretty, but I didn't feel the urge to bake anything in the cookbook just now.

The Everything Guide to Micro Weddings -- Moderately useful; I did get some good tips and hints. It's the sort of book where you pick and choose what's relevant to you.

>175 foggidawn: A cookbook from a TV show that has full-time kitchen staff, what's not inspiring about that?? ;-)

>176 norabelle414: ;-)

(84 books read)



Firebirds, edited by Sharyn November -- I had read another anthology in this series, Firebirds Rising, and liked it very much, so I bought this one, and it sat on my TBR shelf for some time, but I finally got around to reading it. I found the stories more enjoyable than not. There are some big names included (well, big in the field of YA fantasy at least): Megan Whalen Turner, Garth Nix, Diana Wynne Jones . . . Finding a new-to-me DWJ short story is always a treat, and hers was probably my favorite in the book. If you enjoy fantasy and short stories, this is worth a read.

Look at you go!! 84 books already. And so many of them look tempting, all the way back up to the Ellie Griffiths run! (I really need to read more of hers.) Glad to hear you are recovered from the auto accident. Dang. Take care and enjoy the weekend.

>179 Berly: Thanks! I was afraid I wouldn't feel much like reading this year, but so far that has not been the case!

Life update: It's now less than two months until the wedding! I'm still feeling that plans are well in hand. Invitations are on order and should arrive this week, so I'll get them sent out in a good time frame. I have the photographer lined up, and will start working on wedding music with the choir at this weekend's practice. (Orthodox weddings have specific music, and it's best if you can get at least a small choir together to sing it, though I've sung one by myself, during the pandemic. A friend of mine will be directing the choir during the actual wedding, of course.) Mom is working on the wedding dress, and we're doing a fitting in mid-August. The dahlia plants are looking healthy, so I expect we will have some blooms by mid-September for my bouquet. My cousin is making my cake, and sent me pictures of the practice one -- it will be lovely. (Mom and some other relatives were around to taste it, and they approved of that, too!) I'm starting to think about the other food we'll have at the reception. I'm liking how things are coming together.

Other than the wedding, I don't have a lot to report. My tomato plants are giants, loving the rich soil we put in the raised bed. No ripe tomatoes yet, but plenty of green ones. The squash is hanging in there, and a couple of pepper plants are still trying. None of my brassicas made it; something ate the leaves down to a very fine lace. I haven't fussed over the garden very much this year; maybe in future I'll do better at keeping things alive (though, to tell the truth, I have never had much luck with broccoli and cabbage). The herbs in pots are mostly doing well, though the thyme is not thriving as I would expect. It's still alive, just not growing very much. Maybe it will catch on eventually. The oregano has no such problem!

I haven't done much board gaming lately -- John is busy outside pretty much all of the daylight hours, and I've been too busy at other things to do any solo gaming. But I did buy Calico just recently, and Clue Master Detective a little before that (my favorite version of Clue when I was a child; they finally reprinted it and I was so excited). I'm planning on taking Calico and maybe a couple other games on the honeymoon.

Work is going well; we have a few weeks left of our summer programming, and we've exceeded our goals for the summer. I feel good about that, even though the goals were set pretty low because nobody knew what to expect due to the pandemic. I have some exciting programs planned for the fall, and soon it will be time to start thinking about the next quarter.

(85 books read)



And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard -- Emily is sent to boarding school after her boyfriend brings a gun to school, threatens her, and then kills himself. She's pretty much on her own dealing with her grief and guilt, working it out through poetry, and keeping it all a secret from her new classmates. If it all comes out, what then?

I picked this up because of its Printz honor. I thought the author got the teenage voice right, though the writing in general was not as polished as I expected. There's a major focus on Emily Dickinson (not my favorite poet, I'll admit), so fans of her poetry might enjoy this more than I did. For me, it was just okay.

Thanks for the update! I am so happy for you for all aspects of your life!

>181 foggidawn: The only way I've had luck with brassicas is to net them so the bugs can't get to them. At the garden I used to run, we made a frame out of pvc piping and ziptied the netting to it so it's super easy to store when not in use and light enough for one person to move.

Sounds like the wedding plans are going well. My daughter's is coming up beginning of September. She's working on the seating plan right now and calling last minute stragglers to see if they plan on coming. : ) She has her fitting in two weeks. Fun times!!

>183 compskibook: Thanks!

>184 leahbird: Ooh, I can see that working. If I decide to grow them again in future, I'll have to build something like that.

>185 Berly: Yes, fun times for both of us. :-)

Glad to hear all things wedding are coming along smoothly and that summer reading at your library is going so well. So excited for you. :)

>42 foggidawn: I was watching Anne with an E on Netflix lately, it is a sweet story, and well acted on that particular version.

The Weird Sisters sounds intriguing! I'd probably give that one a go.

Oh, and congrats on your upcoming wedding...September is not far away now!

(86 books read)



How to Find Love in a Bookshop by Veronica Henry -- Emilia returns to quaint Peasebrook when her father dies. She promises him that she will keep his beloved shop, Nightingale Books, open and running, but she soon discovers that the finances are not looking all that great. The bookshop is beloved by the whole town, but will that be enough to save it in the end?

I thought this was going to be a typical "girl returns to small town, finds love with the boy next door" scenario, and there's a touch of that, though it didn't play out the way I expected. Instead, there are several plot lines with various characters finding love. This is a super comforting read, with everything working out happily in the end, though there's plenty of drama along the way. With a sweet pastoral setting, likable characters, and lots of book love for everything from the Moomins to Jilly Cooper, I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a story that will soothe and delight. Also, I listened to the audiobook. It's narrated by Fiona Hardingham, which is really all you need to know, right? If you're an audiobook listener, this is an excellent pick.

Edit: Thanks to mickyfine for the recommendation!

>187 MickyFine: Thanks!

>188 LovingLit: I'll have to watch that at some point . . . maybe this winter.

>189 foggidawn: Yay! I'm glad it was a hit with you!

>191 MickyFine: It was just lovely. Have you read anything else by her?

>192 foggidawn: I haven't. If you explore her bibliography further, I'll be interested to see how you enjoy her other books.

>193 MickyFine: I may do that sometime.

(87 books read)



Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery -- One of my favorite childhood comfort reads, that I've read countless times. (I believe I got it, along with a bunch of other Montgomery paperbacks, from my grandmother on my 8th or 9th birthday). This is a quintessential summer read for me.

>195 foggidawn: It's an excellent choice for comforting summer re-reads. Of the re-released Montgomerys with the gorgeous covers from Tundra, I think I have only 2 of the Emily of New Moon books unread (it might just be one). I put her in my Canadian author challenge though, so I'll probably save them for that month. :)

>196 MickyFine: I never really managed to love the Emily books. I reread them several years ago to see if I liked them better as a grown-up -- nope.

How did I miss starring this thread? Oh my...time to catch up.

>195 foggidawn: this is one of my favorite "non-Anne" books by Montgomery. I gave it 4 stars.

>198 fuzzi: I hate it when that happens! Glad you found me.

>199 fuzzi: Mine, too.

(88 books read)



The Fairest of Them All by Carolyn Turgeon -- What if Rapunzel became Snow White's evil stepmother? In this tale, Rapunzel falls in love with a prince, but he is already betrothed to a princess from a neighboring kingdom. Will she ever be able to be with her true love?

That's a very over-simplified summary, as I didn't want to give anything away. I'm usually a big fan of fairy tale retellings and remixes, but this one didn't do it for me. My main issue, which may not bother others, is that I found Rapunzel unlikeable, and since the story is entirely from her perspective, it made reading a bit of a slog. There's plenty of darkness and complexity here, and I did like how the author portrayed the relationship between Rapunzel and Snow White. I also found it interesting how she wove in various aspects of the original tales. The writing was a little overwrought in places, and I was bothered all the time about the logistics of Rapunzel's hair (it's magic, I know, but I still kept stumbling over questions of how she wrapped it up if there was so much of it, etc.). If you like dark fairy tale retellings and don't mind an unlikeable narrator, this might be your cup of tea, even though it wasn't mine.

Glad things are going well on all fronts. The wedding will be here soon! How long will you stay at Hocking Hills? Montgomery is high on my list for books I want to re-read. I don't reread that often, but maybe that will change when the kids get older as there are so many children's books I love and want to share with them.

>202 aktakukac: We're just staying for a few days, though we both took the whole week off from work. That's a busy time of year for farming, as you know, so I figured John would be anxious to get home if we stayed longer. I'll use the rest of the week puttering around the house, I'm sure. My parents are watching Lottie and his dad will tend the chickens and rabbits.

>201 foggidawn: I wonder when Rapunzel's hair became magic? I don't recall it was in the versions I read as a child and young adult. Just that it grew long enough while she was in the tower to let the witch etc up. After she's outside the tower nothing about her hair is ever mentioned.
I know in Fables and Tangled it's all about the hair.

foggie, you are so kind to visit my thread, I just had to catch up on yours. Lots going on! Accidents (ouch), wedding plans (yay) and a new mystery series I was able to snag from the library (thanks!). And you sailed past 75!

Delurking to say hello. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Also delurking. Glad the wedding plans are on track.

>204 quondame: This book was written after Tangled came out, so I suspect there might have been at least some subconscious influence. Yes, in the versions I remember from childhood there was nothing magical about her hair, it was just really long.

>205 ffortsa: Thanks! Hope you enjoy the mysteries!

>206 figsfromthistle: Hi! My weekend was a good mix of busy and relaxing. Saturday was John's mother's birthday, so we had a little get-together for them. I spent Saturday morning cleaning and making up some tea sandwiches (pimiento cheese, cucumber, and ham/turkey/cheese) to serve as a light dinner to go with our cake and ice cream. I had choir practice that afternoon, where we went over some of our regular music and then started looking at wedding music, yay! The evening was nice; we had John's parents and our neighbors (longtime friends of John's parents) over, and everyone had a good time. Sunday morning was church, and then I spent the day relaxing. It was pretty hot outside, so I stayed close to the air conditioner, napping and reading, and we ate leftovers. Even Lottie was mostly content to nap and snuggle.

>207 humouress: Thanks! I got the invitations mailed last week, so I should start hearing back by next week. I'm interested to see who will and won't make it. We're not doing a catered meal, just appetizers and desserts, so an exact head count is not as crucial for us as it is for some weddings, but still, I'm curious!

(89 books read)



Lupin Leaps In by Georgia Dunn -- Three indoor cats report the news that matters (to cats). Cat lovers and graphic novel fans will find these brief, episodic comics highly amusing. Though marketed as middle grade, this is likely to appeal to all ages. It's the second book in the series, but I don't think that matters much since there's not much of an overarching plot. This reminded me a bit of the Binky books by Ashley Spires.

(90 books read)



Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher -- Marra, youngest princess of a small kingdom, has spent half of her life in a convent. When she discovers that her sister, married to a prince of a neighboring kingdom, is in danger, she is willing to face any task to save her. This will mean leaving her comfort zone, both literally and metaphorically, and bringing together a small crew of misfits who just might be able to change the destinies of more than one kingdom.

The very first bit of this book is pretty grim, with some elements of horror, but after that part the story settles more into quest fantasy lines, with plenty of humor and delightful characters. There's a slow-burn romance that, while not central to the story, is quite delightful and satisfying. I enjoyed every bit of this book, and would definitely recommend it.

Favorite quote:
"It’s a fool’s errand and we’ll probably all die," said the dust-wife.
"Oh, well then," said Fenris. "I always enjoy those."

>208 foggidawn: Sounds like a lovely weekend.

>209 foggidawn: Oh that looks super cute. I may have to track that down.

>211 MickyFine: I think you would like the comics! Breaking Cat News is the first collection.

Sounds like a great weekend and like you're making good wedding progress!

>210 foggidawn: This one is on my list already -- glad you enjoyed it!

>210 foggidawn: That's on my list, so I'm glad to see it's one you would recommend!

>210 foggidawn: Oh I quite enjoyed Nettle & Bone!

>209 foggidawn: great. I re-find and star your thread, and POOF! Another recommendation that is going to find its way to my library.

:)

>213 curioussquared: Thanks, it was!

>214 bell7: Oh, definitely! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

>215 quondame: Yay!

>216 fuzzi: Yep, that's the way it goes! ;-)

(91 books read)



The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer E. Smith -- Lucy and Owen meet when they are trapped together in an elevator during a major blackout. They're only trapped there for a few hours, but they go on to spend the rest of the evening together on the roof of their apartment building. There's definitely something between them. . . but a week later, both leave the city and go in different directions. They keep in touch, sort of: an email here, a postcard there. But can whatever they feel for each other survive the distance?

This was okay, but I never really bought into the romance. I didn't really have a sense of why they were so attracted to each other. I felt like that first meeting, in the elevator and then on the roof, was told more than shown. Maybe if we had gotten more dialogue, I would have felt the connection? And both characters felt very bland to me. I've liked other books by this author, but this one left me cold.

>218 foggidawn: Sorry that one wasn't better. Sounds like it had potential that wasn't realized.

>219 thornton37814: Ah, well. They can't all be 5-star reads.

(92 books read)



Damsel by Elana K. Arnold -- A prince rescues a damsel from a dragon and becomes king. It is tradition. It is his right. Ama wakes up after her rescue with no memories of her previous life. Prince Emory of Harding carries her home to his kingdom, where he will marry her on the solstice. As she learns more about herself and the people around her, she begins to wonder: is this really all there is for her?

There's no subtlety in this book. It's sheer feminist allegory, with every aspect of the book (plot, characters, dialogue, setting) there to serve the message. The plot twist at the end is clearly telegraphed from the beginning. My emotions when reading this alternated between anxiety and disgust. The writing is very intentional, so I'm pretty sure that the author achieved what she set out to do -- I just didn't enjoy the reading experience at all.

Another Printz honor that I didn't love. I'm going to give them a break for a while.

>221 foggidawn: Oof. Hoping your next read is much more enjoyable.

>222 MickyFine: Thanks. I've started on Shadow and Bone, and I'm liking it already, as I suspected I would.

(93 books read)



Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo -- Alina and Mal are both orphans, raised in the court of a charitable duke. Now, they serve in the king's army -- until a disastrous event reveals that Alina has magical powers she wasn't aware of. Alina is one of the Grisha, magic users who can bend the elements to their will. Her talent is unique, and may be the only thing that can save the kingdom. The Darkling, head of the Grisha, takes her to the palace for training. Separated from her best friend and homesick for her old life, she struggles to master her power -- and even if she does, will it be enough? The fate of the kingdom -- and perhaps the world -- rests on her shoulders.

Bardugo's writing is delightfully immersive, and I sped through this book, enjoying every minute. Some aspects of the plot are pretty obvious gurrrrrllll, first off, he's 120+ years old, so that's icky, but also, his name is the Darkling -- do you really think this is going to end well?, but the strong characters, plot, pacing, and setting make up for that in my opinion. I'll be continuing with this series soon. Recommended.

After a couple of lackluster reads, this really hit the spot!

>224 foggidawn: Absolutely cackling at your spoiler 😂 all so true. I feel like Bardugo's later reads in this world (Six of Crows, etc) get most of the attention these days but I really enjoyed her initial trilogy.

>225 curioussquared: I read Six of Crows several years ago and absolutely loved it -- I need to reread it sometime soon so I can read the sequel. But I thought I'd better take a look at this series, and the first one was on the shelf when I needed a good read.

Come join me on my new thread!